Lurking Dragon Rejuve Writers Guide

I am now opening up the Rejuvenation universe (Melody's universe) to other authors (Several of you have been asking about this). For that purpose, I am posting my 'writers bible', the document I created when I began the Melody stories (And have NOT kept up with...there are places it isn't finished, and I had to delete several (for ex: Diaspora) that were flat out wrong because I changed my mind when I wrote the actual story...whenever there is a discrepancy between this document and the stories, go by the stories ). It should be of some interest for general background information, history, whatever.

Note: All of you who want to write science fiction spanking stories: I strongly suggest you do the same--get some details about your universe down before you start writing.

At the top are some common-sense rules I would like visitors to my universe to follow. Please remember that you are guests...
 * -Lurking Dragon

GENERAL RULES:

 * 1) You may not use my prime characters (Melody, Josh, Mary, Johnny Devine, Mrs. Garrett, Ellie or Jane). There is just too big a chance of stepping on the main story line.
 * 2) You may use some of the close characters--Mel's other classmates, her teacher, Aunt Abbie, Manuel or little Ching, or even Tommy and Rachel (if you're really into big lizards), Judge Marilyn Jones (esp. if you want a very well punished Penitatas criminal). Basically, use your common sense about what you would want other people to use from your stories.
 * 3) I will not ask anybody to have me vet their stories. Nor am I an editor. Nevertheless, as long as the nym system is working, you may if you choose send me the story first, and I will read over it and E-mail back, possibly with suggestions. (I hope I am not letting myself in for it here).

THAT APPLIES ONLY TO STORIES SET IN THE REJUVE UNIVERSE, PLEASE

Setting: The far future. Generally centering around the 28th century (Melody's stories begin in 2747).

Advice: Just in case your vision of the universe is a bit different from mine--consider setting your stories in a different century or on one of the colony worlds.

History:
drive. The forerunners were located all through this section of the galaxy some 4.5 million years ago; they developed the original rejuvenation technology;
 * Late 21st Century: Discovery of chronostatic radiation and the star

chambers on a planet orbiting Tau Ceti. The first human experiments take place about 4 years later, using conviced criminals. After about 30 years, we are able to reproduce the chambers by an exact-copy process, although we still do not entirely understand how they work. In particular, the software can only be copied--we are only beginning to learn to understand that.
 * Early 22nd century: We discover several functional rejuvenation

Technology levels are approximately equal, they discovered the star drive in 2043. They have also found functioning rejuvenation chambers, and the differences in how they work on Drakonians help us to understand their problems.
 * 2147: Discovery of the Drakonians. Friendly relations established.

The Puberty Barrier:
The rejuve units are inabile to rejuvenate someone to an age greater than early puberty, the puberty barrier. Everybody who takes a rejuvenation comes out no older than eleven to thirteen years old, usually around twelve. Younger ages are easily set, but nothing older is possible. At first thought to be inherent in the design, but the Drakonians do not have the same problem. While their rejuves frequently do abort early, it is usually in late adolescence to early adulthood. The problem is apparently with the genetic modeling system that simply cannot deal with the complex physical and hormonal changes of human adolescence. This is one reason research keeps on going into the phenomenon (with little luck).

Three year limit:
When rejuvenating, at least three years must be removed from the subjects age (actual limit 2 yrs 9 months 7 days). This limit seems to cross species boundaries, even animals with a lifespan less than three years are subject to it.


 * NEW NOTE: I've decided to abort this one. The limit CAN be beaten somewhat--by using a elaborately customized rejuvenation system and taking special care, an interrejuve interval of 2 yrs 8 mnths 3 days is possible. Nobody has ever--by Melody's time-- managed anything less. But this will change in a story I'm writing now, and will be posting in spring 1999 (The Rejuvenation Mar. 30-31, 2749). But the effort involved will be, shall we say, considerable...

Minimum age:
Although it is rarely a problem, if a person is rejuved back beyond the age of about 2 (2 year 3 months to 2 years 6 months, working from rejuves and children who had to be rejuvenated or die--and sometimes their bodyies lived but their memories and personalities didn't), the rejuve system is unable to download the person's memories and personalities into his/her body. As a result, while the physical form is fine, it is no longer really the person any more.

Actual children can be rejuvenated to slightly younger ages (2yr3mo) because their memories and personalities are less well developed.

Inability to handle unpaired chromosomes:
About 1% of the time, (act: 0.954%) a male human undergoing rejuve will come out of the chamber physically female. Although his Y chromosome is still present in his cells, it has been totally suppressed and will not affect her development at all. There is no effect on future rejuves, and usually (99.046%) a second rejuve will correct the problem (although with a 3 year age loss). It is believed that the Forerunners were a hermaphroditic people, with no unpaired chromosomes, and the system occasionally misinterprets the Y chromosome as a genetic error to be fixed. This is borne out by the experience of the Drakonians. About 1% of Drakonian females (with the J-K pair) come out of rejuve as male (J-J) Drakonians.

