Message-ID: <22537asstr$949140602@assm.asstr-mirror.org> X-Original-Message-ID: From: artie Subject: {ASSM} REV "Life Cycle of the Kaelen 4/5" by artie (MF ROM SCIFI?) Date: Sat, 29 Jan 2000 05:10:02 -0500 Path: assm.asstr-mirror.org!not-for-mail Approved: Newsgroups: alt.sex.stories.moderated,alt.sex.stories Followup-To: alt.sex.stories.d X-Archived-At: X-Moderator-Contact: ASSTR ASSM moderation X-Story-Submission: X-Moderator-ID: Lambchop, dennyw <1st attachment, "lck4.txt" begin> (c) Copyright 1999 by artie@netgate.net This work may not be reposted or redistributed without the prior express written permission of the author. A work of fiction, meant for adults. Read something else if you are not an adult, or are offended by stories with sexual content. Then again, if all you're looking for is in-out, in-out, in-out, you should probably read something else. I welcome constructive comments. Enjoy. Thanks to Homer Vargas and Denny for their insightful comments. Life Cycle of the Kaelen Ellen Grode, Mission Commander Dale Kendai, Mission Specialist Part 4 Changing Roles We both slept well, and woke to fresh fruit and juice inside our hut. I didn't know if it was someone thanking me for saving that kid, or more likely, someone with hots for my husband. We did our morning routine, ate some of the fruit, and took the rest with us. Dale was well rested. I'd slept well, with no unpleasant dreams. When we got to breakfast, I noticed our seating arrangements had been shifted slightly but significantly. Before, Tala sat between Adda and Dale and me. Now, I was next to Adda, Dale by me, then Tala. This ordering indicated the family relationship; I was Adda's daughter, and Tala was mine. It was a simple change, but it made my head spin. When we sat down, Tala's boyfriend was with her. They were about through eating. I gave them some of the fruit we'd brought, and looked over my future son-in-law sternly. Was he good enough for my little girl? I'd have Dale find out more about him, and talk to him myself. They left soon after. He bowed to me with newfound respect. After they were gone, I looked at Adda. It seemed as if she was going to burst with laughter, as was one of her friends. She moved over to me and said, "You did that very well. I thought he was going to wet the ground, you gave him such a great-grandmother of a look!" I broke out laughing, amazed at how quickly I'd adapted to the role. Dale received two more propositions, turning one down flat, tentatively accepting one for the next morning. We headed up the hill again, and after sharing moths, I comforted him and returned him to the rejuvenating sleep. I sat and thought, working more on my report, chasing a myriad of loose ends. I woke him and we walked down again for an uneventful lunch. Uneventful if you ignore more propositions, for both of us. Dale gave me a sly look after one young man left some fruit for us. He had bathed, trimmed his hair and beard, and even cleaned his teeth. I shook my head slowly side to side and thanked him. After he left dejectedly I laughed softly to myself and whispered in Dale's ear, "I love you." Dale left soon after with his afternoon paramour. We'd seen the two from yesterday during lunch; they were both still smiling, although their husbands looked a little glum. I told him we'd send out the rescue parties in time for dinner. Tala left with her boyfriend, Dina left with her husband. Adda and I sat together for a while. She said softly, "I spoke with Tala. In some ways you are my sister." I looked into her eyes, looking across a gap that was inches, light years, and thousands of years all at the same time. And yet I felt so close to her, to Dina, and to Tala. "Yes," I said with a lump in my throat. "In some ways. But we have walked different paths. In some ways we are sisters. Yet you are my mother, and sometimes you are mother to a child who knows very little." Adda nodded, looking across the gulf. "And sometimes you are older and wiser than all of us." The lump grew, my eyes stung. "We came here to learn, and we have learned so much, and yet so little. You have taught me how to love and how to give. How can I thank you for that?" She took a kaelen off her right shoulder; I recognized him as her chosen one. She stroked him with a finger and he flipped over in her palm, hissing and wiggling his legs. She rubbed his belly, then looked up at me smiling. "You are thanking us." I bowed to her and went to one of the contemplation spots by the small pool. I asked one of the teens to let me know when dinner was approaching. She smiled and bowed to me. I reclined on the moss, in the shade. The breeze was warm and humid, as it usually is. How good snow would feel now. My nipples shriveled up at the thought and I laughed. What would these people think of snow? How could I describe it to them? I set one kaelen to restful sleep, the other to rejuvenation and closed my eyes. I awoke to a girl sitting next to me with a gourd of water. I sat up and drank it, thanking her. I recognized her; she was the one screaming from a couple days ago. "How is your boyfriend?" I asked. She said, "Very well, thank you. We are all more careful." "Good," I said, then added, "Sometimes I'm not." That broke the ice with us; she gave me a relaxed smile. As I moved my shoulders I asked her, "Has my husband been found yet?" She laughed a little. "Oh, they know where he is, they were very loud, especially the woman." I could imagine how loud, and why. I laughed as well. Then she asked me about our way of kissing. I could tell she meant oral sex. I gave her a female anatomy lesson and described things to her, telling her how to train her men well. She thanked me and said she would. She helped me stand. She was a pretty girl, probably fifteen. She'd be married in a year or two. We walked over to the pool. Dale was sitting on a rock, not moving, as two women walked away from him laughing. I guessed it had happened again. I'd have to tag the ones he'd been with for the ship to watch. Let's see how good these bugs are at regulating pregnancy. I took my skirt and kaelen off, and stood him up and removed his skirt. He just stood there with a silly smile on his face. We were standing near a deep part of the pool, ten or so feet deep, and on solid footing. I used a variant judo throw to get him over my head and throw him into the water; I dived in after him. He came up sputtering as I surfaced near him. He turned to me and grinned. I took off swimming, and didn't let him catch me until we were in shallow water. When I did let him catch me, I didn't fight fair. I wrapped my legs around him, grinding into his cock, and got one