The Meek Shall Inherit The Earth

by Way Zim

 

Revelations, Revolution, & Resolution;

‘Sex as Power. ‘ Madeline Bradley wondered how there was ever a time when she thought it to be true, seeing the recruits it gathered to her camp. Weak willed wannabes, basking in the shaky authority which had become the First Lady’s through her husband’s stupidity.

But even she conceded, at least in the privacy of her own thoughts, that the real foundations of their tentative survival had been built upon the work of true patriots like General Warren and Colonel Stevenson.

They had brought the best of them through by sacrifice, that same sense of honor and duty which Madeline had used against them. And what was left to her? after Warren had been banished to the Nebraska wilderness and Trish ... wherever the Norwin had chosen to place her.

She knew that even the colonists brought beneath her banner thought the de-facto dictator to be single-minded toward the creation of her own small empire. But they never knew that Madeline would have gladly led them in revolt against the alien overlords at one time, until that same force had shown such power that she understood the only course open was capitulation.

But unlike Tommie, as cowed in her blonde buxom guise as he’d been cunning as a man, Madeline would see her terms met before sacrificing any pieces to Jondar.

"You wanted me? " the whining indignant voice of Joey Fields interrupted her musings, Madeline knowing that the teen had been spreading falsehoods about their non-relationship, envisioning his role as gofer to his Machiavellian Mistress as that of consort to a queen. As if this gangly boy, spending most of his free time among the Tyner fem-males, could ever hope to become anything even remotely resembling a man ...

"You could at least bath afterwards. " she scolded him angrily, the scent of sex strong in the air as Joey pushed his glasses up off his narrow nose, giving his idol a cocky grin. She shut him down easily, her eyes becoming disdainful slits as she added. "And don’t even think of continuing your lies about your sexual conquests ... Mr. Fields. "

"I ... I didn’t mean. " stammered the child, even as the woman idly dismissed it. "I want something else from you, Joey. I need you to go out to the tower again. Give this note to Hank and have him transmit the message at once. Wait for a response and bring it back to me, all right? "

At the downcast look in the boy’s eyes, Madeline pondered whether she should rethink including him among the exiles she’d planned to take with her as part of the pact with Jondar. Was Joey Fields the type of breeding stock that Ms Bradley wanted to keep the human race alive? Perhaps Trish hadn’t been too far wrong in wishing him dead.

"Joey? " she asked, perhaps more harshly than she’d intended, for he was a loyal puppy in his own way. The face regained some of it’s former cunning, but still she might have use for it later on ... "You’ve been with Aaron quite alot, haven’t you? "

"Yep. " was the short gleeful response, the little perv’s eyes twinkling from some private deviant fantasy. "How is she these days? Not just as a lay, I mean. " Madeline questioned him, ignoring his tented pretense and flushed excitement.

"That little bitch is finally broken, and real enthusiastic. " Joey gushed openly. "Without the Colonel ... I mean Trish and her girls to hold her back, Aaron’s turned into a real Ho. "

Madeline affected a mask of mild disinterest, while she wondered at just how real a whore the once feisty fem-male had become. Tommie thought the former mission commander abit distant during their infrequent play-time, and she’d been seen hanging with that frigid fem-male, Jamie Turner.

"Uh, that’s just fine. " she temporized, shaking her head to clear it of these vague concerns. Both Jamie and Aaron were belled males, frightened little kittens along side the true females. What remained of their past lives could little affect her plans for the future of Earth. But still, Madeline felt that persistent tug of concern, yet she was unable to picture any threat upon which to hang her uncertainty.

*

And while Madeline sought to quell the whispers of discontentment, her antithesis of dictatorial authority faced her own concerns as Colonel Stevenson worked with Corporal Davis and his people to better expedite the arrival of the scientist from Pikesville. But even with this anticipated counter from the Norwin fast approaching, Trish was fighting her own demons on two fronts.

First was the fact that Madeline had tried to kill Diane. Trish hadn’t seriously considered how important this girl had become to her, raised as the officer had been in the largely patriarchal world of her military family. But the slow rage within made Trish realize just how lonely it had been, her own womanhood reigned in for sake of advancement among the good old boys. That it took an alien invasion to help her realize this, an attack which struck so squarely at the heart of gender itself, it tickled her sense of irony somehow.

But even while Trish reveled in this newfound nurturing vibe, it raised some concerns as she closely watched her protegee working with Kamal.

Diane was all smiles around everyone else, even Hagna who was gradually accepting the fact that none of the humans seemed inclined to want her head. However, the fiery haired youth affected an angry air toward the Arabian fem-male, Kamal actually looking on the verge of tears at this rude treatment.

But as Trish was at a loss to either explain it or intervene in the increased bullying of the Syrian siren, finally a one sided confrontation forced the issue when Diane openly berated the fem-male in front of the team.

"Can’t you even follow simple directions?! " the yelling began as Trish was in the sciences wing of the school, tinkering with some equipment before being interrupted by a crash and a shrill voice which echoed down the long hallway in the direction of the cafeteria. "Did The Change take your brains along with your dick?! "

If there was a response, Trish didn’t hear it as she raced toward the source of the disturbance, heads popping out of doors as the strident voice got even louder. "I don’t care! No one made you the boss anyway! Were you the boss in bed?! With the enemy?! "

Diane stood over a cringing crying Kamal, red-faced and raging before the fem-male who was sprawled upon the smooth tiled floor of the cafeteria amidst a mess of food, silverware, and ceramic. "Stupid traitorous ... ! "

"Diane! " Trish shouted from the doorway, seeing a livid hand shaped brand on Bashir’s left cheek even from a distance. "Stop this! Now! "

"But she ... ! " stammered the girl as her mentor softly took a step toward calming the upset before her. "Diane? This is over. Whatever happened, it’s done. But I need to talk with you, and Kamal. "

"But she ... " the continued protest died easily with a shake of Trish’s head, a sad humor flitting briefly cross her lovely face. "You know the drill, kid. Come with me ... please? "

She said not a word, walking with them past a gauntlet of the curious toward the administers’ offices. Once inside, the pair properly subdued and seated in oversized leather chairs, Trish allowed herself a sigh before letting into Diane.

"Young Lady, I don’t know why you’ve been after Kamal, but it stops right now. " she chastised without anger, but Diane might while have been hit as she slumped sullen in her chair. "I don’t like workin with traitors. " she muttered rudely, earning a raised brow from the officer.

"You what? " asked the elder woman, Diane practically shouting as she said. "I Don’t Like Working With Traitors! "

Trish glanced at the former commander but Kamal showed no surprise as Diane spared only a glaring look toward the object of her derision. "She betrayed Aaron aboard the Ares and let the crew rape her. She gave aid and comfort to the Norwin, and probably great sex ... "

"And she’s paid for it all, every moment since the Change first took her. " interrupted Trish harshly. "Understand some truths, young lady. Kamal did what she did aboard the Ares because she loved Colonel Christopher, long before you did. What happened afterwards wasn’t entirely her fault either. "

"How did you know? About Aaron, I mean." Kamal asked, a great respect in those exotic eyes which softened Trish’s mood. "From the way you carried yourself after. Stoic, my ass. " chuckled Colonel Stevenson. "I don’t think Kerry Graham had to work that hard to get at the truth, do you? "

Allah forgives, eventually. " Kamal agreed contritely. "But not in this lifetime, perhaps not for several lives as well. I’ve much to answer for. "

"And you will, in time. " Colonel Stevenson admitted. "But we can’t have this sorta nonsense work the will of the Norwin, better than any invasion force ever could. You can see this, can’t you? " she asked Diane, grateful to see a thoughtful expression overcome that blind rage.

