Return to Valjiir Stories
Return to Valjiir Continum
The new matrix was taking forever to load.
Commander Ruth Valley drummed her fingers on the hood of the computer monitor in the computers lab at the San Francisco Shipyards. She had loaded some upgrades for the computer systems of the Nest ships, coordinating with her friend and partner in all things Valjiir. As usual, the Indiian’s precise specifications slowed down the interface to a crawl. Of course, that fact nearly always guaranteed that there would be no coding bugs to fix when the entire system crashed, as had so often been the case previously when Ruth uploaded new material without such coordination – due to her leaps of intuition when actually writing the code. Ruth had spent several weeks creating new matrices that would follow her shortcuts, and Jilla’s patient, logical formulas were confusing the hell out of it.
She sighed, pushing stray strands of her golden hair from her face. It always tried to escape from her neat up-dos – something that was happening more frequently as the months of separation from her husband wore on. She attributed that to celibacy – her hair wasn’t at all happy with the levels of inconvenient hormones chasing each other around in her body with no outlet. She was certain that was part of the reason most Antaris were promiscuous – if they didn’t have sex on a regular basis, their hair mutinied.
Or maybe it’s just protesting this all-work-and-no-play, nose-to-the-grindstone life I’ve let myself get saddled with.
She ignored the fact that she usually considered her work exciting and challenging. After all, she was designing the entire computer system for what was going to be her home as soon as the damned things were finished – a home that would let her and Spock have children.
And let’s not start thinking about that too much, or I’ll start dwelling on how one gets children and then I’ll miss Spock even more and I’ll break down and cry and embarrass the hell out of Anton.
Anton Kowlaski was her assistant, a smart, likeable, if nerdy young lieutenant who had absolutely no aspirations toward actually serving on one of the Nest ships. He was more than content with the theoretical end of things, designing hardware and interfaces for her brilliant programming. He was one of the few people who hadn’t been awed by her when she’d first arrived at SanFran – she sometimes thought he never even noticed she was female, much less Antari.
She glanced over at him, working steadily at his own desk. He gave her a crooked grin and a thumbs-up – which meant all was running well… if exceedingly, stultifyingly, mind-numbingly slowly.
She shifted positions in her chair, drawing one leg up under her. She reached for her coffee cup, and found to her disappointment that it was empty. She debated getting up and getting another cup from the replicator, then yawned.
How much sleep have I gotten in the last week? she wondered idly. Let’s see, I’m sure I got a couple of hours on Tuesday…
She giggled at the mention of that particular day of the week. Wonder what Daffy and Pavel found to fight about then? she thought.
Oy, if I’m thinking about that, this must be taking a long time, she interrupted herself, then yawned again.
Better than thinking about how long it’s been since you were able to fight with Spock – about anything.
Sudden tears stung her eyes, and she bit her lip to stop them. Get a grip, she told herself. Think of poor Anton.
She glanced again at the tall, thin lieutenant. He had mousy brown hair cut far too short to compliment his features, which weren’t at all that unpleasant. His eyes had a tendency to water, and she’d once considered asking him if his eyesight needed improving, and offering to help with that. But his embarrassed flush when she’d broached the subject made her drop the idea.
So maybe that means he is aware you’re female – and Antari, she said to herself. And he’s too aware of his own hormones chasing each other around in his body with no outlet. She found herself smiling. Sorry kid, but I am oh so taken.
Which brought her thoughts back to Spock. She missed him. She missed his deep voice, even spouting dry logic – maybe especially spouting dry logic. She missed the warmth of his skin, its incongruous pale, cool olive color, his strength and his intelligence, his aquiline nose and pointed ears and his long, slender, elegant body…
Damn, I’ve gotta stop doing this to myself, she reprimanded. As if to gainsay her, another few strands of hair worked their way from the bun that once upon a time had been neat.
Damn hair! she scowled. Why can’t you lay nice and neat like Spock’s?
Maybe because it’s a couple of feet longer than Spock’s?
And not the right color, she giggled.
That gave her a picture of her Vulcan husband in locks of flowing, black silk, and she sighed again, this time in lascivious longing. Then, just to be perverse – and to stop the flow of inconvenient hormones – she pictured him with long, flowing locks of gold, like her own.
Eww, it makes him look sick, she shuddered. His skin is too green. Now if it was a nice golden-tan…
She shivered. A very handsome Antari you’d make, oh husband of mine.
She put her head down on the desk, smiling to herself.
In moments, she was asleep.
