I could never understand why anyone would build an academy on a remote planet. 

     But when the cruiser dropped into orbit over the multi-ringed tropical giant, I suddenly saw why.

     Below me lay paradise incarnate, tucked away on the fifth planet of an otherwise unremarkable solar system.  I supposed the powers that be decided that if the best young female minds of the galaxy were going to be nurtured, a remote, idyllic meeting was best.  Of course the idea included isolation from males, which confirmed my belief that not even genius could distract from hormones.

     Anyway, who was I to complain?  To win the Mwaor Braek scholarship was a privilege attained by only one of the top million aspiring applicants.  Obviously, not many eighteen-year-olds were experts at the theory of linear dimensional time travel.

     Captain Wilkar’s husky voice boomed over the com.

     “We land on Treor in a few minutes, Marese.  If there’s anyone you want to contact, better do it now.  It’s radio silence the minute we touch hallowed ground.  Then I’ve got five minutes to snap my fingers and get into the outer stratosphere.”

     I thought I detected a trace of sarcasm in the gruff voice.  “What’s wrong, Wilk?” I chided him. “Doesn’t the Confederation of Advanced Education get your vote?”

     A long guffaw reverberated into my cabin.  “You already know my feelings about those parasites.  They’d sacrifice their own honor if it would further their glorious cause to sniff out every corner of the universe.  Not that they have any left by now.”

     “It’s really quite an honor, you know, Wilk,” I replied, keeping the smile out of my voice.  “The deep space exploration project is the most ambitious ever undertaken.  Everyone knows that Academy training is second to none.  The sexes are segregated merely to allow concentration on studies.  Good Lord, Wilk, even you must remember what it was like to be young!”

     “I still don’t see what’s wrong with men and women working together!” he retorted. “You would think we were back in the post-atomic era.  Whoever heard of segregation in this day and age?  I tell you, it’s not normal!”

     My reply was cut short by the landing signal.  I got my things together while Wilk was floating the cruiser down like a gently falling leaf.  The blazing blue sun was high in the horizon as I stepped out of the craft onto an incredibly velvety white beach.  Bordered by a glistening azure sea to the west and towering flower-choked cliffs to the east, its intense primary colors and the heady fragrances assaulting my senses were things I could only marvel at. I never even noticed Wilk taking off.  A sarong-garbed reception committee stepped forward from a shelter of fruit-bloated trees.  I recognized the copper skin of Adine, overseer of the Academy.  My eyes briefly flitted to the other females in the group—some familiar, some alien, but all with skins glowing in burnished tones of amber, jade, mahogany and ebony.  In contrast, my pale ivory skin looked anemic.

     “Welcome to the Academy, Marese,” said Adine, extending her finely-tattooed hand.  “You are the first New Earth woman to be honored with the Braek Scholarship.  I know I speak for everyone when I say congratulations on an extraordinary achievement.  You have become a member of a very select group.”

     “I’m thrilled to be a part of it,” I replied.

     “Good, I’m glad.  I think your experiences on Treor will exceed your expectations in more ways than one.”  Adine’s silken hand lingered on mine as the introductions were made.  Most of the women were my age, their femininity belying their formidable minds.  A gorgeous scarlet flower adorned the ears of those who had them.  But even the blossoms were outshone by the gazelle-like beauty of a shy Accaran female who watched me with huge, liquid eyes.

     “Marese, I’d like you to meet Leka,” said Adine. “She will be sharing your quarters.  We like to pair our students to create a sense of teamwork and companionship.  This bonding process is an integral of the program.”

     Leka hesitantly approached and touched my hand.  Her soft tawny skin had a curious suede-like quality to it and left a warm feeling on my fingers.  Limpid brown eyes drew me into a brief trance.  I stepped back, startled by the hypnotic effect of her gaze.

     Adine led us through the plush tropical forest toward our quarters.  Though the others chatted amiably with me, Leka kept her distance.  Occasionally we passed tranquil pools or bubbling streams where I caught glimpses of magnificently-plumed fowl undisturbed by our presence.  Shimmering rays of sunlight filtered through flower-laden shrubbery.  I wondered if I could possibly feel inclined to study in such an environment.

     The mossy earth felt cool beneath my feet as we approached a breathtaking waterfall spilling into a deep lagoon.  Adine stopped and pointed to a number of small huts tucked, haphazardly, in the brilliant foliage surrounding the pool.  I stared curiously at the tent-shaped bamboo structures.

     “These are our quarters, Marese,” she said. “They’re basic but comfortable.  We need little more when nature has already provided us with so much.”  Adine waved her hand upward.  Perched high above on a verdant Cliffside, the iridescent dome of the Academy shone like a jewel in the sun.  “I don’t think the Academy needs any introduction,” she said proudly.

     The others approached and showered me with welcoming hugs before filtering away to their own huts.  “Leka will help you settle in,” said Adine as she took the hand of her jade-skinned companion.  “Later on she’ll acquaint you with our routine.  Feel free to go at your own pace—there are no strict schedules at the Academy.  Each student works at her own leisure.”

