Chapter 7: Breeding Festival Results

Dr. Grimling’s team had run the numbers from the breeding festival. Kara and her family each had roughly 140 partners over the seven days. When they sampled the rest of the community, they found a similar pattern: most participants had over 20 partners per day throughout the entire festival.

As Dr. Grimling reviewed the figures, he sat back in his chair, making it rock as he absorbed the enormity of it all. “Twenty-one partners in a single day? That means each person mated with 21 people every day, for the whole festival?” He let out a low whistle, the reality of the numbers finally sinking in.

“Do we have any data on conception rates yet?” he asked.

“Yes,” replied one of his aides. “As the women dressed to leave, we scanned them. The conception rate is currently holding steady at 34%.”

Dr. Grimling whistled again, thoughtfully tilting his head back to stare at the ceiling. “If only 34% of the females conceive ... then the population’s pregnancy rate would mean ... an influx of new births at a sustainable level, ensuring population growth without overwhelming their resources. It’s as if the festival is finely tuned—not only for genetic diversity but to maintain balance in their society.”

He paused, considering the implications. “This communal approach controls their birth rate naturally, without the need for intervention. Fascinating. Their entire system functions like a biological and cultural equilibrium.”

Dr Grimling let his mind ponder this for a minute before he came back to the present and gave instructions to his team to package it all together and send it to Dr Kervak. While that was being done, he looked out toward the festival grounds and watched as the men of the community worked to break the grounds down and put everything away until next year.

He felt the relief of his work being done, but felt let down at being done. He had enjoyed the work on this planet very much and found Kara’s people very interesting and worthy of study further, even going as far as to suggest that first contact could be made with these people.

He started to put his things away, then realized that he left something out, “We can’t leave until we know if Kara and Helen conceive this year.” Dr Grimling exclaimed shouting toward his team who seemed relieved and sad at the same time.

“But doctor, we have the scans, neither of them did.” someone said from the back of the room.

“I know that, you know that, but they don’t know that.” Dr Grimling said, then turned back to his chair and the big screens. He grabbed his data tablet and started to swipe through the cameras they had left and formulated a plan.

“Did we collect all of the cameras from below?” he asked and the answer he got back was yes they did. “Good, we need to post them to the school where Kara and the others attend so that we can get closure for the audience. Instead of telling them what happened, we need to show them.”

At the announcement, the team sprang into action and started to release their cameras into the sky and direct them toward the community school across town.

The cameras moved silently through the sky and found their way into the building through an open window. They then posted themselves in the corners of the room and in the hallways and in the relief rooms, even in the relief closets so that all of their experience could be documented. The engineers made sure that they were all set for the beginning of the school days to come.

Kara woke up after having a nice nap with her sister, who wasn’t there when she opened her eyes, and stretched while rubbing the crust from the corners of her eyes.

She used the relief closet near her room then went to see if there was food to eat.

“Hi mom.” she said, moving to hug her mom while she was busy in front of the stove.

“Hi honey. Sleep well?”

“I did.” she said, then whispered to her mom, “mating season really takes a lot out of you, doesn’t it?”

Her mom just chuckled and replied, “Yes honey it does, but so does raising children.” Helen put the spoon aside and turned to her daughter. “How are you feeling? Sore?”

“A little, not as bad as I had thought I would.” she said, taking a bite of something her mom was using to make dinner with. “Tell me again, how soon until I know if I’m going to have a baby?”

Her mother crossed her arms under her breasts and thought for a minute. “About six days, roughly. Then if you are, then you may spot for a bit, then nothing. Otherwise, you’ll get your normal blood for a week and that will mean you didn’t conceive this year.”

Kara nodded her head. She had her blood the past two years after feeling that itch between her legs while her parents were away at the festival. That wasn’t unexpected or a problem.

“What is being pregnant like?”

“The most wonderful thing in the world, honey. Feeling you grow in my belly, moving around, meant a lot to me. It was tough toward the end, but it was only temporary. Then you came out and I got to hug you, kiss you, and see you grow into this wonderful woman I see before me.” she said, then pulled Kara in for a very motherly hug. “Why are you worried?”

Kara wasn’t expecting to cry, but she did while her mother was holding her. “I don’t know, but I’m scared. Mom! I want to be a good mother, like you, but I don’t know if I can be. I don’t know anything about babies or raising them. What will I do mom?” she cried into her mother’s shoulder.

“You will do the same thing I did. You will take it one day at a time, just like I did with you. Your grandparents were right there with me. And I will be there for you if the time comes. So don’t worry honey. You will be a great mom. I just know it.” Helen said, holding her distraught daughter in her arms.

Kara pulled back from her mother, looking at her face, gaining strength from her words, and dried her eyes with her sleeve.

“Thanks mom.” she said, then moved away while her mother went back to cooking.

Kara watched her cook then remembered something. “I met a boy at the festival.” she exclaimed happily.

“Really? Who?”

“His name is Lake and he is in my class.”

