by Les Broad
CHAPTER 14
Several hours earlier that morning Jodie had carefully measured out the genetic alteration treatments that Doug and Pierre were to receive. She had her work checked by both human and Aupesian colleagues, as well as checking it herself, before deciding that she was satisfied that everything was correct. When the volunteers arrived the treatment was administered by injection, which later Doug described as hideously painful and Pierre as merely embarrassing, and they were then carefully monitored for the next six hours.
All bodily functions were watched in detail, being compared to control data taken the previous day. Doug's pulse rate had risen a little initially, but it fell back to a normal level quickly enough for Jodie and Pete to be unconcerned. Urine samples were taken and compared throughout the morning but nothing untoward was discovered. Everything looked set for the two volunteers to be sent to the Silomiala.
Masyayi, the Omiakique, arrived later in the morning, itself a rare event as only very occasionally did she leave her own domain. Since Pete had diagnosed her last remaining males as infertile Masyayi had really had little to do and her unexpected appearance in the laboratory seemed to be a manifestation of her excitement at the imminence of further matings.
Shortly after Masyayi arrived Pierre complained of feeling unwell, and Pete noted a very slight increase in his body temperature. Mild panic ensued for a couple of minutes as Doug was checked but showed no similar symptoms. Pete took Pierre out, returning a few minutes later to announce that it seemed only to have been a mild attack of nerves, cured by a short walk in the fresh air.
Time dragged slowly by, the predetermined six hour mark being passed, but Jodie still would not release her volunteers. She and her team checked and rechecked everything that could be measured. Eventually, by mid-afternoon, Pete decided that nothing more could possibly be done to ensure that the volunteers were healthy.
"Look," he said quietly to Jodie, "we can do nothing more here. Anyway they're getting fed up with just sitting around. The time has come."
"I suppose you're right. Let's send them off, but pray to whatever deity you believe in that we've missed nothing." Pete just smiled a hopefully reassuring smile.
"Pierre, Doug, I just want a word with Masyayi then you'll be on your way.” Pete turned to Masyayi and sat looking pensive.
"Nikki told me about the way you do things in the Silomiala. It's very different to anything these two men have experienced before, so don't be disappointed if they have any, er, difficulties in doing what you want them to do. They will eventually do things in your way and you must not let them even suggest changes to your methods. They've been told what is expected of them today."
"I will treat them well. I hope that each will be able impregnate two of my females, but I will not press them. I hope for success. Do you wish to attend?"
"No, we all think it better if Pierre and Doug are the only humans there. The only other thing I can say is good luck."
Pete then turned to the volunteers, unsure of what to say in this situation, which suddenly struck him as bizarrely comical.
"Look, you've both been told what will happen, but it'll probably come as a bit of a shock when you actually start sort of, well, getting down to it. Do it their way, don't pass comment and do the best you can. You've got twelve hours and with a bit of luck you can both come away with two pregnancies to your names. Any questions?"
Both shook their heads as Masyayi came to take them under her supervision. Pete withdrew as she and the two volunteers talked for quite a few minutes before handshakes heralded their departure. Masyayi led them out, leaving silence in the laboratory.
Jodie looked around at her team. Nina, Zeftio, Pete, Jikeg, Bezali and Kirsten. Only Patlu of those who had worked on the project was missing. They all looked tired and, she had to admit, uninterested in what awaited their two volunteers. She knew it was a false impression, but it still conveyed that image. In the silence, Jodie's thoughts drifted on to Nikki and the contribution she had made to this moment. It must, she thought, have taken courage to agree to help the Aupesians without knowing that the work had already been done, and it certainly showed a huge amount of faith in the people she had selected to come from Earth. No, she thought, she most definitely would not have liked to have had to face that decision. It helped, of course, that Nikki and Masaya seemed to get on so well. Or had got on, she corrected herself, suddenly remembering that Masaya was on her deathbed, apparently feeling unable to oversee the dilution of the Aupesian species once she had taken the inevitable step of allowing the interbreeding to begin. Jodie thought she understood Masaya's position and suddenly felt very, very sad. Nikki was right, though, when she said that there was no alternative and it did no-one any good to speculate whether Nikki may have changed her mind if she'd realised that it would involve the death of her friend. On balance she decided that, even if Nikki had known that Masaya would make the decision to die, she would still have carried on. It was a heavy burden to bear, though, and for that reason there must be some positive results. She still had her concerns about the long-term future, but for those concerns to become reality short-term success was first necessary.
Slowly the team members drifted away from the laboratory, presumably to find somewhere to sleep. That had been a rare luxury since they started work here. Soon only Bezali was left with Jodie, making tired efforts to clear away the detritus of days of non-stop work.
