Rylla Style

in the Ekcolir Reality

Zeta had just finished reading my draft version of "The Olive Intervention" in which I had assumed that after briefly working with Glisten Ravensroke on Yerophet, Azynov and Yōd would never see Jantiff or Glisten again. She complained, "You missed the real reason why Glisten was sent to Yerophet."

 

I took hold of Zeta's hand and pulled her into my lap. I could sense that she had again been in contact with Rylla. We were in daily contact with Rylla by way of the internet and were being kept appraised of ongoing investigations at Observer Base. "I got my version of the story straight from Yōd."

"You know that Yōd has not been allowed to keep all of her memories." Zeta was breathing hot puffs of air into my ear and nibbling on my ear lobe.

mind clone network

I tried to resist the temptation to undress Zeta and do some nibbling of my own. I asked, "What better source of information is there?"

Zeta snuggled against me. "I'm not sure it is 'better', but the archives of the Writers Block at Observer Base contain many accounts of the far future of the Asimov Reality that were written during the Ekcolir Reality. You should wait until you read Rylla's report before you accept Yōd's version of events on Yerophet."

 

"What's going on? I thought we had gotten past all that nonsense and deception designed to protect Lakum's mission in the Hierion Domain." 

 

Lakum

While writing "The Olive Intervention" I'd worked hard to make sense of a week's worth of dream-state communications received from Yōd. My sleep pattern had been severely disrupted by having to get up and write a summary each time one of Yōd's messages arrived in the middle of the night. 

 

Now, while speaking to Zeta, I had unbuttoned her shirt and found myself kissing her hot skin. I was perfectly willing to hear about Rylla's investigation of information sources available at Observer Base, but skeptical about putting trust in fictionalized accounts obtained from the Writers Block story archives.

 

Zeta

Due to our shared telepathic connection, Zeta was able to lift thoughts from my mind, particularly when I was obsessing over them. "Remember, some of Yōd's memories that you are learning about now were from events inside the Simulator that more than a year old. She's been dealing with both probots and Kac'hin, so who knows how her version of the story has been warped and distorted?"

 

Zeta was performing some sort of amazing contortion as she shifted herself around on my lap. I was in a bit of discomfort, trying to manage the swelling in my pants where it pushed against Zeta's leg. "I hope Rylla can turn up something about Glisten's mysterious suggestion..." I fell silent while I sampled some of Zeta's sweet milk. Zeta was making huge volumes of milk while nursing Tihri.

Glisten

Zeta had a hand inside my pants. She claims that it is only fair that she be allowed to sample my bodily fluids when I can't resist the lure of her breasts. "Yes, it would be nice to know the identity of the world that Glisten glimpsed in her vision of the future. I can't imagine why R. Oliveene Nhevrix was so intent on altering the timeline... was that simply for the benefit of Azynov and Yōd?"

 

Zeta had opened my pants and I knew that I was not going to be able to resist hauling her off to our bed for much longer. "I don't like the idea that R. Nyrtia put a lock on the AR Simulator and now her minion, Oliveene is there with Yōd, inside the Simulator, altering Yōd's memories." I stood up and feeling that our bedroom was too far away, I carried Zeta to the couch. Later, after our love making, I fell into a restful sleep for the first time in a week. 

 

Assignment: Marune

Strangely, I dreamed about the possibility that the babies of Glisten and Yōd might also be part of a mind clone network forming in Alastor Cluster. Later, a report on Glisten arrived from Rylla and I was able to incorporate some of her discoveries into the second half of "The Olive Olivine Intervention. I was only slowly realizing that there was an important connection between Glisten and the world Marune, an idea that had been carefully hidden from Yōd.

⎯ The Olivine Intervention ؄

Part 3. In Hot Water.

Robots of Triskelion

Nobody at Snarlwood was particularly in a rush to venture out into the cold morning air. At dawn, Glisten was the first to rise after Olive had spent five minutes walking on her. While Jantiff still slept peacefully, Glisten had quietly gone downstairs where she asked the household robot to feed Olive. 

 

Uro had then fixed Glisten an elaborate breakfast while she tried out the hot tub that was on the back porch of the house under its array of heat lamps. 

