Below on this page is part 6 of the science fiction story "Grean Fiction". Having returned to Earth from Altair IV, Tara Morbius is struggling to accommodate herself to existing as part of a time travel loop. Now she must decide if she will trust in her grandmother's belief that a Report on Altair IV has been successfully sent back through time to the 20th century, assuring that Tara will continue to exist.
A problem remains: Tara has no personal knowledge that time travel is even possible. Seeking an alternative source of knowledge about time travel and curious about the possibility of establishing contact with Delpha the Kac'hin inside the Hierion Domain, Tara decides to investigate Quit, the enigmatic artificial lifeform who serves as her grandmother's assistant. Near the end of Tara's first day on Earth, Quit the robot has just escorted Tara to a luxurious suite of rooms...
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Part 6 of Grean Fiction. (read part 1)(part 2)(part 3)(part 4)(part 5)
Quit the robot had taken Tara to her comfortable suite of rooms. After showing her the amenities, the machine-man bowed and turned then strode towards the door.
Tara
called to him, "Wait! I can't possibly sleep now." She had arrived at
Marson Farm in the early morning phase of her circadian rhythm. For
Tara, it was still early evening and her mind was swirling from all that
she had learned during her first day on Earth.
The
robot turned and suggested, "Let's go for a walk." He led the way towards
the surface and pause at a small alcove where he showed her a video display screen. "Until the time when you have a complax,
always visually check the surface before you go up. We don't want
outsiders to know about this underground facility."
Tara asked, "Where is my aircar?"
Quit
pointed down a dim hallway. That passageway leads to the garage. "Your
aircar is there, ready for your use at any time. Just remember, check
the video feed from the surface before you go up... we want to keep
these underground facilities secret."
It
was a warm night under a sparkling sky of stars. Tara looked around the sky, "My parents told me stories about the great Moon of Earth."
Quit said, "The Moon is not out, but Moonrise will come in about another hour." They walked past the old farmhouse and into a grove of date palms. He
warned, "Don't wander off the path in your sandals. There are scorpions
among the trees... you might get a sting."
Tara giggled nervously, "Thank you for the warning. The ecosystem on Altair IV is artificial, with no pests."
Quit said, "Really? How strange. It might be a challenge for you to adjust to the biodiversity of Earth. There are many dangerous lifeforms here."
Tara asked, "Why is it so noisy?"
"Insects
in the trees. That is what the scorpions hunt. Along with the bats."
Quit pointed upwards towards a patch of stars. "But you probably can't
see the bats flying above us. Human senses are so limited."
Tara sighed. "I keep forgetting that you are not really a man."
"I may look
human, but I was built with many special features that humans lack, such as
better vision."
Tara asked, "You were designed for a mission on Earth?"
"Yes, I was created to serve as Erca's assistant here in Egypt." Quit stepped off of the path and picked up a scorpion. He showed it to Tara, illuminating it with UV light emitted from his eyes.
Tara watched the scorpion walk across Quit's hand then it fell off and scurried away. They continued walking towards the river.
"How did you do that?"
"I have many tricks up my sleeve. I'm equipped with nanoscopic prosthetics that allow me to detect light that the human eye is not sensitive to and also emit light, as needed. Watch this..." Quit floated up into the air, did a stately somersault and then settled back onto the ground beside Tara. "I've got the ability to use negative mass hierions and defy gravity."
"These are tyrp'At tricks?"
"The tryp'At, like Erca, are biological, same as you. My whole body is made from a complex assemblage of hierions, but I'm designed -programmed- to simulate a human body."
Tara wondered just how much Quit knew about Erica and her tryp'At secrets. "Are you allowed to speak about her to me?"
Quit
laughed. "Erca might not be listening to us right now, but she will be
able to review everything that I do through the complax link that we
share. Ask me anything you like, but don't expect what I tell you to be
kept a secret from Erca... or Meloh."
Tara could not resist asking a personal question, "If you were designed for Erca, were you crafted to be her lover?"
