Three Square Meals Ch. 112

*I like him,* Alyssa said, slipping her arm around John's waist. *His heart seems to be in the right place.*

John watched as the governor and his team spread out to get more volunteers to assist with gathering supplies. *He does seem to care about his people... but there's a lot of resentment here towards the Admiralty.*

*I've kept Lynette informed. She was expecting this kind of backlash,* Alyssa said, glancing up at him. *She hopes the planetary infrastructure improvements she has planned will show that Terra really does care about the border worlds.*

*I hope it's enough,* John said, his gaze sweeping over the crowds as he looked for distinctive figures in white armour. He froze when he saw Irillith being confronted by several angry-looking men and quickly strode in that direction. *Have the girls send any disgruntled colonists to me, okay? I don't want them bearing the brunt of any misplaced anger.*

*Alright, will do,* Alyssa agreed, smiling when John appeared at the Maliri girl's side and the colonists immediately backed down.

***

Helene studied the holographic Empire Map and frowned as she focused on the region of Terran Federation space known as the Outer Rim. She stared at the border with Kirrix Space, which was clearly marked with an ominous red line. "Faye, why would people settle this far away from Terra and so close to the Kirrix if it's that dangerous?"

"Brecken's World is a frontier colony and the land is cheap because it's lacking in settlement facilities. The threat of Kirrix invasion makes buying land even cheaper," Faye explained, showing her a zoomed in view of Brecken's World. "Only 12% of this moon has been settled by the colonists. If Lynette is able to secure the border to prevent further Kirrix raids, as well as improve the infrastructure here, this world will become highly sought-after. The existing colonists will become very rich selling off land for highly-inflated prices that they bought cheaply."

Frowning as she examined the map, Helene said, "It seems foolish to risk your life like that. Is money really that important?"

Faye smiled at her indulgently. "Some people seem to think so. I take it you didn't use money in Neptra village?"

The aquatic girl shook her head. "Everybody worked on whatever tasks they were assigned by the Elders. Shelter, clothing, and food were given to all."

"It gets a bit more complicated when your village gets really big, with too many people for the elders to keep track of the tasks they're supposed to be doing," the sprite gently explained. She paused for a moment before continuing, "Perhaps it might be useful for me to tell you about Terran civilisation and how it developed over the millennia. Humanity began with tribes of people living in villages, much like yours."

"That sounds fascinating!" Helene enthused, sitting up straighter.

John stepped out of the grav-tube, greeting Faye and Helene with a weary smile. "Hi ladies. I'm sorry I've been gone so long, I didn't mean to keep you waiting."

"Hey John!" Helene replied, brightening as she turned to him. "It's okay, I've been having a nice time with Faye. She's been teaching me more about the Terran Federation; it's been really interesting learning about its colonies and history."

"I was about to go and make dinner for the girls, and just wondered if you wanted to join me? But don't let me interrupt if you're at a good bit," he said, glancing at the image of Brecken's World.

Helene darted a conflicted look at Faye, who laughed and shooed her on. "Go and have fun with John. You can learn about Terran history any time."

"Thanks Faye!" Helene said with a smile, hugging her petite companion.

Faye patted her back, then gestured to the clothing draped over the chair. "I thought you might like to wear one of John's shirts; it's become a bit of a custom when a new girl joins the crew."

"Oh, thank you!" the aquatic girl gushed, sliding off the bed and reaching for the white shirt.

Turning to look at John, Faye said gratefully, "Thank you for speaking with the colonists. People are really starting to open up to my avatars."

He nodded and gave her an amiable shrug. "I thought they'd come around. I just had to explain that they needed to indulge our resident psychotic AI and her intrusive questioning, otherwise she'd go on a murderous rampage."

"There's no guarantees... that's still the best way to deal with impudent organics," Faye said with a wicked grin, rubbing her hands together as if plotting their doom.

John laughed until he saw Helene's look of horror. "It's just a running joke, honey."

Faye slipped off the bed and gave him a hug. "John's only kidding, he said nice things about me."

"Oh, okay," the aquatic girl said, looking at them in confusion. She slipped John's shirt on and did up a couple of buttons. "This material feels lovely, but it's much too big..."

