Notteng of Ottengla

This blog page contains the second and concluding half of the science fiction story "The Gensifer Clan". In the first half of the story, Azynov and Yōd were introduced to Captain Tirret, commander of the pirate ship Kraken.

Azynov and Yōd had come to the planet Ottengla in order to investigate rumors that some of the local residents had telepathic powers, allowing them to communicate telepathically with their family members. Captain Tirret was constantly patrolling and monitoring Ottengla, searching for powerful telepaths.

The Gensifer Clan 
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4. Pirates of Ottengla (read parts 1 -3)

The radio receiver barked, "Captain Tirret of the Kraken, calling ACS372654." The voice was that of a stern woman. "Azynov or Yōd, reply."

Azynov flicked the reply button on the radio and said, "Spacecraft ACS372654, here. What business do you have with us, Kraken?"

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Yōd was gazing upon Semod. In the brighter light inside the ship, she could see that Semod had blue fur and milky green eyes.

Captain Tirret asked, "What is this story you have been telling Ebernal about protecting Ottengla? Are you an agent of the Connatic?"

Azynov turned off the microphone and looked at Ebernal. She told him, "At the spaceport, the starmenters force me to wear a microphone and radio transmitter. They heard the first part of our conversation, when I came aboard this spaceship. When I decided to fight, I cut of the radio transmissions to Tirret. However, Tirret has some telepathic ability. Somehow, I've been given access to her thoughts and she may be able to look into my mind, too! Don't try to bluff her."

Azynov activated his own microphone again. "I have no connection to the Whelm or the Connatic." Trying to judge the level of danger posed by Tirret and her well-armed spaceship, Azynov glanced at Yōd and prepared to shift them out of the Simulator. "We are here from Earth, on a peaceful mission, performing historical research."

Yōd was feeling a weak telepathic connection to Captain Tirret and sensed that she was rather reckless and had no fear.

the Pheni of Yrinna

Tirret had a well-defined mission on Ottengla and was not interested in distractions from researchers. She had long ignored the ecologists who worked on Ottengla studying the native lifeforms of the planet. Her job was to find and capture powerful telepaths and deliver their valuable genes to Yrinna. She spoke to Azynov, "I can tell that you have at least one telepath onboard your ship. A powerful telepath. If it is your intention to smuggle someone off of Ottengla, forget about it!"

Yōd was reaching out with her mind, trying to identify Tirret's mind pattern and strengthen telepathic contact with the starmenter. She spoke over Azynov's shoulder into the microphone of the radio transmitter, "I respectfully suggest that you not interfere with our mission, Captain Tirret."

Captain Tirret tersely explained, "You have just two options. One: turn over the telepath to me and I might let you live. Two: resist and I'll open fire and vaporize your little spacecraft."

Semod said: The herd is arriving. We have numbers on our side, but Tirret has the firepower.

Azynov pointed at the radar display which showed a dozen small spacecraft or aircars rushing towards their location. He said to Ebernal, "I appreciate your efforts to resist Tirret and stand up to her threats, but don't put your people in harm's way. I'd rather run away than get your people killed."

Ebernal got off of Semod's back and switched the radio transmitter to a new frequency, "Niel, hold those flyers back in a defensive posture. Fire no weapons unless Tirret first opens fire on the Plesypy herd." She clicked off the microphone, turned her head and told Azynov, "Our robotic defense force is more powerful than even Captain Tirret suspects, but Semod is urging me to caution. So, go ahead then, show us your fancy Earth technology. Get us out of here before Tirret starts blasting."

Azynov reset the Simulation and they were instantly back in space, far from Ottengla and safe from starmenter attack. Yōd opened the hierion vial again and with the cloud of hierions sparking above her, she spoke to Maturin; her voice was icy and full of sarcasm. "Thanks for introducing us to Captain Tirret."

Reality Simulation

Maturin did not bother to take on any particular physical form, but she told Azynov and Yōd: You two are now in the Gensifer database. I'm sorry to say, your mission here in this Reality is going to lead to an unavoidable confrontation with the starmenters of Yrinna. I'm also sorry that Ebernal had to involve the Plesypy in this matter. I did not expect her to make such a heroic gesture of resistance.

