Chapter 5: The Beginning of Familyhood

“I know with you, you don’t have to worry about my shift becoming a burden with you,” Opet said as she walked up to the door that led into the bridge.

“Yeah, I have no issue with it,” Raavi replied. “I am used to operating on a full day cycle back on Aphadus anyway. I still can’t believe that they have days and nights on these planets. How do the others live with that?”

“Heh,” she replied as she turned to look at him. “You would get used to it. Besides, the lack of light sometimes made good times.”

A couple of hours had passed since Opet and Raavi were in her quarters together. Hours of conversation had passed, but it was time for Opet’s shift to begin. She stood in her full uniform as she put her hand to feel for any irregular wear and tear. They watched as the door opened up to let them in.

“Are you sure I am not going to be a burden on your shift?” he asked her.

She waved her hand at him. “Nonsense. All we are doing is moving from one room to another. You still haven’t seen all of the bridge yet anyway. Besides, it will be so much more fun now that you are going to be here anyway. Makes the times go by so much faster having someone to talk to regularly.”

Raavi once again could see the interior of the bridge. He walked by Opet’s side and could feel the room’s difference even if only a few hours had passed. To see the difference in the appearance of the New Olympians just seemed to make sense in some way. Much like the technology that he could see and behold. The door closed as the two walked up near the large center projector of the room. Opet observed something that was going on in the projection as she was taking note of the other dots showing up on New Olympia’s orbital projection map. Raavi had not taken notice of it. A dot was leaving the planet of New Olympia as another one appeared from the gate array.

“You will get used to looking at this map,” she commented.

“I am assuming these are the ships that are coming and going?” he asked.

“Yes. Our fleet never leaves orbit, so you will always see the familiar dots of the Olympian warships. The larger center dot is the UHN Osiris, which is the Lunaran Ark, our ship which is...” She used her gray hand to point at the dot. “Right here ... below the UHN Enki and the Viracocha.”

“Interesting names for your ships.”

“They are named after the fallen great ones. We honor their sacrifices as a new ship is made.”

“There you are,” a deep voice echoed in the room. The voice alone was startling to hear for Raavi. It sounded like a female voice, but it had such a deep bass to it that it could be misconstrued as something else.

Raavi could hear the sounds of a mass that was walking up the stairs. He turned to look at it as Opet was already looking at the figure that was approaching them.

“Wha?” were Raavi’s only words as he looked and beheld a creature. It had an alligator or crocodile’s head that was connected to the torso of a large cat such as a lion. Brown and orange fur lined the sides of it as its back was a hardened gray skin. Protruding from the end was a lion’s tail. It looked like a demon that walked on four legs. It stood at four feet in height but was somewhat lanky in appearance. It had black hair with woven dreadlocks, almost as if the creature had a mane.

Raavi recoiled back a little bit in terror and shock upon seeing it. The creature, however, remained calm and at ease as it walked up the stairs. It sat its butt down to the floor as it looked up and even gave a toothy smile to him.

“Hello, Raavi,” it spoke again as the deep voice echoed in the room. “Have you eaten? Because I feel rather ... famished.”

“Ummm ... Opet?” he looked at her. Opet seemed to give a small chuckle in response.

“Please. I wouldn’t eat you. Besides ... I don’t think the Captain would be too happy if I ate her boyfriend.”

“Who ... who are you?” he asked it.

“Raavi,...” it put its front paw to its chest. “Don’t you recognize Nebina when you see her?”

“You ... you are Nebina?”

“My true form, my mortal morsel,” she said. “Of course ... I wouldn’t worry about it ... unless you really agitate my Captain, of course.”

“Nebina’s real name is Neb Petti,” Opet explained. “She is one of the daughters of Ammit, a rather ... well known of the deities that come from Egypt.”

“And your mother ... looks like that?” Raavi asked as he began to calm down.

“Yes ... although I admit, I like my hair the way it is. Do you think I am pretty?”

It was a rather peculiar question that it seemed that she was trying to get on Raavi’s good side. The creature waved her head around as the dreadlock hair seemed to bounce around a little bit. The smile seemed to stay as it was. He began to see that Neb Petti was harmless, but her appearance could easily be a sign that she was ready to brutally ravage a person at any time. Her jaws alone looked like she could clamp down and rip flesh from bone relatively easily.