Second to awaken, Yōd was also up early, sensing Glisten's active mind and powerful telepathic emanations. She discovered that an aircar, ready for their use, now rested in the attic inside a little garage that was tucked under the sloping roof of Snarlwood. Yōd entered the aircar and found the standard flight controls used widely throughout Alastor Cluster and when she tested the environmental system the temperature inside the car quickly climbed.

 

Going down to the main floor of Snarlwood, Yōd found Glisten in the kitchen, just finishing her meal. Uro asked Yōd, "What would you like to eat?" 

 

Yōd ignored the robot. She was looking rather hungrily at Glisten and her flushed pink skin. "You tried the tub?"

Glisten nodded. "The hot tub is quite tolerable, even if the air temperature is minus fifty." A minute later, the two women were both in the hot tub with Uro standing nearby, still pestering Yōd about her food preferences. At that moment, Yōd wanted to keep her complete attention on Glisten so she finally dismissed the robot, "I'll eat later when Azynov does. Now go away."

Glisten giggled and suggested, "Maybe you should have invited him to join us."

The Trikelion planetary system.

Yōd slid across the tub and moved close to Glisten. "I don't like the way that machine looks at you and says, 'Will there be anything else Miss Glisten?' It is clear; he has sexbot programming." Yōd could only subconsciously recall the interactions she had previously had with robots on Triskelion.

Glisten sighed and glanced through the sliding glass door to where Uro waited, still apparently concerned that Yōd might be starving. "I don't have the heart to tell Uro that Janty and I are married."

Yōd was partly aware that the robots of Triskelion had telepathic abilities, although her memories of Triskelion were still being partly suppressed. "That machine knows more than you suspect. In any case, I'm perfectly able to join us without Uro's assistance." She reached out and stoked one of Glisten's small, cute breasts.

Glisten glanced towards the second floor. "I get the feeling that Azynov is your jealous protector."

on Tar'tron

Yōd laughed. "Unlike you and Jantiff, we've never been married. Azynov knows that he can't control my sexual appetites. When he met me, I was living on a world where I had a harem of female lovers."

Glisten put her arms around Yōd and whispered, "I've never made love to anyone but Janty."

"Just relax, my dear." Yōd placed her hands against Glisten's head and examined the shape of her ears. "I wish I had access to your genome analysis, but it is clear to the naked eye... like many here in the Cluster you have many Neanderthal gene patterns."

"Neanderthal?"

"An extinct human variant of ancient Earth. Someone has gone to the trouble of spreading Neanderthal genes far and wide across Alastor Cluster, apparently as part of an attempt to make a new type of human with telepathic abilities." Yōd kissed Glisten's cheek and added, "I'm about 50 percent Neanderthal, myself."

Glisten asked, "If we share these telepathy genes, why do I feel only a weak telepathic connection to you?"

Yōd shrugged and stood up, spreading her legs and putting her vulva right in front of Glisten's mouth. "Have a taste."

Confused, Glisten asked, "Taste what?"

A breeze pushed cold air across Yōd's wet body. She stuck a finger inside her vagina and then sat down in the tub. Yōd then pushed her finger into Glisten's mouth and asked, "How do I taste?"

Glisten sucked on Yōd's finger then replied, "Slightly fruity."

image source

"The closest thing humans have to pheromones are some vaginal secretions that the Neanderthal's could both smell and taste. I've found some humans who can respond to my secretions. Maybe we also have some matching genes that will allow for telepathy. If so, I'd first need to learn your individual mind pattern."

"And how can you do that?"

 

Yōd suggested, "Lean back and let me get my mouth on your genitals." Glisten put her arms on the edge of the tub and floated on her back, her legs draped over Yōd's shoulders. It did not take very long for Yōd's darting tongue to provide Glisten with a glorious orgasm. Yōd had begun the slow task of matching Glisten's movements and spoken words to the fragments of the girl's mind pattern that could be sensed. Suddenly, Yōd had a flashed image in her mind of Glisten's child, a vision apparently arriving from some time in the future.

