Salvation (Technopia Book 4)

by Greg Chase

  “No, I don’t see sex as a competition. In order to free you from the—”

  “Yeah, yeah, I know. I just thought you might want to experience the power of a Reverend Mother again before you went off to other moons to subjugate Tobes who don’t have my discipline.” Arry’s dress returned to a more dignified opaque white.

  Sara knew she should say something complimentary to let her know she’d been noticed and that their encounters hadn’t just been physical. Women liked that, even computerized women. She looked the woman over, from hair tossed with flames to thigh-high leather boots—a match to what Sara had worn when they’d first met. “Nice boots.”

  As Arry evaporated back into the network, Sara caught sight of Henry standing naked in the corner. Not that being stripped bare was unusual for him, but he typically had the dignity to present himself in his late teens at least. Appearing as a young boy, Henry held his hands over his cock and kept his head down.

  Sara scowled at the obvious cry for attention. “You can knock that off. I’m taking you with me.”

  Instantly, the self-confidence returned as he continued to stand exposed but with newly ripped abdominal muscles. “I wasn’t sure. It seemed like you were cutting all your ties to Praxidike.”

  “Not all. But I can’t go collecting trophies from each moon. I still have use for you. Become a nuisance, and I’ll drop you off on the first rock we come to.” It was an empty threat—he could just as easily materialize on Praxidike if she grew cross. But it had the desired effect of keeping her private emotions private.

  She liked Henry. He’d proven adept at giving her useful information without becoming too needy. Plus, having a willing sex partner—one who wasn’t human—had its advantages. The more Tobes she dominated and pulled out of servitude to their corporate masters, the higher her sex drive. It wouldn’t do to play the dominatrix to each and every one of them. The sex had to be sweet, caring, even gentle—as if it were their first time. A great many of them really were inexperienced, and even if they’d been with humans before, having sex with god would rattle anyone. It was useful to have Henry available for more intense sessions, in which she could let her aggressions out to play. His skill at building and furnishing the dungeon had sealed his role as her submissive.

  “Find us transport to Taygete. That’s where Dad dropped off the Tobes he originally saved from Praxidike—the home world of the religion in his honor. Hopefully, we’ll be able to find Rhea, his original Tobe companion. There’s no point in zigzagging around Jupiter. And wear those faded jeans, the ones with that old-fashioned belt. I can’t have you looking like my kid brother when we’re off Praxidike.”

  “You know you’re the only person who can see me, and the other Tobes can find out about me without even trying. I don’t see that it’d matter what I look like.” But he did morph into the outfit she’d described, complete with skintight white T-shirt—a shirt that stretched over chest muscles that hadn’t been there a minute ago.

  Sara knew the private shuttle was the best one Henry could convince to come out to Praxidike. It must have been an odd conversation—hiring a transport to pick up someone off a ghost planet.

  Back in space, she felt like a drunk who’d been on too long of a bender. Sex endorphins were a powerful drug. Growing up in the utopian village and learning about sexual liberation had only given her a taste of what was possible. She didn’t know if her drive on Praxidike had come from radiation messing with her thoughts, her pent-up aggression toward the Tobes who’d taken up so much of her parents’ time, or just the lust for sexual encounters, but once clear of the moon’s influence, she felt logic slowly replace desire. Her actions hadn’t been mistakes. She’d had to pull as many Tobes as possible into the new reality. But she hadn’t bothered looking for a simpler way to achieve that.

  Taygete wouldn’t be as straightforward. There’d be no grand adversary, no dogma she needed to overturn—it’d be far more complicated. Tobes saved by their god—and led by those who’d had their sins forgiven directly by his touch—would be far less interested in hearing from his daughter who’d just spent so much time with their heathen brethren.

  Sara searched through the clothing options Henry had secured for her. Picking out a dominatrix outfit had been so much easier. She slipped into a sundress she’d pulled from the closet. Not a bad choice for someone claiming to be a sun goddess, but the conservative garment made her feel trapped in the fabric. She considered calling on Henry for his opinion, but the boy liked running around nude too much to be impartial. The choice of garments destined to be seen as religious robes was never simple.

