A shortish story that takes a peek at some big issues. Daya is a young woman living in a long-established colony on a planet which has just been revisited by humans from offplanet, the first visit for many generations.
Things have changed amongst the humans in the colony, and Daya’s about to get pregnant, which in her society includes visiting three men and ensuring that a good mix from their sperm fertilises her ova (I did say things have changed!). She goes against the norm by staying local, rather than seeking DNA from further afield. But choosing her brother as one of the three fathers isn’t an issue. And having completed the three-man night, we find just how further she is going to travel….
We get a glimpse into Daya’s mind, and the three men, and a tantalising glimpse of which might be to come, and ideally we’d see more of Daya’s journey in another story. Ideally a few years hence, as I do prefer an older protagonist, but Kelly appears to be on a roll with stories featuring teenage girls, what with his last story in Asimovs ‘Declaration’, and the novel he’s writing about Marisha from ‘Plus or Minus’ and ‘Going Deep’. Personally I’ve found his recent stories, not about teenagers, more satisfying, viz : ‘Sing, Pilgrim!’ and ‘Happy Ending 2.0’.
