Tara Ardchlár
Cainneach McEinri
Tara Ardchlár
By Cainneach McEinri
Description: The Órarduine led by Sarah's Clan and several other clans have reached the planet Ananu, and begin establishing their new home. In doing so they are assisted by the three alien sentient species they met in Sol System. They are again threatened by the alien species, known as Durale, that they crossed swords with in Sol. There are pirates who lurk in the vastness of space. This is a chronicle of their adventures.
Published: July 2024
Size: ≈ 315,100 words
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Tara Ardchlár
Sarah’s Saga VI
By Cainneach McEinri
Copyright© 2015, 2024
This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission to make copies of any part of the work should be submitted to the author.
Cover photo derived from photo 115247020 © Yanikap | Dreamstime.com and used with permission.
Please be advised that this story was created for mature audiences for their entertainment thus many of the sexual interactions are graphically described. The sexual interaction occurs between women as well as between men and women. Some characters have a polygamy style relationship.
Editing and comments were provided by Just_passin_through and several others. Their comments and suggestions significantly improved the story and are greatly appreciated. Unfortunately some errors were likely missed. If you are inclined the author would appreciate being informed of the error.
Note: When the conversation is a telepathic exchange, it is indicated by italics font.
r20240728
Sarah’s Saga Series
Mistaken Identity
Comrie
Dóchas
An Clochán
Ananu
Tara Ardchlár
- Background Information -
As this segment of Sarah's Saga starts, the Órarduine’s ships have arrived over the planet Ananu in the Celia solar system.
Who are the Órarduine?
The Órarduine are the result of combining human and Connemare genetics. Their height is 200 to 208 cm or 78 to 82 inches, except Sarah’s Clan who are around 233 cm tall.
All Órarduine are telepathic and many have a variety of other paranormal abilities.
Their basic family structure is referred to as a clan. A clan typically begins as a group of very close friends. A typical clan consists of 8 to 12 adults although it may be as few as 3 adults or occasionally as large as 16.
See chapter titled ‘Cast, Pronunciation key and other useful bits’ for more details.
Dóchas class space ships are commanded by a clan. Sarah’s Clan is the Command Staff for the ship Dóchas. The current Command Staffs for the other Dóchas class ships are: Siobhan’s, Maureen’s, Keriann’s, Kathryn’s, Molly’s, and Jackie’s clans.
Celia solar system –
Celia solar system is 7 parsecs from the Sol solar system where Earth resides and has eleven planets. Planet Ananu (also referred to as A-Celia) is the fifth planet from Celia. B-Celia is the name used for the sixth planet. For more information see chapter ‘Cast, Pronunciation key and other useful bits.’
Time terminology –
Time duration for second, minute, hour are universal
Prior to settling Ananu in Celia Solar System
For locations other than Earth a 24 hour period is an Órarduine day which is termed a clock cycle. The abbreviation for clock cycle is ‘cc’.
For a specific location time, an ‘Ó’, may be appended to the time.
The Órarduine calendar has 10 clock cycles in a week, 40 cc in a month and, 480 cc in a year.
Ananu Calendar – Time keeping and calendar changes due to the longer time it takes for Ananu to complete a revolution of Celia. The length of its orbit around the star Celia which is larger than Earth has around Sol.
Ananu’s year is 540.2 clock cycles due to the length of its orbital path around Celia.
Ananu’s calendar year consists of 12 months.
Months alternate between 40 and 50 cc.
Every 5th year Secmonth is 51 cc rather than 50 cc.
A week is 10 cc in length.
For a specific location time, an ‘AT’ may be appended.
Distance is some times noted in terms of the speed of light thus:
A light hour is abbreviated lh and corresponds to a distance of 1,079,252,848.8 km
A light minute is abbreviated lm and corresponds to a distance of 17,987,547.5 km
A light second is abbreviated ls and corresponds to a distance of 299,792.5 km
A parsec is 3.26156 light years
- Chapter 1 -
Note: When the conversation is a telepathic exchange, it is indicated by italics font.
This story begins shortly after the Órarduine fleet arrives over planet Ananu in the Celia solar system. By Earth’s calendar this is 12 years and 17 days, since Sarah’s Clan arrived at Comrie on Earth in Sol system. By Ananu’s calendar, this corresponds to 6 years, 5 months, and 1 clock cycle since Sarah’s Clan arrived at Comrie. Ananu clock cycle is 30 hours long and has an orbital period of 540.2 clock cycles.
Ananu time – 6th year, 5th month, 1st clock cycle
It was early morning on board Dóchas over the planet Ananu in Celia system when Sarah rolled onto her back. Feeling her movement, Joyce moved closer and placed her head on Sarah's shoulder. After a few moments she moved her hand so that she could caress Sarah's nipple with her fingers. The caresses woke Sarah. When fully awake, Sarah shifted so that Joyce's head lay in a more comfortable spot on her shoulder then began caressing her back. Sarah enjoyed Joyce's caresses even though she thought she was a substitute for someone in Joyce's dream.
Sensing that Sarah was awake, Aoife said, “Good morning Sarah.”
“Good morning Aoife. That was one of the best night’s sleep I've had in a long time.”
“I had a good sleep as well. Even so, it’s still early as we have two hours before we need to get ready for breakfast.”
“Well, I'm not inclined to lie in bed that long,” added Erin, “and good morning.”
“Good morning,” replied several others.
“I wouldn't mind meditating here with all of you for a while,” added Alena. “Although with all that we need to attend to, two hours is a long time to be doing that.”
“I think it's going to take a while for us to adjust to the longer day,” commented Alison.
“Well,” said Janet, “I think the difficult part will be redefining our feelings for the different segments of the day. Our breakfast period now occurs two hours later, at 08:00 hours Ananu time (AT), which is the time we used to think of as the beginning of the work day. Thus the work day now begins at 10:00 hours AT, which seems wrong even though it is not.”
“Having dinner at 22:00 hours AT is even stranger as it used to be the time we considered a normal bedtime,” replied Judy.
Jill added, “Actually, the only thing that has changed is the beginning and ending times for the morning, afternoon and evening.”
“So, you're under the impression that the time shift changes the definition of what constitutes morning, afternoon, and evening, which could result in scheduling mistakes,” replied Erin.
“Yea, sort of.”
“I'm not sure that that is true. Shift changes are now at 00:00, 10:00 and 20:00 hours AT. Food Service decided to offer a fresh meal 3 hours before, and 2 hours after, each shift change. Ann's Clan made the change so they could provide each shift with fresh food, and increase the variety. The dining area is still operating around the clock.
“It will likely take us a while to adjust how we associate actual time and the notional parts of a day. This shouldn't cause any scheduling issues because we nearly always schedule an activity with a specific time rather than a notional time. For casual activities the notional times work fine, as morning still means between breakfast and lunch, afternoon means between lunch and dinner, and so forth. My impression is that this shouldn't cause any problems.”
“I agree, and now I am not sure why I thought there would be an issue.”
“Well hopefully there won't be,” replied several of the others.
“Claudette,” added Alison, “I'm glad you thought of adding ÓT and AT after the time to indicate whether it was Órarduine or Ananu time. I think that is better than just using Ó to indicate time base.”
“Well it will hopefully avoid some confusion. An Clochán has been advised of our change, so they are appending the appropriate reference acronym as well.”
“Good.”
“Since we have some time, how about exploring either Gaillimh Island or Tara Ardchlár before breakfast?” asked Maeve.
“I like that idea,” said Alena. “With the time we have, we can easily accomplish a dream walk around Tara Ardchlár. We wouldn't have enough time to explore very much of Gaillimh Island before needing to return for breakfast.”
“Neat,” replied Jill, “that means we will be there when Celia peeks over the horizon.”
“We can go as soon as everyone is awake,” said Sarah.
“Talk about fulfilling a dream,” said Joyce. “My dream was about doing just that.”
“Was it a good dream?”
“Yes, from what I remember.”
“Are Sally and Rusty awake yet?”
“Close.”
“They kind of wore each other out last night.”
“Yea, along with the rest of us. It did feel good though. You know I find it very difficult to imagine life without being able to actively share thoughts and feelings.”
