The Eleusian Effect

August 2, 2169 0730 Hours

I woke up about 7:30am, and decided to take a swim in the pool. The ocean was pretty cool in the morning so I deferred to the warmer water. Once I finished and walked into the kitchen, Mom had a fresh pot of coffee brewed. She was old fashioned in many ways and coffee was one of those treats. That’s the great thing about Nantucket, it was a slower pace and a lot of old fashioned customs were kept alive. After breakfast, I used the com to see how the ship’s progress was coming. The work was ahead of schedule and Tanner put out a directive that furlough would not be cut short if the work was finished ahead of schedule. So I had another three weeks to relax and enjoy the late summer. I watched a movie and went upstairs to get ready for my lunch date. I again went through several outfits and finally decided on a casual summer dress and leggings. I added a wide hat and low heeled shoes and a little jewelry to cap off the outfit. I came downstairs and my Dad had just come in from fishing. “Hey Kiddo. You look great.” “Thanks Dad. I have a lunch date.”

“Oh really? With who?”

“Bill Wallace.”

“Really? Hmm. Are you okay with that?”

“Yeah. I talked to Mom about it last night.”

“All right. Well, have fun.” I heard a bit of concern in his voice.

“It’ll be fine, Dad. We’re just going as friends.”

“Oh so you told him?”

“No. And I won’t unless I have to.”

“Just be careful, Sweetie. You have to go into space in a few weeks. It wouldn’t be fair to start a relationship now.”

“I know, Dad. Just friends. Promise.”

“Okay, Sweetie. See you later.”

My Dad never called me Sweetie. He’s gotten used to having a daughter so I have no complaints.

August 2, 2169 Noon

Bill showed up, noon on the dot. He had a hoverbike and I had never ridden one before. “Howdy! Ready for lunch?”

“Sure but on this?”

“You can ride side saddle.”

“That’s okay.” I hopped up and straddled the bike like an old pro. “You sure you’ve never been on one of these?”

“I’m a quick study. Let’s go.”

We whooshed around and rode to downtown. Bill pointed to the Handlebar Café and I nodded. We landed the bike in the parking lot where Candle St meets Washington. He powered down the bike and took the fusion key. “Here we are. Hope you’re hungry.” “Well, I could eat.” Another benefit to the Eleusian virus is the ability to eat whatever I wanted and not gain weight. Not even water weight. We went into the quaint shop and sat down. We ordered sandwiches and then dessert.

“Wow, you are a healthy girl. That’s good.”

“Why is that ‘good’?” I probably sounded more annoyed than I actually was. “It shows security. You’re very confident in yourself.” “You have to be to survive space, and medical school.”

Bill laughed. I smiled. He has dimples. I never noticed that before. It was endearing. “How is your cousin, Darius? I haven’t seen him in years.” “He’s also a doctor. He’s at the Mars colony.” I was hoping a little white lie would shift his focus. “How about you? What are you doing these days?” “I’m a lawyer.”

“Really? For who?”

“The Anti-Space Initiative.”

I nearly choked on my scone. “The WHAT?”

“Relax, I just do legal research for them.”

“Why would you work for them? They almost shut down the space program!”

“I work for them so there is someone pro-space who is keeping them balanced. Plus, I had a friend who was badly injured during the construction of one of the launch platforms. I just wanted the workers to be safe and protected.” “I see. I’m sorry about your friend.”

“Thanks. Anyway, I think going to space is great. I just don’t want anyone to die.”

“That’s the risk we all take. You can’t venture into the unknown without taking risks. Sometimes it’s the ultimate price. We all hope not to have to pay it, but we all know it’s a possibility.” Bill nodded. “I understand. I guess I want to explore the cosmos from the safety of my living room.”

I had to smile at that. “Where is your office?”

“Boston. During the nice weather I like to take the bike. I can be in the city within an hour at 105 mph.”

“That’s pretty fast.” I was beginning to feel that warm sensation again. I figured a ride into the city might take my mind off of it. “Let’s go. Show me your office.” “Really? It’s just a boring law office.”

“Actually, I want to go really fast on your bike.” I heard the words come out of my mouth like a sensuous vixen looking for more than a ride.

“Okay!” He seemed as excited as I was and we were off. He paid the bill in cash and we were off like a shot. He fired up the fusion drive and we took off fast. He followed the coast to the city and circled the downtown area. He had a spot on State Street but he parked it on the roof. Roof parking was for executives and emergencies but everyone was on vacation so we had the place to ourselves.

“That was the fastest I’ve ever gone!” I was going to get a hoverbike after my turn in space.