 

Recovering from her delightful sexual release, Glisten told Yōd, "Thank you, that was wonderful." She began to play with Yōd's breasts and wanted to reciprocate by providing Yōd with an orgasm, but Yōd climbed out of the tub, sensing that Azynov was now awake. "Azynov is wondering where I am." She ran upstairs, not bothering to dry off or dress. Back in their bed and arriving hot and moist on top of Azynov she told him, "How convenient that you woke up with a nice big erection."

Azynov took note of Yōd's red lips and could guess that she had probably gotten her hands and lips on Glisten. Yōd was eager for her own orgasm, but she remembered to tell Azynov, "The aircar was delivered some time during the night."

Still a bit sleepy, Azynov was impressed by the enthusiasm with which Yōd was working towards an orgasm. He relaxed and allowed Yōd to fully exert herself. He could not stop himself from imagining that he and Yōd might take the aircar and go in search of lo'Whots, leaving Jantiff and Glisten stranded at the Snarlwood. Later, when Yōd lay relaxed and sprawled across Azynov's body he suggested, "We could stop the flow of the Simulator and go find lo'Whots. Jantiff and Glisten would not even notice."

Yōd sighed. Something was pushing at her mind, urging her to let events unfold on Yerophet without her interfering. "If we need to, we can always reset the Simulation." Since their previous visit to Yerophet, they had resisted doing that. "I have the feeling that the Phari are trying to show us something. Maybe we can simply watch the show..." She told Azynov about her vision from the future of Glisten's child. "That glimpse of the future must have come from someone here in the Asimov Reality who has access to time travel technology."

Azynov asked, "You and Glisten are both in telepathic contact with the Phari?"

lo'Whots

"Not I. I don't have Glisten's powerful telepathic abilities. However, it is clear that Glisten is a tool of the Phari, so we might as well wait and see what they are going to do with her."

"I thought you wanted to protect Glisten, not just bang her."

"Please don't be jealous, Azynov. I gave her one little orgasm and then came running back to you. And don't worry, I'm not going to let Glisten be harmed by the Kerub. I'm perfectly willing to take all the risks on myself. After-all, I've got you watching over me, ready to yank us off of Yerophet if we get into trouble."

Azynov was not quite as confident as Yōd. What if they were attacked telepathically and he was suddenly prevented from using the Simulator controls? Now fully awake and quite aroused, he forgot all about things telepathic, rolled Yōd onto her back and made a leisurely trek towards his own orgasm.

Part 4. Rendezvous in Goslewenn

It was late morning by the time when they boarded the aircar and flew off towards the Kerub frontier. Glisten's cat, Olive, came along and curled up in a nice warm spot next to the aircar's motor compartment. Jantiff was at the controls and Azynov was in the copilot's seat as they flew directly towards the Kerub frontier with Glisten pointing over Jantiff's shoulder to the location of the village Goslewenn on the aircar's navmap. 

Yōd could not imagine how Glisten knew exactly where lo'Whots lived. Was Glisten in telepathic contact with the Kerub and being given directions to the location of lo'Whots? She was standing close to Glisten, one hand resting on the girl's shapely bottom, now amplified by the thick insulation of her coldsuit. Yōd said, "Let's take this slow and careful. Before crossing into Kerub territory, I want to gather some information." Just on the human side of the border in Goslewenn, the map indicated the presence of a business facility called the Trading Post. Pointing to the map, she said, "Let's stop here and get some information from the settlers."

 

As they approached Goslewenn, Azynov asked, "Are we in the right place? I don't see the village."

Only a few scattered buildings could be seen. Glisten explained, "Almost everything is underground." She pointed ahead, "There, that must be the Trading Post."

The aircar landed beside a small depot and Jantiff inspected everyone's cold weather gear before cracking the aircar's hatch. Their skin was completely covered, but they could speak to each other using voice re-transmitters that were built into their helmets. They activated their sunshield goggles and stepped out into the snow-covered field beside the Trading Post. 

 

Jantiff saw that Olive was still laying in her warm spot. He sealed the hatch and then they hurried across the wind-packed snow towards the door of the depot. A few ski tracks could be seen, but theirs were the first foot prints in the new snow. They had gained in altitude from Frost Hills and there was much more snow on the ground here, most of it drifted.

