---

“…Eve’s hole.”

“You look tired.”

The Alpha ate her first decent meal in several days with her Beta at her side. Na had become quite accustomed to having her La around. It was hard for her to remember her life without La even though it hadn’t been so many cycles of the moon.

After finishing, Na got up and went toward their bedding chamber to wash and change into something comfortable. La went to get her uniform so that it could be cleaned.

“What is all over this?”

“Blood.”

“What? Are you hurt?”

“Don’t worry. It’s not mine.” And the Alpha chuckled.

The stain was difficult to see against the black uniform but it did shine a bit coppery in the light. La followed Na into the room and, after removing the many decorations and ribbons from the breast pockets, she put it into their laundry bin. La walked into their bathing room where Na was already in the shower.

“Where are your medallions?”

“Are you going to come in and join me?” Na’s lip curled up in one corner giving her now familiar half smile.

La giggled. She knew what would happen if she did and so desperately wanted to wait until they bedded for the evening.

“I think I’ll wait. It’s more enjoyable when we bed. Anyway, you haven’t answered me. Did you lose them again?”

Na really didn’t like wearing her uniform with the many decorations for campaigns and valorous acts. In her mind she was simply doing what she was designed for; nothing more and nothing less.

“They must be somewhere aboard the dart. My long knife is there as well. I must sharpen it after I get a bit of rest.”

Na stepped out of the shower to the waiting towel in La’s hands. The Beta patted her Alpha dry.

“You will use the lotion?” Na’s face was full of anticipation as she affectionately smiled at her Beta. She reached out her hand to gently touch La’s cheek.

“As usual…” La cocked her head to the side as Na stroked her face gently. “I did miss you so. I was telling Eve…”

Suddenly Na stopped in mid motion and the smile left her face.

“You spoke to Eve? Does she want me to call?”

There was seriousness in the Alpha’s voice as she continued to stroke La’s face and then put her hand gently on La’s shoulder.

“She called for me.” La giggled and seemed quite pleased with herself. A call from the Executive Director of the hole was no small event in a Beta’s life.

“Since when does Eve call a Beta…MY Beta?” There was a touch of anger in Na’s face. “What did she want?”

Na was concerned. La placed both of her hands on Na’s face. She pulled the Alpha down and kissed her lips. She then turned Na around and reached for the bottle of body lotion. Pouring some into her hand, she spoke.

“She was asking me all sorts of questions. Was I happy? Did I like being out here? Was there anything I needed? How were we getting along…”

La continued rattling off her summery as she rubbed the lotion over the Alpha’s broad back. She could feel the tension in Na and she poked her head around to look up into her gray eyes.

“I would never leave you and I couldn’t be happier then I am with you, and being out here with you.” She smiled as a tear rolled down her cheek. She bent her head slightly and gently sucked Na’s nipple into her mouth causing the Alpha to giggle.

After La finished her ministrations, which always proved to be an absolute delight, Na went into their bedding chamber and stood before the full length mirror. She still hadn’t quite grown accustomed to her lack of body hair or the new length of hair on her head. It was her Beta’s influence that prompted this new ‘look’.

Na enjoyed the feeling of donning her ‘silks’ prior to her environment clothing. She delighted in how the material slid along her skin and actually found herself becoming a bit aroused as she would slide the bottoms up her legs, the legging portion teasing her skin.

And Na adored the way her Beta’s hands, and lips, felt on her hairless skin. Na smiled as she remembered the first night after her Beta had shaved her hair off. For the first time she felt the coolness of the air. La had bathed her body in lotion afterward to abate the heated sensation of the razor against Na’s skin. But once that feeling stopped, the sensation of La’s tongue as she licked the inside of her hair denuded thighs was almost too much to endure.

The growth of hair on her head provided Na with a new spectrum of delights as well. Though getting ready in the morning took a bit longer, the sensation of La’s fingers playing with the Alpha’s new mane was…quite interesting. Na relished the chills that seemed to radiate from her spine whenever her little Beta touched the hair on her head.

“La!”

“Na?”

“Come here. I want to look.”

The Beta came in from the main chamber to see her Alpha standing nude before the mirror. She smiled as she came up and took as much of the larger woman into her arms as she could.

“No…” Na didn’t look down at her La. She stood looking straight ahead into the mirror. “…stand as I do. I wish to look.”

La smiled up and acceded to Na’s request. She squared her shoulders and stood as tall as she could. Na looked at their reflections and a frown crossed her face. She then turned in profile and La followed her. Then Na turned her back to the mirror and La once again followed her Alpha’s movement. And once again she turned, after peering over her shoulder at their reflection, to face the mirror again.

