“Slow her down there,” said General Flanders.
“I’m forced to agree. This is still top secret,” added Malcome.
“Y’all can’t keep this quiet. People are dying,” objected Nancy.
“We cannot announce that the aliens have given us this yet. The information campaign has been preparing the masses, but they simply are not ready to accept the announcement.” Frank’s withered face looked like he just ate a lemon.
“I can see both sides of this situation. Richard, I have a suggestion. You will have to do blind trials anyway. We will fund preliminary, clinical trials on a limited number of subjects. Collect your data and when we announce the alien’s approach you can present it to the FDA. I will expedite matters at that point,” said Malcome.
* * * *
Upload monitoring/ Richard Green /Index 14:32/ 6/1/2032
* * * *
“Richard, be reasonable,” said Doctor Edwin Robinson. He was a lanky man, late forties, with an angular face. The conservative suit he habitually wore gave him a pinched quality.
“Eddy—”
“Edwin!”
“As my students say, ‘whatever’.” Richard scowled. “The electron microscope was purchased for my research. I don’t mind other projects using it when it’s on down time, but I get priority.”
Edwin sat behind a mahogany desk on a leather swivel chair. The room itself was perfectly neat, without a single paper in evidence. Filing cabinets lined one wall and a leather couch sat against the other. “I’m the dean of this department, not you. I will decide who gets priority when it comes to equipment allocation.”
“The grant money is tied to me, not the department. Should I call up MIT?” Richard’s eyes flashed.
“Maybe I should drop some names. Rachel Summerfield. Samantha Cooper. Do these ring a bell?”
“They were consenting adults.”
“They were students! You’re lucky they refused to testify. Nice bits of fluff I’ll grant you. Might almost have been worth a bloody censure. What’s your secret?”
“I treat them like people.” Richard scowled at his boss.
“I could have had your ass bumped for that little bit of tail.” Edwin leaned back in his chair and looked smug.
“The microscope is in my lab. I’m telling you right now. The next time some ass-hole pushes ahead of one of my scheduled experiments, I’ll pull their samples and microwave them.”
“Are you threatening me? I…” Edwin sat up and went red faced.
“Watch it Eddy! I’m not a grad student that you can bully anymore. It’s my equipment, for my study. If anyone is going to have to come in at midnight to use it, it won’t be me. If you want to take this to the university’s dean, go ahead. Maybe he’ll care a little more about the grant money than what three consenting adults did or did not do.” Richard turned on his heel and strode from the room.
* * * *
Upload monitoring/ Richard Green /Index 15:24/ 28/3/2032
* * * *
“Richard, do you have a moment?” asked Ashley as she stuck her head into his office.
He put down the paper he was grading and focused on her. She was wearing a scoop necked blouse and a short skirt that showed off her slender legs.
Oh, Gods of my fathers. She’s little sister; She’s little sister, why does her being dressed like this affect me so much? He thought as he tried to appear nonchalant. “What can I do for you?”
“I’d like to show you something in the lab.”
Richard noticed her smile. It was the first he’d seen since her break up two weeks before. Standing, he followed her down the hall. After the third step he caught himself looking and forced himself to move to her side. She’s little sister, little sister. Gods man, she use to baby-sit Betty.
“I decided that it would be more impressive to actually apply some of my research, so I cobbled this together.” Ashley led him to a worktable where a device that looked like a large, plastic bowl, with wires wound around its inside, was connected to a computer.
“Ashley, you haven’t?”
Ashley placed the bowl on her head, closed her eyes and the words ‘Haven’t what, Doc?’ appeared on the screen.
“I knew the research was going in this direction, but! Is it a true neuro-mechanical interface?”
‘Complete. Kinda’ cumbersome with the helmet. I think eventually a surgical implant may be necessary, but it’s a first step. What do you think?’ appeared on the screen.
“I think you should take that thing off until we can ascertain if it’s safe.”
Ashley removed the device. “Isn’t it great though? A direct neuro-mechanical interface. The holy grail of cybernetics. What’s wrong? You look pale.”
Richard leaned against the worktable. “Ashley, be careful. I can’t tell you why, but just be careful. Can you present your thesis without telling anyone else about the helmet?”
“Yes, I just thought it would be gravy. All the input for autonomic control data is there.”
“Good, keep the helmet in reserve. If all goes well, you can use it as your doctoral research.”
“What are you scared of?” She took his hand in both of hers and stared at him.
“I…I don’t want you getting hurt. Until we better understand this technology we should take it one step at a time.”
Ashley squeezed his hand. “Sure thing, Dad.” She smiled at him and his thoughts were anything but paternal.
* * * *
Upload monitoring/ Richard Green /Index 14:00/ 10/6/2032
* * * *
“Hi, Doc,” Zane half dragged himself into the room.