Surprised that they had been so efficiently removed from Ottengla, Ebernal checked their location in space then placed a hand on Semod's furry shoulder and asked, "Do you understand what is happening?"

Semod explained: They are from outside the Simulator.

Ebernal did not understand what Semod was trying to tell her. She looked back and forth between Azynov and Yōd and tried to think at Maturin: Who else is here?

Maturin tersely told Ebernal: Nobody you know.

Yōd repressed her temptation to use spoken language and tried to order her thoughts: I don't think it is widely known around the Cluster that Plesypy are in telepathic contact with the humans of Ottengla. Knowing nothing about these telepathic natives, Azynov and I went to Ottengla expecting to experiment with the rumored telepathic connections that are said to link together close relatives of the blind residents.

Semod said: Those rumors of shared telepathic connections between human family members are what the starmenters are aware of, but they have not, so far, discovered that we Plesypy are also telepathic. They think we are livestock. However, some of the starmenters such as Captain Tirret are themselves powerful telepaths. It is inevitable that they will someday discover the truth and today I recklessly exposed the existence of my own telepathic powers to her mind.

Ebernal gestured towards Azynov and Yōd and she added, "Now these out-worlders know the secret. It is time for us to fight the starmenters!"

Azynov said, "Yōd and I will tell nobody about your secrets."

Ebernal was skeptical. "How can we trust you?"

Maturin suggested a plan: Yōd, as a show of good faith, give Ebernal the hierion containment vial. I'll work with Ebernal and her family to get the data that Colleen wants. And I'll also deal with Captain Tirret.

Maturin had taken control of the Simulator and the spaceship was now once again on Ottengla, back in the pasture on the family ranch of Ebernal's family. The ship's main hatch popped open. Maturin said: I took us back in time. The Kraken will be arriving here soon.

Yōd sucked the hierions back into the vial and handed the little containment vial to Ebernal. Telepathically, she showed Ebernal the controls that were built into the structure of the vial and could be activated by the proper finger pressure. Stunned by what was happening, Ebernal whispered to Yōd, "Thank you," and then she quickly departed from the ship, followed by Semod who glanced back once at Yōd.

Yōd could feel Semod in her mind. The Plesypy asked: You don't trust Maturin?

Sensing that the Plesypy was worried about Maturin's intentions and motives, but unable to vouch for Maturin, Yōd replied: Not fully, but she is powerful. I think she will be able to protect you from Tirret. 

Outside the ship, Ebernal again mounted Semod who galloped away. The departing figures of Ebernal and Semod soon faded away into the darkness of the field. They seemed to be rushing towards a nearby ranch house. Yōd tried to detect the thoughts of Ebernal or Semod, but something had changed and now the very idea of telepathy seemed only a fantastic dream. Yōd was suddenly alone with her own swirling thoughts. The telepathic linkages that had been created by Maturin were all broken.

The robots of Triskelion

Yōd turned away from the hatch and told Azynov, "I got the feeling that Ebernal was surprised to have telepathic contact with us. I could also sense that she greatly fears the starmenters and has hated them since childhood. Semod, on the other hand, seemed to be fully aware of the fact that he is inside a Reality Simulation." She snapped her fingers, now remembering why the silent man, Niel, who accompanied Ebernal at the spaceport, had seemed so familiar. "Niel is a robot from Triskelion! One of the Notteng models." Yōd told herself: Of course, the Notteng model of robots must have originally been designed for work on Ottengla!

Azynov tried to remember the robots of Triskelion; it was not easy for him to do so because something had erased nearly all his memories of robots. An image of the Vyky robot flashed in Azynov's mind and he smiled. The door to his suppressed memories had been opened a crack and now he suddenly remembered that the robots of Triskelion had telepathic powers. He asked Yōd, "Those telepathic robots are working here, on Ottengla?"

