Why Helome? Part 1

     It was a little over eight months after the events of Rome's Evolution. Rei had made Rome and Aason a bison meat loaf. It was the first they had ever tasted one and Rei could tell by the fact that no one spoke during the meal that they loved it.
     Finally, Rome put her fork down. "That was delicious!" she gushed. "I could eat that every day for the rest of my life and never grow tired of it." She stood up and started gathering up the dishes.
     "Sit, please," Rei said. He grabbed her plate away from her and reached over for Aason's.
     "But you cooked," she said. "It's only fair that I clean up."
     "Forget it," Rei said. "You're doing your work 24/7," he said, pointing at her bloated abdomen.
     Rome sat back down. "You don't need to convince me," she said. "I'm having a little trouble breathing as it is," she added.
     "Should I be concerned?" Rei asked, scowling a bit. "You remember what happened with buddy boy, over there," he said, waving his hand at Aason.
     "Oh, no," Rome said. "It's not nearly as bad. It's just that Lupe never gives me a break." Rome grinned.
     Rei stared at her protruding belly and cocked his head to the side. Something clicked inside his head.
     "Hey," he said. "You just made me think of something. You and Virga were pregnant at the same time. I love Virga and all, even though she tried to turn me into breeding stock, but..."
     "But what?" Rome asked, confused.
     "Why was there a colony on Helome, anyway?"
     "I don't understand."
     "It isn't like the Overmind to be curious. Why did the Vuduri establish an outpost there in the first place? It doesn't even make any sense."
     "Oh," Rome said. "Do you want the answer we were told or what I really think?"
     "What do you really think?"
     "The answer is about the same. The Overmind tried to suppress the vast amount of human history from the Vuduri but there was no denying that a disaster could strike the Earth."
     "You mean like The Great Dying?" Rei offered.

Tomorrow, the conversation concludes.