by I. T. Lucas
The guy looked uncertain. “Don’t forget that I’d been having doubts about Navuh’s so-called holy war long before I met you, and his hold on me was already weakening. That being said, I had nowhere to go. The Brotherhood was my home, my family, my entire world, so even though I had doubts, leaving was extremely difficult. I needed a major catalyst, and I don’t think I would have jumped ship and dove into the deep for anyone other than you. A good friend would not have been enough.”
“That’s precisely the power of cults,” David said. “Even those who somehow realize the truth of their situation can’t leave because they have nowhere to go. They are led to believe that they have no support system on the outside, no safety net. For better or for worse, the cult is their entire world.”
“Hmm.” Sari put her hand on David’s thigh. “You might be onto something. Let’s take a random former Doomer for an example. He was brainwashed to hate us, and the prime objective of his conditioning was the annihilation of our clan. If we were to capture him and offer him our support, give him decent living conditions, and assign him one of us as a Big Brother of sorts to form a bond of friendship with, would that be enough to break apart his indoctrination?”
“Not every Doomer,” Kalugal said. “When I planned my escape, I carefully assembled a unit of men whom I could trust. I had the ability to override my father’s compulsion and set them free, but only a select few were worth the effort. Most were so rotten that they were beyond salvage. Don’t forget that Navuh’s breeding program favors thugs, and then the training camp reinforces those inborn traits. Some of the men were lucky to inherit their mothers’ personalities, but my observation is that the thuggish genes are dominant.”
“What do you think, David?” Amanda asked. “Is it possible to redeem the sons of thugs and bullies who inherited their fathers’ violent tendencies?”
“That’s a tough question. If you are asking me whether nurture or nature determines a person’s personality, I would say that nature is the dominant force. But from what you are telling me, in the Brotherhood’s case, nature and nurture were combined to produce monsters. What I’m going to say will not sound politically correct, and I wouldn’t say it in a faculty meeting, but I doubt that anything could be done about those men.”
Kalugal sighed. “That’s what I’ve tried to tell my brother. He has those naive fantasies about freeing the island’s population. He thinks that once the men bond with mates, they will have a new and positive purpose for their lives, start families, and live happily ever after.”
From the corner of his eye, David saw the goddess’s expression turn from impassive to determined.
“We can save at least some of them,” Annani said. “Not all of them were born bad. The problem is determining who is who.”
Leaning back in his chair, Kalugal crossed his arms over his chest. “I have an idea for an interesting experiment. You have all those Doomers in stasis in your catacombs. We could start waking them up one at a time. Either Annani or I can compel them to break Navuh’s compulsion if it’s still affecting them, and then we can try to implement David’s theory of healthy attachments.”
Kian regarded him as if he’d lost his mind. “And how do you propose to do that? Bring them to the village and show them how good life can be?”
“Why not? If I compel them to behave, they won’t be a threat. Besides, you can put one of those exploding cuffs on them. That’s one hell of an incentive for good behavior.”
Kian shook his head. “As long as I’m in charge, that is not going to happen. Those Doomers were murderers and rapists, and the only reason we spared their lives was that my mother didn’t allow us to kill them.” He looked at Annani. “With all due respect, Mother, that was and still is your biggest mistake. The world is a better place without those vermin, and I have no intention of ever releasing them so they can once again hurt innocent people, humans or immortals.”
5
David
Kian was an intense guy, but his vehemence had taken David by surprise, especially given the familial setting and at whom his anger had been directed.
Was it wise to antagonize she-who-must-be-obeyed?
Except, the goddess didn’t seem offended by her son’s outburst. Regarding him with indulgence rather than anger in her eyes, she smiled. “We agreed to disagree on the subject, Kian. You are not going to change my mind, and I am not going to change yours, but my decree stands. If even one of these men can be saved, then it is worth the effort of keeping them all entombed. There are not many of us left in the world, and I will not contribute to the extinction of our kind.”
Letting out a breath, Kian deflated like a balloon. “My apologies, Mother. Your heart is in the right place.”
The goddess nodded. “I think Kalugal’s idea has merit. We should give it some further thought.”
Kian did his best to school his features, but it was obvious that he wasn’t happy about the direction the conversation had taken. “Perhaps in the future. Right now, I see no merit whatsoever in waking up any Doomers. We just don’t have the resources for that. Kalugal and his men are about to move into the village, and that’s a major undertaking for all of us. Let’s focus on making that work first.”
“Very well.” The goddess turned to her butler. “You may serve breakfast now, Oshidu.”
“Yes, Clan Mother.” He bowed and turned around.
As soon as Oshidu opened the suite’s front door, the other two butlers rolled in carts loaded with covered trays. The food must have been delivered from the castle’s kitchens while the family had been talking, and the butlers had just waited for the goddess to give them the okay to serve it.
