Three Square Meals

The crew of the Invictus sat in the Officers' lounge, cuddled up on a big sofa watching the stars. John sat in the middle, with Alyssa sitting sideways across his lap, Sparks and Calara sat to either side of him. The evening had been a great success, with the girls loving the delicious dinner that John had whipped up and they relaxed sipping wine together.

"To our new chief engineer!" John said, raising his glass. "Welcome aboard Sparks, it's great to have you here!"

Alyssa and Calara echoed his comments and their glasses clinked together merrily for the toast, before they all took a big drink.

"Thanks everyone for being so welcoming. The ship feels like home already!" Sparks said gratefully, which prompted a round of hugs from the other girls.

The three teenagers chatted quietly amongst themselves, with John just soaking in the ambience of the evening and feeling relaxed and happy. He just sat and enjoyed their company, until a question from Alyssa roused him from his reverie.

"John, what are your plans for us and the Invictus after we go to Olympus?" she asked curiously.

"Well firstly I think we could use a little holiday on Gravitus," John suggested. "It will take a couple of days to equip the new workshop for Sparks, so we might as well go and have some fun while we wait".

"I've never been on holiday before," Sparks said wistfully.

"If it's anything like the last trip to Gravitus, we didn't leave the hotel room very much," Alyssa smirked, which had John laughing.

"Well we do need to take Calara and Sparks shopping," he replied. He smiled at Alyssa, and added, "You must be getting tired of Calara borrowing all your clothes.".

"Hey, it's not my fault, none of my old clothing fits me any more!" the gorgeous Latina exclaimed, cupping her pert breasts which had grown from an athletic 30B to an impressively busty 32D. She gave him an excited grin, then gushed, "A shopping trip sounds amazing though!"

Sparks was still a little intimidated by how beautiful the other two girls were, so she was feeling resigned to being the ugly duckling on this shopping trip. She had seen Alyssa's impressive wardrobe of exquisite dresses, suits and casual attire and she certainly wouldn't object to a similar selection of clothes for herself.

"That'll be lots of fun, but what's our plan after that?" Alyssa persisted.

"Well, I've been thinking that it might be a good time to upgrade the Invictus," John began. "Things seem to be heating up around the galaxy and we're bound to run into trouble. As and when that happens, I think we should make sure we have the ship fitted with top-of-the-line gear."

"What are you thinking about upgrading first?" Sparks asked, growing excited.

"I'm thinking the FTL drive is a good place to start," John replied. "If we can get the FTL drive upgraded, our journeys through hyper-warp won't take so long, and we can upgrade everything else that much quicker."

Alyssa nodded, and said, "That sounds like a good plan to me. Where do we go for the best FTL drives?"

"We need to go and see the Ashanath..." John replied, with some trepidation. After a lengthy pause, he continued, "The other advantage of upgrading the FTL drive first, is the Ashanath are masters of Power Core technology too. I guess they needed all that energy to power their drives."

"That sounds awesome!" Sparks gasped eagerly. "I'd love to take a look at some Alien tech, I've never worked with any before."

Alyssa smiled at her friend's enthusiasm, then asked curiously, "Who exactly are the 'Ashanath'?"

John took a big breath, then explained for the listening girls, "They live in the Ashanath Collective and it's very close to Terran Space. Actually, most of the Terran Federation's territory used to be part of the Ashanath Collective. They were one of the first alien species to develop FTL drives and they claimed a vast number of worlds completely unchallenged. Terra was one of those worlds and the Ashanath were the first race to make contact with humanity."

Calara was quite well versed with the major alien species, but this was all new for Alyssa and Sparks and they were fascinated as they listened to his tale. All three were familiar with tales of legendary Terra, the birthplace of humanity, but none of them had ever visited the planet.

"So how did the Terran Federation gain all that territory if it used to belong to the Ashanath?" Alyssa asked curiously.

"Well the Greys are basically pacifistic scientists and they don't really seem interested in colonising lots of worlds or fighting to hold territory. Humanity is obsessed with those things though, so the Terran Federation has annexed sector after sector that used to belong to the Ashanath Collective. The Greys have agreed to all their demands, probably just to keep the peace."

Sparks frowned, and asked, "The 'Greys'?"

