A Gift Of The Amazons 5

Some Answers

by John O'Connor

URL: http://area52hkh.net/asj/john/amazons05.php
Summary: SG-13 learn some of the secrets of the Amazons

Themyscira - Day Two - Evening

"What? A weapon against the Goa'uld?" Sam could hardly believe her ears. And she'd made Janet sit on the news all this time!

"Not a weapon, as such. More like a cure," Janet explained to the hushed group of Earth explorers.

Now Sam was really puzzled, "A cure? What are you talking about Janet?"

"The Amazons figured out how to make themselves genetically incompatible with the Goa'uld. Since the parasites can't live in their bodies, they have no value as hosts. So, yeah, I would say it's a cure. Kind of like a genetic inoculation," Janet said.

"And it'll work on us? On humans?" Marcy asked.

"I guess we weren't all that clear in the pre-mission briefing. Most of the humanoid races we've discovered out here are descendants from humans kidnapped and seeded around the Galaxy by the Goa'uld." Sam looked around at the assembled team, "I guess we're just so used to knowing that, that we forget that new Gaters might not know."

"Then that explains the Greek and whatever else aspects of this culture," Marcy said nodding. "I just sort of thought that maybe that old kook van Daniken was right after all and some of the old cultures came from aliens."

"'Chariots Of The Gods' is not far wrong," Jennifer said. "Some of his theories, and others by the way, were out there, so to speak. But, much as you can explain away most of it, there remained archaeological anomalies that weren't so easy to categorize."

"Yes, well, this is all very interesting and, believe me, I'd love to continue this discussion. But it'll have to wait. I want to know more about this 'cure' that Janet found out about," Sam interjected before the meeting became a discussion group. She didn't want to get caught up in one of those chicken-and-the-egg debates about whether the Goa'uld adopted Earth myths or created them.

"Okay, all I can tell you so far is that a little alteration in a gene strand will create the necessary change in humans. I really need to do more research on this before I can say much more," Janet said.

Before Sam or anyone else could say anything, there was a light knocking on the door. Janet opened it to find Diana and her sister standing on the threshold, holding some of the local garments.

"May we come in?" Diana asked.

Janet nodded and stepped aside, "Please do. I think we were just finishing. Right, Sam?" As she looked over at her lover, Janet noticed that Terri was staring at Diana, her mouth hanging open.

The doctor leaned over and whispered, "You're staring, dear." Then she chuckled at the startled, deer-in-the-headlights look that quickly flashed across Terri's face.

Diana set her bundle on a table as did Troya. "We brought these in case you might like to wear something a little lighter and, I'd have to guess, more comfortable than your...uniforms? Is that the right word?"

"Yes, it is. And thank you, Diana," Sam said. She wasn't planning on wearing the white dresses but she wasn't going to forbid it. They did look light and comfortable. "Well, ladies, if you wish to go native, be my guest."

"Yes, please do," Diana said. "Then, perhaps, you'd care to join us for one of our more popular theatrical productions?"

The civilians led the way, each grabbing one of the garments and a thin belt. The various members of the team left for their quarters to change. Diana and Troya remained and chatted with Sam as Janet went into the bedroom to change.

"May I ask, Sam, why you don't accept our gift?" Diana asked.

"I do appreciate your generosity, believe me. I just feel more comfortable in my fatigues, I guess," Sam said as she glanced down at the black t-shirt and green fatigue pants above her jungle boots.

"I understand. And I want you to be comfortable," Diana replied.

"Diana, I have a question, if I may?"

"Of course," the Amazon princess said.

"This anti-Goa'uld gene therapy that Janet discovered. I'm fascinated by the idea. When did your people come up with it? And is it within our present level of development?"

Diana looked down at her hands before replying, "Sam, I am not...competitent?" Sam nodded. "I am not competent to discuss such matters. My education and training has centered on statecraft and diplomacy..."

"I see. But how long ago did your people develop this?" Sam persisted.

"If I understand the conversion factor between our time periods and yours, approximately twelve centuries ago."

Janet stepped out at that point, "Twelve centuries ago what?"

Sam stared at her lover speechlessly. Diana cast an admiring glance at the woman as did the silent Troya. Janet wore the loose, sleeveless garment easily. It had a plunging neckline. It was tied snugly at the waist with the golden rope-like belt. The hem dropped to just below her buttocks, leaving her lean, shapely legs exposed.

