Descend- Seeing Stars by Sean Oswald (the ebook reader .TXT) 📕

them budged toward the starting line. Jay looked at them. There was a part of him that just about booted them from the team then and there. He knew that during combat there would be no room for people who didn’t obey orders.

      The thing was by letting them join Team Jay they had made a commitment to him, but he had also made a commitment to them. He needed to try to push through their resistance and get them back into the team exercise. Normally he wouldn’t do what he was contemplating but a statement needed to be made.

      Jay activated Evolved Imposing Will as he spoke to them. The PSI surged from him and flooded into them. Each of them gasped and dropped to their knees. “You will get back up and join the rest of the team.”

      He felt his will crush against theirs and they were unable to resist, but he didn’t want to just force them to do things. That would make him no better than Jasmine. Hopefully now he had their attention.

      “Think about what you are doing. I am serious about this. We can’t have division in our team, and we have to have a chain of command. I want all of you here but if you want to leave Team Jay that is your choice. It is however a choice you only get to make once. If you ever refuse to obey my order or one of the pod leaders’ orders during combat or training, then you are done.”

      Jay stopped speaking and turned his attention to the girls who had gone to the line as instructed. His will crashed over them like a wave and in an instant they all staggered under it. His fuses seemed to have no problem with it. They took it in stride, but the others all dropped to a knee.

      “Do you understand that this is a fight for our lives. All of us have to be on the same page. I will not allow the weed of dissent to spring up now and threaten my wives, my children, or any of you. I will fight to protect you all, but that comes with a price. During peacetime we will have new elections and you can choose new leaders. But for now, I am the leader, and you will obey.

“If it helps to think of it like this, you are all in the army. I will however give you one chance to think about if you want to be here. If you aren’t willing to fight, then you need to tell me how else you will contribute. What position do you want?”

      Sherlyn said, “Is that supposed to be some kind of innuendo?”

      Jay shook his head. Once upon a time the very suggestion that he was demanding sex in return for protection would have sent him into fits of apology. But he knew himself better now. And just as importantly the women in his life knew him. He wasn’t going to let some newcomer call all of that into question.

      “Never once has such a thing been suggested. Truth be told I get more sex than I could ever want. So, no that isn’t something you can offer. Right now, if you can’t contribute as a fighter and you don’t have the scientific know-how to contribute in the lab then your only other option is to work in the nursery. The equipment on the ship cooks, cleans, and prepares clothing for us. Someday we will once again have a need for artists and other things like that, but now all we need are practical options,” Jay replied.

      “Okay, so I can risk my life running into invisible walls which is going to somehow train me to fight cyborg death machines, I can be a nerd, or I can take care of other people’s brats. Let me tell you Team Jay isn’t exactly teeming with job opportunities,” Sherlyn snapped back.

      Both Trina and Amelia moved towards them, but Jay snapped his head at them and waved them off. He sent out a telepathic message to all his fuses, that were within this Tempus Fugit field. “Quick vote, yes or no only. No time for discussion. Do you grant me the authority to expel Sherlyn or the others from Team Jay if they refuse to comply?”

      Ten of his fuses were present and fairly quickly they all answered in the affirmative. He really hadn’t expected anything less. It was part of being of one mind. He figured this was a majority so even the other nine that weren’t here couldn’t or wouldn’t complain.

      Jay turned towards the four girls. “So now is the time to decide. If you want to be part of Team Jay, you have to contribute. What’s it gonna be?”

      Ryleigh dashed quickly, as was her ability, to the starting line. She simply said, “Sorry, I wasn’t thinking straight. The walls just hurt when I run into them.”

      Callie and Greta both made their way to the line moving more slowly but once again they both apologized. That left only Sherlyn standing there. She stomped her foot and shrieked in exasperation. “Are you all blind? Do you want to be slaves to the patriarchy forever?”

      Jay almost laughed at that point. If this hadn’t been so critical for morale he probably would have. Anyone who knew Amelia and Trina but thought they could be slaves to anything was a fool. “So, I take it that you have made your decision?”

      “I’m not gonna be part of this,” she snapped back.

      That was all Jay needed to hear. He time skipped to her and was upon her in an instant. As soon as he touched her, they teleported to another part of the ship where some of the other clusters were locked in their own time