RIBUS 7

by Shae Mills

  Dar's brow furrowed, but Chelan continued. "It's much more likely to be considered morally wrong and unclean for girls to make love before they are married. Men don't respect them as much, and some would never consider marrying them. Things are changing... a bit. I mean, it's getting better, but it has a long way to go. Actually, where I'm from, we are pretty liberal. Some cultures go so far as to circumcise their young girls so they can never experience sexual pleasure. They believe that if sex is painful then they will always remain faithful to their husbands only. Many claim that the only way a woman remains clean and marriageable is by circumcision. It's a very perverse ritual."

  Dar was stunned. "Circumcision..." he repeated. "What is circumcision?"

  "Actually, it's a very brutal form of mutilation—"

  He held his hand up, halting Chelan's explanation. "Never mind." He shook his head and then quickly returned to the topic at hand. "And so in your world, this double standard, who are the women who educate the masses? Obviously they are not celibate."

  "No," said Chelan. "They are the ones who are looked down upon. Some consider them immoral, accusing them of being promiscuous. But like I said, things are changing."

  "And how do the righteous, virginal women know how to participate in their mate's pleasure once they are joined?"

  Chelan hesitated and shrugged. "You're just supposed to know, I guess. Or Google it."

  Dar skipped over the unfamiliar term. "Without any practice or teaching?" he challenged.

  "Well, how do your people learn?" she asked defensively.

  Dar got up and walked across the room, returning with a flask full of the blue liqueur. He poured Chelan and himself another glass and then placed the container by the bedside. He returned to his reclined position and looked down at his drink. "Well," he began, "when young boys and girls come of age, a time that is individual to each young person and determined by that person and his or her parents or guardians, they are literally taught by a tutor of the opposite sex."

  Dar glanced at Chelan, and he could tell that she was not at all sure he was speaking the truth. But he continued. "The tutor is a person usually five to ten years older than the person being initiated. He or she is chosen jointly by the parents and the person being taught. The relationship between the couple usually lasts approximately one year, during which time they learn about each other's bodies, their desires, what is pure love, and what is pure sex. Both genders learn about each other's reproductive cycles, the concepts of respect, self-control, and the simple act of giving each other physical pleasure. Sex is not taboo. It is natural and normal."

  He looked back at Chelan and was surprised to see a smile. Dar smiled back. "What's that for?"

  Chelan chuckled. "So how do you get to become a tutor?"

  Dar laughed with her and then rolled onto his side and gazed up into her eyes. He paused for a moment, bewitched by her smile and the beauty that it accentuated. In a low, smooth voice, he answered. "Before you become a tutor..." He paused, his fingers running down the length of his glass in silent innuendo. "You have to be taught."

  This time Chelan did not avert her eyes. She stared right back, his handsome bronze face illuminated by his beautiful azure eyes. Finally, Chelan shook herself from his spell. "There are some cultures where if a man marries a woman and then finds out later that she is not a virgin, he is justified in killing her."

  Dar grimaced, and his eyes finally left hers. "That's absurd," he muttered in constrained condemnation. He rolled onto his back, one arm under his head. "A woman is not a man's property. He does not have the right to demand sole access to her or to impose his own selfish desire for dominion over her. That is exactly what he is indicating by insisting that she save herself for him alone. Her faithfulness is his way of proclaiming to the world that she is his. Only those men with a deep-rooted sense of insecurity and a warped sense of equality would adhere to such a preposterous expectation. Such behavior and attitudes are inexcusable when enacted by so-called intelligent beings."

  Chelan furrowed her brow. "Well, you are certainly right about the ownership aspect. But as far as faithfulness, though, there are numerous advantages to that in our society." Chelan looked down at her drink, her mind returning to the intriguing idea of a tutor. "So after the training period, then what?"

  Dar smiled. "Then the person is free to enter the adult world."

  "And they can be with anyone, anytime?"

  "Yes, as long as the other agrees."