There was only a light breeze, not nearly enough for butterfly-kiting. ani Ramy glanced at the children clustered around her, their wide, purple eyes forlorn at the loss of what they had hoped would be a lesson in that exciting and challenging pastime. At the special treat of a visiting keheil, they had all left their usual classrooms – their mother’s treehouses – for a rare group activity, and now it looked like they weren’t going to get it.
ani Ramy echoed their disappointment. Having not yet had a child of her own, she had been looking forward to a day spent with bright, young open minds and the easy flow of emotion and thought that characterized Antari children. But what could she teach them that their mothers couldn’t – or hadn’t?
Not, of course, that repetition was necessarily a bad thing. Especially if it involved the beautiful and complex stories that made up Antari mythistory.
Smiling, she settled down on the lush grass, sweeping her long fall of hair behind her naked shoulders.
“Shall I tell you a story?” she asked.
The chorus of excited, “Yes, please, Keheil!” engulfed her mind in joyous cacophony.
“Once, long ago, when Icy Crone Nal was new, and Fiery Maiden Lin still sent her plumes of lava into the night sky, when the potential of Airy Keh had not yet come to pass, the Koltiri lived much as we do today,” she began.
“Except without computers,” young evan Tiana interrupted with a giggle. He was of the Trenivanin Clan, that of researchers, scientists and computer experts.
“Quite right,” ani Ramy agreed, and sent him a nod of approval. When Finnil ani Filis of the herbally-oriented Florasta Clan stuck her tongue out at him, she had to hide her smile.
“Keheil, why do we only travel to Keh?” one of the other girls asked.
“Because Nal is ice and Lin is volcanic,” another boy said. He was of the dark Dolmas Clan, known for their poetry and painting, usually all about night and star-fire and the voices of lost souls, and his disdain for the lack of such obvious knowledge was only to be expected.
“That’s right,” ani Ramy said again. “Now in that time, the Clans were not yet separate, and we were all one people.”
“We still are!” came protests from two of the other children, one clearly of Willowen, the Clan most known for nurturing, since she held a small bundle of fur in her hands that ani Ramy suspected was her mother’s pet. The other, Pala ani Palene was of Clan Pathitel, passionate and compassionate, deeply in tune with the rhythms of the planet and the universe beyond.
“Yes, of course we are,” ani Ramy soothed. “I only meant the Clans had not yet found their specialties.” She gazed critically at her temporary charges. “Now, if there are no more interruptions?”
“No, Keheil,” came the subdued agreement.
ani Ramy smiled to soften her chastisement. “As I said, we were all one people…”
Is this the story of the beginnings of the Clans? The question came directly to ani Ramy’s mind. Evan Kinda was the most likely to have already memorized the tale, since his Clan, Klisoph, kept the rituals and lore for all Antares. She answered him as he had spoken, telepathically.
Yes, child, and if you have no wish to hear it again…
Oh, not at all, the boy replied. I just thought I recognized it.
And so you did. Hush now.
Yes, Keheil.
“.. we were all one people, and one day, some sat together in a treehouse, deep in discussion of the new world they had been brought to….”
As usual, the Elders couldn’t agree on anything, not even how best to explore their lovely, lush, green new home. Raeth stood at the bottom of the large tree, hands on her hips, scowling up at those who sat in the newly erected flet in its branches. She had spent the morning wandering in the forest, discovering that there was a wide meadow not too far to the west, full of bright flowers and interesting-looking plants. It would be the perfect place for a meeting hall and she was anxious to show it to evan Amanda. She could see the stone building in her mind, but she hadn’t the patience for imaging the details by which it would be constructed. It would be her salish who, with his detailed mind, would take her vision into concrete reality, though she admitted it was likely evan Louisa and Killa ani Korina who would draw up the actual schematics.
That is, if evan Midori will allow his salish close enough to evan Louisa for that long, she giggled to herself.
She sighed, the laughter in her mind changing into warm memory. evan Louisa and she had a long history, and though she was more than content with evan Amanda, thoughts of the powerful gifts of her former lover had more than once made her wish she could still have him as senda. The child of such a pairing would be formidable indeed.
Thinking of replacing me, ani Ramea?
Raeth turned at the voice of the Zehara. No, of course not, Lady, she said to the Goddess who had brought the Koltiri to this new world.
Not that you’re wrong about evan Louisa, the voice continued as the tall, willowy woman emerged from the forest. Her deep purple eyes glanced up at the flet. “Still arguing, are they?” She said aloud.
