Naero shook her head.
Please, please tell me this is just some terrible nightmare.
Our mind controls all of your pleasure centers, Naero. The brain is in fact, the largest sex organ in the body. I can meet your every aching need–your every desire for pleasure, satisfaction, and fulfillment–forever, my darling.
“Aauughh!” Naero groaned, clutching her temples. “Please stop talking, Om. You are killing me. I never thought I could feel so humiliated inside my own head. And I can’t look away or get away from you, like I could with someone else with their own mind and body. This is too close, too intimate, too fast. You’re scaring me. It’s too much.”
No. No! I would never hurt you, Naero. I only want to help you. Can’t you see how perfect this could be, for both of us? I know how very much you need love. I know how much you ache to be loved. I do. And you deserve it. You’re a beautiful person–when you aren’t being a jerk.
Gee, thanks, Om. How romantic. Way to sweep me off my feet.
Remember, Naero. Part of my mind is patterned after yours. I have as much tact as you do.
Thanks for the reminder.
Maybe they were too much alike.
I’ve studied everything there is to know about sex, pleasure, and human relations.
Om, there’s more to it all than what you find in the databanks. There has to be attraction, some kind of spark.
I’ve accessed the KDM on such matters as well. I am part Kexxian also. Did you know the Kexx were incredibly sensual and intimate as a race? They mated for life and would suffer greatly when a spouse died. And even though they were reptilian, they were capable of enjoying love-making for up to three days–in perpetual, mind-jarring ecstasy–until they passed out from dehydration and lack of food and sleep?
Good for them. Kexxian lizard love. Fascinating. Be that as it may–I’m not having psyonic sex with you, Om.
We share the same mind and feelings. Here is just a taste of what I can do for us…together.
No, Om. No. I forbid–
Waves of sudden, incredible pleasure rippled through her entire body.
Naero gasped, wide-eyed. Hey eyes rolled back up into her head until she thought she might black out. She couldn’t talk, couldn’t breathe, her entire body aflame with lust.
She shook violently and convulsed, her legs and arms stiffened and extended, twitching, and thrumming on her bed until she thought her hands and feet might explode from her body, along with her head.
She either rolled or flung herself off her bed to land on the soft floor, trying to crawl away. But she couldn’t move any longer.
For a few brief seconds, Naero did pass out.
Only to come to gasping for air as if she were being affixiated, mind reeling–her heart come to life on its own, using nanoexplosives to try to blast its way out of her thumping, heaving chest.
Om called to her eagerly.
See? We can give each other hours of such joy. Admit it, Naero. We love each other. Why should we not give in to our inner-most desires? We can make each other happy. Why should we not do so?
Naero finally caught her breath.
Damn it, Om. You nearly killed me! Any more of that and my heart will go nova and my head explode, like a blood filled melon. Don’t do anything like that to me–ever again. Is that clear? That is not what I want from you. Did it ever occur to you to take the time to ask me what I really want in a relationship? In a lover?
For once, Om was stricken and speechless.
She could sense how heartbroken he was, but at the moment, after what he had just put her through, Naero didn’t really care.
Rejection and broken hearts were all part of love, too. Not every attempt at finding a lover worked out–Naero knew that. In fact, it seemed as if most did not, until a person found the right one for them, if they were lucky.
I’m…I’m sorry, Naero. I just thought we could be happy, together. I was so excited. I thought I had the answers. I thought…I could make you happy.
Not like this, Om! This isn’t what I want. You can’t make another person love you that way. We’re friends. We’re partners. I’ve never thought of you as a potential lover.
I guess not.
Look, I know how hard it is for you to learn to control all of your emotions. They’re still so new to you. I’ve been working at it my entire life, and I still can’t get mine right at times. Keep working on it. You’ll get the hang of it, eventually.
I’ll keep trying, Naero. Emotions are truly a complex maze to navigate. Something else I wanted to discuss with you.
What’s that, Om? I have kind of a busy day planned.
I also came across some interesting biomancy and teknomancy techniques in the KDM. I wanted to share them and their basic theories, principles, and techniques with you. We might want to try some of these.
Great Om. That’s more like it. I’d be happy to work with you on something new. What do we have?
The Kexx mastered techniques far beyond what you and I could even conceive of at our current levels of understanding. They eliminated disease from all of the races they guided. In the end, they could tap into the Cosmic energies of stars directly–the Powers of the universe itself–and transform themselves into several different types of energy beings. They could bend and manipulate matter and energy at will. Their powers were truly miraculous. They could leap the impossible distances between galaxies and into and across other dimensions by force of will. They wished and dreamed things into being. Ideas and possibilities that they focused and bent their thought on–became real creations and the very substance of reality.
As he spoke, Naero closed her eyes and beheld several flashing visions from the KDM.
Visions so real, it was as if she and Om were witnessing them firsthand.
