Tales from the Stream Ch. 25

Author's Note

There's nothing monumental happening in this chapter. Just a short little feel good story about a group of women with sapphic inclinations hanging out on a space station.

The time between chapters has grown longer as this series progresses, so to help get you caught up with the important bits, I give you this "Previously on Tales from the Stream" introduction.

"Those girls, at least the new class of novices from the Hildegard von Bingen, are war orphans. All of them. Some of them haven't said more than five words at a time to me or anyone else since they joined us. And yet, presently they are all laughing," said Bertilda.

Still clutching Moira to her chest, Captain Joan looked around. "Anyone else here think they might be a cousin?"

Joan looked around the group. Hands started going up all around. She smiled.

"Anyone want to be a pirate?" asked Jade. "A cousin of a pirate is always welcome to sign on as crew to a pirate ship if they want. It's, uh... part of the pirate code."

Jade looked at the faces around her. "Anyone?"

All of the women pushed their hands up a little higher.

"Well, that settles it," said Jade.

"Okay," said Jade, "Everybody got a buddy?"

Moira, Alma, Janine, and the other girls in Takahashi-Ono coveralls turned their heads to the shining silver harvester crabs riding on their shoulders and nodded.

And now...

Chapter 25: From the Place She Was Before

Onboard the Hildegard von Bingen, in the kitchen

In front of the stove, one Aidoru coaxed a thin white sheet of rice noodle out of a glass dish with a rubber scraper. Using her other hand underneath as a sort of safety net, she lifted the noodle sheet and deposited it on a cutting board. There, a second Aidoru brushed it with a thin layer of vegetable oil.

While the first Aidoru ladled more batter into the pan, a third Aidoru stood at the ready with a chef's knife as the oiled sheet of noodles was passed to her. To her right, Reg was pulling the ends of cut noodles to arrange them flat on a tray. To her left, Sister Jane stirred a tall pot of steaming broth.

On the other side of the narrow kitchen, Lúcia laid her knife on the cutting board in front of her and added another handful of sliced vegetables to a large bowl. She paused to inhale deeply. "Whenever I reflect upon my time spent on this ship, it is always accompanied by comforting memories of your soup, Sister Jane," said Lúcia.

"And whenever I pinch fresh leaves from the herbs for my soup," said Sister Jane, "I am reminded of your skill in the garden, Sister Lúcia.

"And Aidoru, your homemade rice noodles will be a lovely addition."

"Thank you, Sister Jane," said Aidoru.

"How about some pepper paste,"

"For an extra kick?"

"Perhaps just a bit," said Sister Jane.

Onboard the station, in a meadow clearing.

Nine young women clad in Takahashi-Ono Agricultural Sciences jumpsuits were gathered around a tepee constructed of thirteen three meter long carbon fiber conduits in a conical arrangement and wrapped with Mylar emergency blankets pieced together around the outside.

One of the women held a hardbound book with Third Testament Bible inscribed on the front cover and along the spine. She was gesturing to the other eight.

One of these eight was giggling madly as two of her companions were busy stuffing her jumpsuit with a wadded up bed sheet.

Nine shining harvester crabs sat atop the women's shoulders as all this unfolded.

A few hundred meters away, in a patch of wildflowers

Novice Lenore lay with her back arched, shuddering. Captain Jade lay prone on the ground in front of Lenore, with only the top of her head bobbing up now and again from between Lenore's bare thighs. Lenore screwed her eyes up tight and managed to squeak once before collapsing into the grass, her arms wide.

Amaliya, cradling Lenore's head in her lap, leaned forward to place a series of three kisses on Lenore's forehead. "You're so cute when you come," said Amaliya.

"I feel as though I am closer to God with each climax," said Lenore after a long exhale.

"I'm really going to miss this," said Jade, scooting up beside Lenore and propping herself on one elbow.

"You're not the only one," heaved Lenore.

"You sure you have to go?" asked Amaliya.

"Mother Bertilda says our mission is service. Helping people. People out there." Lenore pointed upward as she said this. "So once the harvest is in..."

"You're shipping out?" said Amaliya.

"Mother Bertilda is right." Lenore nuzzled her cheek against Amaliya's thigh and reached out to weave her fingers in with Captain Jade's. "This is a beautiful place, and I'd be happy to call it home, but the sisterhood was there when I needed them. And there are so many other souls in need besides me."

"Do you really see God when you come?" Captain Jade gazed into Lenore's eyes and quickly lost the battle to suppress a grin as she said this.

"I didn't exactly say--" Lenore let out a gasp before she could finish.

Captain Jade had snaked her free hand down between Lenore's thighs and was grinning like a Cheshire cat. "Want to go again just to be sure?"

"Ohh. Mm," said Lenore, "Mm-hmm."

