---

“Afternoon Delight”

The big Alpha pulled La onto her lap, still nuzzling her neck.

“What else did she say?” La giggled as she spoke. The breathing of her Na was tickling her neck and ears. Na sat up and turned La’s face toward her own. Na touched La’s forehead with hers and spoke.

“She said I loved you and that I should tell you. I’m not sure what it means. But Eve is never wrong.” Na paused for a moment and closed her eyes. She rubbed her cheek against La’s. “Is that good?” Na whispered in La’s ear and then nipped at her ear lobe.

“Yes…that’s very good.” La kissed her on the lips gently. Na had a lost look in her eyes and furrowed her brow.

“I thought that she was going to take you from me.” Na closed her eyes tightly and her lips grew taut as she remembered how she felt. “It felt like…pain.” A tear dropped from Na’s eye as she tapped her breast. “She asked if I still would follow her, even if she took you.”

La placed her hands on Na’s cheeks and licked her tear. She was amazed at what she was hearing from her Alpha. Na never spoke like this before; letting La know what was in her heart.

“What did you tell her?” La asked as she kissed Na’s face. The tears flowed freely now.

“I didn’t know what to say. I felt all of these…things. It’s as if…” Na couldn’t think of how to describe her feelings. “…she asked for my right arm. For a moment I felt like…killing her.”

La was amazed at what she was hearing from her Alpha. She wiped away Na’s tears with her hands and then hugged her head to her breasts. The last time La saw Na’s tears was when she injured her shoulder. La couldn’t image how much pain Na must have felt.

“Ssshhh… I would never let that happen to us. I would not let anything, or anyone, take me from you. La was on the verge of tears as she spoke. “I hate seeing you upset like this. Let’s not speak of this any more. Let it go.”

“I really don’t understand all of this.”

“Don’t even try. Just feel what you feel.” Amid her own feelings, La giggled. “I do that all the time. Sometimes things feel so right…like between us? And it hurts. So I cry even though I’m really happy, you know?”

The Alpha nodded her head. Now she understood why her La cried so often. Na hugged her Beta even more snuggly as she began to calm herself.

“She told me the name of this place.”

“You didn’t know?”

“I didn’t care. It wasn’t important. She also told me her name.” La giggled at this. “I really don’t want to live in this hole. It is a grave to me. I belong up top…in the wilderness. There are no rules…except to live.”

La swiveled around to straddle Na’s legs. She threw her hands around her Alpha’s thick neck and smiled at her. La couldn’t tolerate seeing her Na in such pain. La could see that she was lost with these turns of development. She also knew the one thing that would distract her Na from these thoughts. She thought this her lone reason for existence anyway.

“Whatever you decide, I will be with you. Whatever you do, I will do with you. Where ever you live, I will live with you. You did not choose me. I chose you.”

She kissed Na as if it was to be their last; first her lips and then her neck. La slowly kissed her way down to each of Na’s breast; suckling on one nipple and then the other.

“Mmmm… Ohhh…” Na’s throaty sounds were reminiscent of a great cat purring in delight and euphoria at having its belly rubbed or ears scratched. Na leaned back against the couch as his Beta slowly kissed and licked and nipped her way down her hard muscled body.

Stopping only long enough to tease and suck on Na’s navel; eliciting a tremor than seemed to shake her entire body, La finally nuzzled the dark thick and downy soft pubic hair of her fragrant mound. Na reflexively lifted her legs and gently placed then over La’s shoulders.

“This is not fair.” Na’s breath was getting rapid as her excitement increased. “You know I cannot resist you.” La looked up and grinned at her Alpha.

“Fair? Fair has nothing to do with this.” She then lowered her head and ran the tip of her tongue along the lips of Na’s musky vagina; tasting the fragrant wetness that had already begun to seep.

As the Alpha’s lips blossomed open with several more passes of the Beta’s warm wet tongue, La suddenly pursed her lips and sucked up the distended clit of her Na and very firmly and slowly licked the tip. She felt Na tense as her first orgasm rapidly built. Suddenly Na’s body became rigid and then exploded into spasms so violent that La was barely able to continue her ministration to completion. The accompanying roar of her mate no doubt was heard in the hallway by their attending guards.

La knew that unlike her, Na was only capable of five or six very powerful orgasms before becoming too sensitive to touch. The first was always the quickest but the others followed in not too long a succession. La, inversely, was capable of numerous peaks of ecstasy and twenty or more was not uncommon. And many of those were achieved rapidly. The two quite often left one another totally exhausted and barely able to move once they gave themselves to the passion of the other.

