Why does the CA overlook severe problems with O’M? Like, if O’M has plant life, it would also have microbiological life that may prove deadly to the people of Dadr’Ba. The sterile environment on the ship is safe. However, the GLC people of Dadr’Ba would be easy prey to a bacteria or virus.
Why isn’t the simulation based on “most up to date and accurate data” not causing us to use biospheres and bio suits, at least at first? The CA is making O’M seem like a paradise, a dream come true.
O’M is going to be an alien world that Dadr’Ba’s will have to learn to fit into and manage. The CAs prohibition against calling O’M alien doesn’t make it less so. What’s the CA’s plan? It’s up to something; Su’Zi just knows it. She closed her eyes and dug her bare toes into the sand and took a deep breath; no this doesn’t feel right; she was certain that the dreams she had had were what the real O’M was like.
“It’s just not right” Su’Zi heard next to her as if repeating aloud what she had just been thinking to herself. She responded, “no, it’s not” then glancing up. Standing there, it was him, the man of her dreams. But no, looking again, this is a To’Ta, a teenager, he was far away in her dream and her Mi’Nr eyes, not naturally good at a far distance could have deceived her.
Yet, she knew psychically that this is the person she saw in her dream, beyond all doubt, this is the one, she was certain of it. An impulse came over her and without thinking and seemingly defying the capabilities of the virtual world’s interface Su’Zi was up and had her arms around P’Ko while P’Ko stood there dumbfounded, wondering what had just happened.
During the repeating dreams, P’Ko had been curious, even anxious about the woman he saw; his dream vision was as good or better than his self-trained eyes in reality, and he thought the woman in his dream was more than beautiful, she was gorgeous, too beautiful to be real. Yet, he felt drawn, compelled to seek her out.
While the way the dream ended was disquieting, the woman in the dream captured his imagination, and P’Ko wondered many times what it would be like to meet her in real life.
P’Ko had finally talked himself out of believing it was anything more than a just an impossible dream, and dismissing it as something to do with natural tensions associated with the imminent coming of age ceremony and anxiousness in anticipation of the gender and bio-mod.
P’Ko was drawn to this out of the way virtual beach wondering and hoping the dream woman would be here. He spotted her from quite a way off, even though she was sitting instead of standing and was wearing a pastel colored, loose fitting shirt and shorts, he knew that this is the woman from the dream. His heart raced as he carefully approached, cautiously fearful that she’d disappear like a fog phantom that sometimes forms near opening and closing hatches in the lower levels.
He prayed that this wasn’t just another dream that he’d wake up from, and she’d be gone. As he approached and the vision of her didn’t vanish or fade away, self-doubts started to creep into his mind. Could she just be an avatar? In real life could this woman be clonely or a mishmash of poorly executed bio-mods? P’Ko was close now, approaching from a slight angle behind her. Then he froze, wait. He’s walking up to perfection, while he, a To’Ta, as clonely as clones get, is going to walk up and strike up a conversation.
He doesn’t even know what he was going to say; his mind went blank, speechless. She’ll laugh at him. Okay, he’s been using a little makeup, and he tries to dress well, but compared to her, he’s nothing. “It’s just not right,” he said, without thinking, just as he was preparing to quit out of Vr’Chm[65].
P’Ko was stunned, frozen in time, mind racing, going nowhere. P’Ko had to shake his mind to bring himself back. If there was anything more troublesome to P’Ko, it’s his tendency to over think. He can react quickly, but mostly for situations he had thought through in advance, and he wasn’t at all comfortable with this virtual interface.
Now in a blink of an eye, he has a beautiful woman virtually wrapped around him. He’s so flustered that he can’t figure out how to use the virtual interface to respond. Had there been an automated embarrassed emote he would have surely maxed it out.
But now he doesn’t even know how he wants to respond. This is the first time in his life that he’s had a woman throw herself at him. And not just any woman, the most beautiful woman he has ever seen. The first thing that’s coming to his mind is to quit out of Vr’Chm and disappear, but he resists the urge.
Finally, after what seems like an awkwardly long time, P’Ko, in response to her unrelenting hug, he haltingly and awkwardly put his virtual arms around her.
