"As you can see, he is full of compassion and the love of others. Granted, he did not know his actions would kill him, yet when he discovered the price of his deed, he agree to pay it. He still has much to give to his people, though he does not yet see it.
"What say the children of light, gathered? Do we leave the human to the energy debt he unknowingly incurred, or do we intercede on his behalf and reclaim the energy price from the base reactor?"
"If we allow him to pay the energy debt, he will never regain consciousness. Although none of them yet know of his importance, what are the chances the humans will discover that he is the first step to the ascension of their race? Can we let this human pay this price when it will mean lengthening the time it will take this species to ascend?"
"This is one human among billions. He is a genetic fluke, a one-time occurrence of the correct DNA sequence produced by totally random, uncontrolled events. We came here to prevent the complete extermination of psionic gifts from the human gene pool, and thereby totally eliminating the possibility of this race ever ascending. That is our task. If the human incurred the debt, let the human pay it; if he cannot reclaim the energy himself, too bad.
"That argument is flawed, and serves only to clarify our duty. The decision is made. The human will be told. The rest of us need to return to the task at hand. We are decided."
I groaned as it felt like my head was about to explode. Barbara smiled down at me in sympathy. "Head hurt?"
It felt like she had yelled it into my ear. I tried to nod, but that was an even more painful experience. "Yes," I said very softly.
She reached for something, then pressed it to my neck. I heard a loud hiss and the throbbing in my head magically turned into big fluffy cotton balls. Wonderful stuff, pain killers.
"You are not to attempt to use your ability until the headache has been gone for four days. Doc Reynolds on Atlas says that some of it can't simply be 'not used' so there is a special device in here designed to negate your ability. The Doc said that if you tried, you could easily overpower it, but the attempt itself might cause you to burn out your ability completely. I don't think you really want to have migraines constantly for the rest of your life, now do you?"
"No, I don't," I said as I sat up a bit. I got a glance at myself out of the mirror across the room, and I still looked like me. I sighed in relief. "I had the strangest dream while I was asleep..."
"Honey, you weren't exactly asleep; you were in a coma, a really bad one. Doc Tom suspected you might have over stressed your ability, so he was discreetly monitoring you. Just before you passed out, he put in an urgent call to Doc Reynolds, and called for some orderlies. He even got a hypo to knock you out, but you dropped before he could use it." She paused for a moment. "You've been out for almost a week, baby."
That shook me a little, but a whole week? It hadn't felt that long at all.
"So, tell me about this dream you had." She sat back a little on my bed, and crossed her elegant legs.
I scooted over some, and pulled her down to lay beside me, so I could hold her. She purred in pleasure as she felt my arms around her. "I dreamt I was talking to T'lon. She'd told me she loved me, and she thanked me for saving her life. But she told me I had used too much energy to keep her and the others alive, and now I was paying for it; I had to give up most of my own life force. She said that when I woke, I'd be much older, and would probably only live for another year or so. The good news was she would be having a baby boy! Isn't that great?"
"Honey, that wasn't a dream. Well, it was a dream, but it was also real ... to some extent. The conversation did take place, but you weren't talking to T'lon; you just thought you were.
"You see, there is another race here; their name doesn't translate, but without a whole bunch of specialized electronics, they can only communicate with humans when they are in a coma.
"You did give up your life energy to save T'lon and the others. In fact, you gave up all of it. In extreme cases, your ability will allow you to give your own energy to others. However, until you can learn how to reclaim it, you probably shouldn't do that again."
Okay, now I was really confused. How the hell did she know what took place in the dream? That voice had sure sounded like T'lon. "That doesn't make sense, sweetheart; if I gave up all my life force, then shouldn't I be dead?"
"Well, you would be, except for the small fact that these visitors are made up of that type of energy. They replaced your energy and reclaimed it from the base reactor. Alan didn't know what was happening and was furious until it was explained to him."
Just how the hell does she know all this? Come to think of it, where the hell was I? I didn't recognize the room, the bed was too small, and if I had been out for a week, there would be at least two of my ladies here.
"I'm still in the coma," I said it as fact.
