Eustace teleported with Georgy back to the bedroom and tossed her onto the bed. Another woman was already there in the room, waiting. Eustace glanced at the woman and saw that she was intently engaged with a display device. "Ah, Colleen, what do you think?"Colleen was looking at a complex data stream reporting on the activity of Georgy's brain. With snarky disapproval in her voice, Colleen replied, "You wore the poor girl out, of course."
Eustace did not seem concerned. 'He' gazed upon the sleeping girl, looking for indications of a physical stress response. "She's tough as nails, a farm girl."
"But she's got significant control over the Bimanoid Interface. She already figured out how to access the infite dictionary that you implanted in her brain."
Eustace turned 'his' head and told Colleen firmly, "That's impossible."
"Look for yourself." Eustace examined the brain data and could see that Georgy really had cracked the code for unlimited access to the infite dictionary. Then, making use of the simulation control interface, Colleen made some adjustments to Georgy's body. Finally she said, "I did a complete memory erase for the past fifteen minutes and I subtracted the dictionary from this simulation. Now be careful and let the poor creature eat! I'll handle the simultaneous nanite-mediated nutrient transfer for her biobody." Colleen disappeared from the simulated reality and Eustace went to sit beside Georgy on the bed, waiting for the girl to regain consciousness.
Eustace was quite aware that they were in a simulation, a virtual reality. Eustace smiled, amused to be in disguise as a male. It was clear from the data being pulled from Georgy's mind that the girl was intrigued by Eustace and sexually attracted to "him". For a moment, Stacy explored her own thoughts: could I ever actually come to think of myself as a male? She thought not. It is fun to play this role on occasion, but I'm hopelessly female and only attracted to men.
Georgy's eyes flickered and she turned her head to look at Eustace. "I- I got a bit dizzy there."
"Perfectly normal, my dear, you've been through a lot." Eustace took hold of one of Georgy's hands, gently holding it between both of his. "Its not every day that a girl dies and gets sent off to the Moon."
Georgy grinned and put a hand to her temple. "I... I was just going to ask you a personal question, Eustace. Are you somehow related to Isaac Asimov, the writer?"
Eustace explained, "Well, Eustace Asimov is not my real name. I'm using this name as a tribute to Isaac Asimov, to honor his role in the science fiction revolution. You see, as a member of the resistance movement here at Observer Base, I often need to conceal my identity. Calling myself 'Eustace Asimov' is deceptive... just part of the life of a freedom fighter here in Eternity."
"Fighting who?"
"The Overseers. They don't want someone like me sharing advance alien technologies with Earthlings."
"But you said the tryp'At are gone."
"True, and the tryp'At were a major source of trouble for we freedom fighters, but we in the resistance movement still have our difficulties. Now listen, Georgy: I want you to take it easy. You are going to learn all about your new life here in Eternity, but not all at once, not all right this minute. Your blood sugar levels are dropping and I'd like to take you to dinner."
Georgy sat up and said, "I am hungry. And thirsty." She grabbed the water nipple from the dispenser and drank.
Eustace began pacing back and forth beside the bed. "We can either go to my place for a quiet meal or we could eat at Anatole's. Many of the resistance fighters gather at Anatole's each evening."
Georgy replaced the nipple in the dispenser and stood up. "I'd like to meet your friends, but isn't there danger if you all gather in one place?"
"We take our precautions, believe me. It is perfectly safe for us to assemble at Anatole's. A word of warning, though. Anatole is not exactly human."
"What exactly is he?"
"A replicoid. And not a typical replicoid, at that."
"What's a replicoid?"
"Anatole is a great cook. He's devoted to taking care of we fragile humans, but he might startle you when you first see him. He looks like a mechanical man."
"Ah, he's a robot. I begin to understand why you use the name Asimov. Asimov imagined a future in which humans would be served by positronic robots. And that is how it is here in Eternity?"
"To some extent. Mostly we are taken care of by nanorobotic systems. Invisibly small nanites perform many routine tasks such as cleaning and maintenance. Anatole insists on playing the role of a robotic servant. He's quite a character. Anyhow, you may not even see him. He tends to just stay in the kitchen, cooking. Still, I felt I should warn you."
