Jack's True Calling

Continuing this comparison to the snowy planet denizens, in their early history, the Harruushan sun underwent a strange shift in energy output. As the planet was on the far edge of Allsa Komanae space, it was theorized that the potential cause for this alteration was an early attempt by the Allsa Komanae to destabilize a star. It happened only a few hundred years prior to the time the Shreen's sun mysteriously went nova.

The effect on the ecology of Harruusha was dramatic. Plant life absorbed these new levels and their growth exploded, leading to a greatly increased food supply for the residents.

It also directly affected the Harruushans. Where once they had a minimum litter of 1 kit and a maximum of five kits, the new generation, born and bathed in the energy of their altered sun found this range had shifted to three to ten. Over the next series of generations however, they noted that their original lifespan of sixty to seventy years had actually decreased to 50 to 65. Living in the higher energy environment fed them well but wore them out quicker.

Eventually, their numbers allowed them to overwhelm the slower breeding predators which hunted them. That's when their chief problem began.

Their home planet could only support so many beings so they'd implemented drastic measures to control the birthrate while they looked for ways to expand outwards from their home world. When the Tik found their planet, their civilization had advanced to the point where their space program was sending out scout ships to find alternate planets for their people. They needed to expand but they'd found nothing that could support life within the range of their ships.

The Harruushans were looking for another home for their people but each planet they visited turned them away. No one wanted to host a race that bred quicker than the natives. Especially one which had overpopulated its own planet to the point where they threatened to exhaust its resources.

Jack read their application and the supporting documents prior to the meeting and was genuinely impressed with the civility of the couple he'd met. While he understood the pair couldn't be used as an accurate representation of their people, he was going to recommend to the Queen they send a delegation to Harruusha to get a broader impression of their civilization. If they were as civilized as he suspected they were, then perhaps they could be invited to live on some Altarian worlds. Unless the genetic damage was permanent, perhaps removing them from the effects of their home star's energy would, after a few generations, show signs of reversing? He was no geneticist but Jack wanted to help them. He knew his intentions were likely affected by his ingrained hatred of the Allsa Komanae and the evil they sewed. Anything he could do to repair the damage done... well, he would make the suggestion at the very least.

The couple had been very excited when they weren't immediately sent packing after making their initial plea and the interview went on longer than they all expected. He made no firm promises other than he personally felt there was merit to their case and he would bring it to the attention of the Altarian Queen.

In their joyful excitement, they'd hugged him before they left the Embassy and that had been... an odd sensation. Held tight against their lean, strong bodies Jack detected a slight mint scent which wasn't at all unpleasant. He'd caught the female leaning in for a second sniff of him and he wondered what she made of his Altarian/Human musk. It always made him feel a little subconscious as he couldn't smell it himself but Altarian females were always making note of it. Getting accustomed to new scents was just part of his new life amongst the peoples of the Gate Network.

He was a little late in leaving tonight but Diana told him to check the local market on his way home. He stopped and picked up a large order of fish. SennLann and the twins had been craving some for a while but there hadn't been a good catch recently. Apparently, it wasn't really the season for it. He had no idea how that worked as the climate seemed to remain constant here.

He made his way home with his heavy packages thinking how happy they'd be to see this. As he approached the front of his building he glanced up towards his unit's balcony on the top floor.

The enormous balloon filled with frigid water struck him straight on his horns and exploded over his head and shoulders, splashing all the way down his body. The weight of the water tore his shopping bags from his hands and slammed them to the ground. Bags splitting open, the wrapped parcels of fish scattered in all directions.

Jack closed his eyes in frustration as his ears picked up the faint sound of shrill laughter from two harmonized voices.

He looked down and began picking up the soaked parcels. Luckily the paper wrapping the fish was waxed so it wasn't damaged by a little water. He filled his arms as he shivered.

The twins were incredibly inquisitive and had discovered the joy of playing pranks. He was going to have to speak to them, again. He'd gotten them to stop teasing the other children but it seems they'd just targeted him instead.

He carried the packages to the front door where a grim-faced security guard was waiting for him. She opened the door and held it for him as his hands were full.

"Good evening, Whella," he said as he dripped on the carpet.

