Three Square Meals Ch. 061

Athena sighed, and said apologetically, "I'm sorry, I'm not handling this conversation very well at all." She took his hand, and turned him away from Alyssa, so he was looking at her directly. She smiled at him as she continued, "It's probably easier if I explain, rather than you stumble around trying to find the right questions to ask."

He laughed, and replied, "Yes, that's probably for the best."

She moved to kneel directly in front of him, and she lifted her hand towards his head. He flinched a moment, then forced himself to relax, and let her touch the side of his face.

"This all started with you," she murmured, brushing her soft fingers across his cheek, and then up to gently stroke his temple. "You were never prepared for the kind of power you have coursing through your blood; your Progenitor nature that's been built into your very DNA."

He slowly shook his head, and admitted, "I feel like I'm fumbling around in the dark most of the time, especially when it comes to psychic powers."

"I know," she agreed. "You're a practical man, grounded in reality. You struggle with accepting things that you can't see and touch, and your mind's been fighting against your birthright every step of the way."

"You mean Progenitor-John?" he asked, glancing back at the eerie shadow that was shrouding his body. The sinister echo of his nefarious alter-ego.

"He's a guide, or was meant to be at least. Built into your genetic code, he was supposed to help prepare you to use your powers and begin your conquests," she explained, as she followed his glance. She smiled as she caressed him, and continued, "But you're essentially a good man, and you rejected that siren call. Instead of enslaving and conquering, you found ways to master your mind, imprisoning Progenitor John behind a mental barrier. You built that up over the years with careful focus and meditation."

John looked stunned, and he blurted out, "But I just learnt martial arts to give me a way of controlling my temper. My grandfather pushed me into it, saying that boys needed a positive outlet for all their energy. I found the meditation helpful, so I kept it up over the years, but I never consciously rejected anything!"

She shrugged, and said, "Sub-consciously then. In any case, your stubborn refusal to accept the nature of your species has driven Progenitor-John mad. He's decided to take control, and he wants to become the dominant personality now."

John shuddered at the thought, recalling just how powerful the evil version of himself had become. A sudden thought came to him then, and he turned back to Athena, and asked, "So how are you linked to all this?"

"As I said before, your mind rejects things it isn't comfortable with," Athena replied, as she slowly turned towards Alyssa. "When you began feeding her your cum, you made her into your Matriarch, as you already know."

Nodding, he said, "Yes, she's been developing her psychic powers at an incredible rate." He glanced at Alyssa, and added fondly, "She's an amazing girl. I couldn't ask for a better Matriarch."

Athena tilted her head to one side, and said quietly, "She's not just your Matriarch. Not any more."

John frowned, and replied, "What do you mean by that?"

"You've heard the girls talk about Progenitor-John, and what he was like," she replied, her tone patient. "Can you imagine him giving power like that to one of the women under his control?"

Slowly shaking his head as he thought about it, John was forced to admit, "Not a chance. Edraele mentioned that Progenitors treat their Thralls as disposable slaves."

"They view their Matriarchs in much the same way, only allowing them limited telepathy to help keep the Thralls under tight control," she said quietly.

"So what's all this got to do with Alyssa?" John asked, getting frustrated.

Athena was quiet for a moment as she studied him, then replied, "Your mind rejected the idea of psychic powers, but I think you realised you still needed them." She glanced at Alyssa, and said, "So you gave them to her instead."

"I did what?!" he balked, his eyes growing wide.

"You turned her into a Progenitor," she continued relentlessly.

John stared at her, open-mouthed in shock, and struck dumb by this revelation.

Athena frowned as she took in his stupefied expression, and asked him, "This can't be a complete surprise can it? Her triple-helix DNA, those incredibly potent psychic abilities... you must have had your suspicions?"

He let out a bewildered laugh, as he admitted, "I had no idea!" A look of concern shadowed his face, as he blurted out, "She's not in any danger is she?"

"Not from the powers you gave her, no," Athena replied. "That's one of the reasons why you created me. I'm here to help take care of her."

"I did?!" he asked, astonished.

She nodded, smiling at Alyssa affectionately, as she said, "She's a kind, loving, and wonderful girl, but her mind wasn't equipped to deal with all this in one go. I've been here to nurture her, helping her develop her powers, and to protect you both."