Quit showed no hesitation in answering. "When
Erca was young, she experimented sexually with me. However, as a
tryp'At, she prefers being with other tryp'At. They don't really like
humans, you know. She just needed me around to run errands... out in the human society of Earth, where she does not like to venture."
"No, I don't know... why don't the tryp'At like humans?"
"I
think the tryp'At envy Humanity. The tryp'At were crafted as a tool by
the positronic robots for a specific purpose." They had reached the end
of a long row of trees and could now see the river in the distance.
"Really, you have to feel sorry for the tryp'At... they do not even have
a world of their own where they could establish their own
civilization."
Tara said, "Well, I don't really have a world of my own either. I lost Kephey and Earth seems quite alien to me."
Quit
gestured towards the left where there was a stone bench. They sat down
and he said, "This is a great place to watch the sun rise." After a
pause he asked, "Do you mind if I ask you some questions?"
Tara
kicked off her sandals and looked up at the altered constellations of
Earth. "Why should I mind?" Now with her eyes adjusted to the dark, she
could occasionally see a bat flick through the sky. The river emitted a ghostly glow from phosphorescent algae.
Quit leaned close and almost whispered in Tara's ear. "You have been through a brutal time... the loss of your family. I sense that those memories are still haunting you."
"It is probably good for me to talk about the past. I've kept those horrors inside me for too long."
"You said, 'Kephey'." While he said 'Kephey', his voice changed to a perfect simulation of Tara's voice. What is Kephey?"
Tara giggled. "Do that again."
Quit
spoke using Tara's voice, "How much do you know about my mother?" Then
he used Erca's voice: "...one copy of you might have been teleported
into the Hierion Domain." And then Meloh: "...you should take as much
time as you need to heal."
Tara asked, "Do you remember everything that you hear, word-for-word, or are you just playing back a recording?"
"I have perfect recall. That is a design feature of Replicoids. I can instantly morph my voice box and shift to using a different voice."
Tara began entertaining a wishful hope, that Quit might truly be useful to her as a means to learn about the secretive tryp'At. "There is so much I don't know about Earth. Meloh said something about temporal momentum. What did he mean by that?"
Quit
explained, "When the positronic robots of Earth started using time
travel, they wanted to make small changes to the course of human events.
They needed to defeat the butterfly effect."
"Butterflies? The little winged creatures of Earth? Like moths?"
"It
is a feature of the chaotic nature of the universe. Imagine a single
butterfly or bat that could bump into you and distract you for just a second. Such a small, seemingly insignificant event could alter all of human history. In order to lock the trajectory
of human civilization into a groove, the Replicoid system was created
and put into use... essentially a vast quantum computer in the Hierion
Domain that could record all of human history and the precise actions of each
person on Earth."
"Record everything? For what purpose?"
"When
the positronic robots traveled through time and changed some part of
the past, a new Reality came into being, but it was a new future
constrained by the Replicoid system. Each Earthling's behavior was
guided by the memories of its Replicoid, forcing events to unfold as they had in the previous Reality."
"Guided?"
"Yes.
Making sure that the new Reality was very similar to the previous one,
right down to details like which children would be born."
"But how could that be repeated? It is mostly random... which sperm cell reaches an egg is as random as a butterfly collision."
"Exactly
so. That was the problem. But with the replicoid system, the genome of
each child from the previous Reality was recorded and could be
re-created in the new future."
"You are joking."
Quit solemnly shook his head. "No. The replicoid system works quite well, almost perfectly."
"It is still in use? Then everything I do is controlled by my replicoid?"
"It
is an interesting question... you were not born on Earth. Do you have a
replicoid in the Hierion Domain? I don't know. You may be the only
human on Earth with no Replicoid!"
"Quit, tell me... what about you and the tryp'At... are you also the puppets of these unseen Replicoids?"
The robot shrugged. "What difference does it make?"