"Leave that," Jodie told her, "there'll be time later, or tomorrow. Then we'll have to set up a production system so that measured doses are always ready."
"But first we must see that Doug and Pierre are successful We will know that only when females are, I forget your word?"
"Pregnant? True, and there's nothing much for us to do until we know that we do have pregnancies. Do you know how long it will be before Masyayi will be able to tell us?"
"Not long, perhaps two days, or three. Almost as soon as one of the Silomiala becomes pregnant it is possible to tell from the kulgnik - the liquid waste from the body."
"I see. We have a urine test as well. So, two or three days, and then we'll be back at work. Come on, let's pack up for now."
"Perhaps you will come to my dijjixol, apartment in your language. It is small, but we can rest, eat and drink there."
Jodie accepted the invitation happily, leaving the laboratory with just a brief thought about what might be happening to the volunteers.
In fact they were feeling confident as they arrived with Masyayi for their stint in the Silomiala. She had counselled them well and they both felt, more so than ever before, that they knew what to expect and what was expected of them. So comprehensive was Masyayi's briefing as they walked towards her domain that both were having almost identical thoughts. She had stressed that the system in use had been researched and refined over hundreds of generations and now represented the most reliable way of ensuring the highest possible rate of successful matings. Both Doug and Pierre were becoming used to the term 'mating' being used, now feeling it to be more appropriate to the circumstances than they had originally thought. When it was first used Pierre in particular thought it desensitised a process that he had always believed to be loving, intimate and tender, but now in the Aupesian way he saw it merely as a means to an end. He fervently hoped he would still see it that way afterwards. Doug would, if asked, perhaps not have expressed the change in his feelings in quite the same way but his view of the process that he was shortly to be a part of was essentially the same - it was a means to an end and the end, in this case, justified the means. Unlike Pierre, Doug had yet to think about how he might feel after the event.
Masyayi led them down the same corridor that Nikki had passed through, going right to the end where she entered a small, sparsely furnished room. It contained just three chairs and what passed for a washbasin. Pierre and Doug looked around and at each other with slightly bemused expressions but Masyayi spoke before either could say anything.
"Please, prepare your
selves. You have clothing, which our males do not. Once it is removed we can begin. First, I take you, Pierre, then Doug. Afterwards you rest before you work again."
Pierre was first to peel off his clothes, standing unashamedly naked. Doug followed, sitting equally naked as Masyayi, who seemed to be pleased so far with them, led Pierre out, closing the door behind her.
It was mid-morning the next day before Doug and Pierre returned, eventually finding Pete in Plisfou's apartment. He didn't seem pleased to see them.
"Did you have to come here? Nikki's in bed and I didn't want her disturbed."
"Sorry. How is she?" Doug sounded contrite.
"Tired, but much better today. I suppose she'll want to know how you got on now you're here."
Nikki had been talking to Plisfou when she heard voices and asked Plisfou to find out who was there. As soon as Nikki learned it was her two volunteers she was out of bed and dressed, joining the others as if nothing had happened to her.
"You're supposed to be in bed!"
"Sorry, Doctor, but I want to hear what these two have to say. If I stayed in bed I'd just worry, wouldn't I?"
Pete knew when he was beaten, so he just told Doug and Pierre to tell their story once Plisfou had provided them with cups of steaming akkuzu.
"Well," said Pierre, "we've compared notes, of course - we stayed overnight so had plenty of time. We seem to have had pretty much the same feelings, and the same experiences. I'll tell you what happened first.
"Masyayi seemed to be pretty pleased with us, telling us we are much bigger, where it counts, than the males she's used to dealing with. The actual job was easy enough, after all it can't be much easier than when your woman is both eager and restrained. We both managed to deal with two successfully while we were there, so I suppose the objective was achieved."
"We've also talked about how we felt." Doug seemed to be a little more serious as he took over the narrative. "It is really an odd situation, and while, as Pierre says, we didn't have a problem in doing the job we both felt, oh, I don't know, not exactly dirty, more sort of used, I suppose. It's just that it's so clinical. The omia don't even seem to have names, or if they do we were never told them. You don't get to talk to them, just get in there, do what is necessary and get out. I think Pierre's right when he says we're bigger than their males because we might have hurt the women a bit, unintentionally of course. If we're right it's a point worth bearing in mind for any Aupesians joining our families."
"We can tackle that problem easily enough," said Pete confidently, "whether for families or for future work in the Silomiala."
"The crux question for me," Nikki said with a concerned look, "is whether you'd be prepared to go back and do it again."
