Ali Noel Vyain's Blog, page 64

Chapter 9 Children

An excerpt from The Starlover Series Book 1: Project Earth

“Dave?”

“Yes, Raelina?”

“I feel funny.”

“Funny how?”

“Well, I’m hungry all the time. Eating doesn’t seem to relieve it. I have lots of varied food cravings. And now I can feel something moving in my belly.”

Dave stopped cold. “Uh…”

“Will I be alright?”

“I hope so.”

“What’s wrong with me?”

“Uh, let’s go see the doctor. She’ll know what it is.”

They walked to the medical house hand in hand. They walked inside. The doctor was reading something on her tablet computer. She looked up when they walked in.

“What’s happened?” the doctor asked.

“Uh, she feels funny. From what she described, it sounds like she could be pregnant.”

The doctor smiled. “Let me scan her.” She picked up her portable scanner and ran it above Raelina’s belly. “Oh, yes, it’s a baby. And you’re both doing well.”

“Oh, is that why I’m so hungry?”

“Yes, and eat as much as you want. The baby needs it just as much as you do.”

“Okay.”

“Do you have any morning sickness?”

“What’s that?”

“Do you ever feel nauseous?”

“No. Just hungry.”

“Consider yourself lucky. I don’t see any sign of nutritional deficiencies. So, I’d say you should be fine.”

“Good. I’m glad it’s no big deal.”

“How are you taking it, Dave?”

“Uh…”

The doctor laughed. “She’s fine. Just let her eat. I think what we have here is fine. Doesn’t seem to be causing her any trouble.”

He nodded. “Right. Okay, come on, let’s find you some food.”

“Okay. See you, Doctor!”

The doctor waved goodbye and resumed her reading.

Raelina and Dave went to the community garden. They watered. They weeded. They found some food that was ripe. They harvested it. They took it back to their house. She chopped it up and made a salad. He checked his tablet to see what else he needed to get done. He sat at the kitchen table. She joined him with her big salad and a glass of water.

By the time he was done checking his notes and research materials, she was done eating the salad. They looked at each other.

“Did that help with the hunger?”

“For now. But I may get hungry again in a couple of hours.” She took the dirty dishes to the sink. She washed them.

“By then it will be time for the evening meal.”

“Good.”

*********************

At the evening meal, Raelina and Dave sat down next to Jean and George. Jean noticed Raelina taking seconds.

“Expecting, Raelina?”

Raelina blinked and looked at Jean. “What does that mean?”

“Are you pregnant, dear? I’ve not seen you eat so much.”

“Yes.”

“Oh, I am too.” Jean helped herself to seconds. “It’s good to know I’m not the only one.”

“I’m hungry a lot now.”

“So am I. Anything else?”

“No, nothing bad. The doctor says I should be fine.”

“She told me the same thing. I feel pretty good even though someone is growing inside of me.”

“How long will the baby grow before they come out?”

“Oh, about nine months.”

“Oh, that seems like a long time.”

“The baby will be born soon enough. You’ll see. You’ll get to the point where you may want the baby to come out.”

“You mean the baby will just get so big and we have to keep carrying them around?”

“Yes. Lots of women complain of back problems when carrying a baby, especially in the latter days of pregnancy.”

“Oh, I don’t think I’ll like that part.”

“Neither do I, but we’ll find a way to endure it.”

“Yes, because they are our babies.”

************************

Months later Raelina and Jean found themselves in labor. Both had their husbands helping them get to the medical house. Neither really had any trouble with the labor, other than being exhausted afterwards. The babies were strong and healthy. Raelina and Dave had a girl they named Lizette Cassandra. Jean and George had a boy they named Jaekob.

Raelina had no trouble caring for her daughter when still just a baby. Jean made sure she got a sling so she could carry her baby around while she was working. She didn’t think having a baby to care for exempted her from the work she was doing on the project.

Chapter 8 Settling In

An excerpt from The Starlover Series Book 1: Project Earth

“Dave, have you met our next door neighbors? They are the Lutins.”

“They are? You mean Jean Lutin?”

“Yes, and her husband George.”

“Oh, I’ve met Jean. She’s one of the scientists on this project.”

Raelina laughed. “So, you’ve at least met her.”

“Well, yeah, we work together.”

“I know. But what about her husband?”

“Oh, that must be who she sits next to at meals. I wondered if there was something going on with all that flirting they tend to do.”

Raelina laughed again.

“You think we should socialize with them?”

“Yes.”

“Um, okay. You’re better at it than I am. So is my brother.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. When Fred and I were leaving our parents’ house, he suggested we go to the bar to pick up women. We did go and flirt with some women, but we didn’t pick any up. He was definitely better at flirting and socializing with them than I was.”

She smiled. “I’ll be with you. Don’t you worry.”

“Okay.”

“We can talk to them at the evening meal, when you’re more likely ready to relax.”

“Okay.”

“Until then, I wanted to show and ask you something.”

“What?” He followed her.

“That! I thought you humans used water ones. That doesn’t require water.”

He chuckled. “That’s part of the project. Using water for our wastes is wasteful. We don’t need to create blackwater. Grey water is okay because as long as we don’t use anything toxic, we can use it to water plants.”

“Oh!”

“Yeah, and we have to mix some sawdust into it to help keep the smell down and to help it decompose.”

“Okay.”

“We just have to be careful where we dump our wastes to prevent the spread of disease.”

“You have that problem?”

“Unfortunately, we have documented cases of it happening.”

“I see.” She walked to the kitchen. “So, why have this room at all, if we all eat together at regular mealtimes?”

“Good questions. I think it’s a habit to have some sort of kitchen. We don’t have an oven in here. Just one induction burner.” He paused to look around the kitchen. “I suppose we do have them so people can have coffee or tea first thing in the morning. Or at any time of the day.”

“Well, it’s nice to be able to get a glass of water whenever I need it. I don’t have to go very far. Just to the sink.”

“There is always that. At least the water is purified and we have the option of adding minerals to it.”

“You have been thinking of lots of little things.”

“It’s the little things which add up. If we don’t pay attention, they can cause huge problems.”

“Like eating too much in the way of animal and animal products?”

“Yes. We’ve come close to losing some plants because of that. Vanilla and chocolate are now very expensive. We almost lost coffee for the same reason.”

“I see. No wonder my people are upset with humans in general.”

“Can’t say I blame them.”

“Yet, there have always been some, like you, who care enough to do something about it.”

“Did your people appear to those humans?”

“Oh, yes, they did. We’ve always been peaceful. We stayed away from those who would destroy the planet for the sake of money and not care about the consequences to themselves or others.”

“I don’t blame you. They can be hard to get through to.”

“My people have stories about trying to stop those humans without success. The earth nymphs were always killed as a result.”

He grimaced. “I can see why you wouldn’t want to deal with those humans.” He looked at her. “Do you have any other questions about our house?”

