Pollinator Xillian Delta-1
Pollinator Xillian Delta-1 approached her leading environmental scientist, Zeberon Omega, in his lab where he was trying to bury himself in work.
“My Lady, it is an honor,” he said, looking away from her as etiquette dictated he should.
“We have received a communication,” the leader of the Sixam planet said. It wasn’t often that she deigned to visit individuals on the surface. She preferred to reside in her great ship currently orbiting the planet. She even attended parliamentary meetings remotely.
“A communication?” Zeb asked, clearly confused at why the leader of the Sixam Free World would be talking to him in person. But she had good reason.
“Yes. From Sim Earth,” she informed him.
The scientist looked up into the Pollinator’s black orbs, then he quickly looked away, but not before she saw excitement warring with embarrassment in his eyes.
“What do you know about this communication?” the Pollinator asked.
“I-I don’t know anything,” he stammered. “But I gave communication technology to the contact I made on the planet, Ada Adamson,” he explained. The Pollinator knew this. She had read his report thoroughly. She was just confirming.
“Your Ada Adamson has sent a communication,” the Pollinator said again. “Would you like to know what it said?”
He didn’t speak at first. She wondered if he had never expected to hear from the Sim woman again. She suspected that he had hoped that his Ada would contact him, but she thought maybe he hadn’t wanted to hope too hard.
Eventually, the scientist said, “Yes, My Lady.”
Xillian smiled benevolently. She was going to enjoy this. “You are to become a father,” she informed him.
The man fainted.
When he revived, the Pollinator was sitting in one of the chairs in the lounge. He was lying on one of the sofas.
“Are you well now?” The Pollinator asked.
“I believe so,” he said, sitting up.
“So you are to be a father. Did you know about it before you left Sim Earth?”
Males on Sixam rarely impregnated females. Usually it was the other way around. Sixamians were cross pollinators (both sexes to bare children), but males tended to be more fertile. In fact, most females could not bare young anymore, and some could not pollinate. This was a problem that had been plaguing them for decades…longer, most likely. But most of the population didn’t know about it. Zeberon Omega did. It was the primary purpose of his research after all.
He shook his head. “I had no idea that Sims were compatible with Sixamians.”
“Apparently they are.”
“So what does that mean?”
“We have not decided yet,” the Pollinator sighed. “The message took everyone in Parliament by surprise. We have been debating.”
“It took us four days to decide whether or not to share this message with you,” Xillian told Zeberon. He looked startled at this and visibly upset. She couldn’t blame him. She continued, “But in this my wishes ruled. As the father of the child, you deserved to be told.”
“Thank you My Lady,” he said. “What happens now?”
She wanted to tell him something to give him hope, but she could not do so. “We aren’t sure. Until we have decided, you will continue to work here. Keep doing the research you are doing.”
“Do you think I will be able to return to Sim Earth? To Ada? To my child?” It was bold of the scientist to ask. Generally the Sixamian public did not ask things of the Pollinator. Most never even asked things of the parliament. His directness was somewhat refreshing. She decided to reward him as much as she was able.
“What would you like to do?” the Pollinator asked, placing a comforting hand on his knee. “Do you want to return to Sim Earth, to this Ada, and to your child?”
He looked like he was going to leap up in agreement, demanding that she allow him to return to his lover on Sim Earth. But he hesitated. She was glad. Returning to Sim Earth was a difficult prospect. The planet was not ready for contact with Sixam. In Zeb’s report, this was made abundantly clear. Still, with a half-Sixam child on the primitive planet, something would need to be done.
“I want to be with Ada and my child,” Zeberon finally answered. “I want to keep them safe.”
The Pollinator nodded and stood. She could read his thoughts, or at least get the impressions of them. She tried hard not to delve too deeply into the minds of others. He meant what he said, but there was a wealth of other emotions behind his answer, intense love was the most prominent.
“I will be in touch,” she told him. Then she waved a hand and teleported back to her ship.
From A to Z 