Transformation (cont.)

The Never Ending Quest - Episode 5603

While not as backwards (for lack of a better word) as the Amazons of Ancient Grecian times (what with cutting off the left breast....though I figure that even in this world....that was a myth), they still had men in a decidedly second class position. Astra 5's father had a position of power on the War Council, but it was unofficial. I very much doubt that the regular male would have it so well.

Just because the accepted "traditional" roles are reversed here doesn't make it right. Having men as second class citizens does not make it right any more than woman as second class citizen. Same for any group of people (biological or mechanical).

Sorry, this subject always was a touchy one for me.....

I still remember the early years, when the Company argued that I was nothing but their property. Not a person.

If the Grand Old Man, the Adrimal Demitri (along with the majority of the Military), hadn't put down their foot and basically said "These AIs are people, and not property." Followed by the silent threat of quitting (leaving Home open to Enemy attack).....

If it wasn't for the Military, I'd be little more than a slave today. I would aspire to be a second class citizen.

Anyway, she was the most radically changed of all the Astras. I have to wonder if not for the strange events that had happened between worlds, between their Terra and Terra Prime, if she'd had even considered marriage and motherhood.

But, through events, she saw into Fred's soul.

Fred saw into her soul.

Astra bonded with her children BEFORE they were even born.

That paved the road to a radical transformation.

She now has no problem seeing Fred as an equal. Before I have a feeling that if push came to shove, she'd have trouble with equality of the sexes. Fred might could have become a second class citizen in Aqualaria, if the cards had come out differently.

Astra 5 had been candid enough to reveal her ties with a temple who worship Artemis. Reviewing my memory files, I remember something about that goddess being a virgin. Meaning that her follower would probably be virgins as well (and better remain so in order to stay priestesses of that sect). Putting her revelation that she had, before her change of heart on her children AND the business with her Fred while she was a demifox vixen......had wished to be a priestess for life....

I get a feeling that she had no desire to EVER be a mother back where she was from. Never wed, just a warrior queen who's Council would decide who'd assume the throne after she died.

That's just a guess, but being in my line of work....I usually make VERY good guesses about others.

Now, her and Fred 5's soul, according to her and Fred 5, are probably permanently bound together. In a way, they share the same bond between each other that Fred the Manfox and Alicia share.

I have yet to even see Fred 5 even slightly make a mistake in regards to how his wife will react to certain things. Ditto for Astra 5 in regards to Fred 5.

The bond at work....

As for Fred 5, he like his fellow brothers found that, at least as Astra goes (numbered or not).....they don't take to well to being trivialized and put into the "submissive woman" category.

Ack....enough of this chatter....

The other dragons

Well, I would be amiss if I didn't mention these folks in this list.

At times I marvel that I ever even gained enough trust from them enough to even have a working relationship. Considering the past sins done to them....

I and the Alliance (or the Golems as they still call us) are damn lucky this situation has bloomed into a friendly relationship.

Anyway, our first dragon here on the list is the Regent of Ethiopia, Malachi Dronocis. She had initially come to Ethiopia for some kind of vital business (i.e. avoiding the Alliance) when the Enemy dropped their nukes on parts of Ethiopia. She had always wanted to aid human kind, lead it to a higher plane, away from the pits that she thought that the rest of humanity shared....to a degree...with the ancient Atlantians. She'd thought that, but slowly came to the an amazing conclusion while pitching in. She saw noble sacrifices. Acts of heroism. Acts of love, of faith....of all the good things that human beings were capable of. Now, we all know that mankind isn't a race of angels, but the news that we were capable of such things....was news to her.

Preconceptions and a restrictive (and vengeful) Council of Wyrms prevented almost dragons from really getting to know humans this way.

She'd broken one rule that an associate of mine from the old ship followed to a T. Don't get too involved with your patients. Care for them, for they are human. But by no means should you start to get so deep that....you fall to pieces when one dies despite all you do.

She then grew too close to some of her dying patients, and found herself crying her heart out at one of the funeral services. She had grown very fond of a lovely little girl of only eight years, and had struggled against the radiation poisoning that eventually claimed the child's life.....

She'd gathered herself, and wearily went upon her rounds in her struggle against the blight brought on by the Enemy. Certain people had noted this, and filed it away. Filed it away with the heroic efforts she made with magic...with all the resources she had.

So, a group of people who represented the people of what was left of Ethiopia gathered. They knew something must be done about their land. They knew that the threat of anarchy loomed if nothing was done to prevent it.

Hands down, they all agreed that Malachi Dronocis....even though a dragoness....was the best choice by far to be the much needed Regent. She was everything that the battered nation needed, and was......seen as a gift from God! Most telling was she cared about her charges....as her crying had revealed.

There was even talk within the clergy of cannonizing her (raising her to sainthood)! That was how much of an impact she'd had on the hearts of the survivors of Ethiopia!

From what I've heard, she'd been shocked down to her clawed toes that humans would want her in such a capacity. Eventually, she'd accepted...even bound herself by combining her Hoard with the Ethiopian treasury. This gave her great power to do even more for her adopted homeland, but it also tied her heart to the land. Yes, she can feel what others are feeling. She got the power of empathy. She's damn near impossible to kill (kill her...kill Ethiopia....destroy Ethiopia....kill her), hard to kill because a nation....even in shambles....is still VERY formidable. Conventional forces would be hard pressed to subdue the now relatively whole Ethiopia without the vastly increased magical might of the Regent. However, the hopes and prayers of her people kept hitting her subconsciously, perhaps. They knew that she wasn't of their faith, but they hoped and prayed to God for her to see the Light.