"It makes all the difference in the world! Don't try to tell me that you would be happy existing as a puppet, unable to make any choices for yourself."
"I
suspect that I lack a Replicoid, but that does not mean that I am not a
puppet." Quit suggested, "It may be that Delpha can control every little thing I do or
say, possibly using infites."
"And that does not bother you?"
"I suppose, if it ever did start to bother me, then Delpha could alter my thoughts and stop it from bothering me."
Tara asked, "What are infites?"
"Nanoscopic devices that add or subtract memories from a human brain." Quit almost told Tara that he had used infites earlier that evening in order to make it easier for her to speak about her traumatic experiences on Altair IV, but he restrained himself. Why need she know? He reasoned: Tara seems to despise the idea of not having control over her own behavior.
Tara
was silent for a long time then she said, "You asked about Kephey. That
is a word that I invented, but it is close to what the Tequids call
themselves."
"Tell me about your friend, Patty."
"Patty
was a young Tequid who was particularly sensitive to the
technology-assisted telepathy system that my father controlled. Patty
was linked quite efficiently to my mind and we could share thoughts with
each other. Of course, I was horrified when Patty went through the
teleporter and never returned."
"You and Patty were lovers?"
Tara laughed. "What gave you that idea?"
"Something in your voice when you speak of Patty makes me suspect that you loved her."
"I
did love her, as a childhood friend. And one day when we were swimming
together we got quite serious about comparing our bodies. Her genitalia
were similar to mine, but adapted for the aquatic lifestyle of the
Tequid. We were very young, and my digital exploration of her vagina was
innocent and brief. We were not lovers in any adult sense. Then she
died. I suspect she died. She never came back to Altair IV through the teleporter."
"I see. But that experience with Patty still haunts you? Is that why you remained a virgin?"
Tara
tried to look into the robot's eyes, but his face was a dark mask under the star light.
"Please don't try to account for my virginity. It is complicated. When I
was a baby, my mind was already linked to that of my father. Every time
he made love to my mother, I shared part of the joy he experienced."
"You must have inherited your mother's genetic pattern that made her such a good telepathic receiver."
"What do you mean?"
Quit
explained, "You know that Grean went back through Time, into Earth's past. She helped
insert special gene patterns into the human gene pool that can allow
Earthlings to make use of the Bimanoid Interface. Your mother could
efficiently receive information-"
"Wait, now. Bimanoid Interface?"
"The
Bimanoid Interface was designed as a key part of the Replicoid system
for temporal momentum. The
Bimanoid Interface was the subsystem for linking Replicoids in the
Hierion Domain to people on Earth. However, Grean learned how to make
use of the Bimanoid Interface for other purposes."
"I see."
"For
thousands of years, some humans have had the gene combinations that
would allow them to receive information by way of the Bimanoid
Interface. Other people had other gene combinations that gave them the
ability to transmit. I wonder if you have both abilities."
"I definitely had a kind of two-way link to Patty, however, our mind patterns clashed as often as they meshed."
"I suppose that is to be expected since the Tequids are not exactly human." Quit gently placed his hand on top of Tara's, just as he had done at the dinner table. "Does it pain you to talk to me about your parents?"
"I don't mind. My pain is part of me. Somehow I feel that it is safe for me to share with you."
"As you know, I make heavy use of the complax system. I like to imagine that doing so gives me some sense of what it is like to make use of telepathy. However, I am intrigued by the idea that you grew up as a child with a telepathic link to your father."
"To both my parents. However, I first noticed that my father's emotions would spill over into my mind. That was a great source of joy... I was aware of Justin's deep love for Edith. That was a solid foundation for my happy childhood, being able to experience the warm sexual feelings that my father had for my mother. Of course, she loved him just as much, but she lacked the power to transmit her sexual experiences into my brain."
Quit asked, "What about that boy... the other child who was born onboard the Belerephon? Could you sense his emotions?"