“Really? Do I know him?” Helen asked, racking her brain for all of the boys in her class and coming up blank.

“I don’t know. He is about daddy’s height, brown hair, the cutest smile with little dimples in the corners of his mouth. I found him very compatible the other day.” she said, nibbling at something she picked up from the counter and was chewing while staring dreamily at the ceiling.

Her mother just turned to her and laughed. She met Kovac differently, but also found him very compatible during the off season. She just wished that they were compatible during mating season, she would love to have a child for him before she can’t anymore. But that hasn’t stopped them from mating during the off season many times over the years. She smiled as these thoughts passed through her mind.

“So, are you going to pursue him? Try to make a life with him?” Helen asked.

Kara, still nibbling at her snack, looked down thoughtfully, then answered her mother. “I want to try.” she said, then looked at her mother. “We mated. He’s seen me without clothing. How do I handle it? What do I say? What do I do?” she said, now suddenly worried about seeing him in the real world.

Helen just snorted a short laugh, finished stirring the food then turned to her daughter. “Smile at him. Be nice to him. And talk to him honey.”

“What? What do you mean?”

“Both of you had your first mating festival and that is a very intense time for both of you, so be nice and assure him that you both are fine with each other. Then hang out with each other and get to know him. I can assure you that he will be just as nervous about seeing you as you are about seeing him. So be nice.” Helen said, before going back to cooking dinner.

Kara chewed on her words, then left to relax until dinner.

The family got up for work and school the next day normally as the world got back to normal. It practically stops during the mating festival, the Bloom Festival of Origins, but afterward, the world has to continue so that means work and school.

Kara slipped into her jean shorts and cute top, putting on a confident face as she headed to school. Inside, though, a trace of nervousness lingered. She gathered with her friends, and soon they were all chattering about their first festival experiences. The biggest topic was who might be pregnant and who wasn’t—a question that fascinated and thrilled the girls in her class. Few of them remembered specific partners; the haze of mating often blurred those details, a natural part of their biology.

Kara kept an eye out for Lake, and as soon as she spotted him, she excused herself from the circle and jogged over with a bright smile.

“Hi, Lake!” she said, her excitement obvious.

Lake stopped, smiling back. “Hi, Kara.” He hesitated, suddenly unsure of what to say next.

“How are you?” Kara asked, feeling a little braver.

“Um ... fine, I guess. How about you?” he replied.

“I’m good. A little nervous to see you, honestly, but ... good.”

He let out a long, noisy sigh. “Oh, thank goodness! I was so nervous, too. I kept overthinking what to say, what you’d think, and how we should act now ... everything just kind of jumbled in my brain,” he admitted with a sheepish laugh.

Kara laughed, too, wrapping her arms around him in relief. They both dissolved into laughter, realizing they’d been feeling exactly the same way.

“I’m so glad to hear that!” she said, sharing how she’d talked it over with her mom. “It’s good to know we’re both on the same page.”

With their arms around each other and their faces close, Lake leaned in, pressing his mouth to hers as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Kara froze, just for a moment, then melted into the kiss, her tongue meeting his in a way that reminded them both of the festival.

When they finally broke apart, they noticed her friends watching, wide-eyed and giggling. Suddenly, a chorus erupted:

“Kara and Lake, sitting in a tree,
K-I-S-S-I-N-G!
First comes Festival,
Then comes Marriage,
Here they come pushing a baby carriage!”

The girls laughed and teased, scattering with laughter as they headed off to school, leaving Kara and Lake both blushing but smiling.

“Ignore them Lake, they are just jealous.” Kara said to him.

“Um, that reminds me, are you?” he asked her.

“Not that I know of. But I won’t really know for a week or so. It’s not instantly obvious, you know.”

“Ok. Good to know.” Lake said, then shared another kiss with Kara.

Kara was breathing hard as the kiss broke apart. She stepped back and touched her lips as her mind processed what it was feeling.

“Hey, I’ve got to go. Can we meet up after school? I want to ... get to know you better Kara.” Lake said, before he ran off to the school leaving Kara standing outside as she dealt with this new feeling.

He didn’t taste bad. He tasted different, not good nor bad, sort of like the toothpaste he used to brush his teeth or the food he ate. Sort of neutral instead of the intense good taste he had just a few days ago.

Kara heard the bell ring and looked at the time. She realized how late she was going to be and ran into the building and to her first class.

After classes ended, they met at the door and walked off together toward Kara’s home, side by side.

“How was class?” he asked her.

“Fine, usual. You?”

“They were fine.” he said.

As they walked in silence, Kara stopped and touched his arm to stop him. “Lake, why are we nervous? Why the silence?”

He stopped and looked at her. His mouth falling open, unsure how to proceed. “I don’t know. I’ve never had a girlfriend before. Never really got a chance to talk to a girl before. And I never saw one naked before the festival either. That’s for sure.” he said, coming to grips with his immaturity and being unsure of how to be around a girl for the first time.