42: After Death

"Welcome fresh students to the planet Malivork and Ionnu University. I'm Professor Ayah. Passing out your syllabuses is my life-mate, Professor Johnson. We teach Malvorkan Sexuality 101 and Malivork History 101. We'll spend the first hour exploring Malivorkian sexuality. Then there'll be a twenty-minute break and the second hour on Malivork history. Twenty minute break, then you'll go to Tolerance Equals Peace taught by Professor Chan. It's two hours broken by an hour for midday meal.

Everyone takes the midday meal together, Educators and students, humans, Malyons and Malvorkans," adds Professor Johnson returning to the front of the classroom to stand next to life-mate, Professor Ayah, "It is a privilege to attend this university. Thousands from both Earth and Ondi apply each year and only fifty from each world are accepted. If you're unable to adapt, there's someone anxiously waiting to take your place. I know all the Malyons are here because they know this is where they'll receive the best education possible. With humans it's also a financial consideration, because we have no fees of any kind. So those of you, who come from families with money, won't do you any good here. We don't get paid to be here. This is how we've chosen to be of service to our society."

A few of the new human students shift nervously in their seats.

"The purpose of requiring you to take these courses before any others is to assist you to adapt to your new environment. After all, this is going to be your new home for at least the next four years no matter what course work you've done before you got here. Just stay focused on why you're here," Professor Ayah doesn't want them too worried.

Professor Johnson continues, "You're here because we have the best medical, psychological, technological and educational programs. Our graduates are the best doctors, psychologists, engineers, scientists and educators. As the best they are in high demand, which means being a graduate of this university guarantees being a success at your chosen careers."

"Your last two classes of the day," Professor Ayah picking up where it left off, "will be integrated with Malyons and Malvorkans. You may feel a little out of place because most human languages are not common here. Your ELBs are equipped with translators, but it's not the same. Don't become dependent upon those.

The common tongue here is basically Malyon with many of the pronunciations altered and many human words are integrated in. Don't worry, at midday meal you'll meet your senior mentors who are proficient in the common language spoken here. Speaking wise, your Malyon classmates have an advantage. Another advantage they have is they sign while they talk.

Every Malvorkan signs. Twenty-five percent, and growing, of our population is deaf to some degree. This is a natural part of our evolution as our Ond DNA continues to reassert itself and we accept it. We know that one day all Malvorkans will be deaf. And we don't try to fight it because we know as we go deaf our minds are developing to compensate for that. So being able to sign is more important than being able to speak the language perfectly. The optional signing courses are recommended. It will help you adapt."

"Now, we know you're full of inquiries," Professor Johnson takes a step forward, "Let's all remember each person here has a different data level. Some have researched extensively before coming here, while others not at all. There are no foolish questions, and neither Professor Ayah nor I will be embarrassed by personal questions. This is your chance to satisfy your curiousity regarding myself and my life-mate, because tomorrow we'll be getting down to business."

"We'll start here with you," Professor Ayah pointing to the last student in the back row, "and circulate so you each may ask a question. Ana Barillo, please start us off."

"You know my name," the student surprised.

"Yes, Ana," Professor Johnson confirms, "we know all your names. We are part of the committee that selected you. Now, your question."

"Who's the young couple pictured on the wall over there," pointing to the large portrait on the other side of the room.

"Eve and Evan," Professor Ayah with reverence, "Eve is the only human since your biblical times to live two full centuries. They expired when Eve was two hundred, three and Evan was two hundred, five. We are both direct descendants from the original community they founded. For Malvorkans, they are the beginning. If you get the chance, view their personal journals and family photos in the library," then points to next student.

"Is it true that most Malvorkans are hermaphrodites?"

"Yes," answers Professor Johnson, "but we prefer the term bisexd. A little over seventy percent of our population is bisexd. It's another part of our evolution that was accepted long ago. The first bisexd infant born here was born well over five hundred years ago. The parents were a little frightened when they learned this during the pregnancy. They (motioning to the portrait of Eve and Evan) predicted it would happen eventually and assured their grandchild that this great grandchild was just the first of many," points to next student.

This young man has been staring at Professor Johnson in a perplexed manner, "Mr. Johnson are you pregnant?"

"Yes, I am. Twelve weeks gone and twelve more to go. This is my first pregnancy and our second child."

"But you look like a man," the student baffled.

"And I look like a woman," Professor Ayah grinning amused. "There are five genders on this planet. Male and female, which you've seen your whole life. Neutral, they have the potential to be male, female or bisexd depending on their life-mate choice. Until they bond, they look very androgynous. I am what is termed a ferm, because I look female in appearance. And my Seti is a marm, marms are male in appearance."

"And be careful with terms like him or her, Mr. or Miss, etc.," Professor Johnson warns, "because you won't find many that fit those terms here and some people are sensitive," points to next student.

"You both have the same scar on your left shoulders and I've seen others with that scar. Even the woman in the picture has one. What's that about?"

"It's a bond mark," Professor Ayah explains, "It's one of the items we'll address in Malvorkan Sexuality 101. But basically people with this mark are life-mates with another person. Yet we also retain the human tradition of exchanging wedding rings and the Malyon tradition of exchanging neck bands."

"Do all Malvorkans look as human as you two do?"

"No," Professor Johnson answers, "the population is about 50/50 in that area with about half of us more Malyon in appearance. Ninety percent have the large Malyon irises like us, yet the human eye color brown is very common. But we have many dazzling eye and hair colors. Like the hypnotic green of my Neiria's eyes or the fire red of fer hair."

"Fer?"

"You'll learn the appropriate pronouns quickly," Professor Ayah explains, "Fer instead of her, mim instead of him, and It is perfectly appropriate. You won't offend anyone by using It. Your senior mentors will help with that as well."