Diana, seeing the short hem, apologized, "Janet, I am sorry. The seamstress must have mis-estimated your measurements. The hem should rest about mid-thigh."

Janet waved off the apology, she rather liked the daringly high hemline.

As she walked over to sit by Sam, the normally staid doctor quietly flipped up the back of the dress, showing Sam that she wasn't wearing her panties. Sam coughed and simply stared at Janet as the doctor sat next to her.

"Twelve centuries what?" she repeated.

Diana smiled at Sam's focused attention. "Twelve centuries ago we developed the gene therapy, as Sam calls it, to keep the Snakes away."

Deftly changing the topic, Diana began to explain the play they were going to see. It was a love story about a woman focused on her job and another who tried to get her to live life more fully. Janet made a comment about it being autobiographical for someone she knew and Sam mock-glared at her before the other members of their team began to arrive.

Sam noted, as her people returned to the quarters she shared with Janet, that the other outfits were not quite as short in the hem. She couldn't help but remember, with a smile, all the times Janet's skirts or pants were too long. Being too short was a definite first.

Once SG-13 had reassembled, all but Sam in the light, Amazon garb, Diana said, "Ladies, we have a special performance of one of our most popular plays. It's titled 'Learning To Live' and it is a love story. I tell you this because I know our ways are not common to your people; so those of you who do not care to see women in love may not wish to accompany us to observe the performance. But I have to tell you, I have found it to be moving and very beautiful. If you wish to see this wonderful show, please come with me."

Troya, silent for so long, finally spoke up, "It's a great show! You have to see it at least once while you're here."

Sam, quietly intrigued by the idea, raised an eyebrow at Janet and Janet stood, grabbed Sam's hand, pulling her off the sofa. "C'mon. It'll be fun..." The look on Janet's face, more than anything else, convinced Sam to go.

As they stepped outside, Sam saw the wide night sky for the first time. "Janet, look up... It's wonderful!"

Instead of the star-studded blackness of space they were used to seeing on Earth, the sky was ablaze with a curtain of flaming color. A nebula covered half the sky in colors ranging from whitish-yellow through red to dark purple. It had a defining edge like a storm front that cut a swath across the sky.

"My God, Sam, it's beautiful!" Janet whispered.

The rest of SG-13 stood and stared at the static spectacle above them. Diana and Troya stood a little apart, smiling at the awe in their guests faces.

Troya, a little puzzled, asked, "Diana, why are they so amazed by the sky? Do they not have night where the come from?"

"If you read the ancient literature or see some of our ancient art, you'll see that Earth has no fire curtain in their sky," Diana explained in a whisper.

"But why are they reacting this way? They arrived yesterday, did they not?" Troya whispered back at her sister.

"Yes, but you'll recall they went to their quarters early to adjust to the time difference between our worlds," Diana responded. Looking at her guests, she then spoke in a louder voice, "We call that Sappho's Veil. It welcomed our ancestors to this world over two thousand years ago."

"It's fantastic. How far away is it? Is it the remnants of a supernova? A stellar nursery?" Sam questioned.

"I'm sorry that I cannot answer your questions. I do not have the proper training in astronomy. Perhaps Clio will be able to help you later...

"But, come. The show will start soon," Diana led the way towards a large, open-air amphitheater nearby, SG-13 following.

They were shown to a special box near and slightly above the stage. Sam made some comment about how expensive sky boxes were at Mile-High Stadium before Janet shushed her.

The amphitheater was quickly filled. Over three thousand people could sit comfortably to enjoy whatever performance was on stage. The acoustics were such that even stage whispers carried to the farther seat.

Diana, sitting in front of and to the side of Sam and Janet, looked back and said, "This is usually performed only twice in a cycle, roughly twice a month by your reckoning. Tonight is a special presentation in honor of your visit. I'm so glad your entire team decided to attend."

"I'm sure we'll enjoy it, Diana." Sam nodded her agreement to Janet's comment.

At that moment the light dimmed and a tall brunette stepped out onto the stage. She seemed to be busy fiddling with some gadget while ignoring others that came on stage from the other wing. Collisions were narrowly avoided until a short, blond woman seemed to deliberately walk into the first woman. An apology led to conversation and by the end of the first act, they were sitting having dinner together. The act closed as the couple kissed for the first time. A very passionate kiss.

