City
Chapter 6
It was one month later
The electronics teams were getting closer to when they would return the ship to full power, provided that the tests of the conduit worked out the way they hoped.
It was also the day Sally would come to work with Kate. She was a month older, and she had grown so much. The puppy had gotten her shots compliments of Rick, but he had done that for all the puppies, not just his. He had a one-room office off the Stockyards meant for dogs and cats and had a storeroom and refrigerator for drugs. It didn't get used all that often, thankfully.
"You're coming with me today, Sally," Kate said. "I'm off to work, Rick. Will I see you later?" Kate wanted to make sure he was coming in too.
"I'll be there. I'll see you later, Sally." Rick petted his dog and watched them leave. Sally was on a leash, which was new for her, and she went down the stairs with ease now. They were glad that there were no more accidents inside.
Kate took her to the train, worried she would have trouble getting her on board, but she walked right in. Sally was spotted almost immediately. "Goggie, Mama!" A little boy petted her, and Sally soaked it all up.
Kate took her to work with her, and the puppy was noticed instantly by someone new. She was just a teenager, but she was learning. Kate introduced them. "Lanie, meet Sally."
"I didn't know you had a puppy!" Lanie bent down to pet Sally who was excited to get petted. "Hi, Sally." Lanie looked up at Kate."Can I keep her?"
Kate broke it to her. "No, but you can pet her all you want while I'm here."
"You stick with me, Sally," Lanie told her.
Together they got to work with Sally, and Lanie petted her constantly to keep her close.
"Is your man coming too?"
"Later, after he works with the animals," Kate replied.
"He's animals, and you're plants. I can't get over that." Lanie shook her head. "Horses, cows, and pigs. Is there a reason there aren't more animals?"
"I asked him that same question, and his answer was food. If the animal didn't produce food, it wasn't wanted. At least they have DNA for all the other animals in cryo storage somewhere."
Lanie nodded thoughtfully. "That's a good idea. Kate, how many cows are there?"
"Let's see. There are ten milk cows presently, and all are pregnant; ten meat cows are also pregnant. Additionally, thirty-four other meat cows and some will get sent to slaughter.
"Then there are hundreds and hundreds of chickens," Kate told her. "There are twelve pigs, two of which are pregnant. And another that has already had her piglets, which are still cute. It helps explain why we have so much chicken in our diet."
"Yes, it does," Lanie agreed.
"How's it coming over there?" Kate inquired.
"I think I've got it: pull out the plants, cut off the roots, and put them in the container, easy," Lanie said. It was easy so far, if not a little wet.
"It gets more complicated as we go up." Kate looked up at all the layers. "Not afraid of heights, are you?"
"No, ma'am." The teen looked at the layers. Lanie knew there were five buildings full of plants even though she had only been in that one.
~oo0oo~
Rick showed up a little later. "Babe!" Kate hurried over and kissed him.
That was new; he raised an eyebrow and just looked at her. "Babe?"
"It's your new name. Don't worry, it'll grow on you. Get it? ...Grow on you!"
"It had better. …Sally!" He greeted his puppy, who came running to greet him. "Did you miss being with the animals?" Rick didn't get an answer, but he did get chewed. "OUCH!" He shook his hand. "Baby teeth are sharp."
Kate held up her hand to show him. "Tell me about it."
"Me too." Lanie held up her hand to show him. The puppy ran off after something else just then.
"You want to start on the next level up, Babe?"
Rick checked to see what he was to do. "Just pull the plants and cut off the roots like before?"
"Yep, that's all."
Rick nodded, grabbed a container and cutters, and began climbing to the next level. Kate and Lanie took the level above that.
Sally kept herself busy.
~oo0oo~
Rick, Kate, and Sally were on their way back on the train and, yet again, were noticed. "Where can we get a puppy?" Rick had to explain the process of getting a puppy.
There was a chorus of thank yous as they got off at their stop.
Sally peed and pooped the second they got home. Rick yawned. His day had been very busy, and he was tired. "I was thinking of going to the cafeteria tonight instead of cooking."
Kate thought for a moment. "Right after we feed Sally." Kate filled her bowl with puppy food and put it in front of her. "She's almost old enough for adult dog food."