They would often lie side by side afterward, holding hands, in an effort to regain their breath whilst savoring the taste and scent of the other long after their lusts were slaked. But tonight would be different. La had ulterior motives for getting her beloved Alpha’s mind off of the mysteries of new emotions. La wished to go out into the night and experience the culinary and other sensual pleasures that the city state of Eden had to offer.

Too often their visits were made in haste and with predetermined purpose. Gen-7s were not exactly a welcomed sight amongst the more peaceful and placid denizens of Eden. Indeed their very presence was cause for extreme security measures. The noise, the crowds, the bright lights were all negative stimuli for the solitary inhabitants of the frozen wilderness of the surface. Because weapons were forbidden in the city, the Gen-6 security teams had to rely on crowd control and intelligent recommendations for evening pleasures.

Generally the Gen-7s were quite happy to remain in their quarters for the brief time spent on Eden but their Betas often wanted to take advantage of what little time was available to socialize with other Betas and perhaps procure the odd home improvements or a quick purchase of something new to adorn themselves for their Gen-7s.

---

“Dinner at eight”

Na and La decided to take the shuttle across the void to the upper levels of the arcade. The crowds would be negligible, the lighting more…romantic, and the ambiance suited to the upper echelons of the city’s leadership.

As they strolled along the outer walkway, the Beta on the shop side holding her Alpha’s hand, Na noticed the great physical diversity of the other couples encountered. There was a virtual rainbow of skin and hair colors. Facial features were as wide ranging as the imagination of Eden’s geneticists imagination.

Clothing styles were as varying as the features of those being adorned and, in some instants, totally optional. But in one aspect, everybody was the same; they eyed the unusual pair of women with curiosity, and on some faces, fear.

Inversely, La’s attention was completely captured by the wares of the shop windows. Every so often she would stop and cause her Alpha to unavoidably jerk her arm as Na continued oblivious to La’s captured interest. Na would come to La’s side and quickly glance at what La had seen. Finally, after a ten minute walk, they ventured upon the restaurant Sue had mentioned.

“This is the place I was told about.” La was quite excited. Her palette had demanded something new and different. “The food is quite colorful and placed beautifully on the plate.” She couldn’t forget what truly engrossed Na’s attention at meals. “And it is very exclusive. I was told only Gen-5.5 and greater were able to afford to eat here.”

“We eat where we please.” Na was not interested in where, or even what she ate although she had become quite accustomed to La’s preparations. Na took her Beta around the waist and touched her forehead to that of La’s. Her eyes were closed. “As long as I am with you, I don’t care where that might be.”

They were immediately met inside by a slender well manicured woman whose gaze was fixed upon Na. She had never seen a Gen-7 before. She smiled mechanically at Na thought her eyes were afire with a growing desire. Na could smell her arousal and her crooked half smile appeared as she intensely gazed into the woman’s eyes.

“We wish to eat. Something…private would be good. I do not want us to be gazed at while we eat.”

The woman visibly trembled with excitement as Na spoke. They were seated in an alcove away from general view though all eyes were on them as they were led to their table. The woman assisted La by pulling out her chair for her and then placing a linen cloth over her lap.

“I really don’t care for the way she was looking at you!” La hissed her words. Her face was reddened and she glared at her Alpha. “And she’s an Alpha!!!”

“And if I took the head of all who eyed you as if they would commune on the spot…” Na laughed. “…we could be tracked by the bodies left behind us.” Na reached across the table and grasped La’s hand. “Listen…would that Alpha do my bidding before I even knew what I wanted? Would she commune with me…or any other…Alpha or Beta…as you? Would any other comfort me as you?”

La smiled and blushed. She gently squeezed her Alpha’s hand.

“Only me. No one else would put up with you.” She chuckled.

“Anyway, we are little more to them than freaks. They would commune as a novelty and then leave us; as if I would even have ANY of them!” Na was no longer smiling and indeed La recognized the anger that flashed in her eyes.

Their server came up to the table and handed them plexicon menus. She looked at both of them and smiled but her smile didn’t hide the flashing excitement in her eyes. Telling Na and La that she would be taking their drink orders, La asked for a white wine and ordered a fruit drink for her Alpha. Na looked at the various dishes being offered. She rapidly moved her finger along the screen. La watched with a smile on her face and adoration in her heart.

