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| source |
"Might a new Reality contain a personality within itself analogous to that of a man who had been withdrawn into Eternity in a previous Reality." -August Sennor
Double Time a report by Rylla
Qaz accompanied Lakum and Colleen as far as the tramline. She said, "Have fun, you two!" then there was a delicate "pop" sound and Qaz disappeared.
Lakum giggled and said, "I wish I had the ability to teleport, or vanish or whatever that is."
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| Teleportation in Deep Time |
"I've tried to study the teleporters here in Deep Time, but I've learned nothing about how they work." Lakum rubed her arms with her hands. "I was in such a hurry I forgot to grab a jacket. I keep my home what feels comfortably warm for a tryp'At, but most of Observer Base is cooler."
Colleen put her arm around Lakum. "You have goosebumps! Should we go back to your place?"
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| in the Ekcolir Reality |
"When I arrived, I saw nobody downtown."
"I've done this before. There is always a robot in the clothing shop... maybe just to accomodate my needs."
Colleen could no longer resist asking Lakum a blunt question about her robot 'family'. "Lakum, do you have a sexual reltionship with your robots?"
Lakum sighed. "This is why I've tried to tell Qaz that it was a mistake to show you those robots."
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| Georgy |
Lakum asked, "But you have never done so?"
Colleen shook her head. "Until coming here to the future, I never saw a sexy robot. The helper robots for Georgy and Stacy are utilitarians and quite obviously non-human. Their skin is odd... somehow feeling alien."
Lakum explained, "In your time, Colleen, Observer Base is still in in the mode of encouraging its residents to reproduce. In the year 19,248 there is an ongoing effort to depopulate Observer Base. But to answer your question, yes, I have been sexually active with the Stacy robot. I guess you could say that I have a crush on Stacy. You don't have to blurt that out the next time that you see her."
"I won't." Colleen added, "You may be interested to know that Stacy remembered your name and everything about you. You seem to have caught her eye."
"But you and Georgy forgot me?"
"Georgy and I met a large number of people since we arrived at Observer Base. We only briefly saw you on one or two occasions, but we did both have memories of you." The tram car slowed to a stop inside the downtown station.
Lakum and Colleen made a quick visit to the nearby clothing store. Lakum said, "Don't take anything the proprietor says too seriously. She has fun teasing me." Above the door of the shop was a small sign: Nanite Clothing. Lakum said, I'm not very good at sculpting nanite clothing... I prefer old-fashioned fabric." Colleen followed Lakum into the store.
Colleen could see that the interior of the shop had been decorated to appear as if it was the interior of a walk-in freezer. Colleen burst out laughing.
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| Robot shop keeper at Observer Base. |
Lakum pulled a jacket off of a display rack and said, "I just need a second layer. Again. I have quite a collection of your jackets... they are all very pretty."
The robot gestured to a second nearby rack. "Take your pick. You are my most regular customer. I've investigated your background and your home in hopes of providing designs that will please you, such as this hoodie that I'm wearing."
Lakum was putting on the fuzzy, long-sleeve jacket that she had taken off of the rack. "This one is wonderful. I don't have time to browse and chat today... Colleen and I are in a bit of a hurry."
The robot bowed and said to Lakum, "I'm glad to be of service. Drop in any time!" The robot pulled a second jacket off of the rack and held it out towards Colleen. "You, too, madam Colleen."
Colleen told the robot. "I'm fine. I grew up on Earth so I'm not as sensitive to cold temperatures as Lakum."
Lakum and Colleen stepped out on the street. Colleen said, "You did not pay for the jacket."
"As in the Final Reality, everything is free here in Observer Base of the Ekcolir Reality."
"Yet that robot called you a customer."
"Usually I am expected to 'pay' by staying for an hour or longer and chatting. I think that poor robot is lonely!"
Colleen observed, "I think she has fun teasing you about your aversion to cold."
"Yes, she usually brews me a pot of tea so that I can warm up. It is all very silly, but good for my spirits."
They entered the Observer Building and made their way up towards the top floor.
Upon arriving at Grean's workshop, Lakum and Colleen found that Qaz was already there, waiting for them. Lakum told Qaz, "I half expected Grean to be here, acting as gate keeper."
Qaz shook her head. "Grean never visited Eternity in this part of Deep Time."
Colleen was busy with the portal system and adjusting the manual controls for entry into the AR Simulator. Looking through the portal, they could now see into the empty workshop that existed in the AR Simulator, in the year 19,248. Colleen put one of her hands through the portal and then quickly withdrew it. "Yes! The portal is active." She asked Lakum, "What Asimov Reality coordinates should we use?"
