Appenine

a Dr. Jeghtop adventure

This blog page, below, has part 4 of the science fiction story "The Alastor Network". The Connatic's wife, Acyreff, must work with spaceship engineer Dr. Jeghtop towards finding a way to use experimental telepathy technology to protect passenger ships from attack by space pirates, the so-called 'starmenters'.

Shown in part 1, Acyreff has years of experience with a special type of telepathic mind link. While experiencing simultaneous orgasms with her husband, Acyreff falls into a strange pattern of brain activity that she calls an 'orgasm trance'. Acyreff is not aware of the fact that she is part of a centuries-long effort to genetically modify humans in Alastor Cluster so as to create powerful human telepaths who can communicate with the alien Phari.

genetically engineered mind clones

In part 2 of "The Alastor Network", Acyreff learns that her grand-daughter will function as the core node of a mind clone network. Members of that network will telepathically link several planets of Alastor Cluster and eventually achieve productive information exchange with the Phari. However, those events lie in the future and there is a temporal paradox acting to prevent Acyreff from knowing the details of pending events in her own life as they are about to unfold.

Acyreff has long been subconsciously aware that the robots of Triskelion have telepathic powers, but due to the forces of temporal paradox, she has not previously been allowed to retain a conscious belief in either robotic telepathy or time travel. Then suddenly, while experiencing an orgasm, Acyreff is allowed to peer into the mind of a telepathic robot. 

 

the robots of Triskelion

After that revelatory experience, Acyreff soon senses that there is a weak telepathic connection between herself and Dr. Jeghtop. Jeghtop has come to the royal palace at Lusz in order to obtain access to secret telepathy technology that has been developed by the Connatic's 'Josef' research project. Dr. Jeghtop's twin sister, Twycky, was abducted by starmenters and she hopes that the secret Josef technology will make possible better defenses against the marauding starmenters.

In part 3 of "The Alastor Network", Acyreff's adopted daughter, Yurahs, achieves her own telepathic connection to Dr. Jeghtop. Yurahs can occasionally receive telepathic visions from the future and she senses that, working together, Dr. Jeghtop and her mother, Acyreff, will be able to rescue Twycky from the starmenters.

 

 ⎯ The Alastor Network ؄

 

Part 4.

The uses of micro-hierion fields.

Hierion Fields. (read part 1) (part 2) (part 3)

 

Acyreff had risen early and dressed in her Whelm uniform. She went to the Connatic's dining room for breakfast where she was greeted by one of the staff who asked, "This is the last meal that should be prepared?"

 

"Yes, Bekky, but remember to expect the Connatic's return six days from now." Acyreff filled a mug with tea and took a plate of fruit from the buffet. 

 

Just then, Yurahs arrived, her hair still dripping. She had begun her day by swimming for an hour and now wore a robe that she had pulled over her wet swimsuit. "Hi, mom".

 

"Good morning, darling." Acyreff hugged her daughter tightly then pulled away as she felt moisture wicking through her uniform. "I had a strange dream..."

 

Yurahs drank a large glass of water then said, "Yes, I noticed that you were there with me last night." Twice during the past 24 hours, Yurahs had noticed brief telepathic links to her mother, both occurring while she experienced an orgasm. "Do you think our telepathic connections will continue to occur when you travel across space to Brevik?"

 

Acyreff shrugged and wondered what had caused a change in her telepathic connection to Yurahs. She peeked at her daughter's small breasts which somehow seemed different and said, "It will be an interesting experiment."

Yurahs brought her food to her usual place at the table and glanced down at her chest. "Yes, it is not an optical illusion. My breasts finally seem to be growing. Doctor Ishield says that my estrogen and progesterone levels are up this week, although she can't understand why... I did not ovulate this month." She chewed and swallowed a grape. "I think I know why."

Acyreff nodded. "I have the strange suspicion that you are pregnant. I was warned to expect your pregnancy yesterday... by my ghark." Acyreff now felt quite certain that Yurah's had been artificially prepared for pregnancy, by means of Lo placing estrogen and progesterone into her uterus.

Yurahs laughed. "You've been seeing ghosts again?"

image source

"Call it what you like, but I suspect that my ghark is not a ghost, but rather some kind of artificial lifeform... something not understood by human science." Acyreff thought about what Hans had suggested while being prevented from speaking openly about telepathy and hierions. "Which reminds me... I wanted to ask you about hierions and their relationship to telepathy."

Yurahs drank some juice, trying to make sure that she was well hydrated after her morning workout. "Some people have speculated that an unknown type of hierion or sedron might be used to transmit telepathic signals, but most of those ideas have spread as rumors from Triskelion." Yurahs ate for a minute, wondering if someone -or something- had recently begun telepathically connecting her thoughts to those of Acyreff. Yurahs then asked, "Do you think I might be in telepathic contact with your ghark?" 

 

Acyreff suspected that the ghark was constantly guiding the actions of the royal family, but she shrugged and said nothing. 

 

Yurahs continued, "My telepathic powers are unreliable, however I believe that I was somehow informed that I will give birth to a girl. The name 'Lavany' was there in my mind when I woke up today."