Yōd muttered to herself, "Of course, how else could the small human population of Ottengla hold off the starmenters for centuries? They are getting help from both telepathic robots and the Plesypy." Suddenly, light flooded in from outside through the open hatch.

Yōd turned her back on Azynov. Now once again looking out through the open hatch, Yōd saw a rather large spaceship that was brightly illuminated by its running lights. It was the Kraken, having just reached the ranch. Under the lights of the large warship, Yōd could see a large herd of Plesypy moving towards the ranch house.

Kraken

5. From Ottengla to Zeck
Azynov quickly cycled the hatch shut and again shifted them out of the running Simulation.

Once again safe in another part of the Simulator, Azynov asked Yōd, "Do you think Maturin will really be able to handle those space pirates?"

Yōd nodded. "I could sense that Maturin was very confident. And it would have been interesting to see what that gathering herd of telepathic Plesypy might be capable of, independent of Maturin's help."

Azynov sighed, "I hope our presence on Ottengla does not lead to the Plesypy getting blasted by that Pirate ship. Captain Tirret seems like a stern woman, quick on the trigger."

Yōd laughed, "Yes, she seems powerful and determined! I wish we had a chance to get to know her better, but Maturin hinted we will again be crossing paths with the Gensifer clan." For a minute Yōd wondered about the robots of Ottengla and what their capabilities might be. Then she told Azynov, "In any case, I'm glad you got us out of there fast. I suspect Maturin will be able to deal with Tirret, but it might not be possible to avoid bloodshed. We certainly made her angry by running away and defying her orders."

Azynov asked, "Can we trust Maturin to actually work with Erbernal's family and collect data on the effectiveness of the micro-hierion field?"

Yōd shrugged, "She should have no trouble collecting data for Colleen, possibly even more efficiently than we ever could have. I could sense that Ebernal wants change for Ottengla. Whatever ensues on Ottengla, we've been relieved of our obligation to Colleen."

Azynov told Yōd, "I see no reason to trust our affairs to Maturin. We now know Ebernal and Semod. We can reset the Simulator, make a new approach to the Ottengla... and this time I'll ask for Ebernal by name." He spoke to the unseen Maturin, "And please, Maturin, don't interfere. I don't want the starmenters imagining that I'm smuggling telepaths off of Ottengla."

Maturin told Azynov: It would be a waste of time for you to return to Ottengla. With my help, you were able to telepathically communicate with Ebernal. I did that once, but I won't help you again if you now reset the Simulation and return to Ottengla. If you can't demonstrate to Ebernal that you have telepathic powers then she will ignore you. As I've shown you, if you do use telepathy, then the starmenters who watch over Ottengla will go after you. So take my advice, forget about Ottengla. The collaborator who you need is waiting for you on Zeck. Maturin adjusted the control settings of the Simulator once more and now Azynov's little spaceship, code designation ACS372654, was suddenly in orbit above the planet Zeck.

Azynov noticed that his entire state of mind had suddenly shifted. He no longer felt a need to visit Ottengla. It was a great relief to have that obsession removed from his mind. He sat down in front of the ship's control panel and quickly checked their stellar coordinates. He told Yōd, "This is Zeck, alright." However, with Maturin in control of their memory systems, neither Azynov or Yōd noticed that had been shifted back in time one year within the Simulator. 

Danni the robot.

Yōd's mind had also shifted. Feeling a hidden portion of her memories suddenly return to accessibility, Yōd thought about the planet Triskelion and Danni the robot. She wondered: why were my memories of Danni hidden from me for a time?

All she knew about Zeck was that it appeared high on a list of technologically-advanced planets in Alastor Cluster. Gazing at the display screen that now showed the beautiful blue and white world, she asked Maturin, "Is Zeck another planet with robots?"

Maturin told Yōd: Don't be surprised to find robots on any world where there are telepaths. But speaking of robots, I need to get back to Niel and the robots of Ottengla and I also need to explain to Ebernal about micro-hierion fields. You two can entertain yourselves for a time.