"I’m not sure that I do. " the girl answered meekly. "But if you want, I’ll try to shelve it for the time being. "

As always, the teen managed to surprise her mentor, even as approaching voices outside the office distracted the trio from their discussion. And as the officer opened the door to the hall, she saw Corporal Davis coming toward her, the specialist from Pikesville beside him. At once Trish knew the field scientist, even as his expression reflected a mutual recognition, yet another of the Aries crew, Chen Woo.

His narrow eyes sparked with a mild humor, taking in the flushed expressions on Diane and Kamal’s faces before turning his attention toward the Colonel. "Am I interrupting something? " he quipped.

"Nothing that can’t wait until later. " Trish admitted, idly caressing the back of her acolyte’s right hand to let her know all was forgiven. She extended an open palm to Chen who took it in his deceptively delicate one, giving the senior officer a solid but comfortable handshake.

"I’ve brought as much equipment as I could balance on the back of a tri-bike, " he chuckled. "though it made those last few miles pretty hairy, trying to avoid the attentions of some Norwin patrol ships. "

His voice betrayed a closer encounter than Woo would have wished, Trish letting him see gratitude within a spontaneous and very feminine smile which raised eyebrows among her crew, all used to her usual dire expression. "We appreciate the effort, can you help? "

"You have something for me to test, I understand. " he countered, instantly business-like and severe. Colonel Stevenson handed him the vial and the scientist at once lightly turned it to reflect the poor light through the crystal, Chen squinting so much that one would have thought him blind.

"It’s used mostly on Norwin women. " Trish explained. "From Hagna, I got that it instigates at least a temporary recovery from some variation of The Change visited upon their female population centuries ago ... "

"Not a reagent. " the absent remark betrayed the scientist’s peaked interest, already running through experiments in his mind. "If it’s a catalyst which needs something specific to act on, something alien ... too bad we have such a tiny sample. "

"Hagna didn’t use more than a few pin drops diluted in an ordinary glass of water, I think. " interjected the other officer, Chen rolling his eyes with good natured annoyance. "So much for field observation. Keep your day job, Colonel. We’ll just have to make do with what we’ve got on hand ... "

"Which isn’t much. " confessed the woman, even as she escorted the specialist to the science wing where the survivors had been hard at work. "Fairly primitive and low power to keep from alerting the enemy to our presence ... "

"It’s been awhile since I’ve engaged in High School Science. " he shot back, over-riding her concerns with a verbal dismissive wave. "But let’s see what happens, shall we? I’ll need at least a couple assistants to wash flasks and hand me chemicals ... "

"I think, " Trish affected a wicked smile, even her soft eyes flitted to where Diane and Kamal stood idle for the moment. "I have your volunteers right here. " she teased.

*

Apart from some earlier acts of rebellion under the reign of the Norwin, for the most part the World waited, though for what, they had no idea. Yet there was a tension within even the most placid communities, as if an invisible communications net sent signals unreadable by their alien victors that a strong response was soon coming.

*

True to his word, Chen gave both his helpers a crash course in scientific procedures, Kamal displaying a surprising level of retention even under the chemical yolk inflicted upon the fem-male by The Change. Still, while accounting for her youth, Diane was not far behind the former officer in grasping the more technical aspects of his research.

But for all his pretense of a detached observer, the girl spotted Woo giving his former superior looks of pity. That, more than anything else, created a subtle change within the core of anger inside her, startling the teen as she sought to gain some insight into Kamal’s struggle.

For her part in the ongoing confusion between them, Bashir had nothing but admiration for Diane. Clearly she cared for Aaron deeply, but was taken back by Colonel Stevenson’s defense of this alleged betrayer of Humanity in general and Colonel Christopher specifically.

She had not done her best by her friend and comrade in combat, still Kamal hoped that in explaining herself to this child, she might correct that mistake which precipitated the fall of the invasion’s first fem-male in this lop-sided conflict. During one of their infrequent breaks, the Arabian beauty sat heavily beside Diane in the quiet of the office and sighed.

"In answer to your question, Yes I loved Aaron as a brother and later as a sister. Yes, in trying to protect this new girl from all I knew she would face, I erred grievously in my anticipation of what she was going through, what she needed at that time to sustain some sense of dignity and self-respect. " Kamal remarked lightly, not looking at his companion who answered with silence for several minutes.

"Your crew raped her. " Diane murmured. "You took away her command and then everything else. "

"And I could say that was the pheromones from The Change, but it was more. " her tone was insistent, almost pleading in such a way that asked for understanding, something she’d not demanded from anyone before, not even her Norwin lover. "That I presumed to teach Aaron truths which was not my province, not my role to teach anyone, what it is to be either Man or Woman. That I hoped if she were to accept fully what she’d become, I could better protect her from those who would use her. "

"And then you used her. "

"I did. " agreed Kamal, forced by the strong will of this child to finally look Diane square in the face as she said this. "And I now understand that it isn’t Allah that I need ask forgiveness from ... "

It came unbidden, this shift in Diane’s stony expression to a sad thoughtfulness even as an odd smile formed. "Could you tell me more about you and Aaron? " she asked abruptly, her hand touching Kamal’s in a light almost conciliatory gesture which made the other tear up unexpectedly. "From the beginning? Before any of this shit happened, I mean. "

Kamal grinned openly at the happier memories this casual request brought to mind, entwining Diane’s fingers in hers as she told of the friendship of men, and in the telling something dark was lifted from her soul.

Trish was honestly more than alittle worried as she went looking for the absent pair, both Diane and Kamal gone missing from the labs just as Chen seemed on the edge of a breakthrough. But where the soldier thought she’d find a repeat of that earlier scene played out in the cafeteria, Colonel Stevenson was astonished to hear laughter from behind closed doors in the administrator’s office.

Far from the crisis she anticipated, Trish discovered the fem-male and her lab buddy sitting cross-legged on the plush beige carpet, acting like the Giggle Twins.

"So, soldier? would that be Metric or American? " snorted Diane appreciatively as Kamal nodded. "And the customs officer was so confused by what Aaron was putting on the table to declare, the rebels having already stripped us down of anything useful, he finally just waved the two nude men through without further comment. " she chuckled, thinking on the rather sizable erection which Colonel Christopher had laid down in that cold stone building. As she finished her narrative, Kamal spied Trish watching them through the half closed gap behind Diane, comforted as the woman gave her a smile of confidence before shutting the door on them.

"Did you find my aides? " asked Chen, coming up behind Colonel Stevenson just as she turned to leave the chatty couple in peace. She nodded slowly, seeing an excited look in the scientist’s eyes. "Would it hurt to give them a few more minutes? " asked Trish, the specialist grinning widely as he handed his superior a test tube filled with a light amber fluid.

"You could, but I think they might like to see the results of our hard work. " he crowed, obviously pleased with himself.

"Is this a counter to The Change? " asked Trish, Chen shaking his head. "Something better, something which can be almost anything we want, now that I’ve nailed down what it is and how to use it. Can you call everyone together? I feel a lecture coming on. "

*

He was very very pleased with himself, standing before the assembly as Woo calmly read from some hastily scribbled notes.

"First of all, I’d like to tell you what this drug isn’t. " Chen Woo was looking Trish’s way as he said this. "It isn’t a manufactured chemical, or a virus or bacteria. It is totally alien in the specifics of its’ makeup, and supposed origins in a plant uprooted from the Norwin Homeworld. "

"Not from a plant. " the Colonel repeated, wondering if anything Hagna told her was true. "Not from within the plant, but living on the plant, perhaps drawing certain properties from it’s host. " the field scientist told her. "The exact relationship is unknown, but what we do understand is gleaned from how the organism acts upon a variety of growth mediums. "

"Which means what, exactly? " demanded Stevenson, wishing the enthused researcher would just get to the point. "It is alien, so the specifics are vague, yet it is not that dissimilar to Yeast. " he confessed, looking almost embarrassed by this revelation.