"We talked about that, as well. Individually we thought the answer would have to be no, and I know that if I'd come alone I would have said I wouldn't go back. Doug has said exactly the same." Doug nodded in agreement. “But there were two of us, so we could talk. Given the position these people are in, we both take the view that if this system has been good enough for them for a hundred generations or more it's good enough for us as long as we don't have families at Gifford. The next time will be easier, and we can help any other volunteers too."
"That's terrific!" Nikki was ecstatic about their decision, but knew she had to temper her own enthusiasm.
"I understand your concerns," she said after a brief pause, "but I hope you'll feel the same way once we know whether we have any pregnancies as a result of your efforts. I don't know when that will be - Pete?"
"Jodie asked Bezali exactly that, and we'll know in just two or three days. If we have even one success it will be a major triumph."
"I wonder," Plisfou said quietly, “if Masaya will be alive to hear."
"It seems so tragic that two events, one so full of promise, the other so sad, should be so inextricably linked." Nikki seemed to shrink a little as she spoke. "Do you think that she would want to know the outcome?"
"I think yes. But when we know you, Nikki, should be the one to tell her."
"If you think I should, Plisfou, I will, of course."
The next couple of days passed slowly, with an air of uncertainty arising from the wait for news about pregnancies and from the steady weakening of Masaya. Nikki sent her own people back to Gifford, and would have gone with them had Pete allowed her to travel. The high spot of those waiting days was Bryn's arrival, with Alison and Patlu. When they finally arrived at Plisfou's apartment Nikki was alone and becoming bored. Plisfou was taking Pete's advice seriously and was letting Nikki do as little as possible, but had now been away for a couple of hours and the appeal in yet another cup of akkuzu was now rather limited.
Bryn's arrival at the apartment was a delightful surprise for Nikki, and that he had brought Alison and Patlu with him an even greater surprise. Unknown to Nikki, Patlu had been only too pleased to be invited to join Bryn's family, and more so when she learned that Nikki was to be part of that family. The initial concern that her visitors showed for Nikki quickly disappeared when she made it quite clear that she regarded herself less as a patient and more like a prisoner - she went as far as joking with Bryn that she needed to be broken out.
Plisfou returned a little while after Bryn's arrival and was at first concerned to see that Nikki had visitors who might weaken her, but soon realised that her concern was unfounded. She was easily swept up in the happiness that surrounded Nikki, Bryn, Patlu and Alison, and their delight at the prospect of moving into their house. Patlu had by now seen it in its completed state and had been almost overcome by its space and facilities that she had previously not dreamed of. By Aupesian standards Plisfou's accommodation was spacious, but the apartments occupied by both the Vixtamol and Roxtamol were cramped.
Bryn had wondered what he could do to lift Nikki's spirits, so he had decided with Alison and Patlu that their commitment document should be brought to Botijjo #2 and could be signed straight away. He was only a little deflated by Nikki's reaction.
"We need to wait another day or so," she said, "because by then we'll know whether our Silomiala experiment has worked. As soon as Pete confirms that, I can't think of a better way of celebrating!"
Plisfou looked pleased with Nikki's progress, and particularly that she seemed to have brightened up since her visitors arrived. She had no hesitation in allowing Nikki, against Pete's orders, to go out for the first time since her collapse. She watched the four of them disappear, and some element of Masaya's fears crept unbidden into her mind. She now realised that nothing on Aupes was ever going to be the same again and that Masaya's decision to end her life was not, as she had thought, because of shame or guilt. Plisfou knew now for sure that Masaya had taken her decision as a symbolic gesture of transition into a new age. It also explained with blinding clarity another decision that Masaya had made, known then only to Plisfou, Fejoq and Masyayi.
Jodie, Nina, Pete and Kirsten returned to Botijjo #2 the next day to be on hand as soon as news came from the Silomiala. They had gathered in the laboratory with the Aupesian team members, and were joined by Bryn and his proposed family as extremely interested observers. Plisfou came and went, trying to deal with her normal work but not to miss anything as they all waited for Fejoq, who would bring the test results, to turn up.
The morning came and went slowly as the laboratory was cleaned, more for something to do than out of any sense of duty on the part of Jodie and her team. Fejoq arrived early in the afternoon with Plisfou, who it seemed had been collected on the way. Her normally humorous expression was in place as she was suddenly bombarded with questions before Pete yelled for quiet to allow her to speak.
"I have come from Masyayi. The tests have been performed and the results have just been given. Masyayi is delighted to report that two omia are carrying young."
There was a spontaneous round of cheering and applause that seemed to last a long time, and Nikki noted particularly that both Fejoq and Plisfou appeared to
be no less pleased than anyone else. She also took careful note of Bryn's reaction to the news, and wasn't entirely surprised to see him with tears of happiness running down his face.
As the noise slowly subsided, Nikki held up her hands for quiet. It's now or never, she thought.