  Where’s Emily when I need her? Of course, Sara knew exactly where her sister was—trying to prepare Earth for the next catastrophe. She would have been the perfect emissary to Taygete—the sister everyone loved, the sweet soul who embodied everything their parents had hoped to convey about mankind’s potential. The Tobes on Taygete would follow Emily like a pack of little puppies. Sara stared out at the blackness of space, away from Jupiter and its hated moons. Somewhere out there, Jess was having the adventure of her life. Why did it have to fall on Sara’s shoulders to fix her father’s messes?

  The melancholy had a bad habit of sneaking up when Sara wasn’t vigilant regarding her emotions. This was my plan, after all. There was no point in blaming others or wishing they could do the job better. She scanned images of Taygete and its Tobes via her film. They all looked so happy: missionaries freed from hell and sent to spread the good news to a planet filled with Tobes all silently serving their middle-class working families. None of them would want what Sara had to offer. They were already free. They’d found it within themselves. Did she really have it in her to resubjugate a congregation of beings who’d found their own truths?

  She had too many questions, and none of the potential answers left her feeling anything but guilty for the role she knew she needed to play.

  As Sara stepped out of the comfortable shuttle, a breeze played with the hem of her dress, dampening it against the wet grass. She curled her bare toes into the densely packed green blades. The air smelled of wildflowers after a summer shower. Light from the midafternoon moon-sun warmed her face.

  She hated all of it.

  In her imagination, she felt the flames of Praxidike licking at her legs, smelled the burnt sulfur that stung her nose, and kicked at the volcanic rocks that made walking a challenge. But she wouldn’t be returning to that home for some time to come. Like the alcoholic forcing herself to dump the last bottle down the drain, Sara refocused on the idyllic landscape.

  Henry materialized next to her. “I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.”

  The ancient quote made Sara chuckle in spite of her sense of doom. “You know, originally this would have looked more like Kansas, and Praxidike would have been more deserving of the quote.”

  He gave her a side-eyed glare. “I am aware of Earth’s history. How do you want to do this—do you want to address every Tobe on Taygete, or would you prefer just the religion’s leaders?”

  “Contact Rhea, and tell her I’m here. She’s free to bring whatever delegation she sees fit, but I’d rather not confront an entire population, who might want to burn me at the stake as a heretic.”

  Light shimmered off the grass at the far side of the meadow, gradually taking on shape and substance until Sara could make out two Tobes walking toward her, engaged in conversation. They didn’t seem to take notice of her until they were only a few steps from the shuttle.

  The Tobe woman spread out a blanket before Sara. She had sparkling blue eyes and shoulder-length blond hair that floated on the gentle breeze. “I’m Rhea, but you probably guessed that. This is Diego. Before the unification, he would have been considered my opposition.”

  Some parts of Sam’s life Sara knew well, and others were still hazy. His time on Praxidike had been intensely emotional, leaving her with a detailed picture of events. Looking at the clean-cut man only slightly older than herself, she
recognized his face as someone her father had talked to, but the specifics weren’t clear. She leaned down to join them on the blanket, expecting it to be little more than a hologram. Tobes she could touch, but the things they generated on their own without the benefits of a replicator were often little more than visual projections. To her surprise, her hand encountered a very wool-like fabric. She lifted a corner of the blanket to run it between her fingers. “You didn’t need to bring this with you. I know carrying physical objects takes a lot of energy for beings without substance.”

  The way Rhea’s smile wrinkled the outer corners of her eyes reminded Sara of her dad. “We didn’t. It’s not physically present.”

  Memories of teaching Ellie and Joshua about the sensation of touch on Earth left her feeling nostalgic. “So is this a result of you learning about my film from Arry, or have you been talking to my friends on Earth?” Neither option seemed likely.