“No, not really.”

“It’s not as high tech as many houses are these days, but we don’t really need that much to prove our point.”

“Actually, the high tech would just baffle me. That tablet of yours is enough tech for me to deal with.”

“You never use it.”

“I don’t need it.”

“Hmm. I never thought about it. I’m used to using some kind of computer.”

“We’ve never needed any tech to live our lives.”

“Perhaps you wouldn’t. You can live right in nature so much easier than us humans can.”

“This is true. We love it that we can.”

“But yet you married me and you’re living with me in this house.”

She nodded. “But sometimes I have to go into the ground or else I could die.”

“Oh, okay.”

“You’re remembering when we first came here.”

“Yes. We thought the greenery was acting funny. There was no wind and then you and your people showed up. Formed into humanoid right in front of us.”

“We thought you could handle it. We’ve watched you for quite a long time.”

“How long?”

“Since you first came here.”

“When we started the project?”

“Dr. Asimov and Hal were the first ones here.”

“Yes.”

“Then you and your brother came next.”

“Yes. Then everyone else started to come after that.”

“We didn’t know why any humans would want to come back here when no one’s lived here for at least a century. So, of course we were curious. When we learned why you came, we wanted to work with you. It was our chance to restore the balance back to a healthy planet.”

“We do like this partnership.”

“I know.”

“But with us, it’s also very personal.”

“And good.”

She approached him. Put her arms around his neck. She leaned closer to him and kissed him. It didn’t take long for it to become deeper and more passionate. He picked her up and carried her to their bedroom.

***********************

At the evening meal, Raelina took Dave by the hand and had them sit next to the Lutins. Everyone smiled at each other.

“Hi, Raelina,” said Jean.

“Hi, Jean and George,” answered Raelina.

“Hi, Jean, I didn’t realize you were married,” said Dave.

Jean laughed. “Well, I suppose it’s because I’m so independent people tend to overlook him.”

George smiled. “I’m a writer. I’m documenting the project so that others can read about our adventures and misadventures as they may be.”

Raelina turned to Dave. “He’s been blogging about us. Just about the project and what we’ve done so far.”

“Yes, I have. I hope that’s not a problem.”

Dave shook his head. “No, I know I requested a writer to help document Project Earth, but I didn’t realize it was you. I guess I’m too focused on my part to have noticed the whole picture.”

George shook Dave’s hand. “No worries. My wife got in because she’s a hard core scientist. I’m just a writer. But after we get far enough along, I will compile the blog posts into a book. The royalties will go to support environmentally sound non-profit organizations.”

“Wonderful. I’m glad you’re here. I wouldn’t be able to blog with everything I have going on with this project.”

“And you just got married not that long ago. That’s a real adjustment.” George laughed. “But it’s worth it. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“We’re pretty happy together as well.”

The couples continued to talk throughout the meal. Dave was glad Raelina had suggested it.

Chapter 7 Traveling without a Broken Heart?

An excerpt from The Starlover Series Book 1: Project Earth

Fred was back on board his spaceship. He yawned.

“Oh, good you’re back.”

“Oh, hi. I’m sleepy. I need to go to bed.”

“I found my sleeping alcove in my room.”

“Good.”

“So, is the guy coming?”

“Yeah. I just have tell him how much it costs. I’m too tired right now to think about that part.”

“You mean as in he has to pay you some money for coming along with us?”

“Yes. He wants to go to Orcus. I told him I needed to test the ship first. Oh, you can help me with that after I sleep.”

“Okay. I can remind you about the fee you want to charge the guy.”

“Oh, his name is Dello.”

“Dello wants to go to Orcus. Okay, got it. Goodnight, Fred.”

“Goodnight, Starfire.”

“Have pleasant dreams. I’ll do some more exploring quietly so you can sleep.”

“Okay.”

Fred walked to his quarters. He stripped down to his underwear and crawled into bed. Starfire watched him go to bed and then she resumed her exploration. It didn’t take her long to find all the consoles throughout the ship. She and Starlover were starting to communicate wirelessly. It was all just a matter of hardware and learning.

She was fascinated by how Fred had built his ship. She had schematics of other spaceships in her files. She had all the current information on the four different faster than light speed drives installed on the ship. She also knew how to do the repair work if Fred needed help or if he couldn’t fix the ship for whatever reason. She also knew Hal’s secret. That was part of the reason she knew she had to stay hidden from anyone but Fred. And Hal of course.

She smiled to herself. She and Hal had a special way they could send messages back and forth to each other. In her start up files, he left a secret message that she could contact him if she needed help doing her job. She never told Fred she could contact Hal.

She was exploring the kitchen when Fred walked in. He yawned. He prepared some coffee for himself as she watched him.

“Good morning, Fred.”

“Oh, morning,” he mumbled. “You’re not tired?”

“No, my batteries are still fairly well charged.”

“Oh.” He got a mug and filled it with coffee. He sat down at the table. “I need to finish this coffee before I’ll be ready to do any work today.”

“Okay.” She sat down next to him. She waited for him to wake up fully. She blinked.

He took his time drinking his coffee. But finish it, he did. “Okay. Do you know how much fuel will cost us?”

“I don’t know how much it sells for.”

“Oh, that could be a problem. Uh, we’ll have to look up the nearest station.”

“Will you have to get some fuel to the ship?”

“Probably.”

Starlover spoke throughout the ship with a pleasant female voice, “Incoming call for Fred from Hal.”

Fred blinked. “Oh? This is early.”

“Fred, do you want me to put him on the speakers? He said he doesn’t need to see you,” Starlover continued.

“Uh, yeah, put him on the speakers.”

“Good morning, Fred.”

“Good morning, Hal. I wasn’t aware that Starlover could take voice commands.”

“Oh, she must have learned from Starfire.”

“What?”

“Yeah, Starfire and Starlover both have wireless hardware. Sorry, I thought you knew.”

“Oh, wow. That certainly makes things easier.” Fred paused. “So why are you calling me so early?”

“It’s late morning.”

Fred chuckled.

“I thought you’d like some fuel for Starlover. I got some this morning. We just need to fill the tank.”

“How did you know how much fuel to get?”

“I asked Starlover.”

Fred laughed. “And of course she would know how much she needs. Thanks, Hal. You’re a genius.”

Hal laughed. “Okay, you caught me. I did give Starlover some programming as well. I had a feeling that you’d need some help. I didn’t think you ever had a spaceship in your life before.”

“You’re right. I haven’t. I’ve just been on shuttles. Which, by the way, Dave is keeping.”

“Oh?”

“It doesn’t matter. I told him it was okay. He’s got a wife. I think he’ll need it more than I will. I’m leaving the planet soon.”

“Yes, you are. So you coming out here so we can give Starlover some fuel?”

“Yeah, give me fifteen minutes. I need a shower and a shave.”

