The Solution (2nd Edition)

Chon

After the official announcement, I'd mind-messaged Xen. Amazingly, he'd confirmed it.

    Off the back of that, my next action was to get home to Sarah, and then holler at our wingman.

    "I can't believe Michelle's got a second chance!" Mikey boomed, while I shared a smile with Sarah and another stroke of her tummy. "Spidey and Mary Jane back together again would really be somethin'!"

    "Big guy, it most definitely would," I added. "We really wish this happens for you two."

    "Mikey, the Lord Huányīn knows we do!" Sarah buzzed. "Then you can get started with, yours..." Before Mikey even had a real chance to think, she'd glanced at her convex bump and back into holoscreen again. "...Big guy, sooner or later, Baby Lai is going to need a playmate..."

    We shared a desirable chuckle.

    Straight after Sarah's jibe, Mikey fiddled with his wrist, likely to open a three-way com-link. And naturally, our new boss appeared with a solemn face, once he did. "Chon and Sarah; Mikey; hey," Zungai breathed. "How's prenatal life and the freighter training coming? Hopefully, great? Please tell me your days are being kinder to you all, than mine are to me?"

    Our new editor-in-chief had continued to suffer. Despite having taken over officially since the death of Dieng Pae, we had all gotten the sense that she was understandably jealous about our pregnancy. On top of this, Michelle was also distraught. With Mikey staying up here now, the Las Cruces rendezvous was off the table. Naturally so, our fourth wheel was glum, and probably forcing positive outlooks to save-face. In succession, another forced outlook came, which gave some insight into what she was currently dealing with. "Guys, Charlie and Gail are being difficult as always, but Mae-Zu at least seems to be coming around to how I want to do things. Raythorpe's discovery has got her stoked, so I'm lucky that she's enraptured and distracted.

    "Anyway, enough of my moaning and the pitiful update," she whispered. "Talk to me. What's up? Anything new?"

    "Puddin', absolutely!"

    The geek girl slumped, as if not wanting to play a game that would likely end in the pulling of her legs.

    But the big guy continued to beam. Upon doing so, we all witnessed that she now knew something was up, and understandably, she tried to probe. "What's a girl got to do for straight answers? Come on, tell me, what is it? Sarah, has the baby come?"

    "No-no-no," my partner waved.

    "So, what then?" she asked a second time - the big guy finally putting her out of her misery.

    "Michelle, there's gonna be a revision of The Lottery Draft!"

    "Michael, are you serious?"

    "Abso'-fuckin'-lutely! Sieve through your hotbox if you don't believe me. Better still, wait a minute, and the transmission will come through on your Dot. It's just been declared by The Coalition up here!"

    "Okay-okay, but there's no guarantee I'll be deemed Eligible."

    "Well..." I interrupted, "the way I see it, you definitely could be..."

    "How so?" Michelle asked.

    "Because, there's an Orbital Editor's position up here which is yet to be filled... I'm not interested, either. Fatherhood awaits. Therefore, who better than you?"

    All four of us smirked.

    However, I wanted to go one better and turn the weak expressions into strong smiles. "Michelle, you could use the situation to restore peace to our galaxy and finally appease your lieutenants? Leave BTV for Mae-Zu, Gail and Charlie. Let them have their time now. In doing so, you'll put yourself in the position to come and be with, us..."

    "Puddin', what d'ya think...?" Mikey asked, his slang teeming with trepidation.

    "...Incredible Hulk, I think that we've got a god damn plan!" she blazed. "Fingers crossed, Captain Marvel, here, is pumped and ready to blast back to the Alpha Quadrant!"