Chapter 27

From the Tara Ardclár Flight Operations building Sarah, Siobhan, Keriann, Kathryn, Amy, and Maureen watched PBM02 and IBM04 cruisers land then move to a parking place on the adjacent ramp. As soon as the two ships parked, they stepped outside.

When the door of PBM02 opened Carzekote said, “Aah, fresh air.” Those around her chuckled. “Well, it smells different.”

“It should,” replied Gilconte. “It has allergens and fragrances that the ship’s air doesn’t contain and they are different than those of our home world. To me the best part of space travel is putting my feet back on the surface of a planet. It always feels more substantial.”

“Well it is,” responded Kara with a smile. “Are we ready?”

“What about our luggage?” queried Othalkinze as they walked toward the waiting Councilors.

“It will be taken to where you will be staying.”

“I sure hope I packed up all my stuff,” laughed Carzekote.

Lynn said, “If anything is found, it will be sent to your room. If that is not possible, you will be notified. Currently we are scheduled to use this ship for our return but it will be serviced while we are here.”

The Councilors greeted everyone with, “Good morning and welcome to Tara Ardchlár on planet Ananu’s Gaillimh Isle,” when the groups reached them.

Kara replied, “Councilors it is a pleasure to be home. With us are Carzekote, Othalkinze, and Gilconte from Atewa World.” Each guest gave a slight bow as they were named.

Sharon said, “Councilors we to are pleased to be home. With us are Ecarzoe, Delmkoe, and Kistanria from Monque World.” As their names were spoken each also gave a slight bow.”

“Again, welcome,” responded the Councilors. “Let’s go inside where it is a little quieter.”

Inside the operations building Sarah said, “My name is Sarah. With me are Siobhan, Maureen, Kathryn, Keriann, and Amy. Each of us represents a clan; as soon as we’ve finished exchanging greetings two more clans will join us. They will be your hosts for today. Our plans are for them to show you around Tara Ardchlár, the location of your accommodations, and assist you in finding answers to any questions you have. Kara’s and Sharon’s Clans will rejoin you at some point during this.

“This evening an informal reception will be held prior to dinner which will give you the opportunity to meet the other members of our clans. Currently two of our Councilor Clans are visiting another system so they will not be with us this evening. Now let’s complete greeting each other.”

With that Carzekote stepped toward Sarah and gave her a deep bow, which Sarah returned. As they stood up Sarah reached out to Carzekote intending to grasp her hand. At the same time, Carzekote stepped toward Sarah and hugged her. Sarah was surprised as she had expected the greetings to be more formal, but as she hugged Carzekote back she felt the sincerity that Carzekote intended to convey. During the hug Sarah noticed Kara and Kaelee smiling and nodding.

Sensing Sarah’s surprise Kara said, “Sarah, we are not totally surprised as we’ve often greeted them with hugs, well maybe not at first. Even so I am a little amazed by her action.”

“It is fine. I just expected to be more formal.”

“As did we.”

After a moment, Sarah and Carzekote stepped apart then Carzekote said, “I hope I was not too familiar but a hug seemed to be very appropriate.”

“You did the right thing as I like hugs. In fact I think all of us prefer them as we often greet each other that way. As to appropriate, I think it was quite so. Do you always follow your instincts?”

Blushing Carzekote replied, “No, and probably not often enough.”

“We should meet the others as I am sure that we will have many opportunities to chat during your stay.”

“Yes. I will look forward to that.”

With expectation of formality cast aside everyone followed Sarah’s and Carzekote’s example and exchanged hugs as they greeted each other. The hugs between the Councilors and their two teams were especially intense.

When they finished greeting the arrivals Siobhan said, “Does anyone have any questions?”

Gilconte said, “During our approach a comment was made indicating that the Atewa and Monque Fleets were using the other side of the ramp. We know that the Fleet is building a maintenance facility in this system, but why is there an allocation of ramp space?”

Keriann responded, “When they inquired about somewhere for their crews to relax, we invited them to join us in using our recreation and entertainment areas. These are located mostly in the northwest quadrant of our settlement. As you will see on your tour, there is a large area with temporary accommodations in the southwest quadrant. Many of our people live there although we do have quite a few still living on ships. That quadrant also has accommodations for fleet personnel and construction crew members. The three areas are next to each other as that makes them easier to manage. Just to the north of them are the recreation and entertainment areas. While there is a league for several sports, there are also pickup games. There are also areas set aside for individual fitness exercises and martial arts. The entertainment area is also, in many ways, the recreation area for our musicians and singers, however there isn’t a set schedule for performances.”

