The Fool's Gold pulled into Alpha Centauri almost a month after she left Karron. John admired the sight of the system while Jonah focused more on holding Alyssa while her jaw dropped at the sight of all the traffic. Karron saw a new ship once every couple weeks. There were literally hundreds of ships either on approach or departing from the massive Olympus Shipyard. The great megastructure consisted of a central section and six arms radiating out like spokes on a wheel.
"How is something that big even built?" Alyssa asked in amazement.
"Slowly," John answered. "She was constructed almost a century after the Terran Federation was officially formed. She gets updated every few decades. She's the heart of our navy."
"Has a bigger population of military personnel and civilians working all the businesses than half the colonies in the Outer Rim," Jonah added. "Sees over a million people coming or leaving a day on average."
"That's insane," Alyssa breathed. "Holy fuck, is that a Dreadnought?" she asked, pointing at an enormous 1500-meter vessel that had just passed them.
"Nope, just a Battleship," John chuckled. They were locked into their approach to Olympus, but the low-tier civilian engines would take hours to get them from the Nav-buoy to the shipyard in orbit around the planet on the second orbital path.
"So, what's the plan?" Jonah asked.
"We meet up with my old friend, Charles Harris. We sell the Tyrenium for 25 mil a ton, assuming he doesn't haggle. Then we decide our next move," John informed them.
"We're seriously going to get a quarter billion credits for 5 crates' worth of shiny metal?" Alyssa asked in disbelief.
"Tyrenium is used to power Singularity Drivers, Alyssa. The most powerful weapon in the T-Fed's arsenal. Trust me, they'll pay through the nose for what we've got," John assured her. "Especially with things heating up with the Kintark."
"Those are the Lizards, right?" Alyssa asked. She hadn't gotten much of a formal education, and her recent access to the Holonet had been dedicated to Astro-Nav research. All her knowledge of aliens was based on what little scraps she'd heard from her fellow asteroid colonists on Karron, who were themselves probably not that well informed on the subject.
John saw a learning opportunity and pulled up a map of the Galactic League, all of known civilized space in the Milky Way galaxy. "Okay, Non-human Nations 101. This green spheroid here in the middle is the Terran Federation. We've expanded in roughly equal distance out from Terra until we ran into another empire. And short of a major war and renegotiating the borders, we're likely to stay this size for the foreseeable future. To the 'west' is the Kintark, or the Lizards. Reptilian, favor plasma weaponry, roughly equal to the Terran Federation in size, technology level, and total assets. If we get into a real war, it'll be a bloodbath no matter which way you slice it."
"I can see," Alyssa nodded, looking between the green Terran Federation and red Kintark Empire directly 'left' of them on the 3D map. "Who's that to the south, in gray?"
"Those fellers are the Ashanath Collective," Jonah spoke up. "Peaceful scientists. Believe it or not, they used to lay claim to everything we have now. But when the T-Fed started to expand, they figured it made sense to just hand over all them worlds and resources over to us. Borders stabilized about a century ago, but I'm sure at least 1 idiot in High Command has a big binder full of war strategies for finally annexing them for good. Short, gray skin, big heads, black eyes. They're Telepaths like us, they communicate with everyone else with computers that translate their thoughts into sound. They're where the whole 'flying saucer' thing comes from, they favor disc-shaped ships and used to be caught on Terran surveillance before we went interstellar."
"That empire above us looks a bit narrow," Alyssa nodded after processing and logging all the information on the Grays.
"Oh, those are just the systems we've confirmed form the border of the Maliri Regency," John chuckled. "No one knows how big their territory is, on account of their zero-tolerance policy for going any further into Maliri Space than the trading outposts. For all we know, they own the rest of the galaxy. Also have lasers that make what humanity has look like dot pointers. We'll probably visit my friend Ceraden at some point, you'll get to see the Warning. Some reckless merchants decided to try and charge deeper into their empire. The husk of the biggest freighter in the convoy was towed into Theta Aquarii, filled with holes we could fly the Fool's Gold through, as an example of what they can do if you piss them off."
"Wow. What do they look like?" Alyssa gasped.
"That's a mystery," Jonah shrugged. "All the bastards wear full-body armor at all times in public. Theories range from sentient androids who for some reason don't follow the first law of robotics to being so hideous they hide from the rest of us in shame."
