Longer and Shorter

cold fever

Below on this page is part 17 of "The Alastor Network", a science fiction story about the origins of human telepathy in the far future of the Asimov Reality.

Five years ago I challenged myself to move away from my habit of writing long science fiction stories (see "Short Game"). I'm pleased with the results from that "change challenge", although I seldom write "stand alone" short stories that are not an integral part of the Exodemic Fictional Universe. 

In the case of "The Alastor Network", back in December I imagined that I would quickly write short origins story for lo'whots. That idea went off the rails and it will not be until Chapter 20 of the story (and after 87,000 words) that I finally get to the planet Yerophet. Did something go "wrong"?

Ebernal

I can't bring myself to apply the term "wrong" to "The Alastor Network". Here at this blog, the only real goal is fun and entertainment and I've been having plenty of fun writing "The Alastor Network". Unexpectedly, before I could explain the origins of lo'whots, I found it necessary to expand the project and first create the entire family of the Connatic, Oman Ursht. As described in part 16, Oman (disguised as Ryl Shermatz) is trying to solve a mystery on the planet Yerophet. Inexplicably, settlers on Yerophet have been dying from "cold fever", a telepathically-induced form of death.

So far, "The Alastor Network" is backstory and preparations leading up to a visit by Oman to Yerophet. He'd like to equip himself with the proper tools to solve the mystery of the "cold fever" deaths.

Captain Tirret

Oman is now returning to Numenes, intent on checking in with his adopted daughter, Yurahs, who has tested positive and is now in the early weeks of her first pregnancy. Oman is not yet aware that mind clones of his grand-daughter have already been designed on Yerophet.

While on Numenes, Oman must officially assign Captain Lanting to her post as an officer in the Whelm. The planet Ottengla has long been suffering raids by starmenters, specifically Captain Tirret. Captain Lanting knows the marauding Captain Tirret and is familiar with the methods used by the Kraken when capturing telepaths on Ottengla. Lanting imagines that she can trap Tirret, but what is the secret to turning space pirates away from their loyalty to the Gensifer Clan?

⎯ The Alastor Network ؄

Part 17. Royal Cross. (read part 1) (part 2) (part 3) (part 4) (part 5) (part 6) (part 7) (part 8) (part 9) (part 10) (part 11) (part 12) (part 13) (part 14) (part 15) (part 16)

Oman arrived at the palace of Lusz in the middle of the night, local planetary time. Disguised as Over-Inspector Ryl Shermatz of the Whelm, he was recognized by Lusz security and allowed to pass into the palace. A patrolling guard asked, "Working late, Inspector?"

Ryl was eager to see his wife and work was the last thing on his mind, but he told the guard, "You know how that is, Relshtack."

Sergeant Relshtack nodded. "Aye, these empty nights in the palace can be spooky, with only the Muu're to keep me company."

"How are things lately with our invisible friends?" Natives of Numenes with telepathic sensitivity to the Muu're often referred to the alien Muu're as 'friends'. To do otherwise was to invite misfortune.

"Well, of course, I mention the ancient spirits because they have lately been on my mind. Something is changing, Ryl... ever since Commander Shermatz was seen here two days ago." Relshtack took a deep breath which exaggerated the prominence of her large breasts where they pressed outwards against the strained fabric of her tight uniform. "There is a strange mood upon the palace these past two days. With happy preparations for the awards ceremony and the guest wing full of award recipients, you'd expect a brighter mood, but some sort of pall has fallen upon us."

Ryl glanced towards the portal that led to the royal residential wing. "I've been off visiting Triskelion. I'll have to check in with Galzara and find out what mischief she has been up to."

"I only saw your wife briefly when she went into the royal residence two days ago. I assumed she had an appointment with the Connatic. I hope she was not the bearer of bad news... there have been rumors of military action and fleet movements in Giampara. The Connatic should make a public statement rather than remain silent and let rumors circulate." Relshtack shrugged and resumed her patrol. 

Triskelion

Ryl went to his office. Making sure that the outer door was locked and sealed, he opened the closet door and stepped inside the small storage room. He tugged on a recessed lever that was out of sight on a high self and the back wall slid open. He stepped into a secret passage that led to the the residential wing of the royal family. The entrance to the passageway sealed shut behind him.

Walking quickly through the tunnel, he soon came to a small changing room where he put on his mask and wig, adopting the appearance of the Connatic. Arriving in his apartments by way of a hidden hatch in another closet, he startled into wakefulness a sleeping attendant, Brengston, sprawled in a chair. Brengston leaped to her feet and cried out, "Oman? Where did you come from?" She looked towards the door of the bedroom where she thought Acyreff and the Connatic were sleeping.

