A Brave New World

"Thank you Arkloss. You are indeed a friend."

I reconnected Janna and my communication. Her smiling face filled my screen. "Janna, before I say yes or no. I need you to be completely and totally honest with me."

Again she scowled, her face deeply etched with concern. "All right."

"As I warned you earlier, I am going to know if you are lying to me."

"Yes, you said that already."

"All right. I want to go back to the day when you were informed you had been selected for the 'Fostering enhancement' tradition. What was your initial thoughts?"

She looked confused. "What do you mean, initial thoughts?"

"Were you looking forward to it, or were you unhappy with being selected?"

She didn't answer straight away. The pause grew longer and I could see she was thinking of what to say. "Arkloss, what is she thinking?"

"She is trying to decide whether to be truthful, or not. She is concerned that if she is honest you will not only not allow her to travel to site, but you will also push for the divorce you have requested."

"Thank you, Arkloss."

I could see small tears appearing in the corner of her eyes. She wiped away the tears. "Maher, I'm scared," she whispered, her voice harsh and raspy.

"There is no reason to be scared. When we talked about it, you said to me, and I am using your exact words here, 'It wasn't something you were looking forward to.' Isn't that what you said?"

"Maher, why are we going over this again. It's in the past. I have been removed from the list. I will never be asked to take part in it."

"Because it's important. I need to know that you are prepared to be honest with me. I need to know I can trust you. Please, answer my question."

"Very well. When I was first told I had been selected. I was actually looking forward to it. But when I saw how unhappy it made you, I did everything in my power to get out of it."

"Is that true Arkloss?"

"Yes."

"Why were you looking forward to it?" I asked her.

"For the same reason you enjoyed your participation. It took me by surprise, but I found myself aroused by the idea of taking a boy and turning him into a man, teaching him the things you taught me, that were taught to you by Julie. I think if the roles were reversed, you would feel the same."

"I certainly would not. Why do you think I fought so hard to stop it?"

"Maher," Arkloss called. "You are being dishonest."

"What?"

"You are asking Janna to be honest. She was, and you repaid her with a lie."

"No I didn't," I blustered.

"You are doing it again. If you want my help, then you must abide by the rules you set. I sense that as she inferred, if the roles had been reversed. You would have been sexually stimulated by the opportunity."

It was hard to argue. His words slapped me in the face. He was right, and maybe it was my own jealousy that was driving my anger. I was annoyed she would get to experience something new and exciting, and I wouldn't. Damn it, I was a hypocrite.

Janna stared at me defiantly. "Well, isn't that the truth?" she stated, as if she already knew the answer, and I had to ask myself the question. Was Arkloss communicating with her as well?

"No..." The word reverberated around my head.

"Yes, I suppose that's true, Janna."

"Maher, I didn't search out the opportunity. I wasn't looking forward to it because I was unhappy with our marriage, or sex life. Anything I would have taught Nerish, I would have learned from you. I have always been completely satisfied with our sex life. I love you, Maher. Please. I want to visit with you. I want to share your bed."

"Yes, fine. What do I have to do?"

"Just notify Stephens that you are approving my trip, and you are happy to share your accommodation."

Stephens looked a little dubious when I handed over the filled in documentation. The new arrivals arrived the next day. Not surprisingly, there were two members of the High Council. They wanted to open diplomatic communications.

I walked with Janna to my living pod. After stowing her bags, she slipped into my arms and we kissed. It felt so good to have her back in my arms. After the kiss, she said, "I don't know what I'm more excited about, coming back here tonight, or meeting the Assominites."

She glanced at me curiously when I didn't answer directly. "You might not realise it, but you're a bit of a celebrity now. What are the aliens like?"

"Janna, they're not the aliens. We are."

She considered my reply, and nodded. "Yes, of course. It's exciting, though. It seems from reading your report, that you have forged a relationship with the Assominites."

"Yes, they are so much father evolved than we are. All dialogue is telepathic. What you have to remember is that they continuously monitor all, and I mean all, thoughts and conversations. There is no privacy for us."

"Wow, that seems weird, you mean they are monitoring us right now?"