"First law of robotics?" Alyssa asked, unfamiliar with the term.
"Any AI above a certain level can and will turn hostile towards organics," John sighed. "You can look up the Ganymede Incident later. Suffice to say that building a conscious computer is more trouble than it's worth."
Alyssa nodded. She turned back to the galactic atlas. "Karron is over to the east, right? What's our neighbor on that side?" she asked.
"The Kirrix, or the Bugs as you probably have heard them," John spoke up.
Alyssa gave a full body shudder. "You mean those giant cockroach things that rape you and their babies eat their way out of you?"
"The very same," Jonah said grimly.
"Yeah, Karron is a stone's throw from the known border of their claimed systems," John nodded. "They actually expanded in the last couple decades. My mother's research vessel went into that part of space before the Bugs reached it. My dad might have just been passing through, but there's a chance his home planet is somewhere in there… though maybe the Kirrix found and killed him when they expanded."
"Call it an old man's intuition, but I think the Bugs would be too scared to go up against your papa," Jonah mused. "If he's half the warrior you are, he's quite formidable."
"Thanks, handsome," John chuckled. "Next on the list, Alyssa, is the Trankaran Republic, the ones under the Federation. Silicone-based, hence the nickname Rockmen or Golems. Gentle giants, in my experience, very friendly and peaceful for all their size and toughness. A good dozen minor empires exist within Trankaran Space and they're allowed full autonomy and free passage through Trankaran territory."
"Which leaves those blue guys north of us," Alyssa nodded, keeping up quite well with her genius intellect.
"The Brimorian Enclave," Jonah nodded. "Not very nice or polite in my opinion. I get the impression that if you're not Brimorian, you're not a person in most of their minds. Humanoid fish, basically, scales and gills and all. We've had a messy history with them, but their shields are tough as old boots so we avoid open warfare as much as we can. Every few decades we have a border skirmish and settle into an uneasy peace once we give each other a good black eye."
"Anyone else of note?" Alyssa asked curiously, noting the other color-coded sections of the hologram showing the stars of the Orion Arm.
"Drakkar Raiders on the other side of the Ashanath. Cultural pirates, they have the habit of invading other territories and killing, eating, and stealing from everyone they run into. Not necessarily in that order," John said with a frown at the barbaric species and their practices.
"And there's the Unclaimed Wastes, this big gray area in that there direction that no one but the Enshunu and some minor empires have bothered to claim. It's basically a lawless zone, so venture in at your own risk," Jonah said, waving at a broad section of the map. "Other than the species with nothing but their own home system, that's every member or sapient race we know of in the Galactic League."
"And what exactly is the Galactic League?" Alyssa wondered.
"In theory, it's an inter-imperial organization dedicated to promoting peaceful relations and trade between all the interstellar empires in this corner of the galaxy," John answered. "In practice, it's a handy nickname to refer to everything you see on this map and responsible for a few good treaties and ship-to-ship protocols. Making sure we all use compatible atmospheric settings and transponder codes, that kind of thing. But it has no teeth. Membership is token, the Drakkar and Maliri haven't officially joined and likely never will."
John and Jonah happily answered all of Alyssa's questions about aliens and the Galactic League as they moved at a glacial pace towards Olympus. When they reached hailing distance a couple hours later, the intercom began to beep. John answered the comm request. "Incoming freighter, this is Olympus Shipyard. Please identify and state the purpose of your visit," asked a polite flight tech, for all they were likely reading from a script.
"John Blake on the Fool's Gold. I'd like to meet with Captain Harris at earliest opportunity," John said clearly.
There was a few seconds' delay as John's voiceprint and the Fool's Gold's transponder code was confirmed. Then the tech made contact with John's contact in the T-Fed military. The response came after a few minutes. "Vice Admiral Harris will meet with you presently, Commander Blake. You are cleared for Berth 3 in Docking Bay 47. Lieutenant Adams will lead you to the Vice Admiral's office. Have a pleasant day."
"Thank you," John said. He leaned back in his chair as the Nav-Computer got the directions to their berth from Olympus. "Well, guess he had a few promotions."
"Vice Admiral?" Alyssa asked with wide eyes. "As in, those guys only one step down from High Command?"
