And What of Earth?

by Stuart Collings

  “It doesn’t sound like you. I don’t sound like me. I think it’s trying to get used to my sense of hearing.” There was a pause. “I still can’t see a thing. Hey, it sounds better!”

  “It may take more time to adjust itself to you, Jennifer” the voice, now much more like Poke’s told her. “You screamed. I didn’t know if it had rejected you.”

  “It was my vision. Billions dead and it’s my fault. If the visions come true, Poke, I could end up being the worst thing that could have happened for your people.”

  A male voice asked “Has it accepted her?”

  “Myka? Are you okay? You looked like you had a stroke. Any idea when I’m going to be able to see again?”

  The voices were now much clearer. “I bonded with you Jennifer. Provider help us, but I bonded with you.”

  “I know. Poke explained it to me. That’s why I’ve got this thing in my head. The people of the Empire will never accept an alien as the Mother. You guys need to come up with a backup plan of some kind.” Jennifer’s sense of touch returned. “I’ve got my body back, I think. Still can’t see.”

  “As I told you, Jennifer. There can be no backup plan. The Empire will have to accept you. Though it will undoubtedly take some time for my people to become adjusted to having an alien as the next Mother.”

  Suddenly, light filled Jennifer’s eyes as her vision returned. She could make out shapes, but most of her field of vision was filled with odd-shaped squiggles floating in front of her face. She knew that it was some sort of heads-up display. Millions of bits of data appearing and disappearing. “Too much information!” she yelled. “Just this room. Just this room.”

  The amount of squiggles decreased dramatically. “I felt like I was getting data from all over the place. I take it that these squiggles are the written form of your language?” The shapes solidified into their normal form. Myka was sitting in his chair again, his face still a little lax and his eyes not quite focused. Jennifer stumbled over to the desk and leaned on it and brought her face close to his. “Are you okay? You still look awful.”

  “Bonding has that effect in some Wakira. I believe you have a good idiom for this — being hit by a truck.”

  Jennifer brought her right hand up to wipe away the most recent tears but found that there was something in the way. “Am I wearing some sort of helmet?”

  Myka looked up at her. “Mother calls it a mask, at least that’s how the word seems to translate. There are multiple versions — this is the one she uses most of the time. I used to hate looking up at it as a child when she would lecture me.”

  “Why? It doesn’t seem to be tinted. Can’t you see my face?”

  “No. Just a pink solid. Not a mirror, nothing translucent or transparent. Just a pink solid.”

  “But I can see you perfectly. Excluding the data streams that keep running across my field of vision. They’re English now. Ohhh, hey! Pull down menus! I can scan you, Myka—. Elevated heart rate. Shallow breathing. Wow! Parts of your brain are really active!” She looked at Poke and shambled over. “I’m still not walking all that well. Fourth in your class?! What are you doing working as an assistant?”

  Poke’s face twitched into what Jennifer knew was the Wakiran version of a smile. “It is a long story, Jennifer. But yes, I scored higher than all but 3 males. Even those who scored lower than I are posted on some ship or another.”

  “That doesn’t seem fair.” She continued playing with the pulldown menus that only she could see. “Paratanda? That’s your home planet?”

  The smile was losing some of its spontaneity. “Yes. It is about 40 standard light years from Homeworld. One of the original core worlds.”

  “I’m looking at some video. It looks beautiful. Is that you? As a young girl?”

  The smile was flickering badly. “I do not know, Jennifer. I cannot see what you are seeing.”

  “Sorry. I’m just kind of juiced by all of this. Ohh, you were assigned on this mission by —.”

  “Jennifer,” Poke interrupted. “We do not need to hear the things that we already know. I apologize for saying this, but to us, it seems rude to rummage through our personal histories without cause.”

  “I didn’t mean any harm. I just find it fascinating that I can access all this information just by looking at some text and blinking twice. Now, how do I get out of this thing?”

  “The symbiote cannot be removed. You must continue to wear it at all times. You can cause the mask to disappear and reappear at will, much the same way you saw the symbiote appear on the desk. Again, we do not know where it goes, or how it knows where you are, but it does.”