  Chelan thought a few moments more. "With hundreds of partners, doesn't anyone worry about disease?"

  Dar rolled toward her. "Sexually transmitted diseases were eradicated from our race centuries ago."

  She kept her eyes riveted to him as she slumped down and turned onto her side to face him directly. "And the women, don't they worry about pregnancy?"

  Dar's grin widened. "No, they don't. Our biology has taken care of that."

  "What do you mean?"

  "With our men, and with training and a little self-control, orgasm and ejaculation can become mutually exclusive."

  Chelan's eyes widened. "You..." she stammered, "you don't need one to have the other?"

  "No," he replied casually. "Pregnancy occurs only when the woman is in estrus and both parties agree. Only then is the man allowed to impregnate her."

  Chelan flopped on her back to absorb all the information she had just received. Suddenly she felt warm, and she knew that it was partially the alcohol, but she also knew it was because of her newfound understanding of the people she was with.

  Dar continued to gaze at her. His eyes automatically flowed from her face down her slender neck to her beautiful breasts. Her nipples were firm and stood out prominently through her white gown. Dar caught his breath when he thought of touching her, tasting her, and he instantly warmed. In an effort to tame the heat that burned through him, he rose from the bed and began removing his gloves. Inhaling deeply, he slipped out of his military jacket.

  Chelan glanced over at him as he stood, his back to her. She swallowed hard as he removed his jacket, his powerful shoulders and rippling muscles unexpectedly arousing her. He was exquisite, a prime example of masculine perfection. She watched as he tipped his head back, drawing in a deep breath, his silver blonde hair cascading down his dark skin. She shuddered. It must be the drink, she told herself, and she tore her eyes from him and closed them.

  She felt him return to the bed, and then all was still. Slowly, she opened her eyes to find him again reclined on his side, his head cradled in his hand while his other hand held his glass. He was deep in thought. It was the first time Chelan had seen any of the men's upper bodies unclothed, and for a moment, she decided she had died and gone to heaven. He was powerfully built, and his skin was of molten bronze. His muscles undulated in unison at the slightest movement, and as far as she could tell, he was completely devoid of body hair.

  Her eyes moved down from his chest, over his coiled abdominals and trim waist, his slim, muscular hips covered in the skintight black uniform. Her gaze continued along his well-defined thigh muscles, but ended up, to her surprise, at his groin. She flushed at her brazenness, her mind quickly recording his more than ample endowment. Her heart suddenly skipped a beat, and her respiration increased. She swooned and shut her eyes, trying to think of anything other than the sexual being next to her.

  Dar had felt her gaze upon him but had not looked at her to avoid embarrassing the shy alien. He had detected her increased respiration and smiled to himself. Finally, his soft, deep voice broke the silence. "Do you have any more questions?"

  Chelan eyes popped open, and she cleared the frog in her throat. "Do you mean to say that I could ask any man on this ship to make love to me, and if they found me desirable, they would, and they would not think anything less of me?"

  Dar simply nodded the affirmative. "And any man could ask the same of you."

  Chelan suddenly lurched upright and gasped for air. She held her hand over her mouth as a flash of
forgotten dialogue burst forth from her memory.

  Dar was startled out of his blissful, dreamy world. He ran his hand down her quaking back. "What's wrong?"

  She stood abruptly, almost spilling her drink. She set it down and hugged her arms to herself. Her breaths came in irregular spasms and she paced in an attempt to console herself. "Oh god, if everything you have said is true..." She hesitated. "If what you said is true," she began again in a whisper, "it's no wonder Korba never came to check on me." She hung her head.

  Dar stood, taking her firmly by the shoulders. "What are you talking about, Chelan?"

  "The day I got sick," she began, "he was trying to help me by teaching me how to use the computer. I wasn't feeling well, and somehow, we got on the topic of the future. He indicated that I would probably be on my own when we reached Iceanea."