"It is contrary to any terran version in that it multiplies fast and furious within almost every solution, just so long as the moisture is there, eager to soak into all known saturated material. This means that the space-yeast can breach any protective garb we have on hand, it simply invades the flexible fabric and then continues on into the flesh beneath. "

"And then what? " pressed the other officer. "And then it concentrates upon the parts of the body responsible for releasing sex specific hormones. In The Change, it arrests the instigation of certain changes within prepubescent females, but only those specific to development of secondary characteristics. In men & boys, well, we find the near total eradication of all masculine properties. " he told her, at which point there was slight confusion among the expeditionaries.

"So, we have sterile women and impotent males? " this from Diane which earned her an ‘Atta-Girl. ‘ nod from her mentor. "Which brings us to the drug which Colonel Stevenson brought us. " Chen answered happily, obviously pleased with her quick mind. "If the Norwin didn’t administer periodic doses of the counter, this would be the case. Yet they were somehow able to develop functional breeders without negating the other affects of The Change. "

"Sounds pretty dire. " Diane responded, even Hagna smiling softly amidst the mild laughter from her Earth captors. "So what’s the good news? "

"That The Change only works its’ magic if given before a girl’s first menstrual cycle, something keeps The Change inactive long enough for the body to flush it harmlessly out. That while it suppresses the natural processes within all lactating females, it doesn’t eliminate them so the counter can temporarily reactivate them. " he explained cautiously.

"And is there something in all of this that can help us now? " the Colonel asked, seeing Chen absurdly cheerful as he set aside his notes.

"Your point about The Norwin being users got me thinking. " he said. "What did they miss in their manipulation of these seemingly opposite drugs? The answer came out in the quick replication of both The Change and the counter. Consider that they both come from the same source, thus are extremely malleable in nature ... "

"Which means they can be altered, by us. " crowed Diane, squeezing Kamal’s hand even as the scientist ventured a caution. "To a limited degree. We can’t reverse the more extreme affects, the outward physical transformation of the fem-males or the damage to their specific organs. But if we can prompt the production of other hormones ... "

"As we might in the Norwin females. " Trish added, as much to the astonishment of Hagna as the humans at such a suggestion. "If they would be willing to help us stop this madness before more are hurt, on either side. "

"Why? " there was so much concern and fear to that single word, yet Trish was uncertain as to just what her former keeper was asking. "Why? Why fight? " she shot back.

"Why would you help your conquerors? " inquired Hagna stiffly, and in that instant Colonel Stevenson saw the vast gap between them. Tradition entrenched, a cultural atrophy which crippled these people with every world they overran. That no matter how successful they seemed, the species was doomed to fall. But not before taking the human race with them.

"Because we might be able to save two clans, if we can stop the few responsible for all of this. " she answered simply, watching the uncertainty in the giantess’ eyes become one of odd resolve. "What can I do to help? " asked the alien.

"Ask not what your planet can do for you ... " murmured Chen softly, all ready with his list of just how the earnest Norwin female could help.

*

And at that moment, hope and salvation seemed nowhere in sight for an unclad fem-male as she sought solitude upon that flat table rock outside the colony cave. Ever since Aaron had agreed to James Turner’s plan to act as sexual distraction for both her teen tormentor and his machiavellian mistress, the acts which Joey visited upon her only increased in intensity and degradation.

Madeline only wanted her alive and properly submissive as the colony whore, she never specified that the former colonel had to be unmarked, only able to receive the advances of any male who wanted her ... "Hey. "

James was there, slightly taken back by Aaron’s nudie show, yet the extensive bruising along the other fem-male’s inner thigh and about each side of her reclining breasts gave her an idea why. Still, she affected a soft smile, happy to finally have some good news to give the abused girl.

"Hey back. " Aaron tried for a cheerful tone, yet it came out wrong. Still, she found the understanding in her co-conspirator’s eyes far more comforting than any false attempt at ignoring her sad state. She patted the space next to her and Turner plopped down upon the smooth top, a friendly hand lightly caressing the battered fem-males’ shoulders. "Things go all right at the tower? "

"Better than all right, I’d think. " remarked the other. "The expeditionaries are plotting something big, tho I don’t have the details yet. It’s probably better that you don’t know too much about that ... "

"Because I’m too close to Madeline and Joey, I understand. " interrupted Aaron bitterly, feeling her impotency as deeply as the bruises which tarnished her ivory skin. "We can’t risk any slips at this point in the conspiracy ... "

"There is some good news I do want to tell you. " chuckled James, earning a suspicious look from her companion. "Our chances of actually winning have increased since Diane ran into some old friends. "

"Trish? " she wouldn’t dare hope it was true, that the wayward officer, her savior, had actually made it out of bondage ... "And she brought a Norwin female and some rescued fem-male with her. She said you’d know her, someone named Camel? " teased James.

Uncertainty clouded Aarons’ youthful face as she absently corrected James, "Kamal, Kamal Bashir, my second in command aboard the Ares. " Diane’s feminized father having the good graces to blush deeply.

"Anyway, there’s someone else, I think he’s from your old crew as well. A Chen Woo? " if James was trying to salvage the awkward moment between them , she succeeded as the other brightened up considerably.

"If he’s involved then we do have a chance. A better chance then we’ve had in a long time. " she declared, knowing well enough that the scientist would relentlessly dedicate himself to what problem he was given til a solution was found. She lounged in comfortable silence for a bit, til the pair heard a restless colony slowly coming to life behind them.

"They’re waking up, finally. " Aaron commented lightly, reluctantly reaching for her tight shorts and checkered blouse. Joey had been feeling alittle bit country, beating his ride til she almost felt like that proverbial dead horse. "So, where do we go from here? With the plans, I mean. "

"Diane said we can expect another call, no later than tomorrow around noon , " James told her with confidence. "and then we can give the Norwin their own wake-up call. "

*

"Time to wake up, ma’am. " that mild voice almost in her ear, shook Colonel Stevenson from a pleasantly humorous dream concerning Aaron Christopher and herself. The vision was soft focus, like some cheesy romance movie, as Trish stood near the altar within a grand cathedral with high gently curved arches which rose to a peak above her, the low organ music resonating with perfect pitch throughout.

She chuckled at the almost operatic version of ‘There’ll be Some Changes Made. ‘ sung by a boys choir with a youthful androgyny to the rows of faces in angelic white robes. Trish herself wore immaculate military dress, with crisp starched slacks and deep polished black leather shoes, a mans shirt and jacket, with a minister on her right and Dad on her left.

"Colonel, This is your wake-up call. " insisted her father, the gentle sag of his jowlly face crinkling with laugh lines. "At least you know that you picked the right girl ... " he continued nonsensically and Trish followed his gaze toward the long red carpet to where a blushing bride walked toward them. The fitted corset which tapered down to the gathered dove white fabric, the skirt held out by several layers of petticoats, the long train behind held up by four adorable children, Aaron glowing, his masculine face made up as a proper bride ...

"What? Chen? It’s still dark out. " murmured Trish unkindly, trading the unreality of her dream for the equally odd waking world.

"You told me we were on a schedule? " he rejoined mildly, the officer ignoring the momentary drop of his stare to her taut olive T-shirt as she searched for some pants to go over her shorts. "I think the train is about to come into the station. "

"The formula. " she whispered, the last remnants of the strange dreamscape shaken off as the soldier finally got herself together. Diane, Hagna, and Kamal waited just outside as Chen produced a dark almost syrupy thick fluid in a tiny vial.

