Nyrtia and Manny

Image generated by Gemini.

 Below on this blog page is the first chapter of a science fiction story titled "191988". My previous five blog posts (Final Directive, Sedron Frequency, Probot vs bumpha, The Warning and 191988) contain preparatory material for "191988". The events in "191988" begin in the year 2025 and the story contains a simplified, alternative version of the "Watson" family from my Exodemic Fictional Universe. For "191988", I imagine that Tyhry and Marda were born in the year 2000. In 2025, Tyhry has recently completed her Masters degree in Computing Systems Engineering and Marda is doing her thesis research in a laboratory at the department of Neuroscience at Elbridge University; her project is a study of the effects of introducing the human NOTCH2NL gene and its paired NBPF gene into chimp brain organoids.

The story begins when Zeta visits Marda at Elbridge University in Beverly, Massachusetts.

"191988" - Chapter 1

Elbridge University in Beverly, Massachusetts. September 2025.

Storybook image by Gemini.

Zeta had been taken by a self-driving car from Logan Airport to Elbridge University. Emerging from the  visitors parking facility that was mostly underground, Zeta saw a young work-study student who was weeding a decorative flower garden that ran along the side of the parking structure. Zeta asked the student for directions to Burroughs Hall. The student pointed to the east with hand that was covered by a soiled work glove and began to speak, but then she fell silent. Finally, she asked Zeta, "Do I know you? You look familiar."

The largest single regret in Zeta's life was the unauthorized biographical story that had recently been published about her in the Boston Globe. Now Zeta again cursed herself for having made public a list of finalists for the contest. Zeta tried to smile, not realizing that she only managed to generate an impatient snarl on her face. "You may have seen an absurd AI-generated image depicting me that got into the newspaper."

The student snapped her fingers. "That's it!" The student added with dismay and disappointment, "But you are old."

Zeta sighed and began walking in the easterly direction that the student had pointed. Zeta did not like to think about her age. At 65, she had just signed up for Medicare. The image in the Boston Globe article about Zeta had made her look like a beautiful and youthful movie star. Zeta's walk to the campus building that held the Department of Neuroscience was pleasant. By the decree of the university's founder, Alistair Elbridge, all construction for the campus had avoided damaging the ancient trees that had been there on the site when European settlers first arrived in their New World.

Zeta discovered that she was entering Burroughs Hall through its back-side wing, what was actually one of the original dormitory building from the old era when this had been Elbridge College. Grafted onto the front side of the dorm was a modern steel and glass first floor of the laboratory wing that actually gave access to the neuroscience research facility where Marda was working. The Boston Globe article about Zeta had been prompted by the fact that Marda was a finalist for the $1,000,000.00 first prize in the contest that Zeta had devised for inclusion in the 21st Century Speculative Fiction Celebration sponsored by Asimov's Science Fiction and Clarkesworld Magazine. 

Manny the bumpha and Zeta.

While doing background research, the writer of the Boston Globe article had discovered that Marda maintained two identities. Having published her first science fiction story at the age of 12 under her real name, Marda had later created her new Eileen Wroke identity so that her past as a science fiction story writer would not impede her career in science.

Passing through the first floor hallway of the dormitory, Zeta realized that this was a location she had seen before. While trying to shake off the disorienting effects of her déjà vu experience, Zeta used her phone to call Marda. Somewhat annoyed that Marda had refused to agree in advance to a precise location for their meeting, Zeta tersely said, "I'm here, inside Burroughs Hall."

Marda said, "Hello Ms. Gersen. I'm in my dorm room... I'll be right down. Let's meet by the mail boxes." Marda continued to talk while exiting from her room on the second floor. Zeta was standing near the small alcove in the lobby that held a wall of old-fashioned locking mailboxes for the residents of the dorm. Marda asked, "Do you know what I'm talking about?"