“Now that idea would scare a lot of our friends on Earth,” said Sally. “Well I don't know that ‘scare’ is the right word...hmm...I guess it would be if they actually believed that we had the capability.”
“You're awake.”
“Yea. Rusty will be awake in a few moments. I think I was hooked into Joyce's dream. It was interesting.”
“The way you say interesting gives me the feeling that it was a premonition.”
“Possibly...we can talk about that possibility later. I need to use the bathroom before we take a dream walk.”
“Darn good idea,” said Rusty.
“You're awake.”
“You really expect me to sleep with all the energy bubbling around this room?”
“Not really. Let's do it.”
“I thought you wanted to use the bathroom,” replied Jill with a bit of a grin.
“Jill, we 'did it' last night.”
“Well, we could 'do it' again.”
“Yes, but this time we have something else in mind. Are you still horny?”
“Not really, but...”
“Enough...I'm using the restroom now.” They were chuckling at the 'do it' double entendre as they went to use the restroom.
“Jill, do you know where the phrase 'do it' gained its double entendre usage?” asked Judy.
“The occasion I remember was in the 'Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman' late night TV show. There could be other instances.”
“That is the one I was thinking of; too bad the show wasn't on longer than it was. It was pretty comical.”
“I agree,” replied several others.
They were quickly back on their bed, sitting in a circle with their arms joined together behind their adjacent spouses. Forming an interwoven circle had become their preferred way of embarking on a dream-walk. While the interwoven circle wasn't a necessity, it did give them a comfortable feeling.
With Aoife and Tara leading them their first stop was the settlement at Tara Ardchlár. The site was easy to see as they made their approach. This was due to the combination of moonlight and artificial light, coupled with their sensitive eyesight. They were a little surprised by the level of activity. Their first stop was the medical facility habitat. This was of special interest as it was one of the critical items requiring completion before they could begin moving forward with the settlement's development. They were pleasantly surprised to find the facility was set up and operational.
As they were exiting the habitat Judy said, “Wow, I am really impressed as they are already operational.”
“You sound surprised.”
“Yes, I really am. They did tell us that the medical facility would be operational this morning. I didn't question their statement, but I have to admit that I took it with a grain of salt.”
“We were able to complete this ahead of the original schedule because the recon teams had done a nice job of setting up the shell,” responded Claudette. “All that remained was some finishing on the interior. The equipment was moved in while that was being completed. There are a few other temporary facilities that are partially set up so with any luck it won't take much to finish them. Hopefully, the rest of the new construction will continue to go as smoothly as setting these up did.”
“This being operational removes one of the constraints on the number of people who can be working on the planet at one time.”
“The next unit to be completed will be the kitchen and dining area. That will really help.”
“Good.”
From there, they visited each of the different activities in progress at Tara Ardchlár. Sometimes those working in the area would pause and look in their direction. After seeing nothing nearby, they would return to their task. When Sarah's Clan finished their tour of the site they were standing on the main east – west path through the settlement. Turning toward the east they could see the horizon just beginning to lighten as daybreak rapidly approached.
“I didn't realize the ground rose so much going toward the east,” said Joyce.
“Neither did I,” added Janet as she turned, “but looking toward the west, the ground rises about the same amount, or at least it seems like it does.”
“When we viewed the survey videos of this area, it didn't seem as though either rise was this much, so perhaps you don't get a good feel for relative heights or sizes when looking at the videos.”
“I didn't notice it on the topographical maps either, but maybe the contour lines were larger than the rise,” responded Rusty.
“The difference is likely due to not having a good frame of reference when watching the videos,” said Sally.
“Look...the eastern sky is growing brighter, it won't be long until Celia is above the horizon,” said Tara. “Let’s go east to the top of the rise to see if we have a better view. We have a good 45 minutes before the edge of Celia breaks the horizon.”
“I wonder if the glow and changing colors occurs every morning. It is a pretty sight.”
When Sarah's Clan topped the rise, Celia hadn't quite broken the horizon so they took a moment to scan their surroundings. It was then that they realized that the location was a knoll surrounded by a large meadow. In looking around it seemed that they were a little higher than they had first thought. Seeing the meadow brought back memories of the secluded meadow on Comrie, a long time ago. It was in that meadow that their initial meeting with Star had occurred. After that they had visited the meadow many times as other significant events had occurred there. Although this topology was distinctly different, none of them thought to question why seeing the meadow triggered those memories.
Facing east they moved to form a semi-circle, with Sarah and Rusty in the middle of their arc. With their arms around adjacent spouses, they watched the horizon grow brighter. While they quietly watched the sunrise, memories of their journey to this point surfaced. They began with the first meeting of Sarah, Rusty, Sally and Joyce, then Terry, and their subsequent evolution into Sarah's Clan. Their memories resurfaced in sequence, beginning with that first meeting and rapidly progressing through key events of their journey together. This resurgence of their memories lasted until Celia was fully above the horizon.
“Wow,” said Sarah breaking the silence. “The sunrise was beautiful.”
“Yes. It was,” replied her spouses.
“I wonder what prompted us to remember all of those events,” mused Janet.
“I don't know,” replied Erin. “Occasionally one or two memories will resurface. Which ones seem to depend on current events. I've thought it was perhaps a way of reminding me of a similar or related situation I've experienced. I've never had so many bubble up at one time before.”
“I've had similar experiences,” added Sarah with many of her spouses nodding in agreement. “Like Erin, each time, the memories that surfaced were somewhat connected to current events. This morning, they seemed just like a review of our past.”
“That reminds me of a program,” said Joyce.
“You and your TV programs. The program was 'This is your life'.”
“Yep.”
“Is a replay of our memories a way for us to keep ourselves anchored so that we remember our goal?” asked Aoife.
“A good question, but one that will be difficult, if not impossible, to answer definitively.”
“We need to be getting back,” said Aoife.
“Before we go,” said Jill, “is the word ‘sunrise’ the appropriate one for describing what we just saw?”
“Why not?” responded Allison. “To me the word 'sun' in this context refers to a star. In the past we associated it with Sol, and used sun as an alias for Sol. In this system, Celia is the sun.”
“I wonder if anyone else will raise the question.”
“I think Alison's response was well thought out,” responded Sarah. “This is a lovely location. Should we suggest it to the ceremony's organizers as a possible location?”
Claudette said, “Perhaps we should bounce the idea off the other Command Staffs first. If they agree, then we can point out the location to the task group organizing the ceremony.”
“Agreed,” replied her spouses.
When they turned to leave, they saw Aine and Brigit approaching them. “Good morning Aine, Brigit.”
“Good morning.”
“This is a surprise,” said Sarah. “What's up?”
“Nothing special. We were up early, so we thought we would look around.”
“We woke up early as well. Early enough that we decided to explore the settlement before breakfast.”
“We noticed. So what did you think of the sunrise?”
“Ah,” said Erin, “Alison's response is confirmed.”
“The sunrise was really neat,” responded Aoife with a smile. “The variety of colors seemed different to those I remember seeing on Earth.”
“We've seen differences in the colors at sunrise and sunset in the different worlds we've visited.”
“I would attribute those differences to the star's color and the composition of the planet's atmosphere,” added Jill.
“That makes sense,” replied Brigit.
Aine asked, “What's this about Alison's response?”
“Jill raised the issue of whether ‘sunrise’ was the appropriate word for describing Celia rising from behind Ananu. Alison indicated that in this context ‘sun’ was a star, and not a specific one.”
“That's the way we think of it.”
Sarah said, “We need to be heading back as we still need to exercise and freshen up before breakfast. You are welcome to join us.”
“We would like that. We'll meet you there.”
A few moments later in their suite on Dóchas Sarah's Clan began to move about. As she moved to stretch Joyce said, “I really like Tara Ardchlár. I'm glad we were able to see the sunrise.”
“I wonder if the sunrise is always so colorful,” said Tara as they moved off their bed.
“Morrigan told us that this planet has some colorful sunrises and sunsets,” replied Aine as she and Brigit appeared.