Studying the outfit with an appraising eye, Faye frowned and nodded her agreement as she glanced at John. "You took a lot longer to return than I anticipated. She's already absorbed your last load."

"Perhaps you should fill me up again?" Helene asked seductively, padding over to John with a hungry gleam in her eyes.

Faye stood on tiptoe to give John a peck on the cheek. "I'll give you two some privacy." She turned to waved goodbye to Helene as she headed for the grav-tubes. "Thanks for the chat, I really enjoyed it."

"Me too," the young woman agreed, returning Faye's wave before she descended out of sight.

John brushed the backs of his fingers against Helene's cheek. "I've made all the changes to your DNA and given you a third helix. How are you feeling now?"

She leaned into his hand, looking up at him adoringly. "The same as before... except now I feel full of energy!"

"That's great to hear; I'm glad there were no side-effects," he said with a tired smile.

Helene looked at him with concern. "Are you okay? You seem... sad."

He nodded, putting on a brave face. "I'm alright, it's just been a long day."

She gave him a gentle kiss and looked into his eyes. "Please tell me what's wrong, I'm worried about you..."

John let her guide him to the bed where he lay down beside her. "It has been a long day, but the last few hours were tough going. Lots of colonists are very upset about what the Kirrix did to them... and they're looking to blame someone for what happened."

"But you just saved them all!" Helene protested, looking bewildered. "Why would they blame you?"

"They don't really blame me personally, but I am an authority figure that represents the Terran Federation... and they need to vent their anger at someone." He rubbed his face, then folded his hands behind his head. "The truth is that High Command let them down very badly and it's perfectly understandable that they're furious about it."

Helene gave him a look of sympathy and stroked his chest. "It still doesn't seem very fair to me."

"If it makes them feel better, I'm happy to listen to their complaints," he said, closing his eyes and enjoying her loving touch.

She leaned in and kissed him. "You just relax. I'm going to give my hero his proper reward..."

John helped her strip off his clothes and smiled when he felt her soft lips envelop his cock. He then did as she asked, resting comfortably on the bed as Helene gave him a slow, sensuous blowjob. She took her time worshipping his shaft, gradually building up his pleasure until he was pumping a heavy load into her empty stomach. Helene sucked him gently until he'd completely finished, then eased off before he got too sensitive.

When he finally opened his eyes, he saw her watching him with a contented smile on her face, her hands slowly caressing her impressive new curves. "That was amazing," he said with a smile, brushing his fingers over the soft cotton stretched taut over her swollen belly. "And you look absolutely gorgeous... come and see for yourself."

He led her into the wardrobe and showed her a mirror, the white shirt making her look pure and innocent, despite her rounded tummy proving the contrary.

"I love seeing myself like this," Helene said in a hushed voice. She ran a hand over her stomach. "I look like a woman should... bringing life into the world."

Standing behind her, John pulled aside her long green hair and whispered in a teal-hued ear, "Dana started this tradition. She loves the idea of belonging to me... and wearing one of my shirts made her feel that even more. When she's carrying my baby, she wants to wear my shirts throughout the pregnancy."

"That's a lovely thought," Helene murmured, leaning back against him and sighing as he wrapped his arms around her.

John gently kissed her neck, enjoying hearing her quiet moans as she responded to his caring touch. He suddenly paused, feeling a light flutter of contact against his mind.

"Mmm, don't stop," she breathed, nuzzling back against him.

"Don't stop kissing you?" he asked, lightly brushing his lips across the sensitive skin around her gills, making her shiver in delight. He cradled her curves and opened a door into the mental fortress protecting his mind. "Or don't stop talking about what it'll be like when you're pregnant with my baby?"

John didn't hear her reply, he was too overwhelmed by the sudden onrush of sensation as he experienced Helene's feelings of absolute devotion to him. He'd underestimated just how powerful her need to feel like a "complete" woman was; her sense of elation at the thought of being fertile and ready to have his children left him breathless.

*Wow!* Alyssa gasped, reeling from the surge through his mind. *That's what I've been feeling over her empathic bond... but nowhere near as strong!*

*And I thought I was yearning to have your babies,* Edraele murmured in a daze. *That was thrilling to say the least...*

Jade sounded overjoyed as she exclaimed, *You should get her pregnant now, Master! She wants it so much and she'll be such a lovely mother to your children!*

John composed himself and smiled as he said, *I'm sure she'll be amazing, but I'm not rushing into a decision like that.*

*But she'll look so sexy when she's pregnant and babies with her skin-tone would look adorable...* the Nymph persisted.

