Kneus: A Terraneu Novel (Book Four) Page 7

  “You know every dating couple is different Kneus.” Knaleg spoke before the others, “It took Cat and I forever to be ‘official’ while Kniam and Amber happened overnight.”

  “I wouldn’t say overnight!” Kniam interjected, “It wasn’t as if I didn’t have some obstacles to overcome.”

  “You need to personalize the experience to what you know Gwen might like.” Knollig stepped in before an argument could ensue. “With Mairi it was just a matter of...”

  “Letting her finally catch you!” Knaleg interrupted, “With Cat is was a matter of letting her train with the men, and taking her exploring.” Knaleg finished smugly.

  “Letting her train with the men?” Kniam snorted out, “If you were so okay with it, then why then did I have to do an official request to ask the women not to train?”

  “I was trying to be honorable when I forced myself to stay away from Mairi!” Knollig protested. “I wanted her from the beginning...”

  “Enough!” Kneus yelled, “Enough. I get it. I have to make my own path with Gwen and make it work in our own way if it’s meant to be.” Kneus hurried away, then shouted over his shoulder, “So you didn’t know how you got the woman interested in you! All you had to do was say so!” With a satisfied smirk he turned away and increased his pace but he still heard the indignant mutterings of the others behind him.

  “It isn’t as if I didn’t know how...”

  “I know how I got...”

  “Women are complicated...”

  He turned his attention to the living dome they had finally reached and ignored his brothers and Thian. Standing at the back he could see over the female’s heads into the courtyard. The ‘sacathies’ as the women were laughingly calling the newborn sacath were very cute, what he could see of them anyway.

  Turning back outside he was able to avoid the heated conversation the other males were having about the ‘difficulties of women’ by putting his attention on his new nieces. He sensed when Gwen was leaving, his body seemed to have an awareness of her because the hair on his neck stood up. He hurried to ask if he could escort her home.

  “Of course I would enjoy your company on the walk back.” She had smiled then turned down the path to their domes.

  They walked in companionable silence for a few minutes each in their own thoughts when Kneus finally got the nerve to say. “I know this might not be the best time. I am having the nightmares, and we are working together daily on the archives.” He drew in a deep breath and pulled her to a stop by a lamppost. “That being said, I would still like to ask you out on an official date. If you would like to go on one...with me that is.” He finished hesitantly.

  She just looked at him for what felt like the longest time. Just when he was thinking he should walk away she asked, “What changed from this morning?”

  Kneus thought back to their earlier conversation, “I will admit to making excuses. I have been working so hard and sacrificing for the community for so long now that I was afraid to take a chance on something I really want.” Kneus grabbed her hand in his, entwining his fingers through hers and he pulled them up to his lips. Looking deeply into Gwen’s radiant eyes he said, “I am able to be free of the sexual block because of you. The chance to see if we could be compatible mates is what I would like.”

  Kneus could see the surprise in the widening of her eyes then she said in a soft whisper, “I would like that as well.”

  Kneus was so pleased he almost ran around the paths yelling out in his happiness. Deciding a more reserved response might be better, he gathered Gwen into his arms and squeezed until she laughed that she needed to catch her breath.

  “You won’t regret going out with me Gwen.” Kneus promised, “I will find the perfect surprise for our first date.” He held her hand and pulled her along. Before he knew it, they were at her dome. He gave her a quick kiss good-night, against his protesting body and promised to see her the next morning at the technology dome.

  *~*~*

  The next morning when Kneus woke with a start it wasn’t because due to a nightmare. It was because he hadn’t had one! The extra sun and water must have worked. He had slept a whole night without waking once.

  Smiling and singing along to an Earth song playing on his console he washed and dressed for the day. It was when he was cleaning up his dome that he suddenly realized how much stress he had been under. Only now when it was gone did he feel the difference. He hadn’t felt this good since before his time on Earth.