Oman had not bothered to change his clothing. The fact that the royal family members all had dual identities was an open secret among the staff members who, like Brengston, lived and worked in the palace. Still dressed as Ryl, the traveling investigative reporter, he said, "Hello, Cathy. Shouldn't you be in bed getting your rest?"

"I fell asleep. I'm sorry! I'd brought the Lady some ice cream and was waiting to see if there was something else that she might need." Through long familiarity, Cathy felt comfortable chatting with the Connatic. "These days I feel safer when I'm in a busy room. When alone in my private apartments I feel a sense of dark gathering doom."

Oman patted her shoulder, "Come now, what is this nonsense? Doom?"

Muu're

"For the past two days the Muu're have been swarming about the palace, Sir!" Cathy looked over her shoulder. "Something terrible must be in store."

Oman laughed. "Thank you for the warning. I'll watch my step. I would not want to trip over a shoelace!" He went into his bedroom suite, moving on springy legs of anticipation and pulled off the annoying disguise. 

His private suite of rooms was dim and quiet. He tossed his mask on a table in the anteroom and stepped into his bedroom. Xeralf was sitting there in the dark, waiting. For the hundredth time Ryl wondered what robots thought about when they were waiting through the night for humans to awaken. The robot said, "Welcome home, Oman." She enthusiastically went to Oman and put her arms around him. "It is late. Are you tired or..." She put a hand against his crotch.

Oman asked the robot, "Is my wife asleep?"

"No, sir."

"Is my wife alone?"

"No, sir. She's with Hans." Xeralf pulled him towards the bed. "Come rest." The robot could feel his stiff penis. "I'll put you to sleep with a sweet orgasm... or two."

"No, not tonight, thank you." Ryl freed himself from the robot's grasping hands and went to the door that connected to Acyreff's bedroom. He opened the door and looked into his wife's dimly lit bedroom. He saw that Acyreff was sitting up in her bed, reading. She looked up, saw Oman and sprang out of bed. Then she was warm and naked in his arms. Ryl was soon out of his clothes and had his wife back in bed. Hans quickly and quietly slipped away through the darkness, going into the other bedroom with Xeralf.

Half an hour later, Acyreff was astride Oman, his erection deep inside her vagina. Quite satisfied with her second orgasm, she felt their shared orgasm trance come to an end. She asked her husband, "Are you back, too?"

Rather groggily, he said, "I'm here." He was gradually emerging from his trance. "That was a wild experience. Did you note the time?"

"No, but I think that was a new record for us. Easily over a minute in the trance." She sighed contentedly and rested her head on his chest. Oman was still hard like a brick and his penis seemed to be twitching with powerful muscle contractions. "Do you want to grab another orgasm, darling?"

"Not just now." Ryl was trying to sort out what had just happened. They had shared two orgasm trances. The first had been short and intense, during which Ryl had been telepathically linked to the Muu're. He'd seen a flashed image in his mind of a blond girl's face in the ecstasy of her own orgasm. "I'm quite content." But he was not, really. He had been warned about some impending danger by the Muu're, a sense off loss hung over that glimpsed image of the blond girl. His memory of the Muu're warning had been altered by their second, longer shared orgasm. "How about you?"

"Truth be told, I gave up waiting to find out if you would arrive home tonight... but I have been quite desperate for your return." She giggled and added, "Hans already provided me with two other grand orgasms this evening before our two, so I suppose I'm now over my limit."

Oman laughed. "You're not the same girl I married. Remember how you once told me that having an orgasm just two or three times a month was exceptional sebalism?"

"Don't remind me." Acyreff giggled and briefly thought of her former existence on the planet Marune. "I was so naive. It was quite a shock that first night when I saw your penis. All of my innocence dissipated in an instant. You've taught me how to be a woman."

Oman was playing with Acyreff's pleasingly round bottom, running his finger tips over her soft skin, enjoying the feel of her tense muscles, particularly her tightly constricted vaginal muscles where they wrapped around his erect penis. He could now remember that during their first orgasm trance Acy had been thinking about Marune and the Rhune practice of having sex during mirk, the brief periods of darkness on that world. Now he traced back that memory thread and recalled that she had been thinking about her previous home, the royal castle in the territory of Scharrode on Marune. In her former life on that world she had been Alferica, born to the House of Jent. "I never taught you to have four orgasms in one evening, dear. I blame the bad influence of Hans."

"Hans is always very attentive to my needs when you are away from the palace." Acyreff was still thinking about her trismet on Marune and her brief period of living at Benbuphar with Jochaim and how he had first shocked her by his sexual practices and then taught her to enjoy sex play during any phase of the suns, even bright Aud. For the hundredth time she mentally compared her memories of Jochaim's pretty penis to the massive erections of Oman.

Ryl said, "I'm sorry I was so eager for your sweet touch when I came rushing in here tonight. I was found myself ruthlessly impaling you before any foreplay."