*Quiet now, let me concentrate,* he replied gently, as he tried to adjust to the surges of emotion he was feeling from the aquatic girl in his arms. Kissing Helene's ear he whispered, "I felt that... Did you realise you were sharing your emotions with me?"

She blinked in surprise, then turned to look at him with big eyes. "What do you mean?"

He cupped her face in both hands, gently stroking her temples with his fingertips. "This is your gift... to share your emotions with people." John felt a burst of shock that quickly turned to joy. "Careful now, I'm feeling everything you feel..."

She hugged him tight and the outpouring of love he felt from the joyful girl left him unsteady on his feet. "Woah!" he gasped, holding onto her to stop them both from toppling over.

Helene giggled, her blue eyes sparkling. "I'm sorry! I love you and I'm just so excited!"

He laughed, holding onto her for support. "I know, I can tell."

She took a deep breath and made a visible effort to calm down, the tidal wave of bliss slowly receding until it felt like she had wrapped his mind up in a loving hug. "Is that better?"

John smiled at her and nodded. "That feels wonderful, thank you."

*The girls didn't feel anything,* Alyssa informed him, sounding thoughtful. *Is Helene just targeting you? Or does she have limits to her range?*

*We'll test it at dinner tonight,* John replied, before focusing on Helene again. "We met someone before who could do the same thing and it's a powerful ability to have. You can share positive emotions or very negative ones... so you need to be careful."

"Who was this person?" Helene asked, looking at him with concern. "Did something bad happen?"

He felt a shift in his mind, her sudden sense of anxiety flitting through his subconscious. "Just relax... there's nothing to worry about," he murmured, his voice soothing. When she calmed down, he took her hand and led her back into the bedroom. John sat beside her on the end of the bed and continued, "Her name was Nkkrrit and she was the last surviving member of her species; a benevolent race of arachnids called the Vulkat. She was lost in her grief and when we boarded her spaceship, we felt her overwhelming sorrow and despair. Nkkrrit had been alone for thousands of years, guarding the graves of her people to prevent anyone looting whatever was left of the Vulkat."

"That's so sad," Helene said, her eyes tearing up as she gazed at him. "To outlive everyone you ever cared about... I can't even imagine how awful that must have been for her."

John closed his eyes as he felt the accompanying wave of sorrow sweep over the connection. "I can feel how upset that makes you... and you're right, it was heartbreaking."

"Oh, I didn't mean to share that too!" she exclaimed in alarm. Her brow furrowed and Helene looked at him in confusion. "How do I stop doing that?"

*Think of John as an Island, with you controlling the waves washing up on the beach,* Alyssa suggested to them both. *Just pull back the tide.*

Helene closed her eyes and concentrated, trying to picture that image.

John nodded, a smile of relief on his face as the waves of emotion receded. "That was excellent, honey. Well done."

Looking at him again, she beamed in delight. "I can't believe how easy that was! Are psychic powers really that effortless to control?"

*Telepathy in particular works best by using metaphors like that,* Alyssa replied, her tone calm and patient. *Complex tasks can be made very simple, if you use familiar images to let your mind understand a problem. John isn't really an island and the emotions you were projecting aren't waves from the sea, but thinking about them like that let you picture both and control the way your powers affected him.*

"You're right, that did make it easy to understand," Helene said thoughtfully.

Alyssa gave her a flirty grin. *And it helps you're full of John's cum... that'll give you a big boost when you're using your abilities.*

Helene glanced down at her rounded tummy then turned to look at John. *So you were helping me?*

John shook his head and gave her an encouraging smile. "Only by amplifying what you were doing. Getting your abilities to work was all down to you... and it seems you're a natural at this."

She gave him a look filled with wonder. "I can't remember the last time anyone was genuinely impressed by anything I'd done..."

"The girls manage to amaze me on a daily basis," he said pulling her in for a hug. "I'm sure you'll eventually get bored of me telling you how incredible you are..."

"Never!" she exclaimed with a happy laugh.