"We know now that what we believed to be possible is indeed possible, thanks firstly to the skill of Aupesian scientists all those years ago, and secondly to the skills of the team put together here. I hope that the spirit of co-operation between Aupesians and humans that has now brought about this result is a good omen for the future because I now have two duties to perform. One I shall carry out as soon as I leave this room - " Nikki looked briefly at Plisfou with an expression that managed to convey both joy and desperate sadness - "but the other I shall do right now. Bryn has a piece of paper that needs four signatures - I'm going to enjoy watching him sign that paper as his commitment to a family made up of him, Alison, Patlu and myself."
There were congratulations flowing around the new family as first Bryn, then Alison, then Patlu and finally Nikki signed the commitment to each other. Nikki knew as she signed that it was beyond any doubt the best thing she had ever done, coming as a result of so much effort on so many fronts by so many people.
With the signing over she excused herself, as did Plisfou. Once outside the laboratory, Plisfou asked: "So you will now tell Masaya of the result?"
"Yes."
"Good. Please remember she is very weak and may not react as you expect, or may not react at all. Also, my friend, do not be surprised at what she has to tell you. I know what it will be. I, Fejoq and Masyayi all support it and I, on behalf of us all, beg you not to decline. Now go, there is little time."
Somewhat mystified, Nikki left, arriving at Masaya's rooms swiftly and was admitted by one of the Vixtamol who she didn't recognise. Masaya was lying in her bed, clearly near death. Her appearance shocked Nikki and she approached the bed slowly and quietly, then stood still just looking at her friend's face. She was ashen, her skin having taken on an almost translucent aspect. Masaya seemed suddenly to become aware of a presence and her eyes opened. Nikki was startled by their clarity and sparkle, contrasting starkly with her face.
"Nikki," Masaya said so quietly that her voice was nearly inaudible, "you have news?"
"Yes. Masyayi has told us that we were successful with two omia. We are going to carry on so that there will be more pregnancies."
"This is good." Masaya paused and breathed deeply, as if in pain, before continuing. "Now I have to tell you another of our ways here. It is a matter that I have discussed with Fejoq, Plisfou and Masyayi. This I must do before I decide who is to succeed me as Jukkakique."
Masaya's eyes closed for a moment as she fought for breath before she was able to speak again.
“It was agreed that my decision was right. You have brought your people here and have worked well in helping us to survive. It was hard for you to decide to do this. It is because of you that our race will continue and it is right that you, Nikki, become Jukkakique in my place. Masyayi does not help in running our city but Plisfou and Fejoq will assist you as they have assisted me. May the years to come treat you well."
Masaya gripped Nikki's arm as Nikki leaned over her to reply, but with a last exhalation Masaya's life finally ended. Nikki's mind was simply blank and she sat for a long time beside the body of someone who, in a short time, had come to mean a great deal to her. She wondered if she regretted not telling Masaya about Patlu's agreement to joining her own family, but couldn't decide whether she was right to omit any mention of that event. As the minutes passed her mind slowly focussed on Masaya's appointment of her as the new Jukkakique - so that was what Plisfou had meant. Her first reaction was to decline, but Plisfou's words rang loud. She considered other people's reactions. Bryn? Louise? Fiona? This affected them and it affected the whole colony at Gifford. The only thing of which she was certain was that she couldn't stay here. She knew nothing of Aupesian customs on death, but someone must be told that the end had come. She eased Masaya's cooling hand from her arm and stood, looking at Masaya's calm expression for the last time before turning away and leaving the room.
Outside she found to her surprise Plisfou and Fejoq waiting. Neither spoke.
"Masaya has died. I told her of the success in the Silomiala and she seemed happy. Then she spoke of her successor, but you knew what she was going to say. I need to think very carefully about whether I can accept."
"You must accept. We need your skills, but we know that these will be freely given as they have already been given. More than this we need your guidance and your wisdom. So much will change and neither Fejoq nor I are able to control those changes as you will be able to."
"All I can say now is that I need to talk to the people at Gifford; after all, they see me as their leader. If I have their approval I will accept, but I must have that approval."
"I understand," said a rather sombre Plisfou, "and until you accept Fejoq will become Jukkakique, as is our custom. You have much to do with your new family, and they must also be happy for you to accept."
"Yes, that's true. I think that Jodie and her team should stay here to carry on with their work, but I will go back to Gifford and make my decision. It won't take long. Now, let's get back to the laboratory and get things moving."
The news of Masaya's death cast an air of gloom over the team in the laboratory, and even affected Nikki's family. She told everyone there of Masaya's decision and explained that she needed to think carefully before accepting. She was at pains to point out to Bryn, Alison and Patlu that their opinions were the most important and at Bryn's suggestion discussions were deferred until they arrived back at Gifford and the reaction of the community there could be gauged. The flight back was sombre, but Alison, despite piloting the aircraft, was able to lighten the mood a little.