"I was right about the speed of fermentation for our happy yeast, very fast so long as we keep it fed, and it responded as I’d hoped to the new code. But I still need ... " he felt foolish at his hesitation, still Kamal saved her ship-mate from his own good intentions.

"You need to test it on human, or Norwin. " the dark exotic beauty finished for him, which earned her a cocky masculine grin from the field scientist. "Just a drop or two per customer. " he laughed. "And though the affect should be very quick, I’m not quite sure how to tell if it works or not. "

She had already taken the vial from Chen, giving him a sexy quizzical wink. "What kind of chaser? " asked Bashir, her friends chuckling appreciatively. "Water is fine. " the researcher answered, a warning almost on his lips but the fem-male had downed the elixir in a single gulp.

There was a pretty wrinkle to her nose, and yet Trish couldn’t see any other changes in the disposition of the false female. How the hell were they going to test the effectiveness of Chen’s concoction?

"Didn’t work, did it? " the red haired teen pouted slightly as Kamal smiled sardonically. "Just about what I would’ve expected to hear from you. " she sniped, rewarded by an angry stare from Ms Turner. "What are you talking about? " growled the youth, immediately antagonistic at this unexpected attack.

"Just that a teen girl tends to jump right to the negative. " the fem-male shot back with disdain heavy in her voice. "It goes with the hormones, I guess ... "

Trish exchanged a knowing glance with Chen, even as her beloved shadow flashed upon blind rage, swinging an open hand in retaliation to this affront. It never connected, the offender acting almost instinctively as she easily caught the wrist inches from her face, a controlled and quite powerful counter which almost pulled Diane off her feet.

"What the fu .... Hey! " amazement and delight crossed her face at once, her arm hurting from the mild force of Kamal’s grip. Not once did the fem-male flinch or shy away, cool and at ease with the assault. "You got your groove back! " she squealed happily.

Colonel Stevenson was only slightly reproachful toward the dusky skinned commander, more relieved at the affect than at Kamal’s clumsy test. "You needed an action to try out your revived hormones ... "

"New hormones. " Woo explained. "My formula is geared to stimulate production of female hormones, achieve some kind of normal balance. It was easier than trying to fix what was broken in the fem-males ... "

"Does this mean I’m a girl now? " Kamal mused, more tickled than tortured by what this suggested. "For real? "

"You’re well past puberty, " chuckled Chen. "but as close as you could get without actually having the right internal plumbing, yes. "

"And this should work with either Norwin or Human physiology? " Trish asked, giving Chen a very girlish smile as he nodded. "Then we have a fighting chance at last. Here’s what we have to do ... "

*

"What did you expect me to do? " the whine came even as Madeline backhanded her brat of a helper, Joey disgustingly submissive and confused by her anger.

"I expected you to get that message out before wasting time on your little punching doll! " she snarled. "In order for there to be a fair trade, in order for our plans to work, Jondar needed those coordinates to direct his diversion away from the expeditionaries. It is necessary to direct them where we want them to go, where the threat can be dealt with effectively. "

"I ... I had Hank sent the coordinates, like you told me to. " she smacked the runt once more for his lie, the information delayed almost forty minutes after they were supposed to be delivered for transmission. It was likely that whore, Aaron Christopher, was doing her job all too well, almost calculating in her absolute submission to this boy’s violent whims. "You were late, my stupid horny little drone. "

"I was, and it won’t happen again. " he whimpered, just knowing it was all the fem-males’ fault. "It won’t, because we’re to receive a final directive tomorrow. " she explained carefully, those strong intelligent eyes casting daggers his way. "Once that’s happens, it’s end-game for the rebels and a new freedom for any one who’s loyal to me. Are you loyal to me, Joey? "

"Always. " he whispered, vowing not to be distracted again, but to find Aaron and teach that freakin tart a lesson she wouldn’t soon forget.

*

"But I want to go with you. " Diane sounded abit petulant, her eager but hurt expression filling Colonel Stevenson with a familiar maternal pain. "And I’d want the same thing, if possible, you know that. But this assignment is no less important. Both your dad and Aaron are on counting on you to deliver my final message and their cure, right? " insisted the officer as she touched the girl’s face.

"Sure. " she muttered unkindly, but Trish was comforted that her acolyte would carry out her instructions to the letter, as zero hour fast approached. Still, even with Corporal Davis and the Colonel leading the Norwin troops on a merry chase, Diane returning to the Tyner colony by another route, there was one thing to be done. If the rest of the world were to rally to the cause, that is. And yet she was confounded as to exactly to accomplish this most dangerous mission.

"We need to find a way aboard the Norwin mothership, to somehow take out that EMP weapon. It’s the only major obstacle to our taking back the planet, once the cure begins to spread among the affected populace. Any ideas? " she asked.

"I think there’s someone who can help, " answered Kamal mildly. "if all our time together means as much as what I hope it did ... "

"You don’t mean. " Trish eyed the fem-male suspiciously, instinctively wondering if she’d misjudged Bashirs’ loyalties. "She does, and she’s right. " Diane jumped in. "And it’s the only way we could get anywhere near that weapon. You do know that, right? "

"If he’ll agree, and if your lover doesn’t spill everything to Jondar. " countered the Colonel reluctantly. "But frankly, I can’t see any other options open to us. Take Hagna with you, and please God, let’s hope you read that boy right. "

*

Zero hour fast approaching, and Gendal was more frustrated by what he was not commanded to do rather than this paltry post which his lord had assigned him. Trust had been hard to earn back, and rumors ran rampant among the elite that Jondar might chose another to succeed him. How else to explain this decision for his most devoted servant to coordinate the efforts of a lesser force which did little more than make alot of noise?

"We stand on the edge of total conquest. " Jondar had told the room of warlords, his eyes never straying from the blonde haired youth, tho if this attention was meant to damn the boy or raise him up from disgrace, no one knew. "All involved in this final strike against the remaining free humans are of equal importance to the cause, if their instructions are carried out to the letter that is ... "

This was the test of fealty to his father in practice if not in flesh, yet Gendal wondered about that missing factor in determining just how faithful he could be to the ultimate subjugation of Earth. That Jondar openly dismissed the absent fem-male as unimportant to the greater plan, Gendal knew that Kamal was not gone from his lord’s thoughts. But Jondar didn’t mention the Syrian siren to his aide, not yet.

So it was that the Norwin youth entered his quarters with these last minute instructions and a growing sense of dread at what lay beyond this last decisive action. Yet even as he closed the door behind him, Gendal knew that he was not alone.

"You were gone from my bed, but not my thoughts, my beloved. " he murmured somewhat angrily, even as those tiny fingers touched the great expanse of his lightly clothed back.

"Am I your beloved? " that innocent question had a weight to it which he longed for but never expected to hear from the fem-male, Gendal turning slowly to confront her. Much of her was unchanged, and still there was a fire, an unfathomable strength which burnt strong in the lovely eyes of his consort. "What does that mean to us? " she demanded softly.

"That I lied for you, jeopardized my position and my future within my clan ... " he shot back angrily, yet Kamal did not flinch, her gaze still holding a gentle love but also a stern resolve which made him tingle.

"Not quite enough. " she chided him, though the harshness of her words were offset by a mild understanding. "That you might say you love me, but there’s one more thing you need do to prove yourself ... "

"And what would you promise if I say yes. " he countered, feeling a flood of relief fill his troubled mind, knowing the answer that each must give. "That I will never leave you again. " she confirmed, Gendal letting slip a heavy sigh as he nodded.

"And what is this task I must fulfill? " asked the giant somewhat sardonically of his diminutive love.