Acyreff nodded, took one last sip of tea and stood up. She glanced at the wall clock and knew that it was time for her to go and collect Dr. Jeghtop. "That would be wonderful, darling. Let me know if you get a positive pregnancy test. Now quickly, tell me about these rumors from Triskelion."

Yurahs got to her feet and walked with her mother towards the doorway. "The hierion physics researchers at the University are all abuzz over the rumor that hierion shields might block at least some telepathic signals. I've asked Heshlo to find out what Josef knows about hierion shields."

 

"I'll try to visit you at camp in about two weeks." Acyreff briefly hugged Yurahs then departed, calling back over her shoulder, "Have fun with your dance training!"

 

Yurahs called after her mother, "I will. Don't rush back to Numenes. Make sure you find Twycky first!" Yurahs returned to her plate and said to Bekky, who was clearing away Acyreff's dishes, "The strawberries are amazing this morning!"

 

"I believe the cook is experimenting with a new cultivar. I'll pass along word that this variety suits your tastes, my Lady."

 

"You make me feel old when you call me 'lady', but I do think I'm going to become a mom."

"Really? Well, isn't that just the most sensational news!" The two young women shared a hug.

"I can't call it news... only a guess." Yurahs rushed to finish eating. "I wonder if I should tell Heshlo."

the Lavany embryo

Bekky suggested, "Wait until you are certain. Many small embryos spontaneously abort."

Yurahs knew that not all pregnancies went to completion, but somehow she was growing confident that in about nine months she would give birth and name her child Levany. She ran to her apartments, dressed, collected Lo and went to the space elevator. Soon she would be on the other side of the planet for her summer dance camp, accompanied by her robotic companion Lo. She was traveling without disguise using the identity of Synthe Shermatz.

_________________________

 

Acyreff landed her aircar on the roof of the hotel where Dr. Jeghtop had spent the night. She went directly to the Jeghtops' suite and knocked on the door. The door was opened by a man who called over his shoulder, "It must be Commander Shermatz." He turned back towards Acyreff, briefly shook her hand and said, "Come in. We're almost ready. Travel with a young girl is an adventure."

Dr. Jeghtop came to the doorway and performed introductions. "This is my husband, Mando, and my daughter, Maghy is almost ready. The less she wears, the longer it takes her to dress."

Just then, Maghy was emerging from her bedroom and said, "You know I have some body image issues, mom." Maghy was a skinny girl, still a foot shorter than her mother but growing rapidly. She had bought new clothes on Numenes, shopping with Mando. She now wore a tight fitting short-sleeved shirt that did not conceal her abdomen and skin-tight leggings that hid none of her delicate curves. After scanning her eyes over Commander Shermtz' uniform, she looked up at Acyreff's face said, "Wow. I feel like I should salute."

"We in the Whelm seldom salute even each other. There is no need for civilians to solute us. Try to ignore my uniform and you can call me 'Galzara' or even just 'Zara'." Looking around the room, she asked, "Is this all of your luggage?"

"Yes, we travel light."

They all picked up suitcases and Acyreff led the way to the aircar. Soon they had climbed up 10,000 feet and the aircar slipped into the drop-hanger of Acyreff's favorite spaceship, the Whelm cruiser Appenine. Emerging from the aircar, they were met by the ship's science officer, Lieutenant Collynn. After introductions, Acyreff told Dr. Jeghtop, "Lieutenant Collynn will be acting as my technical specialist for Shadow Drone technology." She told Collynn, "Get Dr. Jeghtop and her family established in their suite then bring her to the labs." Acyreff went off to speak with the ship's commanding officer and Lieutenant Collynn helped carry the luggage to the luxurious suite of rooms that was available for the guests' use.

Maghy looked at the opulent furnishings in the suite and said, "This is spectacular."

Lieutenant Collynn explained, "The Appenine sometimes carries the Connatic from world to world when speed is important. On this trip, you can use these rooms where he would usually stay. Perhaps fancier than necessary, but comfort and efficiency are the goal." Two soldiers emerged from the back bedrooms. "Privates Puthonh and Veameck will provide anything that you need. Simply ask." She told Dr. Jeghtop, "I'll wait in the corridor. Join me there when you are ready for me to take you to Commander Shermatz."

Dr. Jeghtop swept her eyes over Puthonh and Veameck. Veameck seemed slightly flushed and was standing behind Puthonh while trying to make an adjustment to her thong underwear beneath her jumpsuit. The only indication of their military status was the caps they wore. They had each tucked their hair up under the caps and they wore stylish suits like those you might see on the city streets of Numenes. They appeared to be a pair of pretty young women in their middle 20s, but their shoulders and arms bulged with muscle. Kasya asked, "Privates? On a spaceship?"

Normally both Puthonh and Veameck would have at that moment been shadowing Yurahs as part of the large security contingent that followed Yurahs any time she left the palace and went out among the people of Numenes. However, Acyreff had ordered them to serve on board the Appenine for this mission. Private Puthonh explained, "We are based on Numenes, but Commander Shermatz requested that we join the crew of the Appenine for this voyage." She spoke directly to Mando, "I would be pleased to escort you and Miss Maghy on a tour of the ship."

Veameck said, "And I'll unpack your clothing and store everything in the bedrooms." Veameck picked up the two largest suitcases and went to the master bedroom. Kasya watched Veameck go down the hallway, her muscular glutes twitching provocative under the taught fabric of her jumpsuit.