  “Haven’t your scientists tried to find out these things, or hasn’t anyone bothered to ask?”

  “We ask, but we no longer try to find the answers,” Myka said. The last attempt was made 16 centuries ago. A laboratory, deep within a planet, with an observation deck and remote sensors. The Mother, of course, had to be present. The scientists attempted to scan the weapon — it will appear some time in the future much like the mask. Everyone in the laboratory died. Everyone in the observation deck likewise died. All who were observing remotely died. Even those located off-planet. All at the same time, without warning. Only the Mother survived unharmed. Included in the fatalities was her mate, the reigning Emperor. No attempt has been made since, and we tend to avoid deliberating what the symbiotes are and how they do these things they do. We have learned our lesson all too well.”

  “So, you have to simply accept the presence of the symbiotes and their power to dictate who becomes your Great Mother? With no idea why they would be interested in the Wakira or the Empire?”

  Poke answered. “It is what it is, Jennifer. We accept what we cannot fight against. It is a part of the Empire and the Wakira. As we have just told you, those who challenge the way things are — have been for millenia — die.”

  Jennifer walked back over to Myka’s desk, her gait now almost normal again. “I’m really sorry that this has happened, Myka. I had no idea that it would. There was no intention or desire to have you bond with me. I feel as though I have destroyed your future because of what has happened.”

  He stood and gingerly walked around to face her. “No one thought that it was possible. I knew that the relationship that we had established was one of simple friendship. I cannot go back to that relationship. My body and my mind are firmly entrenched in this new commitment. I cannot even regret that it happened, Beloved. This definitely is not what I wished would happen, but it has. And it cannot be changed. And I cannot even conceive of being with another female. It is what it is. The Provider has made it so. And what will transpire from it will be His doing as well. How my parents will take it — I am dreading to find out. But it is done. And you are not guilty of anything. Please, Beloved, do not criticize yourself for what has transpired.”

  Jennifer caressed his left cheek with the knuckles of her right hand — their version of a kiss. “Thank you for — everything. We’re both in the same boat. Both of us have now lost any chance at our dreams, and we both face a daunting future.”

  The three of them discussed what they needed to do, given the situation. Pokaifashta would train Jennifer in their language and culture; Jennifer would try to be as close to fluent in the language as she could be for when the Emperor arrived, and Myka was left with the unenviable task of informing his parents what had happened. Jennifer learned how to control the flow of data she would get while “masked” and how to make the mask appear and disappear.

  Late in the evening, while they commiserated, a call from the sentries at the barrier on Emerald came saying that a older Terran claiming to be Gerry Hodges was requesting entry, even though the curfew for entry had long since passed. While Jennifer quickly donned the long-sleeved scrubs she had been wearing (to hide the pink symbiote), Myka informed the sentries that she would soon be there to help him through.

  Just as she was about to leave, she confirmed with Poke that she would be back not long after d
aybreak to start her training, and apologized again to Myka for destroying his future. It was apparent to the two aliens that Jennifer refused to accept that she was not to blame at all.

  Chapter 9

  Sleep didn’t come easily to the three of them. Jennifer worried about what the symbiote would do while she slept — if it would experience her dreams and how it would respond to them. Poke was once again sleepless because of the higher gravity and the longer Terran day wreaking havoc on her body clock. Myka spent the night rehearsing what he would say in separate calls to his father and mother. Short of the Emperor getting assassinated soon after landing, Myka couldn’t see how the mission could get any worse. When he did fall asleep, his dreams were of a certain blonde alien.

  Those dreams were shattered when a communication alarm sounded next to his bed in the predawn hours. He waved his left arm, said the Wakiran word for “Answer”, then sleepily greeted the caller, while still trying to open his eyes.

  “Why are you sleeping?” his father’s voice asked him. “It’s practically midday!”