She looked up from the floor to fix her eyes on his. "Mr. Danner, we have a problem."

Jack sighed. He knew what was coming or at least who it was going to be about.

"Your twins. They are frightening the other residents of the building!" Whella said insistently.

Jack's face fell. "They didn't water bomb others, did they?"

"What? No! They ride on top of the elevators and make noises which makes the occupants very nervous! They sneak into the ductwork and shoot little wads of sticky substances at those passing by from the intakes in the hallways. I've been fielding complaints all day!"

Jack frowned. "Ok, that will stop. My sincerest apologies. I will find a less mischievous outlet for their energies."

Jack made his way to the elevator with Whella following. She pressed the call button for him then gave him another stern look before walking back to her office.

He stepped in when it arrived and asked for his floor. The elevator took him up and let him off at the top level. As his hands were full he couldn't touch the handle to let himself in. Instead he bumped the doorbell hard with his elbow and heard it ring multiple times in quick succession. There was a shriek and something fell with a clatter just inside the door. This was followed by some growling noises.

Moments later, Eve pulled the door open with a stern look on her face. Behind her and a short ways back Adina and Zaina stood side by side covered in whip cream and looking contrite. The floor inside the door was a mess of whip cream and a crumpled tin pan which obviously once contained the fluffy white dessert topping.

Jack glared at the two imps, watching their little pink tongues scooping up the sweetness from their faces as their gold eyes watched him cautiously.

Eve looked back towards the window then back to him in surprise. "It's not raining. How did you get so wet?"

"Them. They hit me with a water balloon. A big one," Jack growled. "I'm freezing!" He looked at the mess. "Were they planning on hitting me with a pie in the face too?"

Eve blinked at him in confusion. "A pie in the face? Why would they..."

Jack sighed and just shook his head. He wasn't up to explaining ancient Earth humor. Obviously, the twins had been watching some vintage Earth comedies. He stepped inside and his wet shoes immediately slipped out from under him on the slick dessert topping. Wrapped fish packets went everywhere pelting Eve and the twins as he landed on his ass with a thump.

"Ow!" he groaned.

The twins were struggling to suppress their laughter to the point where he could see them shaking.

SennLann appeared behind the group. "YOU. NAUGHTY. GIRLS!" she snapped and the twins froze with wide eyes.

Diana arrived and quickly disappeared to return with a bundle of towels. Everyone got busy wiping up the mess. SennLann scrubbed her squirming daughters and nipped them to hold still. Eve scrubbed the floor and got Jack to take his wet shoes and socks off before standing on one of the towels. Diana picked up the dropped packages and took them into the kitchen.

Emily and Joseph came charging around the corner to say hello and took one look at the grim expressions on the adult's faces before spinning and rushing back to their toys.

"What do you say to Papa?" SennLann growled.

Two sets of gold eyes looked up at him. Jack could see the guilt and worry there, the growing realization that he wasn't laughing with them, that he'd actually hurt himself because of their actions. Eyes began to blink rapidly as their emotions flooded between them. "Suh-suh-sor-Sorry!" they stuttered out in a broken harmony.

Jack sighed and took off his sodden shirt. He accepted another towel from Eve and dried his hair and wiped his chest and arms quickly. He hung the towel around his neck and looked at the twins again.

They were six, going on seven, but they were still small, each standing only three feet tall. According to SennLann that was normal for Phem Kalos female children. They were also very light but strong. Their energy levels kept them on the move constantly so their muscles were hard and sleek. Their fitness levels put his human children to shame, though they were very active as well.

"Up," Jack said with his arms wide and the two sprung up to land on his hips, an arm flung around his neck with the other hand braced against his chest. He quickly pulled his arms in behind their legs so they could brace themselves against them comfortably. They looked into his eyes intently as he carried them into the living room. He was putting his thoughts together for how he was going to approach this. He would have to speak with SennLann first but he had the beginnings of an idea of what he could do to keep them out of trouble.