“Do you see something you might like?”

“I don’t know…” Na grumbled. “…it all looks…different. Which is the meat?” La smiled at her and reached across to grasp Na’s hand.

“Let me order for you. I know what you would like.”

Na looked up at her with a sad expression on her face. “I wish I could taste more things like you do. And I don’t know how these things are called.” She laid her menu down. Maybe Eve can give me more…”

“You have other gifts you know.” La smiled warmly and giggled. “I have never seen anyone with as sensitive a nose.” La cocked head to the side and reached up to touch Na’s cheek. “And it is such a cute little nose. And certainly nobody can see the way you see. You see things…that are not visible to most women.” Na glanced downward and nodded.

The server came and La ordered for both of them. She was all smiles and complimented La on her mode of dress. La had planned for them to be dressed in a similar manner. The white silk poet’s blouse she has so wanted to show to Na before she became engrossed with the emotional disclosures fitted wonderfully and suited them both.

Indeed the garments allowed them both to exhibit a bit of cleavage which was such a tease in public. At home clothing was often optional and of the moment. And her Alpha was more often in her silks, fatigues or environment suits than not. The form fitting black linen trousers Na wore were definitely a wonderful novelty and she did love the way the materials felt against her hairless body. And it was a complement to La’s ankle length wide sweep black linen skirt and, of course, her sensible black patent ballet flats.

“You both make such a beautiful couple.” The server turned and left with there order.

“She is cute.” La commented.

“They’re all cute…or beautiful. That’s the way they were made. Everybody is perfect, at least physically. I think it’s…” Na leaned in so that she had only La’s ear. “…stupid.”

“Why? Would you have bothered with me if I were…ugly?” La was quite surprised at Na’s statement.

“It wasn’t your beauty that caught my attention. It was your wisdom and your kindness.” Na reached for her hands. “I was not easy, and there were moments when I was...I was tempted to…” La leaned closer and kissed Na on the lips silencing her.
They were in the midst of their own little world when those around them began to rise from their seats. All stood and faced the entranceway as they came in. First, the two tall, fit, Mother Superiors led the way followed by Eve, and then four Sisters of the Order. They walked to the table where Na and her Beta sat and were nearly upon them when Na heard the foot steps behind her and turned to look. She started to rise, as did La when Eve spoke.

“Please…sit down.” She waved them back before they could fully stand in her presence as was the custom. “My favorite children…together. May I join you? I always dine at eight and I decided to have a bit of food out.”

“Oh yes!!! Please do!!!” La was genuinely excited to see Eve again. She waved over the servers that had made themselves available for whatever the Executive Director desired. “Let’s pull another table over.” And she moved to grab the nearest one but a server bid her stop and two others accomplished the task. A setting was placed and Eve sat down next to Na.

“So Na…did you do what I asked?” Eve smiled and placed the linen on her lap as she looked at Na.

“Yes. I told her.” Na smiled her half smile.

“She told me twice really.” La giggled.

“And you my dear child!” Eve turned her smile toward La. “You are an absolute gift; a dream; a blessing!” La had a stunned look on her face. To receive such notice from someone as important as Eve was truly an honor. She blushed and lowered her eyes. “I give you unlimited credits and what do you do? You by a few things for your Alpha, a few things for yourself, and you still manage to spend less than what a Gen-5.1 earns in a day!” Eden laughed.

“There wasn’t anything we really needed…maybe a new long knife for Na?” La blushed.

“That’s what I mean sweet heart.” Eve leaned into the table and La brought herself a bit closer. “If I had given that to the Commander’s wife, she would have been at the crystal shop before I could finish speaking. And she would have bought only the best.” Eve laughed.

“She did take me there first. But…” La shrugged her shoulders and smiled.

They sat back as their foods began to arrive. Evidentially Eve had one of the Mother Superiors call ahead to arrange when and what the Executive Director wished upon her arrival. All three watched as their individual dishes were placed in front of them.

“Ahhh…this looks so…good.” Na was picking at a purple and green slice. Then she brought her nose down to the plate to smell it. La was quite accustomed to this sort of action but Eve hadn’t really noticed it before.

“Here child, let me show you something.” Eve then lifted her fork, speared the vegetable, and held it up under Na’s nose. “Isn’t this much easier?” Eve smiled.

