Alien Proliferation

realistically, held the clues for a decade.” Lorraine was back to laughing her head off. “Do you two work at being this dense or does it come naturally for you?”
    “Kitty can’t even say that human guys are this dense,” Claudia added. “Since all our human guys caught on a long time ago.”
    “Or that it’s just an A-C thing, since everyone other than Jeff and Christopher was clear on where Amy was going with it from the beginning.” Reader laughed. “But, you know, I’ll bet if the four of you, accompanied by Doctor Hernandez and the baby, rushed on over to the Embassy, the rest of us would only spend the next hour or so laughing at you behind your backs.”
    “What a great suggestion,” Jeff muttered. “Are there diapers over there now?”
    “Yes, Commander Martini,” Gladys’ voice came over the com. “Security and Operations had plenty of time to equip the Embassy seventh and third floors with appropriate necessities. Thank you and Commander White for playing stupid to give us more time.”
    “Hey, Gladys, can you please see if Walter, who’s on gate duty, is open to coming with us to handle Security?” I wasn’t pretending—the suite in the Embassy was larger than my parents’ house. And empty buildings creeped me out, for a variety of reasons. The idea that Tito would be alone on the third floor was enough to make me want to have him sleep in one of the many rooms in our penthouse. If I could have taken the entire team with us, I would have.
    “Of course, Commander Martini. Walter isn’t seeing anyone currently, however, so I can ask him straight out with no risk of innuendo confusion.”
    “Good, good.”
    Kevin and Denise Lewis came up to us. “Glad we caught you,” Denise said. Kevin was carrying a big box of diapers on which boxes of other things, like wipes, were perched, and she had a big plastic bag in her hand. “Your friend Sheila said you’d need this, too.” She unswung an awesome diaper bag from her shoulder and handed it to me.
    Christopher took the boxes from Kevin. “I’ll just carry this over for them. Jeff has the bassinet.” Might take a while, but apparently he could be taught.
    Amy took the plastic bag. “That looks heavy, Kitty. Let me.”
    “Electric pump’s in there,” Denise told Amy. “Be careful with it.”
    “Thanks, you guys are the best.”
    Kevin grinned. “Some of us remember what new parents need better than others.”
    Everyone said goodnight, Tito said he’d be over once he gathered his medical equipment and so forth, and the four and a half of us took the elevator to the launch level. It was remarkably silent. Amy and I were looking at each other. I couldn’t speak for her, but if I looked at Jeff and Christopher I was either going to laugh my head off or ask them again how it was they were so remarkably dense.
    “You’re dense, too,” Jeff muttered.
    “Not about getting to have sex.”
    “Good point.”
    More silence.
    “So, think the bed sheets are changed?” Amy asked finally.
    “Yeah. The A-C Elves are pretty efficient. And, per Gladys, they had plenty of time.”
    “Elves?” Amy sounded as though she’d believe it.
    Christopher sighed. “It’s a subatomic, spatiotemporal warp process, filtered through black hole technology causing a space-time shift with both a controlled event horizon and ergosphere that allows safe transference of any and all materials. Similar to gate technology.”
    I looked at Amy. “I’ve waited almost two years for that explanation. Not, I must admit, that I have any idea of what Christopher just said.”
    Jeff sighed. “I knew you’d be happier not knowing.”
    I shrugged. “I don’t care how the Elves do it, I just care that they can.”
    Christopher opened his mouth, to do a fuller explanation, I was sure, but Amy beat him to it. “Do the A-C Elves cover the housekeeping, too?”
    “Yeah, they’re great. Supposedly the Embassy has a full staff of Elves.”
    “Cool!”
    Jeff cleared his throat. “You know, for two women who just spent time making fun of us for being a little slow, you’re not clear at all on this particular scientific theory, are you?”
    I looked up at him as the doors opened. “You can spend a lot of time explaining it to me, or we could just, you know, put the baby to sleep in her bassinet.”
    “I’m not that dense.”

 
    CHAPTER 75
     
    W ALTER WAS PACKED and waiting for us at the launch area. He wasn’t alone. William was with him.
    It was clear