hand around the back of his head and squeezed his neck the way I know he loves. I let him struggle for a bit before I let him kiss me. We arrived for dinner a bit early and sat down. Yes, the bugs had done it to him again, and he was worn out. "Does that mean you're going to rest tomorrow, or just in the morning?" I asked. He gave me a smile and I laughed. Tala approached, with her boyfriend. Both looked very well laid. Tala bowed and sat down. Her young man dipped his head slightly and sat by her. I frowned. I looked at him. "Let me see your hands," I barked. He slowly held his hands out. They were filthy. I reached out and rubbed his light beard between finger and thumb, coming away with residue. "If you are going to sit here with my daughter you are to be clean. That means clean hands, face, and hair, and at every meal. Understood?" He squeaked and nodded his head. And he sat there. "Well?" I said. After a moment he scrambled to get up and started to leave. "Stop!" I called. He froze in his tracks. "What is your name?" I asked coldly. I thought I remembered his name, but I wasn't sure. He squeaked again, and, "ben, ben," is all that came out. It's a filler sound in their tongue, such as "ah" in ours. "So, Ben it is," I told him. "How do you show respect for your elders, Ben?" He bowed, a little better, and started off again. "Stop!" I yelled. He stopped. "Do you always run off without asking permission?" He bowed his head a little and squeaked some more, finally asking formally, "May I go and wash up?" I smiled. "Yes, please do. We will save dinner for you." He looked at me and bowed, then looked at me again. I waved a hand to Adda; he caught on quickly and bowed to her and the other elders as well, then ran off. I was biting my tongue to keep from laughing. When his heels left the clearing I let myself chuckle out loud. Adda let out a very satisfied laugh. "Is this what you wanted, Tala?" she asked. I looked at Tala; she wasn't sure she was happy or not. I held my thumb and finger up to my nose to check my suspicions. I was correct; they reeked of pussy juice. I held them to Tala's nose and she took a whiff, blushing a bit. I said softly, "You are training him well, my daughter." She smiled and laughed with us. Dale gave me a raised eyebrow. "If you hadn't been so busy today, I would have told you," I said with a satisfied grin. He rolled his eyes but smiled and took my hand, kissing it. I told him Tala had asked me to act as her mother. That's why we were sitting a little differently. I also told Dale to check out our future son. Tala gave me a quizzical look at that. "Ben," as I would call him from then on, returned much cleaner, and before we'd finished eating. We had saved him some food, which I think surprised him. The general rule for meals is simple; if you're late, you go hungry. We finished eating and Dale took him aside for a chat. As I was getting ready to head back to our hut Adda said, "Come walk with me." I glanced at Tala; she seemed surprised. Well, let's show the proper respect. I turned to Adda and said, "As you wish, mother." Adda gave Tala a very self-satisfied look. I went off with Adda. We went to one of the contemplation spots and sat down. "I approve of the way you are doing things. Tala may not, but she's young." Adda told me. "Thank you," I told her, "this is a new role for me." She shook her head, smiling. "But you have done similar things before, we can tell." I thought about the students I'd taught, those I'd supervised. Yes, there were some similarities. "But not here. There are special things I must do, things I don't know. Teach me, mother." She smiled and nodded. "Yes. You decide the day she is to make her husband. Decide when it will be best for you. They are ready any time. If you wait long enough, she will ask. But it is better if you tell her." I sighed. I was to pick the day. I was to start the cycle again. What would be best for me? Was this a test of my suitability, to see if I could choose wisely? I thought for a bit. She'd probably get two or three kaelen. I shuddered, remembering what Adda had gone through, what I was going to go through, my dream. Figure four days for the cycle. Split the time between the end of my period and ovulation to give me time to recover from my period, and then recover from the ordeal before the bugs took me into rut. "Mother, tell me if my choice is wise. Three or four days after returning from the huts feels correct." She smiled and gave me a sigh of her own. "Yes, that is the best." "Will you be there to help?" I asked, surprised at the emotion in my voice. "I will help as much as I can," she told me. I knew what that answer meant; I'd gotten it from others, and even given it myself. "Thank you, mother. I will make you proud." She started to stand. I stood and we hugged briefly. "I know you will, my daughter," she said before we started back. Dale was in our hut when I returned. "How's our future son?" I asked. We hugged as I sat down on the moss. "He seems pretty good," Dale told me. "I'll talk to the others, but I think he's a hard worker, and healthy. I had the ship do a scan on him. But..." He shook his head slowly. "But what?" I asked as I felt his shoulders. He sighed and sat up a little straighter. "It's the same with most of them. Honest, hard working, healthy, it's just..." "What? What's wrong with them?" My interactions with males were quite limited. He had access to data I didn't have. Did he see a pattern, a trend? "They're all bubble heads, I guess," he told me finally. "And that means?" He sighed again. "No spark, no inquisitiveness, no drive. Ask them to do something, they'll give their all to do it. Ask them to think of a better way..." "Are you saying they're dumb?" He frowned. "What's that supposed to mean? Cognitive limitations? Along what dimensions? What limitations derive from their language structure, what from their environment, genetics?" I nodded. "Okay, it was an ill formed question. But I think you're on to something. All the females I talk with are bright, and most are inquisitive. If there's a difference, I want to know about it." It had to be the bugs again. Anything unusual here leads back to the bugs. Could you breed smart females and dumb males? Nah, I didn't think so; the genetic and environmental components were too closely intertwined between the sexes. You'd end up with both sexes dumbed down. That left upbringing. I hadn't seen how the young were raised. How were the bugs involved in that process? What motivated the bugs? Still unsure, I used them to comfort us and give Dale the recharging he'd need for the next day. I slept well, with no nasty