“What is it you look for?”

“You have so many more curves then I do. I think I prefer your body to mine.” The frown hadn’t disappeared from Na’s face. La laughed at what she heard. “Why do you laugh?”

“Because I prefer your body to my own.” La turned to face her Na. She once again reached out to embrace her Alpha, this time her arms going inside Na’s as she rubbed her cheek against the hardness on Na’s body.

The Alpha nodded as she put her arm around her La. With her other arm she swept the Beta’s feet out and lifted her into those very strong arms. Na then kissed La’s belly and stuck her tongue into her Beta’s navel, something that La found to be incredibly arousing. As she slowly inhaled the scent of La’s body, Na spoke.

“I really should call Eve you know.”

Na took the two strides to their bedding platform and knelled upon it.

“The storm rages outside. Eve can wait till the morning.”

“I can smell your…excitement. I rage inside and I can’t wait till then.”

Na gently placed the Beta down upon their bedding. She laid down softly atop La’s body and brought her face to within mere millimeters of the Beta. Na’s eyes were aglow with the passion that swelled within her. Her crooked smile crossed her face as she spoke.

“You are my only weakness…and I…” Na searched for words to describe what she felt. “…bathe in you.” Their lips met in the most heated of touches.

Na sat on their couch facing the projector that produced the images when she called Eve. She would only speak to the Executive Director of the largest, and most powerful, community beneath the frozen surface of the planet. Na would not open the optical portion of the transmission if Eve was not available. The only message would be: ‘Tell Eve that Na-Lin called’. There was always a revenant acknowledgement. Na was only responsible to Eve although she was beginning to feel a certain amount of responsibility to her Beta.

“Na-Lin…how sweet of you to call.” The sarcasm dripped off of Eve’s words. Na called up the visual. “You did return almost twelve hours ago.”

The image of Eve’s slender face filled the area in front of Na. Eve’s thin lips pursed wryly as her deep blue eyes seemed to penetrate from the distance of her office so many miles away. Na’s half smile appeared before Eve in her office perched atop the fifteen hundred foot construction along the wall of the huge crevasse.

“I was…busy.” A chuckle emanated from the Alpha as she thought of the evenings…activity.

“I’m sure you were.” Eve laughed upon seeing her Gen-7’s…satisfied…look and hearing her excuse. “And where, may I ask, is your Beta?”

La walked into view wearing her sheerest robe. She sat down next to her nude Alpha.

“La-Gen…you look radiant as ever. Unlike your Na-Lin who appears to still be tired. You are not wearing her out on me I trust.”

La blushed and giggled. Turning her eyes back to Na’s, Eve spoke.

“I would speak with you. And bring your lovely Beta when you come. I expect a dress uniform and have your Beta make sure that you wear ALL of your decorations. We wouldn’t want an…incident simply because you weren’t recognized.”

Na laughed as she nodded her head.

“When do you want me?”

“Yesterday Na-Lin…yesterday.” Now there was a dire seriousness in Eve’s voice and the smile disappeared from her face. But her eyes…those eyes as piercing as Na’s long knife…left no doubt that this would be a meeting of the utmost importance.

“I understand.” Na shut down the transmission understanding that Eve never discussed anything with Na over the encrypted network. Eve only trusted the confides of her own little space in the world.

---

“Dress to Impress”

The donning of the dress uniform always took time. Everything had to be just right. All of her ribbons had to be in a proper order and in the right place. Campaign awards on the left side and all others on the right. The three medallions for exceptional valor, solid gold embossed with the Tree of Life, would hang from her neck on sky blue ribbons. Nobody, not even the renowned Eve, wore three. Most who earned one were no longer alive.

In truth, Na hated dressing in this manner. These awards and honors were merely a curiosity to her. ‘Up top’, in this frozen wilderness given over to the ice tiger and the great bear, she was far more at ease in her environment suit, her long knife on her hip, and her pulse rifle slung from her shoulder.

Her Beta assisted Na with the solemn demeanor of a sacred ritual to the Sisters of Salvation. Although she didn’t betray her true emotion, La adored her Alpha in this formal attire, trouser creased as sharp as Na’s blade and jacket as tailored as the Beta’s finest silk gown. Her emotions would well up behind the Alpha’s back as La straightened the jacket across those broad shoulders bearing four gold stars on the shoulder boards, and she picked a white sliver of thread off the double vented back.

