In the Year Twenty Six Thirty Four

In view of the essentially unlimited technological power that existed in 2634 and beyond, I, Arcturus00347 am transmitting this story back in time to those of you in the early twenty first century, who we call E21s, using a language – English – that was common back then but that no longer exists.

First, my name; I am the 47th Arcturus born in District 3. In referencing others in my story I will only use their full name once and then – just like is done in 2634 in social situations – will refer to them only by their name without numerical modifiers.

In 2634 I was a historian at what you E21s would consider akin to a University, and one of few people skilled in both spoken and written English since it was deader to us in 2634 than Sanskrit is to you. Long ago Earth scientists developed institutional learning techniques so that people are born with the equivalent of what you E21s would consider an advanced college degree (including with our common language known as "Universal") so what you knew of as Universities are very different. There are organizations still existing, which are no longer called Universities, where individuals specializing in certain areas of knowledge congregate, sometimes for amusement which is what much factual learning in our society is, or sometimes for advancement of some technical field or art.

While most of the changes that have occurred on Earth since the entire planet unified under one Technological Establishment – not really a government as you understand it – are probably not of interest to those of you E21s that are reading literotica, basic male-female relationships probably are of keen interest to you.

It was determined at the time of planet unification that what is called "marriage" by you E21s, in modified form but requiring monogamy, was a perfect social institution to insure proper procreation of the species and contentment, if not happiness. Proper procreation and child development are very important since colonization of other planets is what the prime objective was in 2634. Most children are conceived and raised to ultimately travel to and be part of the colonization of other worlds which is accomplished fairly simply with technology that in your E21s sci-fi jargon is roughly equivalent to "warp drive."

While "marriage," as I will call it for simplicity, still exists the concepts of romantic love and sexual lust are considered cute anachronisms. Male and female partners are matched together by computer algorithms that have been so refined over the years that they are virtually foolproof at establishing long-term relationships suitable for procreation and child development; and what are equivalent to your pharmaceuticals (although they are no longer ingested) exist to insure contentment even if initial marriage matches are not perfect. The equivalent of "divorce" is now as rare as Polyorchidism was in your day.

While homosexual marriages still exist they are also now rare in view of the societal emphasis on procreation and the controversial genetic engineering that took place at the time of planet unification which reduced genetic homosexuality to one in a million births.

As I earlier hinted at, my interest in history, and my "profession" as a historian, are much closer to what you E21s would consider the entertainment field rather than social science. I am closer to what an actor, singer, or magician would be to you E21s than I would be to an author of a college history textbook for E21s, and my name is one that most people on Earth would recognize.

As part of my interest in history, and my "profession" as a historian, I was more familiar than almost anyone else in 2634 with what you E21s knew as romantic love and sexual lust, which concepts were determined in ground breaking experiments at the end of the 21st century by MGNBI (magnetic gravitational nuclear-bond imaging) machines to be very closed linked. The term coined at that time was "romantic lust," to me personally one of the most interesting terms in human history.

Marriage for almost all heterosexual earthlings over the age of 40 earth years (our lifespan is now roughly 250 earth years, and our fertile age from about 30-230 earth years) is mandatory without special dispensation from the Technological Establishment, with a commensurate responsibility to have at least three children during their fertile years. While procreation is still accomplished by penile penetration of a vagina and ejaculation of sperm into the cervix and then passage to the uterus and Fallopian tubes, the procreation act itself is no longer that which caused you E21s to author songs, stories, movies, or websites about. In fact a word or even thought comparable to the word "fuck" used so commonly and flagrantly by you E21s no longer exists in our Universal language. Intercourse is basically a sterile act, and certainly not a "fuck," and there is no "mystique" associated with it. While most couples have a monthly "maintenance" session where impregnation is not the objective, some only have intercourse for the specific purpose of procreation.

That is not to say that people no longer discriminate as to whom they consider friends or want to associate with. There probably are still some deep-seated animal attractions that contribute to preferred social interactions between and among people, but the concept of "flirting" is also a cute anachronism.

Married couples do most activities together. The most notable exceptions are what are referred to as "lotto experiences." Every time division (roughly equivalent to a month for E21s, so for simplicity I will call it a "month" hereafter) in each of the 350 districts on Earth a series of lotteries are conducted, with different prizes available for different lotteries. Sometimes multiple winners are specified for each prize, sometimes single winners; and sometimes the lottery prizes are different in different districts. Once having won a lottery a person cannot win another for ten earth years.

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My wife Acamar00918 and I have a wide variety of friends and social acquaintances. This is at least in part due to the fact that I am in high demand as an entertainer at social gatherings because many people love to learn about outdated social mores, traditions, and civilizations, and because she has a heightened ability to provide an atmosphere conducive to conviviality.

This story revolves around Vega10233, a female who is married to Titus003693, a typical computer-matched heterosexual couple except of higher status than most. Titus is actually a "Grade 1 Manager" in the Technological Establishment of the district (District 003) that I live in. A Grade 1 Manager is very roughly equivalent to a combination of a governor of a state in the United States, a state senator, and a corporation CEO, to put it in terms E21s can relate to. Vega is a Grade 2 Manager in the same district.

