Book Club (open to all)

[Rayek trLhoell]

[Lounge, Katra Station]

Rayek arched an eyebrow at the Deltan's description of the plot of the novel.  That is what passed as good reading material on Delta IV?  Perhaps she hadn't heard the part where he intended to read this aloud to his unborn child?  He was about to dismiss the idea, when he realized reading intimate romance scenes to Tess... could have its' advantages.

Rayek grinned.  "I'll be sure to consider it. Thank you.

Then turned to Jada.  "Yes, I know what you mean.  Saqa7 tried to explain to me once about an Earth superhero called 'the Hulk'."  He chuckled.  As if gamma radiation would have that effect on a human body.

[Jada]

[Lounge, Katra Station]

If the title and Zex's description were anything to go by, A Hot Summer's Night on Risa sounded rather raunchy, but not too far from removed from some Orion fiction. Yet it lacked a little meat in Jada's ears; where was the drama?. 'Does the betrothed man follow her to Risa to win her back, say by challenging her or him to a duel? Do they get caught up in organised crime?' she asked. It did seem like the most likely course for the storyline, if it had been told by an Orion.

She nodded to Rayek. 'Yeah, the Hulk is one of them – a huge, strong, crude, angry, green guy, which just sounds so racist and sexist towards Orion men... I read about one called She-Hulk, a female version, a human woman who turns into a big green woman and is a lawyer who fights crime. I like that better.' she said. 'There's Gamora, a green alien woman who's an elite fighter, which obviously I also appreciate... Then there's a Martian Manhunter, which sounds both racist and wrong, and Poison Ivy, a human woman with plant powers, so of course she's green...' Jada added, and recalled a certain Halloween party on the Tempest and a certain Ensign Christine Cutler of Botany in little more than body paint and leaves. Jada had been torn between being offended and being turned on. 'It's just a bit shocking to see humans dress up as these characters at their Halloween and convention events, and paint themselves green like it means nothing. I try to take it as a compliment... Anyway, in a lot of pre-contact human fiction and myth, green skin tends to be the colour of the alien, the wild, strength, fertility and virility... Which probably colours how they see us.'

[Kirok]

[Lounge, Katra Station]

Rayek arched an eyebrow at the Deltan's description of the plot of the novel.  That is what passed as good reading material on Delta IV?  Perhaps she hadn't heard the part where he intended to read this aloud to his unborn child?  He was about to dismiss the idea, when he realized reading intimate romance scenes to Tess... could have its' advantages.

Rayek grinned.  "I'll be sure to consider it. Thank you.

Then turned to Jada.  "Yes, I know what you mean.  Saqa7 tried to explain to me once about an Earth superhero called 'the Hulk'."  He chuckled.  As if gamma radiation would have that effect on a human body.

[Lounge, Katra Station]

"I think I still have a copy saved on my personal pad.  I could forward it to you.  If you like?" Zex replied.

[Lounge, Katra Station]

If the title and Zex's description were anything to go by, A Hot Summer's Night on Risa sounded rather raunchy, but not too far from removed from some Orion fiction. Yet it lacked a little meat in Jada's ears; where was the drama?. 'Does the betrothed man follow her to Risa to win her back, say by challenging her or him to a duel? Do they get caught up in organised crime?' she asked. It did seem like the most likely course for the storyline, if it had been told by an Orion.

She nodded to Rayek. 'Yeah, the Hulk is one of them – a huge, strong, crude, angry, green guy, which just sounds so racist and sexist towards Orion men... I read about one called She-Hulk, a female version, a human woman who turns into a big green woman and is a lawyer who fights crime. I like that better.' she said. 'There's Gamora, a green alien woman who's an elite fighter, which obviously I also appreciate... Then there's a Martian Manhunter, which sounds both racist and wrong, and Poison Ivy, a human woman with plant powers, so of course she's green...' Jada added, and recalled a certain Halloween party on the Tempest and a certain Ensign Christine Cutler of Botany in body paint and leaves. Jada had been torn between being offended and being turned on. 'It's just a bit shocking to see humans dress up as these characters at their Halloween and convention events, and paint themselves green like it means nothing. I try to take it as a compliment... Anyway, in a lot of pre-contact human fiction and myth, green skin tends to be the colour of the alien, the wild, strength, fertility and virility... Which probably colours how they see us.'

