The Husbands
Mat the Entertainer and the Korn pair
Mat received a request to appear before Ilka Band for the selection competition. He knew he was the best in the tribe there should be no contest. Yet as the time came and he looked at the audience display he saw into his competition’s Media rooms and Ilka his mentor standing with his instrument maker. Mat loved his yearly trip to pick out instruments and always took Ilka’s advice on what he needed to master. He smiled at them feeling relieved the test would be before people he knew.
“Welcome young ones. You are the top male Entertainers of this hour this completion is to become mate with our Top Music Performer and Instrument inventor’s Daughter.” The young men gasped Mat blushed violently. Ilka turned to O’Shea who had veins pulsating at plus quarter speed. The poor things the drive to make children and keep them safe is extremely strong. Ilka was so happy to be born complete. Having both sex organs or neither eliminates ones drive to procreate and so the pain of letting a child grow into an adult is something only to be observed and encouraged. With a few adaptions made through chemical and surgical means but unless there is a shortage of people that is never done. Every Alsip is born as they should be and are not jealous of others.
O’Shea stepped forward and bowed his upper body stiffly. The words Entertainer Moshea appeared under him. His wife who’s sacred name was Morgana, had a shine to her eyes this was their first child. He was gifted to her and she to him seventeen years ago. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever saw. She was thinking of the same moment, the first time she looked at her husband and thought MINE. Morgana was the first administrator to use probability based on eight evaluators instead of seven. She spent her work hours helping leaders make decisions. Her husband was the vacation her mind needed. Her way of calculating increased the status of the Mathematics in idea selection. Leaders were in awe of her, none of the young men looking at her knew or cared. All she was to them was beautiful and for a moment they hoped she was the prize but under her image was Administer Moshea.
The adults felt sorry for the young men. Becoming a man is surprising. Females have an overt and undeniable bloody biological display to announce they are of age every month until they are mated. Males slowly change and never know for sure until they are told. When a child is born to this clan their DNA is evaluated and grouped by type. When they are seventh year their time at home ends and they are assigned to a field of study to focus on. Over the years these boys got taller hairier and listened to their voices get deeper until Ilka announced they were ready to receive a mate. Together Moshea said, “If you are ready to be mated to our joy and heart open the box before you.” She sat next to Ilka he took his place within his Xylophones and vibes.
A wooden drum in the shape of an infinite loop was in the gift boxes. Each young man was given a gift from his potential mate’s parents. Receiving the gift means you are willing to mate with their daughter. The presentation is made if she rejects him, her parents come into the room and congratulate him on being assigned work. He keeps the gift. If he rejects her it is by giving her the gift and saying please give this to your parents. Mat knew it would be an endurance test as soon as he saw the drum he had given back twelve gifts. To turn down a family was unusual most feel the biochemical pull to mate and when they see a potential mate are relieved. Mat just didn’t feel it, he had all the working parts but none of the drive that other people did. Until last night. He had a dream and it was coming true. He took the drum out of the box and turned it around in his hands, it was the one he had dreamed of. It was very well made he started testing out the sounds it could make. Mat noticed he wasn’t unique all of the other guys were inspecting their drums with identical awe that they owned something so perfect. He wasn’t going to give it back and if his wife was as beautiful as her mother he was going to be a very happy mate.
"Follow me, whole count mark your place on the format screen and start on que.” O’Shea ordered his future son in law, and the others hoping to be. This was the only way to find out who was who. His daughter loved music she could listen for hours. A steady beat helped her think she said. She had told him how his music made her able to memorize things quickly. Her mother’s the same way he smiled to himself as he played. He loved his mate. The woman was all facts and saw the world as a tangle of numbers. His Morgan had his red hair and freckle pattern but that was all his DNA was allowed.
"Oba." Mat said under his breath as he decided he was not going to lose this competition. O’Shea wasn’t sure he heard it so he looked at Ilka who bowed yes and smiled. Oba was an endearment used for ones father before a person is old enough to leave home. There are many endearments da, pa, ap, etc so it wasn’t used by everyone just a tribe within a clan. For some reason hearing the endearment his daughter used come out of this youth’s mouth made him root for Mat to be his son in law. Knowing his grandchildren will use the same endearment his forefathers used would be a comfort.