Stepping out to the auditorium courtyard during the brief intermission, Janet said, "The dialogue is wonderful. It sounds very true to life, just like..." She didn't finish her statement, merely glanced towards her love, smirking.

"Hey! I'm not that preoccupied!" Sam protested.

Diana laughed and said, "I should hope not."

When asked by Allison, Diana said, "Yes, the kiss does seem very natural. But, of course, the two performers, Hellene and Lyta, are a paired couple off-stage as well. The other participants are often audience members chosen at random to walk across the stage." In response to another question from one of the visitors from Earth, Diana said, "A paired couple is analogous to your concept of marriage. They have been together for several years. A most harmonious union. One I hope to experience someday."

Only Janet caught the brief glance Diana gave Terri. Smiling, she joined the rest as they took their seats for the next act.

The second act contained some dramatic moments when the tall scientist missed several engagements and the other woman gave her an ultimatum. By the close of the act, the pair were tearfully separated.

Diana, sitting next to Terri Morgan, was gently stroking the Terran's hand as they watched the show together. They occasionally exchanged brief, warm smiles during the performance.

Janet nudged Sam and smiled towards the couple. Sam, while happy that one of her new friends seemed happy, was worried nonetheless because of Defense Department regulations. She had to find a way to keep this from becoming an issue.

Sam said, after the second act closed, "If I ever start to get that way, Janet, kick me in the butt!"

"Oh, you better believe I will."

The rest of SG-13 were naturally talking about the show. The general consensus was that it was a very good show.

Diana explained, again in response to a question, "Hellene is one of our most gifted performers. She has mastered, among other things, the art of grief. As you will see. She actually draws on memories of the time she and Lyta were apart."

The third, and final act commenced with the blonde in tears. She was crying for the woman she had lost, and the tears seemed very genuine. A friend came and told her that her lover was just as despondent and told her they needed each other.

The two women met by apparent accident, one engineered by the blonde's friend, and began to discuss their differences.

The final scene was one of reconciliation. The women were sitting on a large bed, holding hands and talking about their lives, how empty they were apart, and how much they needed each other. Slowly, Hellene kissed Lyta. They gracefully helped each other out of their garments and reclined nude on the bed. The long closing scene that followed was a highly erotic, incredibly exciting one of two women making love to one another.

Sam initially was deeply touched by the strong feelings the women onstage created. She felt the same for the smaller woman sitting beside her. As the scene progressed, Sam became rather shocked but also extremely aroused by the action unfolding before them. She felt Janet's hand resting high up on her thigh. She softly placed her hand on the doctor's leg just below the hem of the short dress. As the scene opened and progressed, she moved her hand up and under the light material. Reaching Janet's mound, Sam was not surprised to find her lover was very wet and very excited. It was going to be another passionate night, of that she was sure.

"I'm going to get you back, Samantha..." Janet sat there with a smile that showed both her frustration at the brief, casual touch and the wicked thoughts going through her mind.

Sam was definitely not scared.

After the performance, Janet said, "That was unbelievable!"

"You enjoyed it?" Diana asked.

There was a chorus of yeses from several of the members of SG-13.

Sam was relieved that no one seemed disgusted or even put out by the show. Maybe the worries she had about any closet homophobes in her team were unfounded.

Janet said it best. "The love they share is special and they convey it so well. The final scene could easily have been pornographic but... I don't know, maybe it's the whole ambience," Janet glanced up at the fiery curtain in the skies above them. "It was such a special moment, like they wanted to share what they feel."

Ashley Rand nodded, "It was beautiful. I have seen porn tapes before and always felt somewhat dirty and voyeuristic, but tonight..."

Nodding in agreement, Liz Harding added, "I wish we could show this to all the close-minded baboons back home."

"Wouldn't do any good with small-minded bigots. Believe me," Allison said.

Mavis Cavanaugh looked at Diana, "Are there any age limits here? I noticed your sister was allowed to attend."

