" I am not looking for a date. I want a baby." He has six children. He would be glad to help you. It will only take a minute. I will be right back..."Gina was annoyed. She didn't want to have a threesome with Christopher and her son. Gina was feeling sicker by the minute. She took off her clothes and went into the hot tub. Sandy and Bertha came out with several bottles of wine and some snacks."Gina, Agnus confirmed your session with Anthony. He will meet Christopher at your house at nine. He had passed through the seven obstacles, answered the three questions, had even braved the fire. Of course, everybody made it these days, even the frail ones. They said that back in the old days you only got to go through it once and if you failed you became a Tarin, a no-man, unable to own property or go to battle; people were even known to have died in the attempt. These days, of course, it was largely ceremonial. Everyone going in knew what the obstacles were and how to cross them, knew. He's here...Cully...watch us."She got out and met him as he arrived. She'd set the car door just enough so that I couldn't make out what was being said. It would be this exact sequence and the one after that I would find absolutely riveting ever more. For two minutes, maybe three, perhaps longer, it seemed like forever they embraced and kissed and whispered and talked. I imagined gentle laughter, but, I would not bet on that being a truth. He picked her up, separating her from the earth, then. ..”With sharp suddenness, another voice overrode the one speaking, and the computer continued to translate. “Fuck you, First. I, your Captain, am back in command!” the voice screamed. “There will be no trade with these... humans. We will destroy a few major cities to get their attention, then take what we want – Standard Operating Procedure. No more of your foolish trade talk. For your treason, I will watch you and your cronies starve while we raid this Earth of its treasures and its females..