     She touched my shoulder and left me with Leka, who quietly led me to our hut.  Though small and simple, it had an appealingly primitive charm.  I studied the simple furnishings and realized the complexity of the glass-and-chrome world I’d left behind.  My reservations quickly evaporated.  Perhaps I wasn’t leaving behind as much as I thought.

     Leka drifted toward me.  I stared at the fluid movement of her graceful limbs and the provocative sway of her hips.  She reminded me of a sleek hunting animal.  Something about her hungry eyes disturbed me, as though I were her prey.

     “You must be tired from your journey,” she whispered huskily.  “Why don’t we go to the lagoon?  You can bathe and relax.  We’ll eat later.”

     “Why, yes, fine,” I replied as she removed the brightly-colored sarong from a small cabinet.  She collected a few more items and placed them in a rattan bag, then silently led me to the lagoon.  She watched me intently as I removed my flight suit.  The water was deliciously warm as I frolicked beneath the waterfall, yet I found it impossible to relax as Leka stared at me.  I dove below the falls and swam to the far shore.  Suddenly she was swimming beneath me, shimmying and arcing like a dolphin.  Her naked body was a pattern of light and shadow, delineated much the same way as the gazelle of which she reminded me.

     I turned and swam back, but she pursued me easily and teased me with fleeting caresses before darting off.  Tension spurred me as I climbed onto the beach.  She followed me onto a rock as I dried myself in the sun.  “You’re very beautiful,” she murmured, staring into my eyes. “Your complexion rivals the sand on the beach.”  Her slender fingers drifted to my hair.  “I’ve never seen hair so pale.  But the heat and sunlight on Treor can be very harsh, even dangerous.”  A strange languor overcame me.  My eyelids drooped.  Leka watched me as I struggled to my feet.

     “I feel so tired,” I mumbled, unable to meet her stare.  “I’ve got to get some rest.”

     “Of course,” she replied, taking my arm.  “It’s been a long way.  Let’s go back.”

     Though the huts were only a short distance, the walk seemed to take forever as I wavered and stumbled.  The heady fragrances around me made my head spin.  Soft hands helped me onto a rattan bed as I whirled into dreamless sleep.

     The mournful calling of night birds woke me.  Ghostly firelight flickered through the bamboo walls of the hut.  Gasping, I drank from a pitcher of water by the bed.  Muted voices drew me outside, where I noticed figures seated around a large fire near the lagoon.  A full mauve moon bathed the scene in a magical amethyst light.

     Curiosity piqued, I crept along the jungle till I found a better vantage point.  The women sat cross-legged, heads bowed in prayer, murmuring words in an alien tongue. Adine stood directly before the fire pouring a red liquid from a goblet into the flames.  A beaten gold mask covered her face.  As I watched, the mask transformed into the face of a grotesque creature.  I gasped.  Leka’s head shot up and stared toward my direction, her penetrating gaze searing me like a searchlight.  I bolted away into the jungle to the sound of excited voices.  Foliage snapped in my face and repeatedly tripped me as I stumbled toward the direction of the cliffs.  Torchlight pursued me as I blundered onto a path leading up the cliff.  The iridescent glow of the Academy shone in the moonlight, drawing me like an insect to a flame.  Behind me, agitated female voices steadily approached.

     The climb took an eternity.  I began to think the dome was a mirage when at last I reached level ground.  The triple domes soared impressively into the ebony sky.  I paused to catch my breath, then searched for an entrance.

     I found a double-arched doorway and pressed against the cold metal.  The massive panels slid open to rveal a huge planetarium, dome gaping open to the night.  I wandered in and stared in fascination at the unfamiliar sky.  From the bizarre configuration of the stars, I knew I was looking at a different sector of the galaxy and could scarcely guess the location of a sky draped with such vast, diaphanous red nebulae.

     “Beautiful, isn’t it?” said Adine, the gleaming mask still concealing her face.  “Few have the privilege of seeing our home.  It is in a galaxy far from here.”

     The unexpected voice startled me.  I quickly looked around to find no other exits.  Leka appeared from nowhere and put her arms around my waist.  Adine studied my confused expression.  The mask smiled.  “Don’t worry, Marese,” she said, glancing at the sky, then at me.  “When you join us you’ll learn all our secrets.  The bonding will make you worthy of our trust.”

     “Leave me alone,” I retorted.  “I may not know what this is all about, but I’ve seen enough to know that I want nothing to do with you or the Academy.”

     Leka pressed herself against me.  From the entrance I could feel the intense gaze of the other women. 

     “Come now, Marise,” chided Adine. “We all know you have a mind capable of more than this childish display.  Limited thinking doesn’t suit you.  You don’t even know who we are.  How can you make judgments?  Let us explain things first.”

     Adine motioned to Leka, who led me outside.  The other women surrounded us as we made our way down the cliff.  I desperately wanted to run.  I grimly realized why isolation was such an integral of the Academy “myth”. 

     We returned to the fire.  I frantically tried to break free from Leda’s grasp.  “What are you going to do?” I shouted.