Whilst La readied herself, Na would check her ship. It had returned during the night as they slept; the Beta snuggled up against her Alpha as she should be. La would wear a long sleeved, ankle length, wide swept hem, pale green gown to match her eyes. It draped her lush form like a full bodied hug from her Na. She was, away from their home in the iced cliff sides of the wilderness, quite modest; especially with this Alpha near her in public.

La colored her full lips to match her hair; a matted dark rust red. On her eye lids she favored the colors of the soil of life; just the slightest hint to augment her modest appearance. Her long lashes required no help but she colored them with a bit of dark brown anyway. She wore no jewelry save the small crystal tears drops that hung from her ears and a simply matching necklace she clasped around her neck. A quick spray in the air of a scent she would walk through to disguise her natural aroma from other Alphas.

La chose her shoes as carefully as her dresses; they had to be sensible. Plain silk covered ballet flats colored to match this particular gown. To ward off the cold she would wear the long hooded coat made from the sea dogs that Na hunted. The fur was soft and lustrous and the coat dropped down to her shoes.

La inspected herself in the mirror. The dress hung in a manner that accented her curvaceous lush body. ‘This will please my Na’ she thought and smiled very wickedly. She turned quickly to a profile and watched as her breasts swayed almost as an after thought to the movement of her ripe torso.

The Beta donned her coat, grabbed her purse and a small case filled with her essential cosmetics and toiletries that was always packed for such short notice trip, and headed for the hanger bay. Na was granted a small chamber in the hole that accommodated their needs. It was stocked with enough clothing for them both for several days and La loved the view from the top floors of the complex.

As La entered the hanger bay, the frigid cold air forced her to raise the hood on her coat. She entered the ship through the forward port near the cockpit and activated the ‘close’ panel. Depositing her purse and bag in a stowage compartment in Na’s day cabin, she then removed her coat and hung it in Na’s closet.

The Alpha was already in the control seat and in the process of check listing as La entered and spoke.

“Well?” She pirouetted with her hands on her hips. “How do I look?”

Na turned her head and looked at her Beta. It was a wide eyed stare as she watched the Beta’s body motion. La smiled and giggled as she read the looks that flashed across her Alpha’s mind; heated looks she could feel the warmth and desire of. Na never answered.
She simply ogled.

“Come…sit…we must be off.”

---

Na felt the pull of the landing beam as she relinquished control of her dart. The small vessel was automatically brought to dock at the appropriate bay on the top most level of the complex that ran along the Northern wall of the hole. As far as the eye could see in both directions, and then some, were the various levels of the city. There was the mildest of jolts as the ship alighted on the terraced bay and came to rest.

La stepped off the ship first and into a waiting formation of Gen-6 honors guards in full dress uniforms. She was quite surprised and pulled her coat closed around her. Na followed and was struck by the same surprise. As she stepped down off the ramp, the guards issued the formal salute; right hand fisted over the heart and then extended forward opened.

Na stood straight and returned the salute as sharply as she was able. A commander stepped forward along with a Director to welcome the Alpha and her Beta to ‘their’ city.

“Welcome Commander Na-Lin and La-Gen. I am Director Commander Sue-Chou. I have been sent to greet you instead of Eden-Fu. She has been delayed due to a meeting and wishes me to escort you both to your new quarters.”

“New?”

“Yes. Our Executive Director wanted you both to be comfortable during your stay. Your old quarters were quite small; not suited to your needs. So Eden-Fu moved you to quarters next to her own. This is quite an honor.”

Na detected a bit of sarcasm in Sue’s voice which made her chuckle. After all, a Directorship was the loftiest position one could receive and to be acting as a…tour guide…for a Gen-7 with her Beta might be considered a sign of little faith. Perhaps the Directorship wanted Sue to say the improper thing and let the Gen-7 rid them of their problem.

And so the Director, escorted by a Gen-6 Vice Commander and her guard, began to escort Na and La toward the shuttle which would take then to that section of the housing units. Na reached for the hand of her Beta. Na felt a bit put off as those around her took note of the fact that she had grown hair on her head. The Gen-6 guards, and their commander, all shaved their heads. The Director had long hair, and styled complete with coloring to hide her graying strands.

The little Beta could feel the eyes of all the Alpha Gen-6s on her. In spite of her thick heavy coat and her scent, they were still attracted to her. This made her feel uneasy as she clutched Na’s arm as they held hands. Na looked down at her with a quizzical look on her face and the Beta simply looked up and smiled as she shrugged her shoulders.