“Has she been here before?” asked Terry as they moved to the exercise benches.
“I had the impression that she was here a long time ago, as in more than a couple of hundred orbits.”
“We haven't seen any evidence of past inhabitants. Do you know why she was here?”
“No. You should ask her.”
“We feel a little uncomfortable asking any of you where you've been. We really don't want to pry into your activities.”
“I don't see it as prying,” replied Brigit. “I'm sure the others agree with me. We aren't used to sharing the highlights of our trips, and we aren't sure that you would find them very interesting. If we can't talk about a trip, we will likely say so or change the subject. In thinking about it, since we've begun living here there have only been a few times when I would've avoided an answer.”
“Well I would be interested in hearing of your adventures,” responded Joyce.
“We will share them when we can. Be sure and prompt us, as we aren't used to doing that. Before we started staying with you between trips, we didn't see each other very often.”
“When I see Morrigan, I'll ask her what she remembers of Ananu,” said Sally.
As Sarah's Clan walked toward the dining hall Siobhan's Clan asked, “What are you planning to talk about this morning?”
“Just that we took a dream-walk to Tara Ardchlár. While we were there we visited the knoll at the east of the settlement. We found it to be a great place to watch the sun rise. There is a similar knoll to the west, so that may provide a great view of sunset.”
“How about we connect to Dóchas when you tell of your visit to Tara Ardchlár and the sunrise?” queried Siobhan.
“That is a good idea as there will be a lot of interaction between the different groups today. As far as we know the time change went smoothly. About the only other thing we think we have on the agenda is answering questions as the schedules are set, unless there are any last minute issues.”
“There may be some questions about the Tigsu visit.”
“True, but I think most will be about moving to Ananu.”
“The medical facility is operational so that constraint on activities is removed.”
“Good point.”
“Agreed. We sense all eight clans are in this link, so I think we are all in agreement.”
“Yes.” responded the Command Staffs.
“By the way, we would like for all of us to meet at 10:00 hours AT on the knoll east of Tara Ardchlár.”
“So you are thinking that would be a good place for the ceremony to take place?” queried Kathleen of Molly's Clan.
“Yes. We thought it might be a good choice. All of us need to see it, then, if we agree, we can suggest it to those making the arrangements for the ceremony. We'll have several hours before we need to be back for lunch although I don't think we will need that much time.”
“How much site preparation will be needed?”
“From our perspective, it is fine the way it is. However, we should leave those details in the hands of theorganizers.”
“Agreed. There will potentially be over 20,000 at the ceremony.”
“That's true. See you later.”
As Sarah's Clan entered the suite after dinner a couple of days later Jill said, “It will be nice to have a couple days to relax.”
Alena said, “Well since our children are on Phoenix tonight, I think we should...” Her comment was cut off by Erin's lips covering hers as she began a kiss.
“Yes,” she continued as Alena wrapped her arms around Erin. “This is just what I had in mind.” As their kiss continued they were lightly caressing each other with their fingers.
Their spouses paired off as they all moved onto the sleeping pad. Sarah and Aoife took turns giving each other light kisses on the others’ face as they caressed each other. Joyce put her arms on Rusty's shoulders pushing herself up and wrapping her legs around his waist. In doing so she had trapped his cock between them and had it nestled between the lips of her labia.
Joyce kissed him as she said, “That feels good and it will feel even better inside.”
“In a hurry?”
“No, but I am already very ready for you. If you will lift me up a bit more we can place it where it should be, then we can take our time.” With that, Rusty lifted her up enough for his cock to slide between her labia. When its head slipped between her lips, she flexed her muscles to guide him toward her entrance. Feeling his cock sliding toward its target he slowly lowered her. Joyce sighed.
“That is one of the grandest feelings.”
“What?”
“Feeling you sliding into me. It is like a special link between us. Our feelings for each other seem more intense when we are coupled in this way. Well, maybe ‘more’ isn't the quite right word.”
“I know what you mean. So how do you want to continue?”
“Just sit back on the pad, and then I can sit on your lap for a while with my legs wrapped around you.”
“How is this?”
“Perfect. Now let's see how long we can make this special time last.” As she was sharing her thought, she covered his lips with hers to give him a passionate kiss. Their tongues dueled for a bit, then they separated and began to give each other light kisses. During this they were lightly caressing each other. While they kissed and caressed, Joyce was massaging his cock by contracting then relaxing the muscles of her vaginal sheath and those in her labia. Both of them found this very stimulating.
Joyce laid her head on his shoulder as she hugged him. From this vantage point she could see her other spouses engaged in various ways with each other. “Did you notice that tonight is a little different?”
“How so?”
“We've physically paired off but we are sharing everything. Isn't the scene surrounding us an erotic sight?”
“Yes. Between it and your caresses, it won't be long before our orgasms crest.”
“I think we will be last though.”
“We may be swimming in your cream before then.”
“I can feel it. When we cum, I may squirt. Besides, I don't think it will be all that long because I can feel you swelling and getting hotter.”
As she was sharing her thoughts, Rusty held her head as he lightly nibbled on her lips. He followed this with kisses on her nose and eyes and then gave her a passionate kiss while their tongues dueled. When their lips parted they took turns kissing and nibbling along the others neck from their shoulders to their ears.
“I'm close,” said Rusty.
“I know. So am I.” Right after Joyce responded their spouses began to moan as their orgasms crested. Each one was shared, causing the subsequent ones to be more intense and reverberate among them.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes. Fill me up stud.” With that Rusty's cum spurted into Joyce, triggering her orgasm as she squirted her cream onto him. Their orgasm triggered another in their spouses.
After a few moments Tara said, “Now that was interesting. Rusty, can we try it?”
“Sure, but I am not sure how soon.”
“Well I wasn't thinking of right now. Maybe later, or tomorrow.”
“Sure.”
Sarah said, “Rusty, would you roll Joyce over onto her back? I want to clean her up.”
“Sure.”
“I'll clean up Rusty,” added Aoife.
“With as much cream as I felt her release, there should be enough for everyone to have some.”
“Holy cow,” said Tara after Rusty and Joyce moved. “There is a puddle where he was sitting.” As she was speaking, she slid her hand across the area and then began licking it. Several others mimicked her actions.
Jill said, “It tastes better when you can taste it closer to the source.”
“Yes, it does, but it is still tasty.”
After freshening up their sleep area Janet said, “Besides Aikido tomorrow after breakfast, what else do we want to do?”
Alison said, “How about using the IPTPs to get a close-up look at Tara Ardchlár?”
“Sounds like a good idea,” responded Rusty. “Is this something anyone can do?”
Sally said, “From a security perspective, it should be done in groups. Other than that I don't see an issue. It is a good topic for our next Command Staff meeting.”
“If we have time let's take a shuttle and do a slow circuit around the island,” said Maeve. “We might want to invite the children and lions to join us.”
“They would like that,” said Alena. “But why the lions?”
“I suspect they have a pretty good idea of what the island is like, so they could give us suggestions on where to go. Besides, security would be happier if they were with us.”
“Think there will be enough time for all of that?”
“Well if we eat at Tara Ardchlár, we could probably see a lot more. If there was something we thought needed a second look, we could go again the next day.”
“Remember we are spending the afternoon two days from now with Maureen's and Keriann's Clans.”
“We also need to exercise our psionic abilities,” added Terry.
“There should be time and opportunity when we are out,” responded Aoife.
“And tomorrow night,” said Tara, “there will be more sharing of our affection!”
“You mean we have to wait until tomorrow night.”
“Did I say anything about waiting? I was just pointing out the opportunity, and that we shouldn't wear ourselves out during the day so we can come back here to cuddle and....”
“But we do that every night,” responded Janet with a smile.
“Yes, but sometimes...”
“...sometimes we are sort of distracted,” added Claudette finishing her sentence. “But even distracted, it feels good, comforting, and a wonderful way to finish off the day.”
“Yes, it does. Now I'm sleepy.”
It was approaching noon the following day when the shuttle carrying Sarah's Clan set down in the transit area at Tara Ardchlár. When Alena stepped out of it she saw their children coming across the field. As Sarah and Joyce joined her they began running toward them.