 

Maghy said, "I'm going to pee." She followed Puthonh as they carried her luggage and was directed to her bedroom and the adjoined bathroom.

Kasya went to one of the remaining suitcases and pulled out her little device that she could use to inactivate robots. She suspected that the two extraordinarily well-muscled Privates might be robots. She turned on the device, but Veameck returned and collected the last two suitcases, showing no signs of being effected by Kasya's hierion field generator. Kaya shrugged, put the device in her pocket and told her husband, "Commander Shermatz seems eager to meet with me. I'll see you later." They briefly kissed and then Kasya went into the corridor. 

Lieutenant Collynn led the way to the ship's laboratories and said to Kasya, "I understand you've visited Triskelion."

"Actually, I've been there twice."

"They seldom welcome outsiders."

"Money talks. The shipping companies of Brevik have long paid a high price for Triskelion technology. I suppose that bought me access."

Triskelion

Arriving in the materials laboratory, Acyreff looked up from a partially disassembled piece of equipment that sat on a lab bench. "Ah, Dr. Jeghtop, allow me to introduce Dr. Indeckuri, Chief Engineer of the Appenine." Indeckuri had his arms deep in the bowels of the device that he and Acyreff were examining. He briefly glanced at Jeghtop and nodded then returned his attention to the device.

Dr. Jeghtop was briefly startled by Indeckuri's apparent extreme old age. She said, "I suggest we drop the formalities. Please call me Kas."

Acyreff looked first at Dr. Indeckuri and then at Lieutenant Collynn. "I know that Lieutenant Collynn's first name is Sylvynn, but I've never hear Dr. Indeckuri called anything but Dr. Indeckuri."

 

Sylvynn said, "Dr. Indeckuri has no first name and no soul." She said facetiously, "He was produced in a factory, probably on Triskelion."

 

 The gray-haired Dr. Indeckuri chuckled and said, "I did have a first name, but I forgot it long ago."

Kasya asked, "This looks like the new Sk23 Shadow Drone guidance system... how did you get your hands on one?"

Acyreff explained, "I had it brought here last night." She looked at Sylvynn.

Sylvynn explained, "It was taken out of an escort drone of the Pegasus liner Starling. The techs swapped in an older Sk21 control system that we had on hand."

For clarity, Kasya asked, "You stole this equipment out of an active drone?"

Acyreff suggested, "When technology is requisitioned by the Connatic, it is best to use terminology other than 'theft' and steal'."

Kasya objected, "But the Starling is on a passenger route that has twice been targeted by pirates and needs the best drones available."

Dr. Indeckuri pulled a shiny metallic module out of the heart of the navigation system. "Here it is." He handed the component to Acyreff.

Acyreff turned the module over and then asked Kasya, "What is the function of this component?"

Kasya pulled out her own smaller device and replied, "Yesterday you saw me use this at short range to inactivate a telepathic robot." She gestured towards the larger device that Acyreff held, "That hierion field generator might be able to protect a ship like the Starling against an attack by telepathic starmenters."

 

image source

Sylvynn went to another nearby lab bench and picked up a small portfolio which she handed to Kasya. "What technical details can you provide us about hierion shields?"

 

Kasya thumbed through the pages of the portfolio. "I see that the Whelm can intercept and decrypt my private messages."

 

Sylvynn nodded. "Does that really surprise you?"

 

"I don't like to think that I've been spied on." Kasya shrugged and continued, "We built micro-hierion shield technology into the model SK23 drones. The problem is, we have no way of testing their effectiveness against the starmenters other than to deploy the new drones and hope. We need a better strategy and that is why I went to Numenes, in an attempt to get access to the Josef technology."

Dr. Indeckuri took the large generator back from Acyreff. "So this is an hierion field generator?"

"Theoretically. I don't really know how it works. It uses technology that comes from Triskelion."

Sylvynn gestured towards the field generator and suggested, "Perhaps if you show us how to open this up... maybe we can figure it out." 

 

Kasya took the generator and set it on the lab bench and then used a magnifier to find a set of microscopic controls that were hidden on its surface. She knew theoretically that controls were present, but this model was different than the one she had designed and she had to hunt for the location of the controls. While she worked, she muttered, "Maybe we should be trying to figure out how the starmenters can knock spacecraft out of the intersplit." 

 

Dr. Indeckuri chuckled and complained, "As if anyone understands the Jarnell Intersplit."

 

Kasya found the controls and activated a microscopic switch. The metal case of the generator popped open. "If starmenters capture a drone, I don't want it to be easy for them to study this technology." She told Acyreff, "I don't mind sharing this technology with the Whelm, but I want to know that in return I'll be getting access to the Josef technology."