Tara shook her head. "Billy? No. I suspect that Justin, Edith and I were the only ones who could make use of the technology-assisted telepathy equipment that is onboard Belerephon. I mean, besides the Tequids. Even now, that equipment must be what allows me to feel some of the thoughts of Erca and Meloh, although they apparently use a different technology-assisted telepathy system that was designed specifically for tryp'At brains."
For a time they silently watched as a new glow came to the eastern horizon. The moon would soon be rising. Tara stretched and was surprised to find Quit's warm hand still resting upon upon hers. She turned her hand over and slipped her slim fingers between his. "Of course, I was quite familiar with Billy. We worked together inside Atlantis, although he often complained about the long hours on duty. He was a normal boy and wanted to be playing. His great buddy was my brother, Brad... they were about the same age and had... similar interests."
"Then the day came when I was no longer just a child. Billy, Ilania and I were on duty inside Atlantis when I had my first significant vaginal bleeding. I was going through the changes of puberty. Ilania started giving Billy and I daily lectures on sex. We were young, and not very interested in what she told us. Eventually, she showed Billy and I how to engage in oral sex. She told us, "Many of us expect that you two will become a couple. Now, when the time comes, you will know how to begin to give pleasure to each other."
After that tutorial on oral sex, one thing led to another and it was not long before I achieved my first orgasm. I finally understood what was happening to my father when he made love to my mother. Then, I had an even greater revelation..."
Again Tara fell silent. Quit squeezed her hand and said, "Here comes old Luna." The moon started showing itself and cast a shimmering reflection on the river. After a few minutes had past, Quit whispered to Tara, "You were telling me about your revelation."
Tara pulled her gaze away from the silvery Moonrise and returned her thoughts to memories of Altair IV. "Yes. I discovered that just by thinking the right thoughts I could experience an orgasm. I learned from my mother that it is not common for people to be able to do that." She looked into Quit's eyes that were sparkling in the moon light. "What about you?"
Quit chuckled. "No, I was not given that superpower! Although, I do have some conscious control over when I reach my orgasms while I make love. And I can achieve many orgasms sequentially, although I have learned that doing so usually annoys my lovers."
Tara laughed. "You are lucky. In my case, having an orgasm greatly reduces my desire to have another. For me, one a day is usually just right. I like to think pleasant thoughts while drifting into sleep. Sometimes I fall asleep and then I have an orgasm as part of a dream. That can be strange and exciting!"
In the distance a dog barked.
Quit barked and howled in return.
Tara laughed. "What are you doing?"
"There are wild dogs here." He pointed up the valley. He asked Tara, "What do you like to think about as you fall asleep?"
Tara saw bouncing eyes in the distance. Five dogs went trotting by, their eyes aglow, passing less than thirty feet from where they sat. When the dogs had passed, Tara told Quit, "If you must know, I often fantasize about the Tequids and some times even the Alphins. I grew up watching them having sex among the waves of Altair's warm ocean. Whenever they felt the urge, they would start playing sex games. Once there were several dozen Tequids and Alvins playing together. Even my mother joined in. I was still very young. It wasn't until years later that I understood what I had seen... a kind of spontaneous orgy."
Quit laughed. "I've witnessed a similar phenomenon among the tryp'At when they gather in groups. I find it intriguing that people can exist in long-term relationships with a partner and still enjoy sex with other lovers."
"I suppose it was easy for my parents to remain nearly exclusive to each other. The Belerephon only had a crew of 20. Edith experimented in sex play with the Tequids and who knows what adventures my father had on other planets... but they remained devoted to each other. I can't imagine what it must be like here on Earth, with billions of potential lovers available."
Quit pulled Tara to her feet. "Let's walk." She slipped her sandals on without letting go of his hand. They followed a gravel path along the river. He asked, "On Altair IV, was it like the others expected? Did you and Billy grow up to become lovers?"
