Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience.
 
 ________________________________ This is a story about a sexual FANTASY
written for consenting adults.  If you're not both of those, don't read it.
Characters in a FANTASY don't get sick or die unless I want them to.  In
real life, people who don't use condoms and other safe-sex techniques do
get sick and die.  You don't live in a FANTASY so be safe.  The fictional
characters in my stories are trained and experienced in acts of FANTASY -
don't try to do what they do - someone could get hurt.

   If you think you know somebody who resembles any of the characters here,
congratulations, but you're wrong - any similarity between the characters
in this story and any real person is purely coincidental, since all of
these characters are figments of my dirty little imagination.

   This is my story, not yours.  Don't sell it or put it on a pay site. 
You can keep it and/or give it away with all of this information intact,
but if you make money off of it, you're breaking the law and pissing me
off. _________________________________ Lost Colonies:The Innocents (MMM/F,
oral, anal, scifi) (C)Copyright 2004 - Shakes Peer2B
shakes_peer2b@NONOsbcglobal.net (remove 'NONO' from the above address to
contact me)
/files/Authors/Shakes_Peer2B/
http://storiesonline.net/library/author.php?name=Shakes_Peer2B

   ________ "There's no mistake, Captain!" Bill, my communication officer
couldn't keep the excitement from his voice, "It's CM 20130506-3!  The
transponder is still working!"

   No other Federation ship could have received those frequencies.  Given
the mission of The Golden Hind, however, I'd insisted that our engineers go
through the archives of the tech museum and put together a couple of the
antique transceivers.

   While we were at it, we commandeered the ancient computer equipment that
could read the records of the STL colonial missions.  To have brought all
that bulky antiquity with us would have taken up too much of our cargo
space, so we kludged together a way of transferring all the old mission
data from the clunky old optical media, ironically called 'compact discs'
or CD's.

   Since there were only a few hundred gigabytes of the data, it's impact
on the total memory usage of the Hind's artificial intelligence unit was
not even noticeable.  The transfer took a couple of hours, though, which
had her AI and the techies looking for ways to kill time, in between
swapping the clumsy discs in and out of the bulky old reader device.  All
of this had to be done before lift-off so we wouldn't have to carry the big
old computers with us.

   We studied the data on the way to the fold junction and picked a mission
at random.  It seemed impossible that our first trace would hit pay dirt,
but the planet below seemed close enough to earth normal to have allowed a
colony to survive.  The working transponder seemed too good to be true.

   Almost two thousand years ago, the overpopulated Earth started sending
colonization ships toward the stars in an attempt to get some kind of
control over the population growth and to give some humans a chance to
survive, should Earth not make it.

   Technology at the time was in its infancy.  Ships traveled in real
space-time because the folder-drive hadn't yet been invented.  Machines
could only execute specific instructions, called programs, and were
incapable of independent thought, so their contribution to mankind's
efforts was minimal.  Colonists and crews alike were frozen in suspended
animation for the journey to the stars, though crews were supposed to be
revived periodically to check on ships operation and make sure they were
still on course.  Depending on the destination star system, transit time
could be as much as three or four hundred years.

   CM 20130506-3 had apparently lucked out.  Mary, Hind's AI, calculated
that their transit time would have been only a little over two hundred
years, and this would have been the first system they encountered if they
stayed on the pre-plotted mission course.

   Each mission was launched along a course that would carry them near a
number of systems.  As they neared each system, the plan was for the crew
to be revived and to survey the planets in the system.  If any seemed
suitable, they would go into orbit around that planet and send down
disposable probes.  If the data sent back by the probes was favorable, the
colonists would be awakened and shuttled to the surface with all the
equipment needed to build a subsistence level habitat.  It was up to the
colonists to make it a home.

   Since the colony ship was never designed to make planetfall, it would
stay in orbit above the colony planet.  This way, theoretically, if the
planet proved too inhospitable, the ship could act as a 'lifeboat' and move
on to the next system in its planned route through the galaxy.  Looking at
the mission data, though, my officers and I realized that the planners
never intended the ship to make more than one planetfall.  There would not
have been enough of the required chemicals left to suspend more than a
handful of the colonists once they were revived the first time.

   We approached the planet with caution.  The fact that the colony ship
survived didn't mean that the colonists had, or that they'd be friendly.

   Long range sensors seemed to indicate only one object in low orbit
around the blue and white sphere.  The planet mothered two moons which were
small enough that their asynchronous orbits wouldn't cause too much stress
on the planet's structure or perturbations in its orbit.  I could imagine
some pretty weird tides if the planet had earth-like oceans, though.

   Gravitics, guided by Mary, could detect no gravitational anomalies such
as those that would be produced by even an idling folder drive.  That was
the one drawback of the folder.  You couldn't hide it.  If you ever shut it
down, it would take a little over six weeks to restart, give or take a day
or so.  This was a constant that varied only with the gravitational flux in
the immediate vicinity of the drive.  No amount of technology was going to
speed that up.  Because of that, getting a starship captain to shut down
his drive was like towing a black hole - couldn't be done.  Even major
repairs were done, if at all possible, with the engine idling.  I'd even
heard of a yard that had transplanted a running drive from one ship to
another.  Had to have been a helluva big hole in both ships to accomplish
it, but in space, anything's possible.

   "Try hailing the ship, and see if you get a response." I ordered Bill,
my coms officer.

   "Earth colonial mission 20130506-3.  This is Federation explorer 'The
Golden Hind'.  Do you copy?" Bill, despite his earlier excitement, was
smoothly professional on the coms, as always.  "Cee Em
too-zero-won-tharee-zero-fyav-zero-six dash tharee, this is The Golden
Hind, please respond!"

   He waited a few seconds and was just about to hail again, when a
breathless voice came through the ancient receiver, "Uh yeah, this is CM
tew-nought-un-tree-nought-fahv-nought-sicks bar tree.  Who the dickens and
where the dickens ARE you?  And why duh yew talk so funny?"