"Don't apologize, lover, I was already wet and ready for your huge erection. The Muu're had been tormenting me all night with lustful thoughts. I confess that when you came through the door I was fantasizing about a young man... some young fantasy version of... me."

Ryl chuckled and asked, "Do you wish that you had a penis?"

"I sometimes think that would be fun and ask: would I like a Jochaim penis or an Oman penis?"

Ryl said, "You are puncturing my ego, lover. I'd expect you to have forgotten about Jochaim's penis after twenty years."

"Sorry, my love, but it does not work that way. I have this horrible sense that... well, it is another one of my fantasies... that Jochaim took a new woman in trismet, but he still dreams of making love to me. Isn't that silly?"

"No, I'm glad you have fond thoughts of your home world and are not bothered by... you know."

Ariel on Numenes. Image made with
  ElfFlowerCrown11 by
Eclesi4stiK available under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0.

"Yes, somehow I have been blessed by never remembering how I died." She shuddered. "I just remembered a vision from our orgasm trance! That the young male version of me was having sex with a pretty young blond girl... I was really enjoying the feel of my penis inside her silky soft vagina!"

Ryl had seen the blond girl in his own vision. He whispered, "A blond girl..."

"Her name is Ariel and in my vision she gave me oral sex... I loved the way she was so lustfully sucking on my penis."

Ryl laughed, "You have such amazing sexual fantasies, my darling!" Yet he agreed, the Muu're had been trying to tell him something about a young girl called Ariel.

"Yes, well, in your absence, with each passing day, I get wilder and more strongly crave the feel of you inside me. I'm sorry I did not wait for you tonight, darling. I had imagined it was possible that you might be back from Triskelion this quickly, but then when it grew so late... I gave in to the temptation of using Hans to grab some pleasure."

Twycky

"Have no regrets, my love. I want you to grab every orgasm that comes your way. I only spent about an hour on Triskelion... then rushed back to you as quickly as possible after a very frustrating visit with Dr. Ektenor."

"I told you not to get your hopes up." Acyreff wondered how much she would be allowed to tell Oman about her ghark's tricks and schemes. "Grean is playing some game, restricting Whelm access to advanced technology while handing it out to others."

Oman could barely remember who Grean was. "You have heard more from your ghark?"

"Not recently." A strange idea came to Acyreff, something she had seen in her husband's mind during their shared orgasm trance. "You saw Grean on Triskelion."

Vyky the robot on Triskelion.
made using SciFi02 by Eclesi4stiK
available under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0

Oman tried to remember the events in Dr. Ektenor's lab. What came first to mind was a brief glimpse of Twycky's cute breast and her bright pink, erect nipple. "There is a gap in my memory. I was watching Twycky having sex with Dr. Ektenor's robot and then..."

"What?" Acyreff sat up straight, still holding Oman's erection inside her. A twinge of jealousy arose in her belly and she tried to push that away. "Wait. Twycky let you watch while she played with a sexbot?"

"Well, not exactly. She did not know that I was watching her."

"Please explain."

"I was given an opportunity to use the hand-held hierion field generator... the one that Kasya showed you."

Acyreff's imagination began to run wild. "You inactivated the sexbot and then ravished Twycky?"

Danni

Oman laughed, "That would have been fun, but no. Twycky was in Ektenor's office with a very pretty sexbot named Vyky. I was in the lab with Ektenor and that other robot, Danni."

Acyreff could well remember Danni who Oman had described in detail after his previous visit to Triskelion. "You had sex with Danni?"

"Of course not." Oman laughed. "In fact, it was Danni who got himself inactivated." Oman could not reconstruct a logic chain of events. "I used the D3I in a mode that amplifies telepathic powers."

Acyreff pulled herself off of Oman's big erection and snuggled by his side. "Wait, now. D3I? Kasya showed me how to use her little device. First she used it to inactivate Lo and then later, I saw how it functions as a telepath detector."

"She tricked you. Kas was using that field generator to modulate her zeptite endosymbiont. By doing so, she could boost the strength of the telepathic link to her sister."

"That little sneak! And to think, I let her lick my clitoris." Acyreff was playing with Ryl's erection. Somehow it seemed even larger than usual and had welt particularly tight inside her vagina."

Oman laughed again. He was looking at his stiff penis and decided that his erection was not going to soon end. He turned on his side and pushed his penis back into Acyreff's vagina. He felt a shiver of delight run up his wife's spine and her vaginal muscles began contracting rhythmically. Oman had researched this pleasing phenomenon, which was a trait found frequently among the Rhunes. Rumor had it that during mirk on Marune, muscles in the walls of the vaginas of the women folk would rhythmically contract through the entire period of darkness. Tickled by Acyreff's wonderful massage, he chuckled some more.

Grean (image credits)

Acyreff asked, "Why are you laughing?"

