Three Square Meals Ch. 070

Rather than giving her a fright, he cleared his throat, and said loudly, "Hi, Rachel. Found anything interesting?"

She turned to look at him walking over to join her, and smiled as she replied, "Yes, actually. Analysing the Kintark genetic modification has been fascinating."

"Do you want to tell me about it?" he asked, leaning in to give her a friendly kiss.

She studied him for a moment, and replied, "That's not really why you're here, is it?"

He shook his head, and smiled at her as he replied, "No, but we can keep up the pretence if you like?"

Tilting her head to one side, it was almost like he could see her mind whirring as she considered something. He saw a shadow flash across her face, and understood that she must have figured out his real purpose for wanting to speak with her. Rachel obviously wasn't quite ready for that yet, so she said, "Alright, I'll tell you what I've learned so far."

"I'm all ears, Doctor," he replied, raising a smile from the beautiful young woman.

She turned to look at the floating DNA sample she'd taken from Kindralax's blood, and said, "My earlier postulations were correct. There's a hierarchy amongst the Kintark, with these 'dragons' at the apex, almost certainly due to their raw power. It appears the Kintark have been experimenting with genetic modification of their species for a few centuries, and I'd surmise that Kindralax was one of the earlier test subjects.

"He was at least two-hundred-years old, and his genetic coding shows extensive mutation that must have occurred during infancy. Since then, he must have been growing at a steady rate over the decades, to reach the colossal size he was when we met him."

John frowned as he asked, "Why not just turn all of their race into dragons? Kindralax was ridiculously powerful. An entire race made up of creatures like him would be absolutely unstoppable!"

Rachel tapped a finger on her chin as she thought over his question, a mannerism she seemed to have picked up from Dana, which made him smile. After a pause she replied, "That's a good question, and I'd imagine that considering the size of the fully-grown dragons, the amount of resources required to sustain them would prohibit their practicality as a space-borne species. In other words, basic Kintark are still useful to man their ships, and run the more mundane aspects of Kintark society."

"What about their regeneration? The rate they were able to heal from injuries was quite incredible," he asked, recalling how both the dragons and the Royal Guard had been able to rapidly regenerate from crippling injuries.

Her grey eyes flashed with excitement as she replied, "The Kintark seem to have harnessed an ability Terrans have only seen in newts. A newt has two different cell types: skeletal fibre muscle cells, or SMFCs and muscle stem/progenitor cells, or MPCs." When she saw him raise an eyebrow at that, she laughed and added, "The name is purely coincidental."

"Right, so the dragons are basically like big newts?" John asked, with a frown.

She smiled as she replied, "Their regeneration works in a similar way, at least. SMFCs are used in the larval stage to grow skeletal muscles, but once they've fully grown, if they lose a limb, then MPCs are used for cellular regeneration instead. No other creature we know of, except newts, can do this. I'd surmise that this ability was enhanced and gene-spliced into the Kintark genetic variant we think of as dragons. This differentiates them considerably from standard Kintark, along with a prodigious growth rate harvested from some kind of megafauna."

"Megafauna?" John asked, "What's that?"

"Big animals," she replied patiently. "Anything that weighs more than a tonne. Prehistoric Terra had an abundant Megafauna ecosystem, more commonly known as dinosaurs."

"Is there any way you can make this useful for us?" he asked curiously.

"Not unless you want to have to crawl along the corridors," she replied with a mischievous smile.

He laughed, and said, "No, the regeneration!"

Shaking her head, she replied, "The kind of gene-splicing the Kintark did has considerable risks. I could create some kind of Terran/newt hybrid using a very similar kind of procedure, but they wouldn't be very aesthetically pleasing, at least by Terran standards. You might also see all sorts of undesirable mutations, like gills, webbed fingers and toes, exuding toxins from the skin, that kind of thing."

"You were right, that was fascinating," John said with a smile.

She nodded, then looked at him somewhat apprehensively as she asked, "You're really here to ask me why I haven't spoken to my father, aren't you?"

He nodded, and glancing over at the comfortable chairs on the other side of the Medical Bay, he said, "Let's sit down and have a chat. I can tell something's upsetting you."

"Alright," she agreed, following him over to the seating area.

