Three Square Meals Ch. 106

She immediately saw his shift in mood and immediately asked, "Why did you frown? What's the matter?"

John glanced at Alyssa and saw that she was now looking at Betrixa. Turning back to Helene, he smiled as he replied, "We're talking about having a baby together and I barely know anything about you. I'd love to find out more... where you grew up, your friends, family... all of it."

"I'm sure my life would sound simple and foolish to someone as important as you," Helene said self-consciously. "But I'll tell you anything you'd like to know."

"Hey! Don't feel that way," he insisted, stroking her arm. "I'd never think those things about you."

She relaxed and nodded, giving him a tentative smile.

"John... there is something different," Alyssa said sombrely, no trace of the playful or seductive tones that he'd grown so accustomed to. The blonde was now sitting next to Jade, her slender fingers touching the Nymph's temple. "I think someone's tampered with Jade's mind."

Helene sensed the sudden shift in mood and slid from John's lap to sit beside him.

"Tampered... what does that mean?" John asked, his expression pensive as he darted a worried glance at the Nymph.

"Do you mean the changes that John made to me?" Jade asked softly, quite unperturbed.

Alyssa hesitated, then shook her head, frowning as she examined Jade's subconscious. "I can tell the changes he's made to you, they all feel like his handiwork, like the new personality he created for Edraele. But you're fundamentally different to your sisters and I think this happened a long, long time ago..."

"What makes you think that?" John asked, eyes darting between the two kneeling women. "And why didn't you notice it before?"

The bright glow faded from Alyssa's eyes as she ended her spirit walk, drawing her mind back into her body. "I didn't realise because a Nymph's mind is very different to a Terran's or a Maliri's, it's set up into compartments and I missed some of the important bits in Jade's mind. It only started making sense when I was able to take a look at her sisters."

"How so?" he asked, looking intrigued.

"Okay, let me explain how a Nymph's mind works, then you'll understand." Glancing at the tiger-striped girl sitting beside her, she stroked her arm and said softly, "Leylira's mind is structured into a number of parts, the most important of which is her core instincts, which are like a set of rules she must obey: Take the physical form of her master's perfect mate, service her master in any way he desires, and obey his every command to the letter. The only exceptions are the use of weapons and taking a male form, which are strictly forbidden."

"That all sounds like Jade... or at least the way she used to be," John said, glancing at his original Nymph.

"That's right. Since Jade's been with us, you've changed her core instincts, removing her limitations and making everything optional for her," Alyssa said, nodding her agreement. "The next big part of their mind is their personality... which we now know is determined by their master. A Nymph makes mental contact with her new master and finds out how he wants her to behave... all that information is stored in a separate part of their subconscious and basically forms their personality. There's no obvious differences between Jade and her sisters there, that part of their mind all works the same way."

"So what else is different then?" John asked, listening attentively.

"Their memories," Alyssa replied, brushing her fingers through Leylira's hair. "When a Nymph is claimed by a new master and a new personality established, all their old memories are wiped away... permanently. The only thing that never changes is the memory of their original catgirl form... I guess that way they've always got a basic shape to revert to. All our new Nymphs are a blank slate... there's no memories there, John, only what they've experienced since being with you last night."

"But I can remember everything that happened to me for the last ten thousand years!" Jade insisted.

Alyssa nodded. "Yep. There's a shitload of really nasty stuff in there from the last 300 years, as well as a few millennia of you running around on Lenarra. With all that clutter, I didn't notice the tiny sections for your core instincts and your personality. With your sisters I spotted those parts immediately."

"What's your very first memory?" John asked the Nymph.

Jade's brow furrowed as she concentrated. "My earliest memory is waking on Kythshara with all my sisters, then Mael'nerak telling us that we were freed from service. After that, we were transported to Lenarra and-"

John raised a hand. "Wait a second... Kythshara? What's that?"

"Mael'nerak's throne world," Jade immediately replied, then her emerald eyes widened in surprise.

*In ancient Maliri, that means... birthplace...* Edraele murmured in a hushed voice.

John shared a look with Alyssa, realising they'd stumbled onto something significant. "Could this Kythshara place be where Mael'nerak's genetics lab was located? Where he created all the races?"

She gave him a helpless shrug. "I've no idea... but it's a strong possibility."