   I took the 'microphone' from Bill and replied personally.  "I am Cecilia
Barnes, Captain of the starship 'The Golden Hind'.  We have been
commissioned by the United Federation of Earth Affiliated Planets to seek
out and attempt to establish contact with Earth colonial missions from the
twenty-first and twenty-second centuries.  CM 20130506-3 was one of those
missions.  With whom am I speaking please?"

   The accent was very difficult to understand, given almost two thousand
years of separation, and Bill put Mary to work translating.

   "Oh, uh I'm weather-watcher Walter Jones!" Mary's translation protocols
made the speech more intelligible, without losing intonation or inflection,
"This is the third week of my fifth tour up here, and it's the first time
this thing ever said anything!  In fact, I don't think anybody's heard it
sound off before!  What's a 'Golden Hind', anyway?  Are you really from
Earth?"

   "...going on in here, Walt?" a female voice came through the antique
metal box, "Who are you talking to?"

   "Somebody that claims to be from Earth, Mary Beth!" the voice seemed to
be coming from a distance for a moment, then got closer again, "Say hi to
Mary Beth, Golden Hind!"

   I raised an eyebrow in Bill's direction and shot a warning glance around
the bridge to still the giggles from the rest of the bridge crew.

   "Hello, Mary Beth." I said into the microphone, "Actually, I'm the
Captain of the Golden Hind.  My name is Cecilia Barnes.  Lieutenant Cecilia
Barnes.  The Golden Hind is my starship."

   "Oh my goodness!" Mary Beth exclaimed, "How long you must have been in
space!  Did you leave in 2013 too?"

   "Actually, we left only four months ago, real time" I replied, perhaps a
little smugly, "Since you left earth, a lot has changed.  A few years ago,
we discovered the principles that allow us to travel between any two points
in space without significant elapsed time.  The majority of that four
months was spent traveling sublight to a point where gravitational forces
were sufficiently small to allow us to activate the folder."

   "You mean..." both voices came through at once, "Earth still exists?!"

   "Yes," I replied, "and is doing quite well now that we've got the
population problem under control."

   "But..." Mary Beth sounded confused, "but we were told that Earth was
dying, and that's why our ancestors had to leave!"

   "It must have seemed that way to them, Mary Beth." I tried not to
lecture, "Population pressures were causing war, famine, and drought
throughout the globe.  It took a very long time to get that under control,
and Earth went through a very dark period, but we survived.  Look, why
don't I and a couple of my officers shuttle over and we can talk about this
in person?"

   "Oh, uh, I guess that would be okay..." Walt's voice could be heard
saying something in the background.

   Mary Beth came back on, "Oh yeah, I guess I'd better check with the
council before I let you aboard."

   The communication with their groundside people was on a different
frequency, and encrypted, but it didn't take Mary long to find the right
frequency and the keys to decrypt the signal.

   "...say it only took them four months to get here from Earth!" That was
Mary Beth.

   "Can you see the ship?  How big is it?" An unfamiliar voice came back.

   "It doesn't look very big, but it's several thousand miles away still."
That was Walt, "Radar says it's about half the size of the Cee Em."

   "Well, if they mean us any harm," the other voice said slowly, "there's
not a lot we can do about it.  Tell you what, we'll shuttle up and meet
them on the Cee Em and see if we can get a read on them before they come
down here.  Make 'em feel at home, and try to answer their questions as
best you can until we get there.  It'll take about eight hours to get the
other shuttle ready and another three to get there, so..."

   I decided to take a chance and have Bill cut into the conversation.

   "This is Captain Barnes." I said, "Forgive me for eavesdropping on your
conversation.  If you like, I can send my gig down to transport your party
to the CM and you'll be here in two hours or less."

   According to Mary, the planet's rotation time around its primary was
close enough to that of Earth's that if they used it as the time standard
it wouldn't be much different than Earth - a minute would still be,
approximately, a minute.

   There was a long silence before the new voice came back on.  "How were
you able to listen in on an encrypted conversation?"

   "Technology has made certain advances on Earth since your ship
departed." I replied, "I don't imagine that encryption technology has been
at the top of your scientists' list of things to do, but it has been very
near the top of ours since the time of the terrorist wars.  The encryption
technique you are using is more than two thousand years old."

   "I see.  Is your ship armed?" the ground voice asked curtly.

   "Defensive armaments only." I replied, "We are an exploratory mission.
We don't anticipate trouble, but given two thousand years of separation
between Earth and the peoples we encounter, we must be prepared for
anything."

   "I see..."

   I could almost hear the wheels turning in the head of the person on the
ground.  I was actually pleased that they were being cautious.  It meant
the colony might survive for a while longer.  Not that almost two millenia
wasn't good, but it was only a fraction of Earth's human history, and when
you travel between stars, you tend to think of time in bigger chunks than
the planetbound do.

   "Well, I suppose there's no harm in hitching a ride with you, since
you're offering." the voice came back, "Since you're coming to the surface
anyway, perhaps we should just meet here."

   "I would like that," I replied, "but I think it would be safer for you
and for us if we meet in orbit first.  Our medical team would like to get
blood samples from each of you to see if there are any pathogens that we
carry that may be harmful to you, and vice versa.  We will stay suited
until we're reasonably certain that it's safe to do otherwise."

   "Ah!  Yes!  Good thinking!"

   With Bill and the ship's doctor in tow, I boarded the Captain's gig in
the auxiliary hangar bay.  The pilot of the gig had no trouble homing in on
the transmitter signal, and we settled lightly on the apron of a bustling
airport.  Only one vehicle was visible that seemed capable of space flight.
It looked much like the old images of space shuttles from the twenty-first
century.

   The landing protocol was a little sticky.  The planet's air traffic
controllers were geared around winged flight and our vertical landing and
takeoff played havoc with their carefully orchestrated patterns.

   The dust from our landing thrusters had not settled when a small ground
transport approached, disgorging three ancient, bulky vacuum suits.  After
two thousand years, I doubted that the seals would still be proof against
microbial invasion, but perhaps they had learned to maintain them.  After
all, they managed regular shuttle flights to the orbiting ship.