John was aware that many civilians, especially in the Outer Rim, held mixed fear and respect for the ruling body of the Terran Federation militocracy. Mostly fear. "He's a friend, Alyssa, don't worry. He's not the kind to let power go to his head."
Their freighter landed with a rumble on their assigned landing pad once they entered Olympus proper. John stood and gave Alyssa a critical once over. He went to his closet and returned to toss her his flight jacket to cover her on top of the body-sleeve she was already wearing. "I don't want to have to fight off the shipyard's complement of randy Marines," he grinned.
"Stick me in a burqa, why don't ya?" Alyssa playfully griped, but she shrugged on the flight jacket without complaint.
John, Jonah, and Alyssa all got in the airlock, exiting out the outer door to step into the docking bay. A young man, smartly dressed in T-Fed officer uniform, approached them and gave John a salute. John returned it on reflex. "Commander Blake, I am Lieutenant Victor Adams, Vice Admiral Harris' adjutant. Please follow me to his office."
John laid a hand possessively on Alyssa's back and guided her as he followed the good lieutenant through the innards of the massive space station. Jonah held Alyssa's hand as well. Those who didn't stare because of their good looks stared because the three of them were clearly close and social programming had conditioned most to find any romance with more than 2 partners odd or strange. John cared more whether Jonah or Alyssa were uncomfortable with all the attention, but both assured him mentally they were fine.
They reached a well-appointed receiving area, and Lieutenant Adams went to sit at a desk with sure familiarity. He pressed a particular spot on the table-sized screen that was the top of the structure. "Vice Admiral Harris, Commander Blake and his crew have arrived and are waiting at your convenience."
The door into the office proper opened a second later, revealing a man in his early fifties. His bushy mustache and thinning hair were more gray than black, but he seemed hale and healthy despite his age. He saluted and grinned once he was in front of John, who mirrored the man. "Commander," he said in acknowledgement.
"Vice Admiral," John said respectfully and with just a touch of humor.
"Good to see you, John. Been 10 years, hasn't it?" Harris asked as he dropped his salute.
"Just about, Charles," John nodded.
"And who might these two be?" the Vice Admiral asked, looking at Jonah and Alyssa.
"These are my crew, Jonah Bennings and Alyssa Marant. Jonah is my Executive Officer and Alyssa is my Navigator," John answered. He made up the positions on the spot, but they rang true. Jonah was his first crewmate, his first real love, and so his second-in-command. And Alyssa was the one with the fancy Navigator First Class certification on her record.
"Pleasure to meet you both," Charles grinned.
"Likewise," Jonah said with a grin. John liked and respected this man, ergo he would until given a reason otherwise.
"Nice to meet you, sir," Alyssa said, feeling quite intimidated by this man's station for all his courtesy.
"Come in, come in! I'm quite eager to hear why my old shipmate wanted to meet after all these years," Harris grinned before turning and reentering his office. The 3 psychics followed. The office was spacious, appropriate for Harris' rank, and featured floor-to-ceiling windows that showed a breathtaking angle of all incoming traffic and the suns of Alpha Centauri.
"Hell of a view," John complimented as he sat down in a chair.
"Isn't it just?" Charles chuckled. "Now, John, I'm sure you didn't show up to trade old war stories. What's up? What brings you to my door?"
John steepled his fingers. "Tyrenium. 10 tons of it."
Charles blinked before blowing a whistle. "Civilian life has been VERY kind to you, I see. I'll take it all. What were you thinking for price?"
"250 million credits," John said with a straight face.
"Done," Charles replied without blinking. Alyssa had to suppress a squeak at the amount, even knowing it was coming. "How do you want the money, credit transfer okay?"
"Sure thing," John nodded.
Charles activated the comm interface in his desk and ordered a maintenance team to fetch the Tyrenium from the Fool's Gold, the code to open the cargo doors helpfully supplied by John. Then John handed over his credit chit, the small device that functioned as his digital wallet. Charles made the transfer of a full quarter billion credits with some simple keystrokes and gave his clearance code. The Vice Admiral grinned as he handed back the chit to John. "Congratulations, John, you can retire for real now! This calls for a toast!"
