5

Personal transformation can and does have global effects. As we go, so goes the world, for the world is us. The revolution that will save the world is ultimately a personal one – Marianne Williamson

"Captain, have you any children?" Arnis asked Jonathan.

"No, I never married," he replied.

"Never married? You are indeed different from us," Thessa said, "for we all wed."

"Except for the lowest caste, if there are extras, and there are sometimes," Elemus said, "they are sometimes not sold as mates, and are practically given away to medical facilities for their experiments! And then there are some poor men, and they sometimes take pity on them, I suppose, and take them in. It is a practice that is just barely this side of legal."

"What is, if I may ask, other than cost, the difference among the three castes? Is it coloring, perhaps?" Malcolm asked.

"You cannot tell?" Thessa was incredulous.

"No. What is it we're supposed to be observing?" Hamilton asked.

"The aroma," Elemus said, "it is rather strong to us. Prime Wives always smell the best. Then the scent of the secondaries is pretty good. Come closer, Cria, and let the captain smell you."

"Uh, it's all right," said Jonathan, "we don't have very good noses."

"The lowest caste barely smells at all!" Thessa said.

"Is anyone here from the lowest caste?" Lucy asked.

"There is Cama from this house, but there is just one child," Dratha said, "for the lowest caste female who belongs to this house has only had boy children."

An raised an eyebrow. He knew why – it was due to selective abortions. "Where are the children?"

"Most of them are in the learning room," Dratha said, "except for the last caste child."

"Why isn't she in there?" Erika asked.

"They don't believe in education," Thessa said.

"I, I see. So this one child is your daughter, Arnis?" An asked.

"The child of Arnis's lowest caste female, where is she? They should see her. Cria, go get Seppa," Dratha said.

Cria returned with a little girl with off-white fur. The child was, perhaps, four years old. "My, my son is about your age," Malcolm said to her gently. The little girl looked down and said nothing, fidgeting a little.

"Are you his Prime Wife?" Cria asked Lucy, referring to Malcolm.

"Oh, no," she said, "we just work together. But I have a little girl. She's a little younger than you, I think. Where is your mother?"

Cria looked down, a little panicky.

=/\=

On the Cochrane's Bridge, they watched the broadcast coming from the surface.

"We're receiving sketchy reports," the reporter said, "but it appears that the Alpha's lowest caste female was killed by the secondary. Mistra, the secondary, is being held pending trial. A trial is allowed, and not just an immediate execution, because the prestigious Doctor Rechal has determined that she is carrying a boy child."

"What?" Hoshi asked as she and Travis and the rest of the Bridge crew watched the broadcast on the main viewer screen.

"You better make sure to record this," he said to her.

"Good thinking," she fiddled with controls at her station.

The broadcast continued. "What is most interesting is that Mistra is apparently protesting her innocence. This appears to be a contradiction to what the Alpha said and, if she speaks truth, it could be a source of some discomfort for the Alpha while our guests are here. We have sent a reporter to the Alpha's home as we understand the Federation guests are there, and should be able to get you some exclusive first-ever seen pictures of barefaced humans."

Hoshi went back to her station and contacted Captain Archer. "Sir, we were just watching a broadcast from the surface. It looks like the press is coming over."

"They're already here," Jonathan said, "uh, Archer out."

=/\=

"Captain, I must apologize for the disruption, but we have a very free press here on Daranaea. It is one of the prides of our democracy. They do ask a lot of prying questions, but the people must be kept informed!" Arnis said, "Do you, uh, mind the intrusion?"

"Not at all," Jonathan said, smiling tightly.

There was one reporter, who had a kind of greyish blue merle coat, and a photographer, who was tan. The reporter spoke. "My name is Craethe. I would like to interview you and your subordinates."

"Well, Captain Hernandez is equal in rank to me," Jonathan said, pointing out Erika to the reporter.

"How very strange," said Craethe, "and that brings me to my first question. Is she your Prime Wife?"

"I thought I answered this one," Jonathan joked, "I've never married. In fact, the only one of us here who has married is Doctor Phlox."

"You are a different species, yes?"

"Yes, I am Denobulan," he said.

"And your Prime Wife is at home?" asked the reporter.

"I have, well, I come from a culture that also has three wives, but we refer to them as first, second and third."

"So, your first wife is at home?"

Phlox smiled. "The only reason they're called first, second or third refers to when I married them. It does not refer to status. And, I might add, each of them has three husbands."

"That is rather shocking," Craethe said, "females on our world only have one husband, even if he dies young. May I ask about children? I realize these are intimate questions but our viewers would love to get to know you a bit as individuals. There is much curiosity and speculation. This will give you a chance to set the record straight."

"I have five children," Phlox said.

"And how many are boys?"

"I have three sons and two daughters," Phlox said.

"Do any of you others have children?" Craethe inquired.

"I have a son," Malcolm said.

"And I have a daughter," Lucy added.

"Are they promised to each other?" Craethe asked.

Malcolm laughed a little. "My son is only three and a half years old! Lucy's daughter is – how old is Gina again?"

"She'll be nine later this year."

"Well, perhaps he'll prefer an older woman, and take after his old man," Malcolm said, "but I don't think he'll care much for at least a few more years." He smiled a bit.

"Do you arrange marriages?" Erika asked, "We were under the impression that brides were purchased."

"They are," Craethe explained, "but in wealthier households, like Elemus's and Arnis's, sometimes the transaction is agreed upon beforehand. Prime Wives generally aren't auctioned off to the highest bidder."

But apparently the other two are, Malcolm thought to himself, and quickly his merry mood went back to being nervous and unsettled and he sought solace, as he often did, by touching metal.

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