Delmoke queried, “Are martial arts the same as unarmed combat?”

“They can be. From our perspective there are differences, just as there are differences between martial arts. There are classes and competitions for the different styles and they are available to you.”

“A few of Chloe’s and Samantha’s Clans will be here momentarily,” said Kathryn. “As we have a few moments, I would like to point out that the communicators you are carrying will be very helpful while you are here. By the time we begin our tour of Tara they will be updated to contain the latest site information. They can assist you in getting around the site, contacting others here, and keeping you aware of your appointments. The alarm function is used to summon assistance or verbally call for help. It will also alert you if there is a site wide emergency.”

“So those functions are similar to what it did on the ship?” queried Gilconte.

“Yes. Sorry, I should probably have left that last part out.”

Just as she finished speaking Chloe’s and Samantha’s Clans joined them. Sarah made the introductions then said, “We will see you all at the reception. As I mentioned earlier, the rest of our families will be there. See you all then.”

Samantha said to their visitors, “We thought we would begin by showing you a 3-D layout of Tara Ardchlár with a virtual tour before we do it for real. The best place to do this is in the auditorium at Central Square which is a short distance away. We can walk or ride. Your choice.”

“From my perspective I think a walk would do us good as I could use the exercise,” responded Delmoke. Several others nodded in agreement.

“I agree,” added Gilconte. “This is a lovely day, bright and sunny, comfortable with a light breeze. Is it always this pleasant?”

“For the most part,” replied Chloe. “Every few days it rains but that usually only lasts a few hours. However, we do have down-pours and those can be quite heavy at times. So far those haven’t been frequent enough to interfere with construction. The temperature usually varies between 14 and 28 °C but there are brief excursions beyond that.”

As they walked Othalkinze softly said, “Carzekote, I was surprised when you hugged Sarah rather than just shaking her hand.”

Talking equally as softly Carzekote replied, “Don’t kid me. You were shocked.”

“Okay, picky. So why did you?”

After a thoughtful pause Carzekote said, “Instinct, I believe. At that moment it felt like the right thing to do. Now, in hindsight, I am sure that it was the very right thing to do.”

“I was surprised by her height even though we were told that she was taller than the others. The interesting thing is that I didn’t feel small in her presence as I usually do when I am near someone so much taller.”

“You’re right. I felt the same way.”

“My name is Ecarzoe. You are Carzekote and Othalkinze, correct?”

“Yes.”

“Thank you for initiating the hug-fest.”

“You’re welcome. We started doing that when greeting the people who hired us.”

“We do that sometimes.”

“From what I see it seems like they’ve made a lot of progress in the time they’ve been here.”

“I agree. However, remember they’ve been here nearly six months by Ananu’s calendar, which is considerably longer in terms of our World’s calendar.”

“That is true for ours as well.”

Inside Central Square auditorium Samantha said, “Let’s sit over here as it will give us a good view of the screen. Kara, Sharon, have you acquainted our visitors with our social structure and organization.”

“Yes,” they both replied.

Kara glanced at Sharon who nodded then she added, “But it wasn’t the detailed version we typically provide those staying with us for more than a few days. In hindsight, we could have done that on the way here.”

To their guests Samantha said, “In light of that our first presentation will be the one we give to new residents. It contains considerably more detail than the one you’ve already seen. Following that we will use a 3D map of Tara Ardchlár to give you a tour and show you how it is laid out. This will probably take us up to lunch. After lunch in the dining hall, we will take a walking tour of the area. It will end at your accommodations. Is this agreeable?”

“While we found the previous presentation quite interesting, I am puzzled by your plan to show it again,” said Kistanria.

“The presentations aren’t identical. Today’s is considerably more detailed. We believe that the additional information goes a long way to minimizing misunderstandings that can occur between different breeds and different cultures. Experience indicates that providing this information minimizes the occurrence of serious misunderstandings when two groups begin interacting.”

Delmoke said, “Did our people see these when they were here?”

