THE PEACE KEEPERS

by Tom Tryst

  She soon returns, knowing his needs by now, and sets the two tall glasses on the coffee table before them, then sits, snuggling to him.

  He nods toward the two drinks. “Should you be drinking those - being pregnant?”

  “I won’t harm the baby,” she advises as she settles back. “It’s not alcohol in it. Everything they provide us is healthy - both for us and our babies.” She lapses into silence.

  “You all right, Babe?” he asks, putting an arm around her, giving her a firm hug.

  She just nods. He remains silent, knowing she will speak when she’s ready. It doesn’t take long.

  “Those kids,” she says softly, not continuing right away, “They are so beautiful. Do you think ours will be like them?”

  “Probably. According to Burton, all the kids in his group could be brothers and sisters.”

  “That little girl,” she muses, “She’s a little doll. I wouldn’t mind having a daughter like her.”

  “Or a son?” Daniel offers.

  She pats her stomach. “It’s a girl.”

  “Did they tell you that?” Daniel quickly asks, referring to the robot medics that serve as their health care providers, every bit as skilled as a human medic.

  She just smiles. “No, I just know. It’s a girl. How does Samantha sound for her name? Samantha Sue Davies. That has a nice ring.”

  Daniel is surprised in the change in her, for prior to tonight’s meeting she was rather moody and reluctant to talk about her pregnancy.

  She looks up at him, smiling, “The next one can be a boy. For you. We can name him after you, if you want.”

  “So you’re all right with . . . this arrangement?”

  She thinks for a while. “Yeah. I think so. The question is, how are you taking it, I mean, not being the biological father?”

  “I don’t know. I guess it’ll be fine. I know some of the men are having a hard time, knowing that they will not be having their own biological children. If there are any problems, it will probably be from the men.”

  “They will be their own children. I know they’ll love them as if they were their own.” She again strains to look up at him, to see his expression. “You will, won’t you? Love our daughter?”

  He tries to lean forward to pick up his drink. She gets it for him. He quickly takes several gulps.

  “Well?” she softly asks.

  “Of course I will. I wouldn’t mind at all having a son like Tony.”

  “I hope so,” was all she replies, falling into silence.

  “At least we know we will have healthy, bright children.”

  “The only thing that bothers me now is that they will grow up so fast and then be off to who knows where,” she admits, then quickly adds, “Do you think you can find out if there’s a chance they could have farms of their own near us?”

  He nods, even though she can’t see his head, her own resting on his chest. “I’ll try, but we don’t even know if they are destined to be farmers. I’m sure many of them won’t.”

  “Try. I know the other mothers want to know.”

  They are silent for a while. As he takes another sip, she reaches up to take the glass from him. “I better have some. I know how you get when you have a couple of these. I better keep up with you.”

  He isn’t sure he can get into the mood.

  The next morning, Daniel walks down the lane to the Durwood farm next to his. As he enters the gate, Charles steps out onto the porch, apparently seeing his approach. He continues down the three steps to intercept him.

  “Let’s go the shed,” Charles suggests.

  “Is Carol OK?” Tony asks, concerned. He came over for just that reason, to see how they were taking the news from last night.

  “She’s still asleep.”

  Daniel knows this is not like her; she is always an early riser, getting up even earlier than Charles.

  “Now’s not the time to be keeping things from me,” Daniel mildly admonishes. “I need to know how she’s taking this. You, too.”

  “No, really,” Charles responds with a grin. “She was really in high spirits coming home. I think it was seeing those kids. She started having some coolers - you know, just to relax. She’s never cared for them before. She kept talking about how beautiful those children were. She got a little tipsy after the third tall one, even as low the intoxicant. We were up late; I let her sleep in.”

  “So you think she’s fine with this . . . arrangement?”

  “Looking forward to it.”

  “And you?”

  Charles stops at the shed and looks out over the fields, now in various shades of greens and yellows as his first crop is maturing. “We had decided not to have children. Mostly my preference. Carol agreed, but now I see she really wants to have children. This isn’t exactly what I had in mind, but if she’s happy with it . . . “ His voice trails off.

  “You’re all right with not being the father?”

  “It’ll be her baby. That’ll make it mine!” Charles asserts.

  “Well, I’m relieved to hear that. I hope you mean it. You talked to some of the others last night. What’s your opinion on the situation?”

  Charles shrugs. “I think you sealed the deal by having those kids there. Who wouldn’t want to have beautiful, bright kids like them?”

  “They did brighten up Sherry. That’s all she talked about.”

  “So you think all are on board?”

  “Didn’t say that. I’ll have to have heart-to-heart talks with all the men, but it’s looking good.”

  “How about you?” Charles inquires. “You OK with having an alien child?”

  “That’s exactly the attitude we have to change!” Daniel declares rebutting his use of the word ‘alien.’ “The children will primarily be homo sapiens, just improved. They will be far more Earthlings than another species. Call it evolution. They will have improved. And yes, I’m OK with it!”

