Incest/Taboo The Riders of Sirius Minor

[Note: This chapter references events which happened in other novels I have written involving Michael Taylor, including Journey to the Year 1,000,000,000, Darwin's First Law, The People Makers, Starship Gods, and The Making of a Survey Service Captain.]

Every minute remaining was precious to them. They knew that first thing tomorrow morning they would have to report back to the Hive. Who knew when they would be able to enjoy fresh air and natural sunlight again? They frolicked in the hot tub, just smiling at each other and enjoying the attraction they felt for one another. Taylor could only see the girls' shoulders and faces but that was enough. He wanted to fuck each and every one of them again and they wanted the same.

Then they went for a brief dunk in the river, and lay down on the beach, sprawling in each other's arms. Time seemed to pass on little feet as dinner rolled around.

Susan and Mushy outdid themselves preparing dinner, Taylor's favorite, roast beef. They stared hungrily at each other as they ate, feeling the strong bonds of attraction. After dinner Susan suggested they go to the fire pit and watch the stars coming out. Soon they had a roaring fire going and were enjoying the warmth of it against the cool evening sky.

"Ok, everyone ready for another game?" Susan asked.

"Not another game!" Sophie groaned.

"Our last game," said Susan firml

"What is it?" Sophie asked. "Mud wrestling? Basketball?"

"Don't be silly, Astor. We don't have the mud or a court to play on," said Susan. "No, this game will be a much simpler one." She drew a large bottle she had been hiding behind her back.

"What's that?" Mushy asked.

"Space Whiskey," Susan grinned. "I was saving it for a special occasion."

"That looks like a big bottle," Mushy said.

"Well, there are four of us," said Susan.

"What are the rules of the game?" Sophie asked.

"Very simple. One of us asks another of us a question. The person asking the question tries to figure out if the answer is true, or false. If the questioner is correct, the person who answers takes a drink and removes an article of clothing. If the questioner is wrong, the questioner takes a drink, and removes an article of clothing. The person who is most accurate in determining whether answers are true or lies wins the game and gets to spend our final night here with Michael."

"What if I win?" Taylor asked.

"Then you get to choose whichever one of us you want," said Susan.

"And totally, totally crush two of us in the process," said Sophie, with big eyes behind her Rider Mask.

"Oooooh," said Taylor.

"But don't worry, you won't win," said Susan confidently. "You're a man, and men always deceive themselves."

"Men always deceive themselves?" said Taylor incredulously.

"Oh, one last thing. Don't cheat," Susan said.

"Cheat?"

"Screaning. No future magical powers, you promise?"

"I promise," said Taylor.

"Good," said Susan. "Then let us begin."

Susan turned to Taylor with a wicked grin. "You... you had sex with someone when you were a cadet at the Academy."

Taylor looked startled, and Susan knew she had struck gold. "Someone?" said Taylor tensely.

"I believe she was one of your instructors."

Sophie and Taylor exchanged knowing looks. They had been at the Academy together and Sophie knew all of Taylor's secrets.

"Yes," said Taylor reluctantly.

Susan grinned. "You're telling the truth!" She handed him the bottle. Taylor took a short drink and handed it back. The whiskey made him cough.

"And now take something off."

Susan frowned as Taylor took off his right shoe. "You can do better than that! And you will," she said slyly.

"Michael, did you really have sex with an instructor at the Survey Service Academy?" said Mushy.

"I'm not proud of it," said Taylor.

"Who was she?"

"My shipboard mechanics instructor, Lieutenant Commander Sarah Blade," said Taylor. "She was a really good instructor."

"The horizontal kinds always are," said Susan.

"She saved my life several times," he said.

"How?" said Susan.

"It... would take too long to explain," said Taylor. He remembered how he had nearly suffocated when life support failed on his very first mission on the USS Charleston, and how he had hallucinated Sarah appearing before him, busily engaged in vaginal sex with another version of himself while she explained how to fix the ship. "How did you know?" He asked.

"I heard... rumors," said Susan slyly.

"All right, I have a question for Sophie," said Taylor, desperate to change the subject. "Sophie, you fell in love with me from the moment we first met in the Academy, true or false?"

Sophie felt all eyes on her. "False."

"You told me you did! Remember, last year, when we were both stationed at Port Auburn, doing the things... we did?" He remembered their heavy kissing and fondling sessions by the pond on the southwest end of the spaceport.

"I remember," said Sophie. "I lied to you."

"Sophie!" Taylor exclaimed.