"Look," she said, "Masaya has done something that she believed was right. We've lost a friend and that's always sad but life goes on. She chose to die at a time when new life was being created, and that's a choice most of us don't have. The four of us now have to begin our own life together and carry on the work that's started so well. We've got our own house and that must become a refuge from everyday cares, particularly for Nikki and Bryn. Patlu and I can make sure that there's a stable base at home, can't we, Patlu?"
"Yes. It is necessary for Bryn because he works hard and so many people need his skill at Botijjo #2 and Gifford. If Nikki becomes Jukkakique she will need our support. We will give it."
"What do you think, Patlu? Should I accept?"
"Yes," she replied without hesitation, "because only you can guide humans and Aupesians to become one community."
The enormity of the task suddenly struck Nikki as a result of Patlu's choice of words. It was, after all, what she was trying to do without really realising that such a union was her ultimate goal. From that point she knew that she would argue for acceptance instead of being guided by the reactions of others. As she had already ignored their agreement to leave discussions until after their arrival at Gifford she thought she might as well find out what all her family thought now, rather than waiting.
"OK," she said after a brief pause, "Patlu thinks I should accept and has said why. What about you, Alison?"
"I agree. We've got to integrate and I can't think of anybody better to manage it. You may not know much about Aupesian customs, but it seems to me that Plisfou and Fejoq both respect you and will give you whatever help you need."
"Another vote in favour. Bryn?"
"A cautious yes, I think. You're needed at Gifford, but things can be adapted to give you more time to spend at Botijjo #2. You may end up less committed to the family than I might like, but we'll support you whatever you decide. On balance, I think you should accept. Although what the Aupesians will think of a pregnant Jukkakique is something to think about." Nikki was relieved to see that Bryn had said this with a smile, but it was a point worth taking s
eriously.
Alison landed the aircraft in what had become the usual place behind the hull of KonTiki, the arrival being almost ignored as it had become a familiar sight. The new family strolled through the late afternoon sunshine to their house, being greeted happily by several people who all offered their congratulations on the formation of the family. Bryn had suggested leaving any discussion of Nikki's appointment with the others until the morning, giving them the evening to settle into the house. They spent some time moving their few personal possessions from KonTiki to the house and after a good dinner, which Patlu said was as good a reason as any for living in a human family, retired to bed.
Nikki was at her desk early the next morning, talking to Bryn about communications. She was more anxious than ever to have a system working.
"Everything is in place," Bryn said, "and all I've got to do is connect up the power supply to the relay. I can do that today and unless anything goes wrong we'll have the whole system available by tonight. Of course, it'll take a little while to get personal communicators around to everyone, but we'll get as many out today as we can, finish off tomorrow and then get them to everyone at Botijjo #2 as soon as we get back there."
"Good. It'll be a huge help. Now, I should put Fiona and Louise in the picture and see what their reaction is about events up at Botijjo #2. I'm not looking forward to this."
"Do you want me to find them and get them here?"
“If you could, Bryn, thanks."
Bryn went out of the office, leaving Nikki to think how she was going to tackle Louise and Fiona. He knew she wouldn't want too much time to think, so he found both of them and told them individually that Nikki needed them right away. Then he set off to deal with the relay as he'd promised, trying not to think about what might happen in Nikki's office.
Louise arrived first, pleased to see Nikki back and obviously well again.
"We've been worried about you," she said, "and it's good to see you looking better than you have for a long time. Family life is going to do you good."
"I rather think it might. It's really nice being part of one - we are going to get on well and be surrounded by children."
“You're serious, aren't you? Will any of these children be yours?”
"Oh yes. I think we need a few mini-Nikkis around the place, don't we? Seriously, I do want to have a child because it's what we're here for. The first step towards being able to go back to Earth if a future generation wants to."
"Well, you're putting some of us to shame."
"Putting who to shame? Why?" Fiona's voice startled both Nikki and Louise - neither had heard her come in.
"Nikki was just saying that she's going to start producing little people."
“Oh, I see. I suppose we all should, really. But you didn't get me over here to tell me that, did you?"
"No, Fiona, I didn't. I wanted to tell you about what's been going on at Botijjo #2, because I need to know what you think."
"Hang on, let me get a cup of coffee if this is going to be a saga. Anyone else want one?" Both Nikki and Louise did, so Fiona poured three cups and brought them across to Nikki's desk before settling herself.
"OK,” she said, "you may begin."
