Abel III's Awakening - 17. Chapter 17 The Party and Afterward

Chapter 17

The Party and Afterward

I awoke the next morning with Dennis spooned up to my naked back with his rampant morning wood, laying vertically up the crack of my ass and I luxuriated in sensual enjoyment of the moment. His arms were wrapped around me and I felt at peace and perfectly protected despite the funky smell that remained of our shared lovemaking. I also had a raging morning piss hardon and didn't know how long I could lie there before the urge to pee became overwhelming. His sudden sigh and slight thrust of his hips alerted me that Dennis was waking up and I peeked through our shared link and noted that he felt that he was right where he wanted to be.

We lay there for a few minutes as he came fully awake and suddenly it was a mad dash to the toilet. Unfortunately, our rampant wood could not be bent down to aim and we ended up rushing into the shower which we started and relieved ourselves there. We showered and washed each other thoroughly as we were both a bit crusty in places from our exploits of the night before. We decided to avoid further sexual stimulation as we were starved and truth be told, both of us were still a bit tender. We also knew we still had to chuck the soiled bedding into the refresher unit and dress.

We still made it to breakfast on time and everyone at the family table commented on how contented we looked. We ignored their not so subtle barbs and dug into our food. I had my usual large appetite and Dennis and my cousins were no slouches either. Grandfather at the head of the table presided and asked about our plans for work and this evening.

Dennis stated, “My father and brother are finishing up their prior job today and I want everyone to join my family at a restaurant on station for supper tonight so that we can celebrate our engagement. I will talk to my family and make the arrangements and let you know as soon as they are finalized if that is okay with everyone.”

My cousins looked downcast, as they knew they were scheduled to work that shift but my grandfather immediately countered and said, “We will all be there, schedules can be adjusted for special occasions!”

We soon finished breakfast and as we headed to Engineering, Dennis pulled out his com link and called his mom as we were walking. I could 'hear' both sides of the conversation through my common link with Dennis and he of course was aware of that fact.

His mom answered his call, “Hello!”

“Hi mom, it's Dennis. I need you to set up a restaurant reservation tonight for a family celebration of my engagement. There will be twelve if Travis can come and bring his date or just ten or eleven depending on Travis' situation.”

“What?” said his mom. “When did you get engaged and do I know him?”

“It's Abel Silversmith III. He proposed on bended knee last night in front of his whole family and asked me to live with him for the next hundred years or so with him on the Silverspin, and I being deeply in love with him, said I would!”

“Well congratulations! Are you going to call your dad and brother or just spring it on them at the dinner? Oh, and what time do you want me to schedule the dinner for and do they have a preference for cuisine,” his mom asked?

Dennis looked at me and I said, “We are flexible and like most kinds of food. How does 19:30 hours or 20:00 hours work?”

Dennis relayed that to his mom and she said she would see what she could come up with and get back to him shortly. They disconnected as we entered Engineering and Dennis stopped and called his dad.

His dad answered and said, “Hi Dennis, is there a problem with the installation?”

“No, everything is going well. I just wanted to tell you that I'm having mom organize a family outing for dinner this evening with the Silversmith's at a restaurant to celebrate my engagement to Able Silversmith III” Dennis announced.

“Isn't this rather sudden?” asked his dad.

“Wait until you meet them and see us together and then you can decide if you think I am being foolish to promise to spend the next hundred years with Abel III on the Silverspin” Dennis replied.

“What? I'm gaining a son-in-law and losing a valued employee who happens to be my son and whom I will only see at random and lengthy intervals?”

Dennis looked at me and smiled. To his dad her replied, “You got it in one! Mom will call you with the details about dinner. I need to call Travis yet and we do have a job to do here today so I am going to have end the call.”

“Wait,” said his dad, “Travis just walked up to me and you can talk to him on my com.”

Travis came on and said, “What's up?”

“Mom is arranging a family gathering in a restaurant for dinner this evening with the Silversmiths to celebrate my engagement to Abel Silversmith III. Can you and Rebecca come? Mom will get with you and dad with all the details as soon as she gets them worked out.”