"Twycky used that exact same language to refer to Kasya. Apparently Kas asked Twycky to take the D3I unit back to Triskelion without ever explaining to her the role it played in Twycky's rescue." Oman tried to reconstruct the deal that had been negotiated between Ektenor and Kasya. He wondered: Why had this all seemed so clear on Triskelion? Oman felt certain that his memories had been edited. "In exchange for access to the device, Kas had promised to keep its great power a secret."

"That she failed to do. I'd only known Kas for a few hours and she gave me a demonstration of how to incapacitate a robot with that hierion field generator acting as a kind of probe. I was so impressed that..." Acyreff thought fondly of her time in the hot tub with Kasya and Mando. "Ah, well, I've told you the story."

"Yes, you ended up in a hot tub with Kas giving you oral sex." Oman said with a bit of a jealous sneer, "I'll show you mine if you show me yours."

"Don't be jealous, my love. It wasn't like that at all. Just before I met Kas, I learned that Yurahs and Heshlo had achieved orgasm trances lasting more than five minutes. It became obvious that in order to rescue Twycky we needed to find a way to amplify telepathic abilities."

"Five minutes is impressive." Oman became philosophical and wishful. "I suppose I should not dismiss reports of such fantastic events, even when it sounds like little more than wishful thinking. I suppose such reports of greatly extended orgasm trances gives you and I new goal for our sex play."

"Twycky's demo of the generator gave me the goal of establishing an information exchange program... Brevik Shadow Drone technology in exchange for access to Josef technology. That blew up in my face once we reached Yrinna. I still don't understand how Josef transformed into that Joqueline entity." She guided Oman's hand to her stiff clitoris. "I can't say that your report from Brevik cleared up any of the mystery."

Oman gently massaged the swollen glans of Acyreff's clitoris. "Have there been any follow-up reports from Heshlo?"

"Yes. Josef is fully functional, but not simply back to his old tricks. Josef is no longer restricted to detecting activity in the Phari network. According to Heshlo, Josef can now provide detailed maps of the locations of human telepaths."

hand-held D3I hierion field generator

"That's what I was told on Triskelion." Oman wondered: But how could Dr. Ektenor have known that? With Grean's memory editing nanites in his brain, Oman quickly forgot about that little mystery. All he knew was that he would have to go to Yerophet and make use of Josef to solve the puzzle of the cold fever epidemic. He gave up trying to remember what Grean had said; Acyreff was a much more immediate and pleasing subject for his attention. He pushed Acyreff onto her back and once more began thrusting his penis in and out of her hot, slick vagina."

Acyreff said, "Am I imagining things or has your penis grown?"

Ryl thought about Patrycya and her extra breasts. Ever since drinking some of the odd secretion from her second tier of breasts, Ryl had felt different, his telepathic sensitivity seemingly enhanced. And he had imagined his penis was also somehow different. "You should enjoy your fantasies, my love, not question them." Ryl soon achieved another satisfying orgasm and then rolled over on his back. Acyreff lay sprawled across his body, the muscles in her vagina still rippling powerfully. It seemed like she might drift into sleep. He whispered, "Every thing is ready for the awards ceremony?"

Acyreff moved her head onto the pillow and whispered in his ear, "I hope so. I still have not told Lanting why she must be at the palace in the morning. She's been vacationing with Rupert. I hope she shows up for the ceremony. She does not take well to schedules or following orders."

"Sally and Rupert? Are they a couple?"

"They grew up together as part of the Gensifer Clan on Yrinna. I don't think they are a couple. They act rather like brother and sister."

Oman suggested, "Like Yurahs and Heshlo?"

"I suspect they have been intimate, but with Vez and Coz available, well... you know how it is."

The League of Yrinna

Oman seldom made use of Xeralf for sex play, but he was grateful to Hans for the role the robot had played in changing Acyreff's sexual behavior, shifting her from the Rhune pattern to a far more active one. He was only slightly jealous of Han for all the sex play that the robot had with Acyreff. Oman could not complain since sex with Hans only seemed to make Acyreff more eager to have sex again. And again. He spoke into his comring, "Give me a report on Captain Lanting. Where is she?"

"Please hold. I'm checking with palace security." Oman finally felt his penis begin to soften. "Captain Lanting and Rupert Gensifer are in guest quarters here at the palace. I suspect they are asleep. Do you want me to wake them?"

"Not now. Just make sure they are up in time for the awards in the morning."

"That's today. In less than four hours."

"Right. Don't let them slip out of the palace or over-sleep. And make an appointment for me to visit their suite one hour before the awards ceremony." The contractions of Acyreff's vagina now pushed his semi-erect penis out of her body. Acyreff seemed to be asleep.

"Do you want me to wake them now to inform them of the appointment?"