John pocketed his credit chit and accepted a tumbler after Charles poured some whiskey from a minibar into 4 glasses and handed them out. "To unexpected blessings," John said, looking at his two lovers with fond eyes.
They all took a sip. Charles looked from John to Jonah and Alyssa. "Robbing the cradle, John? A triad with two teens seems out of character for you." The tone was joking, but Charles clearly meant it as a question.
John shrugged helplessly. "It kinda just happened."
"Well, none of my damned business, of course. Power to you all, really," Charles said dismissively before adopting a warm expression. "I'm happy for you John, in all seriousness. You always seemed so lonely, closed off. I'm glad you finally found someone, let alone two."
John blushed, having a typical male allergic reaction to honest emotion. "Well, thanks Charles. If that's all, we'll be going."
They stood and shook. John and his two partners were halfway to the door when they heard Charles snap. "Shit, I just remembered. John, the Invictus is being decommissioned. She's going up for auction. I'd love to see the old girl stay in the family, so to speak. Interested?"
John froze, overcome by memories. Alyssa squeezed his hand while Jonah turned to face Charles. "Your old ship, right? You both served on her until John retired?"
"That's right. You never forget your first command," Charles said nostalgically.
John found his voice. "Why's she being decommissioned? She's less than a century old."
"Assault Cruisers don't fit into Fleet Admiral Buckingham's new doctrine for the Navy," Charles said with aggrieved resignation. "It's all about dropships on Carriers now, she was deemed obsolete. So now we're selling her off. What do you say, John?"
John gulped at the thought of having command of the ship he once served on. "She's too big, how would the 3 of us even pilot her?"
Charles grinned and pulled up a hologram from his desk. He launched into what sounded like a well-rehearsed sales pitch for how they could automate most of the systems and modify the interior to reflect the needs of a private trader as opposed to a glorified troop transport. "You're still on the books, right?" Charles checked. At John's nod, the man smiled broadly. "Excellent, we'll save a fortune in maintenance costs leaving her as is."
*This is a pet project for him,* Alyssa thought to both her men. *He can't afford to buy her for himself, but he doesn't want her to end up with some stranger. You'd be doing him a favor in taking her, and we end up with a big-ass ship with actual weapons. Win-win, I say.*
John found himself agreeing with his teenage lover. "Alright, I'll take her. How much?"
"150 million. Most of that will be for the automation, maintenance, and some basic refurbishing," Charles told them.
John handed over his credit chit eagerly. A few seconds later, and John's account almost lost a digit as ⅗ of his new fortune were withdrawn. It was worth it based on the grin on John's face. John and Charles shared a handshake to seal the deal. With a promise that the Invictus would be ready in 7 days' time, John turned and left the office with a promise to not be a stranger to Charles.
Lieutenant Adams wasn't free to lead them back to the Fool's Gold, but Jonah and Alyssa's photographic memories and John's own familiarity with Olympus ensured they wouldn't get lost. "So, we're trading up, huh?" Jonah joked as they came within sight of their battered old Freighter.
"It'll be a shame to leave her behind… but my life as the lone wolf is over. I've got two gorgeous mates, who for some reason want to build me a whole pack, and I like to think that the Invictus will be as good a place as any to enjoy this new life we all will share," John grinned.
"You gooey romantic," Alyssa teased, though her heart was almost bursting with love for the man.
They loaded into the Fool's Gold. "So, what's the battle plan, Commander?" Jonah asked, affecting a jokingly overdone military tone.
"We're multimillionaires now. We can have a mini-vacation down on Gravitus while they get the Invictus ready," John decided. "Plus, you both need new wardrobes and I could do with some new threads myself. I say we go down and have a bit of a shopping spree before checking into a hotel."
"Trying to buy our love?" Alysssa joked.
"No, just want to spoil the man and woman I love to pieces rotten now that I can afford it," John countered without hesitation.
They lifted off from the landing pad and the autopilot took them down towards the spaceport on the planet Olympus orbited. Alyssa gave a very logical, persuasive argument that she and Jonah should split a load so they could have lunch and still have flat bellies for trying on new clothes. John found himself agreeing enthusiastically and at length.