Vega and I have a very strange relationship. We always seem to have heightened awareness of where the other is during a social gathering, and we have intellectual discussions often related to history, but the discussions are typically awkward because neither of us is particularly warm when interacting with the other. This is despite the fact that both my wife and I have warm interactions with Titus, and my wife Acamar has warm interactions with Vega.

Speaking for me my discomfort around Vega is due to a flushed feeling that permeates my extremities, my palms become moist, and my breathing becomes irregular, when I closely interact with her. I have consulted with renowned medical technicians (high level doctors to you E21s) who have given various unsatisfactory explanations.

Notwithstanding the inelegance of my interactions with Vega I probably have had more discussions with her about the romantic lust anachronism than with any other person, and she has virtually memorized the compilation (roughly equivalent to a digital book but delivered by ambient learning waves rather than the eye-to-brain connections associated with reading) on romantic lust that I authored and which is generally considered the most authoritative compilation on the subject throughout Earth, and particularly in District 003. In fact, Vega is the only person who I have come across willing to challenge some of my interpretations of factual or anecdotal historical information about romantic lust and has actually debated me on the subject in public forums.

In 2634 physical appearance also was not nearly as important as it was for E21s, although it played a very small part in computer matching. For example it was not appropriate to match someone seven feet (2.13 meters) tall with someone four feet eleven inches (1.5 meters) tall. However since physical appearance is important to you E21s I will briefly describe Vega and myself, Arcturus, in relationship to individuals well known to English speaking E21s.

In looks Vega most closely resembles a thirty year old Kate Middleton (first Duchess of Cambridge then later Queen consort, then later Queen consort mother). In looks I most closely resemble a thirty year old George Clooney. I am, based upon your E21s measuring systems, six inches (.15 meters) taller than Vega and we both have what E21s would consider athletic builds.

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I, like almost the entire Earth population, always sign up for a lottery every month, but am normally indiscriminate as to what lottery I sign up for since my chances of winning are slim and there are few prizes that I covet – to the extent that any Earthling covets anything in 2634. However in the fourth month of 2634 a prize caught my eye. It was a near light speed nostalgia trip to a resort with a 21st century theme for the winner and anyone that he or she chose to travel with him or her, assuming that when interviewed the chosen person would agree to go. As a near light speed trip no significant amount of Earth time would pass during the trip; it would be perceived to last two weeks by the people on the trip, but only about four hours would pass on Earth.

Near light speed trips were rare for lottery prizes because of the expense. Nostalgia trips were not uncommon, however they were typically restricted to married couples, and I had never seen one purporting to be a 21st century one. This prize was also unusual in that the winners were confidential and it was possible to submit information about why one, as a participant, should be given a higher than statistical probability to win.

The first thought that came into my mind when I saw this lottery prize posting was the possibility of going on the trip with Vega. Why that popped into my head I really could not explain; nor could I explain the discomfort that I felt arising like it did when I closely interacted with Vega. Ignoring this reaction, I entered the lottery and submitted information about my knowledge of the 21st century in hopes that such a submission would raise my statistical probability to win.

My dreams over the next few days were disturbing. I would wake up in a sweat with Vega laughing or making eye contact only out of the corner of her eye, in all different types of environmental conditions. It got so that I started using a dream machine, something that I had not used since my youth.

The drawing for the 21st century nostalgia trip was eight days after it was advertised. I was informed at that time that I was one of two winners from District 003, the first time that I had ever won a lottery prize in my life. I was also informed that there were one or two winners from every district. It was necessary for me to make a list, in order of preference, of my companion for the nostalgia trip. I "wrote down" (not using E21 technology, but the equivalent) only two names; Vega first, then my wife Acamar.

I cursed myself after this submission, wondering why I listed Vega first – but I made no attempt to change the submission.

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I was notified what date and time I should clear five hours from my schedule, four hours for the two week near light speed trip, and a half hour on either side of that for what E21s would consider akin to orientation and debriefing. Since on Earth local travel was essentially instantaneous, there was no need to allow additional time for that.

When I arrived at the appointed destination at the appointed time I was given typical E21 clothing, which I changed into, although I had a little difficulty with some of the fasteners since clothing in 2634 no longer had fasteners of any type. After changing I opened the door to the orientation room, using a doorknob, something that I had never actually used before, although of course I was familiar with them from my research.

The lottery official chuckled as both Vega and I walked into the orientation room through different entries but at the same time, Vega also dressed in typical E21 garments. Vega had a wry smile on her face; I immediately felt the disturbing physical manifestations that normally accompanied my interactions with Vega.

After nodding acknowledgment to Vega and greeting the lottery official he said "We're ready to start orientation. Everything we say – and all your interactions – should be in the language most prevalent in E21 – English. You both do speak it, don't you?"

We both nodded, but before our nods had run their course I blurted out "Excuse me, but aren't there two more people from District 003. I was led to believe that there were two winners."

"Oh there were," he cackled. "You two are the winners, and you listed each other as your first choice for companion, something that has never happened before on a nostalgia trip. We at lottery central are pleased because that makes our job easier and reduces the costs."