P’Ko always thought himself to be clumsy and shy in interpersonal relationships and not very open with his feelings, although the people and things he cared for he was committed to and felt he could lay down his life for. At this moment, he was lost.
In response to his touch, the woman gave a kind of soft grunt indicating, although not registering through the virtual interface that she just squeezed him tighter. Then slowly they backed away from each other and looked.
P’Ko, with a mechanic’s background, normally had an excellent sense of time, but when it came to people and psychic things he was lost. He couldn’t calculate how much time had passed, seconds, or minutes.
P’Ko didn’t know how to react to having a distinctly beautiful, attractive woman, a Mi’Nr, shorter than he, with long dark hair, possessing sensuous curves with a little extra in all the right places, stand so close to him and to just have given him a long and clearly passionate hug.
Along with many of his friends P’Ko had dreamed of such an occurrence, often fantasying about it. But imagined it happening after they had the equipment to respond appropriately.
P’Ko didn’t know what to do, or how to respond to this buxom and vivacious woman, a woman that exuded, even through the virtual interface a natural, comfortable, confident kind of beauty.
And P’Ko, not thinking in advance, still in his school uniform, translated, unaltered through the Vr’Chm access interface, stood bald, clonely, with no bio-mods, face to face with this beautiful woman. And she had just given him a passionate hug. It was impossible for P’Ko to feel smaller or more insignificant, he wanted to crawl under a virtual rock and disappear all he could muster was “I’m sorry.”
Su’Zi stood looking at the To’Ta in front of her; he stood motionless, and his avatar image seemed to flicker as if his connection was failing, on the verge of disconnect. Su’Zi began to realize that her impulsive hug of a To’Ta, a young person, that could be half her age might have scared him out of his wits. Her psychic sense told her that he was a “he”, and as she looked at him, his stammering voice slowly evoked an “I’m sorry” confirming her suspicion.
This To’Ta did nothing to be sorry for, and suddenly Su’Zi realized that the young man from her dream might at any instant drop out of Vr’Chm never to be seen or heard from again, and she doesn’t even know his name.
She exclaimed in a Mi’Nr’s accent, “No, no! Wait! I’m the one that ought to be sorry! It’s me from the dream! Please stay!” “Tell me your name!”
P’Ko felt so bad and awkward, he wanted to be a hundred light years away; he felt like he was under water, starving for breath; he was a fraction of a second away from disconnecting and dropping out of Vr’Chm when he heard her plea for him to stay. This was the woman from the dream, and she wanted to know his name.
He paused, taking a deep breath and regaining a little composure, replied, “P’Ko.” To which she replied, “Hi, my name is Su’Zi” her Mi’Nr’s accent carried an air of feeling, sincerity, and compassion that went beyond the virtual selves they were interfacing through. P’Ko felt Su’Zi psychically reach out to him and comfort him.
P’Ko knew that he should be able to trust Su’Zi, but he was so far out of his element, so far out of his comfort zone. His first instinct was still to disappear or take off running, just like so many years ago running away from Dan’Zu and his gang. His second impulse,
not even an instinct, to fight, never even attempted to surface. This woman could strike him dead, and he wouldn’t have lifted a finger to prevent it.
He’d been training Martial arts for years, yet the more he learned about the techniques, the less he was inclined to deliberately use them. Unknowingly, he relied on his martial arts discipline and self-control now, it was the only thing keeping him from running or disappearing.
Most of all he didn’t want to hurt by action or inaction the woman that had been for him the focus of his dream. The woman that he came here searching for. P’Ko was already afraid he had hurt her feelings by not responding more appropriately she obviously felt something for him. She hugged him, why hadn’t he thought through that possibility?
He was attracted to her even in the dream and would have liked her to hug him, but had never actually expected it to happen. Why is he so stupid, so dumbstruck, it took a great strength of will not to abort the virtual connection and disappear from Vr’Chm.
Don’t just stand here he told himself, say something, the longer it was taking, the worse he was feeling. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity the tumult of events and feelings were starting to settle.
