

The FIRST

Attitude

# Part Three of Three

## a story of acceptance and

## love on a distant planet

## Geoff Schultz

ebook format edition - distributed by www.smashwords.com

Copyright 2020 by Geoff Schultz

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, and events in this book are products of this writer's imagination or, in the case of referenced historical persons, are used fictitiously. Any other similarity to actual persons, names, or events is purely coincidental.

* * * * *

License Statement

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this writer.

WARNING:

Part Three of Three of The FIRST Attitude contains scenes of consenting adults sharing physical intimate affection which are inappropriate for children and may be offensive to some adults.

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An explanatory note:

Since the terms 'sentience' and 'sapience' have changed definitions and usage over time, this writer does not use either term to describe an intelligent self-aware being. Most humans are anthropocentric in that they consider humankind to be the most significant entity in the universe whether that's as a result of evolution or a creative deity or some other cause. Therefore, humans have and will probably continue to use humanity as their criteria by which to determine if another species consists of intelligent self-aware beings who are of equal value with humans.

Throughout history, some humans have been unwilling to acknowledge other humans as having equal value to themselves whether the differences between them had to do with ancestry, economics, gender, geography, language, religion, social status, or any of a multitude of other factors. Because of that, this writer will make the assumption that when humans use themselves as the criteria to judge another species, they will use the more positive attributes of humanity such as compassion, empathy, and respect.

Based on those factors and since this story is written from a human perspective, this writer will use the term 'anthro-equivalent' to refer to a non-human species which is considered to consist of intelligent self-aware beings who are acknowledged by humans as having equal value with humanity.

The FIRST Attitude -

# Part Three of Three

Chapter 116

As they eat lunch, Chet asks, "Are you ready to meet your grandparents tomorrow?"

Ilena hesitates a little before she answers, "I think so." When he doesn't say anything, she tries to explain, "As far as my physical preparation goes, I think I'm ready because I received my assignments for the next several days from my professors and I've packed what I think I'll need. . . . At the same time, I'm not sure about my mental preparation because I vacillate between looking forward to meeting them and being afraid of meeting them."

"I think I can understand that."

"I don't mean to change the subject, but have you heard from my paternal grandparents?"

"Not directly. As with your maternal grandparents, I contacted someone who knows them and passed on the information. Apparently, they're having a harder time accepting the possibility that you survived and have been 'found' after all of these years. I don't know the details, but they apparently know some people who have had 'lost' relatives show up in an attempt to extort them which encourages your paternal grandparents to be very hesitant to accept the facts."

"Oh. . . . I never would have thought of doing something like that."

"I know. I think that after you meet your maternal grandparents and they have a chance to get to know you a little, they can help to convince your paternal grandparents that you really are their long lost granddaughter."

It takes her a little while to realize that something bothers her about what he said and then to put it into words, "Um, I'm not sure I like to think of myself as 'lost'."

"You weren't because you were cared for by Mother Superior and the rest of the Order and then by Regit. However, since you weren't with them for all those years, then, from your grandparents' perspective, you were 'lost'. Or you could turn it around and say they were 'lost' since you didn't know anything about them or where they were."

She looks at him with wide eyes then briefly chuckles before she says, "I don't think I'll mention that I'm glad they were finally 'found'."

"That would probably be wise."

Ilena again hesitates then asks, "I don't want to sound like I'm paranoid or something, but will I be safe to meet with them alone?"

"I believe so. From all indications, they're good people. If it would make you feel more comfortable, once we get to the capital, I can provide you with something which can work like a 'panic button' and will summon help to your location and track you if you are moved."

"I'm don't think I'm that uncertain, but thank you for the offer. I guess I didn't quite say it right because I'm really more concerned about a negative emotional reaction rather than a physical reaction."

"I understand. I think my best advice would be for you to just be yourself. You really are a very wonderful young lady and even if they have some doubts about whether or not you're their granddaughter, I think that once they get to know you a little, they'll like you as a person."

"Thank you for saying that . . . even if I'm tempted to claim that you're the one who is wearing the rosy tinted contact lenses."

He briefly laughs.

* * * * *

Hours later, while they walk from his office to the cafeteria for dinner, Ilena asks, "Chet, was there a reason for us to wait to go to the capital until after dinner?"

"I usually try to have a reason when I make a decision." He pauses then grins at her frown before he explains, "In this case, it was to get a day's work done rather than to interrupt the work."

"That makes sense . . . except that it reduces how much time we have available for me to selfishly enjoy you touching me."

"Well, since I'm going to have less time to selfishly touch you, then I thought it was appropriate for you to share the sacrifice."

She briefly stares at him in surprise then chuckles.

"Another option would be for us to practice our selfishness during the flight to the capital."

This time her surprise borders on shock and it takes her awhile to respond, "As much as I like how you touch me, there's no way I'm going to put on a show to the other passengers."

"Don't you want to show them the practical application of the first attitude of sharing intimate pleasure?"

"Chet!?!"

He answers, "Yes, lovely lady?" in a voice of pure innocence.

"How can you make such a suggestion?"

"Simple. All of our fellow passengers are well aware of how we share intimate pleasure."

She stops and stares at him. It takes her a while to think of how that could be then she gasps out, "Have you been recording us?"

"Of course not. Why would you think that?"

"How else could other people know about what we do?"

"I didn't say anything about other people."

Since she's feeling very concerned as well as confused she struggles to consider what he could mean then asks, "Who are the passengers if they aren't other people?"

"The Floaters who stay with us."

Immediately, the Floaters who are riding them put on a muted color display such that only the two of them can see, but it still takes Ilena several moments to make the connection then her knees almost go limp in relief as she understands. When she feels like her mental equilibrium has mostly recovered, she proclaims, "As much as it may be humorous in hindsight, I really don't appreciate how you led me on."

"I don't mean to upset my favorite young lady, but I didn't lead you on. It was your assumptions which misdirected you to arrive at an incorrect conclusion."

"Huh?" As she takes several moments to review the conversation in her memory, she reluctantly admits, "I guess you're right. . . . But if I understand your actual words . . ." she hesitates to express what she thought of, ". . . that must mean we're the only two passengers on the flight."

"No. Didn't I say that the other passengers were the Floaters who stay with us?"

"Oh, yeah. Then we're the only people who are going to the capital?"

"A more accurate statement would be that we're the only two humans who will be on the flight to the capital this evening because we don't know for sure whether or not the Floaters are anthro-equivalent. If they are, then they should be classified as people." This time the Floaters color display seems to be more an expression of joyous agreement.

"Oh. You're right about that."

"Thank you for agreeing with me. Shall we go have dinner?"

"Yeah." As they finish their walk to the cafeteria, select their food, find a table, and start to eat, she realizes that she totally forgot about the Floaters. Then she has an embarrassing thought of wondering how often they're with her since she can't see them come and go unless they deliberately make themselves visible. A moment later, she revises that thought to them being visible to the human eye.

Chapter 117

Ilena considers it some more while they quietly eat then she hesitates some before she asks, "Chet?"

"Yes?"

"Are the Floaters always with us?" Suddenly, her arms briefly sparkle with color.

"I think they just answered your question."

"I suppose, . . . except that I'm not sure how to interpret their answer."

"Although there's an obvious gap of clear communication from them to us, I think you know what their answer means."

She hesitates to admit, "Maybe, but am I really understanding them or just wishfully hoping that I do?"

"That's a good question. However, since we're not able to 'scientifically' prove we have a clear understanding of them, we have to rely on our instincts and our belief, which is based on previous experiences, that the Floaters are, at the least, neutral towards us but are more likely benevolent towards us. Now, whether that applies to us as individuals or to all humans, that's another question which can't be clearly answered at this time."

"I think I understand what you're saying."

After they leave the cafeteria, Ilena asks, "So how do we get to where we have to go to catch the flight?"

"Rather than try to describe each step of the process, let's get our luggage and you'll be able to observe how we get there which should answer your questions. If you have additional questions afterwards, I'll do my best to answer them."

"Okay."

They retrieve their luggage from their quarters, walk to his office where he grabs his computer, then they step around the building and he guides her to get into a ground vehicle which is parked there. She hesitates to admit she doesn't remember being in one before, so he helps her fasten the safety belt before he gets the vehicle in motion and drives it to the station's landing zone. It takes her a moment for figure out how to unfasten the safety belt then she grabs her luggage and is surprised Chet doesn't lead her to what she thinks is the terminal building.

Somebody calls out and Chet waves when he sees the other person give him a thumbs up. When he doesn't explain, Ilena asks, "What was that all about?"

"She was saying the air vehicle is serviced and ready to go."

"You understood that from a thumbs up signal?"

"Yes."

While she feels like she's becoming more confused, she almost stops and stares when Chet opens up a small fixed wing vertical landing air vehicle and puts their luggage inside. A couple of moments later, she almost blurts out the first question which clearly occurs to her, "We're not going on a scheduled flight to the capital?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"For the simple reason that there really aren't any which are strictly for passengers. If they need to get somewhere and aren't able to borrow an air vehicle, most people will catch a ride on one of the cargo flights which do run on a more regular schedule."

"Oh. I guess that means what I've read in books about how people travel was more applicable to other planets."

"That's probably so." Just before Chet closes the back door, there's a soft thump sound and the air vehicle seems to slightly rock as though a heavy weight landed on it. He briefly looks alarmed then smiles.

She quickly responds to his expression of alarm and asks, "What was that?"

He quickly puts a finger to his lips in a 'be quiet' motion then leans into the air vehicle and flips a switch. While she's becoming more concerned, she's somewhat hesitant to follow his guidance as he directs her to the front seat then closes her door before he goes around the air vehicle to get in the other front seat. After he closes his door, he says, "I didn't want my answer to be heard by others so I didn't want to say anything until I had the privacy circuit engaged."

"Oh. What is your answer?"

He reaches up and moves his fingers in a scratching motion in mid-air and when she hears a deep rumble, her eyes open wide then Chet says, "I think Regit decided to go with us."

"But I don't see . . ." then her eyes widen in surprise as she feels Regit's face rub on her own. "How . . . how come I can't see her?"

"The Floaters are apparently able to bend the light waves so you see whatever is behind the object which is right in front of you. I guess they and Regit have decided they don't want other people to know that Regit is with us." There's a brief light display as though they're celebrating his correct guess. "So, as much as you can, when you're around other people, do your best to forget about Regit being with you just like you do with the Floaters."

Even as she feels somewhat uncertain, she answers, "I . . . I'll try." After a moment's fumbling, she wraps her arms around Regit's neck and takes comfort from her reassuring presence.

A couple of moments later, he requests, "Please don't say anything unless I directly ask you a question or until I say otherwise. I don't want to give any possible indication that we have an 'unauthorized' passenger on board. And the quiet goes for you too, Regit." He grins as he gets a low growl in response.

He starts to flip switches and types numbers into a small display and even though she knows that Regit's head is in her line of vision, she can clearly see what Chet is doing even if she doesn't understand any of it. He contacts the control center then moves the air vehicle to the other end of the landing zone where he pauses long enough to look over the instruments before he starts to move the air vehicle down the landing zone and quickly picks up speed.

A moment later, a voice comes over the speaker, "Boss, it looks like you're running a little heavy there."

Chet responds, "It must be all of the gold bullion I'm absconding with."

There's a brief laugh then, "Yeah, right. Have a safe flight."

"Thank you, sir."

Soon they're airborne and Ilena briefly looks out the side window at the trees which are flashing past, swallows nervously, turns her head back to the front, and leans on Regit who still has her head between their seats. Then her eyes open wide to see Chet remove his hands from the controls and stretch. She hesitates then asks, "You're not controlling it?"

"Not directly. I programmed the autopilot and it will take the air vehicle to the proper destination."

"But . . . but what if something goes wrong?"

"Then I guess we get to have a first hand experience of what it's like to crash in an air vehicle." As he notices her expression, he softens his voice as he says, "Ilena, please don't worry. I've done this many times."

"But my parents died in an air vehicle crash."

"Yes, but the air vehicle they borrowed apparently wasn't maintained as well as they had been led to believe. At least that was what the investigators documented in their report. Not only that, but this is a newer model which has additional safety features."

"Oh. Okay. I'll try to keep my worry down."

Chapter 118

As the quiet drone of the air vehicle's engines seems to permeate the interior while the exterior seems to remain an unending forest, Ilena begins to relax and is glad that her two best friends are with her which adds a large layer of comfort to her feelings. Then she reminds herself that the Floaters are also her friends even if she doesn't know how many are with her or are in the vehicle. After a while, she notices the sun is moving towards the horizon which provides a slow changing of the view.

Without paying attention to the passage of time, Ilena notices the air vehicle is starting to move in a downward direction and after a quick slightly panicked glance towards Chet's calm expression, she realizes it must be following its program or some other direction. As she pays more attention to the view in front, she starts to see lights on the ground and the shapes of building. Something catches her eye and as she pays more attention to it, she realizes it's a larger air vehicle which is on a parallel course.

Soon, she notices that the other air vehicle is moving lower then she realizes it's heading towards a clear landing zone. As she turns her head back to the front, all she sees are buildings nearby. A moment later, the air vehicle slightly tilts and she quickly looks at Chet who gives her a reassuring smile. Soon, she realizes the vehicle is spiraling downward then it settles with a slight bump . . . on the top of a building! While she wonders how many more surprises she can manage to deal with, she follows Chet's example to get out of the vehicle and pick up her luggage.

They only take a few steps when a technician hurries over to prepare the air vehicle for its next flight and Chet makes sure he thanks him. They walk to the building entrance and before Ilena can worry about Regit, they're through the security checkpoint and step into a closet which Ilena belatedly realizes must be an elevator. Since she can feel Regit's body next to hers, she's distracted from the unusual sensations of being in an elevator for the first time.

As soon as they step off of the elevator, they hear, "Welcome back to civilization, boss."

"Thanks, Ass. Although if this is what you call civilization, I think I'm ready to go back to the boondocks."

He laughs then says, "And this must be the lovely Ilena who is even more lovely than her lovely name. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Mark 10 BR 3839, the Assistant Planetary Administrator and am completely at your service.

As Ilena finds the source of the voice, she's given the most elegant bow she's ever seen then struggles to not stare while she clumsily curtsies as she responds, "Thank you, kind sir." She hesitates then asks, "I don't mean to be rude, but what does the BR stand for."

"You certainly aren't being rude and thank you for asking. BR is the accepted abbreviation for 'bureaucratic robot' although I probably would be more correctly defined as an android, but nobody consulted me or my siblings about which term would be more accurate."

"Thank you for answering. I hope I wasn't too obvious about staring, but I've never met a robot or an android before."

"Oh, you poor child. Obviously, Chet has allowed some serious gaps to develop in your education. Don't you worry, I will be more than happy to assist you in expanding your knowledge about the benefits which my electromechanical brethren can provide to you as an individual as well as to all known organic anthro-equivalent species."

"Ass?"

"Yes, boss?"

"Before you try to monopolize all of Ilena's time, I think I'll take her to my quarters so she can rest before the uncertainties of tomorrow."

"Of course. I completely understand."

"Have any issues come up which need to be dealt with sooner than tomorrow?"

"No. As they used to say, 'all's quiet on the western front'."

"I'm not sure that's very reassuring if it ignores the other directions of the compass."

"Apparently it was first stated in regards to some ancient war where the enemy was located only to the west."

"That makes more sense. Thank you for clarifying."

"It was my pleasure. If you need me for anything, you have my number."

"Thanks, Ass."

"It was my pleasure and, Ilena, it was so nice to meet you and if the boss man doesn't keep you too busy, I'm always available to sit down and have a nice chat about whatever you might be interested in."

"Thank you, sir. Um, don't you have your own work to do?"

"Of course, but I'm very good at multi-tasking. Now, what was that other old saying? Oh yeah, 'sweet dreams and don't let the bed bugs bite'." He turns and walks away.

She hesitates, then asks Chet, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I can guess about the 'sweet dreams' part, but I haven't got a clue about the rest of it."

"Was that really an old saying?"

"I'm rather sure it was even though I've never heard it before. He has somewhat of a hobby in searching through old records to find obscure information about humans and how they interacted in an attempt to try to understand us better and relate to us. I think he knows things the historians have forgotten about.

"Warning, don't ask him about old songs because not only will he tell you all about them, but he'll sing them. When possible, he'll usually imitate the recording so the quality isn't bad, it's just that some of them don't make any sense. One song he told me about was 'You ain't nothing but a hound dog' and instead of being insulted, the audience cheered the performer."

"That's weird."

"Yeah. Well, here we are."

"Your quarters are in the government building?"

"I'm afraid so."

"Why?"

"It's supposedly for security. Apparently, on some other planets, people who were upset with the government would try to hurt the so-called head of the state so it's become the rule that the 'chief executive' has to have their official living quarters in a secure environment."

"Even if they don't live there?"

"While the rule defines where the official living quarters have to be, the rule doesn't define how much time has to be spent there."

"Oh. . . . I don't mean to sound insulting, but wouldn't that be kind of like obeying the letter of the law but not the intent of the law?"

"True. However, since there wasn't a whole lot of choices about who to dump this job onto, the Oversight Committee was willing to make a few compromises."

"That sounds like they were more willing to bend the law to get what they wanted."

"That's often the case. . . . I'm not sure if you can answer this, oops, just a second." He steps over to the wall and enters a code into an electronic device, briefly wants for a response then says, "I needed to put the quarters into privacy mode. Anyway, my question is, do you know if Regit needs to go outside to take care of her biological needs?"

"I don't know. I'm not even sure where she is. Oh, there you are," as she stumbles to recover from the unexpected bump.

"Floaters, I think we're privately secure enough in here so you can allow Regit to be seen." A moment later, Regit is revealed then flashes of color light up the room and Chet guesses the Floaters are investigating the quarters.

Ilena suggests, "If we could communicate clearly enough with the Floaters, maybe we can devise some kind of code so that some of the colors they display mean specific words."

"That's an idea. We would probably have to keep it very simple and limited to basic colors so we don't use so many colors they become indistinguishable."

"What do you mean?"

"When I was teaching at the college, I noticed that some people's clothing was a color which I wasn't sure whether it would be considered blue or green. At the same time, it didn't seem to be some defined color in between like aqua or turquoise. Of course, I'm sure somebody else would have been able to identify the color, but I couldn't."

"I think I understand." She steps closer, hugs him, asks, "Is it time for me to selfishly request that you touch me?" and thoroughly kisses him.

When he can, he answers, "Almost," then turns his head and asks, "Regit, will you need to go outside before the morning?"

She briefly looks at them then steps to the side of the room. They watch her stretch and as her front claws fully extend, Chet winces, but she sheathes her claws without scratching anything and lays down. Moments later, some Floaters settle on her and Regit disappears from sight.

"Well I guess that answers that. Before I give into my selfish interest to touch you, I think I ought to show you were things are, visit the bathroom, and get something to drink."

"That makes sense."

Chapter 119

Ilena follows as Chet shows her the bedrooms and separate bathrooms and after she takes care of her bladder, she finds him in the kitchen where he's adding water to a tea kettle. She quickly hugs him and says, "I know I'm experiencing a lot of new things which can be unsettling, but I want to assure you that I will selfishly and gladly enjoy you touching me as much as you selfishly want to touch me."

He considers asking her if she's sure, but her kiss not only prevents him from asking his question, it also seems to convincingly provide the answer. When they're interrupted by the tea kettle which announces that it's too hot to remain sitting on the stove, they separate enough to fix their tea then go to the table to drink it. In an attempt to distract herself from what she would prefer to be doing, she asks some questions about Ass and about how the capital is different from their home station.

As soon as their tea cups are rinsed out, they move to his full sized sofa and she's soon settled on his upper legs and almost immediately begins to thoroughly kiss him. He's a little surprised at her enthusiasm, but quickly responds and barely hesitates a moment longer to begin caressing her. His caresses slowly expand until he's touching her everywhere he has before through her clothes, but his caresses to her breasts and pubic area are kept brief which provides her with a number of mini-climaxes. Although she really likes the overwhelming pleasure he can give her, she also greatly enjoys how he builds her up to that point and the anticipation she feels only seems to enhance the intensity of the actual pleasure she experiences.

Through the pleasure which seems to be flooding her mind, she slowly manages to put together a coherent thought and guesses that he's gradually diminishing the extent of his caresses. Almost before the thought can fully form, she has to revise it as she feels his hands slip under her loose shirt to caress her skin and slowly push her shirt up her body. She enjoys a couple of more mini-climaxes as her bra covered breasts are briefly tantalized before he pushes her shirt up and off of her arms.

Now, he begins to reduce how far he caresses her and as her excitement diminishes, she's able to unbutton his shirt but can't pull it out of his pants. When he's 'simply' hugging her, she encourages him to take his shirt off and she enjoys the opportunity to touch him even though she's sure it isn't as exciting to him as it is to her when he touches her. Then she wonders if he even notices because he seems to be blankly looking forward as though he's intently thinking about something.

"Ilena, I'm not sure how this is going to sound, but I think it might be best if we move you to your bed before I touch you more so if you fall asleep, I won't think of trying to carry you and you won't have to wake up on the sofa."

She struggles to hold onto her surge of excitement as she says, "I've had to wake up on the sofa before when you gave me so much pleasure I fell asleep."

"I know and I've felt guilty about leaving you there even though I was quite sure I wasn't capable of carrying you. At the same time, I was concerned about the possible implications of me being in your bedroom for an extended period of time."

"How is it different here?"

"I'm not sure I can clearly answer that. I think one factor is that I'm becoming more convinced you really do want me to touch you and that you really do enjoy it. For some reason, that seems to reduce the possible implications, at least in my own mind. I don't know if that makes any sense."

"I don't know either. What I do know is that I really like how you touch me where ever we might be. And I think that for you to touch me while we're in my bedroom will be even more exciting for me and I greatly look forward to it and encourage you to touch me there." She attempts to confirm her words with a thorough kiss and when they have to breathe, she barely takes a couple of deep breaths before she gets up and encourages him to go with her to the bedroom he's letting her use while she almost leads him to his bedroom.

They're soon sitting on her bed in a similar manner to how they were sitting on the sofa and there's no delay in their resumption of their kisses and caresses. Her excitement grows then surges higher when he removes her bra and directly caresses her breasts to the peak of pleasure. While she's panting for breath, she cooperates as he lays her back onto the bed then moves the covers out of the way and helps her move to the middle of the bed.

Although he briefly hesitates, she's thrilled when he lays down next to her and begins to caress her some more. After several long kisses which leave her panting for breath, his kisses move across her jaw and seem to cover her neck before they move to her upper chest. His kisses on and around one of her breasts sends her pleasure soaring to a climax and when the pleasure dissipates enough for her to feel other nerves being excited, she realizes that he's kissing her back and forth across her upper abdomen and slowly moving down her body.

After his kisses go back and forth across her waist a couple of times, his lips move back up her upper abdomen and excite her other breast to climax before they continue up to her lips. When his kisses move to one of her ears, she's totally unprepared for his soft question, "May I take your pants off?"

It takes her a little while for her mind to make sense out of what he asked, but when she does, she almost shouts out, "YES!!" Then a thought occurs to her and she actually says, "Please do, on one condition."

He looks at her in surprise.

Before he can ask, she gives him her answer, "That I can take your pants off."

He seems to hesitate for awhile then says, "As much as I gain the greater benefit for being able to see more of you, I suppose it would be fair if we are equally clothed."

"But I will benefit because when you hug me like that, my legs will feel your legs instead of your clothes."

"I suppose that's a valid reason," but before she can verbally respond, he thoroughly kisses her. Again, his kisses move down her body, excite her breasts to two brief climaxes, and seemingly cover her upper abdomen. He gives her a chance to partially catch her breath then his hands move to her waist and as he begins to gently pull down on her pants waistband, she tries to contain her excitement as she lifts her hips.

Once her pants are past her buttocks, he gently pushes down on her waist and when her buttocks are resting on the bed, he slowly caresses her pants off of her legs then helps her lift her feet in order to take her pants all of the way off. Her excitement grows as she watches him caress her body with his eyes. He seems to reluctantly turn away then lays her pants on a chair.

When he turns back towards the bed, she reminds him, "It's my turn to take off your pants." He seems to hesitate to step closer then has to help her to sit up and hold her steady while she unfastens his pants. She doesn't have the energy to slowly caress his pants down so she pushes them down to his knees while her eyes seemed to be glued to the outline of his erect penis in his underwear.

She lifts one of her hands, hesitates, then slowly slides a finger up and down as she says, "So, this is a human penis."

He almost just groans out, "Yeah," but somehow manages to be more precise as he says, "Actually, it's a piece of cloth which is doing a poor job of trying to hide a human penis."

She sticks her tongue out at him then says, "I assume this means you're excited."

"Yes."

"I'm glad. I wish I had the energy to excite you more," and she reluctantly lays back onto the bed.

"You do, every time you invite me to touch you."

"Please touch me more."

He just stands there for a little while, but before she can renew her request, he gets his pants the rest of the way off and leans over to deeply kiss her. Moments later, her eyes open wide to see him move to the end of the bed where he gently pulls her legs apart just enough for him to kneel between her calves. Then he picks up one of her legs and begins to kiss her ankle and slowly kisses up the inside of her leg for a little ways before he does the same to her other leg.

His kisses move back and forth between her legs to kiss further up the fronts and insides of her legs and as she wonders how far he'll kiss her, her eyes open wide as she guesses at why he wanted to remove her pants and that thought sends her pleasure even higher. Even as she tries to concentrate on the exact location of which nerves are being excited, her excitement has already transitioned into an orgasm before his lips are kissing her inner thighs right in front of her panty covered pubic area.

She's surprised she wasn't quite overwhelmed by the intense pleasure he gave her, but his kisses, which skipped over her panty, have slowly moved almost all of the way up her upper abdomen before she has the breath to gasp out, "Stay with me." Rather than wait for him to verbally respond, she weakly pulls his head up to one of her breasts and as he kisses and tongue caresses it, her pleasure overwhelms her consciousness.

He reluctantly pushes himself up away from her and limits his caresses to his eyes. A little later, he gets off of the bed and looks at her some more before he goes to his bathroom and washes up his release. He looks at his empty bed and, apparently without being aware of his nakedness, he steps in and looks at her for a little while before he goes back to his bedroom and puts on some clean underwear. Again, he looks at his bed and when he goes back to look at her, he hesitates, debates with himself, hesitates some more then carefully lays down next to her, pulls the covers up, gently wraps his arms around her, and as he falls asleep, he doesn't see the Floaters' colorful display of celebration.

Chapter 120

As Ilena begins to wake up, she seems to instinctively know that many things are different and knows, just as surely, that she's perfectly safe and comfortable. Since she doesn't initially understand how she can be so sure of that, she wakes up a little more then isn't sure whether to be excited or to simply dissolve in contentment as she becomes aware that the body which is so wonderfully holding hers is Chet's. Not only that, but both of their bodies are almost naked and she greatly enjoys how much of his skin is touching hers.

Then she's not sure how to respond. Although she doesn't want to interrupt his sleep, she's more than ready to encourage him to touch all of her bare skin while she almost wants to weep with joy and gratitude that she was finally able to sleep in his arms. Then she wonders how she can convince him to make this wonderfulness an every night occurrence.

Suddenly, his body seems to stiffen then very slowly and cautiously he moves his hands as though he's trying to confirm that somebody is actually in bed with him. Apparently, it takes his memory a little while to begin to function before he hesitantly asks, "Ilena?"

"Yes, Chet, I'm right here and I want to thank you so much for all of the pleasure you gave me last night and then you added to it by sleeping with me. It was and is so very wonderful."

"Did . . . did I take advantage of you?"

"Of course you didn't. I can't begin to express the wonderful feelings I felt when I realized I was able to sleep in your arms. . . . I don't want you to feel coerced or pushed or anything like that, but being here with you like this is where I want to spend the rest of my life. For as long as I can remember, I've felt the need to be touched and to touch and you have so wonderful met my need that I never want to be away from you."

"But you need to think about your own future and find an occupation which gives you satisfaction, provides for your future, and benefits the community."

"I understand that, but even as I plan on working towards those goals, my real purpose in life is to be with you. To love you and to be loved by you. To touch you and to be touched by you. I know you're not ready to hear it, but you are my completeness. With you, I'm a full person. My thoughts were growing in that direction, but to be with you here and now seems to have put the seal of assurance on my feelings."

She starts to lean towards him to kiss him when the room seems to light up with color. They both stare and although neither of them is ready to claim to correctly interpret the behavior of the Floaters, they feel as though the color display is one of sheer joy. Moments later, they almost grunt as a heavy weight seems to fall on them. Before they can verbally respond, Regit lightly bumps their heads closer together and when they start to kiss, her head lightly rubs their cheeks as though to encourage them.

When he's caught enough breath during a necessary breathing break, he gently pushes on Regit as he tells her, "Can you please move? I have a bladder which is becoming quite a nuisance." He almost seems surprised that she appears to understand and as he gets off the bed, he tells her, "Thank you," before he quickly walks to his bathroom.

Ilena looks at Regit for a few moments then quietly asks, "Do you and the Floaters agree that I should be with Chet?" Regit rubs her head on Ilena's cheek and while she's not sure if the up and down motion is also a nod of agreement, she interprets it as such especially when the Floaters seem to cover her with color.

When Chet hesitantly steps back into the room, he can't seem to do anything but stare. A moment later, he appears to be covered with color, then the Floaters seem to link and form into a sort of tunnel which guides the two humans together. In spite of the color display around them, they soon have eyes only for each other and as their arms go around each other, their lips meet and mesh in a kiss which feels as though it seals their belonging to each other.

Reluctantly, they have to breathe then Ilena has to deal with her bladder while Regit and the Floaters seem to make Chet the center of their attention. Soon, Ilena returns and as their kiss begins, they never want it to end and while they have to briefly interrupt the kiss to breathe, it does feel as though the kiss goes on and on. At least until some discordant noise distracts them.

She looks startled and asks, "What's that?"

He seems to deflate then speaks up, "End alarm," and just after the noise stops, he answers, "An alarm clock. I wanted to make sure we have enough time to get ready and have some breakfast before I have to start work and for you to be ready to meet with your grandparents."

"Oh. Thank you for being concerned about that because otherwise I would have been inclined to totally forget about duty and responsibility."

"I completely understand. Thank you so much for allowing me to be with you and to touch you and for encouraging me to sleep with you. I don't recall when I experienced something so wonderful."

"That's how I feel about you which only reinforces my conviction that I belong with you and that I need to stay with you as long as we're allowed to be together." As if to confirm her words, she thoroughly kisses him. After a required breathing break but before the next kiss begins, she reluctantly pushes herself back and says, "Let's get duty out of our hair so we won't be distracted when we give ourselves to each other."

He looks at her in surprise, thinks of several things to say, then keeps it simple, "I think you're right." He looks at her a little longer then turns to go to his bedroom and bathroom to get ready for work. As she stands there a little longer, she wishes she wasn't right about that. A moment later, Regit bumps her which reminds her of what she ought to do so she gets out clean clothes then goes to the bathroom to get a shower.

When they're each ready, she finds him just standing in the kitchen. They look at each other for a little while and seem to mutually struggle to not race into each other's arms. He shakes his head as though to get his mind functioning then says, "I suppose we ought to give Regit some time outside to take care of her needs then I'm not sure how to provide a sufficient meal for her without revealing her presence."

"While we help her with one thing, maybe we'll have time to think of what to feed her."

"That makes sense." He takes her hand and just before they step out of his quarters, Regit 'disappears' but she stays right next to Ilena. They get on the elevator, get off at the lobby, and as they step out of the building, a couple of guards follow them.

When Ilena notices them, she asks, "Where are they going?"

"They're following us."

"Why? Are we in trouble?"

He briefly chuckles then says, "No. They're following us to protect us."

"Really? Protect us from who?"

"All of the people who decide it might be fun to shoot the Planetary Administrator."

"People want to do that?"

"Although a lot of people disagree with me, none of them have expressed an interest in shooting me. At least not yet, well, except for Roilee Junior. The guards are following me because it's another rule that the PA has to be protected. Fortunately, I've been able to work the security detail down to just two guards who remain at a distance. Otherwise, I would have to have at least a half dozen around me within arm's reach."

"Ugh."

"That's nicely put." They soon arrive at a small park and while they stroll along, one of the Floaters on each of them becomes just visible enough for them to see it cover their eyes. While they can clearly see through it, it seems to make some minute adjustments and then they can see Regit slowly become visible.

Her eyes open wide as she quietly says, "I can see Regit."

"So can I." They quickly glance at the guards who appear to have no reaction. He tries to understand this new development then says, "Another surprise by the Floaters. As they continue to reveal their capabilities, it's going to make the most advanced technology of humans look like children's toys."

"Yeah. . . . And that makes me want to try to protect them even more so they aren't exploited or taken advantage of."

"I totally agree." A couple of moments later, Regit briefly rubs Ilena then dashes off and they stop and stare as one of the small deer like creatures from the forest appears near a small clump of tress and bushes in the park then is swiftly killed by Regit who settles down to eat it. They struggle to not keep staring then move away so the guards don't accidentally stumble over Regit.

When she partially gets over her surprise, Ilena asks, "How did that animal get into the middle of town?"

"I don't know. I have to assume the Floaters somehow guided it here to provide a meal for Regit." They're amazed, but not totally surprised to see a brief and muted light display from the Floaters who are apparently riding on their arms. "I must have guessed right. Thank you, Floaters, for helping us to see Regit and for doing your best to communicate with us." Another muted color display is seen in apparent response to his words.

They sit down on a nearby bench while they try to absorb and quietly talk about what they're learning. In a little while, Regit joins them. Ilena hesitates then asks, "Are we going to need to do something with the parts of the animal Regit didn't eat?"

"I suspect the Floaters have taken that into consideration and have their own solution." The muted color display they see is almost expected. They shake their heads in wonder that they can sometimes guess at what the Floaters are doing, but what's even more amazing is how well the Floaters understand them. A couple of minutes later, they get up and walk back to the government building where they go to the cafeteria for their own breakfast.

Chapter 121

When they're done with breakfast, they go to Chet's office where Ass tells them that Ilena's grandparents had agreed yesterday to the planned meeting time and place. While Chet and Ass discuss other issues, Ilena quietly listens and soon feels like she would be overwhelmed at trying to keep track of everything. Then she realizes that Ass is the one with all of the details, but Chet still has to understand a lot of it in order to make suggestions or to even ask relevant questions.

It's about an hour later when Chet answers his communicator then says, "Please guide them to the small conference room. Thank you." He turns to Ilena and says, "Your grandparents have arrived. Let me make sure they are comfortable and have drinks available before I introduce you and distract them."

"Okay."

He steps over to her, hugs her, and assures her, "Just be yourself and you'll do fine. Remember that your friends care about you and are with you."

"Thank you."

He gives her a quick kiss then steps out the door. After a couple of minutes the door to the small conference room opens and a guard bows an older couple in and says, "Sir, your guests have arrived."

"Thank you, Corporal. Good morning, I'm Chet and you must be Larry and Nikita."

"Yes." They shake hands.

"Before I bring Ilena in to meet you, I want to make sure you are comfortable with the setting. A small variety of drinks are available here and hot water is available for you to make tea if you are interested. . . . Without putting any pressure on you, are they any questions you would like me to try to answer before you meet Ilena?"

Larry hesitates then says, "I guess I'm somewhat surprised that you as the Planetary Administrator would be involved with us meeting Ilena. It's obviously not a planetary issue."

"Maybe it isn't a planetary issue, but I do have a personal interest so am slightly taking advantage of my position. I had the privilege of having Ilena in a few classes when I was a professor at the college before I was roped into this job. She was a conscientious and motivated student who was interested in what she was learning. After I ended up in this job, she would occasionally visit and talk about her current classes. Just to let you know, at the time, she did not know what my position was so there was no way in which she was trying to take advantage of that.

"One day when we were talking, she was feeling somewhat depressed and wondered if she had been orphaned or simply abandoned on the doorstep of the Order where she was found. Since I didn't want her or anybody else to feel as though their parents had abandoned them, I did some research beginning with all of the children who were born on the planet within a few months of the time I suspected Ilena was born.

"I was able to track the whereabouts of every one of those children except one. According to the official records, that one had been involved in an air vehicle wreck and was presumed to have died. Although there could have been another explanation for where Ilena came from, just to make sure, I had a DNA sample from Ilena tested and it was a perfect match to the child who was presumed to have died."

Nikita asks, "So it really is her?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"But how did they know her name or how did she end up at the Order?"

"We don't know exactly how she ended up at the Order and I've been putting together some theories about that. As far as how they knew her acronym name, Ilena was found in this." He steps over to a cupboard and pulls out Ilena's baby carrier which she had brought with them for the purpose.

Nikita gasps and as tears form in her eyes, she lightly touches the baby carrier and says, "It's hers. It's really hers. We bought it for her before she was born and John had her name inscribed in the handle." She turns into Larry's arms and weeps while his own tears slide down his cheeks.

Chet discretely sets a tissue box near them.

When they're mostly calmed down, Larry says, "Thank you, sir, for doing the research and finding out that Ilena didn't die. Although we had resigned ourselves to the idea of her death, it was very difficult for us to accept that some wild animal had . . . 'disposed' of her."

"I totally understand. Compared to the usual issues I have to deal with, it was a joy for me to have the evidence so I could assure Ilena that she hadn't been abandoned and that she was and is a special person."

Nikita hesitates, they says, "I . . . I think I'm ready to meet her."

Larry pauses a moment longer then nods his head in agreement.

Chet responds, "Give me a minute or two and I'll bring her in." He steps out the door and steps into his office where Ilena is talking to Ass who apparently decided to distract her some. When Ilena turns and looks him, he says, "They're ready to meet you and recognized your baby carrier which might mean more to them than a DNA test, probably because it has more of a personal connection with them since they're the ones who purchased it."

"Really?"

"I have no reason to doubt them."

"I didn't mean to make it sound like I was doubtful. I guess I was surprised they would remember something like that after all these years."

"It's amazing what people can remember even without an enhanced memory core." He winks at Ass who laughs in return.

Ilena grins then says, "Well, I think I'm ready to meet them."

"Do you want to use the restroom first?"

"That's a good idea," and she follows his pointing finger to his office bathroom.

When she steps out, he takes her hand and leads her to the conference room. He pulls her close for a quick hug and a kiss, tells her, "Just relax and be yourself," steps back, opens the door, and bows her into the room.

Chapter 122

Ilena recognizes the people from their pictures in the planetary database and tries not to stare at them as Chet says, "Ilena, this is Larry and Nikita, your material grandparents. Larry and Nikita, I would like to introduce you to Ilena."

A moment later, they're briefly startled by a soft thud as Larry braces himself on the table as he stares at Ilena then stares at his wife before he turns back to stare at Ilena. He looks back and forth between them again then asks, "Am I in a time warp or something?"

Although they're all surprised at that question, Chet recovers first and asks, "Why would you think that?"

"She, I mean Ilena, looks exactly like Nikita did when I first met her."

Nikita turns her attention from Larry to Ilena, briefly stares, then her hand goes to her mouth as she responds, "Oh, my. . . . You're right. At least as well as I can remember."

Larry seems to partially recover then pulls some papers out of an envelope and with trembling hands, finds a photograph and sets it on the table.

Ilena steps closer then her eyes open wide and she looks back and forth between them and the photograph several times. Although she's never worn clothes like the woman in the photograph, she's almost sure it's a picture of her. Then Larry turns the picture over and she sees the name and date on the back. She looks back up at Nikita and it's hard to say who moves first to envelop the other in a hug and Larry joins them a moment later.

Chet quietly steps out of the room with a smile.

Eventually, their tears diminish and they reluctantly release the hug, get drinks, and sit at the table. A moment later, Ilena looks around and says, "I wonder when Chet left."

Larry's eyes open wide in surprise before he asks, "You call the Planetary Administrator by his first name?"

"That's how he requested that I address him and that was before I knew what his job was. I was real surprised to found out what his position is, yet even afterwards he insisted that I address him by name as a person instead of by his title."

"Thank you for explaining. I didn't see when he left. I guess I can make the assumption that he wanted to give us some time to get to know each other."

"I'm sure you're right about that. Since Chet was able to find out who I am, I think my biggest question is why do I have such a long name, why am I known by an acronym, and why my full name it's written in a different language."

Larry slightly grins as he says, "That's three questions."

"Now you're beginning to sound like Chet."

He briefly chuckles then Nikita tells him, "And you don't have to be so nit-picky." She turns to Ilena and explains, "Your full name was written in the Cyrillic language which was your father's heritage and to avoid choosing one of your given names to make it easier to refer to you and possibly insult one of the people you were named for, your parents decided to use the acronym of your full name. In regards to your full name, your first name is after your father whose name was Ivan in his original language although he usually went by the translation of John. Your first name, Ivanova, actually means 'daughter of Ivan'.

"Larissa was your mother's name and we chose that name as a feminine name close to Larry." She lays a hand on his arm. "Elianna was your paternal grandmother's name and Nikita is my name as your maternal grandmother. Your parents wanted your acronym name to end in an 'a' sound to indicate your gender as was traditional so they chose to use Larry's mother's name Alexandria to be your fifth name and to complete the acronym."

"Thank you for explaining. One other thing that Chet mentioned which I thought was an unusual piece of information was that I'm the oldest third generation native of this planet because my grandfather was the first person born on this planet. I didn't think to ask Chet, but do you know which grandfather that was?"

Larry chuckles then says, "Yeah, me." He watches Ilena's eyes open wide before he explains. "Of course I only heard about it later, but my mother, Alexandria, was apparently somewhat head strong and decided that she was going to do something to make a name for herself. She didn't think she would ever be in a position of power or authority or have the opportunity to be a heroine nor did she want to hurt others and become a criminal.

"When she was about to deliver me, she enlisted the help of a pilot and a mid-wife. Because this planet was still off-limits to a human presence while they tried to study it from orbit, my mother and her friends 'borrowed' an orbital lander and came down just long enough for me to be born with the help of the mid-wife while the pilot recorded it so there would be no doubt as to where I was born. Of course, they all got into a lot of trouble as a result, but my mother was happy to be able to claim that it was her child who was the first known human born on this planet."

When she is mostly recovered from her surprise at the unexpected story, she says, "Thank you for telling me." A couple of moments later, she thinks of another question and the conversation goes on while they take turns asking and answering questions.

Later, there's a slight lull in the conversation and they're surprised to hear a knock on the door. Since Ilena is sitting the closest, she gets up, opens the door, and smiles when she sees Chet. He returns her smile with a wink then steps in and says, "I didn't intend to interrupt your conversation, but I thought I would see if you were interested in some lunch."

The three of them look at him in surprise then Ilena says, "I didn't realize it was that late."

"Time flies when you're having fun. In regards to lunch, you're free to go to one of the local restaurants or to the cafeteria on the first floor or I can have something brought up from the cafeteria. Whatever you guys want to do. Afterwards, you can either return here to continue your conversation or go somewhere else if that would suit you."

Larry asks, "Ilena, do you have any preference?"