David watched them as they removed the lids and put trays on the table. It was hard to believe that they were cyborgs. Perhaps part of the illusion was that they didn’t look young or handsome. They were stocky, had a few wrinkles, mainly smile lines around their eyes, and although their facial expressions were equally mellow and servile, they were not identical.
The one named Oshidu seemed in charge, and the other two looked to him for cues. Their movements were not mechanical but rather fluid, which was probably the best telling sign that their middle-aged appearances were misleading. They moved like young, agile men.
David was incredibly curious about them and how far their cognition went.
It was a shame that the goddess refused to let them be examined. Their internal logic structures could serve as a model for the development of human-looking artificial intelligence that was safe. According to Sari they were ancient relics, but despite having thousands of years to learn, they hadn’t become sentient, which was the biggest fear of those working on AI.
As a psychologist, though, he might be able to get a good picture of how their cyborg minds worked without having to take them apart.
David still hadn’t had a chance to talk to Sari’s butler and ask him about Annani’s past. If their brains operated like computers, chances were that Sari was right and that the goddess had ordered them to forget whatever she didn’t want anyone to know. That was the best way to ensure her secrets were safe.
Still, on the slight chance that she’d neglected to do so, it was worth a try.
“Did I tell you about my idea for opening a pub in the village?” Syssi broke the silence.
“A pub?” Kalugal asked. “I like the sound of that. Is it going to be near the café?”
Lifting her coffee cup for Oshidu to refill, Syssi cast a sidelong glance at Kian. “Can I tell everyone about the eastern slope development?”
He shrugged. “It’s not a secret. I’m sure that Gavin has already spread the rumor.”
“I didn’t hear anything,” Amanda said.
“I did not hear any rumors either.” The goddess turned to her son. “Are you embarking on a new building project, Kian?”
“The idea came up only a day before we left, so it’s not like I was trying to keep it a secret from you all. I just wasn’t a hundred percent su
re that I would go through with it.” He looked at Syssi. “Do you want to tell Mother how it all started?”
“Sure.” She put her coffee cup down. “I wanted a larger dining room so I can host family dinners.” She smiled at Kalugal. “Our family keeps growing, which is absolutely fantastic, but as you’ve pointed out, our house is too small. We decided to put in an addition and enlarge the dining room, but even with the addition it’s still not big enough. Kian suggested that we build a larger house, but since there is no space in the village, he thought about building it on the eastern slope. Except, it doesn’t make sense to build just one house there. Naturally, we will also need several houses for the Guardians assigned to us. And since we are already putting up a new neighborhood, we thought about adding several amenities, like a full-service restaurant and a pub.”
Kian leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. “Syssi met with Gavin the same day, so hopefully, by the time we return, he will have some initial sketches for us.” He looked at Sari. “My initial offer still stands. So, if you want to move your people into the village, this is your chance to design your new habitats the way you want them.”
“I thought that you were offering me the houses in phase two.”
“You can have your pick.”
Sari sighed. “I have to admit that it’s tempting, and I could use the change of pace, but we need the European base.”
“What you need is a Chinese center,” Kalugal said. “China is the next superpower, and those who establish a base there will have a big advantage over everyone else. The problem with that is that operating under the Chinese government’s nose would be extremely difficult.”
Raking his fingers through his hair, Kian cast a sidelong glance at Kalugal. “I know what you are thinking. In a decade or so, Jin could be the perfect leader for that center. But right now, she’s too young and inexperienced.”
Kalugal shrugged. “Someone who has the experience can join her. Given her unique talent, just imagine what she could do for the clan.”
6
Eleanor
It was after midnight when Eleanor picked up her new phone for the umpteenth time and stared at it as if it was her damnation and the answer to her prayers at the same time.
She’d had the phone since Thursday, but she’d been too chicken to make the call.
What if Greggory didn’t want to hear from her?
If he wanted to talk to her, he could’ve found a way. He wasn’t as restricted as she was. He could’ve called Onegus and asked for Vivian’s home or cell phone numbers. And if he didn’t have Onegus’s number, his boss could have gotten it for him.
Bottom line, Greggory had the means to contact her but hadn’t, so he was either uninterested in pursuing their so-called relationship, or he lacked initiative and was too much of a yes-man.
Granted, he wasn’t the brightest or most intriguing guy she’d ever met, but there was something about him that called to her.
For some inexplicable reason, he made her feel safe, and that was something that Eleanor hadn’t felt even as a little girl living with her parents.
Her entire life, she’d relied only on herself. Some of it was the knowledge that she could do better than most people, so why bother, but a big part of it was her conviction that no one had her back, and that she was on her own.
It hadn’t been only in her mind either.
Even though her expectations of people were very low to start with, they still managed to disappoint her time and again.
People were selfish, fearful, and mostly indifferent.
Not that she was any better, but sometimes Eleanor wondered if it was the chicken or the egg that came first, and whether she was that way because of how she’d been treated, or she’d been treated badly because of the way she’d behaved toward others.