Zeta was doing a slow 360 degree turn and realizing that her future memory of this location included the images of several young women. However, Zeta did not know what Marda looked like. A week previously, Zeta had spoken to Marda only once by phone and Zeta had failed to find any web-presence for a Marda Onway. "Yes, I'm here beside the dorm mailboxes." Then Zeta saw Marda as she emerged from the stairwell. "Marda Onway, I presume."

Marda took hold of Zeta's hand and said, "You're old."

Zeta again cursed the existence of the Boston Globe article. For a moment Zeta visually inspected Marda who was cute as a button, dressed in pajamas and obviously the dark-haired girl from Zeta's future memory of this location. Holding Marda's hot little hand, Zeta explained, "The image of me in the Boston Globe was not really me."

A passing student said, "Hi, El." The student had clearly glanced at Marda and continued on past. Marda had nodded at the other student and then said to Zeta, "Let's go for a walk." Marda led the way out of the dorm, seemingly unconcerned to only be wearing her pajamas. They passed through a glass-encased walkway that linked to the adjoining research facility. Marda told Zeta, "Marda is my real name, but here at school, I use the name Eileen Wroke."

They reached the lobby of the research wing and Marda pressed the elevator call button. Zeta told Marda, "Since you are being open with me about your dual identities, I feel obligated to tell you that Alice Gersen is not my real name."

Marda laughed. The elevator doors opened and Marda led Zeta inside the elevator car and waved her ID badge at the scanner. The car dropped. "I suspected as much. Alice Gersen sounds like a character from a Jack Vance novel. I'm surprised that the Boston Globe article did not mention that."

The elevator stopped at the 5th floor, which was deep underground. Marda said, "I work down here." She led the way down a corridor. 

Zeta said, "Given your interest in science fiction, I assume you selected the name 'Wroke' as a reference to Vance's character Alice Wroke."

Marda giggled and nodded. She paused outside the door to her lab. "Small world isn't it? What are the chances that two people using the fake names Alice Gersen and Eileen Wroke would meet?" Marda used her badge to unlock the door to the laboratory. After quick tour of the lab, during which they continued to discuss the science fiction stories of Jack Vance, Marda and Zeta sat down at Marda's desk. Marda asked, "So is this an interview for the contest?"

Figure 1. Zeta and Marda.

Zeta shook her head and picked up from Marda' desk a printed copy of a journal article: "Automated Synapse Type Census for Brain Organoids" by Eileen Wroke and Elizabeth Smythe.  After a quick glance at the abstract of the journal article, Zeta lifted her head and gazed at Marda. Zeta resisted the impulse to reach out and feel one of Marda's ears. "No, the contest is essentially over. You are the only viable candidate, so in that sense it was not actually much of a contest. I've delayed announcing the winner because a few late entries have been trickling in. I've been holding on to the hope that my fishing expedition might bag more than one fish."

"I won?" Marda seemed thrilled. "I get the money?"

Zeta set down the printed journal article on the desk and replied, "I wish to impose one additional test. If you carefully read the contest rules, you know that an in-person meeting with the contest judges was stipulated as a requirement for winning the first place prize."

Marda opened a drawer of her desk and brought out the copy of the issue of Asimov's Science Fiction that had published the contest rules. Marda said, "I don't think I ever paid attention to the fine print. I simply submitted my essay."

Zeta giggled. "Your essay was among the first that I received and certainly the craziest."

"Yet it caught your eye." Marda read from the printed contest rules: "The contest judges will meet with the finalists before selecting the Grand Prize winner."

Marda's pajama bottoms had slid downward and now the top of Marda's pubic hair was visible. Zeta was staring at Marda's taught exposed abdomen and she said, "Your essay was almost as spectacular as you are, my dear."

Marda asked, "Why do you keep looking at my hair?"

Zeta took her eyes off of Marda's neatly shaved pubic hair and returned her gaze to the hair on Marda's head. Zeta explained, "You have carefully sculpted the hair around your head."