"We try not to limit our young people's experience too much. I understand that sex and lovemaking are private, secret matters for you. We tend to keep it somewhat private but we do not ignore it. Children will begin to experiment at a young age. We try to redirect their energies to other pursuits until they reach an age we feel is appropriate. Troya has come of age in the last four cycles." Diana paused, "Why? Do you consider her too young?"

Shaking her head, Mavis said, "It's not my place. It's just that she can't be more than sixteen..."

Marcy Davis laughed, "I was sixteen when I had sex for the first time."

"I was seventeen," Carla Greene added.

Ashley gave the boldest admission, "I first slept with a woman when I was sixteen. She was a wonderful lover and teacher." Seeing several pairs of eyes locked on her, she laughed, "What? That stupid 'don't ask, don't tell' is for all you people who love to wear all the costume jewelry..."

Mavis shook her head, "I don't care about... Well, I... It just seems to me that sixteen is just too young..."

The discussion of cultural differences continued until the humans and their two hosts reached the visitors compound. Finally, Troya added to the discussion.

"I feel old enough to make my own decisions. And, because my mother and sister gave me all the love and information they felt I needed, I decided that, while I might want to experiment, I'm in no hurry to get into any serious relationship. I'm definitely too young to think about partnering with anyone."

Diana nodded, "Well said, Troya. Ladies, we'll take our leave of you. Sleep well."

As the two Amazonian sisters departed, Sam said, "Okay, team. How about we plan to meet in the diner at 0800? Anyone have any objections?" Hearing several murmured no's and seeing a few shaking heads, she said, "Alright, then. You're on your own. I'm heading for bed. Good night."

Janet followed Sam into their quarters. "Uh, Major? You have some unfinished business, I believe..."

Sam turned towards her lover, "Oh?" She quirked an eyebrow as Janet shrugged off the thin white garment. "Oh my..."

"You like?" Janet teased.

"I hope I never tire of your body," Sam breathed. then, in a huskier, more commanding tone, she said, "C'mere, you sexy wench. I would have my way with you..."

"Oh yeah?" Janet laughed as she ran past Sam and into the bathroom. "Come and get me... But you better be ready!"

Sam tore off her field gear and ran into the bathroom after her love. She stopped with a big grin on her face. In the time it had taken Sam to unlace and kick off her boots, take off her t-shirt, pants, socks, and underwear, Janet had managed to get the large tub full with steamy, sudsy water. The brunette's head was the only part of her poking out of the piles of foam.

About to say something cute and funny, Janet found that the sight of her lover naked allowed her to say only one thing. "Sam, I hope I never tire of seeing you naked either. You are so beautiful."

The caring and desire in her voice melted Sam's intentions for some playful "torture." Instead, she eased herself into the hot, scented water and moved over to Janet.

As they molded their bodies together, their mouths fused in a searing kiss. Both women held the other tightly, vowing never to lose the other. Ever.

Breaking the kiss, Sam leaned her forehead against Janet's and looked deep into the warm brown depths of the doctor's eyes. "I love you, Janet. I love you so much..."

Janet smiled gently, caressing Sam's cheek, "And I love you. I will, until the end of time..."

Their lips met again, with less intensity but more passion. Janet pulled back and said, "Sit on the edge of the tub."

Sam complied and Janet waded between her legs. Lightly kissing the flushed skin of Sam's lower stomach, Janet moved down and buried her face between Sam's thighs, her tongue working magic on the blonde's sensitive, aroused flesh.

Jack's House - Day Three - Morning

"C'mon, Cassie! Get up!" Jack stood outside his guest room, trying to get his young charge out of bed. "You got five minutes and then I'm coming in there..."

Shaking his head, he went into his kitchen and poured another cup of coffee. While he was flipping through the Rocky Mountain News, he glanced out the window. The flurries Jack woke up to were now big, fat flakes. Deciding to check the forecast, he turned on the all-news/all-sports station.

"...roads in the higher elevations are being closed. The main arteries and thoroughfares here in the Colorado Springs area are still open. Many side streets are reported to be slick. Exercise extreme caution if you must go out today. We'll be back in a minute with the school closings..."

As a Pep Boys ad came on, Jack went into his family room. Flipping on the big-screen, he saw the scrolling list of closings at the bottom of the screen on the Fox Morning News. Was that...? It looked like...

Jack stood there for a moment, one ear cocked for the radio in the kitchen and one eye on the TV. Almost simultaneously he heard and saw Cass' school mentioned. He headed back to the guest room.