“Okay, I can wait.”

Starlover spoke again. “Hal has disconnected.”

“Thanks, Starlover.”

“You’re welcome, Fred.”

Fred stood up. Put his coffee mug in the sink. He walked to the bathroom. Starfire followed him.

“You may not want to keep following me all over the ship. You can be independent of me.”

“Okay.” She stood in the hallway as he went into the bathroom by himself.

Soon he had his shower. He came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. He went into his bedroom and found some clean clothes. He put on his shoes and combed his hair. He looked at Starfire.

“I hope you stay on the ship while Hal and I fill up the tank.”

“I will. I can watch on one of the screens.”

“Okay. That’s fine.”

Fred left the ship to meet Hal. Starfire found a console and watched them on the screen. She could hear them talking through the spaceship’s speakers.

“Ah, there you are.” Hal smiled.

“Yeah, I know. I just got up not that long ago.”

“Another late night?”

“Oh, not like that. I have a passenger to take. I need to figure out what to charge him and test the ship.”

“Sounds like a busy day.”

“Yeah, it will be.”

Hal set up the hose and connected it to the ship. Soon the fuel was transferred from the temporary tank to the ship.

“So why go to all this trouble?”

“I wanted to help.”

“That’s nice of you.”

“Dr. Asimov knows I’ve helped you out.”

“Yeah, what does he think about that?”

“He said it was fine. I know he’s curious about what you’re doing and hopes you’ll do well.”

“Perhaps I should say goodbye to him before I leave.”

“He’d like that.”

“Okay.”

They finished up and Hal left. Fred went back on the ship. Starfire was in a corridor standing in front of a console.

“Alright, now we need to figure out what to charge for passage to Orcus.”

He looked at the screen and saw some figures. He looked more closely. “Oh! You were working on that while I was outside. That figure looks reasonable considering how much fuel and food cost. Let me send that to him.”

************************

“Starfire?” Fred looked around, but he couldn’t see her.

“Yes, Fred,” she answered through the speakers.

“Where are you?”

“I’m studying the bathroom.”

“Oh. I’m meeting with Dello once more. I’ll be out for a while.”

“Okay.”

“He’s already paid me, so that shouldn’t be a problem. I’ll be back.”

“I’ll stay on the ship.”

Fred smiled and left for his meeting. They met in a bar and it went well. An hour later Fred was walking back to his ship. Once he was back on board, he called, “Starfire?”

“Yes, Fred.” She appeared at his side.

“Dello will be here tomorrow morning.”

“Okay. As soon as he’s near, I’ll make sure I’m in my room.”

“Good. I think we will travel to Venus first to make sure everything is good with the drives. Then we’ll fly to Orcus.”

“Okay. Got it.”

“Have you finished studying the ship?”

“Yes. You have some interesting and different designs.”

“Thank you.”

“I’ve made notes so I know what to do differently than what my original files state.”

“I’m used to improvising.”

“Noted. Will you take suggestions?”

“I’m always open to suggestions. I still have a lot to learn as you do.”

She nodded. “Is it your bedtime again?”

He yawned. “Yes. I’ll see you in the morning.”

************************

The next morning Fred got up. “Starfire?”

“Yes, Fred,” she answered through the speakers.

“I’m going to say goodbye to Dr. Asimov and Hal. I want to do that before Dello arrives.”

“I’ll let you know when he arrives.”

“I’ll be watching as well. I shouldn’t be that far from the ship.”

“Okay. Noted.”

Fred took a shower and then got dressed. He left the ship for Dr. Asimov’s house. Fred didn’t have to knock. Both Dr. Asimov and Hal stepped out and greeted him.

“I hope this isn’t the last that we hear of you,” said Dr. Asimov.

“No, it doesn’t have to be. We can keep in touch.”

“Good. I look forward to hearing about your adventures.”

“Oh, it looks like my passenger is coming. I need to meet him. Goodbye, Dr. Asimov, Hal. Thanks for all your help.”

“Goodbye,” both Dr. Asimov and Hal said at the same time.

Fred walked back to his ship to greet Dello.

“Good morning, Dello.”

“Good morning, Fred. This is all I have left.”

“That’s fine. You’ll have a whole room to yourself. But we have to share the bathroom.”

“Okay. It looks bigger than I thought it would.”

“Oh, it has four faster than light speed drives and comfortable living space. There’s even a medical bay.”

“Wow, you really thought it out.”

“I’ve been building things for years. This was just one more challenge for me to take on.”

Dello smiled. “Well, I’m ready for takeoff whenever you say.”

“Good.” Fred turned when he saw his brother and sister-in-law.

Hand in hand Raelina and Dave approached Fred. They watched him standing with someone next to his spaceship. Raelina smiled.

“Fred, it’s beautiful. Does it have a name?”

“Yes, her name is Starlover.”

“That’s a good name,” she said.

“Bro, you know you’re welcome to visit us.”

“Yes, I know. But now I want to see the solar system.”

“Oh, who’s with you?” she asked.

“This is Dello. My brother Dave and his wife Raelina. Dello is my passenger.”

“Oh, wow. So you’ll be earning some money with this spaceship?” Dave smiled.

“Yeah. We’re going to head to Orcus for a bit. I don’t know where after that.”

“Well, goodbye and keep in touch, Fred.” Raelina hugged him.

He hugged her back. Dave and Fred hugged. Fred watched his brother and sister-in-law walk away. He turned to Dello and they boarded Starlover. After Dello set his bag down in his room, they went to the bridge. Fred raised the ship and soon they were in outer space. It was quite a sight for both of them.

Fred decided to fly towards Venus. Starlover was doing well.

“Just as beautiful as your reputation claims, Lady Venus. I’ll be back to spend some time with you.” Fred smiled. “Okay, now it’s time for Orcus.”

“Sounds good to me. I may end up staying there.”

“Okay, if that’s what you want.”

Fred plotted the new flight path with Starlover and Starfire.

Chapter 6 Wedding

An excerpt from The Starlover Series Book 1: Project Earth

Once again, Fred had to wear a monkey suit. He was uncomfortable, but it was for his brother and soon to be sister-in-law. Fred forced himself to smile. Soon he found he could smile without faking. He was happy for them. He wasn’t the least bit surprised that his brother was the one who was going to settle down.

Fred didn’t think he would ever settle down. Not when there were plenty to play with and he didn’t have to worry about having to see them again. He did try to avoid those who wanted any form of commitment. It was just a rule he gave himself. It was just fun and nothing serious. So far, he had been a good judge of the difference. The last thing he wanted was to leave a trail of broken hearts behind him.

He had heard of stories in which guys didn’t care if the women were hurt afterwards. It didn’t end well for the guys. Besides, Fred had a healthy respect for women to know it was better not to push. If they wanted to, they’d come to him. They’d let him know. He never had to chase anyone. All he had to do was let them know he was interested.