The person I had been holding, who I thought had been my mother and wife, sat up and smiled at me. "You are very perceptive, young one. Perhaps there is more to you than we thought. Yes, you are still in the coma."
So if I was still out, why did they need the whole act? I never thought I was particularly xenophobic. "Why the big act? Why did you need me to think I was awake? I think I'm open-minded enough to accept other species, even radically different ones."
"You cannot see us this way unless we use your memories to speak to you. If you were to perceive our true form in this manner, it would irreversibly damage several million synaptic relays in your brain. Think of it as lighting a match in a fuel tank full of fumes."
"Ouch," I replied.
"Yeah, we just saved your life; killing you would be counter-productive."
"So that whole thing about using my life force was real, then?" I asked.
"That was probably the most real thing about any of this, Jon. You actually should have died in the waiting room, but I felt the amount of energy you were pushing, and came to investigate. I gave you some of my energy to sustain you for a time."
"I thought you said that the debt was paid? Did you do that?" I asked.
She chuckled. "Yes and yes. A decision had to be made as to the amount of interference I was allowed, and if I were allowed to pay the debt for you, since I can reclaim the energy, and you cannot; that is to say, you cannot do it easily."
"How do you reclaim energy? Why can't I do it that way?" I asked.
"I am a child of the light, a being of energy. I feed off of hard radiation. I draw my power from an unshielded fusion reaction. I'm afraid if you tried to feed like that, your human body wouldn't last very long."
"Well, thank you for doing that for me. I just hope I remember this when I wake up." I chuckled ruefully. "I'm not the greatest at remembering dreams."
"You forget, this isn't a dream. I think I should warn you though, there is only one person in the sector that will believe you actually spoke to us, and it might be awhile before you run into him again," She said as the room slowly began to fade.
"Wait, who is it?" I asked.
"Admiral Williams. But, like I said, I'd keep all this under your hat for now. You are waking up, and our connection is breaking. Have a good life, Jon, and remember what you've learned here."
The head ache wasn't as bad as the last time I woke. I still didn't recognize the room, but I did recognize the women sitting in chairs next to me. The light in the room was muted and Erin and Casey were asleep. Casey was curled up on Erin's lap, but from the looks on their faces, they had both been crying.
The door opened quietly to a smiling woman in a nurse's uniform that I had never met before. She checked a couple of things, blinded me with a small flashlight, then nodded to me. "Welcome back, Mr. Weist."
I tried to speak, but found my throat to be very dry. The woman handed me a cup of water. Remembering standard hospital doctrine when it comes to drinking water after waking, I took a small sip, swished it around my mouth, then swallowed it.
"It's good that you remembered, but in this case it isn't necessary to drink it slow unless you really want to. You won't get sick on it," the nurse replied. "My name is Susan; I'm the night nurse for this section. It's good to see that you're doing better. Doctor Truman will be happy to hear it."
I smiled back at her. "How long was I out?"
"Just under a week; you were in an induced coma so your ability could heal. Since you can't really shut it off, the only way we can keep you from using it is to keep you out. We actually stopped inducing yesterday morning, but you stayed out. We knew you were still in there by your brain activity, so the doctor decided to just wait for you to come back on your own."
I nodded at my two sleeping beauties. "I'm surprised Barbara isn't in here as well, with the kids on another bed. I mean, I wish they were all at home, but I expect at some point there was an argument," I croaked out softly.
"Oh, there was an argument alright. I thought Barbara and Doc Truman were going to wake you out of the induced coma they got so loud. Emma suggested the current arrangement, and both ... uh, agreed." The grin on her face told me that neither party had much choice but to agree.
"Can I find out how T'lon is doing?" I asked.
Susan lifted her electronic clip-board, and started tapping commands. "Ah, here we are. She made it through her latest surgery in excellent condition, after successfully regrowing the lower half of her spine. Currently, Doc Truman is waiting to see if she rejects the new limbs, digestive tract, and reproduction system." She paged down. "Early indicators show the skin regeneration is proceeding perfectly, and she is scheduled for another surgery in two days to remove scar tissue and rebuild her breasts, nose and ears. All in all she is doing remarkably well; I've never heard of someone ever needing this much reconstruction, but she has to be a remarkable woman."