“Ummm ... well ... I admit the hair does look rather interesting. You might need to trim your claws, though.”

“I keep telling you that too,” Opet added. “Come on. You can go and get your hair done by Kehinde, but you won’t get your nails manicured?”

“Wait, so you are a member of this crew?” Raavi asked her.

“Yes. Is there a rule that says that I can’t?” Neb Petti asked as she put her paw down to the ground. She gave a slight snarl.

“Well ... I mean, how can you control the ship on watch?”

“I give out commands, and the ship follows it. I can talk, you know?”

“Of course.”

The creature turned her head to look at Opet. “Nothing new to report ... as usual.”

“Alright then, I will take the watch. Enjoy your time Neby.”

“Ugh ... ready to get some sleep again,” Neb Petti replied. “Go have fun with your mortal,” she said as she stood up and proceeded out the door. “I am getting jealous as it is...” she waited for the door to open as she gave a peek of her pointed snout of a head at Raavi. “Your human is a good catch.”

“Just go and start dating,” Opet replied. “I am sure you will have no problem.”

“Yeah ... wait for a human who wants to rump and play around with me. I don’t know who would be the bitch ... him or me.”

“Oh, just try it. I am sure that you won’t be disappointed. Besides, it didn’t stop your mother from finding her share of husbands.”

“Hmmm ... true. Have fun, you two,” she said as the door opened up. She swung her tail around as she walked out of the door. With that, Raavi watched as the door closed back up. They were alone in the bridge together.

“Wow,” Raavi remarked. “That is incredible. What would she be called?”

“There is no word for it. Her mother looks very similar to her though ... mostly.”

“I imagine the father must have been an interesting person.”

“Hmmm ... Ammit has a long history of finding human mates. She promises riches and a good life, and they usually agree to her wishes.”

“And have sex with that?”

“Life on Earth was never easy,” Opet explained. “You live with things that most people would never even dream of. Starvation was a constant issue, and poverty was a real thing. Even way before the Gabatrix Experiment, the technology wasn’t there for everybody. Even in the colonies, a vast majority are able to eat, have a roof over their heads, swim, bathe ... all that fun stuff. In the past, desperation becomes very real. People want to live better lives regardless of the cost. From Ammit, she always commented that the humans she was with were used to it after a time, and she loved all of them. Of course, I still wouldn’t have got her angry, though.”

“Hmmm...” Raavi nodded. “I apologize for making my words sound like they are derogatory. Besides ... I guess everybody comes from all sorts of life.”

Opet smiled. “It is alright. You will get a chance to see everybody, and you will get used to seeing them and their personalities.”

The captain gestured for Raavi to walk down the staircase that led downstairs to the main portion of the bridge. He went down first as the towering woman followed behind him. Opet’s tail would touch the stairs as they walked down together. The staircase was spiral, and it didn’t take long for Raavi to see what the lower portion of the bridge looked like.

“Wow,” he commented as he looked at the place. Seeing the room from below the overhead balcony was awe-inspiring. The size of the room was almost as spacious as Opet’s room. It was little more than a giant theater and living room. There were a restroom and an office that he can see the large projector that provided the three-dimensional image of New Olympia. Behind the projector were two rooms that had labels outlined for a restroom and an office. To the forward section was an enormous projector that filled the entire spectrum. Having a better view of it than from the balcony, the screen provided a large 270-degree angle view of the ship’s dorsal section. It practically consumed his entire vision. He almost felt like he was in space staring from a large platform. As he walked forward, he could see an extensive series of white couches, a bed, and various tables.

“I almost feel like I am in your room,” he commented.

“I know,” she said. “Here, you get a nice view of the cosmos. Shame we never really see much else than this.”

He observed the view screen and could see the fleet that the ship was in. He could see four of the enormous dreadnoughts just in front of him. Even with their distance and range, their size was vast. As he turned his head up, he could see the bottom portion of another dreadnought. His mouth was agape. He had the perfect view of everything. It was like swimming in space with massive white space creatures. Not even the most prized luxury vessels could produce a scene such as this.

