Might. I’m sorry, but you’ll have to sell this to your board of directors.”“Are you predicting some kind of socialized healthcare system down ...the road?” I asked.Jeri nodded, “I don’t see any other solution. All the other major Western countries have gone that route to one extent or another. Don’t you think it’s socialized already? Just inefficiently?”I nodded, “I see your point in that we use insurance to spread risk and share costs, and that the ‘losses’ encountered from treating individuals. " Other bodies to be sold?" she asked."If that is what it takes! The world demands you be strong, Mioki. If you can't be strong, the world will devour you... and I have nothing left to teach you."The implied threat was more than enough to startle her into awareness that she still might lose Darius. Fail to amuse him, fail to show him strength and he would, no doubt, walk out on her just as they had done to Cathy earlier this evening."I'm sorry," she said. "You're right. I have to be strong. I. But it didn’t.”“You sound disappointed,” Captain Humatha said curtly.“No... yes... no...” the ensign sputtered. “I mean, it was attacking the bridge officers. Why did it leave me alone? Am I not an officer?”The captain took in a deep breath and then let it out slowly. “I don’t think it was going after officers,” he said in that overly calm way an experienced spacer speaks when in trouble. In fact, the more serious the trouble, the calmer an experienced spacer will sound. Captain Humatha’s voice. ” After five minutes, Jerry and I went upstairs to get Nick and bring him down for his turn with the group. He had waited over an hour as his wife was fucked again and again. He was about to have an experience some only dream of having with a group of like-minded people. At the bottom of the stairs, Jerry and I waited for Gloria and Jennifer to unbutton Nick’s shirt and pull it off one arm at a time before we attached his wrists to the restraint tethers. Then we let the girls unbuckle his belt,.