Chapter Twenty-Three
Sophie purred softly as she used an old-type pump sprayer to water the delicate plants in the greenhouse. It was made from bronze to resist rust, and was very beautiful, engraved with stylized trees and plants in the swirls that the Celtic Tribes were known for. She trilled musically as she watered the cherry tomatoes, which were starting to look very lovely. The plant food they were using was wonderful, and worked perfectly. Everything they used it on was healthy and growing rapidly. Satisfied everything was watered, Sophie released the pressure in the sprayer and set it down on the bench. She made sure Josey hadn't snuck in again, before closing and latching the door of the greenhouse.
Zerichs II was in full Summer, and it was lovely. A fresh wind blew, but the air was nice and warm, some clouds lazily drifting in the distance, but they had nothing but lovely sun. It was kind of funny, how a being like her, who lived in dark places and used the dark to hide and ambush prey and enemies, ended up loving the sun and the fresh air. Sophie still loved the dark, most certainly, but she found the sun and day had a lovely charm, and she could see why humans felt so at home and happy on days like this.
Sophie checked over the other plants, careful to make sure everything was watered, and Josey hadn't managed to find a way into any of the planters. She loved her bunny, but she admitted she could sometimes be a little bit of a pest. She always seemed to find a way to get into trouble. Speaking of the lagomorph, Josey sat on the grass not too far off, nibbling grass and seeming to behave herself. Sophie trilled as she came over, and Josey stopped and stood up on her hind legs, nose wiggling in that rabbit way. Sophie stroked her gently with her fingers, the rabbit closing her eyes and enjoying the touch. Sophie then turned her mind to Kyle, reaching out to feel his mind. She felt happy, peaceful thoughts as well as the sensation of swimming. It truly said much that Kyle now felt comfortable swimming when Sophie was not present, even if it was in the shallow waters of the Lagoon.
Hey, beautiful. How's the greenhouse? Kyle asked. Sophie purred as she headed for the Lagoon to help him.
Wonderful. Everything is growing very well. At this rate, the cherry tomatoes should be ready to eat in a month at most. Kyle gave a positive at this.
Good. We should have plenty to make our own stewed tomatoes before long. Sophie trilled at the idea. She loved tomatoes.
Yes! The Beefsteak tomatoes are already huge! They will be the size of your hand soon! Sophie felt joy from Kyle's mind.
I'm so glad. It feels so good to raise our own food, and not have to worry about going out to buy it or things, he replied. Sophie gave a positive as she came out into the lagoon.
The air was warm, the scent of the sea heavy. Cages and racks were filled with prawn, clams and other tasty creatures of the seas. She could sense Kyle through the water, tending a rack of clams that was almost filled to bursting. Sophie trilled as he filled a smaller cage with them to take and cook. Kyle swam to the surface and shook his head with a laugh as he swam over to climb out, Sophie using her tail to help him out. "I hope you don't mind steamed clams," he said with a smile as he held up the small cage filled with clams. Sophie purred and shook her head.
Not at all, my love. That would be lovely. Kyle grinned at her as they headed back to the house to start things on cooking.
Cooking with Kyle was always pleasant and fun. Sophie used her tail to shuck the clams from their shells and her claws to clean them. She ate the innards, which were quite tasty, but nothing but an appetizer at best. Some Kyle left in the shells to steam them, and some Sophie pulled from their shells to cook in other ways, or to freeze for later. Indeed, if they kept this pace, they would have a full freezer of fish and tasty food for the whole winter. That was always a good thing. Kyle smiled as he set the clams to steam, satisfied everything was set and ready. He dried his hands with a towel and turned to Sophie with his usual smile that filled her with such warmth and love.
"Well, that should do it for now. I'll set the timer, and then why don't we work on some art?" Sophie smiled and gave a positive as she put things away and washed her hands and tail blade.
XXX
Kyle was working on a large sketch for a painting, while Sophie was making an armature for a sculpture of clay, bending wire to make a skeleton. At first, she had used copper wire, but, upon finding how tasty copper was, she switched to aluminum wire instead. One of the quirks of her non-human biology meant she could eat things that would sicken or even kill other creatures. She was mildly amused as she recalled the first time Kyle saw her take a bite out of a plate of copper like it was peanut brittle, how big his eyes were.
Kind of like how you were the first time you tried soda, Kyle teased. Sophie gave a snort, amused. They both chuckled, happiness and peace flowing between their minds as they worked, talked and laughed.
Before too long, the timer beeped and they went downstairs to fix lunch. The steamed clams were lovely with butter melted over them and some herbs sprinkled. Sophie loved the mix called Herbs de Provence, as they added a lovely flavor. Kyle confirmed what herbs were in the mix and they were in the process of growing them in their garden to have all the time. "Mmm, this is delicious!" said Kyle as he took a forkful of their cooking. Sophie trilled and gave a positive.