“Yes, sort of. We have three versions of the presentation about us. Which one is shown depends on the expected level of interaction. The only difference is in the level of detail. You probably saw the one we show people who visit us for an extended time. When your fleets visited us they gave us a presentation about your worlds that we believe was similar to the one you’ve already seen in terms of detail.”

Gilconte said, “Were any of these shown to our space fleet crew members?”

“Yes, but not the version you are about to see. We believe all the crew members on the Iridien, Atewa and Monque ships were shown the version you’ve already seen. Those who spend an extended time at our sites, either here or in Sol, are shown the long version.”

“You seem to have used ‘extended’ in two different ways.”

“I did. Okay let’s do it this. If the visitor will only be here for a short time, say 10 to 20 days, then we offer the short version. If the visitor will be here for say twice that time then it is the version you’ve seen. For those who move here or have extensive interaction with us then we offer the very detailed version. It is this one that we plan to show today.”

“You indicated a lack of certainty regarding what the ship’s crews saw.”

“That is because we didn’t make the presentations. We gave copies of all three to the ship’s commanders. While we understood that they planned to show them to their crews, we don’t know for certain whether they did or not, or which one. However, based on the interactions with the crew members since then we are pretty sure that they saw the one you’ve seen.”

Chloe said, “If you would like we can arrange for you to see the other versions while you are here.”

“In the long run that could be helpful,” responded Othalkinze. The others nodded in agreement. “Are you all open to suggestions regarding their content?” She blushed before Chloe could respond as she added, “Please accept my apologies as I didn’t express that very well.”

“Certainly. We are open to suggestions on any topic. As to the presentations, suggestions from you would be very helpful due to the difference in our perspectives. I will warn you that we may draft you into assisting us make the changes.”

“That is quite acceptable.”

“Okay, it has been added to our list of activities. We are expecting Dallas and Faith to join us in a few moments. Dallas is one of Chloe’s spouses and Faith is one of my spouses.”

Kara said to the visitors, “There are some things that Sharon’s and my clan need to check, so if you don’t mind we are going to duck out during the presentation. We expect to rejoin you at lunch or shortly afterward.”

“Take your time. I think we are in good hands,” replied Gilconte with a smile.

“We agree,” added Kistanria. With a grin she added, “I would want some relief from us as well.” It took a moment for the laughter to begin.

They were still chuckling as Kara’s and Sharon’s Clans gathered their things. Just as they prepared to exit, Dallas and Faith entered so they waited until introductions and greetings were accomplished before leaving.

When the presentations finished Dallas queried, “Questions?”

Delmkoe responded, “Oh, I have many but they are all detail orientated so I think the answers will come about naturally.”

Kistanria added, “Seeing my colleague’s notes, I agree with Delmkoe. While there could always be more detail, I am impressed with the thoroughness of the information without it becoming boring or overwhelming.”

While the others were speaking Carzekote had compared her notes with her colleagues. She followed Kistanria with, “Our questions are also detail orientated and similar to theirs. In light of that we agree with Delmkoe that they will likely be answered as we interact with you.”

Othalkinze added, “We also agree with Kistanria’s compliments.”

“Okay,” responded Faith. “We know you are anxious to see more of our settlement, so please keep track of those questions so that they are not overlooked.”

“We will,” replied Carzekote. The others nodded their agreement.

“Next topic is our settlement and its support.”

Sarah woke up with a smile. Glancing up at the clock she saw it was still early. She didn’t sense any of her spouses were awake, so she let her thoughts return to the memories prompted by her dream. She smiled as she remembered the times they had spent in the glade on Comrie. It was a beautiful location with the waterfall cascading down the side of the cliff into the pond below. Then there was the view on stepping out into the meadow from the trail, it was breathtaking. It was there that they had their first contact with Star, their ship’s AI. It was also there that they put to rest concerns about how the changes in their legs and feet would affect their mobility. They had been surprised by how well they had adapted to the changes, and their increased stamina. While she didn’t recognize it at the time, that learning experience increased their confidence. Another time they found the entrance to the hidden glade under the waterfalls. It was in that glade that they first met Aine and learnt the significance of her being there. During the time they lived on Comrie they had spent many enjoyable times at both places. After their activities shifted to Mars they had only managed to visit there a few times. Those memories triggered the thought of whether they would find another place like that on Ananu. Her thoughts then turned to the pleasure they had shared the previous evening. Just the memory of it now gave her a warm glow. Her thoughts were momentarily distracted as she felt Rusty shift then pull her closer. With Rusty on one side and Joyce on the other she felt very comfortable. Putting her feelings into words she thought, “I am truly blessed with the love of my precious spouses. I hope they all know that I love them more than life itself.”