"Did she lie to you then, Michael? Or is she lying now?" Susan asked.

Taylor frowned, resisting the natural urge to screan her. He stared deeply into Sophie's hazel eyes. "She's lying now," he said firmly.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"You're right," said Sophie. "I am lying now! Of course I've always loved you, Michael! I hate to say it, but it was love at first sight! I've never stopped loving you!" She stared deeply into his eyes. No one spoke for a long moment. Then she leaned forward and they kissed strongly, passionately. Then Sophie took the bottle and tilted it upwards and coughed. "Wow! That's heavy stuff!" she said, taking off a shoe.

"Now I have a question for Susan," said Sophie. "Susan, I noticed after I left you changed your hairstyle. You have bangs over your forehead now and your hair is parted down the middle."

"So?" said Susan.

"Did you not purposefully change your hair to have the exact same hairstyle as Survey Service Captain Andrea Farber?"

The redhead reddened in the firelight.

"Answer the question, Susan."

"Yes," said Susan reluctantly.

Taylor's jaw dropped open. "Susan, really?"

"Yes," She repeated. "I knew something was going on between you and her. Everyone knew about you... and her. I... I thought...."

"Susan, I'd love you however you did your hair. You're gorgeous!" said Taylor, taking her into his arms.

"I am?" she said, brightening

"Of course!" As they kissed, only the sounds of wood popping on the fire could be heard.

"Drink," said Sophie, passing her the bottle.

"You were in love with Jennifer Hale," said Sophie.

"Yes," Taylor admitted. He and Jennifer had had a complicated relationship. He had been in love with her and she had a certain affection for him, but nothing more. Things grew more complicated between them when they time traveled to the year 500,000 and Jennifer was taken over by the squidlike creatures called the United, who had turned malevolent and tortured him sexually.

"You're telling the truth," said Sophie. She handed him the bottle. "Drink."

"Her sister, Jessica Hale, was briefly our first officer," said Mushy. "You had a thing for her too, didn't you, Michael?"

"That's not a valid question," said Sophie sternly. "You already know the answer to that."

"She was a terribly manipulative person," said Susan. "Still, she didn't deserve to be turned into a sex slave by the Gnip Gnops."

"That's a matter of opinion," said Taylor, remembering all too well how she had humiliated him repeatedly in front of the crew.

"All right, now I have a question for Michael," said Mushy. "You never really traveled to the year one billion... did you? I mean, everyone says you did, but that must be impossible... right? Your mission report was classified, so no one really knows, except your crew... most of whom didn't make it back. So... is it true, Michael?"

"Is what true?"

"Did you really travel a billion years into the future?"

Taylor paused a long moment. They all heard the crackle of the fire around them. "Yes," he finally said.

Mushy frowned. "I'm trying to decide whether you're lying or not."

"Well, decide. We've all got some burning questions on our minds, don't we?" said Susan.

"You... you're lying," Mushy said.

Taylor shook his head.

"Not lying?" said Mushy incredulously. "You really did travel to the year one billion?"

"Yes."

"What... what was it like?"

"I can't talk about it," said Taylor.

Susan passed her the bottle. "Drink."

"You were in love with Andrea Farber," said Sophie. It was phrased almost as a statement rather than a question.

"No," said Taylor.

"No?"

"I was very attracted to her. I still am. But love... no," said Taylor.

Sophie stared hard at him.

"Well, Astor? Is he telling the truth?" Susan asked.

"I... yes, I think so," she said finally.

Taylor took a drink from the bottle, making Sophie smile.

"You've had more than one lover... before me," said Taylor.

Mushy felt all eyes on her. She bit her lip, then shook her head.

"You're lying!" Taylor declared.

"Are you?" Sophie asked.

Mushy looked away. "Yes."

Susan cackled. "Mushy, you gave off virgin vibes ten light years in every direction!"

"I didn't say I had twenty lovers!" she said. "Only more than one."

"How many?" Susan grinned. She felt the alcohol flowing through her. "Five? Ten? 20?"

"Ask an in-game question if you really want to know!" she cried. "Here, give me the bottle!" She coughed as she swallowed some of it.

"Good for you. Grows hair on your chest," said Susan.

"That I'd like to see," said Taylor.

"How did you know?" Mushy asked Taylor.

"You gave off the image as a sexually inexperienced woman, but I sensed a certain... sensual nature within you," said Taylor.

Mushy twirled her hair and smiled at him, looking pleased.