Rick shook his head. "Not for another six months at least."
"Really?" Kate thought that was a long time. She reached down and petted her. "Sorry, Sally."
"Let's go." Rick got her moving out the door before she missed Sally too much.
~oo0oo~
It was three months later
Sally was still growing, but some of her personality was starting to show through. The puppy was entirely house-trained, so she did her business outside now. That meant they had to police the area, but it was a small price to pay.
Rick and Kate were still making love daily. Kate wasn't sorry her tubes were tied since it allowed Rick to come inside her, something he seemed to enjoy.
All of the animals were still healthy and growing. By growing, Rick meant fatter, as in pregnant-fatter.
Rick was with the animals, and Kate was in Hydroponics when they heard a whistle which got everyone's attention.
"This is the Captain speaking. The main power conduit has been replaced. It will be undergoing tests, lasting two weeks, so we're almost there.
"This still leaves us with a hole in the hull. Unfortunately, we had to dedicate our focus to the construction of the power conduit. Once that is complete, we will begin working on the hull. Until we fix the hull, we cannot work on the interior spaces, making it necessary that the bulkhead doors remain closed.
"We anticipate complete devastation to the interior spaces meaning they will all need replacing. For now, think good thoughts. I want to thank everyone for their hard work. That is all."
The whistle sounded again, telling everyone the announcement was over.
"What do you think, Sally? Sound good?" Rick asked and got her to bark. That was one other thing about Sally. She had found her voice and wasn't afraid of using it.
She also wasn't afraid of any animals, including the horses. She was free to roam anywhere she wanted, and today, that was going to see the horses. She couldn't get into the area with them, but she went up to the fence and barked at them to get them over to her. She went nose to nose with one of them and then was off to see the beef cows.
~oo0oo~
"You didn't come to Hydroponics today," Kate commented as she entered. "Hi, Sally." She reached down and petted her.
Rick went on the defensive. "I've been expecting the cows to give birth soon, so I stayed here and watched and waited. It may be another month still, but who knows? Cows are unpredictable."
"As long as you had a good excuse, I'll forgive you this time," Kate said. Then her stomach rumbled loud enough that she was sure he heard it, and she blushed. "Um, what's for dinner?"
"It's in the oven," Rick replied. "Better go wash up, it'll be ready in a minute."
"O-kay." Kate didn't believe him, but she went to wash up. She came back out and saw dinner was already on the table. "This looks good." She was surprised. She was more amazed that it tasted pretty good. Kate swallowed another bite, then asked, "Did you hear the announcement?"
Rick nodded. "It was hard to miss. It sounds like they're making progress, though."
"It's about time," Kate agreed. "This is really good."
He eyed her. "And you had doubts."
Kate looked away. "I'm sorry, I should have known better. Forgive me?"
"I'll think about it."
~oo0oo~
They played with Sally, but now it was time for bed. She finally learned where her own bed was and didn't sleep with her people.
Kate walked out of the bathroom naked, right into Rick's waiting arms. She held his head tight to her chest, then squealed when she found herself on her back with him kissing his way up her body until he kissed her beautiful mouth. Then Kate felt him at her entrance. She wrapped her arms around him and her legs when he entered her.
~oo0oo~
Rick was her most wonderful boyfriend ever. She was resting there naked on top of him while he slept. He had come inside her three times. THREE! One was in her ass. She had enjoyed every one of them.
She loved him, and she knew it. She loved him a lot. Not just because of all the sex but because she loved him for himself. She had learned a lot about him over the months, far more than she had any other person. She just wished her parents could see her now.
"Rick?" She needed to tell him and tell him now. "RICK!" She poked him. "Are you awake?"
"No. Now go to sleep," Rick muttered and kept his eyes closed.
But Kate persisted. "I need to tell you something."
"Can't you tell me in the morning?" He was exhausted and just wanted to sleep.
"No, this can't wait. Are you awake enough?" Kate asked.
Rick opened his eyes and looked down at her since she was lying on his chest. "What do you want to tell me that can't wait?" He had no idea what it was and couldn't think of any problems either.