When the children were close Moya said, “We thought you all would be here before now.”
Sarah said, “How long have you been waiting?”
Deirdre responded with, “Not long, maybe a half hour. Our shuttle is two over; we need to get our things.”
“Okay. Have you had lunch?”
“No. We were sort of waiting for you all.”
Corey said, “I think the group working at the site expects us to join them for lunch.”
“Okay. In that case, why don't you move your stuff to this shuttle and then we'll go eat, and perhaps look around.”
“Cool,” replied Jordana as the group ran to get their stuff.
“Can we ‘can’ it?” asked Janet.
“What?”
“All that energy,” responded Janet smiling.
Joyce said, “I don't think so. Likely the best we can do is guide it in good directions.”
“We think you all do that well,” responded Marnia as she walked up.
“That was quick,” said Alena.
“Well mom, I knew we would need to transfer our stuff so I stopped there first.”
“Still thinking ahead?”
“We all try too. Sometimes it is hard to do as the best path is often not easy to see, or anticipate. Besides, ever since you asked us this morning to go sightseeing, it has been hard to think about anything else.”
“Why is that?”
“It’s something we've never done.”
“What about those trips to Earth?”
By then most of the children had returned carrying their packs. “We see this as something unique that we are going to do together.”
Earnán asked, “Did you bring the IPTPs?”
Ignoring him, Alena said, “Well we thought you all would enjoy going with us.”
“Anytime,” replied Marina, “as it is always fun to do things with you all.”
Joyce said, “Earnán, it is not nice to interrupt a conversation.”
“I'm sorry.”
“To answer your question, yes we brought the IPTPs. The lions are joining us after we have lunch, so once your things are stowed, we will walk over to the site for lunch.”
As they walked over to their base camp the parents chatted with their children about their evening and morning with Maureen's and Keriann's Clans.
Corey said, “We had fun playing with the children in Maureen's Clan. Karen and the others are always a lot of fun to be around. I sort of miss them being with us all the time.”
Keri added, “And we offered to help Siobhan's Clan with their babies. They are really anxious for them to be born.”
“That is normal when the delivery time is near. They’re due in about three weeks, right?”
“Yes,” replied Judy.
“I wonder if those planning the ceremony realize that.”
“We know some of the group know,” responded Jordana. “I'll suggest that they might want to put it off until after Siobhan's Clan has their babies.”
Keri said, “Based on what I heard they will likely jump at the opportunity.”
“Why?” asked Tara.
“'Cause they aren't sure they can have everything ready as soon as they wanted to.”
“So how do you know all of this?”
“We listen,” responded several of the children before sticking their tongues out.
Sarah said, “Well, it is a fair question.”
“It was fair but...you are often chiding us for not listening,” responded Iris.
“Ah...but the circumstances are distinctly different.”
“To give you a less flippant answer,” said Keri, “they, like us, like to talk about our daily activities when we socialize. Several times we've seen where that discussion helped resolve an issue.”
“True,” said Rusty. “Talking about your work with your friends can often give you an insight into solving or dealing with a current issue. However, it isn’t usually productive when it turns into a whining session.”
Sally said, “You know it’s still pretty early for lunch, so we could take a ride on the IPTPs before then. This will give us a close-up look at the plateau.”
“It will have to be a quick look as we only have an hour and the plateau is pretty large.”
“True, but from my perspective it would give us a better grasp of the terrain. If we see any interesting areas, we can note them and come back for a closer look, either after lunch or in the future.”
Nearly an hour later they landed their IPTPs next to the base site. “That was neat,” said Kennith. “Are we going to do that this afternoon?”
“Perhaps,” responded Claudette. “Our plan was to do something similar for the whole island, which means it won't be as close or detailed. I suspect we will stop at a few locations and either walk around or use the IPTPs to explore the immediate area.”
“Great,” said Keri.
“On the northwest corner there was a wide slope that appears to descend to the valley floor. Are we going to use that as the path down?” asked Kennith.
“Why?” asked Rusty.
“Well that was the only location where it looked like you could easily walk down to the valley. Although we didn't look real close, the sides of this plateau look like they would be a difficult climb.”
“That wide slope would be our first consideration for a road down to the valley. From what we saw it can likely be used now as hiking path, beyond that, it needs to be looked at more closely.”
“I did see some neat water falls,” added Marnia.
“Yes there were,” replied Alison. “It would be nice to get a closer look at them.”
“Claudette, what is going to happen to all the dirt and rock being excavated?” asked Deirdre.
“The top soil is being set aside for the finish fill. If there is extra it will be used to level the fields used for crops. All the subsoil will be turned into ceramic building materials. Some of it will be used to cover the inside of the tunnels.”
“Aren’t there parallel tunnels?”
“Yes. They run in pairs. One is for utilities. The other is for people as well as small powered carts. They are offset vertically and horizontally.”
As Claudette finished speaking they reached the serving line. They were part way through the line when Moya said, “This smells really good.”
Erin laughed and said, “I agree, but it is the same food we have on the ship.”
“Moya,” said Joyce, “food always seems to taste better when eaten outside.”
“Well, I agree with Moya,” said Janet.
After eating lunch and visiting with the staff, Sarah's Clan headed over to where their shuttle was waiting. As they reached it, Ja, Ta, Lil and Sas walked out of the nearby brush.
“Good afternoon,” they said to each other.
“Are we all ready?” asked Sarah.
“We are,” responded Ta. “After you've done your overview, we have a few suggestions for a more detailed assessment.”
“Good, we were hoping you would.”
Once they were all on board, Rusty said, “Although we've all agreed to go sightseeing, we haven't discussed where or what. I suspect we will have similar adventures in the future, so to start out let's go east from here then follow Brigantia River south to the water falls. From there we can continue to Gaillimh Bay and follow it to the ocean, then around the island and back up the bay. When we reach the water falls we will follow Clota River back until we are west of here. Is everyone okay with that?” He smiled waiting for a response.
Several of his spouses started to speak but stopped when they sensed that he was waiting for a response from the children. While he was speaking, Sarah had AlphaD01 lift off and head east.
Kennith looked around the cabin like he was expecting someone to respond, but didn't say anything. A few more moments passed before Moya said, “Dad, you are expecting us to cover a lot of ground in the time we have. Wouldn't it be better to divide it into smaller pieces?”
“Very good. The path I outlined is over 7000 km long, and way too much to cover at one time, or even over a few days. So how about we go east a ways then southward generally following Brigantia River toward the falls? Ta indicated they have some suggested stops which I think are on this path.”
“Yes they are.”
At that moment the cabin monitor came on showing the view of what was in front of them. The shuttle was moving at 60 km/h about 50 m above the ground. When they reached the edge of the plateau and the ground dropped quickly the shuttle slowed as it descended, following the terrain. It wasn't long before they reached the river and turned south. Sarah linked with the shuttle AI to vary the speed depending on the view and the interest she sensed in her family.
They had just passed over a large lake when Ta said, “Just past these rapids would be a good place to stop and explore.”
When the shuttle turned the bend they saw a wide valley on both sides of the river. They could barely see where the edges reached the tree line of the surrounding hills in the distance. On the ground the children hurriedly unloaded the IPTPs and were getting ready to get on when Rusty said, “The ground rules are: At least one adult with each group. Everyone carries a weapon. A first aid kit with each group. Let's plan on leaving in an hour unless everyone is ready before then.”
Sas said, “We would like to show Sarah, Tara, Maeve, and Aoife something we've found. It is a short walk up the rise behind us. All of us could go but...”
“They need to burn off some energy.”
“Well put.”
Rusty said, “I'll be the anchor and wait here.”
They quickly divided up into 11 groups and were just ready to leave when Sally said, “Remember, noise and sudden movements will startle wild life. So keep that in mind while you explore.”
“We will.”
Sas said, “I believe it is better for me to wait here with Rusty. Ta and Lil can show you the way.”
“I sense an ulterior motive in this,” responded Aoife.
“We don't want to say more until you have seen it as we think a fresh perspective is wise.”
“Okay.”