"Since this is my first time to the capital, at least that I'm aware of, I have no idea what's available. At my home station, I grew up eating in the Order's dining room and when I started going to the college, I often ate in the cafeteria. I would be comfortable with that, but I wouldn't object to trying something different."

"We're acquainted with a nice little place not far from here if you're willing to try something new." He returns her smile then directs his attention to Chet and says, "Excuse me, sir, but you're more than welcome to join us."

"As much as I would like to, I wouldn't want to intrude on your conversation nor would I want to bother the other patrons when I have obvious guards accompany me. Believe me, that's not my choice, but it's one of the rules I have to put up with."

"I think I understand."

"Enjoy your lunch."

He starts to step out when Ilena stops him, says, "Chet, thank you for everything," and limits herself to quickly kissing his cheek.

He whispers, "It was truly my pleasure," which sends a thrill through her.

Although Larry and Nikita look at Ilena with expressions of surprise, they know they also feel a lot of gratitude towards Chet for 'finding' their granddaughter.

Chapter 123

After Ilena spent the afternoon with her grandparents who showed her a few sights in the capital while they talked about whatever came to mind, she sits on a bench in the park near the government building to think about all she heard and talked about. This gives Regit the opportunity to take care of her needs and enjoy another meal which the Floaters have guided to the park. When Regit is done, she has to bump Ilena a couple of times to get her attention.

They return to the government building and she has no trouble going through the security checkpoint, but when she gets to the elevators, she realizes that she never paid any attention to which floor of the building Chet's office is on. She steps back out to the main lobby, looks around, and sees a reception desk.

As she steps closer, the man behind the desk asks, "Can I help you?"

"Um, I don't remember which floor Chet's office is on."

"Chet?"

"Yes, the Planet Administrator."

He opens his eyes in surprise then asks, "And who are you?"

"I'm Ilena. I'm his guest."

There's a clear look of disbelief in his eyes, but after a moment's hesitation, he says, "Just a moment while I contact his office."

A moment later, a voice calls out, "Ah, Ilena, welcome back."

She turns and responds, "Hello, Ass."

"Is there a problem?"

She slightly blushes then admits, "I can't remember which floor Chet's office is on."

"It's on the thirteenth floor. Did you know that some people believe the number thirteen is bad luck?"

"No. People really thought that a particular number had luck either good or bad associated with it?"

"Apparently so. I always thought that thirteen was quite a nice prime number and, if anything, a number of generosity. I've run across some references about a so-called 'baker's dozen' where if a person ordered a dozen of something from a baker, the baker would add an extra one for free."

"That does sound generous. Unless they had increased the price of the dozen such that it covered the cost of the 'free' one."

"I suspect that was more frequently the case. If you would, please allow me to escort you to Chet's office."

"Thank you, kind sir."

The person who is manning the reception desk just stares after them and answers the question he is asked, "Never mind, the Assistant Planetary Administrator himself is escorting the young lady."

Ilena steps into the elevator with Ass and a moment after the elevator begins to move, he says, "I don't mean to alarm you, but we appear to have an uninvited guest on the elevator."

She blushes then tries to sound calm as she asks, "Why do you think that?"

"I can distinguish the difference in energy which the elevator uses to lift the weight and it's more than what it would take to lift the weight of the two of us. But you're not surprised. Does that mean I should or should not have security meet us when the elevator stops?"

"Please don't. And I would prefer that Chet is available to help explain."

"As you wish."

They step into Chet's office and wait until he finishes a call. He looks up, smiles, and says, "Welcome back. How was your visit with your grandparents?"

"Very good and it gave me a number of things to think about. Um, we may have a problem in that Ass detected an extra weight on the elevator."

"Oh?"

He turns to look at Ass who explains, "I noticed that the elevator was using more energy than it should have needed to lift Ilena and myself and calculated that the difference was on the order of several hundred pounds. Theoretically, as the motors which run the elevator will become less efficient over time they will require more energy, but not to that degree nor should it happen suddenly."

"I understand." He types a command on his computer then says, "I have engaged the privacy circuit for this room. Ass, this information is for only you until I tell you otherwise."

"You have my vow of confidentiality."

"Thank you, Ass. The secret is that Regit came with us."

"Really? How come I haven't seen her?" His side is slightly bumped and he leaps several feet to the side. He looks all around with every sensor available to him, but when he can register nothing more than what his visual sensors display, he asks, "How is Regit able to be invisible to even an infrared scan?"

"To be honest, I don't know how it's done. From what I'm been able to observe, rather than Regit having the capability of becoming invisible to human perception, the Floaters have the capability and cooperate with Regit so she can move without being observed."

"The Floaters? I've reviewed everything knowingly written about them and the most unusual aspect of them is that gravity doesn't seem to affect them."

"I've only recently become aware of some of their other abilities and I have no wish for some of their abilities to become known because I know a lot of people and entities would happily take advantage of their capabilities without giving a single thought to their well-being."

"I completely understand. Although I haven't had an opportunity to get out much to experience or observe the native flora and fauna, I have to agree with you that we are guests here. Do you have any theory about how the Floaters can cause Regit to be unobservable?"

"I suspect they can somehow bend the light waves around the surface of their bodies so that when a person looks at something, they see what's on the other side of whatever they are looking at. Ilena, can you go ahead and pet Regit?" As she does, Chet says, "As you can observe, Ass, you see Ilena's lower body yet it is actually behind Regit's body from where you are standing."

"Amazing. I can quickly see a number of potential uses for such a capability and even more understand your concerns about the Floaters being exploited rather than enlisting their cooperation. Um, that raises the question as to how you and Ilena know where Regit is standing."

"We each have a Floater which is resting on our head and it covers our eyes and has somehow made an adjustment so that we can see quite normally as well as see what they are hiding from others."

If Ass had normal eyes they would be wide open in surprise.

"I know that if this knowledge is revealed, the military and spy organizations and every criminal type person would flock to this planet to try to acquire their own group of Floaters. I don't know how well the Floaters can distinguish between beings who are concerned about them or just want to use them or what kind of understanding they have regarding our concepts of right or wrong or following moral guidance or obedience to laws. Until that can be determined with some degree of assurance, I'm going to do all that I can to protect them."

Suddenly, the room seems to be filled with flashing colors and Ass can only stare as he sees Regit 'magically' appear while a large portion of the flashing colors seem to surround Chet. A moment later, Ilena smiles and says, "It looks as though the Floaters like what you said and agree with you."

Chapter 124

It takes Ass quite awhile in comparison to his usual processing speed to address Ilena, "You can understand them?"

"Not clearly. We've been able to guess that when they display multitudes of colors like this, it's an expression of joy or agreement or celebration."

"I guess I would have to agree that it seems to be an appropriate interpretation." A moment later, Ass stares as a few Floaters take on a translucent but observable appearance and settle on Ass's arms. "Is there some response I can make which would be appropriate?"

"They seem to like it when we lightly caress them."

Ass hesitates then very gently moves one of his hands over the Floaters which are resting on his other arm and as they seem to respond with a muted color display, Ass's voice has a tone of pleased surprise as he says, "They do seem to like it."

As the number of visible Floaters dissipate from around Chet, he reaches into one of his drawers, pulls out a sugar cube, tosses it up into the air, and they watch as the Floaters seem to bat the sugar cube around the room while the cube slowly diminish then disappear.

Ass asks, "What happened to the sugar cube?"

"The Floaters absorbed them. Apparently, they enjoy sugar as an occasional treat. We've also observed that they will occasionally minutely sample our food. Now, how much nutritional value they gain from it, I have no way of knowing and wouldn't want to do the tests which would probably be necessary to determine that. We've learned to let them sample what they're interested in on the basis that they know what's good for them."

"Boss, just based on what you've said and what little I've seen, if the Floaters aren't anthro-equivalent, then they're so close that to treat them as anything less would be unthinkable."

"That's been our conclusion also. It will probably take a lot of trial and error in order for us to understand them, but they seem to clearly understand us. That would suggest they have the intelligence to somehow know we communicate audibly when they apparently don't do so. And that would normally suggest they shouldn't even be able to understand the concept. Either that or they can understand our thoughts before they're expressed as words."

"I can't imagine very many people will be happy with either of those possibilities."

"You're right about that."

"What are you thinking of doing?"

Chet answers, "As much as I can, I want to keep the knowledge of their capabilities as secret as possible. At the same time, I want to try to figure out a way to more clearly communicate with them in a way which doesn't offend their intelligence or upset them with our slow plodding ways of trying to confirm something. They've obviously been very gracious and trusting in revealing some of their capabilities to us and I have no intention of dishonoring their trust.

"As far as I know, we have a completely unique opportunity here to try to communicate with a life form which doesn't obviously meet any of our preconceived notions of how an intelligent or anthro-equivalent species should look or act. Just to be clear, I'm including Regit's species in what I'm saying and any other species we might become aware of in the future on this planet which might have similar self-awareness." Ass watches in amazement as Regit steps around his desk and rubs her head on Chet's chest.

A few moments later, Ass says, "Boss and Ilena, as well as you, Regit, and the Floaters, thank you very much for taking me into your confidence. I shall treasure your trust for as long as I am functional and look forward to doing what I can to learn to communicate with the natives of this planet." As a number of Floaters colorfully gather around him, Ass doesn't know if he can sense their joy or if their action somehow activates the emotion within himself.

When Regit steps over to him and rubs her head on him, Ass asks, "What is an appropriate response to Regit's action?"

Ilena answers, "She likes to be scratched around and behind her ears."

As Ass gently scratches Regit, he hears her rumble and as he quickly searches reference materials, he realizes that she's purring which is identified as a feline expression of enjoyment although due to Regit's size, her purr is in a much lower register than the recordings he accesses.

Chet pushes his chair back and stands up as he says, "I suggest that it's time for us human type creatures to indulge in the acquisition of sustenance so we have the energy to meet our responsibilities and to do what we can to protect the natives of this planet."

There's a brief colorful display then the Floaters and Regit suddenly disappear even though Ass can still feel Regit who is leaning against his side. Since Ass can no longer see Regit or where his fingers are scratching, Ass lifts his hand and says, "Thank you, Regit for trusting me to touch you." He feels a slight bump and since he's not sure how to interrupt such an action, he asks, "After I told Regit 'thank you', she lightly bumped me. Do you know what that means?"

Ilena answers, "No, but it seems to me as though that's her way of saying, 'You're welcome'."

"Without any other data available, that would seem to be an appropriate interpretation. In that case, thank you again, Regit." He gets another light bump then somehow senses that Regit steps over to Ilena which seems to be confirmed when Ilena's fingers make scratching motions in mid-air.

"Well, Ass, shall I encourage you to break into your stash of special oil so you can appear to ingest something while you join us for dinner?"

He chuckles then says, "No thank you, Boss. You guys go ahead and enjoy dinner. Now I have some other things to research which is what I most like to do. As somebody once wrote, data is an acronym for the 'delicious acquisition of tasty answers'."

Chet grins and even as Ilena looks at Ass in surprise, Chet grabs her hand and leads her out of the door.

Chapter 125

As they get in the elevator, Ilena says, "I'm glad Ass didn't simply call security when he realized the elevator weighed more than what he expected. At the same time, it surprised me that he could determine that."

Chet nods his head as he responds, "I didn't specifically know that Ass was monitoring the energy usage of the elevator, but it doesn't surprise me. He has many more capabilities than are necessary for his position so he's continually expanding what he knows and keeps track of. I was surprised when I first learned that one of his models was assigned here. Typically, they are assigned to a much more populated world which would more fully make use of their capabilities. Without directly asking him, I'm guessing that he suspected the additional weight in the elevator wasn't a danger although what might have clued him into that, I won't even try to take a guess."

"Thank you for explaining, or at least trying to."

He returns her grin and when the elevator comes to a stop, they get off. As she walks with Chet then steps into an open door with him, she's surprised to realize it's not a cafeteria.

Before she can ask, a woman steps up and says, "Good evening, sir. A table for two, I presume?"

"Yes, thank you, Kathleen."

"Right this way." She leads them to a table and Ilena tries to quickly recover from her surprise when Chet holds out a chair for her. As she accepts what Kathleen holds out to her, she belatedly realizes that it's called a menu. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"Two ice teas, please."

"Coming right up." Ilena barely has a chance to open the menu before Kathleen is back with the drinks then steps away to give them an opportunity to make a choice.

As Ilena reads the menu, she becomes rather dismayed because she has no idea what most of the choices are nor can she even guess at how they might taste. She hesitates to admit, "Chet, can you choose something for me? I don't have a clue as to what most of these things are."

"While I suspected that might be the case, I wanted to give you the opportunity to make your own choice in case you had heard somebody describe a meal which sounded good to you."

"Thank you for your consideration. Until I have more experience in order to form an opinion, I think I'll rely on your wisdom."

"I'm not sure if I'm prepared to handle that much responsibility."

She returns his grin then watches as he raises his hand. Before it gets all of the way into the air, Kathleen is there and asks, "What did you decide on?"

"We'll share the seafood sampler."

She smiles then turns to Ilena and says, "I think you'll enjoy it."

Since she's startled at that, it takes Ilena a moment or two to respond, "Why do you say that?"

"Without intending to embarrass you, your presence with Chet is the hottest rumor in the building. Not only that, but I recognize your clothing and if the chapter of the Order you grew up in was anything like the one I attended, seldom was any seafood served in the dining room."

Ilena eyes open wide before she asks, "You were in the Order?"

"I wasn't in training to become a sister, but I did attend for several years because my parents hoped I would get a better precollege education if there weren't boys around to distract me like happened to my older sister."

"Oh, thank you for explaining."

"You're welcome. Well, let me get your order turned in."

"Thank you, Kathleen."

"You're welcome, boss," she responds with a wink.

After Kathleen steps away, Ilena asks, "Why does it seem like everyone calls you 'boss'?"

He chuckles then says, "Kathleen actually works as an analyst under Ass. Since she spends all of her day looking at information and numbers, she apparently decided she needed more human interaction so she works here as a hostess a couple of evenings a week. One of the rumors is that some young ladies who previously worked as a hostess here found it was a good way to meet eligible young men who they wouldn't otherwise have a chance to meet. A related rumor is that more young men are coming here for a meal to meet the young ladies."

"Considering some of the things I've overheard at college, that doesn't surprise me because it seems as though many of the female students are more interested in meeting males than in learning something worthwhile."

"From what I've read, that seems to be quite typical for young people. I'm glad you're not like that."

She slightly blushes then says, "I didn't go to go college in order to meet a guy . . . even if that's what happened."

He gently holds her hand as he assures her, "I know that wasn't your intent, but sometimes I can't resist teasing you a little especially when you became interested in an old worn out guy."

She leans forward and quietly says, "You're not as worn out as you like to claim and I intend to encourage you to demonstrate your stamina and wear me out a little later." Her expression of invitation is very convincing.

His brief look of surprise is slowly replaced by a grin then he says, "It will truly be my pleasure to make such an attempt." His expression of desire for her almost tempts her to leap across the table. Somehow, she manages to stay seated then struggles to redirect her mind when he asks, "So, what do you think about your grandparents?"

Without intruding on her privacy, he encourages her to express her feelings and tell him about what she and her grandparents talked about. Once the meal is served, their limited conversation is more about what they're sampling and what she thinks about the various kinds of seafood. If the Floaters who are with them have their own tastes of the food, neither of them is able to notice. When they're done eating, they take the time to finish their drinks then thank the waitress and as they leave the restaurant, they thank Kathleen.

Rather than lead her to his quarters, he leads her outside and as they walk to the park, a couple of guards follow at a distance. Regit takes care of her bodily needs then steps closer to bump Chet back towards the government building. He asks in surprise, "Doesn't Regit need something to eat?"

"After I spent time with my grandparents, I came here to sit on a bench and think for awhile and the Floaters guided an animal here for Regit to eat. When she was done, I returned to the building."

"Oh, okay. That makes sense." He guides her in a slow circuit through the park towards the building as though to convince the guards that they were out for a casual stroll, while their interlaced fingers seem to carry on a silent conversation of how much they want to touch and be touched which makes it difficult for them to act casual.

Chapter 126

Before Chet allows himself to be totally distracted by Ilena's enticing presence, as soon as they step into his quarters and lock the door, he says, "Regit and Floaters, thank you for revealing yourselves to Ass. I am very sure he will keep your capabilities a secret and may even figure out some way for us to better understand you and communicate with you. Maybe then we can know how to more properly address you." This time, he's only partially surprised at how the Floaters seem to light up the room with color while Regit briefly rubs herself on them before she settles along the side of the room to sleep.

Soon, the Floaters seem to form a shell around Chet and Ilena, but they really don't need any outside encouragement to step closer, tightly hug, and thoroughly kiss. As the kisses continue then intensify, they begin to caress each other as far as they can reach. In a little while, it becomes clear that she's more affected by his caresses because her caresses of him seem to become more clumsy or even intermittent.

Before his knees lock in place from standing still for too long, he guides her to the sofa and as she quickly settles in his arms and on his upper legs, she looks forward to him now being able to more fully caress all over her body. Although he takes his time to expand how much of her he touches, it seems like each of his caresses builds her anticipation for enjoying how he's going to touch her next. While his caresses remain on the outside of her clothing, he still excites her to several brief climaxes by caressing her breasts and pubic area before he gradually diminishes the extent of his caresses.

Reluctantly, they need to take a bladder break, but only drink some of their tea before they can't seem to resist each other and move back to the sofa. Their renewed kisses quickly become passionate which makes it difficult for him to more slowly expand his caresses. During the necessary breathing breaks, she starts to unbutton his shirt, but she doesn't finish before his caresses as he slowly pushes her loose shirt off of her distract her with swiftly growing pleasure, especially when his fingers linger over her bra covered breasts.

Once her shirt is removed, he touches her on her breasts to only two brief climaxes before he begins to reduce the extent of his caresses. When he's 'just' snugly holding her, she encourages him to cooperate with taking his shirt off. Shortly after that, she resumes the kisses which she is unable to keep going for long as she needs her breath in order to respond to the pleasure which grows within her as his caresses expand.

During a breathing break, he guides her to turn ninety degrees to her left so her back is resting on his chest. She revels in the feeling of skin on skin especially after he removes her bra then starts to caress closer around her breasts. Before he sends her pleasure soaring, she clumsily cooperates as he pushes her pants off. Then as his hands caress up her bare inner thighs, the pleasure seems to roar right through her.

His caresses around her breasts and almost on her pubic area keep her so close to the peak of climax for what seems like an incredibly long time that she feels like her body is trembling, but she doesn't have the strength to lift her arms in order to add that little bit more pleasure to reach the peak. Then he touches her a little more and each mini-climax he gives her seems to reduce her tension only by a minimal amount while it excites her even more. When his hands 'finally' settle on her breasts while his fingers stimulate her nipples, her pleasure rockets up into an intense orgasm which keeps going until he moves his hands away and her body goes limp while her mind seems to be a bare synaptic spark away from unconsciousness.

He gently caresses her away from her excited pleasure nerves in an attempt to help her recover. Of course, he could just hold her, but he can't seem to resist his temptation to keep touching her even if he manages to do so in a less exciting manner. A little later, she manages to make it to the table with his help where they finish their tea and rest for awhile. When she feels a little energy, she asks, "Would you be willing to take me to your bed and put me to sleep with pleasure?"

His eyes widen with surprise and as he thinks about that, he almost suggests that her bed might be more comfortable for her then realizes that it's not 'her' bed which is here. While he's concerned about setting a precedence, he's not sure he can resist her offer. And if he did insist on touching her on 'her' bed, even if he could resist spending the night with her, it would be easy for her to go to his bed and spend the night.

He mentally sighs and since he knows what he really wants to do and that it actually matches her spoken request, he says, "It shall be my great honor and privilege to make the attempt to accede to your request."

She doesn't know how he can respond in an apparent calm and almost formal manner when she can see the desire in his eyes for her and feel the heat of his desire which seems to emanate from his body. If she had the energy, she would simply leap on him and let their desire melt their clothes off so their bodies could join in great pleasure. Instead, she uses her energy to get ready for bed then insists that he takes his pants off while she avidly watches him.

Soon, they're settled on his bed with the covers partially pulled up while they lay on their sides facing each other and start to kiss and caress. It's not long before her anticipation of the coming pleasure in combination with the excitement of his expanding caresses makes it difficult for her to kiss, so she lays back on the bed and is thrilled to feel him scoot closer to her. A little later, his kisses move down to her neck then to her upper chest and as he moves his body down the bed, he's able to expand the caresses of his right hand over more of her bare legs.

As the pleasure continues to grow within her, about all she's able to do is to enjoy it and gasp out words which she hopes will encourage him to touch her even more. Then his kisses are joined by his caressing tongue all around and on her breasts while his caressing right hand moves further up the insides of her thighs. Her whole body seems to be vibrating right on the verge of climax when his lips kiss the end of one of her extended nipples, then open just enough to slide down the edges of her nipple.

That sends her pleasure soaring over the peak of climax, but when his lips briefly kiss her areola then seal around her nipple and suck while his fingers caress her inner thigh just in front of her pubic area, her excitement leaps straight to orgasmic ecstasy until she can absorb no more pleasure and falls unconscious. He forces himself to move his lips and hands away from her while he pants for breath after his own climax. Even though he knows he should wash up his release from his underwear, he doesn't want to be away from her for a moment longer than necessary so he lays down beside her, pulls the covers up, gently lays his right arm across her upper abdomen, and falls asleep.

Chapter 127

As she slowly wakes up in the morning, Ilena feels so wonderful, she doesn't want to move or even think about moving away from Chet's warm and gently loving body. She's still unable to wrap her mind around how much he cares about her, how wonderfully he treats her, and how much pleasure he so willingly gives her while he claims to be selfish. Before her mind can consider his positive attributes much longer, her bladder decides that it deserves some attention and becomes quite bothersome about its demands.

When she steps out of his bathroom, she sees that he's starting to sit up on the side of his bed. When he notices her as she moves towards him, his eyes open wide while he stares at her then he seems to ask in disbelief, "Ilena?"

"I'm right here," while she spreads her arms wide in invitation.

"You . . . you're really . . . here?"

"Of course I am. Why, where do you think I would be?"

"I'm sorry. I guess I'm not awake enough, but the idea that you would want to be in bed with me is so unbelievable . . . I assumed it had to be a fantastic dream."

"It wasn't a dream, but the pleasure you gave me before I fell asleep was definitely fantastic."

Apparently, he is waking up more because she notices that his eyes slowly caress her body which is only wearing a panty and as he caresses her a little more with his eyes, he starts to smile and she's delighted to see his desire for her begin to grow in his eyes. As he stands up, she's excited that his desire is expressed by more than just his eyes, but before she can encourage him to more fully express his desire, he mutters, "Damn nuisance bladder," and barely touches her as he steps around her in his hurry to the bathroom.

When he steps out of the bathroom, he briefly hesitates and as he steps closer, he can't resist her inviting smile and open arms. Even before his arms can finish going around her, he's responding to her thorough kiss then almost moans in peace and contentment at feeling as though he's right where he most wants to be. At the same time, he resists the temptation to consider the thought that this is where he belongs. Before the thought or kiss can progress further, a discordant noise interrupts them.

Without taking the time to either sigh or curse, he speaks up, "End alarm," and the noise stops.

"Do you always have to tell it to stop?"

"No. If I'm still in bed when it starts, I can hit a button to turn it off."

"You have to hit it?"

"No, I just need to press it, but sometimes hitting it harder than necessary is a way to express my frustration at it reminding me of my responsibilities."

"I think I can understand that."

"As much as I don't want to, I suppose I ought to chase you out of the room so I can get ready for work."

"Not without a good kiss." He quickly responds to the kiss she initiates and since he can't resist her body which is pressing on his, his hands caress her from her neck to her panty covered buttocks which he fondles to her delight. Neither of them is able to remember how many breathing breaks they were forced to take before duty seems to get a word in edgewise as it reminds him that there's more to life, even if it isn't anywhere near as pleasant as sharing physical affection.

He steps back, gently turns her, softly pats her buttocks, and says, "Go, before I do take advantage of you or have Ass break the door down and find us in a compromising position."

"Although we would be embarrassed if he did see us, it wouldn't be a compromising position, it would be a joyous sharing of pleasure." She turns and as she walks from the room, the sensuous roll of her hips forces him to use every bit of his mental strength to not follow her. After she steps out of the room and closes the door, he shakes his head then struggles to get ready for work while his mind seems to want to replay his memory of all of her enticing moves.

As they did yesterday, they walk to the nearby park where the Floaters provide another meal for Regit and when she's done, they go to the cafeteria for their own meal. After they're done eating, Chet asks, "Did you have any plans for today?"

"Apparently, Grandpa Larry, that's going to take some getting used to, has something to do this morning, but Grandma Nikita wants to meet me in an hour or so and take me shopping. I'm sure she means something more than what I'm used to, but I'm willing to go along and maybe learn what some of the other females at college mean when they talk about going shopping."

"Are you going to need some spending credits?"

"I would rather not have any available or at least until after I can see what is being offered then have a chance to compare prices. I don't feel like I need anything and although my clothes may not be fashionable, they're comfortable and are easy to take care of. Nor am I interested in collecting a bunch of trinkets."

"Good for you."

"Why do you say that?"

"I've known of a lot of people, although a higher percentage of them tend to be women, who purchase something which looks pretty or interesting then a couple of weeks or a month later, they wonder why they spent their money on it. Even if they can return it and receive their credit back, they seem to be embarrassed at the idea of admitting they weren't being smart when they purchased it in the first place. Or in the case of clothing, when they wear it for a day, it doesn't seem to be as comfortable as when they tried it on in the store."

"I've heard some of the other females in college say some something along those lines. Of course, if they do want to try to return it, it's another long trip back to the capital or where ever they purchased it."

"Which makes it seem like it's more effort than it's worth to return it so the item sits unused in their closet while they no longer have the credit they spent on it."

"Yeah. Thank you for being willing to talk to me about such things and remind me because even though I've seen and heard about people who purchase things they soon no longer want, I might not have remembered the results until I made the same mistake."

"I selfishly like to talk with you especially when you're willing to listen. I certainly don't expect you to agree with everything I say, but I still appreciate it that you seriously think about what you're told."

She hesitates a little then tries to keep her grin on the inside as she says, "I don't know, Chet, at the rate you keep claiming to be selfish towards me, I might have to start working harder to get my share of selfishness from our relationship."

He looks at her in surprise then struggles to keep a straight face as he asks, "Are you insinuating that you have selfish motives to be with me?"

She leans closer to quietly assure him, "Totally selfish as I very much want to continue enjoying how wonderfully you treat me and how excitingly you touch me. And I'd better not think about that any more or I'm going to leap across this table and put on quite a show."

He briefly stares at her then doesn't dare to even think about requesting that the Floaters hide them so he can selfishly touch her to give her the pleasure she selfishly claims she wants. Somehow, he manages to calmly say, "Before we do embarrass ourselves or put on a show, shall we go up to my office where I need to get some work done and you can rest before your shopping trip with your grandmother?"

Now it's her turn to stare at him before she asks, "How can you respond in such a calm manner?"

"With great difficulty, my exciting young lady, with very great difficulty." He stands up, helps her up, takes her hand, and walks with her to the elevators.

Chapter 128

As soon as they step in the elevator and Chet sees that they have it to themselves, he pushes the close door button then barely waits for the elevator to start moving before he pulls Ilena tightly to him and kisses her as though he can't wait any longer.

Her surprise at his move is barely noticeable then she thoroughly responds and presses herself to him so firmly that he takes a step back in order to lean on the side of the elevator while his hands slide down to grip her pants covered buttocks and pull her even tighter to him. Neither of them is sure what distracts them, but they manage to separate, straighten out their clothes, and paste on a bland expression just before the elevator stops and the doors open. Although it may be a risk, he takes her hand and as she tightens her grip, it's almost as though they can communicate their desire for each other through that limited touch so they don't disturb others or embarrass themselves.

Shortly after they step into Chet's office, Ass is there and as they discuss some of the issues which need to be dealt with, Ilena unobtrusively listens and although she knows there's nothing she can contribute to the discussions, she appreciates the number of factors they try to take into consideration while they try to determine which decision will benefit all or at least the majority of those who might be affected. Ass leaves to either implement their decisions or to do some more research and Chet gets ready for his first teleconference of the day. Just before the meeting starts, he smiles at her and blows her a kiss which diminishes her concerns that she maybe she shouldn't be listening in on Chet's meeting.

Although she didn't know what the agenda is, it soon becomes clear that the meeting is about one of the farming communities as she hears a number of statistics and reports about yields and crop rotation and man hours expended and mechanical resource usage. There's a pause at the apparent end of the reports then the farm manager requests that they be authorized to clear enough forest to double the size of the farm as well as to import additional machines and workers which will require more living quarters to be built. While Ilena's jaw drops open in total surprise at such a request, Chet seems unperturbed.

When the farm manager has completed his request and waits for an answer, Chet simply asks, "Why?"

Although Ilena can't see the monitor, she's sure the farm manager just stares at Chet in surprise. As though he's stating the obvious, the farm manager answers, "To produce more food."

"Why? I haven't been informed that there are any shortages of food in any of the communities."

"If we produce more food, we can increase the population."

"Why do we want to do that?"

"How else are we going to grow?"

"Is there a reason we need to grow only in the sense of having more residents on the planet?"

"That's the only way we can compete with the major planets."

"Since when are we in competition with them? . . . Or do you want to turn this planet into a wasteland like many of the overpopulated planets which don't have enough room or other resources to grow the food they need to feed their residents and have to spend billions of credits to import food from other planets?"

"I'm not suggesting we go that far. Another possibility is that if we can produce more food than we need here, we can sell the rest to the overpopulated planets."

"Except that the shipping costs from here will be more than from other planets. And if you did manage to sell the 'excess' food to other planets at a premium, then you and the other farm managers would soon be wanting to sell even more food to other planets which would cause shortages here and increase the prices on this planet. If you're so interested in increasing the size of the farm you're managing, I encourage you to transfer to one of the farming planets rather than tear up more of this planet and create more environmental problems."

"I assume that means you do not approve of us increasing the size of this farm."

"That is correct. And if I find out that you have increased the farm by even one square foot, and it will be monitored, you will be removed from your position. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir."

"Okay. Is there anything else which needs to be discussed? . . . Thank you for your time. Meeting adjourned." Chet disconnects the call then leans back in his chair and exclaims, "Why do they all seem to think that bigger is better? Or never think about the long range effects?

"They claim they don't want to go as far as the overpopulated worlds, but they do want to grow. Then two years later, they want to grow more and it just keeps going until the entire world is either under concrete or under the plow. Then since the investors earn more from housing units rather than farms, more of the planet becomes concrete and the farms can't feed the populace. And that's assuming the environment hasn't been totally destroyed and no longer functions. . . . I'm sorry, I didn't mean to go on a rant."

Ilena assures him, "You didn't. You spoke the truth. History is full of examples which describe exactly what you said. Personally, I very much appreciate what you said to him."

"Thank you." Before he can say more, his communicator activates and he answers, "This is Chet." He listens, pushes the mute button, turns to her and asks, "Are you ready to go shopping with your grandmother?"

"Sure, why not."

"Okay." He releases the mute button then says, "Please advise Nikita that Ilena will be there shortly. Thank you." He disconnects the call then turns and says, "Enjoy your time with your grandmother."

"Not before I enjoy a good kiss." Although he's surprised at her request, he quickly responds and since they each enjoy the taste of the other so much, they don't want to separate until a breathing break is required. They almost renew the kiss, but remember they have other plans or responsibilities. Even as she's trying to catch her breath, she gasps out, "Later, baby," then walks to the door while he almost chokes as he tries to breathe and laugh at the same time.

Chapter 129

Ilena doesn't know how many times she has to say, "Yes, Grandma, it is pretty, but it won't add any value to my life and it will just waste your hard earned credits," before they finally take a break from 'shopping' to meet with Larry for lunch. They have a light and pleasant conversation during lunch and she enjoys trying something new and makes a mental note of the name of the dish.

As they're sipping their drinks after the meal, Larry says, "Ilena, I heard that the Chief Scientist would like to meet with you."

She struggles to remain calm as she asks, "Meet with me? Whatever for?"

"I'm not sure I understood it well enough to explain, but it was something along the lines of your interaction with some of the native animals which few people have even seen."

She briefly hesitates then says, "There are a few natives who spend time on the farm where I work, but I don't know whether that would qualify as 'interacting' with them."

"I was told that you were seen actually riding one of the larger animals. Since the animal in question looks like what the history books describe as a saber toothed tiger, I would think that was more than 'interacting' with them."

Nikita asks in shocked surprise, "A tiger?"

"Yes."

While she struggles to control her anger, Ilena lowers her voice instead of yells, "First of all, Regit is NOT an animal. She's my friend and for a long time she was about my only friend. I don't care who the so-called Chief Scientist thinks he is, but he's not going to 'study' Regit or any of my other friends whether they're human or native. . . . Excuse me, I need to use the ladies' room." She quickly gets up and hurries to the restroom.

Nikita asks, "Was there a reason you had to go and upset Ilena like that?"

"I didn't know it was going to upset her, but I was strongly 'encouraged' to find out anything I could about her and how she interacts with the native animals."

"Oh. . . . And she really rode on a tiger?"

"Yes. I was shown a brief recording of it and had to watch it a few times to even begin to believe it."

"Are you sure it wasn't either staged or that it was actually Ilena?"

"Well, I'm quite sure it wasn't staged, but I'm not as positive it was her since there was just a brief glance at her face, but the Chief Scientist assured me that it was her and claimed that the Planetary Administrator admitted it was her."

"Oh, my."

In the bathroom, Ilena struggles to control her trembling limbs in order to empty her bladder while she also struggles to not vomit with her worry that somebody would want to harm Regit. As she washes her hands, she looks in the bathroom mirror to wipe her eyes then stares as she slowly disappears from sight. A couple of moments later, she understands and feels like she hugs herself in an attempt to hug the Floaters who are riding her as she tells them, "Thank you so much," and slightly smiles as they give her a muted color display in response.

Now that she feels a little more confident, she steps out of the bathroom and as she walks out of the restaurant, she glances towards her grandparents who are quietly talking. She's a little ways down the street before she realizes and says, "I'm not sure which way to go in order to get back to Chet's office." A moment later, Regit gently pushes her at an angle and Ilena holds onto Regit and says, "Thank you," as they walk back to the government building.

A couple of minutes later, Nikita says, "Ilena should have been back by now. Let me go check on her." She goes to the bathroom and when she doesn't see Ilena, she steps out and asks one of the staff, "Did you see a young woman go out your back door?"

"No, ma'am, nobody but staff has been in the back."

"Oh. Thank you." She hurries back to the table and says, "Ilena's gone."

"Gone? What do you mean she's gone?"

"She's not in the bathroom and one of the staff says she didn't go out the back."

"Well, she didn't walk through here. Let me go check with the manager."

It takes a little while before Larry can convince the manager to review the interior security recordings and they see Ilena go into the bathroom, but she isn't seen coming out. A female staff member goes in and confirms that she's not in there and since there isn't a window or any other way in or out of the restroom except through the door, they have no idea what happened to her. When Larry starts to make threatening suggestions, the manager makes it clear they do not spy on their customers and if he doesn't pay his bill and peacefully leave, the police will be involved.

Larry reluctantly admits defeat, pays his bill, and leaves. As they walk down the street, he hesitates to ask, "What are we going to tell the Planetary Administrator? For some reason, he seems to have a special interest concerning Ilena's welfare."

Nikita answers, "All we can do is tell him the truth that she went into the restaurant restroom, but never came out and that she's not there."

"I guess I don't understand why she would be so upset about talking to the Chief Scientist about the native animals."

"She did say she considered them her friends."

"Yes, but she's old enough that she ought to recognize that while they may be friendly, they're only animals and not to be equated with a human or even a known anthro-equivalent alien as a friend."

Chapter 130

As Ilena steps into Chet's office, he takes one look at her stormy face and speaks up, "Ass, can you please continue the meeting? Something came up which I need to deal with right away."

"Sure, Boss."

He barely says, "Thank you," before he disconnects the call, stands up, takes Ilena into his arms and before he can ask, "What's the matter?" she tightly holds onto him and bursts into tears.

It takes awhile for her to calm down enough to stop sobbing, but she clings to him longer to let the peace and comfort she feels from him soak in a little more.

When he guesses she might be ready to answer, he softly asks, "Ilena, what's the matter?"

"My 'grandfather' said the Chief Scientist wanted to talk to me about how I interact with the natives he kept calling animals. I couldn't stand it anymore and left."

"That bastard!!"

"Which one?"

"Both, but especially the Chief Scientist because I specifically told him that when YOU were interested in discussing your relationship with Regit that either I or you would contact him and he agreed to wait until you were ready. . . . I'm angry enough that I know I had better wait some before I decide how to respond."

"Apparently, I was seen riding Regit."

"That would have been when Regit joined us in the cafeteria for lunch and invited you to ride her afterwards. It was recorded by the outside security monitors which are accessible to anyone who is interested in looking at them although their access is documented in case it comes out later that somebody viewed the recordings with the intent to commit a crime."

"Oh. So I can't complain about my privacy being invaded."

"Not in regards to the recording. Although we might be able to claim that or something similar in regards to the Chief Scientist breaking his agreement and trying to pressure you through your grandfather. Let me send a message to our legal division so they can review the options." Ilena is surprised when Chet guides her to the other side of his desk and to sit on his upper legs as his reaches around her to reach his keyboard and type a written message.

Before they can do more than briefly kiss, his communicator activities and after he briefly listens, he says, "I'll go ahead and take it and thank you for letting me know." A moment later, he says, "Your grandfather is calling. I'm going to answer it and put it on speaker so you can hear, but I want you to stay quiet. Okay?"

Although she wonders why he would request that, she agrees, "Okay."

He gives her a quick smile then accesses the correct line and says, "This is Chet."

"Um, this is Larry, Ilena's grandfather. I don't know how to say this, but . . . Ilena has disappeared."

"What do you mean, 'disappeared'?"

"Nikita and I were having lunch with her when she went to the ladies room and never came back out. Nikita went in and couldn't find her and we checked with the restaurant manager who couldn't find her in the restroom and we even reviewed the security recordings and saw Ilena go in, but not come out. And there's no other way out of the restroom except through the door. I'm sorry, but I don't know what else we could have done to find her."

Chet hesitates for several long moments as though he's trying to digest that news then asks, "Was there anything said or done which might have encouraged Ilena to 'disappear'?"

"Are you saying she can 'disappear' at will?"

"Of course not, but I'm trying to consider every possibility. She's a smart young lady and maybe she found a way to erase the portion of the security recording which showed her walking away. If that's a possibility then it would suggest she had a motive to 'disappear' and I would like to know if there was anything which was said or done which might have given her a motive."

Larry hesitates to admit, "Well, I told her the Chief Scientist was interested in talking to her about how she interacts with the native animals."

"That bastard!!"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"The Chief Scientist agreed to wait until Ilena was ready to talk about her relationship with her native friends and that either she would initiate the contact or I would initiate the contact on her behalf. Apparently, his word has no value and I'm not sure how I'm going to respond to him exhibiting such a blatant disrespect towards Ilena or to her friends, especially if he's going to insist on calling them animals when he's disregarded several indications that they may be anthro-equivalent. If you speak to him before I do, let him know that he might consider transferring to another planet where he doesn't have to deal with anthro-equivalent natives."

"Are you saying the natives . . . are anthro-equivalent?"

"No. I'm saying they may be. There are some strong indications that they are self-aware, which means we need to treat them as if they are anthro-equivalent until we can more carefully determine whether they are or are not or may be in the process of becoming so. In the meantime, we need to act as though we are guests on this planet and not offend them."

There's a long pause before Larry responds, "Oh. I suppose that makes sense. . . . What are we going to do about finding Ilena?"

"Although she's rather upset about how she was treated and how disrespectfully her friends were treated, she is safe and unharmed."

"How . . ."

"Well, since I didn't see her leave the restaurant or arrive here, then I can simply guess that she was carried here on the wings of truth and righteousness. Or maybe there's a native deity who is watching over her because she treats her native friends with courtesy and respect. Or there might be some other explanation which is beyond my imagination or comprehension."

"I don't think I can accept any of those explanations even though I don't have a better explanation. I am sorry I upset her and am glad she is safe."

"Thank you for that and I'll let her know. Maybe when she has some time to calm time, she'll contact you. In the meantime, I have another meeting scheduled so I'll bid you a good day. Bye." He barely disconnects the call before he's responding to Ilena's through kiss.

When she can, she says, "Thank you so much for calming me down and dealing with him. I'm sure I would have made a mess of it if I tried to talk to him."

"It's my pleasure to do what I can to help you. As much as I would prefer to ignore the world and selfishly spend time with you, I do have another meeting. You're welcome to listen or you can go to my quarters or whatever you think you are comfortable doing."

"Would I interfere with Ass's work if I talked to him?"

"No. As he likes to claim, he's very good at multi-tasking and can carry on multiple conversations electronically in addition to one verbally while he does research and writes reports, all at the same time. I'm sure he would be delighted to talk with you. Maybe I ought to have some extra circuits installed then maybe I could spend more time with you and still do my work."

"Except that when you did have time, I wouldn't have your undivided attention and I really like how you pay attention to me." She thoroughly kisses him before she steps away and goes to Ass's office.

Chapter 131

"Ilena, please come in and have a seat."

"Hello, Ass. Without interrupting your work do you have some time to talk with me? Chet claims you're much better at multi-tasking than he is and I'm concerned that if I stay in his office while he has teleconferences, I might distract him."

He briefly chuckles they says, "Of course I can talk with you. Was there something specific you wanted to talk about?"

"Nothing really comes to mind, I just didn't know what else to do with myself. From some of the things Chet has said about you, you have a lot of knowledge and I thought this might be a good time for me to maybe learn something from you."

"Why, thank you. Since we don't have another subject upon which to start our conversation, I have done some research and there is no recorded instance of an anthro-equivalent species being identified who remained in a so-called natural environment as opposed to a so-called civilized or industrial environment unless they were aquatic and those were not easily identified. There is the possibility that humans have previously ignored potential land dwelling anthro-equivalent species unless they were overly obvious about their technological capabilities such as building cities, communication networks, transportation systems, or spacecraft."

"That doesn't surprise me. I guess that since humans believe they are self-aware intelligent beings, then any other being who wants to be considered equivalent to humans must display similar characteristics in order to be recognized as anthro-equivalent."

"That's an appropriate guess because a number of scholars and scientists have virtually said that. I'm afraid that such a bias was sometimes used to justify rejecting the possibility that some species could be considered intelligent as well as to provide a 'reason' to eliminate a potential rival."

"That's one of the primary reasons I want to be very careful about who knows about Regit and the Floaters or any of the other native species who may not be considered anthro-equivalent but have shown trust towards some of us. I couldn't stand myself if I betrayed their trust, even inadvertently."

"I totally understand and agree with you. It took quite a lot of work and evidence before the majority of the scientists accepted that my electromechanical predecessors were intelligent and even longer to accept them as anthro-equivalent. Yet they were the ones who built us and provided us with our basic capabilities. But, as often happens, they didn't look past the end of their noses to consider the long term potential or consequences."