The trip to their new quarters was quick and uneventful. The Director and Vice Commander escorted them into a secured corridor guarded by Gen-6’s at both ends. A security check was made before the four were permitted to enter through the double doors that led to the residence quarters. There were two guards outside each of the entrances. They walked nearly to the end of the corridor before stopping in front of a double door entrance.

“These are your new quarters Na-Lin.” Pointing down to the last door, a mere few yards away, Sue spoke. “That is where Eden-Fu resides.”

Na looked down the hall at the two guards standing outside her doors and snorted a short laugh.

“Why do you laugh Na-Lin?” Sue had a slightly annoyed look on her face.

Na smiled at the Director Commander and brought her face close as she spoke.

“It is good that I will be so close to her.” She laughed again as Sue took a step back with a look of dread on her face.

“Open the door Vice Commander…please.”

The Vice Commander did as Sue asked. She pulled the double doors out so that the quarters could be seen in their entire splendor. La pulled her Alpha into the main entrance. This opened up into a living and dining area that was larger than their entire living space and ship bay together!

Floor to ceiling Plexicon windows ran along the wall that gave a view of not only the various levels along both sides of the wide crevasse, but they were close enough to the surface to see the wind blowing snow and ice particles against the very blue sky.

The La was actually bouncing up and down on her one inch heels in excitement. She let go of her Alpha’s arm and went around the large space looking at everything.

“By the Spirit! Look at this view.” La squealed in excitement as she looked out their windows.

Na had a more contained reaction as a dour look crossed her face. ‘A waste of space’ she thought as she looked around. Na turned to their escorts.

“When will Eve be available?”

“Who?” Asked Sue.

“The Executive Director…when?”

“She will be here soon enough. A last minute meeting she had to attend.” The Gen-6 moved closer to the Alpha as if the Vice Commander present didn’t need to hear what was said. “Look, I’ve assigned two of my best Gen-6 operators to your Beta. If you would like more…”

“She is accustomed to my company only and is quite self sufficient. Have there been problems?”

“No Commander…nor do we want there to be. She is extraordinarily attractive which is not her fault. We simply want to avoid any…”

“Incidents?” Na laughed. “I would wish her to be in the company of other Betas. We don’t come to this place any more than we must and I would like for her to see the most. Perhaps she would like to do a bit of shopping. If there are others, as well as your two women, there should be no incidents. Do you agree?”

The Sue smiled and nodded. “I could have my Beta accompany her. Mine would love nothing better and perhaps this will forestall my having to go shopping with her.” She laughed. “Not all of us have the ‘shopping gene.”

Na laughed as did the Commander. Na understood. The last time they were in the hole, La insisted on Na coming with her when she went to choose some new things for their quarters. Though the Alpha couldn’t resist La’s asking, the venture proved to be boring beyond belief.

Although Na did enjoy watching her La select and then try on different pieces of clothing. Na enjoyed the look of glee on the little Beta’s face whenever La would try something on that was pleasing to her Alpha. And she loved watching her Beta turn this way and that; the motion of her body was so enticing.

La even convinced Na to go to a spa with her. La wanted to have some of her Alpha’s thick body hair permanently removed to save her the trouble of shaving it every few days herself. Of course she couldn’t have foreseen what would happen when a Gen-7 Alpha was put amongst so many Betas and lesser Gen Alphas. Na felt somewhat out of place but La stayed by her side the entire time.

“We’ll leave you to yourselves to settle in. There are two Betas that will tend to any needs you have in your quarters so don’t do anything. Simply call upon them. That’s what they’re here for.” The Sue smiled as she began, along with the Vice Commander, to with draw from the quarters.

As soon as the doors were closed, the Beta ran up to her Alpha and threw her arms around her.

“Isn’t this wonderful?” She squealed in delight. “And the view is so fantastic! I wonder how we managed to get this place.”

“Yes. I wonder as well.” Na frowned. ‘They want something’. The Alpha thought to herself. She put her arm around La and hugged her close. Na loved the feel of La’s flesh in her hands as she squeezed her gently. The Beta snuggled into her Alpha’s chest.

Na, with La still clinging on her, began to walk around the room inspecting every little detail. She noticed the stairway leading up to the second floor. They slowly ascended the stairs side by side. The stairway led up to a landing and a hall way the ran back dividing the space equally in half. There were two doors on one side and on double door on the other.

Na opened the double door room first and walked through with La. Again they were immediately met by the large plexicon window that ran across the length of the wall. The entire front was actually a bay that extended out past the wall of the structure giving a truly breathe taking view. Even the flooring in the bay area was composed of the clear material.

