Hans and Xeralf

original cover art by Milton
Rosenblatt and Ed Emshwiller
see also: mysticmorning

This blog post has part 2 of "The Alastor Network". In part 1, Acyreff was visited by her ghark, a mysterious ghost-like entity that had followed her from Marune to Numenes. The ghark tried to prepare Acyreff for the impending news that she is going to be a grandmother.

 

Acyreff is not aware of the fact that her grandchild has already been crafted from the genetic material of 1) Yurahs, adopted as a young girl and raised as part of the royal family and 2) Heshlo, Acyreff's biological son. Introduced in part 1, the two robot companions of Yurahs and Heshlo, named Ra and Lo, are carefully engineering Yurahs' pregnancy. Using his ovipositor, Lo will soon implant the early embryo into Yurahs.

The child of Yurahs (who will be named Lavany) has been carefully crafted so as to be able to make use of the Bimanoid Interface to make possible a form of technology-assisted telepathy that will link members of a mind clone network, eventually leading to successful telepathic contact with the Phari. 

 

original cover art by Antonio Schomburg

Watching over the development of human technology-assisted telepathy in Alastor Cluster are both gharks and hoos. The hoos plan to use Acyreff's grand-daughter as the first component in a telepathically linked mind clone network. Traveling to Yerophet with Heshlo, Ra will deliver the unique genetic patterns of Acyreff's grandchild to a team of genetic engineers on Yerophet.

Heshlo has a special mix of Rhune and Idite gene patterns while Yurahs is a Trill with some telepathic abilities. On Yerophet, alien-human hybrids with Phet and Plesypy gene patterns have already been created and the geneticists of Yerophet are ready to make additional components of the Alastor mind clone network as soon as they receive copies of the special gene combinations that have been built into Lavany. 

 

made using EliseComfy10 and KayleeRelax13 by Eclesi4stiK
available under this Creative Commons license: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0

With the exception of Lavany (the embryo), all of the human characters in part 2 of "The Alastor Network" are legally adults. As for the young (they were recently manufactured) sexbots, Ra and Lo, they and the other robots (Hans and Xeralf) all use adult human body forms.

 

Reminder: "The Alastor Network" is probably best viewed as fan fiction, inspired by the Alastor Cluster novels of Jack Vance. If you are a fan of Jack Vance, you might not like the way I have imagined telepathic aliens and robots at work in Alastor Cluster. If you are new to Vance's fiction, you'll probably be more interested in Vance' stories than mine.

Cover: see the full wraparound cover image here.

 ⎯ The Alastor Network ؄

 

Part 2. The Hoo. (read part 1)

Fwai-chi

Acyreff turned and went back into the dining room where the scent of ghark was again thick in the air. Acyreff could not recall ever having been visited twice in one day by her ghark. She asked, "What is the purpose of these mysterious trances?"

The ghark replied: Need human pleasures have a purpose beyond the joy they bring?

"I treasure these pleasurable spells when I experience them with Oman, but... ten minutes? Is it really safe for my children to loose consciousness for so long?" One of the palace cats came into the dining room, having arrive by way of one of the small passageways that had been built over six hundred years previously specifically for the convenience of cats.

They have lost nothing. Where is your sense of adventure? This is a new human phenomenon. Oman has already set his scientists to studying it. Just think: some day, humans might have continuous telepathic linkages to each other... a new form of consciousness.

Acyreff and a cat.

Acyreff admitted to herself that she did not have much interest in adventure when it came to the health and safety of her children. "But what is the link between telepathy and orgasms?" The cat jumped up on the table and Acyreff scratched under its chin. Since the time of Connatica Rinmuv, a tribe of cats had been free to roam the palace.

Humans are often reluctant to open their minds and share their intimate thoughts. During the ecstasy of an orgasm, all the defenses are down and one's wish is to share the magic of the moment.

"Eleven minutes and thirty seven seconds is more than a moment." Acyreff leaned up against the table and continued petting the cat.

