Hi Mum, It's Sammy (Clone 63 - Part 2)

Well, Mum, there's not much to report on the work front. They won't let new police recruits anywhere near the streets until we've completed training. From the size of the manuals they dropped on the desks on the first day, that's going to be months or maybe even a year from now.

So, at the moment, my police career combines two of my least favourite activities. I have to sit and read. It's mind achingly dull.

There are exams every week so I can't skip on the reading and hope to make it up later. I do have a partner assigned, he's acting as a mentor to help get me through this. He does promise that some day, I will be on the streets and sooner then I imagine.

I came home to find this stray dog scratching on the back door, hoping for a handout.

"Hey boy, you hungry?"



[whine]

"Would you like a treat?"

[hopeful whine]

"Look what I have. A yummy doggy biscuit. Do you like that?"

[tail wag]

"You are a talkative fellow for someone who can't say a word. Here you go." I offered him the biscuit.

He politely took it from me, bolted the food like he'd had none all week, sniffed my hand and then left.

Jericho came looking for me while I was still out back.

"Hey, Sam, I was wondering if you'd like to go see some of the sights in town with me? Catch a movie, maybe hang out? Eddie's at work and Howie is trying his luck at a chess tournament. It's just you and me this evening."

"You mean a guy's night out? That sounds great, it would be good to know where to go around town."

"Well, actually, I was more thinking along the lines of a date. You and me, spending a romantic evening together." It's really interesting when someone like Jericho blushes. His cheeks flushed a darker blue.

"A date? But, we've barely met and well..."

He gently put one hand on my shoulder. "Look, let's just try it. If you feel uncomfortable and want to stop, just say so. We should have a great time, no matter what." He paused for breath. "But I'd hate to not at least try and take you on a date. You are one hot guy."

Our first stop was the movie theatre. It was a remake of the classic "Looking for a Few Good Sims." Outside playing guitar was one of the local celebs and this guy was all over her performance.

"Jer, I thought the point of paparazzi was they are hard to spot so celebrities don't notice them."

"That dude writes his own rules. And everyone who is anyone wants him to take their photo. He's actually the best, and never ever has to fake any of his shots."

The movie was pretty good but not nearly as good as the original had been. We were still discussing the actors as we walked over to the local watering hole.

It didn't take long to get in. The bar didn't even seem that busy but the service was so slow we never did manage to order a drink.

"Is it always this bad?"

"I think the mixer is new. I've never seen anyone take that long to make a single drink before." We decided to leave before we grew old and gray.

Finally Jericho took me to his favourite spot down by the river. The light was just fading over the horizon when we got out of the taxi and darkness fell quickly.

"Jericho, I can see why you like this place. Peaceful and calm. The river is lovely."

"Want to sit for a while, Sam?" Jericho sat on the river bank so fast, you'd have thought he was a puppet that had its strings cut. He stared mournfully at the river.

"I can never decide if coming all the way to Appaloosa Plains was a good idea or a bad one, Sam. I miss the sea so much. I thought moving well away from the sea would make it easier for me to stay on the land. But now I find that the river is all wrong. It feels wrong, it tastes wrong. It has no tides and no depth."

"It's deep enough to drown in," I commented in an offhand way.

"Drown?" Jericho sounded puzzled for a moment. "Oh I guess for a land dweller that would be true. I forget that your type have trouble with water. The river is not my true home. It's not the sea."

"Then what keeps you here?"

"A few years ago, an epidemic nearly wiped out my people. There are so few of us left. There are legends that my people and yours are compatible and some of the children would be Seastriders. I was sent to find out the truth."

"And what have you found?"

"The science lab confirmed, our people can have babies together. Some will be land dwellers, some will be sea dwellers and a few will be a perfect mix of the two. I've been waiting for some time for the lab to perfect a way of creating children from genetic donations." He stopped deep in memory for a moment. "I had expected to be able to produce babies a more old fashioned way but I learned quickly that there are many expectations from a mating pair of land dwellers."

"Expectations?"

"My people couple for love or children but it's a casual thing. A few stay together but most go their separates ways soon. I learned that wasn't true of the land dwellers within a week of moving here. If they are a couple, they don't respond well a request for offspring from someone else. If they aren't, they expect you to partner them exclusively."

He sighed. "My people need more children, since this is what must be done, then I will stay until it's done."

I leaned close to Jericho. "I'm sure that you'll do your people proud."

"Do you like children, Sam?"

I paused as a moment of deja vu overwhelmed me. Children, why did I feel like I should have some already? The moment passed. "Yes, I love kids. Babies and toddlers are such a delight. Older ones too but I adore the little ones."

We settled closer to each other and listened to the river rushing past. I found that Jericho was very comfortable to be around, we sat in silence for some time. Just enjoying the pleasant evening and the companionship of each other.

Jericho is quite the outdoorsman. He told me a lot about the constellations. Even some of the legends that his people have of such things.

I glanced at my watch to discover that time had flown by. If I was going to get a decent night's sleep, we had to go.

"Jericho, it's time to go home. It's getting late and I need to work tomorrow."

He looked away for a few moments, looking very cute and shy. Then he suddenly leaned forward and kissed me oh so lightly.

"What do you call that?" I demanded of him.

"Well, what do you think it was?" He tensed, unsure of what I was going to say.

"I'd say it was approximately a quarter of a kiss. Next time, there will be no shortchanging." I watched him relax as he realised that I was suggesting that there would be a next time for him to try again.

We went home and into Jericho's room.

"Now, where is the rest of that kiss?" I asked Jer.

He pulled me into a tight hug and then proved he was more than capable of giving a proper kiss. A few minutes later and I had to stop for breath.

Somehow I spent the night in Jericho's bed. No, not for that reason. We were chatting and just kind of drifted off to sleep.

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Bonus pics

Poor Howie, is having Twallan's simself as your chess opponent a dangerous idea or what?