"They came and they did not take from us our greater knowledge of medicine.
They did not take our scholars' wisdom, the beauty of our planet or our
ways of peace and prosperity.
They came and took us.
They destroyed our world and used our bodies for their own purposes."
--Jonathan Brook, Last Minister of Osh
The rover moved rockily over the terrain, the pilot leaning forward to peer out into the landscape. The storm was a bad one, and he could hear the dust particles, small as they were, hitting the shell of the vehicle. The wheels ground forward, over a small ridge. He stopped there, sat back and switched the power to neutral. Another moment of watching the storm before he sighed, sharply, and lifted the com receiver, squeezing the button and speaking into the microphone. "Jane, do you copy? Jane?"
"Roger that, Martin. I'm here," came the static-laced reply. He grinned slightly to himself, relieved she was answering.
"Any luck on finding Isen?" Martin inquired, trying to keep any anxiousness out of his voice. He already knew the answer. She would've told him if she'd found him.
"Not yet. I know he's around. Give ten more minutes, all right? Just ten." The limit was for herself as much as Martin- she shouldn't be out in this storm any longer than necessary. It was simply being a somewhat-nervous wife that had her out here, and she knew it. "There's a cavern up ahead. I'm going to give it a look."
"Roger that. I'll be here." Martin set the com down and sighed slowly.
The vertical crevice was wide at the bottom and tapered off toward the bottom. Jane had less than two feet of room to squeeze through. She wouldn't have been able to had she been wearing a full Dermis2 suit. Luckily, she had only donned a coverall of blue canvas and used a respirator implant on the roof of her mouth to filter the air. It wasn't useful for extended periods outside of the city, but she was good for another hour or so.
Inside the cavern, it was dark and cool. She switched on a cel light, swinging the beam slowly over the walls and floor. The storm's sounds were somewhat muted here and she tried to listen for any hint of Isen. He was a quiet mover by nature, but she'd learned to pick up even the slightest noise of motion that he made.
As she crept further into the cave, she became more and more ill-at-ease. It was eerily silent, and there was the unpleasant sound of something wet off in the distance- a drip, or a squish or the like. She didn't like being alone. She wanted to find her husband and get out of there.
Something moved, flanking her right for a bare instant before vanishing upward. She spun, riveting the cel light on the spot she thought she caught motion. Nothing was there. "Isen?" she called, a notch in her voice from shaky uncertainty. "Isen, is that you?"
There was no answer, and Jane suppressed a soft whimper. Onward she pressed, both hands clutching the light tightly, keeping it as steady as she possibly could. Her boots were soft-soled and the ground was moist, but it seemed like every step was thunderingly loud. She wished she could muffle them, a creeping feeling that she was drawing attention to herself just by breathing making her jaw tighten. "Isen, please." she whispered.
Again, movement, this time to her left. She pivoted, feet unsure, the light illuminating nothing, save a thick fissure in the side of the wall. She blinked, frowned, and took a step toward it.
It was ragged, deep, seeming to stretch back into the cavern wall indefinitely. The split started about three feet up the rock side. It seemed big enough to fit her. She took another slow step nearer, unable to see into it well enough, even with the cel light, from this distance. She began closing the gap between herself and the fissure slowly.
"Jane?" came the crackle of Martin's voice. "Jane, come on out of there. We'll get more people and come back to look for Isen."
"Just one moment, Martin; I think I've found something. Some kind of fissure," Jane replied into the com. She reached the wall and hesitantly lifted the light's beam to travel into the crack.
It ended maybe twenty feet down.and it was empty. She sighed, partly in relief and partly in disappointment. She did not see the creature that was rising up behind her.
It was nine feet, black; its exoskeleton was a kind of carapace- shining and deep as onyx. Its skull was swept back, curving, long, and its mouth wide with a prominent chin. Humanoid in body, its back was ridged, shape ribbed, with a massively long, smooth tail. With a soft hiss, it's mouth opened to reveal long, slender, razor-sharp teeth. Jane felt its breath, smoky and moist, on the back of her slender neck. She turned to stare into its glittering face.
"Isen!" she gasped, shuddering, overcome with fear that had melted into relief. "How could you frighten me like that! I've been looking for you for over an hour. Martin's in the rover and.are you laughing at me?"
Indeed, it.he.was. His body was shaking with silent mirth and his mouth had closed into something of a smile. Slanted, dark eyes shone with playfulness.