"So your 'species' was in a similar situation to what Regit and the Floaters find themselves in."

"That would be a fair statement. It addition, I think this is a very exciting opportunity for us to learn how to communicate with them and learn from them. Who knows what jewels of wisdom they take for granted which could revolutionize some aspect of our own existence. Not only that, but some of the few natural capabilities they have which I'm aware of, are way beyond the most advanced human technology.

"For example, how do the Floaters apparently bend light with their bodies to make themselves or another being appear invisible? How does Regit communicate with the Floaters when they appear to be completely different species without a common communication capability unless it's telepathic? How come the Floaters are apparently not affected by gravity? I don't know what you've been thinking about in regards to a career path, but you could easily make it your life's work to learn about the native beings on this planet and be their liaison to all other known anthro-equivalent beings."

"Oh, my. . . . I . . . I knew I wanted to learn more about them and be with them, but I never considered that they could be my career."

As the room lights up with color, Ass quickly recovers from his surprise and says, "I think they like the idea."

"I guess so. But . . ."

"But, what?"

"A career means that a person works for someone or some entity which provides for their welfare either by paying them a salary or otherwise providing them with their living necessities. I would be concerned about the ulterior motive of somebody who was willing to support me while I learn more about Regit's species and the Floaters and the other beings on this planet."

"Would you be concerned about Chet or I having ulterior motives in regards to this planet's native beings?"

"No."

"Well, there's your answer."

"Huh? I must be missing something."

"Without intending to circumvent Chet's authority, I think he would be agreeable with the idea of having this planet's human government hire you to be the official liaison to the native beings."

She looks at him with eyes wide in surprise then has to quickly close them due to the intensity of the Floaters' color display. A moment later, she almost falls off of her chair as Regit seems to enthusiastically press on her and rub Ilena with her head. It takes her a little while to recover and respond, "Thank you, Regit, Floaters, and Ass. . . . I don't know what else to say." She gladly accepts the glass of iced tea Ass hands her and after she drinks some to give her a little time to partially restore her mental equilibrium, she says, "That sounds too wonderful to be true."

"I don't want to diminish anybody's enthusiasm for the idea, but, technically speaking, it is only an idea at this point in time because it will need Chet's approval. To enable me to put together a proposal for the idea, let's brainstorm a little about what duties, responsibilities, and authority would be necessary for such a position. I know a lot of it will be guesswork because I'm not aware of any similar position, but we can still consider what might be involved or be necessary in order to protect and communicate with the native beings."

Although Ilena isn't sure how much she actually contributes to their discussion, Ass makes sure to request her input and even frequently asks her, "What about . . . ?" which encourages her to consider things she would have never thought about on her own.

Chapter 132

When his last teleconference for the day is over, Chet leans back in his chair and rubs his eyes. After he finishes his drink, he looks around and isn't sure why he's surprised Ilena isn't there. He reminds himself that she's an independent adult and can make her own decisions about how she spends her time and he shouldn't expect her to be waiting for him, nor does he want her to regardless of how much he wants to always be with her.

He briefly wonders where she is then his eyes widen in surprise when he sees a green triangle appear on his left arm which points out of his office. After he hesitates for awhile to consider what the 'logical' explanation might be, he hesitates longer to softly ask, "Floaters, are you telepathic?" The responding color display seems to be somewhat muted.

He thinks about that for a little while then suggests, "Are you partially telepathic?" This color display by the Floaters seems to be more enthusiastic. Following another pause to consider some possibilities, he asks, "Are you telepathic when the thought is clear and distinct?" This time they clearly respond positively or maybe they're celebrating the fact that he finally had enough intelligence to ask the right question. Since he's not sure he's ready to consider all of the possible ramifications to such a revelation, he follows the pointing green triangle and finds Ilena in Ass's office who proclaims, "Hello, Boss. You're just the person we want to see."

Ilena quickly gets out of her chair to hug and kiss him and struggles not to make the kiss long, deep, and passionate. A moment later, he's aware that Regit is rubbing her head on him a little more enthusiastically than normal. After his breathing has mostly recovered, he says, "Why do I have the feeling I'm being rewarded for making a decision I don't know anything about." He's not surprised by their grins or Ilena's slightly embarrassed expression.

Ass answers, "While I don't think you'll object, I had an idea and after a lot of input from Ilena, I would like to submit a proposal to you for a new position. The reason I'm claiming the proposal is that if you disagree, I don't want you to blame Ilena for it since it was my idea."

"I can accept that. So what's the proposal?"

"Let me print it out so it will appear a little more thoughtful rather than have me wax enthusiastic about the idea and distract you."

He accepts the paper and sits down in a nearby chair to read it. His eyes slowly open wider the further he reads then he starts to grin. He forces himself to read through it again, then exclaims, "Yes! This is an excellent idea. What do you think, young lady?"

"Well, without intending to sound selfish or self-centered or that I'm trying to take advantage of the situation, this is just what I want to do . . . in addition to spending as much time with you as possible."

Chet slightly frowns at her addition then says, "Let me think about this for another day or so. Not so much in regards to the proposal itself, but in how to reveal it. This definitely ends my work day on a positive note, but it was still a long and tiring day and I'm ready for some dinner. Have you had a chance to take Regit outside recently?"

Ilena slightly blushes as she answers, "We haven't been outside since I returned from lunch."

"That's okay. We can walk Regit down to the park then come back for dinner unless somebody has another idea." When nobody suggests something else, Ilena gladly takes his hand and as Regit steps out of the door of Ass's office, she seems to progressively disappear while Ass laughs at the sight.

After Regit has some time in the park along with another meal provided by the Floaters, Ilena and Chet have their own dinner then go to his quarters when she barely lets him close and lock the door before she tightly hugs him and thoroughly kisses him.

After numerous kisses which he thinks almost have a tone of desperation to them and which are barely separated by minimal breathing breaks, she finally lets her breathing settle a little more before she indirectly explains, "I think I'm feeling overwhelmed by the proposal Ass put together as well as very uncertain I would be able to handle that level of responsibility and authority. At the same time, I almost desperately want to do something like Ass proposed in an attempt to protect Regit and the Floaters. Because I can't think straight about it, will you distract me with pleasure by touching me all over or making love to me or anything you can do to make me feel wonderful?"

He doesn't have a chance to get over his surprise or to even think of a response, much less to verbally express one, before he's responding to her next passionate kiss. Although his caresses are a little delayed, they soon encourage her to press herself more tightly to him especially when his hands fondle and firmly press on her pants covered buttocks which also encourages her to grip his buttocks. In between kisses, he guides her to the sofa before his joints give him problems then his caresses seem to be all over her from her knees to her head and send her pleasure soaring to a few short climaxes.

Even while she's trying to catch her breath, she starts to unbutton his shirt then moments later, almost breathes out, "Touch me more!" before she resumes the kiss. Soon, he pushes her loose shirt up and off of her with a couple of brief climaxes as his thumbs tantalize her breasts through her bra. In the midst of her ongoing pleasure, she's not sure when he takes her bra off, but she gladly rides the surge of climatic pleasure when he leans her back enough to kiss her areolae and briefly suck on her nipples.

They reluctantly separate to quiet noisy bladders then try to calmly drink a cup of tea. Even though she doesn't understand why, she feels a thrill of excitement each time he looks towards her and his eyes briefly caress her bare breasts with desire. While his bare chest doesn't seem to excite her in a similar way, the movements of his hands and lips make it hard for her to pay attention to her drink when she would much prefer to experience those movements on her body.

Right after they rinse out their cups, she suggests, "Check the door, turn out the lights, and meet me in your bed." Before he can question her, her thorough kiss comes close to making him forget about the first two parts of her suggestion. As soon as he steps into his bedroom after he almost rushed through his prior to bedtime routine in the bathroom, she starts to do a little wiggle dance which seems to encourage him to move closer. Or maybe it was 'simply' her half naked body or her very inviting smile which draws him like a magnet.

While she wants to just throw herself onto him, she delays long enough to unfasten and push his pants down, but before she can touch his erect penis which is outlined by his underwear in order to excite him, he pulls her tightly to him and kisses her as though he's trying to swallow her. She almost melts in his arms as the pleasure rushes into her then her excitement increases as he pushes her loose pants down just far enough so he can grip and fondle her buttocks through her panty. She's not sure where he finds the . . . whatever it takes in order to back off a little, but she gladly follows his lead as he guides her to sit on the side of the bed then he caresses her pants off of her legs.

Once her pants are set aside, his eyes caress her body with apparent delight then his hands start to caress her legs which are soon joined by his kisses which slowly move up her legs. His kisses are barely past the middle of her thighs when she has to lay back on the bed because her growing pleasure seems to diminish her strength to remain sitting. Then his kisses are joined by his tongue caresses along the insides of her widely spread legs just in front of her pubic area and that sends her pleasure soaring into an orgasm which leaves her panting for breath.

In a little while, she feels his hands and kisses tantalize her upper abdomen and as they move higher, her growing anticipation is soon superseded by her actual orgasmic pleasure as he excites her breasts and nipples. When his lips reach her lips, she can barely purse her lips in a kiss, but when she has just enough breath, she asks, "More?"

His look of surprise is brief then he asks, "Are you sure?"

"Very sure."

"Then let us get you more comfortably laying on the bed." She does her best to cooperate as he moves her to the center of the bed, lays down beside her, and pulls the covers up across their lower legs. Moments later, her weakly moving hand finds his underwear and although she doesn't have the one handed coordination to release his penis from its cloth confinement, she manages to caress it a little through his underwear and is thrilled to hear him groan with his own excitement. Then she feels even more excited when he seems to press himself tighter to her hand.

Before she can think of some way to take advantage of the situation, she's distracted by her own soaring pleasure as his right hand begins to caress her along her high inner thighs. She tries to pay attention to how he touches her which so thoroughly excites her. Then her eyes open wide in excited surprise as she realizes that his caresses which go from one of her legs to the other actually slide across the front of her panty . . . and each time, his hand is a little closer to her pubic area.

Her rapid breathing slowly begins to settle, but it takes her a little while to realize that instead of caressing her, his hand is holding still. However, when she recognizes that his hand is over her panty covered pubic hair, her excitement quickly grows. Then his hand slowly moves down across her panty over her vulva, but his touch is so light, she barely feels it.

A moment later, his hand reverses direction and touches her just a little more firmly. As his hand continues to slowly move up and down her panty covered pubic area, her pleasure surges past the peak of climax into an orgasm which becomes even more intense as his caresses go on until her mind can absorb no more pleasure and she falls unconscious. Even as he pants for breath as a result of his own climax, he still has to struggle with himself to remove his hand from her body. Then he seems to barely have enough energy to pull the covers over their bodies before he falls asleep.

Chapter 133

As she slowly wakes up in the morning, Ilena briefly wonders if she really is waking up because she feels so wonderful, she thinks she must be dreaming. A few moments later, her bladder makes its presence known which convinces her that she isn't dreaming. She opens her eyes and looks around and as she realizes that she's in Chet's bed, her wonderful feeling is explained then she feels her breathing speed up as her mind seems to suddenly remember the pleasure he gave her last night.

She gets up from the bed then recognizes the sound of running water and thinks about stepping into his bathroom to take care of her bladder. As she considers that a little more, she knows that if she does use his bathroom, she won't be able to resist joining him in the shower and that thought increases her feelings of excitement. Reluctantly, she lets the voice of reason speak up which directs her to the other bathroom to take care of her needs and get dressed.

When she steps into the other room, she notices that Chet is paying attention to Regit and he barely has enough time to turn around before she's in his arms and thoroughly kisses him. She doesn't know how long it takes her before she somehow manages to delay another kiss just long enough in order to tell him, "Thank you for touching me more last night, for letting me sleep with you, and for all of the pleasure you gave me."

His response of, "It was truly my pleasure," doesn't even have a chance to complete its formation in his mind before he's joyously responding to her next passionate kiss. After several more thorough kisses, he manages to delay their resumption enough to suggest, "We probably ought to take Regit to the park so she doesn't think we're ignoring her needs."

"I guess you're right, even though I don't want to be separated from you by even an inch."

"I understand that feeling, but apparently my sense of duty has had enough years of practice that it's able to override my selfish interests."

She briefly looks at him then understands and says, "In that case, maybe I will have to become the prime minister then I can claim that your duty is to satisfy all of my selfish interests to receive pleasure from your touch."

After his eyes briefly widen in surprise, he grins and responds, "I would greatly enjoy such a duty, but I would be concerned that if your interest in being touched caused you to not fulfill your duty, then we would both be out of a job."

"No we wouldn't, because I would do my best to learn the art of delegation, especially to Mr. Multi-tasker."

It takes him a moment to understand then he laughs, takes her hand, leads her out the door, and they walk to the park with Regit. While Regit enjoys another meal provided by the Floaters, Chet and Ilena sit on a bench and lightly talk. She hesitates a little then changes the subject and says, "How can I ever thank you enough for all of the ways you've touched me and how comforting, exciting, enjoyable, and pleasurable it's been?"

"I'm just trying to thank you for being willing to spend time with me and especially for not just allowing me but encouraging me to touch you."

"I understand that's how you feel and I think I can even somewhat understand why you feel that way, but I've overheard enough other people hint or even briefly talk about their intimate relationships and how you've treated me isn't anything like how they've been treated. Not only that, but your idea of slowly expanding how much you touch me so I can enjoy so many different levels and types of sharing physical affection, that's just simply wonderfully unique. I certainly don't want to make it sound like a complaint, but I have to wonder how much longer it will be before you make love to me.

"I mean, you've touched me virtually everywhere and what little you haven't directly touched me, you touched me through my panty which is thin enough that you might as well as have touched my skin. And we've slept together which has been so wonderful that I very much want that to happen every night. I know I've said it before, but now I'm even more convinced that we belong together and that my future is with you, completely and always." She thoroughly kisses him as though to confirm her words and is very glad he doesn't hesitate to equally respond.

When he has enough breath to do so verbally, he responds, "Although I selfishly want us to be together, I'm sorry I can't convincingly say we belong together and I'm concerned that if you were to devote your future to me, you'll miss out on what would really be best for your future."

"What that really tells me is that you care more about me than about yourself which makes me feel very special and even more positive that I want to be with you for as long as I'm allowed." Since she knows that a volume of words won't convince him, she kisses him which seems to assure him more than words are able to do. Not only that, but it makes her feel even more special.

Before they're tempted to request that the Floaters hide them from anybody's observation while they lose themselves in more completely sharing physical affection, Regit puts her front paws on the bench and pushes her head between theirs which startles them back to 'reality'. They thank Regit for 'waking them up' while they hug and briefly pet her then they walk back to the government building where Chet and Ilena have breakfast before they go to his office.

* * * * *

In the late afternoon, Chet, Ilena, and Ass more fully discuss the proposal he prepared in regards to the work which would be involved for a person to be a liaison to the native beings as well as to what level of authority would be needed to enable the work to be accomplished. The authority issue is what Ilena is most concerned about because she's still doesn't feel very self-confident other than about her relationship with Chet. Nor has she been very assertive towards others and certainly not to the point of expecting them to do what she says needs to be done.

She wonders out loud how she would even be able to enforce the authority when she has strong reservations about even trying to tell somebody else what to do or not do. Chet suggests that the Constable at their station might be a good candidate to oversee the enforcement element of the liaison position. Before Ass can ask, Chet explains that Charles is acquainted with Regit and is also aware of some of the capabilities of the Floaters and has apparently never revealed his awareness.

After they talk about how Chet might reveal the proposal and the possible reactions to such an announcement, he and Ilena take Regit to the park for another visit before they have their own dinner.

Chapter 134

As they walk to his quarters, Chet asks, "Do you have any more thoughts about becoming the liaison to the native beings?"

Ilena hesitates a little before she answers, "Nothing more specific than what we talked about before dinner. As I think about it, I'm not sure whether to be more excited about officially working with Regit and the Floaters or more scared of the responsibility and the probable negative reactions."

"I can understand that. Well, if there's something you think of that I can do to support you or to make you less afraid, please don't hesitate to ask me. I can't guarantee I can do what you request, but as much as possible, I want to support you."

She considers that then asks, "What could I possibly ask that you wouldn't be able to do?"

"If you decided that all humans and allied aliens needed to leave the planet so the native beings would be left alone, I could not agree with that without violating my own responsibilities, regardless of what my personal opinion might be."

"Oh. I guess you're right about that." They step into his quarters and after he closes and locks the door, she tells him, "If you would be willing to distract me from my feelings of fear, that wouldn't violate your responsibilities and I would greatly appreciate your efforts."

"How can I distract you from your fears?"

She wraps her arms around him and requests, "Touch me all over, make love to me, overflow me with pleasure, . . ." without taking the time to think of how else to verbally express herself, she presses herself tighter to him and thoroughly kisses him.

Even as he joyfully responds to her kiss, he's not sure he's ready to completely fulfill her request. At the same time, her clear request in addition to her apparent, he hesitates to call it obvious, excitement seems to relax some of the control he's been making the effort to maintain in order to not push her too far or too fast. If he wasn't so intently responding to her kiss, he would chuckle as he seems to hear her voice assure him that he hasn't pushed her at all.

As he expands his caresses while they continue to kiss each other, his hands spend a little more time paying attention to her pants covered buttocks. A little later, his hands slip under the back of her loose shirt to caress her skin for awhile before they slip under the back waistband of her loose pants to fondle her buttocks through her panty. Then his hands move back up to caress the skin of her back. She tries to stay aware of where his hands are caressing her, but when they move down to slip under the waistband of both her pants and her panty to directly caress her buttocks, she almost pushes him off of his feet as she tries to press herself even closer to him.

Too soon, they have to take a breathing break and he manages to guide her to the sofa rather than just fall to the floor and pull her down with him. As quickly as she can be, she's settled on his upper legs and they're passionately kissing. He doesn't even take the time to get his arms around her in order to hug her before he's caressing her through her clothes as far as he can reach.

Somehow, through her swiftly growing excitement, she recognizes the feel of his right hand as it caresses up the insides of her thighs and before it can move away, she grabs it and guides it the rest of the way up her legs. As she uses his hand to rub her pubic area through her pants, her pleasure leaps over the peak of climax and she rides it as long as she can before her body goes limp and he moves his hand to help hold her up. Even while she's trying to catch her breath, she gasps out, "More," then gladly rides her next orgasm as his hands excite her breasts through her shirt.

Almost as soon as she's partially able to sit up on her own while she continues to pant for breath, he caresses her loose shirt up and off of her body with a shorter climax as he tantalizes her bra covered breasts. She's about ready to request more when the message from her bladder finally makes it to her brains cells which aren't wildly firing with excitement. Then she's very tempted to pull him into the bathroom with her just to be close that many more seconds.

When she steps out, he helps her to the table and although she would prefer that he guide her to the sofa or, better yet, the bed, she reluctantly agrees that a break for a snack and a drink is probably wise. Because she doesn't want to let him think she takes him for granted, she tells him, "Thank you so much for touching me. It was so wonderful and exciting that I can't begin to express how it made me feel."

"I'm glad because it is truly my pleasure to touch you and to help you enjoy it."

"You always seem to know just how to touch me to make me feel so good that sometimes I wonder how it can be any better and then you touch me more and it seems to be a lot better. I know, it's your pleasure," she returns his grin, "but I want to again assure you as much as I can that your pleasure to be with me and touch me gives me much more pleasure than I could have imagined a person would be able to experience."

"And you've given me more pleasure than I've experienced in all of my previous decades."

As they look deeply into each other's eyes as though to convince the other person of what they said, their stares seem to become intense magnets which draws their bodies together and she's moving even as he's pulling her and they're kissing while she turns to sit on his upper legs. Soon, the pleasure is rushing back into her then leaps higher as he uses one of his hands to release her breasts from their cloth confinement and excites them. Although he moves his caressing hand away from her breasts in an attempt to give her an opportunity to catch her breath, his hand seems to almost directly move to her high inner thighs which sends her pleasure even higher.

He doesn't know how many times his hand has moved between her pants covered pubic area and her bare breasts to excite her and each time her pleasure surges over the peak of climax, it excites him more until he's almost at the point of losing control which scares him enough that he's able to gain a little more control. Before he allows himself to step around that control, he struggles to hold his hands still and keep her body mostly upright.

It seems to take a long time for her excitement to diminish enough for her breathing to begin to settle then more time before she gasps out, "That was fantastic. . . . Thank you so much." She tries to kiss him, but she quickly runs out of breath. After another wait for her breathing to partially approach a normal pace, she requests, "Please take me to bed and put me to sleep with pleasure."

"I shall strive to fulfill your request." While she interprets it as though he'll strive to give her pleasure, he's more concerned about waiting long enough to get her to the bed. Somehow, he does manage to get her at least to the bedroom where he struggles to not do more than rather efficiently take her pants off so she can get ready for bed. He waits until she's done in the bathroom then helps her to lay down on her back on the bed. He briefly kisses her then says, "Let me check the door and turn out the lights before I get ready for bed."

Her, "Okay," sounds slightly slurred as though she's very tired and as he steps away, he almost hopes she falls asleep before he gets back which might enable him to retain enough control to not take advantage of her. After he's done in the bathroom, he caresses her with his eyes for a little while then takes his outer clothes off and hesitates a little longer before he lays down on his left side next to her and pulls the covers up. A couple of moments later, he gasps in surprise as her right hand finds and holds onto his erect penis through his underwear even as she says, "Touch me."

Although he's tempted to ask her if she's sure, he already knows what her answer will be so his right hand reaches over and begins to caress her. Soon, he has to concentrate on touching her because her hand is rubbing and stroking him which excites him and that encourages him to caress her more excitingly. As her breathing settles following a couple of climaxes which he's surprised didn't put her to sleep, her left hand tries to encourage his right hand to push her panty off as she gasps out, "Love me!"

He is so very tempted, but he strongly believes a little more touching should precede that event so he slightly moves his caressing hand and as she feels it slip under the waistband of her panty and caresses her through her pubic hair, she proclaims, "Yes!" in a triumphant tone and caresses his hand through her panty to encourage it to keep moving. He does his best to slowly and gently caress her along the tops of her vulva mounds, yet even as her pleasure rushes past the peak of climax into an ongoing orgasm, her hand presses down on his hand to increase her excitement until she collapses. He manages to pull his hand out of her panty and just before he falls asleep, he realizes that somewhere in the midst of her pleasure he had experienced his own climax.

Chapter 135

Ilena slowly wakes up in the morning and as she realizes there's a warm body next to hers, she seems to instinctively know that it's Chet. She rolls to her side in order to partially lay on him and as she snuggles up to him, it's like another data point to further convince her that this is right where she belongs. Although she doesn't know how she's going to be able to finally convince him of that, the best she can do is to keep telling him and demonstrating that she needs and wants to be with him. Soon, she has to struggle with herself to refrain from caressing him or kissing him.

A little later, he apparently starts to wake up then holds still before his hands seem to gingerly move in an attempt to ascertain the current situation. He softly asks, "Ilena?"

"I'm right here, lover, right where I belong."

Her statement seems to startle him so it takes him a little while to respond, "Thank you for being willing to be with me."

"Thank you for treating me with respect and care and love and for touching me and giving me more pleasure than I could have ever imagined it was possible to experience."

"It was my pleasure to give you pleasure."

"I know you believe and practice that attitude and I'm extremely grateful you feel that way, but I also want to keep reminding you that I greatly enjoy and appreciate all you do for me." She lifts her head and turns his head enough to thoroughly kiss him and as he responds, she wants to melt all over him as well as to encourage his hands to excite her. Before either can happen, a discordant noise interrupts and he groans in dismay then speaks up, "End alarm." When the noise stops, he says, "I'm sorry about that."

She briefly thinks then says, "If you set your alarm to go off earlier, that would give us some time to share pleasure before you have to go to work."

"Lovely lady, I couldn't set it early enough to give me the time I want to share pleasure with you." As he passionately kisses her, he gently pushes on her to roll her back onto the bed then his right hand slides up to caress on and around her breasts which causes pleasure to rocket through her to climax. While she pants for breath, he gets out of bed and half stumbles to the bathroom to get ready for work.

When her breathing has mostly settled, she's so tempted to either walk into his bathroom or to simply stay and entice him back into bed. While she mentally feels like she straddles the fence between pleasure and responsibility, her bladder tips the scales so she gets out of bed then gets bumped by Regit which seems to give responsibility the extra boost it needs to send her to her own bathroom to get ready for another day.

As soon as they're ready, they take Regit to the park and while she eats, Chet asks Ilena, "Did you want to try to meet with your grandparents again?"

She hesitates some then admits, "Not really. They tried to treat me nice, at least until he started calling Regit an animal, but it's like we're from two different worlds such that even if we use understandable words, our different backgrounds made it seem like we're talking different languages. I suppose if I had grown up knowing them, I would be able to understand them better."

"I can understand that. . . . Is there anything else you might be interested in doing while we're here?"

"Not that I can think of. Of course, I'm not really aware of what is here other than what my grandparents showed me or while walking or riding from place to place. Other than more businesses, more restaurants, and fancier shops to waste money in, it didn't seem like there was much more here than at the station. . . . Well, I did find one thing here which was more interesting than at home."

"What was that?"

"I was able to talk you into letting me sleep with you."

"Oh."

She hesitates some then asks, "Is that all you can say?"

"As much as I enjoy being with you and waking up with you in my arms, I'm concerned about distracting you from doing what you need to do for your future."

"I appreciate your concern for me, but I'll say it again, you are my future and the more time I'm with you, the more I'm convinced that it's true."

In spite of how often she's said it, he still reacts with surprise before he responds, "Thank you for thinking about me in that way even though I know I'm not worthy of your attention."

"Although I don't like how this is going to sound, in that case, then nobody is worthy of my attention because there's nobody I would rather give my attention to than you."

While he's both surprised and not surprised by what she said, he doesn't respond directly to her, but asks Regit who is now sitting in front of them, "Do you think you can knock some sense into me so I will begin to believe the wonderful things Ilena says about me?"

She laughs and keeps her deep kiss brief, then gets up from the bench and pulls on him as she says, "Let's get some breakfast before I really want to convince you how wonderful you are and embarrass both us and the guards."

His eyebrows briefly rise in surprise before he starts to grin. A few moments later he asks, "Shall we think about returning to our home station either this evening or in the morning?"

"I'm tempted to say only if we have 'our' quarters instead of 'his' and 'her' quarters."

He stops walking and turns to stare at her. It takes him a little while to ask, "Are you serious?"

"Completely serious. The only way I'm not going to live with you is if you flat out refuse to let me."

"I . . . I couldn't do that."

"Then it's settled. Shall I check with, um . . . what's her name, . . . Yulia about assigning us family quarters so the extra bedroom can be used as your personal office instead of it being in the living area?"

"Um, I think I would like to consider the practical elements a little more fully."

"Think quickly," and her kiss contains so much promise, he's almost ready to forget about the practical and think only about the pleasure.

* * * * *

Shortly after lunch, Chet, Ilena, and Ass further discuss the proposal to have Ilena be the liaison to the native inhabitants, especially about how to present it. Since Chet is quite sure he will seriously upset the scientists, they decide to reveal the proposal in two parts so he prepares a statement to be released to the news media shortly before the evening news broadcast. He also plans on them returning to their home station prior to the release of the statement so he will be technically 'not available' for the rest of the day which will hopefully give those who are upset with him some time to calm down.

* * * * *

Chet and Ilena have an early dinner then get ready to leave and again thank Ass for his idea. Ilena also thanks him for talking with her and hugs him which startles him and it takes him a long time, at least in comparison to his processing capability, to return her hug. As Ilena steps back, Ass tells her, "When you get tired of the old man, come on back and I'll gladly let you blow some more of my circuits." They all laugh before Chet, Ilena, Regit, and an unknown number of Floaters get on the elevator to go up to where his assigned air vehicle is waiting for them.

They're part way back to the station when Chet accesses the news media channel and they watch part of the broadcast on the air vehicle's monitor. The news anchor had apparently quickly read the statement because he seems to hesitate to announce: "We just received a statement from the Planetary Administrator's Public Affairs Office. It reads, 'It has been brought to the attention of the Planetary Administrator's office that some of the native species on this planet appear to be more intelligent than the initial settlers or later arriving scientists were able to determine. To avoid some of the issues which have developed on other planets where humans belatedly realized that the native species were either anthro-equivalent or in the process of becoming so and in an attempt to reduce any possible future offense we may cause to the native species of this planet, all current scientific studies dealing with the native flora or fauna of this planet are hereby suspended. This office is currently reviewing possible candidates to serve as a liaison between us and the native species who will attempt to establish some form of communication with them which may help us to determine their anthro-equivalent status. Once the liaison has been chosen and, if it can be determined, they are acceptable to the native species, they and their advisors will carefully consider which scientific studies can either be resumed or initiated. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. Signed, the Planetary Administrator.' . . . I'm sure there will be some significant responses to this statement and as soon as we can interview some of the leading scientists, we'll report the results to you. . . . In other news . . . ." Chet disconnects the communication channel.

His brief chuckle has a bitter tone before he says, "Significant responses? It will be more like they'll be calling for my head to be removed. Even the moderates will want me to be removed from my position even if there's no one else to take my place."

"Chet, if you knew it was going to be so difficult for you, why did you do it?"

He briefly looks at her in surprise then answers, "Because it was the right thing to do whether any body else will believe, understand, or even grudgingly admit to it. There have been other planets where a species was almost wiped out before somebody finally figured out they were intelligent. And who knows how many species were wiped out simply because they didn't 'look' anthro-equivalent and nobody made the effort to even try to find out. Maybe I misunderstood something, but when I took my oath of office, I vowed to do what I could to protect and support the residents of this planet and if humans can claim to be residents when we haven't been here for more than three generations, then the native species have an even higher reason to be considered residents."

"I didn't mean to make it sound like I was questioning your motives, but I did want to better understand why you were willing to put yourself into the way of potential harm either to your life, your livelihood, or your reputation. I totally agree with your reasons and you have further convinced me that you are my future and that I want to do everything I can to support and encourage you just as you have so willingly done for me." She thoroughly kisses him and is glad that his hesitation is barely noticeable. As the kisses go on around brief required breathing breaks, she encourages his hands to caress her which seems to send her pleasure soaring higher than the air vehicle.

Chapter 136

When the air vehicle announces that it's near the end of its preprogrammed flight, Ilena and Chet reluctantly lean apart in order to refasten and straighten out their clothing. After the air vehicle lands, he takes manual control of it and guides it to an available parking space where they get out, gather their possessions, and carry them to the ground vehicle. As the ground vehicle moves from the landing zone to the station's government building, she asks, "Do we spend the night in your quarters or in mine?"

He looks at her in surprise then fairly quickly recovers and responds, "If you don't think I will be intruding on your privacy, I think I would be more inclined to hide in your quarters where people might be more hesitant to bother you and not find me."

"Chet, although I disagree with your reason, you are more than welcome to spend the night with me in my quarters. And just to clarify, you are my privacy as well as my future so you cannot intrude on either one."

He hesitates to respond then manages to say, "Thank you." A couple of minutes after the ground vehicle is parked, he takes his luggage to his quarters then hesitates some before he takes out his dirty clothes and puts some clean clothes in then follows Ilena into her quarters.

She only pauses long enough to lock the door before she thoroughly kisses him. After more kisses which are briefly interrupted by breathing breaks, she suggests, "Let's take care of our bladders and get some tea then I'm going to request that you forget about anything else but us and encourage you to touch me as much as you selfishly want while I selfishly enjoy every moment of it."

Again, he can't seem to avoid responding to her words with an initial surprise then he starts to grin and before he allows himself to ignore the necessities, he encourages her to use the bathroom first while he starts the tea kettle. Somehow, they manage to drink their tea in a mostly calm manner while they sit side by side at the table. They talk about how to work her new proposed position so it won't negatively affect her education as a way to distract themselves from their selfish desires.

They barely rinse out their tea cups before she tightly hugs him and thoroughly kisses him. During a required breathing break, she starts to unbutton his shirt and he almost stops her then asks, "Is there a reason you're doing that now?"

"Since it's easier for you to take my shirt off while we share physical affection than it is for me, I thought I ought to get a head start."

His eyes widen in surprise then he chuckles which is interrupted by her next kiss which he gladly responds to. It's not long before they move to her small sofa and not much time after that when it's difficult for her to kiss him due to the pleasure which seems to rapidly grow within her. Then her shirt seems to dissolve off of her and she doesn't know when her bra disappears which must have happened because his caresses around and on her bare breasts send her pleasure soaring to several short climaxes.

As his caresses move away from her sensitive nerves, her excitement slowly diminishes, but doesn't reduce by much before it begins to grow. She weakly cooperates as he turns her ninety degrees to rest her back on his chest then his hands are at the waistband of her pants, and she can almost feel his growing excitement even as she manages to lift her hips enough for him to push her pants to below her buttocks. Her body seems to slump down on him in anticipation of the coming pleasure while he pushes her pants off of her legs then his hands caress up her legs.

Although his hands don't rush up her legs, they move a little more quickly than some other times while he seems to still make sure every square inch of her legs are thoroughly caressed. And that has the effect of combining her anticipatory pleasure with her actual pleasure such that her perceived pleasure is so intense his hands are still an inch or so away from her pubic area when her pleasure goes over the peak to climax. In a similar approach to how he excited her breasts, he touches her legs and around her pubic area to excite her to several short climaxes before he moves his caresses away so she can calm down and catch her breath.

When she's finally able to verbally express a coherent thought, she says, "Please take me to bed, touch me all over, and put me to sleep with pleasure."

He knows he should have expected such a request, but it still briefly surprises him which slightly delays his response, "It shall be my great pleasure to attempt to give you some pleasure."

She's glad he helps her up then she turns and encourages him to stand up and is thrilled at how his eyes caress her body. Before she leads him to the bedroom, she almost sternly looks at him as she starts to unfasten his pants and while he's initially inclined to stop her, he notices her expression and doesn't interfere. Moments later, he almost shivers at the pleasure which surges into him as she caresses his pants down and off of his legs then stands back up and gently rubs his erect penis through his underwear a few times.

He has to shake his head a little to get his thoughts semi-functioning before he takes her hand and walks with her to her bedroom. While she uses the bathroom, he turns the bed covers down then they trade places. As he steps out of the bathroom, his eyes open wide in both surprise and delight as he sees that she's laying on her back on the bed with slightly spread legs while her arms reach up to him in invitation.

He quickly covers the distance to the bed then slightly hesitates. Soon, he lays down on his left side next to her and almost before he stops moving, she's thoroughly kissing him then guides his right hand to caress her. He seems to be affected by her growing excitement which encourages him to caress her very close to her most sensitive pleasure nerves. A few moments later, the pleasure slams into him and before he can fully understand that she had pushed the front of his underwear down to directly caress the head of his penis, he climaxes.

As he pants for breath, she somehow knows she shouldn't continue to stimulate him. When he can, he says, "Thank you for touching me, my lady. I certainly hadn't expected you to, but before I give into my selfish desire to touch you, I'd better clean up my mess."

She almost asks, "Mess?" then remembers the related information from her health and anatomy classes. After a brief pause, she suggests, "Since I encouraged you to make the mess, maybe I ought to clean it up."

His eyes widen in surprise but before he can think of an appropriate response, he rolls a little ways away from her, looks, and his eyes widen further while he almost grunts out, "Huh?"

"What's the matter?"

He delays answering while his hand examines the sheets then he says, "I can't find anything even though I know I climaxed."

She leans up to do her own looking then slowly grins and says, "Maybe the Floaters took care of it for you."

He quickly looks at her in surprise then his eyes widen further as he notices their color display.

"I guess that confirms it."

Since he feels rather stunned by that revelation, he stammers, "But . . . why?"

"I can't answer that, but my guess is they love us and don't want as to interrupt our sharing of love and pleasure."

Another brief color display immediately follows her words.

"I'm not sure what to think of that or how to respond."

"Respect their gift and renew our sharing of love and pleasure."

It takes him a little while to say, "I guess that makes sense." Her smile is so full of invitation that he can't resist moving closer to thoroughly kiss her. Near the end of their necessary breathing break, he moves his head so he can whisper in her ear, "In that case, my I take your panty off?"

Since she's totally surprised by his question, it takes her a few moments to understand it then she almost shouts out, "YES!!" She's a little clumsy in responding to his passionate kiss then is unable to even try as his right hand is soon exciting her breasts. She quickly climaxes then he moves his kisses down her upper chest and excites her to another couple of brief climaxes with his lips and tongue on her breasts.

While she tries to catch her breath, his kisses move down her upper abdomen while his right hand caresses her almost anywhere it can reach. He lips barely avoid her pubic area, but they're close enough to send her pleasure soaring. By the time his kisses have moved down the fronts of her legs to her feet, her breathing has mostly settled even though her body seems to tingle with pleasure both received and anticipated.

Moments later, his kisses move up her legs as much along the insides as he can reach. When his kisses and tongue caresses arrive and seem to excite her all around and on the front and bottom of her panty, her orgasm seems to last forever, or at least until he moves away just before her pleasure overwhelms her.

He takes a little while to try to calm himself down then slightly rocks her hips as he slowly pulls her panty down since she's too weak to cooperate. She doesn't notice that he seems to excitedly stare at her pubic hair and feminine treasure while he slowly caresses her panty down and off of her legs. As much as he's tempted to lean down and kiss back up her legs, he wants to give her a little more time to catch her breath, so he lays down beside her and tries to soothingly caress her upper abdomen and face.

Slowly her eyes open and while he's sure it's his imagination, her expression is such that as he looks into her eyes, he thinks he can see a fireworks display. Although she knows no words will be adequate, she still wants to try to express herself and proclaims, "Lover, that was fantastic. Thank you so much for all of the pleasure you give me and the wonderful ways you so caringly give me pleasure."

Before she can say more, he thoroughly kisses her and assures her, "It was truly my pleasure."

When she can speak without panting, she asks, "Would it be your pleasure to put me to sleep with pleasure?"

He's eyebrows rise in surprise, but before he can ask if she's sure, he already knows her answer. He still delays a little then answers, "It will be my pleasure," and leans over to deeply kiss her. As she pants for breath, he reaches down to pull the bed covers most of the way up, lays down next to her and begins to caress her.

Soon, his caresses move closer to her breasts which causes her pleasure to surge up to almost climatic heights then her excitement barely diminishes before his caresses arrive near her pubic area and send her pleasure back up to almost the peak. In a little while, as his caresses move very closely around her pubic area, her body is almost trembling in unreleased excitement. Then his right hand moves to lightly caress the outsides and tops of her vulva mounds, but his touch is so light, she's not sure his hand is really there.

Slowly, his caresses become more firm and as she really feels it, her pleasure leaps over the peak of climax then continues to become more intense. From some unknown reservoir, she finds the strength to thrust her hips up which causes his middle finger to slip into her labia and as he continues to caress her, her pleasure climbs even higher until it overwhelms her and she collapses.

As he reluctantly moves his hand away from her, he's almost surprised that her obviously intense excitement didn't excite him enough to climax again, whether his body was able to or not. Without taking the time to consider it any longer or her interest in having him touch her, he pulls the covers up the rest of the way, turns out the light, lays down beside her, gently lays his right arm across her upper abdomen, and falls asleep.

Chapter 137

Almost instinctively, Ilena realizes she's in her own bed or at least the bed in her recently assigned quarters. But, more importantly, even before she's half awake, she knows Chet is in bed with her. She almost can't believe how wonderful that makes her feel even as she experiences it. Then her feeling quickly moves towards excitement as she remembers how he touched her last night and all the times which led up to it.

She's not sure how to contain all of the positive feelings which are soaring up in her and range from comfort and security and peace through enjoyment to pleasure and all of the way up to . . . ecstasy. Or maybe she'll just describe her relationship with Chet as simply paradise. Moments later, without any apparent intent on her part, she becomes aware that her right hand is slightly moving and touching cloth which she doesn't recognize as either the sheets or the blankets.

She stops her hand when she realizes that she's caressing his penis through his underwear and feels a flash of embarrassment. Then she asks herself why she should feel embarrassed. They're in the process of increasing how they share physical affection even if it feels like her sharing is more passive compared to his. Yet, she knows he would claim that she actively encourages him to touch her and she certainly actively enjoys it.

At the same time, she has often wondered how she can more actively touch him to give him pleasure. As she considers the whole subject a little longer, she remembers several different things then decides that she does want to do something to give him direct pleasure which is more active than for her to lay back and enjoy all of the pleasure he gives her. She's sure that if he was awake he would protest or try to dissuade her. At the same time, she doesn't want to disturb his sleep so she thinks about several options.

A little later, she moves enough to see the alarm clock and recognizes that it will go off in about a quarter of an hour. Almost before the idea is fully formed in her mind, she moves the bed covers down to their legs and is glad that enough of the morning light seeps into the room to enable her to partially see what she's doing. She pauses some then gently pushes on him to roll his body from his side onto his back.

When she notices that he didn't wake him, she hesitates some more then pulls the front of his underwear down to reveal most of his firm penis. Even though she's not sure if it's the 'proper' way to do it, she wraps one of her hands around his penis, briefly just holds it, then slowly and gently begins to slide her hand up and down its length. As she reminds herself of how he's touched her, her other hand begins to caress him around his genitals and along his high inner thighs.

Soon, his penis seems to become more firm even though the skin seems to be soft to her touch. Then he moans and she stops moving, but as she belatedly realizes that his moan is an expression of pleasure, she resumes her caresses. Moments later, she's surprised to realize that his apparent increasing excitement is exciting her and, like a flash, she has a better understanding of his attitude and that encourages her to try to excite him more.

She's not sure where the idea comes from but as she continues to caress his penis, she moves her body so that when she lifts his left hand, she can use it to caress herself. Pleasure surges into her and her head drops to his shoulder while her hands don't stop moving. Apparently, that partially wakes him up, but since his first awareness seems to be of pleasure pouring into him, he doesn't want it to stop and is soon moving his left hand on his own. Her excitement leaps over the peak of climax which soon excites him past his own peak.

As they both pant for breath, she pushes herself up and stares as his release appears to disappear then guesses that one or more of the Floaters are absorbing it while she wonders why they would want to. Before she can consider it longer, she hears, "Ilena?"

"Yes, Chet?"

"Um, . . . why?"

"Do you mean, why did I give you pleasure?"

"I guess that's my question since I woke up and found myself already highly excited and further guessed that you had caused it."

"I wanted to more actively give you pleasure. What I hadn't expected is how excited I would become which gives me a better understanding of what you mean when you keep saying it's your pleasure to give me pleasure."

"I'm sorry, the first thing I should have said is thank you for giving me pleasure. I certainly never expected it. Just to be sure, it didn't bother you to touch me like that?"

"At first I was concerned, but more from the aspect of not being sure I was doing it correctly or properly or whatever term might be right. But as I could feel your excitement as well as my own, then I have to say it was truly my pleasure to give you pleasure."