"Help me to help my friends stop this war. " she kissed the Norwin’s chest hard, tempted by his arousal beneath his tight trousers but more in control than she’d felt in months. "If we can aboard your home, disarm the EMP weapon ... "

"I have a better idea. " Gendal laughed suddenly, feeling those final chains of confusion fall away, giving the boy a clarity he’d not had since the vision of this lovely mirage struck him down in that great desert ... "If you trust me. "

"I trust you. " she answered with certainty, and they embraced as around the tragic lovers the disparate factions began to move at once.

 

Fem-Game, The Bait and The Switch;

For Diane Turner, all her anxiety and youthful confusion cleared away at once as the teen expeditionary found two welcome faces waiting for her at the tower. Any remaining doubts as to Trish’s orders vanished in that sweet moment when her father took the girl into soft but still strong arms and wouldn’t let go.

"I missed you both terribly. " she gushed tearfully, smiling gratefully at Aaron who blushed prettily. "Oh, Jez, and I brought something which Trish thinks you both might want at once. " Diane reluctantly disengaged herself from Dad long enough to rummage about in her sack for the cure.

"Hair of the dog that bit us? " quipped James as she and Aaron quaffed down the amber liquid, the thickness of it making the younger fem-male cough. But even with a giggle on her lips, Diane heard the sound of a click, the trio turning to see Joey Fields standing with a sneer on his gaunt face and a gun in his right hand.

"This dog still has some bite left. " he snarled. "You should have stayed dead, little girl. "

The force of the discharge knocked the boy off his feet, but it did the job as his much hated target was spun around by the impact, flung back against the odd tumble of rough metal which made up the radio tower. But even as Turner rushed to her daughter’s side, a lightning quick fem-male crossed the distance with the roar of a lioness protecting it’s cub!

"How ... ? " a single word of disbelief escaped before the boy found his weapon torn rudely from his grip, several fingers broken in the process as Aaron turned the gun round on her fallen adversary. "Every bitch has her day. " snarled the battered fem-male as she pulled back the hammer.

"Aaron! Stop! " the strength in Diane’s voice stayed any final action, Aaron steeling herself to put an end to Joey’s miserable little existence. "She’ll be OK, the bullet glanced off the bone in her shoulder. " James declared. "Don’t let him turn you into something you’re not ... a murderer. "

"But I am a murderer. " the former soldier argued forcefully, her eyes never leaving this trembling boy beneath her, his pants stained with the release from fear and arousal. "My job wasn’t to kill our enemies with kindness, after all. "

"Your former job. " Diane said with obvious pain. "But what are you now? Not the man you were, obviously, but perhaps not even the same person inside? "

What was left, after The Change was vanquished? After her hard life had been overturned by the love of these women, Diane, Trish, and Joyce, who’d devoted themselves selflessly to her? The monster cowed before her dwindled in size, shrinking in power until all that remained was a little boy who had only The Change to make him a brutal master over the shackled fem-male. Now Aaron had the power, and the choices which free-will brought with it.

"Tie him up and gag him, we have work to do. " she said at last, drawing back as Joey collapsed in a near faint.

Diane smiled through her tears, even as she pressed a hand hard against her fresh wound to staunch the bleeding. Together the two fem-males were able to bind the brat up with spare wire, secured to the tower as hundreds of feet below them three groups moved toward a convergence of unexpected consequences.

*

The force under Jondars’ command moved quickly enough, as the distraction to the east sounded, a veil of pink mist descending as a lowered curtain to cut off the retreat of their feeble opposition. Still, while the diversion went off like clockwork, he heard no message from his disgraced acolyte in the interim, nor any definitive signals between the different units involved in this campaign.

"Do we have the rebels in sight? " demanded the warlord of one of his scouts, his thick fiery beard bristling with discontentment, even as the squad clambered up the narrow switchback to gain the high ground.

"Torin should engage them within the next few minutes, sire. " this lowly soldier told him with confidence. "They ascend by a faster trail which will cross the rebels path a mile further on. " the excited youth told him, bright hazel eyes burning with the fervor of approaching battle.

"Gendal must know I punish him now so that other shall praise him later. " the great leader thought to himself. "When he takes my place, loyalty must be gained through strength, borne from such trials as this. "

Of course the gangly giant who lead in Gendal’s rightful place, a thick headed opportunist like Torin, he need never know that he was simply a tool to bring the heir, this prideful young ram, back into the fold. Still, if Torin did the deed right, perhaps some honor was due the man ...

"When he drives the insurrectionists back, pushes them into the two pronged trap, we finish it here. " Jondar told his lowly foot soldier.

And in the next few minutes the claw would close, and the Norwin would soon after win the whole of this troublesome planet, or so Jondar thought.

*

The automated alert systems aboard the orbiting colony ship signaled the arrival of a shuttle from planet-side, the sentries standing guard just outside the main hanger more curious than alarmed by it’s unexpected appearance. But if the vessel which settled effortlessly upon the deck raised only a random eyebrow among the males, the pair which emerged from the small craft dropped jaws in astonishment.

"Lord Gendal? " his presence here was unanticipated, supposed by most to be involved in Jondar’s great campaign far below. That, and the tiny earth female beside him, confused the watch mightily.

"I’m about the business of my lord. " the stern faced youth told them haughtily, passing quickly by as his fem-male companion followed, straight backed and with a peculiar smile on her lovely face. Not knowing just how to deal with this strangeness, the men shrugged as the odd couple exited the hanger, certain that the story behind this would be told in time. And as the great door slid shut behind them ...

"The business of my lord? " Kamal asked, grinning wickedly as Gendal half turned at her undisguised barb. "I’ve no time for questions. " he answered somewhat heatedly. "If we’re to get to the weapons station in time, that is. "

"And how much time is that? " she couldn’t well leave it alone as they exited that familiar mahogany colored, rune decorated corridor into the main body of the ship.

"Too little. " her behemoth of a beau grunted unkindly. The once bustling vast chamber of the great horned vessel was largely deserted, the majority of its million plus inhabitants distributed to earthside stations. Still, those left behind found it an odd sight, this chatty fem-male and her moody Norwin guide.

"Oh, " she chuckled, the couple ascending a long gentle gradient toward the first level of tiers, set some sixty feet above the communal center. Below them, Kamal could see the altar where her friend had first faced The Change, and the beginning of her humiliation at the hands of those she’d trusted ... "That long. "

Yet, for all his grumbling, the brisk pace of Gendal which Bashir labored hard to keep up with, it took only fifteen minutes for the couple to reach their goal, just beyond a towering stony panel which hummed with power.

"Lord Gendal. " to his credit, Gendal still held the reins of authority, and he used it on the two Norwin warriors who smartly saluted their stripling superior. "You’re both needed in the main hanger, at once. " he ordered, smiling softly to himself as they hastened to obey. As the sentries left the spacious operations center, the door swung firmly shut behind them.

"Won’t they alert the others? Or Jondar? " asked Kamal, even as the youthful giant crossed to where a flat table top screen displayed the surface of the planet below, along with symbols indecipherable to the human.

"I’m hoping that by the time they do, I’ll have done everything I can do. " he explained, his fingers deftly moving across touch activated controls which brought North America into sharper clarity.

"To stop Jondar? " Kamal demanded firmly. "To stop his ability to make war by clipping his wings. " he answered gruffly. "The rest is up to you. "

*

"How easy this will be. " thought Torin, as their human adversaries fled before the approach of the Norwin patrol, retreating into a narrow gap which he knew to be a dead-end, steep stony walls to either side with no avenue of escape. "Jondar will heap honors upon me, for sure. "

Still, there was something wrong with the ease of this rout, but his men would not be restrained in their heated pursuit of the quarry. And with the onward rush of the soldiery, the trap ahead was not seen until it was too late, the last of their quarry raised out of danger on lowered ropes as behind the Norwin a feminine collective cried out.