Wondering exactly where Maturin was, Azynov glanced around the interior of the little spacecraft. He gestured towards the displayed image of the planet Zeck and asked Maturin, "So, who is it on this world that you want us to meet?"

There was no reply to Azynov from Maturin, but right then a radio message arrived from Zeck Planetary Traffic Control: "ACS372654, your request for planet fall has been approved. Our escort tug is now off your port bow. Transfer your controls to the tug and I'll see you at the port Customs hanger in fifteen minutes."

The automated landing on Zeck went smoothly. Both Azynov and Yōd were quite pleased to have their minds liberated from the powerful compulsion that had guided them from Yerophet to Ottengla. They both shifted their thoughts into a kind of tourist mode and quickly began enjoying the comforts of Zeck. Three hours later, Azynov and Yōd were checked in at the Zidden Hotel on Zeck, rather amazed at how their plans had been so quickly and completely altered by Maturin.

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Sitting in a restaurant with Azynov, Yōd was thinking about how easily Maturin could control events in the Simulator. The more she thought about Maturin's pushiness, the more upset Yōd became. Simmering with resentment over how easy it was for Maturin to play with their minds, Yōd tried to think of ways to regain control over her life and that of Azynov.

Yōd stared into a goblet of wine and tried to remember how they had first met Maturin on Yerophet. Yōd could not shake the suspicion that Maturin was an agent of the pek, but she could not recall why she suspected that. Failing to order her memories, she complained to Azynov, "My memories have holes in them! That bitch Maturin took control of my mind and has been ruthlessly editing my memories." Yōd felt one of her lost memories, just out of reach, whispering: mind clone... mind clone... mind clone...

Azynov was sampling treats from a little snack tray that had been placed on their table by a robotic waiter. "We are out-gunned. I can't compete with Maturin for control of this simulation. She has all the trump cards."

Yōd shrugged. "Oh, well, I suppose Maturin will eventually get around to telling us what is going on."

Now freed from her obsession with Ottengla, Yōd felt her mind returning to its normal thought streams. She thought about her sister, Zeta, and had a strange idea: Zeta is pregnant. Yōd wondered: Now where did I get that idea? She put a hand on her tummy and tried to remember the last time she had seen her sister, before entering into the AR Simulator.

Azynov was also greatly relieved to be out from under the powerful force that had driven him to visit Ottengla. Now feeling in control of his own mind, Azynov gazed across the table at Yōd, enjoying her beauty. He much preferred being obsessed with Yōd and her spectacular qualities as a woman rather than being driven willy-nilly by Maturin towards some mysterious goal. "I can't imagine why Maturin first rushed us off to Ottengla and now brought us here to Zeck. But as you say, no doubt she will eventually tell us what she plans for our future." He reached out and touched Yōd's soft hair with his finger tips. "But let's forget about Maturin. I want to get you drunk then take you up to our room, put you on that big bed and-"

Yōd laughed and slipped her hand under the table where she let it rest in his lap. The way Azynov was looking at her, it had not take telepathic powers for Yōd to know that he was thinking about sex. She rested her hand on Azynov's stiff penis. "I feel the same way, darling, but I can't escape the suspicion that Maturin controls our behavior... even now. She's probably making us horny and filling us with sexual cravings, all just to prevent us from resisting her plans for us." She sipped the wine and sighed. "I'm not complaining about Maturin. I have the feeling that she is on our side." The thought of taking Azynov's erection inside her vagina filled Yōd with pleasure. With the combined effects of her sparking sexual fantasied and the wine, she felt very warm and happy. "That big bed in our room sure beats the little cot on the spaceship."

Glisten on Dessimo Beach near Balad.

Azynov also had no complaints about their luxurious accommodations on Zeck. For a moment he reflected on how easy it would be to forget about his mission and the task of researching the origins of telepathy in Alastor Cluster. If they chose to do so, he and Yōd could simply relax and cruise around the cluster like tourists. When selecting the little spaceship (now coded ACS372654) for his mission, he had imagined that he would be working alone inside the AR Simulator and had given no thought to details like a bed.

