Dispatches from Terra Nova

A planet colonized exclusively by horny teenagers from Earth

Author's Note: A sort of origin story detailing some of the events on Earth many years prior to these dispatches can be found in my story in the Mind Control category, "What and Who Did I Do?" although familiarity is not necessary before reading these dispatches. -N2P

**********

On December 4, 2048 Earth's largest radio telescope, the Five-hundred meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST) located in Guizhou province, China, received a message in Morse code, originating in the Omicron Eridani star system, 16.3 light years from Earth. After two-and-a-half months of evaluation and debate, the Chinese government decided to release the contents of the message in its entirety. Human history would never be the same.

**********

Greetings People of Earth,

On May 31, 2024, I, Noah P. Grant, and Isabella R. Cooper, both of Eagle Creek, Colorado, along with 498 other humans from fifty different countries, were taken from Earth and transported to the sole planet orbiting the star you know as Omicron Eridani. To the family and friends we left behind, please know that we are well.

The beings that transported us here call themselves Verisians. They left us to build a new world we call Terra Nova, and to create a new human society founded on principles of freedom, peace, and beauty. Our colony is thriving, although in most respects technologically primitive. Resources are abundant, enough for millions of you to come join us.

Following the text of this message you will find mathematical equations that, when studied, will unlock the secrets of travel at the speed of light. This information is provided courtesy of the Verisians, who wish to see this colony thrive and grow rapidly, but are unable at present to offer additional support. We also have included the names of every original member of our colony. We look forward to receiving news and emissaries from Earth better equipped than ourselves to send home a detailed report on the limitless possibilities of this new world.

Peace, Love, and Good Wishes to All.

**********

Earth Date: June 23, 2074

From: Pitcairn Smith, correspondent, aboard the Earth ship, Balboa

To: the People of Earth

Today we entered into orbit around Terra Nova, 16 years, 4 months, and 19 days since departing from Earth. The planet is beautiful, and appears generally Earth-like. We have located the colony on the planet's surface but have been unable to establish radio contact. There are no signs of other intelligent habitation beyond the general area of the colony, although there are what appear to be five satellite outposts within approximately 20 km of the central "city" area. Tomorrow we will attempt to land. When calculated in Earth time, it will have been approximately 42 years since they sent the message that changed humanity forever. We can only hope they will remember, and welcome us. With luck, further dispatches to follow. Smith out.

Earth Date: June 24, 2074

From: Pitcairn Smith, correspondent, Terra Nova colony

To: the People of Earth

Where to begin? Today was a momentous day. We have successfully established contact with the Earth colonists on this world. I have met and spoken with the sender of the original message. Noah Grant is, by our calculations, 68 years old, and yet on Earth he could easily pass for a man more than 30 years younger. In fact, in the time it takes for Terra Nova to orbit its sun, he is only 23 years older than the 18-year-old man he was when he left Earth.

Grant believes the planet's environment has slowed the human aging process. More detailed study is needed of coure, but from what I've seen it certainly appears to be possible.

Questions number one, two, and three since the receipt of Grant's message have been about who transported him and the others to this planet? Why? And if the planet is 16.3 light years from Earth how were they able to do it so quickly that Grant's message was received only 24 years after his departure? (At the speed of light, the earliest we should have received a message would have been more than 32 years following their departure.)

In short (more details to come) beings who call themselves Verisians brought them here to establish a colony capable of constructing a place suitable for Verisian habitation. Because the Verisians are predominantly gaseous, they are able to coexist seamlessly with humans, but construction of physical objects requires tremendous (and markedly inefficient) expenditures of energy for them. Humans can build infrastructure much more efficiently. After 200 years or so, they expect their human colonies to grow and advance to the point they can construct a habitat and technology base suitable for both humans and Verisians to peacefully coexist. Grant says he was told there are 14 other colonies in the Galaxy that have been in existence since long before Terra Nova, and that the craft that brought them to this planet was in fact constructed by humans from the earliest of these colonies.

The initial trip from Earth to Terra Nova took less than 16 years because the Verisians were able to utilize some sort of rift that appears intermittently in interstellar space. Grant doesn't understand exactly how it works, but apparently travel faster than light speed is possible only when and where this rift occurs. The Verisians don't control it, but they can predict it. Grant says it took him approximately 8 years for the colony to advance to the point he had the materials necessary to construct the simple transmitter he used to send what he called his "message in a bottle."

There are no Verisians present in the colony today. They left behind none of their technology, only a set of books, written in a language that apparently is close to ancient Greek. These books contain the technical knowledge Grant used to construct his transmitter, and to fabricate most of the other tools the colonists have fashioned. There is a little there on Verisian history and society, but very little. It was fortunate that four of the original colonists spoke Greek. They are still working on a complete translation.

The researchers on our mission will be able to fill in more of the technical details. My role is to be the social correspondent. For that reason I must now report what will undoubtedly strike the average reader on Earth as the most notable feature of Terra Novan society: Every adult, during daylight hours, goes through their typical daily activities without wearing clothing of any kind. They are at all times 100% nude.