 

Compared to the glaring sunlight outside, it was quite dark inside the depot, but not much warmer than outside. They cleared their goggles and let their eyes adjust to the dim interior.

Speaking through her voice amplifier, Glisten said, "Someone is coming."

Jantiff looked out the frosted window but saw only trees, snow and sky. He complained, "This place looks abandoned." There were a few display racks full of mostly warm weather clothing.

Azynov suggested, "This place must only get used during the brief summer months."

At the far side of the room, a door slid open and a woman emerged from the elevator car. She spoke with the harsh settler accent, "Can I help you?" A cloud of frozen vapor formed at her mouth. Her skin and hair, what little could be seen, were tinged blue. Her eyes were bright blue and almost seemed to glow.

Yōd said, "We are new on Yerophet." Yōd introduced the woman to herself and the others. "We plan to visit Kerub territory. Perhaps you can advise us, what supplies should we have with us when we cross the border?"

"I'm Lora, this is my shop." While wrapping a long fluffy scarf around her neck, Lora looked at them dubiously. "You are tourists?" She put on her helmet and sealed up her face-plate.

Jantiff stepped close to Lora and extended his hand. "Nice to meet you, Lora." He was rather startled by Lora's blue skin and wondering about her genetic background.

She looked at Jantiff skeptically and briefly bumped her gloved hand against his.

Yōd suggested, "Think of us as an investigative expedition. We are here because of the problem with Kerub telepathic emanations causing harm to human settlers."

Lora finished sealing up the gaps in her coldsuit. "Hmph. More off-world eggheads? My advice is: go home."

Glisten explained, "I was asked to come here." She stepped close to Lora and asked, "Do you know lo'Whots?"

"We are neighbors." Lora looked back and forth between Azynov and Jantiff. "If you plan to do business with lo'Whots, don't bring along these ladies."

Azynov asked, "Business?"

 

"I run the Trading Post, lo'Whots tends to her own... special operations..."

Just then a tall woman came into the depot from outside. She leaned her powskis against a rack near the doorway. The owner of the Trading Post shook her head and muttered, "More tourists!" She told Jantiff, "Every time it snows the skiing fanatics come out here from Capetown."

The skier asked, "Is that your cat out there?"

Glisten turned and looked out the window. Lora asked, "You saw a snowcat?"

"Not a snowcat. Some other kind of cat." She described the beast's color and coat pattern. "And black ear tips."

Glisten exclaimed, "That's Olive! Was she by the aircar?"

The woman asked, "What aircar?"

Glisten rubbed at the frost on the window and asked, "Which direction?"

The woman pointed towards the north. "I just came down from Yurds."

They rushed outside and Glisten took off, running towards the tree line to the north with Jantiff following along. Jantiff turned and told Azynov and Yōd, "Get the aircar!"

Azynov and Yōd walked to the aircar. Yōd told Azynov, "This is our chance."

R. Oliveene Nhevrix

The skier followed along behind Azynov and Yōd, caught up, then passed them, moving quickly on her skis. To Yōd's dismay, the skier entered the aircar. Azynov and Yōd rushed into the car and Azynov demanded, "What are you doing?"

The woman had somehow already shed her coldsuit and was seated in the pilot's seat, her long golden hair cascading past her shoulders. She sealed the doors and rapidly took them up towards the sky. As the aircar tipped to the side, Azynov and Yōd lost their balance and fell onto the big rear passenger couch. As the aircar leveled off, they pulled off their helmets. After that brief violent flight upwards, the woman activated the autopilot landing sequence, turned her seat and said, "Don't bother un-suiting. I'm not going to turn on the heaters." She waved her hand at Yōd.

Yōd suddenly seemed to recognize the woman, "Olive?"

 

R. Oliveene Nhevrix smiled briefly at Yōd then morphed back into the form of Olive the cat. She went and curled up in her cozy spot against the motor housing. Azynov asked, "What just happened?"