"No, just put the appointment into their calendars." He ended the communication with security. Only then did he begin to wonder if Lanting had gotten into the habit of following her Whelm calendar of events. Ryl saw that Acy had drifted into sleep. He used his comring again: "There is a young woman named Ariel... I once saw her here at Lusz... possibly two or three years ago. I believe she works at the hospital. Search through the records and see if you can find her."

"That's not much to go on, Sir."

"I know. If was easy I'd do the database search myself. Let me know what you can turn up. I need to speak to Ariel." He ended the call and set his comring to wake him in two hours and then he tried to remember why he had once noticed Ariel previously, apparently as a face among many visitors to the palace at Lusz. Unable to recall those mostly-forgotten circumstances, he was soon asleep. 

___________

reception for award winners

Upon waking, Oman and Acyreff had quickly made love in the shower and then she was off to the Hall of Honors to check on the arrangements while Oman went into the guest wing of the palace to find Sally. She and Rupert were in their suite eating breakfast. Vez and Coz were hovering around like kitchen servants. 

After introducing himself, Oman sat down at the dining table across from Sally. He was there, dressed and playing his role of Inspector Ryl Shermatz of the Whelm. Sally was still not dressed for the day and was wearing a skimpy silk robe. Oman could sense the fringes of Sally's mind and knowing that she had a high level of telepathic sensitivity, he could not help wondering how deeply she was able to see into his thoughts.

Sally felt Oman telepathically pushing at her mind. She could sense his thoughts and memories about recently making love to his wife. Sally received a flashed telepathic sensation, an echo of Oman thinking about plunging his long erect penis into his wife's vagina and enjoying what he thought of as the 'Rhune special', the way her vaginal muscles rhythmically contracted during sex. Sally was intrigued by a telepathic sensation that his penis was rather on the large size. Sally sighed and glanced at Rupert who only had on a pair of shorts; she reflected on the fact that Rupert's penis was rather short and stout. Trying to force her thoughts away from sexual pleasures, Sally complained, "Who scheduled this se... ceremony so early in the day?"

guests at Lusz

Oman was trying to keep his eyes off of Sally's erect nipples where they pressed against the thin fabric of her robe. He did not bother trying to explain that the awards ceremony was a monthly event, held at mid-morning by ancient tradition. Usually he allowed Hans to preside over the event and give awards to various citizens who deserved credit for their heroic actions and acts of self-sacrifice. "Commander Shermatz, my wife, has been playing a little game, hoping to surprise you Sally. In about an hour you will be awarded the Royal Cross, the highest honor bestowed by the Connatic."

Rupert laughed at the stunned look on Sally's face. "I suspected that some such silliness was in store. Congratulations Sally. From starmenter to honored Whelm officer, all in one week!"

Sally had been enjoying the peace and relaxation that came from being on vacation and she had not been worrying about her future association with the Whelm. Now, feeling Ryl's eyes exploring her body, Sally sat up and pulled her robe closed. "Am I expected to make a speech? Or get dressed up?"

Ryl suggested, "Push the red button in your closet and ask the valet to help you dress. The Connatic seems to enjoy a bit of pomp and show... why not play along and enjoy the day? I'll be there for the ceremony today, watching from the audience along with Zara." He told Rupert, "You can sit on the stage as Sally's guest, if you like." Ryl stood up and moved towards the door.

Sally called, "Wait! Zara recommended me for this award?"

"I'll ask her... I'm sure she is thankful for your assistance on Yrinna. I suspect the Connatic read a report on Twycky's rescue and decided to honor you for freeing Twycky from captivity." He turned and departed. 

Both Sally and Rupert decided they should dress up and play along with the Connatic's whimsy. Sally looked at the fancy dresses that were arrayed in the closet of her bedroom and pushed the red button.

Exiting from the guest suite where Sally and Rupert were staying, Ryl returned a call from the Whelm's personnel division for facilities on Numenes. Ryl was told, "We have 13 young women named Ariel who work at the Hospital... taking below age 30 as 'young'."

Ryl asked to be linked to the database search results. While walking to his office, he looked at images of the 13 women. Five of them were pretty blonds and by the time he'd seen all 13 faces he was no longer able to clearly remember the image from his telepathic vision. Sitting at his workstation in his office, he tried adding one more search parameter: Marune.

The quantum computers began searching for any known link between the 13 Ariels and the planet Marune. The seconds passed with agonizing slowness. Ryl tried to rationalize his newfound obsession with Ariel the mystery girl. Finally, after a long minute, there was a hit. Several weeks earlier, one of the Ariels had transported a mysterious patient from the spaceport to the Hospital. Then, just yesterday, that patient's file had been updated, identifying him as a resident of the planet Marune. Ryl accessed the patient's file and looked at a picture of his face.

