Every day, Marcie and Tasha each spend at least an hour chatting with their meomees.
Communications Officer Sajh sat with Marcie in the dining hall and helped her contact her Meomee for the first time. He set up the call and showed her how to engage the translator since he didn’t speak English. Although Kenmar Dakkut was expecting the com, he looked nervous when his face appeared on the screen.
Marcie couldn’t help giving him a big smile when she saw his face on the screen. He was a handsome young man with thick, dark blue hair and vibrant blue feline eyes. He smiled warmly as he saw Marcie on his screen taking in her gray-blue eyes and reddish-brown hair that brushed her shoulders.
“How is it that we are matched when you are from Earth? I did not submit my DNA to that service,” he asked.
“My test was sent to the Narovian Matchmaking Service,” she explained. “They allowed it because I was tested on the Alliance ship Raptor Three after we were rescued.”
“Then I am very fortunate they found you for me. You are so beautiful, Marcie Janes. We will have a good life in Brotye. I make a good living, and my home is simple but comfortable.”
“That sounds very nice,” she told him. She found him very attractive and could very easily imagine him as her lover---which he would be soon enough.
“I have arranged for you to get a flight to Brotye from the Starport. Due to our need to bond, soon after we meet, I thought it best for you to be transported to my home to meet for the first time.”
Marcie blushed and suddenly felt a little shy. Jenna had told her enough about bonding to know that meant intense mating. Very possibly within minutes of meeting, she would be having sex with Kenmar. The idea unnerved her a little as she had seen what the attraction did to Jenna before she realized what was happening to her. But Jenna had assured her that Zeke had been very considerate and caring throughout their bonding. She had fallen in love with him during the first few days of their bonding.
“I am working to learn the Narovian language, Kenmar. It’s going to take some time, but I feel confident that I can learn. I am both scared and excited about starting a new life with you.” Marcie said.
“As am I,” Kenmar smiled hopefully at her. “I hope you feel less scared now that we are talking. I am honored to have you in my life Meomee. Your wellbeing will always be most important to me.”
“Thank you,” Marcie smiled back and studied his handsome features.
“Here on Narova, you can get a specially programmed biochip that will teach you our language,” Kentnar spoke, and the computer translated. “We have had the technology, but not for your language until recently. It is arranged for you to receive the implant at the Star Port visitor center.”
“That will be wonderful. I will have to tell Jenna so she may get one as well. Her mate served on Earth, so he knows our language fairly well. We have been studying your language, but it is slow.”
He looked pleased with her enthusiasm. “I think that we will deal well together. Our nervousness will disappear once the Meomee pheromones take hold.”
“After we finish bonding,” she began, “will there be work for me? What will I do once we have bonded? Captain Zeke told us that most houses are automated and run by AI.”
“It is true. Most menial labor is handled by machines. We will explore possibilities. I know there is a growing interest in Earth and Earth culture since the Narovian Matchmaking Service has been testing DNA there for meomee matches. Once you have learned our language, perhaps you could become an adviser there,” he suggested. “Some of our people are willing to live on Earth with their meomees but may need more information to know whether it’s a good choice for them.”
“That sounds interesting,” Marcie told him. “I worked in a clothing factory sewing on a machine. I was taking business courses at the community college to get a job in customer service.”
“Then perhaps, the matchmaking service would be interested in employing you. I will enquire for you if you like. With current first-hand knowledge of life on Earth, I think they may be eager to have you work for them. Of course, that will be after our initial bonding period.”
They talked for a long time, Kenmar was interested in everything about Marcie. She was startled that he asked her if she had mated before. She felt shy about telling him, but he would know soon enough that she was no virgin.
“Ah, Meomee, do not worry, I only ask to know whether you are inexperienced. I have some experience, but there was no bonding.”
“I guess I could say the same,” Marcie replied. “I thought it was going to be more of a relationship, but it didn’t last.”
“Fortunate for me,” he said with a hopeful smile.
As they talked, Marcie learned that the educational structure on Narova was different from Earth at least in the US. College level education was not separate from elementary and secondary level, and they attended year around. Primary education was four years, and secondary education was four years. At that point, students were given aptitude tests and interest evaluations to determine what careers would suit them. Their next four years education trained them for their careers. Some careers such as medicine and sciences took an additional four years.
Recommendations for career choices were also based on the projected employment opportunities when graduating students were ready to enter the workforce. Once Kenmar had explained all of this, Marcie wondered if she might need to have more education. He thought she would able to learn what she needed online without attending classes and that the matchmaking service would be interested without it
After their first conversation, Marcie and Kenmar spoke every day during the journey to Narova.
Tasha was so nervous she was shaking when she first commed her meomee with Sajh’s assistance. Nicarez Palatis was thrilled to see her face. He raved about her ‘exotic’ features and her beauty and especially admired her smooth tan skin. He assured her he would do everything in his power to give her pleasure in their life together and her new life on Narova.
It took three days for the Be’Kal Zephyr to make the rendezvous point for Raptor One to transfer their passengers bound for Narova. Zeke requested and was granted a meeting with Captain Marrek. He briefed Marrek on his and Ark’s mission to Se’Nar.
“I am willing to do it again if necessary,” Zeke said. “What goes on at that place is just heinous! Those Vrootomians should not be allowed to buy protected species on Se’Nar and bring them back to Alliance Territory.”
“I agree,” Marrek said. “Catching them at it is the hard part. They often take a roundabout route back to their home world. So, it’s better to get the abductees from the Tenzari before they leave Alliance Space.”
“No doubt,” Zeke agreed. “And more cost effective as well. We left a lot of gold on Se’Nar to get those ladies back.”
“Well worth it considering your meomee was among them.”
“I was so not ready for that,” Zeke chuckled. “But now I wonder how I went through life without her.”
“I could say the same. Did your females accept the invitation to attend Meg’s conference for the abductees?”
“Yes, they’re with her now,” Zeke replied. “How did those pirates get that information? Our computer security is far advanced compared to Earth.”
“Bribery and human intervention. We have agents on Earth, and they have agents on Earth.
“I hear the High Council on Narova is petitioning the Alliance to open relations with Earth and offer them full membership in the Alliance,” Zeke said.
“It’s true. There are too many places for the Tenzari to hide their bases on Earth. We just don’t have the personnel or ships assigned to this system to catch them all---but we keep trying. Once we open relations and alert them to the problem, they can help take steps to stop it.” Marrek said. “I will definitely keep you in mind for assistance if the circumstances warrant. Taking the abductees to their meomees on Narova is a big help right now. I’m anxious to get back into the Sol System to keep Earth protected.”
“No problem,” Zeke said. “It wasn’t in my plans until I found meomee. Then it became important for me to go back and show her my home world and introduce her to my parents and sister.”
“Someday, I hope to do that with Meg,” Marrek nodded his understanding. “I just don’t think that’s going to happen anytime soon.”
“Thank you, Captain Marrek for taking the time to discuss this with me,” Zeke stood and gave a nod of his head in salute.
Marrek did the same.
Zeke added, “Feel free to contact me anytime I may be of service.”
“I appreciate that,” said Marrek. I suspect you will have a passenger or two bound for Earth when you are ready to leave Narova.”
“Our kind who were rejected by their meomees?”
“Exactly.”