This effect can be easily invoked during the rejuve process by setting error-checking to its highest level, which results in a 100% rate of Y suppression.

Since the 25th century, the rejuve chamber's genetic editing capability has been in general use. It allows the correction of genetic problems, as well as the selection of certain traits like eye and hair color. It has also been used for Y-insertion, causing a genetic (X-X) female to be rejuved as a male. The process has a high (15%) failure rate (although there is no risk--you simply stay female).

Size and Cost:
While rejuve chambers are inexpensive to operate, they are costly to build. They are also heavy--the Johnston crystals alone weigh 20Kg each, and a rejuve system usually has 5 of them. But at the battle of Gorm III in 2721, the population of the town of Higgins was exposed to mild chronostatic radiation. The ONLY treatment for this form of radiation poisoning is rejuvenation, (sometimes multiple rejuvenation). However, the town's only rejuve chamber was badly damaged, with 4 Johnston crystals destroyed. The town doctor used it anyway, and it WORKED! BUT--EVERY male who went through the chamber came out female (Y-suppressed), and the maximum age was much lower--between 6 and 8 years. The system was FAR less capable.

Emergency Rejuvenation Chambers:
But as a result of this discovery, modern Medical Response Teams are now equipped with Emergency Rejuvenation Chambers. These are used only when a person is in IMMEDIATE threat of loss of life. Since a rejuve will repair ANY injury or disease, even restore lost limbs, etc, this has been a great boon. But to save weight, only 1 Johnston crystal is used--making the system subject to the same restrictions as in Higgins: Max age between 6 and 8, and ALL female.

Chronostatic Radiation:
Used both in rejuve chambers and in the Star Drive, chronostatic radiation helped us conquer the universe--but it is deadly stuff. Exposure results in the exposed cells slowly rejuvenating into their EVOLUTIONARY predecessors and decendants. A slow, agonizing death. For a while, a person's immune system can protect them by destroying the mutated cells as they mutate, and conventional treatment can slow the deterioration as well, the only known cure is rejuvenation, which drains out chronostatic radiation from the body's cells instead of using its own on-board source!! A single treatment suffices for most exposures, two for severe exposures. Extreme exposure has, occasionally, required 3 rejuves to reverse.

Note that this is dangerous!!:
 * One rejuve: approximately 12 years old.
 * Second rejuve: Now about 9 (Three year minimum!!)
 * Third rejuve: Now 6...
 * Fourth rejuve: Three...and another rejuve will destroy the patient's memory and personality.

Sociological problems:
At first, rejuves were treated as adults, even though they were in children's bodies. This turned out to be a mistake. Many of the early rejuves got into trouble and stayed there. They were unprepared for the emotional roller coaster of adolescence, and had none of the necessary support, guidance and discipline they needed. We now know that both judgment and emotional maturity are at least partially derived from the physical body. A rejuve may have all the memories of an adult, but will tend to have the judgment and emotional needs and reactions of a child their physical age, which is why all rejuves are legally treated as children and placed under the supervision of responsible adults.

Even today, many rejuves have trouble dealing with the combination of their necessary loss of freedom and the emotional problems of adolescence. Many experts now recommend rejuvenation back to at least the age of ten, to allow people enough time to adjust to childhood's limits before having to hit puberty.

Another problem with rejuvenation is telling the real children from the rejuvenated children. While both are legally children, and are subject to parental control, society recognizes that they are not quite the same. All children have indelible silver marks implanted in the backs of their hands to identify their status. Some few have a K, for Kindern. These are the real children, ones not rejuved at all. Most rejuves have a V, for Volintaras, most of whom will be ten or older. Occasionally you will find a V who has been rejuved to an earlier age. There are many reasons why people do this. Often, they are taking advantage of the increased learning ability of childhood. Going back to 6 or 7 is considered about the only way anybody can get enough mental flexibility to twist their mind around the Chanderian physics of the star drive, for example. And considering what drive engineers make...But whatever the reason, all must have at least one parent. Also, often a man who hit the 1% problem will rejuve again to correct it.

Where do all these parents come from? Many come from the Association of Professional Parents, APP. Rejuvenation is cheap, but a rejuve must post a bond sufficient to pay standard APP rates for them until the age of twenty-one, or else have someone register themselves as the responsible parent until they are twenty-one. APP rates do not reflect the full cost of a child, any more than modern foster care stipends do. Frequently spouses undertake this task, although this is officially frowned on, as they then become single parents. Everyone who wants to eventually have real children will join APP and take on rejuves as caretakers, so they can get practical experience at parenting. This is required to get a child permit.

