Sold into Marriage

Chapter 32: Exploration

Chapter 32: Exploration
Copyright 2021 by John Wells. All Rights Reserved.

With everything in place for the near term, I join my team back on Earth for dinner. Everyone is at the table that grew since I last sat at it, so Jessa and Steve have seats. They are eating grilled barbecued chicken breast, loaded baked potato, and corn on the cob. I join them at my spot and serve myself food with air.

The discussion during our meal centers on my UN visit and the conversations taking place there now. The governments and their UN representatives are worried more about me than the aliens, since I handled them for now. None of the conversation is about the aliens. Stupid bureaucrats avoid the actual issues to focus on useless issues and redirect attention off themselves.

I bring up Debbie and my plan C idea to get agreement. Placing the world population in scenario rooms with a new government. Debbie downloads her suggested rules. Most of the discussion is about the sex rule. The males like it (surprise, surprise.) The females are less infused about it. I am a little shocked Dan agrees with it, since he saved himself for me. But, males being males think the more sex the better. The rule lets him have sex with Betty, Elaine, Jane, and Jessa, so why would he say no? Of course, I can have Alex, Steve, and Tom, so maybe it is worth it. It will take some powerful magic to break the taboo we have, to use sex as an expression of love for friends. However, since pregnancy is impossible without computer simulation support, there is no longer a reason for that taboo. Pregnancy can only happen when the parents both finish a parenting course, agree to both raise the child regardless of their relationship status, have an existing five-year relationship, and have enough genetic differences to prove they are not related closely. I can see the point of it. With multiple sexual encounters required monthly, the impossibility of sexually touch illegal children, sexual predators have less reason to exist and can not practice their desire, regardless of how badly they want to, unless an adult will do so for them. I could give myself a ten-year-old body to let Dan play with, if he were into that, but sex as a ten-year-old is not likely to be enjoyable, so why would I do it?

After the meal, Debbie lets me know the planet she mentioned previously passes her tests. The planet is called Teegarden’s Star b only twelve point six light years away. No sign of construction or tools by the life forms so likely safe to use. After the meal, Dan and I beam up to my ship. I tell both aliens to prepare to join me and, once they state they are ready, I transport them to my bridge. I give them each a transporter tag to wear from now on so we can beam them in the future.

Debbie displays all the data on the planet she has discovered, plus visualization of the existing life and planet surface. The aliens like what they see, so I suggest Benfas and I visit the planet, while Dan and the Genact watch from the orbiting ship. This plan is agreeable so I have Debbie beam the four of us to that ship, leaving two on the bridge and two on the surface as planned.

The governor and I explore a bit, looking for the various life forms. The wildlife has no fear of us. Their minds are simple, similar to deer on earth. Walking on a different planet is like a dream to me, with alien life forms all around me. All the known animals on this planet are vegetarians. The insects clean up the dead animals. But do not appear to be deadly, just scavengers.

Debbie has already tested the soil, air, and water, all of which are harmless to both our species. She has a few androids on the planet, testing plants and animals. She picked this location because of its level ground and water, plus being within the tropics. I have her add pictures of this planet, with Benfas for distribution on Earth, if the UN decides anything, while we wander around exploring. Each animal I come across, I notify Debbie of the fact that it is clearly not intelligent.

Eventually, we stop finding new animals so I have Debbie move us to the unique ones. We hunt down every animal species on the planet to be sure there are none with intelligence, including the ones swimming in the seas. I automated an air shield with breathing for Benfas so he could join me in the water. The air shield protected us from the pressure of the depth. Our whales are similar in size to the deep swimmers. The sea provides carnivores, but their size limits their danger to us.