Figure 2. Modified by Mr. Wombo.

Marda could have said the same about Zeta, but she said, "I'm a bit self-conscious about the appearance of my ears."

Zeta pulled her blond hair back from one of her own ears. Marda reached out and felt the pointed tip of Zeta's exposed ear. "I thought I was unique."

Zeta reached out and pushed her fingers into the fluffy hair that hid Marda's right ear. Zeta could feel the same kind of pointy tip on Marda's ear that was present on the ears of Zeta, her husband and their daughter. Zeta asked, "None of your relatives have ears like ours?"

"No. What is going on?"

Zeta stopped feeling Marda's ear and shrugged. "You are the biologist. Have you had your genome analyzed?"

"Yes, I have... a partial analysis. Sadly, I learned nothing from the sequencing data except for the fact that I have unusual variants of the NOTCH2NL gene and its paired NBPF gene. That's why I've placed those genes into chimp brain organoids for my thesis research."

Zeta asked, "Any interesting results from your experiments?"

"Yes. I was in my dorm room writing up the results for publication when you arrived today. However, I'm now reluctant to publish."

"What have you discovered?"

"After expressing my unusual variants of the NOTCH2NL and NBPF genes in chimp neurons, there was a dramatic change in the morphology of the synapses."

"You shifted the chimp-like synapses to a more human pattern?"

"No. I shifted the chimp-like synapse pattern to an alien pattern."

Zeta giggled. "Alien synapses?"

"A pattern of synapses that has never previously been reported in the research literature for any organism."

"And how do you interpret this result?"

"I'm intrigued, but worried. If I publish these results, then I will become the subject of intense scientific interest. I don't want to be studied like a lab rat." Marda stood up and took Zeta by the hand and led her out of the lab. In the hallway, they ran into Marda's thesis advisor, Dr. Smythe. Marda said, "Just showing Ms. Gersen around."

 Dr. Smythe was visually raking Zeta up and down and asked, "Where is your visitor's pass?"

Marda pulled the pass out of her pocket and clipped it onto Zeta's clothing. "I forgot to give her the pass."

 Dr. Smythe glared at Zeta and asked Marda, "She is not another reporter, is she?"

"No, she is not a reporter."

Dr. Smythe asked, "How is your writing going?"

Marda replied, "Fine. I'll give you my first draft before you leave for the meeting on Thursday."

 Dr. Smythe nodded and went a short distance down the hallway and exited from the hallway into her office. In the elevator, Marda told Zeta, "Actually, I don't think I'll be able to show the article to Elizabeth. Or to anyone." Marda was thinking about one of her visions of the future and her 'future memory' that gave her the haunting sensation of missing her time in New England. Marda guided Zeta outside.

Marda and Zeta exited through the front door of the Burroughs research wing and strolled along a path through another grove of ancient trees. Marda told Zeta, "I'll miss this campus. It is particularly beautiful in the Fall. All of the newer buildings are mostly underground, preserving the appearance that this is some kind of nature preserve."

Zeta muttered something about the beauty of the campus but she was doing something with her phone. Marda felt her own phone vibrate. Marda looked at the email she had just received and followed a link from the email to a webpage with information about a Bank of America account in her name. Marda saw that the account had a balance of $1,000,000.00. Marda told Zeta, "Thank you very much!"

"I sent an additional $400,000 to the IRS for taxes." Zeta added, "I trust you will make good use of the money."

The two women were now passing in front of a bronze statue and plaque with information about the Salem witch trials. Zeta put an arm around Marda and said, "You can use the money to escape the trap you have made for yourself."

Marda knew exactly what Zeta meant. "I really do want to get my Ph.D."

Zeta sighed. "I know you have invested much in your education and you have a budding career path in neuroscience, but you are needed elsewhere."

Marda took her eyes off of the plaque, and looked at Zeta. "What do you mean?"