  “Hungry like the wolf.” Now that he had broken through the sexual block, he had a whole new appreciation for this song he thought to himself. He hurried out of his dome in search of Gwen at the technology dome. He had come up with the perfect first date for them.

  Hurrying into the technology dome he wasn’t disappointed to find Gwen was already hard at work at one of the consoles. He made his way to her, “Good morning Gwen!”

  She smiled up at him, “Good morning Kneus.” Her eyes searched his and her smile brightened. “I can see that you slept well. Any nightmares last night?”

  Kneus shook his head, “None. I slept the whole night through.”

  Gwen jumped up and put her arms around him, “That is such good news! The extra sun and water yesterday must have helped. I’m really happy for you.” She stepped back from embracing him and went to turn back to work. He stopped her by grabbing her shoulders.

  “I thought about it last night, and I have a perfect date planned.” Kneus absently rubbed her shoulders, then frowned when he noticed how tense she was. Gwen needed to take better care of herself it would seem. She was always going on about their health, what about hers?

  “Is it a surprise or do I get details?” Gwen asked.

  “It is a surprise, casual dress will be fine just make sure you have on comfortable footwear.”

  Kneus went to work on the console his mind getting immersed in his work. The archives chronicled their lives here on Terraneu almost from the beginning. They were only missing the first five or six cycle’s worth of data. That accounted for only four thousand years or so. The only information they found so far was what they had already known. The how’s and why’s of the change the founding fathers had done, the cloning cycle and the basic technology they had built on over the years.

  He heard a groan next to him he looked over and saw Gwen stretch. Then he matched her groan with one of his own he stretched and became aware of his stiff muscles. “Okay. It’s time for a break! Per the doctor’s orders I need more sunlight and water!” He got up carefully from his seat to give his legs a chance to adjust to the standing position.

  “How about a walk around the Square?” Kneus thought for a moment. “Unless you would prefer to keep working?”

  “No. A walk sounds lovely!”

  Walking around the Square Kneus stopped to say hello to his friends, Gwen stopped to say hello to her friends and they both stopped to say hello to mutual friends. It was amazing how fast they didn’t make it around the Square.

  Getting back to work, time flew by and before he knew it they were leaving for his surprise date. He had entered them in the newly formed couple’s version of the new and improved Bio’los. It started at the game dome, which was near the Square of Four. Since the community was built out from the square in rings, with zones of NW, NE, SW and SE the game utilized the layout to make it interesting. After spinning you around to make you dizzy, an officiating person would yell out a ring, zone and dome number and the couple had to race together to that dome. The only catch is that the males had to tie the couple together at one leg, and the females had to use a blindfold on the male before racing off. If you arrived at the correct dome, your legs were released but the male had to stay blindfolded and there was some type of a puzzle to solve. If you answered correctly you were spun around again, had to retie your legs together and then that official yelled another ring, zone and dome number. You had to do this three times before you raced back to the game dome. Every couple took turns in a bracket u
ntil it was down to two couples. He knew that Gwen enjoyed playing the singles version, so hoped this was a good first date for them.

  “Couples Bio’los?” Gwen laughed. “I love the singles version and always wanted to try the couples version! It’s perfect Kneus.”

  His heart jumped when she gave him a hug, then the official called them over to the line with the couple they were competing with. Someone spun him around, while someone else spun Gwen around. The ring, zone and dome was called out and the race was on. Fumbling with the rope he clumsily tied his left leg to Gwen’s right. She took the blindfold and adjusted it quickly across his eyes and laughing like crazy Gwen managed to get them to the correct dome. Out of breath from the race and laughing so hard it took a few moments before either of them could answer. Eventually they won their round, and moved through the brackets. This was the best first date ever Kneus thought to himself as he walked hand in hand with Gwen to her dome. He had never laughed so much or so hard in his entire life.

  When they reached her door, Gwen looked at him under her lashes. “I had a really good time!” She leaned into him, placing her hands on his chest.

  “Good-night Gwen.” Kneus kissed her softly, “I hope you will agree to go on another date with me.”