He slowly grins then his hand moves and without looking, he turns off the alarm, which he had barely remembered to set, just after it begins. "I must say that the way you woke me up was much nicer than that noisy thing. Thank you again. Well, I suppose I'd better clean up my mess then get ready for work."

"You don't need to worry about your so-called mess because the Floaters took care of it."

"They did?"

"Yes. Last night I just guessed that they did, but this time I saw your release disappear which I have to assume means the Floaters did it." Suddenly, they observe a colorful display and this time they realize that some of the color is on their bodies, apparently from the Floaters who are 'riding' them.

"Thank you, Floaters, although I have to wonder why you would do so."

"I guess you'll have to assign somebody to learn to communicate more clearly with them."

He returns her grin then says, "I would really like to express my gratitude to you for being willing to let me touch you and for being willing to touch me, but my bladder has woken up and I'm concerned that if I try to even partially express my gratitude, I'll totally forget about my responsibilities."

"Take care of your bladder before I race you to the bathroom then maybe we can plan some extended time to fail in our attempts to fully express our gratitude to the other person which will encourage us to plan another attempt."

His eyes briefly widen in surprise at her suggested plan then he grins, kisses her deeply but keeps it brief before he quickly stumbles to the bathroom. As he steps back out, he stares at her naked body as she gets out of bed then she smiles as he caresses her body with his eyes while she walks towards him. One of her hands goes to the back of his neck and as she passionately kisses him, her other hand slides down his body to fondle his genitals and stoke his quickly rising penis. Before her breathing fully settles, she gasps out, "Get ready . . . for work . . . before I . . . don't let you."

As she steps towards the bathroom, he turns to watch her and almost follows her in. Responsibility has a difficult time in reaching his cognitive centers because he's so tempted to wait until she steps out of the bathroom in order to spend the day giving her pleasure, but, somehow, responsibility wins, this time, and he's buttoning up his shirt when she steps out. She slightly frowns with disappointment even though she knows he's doing the right thing.

He's about to reluctantly step out of the bedroom when she stops him and says, "You're so good at taking my clothes off. I would like to see how well you can put them on."

It takes him a moment to realize what she actually said then his eyes almost slam open in surprise. It takes him longer to verbally respond, "You want me to help you get dressed?"

"Only if you want to be close to me that much longer."

He stares at her a little longer then admits, "That's an offer I don't think I can refuse."

Her inviting smile makes him wish her clothes were already on so he could have the pleasure of taking them off and touching all of her lovely skin. Somehow, he manages to control himself and does put her clothes on and can't resist adding in some extra caresses and kisses which she clearly encourages. As they leave her quarters to drop off his things in his quarters before they walk to the cafeteria for breakfast, he's not sure he cares whether or not he's going to be 'late' in arriving at work.

Chapter 138

"Morning, Boss."

Chet responds, "Hello, Karina. Did anything interesting happen while I was gone?"

"Not until you released your statement. To use one of Ass's old sayings, 'the phones have been ringing off the hook'."

"Why does that not surprise me? Instead of the interested parties getting together and develop a single response, everybody thinks they have to individually question me."

"That's human nature. Here's the list of callers as of a few minutes ago."

He glances over the list then responds, "Good grief. It looks like half the population has called."

She turns to the rest of the staff and announces, "Mark it on your calendars for today, the Boss actually exaggerated something."

As some of them laugh with Karina, Chet slightly blushes then says, "Okay, maybe it's not half of the population, but I'll never be able to return this many calls."

"We never promised that you would. We simply said that when additional information is available or decisions have been made, then future statements will be issued as appropriate."

"Thank you for that. Well, let me see if there's anyone here who really should be called back." As he steps into his office, he is not looking forward to the rest of the day and more seriously wishes he had given into his temptation to stay with Ilena.

* * * * *

As they walk to Ilena's quarters after dinner, Chet seems to hold her hand more firmly than usual. Although she's not concerned he's going to hurt her, she is concerned about the stress he's under. She barely gets the door closed and locked before she just about throws herself on him in order to passionately kiss him. Not only does she want to distract him from his stress, she also wants to express how much she wants him. Although he's briefly startled by her action, he quickly responds and soon has pleasure rushing into her as his hugging arms become buttock fondling hands which transition into vulva stroking fingers and that excites her to climax even while his hands are on the outside of her clothes.

He guides her to the sofa and before her breathing has totally settled, she's deeply kissing him then she runs out of breath as his hands seem to move almost directly to the centers of her pleasure nerves which excite her to several short climaxes. Somewhere in the midst of her excitement, his body is encouraged to climax. Even though his clothes aren't open in order for the Floaters to clean up his release, if they're inclined to do so again, he doesn't care because he wants to stay close to her and give her more pleasure as soon as he thinks she wants and is ready for more.

Sooner than he expects, she encourages him to kiss, caress, and excite her which he more than happily does. Once her shirt is removed, it seems like his hands cover her upper body. Although she had wanted to take his shirt off, she's too distracted by the pleasure which soars into her. As a result, about all she's capable of doing is to grip his left knee with her left hand and ENJOY all of the pleasure which surrounds the brief climaxes his caresses cause to surge into her.

He gradually diminishes her pleasure so she can recover her breath and she would gladly encourage him to renew her excitement except that the message from her bladder finally gets through to her awareness. She encourages him to use the bathroom first then start the tea kettle. When she's done then steps into the kitchen, he can only stare at her for awhile since she's only wearing her panty. She has his shirt off and is starting to unfasten his pants before he seems to become aware of what's going on.

His hands move to stop her, but she guides them to her waist, looks into his eyes as though she's daring him to argue with her then finishes opening his pants and pushes them down his legs. Before she can do more, the tea kettle loudly announces that its bottom is hot, so they fix their tea and go to the table where they force themselves to take their time to drink it. While he feels somewhat embarrassed at revealing his far less than perfect body, he marvels that based on her background she can apparently calmly sit there with most of her lovely body bared and even smile when he can't resist looking at her.

Once they're finished with their tea and rinse out their cups, he lifts his eyebrows in surprise as she leads him to the bedroom instead of the sofa but he doesn't protest. They turn the bed covers down and as soon as they lay down on their sides next to each other, they begin to deeply kiss and when she starts to caress him, he gladly returns the favor. Sooner than she wants, her caresses become clumsy while his become more exciting to her.

When she's able to partially catch her breath, she hesitates then requests, "Would you be willing to kiss me all over the front of my body?"

He looks at her in surprise then begins to grin before he verbally responds, "I would be my great privilege to selfishly do so," and before she can even grin in response, she's responding to his kiss even as he gently pushes her to lay back on the bed. She quickly runs out of breath as his right hand excites her breasts which gives him the opportunity to kiss her down to her neck then across her upper chest. Soon, her breasts are excited to a couple of short climaxes when he kisses and tongue caresses them.

As his kisses move down her upper abdomen, she's able to partially catch her breath, but her breathing soon speeds up as his kisses move onto her lower abdomen while his caressing hand pushes her panty down. He kisses her a little ways onto her pubic hair then detours around her labia to kiss her down the fronts of her legs as he moves his head back and forth while he pushes her panty off of her legs. She almost giggles when she sees him throw her panty into the air and some of the Floaters bat it around a little before they let it fall to the floor.

By then, he's moved to kneel between her legs then starts to kiss up the insides of her legs while his hands hold her legs up and caress them. As his kisses move above her knees then add little tongue caresses, she struggles to keep her eyes open in order to watch him, but when his kisses reach the middle of her thighs, she can only lay back and receive all of the pleasure he's so willingly to share with her. Her hands reach out to caress his head to encourage him then they can barely hold on to him as he kisses and tongue caresses all around and on her vulva mounds.

He sits up then leans back to stretch and as her climatic pleasure slightly diminishes, she intends to thank him but isn't able to before his hands slip under her buttocks and lift her hips up while she seems to automatically spread her legs in invitation. He pauses to thoroughly caress her feminine treasure with his eyes before he leans forward to caress her all over in her labia with his lips and tongue and that sends her excitement rocketing into an orgasm which continues until her pleasure overwhelms her consciousness. Reluctantly, he lowers her hips to the bed, moves out from between her legs, gently pushes her legs together, lays down beside her, pulls the bed covers up, and falls asleep.

Chapter 139

Chet is surprised he's waking up without hearing the alarm. Then he's more surprised to realize he's not in his own bed and someone else is with him. He relaxes as he thinks about it some more then turns his head and smiles at recognizing that it's Ilena who is in bed with him. Moments later, he glances at the alarm clock and when he looks again, a significant portion of his relaxation disappears until he almost forcibly tells himself that it doesn't matter if he's a little late for work.

He gets up and takes care of his bladder while he wonders if he should wake her up. As he steps back into the bedroom, he sees her eyes are open and he quickly returns her smile and is almost as quickly leaning over to kiss her. When they need a breathing break, he reluctantly says, "Since it's time for me to get ready to go to work, I should go to my quarters to get my shower since I didn't think about bringing clean clothes with me."

"As much as I would prefer to have you stay here and show me more ways in which you can share pleasure with me," he can't resist returning her grin and barely refrains from accepting her invitation, "I understand. That's another reason we should see about getting quarters for us."

He briefly looks at her then says, "Um, I guess I must have missed a step in your logic there."

"If we have our quarters, then you don't have to leave in order to get your shower and I can more easily join you in the shower."

His eyes widen in surprise before he can verbally respond, "I would be concerned we would get excited instead of washed."

"That sounds like a great idea," and she thoroughly kisses him. When she can, she asks, "On a practical note, will you wait in your quarters for me to get ready so we can go to breakfast together?"

Although he's not sure he's fully recovered from her surprising suggestion of showering together or from her kiss, he manages to say, "I think I can do it." This time, he initiates the kiss and as his right hand excites her breasts, she quickly runs out of breath. He forces himself to get up and put on the clothes he wore yesterday before he thoroughly kisses her again and uses the walls to support his stumbling walk to his quarters.

* * * * *

In between doing his regular work and responding to a few select communications, Chet works on a follow-on statement to what he issued a couple of days ago which has upset or confused a lot of people. After he enjoys lunch with Ilena, he discusses the statement with her and Ass then works on it some more on his own. While he's sure it can be improved if he spends more time with it, he doesn't want to wait too long before he responds to the concerns of the many people who have been contacting him.

He reads through it one more time, "I understand that a number of people have expressed concern about the statement my office issued two days ago about suspending scientific studies regarding the native flora and fauna. Although I suspected it would happen, it was not my intent to upset or confuse people. When I took the oath to become the Planetary Administrator, I vowed that I would do what I could to protect and support the residents of this planet. There was nothing in that vow which allows me to ignore the native residents of this planet.

"Yes, I understand that for many years, the majority of humans and other beings who have settled here either ignored the native beings or assumed they were not intelligent or anthro-equivalent. Evidence has been provided to me which no longer allows me to continue functioning under that assumption. Since I don't have enough evidence to determine how intelligent or anthro-equivalent the native beings are or might become, further research will need to be conducted.

"However, that research will need to be accomplished with respect to the native beings and to treat them as though they are intelligent and self-aware beings until it can be clearly demonstrated they are not. To oversee the necessary research and participate in conducting it, I am establishing the position of an ambassador to the native species. In addition to approving and overseeing all research and studies done in regards to the flora and fauna of this planet, that person, their staff, and advisors will be the liaison between us and the native beings so we can understand the concerns of the natives in how we interact with them or affect their environment.

"What little I've been able to learn about some of the native beings strongly suggests there will be some significant advantages to us if we are willing to make the effort to sincerely cooperate with them rather than attempt to force them to reveal or share their capabilities. For example, I have found that some of them are able to understand me when I speak to them. Since they do not apparently have a means to communicate in a verbal manner, that strongly indicates they are intelligent enough to imagine something they themselves are unable to accomplish. And their ability to understand is much more than what we are used to in using our tone of voice to communicate with our pets.

"The Chief Scientist has contacted the stations and has requested input from his fellow scientists and based on what he told me, only one person on the planet has a significant current involvement with any of the native species such that it would recommend them to become the liaison without taking the time for someone else to develop such an involvement. Therefore, it is my distinct honor to announce that our first ambassador to the native species is Ivanova Larissa Elianna Nikita Alexandria Jakobinski.

"Since the position of such an ambassador is rather unique, it will take some time for Ms. Jakobinski to establish an office, to select appropriate people to assist her, and to begin to review the suspended or any proposed studies regarding the flora and fauna of this planet. In the meantime, she will be attempting to improve her current rudimentary communication with the native beings. I encourage you to welcome Ms. Jakobinski in her new role and to be patient as she strives to do something which has never been done before. If you have questions, concerns, or suggestions, please contact my office until Ms. Jakobinski can establish her own office. Thank you. Signed, The Planetary Administrator."

He leans back in his chair, rubs his eyes, and takes a drink before he consider how else he might be able to say what he thinks needs to be said. When no more ideas cross his mind, he carefully reads the statement out loud while he records it. Afterwards, as he listens to the recording, he's not impressed with his own voice, but it may have more significance to those who concern themselves with such things than if a news broadcaster reads it out loud, especially depending on what they might stress and diminish with their tone of voice.

He hesitates some then sends the recording to Ass, to Ilena, and to the Public Affairs Office for them to forward it to the news media. Since he doesn't want to take the time to guess at the responses he'll receive which will be clear in a matter of hours, he turns his attention to some of his other work.

Chapter 140

Thankfully, no more than two local people ask Chet about his statement of two days ago which suspended scientific research into the native species, so he and Ilena are able to have a relatively quiet dinner in the cafeteria before they go to her quarters. Over a cup of tea, they talk some about how and where to set up an office for her and who might be available to assist her either in running an office or in trying to communicate better with Regit, the Floaters, and any other native beings. When he suggests that her communication efforts should be recorded both audibly and optically, she realizes the scientific validity of doing so even if she's personally not comfortable with the idea.

They're almost done with their tea when she asks, "Chet, how many ways are there to make love?"

His eyes open wide and he stares at her for introducing such a complete change of subject to the conversation. As a result, it takes him a little while to partially recover and answer, "I don't know."

Now she looks at him in surprise and can only repeat, "You don't know?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"First of all, I'm not an expert on the subject and secondly, even if I was an expert and said there were 'x' number of ways, somebody would use their imagination to come up with another way."

"I guess I just assumed there were a limited number of standard ways. I hadn't considered the possibility that people would imagine something else."

"Well, from what little I understand, there are some ways which are more typically practiced while other ways would require the people involved to be rather flexible or strong or both. Then there are other ways I've heard rumor about which would not be conducive to the idea of sharing intimate pleasure because they appear to be more abusive in their approach."

"Oh. . . . I hadn't considered that possibility. But would something like that really be considered 'making love'?"

"Maybe not from how you or I would be inclined to define it, but most people seem to consider the second, third, and fourth attitudes we talked about to be interchangeable terms. And some people who are more assertive may consider their actions to be making love while their so-called partner would describe it as rape. Unfortunately, that can often happen in a marriage relationship."

"Really? But how?"

"Without intending to sound discriminatory, the more usual situation is where the husband is interested while the wife isn't and he won't take 'no' for an answer."

"Oh. Now that you mention it, I have overheard some complaints along those lines. In that kind of a situation, couldn't she call the authorities?"

"Not easily. Without assigning priorities, first of all, it would most likely be a 'his word against her word' situation. Secondly, such a situation would most likely encourage him to become more violent afterwards. Thirdly, she may not be willing to risk the situation which could lead to a divorce because of any children involved or if her earnings are significant less than his. Fourthly, sexual or conjugal rights are legally considered to be a part of the marriage relationship. Fifthly, some religions teach that the wife is supposed to be obedient to the husband."

She briefly thinks about what he said then responds, "In regards to your last statement, I don't immediately recall what the Order taught specifically about the marriage relationship, but it wouldn't surprise me if that concept is there since those who become sisters are supposed to be obedient to the Deity as though they were married."

"That's right."

"Well, to go back to my initial question and revise it some, how many ways will you make love to me?"

"That will depend on what we mutually agree to and are physically capable of doing."

"What do you mean by 'physically capable'?"

"If you wanted me to make love to you while I'm standing on my head, I would have to regretfully refuse."

Her eyes widen in surprise and she briefly stares at him before she proclaims, "I would never think of doing something like that or even know how to do it."

"I'm glad. I guess I can scratch that one off of my list of worries."

"You really worried about that?"

"No, I'm teasing you."

She looks at him a little longer then responds to his grin. "So, what ways of making love are you going to introduce me to in order to see if I mutually enjoy them?"

"Rather than directly answer that, which ways are you aware of?"

She pauses, blushes, then reluctantly admits, "I've heard hints which weren't clear enough to understand what was meant. Other than that, I'm only aware of how the animals on the farm mate where the male is behind the female and have heard about the one where the female is laying on her back and he lays on top of her. Although I have some curiosity, I haven't been comfortable with the idea enough to do any research into the subject."

"I can understand that. . . . I guess I'm somewhat curious as to what prompted you to ask the question in the first place."

"Well, since you've touched me all over and I've greatly enjoyed all of ways you've touched me, I assume the next 'step' in your progress of sharing physical affection with me would be to make love to me. I guess I was curious about how you would do that."

"Your thought process makes sense. Although the next 'step' is very similar to the dictionary definition of making love, it isn't the same. If you would like me to describe it so you have some time to consider it, I would be willing to do that."

"That's not necessary. I really do trust you and for the many times you've wonderfully touched me and I've encouraged you to touch me more, you've never taken advantage of me even when I was vulnerable. Can you take me to the next step now?"

He grins at her enthusiasm then answers, "I think I would prefer to finish my tea and delay a bladder interruption. In the meantime, since you understand the dictionary definition of coitus or sexual intercourse where the male's penis enters the female's vagina, I think you can maybe imagine different ways in which those body parts can join without embarrassing yourself by researching the subject."

"While I reluctantly agree with the first part of your statement, why would you want me to imagine different ways to make love?"

"Maybe you'll think of some enjoyable ways without relying on whatever ideas might be lying around in the dust of my mind."

She slightly frowns then turns and looks in his ear and says, "I don't see any dust in there."

He briefly chuckles before he says, "I guess the dust must have solidified into rocks which now block the view to the empty interior."

"Chet, be quiet," and she thoroughly kisses him. The kisses are so enjoyable that neither of them want to stop until they have to breathe which reminds them to finish their tea and empty their bladders. As soon as they can, they're settled on the sofa where she requests, "Please touch me all over," and passionately kisses him to encourage him.

Even as he gladly responds to her kiss, he starts to caress her and gradually expands how much he touches her through her clothes then slips his fingers and hands under her loose clothes. After he leads her pleasure up to a few brief climaxes, he diminishes her excitement until he's snugly holding her. Before he starts the next round of caresses, he takes her shirt and bra off almost efficiently which surprises her, then her surprise turns into delight as he resumes kissing her.

His caresses soon follow and they rather quickly include her bared breasts which sends her pleasure soaring. The extent of his caresses begins to reduce part way towards 'just' holding her before they expand to include her high inner thighs and pubic area through her pants which sends her excitement up to climatic enjoyment. This time, he does bring her excitement down to comfort and rest.

While she feels mostly melted yet can also feel the rumbling of excitement just below the surface, she's surprised he hasn't suggested they take a break. Moments later, he turns her body ninety degrees on his upper legs and while she mentally prepares herself to be pushed up, it takes her just a little longer to realize that his hands are on her pants waistband instead of on her ribs. She quickly braces herself in order to lift her hips and feels her excitement grow as he pushes her pants down past her buttocks. As she sits back down, she gladly cooperates as he pushes her pants off of her legs.

Before she can request that she wants to take his pants off, his hands are caressing her and her soaring excitement distracts her from anything other than enjoying her swiftly rising pleasure. Between the climactic pleasure peaks she greatly enjoys, he diminishes her excitement a little which allows a thought to actually begin to coalesce in her mind to wonder if he can read her body to know just how to give her pleasure. She's quite sure he's not reading her mind, other than the idea that she wants more pleasure, because she's unable to imagine all of the ways in which he touches her so wonderfully.

Eventually, bladders become a nuisance and after that they brew some more tea and she doesn't have to work very hard to encourage him to let her remove his pants. Although their mostly naked bodies don't make it easy for their lover to calmly drink their tea, it does significantly build their anticipation which looks forward to more pleasure. Their last few gulps of tea are taken a little more hurriedly and they barely remember to check the lock on the door and turn out the lights on their way to the bedroom.

She leans over and has just moved the bed covers out of the way when she has to brace herself on the bed as unexpected excitement rushes into her. It takes her a little while to realize that he's kneeling down behind her and is kissing and tongue caressing the backs of her legs right below her buttocks while his hands caress her almost everywhere they can reach. Without thinking about it, she seems to automatically spread her legs which encourages him to tongue caress her along her bottom panty seam and that sends her pleasure to climactic heights.

As she's panting for breath, he pulls her panty off of her then helps her to lay down in the middle of the bed. He lays down beside her, pulls the covers up, and before she can even request he take his underwear off, his resumed caresses have her excitement quickly growing. His right hand soon includes her high inner thighs which she automatically spreads then is glad she did because her pleasure quickly soars even higher.

She's not sure how much more climatic pleasure she can enjoy when his caresses seem to slow down then reduce their extent then slow down more until his hand holds still. It takes her awhile to realize that his right hand is lightly resting on the top of her vulva mounds, but she doesn't have the strength to lift her hand in order to move his hand and complete her pleasure. Since she can't seem to do anything other than to pant for breath, she tries to concentrate on what she feels his hand doing.

Moments later, she feels one of his fingers move and it takes her a little longer to realize that his finger is lightly touching her around the opening to her vagina. She's not sure how much longer it takes her to understand then she gasps out, "Yes!!" She's about ready to repeat herself when she feels his finger touch her a little more firmly. Then his finger gently pushes into her vagina and begins to slowly stroke her pleasure nerve cells. As though this is the moment she's been waiting for, her pleasure rockets into her and sends her to the stars before she's overwhelmed and collapses.

Even as he reluctantly pulls his finger out of her and moves his hand away, he finds it unbelievable, yet he can't deny the evidence, that she wants him to spend time with her and to touch her, especially so thoroughly. He pulls the covers up as he lays down beside her and as he continues to marvel that he could be in such a relationship with her, he doesn't seem to be aware he climaxed with her before he falls asleep.

Chapter 141

When they wake up in the morning, Chet and Ilena somehow resist the temptation to stay in bed in order to resume experiencing how enjoyable it is to share physical affection with a willing partner. She doesn't make it easy for him to resist her when she requests he put her clothes on and she's glad he partially fails in totally resisting her when he kisses and caresses her in the process. But when she goes into his quarters with him and wants to help him put clean clothes on for the day while she does her own kissing and caressing, he feels like he's a hair's breadth away from taking advantage of her.

With what feels like an extreme effort on his part, he guides her out of his quarters and as they walk to the cafeteria, he can feel himself calm down. Moments later, he's startled as the thought occurs to him that considering the Floaters' capabilities, he could be making love to Ilena on the nearby grass and nobody would notice a thing. Then he's astounded at the very brief color display he sees which he interprets as the Floaters saying they would gladly cooperate with him to do so.

Apparently, Ilena didn't notice the color display but she did notice his stumble so she asks, "Is something wrong?"

"Um, no, not wrong. Just a very surprising thought crossed my mind."

"Would you care to share it?"

"Not really because it wouldn't be appropriate. Sometimes the mind can come up with some rather strange thoughts."

"You mean more strange than the idea that I want to be with you and gladly enjoy all of the intimate pleasure you're willing to share with me?"

"As difficult as it is for me to understand that or accept it, my thought was far enough beyond that, it makes the idea of you wanting me seem almost normal in comparison."

"That would be rather strange."

"Yeah."

They soon have their trays of food and as they look for a vacant table, they notice the Constable wave them over to a table he apparently just set his tray down on so they join him. They lightly converse through breakfast and as they sip their last of their drinks, Charles leans forward and quietly says, "I saw the news broadcast last night when you read your statement about the young lady," he grins at her, "becoming the ambassador to the natives. If I can help in the effort, please let me know."

Although she's surprised at his statement, she rather quickly recovers then says, "Why, thank you, Charles. . . . May I ask why you are interested?"

"After I spoke with the 'invisible being'," he nods his head towards Chet, "and understood some of the Floaters' capabilities, I was very interested in learning more about them in a cooperative and respectful way." He's startled to see a brief color display between them on the table.

Chet chuckles then says, "I'm going to assume that means they think you are an acceptable candidate."

When there's another brief color display, Ilena smiles and says, "I think you're right."

Charles' eyes are wide as he hesitantly asks, "They can understand us that well?"

Chet and Ilena briefly grin at each other before he verbally responds, "Apparently so."

While Charles shakes his head in a combination of disbelief and wonder, Ilena turns to Chet and asks, "Invisible being?"

He briefly chuckles before he answers, "The first time I ran away from the job to spend time in the forest, I met Regal. When I finally convinced myself to come back to work, Regal walked with me and on the spur of the moment, I asked the Floaters to hide me. When I came to the cafeteria for dinner, everybody could see Regal but not me so somebody called the Constable to deal with an 'invisible being'. When he hesitantly sat down at the table with me, I asked the Floaters to slightly reveal me to him. Actually, I'm surprised the news media didn't make a bigger issue out of it."

Now that he's had some time to recover, Charles explains, "Mykul did corner me the next morning and asked me about talking to the 'invisible being'. I said the cafeteria visitor was a human who was apparently testing a process or product which allowed them to appear invisible for a period of time. I suggested that since the person was aware of how people with a criminal orientation might use such a product, the person might not ever reveal their secret. Since there have been no more 'appearances' of the 'invisible being', I guess people have mostly forgotten about it."

"Let's hope it stays that way."

"So, do you have any ideas of how I can help learn more about the native species?"

When Ilena seems to hesitate, Chet answers, "We haven't talked in a lot of detail other than how to 'document' Ilena trying to establish some clear communication with Regit and the Floaters. I have requested that Ass monitor the various scientists who had studies in progress regarding the native species and if they have not suspended their activities, we may need to enforce that. Hopefully, we'll be able to use the local station constables if there's a problem."

"I'm sure a lot of scientists are upset they can't do their jobs. Is there some way in which it can be quickly determined which research doesn't affect the intelligent species so those scientists can be mollified and not cause further problems?"

"There probably is if we can figure out the right questions, communicate those to the species who we believe are intelligent, and understand their responses." A couple of moments later, he slightly grins as he says, "Or I could suggest that you take over my job then I could spend more time with the Floaters."

Charles frowns then says, "And you claimed to be my friend?"

A moment later, they laugh then Chet says, "Okay, we'll try to think of something more worthy for you to do in order to help the young lady."

Chapter 142

Ilena arrives at Chet's office just after his last teleconference for the morning which, thankfully, didn't go long, and tells him, "Thank you for using my full name in your announcement. The guess which is going around at college is that the person you chose is some important person in the capital or a scientist in one of the other stations. I'm concerned about how people will respond when they find out that it's me."

"That concerns me also. Although you may have to endure some verbal unpleasantness, I'm sure the majority of people will not attempt to cause you any physical harm, especially since it's rather common knowledge that Regit is your friend."

"That's true, even if I don't want to impose on her or restrict her own choices."

"I completely understand. I guess we'll have to take it one step at a time, but if you ever do feel threatened, contact the Constable then me as quickly as you can. If either of us are unable to arrive quickly enough, request that the Floaters hide you, even if you're not ready to reveal their capability to do so." Their brief color display seems to confirm his words.

A moment later, Chet continues, "Since I made the assumption you wouldn't want somebody else to observe your attempts to formally establish a means of communication with Regit or the Floaters, I have authorized an audio-video recorder with a tripod be set aside for you to use. I've also requested that one of the communication technicians show you how to use it after lunch. To give you some practice with the recorder, it might be a good idea for you to briefly record an explanation of what we appear to have been able to figure out such as Regit rubbing us and the Floaters color displays as apparently being positive responses.

"Then, as much as you're able to, before you start each session you record, clearly announce your name, the date, the approximate time, and what you are attempting to do. I know it's not how you would like to function, but it will most likely diminish the concerns of the scientists in regards to how we're approaching the subject and hopefully reduce their interest in trying to redo the process with less concern for the welfare of our hosts. I'm concerned that even if we invited a scientist to observe the process of how we try to communicate with Regit and the Floaters, they would soon attempt to take over even if they wouldn't do it any differently."

"I understand what you're saying. Even though I don't like to think of my friends as a scientific experiment, I'll try to remember how I had to approach an experiment in my science classes."

"To help you with that approach, remind yourself that your friends aren't the experiment, but that your attempt to establish a clear method of communication with them is the subject of the experiment."

"That's right. Thank you for reminding me. Before I get too worried about how I'm going to accomplish something the scientists haven't, shall we go to lunch?"

"After I selfishly enjoy some dessert," and he thoroughly kisses her to her delight.

When they have to take a breathing break, he guides her out of his office and when she can, she says, "Thank you so much for kissing me so wonderfully, but why did you say something about dessert?"

"I think your kisses are so delicious that I enjoy them like dessert."

"Thank you for thinking of me in that way, but I still don't understand why you said it."

He briefly chuckles before he explains, "I remembered an anonymous quote which said, 'Life is short, eat dessert first.'."

She briefly looks at him in surprise then grins and says, "I forgot you mentioned that before. In that case, since dessert is hugs and kisses with you, I may totally forget about the meal."

"I understand that feeling which is why I have to remind myself to have a 'proper' meal so I have the energy to selfishly touch you."

"While I selfishly enjoy how you touch me."

"It's kind of nice how our selfish desires seem to work together."

"If you keep talking like that, I'm not going to want to wait before I demonstrate how well they do work together."

He briefly looks at her in surprise then grins and holds the cafeteria door open for her.

* * * * *

As they walk towards the communications office after lunch, Ilena asks, "Chet, is there some place where I can work with Regit and the Floaters which is somewhat private but not in my quarters? If I'm going to try to approach our communication attempts on a more scientific basis, I would prefer a less 'personal' setting."

"I understand. While you're learning how to use the recorder, let me touch base with Yulia and Karina to see what might be available. Not only that, but we need to provide you with a proper office. I think for the present, we can have Karina and her staff take care of your administrative and other office functions rather than specifically assign someone to the task when there might not be enough for them to do in order to stay busy."

"That makes sense, especially since I have no idea what needs to be done nor am I inclined to tell other people to do something for me."

"I know that feeling. Karina still has to bug me to let her and the staff take care of a lot of things I used to do on my own. For some reason, it seems to me to be easier for me to request that Ass do something, probably because I know he can do it so much faster and more efficiently that I can."

"I think I would be concerned about him doing it so much better than me that I would feel useless."

"Sometimes I do. Well, let me introduce you to your instructor."

Chapter 143

As they eat dinner in the cafeteria, Chet asks, "Is something the matter?"

Ilena pauses before she answers, "I don't know. After I understood how to work the recorder, I took it to my quarters to practice with it while I recorded some of the things we have observed about Regit and the Floaters." She quickly looks around to see if anyone is close enough to hear her then she still lowers her voice as she says, "But when I requested that the Floaters demonstrate, they didn't cooperate. I know they were with me because they made themselves visible to me, but only where the lens of the recorder wasn't able to see them."

"Interesting. Obviously, they understood the function of the recorder if they made themselves visible to you only where the recorder couldn't observe them. I'm sure there's more of a reason than that they don't want to be recorded." His eyes open wide at the brief color display which appears on their arms. "Well, that confirms that. I suppose we'll have to start making some guesses to see if we can learn their reason."

"Can we go to our quarters before we start making guesses? Considering how exuberant they can be when we ask the right question or make a correct guess, I wouldn't want them to feel like they have to restrict how they respond if they don't want to be observed by other people."

"That's a good point." Even as they finish their meal, neither of them can seem to stop themselves from thinking of numerous guesses about why the Floaters didn't respond to Ilena's request to demonstrate what they had previously revealed when they were observable by the recorder.

While they walk from the cafeteria to their quarters, they are surprised to notice that the sleeves of their shirts change color several times, but nobody nearby seems to react. They're not sure how to interpret that behavior of the Floaters.

As they step into the building, Ilena encourages Chet to plan on spending the night with her and is almost surprised he doesn't protest since the previous times were more spontaneous. He barely hesitates to go into his quarters to quickly pack an overnight bag before they step into her quarters and deeply kiss right after they close and lock the door. While they catch their breath, they watch in amazement as the Floaters colorfully move around the room but suddenly become invisible whenever they're in front of the recorder lens even though it's not turned on.

He suggests, "Somehow, I suspect the Floaters know the recorder isn't turned on, but are trying to make a point." Their flashing colors seem to celebrate his correct statement. Even as he shakes his head in disbelief at their understanding, he helps Ilena put the recorder into its carrying case. When that's done, he hesitates then says, "Shall we delay our selfish sharing of intimate pleasure to give our attention to the Floaters?"

"I think I can agree to that," but her thorough kiss makes him wonder if she suddenly changed her mind. While they pant for breath, they go to the kitchen to make some tea.

"Can you get out some paper and a writing utensil so when we make our guesses about why the Floaters don't want to be recorded we can write them down and maybe avoid repeating ourselves?"

"Of course."

When their tea is prepared, they sit at the table and after they take a few sips, Chet writes as he says, "The Floaters object to being recorded. I guess the first question is, do they object to being recorded in general or for a specific reason? But how do we ask them in a way which we can clearly understand their answer?"

They think about that for a little while then Ilena holds up a hand and says, "Floaters, this hand represents your answer that you object to being recorded in general and this hand represents your answer that you . . ." before she can finish, her second hand is covered in color.

"I think that's a clear answer. Now, how do we find out what their specific reason is?"

"Well, I was trying to record what we had learned about them in how we communicate with them."

He tries Ilena's method and holds up a hand as he says, "Floaters, this hand is the reason you don't want to be a part of a scientific study and this hand is the reason you don't want to show how we learned to communicate with you." When there's no color response, "I guess neither one of those were the right reason."

"Um, maybe we need to take smaller steps in the sense of 'either-or' questions to narrow the questions."

"Go for it."

"Floaters, this hand is to say you don't want to be a part of a scientific study while this hand is to say you don't object to being a part of a scientific study." Muted color covers both of her hands.

He seems to automatically hold up each hand separately as he says, "Either they're not sure how to answer that or they're trying to say that it depends on what the scientific study is." Colors surround his second hand. "So, does that mean you object to being a part of a scientific study on how we communicate with you?" Muted colors answer his question. "I'm not sure how to interpret that."

They drink some tea then Ilena suddenly asks, "Floaters, do you object to being recorded while we learn to communicate with you because it will make it appear as though you are learning from us?" Color flashes around the room.

He exclaims, "I'll be damned. You know, they're right. If we record the progression of communication, everybody else will assume the Floaters are learning from us when the truth of the matter is that we're learning how to communicate with them." Color envelops him.

She hesitates some before she asks, "But aren't people going to reject the idea that the Floaters could possibly be anthro-equivalent if we can't show any progress in our ability to communicate with them?"

He nods his head as he answers, "Most likely, unless we can somehow figure out a way to fully communicate with them which doesn't take a lot of time."

"But how are we going to do that? So far, all we can do is guess that a color display is a positive response and a muted display is a maybe response and that's only if we ask the right questions or make a good guess."

"I know." He drinks a little more tea then says, "Let's go back to the concept of communication. The Floaters are able to communicate with themselves and to some unknown degree with Regit. Their communication is not audible, or at least within the human hearing range and I haven't heard that the scientists have found frequencies being used which can't be associated with natural and known phenomenon. The Floaters can obviously be visible and display multitudes of different colors, but it does not appear to be a form of communication." He briefly hesitates then asks, "Floaters, am I correct so far?" Color answers him.

"In that case, or at least to the best of my knowledge regarding forms of communication, that leaves," he separately lifts his hands, "electronic transfer of information and telepathy." Both hands are colored. "Huh?"

"I guess that means they can use either method depending on who they communicate with." Color surrounds her.

"That makes sense. But since we're not capable of receiving information by either of those methods, we have to figure out something else. I suppose we could try to agree on a code which assigned some meaning to the colors they can display, but without some machine to detect the subtle differences between colors, it would be a very slow and cumbersome form of two way communication.

"Humans and all other anthro-equivalent species we're aware of communicate either audibly or visually while Ass and others like him can also communicate electronically. Floaters, are you able to understand Ass electronically," he holds up a hand, "or do you have to listen to him speaking audibly," he holds up his other hand which is colored.

Ilena asks, "I realize they do understand our words, but how do they do that?"

"I don't know. I suspect they can somehow also hear us telepathically so they are then able to associate our verbal words with our thoughts and that has enabled them to understand Ass's verbal expressions." He has to grin at the color display.

"But how can they even hear our words?"

"Probably similar to how we hear each other's words, by the sound waves we produce when we speak." Color confirms his words.

"I think that would be a strong point in recognizing their intelligence if they can understand what would probably normally be considered random noise to them was actually an intelligent form of communication."

He nods his head as he responds, "I agree. However, it doesn't provide a two way form of communication."

"I guess that leaves some form of visual communication."

"I think you're right, but how long will it take to establish some sort of mutually agreed to and understood visual communication which will work with their ability to display color."

She drinks some tea and looks around the room then her eyes widen as she says, "Maybe it won't take long."

"Huh?"

Rather than answer, she pulls the paper over to her, writes 'Ilena' then points to it as she says, "Ilena," and points to herself. Again, she points at the word, says, "Ilena," and points to herself. Suddenly, her name is flashing in multiple colors across the room. A few moments later, she writes as she says, "Chet," and points to him.

As his name flashes across the room, he stares at the Floaters for awhile then turns to stare at her before he says with awe in his voice, "You did it!"

She turns to look at him in surprise at the tone of his voice and immediately responds to his thorough kiss. When they need to breathe, they turn and look at the Floaters who continue to flash their names around the room.

He pulls the paper over to him, briefly hesitates then says, "Floaters, I'm sure that's not the name you use for yourselves, but it is what somebody who first saw you decided to call you based on your initially observed abilities. My first question to you is then," he holds up a hand, "may we continue to call you and refer to you as Floaters or should we work with you to find a more appropriate name," he holds up his other hand. His first hand becomes colored. "In that case, here is how we write, 'Floaters'."

Barely a moment later, the word, "Floaters," is flashing around the room along with, "Ilena," and, "Chet".

They turn to grin at each other, thoroughly kiss, then take turns to write and say different words which the Floaters seem to immediately understand and absorb. Soon, they're putting together simple sentences then make sure they provide the Floaters with the words to ask questions. As they incorporate basic grammar and punctuation into their writing, the Floaters apparently have no difficulties is using it correctly. That encourages them to guess that the Floaters have been paying attention to what they've been saying all along and associating it with their clear thoughts whether they were directed towards the Floaters or not.

Hours later, when their minds have become fuzzy and their yawns are beginning to interfere with their ability to speak, Chet and Ilena go to bed. Although she would very much like him to make love to her, they're both quite tired, but she does request that they sleep together without any clothing between them. He barely hesitates to agree and after they lay down on their sides facing each other and pull up the bed covers, they briefly kiss.

Moments later, she pushes on him to encourage him to lay on his back and as she pulls herself up to lay on him, she's glad to feel his arms snugly go around her. She briefly nibbles on his earlobe then says, "Thank you, lover, this is right where I want to be."

"Thank you for accepting me and allowing me to be with you because it is truly my pleasure to be here with you." In the warmth of their embrace, they soon fall asleep while they're covered by Floaters.

Chapter 144

Although Ass could easily stay externally aware at full functionality at all times even during those occasional periods when he recharges himself to capacity, since few of those humans and aliens he works with are active during the planet's night cycle, he has a tendency to reduce his external awareness during the night and concentrates on doing his own research and indulging in his own hobbies. Of course, he does maintain a passive external awareness so that if something meets one of his previously defined parameters, he'll become instantly fully aware. Because nothing during the night met the parameters, his internal clock brings him to full external awareness at his normal time.

Moments later, he experiences a feeling of great surprise to see the words, "Hello, Ass. And how are you this fine wake up time?" in front of his visual receptors.

He quickly runs a diagnostic on his visual receptors, his internal clock, and all of his input sensors and devices to be sure he's functioning properly and not experiencing the electronic equivalent of a dream or hallucination. When all of his tests assure him he is functioning at peak efficiency, he still hesitates to verbally respond, "I'm fine. . . . But who or what are you?"

"We are the Floaters!"

He has to immediately diminish the input from his visual receptors to not be blinded by their exuberant colorful display.

Before he can ask, more words appear in the middle of the air, "Chet and Ilena showed us how we can talk to them and to you and to everybody!" This time the colorful display includes the flashing of their names.

Ass knows he has the capability to learn new things very rapidly, but . . . he asks to be sure, "And when did Chet and Ilena show you how to talk to them?"

Words appear to answer him, "Yesterday evening. At least we think that's the right word. We're still not sure we understand your obsession with the concept of time. They were doing a lot of yawning before they stopped showing us new words and grammar and went to bed. We don't know how long they plan to sleep or normally sleep."

While he responds, "Thank you for telling me," he wonders if the Floaters might be the equivalent of an organic super computer to go from having no concept of an audible or visual language to be able to somewhat understand an audible language and then transition that into understanding a visual language in a single evening. There's more than one example where humans met a new alien species and even though both had the concept of an audible language, it took the best linguists and computers days, if not longer, to be able to competently translate between the languages. And if their form of a visual language was unexpected, that took even longer to understand and translate.

"Since neither you nor I know how long Chet and Ilena will sleep, let me send a message to the people Chet works with so they won't worry if he's later than normal." A moment later, Ass wonders why he felt it was appropriate to tell them what he was doing.

"Okay." The word hangs in the air for a little while before it's replaced by, "We could give them a message."

"I'm sure you can, but if they are not aware of you or your capabilities, they might not understand or they might be frightened if something totally unexpected happens in front of them."

There's a brief pause before new words appear, "Thank you for thinking of that. We wouldn't want to scare people. We will wait until Chet or Ilena or you can introduce us to other people since you know we are smarter than other people are aware of."

"I believe that is a wise decision on your part. . . . Just out of curiosity, how did Chet and Ilena show you how to talk to them?"

"They used a pad of paper and a pen or a pencil or both. We were so excited about learning how to talk visually that we didn't always ask for things to be clearly identified."

"I can understand that."

"Since you asked the question, does that mean there's another way they could have used to show us how to talk?"

"They could have pointed to the words in a printed book or they could have used a computer to display the words while they either verbally said what the words were or actually had the computer read the words."

There's a brief pause before words almost flash in apparent excitement, "Can you show us some new words to help us talk better?"

"Let's check out a computer monitor to be sure whether or not you can visually recognize words in that way." Since he has no idea what Chet and Ilena were using as a source of words unless it was simply whatever came to their mind, Ass accesses an educational database and displays a story book for beginning readers. "Are you able to see the words on the screen?"

"Yes!" excitedly flashes in the air. "We recognize most of those words, but how will we know what the other words are?"

A moment later, Ass says, "The computer will read the words slowly while they are highlighted, like this."

The Floaters display the words along with the computer then flash the words they just learned. When the story is done, they display, "Thank you, Ass, that works. But how do we learn new words without taking you away from your work?"