I've warned you, Alferica: don't allow yourself to be surprised by the future that you face. Your children are special because of their unique gene patterns.

Acyreff asked the ghark, "Why do you use my old name?" Acyreff had been known as 'Alferica' in her first life, on the planet Marune, before she died.

Gharks and Hoos

Your future is still linked to Marune, through your grand-daughter.

 

"My grand-daughter will go to Marune?"

The ghark explained: She will not need to go there, but she will be part of a mind clone network that will finally make possible human telepathic contact with the fwai-chi.

 

Acyreff asked, "What do you mean, 'mind clone network'?" But the ghark again faded away, almost as if it was hiding from the hoo that had arrived in the room. Not since her youth on Marune had Acyreff been bothered by a hoo, but now a frosty shiver crept up her spine and she felt the powerful touch of the hoo in her mind, pushing at her thoughts. 

 

The hoo did not show itself, but it spoke, the voice seeming to come from nearby, "Construction of your grand-daughter is complete. Ra will carry the gene patterns on to Yerophet where the first of the Plesypy mind clones will be made."

A hundred questions swarmed in Acyreff's mind. "The first?"

"Yes, and two additional Chi mind clones will be needed on Marune."

"Needed for what?"

"I can tell you no more. There is a temporal paradox blocking you from understanding why your grand-daughter has been rushed into existence. However, it is important that you relax and enjoying being a grandparent. Your role in assembling the required gene patterns and testing them is complete, so why not take the day off from work and take your daughter shopping? "

Hans was coming down the hallway. He called to Acyreff, "Are you ready?"

The time of their first official appointment was at hand. Still worried by the unexpected visit from the hoo, Acyreff thought about the option of allowing her robotic double to take her place. It would be fun to spend the day with Yurahs. However, the rule was that she was to attend to these affairs of State while on Numenes without Oman. It was the one irksome task that the Connatic relied on her to perform. And today, she wanted to meet the representatives from Brevik. After a long week of routine meetings with dignitaries from many planets, the schedule for today featured appointments with visitors from various worlds that were dealing with emergencies. "Yes, I am ready." She pulled over her head the mask and wig that transformed her features into those that the people of Alastor Cluster associated with the wife of the Connatic. 

 

Acyreff and Hans went to the nearby holography room from where they conducted interviews with palace visitors. She made her way through the morning's visits with dignitaries from various planets that were dealing with population issues or natural disasters, allowing Hans to do most of the talking. All through the morning Acyreff found it difficult to think about anything except her adopted daughter and her theoretical grand-daughter. For some reason, Acyreff was not really surprised by the hoo's claim that Yurahs' child had been genetically engineered.

In the early afternoon, Acyreff, Hans, Lo and Yurahs ate lunch together in the dining hall. Heshlo was off in space, on his way to Yerophet. Acyreff could not stop herself from watching Yurahs and wondering if the girl already carried a tiny embryo inside her. Most of the conversation concerned two topics: 1) plans for clothing shopping and 2) Hans providing advice to Lo about adopting the physical features of a female human. Lo was a new model robot and had never played the role of a woman. Hans told Lo, "Before Oman became Connatic, I played the role of the robotic double for his mother, the Connatica."

Acyreff was surprised. In her experience, Hans had always been male, the double of her husband, Oman. "You played the role of Eleyn?"

"For most of the 25 years of her reign and more years before that." Hans now looked like a virile man. "So, yes, I am an expert in simulating the human female form."

Yurahs looked at a portrait of Eleyn on the wall. She asked, "What really happened to Eleyn and her husband?" This was a topic that Oman did not like to discuss.

Hans replied, "Nothing special 'happened'. They turned State affairs over to your father and then Eleyn and Rujyan went to visit Earth. They wanted to investigate the Asterothrope myth. One day they might return to the Cluster."

 

Yurahs asked, "Asterothrope?"

