Galactic Slut Ch. 07

Chapter 7
A Question of Sentience

One of the ruffians made a move, darting in and thrusting his knife towards Grankt. The saurian twisted, letting the point lodge in his armor. His fist lashed out and caught his attacker in the face. Blood clouded the water around his face and the dagger dropped slowly to the rock below. Grankt's other hand held his scather at the ready, keeping the other two ruffians at bay. One moved and our bodyguardthrustthe blade towards him. Grankt didn't make contact, but the attacker backed off.

The wounded rake seemed to recover and the three widened their circle, making it impossible for Grankt to protect us from all of them. As they circled us, I noticed two things; a couple of Xylons were watching from entryways without taking any action on their own, and my fingers were tingling. When I looked, my nails were visibly growing, reaching a length of three centimeters and quite a bit of thickness.

[Crystal?]

[PREPARING FOR DEFENSIVE ACTIONS.]

[I don't know much about fighting.]

[SHALL I TAKE CONTROL?]

[If you know what to do, yes.]

The sensation of switching control was still unnerving. I was once again acting without deciding. I pushed out suddenly with hands extended. My newly lengthened claws pierced the ruffian behind me in his belly. He didn't react at all, clearly surprised by my actions. Blood poured into the water as I pulled back. I turned around to see that Grankt had the scather through the neck of one attacker and had thrown something at the second. The still living one had a star-shaped piece of duraplast in his wrist and his dagger was sinking to the ground. I finished a full spin to see the one I had stabbed with my claws (?) fleeing.

Brusjin looked at me with raised eyebrows while Grankt let the disabled attacker flee as he cleaned and sheathed his blade. Crystal released and I was back in control. Two Xylons swam towards us. They had harnesses and were holding long, thin swords of some kind. There was some kind of insignia on the harnesses. My assumption that they were police of some kind was confirmed in a matter of seconds.

"Hands above your head; Capstan security."

Those weapons were incredibly long and had no trouble passing through the water. Brusjin and I raised our hands, Grankt following suit a couple of seconds later. Oddly enough, they didn't make any attempt to disarm Grankt.

"Who's in charge here?" He looked at Brusjin and Grankt, treating me, not like I wasn't there, but like I was unimportant.

"That would be me, officer. This youth, and two of his friends, accosted us and challenged my right to my wife."

"So, this was an ownership defense. I see your slave isn't marked. While the law doesn't require it, you'll likely have to face continuing challenges until you do."

On instinct, developed from years of reading body language in negotiations, I kept silent. There was something we weren't understanding here. Yes, we knew that all females on Xylon were slaves, but I'd never encountered a slave society that simply ignored slaves as thoroughly as they did. Not only that, but every time I've spoken, there were looks of shock and disbelief. What in the world was going on here?

"I understand, officer. I'll give marking her serious consideration," Brusjin replied.

"Very well. Tell me; is it normal for slaves to defend their possession on your world?"

Brusjin looked confused for a moment and then answered with, "No, but it's not unheard of either."

It seems my husband had decided to not risk calling any more attention to ourselves. In essence, he told the truth while not answering the question they had asked. It was clear that while Xylon was advanced technologically (compared to most applicant worlds), it wasn't socially advanced. I found it appalling that ownership of anything could be subject to open, armed challenge, let alone the status of a sentient being. With the situation surprisingly resolved, we headed for the nearest inn, such as it was. Again, the person at the counter ignored me.

"Good day, sir. Will you be wanting a water or air room today?"

"An air room if we could."

"Very good. Are you the researchers from the Federation?"

"Yes we are."

"Your room costs have been covered by the Progressive society. I'll have Jiliti show you to your room."

"Wait, what's the Progressive society?"

"They're the ones who are paying for your research. The society is dedicated to seeing Xylon leave the restrictive mores of the past behind. Personally, I think they're a bit wacko, but they do pay well."

"I don't understand. No one sponsored our trip. We only decided a few days ago to come to Xylon. We can't be the researchers you're expecting."