"Thanks for the warning." Georgy rolled off of the bed and got to her feet. "What other surprises should I be warned about?"
Eustace took out his teleportation control device and placed an arm around Georgy's waist. "Don't worry, there are plenty of surprises in store for you, my dear. You'll be thrilled and edified as you learn about Eternity." They teleported out of the bedroom and arrived in a gaily-lit back alley of Observer Base. This part of town had a completely different character than had the dreary dark streets near the fishbowl. Eustace gestured towards a doorway, "Here we are."
Above the door were small glowing lights that spelled out "Anatole Ravenley". The door opened at their approach and Georgy was hit by a wave of loud music and savory food odors. Eustace led her by the hand to a small dining room where about 20 of his friends were gathered for talk and before-dinner appetizers. They were seated around a single long table.
Georgy immediately became the center of conversation. "Finally, Eustace appears with his new recruit!"
"What's her name, Eustace, do you plan to introduce us?"
"My, she's a youngin!"
Eustace held up a hand, "Silence you buffoons. This is Georgy White, previously abiding on the oft forgotten continent of Australia."
A woman rose from the table and placed a hand on Georgy's arm, "Welcome to Eternity, Georgy. My name is Colleen Liscan. Has Eustace been taking good care of you?"
Eustace was continuing to field questions and comments from those seated at the table. He was describing Georgy's work at Perth University and her discovery of hierions on Earth. Georgy tried to keep her attention focused on Colleen. "Eustace seems like a true gentleman, until you are naked in front of him."
Colleen rolled her eyes, "Eustace sometimes feels the need to play the role of a lecherous male. Take no offense! Deep down inside Eustace is a lonely child."
At that moment, a dozen plates full of food arrived by teleportation on the low platform that ran the length of the table at its center. Eustace said, "Enjoy your meal. We'll take our dinner on the balcony."
Eustace teleported with Georgy up the the balcony that surrounded the first floor dining area. A few other couples were up there, seated at small tables for two. Eustace and Georgy settled at their own table and waved to the group below. Eustace said, "Ignore Colleen. She is jealous and hates to see me with a new recruit."
Georgy asked, "Am I being recruited?"
"Yes. There is not much useful work to do here in Eternity. A farm-bred lass like you? I know your type! You'd be bored if you did not have a job and work to do. We in the resistance can use your assistance."
"What other options are there for me here?"
"Some new residents take up the study of Earth's history. We have on record a detailed history of human civilization, going right back to the very beginning." The center of the little table began glowing red.
"Fascinating! I've always enjoyed ancient history and particularly anthropology. Do the records here go back to the origins of the human species and-"
Eustace cut off Georgy's enthusiastic patter. "Tut tut, my girl. Let's not get carried away. Right this minute we have an immediate task of great importance! We need to get some food into you. I've taken the liberty of placing an order. Lean back from the table, now." A collection of plates, dished and cups appeared on the table, teleported directly from Anatole's kitchen. The red glow of the table faded away and they ate, with Georgy asking questions about the source of food for the residents of the Moon.
Eustace shook his head rather sadly. "As a farm lass, the less you know the better. All the food here is completely artificial. There are no farms, no fields, no fisheries here on the Moon. However, Anatole is a magician. He'll learn exactly what you enjoy and you'll soon stop wondering where your food comes from. So, just enjoy."
Georgy pointed down to the group on the floor below. "These are all your recruits? Brought here from Earth, like me?"
"No, most of them were born here in Eternity. Colleen, however, is a fairly recent arrival. Like you, she got herself involved with a violation of the Pact and won herself a ticket to the Moon."
Georgy leaned back in her chair and set down her fork. She rubbed her forehead and tried to remember how she had learned about the Trysta-Grean Pact. She knew that the Pact involved a set of rules concerning what Earthlings could be allowed to know about alien visitors to Earth. In particular, her own discovery of negative mass hierions on Earth was exactly the kind of knowledge that was forbidden by the Pact. She asked, "Who is Trysta? And Grean?"