[Lounge, Katra Station]

"No.  But her parents follow her to Risa.  They see how happy she is with the Risan man and give her the option to may him and loose her title or return to their home and marry the man they picked for him" she said.  She would have continued, but she didn't want to ruin the ending for the others.

"There was also a boy who could change into different animals.  He was green skinned when he as in his human form as well as when he as an animal.  I think his name was Changeling" she added to the conversation about green comic book heroes.

[Rayek trLhoell]

[Lounge, Katra Station]

[Lounge, Katra Station]

"I think I still have a copy saved on my personal pad.  I could forward it to you.  If you like?" Zex replied.

Rayek considered a moment glancing to Tess to gauge her reaction to the Deltan's offer to forward the book on.  After a moment he turned back to Zex and nodded, answering  "That would appreciated. Thank you."  He tried not to look eager to tonight's first reading session.

[Lounge, Katra Station]

If the title and Zex's description were anything to go by, A Hot Summer's Night on Risa sounded rather raunchy, but not too far from removed from some Orion fiction. Yet it lacked a little meat in Jada's ears; where was the drama?. 'Does the betrothed man follow her to Risa to win her back, say by challenging her or him to a duel? Do they get caught up in organised crime?' she asked. It did seem like the most likely course for the storyline, if it had been told by an Orion.

[Lounge, Katra Station]

"No.  But her parents follow her to Risa.  They see how happy she is with the Risan man and give her the option to may him and loose her title or return to their home and marry the man they picked for him" she said.  She would have continued, but she didn't want to ruin the ending for the others.

When Jada questioned about more to the plot, it seemed that she found it lacking in drama or action.  Rayek wasn't overly concerned at this point.. maybe later when the child could understand his words... but for now it was just about connecting with their unborn that was important - and having quality time with his wife.

She nodded to Rayek. 'Yeah, the Hulk is one of them – a huge, strong, crude, angry, green guy, which just sounds so racist and sexist towards Orion men... I read about one called She-Hulk, a female version, a human woman who turns into a big green woman and is a lawyer who fights crime. I like that better.' she said. 'There's Gamora, a green alien woman who's an elite fighter, which obviously I also appreciate... Then there's a Martian Manhunter, which sounds both racist and wrong, and Poison Ivy, a human woman with plant powers, so of course she's green...' Jada added, and recalled a certain Halloween party on the Tempest and a certain Ensign Christine Cutler of Botany in body paint and leaves. Jada had been torn between being offended and being turned on. 'It's just a bit shocking to see humans dress up as these characters at their Halloween and convention events, and paint themselves green like it means nothing. I try to take it as a compliment... Anyway, in a lot of pre-contact human fiction and myth, green skin tends to be the colour of the alien, the wild, strength, fertility and virility... Which probably colours how they see us.'

"There was also a boy who could change into different animals.  He was green skinned when he as in his human form as well as when he as an animal.  I think his name was Changeling" she added to the conversation about green comic book heroes.

Jada at this point responded to his remark about the Hulk listing of several more that Rayek had never heard of... and then remarking on being torn about being insulted or flattered.

"You are fortunate the overall impression was positive.  It could have been worse.  Early humans lore had a fondness of portraying evil or mischievous fae-creatures with pointed-ears. There is little flattering about that. Though I have read that by the late 20th century that had improved some, due to the written works of someone named Tolkien."

[Kirok]

[Lounge, Katra Station]

Rayek considered a moment glancing to Tess to gauge her reaction to the Deltan's offer to forward the book on.  After a moment he turned back to Zex and nodded, answering  "That would appreciated. Thank you."  He tried not to look eager to tonight's first reading session.

When Jada questioned about more to the plot, it seemed that she found it lacking in drama or action.  Rayek wasn't overly concerned at this point.. maybe later when the child could understand his words... but for now it was just about connecting with their unborn that was important - and having quality time with his wife.

Jada at this point responded to his remark about the Hulk listing of several more that Rayek had never heard of... and then remarking on being torn about being insulted or flattered.