"Are you able to press on the keys of the keyboard or press on these commands on the screen?" He points to them. He's not sure whether one or several Floaters move to the screen and the keyboard, but they seem unable to do anything.

They soon report, "It doesn't work for us."

"I guess you don't have sufficient mass to activate the keys or the touch screen."

"What is that 'm' word?"

"Mass?"

"Yes."

"It's related to how much pressure an object can exert or how much weight an object exhibits when affected by gravity."

"That is confusing us."

"I'm sorry. Rather than try to explain 'mass' right now, let me see if I can instruct the computer to display and read words in such a way that you can proceed at a comfortable pace. . . . Do you know the word 'next'?"

They display it.

"That's correct. I have instructed the computer to advance to more words when you display the word 'next' in this rectangle."

"Thank you, Ass."

"You're welcome." He steps away to do some of his own work while he keeps a couple of sensors trained on what the Floaters and the computer are doing.

There's barely a pause when the computer reaches the end of the first page before the Floaters display, "Next," to the computer then they excitedly display, "It works!" to Ass. He can understand their excitement at learning something new, then marvels that they can control their excitement and allow him the time and space to do his work. He's half tempted to assure them he could continue to interact with them without impacting his other functionality, but he also understands the idea of pride which a being can experience as they learn something on their own.

Chapter 145

Chet becomes aware of an unexpected weight on him which causes him to wake up more fully then he has to smile as he realizes that Ilena is laying on him. He lifts his hand which has fallen off of her after he fell asleep and gently hugs her. Moments later, he struggles with himself to not touch her more even though he's sure she would welcome it. And that reminds him that he still doesn't understand why she wants to be with him or to have him touch her which reinforces how grateful he is to her while he again wonders how he can begin to express his feelings towards her.

As those thoughts seem to rotate around in his head, along with several related thoughts, he eventually becomes aware that her physical presence is affecting a part of his lower anatomy which is also sending a different message to his brain and that is becoming more urgent. Reluctantly, he rolls her off of him and as he briefly sits on the side of the bed to settle his equilibrium before he pushes himself up to walk to the bathroom, he doesn't see her sleepily reach out to him.

He steps out of the bathroom and quickly recovers from his surprise as he steps into her arms and thoroughly responds to her kiss. Even as she's trying to catch her breath, she reluctantly steps away and hurries into the bathroom. His chuckle is brief before he notices the time then groans in dismay.

While desire argues with duty in his head, he just stands there then is briefly startled when she hugs him from behind. A moment later, she says, "As much as I want you to give me pleasure," while one of her hands gives his lower anatomy a reason to quickly become excited, "I know you have work to do and I should attend my class."

He manages to gently remove her hand from his well aroused penis and turns around to hug her. When he's calmed down a little, he tells her, "Thank you for wanting me to be with you and to give you pleasure. Thank you also for wanting to continue your education. Since I very much want to support you in your education efforts, I think it would be best if we separately get ready for the day."

"I reluctantly agree. I'm not even sure I have time to go to breakfast."

"Probably not for a sit down meal in the cafeteria. When you're ready to go, I'll wait for you in my quarters and give you a ration bar which will be a partial substitute for breakfast."

"Thank you." She thoroughly kisses him. It's a little while before she can suggest, "Maybe you had better go before I do decide to forget about my class."

"Not without throwing some clothes on."

"I'm sure the Floaters would be willing to cover you."

Colorful words, "Yes, we would," appear in the air.

"I don't mean to doubt or dissuade you, my friends, but I guess I'm just a little too self-conscious or traditional to take advantage of your offer."

"That's okay. By the way, Ass said he was going to send the people you work with a message to not worry if you are later than normal."

He pauses in surprise with his pants halfway on then says, "Thank you for letting me know. I assume that means you have revealed to him that you are now able to visually talk."

"Yes. Since he does not have a normal face, we were not able to know if he was surprised or not."

"I'm sure he was quite surprised, but it would be difficult to tell."

"After we told him how you and Ilena showed us how to talk visually, he showed us how to use a computer to learn more words. He tried one way, but said we didn't have enough of an 'm' word to work the computer keys."

He pauses in thought while he tucks his shirt in then asks, "You haven't learned the 'm' word he said?"

"Not yet, but it almost sounded like 'm' in front of his name."

"Was the word 'mass'?"

"That's the one! What does it mean?"

"Give me a moment to kiss this lovely young lady then if some of you will come with me, I'll try to explain what 'mass' means."

Shortly after they start to kiss, it becomes difficult to continue since they're tempted to laugh at the exuberance of the Floaters who flash the words, "Kiss Ilena," and, "Kiss Chet."

They briefly grin at each other then as Chet turns to leave, he gently slides his hands over her bared breasts and she gasps at the surge of pleasure she feels. Since she decides to interpret that as a promise for the future, she barely resists insisting that he stay and goes to get her shower instead.

Chet makes sure her door is closed and locked then goes into his quarters and locks the door before he goes to his desk and writes the words 'mass', 'weight', 'pressure', and 'gravity' while he says them for the Floaters. As he quickly gets ready to take a shower, he tells them, "First of all, I do not have the capability to give you a precise scientific explanation so how I try to explain those terms will be rather simplified. Secondly, I suspect that the concept of 'mass' and its related terms may be a difficult one for you to understand, not because you can't learn it, but because I suspect you are not affected by it.

"For example, let me hold up this towel with my left hand and hold up my right hand in front of the towel. Now, if I try to use just the towel to push my right hand like this, my right hand doesn't move. Let's do it again and this time I'll hold the towel still and try to push the towel away with my right hand and now the towel moves. The reason the towel was unable to move my hand but my hand could move the towel is that my hand has more mass than the towel."

"Then means the computer key had more mass than we do which was why we couldn't push it."

"That's the basic concept. However, for the computer key, there is a built in resistance which in effect increases how much pressure or mass needs to be applied to force the key to move and that is done in order to reduce how often computer keys are accidentally activated."

"Okay. We're not sure we fully understand, but that does help it seem less confusing. What about weight and gravity? What are those?"

"Gravity is the force which one object of mass causes on another object of mass. If we use the example of the towel and my hand, if there were no other factors involved, the towel would be pulled closer to my hand because it has the greater mass. However, since the actual amounts of mass of my hand and the towel are so small compared to the mass of the planet which is already exerting a pulling force, we are not able to observe the pull of the towel to my hand.

"Since the planet is so massive, it pulls the much smaller mass of my body to it. The only way I can separate myself from the planet is to use some form of energy which exerts a sufficient amount of pressure to overwhelm the pulling power of gravity. I can very temporarily do that if I jump up, but as soon as the limited force of my legs to jump is expended, the gravity of the planet pulls me back down."

"Is our lack of mass why we aren't forced down to remain touching the planet?"

"I suspect that's only a part of the explanation. I think there's something else involved, although I have no idea what it might be, because even things with very little mass, such as a piece of paper, are pulled down by gravity."

"I guess we'll have to wait for you or us or somebody else to find out what else might be involved."

"I'm afraid so."

"Then what is weight?"

"Weight is a measure of how much force the gravity of a large mass exerts on a smaller mass. Since I have more mass than this bar of soap, the mass of the planet exerts more pulling power on me than it does on the soap. Although we tend to generally think that the weight of ourselves and other objects is constant, if I was on a different planet which had a different amount of mass compared to this planet, then I would weigh a different amount even if I used the same scale in both places."

"I guess that means we weigh very little."

"That has been my conclusion because even when I know you are on my body because I can see you, I am unable to feel you either by weight or by touch."

"Thank you for explaining. Although we don't fully understand, at least we have some idea of the terms and are less confused."

"I was glad to help and just to assure you, although humans easily use the terms, we don't really understand the concepts or why gravity works the way it does."

Although the conversation was briefly interrupted from time to time when he had to close his eyes when he was washing and rinsing his face and hair, the Floaters seem to be considering what has been said so he finishes his shower and has mostly dried himself when words appear in front of him, "If we have so little mass, how are we able to affect objects such as a sugar cube which might have more mass?"

"By applying force. If one of you was to hold still in a horizontal position with no other object directly under you and I placed a sugar cube on you and you didn't absorb it, you would probably feel like the sugar cube was trying to push you down because of gravity pulling on it. But when several of you are moving, the force of your movements allows you to exert more force on the sugar cube and that force briefly interrupts the pull of gravity on the sugar cube.

"Another example of the use of force would be if I could brace a piece of paper in a vertical position and touched it with my finger, nothing would happen to the paper. If I was to push on the paper with my finger, depending on how much pressure I put on the paper or how much force I exerted on the paper, my finger might make a hole in the paper."

"We think we understand the concept, but do you think you can demonstrate your examples so that we might better understand?"

"Do you mind if we get to my office before I demonstrate? I should finish getting ready before Ilena arrives, so I can give her something to eat before she needs to go to her class."

"We agree and Ilena is just about ready to step out of her quarters."

"Thank you for letting me know."

Chapter 146

As Chet walks towards his office door, he hears, "Morning, Boss."

"Hello, Karina. Were there any crises I missed out on by being late?"

She chuckles then answers, "No. And thank you for having Ass let us know you were going to be late so we wouldn't worry." With a suggestive tone to her voice, she asks, "Did the lovely Ilena distract you from going to SLEEP at an appropriate time?"

With a frown he says, "No. We were brain storming ideas of how to try to communicate with the native species and didn't pay attention to the time until we were yawning."

"So, when are you guys going to get combined quarters?"

"Karina, . . ."

She interrupts, "I know, it's none of my business, but you two are a rather odd couple and it's very clear you each love the other so I think it's past time for you two to be more fully together."

He sighs, "I still think it's more important for her to concentrate on finishing her education. I probably should have waited with making her the liaison to the native species so she isn't more distracted from her education."

"Is there a reason you didn't wait?"

"Some of the scientists were starting to get pushy about learning how Ilena interacts with Regit and even pushed on her grandfather to bug her."

"What a bummer. And she only just had a chance to meet them."

"Yeah. If they were willing to do that, I'm concerned about how they might directly try to 'study' Regit and her species is a way which would be offensive to a potentially anthro-equivalent being."

"I like Regit, but do you think she could really be anthro-equivalent?"

"Well, when she growled at me for suggesting she might be planning on a career in politics, I would say that displays a rather intelligent mind."

Karina chuckles then says, "I have to agree with that." Before she can say more, her communicator activates and she answers it, "Planetary Administrator's office, Karina speaking." She listens then reports, "Ass is on line three and wants to talk to you. Somehow, he knew you had just arrived."

"Why does that not surprise me? Maybe I'll have to question him about his spy network. Well, give me a few seconds to get into my office. . . . Hello, Ass, what can I do for you?"

"What did you do to show the Floaters how to visually communicate? They announced it as soon as I activated my external awareness and requested that I show them new words. I set them up in front of a computer with children's educational material and they're going through it about as fast as the computer can say the words."

"Good for them and thank you for that. From what we experienced, it seems like they can hear us speak and understand us very well, but don't have a means to verbally respond. Since they don't have a data port to 'talk' electronically and I don't know of any humans or other beings who might be telepathic, the only other method seemed to be some visual communication. But for us to try to develop some sort of code from the colors they can display would have been a monumental task.

"Ilena had the inspiration to write her name then say it as she pointed at the written form. The Floaters almost instantaneously understood the concept and displayed her name in lights in a manner of speaking. After that revelation, we were up late providing them with some basic words as well as some associated grammar and punctuation. I'm afraid our choice of words was rather random, but it did enable us to begin some simple two-way communication which is much less subject to guessing at an interpretation."

"How did you know they could somehow change the appearance of their body to form words?"

"I had no clue they could do that until they demonstrated it. Just like I didn't know they could appear to become invisible or to change the color of their bodies until they did it. Who knows what else they can do until a situation develops when they reveal a new capability. I don't even know if they were aware of the capability all along or somehow figured out how to do something new."

"Well, this situation is certainly something for the record book. From my research, I haven't found another example where one species finally recognized or even suspected the anthro-equivalence of another species and established a two-way communication method so quickly, especially where one of the species apparently didn't have a concept of such a form of communication. When word of this is released, this planet is going to be the center of attention."

"I'm rather concerned about that."

"Were you able to record your discovery?"

Chet answers, "No. When Ilena tried to work with the Floaters to even document what we knew before yesterday, they would not cooperate when they were in front of the video recorder. Later, we asked a number of questions and found out that the Floaters did not want to be recorded while we learn to communicate because it would appear as though they were learning from us when the truth is that we are learning how to communication with them."

"Apparently, they agree with you because a number of Floaters are flashing, 'Yes,' and, 'That's right,' around the room. Although the distinction of who was doing the learning could be considered rather subtle, most humans and allies would interpret that type of a recording as though we were sharing our intelligence with a lesser being."

"Which would not have a positive benefit to the native species on this world."

"I agree."

"Instead of a video recording showing some sort of progress, I guess for us to make our point, we'll have to prepare our own documentation about how we learned to communicate with them and had to ask multiple questions until we made the right guesses and were rewarded with a positive response. As though we were the children in the classroom and the teachers wanted us to think for ourselves and figure things out instead of being told the answer. Or that we couldn't learn how to communicate on their high level so they reluctantly agreed to make use of our simpler methods in order to share their wisdom with us."

Ass chuckles before he asks, "Shall I order some lead balloons so the scientists will be able to express their opinion of that?"

Chet just laughs then says, "I'll talk to you later."

"Bye."

* * * * *

After Chet and Ilena turn in their empty dinner trays, they walk hand in hand to her quarters. When they're partway there, she asks, "Do you think you can spare some time tomorrow afternoon?"

"Possibly. What are you thinking of doing?"

"I would like to try to see if we can communicate more clearly with Regit through the Floaters."

"That's a good idea. I'm sure you could do something like that on your own."

"I probably could, but I would prefer to do it with you. I think we make a good team and sometimes you think of an idea which would never cross my mind."

"Thank you for that. I like to be with you, but I don't want to intrude on your success or deflect credit away from you."

"I know. I guess I really feel like we belong together and want to be with you as much as possible."

"Thank you, again. Do you have a particular time you want to try?"

"No. Just whenever it won't impact on your work."

"Well, let me check in the morning to see what I can juggle around and hopefully by lunch time I'll have an idea of when I can be free."

"Thank you."

They soon step into her quarters and almost immediately kisses become their main form of communication. In a little while, caresses provide a tactile enhancement to their 'talk' then they shuffle to the small sofa where they get settled to continue their affectionate 'discussion'. As he expands how much of her body he caresses through her clothes, her excitement quickly grows which makes it difficult for her to breathe and kiss at the same time.

In a manner similar to what he's done on many other wonderful occasions, he reduces the extent of his caresses which allows her to more fully catch her breath. Since she doesn't want him to even prepare to have the thought that she takes him for granted, she expresses her gratitude through kisses and words while she slowly unbuttons his shirt. Shortly after she encourages him to cooperate with getting his shirt off so she can caress his chest, her own excitement begins to distract her as his caresses again expand how much of her he touches.

This time, his caresses slip into her loose shirt and after what seems both like an eternity and no time at all, she's clumsily cooperating with him as he pushes her shirt up and off of her. She's not sure when her bra disappears, but she's certainly glad it did as his hands and fingers excite her breasts to climactic pleasure. His caresses diminish some which allows her to partially settle her breathing then he leans her back enough to enable his lips and tongue to give her breasts and extended nipples even more pleasure.

By the time her breathing is close to normal, his caresses are more comforting and relaxing and that's a feeling she simply wants to revel in, but her bladder seems to have the indecent manners to interrupt her enjoyment.

Chapter 147

After their bladders are temporarily quieted, Ilena starts the kettle to make some tea. Apparently, the Floaters recognize what they're doing because they soon display the word, "Sugar?"

Chet tosses a sugar cube in the air and as some of the Floaters bat it around, others display the words, "Look, Ilena, Chet taught us the meaning of 'force'." Moments later, one of the Floaters is positioned so the sugar cube lands on it and as the Floater sinks to the floor as though it's unable to hold up the sugar cube, the other Floaters announce, "and 'gravity' which has a stronger effect on the greater 'mass' and 'weight' of the sugar cube than on us." The one Floater slips out from under the sugar cube which falls a little faster but is quickly batted back up into the air where the Floaters hit it back and forth while they slowly dissolve it.

She claps her hands in approval and tells them, "That was a very good way to demonstrate those terms."

Almost before she can complete her sentence, they display, "Thank you."

They fix their tea and sit at the table where she hesitates then tells the Floaters, "I hope we didn't offend you by ignoring you after we arrived here and started to share physical affection."

They quickly display, "Of course not. We encourage you to share the touch of pleasure with each other, especially since you don't exclude us and allow us to participate."

He recovers from his surprise a little before she does so he asks, "How do we allow you to participate?"

"When you touch each other, you also touch us because some of us are always on you. Not only that, but when either of you become so excited, although it's most often Ilena, we can feel your excitement and it's the most wonderful feeling we've experienced. Since that is on top of how you treat us with respect and as friends, we can't express how much that means to us." Although they can't really feel the Floaters on them, they have to close their eyes to the explosive color display which surrounds them.

In a little while, they hesitantly open their eyes and see that the Floaters are flashing the word, "Happy!" in multitudes of colors, but less intensely than a little while ago. Eventually, the Floaters seem to settle down and even minutely sample their tea. When their tea is finished, the Floaters asks, "Chet, would you be willing to touch Ilena some more and give her excitement which we can also experience?"

While he wants to immediately respond positively, he somehow manages to turn and look at her before he says, "Only if she's interested . . ." and is responding to her passionate kiss. Since their position of sitting on their chairs while leaning close is somewhat awkward, they clumsily stand up then their arms tighten around each other as though they're trying to press the other's body into their own. Soon, his hands slip into the back of her loose pants and as he fondles her buttocks through her panty, she almost pushes him over as she presses herself tighter to him.

Sooner than they want, they have to stop kissing in order to breathe. Although she doesn't want to move away from his arms, she would rather be laying down rather than fall down when he sends her pleasure soaring through her, so she steps back only enough to guide him to the bedroom.

They deeply kiss some more and once she gains enough breath after a required breathing break, she requests, "Make love to me."

Before she can add, "Please," he says, "It would be my great pleasure," and this time he almost pushes her off of her feet as he presses himself to her and kisses her passionately. When they have to breathe again, he pushes her pants down with caresses almost all over her legs and he pauses only long enough in order to kneel down in front of her to lift her feet and move her pants away from her. Then his hands caress up her legs and slowly pull her panty down.

As soon as her panty is out of the way, his hands caress up her legs and are joined by his kisses which sends her excitement soaring and makes it difficult for her to remain standing even as she grips his rising shoulders for support. Carefully, she shuffles her feet further apart then turns her knees outwards which makes it easier for him to kiss the insides of her thighs. Soon, he intersperses tongue caresses with his kisses while his hands caress her all over her buttocks and the backs of her legs.

Her pleasure seems so unbelievably high then it surges into an orgasm which he keeps going with his kisses and tongue caresses all over and inside her labia until she has no more energy to remain upright. His hands which had been fondling her buttocks quickly move up to her waist and guide her falling body to sit on the bed. Apparently, that requires more energy than she currently possesses because as soon as his hands move, she falls back onto the bed. His immediate concerned look is soon replaced by an expression of surprise as she points to the Floaters who are flashing, "Thank you! Thank you!"

He struggles to control his own raging desire, especially since her body is so invitingly spread right in front of him, then he manages to force himself to stand up. He can't resist looking at her body some more then he gently, and with her weak cooperation, moves her to be more fully on the bed. Whether it's his own desire or the look in her eyes which encourages him, he quickly takes his pants and underwear off, lays down on his left side next to her, and pulls the covers up.

As her breathing settles, she grips his right arm to help her roll onto her right side. They smile at each other for a little while then his right hand starts to gently caress her before he leans closer to softly kiss her. She almost weeps at his tenderness especially when she knows how excited he is as her hand finds his firm penis. She gently pulls on him and lifts her left leg.

He hesitates some before he scoots closer to her while his caressing hand moves down her side to her buttocks and pulls her closer. A moment later, she gasps as pleasure rockets into her and without consciously knowing what she's doing, she rubs the head of his penis along the inside of her labia and across her clitoris to send her excitement into an orgasm. Then his hand slides over her buttocks and a couple of his fingers slip into her ready vagina and her pleasure becomes even more intense.

Before she's totally overwhelmed by pleasure, he pulls his fingers out of her and moves his hips back a few inches then almost climaxes as she weakly tries to pull his penis back to her. He scoots down the bed a few inches then moves closer and this time her hand guides his penis to the opening of her vagina. Again, she gasps with the surge of pleasure and as she tries to pull him into her, he cooperates, but only moves a little.

He struggles to contain his own desire long enough to gently remove her hand from his penis and from between their bodies. Once her hand is out of the way, his right hand slides across her waist to grip her right hip while he closes the gap between their lower abdomens. After a moment or two of hesitation, he slowly moves his hips forward a little and his penis slips into her. He briefly pauses and moves his hips back just a little before he pushes them forward a little more.

Since he's trying to concentrate on moving slowly and gently, he isn't sure when her orgasm begins, but it clearly continues as he slowly strokes himself deeper into her. The feel of her vagina surrounding his penis only adds to the excitement he feels at recognizing her ongoing excitement, but as her groping left hand latches onto his buttocks and tries to pull him in further, he can no longer contain his own excitement and pushes himself in deeper and climaxes. After he takes a few deep breaths, he resumes his movements until her pleasure overwhelms her then he has to struggle to hold still.

Even as he knows he should pull out of her and clean them up so she doesn't have a sticky mess to deal with later, he can't seem to make himself move. Before he can find either the energy or the motivation to move, he falls asleep.

Chapter 148

As Chet wakes up, he first realizes that he's laying on his back and that Ilena is partially laying on him along his left side. He doesn't want to move or even think about what time it might be, but his bladder informs him that he has to move or suffer unpleasant consequences. Reluctantly, he gently slips away from her then stumbles to the bathroom.

When he steps out of the bathroom, he's startled to feel Ilena press herself to him and belatedly returns her kiss then turns and watches her step into the bathroom. He shakes his head in disbelief that this could be happening to him then he notices the time and sits on the side of the bed to wait for her instead of getting his clothes on. Although there's not much light in the room, the way she walks towards him from the bathroom seems to him to be exceptionally sensuous.

She stops right in front of him, briefly pauses, then leans over and passionately kisses him. He's so surprised at her action that it takes him a moment or two to respond to her kiss then he has to struggle with himself to not pull her down on top of him. When they have to breathe, he cooperates as she pushes him back and encourages him to turn in order to properly lay on the bed, then his eyes widen as she kneels on the bed while she straddles his body and sits on his upper thighs.

Before he's totally distracted by her, he remembers what he thought about and says, "I'm sorry I didn't clean up my mess last night before I fell asleep."

"Your mess?"

Now he feels somewhat embarrassed as he answers, "Yes. When a male climaxes, he releases semen which can become a sticky mess if it's not cleaned up fairly soon."

"I didn't notice anything sticky between my legs." She pauses then smiles, "If you're concerned, you're welcome to examine me."

His eyes widen in surprise at her statement, but he tries to stay on the subject and asks, "If you didn't have to clean up a mess, then I wonder what happened to it?"

Suddenly words appear on her upper abdomen, "We cleaned it up." They both stare because the words also appear on his upper abdomen.

Moments later, they grin at each other, then he says, "Thank you, Floaters, I appreciate it that you were willing to do that for us."

"We were glad to and it also provides us with some . . . we're not sure of the word but they're small parts which are useful to us."

He briefly thinks then asks, "Chemicals?"

"That's the word. Maybe you can show us the visual form a little later."

Before he can respond, his eyes open wide at what he feels so he lifts his head to see that she's caressing his penis which seems to be swiftly responding to her attention. His head falls back with a groan of pleasure while his hands, which no long need to support his upper body, reach out to stop her. She captures his hands then asks, "Don't you want to share some more useful chemicals with the Floaters?"

He's so surprised by her question that he simply stares at her for awhile then he groans with pleasure as her hands resume their acquaintance with his genitals. Somehow, she keeps exciting him while she also guides his hands to her inner thighs which he can't resist caressing. Moments later, she leans forward to deeply kiss him and as she pants for breath, she moves her knees a little further up his body.

Even as she's not sure how it will work, she lowers her hips while she lifts his penis to stand up from his body. She reminds herself that he said they can make love in any way their bodies would be able to join and since she very much wants their bodies to be joined without making a lot of moves, she decides to try this. She lowers her hips further then her eyes widen in excited delight as her adjustments of the position of his penis briefly caresses her labia before the head of his penis is snugly pressed to the entrance of her vagina.

She briefly hesitates then almost cautiously lowers her hips a little more. As pleasure surges into her, she tries to slowly lower then lift her hips in order to caresses his penis with her vagina. Faster than she had expected, her excitement soars then becomes climactic as his hands slide up her abdomen to caress her breasts.

Her coordination to lift and lower her hips quickly diminishes and as her orgasm goes on, her buttocks drop the remaining distance which sends her pleasure higher then she tries to move her hips in any way possible in order to keep her pleasure going. Moments later, his hips start to thrust upwards and she joyfully rides them until the pleasure overwhelms her. He pants for breath following his own climax and after he rests for a little while, he lifts his hips in order to straighten out her legs before he lowers her torso to rest on his chest, pulls the covers over them, and falls asleep.

* * * * *

When he wakes up this time, Chet is able to turn his head enough then tries to stifle his groan of despair when he sees what the time is. Apparently, he didn't totally succeed in suppressing his expression because Ilena, who is fully laying on him, asks, "What's the matter?"

"It's late."

"Oh. Is that a problem?"

"Maybe not for you to get to your class on time, but if I'm going to take part of the afternoon off in order to be with you when you try to communicate with Regit through the Floaters, I really need to get some of my other work done."

"I understand. If you need more time, I suppose we could go visit with Regit after dinner or we could invite her to spend the evening with us in our quarters."

"Those are valid possibilities, but I would still like to try to get to work soon in case something unexpected comes up and interferes with getting my other work done."

She's about to say one thing when something else occurs to her and she suggests, "I can make sure something comes up and interferes with your work," as one of her hands reaches between their bodies and begins to excite his genitals.

His eyes open wide in surprise and his hands slide down to her hips with the initial intent to lift and push her off of him. A moment later, his hands move down a little further and as he presses down on her buttocks, he also rocks her body. Her hand stops moving as pleasure slams into her because her rocking body rubs her labia over the back of her hand.

Even though her hand is no longer fondling his genitals, her excitement which rushes past the peak of climax seems to ignite a similar excitement in him. Before he's consciously aware of doing so, his hips are naturally thrusting upwards then he pushes higher and his climax joins her. After his hips drop back down to the bed, he grabs a couple of deep breaths then rolls her onto her side on the bed and removes her hand from between her legs.

When she feels him start to move away, she grips his arm as tightly as she can. He turns to look at her in surprise. She takes a couple of more deep breaths then gasps out, "Thank you."

He seems to relax some then says, "I'm glad you enjoyed it. I don't want to play and run, but I'd better go before I'm more tempted to stay and touch you for the rest of my life."

"How can I . . . tempt you . . . to do so?"

"You already do." He briefly kisses her, quickly throws his clothes on from yesterday, kisses her again, and forces himself to turn and walk away before he tells duty to take a very long hike.

She lays there while her breathing settles and almost touches herself while she pretends that he's touching her just to keep the pleasure flowing. At the same time, she seems to know how much he was tempted to stay with her and she's not sure if she's more amazed at that or at his integrity and sense of duty which was able to set his selfish interests aside. When she feels like she has the energy, she gets up and as she takes her shower, she reminds herself that he will touch her and give her more pleasure as soon as he believes it's appropriate. Reluctantly, she also reminds herself that there really is more to life than sharing intimate pleasure in spite of how wonderfully enjoyable it is.

Chapter 149

While he wasn't able to escape from the office as early as he had hoped, Chet still has to remind himself to not feel guilty about putting off some work until tomorrow in order to meet Ilena in the cafeteria for an early dinner before they walk to the farm in order to visit with Regit. They take a few minutes to greet some of Ilena's other friends on the farm, help with the last of the late afternoon chores then walk a little ways away from the farm buildings and settle in a quiet place with Regit. When Ilena looks at Chet with a hopeful expression that he'll start, he nods his head and waves his arm as though to say, "After you."

She hesitates a little longer then says, "Regit, first of all, we believe you understand us when we speak verbally. Recently, we found a way to establish a two way communication with the Floaters. We have also guessed that you can communicate with them through some unknown means. Based on those points, we would like to attempt to establish a two way communication with you while we request that the Floaters translate from you to us. If that is workable, we are also wondering how we would be able to distinguish between their translation of your words or thoughts and their expression of their own thoughts."

When there doesn't appear to be any kind of a response, Ilena is almost ready to repeat herself when Regit leans on her and she quickly responds with a hug. A few moments later, words form in the air, "My delayed response was to ascertain as much as possible if there were any recording devices nearby. There does not appear to be any.

"First of all, thank you for treating me and the Floaters with respect and for finding a way to communicate with them. Apparently, you are not able to receive or recognize our directed thoughts, at least in any detail, and we were becoming rather concerned about whether we would be able to clearly communicate with you."

Although they had been half expecting and very much hoping for a response, it still surprises them. Chet apparently recovers first and asks, "Regit, are there other species on this planet beside your species and the Floaters who either are anthro-equivalent or potentially could be?"

"In theory, all species might become anthro-equivalent, but it is highly unlikely any other land based species beside my own and the Floaters will achieve anthro-equivalence, at least for many of their generations. In regards to water based species, there is one which is definitely anthro-equivalent who has not yet been discovered by your scientists and a couple of others which could possibly become so."

"Thank you for letting us know. That will help us to determine which projects the scientists may be allowed to continue. If you and/or the Floaters wish to more fully understand or monitor the projects which the scientists have started or are considering, we would welcome your advice."

"For now, your scientists can learn about any of the flora of this planet as long as they only seek to understand its functions and make no attempts to change any of it in any way. We will probably be able to give similar permission to study most of the fauna, but we want to make sure your scientists clearly understand which fauna can be studied because some of the stages of their life cycles may be rather different from those species they may be familiar with on other planets."

"Thank you for explaining. I'm sure many scientists both here and on other planets will be most interested in learning about you and the Floaters. I will do my utmost to try to protect you and I think that for us to reveal your anthro-equivalence would help accomplish that. However, we will not reveal it or anything more about you without your permission.

"Since we have no idea of how you or the Floaters are organized or if there is some authority structure within your species, if you need time to communicate and discuss with others what we have brought up, please let us know so we don't put any inappropriate pressure on you. Although I don't like to admit it, I can't guarantee that some people won't find a way to go around the proper channels in an attempt to learn more about you and your capabilities or to take advantage of your abilities."

"I understand and appreciate your concern."

When Chet doesn't immediately say more, Ilena speaks up, "I'm sorry, Regit, but what we should have asked first is if 'Regit' is a name which you object to or if we should call you something else."

"Since we do not have names which can be translated into a verbal form of communication, I will gladly accept being called Regit and Regal is rather amused by the name you have given him."

Chet briefly blushes at that then asks, "Along those lines, do you have a species name which would be appropriate for us to use or, in the case of the Floaters, a more appropriate name?"

"In a similar manner to how we refer to each other individually, our species designation is not applicable to being used with a verbal form of communication. Because of that, we can easily accept Ilena's initial thinking of us as 'tigers'." If Regit had the appropriate facial muscles, they're sure they would see a grin and Ilena slightly blushes at them being willing to accept her childish name for them.

After a pause, Regit's thoughts or words resume being displayed, "In regards to the species your scientists have designated as 'Floaters', they think it is quite appropriate since that is an obvious ability they possess. Technically, although the term is in the plural and they appear to have multitudes of individual bodies, they are really more of a single entity and if they do differentiate between their apparent individual bodies, they have not revealed that to us."

A moment later, a different color of words are displayed, "We are one."

Chet responds, "Thank you, Floaters, for clarifying that." He pauses some then asks, "Without intending to intrude, what kind of relationship do you, Regit, or your species have with the Floaters?"

"Is there a reason you are asking me the question instead of the Floaters?"

He hesitates in embarrassment before he says, "I don't mean to express any disrespect to the Floaters who I have really grown to like and appreciate, but based on our very limited observation, it appears as though you and your species have what we would typically define as a more serious and mature approach to life and the world around you while the Floaters express more of what we would interpret as a child-like enthusiasm."

"Based on what I've learned about your species, I think I can understand why you would interpret what you have observed in that way. In actuality, both of our species can be equally serious or playful although the expression of those attitudes are different which has encouraged you to arrive at your conclusion. In regards to our relationship, we work together to, shall we say, oversee the planet. While the Floaters are very limited in how they are able to physically act, they are also the eyes and ears of my species which is able to act but cannot be everywhere since we purposely limit our population to not cause undue stress on the environment."

Chapter 150

Chet winces before he responds, "Thank you for explaining. Based on that, our arrival on this planet must have caused some real problems."

Regit's words appear, "When you and your allied species came here and settled, it caused some concerns, but they are not overwhelming, at least not yet. If you were to allow more growth as I understand has happened on other planets, then we would feel the need to try to do something. That is one of the reasons we greatly appreciate the efforts of you two, and I do mean you, Chet and Ilena, as individuals, to respect us and to make the effort to try to communicate with us. Not only that, but we also greatly appreciate your apparent internal belief of not treating this world as your personal possession to use and abuse."

"I'm glad you appreciate what we've done, but from our perspective, we are only doing what we believe is the right thing to do."

"I understand, but that doesn't negate the fact that we can be grateful for your attitude which has and will continue to benefit us without necessarily being beneficial to you as individuals other than to have a clear conscious that you have practiced what you believe even if it puts you at odds with others of your species. . . . Are there any other questions or concerns you have at this time?"

"I'm sure we could ask a lot more questions, but I don't want to get caught up in learning everything about you in one session and have you feel as though we're trying to interrogate you. Not only that, but if and when you are willing to communicate more directly with some of our scientists, I'm sure they would appreciate the opportunity to ask their own questions rather than have us as intermediaries. As much as possible, I want us to maintain a friendship with you and the Floaters and hope that any questions we ask are on the basis of getting to know you better so we can improve our friendship rather than have you feel like we're mentally dissecting you as though you were a specimen to be studied."

A moment later, Chet's eyes open wide as Regit leans on him enough so that he falls back onto the grass and she partially lays on him without putting her full weight on him. As she gently rubs her head on one of his cheeks, he belatedly hugs her then sees her thoughts or words which the Floaters display, "Ilena, please come and share your physical affection with Chet as a substitute for how much my species and the Floaters appreciate both of you."

Although she's surprised at the request, she quickly recovers and proclaims, "Gladly," as she lays across Regit to reach Chet's lips and thoroughly kisses him. Moments later, Regit slips out from between them which allows them to more deeply kiss and begin to touch each other. Soon, they're lost in the thrill of their growing excitement and apparently forget about the presence of Regit or the Floaters.

Without appearing to be aware of exactly how they manage it while she still lays on him, their shirts are soon opened then their pants are pushed down past their buttocks. Her hand reaches between them to guide him while he gently pushes on her hips and as her ready vagina begins to envelope his firm penis, they both groan with their surge of excitement. She moves her hand from between them then moves both of her hands to grip his shoulders to pull herself up a little.

When she stops pulling, he pushes her hips back down. They soon establish a rhythm, but as her pleasure becomes climactic, her coordination diminishes. Somehow, he's able to pull her up and push her down several more times before his own excitement becomes irresistible and he pushes her down a little more firmly while his hips lift and his climax joins her ongoing orgasm. When he can no longer maintain the position, his hips drop back to the ground and as they pant for breath, they're barely aware of the Floaters color display which closely resembles fireworks.

As their breathing settles and some energy seems to slowly seep back into them, she can't seem to resist rocking her hips some which excites him to become more firm inside of her and that causes her pleasure to surge within her, but she doesn't have the energy to keep it going for long and soon has to rest. He reluctantly suggests, "I suppose we ought to get up, get our clothes back in order, and walk back to our quarters before we don't have the energy to do so."

"I suppose you're right." She pauses then grins, "And if we still have any energy left after we get there, maybe we can share some more pleasure."

Although his eyes briefly open wide in surprise, he soon grins and kisses her which she interprets as a positive answer and then she has to remind herself to wait a little before she renews the passion. Once their breathing has settled, they get up and feel slightly embarrassed at having an observable audience while they get their clothes back in order.

A few moments later, he says, "Regit and Floaters, thank you very much for being willing to work with us in establishing a form of two-way communication."

Almost immediately, words form in response, "You're welcome and it was fun!!" then the exclamation marks begin to spin and appear to shoot off sparks which become exploding fireworks without the noise.

Neither Chet nor Ilena can contain their smiles of appreciation at the display. As the display becomes less exuberant, he says, "I'll make an effort to contact the scientists about the new rules for their studies. If you have any other suggestions, advice, or concerns, please do not hesitate to let me know. Although I won't be able to balance everybody's concerns and I know that the humans and our allied species will insist they should have the first priority, I still want to do as much as I can to address your concerns since this is your planet and we need to remind ourselves that we are the guests."

Regit responds, "I appreciate that and understand it will not be easy for you. Hopefully, nobody will be so disappointed they decide to ignore you and simply do what they can to conquer us."

"That's definitely one of my concerns. Although I don't want to put you in the spotlight of attention, if you are willing to have your anthro-equivalence announced, it may interest enough people in authority that the possibility of being conquered is greatly reduced. Another factor which may help along those lines is that this planet is on the frontier of human space and not considered important enough such that the human authorities may be willing to mostly vacate it especially if they believe an ally is based here."

"Thank you for thinking of that and bringing it to my attention. Let me pass on what we've talked about to my fellow anthro-equivalent beings and I'll let you know what our concerns or decisions are."

"Thank you again for being patient with us in finding a way to communicate. I hope you have a good evening and we'll talk again soon." After Ilena and Chet hug Regit, they walk hand in hand toward their quarters while the Floaters surround them with color. As they walk closer to the outlying buildings of the station, the Floaters mute their colorful display then appear to become invisible.

Minutes later, they step into her quarters, lock the door, thoroughly kiss then take turns in the bathroom. With a snack and cups of tea in front of them, they talk about what the evening has revealed. When they're done, their smiles seem to communicate without words while they walk to the bedroom, slowly take off each other's clothes with kisses and caresses, settle on the bed, tightly hug, then tenderly make love until they fall asleep.

Chapter 151

In the morning, whether one of them started to wake up which interrupted the sleep of the other or they happened to wake up at the same moment, neither Ilena or Chet care as they briefly smile at each other before they kiss. Unfortunately, bladders interfere, but as soon as those are temporarily dealt with, they move back to the bed where their kisses and caresses soon spark their interest in passionate excitement. As their pleasure quickly grows, they seem to naturally roll back and forth on the bed as though they take turns laying on each other to intensely kiss and caress as much as they are able.

Without being able to define why it's the right moment, she spreads her legs while she's under him, pushes a hand between their bodies and guides his firm penis into her moist vagina. As he tries to keep his strokes inside of her slow and steady, her pleasure rapidly grows to over the peak of climax. Her excitement increases his own, but when her hands grip his buttocks to pull him deeper into her, his own climax arrives. After he grabs a couple of deep breaths, he resumes his hip movement to keep her pleasure going until he runs out of energy and is barely able to partially support his upper body so he doesn't put his full weight on her.

A little later, she straightens out one of her legs which allows them to roll to their sides but he keeps the roll going until she's laying on top of him while they pant for breath. When she can, she tells him, "Chet, as much as I felt like I wanted or even needed to touch and be touched, I never expected that sharing intimate pleasure would be so wonderful. Thank you so very much for teaching me and showing me how fantastic it is to be in love both physically and mentally," and she thoroughly kisses him.

"Without intending to diminish how you feel, if you didn't accept me as a person and strongly encourage me to touch you, we wouldn't be here and for that, I greatly thank you." His kiss is just as thorough. Reluctantly, he says, "I suppose I ought to get up and get ready for work."

"Probably. . . . Will you shower with me?"

His eyes widen with surprise and it seems to take him longer than usual to recover. Then he answers, "Gladly," and kisses her so passionately, she's more than tempted to never move away from his body. Eventually, they have to breathe which allows them to remember that a shower is on the agenda.

They manage to make it into the bathroom and after the water is an acceptable temperature, they step into the shower where he insists that they wash their hair first. Then she's surprised when he washes her hair while he hugs her. This is much more exciting than she had expected, but when he starts to wash her body with soapy hands, she can barely remain standing even as she leans on the shower wall after he rinsed her off.

She can only watch as he quickly washes and rinses his hair then washes and rinses his body. He turns the water off then gently pulls her off of the wall to wrap a towel around her back and while he 'caresses' her dry, his passionate kiss makes her knees feel weak. But when he steps behind her and starts to dry off the front of her body, his arms have to tighten around her to keep her from falling.

While she doesn't understand how she can experience so much pleasure or why he is so willing to touch her in order to give her pleasure, she doesn't want to trade it for anything. She manages to weakly cooperate as he finishes drying her body then she sits on the closed toilet seat until he gets dried off then helps her to the bed to rest. After he throws his clothes on from yesterday, she's surprised at how exciting it is for him to put her clothes on.

He supports her to walk to his quarters where she rests on the bed while he fixes her something to drink before he puts clean clothes on and finishes getting ready for work. Now that she feels like she has a little energy, she doesn't lean on him as heavily as they walk to the cafeteria for breakfast. They take their time to eat and quietly talk then walk towards his office. Partway there, they share a brief friendly kiss before he continues to his office and she returns to her quarters to get ready for her first class of the day.

Chapter 152

Late in the morning, Karina tells Chet, "Don't shoot the messenger, but the Chief Scientist is calling and sounds rather upset."

"Karina, you know I won't shoot you."

"I had to add some humor to the situation before you get depressed talking to Doctor High and Mighty."

He chuckles then says, "Thank you, Karina. I guess I'd better see what has twisted his highness' knickers."

Karina laughs as she steps back to her desk and closes his door behind her.

Chet pauses then activates the applicable circuit and says, "Yes, Albert, what can I do for you?"

"When are you going to lift that ridiculous suspension of scientific studies? I've got a bunch of people complaining they're sitting around twiddling their thumbs."

"I clearly stated that we need to establish some form of communication with the native species in order to be able to ascertain whether or not some of them are anthro-equivalent. I doubt if you want to be put in the position of being accused of experimenting on anthro-equivalent beings. I'm sure you're aware of what has happened in the past when those kind of situations were revealed."

Albert definitely hesitates to admit, "Yes, I'm aware and, no, I don't want to be accused of that. But how long is it going to take to communicate with them? We've been on this planet for decades and haven't heard word one from them."

"And how is a being without the proper vocal cords supposed to say word one? And why should we put the onus on them to communicate with us? They were on this planet first. We are the guests and should be making the first move to make sure we're not intruding on them."

"Damn it. I understand all of that, but it doesn't make it easy to undo what's been done or to reverse course after this long."