  Myka finally opened his eyes and saw the image of the Emperor floating about a foot away from his face. “Father, I ordered this mission to run on Terran time. It is not yet dawn here. Aside from a handful of the crew, the change to Terran time has worked out well. The handful who are having problems cannot cope with the extra 8% in the day. So, Father, what have your spies told you this time?”

  “They are not spies. They are honorable Wakira. They are following orders that I gave them.”

  “They are still spying. Each of them pledged fealty to me personally before we left Homeworld. To violate the implied trust for any reason is dishonorable. Once again, you and I seem to have a difference of opinion.”

  His father didn’t take the bait this time. When he finally arrived at the barbarian planet, he would set his son straight. Now was not the time. “I understand that you have had some sort of medical incident. Your mother is worried about your condition.”

  “A medical incident? Medical incident?” Myka was incredulous. “I take it that you have not obtained the entire story — your current emotions would be so much different than what they are now. It also proves to me that no one on the medical staff is amongst your agents. To answer your question, Father, yes, I had a ‘medical incident’. Something that happens to nearly every one of us at some time in our adult lives.”

  He paused, throwing out the various rehearsed conversations he had composed earlier to let his father know what had happened. “Let us see how quickly you can determine just what this ‘medical incident’ was. We had an unexpected visitor appear on board this vessel yesterday afternoon local time. Not one any of us males expected to see. Any ideas yet, Father?”

  The Emperor started taking offense. “Do not play games with me, pup. What happened to you. And who is this unexpected visitor?”

  “The visitor came looking for my friend — the barbarian female as you call her. It found her, and, after a discussion with one of our females, she accepted.”

  “It found her? What did she accept? What has happened? Answer plainly, pup. My patience has worn thin already.”

  “Disaster has happened, Father. Unmitigated, irreversible, unforgivable disaster. And this is all of your making. You insisted on sending me to this place on a survey mission. The medical scientists solemnly declared that it would be perfectly safe for us unbonded males. She, this unworthy barbarian female of a species you wish to exterminate, she is now the most important element in the survival of the Empire and our species. You, Father, you did this to us!”

  “I order you to tell me plainly now, subordinate! What has happened?!”

  “You want this plain, Father? I don’t believe you are ready. I don’t believe any of us would ever be ready —. The visitor was a symbiote. Jennifer and the symbiote joined. The symbiote accepted her, unchanged. Can you now guess what my medical incident was?”

  The Emperor’s expression changed three times then froze. “This cannot be. This is impossible. No alien has ever—.”

  “I am bonded to an alien female, Father. Not something that I ever would have wanted. Not something that the Empire should ever experience. But even with this horrendous concept, Father, consider what the alternative would have been. What if she had refused to join? What would have happened to us then? The only way this disaster could ever have been worse is if she had refused. If she had refused and walked away, where would we be in 10 years Father? Open civil war as clan fought against clan to name one of their own as your replacement. As planet fought against other planets in the Empire, seeking independence. She agreed to join in order to save us, Father. To save you. Someone who is bent on destroying her and her species needlessly. Now, given that she made this choice of her own free will, selflessly, while you Father wish to destroy her, which one of you two is the barbarian?”

  “You are lying to me, pup. It is impossible for a Wakira to bond with an alien. It is impossible for a symbiote to accept an alien as Great Mother. This is a charade that you have concocted with your alien pet in order to preserve her species. It is not going to work. I have seen through your scheme already.”

  Myka refused to let this new insult anger him. “Once again, Father, you disregard what I am saying. You don’t believe me? Fine. I’m sure one of your spies is sending you a coded message even now corroborating what I have told you. Ask the ship’s medical officer. Ask the female who talked Jennifer into accepting the symbiote. Tactician Pokaifashta. One of the juniors you added to my crew just before we left. Have the lead medical officer from the wing in orbit around this planet redo the testing. I am bonded to an alien. She is my mate. I never wanted this. The symbiote has accepted her. She is learning the language and our customs in preparation for meeting you. This horrific disaster, Father, is your fault. You sent me on this mission. You chose this planet and this species, even though they are nowhere near becoming a Level 5 society. This is your doing. Do not dare to blame anyone else for this. I will continue this conversation once daylight arrives here. That will give your agents time to give you the bad news. Congratulations Father. You have a new daughter-in-law.” With that, he severed the connection.

