Adaptive

All characters and events in this story are fictional. Any resemblance to real persons or events is purely coincidental. All characters engaging in sexual situations are 18 years old or older.

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This is a step away from my usual writing style and story genres. I have taken on the challenge to explore brave new ideas and "new worlds" by using Science Fiction. I included the use of AI, not to write this story, but as a character in it. In this episode, Adam secures both a car and his driver's license to operate it. Plans for renovations and improvements to the gardens and selling Marna's produce to local supermarkets advance. Adam brings a selection of Earth vegetables and fruits to Xiba in order to improve her health and well being and makes a startling discovery.

Frodov

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Adaptive -9- Going Mobile

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Adam slowly came awake. He had been dreaming, he knew, but it was a confusing dream all the same. He had been caught up in indecision and worry. Deep down inside of himself he knew that he would not be able to keep the secret of Xiba, Data and the alien ship at the bottom of Meteor Lake. The question remained, now that he was awake, who would he let in on the secret, or at least who first.

Groaning inwardly, Adam struggled with the thought. Who indeed? Ideally, no one else should know about the aliens and their ship until at least after the ship had been repaired and was able to leave under its own power should that be necessary. Realistically, he also knew, that that secret existence would likely be discovered even if by accident before then. So... the question remained. Who should he tell or tell first anyway. His heart immediately nominated Jade... of course.

The very same girl... woman... who lay beside him, cuddled up close and sleeping soundly. Unlike previous nights, Jade and Adam did not make love that night. Yet, they still found comfort and peace in one another's arms as they told each other of their day. Adam was even regaled with the conversations Jade had been teasingly having with her best friend and lover Cindy. He found himself once more both amazed and somewhat excited by the thoughts of his Jade. Wanting to both share him with Cindy... and share Cindy between the two of them. Another open invitation for a threesome it would seem. Adam had to smile when he recalled the day and evening he and Rene' had spent in the company of Corrine, the lottery office official.

It had been a memorable day... and evening... to be sure. But it had left things open for further excitement and play at another time in the future, simply because Corrine thought it best that He and Rene' consummate their own relationship first. Which had happened just yesterday while on a test drive for the car he was looking to buy. A car that was being sold, ironically, by Rene's uncle. Small world sometimes Adam mused. Rene' had been only Adam's second time for full intercourse. And now Jade was pushing for him to have yet a third with her bestie and lover Cindy.

Adam again shook his head in amazement but he could not deny that Cindy was indeed a very attractive girl. Attractive and genuinely nice as well. He was not exactly sure how he felt about that though. For one, there was Jade. He already knew in his heart he loved her deeply. He could happily make her exclusive if she so desired. It would seem however that Jade had other ideas, even though she loved Adam just as much. Then there was Rene', Adam's first in so many ways. He knew that she would always have a special place in his heart as well. She herself made it clear that she would happily reserve all her affections for him but was not holding him to the same reservations. She encouraged him to try other things... other women. Look at what happened with Corrine.

If he were going to catalogue his interests as it were, Adam could not forget the alien Xiba. There was just something about her that he couldn't shake from his mind. Well, other than the fact that she was first and foremost an actual extra-terrestrial being, a true "alien" ... she had literally saved his life when he had been struck by the fallen tree while he tried to rescue her, and drowned. She had saved his life by putting him into the life pod's med tech unit. How was she to know that the viral mutagen that she had absconded from her own planet in order to save it, had fallen into the med tech unit and ended up infecting Adam with it.

The mutagen had altered his body on a cellular even a molecular level. When Xiba had realized this, she had... fainted... striking her head on the pilot's couch. With the help of the alien ship's computer artificial intelligence, Adam had returned the favor and placed Xiba into the med tech unit and in turn, saved her life as well. And... she herself was infected with the viral mutagen too. A hell of a way to bond, but bond they did. Adam found that he cared very deeply for the alien, for Xiba. Beyond the unexplained or understandable feelings, he found he had for her, he also cared for her just as much as he did for Jade... and Rene'. It was in his mind, love.