John sat down in the first chair he came to, and Rachel sat opposite him, until he frowned at her disapprovingly and patted his lap. She laughed, then got up and glided over to him, sitting sideways across him as he supported her in his arms.

"That's better, isn't it?" he asked her as he ran his fingers across her slender stomach.

She smiled wistfully, and replied, "This takes me back to when I first joined you guys. You were working so hard to make sure I was fully informed before making my decision, so that I wouldn't have any regrets. It was quite adorable."

"And do you have any?" he asked her, brushing her tawny-brown hair away from her face so he could look into her smoky grey eyes.

She hesitated for a split-second, then shook her head, and replied, "No, of course not. I love you, my relationship with Dana is amazing, and the girls are all so lovely too. We're saving lives practically every day, and I've never felt more fulfilled, professionally."

He smiled at her, and said, "I saw that little pause before you answered. Come on, you can tell me. What's the matter?"

Rachel looked guilty for a moment, before she blurted out, "I feel so ungrateful, but you've made me too smart!"

John's eyes widened and he blinked in surprise, never expecting her to say that for one moment. When he recovered, he looked at her troubled face, and joked, "Alright, one mindless bimbo coming up. Let's do this."

When he waggled his eyebrows and glanced suggestively at his groin, she laughed, and protested half-heartedly, "Stop it, this is serious."

"I'm sorry," he apologised, hugging her closely. "Tell me why being too intelligent is a problem?"

She took a deep breath, and then replied, "I've always been bright, and people find it intimidating. I was always second-guessing myself growing up, never quite sure how to react around people to avoid unsettling them. When I ran off with Axel and his biker buddies, I just pretended to be some dopey airhead, and let everything wash over me. Drinking and taking drugs, was a great way to just stop overthinking everything."

His hand dropped to her lower belly, caressing the spot where she'd worn the swallow tattoo. She blushed as he stroked her, and nodded as she looked into his eyes.

John frowned then, and said, "I don't feel intimidated by your intelligence, I find it a big turn-on in fact. As for the girls, they all love you, and seem totally relaxed in your company. I've never seen you unsettle them with anything you've said or done before."

Shaking her head, she replied, "Sorry, I sidetracked you talking about my past. There's a new problem now, in that I'm getting too good at reading people. By that, I mean you... and Calara."

Suddenly all the pieces clicked into place, and he brushed his fingers against her cheek, as he said, "I'm sorry, Rachel, I think I understand now."

She let out a ragged sigh, nodding as she explained, "I noticed immediately how giddy with happiness Calara was, but she seemed to be suppressing it for some reason. She had just seen her father and brother, which went part of the way to explain it, but that kind of pure joy implied something more significant had happened.

"Then I remembered how nervous you were before you left to visit her father, and knowing how you hold these old-fashioned ideas about chivalry and etiquette, everything started falling into place. I realised you must have asked for his blessing, then proposed to Calara on the flight to Port Medea from the Regulus system.

"I was delighted for her, of course, but the only reason she would be suppressing the news, is if she suspected you were going to eventually propose to the rest of us too. I concluded that you'd already proposed to Alyssa, being so intimate with her for so long, and you almost certainly postponed your proposal to Calara until you'd spoken to both her parents to ask for their blessing."

John's eyes widened, astonished at how much she'd been able to piece together, and he confirmed her suspicions as he said, "Yes, you're right... about everything."

She didn't look surprised, and she sounded sad as she continued, "I'd noticed a change in Dana a few months ago, some hidden smiles shared with Alyssa, that kind of thing. I assumed it was just based on their old friendship growing up on Karron, and perhaps some telepathic inside-jokes they were sharing. Then I remembered how happy Jade had become a few weeks after that, and I suddenly realised you must have proposed to both of them too. Which meant I was next..."

"I certainly didn't want to make you sad," John replied, stroking her comfortingly.

She gave him a wan smile, and said, "Despite the way I'm feeling right now, I love the idea too. It's just hard... not having my mother here to share this with."

"And the reason you're upset with your father, is because you haven't completely forgiven him for what happened to her," John concluded, for the grieving young woman.