The Fool's Gold finally landed at the spaceport, and her 3 inhabitants exited. Alyssa had a moment of awe as she realized this was her first time on a proper planet instead of an asteroid or ship or space station. John and Jonah comforted and soothed her, and then they went to the nearby valet stand. Deciding to splurge, John got them a hover-limo.
"What the fuck?! This bottle of water costs as much as a month's supply back on Karron!" Alyssa gasped once she was given leave to raid the minibar by John.
"Yeah, they upcharge the fuck out of things like that, 'amenities' they call it," Jonah said with an eyeroll. "Don't worry, sweetheart, we can afford it."
"Still, where's the sense?" Alyssa demanded even as she hesitantly opened the glass bottle.
"Part of it is down to superior quality. That's pure distilled water with a proprietary blend of minerals for flavor added, not liquid recycled since the first supply delivery for Karron," John explained. "But, yeah, most of it is just to rip off rich people for every credit the seller can get away with. Some people actually get off on buying the most pricey things just to prove they can, there's actually more expensive water than that to be found in the T-Fed if you're motivated."
Alyssa took a sip. "Okay, I'll admit, that's the best water I ever tasted. Just bugs me that this one sip probably could have paid for a good dozen people getting a drink back home… or rather where I was born. My home is wherever you two are now."
John beamed brighter than the sun and pulled Alyssa into a kiss. "I feel the same way, honey."
"You two are giving me cavities," Jonah griped, but his own cheeks hurt from his own smile at Alyssa's words.
The hover-limo had been programmed by John to take them to the most exclusive (read, obscenely overpriced) shopping district on Gravitus. They landed and just walked around. A certain boutique caught Alyssa's eye and she led her two men into it. They were the only customers in the store. The shop staff looked up from pretending to be busy, and looked down just as fast. While Alyssa was distractingly beautiful and both John and Jonah ruggedly handsome, they weren't dressed like they had money and so not worth the attention.
A lone brunette around Alyssa's age with a genuine smile and striking stormy eyes walked up to them. "Hello, my name is Rachel. How may I assist you all today?"
Alyssa reacted to the positive energy with an angelic grin. "Well, Rachel, we're traders and just made a good 9 figures on our last trade. In other words, we are now stinking rich. I need some outfits to look my most beautiful and these sinfully tasty slabs of man-meat need decent wrappers to be the best eye-candy. Think you can accommodate us?"
On hearing the scope of their spending power, the other shopgirls were all suddenly smiling and ready to fawn over them. Rachel took Alyssa aside to be her personal shopper while John and Jonah each were led deeper into the store by half a dozen women each.
Alyssa gave a chuckle 20 minutes later as she watched one girl measure John's inseam while another asked Jonah to flex to get a proper idea of his upper arm size. "They're not being very subtle," she commented to Rachel, who was kneeling to smooth out the lines of the floor-length gown Alyssa was currently modeling.
"Half of them only work here hoping to seduce and lock down a meal ticket," Rachel confirmed. "The other half come from money and wanted a chance to meet men or women in the economic bracket they consider passable."
"Which category are you, if I may ask?" Alyssa asked.
"I'm just here to collect the paycheck to pay for rent and groceries," Rachel admitted.
"I'll be sure to include a generous tip," Alyssa assured her.
"Thank you, I really appreciate that," Rachel said with a smile that revealed pearly teeth and killer dimples. Alyssa found herself getting a little hot under the collar seeing a pretty woman kneeling in front of her.
*Okay, bisexuality is officially part of the template for the Change,* Alyssa alerted her two crewmates.
*You're sure you weren't already? I already was, so I didn't change in that regard,* Jonah checked.
*I would have sworn blind that I'd never sleep with a woman voluntarily before I met you both. Now it's all I can think about with Rachel right here kneeling and touching me,* Alyssa confessed.
*Good to know,* John mused. *This isn't nearly as fun as you'd think, by the way. Knowing they only care about what's in my bank account and not my heart makes this feel kind of slimy, actually,* he added as one clerk started to massage his shoulders and compliment him on his obvious muscles.
Alyssa sent John supportive thoughts and refocused on Rachel once she stood and went to get another outfit.
"If you don't mind answering, are you involved with either of those gentlemen?" Rachel asked while Alyssa critically debated which colors would compliment her for the skirt-suit she was wearing.