Lakum shrugged and asked, "Where would you like to go?"
Colleen asked Qaz, "When the original Lakum went into the future, when she began her retirement in Alastor Cluster, did she pass through the workshop?" She pointed through the open portal into the AR Simulator.
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| teleportation portal |
Colleen had imagined that the teleportation equipment in the workshop was for short distance teleportation, such as to and from Earth. She asked Qaz, "Long range teleportation? To a dense star cluster?"
Qaz shrugged. "The Phari were masters of the Hierion Domain. Long range teleportation was child's play for them. The positronic robots of Earth learned many technological tricks from the Phari."
Lakum said, "I've been told that the year when they went to Alastor Cluster was 19,227. Let's see..." Using the search function for the Reality Simulator, Lakum quickly found the point in the Asimov Reality when the original analogues of Colleen and Lakum had arrived in the workshop, ready to teleport off to their retirement in Alastor Cluster.
Now, looking through the portal into the AR Simulator, Colleen could see them both as they stepped out of the time machine, arriving in the year 19,227. They quickly passed through the doorway of the workshop and could be seen no more. Colleen said, "They did not use the teleportation equipment."
Qaz explained, "They needed to make preparations for travel to the Cluster. They plan to remain at Observer Base for a few days before they teleport to Alastor Cluster."
Lakum asked Colleen, "Shall we enter into the AR Simulator?"
Colleen had a pained look on her face. "I'm a little creeped out after having seen my robot duplicate and now getting a glimpse of my analogue from the Asimov Reality." The Colleen of the Asimov Reality had appeared somewhat older; perhaps ten years older. "But, ya, I suppose the Editor would never forgive me if I pass up an opportunity to investigate Lakum's mission into the past." And she could not suppress her curiosity about the role of her own analogue in the Asimov Reality.
Lakum said, "This could get awkward." She suggested, "Maybe we should refer to them as 'the original Lakum' and 'the original Colleen'." Using the control console, she set new target coordinates for the AR Simulation and now they could see the street that was just outside the main entrance of the Observer Building. Lakum took Colleen by the hand and led the way through the portal and into the simulation of the Asimov Reality. Colleen looked up and down the deserted street adjacent to the Observer Building. Lakum said, "They should be here in a few minutes. What should we say to them?" Lakum suddenly turned her head back and forth, first looking one way along the street then in the opposite direction. She asked, "Did you hear that?"
Colleen shook her head. "No. The city seems completely deserted here in this time. It feels strange strange to be so far into the future. I miss the busier Observer Base of my own time."
Lakum seemed to hear distant voices singing a monotonous refrain: Left Right Left Right Left Right. Endlessly repeating.
Colleen replied to Lakum's question, "I guess we could invite them out for dinner. I wonder if any of the eateries from the Final Reality had analogues here in this Reality."
Lakum said, "There is a version of Anatole's here in the Ekcolir Reality, but it is a sham, with just a few robots there, pretending to be customers." She suggested, "Maybe they'll invite us along to where-ever they are going... if we are nice to them."
Lakum and Colleen of the Asimov Reality stepped out onto the street and stopped walking. They stared at Lakum and Colleen from the Final Reality. The duplicate Lakum from the Final Reality said, "Hello, we've been waiting for you."
The original Lakum tried to establish a telepathic connection. The duplicate Lakum received only a garbled message: a jumble of linguistic fragments popped into her mind.
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| source |
LP felt a stab of pain and she rubbed her forehead. She told Liscan, "They wonder if we are clones."
Liscan explained, "We are not clones. We are analogues, visitors from another Reality. We came here, to your Reality, so that we can ask you some questions."
Lakum asked, "You are from the previous Reality? That's not possible. We tryp'At were recently constructed, here in this Reality."
LP explained, "We are not from Deep Time." There was a roaring in LP's ears, or somewhere in her mind. She had trouble concentrating on her words and what she wanted to say. "We are here from a future Reality... we hope to accomplish a quick little historical investigation... if you will be kind enough to indulge our curiosity."
Lakum and Colleen quickly exchanged glances. Colleen said, "We plan to stay at the nearby villa of Qaz Nivsaham for few days, then we are moving to a remote part of the galaxy. Why not join us at the villa? We can chat."
Liscan said, "Thank you for the kind invitation. We were with Qaz just before we... arrived in this Reality."
Lakum said, "Oh, really? I have not seen Qaz for many years, not since my training days, before my mission on Earth." Lakum pointed towards the subway entrance. "Let's go get a tram car."
As they walked to the station, Colleen asked, "So, it was Qaz who told you how to find us? Is she here in this time? We have visited Casa Qaz on other occasions... it is a most comfortable vacation retreat. However, we have never found Qaz in residence."