"It wasn't her I saw in my dreams, was it?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"No," she replied, watching him as she spoke. "I've had to intervene a number of times over the past few months to help keep you safe. The glowing figure you saw in the healing dreams was me, although the healing ability actually comes from you. I was merely there to help guide you through the process, and channel psychic energy from the girls to help fuel the rejuvenation. I've tried not to be too active, and I've only really assisted while Alyssa's mind was at rest, to avoid accidentally unsettling her."

"There's been other occasions too, haven't there?" he asked her quietly. "Where you've had to get more actively involved."

"Yes," she agreed, her voice sombre. "I had to step in to stop Edraele from breaking open your mind shield, and inadvertently unleashing Progenitor-John. When he was freed anyway a few weeks later, he was far too dangerous for Alyssa to face alone. I guided her through that confrontation, then helped break you out of the abyssal prison he'd cast you into. After the recent assassination attempt, Alyssa was consumed by rage and grief, so I helped her channel that raw emotion. You witnessed the end result."

John shook his head in amazement, but he smiled as he said, "That trick just now with Dana and Irillith wasn't exactly subtle. What was that about?"

She gave him a coy smile, and replied, "You're aware of my presence now, so I took the opportunity to directly assist you, unlocking some of the secrets you've imparted to Dana." She frowned as she added, "Although Irillith wasn't ready for that yet, and I ended up hurting her. I'd appreciate it if you'd pass on my sincere apologies when you return, please."

"Of course," he murmured, as he thought over what she had just told him. He looked at her, his face a picture of confusion as he continued, "Hold on a minute. You said that I gave all my powers to Alyssa, but that can't be right, I've started using them recently! My enhanced strength, Telekinesis, Electrokinesis, those kind of things."

"Your powers haven't gone anywhere," she explained carefully. "You can do what you do, because it's been built into your DNA. Your mind just suppresses the abilities it can't really get to grips with."

"Like the Telepathy?" he asked her, feeling a bit shamefaced.

"There's no reason why you can't use Telepathy yourself, your mind simply refuses to countenance the idea," she said with a smile. She looked over at Alyssa, and shrugged as she added, "You have Alyssa to take care of that for you now though, so there's not quite the same urgency for you to learn."

He nodded absent-mindedly, but his mind was preoccupied, thinking about other things. He fixed her with a steady gaze, and said, "I've got an awful lot to thank you for, haven't I?"

She blushed, and said, "I've only tried to help where I can. No thanks are necessary, I've only been doing what you created me to do."

He reached out to take her hand, and he stroked it gently as he said, "Thank you so much. Not just for saving my life all those times, but for stepping in to protect the girls. I owe you a huge debt."

"You're welcome," she said, waving away his thanks.

Acting spontaneously, he pulled her towards him, his arms wide to embrace her. Athena's eyes widened in surprise, but she let herself be drawn to him, letting out a little gasp as he wrapped his arms around her. She was tense at first, but she eventually relaxed against him, her skin tingling where it brushed his own. They sat like that for a long moment until he eventually released her, and even through the radiance shining from her, he could see that she was flushed.

She averted her eyes for a moment, then looked at him boldly and said, "That felt wonderful, thank you."

"Any time," he told her with a grin.

He began to feel a tugging sensation coming from the astral cord linking his ethereal presence to his physical body, and he tried to resist, but it gradually increased in strength. When he looked at Athena in alarm, she smiled at him wistfully, and said, "You're tiring. Having to devote so much of your mind to maintaining Progenitor-John's prison makes Astral Projection much harder for you."

"That's what I guessed," he replied, getting dragged back, inch-by-inch towards his body. "But I still have more questions for you!"

"And I'll be here to answer them," she replied, waving him goodbye.

With that he lost his fight with the astral cord, and was yanked back into his body, leaving him reeling from the abrupt change in perspective. He blinked rapidly as he tried to steady himself, and as he regained his balance, he found Calara and Alyssa kneeling beside him.

"Are you alright?" Calara asked him, looking worried.

John nodded and blurted out, "Alyssa makes jumping in and out of the Astral Plane look easy, but trust me, it's not!"