"You will." Acyreff said, "I'll leave the technical work to you three." She departed from the lab and went to the communications room of the Appenine. Along the way, Acyreff caught the scent of her ghark who had apparently come aboard the Appenine. She was still waiting to hear back from the Connatic. Acyreff had requested permission to start merging together the two separate teams that comprised the Shadow Drone project on Brevik and the Josef project, currently centered on the Netal which was in orbit around the planet Yerophet. Word still had not arrived from the Connatic. Acyreff sent an update to her husband, confirming that hierion shield technology had already been deployed on the newest drones. No sooner had she sent off her new report and a message from Oman arrived, forwarded on to Appenine from Numenes: Use you best judgement in this matter. I'll back your decision. I'll wrap things up here as quickly as I can and hope to see you on Brevik in a few days. Interesting puzzle: how does Kasya know about Josef? I guess you are going to have to experiment and try for a linked trance with Kasya... have fun with that. IGFYG.

 

Acyreff was pleased to see the usual sign-off from Oman which meant he was eager to reunite with his wife after being away from Numenes and he was look forward to making love upon his return. However, he had also granted her permission to attempt a simultaneous orgasm with Kasya in order to explore the full power of their telepathic linkage. 

 

Acyreff asked the communications officer, "Do you know where our guests are? Mando and the girl?"

 

A communications technician replied, "Private Puthonh has them down on the recreation deck. I believe Miss Maghy is playing in the zero-G chamber."

 

Acyreff went directly to the zero-G chamber where she found Mando watching through the transparent wall of the chamber while Maghy and Puthonh played a kind of three dimensional ping-pong in zero gravity. Acyreff sat down beside Mando and said, "I trust you are enjoying the the facilities on board Appenine."

Glancing at Acyreff from the corner of his eyes, Mando said, "I never knew that the Whelm has such luxuriously appointed spacecraft." Mando shrugged and added, "Private Puthonh seems to know how to entertain my daughter."

The Private's hat had come off and her long hair drifted wildly in the air. Acyreff placed a hand on Mando's arm. "Speaking of entertainment, I have a proposal that might interest you."

"What kind of proposal? I hope you appreciate that I'm a bit on edge since the abduction of Twycky and near abduction of my wife."

Acyreff asked, "How much do you know about the telepathic link between Twycky and Kasya?"

Mando replied, "Since they grew up with that connection, they never thought it was all that special... they naturally learned how to make use of their telepathy to coordinate their actions. Kas and Twy didn't want to be treated like freaks, so they kept their telepathic abilities secret... until I met them. I'm not really a functional telepath, but I am what you might call a telepathy detector. I could sense that the two of them were linked." He gazed into Acyreff's eyes, "I can also sense that you have some telepathic ability, but my guess is, you are not a very powerful telepath. However, there seems to be something else, another mind that is linked to yours... right this very second."

Acyreff thought about her ghark, but she did not want to try to explain that to Mando. "Pardon my curiosity, but how is it that you selected Kasya over her sister Twycky?"

 

A smirk came to Mando's lips. "I'm not sure that is a topic within the jurisdiction of the Whelm."

 

Acyreff laughed. "Mando, I'm going to ask you to drop your usual defenses. This is not widely know, but as it turns out, there has long been an extensive effort to breed and engineer better telepaths. I suspect that you are part of that project to refine and recombine human telepathy gene patterns. Have you ever noticed if your daughter has telepathic powers?"

"Please don't involve Maghy in your schemes. She's just a child."

"Very well." For a time, Acyreff watched Maghy and Puthonh playing inside the chamber. "Soon after I met my husband, I discovered that he and I have a special kind of telepathic linkage. It happens when we make love."

Mando looked intently at Acyreff. "Kas told me that she achieved a telepathic connection with the Connatic's daughter last night, exactly at the time when Yurahs had an orgasm."

Acyreff nodded. "I have experience the same sort of phenomenon with my husband." Again Acyreff fell silent.

 

Mando now placed a hand on top of Acyreff's where it still rested on his arm. Looking into Acyreff's eyes, he told her, "I don't like to brag, but I can bring Kasya to climax with just a few touches of my hand."

"How wonderful!"

Mando patted Acyreff's hand then pulled his hand away from her skin. "Kasya told me that she met robots on Triskelion who could do the same."

The Pirates of Yrinna

Acyreff thought about Hans and Lo. She loved the way that Hans could sexually excite her with a few skilled touches and Acyreff knew how quickly Yurahs had shifted her attitude towards Lo from detestation to deep appreciation. Feeling her palms grow sweaty, Acyreff finally removed her hand from Mando's arm.

After a long minute of silence, Mando said, "I've never experienced a telepathic linkage to another mind, to someone else's thought pattern. However, when Kas and I have simultaneous orgasms, they can last a couple of minutes. During that time, I feel -in addition to the pleasure- like I am part of something much bigger than myself."

Acyreff wondered just how much Mando knew about telepathy. "I suppose you have heard your wife discuss the Connatic's secret research program on telepathy."

"Yes, I have."

"The Connatic has requested that I make a serious effort to create a strong telepathic link to Kasya."

"You mean by..."

"Yes. I want to achieve a simultaneous orgasm with Kasya. And from what you have told me, I now suspect it would be best if we tried to make that a three way connection."

Mando laughed, "I must warn you, Kas and I can't always get the timing right for a simultaneous orgasm. I won't say that I have premature ejaculations, but I almost always achieve an orgasm before Kasya does. Bottom line: I can't provide you with an orgasm schedule."

"I don't expect you to produce orgasms on demand." Acyreff gently brushed the tips of her fingers along Mando's heavy jaw line. "As long as you are not opposed to the idea, then I'll discuss it with Kas."