“This is truly beautiful Na.” There were tears in La’s eyes as she took in the view. “This is something I might see on the projection. I never believed that I would be in one.”

Na remained silent. She could see the price of her future service going up even more. Whatever they wanted, it was important and not simply a visit to the men again or simply taking another head.

La started to turn to view the rest of the room and Na with her. The space was enormous; far bigger than what they were accustomed to. The bedding platform was huge and covered with a curtained canopy with the curtains secured to the end posts. There was a ceiling mirror over the bed with carved crystal trim. The built in closets contained the few clothing items from their old quarters.

But what truly amazed the Beta was the bathing chamber. There was a great tub in the center of the room; large enough for La and her Alpha. And deep enough to sit in and be massaged by the bubbling jets just beneath the water line. The shower was also out sized with multiple jets on three of the walls. The entire room was finished in marbles of different colors and tiled to the ceiling. There were two sinks as well as two lavs and a series of heat lamps recessed into the ceiling. La stood in the doorway and simply stared, mouth agape, at these fantastic luxuries.

“Eve Enters…Stage Left”

They were interrupted by the chiming of their front door. Na left La to continue her exploring of their new quarters and went down the stairs to see who had come. Upon opening the door, she came face to face with Eve. A smile came to both their faces as Na ushered Ed into the ante way.

Eve took the Alpha into her arms and hugged her. This caught Na somewhat by surprise but she reciprocated.

“Let me look at you Na-Lin.” Eve held onto Na’s arms at arms length and looked her over from head to foot. “You look a bit tired…but other wise well.”

“Yes. I’ve been hearing that lately. But I do feel quite fit.” Na smiled openly.

“And where is that delicious little Beta of yours?” Eve’s sharp blue eyes were darting about the space. Na took hold of Eve’s arm and led her into the room and over to the sitting area in front of the windows.

“She is upstairs inspecting our new quarters.”

They then heard the sound of La’s little feet scrambling down the steps.

“By the spirits this is sooo wonderful. I can’t believe…” She stopped speaking upon seeing Eve. She scurried down the stairs at an even faster pace and ran up to stand beside her Alpha. La was smiling whilst attempting to catch her breath.

“Ah…here you are now. How are you my dear?” Eve’s voice was very throaty and sometimes referred to as ‘smokey’ for it’s deep raspy quality.

She smiled at the Beta with her eyes twinkling. Eve stood taller than La but not as tall as her warrior Alpha. She was almost painfully thin and her large head rested atop her very whispery neck. Eve’s silvery hair was a sharp contrast to her darker skin tone. She wore the slightest hint of color over her eyes.

Aside from being the Executive Director of the city, Eve exhibited the markings of the High Priestess on her chest just above her breasts. She was elegant in her movements and baring and extraordinarily intelligent as a result of her Alpha Gen -5.9 stock.

Eve took hold of the Beta and hugged her after kissing both of La’s cheeks.

“You look positively wonderful my dear.” Eve beamed at La as she held onto the Beta’s arms. “Living in the wilderness with this…this Alpha seems to agree with you.”

La blushed and smiled as she looked up at her Alpha out of the corner of her eyes.

“Yes…I do feel quite well. And this…” La waved her hands around her and glowed with excitement. “…this…is really wonderful. And I love the fashion it’s done in.”

“I attended to the smallest details myself. This Alpha of yours could live happily in a cave!” Eve leaned into La and spoke into her ear. “As you have seen.” She pulled back from the little Beta. “But most of us need a bit more…a splash of color here and there and a sign or two of life.”

They spoke for several moments about various things regarding life in the city until Eve turned to her Gen-7.

“I would have words with you Na-Lin. I have arranged to have our spa reserved for our exclusive use.” Turning toward La the Executive Director spoke again. “I must take your Na-Lin for a bit of time. I understand that the Beta of our Gen-6 commander will be your escort for some shopping.”

“Yes…I am sooo looking forward to that.” La was nearly bouncing on her toes with excitement as she clasped her hands and brought them to her face.

“Then know that you have unlimited credits to procure whatever you desire my dear child. So do enjoy yourself. I will contact your escort when we are finished. Those are the two ladies awaiting you outside of your doors.”

“At the Spa”

The spa was a short walk through the doors of the Director’s quarters. Though there were spas located throughout the city, this one was only for those who sat at the ‘table’ and their guests.

The air hung with the mist of humidity and scented spices and flowers. One could barely make out the forms of the attending Betas or the finest quality stone appointments composing the spa’s inner sanctum; the bath. Having shed their garments in the dressing rooms, the two Alphas, Na-Lin and Eve-Fu, navigated their way to the edge of the steaming pool; the acrid odor of sulfur hardly disguised by the other scents in the air.