“Can we go?” asked Corey with Moya standing next to her.
“We don't see why not.”
“We agree,” added Lil as she and Ta turned toward the hill.
They were a short way into the woods when Maeve said, “This looks like a game trail.”
“It is,” replied Ta. “There are lots of them.”
Several minutes further along the trail split, and Lil followed the much fainter path.
“You would hardly notice this path,” said Aoife. “In fact I don't think I would have noticed it.”
“Since we discovered the first one, we've found several more.”
Just as Lil finished speaking the group stepped into a small clearing. “Oh, my,” said Sarah, Maeve, Tara and Aoife.
Before them was a grotto. There was a wide ledge along its back wall about waist high. A step or so in front of this was a narrow bench long enough for two people to sit on.
“What is it mom?” asked Moya.
“Just a minute.”
The four women looked around the clearing. Each took a seat on the bench and looked toward the grotto and then out toward the valley.
Aoife said, “This is a place where someone comes to contemplate or meditate. Notice how quiet it is here compared to how it was before we entered the clearing. When sitting on the bench, the ledge is about table height. Turning the other way, it gives you a lovely view out over the valley. The gap between the branches frames the view of the valley.”
“The view is lovely,” sighed Moya.
Maeve added, “On Earth, a long time ago, there were grottoes like this that were dedicated to a god or goddess. Some were cared for by local residents while others were cared for by someone who had dedicated their life to the deity.”
“But there are no people here, other than us,” said Corey.
“Currently that is true, but there may have been in the past,” said Sarah. “Or a god or goddess may have created this for their use. It is a lovely location.”
Tara said, “We should leave a token.”
“What do you mean?” asked Moya.
“A token is an offering to indicate thanks for the blessings received. An offering consisting of a loaf of bread, a wedge of cheese, and a glass of wine is one that I understand was acceptable, as those represent the substance of life.”
“Can we leave an offering?” asked Corey.
“I think that would be appropriate,” said Aoife. “While we don't know for certain the importance of this grotto, I don't see any harm in making that gesture.”
“Rusty, would you send us a loaf of bread, a wedge of cheese, and a glass of wine?”
“Sure, Aoife. Where do you want it?”
“Just set it outside the shuttle, we'll bring it here.”
“Okay, give me a few.”
A few moments later Moya placed the bread and cheese on the plate Corey had placed on the ledge. Aoife then set the glass of wine next to it.
“We need to be going,” said Sarah.
Following Sarah's lead each bowed slightly toward the grotto before taking their leave, with Lil and Ta following them out of the clearing. They walked quietly back to the meadow where their shuttle and some of their family were waiting.
“Lil, Ta, thanks for showing us the grotto,” said Aoife.
“So it has the significance we thought we detected?”
“Likely. I think we all had the sensation of being watched.”
“Yes. That is the first time we've felt that in a clearing like that. Each one feels very similar to how we felt there. We sense them as being a special place.”
When they returned to the shuttle Rusty said, “I gather that it was an interesting location.”
“Yes,” replied Moya. “Mom, where can I learn more about grottoes?”
Aoife said, “Check our library, or better yet, ask Aine or one of her sisters. With respect to Earth, there is information in books on archeology. However, some writers let their religious views influence their findings and writings.”
“I'll ask Aine.”
It wasn't long after that that the others began returning. Once everyone was back Rusty said, “We can leave as soon as everything is stowed. Our next stop will be a similar valley about an hour down the river.”
“Cool,” replied several.
Earnán said, “We saw two herds of horses in the valley. Several of us were able to walk up pretty close to them before they backed off.”
Claudette said, “They were a lot more tolerant of our presence than I expected. There were about 20 or so in each herd. At first our presence didn't seem to bother them, but as we got closer they became restless. In many respects they look like large quarter horses, but whether they have those traits we'll just have to wait to find out. They are good looking animals.”
Sas added, “From what we've seen the predators that are similar to Earth's wolves don't bother them. Even the sight of us doesn't appear to bother them, but it is quite difficult to sneak up close. When we do get close they don't react except to watch us and keep their distance.”
Ja said, “In the next valley there are animals similar to Earth's buffalo, and several similar breeds that we are not familiar with. Beyond that there are several valleys further down river that have herds of cattle and aurochs, as well as horses. Besides the wolves there are other predators, but only as many as are required to maintain a balance.”
It was late in the afternoon when they headed back to Tara Ardchlár. Sarah had the shuttle take a course parallel to the Brigantia River but well to the east of it. From the right-hand side of the shuttle they could see the ridge along the edge of the island. To the left they could just see the river.
After a while Alena said, “The land to our right seems more rugged than anything we saw earlier.”
“While I am not sure of the detail,” responded Joyce, “if I remember the models correctly the land between the rivers and the coast is more rugged on the interior side. I think there were meadows, but they were smaller and hillier.”
“We agree,” responded Ta. “So far most of our exploring has been in the northern part of the island, several of us have walked along sections of the ridge above the coast. All of us are pleased with this place.”
Iris said, “Well I hope we can do this again, and soon. It was relaxing, interesting, and tiring. The best part was having our parents with us.”
“I am sure we can do this again,” responded Sarah. “It will be easier when we have accommodations at Tara Ardchlár, which is likely to be a year or so off.”
Earnán said, “What about Dóchas?”
“We are not sure what you are asking,” replied Aoife. “We anticipate being its Command Staff for quite a few years yet. When we are living here, we will divide our time between here and the ship. There will likely be some voyages, as we expect that there will be invitations from the Alliance of World members and the Lonstradaze. However, all of that is in the future, and if one thing is certain it is that the future is uncertain.”
“What?” queried several confused children.
When Aoife stopped laughing she said, “I was simply saying that what a future turns out to be is due to many interactions, so it is always changing. Some changes are hardly noticeable while others can be almost overwhelming.”
“So that is what is behind the admonition to set your goals while realizing that you will need to refine them over time, but if done well the core objectives won't usually change significantly,” responded Marina.
“I need to think about that a bit,” said Aoife.
“Well I probably didn't phrase it quite like I read it.”
Kennith said, “We are here and I am hungry.”
By the time the laughter died down the shuttle door was opening. Deirdre said, “You are always hungry.”
“Well you must be too as you are always right with me in the food line.”
“Sure, I want to make sure I get some, that's why I try to be in front of you,” she responded with a smile and stuck her tongue out at the end.
“I agree,” added Iris with several other children nodding and smiling.
“Kennith,” said Moya, “we aren't picking on you but you did set yourself up for that.”
“Yea.” Just after he spoke Jill's and Janet's stomach grumbled. Smiling he added, “Hearing that, we better hurry.”
After the laughter died down, a smiling Janet said, “Watch it buster.”
They were still laughing and kidding each other when they reached the dining area. Sally said, “We need to exercise when we get back to the ship.”
“Yes,” replied her spouses.
Sarah added, “I will be quite full by then. I've been thinking that with the longer day perhaps we should let some down at lunch time.”
“Good idea,” replied Judy. “The one at midday wouldn't need to be as long.”
“We'll try it tomorrow, but won't it adjust?”
“Yes. Letting down only a small amount at lunch time, and lessening it each day, should smoothly shift your baseline.”
“Has this affected others?”
“Yes. Some more than others. The change in length of the day is also affecting your metabolism. While we've seen no problems, again the change has affected some more than others. I see it as something similar to jet lag.”
“That makes sense.”
Keri said, “What are the plans for tomorrow?”
Rusty said, “In the morning we are going to look at the island where we intend to set up both a range for Star Fighters to use and a psionic exercise area. In the afternoon we are visiting Maureen's and Keriann's Clans.
“Can we go?”
“Sure.”
As they were leaving the dining area Sarah said, “Are you all riding back with us?”
“We can,” replied Corey. “We should check with Dóchas FOC to be sure it is okay to leave the other shuttle here.” They were nearly at the shuttle when he said, “We’ll ride with you. Edith said us riding with you solved a logistics issue. She said to tell you, thanks.”
“Okay. We need to remember to ask about the logistics issue.”