dreams, but one with undercurrents all the same. It was the bugs. They were after one of my old systems engineering professors, Professor Conn, of all people. What did that mean? The next day was a repeat, but a little more frenzied. We had to rescue Dale in the morning and in the afternoon, and that evening after dinner we could all tell the flutter-giggles were just about gone for the season. As I led Dale back to our hut we could feel the cool damp wind that told us a storm was approaching. I laid him down on the soft moss and comforted him, sending him to sleep, and then setting one of my kaelen to rejuvenating him, while I had another sharpen my mind. I sat in the darkness, feeling and hearing the storm approach, practicing breathing exercises I'd neglected for a while. I straightened my back and focused on my breath, letting the feelings roil inside, just as the storm roiled outside. I remembered what Barbara taught me so long ago: "Serenity isn't freedom from the storm, but peace within the storm." Eventually I lay back on the moss. I put a hand on his side; he moved a little. We are not natives, I told myself; we are members of the Survey Service. We are professional nomads; our home is nowhere, and wherever we are. With that, I let my companions sing me to sleep. The next morning was cool, windy, and rainy. The flutter-giggles were gone. This made some people sad, and others happy. Things could return to normal once again. Dale headed off with a small crew to check on some erosion control measures he was trying at one end of the fields. I worked with Dina assessing the damage the moths had brought. Probably thanks to the scare the first day, we didn't have any serious injuries. Dina was surprised; there were usually a few broken bones and some serious lacerations. She'd been talking with one of the elders; they had memories of a few deaths in the past from the moths, but none in recent years. Dina told me she would guide me when Tala was to make her husband. I checked the chronometer; my period would be due in two days. Give three days for my period, three to recover; I told her it would be in eight or nine days. She told me to let her know the day before so we could make preparations. That gave me a little over a week to prepare myself. I spent the afternoon in one of the contemplation spots. I sat in a meditation posture I'd used for many years. Even though I hadn't used it much on-planet, my body recognized it and so did my mind. After a couple minutes my menagerie started the thrumming sound to sharpen my mind again. I let the thoughts and feelings flow through me, experiencing them and letting them go. Something about this place was so peaceful. But something told me there was a price being paid. It must be the reduced population, the carefully controlled breeding. It fit; they were trading growth, which would force change, for stability. I felt different parts of me reacting differently to this thought. Parts of me found this bargain satisfactory. Yet other parts knew that if this bargain had been made on the ancient Homeworld, man would never have reached the stars. To never know the stars -- what a price to pay! Yet as this thought brought strong emotions welling up within me, I also realized the other things they didn't know, as far as we'd been able to discover. They didn't know war, or famine, or hatred. We knew now that adultery did occur, but under careful societal sanctions. Fighting, even arguing, were all but unknown. What price, peace? They didn't lie. There wasn't much to be gained from it, for one thing. Children, and teens, still tested boundaries as they grew; it's part of growing up. What was different here? Other things clicked. A hypothesis formed. I contacted the ship and reviewed some of our biometric recordings. I experienced once more the sounds of our greeting that first night, then the questioning the next morning. Now I could recognize separate patterns from the kaelen chorus. One sound was a relaxation sound; that effectively reduced our ability to mount a physical attack. It also reduced our greeters' ability to defend themselves. Another sound in the mix was the comfort-root. The presence of those two explained why we felt so relaxed and safe. Another sound was in the mix; one I'd not been taught. I isolated it and had the shipboard AI search for other examples of it in my recordings. It was present the next morning when we'd been questioned, along with the relaxation sound. And, it had been present on a number of occasions where Dina had talked to me, especially early on. I let the linguist in me explore the sound, feeling for its root, its variations. I hypothesized the male variant and used command privilege to have the ship search Dale's recordings for that variant. The ship found it, and I listened to some of those incidents. I recognized elders' voices. Adda had asked him a week or so after we landed if he was my husband. I listened to his voice filled with emotion telling her he was and always would be. I felt a tear roll down my cheek, to be intercepted along my jawline by a small tongue. I opened my eyes and stretched for a while, lying on the moss, sheltered from most of what was now light drizzle. It was getting to be late afternoon. Soon Dale came by. I saw him separate from a group of men. He'd made himself a very silly looking hat to keep off the rain; we'd be seeing a flourish of those now. He sat beside me and we kissed. Then he lay down on the moss with his head in my lap. I decided to test my hypothesis. It was perhaps underhanded, but then that kind of behavior is one of the finest products of our civilization. I started my kaelen relaxing both of us, comforting him, and after he was very relaxed, started them on the male variant of my test sound. After a couple minutes I quietly asked him, "How many times have you been off the island?" I'd gently probed him on this issue in the past, and he'd always been evasive. He immediately answered, "A dozen or so, maybe sixteen. There are these rock formations about 150 clicks from here with incredible fossils. I think they may have been a hive species in the past. The ship may have found some more on the other side of the planet, it's too early to tell yet." I started stroking his forehead again, then pulled him up and leaned forward a little to get a nipple in his mouth. I started him into deeper relaxation. I silenced my kaelen shortly after that, and held Dale to me, thinking. It was a truth-sound. Why did that surprise me? They'd already demonstrated their versatility in affecting the body and the mind in other ways. Was it possible truth had a biological