Now with Yōd working as his partner inside the Simulator, maybe there should be some changes to the ship. "Any bed with you in it is delightful, my love. I suppose after a week of playing in that big hotel bed with you, I might want to get back to work on our mission and I might start getting anxious for Maturin to show up and explain why she brought us to this world."

However, they did not get a week without Maturin. Later, after dinner and after Azynov and Yōd had gone for a long walk, when it was finally late afternoon, local time, Yōd said, "I'm tired."

Azynov said teasingly, "You just want to get back to that fancy bed."

Yōd had become less dependent on sleep since starting her new life in the AR Simulator, but she still needed some sleep. As a replicoid, Azynov had found it convenient to completely abandon sleep. Still, just to be social, he accommodated himself to Yōd's eating and sleep habits. They returned to their hotel and upon entering the elevator heard a "voice" that asked: Floor? It was the "voice" of Maturin.

Yōd recognized Maturin's thought pattern. She said: We've been wondering when you would show up again.

Never fear, I didn't forget about you... it just took me some time to get things under control on Ottengla. The elevator door opened at the floor where Azynov and Yōd had their room. As Azynov and Yōd walked down the hallway, Maturin told them:  In your room are two Zeck-style data comlets. Check your appointments for the morning.

Azynov said to Maturin, "I still prefer speaking. I don't like the idea of you inside my mind, editing my thoughts and memories."

There was no more communication that day from Maturin. In their room, Azynov and Yōd found the comlets and saw that in the morning they were scheduled to meet a local resident of Zeck named Jantif Ravensroke. After figuring out the controls of the Zeck-style comlet, Azynov and Yōd spent some time playing with the devices. After a while, Yōd looked up from the comlet's screen and commented to Azynov, "As far as I can tell, Maturin sent Jantiff a request for an interview, but I don't think he ever sent us a reply."

Azynov was also feeling some resentment over the ease with which Maturin was pushing he and Yōd around. "I don't like the way she is acting in our name... requesting landing clearance here on Zeck, contacting this Ravensroke..."

Yōd let herself fall onto the big bed and said, "Don't let her get you so wound up, dear. I've got enough anger at Maturin stored up for the two of us. I suspect she's a pek agent and if that is the case then she could make us do anything she wants, all without us even being aware of her existence."

Azynov looked at Yōd where she sprawled on the bed. He resisted the impulse to get undressed. He shrugged, "I still don't like it." He was curious about Jantif Ravensroke. Azynov sat on the edge of the bed and used the comlet to search through recent news reports on Zeck. Ten minutes later he told Yōd, "Apparently Mr. Ravensroke is a local celebrity." He was reading about Jantiff's adventure on the planet Wyst. "Ravensroke's new bride is a native of Wyst, but I can't make much sense of these news reports. What is a Weirdlands Witch?"

Yōd had quickly dismissed the news reports as fluff and she had instead begun searching through the psychiatric literature of Zeck. That search was rewarded and she was now reading an account of Glisten's life and a psychological analysis of the Weirdlands Witches. "Apparently Jantiff's wife, Glisten, grew up without using spoken language. I suppose that is a kind of variant of what we saw on Ottengla. Glisten is probably able to use for telepathy the portion of her brain that we would normally use for spoken language."

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Azynov leaned back on the bed and looked over Yōd's shoulder. "What are you reading? I don't see anything about telepathy in what I'm reading."

"I'm reading between the lines." Yōd pulled off her clothes and spread herself across the big bed.

Azynov set down his comlet, got undressed and got back into bed with Yōd, but she continued using her device to read about scientifically documented parapsychic phenomena on Zeck. He put an arm around her and spoke quietly, his lips close to her ear, "The question is, why Zeck? All I'm finding in the news reports is some scattered hints about the existence of a few telepaths on this world... and there is mention of 'Sea-Voices'. Apparently, there was some aquatic species on this planet long ago, the Zee, but nobody ever met them. Still, some people report a kind of parapsychic contact... my guess is, that's contact with remnants of the natives who now exist only in the Hierion Domain."