“Wow, my little brother is getting engaged and probably married before me! Is it love or are you just that anxious to get off this station?” Travis said in teasing voice.

Dennis laughed and said, “Like I told dad, wait until you meet him and then you can decide.”

Travis replied, “Well count on me, but I have to check with Rebecca as I don't know her schedule for tonight as we were not planning on getting together.”

“Okay, do whatever you can and I will see you tonight. I got to run as we still have a lot of work do here,” Dennis answered.

“Good-bye,” they both said at once and then Dennis terminated the call.

We went to work finishing up the unit we started on yesterday and worked continuously until lunch.

We were eating when Dennis' com link chimed and the screen showed it was his mom calling. “Hi mom! What did you come up with?” he asked.

“Getting a party room for twelve on short notice took a little longer than I thought. I hope they like barbecue, because that's what was available. It will be at the 'Smoke Pit' at 19:30 and dress is informal. I've ordered dinner be served family style with a platter of pulled pork, a platter of beef brisket, a platter of ribs and a platter of chicken. The sides are potato salad, coleslaw, green beans, Texas toast and applesauce. Beer, soda, wine and mixed drinks are available as well as coffee and iced tea. Someone named Bill Brown called and said they were bringing the cake, is that right,” she asked?

“Yes mom, but I think that part about the cake was supposed to be a surprise, so don't mention that you told us” Dennis replied.

They chatted a little longer and then she said she planned on calling her husband and son next.

I of course 'heard' both sides of the conversation through my open link with Dennis so I volunteered to tell the rest of my family the plans, which I sent over my link to them except for Steven and Bill whom I told verbally after I waved them over as they were circulating around the dining room.

We returned to our work and finished our project in good time to go do our usual workout. Everyone there was congratulating me as the former “Ice Prince” and my dashing husband-to-be, on our engagement as our news had traveled fast. We somehow made it through our workouts, but skipped the shower there afterward and opted for one in my cabin. There we had our own private fun.

Afterward, we still had a couple of hours and I asked Dennis if he would open his mind fully to me like my grandfather had done to me so many months ago. I in turn offered to open mine fully to him after dinner, as I was sure we would each have many questions. I had noted that Dennis regularly used his com instead of contacting his telepathic family by sending even though they were clearly within comfortable sending range and I wondered why.

Dennis gave me a trusting look and said yes, so I looked deeply into his psyche for the first time. He had a warm, fun loving personality shaped by his close interaction with his parents from the time he was an infant. I especially looked at the time when he came into his power and realized Dennis had not undergone the rigorous training on shielding and concentrating or focusing his powers like my gifted family had done to me. He had gotten his package and was told to assimilate it and to be sure to keep his abilities hidden from outsiders. He had never really done telepathic sends to his family other than when they were in plain view unless it was an emergency.

I looked at his power from the inside and decided to test it and do a general scan of the whole station like I had done when we first arrived. Dennis was stunned. He had never conceived of a general scan or how to go about it. He had expended most of his psychic energy trying to block the blare of unwanted psychic input from everyone on station. Since I had worked on his shields, that was no longer a problem and the energy load was much lower. I showed him how to do a general scan step-by-step with the appropriate filters and focus techniques. Because of all my recent experience it went fairly quickly. I showed him how to put scan filters in place to scan for specific concepts like dangers to his family and he was amazed. Because he had lived on Starview for the past ten years he knew many of the people and to see and understand them from a general scan was a revelation.

Unfortunately, time was flying and we had to get ready for the party. Dennis advised me what to wear, I dressed, and then we left the ship to head to his family quarters so he could dress too. I did a send to my dad to let him know that we would meet them at the restaurant.