“That was fun!” Bill was flushed. He pressed his hand to the entry plate and it slid open. We walked into a large vestibule. The windows of the vestibule protected the inner office from the high winds.

“This is my office. I have four people who work for me so I just do a lot of coordinating and fact checking.” He placed his hand on another entry plate and the doors slid open. We walked fast to his office and he opened it up. “Care for a drink?” He walked slower towards the bar. I went up behind him and found that I could not control myself any longer. He turned around and I was right behind him. I grabbed him and started kissing him. He reciprocated and we fell down onto the wide couch and made out for half an hour. Fortunately, I came to my senses and pulled away. “That was nice.” “That was awesome.”

“I just don’t want to lead you on. I’m going into space in a few weeks. I’m committed.”

“I know. But, I like you, very much.”

“We will take it one day at a time.”

“Okay.” I kissed him again. I never thought I would enjoy it this much. I just hope I can keep it together for the next three weeks. “Say how about we go to Maine for lobster?” “Absolutely!”

About another hour later we were in York Beach. I loved York, because it was the first family vacation I could remember. We walked the beach and when we found a secluded area the smooching would continue. I was enjoying being a woman, maybe for the first time but I really wanted to keep things simple.

We enjoyed exploring old haunts and new areas and finally we found a place that served excellent lobster. Bill was a perfect gentleman and I appreciated that. I hoped I could remain a lady and not want more. For most of the day, since the office make out session, I wanted more. I was afraid that by the end of the day, my urges may be more than I could bear.

We were walking by a convenience mart and I excused myself. “I need some things. I’m just going to stop in here for a minute.” “Okay.” Bill was a dutiful date. I slipped into the old fashioned store and bought some gum, lip balm and, reluctantly, some birth control material. I wasn’t sure how my new physiology would take intimacy, so prepared for both of us. I didn’t want to lead Bill on, so I paid for the items stuffed them as deep into my purse as I could. “It will be dark soon. The bike has no lights so we should head back to Nantucket.” “Okay. Sounds good.”

We got on the bike and the fusion drive almost caused me to climax. I wanted Bill and a ride on the bike may seal the deal when we get back. I’m glad I went to the store. We flew about 12 feet above the water but kept close the coast line. We got down around the coast of Salem, Mass and he landed. “What’s wrong?” “Seems like the fusion drive is bogging down. I just need to take a quick look.”

“Okay.” I welcomed the break though it wasn’t a long trip, also, Bill didn’t seem the mechanic type but I took his word for it. “We’ll need to let the beryllium core recharge. It should take about half an hour. We can look around a bit.” I’ve only been to Salem a few times. They’ve been able to preserve a lot of the history of the town from what I understand.

“There’s a biergarten over here. Care for a brew?”

“Sure, but will we have enough light to get back?”

“Yeah, we won’t be long.”

He seemed relaxed about the idea so I agreed. We walked down from the wharf and found the place. “This is one of the oldest places in town-still operating that is.” “Interesting. How do you know so much about this place?”

“Went to college here. I like to come back from time to time.”

We went into the bar and they had hundreds of brews. Many on tap. We enjoyed a few and it got dark. I think Bill was trying to get me tipsy. I noticed he was fairly tight so I played along. “Bill, it’s dark now! How are we going to see to get home?” I added some drunken giggling.

“I don’t think we are, at least tonight anyway. We should get rooms.”

“Where do you suggest?”

“The New Hawthorne Hotel. Nice amenities and I am a member.”

“Okay but no hoverbike riding. We are too drunk.” I wanted to say it out loud so he knew that I knew that weren’t going anywhere tonight.” We stumbled two blocks back towards the wharf (which worked out because it was half way back to the charging station) and found the hotel. We went to the desk and the hotel clerk gave us two keys. Bill insisted that I have my own room. We found them and spilled into the first one. Bill was feeling no pain. He excused himself and went to the bathroom. I took the precaution of lifting my skirt and putting a contraceptive patch on my inner thigh. I had committed to the idea that we were going to be intimate tonight so my prior planning was well timed. Bill had been in the bathroom for some time so I paused my drunk act and checked on him. “Bill? Bill, are you okay?” I knocked on the door and no response. I immediately opened the door and there was Bill, passed out on the floor. “My hero,” I thought. I checked his vitals and he was fine, except for being exceptionally drunk. I figured he wouldn’t notice my enhanced strength so I picked him up like a rag doll and put him to bed. A thought occurred to me. Was he trying to get me drunk? I pretty much matched him drink for drink. He didn’t know that it was impossible for me to get drunk. I’ve kept secret many of the ‘improvements’ since the change. I hope the rest of the Kennedy crew did the same. The irony is that I was ready to sleep with him and would have without much convincing.