basis? Did this represent a new threat to us, to our security, or that of the ship? We knew the AI would not, and could not, land the ship. It could transport us up to the ship, and could transport others if we chose to do so. The closest we could come to self-destruct would be to send the ship back to base without us. That thought left me cold, and reflecting on that deep sudden chill told me this was not yet my home. I heard people gathering for dinner. One of the young women who helped me occasionally stood at a sociable distance. I smiled to her and nodded; she turned and left. "Wake up, sleepyhead," I told my wonderful strong man. I massaged his scalp a little. He woke up and reached up, pulling me down and taking my nipple again. He sucked for a few seconds. Then he stopped suddenly, catching his breath. He released me and sat up, giving me a questioning glance. I smiled. "I just figured it out. They've used that on us from the beginning, but rarely." He opened his mouth, but didn't say anything. According to formal protocol, he should ask my permission as mission commander before making use of effectors to leave the island, or before making any use of ship systems that could reveal our capabilities. "I don't mind. It's your job. I trust you to be careful," I told him. He still had a confused look on his face, sitting there. I moved up to my knees and held him to a breast, circling my hands behind his head and holding him to me, making him moan. "I love you. You are my husband. That hasn't changed." He squeezed me and a sigh racked through him. We held each other for another minute or so, then got up and went to dinner. After dinner, walking back to our hut, I could tell he was still thinking about what I'd done. In our hut I held his hands. "I'm sorry if I hurt you. It was the best way to test my hypothesis." He smiled, even laughed a little. "No, I don't mind that. It's fascinating, that's all. How did a bug evolve that ability; it's so specialized." "Abstract?" I added. "I would have thought so, but if they can fart truth, I'm not sure." I laughed at his choice of words. "I won't do that to you again." He held my hands. "It's okay, it's just another gland being stimulated. But how did it evolve? I can see relaxation, sleep, even reproductive control. But truth?" I speculated. "Maybe in a deeper symbiosis, they recognize lies as a threat to the host, and therefore a threat to them? My question is are they hard wired, or can they evolve and react to new situations, produce new compounds?" He grunted. "How about that mind-clearing thing? That seemed to take them all by surprise." I nodded; it had. Dale was evidently making good use of the ship, why shouldn't I? I set up a quick search program to scour the planet searching for instances of that sound. If it wasn't in use elsewhere, that would not help us decide between the reemergence of something dormant or a new development, but it would be another clue. Then I told him of what I expected in the next week to two weeks -- my period, recovery, helping Tala "make" her Ben, and then starting the cycle over again. I asked him to please stay on the island for me during those key times. He kissed my hand and said he would. We lay down and snuggled close. I held him to me again. My mind was still racing so. I had the kaelen lead us through comfort and into restful sleep. I woke with a start in the middle of the night. I didn't know what caused it; it was something deep. Dale woke and held me. I had to resist flinching when my kaelen recognized I was awake and dropped from their perches to climb back on me. Dale held me to his chest, his arms around me. Then he started making the comforting sound. My kaelen answered, and soon eased us back into sleep. I woke before he did, as the sun was rising. I recalled with some surprise the way he'd comforted me during the night. So they would respond to cues from a male! I used the chamber pot, then had a drink of water. He started to stir. I straddled him and as he opened his eyes I said, "This is for last night." I started my kaelen relaxing him and driving us to ecstasy at the same time. He moaned as he fought it for a moment, then gave in. When I felt him let go I put a nipple in his mouth and rode him in earnest. He came quickly, triggering my own orgasm. I let myself collapse to his side, pulling him to me, letting the kaelen comfort us, and then felt them feasting on our fluids. After breakfast we went up to our spot on the hillside. "You've been practicing," I suggested to him. "What?" he said innocently. "Speaking to the kaelen." He nodded with a lopsided smile. "Might be useful some day." I agreed. "Ever hear other men, boys talking to them?" He shook his head. "Other than the comforting, relaxing sound, no." "Want me to put together a study program for you?" He smiled. "Yes! Want to learn more archeology?" "No!" I told him, and we both laughed. I told him of my observations so far regarding root formation and the use of modifiers. I told him he needed to practice well outside of earshot of other people, as well as kaelen. The following two days passed without note, and I moved into a hut for my period. I'd planned on putting together Dale's study program, but just felt tired. I let my kaelen comfort and rejuvenate me, saving energy for what was to come. I emerged two and a half days later, bathed, and headed for lunch. I sat down in my usual spot. Adda gave me a wonderful smile; I'd thought she would be disappointed that I was still having periods. Dale and Ben appeared shortly, with another group of men. I gave Ben a careful eye; he was fairly clean. Dale sat down next to me and gave me a quick squeeze and a peck on the neck. "I missed you," he said. I looked at him. He seemed different. "What's happened to you?" I asked softly. He laughed and leaned over to my ear, whispering, "I'm five for five." "What?" I thought for a moment. "Oh! How do they know?" He shrugged. "The bugs, what else. I had the ship confirm. Three boys, two girls. Genetically sound. Looks like more support for the Diaspora theorists." I poked him in the ribs. "More support for male egos, if you ask me. Do they know the sexes?" He shrugged again, handing me some fruit. "Don't know. I haven't told anyone what the scans revealed." I talked to Adda after lunch; Dale was off again. Adda asked me, "Your husband told you?" I nodded. "He must be pleased," I said, referring to the kaelen. "Three boys and two girls." She looked surprised. "How do you know?" I smiled. "We know." I took a deep breath; I felt strong, rested. "And in a few days, Tala will make her husband." She nodded and smiled, bowing