Liscan replied, "I don't know if Qaz is here or not." They were going down an escalator that carried them into the tram station. "Qaz is rather elusive. She only recently revealed herself to me."
Colleen giggled. "They say that nobody ever really sees Qaz, what with Qaz being invisibly small..."
Lakum asked Liscan, "Are you aware that Qaz is an hermaphrodite?"
They got into a tram car and seated themselves. Lakum entered the destination code into the guidance unit. The car began accelerating. Liscan said, "I have no direct knowledge... also, I only just met Lakum." Liscan pointed to LP. She asked LP, "I've heard a rumor that you are an hermaphroditic tryp'At. Is that true?"
Colleen laughed and asked Lakum, "How long did I know you before you allowed me the honor of seeing your penis?"
Lakum chuckled, "It was more than a year after me met in the flesh." Lakum put an arm around Colleen and told Liscan, "Actually, we tryp'At have an innate compulsion for secrecy. However, after Colleen seduced me and pulled me into bed, she found out soon enough how to take control of the situation!"
Colleen said, "At first I was annoyed and felt I had been deceived by rumors about tryp'At hermaphrodites. It was a pleasant little surprise when I finally cracked the code...."
Liscan asked, "Little?" The other three laughed. "Well, I admit, I have been curious, too. I've led a sheltered life. Growing up on Earth, I never imagined meeting an hermaphrodite."
Lakum asked, "How did you two meet?"
LP began telling the story. "It all began with Qaz." LP struggled to order her thoughts. Something was disrupting her cognitive functions. In her mind she heard: HermesAphrodite, HermesAphrodite, HermesAphrodite repeating over and over. She stammered, ".. with... Qaz..."
Liscan asked LP, "What's wrong?"
LP shook her head rather violently, trying to clear her mind. She continued, "Qaz assigned me the task of initiating three pregnancies and Colleen, "LP pointed to Liscan, "Was there at Observer Base-"
Colleen interrupted, "You impregnated Colleen and yet she has never seen your penis?"
"No! Colleen and I..." LP massaged her forehead and closed her eyes. "...it was not Colleen. There are three women in our Reality named Georgy, Stacy and Rylla. Three ovipositor implantations needed to be performed..." LP continued telling her story to Lakum, describing the complex problem of how to get an embryo to Earth from Eternity after teleportation was no longer possible.
Colleen moved from her place beside Lakum so that she could sit next to Liscan. She leaned close to to the Colleen copy and said, "If you have never made love to Lakum then you are in for a pleasant surprise. Being the partner of an hermaphrodite is the best, like a sex smörgåsbord. Just be patient. The tryp'At are programmed to be cautious around humans."
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| source |
"We've been together for close to two years now. Two long, wonderful years. During most of this past year we have been planning our retirement in Alastor Cluster."
Liscan asked Colleen. "What do you mean... 'programmed'?"
"Maybe it is genetic, maybe it is all done with nanites. I don't know. However, it is clear that they tryp'At are shy around humans." Colleen caught Lakum's eye and they smiled at each other, then Colleen returned thons attention to LP. "For months I wondered why Lakum passed up my offers to shift our relationship towards intimacy. In the end, it was worth the wait."
The tram car began to slow. Lakum said, "This is the stop for Casa Qaz." They all exited from the tram car and rode an escalator up to the surface. They emerged on the surface level beside a placid lake. In the distance was an elegant fantasy home of palatial dimensions. Lakum asked, "Have you been the guest of Qaz here, previously? No? The Kac'hin think this is a small house. Only about a quarter of a million cubic meters of living space, and additional room for the robotic servants. Qaz inherited her sense of proportion from the Kac'hin. They get claustrophobic in small places."
Colleen led the way to the shoreline where a row of canoes awaited arriving guests. Making use of two of the little boats, they paddled across the lake to Casa Qaz.
Lakum laughed at the confused robot. "Sorry to surprise you, Penny, but we ran into these two wandering souls in town. Do you think you have a spare room for them or should they sleep in the street tonight?"
The robot replied, "Don't be absurd. We have more rooms than we know what to do with. Qaz keeps us always building more, although the construction work is now all proceeding far underground. Continual expansion of our facilities is our never ending project! Come in. Come in. Welcome all. Four guests are twice as good as two! I am R. Eightpenny, at you service."
Moving to the side of the steep Grand Stair Case (which was seldom used), the robot led the guests through an entry portal and into a large and echoing foyer. R. Eightpenny walked at a brisk pace through the vast foyer and said, "Just imagine the olden times when we routinely hosted hundreds of guests every day. Now it is cause for celebration when anyone arrives!" They passed through an archway into a side-room.
