Chapter 4

The next morning when we awoke, we heard the sounds of activity outside. We got dressed and went outside to see what was going on. The rest of the scouting party was already up and had begun fixing breakfast and taking down the tents.

Everyone knew that we would be headed back to Kupolinis today, so while some fixed a meal for everyone, others busied themselves with breaking down the camp.

When breakfast was ready, we all sat down to eat, again in the same circle as the night before. But unlike the night before, instead of just smiles and the occasional shy look, L’natria and I were met with giggles and whispers from the other women. It would seem that our exploits last night were making for lively breakfast amusement!

The giggles and whispers made L’natria a little uncomfortable, but when I saw what was going on and pulled her closer, the whispers quieted ... replaced, I would guess, by wishfulness on their part. It wasn’t jealousy really because I had made my choice and the girls had not had to “compete” in any way for me.

Plus, I think they all figured that I would be king once we got back to Kupolinis, and none of them wanted to show themselves in a bad light to me now. At any rate, the whispers ceased and we all went on with finishing our meal and getting ready to head back to the city.

As we traveled back to Kupolinis, I asked questions about the city and this planet and I fielded more questions about myself and my life on Earth. It passed the time as we talked amongst each other.

I knew the girls were all naturally curious about me and I had a lot to learn about this place. With my ship looking more like a ball of crumpled tin foil than a spaceship now, I figured a good lay of the land would be beneficial.

Time on Shatabhisha Galli is a hard thing to figure. I couldn’t assume that time was measured in the same way it was back home – I didn’t know if a “day” on this planet lasted twenty-four hours or not.

Since my watch was smashed in the accident, and the ship’s clock back at the wreckage site, I had no way of determining time now. All I know is that we walked for some distance before we began to see the first glimpses of Kupolinis.

The City of Kupolinis lies on the southern edge of The Plains of Honnika close to the Mountains of Solovei. As we approached the city, I could see it was a well-established place (for some reason I was expecting a “third world” type place like a small town in Afghanistan or the poor parts of Mexico or something) with buildings that appeared to be made of stone or concrete or something.

Kupolinis looked like a fairly large city too, as we got closer I could imagine hundreds of people living there. Then I had a delicious thought – hundreds of people ... but no men! And if, as my current company thought, I would soon be made the king, then that would make me the king of a land of stunningly beautiful women!

It was the stuff of many a teenage boy’s fantasies! For about the tenth time since crash landing in paradise, I pinched myself just to make sure I wasn’t dreaming ... and I wasn’t. This was really happening!

It didn’t take us long once we got within sight of Kupolinis to reach the outskirts of the city. As we walked down the main avenue leading into the city center and what I could only imagine serves as the castle or queen’s house, I saw women’s faces peeking out of their windows and doors as we walked past.

Some were brave enough to come to stand in the doorway of their houses, but that was about it. Apparently, word travels fast, and our arrival drew the attention of most of the town! As we got further into town, a crowd began following us at a distance.

It started with just a few women as we entered town, but grew until we had quite a throng following us. I turned around occasionally to see the stir I had caused ... I felt sorta like the Pied Piper of these parts!

Finally, we arrived at the Queen’s house. It wasn’t a castle in Disneyland’s Cinderella castle sort of place – it was more like a medium-sized mansion ... not huge, but impressive compared to the other houses in town. You could definitely tell someone important lived here!

We knocked on the door and was met by a woman who apparently was the housemaid or something. “Please come in, the Queen is expecting you,” she said softly, keeping her head down and not looking directly at me.

We walked into the large main hall. There I got my first glimpse of Queen Aurquan as she stood on the second-floor balcony before coming down the stairs to meet us. She was certainly impressive, she walked with the nobility and grace that only the most well-bred and influential have.

She practically glided down the stairs, her head not bobbing and her body moving smoothly as silk as she came down the staircase. She came to stand in front of me on a slightly raised platform that had her throne on it. It wasn’t actually a throne, but it was an ornately decorated high-back chair with wide strong arms that she used for that purpose.

“My name is Queen Aurquan and I am the leader of the great City of Kupolinis. Who might you be, sir?” she asked. Even her voice was regal!

My name is Adam Jennings, Queen Aurquan,” I said. I bowed, not knowing what else to do in front of royalty.

“Leave us, please. We have much to discuss,” she said to the rest of the party. “Return to your homes. I thank you for your service.” I didn’t know it at the time, but Queen Aurquan already had heard of my coming and had decided to inaugurate me as king of this land.

“Queen Aurquan, if I might have a moment,” I said. I turned to L’natria and took her in my arms, kissing her. “Thank you L’natria, for coming to my rescue and for... “ I let my voice trail off, but judging by the blush in her cheeks and the sparkle in her eyes, she understood perfectly.

Then I whispered in her ear. “Don’t be far away.” and kissed her earlobe. I felt a shiver run through her although she didn’t make a sound.

After the scouting party had left to go back to their homes, the Queen and I sat down to talk about things.

“First off, are you hungry, Adam Jennings?” she asked.

“No, I’m fine ... and please call me Adam. Jennings is just my last name,” I said.

“Very well, Adam. You may call me Tara,” she said with a smile. “Now did you get hurt in the crash of your ship?”

“No ... nothing that a few days of taking it a little easy won’t fix. Just a few bumps and bruises. I was buckled in pretty well when the solar flare hit my ship,” I said.

“That’s good. Now, I assume you have been told a little about our planet and our way of life?” she asked.

“Yeah, I know this is a planet primarily of women and that you come from another planet where some people called the Drakoonians captured all your men and killed them. I know that you are the Queen and rule over this city and that there are other cities, some with kings but mostly queens ruling them.

“I know that there are only a very few men on this planet and I know that the women here are very, very beautiful!” I said. I threw that last part in as a little compliment to her and to her people!

Tara smiled, “Well compliments aside, let me give you a more accurate history of our planet and how we came here,” she said, “According to the legends passed down to us by our ancestors, our people and your people were once part of the Twelve Colonies of Mygrostia.

“Many millennia ago, our mutual home planet, Mygrostia, was in danger of being destroyed and all life on it extinguished. Our sun had outlived its life and was expanding, becoming a red giant. Our planet was heating up and was destined to be swallowed up by the expanding sun.

“So our people sent twelve enormous spaceships out to try to find a place to re-establish our civilization. My people, the people of this planet, found a home on Shatabhisha; translated into your language, it means ‘a new place to dwell’.

“We established our civilization there. Your people landed on the planet Earth and began your world. That is why you and I look so similar, except for the sexual differences.” She blushed a bit.

“Life for us was good, but then the Drakoonians came and overthrew our world, killing off the men and taking many of the women as slaves. Those of us that managed to escape came here and built what you see now. ‘Galli’ means the second, so Shatabhisha Galli means ‘the second new place to dwell’.

“We have been to your planet before. There is a doorway between our worlds out past what you call the Kuiper Belt. It is rarely open, however, and then only for a short time. We have traveled through it to your world.

“That is how we have managed to bring a few men back to Shatabhisha Galli with us. With no men here, our civilization would die out, being unable to reproduce. So we have brought back a few of your people to help us keep our world alive. You came through that doorway and crash landed here, saving us the trip!” she smiled.

“So how do you ... reproduce?” I asked.

“The eggs of our women are extracted when they reach Tarle – the time they become a woman. The eggs are kept safe until a man can be found who is willing to be drained and their sperm used to fertilize the eggs,”

Tara raised the front of her outfit.

“As you notice, the women here have no navel ... that is because we are really clones – there simply are not enough men on this planet for us to have children the way you know. I am the fourteenth of my clone. But other than having no navel, we are in every other aspect, the same as your Earth women,” she said.

“Not quite the same, Queen Aurquan,” I said.

“What do you mean, Adam?” she asked.

“You are much more beautiful. In fact, I haven’t seen one of your people who could hold a candle to any Earth woman I have ever seen!” I said.

“Well, thank you. I am pleased you find the women of Kupolinis so pleasing. That will make this next item easier for you to hear,” she said.

“Oh?” I asked.

“Yes. Adam, we are a planet of women, and I am this city’s Queen. There are thirty-one nations on the planet Shatabhisha Galli, but only eight of them have kings, and the rest are ruled by queens.

“However, it has long been our custom and our law that the man is always in charge. Now I understand that L’natria pleased you last night, is that correct?” she asked.

“Well, I am not in the habit of kissing and telling, but yes she did,” I said.

“And did she tell you that men are in charge and it’s the woman’s place and duty to please them no matter what they ask?” she asked.