her head to me slightly. Damn, I thought as I walked. I should have set up a prospective study of the flutter-giggle induced rutting to see how many pregnancies resulted. Probably two thirds of the female population of the village should have been fertile during that period. I could have the ship scan for early term pregnancies. Yeah, let's do that. Do the scan during the early part of dinner, distributed over the area to minimize how excited the kaelen become. Why not just ask? I asked Adda, "How many others will there be?" She had a thin smile at my question. "Three others." I nodded. I didn't cancel the scan. I felt she was holding something back. What? Why? Or was I just imagining things? She changed the subject. "In the next few weeks we may have visitors from other villages. We will need your help greeting them." I smiled and nodded. "I will help however I can." She said, "I knew you would." I don't remember what happened during the rest of the afternoon, because when the ship gave me the results of its scan during dinner, I choked on the food I had in my mouth. After coughing violently and scaring the hell out of Dale and those around me, the first thing I did was had the ship rescan with tighter parameters; pregnancies restricted to conception during the period of the flutter-giggles, and all pregnancies. A minute later the ship reported the same result. I knew why Adda had been tight lipped when she'd answered my question, and why I felt she was hiding something. She'd told me we were having Dale's five, plus three more. The ship reported eleven pregnancies during the conception window I requested. There were two women in the village most obviously close to term. Three others were about four months along. Other than that, nothing. I couldn't help but give Adda a pained look. I hope she took it to be from my choking. She knew; she had to know. My God, what a price for stability! I know from my study of history that abortion is common in many societies. It was practiced on the ancient Homeworld through the beginnings of the Atomic Age and the first Exploration of Space, as hard to believe as that was. Why did this bother me so? Why did it shake me to my core? Did three women in our village know they were pregnant, and also know they would never come to term? Or worse yet, are they unaware that the decision has been made for them? Or is it Dale fathering five -- if I'd just kept him to myself another morning, another afternoon.... If I'd kept him busy and he hadn't knocked up some of those women, would the others have been allowed to give birth? I was still shaken as Dale helped me back to the hut. Inside, I held him and sobbed. The kaelen started to comfort me, but Dale silenced them. "Can you tell me? What is it?" Dale implored me. I couldn't control my voice. The damn bugs -- they had been working so damn hard to get me pregnant. Would that continue? Stability fueled by life? I couldn't find my voice; I was sobbing so. The kaelen started calming me again. As they did I held Dale and nodded my head. He understood and let them continue. He held me, rocked me. Gradually I settled down. Haltingly I explained to him the difference between what Adda had told me and what the ship reported. Dale calmly pointed out what I already knew about history. He also pointed out that we were in their world; our models did not apply here. He asked if I had a model that could explain the difference, the three that would be aborted. That snapped me back to reality. What kind of investigator had I become? I asked the ship to detail the pregnancies. We both reviewed the results. One thing stuck out immediately. Of the six pregnancies, three were first time. The other three were married couples who already had one or two children. I sighed and held Dale; I almost laughed. It made sense. We knew one or two children per family were the norm. N/K's orbital survey had shown that, as well as the apparent clustering of births in certain periods of the year. It made sense. Go for genetic diversity. If I were planning a program, that's what I'd do. We were outsiders and represented new genetic material. If we stayed, would I get knocked up by a native? From a genetic perspective, He would like that. So why was I being given the repeated chance to breed with Dale? From a genetic perspective, it made more sense for me to get knocked up first by a native. With the flutter-giggles around, it would have been easy to inflame my passions and keep me on my back.... Possibly there was choice in this system after all, choice within a limited range. "I love you," I told Dale. "I love you," he told me. We held each other close. As much as I didn't want to, I started the damn bugs easing us to sleep -- it was one of the few things that made sense. The next morning I was ready to start with Tala. Let's get the cycle started again. Before breakfast I saw Dina and told her we were ready to go ahead. She nodded, picked up some food, and headed out. I told Dale to keep Ben away all day. Adda greeted me cautiously at breakfast. "Are you well today, my daughter?" I sighed. "I am better, my mother." She reached out and we held hands over the gulf. As breakfast ended, Dale called Ben and they headed off. Tala started to get up. I looked at Adda; she smiled to me and nodded. "Tala," I said, "please come with me." She looked at me; apprehension, surprise, elation all swept through her. She trembled a bit and bowed. "Yes, mother," she answered formally. We went to the small pond and bathed. I could tell by the way she moved, by the way her body reacted, that she knew what was to happen. How many weeks ago was it that I started this journey, and started it in ignorance? We walked silently to the huts by the small pond. I saw Dina standing by one. We walked over to it; Dina bowed and left. I waved Tala inside. "You know what to do, my daughter. I will be here." I could see her eagerness, her nervousness, and her joy. Her hand trembled against the outside of the hut as she bent over to enter. I sat outside the hut, making myself comfortable. I sat in a formal meditation pose, one that had served me well over the decades. Inside the hut I heard Tala starting out. I don't know if it was from the sound alone, or if pheromones were drifting outside to affect me, but I felt calm and comforted. How many kaelen did she have in there with her? She started the next phase. Even though I was deep in meditation, I heard her rapid breathing, then soft animal noises coming from her. I felt a tingle and inhaled sharply, passion filling me. I felt my nipples react, and felt the dampness between my legs. I knew I had to move farther