Sarah's Clan, along with their children, were almost back at Dóchas when Goddess Cabd entered a small clearing several kilometers from the transit area. She said, “I see you brought the items they left in the grotto.”
“Yes,” replied Goddess Ariu, a tall beautiful woman with rusty red hair and grey eyes. “Considering their sincerity and stated intent, I didn't think we should leave them there. Were you able to learn more about why they left these items on the ledge?”
“I think our first impression was correct. When I looked through our historical records I found several drawings that resembled the grotto's appearance today. It seems that places like that were used by some cultures as places for the people to thank or petition their deity. The women apparently recognized the similarities while their children didn't, but they understood the perceived significance once Sarah explained it. So from my perspective, they left the items as a way of expressing respect, rather than thankfulness, to the deity honored by the grotto.”
Iodla picked up the bread and sniffed it. She then broke off a piece of the bread and the cheese. After folding the bread around the cheese, she took a bite. Her grey eyes widened as the flavor filled her mouth. After swallowing, with a smile she said, “This is excellent. Try it.” She then took another bite.
Iodla’s sisters reacted to the taste of the food in the same way she had. After they had eaten the bread and cheese Ariu handed her the wine glass.
After tasting it Iodla said, “This is excellent. Well, I like the flavor.” She offered the glass to Cabd and added, “I wonder where it came from.”
“It is good,” responded Ariu after finishing the glass, with Cabd nodding her agreement. “Based on what we've heard, most of their food comes from a device in their ships. It apparently makes it on demand, but as we've seen they also have a kitchen. As to the time they were at the grotto, I didn't see them bring anything with them, besides, they didn't know about the grotto before entering the clearing. Apparently the large cats that showed it to them hadn't told them what to expect.”
“If I remember correctly,” said Cabd, “the report mother got from the 'Old Ones' indicated that they had psionic abilities. Based on what we've seen before this, I’m pretty certain that they are telepathic.”
Ariu responded, “That's right. If their cats are sentient beings then telepathy would be the easiest way for them to communicate. Well Sarah's Clan and their children are certainly aware of our presence if we pay too much attention to them.”
Iodla asked, “Should we conclude that they used the psionic abilities to transfer the food from their ship to the clearing?”
“I think that is the best conclusion based on our observations.”
“I wish mother hadn't been so adamant about us avoiding any contact with them.”
“So you think we should meet them?”
Cabd said, “We've talked about this many times and I still think so. We've seen examples in our history lessons of how other deities have interacted with the people on their planets. From my perspective some were done better than others, but I understand the reasoning behind the choices those deities made. And remember, in nearly all of them the people involved were the ones who evolved on that planet, so those situations are distinctly different from this one. At the moment, yes, I think we should meet Sarah's Clan and their peers. To carry my thoughts a bit further, I think we should be reasonably accessible to them. Actually, I've wondered if it would work for us to become trusted friends, but not to be in each other’s pocket. In any case, in order to answer those questions we need to meet some of them, as well as learn more about them.”
“They hardly wear any covering, so they don't have pockets,” said Iodla with a straight face.
“You're trying to side-track me.”
“Sort of, you were getting pretty wound up. I think we agree with you, but like you, I want to learn more about them. A couple of things to consider are: How do we arrange to meet them? Is meeting us something they are expecting?”
Ariu said, “Think of the wording Sarah used at the grotto. After listening to your comments, I believe she was acknowledging our presence. Beyond that, consider the way their cats act around our special places, it is as if they are acknowledging our presence with their respect.”
“There are several with them who are agents of the 'Old Ones'. We know that they are employed to prompt or guide mortals in positive directions. Their relationship seems to be different with these people, so I wonder what it is.”
“All in due time, now let's go home.”
“What about the plate and glass?”
“We should return them, but I don't think returning them to the grotto is a good choice.”
“Let's put them on a dining table with a note ‘to be returned to Sarah's Clan’.”
“I can do that now,” said Cabd.
- Chapter 2 -
Note: When the conversation is a telepathic exchange, it is indicated by italics font.
Ananu date – 6th year, 5th month, 5th clock cycle
Sarah's Clan was just finishing breakfast when Cécilia came over to them with a small package. On reaching the table she said, “This came up on a shuttle last night for you all.”
“Thank you,” said Aoife as she took the package. All of her spouses looked at her with puzzled expressions, as this was an unusual event.
When she just laid it on the table Keri said, “Aren't you going to open it?”
“Yes, but when we get back to our suite.”
Moya said, “I am not sure we can contain our curiosity that long.”
“Why?” asked Tara. “It is just a package.”
“True. But we don't see packages delivered like that very often, if ever.”
“It can wait until we are back in our suite since we planned on stopping by there before going to the hangar.”
Just as Tara finished speaking, Cass and Abaigeal of Briana's Clan started the morning meeting. After a brief discussion of issues on Dóchas, the monitors came to life showing the meeting areas on the other ships and at Tara Ardchlár. With everyone connected together hosting the meeting shifted to Keriann's Clan on Iarracht.
Brigid of Keriann's Clan said, “James, I believe you have an announcement.”
“Yes. Thank you. The Ceremony to install the first members of the Council of Celia is now set to occur in about nine weeks. This is a little further away than initially planned. This change was to make sure it is after the birth of the babies in Siobhan's Clan. By moving the date out a bit also makes it easier to prepare the site without significantly impacting other activities. Following the ceremony, we will have a two day celebration. This will be our first annual holiday known as ‘Landing Day’. In the future it will be on a date that matches our arrival over Ananu. Any questions?” Seeing none he added, “The group planning the ceremony will give us an update on their progress at least once a week. A current summary of their activities is available in the library.”
Cary stood on Taiséalai waiting for recognition. When James saw him, “It looks like we have a question, which is?”
“Doesn't that timing conflict with the visitors you are expecting?”
“Currently the visitors aren't expected until three weeks after the ceremony, and it could be after that. Any more questions?”
“Yes,” said Cary, “Will the date for future installation of Council members be based on this date?”
“I think I can say, ‘probably not’, although if you had asked a week ago I would have responded, 'we think so.'” When the laughter subsided, he continued with, “All of us have come to believe that the installation of Councilors needs to be on a different day. Since we have a different calendar to the one in use when we set up our constitution, we need to look at dates for election and inauguration. Current thoughts are to have elections on the 21st of Twelmonth and inauguration on the 21st of the following Secmonth. This will be a decision for the family to make in the near future.”
“Thanks.”
“More questions?” After a few moments he added, “That covers what I had.”
Brigid said, “We believe most of you know that An Clochán was activated about six weeks ago. This was prompted by some of our friends on Earth making use of the escape mechanism we gave them before beginning our voyage. Since then the staff at An Clochán have been contacted by others asking if they can come there. With An Clochán active the staff have also been picking up qualified candidates that want to join us. On some days they've picked up as many as 300. This has really stretched the resources we left there.
“To resolve the resource issue, we are organizing a task group to make a visit to An Clochán. Currently plans are to send 6 cruisers, along with several flights of Star Fighters. This trip is not envisioned as being the one that was planned for returning the journalists and their families, but they can go back at this time if they wish. While we understand the issues the journalists have with their sponsors, we think many would like to remain until after our visitors have left.
“The reason we are asking for volunteers is that we expect that some of those going may miss the Landing Day celebration. As currently envisioned, the members of this task group will assist our staff at An Clochán to ensure that all the site's facilities are up and running. This includes training on maintaining the equipment. To help with the people issues we need medical specialists and others trained in assisting people define a new future and adjust to their change in circumstances. This is voluntary. Again, you may miss the Installation and Landing Day celebration. Please let your Staffing department know if you are interested. Any questions?”
Allister stood on Taiséalai and when Brigid saw him she asked, “Allister, your question?”
“While I think I understand the basis for those with staffing talents, why do you need additional medical staff? Are there injuries?”
“We believe that there are only minor injuries. The Command Staffs are still evaluating the situation but feel we need to send the task group very soon. There are ~14,000 people at An Clochán and New Comrie. Those on New Comrie are being moved to An Clochán, that relocation may be complete by now. Our current view is that we should treat everyone there as a potential crew candidate, using our normal evaluation procedure that we all know. There are potential security issues that taint that view. Since being active An Clochán has received applications from several thousand people, these are included in the earlier total. Have I answered your question?”