"You are fortunate the overall impression was positive.  It could have been worse.  Early humans lore had a fondness of portraying evil or mischievous fae-creatures with pointed-ears. There is little flattering about that. Though I have read that by the late 20th century that had improved some, due to the written works of someone named Tolkien."

[Lounge, Katra Station]

Zex tilted her head slightly.  She was searching her memory.  Limited though as was to early Earth writing.

"They called the beings elves.  Right?  But I thought they were portrayed as good beings?  Or am I mis-remembering?" she asked.

[Jada]

[Lounge, Katra Station]

"No.  But her parents follow her to Risa.  They see how happy she is with the Risan man and give her the option to may him and loose her title or return to their home and marry the man they picked for him" she said.  She would have continued, but she didn't want to ruin the ending for the others.

Jada could hear where this was going, so she nodded and stopped asking questions, before she got bored.

"There was also a boy who could change into different animals.  He was green skinned when he as in his human form as well as when he as an animal.  I think his name was Changeling" she added to the conversation about green comic book heroes.

Jada snorted at the description. 'Boy, huh? At least it's not an Orion animal woman.'

"You are fortunate the overall impression was positive.  It could have been worse.  Early humans lore had a fondness of portraying evil or mischievous fae-creatures with pointed-ears. There is little flattering about that. Though I have read that by the late 20th century that had improved some, due to the written works of someone named Tolkien."

"They called the beings elves.  Right?  But I thought they were portrayed as good beings?  Or am I mis-remembering?" she asked.

'There's elves, and there's dark elves who are villainous, wood elves who live in forests and are archers, high elves who use magic...' Jada started to list off, then looked embarrassed. 'My cousin s'Metra picked up a human game called Dungeons & Dragons, whatever a dragon is. It sounds kinky, but it's really not. I played a game with her and the Wadi delegation; I think she whipped out all the green monsters for irony or trolling.'

She glanced back to the door, but it seemed no one else was coming along. It was a bit disappointing, but she shouldn't have expected big numbers the first session. 'Well, it doesn't look like anyone else is coming, so I guess we should start... Who wants to go first?'

[Kirok]

[Lounge, Katra Station]

Zex had guessed right.  The correct term was 'Elve.'  But she had no idea that there had been so many types.

She looked around when Jada said that they should start.  She had already talked about the book that she had last read and wanted to give someone else a change to talk about theirs.  So, she picked up a cookie and nibbled on it.  "Yum, these are pretty good" she said.

[Rayek trLhoell]

[Lounge, Katra Station]

[Lounge, Katra Station]

Zex tilted her head slightly.  She was searching her memory.  Limited though as was to early Earth writing.

"They called the beings elves.  Right?  But I thought they were portrayed as good beings?  Or am I mis-remembering?" she asked.

Rayek gave the Deltan woman a slight smile.  "No, you remember correctly.  By the 20th century the wild and dangerous fae, were replaced in tales with creatures more alike and with human-like motivations.  The Tolkien books were written in the early to mid 1900's"

Rayek looked over to Jada when she explained about the various types of elves.

[Lounge, Katra Station]

'There's elves, and there's dark elves who are villainous, wood elves who live in forests and are archers, high elves who use magic...' Jada started to list off, then looked embarrassed. 'My cousin s'Metra picked up a human game called Dungeons & Dragons, whatever a dragon is. It sounds kinky, but it's really not. I played a game with her and the Wadi delegation; I think she whipped out all the green monsters for irony or trolling.'

Rayek had also heard of this Dungeons & Dragons while at the Academy but hadn't thought of it since then.   He smiled, definitely believing that s'Metra.

She glanced back to the door, but it seemed no one else was coming along. It was a bit disappointing, but she shouldn't have expected big numbers the first session. 'Well, it doesn't look like anyone else is coming, so I guess we should start... Who wants to go first?'

Rayek realized belatedly that Tess had been correct in that they were supposed to come prepared to discuss a book that they had already read, not just listen to the suggestions of others.  "My apologies, I came hoping to get ideas of what to read but as yet haven't read anything that isn't Starfleet report."

That of course was changing now.  He feared he'd have far too much free time on his hands, in comparison to his wife, and would need to do as Miss Judy had once suggested and pick himself up a hobby.