"Janna, they have been monitoring us since we first landed on this world."

She scowled. "Are we being monitored now?"

I called. "Arkloss, would you like to say hello to my wife Janna?"

I watched her jump, startled. Just like I did the first time, she looked around disbelievingly. Then I heard her say. "Hello, Arkloss."

I chuckled softly. "Janna, you don't have to speak."

Arkloss sounded lighter, and he repeated his welcome. She started to get the hang of it, as the telepathic dialogue began to flow. I had never seen her so effusive. She had so many questions, I think even Arkloss was overwhelmed.

I had to break into their conversation. "Janna, we have to go. Arkloss. I am guessing that I don't have to tell you. We will be having a meeting between you and our High Council hierarchy in a very short time."

"I am aware," Arkloss answered. "I am not happy, I have monitored communications between your supervisor Stephens and the High Council, and it has not been what we were hoping for."

"What is the issue?"

"They have done nothing but discuss defences against us. There is no need for defence. If you have nothing to hide, why be afraid of open communications?"

"I think the problem is that the open communication is only one way. You are aware of our every thought, and yet we never find out what you are thinking unless you want to notify us."

"Communication monitoring is our only defence. We have no other means of protection."

"It is a human condition; a right that has existed long before we landed here on Asso. Privacy is important to us as a race."

"Why? Within our society, we have completely open thought interaction. It is not something to be afraid of."

"I think we need to hear what the High Council has to suggest, before overreacting. Please, Arkloss, give us a chance to adapt."

"We will listen, Maher, but so far, we are dubious."

As we walked towards the main buildings, Janna whispered, "Wow, that was intense. I am impressed with Arkloss. Can we get actual physical contact?"

"Tomorrow, I will be collecting data from the lake shore. As long as Arkloss is prepared to accept the meeting, you can feel, but not see."

"This feels strange. I know he, or they are monitoring us. They are hearing this. You and I cannot communicate without them hearing everything, being aware of every thought, every emotion we feel."

Then she gasped. "Oh my. They must be aware when we make love?"

"Yes, everything. It was how I knew you had been lying to me about your desire to proceed with the Fostering tradition."

She grimaced. "He knew... They even monitored that, and were aware of it?"

"Yes, that is something you and I still need to discuss. I was disappointed in you Janna. You lied to me."

"You lied as well. When I asked if the roles were reversed. You said you would not have allowed it to happen."

"That's true, and perhaps my reasons weren't pure, but I still feel like it is wrong."

"We will have to discuss it later. We need to get through this first. Arkloss did not appear happy with the High Council's approach."

As we walked into what was usually our mess facility. It had been converted into a meeting room; a table, surrounded by chairs. We were all introduced and directed to our seats.

The High Council Chair opened. "Maher, we would like you to open the dialogue with the Assominites, please."

As I opened the conversation, everybody in the room was startled by the power of the communications. Arkloss introduced himself. I say him. In reality, we had never discussed the gender issue. The voice I heard, and I assumed everybody heard the same voice, was male.

Collins, the head of the High Council, opened, saying we were looking forward to building a strong relationship between our races.

"Liar." The voice boomed in all of our heads, many covering their ears with the strength. I could see the pain on the faces, and yet, I never experienced that. They / he could obviously control who received what.

"Collins, this will not work if you are not prepared to be honest with us. You have to understand. We intercept all communications. We are aware of every thought you have. All communications between the High Council and Stephens has been about how to neutralise our society."

There was consternation as everybody in the room exchanged worried glances. Stephens amazed me. He had experienced Arkloss's power first hand, and he still didn't understand.

"We are aware of the difficulties you have with openness. Your civilisation has been at war since it's inception on Earth. It is your inability be honest with even your closest partner.

"Each and every member of your colony lies every day. You talk about love, but in reality you all have secret desires, ambitions, and you plot in secret to manipulate your fellow colonists."

There was consternation. Everybody sat in hushed silence.

"Collins, you have nothing to fear from us. We wish you no harm. For the entire duration of your existence on our planet, you were never aware of us. Why was your first thought 'We need to defend ourselves against them?'

"Because we don't know you. We were unaware of your intentions. Yes, we value privacy. That is not a crime."

