Lucinda Demitri was the daughter of a middle aged banker named Shrie Eckvall. When he was returned from Earth fourteen cycles earlier he brought Lucinda and her younger brother Roben back with him. Their Tarizon mother Doren Eckvall welcomed them with a thankful heart as she could never have children on her own.
Upon his return Shrie Eckvall got a job with the government. He started at the lowest grade but within five cycles had worked his way up to the position of Vice President of the Central Urban Finance Office. This meteoric rise, however, was accomplished at a high personal cost in terms of Eckvall's family. He worked long hours and had little time for his mate and children. As a result Doren Eckvall ended up raising Luci and Roben almost exclusively. Although Luci could not express it openly for political reasons, she felt a great resentment toward her father and a yearning to see her natural mother who was left back on Earth.
One of the perks of Shrie’s high political position was his ability to get his children favorable positions once their education was complete. In Luci’s case he picked for her the very prestigious position as a guide. Guides provided orientation and comfort to children arriving each day by the thousands from Earth. These children, who were born on Earth, needed to be processed prior to their return to their families. This processing included physical and mental examinations, implanting of monitoring chips, instructions about their new lives on Tarizon, and time in the language lab to learn Tari.
Although most of these Earthchildren were four to six years old occasionally older children, teenagers, and even adults would disembark on Tarizon for one reason or another and need the services of a guide. Since infertility was a huge problem on Tarizon, assignment to these teenagers and adults was every guide’s dream because it afforded them the first opportunity to impregnate or become impregnated with healthy sperm or egg.
It was the day before the Super Eclipse when Luci learned that she would be assigned as head guide for a group of teenage Earthchildren and adults disembarking the next day. She was ecstatic when she broke the news to her mate, Sola.
“You won’t believe this,” Lucinda began. “I’ve been assigned some teenage Earthchildren arriving tomorrow.”
“Oh really?”
“Yes, and I have the most seniority of all the guides, so I’ll be first guide.”
Sola nodded. “That’s nice.”
“Yes, it is because that means I can choose my guest. I was so worried I’d get assigned to an idiot or, Sandee forbid, a pot-belied middle-aged Earth-alien.”
“So, you’re really going to try to get pregnant, huh?”
“Of course. Do you know how embarrassing it is to be childless at my age?”
“I know. I’m sorry about that, but can’t you get your guest to donate at the sperm bank and then get artificially inseminated?”
She sighed. “You know it doesn’t work that way. He’s expected to donate sperm anyway, so they’re not going to do me any favors for bringing him in. Unless, you’ve got a lot of credits tucked away that I don’t know about, we couldn’t afford what they’d charge me.”
Sola sighed. “I just don’t like you, . . . you know. . . , doing it with another man.”
“I know, but the only way I’m ever going to get pregnant is if I take him to bed. You know that. And it’s my duty to get pregnant any way I can.”
“But what if you like doing it with your Earth-alien?”
She shrugged. “Sex is sex. I’m supposed to like doing it. What do want me to say? It won’t mean anything, if that’s what you’re worried about. In a few days he’ll be assigned a permanent job and be out of our lives, so you needn’t worry.”
“What if he carries some kind of disease? Not only will you get infected but you’ll infect me too.”
“He’s in perfect health. I’ve looked at his medical records.”
“So, you already made your selection?”
She smiled broadly. “Yes. Peter Turner from Dallas, Texas. He’s seventeen Earth-years-old, five foot eleven, blond hair, blue eyes, average weight, and has an IQ in the top two percent of persons his age. He’s by far the best prospect in the group.”
Sola nodded. “Well, you’ve certainly done your homework. Do what you have to do,” he said, forcing a smile.
Luci turned away and began daydreaming about becoming pregnant. She loved children and enjoyed helping them adapt to their new lives on Tarizon. She envied all the mothers who would come each day to pick up their Earthchildren when their orientation was complete. She wanted her own child and, if by the grace of Sandee, she could conceive one on her own, that would be the fulfillment of her life.
Tarizon, The Liberator, Tarizon Trilogy Vol 1 Page 3
