“Um, we’re going to have to report in on this one,” Nystrom said. He looked around. The men were still staring at Jorja’s breasts. The female soldiers seemed to be eyeing the loincloths of the nearest natives. Nystrom’s face grew hot, but he kept his mouth shut.
“Why don’t you all stay for dinner? We could introduce you to what I like to call roast beast.”
Nystrom nodded dully and excused himself. He stepped back a few paces and pulled out his radio.
“U.S.S. Saratoga, this is Red Leader. Come in.”
“This is Saratoga. Captain Richardson here.”
“Uh, yeah, captain. Tell Houston we have a problem. The astronauts have gone native on us.”
Chapter 37
Kathryn Dyson stepped down from the ramp, trying not to cry in the bright autumn sunlight of Earth. Her legs were still a little wobbly, made more so by the thousands of cheering fans who had turned out to greet the returning women. She spotted Brian and a very tall Donnie, who both ran up to hug her.
“Oh, you can’t imagine how much I missed you two!” she gushed, her heart overwhelmed with emotion. “And Donnie—look how big you’ve gotten.”
“Welcome home, Mom, but please, call me Don now.” He had matured so much in the last two years, she realized.
“Let’s get you away from here. I have big plans for you,” Brian said. She blushed and smiled, tears in her eyes. He kissed her, right there in front of millions, and squeezed her ass briefly. Kate didn’t even mind.
Allyson and Greta stepped out behind her, bringing another cheer from the crowd. They stood and basked in the attention before being whisked off for some much-needed private time with their families.
This was not the welcome they had envisioned. Kate had expected to be vilified for leaving Beth and Jorja behind. Instead, it was NASA and its design of the pods that took the heat. The fact that Kate went down alone, against orders, and nearly succeeded in rounding up all her crew fit in perfectly with the American image—tough, bold, unafraid, and willing to do anything to help her crew members.
The true story would not have come out if America had relied just on Kate’s report. She gave a minimal summary of the rescue. Allyson sent Kate from the bridge to rest from her ordeal with a wink and called up Houston and gave them the complete version of events. America decided Kate was a hero. If it hadn’t been for an overcrowded pod, the mission would have been a rousing success.
No one blamed Kate when she arrived home. NASA quickly ordered that all pods be made larger—which meant the scout ships would have to be larger as well. Another advancement for the space program.
Despite the attention, Kate didn’t feel like a hero. She still felt guilty for leaving Beth and Jorja behind. She went through the interviews with the media and appeared on talk shows to benefit the program, but her mind and spirit weren’t in it.
It wasn’t until the reports came back from the Saratoga that Kate learned the truth. By all accounts, the two women they had left behind were happy on Devon.
Her fear that they would be punished proved to be groundless. Although the Baktu culture was based on male superiority, the Earth women were considered to be valuable property. Would you damage a Van Gogh or a Stradivarius?
Once Beth had the medical kit, she was able to partner with Niktus to aid many of the villagers. She felt she was making a difference and having the support of Niktus made it much easier. When she learned she was pregnant, rather than being dismayed at the thought of having an alien child, she was overjoyed that she could share her love with the older man.
Jorja had several more fights, mostly exhibitions and warm-up spots on the cards. She was treated with as much respect as any man, especially after an incident in a village bar when a drunk man claimed the fights were fixed and tried to show that a man who wasn’t in on the scheme could defeat her easily. After Jorja threw him into a table, twice, her legend only grew.
They realized that the image of this race that they first observed was really a sham. Men were in charge, but behind the scenes, women wielded considerable power. Like Ally did with Pitus, women who had some worthwhile talents used them to support their “masters.” In exchange, the men would give them great latitude in the house, out of sight of the other men in the village.
The sight of women being led around by leashes was simply a tradition, a holdover from earlier, darker days. Women actually enjoyed this display because it showed how much she was valued by her master.
Epilogue
Many years later, recently promoted Captain Allyson Egerton returned with a newer, faster ship to Devon to visit her former crewmates.
She touched down near the village, which had grown considerably since her first visit. A welcoming procession arrived. By now, the villagers were used to visitors from their “sister planet,” Earth. When Beth and Jorja saw it was Allyson who had returned, they were overjoyed.
Beth introduced Jamel, her son, now six, and Berda, her daughter, three. Jorja had a son, Kendor, age two, and was pregnant with another child.
Both women were naked and both wore their collars proudly. Allyson felt a little embarrassed to be overdressed in her NASA coveralls. She stripped down to tee-shirt and shorts in the heat and they strolled back into the village for a feast.
“You are both looking very pleased with yourselves,” Allyson remarked. “You’ve really adjusted well to this culture.”
“Yes, we had to travel two million miles to find men we could love,” Beth admitted. “I’m not sure why. I think it was because men on Earth are so hung up on body image. Just because I was carrying a few extra pounds, some men acted like I didn’t exist. Before I joined NASA and started traveling the heavens, I probably had ten dates. None ever went anywhere.”
“I had the same problem for different reasons,” Jorja told Ally. “I’m a big-boned, bold, beautiful woman. I think I intimidated men. At six feet, there aren’t that many men who were willing to be seen with me. And when they learned I could kick their butts if I had to, that only made it worse. Earth men are so insecure.”
Ally laughed. “And to think we were worried when we had to leave you behind. I can’t tell you how that tore us all up.”
Beth chewed on the inside of her lip. “Yeah, I was worried too, at first. But deep down, I think I wanted to be left behind. I felt there was so much more I hadn’t accomplished here yet.”
“My reason was more practical,” Jorja said. “I knew I had to stay behind because I was the best equipped to survive here. What started out as a sacrifice led to a very satisfying life.”
“Do you think you’ll ever go home?”
“No, except for a visit,” Beth said. “And I’m not sure I can handle being away for so long.”
“The new ships can make the trip in two months. Some don’t even bother with cyrosleep,” Ally told her.
“I’d be interested in returning, but not to stay. Like Beth, my life is here. I finally feel like a normal-sized woman on Devon. I wouldn’t want to go back and deal with all those problems again.”
“I’m impressed. And frankly, having you two as our goodwill ambassadors is doing wonders for our relationship with the Devon planet. Thanks to you, the elders have even agreed to let us build a starbase here.”
“We may be seeing a lot more of you, huh, Captain?” Beth said. “You may be stopping by to partake in our local delicacies. Maybe even try out one of our well-endowed men?”