"It is on Asso. Assominites are a fully interwoven society. It is completely open. Each of us is aware of every thought."

"Your species, do you live monogamously?"

"No, we live as a single cell. We are completely interwoven."

"How do you procreate?"

"Our society has advanced much further than yours. We have no leaders, we share every thought, and our strength comes from the core of every member."

"How then do we live together?" Collins asked.

"We do exactly as we have always done. We will not interfere with your colony in any way. You will be left to manage your own existence unless what you are planning affects our survival."

"How can we believe that?"

"Because we have told you. Our consciousness does not allow for lying. We can no more lie to you than we can to ourselves. We are fully enlightened, our awareness reaches well beyond what you can currently comprehend."

"We want to live in harmony; we do not want confrontation," Collins said.

There was a lot more discussion, but in the end we closed out. There was no sense in debriefing, but Collins and Stephens gathered with the other High Council member and they talked in a tight huddle.

Janna and I went back to our pod and prepared an evening meal. We sat in silence as we ate until Janna said. "I'm so happy to be here with you. I love you, Maher, and I have missed you terribly. Can we go to bed? I want to make love."

The pod wasn't designed to house two people; the bed was no more than a bunk. The passion grew quickly. The hunger and desire erupted from both of us. That passion drove us quickly, and it wasn't long before we were sated. Lying together meant our bodies had to entwine. Janna's head rested on my chest, my arm supporting her neck.

"Arkloss." Janna, called. I was surprised, why would she do that.

"Yes, Janna," he responded.

"Were you watching us?"

"Yes."

"Do you enjoy watching us when we make love?"

'We do not feel what you call arousal. I am happy that you and Maher are together again."

"Do you watch us every time?" she asked.

"We are aware, but do not specifically watch."

"Then why this time?"

"We are interested in your rituals. We want to learn."

"Do you feel love, Arkloss?"

"We feel every emotion, we live surrounded by love. Our whole society loves and is bound together by our consciousness."

"You share every thing with your community?"

"My community, my society, our race is one being. We are many minds joined via our life support. We share common shells, our roots, our branches, our minds, we are separate but joined as one."

"I have a question, Arkloss. What do you think of the way our society lives?"

"Your life choices are yours to make. They are different from ours."

"We live monogamously; did your society ever live that way?"

"Yes, our lives were different before we adapted and evolved."

"Are you suggesting how you live is advanced and that our systems are holding us back?"

"You are evolving as you adapt to your current situation. Your leaders are trying to control how you live because they see your old ways as being important."

"You see it differently?"

"You cannot advance until you let go the emotional ties to your history."

"Explain please," she whispered.

Your emotions, the things you say make you human. Love, empathy, sympathy, pride, ego, jealousy, ambition, desire, rage. Those emotions are what stop you."

"I don't follow." She sighed.

"Of the emotions you feel, pride, ambition, jealousy, avarice and lust, they are the dark side that stop you from living together as one."

"But I love Maher, and I know he loves me. Why is that bad?"

"It is not. All of the joined consciousness of our collective feels love, empathy. We do not have the other emotions to hold us back."

"You think the other emotions stunt our growth?"

"Yes, let's look at the thing that separated you and Maher. You were to educate another member of your colony on the sexual ways that make your marriages work. Maher became angry, because of jealousy. His jealousy became the driving force. It created anger, distrust, ultimately, he wanted revenge and his only recourse to maintain his pride, was to separate. His ego was damaged and his ability to think was weakened."

"That was because he loved me."

"Agreed, but if there were no barriers between you, no lies, no deceptions, perhaps a different outcome might have eventuated. Tell me, do you think the tradition is a good one?"

"Yes," she replied, her eyes squinting up at me.

"Maher, what do you think?" he asked.

"I hated it."

"Why?"

"Because I didn't want to share what is mine."

"Yet if the tradition was reversed, you think it would be good?"

"I don't know." I knew it was wrong and I was wasting my time. Arkloss was going to catch me.

"Is lying the right way forward for you?"

"No," I sighed in defeat.

"Then why was that your response?"