[Kirok]

[Lounge, Katra Station]

Rayek gave the Deltan woman a slight smile.  "No, you remember correctly.  By the 20th century the wild and dangerous fae, were replaced in tales with creatures more alike and with human-like motivations.  The Tolkien books were written in the early to mid 1900's"

Rayek looked over to Jada when she explained about the various types of elves.

Rayek had also heard of this Dungeons & Dragons while at the Academy but hadn't thought of it since then.   He smiled, definitely believing that s'Metra.

Rayek realized belatedly that Tess had been correct in that they were supposed to come prepared to discuss a book that they had already read, not just listen to the suggestions of others.  "My apologies, I came hoping to get ideas of what to read but as yet haven't read anything that isn't Starfleet report."

That of course was changing now.  He feared he'd have far too much free time on his hands, in comparison to his wife, and would need to do as Miss Judy had once suggested and pick himself up a hobby.

[Lounge, Katra Station]

"Oh, good" Zex said to Rayek.  "Early Earth literature isn't one of my strong points.  So I'm kind of surprised that I guessed correctly" she said.

She finished her cookie and listened as the conversation continued.  She too had not come prepared.  So she grabbed another cookie and nibbled on it.

[Jada]

[Lounge, Katra Station]

Rayek realized belatedly that Tess had been correct in that they were supposed to come prepared to discuss a book that they had already read, not just listen to the suggestions of others.  "My apologies, I came hoping to get ideas of what to read but as yet haven't read anything that isn't Starfleet report."

'Nothing fictional, I hope?' Jada inquired with a grin. Her own reports tended to be direct and to the point, though with an odd tendency to rhyme.

'Okay, I guess I should step up and start... You can jump in with questions or comments when you like.' Jada picked up and displayed her book – a thick, real-paper book with a cover that depicted a beautiful but wistful green woman dressed in the garb of a Medieval English noblewoman, set against castles and knights. 'So, I read The Chronicle of Agnes Barre by Pilenna, an Orion-Federation woman of Earth and a writer of revisionist historical works, following her popular The Original Shakespeare by Marta and Aliens of Egypt...' Jada kept her smile to herself; that one, she knew, was almost true.

She scanned her notes before she began properly. 'First, some background. There's an old, obscure legend on Earth that a pair of green-skinned children were discovered in the feudal kingdom of England, during its Medieval age in the 12th century. I'll get to the details later when I discuss the book. The concept is not too unusual; like we talked about, early humans have a lot of myths of green beings like forest spirits, and this could've been another one, but it was written as fact more than myth and came too late in Earth history, so even later humans speculated it could be extraterrestials, if not just a disease or misunderstanding.'

'It might've stayed a little-known Earthian legend, until us Orions heard about it. And we love a good story, telling one, and making a new one. Because around that time, give or take an inconvenient century, when the Orion colonies were at their widest, an early Orion explorer left a log reporting visits to worlds later identified as Tellar and Earth. When they were, a lot of speculation and conspiracy theories arose about a historical visitation, and the green children were a candidate. That's the story Pilenna fleshes out.'

'First, in her foreword, Pilenna claims to have been sent the story by an anonymous party, after it was found in a data crystal uncovered in an English abbey. A lot of Orion fiction is presented as fact like this, such as from found footage or a discovered long-lost manuscript or pieced together from clues and secret documents. It may have arisen from early con artistry or a need to reconstruct our lost history, but nowadays I guess we just like the mystery and the verisimilitude.'

[Kirok]

[Lounge, Katra Station]

'Nothing fictional, I hope?' Jada inquired with a grin. Her own reports tended to be direct and to the point, though with an odd tendency to rhyme.

'Okay, I guess I should step up and start... You can jump in with questions or comments when you like.' Jada picked up and displayed her book – a thick, real-paper book with a cover that depicted a beautiful but wistful green woman dressed in the garb of a Medieval English noblewoman, set against castles and knights. 'So, I read The Chronicle of Agnes Barre by Pilenna, an Orion-Federation woman of Earth and a writer of revisionist historical works, following her popular The Original Shakespeare by Marta and Aliens of Egypt...' Jada kept her smile to herself; that one, she knew, was almost true.