"You came to me first?"

"I wanted to be polite."

"I don't mind participating in your attempt, Commander. We'd like to get Twycky back from the starmenters... if possible." He shyly moved a hand onto her leg. "I suppose I should tell you... before Kas and I got married, I often had three-way sex with Kas and her sister. Kas got pregnant and then we got married."

 

"Did the three of you ever all have orgasms at the same time?"

 

"I should probably let Kas tell you that story, since I was not fully included in their telepathic mind space."

 

Acyreff giggled and said, "I'll take that as a 'yes' and I'll ask Kas about it." For a time their conversation drifted to other topics. Mando refused to say anything about the possible telepathic abilities of his children. 

 

Finally, a sweaty and tired Maghy emerged from the zero-G chamber. Mando pulled his hand away from Acyreff's leg. Maghy and Private Puthonh both drank water. Maghy told her father, "That was fun. Tithixa is an elite athlete."

Private Puthonh said, "You are quite talented yourself. Apparently in several ways. Tell me, how do you know that my first name is Tithixa?"

 

Maghy lied, "Private Veameck called you that."

Puthonh told Acyreff, "Maghy is so skilled at the ping-pong because she can see in my mind what I'm going to do next during the game."

in the Hierion Domain

Acyreff told Private Puthonh, "Thank you for entertaining Maghy. There is no need to analyze her skills. I suppose the entire Jeghtop family is special." She looked carefully at Mando, but he remained stone faced. In any case, please escort our guests back to their suite. We will all gather with Dr. Jeghtop for lunch, in about an hour."

Acyreff returned to the laboratory and found Dr. Jeghtop, Lieutenant Collynn and Dr. Indeckuri involved in an intense analysis of emissions from the hierion field generator. Acyreff could not understand their technical jargon and as she listened to their discussions, she felt a growing sense of anxiety and a pressure to act. When a lull came in the work, Acyreff asked Kasya, "Will you come with me? I'd like to speak with you, in private."

They went to the Connatic's mess where the table was already set for six and the scent of ghark was in the air. "Sit down Kas, we have some time to chat." They both sat down at the table. 

 

Acyreff, in her role as Commander Shermatz, was deploying her heaviest Rhune accent. However, Kasya now gazed across the table and said, "You seem very familiar, Commander... as if I've met you before today."

Acyreff shrugged and wondered how long it would be possible to hide from Kasya her alternate identity as the Connatic's wife. "Kas, allow me to get right to the point. 'Being familiar' is exactly what I want to discuss with you. Your husband told me about having three-way sex with your sister."

Kasya asked, "I this a normal topic for Whelm investigation?"

"Don't be evasive; we need to find your sister and I think I know how to do that. I also know how it came about that you linked telepathically to the Connatic's daughter."

Kasya thought back to the previous evening and mused, "You mean, adopted daughter."

"Yes. In order to find Twycky, we need to make use of the known link between orgasms and telepathy." Off in the far corner of the room, Acyreff noticed the gray blur that marked the presence of her ghark. "Tell me... why do you think telepathic powers can be expanded while someone experiences an orgasm?"

endosymbionts

Kasya suggested, "On Triskelion, there is a belief that every human brain carries an endosymbiont, a nanotechnology device that can influence human consciousness and thought processes... maybe some people can better use their endosymbiont when they enter into the special mode of consciousness that we call orgasm."

"How could you test that theory, Doctor?"

Kasya laughed. "Some people on Triskelion believe that they have rid themselves of their endosymbionts. I suppose you could test... telepathy during orgasms... with and without an endosymbiont."

"I call them 'orgasm trances'." Acyreff placed a hand on Kasya's leg. "Yes, it would be interesting to know if the human ability to experience orgasm trances reflects the presence of an endosymbiont inside the brain or nanites in some other part of the body." She slid her hand close to Kasya's crotch. "In any case, I told your husband that I want to study the effect of a three-way simultaneous orgasm."

Kasya laughed even louder. "Did Mando tell you that my sister Twycky is still in love with my husband? She was very disappointed when I won the race."

"What race?"

"We had a contest. Mando told us that he would marry the one who got pregnant first."

Just then Lieutenant Collynn and Dr. Indeckuri arrived for lunch. Kasya excused herself and went off to empty her bladder. A moment later, Mando and Maghy arrived, escorted by Private Puthonh. Acyreff performed introductions. Dr. Indeckuri and Mando began discussing hussade, Puthonh and Maghy were still discussing ping-pong and Acyreff whispered to Sylvynn, "We got clearance from the Connatic. You can start explaining the Josef artificial intelligence system to Kasya."

Kasya returned to the Connatic's mess and Sylvynn immediately began discussing Josef with her.

Lunch was served and Acyreff tried to dismiss Private Puthonh who was in the corner of the room engaged in a tricky two-person juggling exercise with Maghy. Maghy collected all the pong balls in her hands and objected, "Why can't Tithixa eat with us?"

Acyreff was tempted to call for a seventh chair and have another place setting be brought out for Tithixa, but she said, "Private Puthonh, please take Maghy back to the Connatic's suite. I'll have your lunch sent there."