"1/2 step faster." O’Shea called out as he speed up the beat. His 30 year old body was built for this. He smiled at his wife who started dancing with Ilka. At first it was a tiny hand movement. He knew his wife would be dancing with her whole body in 2 hours.
Mat matched him as did all but two of the others. Some started to hum others started to dance with their drum. Mat didn’t know it until the crescendo came out of him but he was singing. He had this new song in his head all day and felt it must be time to let it out. Mat lifted his chin and was singing about a bird for some reason and not even understanding why the song was so sad. It was filled with all of his fear of leaving his home and not being a kid anymore. How sad he was to leave his parents. He wasn’t bragging just acknowledging facts. He was finished waiting to see his wife and not playing for fun anymore. The other youth started backing him up.
Listening to Mat’s song Mitt, friend of his, pushed a verse, "Every bird learns to fly. It is time to fly away. If you stop looking back you will see where you go isn’t a scary place."
Mat smiled at his friend through the video screen. "I know the world we live in isn’t the one we built. My wife and I across the sky will fly to a world that we will build." From that point on the two friends vamped on the advantages of knowing everything right their parents did and being able to to them and not have restrictions no more waiting.
"1/2 step faster", O’Shea commanded speeding up and hoping Mat could hang in as most dropped out completely putting their drums into the box and picking up new instruments sent by parents of other girls to back Mat’s song. As they opened the parent gifts from boxes the girl’s faces and boxes disappeared from all the other boy’s screens. Their new name appeared below them and the girls watching saw their mates faces. None were disappointed they had asked for an entertainer and now they knew who he was. The young women had faith in Ilka and their parents. They knew they would be told no if entertainer wasn’t a good match.
Ilka smiled this was entertaining to make the game more exciting she filtered the raw footage and edited the feed. Making it seem like it was a fair contest when one knew Mat was the one for Morgan was hard. So she made it a reveal of all the of the hour’s mated couples as an animations using a spin move to reveal their names and faces as they danced across the drums. Ilka used the wood to suit the Entertainer’s demand for brown. The animated figures blurred the drums together and with editing and enhancing the viewers saw different hands seeming to strike the same drum. The wood grain and couple changing with every 16th beat made it perfection.
Morgan’s request for a mate came 12 hours after The Holder’s request she have one within 48 hours and The Entertainer’s demand that it be a game using the color brown. Ilka saw wanted a musical Top Entertainer, Morgan’s leader demanded that he be able to understand and make ad campaigns. Two easy requests finished and for a gift she edited the feed into an ad for application for the new wedge and sent it universal. The ad was seen by all clans and tribes showing that the first competition and Entertainer Morgat was something tremendous. Mat, now Morgat, was a fit six feet of muscle with a bald head that invited the eye to glissade over his multi-ethnic skin. His smile was radiant and his eyes sparkled with flecks of gold. Ilka had ordered him a wedding suit based on the gold flecks in his eyes and dark chocolate to match Morgan’s freckles. Her cappuccino gown with gold lace animation was perfect. Although the Morgat animation hugged on their tribal video, the real presentation time wasn’t for hours.
Ichabod Band was pushed out of The Entertainer’s office into his own space. It had blue pale almost white pigment on the ceiling, dark blue almost black on the floor the walls was a fight between the two shades neither winning it way. Ichabod loved his mentor from the first time he saw him. It was clear that there was no hope. The Entertainer’s duty was his wife so Ichabod made sure to be as helpful to him as possible content to be near. His favorite playmate was a painter she left him this room to him to remember her by 5 years ago. He could have taken a mate, she would have been an excellent one, instead he visited lonely elders within his clan and played with them. They were always grateful for his interest and a lot of fun.