“Just ... incredible,” he remarked. He turned his head to the left and observed New Olympia. Even if the planet was lifeless, he had a golden view of it. He could see the small pits of red and orange caused by ancient meteor impacts. They were right at the viewpoint that he could see where light met dark. The tidally locked planet would continuously have light hitting it from one angle. Behind the starlight was the darkness. He could swear that he could see a small metal gray door on the planet as his eyes focused on it.

“What is that?” he asked her.

She turned to look at what he was gesturing at. “That is one of the entry gates to get into New Olympia. Good eye. It is hard to see it from this angle.”

“That leads into New Olympia?”

“Yes ... at least one of them. We have six of them. You can enhance the image if you want.”

“How?” he asked.

“Simply ask. Address the computer, and it will do it.”

“Ummm...” He seemed hesitant. “Computer ... can you enhance the object on the surface of the planet?”

It was instant and quick. The ship’s system or AI reacted to his words as the distant object’s image was zoomed in considerably. The tiny thing became a massive sliding door that he could see. The entry facility was shaped like a large rectangle. It was the only sign that there was something on the planet. The doors were opal shaped and had a myriad of colors on them. A series of tiny yellow lights could be seen.

“Computer, reset the image to normal,” Opet commanded as the picture went back to normal.

“You have the luxury cruisers beat,” he commented.

“We have everything here,” she said as she walked up to one of the large couches. She went and had a seat as she looked up at the massive projection of the fleet. As Raavi walked up, he could see the star in its full glory.

“Do you ever have to worry about the solar flares?” he asked.

“No ... far from it. We always keep an eye on it, and we make sure that when it flares up, it vents away from the planet. Of course ... we do have means to protect us from it anyway.”

“You have that sort of power?”

“Are you surprised?”

“Nah ... I guess not,” he said as he went and had a seat next to her. He could feel as she went and wrapped up her arm around his shoulder. Her warmth felt comforting to him as they felt like they were in a movie theater together.

“It has a new beauty to everything now,” she said. “To be able to see home and the solar system. To have you here with me. I don’t feel the emptiness of this watch anymore.”

He felt like collapsing onto her. “I feel the same as you. I feel like I am almost watching the recordings from the home of Aphadus. New Olympia is so similar to my home. You can see the distant red star as my planet is locked to one side. I can’t believe that Earth has a yellow star. I heard that oceans were blue.”

She nodded. “They certainly were. It was beautiful.”

“Is this what you normally do on watch?”

“Hmmm ... what do you mean?”

“Just stare at the viewscreen?”

“Well ... I do watch movies. I sometimes watch all the classics of Earth and then the shows we make here in New Olympia.”

“I wonder what movies you make here.”

She chuckled a little bit. “Nothing different than the movies of ancient Earth. Although I remember Qing being a fan of a series called ‘Yuki goes to Andromeda’ or something to that line, I never really got into them. It is just some cheesy romance flick. I usually stick with documentaries. Some of Earth’s nature documentaries are so wonderful ... it is the only way I can be reminded of what former Earth was before it became what it was.”

“Earth ... Mars ... Aphadus ... I am used to the beauty of my planet. Most newcomers can’t stand the light amount of oxygen and lack of nighttime. There is life on my world, and most people tend to bypass it.”

Opet focused her vision on the screen. She seemed quiet that Raavi noticed. She was composed and serene, but a sense of happiness was on her face. Her fingers began to run down his shoulders and arm that he could feel.

“Raavi, there is something that I do need to tell you,” she told him.

“Go ahead,” he replied.

“I am a mother. It was the other thing that I was telling you that was only half the truth that I wasn’t raising children.”

He pulled his head away from her arm as he looked at her. “You are?”

“Yes. I am over thousands of years old. I have been a mother.”

Raavi seemed to think about it as he considered it. He wasn’t surprised over it, but his curiosity did take over.

“Umm ... well, I guess that makes sense,” he fumbled in his words. “How many children?”

“Four. Two sons and two daughters, between two mortal men.”

“I am assuming that was all a long time ago ... right?”