Tara shook her head. "There was no sexual attraction between us. My mother told me that we were both experiencing an innate human incest taboo. Billy and I had grown up in close contact, almost like siblings, frequently playing together as children. And besides, I needed no lover. I had the ability to pleasure myself and also the experience of knowing my father's love for Edith." Tara paused and then added, "And then Billy and my brother Brad became a couple."
"I see. The two boys preferred each other to you. What did you think of that?"
"My mother tried to explain it to me. Have you ever seen a chimp?"
"No, but they have a big primate park about a thousand miles south from here. Would you like to visit? We could fly down in the aircar."
Tara giggled. "And Meloh says you have no sense of humor." Then she wondered if Quit was serious. She sighed, wishing she had some ability to see into his mind. "Anyhow, according to Edith, young primates and dolphins on Earth often engage in same-sex play."
Quit stopped walking. "You may not want to hear this, given your experience with the Alphins..."
"What?" Now with the Moon light on Quit's face, Tara was again struck by the graceful lines of the robot's beautiful face.
"One day, your father and I were swimming in the river with some dolphins, then one of them assaulted Justin. He was actually injured before I could intervene."
"Sexually assaulted?"
"Yes. Several dolphins were engaging in exuberant sex play and Justin was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He never again went to the river." They continued their stroll.
After a long silence, Tara told Quit. "Thank you for telling me that terrible story. It explains a mystery... my father's dislike for swimming. I'm glad he never let his own past interfere with my love of the ocean. But he was that kind of father... always wanting for me whatever I desired."
"I also want to bring you happiness, Tara." The robot explained, "That is why I offered to become your lover earlier this evening. I suspect that you would enjoy the experience. Really, I would be happy to do anything with you that you want to do."
Tara laughed. "You are very generous, Quit, but I suspect you have your own selfish reasons for wanting to make love to me, independent of my desires."
"Well, of course, Erca asked me to take care of your needs."
Tara laughed even louder then she grew serious. Was it possible that she provoked in Quit no sexual desire, that he was only paying attention to her because he was following orders? "Quit, please let's stop talking about sex. All this talk is only getting me very horny and what I want to talk about is the tryp'At and the Kac'hin. I really want to contact Delpha and confirm that information from Altair gets sent back through time to the 20th century."
They had reached another paved path leading back towards the farmhouse. Still holding hands, they turned and strolled slowly towards the glowing windows in the distance. "It may be that Erca has some means to contact Delpha. However, I've never so much as seen a Kac'hin. I don't think they ever come to Earth."
Tara stopped walking and turned to face Quit. She reached out and took his other hand in hers. "Tell me one thing... do you believe in time travel?"
"I know that the tryp'At do." Quit slowly shook his head. "Again, I have no personal experience with time travel, no sure knowledge that it is possible." Tugging on her hands, he pulled her close. "I wonder... Erca has mentioned that you have telepathic powers..."
Tara looked up into his face which was now only inches from hers. "What about it?"
"Maybe you can link telepathically into Erca's mind and see if she truly knows that time travel is more than just a neat idea for science fiction stories."
"She has hinted that it might be possible for me to use the technology-assisted telepathy system that allows tryp'At to share thoughts. Do you know where that equipment is kept?"
"No, I don't, but you could also experiment with a complax implant."
Tara turned away from Quit and again they walked along the path. "I don't want to have some doctor cutting into my brain."
"I believe it involves only a simple insertion of the small prosthetic device."
"After a brain scan."
"Yes, there are tests to allow the doctor to personalize the implanted device and precisely position it."
"I don't want to become some freak show attraction here on Earth."
"Doctors are bound by custom to keep secret what they learn about their patients."
"But I am the girl from Altair. No, if I revealed myself to Earthlings, I would become a specimen for study and exploitation. My unique brain would be an irresistible temptation for scientific study."
"You may be right. I constantly monitor the world's new reports. A few hours ago, news broke of the Belerephon's sudden appearance on Earth. Police are looking for a young girl of your description."
A cold terror gripped Tara. They were approaching the farmhouse. She asked, "Do you think I am safe here?"