"I know, but there's much more at stake here than for some of your colleagues to have to pause or maybe even reassess how they approach their study of the native flora and fauna. . . . To be truthful, I've very tempted to tell you to back off and sit on your hands for awhile and to really think about how you would want to be treated if you were the being who was being studied by others while they thought you were nothing but an animal. Especially after you pressured Ilena's grandfather to bug her about you being able to interrogate her about her relationship with Regit."

After the silence stretches for awhile, Chet asks, "You don't have a quick comeback to that?"

Albert softly answers, "No. I definitely regret that I requested Ilena's grandfather speak to her."

"Do you regret it because you got caught or because you are truly sorry you made such a request after you assured me you would wait until she was ready to speak?"

"Are you trying to pin me to a board like a butterfly?"

"How does that feel?"

"Shitty."

"Yet that's what you want to do to Regit and the other species on this planet."

"Okay, okay. You've made your point."

"I wonder if I have or if you're just trying to squirm away without believing and admitting you were wrong. . . . Since you don't want to respond to that, how much of an effort have you and your colleagues made in an attempt to communicate with the native beings on this planet? Or did you assume that since they weren't shaped like you they 'obviously' couldn't be anthro-equivalent?"

Albert hesitates before he answers, "And how were we supposed to be able to communicate with them? As you said, they don't have the proper vocal cords in order to respond."

"So, the only form of communication you are aware of is verbal. Is that it?"

"Well, no."

"And I suppose you assumed that the only language in which an intelligent verbal conversation could take place is in your own language."

"Of course not."

"Again, I ask, how much of an effort have you and your colleagues made in an attempt to communicate with the native beings on this planet? . . . Since you don't want to admit it, let me answer for you. The answer is, none. Ass and I have reviewed the reports of you and your predecessors and none of you have made any attempt to establish any form of communication with the native species. Or if any of your associates did make an attempt, none of them documented it.

"As I told you before, some of the native beings understand us when we verbally express ourselves which indicates they can understand a form of communication which they themselves are unable to use and that speaks highly of their intelligence. So what forms of communication have you even considered, much less attempted? . . . Since you couldn't answer, I guess it means the native beings are more intelligent than humans."

"I wouldn't go that far."

"Of course you wouldn't because you don't think any being is as good as a human and no human is as good as a scientist and since you're the chief scientist on this planet, that must mean you're the best of all."

"I didn't say that."

"Maybe you didn't verbally state it, but it's quite clear you believe it."

After a long hesitation, Albert says, "Well, somebody has to be the best."

"And you figure it might as well be you. . . . Well, guess what, 'Doctor Best', the native beings have been trying to communicate with us since humans first set foot on this planet and we have been too primitive to be able to understand their form of communication. Yet they kept trying to communicate with us and finally had to learn our methods of communication, which, by the way, are totally foreign to them, in order to get our attention."

"How . . . how could you possibly know something like that?"

"To put it simply, they told me."

He stutters as he asks, "They . . told . . you?"

"That's right. I told you earlier they understand us when we talk to them. Well, guess what, they were both interested enough in communicating with us and intelligent enough that in less than a minute they understood our form of written communication and in just a few hours, they had acquired enough of a vocabulary and an understanding of grammar that they are able to carry on quite a conversation with us."

The silence doesn't last long before Albert exclaims, "Oh, Deity!"

"What?"

"The words, 'That's right', are right in front of me."

"Apparently, the Floaters agree with me. . . . Did I hear you call on the Deity? I thought scientists were so rational they didn't believe any being could have a non-corporeal existence and certainly not be superior to humans."

"A . . . a slip of the tongue."

"Yeah, right. . . . Since you haven't made any effort to communicate with the native beings or believed me when I said they could understand our verbal form of communication and probably wouldn't believe they were communicating with you even if they preceded it by hitting you with a club, let me tell you what they have agreed to. Your colleagues may study the flora of this planet to understand how it functions, but are not allowed to change any of it in any way. After some understanding is established, you may be allowed to study some of the fauna. Just to make sure there is no misunderstanding, I will shortly send out a directive to clarify that."

"I . . . I see those words in front of me."

"Thank you, Floaters, for reinforcing the message."

Albert's nervous swallow is audible through the communication device before he hesitantly says, "The words, 'You're welcome, Boss', are now in front of me."

Chet laughs then says, "I won't claim to be the boss of the Floaters, but see what kind of a relationship can develop once a little effort is made to try to communicate with another species?"

After a clear hesitation, he quietly says, "Yes, sir. I guess I have a lot of thinking to do. I'll talk to you later."

Before Chet can verbally respond, the communication is disconnected. As he puts the communication device down, he can almost picture Albert's dazed expression. "Floaters, thank you again for participating in the conversation."

"Thank you for helping us learn to talk with you and for being so supportive of us. If somebody else beside you and Ilena had figured out how to communicate with us, we probably would have been talked into ending up on a dissection table, not that they would have learned anything, but we would have felt betrayed."

"Hopefully, we can do our best to make sure that doesn't happen in the future."

A moment later, they colorfully surround him and although their mass is so small he can't feel them touch him, they flash the words, "Kiss," and "Hug," and he laughs at their apparent enthusiasm.

Chapter 153

When he hears a knock on his office door, Chet speaks up, "Come in," and holds up one of his index fingers while he finishes reading a document before he signs it and puts it into his out box. He looks up, smiles, and says, "Hello, lovely lady,"

Ilena returns his smile and asks, "Are you ready for lunch?"

"Almost. Can you invite Karina in and close the door?"

Although she's puzzled by his request, she does as he asks.

Karina asks, "You wanted to see me?"

He waits the moment it takes for Ilena to close the door then answers, "Yes. Please sit down. Ilena and I have been allowed to learn something surprising and would like to include you before we reveal the secret to a lot of other people. I know you're aware of them existing, but have you ever had a chance to see one of the Floaters up close?"

"I think I saw one over at the farm, but that was a few years ago."

"Ilena, can you hold out your arm so one of the Floaters can reveal themselves to Karina?"

Karina's eyes widen as what looks like a piece of cloth appears on Ilena's bare forearm. She hesitates then asks, "What does it feel like?"

Ilena answers, "To be honest, I can't feel it, but you're welcome to touch it yourself."

Karina cautiously lifts her hand and as she lightly touches the Floater, she says, "It feels like I'm touching your arm."

"And my arm feels like your hand is touching it, yet we can both clearly see that the Floater is between your hand and my arm."

"How do they do that?"

He answers, "We don't know. Rather than try to determine that at this time, I would like to reveal more to you." A moment later, he tosses a sugar cube into the air and suddenly several colored Floaters are batting it around.

After a few moments of simply staring at the display, Karina starts to laugh especially as the Floaters retain their individual colors and make intricate moves around each other while the sugar cube slowly diminishes in size. When the Floaters settle down, including a couple on her forearms to her wide eyed amazement, it takes her a little while to ask, "What happened to the sugar cube?"

He responds, "They absorbed it. I don't know what nutritional value it has to them, but they seem to occasionally enjoy having some." He briefly pauses then says, "We could have probably done that demonstration in the outer office, but I have a little more to reveal to you. Apparently, the Floaters seem to think that Ilena and I are trustworthy and have been revealing more of their capabilities to us. As we have spent more time with them, we have learned how to communicate with them."

"Communicate? How?"

"Floaters, I would like to introduce you to Karina."

Words form in the air, "Hello, Karina, how are you?"

Her eyes widen in surprise even as she struggles to respond, "I'm fine although quite surprised. How are you?"

"We are very good and are happy to meet somebody new."

A couple of moments later, she turns to look at Chet as though she has no idea of how to ask the question in her eyes.

He assures her, "I know it's very surprising and Ilena and I have had some time to get used to what they can do, but the words they display are their own. Neither I nor they will push you to accept their presence, but I did want to reveal some of what they can do in a more private setting to you. How you want to interact with them in the future is totally up to you. If you do want to talk to them at some time in the future, simply address them as 'Floaters' and if there are any nearby and they are willing to talk with you, they'll answer."

She looks back and forth between Ilena, Chet, and the visible Floaters several times before she looks back at him and says, "This is really going to upset the status quo."

"There's no doubt about that."

She hesitates a little longer then says, "Thank you for including me in the secret. I'm not sure what I can do . . ." she's not sure how to finish the thought.

"I'm not sure either, but I did want you to be aware of some of what is developing rather than have you be blind-sided."

"I appreciate that. Wow! Talk about a new revelation. Well, you've been suggesting that some of the native species are anthro-equivalent. I guess this pretty well confirms it. Do you know of any other species which are anthro-equivalent?"

"We know for sure that Regit's species is although she has to use the Floaters to translate between her and us. We still have a lot to discuss as to whether some other species might be considered fully anthro-equivalent or are close enough that we ought to treat them as such."

"Um, how do Regit and the Floaters communicate?"

"I won't claim to know precisely, but I would suspect that it's some form of what we would probably define as telepathy."

"That would make sense if they can't communicate verbally or in a written format. Other than Ass using either a radio frequency or a direct connection to communicate electronically, are there any other forms of communication possible?"

"One thing we had considered was to develop some kind of code with the Floaters when they display various colors, but without computer assistance we would not be able to distinguish the differences between similar colors to expand the communication between something very simple."

"How many colors can they display?"

"Floaters, you can answer that better than I can."

"We don't know how many we can display. How many colors are there?"

"Some computer monitors claim to be able to display millions of colors, but we are not able to separately distinguish more than a very small percentage of those."

Karina nods her head as she responds, "That would make it difficult to develop a usable code. . . . How did you figure out how to communicate with the Floaters?"

He answers, "I'm not sure when we realized that the Floaters could actually understand our spoken words. Later, as Ilena and I tried to think of different ways in which to establish a two-way communication, one of the things we tried was to ask 'either/or' questions and they would respond with color when we provided the correct answer. Then Ilena had the inspiration to write out her name and say it while she pointed at it. The Floaters quickly understood the concept and flashed her name with color. Then it was just a matter of showing them the written form of words which they had already heard and explaining some basic grammar rules."

"That sounds so simple in hindsight, yet how long have we been aware that the Floaters exist and never thought anything more about them."

"That's right."

"Thank you again for letting me in on the secret. If I can help either in keeping the secret or revealing it, please let me know."

"Thank you, Karina. Please don't be surprised if some of the Floaters want to spend time with you. If you really want some privacy, please politely ask them to leave you alone for awhile and I'm sure they will honor that."

Words are immediately displayed, "Of course we will."

"Um, without intruding, how much time do they spend with you?"

"They've been with me constantly for some time now although I'm usually not aware of them unless they reveal themselves."

"That might take some getting used to."

"Karina, take your time to think about it. We aren't going to put any pressure on you. . . . So I won't be tempted to keep talking about how intelligent the Floaters must be in order to help us learn to communicate with them, I think it's time for lunch."

Chapter 154

After lunch, Chet leads Ilena over to the detention center and knocks on the Constable's open door. He looks up and quickly says, "What can I do for you, sir?"

"Do you have a few minutes?"

"Of course. Come on in. Hello, Ilena."

"Hello, Charles."

Chet closes the door and as they sit down, he says, "You are officially off duty."

"Okay. I assume that the closed door and being off duty means that it's private but not official."

"That's correct. Do you remember when you confronted the 'invisible being' and the Floaters showed how they were able to make me 'disappear' or display colors?"

"I'll never forget that. I've been tempted to ask you more about them, but figured when you were ready to say something more, you would do so then."

"Thank you for your patience, Charles. Since they were willing to reveal some of their capabilities to you, I believe they trust you as I do."

Charles' eyes widen to see Chet's hands turn different colors.

Chet chuckles then says, "We've learned to interpret that as their agreement with what was said." When Charles seems to have somewhat recovered from his surprise, Chet continues, "Because of our mutual trust in you, we want you to be aware of some of the other things we've learned about their capabilities. Shortly after I appointed Ilena as our first ambassador to the native species we were talking about how we could find a way to establish a form of two-way communication with Regit and/or the Floaters.

"We already knew they can understand us when we verbally speak, but we could only guess at their responses such as when Regit bumped us or the Floaters displayed colors. We tried to think of every form of communication including the possibility of establishing a code based on the colors the Floaters are able to display. However, that would limit the communication to very simple terms because we wouldn't be able to distinguish enough distinct colors."

"Even if you limited the colors to the number of letters in the alphabet so that each color represented a separate letter, that would be somewhat cumbersome as well as would require being able to teach the Floaters how to spell the words."

"That's true and I didn't even consider that as a possible way to use the colors. Anyway, Ilena had an inspiration and the Floaters are intelligent enough that they immediately understood the concept and we were up late one evening expanding on the idea. The next morning, the Floaters revealed their new capability to Ass who assisted them further. Well, without going into all the details, Floaters, I would like to introduce you to Charles."

Words form in the air, "Hello, Charles, how are you?"

He just stares for awhile, looks at Chet and Ilena who nod their heads with smiles, then manages to say, "I'm very surprised. . . . I'm also very glad we can more easily communicate." He pauses then asks Chet, "How are you going to reveal their new capability?"

"I'm not sure yet. I know that some people, probably most people, will think it's some kind of trick regardless of how clearly I state that the Floaters are expressing their own ideas without any coaching from us."

"What about Regit? I can't imagine she can use the same form of communication."

"No. The Floaters serve as the translator because she and the Floaters are able to communicate in a way which I suspect we would define as telepathy."

"That would be my first guess also. . . . Since, like you say, they can understand us verbally, how did you or they arrive at using the written form of our language in order to 'talk'?"

"That was Ilena's inspiration. We were asking a bunch of 'either/or' questions to which the Floaters would respond with color when we made a correct guess. Ilena wrote her name on a piece of paper, pointed at it as she said her name, and the next thing we knew, the Floaters were colorfully flashing her name around the room . . . like that. With that as a beginning point, we started writing other words as we said them. Then Ass programmed a computer to display a word while speaking it and the Floaters have been absorbing words at an incredible rate."

"If nothing else, that's a good indication they are intelligent considering how long it can take a human to associate the written word with the spoken word and to learn new words."

"I totally agree."

"Well, Chet, where do we go from here?"

"While I want to protect Regit and the Floaters from exploitation, I also want to reveal their anthro-equivalence and intelligence, with their permission of course. I'm not sure how well I'll be able to balance those activities. If you have any suggestions, I'm more than happy to listen. I want to do what I can to support them and accede to their wishes, but I'm not sure how aware they are of how unscrupulous some humans and other beings can be."

"Yeah, I've been concerned about that just based on their ability to hide a person. The government, especially the military and spy agencies, would stop at nothing to take advantage of just that one capability."

"I know. . . . I don't think we're in a position to make solid decisions yet. If you want to discuss some of those issues with the Floaters, please do so, or at least I'm making the assumption they'll talk this over with you."

Charles's eyes widen as words are displayed, "Of course we'll talk with Charles. We like him."

He shows a slightly embarrassed grin before he verbally responds, "Thank you, Floaters, I appreciate that. Since I don't know you very well, I hope you will be patient with me and tell me if I unintentionally offend you."

"We can do that. Will you tell us if you intend to offend us?"

Charles briefly stares then laughs before he answers, "I won't intend to offend you. However, if you do something illegal which requires me to arrest you, I might speak somewhat offensively with the intent of trying to get to you to confess."

"Oops, we don't want that. We'll be good little Floaters. Yes, sir. Very very good little Floaters."

After a brief pause of surprise, his laughter joins that of Chet and Ilena.

"Chet, there's another indication of their intelligence, the ability to understand and express humor."

"That's a good point. Well, I guess we'll quit interrupting you, especially since I should probably get back to the office."

"For this kind of revelation, you're always welcome to interrupt. Thank you for including me in the secret."

"It was my pleasure. Take care, Charles."

"You too, Chet. Does that mean I'm back on duty now?"

"Ilena, did I say anything about Charles having to go back on duty?"

"Not a word."

They grin as they step out of the door.

Chapter 155

At dinner, Ilena quietly asks, "So, other than Ass, Karina, and Charles, does anybody else know about the Floaters' ability to talk with us?"

Chet answers, "Albert, the Chief Scientist."

She struggles to not shout in disgust, "Him!"

"Yes, but only after I read him the riot act. First of all, because he pushed on your grandfather to bug you about your interaction with Regit after he had agreed to wait until you were willing to talk. Secondly, because neither he nor any of the other scientists currently or previously stationed here made any attempt to try to communicate with the native species. During our 'conversation', the Floaters willingly revealed themselves to him which apparently threw him off balance."

"I'm sorry I reacted. I guess I don't trust him to treat our friends with respect."

"I don't trust him either. At the same time, I wasn't going to let him continue in his self-delusional world that nobody but a degree earned scientist knows anything. On several occasions, I've brought up the possibility that Regit is anthro-equivalent and should be treated as such, but he refused to even seriously consider the possibility. . . . I suppose I ought to ask Ass to keep an eye on Albert's communications to see if he's going to pass on what was revealed to him to any of his colleagues."

A moment later, words appear across his food tray, "We requested that Ass do so and he quickly agreed, especially since we shared with him the conversation between you and Albert. We've also been 'keeping an eye' on him, even if we don't have one, and will let both you and Ass know if he starts to do something which we think will cause problems for you or us."

Chet briefly stares then chuckles before he responds, "Thank you, Floaters. Since Ass can monitor any electronic communications which Albert may attempt and you can monitor his physical activities, we should be able to make sure he doesn't do something inappropriate. However, I wouldn't be surprised if he tries to do something sneaky to avoid revealing that he made no attempt to try to find out if any of the species here are anthro-equivalent. If it does come out that he and his predecessors made no attempt to confirm that none of this planet's species could possibly be anthro-equivalent before they began to study them, he'll be in big trouble with his superiors."

She asks in surprise, "His superiors? I thought he was the head scientist on this planet."

"He is, but just like I'm responsible to the Oversight Committee, in a similar manner, he is responsible to the government's science department. Of course, he'll probably argue that there was no reason for him to even suspect that any of the natives could possibly be anthro-equivalent since none of the natives have any similarity to previously encountered anthro-equivalent species. While most scientists claim that life developed from a multitude of random accidents, most of them will also claim that intelligence and anthro-equivalence must have developed through a similar process. Since those species which have been recognized as anthro-equivalent possess some significant similarities, that has only reinforced their argument."

"That's what I've heard in my classes. But if they predefine anthro-equivalence as requiring a hand, they would automatically ignore the evidence of anthro-equivalence if the being had a flipper or a paw or no manipulative digits at all."

"That's right. Even where the species in question did have a hand or something very similar, it took a lot of effort before the scientists would finally admit that some of the currently recognized anthro-equivalent species really are anthro-equivalent because there were some differences from the expected norm."

"So, instead of following where the objective evidence leads them, they've decided ahead of time what is considered to be acceptable evidence."

"Too often that's the case."

She considers what they've talked about for a little while then asks, "So that Albert doesn't have a chance to convince others we are falsifying our claim that Regit and the Floaters are anthro-equivalent, when are you planning on revealing the truth? And are you going to limit the news to the planet or also send it off-planet?"

"If I attempted to limit the news to here, by the time I was done announcing it, somebody would be immediately sending it off-planet so I will need the official announcement to go in both directions. As far as when to reveal the truth, I'm trying to give Regit and the Floaters enough time to discuss it with their fellow beings since they will be so affected by such an announcement."

Words appear in front of them, "We Floaters will accept whatever Regit and the others decide since we can always hide from unwanted attention and can wait to reveal ourselves until we learn who we can trust."

"Thank you for telling us and for trusting us enough to reveal yourselves to us and teaching us about some of your capabilities."

"Ah, shucks, Boss, t'weren't no big deal. You's good people."

Chet briefly stares before he laughs then asks, "Has Ass been telling you about old audio/visual recordings?"

"Loose lips sink ships. Mum's the word. If we don't speak, we can tell no lies."

"I think I'm going to have to talk to Ass about filling your mind with trivia."

"But it's fun!" They brightly flash the last word then quickly subdue their words as they display, "Oops. Sorry about that. We didn't mean to attract attention, at least not yet."

He discretely looks around then assures them, "That's okay. I don't think anybody noticed where the light came from. I'm glad you consider it fun to learn new things, regardless of how important they may or may not be."

"Well, as Ass pointed out, maybe the terminology has changed over time, but many of the ideas, thoughts, and emotions behind the words are still a part of human nature and continue to influence how humans think and act."

"You're right about that. . . . Shall we go somewhere a little more private before I'm tempted to rattle some cages?"

Ilena looks at him with a puzzled expression, but waits until they step out of the cafeteria before she asks, "What does 'rattle some cages' mean?"

"It's another of Ass' old sayings. I don't know where it came from, but I suspect that it means to upset the status quo."

"You mean like if we were one of the farm animals who live in a cage and would be upset if somebody came along and shook our cage?"

"That's a good example, at least from what I guess the phrase means."

While they think their own thoughts, they quietly walk hand in hand to her quarters where, as soon as she locks the door, she steps into his arms and thoroughly kisses him. One kiss naturally leads to many more as caresses expand and even though they would like less clothing between them, they don't seem to want to take the time to separate long enough in order to remove their clothes. A later breathing break combined with him becoming aware that his joints are rather stiff, enables the message from their bladders to reach their consciousness.

Once bladders are dealt with, they fix cups of tea and settle at the table to drink them. A little later, she hesitates then asks, "Floaters?"

"Yes?"

"I don't want to intrude on your privacy, but I've been wondering how your species increases in number."

"Thank you for being concerned about our privacy. While we know you would continue to respect us even if we said it wasn't any of your business, we want to be as open as possible with you two, although we would prefer that you leave it up to us to tell other people."

She quickly notices him nod his head in agreement then responds, "Thank you for trusting us and we completely agree with your condition."

"Thank you. Technically, although we appear to be individual entities when we're with each of you, Ass, Regit, and other places at the same time, we are actually a single being. I suppose an analogy would be that we are like the cells of an individual entity similar to how your body has many cells which work together to accomplish whatever needs to be done for the entity as a whole."

Her eyes are wide with surprise and it takes her a little while to respond, "Oh. I hadn't expected that answer. . . . In that case, should we drop the plural and call you 'Floater'?"

"Not necessarily. Since we appear to you and the others of your species as many individuals, the plural form is quite acceptable to us and probably seems more logical to you. If all of us were to gather in a single place and appear as a single entity, our ability to not be affected by gravity would probably be severely impaired which would mean the term 'Floater' would no longer be applicable."

"Yes, that would make the name less applicable."

"In regards to how we grow or produce more 'cell' like individuals, it's such an automatic process that we would have to make a concentrated effort to observe how it actually happens. Our initial assumption is that it would be similar to how your body grows more cells when cells divide which is a process that automatically happens through no volition on your part."

"That would seem like a reasonable assumption, at least from my limited awareness of how our bodies function. Not that what happens to us is the same as what happens to you."

"That's true. Although it might be interesting for us to more fully understand our automatic functions and abilities, we're not interested in having scientists try to discover how we do what we do."

She responds, "We totally agree with that," as she notices him nod his head in agreement.

Chapter 156

A few moments later, words appear in front of them, "Although we didn't give it much thought before, we ought to ask, does our being with you when you share intimate pleasure offend or embarrass you?"

Ilena looks back at Chet and sees him slightly bow to her in offering her the opportunity to answer. She hesitates a little then says, "There were a few times when I felt somewhat embarrassed, but when you didn't respond negatively and you didn't tell others about our activities, I guess I calmed down and accepted your presence.

"Since you haven't intruded on what we do and mostly remained invisible to us, I'm usually not aware of your presence especially when I become so immersed in the pleasure Chet so willingly gives me. Later, I began to appreciate your presence when I realized that you willingly took care of his release and I've enjoyed seeing your color displays which seem to me as though you're celebrating when we share pleasure. At least I hope I'm not misinterpreting your actions."

"We do celebrate when you share pleasure because we can feel your joy and excitement and pleasure and it makes us feel more wonderful than anything else we've experienced."

"Oh, my. That's just how I think of it."

"Great minds, you and we, think alike."

She almost chokes on the sip of tea she had started to take then says, "I'm not ready to call my mind great."

"Why not? You figured out a way for us to communicate with you. In spite of all of their education, none of the scientists were able to do that."

He chuckles then says, "That's a good point."

She turns and slightly frowns at him before she asks, "Because I had a single lucky guess, you're going to say I have a great mind?"

"To repeat our friends, why not? Maybe it was a lucky guess, but you didn't just let it sit in your mind, you put it to use and enabled friends to more fully communicate with each other as well as provided at least two species with a means by which they can express themselves and reveal that they are anthro-equivalent beings."

The Floaters agree, "Chet's right about that. Even if the humans initially think you two are pulling some kind of trick on them, since we now have the means to 'talk' with them, sooner rather than later, some of them will realize that we are self-aware, intelligent, and anthro-equivalent."

"Okay, you guys. That's enough praise whether you think I deserve it or not. I know what I'm like and I have to live with myself."

A couple of moments later, he takes her right hand in his left hand, turns towards her, lifts his right hand to gently turn her face towards him, and softly kisses her. Then he tells her, "I also think I know what you're like and I also want to live with you. That is, if you can tolerate me being that close over time."

She briefly stares at him then assures him, "I couldn't want anything more," and confirms her words with a thorough kiss. During the first necessary breathing break, they get up from their chairs to tightly hug and resume the kisses as soon as possible. Later breathing breaks provide them with opportunities to take each other's shirts off and as she rubs her bared breasts on the skin of his chest, her excitement grows.

As his caresses expand then slip into her pants and even under her panty to fondle her buttocks directly, she no longer has enough breath in order to respond to his kisses which expand from her lips to seemingly cover her face. Eventually, the extent of his caresses diminishes which allows her breathing to settle, but before she can renew the kisses, bladders have the indecent manners to interfere. They take turns in the bathroom, finish their tea, and after they rinse out their cups, he starts to lead her to the small sofa, but she redirects them to the bedroom.

She hesitates some then suggests, "Let's get ready for bed then . . . then I would like you to make love to me in a manner similar to how Regit experiences sexual intercourse."

His eyes widen in surprise at her request and it takes him a few moments to respond, "Are you sure?"

"I totally trust you to make it an enjoyable experience for me and although I know it won't be the same in many ways, and it sounds like a somewhat silly idea even to me, yet I also kind of feel as though it will give me some sort of connection with her. I'm sorry I can't explain it any better than that."

"I wasn't so much asking for an explanation, but I do want to make sure you are comfortable with trying that position."

"Because I feel like I know you, I'm sure that any position we can think of for our bodies to join, you'll do your best to make sure I enjoy it."

"That would certainly be my intent. In that case, get yourself ready for bed except that I would appreciate it if you would allow me to remove the rest of your clothing."

"That's exciting enough I'm not sure I want to take the time to brush my teeth."

He chuckles as he turns her, aims her towards the bathroom, gently pushes her then lightly pats her on the buttocks. By the time he's done in the bathroom, she has already turned down the bed covers then gladly steps into his arms and they thoroughly kiss. Too soon, they have to breathe and she's surprised when he turns her around and step close to press his chest to her back.

She's about to ask him why he did that when her pleasure soars as his caressing hands seem to go almost directly to her bared breasts. Then his hands take turns caressing her near her pants covered pubic area and around her breasts as she leans back on him to stay upright while her nearly climactic pleasure limits her response to hastily grabbed breaths. When his hands move away from her sensitive areas and hold her at her waist, she thinks she might have an opportunity to catch her breath. Then she almost stops breathing as his hands begin to slowly caress her pants down over her buttocks and down her legs while his kisses move down her back.

She clumsily cooperates as he lifts her feet to move her pants out of the way then her eyes widen to feel his hands caress back up her legs while his kisses seem to be all over her panty covered buttocks. Her excitement surges higher as his hands start to slowly pull her panty down while he directly kisses her buttocks and the tops of her legs under her buttocks and even adds in little tongue caresses. Since she doesn't want to move, but doesn't think she has the energy to remain standing upright, she bends over to brace her hands on the bed.

Again, her cooperation is less than efficient as she lifts her feet so he can remove her panty then she sets her feet down a little further apart to keep from falling over. When his upward caressing hands reach her knees, he pauses to guide her to kneel on the bed then he resumes his caresses up her legs and continues to kiss her almost everywhere his lips can reach. As her pleasure continues to grow, her bracing arms seem to become weaker so she lowers her torso to the bed.

She gasps in surprise to feel him kiss and tongue caress her between her legs from behind then responds to her pleasure which surges over the peak to climax. As his caressing hands near the tops of her legs while his lips and tongue continue to excite her, her orgasm continues and intensifies. She's barely aware his kisses move away because his hands move closer to excite those same nerves.

His hands move away and she doesn't even have time to wonder why when she feels the opening to her vagina being gently caressed. A moment or two later, his penis slips a little ways into her awaiting vagina and then it seems to stroke her orgasmic pleasure even higher as it moves deeper into her which is soon enhanced as his forearms brace the front of her legs so his fingers can excite her labia and clitoris. Her excitement seems to compound his own and he continues to excite her even through his own climax until he becomes aware that she's no longer verbally responding to her pleasure. He pauses to take some deep breaths, reluctantly pulls out of her, guides her in a controlled fall onto the bed, straightens out her limbs, lays down beside her, pulls up the bed covers, and falls asleep.

Chapter 157

As Ilena and Chet wake up, neither of them can initially think of a reason as to why they woke up earlier than normal. Almost immediately, the 'why' is no longer a concern as they feel their lover's presence then open their eyes to each other's smile. However, before they can really respond, their bladders take credit for waking them up.

They quickly return to the bed and he barely lays down on his back before she lays on top of him and kisses him. When she can, she tells him, "Thank you so much for all of the pleasure you gave me last night and every time before that."

"It was and continues to be my pleasure. I assume by your statement that how we made love last night didn't bother you."

"Not at all, especially considering how long and wonderfully you built my pleasure up to and over the peak. Without intending to diminish how much pleasure I enjoyed in that position, I prefer this position for sharing intimate pleasure with you," and her passionate kiss seems to invite him to fully share pleasure with her right now.

Although his caressing hands expand how much of her he touches, he delays going further until he can ask, "Would you care to explain why you prefer this position?"

"Because more of my body is touching more of your body."

He actually manages to get out, "Mmm, yeah," before their kisses resume. Moments later, his caresses begin to touch more of her until he's touching her everywhere he can reach except for between her legs. She briefly feels surprised when his hands snugly grip her waist and pull her up his body a little ways, but as his kisses cover her chin then her neck, she willingly cooperates as he pulls her up a little further to kiss her across her clavicle then her upper chest.

Her excitement surges higher when his hands slide down to grip the back of her legs right under her buttocks to pull her up his body a little higher. Then her pleasure leaps even higher as his kisses and tongue caresses reach the top of her breasts. Whether it's moments or eons later, her pleasure becomes orgasmic as his lips and tongue seem to excite every single nerve ending in her breasts and nipples while his hands caress her inner thighs right next to her vulva.

It takes her awhile to become aware that her pleasure is slowly dwindling and that he has pushed her body back down along his body so her head is resting next to his head. A little later, she becomes aware that something other than his hands is occasionally caressing her inner thighs. A few moments after that, her eyes widen in delight then one of her hands slips between their bodies and confirms that his erect penis is expressing its interest in her with less restraint than the rest of him.

She requests, "Push me down a little."

It takes her words a few moments to work their way through the surge of pleasure he feels as she holds and caresses his penis before he pushes her down then she gasps with her own surge of excitement as she guides the head of his penis to her vaginal opening. A moment or two later, he pushes her down his body just a little more so his penis can begin to slide into her ready vagina. At the same time, he also presses on the backs of her hips and slightly rocks them which causes her wrist, which is still between their bodies, to be pressed into her labia.

Intense pleasure rockets into her and continues as he somehow manages to move her body up and down his body through his own high excitement. Soon, his hips start to thrust then push higher and even as his excitement reaches the peak, his hands are still rocking her hips to add to her pleasure. His hips drop to the bed and all he can do for awhile is pant for breath. He fully intends to pull her hand out from between their bodies, but sleep arrives before he can make the effort.

* * * * *

As Chet returns to awareness, he's concerned that her body is still limp on him, but when he slightly moves, Ilena's body seems to jerk in reaction while he thinks he hears something which isn't distinct enough to understand. He tries to hold still while he considers what might be affecting her then his eyes open wide as he remembers what they were doing before he fell asleep. A couple of moments later, he moves his right hand to her left hip and as he pushes her up off of his body, she seems to slump further in relaxation.

Carefully, he rolls to his left while he tries to slowly guide her body to lay back on the bed, then moves her left hand away from between her legs. After he covers her up, he rests for a little while then puts his clothes on from yesterday before he goes to fix them each a cup of tea. He hesitates to snoop through her dresser, then gets out clean clothes and hesitates some more before he starts to put her clothes on. Even as long as it takes him to gently move her limp body, he has most of her clothes on when she begins to wake up.

Before she can think about complaining that he's not going to give her more pleasure right away, she realizes she's weak enough she wouldn't be able to stay awake long enough to enjoy more. He helps her to sit up and drink her tea and when she's done, he helps her to stand up and finishes moving her clothes into their proper place. They walk to his quarters when he encourages her to rest while he gets on clean clothes and gets ready to go to work.

They slowly walk to the cafeteria for breakfast then rest awhile after they eat so the food has some time to digest and give her enough energy to function on her own. He walks with her back to her quarters where they share a deep though relatively brief kiss before she gets ready to go to her first class. She assures him that she can now manage on her own, so he steps away.

He starts to walk towards his office then stops, hesitates, thinks about it some more, and walks towards a different destination. As he steps up to the counter in the Housing Authority office, Yulia looks up, smiles at seeing him, and asks, "Have you finally decided to request combined quarters for you and Ilena?"

He stares at her in surprise then manages to answer, "Yes."

"Without intending to insult you, it's about time you got your head on straight."

"What do you mean?"

"You've been so concerned about not wanting to interfere with Ilena's life and future, you couldn't see that you two belong together. I know you're concerned about the age difference, but the inner person isn't always reflective of the external objective factors. I don't know if that means your personality is younger or personality is older. Whether either or both are true, you two match and from all I've seen and heard you have similar thoughts and work well together."

He hesitates before he admits, "That seems to be the case even while I'm concerned about her saying she wants to be with me and possibly miss opportunities which might enable her to reach a higher potential with her life and future."

"Chet, I know you didn't do it because of your relationship with her, but for her to be named as the ambassador to a potentially anthro-equivalent species before she even finishes her college degree, that's a much higher potential than most young people could even dream of aiming for, much less achieve."

"I suppose you have a point there."

"Good. Now that we have that straightened out, are you ready to sign for your new quarters?"

"Um, don't you mean request new quarters?"

"I was going to assign these quarters to you before except that you insisted that Ilena have her own quarters."

His eyes open wide in surprise and it takes him a few moments to ask, "You mean you've been holding them?"

"That's right. Not that anybody else requested such quarters or were qualified."

"Why do I feel like I'm the last one to know what's going on around me?"

Yulia chuckles then says, "As much as you're a good Planetary Administrator, you seem to be blind to the potential of your own inner person in regards to Ilena."

"I suppose that's possible. . . . Okay, so what are these new quarters like which you decided Ilena and I ought to be assigned?"

Chapter 158

Ilena is still chuckling over the story Chet told her about Yulia assigning them combined quarters as they leave the cafeteria after lunch. A couple of moments later, they look up at hearing a couple of shrieks then somebody yells, "Look out."

Chet automatically starts to swiftly walk across the grass towards the disturbance then stops and stares as Regit comes into view moving rapidly towards him. She barely stops right in front of him then rears up and puts her front paws on his shoulders. He's unable to support her weight and falls to the ground, but before he can move further, she partially lays on him and rubs her head on his. Ilena's initial concerned surprise quickly turns into laughter and as she ignores the growing audience, she lays on Regit and leans past her to kiss him.

Meanwhile, the deputy on duty takes a call then quickly puts it through to the Constable who listens with widening eyes to somebody who claims that one of the wild animals just attacked the Planetary Administrator in the middle of the station near the cafeteria. Even as he's listening, he accesses the applicable security monitors and briefly watches them before he responds, "Thank you, sir, for your call. I have accessed the security monitor and can assure you that in this case, the Planetary Administrator is not being attacked but is being greeted by one of his native friends."

The silence stretches then the caller says in total disbelief, "You've got to be kidding."

"Not at all. If you step closer to them, you'll see that the Planetary Administrator is not injured and it looks like his female companion is actually laughing."

"This planet is too weird."

"Why, thank you, sir. Have a good day."

A little later, Ilena suggests with a grin, "Come on, Regit, let Chet up so he'll be in a better position to listen to why you're happy with him." Regit gets up, but before Ilena can help Chet up, Regit gently knocks Ilena down on top of him and partially lays on both of them.

This time, Chet starts the laughter then suggests, "It looks like the natives are rebelling against their assigned ambassador." She briefly stares at him then laughs with him.

A little later, they just finish a kiss when they hear, "Regit, thank you for capturing those two. We've received calls that they're disturbing the peace and the status quo with their public display of affection. If you can let them up, I will proceed to give them a stern warning since this is their first reported offense. However, if they continue such inappropriate behavior, I may have to lock them away so they can work it out of their system."

Regit gets up and bumps into Charles with such an exuberant greeting that he almost gets knocked over. Even as they're chuckling, Chet and Ilena get up and the three humans pet and scratch Regit who seems to bask in their attention. A little later, Ilena feels as though she has to ask, "Charles, did people really call you to complain that we kissed?"

He chuckles before he answers, "No, but we did have one person call and claim that Chet was being attacked. I quickly checked the security monitors and when I saw who he was being 'attacked' by and recognized that you were laughing, I told the caller you were being greeted by one of your friends. He couldn't believe that then remarked that this is a weird planet before he disconnected the call."

Chet responds, "Thank you for clarifying the situation. I certainly wouldn't want somebody to decide to provide their own solution based on them misunderstanding what was really happening."

"Not only is it my job, it's also my pleasure."

"Well, I suppose we ought to go some place more private so Regit can tell us why her greeting was more exuberant than normal."

"I was about to ask how she could tell you when I remembered you said the Floaters served as translators."

"That's right. We still need to make an agreement with them so we recognize when the Floaters are translating for Regit or when they're speaking on their own behalf."

"I'm sure you'll work something out. I'll let you get to it and thanks for the laugh for the day."

"I won't claim credit for that, but thanks again for understanding."

As Charles walks back to the Detention Center while he shakes his head with amusement, Regit walks with Ilena and Chet to his office. He nods his head to the person on duty who stares at Regit then he guesses that Karina is on her lunch break since she's not at her desk. After they step into his office, he closes the door and responds to Ilena's thorough kiss.

Chapter 159

Before they become distracted by their interest in each other, they sit down and look at Regit who sits between them. A moment later, the Floaters display Regit's words, "We have discussed the situation and although we cannot predict all of the possible consequences, we are prepared for you to reveal our intelligence and anthro-equivalence to your fellow beings.

"As much as possible, we would like to have all of our communication with others either filtered through the two of you or at least in your presence. We know you aren't perfect and some beings may get around your guard, but you are more likely going to be aware of how some unscrupulous beings may act or respond, at least until we can arrive at a better understanding of how a variety of beings think."

"Thank you for your understanding of our limitations and of our interest in protecting you. Are there any other conditions or criteria which need to be considered before I announce that you and the Floaters are anthro-equivalent?"

"No. The one water based species which is anthro-equivalent, at least from our understanding of the term, and which has not yet been discovered by your scientists would like to remain unknown for the present and is willing to express their concerns through either of our species."

"We understand and can agree with that as long as they understand we do not control everybody and that somebody may accidentally discover them."

"They already understand that and have been observing the scientists who were studying the water based species. Before you put a halt on all studies of this planet's fauna, those scientists were limiting their studies to shallow water species and within a short distance of shore. If you allow the studies to resume and the scientists continue within those current limitations, it will be unlikely they will encounter the anthro-equivalence species unless one of the youngsters of their species becomes overly curious about land based beings. While they are tempted to have you require that those limitations are officially enforced, they are also concerned that to do so may trigger the curiosity of the scientists."

"They are probably quite right about that. What about those water based species you mentioned which may have the potential to be anthro-equivalent in the not so distant future?"

"They have been encouraged to avoid any of your fellow beings if they wish to avoid being treated as prey. Although they may not understand our concerns, they do understand that concept."

"Thank you. When we allow the studies to resume and if somebody does ask about water based species, we can say that the current known studies do not include any anthro-equivalent species. However, since we have been advised that some water based species are or may be anthro-equivalent without knowing which ones they are, it would be best if all other species which were not being studied are left alone until it can be clearly determined whether they are or are not anthro-equivalent. I can also remind them of what happened when somebody was found to be inappropriately studying an anthro-equivalent species."

"What has happened?"

"That depended on a number of factors, but usually the smallest punishment was the loss of their position which could cause them to lose their livelihood. In a few cases, they lost their lives."

There's a pause before Regit's response is displayed, "I'm surprised humans would consider such a strong punishment."

He explains, "Although a lot of humans would prefer that the death penalty was not associated with some crimes, for the most part they believe that if a person takes the life of another person then the loss of their life is an appropriate punishment. Since humans have expanded past their home planet, they have defined 'person' as an anthro-equivalent being. Ass can probably give you a better explanation, but I think it's based on the idea that if one person steals something from another person, they should return the item undamaged and if they can't do that, then they should return the value of what they stole. So, if one person forced another person to give up their life, then their own life ought to be given up."

"That makes more sense. Thank you for explaining."

"I know it's a rather idealistic concept, but instead of emphasizing the negative approach of warning people they will be punished for their inappropriate behavior towards other people, I prefer the idea of encouraging people to treat other people in the same way in which they want to be treated."

"That sounds like a very logical approach. Is it really that idealistic?"

"Among humans it is. Although that concept is strongly taught by most of the major religions which humans claim to believe and practice, when it comes to real life, the more frequent approach is for a person to try to take as much as they think they can get away with and not consider what affect it may have on others. In fact, one of the major concepts of the primary human economic system is for the seller to charge as much as they can and still be able to sell their product without regards to how much it cost to produce the product. At the same time, they'll try to pay the workers who actually produce the product as little as they can get away with."

"That sounds rather disturbing."

He nods his head as he responds, "That's why I want to do what I can to protect the species on this planet whether they're fully anthro-equivalent or not. The reason I say that is because the primary reason humans explore so-called outer space to find new worlds is to acquire additional resources to use at a lower cost than they can acquire them from another source. Of course, the 'authorities' will try to put a nicer sounding twist on it, but when you clear away the fluff of their words, the real reason of exploiting resources is revealed. Rather than try to hide you and the Floaters, I think if we can convince others that you are anthro-equivalent, we can better protect you and, hopefully, more easily protect those species which you need in order to maintain your lives as well as those you are responsible to protect."

"Thank you for wanting to protect us and your explanation makes more sense as to why you believe that revealing our anthro-equivalence will be beneficial to us. At the same time, I imagine there will be other people who will try to take advantage of us in some way while trying to make it sound like they're helping us."