“Yes. It was hundreds of years ago. Jessica, Metni, Laurel, and Kanra are their names.”

“What do they look like?” he asked.

“It depends. Most look like me, but their human forms are closer to their fathers’.”

For Raavi, he remained calm and composed hearing it. A part of him already suspected that a woman as old as her had gotten around. Regardless, a part of him looked at her form. He had seen Neb Petti and knew that non-humans and humans could get together and have kids. It seemed that with Opet that the same rules applied.

“Neb Petti ... she was a child between a human and non-human. How is that possible?”

“Hmmm ... a little bit of magic, I would suppose.”

“I have been raised my whole life to believe that magic does not exist, yet it does. Ugh ... Yet, I see everything around me. Your accomplishments are astounding, though. How would a human and a non-human be able to have a child?”

“Sex, dummy,” she said as she patted him on the arm. “What else do you think?”

“I admit I did walk right into that one,” he remarked with a small grin. “No, I mean really. You use magic?”

“A long time ago, I was a goddess of fertility, like my mother. I admit she took most of the glory of it, and to me, I didn’t care. She was more powerful than I was and she always enjoys helping others even more than I ever could. Our powers reflect that ability.”

“So ... your powers are to help the women that are pregnant? I remember you saying that, but I didn’t fully understand that.”

“It means that if you have a person who wants to become a mother, then I use my powers to help them. If you have a woman that is pregnant and is suffering from labor pains, then I would help. I also have a few powers here and there too.”

“What about the others?” he asked.

“Most of us have some power here or there. Even my mother still helps the New Olympians that struggle to become mothers. Of course, some of us don’t and instead become scientists to help fill in the blanks like what we created here. She prefers it that way and wouldn’t argue any other way.”

Raavi nodded his head as he acknowledged what she said. “Imagine having people with different powers. I imagine you guys never had to worry about not having superheroes.”

“Heh...” she chuckled. “Hmmm ... I admit it is odd for us to watch the superhero movies you guys make, but I do swear that some of us really enjoy it, though.”

“Do you have a favorite movie?”

“Hmmm ... Avatar. It feels spot-on what you humans were trying to say message wise. That and the fact of how it displays nature in it,” she looked up at the star on the screen. “I can imagine that there are worlds out there that exist very much like that in it.”

A beep sound came from the balcony and top door. Opet changed her tone as she went to look at the overhead projection of space.

“Computer, who is it?” she asked.

A series of words showed up, but Raavi didn’t understand it as he missed it. It quickly left the screen as she nodded.

“Ah ... another person for you to see,” she commented. “Tell him that he can come in.”

The door opened up as a person entered the door. Raavi could not see the individual as he walked into the interior. He could hear the sounds of footsteps from the person walking down the stairs.

“Ah, Captain...” a male voice echoed in the bridge. “I see you have found your pet human.”

The voice was pompous but not aggressive. It had some ancient European accent to it, almost as if the person originated from southeastern Europe. In many ways, the voice was sophisticated and articulate. Raavi was trying to figure out what this was, but he knew that he hadn’t had a chance to meet all of the crew.

“Raavi,” Opet addressed him. “I want you to meet the person who will take my watch. His name is Gaap. I called him Gant earlier as his disguise name.”

It was here that Raavi could see the figure step down from the stairs. He could see him better, and much like Neb Petti, this man was also an odd one to look at. In some ways, he was perhaps terrifying to look at too. The person that was named Gaap was nothing more than a walking winged demon. Wearing a UHN uniform with similar colors as Opet, he was lower rank but seemed to have an authoritative presence to him. He was around the same height and age look as Raavi. He had dark grey skin, darker than Opet’s. His eyes were yellow and red with black slit pupils. He had a set of black horns that protruded from his head and had black hair. Gaap also had large bat-like wings that protruded from his back. He also had a spade-like black tail that swung freely from his end as well. Oddly though, despite his presence, he did have somewhat of a charming character to him. It was why Raavi did not feel any terror towards him. He looked very human in many ways, even more than Opet. He walked with a brown wooden cane for perhaps some aesthetic purpose.

“Whoa...” Raavi remarked, looking at him.