"I'm sorry. We don't see many aliens, so I just assumed you were them. I'm sorry about the confusion. I'm afraid, however, that I'll need 27 hevits per day."

"That's fine. I just don't want to steal someone's stay."

Brusjin paid the man and another, younger man, led us through a vertical shaft and we swam to the fourth floor. Our room had an airlock and we entered. Inside, we were able to remove our breathers.

"Brusjin, what's going on with this world? I've never seen a society that so thoroughly ignores its slave population. Also, Crystal says that wife and slave translate to the same word."

"The same word? That's very strange. There's something we're not understanding; some basic assumption or piece of knowledge. First, we need to mark you. Our mission can't progress if every gang of youths will be challenging myownershipof you."

"I'm not thrilled with that thought, and I'm getting extremely hungry. I think Crystal's modifications took a bit out of me."

[THAT IS CORRECT. ENERGY RESERVES MUST BE RESTORED SOON. ALSO, I CAN ADD AND REMOVE MARKS WITH EASE.]

"That's nice to know." At Brusjin's confused look, I explained, "Crystal says that It can add and remove marks at will. I suspect it's the same process that armed me in a matter of seconds. What does this mark look like?"

Brusjin pulled out his data pad and showed me. It wasn't very obtrusive, though it was quite visible. The examples showed that they were individualized to some extent. Brusjin and I made some adjustments and created our own. I felt a tickle on my face and the mark faded into view. At least we didn't have to repeat our welcome to the city.

We called room service and I was able to satiate my growing hunger. If Crystal was going to be doing these body modifications often, I was going to have to start carrying some kind of high energy snacks. I also wondered just how much my body could be changed by It. That was something to be pursued when we had more free time. There was a mystery that needed to be solved.

According to what little information there was on Xylon, the natives never developed towards nocturnalism or durinialism due to their initial evolution in the ocean depths. Their own science theorized that they took on the amphibian adaptation during a hot age when the seas shrank to a mere 75% of the surface of the planet. Always able to retreat beneath the waves, the need for a strong daylight or nighttime physiology never took. It was these amphibious ancestors that eventually evolved into the modern Xylon race.

What all this meant was that most Xylon public facilities or shops were open 27 hours a day. We decided to start our explorations in their public library system. Like most species in an information age, their libraries were heavily computerized. Our data pads, as well as Crystal itself, should have no trouble interfacing with their system (the multi-cultural nature of the Federation made interface design a high priority).

The public library was in the center of the city. Unlike most structures, it was entirely air filled (computers and other electronics was one of the hardest technologies for aquatic species to develop). It was as we were entering that we encountered our mystery yet again.

"I'm sorry sir, slaves aren't allowed in the library." The man at the front desk stopped us before we had gotten very far.

"Susan goes with me everywhere. She's invaluable to my research abilities," Brusjin replied.

The clerk's look was one of utter confusion and incredulousness. For a moment I thought that the translation hardware had broken down. His reply wasn't much more understandable.

"Sir, I realize that at home her attendance may well assist your ability to concentrate, but that sort of activity isn't allowed on the premises. Slaves frequently damage the delicate equipment found in the library."

I couldn't hold back any longer. "Now see here! When it comes to data search and organization, it's a case of Brusjin assisting me, not the other way around. As for your delicate equipment, I've been dealing successfully with computers since before your were born. I will not..."

I stopped mid-sentence as I took in the loom of horror on the clerk's face. I wondered if I'd violated some law or societal norm. He took a few seconds to find his voice.

"She...talked!" he stammered.

"Of course she did. I realize that slaves speaking may not be generally allowed on Xylon, but in the Federation, many slave owners allow their slaves to talk."

"But she can...speak."

"Yes she can. Susan's been able to speak since a very young age. Don't you teach your women to speak?"