"Cass? Honey? You don't have school today. Too much snow." Hearing a muffled acknowledgment, Jack thought 'What's with this kid? Snow days back home were great! Get up and head to the nearest city park with a decent hill...'

"Okay, whatever you just said... I gotta go in today so make yourself at home. Alright?"

Pressing his ear to the door, Jack thought he heard, "S'okay..."

Grabbing his olive-drab field coat, Jack went to the garage and backed his truck out. The way the snow was coming down, he might get stuck in the mountain... Wait, he couldn't with Cass staying with him...

Thanks to Mother Nature, stupid drivers, and slow road clearing crews, the drive to the Cheyenne complex took four times as long as usual. Jack was in a fine humor when he entered the underground complex.

Themyscira - Day Two - Near Midnight

Janet lay with Sam nestled up against her. The blonde seemed to like to sleep with her head pillowed on the young doctor's chest. Not that Janet was complaining...

A warm breeze blew in the open windows and Janet luxuriated in the pleasant glow of a wonderful session of making love, and being made love to, by the most beautiful blonde in the universe.

Janet fell asleep with a happy smile on her face. It was matched by the one on her love's face.

Themyscira - Day Three - Morning

There were more people in the diner that morning than the previous day. Fortunately Sam saw that Liz Harding had secured a large enough table for SG-13 to get together. She and Janet got some interesting looking food and joined the young Air Force captain.

"Good morning, Liz," Janet smiled.

"Morning," the blonde said around a mouthful of strangely colored...crepes?

As more of the team straggled in, almost all of them were again in the lightweight garments supplied by the Amazons. Janet noted that Allison came in without her roommate Terri. Both Allison and Jennifer Crue looked well rested. Janet noticed a few of the women had looks of what could only be called satisfaction. The two Navy members looked almost radiant.

As the group sat at the table, Marcy sat next to her sultry junior officer. They seemed exceptionally close this morning. Janet glanced at Sam and it suddenly registered. Hoping she covered her look of surprise, Janet casually asked, "How'd you sleep last night?"

Her suspicions were virtually confirmed when Carla dropped her eyes to the table and Marcy stammered, "We...we slept uh, just fine. Right, Carla?" Carla merely nodded.

Janet smiled and hoped they understood they were in no trouble from her. She wondered if her new friend Terri had as interesting a night.

Mavis Cavanaugh came up to the table, she was again clad in fatigues like Sam. Her trim, compact body seemed to be exhibiting more than it's usual tension. Janet thought, 'Mavis needs to get laid. She's far too tense.' Hard on the heels of that thought came, 'Where the hell did that thought come from?'

"Something the matter, Mavis?" Sam asked.

"No, well, maybe..." Mavis toyed with her food for a moment as if she was making a major decision. "Uh, Ashley didn't come home last night."

Suddenly alarmed, Sam practically yelled, "What? Do you at least know where she is?"

"Yeah, she's fine, Maj...Sam. She, uh, she spent the night..." Mavis' face darkened in embarrassment.

"Oh! I see, and you think..."

"Look, I know she's a civilian and all, but after what she said last night... This is a military mission," Mavis said. "There are rules. They aren't arbitrary. They are there to be followed..."

Cutting off a potentially dangerous discussion, Sam said, "Mavis, I understand. Let's just wait and discuss this later when we're all alone. Okay? No need to involve our hosts..."

Mavis grunted her agreement then nodded towards the main door as Ashley Rand came in on the arm of a young woman with dark blond hair.

Carla whispered, "She looks like Buffy..."

Janet had to agree, she and Sam had watched the show often enough with Cass. This young woman could be the star's twin.

While the members of SG-13 already in the diner watched the most exotic member come in, they completely missed the entrance of Terri Morgan and Diana.

Terri came up to Janet and whispered, "Doct...Janet, thank you. Last night was..."

Janet looked up in confusion until she saw the way Diana was looking at the young Terran. "So, I take it you two...talked?" Janet asked with a knowing smile.

Terri nodded enthusiastically, "Oh yes, it was wonderful! I never... I never talked so well before."

Diana, joining in the game, added, "Or listened, I hope!"

Terri smiled at Diana and nodded, "Oh yes, I listened like...I never listened before!"