   The suits trudged heavily up the ramp into the airlock, their occupants
giving a startled jerk as they passed through the biohazard barrier.  That
barrier had been invented shortly after the first exploratory flights
landed on other planets.  The entire crew of one ship had been wiped out by
a microbe that shouldn't have been compatible with their systems.  The
barrier was a force-field that was strong enough to fry anything up to the
size of a common flea, but caused only a mild tingling in the body of a
human.

   The steward, clad in our less restrictive vacuum suit with transparent
helmet, greeted the guests and led them into the lounge.  The gravity
stabilizers kicked in as we lifted off.

   "Greetings!" I said through my suit's communicators.  The Gig's AI,
Ralph, relayed the signal to the frequency used by their suits.  "Welcome
aboard the Captain's Gig of the Golden Hind!  I'm Captain Cecilia Barnes."

   "Captain...  Captain..." one of them mumbled as if deep in thought, "Ah!
I've read about this!  You're in the military then!?"

   "Uh, yes..." I replied, a little puzzled, "You don't have a military?"

   I could barely see outlines through the darkened faceplates of the
suits, but I thought the speaker might be an elderly gentleman.

   "Oh!  Well...  Um, we've never really had a need for one!" came the
reply.

   "Really!" The planet seemed settled across most of its surface and it
was hard to imagine no conflicts arising between geographical areas.  "I'd
be fascinated to know how you've managed that!"

   "Managed it?" he seemed puzzled by my comment, "We haven't managed it at
all.  The need just hasn't arisen."

   This was something that I felt deserved further discussion, but it would
have to wait.  I introduced Commander Gail Morris, our ships doctor, who
explained the decontamination procedures we would use.  When she got to the
part about how the biohazard field would sterilize the outsides of our
suits as we exited the ship, one of the locals said, "Oh!  So that's what
that tingling was!"

   We took blood samples from each of them in the CM's airlock, through the
clumsy valve/membrane setup on their suits.  Doc's medkit synthesized the
appropriate antigens, as well as agents to make us less contagious to them.
I was a little surprised that their doctor, the one who had spoken about
military, was able to analyze the blood samples we gave him through our
suit's medports, and produce the required antigens even more quickly than
doc had.

   Doc checked his results, though, and said she could find no errors or
omissions.

   Finally cleared by the medical people, we removed our suits and stood in
our shipboard coveralls as the locals struggled with the fastenings of
their bulky suits.  When they had finally finished removing them, an
elderly gentleman, a woman apparently in her forties, and another man,
apparently also in his forties stood before us, completely nude.  The woman
wore scraps of cloth and jewelry that decorated her breasts and hips but
nothing else.  All stood completely at ease in their nudity, but seemed a
little uncomfortable that we were still clothed.

   I shot a glance at Gail and got a raised eyebrow in return.  Well, when
in Rome...

   Self-consciously, we removed our coveralls and undergarments until we,
too, were nude.

   "If you're more comfortable clothed," the woman said graciously, "you
are, of course, welcome to remain that way, but the temperature aboard ship
is maintained at the mean temperature for the planet, so there's really no
need."

   "No, uh...?"

   "Oh, pardon me!" she said, not at all embarrassed, "I am Ruth Hightower,
Councilwoman.  This is Doctor Colin Chong, and Councilman Manuel Smith."

   "Pleased to meet you!" I said, extending my hand.

   They gave each other puzzled looks and Ruth tentatively extended her own
hand, which I grasped and shook.  I went through the same routine with the
others, saying, "I see the handshake has fallen out of favor as a form of
greeting among your people."

   "Fallen out of favor?" Ruth looked at her two companions, who both
shrugged, "To the best of my knowledge, this form of greeting has never
been used on Eden."

   "That's odd." I was the one puzzled now, "Didn't the original colonists
use it?"

   "Original...?" Ruth's brow furrowed, then suddenly cleared, "Of course!
You're thinking that the colonization took place as originally planned! 
Well, come along Captain!  You're going to want to be sitting down for this
tale!"

   They led us down a long passageway, apparently very familiar with the
layout of the ship.  We entered a compartment that appeared to have been
the crew's lounge at on time.

   A middle-aged woman was bent over one of the tables being royally
screwed by the twenty-something guy behind her!  Our hosts paid them no
attention, but led us to a table nearby.

   "Mary Beth, Walt," Ruth addressed the couple, "When you're done, come
meet our guests from Earth."

   "Oh, hi!" Mary Beth said brightly as her breasts jiggled across the
surface of the table, "We thought you'd take longer with the medical stuff!
We'll be done pretty soon.  Walt can be quick when he wants to, right
Walt?"

   "Uh huh!" Walt seemed to be concentrating on getting done, and had
little attention for us.

   Trying to think of something to say that wouldn't sound judgmental, I
asked, "So you use this ship as a weather station now?"

   Ruth smiled and nodded, "Weather station, science lab, observatory -
we've found many uses for it at various times!"

   Mary Beth and Walt finished their business, shrieking and grunting, then
separated wetly and came to join us.

   "It's so nice to finally meet you!" Mary Beth gushed, "I just knew from
your voice that you were someone I'd want to meet!  Perhaps you'd like to
join me in my cabin later?"

   Walt, still dripping, sat next to Gail and immediately started trying to
feel her up.  Gail wasn't sure whether to stop him or let him continue. 
Finally I broke in.

   "Walt, it's nice to meet you!  I'm Captain Barnes, and that's Commander
Gail Morris, Ship's Doctor." I started to stick out my hand, then
remembered, "If you and Gail want to get better acquainted later, and she's
willing, I'd have no objection, but at the moment, I'd really like to learn
more about your planet and people, and I'll need Commander Morris' full
attention for that, if you don't mind."

   "Oh no, of course not!" he smiled charmingly at Gail, "If you want, I'd
be happy to show you around later!"

   Doc nodded, still in shock.

   I finished the introductions then turned back to Ruth.

   "So, Ruth," I said, "You were going to tell us a story?"

   "Oh, yes!" Ruth replied, "About how the colonization mission didn't go
as planned!"

   "Now, you have to understand," she temporized, "this all happened so
long ago, and my memory of my history lessons is a little hazy, so I may be
a little short on details..."