He looked at Jade again and asked, "You were obviously working for Mael'nerak before he sent you to Lenarra... so why can't you remember any of that?"

"I do not know, John," Jade replied, shaking her head in frustration. "Perhaps Mael'nerak wiped our memories before he freed us? It would be a sensible precaution to prevent us divulging any secrets to an enemy."

"That still doesn't explain why you're able to remember what happened to you over the last three centuries. It sounds like your mind should have been wiped out every time you had a new master," he said, rubbing his chin. "And we still don't know why you can remember your past, but you forgot your original form..."

"I don't have any answers I'm afraid," Alyssa said with a rueful smile. "Perhaps the differences aren't just mental though? Rachel might be able to find out something with a physical examination of Jade and her sisters."

Jade nodded agreeably. "I'll ask if she can take a look at us tomorrow."

John blew out his breath. "It's a shame we don't have all the answers yet, but we're a step closer at least." He rose to his feet, then offered a hand to Jade and pulled her into his arms. "Are you okay?"

She gave him a warm smile. "I'm fine, honestly. We didn't discover anything too shocking about me, but finding out about Kythshara was quite the revelation."

"Hopefully we'll find out more clues about that in Maliri Space," John said, nodding his agreement. "Valada was with Mael'nerak in the videos we found in the Nexus files and she did own that server Tashana discovered. Maybe's there's more to find at that dig site..."

Alyssa raised her hand and John clasped it, pulling her to her feet. "Okay, enough about ancient civilisations," she said, an eager grin on her face. "Lynette's on her way to our bedroom. Let's go show her the results of her makeover!"

John led the group up to Deck Two, parting company with Jade, her sisters, and Helene at the Nymph's quarters.

She gave John a kiss goodbye, then opened the door to her room and ushered in her nubile companions. "We'll get ready for the farewell party." She noticed Alyssa's frown and laughed at her gestures for silence. "Irillith already let the cat out of the bag, it's not a secret any more." There was some furtive telepathic communication between the two matriarchs and the Nymph gave John a sly grin.

"Fine, keep your secrets," John said, smiling at the pair of them.

He walked into the bedroom with Alyssa and found Lynette sitting in the high-backed chair, waiting for their arrival.

She stood and greeted them with a big smile. "So, the moment of truth at long last." Her eyes flicked to the walk-in-wardrobe. "You've no idea how tempting it was to take a quick peek."

"Yes, I can imagine," John said, smiling at the way she nervously tangled a finger in her hair.

Alyssa glided over to the brunette and gave her a friendly kiss. Glancing down at the older woman's uniform, she raised an eyebrow and said, "I think you're a little overdressed..."

Lynette slipped off her jacket, then darted a shy smile at John. "Everything?"

"Only what you feel comfortable with," he said with an understanding smile.

Alyssa laughed and rolled her eyes. "Oh, please... She needs to be completely nude or she won't get the full effect!"

To John's surprise, Lynette simply nodded and began unbuttoning her shirt, her eagerness overcoming any sense of propriety. Not wanting to make her feel self-conscious, he strolled into the wardrobe, then waited by the angled mirrors in the centre of the room. Less than a minute later, Alyssa led their newest recruit into the wardrobe and he was amused to see that the blonde was completely nude as well.

"So she can see the differences..." the blonde explained, before giving him a flirtatious grin. "Trust me, we're quite comfortable around each other."

"Yes, I'm sure you are," he said with a chuckle. John clasped Lynette's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Are you ready?"

She nodded and he could see she was holding her breath.

"Okay, close your eyes," he said quietly. When she did as he asked, he led the brunette into the central point between the four mirrors. He released her hand and stepped back. "Go ahead, you can look now."

Lynette's long eyelashes slowly lifted as she opened her eyes and it took her a moment to get her bearings. John could see the look of utter disbelief on her face when it finally registered to her that she was looking at her reflection. To say that Lynette Devereux had undergone a miraculous transformation would be a colossal understatement.

