anilEhilated posted:

One thing that always struck me as weird (admittedly, it's not just this book that does that) is the one planetary government thing. It'd bring a whole new set of problems and SF writers just shrug it off.

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Geupetus ushered the family from the house to the shuttleport. He paused before entering the hangar, and stole a quick last look at the home he loved. He turned, and strode to the family shuttle. In complete silence, everyone climbed into the big family shuttlecraft. Geupetus slid into the driver’s seat and started the vehicle, guiding the large craft onto the road. The late afternoon sun slanted long red-gold beams through the trees, bathing the snowy road and forest in a lacy pattern of fire.  

Elara stared out the window, struggling with her emotions, blinking back stubborn tears. Already, she missed her siblings more than she imagined. Thoughts of Tesuris erupted, unbidden, in her mind. She lacked the energy to fight them as they swirled through her head in chaotic fury. Why had their separation hurt so? Why did it still hurt to even think his name? It made no sense to her. Why, her mind wailed, why had he stopped calling and writing?? Her heart jumped. He would be there at the University! She desired for years to see him, but would he wish to see her? That question prevented her from trying to contact him again after that awful attempt six years ago. She heaved a big sigh, and decided not to think about it. Her inner wall shook, threatening to buckle completely and leave her a emotional mess. She watched the landscape, concentrating on the slow change in the vegetation as they drew closer to their destination.

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 As the city drew closer, Elara’s talons clicked faster. She heard little of the conversations that swirled around her, dimly aware of each individual voice. She thought only of Tesuris. Why had he stopped contacting her? Could he have suffered some sort of trauma and forgotten her? What did he look like now? Most important, would he, too, find her sexually unattractive? Her lack of interest in sex troubled her deeply. She worried about the possibility of his rejection of her sexually. Her talons drummed harder.

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Nethunia wondered what Elara thought of seeing Tesuris again, recalling the first meeting between the two. When Elara turned five days old, Telluris and Rania visited her, as they often did back then, bringing three-year-old Tesuris with them. The boy took to the baby immediately. He cuddled her, brushed her, and played with her with tenderness rare in children that age. Nine-year-old Ara tried to explain to Tesuris that Elara was not his new toy, but another Furlite. He stared at her, and, with a glare, stated, “No. She mine.” Ara had virtually no patience, and, in exasperation, gave up trying to talk to the boy. That memory amused Nethunia to this day.

As Elara grew, the two did everything together, enticing even Terpus into vigorous play, despite the fact that the Monius developed poor health right after Elara’s birth. The arrival of Tesuris’ sister had little effect on the relationship, so obviously he fostered no infatuation with new babies. The two became inseparable, and, if allowed, they would have slept at each other’s homes every night! Nethunia’s mind and heart suddenly flipped with sudden insight.

“Oh no!” she murmured to herself, inhaling sharply, “could it be a bond?” Her soft exclamation drowned under the happy chatter swirling around the inside the vehicle. Nethunia frowned in confusion. Elara spoke nothing about Tesuris. She appeared to enjoy a good relationship with Kanus, but never talked of sex either, very atypical for a girl her age. Nethunia glanced at her bondsister. Not yet bonded, Ara enjoyed multiple partners, something Geupetus and Nethunia never experienced. Not that Nethunia cared. Her colleagues and friends assured her that sensations of unbonded sex compared to bonded sex like a candle flame related to a blazing inferno.  Nethunia wondered if the male attuned to Ara’s pheromones even existed. She flicked that thought away, unconcerned. Ara lacked no partners, quite the opposite of Elara.

Nethunia scowled, inwardly angry at herself, wishing Tesuris and Elara never experienced their forced separation. If a bond lurked there, could it be the dreaded single bond, where one of the couple reacts like a bonded individual, but the other is not likewise afflicted? A horrible emotional tragedy, she thought, recalling such situations she treated as a Mindmedic. The afflicted person walked through life an emotional cripple, waiting for the only cure, a true bond.