Maghy handed half of the balls to Puthonh, laughed and said, "Sorry, Tithixa, you just got relegated to the children's table. Come on, let's leave the old-timers to their boring conversations." Maghy led Private Puthonh out of the mess.

Sylvynn and Kasya were intensely discussing technical details of the Joseph artificial intelligence system, nearly oblivious to all else around them. Acyreff told Mando, "I hope you don't mind that I sent your daughter away."

"It is probably for the best, particularly if you want to discuss your plan."

Dr. Indeckuri asked Acyreff, "What plan?"

Acyreff replied with a question of her own, "Tell me, Dr. Indeckuri, when was the last time you made love to a woman?"

Dr. Indeckuri rubbed his chin. "My memory is not what it used to be. I'm almost 140 years old, you know. But unless I've forgotten some drunken fling, I never bedded a female. I did have several hot boyfriends back in my youth. But sex is a young man's game. I'm content with my intellectual pursuits."

Acyreff asked Mando, "What about Dr. Indeckuri? Do you detect..." She let him complete the question.

"No, I don't think Dr. Indeckuri has telepathic abilities. However, Private Puthonh is a powerful leaker."

Acyreff had never heard that term. "Leaker?"

"Her thoughts are constantly being transmitted outward. I doubt if she is aware of it."

"Yet, that makes sense. No wonder your daughter was able to pick up Private Puthonh's thoughts."

Kasya now turned away from Sylvynn and asked Acyreff, "Commander Shermatz, can we leave Maghy out of this?"

"I'm not sure. Why did you bring her on this trip with you?"

"She wanted to see Numenes, so we made the trip a bit of a family excursion."

"And you felt safe... taking her into space. After all, you would travel in the Geurnica and then on board the Starling, both Pegusus line passenger ships equipped with the latest drone technology."

"What's your point, Commander?"

"Please, call me Zara. We are on the same side. Don't you want to get your sister back, or do you feel less competition for your husband's affections with her gone?"

Mando objected, "That's rather needlessly rude of you, Zara."

Acyreff pressed the point. "And yet, your wife was able to protect herself with a hierion shield and so avoid being abducted by the starmenters, but her sister was not so lucky."

Kasya said, "I have enough guilt over the matter without your silly attempt to needle me, Acy. I was sleeping peacefully inside my protective hierion shield when the starmenter attack came. By the time I awoke, it was too late. I could not protect my sister. I was lucky to avoid capture myself."

Mando added, "It wasn't luck. Kas had to kill three pirates herself."

Kasya shuddered and frowned. "Well, I regret having killed them. I wish I had captured at least one alive."

The room fell silent. Dr. Indeckuri said, "Tell me, Kas, what does all this have to do with combating the starmenters? I don't understand how you hope to deploy the Josef AI system."

Kasya shrugged. "Nor do I. I've just learned that Josef is a massive system, too large to fit inside even the largest drone hulls."

Sylvynn asked, "Why put the Josef technology inside a drone rather than passenger ships themselves?"

Kasya sighed. "A Josef-type AI telepathy system would take up too much of the available space in a passenger liner. As it is, interstellar space transport has a very low profit margin. Also, I now doubt that Josef could detect the starmenters as they attack. Until just a few minutes ago, I did not know that Josef was built as a detector for the Phari network signals."

Acyreff suggested, "Maybe we can make our own network." She glanced towards her ghark and wondered what a mind clone actually was. She was feeling a relentless anxiety and need to try getting Kasya into an orgasm trance as soon as possible. "Kas, may I have your hand-held field generator?" 

 

Dr. Jeghtop replied, "I'd prefer to keep the device on me."

 

Acyreff insisted, "Rescuing Twycky should be our top priority. We need to figure out the secrets of these technologies from Triskelion and effectively deploy them when we rescue your sister."

 

Kasya reluctantly handed the little device to Acyreff. "Thank you. Here is my plan." Acyreff passed the hand-held hierion field generating device over to Sylvynn. "Dr. Indeckuri and Sylvynn will return to the lab and examine the options for miniaturizing the Josef-style telepathy detectors. I want a rough calculation of the minimum size for just a single a low bandwidth detector, not a complete Josef system."

Sylvynn said sarcastically, "Nothing to it. How many years are you giving us for this task?"

"You have until dinner this evening, so get to it. Move!" Muttering to each other, Dr. Indeckuri and Sylvynn departed from the mess. Acyreff glanced at her ghark and then told Mando and Kasya, "I've long wondered if human telepathy originated as a subconscious system for letting a man and a woman assess their compatibiliy."

 

Mando put his arm around Kasya and said, "In my case, as soon as I saw them, I instantly knew that I wanted to spend my life with Kasya... or Twycky."

 

"We need to make use of your special telepathic connection." Acyreff felt her nipples pop erect and she felt a faint blush seep across her chest and neck. "I want to take you two down to my suite and try to establish a telepathic connection to Twycky."

Kasya giggled, "Are you putting us on a short deadline also?"

Acyreff chuckled, "I'm sorry if you don't perform well under pressure. However, something tells me that we should not delay this telepathy experiment. Your sister's life may depend on it." Acyreff touched an empty wine bottle on the table. "Should we bring along a good bottle of wine?"