Rachel nodded, and replied mournfully, "Asking Maria for her blessing was a lovely gesture, and I'm sure she must have been thrilled. I know my mother would have loved seeing me end up with you, and it just brought all those raw emotions flooding back to the surface again."

John saw her eyes filling with tears, and he pulled her in close as he said, "Catherine would have been very proud of you, Rachel. You've grown up into an amazing young woman who we all love very much. I'm sorry I can't bring her back for you, but I do promise to look after you, and try and give you the best life I can."

They sat together quietly as Rachel quietly wept for her lost mother, John holding her close as she cried against his chest. He murmured comforting words to her, until her tears eventually dried out, and she gave him a tender kiss in gratitude.

"Sorry to unburden all that on you," she said with a rueful smile. "I've ruined any element of surprise about your proposing now, too."

He smiled at her, and replied, "It sounds like it wasn't going to be much of a surprise after all."

"Intelligence, the double-edged sword," she said with a sad sigh.

"Don't think of it that way," he said to her gently, but firmly. "Your intellect is a gift that you received from your mother, passed down to you through the genes that made you the girl you are today. Every person you save, every life you transform with your work, they're all a tribute to Catherine Voss."

Rachel's grey eyes glinted in the light, and he could see a spark of inspiration there, as she replied, "That would be a wonderful legacy for her, and a lovely way to remember her too."

He nodded, and said, "I'm sorry I never got to meet her. If she was anything like you, she must have been a remarkable woman."

Her gaze softened, and she said, "I love you so much, John Blake."

"I love you too, Rachel Voss," he replied, leaning in to share a tender kiss with her.

She sighed again, but it was very different now, a lighter sound and one filled with happiness. "Thank you for coming to talk to me about this, it feels like I've had a huge weight lifted off me," she breathed, when they finally pulled apart.

He smiled at her, and said, "Is it just me, or does it feel like we're engaged now too?"

Rachel laughed, and replied, "I think I stole your thunder a little, but yes, it feels like that to me as well."

Lifting her off his lap, he got down on one knee, and smiling up at her, he said, "Rachel Voss. I love you, will you marry me?"

She grinned at him as she nodded, laughing as she said, "Of course I will! I love you too!"

He swept her into his arms and amid happy laughter from them both, he gave her a big hug and a kiss, and said, "I just wanted to eliminate any doubt!"

"I can't wait to tell Dana!" she gasped, her eyes lighting up at the thought.

"She's up on the Command Deck with the rest of my fiancées," he said with some amusement, using a phrase he never imagined he'd be saying. "Let's go up and see them."

Rachel had been correct before; she did look like she'd had a huge burden lifted from her, and not just to do with her feelings of loss about her mother. She had a lightness to her step now, as though she was finally at peace with her own startling intellect, and happier in her own skin. He instinctively knew that his words to her had just had a profound effect on the young woman, and that spark of inspiration in Rachel's eyes would be a powerful driver for her in the future.

*How do you do that?* Alyssa asked him, sounding shocked. *It was something so woven through her personality I hadn't even picked up on it, and I can read her mind!*

John and Rachel stepped out of the grav-tube onto the Bridge, and the other girls were all waiting for her. There were happy tears and hugs all round, as they welcomed the brunette into their exclusive club of future Mrs Blakes. Alyssa darted him curious looks as she hugged the overjoyed young woman, and he shrugged helplessly in response.

*She was upset, and what I told her was the truth. I don't think there's much more to it than that,* he said, smiling as he saw Dana and Rachel share a loving kiss, beaming smiles on both their faces.

*No, there's something else happening. We need to talk sometime, the portraits in my mind for the Terran girls are changing,* she replied, her blue eyes wide like saucers, and a hint of wonder to her voice.

*XO catch-up soon?* he suggested flirtatiously.

The smouldering look she gave him, left him eagerly looking forward to their next meeting.

***

Later that afternoon, once Sakura had finished her second session in the firing range for the day, John joined her in the Training Dojo again. They had spent the morning session going over everything she'd learned the previous day, working through the kata to make sure she had learnt them by rote. He was astonished at how quickly she absorbed everything he could teach her, and there were even a few times when she'd noticed a few minor errors he'd been making.