"Thank you," Nikki replied with a smile, "I'll start with our volunteers. It's a case of mission accomplished, I'm pleased to say, and they're prepared to carry on until they commit to families here. If there are any other volunteers Doug and Pierre are there to help them. I have to say that a huge amount of credit should go to Jodie's team for the work they did. They are simply brilliant, and I include the Aupesians in that team as well. Anyway, it was successful and I had to tell Masaya of the results.
"As I'm sure you know, Masaya was ill, because she had decided to end her life - apparently it's something that Aupesians can do at will if they want to. I told her about the results and was with her when she died. I'd like to think she died happy."
There were gentle commiserations before Nikki was allowed to continue.
"Just before Masaya died, after she knew the results, she told me that it is the Aupesian custom for the Jukkakique to take advice from her other, er, officers, I suppose you'd call them, about her successor. Anyway, she'd done that and they'd agreed on who should take over. They, I'm afraid to say, want me."
"You? But why? I mean, you're not one of them, are you?" Fiona sounded quite shocked by the idea, while Louise seemed unable to say anything.
"It seems that the fact that I'm not Aupesian doesn't matter. They want to integrate their society with ours and seem to think I'm the right person to do it. So?"
"Well!" exclaimed Louise, "So they want to integrate, do they? Forgive my cynicism, but what's in it for us? We lose our leader - you're respected here and everyone still looks up to you - having already given them food, not to mention the one thing that their society lacks, fathers. So far in return we've had a few outfits. They're quite nice, I suppose, but it doesn't seem like a fair exchange."
"Perhaps you're looking at this from the wrong angle, Louise. They asked me because they can see that having the two communities fully integrated is best for both of us. I know we've helped them a lot, but let's not forget that it was their technology and research that made cross-breeding possible. Even Jodie admits that she couldn't have done it without their work. There is so much knowledge stored in their computers that we haven't begun to tap, and without us they can't get at it because they don't have the skills. We do, but we can't get at it either unless they translate it. To use that knowledge we've got to work as a team. It's a start on integration, but it's going to be a long road. And don't forget that there are half a dozen other cities left on this planet and if one person somewhere discovers how to release the stored knowledge while we're stuck in the comparative stone age we will be very vulnerable. Sorry to end on a scare story, but it is possible."
"OK, I take your points. If you go ahead, you'll be in charge here and up there, will you?"
"Unless anybody changes things here, yes, Louise, I will. But my contribution here is largely administrative anyway, with you two and Bryn doing the real work."
"But it's you who pulls everything together. Would you still be able to do that?"
"I think so, yes. I'll live here with my family and, bearing in mind the amount of time I've spent at Botijjo #2 recently, I'll probably actually spend more time here, particularly when more Aupesians join our families. In fact, I could base myself in this office and create a joint executive committee to run both communities."
"Who would sit on this committee?" Nikki thought that Louise's question might suggest that she was beginning to warm to the idea of acceptance, while Fiona's continuing silence was worrying.
"Well, I'd chair it, with you, Fiona and Bryn from Gifford and Plisfou, Fejoq and Masyayi from Botijjo #2. Masyayi wouldn't bother to show up, Plisfou you know well enough and Fejoq is very happy-go-lucky, but sensible and caring."
"I see. Personally I wouldn't have a problem with that. What about you, Fiona?"
"I still can't get my mind round the idea of them wanting a human in charge of them. I almost wish I could see an ulterior motive, but I can't. Given that they are, technologically, centuries ahead of us we can't lose, can we? And as far as I can see they can't either. Government by committee run from here sounds perfectly acceptable, but we'd have to let the community have its say. There may be people here who might not like being told what to do by Aupesians, unreasonable as that might sound."
"Fair enough, I suppose," Nikki replied, "but how do we get everyone's opinion quickly?"
"You leave it to me," Louise said confidently, “and I’ll organise it. You'll have a result inside a day."
Nikki had, it seemed, overcome the first hurdle. Her family and those responsible for running the community at Gifford were in favour of her becoming Jukkakique at Botijjo #2, and now all that remained was to see what the community itself felt. If Louise said she'd find out in a day, the decision could
be made as soon as the community's voice was heard.
There was nothing pressing for Nikki to attend to, so for the first time for a long time she could treat herself to a quiet stroll along the beach. As she walked, her mind drifted over what might be possible. A road network, perhaps, bigger boats for fishing and intercontinental travel, regular air travel between cities, improved agriculture - there were so many possibilities once the secrets of the Aupesian computers were revealed. Even space travel and the means for their children, or children's children, to return one day to Earth. Her musings on travelling around Aupes reminded her that there was to have been a meeting of the Jukkakiquen from the other Aupesian cities, but apart from it being raised once nothing more had been said. Nikki resolved to find out why.
