Synapex Time

Time Portal by Rylla

Below on this page is Chapter 4 of the science fiction story Time Portal. Previously, at the end of Chapter 3, Dr. Twissell was the recipient of information from the Sedron Time Stream. After four years of planning how to time travel from the 1920s back to his homewhen of 2040, Twissell is now intrigued by the idea that he must travel even further back in time, to 1814, in order to unravel the mysteries of time travel and complete a complex time loop.

Now working under primitive conditions in the 1920s, Twissell has assembled a team of mathematicians who are helping him construct new control circuits that are needed in order to access and use the Time Portal that Twissell originally opened up inside his applied mechanics research laboratory in the year 2040 (see Chapter 1). If that Time Portal remains open, Twissell intends to use it to move another hundred years deeper into the past where he can meet Abigail Longfellow, who in 1814, first imagined how to construct a Time Portal.

Time Portal by Patty.

 In the 21st Century. Born in 1979 and as a man obsessed with trying to understand the mystery of Time, Twissell became a physics professor and devoted every spare moment of his life to the task of discovering how to move matter through the Time Barrier. After four decades of bachelorhood, Dr. Twissell finally became a married man in late 2039 (see Becky). Then, in early 2040, upon opening the Time Portal, Twissell was surprised to discover that it only allowed for time travel into the past. Due to the fundamental asymmetry of the temporal equations, the Time Portal did not allow for travel into the future. 

Believing that Francesca Maurolico had unique insight into the dimensional structure of the universe, Twissell immediately used the Time Portal to travel into the past in an attempt to seek the help of Francesca to discover how to travel into the future. 

Abigail in 1814

Twissell's hope was that as the discoverer of the equations that describe the dimensional structure of Time, Francesca would know how to adjust the control circuits of the Time Portal, making it possible to travel into the future. Thus, Twissell expected to be able to return to his own time and his wife. However, in 1922, Twissell finds that Francesca can't take seriously the idea that the act of embedding her temporal equations in the physical structure of electrical circuits will accomplish anything.

In Chapter 4 of Time Portal, below, R. Nyrtia finally appears as a character in the story. Nyrtia is moving Twissell around through time because he has useful genes that Nyrtia intends to spread more widely through the human population on Earth. In particular, Nyrtia want's to include some of Twissell's gene patterns in William, the son of Abigail Longfellow.

Aetha

 Wife #2. Arriving in 1918 (see Chapter 2), Twissell established a working relationship with the young and gifted mathematics student Frances "Frankie" McMartin. By 1922, Frankie has begun work on a Masters degree thesis research project with Twissell. Frankie has also developed close personal relationships with both Twissell and an undergraduate mathematics student, Aetha Louw. At the end of Chapter 3, Frankie realized that she is pregnant. Now, she and Twissell are making plans to get married. Twissell suspects that Frankie is the great-grandmother of his wife, Becky.

In Chapter 4 of Time Portal (below), it is revealed that Aetha has an interesting collection of genes that make her one of the most powerful telepaths on Earth. Frankie's unborn child, Anny, is a mindclone of Aetha. Aetha must use her telepathic abilities to help develop the mind of Anny who is destined to become the grandmother of Becky.

Chapter 4 of Time Portal. (Chapter 1)(Chapter 2)(Chapter 3)

The 1922 wedding reception.

Frankie's pregnancy disrupted all of Twissell's plans for quickly establishing a mathematical collaboration between Frankie and Francesca that would lead to discovery of a way to travel into the future. When it was established that Frankie was indeed pregnant, she and Twissell quickly planned their wedding which took place in town, but their wedding reception and party took place on the beach.

The wedding party was small, only fifteen people, among which Aetha was the only one who did not seem entirely happy with the match between Twissell and Frankie. 

Francesca had taken on the task of trying to console Aetha for having lost her lover, Frankie, to Twissell. As a side-benefit from that task, Francesca occasionally got to have a heated sexplay session with Aetha, either at her apartment or inside the supply closet at work.

