by Claudia Rose
“Indeed we do not.”
“What should I arrange for the next experiment, Alpha19?”
“Well we still need to work with the Terran female. Let us put her in a situation of less inhibited sexuality and observe her response to that. See what occurs when she is mated in a threesome that includes the male Trrivv.”
* * * * *
Late that evening a very subdued Bruce and Jenna lay in each other’s arms in the dark.
Both were lost in their own thoughts and very little had been said between them all evening. Suddenly Jenna’s mouth sought Bruce’s, and their lips locked in a long, lingering kiss.
“Bruce, do you think we’ll ever get out of here?”
“It doesn’t seem likely.”
“Does it make you sad that we’ll never get to enjoy a normal life together?”
“It does. But at least we’re together here, and that’s worth a lot to me.”
“I didn’t mind that you had to go with Ranisha today.”
“I’d like it to have been you.”
“Me too. Still, you can always close your eyes and pretend it’s me.”
“So I can.”
Chapter Eleven: Alien Calm
Bruce woke to find the space next to him empty. Jenna wasn’t in the room or in the bathroom. Pulling on his shorts, he walked through into the communal area, but no one was there either.
He started to worry. Perhaps everyone had gone off in a trance except him. Close to panic he went to the recreation portal, hitting the top button that led to the gym. Mort was in there, lifting something the size of a small car above his head. Bruce was slightly comforted—at least that meant he wasn’t entirely alone.
He hit the second button, but the pools were empty.
Third button, there she was! As Bruce watched, Jenna tumbled slowly through zero gravity, executing a graceful aerial turn so that when she reached the far wall she would be positioned to push off in the other direction. Halfway through the turn she noticed he was standing at the open door, so she launched herself to drift towards him. The smile she gave him was wan and listless, and she seemed to droop physically as she landed at the door and stepped back through into full gravity.
“I notice the weight in my breasts most when I step through. Isn’t that strange? I don’t feel them at all in weightlessness, but as soon as I step back into gravity they drop down quite heavily.”
What might have been an interesting, even amusing, comment, was spoiled by the apathy with which Jenna made it.
Bruce was extremely concerned.
“Are you all right,” he asked gently. “How long have you been out of bed? Couldn’t you sleep?”
“Oh yes, I slept all right, no problem with that thanks to the little technological marvel the Reven have wired into my skull. But it’s not what you’d call proper sleep is it? They just switch us off for a few hours and leave us to lie like corpses.”
“But at least we’re together.”
“Oh yes? That’s some sort of advantage is it? Are you aware of me while you’re sleeping? Have you been able to dream about me? Have you ever woken in the middle of the night and wanted to kiss me? Have we been able to make love? Nope! They turn us on, they turn us off, they turn us on, and they turn us off. They’ve turned us into robots.”
She slumped heavily into a chair and big fat tears trickled slowly down her face.
Bruce was frightened. This was no Jenna Walsh he’d ever known. He couldn’t believe how badly this was affecting her.
“Jenna, is there something I can do?”
“Just hold me. They may control everything else we do, but so far they haven’t stopped us doing that.”
He took her in his arms, feeling helpless as her sobs built and she cried as if her world were falling apart.
* * * * *
Bruce wasn’t the only one concerned. The Reven were as close to panic as emotionless sociopaths with ice water instead of blood in their veins, could be.
“What is wrong with her 276?”
“I do not know Alpha19. The nature and strength of her emotions seem to be more than the controller chip is capable of dealing with.”
“Well you should know. It is what you are here for. If this is reported to the Council it will be your brain scheduled for vaporization, not mine!”
“Do not be hasty, Alpha19. I am sure there is an explanation for this. It may be that we need to re-program her chip slightly. She seems unusually depressed, despite the tremendous amount of sexual stimulation she has been enjoying. Perhaps we should rest her today.”
“No! I have a better idea. Change the schedule. Put her with the Vedi Premlord for this round, he has many powers and may be able to do something to alleviate her distress. This Terran female is vital to us. She has produced results far in excess of expectations. My most recent communication from the Council suggests that we may be close to reaching our goal. We cannot fail 276. Set up the experiment.”
“As you command.”
* * * * *
Abruptly Jenna stopped sobbing and began to pull away. Bruce assumed she must have been feeling better, until he saw the blankness in her eyes. He shivered as once again she rose to her feet like a zombie and headed for the door. There was no other movement for a moment, but then Ghanjihi appeared at the door of the room he shared with Ranisha. His eyes followed Jenna as she departed, then he looked directly at Bruce.
“Do not worry, Terran. I will take care of her.”
Then he followed Jenna through the door, leaving Bruce looking after him with an open mouth.
Seconds later Ranisha appeared. Quietly she laid her hand on Bruce’s arm to comfort him.
“He spoke to me. Why wasn’t he in a trance?”
“There is a limit to the extent to which a Reven can control the Premlord. Their most sophisticated chip can force him to do their bidding within reason, but there is no way they could deprive him of consciousness. He would die first.”
“What exactly is a Premlord?”
“The Premlord, is the ruler, most mighty, of the Vedian Confederacy. He governs all peaceable Vedi and is the prime leader in the resistance to the Reven.”