Yōd was reading the fringe-science mythology that had grown up around the para-psychic Zee of Zeck and she wondered if it was possible for her to make contact with the Sea-Voices. Remembering how Maturin had attracted the attention of Ebernal, Yōd wanted to roll off the bed, get the hierion containment vial and try an experiment with the micro-hierion field, but Azynov had his penis inconveniently positioned between Yōd's legs. His arm was around her and his finger tips were stroking one of her stiff nipples. She decided that the mysterious Sea-Voices would have to wait. She tossed aside her comlet and began to give her full attention to Azynov.

However, even while making delicious love to Azynov, Yōd could not stop thinking about Danni the robot. Mostly she could not imagine how she had forgotten about the robots of Triskelion until she was on the planet Ottengla, in Portmedio. Without that flash of recognition triggered by the pain when Niel was holding her arms, would she have been able to recover her memories of robots? It was almost as if someone wanted her to forget about the link between telepathy and robots. And why was she imagining that Zeta was pregnant?

Later, having fallen into a contented sleep, Yōd noticed that she was in a dream. She heard two women talking. Suddenly she realized it was Maturin taking to Yōd. Amused to be watching herself, she told Azynov, "This is wild... I'm talking to Maturin..." Suddenly she sat up, realizing that she was not asleep. Beside her in the bed was Azynov, who was using his comlet to read about the extinct natives of Zeck, the Zee. Azynov muttered, "Maturin is back, again?"

Ravensroke and Joole at Blazon spaceport

Struggling to recall the "dream" about Maturin, all she could sense was a fragment of the dream, that she and Maturin had been discussing Zeta's pregnancy and the fact that she would give birth to a mind clone. She asked Azynov, "What's a mind clone?"

He turned off his comlet, rolled over and put an arm around Yōd. "Mind clone? I don't know." He kissed the tip of her nose. Yōd snuggled up against Azynov and tried to imagine why Maturin was toying with both Azynov and herself, but mostly herself. What was the link between Zeta and robots and telepathy? But even as she followed that thought trail, Yōd responded to Azynov's touch and she felt a new, powerful wave of lust. She surrendered to the sweet caresses of Azynov and stopped thinking about mind clones.

Later, when both Yōd and Azynov had satisfied their lustful cravings, Yōd whispered to Azynov. "We really should look into the futures of Jantiff and Glisten."

Azynov nodded. "Yes, there is no sense in approaching them unless we know." Azynov popped them out of their current position in the Asimov Reality Simulator and began exploring into the future. Suddenly Azynov said, "It is the wrong year!"

Yōd asked, "What do you mean?"

"That manipulative bitch Maturin sent us back a year in time and never bothered to mention it. Look at the date!" Azynov shook his head in wonder. "This is one year before we went to Triskelion."

Yōd speculated, "Maturin must have some reason..." She told Azynov, "Well, we will have to figure out this mystery. Maturin put us in this time so that we could learn something important. Now, let's not get distracted. Scan into Glisten's future and let's see what will happen."

They were both rather horrified by the events that would befall Jantiff and Glisten when they visited Yerophet. Finally, after having viewed the alarming fate of Glisten and her unborn child, Azynov returned them to their original place in time, in their luxurious hotel room on Zeck.

It had been a long eventful day and Yōd was ready for a few hours of restorative sleep that would help stabilize her memories. Slipping into sleep, she muttered to Azynov, "Of course, we can't let Glisten go to Yerophet."

"The Power of Pause"

Next: This story (above) continues with "The Power of Pause".

Related Reading: every August I celebrate the science fiction stories of Jack Vance. The story on this webpage (above) is part of a fan-fiction celebration of Jack Vance set in the Exodemic Fictional Universe:

1. The Gensifer Clan (August 2020)

2. The Power of Pause (from August 2019)

 also:

3. Finding lo'Whots (December 2020)

4. The Alastor Network (January 2021)

5. Meet the Phari (March 2021)

6. Return to Ottengla (planned for 2022)

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