He only shook his head and looked at me like I had suddenly grown two extra heads. I was beginning to think that he'd lost the power of rational thought. There was something seriously wrong here and I just knew I was going to kick myself when we figured out what it was. Brusjin squeezed my hand while assuring the clerk that he'd take full responsibility for my actions. Soon we were climbing a ramp to the science section of the library.

"Brusjin, there's something very basic we're missing here. Everyone seems to act like I shouldn't be with you at all. Have you noticed that there's not a single Xylon female in sight? I haven't seen one since we arrived. It's as if they're all being secreted away somewhere. Has the disparity in births led to an over protectiveness in their society?"

"I don't know. We need to figure this out. If everyone's going to react so badly to you, we're going to have to rethink our approach. Normally we'd split up and double our efforts, but I shudder to think of how the locals would react if you were seen researching alone. Where should we start?"

"I don't know. Normally we'd search for products or services that are unique to them. We need to find out why they're reacting to me this way. Let's start with sociology; how does their society work?"

"Okay. Let's take these two computers over there."

We took seats at the stations and started our searches. I concentrated on the laws on slavery while Brusjin took the laws on marriage and childrearing. I started running into trouble right away. There weren't any laws on slavery; not a single one. How in the world does a society have a well established institution of slavery without any laws codifying it? It's like the entire race knew how slavery works without being told. If that was really the case, then female slavery has been an institution for as long as they've had a society.

"Brusjin, there aren't any slavery laws here."

"Interesting, I've found something strange as well. There's no mention of females in any of their marriage laws. There is, however, laws requiring the two males being married to be compatible. I'm not sure just what compatible means. There's no mention of personality tests." Several cultures in the Federation required potential mates to undergo a battery of personality tests to ensure that the couple (or more) would be able to make the marriage work. "How do they know if they're compatible?"

"Brusjin, there's something, I don't know what, so basic that we and they have assumptions about it; but totally different assumptions."

[THE MOST BASIC LEVEL IS BIOLOGICAL.]

"You're right, Crystal. We need to look at biology."

I called up a basic biology reference and five minutes later, things started to make sense. It also meant that integrating this world into the Federation was going to be quite a challenge. No other race ever encountered or in the Federation was like the Xylons.

"This is unbelievable. Brusjin, Xylon females aren't sentient."

"What! How can a species survive with only half of it is intelligent?"

"That's the big misperception we've been dealing under. They have three sexes, not two. The two genders we think of as male fulfill the functions of male and female. Half the males provide sperm while half provide the eggs. The females are merely the gestation chambers for the offspring. Take a look at this."

I showed Brusjin an anatomical diagram of the Xylon female. The reproductive system had neither testicle functions nor ovary functions. What it did have was a womb that was extremely well protected. The entire womb was encased in a protective layer of thick bone. The only access was the vaginal canal through whichbothmales placed their egg or sperm and through which the baby was delivered. However, the female brain was only one percent the size of the male brains. There was barely enough brain function to keep the body's autonomic functions going.

"Brusjin, this is incredible. Xylon females aren't slaves in the proper sense, they're more pets than anything else. Slavery can't be abolished on Xylon."

"The universe only knows what prompted such an evolutionary development. The problem is going to be the other way around. Xylons are going to have to be educated about the rest of the galaxy. Their reaction to you is proof of that. I wonder how this has gone unnoticed for a year."

"I'm not sure, but I suspect that if we checked the identities of the previous researchers, we'd find few if any females. Would you go to a planet that had universal female slavery? If not for our mission, I'd be reluctant. The researchers that did come probably tried to avoid making waves and the assumptions that we all make did the rest."

"The longer this misunderstanding goes on, the harder it will be to correct. The sooner Xylon knows that alien females are sentient, the better."

"Agreed. I'm not sure of the best way to demonstrate that, though."

"Brusjin, there's not really any choice. We have to let someone in power know and see that they understand the importance of widely disseminating the knowledge. The first time a Xylon male kills someone to take possession of a female will be the end of any chance they have of protectorate status. They'll be lucky to be accepted as a colony."

