by J. S. Fields
Nicholas stumbled over his next question. He’d tried to ask it several times already, muttering a “never mind” halfway through each attempt. Emn understood. She’d seen the planet explode firsthand. Talking about its former inhabitants seemed callous.
“There, um, how many?” Nicholas finally managed. “How many got off Rithorununun? Or, was it completely evacuated when it exploded?”
August scratched zir ear with the tip of a feather. “Most of the population was off. There were just a few science stations left, so maybe a few hundred? The government still gave out a few permits back then, but not to everyone. I don’t know. We’ve had colonies on other worlds for over a century, just none in the Charted Systems or the Alliance. I’m the first to make it out this far. Ardulum—”
Atalant cut zir off. “We’re well aware of what Ardulum is capable of, and what it’s done.”
With that, the crew again fell to silence.
Zie isn’t the enemy, Atalant, Emn gently reminded her. And we don’t know why Ritho-whatever exploded.
Bet we know why the Rithani had colonies off-world though, Atalant shot back, her tone biting. We’ve seen Keft. We didn’t know how that ecological chain of events ends until now.
Emn tried to steel her emotions. Atalant was jumping to—the admittedly correct—conclusions. Despite the progress Atalant had made with her Talents, Emn felt the other woman’s temper edging dangerously near to exploding something. This wasn’t a time for explosions and tension and guilt over things Atalant had no control over. Damn it, she’d get this crew on the right track even if she had to beat them all with andal to do it.
You are not responsible for the mistakes of Ardulum, Emn reminded her. And Ritho-whatever and Keft and all the other seeded planets are not Neek.
“But they’re all my responsibility.” Atalant stood and loomed over August. Emn saw the crease in her brow and the purse of her lips and closed her eyes in exasperation. Reparations-Atalant was much harder to calm down than why-is-there-no-bacon-I’m-not-eating-andal-again Atalant. “How many more refugees are we going to stumble across? How many thousands of worlds has Ardulum destroyed? We have to fix things.”
August crossed zir arms and snorted. “We’re not broken, Eld Atalant. I didn’t come here looking for help, just facts.”
Atalant bristled at the title. She always did, but it seemed like it was a particularly sharp barb today. “You have no planet.”
August smoothed a wrinkle on zir pants and pursed zir mouth. Emn could hear zir breath catch, saw the color drain from zir face. “We don’t need help. We could have used it a century ago, but that’s long past. I just want to talk to you. Both of you. See Ardulum, if that’s possible. I… Our planet is beyond help.”
Out of the corner of her eye, Emn saw Atalant grow still, mind going blank.
“You’ve never wanted to see if your myths were true?” August prodded, stroking one of zir feather nails. “Never wanted to see if you could find your myths in a vast universe of possibilities?”
Emn saw Atalant’s stuk start to drip and smothered a smile.
“You don’t make any sense.” Atalant slumped back onto the bench. Emn refrained from pointing out that, a year ago, she and Atalant had made their own pilgrimage to Ardulum. Atalant knew that well enough. Pushing down emotions had always been her initial instinct.
August laughed. “From one colonized subspecies to another, neither do you. Do you always leak fluids?”
Atalant sat up sharply. “You don’t secrete empathic mucus?”
“We might have at one point, but I’m sure that would have been one of the first genes we’d have switched off.”
Emn cut off Atalant’s retort. “You’d be surprised how many uses it has,” she quipped, making sure her eye contact with Atalant was long enough to convey the layers of meaning. Atalant’s face flushed.
“Mucus or not, August is certainly a subspecies,” Wan said as xe finally looked up from hir genetic coder, a look on hir face that Emn couldn’t quite place. “Though, I assume that is not your given name.”
Emn frowned. “No?”
August looked sheepish. “Aruninuntn is my given name, and I’ve got six family names. August will work fine unless Ardulans are used to polysyllabic names?” Zie turned to Atalant. “Are there a lot of subspecies on Ardulum? I can’t even imagine what it looks like. What a thrill, to encounter a fairy tale!”