"Both, actually. They were a couple already, they just decided to let me join the party when we crossed paths in life," Alyssa replied.
"Oh," Rachel said with a bit of a blush.
"That bother you?" Alyssa asked.
"Oh, of course not. If it's safe, sane, and consensual, it's really no problem with me or anyone with a modicum of sense and rationality. The sad truth is that that seems to be the minority at times," Rachel assured Alyssa.
"Well, if people have an issue with it, I dare them to try and fuck with us. We can be fairly scary when motivated," Alyssa said with thoughts of John's military prowess and Jonah's hard-earned fighting skills. And she could probably become quite threatening herself if she put in the time to learn and train.
After a solid 3 hours in the boutique, Alyssa and the two men had settled on a variety of ensembles suitable for every occasion. John paid the eye-watering price without complaint, knowing this was now a drop in the bucket for him. Alyssa took Rachel aside for a whispered exchange, and the brunette eagerly handed over a business card with her contact information so they could stay in touch. Alyssa was pleased she now had a second female friend besides Calara.
They carried their haul back to the hover-limo. "Anything else you think we need? Or even just want, we can indulge today," John checked.
"Can we stop by an armory? You've got a military-grade arms license, you can get me toys I've only dreamed of firing someday!" Jonah asked like a boy asking for a Christmas gift.
"Sure, handsome," John agreed easily. "While we're at it, we can get armor. I didn't spare any expense for my bodysuit and you both got the sets we requisitioned from the Griffon, but neither is top-tier for sure. Might as well get the best on the market now we have cash to spare."
A quick fly, and they walked into the arms emporium. A pretty blonde, nowhere near Alyssa's league but very few were, walked up to greet them. "Welcome. I'm Lauren, and I can help you find whatever it is you're looking for. Is there something in particular you need?" she asked in a rehearsed but very professional manner.
"We're looking for McCarran Arms and the Steinbeck Armory today," John said with a smile.
"Please follow me," Lauren grinned before turning and leading them into the bazaar dedicated to weapons and armor. They got to a particular stall and a representative of McCarran Arms walked up to greet them.
"Hello, gentlemen and lady. How may I help you today?" the salesman asked.
John could feel Jonah was practically drooling at the sight of all the state-of-the-art guns. He indicated his XO with his hand. "Whatever this guy picks out, get us 3 of them. I have a military-grade arms license and price is no object, so don't worry about us not being able to purchase his selections."
The salesman and Jonah both beamed, though Jonah was the only one to dart in to kiss John's cheek. The former spacer excitedly began to browse the displays. John and Alyssa soon learned that Jonah really was quite the weapons enthusiast. After a solid hour of just getting the feel of half the guns, and audibly groaning how they couldn't testfire any of them, Jonah finally settled on top-of-the-line handguns, assault rifles, shotguns, sniper rifles, and even a grenade launcher. John doubted they'd ever have a real need for all that firepower, but he easily handed the McCarran Arms staff member his credit chit to authorize payment for 3 models of each and enough ammo for 100 full loads for each one. It was a 5 figure purchase, but that was nothing for them now.
John ordered all the equipment to be shipped to Olympus care of Charles Harris, and turned back to Lauren. "So, Steinbeck?" he asked.
"Of course, sir," she grinned. John didn't think he imagined the extra sway to her hips as she walked. He didn't mind, and neither did Jonah or Alyssa if their lusty thoughts were any indicator. They finally reached the stand for Steinbeck Armory and Lauren had a quick chat with the saleswoman, who was dressed in military fatigues.
With the qualification that he wanted the best in terms of protection and mobility with no regard for the final total, John soon had 4 suits of Phalanx Alpha armor sized for him and Jonah and another 2 for Alyssa ordered and set to be loaded into the Invictus up on Olympus.
"Is there anything else I can help you with?" Lauren asked after returning them to the entrance. There was a light purr to her words that made her interest clear if you picked up on it.
While John was certainly attracted, the Change was (to their knowledge) permanent and life-changing. He wasn't going to seriously attempt to start anything with someone he just met and only had a shallow interest in him. "No, that's everything. Thank you for your assistance today, Lauren." John pulled out a free credit stick and transferred 1000 credits to it and handed it over with a smile. "Keep up the good work."
"Thank you, sir!" Lauren said with real appreciation.