Okay, deep breath, she cares for him, why else the hug? To this beautiful woman, he should be just another school age clone you pass on the street without a second thought, no distinguishing marks except for school uniform, its Id markings, and maybe a little makeup.
P’Ko cursed the CA for insisting that your Vr’Chm avatar be based on your real self[66], created from your actual specifications and images. They claim that Vr’Chm is being used not only to introduce O’M to the people of Dadr’Ba but to be as realistic as possible, and assess how well the people of Dadr’Ba adapt to O’M.
Su’Zi recognized him from the dream, and she said so. She knew that he had had the dream too. psychically, it had to be psychically, of course, she’s a Mi’Nr, and everyone knows that Mi’Nr’s have stronger psychic abilities than the rest of the crew.
He could recognize it now; it was a psychic feeling that brought him here, before he even saw her, he felt her and knew Su’Zi was the woman in the dream. P’Ko could feel her now, especially now that he’s tuned, and she must sense him even more.
Thinking of the dream P’Ko remembered feeling drawn to Su’Zi. They would have probably approached, met in the dream if it weren’t for the painful wailing that built to the crescendo that ended the dream.
But this was not the dream beach, the dream beach was more vivid more beautiful, it touched all the senses, there were different colors, grasses, trees and sea life, even the sand was different. This beach, although still under development was a cardboard replica of a generic beach.
P’Ko finally replied “This feels all wrong, this place” looking and gesturing around him, “how about we meet and get some tea, someplace real?”
Su’Zi’s heart leaped, and she had to fight back the urge to give P’Ko another hug.
P’Ko said, “How does ‘Ym’Cha’s[67] in Nu’Tn’Ka sound?”
Su’Zi’s heart sank, she knew of Ym’Cha’s. Each sector has at least one, Ym’Cha tea shop, Mi’Nr’s rarely go to them, not that the tea is bad but they are all in Nu’Tn’s, and Ka is sector three, and she’s in sector two. To go there would mean going from sector two to sector three, doable, she’d visited Mi’Ka, so she knows the way. But like most Mi’Nr’s Su’Zi doesn’t like going up to Nu’Tn, particularly when she would likely be the only Mi’Nr in the place, and get a questioning tone from the servers and sidelong glances from the other patrons. Then it’s warmer in the Nu’Tn’s than Mi’Nr’s are accustomed to. She’d be hot and uncomfortable and to top everything off the blasted CA has its all-seeing surveillance system watching everyone and everything in Nu’Tn’s. She felt deflated.
P’Ko sensed something wrong, as soon as he mentioned Ym’Cha’s Su’Zi’s expression changed and she projected a psychic pang of dismay. He quickly diagnosed his mistake and inwardly kicked himself for his stupidity. He knew Su’Zi was a Mi’Nr and had spent enough time in Ol’Tn among Mi’Nr’s to know how they feel about Nu’Tn’s.
P’Ko seeing his mistake interjected, “Wait! How about this?” and he walked over and squatted down next to Su’Zi and wrote the name of a place in the sand. Su’Zi enthusiastically nodded agreement, smiling and disappeared.
P’Ko looked around wondering where Su’Zi went; they hadn’t set a time yet; he called her name, and then realized that she must already be on her way there. His heart started pounding, and he felt a tightening knot form in the pit in his stomach. He had expected to pick a time a day or so in the future, which would have given him time to organize his thoughts.
Taking a deep breath, he wiped out the name in the sand and exited Vr’Chm.
Chapter 25, Meeting at the Hn’Gri Bo’R[68]
Su’Zi got up quickly from the lounge chair she was reclining on and quickly changed out of the lounge clothes she had been wearing while she calculated the best method and route to get over and up to sector three Ol’Tn. She didn’t have a very large selection of either clothes or routes to choose from. Most working miners that live in T’Bm’s or one of the camps near the operations have little more than a foot locker for all their things.
Mi’Nr’s live a nomadic life split between the T’Bm’s, the migrant camps and the Ol’Tn’s; the system works well and in spite of the separation, Mi’Nr’s maintain a close-knit community. Mi’Nr’s psychic powers are the strongest of all the races and the connection between family and friends is tight, unaffected by distance.