Perhaps subconsciously, she’d made sure to be unworthy because she’d been let down too many times. Believing that she’d been treated like a pariah because she’d earned it was better than having no reason for it at all.
Leaning on the pillows stacked against her headboard, Eleanor opened the device. It was already cued in with Greggory’s number on the screen. All she had to do was to press the green call button, but her finger refused to close the distance.
“Don’t be such a damn chicken, Eleanor.” She let her head drop back.
Greggory would probably disappoint her just as everyone else had done. She should just get it over with and find out one way or another. He wasn’t the only fish in the sea, and if he didn’t want her, others would.
“Since when were you such a coward?”
Since she’d found out that not everyone was inherently bad.
It suddenly dawned on her that it was Vivian’s fault.
Well, not exclusively. She shared the blame with Kri.
The two had proven to Eleanor that not everyone was selfish and indifferent. Vivian had come through for her when she’d had absolutely no reason to, welcoming her into her home and sharing her family with her.
Parker was such a great kid. He was happy to have his aunt living with him, accepting her even though she had never been there for him in that capacity before.
And as for Kri, she had befriended Eleanor despite what everyone thought of her, and even helped her get a phone.
What that meant was that Greggory might surprise her as well, but the fear of getting that hope smashed was paralyzing. As long as she didn’t call and confront him, that hope could remain alive.
Except, living with the uncertainty was driving her insane. She had to know. If he didn’t want anything to do with her, she might take Kri’s advice and start hanging out in the café. Perhaps someone else would be willing to take a chance on her.
Right. There might be plenty of takers for hookups, but nothing more than that. Besides, she didn’t want anyone else in her bed. Hell, just thinking about hooking up with anyone other than Greggory made her feel dirty.
It was stupid. They were not in a committed relationship or any kind of relationship for that matter. She was free to sleep with whomever she wanted.
Angry at herself and at Greggory, Eleanor forced her finger the rest of the way and touched the green circle.
The phone rang twice before Greggory answered in his familiar baritone. “Who is it?”
“It’s Eleanor.”
He sucked in a breath. “Eleanor. I thought that they didn’t allow you to make calls.”
“They didn’t. Well, they still don’t. I can only call people within the village or you.” She gripped the phone tighter. “Why didn’t you call me?”
“I wanted to, but I couldn’t. I don’t know anyone in the village.”
What a convenient excuse.
“Your boss does. You could have asked him.”
There was a long moment of silence. “I’m just a simple soldier, Eleanor. I’m not close to Kalugal, and after my blunder with you, I walk on eggshells around him.”
His excuses were pissing her off. “What about his second-in-command? He could have asked for you. If you don’t want to talk to me, just say so. Don’t make up excuses.”
Greggory sighed. “I miss you, and I want to talk to you. But even if Rufsur could have arranged for us to talk, it would have been monitored for security reasons. I don’t want to talk to my girlfriend with Guardians hearing every word.”
He thought of her as his girlfriend? Eleanor’s mood improved in an instant.
“You are right, and the call is being monitored, but I’d rather talk to you with them listening in than not talk with you at all. There are plenty of things we can talk about that are okay to share in public. I can tell you about my days, you can tell me about yours, we can talk about the weather for all I care. I just want to hear your voice.” Eleanor’s voice hitched on the last sentence, and she got mad at herself for getting emotional.
“Oh, Eleanor, I’m so sorry. You are absolutely right. Just hearing your voice makes my day better. Talk to me,
tell me what you’ve been doing. Are they treating you well?”
Letting out a breath, Eleanor pushed up against the pillows. “I’ve been doing great. I started training with a Guardian named Kri, and she is awesome. We’ve become good friends. In fact, she and I are going on a virtual ski adventure. We volunteered to test out the two new virtual experience machines William put together.” She chuckled. “They were originally designed for virtual hookups, but Kri and I are obviously not going to do that.”
“Isn’t it dangerous?”
“The technology is already used commercially in the human world, and people are paying a fortune for the privilege. So far, there have been no negative incidents. You can google them. I think they are called the Perfect Match Virtual Experience Studios.”
“I will. Do you know if they have an office in the Bay Area?”
“I can ask William, but if you are wondering whether we can have a shared experience while you are still there and I’m here, the answer is no. William is not going to connect the village machines to the commercial studios’ network. If you want to play with me, you will have to come here. Perhaps you can ask your boss to give you a leave of absence?”
“I wish I could. I need to wait for him and Rufsur to return from Scotland, and when they do, I doubt that I’ll get permission to visit the village ahead of the move. We all have our hands full packing my boss’s archeological artifacts, and besides, our part of the village is not ready yet.”
“You could move ahead of time, and in the meantime use the same homes that you stayed in for your boss’s wedding.”
“I don’t know if that’s an option.”
