Over the next few weeks Stephan, Holly, and Rachel worked on finishing and then sending the last couple parts for the spacecraft up to be added to it by the robots. Meanwhile, Wanda helped Dawn and Jessica work on figuring out the best ways of testing the battery ability on themselves and then on practicing to make sure they were using it as best they could.
As the day of launch grew near, Dawn was trying to make sure everybody would be prepared for the time in space by making sure that all of them that would be going would have regular comfortable clothes to wear during the flight instead of the bulky spacesuits that the government was wanting them to wear at all times like they preferred for their own personnel to wear in space.
When Stephan protested and told her that they needed to wear the suits because it was required on all of the government's flights, Dawn replied, "I'm sorry, I didn't know you had sold your business to the government. Now, if you haven't sold out, then to get up there and until we board your spacecraft, yes we're gonna have to wear those ugly bulky monstrosities that look like they were made out of a dryer's air duct. But once we get on your rocket thing and launch, we'll be on private property as well as under acceleration which will give us a situation similar to gravity and won't need those suits on to be able to go to the bathroom. We'll be able to stand up and go use the toilet facilities that are on the ship. Or did you forget to include bathrooms to handle the matter because you wanted us to use our suits?" she sternly asked.
Stephan replied defensively, "I included them and made sure we have better facilities than the space station does. Granted, it isn't as fancy as you might be used to in your fortress, but it works."
Taking a breath to calm herself, Dawn then replied, "I am awfully tempted to throw you across the room for calling my house a fortress, but still, I think us having at least one or two changes of clothes would be more beneficial than having to stay stuck in those suits all the time. Especially being as I really don't want to have to endure smelling all of the rank body odors that we would continue to add to our air if we were stuck in those huge toaster ovens for longer than a couple of hours."
Stephan thought of arguing further but then conceded, "As much as I hate to admit it, you may be right. And, either way, with you girls on board it might at least improve your spirits and help keep those tempers defused. Or at least keep you from turning into some type of real estate agent and asking me to install bedrooms for everyone. Or wanting a nice cozy entertainment room with a huge comfy couch or more frivolous extras we don't need and don't have room for."
Dawn gave Stephan an evilish grin and replied, "Hmmm.... A nice looking room with a lovely king sized bed fitted with some luxurious silk sheets would be a nice addition." When Stephan, thinking she might be seriously considering it, started to stammer and tried to protest, Dawn finished, "But it'd be a little overboard since we're only supposed to be gone for about a day and a half or so."
Then, enjoying teasing Stephan, she held up a string bikini to herself and, in an innocent manner, asked him, "Do you think this would be a good outfit to take with us? Or would I need to go for a thinner material in case that engine makes the air in there too hot?"
Stephan started blushing and, after working his mouth for a minute, answered, "If... if... ahem... If you wear that then you will earn the spot of pervert three and our trip will last more than a day and a half because H&R will go after you like starving hyenas the first chance they get. And, when they do, I just want you to know that I feel for you but I'm gonna be too busy trying to keep us from hitting an asteroid to try and save you from them. And, even if I wasn't busy, trying to get in the middle of them and something they feverishly desire is a death wish so good luck because they''d probably end up making you their sex slave or something along those lines if you tempted them like that."
"Well durn,"Dawn responded, "You're no fun picking on because that brain of yours always seems to be stuck in business mode."
"Sorry," Stephan replied, "but this engine and it possibly making colonizing other planets affordable keeps me in business mode. So, until this engine makes it to where I can take a vacation on another planet without having to take a year long leave from work, I don't see me coming out of business mode for longer than a couple minutes at a time.
And, speaking of business mode," Stephan continued with a groan, "please tell me that you didn't pay for all of these bags of clothes with H&R's company credit card? Cause if you did then I might have to sell the engine to the government after all so that I can afford next month's credit card bill."