 

Yōd felt a quick wave of dizziness that then dissipated. Some infites had just passed into her brain and they severed an old memory block. Yōd had now been allowed to remember having previously met R. Oliveene Nhevrix on Zeck. She told Azynov, "Olive is a positronic robot." She went to the command deck and watched as the aircar's autopilot set them down in a snow drift at the edge of a row of trees. She glanced at the navmap display. "We are now over the border, in Kerub territory." 

 

Azynov was looking out the window. "There's someone coming through the trees. I think it is a Kerub!"

 

Yōd now saw a furry blue figure approaching through the trees. She opened the main hatch and the bitterly cold outside air struck at Yōd. Azynov put his helmet on.

Nanite Injections

The Kerub was lo'Whots. She approached the aircar, looked inside and speaking in the frontier pigeon language asked, "Oliveene was, eh?"

 

Yōd glanced at Olive the cat who appeared to be sleeping. She said, "I'm Yōd." She was certain that the Kerub was lo'Whots. "Good to see you again, lo'Whots!"

"Knowsif you?"

The cold wind ruffled her hair and stung her face. Yōd put her helmet back on. "I know you." 

"Nota mind tu, but timego... Oliveene insa mind."

Yōd told lo'Whots, "I believe that you are being prepared for the future. In about a year, visitors from Triskelion will arrive on Yerophet. You and they will be able to solve the problem of the telepathic fevers."

"Soen told bysa Oliveene." lo'Whots nodded her head and turned to go.

Azynov called out, "Wait! Do you understand what is going on?"

The Kerub briefly turned back and said, "No... Isa will." She marched off through the trees.

Coming from the other direction across the snowy field were Jantiff and Glisten, moving as fast as they could across the snow and ice. Yōd turned on the heating system of the aircar. Azynov waved to Jantiff and Glisten. "They must have seen us fly over."

 

As Jantiff and Glisten approached the aircar, Yōd called out, "Olive is here."

Jantiff and Glisten climbed into the aircar. Yōd pulled off her helmet and gloves. She pointed at Olive, "She is safe."

Glisten went and knelt by Olive. "Why do you do these things, you silly girl? I was so worried about you!" She pulled off her gloves and petted the cat and complained to Jantiff, "She's warm as a fire, the little sneak."

Azynov activated the autopilot and set them on course back towards Snarlwood. Jantiff and Glisten pulled off their helmets and knocked snow off of their boots. Glisten said, "I feel a Kerub mind nearby. Let's go search for lo'Whots." She closed her eyes. "I can sense that she is close to us... maybe underground."

Yōd explained, "Azynov and I just saw lo'Whots."

Jantiff asked, "We missed her?"

"Be glad that you did. In the original timeline, lo'Whots and Glisten got trapped in some kind of dangerous telepathic feedback loop. Their minds are somehow tuned to each other." Yōd gazed upon the sleeping form of Olive. "And it was all a waste of effort. The solution to the problem here on Yerophet came from the future... there was no need to damage the brain of your baby, Glisten."

Glisten objected, "What do you mean? There will be no more telepathic fever deaths?" Glisten was scratching Olive's ear and loud purring could be heard.

"The full and complete solution to the problem will take some time to unfold. About a year. The settlers should be pulled back from the border until then. Otherwise, there is nothing more that needs to be done." 

Azynov shook his head. "The settlers will not pull back. They want more telepathic contacts with the Kerub, not less."

robots of Triskelion

Glisten moved to the flight couch and Olive followed along. Glisten sat beside Jantiff and Olive got into her lap. Glisten starred off into the distance through the window.

 

After a minute Jantiff told Yōd, "There is something strange going on." He had his arm around Glisten's shoulder, but she did not respond to his touch. Jantiff told Azynov, "Contact Uro. Tell him we are returning... have him get a doctor out to Snarlwood!"

Yōd was in the co-pilot's seat. She looked at Glisten and Olive and chuckled. "I think Glisten is getting the old Oliveene Nhevrix treatment." She placed a hand on Azynov, stopping him from worrying about a doctor. Azynov did call Uro and let him know that they were returning to Snarlwood from the frontier.

Jantiff demanded, "Oliveene treatment? What does that mean?"