Suddenly Ryl found himself thinking back more than 20 years to when his mother had introduced him to Acyreff. At the time, he was lamenting his failed relationship with Lora and still trying to find a way to convince her to leave Yerophet and move to Numenes. After his first date with Acyreff, Ryl was smitten, but he wondered about her odd behaviors. He's asked his mother, "Where is Acy from? She has a very archaic accent."

Seemingly reluctant to say anything about Acyreff's past, Eleyn finally said, "She grew up on a low population, mountainous planet... Marune. Acyreff is a Rhune."

Ryl had then researched Marune and the Rhunes. The next time he spoke to Eleyn he said, "Rhunes seldom leave Marune. Is Acy some sort of criminal, an outcast?"

"No." Eleyn had then given an incoherent account of how Acyreff had come to Numenes. Eleyn held quasi-religious beliefs about the Muu're and their god-like powers. She claimed that Acyreff had originally been named Alferica, but she had died on Marune. Eleyn had told Ryl: "Hearing the poor girl's prayers, the Muu're resurrected her here on Numenes."

Ryl had laughed and imagined that there was something in Acyreff's past that Eleyn did not want to share with Ryl. Eleyn seemed delighted that Ryl had stopped speaking about his longings for Lora.

Ryl had dug into data sources on the planet Marune and confirmed that Acyreff had been born Alferica and had entered into trismet with a man named Jochaim. But Alferica had drowned. Now Ryl brought up the old images of Alferica and Jochaim that he had not seen for 20 years... Ryl could see similarities in Alferica's appearance from decades in the past to the mysterious amnesiac who had recently met Ariel on Numenes. Ryl was on the verge of arranging for a meeting with the amnesiac from Marune, but there was no time. He rushed off to the awards ceremony.

______________________

Captain Lanting with her Royal Cross.

It was the robot Hans, playing the role of a stand-in for the Connatic, who pinned the Royal Cross on Sally. The valet had advised her to wear a top with frills that would provide easy targets for the pinning. During the ceremony, Hans was forced to walk awkwardly across the stage and move clumsily, pretending to be a primitive robot being remotely controlled by the Connatic, who remained safe in a remote location, watching a holographic projection of events unfolding on the stage. 

Sally's award was announced as being given for "essential services provided to the Whelm". There had never been any public announcement concerning the police action on Yrinna, so no details of her 'services' were mentioned during the ceremony.

After the awards ceremony, there was a reception for award recipients with family, friends and the press in the lobby of the Hall of Honors. Emerging from the passageway that led from backstage to the lobby, Sally was wearing the Royal Cross pinned to her blouse and Rupert was looking for Coz and Vez. The two robots were waiting with Ryl and Acyreff in the lobby. 

As Sally made her way towards the two robots, Acyreff handed her a Whelm communique. Sally was hugged by Vez then she read the message and became aware of the orders assigning her and the Nykark to starmenter patrol duty at Ottengla. She looked up from the written orders and said, "This could get interesting." She noticed that her blouse had been pulled low by the heavy Royal Cross, exposing her cleavage.

Oman asked, "In what way?" Sally handed him the communique. She took off the Royal Cross and handed the big, bulky medal to Vez. Sally hiked her blouse back up.

Vez took the Royal Cross from Sally and closely examined its softly glowing colors. Vez could tell that the medal contained a tracking device. He grinned, glanced at Ryl and then pinned the Royal Cross on Coz. Ryl frowned and glared at Vez but said nothing to the robot.

Sally told Oman, "I've seen the list of starmenters wanted by the Whelm. In the top ten is Captain Tirret, of the spaceship Kraken. I know Turret quite well. Rupert and I grew up with her on Yrinna."

Rupert added, "Tirret has powerful telepathic abilities and-" He paused briefly then continued, "... an amazing body."

The reception was noisy and rather crowded with prowling reporters, none of whom seemed to have any idea who Sally was, but at any moment someone might remember the Captain Lanting who had, until recently, also been on the Whelm's stramenter wanted list. Ryl suggested, "Allow me to take you all to lunch. I made reservations at a restaurant here, just below the Ring of Worlds." They went to the restaurant and settled into a semi-private room. For a time conversation was centered on the rescue mission. Food and drink was brought to their table and Acyreff told Rupert details of how Sally had helped coordinate telepathic connections to the Pheni during the rescue mission on Yrinna.

Ryl eventually switched the discussion back to Captain Tirret of the Kraken. He said to Sally, "The Whelm has been trying to capture or kill Tirret for years."

Sally laughed. "As much as she annoys the Whelm, you should know that she is also a thorn is the side of the Gensifer Clan. She is incapable of following orders. She's a true pirate and a rebel."

Oman suggested, "Characteristics that have probably helped her avoid capture by the Whelm."

Sally asked, "Have you ever wondered how Tirret can always avoid Whelm patrols?"

