Chapter 11 #2
He opened the door to reveal a clean space that had what looked like clear glass panels hung near seats. He led me to a bench in a corner and touched the glass while I sat.
Glyphs in a language I didn’t know appeared, then Tolai, Veeshen, and Naduq appeared on it, the background seeming to be the inside of their house.
“Bapo!” Tolai started, then he spotted me. “Gene! Hello! You were allowed in the communication room? Why are you calling?”
“Mapo! Een!” Naduq cried, reaching for what he could see on his end.
“Hello,” Veeshen said.
“Hi everybody,” I replied.
Eashai laughed. “We are returning to Lyll and I wish to invite you to dinner.”
“We?” Tolai asked. “Does that mean you are visiting again, Gene?”
“I am.”
“It will be a celebration dinner,” Eashai stated.
“We have heard that some countries will start accepting volunteers soon. Is that why?” Veeshen asked.
Eashai gave one of his radiant smiles. “We can also celebrate that. The real cause for celebration is that Gene and I have mated.”
Tolai’s screech of joy instantly erased any fear that they would disapprove.
Veeshen wore a huge grin. “That is indeed worthy of celebration.”
I reached for Eashai’s hand and squeezed it.
I’d gained more than a mate. I had an entire family.
∞∞∞
The medical slash science building was oddly quiet as Eashai and I walked in, having just returned from Lyll.
“I wonder if they’re in more meetings,” I mused as we walked toward the lab. “I’m sure there’s plenty of implementation to discuss.”
“Perhaps.” He chuckled and squeezed my hand where he was holding it. “However, I am confident that Ben and the others will be running analyses.”
“Or in PT,” I laughed.
“That is a good point.”
I stopped outside the lab door, and he turned to face me.
“Gene?”
I smiled and leaned in to kiss him. “I wanted to do that before we had to be professional.”
His eyes were soft as he gazed at me, then he frowned. “I am sorry for asking to come back early. We could have had another day to ourselves.”
I shook my head. “It’s ok. I get it. You prefer to get the spacesickness over with, rather than wait around once your work is done.”
He tipped his forehead against mine. “Thank you.”
I smiled. “We can plan longer trips without work, make it worth staying longer.”
“I like that idea.”
“Shall we?”
He straightened and nodded. He took my hand again and led me into the lab…
Where I immediately spotted my department chair and the dean of faculty standing in the middle of the room, talking to Floyd and the general.
The room went silent as the four of them looked at us, then the dean and my chair’s eyes fell on where Eashai’s hand and mine were still joined.
Eashai started to drop my hand, but I squeezed his fingers to let him know it was ok.
Fuck anybody who didn’t approve of us.
“God damnit!” Floyd swore after several tense seconds. “You two weren’t supposed to be back until tomorrow.”
I chuckled, remembering how Eashai had returned early on the day of my arrival.
The men from my university gaped for several more seconds, until my department chair finally found his voice. “Gene… uh… they were… They said you were working with classified alien DNA?”
It took every ounce of willpower not to laugh, especially since Eashai had fucked me senseless the night before. I was working with alien DNA, alright, and some of it was likely still inside me.
I licked my lips and forced the memories aside.
“Bob,” I started, nodding to my chair. Then I turned to the dean. “Dean Phillips. I’d like you both to meet my new husband, Eashai.”
I squeezed my mate’s hand, then motioned to the men in turn. “E, this is my department chair, Doctor Bob Gray, and the dean of faculty for the university, Doctor Evan Phillips.”
Eashai strode forward, hand outstretched. “Gentlemen. It is a pleasure to meet you.”
“Husband?” Bob squeaked as he shook Eashai’s hand.
I shrugged. “It was a whirlwind romance.”
The general cleared his throat. “Needless to say, gentlemen, Eashai’s presence is also considered classified and covered by your non-disclosure agreements. The most you are allowed to reveal is that Doctor Wallace is married, and even that only as necessary.”
They both nodded.
“So, not that I mind,” I said as Eashai finished shaking the dean’s hand. “But… how? What are you doing here?”
The general replied before they could. “Clearly, things have changed since your mating. You and Eashai will not be able to live safely off base. But it was Major Klein who advocated for this approach. He knew you’d been preparing to return to the university, and asked us to intervene to find a solution that keeps everybody happy. ”
“Though…” Floyd sighed. “They were not supposed to learn the full extent.”
“Gene?” Bob asked. “What’s going on?”