"I can almost guarantee that will happen. However, by having you acknowledged as being anthro-equivalent, it will provide you with some legal protection even if some of those who are trying to exploit you are from the government. It would have been best for you if humans had never found this planet, but now that they have, we are stuck with working through the system which the humans and their allied beings have developed."

"Could we possibly request that the humans depart and leave this planet alone?"

"You could, but unless you have some unknown military capabilities, some humans who are benefiting from trying to exploit the resources of this world may be able to convince the authorities that you aren't anthro-equivalent which would open up this world to further exploitation. And if they didn't succeed in that approach, some humans may be inclined to find a way to destroy you or the planet with the thought that if they can't exploit this world, they'll prevent anybody else from doing so."

"I can't imagine that your species has survived if that's how some individuals treat others."

"Humans almost haven't survived and have been on the verge of destroying themselves several times. Even before they had the capability to destroy the home world, a number of groups of humans have made the effort to totally eliminate other groups of humans and some have succeeded. To be blunt, the major reason this planet hasn't been more fully exploited before now is that the resources which have been found here can't be shipped back to the main human worlds at a cost which will make it worthwhile."

Again, there's a pause before Regit's words are displayed, "Chet, I don't mean to put you on the spot, but why are you willing to speak so disparagingly of your fellow beings?"

"Actually, I'm just trying to be honest with you about how humans, especially those in positions of power, often think and act. I can't explain why I have the attitude I do when so many others don't, but I strongly believe in treating other beings with respect and as though they are at least as good as I am and usually better than I am. One of the reasons I really didn't want this job is that I have a hard time telling other people what to do whether it's requesting they accomplish something on my behalf or requesting they curb their normal selfish behavior."

"Thank you for trying to explain and we greatly appreciate it that you do respect us and have from the very beginning of your awareness of us. I didn't intend to turn this into a discussion of the problems of dealing with humans. Since you do have a better understanding of how the more difficult humans may respond, we will leave it in your capable hands of how you are going to inform them of our newly revealed status."

"Well, I didn't want you to think the future is going to be rosy and then feel like I betrayed you by deliberately withholding information. While I thank you for your trust in me, I'm also very well aware that I don't always make the right decisions and can only hope I won't overly offend or betray you in the future."

"Ilena, shall I hold him down while you try to convince him that he is a trustworthy man."

"I think I can manage," and she thoroughly kisses him. Although she knows that such an action won't totally convince him that he's trustworthy, it does add some evidence to the idea as well as distracts him from thinking he's not trustworthy. On top of that, it's just plain enjoyable for her to kiss him. Without trying to assign a value to each of the reasons, as soon as they partially catch their breath, she kisses him some more and barely restrains herself from encouraging him to make love to her right now.

When they finally allow their breathing to approach a normal pace, they feel a little embarrassed at thoroughly kissing each other while Regit is squeezed between them, but she doesn't seem to mind and even appears to have a somewhat bemused expression. The Floaters have to flash some colors in order to attract Ilena and Chet's attention so they can read Regit's words, "Now that we have that settled, I'll leave you to figure out how you want to tell your fellow beings about us."

"Thank you for trusting us and if you can think of any way in which we can assist you in any way, please do not hesitate to let us know."

"The only thing I can think of at the moment is for somebody to open the door so I don't have to break it down."

After they're briefly surprised at what she said, Ilena and Chet chuckle while they each give her a hug then Ilena opens the door for Regit, blows him a kiss, and steps out of his office to join Regit in greeting Karina.

Chapter 160

In between some of the other things he feels like he needs to accomplish, Chet works on a statement to reveal the anthro-equivalence of the Floaters' and Regit's species. Although he could take more time to possibly improve what he says in the statement, he doesn't want to delay the announcement and give anybody the possibility to preempt the announcement by which they could diminish its significance or even deny it. With that in mind, he works to have something prepared which can be broadcast during the evening news.

After he reviews and practices it a couple of time, he records his statement: "Good evening. I would like to report to you that while we expected it would take a significant amount of time in order for us to find a way to establish a form of two-way communication with any of the native species even as we concentrated on those species which seemed to be able to somewhat understand us, it gives me great pleasure to announce that in the short time since the position of ambassador to the native species has been established, Ambassador Jakobinski has already accomplished a break-through in being able to communicate with some of the native beings. The type of communication as well as the level of communication which has been established confirms that at least two of the native species are anthro-equivalent. It has also demonstrated that they are intelligent enough to understand some of our forms of communication when they don't have anything similar.

"As she continues her discussions with the native anthro-equivalent beings, Ambassador Jakobinski will seek to understand which other native species may or may not be anthro-equivalent or might possibly become so. For that reason and for the present time, we will need to retain the suspension of scientific studies involving the native fauna. Please remind yourselves of what has happened with those people who have performed scientific studies on other anthro-equivalent beings without either their knowledge or approval.

"I would also like to remind those who are involved, that any study of the flora of this planet is limited to understanding how it functions. To be more specific, no attempts are allowed which can or are intended to change any of the flora in any way. Part of the reason for that is because we do not yet understand which flora is important to preserve the life and well-being of the anthro-equivalent species.

"In case you are in a position to meet any members of the currently known anthro-equivalent native species, we want you to be aware of who they are so you can treat them with respect. It shouldn't have to be said, but part of treating them with respect is to allow them the choice of whether they are interested in responding to your polite attempt to communicate with them.

"The first species which Ambassador Jakobinski was aware of being able to understand our attempts at verbal communication are the large beings who appear to be similar to what the history books describe as old Earth saber toothed tigers which look like this. This photograph is of one of that species who befriended our current ambassador a number of years ago. In regards to how we may speak about them, they have agreed to allow us to refer to their species as 'Tigers'.

"The second currently known anthro-equivalent species is the one which some scientist had previously designated as 'Floaters'. There does not appear to be any previously encountered species which resemble the native species and they have agreed to allow us to continue to refer to them as the Floaters. They have some similar capabilities to the old Earth chameleon and other species which are able to camouflage themselves within their native environment such that it makes them seem to be invisible. As a result, you may not have noticed them even if they are in your neighborhood.

"I encourage you to treat the Tigers and Floaters with the respect due to any other anthro-equivalent being. While they do not have the capability to respond verbally to you, they do understand your verbal expressions at least within our primary language. And they are capable of responding to you, but the choice must be theirs since they have strong reasons to be cautious about our intentions towards them.

"If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions about what I have announced, please contact my office until Ms. Jakobinski can get her own office established. Thank you. Signed, The Planetary Administrator."

He leans back in his chair, rubs his eyes, takes a drink and tries not to dwell on how people might respond. He hesitates a little longer then sends the recording to Ass, to Ilena, and to the Public Affairs Office for them to forward it to the news media.

* * * * *

After dinner, Chet and Ilena go to check out the quarters which Yulia assigned them. They are able to move Ilena's few personal items in a single trip and make a couple of trips to move Chet's personal items which he will need in the near future. Since the new quarters are furnished, including personal office space for each of them, they don't have to worry about moving furniture.

As they sit at the table in their new quarters with a cup of tea, she hesitates then asks, "Is it going to cause problems for you if people find out that the person you appointed as ambassador is living with you?"

"I'm sure some people will try to make an issue out of it, but officially, the personal life of any person is nobody else's business unless it can be proven they are using their position to give unfair advantage to someone. In your case, your assignment as ambassador was based on you being the only person on the planet to have such a significant current involvement with the native beings. Even the Chief Scientist reluctantly acknowledged that was the case."

"Except that you've been just as involved as I am and maybe more so since you knew some of the capabilities of the Floaters before I did."

"But your involvement has been for a longer period of time. Besides, I couldn't very well appoint myself as the ambassador."

"Oh. I suppose that's true."

"I noticed you didn't seem to be concerned about it causing problems for you if people find out that I'm living with you."

"I guess I looked at it from the perspective that you have an official position and are responsible to the Oversight Committee, whoever they are. I suppose another factor is I'm not sure what it means for me to be an ambassador so if it did cause problems for you, I wouldn't have an objection if you felt it was necessary to un-appoint me. More important than either of those issues is that I firmly believe we belong together and I don't care what anyone thinks."

She briefly hesitates then admits, "I suppose if I was going to worry about something, it would be how people will respond when they find out that I'm the ambassador to the native beings. So far, nobody at this station besides Karina and Charles seems to be aware that my given name isn't Ilena."

Chet does his own hesitating before he says, "Yulia also figured it out. I hope it doesn't cause problems for you, but some people may figure it out if they pay close attention to the statement I made about Regit and the Floaters being anthro-equivalent."

"Why do you say that?"

"I included a picture of Regit, although I didn't mention her name, and that she had befriended our current ambassador several years ago."

"Oh. . . . I'm not sure how to respond to that. . . . I suppose somebody would have figured it out sooner or later. . . . Was there a reason you showed a picture of Regit?"

"So that people would know what her species looks like, but I didn't have a clear photograph of one of the Floaters. I stated that she had befriended you in order to add another data point that the native beings initiated the contact with us and have made the effort to communicate with us even though we, as a species, were neither able to understand them or made an attempt to understand them . . . except you. They sought you out and made friends with you and if what I suspect is true, they are the ones who rescued you from your parent's crashed air vehicle and delivered you to the Order. In that sense, you have been our ambassador to them long before I made it into an official position."

Colorful words appear, "It's the truth, it's actual, everything is satisfactual."

Chapter 161

While she briefly wonders at the Floaters' odd statement, Ilena is more interested in what they are referring to so she asks, "Chet said several things. Which part are you saying is true?"

"All of it."

"You mean it's true that he has a suspicion about me being rescued as a baby?"

"No, that what he suspects is actually true."

"I . . . I was rescued by Regit?"

"Not by Regit herself, but by one of the members of the species you now know as 'Tigers'."

"Oh. Thank you both for the clarification and the confirmation. I don't mean to sound disappointed, but I had hoped it had been Regit which would give me even more of a connection to her as well as make me more thankful to her."

"The connection is still there because although Regit was too young at that time to rescue you herself, she was with her mother who is the one who actually carried you to the Order."

"Oh! Thank you for telling me. Is there some way I can thank her directly?"

"Not unless you can communicate with souls, we think is the appropriate word, since her life span was completed in this physical realm."

"Do you mean she died?"

"We think that is the term your species would believe is appropriate, but since that term seems to imply the cessation of existence and we have no clear evidence one way or the other as to whether an individual's essence continues past their physical life span, we are reluctant to use such a term of finality."

"I think I understand what you're saying. The Faith teaches that when our physical bodies cease to function, our souls or spirits go to the Deity to be judged based on how we thought and behaved during our physical lives. That teaching is based on people who are believed to have been inspired by the Deity to communicate the teaching."

"Thank you for explaining. So, your species does not have a means to track a person's soul or spirit or personality after their physical demise?"

She briefly stares at them then answers, "Certainly not. Well, at least not that I've ever heard."

"Considering some of the technological things your species has developed, we didn't want to make an assumption."

"I hadn't thought about if from that angle. Chet, do you know if anybody has tried something like that?"

"It wouldn't surprise me if somebody has tried something along those lines, but I seriously doubt they could validate whatever they claimed they were able to do."

"That would be difficult. . . . I think I've had enough serious discussion for one evening." She finishes her tea, briefly hesitates, and says, "Chet, without intending to tell you what to do, I would like for us to share pleasure in our new quarters."

He leans closer, whispers, "I thought you would never ask," and as he thoroughly kisses her, her excitement soars. In the midst of their kisses, she moves to sit on his upper legs which enables them to more easily hug and begin to caress each other.

During their necessary breathing breaks, they take each other's shirts off then chuckle as the Floaters display, "Kiss," "Hug," "Caress," and "Love," on their chests and upper abdomens. Another breathing break is required then after he removes her bra, he chuckles and says, "Thank you for the idea, my friends."

Since she's puzzled by his statement, she asks, "What idea?"

"They are displaying the word, 'Kiss', on your breasts."

She's not sure she understands, but before she can ask for clarification, he leans her back and as he begins to kiss and tongue caress her breasts, her pleasure quickly escalates to climactic levels even as her hands move to hold his head snugly to her breasts. When he eventually moves his head away, she's glad he helps her to sit up otherwise she might limply fall to the floor while she pants for breath. By the time her breathing is mostly settled, she becomes aware that her bladder is being inconsiderate in distracting her from immediately enjoying more pleasure.

Once their bladders are temporarily quieted at the same time since their new quarters has two bathrooms, he's rinsing out their cups when she steps into the kitchen and hugs him from behind. Moments later, he's surprised she unfastens his pants then his hands automatically move to stop her, pause, and let her finish. But when she starts to fondle his genitals through his underwear, he gently pulls her hands away, turns around, and thoroughly kisses her.

When she has enough breath, she asks, "Why did you stop me from exciting you?"

"I would prefer to be excited with you rather than before you."

She looks at him in surprise before she verbally responds, "I was getting you that excited?"

"Yes. You're a very exciting young lady and I greatly enjoy being with you, touching you, and being touched by you."

He passionately kisses her and she's glad he continues to snugly hug her otherwise she might just limply slide down to the floor. Once her breathing has mostly settled, she's unable to hide her mischievous grin as she challenges him, "Prove to me how exciting I am to you."

His eyebrows rise in surprise, but when she clearly nods her head, he hesitates only a moment longer before he almost crushes her to him while he deeply kisses her. She immediately responds and a small part of her mind marvels that his firm actions can be so thoroughly imbued with gentleness while the rest of her is ready to dissolve and be absorbed by his body. His hands push her pants and panty off of her legs then he quickly stands back up to fondle her buttocks even as his hands press their bodies tighter together.

Too soon, they have to pant for breath and she manages to push his pants and underwear down and off. Moments later, she begins to fondle his buttocks which seems to excite him because he tries to pull her even closer while he renews the kiss which doesn't last very long before they're out of breath. His hands move to her waist and she cooperates as he turns and gently pushes her back a little. When she feels the edge of the kitchen counter right behind her then feels him start to lift her, she braces her hands on the counter and pushes up to help him.

Although she's briefly puzzled by his action, she seems to almost immediately recognize some possibilities and her legs reach out around him and pull him tightly between her legs. As his hips slide up her high inner thighs, her excitement surges and her arms try to pull him even closer while she kisses him with almost frantic desire. Then he slightly rocks his chest which rubs her excited nipples and that sends her pleasure soaring over the peak of climax.

When he holds still to allow her excitement to diminish a little so she can catch her breath, she seems to recognize what he's doing, but her desire feels like it's only been warmed up. She pushes her right hand down between their bodies and he automatically pushes his hips back a little in response. He's surprised when she grips his firm penis and directs it to the opening of her vagina and exclaims, "Yes!!" as she pulls him closer.

After he slightly adjusts his position, he seems to snugly slide deeply into her ready vagina and her next exclamation of, "YES!!!" begins the expression of her orgasm which he keeps going as he strokes the inside of her through his own climax and only stops moving when he suspects she's close to collapsing. His legs are starting to feel weak when she softly gasps out, "This is . . . where we . . . belong."

He's surprised at her words even as he can't think of any place he would rather be. Reluctantly, he says, "As much as I would like to stay here, I don't think my legs will support me a whole lot longer."

"Take me to bed . . . and love me . . . to sleep."

He briefly stares at her then asks, "You want more pleasure?"

"I never want it . . . to end," and she attempts to thoroughly kiss him but doesn't have the breath for it to last very long.

"Let me see if I can help you get to the bed."

"Or sleep . . . on floor . . . with you."

Again his eyebrows rise in surprise but instead of verbally responding, he reluctantly moves his hips back to pull out of her which gives her another brief climax and he's even more surprised to find that he's still mostly firm instead of flaccid. He shakes his head in disbelief at her ability to excite him then waits for a little while for her excitement to diminish some.

When he thinks he's able to, he guides her to slide off of the counter and with an arm snugly around her, he pulls her tightly to his side. He leans a little to the other side so their combined center of gravity is more on him while he braces his other hand on the walls as much as possible and half carries her to the bed where her fall is barely controlled. She weakly cooperates as he moves the bed covers out from under her then she spreads her legs and partially lifts her arms in invitation as she requests, "Love me!"

Since he doesn't think he has the energy to make love to her in the traditional sense, he kneels on the bed between her calves and starts to caress her lower thighs. Without the strength to hold her arms up any longer, she drops them to the bed but still wants to encourage him so she gasps out, "Please!" Moments later, he leans over and begins to kiss the fronts and insides of her thighs which causes her excitement to leap higher and she responds, "Yes!!"

Before his neck becomes too sore from being bent in at unusual angle, he moves away from between her legs, rolls her onto her left side, lifts her right leg, gently bends her knee, and braces her foot behind her left knee. She doesn't have the breath to ask what he's doing and can barely keep her eyes open enough to see him lay down on his right side somewhat behind her. A moment or two later, he moves until his head is between her legs and as his kisses and caresses move up the insides of her legs and are joined by little tongue caresses, her excitement soars.

Soon, her pleasure becomes orgasmic as his lips and tongue seem to excite every nerve ending on the exterior portions of her pubic area. Then his fingers begin to caress the inside of her vagina until she collapses and he reluctantly moves his head and hands away from her overwhelmed pleasure nerves. He has to rest for awhile and struggles to not fall asleep before he can turn around, straighten out her legs, cuddle up to her back, pull the covers up, and slide his right arm across her upper abdomen to hold her close.

Chapter 162

As Ilena becomes aware, she guesses it's the middle of the night then realizes her back is snugly pressed to Chet's chest while his arm is draped over her side. She almost sighs with contented satisfaction and doesn't want to move, but her bladder doesn't give her that option. Reluctantly and carefully, she moves away from his body and to the edge of the bed then isn't sure how to get to the bathroom without stumbling into something.

Before she panics, she hesitantly and softly asks, "Floaters?"

They quickly respond with displayed words, "Yes, Ilena?"

"Can you show me how to get to the bathroom?"

"Of course. Follow the yellow brick road."

She's not sure what they mean by that then notices yellow rectangles which lead away from her feet. She almost puts her feet down then says, "I don't want to step on you and hurt you."

"You won't hurt us and you have often walked on us when we weren't displaying any color."

"Oh, are you sure?"

"Of course."

"Okay." She cautiously puts her feet on what feels like the floor then almost tip toes along the path they display and doesn't think about the fact that she's actually putting more weight on them per square inch of surface area than if she walked normally. When she's done, she hurries back to the bed, thanks them very much for their help, then snuggles her back to his chest and moves his arm back to around her upper abdomen.

She's drifting towards sleep when she feels him stir then cautiously move his hand as though he's trying to figure out what the situation is. Rather than settle back down, his hand starts to move away, but she quickly grabs it and tries to pull it back across her. A moment later, he quietly says, "I need to go to the bathroom."

She reluctantly releases his hand as she says, "Hurry back."

He seems to pause in surprise then moves away. She's sure he didn't take as long as her anxiousness for his return felt like it took, but when he returns and she feels him settle on the bed, she's both surprised and a little disappointed she doesn't feel him snugly pressed to her back. A couple of moments later, she reaches back and when she finds one of his hands, she pulls on him while she scoots her body back.

Apparently, that convinces him she wants him close so he moves until his chest is snugly pressed to her back then doesn't resist as she pulls his right arm across her upper abdomen. A little later, as she feels herself getting close to falling asleep, something unusual distracts her. She tries to concentrate on what's different, then her eyes widen in surprise. She lifts her right leg, cautiously moves her right hand between her legs and discovers that his firm penis is gently pressing between her buttocks.

Without taking a moment longer to think about it, she scoots her hips forward just enough to move his penis from between her buttocks to between her legs. She groans with her quickly rising pleasure as his penis seems to naturally settle into her labia. Even as she thinks she shouldn't be taking advantage of him, her pleasure is too real and too enticing for her to resist.

While she moves his penis in a tight side to side movement, she tries to move her pubic area so that she uses his penis to caress her throughout her labia. Moments later, his hips being to move which causes his penis to stoke her labia which sends her excitement surging. With all of the pleasure which is building up inside of her, it's difficult for her to feel exactly where his penis is, but somehow through their combined movements, she guides it to slip into her vagina.

That increase in her pleasure seems to briefly lock up her breath, but as he continues to move and caresses the inside of her vagina with his penis, her voice is loosened and she expresses her climactic enjoyment. He stops moving in surprise, but when her right hand moves a little further to fondle his testicles and caress the base of his penis, his own excitement roars into a climax and a moment later he resumes his movements to continue her pleasure.

Her left hand guides his right hand from her upper abdomen to her vulva and when he realizes that she's using his hand to touch herself, he begins to move his hand on his own. Soon, his fingers find her clitoris and that additional touch seems to cause her body to stiffen then shudder with intense pleasure until it overwhelms her and she collapses. As soon as he recognizes her condition, he stops moving then carefully lifts his right hand away from her pubic area, snugly grips the left side of her upper abdomen, and before he can even think about what to do next, he falls asleep.

* * * * *

It takes a little while for Chet to realize that the warm feminine body which is snuggled up to his chest is real and not a dream. He smiles as he becomes more aware of that then slightly frowns at having to resist his temptation to share pleasure as he was about to start doing in his dream. Before he can consider that Ilena would probably welcome him if he did begin to give her pleasure, his bladder wakes up and demands attention.

He carefully moves away from her, sits on the side of the bed for a moment then notices that he's not in his own quarters or hers. Then he remembers, he's in their new quarters and is glad there's enough morning light leaking around the edges of the curtain in order to guide him to the bathroom. When he's done, he returns to the bed where he notices the alarm clock then realizes he hadn't set the alarm and softly exclaims, "LIF!"

He's startled to hear her ask, "What's the matter?"

Even while he moves to sit on the bed near her as she rolls over towards him, he answers, "I forgot to set the alarm."

"Is that a problem?"

"It is if I'm going to try to finish moving the rest of my things and turn our old quarters over to Yulia and make it to the office at a semi-reasonable time."

"In that case, get the water started for our shower while I take care of my bladder and we'll get the morning going."

His look of surprise is interrupted when she thoroughly kisses him then he can't resist admiring her backside as she walks to the bathroom which inspires him to follow. Even as he helps her get dry after their shower which was probably more of an opportunity to share pleasure than to get clean, he mentally shakes his head that she is so willing to be with him and so completely. When she requests his assistance to put her clothes on, he can't resist caressing and kissing her in the process which she clearly enjoys and encourages.

While they would prefer to reverse the events of the morning in order to share more pleasure, they manage to step out of the quarters and walk hand in hand to the cafeteria for breakfast. They take their time to eat and drink which gives her the opportunity to gain some energy before they go to his quarters to move the rest of his personal items. After a long thorough kiss which almost grows into many more, duty seems to get a word in edgewise so she goes to her first class of the day and he turns their individual quarters back over to Yulia for reassignment before he goes to his office.

Chapter 163

As Chet steps into the outer office, he almost turns around and leaves, but it's too late since the local news media representative saw him as soon as he opened the door. He sighs as he steps in, nods to the staff members who notice him, says, "Morning, Karina," then asks, "Yes, Mykul, what can I do for you?"

He follows Chet into his office then says, "The main office wanted me to ask you about the statement you made and we broadcast on the evening news."

"Are you suggesting it wasn't a clear enough statement to be understood?"

"Not at all. It was clear, but . . . I guess we and a lot of other people are finding it hard to believe that you think . . ." he quickly looks at his notes, "Regit and the Floaters species are anthro-equivalent."

"How would you define anthro-equivalence?"

"Huh?"

"Since you believe it's hard to consider that Regit and the Floaters are anthro-equivalent, then how would you define anthro-equivalence which makes it difficult to apply that definition to the native beings?"

"Um, I never thought about that before. . . . I suppose the first thing would be for a being to be self-aware and . . . be able to communicate with their fellow beings."

"I won't claim whether they might be self-aware, but a lot of known animals and even insects communicate within their species, but very few beings would even consider them to be anywhere near anthro-equivalent. Shall we narrow the definition of communication between anthro-equivalent beings for them to be able to communicate abstract ideas to their fellow beings? Of course that presupposes they have abstract ideas."

"That would make more sense. Are you suggesting Regit and the Floaters have abstract thoughts and can communicate them?"

"Let me give you an example. One time Regit was visiting with Ilena and was introduced to several people. She was friendly with them and later I teasingly remarked to Ilena that maybe Regit was preparing for a career in politics. She immediately growled at me. I quickly apologized and she bumped her head into my side as though she accepted my apology. If an understanding of politics isn't considered an abstract idea . . ." he leaves the rest unsaid.

"I see what you mean. Without having the necessary physiology, it would be difficult for her to respond other than through gestures."

"But the fact that she could understand what I verbally said says something about her intelligence for her to be able to understand a form of communication which she is unable to use."

"That's a good point. . . . What about the Floaters?"

"I know they can understand our language and for them to do that is rather remarkable since they do not apparently have any form of ear or much of anything else which we would recognize. I have also learned they can understand humor which is another abstract concept. And before you ask how I know that, let me clarify that they are more cautious about who they reveal themselves or their abilities to. After all, they have virtually no way to defend themselves other than by camouflage compared to Regit who is endowed with natural and formidable weapons."

"I have to agree with that. I've only seen Regit from a short distance, but I definitely wouldn't want her to be upset with me. . . . I guess you do have a basis for suggesting they could be anthro-equivalent. Have any scientists confirmed your findings?"

"I suggested on a number of occasions to the Chief Scientist and to others that Regit and the Floaters had provided indications they were anthro-equivalent before I was convinced of the fact. I don't like to say it, but the scientists seemed more interested in studying Regit and the Floaters as specimens rather than trying to communicate with them as beings of equal value to themselves."

"That doesn't surprise me. So, other than you and Ilena, is there anybody else who has been able to communicate with Regit and the Floaters in such a way to be convinced of their anthro-equivalence?"

"They have revealed their communication abilities to a couple of other people, but more important from an objective basis, the Floaters have convinced the Assistant Planetary Administrator of their ability to communicate and of their anthro-equivalence. As you are no doubt aware, as a Mark 10 Bureaucratic Robot, he has his own concerns about being recognized as an intelligent and anthro-equivalent being. Not only that, but he's been quite astounded at the Floaters' ability to learn and use a form of communication which they had no awareness of previously. The Floaters have also since revealed their communication abilities to the Chief Scientist which was apparently rather disconcerting to him."

"That's a rather compelling argument if they've convinced the Assistant Administrator. Have any other experts been consulted?"

"Since I'm not aware of anyone on the planet who is recognized as an 'expert' on the subject of determining the anthro-equivalence of another species, then I have to answer, 'no'. It wouldn't surprise me if the Oversight Committee or some other 'official' organization sends out somebody who is 'authorized' to determine whether or not a 'newly discovered' species is or could be anthro-equivalent."

"Will you reveal the communication abilities of Regit and the Floaters at that time?"

"That will be up to Regit and the Floaters. Since they are anthro-equivalent beings who have their own concerns and can make up their own minds, then I and everybody else need to respect them and allow them the choice of when and to whom they reveal themselves."

Mykul hesitates then says, "If they don't reveal themselves to the experts, that might make you look like you've been deceived or are delusional or something worse."

Chet shrugs his shoulders as he responds, "That's okay. At least I know they're anthro-equivalent and I'd rather be known as a fool rather than betray my friends."

A moment later, he almost chuckles and smiles as words appear in front of him, "Thank you, Chet. Since you won't feel it from us, we'll request that Ilena give you extra hugs and kisses."

Mykul asks, "What's so funny?"

"The Floaters just told me thank you for what I said."

"I didn't hear or see anything or do they communicate . . . telepathically?"

"I suspect they do something similar between themselves, but I certainly wouldn't be able to understand them if they did try to communicate with me in that manner. Since you didn't hear or see anything, I guess that means they can limit who they communicate with when there is more than one person in the room."

"You didn't know they could do that?"

"Previously, there was never a reason for them to demonstrate that ability. When Ilena and I were first learning to communicate with them and since then, they have communicated with both of us."

"Oh. I suppose if the situation never came up before, there wouldn't be a way for you to know they could do that. Well, since I can't think of any other questions which I think you might be willing to answer, I thank you for time and appreciate your willingness to tell me what you did."

"You're welcome." They stand up, shake hands, and Mykul starts to walk to the door when he stops, turns, and asks, "Are you willing to tell me which station Ambassador Jakobinski is currently stationed at?"

"I would prefer not to reveal that yet since she is very busy improving her communication with the native anthro-equivalent beings as well as dealing with her other responsibilities. She really doesn't need to be bothered to answer question which you've already asked me."

"I understand. Thank you again for your time."

"You're welcome."

A few minutes later, words show up in front of him, "Will your fellow beings really think you are delusional or something if we don't reveal ourselves to the experts?"

"Don't worry about that. How people think about me is not important compared to protecting you and making sure you are comfortable with whom you reveal yourselves."

"But since you're our friend, we should be concerned about your reputation."

"Thank you for considering me as your friend, but your safety is still more important than my reputation. I can live with some people not thinking positively about me, but there are some people who will try to convince you to trust them and if they feel threatened by you, they will attempt to end your life and that is unacceptable to me."

"Thank you, our friend."

"You're welcome, my friends."

Chapter 164

A few days later, a team arrives from the headquarters of the news media company which has local representatives stationed on the planet and the team leader virtually demands to interview the Planetary Administrator. He seems to be shocked that such an important person isn't located in the capital. Since he's used to being treated as a celebrity and frequently has easy access to government leaders as well as sports and entertainment celebrities, he doesn't understand why the administrator of a remote planet with a very small population doesn't jump at the opportunity to be interviewed and make himself available.

One of the news media team's assistants contacts the local representative in the capital and is surprised to learn that the Planetary Administrator is highly regarded, especially after he protected the news media from being overtaken by the military base's former commanding officer. The local representative expresses their own surprise when the assistant requests how to contact the Planetary Administrator since that information is publicly available and could also be acquired by simply asking at the planetary government building which virtually any resident could direct them to.

The assistant is pleasantly surprised at how quickly he's able to set up an interview with Ass, but his boss isn't interested in interviewing a 'mere' assistant planetary administrator so the assistant conducts the interview. Ass makes it very clear that he's convinced the Floaters are anthro-equivalent and that he's well aware of the criteria which is used to make such a determination, especially since it directly affects his own status. However, the news media assistant is frustrated when Ass won't reveal how the Floaters communicate or even where they may be located.

When he sees some video recordings and still photos of a Floater which a scientist had made shortly after the planet was first settled, the assistant can't believe such a thing could even be alive much less anthro-equivalent. As he recovers from that surprising revelation, he reviews his notes then asks how to get in touch with Ambassador Jakobinski.

Ass responds, "Give me a moment and let me see if she's available." A couple of moments later, he says, "Hello, boss, I have a representative of the news media headquarters in my office and he would like to contact Ambassador Jakobinski for an interview and his boss would like to interview you."

Chet's voice comes over the speaker, "Ambassador Jakobinski is out of the office and is dealing with some of her other responsibilities this morning and is scheduled to be working on improving her communications with the native beings this afternoon. If she's available, I may be able to contact her during lunch to see if she would be amenable to an interview, although she won't be able to say anything more than what I told the local new media representative a few days ago. Since I've already said what I'm able to reveal to the local representative, please have whoever's there contact them rather than wasting everybody's time while I repeat myself."

"I understand even though I'm receiving a very clear expression of disappointment."

"I'm sure you are and I don't mean to put you between a rock and a hard place, but I would appreciate it if you could let them know that I have plenty of work to do which is more important than repeating myself multiple times to anybody who drops in from the sky and thinks they are more important than the residents of this planet whom I'm sworn to protect and serve. . . . Is there anything else we need to cover?"

"Nothing significant at the moment. Thank you for your time, sir, and I'll coordinate the contact with the local news media representative."

"Thank you. Bye."

Ass directs his attention to the news media assistant and asks, "Shall I contact the local representative for you?"

"In a moment. Is there a reason the Planetary Administrator doesn't want to be interviewed?"

"I'm sorry, but didn't you hear what he said? He's already been interviewed by your local representative. Why should he waste his time to repeat himself to your boss?"

"Because my boss is much more important than the local representative."

"That's not the point. Why should the Planetary Administrator waste his time to repeat himself?"

"Well, my boss is much more experienced at conducting interviews and if he's refused an interview, he could put a serious dent in the potential interviewee's reputation."

Ass suggests, "What you mean is that your boss is more persistent in asking the same question in multiple ways and asking inappropriate questions in an attempt to embarrass the interviewee in order for them to reveal more than they intend." He pauses then chuckles, "You might want to save your boss some grief because if he pushes hard enough until the Planetary Administrator reluctantly agrees to an interview, your boss is liable to get a recording of 'no comment' to every question he asks. Or the Planetary Administrator may simply expel your boss from the planet."

"He couldn't do that!"

"Yes, he could and quite legally. If your boss makes enough of a nuisance of himself, he could be charged with interfering with the governmental process. As you mentioned earlier, we have a very small population here and our government has an even smaller percentage of employees compared to more populated planets. That means our government officials are often handling the workload which three or four government officials on other planets would be handling.

"The Planetary Administrator himself often works every day and if I wasn't available to help him, he would have a difficult time doing all of his work even if he spent every hour in his office. As a result, his time is very precious and not to be squandered by repeating himself. On top of that, he feels a strong sense of responsibility to do his job well and I and the rest of his staff have to constantly remind him to take a break for a meal or to rest in the evening."

"I think I can understand what you're saying. However, I doubt I'll be able to explain it to my boss even if I repeat your words to him."

Ass briefly chuckles then says, "Considering what I've found out in my research about him, he wouldn't pay attention to anybody unless they hit him with a lead pipe then he'd just accuse them of violence. Just a moment. . . . Interesting. Okay. If you need to get his attention, let him know that people who claim to be royal don't do well on this planet. If he wonders what you're talking about, mention Colonel Stickle Martin."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Rather than potentially put you into a compromising position, I'll let your boss fill you in on the details if he's interested. Do you have any other questions which I might be in a position to answer?"

"I suppose if you can put me in touch with our local representative who the Planetary Administrator mentioned, maybe he or she will be able to answer some of my questions or give me some direction in asking other questions."

"I can do that."

Chapter 165

As they walk hand in hand from the cafeteria after lunch, Chet tells Ilena, "Well the big-wigs from the news media have arrived on the planet and want to interview each of us. I told them I didn't have time to repeat myself after I talked to Mykul, the local representative, a few days ago and told him everything which I was ready to reveal. I said I would ask you if you were amenable to being interviewed even if you wouldn't be able to say anything more than what I told Mykul. By the way, he hasn't made the connection that you are the Ambassador."

"That's good to know. I know I won't be able to hide forever, but the longer that connection isn't known, the happier I'll be. And, no, I'm not interested in being interviewed by the news media because I'm liable to say something inappropriate."

"I thought that's how you would feel, but I didn't want to decide for you."

"Thank you for that. Besides, I was designated to be the liaison between the native anthro-equivalent beings and the government which is represented by you. In a manner of speaking, that makes you the liaison between me and other human and related entities. By the way, have you heard anything about the government sending 'experts' to confirm your statement that Regit and the Floaters are anthro-equivalent?"

"Not yet, but it wouldn't surprise me to hear something in the very near future. Either that or they'll just arrive unannounced in an attempt to catch us off guard."

"I don't know what that would accomplish. I mean, if we were going to fake the evidence, we would have to be really dumb to not already have it in place before we announced the results."

"That's true, but many of the people on the central worlds think we're just country hicks out here in the boondocks who still use a horse and buggy to get around."

It takes her a few moments to understand the reference then she looks at him in surprise and asks, "They're not that naive are they?"

"Almost."

She shakes her head in disbelief. Then she chuckles and suggests, "If we had some horses on the planet, it might be fun to provide the 'expert' guests with the latest version of our transportation methodologies."

He briefly stares at her in surprise before he chuckles and responds, "And here I thought I was the one who had disrespectful ideas." Before she can do more than grin in return, his communicator activates and he answers it, "This is Chet."

"Hey, boss. We just got word that an official delegation will soon be heading this way to investigate your claims that some of the native species here are anthro-equivalent."

"Well, speak of the devil."

"Who, me?"

"Of course not you, Ass. You're more of an angel than I am. Ilena and I were just talking about when we were going to hear about the 'experts' coming."

"Oh, now I understand, although I certainly won't claim to be an angel."

"Was there any indication as to when they would arrive?"

"Assuming they haven't already left and since they didn't specifically say when they were leaving or which planet they were leaving from, I can't imagine they'll be here earlier than four days from now and I'll guess it might be a couple of days longer than that."

"That makes sense. About the only way they could shorten that time frame would be for them to do a 'high g' boost to and from the transit gate. I can't imagine they would classify this as a military emergency to warrant that."

"I have to agree with you although one never knows how the 'powers that be' may respond to something."

"That's very true."

"If I hear anything more, I'll let you know."

"Thank you, Ass, and we'll talk to you later." He disconnects the call then asks Ilena, "Were you able to hear?"

"Yes. Shall we take advantage of our grace period and escape out into the wilderness?"

"Don't tempt me. Floaters, were you able to advise Regit about the conversation between Ass and I?"

They display their answer, "Word for word and verb for verb and noun for noun and without neglecting any of the other parts of speech."

He chuckles then suggests, "Now I'm tempted to accuse you of getting too big for your britches. Maybe I'll give Ass a break and turn my position over to you."

"How big do our britches need to be to take over your position?"

He turns to Ilena and asks, "How do I answer that?"

She just laughs then thoroughly kisses him. When her breathing has settled enough, she suggests, "While you think about an answer which isn't a wise crack in response, I'll go chat with Regit and see if she has any ideas about how she wants to deal with the 'experts' who are coming."

"Okay. I guess I'll have to check the supply catalog and see if there are any Floater sized britches available."

Words appear, "Order the small size so we can really be too big for them." Chet doesn't have a chance to think about whether they understand it's a joke when the words change into, "Hug Chet. Laughter. Ha, ha. What a riot. Funny, funny."

He briefly laughs, kisses Ilena, and gently pats her buttocks to send her on her way. A moment later when she twitches her hips at him as she starts to walk away, he's very tempted to follow her. Somehow 'duty' gets through to him so he sighs then turns towards his office and the work which is sitting there and waiting for him.

* * * * *

Over the past few days, the Floaters have asked Ass about what the 'experts' will be looking for in order to determine whether or not the 'experts' might be willing to agree with Chet's assessment that they are anthro-equivalent. For the most part, the Floaters don't think there will be any problem for them to meet the criteria, assuming the 'experts' are willing to have an open mind and not automatically dismiss the Floaters because they don't have manipulative digits or any vocal apparatus.

The major concern is how will Regit be able to communicate other than through the Floaters in such a way that it will be obvious Regit is 'speaking' instead of the Floaters. While Ass becomes more worried about that issue and doesn't have any suggestions for them, the Floaters discuss it with Regit and they think they have an idea which might be acceptable, at least to start the dialogue.

Chapter 166

Five days after Ass advised Chet they were coming, it's late in the planetary day when the team arrives which has been assigned to evaluate the claim that some of the native species are anthro-equivalent. The team leader, T'ha'koo, whose own species was belatedly recognized as anthro-equivalent just a couple of decades ago, provides Ass with the team's credentials and they make some preliminary arrangements before the team is guided to their temporary quarters to rest for the night. After Ass lets Chet know what the initial plans are which is close to one of their guessed at scenarios, Chet does his best to distract Ilena from her worries by sharing intimate pleasure with her until she collapses and, by then, he's tired enough to sleep soundly through the night.

* * * * *

The alarm clock going off early isn't pleasant, but Chet reminds himself that it's a small sacrifice compared to being able to spend the night with Ilena instead of going to the capital yesterday evening. As quickly as he can, he quiets the alarm then gets his shower and prepares to leave. Before he does leave, he checks to see if she's still asleep, but she's partially awake and gladly accepts his thorough kiss and appreciates it when he suggests she think only about her classes this morning and to forget about the afternoon. Reluctantly, he leaves and just as he's about to lock the door, he sees Regit approaching so he briefly pets her and lets her in to be with Ilena.

A couple of hours later, Chet steps out of the air vehicle at the government building and isn't surprised to see Ass waiting for him. Ass provides him with some of the highlights of the team's credentials and they talk about how some of them may respond. When they run out of possibilities to consider, they discuss some of their regular work issues through Chet's breakfast and afterwards while they wait for the evaluation team to arrive at the prepared conference room.

After introductions are made, one of the evaluation team members asks, "Aren't any of your scientist involved?"

Chet answers, "No. Even when I suggested that some of the native species may be anthro-equivalent, the Chief Scientist, in particular, was more interested in treating the species as experimental subjects rather than trying to figure out a way to communicate with them. Not only that, but the native species did not initiate contact with the scientists and I believe they were concerned about doing so."

"Would you object to have some scientists be a part of our discussion?"

"Of course not, as long as we all remain aware that anthro-equivalence can not be measured by a scientific formula."

T'ha'koo responds, "That's a good point. If it had been left up to only the scientists, my own species would only be seen as scientific samples to dissect and experiment with."

While Ass contacts the Chief Scientist about attending or sending a representative, he also provides a brief overview to the evaluation team of the planet's history especially in regards to the first awareness the settlers had of the Tigers and the Floaters and any subsequent recorded interaction Not long after the Chief Scientist and a couple of assistants quietly arrive, Chet briefly covers his own initial interaction with the Floaters and Regit then highlights some of Ilena's interaction with Regit.

Some of the evaluation team can only stare as Ass shares the recording of Ilena riding on Regit and request that it be played a few more times. When someone asks the question, they're even more surprised when Chet tells them that Ilena first started riding Regit when she was a little girl such that Regit would have to lay down in order for Ilena to get on her, but he doesn't remember if she said how old she was at the time. Since they can't imagine that an obvious carnivore as Regit appears to be would be gentle with a child who could easily be a meal, somebody else asks if Regit is actually a carnivore.

Chet nods his head as he answers, "Regit is very much a carnivore and I have seen her efficiently dispatch and eat a prey animal which was substantially larger than a child. Actually, I have never heard any reports of Regit or any of her species who has harmed a human and she has even guided some people back to the station who had become lost in the nearby forest." He pauses then suggests, "Although I can't prove it, it seems to me as though Regit recognized that humans are a fellow intelligent and self-aware species and has treated those she has encountered as such."

"How would she be able to ascertain that?"

"I don't know how to describe it accurately, but I suspect that Regit and her species communicate through some form of telepathy and attempted that with the humans she encountered. Although none of us were able to respond, she apparently recognized our intelligence even if we are not able to communicate with her at her level."

"Are you just guessing at that?"

"No. After we learned how to communicate with her, Regit 'told' me that we as a species are not able to receive or recognize the directed thoughts of her or her species, at least in any detail, and they were becoming rather concerned about whether they would be able to clearly communicate with us."

"So, how do you communicate with them?"

"Before I directly answer that, let me remind us of some of the facts. First of all, Regit and the Floaters are able to communicate with each other which I assume is some form of telepathy because they can communicate without apparently being in physical contact with each other which an electronic form of communication would require and we have not been able to detect any radio frequency being used between them. Since Regit and her species attempted to communicate with us through their method of communication, but we were not able to understand them, that encouraged them to try to learn how we communicate in an attempt to ascertain if they could use our methods.