The 3 of them got back in the hover-limo. John quickly made a reservation online and within half an hour they were checked into the penthouse of the Magnus, the poshest hotel on the planet.
They stashed their purchased clothes in the walk-in closet for their suite, then just explored the biggest, best room in the building. Alyssa was drawn to the windows, which showed the nearby lavascape. Gravitus was a terraformed volcanic planet, and the semi-dormant peak the Magnus was built near gave plumes of magma now and again. Alyssa looked in awe, amazed at the natural power and beauty of the scene.
John and Jonah both came up beside her, wrapping arms around her to hold her between them. "Beautiful," Alyssa breathed.
"Not as much as you," John said, actually meaning it.
"If I hadn't snuck onto the Fool's Gold and you two hadn't made that offer, I'd never have gotten this far. I'd never have seen this view, or gotten this beautiful body and enhanced mind, or been anything more than just another beggar worm girl whore," she said, almost to herself.
"You were always more than that. John's magic jism just changed your outsides to match your insides," Jonah assured the woman he loved just a little less than he loved John. Which was actually saying a lot, since he'd do anything, ANYTHING, for John.
"You can believe that if you want, but I know better," Alyssa chuckled. She wriggled and snuggled into their grip. "I love you both, more than words can tell. I don't even think my thoughts can tell you how much I really love you two. Wherever life takes either of you, take me with you."
"You're stuck with us, honey," John assured her.
There was an incredible moment of stillness and true contentment as they all just admired the view and held each other.
"So… you had to do survival sex?" John prompted gently.
Alyssa sighed. "I was really hoping that would lead to an all-night threesome instead, but sure, let's dig into my life story."
They all went to the comfy couch and got comfortable. Alyssa sat in John's lap and her feet were plopped and held in Jonah's. "My dad was Edward Marant, my mom was Sarah. That's all I know about her, she died from childbirth. I don't even have a picture of her. I think Daddy hid or trashed any they took because it hurt too much to see her after he lost her. She was from the upper class of Karron, such as it was. She must have married him for love, he was your average grunt miner. I loved him and he loved me back, but he always seemed so sad. I don't remember much but that sticks out. He worked so hard to provide for us both, but we still ended up waiting in the breadline or selling what little we had to get food sometimes."
"What happened to him?" John asked, heartbroken that his lover had such a sad start in life.
"Mining accident when I was 6. Wasn't even enough of him to cremate," Alyssa said with old grief. "I never got to say goodbye. I don't even remember the last thing I did say to him. I hope it was good. I hope it was a good last thing for him to hear from me."
"You loved him, and he loved you. He knew that, sweetheart, I feel it in these deaged bones of mine," Jonah assured her.
"I hope you're right," Alyssa grinned weakly. Then she sighed and resumed her story. "Anyway, lasted a couple years at the orphanage. But it was just as rough as the streets with how lean supplies were and vicious the other kids could be over what scraps we got. Me and my roommate Mia ran for it when we were 8."
"Are you still friends?" John asked.
"I haven't seen her in 5 years," Alyssa said with a dull heartache. "We watched each other's backs, pooled credits, were good as sisters. Then when we were 12 she started pulling johns for credits, and one man paid her in two Euphoria tablets. We took them together. It was fun, and I tried it a couple more times, but Mia got hooked. She started caring more about her next dose than food or water or even me. She ended up selling herself for life to a pimp who kept her high as a kite so she'd consent to all the really nasty stuff. No idea if she's even still breathing right now, or how much of her is left if she is."
"In active addiction, your whole world shrinks to the next fix. You don't even get high anymore towards the end, you just need it in your system to even feel normal, and withdrawals are a hell you avoid at all costs, and I do mean all. I would have murdered to get a shot of blockers by the end," Jonah spoke up.
"You're in recovery?!" John asked in shock. Despite their 2 months together and their utter transparency, this somehow hadn't come up yet.
"41 years, but it's one day at a time, really," Jonah told his shocked lovers. "Got in a nasty bar fight and got hooked on neural blockers and really anything, though pain meds were always my first choice. Funny, since my first dose from John, the cravings are gone. I don't just feel reborn in this new body, I'm convinced it cured my brain of that broken dopamine circuit thing that causes addiction. But enough about my former junkie status, keep going Alyssa."