Yōd explained, "Back on Zeck, when I took Olive for a walk, she let me in on a few secrets, such as the idea that positronic robots were constantly using time travel to speed the pace of developing human telepathy here in Alastor Cluster. Yes, I got quite an education from your cat. And I even learned that I was pregnant..."

 

Glisten was unresponsive, her eyes vacant and staring ahead, but soon they were back at Snarlwood and she followed Jantiff from the attic down to the first floor. They settled in around the fireplace and Uro served hot drinks and lunch. Olive curled up by the fireplace. Glisten slowly returned to her normal self and finally began to speak. "Now I understand the technological solution that has been provided by the probots."

 

Azynov complained, "Well I don't." He asked Glisten, "There is some medical cure for the telepathic fevers?" 

Marune

"I believe there is, but I don't understand the molecular biology details of what Olive tried to tell me... but that is not important." Glisten jumped to her feet and pulled Jantiff by the hand, "Come with me Janty, I want to show you the hot tub."

Azynov stood up and took a tentative step. Yōd said, "No," and stopped Azynov from following Glisten.

"I want to ask Glisten some more questions."

"You want to see her naked and splashing in the tub." Yōd put her arms around Azynov's shoulders. "Forget about it... I have other plans for you. I suspect that Glisten does not know enough biology to explain what the probots have done, so your questions would be wasted. Take us back to our little spaceship."

Azynov and Yōd return to their ship which was still in the space dock on Zeck. Yōd said, "A year from now, we will return to Yerophet, as we have already seen..."

 

Azynov tried to picture their two visits to Yerophet in four dimensions. They had first visited Yerophet at a point in time after this recent visit. He said, "I suppose it all makes sense. We were allowed to see Olive's intervention... she must have given medical nanites to lo'Whots, and year from now, lo'Whots, cured of the telepathic fever, will work with Colleen and solve the problem a second time."

Shery's micro-hierion field technology

"Yes, at that time there will be a new, second solution that does not involve nanites imported from the future. Shery's micro-hierion fields will ultimately fix the problem." Yōd sighed. The mission to Yerophet had been a success.

 

Azynov and Yōd wrapped their arms around each other. He said, "I was worried, lover... with all your talk about taking the danger of telepathic contact with the Kerub...would you get in trouble yourself..." They sank into a long, hot kiss.

Just then, Maturin arrived. "Just a reminder, Yōd... it will be a year before you can share with the Editor what you have learned about both probots and myself being active in Alastor Cluster. With your baby growing fast, you'll be having stronger telepathic links to Zeta, so I'll have to block your memories. However, about a year from now, you will be able to remember... almost everything." Maturin quickly mentioned the exception, "In the future you will again meet Glisten and Jantiff on another world, Marune. Glisten tried to tell you that, but she herself does not yet know the name of the world." 

 

Yōd asked, "What exactly did Oliveene do to lo'whots?"

 

"Nothing much... a bit of epigenetic reprogramming that will cure her of the telepathic fever. The changes to her cells will occur gradually, over the next several months." She waved her hand. "Now, you two will forget I told you anything until it is the appropriate time for you to remember." Maturin departed as quickly as she had arrived.

Nirutam

Yōd briefly tried to find a way to remember what she had just been told. By the time she activated her log file access in the ship's computer system, she had already forgotten the word 'Marune'. She looked at Azynov who was rubbing his forehead. "You know, we've been working hard, rushing from planet to planet. Maybe we should just take the next year off... go on vacation."

"I like the sound of that." Azynov adjusted the Simulator controls and they appeared inside their luxurious hotel suite on Zeck. He carried Yōd to the big bed and began to undress her, "I have the strangest feeling... that Maturin is watching us."

Yōd could vaguely remember having spoken to Maturin, but now she did not care. She was pleased to be back at the Zidden Hotel and glad that Azynov had paid for a week's occupancy the day they had arrived on Zeck. Somehow she felt confident that in a year, after her baby arrived, they would be seeing Maturin again. She pulled Azynov onto the bed and forgot all about the hot tub at Snarlwood on Yerophet.

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