The feasting and dancing continued until the sun began to sink towards the horizon. The rift valley cut of direct view to the sun so that only a diffuse illumination remained. As it did so they party seemed to break up and couples who had paired off for the dance took seats together on the grassy green beneath streamers of shimmer cloth. Junebug had been dancing for several hours at this point and she could feel the genetic enhancements that had been forced on her amping up to keep her at full effectiveness. It wasn't a good feeling in the middle of a crowd of well meaning dancers and smiling farmers. Battle fatigue was an occupational hazard for a mercenary, a couple of weeks rest in the RIP had been some balm but it never entirely went away. The banality of civilian life wasn't a good fit for her, it was  hard truth that she wasn't going to be able to return to it. That likely wouldn't be a problem for her of course, catching a stray bullet was as much of an occupational hazard as battle fatigue.

After a few minutes a hush fell and Gerome emerged from the cathedral ship. He was dressed in priestly vestments instead of the utilitarian garments he had worn earlier in the day. Behind him trailed a dozen acolytes in similar if slightly less ostentatious vestments. Each man was pushing a small black sphere that hovered three feet of the ground. Each of them crackled with the soft incandecents of an induced levitation field. It wasn't high tech but it was still higher tech than Sayeeda was used to seeing. Judging from the ohhhs and ahhs from the crowd it was obviously not something the saw everyday either.

"Are those stasis pods?" Taya asked, leaning over from her own seat beside a handsome young man she had been dancing with. He looked troubled that she had spoken but made no mood to prevent her. That was good because Sayeeda was keyed up enough that she might have made an issue of it.

"Brethren!" Gerome called out before she could respond. The little procession came to a stop at the center of the green, spreading out into a phalanx around the elder man.

"Brethren, on this, our most scared day, we celebrate the Lord's bounty and the renewal of our faith..." the speech continued for perhaps ten minutes, invoking their God, giving thanks for the harvest and that sort of things. It seemed to Sayeeda that the stasis pods were the real draw. Couples gazed at them longingly, some squeezing their hands together in anticipation. The old preacher knew his crowd, he grew more extravagant in his gestures with more and more frequent references to bounty and rejuvenation.

"Let us now give thanks as we celebrate the rejuvenation of our community and our faith. Come forward!" The couple closest to him stood eagerly and walked forward. One of the acolytes brought forward a simple pottery urn. The woman reached in with a trembling hand and withdrew something. Sayeeda squinted her eyes, it seemed like a simple black stone. The woman sagged visibly, hugging her partner clearly holding back tears. One of the acolytes laid a hand on her shoulder consolingly and led her away to the side. The next couple approached and the process repeated itself. When the third couple approached the woman pulled a white stone from the urn. The reaction was immediate and opposite. Her face transfigured into jubilation, it was mirrored in her partner who threw his arms around her and swept her up into his arms. One of the acolytes approached with one of the black maybe stasis pods. He touched a control on the front of the pod. It irised open with a hiss. Inside was a baby, apparently sleeping though perhaps drugged. Its chest rose and fell indicating it was alive. The woman reached in and lifted the child carefully then turned to face the community. There was a great cheer and a raising of cups. 

Over the next hour the process continued, with couples going forward to take part in the lottery. There were perhaps thirty couples but only a dozen children. Those that drew black stones were dissapointed and those that drew the white jubliant. When the ceremony finished there was a general blessing before general revelry resumed.

"Well that was fucking weird," Junebug commented, forgetting to be circumspect among strangers. Did they practice some for of adoption rather than raising their own children. It was bizzare but stranger things happened in the isolated corners of the galaxy. Further discussion was interupted as Gerome hurried across to them.

"Blessed night," Gerome called wiping sweat from his brow. He looked elated and a little exhausted.

"What did you think?" he asked.

"It was the best baby lottery I have ever seen," Junebug said dryly. Gerome chuckled and drew a flask from beneath his robe.

"Its sinful," he admitted before taking a slug of the liquor, "but this is a special night, will you join me in a toast?" He handed the flask to Junebug who took a drink and passed it on to Neil and Taya.

"We had reproductive problems when we first settled here," Gerome explained, "fertility rates were way down, only a select few could have children. We have found a solution but..." Gerome's voice was becoming a drone and Junebug's eyes felt incredibly heavy. A fog seemed to be closing in around her. She tried to turn her head towards Neil but her muscles weren't responding. Strong hands held her as she sank towards the ground and blackness enfolded her.