“Hmmm...” Gaap said with a relaxed composure. “You must be this Raavi that I have heard from. Please to meet your acquaintance.”

With that, Gaap did a polite bow to him. He used his cane to keep him steady as he put his arm to his chest while lowering his head to him. Raavi nodded his head to him as he used his cane to stab the ground before looking back at him.

“Nice to meet you, Gaap,” Raavi replied.

“It was under the instruction that a human mortal was on this ship and that Opet wanted to make sure you met us in person,” Gaap explained. “I promise you that on this ship, you are under our care. However, with that being said, my goal was to talk to the Captain herself. Opet...”

Opet stood up as he went to address him. She was neither annoyed nor angry at him. “What is it?” she asked him.

“Yes, Captain. I came here because I wanted to have less time on watch.”

“Gaap, you know that I can’t lower down your time because you and Iwa Yuki want to have more free time to go to other places besides here. I know that both of you want to have a child. Ugh ... Gaap, come on.”

He shrugged his shoulders and tapped the cane to the deck a few times. “A man must ask for their time to harvest the fruit of the trees.”

“And you know that I am the one that is going to use her powers to ensure that she gets pregnant, right? Besides, you can always use the simulator to help recreate other places for you two to spend time together.”

“The simulator is like a false mirror. It is not the place we prefer.”

“Gaap, ... I am also trying to have a family too. We all have our times that we have to be here. I am sorry this place isn’t to you two’s likings, but those are the rules.”

“Captain, it is never my intention to anger you. I have stated my wishes. Good day to you two,” he said as he did a polite bow again. His wings seemed to extend before they closed up again. He turned and proceeded back up the stairs before Opet went to have a seat and sit down with Raavi once again. She waited for the doors to open and close as she shrugged.

Opet sighed as she looked at Raavi. “Gaap means well. Don’t let his presence spook you too much like Neb Petti.”

“He almost looks like ... I don’t know the word ... a demon?”

“Yeah, he is. Gaap is or was a legion commander of demons. He was known for teaching arts, seducing women, stupefying men, and making women infertile back on Earth. At least ... until he was made part of the Coalition.”

“It almost sounds like he might be a bad person.”

Opet shook her head. “We all have our histories. Nobody is pure. Gaap is one of the few surviving demons out there that swore his allegiance to New Olympia. If anything, he needs us more than ever. That infertility gimmick was one that he often used while at the same time being a burden to him. For some time, if a woman didn’t want to have kids, he could simply touch them and render them infertile. Some women wanted that, and that was where he was accommodating. The catch, of course, is that he and Iwa Yuki want to have a child, and his power is now getting in the way.”

“Do I have to worry about him making me stupid?”

She shook her head and even smiled. “Nah, he hasn’t done that in hundreds of years. It was how we caught him, actually. Anything he does, we can undo it much like anybody else. Nah, Gaap is usually a good person nowadays. Much like many, New Olympia ... the former Lunarans ... the former Coalition, it is a place to start over. Evil or good, everyone is equal here, and we all lend our powers to help one another. The only problem is that Gaap and Iwa prefer making love in rather obscure locations such as below the clouds of Venus or other hot and hellish worlds.”

“Venus is insanely bad,” he remarked. “The only people living there are the floating cities above the thick cloud layer. Below it is nothing but extreme heat and crushing pressures.”

“Well, remember with us, it doesn’t hurt us. Environments don’t phase us, but with him, he wants to take her to different places around the galaxy. I don’t have an issue with it, but it can end up removing them too much from the ship if they overdo it.”

“You never leave the ship?”

“Oh, I go and see other places. It just ... doesn’t feel the same without somebody that would enjoy it with me. I am actually really happy for the couple anyway. I want to see everybody happy.”

Raavi was thinking about everything. The more and more he looked at the massive display, the more and more he debated with his own thoughts. Opet was relaxed on the couch. She seemed to be at perfect peace. She moved and adjusted her scaly green tale around to rest easier on the cushion.

“Such abilities ... you truly do have everything,” he remarked. “Even if we are not on that planet, I feel like I am in paradise. I look at you, and I feel like I am at home. Even the people on this ship feel no different than ordinary people ... at least from what I see. It seems that you guys are just as bored as us ordinary people.”