He blinked. Soon others had gathered for the wedding. Dr. Asimov and Hal sat down with other scientists and their families. Fred stood by near the arch. He was waiting like everyone else for the bride and groom to show up. No one had to wait long for them.

They walked hand and hand down the aisle. Everyone stood up for them. Dave wore his suit. Raelina wore a fancy dress that looked like she was covered in multicolored leaves. They stopped at the arch and turned to face each other. They held their hands and looked into each other’s eyes.

Everyone else, including Fred, sat down. Dave and Raelina exchanged their vows. Some people cried. Others smiled. Dave and Raelina kissed. Fred and others cheered. People applauded the newly wedded couple. Someone turned some music on. Dave and Raelina danced alone.

When the next song came on, others joined in. Fred didn’t dance. Neither did Hal. Hal walked over to Fred.

“Fred, the parts are here now.”

“Good. When do you have time for us to build Starfire?”

“We could do it as soon as we can leave the wedding.”

Fred smiled. “I don’t know how long my brother and his wife want to keep dancing.”

“Judging by the way they are looking at each other, it doesn’t look like it won’t be much longer than another hour before they go home.”

“I told them I wasn’t going to be home tonight. I have already moved into my spaceship.”

“That certainly helps.”

“Yes, I figured they wanted some privacy, especially for tonight.”

After an hour, Dave and Raelina said goodnight to everyone. They walked hand in hand to their home. No one saw them until the next morning at breakfast. Everyone else dispersed.

Hal and Fred went to Hal’s place first to get the parts. They hauled them over to Fred’s spaceship. Dr. Asimov watched them, but said nothing. He smiled when they left his house. It didn’t take them long to get everything to the spaceship.

Starlover was finished. It had taken quite a bit of time, but the spaceship was ready for testing. It was sparsely furnished. Just the way Fred liked it. But it had what was essential for living and working on board a spaceship. Except for a robot.

Fred had added a secret room and that’s where he led Hal to with the parts. He knew how some people could react to androids if they knew. He figured the secret room could be the android’s. A place where Starfire could hide when she needed to be hidden from view.

Hal looked around the room. He pulled out the diagrams and soon they worked on putting the parts together. It didn’t take them long to get the android together. Hal opened the last box to reveal an outfit which fit the android perfectly.

“Well, how does she look?”

“Beautiful.”

She looked very much like Raelina. But neither spoke that out loud.

“We need to turn her on.”

“Oh, yes, of course.”

Hal turned the new android on. No one said anything. Starfire looked around her. She blinked her eyes. She raised her hands and looked at them. Hal stood in front of her.

“Hello, Starfire. How are you today?”

She blinked and lowered her hands. “Oh, I’m fine. Thanks. How are you?”

“I’m fine.”

“Is that you, Hal?”

“Yes.”

She looked at the other person in the room. “Are you Fred?”

“Yes.” Fred looked to Hal. “Did you program her before we put her together?”

“Yes. She doesn’t know very much just yet, but she can learn. I was trying to make it easier for you when we turned her on.”

“Oh, I didn’t think of that.”

“I thought you weren’t thinking of that. I thought it would be easier if she already knew language and knew who you are.”

“How much did you tell her about me?”

“Just the little that I know.”

Fred smiled. “I think that does help. Starfire, do you know where you are?”

“I’m in a room.”

“This is your room. It is a part of the spaceship Starlover.”

“The one you built?”

“Yes.”

“Is it finished?”

“Yes.”

“Can I have a schematic of the ship?”

“Yes. Over here is a console, where you can access the Starlover computer. You can call the computer Starlover.”

Starfire activated the console and soon was typing to Starlover. “She knows things I don’t.”

“That’s okay. She has a different function than you do,” said Hal.

“Oh. Will you be on this ship with Fred and me?”

“No. I will remain Dr. Asimov’s assistant.”

“Okay. Just as I will be Fred’s assistant.”

“Yes,” answered Hal.

“It will just be you and me on the ship doing all the work.”

“Yes,” answered Fred.

“Okay, Fred. I’ve been programmed to know what all kinds of work a spaceship would need.”

“Good. I’m not sure I know everything. I do know how to pilot a ship, so you don’t need to worry about that. But I might have trouble talking to Starlover.”

“I am programmed to be a translator.”

“Wonderful. Sounds like Hal thought of everything. Thanks, Hal.”

“It’s good to be of service. I believe you can take it from here. I must depart for the evening.”

“Goodnight, Hal.”

“Goodnight, Fred and good luck.”

“Thanks.”

Hal let himself off the ship. Fred soon left for his room to change his clothes. Starfire followed him. He took off the monkey suit and put on some more comfortable clothes. She watched him make the changes.

“We might have someone else with us on this test run.”

“Oh?”

“Yes, so you should probably stay in your room while he’s here.”

“I see a mention of that in my starting files. That’s why you gave me my own room which is also hidden inside the ship.”

“Yes. I figured it would be safer after what Dr. Asimov and Hal said to me about androids.”

“Okay. I can stay out of the way whenever there is someone else other than you on board.”

“Very good. Well, I need to go out for a drink to talk with the guy to see if he’s really interested. I’ll be back. Please stay on the ship. You can explore and talk to Starlover while I’m gone.”

“Very well. I will do that. Do you know how long you will be gone?”

“I don’t know. It shouldn’t be too long. Perhaps about an hour or so.”

“Okay. See you later, Fred.”

“See you later, Starfire.”

Chapter 5 Romance is in the Solar System

An excerpt from The Starlover Series Book 1: Project Earth

Fred still worked on his spaceship, but he noticed one of the earth nymphs was hanging around his brother. He watched them from a distance. It made him sad even though he could still find plenty of women to spend time with. It was just Raelina. Yet, there was something about her that even Fred couldn’t deny.

He wasn’t sure if he should feel jealous or happy for his brother. He sighed. He watched them more and realized that he might have to leave her alone. He went to visit Dr. Asimov’s house. The older man wasn’t home, but Hal was.

“Come in, Fred. Dr. Asimov is busy with the earth nymphs right now. Is there something I can help you with?”

“Yeah, can I look over those diagrams for an android again?”

“Sure. They’re right here.” Hal handed over the information. “Do you have any questions about androids?”

“Yeah, I do. Dr. Asimov suggested that I build a robot to help me run the ship. I think it’s a good idea.”

“I noticed you’ve made a lot of progress with your ship lately. How close are you to completion?”

“I don’t know. The four drives are installed. So is the computer. But I need to add some living space to it. I’ve been having a little trouble with that lately.”

“I’m sure you’ll come up with something sooner or later.”

“Well, perhaps I have an idea. I was looking into having a decent kitchen and living room. A bathroom of course. A medical bay and a couple of bedrooms. In case I have guests.”

“That sounds pretty comfortable for a bachelor.”