Yes, it is. We'll have to write down the recipe for this, Sophie said as she took some clams from her fork with her tongue.
"Yeah, a cookbook would be a great idea. Just for us." Sophie purred and nodded.
I have seen wonderful blank books you could write in and add drawings to, said Sophie. Kyle nodded, liking the idea.
"That sounds like a good idea for a project," he said as he wiped his lips with a napkin. Sophie purred.
Yes, we'll have to put our best recipes together in it! Kyle smiled at the energy in Sophie's thoughts.
"Well, we'll have to get them all together, but I don't think we have enough to fill a whole book," he stated. Sophie purred as she gently reached out and held his hand.
Not yet, but we have years to make many more. We may not fill it all up at once, but we can work on it a little at a time. Kyle smiled softly as Sophie stroked the back of his hand with her large thumb.
They had only been together for a little over a year, but it seemed so much longer than that. It felt to Kyle as if he and Sophie had been together for years. She had touched and warmed his life in so many ways, he couldn't begin to count. Sophie smiled lovingly as she caressed his hand and mind. Kyle, my sweet, dear Bonded One, you are the light of my life. As I have touched your life, so have you mine. I knew you when I grew inside you, and I loved you even then. I still hear your sweet heartbeat as my lullaby, your breathing glorious music. I am part of you, as you are part of me. Kyle smiled at her as she reached her other hand over and caressed his face.
Sophie, words couldn't express how much I love you, how you have changed my whole existence. No spoken language could ever hope to come even close to it. You wrapped me in your very being, and pulled me away from the coldest, darkest place, gave me warmth, light and love I only ever thought was in fairy tales. Sophie purred as she gently leaned over the table and kissed his forehead.
I love you, Kyle. With all my heart, and all of my soul. When she pulled back, Kyle smiled shyly at her.
And I love you, Sophie. She stroked his soft hair lovingly in reply, a soft smile upon her lips. They stayed that way for a few minutes before they cleared the table and went to their bedroom.
XXX
The next day found them using the PDA to connect to the local Ethernet. Kyle was able to check on many things and do lots of things remotely with this amazing connection, that reminded Sophie so much of the Hive Mind of her own race. That said, there were a few difficulties.
"Ah, wrong letter," said Kyle as he erased a spelling mistake and retyped a word. The holographic keyboard of the PDA wasn't always ideal, neither was the touchscreen. As well, the PDA used a common operating system used in United Systems worlds, but it had some trouble now and then with certain things and places on the Zerichs II Ethernet. Now, Sophie didn't know much about computers, but in drinking in Kyle's mind, she did pick up some. She saw some memories when Kyle worked for Weyland-Yutani's Technology Division. He had used a PDA not unlike this one, but his preferred tool was a laptop computer. Far easier to use, quicker and with more memory and space, not to mention processing power.
As Kyle worked, some of his thoughts thinking back onto the gear he used to use, the gears in Sophie's mind began to turn. She kept her mind even and calm as a plan formed.
That night, when Kyle was asleep, Sophie used the PDA to log into the Zeraven Ethernet, and looked around at the shops. She gave a toothy grin when she found what she was looking for, giggling softly in her inhuman way as she looked around the wares. She double-checked the date, and the Earth calendar, and her grin grew. Her plan was going perfectly.
XXX
The next day, Sophie said she needed some more clay, which was true. She had almost used it up, but she had some other things she needed to get as well. Kyle agreed, as he wanted to get some more seeds and also a few more tubes of paint. Sophie took some money, and went off to get some clay, but also a surprise.
Despite being the summer, Zeraven was very pleasant. The breeze kept it from getting too hot, and being so close to the sea anyway meant it was rare for it to get truly hot there. Lots of people were out and about, enjoying the weather and sun. It made Sophie happy. She shortly came to her destination: Circuit Center. With a purr of delight, she went in
Sophie met up with Kyle on the way back to the ship, her surprise hidden with the bag carrying the blocks of clay. She gave Kyle a warm hug as they headed back to the ship.
I like the weather. This is nice, said Sophie. Kyle smiled as he nodded, walking beside her.
"Same here. I've never really experienced a real summer before." Sophie gave a positive.
Sophie knew from Kyle's memories Berren Prime didn't have seasons, and the weather was always dreary. And of course there was no weather on space stations. It was as new for him as it was to her.
I'm so glad we came here. This is the perfect world. Kyle smiled at her.
"Well, not perfect, but much better than many other places." Sophie purred and agreed.