Atalant’s shoulder bumped into Emn’s, hard enough that Emn could tell Atalant was slumping. She understood the tension, but still, the similarities of their situations were very nearly comical. Under a different set of circumstances, Emn wondered if Ardulum wouldn’t have ended up with Eld Aruninuntn—if the andal had had a specific subspecies in mind or if any wandering, seeking, voyaging one would have worked to shake up Ardulan politics.
August wasn’t unattractive. Emn thought about that possibility, briefly. A different path to the same ending.
I am open to an eventual gatoi partner in this relationship if that’s what you want, but not that gatoi, Atalant sent firmly.
Emn bit her lower lip and stifled a giggle. This was an opening that was too good to miss because, while there were many types of relationships on Neek and Ardulum, it wasn’t uncommon to add a gatoi to a same-gender relationship if procreation was on the table.
I didn’t realize you wanted children.
Atalant’s eyes widened so much that Emn briefly worried that they might pop out from Atalant’s head. Atalant snatched her hand from Emn’s, her stuk already as thin as water, and shook her head violently.
No. No no no no no. That is not how this story ends.
Atalant backed herself up against a wall, her eyes bouncing from accusing to terrified. This was a lot for her. It was a lot for all of them, but the severity was unfounded. August wanted genealogy, nothing more. Zie wanted history and understanding, and maybe to see a few million more beings that looked like zir. Emn got it. Atalant needed that, too.
“Atalant.” Ignoring everyone else staring at Atalant like she had grown a second head, Emn grabbed Atalant’s hand and guided her back to the bench. She put her hands on Atalant’s shoulders, pushed her down, and then dropped, firmly, onto Atalant’s lap.
Emn?
Emn wrapped her legs around Atalant’s waist, ignoring the mental surprise and protest. Who cared that everyone was watching? She put her hands on Atalant’s cheeks and kissed her.
Atalant’s mind fell silent. Nicholas coughed and Yorden chuckled, but Emn only wove them closer together—tongues, hands, minds.
Emn? Atalant asked again as Emn felt the tension start to drain from Atalant’s shoulders.
You can spend the rest of your don mopping up Ardulum’s mistakes or making new ones of your own. There will always be people that need you and crises that have to be averted. This isn’t one of them, but even if it was, you know what? Emn pulled back just enough so that she could kiss Atalant’s chin. Then, she touched the tip of her nose to Atalant’s and delighted in the smile that broke across Atalant’s face.
What? Atalant returned. Her mental voice sounded so hopeful, so earnest, that Emn’s heart leaped with a joy that a year ago she’d have thought impossible.
How we got here, to this place, together. I don’t think it was the Risalians’ doing, or the Neek’s. I don’t think this story is about Ardulum, even, or the andal or god. Gods. Whatever.
Atalant’s eyebrow rose. “The facts and events would suggest—”
“Think about everything that has happened. Think about where we are. This has all been about us finding each other, Atalant. We are how the story ends. Right here. Because it’s a love story.”
“Hear! Hear!” Yorden called as he moved forward and offered an arm to Salice. She took it, and Nicholas stood and joined them, a big cheesy grin spread across his face.
“Love means different things to different people, and it’s not always about romance, but yeah—I think she’s right, Atalant.” Nicholas did his bes
t to flop back down on the bench and then scooted right into Atalant and Emn. Wan coughed loudly and made a hasty retreat from the ship.
Emn wrapped her right arm around Nicholas and pulled him into the embrace. Atalant grunted good-naturedly even as Salice pushed into their other side and Yorden’s arms encompassed them all.
“This is so cheesy,” Atalant murmured.
“And mildly unexpected,” August added.
Yorden thumped Atalant on the top of her head. “Shut up, you love it. You love it as much as I love it. We’re a goddamned family, Atalant. With you here, we don’t even need to go to synagogue. Most realistic utopia I’ve ever been sold—even if you do curse an awful lot.”
Atalant shot him an incredulous look. “I didn’t even know Common curse words before I met you.”
Yorden gave his best innocent face. “I’m a paragon of virtue, lady. I have no idea what you are talking about.”
“Fuck you, Yorden.”