Practice time was over now though, and they were facing off against one another for their first duel. Sakura watched him warily as he moved to attack, taking things slow to start with, to let her adjust to fighting a real opponent. He was tempering his herculean strength to give her a chance to block and parry, and his first sweeping slash at her waist, she deflected easily with her blades. Following up with another smooth sword stroke, she parried it again with an effortless sweep of her weapons. Smiling at him confidently, she twirled her blades in slow, deliberate, and mesmerising circles.

Figuring that he'd been a little overly cautious, he moved onto the offensive, his attacks coming at a faster pace, pushing her back as she blocked and parried each scything cut of his long blade. John's two-handed Odachi was a significantly larger weapon, and with that length came a substantial reach advantage. Sakura's ninjato were only half the size of his sword, and that meant he was able to attack her without undue worry about counterattacks.

He'd pushed her back almost all the way to the far edge of the mats, when her eyelids fluttered, and she no longer seemed to be focusing on him. She suddenly skipped to the side of his latest attack, then pirouetted as she lunged towards him. Her twin blades flashed in the light arcing across the Dojo, and he had to dart back a step, hurriedly repositioning his sword to parry her flurry of deft strikes. He was forced to quickly rethink his theory about attacking with impunity, as she slashed away at him driving him backwards.

It was John's turn to be on the defensive now, as Sakura ducked under a sweeping swing, forcing him to block sharply downwards as she chopped at his legs with her swords. He might have had the reach, but it did him little good when she was attacking so aggressively, having to work his Odachi at a frantic pace to deflect one piercing stab, before swiftly blocking the inevitable follow-up from her second ninjato.

"Sakura! You're reliving another memory!" he shouted at her, as he kept her at bay.

The glazed looked in her angular eyes faded as quickly as it had arrived, and she stumbled a step as she regained control of herself. Blinking in surprise, she gasped, "I thought I was fighting a bodyguard with a sword! He was good, and gave Shinatobe a close fight."

"Are you feeling alright now?" he asked warily. "We can stop if you want to take a break."

Sakura shook her head, and replied, "No, I feel fine. It's just disorientating coming out of these flashbacks."

He studied her for a long moment, his hands resting on the pommel of his sword with the tip resting on the floor. Finally, he said, "You seem to have no trouble tapping into Shinatobe's old skills when you're reenacting her assassinations. It looks like your body seems to have retained the muscle memory for these fighting techniques."

She nodded thoughtfully as she replied, "There's a certain familiarity to holding swords and guns, which ends up triggering a flashback."

John adopted a defensive stance, and said, "Come at me again, I want to see if it triggers another memory."

Taking a deep breath, she settled herself down, then watched him calmly as she brought her swords up in readiness. Sakura sprang towards him in a headlong charge, and would have caught him off-guard if he hadn't been vigilant. She, or more accurately, Shinatobe, favoured a very aggressive form of fighting, the clear goal being to overwhelm her opponent with a blistering series of strikes, before they knew what had hit them. He was sure it had been shockingly effective against the targets selected for assassination, but for a fully prepared foe such as himself, he was able to keep her at bay.

This was the first time he'd really had a chance to study her fighting techniques, and as he warded away her darting blades, he noticed something interesting. In a flash of clarity, he realised that the programmed moves she'd somehow remembered from the data-chips lent a certain predictability to her attacks. While her form and style was flawless, and she struck with a wide variety of different attacks, the pattern of her assault still seemed slightly formulaic.

He watched her spring forward with her right foot, which added weight to her lunge, then sweep in with her left blade, forcing him to block to his right. Their swords rang out as they connected, and she quickly followed up with a cross-slash aiming her right sword at his exposed flank. He deflected it, and stepped back again, spending the next couple of minutes blocking the ringing storm of blows.

They danced across the mat, attack quickly followed by counter-attack, the air ringing with the clash of metal. He defended cautiously until Sakura sprang forward on her right foot, lunging at him again. He knew exactly where the next attack was coming from this time, and he put extra weight into his looping swing, which smashed the blade out of her left hand, sending it skittering across the Dojo. Then came the cross-slash to his right, which he swiftly blocked, before stepping forward and catching her wrist with his right hand. Holding her fast, she gazed at him in surprise as he brought his blade around to her armoured throat, stopping just short of contact.