"There, there, baby," said Amaliya, cradling Lenore's head in her left arm while stroking Lenore's hair with the hand of her right. "Mama's got you."

Lenore's eyelids began to flutter as she sucked a breath.

In the meadow clearing surrounding the tepee

Captain Joan sat upon the ground flanked by Novice Hame on her left. Jamie and Emily were behind and to Joan's right. Emily leaned forward and patted the empty ground in front of her.

"We saved you a seat," said Captain Joan, as Amaliya, Jade, and Lenore wove their way through a sea of novice habits to reach the empty spot.

Three shining metal harvester crabs skittered over, clutching upturned flower heads in their pincers.

"Thank you," said Amaliya, taking a flower head and touching it to her lips.

"Show's about to start," said Joan. "Where were you?"

Novice Lenore cast her eyes to the ground. "We were, um..."

"Lenore was sharing her thoughts on God," said Amaliya.

"Mm. Mm-hmm," said Jade. "I guess we got carried away."

Novice Lenore's face turned three shades of pink.

"Well you'll like this play, then," said Joan. "It's a bible story."

"Oh," said Jade. "Um, nice."

Lenore wrung her hands and pursed her lips.

"Shh," said Novice Hame, "they're starting." She wrapped her hands around Captain Joan's bicep and settled her cheek against Joan's shoulder.

In front of them, a single young woman wearing white Takahashi-Ono coveralls stepped out from behind the tepee. In her hands, she cradled a Third Testament Bible. Her shimmering visage reflected off the silver Mylar of the tepee door flap.

"In the beginning there was the void and only the void," she said, as a hush fell over the crowd. "Because God had not yet willed herself into existence."

All eyes turned to the young woman. Even Lenore managed to move her gaze from her lap to the scene unfolding in front of her. Amaliya reached out and wove her fingers in with Novice Lenore's.

"And so it was on the morning of the first day, when God emerged, pregnant with the universe, from the place She was before," the young woman with the bible continued narrating.

As the narrator stepped to one side, the silver door flap of the tepee flew open, parted from the inside. A second woman emerged. She was clad in the same Takahashi-Ono coveralls, but bulging noticeably around the middle.

This young woman cradled the bulge of her coveralls with her right arm underneath and her left arm draped on top. "Oy, I'm so pregnant," she said.

This caused a stirring of laughter to arise from the audience.

"On the morrow of that first day," continued the narrator, "after a long and arduous labor, God gave birth to the whole of the stars and planets..."

"Ohh. Ohhh," wailed the woman with the stuffed coveralls. "My babies... They are coming." She spread her arms wide and moved away from the tepee entrance, opposite where the narrator stood.

As she did, seven more women in Takahashi-Ono coveralls burst forth from the tepee and twirled around, raising their arms in the air. In their hands, each woman held a single, shining harvester crab.

"My beautiful children," said the woman with the stuffed coveralls.

As the seven women and their harvester crab companions whirled and skipped among the audience members, the young woman with the bulging coveralls turned her back to the crowd and quickly pulled a wadded bed sheet through the zippered opening of her garment. Tossing it inside the tepee, she extended her arm to a waiting harvester crab who hopped up and climbed to her shoulder.

Jade leaned toward Amaliya and Lenore. "I think the girls are the stars and the crabs are supposed to be the planets," she said. "Better than being cast as a tree, I suppose."

Amaliya and Lenore nodded. Novice Hame lifted her head from Joan's shoulder just long enough to lay her finger across her lips while turning to Captain Jade.

"Right," said Jade. "Sorry."

"...She called these worlds her children and showered them with love and affection" said the narrator. "And in the evening, God dimmed her glorious light so that her children might shine in her stead."

The group of young women continued their spinning dance, stepping carefully among the members of the audience. They raised their harvester crabs high in the air as they went.

"And it came to be that of all her children in the universe, God favored Mother Earth most of all..."

"This is definitely not one of the bible stories I remember as a kid," whispered Captain Joan. Jade shrugged. Novice Hame once again raised her head, this time directing her ire at Captain Joan.

"Sorry," mumbled Joan.

"...and on the fourth day, God created the stream to carry her gifts to Mother Earth."

Thirty minutes later

"That really was a beautiful performance," said Captain Joan, putting her hands together with applause. "I have to admit, I was skeptical at first."

As Jade joined in the applause, she leaned toward Joan. "Like the part where God is snogging Mother Earth? I mean, technically, they're related. Like, closely related. It's a little... I don't know."

"Yeah, well... It's a parable," said Joan. "And I have to admit, I found the matriarchal perspective on the creation story a refreshing change from the versions of my childhood."

Jade nodded. "There is that."

"Thank you," said Janine, the young woman in Takahashi-Ono coveralls who had narrated the tale. "Thank you all."