She scanned her notes before she began properly. 'First, some background. There's an old, obscure legend on Earth that a pair of green-skinned children were discovered in the feudal kingdom of England, during its Medieval age in the 12th century. I'll get to the details later when I discuss the book. The concept is not too unusual; like we talked about, early humans have a lot of myths of green beings like forest spirits, and this could've been another one, but it was written as fact more than myth and came too late in Earth history, so even later humans speculated it could be extraterrestials, if not just a disease or misunderstanding.'

'It might've stayed a little-known Earthian legend, until us Orions heard about it. And we love a good story, telling one, and making a new one. Because around that time, give or take an inconvenient century, when the Orion colonies were at their widest, an early Orion explorer left a log reporting visits to worlds later identified as Tellar and Earth. When they were, a lot of speculation and conspiracy theories arose about a historical visitation, and the green children were a candidate. That's the story Pilenna fleshes out.'

'First, in her foreword, Pilenna claims to have been sent the story by an anonymous party, after it was found in a data crystal uncovered in an English abbey. A lot of Orion fiction is presented as fact like this, such as from found footage or a discovered long-lost manuscript or pieced together from clues and secret documents. It may have arisen from early con artistry or a need to reconstruct our lost history, but nowadays I guess we just like the mystery and the verisimilitude.'

[Lounge, Katra Station]

Zex followed along.  'There was an Earth story about 2 kids who were born with green skin.  That story was popular among Orion people' is what she heard.

"So what happened to the green skinned children?" she asked curiously.  Perhaps that was what Jada was going to explain next.  But the Deltan was curious to know the answer.

[Jada]

[Lounge, Katra Station]

After waiting for questions and receiving Zex's, Jada answered. 'That's covered in the book. It opens with a fleshed-out dramatisation of the original legend, keeping pretty close to the facts of the story, but from the point of view of the girl, here named D'Nesh, aged about 11 in human years. It's also out of order, using a non-linear storytelling technique to relate information to the reader as needed, rather than overwhelming them. It lets the reader learn more about her as she learns about her new world.'

'It begins with D'Nesh and Kai, her younger brother, being discovered by human farmers outside of a pit for catching animals. The scene explores D'Nesh and Kai's shock and confusion at the humans' strange appearance, language, and habits, and this is mirrored by that of the humans to these alien green children. Similarly, by starting here without any background, the reader is also put in the same state of shock and confusion. I think it nicely relates the feeling of this kind of first-contact situation.'

'After that, D'Nesh and Kai are taken to the manor of a local lord, and the book continues to explore the culture-shock in more detail, as each new fact of life on medieval Earth is seen as bizarre or even dangerous to the advanced, space-travelling Orions. There's a constant contrast in their views, but it inverts what we see in most Federation accounts of first contact with less-developed cultures. Here, it's humans, a core Federation species, who are deeply primitive and superstitious, while the Orions are at the height of their social and technological development.'

'There's a particular scene where they're taken to a place of worship, and are horrified to see the image of a man being brutally tortured and executed � have any of you seen the human god Jesus on the cross?' She looked around the group to see if anyone knew of it. This was a bit odd, discussing human culture when none of them were human. But at least they all knew how strange it was. 'The children's fear of this death imagery offends the humans, who start to fear they're evil demons, so it's a tense moment. Fortunately, D'Nesh and Kai think fast and pay homage to the Virgin Mary instead, whom they recognise as the Orion Mother Goddess. Hence they learn to feel their way through first contact with the primitive humans, to find such points of similarity. Later, they even undergo an initiation ceremony called baptism.'

'However, D'Nesh and Kai won't eat the food they're offered, afraid it will poison them. For several days, they grow hungry and sick, but eventually, they eat some beans and gradually adapt and become a bit less green. Unfortunately, Kai gets sicker and later on, he passes away in a sad scene. The siblings had only had each other the only ones they could talk to, who knew about them and where they came from so it hits D'Nesh hard. After that, she is on her own.'