"No, I really don't like alcohol." Kasya slipped her arm around her husband's waist. "Don't worry about Mando, he can pop his cork at the drop of a hat."

Acyreff was wondering if she could perform sexually in the presence of two strangers. She stood up from the table and told Kasya, "We can try the hot tub in my suite... maybe that will relax us." She led the way from the Connatic's mess to her suite which was just down the corridor from the Connatic's suite. 

 

Acyreff had some background music playing in her rooms and earlier she had set the room temperature upwards in anticipation of some naked sex play. She immediately pulled off her uniform and went to a drawer where she got a tube of lubricant that was pre-warmed to body temperature. Wearing only her skimpy undergarments, she then went into the spa room and got into the hot tub. Following along, Kasya and Mando disrobed completely and climbed into the hot water of the tub. Acyreff was enjoying the sight of their bodies. She was feeling a hot rush of sexual excitement and gazing with interest at Mando's two very large testicles when she was distracted by the arrival of her ghark. 

 

Mando followed Acyreff's eyes and looked over his shoulder. He asked, "I still sense something lurking over you, Zara. Something is following you around... what is it?"

Turning her eyes away from the ghark and back to Mando, she replied, "It is hard..." She was impressed by his beautiful erection. "...to explain. Ever since I was a child, I've been followed by... on my world, Marune, it is called a ghark. Most people can't see gharks."

Mando and Kasya exchanged a quick glance. Kasya said, "When Maghy was very young, she had an imaginary friend. I wonder..." She gazed at Acyreff's breasts. The water had turned Acyreff's bra into a thin transparent sheen that accented her stiff nipples. Kasya took hold of her husband's erect penis and then asked Acyreff, "Do you really think we can use sex play to rescue my sister?"

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"Yes, I do. We have to try." Feeling nervous with Mando there in the tub, Acyreff tried to restrict her thoughts to their one best possible avenue of attack on the problem they faced. "Tell me Kas, how did you and Mando achieve your three-way simultaneous orgasm with Twycky?" She tossed the tube of lubricating gel to Kasya.

Rather than try to provide a verbal explanation, Kasya immediately got down to business. She handed the gel to her husband and then came across the tub to Acyreff. She tugged Acyreff's bra downward just enough to let her nipples emerge from under the thin fabric of the bra. Kasya kissed first one of the other women's erect nipples and then the other. 

 

As a small child on Marune, Alferica had been recognized by the fwai-chi as having a great capacity for utilizing her Phari endosymbiont. The fwai-chi provided Alferica with a collection of femtobots that assisted her neurons in linking efficiently to her endosymbiont. 

 

Now, some of those femtobots moved out of Actreff's body and over into Kasya's brain. Not aware of the nanites, but suddenly feeling inflamed with desire and imagining that Acyreff was her sister, Kasya grabbed one of Acyreff's legs with each of her hands. Acyreff held on to the edge of the tub and let herself float to the surface. Kasya, on her knees, bit Acyreff's panties and tore apart the flimsy fabric. She then aggressively licked between Kasya's legs, searching through the other woman's pubic hair for her clitoris. After getting her tongue on the stiff little glans, Kasya looked into Acyreff's eyes and said, "Twycky likes to shave, which makes this a bit easier." She looked over her shoulder and told Mando, who was intently watching Acyreff's pink labia and said, "Get going lover, this isn't a peep show. Work! And give me that tube of gel..."

Mando had been distracted by Acyreff's beautiful body, but he had completely coated his penis with the lubricant. He quickly squirted some of the gel directly into Kasya's vagina. That task complete, he tapped his wife's shoulder and handed the tube of lube back to Kasya. Again he looked at Acyreff's breasts which bobbed at the surface of the water like two playful ducklings. He thrust his erect penis into his wife's vagina and reached around between her legs to massage her clitoris.

Kasya quickly covered her hand with gel and thrust it into Acyreff's vagina and then she put her tongue back to work. Acyreff was reminded of Hans and how he could alter the shape of his tongue so as to please her. Trying to focus her mind on the present, she sighed and said, "That feels wonderful, Kas." Acyreff pulled off her bra, threw it across the room and she asked, "How can we time this out correctly? At this rate, I might climax in about five minutes."

Mando slowed his thrusting and said, "I'm ready any time. Just give me about a thirty second warning."

Kasya lifted her head from between Acyreff's legs and said to Mando, "Please put some of the lubricant on my clitoris, dear. In this hot water, I'm a bit hypersensitive there." She whispered to Acyreff, "I'm trying to pretend that you are Twycky, but I know you are the Connatic's wife! I'm a bit intimidated."

Acyreff giggled. "Don't worry. You are doing fine. I'm also distracted by Mando... it is more than twenty years since I had a sexual encounter with a man other than the Connatic."

Kasya let herself slip into a fantasy world where she did not think about the Connatic or about anything other than her love for Mando and the joy that would come if Twycky could be returned home. After about three minutes of gentle stroking by Mando, Kasya pulled her tongue away from Acyreff and said, "I'm getting close!"