XXX
Back home, Kyle was tending some plants, working on planting some herbs for their kitchen. Sophie liked the smell of Lavender, and while they didn't use it in cooking much, it had many other uses. Kyle was also planting some jasmine. Sophie, meanwhile, was weaving together a trellis from twigs for a pretty climbing rose. Not only did it smell lovely, it also had thorns to protect Josey if she needed to hide. Speaking of, the little rabbit was sitting right next to Sophie, nibbling grass as Sophie worked, softly purring. Every now and then, Sophie would reach down and stroke Josey's soft fur. As she worked, Sophie now and then thought on her surprise for Kyle. She knew he would love it, and her being able to look into his mind, see his likes and preferences on the subject, made it so much easier. She hid her thoughts by shifting now and then to the task at hand.
The trellis was easy enough to weave and make, and rather fun. Her claws and tail blade made short work of the thin wood when cutting or carving. She could even bore holes if she twisted her tail or claws back and forth, and shaving others to make a "mortise and tenon" was very simple. It was amazing how much fun such simple tasks could be. With a satisfied huff, Sophie stood and carried over the trellis and tested it. It was just perfect. She smiled and stabbed the base into the dirt just behind the rose, so it could easily climb it. Sophie wiped her hands and admired her handiwork.
"Great job. Looks lovely," Said Kyle as he came up. She purred and hugged him.
Thank you, my love. And you did a wonderful job, too. The herbs look very lovely, and I can smell them from here. Kyle smiled and looked to the raised beds where he had planted the herbs and plants.
"As long as the fat rat doesn't eat them, they should grow fine." Josey seemed to know Kyle was insulting her, as she thumped her foot and hopped off in a huff. Sophie couldn't help a chuckle at this. Their garden was already thriving. Sophie was especially surprised how the tarragon seemed to just go wild and start thriving and spreading in the raised bed. Sophie slid her arm around Kyle's back as they headed inside.
I saw a lovely recipe for fish that used tarragon I'd like to try, said Sophie as they went inside. Kyle smiled as he went to the freezer and got some fresh fish fillets.
"I was thinking the same thing. Has a nice taste. I also saw some people use tarragon to make a vinegar," Kyle replied. Sophie trilled and nodded, already excited by the idea.
Yes! And I'm so glad the plants are already acclimated. Kyle nodded. They had bought the tarragon plants from a mother and her son who sold seeds and cuttings of plants from their garden in Zeraven, so the tarragon was ready to plant, and already became a favorite herb. It added a nice, delicate flavor to fish that they liked a lot. Sophie purred as she helped get things they needed, pan, spoons, etc. Her tail softly and gently caressed Kyle's back as she worked, and he happily leaned into the touch.
Supper was lovely, a nice way to end a good day of gardening. Josey sat on the bed with them as Kyle and Sophie watched some videos on the Ethernet. Sophie liked the ones of people helping animals that needed help or healing. It made her feel warm and happy to see the good side of humanity. It did Kyle as well, and was even better to share their happiness and feelings through their Bond. Kyle sat in Sophie's lap, watching a video of kind people wrapping the leg of a Theba, a Zerichs II animal akin to a deer. The little baby one was just adorable, and even Sophie could see at a glance the trust it had as the rescuers splinted the broken leg of its mother as they took them to an animal sanctuary to heal in safety. Sophie purred and gently kissed Kyle's hair. You're kind like that, said Sophie, pride flowing through their link, making Kyle blush a bit. Images of him helping the baby Balwar flowed from her mind, and even helping Josey.
The Universe is already unkind. No need to add to it. I just treat others how I'd like to be treated. Sophie squeezed him gently and rocked him.
And I'm proud of you, my Bonded One. You are kind, sweet, generous and helpful. I am so glad I'm Bonded to you. Kyle smiled as Sophie caressed his face gently with her long fingers.
I'm just as honored to be Bonded to you, Sophie. You're the most amazing person I have ever known. She smiled gently at him as she leaned down and softly brushed her lips against his. The love and appreciation they shared for each other flowed back and forth through their Bond, the truth of their words and feelings never for a moment in doubt.
XXX
The next day, Sophie had to fight to keep her excitement down as she got up before Kyle, being careful to not wake him as she prepared her surprise, giggling to herself. She hurried to get everything done, now and then checking to see how close Kyle was to waking. Thankfully, she got it done with time to spare. So, when Kyle awoke, he could feel Sophie's mind reach out to him, guiding him downstairs. Curious, and still a little sleepy, Kyle yawned, pulled on his pajama bottoms, and headed downstairs.
When Kyle walked in, he was surprised when he saw a full amaretto cake on the table, candles on it and lit. Sophie purred as she turned to him, smiling.
