Supernova Blitz

Chapter 24: The Master Pilot

Petty Officer Third Class Mina Coulson was fairly new to the marines back on Earth. Like most of the others, she lucked into a station on Fort Tacoma guarding the orbital elevator because her father was an influential scientist in Mr. Right's company. He's now, ironically, one of the team monitoring the health of alien embryos in extremely fancy jars.

Mina and Rena have a close relationship with their father, especially since their mother left for the east coast with a wealthy celebrity when the twins were very young. Both their father and stepmother are fairly laid back, but they work hard, and they both encourage the twins for their triumphs.

Heloise, their stepmother, made the 'cut' for the ship only because she was married to Craig, their dad. Heloise was a police officer on Earth in the town they lived in. Because the marines have been policing the ships, she was assigned basic kitchen and custodial duties. But, Mina made a request, and now Heloise is 'caretaker' for the alien broodmother the fleet picked up. The former police officer does almost anything a butler would do, including cleaning and tending the Queen's garden for edible fruits. But, she's different from 'companion' detail in that she never has to come in contact with the Queen if she chooses not to. It's still a few big steps down from police officer, but it's something.

And, unlike kitchen duty, Heloise counts as security, so she is once more allowed to serve as a defender and carry one of the new hybrid sidearms. Though, the intent is that she defends the Queen and her brood.

Still, EVERYONE: Craig, Heloise, and even Rena, have warmed up to the octopus-like alien like she's a new neighbor up the street. Rena even took companion detail and is standing by as the Queen fawns over the capsules stuffed with her offspring. Heloise is talking cordially to them, and Craig is sampling the liquids in the capsules. The offspring are doing quite well already, and it's only been a little over a week since. The variations haven't revealed a difference yet, but apparently all of the embryos are developing.

Mina isn't sure what to feel. She was scared to death when the Queen grabbed her, and she was terrified when they learned what was intended for her body. But, she also, like everyone else, quickly understood what drove the Queen to such desperately aggressive action.

And, she isn't mad at Grey for using her to talk to the Queen once the Queen had removed Mina's helmet. He was the first one in the water after her, and he may have led the negotiation, but she KNOWS he'd be the first to pull the trigger, too.

Mina's helmet is another thing. Given the ferocity and speed of Mina being snatched, even she was surprised when the Queen had her alone. The alien was incredibly delicate about figuring out how to remove Mina's helmet. She, of course, didn't know how dangerous that could be to her prospective 'host', but she didn't really hurt Mina at all, even inadvertently.

A morbid curiousity has consumed Mina's thoughts, the last couple of days especially. Her mind wonders what might've happened. Would SHE be stuffed full of all of those alien eggs, unable to walk, but... being doted on by someone as affectionate as the Queen?

The Queen claims her species is solitary, which may be true out of necessity, but she is extremely affectionate to inanimate objects, touching and hugging them and... singing, all because they hold her spawn.

Mina's had weird thoughts in her life, but this isn't the same. She's envying inanimate objects because of the attention they're receiving and because it could have been her. Her eyeline happens to notice the Queen's abdomen. It already has a purplish glowing orb faintly visible inside; her body still ceaselessly producing offspring. Will the fleet try to address that? Their mortality rate won't be nearly as high as their own world, meaning their population can QUICKLY explode from even one fertile individual.