“Ashima,” I suddenly asked. “Do mother’s still bear children in your society?”
Semi laughed and Ashima smiled. “Yes Mark, women can still bear children although many choose to only carry them in their womb for three or four months - and although we can still be inseminated in traditional ways most parents choose to have their genetic material combined under controlled conditions to assure no defects or mutations.”
“”But that takes all the fun out of it!” quipped Anzio.
“Where is the fun in allowing birth defects in your children?” said an astonished Semi.
“No, not birth defects; I’m talking about the fun in making the babies,” he insisted.
“I just wish more of our males shared your sentiment,” Ashima said as Semi nodded. “Unfortunately most of our men look at reproduction scientifically and take it very seriously.”
“But you still have sex!” I blurted out.
“Of course we do,” Ashima quickly responded. “It just might not be for all the same reasons as what you are used to.”
I could have sworn I heard Semi mutter, “Or as energetic as what you are used to…”
If our Earther species of humanity was designated Homo sapien sapien, then I was going to have to unofficially start referring to these aliens as Homo sapien galactica; as similar as they were to us there were also some dramatic differences. It turns out that generally speaking the males in this new galactic civilization we were learning about were consistently less hormonally inspired than their Earther counterparts. When it came to sex this translated into less aggressiveness. It was normal in their cultures for the woman to do the seducing and while most men would be very willing to ‘do their duty’ it was simply lower on their list of priorities.
Why Earthers were different was something scientists would be arguing about for years. Was it a direct result of the ancient Noridian genetic manipulation that created Homo sapiens from Homo erectus, or was it more the unforeseen result of Homo sapiens later crossbreeding with the more animalistic Homo neanderthalensis? Few people realize it but we all have some Neanderthal DNA in our genome.
Either way it made for some interesting and very different dynamics. For example, nature’s way of balancing their male’s lower sex Drive was to increase the female’s. I recalled Silva having mentioned that of the female Coridians that had travelled to Earth none had returned home. I was beginning to suspect that the two issues were related.
“Do people marry? Do they form monogamous relationships?” Anzio wanted to know.
“It depends,” Semi said. “It varies somewhat from one planet-bound culture to another but most of the Dynasties have what you would call temporary marriage conventions for the purpose of having a child. Monogamy, even during those rare child raising years, is a personal choice.
“A significant number of planet-bound cultures, especially those that promote spiritual or religious beliefs, do tend toward monogamous relationships but rarely are they permanent. I couldn’t imagine spending 50 years with the same person, let alone 500!” Ashima exclaimed.
There was something wickedly beautiful about Ashima and from the way she was looking at me I was pretty sure that 50 minutes or even 50 days wouldn’t be out of the question but the truth was that I was more interested in her knowledge of how galactic societies worked. That was knowledge I desperately needed to take the next step.
I had been rehearsing in my mind the various ways I might ask and honing arguments to use if they tried to talk me out of it. Once I worked up the courage to ask how I might meet and talk to a member of a Lower House the answer was somewhat anticlimactic, “DanDreken and his daughter Malatina of House Gabloriel have been known to use the planet Dreken. It is not far from here. If you want to speak to them, go there.”
It turns out that Ashima was willing to take me there and Anzio wasn’t going to let me leave him behind. As for Semi… well, it appeared that anywhere Anzio went she would be going too.
It’s not that Ashima and Semi expressed any confidence that DanDreken or his daughter would agree to talk to us but they were willing to humor my attempt.
The team had spent several impatient days preparing for the return to Earth while Anzio and I prepped for our own journey. Mainly my preparation consisted of spending as much time as possible with Ashima and other knowledgeable Coridians learning everything I could about what might help get the attention of a Lower House.
I learned from Major Reagan that Jaki and the Earth Team had not arrived back on Earth yet and that we had managed to get a message through. I don’t think we were holding a lot of confidence that the message was being received well or even believed but at least Earth had been warned.
Most of the delay in departure had been caused by Major Reagan’s insistence that all kinds of exotic equipment be manufactured for the team to take with them. The Coridians still wouldn’t give us anything in weaponry above what we usually carried but other things like communications gear they didn’t give a second thought to. While Major Reagan was stocking gear for every contingency the real coup was the ship itself that the Coridian’s had loaned us.
Maybe ‘loan’ was too strong a word but the Coridian’s were transporting the team back to Earth on a ship that not only had defensive and offensive capabilities but also carried mining abilities for system-wide raw material acquisition and extensive printing and manufacturing capabilities. They weren’t giving us these technologies—the ship and all its resources were apparently being placed under the authority of Silva. Toni was also a part of a small Coridian crew that would be travelling back to Earth.
If the Coridian’s had decided to rally under Silva’s leadership it was fair to say there had also been a subtle shift in our team. It wasn’t anything formal and while Major Reagan was still very obviously in command he more and more deferred to Julie for the Big Picture decisions. It was almost as if she’d become the military’s civilian oversight—and no one was complaining.
Come to think of it everyone seemed to be allowing me my own discretion as well. When I finally explained my strategy to a small group that included both Julie and the Major they simply incorporated what I was doing into their plans. I tried to make clear to them how much of a longshot this was going to be but they didn’t seem to give that much credence. They apparently had faith in me to achieve the impossible and the pressure of that caused me to wake up in a cold sweat on at least one occasion.
I noticed Julie in a small seating area talking with Toni and several other Coridians. It was the night before we all started our separate journeys and our entire team was involved in the Coridian version of a sendoff party; which to me, except for the number of people in attendance, so far had been indistinguishable from all the other receptions they seemed so fond of. The room was full and almost crowded—although it would never be confused for any nightclub, concert, or other public venue on Earth. The room was louder than any Coridian get-together I’d yet experienced but it was just the low rumbling of so many conversations that created the din.
The truth is Anzio and I could have left that morning, but I wanted to be here for what I deep down suspected could be a final farewell—and a last chance to see Julie and… what? Tell her how I felt? Ask her to wait for me from a mission I probably wouldn’t return?
Just then she looked up and saw me. It was confusing for me the feelings I experienced when she broke out in that incredible smile of hers. The next thing I knew she was standing close in front of me saying that we needed to talk. I know she kept at least one hand possessively on my forearm as we walked to a doorway and I simply don’t remember entering the small empty chamber off the main gallery. I do remember her in my arms, the smell of her hair, her body pressed closely to mine, and the longest most natural kiss in all of existence. While still holding on tight she whispered, “Come back to me Mark” and then with misty eyes she turned and ran away.