There was a scurrying of robotic servants and soon the guests were settled in at an intricately carved wooden table for drinks inside a kind of virtual reality lounge. This room of Casa Qaz simulated a fashionable bar inside a busy European hotel in the decorative style that had been popular around the year 5,900. The servant robots all scattered, leaving the four humans to themselves.
Colleen sipped champagne and asked Liscan, "I've sometimes wondered if a copy of me might someday be made, and now here you are, satisfying my curiosity. Please tell me about yourself! Where exactly are you from, Colleen?"
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| The Rossi Intervention |
"Ha! I suppose I proved my worth by assisting Lakum with her mission on Earth. Maybe there have been dozens of copies of me made and used for multiple tasks."
Liscan wanted more details. "Exactly how did you support Lakum's mission?"
Colleen explained, "Along with her replicoid, I was part of the team that supported Lakum from within the Hierion Domain. Of course, it was not until after she was done working on Earth that we actually met."
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| Dehla, Behgi and Suem receive a visitor from the future. |
Colleen gazed at Liscan. "I wonder how many copies of both me and Lakum have been made. And will be made in future times..."
Liscan said, "That is an interesting question, but I'm not sure that I really want to know how many copies of us there are. Until recently, I imagined that I was a unique individual." Colleen turned her attention to Lakum and tried to change the subject. She said, "I'm curious about your role in providing Asterothrope genes to Earth." Colleen asked, "How long did you live on Earth?"
Lakum was feeling a strange pressure in her mind. She could tell that something was disrupting the telepathic linkage between herself and her copy, the young girl named Lakum. Struggling to order her thoughts, the older Lakum said, "Not as long as poor Ekcolir! He got a life sentence; he'll die there... trapped in the far past."
LP said, "I suppose blastipositor implantation was used to bring Behgi and Suem into the world."
Lakum nodded. "Of course."
Liscan asked Lakum, "Did Dehla think of you as a woman?"
Lakum nodded. "When I arrived on Earth I was a youngster, but I'd been trained in how to use my blastipositor. I grew up and grew to adulthood while on Earth. I was backed by Colleen, who was a mind clone of Dehla. I suppose Dehla was never allowed to question what was going on. Her pregnancies probably seemed magical."
Colleen shook her head. "With the help of nanites that Lakum carried to Earth and transferred to Dehla, I was able to make Dehla believe that some gods and goddesses were watching over her. Dehla only ever experienced vaginal sex with Lakum while she was in a kind of trance."
LP was shocked. "It was part of your mission to have sex with Dehla while she was in a trance?"
Colleen explained, "Dehla believed that she was impregnated by a god while she slept. She certainly never saw Lakum's blastipositor! Lakum was a good provider. Dehla enjoyed the fine things in life, but she did eventually grow suspicious of how Lakum was able to continually provide a steady supply luxury goods. During Lakum's mission, we kept teleporting supplies to her. That was what taught us the limitations of infites and Mind Clone-based thought control. Later, when Ekcolir went to Earth, he adopted the practice of actually trading with nearby tribes."
Lakum chuckled. "The stream of teleported supplies were a poorly-planned part of my mission on Earth... I'd grown up in the Galactic Core with no concept of trade goods, barter or money. And even now, as we are moving to Alastor Cluster, I'm still uncomfortable with the idea that we will be expected to pay for everything!"
Colleen told Liscan and LP, "Arranging our retirement finances is the main reason for us coming here to Casa Qaz. Qaz has always taken good care of us and is now arranging to provide the money that we will need in our retirement. I suppose we can check on that right now." She signaled to one of the robot servants and asked about money for Alastor Cluster.
The robot was confused. "Money? No, ma'am! You need not pay for anything here. We don't take money for services at Casa Qaz! You are welcome to everything we have. For free!"
Lakum explained to the robot, "We are moving to Alastor Cluster, where money is used."
The robot said, "Ah, now I understand. Yes, I heard something about that. I've just contacted the robot who has been working on the finance project. She will be here soon. I believe she has accomplished the task of obtaining money for you... a supply of the currently used paper bills from Alastor Cluster." The robot bowed. "May I bring anyone another drink?" The two Colleens requested refills and the robot went to fetch the drinks.
Liscan said, "I grew up on Earth using money, although electronic funds are now quite popular and paper money is not as important as it was in the past."
Liscan explained. "Paper money can be convenient. Rather than carry around a ton of gold, you can fit a fortune of paper money in a small carrying case."