“I think so. If they all want to come here, how would we accomplish that?”
“We've asked the Iridiens, Monque, and Atewa if they have passenger ships that we could lease. There hasn't been enough time to receive a reply. The current plan is to bring everyone here and then live on the ships until accommodations on Ananu were available. This seems friendlier than making them wait at An Clochán, as it will likely be at least a year before we have sufficient accommodations for everyone at Tara. Bear in mind, we are still in the midst of planning a path forward. Due to its potential impact, we will be discussing this again in a few days.”
“Thanks.”
“Morgan, your question?”
“Well it is not really a question. If it is only a few weeks, why don't we hold off on the celebration and the swearing in ceremonies until those from An Clochán can be here?”
“That is our preference. Whether we can do that or not depends on passenger ship availability.”
“I didn't see anyone else stand, so are there other questions?” After a few moments of no response she added, “It looks like we've answered all the questions for now. I don't believe there are any other items to discuss, so let's close this session. Have a great day.”
“Well done Brigid,” said Sarah's Clan. Their comment was quickly followed by similar comments from the other Command Staffs.
“Thanks. I was kind of expecting some more difficult questions regarding An Clochán and the sudden influx. How was the sightseeing?”
“Great, we'll tell you about it when we see you later today.”
“We are looking forward to your visit. What are your plans for this morning?”
“Checking out the island that was proposed as a practice range for weapons and psionic skills.”
“Good. We haven't practiced ours for a while, well since we left Mars, although we have done simulations.”
“We have too, but are concerned about bad habits slipping into the methodology since you don't see or sense real results.”
“Good point. See you all this afternoon.”
Aoife said to her family, “Let's go get our instruments so we have them ready for this afternoon. That way we can stop at Tara Ardchlár for lunch before we go to Iarracht.”
In their suite Joyce said, “So what is in the package?”
Aoife smiled as she carefully unwrapped it. “I suspect it is confirmation of a perception we had yesterday.” She lifted the lid off the box and turned it to show everyone.
Moya said, “Isn't that the plate and glass we left at the grotto yesterday?”
“Yes.”
“We don't understand,” responded Iris.
“Yesterday Ta and Lil showed Sarah, Maeve, Tara and I several secluded places, or small clearings, that they thought were unique. Moya and Corey were with us at some of the places. The first one contained what resembled a grotto. We presumed it was a place that was frequented by deities, so we left a small loaf of bread, some cheese and a glass of wine. This was done as an offering of respect as we felt we had entered a special place of Theirs. By returning the glassware, they've confirmed that there are deities in this solar system. Although, Aine and her sisters have already indicated that there were. Based on this response, I suspect we will have more contact with Them in the future.”
“That is scary,” responded Earnán.
“Why?” asked Maeve.
“Well, because they are God.”
“It could be a Goddess,” said Corey with a smile.
“Are you afraid of Aine, Morrigan, Branwen or any of the others?”
“No. Why?”
“They are very interesting people and fun to be around,” added Moya.
“Yes. But, some would regard them as Goddesses.”
Keri said, “So you are saying that we should interact with them like we would others of similar station, by being respectful and listening to their guidance.”
“A good way to express it,” said Tara. “You may not realize you've met them until afterwards.”
Sarah said, “The day is slipping past so we need to be on our way.”
It was early afternoon when Sarah's Clan exited their shuttle on Iarracht to be greeted by most of Keriann's Clan. After exchanging hugs Eleánóir said, “You are a bit earlier than we expected.”
“Well,” replied Rusty, “we didn't linger at the proposed aerial gunnery range very long. It appears to be well suited for its purpose. However, we did spend quite a bit of time at the site set aside for exercising our psionic skills, and made use of it.”
“That was neat to watch,” added Iris.
Moya said, “Yea, this was the first time we’ve seen our parents doing that. I think seeing those skills in use gave me a better understanding of what they are and how they can be used.”
“Until today,” added Kennith, “I only thought of them as weapons, but not any longer.”
“What do you mean?” asked Niamh.
“They have more uses than as just a weapon. Perhaps thinking of them as a tool with multiple uses is a more accurate way of looking at them.”
“I wonder if any of us will have those abilities,” said Keri.
“Only time will tell,” responded Sarah. “It will likely be several years before you will know. Besides, all of you already have telepathy, which many regard as a psionic ability.”
Corey said, “I can wait to see if I have been blessed with more than telepathy. If I have, I hope the blessing includes the wisdom to use the ability wisely.”
“Excellent insight,” said Mégane of Maureen's Clan as the clan entered the reception area.
“Good, you guys are here!” exclaimed Marnia.
As they were greeting each other Iris saw Karen, Kaylin, and Courtney enter holding the children's hands. She said, “Great, you brought the babies.”
After hugging Iris, Courtney said, “We thought that if we didn't you wouldn't let us stay. Besides, we didn't want to disappoint you all.”
“We are not that bad,” responded Keri.
“Yea, right,” laughed Eibhlin of Maureen's Clan.
“Is this who you are looking for?” asked Karen with a smile. Once she released the child's hand the child ran to Keri.
“Sure,” Keri replied as she picked her up.
Emma of Keriann's Clan entered the reception area and said, “I thought you all would be in the common room by now.”
Caitlyn laughed and said, “We started that way, then Maureen's Clan arrived.”
“Well then let's go as it is much more comfortable.”
Once they had settled in the common room Sarah questioned, “Maureen, how much longer till the births?”
“Sixteen weeks, and Mégane assures us that we are doing well.”
“Great,” responded the group.
Moya said, “Eileen, Aisling, and Kendra's babies are due in three weeks.”
Brigid added with a smile, “And ours are due in 9 weeks.”
“Gosh,” said Sarah, “I hope no one felt slighted by the way I posed my question.”
“Not us,” quickly replied Siobhan.
“Since we are on this topic,” said Oriel, “what do you all think of us asking some of the children to assist the nannies with the babies and younger children?”
Keri quickly said, “Great idea.” Her siblings nodded their heads indicating their agreement.
“Our perception of this is something more than babysitting, but significantly less than being a nanny. Similar to what your children have been doing but perhaps more organized.”
Tara of Sarah's Clan said, “I think it is conceptually a good idea as it expands their learning beyond what can be accomplished in the learning centers.”
Celia of Keriann's Clan added, “We hope that our children will have the same interaction with the crew that yours did.”
“Celia, the crew interacts with our children in much the same way that we saw them interact with those in Sarah's Clan,” responded Courtney. “Since ours started walking, our difficulty has been keeping track of them when we are in the dining room. We aren't sure how Sarah's Clan did it when we were all on Dóchas.”
“We tell you if we want to leave the dining room,” commented Beth, Courtney's daughter.
Courtney smiled as she said, “Yes, you are all very good about doing that.”
Brigid of Keriann's Clan said, “I would like to hear about your sightseeing trips.”
Before the adults in Sarah's Clan could respond their children started telling everyone about what they had seen. They were very good about taking turns so that they each had an opportunity to describe the different areas of Gaillimh Island. Moya noted the special areas that the lions had shown them, but didn't mention the grotto or the offering.
Deirdre said, “We stopped by Gaillimh Bay on the way here to let the lions out as they wanted to explore. The sandy shore along the bay between the two rivers that empty into it is very nice. I would have liked to have spent more time there, but I am sure we will in the future.”
Chester asked, “Why did the lions want to be let out there?”
“They haven't explored that area yet,” replied Jordana. “They haven't been able to find a useable path down from the bluffs overlooking the bay area. They had tried some but could only get part way down before the path ended. Several of us think that we will need to pick them up in a day or two.”
“Why is that?” asked Brandan.
“They shared some of their experiences with us and we've looked at the maps. We think the only way to get down is with a rope, so you can either walk up the face or rappel down. However, there are likely some game trails that are suitable for very small animals. We did see rabbits and ground hogs in the grassy area inland from the bay. There were also indications of small predators in the area. Since it frequently floods, they must know a way out.”