"She must be lucky. But some day her luck will run out."

"It isn't luck. She has a spy planted inside the Whelm in that sector of the Cluster who keeps her informed of all Whelm patrol schedules."

"There is not really any fixed schedule for patrols of Ottengla. They hope is to catch Tirret in action."

"Well, she's been 'caught a dozen times'. She knows when ships are in the area and during those times she does not land on Ottengla. She sits in orbit, scanning for telepathic signals, but as soon as a Whelm ship drops out of intersplit and approaches Ottengla, Tirret quickly departs."

Kraken

Acyreff suggested, "It would be interesting to surprise her with field generator and knock Kraken's Jarnell engines offline."

Sally shrugged. "Kraken is well armed. I doubt if Nykark could defeat Tirret, one-on-one."

"How many support ships do you need?"

"For a reasonable safety margin, I'd say three of the Whelm's big battle cruisers."

Acyreff said, "Very well. Nykark should be space-worthy in a few more days. I'll have your little support fleet stationed a billion kilometers from Ottengla, ready to respond to your signal. Good luck, and happy hunting."

Sally explained, "Captain Tirret is my friend. I'll try to capture her. I don't want to simply blast the Kraken and kill Tirret."

Oman said, "If you can figure out a way of capturing Tirret, do so. You know first hand the kind of trap that you fell into. Set up something similar on Ottengla." Oman looked at Rupert. "In fact... someone like Rupert might be the perfect bait for Tirret." He turned back to Sally. "How often does Tirret check in with Yrinna?"

"Not often." Sally explained, Once or twice a year she brings a powerful telepath to Yrinna. She prefers to prowl the cluster. Rumor says that she has hideouts on a dozen of the lesser planets. I have not seen her for a couple of years, but I knew her well when we were children."

Ottengla

Rupert added. "I also knew her well. Tirret is something of a psychopath. When she was a baby they say she spoke the Pheni language. She's apparently some kind of alien-human hybrid, her gene pattern the product of a crazed genetic engineer on some far planet... she never really accommodated herself to being human."

Sally told Oman, "I don't think... no, why mince words? Rupert will not be available as bait. He has been accepted into graduate studies at a university here on Numenes."

Pretending that she had not facilitated Rupert's admission, Acyreff asked, "Which university?"

Rupert replied, "I'll be doing research in the Department of Alien Studies at Lavaida."

"My daughter Synthe is studying material science at Lavaida. She'll be back there for classes next semester after her summer dance program."

"I'm starting at Lavaida next week, working in a research lab, not taking classes. They accepted the validity of all my previous robotics work done on Yrinna."

alien-human hybrid

Oman suggested, "Be flexible, Rupert. Lavaida research projects get conducted all across the cluster. Given your interest in robotics, it is too bad you can't work with Dr. Ektenor on Triskelion." Oman tried to bring the discussion back to Ottengla and Captain Tirret the space pirate. He asked Rupert, "So, Tirret has some alien genes?"

Rupert shrugged, "Well, that's how she explains her four breasts, eight nipples and two vaginas."

Acyreff was startled by this description of Captain Tirret's anatomy. She wondered: is Tirret part Kac'hin?

Oman was thinking of Patrycya's unusual anatomy and wondering if during their heated sexual encounter he had overlooked a second vagina in her unusual genital groove. Ryl knew that his parents had gone off to Earth in search of information about the legendary Asterothropes, mythical creatures with extra breasts.

Sally said, "Two years ago Tirret was in Gensifer City. She'd just delivered a captive to Lord Gensifer... some telepath, possible from Ottengla. She was drinking at a party and started talking..." Sally looked at Rupert for confirmation.

Rupert said, "Yes, I remember that occasion. Sy was in rare form."

Acyreff asked, "What did Tirret tell you?"

Asterothropes and time travel

Sally hesitated then asked Acyreff, "Do you want the longer version..." She gazed at Oman, "...or the shorter version? Tirret's talk was confused drunken rambling, at least that was how I took it at the time. That was before I met Coz and Vez." She gazed at her two companion robots.

Acyreff suggested, "Maybe give us the short version... at least to start."

Sally thought back across the years. It was most remarkable how so many of Syckho Tirret's predictions had come true. Sally almost mentioned Tirret's extra breasts and the intoxicating effect of the secretion that came out of her second row of breasts, but then decided not to. "Sy told me that her spaceship, the Kraken, had been equipped with hierion field generators. She was wild with enthusiasm for her new ability to inactivate the intersplit drives of Whelm ships. She bragged about her ability to go anywhere and do anything she wanted to do in the Cluster. She told me that as soon as more hierion field generators were available, the Nykark would also be so equipped. At the time, I thought she was crazy... I knew about the gigantic field generators on Yrinna that protected the planet against whelm raids... but those planetary generators are far too massive for a spaceship. Eventually her 'crazy' talk all proved to be true."