"When you pretended to be a god on that primitive planet, you had sex with your slaves," said Susan.

Taylor stared at her for a long moment. "No."

"Admit it! You did!" Susan tickled him. "Confess! Confess!"

Taylor laughed, grabbing her wrists, and they ended up kissing.

"Confess," Susan repeated, staring into his eyes.

"No," said Taylor.

"No sex?" said Susan.

"They weren't slaves," said Taylor. He passed her the bottle. "Drink."

"Your nipples got hard when you saw Michael exercising in the ship's gym." Sophie stated it as a fact.

"No," said Susan.

"Liar!" said Sophie. "I saw it!" She tickled Susan relentlessly.

"If you already know the answer, then your question isn't a fair one," said Susan, tickling her back.

"We'll call that one a draw," said Taylor. "Sophie, when we were separated from each other, you... you frequently pleasured yourself thinking of me. True or false?" He never would have asked such a personal question before. But the alcohol flowing through his body inspired him to be bold.

"Frequently? How frequent is frequently?" Sophie asked, as if she were solving a math problem.

"Once a week."

"That's not very frequent."

"All right, twice a week. Did you?" Taylor asked her.

Sophie stared at him for a long moment. "No."

"You're a Passive Observer. You wouldn't lie to me, would you?" Taylor asked.

"Of course not," said Sophie.

"But you are lying now, aren't you?" Taylor asked.

"Yes," Sophie admitted. Everyone cheered as Sophie took another swig of the Space Whiskey. And then, since her shirt was already off, she reached behind her to undo her breast control collar. "Susan Honey, can you help me reach?"

"Of course!" said Susan. She went behind her dear friend and undid the clasp securing her breast control collar. Sophie's double banded rider was so large that it was pressing against her horizontal breast strap. It wouldn't be long before wearing control collars of any kind would be impossible for her.

"Time for the good stuff!" Susan chortled, as Sophie's heavy breasts came free.

"Yeahhhhh!" said Taylor. He immediately reached out and squeezed her firm tits. "I want these!" he cried.

"Do you really?" Sophie asked excitedly, leaning towards him.

"Yes!" He kissed her, grinding his bare chest against hers strongly, passionately.

"You've been with another woman," said Taylor.

Susan exchanged uneasy glances with Sophie. "No," she said.

"Are you sure?" Taylor asked.

"I think I'd know, Michael!" said Susan.

"Well, Michael? Is she telling the truth?" Sophie demanded.

Taylor knew that Susan and Sophie were attracted to each other. He had seen them hugging and kissing many times. But had they ever gone farther than that? He looked from Susan to Sophie and back to Susan. Their faces were perfectly calm.

"Yes," said Taylor, guessing wildly.

"Yes what?"

"She's telling the truth."

"Drink!" said Sophie, passing the bottle to Susan. As Susan drank, it became time for her own breast control collar to come off. Sophie did the honors, smiling broadly as Susan's bra came off, revealing her pear shaped tits.

"Honey, you're so pretty," Sophie whispered, kissing her on the cheek. "I'm not attracted to women, but if I were... you'd be first in line."

"Oh Sophie!" Susan kissed her passionately.

"You, and Cherry Oteri," said Susan.

"What about us?" Taylor asked.

"You had sex with Cherry Oteri... at the Academy... during your survival course training," said Susan.

Taylor's jaw dropped open. He turned to Sophie. "Did you tell her?"

"No!" said Sophie.

"How did you know?" Taylor asked.

"You're the most celebrated captain in the Survey Service. There are tons of rumors about you," said Susan. "The only problem was deciding which one to believe! You really had sex... while you were being hunted... during your survival course training?" She stared at him incredulously.

"We... we had just swum across a river. We were freezing cold. We were... conserving bodily warmth."

"That's a new word for it," said Susan.

"One thing led to another," said Taylor, smiling at the remembrance.

"If you think that's bad, you should ask Michael what he did with her after Cherry's husband got her pregnant!" said Sophie with a grin.

"Sophie!" said Taylor, his eyes wide with shock. "I disclosed that to you in the utmost of confidence!"

"We're in the Hive now, Michael. Personal secrets no longer exist," said Sophie sternly. She handed him the bottle. "Drink."

"You never really had a fifteen inch penis, did you?" Susan asked.

Taylor didn't respond.

"Did you?" She asked again.

"No, of course not," said Taylor.

"Is he telling the truth?" Sophie asked.

Susan paused. "Yes," she said finally.