He had his people using the color blue in a game show to find the best mate for Lilith. His chief playmates were administrators when having to deal with leaders they always complained of their lack of protocol and understanding of the order. To have an administrator who understands the value of history was the thing missing in bad leaders education. This game was going to honor her by having history as the last portion in selection.
Ichabod Band’s request for a tape showing the Korn youth’s abilities and full spectrum model was given to him. No name designator was attached just a list of numbers and adjectives. He smiled his Korn counter part gave him only the raw data so he could build it the way he wanted. Her model platform was far from static. The smiling youth was in a skin suit with reflecting letters that said "I LOVE SWIMMING" this was going to be fun. He started designing an outfit that could be made and transferred to him in time for the game.
Ichabod
The Entertainer received the display of the opening competition joining the two Aslip youngsters. It was amazing simple and grand just like Ilka. It was a perfect pairing within the timing used from the Holder of Wolds. Morgat looked perfect and the edit made it seam as if they were a love match. So easy to bring two people from the same background together. The Lilith Bands mating situation was not going to be as easy.
The Holder of Worlds had a reason why he wanted her and her administrator mated. The Korn had two unmatched males of their hour who were coming of age and demanding a mate. Korn hours are balanced by having their mate beside them from birth. The pair function as a unit always. The two males were unmatched because the hour was a female short. The two boys didn’t know they were different from any other pair. From birth they were side by side in all public events. The Korn had wanted the two males to go to the two unmatched females but did not tell him that until Morgat was announced.
Why and how entertainers became match makers he would never know but it was their job and the Korn Entertainer stood before him with a pained look. She was alone in the world with the death of her mate. They were both entertainers. He was the editor she lacked timing but now the drama was his. He motioned her to a chair and watched her with iron eyes standing arms crossed feet together his lips firmly together. When she lowered herself in the red high back chair knees together her chin on her chest. He stood over her for three heart beats and said, "I will not ask Morgat to add another their match is set." She lifted her head and was going to open her mouth not knowing what to say but that something should be said. She was unable.
The Entertainer leaned over her and when his face was two centimeters away from hers he said, "Ichabod Band I need you." A blue bird that was the twin of the gift he gave Ichabod appeared bowed and turned into the man in his fluffy blue feathered suit. The man’s eyes were painted to look like the bird’s when closed. How could you not love a man who worshipped you that much? By being too old to do anything about it. He smiled at the youngster and motioned him to sit near the Korn entertainer. He walked to his chair with his hands behind his back as the two greeted each other. When the conversation turned to games instead of mating he closed his eyes. Why doesn’t she even try to do something herself?.
The Entertainer sat down in his favorite chair and asked, "Has Lilith found a mate? Because if she hasn’t we have two Korn males who need wives." He watched her regain her focus on him, Ichabod never let his eyes stray even when talking to the Korn entertainer. As all should. Having to gain another’s attention was tedious.
The Korn entertainer bowed her head in a half nod of affirmation. ’The youths need to be mated and The Holder of Worlds made it known to me you may have a female who is willing to take them both."
"Are they a protector and a historian in good health? If they are Lilith will take them both providing she finds them attractive enough. She is very tall and thin, she will need overtly male mates as tall no taller. Our History test is in 20 minuets one must have the winning score. I know that the Korn medical protector is the top healer after all she has kept the Holder of Worlds alive so long, my grandfather’s birth and death, are within his life span." Ichabod’s expression was bland and line delivery flat. The Korn entertainer’s demeanor changed as he spoke as if she was drawing all of the fire out of the Band entertainer.
"Yes." She hissed, "We do have the top leader and health protector but like the Band leaders. Until they are assigned to a position all Korn pairs are educated and tested on everything. The young men will be whatever they are assigned to be and they will be excellent at it in a way it seams they were born for it. Including being husband to your skinny giantess."
She arose from her chair straight and tall. "I will send you the data on them."
