Dalila’s Choice

Belle Amity Compound, Earth 2346 post apocalypse

“Wait child, I would speak to you before you depart,” Mother Marian called.

The petite elder hurried toward Dalila, with her deep blue cloak flapping like restless wings behind her.

Standing on the narrow ladder, which led into the passenger compartment, only Dalila’s head was still visible. She reversed direction, climbing to the outer deck, and then jumping lightly to the ground.

Mother Marian never spoke idly, so Dalila was eager to hear her words of wisdom.

When Dalila drew close, she was shocked by the leader’s appearance. Dark shadows rimmed her pale blue eyes. Smudges marred the normally pristine white collar of her long dress. Her familiar lined face seemed to have grown thinner in just the few days since she’d seen the holy woman.

Mother Marion headed the team of scientists, synthesizers, and magic-wielders, who had been working around the clock to ready her ship for the journey.

As Dalila bowed before the collective’s leader, she made the sign of the Goddess over her head, muttering a ritual blessing. Then the diminutive holy woman tugged her impatiently away from the vessel, which was already humming with an excitement that matched Dalila’s own.

She found a warm smile for the elder. “What is it, mother?”

“I fear for your safety, my child.”

Dalila’s smile faded. But, she spoke lightly. “I understand the hazards of space travel, Mother. Indeed, isn’t that why I was chosen? I am unfit for breeding and therefore expendable.”

Mother Marian peered up at her, fixing her with piercing blue eyes. The power of her gaze had not been dimmed by age. “You understand nothing, disciple. The stasis process is far from perfect. Our most recent tests have only a forty percent successful reanimation rate.”

“May the Goddess smile upon this mission,” Dalila murmured, doing her best to hide the fear that the holy woman’s words fueled.

“Nothing more I can do about the craft. Listen well, my child. For I have scant time to teach you about the ways of warriors.”

“The old ones, who abandoned Earth?”

“Yes. Now, hold your questions and open your mind or you will arrive on Enyo as empty headed as the newest babe.” Mother Marian said, and then muttered under her breath, “Precious little good will you be at expressing warrior semen.”

Dalila was so shocked, she was certain she’d misunderstood. But a glance at the holy woman’s face convinced her that she’d heard correctly. A wild mixture of dread, fear, and excitement increased her tension.

She’d known she was on a sacred quest to gather the precious seeds of life for the sisterhood. But, this was the first anyone had mentioned harvesting sperm from warriors.

The men who’d fled ancient Earth were legendary figures of evil and aggression. Warriors only respected brute strength. The rumors of life on their new planet were tales used to frighten naughty children.

With a wrenching effort of will, she forced her mind to calm, listening intently to Mother Marian’s instructions.

“Some of the warrior factions of old Earth were blindly aggressive, this much is true. But there were also intelligent men who were both strong and honorable. Without the male scientists contributions we would not have a spacecraft to launch. The sisterhood has merely refined previous designs, adding features, and downsizing the craft.” The holy woman paced as she spoke. Soon she was moving so rapidly that her feet no longer connected with the ground.

“There is more, so much more, that you should know, but our time is short. Do not underestimate the men you seek. They were never the clumsy ogres of myth. It’s been more than two millennia since an Earth woman had congress with a Warrior. They may have learned a thing or two. Trust your instincts. They, along with your training, are your best weapons.”

“Yes, Mother,” she said, wishing there was time for even a few of the thousands of questions crowding her thoughts.

The elder beckoned her closer. She bowed, leaning nearer, and then the holy woman’s gnarled hands smoothed Dalila’s temples, forcing her eyes closed. A kaleidoscope of images poured from Mother Marion into Dalila’s mind, etching whole new banks of data faster than she could process any of it. The rate kept increasing until her conscious mind shut down– unable to handle the information overload.

Her last coherent awareness was stunned disbelief at the image of a woman pleasuring a man’s sexual organs using her mouth.