"You'll get used to it," the blonde girl replied, rubbing his back sympathetically.

He turned to look at her, his senses back to normal once more, and said in a serious voice, "We need to have a chat."

He began to relay everything that Radiant-Alyssa, or Athena as she was now called, had told him. Alyssa had been silent as he explained who she was, and more importantly, what she was. However, when he told her that she was now a Progenitor too, her reaction had been anything but quiet.

"I'm a what?!" she gasped, looking dumbfounded.

"She said I'd given you copies of my powers, and turned you into a Progenitor," he said again, but slowly this time.

She stared at him for a moment, struggling to react to the startling news, but she eventually managed to find her voice, and asked him, "But why?"

He looked chagrined as he admitted, "Apparently my mind struggles with the idea of psychic powers. I guess that's why I have such a hard time learning something that I haven't seen with my own eyes. Athena thought that subconsciously I knew I'd need some of the more magical type of powers, so I gave them to you instead."

"So Athena's like my version of Progenitor-John?" she asked him, her cerulean eyes threatening to bug out of her head.

He nodded, stroking her arm as he said, "Yes, but she's really nice. I made her to look after you, and help you get used to your new abilities." He paused for a long moment, taking in the shocked look on her beautiful face, and added, "I'm really sorry. I promise I didn't actively choose to do this to you."

She suddenly laughed with delight, and as the lovely sound echoed around the big bedroom, she threw herself into his arms, knocking him back on the bed. "Why are you apologising?" she asked him, with a huge grin on her face. "This is fucking awesome!"

"It is?" he asked, looking up at her, shocked as he was by her exuberant reaction.

She began showering him in kisses, and replied, "Of course it is, you big dummy! It means I'm even closer to you now!"

He grinned back at her, feeling hugely relieved she was taking the news so well. Calara's laughter at the blonde girl's energetic kissing frenzy drew their attention, and Alyssa sat upright abruptly.

"Come here, Thrall," she ordered in a faux-baritone voice, her lips lifting into a playful smile.

"Yes, mistress," Calara replied, trying to stifle her giggles.

She crawled over the bed to join them, and Alyssa gave her a warm hug, as she said, "You have two Progenitors in love with you. How do you feel about that?"

"It feels wonderful," Calara replied with a smile, hugging her back.

Alyssa suddenly blinked, and exclaimed, "Wait a minute! If I'm a Progenitor now, am I going to grow a big cock and four balls?"

John laughed and said, "Sorry, honey, I don't think it works like that. You just got the psychic powers."

She pouted as she ran her hand over Calara's spunk stuffed stomach, and said lustily, "That's such a shame. Filling up these beautiful girls with my big load would have been so exciting!"

"You'll just have to live vicariously through me," he said with a smile, stroking the Latina's rounded belly.

Calara giggled, and said, "I'm not sure if I should feel sad, or relieved!"

"Sad, definitely," Alyssa replied with a wicked grin, but her expression shifted slightly, and she started to look thoughtful.

John was watching her face as he caressed Calara, and he said, "I know. You have a lot of questions, right? I can go back and ask her for you, once I've recovered."

The blonde girl nodded, then frowned as she replied, "It's a shame I can't just speak to Athena directly, it would be so much faster." Her frown deepened as she continued, "Hang on a minute, how do we know I can't?"

John was about to reply, but she had already focused her will inwards, and quickly peeled her Spirit form from her body. When she returned what seemed like only a few seconds later, she looked terribly frustrated as she said, "She wasn't there..."

"I did ask her about that, but we got a bit side-tracked, and she didn't have a chance to answer," he was forced to admit. "Athena mentioned something about you not being ready to merge with her yet. If I were a betting man, I'd say that you probably both can't Spirit-walk at the same time."

Alyssa sighed, and said, "No problem, I guess I'll just draw up a list of questions for you."

Glancing at the ship's chronometer, John saw that only fifteen minutes had passed, despite it seeming like he'd been chatting for hours. With the way that time moved much more quickly on the Astral Plane, his entire conversation with Athena had taken less than a half-a-minute.

"We've got a while before lunch," he said to Alyssa. "How about we spend it making this beautiful girl sing for us?"

"My hand..." Calara protested. "I can't do anything like this."