“What, you mean he’s like the President?”
“From what I know of your culture, that would be a satisfactory analogy.”
“What’s he doing here then? How can someone so powerful be a prisoner of the Vedi?”
“That is another long story. Basically, a faction of traitors in the confederacy betrayed him to the Reven in the foolish belief that it will lead to some sort of union. If the Mother permits we will return to hunt the traitors down. I have no doubt that the one behind this is Seclord Tirsa-Singh, I pray nightly to see him impaled on the end of a spike. His death will not be a quick one.” As she said this Ranisha’s eyes pulsed with a lethal black glow, and for a second she looked truly terrifying. Then her expression resumed its usual serenity.
“Even after all this time some Vedi refuse to acknowledge the Reven’s lethal duplicity. Capturing the Premlord is the Reven’s greatest triumph over us in many millennia. It is the reason that one of the Reven on this ship is of the Alpha strand. It is truly a disaster and may spell the end of all other humanoid races if the Reven experiments finally succeed. But that is not something we can control at this moment. Shall we eat together?”
* * * * *
Jenna came out of her trance to find herself naked yet again and sitting on soft cushions facing Ghanjihi.
“Oh, it’s you this time,” she said dully.
“And I am pleased to see you also, Jenna Walsh.”
“I am sorry Ghanjihi, I mean no offence, it’s just that I’m getting very tired of the Reven’s sick games.”
“No offence is taken. And let us put their games out of our minds for a time and enjoy each other’s company?”
“What did you have in mind?”
“Well, we are here together, in a beautiful room, with good food to eat. Let us make the most of
it.”
“But aren’t we expected to have sex. Isn’t that what we’re here for, to be their little lab rats?”
“Perhaps. We shall see. But that isn’t of immediate concern. Let us eat together first.”
“I am hungry, they normally don’t take me until after breakfast.”
“Then try some of these things. It is the usual Reven synthetic nourishment, but at least this time it is processed to have the same look and texture as foods we are familiar with, so it will be more palatable to your other senses.”
“He offered Jenna a bowl of fruit and some savory cakes. After a moment’s hesitation she began to eat.
“Tell me about yourself, Jenna Walsh.”
“There isn’t that much to tell.”
“I do not believe that. The Reven wouldn’t have taken you if you were not an exceptional member of your species. By Vedian standards you are very beautiful, and I sense great reserves of energy, emotion and life force within you. Added to that, it is clear that you are providing the Reven with valuable data. What makes you so important, Jenna Walsh?”
“Well, back on Earth I was the Women’s World Triathlon Champion, which takes a bit of doing.”
“What is this triathlon?”
“The triathlon is an athletic competition. It involves swimming, cycling and running over long distances.”
“And how did you become the best at this?”
“By training mainly. But also by denying myself many things.”
“Denying what sort of things.”
“Oh, friends, family, lovers.”
“You have no family?”
“Yes, I do. But we are estranged,” she stopped eating, her eyes glazing as she considered a painful memory. “Mine was not a happy family. My mother died early and my father drove me to succeed. We eventually parted acrimoniously. I have one younger sister, but I have not been allowed to see her for many years.”
“But why have you had no lovers?”
“I decided that sort of relationship was a distraction.”
“But surely you had many suitors.”
“Oh yes, many, but I made it clear that I wasn’t interested.”
“Did you not desire a lover? You are a very sensual woman. I have rarely met an individual with such depths of sexual potential as I see in you.”
“How can you see such things in me?”
“I am the Premlord of the Vedi. I would not be had I not been able to see such things. The Vedi place a huge value on the adepts among us, those who have the innate ability to master the sexual powers. In my society you would have been singled out at an early age for greatness. You and Bruce.”
“You see the same depths in Bruce?”
“Oh yes, the two of you together are a remarkable couple. I have no doubt that is the reason the Reven selected you. Do you not feel a compatibility with him?”
“If you mean, do I desire him and do I want to be his lover more than anything in whatever short life I have left, then the answer is yes. I’m not someone who can have sex for the sake of it. These Reven games may not leave much in the way of scars on someone like Mmerr, but to me they are torment. I don’t just want to couple, or come, or watch. I want to be with someone I can give myself to completely.”
“Hold that desire, it is your greatest strength. The one thing Reven do not understand is how two or more beings can forge a deep attachment to one another. They are emotionally barren, completely self-interested, and respect only strength.”
“In a way I’m a victim of my own foolishness. When I could have had Bruce I rebuffed him unkindly. Now, when I want him, I am prevented from having him.” She looked down bleakly at the half-eaten food before her, and again tears welled in her eyes. “I just know that I’m going to die without ever having the chance to be the lover of the one man who has ever truly loved me for who I am. I’m so stupid!”
“Be calm, Jenna. The future is a blank slate. Nothing comes to pass until it has been written. The key to survival and victory is regaining your sense of yourself. You need to restore your inner strength, and prepare to meet whatever the future offers with a clear vision and purpose.”
“That’s easier said than done, I feel like I’m falling down a deep, dark hole at the moment.”