Zeta nodded towards the statue. "Nobody wants to have their community turn on them, but that is a risk what every human being faces when they have unusual abilities. In my case, I've constructed a fake persona to shield myself from public scrutiny. I'd regret having exposed myself to public scrutiny through this silly Sci Fi contest, but it allowed me to find you and it will be worth my troubles if you agree to my plan."

"What plan?"

Figure 3. Original story book version.

Zeta turned and took hold of both of Marda's arms. "You can become a science fiction story writer." Looking directly into Marda's eyes, Zeta said, "I need you to work with my husband."

Marda thought about all she knew -or thought she knew- about Ms. Gersen, most of which she had learned from the article in the Boston Globe. Marda asked, "You have a husband?"

Zeta took hold of one of Marda's hands and they continued their stroll. "My husband is Eddy Watson."

"What!" Marda laughed, suspecting a joke. Seeing that Zeta was not laughing or even smiling, Marda muttered a stunned, "For real?"

"Yes. Imagine my surprise when I read your contest essay and learned of your obsession with Eddy's science fiction stories. By the way, Eddy is eager to meet you, even-though he thinks you are a flake."

Marda sputtered, "A flake who just one a million dollars."

"Eddy got a good laugh when he read your theory about his fictional universe." 

Marda asked, "What if I'm right? What if there is some truth in his stories?" Marda chuckled nervously. Maybe I'll get the last laugh."

Zeta added, "Marda, I know you are not a flake, but I'm still not sure exactly what you are or what it means to have ears like ours. Eddy often jokes that we must be aliens, but to him that is just a joke. Me.. I want to know the truth. If we are to have a chance to find out the truth, then you will help me execute my plan." Wandering along the paths that meandered through the campus, they had circled around the forested area in the center of the campus and had reached the visitor's parking structure. Zeta said, "Here is my advice. Send the first draft of your article to your professor and come home with me."

Zeta Gohrlay.

Marda almost asked Zeta if she was insane, but then Marda realized that Zeta had a brilliant plan. And more importantly, Marda now understood one of her future visions. She had long ago had a vision of Eddy, but now Marda realized that it was a vision that included Zeta, off to one side. Marda asked, "What is your real name?"

Zeta handed Marda her drivers license. Marda read of, "Zeta Gohrlay. What kind of crazy name is Gohrlay?"

"When Eddy and I got married, I never changed my last name to Watson."

Marda handed the drivers license back to Zeta. "Wait... isn't Gohrlay the name of a character in one of Eddy's oldest science fiction stories?"

Zeta giggled. "Yes, it is. About half a century ago, when I met Eddy, we were in our Freshman English class. We had a collaborative writing project and I that was when I learned about his character named Alpha Gohrlay."

Marda was confused. "But how did you end up..."

"I'm an orphan. I never learned the identity of my parents. I grew up as Zeta Marsh, using the last name of my adoptive parents. When I reached the age of 21, I changed my last name to Gohrlay as a way to attract Eddy's attention. We were graduating from college and I was afraid we would get separated. I was rather desperately hoping he would marry me, hence the name change."

Marda laughed. "Apparently your plan worked."

Zeta nodded. "Everything always works out for me. That's one of the mysteries I want you to investigate when you start working with Eddy. Nothing bad has ever happened to either of us."

Marda had often marveled at her own good luck which she secretly attributed to her visions of the future. Marda said, "It sounds like you are trying to procure me for your husband at the price of a million dollars. What makes you think I'm worth it?"

"Everything, from your ears to your essay... what I call your theory of the reality of the bumpha. We have to find out if your theory about Eddy's stories being based on facts about alien visitors to Earth is true."

"You know I'm right, but you can't prove it."

"Exactly. You must work with Eddy... he refuses to take seriously the idea that the bumpha exist. I know that you can do this, Marda." Zeta was again looking down at Marda's pubic hair. Marda finally noticed that Zeta was looking at her pubic hair and she pulled up her drooping pajama bottoms. Zeta took Marda by the arm and guided her into the parking structure. "Marda, you are coming with me. We have time to buy you some clothes before our flight to Arizona departs."