But those thoughts still didn't resolve the question in his mind about who he might let in on the secret at the lake. About the alien presence and... his transformation and new found ability to alter his very body. Jade? Rene'? Or... and at this Adam began to smile as a warm feeling spread through him from his heart. There was only one other person in this entire world who Adam knew beyond a shadow of a doubt loved him unconditionally and would understand his caution and need to keep things quiet. How and when to share this secret though? Certainly not today. Still so much to do today.

Jade stirred beside him, causing Adam to gently rub her side as she snuggled even closer to him as if to ward off the coming of the new day... at least for a little longer. The feeling of closeness warmed him to his very soul, again. He knew in his heart that Jade would be let in on the alien secret, but would she be the second or the third? No, Adam shook his head, she would definitely be the second. She deserved that much simply for having grown up with him and having his best interests in mind his entire life. Adam smiled a little more warmly now that he had made up his mind on the question.

There was a soft knock on Adam's bedroom door, and then the sound of slippered feet shuffling slowly down the hallway to the kitchen. He knew that Marna had given him a polite heads-up so as to save awkwardness, at least for Jade anyway. Eventually Jade too would have to come to grips with the fact that Marna knew about their love and the physical side as well. Adam suspected that Jade knew Marna was aware of their intimacy but it was still awkward for her.

Jade mumbled something incoherent and then stretched like a cat waking from a nap. Adam could have sworn he heard bones cracking and snapping but he knew it was probably his imagination. He had to smile when he realized that Jade's eyes were open and she was smiling at him.

"Hi..." Jade said sleepily.

"Good morning." Adam replied and brushed a few strands of hair out of Jade's face with tender fingers.

"Adam... I know we didn't make love last night... but I feel like we did. Is that weird?" Jade said dreamily.

"Not really... I think. I just enjoyed having you next to me last night, and you seemed to be pretty out of it by the time you got in bed with me. You know, I think Mammon knows you are sneaking in here at night." Adam spoke softly as he stroked Jade's upper arm that wasn't pressed into his side.

"I suspect she does too. Has she said anything to you about... us?" Jade asked, her smile fading just a bit and concern appearing in her eyes as she looked at Adam.

"Only that you seem to be so happy lately." Adam said and smiled warmly.

"Do you think we should talk to her about it... about us?" Jade asked, still looking concerned, but not worried.

"I don't know. I think if it bothered her, she would have said something to us by now." Adam responded.

"You're right, of course. Still... I feel like I owe her so much... and we are all she has left in this world. I only want her to be happy." Jade said softly, her gaze drifting off to someplace far away. No doubt Jade was remembering all the years growing up with Marna being as much of a mother to the both of them as she was her own grandmother.

"I feel the same way." Adam replied softly as he rubbed Jade's back reassuringly even though he wasn't even aware he was doing it.

"Are you really going to build a new stand for her and make all those improvements for her garden?" Jade asked quietly, silently marveling at how this boy... this man... so often thought of others before himself. Knowing that he felt as much the same for their Mammon, as she did.

"Absolutely!" Adam retorted. "She has worked so hard for so long raising the two of us, now that I can help out with things like that, it's the first thing I want to do." He added.

"After getting a car that is..." Jade amended with a giggle. "AND A DRIVER'S LICENSE!" she added digging her fingers into his ribs making him squeak and squirm under her sudden assault.

Jade continued to giggle as she dug and grabbed while Adam fought off her assault before finally grabbing her wrists and stopping her. She paused, he paused, both breathless and looked into one another's eyes. There was something there, far beyond simple familial love and friendship. They both knew it, they both shared the same feelings both for Marna and for each other, but their shared love was something else entirely. Yet there was something else as well.

Adam pulled Jade closer, she was no longer struggling to break free, instead she melted into him, on top of him. Her lips meeting his with a slow soft sensuous kiss that connected more than just their bodies. They both felt their hearts slow and speed up and slow again, matching each other beat for beat until they were perfectly in sync. This was not a fiery passionate kiss of two people having sex, or even making love. This was something more akin to two souls reacquainting themselves with each other. A familiarity that surpasses siblings or even lovers.