     Adine nodded and waved her hand.  The women laid me down by the fire.  Though I tried to fight it, I could feal the familiar languor dull my senses.  Adine approached, her copper skin ablaze in the dancing firelight.  Her mask stared down at me like a mythological monster.  “Don’t be afraid, Marese,” she whispered.  “Though your initiation wasn’t to be till the next full moon, there’s no reason why it can’t be performed tonight.”

     “You’re insane!” I cried.  “Do you have any idea how you sound?”

     Adine knelt beside me and touched my lips.

     “We are the Nubhl’ha, an old race, born before life touched your world,” she said.  “Through the millennia a chromosomal disorder had dwindled our numbers until we faced the specter of extinction.  For generations, we struggled to find a cure through artificial means.  After those attempts failed, we were forced to look to other species.  Again, we faced problems.  Finally, we found a way through the guise of the Confederation and the Academy.  Here, the best of all races are brought to us for interbreeding.  Not only do we flourish, but the primary goal of the Confederation enables us to explore deep into space and find new sources for our survival.”

     I shook my head.  “This is incredible!” I cried.  “Do you expect me to believe that the Academy and the Confederation are a sham?  That they exist as part of some incredible plan by your people to propagate your species?”

     Adine’s face grimaced in a parody of humor.  “Accept it, Marise,” she said.  “You’ve no choice.  You WILL become one of us.”

     Dizziness overcame me as Adine rose and stood at my feet.  Swaying in a trance, she began to recite in a rapid, singsong chant.  The women released me and reformed their circle, joining the chant.  Leka stroked my face.  Her enormous brown eyes dilated to glistening orbs and held mine in a hypnotic stare.  My lips moved in feeble protest.  A blinding pillar of light arced across the inky horizon and steadily approached the island.  The chanting reached a crescendo as the vessel landed on the beach, then abruptly ceased as several dark, hulking figures emerged from the ship’s glowing portal.

     I noticed the women’s enraptured faces, and attempted to crawl away, but my limbs refused to respond.  In desperation I tried rolling, but was stopped by Leka’s firm grip.  I followed her fixed gaze and gasped with horror as I recognized the living versions of Adine’s mask drift across the sand.

     Adine approached and bowed to the tallest figure.  The grimacing, black-clad giant surveyed the women.  I felt my blood run cold as his eyes fixed on me.  He barked a few phrases to Adine, who backed away and clapped her hands at the other women.  Like sheep, they formed a half-circle and extended their left arms.  Suddenly, the leader stepped into the fire.  I stared in disbelief as the flames licked indifferently at his billowing cloak.  Casually, he motioned to his entourage.  Each one strode towards the woman of his choice and clamped a beaten-gold bracelet around her wrist.  He then shut his eyes and began a rocking motion.

     My throat constricted painfully as I watched the bizarre ceremony unfold.  Adine began a grating chant while the couples responded in discordant unison and stepped towards the fire.  Afraid to watch, I struggled to roll over.  The action brought a tingling feeling to my limbs.  I wanted to shout with joy as I felt the numbness evaporate.  The jungle beckoned invitingly.  I watched the stupefied crowd and very slowly crept towards the bush, cringing every time a face turned in my direction.  As soon as I reached the cover of trees I was up and away.  Zigzagging wildly, I stopped only to listen for the sounds of pursuit.

     The moonlit night offered limited guidance through the dense foliage, but instinct finally led me to the cliffside path.  Drawn by the gleaming domes, I retraced the familiar steps to the Academy.

     Pausing briefly, I glanced at the jungle.  A snaking chain of lights confirmed my fears.

     There was little time.  My muscles screamed as I climbed the last few yards.  A distant whirring caught my ear. I noticed a small craft emerging from the alien ship and heading towards the cliffs.  When I reached level ground I ducked and scrambled toward the double doors just as a searchlight swept the path.

     Inside, I stared at the alien sky.  The answer had to be here.  I quickly searched the planetarium.  My heart skipped a beat when I noticed a squat control panel behind a corner wall.  Banked by green lights, it had the configuration of something I knew so well.  My fingers flew as I programmed the linear dimensional time sequence to project me to Earth before my flight to Treor.

     A pearly blue beam materialized behind me and angled toward the alien sky.  I quickly stepped into it as voices burst through the double doors.  Adine’s angry face emerged from the darkness.

     “You’re making a mistake, Marese!” she cried, bolting toward me.  “You won’t get away with this.  You belong to us now!”

     I ducked instinctively, though I already felt the beam’s spiraling vibrations enclosing me like a glove.  The room expanded and blurred and shattered into prismatic light before Adine could reach me.  I shut my eyes against the brilliance.

     A few seconds of disorientation followed.  I reached out to steady myself and bumped into something solid.  My eyes flew open.  The Perspex wall of the departure lounge stared me in the face.  Around me scurried countless passengers to the tune of recorded announcements.  I stared at the clock.  It was precisely two hours before my flight to Treor.

     I laughed aloud till I was doubled over.  Passengers gave me curious looks.

     “You get an ‘A’, Marese,” I said aloud. 

     After all, I’d only developed the theory of linear dimensional travel—not tested it. 

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