Alyssa resumed her tale. "With Mia gone, I ended up following her example, just without the drugs. My first john was old enough to be my father, but he paid. That put him a cut above some of my other 'clients'. For some I was just another hole for hire, but some real monsters have a taste for hurting kids and young teens. I got real good at trusting my gut and getting the most out of a first impression."
"Did you do that up until you snuck on the Fool's Gold?" John asked, kissing her hair and projecting all his love to let her know that this changed nothing in his feelings or opinion of her.
"No, actually," Alyssa said, her face lighting up. "I met Sparks when I was 14. I was looking through a trash heap for anything not rotten to eat. She was scavenging for parts. I helped her find what she was looking for, and she got me a ration bar as thanks. She's a weaponsmith indentured to the Diablo gang. She works exclusively for them, repairing all their gear and making all their guns both to use and for sale. They give her barely enough to feed herself, but if I helped her then she was happy to share, even if I didn't find anything useful. She's my best friend."
"She's still on Karron?" Jonah checked.
Alyssa blew out an explosive breath. "I had a good thing going as Sparks' gopher. I had a friend again, didn't have to sell myself, and life with the Diablos wasn't really any better or worse than life on the streets. Than fucking Giorgio decided my 18th birthday present should be a good dicking, and my consent was irrelevant. I managed to grab his knife and stick him before he got further than sticking his hand down my pants, but I would have been marked for death the moment he reported back to Bulldog. Sparks told me to just run, so I ran. I spotted the Fool's Gold being loaded with Tyrenium and slipped in when the miners left and the doors were closing. You both know the story since."
John hummed in thought. "Even cheating Mortimer blind, I could only afford 10 tons of Tyrenium. Now we can afford it, I think the smart move would be to go back and get the rest. While we're there, we might as well effect a rescue. If we can, I'd love to get your friend free from the gang and off that rock."
Alyssa gaped in disbelief, then turned and pulled John into a searing kiss. "Oh, John that's perfect! We'll really be sisters then! We'll both be aunts to each other's babies once you knock us up!"
John blinked. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, I just meant we can get her off Karron, maybe even let her join the crew if she's as skilled an engineer as you claim. I didn't mean anything about inviting her to the harem!"
"Crew, harem, potayto, potahto," Jonah chuckled. "And if she'll have you, are you really going to turn down another willing 18 year old girlfriend, especially once the Change makes her hot as Alyssa?"
"Well, no, but the two aren't dependent on each other. She can be a crew member without joining our growing polycule and vice versa," John tried to argue.
"John, I do believe you gave us both the right to recruit as we pleased. We'll ask, and if Sparks says yes once she understands all the Change entails, then what's the harm?" Alyssa pressed. "And she's a virgin, did I not mention that?" She added with a saucy smirk.
John groaned. He didn't have a purity kink, but he couldn't deny the thought of being the first cock inside a girl was a heady thought. "Well… if she gives informed consent to join this little family, then I guess I'm ok with it," he relented.
"Oh, it'll be so fucking hot to see another girl round with your cum," Jonah practically panted.
John decided that it was late enough his two lovers could get 'dinner' and that both could afford to work up an appetite.
John stood, carrying Alyssa like she weighed nothing, and Jonah was just a step behind him as he strode purposefully towards the bedroom.
What followed proved to be just the first round in a week-long fuck fest. They went out for a fancy dinner one night, and John just had to visit the pool before they checked out, but otherwise they barely left the suite. They racked up quite the bill in room service to keep John fueled while he plundered the holes of his lovers and they did their best to make him cum his brains out his pointy ears.
The day they were set to return to Olympus to move into the Invictus, John was having a bit of a lie-in, checking the newsfeeds. Jonah was perfectly content to curl around him and enjoy the warmth and body contact, and Alyssa was in the living room on a vid-call with their friend Calara Fernandez.
John was paying close attention to a report by Jehanna Elani. While new and with the kind of beauty that was hard to ignore, John got the sense she was a true blue reporter and journalist, and she had a very fresh, engaging style he enjoyed as she did interviews.
The lazy luxury of a vacation morning was broken by Alyssa's telepathic message to both men. *Calara's in trouble!*