"She's very remarkable, and very special. My wives and I are going to bond with her, as soon as we can." I smiled, proud of our injured love.
She chuckled softly. "I think that fact is almost as well known as her name. There're rumors that the Admiral has put her in for more medals, and her unit the most citations, than any other in this battle. If the High Council and High Command agree, T'lon J'kar-Weist will be the highest decorated soldier in the TDF, not to mention the only living recipient of the Star of the Alliance."
"What about the war? How are we doing?" I asked.
"We won. The war's over, but now we have to begin the process of rebuilding. The only governing body even close to being intact is the UN. Currently, they are in control of the planet, and Sector Command is working with them to get relief supplies and aid out to where they are needed most. Earth hasn't officially joined the alliance yet, but I'm pretty sure they will. Given the current situation, the planet needs us very badly."
"That's fabulous news. It was one of the shortest wars I've ever seen, but by far the most destructive. Thank the gods it's over."
"According to Admiral Williams, if it had gone on even an hour longer, there is a good chance that we would have lost. Over half the Imperial fleet was carrying missiles armed with nerve gas. If even one of them had managed to detonate in a planetary atmosphere, it would have killed everything. Those fuckers had thousands of them! But Major Cindy Williams and her Raptor team captured the Imperial Force Commander before he could give the order to launch the weapons, and they surrendered. I'm sure there is more to the story, but that's all that's known right now."
I smiled at her. "Well, thank you for telling me, but I think I'd like to get a kiss from those two perfect angels there. Since I'm awake, may I assume it should be safe to use my ability?"
"Lightly at first. Doc Truman will be by in the morning to check on you. If you start to get a headache, or a pressure behind your eyes, call me at once. The call switch is right here." She pointed to a button on the small terminal within easy reach. "Also, you're going to be a little weak for a day or two. So if you feel tired, rest!" She winked at me, and left.
Casey and Erin were sitting close enough to touch me, which meant that I could touch them. I reached out and softly caressed Casey's beautiful cheek. She smiled tenderly and snuggled into Erin tighter. She did slip one hand down Erin's shirt to cup a firm breast.
Grinning evilly, I quickly unbuttoned Casey's thin shirt, and worked the fabric off her lovely orbs. She wasn't wearing a bra like normal, so the nipple was almost perfectly in place for Erin to simply open her mouth and suck it.
I gently lifted the breast to my sister's pouty lips and teased them with Casey's hardening nipple. Erin, of course, obediently opened her mouth and sucked the tender morsel in like she'd been breast fed her whole life.
Casey inhaled a deep shuddering breath and held Erin's head tighter to her exposed tit. She even shifted slightly to give her lover better access. She removed her hand from Erin's shirt, and moved it down the woman's pants. It was somewhat difficult, given the position, but Casey managed to get her hand down Erin's pants without taking her own breast out of Erin's mouth.
Erin spread her legs and groaned into the breast in her mouth. Without thought, Erin began removing Casey's clothes as the other woman stood to let her. Neither one had opened their eyes yet.
Casey pulled Erin's shirt up and off, then moved to pull down the slacks Erin had worn. Erin had removed Casey's jeans and was trying to unbutton her shirt while lifting her ass so Casey could remove her own pants.
If it hadn't been so damn arousing, I would have been rolling on the floor laughing my ass off. As it was, I was so hard, my cock hurt.
I silently swung out of bed, dropped the string pants I was wearing, stepped up behind Casey, and slid my hard shaft all the way home in her dripping pussy as she bent to kiss our wife. Boy was she gonna be surprised!
I think I scared her.
I'd have given Casey a perfect ten for her dismount if I'd actually seen it all. You see, both women knew I was still in the coma. So that meant someone else had to have stuck that cock up Casey, which is something none of my wives would allow.
The next thing I knew I was sitting on the floor against the wall next to the door. My butt kinda hurt from the impact, and from sliding across the carpeting. A very confused, naked woman was standing over me, ready to rip my head off, while my sister stared, open mouthed from the chair.