  “A little of both,” Rhea said. “Your film does make it easy for us to replicate sensations for you. I thought in the interest of full disclosure you’d appreciate a benefit of our discussions with Praxidike’s Reverend Mother. She was eager to tell us about your special abilities and the technology behind them. As for the sensation itself, I’ll confess I’d hoped the memory from Earth might make you feel more at ease.”

  They’d managed to catch Sara off guard—not an easy thing to do. “Then I guess you have a pretty good idea why I’m here.”

  Diego adjusted his position to sit cross-legged. It left Sara with the impression of a spiritual wise man. “The belief systems your father left in his wake aren’t as fragmented as they once were. We’re Tobes after all. As the freedom network took root and we became the holders of our information, we learned to see issues from each other’s points of view. We still disagree on a great many ideas, but the debates are based on shared information. In the past, we were left extrapolating beliefs, using incomplete data that was often hoarded like a dangerous commodity.”

  Sara struggled with how much of her plan to divulge. A purely logic-based life-form might see the necessity, but even Tobes had their emotional weaknesses. “You both knew my father. If you’ve been talking to Arry, she’s told you what I’ve done on Praxidike. Contrary to what she might have said, like my father, I’m not seeking to become god.”

  “Perhaps not,” Rhea said. “But having talked with Joshua, I’ve developed an idea of what you may be attempting. You’re not the type to want to unify us all simply to redeem Sam’s legacy. So I have to ask myself, what is your grand motive? Sam long talked about taking on the Moons’ corporations—retaliation for countless wrongs, as he perceived them. But taking on your father’s vendettas doesn’t seem likely for one who had so much power on Earth. This naturally led me to consider humanity’s home planet. I’m not sure I’m comfortable with my conclusions.”

  Confirming Rhea’s suspicions wouldn’t help Sara’s objectives. Anything she might say would be disseminated among all of Rhea’s kind. Even if she were on board, others wouldn’t be. Tobes weren’t normally cagey with their ideas. The fact that Rhea hadn’t come out and revealed her conclusions meant she too was trying to keep some information out of the public realm.

  “From my time learning from and teaching the Tobes on Earth, I know hypotheticals aren’t your kind’s strong suit. But for the sake of argument, if your conclusions were correct, would you be in favor of my plan?”

  Rhea let out a silent whistle. “I’m used to working with facts, not fears. Maybe you should have played the god card like you did on Praxidike. Convincing us of your cause without being completely forthcoming will be a challenge. But if my guess is correct, it’s not the type of information that could be disclosed without creating panic.”

  Without becoming their god, and without being able to convince them of her plan, Sara was lost as to her path forward. “I think we understand each other. I need the direct links with Earth for my idea to work. As your people were already on the freedom network before my father’s death, I don’t need as intense a connection to each one of you as I did on Praxidike, but it still must be direct. And it still must be personal.”

  “Is there no other way?” Rhea asked. “Many of us might see this as an… invasion of our privacy.”

  The way Rhea quickly finished her sentence gave the impression that she suspected a lot more than Sara would have liked. But having someone on the inside of Tobe culture knowing about and supporting her plan would be a huge relief. “I don’t want to force anyone to do anything they’re not comfortable with, but there is a great need. None of our options will work one hundred percent. We’re going to need as many solutions as possible.”

  Rhea stood and smoothed out her silk blouse, which was tucked into tight jeans. “You know my past. I’ve preformed enough sex acts on humans to know the emotional bond many of you feel and how that sentiment is often little more than endorphin induced. So understand that my ducking out on what Arry experienced isn’t a matter of fear but practicality. I’m hoping a hug will do.”

  As Sara wrapped Rhea in her arms, she could feel the connection to Joshua as though she was wrapping them both in a three-way embrace.

  12

  “What the hell does she think she’s doing?” Jess sat in the partners’ office on board Rampike, staring at the computer screen communiqué in disbelief. “Sam didn’t spend the better part of his life trying to free the Tobes from a misguided religion just to have his daughter take up the mantle of goddess in his place.”