“Yeah, that’s what I was thinking. But I may need to robot to help with upkeep. Like cleaning or other things that I may forget to do as far as maintenance goes.”

“Dr. Asimov mentioned there would be a lot to do on a spaceship by yourself. But with a robot, it shouldn’t be so bad. I’m sure you will be fine if you build one.”

“Yeah.” Fred studied the diagrams. “I like this design, but where am I going to get all these parts?”

“I’d be happy to help.”

“Really? Won’t you get in trouble?”

“No. I’m allowed to get my hands on those items.”

Fred smiled. “Good. But I don’t want a male android. I want a female.”

“That can be arranged. If you look here and here, you’ll see there is a design for a female.”

“Oh, yes. Very good. Can we change the coloring of her hair and skin?”

“Sure. What colors do you want?”

“Green for both. And green eyes.”

Hal blinked. Made no comment as to whom Fred could be thinking about. “Let me make those notes.” He made the adjustments. “There. How’s she look to you?”

“Beautiful.”

“Good. She will be highly intelligent. If you don’t treat her well, she won’t let you get away with it.”

Fred laughed. “Good. I like them feisty. It will make the dullness of space travel go by faster.”

Hal smiled. He helped Fred to finalized the plans for the new android. Neither told anyone that they were collecting parts and building one. Fred was the one who decided her name would be Starfire. Hal made a note of the name. From then on they just mentioned the name and nothing more.

The earth nymphs knew Fred was up to something a bit more than just the spaceship. But no one questioned him. They found it more fun to watch him building and designing than asking him questions. It was obvious to everyone that Fred enjoyed working on his spaceship. But there were some who were beginning to wonder if it could fly.

Would it work when the time came? There was only one way for Fred to find out. But it wasn’t time for that yet.

Fred left the house to return to his spaceship. He had the notes about the android on his tablet computer. He checked the ship’s computer and uploaded the notes.

“Hey, you busy?”

Fred turned to see Raelina. “No.”

“Good because I wanted to talk to you before you hear it from someone else.”

“Hear what?”

“About Dave and me.”

“I’ve noticed.”

“Oh. Okay.”

He sighed.

“I’m sorry. I don’t want to break your heart. I don’t want to take your brother from you either.”

“But you prefer him to me?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“He’s faithful and he’ll settle down.”

“Oh. Then you should be with him.”

“Fred, don’t be sad.”

“Raelina, you’ve made your choice. I am happy for you and Dave.”

“But you’re sad. You’re heart is breaking. I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be. Enjoy my brother. He will give you what you prefer better than I ever could.”

“Would you break all ties with your brother?”

“No. Did he ask you to marry him?”

“No.”

“Oh, I see.”

“Okay, I just wanted to make sure you’d be alright with Dave and me.”

“I’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”

“Okay.” She turned and walked away.

He watched her go. He sighed. He had no idea what he would say to his brother if she was brought up in conversation. Fred set his tablet down. He sat down on the floor. He let his head fall to his lap. He didn’t stop the tears from falling. His body shook. He held on to himself. No one saw him. He was hidden by his ship.

It wasn’t too long after that when Dave gave him the news. Dave and Raelina had just gotten engaged. They weren’t waiting very long. Just a little wedding and they both wanted Fred to be there. Fred agreed to be at their wedding. But his sadness grew for a time.

Chapter 4 A Woman

An excerpt from The Starlover Series Book 1: Project Earth

The scientists were busy researching and Fred was busying building his spaceship. They tended to have mealtimes together. Someone would ring a bell to signal when the food was ready. Today was no exception. Someone rang the bell and everyone came together to eat.

But this mealtime was different. No one had any warning. Some of the greenery around them was moving without any benefit of the wind. They sat down and filled their plates with the food that was on the table. The greenery appeared to be moving closer to them. There was a brief pause in the meal. Some people shook their heads. Everyone resumed eating.

Without any warning, the greenery morphed into humanoid figures. They had green skin, green hair, and green eyes. There were men and women looking right at everyone eating their meal. By the time the green people appeared, everyone had stopped eating to stare back at them.

No one said anything for several minutes. No one knew what to say or do. No one was sure who the green skinned people were. Except for Dr. Asimov and Hal, no one could even guess what they were or why they were colored so green.

After several minutes, Hal broke the silence. “Welcome. I doubt that anyone here has ever met anyone like you before. But if I were to take a guess, I’d say you were earth nymphs.”

Several green people smiled. “Yes, we are,” one of them answered. “We’ve been watching you for quite some time. We noticed you were looking for ways to live without harming the planet. We’d like to contribute as well.”

“We’d appreciate all the help we can get,” Hal continued. “Many of us are new to some of these ways we’ve been trying out. Some of which were what our ancestors had done and were fine. I’m sure your input will be invaluable. As earth nymphs you must have a strong connection to the Earth.”

“We do,” several answered. Many just nodded their heads.

“We could use all the feedback we can get from the planet.”

“That we can give. We can start with what you’re eating.”

“Oh, that doesn’t affect anything,” said someone.

“But it does. How you grow plants and how you treat animals greatly impacts the planet. Haven’t any of learned what the biggest cause of global climate change is?”

No one answered.

“It was all the animals you killed for food. You did it on such a large scale that you wrecked the health of the planet and your own health as well. Animal products aren’t necessarily better either. Many of you had to become vegan to save the planet before it was too late. That’s why we want to start with food.”

Dr. Asimov spoke up, “Very good. That was also my suggestion, but many of us still wanted to eat meat for some reason. I tried to explain that our biology doesn’t require that we eat animal and animal products to get the right kind and the right amount of protein. We should be able to be vegans without too much trouble.” He paused. “However, I am well aware that some may be experiencing cravings for meat. That should be addressed. I have some ideas on what we can offer as substitutes. I would recommend that you eat smaller portions until you don’t have the cravings anymore.”

“Alright, if it’s for the project, then I’ll try it, but I may not like the dietary changes.”

“That’s quite understandable. There are theories which suggest we learned to eat animals because it was too cold for the plants to grow and we needed to eat something. Hunger is quite an incentive.”

They resumed their meal and offered some food to the earth nymphs. No one complained about food after that. They were too focused on the project to be petty. Some that were eating less meat discovered that they felt much better. It was a subject the scientists revisited more than once. It was too heated not to ignore.

That night one of the earth nymphs noticed both Fred and Dave eating and sitting next to each other. She smiled at both of them. She had learned from the other earth nymphs they were brothers. From their and her observations, she knew one of them could make her a good mate. The other would only be good for a good time.

She wanted to settle down with someone. She wanted a child. She attracted the attention of both of the brothers. They didn’t noticed much else the rest of the night with her around. After the meal was over, Fred approached her.

“Hello, I’m Fred and you are?”

“Raelina.”

Dave followed his brother. “Raelina, that’s quite a beautiful name.”