"I'm lying," said Taylor.

"You are?" said Susan. "How is that possible?"

"I was there, I saw it," said Sophie. "I even felt it inside me."

"You... took a fifteen inch penis inside of you?" Susan asked. "That's not possible!"

"It is if the penis is bendable, and if your partner have three vaginas, with a very circuitous route between them," said Sophie. "Our DNA was modified by intelligent trees which was the dominant life form on the Planet New Eden. We were modified and... made to do certain things."

"Certain things?" said Mushy. "Kind of like the things we're doing now?"

"Kind of," said Taylor. "Only with 15 inch penises."

"And three vaginas," said Sophie. She handed the bottle to Susan. "Drink."

By now Susan was topless. She looked so sexy drinking from the bottle with her tits sticking out as well as her big green belly. All she had left to give was her panties.

"Need some help here," she said desperately, as she tried to reach down over her enormous belly.

Taylor helped her take them off. Her belly was so big that he couldn't see her vagina but he didn't need to. He had already been inside there many times and had successfully fertilized her egg. Susan's enormous green belly was a visual testament to that.

"Astor?"

"Yes, Susan?"

"I know you got nuclear breast implants."

"Yes, I did."

"-and you must be soooo proud of them," said Susan, staring at Sophie's big, firm tits over the fire.

"Yes, I am," said Sophie cautiously.

Susan stared at her friend's big tits lecherously. "I'll bet you enjoy staring at your tits in the holomirror. You tell yourself you have the best tits in the world, as you tease them, stroke them, fondle them at the tip, don't you?"

Sophie cast a vulnerable look at Taylor. All their intimacies were being stripped bare. "No," she said, after a pause.

"Liar!" Susan cried. She tickled Sophie relentlessly. "Admit it! Admit it, Astor!"

"No! No!" Sophie cried. Then the tickling became too much for her. "Yes! Yes!" she admitted, laughing. "I'm helpless under your fingers!"

"As you should be, Astor," said Susan sternly. "Drink."

Then it was Sophie's turn to take off her panties. All three girls were naked now, their heavy green bellies hiding their vaginas. But they all looked so beautiful. They had the healthy glow of pregnancy about them.

Then it was Sophie's turn to ask a question. She turned to Taylor. "You enjoyed fucking the she-bear in the Hive."

"The she-bear? The one with the claws?" said Taylor.

"The very one."

"No, of course not!"

Sophie tickled Taylor relentlessly. He cried out, cackling. "Sophie! Stop, stop!"

"Not until you admit it!" she said, her fingers moving relentlessly over his chest and arms.

"Ah, ahaha, yes, yes! All right, it was kind of fun!" Taylor admitted.

"I knew it!" said Sophie, handing him the bottle.

"You know I once dated John Galloway, the navigator," said Susan.

"Yes, I know that," said Mushy.

"I know you knew. And I think you liked him too," said Susan. "When you saw the two of us were together, you fantasized about making love to him, didn't you?"

Mushy's mouth dropped open.

"Didn't you?"

"N-No!" Mushy cried.

"Liar!" said Susan. She handed Mushy the bottle.

"How did you know?" Mushy said.

"I could tell from the way you looked at him. You played the part of the prim and proper sexually repressed Lieutenant very well. But inside I could sense a woman with... hidden passions," said Susan.

"Passions which thankfully have been released," Mushy said, looking longingly at Michael as she raised the bottle to her lips and tilted her head backwards.

"You enjoyed whipping Tessa," said Sophie.

"What?" said Taylor.

"You heard the question. You enjoyed whipping her before you had sex together. True or false?" Sophie asked.

Taylor swallowed heavily. He had in the strictest confidence told Sophie that Tessa needed unusual stimulation in order to climax. She had chained herself to a bar hanging from the ceiling and begged Taylor to whip and spank her. Taylor had done it reluctantly but he hadn't enjoyed it... had he?

"No, I didn't enjoy it," said Taylor firmly.

"He's lying," said Sophie immediately.

"Are you, Michael?" Susan asked.

"I... no, I'm not lying," said Taylor.

"He just lied again," said Sophie. "I screaned it."

"You can't screan! Only I can screan!" Michael said.

She leaned over and kissed him. "Where you are concerned, I can always know what you're feeling. Admit it, lover!"

Taylor swallowed heavily. "I wouldn't say I enjoyed it... but...."

"But what?" Sophie stared intently at him through her pulsating Rider Mask, her face inches from his.