“We do,” said Joyce, Rusty, Aoife, and Maeve, startling Sarah as she hadn’t sensed them being awake.

“Sorry,” added Maeve when she felt Sarah’s shock, “we didn’t intend to surprise you.”

“Oh there is nothing to be sorry about. You only surprised me as I hadn’t noticed that you were now awake.”

“We were enjoying your perspective of our visits to the glade at Comrie,” responded Joyce. “At times, some aspects of the north plateau remind me of the glade. It just doesn’t seem as cozy or intimate, but I guess that is due to its openness.”

“Aye, and ‘cause our circumstances are different,” noted Aoife.

“I agree,” said Rusty. “I suspect we will find another location, but I wouldn’t expect it to feel the same, well ... at least at first. So far each time we’ve been to the north plateau it was with more than just our clan. That could be one contributor as to why it didn’t feel as cozy. Personally I think we should visit the Deities garden again, or even the valley where we landed.”

“It would be nice to find a place on Ananu that would provide us with the same sensation of serenity. I agree with visiting the Deities garden again. When we were there, there were times that it felt very much like the location at Comrie.”

“So both of you are suggesting that we should visit Their garden again?” queried Joyce.

“Yes. I think we should set it aside as a place to relax and contemplate,” responded Maeve. “We should also explore the valley where we landed as we didn’t look around at that time.”

“We agree,” the group replied.

“Agreed to what? Good morning,” said Erin.

“Good morning,” replied Sarah, Aoife, Maeve, and Rusty.

“Visiting the garden where we met the Deities and exploring the valley where we landed,” responded Aoife. “We were contemplating whether it would be a replacement for the glade on Comrie.”

“I think it is a good idea. It will take several visits before we know whether it fits our needs.”

“I sense that everyone will be awake shortly.”

“It seems like it,” responded Maeve.

“You know we really haven’t compared notes on the interactions we’ve had with our visitors,” said Sarah.

Erin said, “True. I must say that I am very impressed by their poise during the welcoming reception. I am not sure that I could have done as well. None of them seemed to be bothered by the fact that all of us are considerably taller than them, or that there were so many of us.”

“Good morning,” said Jill and Janet.

“Good morning,” came the reply.

Janet said, “So we are off to Carey this morning.”

“That is the plan,” said Terry joining the conversation, “And a good morning to everyone.”

“It is always a good morning to wake up among this group,” added Tara.

“That is very true,” sighed Claudette, “and a good morning.”

“Good morning,” said Alison, Alena, Terry, and Judy.

“Good morning,” responded their spouses.

“So what are we discussing?” queried Terry.

“Right now our impressions of our Atewa and Monque agents,” responded Sarah.

“Kara told me that the Atewa group became quite apprehensive as the time of their arrival approached.”

“I sensed a little of that when we met them at the space port,” replied Sarah. “However, I didn’t sense any apprehension at the reception.”

Erin added, “Based on Kristin’s comments, the welcoming you all gave them on their arrival went a long way toward easing their anxiety.”

Sarah said, “For both groups, even with them being small organizations and fairly new, they seem to have the knowledge base we need of their Worlds. I did float the idea of our people being there more frequently than we originally suggested. Carzekote thought that it was a good idea and seemed to be very comfortable with the possibility, well maybe relieved is a better characterization of her reaction. She did point out that it would be beneficial as it would give them a readily available resource for information.”

“Kistanria alluded to concerns as to whether their visit would be long enough for them to gain the knowledge they need to be able to act appropriately as our representatives,” said Jill. “I pointed out that while they shouldn’t overuse it, they always had the option of saying that they needed to check with us before responding.”

They had only shared a few more observations when the chime sounded indicating that breakfast would begin in an hour.

As they were getting up Rusty said, “My sense of the situation is that we chose organizations with very knowledgeable staff to act as our representatives, which is a strength. A possible weakness is that both of them are relatively new organizations and that we are apparently their primary client. This leads to the question of whether we should we seek to have an exclusive arrangement. An alternative would be to ask to be notified when they consider adding other clients.”