To prevent overpopulation, childbirth is strictly licensed and regulated. You can always go off to the colonies, but the more developed ones all require the same training and licensing qualifications for parenthood as Earth; they just liscense multiple children. And the new, raw colonies have only very restricted rejuvenation facilities, and are very dangerous. Everyone has the reversible sterilization operation (called the Kensington treatment) performed on them shortly at eight to prevent accidental pregnancy. People still want the rewards of raising children, of helping a young person develop into a valuable adult. To qualify for a parenthood permit you need special training and you have to practice your parenting skills, to learn how to parent. There are sophisticated androids, of course, and they are very valuable, especially for newborn training, but it isn't the same. The age old question: how do you get hands-on parenting experience before you have children. Taking on rejuves as their parents is one way to get certified experience. You can also take part in the criminal justice system.

There has always been crime. It has never been solved--no matter how terrible the punishment, there are always those who think they won't get caught. But people were tired of locking criminals away in prisons that only made them better criminals. But what is a prison, but a restriction of freedom. Why is it so harsh? because it is hard to control adults without violence. Psychologists had had more and more luck with something called regression therapy, which basically took a person back to their childhood and re- socialized them. And with rejuvenation, you could really take someone back to childhood. People wanted a system of punishing and reforming criminals that would work, but that was simultaneously more humane and yet more harsh than the old system. The uniting of these factors resulted in the current criminal justice system.

A criminal would be tried and convicted as usual, but instead of a prison term, he or she would be sentenced to one or more cycles of childhood. Take the case of Jane Smith, a sixty-seven year old woman who had been caught operating her hovercar on manual while intoxicated. The overrides had almost prevented the accident, but a man was injured, and this was considered seriously irresponsible behavior. She was convicted and sentenced to 2x8-11, (two times eight-to-eleven) a relatively short, sharp sentence to snap her back to reality and make her behave more responsibly. (Six years really is a fairly short sentence in a world of immortals.) After sentence was pronounced, Jane was taken sobbing back to her holding cell until noon the next day, so her new parents could meet her after her sentence was carried out. She was dressed in a shapeless gown and escorted into the judicial rejuve chamber. There she was left, as the executioner pulled the switch. A few minutes later, her new Mommy and Daddy came in, helped her wrap the loose gown around her new eight-year-old body, and escorted her to a changing room. She was still in shock as they helped her into her new clothes, children's clothes, a pinafore blouse and rompers over cotton panties with bunny rabbits, white ankle socks and patent leather shoes.

She didn't just look like a child, like any rejuve she was a child, by both law and custom. But the bright silver P on the back of each hand proclaimed her state: Penitatas, a penitent one, rejuved to childhood as punishment for a crime. She would have to grow up again, under very strict discipline, until she reached the age of eleven (three years). Then she would be returned to court. Possibly she would be paroled, if her behavior was exceptional. Probably she would be turned back into an eight year old for another cycle. Until she was allowed to reach the physical age of twenty-one she was a child, not only physically but legally, subject to all the restrictions and limitations of childhood. Her assigned parents were her parents, with full parental authority over her.

Worse, the public insisted that criminals be punished as well as rehabilitated. As a result, by law, Penitatas always spent at least their first cycles doing hard time with very special parents, who are definitely not members of APP. There have always been people who enjoyed spanking. These people usually kept to themselves, but when society called on them they responded. Jane's new Mommy and Daddy would be spankophiles. And while her Mommy might be excited by getting spanked by her Daddy, they would both be delighted to spank her. And the law not only forbid, it encouraged, no mandated that they apply stinging correction to her bottom as often as possible, as long as no serious injury occurred. As a general rule, all Penitatas spend the first third of their cycles doing hard time with spanko parents, sometimes the first two thirds. This is indicated by a subtle alteration on the P on the backs of their hands. Hard time Penitatas have the P filled in, so that it looks a little bit like a paddle. After they have progressed to normal parents, the P is left open, like a regular letter P. Penitatas usually spend the first third of their sentence doing hard time. Unless they have really screwed up or been very bad, they progress to soft time for the next third. Soft time is spent with parents-in-training for their liscense, and the emphasis is on rehabilitation and treatment, although corporal punishment is definitely not out of the question--in fact is specifically mandated under certain cirumstances. The final third of a felon's sentence is usually spent on parole; they are allowed to grow up to adulthood, and are released under supervision for several years, all decided by the judge. The judge is free to decide their fate each time their cycle is up. It is rare, but not unknown, for a felon to be sent back to hard time after a cycle or two of soft time.

