Dawn Author:Octavia Butler She had survived the darkest day in the history of the planet Earth . . . . But could she survive the dawn of Xenogenesis -- and the birth of a genetically engineered alien/human civilization? He had no eyes. She could see now that there were only dark patches where tentacles grew thickly. And there were openings at his throat. The tentacles... more » around them didn't look as dark as the others. Murkily translucent, pale gray worms.
"There's something I need to understand now," she said. "Do you have all you want from us?"
"You know we don't," he said softly.
She waited, staring at him.
"Your people will change. Your young will be more like us and ours more like you. And if we learn to regenerate limbs and reshape our bodies, we'll share those abilities with you. That's part of the trade."
Was that what she was headed for? Forced artificial insemination, surrogate motherhood? She shut her eyes, tried to blot out thoughts of surgery or some sort of sex with the damned Oankali.
"Lilith?" he said.
She raised her head, stared at him.
"Touch me here now," he said, gesturing toward his head tentacles, "and I'll sting you. You'll die - - very quickly and without pain."
She swallowed.
It was a gift he was offering. Not a threat.« less