Colleen said, "I understand the theory of money, but as you said, it seems natural to replace physical money with electronic funds record keeping. In a technologically advanced society, no physical money need change hands! I don't understand why printed money is still used here in this era, in places like Alastor Cluster. Even on distant colonies far from Earth they have access to the technology needed to manufacture robots and computer networks and they could shift to electronic transfers of money."
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| intersplit space drive |
An elegantly dressed robot approached and placed a sleek carrying case on the table. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am R. Metamex, assistant to Qaz Nivsaham. Qaz asked me to supply you with enough money for your retirement." The robot looked back and forth between the two copies of Colleen and Lakum. "Oh, my. I understood that there would only be two of you." R. Metamex touched the carrying case. "I only have 200 million ozols."
Colleen opened the carrying case, revealing an assortment of ozol notes in 1,000, 10,000 and 100,000 ozol denominations. She picked up one of the notes, looked at the front and the back and handed it to Lakum. "There is no problem, R. Metamex. Only two of us will be going to Alastor Cluster."
LP asked, "If it is possible to duplicate a person by teleportation, why not simply duplicate this money, turn it into 400 million ozols?"
Colleen examined one of the 10,000 ozol notes. "There is no serial number on these paper bills. You could make a thousand copies."
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| In the Ekcolir Reality. Original cover art by Earle Bergey and Leopoldo Morey y Pena. |
Liscan laughed, "I'm reminded of a story that I read in the archives of... from the Ekcolir Reality. A fun story about some greedy aliens and counterfeit money, called 'Boom and Bust'."
Colleen asked, "Ekcolir Reality?"
Liscan nodded. "Maybe I should not have mentioned it, but I was taught to refer to one of the Realities in Earth's Reality chain as the Ekcolir Reality."
LP told Liscan, "And I'm reminded of a story by Jack Vance that hinges on an audacious counterfeiting scheme. I'll have to find a copy of 'Boom and Bust'." The odd voices in LP's mind were now singing: BoomBustBoomBustBoomBust.
Liscan had never seen so much cash. She touched her finger tips to the money in the case and asked R. Metamex, "Is it safe for Colleen and Lakum to be taking large amounts of money with them? What if it is stolen?"
R. Metamex replied, "There are no thieves on Triskelion A. I suppose piracy might be a threat, or some other unlikely problem might arise." R. Metamex told Colleen and Lakum, "Most of this money should be deposited into your bank accounts soon after you are done buying essentials such as a home. These cash funds represent a small amount of spending money to help you get settled. There is more money waiting for you in your bank accounts on Triskelion." R. Metamex pointed to an envelop inside the case. "The details of those bank accounts are provided." R. Metamex bowed to Lakum and Colleen and then walked away.
Lakum put the 100,000 ozol note into the case, waited for Colleen to also drop in the 10,000 ozol note and then she closed it. She said to Colleen, "Let's take this money back to our room." They stood up and Colleen said to LP and Liscan, "Would you like to meet for dinner, later?"
Liscan replied, "Yes, that would be nice."
Lakum suggested, "Come on then, you can rest for a while in your room until dinner."
As they filed out of the lounge, R. Eightpenny accosted them. "May I be of assistance?"
Lakum told the robot, "Please take your new guests to a room. Colleen and I know the way to our room." The original Colleen and Lakum went up a broad curving stairway two the second floor of Casa Qaz, leaving the Colleen and Lakum from the Final Reality alone with R. Eightpenny.
R. Eightpenny said, "I received a belated message from Qaz telling me that you two share the names 'Lakum' and 'Colleen' with the Lakum and Colleen who I know as past guests here. To serve your needs, I hope to get to know each of you. Maybe you can help me with something that I find confusing. Qaz hinted that you are from an alternate Reality." R. Eightpenny looked at them quizzically.
Colleen Liscan explained, "At the risk of damaging your robotic memory circuits, I'll tell you what is going on. We are from outside of this Simulator. I'm sorry if Qaz has never told you this, but you are existing inside a simulation of the universe, what we know as the AR Simulator."
R. Eightpenny chuckled. "An amusing concept! I have, of course, read stories about virtual reality worlds. Logically, it would not be possible to produce a simulated world with this much detail."
Lakum sighed. "Indeed, R. Eightpenny, you have logic on your side, but I ask you to imagine a scientific culture that is millions of years old. Just think of the marvels of technology that they would have! It is that level of advanced technology that is at work here, powering the world as you know it, which is all a fantastically detailed simulation!"
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| R. Eightpenny's concept of science. |
Lakum asked, "Can we have two separate rooms?"
R. Eightpenny gasped. "Pardon me! I had assumed that you two are a couple, like your namesakes. Yes, of course you can each have your own rooms, please excuse me for not suggesting that!"