*

Jondar was seeking a decisive victory but found widespread confusion instead. Gendal was not with the diversionary force, and there was an odd dispatch from the homeship that he’d come aboard just before the operation began in earnest. Torin failed in his attempt to delay the rebels til the arrival of his lords’ forces, that distant rallying cry of victory all too human and too female for any other interpretation.

"Do we continue on, sire? " asked his aide, uncomely fear evident at the hesitation in the chieftain’s stance. "Call out to all ships. We know the bulk of the renegades lay before us. I want that area dusted, at once! " answered Jondar with confidence.

No matter what tricks the remaining free humans played on their betters to stay the inevitable, they’d given away the game by betraying their location ... or so he thought.

*

But Jondar was in for a rude awakening himself as those dusters and smaller patrol ships already airborne found their navigation hopelessly snarled, power systems failing all at once. Those with full payloads could not call up the commands to release their gender altering cargo, fighting sticky controls to make forced landings wherever they could. And once the Norwin ships were grounded, rebel forces overwhelmed them.

In Tyner, a pilot tried to force the controls of his ship which hummed with power but refused to rise even an inch above the ground. The outcome of such interference was not to his like, Norwin warriors enveloped by the pink tinted aftermath as the duster exploded, such a concentrated amount of The Change released that the short distance to the clouds’ periphery was still enough to completely feminize the gasping giants.

And what was there to greet the colossal fem-males, greatly reduced in their once tight vests and trousers, was the entire slave-chattel population waiting with whatever weapons they could scrounge. This new sensation of terror welling up from within the former males was compounded by the sight of a Norwin female at the head of this rebellion as the remaining unaltered soldiery surrendered at once to the angry mob.

"Tyner is under siege, sire. " the messenger had scarcely delivered the news before being knocked to the ground by Jondar. "Impossible! " he roared. "There aren’t that many free humans for that! Where did they come from? "

"From within, milord. From the fem-males! "

"Madeline, it must be that traitorous bitch. " he thought, calling out an order to his men to redouble their advance over the top of the ridge. While he’d hoped to overrun the enemy from above, to capture the leader of the revolution itself would serve even better!

*

The First Lady, that cool austere shell shattered by the chaos from without the walls of her shelter, while ignorant of the specifics, knew only that it bode ill for all her plans. Joey had gone missing, the last report of any substance was of an odd uprising within the town itself.

What few followers were at hand she called to her.

"It’s all falling apart, we have to go. " Mistress Bradley told them, clear distress evident for the only time since the begin of her reign with the fall of Washington DC.

"But ... what about the rest? " asked a frightened slip of a girl. "We’ve no time for niceties, " the flustered woman shot back, already on the lookout for what supplies she could grab up. "we have to leave ... "

"Darn, and I was hoping you’d stay just abit longer. " came a soft voice from the entrance into the colony, a resurrected reminder of Madeline’s more treacherous actions, a feminine specter come back from the grave to demand satisfaction. "At least until our special guest of honor can join the party. "

The fallen dictator let her hands drop to her side in defeat, even as this unexpected phantom stared with a stern expression at the sheep who one by one stepped away from their once beloved leader.

*

Jondar found the table stone, just where Madeline had said, and the overhang which had long hid the deep dark cavern from his patrols. He motioned his squad to either side of the opening, uncommonly cautious as the Norwin chieftain accepted the invitation to enter in. Elsewhere the sounds of battle were dying down, tho the outcome of the countless skirmishes still largely unknown.

"If this is a trap, sire ... ? " his aide remarked. "It is, but I need to see her. " He shot back, moving forward into a spacious living area occupied by three human females. Madeline, with a look of hapless resignation, was flanked by a golden haired beauty with grim continence on her right hand and a fiery haired girl on the left.

"It’s an honor to meet you at last. " the measured fiercely intelligent gaze was that of an abomination, a warrior’s spirit within the slender but firm feminine figure, that cool humor knowing the cycle had come round with her enemy on the receiving end.

"You are the one who did all of this. "

"And you’re the one who made it necessary. " her rejoinder was curt as those beautiful eyes took his measure in an instant. "You can stop it with a word, before I’m forced to take it further. "

"I am a warrior, the leader of this clan. " the giant shot back indignantly, trying hard to contemplate this abrupt and unanticipated turn of events. That a mere female would speak to him thus. "How can you think that I would ... "

"Because the fear is gone and your weapons crippled. " his equal in bearing if not in gender used a soothing tone which spoke of comprehension if not respect. "Because if you are a true leader, you would not willingly kill your people over something so petty as false pride. What are a million souls weighed against that? "

"And how could I tell them we failed? What promise do I make if I give the word? " his head was already bowed in surrender even if his tone remained defiant.

"You promise them an end to the wandering, the endless war, a chance to be fruitful and multiply beyond the confines of your ark. " she answered, smiling with a soft demeanor in the face of his imminent capitulation. "My promise is to act as advocate for the Norwin. That while you and your generals must face the consequences of your actions, the rest will be protected from any retribution, to the best of my abilities. "

"It is against my honor to surrender to a female. " he sighed deeply and she chuckled with a sad understanding. "Give the word, and we’ll work something out. "

 

The Return;

It took time to restore order out of the chaos of nearly a year of Norwin rule, fifteen hours from that first surrender in the Americas to the final recall of the last patrol in Outer Mongolia. But with the Norwin fleet grounded, the ability of the aliens to war effectively was limited to increasingly isolated zones as human piloted dusters, equipped with The Cure, were able to quell the half-hearted counter-attacks.

In Tyner, a shuttle returning from the crippled mothership scattered the crowd as it sought a landing place in the midst of the milling mob. With some last minute acrobatics, the vessel settled softly down on Main Street, Kamal and Gendel emerging to unexpected applauds.

But the Arabian anarchist wasn’t that interested in the accolades, focused instead on a single face in the throng whose bright eyes watched Bashir with an expression she couldn’t quite fathom. Standing near to Aaron Christopher was Diane Turner as well as a mature fem-male who clasped the teenagers’ hand protectively.

Kamal moved forward to meet them, Aaron waiting with stoic expectation as her former friend and colleague blushed slightly.

"You make a great looking chick, Kamal. " remarked the fem-male in a dead-pan before tearing up as she opened her arms wide in a welcome home which the Syrian siren returned with enthusiasm, all the anger and past offenses forgiven in this joyous liberation from their emotional prison.

For his none too small part in their emancipation, Gendal stood by with uncertainty as to his status among these triumphant humans. Diane quickly took the matter in hand as she gave the colossus a firm hug, letting him knowing his help in freeing Earth would not go unrewarded.

"All’s well then, " laughed Colonel Stevenson, the officer came toward them with so easy and free a bearing that Diane wondered at the lightness of spirit which filled her teacher. "at least here. Once General Warren arrives from Omaha, and Jondar makes his formal surrender to us, we can begin to sort out this mess and hopefully start Reconstruction in earnest. "

"That’ll be fine then. " came a wiry voice from behind her, the gently wrinkled merry face of Joyce Wallace greeting them. Trish amazed her companions by pulling the elder woman to her in a hard embrace, her eyes moist as the soldier began to cry. "I’d given you up for dead, damn it! " she cursed lovingly. "Where were you all this time? "

"Now that is an embarrassing story. " the oldster chuckled dryly, caressing the younger woman’s locks as a mother would her daughter. "I got lost looking for our wayward girl over there, " she shot a wink toward Diane who colored prettily. "By the time I reached the bottom of the ridge I’d gone miles in the wrong direction, wandering abit before hooking up with some group from Brea. "

Trish kissed her cheek with laughing lips, so uncertain in the face of such overwhelming emotions that she retreated back to type. "Well, since woodcraft obviously isn’t your best suit, I might soon have a safer job for you. I’ve talked to General Warren and he agreed to it at once. "

"And what’s that? " asked Joyce, slightly suspicious at the cocky grin which Trish flashed her. "I think you’ll like it. " Colonel Stevenson assured her.

