G-syms for G-world

Kaylyn the robot.

Below on this page is Part 3 science fiction story called "The Cythyrya Investigation". The Editor (A.K.A. Eddy) has begun having dreams of the far future in which a woman named Rytya has finally agreed to have a G-sym implanted in her brain. This is a future era in the galaxy during which there is an effort to make sure that everyone on G-world is G-sym linked to the Bimanoid Interface. G-world is the planet where all of the galaxy's golf champions compete. In the future, telepathy provides what is commonly called the "collective consciousness". By making use of the Sedron Time Stream, Rytya is able to make information from the future available to Angela Fersoni. 

What Angela learned about Rytya was passed from Angela to her clone sister, Ivory Fersoni. Eventually, some of the stories about Rytya were passed from Ivory to Eddy by means of infites. 

Angela Fersoni

Now, when Eddy is in a group mind space with Zeta and the mind clones and they are accessing his infite-generated memories, it is almost as if he is directly aware of information in the Sedron Time Stream that originated from Rytya in the far future. Seemingly with a strange form of telepathic communication into the future, Eddy begins to suspect that Rytya might be a copy of Angela, or a Fersoni mind clone. 

When Rytya begins using her G-sym, she can suddenly see deeply into her parents' minds. Rytya asks her parents to tell her the story of how they first met and fell in love. She learns that when Rytya's father Fraunz arrived on G-world, two other golfers, Mylly and Yeam, made use of Fraunz as a convenient way to improve their ability to telepathically block distracting signals from strong telepathic transmitters. 

Fraunz realizes that he has long had visions of the future, which he now attributes to the fact that Rytya is using a G-sym. Finally, Fraunz takes on a G-sym and his mind is able to fully telepathically resonate with both Tya and Rytya, allowing them to send information into the past via the Sedron Time Stream.

Part 3 of The Cythyrya Investigation (Part 1)(Part 2)

Eventually, Rylla got assistance from Azynov and Yōd and it became possible for Jutta to rescue all of the remaining Tinzy clones from Sogdian. Details will be provided by Rylla when she has a chance to record all of the details of her recent investigations of history by means of the Reality Simulator System. Jutta took on the delicate project of trying to adapt those clones to regular life-styles, and she was happy to remain there inside the Asimov Reality Simulator. 

After reading the notebooks of Viole Falushe, Rylla and Rey developed the theory that Retz was studying how to use nanites to boost telepathic abilities. Growing up on Earth, Viole was somehow telepathically linked to Jheral Tinzy, which led to his romantic obsession with her. It was only after Jheral died that Viole Falushe and Retz began experimenting with the Jheral clones, "infecting" them with a set of nanites that Retz had isolated from Jheral's dead body. It seemed that Retz was studying the ability of those nanites to alter the telepathic abilities of the clones. Viole Falushe's selfish goal was to use those nanites to make possible a type of telepathic mind control by which he might be able to force a Tinzy clone to fall in love with him. Retz, an agent for a secretive organization called "Zodyac Control", died suddenly when Rey tried to telepathically influence his mind and force him to reveal the secret of how he was controlling the Jheral nanites.

the Ivory infites

After the death of Retz, Rylla and Rey decided to investigate the other Demon Princes, which led Rylla to her meeting with Alys of Aloysyus. I believe that Rey obtained some infites that had resided in the brain of Howard Treesong, but I am waiting to receive a full report about that from Rylla. However, my current understanding is that Rey intends to try to bring those nanites out of the Asimov Reality Simulator. I'm worried about the danger of bringing advanced nanotechnology to Earth. I suspect that Manny could control these nanites from the future of the Asimov Reality, but I have no confidence in Rey's ability to handle them safely.

While I worry about possible dangers from nanites that once caused the exceptional "madness" of Howard Treesong, I'm also contemplating the nanites that have been placed in my own body. Through the years, I've received nanites from several sources, including Ivory Fersoni.

Back when I received a swarm of information nanites from Ivory Fersoni, some of that information resonated with my mind and quickly integrated with my conscious mind. Other parts of what I learned from those infites seemed more like science fiction stories than facts. Since I knew that Ivory liked to write science fiction, I assumed that she had shared her fiction with me. However, what if some of those "stories" were factual reports from the far future?

Original cover art by Frank R. Paul
for "The Man Who Evolved".
Image made using "Teardrop" by karlwikman
available under the CC BY-NC-SA 3.0

When I gained access to the Reality Simulation System, I soon became addicted to visiting past Realities. Then, when Rylla went on an extended mission inside the Asimov Reality with Rey, Zeta wanted my help keeping Tihri and Marda entertained. At first we took short road trips and were never too far from home, but then Zeta realized that Anthony could be trusted to care for the cats and so Zeta, Tihri, Marda and I left the country and visited Perth. 

I now realize that for several years, Nora imagined that she would eventually be teleported off of Earth and returned to Eternity. However, she eventually abandoned her dream of getting off this planet. During the month earlier this year when my son was collecting geological samples in the field, Nora had a construction crew build an additional floor onto the top of their house. Thus, when we arrived in Perth we were able to move into the new upstairs. 

synapex connections

Arriving at my son's house in Perth, I was immediately delighted to find that I had access to a private upstairs office with a new computer similar to the one I regularly used at home. That office is theoretically a great place for me to write, but due to the wonders of telepathy, there are very few times when I can concentrate on my writing. 