Note: Crimes commited while serving as a Penitatas are dealt with severely. See The Trial for examples.

While a Penitatas is physically a child, and their reactions will tend towards immaturity, some courts have recently decided that it is desireable to enhance the felon's childish side, especially during hard time. This has led to the use of nano-web technology. A nano- web is a network of interconnected nanoprocessors, each smaller than a cell, which can be used to carefully enhance and modify emotional and physical reactions. It forces the felon's mind-set into a more childish and malleable form. The felon finds him or her-self reacting to their experiences as a child, emotionally, and not as the adult they had been. So far the results have been very promising.

In general, during hard time the felon is subjected to spankings and other traditional childhood punishments right up to (and even a bit beyond) what would be considered moderate abuse for a real child. This is deliberate; while they are children, they are not the same as a Kindern. But on specific days, (usually 5), they are subjected to severe punishment that would be totally unconscionable if applied to a real child. Worse, the punishment level is determined, not by their parents, but by the Dept. of Corrections. These are on the days that are special and wonderful for most children (the exact days are culturally dependant). For someone of Western/Christian background, the usual holidays chosen are:


 * Easter Sunday (var. date): The child is awakened for a brisk hand spanking; it is important for them to count the swats, since that tells them the number of licks they'll get in each of their spankings that day (before being modified), anywhere from 36 to 200. After an appropriate service, all hard time Penitatas in the area meet for an Easter Egg hunt. This is no game--the sealed eggs hold modifiers for their spankings. While these are in both directions, they are weighted downwards. The more eggs the child can find, the better for their fannys. By lunchtime, the hunt is over and each child takes their basket to the official, waiting anxiously for the count. They then must take the count over to their Mommies, who will be sitting on one of the garden chairs provided. Soon bright colored Easter clothes are rearranged, bottoms are bared, and Mommy is applying the back of her hairbrush energetically to a naughty bare bottom--right out in public!! The spankings are followed by lunch (Seated--on hard picnic benches!). Then the families break up to return home. That evening, however, it will be Daddy's turn, and the spanking will be applied with an appropriate switch or even a cane!! Easter evenings are spent crying themselves to sleep.


 * This is the scenario for a child undergoing hard time. But soft timers don't get totally off. They, too, get a morning handspanking from Mommy. (Although it is milder). And they have to go Easter Egg hunting that afternoon (In a different place). But while the final sentence is announced there, the actual spanking takes place over Daddy's lap at home that afternoon, and it is only another handspanking. There are similar soft time equivalents to most of the Horror-day punishments.


 * Cinco de Mayo: (regional) (details TBD)


 * Founder's Day (June 25): Reflects the founding of the Federation in 2275. (Actual details TBD)


 * Fourth of July: Celebration of American Spanking!! (Restricted to North American Continent only)-Details changed-re-write to match Melody story.


 * Diaspora: (Sept 29): Celebrates the invention of the Star Drive by Chander; One of the most dreaded of the Horror-days because the punishments (mostly) take place at SCHOOL!


 * Totally changed from original concept--see story Diaspora.


 * Thanksgiving: Often Horror-day added as an extra at the Judges discretion. Pilgrim Punishment...(story written--add details later)


 * Christmas: The Christmas traditions are derived from the old custom of Santa delivering switches and coal to naughty children. But a Penitatas must take one lick for each piece of coal he/she gets, from each switch they've been given. And the switches are, of course, available for future use. Most bad penny's also get discipline-oriented gifts, as well. There is no Soft Time equivalent for Christmas--for them, it is the wonderful time it should be.


 * Birthday spankings: for a bad penny are a must. (This has changed since I wrote the bible: I need to re-write it to match Melody's story)

Spankings begin immediately; most get a couple of sound spankings as soon as their new parents get them home. Usually the new parents crack down severely for the first few weeks, administering two or three spankings every day; this is quickly reduced to three or four spankings a week, although a spanking a day is the nominal level to be maintained. These are, of course, in addition to any spankings actually earned by the felon, and parents of Penitatas are traditionally very strict.

More on classes of Rejuves:
Penitatas are not the only children found with spankos; submissive or 'bottom' spankos frequently have their 'top' register as their parent. And sometimes the 'bottom' is asked to register as their 'top's parent, as a good-natured temporary swapping of dominance.