Colleen said, "I don't mind sharing a room with Lakum, but I don't want to offend her sense of propriety. Here is an idea; do you have a family style suite with multiple rooms?"
The robot nodded. "Our best suites are the newer ones, down on the lower floors. Come with me; we will make an inspection!" R. Eightpenny took them to an elevator. The robot turned towards Lakum, "Based on a hint from Qaz, I have in mind one of our lower floors with classical family accommodations, including a functional kitchen, a library and a complete domestic staff of robots." The elevator dropped rapidly for half a minute then slowed to a halt. The door opened and R. Eightpenny gestured towards the doorway, "Please inspect this suite and give me your feedback."
Exiting from the elevator, LP stumbled and was steadied by Colleen. LP said, "I've not been feeling right since we arrived here in this Reality." Her internal choir was singing: Eight Pence, Eight Pence, Eight Pence, endlessly repeating.
Colleen nodded, "And I've been working too much lately, ignoring the health of my body. With the higher gravity here in these future times, I'm tiring fast." Colleen looked around the grand parlor. "Wow, look at these fancy furnishings! I feel like I'm in some retrofuturistic museum."
The suite of rooms had some similarities to the Observer Base resort where Lakum had been living. With her mind still spinning with odd thought fragments, Lakum was in no mood to demand other accommodations. She told R. Eightpenny, "This is very nice, thank you."
Colleen was looking into adjacent rooms such as the kitchen. She quickly found a room that included a big hot tub and sauna facilities. "Now we're talking! Civilization."
Lakum glanced at the tub and told R. Eightpenny, "This suite of rooms is quite nice... far beyond our simple needs."
R. Eightpenny nodded, "I thought you would like it. Allow me to introduce R. Holyfair, the chief domestic who will be in charge of your domestic staff."
R. Holyfair bowed to Lakum. "Welcome, madam. Please ask me or any of my assistants for help, advice, food service... we wish to satisfy all and any of your needs."
R. Eightpenny moved back towards the elevator. "I leave you in the competent hands of R. Holyfair." R. Eightpenny disappeared into the elevator.
When Lakum turned around, she found that Colleen had already undressed and gotten into the hot tub. Colleen asked the sauna room attendant to adjust the temperature of the water. She told Lakum, "Qaz knows how to spoil her guests. Come on in... jump in, this is marvelous."
Lakum sat beside the sunken tub, rubbing her head and trying to escape the feeling that she still had some kind of telepathic link to the other Lakum. Now her imaginary choir was singing: In Out In Out In Out. Lakum watched Colleen basking in the tub and experimenting with the massaging jets of water that were available. After a while, Lakum asked, "Did you hear that one of the rooms in this suite is a library? I'd like to investigate the books that Qaz provides for her guests." Lakum got to her feet.
Colleen playfully splashed some water at Lakum. "Don't run off! I'm rather curious to see you naked. I've never been in a hot tub with an hermaphrodite before."
Lakum smiled and shrugged. "Some humans are rather appalled by hermaphrodite anatomy. I don't want to alarm you."
"Now you are just teasing me." Colleen asked the robot attendant, "What is your name?"
"Tell me, R. Nephe, are you male, female, hermaphroditic? What?"
"I mostly make use of a female body form, such as the one I am using now. However, there are many optional body parts available to me. I can immediately change my physical form if I am making you uncomfortable."
"No, I'm charmed to have such a cute bath attendant. Tell me, R. Nephe, are you familiar with tryp'At guests? Have you served tryp'At hermaphrodites?"
"Me personally? No. The original Lakum has visited Casa Qaz several times. I believe she and the original Colleen stay in rooms upstairs, on the second floor. If you don't mind me asking, are you a clone of the original Colleen?"
Colleen splashed some water on R. Nephe. "Don't change the subject. I'm just a boring human, born on Earth. I was asking you about the mysterious tryp'At. Tell me, R. Nephe, are you familiar with the anatomical features of tryp'At hermaphrodites?"
"Of course. I have had an extensive education."
"Do you find those features alarming?"
R. Nephe replied, "No. I was programmed to be fascinated by human genitals and secondary sex characteristics. Sometimes the guests at Casa Qaz ask we servants to engage in sex play. Sadly, I've never had the opportunity to play with an hermaphrodite. During my time of service, almost all of our guests have been conventional males and females."
"Even Qaz?"
R. Nephe leaned closer to Colleen and told her, "They say that long ago Qaz did sometimes visit Casa Qaz, but I believe that Qaz is a nanoscopic artificial life form. Possibly Qaz is here with us this very moment, unseen. They say that Qaz was created by Kac'hin hermaphrodites."