  “Of course.” Gwen looked into his eyes, “I would be happy to go on another date, but...”

  “I was hoping you would say that.” Kneus brushed his lips against hers one last time, “I have the perfect idea for tomorrow. I will see you at the technology dome in the morning.” He hurried away from Gwen working out the details for their next date in his mind.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Gwen had never had such a whirlwind few weeks as these had been. Between working with Kneus in the technology dome, and going out together afterward she couldn’t remember ever being so busy. After their first date she had been about to ask him in for a nightcap. Okay it would have been water, but it was an excuse to get him into her dome. She hadn’t had a chance to ask because with another quick kiss he had darted off. She thought with a sigh that a better name for Kneus would have been Sheldon! He was hopeless when it came to female interaction. That thought led her to wonder how her favorite television series was progressing back on Earth. She would never know now she supposed, but figured she could always make up an ending in her mind.

  With a bounce in her step Gwen made her way from her dome. She hadn’t been working with Kneus for a couple of days now. There was a female that had wanted to start a water bar, where people could go to gather. Emma wanted to take it one step further however and thought to create ‘flavored’ water. She had said that it was something the females could relate to from Earth, ‘a taste of home’ kind of thing. After thinking about it Gwen had agreed to assist her, she had been trying to help Emma achieve a successful formula without any luck for three days now. As long as the flavor was artificial they had some decent results. If they tried to ‘juice’ any fruit to add to the water, it just seemed too much for the stomach. Unfortunately the artificial formulas left a nasty aftertaste in the mouth so were unlikely to be desirable as refreshment. Gwen was undeterred however. She knew that if they kept at it eventually they would find a recipe that would work. Emma was very excited to make her idea a reality, and Gwen wanted her to succeed. She didn’t realize how much of life on Earth revolved around food until coming here. This water bar would give them another place to hang out, make friends, go on dates or just bring a reader and relax in Emma’s planned lounge area.

  Arriving at the dome that Emma was converting to use as her business Gwen saw that she was already here. Gwen waited as she talked with one of the males from the fabricators about what she would like in the way of seating and cushions. When she spotted Gwen she thanked the male she had been talking with and walked over.

  “Good morning Gwen.” Emma smiled in greeting, “How was your date with Kneus?”

  Everyone knew that Gwen and Kneus were dating, and that he had been taking her out almost nightly.

  “Good morning Emma.” Gwen replied, “It was fun. How was your date with Jax?” It seemed that surviving the attack on Antilles had hurried Jax’s desire for a mate. While Lacey, the female he had been dating was not ready to settle into a monogamous relationship. Emma on the other hand was interested. She was very nice and Gwen hoped it would work out for them.

  “It was very romantic really.” Emma sighed, “Jax surprised me by stopping in shortly after you left. I was just cleaning up and he had a formula he had created. I tried to warn him that you and I had some really bad reactions, but he insisted he wanted to help.” Emma burst out laughing at the memory, “He drank it down before I could stop him you can just imagine what happened next.”

  Gwen started laughing too, “Yes, I can.”

  “After everything was cleaned up, including Jax, we went to the park to visit. It was getting dark by then so we got a nice quiet spot and just star gazed.” She got wistful and said in a soft voice, “Do you ever wonder which star is the Earth’s sun when you look up at the night sky?”

  Gwen thought for a moment, it would be a lie to say she never thought about Earth when she looked out at the night. “Yes, I think about Earth all the time. I try to remind myself that the life we are building here is worth the sacrifice though.” Gwen shook herself out of it, “Flavored water is not going to be one of those sacrifices if we can help it!” That had Emma laughing once again.

  “You are right!” Her voice held its normal enthusiasm, “We are going to give this a burl!”

  Gwen looked at Emma, “My instant Terraneu translator must be off. What is a burl?”

  “Oh, it’s a saying for giving something a try, making an attempt at something. In this case flavored water.” Emma explained.