Types of children:
Jane is slated for hard time for her first cycle. In her next, and final cycle Jane will be placed with parents beginning their training for true parenthood--low ranking members of APP, and the closed P will be replaced by an open one. Once she reaches her eleventh birthday with them, she will exchange the P of a Penitatas for the C of a Completas, or sentence completed. Not that it will make much difference, for until her twenty-first birthday she will still be under the care of her parents, and still subject to strict discipline, including spankings as needed. Society has abandoned the failed twentieth century experiments in permissiveness, and children are again being raised as children-- even Kindern. Rejuves, especially, need occasional reminders of their status as children.

So a Volintaras can not expect their teachers and parents to cut them any slack. They are not cracked down on like Penitatas are; they are not there explicitly to be punished. But they will be punished like any other child if they deserve it...that comes with the territory. A Completas should, theoretically, be treated about like a Volintaras, but in fact most parents treat them more strictly--sort of a parole period.

A Greek letter Ψ(Psi) on the hand indicates a Psycholos, someone rejuved by order of their psychotherapist. At one time rejuve was used as a psychological treatment only as a means of last resort, and such children were always placed with parents who were trained psychotherapists. It is now becoming more popular, even for simple stress problems, especially for physically older patients; after all, the will need to undergo a rejuve fairly soon, anyway. Since the Carl Barker scandal, however, these cases receive a V, since the treatment is purely elective. The Ψ is reserved for extreme cases, where rejuve to fairly young ages is used without the patient's permission, an extreme treatment that is very useful, especially for certain types of trauma and catatonia, but it is involuntary and not earned; such children are accorded somewhat more consideration than a normal V. It is also used occasionally as a form of extreme regression therapy, to help a patient reconcile serious conflicts from their own childhood.

(Note: with all parents being trained, experienced and liscenced, these type of traumas are much rarer--on earth. Many persons who need to be treated for these types of problems were raised on colony worlds where Earth's restrictions do not apply. Or on planets like Aynrand, where there are virtually no laws at all...)

Everybody pities someone with an M on their hand, A Medicalos. Rejuve is used as a medical treatment only when needed to save a life in a desperate situation, but there are certain forms of radiation and other poisoning (see above) for which rejuve is the only possible treatment. Sometime the first rejuve is not 100% effective, and a second or third is needed. Since the first left the patient about age twelve, the second (three year minimum!) will leave them about nine; the third about six. A fourth and final attempt will leave them a little three year old--and no more chances. Fortunately, two treatments will usually cure even level six chronostatic radiation poisoning. Rejuve is also sometimes needed as the result of unexpected complications during surgery. These people are not children voluntarily, they were not sentenced to it--they may not have agreed to it. While they are still legally children, and are assigned parents and have the same legal restrictions as any rejuved child, everybody does cut them slack--it's understandable that they would be upset by what happened. They are often assigned to advanced parenting students as a sort of final exam.

The only type of rejuve who is treated even more gently than a Medicalos is the very, very rare I for Innocentata. Most people go through their entire lives without seeing one. An Innocentata is someone who has been convicted of a crime and rejuved as punishment--who has later been found to be innocent. As the great Parkovitch put it, "A Penitatas owes a debt to society that they are re-paying. But an Innocentata is owed a great debt by society, and we must repay it as best we can."

Another type that nobody has seen for over 80 years is a W. This stands for a prisoner of war. Earth started the custom, hundreds of years ago, but the treaty of Aldebaran formalized it. Persons taken prisoner in wartime are rejuvenated to an age where they cannot possibly be of military use (for humans, 4 or 5), then returned to their homeworlds. This:
 * 1) prevents having to take care of members of an alien species whose air & food requirements may be very different.
 * 2) They are out of the conflict!!
 * 3) remember, just about everybody is immortal, of any race. If you rejuve your prisoners and return them--so do your opponents.

Actually, warfare is kind of funny. Everybody, by agreement, tries to minimize casualties. Engines, computers, weapons are targeted-- not people. Its sort of an agreed I won't hit yours if you don't hit mine. Stun beams are the preferred weapon--or cronostatic beams, that will require you to rejuvenate the victim yourself!! (They show up as a standard M)

But back to poor Jane, our drunk driver. As her new parents take her home, she can at least take comfort in the fact that they are not allowed to use her for explicitly sexual purposes, nor will they want to. Only the worst violent sexual offenders are placed with pedophiliacs for their early cycles, and then only in extreme cases. Usually such criminals will be placed with a spanko-pedo couple (one each), or with a couple who enjoy both activities. Often when a crime involves sexual violence, especially on the part of a man towards a woman, the court includes a sentence of Y-repression. The rejuve chamber is instructed to ignore the Y chromosome and produce a female child. As bad as it is for Jane, it could be much worse. Sentences of two or three centuries are not uncommon for murder...