 

Acyreff told her daughter, "Asterothropes are the mythical telepaths of ancient Earth."

Yurahs giggled. Everyone knew that Earth had accumulated endless fictions; the Wizoz, Achilles, Merlin... the list was very long. Yurahs pushed away her plate and told Lo, "Let's go shopping!"

Asterothropes

Hans advised Lo, "Don't go out in public sporting those perky breasts. You'll attract too much attention."

Yurahs put an arm around Lo. "I like these breasts. Lo made them just for me and for the next two months, every time I think of Heshlo I'm simply going to look at Lo's cute breasts and then-"

"Spare me the details." Acyreff amplified the warning that had been provided by Hans, "This is Numenes, not Triskelion. Some tourist will take a look at Lo and shout 'Robot!' and then you'll be in a fine mess."

"Exactly." Hans told Yurahs, "Real human breast tissue can't hold a pointy, gravity-defying shape like that." He pointed at Lo's chest.

Lo allowed his breasts to droop and he shrank them down in size. "Satisfied?"

"Better, but it would be better still if you wore a bra anytime you go out in public."

Yurahs led Lo away by the arm, "That is my mission... I'm going to buy Lo the prettiest bra I can find."

Noticing that Lo now wore a skirt, Acyreff thought that he and Yurahs made a cute couple. 

 

Hans was also watching Lo and Yurahs as they departed from the dining hall and shaking his head. He turned to Acyreff and commented, "I did my best."

Acyreff giggled. "Relax, Hans. You can't win these arguments. I'm far too permissive a parent, I know." Acyreff noticed that Hans was carefully examining her own breasts which were sealed up inside the formal attire that she wore when meeting delegations of visiting dignitaries. "What are you looking at?"

He replied, "Oh, nothing. However, we have more than an hour before the next appointment and..."

Acyreff wanted make use of that hour to read about the Brevik Shadow Drone program, but now she placed a hand in the robot's lap and found that he was semi-erect. "Yes, you guessed correctly, Hans." She suspected it was no guess; almost certainly the robots of Triskelion had telepathic powers. "Watching Lo during lunch got me rather excited. My own nipples are erect right now." She opened her top and showed Hans one of her breasts. "Tell me, Hans..."

The robot licked Acyreff's exposed nipple. "What?"

Acyreff was struggling to remember what she wanted to ask. "You've pretended to be human for decades..."

"I also served openly as a robot for fifteen years on Triskelion before coming to Numenes."

a star-watch in Alastor Cluster

Acyreff knew that Triskelion was the one planet of Alastor Cluster where there was no discrimination against robots. "Which do you prefer? Being male or female?"

"I don't think of it that way, Madam. I try to provide quality service under all circumstances. I'm a device, crafted to give pleasure to people and perform any required task."

"Is that all it is? Service? A task? Have you ever been in love?"

"I love you, Madam. I love all humans. These days, my special love is Xeralf... we spend many happy days together when humans have no need for us."

"So, I'm just another human to you? The one that you have to service this week while the Connatic is away from Lusz?"

Hans now seemed concerned. "Have I failed to adequately provide service Madam?"

"Relax, silly. You are very professional. I can't complain about your 'service'. I'm just curious. I've long felt that the rumors are true, that the robots of Triskelion have telepathic abilities... and now with these long trances..." She fell silent lost in thought. Gazing at Hans, she felt that he looked quite beautiful right then. After a pause of more than a minute during which both Hans and Acyreff played with her breasts and stiff nipples, Acyreff asked Hans, "Do you robots understand these... oh my, what should we call them... orgasm trances?"

Hans had been programmed to hide the fact of robotic telepathy from humans, but living first with Acyreff and then with Yurahs, it had eventually become impossible to completely hide the truth. "My dear Acy, you know that we robots are expert pattern learners. Due to my long service to you, I can accurately predict your actions, desires and wishes. I know that other humans have tried to explain robotic efficiency by convoluted theories that include telepathic powers, but really...." Here, Hans paused to open up his pants. Now holding his glorious erection in her hands, Acyreff felt herself experience a rush of sexual desire. She pulled up the hem of her skirt and then straddled Hans' lap, taking him inside her hot, wet vagina. Hans whispered in Acyreff's ear, "I've worked hard to shape myself into the form that pleases you most."