Naturally, we were the last to arrive and were greeted boisterously. Dennis and I both wore high collared navy blue dress shirts without a tie and camel colored sports coats with dress white pants. The others were slightly more casually attired except for Grandfather and Drew who were decked out much like us. Dad was dressed all in black with silver accents. Kade was dressed all in dark blue with silver accents. My cousins were dressed in skin tight long sleeved tee shirts done in burnt orange and browns which had completely different patterns and with tight dark brown jeans and boots. Travis was dressed in a bright yellow long sleeve open necked dress shirt and light cocoa colored pants with an elaborate belt and buckle. He explained that Rebecca could not make the party due to a prior commitment. Elizabeth Klein was dressed in a pants suit of lemon yellow with orange accents. Chuck Klein was dressed in a white long sleeved shirt with a yellow bandana at his neck. He also had an elaborate leather belt and golden buckle that contrasted nicely with his khaki colored pants.

Dennis proudly introduced me to his family. I let each of them know how happy I was to meet them and how wonderful I thought Dennis was. I consciously let each of them scan me as we talked, lowering my shields so they could see I was being truthful. Drinks were served and we were toasted. We chatted about twenty minutes and finished our drinks, and then the servers began to bring the food and put it on the table for us to serve ourselves family style. I noted the table was set for eleven as a place setting must have been removed before Dennis and I got there. It was a round table and had a big Lazy Susan in the middle so all the side dishes and trays stacked with meat were readily accessible to all. They also had four kinds of barbecue sauces, including a mustard based Chicago sweet, a Kansas City smoky, a Memphis dry rub and a St. Louis sweet seasoned with Vidalia onions.

Everyone ate hearty with most of us putting on the big bibs to cover our clothes so we did not drip sauce on them which was more problematic in the half gravity aboard the space station. The families mixed well and conversations were varied but there was a lot of shop talk about the upgrades and refit for Silverspin.

Travis and Chuck were both looking forward to seeing her the next day as they got started on the upgrades to the bridge and computer cores. Grandfather was regaling everyone with some of the more exotic cargo the ship had carried over its long history and some of the out-of-the-way places he had traveled. Drew and Elizabeth talked about a whole range of things including problems with running a family business. Dad and Kade talked primarily to Chuck and Travis about the ship and its design features. Dennis and I mostly had only eyes for each other and we kept up a running commentary on our private link about what everyone was talking about while we tried to keep up with my cousins who were putting away an extraordinary amount of food. They were astonished that barbecue this good could be found outside of Earth.

Finally, everyone's hunger was satisfied by the mouth watering fare and the servers started to clear the table and brought us coffee. Then they wheeled in an enormous three layer cake decorated with whipped cream frosting with the word CONGRATS spelled out with fresh strawberries on top. Around the sides at each layer, strawberries were also placed every couple of centimeters. The cake was angel food and my cousins were bursting with pride as they had made it themselves. Everyone clapped and then it was cut and served. We only used about a fourth of it and Dennis and I asked the waiters to serve the rest to the other diners in the restaurant and that the staff should also have a piece each with our compliments as the whipped cream frosting would not keep.

Second cups of coffee were poured and the staff told us we had the room for the entire evening and were welcomed to sit back and talk for as long as we wanted. Dennis and I got up and went around and talked to everyone individually to thank them for making our day so special. Dennis' father looked me square in the eye and told me he could see that I loved his Dennis and that I had better take damn good care of him or face his mother's wrath! His mother did the same thing only she said I would have to face his father's wrath. We both got hugs from everyone, even Travis.

Travis was a little more reserved with us and I heard him send to his brother, {At least you picked a real good looking guy to fall for and he seems to be a very powerful telepath!}

{You have no idea,} replied Dennis.

I just smiled.

The party broke up by 21:30 and Dennis and I headed back to the Silverspin with the rest of my family while the Klein's headed home. Everyone was in a good mood and the walk partway was good for us as we were stuffed. When we got to the family quarters, Dennis and I thanked everyone again and said good night as we headed to my cabin.

We still had much to explore in each other. Once we had showered and got into bed I asked Dennis if I could show him something before I opened myself to him. Of course he agreed and we opened our link together fully and I directed him to watch what I was doing mentally as I linked to Hal.