Dawn gave a sympathetic smile and hesitantly replied, "Well, these bags here were paid for out of my personal account that Dad set up for me at the start of this ordeal. Buuuuuuttttttt, your sister bought enough clothes to start a new wardrobe while we were shopping and she didn't hesitate to use your own credit card that she snuck out of your wallet while you were taking a shower this morning."
Stephan blew out an extended sigh and said with another groan, "Damn that girl is gonna break me. And I honestly, in a way, want to get a refund or sell it to some poor, penniless parents. But I also know that her living out of a small suitcase the whole way here kinda necessitates her being able to buy some more clothes. Either way though, I'm obviously gonna have to give this girl a strict budget and make her stick to it if I want to keep the business afloat."
Dawn scoffed and told him, "I would try to feel for you but it was all I could do to talk dad into giving me a thousand dollars for the next six months. Not to mention how it took forever just to talk him into a thousand for six months instead of doing a thousand for the year or two. And, if I hadn't, today's choices would have come from the Dollar Store down the street. Which, given your random choices of clothing, would probably be fine with you but us ladies prefer to have clothes that at least match instead of looking like we're color blind and all."
"Well excuse me Miss Fashionista," Stephan replied with a smirk, "but what folks are like on the inside has always mattered more to me than what they look like on the outside. And, if you must know, I haven't been hesitant to use people's dismissal of me due to how I dress to my advantage in business deals when they haven't expected me to have what it takes to come out on top."
"Whoa there! Sorry, man! I didn't know I was striking a nerve there dude." Dawn reacted, "Would it make you feel better if I told you I bought some sexy swimming trunks for you too?"
Warily Stephan replied, "I don't know. If it's anything like yours I'm out because I don't go for no guy's bikinis or thongs or nothing like that cause I only put toilet paper between the butt cheeks and strings or stuff like that thing of butt floss you got don't go there!"
Laughing at Stephan's answer, Dawn grinned and giggled as she supplied, "Oh my! That reaction is priceless! So, due to the hilarious way you just acted, I'm gonna keep you guessing about them until it comes time for your next pool party. That way you can entertain everyone that might be there."
"And that, my dear," Stephan decided, "is why you will not see me at no pool or beach for a very long time. And, when that day comes, I will be sure to have my own swimsuit along with two spares so I never have to endure finding out what type of fancy washcloth you decided to torment me with today."
"And speaking of washcloths," Stephan continued, "how did a trip for clothes to wear on a trip in space end up with you buying a bikini in the first place? Or do we have this secret exhibitionist fetish streak you're craving to satisfy or something?"
Dawn grimaced as she replied, "While being able to go streaking sounds like it might be fun someday, my reason for picking it up was a much less exciting unattractive reason. Up until these last few weeks of coming here and working with you guys, whenever I wanted to go somewhere outside of the fence my dad would send me with more guards than presidents and world leaders have. So shopping for clothes was already hard as hell and much more awkward because dad made it to where I always had to even have at least one guard in the changing room with me. And I know it'd probably be different for most guys, but for us girls we don't enjoy getting even partially naked in a small room with a guy we don't even hardly know. Add to that me hearing all of the lustful thoughts that they would have running through their heads while I was still in my bra and panties and it made it to where even just picking up a bag of panties in the right size off the shelf was uncomfortable as hell because of all the dirty thoughts those guards would be entertaining just from that. Not to mention that us having a huge bathtub was the closest that dad would let me get to a pool or beach because of him freaking out about all the germs that other people might have bought to the area and stuff like that. So me being able to finally go shopping with just one other female gave me the irresistible impulse to buy clothes I was never able to get close to without getting bombarded by nasty thoughts before."
Stephan frowned, patted her arm, and consoled, "Damn girl. I'm sorry. I didn't even think about how your ability would make something as simple as shopping so much harder. And add to that not being able to even go to the bathroom by yourself and other crazy stuff like that that your dad made you go through would have probably made even the smallest things so much harder."
"Yeah." Dawn said with a slight smile, "Now you know why I like using my abilities to fly home. Being up there by myself makes for a very peaceful break from it all."