"You never seem to work to be hard." Acyreff energetically rode the robot's perfect penis. "I have no complaints about your anatomy, Hans, but while you are trying to distract me with sex play, I'm trying to ask you about the special connection that I have to Oman." That morning, Acyreff had decided to speak to Hans about the visits by her ghark and the hoo, but now she found that she was unable to do so. Some powerful lock on her mind prevented her from discussing those topics.

 

Hans let his penis swell just a little more. "Is your connection to Oman really any better than ours?"

 

Acyreff took a deep breath and giggled. "Telepathic connection." Feeling amazed by the now very tight fit of the robot's erection inside her, she relaxed and leaned against Hans. "I love the way you feel inside me, however..." She thought about what she had learned from her ghark and the hoo. "...today I began to wonder if my telepathic link to Oman is due to help from you robots and if maybe it would be possible for a human and a robot to also link telepathically... during orgasms."

"I'm sorry, dear." Hans stood up and sat Acyreff on the table. Holding her skirt out of the way, he began vigorously thrusting the full length of his erection into and out of her body. "Enjoy what we have. I can't give you a ten minute orgasm."

Acyreff giggled. "I'm not greedy... I'd settle for one.." She gasped with delight. "...or two..." She then reached a poignant and satisfying climax, although her orgasm was only of usual duration. However, something had changed! Suddenly she was experiencing with the robot Hans what she had long experienced with Oman, a sense of unity with his mind during her orgasm. When her mind cleared and her consciousness returned to normal, she asked the robot, "What... it is true... you have always been able to link to my mind? You can experience pleasure like I do?" But it was more than that. Suddenly Acyreff could remember sharing part of the Yurahs' eleven minute orgasm. 

 

Acyreff and Yurahs inspecting Ra.

The memory was now alive in her mind: in bed that morning, she had been dreaming of making love to Oman, then suddenly it was as if Heshlo was on top of her, with Ra and Lo also giving her pleasure. She had awakened from the dream and found herself in the arms of Hans. She'd thanked him for an amazing orgasm then had drifted back into sleep for another half hour before rising and going to the dining hall, intent on doing background reading about the Shadow Drone project. Her memories of having been telepathically linked to Yurahs during sex had been temporarily erased from Acyreff's mind... but now she had remembered!

Hans was saying something sweet as he slowly and gently pulled his penis out of Acyreff and placed a finger tip strategically over her erect clitoris. He stood there, his penis pointed at her. Acyreff was extremely distracted by his magical hand motions, but she gradually began to consciously tune into his words, "...it is hard to measure relative levels of pleasure. I believe that we robots have been provided with cognitive systems that closely simulate human senses and perceptions. The structure of my brain was copied from an actual neural network, a human template. There is every reason to believe that my orgasms are quite similar to those that you experience."

Acyreff wanted to ask Hans about his ability to make her forget the fact that she could telepathically link to Yurahs during an orgasm, but some controlling force in her mind prevented her from doing so. Instead, she heard herself giggle and ask, "How long do your orgasms last?" She put her hands on his penis which was wet and glistening with her vaginal secretions. She had never seen him this huge and she was certain that Hans was trying to distract her and guide her thoughts towards... what? Suddenly, a flashed vision of him ejaculating filled her thoughts. In general, while making love to Acyreff, he did not bother ejaculating unless she made a special request. Sometimes she liked Hans to spread his hot, slippery simulated robot semen over her breasts.

Her top was still open and he pressed the soft tip of his penis against her breast. "I believe you can tell when I have an orgasm. Am I not very much like Omar in that regard?"