"I spoke with our building security today. They received a number of complaints from the residents in the building about being frightened and taunted. These are our neighbors. People we need to stay on good terms with as we live in close proximity. This is their home too. They deserve to feel safe here. You made them feel unsafe and unhappy. I know you thought it was funny but you have to understand how they felt. It wasn't funny to them. Like me getting hit with a large balloon of cold water after I had such a good day. It took my happiness away," he said as he held their eyes which were doing that blinking thing again. He pulled them in close and they rubbed their faces against his chin.

"Sorry Papa," they said in unison then pulled back to look at him sadly.

"If you want to watch Earth TV shows please remember, you can't believe everything you see, especially from their entertainment shows. Humans are a weird bunch," he said gently.

"Daddy!" Emily scolded him from where she sat on the floor with Joseph.

He smiled. "Sorry Emily, but I grew up on Earth so I know better than you how weird we can be. Well, you and Joseph aren't weird and your mom's not but a lot of people back on that world certainly are!"

"You forgot to include yourself. You're not weird either!" Joseph exclaimed.

"Thank you, Joe," he said smiling at the boy who grinned back.

He looked back to the twins. "No more pranking the neighbors. No more riding on top of the elevators or crawling around in the duct work. And no more water balloons!" They nodded but looked a little desperate. He knew they were bored. He had to get them something to do and he had his idea. "Listen, your mom and I will talk and we will come up with something for you to put your energies into. OK? Please stay out of trouble until we can get it arranged."

Their eyes lit up with excitement immediately. He suddenly stuck his arms straight out like he was about to dive of a diving board and their support disappeared. They spun in place to face his hands and grabbed them.

"OOPLA!" Jack cried and they coiled their flexible bodies to swing up to do handstands on top of his outstretched hands. It was a considerable effort for Jack to support them so he gradually lowered his arms until they sprung away.

"Go take a shower to get that sticky stuff off your fur!" he called out.

They raced off down the hallway giggling happily all the way.

Jack dropped himself to the floor to cozy up to his daughter and son.

"Daddy! You smell like fish!" Emily complained.

He gave her a wide eyed exaggerated look of hurt and she burst into giggles.

"Stinky daddy!" Joseph chimed in then burst into giggles too.

He grabbed the kids and blew raspberries onto their tummies as they squirmed and shrieked with delight.

Eve and Diana arrived and plucked the kids from Jack's arms making him pout. The kids clung to their mothers as they grinned back at him.

"Emily is right, you smell like fish," Diana said with a raised eyebrow.

"Off to the shower with you!" Eve continued.

"Fine! Geez! Never get to have any fun!" Jack said in an exaggerated grumble causing his kids to giggle hysterically.

"You get plenty of fun." Diana said with a small smile on her lips and Jack fought to hide his answering smile from the kids.

He trudged off to the master bedroom and closed the door before he allowed himself to grin. He loved playing with the kids and was looking forward to spending more time with all of them including his Altarian kids this weekend when they all got together at Queen Elissa's. He wasn't sure if Judge Aaros would be back in the capitol by then as she was returning from working on one of the colony worlds. She'd taken their son Douglas with her so he could get as much exposure to the other races of the Gate Network as possible. He was showing a keen interest in becoming an Ambassador. Following in his Dad's footsteps.

The kids were all growing up so it was time to think about getting them some schooling. Altarian schools didn't work like Earth schools. There were no regimented ages they had to begin at and each student's curriculum was individually assessed and managed. They didn't 'compete' against each other as each would have their own strengths and weaknesses. Strengths were maintained and weaknesses were assessed to see if they could be improved. If not, they were noted and the curriculum adjusted for it.

At their last get together, they'd decided 'as a family' to enrol the kids in school this year. That meant Alex, Max, Gwen, Lillian, Douglas, Emily, and Joseph would all be going to an Altarian school... for females. It was time to shake up Altarian society. The Altarian Male School Headmasters were going to be a cranky pain in his ass but their curriculum produced lazy, self-absorbed flakes... in Jack's opinion.

Adina and Zaina wouldn't cope well in a school environment and had already absorbed most of the educational materials as SennLann tried to keep their hungry minds occupied. Jack would speak with her after his shower.