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Ryl observed, "What is the source of the miniaturized hierion field generators?"

Sally shrugged. "Sy had two robots with her at that party. She delighted in showing off their sexbot programming. It was clear that the robots were from Triskelion. No offense to you Rupert, but the best robots all come from Triskelion."

"It is frustrating. My best efforts to make humanoid robots are no better than that clumsy robot that was used to mimic the Connatic during the awards ceremony."

Sally continued her account. "Sy and I left the party and after the two robots had given Sy and I a half dozen scintillating orgasms (two for me, four for Sy), I found myself in stronger contact with the Pheni than ever before in my life. I mentioned that to Sy and she laughed at me. She called me a mental weakling and started telling me about how the Pheni helped her make telepathic connections to the native aliens of other worlds such as Ottengla. I was tired and she was drunk and since I did not understand what she was talking about, I don't remember very well what else she told me."

Acyreff asked, "That's it? No details about exactly who on Triskelion provided technology to the starmenters?"

Sally was reluctant to speak about her guesses. "I have the feeling that the Pheni were using the Phari network to influence decisions on Triskelion. In that way, it was possible to make sure that the Kraken could keep raiding planets like Ottengla and gathering together people with a variety of telepathic abilities." Sally opened her mouth to say something more, then she fell silent.

Lord Gensifer

Rupert said, "I don't think you can take everything that Sy said completely seriously. Even as a child, she had always been prone to exaggerating her tales and creating imaginary fantasy dramas."

Ryl was looking intently at Sally. "There is something else that you are not telling us."

Sally reached out and placed a hand against Oman's head. "Maybe what Sy told me would make sense to you." Oman could feel a strengthening of his weak telepathic connection to Sally. He knew that he could trust her judgements and now with the touch of her hand, he felt a warm rush of sexual excitement. He was feeling some of Sally's impressive sashei. Oman tried valiantly to not get a full erection. His penis was painfully stiff inside his pants.

Sally said, "The long version of this story would include all of Sy's wild talk about her hidden starments. One that I recall is an asteroid. She had a name for it that I've forgotten. In a secret base inside that asteroid was a genetics research facility where the human genetics of telepathy were being studied. Whenever Sy captured a telepath, she took the captive to that asteroid. Once or twice a year she would take a special telepath to Yrinna for delivery to Lord Gensifer."

Acyreff laughed. "And now we have Lord Gensifer available to us, as a guest of the Whelm. He'll tell us the location of that asteroid!"

gharks

Sally shook her head. "I doubt that Lord Gensifer knows. Sy told me that the telepathy genetics project was run by 'the big boss'."

Ryl laughed uneasily. "Who is that 'big boss'?"

"I don't know. I don't think Sy knows. The night when she introduced me to her sexbots, she ranted and complained about how none of us are actually in control of our behavior. And as crazy at that sounded two years ago, I think she was right. When I lived on Yrinna, the Pheni shaped and guided my mind and made me an active supporter of the Gensifer Clan. Now, away from Yrinna and free of the Pheni influence, something else is at work in my mind. It was startling how quickly I abandoned my devotion to Lord Gensifer and adopted a compulsion to help the Whelm." She thought about Grean the Kac'hin, but she found it impossible to say the word 'Grean'. Instead she told Acyreff, "Your ghark pushes you around the Cluster like a pawn, the 'big boss' does the same for Sy."

plesypy-human hybrids

Acyreff nodded, "I suspect that you are right, Sally, but what can we do? I hope you agree that Tirret should not be free to keep raiding Ottengla and abducting more telepaths."

Sally nodded. "Yes, I agree. Absolutely. Although, I now understand that the 'big boss' is using startmenters such as Lord Gensifer as a way to mix together all the different telepath genes that arise on the many worlds of the Cluster. I'll accept my assignment to Ottengla, even though I don't think I've been given a chance to do otherwise. I'm a puppet, like the rest of you. I'll go to Ottengla and try to capture Tirret." Captain Lanting lifted her goblet in salute to Acyreff, "Maybe I can set a trap for her, just as you trapped me with Appenine."

________________

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Later, when Ryl returned to his office to attend to the endless task of responding to urgent messages that had been sent to the Connatic, he issued special orders for a Whelm secret services agent to be dispatched to Marune. Ryl explained to his contact in the secret service, "I want information about current events in the Rhune realms, particularly Scharrode."

"Very well, Sir. I'll have an agent on Marune in two days." The secret services officer explained, "However, I can't promise quick results. There is no free travel into those mountain realms."

Ryl complained, "We should have long-term, deep agents on such planets."

"We do have one... or did, but he went missing last week. I'll have our new agent try to find out what happened."

Next: part 18 of "The Alastor Network".

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