Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 130317 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 652(@200wpm)___ 521(@250wpm)___ 434(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 130317 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 652(@200wpm)___ 521(@250wpm)___ 434(@300wpm)
“Hmm…I see.” Sev nodded. It sounded to him like the artificial star at the top of the PPP Dome was similar to the artificial green sun that powered and heated the Kindred Mother Ship, but he had never heard of any other people having such power.
It troubled him—the green sun in the Mother Ship was what gave the Kindred their ability to fold space and go from one point in the universe to any other point instantly. If a cult like the PPP gained such an ability, they could spread everywhere—like a cancer spreading throughout the universe.
The path they were on was leading them upwards and after a moment they broke out of the dense tropical vegetation and Sev saw they were standing at the top of a hill. It wasn’t very tall, but it was high enough that they could see the whole Dome laid out before them—though the far walls were so far away he could only make them out as faint, rainbow glimmers.
“Here we are—you can get a good view of your new home from here.” Brother Jonash surveyed the area spread before them with obvious pride. “Over there are the crop fields and the greenhouse,” he said, nodding to Sev’s left. “That’s most probably where you’ll be for your work assignment—the men always work outside the home,” he added.
“Are those the domiciles? The houses?” Sev asked, nodding at rows and rows of neat, orderly white domes laid out in front of them.
“Oh yes—each Smart Bungalow is meant for a single couple—it’s just big enough for two.”
“What about the children?” Mia asked and this time she was talking to Sev. Clearly she’d given up on trying to get Brother Jonash to answer her.
“Yes, what about the children?” Sev asked. “We saw some in your Outernet ads—do you have any domiciles big enough for families?”
“Actually, we don’t believe in children living in the adult’s section of the Dome.” Brother Jonash spoke almost primly, as though he was mentioning some delicate subject. “It wouldn’t do for them to witness Marital Punishment until they’re old enough to understand. A child’s innocence must be preserved, you know—especially when it comes to, ahem, intimate matters.”
Sev saw Mia’s eyes widen and she mouthed, “Marital Punishment?” to him, her eyebrows raised. Sev wondered what it meant as well. This was the second or third time Brother Jonash had said something about “punishment” without giving an explanation. And this time he seemed to be equating it to some kind of sexual activity. What in the Seven Hells was going on in this Dome between the males and the females?
Before Sev could ask, however, Brother Jonash went on.
“The far quarter of the Dome is devoted to the children—they’re raised by the single Aunties who haven’t been called to take a husband or have lost their husbands and are too old to bear more children themselves.”
“So…you separate the children from their parents?” Sev asked, frowning. “What about the newborns and the babies? You take them from their mothers?”
“It’s necessary so that couples can live their lives in the way the Prophet has decreed.” Brother Jonash sounded slightly defensive, Sev thought. “Of course, all of the women here in the Dome help to feed the babies—mother’s milk and nourishing breast nectar is important for their development,” he added and for once, he addressed his remarks to Mia. “You’ll be able to help with that—all the women who live in the Dome do their part.”
“Because feeding the babies is women’s work?” Mia asked flatly. She looked supremely unimpressed.
Sev thought that his partner was probably going to have to employ her “poke-her” face more while they stayed in the PPP Dome because right now she wasn’t even trying—probably because this whole situation was frustrating to her. He didn’t blame her—it frustrated him too. No one should be treated like a second-class citizen for any reason—including their gender.
Brother Jonash frowned at Mia’s comment.
“Of course it’s women’s work,” he said shortly. “Men aren’t equipped to do such tasks. Anyway, let’s move on.”
He turned back to Sev and pointed out several other features of the Dome, including the public gardens and park and a small building which he called “The Library of the Prophet” where the Prophet’s ‘Words of Wisdom’ were collected. Then he pointed to a grand building with a tall spire, rising almost to the top of the shimmering rainbow Dome. It was much bigger than any of the small, white, unassuming Smart Bungalow domiciles he had pointed out earlier.
“And that is the Inner Sanctum. It is where our Prophet lives and also where the Binding Ceremonies are performed. If you and your wife pass our period of initiation—and I very much hope you will—you’ll be allowed to go inside. There the Prophet himself will perform a Binding Ceremony for the two of you that will tie your souls together for all time—even unto the Afterlife.”