“I wish some oil on my back.” Eve looked to Na with a pleasant smile. Na signaled for one of the Betas to come over and apply the oil to Eve’s back. “I wish you to do it Na-Lin.”

Na motioned the Betas away as she picked up the bottle of fragrant natural oil from the pedestal alongside the pool.

“Bring fruit and drink and then leave us.” Eve said with a smile and a wave of her hand. Turning toward Na, she spoke. “I want us completely along when we speak. There are already too many ears in this place and these matters are too…delicate and important for the masses, or our enemies.”

Eve turned her back to Na so that the oil might be applied. Na poured a line of it across Eve’s shoulders, letting the excess run in rivulets down her back. Na’s powerful fingers began to very gently rub the oil in starting from Eve’s elegant long neck. Gently she massaged the oil along that thin column of flesh and bone.

“What do you feel right now Na-Lin?”

“What?”

“Are you tempted to crush the life out of me with those powerful hands? It would be so easy for you to break my neck in as many pieces as you wish.”

The older woman spoke in a soft calm voice. She didn’t look back at Na at all. Na stopped her ministrations. What Eve had asked shocked her. She lifted her hands off Eve’s neck and briefly looked at them, and then back to Eve.

“Why do you say such a thing?’ Na asked more out of curiosity that insult.

“Because there are those who would do so without giving a second thought. Not all of us believe in the ‘Sisterhood”. Eve looked over her shoulder at Na and smiled. “Please continue. That does feel so delicious you know.” Eve closed her eyes and her head tilted forward.

Na continued the treatment down Eve’s slender frame.

“I have decided to terminate the Gen-7 program. You and the remaining eight…”

“I thought there were twelve of us.” Na stopped and absorbed what Eve had just related. “Why are you stopping us?”

Eve turned around and grasped Na’s arm. “Please continue with you ministrations.” Na continued as Eve spoke. “I was searching for something and I do believe I found it. No matter how many we make, there was only one that always survived. And not only survived, but thrived! We lost three yesterday including two from you original group.”

Na worked the slender column of muscles down Eve’s back in a gentle motion. She almost enjoyed the sensation of the oil slicked skin flowing beneath her fingers.

“What will happen to us?”

“What indeed. Oh…that feels so delightful. Please continue.”

Na began to massage the muscular cheeks of Eve’s rump. She worked her thumbs into the tissue following the various muscle groups and nerves.

“Ohhh…ahhh… That is absolutely divine!” Eve had to reach back and place an arm on Na’s shoulder to support herself. She was becoming lost in the sensations Na was creating within her. “That Beta of yours is so very blessed with you. Do you do this for her?”

“We…touch.” A crooked smile came to Na’s face. In fact they spend very little time together not touching.

“Indeed!” Eve laughed. “She is a ripe one. I took a hand personally in her design you know.”

Now Eve began to oil down Na’s body as she revealed more of the roots of both Na and La.

“I had told them it would take something special to please my Na-Lin. So…just as I had taken a hand in you, I did so with your La-Gen. Did you know there’s a bit of me in you?”

“I did not know this.” Na was a bit stunned at this news. She couldn’t image what about her could possible be akin to ED.

“You Gen-7s were my construct. But only you have that bit. A mere few proteins…a touch of genetic dust… In fact I am more the mother to you then that breeder that carried you for eleven months.” ED chuckled at her disclosure.

Na turned around to face her. Suddenly she was the target of more information then she needed; especially this little tidbit.

“What about La?”

Eve, not about to attempt to turn the big Alpha around, began to oil her front. She put some of the viscose liquid in Na’s hands and Na did the same for ED.

“Ah…yes… She calls you Na and you call her La. Na and La. It nearly sounds like music.”

“Music?”

“Ordered sounds…often notated.” Na nodded her head as Eve continued. “So…Na, to answer your question; yes, there is a bit of my Beta in your Beta as well. This is one of the reasons you two are so very compatable.”

Having finished oiling each other, Eve began to descend the steps into the mineral bath with the help of Na’s arm. Once seated, Na joined her. The water was quite hot to Na’s sensibilities and she instantly began to perspire. She quickly dunked herself completely under the water and came up to sit against the stone wall with the water level to her breasts.

Eve took a cloth from the low table next to them and, after rinsing it in the pool, wiped her face down.

“How did your trip go?”

Na, who now was resting her elbows on her thighs, head bent down, turned her head to face Eve.