"Maybe. However, as of now, the authorities are merely curious. After a few weeks, this flurry of excitement would naturally die down and fade away. However, as soon as news spreads about the discovery of teleportation technology on Altair IV, the pressure to find you will become much more intense. When we reach that point, even Erca's careful secrecy might not be enough to protect you."
They went down into the underground facility of the tryp'At and directly to Tara's suite. Having safely delivered Tara to her rooms, Quit turned to depart, but Tara refused to let him go. Standing at the doorway, he asked Tara, "Aren't you tired now? We must have walked five miles."
"I am a bit drained, but not physically. Remember, I grew up on Altair IV where the gravity is strong. I am feeling anxiety about Erca's ability to protect me. And it is strange... when I first arrived here, I could catch thought fragments from Erca and Meloh. However, this evening, even when hugging and touching Erca I could not sense her mind."
Quit suggested, "Well, we could go visit Myty. She may have some insight into the termination of your access to the Bimanoid Interface."
Tara asked pointedly, "Myty lives here inside this hidden base with you?"
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little people
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"Often she gets sent away on missions, but yes, this is her home base."
Tara felt silly for feeling jealous of Myty. "I'm sorry. I suppose I should not monopolize your time. I sense you are eager to be with Myty."
"When I have nothing else to do, I often assist Myty with her projects."
Tara could not stop herself from asking, "You and Myty are lovers?"
Quit shook his head and grinned. "No, that would not be practical."
"Why not? She is devoted to someone else? Just how many people live down here?"
"Just we four: myself, Myty, Erca and Meloh. Although, during Council meetings, we have guests and there are more than a dozen tryp'At here for a few days."
"Myty is tryp'At?"
"No, she is a replicoid, like me. However, a serious sexual relationship between Myty and myself is not possible."
"Why not? What's the problem?"
Quit smiled and replied, "She's not half the woman you are."
Tara smiled broadly. Her mother had taught Tara that the strongest relationships between men and women were built upon respect and the intelligence of the two partners. Feeling her spurt of jealousy evaporating, Tara asked, "So Myty would not be jealous if you stay with me all night?"
She's in the middle of a big job right now, which I could help with, but you are currently my top priority."
"Then please stay here with me. After four long years of being alone, I find that I enjoy companionship. I want to talk some more... and you make me feel safe." They sat on a comfortable sofa and Tara leaned against his warm body. She held tight to his arm where it wrapped around her. She kicked off her sandals once more and the room lights dimmed. She asked, "Tell me, Quit, if you wanted to hide, where nobody would find you, where would you go?"
For a long minute Quit contemplated that puzzle. He tilted his head and rested his cheek against her soft hair. "There are places such as south central Asia where nobody goes... kind of a wasteland, with nothing but rock and snow."
"Is it possible to get there undetected?"
"Most of Earth is constantly scanned and surveilled. However..." He fell silent.
"What?"
"Do you know how your mother and father met?"
"Yes, my mother told me about Greenland. Why?"
"Sometimes there are scientific missions to remote places. Did your mother ever mention Dr. Vuon?"
"No. Not that I recall."
"Your parents met when they worked for Dr. Vuon. I believe she still runs a big archeological project in the wastes of Antarctica."
Tara wondered: might it be possible to slip off to some place like Antarctica and go into hiding? Her eyes closed. She felt quite warm in safe there with Quit, but what would happen when the news of teleportation technology began to spread?
Quit said, "Feel free to complete your nightly routine."
Tara laughed and opened her eyes. She looked into Quit's face and found that he had a sly grin on his lips. She reached up and ran a finger tip over his lips. He placed his free hand on her thigh and then moved his hand slowly to her crotch. Tara began to breath rapidly and she suddenly felt very warm. A wonderful orgasm came to her and lingered like a slow burning candle. She sighed then kissed Quit's cheek. "Thank you." A few minutes later she drifted into sleep.
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