"I suppose you're right. We normally contact someone in the government anyway. Let's track down the Xylon in charge of the Federation membership application; a Blurgon Gralosh."

A discreet inquiry at the hotel desk led us to the government building. It seems that all government functions were limited to a single building that was expanded in floors as needed. This did result in the parts of any one branch being scattered among the floors, as the addition of new offices didn't lead to a reorganization for efficiency, but were simply added to the new upper floors.

This led to Brusjin and I having to swim between several floors as we tracked down the official who could help us. It didn't make much sense to me that we had to pass through several layers of bureaucracy to merely be told where Blurgon's office was. If I didn't know better, I'd say that we were being intentionally delayed and obfuscated in our search. While I can understand the inertia of bureaucracy, no sane government would be this intentionally hard to navigate.

Three hours later, we were outside the minister's (that was his title) office. There was no secretary or receptionist outside, so we knocked on the door. There was several seconds of silence and then the door opened. The Xylon who answered didn't look any different from the numerous government flunkies we'd met before.

"Are you Blurgon Gralosh, minister of alien affairs?"

"Yes I am. Come in, come in. I'm pleasantly surprised that you survived the gauntlet to see me."

"Well, the matter we need to see you about is particularly important, Minster."

"Then why come see me?"

"I don't follow. The matter is about your species relations with aliens and you are the government minister."

"I'm not sure how I can help you, but if you need to talk with me, feel free to do so."

Brusjin and I looked askance at one another. The minister had as much said that he didn't expect to be able to help us, even though the matter was important and in his department's purview. Did they appoint an utter incompetent to this post?

"Minister, we've recently come across information about an important difference between your species and every other species known to the Federation."

"Well, I'm sure every species has some unique feature about it."

"This one will affect your dealings with Federation people to a high degree. You see, your females are not sentient creatures."

"I know that. No female is sentient; that's a biological fact."

"Only for your planet," I replied, talking for the first time in his presence. Like every other Xylon who had heard me talk, he was stunned. I continued with, "In every other species we know that has multiple genders, all the genders are sentient, equally so. As you can hear, I can speak fluently. I'm very knowledgeable in anything financial and am an expert in data analysis. We'd no sooner entered your city when Brusjin was challenged for ownership of me. If that happens to the wrong person, Xylon can kiss its petition for membership goodbye."

Blurgon had recovered during my speech. He looked at me and Brusjin; then spoke. "This is amazing. It explains why your owner brings you out with him." I held my tongue for now. One shock at a time. I suspected that the idea of free females was also unknown to him. "I can see why you thought this important. I hope we have the two years it'll take to start spreading the news."

"Two years! Are you mad? In two years, you'll be relegated to colony status and a second class world forever. Why would you wait two years?"

"Who said anything about waiting? It'll take two years, at a minimum, to move the information through the bureaucracy."

"Good grief. Can't you speed things up? This kind of thing is what governments are supposed to do for their people."

There it was again, that look of shock; as if the minister was faced with two people who'd just sprouted a second head and spouted an unknown language. What in the hell had we missed this time?

"Why would anyone give a government the ability to do anything quickly? Don't you realize that a government is the most dangerous organization in any society? Bureaucracy is designed to protect the people from the government. A slow government is a good government. Only those with truly important goals will have the patience and stamina to pursue the goal through the time it takes to get anything done."

My mouth dropped open and then I started to laugh. There were certainly times when I had wished the Federation government worked slower than it did. The Xylons had purposely built inertia and red tape into their government. I suspected that it had been years since the government had actually accomplished anything. Yet, their society was obviously working just fine. One thing was for sure, we had come to the wrong place to have the news of alien female sentience spread quickly.

"Minister, where would you go if you wanted to spread some information as fast as possible?" I asked.

"Why to the casino of course. Anything of real importance is done over a polite game of cards."

That brought another laugh. We thanked the minister and took our leave. We swam out this floor's entrance and sank to the bottom where we could ask someone out of the government how to get to a casino. Half an hour later, we were there.