I am told that protective clothing is occasionally worn when people are engaged in activities that might cause injury, and robe-like garments are worn by some in the nighttime hours for warmth, but these are definitely exceptional cases. The climate is ideal for humans, and is quite stable. The colony is located on the planet's equator, and surrounded by mountains that protect it from even the mildest of storms.

Upon arrival, the colonists immediately noticed the similarity of their surroundings to a sort of "Garden of Eden." They had only the clothes on their backs, and no easy means of creating new ones. The planet was completely virgin. Natural food was abundant. The colonists had no technology, no tools. It didn't take long for them to begin to go with minimal clothing, and then they gradually realized they had no real need for any at all.

As clothes fell by the wayside, so did a few other vestiges of typical human society on Earth. It all seemed to have been part of the intent of the Verisians who brought them here. The Verisians selected people who were all between the ages of 18-20, healthy, and fertile. Nature took its course. The population has grown rapidly. On average, each of the 250 original female colonists has given birth to seven children. Some have had as many as fourteen.

Perhaps owing to the diet and perfectly hospitable environment, the population is, by Earth standards, extraordinarily physically attractive. The women are all beautiful. The men are all handsome. Sickness is virtually unknown. Everyone seems to be in perfect health and in a high state of physical fitness.

The combination of constant nudity, perfect health, and a seemingly overwhelming natural impulse to "be fruitful and multiply" has had other strong social effects that I'm sure will be of great interest to the average reader on Earth. More about those in my next dispatch. Smith out.

Earth Date: June 26, 2074

From: Pitcairn Smith, correspondent, Terra Nova colony

To: the People of Earth

Apologies for not filing a dispatch yesterday. I and the other eleven members of our expedition have been busy meeting and getting to know the Terra Novans, bringing them news of their families and of other developments on Earth, and beginning to try and figure out how and where we will fit into this society, which will be our home for the rest of our lives, since return travel to Earth is, at this point, not possible.

As reported previously, the Terra Nova colony is, for all practical purposes, an entirely nudist colony. Although nudist colonies are not unknown on Earth, and I confess to having no personal experience with them, I believe the Terra Novan colony is somewhat different. You will recall the original colonists here were all 18-20 years old. None of them had experience as nudists either. For whatever reason, the mores of this colony evolved somewhat differently than any known to me on Earth. I have already related the extraordinary fecundity of the population. Some of the details might be inferred, but since one purpose of these dispatches is to inform people who are considering traveling to Terra Nova and joining us, your correspondent feels the need to be somewhat explicit: sexuality is celebrated here, even exalted.

Terra Novans engage in sex with each other openly, publicly, and frequently. Their society seemingly has no such thing as sexual shame. Your correspondent has personally observed multiple people engaging in sexual relations of various types under trees, in clearings, alongside paths, and in their camp areas. Many colonists do not live in private dwelling spaces. The climate is so mild that shelter is not needed. The structures that do exist are primarily to support food storage and preparation, or production of the basic artisanal creations of the people that are the closest thing they have to industry.

I am told that although all original colonists were primarily heterosexual in orientation, among the succeeding generations (they are now producing the 3rd generation since arrival here) homosexuality has developed naturally and is accepted, although it is somewhat rare. People engaged in same-sex couplings are observed far less frequently than opposite-sex, but in either case, it seems the basic ethic is to just leave them alone to do their thing. The average Terra Novan can walk past two people having sex with each other and barely pay them any more attention than, on Earth, one might pay to a person sitting on a park bench.

Any type of photography is beyond the current technological capabilities of the Terra Novan colony, so there is nothing much like the "pornography" familiar on Earth. Rather what one sees here are depictions of sexuality more like those from an earlier age. The arts of painting and sculpture are ubiquitous, and various forms of sexuality are some of the most popular subjects of these arts. Many of these artists are quite accomplished and produce works that, to this correspondent's eye, seem to be of a very high quality.

The erect phallus, as a stand-alone subject, is popular, as is the naked male torso, usually with phallus erect. Full body statues are less common, although do exist. Female sculptures also often include explicit depictions of genitalia. Some of the most accomplished artisans have created life-sized works of two people engaged in penetrative sex, of the vaginal, oral, and anal varieties. In fairness it must be said that non-sexual sculptures exist too, but they seem to be in the minority.

The sex acts depicted in paintings tend, if anything, even more toward the explicit than the sculptures. Perhaps the most popular theme is trying to capture subjects in the midst of orgasm, with all the complexity the facial expressions in that moment can bring. Delight, pain, surprise, love, happiness, the list seems almost endless. One similarity to "pornography" on Earth is the popularity of attempts to capture complex emotions in the act of male ejaculation on female faces and into open female mouths, although certainly all of the other tropes familiar to pornography on Earth seem to also be present in relative abundance. Non-sexually themed paintings exist, but are less popular.

I realize these details will likely be surprising, even shocking to the typical reader on Earth. I apologize if I have offended anyone. These are simply the facts of life as people live it on Terra Nova. Anyone contemplating relocating here needs to be fully aware of what to expect.

More tomorrow. Smith out.