There is another variant of Penitatas; A filled in P within a dead black circle. This is exclusive to persons convicted of murder or sexual abuse of real children, Kindern. Such people are given very long and severe sentences!!! For example, the legendary 150x2.7-5.7 given to serial child rapist/killer Klaus Merkad-- with Y repression. He raped and murdered 23 children, 6 of them Kindern. They made him as young a girl as possible, and rejuve him/ her just as soon as they can. And not only is little Klara still getting a daily spanking (at least one), she is periodically sexually abused just as she treated her little victims, (though with far less brutality). By Melody's time such sentences have fallen into disfavor, but Klaus is still serving his...

Note that, except in the above special cases, sexual intercourse is as illegal with a rejuve as any child, unless the rejuve specifically requested that it be allowed before undergoing rejuve. Some rare people, including some spanko bottoms, do request this, although it is definitely frowned upon by the authorities. It is legal, though, and if you want to go through the several weeks worth of red tape necessary, you can do it.

Jane's first day: Her new Mommy leads Jane into her new home, where she will pay the first, and largest, part of her debt to society. She is quietly taken up to her new room, which has been deliberately decorated for a young girl. Her new Mommy sits down on the cute pink blanket on her bed and draws Jane to her. "You know what happens now, Jane!" She said. "First spanking....." Soon Jane was face down over her new Mommy's lap. Her rompers were on the floor under her feet. Her panties with the cute bunnies were down to her knobby knees and her slim, childish bottom was turning a bright red under her Mommy's sound handspanking. While she tried to lie still, she couldn't! She was soon crying and sobbing, for all the world the very picture of a well-spanked naughty little girl. Her Daddy grinned from behind his holo-camera--it always came as such a surprise when a new convict discovered herself reacting to a spanking as a little girl.

Part of this was the emotional effect of physical childhood. But also, Jane has been implanted with a nano-web, which infiltrates her entire brain. The effect of the nano-web is very subtle. It cannot control the child's actions, but it does partially control and override her emotional reactions to specific stimuli in order to force the mind-set into a more childish and malleable form. As a result, Jane finds herself reacting to her spanking as a child, not as an adult.

Soon Jane is crying and kicking her little feet as she does the face down dance for her new Mommy. Then her first spanking is over and it is time to stand crying in the corner, holding up her pinafore blouse to show off her reddened bottom. After an hour in the corner she is changed into a pair of flannelette pajamas, and it is time for her new Daddy to give her a spanking. Daddy takes her into his room, where he can sit on her mother's dresser chair. He pulls Janey up and over his large lap and begins to spank. It doesn't take long for Jane to be crying and bawling again as the sharp smacks fall onto the thin fabric. Then Daddy tugs down her pajamas and commences handspanking her poor bare bottom. Now Jane really begins to cry and bawl, but her new Daddy just sits back and sets her bare fanny on fire with a good old-fashioned bare bottomed spanking.

After this spanking Jane is carried to her bed and tucked in to cry herself to sleep. She'll be kept in bed for the rest of the afternoon. This is a typical first day for a convicted criminal. After a few weeks of two or three or even four sound spankings every day the regiment would be eased to about a spanking every day (plus any actually earned by misbehavior, of course!). Then two or three a week for the rest of the cycle. Since parents are changed for every cycle, a Penitatas can expect a severe start to each new cycle while in the care of spankos.... and that could be thirty times or more for a violent criminal!

Drakonians
First race encountered by Mankind, we were also their first alien contact. (2147). By the beginning of the 23rd century, we had become quite familiar with each other. Neither race can manage the other's language, but since 2227 all Earth children are required to study Drakonian in school, and all Drakonian kids must study Panglish (The universal language used by all of Mankind). As a result, we communicate quite well. And we get along well, too.

Physically Drakonians are 6-9 foot tall reptiloids who are descended from a race somewhat like the Allosaurian dinosaurs. They have large strong legs counterbalanced by a long, heavy tail. While their teeth reflect their carnivorous past, they are now omnivorous (but are still very fond of rare steak...) They have long arms with retractible claws. Females are larger than males (7-9 feet) while males are smaller and tend to be subservient. (6-7 feet). Their homeworld has a gravity of 0.89 G, so they are not really as physically capable as they appear.

While virtually all the known races have rejuvenation technology, only a few have problems like the Puberty Barrier. As a result, only Mankind has developed the use of rejuvenation as a form of punishment for crime. However, after several worlds were jointly settled by Terrans and Drakonians, some instituted Terran style justice systems. They worked quite well, and had a recividism rate for Drakonian lawbreakers better than their own system. Some of the Drakonian colony worlds have now adopted the system experimentally, and of course a Drakonian visiting a human world is subject to human laws and punishments.