Jane narrowed her own pale blue eyes and thrust an accusing finger against Isen's chest. "You laugh now, but when we're turned away by Mother Six, don't you fuss and-.stop that!"
He was lifting her, sweeping her up into his dark, shelled arms, long fingers curling about her thigh and shoulder, toting her back toward the cavern entrance. She tried, bless her, she tried to stay angry and give him a good turning out.but he was holding her, he was safe, and she simply could not stay angry. She laid her head down on his slender shoulder and chuckled wanly. "I don't know why I married you, Isen," she murmured.
"Yes you do," came the slightly resonant, deep reply. His accent was richer than hers because his mouth had to work harder to shape the words. "Because life would hold no excitement, otherwise."
She said nothing, making him put her down when they reached the rover. Martin grinned to see husband and wife both safe and the trio rode back toward Osh happily. Isen and Jane had every reason to be happy; they had an audience with Mother Six that very day. Martin was happy because, with luck, he'd soon be an uncle.
Mother Six's building was near to the main gate of city, and was modestly constructed, the Mothers usually wanting to downplay any unnecessary frippery. It was dark stone, a heavy sort of grey that had been polished to a dull gleam. The edifice was, perhaps, about seventy feet high, but housed only one floor.
Isen and Jane arrived with five minutes to spare. The hostess, a human, greeted them warmly and showed them into the Mother's main chamber. They were announced with a soft chorus of chimes.
Mother Six looked like the other Mothers in Osh- a grander version of Isen's appearance, with a huge, tubular, fleshy pipeline protruding from her abdomen. Ever twelve hours or so, that tube would convey a large egg down to the receiving midwives. From there, the eggs would be delivered to whatever family had been approved to have them.
Isen kept close to Jane, knowing how important this was to her. They had decided, when they first wed, that they would like to have a mixed family, both xenomorphic and human. It was healthier and less of a risk to have the xenomproh child first- the procedure was much simpler, less traumatizing, and a human live birth could sometimes make a woman's anatomy unsuitable for birthing a xenomorph later in life. If Isen had been human (and there were many paired human couples in Osh), then he could bear the xenomorph and Jane could birth the human baby. Some couples opted for that if the circumstances were right, and timed the births to occur simultaneously, thus having 'twins', as it were. Since Jane -was- female, the xenomorph would be birthed first.
They approached Mother Six, who looked down at the pair and smiled. "Hello Jane. Hello, Isen. It's good to see the both of you again." Her voice was majestic, a richer resonance than Isen's. It radiated warmth and maternal caring. Jane and Isen both inclined their heads reverently. "I have considered your request for a child and will agree to it."
Jane gasped, turned and threw her arms about Isen, who chuckles rumblingly, lifting her a moment. Her mouth touched to his in a brief kiss. Xenomorphs, millennia ago, had come to the planet and had discovered many odd things about humans- kissing was one of them. Isen could not return the kiss, but he never tired of receiving them. Time and evolution had shaped the way his species felt about human affection and had ensured that both humans and xenomorphs took delight in the other's displays of love. He squeezed her, gently, and eased her back down to the floor. Jane smiled up at Mother Six gratefully. "Thank you, Good Mother," she effused. "Thank you so very much."
"We have seen the kindness and respect you offer one another and know you will offer the same to your children. May your offspring be healthy, wise and joyful."
The couple nodded their head again in respect and departed the chamber, walking to the Journey Room. It was warm, comfortable, with dim, amber lights and many soft couches and chaises, each with a chair beside it. Isen and Jane were barred from the actual room by a long, tall window, but they could see the activity inside and watched for a few moments.
One man was lying on a couch, face up, his husband in the chair beside him. There was an unfurled, opened egg at the spouse's feet, and the gentleman who rested bore a white organism on his face. It was vaguely arachnid in shape, opalescent, and its long, jointed legs curved around the man's skull. It had a long tail as well that, occasionally, would move out to stroke the spouse's arm comfortingly, and the spouse would smile. The creature was impregnating the man with a xenomorph child- the man was comatose, but the tail served as a conduit to his subconscious and, through it, he could communicate if needed.
A nurse who was removing an expired larva from a woman's face assisted another couple. The mother-to-be was rousing, slowly, and the nurse gently swabbed her face with a cool cloth. Her husband smiled down at her and laid a hand gently on her abdomen. Within the next two weeks to one month, the woman would birth the new xenomorph during an uncomplicated and simple surgical procedure. Human births were more painful and stressful on the body, but science had ensured an almost nonexistent infant mortality rate.