The young woman who Zeta had spoken to earlier was still there by the parking facility, pulling weeds. She watched as Zeta and Marda disappeared from view and entered the parking structure. Suddenly, another woman was there and asked, "What are you up to now, Manny?"

"Nice to see you, Nyrtia." Manny the bumpha took of her work gloves and gave Nyrtia a hug.

For a moment Nyrtia placed her hands on Manny's shapely bottom, but Nyrtia insisted, "Just answer my question."

Manny pulled herself back from Nyrtia and gestured towards the garden, "I've been weeding."

Nyrtia made a scoffing noise. "That's my line of work... yanking out the nasty weeds that you plant on Earth."

"Your analogy is not very good. If we are trading metaphors, I'd describe probot restrictions as being like a suffocating gas that stifles the progress of these poor primates." Manny waved a hand and her dirty work gloves dissolved into their zeptite constituents which disappeared, returning to Manny's artificial body.

Nyrtia asked, "What is the link between Marda and Eddy?"

Manny watched as Zeta and Marda went by in the self-driving car that carried them away from the parking facility. Then Manny turned back to face Nyrtia the probot. "They are both science fiction fans."

As usual, Nyrtia was annoyed by Manny's evasiveness. "Why are you working so hard to bring Marda and Eddy together?"

Manny giggled and said, "You just missed your chance to ask Zeta. This is all her idea. Eddy thinks that Marda is a Sci Fi nut case. It will be interesting to see how he reacts when Marda shows up on his door step."

Nyrtia nodded. "I'll be watching. I trust Eddy... I've had him into the Hierion Domain enough times to adjust his behavior. Now he is completely absorbed with his story writing. I'm worried about Marda. I've only just been introduced to Marda, but I don't trust her. Aren't you worried that she will reveal the genetic modifications that you have been making to humans?"

Manny asked sweetly, "My dear Nyrtia, what are you talking about?"

"Marda's NOTCH2NL and NBPF genes are clearly artificial."

"Really? How do you know?"

"Because they match the unusual variants that are also in the genomes of both Zeta and Eddy. There is no way that the same specific set of base changes could have occurred in all three of them."

Manny and Nyrtia.

Manny shrugged. "Unlikely, but not impossible."

Nyrtia warned Manny, "Some day I'll catch you in the act of genetically altering a human and then I'll kick you off of Earth and make sure that you never return."

Manny placed a hand on Nyrtia's shoulder and said, "I'm glad you have a hobby."

Nyrtia shook off Manny's hand and said, "Don't push me or I'll just take Marda into the Hierion Domain and reprogram her. You could save her from that fate."

"I hope you do abuse Marda. It would be a pleasure to see you get demoted from being Overseer of Earth for committing a crime like that. Face it Nyrtia, you can't reprogram innocent students on a whim. Marda has a great career ahead of her as a scientist. You may be philosophically opposed to the technological advances being made by Earthlings, but you can't sabotage their efforts to improve their own lives."

Figure 4. "normal skin", version 1.

"It is my job to block Interventionists like you from accelerating the pace of technological advance among primitive creatures. The way you are pushing these bumbling primates towards increasingly rapid technological change is dangerous."

Manny shook her head. "I don't expect you to change your political views, Nyrtia, but I do wish you would be open to using common sense. There is much suffering on this world. It is not ethical to allow suffering when it can be prevented."

"Don't make me quote the Laws of Intervention to you, Manny. You never listen when I do that."

Manny reminded Nyrtia, "As long as the people of Earth remain unaware of my existence, you can't prevent me from visiting this planet."

Figure 5. "normal skin", version 2.

"When I find out what you are doing with these new NOTCH2NL and NBPF gene variants, I'll put an end to your days visiting Earth."