"Will any of us have a Malyon for a mentor?"

"Yes," Professor Ayah nods, "Thirty-five of you will have a Malvorkan, ten a Malyon, and five another human as a senior mentor."

"We select your senior mentor based on major course of study, personality traits, interests and hobbies," explains Professor Johnson, "Rarely is it necessary to assign a new mentor. We often find the fresh student has some deeper unresolved issue that requires counseling. In such cases, the student may reapply to return after their issue has been resolved."

"How do you two do it? Do you like take turns doing each other or what?"

Professor Ayah smiles unashamed, "Besides the fact that marms look male in appearance while ferms look female in appearance; the positioning of genitalia is different for ferms and marms. This allows a ferm and marm to do each other at the same time while a ferm and a ferm or a marm and a marm would have to take turns. But they don't seem to mind. This will be addressed in detail in Malvorkan Sexuality 101."

"What are our Malyon counterparts doing now?"

"Tolerance Equals Peace with Professor Chan," answers Professor Ayah, "and at first they were relieved by Chan's Malyon appearance, which will make you nervous at first. But Professor Chan's sunny disposition you'll find a relief, while right now they're put off by it."

"Do they experience human emotion?"

Professor Johnson takes two steps backward and looks away as its tail goes limp. Each year a fresh student asks this question and it always strikes a raw nerve with its life-mate.

"FYI, people. Emotions are not unique to humans. Humans have not cornered the market on emotions. All humanoid beings have and experience the same spectrum of emotions. If you heard it from the friend of a friend, your third cousin from the Venus colony said, or your sire and carrier told you. If it didn't come from a reliable educate source that has lived here or on Ondi, it's probably false. And just so no one asks, yes we all have souls. If you are not prepared to be open-minded and leave your bigotry behind, you don't belong here."

"Neiria," a woman's voice gentle, soothing and motherly. The class is surprised to see the young couple standing beneath the portrait. They were so focused on Professor Ayah; no one noticed them emerge from the wall beneath the portrait. Yet there they are, standing below themselves, looking as young and alive as the day the picture over them was taken. Even though, they have been dead for over five hundred years.

"Patience child," Evan says smiling soberly at Professor Ayah.

"[Latnem Ulosme' Gevasni]," Professor Johnson retaking its place at its life-mates side, "roughly translated means: mind and soul saved. Malyon scientists perfected it over a millennium ago because they believed it was absolutely tragic for a truly great mind to be lost to death. Unfortunately, the scientist who laid the foundation for the technological miracle died before it was perfected… They were the first Malvorkans to be chosen for this honor and Eve is the only human to be so honored. They remain an invaluable source of data for our world while they continue to learn and make significant contributions to our society.

But the unsolved mystery of the eon is why when they materialize are they not the chronological age of when they were last recorded just before death. The thirteen preserved before them and the two since all materialize at the chronological age their minds were last recorded or duplicated at."

"Do they know why?"

"We have theories," answers Eve.

"We know we are the only life-mates to undergo Latnem Ulosme' Gevasni," adds Evan, "and we underwent the procedure simultaneously."

"It could be something as simple as their love for each other kept them young in hearts," Professor Ayah likes this romantic speculation, "but how does one quantify that? Next question."

"Is it true that Malyon males must choose a wife or they get sick and die?"

"Not as true as it used to be," Professor Johnson answers, "There has been a slow infusion of human DNA due to Malyons returning home from here with a Malvorkan or human mate.

Time for break," announces Professor Johnson, "Twenty minutes. But before you go, there are always a couple of human males and occasionally some human females that think they want to try out a Malvorkan or a Malyon sexually, just to see what it's like…bad idea. You will end up with a life-mate even if your intention was just to have a little fun. While Malvorkan's don't need to be bonded to be intimate, we don't believe in casual sex. And tricking a Malvorkan into having sex with you will get you put off this planet. Because a Malvorkan willing to have sex with you is planning on making you their life-mate and will not take kindly to being used. You may go."

They watch the fresh batch of human students file out of the room.

"[I know mother]," all of Eve's descendants call her mother and Evan father. Professor Neiria Ayah continues, "[Patience must I have. This question know not I why still it unsettles me.]"

"[Lecture you I will not]," Eve pushes a fallen lock of fire red hair from Neiria's face, "[Myself so very much alike are you.]"

Neiria considers this last statement to be a compliment and smiles, "[Our little one in nursery. Come with us to visit.]"

"[Meet you there we will]," Evan taking Eve's hand.

"[For you two, last couple of days exhausting they must have been]," Professor Seti Johnson noticing a sadness in Eve's face, "[Last minute advice everyone wanting of you. Physical discomfort we know you suffer not, cause physical bodies have you no more. Yet stressed mentally and emotionally must be.]"

Eve and Evan both nod yes.

"[Some rest should you both get then]," Neiria concerned.

"[We will]," Eve sliding under Evan's arm, "[Your little one, now go see and snack Seti should have. Forget you must not.]"

"[Ahda, terrem]," Seti and Neiria tell Eve yes mother together. And together, they leave the classroom with Eve and Evan looking after them.

"[Alike us very much those two]," Eve putting her head to Evan's chest, "[Seti human version almost of you.]"

Evan smiles contently as he runs a hand over Eve's hair enjoying the tactile sensation, "[Work too hard even in death you manage. Pace itself, Neiria has learned. Yet enough of this, some rest to get, shut down we must. Without us, universe will manage a short while. Besides, for solving unsolvable, eternity we have together.]"

They kiss and walk back into the wall they emerged from. Disappearing into the wall under the large portrait of them that was taken shortly after the birth of Ashton, the first of their five children. Taken at a time when neither could imagine their love for each other would lead to peace for trillions of humanoids and many, many worlds.

And they continue to exist together, happily ever after.