Straddling him, Kate got up on her knees and looked down at him. "I love you. I truly love you."
Rick rejoiced at this bit of news. "Hallelujah!" He sat up and looked into her eyes. "I love you too. So very much. I've been waiting for you to tell me you loved me." Rick pulled her close and kissed her.
Kate felt so much better. She loved him and now knew that he loved her too. "I love you," Kate told him again while holding him tight against her. She started crying.
"Why are you crying, love?" Rick asked while holding her.
Kate hiccuped. "I'm happy."
"You're crying because you're happy?" Rick knew he would never understand women. Never. Still, he held her close to him and let her cry. She finally settled down, and her tears stopped. "Feel better?"
She nodded. "I just... I love you," Kate told him again. Rick kept holding her until she relaxed, and then he released her.
"I love you too." Rick looked at her. "Come on. Lay down with me." Rick laid back, pulled her against him, and held her there. He never wanted to let her go.
Eventually, she drifted back to sleep on top of him, allowing Rick to go to sleep.
~oo0oo~
Come morning, Rick woke up and noticed Kate was already awake. "Still love me?"
"Oh, yes!" She reached over and caressed his face. "I'm sorry I woke you up, though. I just couldn't wait to tell you."
"Don't be sorry. There's no reason to be sorry. I love you too, Kate. So much." Rick put his arms around her. They just relaxed with each other. That lasted all of about a minute. Sally saw they were both awake, so she jumped onto the bed and began licking Kate's face.
"Yes, yes, I love you too." Kate managed to stop Sally from licking her face, but she had to pet her. "That's enough. Now, get down, Sally." Kate put her on the floor and turned and kissed Rick. She got out of bed and went into the bathroom, stepping into the shower.
She dressed while Rick showered. By the time Rick dressed, he saw breakfast was waiting for him.
"I love you," Kate told him again. Then she left for work.
Rick did a little dance after she left. Overjoyed that she loved him, he went to work with a smile.
~oo0oo~
Lanie stared at her. "You look different, happy. What's changed?"
"And you're smiling," Zoey noted.
"If you must know, I told Rick I loved him last night." Kate waited for their reaction.
Zoey rolled her eyes. "Oh, heck, I knew that." She didn't see what the big deal was.
"Yeah, we knew that. That's nothing new. So what's first today," Lanie asked.
That took Kate aback somewhat. Was it that obvious that she loved Rick? "Um… The watermelon room is first."
~oo0oo~
Rick started his day by hooking the milk cows up to the milker, leaving them, and feeding the pigs next. He gave the beef cows some grain and tried to look over the pregnant ladies, though they would have nothing to do with him. "Alright, alright, I get the message." He gave up and studied them from a distance. "Maybe another month."
He moved on to the horses. "Hello, ladies and gentlemen. You want some grain? I think I'll add some water to the mix."
Rick talked to them like he would a person. "Like that, do you? You're a good girl, Moriah." Rick patted them all and waited until they finished eating.
He was back with the milk cows, unhooked them, and let them go. Rick had left them maybe half an hour on the milker which was about fifteen minutes too long, but he didn't see the harm. "You girls want something to eat?" He fed them as well and watched them eat for a while.
Then he went to the chickens. He was thankful it was all automatic. There had to be hundreds of chickens, not to mention the chicks. He used the automatics to separate some of them for slaughter.
He was thankful he didn't have to do that part. It was someone else's job.
~oo0oo~
Two weeks later
They all heard the whistle telling them there would be an announcement.
"This is the Captain. Thankfully the tests are complete, and full power is restored. I want to thank everyone, particularly those directly involved in making and installing the power conduit.
"We still have a hole in our hull which we must focus on now. In that regard, we are moving toward what we hope will be a class M planet. However, it won't be one that already supports an advanced life form. We don't want to start or be involved in a fight.
"We will arrive in approximately two months. That is all." The Captain ended the announcement.
They all heard a whistle telling them the announcement was over.
~oo0oo~
Rick looked at Kate. "A class M planet that doesn't have life on it? How does she know?"
"Let's hope she's right." Kate shook her head. "The last thing we need is to be involved in another fight. We're down two cruisers for our defense."