__________________

During the week leading up to the wedding, Francesca and Aetha spent many long hours alone together in the workshop. Aetha had explained Twissell's method for representing systems of equations in physical form as electronic circuits. Gesturing towards the tangle of circuitry on the table in the workshop, Aetha told Francesca, "The professor calls this an analog computer."

Francesca tapped her finger tips on the panel of keys that rested on the edge of the work bench, "And this is the input system?"

Aetha nodded, "Those buttons control the amount of electric current that goes into the circuits."

"But what is the point?" Francesca waved a hand at the complex circuitry. "I can't take seriously the idea that this circuit will accomplish anything useful."

Aetha had no deep understanding of either mathematics or physics, only a vague intuition that she wanted to become an electronics engineer and build calculating machines that would be in demand by businesses, governments and universities. Aetha was amused by Francesca's skepticism and the cute way her pretty mouth twisted when she struggled not to say something rude about the professor's crazy ideas. Aetha explained, "Dr. Twissell claims that this analog computer is a controller... that it can control Time."

_______________

Now, a week after Francesca's arrival in Perth, she and Aetha had finally completed the task of modifying the circuits to exactly match Francesca's set of equations that she had developed for her Masters thesis. There had been some subtle but important differences between the circuit design advocated by Twissell and Francesca's equations. Now, after a week of work, those differences had been eliminated from the circuitry in the workshop.

Francesca still doubted that this analog computer could do anything at all. Whenever she fed electric current into the complex circuit, all she observed was the odor of burning insulation coming from the wires. 

During the past week, Twissell and Frankie had almost never made appearances in the workshop. They came to campus when they had to teach a class, but otherwise they were busy preparing for their wedding. Twissell himself seemed embarrassed by the "time circuits" project and had only told Francesca that he intended to use the circuits to send himself through time again. It was frustrating for Francesca that Twissell could not explain the physical basis of time travel, muttering only, "Look, you can't argue with success". Francesca often asked herself which was more likely: that Twissell was a time traveler from the future or that Twissell was deluded and only had fantasies about time travel.

Now, with a final look over the completed circuits, Francesca shook her head in dismay and turned her eyes back to rest on the very cute Aetha. "Well, we did it."

Aetha glanced at the clock on the wall. It was 3:24 AM. "You better get yourself home. Your husband is going to be worried about you." She went to the window and shut off the exhaust fan.

Francesca raised her long arms over her head and bent backwards, trying to un-knot her back muscles after so many long hours bent over the table. "No, he has been running all around town trying to buy land for the Army. He was after a Nedlands Park parcel, but now there is some deal over in Swanbourne. All hush-hush. He told me he'd be out working on that project all night."

Aetha asked, "Swanbourne?"

Francesca untied the scarf that had been constraining her hair, and her blond tresses tumbled down around her shoulders, "I guess you must know it as Osborne. They're changing the name."

For a moment, Aetha watched Francesca shake out her beautiful hair. "Really? I suppose I should follow the local news, but I'm so busy..." Aetha finished locking the window. She walked back across the workshop, took off her headband and gave her head a shake to send he own long red hair flying. Aetha passed close to Francesca, stopped suddenly and said, "I never see Frankie any more. Would you be willing to come to my apartment and keep me company?"

 Francesca reached out and ran her fingers through Aetha's long red hair. "I'd love to." 

Aetha's knees went weak and she felt dizzy. She'd been restraining herself from touching Francesca, telling herself she'd only be in for more heart break if she tried to develop a personal relationship with a married woman like Francesca. Ten minutes later they were inside Aetha's apartment and Aetha said, "I'll cook you breakfast." They started preparing omelets, but then while cracking an egg, Francesca made the egg explode. Aetha quickly moved to wipe some egg off of Francesca's clothing. When Aetha touched Francesca, she again felt dizzy and now she experienced a flashed vision in her mind of making love to Francesca. Suddenly her heart was racing. Aetha looked into Francesca's eyes and asked, "Did you feel that?"

Francesca put her hands on Aetha's shoulders and said, "I can see the future, my love. I've been feeling something since my first day in Perth... do you remember when we spoke on the phone that day? As soon as I heard you, I recognized your voice."

