Brave New World

An LGBTQ+ SF story by elveloy

When humanity finally ventured into deep space after they discovered the Quantum Drive, the last thing they expected was to encounter a millennium-old space station in orbit around Centauri. And moreover, one that was occupied.  

Perhaps fortunately for everyone, the Terran ship had been crewed by people whose titular military rank was only surpassed by their scientific qualifications. Curiosity triumphed over fear and peaceful communication between the species was established.

The Nebulans explained that they were visitors, too. The original creators of the station had vanished long ago, and they proposed a treaty. The station would be held in trust as neutral territory between Nebulans and Terrans, divided between them.

As time passed, Centauri developed into a waystation for ships from both species and became an important trading post. Relations between the two species though, remained formal, if cordial enough.

Captain Lia Asaro thought Centauri was the most wondrous place she had ever visited, when she first arrived with her ship, Arcus. Not so much for the construction, which after all, was mostly a collection of rooms and corridors—if oddly shaped—but for the fact that she would be sharing it with her first-ever alien species. After a week, however, the excitement had dimmed somewhat.

Instead of the wonderfully exotic creatures she had hoped for, the Nebulans proved to look just like humans, clones almost, all apparently male and wearing neat grey uniforms.

And the other wormhole in her sky was the presence of Imperial, largest of the Terran ships and her major competitor.

As if her thoughts had conjured him up, the stocky, muscular figure of First Officer Joseph Bilenti appeared out of a side corridor in front of her. He stopped, with that patronising smile on his face she had always disliked. 

"Ah, Lia, have you heard the news? The Nebulans have finally agreed to let us visit one of their colonies!"

Lia came to an abrupt halt, resisting the urge to correct him once again. It was Captain Asaro now.

She could sense the excitement thrumming behind the words, despite his attempts to look as if this was no big deal.

"Is that true?" she asked, cautiously. After all, rumours tended to fly around the Centauri waystation faster than comets.

He nodded.

"They say they'll give permission for two Terran ships to travel to their Astorian colony. I heard Ambassador Tiang wanted to send a fleet from Earth, full of officials, but the Nebulan Commander Sqialon said 'no'. They want this to be a preliminary expedition, before anything formal. They've asked for volunteers from ships that are already here at Centauri. He's called for expressions of interest. Captain Stasi has applied on behalf of the Imperial, but I can't see us being turned down, not with our record."

Absently, he straightened the cuffs of his uniform, and added with a smile of smug satisfaction, "I bet you wish you'd stayed with us now, don't you?"

Lia shook her head. "And give up being Captain of my own ship? Never, in a million years. I shall register our interest too, after all, they want two ships don't they?"

Bilenti laughed. "You can't be serious? They'll never accept your crowd of misfits! They want the best, not a collection of 'equal opportunity' wannabes."

Lia smiled. "And that's your mistake right there. I conducted blind interviews to make sure I got the best crew possible, without being swayed by prejudices I might not even know I had. All applications and interviews were conducted through the image and sound of an A.I., so I ended up with the most qualified people."

She gave him another cheerful smile. "By the way, thanks for the heads up!" And strode off down the corridor, ignoring the exaggerated snort of disbelief that followed her.

Lia went to register her ship's expression of interest immediately, even though—if she was honest—she thought she had little hope of selection. Not with twenty ships to choose from. Much as she hated to admit it, she agreed with Bilenti that the Imperial was bound to be the Nebulan's first choice; with a predominantly male crew and wearing matching uniforms, they bore an uncanny resemblance to the Nebulans themselves.

Still, as one of her favourite old Earth clichés would say, you had to be in it to win it.

Arcus was the last ship to receive an invitation for interview. Given the aliens' first choice of Imperial, Lia wondered for a brief moment whether she should take her most conservative-looking crew with her, before immediately rejecting the idea. The Nebulans were an alien race, they could hardly have exactly the same values as the conservative Imperial. So she turned up with Fenz, her chief pilot, looking like... Fenz, and Jules, her communications expert, wearing a tight-fitting silver gown and a neatly trimmed black beard. Take them or leave them, her crew was what they were.