With a sultry look on her face, Alyssa said, "All you need to do is lie there... and let us know how good it feels."

The two Progenitors moved in tandem, pouncing on the giggling brunette.

***

Irillith and Dana had been very busy in the Galley. When John and Alyssa arrived, leading a dazed Calara between them, they found that the utilitarian room had been transformed with brightly coloured streamers, and a pristine white tablecloth was draped across the table. Dana was trying to hang a banner, and she beckoned them in eagerly to assist her, while Alyssa sent a quick telepathic summons to Rachel to make sure she got there a little early too.

Jade had gone for a swim, and she had lost track of time, revelling in just being alive. She had raced around the pool as a green mackerel, darting through the water like an arrow. It was only when Alyssa called out to her that she realised she was running late, and she sprang from the pool, then shook herself off before slipping into a short aquamarine dress and heeled boots. Eager to see everyone again, she jogged along the corridor to the grav-tube, then ascended in the blue glow.

When she stepped out onto Deck Four, she was surprised to find it was pitch black in the corridor, ranks of sealed doors lining the route to the Galley. "Guys, are you alright?" she asked, worry tingeing her voice.

Her cat-like irises widened, and she could see furtive movement in the darkness up ahead, so she crept forward warily, wondering what had happened to everyone. Suddenly the lights flickered on, and Jade was astonished to see all the crew there, waiting with beaming smiles on their faces. "Happy Birthday!" they called out together, as John strode towards her and gave her a loving hug.

Jade was shocked, and as he led her into the Galley, she gazed wide-eyed at the streamers adorning the wall, and the rapidly painted banner that said, "Happy Birthday, Jade!" in still wet red paint.

"Happy birthday, sexy," Alyssa said as she walked up to the stunned Nymph. She put her arms around her, and hugged her tightly as she whispered in her ear, "We were going to just pick a date for you, but now we have a real date. The date John brought you back to us."

Dana had set up the portable holo transmitter, and Faye was hovering above the device, watching the party with wide, excited eyes.

Irillith disappeared into the Galley kitchen, and when she reappeared a few moments later, she was carrying a couple of plates full of Maliri delicacies. Jade could already smell the tantalising aromas from the spicy food, and her mouth began to water as she recognised the dishes from the banquet they had enjoyed at Natralis on Geniya Trading Post.

"Fortunately I hadn't served these when the bombs went off," the Maliri girl said. "They were still in the fridge."

Rachel was walking behind her, carefully balancing a couple of large bowls of spaghetti Bolognese, and she smiled at Jade as she set down the food. Calara walked over to give Jade a hug, and the poor Nymph was quite overwhelmed by it all.

"I've never had a birthday party before," she murmured, truly touched by the effort they'd all gone to.

"Sorry this is a bit last-minute," Dana said with a frown. "The last party got blown to bits."

Jade shook her head, and replied, "No, it's wonderful! Thanks all of you."

John and the girls gathered around her, each giving her a big hug, and by the time the beautiful alien girl had hugged everybody, she was struggling not to cry. They led her over to the table, and they sat on the benches next to the Galley tables and shared out the food before getting started. The Nymph groaned with delight when she tasted the first of the deftly woven pastry-style wraps, each containing some lighted spiced meat. She encouraged the others to join in, and soon they were all complimenting Irillith on her cooking.

"How did you learn to cook all these dishes?" Calara asked her after she had finished her wrap. "You prepared about twenty different dishes if I remember rightly, and they all looked and smelled incredible."

Irillith had a wry smile on her face as she replied, "When you're paranoid about being poisoned, you soon learn to cook when you're preparing all your own food."

Alyssa raised a glass of juice and brandished one of the wraps in her hand, as she toasted, "To Irillith's paranoia!"

They laughed as they joined her in the toast, and when they'd finished the Maliri dishes, they tucked into the spaghetti. It was a fun, light hearted meal, just the thing they needed after all the drama earlier in the day. Jade giggled and laughed, loving every minute of the party as she grinned affectionately at all her friends. They finished off the food, then cast furtive glances at one another, as Rachel and Irillith darted off into the Kitchen again. The lights in here weren't voice controlled, so Dana rushed over to the dimmer switch, and turned the illumination right down.