The 52-year-old now had the taut, gloriously firm body of a young woman just entering her twenties. Her svelte limbs were well-muscled and elegant, with no trace of the fat that had previously accumulated over the years with a sedentary desk job. The unsightly paunch she'd carried had completely disappeared, revealing a tiny waist with finely-toned abdominal muscles, which flared out to deliciously curvy hips. Her once-sagging breasts now defied gravity; having swollen enough to easily fill a man's hand, they were now big, round, and perfectly formed, each one sitting impossibly pert on her chest. Capped by mouth-watering pink nipples, the erect nubs pointed towards the ceiling as if begging to be kissed.

Lynette's hair was a wavy chestnut mane that tumbled down over her shoulders and fell to the small of her back, the rich browns shining in the light without a trace of grey. While the hair on her head had grown thick and lustrous, that which had covered her mons had disappeared completely, leaving her bare and exposed. Neat labia gave her a sleek, aesthetically pleasing look that invited further exploration to seek her hidden treasures. From behind, Lynette's bottom was now two perfectly formed spheres, sitting high and tight without a hint of sag.

However, it was Lynette's face that had changed the most. Her cheekbones had lifted while her heavy jawline had reduced, giving her the classic heart-shaped face that had defined female beauty for thousands of years. It was Lynette's hazel eyes that really drew attention, the slight feline tilt and smoky sultriness giving her an almost supernatural beauty. Finally, the strong nose that had dominated her features was now slender and delicate, a perfect finishing touch on a breathtakingly gorgeous face.

Lynette's hand visibly shook as she raised it to her face, brushing her trembling fingers over the full pouty lips that were now open in stunned disbelief. "I... I can't... How is that even possible?"

Alyssa glanced at John and gave him a warm smile of admiration. *Your finest work yet, handsome. You're like a master sculptor of the female form.* She glanced back at the brunette, a thoughtful look appearing on her face.

John tipped an imaginary hat in her direction, before turning to smile at Lynette. "If there's anything you're not happy with, just let me know..."

She turned to gape at him, then whatever composure she had left was shattered. Lynette ran into his open arms and shuddered against his chest as she wept, tears rolling down her cheeks to soak his shirt.

*Happy tears?* John asked Alyssa as he gently stroked Lynette's back.

The blonde smiled and wrapped her arms around the overwhelmed woman, resting her chin on Lynette's shoulder. *What do you think?*

They held her for a couple of minutes, letting her get herself under control again.

Lynette mumbled through muffled sobs, "I-I didn't really think you could do it... not with me... I've n-never been pretty."

"And now you're one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen," Alyssa whispered playfully in her ear. "Congratulations!"

John brushed his fingers through the weeping woman's soft brown hair and said kindly, "I did make a promise to you, Lynette. I try really hard not to break those."

She looked up at him and brushed the tears from her eyes. "I can't believe I'm crying like a baby, but I can't help it... I feel so happy and I'm so profoundly grateful to you, for everything you've done!"

"Your new look isn't just a cosmetic change," John explained gently, meeting her dumbfounded gaze. "To all intents and purposes, you're twenty-years-old again. You have the surging hormones of youth coursing through your body, so you'll find your emotions are far more intense... at least for another decade or so."

"You've already experienced some of the highs," Alyssa murmured, kissing her shoulder. "I'll be watching over you to help with any lows."

Lynette gave John another tight hug, then glanced longingly back at the mirrors. She blushed when she realised he was watching her with amusement.

John laughed and released her from his arms. "Go ahead... and no, I don't think you're vain."

She laughed too, a lovely throaty sound that made him smile. She padded over to the mirrors and stared at herself in fascination. "Are you sure? I think I'd give Narcissus a good run for his money."

Alyssa walked over to stand at her side, then adopted the same pose. "Do you see the differences between us?"

"There's not that many," Lynette marvelled, astonished at how close she'd come to physical perfection.

"You've grown about an inch," John noted, with a critical eye. "Gaining bone mass always takes the longest time. It would take another several days to bring you up the last three inches to Alyssa's height."

"But on the flipside, you've already got the same size tits as me," Alyssa said with a grin, cupping her full breasts. "On you, they look even bigger!"

Lynette cupped her own breasts and giggled, watching as her responsive nipples grew erect to her touch.

"You'll have to watch that... Charles noticed the other day," John said with a raised eyebrow.

"My nipples getting hard?" Lynette replied with a coy smile.

He laughed and shook his head. "No! I meant the changes to your voice when you laugh. We didn't really anticipate that."