Dennis was once more astonished. It had never occurred to him to try to link to an AI.

Of course Hal responded, {Hello Abel III and yes I can detect Dennis through your link too. Hi Dennis!}

{Are we making good progress on all the refits going on, or do you see any delays in the making?} I asked.

Hal responded, {So far everything is proceeding according to plan, but there is some flexibility built into the plan and you must realize there inevitably will be some delays somewhere along the way.}

I went over the details of how to contact Hal with Dennis and of course Hal said that since he could sense Dennis through my link that he now would be able to send to him as well and keep a watchful eye on him.

I had Dennis initiate a contact with Hal and he was successful every time he tried. I included in my sends to Dennis that we did not share our ability to contact Hal telepathically with anyone outside of the Silversmith family and asked if that would be a problem for him with his family. He indicated his family would never think of such a thing and it did not present a problem for him.

I then sent to Hal (while still keeping the link to Dennis open), {What have you learned from the station libraries and records about our contact with the Guardian and the turbulence we experienced?}

{It is coincidental that you asked that tonight. I am bringing your dad, Kade, grandfather and Drew into this send because I have some news. Wait a second until they are all connected to the group send} Hal sent.

Dennis had never heard of a group send and that was something else I would have to teach him.

Hal then began, {I was finally able to break the security codes and get down to the archival records from when mankind first ventured into intra-stellar space and met the Elders. The actual records indicate it went much worse than the official histories relate. Several dozens of Earth's ships were lost in intra-stellar space, apparently destroyed by the Elder races. Ships that did survive often reported strong shaking and turbulence when traveling in between. Finally, the Elder races contacted a Navy ship through the telepath on board from one of the outed families and laid down the rules for such travel and what was off limits and what could be done. The Elder was also described in some of the records as a Guardian and that entity provided the three dimensional star charts that pinpointed the transit points in human space that we could use and how to compute their movement so they could be approached from the correct vector to initiate the transit. Apparently, the government initially balked at the restrictions and every ship that went into intra-stellar space disappeared until they formally consented to abide by the restrictions. The restrictions cover a lot of issues that were also never publicized to the human public. Among them are proscriptions against launching probes while in intra-stellar space or going on an extra-vehicular space walk while in that space. Another restriction limits the subjective time a spacecraft can spend in intra-stellar space to one hour. That is a restriction, not an immutable limit due to the physics of intra-stellar space as has been publicly taught. There are several more but I am still considering their ramifications. However, there are no explicit proscriptions against a telepath from doing a scan outside the spacecraft while in intra-stellar space. That maybe because the Elder races did not consider that any telepathic human could accomplish that task however. As I was finishing up my inspection of the records, my access was terminated and that may be another problem.}

As my family digested the news Hal provided, I could see that Dennis now had even more questions that I needed to address.

Addressing the group link I sent, {I still have to bring Dennis up to speed on several issues and I too want to consider further what Hal has found out. Therefore, Dennis and I will be leaving the group contact unless anyone has something pressing that needs to be discussed immediately.}

My father sent, {I think we all need to take some time to consider the ramifications of what Hal has discovered before we discussed this further. So you bring Dennis up to speed and we will see you at breakfast.}

With that the group connection dissolved and the low level links I maintained with my family were loaded with my internal 'Do Not Disturb unless it's an Emergency' signal.

I then told Dennis I was opening myself completely and he should look at everything that happened to me. He immediately started at the beginning as far back as my memories went and scanned them rapidly, slowing down when he came to the part when I first encountered the Guardian and what we did for the next two transits. It took Dennis about two more hours before he pulled back and turned to me and said, “You really do love me with your heart and soul, my beloved Abel III.”

By that time it was almost 1:00 in the morning and we had a busy day of work ahead of us. Dennis gave me a very tender kiss goodnight and then spooned me. He promised he would make wild passionate love to me in the morning. He wrapped his arms around me and I settled back against him feeling secure and loved. I fell asleep with the full intention of holding him to his word. My dreams were of Dennis....