   "As I recall," she continued, it was only a little while after the ship
crossed the orbit of the last planet in Earth's system...  What was it's
name?  Well, no matter.  Anyway, a sensor malfunctioned causing the
suspended animation units to prematurely cycle their occupants back to
life. If you've read the mission specs, you probably already know that
there was no way the colonists could be put back to sleep.  Furthermore,
most of the food, water, etc, was in the cargo pods, outside the cabin,
never intended to be used until the ship made planetfall.  This left the
colonists with some really hard choices."

   "The final decision was to fill some of the crew SA units - the only
ones designed to be cycled repeatedly - with human embryos.  These would be
the descendants of the original colonists.  It was acknowledged that the
colonists would never live to see planetfall, and the only way the colony
would have a chance would be to send their unborn children ahead alone -
frozen in suspended animation."

   "A few crewmembers were picked to perform the periodic course
corrections and maintenance checks required by the mission profile, the
rest gave up their SA chambers to the embryos.  Everyone contributed their
sperm or eggs, then, in singles, couples and groups, cycled themselves out
the airlock.  A few resisted and had to 'helped' by the crew."

   "The handful of scientists and engineers among the colonists learned as
much as they could about navigation and maintenance from the crew, so they
could handle crew tasks for the next part of the journey while the crew
slept.  They then began the feverish task of building a nursery for when
the ship finally reached its destination.  They packed as much knowledge as
they could into sleep-teaching programs, as well as instructions for the
crew on how to manage the birth cycle for the embryos and the first years
of the new colonists life.  They built an automated classroom, as well as
robots to manage some of the tasks the crew might not be capable of
performing for the newborns."

   "With their tasks completed and supplies running dangerously low - they
had to leave enough for the crew, especially for planetfall - they, too,
went walking in space.  With only a skeleton crew remaining, each one had
to cycle in and out of SA more frequently than originally planned.  As a
result, by the time they reached this system, the remaining crew were old
men and women.  They struggled getting the nursery, school, and supplies to
the planet's surface.  The robots managed the birth of the embryos.  Since
they never had to leave the sterile enclosure, there was less chance that
they would contaminate the babies environment.  The crew nursed the
children through those first critical years, dying one by one as age and
their long exposure to radiation in space overtook them.  The
sleep-learning programs worked well for the children, and imparted most of
the knowledge they needed for survival.  The medical robots had years to
analyze the environment of the planet and immunize the kids against its
biological hazards.  When they finally got old enough that the robots let
them out of the nursery and started guiding them in the building of the
colony, there were none of the original crew left."

   Ruth paused for effect.  "Those were our ancestors - the founders of
Eden's civilization.  Many died in those first years - they were only
twelve when they had to go about trying to make a place to live.  They were
fortunate that this planet was relatively serene.  There were no large
predators, no dangerous insects, or most of the other dangers the sleep
programs had warned them about, so a large percentage survived.  What
killed some of them, at first, were things the people who made the programs
could not have foreseen.  They were children, with no experience of danger,
and no idea of caution.  Some fell from high places before they realized
that more care was needed in negotiating heights.  Fire got some before
they learned to handle it safely.  Some were injured away from the others
and died before anyone thought to look for them.  It took many years for
them to learn the everyday cautions we now take for granted."

   "We grew up, as a society, with a good knowledge of science and
engineering.  About things like sociology, psychology and the history of
our Earth ancestors, we knew very little.  There was only so much capacity
in the teaching systems, and our colonist fore-fathers and -mothers filled
it to overflowing with everything they thought we'd need to survive in an
unknown place.  For that, our entire society is grateful, but there is so
much we want to know about Earth and our ancestors!"

   Somewhat dazed by this rendition of their journey from earth, it took me
a moment to clear my thoughts enough to respond, "We will be happy to
provide you with memory crystals containing a synopsis of human history on
earth, of course!"

   "Memory crystals?" they looked at each other, "You use crystals for
memory?"

   "Oh, sorry!" I said, a bit embarrassed, "Yes, we do.  We will, of
course, provide you with readers as well, and the specifications for the
I/O interface."

   "Oh, that will be wonderful!" gushed Doctor Chong, "We've always been
happy with our organic storage units, but would love to compare the
technologies!"

   Just then a naked girl about nine years old came running into the
lounge. Running up to Mary Beth as if the others weren't there, she whined,
"Mommy, Marty won't cop with me!"

   "Now, dear," Mary Beth replied gently, "you know it's his choice too! 
If you don't both agree, you can't cop with each other.  What kind of world
would it be if one person could make another cop with them, hmm?"

   With the impatience kids everywhere, the little girl continued, "I know,
Mommy, but I WANT him to!  Can't you tell him?  You're the boss on this
rotation, right?"

   "No Melly," Mary Beth replied patiently, "that would be wrong too.  If
you want Marty to cop with you, you have to get him to agree without
forcing him.  Maybe he's just tired right now, or maybe he wants to do
something else.  Maybe he'll be more in the mood later.  You've been
copping his poor little penis off since we got here.  Maybe he just wants
to rest."

   I finally began to understand what 'cop' meant!  Was it really short for
'copulate'?  Could this little girl actually be complaining to her mother
about a boy's unwillingness to fuck her? ...In front of some of the most
influential people on the planet?

   Suddenly, Melly's eyes locked onto Bill's crotch, sporting a respectable
hard-on.  Ok, I know that Fleet officer's are not supposed to be
pedophiles, but four months in space with a small crew could leave a guy a
little jaded and horny for someone besides his fellow crew members.  In all
fairness, for all I knew, he had been hard since we came in and found Walt
and Mary Beth going at it.

   "How about him!" Melly pointed, not at Bill, but at his cock, "He's
dreamy!"

   "You know you aren't big enough for one that size yet dear." Mary Beth's
patience with her daughter seemed endless, "I know you think you could
handle it, but it would injure you Melly, and besides, that man knows he's
not supposed to cop with anyone your size!  Now stop being silly and go
play!"

   She gave the little blonde a swat on the bare butt, sending her off
giggling.