Yorden turned to smirk at Salice, who gave him a scrunched-nose smile in return. He winked at Emn before looking back at Atalant. “We’re always going to have all this shit to do and people who need us and fucking worlds that rely on us. That’s just the nature of things. It sucks, but it only takes as much as you give it.”
Emn leaned in and whispered into Atalant’s ear, “You’re mine, Atalant.” Atalant blushed. Her stuk started to gel on Emn’s arms. “You’re mine, and this is our ending. Right here. Everything else is just—”
“Appendices,” Nicholas cut in. He smirked when Emn glared at him. “Oh, come on. I had to. ‘Cause this isn’t the end end. Just, you know, the end of one story. And Atalant got the girl—or Emn did, whatever—and Salice got the man, and I got a bunch of amazing friends. What more could anyone want?”
Atalant laughed—a cheerful, throaty laugh—and Emn felt her whole face break into a smile. Their eyes met, and in them, Emn saw hundreds of futures, each difficult but refracting hope.
“Okay,” Atalant said, so low that Emn wasn’t certain anyone else heard it. “I’m calm. I’m relaxing. It’s vacation again.”
“About damn time!” Yorden broke his hold on them, nudged Nicholas to the side with a hairy foot, and looked expectantly at Emn while his eyes twinkled mischief. She grinned and slid off Atalant. The moment her bottom hit the bench, Yorden had Atalant by the arm and was dragging her upright and towards the exit.
“Yorden! What?”
“Vacation!” Yorden barked. He opened the hatch and towed a confused Atalant behind him down the ramp.
Nicholas shot Emn a questioning look. She shrugged and queried Salice, but the answer she received was smug and nonsensical. Unsure of what else to do, she got up and followed them, Nicholas, Salice, and August trailing behind.
“Come if you want, August!” Yorden yelled back as they exited the private berth into throngs of beings in the arterial hallway. “We’re always up for a new crewmate, but this is all just a bit too serious, and we’ve got a show to catch.”
“A show?” Emn called up, trying not to get slimed by an Oorin family.
“Cabaret!” Yorden said enthusiastically.
“Minoran again?” Nicholas asked, wrinkling his nose.
Yorden stopped dead in the middle of the walkway, eliciting a number of curses from irate sentients. His mouth quirked into a lopsided grin, his untamed beard pointed in two different directions, and his eyes glittered impishly. “Better.”
“Human?” August asked cautiously as zie edged into the crowd.
“Better.” He dropped Atalant’s arm, wiped his hand on his pants, and then brought his hands together to make an O shape. “Mmnnuggl. Mmnnuggl cabaret. There are skirts. You’ll love it.”
This time, he offered Atalant a hand, which she took, a wide smile on her face. Emn came up and took her other hand, and then Nicholas took Emn’s. And it was stupid, and cliché, and as sappy as Yorden on his fifth whiskey shot—and Emn loved it.
“Come on, everyone,” Yorden said, pulling the chain of them towards the station transport. “It’s time to have some fun.”
Glossary of Ardulan Talents
SCIENCE: Skills of creation, including biology, chemistry, agriculture, design, art, healing, and telepathy.
Markings: Three linked, black circles on the inside of each wrist.
AGGRESSION: Skills of assertion, including innate knowledge of weapons, warfare, trade, land development, leadership, and exploration.
Markings: A variable number (usually seven to ten) of hexagons linked across the right side of the torso. Can span from armpit to hip.
HEARTH: Skills of domesticity, including the arts of protection, shielding, child rearing, teaching, spiritual guidance, animal husbandry, public relations, and construction.
Markings: Exactly four hexagons aligned side by side on the left shoulder.
MIND: Skills of critical thinking, including piloting, problem assessment, mathematics, music, and physics.
Markings: A set of three equilateral triangles, intersecting at one point on the back of the left calf.