away if I was to remain conscious through the next phase. I opened my eyes to see Adda standing a short distance away, hands behind her back, smiling softly. I bowed to her, flowed up to standing, and moved a few feet further from the hut. I reached a point where I felt a breeze on my face; that would be good, and probably keep me safe, yet still within earshot. Adda approached and knelt by my side. "This is a good spot," she told me. "Someone will bring you lunch. Dina and the others will arrive by midafternoon. You want to wake her just before she begins a new cycle, or as she begins a new cycle. She should complete three cycles at least." I smiled and bowed again. "Thank you, mother," I said softly. Adda got up and left. I reviewed my audio recordings for the last hour or so and put chronometer marks on the beginning of Tala's cycles. I commanded the ship to track and predict, giving me visual updates. Tala was fairly loud in the hut. Is that what I sound like? I thought about reviewing that time, but decided to settle back and wait. I was about to get up and go cue the kaelen myself when I heard Tala start, and saw the ship generated marker flash in my vision. I felt the breeze on my face and settled back into meditation. I didn't go to sleep, but I did drift fairly deep into meditation. Why was I so emotional these days? I'd learned decades ago that even though I considered myself to be a cool analytic person, that was but a thin shell covering a volatile and emotional core. I thought I'd come to terms with my emotional side in my late twenties. I knew it was a source of strength, guidance, and wisdom; all I had to do was listen. What was I being told by that part of me now? I was unsettled, unsure. I had a vision of a thick, viscous liquid on top of another liquid, dampening it. Then Professor Conn reappeared and started to speak, only to be chased away by three huge winged male kaelen. I let these thoughts and visions drift through, not holding on to them. I remembered what he taught us, fitting it to this world. A system that seems stable is either growing slowly or decaying slowly. Maintaining stability requires energy, energy which is diverted from other parts of the system. Periods of instability correlate with rapid growth, change, evolution. You either fuel change or you fuel control, stability. Another marker flashed in my vision; Tala started another cycle. If my analysis was correct, the energy that would go into population growth was fueling the control mechanism. It was a high price for peace, for stability. How much were we disturbing this stability? And how would the system react to preserve itself? I shuddered at that thought, reliving for a moment my dream, legs moving so slowly as I tried to escape the winged males. No, not escaping; trying to save the children, especially our son. I remembered feeling they'd already gotten Dale. What did that mean? What had they done to him? I felt it wasn't as simple as using him for a host. I started my kaelen sharpening my mind. I didn't have all the puzzle pieces yet. I chuckled to myself; we never would. Still, I felt I was missing something; we were missing something. Another marker; Tala was going into passion again. I listened to her move through it quickly, easily, and more intensely. After a few minutes of silence she moved again into rest. I settled back into meditation. Dale and I should take a day or so for a formal review of our reports so far. How do we do this within the bounds of normal behavior? By sharpening our minds, we could do it in a few evening sessions, yet I wanted a longer period, and the ability to work in a space where we could have projected visuals. Even though the images projected directly into my visual cortex were very high quality, being able to move among larger projections, rearranging and editing, was still valuable. I laughed to myself; in spite of the augmentation, we are still kinesthetic beings. Tala was midway through her third cycle when a young teen brought me lunch. The manner in which she presented it to me told me she considered this an honor. I asked her if she had eaten yet; she told me no. I asked her to sit, and shared my simple meal with her. We ate quietly as Tala went into another rest phase. We finished eating and she slipped away, bowing with a big smile on her face. I settled in once again. Tala completed two more cycles before I heard the others approaching. I opened my eyes to see them sitting off at a respectable distance from the hut. I could also see Dina's hair moving gently in a breeze; she had seated them well. I had the ship flash its projection of Tala's cycles into my vision. Her next cycle would probably start in about fifteen minutes. Fine, I'd wait ten and go in. I nodded to the group and closed my eyes again. How would I prepare to go in there? The place had to be loaded with pheromones, and I'd be walking into it. Two minutes prior to entering I started my crew sharpening my mind, then used a little shot of the stimulation sound. My mind was crystal clear and my heart racing as I opened my eyes. I smiled to the group waiting patiently with the unbaked bread, then bowed and flowed up to standing in one motion. I walked to the hut, bowed down, and entered. Still I was hit by the cloud of pheromones -- the sensations and feelings tugging at me. The kaelen in the top of the hut scrambled around at my entrance. My chosen one made a chittering sound briefly, and all of them went silent. I sat next to Tala. I could also smell her arousal; what a delicious body she had. I chuckled to myself; that's not the way to think of your daughter. As I was excusing myself for that thought, blaming it on the cloud of pheromones, Tala opened her eyes. They were somewhat glazed, but they opened. I helped her to a sitting position and gave her some water to drink. "How are you, my daughter?" I asked. She sighed and blinked a couple times. "I am well, mother." I gave her a hug and helped her out of the hut. The others came quickly and started loading in the materials to bake the bread we would share in the morning. I led Tala back to the pond and helped her bathe. For a while I held her floating on her back, holding her head above the water in the crook of my arm. After a few moments she relaxed and I moved her slowly in the water. We washed in the small falls; the colder water helping to bring us both back to a more alert state. We got out, and the girl from lunch and one of her friends combed out our hair. With our skirts back on, and my kaelen in place, I walked with Tala back to the village center. "Is it tomorrow night, mother?" Tala asked