“There will be war. They were too accommodating. It was as if it didn’t matter what they agreed to.” Na leaned her head back and closed her eyes. She breathed in the hot damp air and felt it clear her nostrils and lungs.

“Yes. They will have help from here and another city state on this world. We will be betrayed by our own gender.”

Na turned her head again and nodded.

“And things are good with your Beta? I wouldn’t want an incident like the one with your first.” Eve’s eyes narrowed and her smile became a bit taut.

Na exploded out of the water in a sudden rage. “I WAS HUNGRY!!!” Her actions and shout startled Eve who pointed her finger at the upset Alpha.

“Sit down NOW!!! Remember where you are and with whom you speak!” Eve’s face bore a rather wry expression as her lips curled. “Nobody’s here to judge you. But these are things that must come out. And the second?”

Na began to wring her hands as she stared off into the water of the pool.

“She annoyed me.”

“So you broke her neck.”

Na looked down at her hands. Eve could see that Na was trying to maintain control of her emotions.

“Yes.”

“And the third?”

Now Na looked at ED. There was a look of curiosity on her face as if she wasn’t sure how to describe what upset her about the third Beta.

“She didn’t smell right. There was something…wrong with her. I don’t know…”

“So you folded her in half, the wrong way I might add, and set her in with the trash.”

Na looked down at her hands again.

“Yes.”

“Well I must tell you that it took us two days to defrost the body so that we might tend to it properly. And the fourth you didn’t even let out of the hanger bay. The poor pilot of the shuttle was so upset with your…treatment of her that she refused to make the run ever again.”

Na nodded.

“And this one is…well…okay.”

“Yes. This one is good.”

“You are quite happy with her.”

“Yes.”

“Do you love her?”

The Alpha looked at Eve with a confused and quizzical expression on her face; almost a scowl. Na didn’t answer so Eve continued.

“And if I said I want her for myself? IN fact, perhaps I wouldn’t even ask you. Perhaps I would simply have her taken. Then what? Would you still obey me? Would you still love me?”

Eve’s finger tips splashed the waters as she watched her Alpha’s completely distressed look over what had just been said. Eve laughed and continued.

“That’s just the reaction I was hoping for!” Her face lighted up with joy and a smile beamed. “You do love her! You might consider telling her sometime. But that is your business. Come…” Ed arose from the pool and turned to exit its waters. “We must leave this pool. There is a time limit on the waters because of the heavy concentration of minerals.”

Na stood and assisted Eve up and out of the water. Eve walked over to take a drink and a piece of fruit from the tray left by the Betas. She then walked over to another pool of scented water and descended the steps into it. Na took the entire tray to the edge of the second pool and placed it near Eve. Then Na entered the much cooler waters and again dunked herself beneath the surface. She came up and took a seat next to Eve.

“Tsk. My poor child.” Eve began to touch the various scars and reminders of past wounds on Na’s body, starting with her face. “Your whole waking life is written on your body. I am sorry for that. But you are what you are.” There was a wistful look on Eve’s face as she continued.

Eve reached up and touched Na’s cheek softly with her hand as she spoke again.

“We must speak…you and I. We must speak as two women, if you will, of equal rank. This little refuge we call Eden…say that word Na. Say ‘Eden’.”

With an almost pained expression on her face Na spoke.

“Eden.”

“This home of ours…Eden…will disappear within your lifetime…maybe even mine.” Na looked at ED with focused concentration. “The ice melts and the bottom of our chasm fills with water. One day we will need to live on the surface. So we must win the coming war. If we lose, the men might very well return and undo what we have created here.”

“What can I do to help?”

“But wait…” Eve held her hand up silencing Na. “…there’s more. Much more.” Eve took a sip of her drink and Na reached for one. “We have another important situation that must be dealt with.”

Na sipped the drink and watched Eve closely. All of this news was on her mind. Na didn’t have any idea of why Eve was telling her all of this. She was, to say the least, worried. She never thought about her future. She never needed to and now that would all change and there was nothing she could do about it.

“Something has been happening with our Gens.” Na turned to face Eve as she spoke. “You said that your third Beta had something wrong with her, correct?” Eve’s eyebrows shot up in query.

“Yes. She…smelled wrong.”

“That was something we…I…should have spotted and didn’t because the difference was too subtle for us to notice.” Eve took another sip of her drink. “About forty years ago, before you came out of cryo, the first one appeared. It was a fetus borne by a breeder that was detected to have both male and female internal reproductive organs. This particular one had a developing…penis. The breeder, of course, had that fetus removed.”