I shrugged. “Kind of what it looks like. They brought me in to study alien DNA, it’s just live aliens are here to willingly provide the samples.”
My mind once more tried to shift to thoughts of Eashai fucking me.
“And… husband?” he asked. “I thought you were a bachelor for life.”
I chuckled and rubbed the back of my neck. “Yeah. It just kind of happened. We became friends, clicked, and now we’re his world’s version of married.”
“Uh… congrats… I guess.” He paused. “Sorry, that sounded wrong. It’s all just so overwhelming. As long as you’re happy, though. That’s what matters.”
Eashai and I exchanged a smile. “I’m very happy.”
Dean Phillips cleared his throat. “Doctor Wallace, I’m sure you understand the strain a sudden leave of absence puts on the university.”
I straightened and nodded. “I do. And I had the full intention of returning to teach for the fall semester. But…” I glanced at my mate.
I couldn’t leave him.
“With this added context,” he replied, glancing at Eashai. “I do understand that these are extraordinary circumstances. With that in mind, I believe we can come to a solution that is satisfactory for everybody.”
“Really?”
“What are you thinking?” Bob asked.
Dean Phillips turned to him. “How many one or two-hundred-level classes is he teaching, and how many higher?”
“I’ve got two introductory classes and two higher-level,” I answered as he looked over at me.
“Perfect,” he replied, facing Ben again. “Is it possible to reassign the lower-level classes?”
“Ummm… I’d have to ask around and see who could take them on with such short notice. We might have to hire somebody.”
“I… might have an option,” I cut in.
Both men turned to me. “Go on,” said the dean.
“One of my former students, Doctor Brown, already works at the university as a researcher. He’s been helping my research students while my communication has been limited, and several have indicated that he’s a positive mentor.
Also, he said that he’s considering teaching now that he’s got a taste for it.
I could give him some previous semesters’ materials to help him get started. ”
“Bob?” Dean Phillips asked.
Bob shrugged. “It might be the easiest option if he’s up for it. He’s already employed by us, and we wouldn’t have to scramble.”
“Extend the offer.”
“What about my higher classes?” I asked.
Dean Phillips turned to me. “If it is acceptable to you, I am granting authorization to teach remotely this semester. If you wish to continue teaching into the spring and beyond, I’d like to get some sort of schedule where you’re present on campus partially.”
“You mean like a three-hour once-a-week class?”
He shrugged. “Or two virtual, one in person per week. This way, your students can visit during office hours as needed and not be forced to rely on digital communication.”
“Dean Phillips,” Eashai cut in. “May I ask a question?”
The dean looked at him with skepticism. “Ok.”
“Do you have any unused warehouses or similar structures roughly the size of this room?
I turned to my mate. “I know what you’re thinking. I don’t think it’s safe.”
“I agree,” stated Floyd. “There are tens of thousands of students at that school. Somebody will notice a professor going into a random building and not coming out again until it’s time for his next class.”
Eashai snorted. “Do you plan to fly Gene back and forth if he wants to keep teaching? Or do you expect him to leave a job he loves and work here because of me?”
The way the general and Floyd looked at each other told me that my mate had effectively cornered them.
“Gene?” Bob asked.
“Yeah?”
“I think I’m reading between the lines properly. Do you remember my housewarming party from last summer?”
“Yeah?” I asked, wondering where he was going with the question.
“Then you remember it’s a bit out of the city, and a large chunk of land.”
“Wait, are you offering what I think you’re offering?”
He nodded. “There’s room. You pay to put up what you need, then pay me some token rent amount so I can keep the wife happy. You can do…” he waved his hand, “whatever you need to do, away from prying eyes.”
“It would be mostly storing my car there so I can drive myself to and from the university.”
“Is that an acceptable compromise?” Bob asked, facing Floyd and the General. “Away from the school?”
There was a moment of silence, then the general nodded. “We’ll have to develop and implement security protocols. But it seems like the best solution right now.”
“And the other issue we discussed?” the dean asked as my transportation seemed settled.
General Block turned to him. “No change now that you know more of the situation. You will consider Doctor Wallace’s research requirements met under his work here.
His publication requirements will be waived for the duration of the time he also works under us, as the research is classified.
In return, once we are ready to bring in a university for non-classified work, you will be given the right of first refusal before we offer the work to another institution. ”
Dean Phillips nodded. “Of course, I can’t act unilaterally. But I believe that I will be able to convince key people that this will be an overall benefit.”