Colleen pointed at Lakum and told R. Nephe, "Here is your chance to play with a tryp'At hermaphrodite. Help me convince her to get undressed!"
A gleam of mischief came to R. Nephe's eyes. She suggested, "I'll turn on the steam generator."
Colleen laughed. "Good idea! Turn up the heat. And then get in the tub with me. We'll make things so hot for Lakum that she'll join us for a soak."
Soon clouds of steam were billowing into the sauna room. R. Nephe slipped out of her robe and got into the tub with Colleen. Lakum laughed, "Have fun you two. I'm going to go browse the library. I like heat, but it is far to hot in here for me."
Colleen told R. Nephe, "I've been worried all day about scaring Lakum off."
R. Nephe opened a bottle of body oil. She said to Colleen, "Allow me to give you a massage."
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| Lakum in the library. Photograph (Zoe brown 7) by Maree Jamieson |
Colleen was now cooling rapidly. She wrapped herself in the towel. "From what era?"
Lakum gestured vaguely towards the shelved books and magazines. "This collection is organized chronologically..." She fell silent, raising her hand to her head as another cognitive spasm struck.
Colleen asked, "What's wrong, Lakum?"
"I've felt odd since we entering the AR Simulator today... strange thoughts keep flashing through my mind. I suspect that I am in telepathic contact with the other Lakum. But I'm intrigued... I was just reminded of a story that I read long ago." Lakum looked along the row of shelves. "I wonder if a copy is..."
Colleen touched the book that Lakum held, trying to see its title or some indication of the author. "What story?"
"It was about another Colleen... I guess that's why you reminded me..." Lakum stared at Colleen then looked away.
Colleen asked, "Lakum, what is troubling you?"
R. Yewtree, the library attendant, replied, "I can do print-on-demand. That book is in our database." The robot reached into a drawer and pulled out one of the ebooks. "Here you go."
Lakum handed the book she was holding to Colleen and took the copy of Colleen's Cauldron from R. Yewtree. She began skimming through the pages, flashing them rapidly across the book's display. "Yes, now I remember. This story begins on Ottengla, Alastor 284, but most of it is set on Wyst, Alastor 1716." Lakum closed her eyes and said, "How very strange..."
Colleen moved very close beside Lakum and tried to look at the copy of Colleen's Cauldron. "What is it?"
Lakum handed the book to Colleen, sank into a chair and replied, haltingly, "I feel like I have read this book, but at the same time, I can't actually recall having read it. Or previously thought about the story... and yet..."
Colleen suggested, "Maybe Qaz is here and actively editing your memories with infites."
Lakum opened her eyes and pointed to the cover image of Colleen's Cauldron."Don't be fooled. That cover has nothing to do with the plot. In the story, a woman named 'Colleen' is captured by 'space pirates' and eventually she manages to escape with the help of some Wierdlands Witches."
Colleen laughed. "Witches, in a science fiction novel?"
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| Gisten, the Weirdlands Witch |
Colleen put an arm around Lakum, "Maybe you should go lay down for a while before dinner."
Lakum shook her head. "Ottengla, Alastor 284, had its own special telepathy development project. The residents were blind."
Just then, R. Holyfair stepped into the library. "The original Lakum wants to know if you two are ready for dinner."
Colleen said, "Give me a minute to get dressed."
R. Holyfair said, "This is not a formal dinner. Lakum specified: come as you are."
Colleen shook her head, "I'm not going to dinner wrapped in a wet towel." Colleen went looking for her clothing and returned to the sauna room. "R. Nephe, I left my clothing here..."
The robot said, "I put your clothes in the laundry. Come with me, there is an extensive wardrobe available for guests and we can even make new clothing from scratch." R. Nephe led Colleen down a hallway to an elegant bedroom and to a large walk-in closet that held many types of clothing. "May I suggest this dress for your dinner date?"
Colleen glanced at the sleek, sparkly dress that R. Nephe had selected. "Very well, just hurry up." R. Nephe quickly had Colleen dressed and on her way to meet the original Lakum and Colleen for dinner. LP looked at Liscan and said, "Wow, that dress is dazzling. Now I feel like I need to change."
"Don't be silly, I had an excuse to change. Let's go, I don't want to keep Colleen and Lakum waiting." Colleen could see that Lakum had the Colleen's Cauldron ebook in her pocket. They got into the elevator and it rose through the shaft at a high rate. "Do you think the Colleen in Colleen's Cauldron is your analogue, the woman who is on her way to live in Alastor Cluster?"
Lakum leaned against Colleen and nearly fainted. After the elevator stopped and the door opened, Lakum said, "I'm sorry... maybe I should return to the Ekcolir Reality."