  She shuddered. "I was beside myself, and I was angry, and I wasn't thinking straight. I... I had voices in my head. I couldn't control my thoughts. And in the middle of it all I told him that I thought Stose and Manza had requisitioned him to seduce me as an experiment."

  Dar drew her into his chest. Her arms automatically surrounded his waist. "Shhh," he whispered to her softly. He gently stroked her hair. "Take it easy, pretty lady. You were ill."

  Chelan winced as more memories intruded. "Then I said that they probably wanted to know if our two races could conceive together, and I told him to quit toying with me," Chelan whispered. "Finally, I told him to rape me and to get it over with," and she sagged into Dar.

  Dar picked her up as if she were a rag doll and laid her on the bed. Cautiously, he lay down beside her and cradled her in his arms.

  She placed her hand on his chest and pushed back from him slightly. She looked up into his eyes. "Oh god, how I must have hurt him."

  Dar removed the hair from her face. "Chelan, the disease was already upon you."

  She shook her head. "I was goading him into committing one of the worst acts your people could ever participate in."

  Dar took her head in his hands and pressed her forehead to his lips. "Chelan, you didn't yet know of our ways and convictions. You couldn't have." He propped himself up on one arm and rolled her to her back. He stroked her beautiful face. His voice was calm and soothing. "It was not your fault. You only acted and spoke as you felt, your feelings colored by your own world's ways. And don't forget the illness. It was attacking your brain. You had no control over your words." He looked deep into her dark eyes. "You were in a desperate situation, Chelan, the tendrils of a devastating disease contaminating your mind."

  "I could never face him again. He must despise me," she whispered as she closed her eyes.

  "No, Chelan, he doesn't despise you. He knows now of the disease, and he understands." Dar felt her calming beneath him, and he ran his hand tenderly along her jaw and down her slender neck. She remained still to his touch, and he drew in a large breath. His eyes passed over her body and came to rest on her far leg, exposed accidentally by the position of her raised knee. He swallowed hard and wished suddenly that she would forget about Korba.

  Slowly, he brought his hand down beside her, gently grasping her gown. He raised it over her silky thigh, allowing his fingers only the briefest kisses against her soft, white skin. He let the dress fall, covering her leg with its supple fabric. He looked back into her fawn like eyes. Dar's gaze settled on her soft pink lips, but he let his head fall in frustration, his silver locks of hair cascading around her face and neck.

  Chelan now trusted the giant man unconditionally. She raised her hands to his head, drawing him down to her chest and tangling her long fingers in his dense mane. She felt him relax onto her, his powerful shoulders dwarfing her slender body. She hugged him tightly to her, reveling in his comfort.

  Dar was in turmoil, the struggle within him once again igniting. He carefully placed his hand over her waist and released the breath he had been holding.

  Neither of them wanted to move, and neither of them did for a long time. Dar was swept away by Chelan's sweet, feminine scent and the feel of her slim, soft waist beneath his powerful hand. His lips were only inches from her full breasts, and he wanted so badly to take her, to bury himself in her soft folds. Her fingers ran affectionately through his hair, the soft brushes of her hands on his shoulders stealing his breath. His loins ached, his control pushed far beyond his expectations, and finally, he forced himself off her. "I must return to my command," he uttered weakly.

  Chelan was oblivious to the unintentional strain she had just placed on him, and she smiled and nodded to him. "I've probably kept you away too long already," she admitted quietly.

  "The pleasure was all mine," he countered as he raised himself from the bed, offering her a hand and a smile.

  Chelan rose beside him. "Tomorrow, may I see more of the ship?"

  He beamed at her as he slipped into his jacket. "You surely can, but it may be later than tomorrow. I have a lot of work to attend to."

  "That's okay," she murmured. "It will be worth the wait."

  Dar did up his jacket and pulled on his gloves. As he reached the doorway, he turned and looked at her. "You can stay here a while if you wish. I know it is cozier than my quarters. I'll send Fremma here to get you when he's ready."