Alyssa traced her fingers down Lynette's throat, making the brunette shiver with pleasure. "Her vocal chords got very well lubricated... it's not surprising really."

John coughed and Lynette blushed as they both recalled the gallons of cum she'd swallowed in the last two days.

The blonde laughed at their embarrassment. "Really? I thought your two would be past that by now." She grabbed a pair of swimming trunks and threw them over to John. "Go put those on, we'll be right out."

He looked at them in confusion for a moment, then his face lit up in glee. "A beach party?!"

"If that's okay with you?" she asked with mock concern. "I'm afraid it'll mean over a dozen of us in bikinis..."

"My God..." John mumbled under his breath as he staggered out of the wardrobe in a daze.

Alyssa smirked as she watched him leave, then stepped close to Lynette. "I had a chat with John earlier," she whispered in her ear. "He wants you to fulfil your dreams of being Fleet Admiral, but when you've lived out that life, he'd love for you to join us for a fresh start."

Lynette relaxed and the tension she hadn't realised she was holding seemed to ease from her body. She turned and gently cupped Alyssa's face in both hands, then gave her a soft kiss, trying to convey her gratitude without any words. They hugged afterwards, uncaring of their nudity as they shared that simple physical affection.

When they parted, Lynette smiled at her matriarch. "Charles better watch out..."

Alyssa grinned at her. "I've seen how hot you are in bed... It's a good job Rachel gave him a check-up!"

They laughed together, then Alyssa rummaged through one of her shelves, picking out a daring-red bikini. "Try this on... You'll leave John with a memory he won't ever forget."

Lynette examined the skimpy material dubiously, then shrugged and pulled it on, an excited gleam in her hazel eyes.

When they emerged from the wardrobe a few minutes later, John sitting on the end of the bed in his shorts. He welcomed them with a smile, which wavered as he stared in wonder at the stunning girls. Their bikinis were just barely decent, providing a spectacular view of their statuesque figures. He rose unsteadily on his feet, then stepped towards them, reaching out to caress the sleek trim ovals of their stomachs. He made eye-contact with Lynette as his fingers brushed across her skin, remembering her invitation to touch without asking permission.

"You'll get to fill her up one more time," Alyssa purred, eyelids growing heavy as he stroked her too. "Make that toned belly huge with your cum..."

John and Lynette gazed into each other's eyes and he couldn't help question his decision.

"She's so gorgeous," Alyssa continued, looking at each of them in turn. "Are you really sure, John?"

He swallowed thickly, watching as Lynette licked her lips, making them moist and ready.

The brunette finally had mercy on him and interlaced his fingers with hers, then kissed his hand. "Don't forget me, John..."

He smiled at her and shook off his lustful daze. "Live your life to the full, Lynette... one day we'll be together."

"Is that a promise?" she asked with a teasing grin, but he could see she needed to hear it.

"Absolutely," he agreed, looking into her eyes so that she could see his sincerity.

With the sexual tension defused, they left the bedroom and strode towards the grav-tubes arm-in-arm. By the time they reached the Lagoon, the entire crew had gathered there on the beach, Faye's boys acting as waiters with trays full of drinks. It was nearly ten at night, so the overhead lights had been doused, replaced by flickering torchlight which provided the only illumination. The girls turned as one when Alyssa telepathically announced their arrival and the jubilant welcome faded into stunned silence as everyone got a good look at Lynette now the Change was complete.

"Holy crap!" Dana blurted out, voicing their thoughts. "You're a stone-cold fox!"

Lynette blushed as the girls gathered around, looking at her in awe.

"The difference in just a day is incredible..." Sakura said in a hushed voice, unable to stop staring at Lynette's enchanting hazel eyes.

Calara nodded giving the brunette a kind smile. "You're going to break hearts, Lynette."

"I hope not," she replied, shyly returning the smile.

With that the girls congratulated her on the Change, giving her friendly hugs as they all relaxed and chattered away together.

Faye skipped over to John and Alyssa, carrying two drinks in her dainty purple hands. "A whiskey and a Pina colada!" she exclaimed, handing them over.

To Faye's surprise, Alyssa grabbed the whiskey with a playful grin, leaving John with the rum cocktail. The blonde sipped it, then wrinkled her nose at the sharp burn of the alcohol.