"Yes, I've always imagined that you are like him in how you experience pleasure during our sex play. But when Omar and I achieve simultaneous orgasms, we go into some sort of feedback and the orgasm can last longer than usual."

"Yes, I am aware of that phenomenon. Sadly, my mind is too distinct in its patterns and so I can't connect to you in that way."

"When have you ever...?"

"I have not myself been a direct witness to any of these telepathic feedback 'orgasm trances', but don't forget Oman's appreciation of three-way sex play." Hans gently stoked Acyreff's stiff nipples with his finger tips. "On several occasions, the two of you have been in such a hurry to make love that you did not notice -or care- that Oman's sexbot, your body double, remained in the room."

"Ah, yes, that sneak!" Acyreff seldom saw her body double, Xeralf, but maybe twice a year Oman wanted two women in his bed at the same time.

Hans said, "I take every learning opportunity that comes my way and Xeralf and Ra both like to tell me about their sexploits."

Acyreff thought about Xeralf, the robot that was designed to function as her double when she was not available for public appearances with the Connatic. A strange idea suddenly came to Acyreff: had Hans and Xeralf in some way arranged for the birth of Voyt and Heshlo? She began to formulate a question about that startling idea, but then she heard herself saying, "Speaking of learning and coming, I found out today that my daughter has become some kind of expert in oral sex."

"Hardly an expert, Madam."

"How would you know?"

"Lo often tells me of his sexual encounters with Miss Yurahs. But remember, it is not healthy for humans to compare themselves to robots. Such comparisons lead to the kind of distrust of robots that dominates human society on most worlds of the Cluster."

Acyreff took the tip of the robot's penis in her mouth and she explored the soft skin with her tongue. After a minute of that play, she said, "I've always feared hurting Oman with my teeth."

"Meet the Phari"

Hans laughed. "This is one of the great advantages of being a robot. We can alter our oral anatomy as needed. And of course, you have had experience requesting that I change my tongue structure so as to better satisfy you..." He bent down and licked the glans of her clitoris.

"Yes, you are an expert there and in all things sexual." After a minute she pull him up and they kissed, his tongue now frisking around in her mouth. She stroked his penis gently and then leaned back to take a deep breath. "I've never thought of performing oral sex on you, Hans. Maybe with practice, I could get better at it and loose my fear of hurting Oman with my teeth."

"Yes, that would work, Madam. However, we both know that Oman has no great interest in oral sex. When you occasionally perform it on him, he enjoys it, but he and you both prefer vaginal sex."

She tugged suggestively on his penis. "I've never tasted your semen."

"Believe me, my Lady, some humans are enthusiastically into that experience. I'm actually equipped with the ability to add special flavorings."

Acyreff laughed. "You're joking!"

"Try me."

Acyreff suggested, "How about lemon? No... pineapple."

The robot nodded. "Not as rare a request as you might imagine. I'm ready."

Acyreff again took him in her mouth and sped her hand stroking the shaft of his penis. Sooner than she was expecting, he exploded with a powerful, gushing ejaculation. After she swallowed and licked her lips she said, "That was very nice. Thank you for sharing. Did you just have an orgasm?"

"That was a purely mechanical ejaculation, with no linkage to an orgasm." He suggested, "We have time for you to try one or two more flavors."

"How about peppermint?"

"According to my programming, that is number one in popularity among human females."

"Only females?"

"Yes, men tend to have slightly different preferences." Acyreff opened her mouth like a baby bird and did not even try to stimulate him. He ejaculated again and both her mouth and the air was filled with peppermint. She turned her head and spat out the robotic simulated semen onto a plate. Hans said, "Sorry, I forgot you are a beginner at this. Trying to make sure that you would smell the mint, I added too much peppermint."

She wiped her lips with a napkin and took a drink of water. "That's okay. Your powerful spurts of semen hit the back of my throat and I gagged. In all honesty, that tasted bitter. I don't think Omar generates half as much pressure as you do."