Eustace stared off towards the high ceiling of Anatole's. "Trysta is my hero." For a long minute he was silent and the noisy banter and laughter from below was all that Georgy could hear. Eustace finally continued, "Trysta was the first proof that an Earthly primate could control the Bimanoid Interface. However, as an Asterothrope, Trysta fell short. What was needed was a true human with telepathic abilities. That is my goal, my team's on-going project: to construct, from scratch, a human with the same telepathic abilities that Trysta had."
"Trysta is not a human being?"
 |
| Trysta in the 482nd. |
Georgy realized that she knew time travel had been used to bring Trysta from the far future to the 20th century. Frustratingly, she did not understand how it was that she firmly believed in the existence of time travel as an actual technology. Georgy wondered: how do I know these strange things? She asked Eustace, "So, you not only make use of teleportation, but also time travel?"
Eustace chuckled. "Sadly, no. Time travel is no longer possible. But Trysta was a time traveler, that is certain. Actually, a better source of information about Trysta is a book that was written by Andrew Harlan after he arrived here at Observer Base. Andrew's story begins with the time that he spent in the 482nd century with Trysta and ends with an account of their time together in the 20th century."
The lights inside Anatole's began to dim. The entire building seemed to split in half and all of the seats shifted position and the room was reorganized into a theater. The plates disappeared from their table and Eustace said, "The entertainment is about to begin. I'm sorry you did not get to order dessert." Two tall glasses containing a chilled green drink appeared on the table. "This is a drink that Anatole created in honor of Trysta."
The evening's entertainment had begun. Georgy and the others now faced a large projected image. What looked like an Earthly movie began. Eustace commented, "This ceegee was made here at the Base. This is a sequel to the movie Contact."
Georgy settled back in her chair which had slowly transformed itself into a comfortable recliner. "I've heard about that movie, but I never saw it." She tasted the green drink and was struck by its subtle and delicate peppermint flavoring. She set the glass into her recliner's cup holder and leaned back, trying to make sense of the ceegee. She had the odd sensation that the story was being fed directly into her brain.
The story progressed through its preliminaries and some failed attempts to use the alien-designed Machine to send more travelers to the center of the galaxy. Then when the ceegee reached a rather steamy scene with Palmer Joss and Ellie Arroway, Eustace took hold of Georgy's hand. They held hands through the rest of the show, but Georgy never saw the ending before she fell asleep.
_______
Later, Georgy was replaying her recent memories from the fishbowl. Drifting at the delicate interface between dreams and wakefulness, she imagined calling her parents on Earth by making use of the communications equipment in the fishbowl. In her dream, she was excitedly telling her mother about Eustace, who was there with her, holding her in his arms. She felt safe and warm in the embrace of Eustace. Still speaking by phone to her mother, Georgy felt a type of illicit thrill from being there in the fishbowl, naked with Eustace. Then, Eustace morphed into the young daughter of Georgy's thesis adviser: Verella. Shocked by the idea of embracing and caressing Verella, Georgy suddenly woke up. Her eyes popped open and she peered through the shadows. It was a woman there beside her, with their limbs tangled together. Startled and disoriented, Georgy sat up and whispered, "Eustace?"
"Stacy?" Georgy tried to focus on her face. Stacy looked like Eustace, in much the way that a sister might resemble a brother. But there was no doubt that Stacy was a woman; she was quite obviously pregnant. "What happened to Eustace?"
Stacy rubbed her eyes. "I'll explain everything, but I'm tired. I'd hoped you would sleep longer. This pregnancy is wearing me out." She rubbed a hand over her bulging belly. "That whole Eustace thing was just a test. I did not want to expose my true identity to you until I could be certain who you are."
Georgy sat up in the bed, trying to order her thoughts. She had memories of having known Eustace for what seemed like years. They had grown to become collaborators in his project and they had grown to be happy and devoted lovers, sharing this very bed that Georgy now found herself in. All those sweet memories of Eustace seemed to slip away, like memories of a dream.
Stacy was speaking. "Forget about Eustace. I showed myself to you in that form as a precaution. I apologize for not trusting that you are just an innocent Earth girl. You see, I grew up during the Time War and I developed the automatic and paranoid strategy of not trusting strangers."