Acyreff said, "I'm ready!" They all went for it, hoping for the best. Acyreff closed her eyes and tried to ignore the ripe scent of ghark as she breathed rapidly and enjoyed the feel of Kasya's fist rubbing the inside of her vagina. She thought of Hans, his artificial penis huge and tight inside her... then, pushing away those stray thoughts, concentrated on imagining that she was making love to Oman. Suddenly she was no longer there in the tub. In her thoughts, she was now on a distant planet, watching a sporting event. A crowd roared in the background, but she was watching intently the hussade players on the field before her, the victorious team being awarded their choice of the defeated team's shierls. That ritual was part of a telepathy breeding project! The captive was selected and led away towards the ceremonial mating chamber, deep under the stadium. The game was over and the crowd of spectators began to depart from the stadium... Acyreff stood up. 

 

Acyreff's consciousness was then shifted back into her own body and into the tub, where she was still in the middle of a pleasing orgasm. She turned and pressed her clitoris against Kasya's mouth. Again Kasya licked and now Acyreff found her consciousness inside a telepathic mind space with her ghark who said: Another warning, Alferica... be prepared for teleportation.

 

Acyreff felt like she was in a dream and was unable to move. She could sense a dire foreboding: I'm going to die again?

 

The ghark was already fading away from Acyreff's consciousness: Don't think about death... this is your chance to save poor Twycky.

 

Now Acyreff was released from the ghark's powerful telepathic mind and she could again see through the eyes of Twycky who was above a strange, foreign landscape, inside an aircar and flying back to Gensifer City after the hussade game. Gazing out the window, her hands were on the control console of the aircar and her hips were being held from behind by a starmenter who thrust his erection into her tight vagina. Suddenly Acyreff knew with crystal clarity that what she was experiencing had once or would in the future be taking place on the planet Yrinna. She was inside the mind space of Twycky as she tried to think about anything besides the creepy Jamile Gensifer who was so eagerly pleasuring himself as he tried to impregnate Twycky. Feeling Twycky's horror and disgust, Acyreff's legs went slack and she collapsed back down into the water of the tub with a splash.

Fwai-chi

With Acyreff seemingly spent, Kasya turned herself around and sat atop her husband, taking his penis inside herself again and riding him another minute until the sweet end of her long lasting orgasm.

Acyreff looked up towards the mark of the hovering ghark and said, "The orgasm trance worked. Twycky has been taken to Yrinna. We really do have a chance to rescue the poor girl!"

Kasya's orgasm had finally come to a slow burning end and she pulled herself off of Mando and stood up. She stretched her arms high and said with delight, "That was amazing." With the fwai-chi nanites at work reshaping her brain, Kasya could now see into the Hierion Domain and she could sense the swirling cloud of constrained hierions that revealed to her the presence of Acyreff's ghark. She asked, "Zara, what is that floating thing?"

Acyreff replied, "That is a ghark. Some kind of artificial life-form, intelligent, but not human, but it just helped me telepathically contact your sister."

Kasya shuddered in the cool air. She looked down and saw that Mando was still erect, his head tipped back against the side of the tub, his eyes like glass. She sank back down into the hot water of the tub and again slid her vagina over his erection. Now Kasya sat in his lap, facing towards Acyreff. Mando reflexively put his arms around Kasya and caressed her breasts. Kasya looked at Acyreff's flushed skin and her bright red nipples and asked. "You saw my sister?"

"Yes, but I am not sure when." Acyreff was still trying to process all that she has seen during her orgasm trance. "I may have had a vision of the past... or the future. I can't believe that we would be lucky enough to manage four simultaneous orgasms."

Kasya was a bit outraged that it had been Zara and not herself who had telepathically linked to Twycky. "Twycky had an orgasm, too?"

Acyreff did not want to tell Kasya everything that she had 'seen' in her vision... it was too disturbing. "Twycky was taken to Yrinna because of her special telepathy genes. I know now... that world has long had its own special telepath breeding project." However, Acyreff also knew that Twycky expected to be rescued. While waiting for her chance to escape from Yrinna, she was learning as much as she could about the starmenters.

Kasya felt a series of rhythmic contractions ripple through Mando's stiff penis. "Do you know how we can rescue my sister?"

"Yes, I think we can do it. It will require a major effort involving battleships from several fleets of the Whelm. The Connatic's authority and rule is not recognized on Yrinna and that is the home world of powerful starmenter clans... they are quite well armed and well able to defend themselves."

Kasya suggested, "We should proceed with stealth and caution. I don't want to win Twycky's freedom at the cost others' lives."

Now emerging from his own orgasm trance, Mando was finally able to focus his eyes again. The two red beads of Acyreff's nipples stabilized in his vision. He muttered, "That was intense." He looked at the wall clock. "I think I lost consciousness for half an hour. You two ladies were bombarding my mind with..." Words failed him. He had experienced intense pleasure, but he had been locked in a cloudy state of consciousness beyond thought.

technology-assisted telepathy

Kasya pushed at some drifting semen in the water of the tub. "I could feel that you were bombarding me, my love. I think you ejaculated three times and you are still hard as a brick."

 

Mando said, "Oh, no."

 

Kasya turned her head, trying to see his face. "What?"

 

"I'm afraid our little three-way... whatever just happened to the three of us... the starmenters noticed. They are coming this way!"

Related Reading: part 5 of "The Alastor Network".

 

Next: Isaac Asimov's short story "Jokester".

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