Na stared at Eve with a blank expression as if ‘yes, so what?’ Ed continued.

“At first we thought it to be an anomaly…a freak occurrence. But then one turned up with both sets of organs and a vagina. And then another and another till this became a recordable and significant percentage. Now we have approximately fifteen percent of our young being born this way.”

“Can you fix it?”

“Probably. But we would have to reanalyze the entire genome…again. And I’m not entirely sure this requires ‘fixing’. We’ve found that with those born with a vagina grow into womanhood and the internal testes wither away during puberty. With those born with a penis, they too become sisters and their ovaries desolve around the same time. In either case, both anomalies become female in basic appearance.”

Na was enmeshed in trying to figure out where all this was leading and why ED was relating all of this to her.

“At the moment they are segregated from the general population because of predujice and fear but this can’t go on forever. They need to be bought into the fold…so to speak…or giving their own colony. Right now some of them have already entered our society. They seem to be able to detect one another and they pair up.”

“Are they breeding? Do they mate in the ancient fashion?”

Ed smiled warmly and didn’t answer immediately.

“We don’t know. None have asked to breed as of yet. I suspect they might be attempting just that. The other Directors want to…eliminate those born with a penis, as you might imagine. Just the very thought of them prancing about conjures up images of the horrors before we were able to banish all males. Even though these events occurred a millennium ago, the tales still run rampant whenever the subject might come up.”

Na rubbed the hair on her head. She had a troubled look on her face.

“There is a great fear among some of us that, eventually, there will be the birth of regular males…without ovaries…and that the horrid cycle of dominance will begin anew. This cannot happen under any circumstances.”

“So the Beta was…both sexes? And that’s why she smelled…strange?”

“She was born with both male and female internal organs but with a vagina. All are born of a general female mold. The genetics are there. That they are mutating is really a factor of life. But yes! You would be able to detect them by the output of pheromones. And you did. But now you mustn’t take action in the manner you did; at least not here.”

“I understand.”

“Do you really!” Eve smiled and her blue eyes flashed. “So tell me.”

“If they are capable of breeding on their own, and the breeding produces successfully offspring, a female form with either male or female sexual organs, then the Gen program, and the breeder program, will no longer be necessary. Many things will change.”

“You are my child.” Eve laughed, reached over, and pulled Na’s face closer to kiss her forehead. “Yes, many things will change. And we will need to change with them. That is why you are here today.” Eve turned her body and clasped both of Na’s hands in her own. “We must win this conflict at all costs. If we lose, we all lose dearly. Everything we’re worked for and become will be dashed into a thousand broken pieces.”

Eve’s eyes began to well up as she continued.

“We then must prepare to move to the surface as soon as it is possible. We can begin to plan now and slowly do it; or we can wait until it’s too late to save everything. And we must make these…’new’ women a part of the Sisterhood as rapidly as possible.

“Also…I am becoming tired of my rule here. I’ve been a Director for more than sixty years and Executive Director for forty five of those years. I need somebody with the fortitude to help me see these things through to completion. There will be a vacancy at the table; a place for a new Director with the new title of Assistant Executive Director.”

Eve leaned in closely to Na’s face. She looked directly into Na’s eyes and smiled.

“I need you, Na-Lin, to take this job, and to some day replace me.”

“You haven’t heard a single word I’ve said!”

La looked down at her Alpha. She was so excited about her day of shopping with Lilith, the Commander’s Beta. It had been too long since she had the company of another Beta to share her thoughts with. And the things she procured! La was holding a silk blouse that she had gotten for her Alpha. It was a long sleeved pull over with billowy sleeves and a scalloped collar.

Na looked up briefly and then back down at her hands. Her Beta slung the blouse over her shoulder and knelt down between Na’s legs. La took Na’s face in her hands and kissed her on the forehead and then on the lips.

“What is the matter?” La asked softly. Na often responded more frequently if the question was asked in a soft register.

“She has a new job for me.” Na looked up at La.

“And?”

“And I…we…will need to move here.” Na looked back down at her hands.

“Did you say yes?”

“Not yet.”

“Why not?”

“Because I wanted to speak with you first.” Na looked up into La’s eyes. “What do you think about being here?” Tears welled up in La’s eyes.

“I only want to be where you are.” She reached around the Alpha’s slim waist and hugged her as tightly as she could. Na brought her arm around La and pulled her gently into her chest. “What will you tell her?”

“What can I tell her…” Na nuzzled the top of her Beta’s head and neck. “…after all…it is Eve’s hole.”

More Coming Soon!