At first this caused some problems. Fortunately the Drakonians did have a historical method of corporal punishment used on their own children. This involved grasping the child firmly by the neck and tail, settling back on one's own tail, which made a natural lap. (Drakonians have no need of chairs!) The child's legs are pinned between the adult's, while Drakonian physiology prevents it from reaching back to cover up. Holding the child down firmly with one hand, the other stretches out the tail, the adult bends its head over, and chomps down firmly onto the base of the tail. Drakonian hide is very thick and tough--a traditional spanking would be of little use--but a good tail-chewing, with Drakonian teeth, can leave a youngster howling in pain. And if the tender (actually: slightly less leathery tough) underside of the tail is thouroughly chomped, where a Drakonian's weight goes when he sits....

But this didn't help a human who had to take care of a Drakonian Penititas. Fortunately they aren't really stronger than we are, and a quick grasp of the tail, and a rapid lift will force a child to bend over face down, unable to recover its balance. And while a hairbrush back would be of little use, the bristled side, applied repeatedly to the sit down spot, will leave a naughty youngster howling and repentant.

And when Drakonians started sitting for their human friends, they ran into a similar problem. Of course, if a hairbrush was available, they could use it. And their laps were always available to turn naughty children over the knee. (And over the knee of an eight- foot tall Drakonian woman is over the knee). But sometimes a spanking was needed without any warning or equipment available. It was T'Scheern'chk who accidentally discovered the solution. She found her own girl and her friend Tammy misbehaving one day (what the two Penitatas were doing is not recorded). She chewed out her own girl's tail thouroughly, then grasped Tammy and swept her into position. And froze. No paddle or hairbrush--and she'd forgotten to trim her claws again (They grow so fast). A handspanking was definitely out. Then inspiration struck as she considered the pale bare bottom over her knee. She bent over, for all the world looking like she was about to chomp. Tammy screamed in terror, certain a large chunk of her bottom was about to be torn out.

The T'Scheern'chk's long, forked, prehensile tounge swept out, over, and down onto Tammy's bare bottom, striking it with a wet-sounding SPLATT! She howled as the twin ropes of muscular flesh spanked her bare bottom soundly!! That tough tounge was designed to get marrow out of bones--and it did a great job of blistering Tammy's fanny!! A spanking on a wet bottom stings a lot more--and T'Scheern'chk's tounge was providing its own moisture.

A Drakonian licking or tounge-lashing was soon the preferred means of the alien's disciplining human children. Those humans who needed to take care of Drakonian kids soon equipped themselves with wooden-backed (for their own kids) steel-bristled (for the Drakonians) hairbrushes--but they envied their friend's built-in strap. A Drakonian tounge is said to compare favorably to a proper Lochgelly tawse when applied to a human bottom--not counting the effect of the saliva.

Rigellians
Rigellians are a telepathic race that look like one and a half meter tall wasps; with a eight cm long stinger in thier tail. Not that They ever even dream of using it on a fellow sentient. Rigellians were one of the most civilized races in the galaxy. Their services as telepathic counselors were in demand all over. Several had even become citizens of the Confederation of Humanity, as odd as that sounded.

Jalaxian
First Contact in 2723.

The Jalaxians evolved from felines, even as humans evolved from apes. And their world's 1.2 gravities made them, on average, faster and stronger than most humans. And their agility was, to be frank, cat-like.

According to the experts, their intelligence was very slightly lower than human, but Melody thought that that was just human envy or jealousy.

With her tail up, Sharney's bare bottom was remarkably human-looking. Her buttocks were somewhat slimmer than a human girl's, with less subcutaneous fatty padding. This was more than made up for, however, by the twin globe's covering of soft, downy fur.

The Jalaxians had an odd cultural activity. In all its forms, it had a thousand names, but the first name was D'jetar. D'jetar was of central importance to Jalaxian culture. Almost all Jalaxians could do it to one degree or another. It was the center of many Jalaxian's lives, those who pursued it as professionals.

It was, supposedly, D'jetar that drove the Jalaxians out into the stars, nine hundred years before, looking for others to share the joy the custom brought them.

In that, they failed.

They met many different sentient species, but none practiced D'jetar. D'jetar consisted of two intertwined parts. Some races practiced one, or the other, but none combined the two into D'jetar.

They tried to teach others, and some learned. But it wasn't the same. They learned because they were exosociologists, or anthopologists. They mastered the art, but they took no joy from it. It was all far too intellectual. D'jetar was meant to be *lived!!*

And the Jalaxians suspected that most of the alien races they encountered thought the whole thing was sort of silly.

So they stopped asking. Pulled back. Oh, they still practised D'jetar. Proudly. It was their heritage. It *was* joy.