For her daughter’s situation, only an unconsummated bond explained the girl’s tumultuous emotions and virgin status. Nethunia concentrated on Elara, sensing tendrils of grief and anxiety slipping past the girl’s control. She marveled at Elara’s ability to cover it up all this time, yet Nethunia chastised herself for missing the bond entirely. She recalled being so tired, and preoccupied, and angry that awful night. The possibility never crossed her mind then. What a terrible oversight, and not just by her, but by her father Enlis! Everyone had been so upset that night, but what of subsequent nights? But then, who expects two individuals who meet as babies to bond? The girl possessed wonderful natural control. Even now, what she did show seemed nothing more than the pre-flight jitters every Cadet experiences Nethunia fought again with her maternal instincts. To try and comfort her now might cause the girl to lose control.

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“Elara?” Geupetus smiled at her as she placed her trembling hand on the pad. Yellow light slivered past her fingers before turning blue with a soft buzz. Elara exhaled relief, glad her hand triggered no alarms. Geupetus stepped into the quarters. Off the main room, three sleeping rooms bunked two each. A small bathing room finished the apartment layout. Everyone filed in, and, as Elara turned around, she gasped.

“Look!” She pointed at a large, very ancient photograph of a Matissia, in a nest with kits.

“Who in their right mind took that photo??”

“That information is long forgotten,” Geupetus chuckled. “That picture was taken before I ever arrived here. They made many copies, and most of the Common Rooms here have one, along with a portrait of Chieftain Darius.” Geupetus gestured at the opposite wall.  A painting of the Rebel Leader who freed his people from Koris’ tyranny hung in an ornate wooden frame.

“That painting is in every classroom at school.” Elara glanced back at her Clan’s founder before returning her gaze to the Matissia photograph. Geupetus detoured to one of the sleeping rooms to remove his backsack. Everyone else did likewise, but returned quickly to the Common Room to stand behind Elara as she gawked at the photograph.

“From what I hear, the photographer was badly hurt taking that picture,” Orios added. “The animal attacked, and he fell out of the tree.”  

“It looks almost like Iggie in her summer coat, only Iggie’s green is duller,” Elara mused. “And this one is thinner built.”

“Iggie is a temperate species,” Isea said. “This one looks tropical in origin. The long narrow muzzle and the short fur tell us that much.”

”I will never forget when you brought Iggie home,” Ara commented.

“Nor will I,” Geupetus sighed. “What a little supernova. From the moment I picked her up at the roadside, until Murkuria held her, she snarled, spit, and fought, despite being so badly injured, though she had no teeth yet. The Physician who worked on her sure was glad to see us leave that night.”

“He told you to keep the children away. Ha!” Isea threw back her head in a laugh. “Murkuria had to hold it, and had no fear. The creature calmed right down, and, well, we know the rest.”

“We should eat,” Geupetus reminded everyone. “Let us call in for dinner.”

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“Oh, chafk,” she murmured to the empty room. “What if he wants no more to do with me? Did I anger him? I must have, because he severed contact so abruptly. One day, he talked cheerfully over the vidphone; then the next day, nothing, not a letter, nothing!” Elara’s voice caught in a sob as tears suddenly stung her eyes. “Could he have bonded? Chafk, I should be happy for him, but the thought kills me,” she mumbled.

Her stomach sank into her toes, and her throat constricted around her windpipe. She took her towel and vigorously rubbed herself down, soaking up more water from her coat. She fought the raw emotions as they surged forth. They ripped apart her heart, turning the Meditation Sessions of six years ago into a distant useless dream. She drew a deep breath, then, picking up her fine-toothed comb, groomed her wet coat. She grimaced as a few snarls tugged her hair. She slowed, and concentrated. She groaned, wishing she searched longer for that dratted conditioner.