“In this I can help you. I can teach you to locate your essential self and to regain your strength. Come and sit here.”
Taking her by the hand, Ghanjihi led Jenna to an area where soft cushions made seating comfortable. He sat in the lotus position and motioned her to sit facing him.
“Look at me Jenna.”
She raised her eyes to his. His face wore its habitually grave expression, yet in the deep blackness of his eyes she glimpsed something else. A good humor, an immense love of life, and a profound wisdom. Privately Jenna had considered Ghanjihi a bit of a joke with his peremptory ways—a stuffed shirt, or a fuddy-duddy, ordering the rest of them around. Now she realized that she had made a huge misjudgment. Ghanjihi was more than she had ever imagined. There was a sense of immense age about him, and of tremendous reserves of latent power. Jenna had no doubt that if crossed he could be terrible. That when he had to, he was a being who could act with all the ferocity and impersonal cruelty of a great natural disaster. Yet she also sensed that his motivation would be towards what worked for the greater good.
“Close your eyes now Jenna. I am going to touch you and we will embrace. By your definition, what we are about to do will be sexual, but remember that among we Vedi our greatest powers come from the realm of the sexual. As I told you some time ago, sex is the universe’s gift to its creation. What we do now will not be any type of intimate contact that you have experienced before. It will take you out of your body and it will heal your soul.”
With her eyes closed Jenna’s other senses became attuned more strongly. She was intensely aware of an aura of power emanating from this striking blue man. As it radiated from him, she felt herself bathed in its warmth. It excluded all things external from her senses and forced her to focus on her inner self. She felt as if she were sitting in a cone of profound silence and stillness. All she could hear was her own pulse. Then she became aware of another pulse. It was Ghanjihi’s she realized, a strong, even heartbeat.
Then his voice echoed in her mind.
Synchronize your heart with mine Jenna, allow it to slow, match it to my rhythm.
She didn’t think she could, but she listened to her heart and concentrated on trying to match it to his. Gradually the two pulses synchronized until they beat as one. It was a heavy even beat that echoed within the cone of stillness that engulfed them.
Excellent. That was very quick for a novice. Now synchronize your breathing with mine also, until that too is automatic.
Jenna concentrated on Ghanjihi’s breathing, and quickly hers too settled into his rhythm of slow, even breaths. Only at first did she have to concentrate. As she relaxed and attuned herself more completely to his pattern, her unconscious mind took over and maintained the unity.
When the unity of pulse and breathing had been achieved, Jenna discovered that other things were synchronizing also. She became aware of Ghanjihi’s mood, and of the deeper rhythms of his body and his soul. The heightened awareness continued, and for Jenna it was as if, with each passing moment, she and Ghanjihi were becoming a unity—a synthesis of a sort.
At some stage during this (Jenna could never be certain when) the mental and emotional unity was complemented by physical unity. She did not realize—although the watching Reven did—that she had levitated some twenty inches towards Ghanjihi until she was locked to him in a complex embrace.
She had floated through the air until they were chest to chest. Then she had settled slowly to allow his erect sex to meet hers and very gently, with no force or pressure, they had coupled. His legs remained in the lotus position, cushioning her body delicately. Her legs wrapped gracefully around his torso, the soles of her feet pressed together with the toes pointing impossibly upwards, like
hands pressed flat in prayer. There they rested, parallel with his spine. Their faces touched gently, forehead to forehead and nose to nose, until their synchronized breaths mingled—in through the nose, out through the mouth. Jenna’s left arm threaded the space between Ghanjihi’s two right arms to wrap around his back, where her hand clasped her feet. Her right elbow came to rest on his upper shoulder, with the palm of her hand cupping the back of his head. Ghanjihi positioned his upper arms so that his right arm ran along the top of Jenna’s left, with his forearm and hand angling downwards to lie flat against her spine, while his left cupped the back of her head. His lower arms fell naturally, those hands clasping Jenna’s waist.
In that way they sat, motionless, for a very long time, an absolute, unmoving hub, around which the universe revolved and swayed.
Jenna would never look back on the experience as sex. It was healing, of a profound sort that she had never imagined possible. The pain of her past, those hidden injuries that had turned her into a driven woman were dealt with. The loss of her mother, the break with her father, the grief for the little sister denied to her, the years when she had punished herself for her sense of failure by driving herself to win, rejecting all approaches of friendship by Bruce and others. Such things were faced, understood, and placed gently aside for later analysis and greater understanding. Then the present was attended to—the fear of death, the yearning for Bruce, the sense of shame at her participation in the Reven games. Jenna began to perceive herself as Ghanjihi perceived her, and to understand herself as he did. Through his senses she discovered a Jenna Walsh who was strong, clever, empathetic, and sensual, with an almost inexhaustible capacity to love and be loved. She realized that she was unique, and for that reason she mattered. Within her was an inner core of integrity that no amount of Reven manipulation could compromise. The consummation that she so desired with Bruce, it didn’t have to be sexual. If sex occurred, that was a bonus. The essential thing, which no amount of Reven interference could prevent, was that the two of them strove towards a depth of intimacy and sharing of the sort she was experiencing now.
