I wake the next morning, still wrapped in Flume’s arms. I haven’t slept wrapped in anyone’s arms since I was a child. Everything is changing so quickly.

I feel an immense connection to each of my mates. As I make love to each of them, the connection expands beyond what it was before. Beyond what I could even imagine it could be. I want so much to love them for who they are and what they bring to me.

If only life were easy and our people weren't under the pressure of extinction. I could focus all my love on these men who bring their love to me. In a perfect world, I could spend every night wrapped in my lovers’ arms and wake the next day with a clear mind and a clear heart.

I wake with agitation and fear for the future. Where will our progeny live if someone like me doesn't find a cure for what ails us? There is nowhere to go except darkness and oblivion. At the current rate of diminishment, there will be no more female births in less than a generation. Continuing to mate and trying to breed will only get us so far. We have to find a cure or there's no coming back.

I rise from the bed, shower and change my nanotech dress into a pair of trousers and a sweater. On my way out the door, I kiss Flume on the cheek. He reaches up to touch my face and holds me warmly for half a minute.

“Where are you going, My Queen?” he asks in a throaty voice.

“I am going to work. There is much to do. I left my computer simulations running overnight and there should be results now.”

“Come back to bed,” he says teasingly, trying to draw me under the blankets.

“But I can't. This is too important.”

“I know it is, my dear. But I can't resist you,” he says with a laugh, reaching his hands up behind his head as he lies on the pillow. He gazes at me from the bed with a sly smile. “I know we will be together again soon. Even though I have yet to give you my bite, I can feel the bond between us.”

“I feel it too,” I say softly.

I press my forehead against his, and take a deep breath. When I stand to leave, he doesn't try to stop me. I glance back at him as I walk out the door and he’s smiling. My heart warms as I hurry out of the inn and hop on a robotaxi to the lab.

I’m back at work only moments later. As I sit behind my laboratory computer terminal and begin reviewing the results of my simulations, my eyes almost pop out of my head.

I stand up for my chair and begin pacing back and forth in front of my terminal. I bite my fist, too excited to think straight. After a moment of racing thoughts, and a racing heartbeat, I hurry to the communication room where I can access the satellites to contact Sysko. I begin the hail and wait. Sysko’s face comes on the screen, and he gives me a look of excitement.

“Joon, I was just going to contact you,” he says.

“Why?” I ask.

“The information you gave us from the library. Our science team is very encouraged.”

“I ran several simulations on the transformation process, using semen to activate recessive genes during a mating thrall. The results are phenomenal. Almost every test I ran came up with a positive result.”

“That's better news than I ever could have anticipated. Our science team has also found positive results. It is good to have them corroborated.”

“I’m encouraged by the results of my splicing simulations as well. But I’m trying not to get ahead of myself. I've run hundreds of simulations with Zohan genetics and many had impressive results. But the physical experimentations never proved positive.”

“We are sending physical samples to the wormhole now. It should arrive within the next few days.”

“Thank you, brother. I will keep you updated on my progress.”

“As will I, little sister,” Sysko says.

His face disappears from the screen. I feel as if the weight of the world has been lifted from my shoulders. For the first time in years, there's real hope. Not only could we cure the virus, we could also bring new females into our species. I imagine a new dawn for our people.

We must always remain vigilant against the cyborgs. They could attack us at any moment. Their numbers grow stronger every day as they absorb new civilizations into their collective. We cannot protect every inhabited planet in the galaxy. Our numbers dwindle and the members of the Galactic Alliance grow weak, just as we do. If we cannot beat the plague soon, there will be no one left in the galaxy to defend, and every civilization will be absorbed into the Archon Empire.