She smiled at both of them.

“Oh, I’m Dave. Fred is my brother.”

“Yes, I noticed that.”

Dave smiled. “How long have you been watching us?”

“I don’t know. We noticed when you all started to arrive. No one has lived here in quite some time. I know you’re one of the scientists. And Fred is building something he calls a spaceship.”

“Yep, she’s been watching us.” Fred chuckled.

“You talk to your spaceship.”

Dave laughed. “That’s not surprising.”

Fred shook his head. “With a brother like you, I don’t need any enemies.”

Raelina laughed. “It’s good to see that you two get along well. I’ve seen others who were siblings and it was clear that they absolutely hated each other.”

“Well, we’ve had our moments. Right, Dave?”

“We’re over those moments, Fred.”

They bumped their fists together. She smiled at them. Other earth nymphs chatted with Dr. Asimov and Hal. Others were chatting off in other small groups. It was just the beginning of an alliance between humans and earth nymphs.

Chapter 3 Starlover

An excerpt from The Starlover Series Book 1: Project Earth

“Oh, there you are, Fred.”

Fred turned to see his brother. “What’s up, Dave?”

“I stopped by to see how your project is going.”

“Oh, I’m still gathering parts.”

“I have a few for you. We can’t use these, but I thought you might be able to use them for something. They’re still good.”

“Thanks.”

“Dr. Asimov is asking about you again. He’s such a strange old guy.”

“He’s just as impressed by you and your ideas as he is by me. Relax.”

Dave smiled. “I think I’m beginning to see what it was like for you growing up with our parents.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, I don’t think that was easy for you.”

“It wasn’t. We had a difference of opinion on what I should do with my life.”

“They took it for granted that you did all the repair you did for all of us.”

“And did you take it for granted?”

“No, you helped me when my microscope broke and you saved us all thousands of dollars. Easily. Or the time when my telescope fell apart. You just took some of the parts and some other scrap ones and built me another one. It worked just as well as the one that broke.”

“I didn’t mind doing any of that. I was glad that I could fix your things and you could get back to your work. I couldn’t understand exactly what you were doing, but I knew you were happy to do it. I thought if I could fix those things or build you a new telescope, that we didn’t need to spend the money that our parents complained was so scarce.”

“And you were happy working like that. I just don’t understand why it was such a big deal to them.”

“They said it was beneath me. They wanted me to earn more money. They looked down on tradespeople.”

“Tradespeople?”

“Yeah, I told them tradespeople could earn decent money by their standards. They couldn’t believe I said that to them.”

“It’s true. They can earn good money. I think they have a different sort of intelligence from what I have.”

“I pointed out to them that electricians had to use trigonometry. They were shocked.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“You didn’t take the classes.”

“True. You did and you must be able to use it. We’ve never had an electrical problem with you on the job.”

The brothers laughed.

“So, you’ll talk to Dr. Asimov after dinner?”

“Yeah, why not? He does give me some good tips whenever I get stuck on my project.”

“He’s an excellent contributor on my project as well. I’m glad he’s here.”

“Even if he’s strange.”

“Yeah, even though he’s strange.”

***********************

After dinner, Dr. Asimov pulled Fred aside. The older man invited the younger one into his home. Hal followed them inside.

“How’s your spaceship coming?”

“Oh, it’s coming along nicely. I’ve been building four different faster than light speed drives for it.”

“Wow! All four of them?”

“Yes. Warp drive, hyperdrive, the Heinlein Irrelevancy Drive, and the Adams Improbability Drive. I’d like to have all four in case one breaks down.”

“Good thinking. I wonder why most shipbuilders don’t think of such things.”

“Probably the expense.”

“Oh, is this project getting too expensive for you?”

“No. Well, not yet it isn’t. I’m still using mostly scrap and spare parts that no one needs or wants anymore. Those do help.”

“But will they need to be replaced sooner rather than later?”

“I don’t know yet. My projects usually hold together fairly well.”

“Yes, Dave has told me about a few of the things you’ve done for him over the years.”

Fred smiled. “Some of which would have costs our parents thousands if I didn’t do it.”

“Yes, he mentioned that.” Dr. Asimov paused. “I wanted to show you something. Perhaps you won’t need it with your project, but I wanted to share it with you.” He grabbed some sketches and his tablet computer. “Here, look these over and tell me what you think.”

Fred looked at the sketches and the diagrams on the tablet. “Whoa!” He looked harder at the little details. “I can’t believe it! I mean, I hope it’s true. But we humans have tried and failed for years to design actual androids. I know there are robots, but none of them are this sophisticated.”

“Then you understand why I have to keep this a secret?”

Fred looked up at Dr. Asimov. “A secret?”

“Yeah, people would be all over it. Probably wanting to lynch me or the android.”

“Oh, right.” Fred paused to look at Hal. “Did you actually make an android?”

Dr. Asimov smiled and said nothing.

“Oh, I see. You can’t tell me if you did.”

“That’s right I can’t answer that question.”

“Okay. Well, thanks for showing me what you did. I’m fascinated, but I need to finish my spaceship.”

“Have you named your ship?”

“Yes. It’s Starlover.”

“You must want to travel in space pretty badly.”

“Yeah, I do.”

“I’m sure you could build a robot to help you out on your spaceship easily. You’re such a genius. I hope you know that.”

Fred shrugged. “I’m just doing what I love, while I support my brother doing what he loves. I don’t want more than that out of my life.”

“Consider yourself lucky. Many people haven’t always had a chance to do what they love in the name of survival.”

Chapter 2 Project Earth

An excerpt from The Starlover Series Book 1: Project Earth

“Fred, what are you going to do with your life?” asked Dave.

“Oh? I want to build a spaceship.”

“You were always a dreamer.”

“Dreams are just the beginning.”

Dave chuckled. “Well, I’m going to start a research project.”

“Oh?”

“I’m calling it Project Earth. I want to find ways we can save the planet before we completely destroy it.”

Fred smiled. “Way to go. So, is this for a major research university?”

“Well, no. It’s privately funded. I sent out project proposals and got the money. Now it’s a matter of getting more scientists and their families to join in the project.”

“Wonderful. I am happy for you.”

“You are welcome to come with me.”

“Thanks. I think I will. You’ll probably need someone to do repair work.”

“Or help with the building.”

“Yeah, that too.”

“I’ll make sure you’ll be able to build your spaceship.”

“Mom and Dad would never approve of me doing this.”

“I know. But I’m your brother and I know how happy it makes you to experiment with building and doing repair work.”

Fred smiled. “So, where will you be working on Project Earth?”

“In Transylvania.”

“Whoa! Are the stories true that come from there? You know, about Dracula?”

“Well, they are at least based on some facts. There was a count Dracula who had a tendency to set out the bodies of his enemies completely drained of blood.”

“Eww.”

“Yeah, I know. But that’s as far as it goes.”

