The First Ones

A Father's Love

 Both girls immediately stood upon hearing the voice of their father. "Hello, girls," he said, sounding tired. "Let's just sit and talk." The three of them sat beneath the tree, and he let out a long sigh. "All right, you two, let's hear it. What's wrong?"

"Luci wants to go away," blurted Zeth. Luci shot her a crushing glare.

Their father nodded with his eyes already half-closed. "I heard you two talk," he said. "And you are both right." Luci and Zeth gaped at him in disbelief. "That's right," their father chuckled. "It's always interesting to deal with twins, because it is said that they represent two halves of the same person."

The twins glanced at each other.

"My point is," said their father, "evolution brings changes. The ways of the single Doveran sect is lost now, out of our living memory. But the need to explore and achieve has always been an evolutionary trait and, as Luci pointed out, an advantage."

Zeth looked stumped. "Father, the humans-"

"Are far more accomplished in non-technical terms, Zeth," finished her father. "Luci is right. Their culture is far more complex and- dare I use the term?- intriguing." He finished with a long look at his older daughter. "Luci, if you grow tired of the ways of the First Ones, there is a solution."

Luci gazed hard at her father, wondering if he was lying.

"You see, when the First Ones made contact with humanity they viewed greater contact, interaction and cooperation as being inevitable. In fact, they fully believed that in the incredibly distant future integration into a pan-galactic society would occur, at which point there would be no First Ones or Celestial Confederacy."

"A cultural union," Zeth whispered, apparently not believing it. "Could it be possible?"

Their father nodded. "The Redan believe so. We are allies, and a big cultural exchange's going on." Both girls knitted their brows, waiting for the explanation. "But in the more-than nine hundred years since first contact, the First Ones and humanity have been exchanging ambassadors and travelers. Secret representatives of the Markua, Redan and Armui walk the streets of their worlds, just as humans also live on Brennor, Dovera and Seerin."

"I've never met them," said Luci.

"But here's the paradox," their father said. "You may never meet one directly but it's entirely possible you've seen one before. You have our scientifically-similar DNA to thank for that. Genetically we First Ones are more advanced but our genomes are similar enough that it is near-impossible to tell the difference purely by sight."

"How are these representatives chosen, father?" Zeth asked curiously, who apparently had chosen to ignore his talk about genes.

"That's a problem, Zeth," said their father. "The Redan mostly recruit in secret. In fact, only some of the most powerful and influential of the sects are selected as representatives. But they bring youngers along with them to observe how human culture works in raising a child."

Luci watched and listened with still eyes. "That means..."

Her father glanced at her. "I already knew what you are thinking, Luci. And it's probably not going to happen. Only the growns who have been appointed representatives may choose traveling companions." His eyes flashed with a sudden idea. "As it happens, though," he continued, "I know someone who works closely with the office of the Redan in Collifer." Zeth and Luci glanced in the direction of the spaceport. Their father nodded and went on with a mischievous smile. "I could speak to him if you like."

Luci and Zeth began to speak up at once, and their father held up a hand for silence. "Yes, I know it contravenes our ways." He looked at each of them. "I have one daughter who wants nothing more than to fulfill her role among our people, and I have another who wants nothing more than to get away from it all." He leant against the trunk of the tree and sighed again. "You'll understand how perplexed I feel when you have youngers of your own."