Turning her back on the obstinate child she smiled at her friend The Entertainer, "The Korn competition will be in space. I am having the hour create their own personal dwellings according to the specs we received with Lilith’s invitation. Most creative use of the color red is the deciding factor. We are suppling the wedge a complete five minutes of what we are calling the "Accenda Hour". I think all the Korn born that hour will enjoy being able to have a place to live on or off world." She walked away into her space.
Ichabod Band stood he didn’t think he was offending her but knew he did. When he looked at The Entertainer he was smiling after her. The Entertainer looked at Ichabod who smiled and started to bow good bye. "She lost her mate you know? She doesn’t have a name anymore like me her name died with her mate. All she has is her job and I think she does it well." The Entertainer went to his black chair and sat down heavily. "You never took a mate so you will never understand the pain she’s in, thank you for getting her beyond it. You made her angry. It is an emotion she hasn’t shown me her husband was the angry one he was the one you had to be careful of when questioning because the pride he had in the Korn. You have done all I needed you to do as always Ichabod." He leaned forward placing his elbows on the desk resting his chin on interlaced hands.
"Thank you." Ichabod said as he bowed out and into his room.
He loved The Entertainer. He loved being an entertainer too. The first time he told a joke and made the connection to people he knew that making a person laugh was what he was born to do. The Band was a serious people weapons were their birth order. Even though wars were a thing of the past and weapons are used to score points in games on and off planet. Most Protectors are either Band or use Band technology. This made his task one that took extra effort at home so his show was a universal hit. He was so popular that Administers called his hour, "The most unproductive hour in the universe." Getting any work done was said to be virtually impossible.
Now he was going to have to create a history quiz that ended in a Korn youth becoming one of two husbands of his Lilith. Seeing the romantic opening of competition. The one thing he saw was how the use of brown made it more sexy than sleazy. Their ending was not tacky or sweet just the right note of finality. A rhythmic musical competition ending in mating could have been handled so differently. He was going to have to provide a grand finally that used blue in a way that tied all of the competitions into a historic close. How is he going to make being with Lilith the best thing yet all who couldn’t go be content to stay?
A scroll manifested on his desk. He picked it up. A note from Lilith thanking him for the scroll design specs and informing him her entertainer will be in touch soon. He had no doubt. This was the first time he had to meet a new system entertainer and one so young and newly married is bound to be full of ideas and questions. Right now his biggest question was presenting Lilith and her husbands.
Should they be in matching outfits when presented to the world as a triad? He decided yes. The next three hours were devoted to Ichabod’s love for designing clothes. He sent out the details to be fabricated knowing all would be done in time for the launch of the lead ship Lilith designed. He had seen her schematics and it put him in the mind of bubbles. As a child he always preferred to be the one blowing the bubbles over chasing them. Apparently Lilith was the child who loved watching and wondering what it was like to be inside them. He believed the ships should be coated in a unifying layer or grouping but that was the only note he could think of for the hours new entertainer to deal with. Having five minuets of all clans and tribes to unite will be a puzzle for the young ones. It will be fun to see how the swamp planet based children of Korn adjust to life on a ship without so much as a lake. The Korn planet where it never rained but had a fog that moved over the land at the warmer part of the day making Korn the most lush place to be a plant in the verse. Twenty eight hour days and a three hundred day trip around its sun made the world well lit and stable.
The Korn Pair
The two men in question received the news that they were to be in a competition to wed a woman from the Band tribe. Winning a Band quiz in history and/or building the best medical lab were the requirements. The two had just completed their personal ships complying to specs using the color red. All they knew of the Band tribe was a show that came on once a week. A man in blue quizzed people, introduced new songs and told the funniest jokes. The History Quiz was going to be the end of "Accenda Week" to air in a month but the questions and show would be taped in ten minuets.
They were confident they would win this both were the Holder of Worlds clan mates after all and so had a love of knowing everything about the changes he made to the Worlds. They needed to know details on their possible new wife. They dug into the Band image archive to find a picture of her but their was none without her face mask. Moving one to her achievements they found her wedge in Band out performed all others. Ever.