“Good point and good observations.”
“Anything else?” asked Crystal.
“Nothing that can't wait until the Command Staff meeting in a couple of days,” replied Terry. “Besides, if we continue to talk there won't be enough time to spar or play volleyball.”
“Volleyball,” shouted all the children.
Anna of Siobhan's Clan said, “Did you all bring your instruments?”
“Of course,” responded Moya. “We can do that after dinner.”
It was approaching 27:00 hours when Alena said, “Wow, look at the time, and it seems like we just arrived.”
“We can put you up for the night,” responded Kelly.
“While that is a delightful idea,” said Erin, “I suspect we should return to Dóchas this time. Could we have a raincheck?”
“Most certainly,” replied Keriann's Clan.
Chester added, “We've really enjoyed our time together this evening.”
“We should be going as well,” said Courtney of Maureen's Clan. “We've certainly enjoyed the evening as well, especially since we managed to win a game of volleyball.”
Beth, Courtney's daughter, added, “When can we do this again?”
Earnán said, “Beth, we will probably see you all in a day or two.”
“Good. Are you going to stay overnight?”
“We'll see. With everything that is going on...maybe not this time, but we will do it again.”
“Okay.”
Courtney said to the children of Sarah's Clan, “We know you all are involved in a lot of activities besides the learning centers, but just remember, you guys are all welcome to visit us anytime.”
“Oh, we will continue to visit you all,” replied Marnia with the other children nodding in agreement.
Once they had gathered up their instruments, the three clans walked to the hangar where they gave each other hugs before Maureen's and Sarah's Clans boarded their shuttles. As the shuttles exited Iarracht Kelly said, “I am exhausted.”
“Why?” asked Keriann. “You aren't pregnant.”
“Maybe it's the longer days.”
Emma responded with, “Conall indicated that some people were taking longer to adjust to the 30 hour day. I like it as we have more time to recharge our energy before beginning our next duty cycle. Before it seemed like all we did was eat, sleep, and work.”
Oriel said, “The advantage now is that we have some time to unwind doing nonessential activities.”
“Conall thought that those having difficulty weren't taking advantage of the longer rest period and needed the extra rest.”
“Maybe it is the fact that you need to adjust your perceptions regarding the time of day and the associated hour,” said Niamh as they walked to their compartment.
On shuttle carrying Sarah's Clan to Dóchas Erin said, “Moya, Corey, I noticed you didn't mention the offering at the grotto.”
“Well we weren't sure what to say or how to say it,” replied Corey. “From our perspective, all we know is that we left an offering and the utensils were returned, everything else we talked about this morning is speculation.”
Moya added, “We've thought about it quite a bit. We believe They accepted our offering and confirmed Their presence by returning the utensils. This is what mom Aoife indicated this morning, which I doubted at the time. I now agree that it is the best fit for what we know.”
“Besides,” added Corey, “we know you will discuss it when you all get together. If we had mentioned it, then discussing it would have cut into our socializing.”
“Good reasoning,” said Sally.
Deirdre said, “To change the topic, I would like to go with you when you practice your psionic talents, and I suspect some of my siblings feel the same way.”
“You are certainly welcome to tag along,” said Sarah, “with that in mind, we will try to schedule them in the future. We haven't practiced as often as we should, and many times when we have it has been part of another activity. I think today showed us that we needed the practice as our control wasn't very good.”
Sally said, “We could occasionally do that in place of an Aikido session.”
“That would work for us,” responded Keri. “We could adjust our training schedules so we didn't miss anything or cause a scheduling problem.”
They were on final approach to Dóchas when Kennith said, “Good, we are almost home and I am looking forward to getting some rest.”
“It has been a busy two days,” said Joyce.
“Yes it has,” added Sarah as the shuttle settled on to its cradle. “Like Kennith, I am looking forward to getting some rest.”
“Amen,” responded many of her spouses while the others nodded their agreement.
It was several days later when the group of Órarduine cruisers and Iridien Spec Ops ships paused on their journey to Tigsu. Several weeks earlier the Iridien’s ships had arrived in Celia system for the purpose of escorting a Tigsu diplomatic ship to their home planet. However prior to the Tigsu diplomats boarding their ship, it was hijacked. As a result the Iridien Spec Ops were tasked with transporting Tigsu diplomats back their home planet. After considering their situation, Commander Demerti asked the Órarduine for an escort for a portion of their trip to Tigsu. This was due to concerns that he had regarding the security of their trip and the operational issues with the ships on their trip to Celia. When they left Celia system, he was expecting another Spec Ops group of ships to join him at the third intermediate stop.
Prior to leaving Celia System, Demerti had sent a message courier to his home world with a summary of recent events and details of the change in plans. In the message, he had noted this intermediate location as being optimum for receiving a reply. After they had exited hyperspace Demerti said, “Kara, as we discussed we will depart as soon as the courier arrives, which should be within the next hour. Another of our Spec Ops groups should also join us. However, it could be longer but we will wait no more than 4 hours. There is another meeting point where the courier could be waiting for us.”
“Okay. We have a few maintenance items to do.”
“Do you need more than an hour?”
“Shouldn't. In any case, all we need is 15 minutes notice.”
“Same for us.”
Shortly after the message courier arrived Demerti said, “Kara, can you accompany us all the way to Tigsu?”
“I suspect some of us can, what's up?”
“For one another Spec Ops group will not be joining us. And two our Intelligence group thinks that pirates will be a significant threat even after we enter the Tigsu system. They believe that when the pirates learn of their associates deaths, their sole interest will be in eliminating us. We don't have anyone that can join us within a reasonable time frame.”
“Have the Tigsu been informed of the loss of their ship and prisoners?”
“Our embassy there is supposed to do that. We are to meet another courier before entering the Tigsu system, so that should give us a better idea of what to expect.”
“What does Karstiue's group think of the change?”
“They are pleased that you are being asked to continue on to Tigsu with us. Since we are using Iridien jump points, they don't expect us to have any unwanted attention until we emerge in the Tigsu system.”
“We would agree with that. I contact operations and should have an answer to your request shortly.” It wasn't long before Kara came back with, “Our Operations have agreed for four of us to continue to Tigsu with you.”
“That's great,” replied Demerti.
“You sound relieved,” commented Kara.
“We are as we aren't very comfortable with either of these ships. By the way, included in the message we sent to Operations was the engineering report that you all provided detailing the repairs you carried out. A copy was included for the Maintenance department. Based on what was in the message we just received, and our previous experience, I think they have some concerns about the dependability of these ships.”
“Okay. How soon do we depart?”
“Well Astrogation has to recalculate, so let's plan on leaving in 30 minutes, if that gives you enough time.”
“That will be fine. The two cruisers returning will wait here a couple of hours before departing for Celia.”
“Good idea, although this location and the next are not standard courier meeting points. Considering what's happened I'm all for being a little paranoid.”
“Agreed.”
Over Ananu on Fiontar, Mairia of Jackie's Clan watched the shuttle carrying Sarah's Clan begin its approach. When Sarah stepped out of the shuttle she said, “Good morning Mairia. This is a pleasant surprise.”
“Good morning,” replied Mairia as she hugged Sarah. She then greeted the others with hugs as she added, “It is a pleasure to have you all here today and what better way to show it than to greet you as you arrive.”
“Good point,” responded Alena. “Are we too casual when visiting each other’s ships? Most navies you read about were very formal in welcoming visitors aboard their ships.”
“For us, I don't think so,” replied Mairia. “Today happened to be one that I could be here when you arrived. In general, I think the link we have between our clans generally negates the need for that level of formality. My spouses are waiting for us in the Common area. It will be about an hour before the other Command Staffs begin arriving.”
Joyce said, “Good, we can visit for a bit.”
“When we saw your arrival time, we thought that was your intention. However, our agenda today looks pretty long.”
“It is but we think it will go pretty quickly,” responded Aoife.
“How are the mothers-to-be doing?” asked Jill.
“It is hardly noticeable, but they still have more than four months before they are due.” Just as Mairia finished speaking they entered the Common area.