As the kiss wound down, neither was in a hurry to separate, but Jade's alarm sounded from her phone on the bedside nightstand. Moments later, Adam's phone sounded an alarm as well. Both smirked at each other and groaned. Jade rolled out of bed first, grabbing her phone and dashing to the door to make it to the bathroom before Adam could even stir. He simply grinned and groaned inwardly and lay back onto his pillow, his forearm coming to rest over his eyes while the other hand held his now silenced phone on his chest.

"Adam? If you have a moment?" Data's voice sounded softly from the phone.

Adam moved his forearm and lifted the phone to look at it as if he had imagined the voice and was confirming that it was real. Shaking his head after a moment he lay back again and sighed with a half grin and spoke.

"Sure, Data. What do you need?" He asked.

"You know, of course, that I monitor your conversations through your phone. I have researched and compared many contractors and their capabilities and reputations for small construction projects such as the ones you have mentioned for your caretaker Marna. If it would be okay with you, I have taken the liberty to arrange for two separate contractors to arrive today, this morning actually, to make assessments and give estimates for those projects. At least the ones involving the garden. I know you are going to be busy with the purchase of your vehicle and taking the tests for your driver's license. If this is not a good time or you would prefer to be present, I can reschedule the estimates for another time." Data informed Adam.

"Um... thank you?" Adam replied hesitantly... again marveling at how Data just seemed to be one or even two steps ahead of Adam's own plans.

A slow smile spread on Adam's face as he realized that this help from Data would indeed... help. It freed him up to continue with his plans for the day and shortened the time it was going to take to get the improvements made for Marna and her garden.

"Seriously, Data, thank you. That was a very big help indeed. I hope to get everything straightened out with the car and my license this afternoon. I'm hoping that tomorrow morning or afternoon at the latest, I can drive to the lake and visit you and Xiba. And... bring some gifts of my own." Adam said, referring to bringing some vegetables and fruits that might prove beneficial to Xiba. As well as... well... getting to see Xiba again.

"You are, of course, welcome Adam. And I will continue to monitor your phone for any other needs or ideas to assist you... of course." Data replied sounding very pleased with himself. "himself"? Adam mused. He had unconsciously assigned a gender to a gender-neutral computer artificial intelligence. Somehow though, it seemed appropriate.

"Thanks again. Well... I'd better be getting my day started. I think I hear Jade finishing up in the bathroom now. I'm going to take care of... um... well... I'm going to freshen up a bit, before I see about some breakfast. Smells like bacon!" Adam said as he slid out of bed and turned to pull his sheets and covers up to make the bed before heading to the bathroom. Some habits are just hard to break.

Adam and Jade met face to face, again, as she was exiting the bathroom... steam wafted through the open door behind her, the mirror fogged. The looked at one another, Jade, hare still wet from her shower, smelling of soap and flowers. Her eyes sparkled as she looked up into Adam's own eyes taking her all in... she still wrapped in a towel. Jade tiptoed and kissed Adam sweetly on his lips then darted past him towards her bedroom to get dressed. Adam smiled and watched her go. Shaking his head he went on into the bathroom to start his own daily routine.

In the Kitchen, Marna was pulling a pan of biscuits from the oven when she heard the doors down the hallway. She smiled to herself and sighed. "Oh, to be young again." She thought wistfully to herself as she placed the hot biscuits into a basket to be set on the table. She then turned to the bowl of beaten eggs to pour them into a waiting skillet to scramble them. It was a simple breakfast, eggs, bacon and biscuits. Simple but filling. She poured herself a cupful of hot water from the kettle and put a teabag into it to steep as she finished the eggs.

Marna had just set the bowl full of scrambled eggs on the table when Adam came into the kitchen. He stopped behind Marna and wrapped his arms around her and gave her a long warm hug. Marna jumped at first, a bit startled, but then melted into the embrace. Her hands patting Adams about her waist affectionately. She sighed silently when he released her and pulled out a chair to take a seat. They smiled at one another only to have their attention drawn to the doorway to the hall as Jade came rushing into the kitchen.