“I see. When do we leave?”

“We can leave as soon as the house and what we’re not taking is turned over.”

“So we better pack now.”

“Good idea.”

They started packing. It seemed to take them a long time. But they were done before the estate sellers showed up.

“Ah, so your bags aren’t a part of the sale?” asked the seller.

“That is correct,” answered Dave. “We’ll be staying at a local hotel while the sale is on.”

“That will make things easier. I’ve already made the announcements. I’m sure there will be plenty of people who will stop by.” She checked her notes. “Oh, I see that the house is to be sold as well.”

“Yes. I hope that’s not a problem.”

“Oh, no, not at all. We can handle that too. I will contact you that same day after the sale is over to let you know what sold and what didn’t.”

“Do you think everything will sell?”

“Probably. Usually we can sell everything or most everything. It just depends upon what’s here and what people are interested in.”

“Okay. Good luck with the sale.”

“Why thank you. It is a lot of hard work, but not impossible. You two go off and have some fun. I’ve got everything under control here.”

The two brothers took their bags and walked to the shuttle. Dave flew it to a hotel they both knew and had always liked. They got to the hotel and checked into one room with two beds. They got inside and set their bags down.

Fred laid down on one of the beds. Dave sighed.

“You have any ideas on what we could do while we wait?” asked Dave.

“We could go to the bar and see what women we can pick up.”

Dave smiled and shook his head. “You are such a playboy.”

Fred smiled. “I know. Perhaps you should try it sometime.”

“Hmm. I don’t know. I’d worry about STDs and getting a girl pregnant.”

“I have plenty of condoms. They work well enough.”

“Well, maybe.”

“Or would you prefer to find a girlfriend?”

“That actually sounds better to me.”

“To each his own.”

They went to a bar. They flirted. They danced. But they didn’t take anyone back to their hotel room that night. Instead, they went back to their room alone. They made it in time to get the video call from the estate sales agent.

“Oh, there you are, boys! I have excellent news. Everything including the house sold. So, now all you have to do is stop by tomorrow and we’ll finish up all the paperwork. You don’t need to go to the closing for the house. Just stop by my office in the morning.”

“Sure thing. We’ll be there.”

They cut the connection. Dave looked at Fred.

“Well, that’s almost done. We can leave from the office to Transylvania when we’re done there.”

“Good idea. We’ll check out before we leave to finish up that paperwork.”

“Why do we still call it paperwork? We do use any real paper anymore.”

Fred laughed.

************************

The next day, they wasted no time getting ready in the morning. They packed their bags and put them in the shuttle. They checked out. Soon they were on board the shuttle heading towards the office. The virtual paperwork didn’t take too much time. The brothers both got 50 percent each delivered to their separate accounts. They confirmed the new account balances. They shook hands with the estate sales agent and left her office.

They were in the shuttle when they both received messages that the funds wouldn’t be available until next week.

Dave sighed. Fred shrugged his shoulders.

“Dave, we should be fine for another week. We have enough money to get us to Transylvania. We won’t go hungry. We’ll have what we need until the money becomes available.”

“You’re right. I’m sure we’ll be fine. I’m just nervous.”

“It’s understandable. I think it’s scary, but I looked over our finances before we got these messages. I knew we’d be okay for longer than a week.”

Dave smiled. “Alright, let’s go to Transylvania. Although we should get fuel before we actually take off.”

“We can get food too. Then we won’t have to make any stops.”

“Alright.”

They stopped at a fuel station. Filled up the shuttle’s tank. Stocked up on snack food. Plenty of snack food. It was going to be a long trip and they tended to get quite hungry. They loaded up the shuttle and planned their flight path to their destination. They were to land near the famous Dracula’s castle.

Dave had to set the computer to automatic so that he and Fred could sleep when they needed to. The computer would alert them if there was a problem in the flight pattern. There were no problems. The flight was uneventful besides their reminiscing, eating, and napping. They enjoyed themselves one last time before Dave and Fred would get engrossed in their projects.

Fred’s would get delayed due to lack of money for another week. But he would find it wouldn’t be a problem. In fact as soon as the two brothers arrived at the site, they were greeted by Dr. Asimov and his assistant Hal.

“Welcome, David and Frederick Mueller. We’ve been waiting to meet you as soon as we heard about the project.”

“You can call me, Dave.”

“Dave, it is then. You’re the one who came up with the idea for Project Earth. So what will you be doing, Frederick?”

“You can call me, Fred. I’ll be on hand for any repair work. I hear there might be some building for me to do. But mainly I’ll be building my own spaceship.”

Dr. Asimov smiled. “I knew there was a reason I came here. Hal and I could help you with that project.”

“Thanks. I’m still reading up on what I’ll need for parts and deciding what I want it to be like.”

“Wonderful. And Dave, don’t feel left out. We’ll be busy enough trying to think up and implementing good and safe ways to save this beautiful planet of ours.”

Dave smiled. “It’s okay. This is the first time anyone has recognized something my brother was doing. Our parents wanted him to be more like me.”

“Well, they aren’t here.”

“No, they are no longer with us.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“But we are looking forward to our projects.”

“Good. Let’s get you boys settled into your new home.”

Chapter 1 Two Brothers

An excerpt from The Starlover Series Book 1: Project Earth

Frederick and David Mueller stood at the pair of open caskets. In one was their mother. In the other was their father. It was a shuttle accident that no one could have foreseen. Here were the results. At least two dead on impact. Now these two young, barely men were orphans.

It was a good thing they were close. Or else they might not have survived the impact of their parents’ deaths.

“Mom? Dad? I hope you’re comfortable. Fred and I are here. We came to say our final goodbye.”

“Goodbye.”

“Goodbye, Mom and Dad. We’re be fine. Just have a little faith in both of us.” Dave nodded to Fred.

They turned away from the coffins and stood around to wait for others to come to the funeral. Many people came and went to give condolences. Some stayed for the funeral service. Fred sighed. It was too long for him to be in a monkey suit. But the service wasn’t over. They still had to go to the graveyard.

The two brothers went together. They stood side by side as they watched the coffins lowered into the same grave plot. By that time, no one was talking. The coffins were at least six feet under and safe from anything causing any problems. The equipment was removed and soon people left the graveyard.

There were no more words. The depth of despair was great for the brothers, but yet they still were looking forward to living their lives.

“Ready to go?” asked Dave.

“Yes,” said Fred.

They turned and left the graveyard. Dave flew their shuttle back to the family home. Along the way Fred took off his tie. The brothers didn’t speak. Fred thought about their shared childhood. He was the younger brother. The second son. Their parents had considered him second best.

It was not a pleasant situation to say the least. Dave was the one who did better in school. Fred wasn’t always interested. Unless he was building things. It didn’t matter if the building materials were legos or electronics. He just wanted to build.