"Eustace was not real?"
"Nothing that you experienced while in the company of Eustace was real. The technology here for virtual reality simulations is very advanced. I've lived for so long in fear that the tryp'At would discover my human genetics project... well, that's my problem. And I should be getting over it since the tryp'At appear to have been driven away from Earth. Still, I can't escape the belief that someone must still be enforcing the terms of the Pact, so using caution is not irrational. I don't want to be sent to the Galactic Core, not now when I feel that my project is close to success. Anyhow, all that time you spent with Eustace was just me testing your identity."
Georgy reached down and placed a hand between her legs. She had a kind of composite memory of having made love with Eustace hundreds of times, of having been in love with him for years. She muttered, "Just a test?"
Stacy shook her head in wonder. "Well. I had to try."
Georgy asked, "Try what?"
"I had to try to make you forget about Eustace. I knew it would not be possible. You are a strange case. You must have access to information resources in the Sedronic Domain, just as Angela did. Amazing."
Georgy reached out and placed a hand on Stacy's bulging abdomen. "Who is the father?"
Stacy sighed. "I'd rather not discuss the matter. I'm only acting as a surrogate mother for this baby. I'm not supposed to reveal who the parents are."
Georgy closed her eyes and tried to imagine the growing fetal mind that was there inside of Stacy. "Will this child have telepathic powers?" Suddenly, Georgy was there, floating inside of Stacy. She opened her eyes and jerked her hand back.
Stacy asked, "What? Did you make contact?"
Georgy shrugged, "I must be imagining..." A shiver went up her spine. Georgy jumped off the bed and found her nanite clothing. As the nanite-woven material coated her skin, she asked, "Who is Angela?"
Eustacia explained, "Angela was a rare Earthling, along with Anney and Radhas, who could use the Bimanoid Interface as a tool for accessing information from Deep Time. Of those three, it is Radhas who has a close connection to you. In a manner of speaking, Radhas was the mother of your friend, Verella."
"Verella? She was hardly my friend, although without her I might not have discovered that deposit of negative mass matter." Georgy looked at Stacy suspiciously. "How do you know about Verella?"
"Look, Georgy, I think I've made myself clear. Since you arrived here for your second life, I've been all through you... physically and mentally. After you fell in love with Eustace, you told him everything about your life. Even how you fantasized about moving in with Verella and living like her sister. Or her mother."
Georgy shouted, "That's not true!"
"Oh? Well, I suppose it does not really matter."
"Look, if in a moment of personal fantasy you imagine making love to an older man that does not mean it was a serious plan or anything meaningful!"
Stacy observed, "And yet you seem very animated by the concept. In any case, I'm sorry I mentioned it. Let's leave your fantasies to the side. The point is, the mother of Verella was an important vector as part of my genetics project. Radhas volunteered to go to Earth on that mission. She temporarily took over control of the body that belonged to Verella's mother. Then, when she completed her work with Verella, Radhas returned here. But something went wrong. Verella's mother should have resumed control of her body and continued living her Earthly life as if Radhas had never been there, but something had broken in her mind. She was insane and she abandoned her family."
Georgy said, "Its not hard to guess what went wrong. Just as I can remember Eustace, Verella's mother could remember Radhas."
Stacy nodded. "You're a clever girl. As was Verella's mother. Because she could remember Radhas taking control of her body, she knew that aliens were visiting Earth, influencing the course of events on Earth. Who knows what she learned about Radhas while watching from inside their shared mind during all those years? She went on the run, trying to hide."
"How sad."
Georgy shook her head in wonder, "So poor Verella is caught up in your web of intrigue?"
"Yes. And so are you, my dear. I need your help, Georgy. Colleen Liscan and other 'exiles' from Earth are working with me to make sure that Earthlings receive their inheritance: the ability to communicate telepathically."
Next: the genes of Luk'ru
Related Reading: "Hierion Confinement"
 |
| source |
 |
| Visit the Gallery of Book and Magazine Covers. |
No comments:
Post a Comment