Happy birthday, Kyle. He blinked. He'd forgotten. Again, since Zerichs II had a different calendar and year that was not in sync with that of Earth, he had totally lost track of the days and months. Sophie lovingly took his hands and led him over to sit. Written on the cake in icing was the words Happy Birthday. Kyle smiled and hugged Sophie. She purred as she eagerly returned the embrace, reminding him to blow out the candles and make a wish. He smiled and did so. Sophie had also prepared a wonderful breakfast of meat, veggies and other wonderful foods. Kyle smiled at her.
"Thank you, Sophie." She trilled musically.
You're welcome, my beautiful Bonded One, she replied. After the wonderful breakfast, Sophie surprised Kyle with a wrapped package, complete with a bow. Kyle could feel her excitement, and opened it. His jaw dropped. It was a new laptop computer. Moreover, it was a native Zerichs II one. Kyle chuckled as he looked at the box and the specs.
"Sophie, this is amazing! I've never had one this good," he said as he opened it. She purred and hugged him.
I'm so glad. Well, let's plug it in and try it! Kyle agreed, giving the instructions a good read before.
If Kyle was impressed by the specs and looks, the performance left him with his jaw in the floor. The laptop used a native Zerichs II operating system, called "Zill". Kyle was very impressed not only with how powerful it was, but easy to learn and use. Having been in Weyland-Yutani's Tech Division, he had a discerning eye with computers and operating systems. This was easily one of the best he had ever used. Sophie was wriggling with excitement and joy as Kyle connected to the Ethernet far more easily. Some sites their PDA couldn't access due to it not using Zill, mostly secure sites. Kyle was also very impressed with the encryption and security. It made anything Weyland-Yutani used look like Windows 98 by comparison. Better still, it had full holographic display options and holo-keyboard options, so Sophie could use it just as easily. Kyle was all smiles as he looked at her, as happy and excited as a little child who had a new toy.
"Sophie, thank you. This is fantastic!" Sophie purred and hugged him.
I'm so glad, Kyle! I saw you needed something better than the PDA. Kyle gave a positive.
The PDA still had many uses, and was more easily portable and smaller, but it could only go so far, and it was limited by the non-native operating system.
Kyle and Sophie spent the day having fun, learning to use the new computer and the Zill operating system. Sophie also learned quite a bit from Kyle about computers. She had known Kyle was very skilled, but didn't know he was technically a Hacker, given his job at Weyland-Yutani. Give Kyle the right tools, he could do anything from unlock hatches or doors, reroute power, even open airlocks. Given the amazing damage Hackers could do, it was little wonder they were feared and tightly regulated on space stations and colonies. Kyle, however, never got much into the hacking culture. He wasn't one of those "anklebiters" who did things like writing computer viruses to make people miserable or show off to make himself feel more important, nor was he one of the professional Hackers who stole secrets, sabotaged things or even hurt people, the "Ghosts" as they were called, though he more than had the skill for it. Kyle liked to learn, and be good at what he did.
Kyle and Sophie had the most fun with a site called Here n' Zer, a learning site all about their world. While mostly aimed at children, it was also delightful fun for adults, full of fun facts about their planet, the culture, wildlife. It even had about the native Zerichs II language, Zeron, which Kyle was surprised to learn existed from the remains of alien cities far under the ocean that were found to predate human civilization. Sophie trilled with interest as they read and learned. All the while, they had so much fun, and were simply delighted. Sophie had also bought a laptop bag to store it in, and thus Kyle could take it with him. He smiled as he leaned back and kissed Sophie's lips.
"Thank you, Sophie. This is the best birthday I've ever had." Sophie purred as she rocked him in her arms, tail lovingly curled around them both.
You're welcome, Kyle. I'm so glad I could make this day a happy one for you. Kyle hummed as he nestled close to her. Sophie purred, lowering it into a thrum as her long fingers stroked his face and jaw lovingly. You know, I saw something interesting, Sophie began. He looked up at her as her thoughts turned warm and sultry. I saw many human males like to be intimate with their mates on their birthday . . . Kyle smiled as she kissed him more firmly, his mind agreeing with her. They got up briefly so Kyle could shut the bedroom door. A few seconds later, the door opened and Kyle shoved Josey out with his foot.
"Out," he said as she kicked back at his foot before he closed the door. Josey stamped her foot and kicked the closed door. "Stop it, hasenpfeffer!" Kyle called, muffled through the door. Josey again stamped her foot before hopping off in a huff.
Author's Note: Happy Alien Day to everyone! I hope this was worth the wait. You all thought I forgot Kyle was a tech nerd, didn't you? ;)