Taylor looked away as he spoke. "As I whipped her tits... her ass... I sometimes...."

"Sometimes what?"

"Sometimes... got an... erection," he said, as Mushy gasped.

"So you didn't enjoy it.... but you got an erection," said Sophie.

"That's... that's right." Taylor's shoulder's slumped.

"Drink, Michael," said Sophie.

Taylor chugged the rapidly declining contents of the bottle of Space Whiskey. He felt the warm glow throughout his body.

"Don't you have one more thing to do?" Sophie asked.

Taylor looked down. His last remaining article of clothing was his underwear. The girls were already naked. He sighed and lowered his underwear, stepping out of it one foot at a time.

"Woooow," Susan said with real lust in her tone.

Mushy gave an alcohol enhanced smile as she stared at his enormous cock.

Sophie flowed into his arms, with a smile so wide it stretched her Rider Mask. "Hm, you're still erect, I see. Has this game been exciting for you, Michael?" Firelight reflected in her hazel eyes behind her Rider Mask.

"A bit," said Taylor.

"A bit?" She looked playfully at him. "Or maybe reminiscing about whipping Tessa has excited you even more."

"Sophie, no-"

She silenced him with a strong kiss while Susan and Mushy clapped and cheered. When Sophie pulled back she grasped his erection. "Girls, this is the instrument of our deliverance!"

The girls cheered again.

More like the instrument of your destruction, Taylor thought, fully aware of where this was going. Once they gave birth in all likelihood all three of them would be replaced by the duplicates they were lovingly growing inside of them.

Susan's turn was next. She turned to Sophie. "You've been with a woman... more than once. And I don't mean me!"

Sophie hung her head downwards. "Yes."

"I knew it!" Susan said gleefully, handing her the bottle.

"But I'm not a lesbian!" Sophie protested.

"I know. You just play one on holoTV!" Susan said, as Mushy laughed.

Sophie took a swig of Space Whiskey. "I was seduced. Tricked! Trapped! Intimidated!"

Susan winked and leered at her. "Well perhaps I can seduce, trick, trap, and intimidate you as well, Astor." Susan took her in her arms, and the two heavily pregnant women kissed passionately.

"You never got an orgasm with John Galloway," said Taylor.

Susan blushed in the firelight. "That's true, but you only know because I told you that."

"That's not a valid question if you already know the answer for a fact, Michael," said Sophie.

"You, Michael, however, were quite skilled in the bringing-me-to-orgasm department," said Susan. "Though it did take me a while to break down your defenses."

"And I enjoyed your breaking down my defenses," Taylor grinned. First Susan had made an excuse to start massaging him. Then she made another excuse to take off her clothes. Before long they were pleasuring themselves in front of each other, and eventually Susan was bringing him off with her hand, and finally, at the end, with her mouth. They had almost consumated and would have consumated if Sophie hadn't joined the Hive and intervened first. He looked into Susan's sparkling green eyes and liked what he saw, and they kissed for a long moment.

"All right, now it my turn," said Sophie irritably. She was starting to slur her words. She was drunk now, they all were. She turned to Mushy. "You were worried that Taylor's penis would be too big for you. True?"

Mushy glanced anxiously at Taylor. "He told you that!"

"No," said Sophie.

"Then how did you know?" Mushy asked.

Sophie tapped her head. "I'm a Passive Observer."

Mushy bit her lip. "I was worried how big it was, and it was a struggle the first time but... Michael made it fit," she grinned shyly at him, leaning towards him.

Taylor met her halfway. "I enjoyed making it fit for you, in your tight, wet cunt, China Doll!"

"Oh Michael!" They kissed passionately.

They had almost run out of Space Whiskey, and were in their final round of questions. All of them had long since shed all their clothes... as well as their inhibitions, asking about everything and anything that came to their minds.

Although they were all quite drunk, suddenly they felt cold sober as the seriousness of the situation struck them. Their little game was coming to an end. They would go to sleep and the next day their fabulous vacation would be all over. They each wanted it to keep going on for a while longer.

Mushy turned to Susan. "You... you were jealous of Sophie when she and Michael were still together."

The sounds of crickets could be heard.

"True or false?" Mushy asked, when Susan didn't respond.

"True." Susan hung her head.

"Why were you jealous?" Sophie asked. "At that point you hadn't even started a a relationship with Michael."

"Because I wanted to," said Susan. "And I wanted to be you, Astor!"

"Me?" said Sophie.