me. "Yes. Are you ready?" I replied. "Are you?" she asked in return. I laughed and held her to me. "No, I'm not. But tomorrow comes anyway." We were early for the evening meal, so we walked for a while, circling lover's lane. It was fairly quiet; we were still catching up on work delayed by the arrival of the flutter-giggles. Still, two of my favorite spots sounded quite well occupied. Somehow we ended up by the seashore, near the spot we landed. Tala looked apprehensive. "What is wrong, daughter?" I asked. She stepped closer to me. My kaelen were acting a little agitated. I touched each to calm them. Tala said, "I very seldom come here. This is a man's place." That was interesting. Why was it a man's place? As I took a deep breath of the sea air, I understood. "We'll head back. This is the place we landed," I told her. We walked back along the path Dale and I had taken, how many months ago? I understood why the shore was a man's place, why the kaelen didn't like it. Woman's power was based on the kaelen and their pheromones. The crisp moving sea air rendered them ineffective. As we walked along the path, I started them sharpening my mind. I should do this more often, I thought; I needed to keep my analytical skills sharp. And bury my emotional side again, a not so small voice inside me called out.... Ahh balance; we're always struggling for balance. We walked into the village center as people were gathering for the evening meal. Dale and Ben were standing around; they wouldn't sit down until we arrived. I laughed softly to myself; we entered the center on a path pretty much opposite the one to the pools. That should confuse things. We were both happy to see our men, and they were happy to see us. We sat down to our meal. Afterwards Tala and Ben headed off. Dina and Adda got my attention; I told Dale I'd meet him back at the hut. He hugged me hungrily and headed off. Adda, Dina, and I walked to the hut of one of the older women. I remembered it as the place I'd picked my kaelen. We sat and I was introduced. Tomorrow I would help Dina prepare the hut that Tala and Ben would use. After dinner I would bring Tala here, so she could choose her kaelen. As we did that, Dina would lead Ben to the hut. I would bring Tala, and once she went inside, I would return here for two additional kaelen; these I would place on the outside of the hut. They would enter if they were called. Then I would sit and wait. She asked me if I was ready. It wasn't tomorrow I that concerned me; it was two days from now. I looked at her and told her my daughter had asked the same question. After a pause, I gave the same answer I'd given Tala: "Tomorrow comes anyway." She responded with a wonderful laugh. We bowed and left. As we walked back, Adda said softly, "She hasn't laughed like that in a long time. You gave a good answer." I chuckled a little; I gave a very old answer. I stopped to relieve myself on the way to our hut. I needed him inside me tonight. I was hungry and wet by the time I got to the hut. I dropped my skirt and pushed him to his back, starting my kaelen relaxing him, bringing me to ecstasy, and holding him off. I rode him mercilessly until I was nearly exhausted. I slid off him and comforted him for a while, holding him to my breast. Then I lay on my back on the soft moss and started the kaelen again. I started them bringing him up again, and releasing and relaxing me. I felt myself melt into the moss in a wave of passion as he entered me. Sometime later after he'd filled me, we rolled together and I comforted him, our chorus once again singing us to sleep. The next morning before our meal Dina and I walked over to the hut Tala had used the day before and recovered our bread. We walked back to a separate area; Tala and Ben were there, as was Adda. I handed them pieces of the bread, saying, "This is special bread for us to share. Today is a day of rest for both of you." I saw the shock of recognition in Ben's face, and the look he gave Tala. Tala smiled and bowed to us. The bread definitely had its effects; I felt good, elated, yet calmed. I wanted to hold Dale, to kiss and nuzzle with him, to roll around on that soft moss with him. But Dina and I had our work to do. Besides watching Tala and Ben, I was told we needed to relax them if they got too excited. We took a break, then Dina showed me where the moss was grown. It was a cool, damp spot on the other side of one of the hills. A well-worn path led to it. There were stone and wood implements here, used for harvesting the moss. It was simple work, although the moss itself was heavy. I was glad I kept up my strength through swimming; I was able to carry more than Dina could. At her suggestion, I also cut a small patch for me to sit on through the night. After setting the moss in place, we had lunch. After lunch Dina took one of her kaelen and placed it in the brush above Tala and Ben. She motioned to me and I did the same. I placed mine, then started singing them to sleep. The kaelen picked up the tune quickly. Dina and I silenced the kaelen remaining with us as we stepped away, watching Tala and Ben relax in each other's embrace. I remembered that, how wonderful it had been. I learned that the making of the finely woven skirts was the task of the younger girls; a pair were ready for Tala and Ben. Everything seemed to be in place, and under control. Everything except me -- every once in a while my heart would take off racing, wondering about my part of the ritual to come. The rest of the day was easy on the young ones. We woke them in late afternoon and watched them bathe in the pool, obviously nervous with anticipation. Tala worked especially diligently in washing Ben's hair and beard, glancing over to me occasionally. We ate dinner; I ate heartily, and Tala and Ben ate hardly at all. After dinner I hugged Dale. "Stay on the island," I whispered to him, "I love you." He sighed and said, "I love you. I'll miss you." Then I nodded to Dina. She took Ben's hand and led him away. I turned to Tala and said, "Come with me, my daughter." Tala looked to me with nervous anticipation and fell in behind me. We walked silently to the old woman's hut. She was sitting outside smiling when we arrived. She laughed as we approached. I turned to Tala and said, "Pick one." Tala sighed and started choosing. It was the same as it had been with me. I could see the concentration on her face, the disappointment as one skittered from her touch, and the elation when one hissed in pleasure, then flipped on its back in her hand, wiggling its legs. Tala looked at us with tears in her eyes. She knew what was to happen; I hadn't. The old woman laughed again and