She had enjoyed her stroll immensely, her mind being now firmly in favour of a gradual integration of the two communities under her guidance, with the help of the soon-to-be-formed committee. Bryn was waiting for her in her office when she returned, looking very pleased with himself.
"Ah," he said when she walked in, "there you are. Have a communicator." He passed her a slim silver-coloured box that fitted snugly in her hand.
"What do I do with this?"
"Well, most of us here have got one, so think who you might want to talk to, press the button once and say the name. Then you just chat away like we're doing now. Press the button again to cut it off." Nikki looked at the communicator, pressed the button and rather self-consciously spoke into it.
"Alison?"
There was a pause of a few seconds, then: "Nikki? Is that you?"
"Yes! These things actually work, don't they?"
"They do. He's quite clever, isn't he? For a man, that is."
"Yes, but don't tell him. Anyway, I was just testing to see if it worked. See you later."
"Bye," said Alison's voice. Nikki pressed again to cut the call off.
"And these things will reach Botijjo #2, will they?"
"They will, and probably further. As I've handed them out I've told people not to lose them, and to keep them handy, so I'm telling you the same thing. They come with a clip, so you've got no excuse."
"OK, I won't lose it," Nikki said, treating Bryn to one of her mock-sarcastic looks. "It looks as if I'll have to go to Botijjo #2 tomorrow so these things can be dished out up there. That'll make a huge difference to management of the two communities."
"That suggests you've decided to take the job on."
"I have, but Louise is organising a survey, ballot or whatever to see what everyone here thinks. If people here say no, then no it is. Louise reckons she'll have a result for me tomorrow, but how she's doing it, well, I've no idea."
Louise was as good as her word, and had spent a lot of time going around everyone in the community explaining Nikki's position and getting opinions. By the middle of the next day she had reported her results to Nikki.
Nikki was anxious to get away and discuss with Plisfou the implications of her decision, now finally made on the strength of what Louise had discovered, but Bryn would not come. He was busy with work on the river dock and fish processing shed, so had briefed Alison on the distribution of communicators - after all, she'd have to fly the aircraft and would be in Botijjo #2 anyway. Nikki was happy with that, and shortly after midday they set off, arriving in one of the rare rainstorms that afflicted Botijjo #2 from time to time.
Between them Alison and Nikki hauled the rather heavy box of communicators from the aircraft and managed a fair turn of speed on foot, arriving wet and panting at the laboratory where Alison was intending to base herself. After they had dried off sufficiently, Nikki started to look over Jodie's notes.
"Don't drip there," Jodie cautioned, only half jokingly, "that's the result of a lot of work and, I hope, is going to make your day."
"Oh?" said Nikki, intrigued, "do explain!"
"OK," Jodie pulled up a stool and sat, looking tired, "I think the Aupesians should be very proud of their ancestors. Thus far, we'd discovered, or rather re-discovered, how to deal with the temporary alteration of male human genes so that they can achieve successful mating with Aupesian females. It seems to work, but the timescales involved are not particularly good for using the practice in a family context. It's no problem with the Silomiala, but families are a bit different. It was, to be fair, Zeftio who put her finger on something we'd all missed.
"She pointed out that in the Aupesian visits to Earth it seemed unlikely that human males were being altered to be able to mate with Aupesian females - it was more likely that human females were being altered to accept Aupesian males. So I said to Zeftio that she could plough through the source material that we have here on computer to see what other information there was. She found the process for altering human females, but that doesn't get us very far because the root cause of the whole problem is the extinction of the Aupesian male. Zeftio realised this, of course, so she kept looking. She found the means, as clear and precise as everything else that these people have done, to alter Aupesian females genetically to accept human males. So, in your family, for instance, before Zeftio dug up this new information Bryn could, um, do his stuff with you and Alison as often as he likes, but couldn't with Patlu unless he stuck to the timetable that we worked out. Now, with what Zeftio has found, we can provide a supply of genetic treatments for the Aupesians in human families so that they are no different to the human females. As long as, for instance, um, Patlu takes the treatment a good six hours before Bryn has his wicked way with her there'll be no problem."
"Terrific! That's a huge leap forward!"
"Now hold on before you get too excited. What we haven't found recorded yet is any reference to the nature of the offspring." Nikki looked somewhat blank, so Jodie carried on. "It seems to me likely that if we alter a human male, as we did with Doug and Pierre, what we're going to get is a baby who is more or less purely Aupesian. On the other hand, the alteration of an Aupesian female is logically likely to produce more or less purely human offspring. I could be entirely wrong, but these seem to me to be reasonable conclusions."
