So You Want to Rear a Half-Breed, Pt. I
Introduction
One never knows when true love may appear, and in these days of heady galactic expansion, true love can take surprising forms. You might, for example, intentionally maroon yourself on a distant world only to discover intimiate companionship. Or perhaps you might find yourself stationed on a crossroads between space-faring races, excited by the possibilities. You might even rationalize an unexpected mating to yourself as easily as this: “It seemed logical at the time.”
Whatever the impetus, you find yourself in love! You have dedicated your life to another who fulfills and completes you, yet is not of your species. Congratulations! Your devotion paves the way to a more harmonious galaxy full of enlightened, accepting people working together for mutual benefit and understanding — unless your marriage sparks a cultural feud that destabilizes the region and pulls your respective civilizations into war.
But let’s assume you’ve gotten past that hurdle. You instead find yourself blissfully contemplating the ultimate expression of your union: the rearing of children.
Challenges
Your children will face many challenges particular to the cross-genetic. Obviously, you will have to learn to deal with the inevitable slanders about the child’s heritage from the young, cruel, and politically opportunistic. Other challenges are more internal to the child’s psyche. Cross-genetic children often feel a sense of detachment from both of their parents’ cultures, and the search for a sense of purpose is acute in particular. Remember that although you and your lover and obviously compatible, you are each also two whole beings who have had lifetimes to learn to acclimate to your differences. The immediate collision of cultures in your child will not be so forgiving.
Also, puberty brings particularly unexpected changes. You can expect, at the very least, the cosmetic blending of physical features: a pronounced eyebrow here, a pointed ear there, a particular tone of the skin. Unusual strength is also common, at least from one of your species’ perspectives. Emergent psychic powers have been recorded as a result of some genetic blends. Your partner may in fact be looking for exactly these outcomes. Talk to your partner about their feelings on genetic hybridization and eugenics.
The medical field will almost certainly be unprepared for your child’s unique needs. Your child may express peculiar dietary needs for sustenance, for example, or perhaps an obscure or previously unencountered blood type. It is important to consult with your physician on a regular basis as the child comes to term.
Look upon these as potential sources of growth and learning. Your child’s singular biology may result in unanticipated cures for diseases. In more grim situations, you may discover your child is actually a potent biological weapon for repelling invaders. You may not face these difficulties, but it is best to consider your reaction to them should they come in the future.
With love and effort, however, you and your child can overcome these obstacles and forge an exciting new life in the galaxy.
But first, you have to get there. The larger questions can wait: let’s get down and dirty, as it were, with the heart of the matter. How do you and your lover(s) overcome the strictures of biology and bring a new life into being?
Questions
So: first things first. And before you go tearing off those undergarment-equivalents, take a breath. There are simple but important questions to ground yourself in first.
Are your physiognomies compatible? A rule of thumb: If you have the same number of legs, even if that number is zero, you may be able to procreate. This simple question implies a number of other basic comparisons: that you share a potentially compatible genetic structure, for one thing. Also, placement of legs in the same general region implies that other… things.. are placed in compatible places too, and that they fulfill the same general procreative functions.
Is your lover’s physiognomy real? Instances have been recorded of ethereal beings assuming corporeal forms indistinguishable from natives of the species they emulate. Incidents of possession of a host body by a disembodied mentality — or colony of mentalities — are also more common than you might think. You may want to investigate the possibility that you are in love with such a being.
While there is no foolproof test for coaxing these nigh-omnipotent demi-gods into revealing their true forms, you might want to ask yourself: does my lover occasionally make reference to “this primitive shell of crude matter?” Is my lover surprised or agitated when desired objects fail to appear out of thin air? Does my lover sometimes have a far-off look in his or her eyes or sensory equivalents, sometimes talking about current events happening miles or light-years away? Do those eyes sometimes glow? Does my lover sometimes glow? Have I ever potentially mistaken the heat of passion for a truly exothermic transformation into an ethereal form capable of blinding me and/or reducing me to ash?
If the answer to one or more of these questions is “yes,” you may be in love with a demi-god, or at least with a member of a species that has transcended physical biology. You may want to consult with a scientist, an empath, and/or a spiritual medium. You should also verify that your personal timeline is intact, or at least that your ancestors are who you think they are. Your child will be naturally curious about his or her geneology: why not confirm your own now?
At the very least, you should discuss your suspicions with your mate. It may turn out that you play a special role in the destiny of the cosmos of which you are unaware and should prepare for.
How will your respective cultures accept your new children? This is not a case of bigotry, although that can unfortunately play a role. It is rather a question of knowledge and compatibility. Your lover’s culture may place demands on the progeny that you are unaware of or object to. It is worth discussing with your lover any situations that may arise in the course of a child’s life in each of your upbringings. You can then decide how to proceed.
Notable cultural hallmarks of new children include:
- Property transfer and ownership.
- Social titles and responsibilities.
- Rites of passage into adulthood.
- Blood feuds which devolve to the child if the parent should fail to fulfill them.
You may wish to consult with legal or psychological authorities to clarify the impact these issues may have on your child.
You should also be sure you understand the courtship and mating rituals associated with each of your cultures. Although you probably went through such rituals yourself to get to this point with your mate, it never hurts to have it spelled out plainly. Couples may sidestep inconvenient yet crucial points of courtship only to find themselves paying for it later.
This is as much for your sake as it is for your child’s. It is worth making sure that everything is in order so that your new child does not find him/her/itself suddenly renounced as a bastard belonging to no house, as an inconvenient political rival unprepared for the deadly trails ahead, or as a demon that must be destroyed for the sake of life itself. (Although in the case of mating with a demi-god, you may actually have spawned a demon. Again: it is best to make sure beforehand.)
Conclusion
If you’ve done your research and are satisfied with the conclusions, congratulations! You are ready to attempt a mating. Please read Part II in this series of informative pamphlets.
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