  “Got it.” Gwen moved to where they had set up a portable science station, “We are definitely going to give it a ‘burl’!”

  *~*~*

  A few hours later Gwen had to acknowledge defeat for another day. It was discouraging really how often she had hit dead ends lately. With Kneus the archives and now Emma and now the flavored water. Was there anything on this planet she was going to be able to succeed at? Wondering at her suddenly dejected state of mind she figured she might need to stop by the fabricators for some feminine supplies if her train of thought was any indication. She was always at her most depressed and moody just before her monthly ‘visitor’.

  With decidedly less bounce to her step Gwen moved around Terraneu. Picking up supplies and stopping to chat with friends as she came across them. She had promised Amber that she would stop by her dome to see the now moving around sacathies. With that goal in mind she put away her supplies then made her way to New Haven.

  “Gwen, you made it.” Amber waved her into the living room of her dome. “As you can see it has been a bit crazy in here!” Poor Amber looked around with a grimace.

  Gwen smiled to reassure her friend, “I just happen to be looking for a bit of craziness in my day!” She looked around at what had Amber in such a state and noted that the dome looked like any home with children she had ever visited. It wasn’t dirty as much as it had a bit of clutter everywhere. The triplets were playing with an assortment of toys on the living room floor. Gwen had marveled at the speed with which they took to moving around. Once they had rolled, then crawled and now they were pulling themselves up, and taking baby steps. She knew that they would be walking before their first birthday, probably within the month. That wasn’t the only surprise Gwen realized with a start when she felt the brush of fur against her leg and looked down to see the golden sacathie brushing against her.

  “The sacathies are moving around without Tabec guarding them?” Gwen asked in amazement.

  “Yes. She is far less restrictive of them.” Amber looked around, “Imagine my shock when they joined me in the bathroom yesterday morning.” Amber laughed at the memory. “All of them mind you. The triplets and her two! Tabec still herds all five of them around, she just doesn’t restrict them to o
ne room anymore. They have even taken some jaunts outside. Poor Cebat is still left to hunt and bring food back, and I’m not even going to try to describe that mess!” She shuddered dramatically.

  “It’s a good thing Iesti said the sacathies can go through training and whatever behavior thing Kniam wanted to do on them by about a month old.” Catherine spoke from behind her.

  Gwen jumped at Catherine’s voice, then spun around and spotted her on the couch. “Cat, I didn’t see you there. How was your latest trip into the wilds of Terraneu? You were only gone a couple of days, I thought you were going to be out longer.” Picking her way through babies, toys and sacath Gwen managed to find a place to sit on the couch close to Catherine. Amber chose a seat across from them.

  “It was nice to get away, but Knaleg wanted to be back here for the council meeting.” Catherine continued, “I’m not sure why. I know you are working hard at those archives, but I swear they just aren’t the answer. If anyone could find anything in those files it would be you and Kneus.” Catherine frowned, “I just think your talents are wasted on those computer files.” She hurried to ask, “Amber said you are working with Emma on flavored water? That is something I would really like to be fruitful.” She laughed at her own joke, “Get it...fruitful...flavored water...?” She trailed off when Gwen and Amber just looked at her. “Well I thought it was funny.” Clearing her throat she asked, “So how is it coming along?”

  It was Gwen’s turn to frown, “Nothing to report yet. No matter what we try with real flavoring the body just can’t seem to adapt. Anything with artificial ingredients leaves a nasty aftertaste.” Gwen wanted to give them some hope that it might work so hurried to add, “I am confident that we will find something. Which is what I was going to ask you Cat. In your travels if you could bring back samples of the plants you come across. Maybe there is something out there that we can use.”

  “No problem. I will ask Knaleg if he knows of things that don’t seem toxic. As we get farther out and he doesn’t know, we will just have to bring samples back for testing.” Catherine seemed excited at the idea of going farther than Knaleg had gone before, and her next words proved it. “I can’t wait to take some time away and really explore! Going farther than he has gone before is our hope.”