Close Remembrance Read Online Free Page B

Before that, I majored in psychology at one of our universities.”
    “How are you finding it so far? Your apprenticeship?” asked Chiaren. “I imagine it must be quite different from anything you’ve done before.” He seemed genuinely curious.
    “Yes, it is,” said Mia. “I’m learning a great deal.” Feeling much more in her element, she told them all about her work at the lab, her eyes lighting up as she explained about the imprinting project.
    Afterwards, Riani asked about her family, seeming particularly interested in the fact that Mia had a sibling. Marisa’s pregnancy appeared to fascinate her, and she listened attentively as Mia detailed the difficulties her sister had gone through before Ellet’s arrival. After that, Chiaren wanted to know about Mia’s parents and their occupations, and how human contributions to society were typically measured, so Mia spoke for a while about the role of teachers and professors in the American educational system.
    Before long, she found herself engaged in an animated discussion with Korum’s parents. She learned that they had been together for close to three millennia, and that Riani was almost five hundred years older than her mate. Unlike Korum, who had discovered his passion for technological design early on, both Riani and Chiaren were ‘dabblers.’ Most Krinar were, in fact. Instead of specializing in a specific subject, they frequently changed their careers and areas of focus, never fully reaching the ‘expert’ level in any particular field. As a result, while their standing in society was quite respectable, neither one of Korum’s parents had come even close to being involved with the Council.
    “I’m not sure how we managed to produce such an intelligent and ambitious child,” Riani confided, grinning. “It certainly wasn’t intentional.”
    Seeing the puzzled look on Mia’s face, Chiaren explained, “When a couple decides to have a child, they usually do so under very controlled conditions. They choose the optimal combination of physical traits and potential intellectual abilities, consulting the top medical experts –”
    “Most Krinar are designer babies?” Mia’s eyes widened in realization. This explained why all the Krinar she’d met were so good-looking. They had taken control of their own evolution by practicing a form of genetic selection for their children. It made a tremendous amount of sense. Any culture advanced enough to manipulate their own genetic code – as the Krinar had done to get rid of their need for blood – could easily specify which genes they wanted in their offspring. Mia was surprised it hadn’t occurred to her earlier.
    Chiaren hesitated. “I’m not familiar with that term . . .”
    “Yes, exactly,” Korum said, giving Mia a smile. “Few parents are willing to play genetic roulette, not when there is a better way.”
    “But we did,” Riani said, looking a bit sheepish. “I got pregnant by accident – one of the few accidents of this kind to occur in the last ten thousand years. We discussed having a child, and we both went off birth control, planning to go to a lab like every other couple we knew. Statistically, the odds of getting pregnant naturally in the first fertile year are something like one in a million. Of course, this was during my musical mastery period, and I got very caught up in vocal expression, to the point that we put off our visit to the lab for a few months. And by the time the medical expert saw me, I was already three weeks pregnant with Korum.”
    “I’m a throwback, you see,” Korum said, laughing. “They had no control over which ancestor’s genetic traits I inherited.”
    Mia grinned at him. “Well, I think it’s pretty obvious where you get your coloring from.” He could’ve been Riani’s twin brother, instead of her son.
    “It’s the ambition that puzzles us,” Chiaren said, shooting his son an indecipherable look. “It’s really come out of