So, I've decided that I'm going to be updating all of my stories on Monday. Or Sunday if I'm busy Monday. So, now ya got something to look forward too! And, if you're wondering what language I'm using, I'm just doing Latin and typing in basic words.
Chapter Nine: Month Two, Day 70
"Outerrian's have two hearts that both serve a different function. The larger heart, known as the Magno Amino, produces and pumps blood throughout the body. The smaller heart, known as the Parvum Cor Meum, located directly under the Mango Amino, filters the blood and kills and unwanted parasites from attacking the blood stream."
"Are there certain kind of parasites that affect Outerrian's?"
"There is really only one parasite that still affects the Outerrian's, it's called Parasitus-Cordis. It can be deadly if left untreated but it's mainly an issue with the young and the elderly. Healthy Outerrian's who take care of themselves don't have to worry about this parasite. Luckily, it's very treatable with proper medical care and medication."
This was my favorite part of everyday. The informational classes about Outerrian Medical care. I diligently took notes in my tablet. It lasted about four hours every morning six times a week and I absolutely loved it. It reminded me of nursing school, which was a blast for me.
Alice's informational classes didn't last as long as mine did. So, usually she'd wait for me. The two of us had become quite close. Inseparable really, best friends. It was really the first friend I had ever had. I liked it.
"Alright class, that's it for today. Tomorrow we'll talk about the gestation period and birthing process." The android instructor said.
I smiled and tucked my tablet into my bag. It was a really neat bag too, Outerrian-made, the material was recycled from waste that wasn't biodegradable, they melted down the material and coated the bag with a bean plant that kept the bag indestructible. It also changed color with the temperature. So far, it's been a pale yellow and orange.
I walked out of the room, Alice was standing by the door waiting. I smiled and waved.
"How was class?" She asked.
"A lot of fun. Outerrian's are so interesting! I can't wait to land," I smiled, "How was your class?"
"Informational. Boring." She shrugged.
I laughed and placed my arm around her small frame, "Aw, well, you chose the environmental thingy."
She made a face, "It'll be fun when we actually get there, and I'll be working," she sighed, "So, are you still set on building your own home? I mean, that's a lot of work. What in the world do you know about building houses?"
"I'm going to build my own house," I said as we walked to the cabins, "My mom and dad always talked about building their own house with their own two hands. And, I used to help my dad build stuff all the time."
"If it's a money thing, I have enough to hire people to build it for you."
I shook my head, "No, no, no, I'm set. I want to build it myself."
She sighed, "I've never known anyone in all my life to be so… I don't even know what to call you." She laughed.
We walked into my cabin, "Tenacious is the word I think you're looking for."
She thumped down on the couch, "Okay, so, what chapter are we on?"
"Chapter forty-seven, Outerrian ceremonies. This should be a good one."
I opened the tablet and clicked on the 'where you left off,' tab. Libby appeared on the screen.
"Welcome back. Last night you finished chapter forty-six. We will know be diving into chapter Forty-seven, Outerrian ceremonies." The imaged turned to a small group of Outerrian's in a beautiful nature scene.
"We'll start with Outerrian's first ever ceremony, birth. It's called Nativitatis. When an Outerrian couple bring a newborn into the world, the family and close friends come together to celebrate the newest family member. The female Outerrian falls into the last stages of her labor, the family and friends will gather to lend her their support with the comfort of touch, small gifts, and encouragement. Once the baby is brought into the world, it is passed around the family and friends, so the baby has an immediate sense of community."
Alice paused it, making a face, "So… she gives birth in front of everyone? That's weird."
"It's very… 2017…" I said.
She nodded, "I don't want to give birth in front of a ton of people."
I shuddered, "Even though it's their culture and I want to respect it as much as possible, I don't think I'll be doing that. If I even get with someone."
She laughed, "I'm sure you'll find somebody, either on Outerra or on this ship."
I rolled my eyes and started the text back up.
"The second very important ceremony, is the coming of age. Outerrian's don't celebrate birthdays, but, the most important 'aging,' ceremony is this one. At this time, when a child comes of age, it means that this child is in the final stage of its development into an adult. The child is considered ready to enter the world of adulthood, jobs, their own family and all that.
The celebration starts in the evening, the community will gather and the several children who are coming of age are celebrated in the street of Islo. It closely resembles a parade or a neighborhood block party on earth. Outerrian's celebrate by preparing food, playing games and sports, and just enjoying each other's company. This is really a time for the children to explore what they like, talk with the people who will eventually hire them. Now, this celebration is just the mark of adulthood, a lot of the children choose to stay at home with their parents for a while until they're able to get on their feet and accumulate enough revenue to support themselves."
I paused it, "That sounds like a Spanish Quinceanera."
"I wonder if this celebration happens a lot. I mean, not all babies are born on the same day, right?" Alice said.
"Libby, how many times do Outerrian's celebrate the coming of age party a year?" I asked.
"At the most, it's celebrated five times a year." Libby answered.
"How is that possible? Don't the Outerrian women give birth at different times?"