Richard scanned his office, trying to ignore the younger man’s dejection and pain. Piles of paper and books filled the room. Ashley sat in a folding, metal chair beside him. He stroked the hand rest of his leather, swivel chair and focused on the flat screen hung on the wall.
“Zane, take a seat,” Richard motioned to another folding chair and stood. “You both deserve explanations. I know the work has been difficult, and you’ve often wondered where the technology for the bio-mechanical interfaces came from.”
Zane closed the door and sat.
“Richard?” opened Ashley.
“I wanted to tell you both, but I couldn’t until now.” Richard checked his watch then picked up a remote from his desk and clicked on the screen. It filled with the image of the president. She was a slender woman of late middle years with her grey-streaked, black hair pulled into a bun. She stood behind a podium and a line of military men and other dignitaries filled the background.
“This was recorded yesterday by the presidential media core,” explained Richard.
“Goddess, that’s you!” Ashley pointed to where Richard stood to the president’s left.
Richard caught himself noticing the way her sweater clung to her subtle curves, and he turned back towards the screen.
“Good people of the world, for today I do not only address the American people but all the brother hood of man,” opened the president. “We are on the eve of a momentous occasion. Nearly two years ago a radio signal reached our lovely, blue Earth. It came from travelers, explorers, seeking out intelligent species like their own for the purpose of forming friendships.
“Good people of Earth, we your leaders, after much debate, have decided to accept their kind offer of friendship. The benefits to us as a species far outweigh any minor risks.
“As a show of good faith our new friends have already transmitted to us a cure for cancer. This wonderful development will be available across the globe within a year, thanks to the efforts of Doctor Richard Green and his team of researchers from the University of Goleta, who have turned the diagrams and instructions transmitted to us by our friends into a reality.
“These brave explorers from across the void will be landing at the international plaza of the United Nations in a little under three months time. We welcome them as brothers. Without further delay I wish to surrender the floor to the captain of the space vessel Wikell, Captain Tannal.”
The image on Richard’s screen shifted to show Tannal standing in a room with green walls; behind him were a beautiful Amerindian woman, a classically handsome Negro man, and a beautiful, delicate, Asian woman.
“Greetings people of Earth. We come in peace for all Darmuks. We greet you as brothers and fellow sentients. My command crew and I are pleased to be the first representatives of our race to form this new bond and look forward to the many things we can learn from one another. Due to the realities of space transmission it will be some time before real time communications between my vessel and your world become possible. Rest assured we very much look forward to lively conversation and enjoyable moments with our new friends, the people of Earth.”
Richard turned off the screen.
“You can’t be serious?” said Zane, his face blank.
“Richard, is this for real?” Ashley was wide eyed.
“Yes and yes. I wanted to tell you but until the official announcement it was all top secret.”
“So we didn’t invent the cure.” Ashley pouted.
“We made it. We came to understand it, at least partially. Does it matter?” Richard sat down and took her hands in his.
She took a deep breath before speaking. “Aliens. Goddess, I always believed they were out there but…How long have you known?”
“Since the start of the project.”
“Are they really friendly?”
“They seem to be.”
“I can’t fucking believe this!” Zane jumped to his feet. He stared at Richard then his sister. “Fucking aliens!”
“Zane, I wish I could have told you.”
“We’ve been implanting some alien doodad in our test subjects.” The young man went red in the face.
“Zane,” began Ashley.
“Don’t you think they had a right to know?”
“Zane! They were all terminal. Maybe their right to live was a little more important than their right to know,” suggested Richard.
“Yeah…sorry…just…aliens! Wow! And the Asian chick—what a hottie.” Zane took his seat.
“These beings travel over light years and you describe one of the crew as a hottie,” objected Ashley.
“Well she is. Why do they look so much like us?” Zane’s face betrayed suspicions that were beginning to form.
“That’s one of the things they haven’t told us yet,” replied Richard.
“Secrets! I don’t trust secrets,” said Ashley.
Chapter Nine
Loves Power
Richard lay on the sleeping mat. A piece of paper with March sixth, twenty-thirty-seven was taped to the floor beside him. His mind was focused on one thing. One pure memory. His heart was filled with Ashley. A portable interface was jacked into the old cable line and connected into the port in his skull. His breathing steadied and his mind quested out. He had initiated contact with Ashley before, but more rode on this effort than he ever thought possible. Data streamed around him as he followed flows of information the way a kayaker might ride a rapid. A back trail connected his consciousness to his body. Several major flows converged on a single point. He allowed the current to draw him to the nexus.
* * * *
Ashley lay naked in the magic circle with Richard beside her. The alter candles blazed. The flickering light painted her skin golden. She rose on one elbow and stared down at him. His eyes opened and he smiled at her.
“I love Beltane.” She grinned.
“There are some advantages to the solitary path.”
“All acts of love and joy are my sacrament.” Ashley snuggled into his side.
“No greater power than that of a man and a woman joined in the bonds of love,” agreed Richard.
