Questions and Answers

“Do you have any plans that don’t involve Violence?” Grolvoni said as Noah sat down in their laboratory Colsov and Renopold were sitting along side Grolvoni, taking notes as well.

“Yes I have Many plans that shouldn’t be violent. Just need to get the fighting out of the way first.” Noah hoped he hadn’t fumbled his words too much.

“You mentioned in your primer on humans that Humanity had issues with the Roschani. Issues that would lead to war with them in the future. Is this a war you are looking to avoid?” Renopold took the second question.

Noah pondered that for a moment. Technically he was out here to help ‘highlight humanity’ and catch interstellar criminals. Which would include the current Roschani government for their illegal invasion and occupation of Earth. Yet he couldn’t tell anyone, at least not yet. “That depends on what happens with Humanity and the wider Community. With Daniel Clay making moves in the courts it may be avoidable. I will likely end up in the middle of the Human-Roschani dispute no matter what.” Noah thought his answer was as diplomatic as it could be without painting himself, and Humanity into a corner.

This answer was processed slowly by the three aliens. It was as if they were picking apart his words, yet instead of the malice and hostility Noah expected from Humans this was more intellectual. As if they were trying to understand what exactly he was talking around. Grolvoni lead the next question, “What are your plans with the Roschani you appear to have bound yourself to?”

Noah leaned back in his chair, “Honestly I hadn’t thought about that much. As strange as it may seem the Roschani and Humanity have more in common than we do differences. Honestly there’s not much that would naturally to lead us to be opponents. Since they are the most familiar, I just went along with them. Nekamormi, the Folpron, also also is rather familiar. If given an option I’d like to meet up with the Folpron if there are more. She seems to be nice, and I would hope she is a good example of her people.”

Another round of deep thought before Colsov unleashed a torrent of words. Most of which went right past Noah. “I know you are excited Colsov, yet you shouldn’t let that get the better of you. Pick one of those questions and ask him properly.” Grolvoni said, with a noise Noah was starting to think was a quiet chuckle.

Colsov let out a distressed squawk before shaking and starting again, “Noah, with your similarities to both the Roschani and Folpron do you think that the four of you are going to become a flock?”

“I don’t understand what you mean by flock?” Noah said hoping he hadn’t understood it from the beginning.

“Ah, yes Family may be the better term.” Colsov said, his eyes drilling into Noah expecting an interesting answer.

“Ah,” Noah said, “Probably not. As much as I can see the beauty in the three women. There is a human woman I need to find, and if she’s alive. She’s my wife. I didn’t spend six years keeping Becky alive for her to disappear into the black on me. No number of aliens will make up what we had or fill her place in my heart.”

That landed as violently as the Roschani’s second wave. The three academics ran though what could only be seen as shock, misunderstanding, confusion, more shock, understanding, then a desire to know more. Noah braced himself for the storm, but it never came.

Grolvoni was the first to ask their question, “Noah, are you saying that human females don’t share males?”

Noah cocked his head, “I know the Roschani have significantly less men in their population and have to. But even across species on Earth pairing off one to one isn’t uncommon, is that an oddity on the interstellar stage?”

“I would say that most species have put some effort into normalizing a ratio between males and females, so that they don’t end up with an excess of males. Excess males can lead to problems. This has been shown across all species’ histories.” Grolvoni commented, clearly hoping to get more information out of Noah.

Noah took the invitation, “Humans are roughly one to one, excess males ends up causing things to work better to a point. Then the fighting starts. Seldom over the women, usually around the things that attract women. However currently we have a surplus of women, and the Roschani occupiers. Which are also close enough. Meaning that, at least on earth, this cohort of women have to share with another woman maybe another two, or forgo children which, as a species we can’t really afford. That is causing more issues than the sharing men if we are being honest. The older women lamenting the fact we will get ourselves into trouble if we don’t have something like four births per women for the next two generations to make up the dead.”

“Humans are live-birthing one at a time correct?” Grolvoni continued after Renopold gave him a nod, Colsov was jotting notes and pulling up references like a madman.

“Naturally we can go up to four, but that becomes an issue, and exceedingly rare. Two is the most likely setup and that is also fairly uncommon. I think there’s a record for six or eight at once but that was a medical accident if my memory and the records are correct. We lost a lot of that during the war.” Noah said, sitting up to pay more attention to the panel.

“Humans are traditional mammals as well, with parents producing milk for the offspring.” Renopold said clearly half focused on the ever excited Colsov.

“The females do. My understanding is the first can stop nursing around when the second would come. I will admit, I don’t know much about kids. Had my mother survived she’d be the one to ask, she was on her sixth when the war took her.” Noah said, realizing he was rubbing her spot on his arm.

“You have five siblings?” Colsov blurted out.