She was innovative, her asking for a Historian who could answer questions about the other main ships with emphasis on the languages and nature of the Western ship and creative health Protector, showed she wanted to push the envelope. She did not ask for two mates. Just to be part of a fully functioning procreative team. The two young men had been side by side and the thought that they would soon procreate gave them a burst of inspired energy. We will build a lab and win the quiz as one. We will both marry her. The idea was theirs or so they believed and as long as they don’t read this book They will die thinking it was their choice.
The first time seeing the Band entertainer live was during their quiz. He appeared before them as a blue bird saying,"There were three ships that left Earth with us. What was the name of the first one to stop communicating with the Nissan?"
"The Northern Mark, at the time of the third Holder of Worlds." They said in unison.
The bird’s head moved in affirmation and the bird doubled in size asking, "Why?"
"The three likely reasons are: They had nothing more to say.
They were out of range.
They died."
Again in unison even the note of sadness on the word died. Ichabod loved them. He continued asking them questions and growing the bird until it was big enough to transform into himself. The bird then flapped its wings doing just that. "Congratulations!" He said to the amazed men. "Before I take you to your new wife I must see the lab and have you explain it to me.
He linked arms with both of them pulling them along until they started moving at his pace toward their ships. That is when he unclasped them turned to face them with an all knowing smile and said, "We can’t enter both at the same time now can we?" The question with raised eyebrows over large innocent eyes cued the Korn entertainer to manifest.
She took the arms of the young men and said, "You can if you have the right direction."
In unison the men said, "Open!" and the grand door opened both ships at their entry way. A pair dark red silk walls with polished red wood frame gave the illusion of the two ships being one until you stepped into the entry way.
"To the left is our laboratory. All of the practical work related things are placed left. The nursery and entertaining things are on the right." The men had everything planned out as if they asked Lilith what she wanted and she gave them a list.
"You’ve done an excellent job. I present to you Lilith." He had made a three diminutional replica of the woman they would marry. The men were amazed. She was like them and not exactly what they imagined.
"Wow she is perfect!" They said reaching out to the image and sad she was n’t really there.
The Korn Entertainer hugged the shivering males. and took them to the sofa they had made. As Ichabod left her to deal with teaching them the reality of being married.
The three leaned back on the sofa the image of Lilith sat across from them. "Two husbands?" It said speaking the recorded response Lilith gave Ichabod. Its face showed her real emotions at the time learning her fate. Anger, sadness, resolved and incredulity. "What am I to do with two men? How will it work? I have responsibilities to a brand New Wedge. A new System to rule. A planet that needs to be ready to house my hour’s grand children. Why would this be asked of me." The image looked at the men. Its eyes cleared and a small smile lifted the corner of her mouth. "They are handsome. Our children will be smart strong and good looking. As long as they understand that they will also be well spaced out and don’t expect that all they will do is procreate I’ll keep them but if they fail me and the Accenda Tribe. We will ship every Korn back and ban trade with that planet for eight generations." The image arose from its seat and walked to the lab area.
"Was that really her response to finding out about us?" They asked.
"Yes, she did not enthuse about it at all. Did you like finding out that you were paired with a male instead of a female?" The Korn entertainer asked.
The men closed their eyes and tried to remember the first thing they felt. "I did not want it to be the truth. I played the announcement over and over wanting it to be something different. My mom came in and asked if I wanted to talk about it, and I couldn’t look at her. She knew, dad knew too. I was humiliated to find out that everyone else in my hour had a procreative partner but me and him. He was like a twin brother to me we did everything together but to know we were slated to grow old and die without ever having children of our own was sad." They stood up and paced rubbing the back of their necks. "Then we got news there was a female who needed to be mated. One not two. I love my partner and want him to have children but I was not going to deny myself the right to procreate. It is more than a right it is an order. We had to take the chance that she would have both of us. We researched her. She is innovative and healthy. With our knowledge of anatomy we can keep her healthy and support her as she rules. With our friendship we will be able to be sure the children have a parent with them at all times also. She will be able to mother children and rule best with us at her side." The two men looked at her totally resolved.