"Oh, sorry. Terrans nicknamed them 'Greys' and the name has stuck for over 700 years," he explained with a smile. John looked thoughtful as he tried to recall anything else he could remember about the mysterious aliens, and he added, "The Ashanath are obsessed with cataloguing and studying all types of flora and fauna and that's how they first made themselves known to Terrans, with abductions and cattle mutilations. "

"Have you ever met one before?" Sparks asked John.

He nodded, then replied, "Yes, a few. They're happy to trade with almost anyone, and their FTL drive tech is second to none, but their tech is expensive. I used to courier parts from Ashana, the Greys' homeworld, to a few specialist buyers in the Core Worlds."

"What do they look like?" Sparks asked, leaning in and listening avidly.

He thought about the last time he'd seen the strange aliens, and replied, "They have grey skin, big black eyes, are short and thin, and they can be pretty strange. In all honesty, they creep the hell out of me."

"I can't wait to see one!" Alyssa gasped excitedly.

"I'm not sure you'll feel the same way once you've been around them for a while," John said with a wry smile. "Their homeworld is fascinating though, you should enjoy seeing that."

"What's so special about it?" Sparks asked, her curiosity peaked.

"You'll just have to wait and see!" John replied teasing her with a wide grin.

The girls tried to get him to tell them, but John was resistant to their interrogation techniques. The teenagers eventually resorted to trying to tickle it out of him, but once those gloves were off, he gave back as good as he got. The girls eventually begged for mercy as they lay panting and giggling, strewn about the sofas.

"Come on ladies, time for bed I think," John said, and helped them up.

They retired to his quarters and snuggled in to the big bed, where Alyssa and Calara watched Sparks blow him eagerly. Once she had been topped up, the redhead curled up on John's right side, with Alyssa behind her, stroking her distended stomach comfortingly and Calara settled into her usual position on the left. Feeling satiated and relaxed, John settled into a deep sleep and the girls all joined him shortly afterwards.

***

John descended into blackness as his consciousness slipped away, but tonight something new and different happened. He began to dream.

He'd never experienced dreams or nightmares before, sleeping like the dead every night for his 40 long years and always waking completely refreshed. Tonight though, the darkness began to fade, as random thoughts and emotions began to swirl around in his mind; insubstantial, fleeting things, that he tried to hang on to but they were elusive and slipped through his fingers. In the swirling maelstrom of his unconscious mind, an image began to coalesce and he concentrated with all his will to try and discern what it was. It suddenly snapped into sharp focus with shocking clarity.

He stood over a world like a colossus, proud and mighty, as legions of women surrounded him worshipping at his feet. Rather than revelling in their adulation however, he felt jealousy, rage and resentment at unseen figures who might covet his minions. The anger and thirst for power were blinding in their intensity, and he felt all consuming hate towards his rivals. He would crush them all and take what they had for his own.

John tried to resist these alien thoughts, but when he tried to do so, he felt himself falling as he was sucked down into a vortex of darkness and despair. Suddenly a glowing figure appeared in his mind, a beacon of light against the mind numbing terror of the abyss. He clawed his way towards it, desperately fighting to escape from the grasping tendrils of the horrors below. When he thought all hope lost, the figure reached for him with a slender arm and clasped his outstretched hand in her own.

The touch felt like a thunderbolt and he was abruptly wrenched back into full wakefulness.

***

"Holy Fuck!!!" he gasped, lurching upright and clutching his chest, his heart pounding away and his breath ragged as his eyes darted around the room in shocked fear.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, forcing himself to calm down and lower his heart rate to normal levels. When he had managed to regain control, he slowly reopened his eyes. Everything looked as it should, with the girls fast asleep and curled up cutely around him, blissfully unaware of his terrifying experience.

Shaking his head as though to clear his mind of any other daemons, he lay back down and closed his eyes with a certain amount of trepidation. What else might lay in wait for him, lurking in the dream world?

Fortunately, when he fell asleep again this time, only the comforting void of sleep awaited him and John slept dreamlessly for the rest of the night.

John woke feeling tired and drained, his mind still reeling from the shocking nightmare. He lay awake, staring at the ceiling, before glancing over at the ship's chronometer and saw that it was six in the morning. He didn't want to wake the girls up early, so he lay still and just concentrated on the warm young female bodies draped over him, trying to distract himself from the disturbing visions of the previous night.