Releasing her from his embrace, John quickly dressed then offered her a hand. "Come on, let's go make some dinner for everyone. Feel free to practice your abilities on me while we're cooking."

She slipped her slender hand into his and followed him out of the bedroom into the corridor beyond. John felt a light touch on his mind again and a soft swell of contentment swirled through his thoughts, Helene darting a joyful smile at him as she did so. He led her through the Officers' Lounge to the kitchen, holding the door open so that she could glide through. Helene seemed to have no trouble adjusting to the extra weight she was now carrying, but he realised that unlike the other girls, she had experienced this once before with her pregnancy.

"I wish I could hear your thoughts," Helene murmured, entranced by his expression. "You looked sad for a moment... what were you thinking about?"

John gave her a rueful look. "I don't want to dredge up bad memories."

"It's okay, I'd rather I know what upset you," she said, looking up into his eyes.

Placing his hand on her tummy, he said, "Normally the girls take some time to adjust to carrying this much extra weight, but I noticed that you didn't have that problem... and then I remembered why."

Helene interlaced her fingers with his. "I wish that my baby could have survived, but she wasn't fated for this world. I won't ever forget her, but I'll honour her memory by being the best mother I can be for the children we have together."

"That's a lovely way to remember her," John replied, stroking her hand. "I didn't know you were expecting a girl."

"Elder Myrna said that the shape of my belly made her sure I was having a daughter," Helene murmured, gazing into the distance as she was lost in her memories. "When I lost my baby, she confirmed it."

John concentrated on the emotions she was sharing with him. "You seem much calmer now, when you talk about what happened. I can feel a kind of sad acceptance..."

She nodded, meeting his curious gaze and giving him a brave smile. "That's thanks to you and the girls. When I lost my baby and couldn't have any more, it felt like my life was over... but now I have a future here with all of you."

"You do, and we'll make sure it's a very happy one," he agreed, feeling an upswell of joy from her. "Now, what shall we make everyone for dinner?"

"Does anyone have any favourites?" Helene asked, following him into the pantry.

"Well, Dana and Alyssa will eat anything, Jade loves Maliri food, Rachel enjoys more exotic dishes, the twins like trying different Terran food, Calara's favourite is spaghetti carbonara, and Sakura's is Okonomiyaki," he replied, his eyes scanning through the ingredients.

"Can we make everyone's favourite?" she enquired hopefully.

John laughed and shook his head. "That's a nice thought, but no, we'd be cooking all night to prepare all those different dishes. I'd like to try my hand at Maliri cuisine one day, but the twins are the real experts." Making a decision, he continued, "I know, we'll make carbonara tonight; it's a filling meal and the girls must be starving. Then we can make Okonomiyaki for lunch tomorrow, and I'll prepare a Maliri banquet for the evening, that way we'll keep everybody happy."

She nodded enthusiastically. "That sounds perfect!"

Working quickly and efficiently, John gathered the ingredients from the chilled shelves, handing over large packets full of spaghetti and pancetta to Helene. He then scooped up the pecorino cheese, parmesan, eggs, garlic, butter, salt, and pepper. "Okay, that's everything."

Helene watched him in fascination as he began boiling a pan of water, then started chopping the pancetta.

"Do you want to help?" he asked, smiling at her over his shoulder.

"I do, but I'm also enjoying watching you work," she replied, her eyes riveted to the flashing knife.

"Okay, you sit this one out," he said, picking up a bowl and cracking open the eggs. "Maybe you can chat and keep me company instead."

"Is there anything you'd like to talk about?" she enquired with a smile.

He nodded as he grated black pepper into the bowl. "There was something I was curious about. I just wondered how you feel about the Brimorians?"

Helene frowned and leaned against the counter beside him. "They executed a young man for falling in love with a headstrong girl; after what they did to Firon, I knew they were a cruel people with no compassion in their hearts."

John turned to stroke her arm in sympathy. "Were there many other incidents of them persecuting your people?"

She pondered that for a moment, before replying, "We didn't see them very often inside the village; our harvests of kelp fronds were taken away by teams of Abandoned workers. I remember about five years ago, a sickness swept through Neptra and our workers were too ill to bring in the kelp harvest... so the Brimorians executed the headman for not meeting our quotas. That was the last time I saw them actually visit Neptra."