   Bill, red in the face, tried to apologize to Mary Beth, "Uh ma'am, I'm
sorry!  I didn't mean to...!"

   He trailed off, at a loss for words.

   Mary Beth waved it off.  "She's just being silly.  She knows she's a
sexy little thing and enjoys teasing men whom she knows can't touch her. 
It's going to come as quite a shock to her in a couple of years when she
does get to cop with her first adult!"

   She laughed and turned to Walt, "I bet she wore poor Marty's pencil down
to a nub!  No wonder he doesn't want to be with her for a while!"

   Walt shrugged, "Nah!  He'll be ready again in a little while.  You know
how kids are.  He's only twelve.  Shoot, if he sees the Captain there,
he'll be all over her.  Little brother likes red-heads!"

   I blushed to my toes.  A twelve year old coming on to me?  What kind of
sinful planet had we stumbled onto?

   "Are all the kids on this planet that horny?" it slipped out before I
could stop myself.

   "Horny?" the council members looked at each other, puzzled.

   "It means, um..." I fumbled for words.

   Doc came to my rescue, "Eager to have sex.  We also use 'randy' in some
parts of our society."

   Doc, having been raised in Manchester, wasn't about to let Amerislang
get all the glory.

   "Oh!  You mean 'Oozy'!" Councilman Smith piped up for the first time. 
As I looked in his direction, I noticed that he was staring smokily at Doc,
and sporting his own impressive spear.  Unlike Bill, however, he seemed not
at all embarrassed by it.

   Ruth laughed as she finally understood what was being asked.

   "Why?" she asked, "Aren't they that - what did you call it?  - 'horny'
on Earth?"

   A little taken aback by the question, I had to consider my words
carefully.  Our orders were not to disturb the societies we encountered, so
that anthropologists could study the effects of their isolation from Earth.
THIS planet, I thought, was going to be an INTERESTING study!

   "Our customs are, um, a little different on Earth." I temporized, "I
suppose our young people are very 'oozy', but they're not as, um, unin- uh,
free about showing it!"

   The three Edenites looked at each other with consternation.

   "But how do they let each other know when they want to cop?" Dr.  Chong
asked for all of them.

   Doc saved my bacon by jumping in with, "Let's just say our, um, customs,
are very different from some of yours.  After two thousand years, that's
understandable, don't you think?  If you like, we'll have Earth send out a
team of sociologists and psychologists to fill you in on all of that.  For
now, before we visit your lovely planet, assuming of course that we're
invited, I think those of us from the Golden Hind should learn as much
about your customs and laws as possible, so we don't, um, step on any toes
while we're here."

   "Of course you're invited!" Ruth and Manuel both seemed shocked at the
very suggestion that we wouldn't be welcome.

   "We've never had much need for laws, though." Ruth continued, "I mean
everyone knows you don't put big men and little girls together, and before
we have babies, everyone checks the gene database to be sure their
prospective lover isn't too close a relative, but those are just common
sense!"

   "What about theft, rape, murder," I asked, wondering if Eden was really
living up to its name, "and other violent crimes?"

   "Why would anyone steal what's readily available to everyone?" Ruth
asked, puzzled, "Why would they force sex on a fellow human?  Most can have
sex merely by asking, and if they aren't attractive to volunteer partners,
they can always go to the sex workers.  I'm aware of these words from the
sleep-learning, but their meanings have always puzzled me.  Yes,
occasionally a member of our society does something that's bad for another,
or for the society in general, but his or her neighbors take care of the
problem.  As for murder, well, anyone who hurts or kills someone else
without good reason, will soon find himself the target of his victims
neighbors darts."

   At my puzzled expression, Ruth raised her right arm in the direction of
a board on which several pieces of paper hung from pins.  Her wrist bent
downward and there was a barely audible click.  A tiny flechette embedded
itself in the board.

   "From the time of the first generation of Edenites," she said,
matter-of-factly, "we have been given these implants at birth.  Originally,
the poisons used were manufactured and each dart was coated with enough to
kill another human.  That had drawbacks.  An accidental scratch during
reload could kill a person.  About two hundred years ago, our scientists
found a way to cause our bodies to grow the darts as splinters of bone
secrete the poison that coated them.  Unlike the manufactured poisons
however, those secreted by our bodies cannot kill us or members of our
immediate families.  This has prevented some unfortunate accidents.  It
also means that family members have to find safer ways of settling their
differences."

   "What about kids?" I gasped, "Surely you don't let little ones run
around with these deadly weapons!"

   "Oh, children grow up with the dart projectors so that their use becomes
natural and spontaneous.  They play competitive games and even shoot each
other with them.  Since their bodies don't produce the toxins until they
reach puberty, it's reasonably safe, though we supervise them carefully to
protect young eyes and such."

   We were definitely going to have to watch our step on this planet! 
There may not be any cops, uh police, but vigilante justice promised to be
swift and deadly!  The spring-blades the Federation implanted at knees and
elbows of its military personnel would be no match for those little
dart-guns unless one were REALLY close!

   I thought about making a quick trip back to the airlock to retrieve my
IonGun, but decided, instead, to THOROUGHLY brief the crew before allowing
them liberty planetside.

   "What other kinds of behavior should we avoid?" I asked, realizing as
the words left my mouth that, since they knew nothing of our laws and
customs the councilmembers probably didn't have the right frame of
reference to provide a complete answer to that.

   "Oh, you know," Ruth waved a hand airily about, dismissing the question
as unimportant, "you and your crew will, of course, contribute to our gene
pool?  We've so far avoided the problems from inbreeding, but some new
genes would help to ensure that we'll be viable for a much longer time!"

   I smiled, "After four months in space, with only each other for company,
we'll be happy to 'spread the wealth' among your people, won't we Bill?"

   Bill had the grace to blush, but nodded his assent.

   "Oh, uh," I fumbled for a polite way to ask, "what about money?  How
will our crew pay for what they consume?"

   "Money?" the three Edenites looked at each other for help.  Finding
none, they turned back to us.  "What is money?"