Aetha slid her arms around Francesca and asked, "You've seen our future?"

Aetha orgasm trance

"I've had visions... a few sweet glimpses of our future." Francesca gently kissed the tip of Aetha's nose. "I know we will become lovers. I've been patiently waiting for you to..."

"What?"

"Oh, I don't know...

Aetha's heart was pounding hard in her chest and she heard blood rushing in her ears. She nodded and with a broad smile told Francesca, "I just saw that future... you and I having sex... like a memory in my mind. What is going on?"

Francesca felt like she was falling into Aetha's hypnotic blue eyes. She had never previously felt that sensation with anyone but her husband. Francesca suggested, "Maybe you saw what is in my mind. Maybe you can read my mind."

Aetha pulled Francesca into her bedroom and the omelets were forgotten. An hour latter, Francesca and Aetha lay together with their arms and legs wrapped around each other. Francesca asked, "What just happened?"

The two women had both experience a shared orgasm trance during which their two minds had begun to telepathically synchronize. Aetha replied, "I was inside you."

Francesca giggled and said, "You can put your hot little fist inside me like that anytime you want. And I'm going to be routinely asking you to get your magical tongue back on my genitals... but as amazing as the sex was, I'm even more baffled by the fact that I found myself able to sneak around inside your mind and explore your memories." Sometimes Francesca felt like she knew what her husband was thinking, but she has never before looked into someone else's mind.

Francesca orgasm trance

"Me, too!" Aetha told Francesca, "I found one of your favorite memories... a memory of you on top of your husband, riding his hot, hard erection like an equestrian..." Aetha was thinking about the night spent in bed with Frankie and Dr. Thompson, when she had done the same thing with the professor. Suddenly, Aetha realized that she and Francesca were not alone. Aetha turned her head and saw someone standing in the dim corner of the bedroom. At first, Aetha thought it was Frankie, but then the woman came out of the corner and sat on the bed. Aetha stammered, "Who... what..."

The woman reached out her hands and placed one each on a leg of both Aetha and Francesca and then she telepathically spoke to them: I just allowed you two to experience a synapex link. I directly linked your nervous systems during that shared orgasm. Nyrtia did not bother to mention that she had been able to telepathically enjoy the pleasurable sensations of that orgasm. Both Aetha and Francesca were wondering if they could convince Nyrtia to link them again for another orgasm trance. Nyrtia explained: Yes, you'll be able to share more of these amplified orgasms in the future. Think of it as a gift, my payment for your services. But remember, you mustn't over do it. Only humans who grow up experiencing synapex linkages learn how to control them. Therefore, you two will find that you can only establish a synapex link to each-other on special occasions."

 Francesca asked: Who are you? The same thought was in Aetha's mind.

Nyrtia shrugged. There's no point in asking that question. Even if I told you the answer, you would not understand me. Please continue to think of me as a muse, working secretly to keep you going... as I did to force you two to complete that soldering marathon. Now, with that task complete, you two can take some time off from work and enjoy the wedding. Then after Twissell departs, I'll need you to help prevent poor Frankie from feeling abandoned.

 Francesca asked skeptically: Twissell is really going to be able to use the jumble of circuits in the workshop to travel through time?

R. Nyrtia

Nyrtia giggled and replied: Of course not! However, I can't reveal to any of you the real method by which I can move people through time. It is convenient to allow Twissell to believe that he built a Time Portal. So, you don't need to worry about the means by which I can move people around through Time, and take pity on poor Dr. T-, uh, Thompson; I've allowed him to believe that he invented time travel. Nyrtia had almost used Twissell's real name. This was the danger of sharing orgasms with her agents. Nyrtia was now so relaxed that she had almost failed to refer to Twissell by the cover identity that he had adopted in this century.

Aetha giggled. Aetha knew that she would have to tell Twissell this truth, that it was the mysterious Nyrtia who had allowed him to travel through time. Well, now the cat is out of the bag.

Nyrtia shook her head slowly. No, not really. After we are done here tonight, I won't allow you two to consciously remember this conversation, just as you can't remember our previous encounters.