Janine stepped forward until she stood in front of Novice Lenore. With the Third Testament Bible clutched in both hands, she thrust the book toward Lenore. Lenore rose to her feet to hug the woman.

"Thank you for allowing me to borrow this."

"Anytime, Janine," said Lenore. "Wonderful job narrating."

"You think so?" Janine tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear and looked at her feet. "I kind of thought it was Moira who stole the show with the whole God pregnant with the universe thing."

"That was good too." Lenore took Janine's hands in her own as she said this. As Lenore leaned in to brush her lips across Janine's cheek, Mother Bertilda excused herself and squeezed past.

Standing in front of the entrance to the tepee, Mother Bertilda surveyed the crowd before her. The cacophony of voices fell silent.

"Thank you for a wonderful performance," she said. "You really brought this story to life."

A round of applause rose from the audience, all of whom were on their feet now.

"As many of my sisters know, harvest time is a time when we reflect upon the bounties God has given us and rejoice in Her gifts with celebration," said Mother Bertilda. "And I am honored to see our newest friends choosing to take part in that celebration."

Mother Bertida paused for another round of applause, again directed toward the young women in the Takahashi-Ono coveralls.

"And though there is still work to be done harvesting the crops we have sown here, it's always good to take some to enjoy what God has given us. So with the help of Sister Jane, Sister Lúcia, and Aidoru, we have a special treat for our lunch today.

One Aidoru, wearing a chef's apron stepped up to whisper in Mother Bertilda's ear. Mother Bertilda nodded.

"And Reg," she said. "I'm told Reg was instrumental in the preparation of the noodles."

Riding on Lúcia's shoulder, Reg bounced up and down. As Aidoru stepped back to join hands with Lúcia, a group of six sisters wrangled three carts of soup tureens, bowls, and platters heaped with rice noodles, tofu cubes, and sliced vegetables.

"And since this recipe hails from Aidoru's home of Neo Tokyo, she has volunteered to show us how to assemble the dish."

Three Aidoru stepped forward and executed a perfectly timed simultaneous curtsy. One Aidoru lifted a bowl from a cart. She showed it to the group. A second Aidoru picked up a pile of rice noodles with tongs and deposited them in the bowl. A third Aidoru layered on tofu cubes and vegetables while the second Aidoru moved to a tureen to scoop a ladle full of broth.

"Harvester crabs are standing by to assist," said Mother Bertilda.

A dozen shining metal harvester crabs, each with a tiny origami chef's hat perched on its head, climbed down from the shoulders of the sisters pushing the carts to take up station by a bowl or platter.

Mother Bertilda bowed her head. The assembled crowd followed her lead.

"A short pray of thanks," said Mother Bertilda. She cleared her throat.

"All veg, no meat. Good God, let's eat!"

A cheer rose from the group. Nine women in matching white Takahashi-Ono jumpsuits were ushered to the front of the line while Mother Bertilda melted into the crowd. She stopped beside Lenore.

"Novice," she said. "A word if I may?"

"Yes, Mother Bertilda."

"How long have you been with us, Lenore?"

"It will be one year next week, Mother Bertilda."

"You've grown so much in that time." Mother Bertilda cupped Lenore's cheek in the palm of her hand. "Tell me, in the past year, have you heard your calling?"

"I..." said Lenore. "I assumed I would be... Isn't the Hildegard von Bingen shipping out after the harvest?"

"Yes," said Bertilda.

"Then I shall accompany you so that I may continue God's work."

"There are many places one might do God's work, Novice Lenore."

"I... I don't understand."

"Janine, Moira, the others. They're staying here on the station. Mia is providing them shelter. Captain Jade and Captain Joan have promised to watch over them, keeping them safe."

Lenore nodded.

"I think they would benefit from a spiritual guide as well, don't you?"

"I..." Lenore paused. She touched her hand to the center of her chest. "Me? Are you saying...?"

"If you feel it is your calling. I've seen how you interact with them. They trust you. That's a commodity not easy to come by when someone has been in a situation such as theirs."

"Do you really think I'm ready?"

"That is between you and God, Lenore."

"Yes, ma'am."

Mother Bertilda laid a hand on Lenore's shoulder. "And perhaps Amaliya and Jade when it comes to the sleeping arrangements."

Novice Lenore stood frozen while her cheeks turned three different shades of pink.

"Love is not a sin, dear." Mother Bertilda squeezed Lenore's shoulder before moving over to stand beside Aidoru.

Lenore just caught Mother Bertilda's words floating over the din. "It smells absolutely delicious," she said. "Tell me again about this recipe."

Her face beaming, Lenore turned her attention to Amaliya and Jade. She gave a little wave as she made her way over to where they stood.

Afterword

Short and sweet as promised. Hopefully it put a smile on your face as we head into the new year. As always, let me know your thoughts in the comments.

WP