The interview had seemed to go well enough, perhaps because she didn't hold high hopes, so she was able to relax and talk cheerfully, but no-one had been more surprised than she when Arcus got the second invitation to Astoria.

~~~

Arcus came out into realspace with the customary jolt.

"Confirming our presence in the Astorian system, Captain. We are approaching the Nebulan station," announced Fenz calmly, sounding no different from usual, despite the momentous nature of the event. Their face was blank under the metal cap which linked their brain to the ship's control system.

"Engaging interplanetary drive... I'm transferring control over to Second Pilot Norton now."

"Control received," confirmed Hetha Norton, her short blonde hair tufting through the gaps in her pilot's helmet. It was her job to manoeuvre the ship in realspace and steer it into the anticipated docking bay. "I estimate we have approximately ten minutes before reaching our destination."

Disconnected from the intense concentration piloting required, Fenz rolled their shoulders to relieve the stiffness but remained seated, just in case Hetha needed help.

"Excellent," grinned Lia, not bothering to hide her own excitement. After all, the Arcus and her crew were approaching the first alien space station humanity had ever encountered. This was history in the making. "Let's have a visual on the screen. I want to see what the station looks like from space."

A moment later, the star chart was replaced by a real-time image. Lia leant forward, her eyes widening. What the-?

Used to seeing the unwieldy conglomerates that made up the Terran stations, she had been expecting something similar. The huge white cube rotating slowly in front of them was completely unexpected. Light from Astoria's distant sun illuminated one side—the white almost blinding in its intensity—and then the next, revealing a completely unbroken surface.

The bridge fell completely silent.

Then came a rush of exclamations.

"Is that really it?"

"...doesn't look like any station I've ever seen..."

"...more like a piece of sculpture..."

"... where the stars can we dock?"

Lia looked around. The bridge was unusually crowded and she realised many of her crew had come up specifically to catch a glimpse of the Nebulan station. She cleared her throat loudly.

"Jules, can you establish contact with the Nebulans and ask for instructions?

"Of course, Captain," answered the young man seated next to Hetha. A moment later, a message scrolled across the screen, below the image of the station.

"Welcome to Astoria Seven, Terran ship Arcus. Please connect your ship to the following frequency, and we will guide you into the docking bay..."

Technical details followed but everyone, except for Jules and Hetha who were following the instructions, was staring at the tiny black hole, opening in one side of the cube. If that was big enough to take the Arcus, then it was obvious the cube was a hundred times larger than it first seemed.

Awestruck, there was utter silence as Arcus approached the vast white surface and Hetha steered them neatly into the prescribed docking bay. They came to a soft halt. Automatically, the ship switched to standby mode, dimming the lights and locking the controls.

"Well, we made it!" Lia couldn't resist the old cliché.

"Welcome to Astoria, everyone!" She grinned at the crew. "I know I don't need to tell you again"—she ignored the chorus of groans—"but I want everyone to be on their best behaviour. We've all met small groups of Nebulans before but that was on Centauri, neutral ground. This time we're on their home territory. This is a marvellous opportunity and I don't want anyone to fuck it up."

There were a few nods and serious faces.

"For the moment, until I discover the correct protocols, I want everyone to stay on board."

There was a groan of disappointment, but no-one was really surprised. "Except for Jules and Fenz, who are coming with me for the initial meeting."

There was no choice as to who would accompany her; she needed her communications expert and her chief pilot, despite their unconventional appearance.

Waiting for the airlock to open and allow her small party into the station proper, Lia tried to rein in her excitement. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other. She had dressed in her smartest uniform, the one with scarlet braid, the one she wore for official engagements. Beside her, Jules was in his favourite bright-pink pantsuit and Fenz wore their usual spotless white trousers and shirt. Despite her previous experience, Lia couldn't help hoping that these Nebulans would be different, more diverse, than those she had met on Centauri. After all, this was their home territory where presumably they would be more at ease.

The door opened to reveal two Nebulans, dressed in familiar grey uniforms. Lia suppressed a sigh.

"Welcome to Astoria Seven, Captain," said one of the Nebulans politely. "I am Hira."

"And you may call me Junil," announced the other, equally polite. "We will be your... guides for the duration of your visit." There had been a tiny pause before the word "guides" and Lia wondered why. Perhaps the Nebulan had been searching for the right word.

"Pleased to meet you, Hira and Junil," replied Lia. "And may I present my chief pilot, Fenz and my communications officer, Jules Leng."

"Pleased to meet you," echoed the Nebulans, their gaze resting for just a fraction longer on Jules. It dawned on Lia then that Jules was one of the few Terrans, in fact the only one she could think of, who wore a beard, as most men preferred to be clean-shaven in space.

Hira spoke first. "If you'd like to follow us, we'll take you to meet the Manager, and then we could take you on a tour of the station, if that suits?"

"We'd appreciate that very much." Lia smiled, wondering how much longer they were going to stand here in the corridor exchanging platitudes. She could hardly wait to explore.

"I know there is a formal reception scheduled for later," Juril hastened to add, as if apologising for the informality. "This is merely a... a preliminary meeting, with the Manager."

"That's fine," murmured Lia.

Hira flicked another quick glance at Jules. "This way, please." The Nebulans shuffled themselves slightly until Juril was walking next to Lia, and Hira next to Jules. Fenz made up the rear in the narrow corridor, a quizzical expression on their face.

"Can I ask, has the Imperial arrived yet?" asked Lia, making conversation. She thought Juril's face clouded for a moment.

"Yes. That ship has been and gone."

"Oh!" Lia was surprised. She had expected both ships to be present at the same time.

Before she could ask for more details, the corridor opened into a large chamber and Hira ushered them all inside. A small group of grey-uniformed Nebulans stepped forward to greet them.

~~~

Lia and her companions returned to their ship an hour later to be met by their entire crew, waiting eagerly for permission to disembark.

"Good news!" Lia beamed. "We are allowed free access to the station, except for areas marked with a cross inside a circle, that's their symbol for 'authorised personnel only.' As I said before, best behaviour, please, remember we are guests." She glanced across at her second in command. "Mr Leon will organise a leave roster. I want to make sure a couple of people remain on board the Arcus at all times."

