pulling his weapon.
"It's not a GSH," RJ laughed. "Put your weapon away." She looked the girl over. Her hair was short and curly. She was well muscled, and her brown skin shone with the sweat from her exertion. She was only five-six, obviously wounded and probably sick, yet she was still stronger than any of the men RJ had with her. She wore a simple loin-cloth made of red cotton fabric and a short vest made of reptile skin that was laced up the front with a piece of leather thong. There were three strings of large glass beads around her throat. Her hands were callused, her vision quick and challenging, and her stance that of a battle veteran. RJ was sure that the girl had seen combat or had at the very least been combat trained.
"She's an attractive creature," RJ said conversationally.
"What the hell is she?" David asked wiping the blood from his nose and face.
"She's a Beta 4 humanoid," Poley said. He put one hand on David's forehead, grabbed his nose with his other hand and gave a sharp tug putting David's nose back where it belonged.
"God damn it, Poley!" David hollered, taking the handkerchief Poley offered and holding it to his nose.
"It was busted," Poley defended.
"You might have said something before you did it," David whined. His vision was still blurred, and he felt like the bleeding would never stop. He leaned his head back. "She's an alien then?"
"Yes," RJ said matter-of-factly.
Topaz was still doubled over trying to catch his breath. He glanced up at the girl and took a double take. "That's no alien," Topaz said forcing himself to straighten. His cracked ribs were already starting to heal. "That, boys and girls, is a black woman."
"Well, duh," David said. "We can tell that she's female and that she's black."
"She's brown," Poley corrected.
"I know what you mean," RJ said looking at Topaz curiously. "Like those people in some of the old pictures that Marge showed us. You said there used to be lots of them."
"That's right," Topaz said. "Among their many faults The Reliance are also white supremacists. They were white, and so they wanted an all-white race. They gave fewer breeding permits to the blacks, Orientals, and Hispanics. Then they very carefully crossbred everyone so that we eventually wound up being basically the same color. If they have their way, in another hundred years everyone will basically be the color of our good friend Levits."
"But Topaz
. . .
how would a black human wind up on Beta 4?" RJ asked. Not even seeming to notice the squirming girl in her arms.
"I'm sure I don't know. Perhaps like you, RJ, she is a hybrid, taking all her external makeup from the one race." Topaz drew nearer and looked at the girl closely. "I'm telling you, RJ, I'm sure that this creature is no more alien than you are. Maybe a hybrid, but at least part of her heritage is human."
"She is hurt," Poley said as he moved forward and touched the wound taking a good look. The girl howled in pain.
"See? She doesn't like it any better than I did," David said glaring at Poley.
"It's infected," Poley informed.
Topaz looked at the wound and nodded. "We may have to sedate her happy ass in order to take care of it."
"Topaz, if she isn't human – and you can't be sure that she is – something that might sedate us might very well kill her," RJ said.
"That is correct," Poley agreed.
"Like the Pronuses you take," David said showing his understanding.
"I ran a quick scan on the tissue sample I found in the hold. Their DNA is different than human DNA," Poley said.
"Every living creature's DNA is different, tin pants," Topaz said. "A black human's DNA is going to be different than the homogenized DNA of Reliance-bred humans, but we're all still human. Except you."
* * *
Janad listened to them talk. She couldn't understand everything they said. They talked faster than the Reliance people had, and they used what
"It's not a GSH," RJ laughed. "Put your weapon away." She looked the girl over. Her hair was short and curly. She was well muscled, and her brown skin shone with the sweat from her exertion. She was only five-six, obviously wounded and probably sick, yet she was still stronger than any of the men RJ had with her. She wore a simple loin-cloth made of red cotton fabric and a short vest made of reptile skin that was laced up the front with a piece of leather thong. There were three strings of large glass beads around her throat. Her hands were callused, her vision quick and challenging, and her stance that of a battle veteran. RJ was sure that the girl had seen combat or had at the very least been combat trained.
"She's an attractive creature," RJ said conversationally.
"What the hell is she?" David asked wiping the blood from his nose and face.
"She's a Beta 4 humanoid," Poley said. He put one hand on David's forehead, grabbed his nose with his other hand and gave a sharp tug putting David's nose back where it belonged.
"God damn it, Poley!" David hollered, taking the handkerchief Poley offered and holding it to his nose.
"It was busted," Poley defended.
"You might have said something before you did it," David whined. His vision was still blurred, and he felt like the bleeding would never stop. He leaned his head back. "She's an alien then?"
"Yes," RJ said matter-of-factly.
Topaz was still doubled over trying to catch his breath. He glanced up at the girl and took a double take. "That's no alien," Topaz said forcing himself to straighten. His cracked ribs were already starting to heal. "That, boys and girls, is a black woman."
"Well, duh," David said. "We can tell that she's female and that she's black."
"She's brown," Poley corrected.
"I know what you mean," RJ said looking at Topaz curiously. "Like those people in some of the old pictures that Marge showed us. You said there used to be lots of them."
"That's right," Topaz said. "Among their many faults The Reliance are also white supremacists. They were white, and so they wanted an all-white race. They gave fewer breeding permits to the blacks, Orientals, and Hispanics. Then they very carefully crossbred everyone so that we eventually wound up being basically the same color. If they have their way, in another hundred years everyone will basically be the color of our good friend Levits."
"But Topaz
. . .
how would a black human wind up on Beta 4?" RJ asked. Not even seeming to notice the squirming girl in her arms.
"I'm sure I don't know. Perhaps like you, RJ, she is a hybrid, taking all her external makeup from the one race." Topaz drew nearer and looked at the girl closely. "I'm telling you, RJ, I'm sure that this creature is no more alien than you are. Maybe a hybrid, but at least part of her heritage is human."
"She is hurt," Poley said as he moved forward and touched the wound taking a good look. The girl howled in pain.
"See? She doesn't like it any better than I did," David said glaring at Poley.
"It's infected," Poley informed.
Topaz looked at the wound and nodded. "We may have to sedate her happy ass in order to take care of it."
"Topaz, if she isn't human – and you can't be sure that she is – something that might sedate us might very well kill her," RJ said.
"That is correct," Poley agreed.
"Like the Pronuses you take," David said showing his understanding.
"I ran a quick scan on the tissue sample I found in the hold. Their DNA is different than human DNA," Poley said.
"Every living creature's DNA is different, tin pants," Topaz said. "A black human's DNA is going to be different than the homogenized DNA of Reliance-bred humans, but we're all still human. Except you."
* * *
Janad listened to them talk. She couldn't understand everything they said. They talked faster than the Reliance people had, and they used what
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