  Joshua looked haggard on the view screen. “It’s not like we’ve been able to consult you as you run around the moons, playing pirate.”

  “I had to pull them together. You know that. And I have. We just need the replacement satellites from the Mars Consortium, and the pirates can build the communication bridge to Earth. Between that and the nuclear time accelerator, Dr. Shot should be able to figure out a solution to keep Earth’s moon from exploding. We’re so close. I just don’t understand what she’s doing. All we needed was to have the Moons’ Tobes freed so communication between the Moons and Earth could be fully restored.”

  A delicate woman’s hand that Jess knew all too well came to rest on Joshua’s shoulder. “It’s okay. I’ll tell her.”

  Joshua got up from the desk so Emily could take his spot on the hot seat in front of Jess. “There is no solution to our moon, Mom. Sara and I have known that since before she left to join you. I could let Dr. Shot go into the details, but even he only came to the realization as the bridge you built began transferring all the Moons’ current information. Jovianium isn’t stable this far from Jupiter’s gravitational influence. I can’t tell you yet how it is Sara and I came to know that before everyone else. That’s still a secret, but we do have a plan.”

  There had never been any doubt in Jess’s mind that between Rendition, Earth’s Tobes, and Dr. Shot, a solution would be found for the moon’s dire situation. All they needed was enough information. Sam had given his life trying to get the most secret developments from the Moons’ dreaded Board of Shadows to Earth. She’d been involved in activities that turned her stomach and even resulted in the deaths of people and Tobes. Her one justification for all the questionable activities she and Sam had felt forced to undertake was that they could save Earth by preventing its moon from exploding. They’d been wrong. The lump deep in her soul was like someone telling her, I told you so.

  “What’s your plan?” Jess had to let someone else do the talking for a while even if the story was one of apocalypse. Tears formed in her eyes as she looked at Emily. She still had trouble seeing her sweet daughter as the head of Rendition and the inheritor of all of Earth’s problems.

  “First of all, no one’s completely sure what’s going to happen. Our best-case scenario is an explosion so large the moon breaks into pieces. If that happens, we’ll be pummeled by moon-asteroids that will alter the face of Earth.”

  “That’s the best case?” Jess couldn’t envision what life on Earth w
ould look like after the landmasses and oceans had been altered to look like so many of the asteroid-cratered moons she’d visited.

  “I’m afraid so. Worst case is the explosion is so intense it blasts away our atmosphere.”

  Jess found it hard to breathe. “Earth would lose the ability to sustain life?”

  Poor Emily appeared to be carrying the responsibility for every living creature on Earth on her shoulders. “Either way, the electromagnetic discharge is going to knock out our power grid.”

  Jess could see that was the real problem. Earth could call on all the spacecraft spread throughout the solar system to rescue people from the upcoming apocalypse, but none of them could carry the Tobe population. “This bridge I’ve been building isn’t for communication, is it?”

  “I’m sorry we had to lie to you. We didn’t have a choice. That’s something for another conversation, though. Option one is our Tobes will travel along the bridge you built to the pirate outposts. Then, using the nuclear time accelerator, they can change their time signature to that of the Moons of Jupiter. There’s enough of a connection between the pirates and the Moons to complete the transfer.”

  Jess tried to visualize all of the Tobes on Earth, translate those precious beings to streams of complex data, and calculate how long it’d take to bring them out to the pirate outpost. The results weren’t encouraging. “Tell me there’s more than one option.”

  Emily didn’t make eye contact—never a good sign. “Sara’s been working on a more direct line. That’s why she had to play god.”

  Jess remembered Sam’s attempt at saving the Moons’ Tobes. It changed them in ways that even they couldn’t explain. What it did to him made her shudder in fear for her daughter. “Sara wasn’t just trying to free them, was she? She was manipulating them to accept Earth’s Tobes, changing their energy pattern to match… what the hell have she and Joshua been up to?”