Everything went smoothly for the next few days. The crew wandered around, taking in the alien features—especially the recreational areas—and interacting with the Nebulans, who seemed friendly enough. Lia noticed Jules in particular was often the centre of attention, though whether that was due to his facial hair or his brightly coloured outfits, Lia wasn't sure.

Everything was going well, so why was Lia beginning to feel like something was wrong?

She scratched the back of her neck, and tried to pin down what was worrying her subconscious. She took Jules to one side.

"How do you think we're doing?"

Jules smiled. "Everything seems fine so far, Captain. The Nebulans are friendly, there have been no problems with the crew. It's all good."

"That's what I thought too, but something is bothering me. I can't quite put my finger on it... has anything struck you?"

Jules frowned. "No, nothing... well apart from the obvious, of course."

"'The obvious'?"

"Where are the women? Everyone we've met so far has been male... or at least, I should say, appears to be male. Who knows what's under those uniforms? But they seem to all be same gender, at any rate."

Lia felt like she'd been sideswiped. How had she not noticed this earlier? She had become so accustomed to seeing the Nebulans in their ubiquitous grey uniforms she had not thought beyond them.

"You're right. Even if their society has a division of labour where only the males go travelling, you'd think they'd have females here on the Station."

Jules nodded. "Either their females are sequestered, or..." his voice trailed off.

"Or?"

"There are no others, 'female' or otherwise. Perhaps they only have the one gender. Sounds crazy, I know, but think about it. There are heaps of reproductive variations amongst Terran life forms. There's absolutely no reason why an alien race should conform to human biology, in fact, it would be surprising if they did."

"Are you close enough to any of them to ask? We don't want to offend anyone, but..."

Jules chewed his bottom lip. "I could ask Hira. We've been chatting... a lot." To Lia's surprise, a faint blush coloured his cheeks. "I think we're friends."

"I'd appreciate it." Lia paused, then added, "I'm sure you'll be tactful. I have no idea what their taboos are, but that's something we need to know if we are going to work together. The last thing we want is to blunder in to something extremely sensitive."

Jules nodded. He'd found it difficult enough establishing appropriate boundaries and behaviours with other humans. He could only imagine the learning curve when interacting with members of an entirely different species.

He mulled over what he was going to say for a day or two before he invited Hira to join him for a drink. He chose a private booth in his favourite bar, one which served Terran drinks as well as standard Nebulan fare.

He studied Hira as they sat over their drinks. Apart from his eyes, which were an unusual honey colour, he looked like a human. Now that Jules had started thinking along biological lines, he realised how strange that was. Could it be possible that Nebulans and humans had descended from the same progenitor race?

He put his drink down, he'd dithered enough. "Hira, can I ask you something personal?"

Hira froze for a second and then nodded.

Jules continued. "I'm still learning about your culture, so you'll have to tell me if my questions distress... or offend you. Agreed?"

"Okay." Hira nodded again, his hands gripping the glass.

Jules took a deep breath. "I don't know how much you know about human biology, but..."

He went on to give a short explanation, about sex and gender diversity. He could see Hira's eyes widening as he spoke.

"So what I'm asking," Jules finished up quickly, "is whether you could tell me a bit about Nebulan biology and gender. If that's okay."

Hira dropped his eyes and swirled the drink around in his glass.

Jules waited, hoping desperately he hadn't pushed their relationship beyond repair.

Hira looked around, checking that they were still secluded, then spoke in a low voice. "If I tell you, will you promise to keep the information to yourself?"

Jules hesitated. "I don't know if I can promise that. My captain..." His voice trailed away.

"Just for a few days," urged Hira. "I know Manager Ai'Sing plans to tell your Captain himself. In private, later. I shouldn't be telling you this in advance, but... I trust you."

Jules swallowed. What on Earth was he getting himself into? It seemed the mores about gender were more sensitive than he had possibly imagined.

"All right. I promise."

"Don't freak out," Hira warned. "But I guess you could say we only have one sex and one gender"—he paused, and held Jules' eyes with his—"at a time."

"'At a time?'" echoed Jules, faintly.

"I am currently what you would call 'male', but I can change. If I want to. I can also appear as 'female' or... no." He frowned. "You don't have a word for it."

Jules swallowed again, staring as if he expected Hira to metamorphose in front of him. "How...?"

"The change takes about a week, a week of rest and seclusion, so we don't tend to change that frequently. Maybe only four or five times in our lifetime."

Grappling with the concept, Jules chose an easy question. "But why do you all appear to be the same? Is it some sort of cycle?"

Hira gave a wry smile.

"When we encountered your species for the first time, it seemed that this was the preferred image. So we all changed to meet your expectations. At least, until we could establish a more meaningful relationship. The Terrans we've met from your ship, Arcus, are much more open to diversity than those on Imperial. "

Jules felt as if his head was bursting with reactions and questions. If Nebulans could change their sex and features, what else could they change?

"So what do you really look like?" he blurted. "When you're not imitating humans?"

Hira took a sip of his drink... and smiled.