“I have to admit, this is a lot more fun than doing it symbolically with the athame and chalice.”
Richard smiled at her. “It’s why husbands and wives make the best working partners.”
Ashley smiled and scanned his living room. The candles’ half-light transformed it into a magic cavern where all things were possible.
“Husband and wife?” she asked.
“Well umm…”
Ashley ran a finger down the center of his chest. “Don’t worry. When we’re both ready, if that’s how it works out.”
Richard kissed her and playfully tickled her sides.
“Stop oh stop,” pleaded Ashley.
The dream recall shifted, the memory setting taking on new aspects. Richard stopped tickling where she knew during the real event the tickle had changed to a caress and he had begun a second love making session.
“Ashley,” said Richard. His face became care worn and there was more grey in his hair.
“Richard?”
“Honeymoon in York, dining at the Golden Ram.” He spoke the facts that only the two of them shared.
“Richard, what is it. The risk. If they sense your connection…” In the dream Ashley sat up in the circle.
“I’m coming for you, love. We’re going to kill the bio-mind.”
“Your program is ready?”
The dream image of Richard took Ashley’s hands. “Yes. I need you to determine which parts of the data matrix would be most vulnerable.”
“Goddess. When it dies the power facility will—”
”I know.”
“We’ll be killed.”
“I died when that beast took you from me. I would rather live a minute with you than a life-time without.”
“Richard, you’ll have to be here physically to insert the program.”
“Yes.”
“I’m…I don’t look like you remember.”
“I love you, Ash. Your form is of little consequence.”
“Richard, look.” The dream image of Ashley closed its eyes. The image shifted, scars marred her skin and there were tubes running in and out of her skull. A pulsating grey thing passed through a hole in her side. Her nose had obviously been broken and several of her teeth were missing. Her hair had either been shaved or chemically removed.
“Ashley.” Richard took the apparition’s hands.
“Can you stand to see me like this?”
Richard touched her cheek.
“I love you; your body is of little consequence to that. I am coming to be with you, and no power in this universe will stop me!”
A tear trickled down Ashley’s cheek and the form before Richard returned to that of the redheaded beauty.
He kissed her.
“Richard, you should go. If they detect you…”
“They will not. Humans built the mechanical system. I’ll trust to our mastery of it even now, and to love’s power. I’ve missed you.”
“And I you.”
Richard kissed her and allowed his hands to caress the dream form before him. She kissed him back and reaching down stroked his penis. Mind mingled with mind, using the symbolic allegory of flesh. They caressed each other stroking away the hurts and cares. Richard ran his fingers through her hair, feeling its silky quality. She lay on her back and he kissed her lips then suckled her. She was his Ashley, and, for a moment, they both let the last three years vanish into their love.
He entered her and the dream illusion dissolved. They melded one to the other, caressing, healing, touching. Two minds similar yet different, balancing each other and becoming more than the sum of their parts. Ashley’s thoughts glowed a rich, dark blue, shot through with gold and purple. Richard was a deep navy with yellow and brown highlights. They flowed together, a nimbus of
light.
A total sharing that made the physical act of love seem clumsy and shallow by comparison. The degradation she had faced melted before an onslaught of total acceptance and support. His memories of harsh decisions, the deaths he counted as his fault, fell away before total understanding. They spiraled together, the minds intertwining. Orgasm was an explosion of gold fire that flashed through them both until they glowed like a newborn sun.
“Go, my love,” whispered Ashley’s voice in the joined minds.
Richard reluctantly withdrew; knowing that if he was caught in cyber space there were ways his consciousness could be bound.
* * * *
Ashley opened her eyes and looked at the perversion that had been made of Betty. She turned the other way and saw the greater perversion that was Tannal. He spoke with a large creature with snake-like skin, yellow, slit-pupil eyes and a head like a boar. Tannal sent a surge of power into Ashley’s brain that jerked her fully awake.
“Yes master?” asked Ashley.
“Access the information on the company B-3267 and print out their marching orders.”
“Yes master.” Ashley mentally pulled up the files, simultaneously sending the number of Darmuks in the company and the route they were taking to the resistance.
“Excellent,” said Tannal. The boar-headed creature marched from the room.
The door opened and two filthy children, of no more than six, entered. One carried a platter of food the other a bucket of gruel. The one with the bucket paused by each of the ram units and ladled three scoops into the grey, pulsing symbiont placed over their stomach.
The child with the tray carried it to Tannal’s side and waited.
Finally the child with the bucket filled Ashley’s symbiont.
“Thank you,” she said.
“Foolish custom to thank a slave,” snapped Tannal.
“Yes master,” agreed Ashley.
“Oh did you know a girl named Tabitha? She would have been a year behind you in high school?” Tannal lifted a large turkey leg from the tray the boy carried and took a bite. Slaver spilled from the sides of his mouth as he chewed. Bits of gristle fell onto his fat belly.
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