The rover moved rockily over the terrain, the pilot leaning forward to peer out into the landscape. The storm was a bad one, and he could hear the dust particles, small as they were, hitting the shell of the vehicle. The wheels ground forward, over a small ridge. He stopped there, sat back and switched the power to neutral. Another moment of watching the storm before he sighed, sharply, and lifted the com receiver, squeezing the button and speaking into the microphone. "Jane, do you copy? Jane?"
"Roger that, Martin. I'm here," came the static-laced reply. He grinned slightly to himself, relieved she was answering.
"Any luck on finding Isen?" Martin inquired, trying to keep any anxiousness out of his voice. He already knew the answer. She would've told him if she'd found him.
"Not yet. I know he's around. Give ten more minutes, all right? Just ten." The limit was for herself as much as Martin- she shouldn't be out in this storm any longer than necessary. It was simply being a somewhat-nervous wife that had her out here, and she knew it. "There's a cavern up ahead. I'm going to give it a look."
"Roger that. I'll be here." Martin set the com down and sighed slowly.
The vertical crevice was wide at the bottom and tapered off toward the bottom. Jane had less than two feet of room to squeeze through. She wouldn't have been able to had she been wearing a full Dermis2 suit. Luckily, she had only donned a coverall of blue canvas and used a respirator implant on the roof of her mouth to filter the air. It wasn't useful for extended periods outside of the city, but she was good for another hour or so.
Inside the cavern, it was dark and cool. She switched on a cel light, swinging the beam slowly over the walls and floor. The storm's sounds were somewhat muted here and she tried to listen for any hint of Isen. He was a quiet mover by nature, but she'd learned to pick up even the slightest noise of motion that he made.
As she crept further into the cave, she became more and more ill-at-ease. It was eerily silent, and there was the unpleasant sound of something wet off in the distance- a drip, or a squish or the like. She didn't like being alone. She wanted to find her husband and get out of there.
Something moved, flanking her right for a bare instant before vanishing upward. She spun, riveting the cel light on the spot she thought she caught motion. Nothing was there. "Isen?" she called, a notch in her voice from shaky uncertainty. "Isen, is that you?"
There was no answer, and Jane suppressed a soft whimper. Onward she pressed, both hands clutching the light tightly, keeping it as steady as she possibly could. Her boots were soft-soled and the ground was moist, but it seemed like every step was thunderingly loud. She wished she could muffle them, a creeping feeling that she was drawing attention to herself just by breathing making her jaw tighten. "Isen, please." she whispered.
Again, movement, this time to her left. She pivoted, feet unsure, the light illuminating nothing, save a thick fissure in the side of the wall. She blinked, frowned, and took a step toward it.
It was ragged, deep, seeming to stretch back into the cavern wall indefinitely. The split started about three feet up the rock side. It seemed big enough to fit her. She took another slow step nearer, unable to see into it well enough, even with the cel light, from this distance. She began closing the gap between herself and the fissure slowly.
"Jane?" came the crackle of Martin's voice. "Jane, come on out of there. We'll get more people and come back to look for Isen."
"Just one moment, Martin; I think I've found something. Some kind of fissure," Jane replied into the com. She reached the wall and hesitantly lifted the light's beam to travel into the crack.
It ended maybe twenty feet down.and it was empty. She sighed, partly in relief and partly in disappointment. She did not see the creature that was rising up behind her.
It was nine feet, black; its exoskeleton was a kind of carapace- shining and deep as onyx. Its skull was swept back, curving, long, and its mouth wide with a prominent chin. Humanoid in body, its back was ridged, shape ribbed, with a massively long, smooth tail. With a soft hiss, it's mouth opened to reveal long, slender, razor-sharp teeth. Jane felt its breath, smoky and moist, on the back of her slender neck. She turned to stare into its glittering face.
"Isen!" she gasped, shuddering, overcome with fear that had melted into relief. "How could you frighten me like that! I've been looking for you for over an hour. Martin's in the rover and.are you laughing at me?"
Indeed, it.he.was. His body was shaking with silent mirth and his mouth had closed into something of a smile. Slanted, dark eyes shone with playfulness.
Jane narrowed her own pale blue eyes and thrust an accusing finger against Isen's chest. "You laugh now, but when we're turned away by Mother Six, don't you fuss and-.stop that!"
