Here’s a bit from one of the stories in my science fiction short story collection OTHER EARTH, OTHER STARS. A shuttle from a space ship has landed on a “lost” colony planet, where reproduction has been genetically induced to be by parthenogenesis: females only, no men required.

The Man and the People

excerpt from “Leaving the Turtle”
by Marian Allen

I walked closer to the shuttle and said, in the language of Earth our First Mothers had brought with them and passed down to us, “Welcome to Peace. We remember Earth. Welcome, Sisters.”

I looked back at Bal, who gave me a grudging nod.

A hatch opened in the side of the shuttle, and a ramp unfolded. A figure came down. A figure with thick facial hair on…his…chin and upper lip. A figure with no breasts. A male. A human male.

Behind me, there was a soft wave of nervous laughter and murmurs.

A wave of relief followed, as two people came after him. The three were dressed alike in trousers and shirts, as our First Mothers dressed, according to the stories. Naturally, they would send the male out first, to make sure it was safe for people.

They looked like none of us. Of course, we knew there were Mothers other than ours, and that not all of the bloodlines our Mothers had brought here had survived–we knew there were people who didn’t look like us. It was strange, though, after seeing the same faces for so long, to see new ones. I thought the new people were very exotic and very beautiful.

“Welcome,” I said again. “Welcome to Peace.”

The man and the people smiled, and the man held out his hand to me. This is why Bal doesn’t just go ahead and exile me for what she calls my “bad attitude”–she enjoys watching me forced to interact with males.

I took his hand and held it, as one does a frightened child’s….

“Be silent and stand still,” I told him. “Don’t touch anything. The people who brought you are our guests. A safe place will be set aside for you.”

He looked puzzled. “I am Captain–”

I dropped his hand and walked past him to the people.

~*~

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A WRITING PROMPT BASED ON MY POST: Someone is treated as of no importance, or even as less than fully human.

MA