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Another snarl pulled at her scalp. Carefully, she untangled that, and settled down for the task of combing out the longer hair on her tail. The comb suddenly snagged on a nasty knot near the base of her tail. She tugged, pried, and yanked, gritting her teeth, but the tangle worsened. She poked, and pulled, but the matt responded by knotting up into a big dark-russet ball. Frustration erupted, and tumbled ferociously, combining with her anxieties over Tesuris. The emotion bloomed, mushrooming up from her guts, overwhelming her too fast for her to stop it. For one of the few times in her life, Elara lost control. With a scream of rage and grief, she flung her metal comb across the room. It skittered across the tiling to plop into the pool, landing on the first step. She broke into hysterical weeping, unable to stop it, and, somehow, not wanting to.

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Geupetus’ thoughts flew back to the day his best friend, Telluris, gained his first Command, leaving the Sauri for a new ship. Telluris’ spouse had been injured on a previous mission. Grounded by the injury, she decided to take her children, Tesuris and Sathria, with her back to Tital, to stay with her Clan until she healed.

Elara handled the separation terribly. At twelve years of age, she drove the family household into frenzy. Nearly a year later, when Tesuris inexplicably broke off all contact, Elara committed the horrendous act of stealing her grandmother’s shuttle in an attempt to drive halfway across the globe to see her friend.

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“It seems Elara has been bonded to Tesuris all this time.”

“Are you sure?” Geupetus raised both brows, his stomach knotting. “Blast me. I saw pain on her face when I told her about him this morning. Chafk! Will this be a big problem?”

“I hope not. I wish you would have said something,” Nethunia said.

“I meant to. I did, really, but it kept slipping my mind,” Geupetus growled.

“Bonded?” Orios and Isea glanced at each other. “At birth? That is impossible!”

“At birth, yes, but Elara was five days old when she had first contact with Tesuris,” Nethunia sighed. “I always thought one had to be at least a year old, but the bonding pheromones are present at birth.”

“But they take a year to develop fully, do they not?” Isea sputtered in disbelief.

“I always thought so,” Nethunia shrugged. “Perhaps that is not true. If this is a true bond, well, then maybe bonding can occur in the first year, after all. Perhaps even at birth, too.”

“I do not believe this,” Isea muttered. “I never heard of anyone bonding so young. You and Geupetus were young enough! But five days old, and three years? That is a wild theory.”

“We will know for sure in a day or so.” Nethunia glanced at the closed door. “We had best hope it is not a single bond.”

“Single bond!” erupted from all four. The glances exchanged around the table exhibited everyone’s dread.

SerialKilldeer posted:

I know this last bit is meant to be very stirring and heartbreaking but, aside from the creepiness, I can't take anything that involves the name "Furlite" seriously. It sounds like a cheap knockoff of the Furby or something. The way these things are depicted in the illustrations doesn't help either.

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“Ah,” Elara rubbed her hands together. “The Sorsa steak, with the whipped Gurt roots, and the diced Jala roots. For desert, nothing less than that dark Kaba cake, with lots of frosting! I will just have water to drink.”

“Well, I guess you worked up an appetite, Daughter!” Geupetus laughed. “That is the exact dinner I picked!”

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She feared the worst, the dreaded single bond. Why else would he not contact her? As the food arrived, Elara pushed her worries away. She dove into the meal served on plain colorless scuffed Fleet gear that resembled baby dishware. She scowled at it briefly, but hunger won out over displeasure at the worn-out tableware. She shoveled in the food, and as she filled, sleepiness drooped her eyelids. After the meal, she bid everyone good sleep and sprawled on her bed. Slumber claimed her in minutes, but old memories and disturbing dreams battled in her mind. She tossed and turned on the cot all night.

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The door slid aside, and Elara gazed at the Ancient Furlite who walked into the room. His fur shimmered silver. Not a strand of creamy white, russet, gold, or red marred the elder’s spectacular coat. Such pure lack of color, she mused. To have such silver fur, how old must he be? The hair itself glowed, with a healthy sheen, not like most very old Furlites, whose coats often grew shabby, brittle, and coarse with age, as had her Ancientparents’ fur. Both lacked the sheen and beauty this elder’s coat displayed. The shiny black Medallion resting on the Fleet Commander’s chest drew her attention away from his fur. Eight gems, representing the entire sun system, sparkled from their glossy black stone setting. At the center of the magnificent stone, a perfect circle of white diamond gleamed, glowing from within, refracting light in brilliant clarity, representing Roch, the sun of her homeworld.