Raeth shrugged. “Stubborn they are,” she agreed.
“Like mountains, they are,” the Zehara concurred, then smiled at Raeth. “Perhaps if I were to speak to them separately…”
“They’d each come back certain you had given their ideas Divine Approval,” Raeth finished for Her, then chuckled, shaking her head. “They’ll have to come down to eat eventually,” she added. “I can feel evan Amanda’s stomach growling from here.” She paused. “I’ve been wondering – why, in this new language thing, do we call our males only by their mother’s name?”
The Zehara gazed down at her. “It is a strange, sad thing, Raeth. We seem incapable of producing more than one male child per female, if that, regardless of the number or variety of partnering. The Old Ones want us to always honor those among us who do have male children, and to never forget how special such males are, so we address them not with common names, but with honored titles – which become their names, I know, but… really, do they need any more ego than they already have?” She winked, then glanced up at the tree once more. “You go on, Raeth. I think I’ll wait here for a while.”
Then She sat down, Her legs crossed, leaning forward to place Her elbow on one knee, Her chin in Her hand. Raeth, too, glanced up at the arching branches, sighed, then started humming to herself as she went off in search of some of the juicy-looking fruit she’d seen growing in another part of the forest.
“And the Zehara said to Her child, ‘It is a strange, sad thing, that by accepting the washing of our power, we also accepted that there would be only a few males born to us, to provide for our proper evolution. These we cherish, but in keeping with that power, they are to be known as their mothers’, to keep the lines pure, for such is the way of things.’”
Ani Ramy took a breath, carefully gauging the reactions to this truth. As she expected, all the girls glanced at the boys, unable to keep the hint of superiority from their gazes, while the boys flushed, their heads bowing, accepting both their place and the unheralded importance of their existence.
She especially studied evan Kinda, to see if her telling of the story measured up to the versions he had no doubt heard all his young life.
That’s not quite how my raman explains it, he said to her, but it’s close enough. It will do.
And what does Kinna ani Kian say that is different? ani Ramy wanted to know.
The boy chuckled. You left out the part about male egos, he replied.
No need to remind you, of it, is there? ani Ramy teased.
I have none, as is proper, Keheil. Such is the way of things, evan Kinda returned and ani Ramy had to smile at the gleam in his wide eyes.
She returned her attention to the expectant gazes of her audience, and continued.
“Now the salish of Raeth, evan Amanda…”
“Keheil, Finnil interrupted, “there are no Clans that begin with the letter ‘a’. How could there be an evan Amanda?”
“This was before the Clans, child, remember?” ani Ramy answered.
“Oh. Yeah. I forgot.”
The other children giggled and Finnil shrugged.
“Now evan Amanda was perhaps the most intelligent of the Elders,” ani Ramy went on, “having a keen mind and finely honed telepathic gifts. His empathy, though, was lacking, which made him seem a little cold…”
“But not to Raeth ani Ramea,” evan Derith, the boy from Clan Dolmas muttered.
“Well, of course not,” Maya ani Maani countered. Of the Morinan Clan, she was naturally more inclined to find meaning and purpose in love-making. “They were salish.”
“Just so,” ani Ramy confirmed, “and because intellect was as much valued then as it is today, he was looked to often for an authoritative voice – which didn’t sit well with some of the other Elders….”
“Why does exploration have to be orderly?” evan Louisa demanded. He sat with one knee up, leaning over it, his long hair floating around him, reflecting his agitation. “Isn’t the point of exploring to explore, not make maps?”
“But if we do not chart where we have been,” Killa ani Korina said softly, “how will we know we have examined all possibilities?” Her hand rested against the shoulder of her salish, evan Midori, who was lying with his head in her lap, his hair playfully entangling itself with hers.
“Surely, we’ll be able to feel that,” evan Midori murmured, though it was clear he wasn’t really paying attention.
“You gainsay your salish?” evan Illyana put in. His arms were folded across his chest in clear affront. Next to him, Safy ani Sara, gave a light tap to the back of his head.
“Don’t talk about that which you know nothing,” she chided.
“When are you two going to join?” evan Midori wondered.
Safy shot him a black look. “When I’m a thousand, maybe?” she snarled.
“It is a serious decision,” evan Illyana agreed. “And not one to be taken lightly.”
“Think what might’ve happened if Raeth had decided to join with me,” evan Louisa joked, his grin not quite covering the sour feeling that poured off of him.
“Salish is preordained,” Killa commented. “There is one union that can be formed, and only one. The Zehara guides us when She feels the time is right.” She smiled down at evan Midori, who leaned up to kiss her passionately.
“You certainly seemed serious with evan Tepon,” evan Amanda stated. There was, of course, no disapproval in his tone.
“Perhaps, had he survived the Crossing…” Killa said sadly, and evan Midori gently ran his finger along her temple.
“But since there’s one and only one real union…” evan Louisa said, “it probably wouldn’t have worked even if you’d tried it.”
Evan Midori grinned at him, and he returned it, their hair seeming to wave at each other in camaraderie.
“Well, be that as it may,” evan Amanda spoke again, regaining control of the discussion, “we have yet to decide on the proper course for the necessary exploration. The day grows long.”
“What’s the hurry?” Safy wanted to know. “It’s not like we’re pressed for time, or shelter – or anything else. This new world is simply gorgeous!” She stretched, her arms over her head, and when she brought them down, it was to encircle evan Illyana’s neck.
“It is, but the Zehara did not bring us here simply to enjoy its beauty,” evan Amanda returned. “We must begin to build the society She wishes of us. Which itself begins with thorough knowledge of this planet.”
There were murmurs of agreement from the rest of the Elders, until evan Louisa said, “Yes, but why does our exploration have to be orderly?”
“… but eventually, they all came to recognize his wisdom, and so was this planet studied.”
“And the skies, and the rest of our system,” evan Tiana said with enthusiasm.
And that’s when each Clan found its calling, evan Kinda said, as if that were the end of it.
You’re getting ahead of things, child, ani Ramy chided gently. There is much more to be told of our journey to our present societal structure.
“Keheil,” Finnil began, “You spoke of Elder evan Illyana, but that isn’t even a Koltiri name…”
Ani Ramy sighed.
“All names have beauty and purpose,” Pala intoned solemnly. “The story tells of the reason such names are no longer used.”
There was a chorus of agreement, and ani Ramy smiled at the wisdom in the child’s soft eyes.
Does the Florasta Clan no longer teach our mythistory? evan Kinda asked.
I’m sure they do, the Keheil replied. The role of Questioner is an honored one – as well you know.
Evan Kinda scowled. Of course I know. His mind recited the First Question: Wherefore did we come to this place, and from whence did our gifts arise?
But that is not this story, evan Kinda, ani Ramy reminded.
“Please, go on, Keheil,” Whist ani Winna said politely, her eyes glancing briefly up from the furry sinja she held in her lap.
“So it came to pass,” ani Ramy began again, “that the Elders, in pairs, were asked to each explore a different area of the new world, and report their findings to evan Amanda.”
Killa and evan Midori went to the east, toward the nearest coastline. Safy and evan Illyana decided to explore the meadows with their wealth of herbal potential. Two other Elders, Soniq ani Simone and evan Violia went toward the mountains to the north of the forest.
Raeth waited impatiently for her salish to finish his conversation with the Zehara. She wanted to go deeper into the woods, past the grove of fruit trees she had discovered, into its very heart where the vegetation was thick and tangled, and beating, it seemed, in tune with the very heart of the planet. She nodded to evan Louisa, who was leaning against the trunk of the great tree, his face turned to the warmth of the red sun.
Plodding, plodding, plodding, he murmured silently. Grids and checkpoints and coordinates. How constricting.
Our children’s children will thank us, evan Louisa, Raeth told him.
If we’re going to follow this stultifying, mind-numbing precise plan, evan Louisa drawled, they’d better.
“Enough, children,” the Zehara said. “Evan Amanda’s ideas are sound, and his procedures workable.” She turned her gaze to Raeth. “As your salish must remain with me, you will go with evan Louisa into the depths of the forest. We will need to know the layout and patterns of growth, along with a clear vision of all the life forms that inhabit it, whether they are dangerous, vulnerable or beneficial.”
“Yes, my Lady,” Raeth answered immediately. evan Louisa pushed himself from the tree, and moved gracefully to the Goddess’ feet, kneeling and kissing Her hand.
“As you wish, my Lady,” he murmured, his eyes flashing sensually up at Her.
She smiled, caressing his cheek. “Later, my brash young one,” She said with a throaty chuckle. “And the more quickly and thoroughly you complete your survey, the sooner ‘later’ will come.”
Evan Louisa stood with quick, delighted movements. “Come on, Raeth,” he called as he nearly danced into the forest. “We don’t have forever!”
Raeth sighed, and stepped next to her salish, softly caressing his temple. I will miss you, my love, she told him.
And I, you, beloved, was his warm response. His fingers also found her temple, and they shared the oneness of their union for a timeless moment before Raeth turned and scampered after evan Louisa.
Evan Midori rushed into the warm waves as soon as the sandy beach came into view. Killa smiled after him, and sent the information regarding the distance, length and breadth of the coastline she could see, along with clear visual markers. It would be added to the Zehara’s vast mental database, as well as the one kept in evan Amanda’s well-ordered mind. This would allow not only the charting of this island, but teleportation to this spot by other of the Koltiri.
She opened her awareness briefly, wanting to feel the wonder of those who were exploring the planet’s other hundreds of islands, as well as using it to differentiate this beach from the countless that existed on this world.
The water’s so warm, my salish! came joyously from evan Midori. Come, swim with me!
In a moment, she returned, then added, Be sure to catalog the life forms!
Yes, ara, he replied with teasing deference.
Killa shook her head, and began doing her own cataloguing. There were birds and insects, crustaceans and amphibians, as well as numerous kinds of seaweed and kelp, and, of course, the trees and moss and other plants of the forest behind her. She lifted her face to the sun, breathing in the sweet fragrance of the air. It was not much different from the place she had been born, though this atmosphere was fresh and alive. The Zehara had chosen well.
Hey, stop that! came from evan Midori, then the curious surprise of a mental emanation she had never felt before.
What are you? it asked. Are you tasty?
No, I’m not, and stop biting me!
Killa laughed as she got the image of a small purple-colored fish nipping at evan Midori’s heels. Yes, you are tasty, she sent to him, and heard the fish’s startled reaction, but still, little watery one, you shouldn’t bite him.
There are more of you? the creature replied.
We are new to this world, my sister, but we will not harm you, Killa returned. We wish only to share your beautiful home. She sent the fish the images of all the Koltiri, and of their journey, and most especially of the Zehara.
Goddess? the she-fish replied. Hmmph! We have our own divinity, thank you.
Yes. She is Goddess only to us, evan Midori agreed. And you are correct, each being has its own, contained within itself.
Then why do you revere this Zehara?
She is our Mother, he answered, and the devotion and adoration he felt for Her was clear in his thoughts.
Ah, mother! the fish responded. I know this concept.
Then we have your permission to share your ocean? Killa asked.
The fish considered. Yes, it said at last.
And no biting! evan Midori quickly added.
Very well, the creature agreed. There was a pause, and the thought came clearly, disappointed but resigned. But you are tasty.
Killa laughed, and evan Midori made a mental face. It made the fish laugh, and it sent a call to its own brothers and sisters.
By the time Killa dove into the water, evan Midori was playing tag with an entire school of darting, happy purple fish.
“Look, there are holes in the mountains!” evan Violia exclaimed as he and Soniq climbed among the rocky but still densely forested sides of the low mountain ridge.
“Holes?” Soniq replied, coming up behind him. She closed her eyes, then said, “evan Amanda says they’re called caves.”
Both of them received the information about the strange geographic formations: such holes were carved in the sides of the lifted earth, most often by the slow erosion of water held captive in the heavy pressure of mountains, or by the forces of plate tectonics. A query was sent, too: Are these caves damp or dry?
The two climbed towards the small cluster of caves. Most were too small for them to get into, but the darkness smelled of wet slime. The information was relayed as they continued on to one large enough for them to explore.
The opening was irregular, and about two meters high. They started to duck their heads to step into it, and evan Violia stopped.
There’s a very large carnivore in here, he cautioned.
Soniq carefully felt ahead of her into the cave.
It’s sleeping, she said.
Should we wake it, and ask it if we can…?
I think not, evan Violia. Soniq backed cautiously away from the opening. It might wake hungry.
I could run ahead of it, and leave you time to explore the cave, evan Violia suggested.
Soniq mentally assessed the creature’s size and strength and speed.
No, I don’t think you could, she demurred. We’ll have to come back at night. It’s nocturnal.
Oh, evan Amanda will be so impatient, evan Violia chuckled.
Better his impatience than your getting eaten, Soniq returned.
Why, Soniq, my lovely, I didn’t know you cared, he teased.
I do plan on having children, she replied archly, and you have certain qualities that would be advantageous in a senda.
Is that an offer?
Her deep purple eyes sparkled at him. I believe it is. But not here. Your bellows would wake this carnivore for sure.
He smiled at her and took her hand, and they went to find some accommodating patch of soft ground – far away from the caves.