She taps the screen a few times, then shows me. “This is what your blood looks like, and your actual blood cells.” She swipes across the screen to the next picture. “This is the skin cell.”
I lean against the bars so I can take a good look at the samples she took from me. “And the things inside my skin cell? That is normal?” Even though I won’t be able to see them, I still peer at my hand, trying to figure out how many hundreds of cells there are.
“I’ve only taken samples from you, so I don't know if it is normal for your kind. Human cells are different.” She runs her finger over the screen and the image changes. “This is a human cell. Most of the parts are the same, or similar. You have an extra two chromosomes compared to humans, which is interesting, but then animals also have a different number to humans. And the animals on this world have a different number to you as well."
“Why does that matter?”
“It’s interesting because the instructions that your cells have which make you who you are, are on the chromosomes. It also means that humans and Honey cannot breed.”
I take a few moments to digest her comments. I had assumed that Edilk and Sabine would have children because she brought him into rut. It didn’t occur to me, that it wasn’t possible.
“Will your leaders be happy with that?”
“I believe so.”
“Why would they be happy that there can be no children?”
“Because I think they are worried that human women will run off with Honey warriors and have half-alien babies. And that humans would cease to exist."
I give her a small smile. “Do you think human women would run off with Honey warriors? Are we more appealing than human men?” I stand a little straighter, wondering if she finds me appealing? I do not think she sucked my meq for science or for answers. I think she did it because she wanted to find out what it would be like, and to compare me to a human man.
I want to learn why human women cause the rut.
“Some human women will choose a Honey warrior over the alternative of having nothing. Humans want to fall in love and to have a person to call theirs."
“But you do not have the rut to bind you together?”
“We do not."
“Can you find out what causes it? Why do human women cause it?” Because it means I can never mate with a woman without risking it. It means I can’t have Chloe.
I draw a breath, realizing that I had hoped she would choose me, and we would live in the colony and… they are impossible imaginings.
I dream of getting out of this cage, but if the colony leaders do not want human women with alien men, they will not want Chloe mating with me. They will not care that being away from her hurts to the point of death.
“I can’t find that out, as there are no Honey woman for me to ask or to take samples from. Without those samples, Ican’t compare her to me, or any other woman in the colony. I can theorize that it is something to do with a woman’s arousal secretions because it’s not caused by any other sex related act, nor does it happen amongst warriors. You must have rules for behavior between men and women before accepting each other as mates to prevent accidental bonding.”
While we are all given the same lessons in pleasure, those of us who are fourth born are told not to touch at all. I was the only fourth born growing up, as most mates will not risk a fourth son if they already have three. Those that do are hoping for a girl.
“They may kiss, and the woman may touch the man…"
I try to think back to all the other things I was taught, such as how to find and tease the pleasure bumps on a woman as well as a man. My tribe was quite open as most warriors only find companionship with another warrior. Not all tribes are so open, something I only learned from my brothers. Some tribes allow a woman to choose more than one warrior to be her mates, which seems like a smart solution though my tribe would not have welcomed such an idea.
I have learned more about my people from my brothers than I did from my tribe elders. My brothers and I are all from different tribes, and while we are the same people, we were all raised a little differently, and our tribes also operated differently, and not just because they were from the mountains or the rivers.
Chloe lifts her eyebrows as if also realizing that we have been following the rules so as not to risk accidental bonding. "Perhaps we should focus on livestock for a bit."
Livestock is a safer topic than mating. “If you let me out, I could hunt some potential stock animals and help tame them and set up the farm.”
“We have people who are working on a farm. Tell me about an animal and how you keep it and what you use it for."
The words are on the tip of my tongue. I want to talk to her and share what I know, but it's not just us. She is reporting to her leaders. I take a step back. When I have been bled dry of information, then I will be no use. They do not want me for my strength, they have enough people to labor for them.
“Tiril, if you do not work with me?—"
“What? I will be killed?” I do not fear death. It has been a constant companion since I was banished, but I want to live.
She stares at me. “I don’t want you to die."
