But the gender? That had to be. Because there was nopoint creating a colony if it couldn't become self sustaining in the end.Sure, medical science h...d come a long way - a really, really long way -in terms of treatments, nano machines, hormones and suchlike - but if youcouldn't resort to biological methods then there was really no point atall.That number of people, as it so happened, was 332 souls. It was probablybeyond the safe maximum for the trip, in truth. But it was below thesafe. Both Cecily and Jenny had put their names down, along with several of the other more attractive and athletic girls in the school. The list of hopefuls had been whittled down bit by bit over the course of the week until only the two classmates remained. The final selection was to be made after a head-to-head confrontation four days later. Jenny knew in her heart that Cecily was better than her and that the other girl would win... given a level playing field. But Jenny wasn't the type to play. I plumped up my pillow and looked over at my lovely wife in the dim light. She’d kicked off the covers and, naked as usual, was sleeping on her side, facing me with her lover’s dark arm around her, his hand cupping her creamy, white breast even as they slept. I sat up and was getting ready to head for the shower when Beth stirred and opened her eyes. Seeing me, she smiled, then covered the dark hand holding her breast with hers, and whispered, ‘Now this is an excellent way to wake up.’ I leaned. For the first time I had an actual person who could tell me what it felt like when I did something. It was like nothing I had ever imagined before. By the time the morning came around I knew the difference between sex and making love. And Amy decided to give me and the Taggert clan a second chance.When the raiding party gathered for the trip to Dunsmuir, I really looked at the people who had been given to me as mates for the first time. Mark was an Oriental male about 6 feet tall with black.