“Had, only my oldest sister survived the war. She’s back on Earth, hopefully she will find a husband worth her time. She has a few years left before they will demand she has a kid.” Noah chuckled, “The problem is she was born before and got enough of the previous world to want an exclusive husband and the facts on the ground mean she’s looking for a diamond in a coal mine.” He didn’t like thinking about his siblings that didn’t make it.

“You said before that Becky was your wife, is that a mutually exclusive title, meaning the one to one? Wouldn’t that mean that your sister could be looking for you?” Colsov spoke again clearly as fast as he could think, “Well not you, you because that would be. Well I know some species don’t worry about that do humans worry about that? I know my cousins had a clutch but that is cousin to cousin, closing the nest.” Noah was impressed with how much gestures the little creature could produce while talking.

“I think you should let him answer, otherwise you’ll end up with more questions than he can answer.” Grolvoni said cutting off the stream of questions. Colsov shook, in what seemed to be agreement.

“Yes that title is the one to one, meaning my sister Elizabeth is looking for a husband. That is the complement. Yes we worry about that and that’s why we will never do that. Even if my sister is the most beautiful woman on Earth. I’ve beaten up enough Roschani and men to make that claim. I assume by cousin to cousin, you mean one from your mother’s side married one from your father’s side which happens although so rarely it’s seen as strange.” Noah stopped trying to remember more of Colsov’s questions.

Renopold took the opening, “Does this mean that Becky isn’t on Earth? Is she in one of the colonies, if so how did you two meet? I was under the impression that most Human colonies were rather isolated and didn’t have much contact with each other or the homeland.”

Noah had to think on this one. Technically the story was the colonies were from before the Roschani invaded, which could have be true for the Solar system. Right as the big Moon and Mars push was starting was when they landed their first wave. The interstellar ones were on the other hand were from the Brightest Night. The wider galaxy seemed to reject the human colonies’ claims of only being there a decade at most because of their rejection of new species’ claims. “I met her on Earth we grew up together then her parents got a job at a colony and took her with them. Which seeing as Earth was in between waves of Roschani invasion was probably for the best. However it did mean they had to run the Roschani’s blockade. Because of that I can say the colony exists but I don’t know if Becky ever got there.”Noah felt that statement was a bit too politically convenient for the Roschani, but he didn’t want to try and unpack the accepted lie today.

“Would you abandon your current group of females for her?” Renopold said clearly figuring something out.

“I don’t see them as my females. Sure Kazhvoyova and Vazhchayvr are both much more attractive than the warriors occupying Earth, but they are a different species. Despite what the Roschani enlisted claim I don’t know of any Roschani that have gotten pregnant from a human. Neakmormi is more interesting, as she is both more human and more alien. Unless she gives me a sign that she’s interested or something I’m going to leave her be.” Noah was cut off by the ship shaking rather aggressively. Green lights then started flashing.

“We’ve come out of warp, and the ship is being put on a more active level of readiness. We aren’t crew so there is nothing we need to do.” Grolvoni said, preventing Noah’s question. “Now depending on why we dropped out we may have to do something. I take it you’re apart of one of the damage control teams?”

Noah had to think about it, “No I believe my paperwork put me as anti-boarder, then damage control. Although I am apart of Vazhchayvr’s deployment team. Whatever that would do.” This answer took the group of aliens by surprise. Each one of them had to process what Noah had said.

“You are not apart of the damage control teams?” Colsov repeated, as if his mind couldn’t understand why Noah wouldn’t be assigned to that duty.

“He says he’s apart of the militia.” Renopold responded just as absentmindedly.

“But he shouldn’t have any military experience.” Grolvoni said.

“Earth got invaded, he claimed to have fought, even if that would make him quite young.” Renopold countered.

“He did just best three Roschani warriors in hand to hand combat. Wasn’t even taking it seriously.” Colsov said starting to regain composure. “But why would humanity send a warrior as their first representative? That doesn’t make any sense.”

“His uniform says he’s a technical scientist, or engineer.” Grolvoni added, clearly feeling like that was unhelpful.

“I am an engineer, mechanical and electrical a four year degree for both, with a bit of chemical and computer added in due to needing electives in college.” Noah hoped that would clean up some of their confusion.

“That would qualify him as an engineer even if the learning time is probably a bit short. Those were four Earth years?” Noah nodded his answer to Grolvoni’s question. “Still Humanity is shown to be rather adaptable. Maybe this was more of a finishing school than a proper integration.”

Noah stood up to answer the call from Kazhvoyova. “Remember when I said we all fought to defend our planet?” The aliens looked at him attentively. “I was on the front lines, or beyond them scouting around since I could properly control a rifle. I was at war for more than the better part of a decade when the truce was called. Only came down to get Elizabeth the treatment she needed. Otherwise I’d still be one of the Ghosts of the Rockies.” Noah left on that note. Leaving the now stunned aliens to sort themselves out.

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