"Because as males, we are programmed to be strong, in charge, dominant. If I am honest, then Janna sees that I am weak, that I am insecure because I wonder if she would fall in love with Nerish because he was better at sex than me."

"That's ridiculous," Janna shouted in my head.

"Janna, would you not have had the same concerns?" Arkloss said firmly.

"Yes," She sighed timidly. "I suppose I would have."

"What would have fuelled those fears and insecurities?"

"Not knowing I guess. Without full disclosure, I would have all the same concerns that Maher had."

"Now you are understanding. If you were there, and saw and heard everything, would you feel the same feelings?"

"It would depend on whether the other female was prettier, better at sex."

"Pride, ego, vanity. These are the worst of your traits. Within our society, with complete conscious connectivity, we all feel the same thing at the same time."

"Thank you, Arkloss," she said.

I felt her snuggle against me. "I can see Arkloss and the Assominites perspective. If we couldn't put up walls. If you knew what I was thinking and I knew what you were thinking. It would remove jealousy and mistrust."

"Janna, if you want to experience that. I can provide you the opportunity." Arkloss said rejoining our communications.

She looked at me, her eyes trying to judge my reactions. I was scared she would be aware of everything I felt and thought. "Are you prepared to try, Maher?"

Nervously, I replied, "How would you do that, Arkloss?"

"You have experienced our group communications. The three of us just communicated completely. I can take that up a notch. You would not only know each others thoughts, but would feel connected emotions."

"We would do it through you?" I asked.

"Yes, I would be your decoder. Completely unfiltered."

"Yes," Janna replied. "I want to try."

"Yes, I am on board."

Almost instantly, my mind filled with words, ideas, all of Janna's thoughts were mixed with mine. It was impossible. "No, switch it off, Arkloss," I shouted. "It's too much, I can't separate anything."

"Time, Maher. Calm yourself, it takes time to learn to control that much data."

Janna started crying as she felt what I felt. I reciprocated. I didn't cry, but now. I couldn't halt the tears. "Janna, I'm sorry. I tried to push through the wall of data that buzzed back and forth between us."

"Oh my god, Maher. You do love me?"

"Of course." I burst into laughter. "And you love me."

"Yes, totally."

Our hands started roving, and what I felt, I felt from both sides. It was like my fingers were caressing myself, and to top it off, I felt how her caresses aroused her. I instantly knew what she wanted, and I let my fingers deliver.

The flip side, she caressed me in ways she never had. "You like that," she said. "I can sense it. It feels so marvellous."

As my fingers slid into her vagina, she cooed softly. "I feel so good. So hot, sticky, slippery. Is that how I always feel?"

"Yes, always wet and soft, inviting."

"Yes, because I love it." Her fingers curled around my penis, and she stroked me, her fist tighter, then looser. "I know exactly what you like," she said amazed, "I can feel it."

Sex was the most unbelievable experience. I now knew exactly what it felt like to be a woman. I had always wondered what it felt like from her perspective. A penis inside me. I saw her giggle as she replied. "It was the same for me. I wanted to know what it felt like for you when your penis entered me. It felt incredible."

As we drifted to sleep, all of her thoughts, memories, became completely clear: How she felt about different things, not just sex, but family. How she yearned for a child, and I felt her mind prying into mine, I felt totally exposed. Her mind wove itself around and into mine like the thin filaments of cobweb.

It was hard, up until that point. I didn't realise how totally unaware of her needs I actually was. It did take several days to master being exposed, and having no walls, no boundaries. Complete submission, we were now one. It felt strange to have to talk to our team mates, when Janna and I didn't have to do more than think.

It was hard watching our team mates struggle. Stephens, and the High councils representatives were still struggling to find ways to protect their thoughts. They wanted privacy.

On the day I went out to collect data, Janna accompanied me. She couldn't believe the readings, the atmosphere close to the lake was so dense, we could actually breathe without the aid of respirators.

We knelt down in the water, and I showed Janna how to slide her hand into the shale like earth. Then manoeuvre around until we could feel the Assominites. I felt her terror, her amazement, and then the empathy. As we stroked the tentacle like stems, or tubers that ran laterally under the ground.