Na looked at her and nodded. Then she pulled the vegetable off the fork and put it in her mouth. Eve chuckled and La giggled a bit. They had no real need of silver ware and though La was knowledgeable in general regarding table and eating etiquette, Na knew little if any.

“It tastes good.” Na smiled. Looking at La, she added; “Not as good as when you make it though.” Na turned to Eve. “She puts it on…” Na was trying to remember the word.

“Bread?” La offered.

“Yes. She puts it on bread and adds more oil.” Na turned back to La and smiled at her. “What is the purple piece? How is it called?”

“It’s called an egg plant.” Na repeated the word. “Maybe I will be able to show you a whole one.” La smiled as she watched Na eat everything piece by piece with her fork.

“So…dear Na-Lin, have you spoken to your lovely Beta?” Na nodded without missing a bite. “And your answer?” Na looked briefly up into La’s eyes. She smiled, blinked, and, with the slightest motion, nodded once.

“Yes. But…” Na took another bite of food.

“Ah…there’s always a ‘but’…this is the first from you though.” Eve’s smile remained as her eyes sharpened as she turned her head to watch Na. Na didn’t even look up from her food.

“I want to be able to taste more.” Eve broke out in a laugh. Women sitting at other tables looked to see their highest official openly laughing and seemingly enjoying herself.
Na looked up into her eyes.

“You must forgive me my sweet child…” She leaned over and kissed Na’s head. Eve then gently stroked Na’s hair. Na closed her eyes and leaned her head into the stroking. “There is nothing I can do for you. This is the way you were constructed.” Eve’s voice was gentle and muted so that only the three could hear what was being said.

“Your limited range of taste allowed you to consumer things that others couldn’t, and shouldn’t. Your limited taste allowed you to thrive in the wilderness; eating the remains of other animals that had died for reasons other than your long knife. Isn’t there anything else you desire?”
Na looked down, took a deep breath, exhaled, and look to La with a questioning look in her eyes.

“La wishes to breed.” La’s face lighted up as Na spoke. Again Eve laughed. This time there was great joy in her laughter.

“Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to see that. I will make the stain myself. And from both of you…”

“But she should be able to taste more than me.” Eve took Na’s hand in hers and kissed it.

“Of course my dear sweet child; your child will receive all the gifts you both have to offer. I promise that.” Turning toward La, Eve spoke to her. “There is one slight complication though. There is a new and very important requirement. You must accept a ‘new’ girl into your home and make her a part of your family.” Turning toward Na, Eve spoke again. “We are designating them Deltas.”

Eve now glanced at them both. She was gauging their response. Na looked at La. There was surprised look on Na’s face and a questioning look on La’s.

“You didn’t mention anything to her.”

Na shook her head. “I didn’t think it would be necessary.” La reached over and took Na’s hand in hers. She smiled and spoke gently and calmly.

“Maybe you should tell me now.”

Na looked at Eden who smiled and nodded.

“There has been a new mutation that has been occurring.” She went on to explain what Eve had told her. These children were without parents and the wards of the city. Na told La about how they were born with both sex organs but that one was dominant. All were gendered women except for the one part of their body that identified their sex.

Eve looked at Na. She knew what was on the Alpha’s mind.

“These are children Na-Lin. They are OUR children. All of us have the responsibility of keeping them well, even if their breeders won’t. Whether these Delta girls can breed on their own or not, we must make them a part of us; of our sisterhood. We must make their journey through life here on our world, in our city, as joyous and as wonderful as our own has been.”

Eden took a deep breath and collected her thoughts.

“It will be the law soon. It is important that we, the upper echelon of our society, show the way. The rest will follow because of their biological needs and all future births of this kind will stay with their breeders. Other wise they won’t be permitted that particular blessing.”

“Which are the most difficult to situate?”

Eve smiled and looked at La.

“My sweet child, I don’t know. You would be among the first. I would imagine that those with the male…equipment… Yes…those would be the toughest.”

“Then that is what we will have.” La giggled.

“La?” Na was at a loss for words. She couldn’t understand why La would want one of those. La, still handing Na’s hand, turned to her.

“These are children. They are blessings. Some women have decided to reject these blessings and it’s our good luck to take one for ourselves. You need not fear them.”

The server approached with their main courses. Once again the trio sat back as she set their plates in front of them. As soon as she left, almost as if on cue, the three converged again. This time it was Na who spoke.

“It’s like I said before…” She spoke to La. “It’s we who are the freaks here. And to take in one of these…these…children would only make us more so.”