*

"This is Kerry Graham, reporting for CNN from the lawn of the Mall in Washington DC. A crowd of several million has gathered to hear the words of newly sworn in President Roland T Baxter, responding to the conclusions of the post-invasion committee, chaired by former Pentagon secretary, Joyce Wallace.

"Ms Wallace kept the committee in closed sessions in an undamaged wing of the Capitol Building for twenty straight hours, pouring over transcripts, affidavits, and court testimony from nearly 3000 witnesses, all instrumental in the final coup which forced the surrender of the Norwin regime some three weeks ago ... "

"And she cleaned up rather well, all things considered. " General Todd Warren turned from the monitor in his Pentagon office, grinning widely at his former aide standing in the open doorway, risen far in the ranks since that fateful day on the tarmac of Edwards.

"In fashion, or career? " he observed idly, the once independent reporter trading her old scruffy outfits for the styled curl and dark pant suit image of a polished media whore. "Colonel Stevenson, back from the field already? "

"It was more a courtesy than anything else. " Trish chuckled as she reached out her hand, enveloped by his larger one as he grasped it firmly. "Given my modest involvement in the Kentucky coup, the UN advisory board wanted someone with experience to oversee the relocation of the Norwin civilians. "

"And how did that work out? " asked General Warren politely.

"In a trial which was conducted independent of the hearings, the matter of former First Lady Madeline Bradley was decided by a civilian jury aided by several Supreme Court justices. Along with a good dozen co-conspirators, she was charged with several counts of treason, a list which could well grant all the death penalty ... "

"Jondar thought exile to be preferable to execution, so we’ve found an island group just west of Borneo suitable to host him and his lieutenants as well as their families. UN peacekeepers will keep close watch til such time as we can establish a more permanent guardianship. " she shook her head slightly as Kerry continued speculation as to the ultimate fate of the traitorous First Lady. "You heard that Madeline is going with them? "

"The exiles? " Warren didn’t seem that surprised. "I suppose we didn’t want to start off recovery with more death. Since she decided to share a bed with our enemies, making it a lifetime choice seems a rather suitable punishment. "

"That’s the other thing. " his former subordinate said with obvious regret. "Speaking of bedfellows, I have to inform you that a military tribunal is investigating just how the normal chain of command was so effectively compromised. Regardless of her relationship with the president, Madeline wasn’t a sanctioned part of that chain. "

"I just got the subpoena this morning. " Todd murmured thoughtfully. "My name was at the top of the list, I see. Well, we made some hard choices and damned be the consequences. "

"Damned be ... " agreed Trish, thinking back on her many ill-fated decisions during this crisis. "I’d like to testify on your behalf, if you’ll allow me the honor. "

"I’d be the one honored, thank you. " he chuckled ruefully, even as images from San Francisco flashed on the screen behind them. "So, what’s next for you? "

"In the meantime, there has been an amazing show of support from previously disenfranchised gender groups, offering help to the millions of fem-males and families whose lives were so violently upturned from The Change. Of immediate concern were the wives and daughters who lost husbands and fathers in the conflict, many unable to reconcile the loss of a paternal life-mate or parent with this new female among them.

"And with the fem-males themselves, once freed of the more crippling affects of The Change, most have had to struggle with a deep sense of dislocation, an frightening awareness of intense isolation from even the most fringe of gender associations. Only time will tell how this will ultimately turn out, but our hopes and wishes go out to all those struggling to find individual identity during the post-invasion days to come ... "

"Some serious leave. " Trish answered, thinking on a certain fem-male back at her apartment. "Aaron and I are going to visit Dad in Montana for a few weeks. Then maybe I can get a better sense of who I am and what I want. "

"If any of us ever can. " he returned, understanding that for far too many, the answer might never come, or come too late.

 

A Lasting Inheritance;

"Mr. Stevenson! That water’s too cold for splashing! " giggled the petite woman, shaking her freshly cropped sandy hair after suffering the contents of a plastic bucket, drawn from Ft Peck Lake. Her tormentor grinned with wicked glee as his daughter scolded him fondly. "Dad! Not nice. "

The weather was warm enough, even as Aaron lounged back in her small raft, disdainfully regarding the chilly soak which drenched her taut frame completely. She seemed almost a mischievous mermaid, a sorority sister on spring break in her red n white striped swim suit, the single piece doing more to accent her femininity than any bikini. But this was how the former special ops soldier seemed these days.

Trish knew how much coming home meant to her, but she was surprised by how quickly her father and Aaron hit it off. She’d expected an awkwardness at first meeting, but Mr. Stevenson greeted them both with firm hugs once they’d passed through security.

"Colonel Christopher, I’m pleased to meet you at long last. " gushed the elder man, like some fan-boy before a childhood idol. The fem-male had been as amused and curious as her companion was stunned by her rough n tumble parent’s enthusiasm.

"You know my work? " chuckled Aaron, even as Jacob Stevenson draped a friendly arm around the two girls.

"Only from what my girl’s boss could tell me, but it was enough to impress. " answered Jacob cheerfully, guiding the two of them toward the baggage carousel.

After that, Trish felt almost detached from the proceedings, watching with a soft adoration the ease with which Aaron shifted in disposition between the man he’d once been and the boisterous babe who teased her father so relentlessly. For his part in these proceedings, mostly on the receiving end, Jacob handled the seamless changes in manner far better than his daughter ever had.

He traded war-stories with Aaron as two overtly macho comrade in arms might, in the next minute openly complimentary of some feminine action or bit of fashion on her part. Trish found herself constantly yet cheerfully confused by this bipolar play between them.

"Ok, then. Now that Aaron’s all wet, " Dad’s bad pun rolled off the fem-male like the beads of water on her lycra suit even as Trish groaned. "guess we should put into shore. "

The late afternoon sun shining down from a cloudless sky seemed to pale as the laughing trio drew near to the docks, a familiar couple looking brighter than any star as they waited for the boats to come in.

"Is that ... ? " Jacob asked. "Yes, it definitely is. " his daughter answered, grinning with absolute delight as Gendal and Kamal came to the end of the platform, the Norwin offering both hands to the two women. He effortlessly lifted Trish and Aaron onto the hard wood deck, the latter embracing her old friend.

"I thought you two were headed to Syria? "

"Tomorrow. " answered Kamal with a tranquil humor, sparing a smile toward her beau, looking like some oversized surfer boy in his custom tailored white shorts and wild floral shirt. "I just hoped to see the both of you before then. Maybe catch you up on things that have been happening during your sabbatical. "

"Sure. " Trish responded with obvious congenial curiosity. "Let’s go up to the cabin and we’ll make lunch. "

*

Almost two months after and Trish was still astonished at how much had happened since Global Independence Day was written into existence by the UN council just a few days ago. The work on Norwin settlement had advanced far with scores of host countries offering up land and aid toward the reeducation of the aliens.

"Diane is still in Kentucky with Hagna. " Kamal explained between mouthfuls of salad. If Aaron was ambiguity personified, then his Moslem companion reflected the earth-mother calm of one at home in her feminine skin. Her movement beneath the dove white peasant blouse and faded denim blue miniskirt was far less forceful and controlled, more free. "With James Turner’s consent, her girl and Hagna will move to one of the larger relocation camps in the mid-west, maybe Kansas. They want to work with the women and children specifically, help them come to grip with their own liberation. "

"And you as well. " Trish added.