"Again, I warn you not to make comparisons. We robots have tricks at our disposal that are impossible for biologicals to match. Let me give you something to take the bitter taste away. A cleanser, so to speak." Hans pulled Acyreff off the table and set her in a chair. He moved his penis directly in front of her face.

She checked the time. They were due soon for the next appointment. She asked, "What do you have in mind?"

"Let me surprise you."

 

"After the mint, I'm not sure I trust you." Acyreff was now anxious to complete this sex play with Hans and meet with the delegation from Brevik, but Hans seemed to have forgotten what he was doing. She took his penis in her mouth once again, but now he seemed to have a problem. There was an odd expression on the robot's face. She firmly took hold of his penis and stroked the shaft. She licked the head of his penis and got a slight taste of more peppermint. Then he pulled himself out of her mouth. For just a fraction of a second, she imagined seeing a drop of blood at the tip of his penis.

 

Alarmed, she asked, "Are you bleeding?"

 

With both hands on his penis he seemed to make some sort of twisting adjustment to the organ then he thrust himself between her lips again. "No, I am fine. You have never bitten me... and if you did, my artificial skin only has simulated blood." He ejaculated one more time, producing a long series of high-volume spurts.

image source

After swallowing several times, Acyreff  licked her lips and smiled at Hans. He pulled away and made his penis deflate then he began pulling his clothing back together. She asked, "What flavor was that?" She stood up and straightened her skirt.

"No special flavor, just simulated Oman semen."

"Yes, a good choice. Sweet and salty, a good remedy for bitter." She sealed up the top of her costume and again donned her mask and wig. They hurried off to their next appointment with visitors, but Acyreff was certain that she had seen something... but what? Hans had been showing off his skill at ejaculating in a variety of flavors, but for just a moment she had seen what looked like a thin red tube protruding from his robotic simulated urethra and Acyreff was intent on finding out what that extra tube was there for, hidden inside the robot's penis.

 

Their next appointment was with a visiting delegation from Brevik (Alastor 23). The spaceship builders of Brevik were always searching for ways to better defend ships from starmenters. One of the best existing means of defense were the automated battle drones that followed every passenger ship through the depths of space.

Acyreff and the Connatic never directly met with any visitors who came to the palace. Hans and Acyreff sat together, side-by-side in twin chairs and their holographic images were projected into the room where the Brevik drone manufacturers sat. There were three of them, representing the three largest spaceship manufacturers of their world. Acyreff was more interested in the fourth member of the delegation, a woman who was a drone engineer. Her name was Dr. Jeghtop and she spoke with confidence, authority and purpose. She was explaining, "I'm convinced that for the past year, the starmenters have often been using telepathy when they raid commercial passenger craft. We need access to all available technologies to protect the passengers against these attacks."

 

starmenters

Hans, in his role as the Connatic, asked, "What is your evidence for this new use of of telepathy?"

Jeghtop explained, "The best evidence is from the case of my sister and how she was abducted by starmenters. They attacked the spaceship that she was in and selectively took just her, although they did try to also capture one other passenger." Jeghtop paused and tried to keep her voice even, but now her speech was tinged with raw emotion. "I've always had a telepathic link to my sister, so I was able to 'witness' that starmenter attack. Since then, I have analyzed the data; this new kind of starmenter raid began about a year ago and is spreading through the Cluster. As you know, the pirates have been knocking spaceships out of intersplit. We need to deploy new technology in order to improve our defenses."

 

Acyreff was feeling a weak telepathic link to Jeghtop. She asked, "You can detect the minds of all other telepaths?"

"Sadly, no, only the mind of my twin sister."

Director Menchlex, the high ranking manager of the Pegasus Spaceship Company, who was Dr. Jeghtop's employer, added, "Not being a telepath, I can't vouch for the telepathy part of what Dr. Jeghtop has told you, but the statistics are clear. During the past year, many spacelines have experienced this new, selective type of starmenter attack. At first the attackers simply tested a new method for disabling the Jarnell intersplit engines, then the pirates progressed in their methods and now they have found a way to neutralize our drones."