Damn Casey was gorgeous when she was pissed. Erin was pretty no matter her expression, but total confusion really brought out the 'cute innocent' look. "You are really hot when you're pissed!" I said to Casey. "Uh, would you mind giving me a hand up?"
The good news: both women all but attacked me with hugs and kisses, and given their current state of dress ... well, you get the picture.
The bad news: I could still engrave battle armor with my dick.
Since Casey was currently the one kissing on me, I bent Erin over my bed, and pressed my cock up her slowly. She was so wet that I slid right in; however, I had another idea.
I pulled my cock out of her, and after placing the head in the right spot, pulled her back onto it. She stuffed my blankets into her mouth as she screamed out her pleasure. Did I ever mention Erin liked anal sex? She likes it so much, I'd still like to know how the hell she got pregnant in the first place!
I was released from the hospital late the next day, and almost as soon as we walked through the door, Barbara attacked me. I think she might have missed me — just a little.
That night the only thing missing to make it perfect was T'lon. But she would be with us soon, this time forever.
T'lon astounded Tom Truman yet again in the speed with which she healed. His original estimate had been on the lines of two to three months not counting extensive physical therapy.
A week after I had been released from the hospital, we got a call from an excited Nurse Emma that T'lon had come out of her coma, and had been asking for us. The four of us ran from the club, as everyone there stood and clapped.
She was indeed awake but seemed a little drunk still. Drugged or not, there was no mistaking the look in her eyes when she saw us. Yes, T'lon J'kar was the newest member of the house of Weist.
Her skin was really pink, and she complained constantly about the itching, especially on her head where her hair was beginning to grow back.
From that time on, one of us was always with her. The look of love and joy on her face brightened the whole hospital.
The young, old man stood at the podium and looked out over the landing bay. Most of the area in front of him was empty, but it shouldn't have been. Before him stood sixty-five women, and two men, in the formal dress of Talosian Marines. In front of them their beautiful commander stood; the cane she needed to stand clear evidence of the wounds this unit had taken, and were still recovering from.
There should have been a thousand uniformed marines here along with ten of their combat shuttles.
Sixty-seven marines, and three combat shuttles.
Over nine hundred men and women in this unit had paid the ultimate price, gone so far above and beyond their duty it couldn't be measured or quantified. They don't make medals for what these people had accomplished.
I felt Ian's sadness as the young Admiral took a deep breath, and began. "We are here today to do the impossible. We are here to give awards to people for deeds for which no simple award would ever be sufficient. Yet, we must try.
"During the course of the recent defense of this planet, the men and women of the twenty-second rapid deployment battalion supplied critical aid and evacuation for an incalculable number of people in the European hemisphere. I say it's incalculable, but the number is in the tens of millions. Considering the losses we have suffered, that is by far a not inconsiderable amount." Ian paused to regain his faltering composure.
Andreya had told us that there were so many coffins on the way to the sun that three ships had to be detailed solely to tracking, and warning other craft away.
Ian stiffened, and read from the message pad on the podium. "Attention to Orders! It is by their actions that the twenty-second rapid deployment unit of the Talosian defense force, Sol Sector command, is so ordered to receive the following unit citations for actions far above the call.
"The Cor'nie Cross of Valor.
"The Nova Corona, for bravery.
"The Talosian Cluster for meritorious service to the federation.
"It is also by order of the High Council that each member of the unit be inducted into the Order of Talos at the end of the year." Ian paused because the applause was getting loud enough to drown out his voice, even amplified.
The restored CNN had been broadcasting an edited version of the unit's achievements, along with stories of all the other miracles of bravery or heroism others had performed during the crisis.
CNN was broadcasting this ceremony as well, and literally billions had tuned in. As the applause began to die, Ian took a small sip of water to ease his throat, and continued reading.
"Given the amount of awards and the achievements of these remarkable people, it is with great and profound sadness that I am forced to declare the twenty-second rapid deployment battalion officially destroyed in the past action on the Planet Earth, Sol Sector, Talosian Allied Federation. It is so ordered by my authority and on this day, Fleet Admiral Goya, Talosian Defense Forces, Commanding." Ian sat the official document aside, and looked back up at the assembled troops before him. My heart went out to T'lon as she stood before her commander with tears running down her face.