   We explained about monetary systems on Earth, and alternatives such as
barter.  They understood the words well enough, but apparently not the
concept.

   "We've never really had a use for such things here." Ruth said with a
frown, "There's plenty of everything for everyone, and as long as everyone
contributes his or her share, why would anyone refuse them anything?  Now
I've known about a rude individual or two who didn't carry his or her load.
After a while, they got pretty lonely.  Nobody would cop with them, didn't
even want to hang around them.  When the word got out, even the Red Ribbons
- the sex workers - wouldn't have anything to do with them.  It's pretty
rude to take what you haven't earned, and our society really doesn't like
impolite people.  As far as you and your crew are concerned, well, your DNA
will buy a lot of good will, and just the knowledge you add to our
databases will be worth a lot, as well, so I wouldn't worry too much about
'paying' for stuff."

   We asked and answered questions for another couple of hours, then
offered to show the Edenites around the Golden Hind.  That took another
couple of hours, which gave Doc time to cycle the crew through the decon
shots.  Each crewmember was given a supply of anti-bios to be handed out to
locals with whom they wished to share their DNA, or just fuck around with.

   We gave them the lowdown on the local customs in a shipwide briefing
after the Gig had taken the Edenites home: Don't do kids if you're male,
even if they ask.  Don't force yourself on anyone, for anything.  If you
can't find a volunteer, look for a red-ribboned professional.  Above all,
watch how the the locals treat each other BEFORE you get drunk, and always,
ALWAYS be aware of those dart guns!

   After I set up the watch schedule, Gail and I paired up for a little
liberty.  On the way to the surface, we had time to discuss what we had
discovered about this marvelous planet and its people.

   "It's amazing!" Gail exclaimed, "Not having had to evolve in a hostile
environment as our ancestors did, these people have formed a society based
on manners!  They don't need armies because going to war would be rude!"

   "Better yet," I replied, "Their only currency is sex!  No need for
accountants, stock markets, brokers, bankers, or any of the other baggage
that comes with monetary systems.  How simple can life be?"

   "Well," Doc temporized, "I imagine there are complexities of which we,
as outsiders, aren't yet aware.  Still, those little dart guns give one
pause."

   "Actually, I suspect they help keep it simple." I said, "Everyone HAS to
be aware of what's acceptable behavior.  If you get out of line, you die.
At the same time, if you're too quick to dart someone, you'll wind up dead,
too!"

   Gail grinned, "Yeah, I guess it IS a self-regulating system.  The
sociologists are going to have a field day with the Edenites!"

   "Not only that, but about half of the Federation is going to want to
emigrate to Eden!" I laughed.

   Gail sobered and replied, "Yeah, and the other half is going to want to
come here and mend their errant ways."

   Upon landing, we were politely directed to a public gathering place that
served both food and drink.

   Intoxicating beverages were available almost everywhere, but few of the
locals partook.  Everywhere we went we were politely mobbed by locals who
wanted to hear about Earth and just get a look at the Earth people.  I
asked one of them why not many of them were drinking.

   "Coupla reasons I reckon." she replied thoughtfully, "First, it don't do
a body no good, what with bein' poison an' all.  Second, you git a little
tipsy an' you do sumpin' impolite.  That might not sound like much of a
reason, but we all got to live t'gether here an' them that ain't polite got
a hard time findin' somebody to cop with."

   She paused a few seconds as if thinking, then continued, "Too, ya git
too rude, ya could get darted."

   I looked around at nearby members of my crew, some already a few sheets
to the wind, and asked, "I hope my crew doesn't step that far over the
line..."

   She grinned and said "Not to worry.  We'll make allowances long as they
don't hurt nobody, but I gotta tell ya, ain't nobody gonna wanna cop with a
drunk.  Even th' ribbons won't touch 'em."

   THAT was an eye-opener.  I triggered the command transmitter in my jaw
and told the bo'sun to pass the word.  A rejected, horny drunk can get
impolite in a hurry.  The bo'sun passed the word quickly through his own
implant.  I saw him walking around and whispering in the ears of a few, as
well.  There was a sudden flurry of orders for milder beverages.

   Gail and I got a number of propositions from guys of all ages, some
pretty well endowed.  (Yes, most of the people on the planet were nude,
except for footwear and decorative clothing and jewelry).

   We politely turned them away, until one of the local women clued us in,
not too subtly.

   "Whut, you two too good for us?" she asked with disdain, "Ain't none'a
these fine young men good enough to cop with Earth ladies?"

   The way she said 'ladies' sounded like something tasted really bad in
her mouth.

   Gail and I looked at each other, aghast.  "Oh no!  We just weren't sure
what was the right thing to do, being new to your planet and all."

   The people around us guffawed.  "Well, hell!" our former detractor
laughed, slapping me on the back, "The right thing to do is grab one or
more'a these eager young men an' go cop the hell out of 'em!  I mean,
unless you're thinkin' about takin' up residence here, ain't nobody gonna
bother ta open his valve for ya, but coppin's fun, an' ever' one'a these
studs'd love ta know that he'd made it with an Earth girl!"

   Doctor Chong, on the orbiter, had explained about the birth control
valves implanted in both males and females as they reached puberty, so I
understood the comment about them not making me pregnant, I was just
flabbergasted that we were in such demand.

   "Oh," our informant continued, "they'd never be so impolite as to brag
about it, but they'd like to see if you're any different than the women
they've been with all their lives.  'Course the boys from Earth are gonna
be in even greater demand.  Ev'ry girl I know's been unlockin' her gates in
hopes of gettin' an Earth baby, 'cludin' me!"

   Gail and I looked at each other, shrugged, and turned to the crowd
around us.  "Ok, boys," I said, "I don't think I can handle more than three
or four at a time, so I'll take you, you, and...  you!"

   The chosen ones beamed and crowded close, as the rest migrated toward
Gail.  I didn't get a chance to see who she took, because I was busy trying
to figure out how to handle three eager Edenites.

   My first choice appeared to be a strong-looking twenty-something with a
pleasant smile and respectable tackle.  He introduced himself as Dave.  The
second guy was a little older, maybe in his forties, and not quite as well
hung, but he had a calm, steady look about him that appealed to me.  His
name was Hank.