I don't think that she was....brainwashed by her connection to the land. Good Creator, she's very strong of character and heart. All of my friends here are! But....perhaps it played a key part?

Whatever the case, she's now this side of ecstasy. She's living the life she always desired by aiding humans. She loves being what she's become, protector of the Realm and all that. Plus, there's the added bonus that...she now has bonded with Sigin (only a matter of time before HE bonds himself to Ethiopia.....). He's already converted to the Ethiopian brand of Christianity (which isn't quiet like Home's version of Christianity found in Home's version of Ethiopia around July 14, 1502)! It's more like the Catholic Church in layout, but.....not the same. Why should it? This isn't an exact copy of Home!

Dragon Sigin....nice guy. I think he had the best understanding of humanity, but was too polite to rub the other dragons nose in the truth about their misconceptions. He was, and still is, a real salt. He loves the sea, and his first love had been his ship.

With the coming of him having "eye meets eye" with the Regent, our young dragon (relatively young...at 1,503 years) more or less has himself rapped around Malachi's little clawed finger!

I should point out, however, the reverse is true for Sigin. She tries to behave herself, but she's....giddy as a little school girl with her first crush!

Heck, I was there when they fell in love! Longest session of lover's baby talk I ever heard!

As for his brother, Sigin Vulpine, don't even hold your breath waiting for him to return to the realm of dragondom. He is flat out in love with Rosepaw, his Dragon Familiar. She is flat out in love with him. Through a freaky event, they had "Eye meets Eye" happen. In prior, rare incidents such as this (having an INDUCED "Eye meets Eye") the dragon in question absolutely refused to even attempt a cure of his altered form. Oh, if you don't know, a dragon can...if he's crazy enough, induce the "Eye meets Eye" thing in would be mates....when afflicted with lycanthropy. Don't ask....I didn't want to know the details and wouldn't tell it here even if I did know!

Short of it is that Sigin Vulpine wishes to remain a demifox and is pleased at punch at his new lot in life as mate to Rosepaw and sire to a dozen demifox kits!!

Rosepaw herself had been initially been dragged out of being a mere animal through the events surrounding "Eye meets Eye." It had transformed her. Basically, that night the mere vixen was no longer an animal, a intelligent being had replaced her. Eventually, she was infused with an archaic vocabulary (Sigin had no more modern linguistic spells)...which faded into regular...more modern speech as she interacted with others....

Finally, there are the Sigins! Good Creator in the Hereafter, what a interesting set of people THEY are. They all change their name to something that has their first name now as last name and their first name as the form they now wear! One, Dragon Sigin, even is able to regain his form he'd been born to. He is now a dragon again after a long bout as a werebear...but he changes his name from Synizn to Dragon Synizn. Then the only Synizn who gets to keep his original name is a late comer who loves what he's become because....he's become nitched. He sees his demifox form as a symbol of his freedom from his baser impulse brought upon him by being a werebear.....

Frued would have a field day with these guys! However, that's just joke....really. I don't pretend that they are just humans with scales. They've been "contaminated" by humans, but they still aren't totally....human.

I respect them and like them, but I don't totally understand them. At least with Manbear Synizn, I halfway understand why HE wishes to stay a manimal. He's heart is plugged into the collective Pack. He's become a member of a loving family, each Packmate a brother or sister.....

Zap!

My avatar's eyes open, and I see Inquirer looking worriedly down upon me.

"Father?" she whisper, throwing military decorum to the wind. Captain Sterndeck would have a fit. Frankly, I don't give a rat's ass about that at this point in time.

I call my unit a Family for a reason, for it's the nearest thing an AI has to one. Somewhere along the lines I and my second in command got tagged with the roles of Mom and Dad. And eventually, we came to assume almost all parts of those titles. Lt. Comander Evis 7 would laugh, but agree.

We play the part of military soldiers, spit and polish when our superiors are around. Alone on our own, we drop the act like a cloak.

That is a big reason why I miss Ajax, my son, so much.

That's a reason why new AI's take a long time to feel comfortable in a new recon unit....because it'll take a bit to become adopted....

It's the reason why...perhaps, if I'm honest with myself....why I wasn't so disappointed to find out that our traitor for the Company was Seeker. He wasn't somebody I wanted as a son.....

Perhaps I had been resentful, seeing Seeker as trying to but in on Ajax's spot as my son?

No matter.

"I'm alright," I whisper.

I hug my daughter, not caring that others see me.

Soon I learn of what has gone on since I've been....out. I am able to patch in a connection to a "radio" and find out that the portion of the Alliance Armada sent out to intercept the Enemy is still making it's way (slow and quiet) out to Halley's to stomp a few reptilian SOBs.

I then see Astra 3 and Astra 4 together, along with the other analogs. I'm glad to see them. D**n glad to see them.

  1. I just wish I didn't have to tell them about the problem with Astra 4's permanent chest size.....

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11/10/1999 9:44:06 AM

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