Prologue
Neodyma 2759 AD
Night had fallen. The city lay spread out before me like a fantasy kingdom from the Arabian Nights. A feast for the senses.
Flickering torches illuminated ancient carvings on the massive stone pillars of the Citadel, making them dance and sway. A soft breeze caressed my skin, still tingling from the unfamiliar physical contact I’d been subjected to earlier in the day. The air carried the scent of exotic night-blooming flowers unlike any found on Earth. I could hear the faint crackle of incense burning in the braziers that lined the walkway leading to the center courtyard outside the door.
It was hard to believe such beauty could be the home of so much misery and pain.
They would be coming for me soon. Dragging me into the courtyard of the Citadel to be stripped naked in front of the crowd, tied to the wooden bench that stood ready on the platform, then publicly spanked with a wooden paddle as punishment for my crimes. Later, still bound, I’d be privately disciplined in ways I couldn’t even begin to imagine by whatever man was awarded the privilege.
It wasn’t the outcome I expected when I signed on for this mission.
* * *
Star portals have existed since the beginning of time. Doorways between worlds in our galaxy. They are found on Earth at the convergence of ley lines, those invisible electromagnetic paths crisscrossing our globe. Our ancestors discovered them thousands of years ago.
Flourishing ancient civilizations didn’t die out and disappear. Once again, history was wrong. The people of Atlantis, the Sumerians, the Mayans – when tragedy struck their homelands, they simply migrated through the portals to worlds where fresh water flowed, crops grew abundantly, and the climate was nearly perfect.
Human beings descended from our common ancestors are alive today on a recently discovered trio of planets thousands of light years away. Islands of stability in the Universe where vast quantities of precious metals and rare minerals abound.
Iridia. Gadolinium. And the blue planet. Neodyma.
Chapter One
“Neodyma, sir?” AJ asked, surprised. “Isn’t that the planet where people refuse to accept modern technology? I thought it was populated by a handful of rough savages.”
“Compared to us, they are,” Admiral Stevens replied. “And I fear the behaviors you’ll witness there will shock you. But we need your unique talents on Neodyma, Commander Norris.”
AJ tried to imagine what sort of behavior the stern-faced admiral would deem shocking. Gladiators fighting to the death for the amusement of the citizens, as they did in ancient Rome? Human sacrifice? She knew better than to voice her gruesome thoughts. True to her military training, she stood with her back ramrod straight, waiting for him to continue.
Stevens folded his arms and gazed out the wall of glass in front of him. AJ kept her eyes on the admiral. The panoramic view of East Metropolis from his office on the 321stfloor made her dizzy.
“It seems a band of outlaws has taken over an ancient fortress in the Outlands of Neodyma, deep in the Crystal Mountains. Their charismatic leader, General Tok, is recruiting young women to come to Petra, claiming they can escape their dull lives and be loved, even worshipped, as women once were. But according to sketchy reports we’ve gotten in, once she arrives, the unlucky female becomes a sex slave, forced to submit in every way to any man rich enough to buy her or powerful enough to win her in battle.”
Sex slaves? No wonder the admiral called the behavior shocking. AJ had never met any humans who actually engaged in sexual activity with each other. Physical forms of intimacy had disappeared long ago on Earth, replaced by electro-holographic stimulation, performed either alone or in group settings. Modern technology guaranteed a satisfying climax every time, without any of the distracting emotional trauma early humans had to endure in their quest to feed their ceaseless sexual hungers.
Long ago, science learned to suppress the body’s production of estrogen and testosterone through regular, minimal doses of synthetic hormones. The primitive erotic cravings that led men and women to behave rashly disappeared, as did the threat of unwanted pregnancy.
AJ had her own holographic partner, an attractive, muscular male she’d designed. Her image of the perfect man, he came complete with an ultrasonic wand sized to bring her to orgasm swiftly and efficiently. She’d learned about the ancient practice of sexual intercourse between humans. It sounded like a messy and uncomfortable way to handle procreation. She considered herself fortunate to live in modern times.
One day, far in the future, she’d be assigned a life partner based on shared goals. Her marriage contract would include a timetable to achieve them. If they chose to procreate, she and her mate would design and conceive the child artificially, in a sterile lab, where the infant would spend its first months of life closely monitored by the latest equipment.
At the end of two years, they’d be presented with a healthy toddler free of genetic defects – a far better system than leaving a child’s fate to the old-fashioned rolling of DNA-laden dice known as intercourse.
With a start, AJ realized Stevens was still talking. She put aside the graphic images her imagination had conjured up of female sex slaves submitting to their alien captors and forced herself to pay attention.
***
Stevens paced back and forth in front of the glass wall, staring down at the bustling city below.
“Keeping order on these distant outposts is an ongoing problem. Frankly, Commander, the Interstellar Federation isn’t concerned about some cult indulging in obsolete sexual practices on a faraway planet. Rumor has it this rogue band is mining vast quantities of rare minerals and selling them to planets outside the Federation. With them, terrorists hold the key to building superweapons capable of taking the entire Universe hostage.”
With a sigh, he stopped and met AJ’s eyes.
“We’ve already sent out one undercover team. But, as you know, modern communication devices can’t survive the bombardment of electromagnetic forces unleashed in the portal. We’re limited to receiving live reports from our scouts or on antiquated devices – sheets of paper bearing written words. There’s been no message from the team for three months. The minister fears they’ve been captured or killed. Frankly, I’m inclined to agree with him.”
He paused, sizing up the slender woman in front of him. Shoulders back, head held high, she wore her dress whites with pride. Per regulations, her long chestnut hair was drawn back into a severe knot at the back of her head. Wide amber eyes regarded him steadily, displaying no hint of emotion.