Living in the mining zone has its benefits, the greatest of which is that it’s nearly impossible for the CA to exert much influence over the Mi’Nr’s. All of the CA’s attempts to exercise control in Zone Three have all but failed.
CA’s control within Zone Three is limited to periodic inspections, establishing production quotas and getting copies of production and maintenance reports. The CA also administers the tests the children are required to pass, to qualify for graduation. The CA still has control of bio-mods. However, the Church maintains full control of the ToG ceremony, Birthing, and Retirements[69].
The CASS is constantly trying to insert or recruit spies and place monitoring or listening devices in the T’Bm’s, the camps, and the Ol’Tn’s. To little avail, the spies are soon exposed, due to the Mi’Nr’s heightened psychic abilities. Monitoring or listening devices are sought out and covertly broken, disabled or, just disappear.
A few of the CA’s devices are recovered in raids like the one that took Su’Zi’s father. Which usually seals the fate of head of the household, if not the entire family.
Su’Zi had to hurry, she didn’t want to keep P’Ko waiting, he’s young and may be impatient and may surrender to the fear Su’Zi sensed just below the surface. The fear that he was inadequate, that they’re incompatible, not meant or good for each other, was there and real. She tried to send him psychic reassurance but she wasn’t sure of its impact.
Why did she leave Vr’Chm so quickly? Without getting his contact information. Who’s the impatient one? Sometimes, she told herself, she needs to slow down and don’t let her emotions and impulses take over.
Su’Zi didn’t own any “go out” clothes or even “nice” casual clothes so she put on her best fitting work jumpsuit. The one she wore only once, it fits tight and restricts her movements a little, but she mostly doesn’t wear it because all the guys and many of the girls look at her more than paying attention to their jobs.
Sometimes Su’Zi wondered whether her bio-mods were an asset or liability, she’s proud of herself, and she considers herself as good or better a carpenter as any in sector two, probably as good as any aboard the whole ship. But knowing that she’s better known for her looks than her job performance frustrates her.
As she slipped into her jumpsuit, she was glad that she didn’t have the tailor loosen the fit. She looked at herself in the mirror and adjusted the fit, turning and passing
her hand over her smooth, gentle curves and thought that her bio-mods aren’t that much of a handicap, after all, she felt happy, confident and good.
Su’Zi stepped out the camp trailer she shared with Ro’Sa, who had left earlier to go to Ol’Tn’Ba with her boyfriend and spend some time together and maybe do some shopping.
The camp trailers, converted cargo units and fuel tanks on wheels, were lined up in two rows within the ten-meter-wide tunnel. A narrow pathway separated them that led up to an airlock of sorts that kept out the worst of the cryogenic environment.
Su’Zi wondered what P’Ko was doing at Vr’Chm; hes from sector three should’ve still been at school. He must be cutting class. But nearing graduation, he should have been studying for exams. The odds were against this happening by chance. She knew at her core that they shared the dream, then against all odds found each other in Vr’Chm. There’s something powerful at work here. The thought pleased Su’Zi, as she trotted upslope in the heavy gravity towards the U’Tl[70] garage just inside the airlock.
There she found Vas’Tu tinkering on one of the various U’Tl’s used to support the mining operation.
He noticed her trotting his way, stopped his work and focused his attention on her. They liked each other and for a while had a thing going, but it didn’t work out, yet they remained good friends.
Su’Zi, almost out of breath said: “Vas’Tu I need to run a quick errand in Ol’Tn what do you have for me?” He responded with a smile, “What’s your hurry? You got a date?” Eyeing her up and down in her almost skin tight jumpsuit. To which she replied, also smiling. “That’s none of your business” after a pause Vas’Tu replied “oh-kay, take Jm’Pr[71], she’s got a full charge.”
Su’Zi thanked Vas’Tu, calling him a “gem” as she climbed into the small two seat maintenance U’Tl, it was the fastest U’Tl in the garage, designed to fetch parts or tools from Ol’Tn or Camp and get them to the T’Bm as quickly as possible to minimize downtime.
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