As happy as she was for the young woman, Janet felt a pang when she realized they'd have to part in only a few weeks time. 'I hope they enjoy their time while it lasts,' Janet thought. 'At least, I go home with my woman.'

General chit-chat accompanied breakfast. Soon, the various members of SG-13 got up and went to try and learn more about this strange and exotic world.

Sam and Janet were the last to leave. As they stepped outside, Sam grasped Janet's arm, "Wait a minute, Jan. Please."

"Something bothering you, Sam?"

"Look, you know," Sam looked deeply into Janet's eyes. "You know that I have no problem with two women together."

Janet grinned, "You mean lesbians?"

"Yes. Well, at least bi-curious? Is that the right term? Anyway, it doesn't bother me at all but the Air Force, hell the DOD, has that damned policy. These women are in a unique and exotic environment. Some of them are interested in exploring aspects of this culture beyond our mission parameters." Sam smiled at her own euphemism. "But, others, at least Mavis Cavanaugh, seem like they want to lock us up if we even smile at another woman..."

"Sam, tonight, just talk to the group. 'Don't ask, don't tell' starts with don't ask. As long as you make that clear, Mavis can't really do much. She's not a snoop. She's not even a bad person. Maybe if you had a private chat with her?"

"Thanks, Hon. I'll give it some thought. Now I need to scoot to get my hover to the energy farm. See ya," Sam said with a wave.

Janet smiled and waved back, looking at Sam's cute backside before she turned and headed for the medical complex.

Jack's House - Day Three - Evening

Jack collapsed into his recliner. He was exhausted. Even with the chains on his tires, the drive down from the mountain was long and nerve-wracking. If it was still like this tomorrow, he was calling in sick.

"Rough day, Jack?" Cassie asked from her reclining position on the couch.

"Yeah, you could say that, Short Stuff."

"Hey!"

Jack smiled, "What's on?"

"'That '70s Show'. You wanna watch something else?"

"Nah, that's okay. Hell, I don't know what's on TV half the time anyway. So what's the deal here?" Jack asked.

"It's about a bunch of friends in Wisconsin in the 1970s," Cassie replied.

Before she could go on, Jack interjected, "I know what the show is. What's happening tonight?"

"Oh," Cassie said, somewhat surprised that her friend watched this show. "They have free tickets to a concert. Fez and Hyde made up bootleg t-shirt but Fez screwed up the name. Forman and Donna are fighting. Kelso and Jackie are..." Cassie trailed off. Like most teenagers, she was uncomfortable even mentioning the word sex around adults.

"Does that shirt say Tad Nugent?"

"Yeah, Fez says Ted like Tad... So, who's Ted Nugent?"

So Jack took it upon himself to fill in an obvious gap in Cassie's education by telling her about the Amboy Dukes, Nugent's solo career, and his music. Before he could get to Terrible Ted's current gig as a deputy sheriff in Michigan, Cassie shushed him. the commercial break was over.

As the closing credits ran, Cassie looked over at Jack. "Jack? Were the '70s really like that?"

Jack, tired and a little irritable, decided to give in to a mischievous impulse. "Dunno. Why don't you ask your mom and Sam?"

At the mention of the two most important women in her life, Cass commented, "You know, Donna looks a lot like that one girl we met last summer in Florida."

"Who?" Jack asked, confusedly.

"Regina. She was a marine biologist. She let me help watch a sea turtle nest. She was really smart and pretty."

"Hmm, maybe I oughtta go to Florida..." Jack said, thinking more of the warm sunshine than any beach bunnies.

"I don't think she's your type," Cassie said just as she realized she might have said more than she should. As she started to stammer some other comment, she realized Jack was softly snoring on the recliner.

"Guess dinner's up to me," the teenager said aloud. "Didn't I see a frozen pizza in there?"

Themyscira Medical Complex - Day Three - Midday

Janet was excited. From everything she had seen, it seemed like her declaration the day before was right. Earth could use this genetic technology to make humans incompatible with the Goa'uld parasites.

"Paula, I don't see any indication of any side effects from this technology. Is that right?" Janet asked of the senior bio-technician.

Paula, a friendly, brown-haired woman a few years older than Janet, nodded, "You have all the information there in front of you. Remember, this was done centuries ago, as you reckon time. We never had to replicate the procedure."