Francesca was struggling to understand her own reaction to Nyrtia's sudden appearance. Strangely, nothing that Nyrtia said seemed particularly surprising. Francesca asked: We've met before?

Nyrtia moved her hands and stroked the breasts of Aetha and Francesca. Nyrtia opened up a thin synapex linkage from her finger tips to Aetha's nipple, allowing he girl to look past her telepathic shielding and into the surface layer of Nyrtia's mind. She explained: Yes, many times. It is best to allow you humans to have brief opportunities to consciously understand your mission. Then, after you understand what is expected of you, I can remove conscious access to your memories of me, leaving you in an ignorant state, but still willing and able to play out your role as my agent on Earth.  

With Nyrtia's feather soft fingers tickling her nipple, Aetha giggled again and asked Nyrtia: I'm your agent?

temporal dodecahedron

Nyrtia replied: Yes, I needed a good telepath for this project. You are perfect for the role. For example... tell me Aetha, how many minds could you sense during your orgasm trance?

Aetha shook her head and tried to analyze the sensations she had experienced while telepathically synchronized with Francesca's mind. Aetha was temporarily distracted by the pleasing way that Nyrtia was playing with her erect nipple, then she replied by speaking out-loud, "Now that I feel the pattern of your mind, I realize that you were there, linked to our minds while we had sex... watching Francesca and I. And there was another mind there in that shared mind-space, also watching us. But it was a strange mind... not a human mind pattern."

 Nyrtia switched over to speaking. "What you felt was an endosymbiont. In this case, that endosymbiont is actually crafting an extension of your own mind, a mindclone. You could telepathically sense the forming mind of the embryo that is growing inside Frankie. That embryo is developing a brain that will be half tuned to you, Aetha, and half tuned with your mind pattern, Francesca. You two will be able to telepathically guide the development of Anny's mind during gestation."

"Anny?"

"That is what Frankie will name her daughter." Nyrtia had completed her mission. Aetha and Francesca were now aware of the little mindclone network that Nyrtia had crafted. Nyrtia teleported away and then both Francesca and Aetha slumped on the bed, in a deep nanite-induced sleep. When they awoke, they had no conscious memory of having been with Nyrtia. However, Francesca's thought pattern had been changed and she no longer worried about the absurdity of Twissell's belief that he had created a functioning Time Portal in 2040 by using a magical dodecahedron.

And Aetha's jealousy over Frankie having chosen Twissell also began to fade away. Subconsciously, Aetha knew that she had not lost Frankie and had also received the gift of an exciting new lover, Francesca. And more importantly, Aetha would play an important role in developing the minds of the two mindclones that were now gestating inside Frankie and Francesca.

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Aetha and Francesca

Two days later, on the day when Twissell and Frankie were to be married, Aetha and Francesca were dressing for the wedding. Aetha had just met Francesca's husband, Kevin. Now, Aetha placed a hand on Francesca's warm arm and through her telepathic link to both Francesca and the embryo inside Francesca's uterus, Aetha experience a flash-like fantasy of feeling Kevin's penis inside her hot wet vagina. She asked, "How did you meet Kevin?"

Francesca was still not consciously aware that she was pregnant. However, now concerned about an irregularity in her endometrial cycle, she had taken the time to visit the campus medical clinic. Now, she finished the task of clipping her headpiece into her hair and reached out to place her hands on Aetha's shoulders. "We went to school together and we both worked at Macquarie Arms Hotel in Windsor before he joined the army."

Aetha asked, "You were married before the war?"

Francesca began fastening Aetha's headpiece to her mop of red hair. "No, I was only twelve and my parents would not let me get married."

"You wanted to get married when you were twelve?"

"Kevin and I became lovers when I was twelve. It was a perk of working at the hotel. Kevin and I could bounce around on the big fluffy beds. He joined the army when I was fourteen. We did not get married until he returned from Europe after the war." Francesca looked carefully at Aetha from head to foot. "You are quite beautiful." Francesca kissed Aetha on the tip of her nose and said, "It is time for the ceremony." During the wedding, Aetha almost managed to feel happy for Frankie.