  Charles looks sternly at him. “Are you trying to convince me, or yourself?”

  Daniel takes a deep breath and turns to look out over the fields. “You’re right. There will be a lot of adjustment of attitude. It’s kind of like, if your wife had an affair with another man and gets pregnant. You patch things over and stay together, but her child will be another man’s. How do you adjust to that? How do you have a close relationship with the child?”

  “It’s not exactly like that,” Charles quickly corrects, seeing Daniel’s anguish. “More like artificial fertilization by an anonymous donor. I hope you have a better attitude when talking to the others.”

  “I’m working on it.” Then he quickly adds, “If you can get away, I’d like you to accompany me. Keep me focused.”

  “You going to talk to all the families? Today?”

  “That’s what I have in mind,” Daniel answers, “It might take two days. I don’t want to do it by phone.”

  “Of course not,” Charles agreed. “The carts at your brother’s place. We can get started right away.”

  By twilight, they had spoken to half the families. They continued the next day. By late that afternoon, Daniel is assured the other families are resigned to the program.

  Now, if only he can resign himself.

  Chapter Thirty

  They had just celebrated the third anniversary of their arrival on Paradise, accomplished only by sending several shuttles around to bring the people into the center, for now each couple has at least two children. Most of the children are already in school.

  Sherry’s intuition was correct; her first child was a girl, and they did name her Samantha Sue Davies. The second was a boy whom they named Daniel Denton Davies, the middle name after his paternal grandfather’s given name. Sherry is again pregnant, her choice. The short gestation periods make the pregnancy easier, coupled with the lack of the usual morning sicknesses. To Daniel’s relief, Sherry isn’t losing her figure; after each easy birth, she regains her trim, voluptuous figure.

  Samantha’s second birthday will be in a f
ew months, yet at almost two years of age, earth years, she looks to be about six. Daniel, Junior (Danny), just turned one, is an active lad, appearing to be about three. Both the parents are having a hard time realizing that in less than four more years, Samantha will be an adult and probably leave the family for a life of her own. She will eventually fall in love and marry one of the other children, having one of the first full-blooded Paradisians, the future citizens of Planet Paradise.

  None of the human settlers know just how many settlements there are on the planet, nor what the human population might be, for they are not privy to that information for reasons known only by the Universal Council. Neither has Daniel, nor his other fellow citizens, been allowed to travel the planet outside the groups of settlements served by Tranquility, their distribution center. They have been allowed to travel to other galaxy destinations for vacation, not even getting a glimpse of the planet as they leave or arrive back, for they are transported. They step into one chamber and almost instantaneously step out of another at their destination.

  To date, the only places visited by vacationing Paradisians are resort centers catering to only Earthlings and their children, operated by other Earthlings. They meet no natives of the planets they visit. They still have no idea regarding the appearances of their hosts.

  Any questions they have regarding their hosts are met only with vague answers or silence. It does appear that the women will only be mandated to two-to-four births, depending on both their health and desire. Several from surrounding wards have had four children and have requested to have more, wanting children to be with them longer, only to be advised that they are no longer able to get pregnant. But with the children starting to leave them in five or six years, the hope is that some will apt to stay in the ward, working new farms of their own. They would be able to enjoy the grandchildren.

  Sherry has already expressed a desire to have a fourth child, but Daniel is resisting. As Sherry had assured him, the first time he held their child, Samantha, he fell in love with her. The same with Danny. How could he not? No man could ask for more beautiful babies. They were his delight as they quickly grew into beautiful youngsters. He no longer thinks of them as alien, but as improved homo sapiens.

  The afternoon is pleasantly cool, with scudding clouds following a brief morning shower. The air has a damp smell, reminiscent of Earth. It is time to start picking the ripe vegetables for their table, a chore the children love, and one they do two or three times a week. Both are only in shorts, for there is no fear of sunburns. For that matter, their skin is naturally golden tan. Both the children want their dark hair long, flowing loose. They also prefer to go barefoot most of the time. They would probably go naked if Sherry allowed it, but she restricted it to swimming in the nearby creek, their destination almost every day after school, along with many other children. That might have to change as the children matured. The adults take turns being guardians, for the children are never left alone; Peace Keeper 37 made it clear that each citizen was responsible for the safety of all children, not just their own.

  Daniel has long since realized that their only purpose on the planet is to bear and raise the new inhabitants of Paradise. The farms would run with or without them. The easy, back to-the-soil life is their reward for producing the new breed. It is proven that no woman will be allowed to bear more than four children. When the children of the early settlers come of age, only they will breed, and then only with their kind. As no Ward 3 children are yet at the age to strike out on their own, it is still unknown if they will be allowed have their own farms nearby.

  Danny is already studying high school material. Even with his Earth college degree, Daniel wasn’t much help with his son’s homework. By Earth standards, both the children would be considered geniuses. By Paradisian standards, they are average.