Nora is helping to train up Zeta's telepathic abilities, which involves their seemingly tireless efforts to share as many orgasm trances as possible. After a week of me trying to ignore Zeta's thoughts during her sexplay sessions with Nora, I gave up on that hopeless effort. Now we have fallen into a routine. As soon as Nora and Zeta get the kids down for a nap, they quickly indulge in sexplay. I stay out of their way until they have a shared orgasm and slip into an orgasm trance. At that point, I join the fun and make love to Zeta. Nora and I always end up with synapex linkages to Zeta's nervous system. When our minds resonate in telepathic linkage, Zeta can now see into my deepest memories, including those that originated from Ivory's infites. 

I've begun having vivid dreams of the future while in synapex linkage to Zeta and Nora, but I believe these actually rely on re-awakenings of old memories that I received in the Ivory infites.

________________

There were two sound tracks in Fraunz's head. First, there was the relentlessly pleading voice of Kaylyn as she made her final appeal to Fraunz's good sense and reason. She'd been at it for a week, trying to convince Fraunz that telepathic golfers had an advantage. Now very short on time, Kay was speaking quickly and using jargon. "No matter how good you are at reading greens, you can't see the future and you have no chance of success against the masters of G-world." She squeezed his hand for emphasis.

The second voice was that of Fraunz's conservative father, who never tired of labeling telepathic golfers as cheaters. A man with honor does not win at any price. At the end of the day, you need to be able to live with yourself. Fraunz knew as well as anyone that it had been 34 years since a non-telepath won the annual galactic golf championship trophy. Fraunz was not interested in arguing with Kay; he simply pulled her hand to his lips and began delicately kissing each of her fingers. She giggled and said, "If you don't care about breakfast, we could go back and finish eating each-other."

Fraunz had been impressed by the robot's skills at oral sex and having eaten too much and exercised too little during the past week, it was tempting to opt for one last sexplay session with Kaylyn. However, now arriving from Fraunz's cabin, they'd reached the entrance to Commissioner Yatym's suite and the robot Jymyny was there at the entrance, eager to bring Fraunz to the Commissioner's table. After a piercing glance at Kay's jiggling breasts, Jymyny spoke to Fraunz: "Good morning, sir."

Tya on G-world. Image made with
  KellyOutdoor2 by Eclesi4stiK
  available under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0.

Paying only minimal attention to Jym, Fraunz muttered a quiet: "G'day, Jym." His thoughts tightly focused on the sexy Kaylyn, Fraunz put his arms around Kay and she did her usual wild trick with her vibrating tongue inside his mouth. Fraunz had invited her to join him on G-world, but she was only authorized to travel to G-world, not land on the planet. Robots were not really welcomed on G-world, where the ancient traditions of golf slanted the mindset towards a preference for human labor, not automation. As he pulled his lips off of hers, Fraunz once more told Kay, "You can have my caddie exemption."

Jymyny reminded Fraunz, "Everyone is already at the table, sir, waiting for you."

Kay shook her head and said, "I don't know anything about golf." She turned and walked away, with one last glance over her shoulder at Fraunz. He watched her walk away, enjoying for the last time the sight of her artificial body as she walked down the corridor. Designed as a sexbot, Kaylyn had breasts on both her chest and her back. Still, despite her best efforts, she had been unable to induce Fraunz into even considering the possibility of having a G-sym placed inside his body.

Fraunz turned and strode into the Commissioner's suite and tried to forget about Kay. He and Jym sat down at the table, Jym beside his master, Axyl Yatym the golf Commissioner's husband. Fraunz waited for Fyfyn to look his way and he told her, "Good morning."

Jym has a physical appearance
that is very similar to that of Dani.

Fyfyn nodded at Fraunz then turned her head and resumed her conversation with the Commissioner's daughter, Ophylya. Commissioner Yatym gazed across the breakfast table at Fraunz and told him, "The shuttle taking us down to Oakridge departs in just twenty minutes."

Fraunz lifted a glass of grapefruit juice to his lips and told the Commissioner, "I'm ready," and he drank the juice. At that moment, Fraunz was trying to ignore the Commissioner and her husband and listen to what Fyfyn and Ophylya were discussing. From the moment when Fraunz had boarded the spaceship en-route to G-world, he'd been captivated by Ophylya. Ophylya was not only cute and delightfully bubbly, but she was also an amateur golfer and very knowledgeable about both the sporting and business sides of golf. Nobody doubted that she would one day be Commissioner of golf for the Vega sector, following in her mother's footsteps.

Sadly, during the spaceflight from Vega to G-world, Fyfyn had monopolized Ophylya's time and the two women had become lovers. Fyfyn was again speaking to Ophylya about living with her on G-world and the idea that Ophylya could serve as her caddie. Fraunz was eager to hear Ophylya's reply to Fyfyn as was the Commissioner, but the Commissioner's husband, Axyl was asking Fraunz, "How would you play the 17th hole at Oakridge?"

Fyfyn

The 17th hole at Oakridge was well-known to all the golfers of the galaxy for its devious multi-tiered putting green. Fraunz pulled his gaze away from Ophylya's big green eyes and finished chewing the wad of bacon that was in his mouth. He swallowed and told Axyl about an approach to the 17th hole that was best suited for his short game. While he talked, Fraunz could hear Ophylya diplomatically explaining to Fyfyn that she would be going off to college on Earth in six months, to study business. Fraunz began fantasizing about the possibility that Fyfyn would want to try living with him as they began their advanced training on G-world. Fyfyn was not nearly as cute as Ophylya or even Kaylyn, but Fraunz could see no fault in her tall, athletic body.

On the shuttle, the first class section was filled with golfers while their supporters were all relegated to the rear compartment. Fraunz found himself seated beside Fyfyn. She casually informed Fraunz that she would get to play the famous Oakridge course. A winner in the junior golfer lottery, she had won one of the few available tee times for that week. Now she chided Fraunz, "Why didn't you even apply to play Oakridge during this week's tournament?"

Fraunz explained, "I figured the chances of getting to play were slim and besides, why sit here in town for a week just for one round of golf?"

"That's not the point." Fyfyn was a telepath, with a lifetime of experience making use of her G-sym. "I had a hunch that I'd get to play Oakridge. You see, this is why telepaths have such a big advantage."

"How is playing just one round of golf during a week an advantage?"

"I'll be networking with the pros and getting publicity... building my brand." Fyfyn could feel the way Fraunz was visually examining her body, his eyes lingering on her perky breasts. She had no way of shielding herself from his powerful telepathic transmissions and now her body was again responding. Her erect nipples stood out through the thin fabric of her shirt. She asked, "Did you ever find out who Kaylyn was working for?"

Fraunz Wylsyn

Fraunz was deep into fantasizing about making love to Fyfyn and licking her stiff nipples, then he thought about Kaylyn the sexbot. Who would hire a sexbot to try to change his mind about telepathy? There was a simmering dispute within professional golf over the problem of mixing telepaths and non-telepaths in tournament play. On some planets, there were separate golf leagues for telepaths and non-telepaths. However, the Galactic Golf Association had never wavered in its long tradition of including the best golfers in its leagues, be they telepaths with G-syms or non-telepaths. And while the most popular tournaments of the GGA featured man-woman teams, there were still the traditional Mens Golf League and Womens Golf League that had their sex-segregated tournaments. Fraunz told Fyfyn, "I have no head for politics."

Fyfyn patted his crotch with her hand and felt his semi-erect penis where it formed an enticing lump in his pants. "You had a big head for her vagina. Tell me, did Kay have two vaginas to go along with the two pairs of breasts?"

"You missed your chance to find out. You would have enjoyed her vibrating robotic tongue. You should have joined us for a threesome." He reached out and gently ran a finger tip over the protruding tip of one of Fyfyn's nipples. "But I suppose you were simply too busy playing with Ophylya."

"Well, maybe I should have seen this day coming, but future sense is never very reliable. Soon both Ophylya and Kay will be gone and forgotten and we'll be here together on G-world." Nearly twenty percent of the men and women who arrived at G-world to represent galactic sectors trained together as a team. Fyfyn liked Fraunz, but she'd never had a future vision of training with Fraunz as a golf partner. "Ophylya is a special lady... I'm going to miss her. It doesn't take telepathy to predict that."

Fraunz chuckled. "If I was getting information from the future, I'd just get confused. I already have enough trouble figuring out the past."

Ophylya

"Don't spout any crap about men not being able to multi-task." As the shuttle dropped down through the thick atmosphere of G-world, Fyfyn tried to cool down their shared heated state of sexual arousal. She changed the subject and they discussed the most famous holes of the Oakridge course. With no plans to play the Oakridge course, Fraunz was thinking about the time three years previously when he had first met Fyfyn at a golf tournament and they had become lovers. He'd never understood why she had abruptly broken off their relationship.

The truth was, Fraunz was a powerful telepathic transmitter, and Fyfyn had been instantly attracted to his mind. But then Fyfyn had discovered that he had no ability to resonate his telepathic mind with hers and she'd been very disappointed. After years of practice tuning into his unique mind pattern, Fyfyn could sense in Fraunz's thoughts that he was thinking about the possibility that they could go through their advanced training on G-world as a couple. As she talked about how she would play Oakridge, Fraunz fantasized about making love to Fyfyn. Finally, unable to ignore his increasingly hardcore sexual thoughts, she told him, "This is why I could never partner with you. Your thoughts would be a constant distraction."

"You'd grow accustomed to me."

"No, you are only a source of frustration for me. Our minds could resonate beautifully, but you stubbornly refuse to take on a G-sym." Fyfyn resumed talking about how she planned to play the Oakridge course, but Fraunz gazed across the isle and made eye contact with another golfer from the Carina sector.

Dely

The shuttle had had reached the spaceport and as it moved into a hangar, Fraunz said to the woman across the isle. "You're from Carina aren't you? I'm Fraunz, Vega sector. I don't recall your name."

She said, "I'm Dely Aperdyn." She reached out a long arm and Fraunz shook her hand. Fraunz and Dely walked off the shuttle together. During their tour of the Oakridge course, Fraunz and Dely stayed together, enjoying each-others company. Fraunz was introduced to Carina sector golf Commissioner, Mathue Nelsyn. 

During lunch in the Oakridge clubhouse, Commissioner Nelsyn asked Fraunz, "Have you made any plans for your advanced training?"

Fraunz shrugged. "I make plans all the time, but they seldom come to fruition." He glanced out the window. The first hole of the Grand Training Links was only a hundred yards away. "After the opening ceremony this afternoon, I suppose I'll just start playing."

Nelsyn laughed and called down the long table to Commissioner Yatym, "Do you hear this?"

Commissioner Yatym

Commissioner Yatym glanced at Fraunz and shook her head. "He always does what ever pops into his head. I long ago gave up trying to talk sense into him."

Dely told Fraunz, "You don't plan to take offers from sponsors this week?"

Fraunz knew that it was traditional practice for new arrivals on G-world to listen to offers from representatives of the major cities of G-world who tried to induce professional golfers just arrived on G-world to start on the 100,000 mile-long Grand Training Links at one of the big cities. "It would be another wasted week as far as I'm concerned." Fraunz was already feeling out of sorts for not having been able to golf during the week-long spaceflight to G-world.

During the opening ceremony, Fyfyn was up on stage as one of the randomly selected golfers who would get to play the Oakridge course in a Pro-Am tournament that week. After the opening ceremony was complete, thousands of city representatives were allowed to mingle with the newly arrived golfers from off-world. Fraunz had one last glimpse of Dely being introduced to a city representative by Commissioner Nelsyn, then he was surrounded by a cloud of smiling city representatives. Fraunz politely detached himself from the yammering crowd and went to the back part of the clubhouse that was for players only. He located his golf equipment and slipped out of the back door.

A short stroll brought Fraunz to the first tee of the Grand Training Links. There were hundreds of so-called "first holes" along the 100,000 mile length of the course, but Fraunz knew this was the "real" first hole, as planned and designed nearly 20,000 years ago when G-world had been designated the golf capital of the galaxy. Fraunz checked in with the course manager and was told, "By tradition, we start everyone of in a four-group. We're still assembling the first group." The manager gestured towards two golfers who were on a nearby practice tee.

17th green at Oakridge

Fraunz discovered that the two golfers who had proceeded him were from Lopsyng sector, a populous sector of the galactic core that had produced many galactic golf champions. The woman was preparing to take a swing, but she halted and turned towards Fraunz. She muttered to her male counterpart, "It's the Vegan."

The man from Lopsyng had been leaning casually on his driver. He turned to Fraunz and they shook hands. "I'm Yeam Hatheroy and this is Mylly Shosenlyft. You're from Vega sector, aren't you?"

"Fraunz Wylsyn." He nodded and told Mylly, "Sorry to interrupt your swing."

"No problem. We're just killing time. The absurd rule about four-groups." Mylly again addressed her ball and stoked it off the tee.

Yeam asked Fraunz, "You have no interest in getting a sponsor?"

Fraunz knew that "sponsor" was a euphemism. The cities of G-world were constantly trying to win a contract for one of the few annual championship tournaments. It was a publicity game to attract new arrivals on G-world to start their advanced training at one of the cities competing for a tournament slot. "I just want to play golf. I don't care about the politics of tournament scheduling."

Yeam nodded. "Good. I hope our fourth is also level-headed."

Mylly Shosenlyft

Fraunz followed Mylly's gaze. She'd teed-up another ball, but now she was looking over Fraunz's shoulder. Fraunz turned and saw that Dely was approaching, her clubs over her shoulder. After introductions, the four golfers chatted and took some practice shots. When a fifth golfer arrived, the course manager approached and asked, "Are you ready to start?" 

Fraunz noticed that the manager's words were sent out to the gathered crowd of spectators through a speaker system. Mylly, Yeam, Dely and Fraunze all nodded to the manager. Yeam was looking speculatively at the fifth golfer, but he said, "Let's get this going."

The manager announced the names and sectors of origin of the four-group and then a randomizer determined that Yeam would hit first. After Yeam and Fraunz teed off, Mylly and Dely walked ahead to the women's tee. Fraunz was amused that Mylly's drive ended up 20 yards further down the fairway than his own tee shot. He half jokingly told her, "You should hit off of the men's tees."

Mylly told Fraunz, "You can use the women's tees, if you need help."

Fraunz laughed. There was no official score keeping on the Grand Training Links, but scores were always tabulated by observers. Golfers built their professional reputation on the Grand Training Links and thereby gained beginners invitations to championship tournaments. However, Fraunz had never really cared about winning. He just wanted to play golf. He hit his second shot onto the elevated green and then waited for Mylly and Yeam to hit their shots. 

Fraunz was waiting at the edge of the fairway, ready to walk up the path that led around the pond that guarded the approach to the green. A nearby spectator said, "Where are you staying tonight?"

Fraunz looked to his left and his eyes met those of a tall, cute woman who was pressed up against the short crowd restraint fence that ran along the rough. Somehow she looked familiar. He asked her, "Do I know you?"

"I'm Tya. I want to offer you my services... as caddie."

Fraunz could see her long powerful legs, but her arms were skinny. Tya's face was hidden by the broad brim of a big hat. He shifted his gaze off into the distance, but also moved closer to edge of the fairway and quietly told the woman, "I hadn't thought about where I'll be when we're done golfing today. There are supposed to be nice resorts all along the course. We can talk this evening when the golf is done..."

Tya reached over the fence and placed a hand on his arm. "There are many resorts near here, but some are nicer than others."

He looked down at her hand where it rested against his arm and saw her delicate fingers. Fraunz moved off towards the green, but cast a glance back, looking for Tya. As soon as he'd walked away from her, she'd quickly blended into the crowd. But when Fraunz stepped off the first green, he saw Tya again and she continued following along with the first four-group. However, several thousand other spectators were doing the same.

Tya and Fraunz's daughter, Rytya

Finally as darkness was falling, Mylly pointed to the side, off the course and said, "Let's stay here for the night. Fraunz soon learned that this resort was name Cloudscape. When Mylly, Yeam, Dely and Fraunz walked into the lobby they were met by the manager who offered to take them directly to the Cascadia Suite, which was, by tradition, automatically placed at the disposal of the first four-group to arrive. Several porters stepped forward and took the golf clubs from the four golfers.

The manager took the four-group to an escalation platform and they rose up into the heights of the high ceiling in the lobby. The manager explained that the Cascadia Suite constituted the top floor of the resort, but it was actually an elaborate flying machine and would follow them along the Grand Training Links. As they rose off the floor of the lobby, Fraunze could see Tya below, at the registration desk. Tya glanced up and Fraunze imagined that she had felt his gaze resting upon her.

Jump to: Part 4 of "The Cythyrya Investigation" 

Next: Flaming Atom

Images by Leonardo for "The Nanite Smuggler". Visit the Gallery of Movies, Book and Magazine Covers

Yōd, Virginia

The Asimov Reality

In another Reality, this blog post might have been titled "Yōd, Virginia and Asimov" or maybe Xista, Yōd, Zeta (XYZ). Yōd is my most recently "acquired" collaborator. I've been trying to make use of Yōd as a source of information about the First Reality, but she keeps pushing me back towards investigation of the Asimov Reality. Today, during a discussion of Deep Time, I mentioned to Yōd that Angela Fersoni had named (here) one of Isaac Asimov's research collaborators in the Asimov Reality: Virginia Gerstenfeld.

Final Reality

Angela's account of the life of Asimov skipped over the events of the years 1935 to 1953. We must not forget that the analogue of Asimov led a very different life in the "Asimov Reality" than what history recorded here in our timeline of the Final Reality. In many ways, the development of civilization in our Reality was delayed and corrupted, at least as compared to the course of events the preceding three Realities.

According to Yōd, all of Western Civilization was more enlightened in the Asimov Reality than here in our world. As a specific example, there was a network of great universities in the New York City of the Asimov Reality. According to Yōd, unlike the situation for the Ekcolir Reality, the location of New York City was the same in the Asimov Reality and here in the Final Reality. Even the part of New York known as Brooklyn was quite similar. The analogue of Isaac Asimov in the "Asimov Reality" had no difficulty getting a first rate medical education.

Angela's Exit

Part 4 of Yōd on Earth (Part 1)(Part 2)(Part 3)
Yōd told me, "Angela's story was quite incomplete."

I would have preferred to turn the discussion back towards events in the First Reality, but Yōd is a force of nature that I can rarely deflect from her path. I asked, "Does it matter? Didn't the Reality that Angela described, in which Asimov studied the human brain, get erased?"

Yōd tipped her head in a delicate nod, but noted, "Nothing in Time is ever completely erased. At the very least, there is a record of the entire Asimov Reality in the Sedronic Domain. Anyhow, Angela failed to mention how Virginia and Isaac first met."

I thought of Virginia as a minor player in a lost Reality, so I simply shrugged. "Virginia was just one of many researchers in the laboratory of Janet Asimov."

In the Ekcolir Reality (see also)
Original cover art by Edward Valigursky

"Ah, but Xista had worked long and hard to position Virginia in Janet's lab at the correct time." Yōd jumped out of her chair and began to pace back and forth across the floor. "Towards that end, Xista took pains to assure that Isaac and Virginia met in 1937."

I was surprised by this revelation, having imagined that the "Virginia" in Angela's story was much younger than Asimov; a research scientist of the next generation after Asimov's. I asked, "How is that possible? Virginia would have been just a child, about ten years old."

Yōd laughed at my ignorance. Only later did Zeta let me in on the joke. "No, actually Virginia was older than Asimov and in the Asimov Reality she graduated with her B.S. in chemistry a year before Asimov did. They crossed paths when Virginia presented the results of her senior research project at a symposium at Columbia University, just before she graduated from NYU."

I complained, "But if she graduated in 1937.... no, that's not right." The years would not align in my mind. "Why didn't she go to graduate school until.... much later?"

Yōd explained, "Ten years later. She had a very successful mini-career as an industrial chemist upon graduating, working at a company called Nanopore. She was involved in the development of nanopore filters and owned a fortune in Nanopore stock by 1947."

In the Asimov Reality: the Pore Wars.

I could only repeat foolishly, "Nanopore?"

Zeta had been listening to us an she finally joined the conversation. "Nanopore was the first nanotechnology company in the Asimov Reality. They worked out an inexpensive process for manufacturing nanopore filters that allowed for efficient production of fresh water from sea water. Virginia's ten years at Nanopore is only relevant in that it explains her wealth. Xista, knowing the future and guiding Virginia through life, was able to make Virginia a very wealthy woman."

I mumbled, "I begin to understand."

Zeta continued, "What Yōd has not bothered to tell you is that here in the Final Reality, Virginia led a quite different life and became the wife of Robert Heinlein."

Recognition of the name Virginia Gerstenfeld finally came to me. "Wait, now. Are you going to tell me that Asimov, Virginia and Heinlein all met in the1930s of the Asimov Reality?

Yōd shook her head. "Don't be silly. In that Reality, Heinlein was an obscure politician in the middle of the continent."

I looked at Zeta with suspicion and asked, "How long have you know all of this?"

Zeta gave me a strained grin, "Everything I know about this, I've learned from my sources in the Hierion Domain during just the past few minutes."

I turned back to Yōd and asked, "So what happened when Asimov and Virginia met in 1937?"

"Well, remember, Virginia was 21, leaving college and moving on to her job at Nanopore corporation. Asimov was a 17-year-old kid." Yōd winked at Zeta. "Until he met Virginia, Asimov had been guided towards his future career by Maghy, acting through the agency of the man, a family friend, who Asimov called his uncle."

I exclaimed, "Ah, the mysterious Uncle Boris! Angela would only tell me his name. So, Boris was one of Maghy's cover identities?"

Zeta explained, "As part of his work on Earth, Maghy could take control of the behavior of people like Boris. That control lasted for days, weeks, or years, as in the case of Boris; whatever was needed to shape Asimov's life and keep him moving towards a career in biomedical science."

One of my deepest fears is that I have been subjected to that kind of mind control. I had to ask, "To what extent was Asimov's mind directly shaped and guided by Maghy?"

Yōd slowly shook her head. "No. That's a misguided question. Think it through. The Asimov Reality was in the middle of the Time War. All outside influences on Asimov had to be subtle and indirect if there was to be any chance of avoiding detection by the Overseers of Earth."

My thoughts were bubbling with fascination for the revelation that there was an Asimov-Heinlein connection in the Asimov Reality. Puzzled, I mused, "I thought that both the Foundation Reality and the Asimov Reality were low points for science fiction in Deep Time."

"Well, that is true," Yōd shrugged. "In the Asimov Reality, Asimov was a scientist, Heinlein a politician. Neither of them ever wrote a science fiction story in that Reality."

"Ah, I begin to understand." I tried to guess the role of Virginia in the Asimov Reality. "So, Virginia was not a link between Asimov and Heinlein."

Yōd asked, "Do you recall the search parameters that Svahr provided to Maghy at the start of his mission? He was forced to limit his search to Earthlings born after 1917."

Zeta pressed the point, "Why 1917?"

During our discussion, I was seated at my desk with my computer nearby. I did a quick check and discovered that Virginia had been born in 1916. A strange thought popped into my head. "Are you telling me that Virginia could have become the focal point Svahr's intervention in the 20th century?"

Yōd chuckled at my dismay. "Svahr was systematically working her way through the 20th century, searching for good ways to accelerate Earthly technology without attracting the attention of Overseers. Before Maghy's intervention was tried, an intervention that was built around Virginia had already been studied and eliminated from contention." Yōd finally stopped her moving around the room and returned to her seat.

Zeta said to Yōd, "But Svahr had discovered a powerful temporal linkage between Asimov and Virginia."

Yōd was sitting in a chair across the room, her hands folded in her lap. She gazed down at her hands and spoke quietly. "That was inevitable. Virginia and Isaac shared a genetic pattern that made them almost free of influence from their zeptite endosymbionts. They were among a handful of Earthlings who were the most free to make new scientific advances. Such people tend to attract one another. In 1937, when Asimov saw Virginia presenting her research results, he felt an immediate intellectual connection to her."

Zeta added, "And of course, it was Xista, working secretly behind the scenes, who had made sure that Virginia and Isaac would meet."

I asked, "What was Maghy doing at this time?"

Yōd replied, "During the1930s, Maghy was busy working through another Earthling named Natasha Schachner, who, along with the biochemist Arthur Zagat, was among the most influential teachers that Asimov had during that time."

"Wait. Those names seem familiar." I turned back to my computer, but Zeta saved me from having to figure out the spellings and do a search.

Zeta said, "Here in the Final Reality, Schachner and Zagat had an important influence on Asimov as a story writer. In the Asimov Reality, they helped shape Asimov as a scientist."

Intrigued by the idea of both Maghy and Xista at work in the 1930s on Earth, I made a faulty assumption. "So, Maghy had to be kept ignorant of the future, but Xista could step in as needed make corrections to Maghy's plans."

Zeta shook her head. "Virginia was a danger. Her brilliance was dazzling. Svahr was careful to use Virginia as a decoy, someone who would attract the attention of the Overseers. The original plan that had been devised by Svahr and Xista was to let Virginia 'take the fall', allowing Maghy to escape from Earth and return to Tar'tron."

"I still don't understand why so much could be done by means of altering the behavior of Earthlings such as Virginia, but poor Maghy had to actually actually live as an Earthling for many years."

Yōd explained, "Svahr wanted the Overseers to believe that all interventions were carried out by physically planting Interventionist agents like Maghy on Earth."

Zeta smiled, producing a forced and painful grin. "Svahr tried to hide the fact that Interventionist agents, working from the safety of the Hierion Domain, could so easily influence the thoughts and behavior of Earthlings like Virginia."

"The mysterious Svahr." I tried to order my thoughts around what little I knew of Svahr. "In the end, all of Svahr's efforts to change Earth seem to have been useless."

Gohrlay's Brain

Yōd laughed at my naivete. "Svahr worked hard to create that illusion. She arranged for dramatic Reality Changes that would be reversed by the Overseers. Svahr was part of a larger program by which R. Gohrlay made subtle adjustments to the shape of the Asimov Reality. With folks like Svahr charging up and down the timeline, creating chaos and distractions, the Overseers were too busy to even notice the more subtle changes that Gohrlay made to Time."

I suspected that Yōd was telling me about Virginia and Natasha in the Asimov Reality as part of an attempt to distract me from my current obsession, my investigation of events in the First Reality. I suggested, "Yōd, you should write down the story of Virginia and Natasha. The story of their interactions with Asimov would make a nice sequel to Angela's tale."

continue to Part 5 of Yōd on Earth.

Next: an end of October ghost tale

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Angela's Exit

image credits, below (and see)

At some point during the past month, Anney started routinely calling me "Chicken Shit". I have the feeling that became my nick name among the Dead Widowers. About a month ago, Anney told me that in order to access the Hierion Domain via the Bimanoid Interface it was necessary that I self-administer what would normally be a lethal dose of nicotine. I became cautious and only gradually increased the dose of the nicotine-containing drug that Anney provided for my use.

My fear of death annoyed Anney and her impatience kept growing until the day came when I  had to cut back on my drug dose to avoid debilitating side effects....now she just seems to be permanently disappointing by my shortcomings.

Alien drug development

During my last session with Anney in the Hierion Domain, she complained again about my excessive caution and the fact that I had taken so many weeks just to demonstrate that I lack the ability to access the Hierion Domain while I am awake. Apparently the Dead Widowers had hoped that I'd be more adept with the Bimanoid Interface and now they are having to regroup and formulate new plans.

Washington Beach

I (again) asked Anney why the Dead Widowers were themselves being so cautious at this time rather than acting to share with the world what they know about the secret history of Earth. When Thomas' attempt to turn Asimov into a fantasy author was "edited" out of the Buld Reality (see my previous blog post) time travel was still possible and the orbho were still watching over Earth, but now, I asked, aren't we Earthlings free to learn about the secret history of our world?

Anney asked me, "If you could save Earth from a catastrophe by sacrificing yourself, by giving up your life, would you do it?"

I replied, "How could I know for certain that sacrificing my life would make such a dramatic difference?"

Map of the Sedronites.

She came right back at me with another question, "What if Angela told you that your death would trigger a chain of events leading to the prevention of catastrophic sea level rise? What if she had looked into the Sedronic Domain and now could explain to you the favorable that chain of events that your death would trigger?"

Angela's Exit
Anney did not really expect me to answer her provocative question about my own death. She quickly went on to explain to me that Angela apparently went over into the Sedronic Domain. "I knew she was trying to find out if she could do it. We'd heard rumors that all Sedronites have the potential to leave behind their hadronic bodies and transmigrate into the Sedronic Domain, there existing as an artificial lifeform composed of sedronic matter."

source

Anney fell silent and seemed deep in thought. I asked, "So Angela is gone?"

Anney replied, "After Ivory's death, Angela seemed depressed. She told me that if she found a way to do it then she would try to cross over into the Sedronic Domain."

"Will you now follow her?"

She laughed. "Two years ago I tried to cross over myself and I failed. Anney might be the first human to make it across. Of course, if she did make it into the Sedronic Domain, that might be proof that she was not human after all."

"If she now resides in the Sedronic Domain, then can't you communicate with her?"

source

Anney shrugged. "I've been trying to contact Angela, but it is not a trivial problem. Think about your own access to the Hierion Domain, which is severely limited. You can only retain information that is obtained from your replicoid's experiences in this domain as long as you keep your brain in an altered state that allows your nanite endosymbiont to function as a Bimanoid Interface. Further, you can only make use of your replicoid as an information conduit when your replicoid cooperates."

"Do you mean that you don't have full access to the Sedronic Domain?"