"You're so beautiful!" It all came pouring out of Susan, her anxiety, her insecurity, even her jealousy of her dear friend. "Sophie, my ass will never be as round as yours! My tits will never as big or firm! How could Michael possibly ever love me like you do?" Maybe it was the alcohol talking, but tears were starting to stream down her cheeks.

"Oh, Susan Honey!" Sophie cried. She hugged Susan tightly, as much as their enormous bellies would allow. "Don't think that! Don't ever think that! You're gorgeous!"

"I am?" Susan sniffled!

"Yes! You're younger than me. You're thinner than me with a flat belly girls would kill for!" said Sophie. "You have beautiful red hair and high cheekbones!" She held her friend's face by her hands. "And a very, very sexy smile, and a playful personality to match! If anything, I'm jealous of you!"

"You... you are, Astor?" Susan was astonished.

"Ask me. Ask me in-game," said Sophie.

"Are you really... jealous of me?" Susan asked.

Sophie nodded. "Drink!" she said, but then she actually took the bottle and drank on her own!

Sophie turned to Taylor. It was time for her last question. "Michael." She stared at him with uncertain eyes behind her Rider Mask.

"Sophie." Taylor sensed this would be a big question.

"If... if I hadn't come back to you... if... if I hadn't taken you into the Hive... you and Susan would probably be together now, wouldn't you?"

Taylor paused a long moment. "Yes," he said finally. It pained him to admit it, but he had to. Sophie had the right to know the truth. "Susan and I... were making steady... progress, and she was wearing down my defenses against having sex with a junior crewman. By the time you brought me into the Hive, we were literally minutes away from doing it."

"Why, Michael?" Sophie had tears in her eyes. "You wouldn't do it with me, but you would with her?"

"Yes!" said Taylor. He saw the pain behind her Rider Mask. "All I can say is that I was lonely, Sophie, so very lonely! You left me, remember? I felt a big gaping hole in my heart." He looked into her hazel eyes, in the holes behind her mask. "I needed... I desperately needed someone to fill it... and Susan... she wasn't just a substitute, Sophie... I... I started to love her too."

"Oh Michael!" Sophie ran to him and they hugged intensely for a long moment. "I'm so sorry!" she said. "I'm so sorry I tortured you like that! But now we can be together, through the Hive!"

"Yes," said Taylor, his face blank. "Through the Hive."

The bottle of Space Whiskey was almost empty. There was time for one last question. Everyone looked at each other, wracking their alcohol riddled brains for a final, supremely intimate, provocative question, until finally Susan nodded, thinking I'm going to regret this, but....

"Sophie?" she said.

"Yes, Susan?" Sophie gave a lazy smile. Taylor had a possessive arm around her.

"Sophie Astor," Susan repeated.

"That's my name, don't wear it out!" Sophie grinned, stretching her Rider Mask.

"Now that we're in the Hive, you don't mind sharing Michael with me and Mushy, do you?"

"No, of course not! What's mine... is yours!" Sophie felt the warm glow of the space whiskey inside of her. "Now was I lying, or telling the truth?"

"That wasn't my question," said Susan.

"Oh," said Sophie. She blinked. "Did you ask me a question?"

"Not yet. I'm about to." Susan suddenly tensed up. "Here goes. If... if we had never joined the Hive, would you have... would you have felt comfortable sharing Michael... with me?"

There was a long silence. All that could be heard was crickets. Sophie looked into the fire for a long moment. Finally she said, "No," very quietly.

"I believe you," said Susan. She passed the bottle to Sophie. "Drink."

There was only a tiny stream of Space Whiskey left, and Sophie lifted the bottle almost vertically and drained it all.

"What's next?" she said dreamily.

"We're out of Space Whiskey," said Mushy.

"So?" said Sophie.

"The game is over," said Susan.

"Oh? Who won?" Sophie asked.

"Whoever judged the answers true or false correctly answer the most," said Susan.

"And who was that?" Sophie asked.

More crickets. "I believe you were, Astor," said Susan. "You get Michael tonight. For our last night."

"Oh Michael!" Sophie cried, kissing him strongly. "Help me up!" she said.

"Wait!" said Susan, even as Taylor was helping the heavily pregnant woman to her feet. "One last thing!"

"No more one last thing!" Taylor roared. "Susan, tonight has been charming, really it was! In fact our entire time here has been incredible! I'll remember it for the rest of our lives! But right now we all need to get some sleep because we're returning to the Hive first thing tomorrow."​