"Really, Nyrtia, you should not get your panties all bunched up over a few gene mutations."

"Manny, please leave my panties out of this, unless you intend to renew our personal relationship."

"You know my motto, dear... make love, not war. We could slip into Marda's dorm room right now and share a sweet little tumble."

Nyrtia reashed out and ran her fingers through Manny's amazing nanite-generated hair. "It is tempting to take you up on that offer, but afterwords I'd feel dirty and my fellow probots would call me a traitor."

Figure 6. "normal skin", version 3.

Manny shrugged. "Well, it is your loss. It is never wise to pass up the chance to grab an orgasm... or two."

Nyrtia giggled and told Manny, "You've been living among humans for too long. You have adopted their cultural idiosyncrasies."

"I try. It helps me understand them better. Maybe that's why I'm better at predicting the future of human society than you are."

"I don't believe that. I'm constantly using my Simulation System to do predictive runs. And now I'll have to set up a Simulation just for Marda."

"Do let me know when you notice how much your 'predictions' for Marda diverge from reality."

"Don't worry. I will. And that's how I'll know that you are interfering with her life."

Figure 7. Manny's nanite hair.

"Don't jump to conclusions. It is your ignorance that causes your silly Simulations to fail to predict the future."

"The femtobot endosymbionts that exist inside everything on Earth do a great job of keeping the Simulation System updated. I may not know everything that happens on Earth, but all the key data is constantly fed into my Simulation System."

"Not all, my dear Nyrtia. There are no femtobots inside me."

"That's why I have to visit you so often. As always, I'll be watching you closely." Nyrtia disappeared, returning to the Hierion Domain.

Manny took one last look at the flower bed and chuckled quietly while thinking about the fact that Nyrtia was unaware of the existence of the Sedron Time Stream and how the new NOTCH2NL and NBPF gene variants were now providing a few humans with access to data that existed in the Sedron Time Stream. Along with Nyrtia's femtobots, everything on Earth was also monitored by a zeptite endosymbiont that fed information into the Sedron Domain. Then, taking advantage of the fact that nobody was nearby, Manny departed from Earth by shifting her zeptite components back into the Sedron Domain.

__End Chapter 1___

Figure 8. Storybook image generation failure.

I uploaded the text of Chapter 1 of "191988" (above) to Gemini.

Me: Gemini, process the file that I just uploaded. Create a science fiction storybook for adults with illustrations of events from Chapter 1 of the science fiction story “191988”. Make the illustrations in the storybook resemble full color high resolution movie stills. 

Gemini: I've created a science fiction storybook for adults that covers the events of Chapter 1 of the story "191988," featuring illustrations styled as full-color, high-resolution movie stills. Please be aware that the story's content may not perfectly align with the uploaded file, as my creation is based on your provided description.

Manny the bumpha visits Earth.

I was not sure if Gemini would actually generate a storybook for Chapter 1 since the story includes the word "orgasm" and commentary on Marda's pubic hair. However, a storybook was generated and it even had images in the requested format. The storybook did have one failed image out of ten (see Figure 8). Most amusingly, Gemini depicted Marda as a young child (see Figure 1, above on this page) although for this story Marda is a 25-year-old graduate student who is completing her Ph.D. thesis project.

Figure 2 was edited by WOMBO Dream so as to give Marda and Zeta an appearance that is more like what I hold in my imagination. Figure 3 shows the original Gemini-generated version of that image. The last of the storybook images that was generated by Gemini for Chapter 1 depicted Nyrtia as having strange hands and a strange neck. Yes, Nyrtia is an artificial life form, but when on Earth her femtobot components allow her to have the form of a normal human woman. It was not easy to use Gemini's image editing feature to give Nyrtia normal skin on her hands and neck (see Figures 4 - 6, above). For Figure 7, I had WOMBO Dream make a better depiction of Manny's nanite-generated hair.

Next: Chapter 2 of "191988".

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