Her eyes strayed to his eyes, and in those dark blue depths, wisdom glimmered. Siritus smiled, breaking Elara’s half-trance. She shivered and instantly lowered her eyes. She berated herself for her rude staring. As a Cadet, and as a Commander’s daughter, she should not behave like a silly child!

“Greetings to you, Commander, and to all present,” Siritus’ rich voice quivered with amusement. Siritus took Geupetus’ wrist in hearty greeting, noticing Elara’s unease. Steadfast intelligence and a strong will lurked behind those half-hidden aqua eyes. He nodded slightly, with approval. He had chosen well. All the Cadets possessed ambition and intellect, necessities on such an important mission. Only one of the Cadets seemed unaffected by Cadet nerves, but his records showed exceptional brilliance in his field of study. Siritus sat on the cushion Geupetus offered him.

“I am very happy to see all of you here.” Siritus scanned the group, his gaze coming last to Elara. “Greetings, Young One,” he smiled gently. Elara murmured return greetings, and twitched her tail. His voice turned brisk as he continued. “As you may have guessed already, Elara, my purpose here is to meet you. Your elders here, I already know, and they know the routine. Their training schedule will be rather light, but yours, Young One, will be very vigorous, intense, far more so than your SFEP classes, and I must warn you, if you do not fare well here, you will be denied your position aboard the Sunpyne.”

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The group paused momentarily outside Space Center Administration as Geupetus spoke his name and rank into the intercom. He placed his hand on the identification pad. The door swished open immediately, to reveal a spacious lobby. As they trotted down a long corridor, Elara peeked into some of the rooms. Furlites bustled around computer terminals and laboratory tables. A few sat behind crowded desks. Elara nearly bumped into Ara as the pace slowed. Geupetus led them into a large room. Staggered rows of well-cushioned seats lined the floor. The polished granite podium at the front of the room glistened a rich white. The marble wall behind the podium shimmered in wondrous shades and patterns of lavenders, pinks, and maroons. As they paced down an aisle, Elara noticed a small group of Furlites who had arrived early. She recognized the large Furlite with predominantly golden fur as Telluris. Her father did, as well, and his cheerful greeting echoed in the large hall.

“Good morning, Ship Second!”

At her father’s words, the whole group turned, and Elara’s insides froze solid. She did not heed the hearty greetings that swirled around her. She stared at the large, powerful male Furlite to Telluris’ right. His long, beautiful, gold-and-white coat captured only momentary attention before her gaze riveted on his eyes. Those deep blue depths melted all her resolve, and words vanished from her throat and mind. She lost herself in those dark orbs that shimmered like the finest cobalt glassware. By the cosmos that spawned us, she thought, how utterly handsome and huge he had grown! As a child, his small body never indicated his father’s genetic influence on his size, but, oh, he looked so gorgeous!

All rehearsed lines and thoughts skittered out of her mind. Her old emotions spun like a prairie cyclone, and several new strange feelings joined the fray. He returned her stare, his expression stony, and her whole being shrank inward. She wanted to die, to hide, to crawl under a rock! The worst had happened! The horrible single bond. What would she do now?! She swallowed hard, trying to draw strength from her mother’s words of the previous night. But this helped not at all. Instinctively, she reached out emotionally, trying to get a feel from him, but her own emotions roared, putting up too much interference. She sensed nothing. Her body trembled, and her eyes filled with bitter tears. She already knew she could not handle a single bond.

Pesky Splinter posted:

You know for a story about tall, furred, alien cat monsters with hosed up breeding behaviours setting off on a space romp, it really manages to be banal and mundane.

Isn't this like the fourth almost identical breakfast scene? Or at least a scene where they discuss inane poo poo over a meal? There's no impetus for this plot.
I don't expect much from an weird crazy cat lady writing fantasies about "what if my cats had a secret third testicle", but more than this.

chitoryu12 posted: