Chapter 3

I watched Sarek feast rapaciously during breakfast, whilst I selected from the few items that had any semblance of flavour.

"Nella seems like a nice girl," I opined.

"She has a sharp inquisitive mind."

"Not to mention a lovely body," I joked.

"I suppose so, but no more or less than anybody else her age."

"How long has she been with Tamar?"

"About two years I think. Why do you ask?"

"Do you think they're happy?"

"I expect so. They'd dissolve their partnership if things were otherwise."

"She told me that couples don't have children anymore."

"That's true. We don't leave such matters to chance."

I repeated my reservations about halting human evolution, but he seemed reluctant to debate the matter.

"Do you have a partner?" I asked.

"I did, when I was younger. My teaching and research became more important to me, so we decided to go our separate ways."

"Sex doesn't seem to have the same significance here, certainly compared to my own era."

"That is also true. We've finally abandoned the legacy of our ancestors, and moved to a more cerebral existence."

"You don't realise what you're missing out on."

"Some still experiment with the crude unsophisticated couplings, but the mild pleasures are transitory. Nothing compares to the other incredible delights that life has to offer."

"Such as?"

"Food, wine, music, great literature."

"I've not heard much music," I replied.

"You're in for a treat. There is a concert next week in the great hall. I shall obtain some tickets, so be prepared to be astounded."

"I'll look forward to it."

Nella joined us at the table. My eyes lit up when her breasts were once more on display. It was hard to focus on conversation with them waving in my face; I was almost tempted to ask her to cover them up. Almost.

What I would have really loved was to get her alone, take one of the beautiful nubs between my lips, and suck gently upon it for an hour or two.

After devouring our fill, Sarek escorted us both to the archive area.

"It's a Bible," I replied as he pushed a musty book beneath my nose.

"We've had some problems with translation. In places, its meaning is somewhat difficult to follow."

"I'm not a particularly religious person myself, but it does lay down a basic framework for how to behave."

"It seems filled with convoluted stories and superstition," Sarek observed.

"I guess you either choose to believe, or you don't."

"We've studied the Koran, the Hebrew Torah, and even the teachings of Scientology. They all espouse the same ideals, but offer no proof to substantiate their teachings."

"They all ... well, nearly all, have an iota of truth buried deep within their writings. I believe they're not meant to be taken literally, but represent more of a metaphor for what God, if such a being exists, wanted to instil in us. In my time, nobody ever agreed on the interpretation, but we had some good debates about it."

"And some rather bloody wars," Sarek added cynically.

"Yes, those too."

Over the following few days, we discussed philosophy and religion. Whilst the hierarchy insisted that no higher power sat in judgement, Sarek favoured the safe approach of keeping his mind open, mainly in case he ever had to justify his actions. I explained the term 'agnostic' and he felt it adequately described his position.

"What happened to people's beliefs?" I enquired.

"Most people turned away from religion after the Calamity, citing it as evidence of either the lack of existence of any God, or his indifference to our plight."

Nella followed our conversations with interest, occasionally venturing her opinion, and affording us the benefit of her insight. It became clear that Sarek looked upon her as a father of my time might have done with his daughter upon graduation, glowing with pride that he'd had a hand in nurturing her intellect.

"I have tickets for tonight's concert," Sarek announced, "perhaps you would care to bring Tamar."

"I'll ask, but I fear he may be on patrol," Nella replied. "The Trogs have been raiding the outlying villages again."

"Bring him if you can, or just join us yourself."

"Trogs?" I enquired.

"A persistent menace," Sarek explained. "They are vicious animals that raid our crops for food. They live in the ruins of the old cities, resisting all attempts to eradicate them. Tamar and the Guardians repeatedly drive back their incursions, but their low intelligence compels them to return, time after time."

"I see. So it's not all milk and honey?"

"I don't understand."

"Despite all your progress, you still have problems."

Sarek sighed. "Man is not perfect and probably never will be. We simply achieve the best we can, and then hope to maintain equilibrium."

"Perhaps that makes life a little dull," I opined.

"Perhaps," he replied cryptically.

I stood with Sarek, waiting for Nella to appear. My initial joy at seeing her was tempered by the presence of her truculent partner. Nella shook my hand vigorously, as she did at every available opportunity. Tamar watched indifferently, his guarded demeanour providing few clues to his innermost thoughts.

Sarek had obtained seats on one of the upper levels of the auditorium, providing a panoramic view down onto the stage, where musicians were tuning a variety of familiar, and some not-so-familiar instruments. I'd attended the occasional classical concert in the past, but generally preferred something a little more contemporary. The last concert I'd attended featured a reunion of Deep Purple, where they'd played to a packed arena, and left me slightly deaf for hours afterwards.

I sat bracketed between Sarek and Nella, with Tamar to the far side of his partner. As soon as she settled in her seat, she folded down the front panel of her evening gown, baring her breasts. Her nipples stood out against her pale skin, and it took me a few seconds to realise that she'd highlighted them with a vermillion pigment. Tamar looked slightly irked by her exposure, whispering some inaudible comment in her ear. She shook her head and remained on display, casting me the occasional covert glance. I smiled back, admiring her assets in all their glory.

The concert commenced and delivered few surprises, comprising a cacophony of crescendos and quiet passages, with no recognizable melody that I could determine. I longed for a raucous rendition of 'Smoke on the Water', but it was not to be. Had it not been for Nella's beauty, I might well have drifted off to sleep.

Sarek followed each movement with eager anticipation, obviously discerning something meaningful in the chaos that eluded me completely. Tamar remained his taciturn self, whilst Nella dropped clues to her own feelings by yawning discreetly, whenever she thought nobody was watching.

"The best performance this year," Sarek announced after the grand finale. I nodded my agreement out of politeness, and then prepared to return to my quarters.

"We should continue with your studies," Nella suggested.

"Isn't it late?"

"Tamar is due on to patrol soon; I'd only be at home alone."

Sarek wished us goodnight, and I escorted Nella back to my suite.

"I thought the concert would never end," she complained.

"It was pretty bad wasn't it?" I concurred.

Nella smiled conspiratorially, settling herself down on my sofa. We started my lessons but the two beautiful soft mounds drew my eyes like magnets, disrupting all my concentration.

"Why do you keep staring at me like that?" she asked curiously.

"Because they're magnificent," I replied, slightly drunk with desire.

"They're ugly. They get in the way. They're disgusting."

"They're simply amazing," I contradicted. "I can't take my eyes off them."

"But why?" she demanded, cupping them in her hands and examining them critically.

Feeling adventurous, I sat down beside her and gazed down. My hand hovered inches away from her chest. When she showed no tendency to shy away, I weighed a plump orb in my palm, rubbing my finger over the painted nipple. Nella blushed, but accepted my attention, grumbling when the bud responded to my actions and stood proudly to attention.

"Now you've made it stand up," she complained. "It'll take ages to go down, and itch all night long."

"Let me kiss it better then," I suggested, dropping my head to her breast and capturing the nipple between my lips. Nella remained placid for some time, but then slowly cradled me in her arms, supporting my head whilst I sucked. Soon, the adjacent nipple fell victim to my ministrations. I was in heaven as I alternated between them, sucking and licking with manic enthusiasm. Meanwhile, Nella's breathing became laboured.

Eventually, she crawled out from underneath me, swaying slightly as she struggled for balance. The upper half of her chest glowed warmly, suffused with blood and coated with a fine sheen of my saliva. Her eyes were glazed and unfocussed, her arousal affecting her profoundly.