"Let's hope." Rick could agree to that. "I'm about two weeks from giving birth."
Kate tried hard not to laugh. "That I would like to see."
"Ha, ha, very funny. Not me, silly. I mean the cows." Rick saw her grin. "But seriously, I'll need help when that day comes."
She kissed him. "I'll be here to help you, babe."
Rick changed the topic. "How's your new girl working out?"
"Lanie? She's okay. She's a teenager but has a good head on her shoulders." Kate looked around. "Where's Sally?"
Rick shrugged. "Outside somewhere. Probably being a good dog."
"She's a good dog. She knows to sit and stay. Not so much leave it, but we're working on that. Speak of the devil. …Who's a good dog," Kate crooned as she ruffled her ears and kissed her. "Are you hungry, pretty girl?"
~oo0oo~
"Uh oh, it's started." Rick saw a newborn calf and ran for the apartment to stop Kate from leaving.
"We start with this cow," Rick told her.
"How can you tell?" Kate didn't see anything different.
"See the lone hoof sticking out? She's pushing but getting nowhere," Rick pointed out, and Kate finally saw it.
She watched him stick his hand in the back end of the cow. He was shirtless for a change. "I found the other leg. Hand me the chains, please," Rick asked her. "I just need to hook the chain around the other leg." He worked at that. "Okay, hook up this and help me pull," Rick instructed. "Ready... Pull." He pulled but didn't seem to be getting anywhere.
"PULL!" Rick bellowed.
"I. AM. PULLING!" Kate yelled back at him, and soon she saw the head. Not long after that, the entire calf came out, along with lots of goop.
Rick threw a pail of water at the calf and cleaned out its mouth. "It's alive."
"Do they all look like this?" Kate asked since it was partly yellow and covered in goo.
"Clean your calf, Mama." Rick watched her lick her baby clean. "On to the next one." Rick gathered up his chains, the calf puller, and filled the pail with water.
The next cow didn't have a hoof sticking out. He had to go searching for the calf. "This one is going to be a challenge," Rick said grimly. Kate saw his left arm was in this cow right up to the shoulder.
"I need to get the calf into position." Rick had his arm inside her for a seemingly long time. "Hand me the chains." He had to keep his arm inside the cow to keep the calf in position. "If I can just get the chains around the front legs," Rick muttered. "….Got it, now pull!" he ordered, and Kate grunted while pulling. She saw both hooves first thing, then the head. Suddenly, the entire calf was out. Rick cleared its mouth and threw a pail of water on it. He let out a deep breath when it woke up. "Got another live one."
"On to the next," Rick said, and headed for another cow.
He gloved his arm and put it inside the cow up to his shoulder. "Damn it! This one is coming out backwards. I need to get it to turn around." Rick was able to manipulate the calf and got it turned.
"I think we're ready. Now I need to put the chains around the legs." Rick focused on getting the chains around the legs.
"NO, NO, NO! Don't lay down." Rick almost had his arm ripped off. He was lucky and pulled out his arm without getting hurt. "Stupid cow."
Rick sighed. "I'll need to calf puller with this one." He got it set up. Kate watched him put that contraption into place, and he hooked up the chains to it and began working this device. Then he stopped and pulled, then worked the device again.
Eventually, out came a calf. But Rick didn't need to clear the throat or throw a pail of water on this one.
~oo0oo~
Add twenty cows and a very long day together, and Rick was dead on his feet. Not all of them needed his help, but many did. He was also a mess and barely standing.
"I'll go feed the pigs. You're sure you're good here?" Kate asked since he looked so tired. All he did was nod.
She hurried off, quickly fed the pigs, and returned to Rick. "Let's get you in the shower, babe." She helped him up the stairs, turned on the water, stripped him as fast as she could, and helped him into the shower.
"Twenty baby calves including a pair of twins." Kate was amazed. She was supposed to go to work, but Rick needed her more. She helped Rick get out of the shower and toweled him dry. He leaned on Kate while she helped him into their bedroom. She watched him fall onto the bed; he was asleep in minutes.
"My poor baby." Kate kissed him and let him sleep.