There was a touch of anger in her voice as she spoke. Na looked down at the roasted round objects on her plate. She plunged her fork into one and lifted it toward her nose.

“Mmmm… This smells very good! You never made this before.” She took a bite out of it. “It tastes like chicken!” Na said with a grin. “What is it?”

Before La could answer, Na bit into the skin, meat, and then bone and began to chew. Both Eden and La giggled as Na chewed and swallowed only to repeat the action again with a tearing motion of her head and teeth.

“It is chicken.” La giggled.

“It tastes…like chicken…but different.” Na was alight with surprise.

“Yes…well…this one’s dead and someone’s bothered to cook it.” Eve added sarcastically with a somewhat sour expression on her face which was lost on Na. She simply continued to eat. La did giggle though.

“When can we get one?” La was still thinking about what Eve had said. She also wanted to distract her from watching Na…feed. Na didn’t care to be watched when she ate anyway. Eve turned to La and, between fork bites of food, she spoke.

“I thought you would be the one for this.” Eve smiled warmly at the Beta. Eve turned and lightly slapped the Alpha’s hand startling her. “And as for your information my dear child, we are all freaks. None of us existed before a stain was made, and all of us were engineered for particular reasons and particular purposes.”

“What you will do…what both of you will do is more important than anything done in the past. If these special children can breed, a new age will begin. No more stains. Mother Nature will have had the last word and a new race of beings, all female and all capable of communing and breeding will be upon us. And you two will be the first to take one of these fabulous creatures into your home and bring her into our sisterhood with dignity and honor.”

Na and La were very touched by Eve’s spirited and emotional words. La knew that this was something she couldn’t refuse. Her inner spirit wouldn’t let her even think that some child went unwanted. And Na…well…she had faith in her Beta and in Eve. If they both thought this the right thing to do, then who was she to say ‘no’?

The server came with a trolley to clear their table. Na had not only finished her meal, but also the remains of La’s and Eve’s. Eve remarked that someone like Na should be in every home to clean up the remains of the meal. Na, her face and hands covered with bits of her meal, looked to her Beta with a helpless expression on her face.

Normally, as a prelude to communing after a meal, La would lick Na’s hands and face clean. But that could prove a bit…dicey…getting her Alpha too excited in public. Na was already licking her fingers clean as the Beta grabbed her hand bag, excused herself and got up from her seat. Na watched and knew that this action was for her benefit as La shook her head at Na’s attempt to clean her hands.

“She’s just like a child; a very big, very dangerous child.” Eve chuckled as she grabbed her purse and stood to join them. As the three walked to the lounge, La holding Na’s hand, the four Sisters accompanying the party followed a discreet distance behind.

The lounge was as sculpted as the restaurant with carved marble fixtures and sconces and gold faucets with motion sensors. The women walked to the sinks to wash and refresh themselves. Na, because of her very large frame, needed more space then the other two so there was a basin separating them on either side. It wasn’t fun to be accidentally elbowed by a large Alpha Gen-7.

Na stared at her image as she washed her hands. She couldn’t help but notice her square jaw and angular features as opposed to the women on either side of her. She scowled as she finished and began to cup her hands to wet her face.

“Let me do that.” La looked at her Alpha, wet linen in hand. “I will show you how to do this in public.” Na’s naíve look opened La’s heart, as it usually does, and as Na turned to face her Beta, La stood up on her toes and kissed Na. “Mmmm…you taste like chicken!” La giggled as she spoke and brought a smile to her Alpha’s dour expression.

“Ahhh… Now that’s what I love to see; children playing nicely. You two do warm my heart.” Eve watched as La gently wet Na’s face with her cloth.

La then put some body wash from the gold dispenser onto the cloth and wiped away the remains of the meal from her mouth and surrounding area. Then again once more to remove the wash and a quick pat dry. Na’s eyes never left La’s and her large hands gently rest on La’s shoulders. La ran her fingers up the sides of Na’s hair; fluffing it out a bit.

“Please let me try this. I want to merely put a bit of color on your lips.”

La turned and reached into her hand bag on the counter top to retrieve a lip color she purchased that day specifically for her Alpha. She knew that Na would be more…amenable to something new after she fed. Na stood facing La with a questioning look on her face.

“Do like this.” La smiled as she opened her mouth slightly and pursed her lips just a bit.