waved us away. I took Tala and her new companion back to the hut. I kissed her on the forehead and looked her in the eye. "You know what to do, my daughter. I will be here." She trembled with excitement as she hugged me. Then she practically jumped into the hut. After a couple minutes, I returned to the old woman's hut. She waved for me to sit, so I did. Her smile was infectious. She seemed to have eight or ten young kaelen on her, and two old adults, each with a gemlike shine. Three of the youngsters skittered over to me, seemingly racing around my body, each trying to outdo the other in taking the longest, most circuitous, and most ticklish path to the top of my head. I laughed with her at their antics. Then she sighed and said, "You have much to teach us." "Thank you, grandmother," I said formally, "We have much to learn from you." She looked up into the sky. "You are from out there?" she asked. I sighed. "Yes, from farther than you have words to say." "Without Him?" she asked. I nodded. She laughed, shaking her head at such a strange concept. She touched my forehead with her hand. "Go to your daughter." Tears filled my eyes. I whispered, "Thank you," and left. Back at the hut I placed the three youngsters on the outside. Then I moved my chunk of moss over by a tree and settled in. It was going to be a long night, and a noisy one. After a while sitting there, my kaelen started a new sound. I practiced it, and as I did, felt myself slipping into a relaxed half-awareness. I was aware still, but not totally. Time was different. So was space -- as I remembered the sensations of entering and leaving subspace, I felt the tensors of spacetime somehow. I felt our presence in the system, and the local sun. I drifted to the cycling of cries from the hut. I heard the chittering sound only once during the night, Tala's kaelen calling for reinforcement. What did that reflect, I asked myself? Was it a measure of the strength, the drive, of the wife, or a measure of the effort required to subjugate the husband? In either case, it was no wonder I'd ended up with three. Shortly after sunrise I felt someone approaching. I opened my eyes to see the young girl who had brought me lunch now approaching with breakfast. I smiled and accepted it from her. I moved slightly; my joints had withstood the night well. I gave silent thanks, looking at the stars, for a summer spent studying meditation on a world with slightly higher gravity. How many years ago had that been, and how many light years from here? I queried the ship; 230 light years away was its answer. Tala and Ben evidently woke some time later, and went through another round of lovemaking. Would they do another round? I guessed they would. After breakfast time, the elder women gathered. Adda came and sat next to me. As she approached, I bowed and moved over, giving her my moss patch to sit upon. She sat down, smiling. Young girls also appeared with the makings for another batch of bread. The gathered throng was treated to another round of lovemaking, ending with a very passionate set of both male and female cries. I head Adda chuckling softly; I held her hand. A few minutes later we heard rustlings from within the hut. I felt Adda's hand at my back. I bowed and swept up again, thankful for all that practice. I seemed to move smoothly, without much pain from sitting for so long. I met Tala as she exited the hut. I hugged her and kissed her. "Welcome, my daughter," I told her. She giggled a little, still somewhat delirious. I left her and her newly made husband in the hands of the younger women. One group took them down to the pool to bathe; the other group set up the bread making in the hut. I picked two lonely kaelen off the outside of the hut and rubbed them briefly. "Maybe next time," I told them softly. A couple of the elder women laughed at my remark. Dina led me down to the pool as well. I took off my skirt and kaelen, and went into the water. I took a deep breath and swam underwater for quite a distance, popping up to float on my back. I swam on my back for a while, using my arms and shoulders, working the kinks from my hips and legs. I got out feeling rejuvenated. Two young girls scrambled to me, one winning out to comb my hair. She politely asked if I could teach her to swim like that. I told her it took practice, but I could. With my skirt and kaelen in place, I stood by the edge of the water and waved the newlyweds in. Tala brought her catch to shore. He looked as dazed as Dale had been. The girls handled them both gently. I smiled, remembering. It had not been that long ago! With their fine skirts in place, Tala with her two kaelen and dazed husband in tow, I led the procession to the midday meal. As Adda had done, I led them around the gathered group and back to our sitting position. Dale eagerly joined me. My young friend appeared again with fruit for me, and for Tala. We accepted it and began the meal. After lunch, I went back to our hut with Dale. I think he had other things besides a nap in mind, but I had the kaelen sing us to sleep. I needed the rest. Tala presented us with bread at the evening meal. She had tears in her eyes as she approached me, yet held her head proudly. She said, "Thank you, mother," in a voice choked with emotion. After the meal I led her and her husband to the spot between the trees for the reception line. I hadn't noticed it when we'd done it, but Dale and I got hugs as well. In our hut afterwards, Dale's lovemaking was frantic and driven. I lay on my back, letting the kaelen relax me, then take us to sleep. END of Part 4 Life Cycle of the Kaelen by artie@netgate.net http://www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/artie/www http://artie.web1000.com/ ----- ASSM Moderation System Notice------ This post has been reformatted by ASSTR's Smart Text Enhancement Processor (STEP) system due to inadequate formatting. ----- ASSM Moderation System Notice------ <1st attachment end> ----- ASSM Moderation System Notice------ Notice: This post has been modified from its original format. The post was sent as an email attachment and has been converted by ASSTR ASSM moderation software. ----- ASSM Moderation System Notice------ -- Pursuant to the Berne Convention, this work is copyright with all rights reserved by its author unless explicitly indicated. +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | alt.sex.stories.moderated ----- send stories to: | | FAQ: Moderator: | +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ |Archive: Hosted by Alt.Sex.Stories Text Repository | |, an entity supported entirely by donations. | +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+