   My final choice had been made on a flight of whimsy, but seemed to cause
no concern for the Edenites.  This young man, Rack, couldn't have been more
than twelve years old, but had the steady gaze of a much older person, and
a devilish twinkle in his eyes.

   "Um, okay, guys," I said, "my place is a little far away.  Any of you
know a place nearby where we can get some privacy?"

   Hank said, "Wall, nobody'd bat an eyelash if we'uz to do it right here,
but if it's privacy you want, my place is just around th' corner."

   I looked at the other two for confirmation, and we followed Hank to a
neat plastifoam bungalow.

   I got the feeling that if I had decided to take charge, I could have had
these polite gentlemen any way I wanted them, but decided to just go with
the flow and see what developed.

   I handed them each one of the anti-bios, which they all took gratefully.
Hank, being the oldest, suggested a few things to the others, and they
followed along willingly.  Rack knelt between my legs and gently pried my
thighs apart, while the two older men started on my ears and neck.

   With my arms around their shoulders, I reveled in the expert nibbling
and sucking at my most sensitive areas, wondering where Rack had gotten off
to.

   I didn't have to wonder long.  A warm, slender tongue wormed its way
between my labia and began expertly lapping at my clit!

   As if they had worked together at loving women all their lives, these
three horny Edenites turned me this way and that, impeccably polite, but
always passionate.  I found myself seated on Dave's big spike while Rack
gently entered my lubricated ass!  When I gasped at the unexpected
sensation, a soft, warm penis planted itself in my mouth, and I eagerly
sucked it to hardness, reveling in the feel of the long, slender shaft
sliding easily down my throat!

   I grabbed Hank's ass and urged him to face-fuck me as my hips slammed
back and forth between the two cocks at my nether end!  I was lost in the
unadulterated lust of being triple-fucked when I realized that my three
studs weren't moving.  I heard a soft exclamation from over my shoulder.

   "Sweet Suzie's Snapping Snatch!" Rack muttered breathlessly.

   I opened my eyes and pulled off of Hank's dick long enough to ask: "Is
something wrong, guys?"

   "You'll have to forgive our manners, ma'am," Hank answered for all of
them, "but we've never known a woman that'd swallow a whole dick like that!
I sure hope you'll teach somebody how to do that before you leave!"

   "Well," I smiled, "It does take a little practice, and a modicum of
self-control.  Some women never get the hang of it!"

   "Well, ma'am," Hank replied, "most times a feller ain't gonna talk about
sex with a lady.  This time, though, I got a feeling you're going to be a
legend by tomorrow!  Hope you don't mind, but it would be rude not to share
this!"

   I laughed at the thought.  "If you think I'm good at this, wait 'til
you've tried some of my crew.  There're long watches in space when the crew
needs to be awake, but there's not much to do, so they get really creative
with their fu...  copping!"

   With that, I went back to work on Hank's rigid cock, and the other two
began pounding my pussy and ass with renewed vigor!  I took Hank's hands
and put them on my head, coaxing him to fuck my throat.  Once he was sure
it was really what I wanted, he wasted no time in face-fucking me!

   This was insanely erotic!  I had to maintain a certain level of decorum
shipboard, so I spread my bed-time among my officers as even-handedly as I
could, and never allowed myself more than one lover at a time.  In this
place, though, I was under no such restrictions, and my long-pent lust
spread like a cloud that enveloped all of us!

   I came, and came again as my three studs pounded me!  At some point,
they rotated, and my mouth was empty for a while as Rack cleaned himself
thoroughly before plunging his youthful spear down my throat!

   "I'm sorry ma'am!" he cried, after only a few minutes, "It's just too
wild!"

   Rack's nuts emptied about a pint of cum down my throat, and I swallowed
it eagerly, coaxing as much as I could from his still-hard cock, and
milking the last few drops onto my tongue as he withdrew, panting.

   As Dave withdrew from my rear and washed himself, Hank picked me up and
laid me face up across the table with my head hanging down.  His long,
slender spear made one last plunge into my pussy before diving into my ass!
As I gasped from the sudden change, Dave's monster rod appeared at my
mouth. I'd had bigger, but I wanted to warn him to go slow so I could get
used to it.  I needn't have worried.  He knew how big he was compared to
the other two and took his time, letting me relax my throat to accomodate
his girth.

   Soon, Dave, too, had gotten fully embedded in my mouth, and as I hung
limply between them, he and Hank 'copped' me at both ends!  When they
alternated their thrusts, I felt as though one long pole was sliding back
and forth through my body, impaling me from end to end!  When they
synchronized their thrusts, though, all I could do was hang on for the
ride...  and CUM!  I don't remember how many times I came before those boys
finally unloaded inside me, but I felt like I was on a wild roller coaster,
speeding from peak to valley and back up again, over and over!

   At some point, Rack rejoined us and started expertly licking and sucking
at my breasts, intensifying the sensations even more!  I began to wonder if
these marvelous men would ever run down, when finally, almost as if on cue,
they blasted me fore and aft with a barrage of man-seed that threatened to
overwhelm me!

   "Sorry, ma'am." Dave said, as he slowly pulled his wilting member from
my throat, "Norm'lly we'd be able to keep goin' longer, but that dick
swallowin' thing is just too much!"

   "You boys did just fine!" I panted hoarsely, "I don't know how much more
of that my throat could have taken!"

   "Are you all right ma'am!" they all cried in alarm, "Did we hurt you?!"

   "Throat's just a little raw, boys." I smiled, "The meds'll take care of
it in short order, and it was well worth it for the pleasure you fellas
have given me!"

   Even Hank beamed and blushed at the compliment!

   I cleaned myself up with the guys watching, since there were no doors on
the hygiene facilities, and allowed them to escort me back to the
eating/drinking establishment that served as a public gathering place.  I
kissed each of them and thanked them for a wonderful evening, then made my
way back to the gig.  Gail staggered wearily through the airlock just as
the pilot was finishing his pre-flight checks.

