Chapter 7: Soak

Location : Melbourne, Oceania, Earth
Era : Thursday, 22nd November 2283 CE

Still holding his cock. Ichigo led him to the corner of the huge room. <Can you sense anything?> she asked.

<I think so.>

<Try to pull up the menu and activate the spa, > she suggested.

A section of the glass floor slid open and the water started to froth and bubble.

They both slipped into the water seating themselves on a bench under the water. Ichigo snuggled up to him and rested her head on his shoulder. Mark was used to spas being hot. However this one was almost cold. It made sense considering the problems with tarka and heat. The heat from Ichigo's body was very welcome as there did not seem to be enough tarka in his body yet to keep it warm. They both enjoy the bubble massaging their bodies.

<Open the windows, > she sent.

Mark concentrated and the windows and ceiling near the corner slid away. A stiff breeze cooled them down further. Mark wrapped this arms around Ichigo and hugged her close.

<You know things have been so hectic that many times I have wanted to ask a questions about a topic but have not been able to find the time, > he sent.

<We have a little time now. Ask away.>

<You mentioned a Mars colony before. Are there other colonies in the Solar system?>

<Aside from Earth, the most populated areas in the Solar System are Luna, Earth orbit, the Earth-Luna Lagrange points, Ceres, Europa and of course Mars. There are outposts and stations throughout the Solar system, however their population is insignificant compared to the areas I mentioned. Earth based polities dominate system politics because the colonies are fragmented. There is not one Luna colony but many. The same was true of the other areas until recently. The unification of Mars into one colony is one of the factors that has changed the dynamics there. Earth can get away with being fragmented because of its greater population and production. Even a small Earth country has more influence and all the Luna colonies taken together, > she replied.

<What about interstellar colonies?>

<Until recently interstellar travel was impractical.>

<Really, what happen to change things?> he asked.

<Someone named Mark Henderson discovered an interstellar drive.>

<You're talking about the Chowdhury-Shmakov particle?>

<Yes, the time jumper can jump 100 light years just as easily as 100 years, > she stated.

<What about aliens? Extra-terrestrial Life that is.>

<None have been discovered. Do you want some soup?> she sent.

<Yes, I am starting to feel hungry again.>

<Your appetite going to be increased for a while.>

Drones brought them both two handle cups of something hot. His seemed to be pumpkin soup. He drained his soup quickly, warming himself with the cup. Ichigo noticed and the water warmed slightly. He returned the cup to the drone who spirited it away. Ichigo had already finished.

<You mentioned a Martian uprising before. What triggered it?> he asked.

<Life on Mars was harsh and unforgiving. It is expensive to travel to Mars and even more expensive to travel from Mars. Until recently Mars as a whole was dependent on imports from Earth and most Martian individuals were dependent on Earth corporations for employment, food and air. The Earth corporations took advantage of the power imbalance to virtually enslave the Martians. To say this caused a lot of resentment would be an understatement, therefore it is unsurprising that when the Martians no longer needed Earth or its corporations, the corps were privatized and their on-Mars property confiscated.> She lectured.

<When you refer to Mars you keep on saying until recently. What happen recently on Mars?>

Ichigo flushed her face and chest turning red and looked sheepish. <A lot of things in the last 5 years have changed on Mars to free Mars from Earth's domination. One of the most important things is an improvement in the technology that adapts the Martians to their environment. Someone donated some highly experimental tarka to the Martian people. In fact it is the same tarka that is flowing through your veins now. They then designed a series of body templates that could be used by the tarka to make life on Mars a lot more pleasant.>

<Why are you embarrassed? Surely you did a good thing, > he asked.

<One. It's experimental. If there are long term consequences, it is on my head. The health of an entire planet on my head. Two. This tech is meant to be used only by highly trained experts. I have locked it down so the advanced features can only be used after proper training. However it is a big ask to require an entire population from the lowliest janitor to the loftiest senator operate it in order to survive. Three. It was not mine to give. I was one of the engineers that helped develop our tarka, but I did not develop it by myself. There are very good friends that are going to feel deeply betrayed that I gave top secret technology to what they would regard as a foreign government. Four. Only one person knows that I have access to this tech let alone contributed to it. If his involvement came out it could go badly for him and he is a good friend. Five. This is going to destroy my relationship with the only country on Earth does not regard me as a criminal. They are going to want to kill me too now. Six. This is exactly what I have always accused governments of doing; making morally dubious decisions for what they consider is the greater good, > she said.

<Admit it. You would do exactly the same thing if you could do things over.>

<Hummm, You did not see how bad things were before the uprising. So, yes I would do it all again.>

<None of this is why you are embarrassed. You just don't like talking about your accomplishments, > he insisted.

<Yeah, well. I also gave them some automated asteroid mining tech, also not mine to give. We set up some secret trading agreements with some of the other colonies behind Earth's back. Agreements between the different Mars colonies in order to form a unified government. Anyway a lot of work went into freeing Mars. Earth's governments believe that their trade embargo will be enough to force Mars back in line. When they realize that is not going to happen – well, let's hope diplomacy will win though otherwise things could get nasty, > she said.

<Was this what you meant when you talked about saving the Solar System?>

<No. As bad as interplanetary war could be, the Solar System has much worst problems in its future.>

<What could be worse than interplanetary war?> he asked.

<For the last couple of hundred years there has been reoccurring political cycle of increasing regulation, increasing concentration of power in the hands of a few followed by a correction and a period of openness and transparency. The entire cycle generally takes about 70 or 80 years. The last correction was in the 2230's and was relatively peaceful but the one before that was the Sequestration Wars of the 2150s, 8 billion people died and that's more than half the population of Earth. The next correction is due in the 2300s or 2310s and I am afraid it is not going to be one of the peaceful ones.>

<Half the population dead. Was it a nuclear war?>

<It was something much worse than nuclear weapons. Your tarka protects you from bacteria and virus but it also defends you from foreign tarka. This was one of the reasons I was happy you accepted the tarka. It protects you. Can you imagine what damage tarka under the control of some else could do to you. That is what sequestration is, using tarka to infect and control another person, > she lectured.

<Yes, but isn't my tarka under your control?>

<That is just until you learn to control it yourself. And I am your partner, teacher, and lover. I have your best interests at heart.>

<Do really mean that?> he asked.

<Mean what?>

<That you have my best interest at heart. That you consider me to be your lover.>

<What else would you be?> she asked.

<A fling, casual sex partner, or a one night stand.>

<You seem to have fairly low expectations, if me calling you lover makes you happy. I have committed to spending a large amount of time with you for at least the next month while I teach you, which is hardly a one night stand. I like you. We seem to get along. This era must be very different from you are used to yet you take it in your stride. You don't get that blank look I am used to when I explain things. In fact you seem to keep up your end of the conversation. You don't try to convert me to your religion in the middle of sex. Why do guys do that? It is a little early to have to have this conversion as we are still in the getting to know each other phase. However I am willing to go with the flow and see where it takes us, > she sent.