I wondered if Vega's position as a Grade 2 Manager was the reason for this happy coincidence.

My extremities flushing, palm sweating, and labored breathing became more intense, and my mouth became dry to boot.

The only reason that the orientation took a half hour instead of the information being essentially instantly imparted by brain wave was because various physical devices had to be shown to and manipulated by us in order for there to be realism. I was dealing more with my physical manifestations than I was listening, but since I was an expert on the 21st century I was already familiar with all of what was being demonstrated except what the lottery official referred to as "adult toys."

As Vega and I entered the "resort" to start our trip Vega exhibited body language that I had never seen before. Then she stopped, turned toward me, held my hand, looked me in the eye, and inquired "So, Arcturus, what is your explanation as to why you listed me first as your companion on this adventure?"

"Uh, well...," I began to respond, wondering why I, who was never at a loss for words, was having trouble with articulation. "Uh...I honestly don't know. Your name just inexplicably popped into my head. Why did you list me?"

"For someone preeminent in his field, you truly are naïve. You obviously haven't figured out what I did ten Earth years ago, which was about five Earth years after I first met you; namely, that we have a romantic lust attraction to each other," Vega smiled. "Either that or you're suppressing it!"

"Uh...oh...no...that's not possible," I stammered, my neck suddenly feeling constricted even though nothing physical was restricting it. "No one has experienced romantic lust for at least two centuries."

"Really – then why are you flushed and sweating, and why is your mouth dry and your neck bulging which are all – if you would understand your own compilation – anecdotal indications of romantic lust," Vega snarled as much as said as she approached me and made frontal body contact. I felt her hand encircle my penis through my clothing as she sneered "And why is your penis hard despite the fact that no intercourse cream for a maintenance or procreation session has been applied to it?"

Then Vega pushed her lips into mine, something that resulted in an even more intense biological response from me, and when she removed her lips she said "It won't be long, to use E21 jargon, before we're fucking each other's brains out Arcturus. If you can't abide that thought then you better leave right now because we're starting the trip in less than two minutes."

My brain said "leave," but for the first time that I could remember, certainly not since my youth, my body was not controlled by my brain. Instead of fleeing I pressed my lips against Vega's. When we broke contact she smiled widely, took my arm, and walked toward the reception area of the resort.

The woman at the reception desked asked a wide variety of questions, about what activities we wanted to engage it, what entertainment devices we wanted to utilize, if we preferred having information transmitted to us using equipment that was period accurate instead of 2634 equipment-less technology, what food and beverages we preferred, and other things. Vega took the bull by the horns and answered all of the questions, a few times (such as her preference for period accurate equipment) turning to me with a smile and saying "Don't you think that would be nice Arcturus?" Each time I simply nodded my assent.

Vega and I took the amusing bygone technologically simplistic device known as an "escalator" to you E21s up to our room on the second (and top) level of the "resort." We held hands and smiled at each other as we did so. Our room had physical equipment that was quite accurate for what a hotel room would have had in E21. There was a king sized bed instead of the sleeping capsules that most people used in 2634, a shower stall instead of an instantaneous cleansing chamber that was common in 2634, and a television set connected to a DVD player rather than the ethereal video devices used in 2634. Dressers, a couch, a closet, and even a mini-bar, all with a suitably quaint "used" look to them, were provided.

Vega surprised me by her familiarity with the entire physical plant of our room. I was beginning to wonder whether she – even though she didn't author compilations about it – wasn't even more knowledgeable than I was about E21.

As she walked closely up to and faced me, while running a finger over my chest Vega said "Well, Arcturus, should we change into bathing suits and try out the water experience at the resort?" After she said that she flipped her long lustrous brown hair over her shoulder, and bit her lip. All of these were signs of the cute anachronism "flirting" that I had significantly dealt with in my latest compilation about E21 sexual behavior.

"Uh...sure...Vega," I stammered in reply, obviously never having really experienced flirtatious behavior before, but noticing that I suddenly felt even warmer than just a few seconds before.

"We'll need to shower to get clean, and since there are many places with water shortages in 2021," apparently 2021 was the year Vega had decided we were in during our nostalgia tour, "we should shower together, don't you think Arcturus?"

"Uh...sure...Vega," was all that I could reply given my dry mouth, making me wonder if I could say anything but that in response to provocative comments and actions by and from her.

"I really wish you would help me remove these 2021 clothes, Arcturus," Vega said while licking her lips. "I'm not sure how the fasteners work."

"Uh...sure...Vega," was my reply, although as soon as I said it I chastised myself by thinking "dream up something else to say Arcturus, you sound like an idiot repeating the same phrase over and over."

I fumbled as I undid the buttons on Vega's top, resulting in a diabolical grin crossing her face. I finally mastered the technique when I undid the last two and surprised myself by quickly pulling her top garment off of her shoulders and throwing it to the side. I had never worked a bra clasp before (in fact never had seen one like what Vega had on), but gaining confidence and motivation I quickly mastered it, and soon the bra joined the top on the floor.