But they no longer sought out others.

The rate of their exploration slowed, inevitably, as the sphere of Jalaxian-explored space grew wider and wider. Unevenly, of course, as the scattered and scarce star-faring alien species were discovered, and contact carefully made.

Then one day, a Jalaxian explorer, out on the very fringe of Jalaxian- explored space, detected an unknown starship on their long-range scanners.

By this time, first contact procedures were routine. The vessel was signalled, and a near-by uninhabited planet (which happened to have an atmosphere breatheable by both races) was chosen, and the first- contact specialists of both races began making the first slow, careful attempts to understand each other.

Weeks pass.

The crew of the Commonwealth Explorer ship Armstrong were ready to celebrate. After five weeks of hard work, another successful first contact had been completed.

Of course, since they were at the outer edge of Human-explored space, and the Jalaxian homeworld (NOT called Jalaxia. Do we call our world 'Hume'??) lay even farther from their temporary camp than Earth.

So the Jalaxians weren't likely to be of any importance to Earth any time soon. Although they were certainly an attractive race--if you liked cats. Still, as both races expanded, it would be good to understand each other.

And there had been no unfortunate incidents, nobody had gotten hurt, the planet had a truly *gorgeous* beach--and so the Captain had authorized a beach party to celebrate.

The Jalaxians had not been invited, of course--nor had they expected to. After all, who knew what bizarre cultural behaviors one race might find disgusting in the other, outside of the strictly controlled environment of First Contact. Such things were better left to the specialized Second and Third contact teams.

Levarrniss was curious about the light he'd detected on the planet's surface. He turned the ship's largest telescope onto it and looked.

There was a large bonfire on the beach. The Humans they'd met were gathered around it. They seemed to be having some sort of celebration. It almost looked like...

Shock made his fur stand on end, his tail quiverred. That almost looked like **D'jetar** of some sort!!!

His whiskers quiverred. He knew the rules and regulations; as soon as he'd seen that he was spying on the Humans, he should have aborted the scans. There was too much chance of a misunderstanding at this point.

But he just COULDN'T take the chance, not after 900 Jalaxian years of lost hope!!

So he sent down a probe to make sure.

The world was shocked by the arrival of the Jalaxian vessel in the Confederation of Humanity. More shocked when it reported that it had the duly appointed Ambassador to the Confederation on board.

First contact with the Jalaxians had only happened two years before. Second contact hadn't even been *arranged*.

And why had the Jalaxians come all the way *here*?? There were *dozens* of races closer to their homeworld--many still unexplored by Earth-- with whom they had no formal relations--only the most tentative contacts. Why skip past all of those to reach Earth???

And why in the world had the Jalaxians requested a formal reception for their ambassador?

And so the whole world was watching in wonder as the Jalaxian ambassador arrived at the Presidential Palace in Geneva. They knew what Jalaxians looked like, of course. They weren't all that unusual; at least two other felinoid races were known. Why were they here??

World speculation increased as the Jalaxian ambassador left his hover-limo and approached the gates of the palace. Instead of native Jalaxian dress, he was wearing full formal Earth costume--top hat and tails!! (Three, in his case--counting his own).

As the cameras quietly looked on, Earth's dignitaries and the bored representatives of her allies gathered in the Palace's largest hall for the customary formal ball following the reception. Suddenly, the ambassador stood up and crossed the floor over to the Confederation President. A sly cat-grin was on his face as he gracefully bowed before her, and made his request.

We humans of Earth have an odd cultural activity. It isn't really all that important, except to those who practise it professionally. Although most humans love one or another form of it, and many do it themselves--some well, others not so well.

It was considered an odd fact that this activity seemed unique to Earth. Drakonians didn't do it. Nor did Rigellians. Nor did any of the other races we'd encountered as we explored the space around our home star. Some people found this disappointing. And the activity lost quite a bit of its previous popularity.

Not that we were *ashamed* of it or anything. Still, we felt that all our neighbors found the whole thing kind of silly. So it was relegated to backwater communities, and sank into semi-obscurity.

Oh, there were still professionals, still those to whom it was their life. But fewer than in its ancient heyday.

It had a thousand names.

But the first of these was---

---DANCE!!---

And as the Jalaxian ambassador swept the Commonwealth President into the first figures of that first waltz, the people of Earth looked on in shock--the same shock the Jalaxian populace had felt two years before, looking at the poor-quality holorecording of the Armstong's crew dancing and cavorting to loud music on that far away beach.

And the people of Earth knew, KNEW, what the Jalaxians had come to teach them.

That from that moment forward...

Neither race would ever again dance...alone.