  Daniel once attempted to sit in on one of the classes, but was politely and firmly told by the instructing robot that it was not allowed; he would be a distraction to the students’ learning. When he asked either Danny or Samantha what they had learned in school that day, he received the usual noncommital answers that Earthling children gave their parents.

  Both Daniel and Sherry thought English would be the native language of the planet, assuming that all the settlers spoke English, but when Danny began studying a foreign language, they realize they might be wrong. Yet the language the boy is studying was not like any Earth languages he could recognize. It must be an alien language. The two older children, when away from their parents, often spoke to each other in the new language. If that was to be the native language, then their children would someday be able to converse with their hosts, possibly in person.

  While their children are already more intelligent than the parents, they give no hint that they realize this, for they are polite and submissive. Without complaint, they share in the duties on the farm. Danny is getting to the age that he wants to operate some of the small, tracked implements that they collectively called tractors. Sherry will not allow it, as being too dangerous for a four-year-old-going-on-twelve, but Daniel knows that in less than a year, the boy will be almost as tall as a grown man. When the time comes, he will teach him to drive.

  Having gathered a basket of vegetables, now becoming as familiar to them as Earth veggies, it is time to check the surrounding orchards, for some of the young trees are bearing their first harvest. Some are like Earth fruit, but most are not. As usual, Samantha walks with the mother, Danny with him. They have a way to go.

  “So, tell me, Son,” Daniel asks, “Do you still want to be a farmer?” A year ago, the answer would have been an enthusiastic, resounding ‘yes.’

  “Yeah, I guess so.”

  “You don’t sound so sure.”

  “Teacher thinks I should continue with my education to be a doctor,” Danny responds, unsure how his Dad will take the news, knowing he wants him to farm with him.

  “What do you want to do?” is all Daniel can reply.

  “I’m not sure anymore. I like farming. I’d like to have a farm of my own some day, do some experimental horticulture. But Teacher makes the life of a doctor sound very rewarding.”

  “Well, you know you can do just about anything you set your heart on. Don’t let them talk you into something you aren’t really interested in,” Daniel advises his son, “My Daddy used to tell me, “Son, if you find a job you like, you won’t work a day in your life.”

  Danny suppresses a giggle.

  “By that he meant, it’s not work if you enjoy what you’re doing.”

  “I like farming, but it’s still work. Especially chopping weeds in our garden. I don’t like doing that.”

  “You know what I mean,” Daniel insists.

  “Yeah. But, I’d enjoy working the field - driving one of the tractors.”

  “I’ll talk to Mom,” Daniel assures him. ”I think it’s about time for Sam to train you on the use of the various pieces.”

  “That would be awesome!” Danny excitedly exclaims. “You’ll do that soon?”

  “Very soon.”

  Danny was quiet for a long time, smiling to himself, as they walked between rows of fruit trees. They pause at one tree, where Daniel picks a reddish fruit and cuts it in half with a pocket knife. He takes a small bite, then passes the other half to Danny. “What do you think?” he asks after his son takes a bite.

  “Almost ripe,” he declares. “Two or three more days.”

  Daniel smiles proudly as they walk on.

  “You’ve never told me what you did on Earth,” the boy suddenly asks. He had never before expressed any interest about Earth. The Universal Council discouraged speaking of Earth with the children, believing that knowledge the tragedies of Earthlings would only be depressing for them. They would be fully aware that their parents were migrants from Earth, but not all the reasons why.

  “You never asked,” he responds, quickly thinking how he could explain his duties to him, for there were some thing he didn’t want him to know.
/>   Danny ignores his evasion. “So, did you have a job you loved?”

  “Yeah. Yeah, I guess I did. Most of the time.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “Well, Son, with every job, there are times when you have to do things that aren’t fun. Even unpleasant.”

  “Like chopping weeds?”

  Daniel laughs softly, continuing, “Even more so. Especially when it involves other people’s feelings.”

  “So what did you do that was fun, and what did you do that wasn’t.”

  “I was an administrator. A boss. I led a team of very efficient people doing very important work. We worked for the government of the United States. Your Mom, Mr. Durwood and Mrs. Wells worked with me. We all liked our jobs. It was mostly working with computers, gathering information.”

  “I’m learning to work with the big computers!” exclaimed Danny, excitedly. “We talk to it and it answers. Other computers control machines. I could be like you, working with computers!”

  “If that’s what you love, but you choose for yourself, not to please your father or mother. Knowing you, I don’t think you’d like being indoors all day, sitting at a consul, talking to a machine.”

  Danny nods. “You’re right. I like being outdoors, not cooped up inside. Even at school, I look forward be the breaks, getting outside.”

  “Then find out what jobs would get you out in the open. Learn more about them. You have a while before you have to make a choice. Just make an informed choice, not just something your teacher recommends.”

  Daniel marvels at the adult attitude of his son, realizing that he will dearly miss him if he has to move away in a few years. He might never see him, Samantha, or the others - ever again. Maybe never even hearing from them again.

  Danny interrupts his thoughts. “I’d like to stay here, with you and Mom. Maybe have a farm next to yours.”