After the wedding ceremony, the small wedding party drove to Mettams Beach. Before driving to the coast, Francesca and her husband stopped by the clinic and received the doctor's opinion. Based on tests of Francesca's cervical mucus, it was likely that she was pregnant.

Macquarie Arms Hotel

After sunset, all the other guests were gone, but Twissell, Frankie, Kevin and Francesca remained beside a fire on the beach. Francesca sat there on the sand, wrapped in Kevin's arms. She told Frankie, I did not want to distract anyone's attention from you today, but I have news."

Frankie was leaning back against Twissell's body and his arms were wrapped  tightly around her. She asked, "News?"

Francesca announced, "I'm pregnant, too."

Kevin said, "Now I wish I could break my plans to attend the party summit in Sydney. I should stay here with you."

Frankie began to offer her congratulations to Francesca on her pregnancy, but she was distracted by the arrival of Nyrtia who approached the four humans and sat down on the sand beside the fire. "Sorry, to interrupt, but now that all the players are upon the stage, we need to finalize our plans for the future... and the past." Nyrtia had nanites inside the brains of the four humans. In the case of Kevin, Nyrtia's nanites simply put him into a deep sleep and he slumped over on the soft sand.

Nyrtia's nanites now allowed Twissell, Frankie and Francesca to recover some of their old memories of Nyrtia. Francesca, having seen Nyrtia only two days previously, was the first to recognize her and she said, "We meet again."

Nyrtia nodded in acknowledgement to Francesca. Nyrtia was surprised at how quickly Francesca was able to access her old memories of past meetings with Nyrtia. With her daughter acting as a kind of telepathic amplifier inside Francesca's body, Francesca was now displaying increased access to the Sedron Time Stream and expanding her abilities into accessing information from the downwhen. Nyrtia then turned to Frankie and asked, "Well, are you satisfied with your wedding day?"

Frankie replied, "Yes." She explained to the others, "Nyrtia promised me I would get a wedding day..." She squeezed Twissell's hand, "...before you depart."

Nyrtia said, "I always like to keep my agents happy. Now, since this is my last opportunity to have you three together before Thompson goes into the past, I want to make sure that everyone is on the same page."

Frankie asked, "He's leaving soon?"

Nyrtia explained, "There is no good reason to delay." She left unspoken the fact that according to her analysis of the possible futures, any delay would produce problems. Twissell simply could not be allowed to remain within close range of the developing mindclone embryos that were growing inside Frankie and Francesca. Nyrtia added, "Anny and Sarah have started linking their telepathic minds to Dr. Thompson and that's a problem. It is linking their group mind into the Sedron Time Stream, providing him with more and more information about the past. That process, if allowed to continue, is going to create a temporal paradox. Dr. Thompson simply cannot know too much about his own future." She told Twissell, "So, tomorrow you must travel to 1814."

Frankie objected, "I expected to have a month or two with my husband."

Nyrtia sternly shook her head and reminded Frankie, "You two have been together for four years. Now it is important for Aetha to have constant telepathic contact with Anny and help guide the development of your daughter's telepathic mind."

Frankie asked, "Who is Sarah?"

 With his links to the Sedron Time Stream, Twissell had seen the answer to that question. He replied and told his wife, "That is the name that Francesca will give to her daughter."

Nyrtia added, "And then, after Sarah is born, Francesca will continue her mission in the 1500s."

Two copies of Francesca and Sarah.

Francesca asked mournfully, "Must I really give up my daughter?"

Nyrtia said enigmatically, "Only one of your copies will be sent into the past, so only half of you will suffer that loss. Sarah is needed here in the future. Your copy that goes to the past will have her own children, so half of you has that to look forward to." With that, Nyrtia got to her feet and wandered away into the darkness. She sent an extra set of memory control nanites into Francesca that would strengthen the locks on her conscious memories of Nyrtia. Twissell, Francesca and Frankie all fell over, unconscious on the sand. They slept while their memories of Nyrtia were altered by nanites.

Next: Chapter 5 of Time Portal.

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