He enjoyed the hot spray for a short time then dried himself off and pulled on a casual button down shirt. He missed t-shirts but he couldn't get his larger horns through the neck hole easily and he stretched them out with his wider neck and shoulders anyway. Jeans though, there was a casual luxury he could still indulge in and did whenever he could.

He walked back out into the living area and Emily and Joseph ran up to grab his legs as they stood on his feet. Adina and Zaina leapt at him once more and climbed up to sit on his shoulders and cling to his horns.

"Dinner!" Diana called out and the kids all giggled as this meant Jack had to walk to the dining room with the kids hanging off of him.

Much to their delight, he made mechanical noises like he was a robot as he thumped across the room and into the dining room.

"That's where you all are!" Eve exclaimed as he arrived with kids in tow. "Dinner time."

Emily and Joseph released his legs and rushed around the table to their seats as the twins slid down his arms to rush away to theirs.

Jack took his traditional spot at the head of the table and smiled at Eve, Diana, and SennLann as the food smelled so good!

The twins were vibrating with excitement as they smelled the fish! SennLann smiled at them as her own mouth was salivating.

Diana served the children first and Emily and Joseph guarded their plates from the twins with false scowls until large portions were served to Adina and Zaina. Their eyes were wide with delight and their little noses were twitching madly as they stared at how much they'd been given. They looked to Diana and she just smiled at them as she served their mother a portion just a little larger. SennLann also looked to Diana in surprise.

"You love this meal more than I do so you three can share most of mine. I'll just have a little," Diana explained. SennLann jumped to her feet, rushed over and hugged Diana tightly, her face pressed between the tall brunette's large breasts as she purred loudly.

Jack smiled as he watched the flush run up the pale skin of Diana's neck. SennLann rushed back to her seat, oblivious of the state she'd left Diana in. The tall brunette took a deep breath and continued serving.

Eve dished out the vegetables and then everyone began eating.

"If you are feeling full, stop eating," Jack warned the three who were ravenously gobbling down the fresh cooked fish. SennLann and her daughters barely acknowledged his comment so he shrugged and enjoyed his own meal.

He told them about meeting the Harruushans and gave his impressions of them. Diana immediately picked up that they shared traits with Earth's hares and raised an eyebrow at him with a sexy little smile. He snorted quietly and smiled back at her.

As they finished up their meals Jack looked over at SennLann and her daughters. Sure enough, they'd glutted themselves on the meal and were looking like they were falling asleep at the table. He smirked and wiped his mouth as he stood up. He moved to collect the twins who were still trying to shovel little bits of fish into their slowly chewing mouths as their eyelids drooped. They made quite little growling noises as he took their forks away.

"How about we pack this up for your lunches tomorrow," he said to them gently. They paused and nodded, slowly turning to lift their arms to his shoulders. He scooped them from their chairs as he rolled his eyes at Emily and Joseph who grinned back at him.

Jack carried the girls to their room and gently set them on their bed. They immediately curled up together and were out. He blinked at how quickly they'd fallen asleep. They'd obviously eaten way too much tonight. He shut off their light and closed the door on his way out.

When he got back to the dining room he saw Eve was bracing SennLann in her chair. Jack shook his head and lifted the sleeping female into his arms.

"Why did they get so sleepy, Daddy?" Emily asked.

He smiled. "They ate so much their bodies told them to go to sleep so they could digest all that good food. That's why you should stop eating before you get stuffed." Emily and Joseph nodded with smiles and pushed their plates away, though Joe went back for one more baby potato.

Jack turned and carried SennLann to her bedroom. He placed her in her bed and she began to purr as she licked her lips in her sleep. He would talk to her about his suggestion for her daughters in the morning.

Once he was back to the table he saw Emily and Joseph pretending to be asleep. Eve and Diana grinned at Jack and he gave them both kisses before he picked up the two kids against his chest and carried them to the bathroom where they all brushed their teeth. Then he got them to their rooms and sent them inside to get ready for bed. He went back to the kitchen and helped clean up and pack the leftover fish for the three sleepy heads. Eve and Diana went to tuck in their kids and when he was done in the kitchen he went into Joseph's room to give him a kiss goodnight. He followed Eve out and she closed the door. She gave him a sweet kiss and told him good night with a little smirk on her lips.