Raavi reached his hand and gripped hers. He could once again feel the warmth of hers in return. He looked at her eyes as she smiled at him.

“I am happy that you are, my love,” she replied.

“I think ... that in the end. I made the right choice. I am fully convinced that this isn’t some illusion or trick. To do this is beyond amazing but welcoming. You weren’t Oniya, but somebody better, and that is all that matters.”

She seemed almost to blush a little bit.

“This brings a discussion that I need to bring up with you, though,” he said.

“Say it, my love.”

“I ... I want to get married and have a family. Would that truly get in the way of your life here?”

“No. As I said before, the kids would have plenty of places to run around. People come and go all the time. If anything, these ships are designed for families to live and operate from. Getting married though might be an issue, though. We tend to have more blanket marriages. With us, if you love each other, then be together. We don’t really have marriage ceremonies, honestly unless you truly want it. Regardless, my body and soul are yours. What you wish is yours, my love.”

“How many children you want to have?”

“I want as many as you want. You want to have one child; we will have one. If you want many, then we will have many. The more, the merrier, at least with me.”

Raavi had to be forthright to her. Her words were like magic to him. He felt hungry and ready the more and more they discussed it.

“I want to have a lot of kids,” he told her. “I have to take your word on that. You have no issue with how many kids I want?”

“None. I will nourish you till the end of your natural life. Our children will carry your legacy and pass it on to the next. I promise you that. I am tired of being alone. I want to see a little bit of this galaxy ... relax and have a family ... and not have to worry about anything else instead of being a mother.”

“It will be a huge family. I will guarantee it.”

“Think that you will set a record?” she asked with a smile. “There are still some characters on this planet that are producing. Neb Petti’s mother, Ammit, is still having kids. I think she is on child number 110. Some of Yuki born in 2000 are still having kids to this day. If it is one thing, immortality never wears down the desire to become a parent. If anything, it simply reminds us that we are closer to mortals as ever before.”

She was breathing a little bit harder than usual. She put her hand to her breast as she closed her eyes. Raavi could tell that the discussion was getting her warmed up. It was doing things to him as well. He could think of nothing else as he felt a growing erection in his pants. It did not matter in how she looked. If anything, she looked absolutely gorgeous to him. Her desires were his. Even the other colonies had their limits to how the women wanted to live and behave, but Opet was different. She was more carefree. She had nothing to worry about and wanted to give in to her desires. They both had a hungering desire as they gazed into each other’s eyes. Even Raavi could feel it in his very soul.

“I ... don’t think I can wait any longer,” he told her. “Are you ready?”

She nodded her head. “I am.” She looked away from him as she addressed the computer.

“Computer, seal the doors to the bridge. Mark as do not disturb. No one enters to bother us. Give us some music ... hmmm ... what type of music would be good for us?” She paused as she thought about it. “Ah, I know, ‘In the Heat of the Night’ by Ray Charles. After that, play ‘Just Like a Woman’ by Bob Dylan, then ‘Piece Of My Heart’ by Janis Joplin, and finally ‘Somebody to Love’ by Jefferson Airplane. I always got more songs to go through, but that should be good.”

Raavi began to hear music that echoed through the hulls of the ship. His adrenaline was surging, but his curiosity began to overtake him as he listened to a series of strange instruments that he did not fully recognize.

“Who is that?” he asked.

“Ray Charles. Great man,” she said. “He had to overcome a lot, including the fact that he was blind.”

“I never heard of this music.”

“You will hear all of it and more,” she said as she extended her arms to him.

As the music began to set in fully, he could feel a form of slow sensual mood kick in beside his excitement. He let himself go as he looked at Opet with a hungry look. He watched as Opet used her hands to channel a form of light as she sat on the couch. She lifted her hands as a white light engulfed her fingers as she made a sweeping motion going from her chin. As she lowered them, the uniform began to dematerialize in front of him slowly. He could see her gray skin come more and more into his view. While she was chubby, he could tell that she was bulkier than anything else. The fact was, this was her way of shedding her clothes ... literally.