"Yes, we at the palace have followed this disturbing trend." Hans told Jeghtop, "As Connatic, I can help facilitate technology exchanges between planets of the Cluster. What exactly do you need, Dr. Jeghtop?"

Dr. Jeghtop pointedly replied, "It is not a very well kept secret that you run a program for the study of telepathy. I want access to the technology that is code-named Josef."

Discussion of the Connatic's secret telepathy research project was a subject that was too sensitive to leave to Hans. Acyreff said, "Only those within the special Whelm telepathy division have access to Josef."

Jeghtop shrugged. "I'm not a member of the Whelm, but surely there are some exceptions."

Acyreff thought about her son Heshlo. In his cover identity as cadet Schermatz, he was going to be allowed to work with Josef all summer, but technically, Heshlo was not yet actually a member of the Whelm. As a cadet in training, he was called 'Private Schermatz', but that was a training academy term, not a formal rank within the Whelm.

Hans, playing his role as the Connatic, explained, "I could make a special exception for you Dr. Jeghtop, but you would then have to submit to intensely applied and rigorously enforced security requirements."

Dr. Jeghtop smiled grimly at Hans. "You may be the Connatic, but I am not in the habit of submitting, surrendering or otherwise allowing bureaucratic formalities to interfere with my work. Too many lives are at stake."

Acyreff laughed. She liked Dr. Jeghtop. She said, "I'm afraid you will not be happy working under the required Whelm security restrictions. Were you given access to the Josef technology, you would have to be kept guarded and under continual watch."

"As chief engineer of the Pegasus Shadow Drone project, I already hold the highest industrial security ranking."

Hans nodded, "Yes, I am familiar with your record and your many years of service to the people of Alastor Cluster. However, that record does not explain how you learned about Josef."

Dr. Jeghtop briefly glanced at her three companions then said, "I really can't say anything about that."

Acyreff suggested, "Please join the Connatic and I for dinner this evening, Dr. Jeghtop. I'm thinking that it might be possible to merge the Josef project with your drone project, but that would be a complex undertaking requiring careful study."

Dr. Jeghtop shrugged, "Very well, I accept the invitation. However, please don't waste my time. Either I get access to all available technology or..." She let some unspoken words hang in the air.

Hans laughed. "It is not often that guests here at the palace threaten the Connatic." He stood up abruptly and then Acyreff also rose to her feet. 

 

Acyreff had more to say to Jeghtop, but now she realized that it was nearly time for their next scheduled appointment. "We will speak again over dinner." The holographic projectors shut off, ending the interview.

Walking away from her chair, Acyreff went to the side-nook and got a glass of cold water. She took a drink and looked at Hans over the rim of the glass, thinking about the feel of his ejaculate in her mouth. Setting aside the glass she said, "Oman will have to decide this matter."

Hans nodded. "You should have invited Dr. Jeghtop to return in a week, after Oman has returned to Lusz."

"I have another idea. Tomorrow, Yurahs departs for her advanced dance training camp. I'll have nothing truly important to do, so I can go to Brevik."

 

"We have full information about the Shadow Drone program in hand." Hans could see the answer in Acyreff's mind, but he asked, "Why go to Brevik?"

 

"I really want to study Dr. Jeghtop. She is a telepath herself."

Hans tried to sound surprised. "Really?"

Acyreff looked carefully at Hans. She suspected that he was well aware of Jeghtop's telepathic abilities. Once again Acyreff wanted to speak to Hans about her ghark, but she was frustrated in that effort. She simply could not tell Hans anything about either her ghark or the hoo that visited her that day. "Our next appointment is in two minutes." She sat down inside the holoscanner field and began mentally making plans for her journey to Brevik.

Related Reading: part 3 of "The Alastor Network"

Next:  Wendy the robot

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