A short while later, Sparks stirred at his side and stretched languidly. She rose up on one elbow and looked down at him, smiling when she saw he was awake too. She leaned in close and pressed her mouth to his pointy ear.

"I'm too excited about learning how the ship works, I couldn't sleep any longer!" she whispered in his ear, so as not to wake Alyssa and Calara.

John grinned at her youthful exuberance as she smiled down at him, one side of her face pretty, the other horrifically scarred. "I hope Alyssa is right," he thought to himself, desperately wanting to help the feisty young redhead.

"Mind if I blow and go?" Sparks whispered to him, grinning mischievously.

John stifled a laugh and then nodded his agreement. Sparks disappeared under the covers, being careful not to disturb the two sleeping beauties who were sharing the bed. He felt his worries and fears about the previous night disappear as the redheads talented mouth smoothly engulfed him and wrapped him in the comforting confines of her body.

He lay back and let the enthusiastic teenager perform her magic on him. Sparks was using a relaxing, methodical technique today that felt absolutely wonderful. She didn't pause or change angles or stop to lick him or any other distracting nonsense that a lesser skilled fellatrix might have used. The young woman was focused completely on her task at hand, smoothly bobbing up and down under the covers and he relished being her absolute centre of attention as she concentrated on giving him pleasure. He was surprised at how quickly she brought him to orgasm and he let out a deep sigh of contentment as his balls began to pump out his cum into her waiting stomach. His release felt like a balm to his soul and when he was done, he sat up and kissed Sparks as she licked her lips contentedly.

"Thank you honey, I really needed that this morning!" he whispered to her sincerely.

Surprised at the vehemence in his voice, Sparks nodded at him and smiled graciously before leaning forward to give him a hug. She was shocked again when John clung to her fiercely, like a drowning man might to a liferaft.

"Are you ok?" she asked with concern, when she eventually leaned back from the embrace.

"Just a bad dream," John replied quietly, waving away her worries.

"Ok, just let me know if I can do anything for you," she whispered.

When John nodded agreeably, she manoeuvred off the bed carefully, weighed down as she was by the heavy load in her belly. She picked up one of his shirts and looked his way to see if it was ok for her to borrow it. John nodded, smiling and he watched her as she dressed and then left the room. Her eager anticipation at being able to play with the Holo-reader, and learn all about the Invictus, gave her an excited spring in her step.

John lay back on the bed and slid an arm around Alyssa and Calara. They both reacted to his proximity by resting their heads on him and snuggling in close, each beautiful young woman placing an arm over his chest and draping a silky smooth leg over his own. The girls were still fast asleep, but they cuddled him lovingly, and John let out a happy sigh as their comforting presence banished his worries from the night before. A restful sleep soon overtook him and he rested peacefully.

***

Alyssa woke up a couple of hours later and smiled to herself when she found herself cuddled up against John, her hand reaching over his chest to rest lightly on Calara's deliciously smooth olive-hued skin. She wondered for a moment where Sparks might be, until she suddenly became aware of a tiny new manifestation floating in her thoughts. Fascinated by the nascent bundle of emotions, she recognised it for what it was and allocated a private place for it in her mind, so that she could nurture this blossoming presence.

The beautiful blonde kept her eyes closed and calmed herself, so that she could attune her mind to this new flicker of consciousness. "There she is," Alyssa thought to herself contentedly as she tracked the source of the new presence to the Bridge. Happiness and excitement surged from the tiny ball of emotion, which made her smile, so she relaxed and enjoyed simply being cuddled with John.

Eventually Calara and John woke as well and the three of them rose to get ready before going off to get some breakfast in the Officers' Lounge. After they had eaten, Calara said she would go and keep Sparks company up on the Bridge, while Alyssa agreed to go with John to the gym and have her first swimming lesson.

The couple walked hand in hand down the corridor from the elevator, to the gym that housed the pool, but Alyssa could sense something was troubling John.

"Hey John, are you ok this morning?" she asked, concerned.

"Yeah, sure, why do you ask?" he replied, trying to brush over his worries.