[Rayek trLhoell]

[Lounge, Katra Station]

Rayek listened to Jada begin her overview.  The story and the fact that it was apparently based loosely on a historical tale was rather intriguing.  He glanced to the Deltan woman when she summarized and then asked for the story's synopsis.  Right from the start Rayek was fully engaged in Jada's oration, so when she seemingly paused at what seemed like a crucial point in the story, Rayek prompted for more intel.    "And? What became of D'Nesh?" he asked.

[Kirok]

[Lounge, Katra Station]

Rayek listened to Jada begin her overview.  The story and the fact that it was apparently based loosely on a historical tale was rather intriguing.  He glanced to the Deltan woman when she summarized and then asked for the story's synopsis.  Right from the start Rayek was fully engaged in Jada's oration, so when she seemingly paused at what seemed like a crucial point in the story, Rayek prompted for more intel.    "And? What became of D'Nesh?" he asked.

[Lounge, Katra Station]

Zex had listened along as well.  The story sounded interesting.  It ever managed to integrate some of the concepts of early Christianity.

"I've read some stories about Jesus.  He was the focal point of the christian bible.  Supposedly the highest sold book on Earth, at least at one point, if I'm correct" she interjected.

Rayek had already beaten her to her next question.  So she chose to simple listen some more.  And secretly hope that D'Nesh fell in love and lived happily ever after.

[Jada]

[Lounge, Katra Station]

At some point, Jada had gone from trying to review the book to retelling the story in synopsis form. But it all came to the same outcome, that of introducing and explaining the book to people who could be her friends. It was a pity then, that she'd already set her mind on taking leave, if not leaving altogether. Would she only finally get settled here on Katra when she was ready to leave?

'D'Nesh stays at the manor and becomes a servant, working for the lord, Sir Richard de Calne of Wykes. In her descriptions of life then, there's a comparison of Orion slavery and the Medieval Earthian feudalism running through, finding a fair bit in common between the systems. In time, D'Nesh – renamed Agnes by the humans – learns enough of the local language to be able to relate her story, though she finds the concepts of space travel, alien species, other planets, and transporters difficult to relate, not just because of the limited language and her inexperience, but also because of the lack of understanding by the humans. From her, the humans report a garbled account of the green children coming from a faraway place called "Saint Martin's Land" where everyone was green like them; where there was no sun, just constant twilight, referring to space; and that they were herding their father's cattle when they heard bells and followed them into a dark cave that led them to the wolf pits where they were found.'

'Here, the novel flashes back to Orion space, then in the time of the old Orion Empire, a turbulent period of tyranny and dispossession that saw the decline and collapse of Orion civilisation. Leading to, uh, how you know most of us today... These flashbacks present D'Nesh and Kai's father as an explorer, named Arthas, escaping intrigues with his family and searching for new worlds to settle in the Outer Dark beyond the empire's grip. They also echo the English politics that will fill the second half of the book, which I'll get to later... But when their ship comes near Earth, something goes wrong – the children don't even know what – and they're beamed down to Earth. There, they follow a cow and bells until they fell in the pit, climbed out, and were discovered by the farmers, where they were at the beginning.'

She glanced around, realising how attentive and interested Zex and Rayek were, hooked on D'Nesh's story. Remembering Zex's predilection for romance novels, Jada knew the next bit would appeal. 'When we return to D'Nesh, she's a few years older and well established in de Calne's household, going by the name Agnes. She has to grow up alone and take care of herself, deal with the onset of puberty and oestrus cycles without an Orion mother's guidance. While we might see a strong and independent Orion woman with natural drives, with pheromones, she's living in a highly misogynistic and sexual repressed society, and she gets a reputation for being "wanton", "loose", and 'impudent". Agnes has some relationships with fellow servants and soldiers at the manor, and fair warning, these scenes can be raunchy, which is common for Orion fiction. There's a duel over her. As she gets older, she learns to better control her urges and her image.'

'At this point, the Chronicle stops following the original medieval accounts of the green children, which kind of come to an end at this point, and instead follow theories by later researchers connecting Agnes to one minor historical figure or another... So, finally, Agnes romances a young lawyer named Richard Barre.' The name of the book, The Chronicle of Agnes Barre, showed where this was leading. Jada paused then to sip her Orion tea; all this talking did make her thirsty, and she knew she was teasing her audience.