  Chelan stepped up beside him as the doors parted. She stared into his handsome face, his azure eyes alive. "Thank you, I'd like that," she whispered.

  Dar faced her directly. "Now, remember all that I have told you," he said quietly.

  "I will."

  Dar was spellbound. He slipped a finger under her satin-smooth jaw and tilted her head up to his. Gently, he kissed her warm, soft lips. She did not flinch away from him this time, and he withdrew, looking down into her bright eyes. Slowly, he approached her again, kissing her more firmly this time, and her lips parted under his gentle pressure. His tongue began to penetrate her enchanting mouth, and she moaned softly at his entry.

  Dar withdrew suddenly, her acceptance of him causing an explosion from within. He looked down at her and then closed his eyes. He swallowed hard in a futile attempt to moisten his suddenly dry mouth.

  Finally he looked back at her and spoke, his voice a ragged whisper. "That was what I wanted to do earlier." With that he released her chin and turned away, disappearing into the workout area. The doors sealed quickly behind him. When he reached the Command Center entrance, he leaned back hard against the wall, his body and soul ablaze.

  As he calmed himself his attention shifted from the burning in his loins to the dull ache in his chest. He knew that in a very short time he would have to do one of the hardest things he had ever done. When the mission dispatched, he would take over the command of RIBUS 7, and with that change in command he would have to take Chelan with him, returning her to Korba's domain... and to the Overlord's memories.

  Chapter 23

  Chelan stretched as she watched the material on the screen scroll slowly by. She rubbed her strained eyes and allowed herself a yawn. Time to switch to something more interesting, she thought to herself, and her fingers began to tap the keys. The screen jumped to life once again, and words began to file past her. Almost the entire text was in Iceanean. Her rapid acquisition of the language was nothing short of astonishing. However, Dar had tweaked the program so that she could request direct translations if she needed.

  The material led off under the heading IBG, initials Chelan had become familiar with, initials that represented the Imperial Breeding Guild. She remained still while she read.

  The official Guild, established by the Lord God Emperor Sedan I, in the Imperial year 4110, was organized originally as a new approach to combating untreatable genetic disorders among the socially elite. Technology acquired by the Telesians allowed prospective couples wishing for healthy children to be extensively tested. The Guild was so successful in eradicating many genetic diseases that the program was extended to the general public in the year 4215.

  Opposition to the plan arose almost immediately as the Guild systema
tically began mandatory screening and forbade certain people to reproduce. Nearly forty years of uprisings ensued until the Empire finally enforced its breeding policies through military action. Within two generations, statistically significant improvements in the culture's physical health and intellectual acuity were recorded. The program was intensified, opponents were weeded out, and the Empire's culture thrived.

  In the Imperial year of 4342, Emperor Sedan IV realized the value of such a program in producing an army of super warriors for the military. Not long afterward, the planet Iceanea was discovered, and its wealth of hardy inhabitants were exploited for their advanced mental capabilities and physical superiority.

  The Iceanean culture did not object to the Empire's program, as very few adjustments to their genealogy were required due to the Iceaneans' own selective breeding program. Also, the atonements and wealth offered by the Empire in exchange for their military prowess proved extremely helpful, not to mention profitable. Iceanea produced and trained fighters while the Empire supplied its people with technology and amenities that helped ease the hardships they endured on the cold ice planet.

  By the Imperial year of 4561, the military, the heads of states, and most of the manpower in the Empire were Iceanean. Therefore, the Emperor, Sedan VI, moved the crown to Iceanea, where it had remained ever since.

  Chelan took a deep breath and moved on. Breeding Directives, read the next title in Iceanean. Most of the information she then pursued was highly technical, and Chelan had to do a fair bit of translating. The material contained genetic abnormality lists that catalogued the traits that prevented someone from becoming what was known as a Prime Breeder. The inventory also included the desirable traits that qualified a person for such a title.