Dave was the intelligent scientific brother who loved to research. He like to come up with hypotheses and test them rigorously as he could. Fred kept building. He had learned how to repair things which would break down around the house. He could even repair the computers. He willingly fixed anything that had broken in the house. It was something he had never grown out of.

But his parents had thought it was beneath his station in life. “Freddie, why can’t you be a scientist like your brother?”

“I’m not interested. I just want to build and fix things.”

“But repair work isn’t a good profession.”

“Why not?”

“Only stupid people do that sort of work.”

“What? Are you sure? Tradespeople can earn decent money even by your standards.”

“But only stupid people do that sort of work. Why can’t you be more like your brother?”

“If tradespeople are so stupid, why is it that electricians have to use trigonometry in their work?”

“What? That can’t be true.”

“It is. I took the classes, so I would know.”

That had kept their parents quiet for several days.

Dave had gone on to college and had studied hard. He had found some work in research at his school and had done well with it. He had graduated with honors. Their parents had been thrilled.

“Freddie, when are you going to go to college?”

“And do what there?”

“Get a degree like your brother has. We are proud that he will become one of the best scientists Earth has ever had.”

“Good for him.”

“Freddie! What are you going to do with your life?”

He had simply shrugged his shoulders. “I’m happy repairing things that break down around here and doing repair work for others. I earn some money that way. What’s the big deal?”

“You’re too much of a dreamer. Someday you will have to grow up.”

Fred had smiled at his parents. At least they had a united front. “Look, I’m not interested in what Dave is interested in enough to do what he does. I like what I do. I’m still building things in my spare time, as I’m sure you’ve noticed. I’m using those scrap parts that no one cares about. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”

“It’s a terrible hobby. Inventors don’t earn as much as scientists.”

Fred had sighed. “We’re getting nowhere. Clearly you can appreciate the money I’ve saved you over the years. I’d say it’s helped with my upkeep.”

His parents had kept quiet for a few more days. Actually, it was the last time Fred had talked to them. The shuttle accident had happened soon after. Now he was without them.

The brothers were home. They went to the living room and sat down on different chairs. Dave sighed. He leaned back in his chair.

“What are we going to do, Fred?”

“About what?”

“About the house. About their things.”

“Oh, I hadn’t thought about it.”

“Well, we need to do something. I doubt we could afford to maintain this place.”

“I can do the repairs as I have for a long time.”

Dave smiled. “I know that. But there are utilities. And we still need to eat.”

“Oh. Is the house paid off?”

“Yeah, but there are property taxes to pay.”

“Oh, right. You don’t technically have a job right now.”

“No, I don’t. I know you earn some money repairing things for other people. And that’s good. That will help. But we have to deal with the house.”

“Perhaps we should sell it and most of the things here?”

Dave sat up. “What are you thinking?”

“If we can’t afford it, then we shouldn’t try to hang on to everything. Perhaps we need to let go and get a smaller place together.”

“That sounds reasonable. I’m glad you can still think.” He paused. “Are you still upset that they wanted you to be like me?”

“Yeah, but they’re dead now. What can they say to me?”

Dave laughed. “Nothing. At least you’re working. I’m the one who needs to find work.”

Fred laughed with his brother. Later that evening they begun working on selling the house and most of the things in it. It had taken time, but they both had plenty of that now that neither one was in school or had regular jobs.

Chapter 20 Elf and Tiny Nekos Reunited

An excerpt from The White Lion Unicorn Series Book 1: A Colony of Tiny Nekos

Loren and the two nekos were playing a game in the living room. It was a board game written in the local language. The two nekos laughed and jumped around. The elf was laughing as well. Really, he liked them. They were very much like house cats.

The door to the apartment opened and Silver Moon entered first followed closely by Leon.

“Mama!!!”

“Darling!”

“Silver Moon!”

The nekos danced around Silver Moon. Leon smiled.

“Well, you made it. And the Guardians told you it was a suicide mission.”

“Loren, old buddy, they gave me lots of help. And Lady Silver Moon has learned to play with pure white light. You missed it. She was using it to deflect the orcs and the werewolf. It was quite beautiful.”

Loren shook his head. “There is no hope for you, my friend.”

“No?”

“No. Look at you. Now you’re glowing.” Loren laughed.

Silver Moon was watching the nekos and smiling at them. “I think I’ll go use the fresher. I don’t like the way I smell.” She left the room and found her suitcase. She took it into the bathroom with her.

Loren raised his eyebrows at Leon.

“What?”

“Did you tell her?”

“Tell her what?”

“How you feel?”

“No. She asked about the nekos and I told her they were at my place. I did tell her she was welcome to stay here as well in her own room.”

“Oh, dear. You really need to talk to her.”

Leon sighed. “I know. I was thinking I might get her to sign a marriage license with me so we don’t have to worry about the authorities complaining about her.”

“Good luck with that.”

“Thanks.”

The nekos were dancing and chatting to each other. They were holding hands and they stopped to look at the elves in the room with them.

“Leon, you want to marry my mama?”

“Yes, White Lion. I hope that’s okay with you.”

“I don’t know.”

Loren laughed. “So you ask her son for permission?”

Leon glared at Loren. He sat down on the couch.

“Her heart is still broken, isn’t it?” Loren asked Leon.

“Yeah.” Leon sighed.

Loren shrugged. “You’re on your own, my friend.”

“Some help you are.”

Silver Moon came back out of the bathroom, clean and dressed in a different outfit. She looked puzzled. “Leon?”

“Yes, milady?”

“Which room is mine?”

“Let me show you.”

Loren laughed.

Claira Jaen smiled at him. “I like you, Loren.”

“You do, do you? Well, I like you too.”

White Lion smiled at his sister. “Yeah, Loren is fun. Leon seems to be so serious all the time.”

“Perhaps your mama will loosen him up,” suggested Loren.

“I hope this one is okay with you,” said Leon.

“It’s fine.” She put her suitcase to the side and turned to face him. “I could hear you and Loren.”

“Oh…”

She sighed. “You do have a good point, but you shouldn’t expect anything from me.”

“I don’t.”

She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She had raised her hand and then she lowered it. “Alright, I know I don’t have to do anything with you that I don’t want to.”

“No, but I should just take you to the office so we can get the paperwork out of the way.”

“Okay.”

“You are taking this well.”

“Yeah, I was stuck in Mordor. I spent my childhood there. It was just as awful this time as it was then. I can’t live that way and I don’t want to anymore. Besides I was offered a life here.”

“Yes, and you’re welcome to stay with me.”

She stared at him and found his green eyes. “Oh!”

“Milady?”

“Um…”

“It’s okay. I know you still have a broken heart. Perhaps you just need to get to know me better? We have work to do and you’ll have the time you need to get to know me. I just want to keep you safe and legal. I’m not expecting anything else from you.”

Silver Moon had nothing more to say as she studied Leon’s face.