Near the end of their existence, the greatest among the Kexx were like…like gods. I can find no other description that comes anywhere close to depicting what they were and what they could accomplish with their limitless minds. The mightiest of the Kexx could replicate themselves in multiple forms–entire, sentient armies–created out of raw thought, matter, and energy to serve their will. Fleets of invincible warships with weapons that make yours look like feeble tin cans, clattering around, spitting at each other in the dark.
The Kexx and Drians would need all of their might and skill, for they and their Allies–the nearly equally amazing, humanoid Drians–faced the most deadly and implacable foe the universe could ever conceive of: The destroying force of the G’lothc and their countless hordes and minions. Using the destructive power of the Darkforce, the great foe had emerged out of another dimension–an entire dimension where they and their kind had managed to destroy and lay waste to everything–even most of themselves.
Yet a remnant of that dark foe spilled into our universe, and began their own rise to power–a terrible power which demanded that all things be crushed before it.
The G’lothc destroyed all life across three entire galaxies before they came up against the Drians, who fought them to a valiant standstill. But it was only the Kexx who were able to truly turn the grim tide, and drive the G’lothc into total defeat and annihilation.
Anything less would never have stopped them.
That much became clear to all; it was kill or be killed.
Two other galaxies were nearly destroyed by the massive war–a terrifying war waged more than the course of a million years, and with great loss of life. For the destructive might of the enemy was very great, and nearly unstoppable.
The Kexx and their allies were not destructive by nature or bent upon any desire for power or conquest. They were wise and benevolent, and forced to defend themselves. Yet once driven to the task at hand, in the end they rose to the fierce challenge, and were undaunted. Out of their limitless imaginations, the allies created entire fleets of invincible warships at will. Forces with one driving purpose: to overwhelm the ruthless G’lothc, to wipe out their last homeworlds, and even obliterate their very
stars during the course of those astounding, final battles.
And as they perished, the once undefeated G’lothc howled in vain, unable to believe that death came solely for them–and they comprehended what fear truly was–for the first time in their dark existence–only at the very last.
Naero shuddered at such amazing visions, sweeping across the limitless vistas of her mind. She beheld so much in such a few amazing instants that it was completely overwhelming. It nearly stunned her.
She trembled.
It wasn’t until the end that Naero realized that Om had been speaking to her in the Kexxian language, and that she had hung upon every word and followed them and the visions they evoked and conjured completely. She did so so naturally that it was effortless.
She did so without thought.
Naero trembled, sensing more and more the limitless potential that the secrets of the Kexxian Data Matrix held within her.
The concepts for biomancy and teknomancy that Om raced through her mind were breathtaking–nearly beyond belief.
And these were only the most basic, childlike concepts of them all.
To the neargods of the Kexx, these lesser concepts would have undeniably seemed trite, perhaps even silly or infantile.
How could she–a mere human woman–even begin to apply or implement any of these techniques and abilities, let alone all of the limitless, incomprehensible miracles that stretched out beyond them?
Such limitless power. Did she have a right to use any part of such power and knowledge? Did anyone?
Staggering. Utterly staggering.
Om laughed with her at how small and ignorant they were.
I’m just as overwhelmed, Naero. Trust me. But we can start exploring these basic concepts and possibilities a bit at a time, from the beginning. Let’s try basic star-tapping and replication, for now, partner–abani. I think that will be more than enough for now.
Naero sighed and blinked. Tapping into the energy of stars. Khai had mentioned something like that once.
Replicating herself in various ways–separate, fully-functioning, other versions of herself. How was such even possible? Yet in her mind, now–she knew that it was.
Om, we’ll make time to work on these things. We might not ever be lovers, yet we are abani. But right now, I do have other matters to attend to.
I will faithfully pursue all of our goals, and keep you apprised of my progress. I like it when we speak Kexxian in your mind. It helps greatly, and keeps us on the same wavelength of thought with the KDM. Let us continue to do so.
Very well, Om. I agree with you; let’s continue to do so. We will communicate and think in Kexxian. It seems only natural anyway. I’m going to go out shortly.
Naero took a mist shower, dressed, and left her quarters for a late breakfast and to see to the needs of her people and her fleet.
First she had to check on Jan. She checked his status. Jan slept in, too. He was still in his quarters.
Naero went there first and chimed his panel.
Jan snapped it open, but from what she could see, the guest room was completely torn apart. There was even damage to the walls and outer hull.
Naero nearly panicked. She called out over her wristcom.
“Tarim, security detail. Jan’s room. ASAP!”
She stepped into the darkened room. “Jan? Where are you?”
She heard sounds of what appeared to be some kind of struggle within. Jan came hurtling at her. She had to fight him off, deflecting powerful kicks and punches.
“Jan, stop it. It’s me!”
He grinned at her with a wild look in his eyes. “I know!” he shrieked eagerly, and attacked her again.
Jan shook his head, and his face blinked at her in fear and confusion. “Naero…help me…Danner’s trying to take over again!”
10
Naero tackled Jan and wrestled with him with all her might.
She tried to mindlink with him. Perhaps she could help fight Dan off somehow.
She could tell when Danner flashed into Jan’s mind briefly, because that insane laughter would start pouring out of Jan’s babbling mouth.