"I only hope that the women in my country can learn to be more kind toward our own fem-males, " Kamal sighed deeply. " and that the sight of a mixed couple will foster tolerance toward Gendal and his people as well. "

"I think if the Earth is judged by the actions of those around this table, both sides will learn the value of friendship very quickly. " Gendal remarked cautiously, his head bent slightly to avoid knocking against the ceiling. "And love. " added his human mistress.

"Amen to that. " Jacob remarked, looking at both Aaron and his daughter as he said it.

Colonel Stevenson smiled self consciously as she remembered the strange dream. But with so much left to do, could she ever find time enough to discover just how true these feelings toward Aaron were? And yet, as her former charge and current companion touched her hand, Trish vowed that somehow she would make the time.

*

"This is Kerry Graham for CNN News. The headlines for Day 75, Post G.I.D. The assembly of a volunteer global security force has brought under control a wave of violence which has swept several countries during these trying times of reconstruction, largely instigated against Norwin settlements by insurrectionists opposed to any peace accord with the former invaders of our planet. Spearheaded by General Trish Stevenson, the GSF units succeeded in undermining the abilities of these renegade factions to make war.

"In other news, the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland, recently released it’s preliminary findings concerning the world’s fem-male population. While hardly an official census, the rough guesstimate brings the number converted to several million short of half the Earth’s males. With large areas of China, Northern Europe, and Middle Africa still to be counted, the figures may well increase dramatically over time.

"What implications this has for the future of Humanity is uncertain, but several experts consulted by CNN have agreed that Zero Population Growth would be reached within this generation, and we may well see negative numbers in future birth statistics soon after. "

Kamal sighed into her hands before returning to the paperwork on her desk. The homecoming almost ended in disaster as Moslem extremists tried to attack the shuttle as she and Gendal landed in Hama, the new capital of Syria. Only the GSF escort prevented their fiery death before extinguishing both the flames and the sparks of rebellion which prompted it.

And yet progress was there, almost buried in the rubble, in the scores of displaced fem-males and a still growing coalition of sympathetic women willing to risk public disgrace to take them in. So, Allah had the capacity to be merciful after all as General Stevenson’s peacekeepers settled in, at least until Bashir could successfully urge her people to seek the safer road. And during the crisis Gendal proved himself the immovable support to her pillar as Kamal labored hard to calm the upset.

If an uneasy truce signaled a turn in the right direction for some, an unexpected visitor to the government house where she lived proved that even in the most stony soil, a flower might grow ...

"Chen Woo. " his composed feature was a welcome sight after so much misery, an ordered mind in the midst of such illogical chaos. "Commander Bashir. " the Asian scientist answered, wondering where his superior was behind the soft drapery of pale silk which adorned the fem-male’s supple figure.

"No more commander, please. " murmured the woman wearily. "Just Kamal, for now. So, what brings you here? Business or Pleasure? "

"Alittle of both. " laughed Chen, even as he bowed to Gendal who recognized the man from that first meeting of their races so long ago. "I did miss you at the reunion of the Ares crew last week, tho Aaron explained you were somewhat busy. "

"Yes, quite busy. " she gave him a sad grin. "So it went well? "

"Fairly well, it was mostly for Colonel Christopher. " Woo told her. "Alot of crying, alot of back thumping ... and the latter was from the fem-males. "

"Yes, " Kamal smiled serenely, comforted by her crew-mate’s humor as she knew she would be. "We are a rowdy macho bunch of girls, after all. So what about business? " her laughing eyes narrowed as Chen pulled some papers from his flight suit.

"You’ve been following the recent news, I gather. About our population problems?" the scientist asked in his teacher’s voice. "You also remember how I discovered how malleable the source for both The Change and The Cure was? "

Bashir nodded with a sedate understanding, born of that inner strength which was almost single-handedly holding her homeland together.

"We were doing work to see how specific the drug could be, if we could target one organ and not another, or further suppress certain chemicals without the more drastic physical affects. " Chen Woo explained carefully, that silly expression of self revelation on his lean face. "We found while that The Change did wonders on slowing the release of particular enzymes what it did best was to suppress the immune system without destroying it entirely. Perhaps even reactivate it, with the right engineering."

"Which would do wonders for present risky surgeries, restore what was lost from blood cancers or other immunosuppressent diseases. " Bashir responded casually and her friend smiled wickedly. "Or aid in very specialized transplant operations? " he added.

"Or that. " she agreed, her gaze closing to dagger-like slits. "Transplanting what, and to whom? "

"Which bring us back to our current problem, and the need for as many wombs as we can find to house the first generation of post-invasion babies. Preferably boys, but we can work on that. Still, we’d like to hedge our bets, get around that pesky 7% margin of error which could make or break us ... "

"Please get to the point. " Kamal ordered, a giggle undermining the severity of her command.

"I was just wondering, " Chen asked brightly in the face of his friend’s growing annoyance. "what would you think about becoming Mother to the whole of Humanity? "

If he’d thought to shake up the fem-male with his radical request, Chen Woo was surprised at the maternal smile which made Kamal Bashir’s beautiful face glow. "You’ll never know how much I’d like that. " she answered, grasping Gendal’s massive hand tight even as the future opened an unexpected door to them.

*

"Even with a cautious approach to the mix of Norwin and Human technology, the reaction to the WHO’s proposition has been mostly favorable. The operation, given the ease with which the surgery is performed, can be treated almost as an out-patient procedure with no ill affects apparent among the early test subjects. A narrow slit just above the stomach cavity and below the diaphragm allows for the insertion of donor uterine material in the fem-male candidate. Once in place, held by surgical glue until the tissue can attach itself to the abdominal wall, a modified form of The Change makes the vessel ready for later introduction of a fertilized egg which can then be carried to full term.

"While it would be necessary to perform cesarean births upon all fem-male candidates, the greater research shows that the infants would otherwise be normal in every respect. In anticipation of the new children, born of both fem-male and regular women participants in this planet-wide program, the world has indeed become a village, eager to greet it’s new citizens and help in building the kind of civilization which they would want to live in. This is Kerry Graham, reporting for CNN News, Day 118, Post G.I.D."

*

While kept far too busy with her new duties, Trish caressed the moments she and Aaron could be spent together, this confusing yet exciting relationship where sometimes neither could quite remember who it was that wore the pants. But with her fem-male helpmate staying mostly close to home these days, General Stevenson suspected it wasn’t her.

Still, even as Aaron worked hard to find that comfortable middle ground, she was as loving and as supportive of Trish’s career as any better half could be.

"I see you’ve had a hard day. " giggled her lover, standing in the door of the Pentagon office, take-out in her left hand and a wide cheesy grin on her face. "Want some good news? "

"You betcha. " Trish chuckled ruefully. "What’s up? "

"Oh, just a birth announcement from Kamal and Gendal. " Aaron told her, holding out the thin slip of mail. "You know that the birth weights were closely regulated for all fem-males so little Aaron Ahmed Bashir came in at just under five pounds. Mother and son are doing fine. "

"They’re calling him Aaron? " Trish raised a brow in amusement. "Hell of a name to saddle the poor kid with. I don’t suppose this changes your mind ... about joining the repopulation program, I mean. "

"They have enough recruits for a surplus, and with Hagna managing the Norwin version, I’m sure we’ll have a healthy future for both our people. With or without my help. "

"No regrets, no wish to be a parent? " Trish pressed, seeing a slight sadness spoil the others pretty features. "My men were my boys, my kids. That’s all I’ll ever need. " Aaron told her.

"Not quite all. " the honey blonde officer giggled and they embraced. The cries of this new generation rallied a much changed planet toward a not unkind future. And for this war tempered pair, the finite universe of their own making was all that mattered.

 

The End

 

 

 

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