"Yes, I think I follow and I think I agree. But we're following work done by the Aupesians as part of an experiment to eliminate the aggressive part of the human nature. I would expect there to be some element of success to the experiment, so even if we end up with a human offspring from an Aupesian mother it would have more of an Aupesian nature, even if it was otherwise human."
"Well, time will tell, as long as the treatments keep on working and the pregnancies run normally and to term. Pete is pretty keen to keep a close eye on the mums-to-be but Masyayi sees it as her responsibility and I don't think she's too happy to have him around. He can satisfy his urges to prod and feel bulging stomachs once we get a few pregnant Aupesians at Gifford, of course."
Nikki said she'd try to head off any confrontation between Pete and Masyayi and, with a quick word of encouragement to Alison, she set off to find Plisfou or Fejoq. Fortunately she found them together in Plisfou's apartment where they were discussing how to obtain an increase in the city's tapijjux production.
"Nikki!" Fejoq exclaimed with some surprise, “we did not expect you until tomorrow. You have come to accept the position of Jukkakique?"
Well, thought Nikki, there's nothing like coming straight to the point.
"I am here to give you my decision, yes. It was not a choice I could make myself, as my family would be affected if I accepted. They are in favour of acceptance." There was a look of relief, verging on ecstasy, on Fejoq's face, while Plisfou smiled widely. Nikki returned the smile, but held up a hand saying that there were other factors to be considered. Plisfou temporarily diverted Nikki by wordlessly passing her a steaming cup, which to Nikki's great surprise turned out to be coffee.
"We have decided we like this as much as our own akkuzu, and I thought you would be pleased by this."
"I am, Plisfou, yes, and surprised. I wasn't aware that any supplies had been set up here."
>
"It was given by one of your families. I was invited into their house on one of our first visits and met Debbie, Tasha, Nick and Zoe. Because I liked your coffee I was given a small supply and was taught what I must do with it."
"Good. I'm pleased that my people, right from the start, were hospitable! Now, I was saying that my family were in favour of acceptance. Even then, I could not accept without asking the community at Gifford, because I have been answerable to them for a long time. That has been done and I have had their answer. I have also talked with Bryn, Louise and Fiona, who occupy similar positions to the two of you and Masyayi."
Nikki paused and sipped her coffee.
"You must tell us the result of these discussions."
"Yes, Plisfou, I must. Almost all of the people at Gifford are in favour of my acceptance, but my discussions have really defined the way in which I must accept."
"As long as you are our new Jukkakique, Nikki, we will accept your terms. Fejoq will be happy not to be Jukkakique!" Fejoq laughed loudly, perhaps because she found Plisfou's comment funny, or perhaps just from relief.
"Well, as both the leader of the human community here and as Jukkakique of Botijjo #2, I want to see the two communities operating more closely, and perhaps one day becoming fully integrated. I would want to work towards integration. To that end, I think we should have a committee of management, a legislature - the name is unimportant, but its function will be to run both communities. It will consist of myself as its head, with both of you, Masyayi, Bryn, Louise and Fiona as its other members. The aims will be to provide agricultural help here, so that your diet becomes more like ours, new clothing and building materials for Gifford and the development of a transport and communications infrastructure."
"I am sorry, Nikki, I don' t think either of us understand your last word."
"I can put it a different way. I want us to oversee the building of a system that will allow us to move between here and Gifford, as well as your other cities, easily and freely. I see this as necessary so that yours is not the only city either to benefit from a human presence or to bear the cost of the benefit."
"Your words are now clear." Plisfou looked satisfied and glanced at Fejoq, who was sitting with a huge smile on her face. "We can accept all that you say, and I am sure Fejoq will be happy to pass over the klupixij, the symbol of the Jukkakique's authority."
"It is necessary," Fejoq said, " for me to use certain words, in our custom, because you did not become Jukkakique immediately on Masaya's death. I held the position from the time of her death until you accepted, so now I must say this." She stood, as did Nikki and Plisfou.
"I, Fejoq, took the klupixij from Masaya on her death only because you, Nikki, did not. You now say you are Jukkakique by right of choice. This I do not dispute and freely pass the klupixij to you, Nikki, and acknowledge you as Jukkakique in my place."
Fejoq passed to Nikki a small, quite heavy rod, as thick only as a finger and a little shorter than Nikki's forearm. It was jet black, tipped in a gold colour, and seemed to be slightly rough but any markings on it were not visible to the naked eye. Nikki looked at the symbol silently as Fejoq and Plisfou returned to their seats.
"I hope I can justify the faith that has been placed in me," Nikki said, "but I can assure you and all the people of our two communities that I will work as hard as I can for the good of all."
Nikki slowly subsided into her seat, the enormity of her tasks as leader of two communities and as a family member suddenly becoming clear.