Jan had had some basic training with the Mystics, fortunately. One of the first things adepts learned was how to shield their minds from others. But Jan was certainly not an expert at it yet, and Danner was a powerful, lifelong, psyonic savant, with a special link to Janner’s mind from them being twins.
Jan clearly resisted and fought his insane brother off with everything he had.
If Danner won, who knew how much destruction he could cause using Jan’s body?
Naero had seen Dan take out entire warships with nothing but his mind and his many Cosmic powers.
He could destroy a small merchant ship like The Flying Dagger easily, and kill everyone on board.
Naero finally held Jan down and achieved a mindlink.
She could sense the battle between the minds of the two brothers.
Get out of his head, you bastard!
Danner laughed relentlessly.
He used Jan’s body to pummel her with several painful blows.
Naero endured them and tried to hold him back down, and maintain the mindlink.
Danner raved, as usual.
Going to kill you all. Going to take his body and go on a rampage. And he’ll be stuck where I am, back in one of those damn, Darkforce generators!
Naero closed her eyes, trying to picture herself grappling with Danner within Jan’s mind.
He was still stronger than her.
Stronger than them both on this level.
Within the expanse of his mind, Jan tore a dark, yawning portal open with his bare hands, as Naero tried to fend off Danner.
N, shove him through here. It’s the only way to shut him out of my mind. We have to drive him out by force!
Together, both of them fought Danner, kicking, punching, and shoving him into the dark portal.
All three of them battered and tore at each other, but together, Naero and Jan barely crammed Danner through the strange hole.
Jan finally sealed it off.
Naero and Jan gasped, and came to, out of the depths of their mindlink, still wrestling with each other.
Even as Tarim and the security team of five others jumped on them both to pull them apart.
Naero quickly explained what had happened.
They contacted the High Masters on Thanor-4’s surface.
Master Tree had Jan shuttled down for an immediate crash course in further, psyonic mental defense.
No one could afford Danner taking Jan over again.
*
Naero stepped into sickbay.
Zhen smiled. “Glad you could join us.”
‘Us’ was Aunt Sleak, and her twin girls kicking around in her enormous belly, and medtek Trudi Cheyenne assisting with the check-up.
Everything on the medbed readouts looked good.
Zhen smiled, using her healer’s sight, and not the readouts, to confirm her findings. “Mother and babies healthy and strong. I’d say they’ll join us within two weeks–three, tops. Come here and check it out, N.”
Naero did so, coming close, using her own sight to do the same thing. She rested both hands on Sleak’s tummy.
“I’m glad you’re here,” Naero said. “Jan and I do appreciate the support. You can tell Klyne the same thing.”
Sleak smiled, resting her strong hands on Naero’s. “Klyne went back to work, once he realized the High Masters weren’t going to execute you.”
“Yet,” Naero said. “They still could. You heard about Jan?”
“I did. Just one more reason I’m sticking around. I can’t do much else, until I pop, anyway. Zal’s on his way now. We both know it’s going to be soon. This is a good, safe place to have our girls enter our universe. And the medical people at hand are all top notch. I ought to know–I had most of them educated and trained, for years.”
Z and Tru smiled and nodded.
Naero giggled, feeling the vital
essence of her tiny nieces, roaring like little flames of life, beneath her own strong, gentle hands.
The next batch of Maeris girls. It was a stirring feeling. One that she could not completely put into words, but that was not necessary. Some things could only be felt to fully experience them.
Aunt Sleak chuckled as well. “I had this weird dream the other night, Naero. Perhaps you’ll get it; I sure couldn’t.”
Naero smiled. “What was it?”
Sleak shrugged. “It was weird, like I was sleep walking, or in a trance. You and Jan were there, too, and you were the same way–as if you were in a daze. We were standing in the middle of nowhere.”
That piqued her attention. Naero looked up. “What were we all doing?”
Sleak shook her head. “Not much. Just staring at this weird statue.”
Naero felt her blood freeze in her veins.
“What statue?”
“It was weird. It kept shifting shape. Sometimes it was kind of scary. Usually it didn’t look like anything at all, but the way it moved was freaky. Once it looked just like Jan. Another time it looked just like me, and that was very strange. I felt like that statue of me was looking straight back at me. Then it would change again. But it took your form, several times Naero, in several different poses. Each time, it held its shape longer and longer. It kind of freaks me out now, just thinking about it.”
Naero nodded. “It should. Let me explain why. You need to put that statue out of your mind, and do everything you can not to think about it.”
She briefly explained why and what she knew about the enigmatic, alien artifact. She wondered if they should even be talking about it, and suggested that they not do so. What was its connection to her blood?
“Aunt Sleak, I think you’d better tell the High Masters, very briefly, about your dream. They’ll want to know. And then you should try not to think about that artifact. That’s probably for the best.”
“Will do,” Aunt Sleak nodded.
Naero shuddered, feeling just a twinge of her sense of warning flickering in the background of her mind.
Spacer Clans Adventure 3: Naero's Fury Page 8