R. Eightpenny appeared. "Please come with me. Your friends are already in the dining room."
None too steadily, Colleen and Lakum followed the robot into the dining room. Colleen told Lakum, "I want to ask our analogues a few more questions, then we will get out of this Simulator." They sat down at the table across from the older Colleen and Lakum. Drinks were already on the table.
Lakum said, "We were hungry, so we already ordered dinner. We've eaten here before, so you can trust our choices. However, I may need to retire early... I'm plagued by a nagging headache."
LP was not interested in food. She took the Colleen's Cauldron ebook out of her pocket and pushed it across the table. "Have either of you ever seen this before?"
Colleen laughed, "Is this a story about you or me?"
"Almost certainly it is you... a story of your future."
"Time travel? Do you intend to create a temporal paradox?"
"No, I don't believe that such things are possible. However, I do believe that the events in this story can be changed." LP pointed to the ebook. "I feel I must describe what happens to you, Colleen, in Colleen's Cauldron, but I don't want to ruin your meal." The voice in her head chanted Rune Ruin, Rune Ruin, Rune Ruin.
Colleen thumbed through the pages of Colleen's Cauldron and said, "I will read this story with interest, but tell me what you know about my future."
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| starmenters |
Lakum asked, "And what about me?"
"I don't know. You are not mentioned in the story."
"Strange! If this is the future... well, I intend to remain with Colleen for the rest of my life."
"All I can tell you is what is in this story. No doubt it is incomplete. In the story, Colleen is taken to the secret base of the Starmenters, located on Wyst, another planet in Alastor Cluster."
Colleen set the ebook down upon the table. "I will certainly read this story, although I must say, I've never heard of these places you mention... Ottengla... Wyst. I suppose we will be learning more about Alastor Cluster after we arrive there."
LP stood up, clutching at her head. "Now, I must return to the portal." She told Colleen, "Please remain and enjoy your meal." She walked away.
Lakum immediately felt her head clear. "What a relief! I could not keep the thoughts of the other Lakum from resonating with my own."
Colleen adjusted the controls of the Reality Simulation System, turning back the time within the simulation fifteen minutes. "I'm tempted to return and finish dinner with the other Colleen and Lakum. Will you be alright now?"
"Yes, I feel much better. I'll go home and rest."
"I'll meet you at your house soon." Colleen tried to step through the portal and return to the AR Simulation, however, the display screen was now solid and impassible. She said, "Maybe I can only enter with you."
Lakum touched the display and also found it to be a solid barrier. "I'm also locked out."
"Well, let's go home and rest. I need to send a report to Rylla on Earth. We'll think this through and maybe Qaz-"
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| Grean |
Colleen looked carefully at Grean and then reached out. Her hand passed right through Grean's body. "A projected image?"
Grean explained, "A cloud of nanites. I'm actually far away, in the Galactic Core, but I needed to send you this message. Now, I suggest that you return to your Reality, to the Final Reality." The image of Grean vanished.
Colleen and Lakum exited from the ER Simulation and returned to the Final Reality. Georgy was there, playing with her daughter.
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| another adventure with Grean the Kac'hin |
Lakum waved to Georgy, "Hi, Georgy."
Georgy picked up Alexina and hurried after Colleen and Lakum. "I see your mission into Deep Time was a success."
Colleen told Georgy, "We were on a mission for Grean without even knowing it."
Georgy asked, "Grean has returned to Eternity? Isn't that a violation of the Trysta-Grean Pact?"
Colleen replied, "She left us a message in Deep Time, which I suppose, technically, does not violate the Pact."
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| in the Ekcolir Reality |
Lakum nodded, "Yes, I am."
Georgy told Colleen, "While you were gone, I tried a search of the Writers Block archive for the term 'hermophrodite'. I found a story about a genetics research program on the planet Sogdian, under the direction of a secretive organization, Zodiac Control."
Colleen asked Lakum, "What do you know about the origin of the tryp'At?"
"Nothing." Lakum explained, "I was raised by robots on the rogue planet Taivasila. They mentioned another world called Yrwerd, but I was trained for my mission here, in Eternity."
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| part 1 |
The story, above, is part 7 of a seven part story...
1. The Lakum Intervention 3,300 words
2. The Agonist and the Editor 1,700 words
3. Status Update 2,500 words
4. Alastrid Telepathy 5,800 words
5. Zeta Recreation 4,100 words
6. The tryp'At Hermaphrodites 4,200 words
7. Double Time 8,000 words
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| Robots of Triskelion |
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| The telepathic Kerub of Yerophet |
Next: Mind Clones in Deep Time
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| visit the Gallery of Book and Magazine Covers |
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