   "My GOD!" she exclaimed, "These Edenites can FUCK!"

   I nodded, remembering my own night of debauchery, "Yeah, I had three of
'em at once and they were like a well-oiled machine!  I thought they'd
never cum, but they kept me cumming for hours!  Even that twelve-year-old
fucked like a pro!"

   "You wanted to try the young ones too?" Gail laughed, "I had a damn
ten-year-old that fucked like a rabbit!  Even though he didn't last as long
as the older ones, he never got soft!  That little 'copper' just kept going
and going!"

   By the time we got back to the ship, the shuttle had already returned
with the second watch, and the crewmembers from the first watch, having
heard the tales of the returnees, were eager to get planetside.

   "Just remember boys!" the bosun warned, "If you want to get your pipes
cleaned, lay off the booze!  And whatever you do, don't fuck around with
anybody that doesn't want it!  There's plenty of lovely ladies and
gentlemen down there that'd kill for the chance to fuck one of the fleet's
finest so don't take chances!"

   The next morning, at the Captain's briefing, I faced my senior officers.
Besides total satiation from their liberty on the planet's surface, there
was a contented glow of a successful mission permeating the compartment.  I
hated to throw cold water on the mood, but I felt I had to at least broach
the idea.

   "I know it feels good to have found this planet on the first leg of our
mission," I said, "and you're to be congratulated on the fine work you've
done to get us here.  Now, however, I want to ask you to think about what
we report back to the Federation - and its potential effect on these
people."

   "What do you mean, 'potential effect'?" Bill asked, "The Feds will send
teams of sociologists and anthropologists, and they'll have a field day
studying this place, but so what?"

   "And after they send their reports back," I prompted, "and word gets out
about what kind of place this is?"

   "Then every religion you can think of will be here to try to save the
souls of these sinners, " Gail picked up the thread, "but it won't do any
good - they'll just be laughed at."

   "Then...?" I asked.

   "Then they'll start getting insistent," Rahid, the chief engineer said,
"and they'll get rude and somebody'll dart one or more of 'em."

   "And...?" I wanted them to figure it out for themselves so it would mean
more to them.

   "And then the Feds will want to step in and investigate and punish the
offender!" This from Harley, the Weapons officer, "Then they'll want the
Edenites to pass laws, and when they refuse, there'll be this whole
self-righteous 'we're going to have to take over and run the place for your
own good.' kind of thing, and the next thing you know we've brought laws
and 'morality' and all the evils of the Federation to these, these
Innocents!"

   Comprehension dawned on the faces of the others.

   "So what do we do?" asked Gail.

   "Well," I said, "we could falsify our report..."

   "Never work," Bill said, "the crew..."

   "...would never keep their mouths shut!" Rahid continued, "And the AI's
probably wouldn't go along with it."

   "Actually," I said, "Mary's willing to help, and she could probably
persuade the other AI's, but I don't want to do that except as a last
resort.  The crew won't be in touch with anyone else in the Federation for
a few years, and anything can happen in that time, so maybe they'll
forget..."

   Everyone was silent for a while.  The chances of the crew forgetting a
planet where everybody screwed everybody freely and openly were pretty
slim, and we all knew it.

   "All right," I said, "give it some thought.  I'm going to meet with the
full council this morning and I'll at least clue them in."

   A few hours later, I found myself in the middle of an informal gathering
of Edenites who seemed to come from all walks of life.

   "You certainly have a casual approach to government." I commented to
Ruth Hightower as we watched the councilmembers mill about.

   "Government!?" She laughed, "Oh, we don't have a government!  The
council is just a way of getting things done that affect large segments of
Eden's population.  Representatives tend to be whoever is respected enough
within their communities and has the time to attend these meetings.  We
listen to the needs of each of their communities, and then try to reach a
consensus about how to best handle it.  Sometimes we have to put together
intercommunity volunteer groups to deal with a problem, and sometimes it's
just a matter of getting someone with the right expertise to lend his or
her time to the community in need."

   "Well, Ruth," I sighed, "I hope you're as flexible as it sounds like you
are, because once our report reaches the Federation, you're going to be
inundated with all kinds of visitors, each of whom will want to save you
from yourselves!"

   I spent more than four hours explaining, as best I could, what would
happen in the aftermath of our report.  I spent another two hours with Ruth
and a few others explaining possible options.

   "As I said," I wound down, "some will claim that Earth, and subsequently
the Federation, has sovereignty over you because they funded your colony.
You need only point out that you have been independent of Earth for almost
two thousand years, and that as such you are a sovereign planet in your own
right.  As such, it is incumbent upon any and all visitors from the
Federation to abide by YOUR laws and customs.  Once you have clearly
described how your society operates, anyone who violates those customs is
subject to the same treatment as your citizens."

   "Thank you, Cecilia," Ruth said, "I think I understand this 'law'
concept a little better now and we should be able to use it to our
advantage.  You and your crew, of course, are welcome here anytime, subject
to those same conditions."

   She softened that with a friendly grin.

   "Thank you, Ruth." I replied sincerely, "Our stay here has been MOST
pleasant, and I look forward to visiting again.  I do hope my crew didn't
get too rude last night.  At least they all survived!"

   "Oh, a couple of them came close to getting darted," Ruth smiled, "but
we made allowances for their ignorance.  Most were, if not polite, at least
reasonably well-behaved.  Of course, the injection of fresh DNA into our
gene pool was much appreciated by all.  You women, though, apparently have
at least one trick to teach us!  The story of that dick swallowing thing
you do is all over the planet this morning, and every woman on Eden wants
to know how you do it!  Mary Beth told me in her report this morning that
little Melly almost puked her guts out trying to do it to Marty!"

   I had to laugh!  "It's really just a matter of controlling the gag
reflex!  It takes some practice, but there's no real technique to it!  Once
you get to where you can take it down your throat, then you just try to
figure out how to make it feel best for your partner."

   "Gag reflex, huh?" Ruth said, "I'll have to try that!"

   ____________

   Two months later, Federation standard time, we cleared the gravity
threshold of Eden's primary and activated the Folder, headed for our next
colony.