He was lifting her, sweeping her up into his dark, shelled arms, long fingers curling about her thigh and shoulder, toting her back toward the cavern entrance. She tried, bless her, she tried to stay angry and give him a good turning out.but he was holding her, he was safe, and she simply could not stay angry. She laid her head down on his slender shoulder and chuckled wanly. "I don't know why I married you, Isen," she murmured.
"Yes you do," came the slightly resonant, deep reply. His accent was richer than hers because his mouth had to work harder to shape the words. "Because life would hold no excitement, otherwise."
She said nothing, making him put her down when they reached the rover. Martin grinned to see husband and wife both safe and the trio rode back toward Osh happily. Isen and Jane had every reason to be happy; they had an audience with Mother Six that very day. Martin was happy because, with luck, he'd soon be an uncle.
Mother Six's building was near to the main gate of city, and was modestly constructed, the Mothers usually wanting to downplay any unnecessary frippery. It was dark stone, a heavy sort of grey that had been polished to a dull gleam. The edifice was, perhaps, about seventy feet high, but housed only one floor.
Isen and Jane arrived with five minutes to spare. The hostess, a human, greeted them warmly and showed them into the Mother's main chamber. They were announced with a soft chorus of chimes.
Mother Six looked like the other Mothers in Osh- a grander version of Isen's appearance, with a huge, tubular, fleshy pipeline protruding from her abdomen. Ever twelve hours or so, that tube would convey a large egg down to the receiving midwives. From there, the eggs would be delivered to whatever family had been approved to have them.
Isen kept close to Jane, knowing how important this was to her. They had decided, when they first wed, that they would like to have a mixed family, both xenomorphic and human. It was healthier and less of a risk to have the xenomproh child first- the procedure was much simpler, less traumatizing, and a human live birth could sometimes make a woman's anatomy unsuitable for birthing a xenomorph later in life. If Isen had been human (and there were many paired human couples in Osh), then he could bear the xenomorph and Jane could birth the human baby. Some couples opted for that if the circumstances were right, and timed the births to occur simultaneously, thus having 'twins', as it were. Since Jane -was- female, the xenomorph would be birthed first.
They approached Mother Six, who looked down at the pair and smiled. "Hello Jane. Hello, Isen. It's good to see the both of you again." Her voice was majestic, a richer resonance than Isen's. It radiated warmth and maternal caring. Jane and Isen both inclined their heads reverently. "I have considered your request for a child and will agree to it."
Jane gasped, turned and threw her arms about Isen, who chuckles rumblingly, lifting her a moment. Her mouth touched to his in a brief kiss. Xenomorphs, millennia ago, had come to the planet and had discovered many odd things about humans- kissing was one of them. Isen could not return the kiss, but he never tired of receiving them. Time and evolution had shaped the way his species felt about human affection and had ensured that both humans and xenomorphs took delight in the other's displays of love. He squeezed her, gently, and eased her back down to the floor. Jane smiled up at Mother Six gratefully. "Thank you, Good Mother," she effused. "Thank you so very much."
"We have seen the kindness and respect you offer one another and know you will offer the same to your children. May your offspring be healthy, wise and joyful."
The couple nodded their head again in respect and departed the chamber, walking to the Journey Room. It was warm, comfortable, with dim, amber lights and many soft couches and chaises, each with a chair beside it. Isen and Jane were barred from the actual room by a long, tall window, but they could see the activity inside and watched for a few moments.
One man was lying on a couch, face up, his husband in the chair beside him. There was an unfurled, opened egg at the spouse's feet, and the gentleman who rested bore a white organism on his face. It was vaguely arachnid in shape, opalescent, and its long, jointed legs curved around the man's skull. It had a long tail as well that, occasionally, would move out to stroke the spouse's arm comfortingly, and the spouse would smile. The creature was impregnating the man with a xenomorph child- the man was comatose, but the tail served as a conduit to his subconscious and, through it, he could communicate if needed.
A nurse who was removing an expired larva from a woman's face assisted another couple. The mother-to-be was rousing, slowly, and the nurse gently swabbed her face with a cool cloth. Her husband smiled down at her and laid a hand gently on her abdomen. Within the next two weeks to one month, the woman would birth the new xenomorph during an uncomplicated and simple surgical procedure. Human births were more painful and stressful on the body, but science had ensured an almost nonexistent infant mortality rate.