"Well you haven't checked me out once yet this morning. That's a first in the six weeks I've known you," Alyssa replied with a cheeky smile. Her cerulean eyes twinkled as she added, "Either you've lost interest now you have some new girls, or something's bothering you."

John laughed at that, then admitted, "Okay, you're right. I am feeling a bit out of sorts. I had a horrible nightmare last night and it came as quite a shock, as I never normally dream."

"Never?" Alyssa asked in surprise.

"This was the first one," John replied as he glanced at her. Remembering the terrifying nightmare, he added earnestly, "And hopefully the last!"

Alyssa stopped in front of him and cupped his face in both her hands. "You spend all your time worrying about us girls, but you've been through a lot of big changes too recently. Perhaps you're a bit unsettled as well?"

He shook his head, and said, "No, I'm fine-."

"Don't try to deny it," the beautiful blonde interrupted him, heading off his objection. She smiled at him as she stroked his temple, and added, "I know, remember..."

John pondered for a moment and realised that Alyssa was right, he did actually feel different. He'd given up the Fool's Gold, the freighter he'd called home for the last eleven years. Not only that, he was now in a relationship with three teenage girls, trying to help them wrestle with their own demons from the past and keep them safe from the dangers in the galaxy. For a lone wolf who had shied away from any meaningful relationship with a woman, this was a huge change for him.

"You're right," he conceded. "A lot has changed for me too and I guess I'm feeling a bit out of sorts."

"Well I'm always here to talk too. Remember we're a team now, and you should never feel you have to shoulder your burdens on your own," Alyssa said, then raised herself up on tip toe to kiss him affectionately. She gave him a maternal smile, and asked, "Feeling a bit better?"

John nodded, smiling at her.

"Ok let's go get in that pool. Saving me from drowning will stoke your rampant White Knight syndrome and help distract you!" she joked impudently.

Laughing loudly, John followed her into the gym. They stripped off their clothes and John held out his hand to lead her down the steps into the shallow end of the pool. He could feel her body shaking with fear as she followed him trustingly into the water, until she was eventually standing in water about four foot deep.

"There, that's not so bad is it?" he asked her his voice supportive and comforting.

Alyssa answered with a brave smile, and replied, "Not with you here to look after me..."

He smiled at her, then said, "Okay you're doing really well. Now come here and hold on to me."

Alyssa moved in close to him and wrapped her slender arms around his neck. He could feel her shivering with fear, so he wrapped her in his strong arms which soon calmed her down.

"I'll sink into the water a bit, so you can feel what it's like being weightless with the water supporting you," he said, soothing her with his calm manner.

He glided out into slightly deeper water with Alyssa hanging on to him tightly. She wrapped her legs around his waist, her deliciously smooth thighs gripping him as she clung to him as though her life depended on it. He cupped her firm bottom in his hands and stayed still, letting her get used to being surrounded by the water. The nervous teen gradually relaxed her death grip around his neck, but still hugged him closely. John waited until she had stopped trembling and seemed more relaxed.

"Very good!" he congratulated her, as he glided back to the shallow part of the pool. They just hung out for a while there, with John letting Alyssa build up her confidence level about being surrounded by so much water.

"There's one last thing I'd like you to try today before we end the lesson," he said. John ducked down in the shallow water and scooped up the blonde girl, cradling her in his arms, as if holding a baby.

"Now just relax, I've got you," he said to reassure her. "Remember this water is very shallow, so you can stand up in it easily."

Alyssa nodded, wondering what was going to happen next.

"Now straighten yourself out as though you were lying on a bed and stick your arms out to your sides," he explained.

He saw the flash of fear in her eyes, but she fought it hard and relaxed as he had asked. She straightened out in the supportive embrace of his arms and carefully laid back in the water. When water began to lap at her ears, she felt a fresh tide of panic rising within her, but she looked up at John's caring face and controlled herself.

"Excellent!" John said, impressed by her show of courage. "Just relax like that and float on top of the water."

Alyssa stayed calm and just relaxed, feeling the reassuring presence of his strong hands under her back and bottom. With her head partially submerged, her ears were under water and John's voice felt muffled and insubstantial. She didn't want to disappoint him though, so she stayed relaxed and floated as he asked.