Earth Date: June 27, 2074

From: Pitcairn Smith, correspondent, Terra Nova colony

To: the People of Earth

My previous dispatch covered primarily the sexual practices and artistic sensibilities of the Terra Novans. This news was no doubt somewhat shocking to the sensibilities of the average Earth denizen. Today's dispatch will cover more information in a similar vein, as there is much to relate, and I am sure it will be of great interest.

Theater, and the performing arts are very popular in Terra Novan society, which is, to a far, far greater degree than on Earth, centered around matters of beauty and artistic expression. To anyone who has read my preceding dispatches it should come as no surprise that Terra Novan theater is not only dominated by sexual themes, it is dominated by performers engaging in sexual acts with each other on stage.

It may seem counterintuitive that in a society where people frequently engage in sex with each other in public, and almost nobody really watches them, that a popular entertainment would be built explicitly around watching people engage in sex acts with each other, but nevertheless that is what you find on Terra Nova. The chief difference between public sex "in the wild" and sex on stage seems to be that in the theatrical exhibitions there is an emphasis on drama and performance. The performers are very clearly putting on a show.

It must be noted that in a society where the average person is well above average in physical attractiveness, the average performer in a Terra Novan sex show would rank amongst the most stunningly, spectacularly attractive people on Earth. In addition to their physical gifts, they appear to also be quite skilled in the erotic arts, and the ability to provide pleasure to a partner. The members of our expedition were honored guests at one such show last night and I can report that without exception, we were simply in awe. Every male in our party was erect. Every female had erect nipples and left a wet spot on her seat. Yes, we were all nude. When in Terra Nova...

We were informed it is considered rude to masturbate, or to excuse yourself in the middle of a performance to relieve the tension that watching inevitably produces in the watcher. Immediately following the performance, however, it is common, even expected, that an orgy will break out amongst the spectators, sometimes involving the performers as well. To make sure everyone can get a good view, the typical audience is limited to no more than a couple dozen spectators, which has the double effect of producing a diverse, fairly spectacular, but nonetheless manageable orgy.

Dear reader you may be wondering if an orgy broke out following last night's performance. If I were a normal correspondent, and these were normal dispatches, I might refrain from providing that sort of personal detail. But neither I nor any person here is likely to ever set foot on Earth again. We have nothing to lose. The people on Earth who consider following in our footsteps and traveling to this planet have a right to the unvarnished truth. The answer is yes it most certainly did. I can also report that every one of us participated enthusiastically.

Even the shyest in our party could not help but be affected by this place. It's as if horniness is present everywhere, in the air, in the water, in the people. After only a couple of days here, it has also taken root inside us. I honestly can't say whether we have any power to stop it. I can say that to the best of my knowledge, none of us has any desire to stop it.

It's hard to know whether it's the nudity, the extremely attractive people, the extreme openness and genuine enthusiasm for sexual activity that you see in everyone, everywhere, all the time, reinforced by genuinely affecting art, or what it might be, but if they had named this colony Aphrodesia, one could scarcely quarrel with the aptness of the name. Put simply, this place makes you incredibly horny. Nobody can resist. It's just so damn much fun!

I have never had more orgasms in one night in my entire life! It was wonderful. The whole experience was transporting, magical. It's all so beautiful it seems like paradise. This was not my opinion alone. All of us from the expedition took a vote. It was unanimous. Last night was the best night of all of our lives. None of us had ever experienced such togetherness and love.

But enough digression. Back to the reporting.

I am told that once a year or so, the stage performances are judged by a panel, and organized into competitive rounds, sort of an Olympics of sex, so that at the end a champion performing pair is selected. The judging is done primarily on artistic, but also athletic merits, in much the same way an Olympic sport like ice dancing is judged on Earth. The whole colony stops their regular activity to view, follow, and even wager on these events. Many of the models for the sculptures and paintings one sees everywhere around the colony were past champion performers. Imagine the most beautiful, sexually desirable man or woman you ever saw on Earth. Then imagine the effect they had on you somehow doubled. That's the level of arousal one encounters daily on Terra Nova. Smith out.

Earth Date: June 28, 2074

From: Pitcairn Smith, correspondent, Terra Nova colony

To: the People of Earth

By now some of you are no doubt wondering...but what of the children? This is an area that might seem incongruous with the rest of Terra Novan society, and yet also somewhat familiar to most societies on Earth. The limiting factor for such a promiscuous, even licentious society seems to be total prohibition and rigorous enforcement of sexual contact involving children, defined as those who have not yet come of age.

Terra Novan society recognizes that sexual impulses are at once primitive and complex. They believe that a certain degree of physical and emotional maturity are necessary in order to navigate those waters. It is also true that the Verisians who brought them here under these conditions, even though (largely to maximize reproductive potential) they prized youth, did not select anyone under age 18. So the Terra Novans have followed suit. Children are protected from exposure to sexual conduct until they reach the Terra Novan equivalent of what would be age 18 on Earth. They are also not allowed at the live performances. I am told, however, that a coming-of-age party on each person's 18th birthday, has become traditional, and is considered a very important event in each person's life, and in each family.