  Chapter 10

  Saturday, for Jennifer, was spent with Poke, learning as many root nouns as she could. With most of their nouns being constructs of compounded root words, learning the roots would enable her to be more fluent much sooner than normal. Verbs would wait until last — they too were compounded to indicate tense, with no special conjugation required. The phrases that Jennifer had learned thus far were a help once she started breaking down the individual components. She had finally stopped parroting their language, and started learning it.

  Myka stayed away, secluded in his office. It was the only way he would be able to function properly, or, at least as properly as his overactive pleasure center would allow. If he couldn’t detect Jennifer’s scent, he was clearheaded. He knew that he needed all of his faculties — he had to try and spin the survey to reflect the best of the Terrans and hide their failings. He had to fulfill the compensation that had been requested by Jennifer when he and his people had callously dishonored her, almost two ninedays ago.

  When she wasn’t teaching Jennifer the language, and the basic customs and societal norms, Poke was busy trying to determine possible courses of action that might help her accomplish the goals she had been tasked to achieve. Some of which were no longer possible. All of which seemed beyond her control. No amount of abasing would save her from the consequences, she feared. How could this mission get any worse?

  Sunday morning, Jennifer made a point of going to church with her dad. This was the first opportunity that she had had since the aliens had arrived, because of the barrier. She wore the only slacks she had under the only long-sleeve dress she owned. Fortunately, both together hid the symbiote reasonably well. She discreetly waved to David and Amelia Stone, sitting by the far wall of the tiny church.

  After the servic
e, Gerry Hodges drifted over to talk with Henry Stevens, to see if he still needed occasional day help. Jennifer waved to Barb’s husband John as he headed out the door with his son, to go to the Burger Shack and help his mom at the counter for a few hours. She then went to the table where the CDs of previous sermons were available for sale to chat with the Stones. As she frequently did, she teased them about being at a Baptist church since they were semi-practicing Methodists. After the wordplay was done, the Stones invited Jennifer and her dad for Sunday dinner, which she gladly accepted. After a quick stop at the church library to borrow a couple of sermon recordings, she saw her dad leave with the Stones, while she made her way to the clinic to do her usual Sunday visit with Barb.

  “Hey Barb!” Jennifer said cheerily as she entered the clinic. “Any customers today?”

  Barb looked up from the 3 year old fashion magazine she was reading. “Hey kid! Absolutely quiet. Look at what I’ve been forced to read. Good sermon today?”

  Jennifer nodded. “Don’t fear,” she said. “I guess since the Wakira arrived, that’s been a popular message.” She placed a folded sheet on the counter along with 2 CD sleeves. “Today’s sermon notes along with the sermon recordings from the previous 2 weeks.”

  “Thanks. I know it seems weird to say, but I’ve missed going to church since Bethy and I switched schedules.” Barb’s eyes flared slightly when she looked at Jennifer’s sleeve. “Jenn, honey, what’s with the pink latex under your dress?”

  Jennifer went pale. “Oh crap! It shows?”

  Barb looked her in the eyes. “Only because I could see up your sleeve. What is a good rural Baptist girl like you wearing something so risque as that? I could imagine Underhill wearing something tawdry like that, but not you. What gives?”

  “Firstly, it’s not latex. Though I freely admit that it sure looks like it. I wore latex for one of the videos my band did. I hated every minute of it. Though, I think I almost looked attractive in it —.” She dropped her eyes down. “But no, it’s not latex. It’s — it’s Wakiran. My body scent is causing problems with some of the alien males. So, I need to wear this thing.” She lifted her eyes back up. “Don’t tell anyone, okay? I feel embarrassed and humiliated wearing it. The aliens don’t think anything about it, but I saw myself in my full-length mirror last night, and I look like a sextrade worker. I don’t need humiliation on top of the crap the county is dumping on me.”