Ian continued. "I have requested, and the request was approved, for the unit to be transferred to the inactive reserve instead of totally disbanding it. The twenty-second will. Live. On."
That statement was met with thunderous applause, and a standing ovation. Ian saw the smile that T'lon tried to hide, and gave her a small smile as well. She was getting tired, and I hoped that Ian would hurry.
In order to get the crowd to quiet, Ian tried to speak, stopped and waited as people hastily took their seats and quieted down.
"The commander of this incredible unit has asked that she be dismissed from the force in order to finish healing, and to spend time with her new family. Unfortunately, High Command has denied her request." Ian held up his hand to forestall the burst of outrage from the crowd. I could see T'lon's shoulders sag.
I could feel that Ian was holding something back as he continued. "It seems in all our preparations for this battle, and the creation of the sector research facilities, we overlooked something very important: appropriate recreational facilities that are capable of catering to all of our people. A private citizen saw the need and provided a service whose contribution to our efforts here will never be fully understood, but they will be felt for centuries. He has asked to be allowed to spread these services to other military installations in the rest of the system, as well as to a few places in non-military areas.
"I can only speak to the military aspects of his request, and High Command has enthusiastically endorsed his proposition. Unfortunately, I find that I have been ordered to provide security for these installations." Ian looked pointedly at T'lon as her face lit up.
"I'll need a reliable commander, and troops that have proven that they can operate well when spread out." By now the rest of the troops were grinning as well. "Of course, since it isn't exactly what you agreed to when you joined the TDF, this assignment is voluntary, and will require the services of your shuttle flight crews also. I'm afraid I'll have to give you standard shuttles though."
At the rear of the formation, the pilots turned to their crews, got rapid nods, then marched them away from the shuttles to join the main formation.
The rest of the ceremony went by quickly, Ian could see that T'lon looked like she was ready to fall over. He quickly issued the multiple individual awards, and finally pinned on all the medals T'lon had received several awards, and Alan and Andreya assisted Ian in pinning them on her uniform. By the time they had finished, it was obvious Ian was rushing things.
As soon as Ian finished up and dismissed the assembly, I rushed forward with the hover chair Doc Truman gave us for T'lon. As tough as she was, she all but fell into it, as the surviving members of her unit surrounded us to congratulate her.
T'lon healed. She now lived with us full time, and like my 'dream' had hinted at, became pregnant within a month of being released from Physical Therapy. Doc Truman was as proud as if he had been the daddy when we found out. Talosian Medical science is very advanced, but T'lon's uterus and ovaries had been among the casualties of her injuries. Doc Truman had coaxed her body to regenerate them, and the odds had been good that she wouldn't have been able to have children.
Our other three wives were also pregnant; granted they were two and three months further along than T'lon was, but that didn't matter. My ladies were just as happy as could be. We opened clubs in Phoenix Base on the moon, as well as Addron Training installation on Atlas. Eventually, we would have clubs on Deimos, two more on Earth, and two more in the Centauri system.
When things had settled down, I actually got around to writing some of my own music, mostly love songs for my ladies that seemed to be well accepted. Casey had told me that I would earn a half credit per song, per play. That meant that every time someone listened to one of my songs, I would get a half credit. At first I thought that didn't actually sound like much, until the first month's report came in and I had made over a million credits for the five songs I'd released.
I remembered all of this as I looked down on my sleeping lovers. It had been one hell of a ride, and it wasn't over yet. However, I felt so much love for those beautiful, wonderful women that I was very happy the children of light had paid my energy debt. Don't get me wrong, I still wouldn't have changed that, but I was thankful for even the little amount of time I'd been given with my wives.
I chuckled to myself as I got back into bed with my lovers. In a few months when the new babies began to arrive, I might have a different view about that, but even surrounded by screaming kids, I doubted it.
We stayed close to Earth, to try and help with its transition and recovery. But that is a story for another time.