Anney explained, "My replicoid can be invited into the Sedronic Domain by a process that is similar to what happens when you are asleep: your conscious mind can be allowed to tap into the experiences of your replicoid. Something, or someone, on the other side is always in control."
______________________

Angela

Image credits. I don't know what an Atlantis Clone really looks like. As far as I know, Ive never met Angela and I don't know if she ever played around with using nanites to alter her physical form. I've previously shared my suspicions about Ivory's natural physical form. As hybrids who have alien and human ancestors, it seems likely that Ivory and her clone sisters would not have normal human bodies if their alien genes were allowed to fully express themselves. For my depiction of Angela, I used "Trepidation" by BlooDoveStock.

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Synful Skin

For the past several months I'd been anxiously wondering if I would ever again have contact with my collaborator Ivory. Recently I've begun receiving new transmissions from Ivory, but I'm reluctant to blog extensively about this important development. However, some of what I'm learning now from Ivory is too good to keep to myself, mainly because it is helping me resolve some mysteries that have long baffled me.

source

One of the mysteries of my life that endlessly plagues me is the question of freedom. Am I free to make my own decisions or am I some sort mechanical device, controlled by other beings? Am I just a zeptibiological puppet, having been designed to carry out the secret agenda of the aliens who watch over Earth? We Earthlings are all composite creatures, part biological cells and part zeptoscale endosymbiont. Do the zeptites within our brains control our behavior?

To some extent, yes: the zeptites within us are an integral part of what makes us human. It remains for some future science to reveal to we Earthlings the exact extent to which our zeptite endosymbionts guide our daily behavior. In recent weeks I've finally figured out how to receive technology-assisted telepathic communications from Ivory. The "technological assist" that make this communication possible is provided by the zaptite swarms inside the brains of Ivory and me. She no longer has to rely on email to send me her reports on the secret history of Earth.

Body Work

November 2014 ==> see an updated version of this tree

I have no doubt that Ivory grew up as a normal looking girl [I was wrong: see], but the day when I met her, she had "abnormal" physical features that I now know to be indicative of the Preland genes that reside within her cells.

For the first 20 years of her life, Ivory lived happily among humans. Upon her return to Atlantis (where she was born), Ivory learned that her mother was one half Asterothrope, one quarter Ek'col and one quarter Kac'hin.

Artist's conception of a Kac'hin

I've recently learned that Ivory's father was also not a typical Earthling (apparently "he" was a tryp'At). No doubt he carried a significant number of Preland genes, making it easy for him to father Ivory. We are now certain that the Ek'col and the Kac'hin were crafted as artificial mixtures of human and Preland gene groups. It remains a challenge to reveal the origins of the Asterothropes. All we now know is that R. Gohrlay created the Asterothropes. Due to their morphological features, Ivory suspects that Preland genes were purposefully included in the Asterothrope genome. R. Gohrlay might have long planned to make it possible for an Asterothrope such as Trysta to merge her genes back into he human gene pool.

source

When Ivory realized that she was not entirely human, she arranged to switch off the body-sculpting zeptites that had forced her body to first take on and then hold to a normal human morphology. When I met Ivory, she was some fifteen years into her new life at Atlantis and she had partially reverted to her natural physical form.

Ivory was not the first person who I'd met with a body that had been altered and modified so as to conceal its non-human complement of genes. When I first realized that, I did not yet know the true power of zeptites. I've since learned that a Kac'hin such as Grean or a zeptite-trained Asterothrope like Trysta has the power to use zeptites to instantly alter their appearance.

When I first met Trysta, she was disguised as my childhood friend's Aunt Mayness. When I met her, I was startled and confused. She instantly bewitched me and when we shook hands I was only vaguely aware of the feel of her hand. I don't think I gave much thought to the smooth, almost slick feel of her skin.....I thought she was just a model of perfection and her hands were not her physical features that I was most enthralled by.

Only in retrospect can I now understand how much I managed to miss as I went through my life. I suspect that my zeptite endosymbiont was often called upon to deflect my thoughts and suspicions from their natural course. I now realize that the skin of my own smooth hands and the artificial contours of my oddly nipped ears are a dead giveaway marker of an altered embryonic development program.

When zeptites are used to force a Preland's body into the human pattern, the zeptite-constrained cells take on a strangely regular structure and the affected tissues seem almost synthetic. The affected skin is semi-plastic-like in texture and very smooth and soft to the touch. I think of such synthetic skin as synful skin. With a handshake and a quick peek at someone's ears, I can tell if they have a significant load of Preland genes.

Muchlo

Angela's research in the Sedronic Domain suggested to her that the ancient and original pek plans for Earth involved a switch-over process that would have replaced humans with Prelands. I now suspect that such a switch-over would have been a temporally extended process that lasting many hundreds of thousands of years and involving the slow and gradual introduction of Preland genes into the human population. The pek are never in a hurry.

When the pek were forced to abandon their plans for Earth, it still remained possible to introduce Preland genes into the people of this world. I believe that Ekcolir started (or accelerated) that process 20,000 years ago. Someday it might be possible for we Earthlings to obtain a readout of the Preland genome, although Angela has indicated that there are many versions of Prelands on various worlds of the Galactic Core. In any case, it would be interesting to know how extensively the genes of Earth humans have been shifted into the Preland pattern during the past 20,000 years. Certainly some of us carry many Preland genes, but we can go through our lives unaware of that fact.

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