"Why haven't you shared this with other worlds?"Janet asked. "I mean no offense, I'm simply curious."

"I understand, Janet. I took no offense. For long centuries, we isolated ourselves from the rest of the galaxy. It was partially from fear that the Snakes might extract vengeance for our daring to oppose them. Later, we honestly did not know that many of the humanoid races were genetically similar. The blame for that falls on us for not questioning the similarities between our arrival legends and others.

"But, for now, let's table this discussion until after our midday meal. I am famished," Paula declared.

Janet agreed and accompanied her new friend to a different dining establishment. There they feasted on a variety of sea food and a type of foccacia bread.

Themyscira Solar Farm

Sam was several miles from the city looking up at an array of towers. Each was at least twenty feet tall with a large concave dish mounted on a thin spindle. They looked somewhat like radar dishes but with a solid bowl rather than a metal grid.

The spindles and the underside of the bowls were wreathed in flowery vines. The vines were specially grown for esthetic reasons. Augustine, Sam's guide, told her an electrostatic field kept the tops of the dishes clear.

Using one of the maintenance hovers, she took Sam to the top of one of the towers. Sam saw a large bowl, roughly ten feet in diameter and three or four feet deep at the center. The bowl was lined with a dark material with a dull sheen to it.

Sam glanced around and saw, without surprise, that the rest of the array, some fifty to sixty dishes, were identical to the one they were floating near.

"The material, uywsteb, converts almost one hundred percent of the Sun's radiation into energy. Really, about the only radiation that is reflected is in the visual range.

"The energy is carried down a fibrous conduit through the shaft into a central connection underground. There, all the dishes' absorbed energy is directed to our power storage facility."

"Amazing! One hundred percent?" Sam asked incredulously.

"Nearly one hundred, I said," Augustine said with a smile.

"Still! Is this yousteb easy to manufacture?" Sam asked.

"Uywsteb," Augustine corrected. "I believe it is. I'm sure I can get you a sample panel to examine."

Sam, thinking this new, clean energy source could be as beneficial as Janet's Goa'uld "cure", nodded eagerly. "This is better than a naqada fusion reactor."

Queen Hippolyta's Private Chamber

"You sent for me, Mother?" Diana asked, bowing respectfully.

"Yes, yes. There's no one here, Diana. You don't need to do that... Sit down here next to me."

Diana smiled, "Yes, Mother. Just being cautious."

Hippolyta smiled at her eldest daughter, proud of this beautiful, intelligent, challenging woman. "You and Troya took our guests to the performance?"

"Yes. They seemed to enjoy it."

"Our customs are not theirs. How could you be sure they would not be offended?" the queen asked.

"I warned them of the content of the play and said we would, of course, take no offense if any or all of them opted not to attend."

"Very good. You are quite the diplomat, Diana." Diana smiled and blushed slightly at the compliment. "Did any not attend?"

"No, Mother. All of the Earth people went. I believe they all enjoyed it. Terri - Lieutenant Morgan - was quite taken with the show," Diana responded with a secret grin.

"And you are quite taken with her?" Diana didn't respond but finally nodded. "I am glad. You have been alone too long."

"Was I not to mourn Felicia?"

"I meant nothing by my comment. Nothing more than motherly concern for her eldest."

Diana nodded, "I'm sorry, Mother. I know better."

"I understand it is still a sore subject. I loved her too. Felicia was all I could've hoped for as your life partner." Hippolyta blinked back tears as did her daughter.

"Mother? Janet, um, Doctor Fraiser would like access to our older medical archives. She believes that the genetic process we used against the Snakes could work for her people too."

Hippolyta's eyes widened in alarm. "No!" she hissed. "They must not!"

Shocked by the sudden change in her mother's demeanor, Diana asked, "Why, Mother? Are they not allowed to protect themselves from our common enemies?"

"I had hoped to spare you this for as long as possible. You are still such an innocent in so many ways," Hippolyta said sadly as she ran her fingers lovingly along Diana's cheek. "I suppose the time of innocence is over."

"What do you mean, Mother?"

"Diana," Hippolyta said in a low voice. "That secret, our genetic research, must never leave here. Our secret must remain our secret no matter the cost."

Next: Losses