"Mmmm! I smell bacon!" She said appreciatively as she stopped behind Marna's chair and hugged the old woman's shoulders and kissed her on her cheek.

"It's all wonderful." Adam said as Jade took her seat and smiled at her... a secret smile that was not missed by Marna... again, she said nothing.

After Jade was seated, Marna did something a little different. Not totally unfamiliar but something that she had not done in many years, since Adam and Jade were young children. She reached her hands across the table taking one hand of each. Adam and Jade looked at Marna and one another, then joined hands as well. Marna bowed her head and said a silent prayer for all of them. After a few moments of silence, she released their hands and looked up smiling then reached for her tea. Jade and Adam began serving themselves of the food on the table.

"So, you are going to go to town again today, to purchase the car you looked at yesterday?" Marna asked Adam over her cup of tea.

"Yes, Mammon. Rene' will be picking me up after her one class today. I will be meeting the seller at the Sheriff's station where we will complete the sale and have it notarized. I will also be taking the written test as well as the driving test... so that I can legally drive it." Adam added a little sheepishly and glanced at Jade who was grinning but not looking at him.

"Don't they normally make you wait a while between the written test and the actual driving test?" Jade asked before taking a bite of scrambled eggs.

"Yes. But since I have my certificate from driver's ed class in high school, the waiting time will be waived." Adam replied as he spread a little butter on a biscuit half before taking a bite.

"Speaking of waiting time..." Adam mumbled with half a mouthful of biscuit that he swallowed before continuing. "I have some contractors coming today to look at the produce stand and the garden to get some estimates of those upgrades I spoke about to you the other day Mammon." Adam said with a fond smile while watching her almost startled expression, and unconsciously touched at her hair as if wondering if she should change her clothes and fix her hair.

"Contractors? Today?" She asked a little uncertainly.

"Yes Mammon. I may still be here when they arrive, but if I'm already gone, just tell them how you would like things to be. Don't worry about the cost, worry about what you want and what would make your life easier. Price is not a limit." Adam added when she looked at him with an expression somewhere between shock and endearment.

"That's pretty cool, Adam." Jade said softly giving him a look of adoration, her fork paused halfway to her mouth with another bite of scrambled eggs.

Adam blushed and then shrugged with a soft smile... and continued eating. Marna's bottom lip trembled and her eyes welled up and shone as if she could start crying at any moment but she smiled, never shedding a tear. Jade looked at Marna and smiled the same smile and shook her head slowly in wonder. Just then a mail delivery jeep pulled into the driveway and the postman put the mail into the box before backing out and driving on to continue his route. Adam knew that his new debit card was in the mail this morning thanks to Data. He would need it later today when purchasing the car.

The mail jeep had just pulled away when the familiar sight of Cindy's car pulled into the driveway. Jade hurriedly finished the last bite of her breakfast and stood to leave. She paused at Adam's side looking down at him still seated and watching her. She bit her lip as if debating on saying something but then just leaned in and kissed his cheek with a quick peck then grabbed her purse and bag and headed for the door.

"Good luck with the car and the test today, Adam." She said as she practically skipped out the door.

Adam shook his head and smiled as he watched her walk quickly to Cindy's car and get in the passenger side. They both waved towards the house and then they were gone. Adam glanced over at Marna to find her watching him closely. One hand holding her tea cup as if about to take a sip, and the other softly covering her mouth as if she were hesitant to say something. It was the look in her eyes that put Adam at ease however. It was not suspicion or judgement or any kind of sadness, it was pure adoration and love. She was still coming to grips with the gifts that he was giving her by way of renovations and improvements for her garden... and later the house. Talking about it was one thing, but now that it was in motion... she simply didn't know what to say.

Marna watched Adam take the last biscuit and put a dollop of jam on one half then brake and place the one last slice of bacon atop of the jam. Closing the biscuit halves together he then took a bite of the improvised sandwich. His eye closed as he savored the combination of sweet and savory in the fluffy warm biscuit. Marna couldn't help but to smile as he truly enjoyed the tastes and textures. With a deep sighing breath, she took the last sip of her tea and stood to begin clearing the table.