Iwas lost in this new sensation that peaked a little bit more every time ourbodies touched each other completely.
Mymind was spinning and I was barely aware of my surroundings, of the sounds, ofanything else that wasn’t the increasing need I felt inside me.
Suddenly,he lifted me up and then strongly pushed me back down on him, lifting his hipsup at the same time. And in that moment, the growing pressure building upinside me exploded into a thousand pieces, my inner muscles contracting instinctively,releasing me to the most exhilarating and overpowering sensation of my life.
Forthe next few moments, everything was a blur. I thought I heard him calling myname, but I wasn’t certain. I was lost in this unique moment in my life,shivering from my head to my toes.
Iwas so immensely happy, my body ecstatic. I felt tears rolling down my face asI looked up at the open sky. I couldn’t stop them.
Allof a sudden, J took my face in his hands. “Dora! Oh, my God! I’m sorry! Did Ihurt you?”
Hewiped away the tears, but new ones came tumbling down. I looked at him, hisface blurry through tears collected on the rims of my eyes.
“No,no, no… no,” I said, shaking my head.
“Dora,why are you crying?” His voice was urgent.
Ilooked up again and then started laughing out loud. “What—was—that?”More tears spilled as I continued laughing.
“What?”His voice relaxed. “You mean… the orgasm?”
“Ah,the orgasm! That’s what Tania was talking about! I understand. Finally.”
Ilaughed again.
Thestrongest driver of evolution. She is so right.
Ilooked at him and then hugged him tightly. “This was—out of this world!”
Hesqueezed me tightly too and rested his cheek on my chest. “Maybe out of yourold world, but it’s definitely part of your world now.”
Chapter 24
Iopened my eyes to the fresh morning air and the golden rays of sunlight streamingthough the small holes in J’s tent. I rolled over on the mat. J was stillsleeping. His face was relaxed and beautiful.
Ismiled.
Iwas so happy that I’d found him, that my recurring dream had actually been aVision, and that he was here, with me. I gently placed my palm on his face andleft it there.
It feels so wonderful to touch him.
Jyawned, stretched his arms, touching the sides of his tent, and then relaxedthem again.
Heopened his eyes. “Hello, beautiful.” His lips curled into a half smile.
“Hello,yourself.” I smiled back.
“Areyou okay?”
Inodded and smiled again, unable to express just how perfect everything was. Imoved closer to him and leaned my head down on his chest, hearing him breathe,my head gently moving up and down in the same rhythm.
“Tellme about your home, Dora,” J said.
“Myhome… is rich with different scents, full of the most diverse plants and oldtrees; it smells of fine salty droplets of the sea, feels like fine sand grainsunderneath the feet. My home is mixed with different emotions, sad and happy,strong and weak, but all so essential—for life.”
“That’sa very poetic way to describe Earth. But what I meant was: what is your home like?”
“J,this is my home,” I said, lifting my head up to look at his face.
“Yes,Earth is your home.” He smiled and kissed my forehead.
Iplaced my head back on his chest.
“I’dlike to hear about the place you spent more than three hundred years of yourlife.”
“Whatwould you like to know?”
“What’sthat world like?”
“Iguess it would seem very complex to you.”
“Okay,now I feel like a three-year-old,” he said, grinning.
Realizinghow it sounded, I shook my head and said, “No, what I meant is, most of thepeople living in Uni are used to the different species and worlds and porting,and the politics connected to all of it. We all grew up with it.”
“Ithink I know what you mean. It’s like a mother tongue; no matter howcomplicated it is, you can still speak it fluently, because you grew up withit.”
“Tongue…of a mother?”
Helaughed out loud. “You know, I do love these little lessons I have to give yousometimes. It makes me feel like I’m not so far behind you.”
“Whywould you feel behind me at all?” I leaned on my elbow, looking at him withsurprise.
Helooked at me silently for a moment, his face serious now. “Because you are threehundred and fifty-six years older than me. Because the world you lived in is fivethousand years ahead of where I left off. Because you have the knowledge of allthe things people discovered during those five thousand years. Because you area Senthien, and you see the future.”
“Imight be three hundred and fifty-six years older,” I said quietly, “and myworld might have five thousand more years of technological advancement thanyours, but I have never lit a candle, I have never sung a song, I have never comeso physically near to people surrounding me, and I have never—ever—feltsensations that come even close to those you induce in me when you… when youlove me with your body. And neither has anyone else in Uni experienced anythingsimilar… except perhaps the Zema4 Humans.”
Hesmiled gently, listening to my explanation.
“Whyare the Humans in your world so oppressed?” he asked.
“Idon’t know for sure. I have some theories, but that’s all they are.”
“Okay,let me hear them.” He folded his arms behind his head as a pillow and looked atme.
“Rememberwhen you asked me about Zlathars?”
“Yeah.Those are the guys who hold the strings.”
“Andyou also asked me why the Zlathars didn’t tell me what to think, as I had adifferent opinion.”
Henodded. “Yeah, I remember.”
“Well,you were very precise in describing their special ability.”
Jraised his eyebrows, a clear question on his face. He pressed his lips togetherand said, “I don’t follow you. At all.”
Ilet out a long deep breath. “Zlathars can… hear thoughts.”
“You’rekidding me! I thought that was just sci-fi stuff! Mind you, that’s what Ithought about seeing the future… so, is that how they rule the Uni, by makingsure no one organizes a mutiny on the Bounty?”
Mutiny on the Bounty? Really?I looked at him with my own eyebrows raised.
“Sorry—itmeans that someone is trying to take command. The mutiny on the Bounty was afamous rebellion that happened a long… actually, a really long time ago, on a ship called the Bounty. So, is this theway