"Yes, the Outerrian women give birth at different times but in the same season. Outerrians keep to a specific season for getting pregnant and having babies. It stems from the Goddess Okdia, who protects the pregnant women and babies, but, Okdia falls asleep for seven out of the thirteen months of the year."
"How many months are Outerrian's pregnant?" Alice asked.
"Only six months gestation," Libby said, "The third important ceremony is the 'Coming Together,' now, this closely resembles an earth wedding. Two Outerrian's who deeply love and feel connected to one another. They see each for a while before one of them decides they want to take dedicate themselves to one another in a public ceremony. The 'Coming Together,' ceremony in a very small event where only close friends and family are invited to witness the two throwing the ceremony unite as one. The two stand in a ring of blue surrexerunts and proclaim why they love each other and what they promise for the future. Then they bind their hands together with a soft braided hedera they both specially selected and made together. Then they stay tied together until the end of the ceremony."
"The next and final, important ceremony is the last one an Outerrian will ever celebrate. When an Outerrian dies, friends and family will gather and dig a hole for the deceased. The hole is dug deep into the thick woods. The body is placed in the hole and then it is filled with several surrexerunts, food, favorite items of the deceased. The family and friends bow on their knees to pray, give thanks, and remembrance. Afterwards, they leave the deceased in the hole and give the body back to nature."
Alice turned the text off and thumped dramatically against the couch.
"Oh, thank goodness! I don't know how much more of this I can take. I want to be on Outerra now." She whined.
I chuckled and patted her head, "We'll be there soon enough. We're on day seventy, only twenty more days left to go. You can make it until then."
She smiled, "I wish I could be as optimistic as you are. Or, as I once was. You used to be the worrywart downer, now I am."
"No, you're not, you're just tired of being on this ship. Which is understandable. I'm kind of getting sick of it myself. But, we'll be there soon."
She nodded, "Let's talk about more interesting things," she shifted to face me, "When you get to Outerra and you build your house and everything, are you looking to settle down with an Outerrian?"
I licked my bottom lip as I thought about my answer, "I-I don't know… Outerrians look so, different," I blushed and shook my head, "That sounded so bad. Ugh, I sound like a racist."
She chuckled, "No, you don't. Outerrians are very different looking. They have those long tails, the weird green and speckled golden eyes. And their skin also sparkles in the sun, which, sounds very pretty but, I don't know how I feel about actually seeing it."
I snorted, "Wow. That sounds really bad."
She shrugged, "I mean, it will be different. I'm sure we look very strange to them too."
"Well, we'll just be nice. They did invite us to their planet to help them repopulate it."
"I wonder how they figured out that our species is compatible with theirs."
"Genetic testing. Their privates are closely similar to ours. Vaginas and penises; just different coloring and sizes. They're upright mammals too, which, was a pretty good indicator that our species could produce. Earth tried to do an experiment using an Outerrian female's egg and a human man's sperm, but, when the scientists suggested that idea they were met with outrage."
"Why?" She asked.
"Outerrian's are very… old school, when it comes to sex and carrying babies. The mere mention of a baby being produced and grown in a test tube is just not right." I said.
"Oh," she said, "What do their penises look like?"
I blushed slightly, "What? Why do you want to know that?"
"I just want to know what I'm dealing with when I get there. You said they looked kind of different, I just don't want to be surprised if I meet an Outerrian and things go extremely well." She said.
I cleared my throat, "Uh, well, we haven't really gone into detail about the sexual organs or sexual habits of Outerrians, we briefly went over it and the instructor saved it for a new day. But, their penises are, well, they are bigger than the average human males, they all come in one size and it's one inch longer than an Outerrian female's cervix. Their cervixes are seven inches deep, so, their penises are eight inches."
She was blushing, "Eight inches?! That's very… they're very well endowed. Why are they so big and only come in one size?"
"Because their penises are made to push passed the opening of the cervix, so, their sperm can go directly into a female's womb to the egg. It's an evolutionary trait that they developed over time."
"Aren't our vaginas only like… five inches deep?" she said.
"Actually, our vaginas are only three inches, occasionally four." I said.
"How the hell are we supposed to have sex with them? Isn't it going to be super painful, I mean, what's the girth? I know vaginas are meant to stretch for babies and stuff, but, the natural birthing process takes days and it's really, really painful. Plus, no modern woman has given birth the natural way! We all use tubes and pods!" She exclaimed.
I nodded, "It sounds painful, and, it'll be painful the first couple of times, but, do you remember stretching your hymen muscle out? It felt like it was ripping? Well, your vagina is incredibly elastic and it's a self-healer, after probably the fourth or fifth time, you'll be having sex with ease. Your vagina will stretch and be able to accommodate their large penises."
She shuddered dramatically, "That just sounds terrible. You remind me of my gynecologist."
I laughed, "My first nursing job was in a Gyno office. I worked there for about a year then I switched to the hospital."
She stood, "Well, I'm done with learning tonight. See you tomorrow?"
I stood and hugged her, "See you tomorrow."
I know we dipped into a sex-ed lesson, but, well, now you know that Outerrian's are hung. Enjoy.