"Regit does not have the ability to communicate with us verbally nor do we have the capability to clearly distinguish the limited number of sounds she's able to make or to understand any meaning from them other than very basic emotional expressions of enjoyment or anger. At the same time, the Floaters do not have any ability to make any sound other than a very faint wind type sound if they move quickly enough. So, for either of them to even conceive of a verbal form of communication speaks positively of their intelligence.

"They didn't just understand the concept of verbal communication, but they soon began to understand us when we spoke with each other. I have to assume they understood our thoughts and associated our thoughts with our verbal expressions. Yet they are unable to respond in a similar manner."

Chet pauses to take a drink before he continues, "That left us at an impasse. Even though we can conceive of their form of communication, I don't know of any humans or allied aliens who are able to communicate telepathically. There also does not appear to be any way in which we can communicate with them either electronically or through a radio frequency. Although verbal communication is totally outside of their experience, they were able to not only conceive of it, but learned to understand us even if they couldn't respond through the same method. What other method could we possibly use to communicate with them?"

Chapter 167

The silence lengthens before somebody says, "The only other forms of communication which I'm aware of are: one, olfactory or the sense of smell which humans might barely understand, but would not be able to respond to in a similar manner; two, body language which is limited to basic concepts in humans unless another form of communication was used to establish a code such as for sign language and without apparently having any appendages, the Floaters would not be able to do something similar; three, communication by touch which again has its limitations. Question, would the Floaters be able to understand touching as a form of communication?"

"I'm quite sure they could, but like with body language another form of communication would be needed to establish the code. However, the Floaters would not be able to respond in a similar manner since they have virtually no mass. There have been times when I could see a Floater was on my arm, but I was not able to feel it. In fact, when I 'petted' the Floater in a manner similar to how any of us would touch another person or a domesticated animal, I felt like I was touching my own arm. When Ass tried to show them how a computer works, the Floaters were unable to press the keys on a keyboard or to activate commands on a touch screen."

"Then that wouldn't work. The only other form of communication I can think of would be a written form of a verbal language. That would mean they would have to understand the verbal language and then have to be able to relate the written word with the spoken word. Even once that was accomplished, they would either need to have opposable digits in order to hold a writing utensil or have sufficient mass to use any of our technology to communicate in a written manner. . . . I think we've just eliminated every possible means of communicating with the Tigers or Floaters."

T'ha'koo waits a little while to see if somebody else is going to speak then turns to Chet and asks, "If there doesn't appear to be any possible form of communication to use between us and the native species, how are you able to communicate with them?"

"Even though our forms of communication are totally outside of their experience, they have the intelligence to think beyond their experience and the Floaters have learned to use one of our methods of communication and are able to translate Regit's thoughts so we can clearly understand her." Chet pauses as he can almost read the minds of some of the evaluation team members as they're ready to call him a liar for saying he can communicate with the Floaters when they just established that the Floaters do not have the necessary physical capabilities. "To be more specific, the Floaters have learned to use our written language."

"But, how, when they don't have appendages to hold a writing utensil or the mass to even use a touch screen?"

"Let me back up a little in time in order to properly answer that question. I don't know what interaction the first scientist had with the Floaters which encouraged that person to give them their 'species name' and to claim they were not harmful. And that is all I am aware of which was revealed to the population about them. Albert, do you have any other information about the initial awareness or interaction with the Floaters?"

The Chief Scientist hesitates a little than says, "I recently checked the reports and there wasn't much more which the earlier scientists were able to discover about them. They noted, as you mentioned, that if a Floater landed on their arm, they could see what looked like a thin translucent piece of fabric, but were unable to feel it. Nor were they able to grab one without essentially pinching themselves.

"When they recognized one on a tree or even 'levitating' nearby and tried to net it, they assumed the Floater quickly moved out of the way at the last moment because none were ever captured. Since no scientists or other settlers were ever known to be harmed by the Floaters, even when they tried to capture one, the conclusion of those who wrote the reports is that the Floaters were not harmful to us."

"Thank you for enlightening us. That was the extent of my knowledge about them before I had my first encounter with one when I was taking a hike in the forest several years ago. I took a break from my walk and while I was warming up some water to make tea, I opened up a small container of sugar and was surprised to see a Floater approach and appear to sample the sugar. I just watched and after it moved away, I made my tea.

"Some time after that, a Floater seemed to take up residence at the farm associated with the station where I was located and somebody began to call it 'Silky'. I didn't have the opportunity to visit the farm very often, but when I did, the Floater, at least I assumed it was the same one, would partially wrap itself around my arm as though it recognized me and I started to carry sugar cubes with me whenever I went and offered one to the Floater."

"After our recent crisis with the former commander of the military unit which is stationed here, I took a few days off and went out in the forest to gain some peace and quiet. While I was there, I was surprised when a number of Floaters showed up and spent some time with me. I attempted to communicate with them by making some rather inane requests, which they immediately and positively responded to which convinced me they can understand me when I speak to them.

"I tried to always speak to them with respect and even willingly allowed them to sample my meals. The next day, they revealed that their bodies can also display a variety of colors then later they showed that those colors can also be shown in different patterns. My communication with them was still quite a guessing game on my part and when I asked a question or made a statement and they displayed a variety of colors, I interpreted that as a positive response. Since then, some Floaters have stayed with me and have put up with my feeble attempts to communicate with them.

"After I announced that I had established the position of ambassador to the native species, she and I were trying to think of how to communicate with the Floaters and recognized many of the difficulties which we were just discussing with you. We even considered trying to establish a code based on their ability to display colors, but that would also have some serious limitations. One of the things we tried is to ask either/or questions and the Floaters clearly cooperated by displaying colors when we offered a correct choice."

He pauses to take a drink then asks, "Before I continue the explanation, does anybody have any questions about what I've said up to this point." While he's quite sure some of the evaluation team members aren't ready to believe him, nobody appears to have any clear questions, or at least any they're willing to ask.

Chet hesitates a little longer, then continues, "While we were brainstorming different ways to communicate with the Floaters, the Ambassador had an inspiration and wrote her name on a piece of paper then pointed to what she wrote, pointed to herself, and said her name. She repeated her actions once and the Floaters immediately understood and colorfully displayed her name on their bodies. We quickly wrote and spoke other words and they absorbed the words as fast as we could share them. The next day, the Floaters revealed their ability to communicate with the Assistant Planetary Administrator and after a brief conversation, he programmed a computer to pronounce displayed words for them."

Ass confirms, "That is correct and they absorbed our children's educational curriculum at an astounding rate and after they absorbed the contents of a college level dictionary and encyclopedia, they are already working through some of the online college classes. To enable them to continue, I have prepared a few other computers for them to use and what one group of Floaters learns seems to be understood by all of them."

"How did you prepare a computer for them to use if they can't even activate a touch screen?"

"I set up a video input device aimed at a defined space in which they can display the appropriate words."

There are a number of raised eyebrows around the table, but they seem to wait for somebody else to say something. Finally, T'ha'koo asks, "Both of you are apparently quite convinced that the Floaters are anthro-equivalent." Chet and Ass nod their heads in the affirmative. "I don't want to disbelieve you, but our responsibility is to weigh the evidence and come to our own conclusion."

Chet assures him, "We completely understand and will do what we can to assist your inquiry as long as it doesn't offend or compromise the safety of the Floaters or of the Tigers."

"Thank you. Based on the possibility that the Floaters and Tigers may be anthro-equivalent, I hope we can treat them in a respectful manner until we can clearly determine whether or not they are anthro-equivalent."

"Thank you. With that understanding, how can we assist you with the next step?"

"I suppose the first question is, are the Floaters willing to communicate with us?"

"They have initially expressed a willingness to do so, but I would like to give them an opportunity to clarify if they have any objection based on what we have discussed up to this point in time."

"That makes sense. So, what do we need to do?"

"This would probably be a good opportunity for all of us to take a brief break to deal with any necessary biological functions. Hopefully, by the time we have all returned, I'll be able to let you know what they have decided."

Chapter 168

Chet goes to his office where he's able to use his private facilities to take care of his own biological needs. As soon as he's done, he's surrounded by Floaters who colorfully reveal themselves to him as some display, "Thank you," while others display, "Hug Chet," or "Kiss Chet," or other positive responses.

He chuckles then says, "Okay, my friends. I receive the impression that you were not offended by what has been discussed so far."

"Not at all. It also gave us the opportunity to have a better understanding of the individuals on the evaluation team and how they might try to sway their fellow team members. We think all of them except for one will give you and us a fair hearing."

"So, one of them has already made up their mind."

"It certainly appears to be so. We don't want to accuse them of being close-minded, but we think it will take some overwhelming persuasion before they will consider changing their mind because even evidence won't sway them."

"I suppose the only surprising element of that piece of information is only one member of the team apparently has that mind-set."

They seem to hesitate to ask, "You expected more members of the team to have their mind made up?"

"Yes, especially among the human members. Remember how we talked about the very term of anthro-equivalent?"

"Yes."

"Well, there are a lot of humans who are strongly anthropocentric. In other words, they firmly believe that humans are the most significant entity in the universe and regardless of what ever evidence might be supplied, they are unable to accept that any species or being is as good as a human."

"We're certainly very glad you aren't like that."

"Well, after studying human history and literature as long as I have, sometimes I wonder if there are any redeeming qualities about our species, especially in regards to how we treat our fellow humans. One ancient human philosopher wrote something along the lines that mankind enslaves or destroys any species it meets. I may be considered a traitor to my own kind, but I couldn't live with myself if I didn't do whatever I was capable of doing to prevent another species from being enslaved or destroyed by my fellow humans."

"Since we know you are sincere in that belief, it only encourages us to trust you more."

"Thank you. Well, how shall we suggest that one of the team members is less than open-minded about your status?"

* * * * *

A couple of minutes later, Chet returns to the conference room and doesn't have to wait much longer before everybody else is seated. He pauses a little longer to see if somebody has any questions or concerns they want to bring up before he says, "Okay, I suppose we can resume our discussion. I was able to talk to the Floaters and they have no objections to what we discussed earlier. However, before they are ready to communicate with your team, they expressed some concern that one of your team members has already negatively made up their mind about the subject of our discussion."

After the team members look at each other in surprise, T'ha'koo asks, "May I enquire as to who the Floaters are concerned about?"

"While I would normally prefer to discuss such an issue with the individual in private, I think you all need to be aware that the Floaters feel overwhelming persuasion will be needed before the individual will consider changing their mind because even evidence won't sway them. The individual they are concerned about is . . . Mr. Davidson."

As everybody looks at him, he flushes with embarrassment then reacts, "Damn right I've made up my mind. The mealy mouthed politicians have sold the human race down the river and given up so many of our rights and stopped us from taking what is due to us. Survival of the fittest is the cornerstone of human achievement and if we can't be stopped then whatever we want and can hold onto is ours for the taking."

Chet asks, "What about respect and empathy for others? Aren't those human traits?"

"Those who are not among the fittest try to claim those traits are associated with humans."

The quiet stretches as his fellow team members can't seem to do anything other than stare at him. Then Ass asks, "In that case, Mr. Davidson, why are you supporting your invalid mother in an exclusive nursing home? If you truly believed in the survival of the fittest, you would have euthanized her as soon as she became less than fully functional and had retained those resources which you have spent on her."

He turns pale then asks, "How did you find out about that?"

"It's in the public records."

A moment or two later, he glares around the room then gets up and walks out while Ass contacts security to make sure that Mr. Davidson doesn't cause any problems while he's escorted to the departure terminal for the next flight off of the planet.

Chet looks around the room then says, "I'm sorry about that. I hadn't intended to cause a confrontation, but this discussion is too important to be derailed by a prejudicial mind-set."

T'ha'koo assures him, "There's no need for you to apologize. I'm sorry I wasn't aware of his perspective before I agreed to his assignment to be on the team."

"I wonder if whoever recommended him to the team was aware of his attitude and wanted him on the team for that reason."

"That is a disturbing thought. I'll have to check my records to see if I have that information." He hesitates then looks at each of his other team members and asks, "Do any of the rest of you have hidden agendas or preconceived notions about what we are doing here and what the results should be?"

The quiet stretches until one person reluctantly admits, "I don't have a hidden agenda, but when I was asked to join the team, I did some research and based on what I found out about Chet and the Assistant Planetary Administrator, I'm inclined to believe them."

While Chet looks at the person in surprise, T'ha'koo responds, "I can accept that as long as you remain aware of your attitude and allow the evidence to guide your decision rather than your perception of a person's reputation."

"I shall make a concerted effort to do so."

"Thank you." He looks around the room again and when no one makes any further comments, he turns to Chet and says, "I think we're prepared as much as we are able to be for the Floaters to communicate with us if they are willing to do so."

Chapter 169

Chet takes a few moments longer to get his thoughts back on track before he responds, "Thank you. The Floaters are willing to 'talk' with you, but before they do, I thought it might be best if they revealed themselves in front of this wall where all of you will be able to see them. Since we want to give you as much assurance as possible that the Floaters themselves are communicating with you and that we are not pulling some kind of trick on you, you are welcome to examine the wall or anything facing it with any instruments you wish to use in order to assure yourselves that nothing is being projected onto it."

After a moment's hesitation, T'ha'koo says, "Thank you for your assurance. Because you are willing to be open about the possibility of deception, let me be open and admit that we did bring equipment which should be able to detect any transmissions which is not a part of this room's obvious technology."

He nods his head to one of his team members who briefly hesitates before he lifts his briefcase onto the table, opens it, adjusts some controls then announces, "There are no unexpected transmissions. However, I will need to reexamine the electronic spectrum when the Floaters reveal themselves to be sure other equipment hasn't been turned on."

Chet nods his head in understanding and assures them, "That will not be a problem. . . . In that case, ladies, gentlemen, and other beings, I would like to introduce you to some representatives of this planet's native species which has agreed to allow us to refer to them as Floaters."

Words appear in front of the wall, "Good morning. We are the Floaters and look forward to communicating with you and will do our best to answer your questions. If we have concerns about how you may use the information which we might reveal, we may decline to answer some questions."

After the evaluation team stares at the words for a little while, one of the members blurts out, "Where did you come from?"

"We were here all along. We just changed from a camouflaged appearance to an appearance which is visible to your optical nerves."

The technician who is monitoring his equipment, swallows nervously then reports, "I am not detecting any new transmission or the activation of any optical equipment."

T'ha'koo nods his head then says, "I guess that confirms we are not being deceived, or at least by equipment which we are able to detect."

"But this is the most advanced detection device available."

"That doesn't mean they couldn't have developed something new which isn't yet available to be purchased."

The technician reluctantly nods his head in agreement.

Another team member who has been intently looking at the Floaters asks, "How do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Float or whatever you do especially since you don't appear to be doing anything which would allow you to stay in the air."

"Can you explain how you talk?"

The person starts to open their mouth to explain then realizes they can't explain it and reluctantly admit, "No, I can't explain it."

"Yet you can do it. So it is with us and how we move or remain stationary without resting on something - we can do it as though it's very natural, but we don't understand how we can do it. Chet has suggested that a partial explanation may be that since we have so little mass, gravity doesn't affect us."

"Aren't you curious about how you can do it and have conducted experiments to determine the cause?"

The Floaters ask in return, "Aren't you curious about how you can talk and have conducted experiments to determine the cause?"

"Oh. I guess you have a point there. . . . Since you apparently understand the term, do you experience curiosity?"

"Very strongly. We, and I'm including the Tigers in this, have been very curious about the beings who settled on our planet. We also became rather concerned when none of them appeared to be aware of our attempts to communicate with them. As we observed them over time, we became even more concerned about their attitudes towards us and our fellow natives. Rather than simply hide, our curiosity drove us to continue observing and attempting to communicate.

"After years of searching, we found a couple of people who appeared to be concerned about the native species on this planet and as we observed them more closely then hesitantly revealed ourselves to them, they treated us with respect. We still waited awhile longer to be sure of their attitudes and when we were rather confident we understood them, Regit and we began to reveal more about ourselves to Chet and Ilena. Although we surprised them on a number of occasions, they accepted us as friends and continue to treat us with respect and are concerned about our welfare. They also helped us to understand your communication methods which has enabled us to finally find a way to 'talk' to you."

T'ha'koo pauses then says, "Thank you for explaining. That has some similarity to my specie's story in that we were curious about those who had invaded our planet. Although it didn't take us long to figure out how to communicate with them, for quite awhile they thought of us as only clever and imitative animals rather than as intelligent self-aware beings."

"We are well aware that if it wasn't for the attitudes which Chet and Ilena demonstrated towards us, we might have considered ways to encourage the settlers to depart our world."

"Some of my fellow beings did attempt to encourage them to leave, but they used a violent approach which essentially backfired on them because the invaders had more sophisticated weaponry. Although there was a substantial loss of life to our great regret, apparently it startled the leaders of the invaders enough that they were encouraged to reevaluate our status."

"We are sorry your species had to go through that which makes us even more grateful to have friends like Chet and Ilena who are willing to try to protect us even against their fellow humans."

"You are truly fortunate, because all other species which have been eventually recognized as 'anthro-equivalent' have had a difficult time in convincing the humans that they did have close to equal value."

"We guess that means the anthropocentric attitude of humans is more pervasive than we realized." After a brief pause, the Floaters continue, "We suppose if Chet and Ilena had not been here for us to get to know, we might have found a way to encourage the settlers to leave and then we could be conducting interviews to determine if any of them were 'Floater-equivalent' before they would be allowed to settle here."

T'ha'koo and a couple of his team members laugh with Chet and Ass while most of the team members who are human either frown or try to maintain neutral expressions. By the time they take a break for lunch, their discussions have covered many subjects and even some of the humans are feeling as though they're talking with a fellow human, if they hadn't been observing the changing words on the Floaters.

Chapter 170

After lunch, Chet and Ass lead the evaluation team to a couple of large air vehicles and once they depart the government building on their preprogrammed flight path and with a communication link open between the two vehicles, they continue their discussion after the first question of, "Where are the Floaters?"

Many of the team members stare as words form on Chet and Ass' bodies, "We're right here, riding our hosts. We didn't want to distract them while they started and programmed the air vehicles."

A couple of hours later as they near their destination, Ass slaves his air vehicle to Chet's who then takes manual control. Rather than go to the landing zone and need several ground vehicles to transport the team, he sets the air vehicles down near the main farm buildings which will provide them with some privacy as well as bathrooms. The Floaters suggest it will also make it easier for Regit to communicate. As the team members step out of the air vehicles, they stare as the air seems to be filled with colorful Floaters who appear to be moving in every possible direction.

When some of the team members eventually notice Regit walking in their direction, their eyes open wider and don't even seem to notice Ilena and Charles who are with her. Most of them aren't sure what to think as they watch Chet and Ass warming greet, pet, and scratch Regit. Then they hold very still as Regit steps over and seems to closely examine each one of the team members.

While they're still trying to recover from being up close and personal with what appears to be a saber toothed tiger, they watch Regit move her paw over a patch of ground. After she steps back, the team members take turns to look then stare at the words, "I am known as Regit."

Since his planet does not have such large and frightening predators, T'ha'koo seems to recover first and says, "Regit, it appears as though it is rather awkward for you to communicate with us by using the written form of the human standard language. Is there an easier way for you to communicate with us?"

Words appear on nearby Floaters, "Regit: I would prefer to communicate by using the Floaters as a translator. They have agreed to identify whether it is I or they who are 'speaking'. I guess you'll have to trust us that they are accurately translating my thoughts into words rather than 'speaking' for themselves."

Before anybody can respond, somebody gasps which alerts Chet just in time to slightly brace himself to avoid being knocked over when Regal bumps into him. He quickly recovers from his surprise and pets Regal while those who were concerned about Regit, can't imagine being friendly with such a large obvious carnivore who is even bigger than Regit. Then they're even more surprised when he walks over and writes, "I am known as Regal," right below Regit's words.

The team members finally notice Ilena and Charles when Regal greets them before he steps over to look at Ass. A moment later words appear, "Regal: Hey, Tin Man, where's your companion Scarecrow?" There's a brief pause then Ass laughs while everybody else wonders what's so funny.

It's a few moments before Ass explains, "Regal was referring to a video recording from old Earth in which a couple of the characters were a mechanical man and an animated scarecrow."

Following a brief pause, Chet introduces Ilena and Charles to T'ha'koo who introduces the rest of the evaluation team. Once the introductions are complete, Charles leads the way to a nearby canopy which covers a couple of tables and sufficient chairs for everyone since there isn't a conference room in the farm buildings. After Chet introduces Karina, she serves as hostess to provide everyone with their preferred beverage then sits down with the others as the discussion resumes although it's more directed towards Regit and Regal.

Chapter 171

As the afternoon draws to a close, the evaluation team members feel as though they've been conversing with a human, although a couple don't want to admit that to themselves, yet all of them seem to accept the Floaters display of words as though it's a rather normal way to communicate. They take a break and walk the short distance to the nearest restrooms, but when they return, several of the team members are startled to realize that a meal is about to be served. Those who live on high population urban worlds can't seem to understand why anyone would want to eat a meal outside of a building while the others look forward to the relaxed setting of a picnic.

During the meal, some of the team members are surprised to see floaters resting on Chet and Ilena's arms or nearby and they appear to be minutely sampling their food. When Chet notices their stares he says, "We don't know what nutritional value the Floaters may receive from what we eat, but they seem to enjoy experiencing the different textures and flavors."

"Aren't you worried about germs or diseases?"

"No. Studies have shown that there are often less harmful bacteria in food which is prepared outside than when it is mass produced in dedicated facilities. Not only that, but those who live in more sterilized environments often become ill more easily because they haven't built up immunities over time. In regards to disease, I would be more concerned about the Floaters catching something from us than that we might be affected by any disease which they might carry. Throughout human history, the diseases of so-called civilized humans has had a much greater detrimental effect on native cultures than the other way around."

When the meal is finished and cleaned up, Chet asks T'ha'koo, "Do you or your team members have any other areas of concern which you would wish to discuss with us now?"

"Not at the present time. I think it would be best if we can rest for the evening then I want to meet with the team in the morning to see what level of consensus we have and to brainstorm any concerns or questions we might have."

"That sounds reasonable. In that case, I'll turn you over to Ass' care to take you back to your temporary quarters in the capital. After you have an opportunity to talk with your team, if you need any further assistance or have other things you wish to discuss, please coordinate with Ass. I can be available on fairly short notice, but I do have other responsibilities which I really shouldn't ignore."

"I totally understand. Thank you very much for taking the time to meet with us and to coordinate our visit."

"It's my pleasure to assist you in any way I can since it's important to me and to this planet that the native intelligent and self-aware beings are recognized as such."

After handshakes are shared around, Ass leads the way to the air vehicles, slaves one to follow the other, programs their flight to the capital, and departs.

Before Chet can turn around after watching the air vehicles move out of sight, Ilena hugs him from behind. He fully intends to turn around to share the hug, but Regit and Regal press on him from each side so he pets and scratches their heads. Ilena tells him, "Chet, thank you so much for guiding the conversation and answering the questions they asked. I know I wouldn't have done half as well as you did."

He starts to open his mouth to disagree when words appear in front of him, "Regit, Regal, and we completely agree. Cheers for Chet!" and the last sentence is repeated in a large variety of colors and, he belatedly notices with surprise, a variety of fonts.

A few moments later, Karina and Charles step in front of him with bemused expressions then she asks, "Do you think we need to worry about all of this praise going to his head?"

Charles chuckles as he shakes his head then answers, "Nah, he has an almost terminal case of the disease, 'diminishment of value'. Rather than medications prescribed by a doctor, he's going to need a brain surgeon to reprogram his circuits."

Chet's initial frown while the others laugh becomes a slight grin before he verbally responds, "Okay, you guys, that's enough because I know who I am and have to live with myself. Besides, all of you have inspired me to accomplish much more than I could have done on my own."

A few minutes later, Chet and Ilena help Karina, Charles, and some of his deputies clean up the 'meeting room' they had prepared. Once that is taken care of, the humans say good night to Regit and Regal, walk to the quarters area of the station, say good night to each other, and separate to walk towards their own quarters. As soon as they're in their quarters and lock the door, Chet and Ilena thoroughly kiss and when he needs to breathe, his relaxation in her arms almost buckles his knees.

She's not sure what she senses, but she tightens her grip on him as they walk towards the table while she asks, "What's the matter?"

He sits down before he answers, "Nothing's wrong. For me to feel your sincere loving embrace seemed to push away all of the stress I had apparently internalized over the meeting with the evaluation team."

"If you were feeling stressed, you sure hid it well because you appeared so calm and confident." She quickly sits on his upper legs and kisses him some more. Before she becomes completely wrapped up in enjoying his caresses and kisses, she makes some tea for them. When they're back at the table and sitting close in separate chairs, she asks, "Since I've never been involved in that kind of high level meeting before, how do you think it went?"

"It seemed to go rather smoothly although considering the number of surprises which we presented to the evaluation team, I'm not going to try to guess how they're going to respond. I suspect some of the surprises were startling enough that they were distracted from some of the questions they intended to ask so we could be facing questions tomorrow or in the near future which may be more difficult to answer. We'll just have to wait and see."

"Did they give any indication as to how long it will take them to make a decision?"

"No. Since the possibility of a new 'anthro-equivalent' species being 'discovered' is a rather rare occurrence, seldom is a person on more than one of the evaluation teams. This team is a little unusual in that T'ha'koo's species was recognized as 'anthro-equivalent' recently enough that he remembers some of what it was like before they were officially recognized. Because the evaluation team almost always has a completely different membership from one to the other, even though there are some guidelines they follow, there are always different issues to be addressed which encourages some teams to ask more difficult questions than other teams and take a different amount of time to reach a consensual decision."

"I guess that means we have to practice patience and try not to worry too much about what other kinds of questions or information they'll want from us before they get around to making a decision."

"I'm afraid so."

"In that case, I would greatly appreciate your assistance in distracting me from my worry about what else they may ask or how long we have to wait for them to decide."

"How can I do that?"

She starts to unbutton his shirt before she answers, "Share pleasure with me," then deeply kisses him. Although he was momentarily surprised by her answer, he quickly responds. Then he practices another kind of patience as he spends the rest of the evening to fill her mind and body with excitement before he overwhelms her with pleasure as he makes love to her in bed and falls asleep shortly after she does.

Chapter 172

Yesterday morning, the evaluation team had a closed door meeting for themselves to discuss their concerns and issues regarding the anthro-equivalency of the Floaters and the Tigers. In the afternoon, they had asked Ass for additional information who deferred some of the questions to Chet who joined the discussion by conference call. In the evening, the team had another closed door session then contacted Chet about having a face to face meeting in the morning.

Although he didn't like getting up early enough in the morning to fly to the capital in time for the meeting, he was glad to spend the evening and night with Ilena. After breakfast, he and Ass talk some in the conference room. As he fixes a cup of tea a few minutes before the meeting is to begin, he tosses a sugar cube into the air and smiles as the Floaters start to bat it around. Moments later, T'ha'koo steps in the door to the conference room and stops while some of his teammates stare past him at the colorful display.

When the sugar cube has been dissolved and the Floaters settle on or around Chet and Ass, the team steps into the room then T'ha'koo asks, "May I ask what that was all about?"

Chet answers, "The Floaters were having fun batting a sugar cube around while they slowly absorbed it."

"Well, I guess that answers one of the questions somebody had."

"What question was that?"

"What the Floaters do which they would define as fun."

"There are other things we've learned they'll do for fun, but that's something which they can do in a small space. Were there any other questions or concerns which you wanted us to address or answer?"

"We do have some concerns more in regards to the Tigers who do not have an easy way to communicate with us other than by using the Floaters to translate which we then have to take as a matter of faith since there is no way we're aware of to provide an independent assessment of the translation's accuracy."

Chet suggests, "I think a more correct statement would be that we do not understand them when they communicate with us because they can understand us. Maybe it's a technicality, but they have been making the effort to communicate with us and at considerable risk to themselves without knowing how we would respond to them. I agree that it's not easy for the Tigers to directly communicate with us by using our written language, but that's another data point in how much effort they are willing to put forth in order to try to communicate with us. Apparently, they haven't objected to the Floaters translation since they have made no effort to correct any of their statements."

"I guess we hadn't considered it from that angle. . . . Anyway, one of the principles for determining the anthro-equivalency of an applicant species is that if the communication with the species is similar to that of a human communicating with another human from a different culture, then they should be treated as a human. Or at least until further information is acquired which might suggest they should be treated differently. I believe there has been one example of that happening and it was when the applicant species was later found to be violent towards other species they considered inferior.

"Although some of the team members have reservations, our communication with the Floaters and, based on the idea they didn't object to the Floaters' translations, the Tigers very much seemed as though we were conversing with a fellow anthro-equivalent being. Some of the reservations which the team members have expressed are that there is no evidence of: one, written records; two, experimental science; three, audible music; four, visual art; five, the use of tools; six, an organized government; and seven, religion. While many of these reservations could be equally applied to the early history of each of the known anthro-equivalent species, they do highlight some of the differences between 'us' and 'them' which may cause some people or groups to question their status."

"I understand. That's part of the problem with determining who is an intelligent self-aware being. We tend to fall back on how we have defined ourselves as such and assume that all other intelligent self-aware beings will have similar characteristics. For the Floaters to be able to understand and translate the Tigers' thoughts to us would eliminate some of what we assume is necessary to communicate with a fellow being."

"That's a valid point. Some of the team members expressed concerns that since the Floaters and Tigers do not have any apparent technology, the rest of the anthro-equivalent species may have to foot the bill to bring the Floaters and Tigers up to a functional equivalent without them contributing anything of significance to the other species."

Chet barely pauses before he laughs. When he gains some control, he says, "Once the Floaters and Tigers believe the current anthro-equivalent species will treat them as equals and not try to take advantage of them and their abilities or try to coerce them into doing something they're not interested in doing, I can almost guarantee you that any balance of trade between this world and the other settled worlds will be in favor of the Floaters and the Tigers."

"What kind of abilities are you thinking they have which the other species would want to pay for?"

"I'll just remind you of one which you saw in action. The Floaters understood there was an issue with Mr. Davidson. I don't know how they determined there was an issue with him, but think how that could possibly be applied to the fields of psychology and psychiatry. Or for that matter, how they might be able to help the judicial system when somebody has been accused of a crime."

Several of the team members look at him in surprise then nod their heads in agreement.

"Before you start to make plans along those lines, please remember that I'm only suggesting possibilities and not saying the Floaters and Tigers are interested in being involved in those sorts of activities. Another point to consider is that we do not know if the Floaters and Tigers are able to leave this planet due to some unidentified biological needs. Or if they're even interested in doing so."

One of the team members hesitates then suggests, "It sounds like you're more interested in helping the native species than your own."

Chet nods his head as he responds, "You're right, I am."

The person looks at him in surprise at his quick 'admission'.

"First of all, when I took the oath of office for my position, I swore to protect all of the residents of this planet and nothing in that oath excluded any of the native species. Secondly, I'm convinced that the Floaters, the Tigers, and possibly some other species on this planet are intelligent self-aware beings and deserve to be treated as my equals so I am not able to treat them as less than my own species. Thirdly, humans do not have a good track record of how they treat other species or even their own sub-cultures and I have no intention of letting my fellow humans make their record worse at the expense of my friends."

Colorful words appear around the room, "Hear, hear!" "Cheers for Chet." "We agree." which startles some of the team members and amuses others.

T'ha'koo chuckles then says, "It looks like you have quite a fan club."

Chet slightly blushes in embarrassment then says, "I'm just saying what I believe is the truth."

"I appreciate that. Without imposing more on your generosity and time, would it be possible for me and the team to remain here and continue our assessment?"

"Of course. I'm sure Ass and I can find something to do." They get up and before they step out of the door, he says, "If we can provide you with any other information or assistance, please do not hesitate to ask."

"Thank you."

Chapter 173

It's the middle of the afternoon when T'ha'koo requests that Chet and Ass join them in the conference room. Once they're settled, T'ha'koo briefly hesitates then says, "The team has reached a consensus. Although some members of the team would like to know what the Floaters and Tigers can bring to the table in the sense of contributing economic value to the community of anthro-equivalent species, that is neither the purpose of our team nor it is a factor to be considered in our decision.

"Some members continue to have some reservations as we mentioned earlier. Although those items are often recognizable elements of what we commonly consider a civilization, again, they are not necessarily indicative of whether a species consists of intelligent, self-aware beings. With those concerns out in the open and as a result of our conversations with you and the representatives of the Floaters and the Tigers, we believe the Floaters and the Tigers are intelligent self-aware beings and deserve to be treated as anthro-equivalent entities."

Chet bows to T'ha'koo and says, "Thank you. I greatly appreciate you and your team taking the time to come here and to sincerely assess the status of the Floaters and the Tigers. I especially appreciate your decision and truly believe their recognition as intelligent self-aware beings will be of great benefit to all involved species."

The Floaters barely let him finish speaking before they colorfully proclaim, "Thank you." and, "Regit: Your decision is accepted with gratitude."

One of the team members notices and asks, "Is Regit here?"

Immediately, the answer is displayed, "Regit: No, I am still at the farm where we met two days ago."

"But, how could you know about the decision and then answer my question so quickly?"

"Regit: The Floaters who are there told me and displayed my answers to you."

"But what kind of communication device are you using?"

"Regit: the Floaters are functioning as a communication device between you and I."

That team member's eyes widen in surprise then he considers it a little longer before he looks at Chet and says, "They could provide secure communications which could not be intercepted by any known technology."

He briefly grins then clarifies, "Possibly. First of all, you and your team members have just declared them as intelligent self-aware beings which means they have the freedom to choose how and where and for whom they wish to make use of their abilities. Like I mentioned earlier, we don't know if they will either be able or willing to function away from this planet.

"Although the Floaters and the Tigers may be even more intelligent than any of us realize especially considering how quickly and thoroughly they learned to use our methods of communication, they are also inexperienced in dealing with the range of humans who may be interested in some of their abilities. In my attempts to protect them from unscrupulous operators, I'm going to encourage them to go slowly and carefully in who they reveal their abilities to and with whom they agree to use their abilities. Of course, they are free to make their own decisions, but if I become aware of somebody trying to pressure them, I will do all I can to stop that individual or entity."

"Even if it's the government?"

"If it is truly the government as a whole who is seeking to make use of the abilities of the Floaters and the Tigers, then it should be requesting their abilities in an open and cooperative manner. However, it wouldn't surprise me if some members of the government will try to be underhanded and coercive, in which case they ought to be stopped. Just because somebody works for the government doesn't mean they truly represent the government as a whole, nor does it mean they should be allowed to take advantage of their position, especially since they are theoretically a servant to the citizens and are supposed to be functioning for the overall benefit of the citizens."

"Thank you for clarifying."

"You're welcome." Chet briefly looks at each of the team members then turns to T'ha'koo and asks, "Are you ready to announce your decision to the news media?"

He briefly frowns then says, "I suppose that would be the next logical step."

"I think I understand how you feel about that."

"I'm sure you do. . . . So, are you ready for your position to be transitioned from Planetary Administrator to Overseer of Non-Native Residents?"

"Ass and I have already been discussing it and after we reviewed what has been done on other planets after a similar announcement, we have a basic plan which will hopefully provide a smooth transition and which shouldn't cause any significant issues for anybody."

"Good for you. I'm looking forward to how this is all going to work out for everybody on this planet."

"As are we."

"Well, if you can contact the local news media representative, shall we get that unpleasant portion of this process out of the way before we celebrate the recognition of two new anthro-equivalent species?"

Ass responds, "I can request that they arrive in an hour and set up their equipment in front of the building if that will be satisfactory."

"I think we can be prepared by then," then glances at Chet who nods his head in agreement.

Chapter 174

Shortly before the press conference begins, gasps of fear and surprise encourages Chet to turns his head to see what is upsetting people then his own eyes open in surprise to see a Tiger he doesn't recognize calmly trot towards him. When the Tiger bumps its head into Chet's side as though they're old buddies, Chet automatically pets it and scratches behind its ears. A moment later, he leans over and softly says, "I'm sorry, but I don't know your name."

Words appear in front of him which he suspects only he can see, "Your language isn't capable of expressing my individual name and you haven't given me a human name which is okay. I'm here because the ones you call Regit and Regal, suggested our species ought to be represented and I was closer than they are."

"Thank you for coming and representing your species. If I had known the evaluation team was going to make the decision they did as soon as they had, I would have made arrangements for Regit and/or Regal to be here."

"We know and thank you for that courtesy. So, as your people say, shall we get the show on the road?"

Chet chuckles then answers, "That's a good idea." He stands up and quietly says to T'ha'koo, "Whenever you're ready."

He looks back and forth between Chet and the Tiger a couple of times before he steps up to the podium and reads his prepared statement. During the question and answer session, Chet assures the news media who he hopes will pass what he says onto the non-native residents that he and his staff do not plan to make any immediate radical changes and will do what he can to make the transition smooth for everyone involved. He reminds the 'audience' that they are guests on the planet and need to respond accordingly while they also need to treat the Floaters and Tigers with respect if they should have the opportunity to meet any.

Somebody closely watches the Tiger who is standing next to Chet then hesitantly asks, "Since being identified as an anthro-equivalent species requires them to be able to communicate with us, how can a . . . 'Tiger' communicate without being able to speak or write?"

"As T'ha'koo stated, we are unable to understand how the Tigers and Floaters communicate with each other or between themselves. Since their initial attempts to communicate with us were unrecognized by us, they made the effort to learn our forms of communication which is an indicator of how intelligent they are for them to become aware of and use a form of communication which is completely foreign to them. It is true the Tigers are unable to speak as we understand the term, but they can write although it is rather difficult for them. Because of that, they prefer to let the Floaters translate their thoughts into a form of communication which we can understand."

"Are you able to more clearly identify how the Floaters are able to communicate with you?"

Before Chet can answer, words are displayed, "We are the Floaters and this is how we communicate with the visitors to our planet." While many people gasp in surprise, Chet quickly recovers from his surprise that they were willing to answer then quietly chuckles at how they worded their answer.

Somebody asks, "How can you do that?"

"How can you talk?"

"Um, . . . I just do."

"And we 'just do'."

There are a few other questions which the Floaters answer, but as the news media representatives recover from their surprise at this method of communication and ask more detailed or invasive questions, the Floaters seem to take delight in responding, "No comment," in multiple colors and fonts.

Finally, T'ha'koo and Chet call an end to the press conference and as the team leader from the headquarters of the news media company which has local representatives stationed on the planet shouts additional questions, some of the local representatives look around and wonder where the Floaters and the Tiger disappeared to.

Chet and Ass join T'ha'koo and his team for dinner in the government building in order to avoid the news media, some of whom have remained in front of the building in the hopes of catching somebody important to interview. Afterwards, some of the evaluation team members ask Chet about where they can celebrate the completion of their 'mission' by imbibing alcoholic beverages. He admits he doesn't know which surprises the team members then he suggests they ask one of the security guards in the lobby or one of the news media representatives who are still lurking outside of the building.

As soon as he can without offending someone, Chet says his goodbyes then goes to the roof of the building where his assigned air vehicle is parked. Once he gets the flight path programmed in and started, he slumps back in his seat, deeply sighs, and feels like he almost goes limp with relief that the ordeal is over with. Although he knows there is a lot of work and unknowns ahead of him, it feels like the biggest obstacle has been overcome and with the help of others, the future problems will be manageable.

* * * * *

A couple of hours later, the air vehicle announces that it's nearing the programmed destination which wakes Chet up from his doze. After he guides the air vehicle to its assigned parking place, he walks over to the ground vehicle and looks forward to a quiet evening with Ilena. He parks the ground vehicle by the station's government building and barely steps out when he's surrounded by colorful words, "Hurrah!" "Cheers for Chet." "Hug Chet." "Kiss Chet."

He's so surprised at such a greeting that he's a little slow in responding to Ilena's tight hug and thorough kiss. And that is so wonderful, he's panting for breath before he realizes that Regit and Regal are pressing themselves to each side of him and Ilena. Then Karina and Charles, their staffs, Yulia, Mykul, Mother Superior, and many others he recognizes from the station are there to congratulate him. He follows along as he's guided to the cafeteria where there's a large cake and more people who offer their congratulations and it seems like everywhere he looks, Floaters are colorfully riding people or levitating around the room.

Since he feels totally overwhelmed at such a response, he tries to explain that many other people were involved, but after it seems like every attempt is met with somebody who tells him that he made the first move and set the example and provided the leadership, inspiration, and motivation, he finally just starts saying, "Thank you," while he tries to contain his emotions at receiving such a strong show of support and acceptance. He has no idea how long it is before Ilena, Regit, Regal, and an unknown number of Floaters guide and support him to his and Ilena's quarters.

In the quiet of their quarters and without the need to control his emotions so tightly, Chet is almost limp by the time he falls on the bed while tears slide down his cheeks. Ilena simply hugs, caresses, and lightly kisses him for a long time before he feels calm enough to tell her, "Thank you," and softly kisses her.

He weakly cooperates as she takes his clothes off, but as she slowly takes her own clothes off in a sensuous manner, he seems to become more awake. She lays down on him, pulls up the covers, and as she excites him with kisses and caresses, he quickly responds and his own hands and lips go into motion to excite her. The pleasure quickly spirals up between them and shortly after they reach the peak together, they fall asleep in each other's arms.

Chapter 175 - Epilogue

Several days later, Albert is still feeling upset that he was chastised for not making a clear effort to find out if any of the native species on the planet were anthro-equivalent. He knows his bosses wouldn't have done any better and a couple had even privately acknowledged that because there are no species on the planet who remotely resemble any previously known anthro-equivalent species. However, since he was the Chief Scientist, he ended up being the fall guy. He didn't admit he hadn't put out much effort into doing his job because he was almost ready to retire. He closes his last box of personal items with an extra thump of anger at being retired without the prestige of being acknowledged as a planet's Chief Scientist.

Although he knows it won't change the past or make a bit of difference for the future, he still wants to know but hesitates to ask, "Floaters?"

He's briefly surprised there are any close enough to hear and respond with a visual display, "Yes?"

He pauses a little then asks, "Why did you reveal your capabilities to amateurs who are unable to explain how you do what you are able to do?"

"We revealed ourselves to Chet and Ilena because they did not view us as specimens to be studied and explained. Instead, from the very beginning, they treated us as valuable beings and they demonstrated towards us that attitude which is the precursor to all other positive attitudes. They treated us with . . . RESPECT." Suddenly, the room is filled with a wide variety of color as the Floaters flash, "RESPECT," in a multitude of sizes and fonts.

About the writer:

After decades of doing office work from which he escaped to read books and occasionally write something in the evenings or on the weekends, this writer was finally able to retire and move back to the dry heat land of saguaros, Gila monsters, and bark scorpions (while they can be a low maintenance pet, they are not amenable to leash training).

If you liked this story, please tell your friends about it and leave a review. You can also contact this writer at geoff_schultz_01@yahoo.com.