Noteworthy Members of the Charted Systems
BALTEC - Minoran System
Minorans are the only known quadrupeds in the Charted Systems. There are seven species that all share the Minoran designation, and while genetically distinct, all can interbreed and produce viable offspring. Minorans have melanin-based skin tones, as well as hair in several shades of brown. Hock spurs are present in two of the seven species; members of these species are seldom seen outside the Minoran System. The number of genders varies across species; however, due to how closely related the species are, this is thought to be due to cultural mores rather than biology. Only one individual is required for reproduction, although the fitness of the offspring increases with each genetically contributing parent.
EARTH - Terran System
Terrans are bipedal, with melanin-based skin. Hair color varies wildly across the species, as does the amount of body hair. Terrans have an unknown number of genders, as this statistic is consistently updated. Reproduction involves one parent from each of the dominant two genders (female and male), although trinary and even quaternary reproduction has been reported.
MISSOTONA - Alusian System
The Alusians are one species comprised of eleven subspecies, which are differentiated by the shape of the scales sporadically interspersed across their carotenoid-based skin. Most are bipedal, and some of the subspecies are known to have fur. Alusians have two distinct genders (female and gatoi), and variants thereof are so uncommon as to be statistically insignificant. Reproduction requires a parent from each gender.
NEEK - Neek System
The Neek are bipeds with similar stature and skin tone to Terrans. Unlike the Terrans, the Neek almost uniformly have red-hued hair, and none are capable of growing facial hair. Officially, there is one species of Neek; however, original Risalian survey data indicate the potential for either a second species, or a subspecies, that lacks melanin entirely. Dominant-species Neek have eight fingers per hand, with soft-keratin nails. They secret empathic mucus from their fingertips and, when under stress, from all of their sweat glands. The Neek have a trinary gender system (female, male, and gatoi). Only two genders are required for reproduction, but the inclusion of a third gender increases fitness in the offspring.
OORIN - Callis System
The Oori are methane-based, phase-shifting organisms with a complicated biology. Little is understood about their physiology or reproduction. Outside of their native ecosystems, the Oori can be distinguished by the small cubes somewhere on their person that act as both an air filter and a translator, as their semi-viscous nature makes forming the sounds of Common difficult.
RISAL - Risalian System
The Risalians are a bipedal, agender species. While their skin tones are melanin-based, the unique density of their skin refracts light in such a way that the dark, high-molecular weight pigment appears as varying shades of blue. Most Risalians have dark hair and h
ave an amphibious—instead of the more usual mammalian—evolutionary history. Breathing occurs through gill slits in the sides of the neck, although vestigial, mammalian-style noses are also present. Reproduction is accomplished through asexual budding. Of interesting note: Risalians are seldom seen without a secondary, companion species. While this species has no official name, they are also bipedal and appear to be reliant on the Risalians for care and direction.
Noteworthy Members of the Alliance
ARDULUM - Yoshin System
During its time in the Alliance, the Ardulan planet revolved around Yoshin as a large moon. The Ardulan people are bipeds with melanin-based skin and are very similar to the Yishin and Keft in general appearance. They lack the heavier body hair of the Yishin and have a thinner keratin nail on their fingers (five per hand). Also, Ardulan skin is quite thin, to the point of near translucence. While Ardulans have empathic mucus glands, no production of the mucus has ever been reported. Ardulans have three genders (female, male, and gatoi); all three are used for reproduction, although only two are necessary.
CRODEQUE - Crodeque System
The Quinns of Crodeque are not the dominant sentient species of their system, but are the only species willing to engage with the Alliance. All Quinns are gelatinous zooplankton, with a wide range of colors and forms. Most are fluid in their presentation and gender. There are forty-seven known genders within the Quinn, but only one Quinn is necessary for reproduction (although any number and combination is viable).
GGLLOT - Ggyynii System
The dominant sentient species of Ggllot are the Mmnnuggls. Mmnnuggls’ bodies are always perfectly spherical exoskeletons with cartilaginous ears (usually two) appearing equidistant from one another. The casing of the exoskeleton has purple anthocyanin-based tones and can range from true purple and lilac to near black, depending upon the mood of the Mmnnuggl. A given Mmnnuggl usually presents in one of four genders (primary female, primary male, secondary female, or secondary male). Any combination of two genders is needed for reproduction, although all four may be used to no ill or additional positive effect.