Na complied and her Beta touched her lower lip gently and applied a single slight coat of the deep burgundy red color. La did the same for Na’s upper lip. Then La, looking into her Alpha’s eyes, rubbed her lips together twice. Na repeated the movement and turned to view herself in the mirror.

“Lovely.” Eve grinned. “That’s a perfect color for you dear.” Turning to La, Eve held her hand out. “Let me try that. Our skin tones are not that different.

Na could feel the lipstick, and she could certainly smell the scent, but she couldn’t taste anything at all. Her licked her lips once and stared at her image. She forced a smile and then looked at La.

“I think I look silly.”

“There is nothing wrong with a bit of color.” Eve spoke as she applied some to her lips. “There is nothing wrong with looking your best for your Beta you know. We all do a little something.” She handed the lipstick to Na who grasped it in her hand and looked at the tube with curiosity. “Maybe it’s a new hair style; or a new coloration; or a new scent. But we all should do something.”

Na began to put the tube in her trouser pocket but La stopped her and took the tube.

“It’ll melt in your pocket.” She smiled as she replaced it in her purse. “We must get you something to carry like this lest you fill your pockets with things.”

The three then headed to the exit. The Sisters stood outside the exit along with several women with the look of discomfort and annoyance on their faces.

“Oh this is ridiculous! Must we do this every time I’m out and about? Really!” Eve was annoyed that the Sisters prevented anyone else from entering the lounge when she had the need to attend to ‘private’ business, or to freshen herself. “I truly apologize for your inconvenience.” She spoke with true sympathy on her face. “I am so very sorry. Please…” She swept her hand toward the entrance.

The two Mother Superiors got up as the group approached and gathered their purses. Eve and La thanked their server and the owner of the restaurant who had appeared to greet them. Evidentially this was one establishment that Eve did make avail of from time to time.

The other patrons stood as the group made their way to the exit. Eve motioned with her hands to sit again with a benevolent smile and twinkling eyes. She stopped twice to greet women she obviously knew and ‘played’ the political role she so despised. Finally they were out on the walkway.

As they strolled leisurely toward the transport, Eve put her arm around La and drew her nearer.

“I am so thrilled by what you have done with our Na-Lin.” La blushed. “I can see that you are totally captivated and infatuated in her company. You do commune often?”

La was a little startled by Eve’s blunt question and blushed quite profusely. She nodded her assent.

“Good! You know, I haven’t taken a Beta since my dear sweet Moura departed this world. But I did something special for you.”

La looked quite surprised that someone as important as Eden would take extra care in her construct.

“I put a healthy pinch of her into you. I had hoped that you would be able to bring certain…how shall I put this…” Eve touched the side of La’s head with her own. “… qualities…out in our Na-Lin.”

“Why did you do that?” La was truly curious about what made her so special. Eve took hold of Na’s arm and drew her close as well. She took a deep breath to collect her thoughts.

“In ancient times, the parents…and this was when males were still around…in most cases…parents wanted to leave a bit of themselves in their children. By that, I mean they tried to make their children like themselves as the little ones were growing up. They would do this by instilling the lessons from their own experiences into these young ones.”

Eve paused for a moment before speaking again.

“The only problem was that these parents taught them to ‘do as I say, not as I do’. Do you understand thus far?” She looked at La, who nodded her head, and at Na, who remained stoic. “This created quite a bit of derision between child and parent because, as you know quite well, times do change. What is moral and ethical one day is no longer either the next.”

“Yes. I understand this. Your speaking about the Delta girls and wanting to have them be a part of the Sisterhood.”

Though this was not exactly what Eve was speaking of, she nodded; it was close enough.

“What would eventually happen is that the children, as they grew, would find things quite different then they were told; or at least some of them did. And they would rebel against what they envisioned as those who controlled their lives. Society in general was out of sync. Father pitted against son and daughter against mother and children against parents. We have simply found a way of transferring the truly desirable characteristics into our young through genetic engineering so that certain predispositions could be carried forward, and others not.”

“I see…” La understood what was being said. “So while I have certain of your Beta’s qualities, both physically and otherwise, I am still a different person than she was because of my experiences.”

Eve kissed her cheek and broadly smiled.

“Yes. While I can see in you that which was hers, you are without a doubt a different woman; not better, not worse, simply different. In essence, you are the children of my beloved Beta and me; as well as other that came before. I would like to think that each generation of stains becomes better than the one before it. And I know that each Gen works well with the prior Gens because we worship those traits that make us individuals as well as those that liken us.

“While we might all be physically beautiful, we are so in many different ways. No two of us are alike. No two have the exact same dispositions and abilities. We may be close…but not perfect matches. We live longer, live healthier, are more productive, we play harder, and we honor communion with others; or choice mates.”

“Then why did you make me the way that I am?” Na frowned as she spoke. Although she wasn’t angry, she was happy either. “I am not beautiful like the others. My face is…crude. I do not have curves like my Beta, or any other Alpha or Beta. And I am so…big.” Na’s head was down staring at the floor.

The three stopped. Eve and La could here the plaintive sound of Na’s voice. La came around and stood in front of her, hands on her hips.

“Tsk…” La rolled her eyes. “You may not be like any other here…except maybe another Gen-7, but even then you are so very different. I see such beauty in you. The manner in which you treat me is so very gentle and loving; even if you don’t understand that word. And I love you body. By the Spirits there is sooo very much of you to touch and…commune with. And our communions are so very strong and fulfilling. I wouldn’t want one hundred other Alphas…or Betas. Only you.”

“She is right.” Eve lifted Na’s chin gently with her finger tips till their eyes met. “You don’t realize this because you have spent so much of your life in the wilderness and not among you sisters. We must do something for you.” Then turning to La she spoke again. “We must do something for you both.” Eve hugged them both around the waist. “We hug one another here. We touch all the time. We kiss in greeting and in departure. We are not afraid to feel what we feel and to exhibit those feelings in having a good cry; when we feel good or bad, or maybe simply to give vent to those things that make us women.”

“She cries often.” Na smiled…finally. “Even when she is not in pain. This is true. I have once as well. Though I didn’t understand it.”

“Well that settles it. You…” Eve looked at Na. “You will need to go into cryo for a week…maybe less. You need to have a few of your ‘edges’ rounded as well as learn a few new skills for life here in Eden.” She then turned toward La. “And you…” Eve pointed her finger and smiled at the Beta. “…will go into cryo because you will drive all around you crazy until this one…” Eve cocked her head at Na. “…is releashed. Anyway…” She took them both around the waist as they began to walk again. “…you will learn a few things to make life here easier for your Alpha…and yourself.”

They walked to the shuttle to take them across the crevasse and boarded. The ride across was only a minute of two. Then they had a short walk to their quarters. The four Sisters parted company with the group but not before blessing them all and receiving a blessing in return. The two Mother Superiors trailed behind as the trio entered the security booth.

As they walked down the long corridor to their quarters, each pair of guards came to attention and saluted them.

“Maybe we should stay with you.” Na looked at the guards lining the corridor outside every door.

“Why would you want to do that?” Eve was surprised and suddenly understood. “You think we are in danger, don’t you?’

Na simply nodded. Eve laughed.

“Those guards are the bone I needed to throw to the dogs.”

Na and La had a questioning and confused look on their faces.

“It’s an ancient expression. Throw a bone to a dog and it keeps it from being annoying. I had to bring those guards here because the Directors are quite frightened by your close proximity to their…heads.” Eve laughed again.

Na smiled and understood. “They really have nothing to fear from me, unless they are a threat to you.”

“I know that. But they don’t and I would enjoy keeping it that way. They give me less trouble if they are thinking of other things.”

“Like keeping their heads.” Na laughed.

“Exactly!” Eve smiled and her eyes glistened with spirit.

They walked to Eve’s quarters first. They hugged and kissed, well…La and Eve hugged and kissed and Eve hugged Na who was somewhat at a loss of what to do in return. Na did gently rub her head against Eve’s. The two Mother Superiors preceded Eve into her quarters.

In nearly a whisper, Eve confided to them. “They commune with each other and, on those rare occasions, with me.” Eve said with a wicked smile and a gleam in her eyes. “I do dine at eight usually so do feel free to knock on the door or call anytime you would care for a bit of company.” Eve took Na and La’s hand. “I really mean that.” She then turned and walked in closing the door in her wake.

“I am a bit tired.” Said Na as she placed her arms around her Beta and swiftly lifted her up and into those very powerful arms. La squealed in delight and giggled.

“I can see that!” Her smile was bright as she threw her arms around Na’s neck and drew her face closer as La’s eyes closed and lips pursed for the kiss.

Na carried her the few meters to their quarters as the guards opened the doors. Their lips didn’t part the entire time.

More Ice Tiger soon!

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