by Gary Starta
“That’s not your concern, but yes, I will free Doldruss.” Alzabreah did not consider lying to a drone equivalent to lying to an Olvidian.
“I will do as commanded, my high priestess.”
“One more thing, Elzeba. Make sure you take her out in the jungle. I want to monitor you on camera. She might shut off the cams in her hut.”
“As you wish.” Elzeba bowed before exiting.
Alzabreah could only hope Quan’s genetic programming would not fail her.
But she had little time to ponder her concern.
Doctor Quan stepped into Alzabreah’s command center ten minutes later, confirming Alzabreah’s worst fears.
“It seems we have a genetic defect. One of the drones is ill.”
“How do you know this?”
“He’s having dreams.”
* * *
“What could cause this?” Alzabreah’s demanding tone, angered Quan, but she would keep her emotion below surface as she always had before. Alzabreah’s ignorance did give Quan a small dose of satisfaction.
How could a geneticist ask such a question when there was such an obvious answer, and to think, she hounds all of the glory when my parents and me were solely responsible for her eugenic breakthroughs.
“Preoccupied, doctor?” Alzabreah’s accusation broke Quan’s train of thought. She would answer the question quick and the point. And then she would watch the smugness drip off of Alzabreah’s arrogant face when she realized she was responsible for the problem.
“How could the radiation from the force field be affecting the genes?”
Quan began to explain that environmental factors are also quite responsible for turning cells on and off.
“I know that.” Alzabreah paused to add resonance to her stinging sarcasm. “I thought the fractal algorithm embedded in the drone’s neural pathways would act as a safeguard, a lock to keep genes from unexpectedly turning on and off. You did assure me this, did you not?”
Quan hated how Alzabreah disrespected her, like she was a young disciple or worse – a simple drone.
She turned her back on Alzabreah.
Alzabreah’s eyelids fluttered. She realized her folly. She couldn’t offend the one person capable of correcting the drone’s programming. She put her hand on Quan’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, Quan. Tell me how we can correct this. Because we can’t have a drone who dreams infiltrating our society – dreams will give him ambitions, delusions he can aspire to become something other than our servant.”
“Yes, we can correct this.” Quan purposely ignored Alzabreah’s derogatory rant about the drones. She hoped her emotionally detached tone might slap some civility back into Alzabreah. Yes they were drones, but they were a product of their creation. Quan’s parents told her to always respect life, no matter what class status it might reside in. Alzabreah supposedly left the mainland to afford lower caste women a chance to better themselves. Had she become the arrogant kings and queens who ruled Olvidians for centuries, discouraging progress to maintain control, maintaining outdated ideologies on a newly colonized planet they ruled from afar? Just because Alzabreah embraced altruistic principles, it didn’t mean she couldn’t bully or threaten her followers. Her behavior at her sister’s funeral confirmed this sickening revelation for many followers. This did not go unnoticed by Quan. She had heard a rumor that Katyana was about to share a secret about Alzabreah’s past. She now wondered if Alzabreah’s selfless efforts to create an Olvidian paradise were nothing more than rhetoric. Perhaps she became corrupt just like every king before her. Maybe her New Order was nothing more than a name, a caste system guised in idealistic wishes. Quan would have to confirm these fears. She was about to propose an idea which would take away some of Alzabreah’s power. She wondered what part Alzabreah played in her sister’s death. The high priestess had not produced a single tape confirming Doldruss had killed Katyana. What recourse might Alzabreah take if her disciples and drones were suddenly afforded the opportunity to come and go as they pleased? She couldn’t ponder the consequences further. She would behave like a scientist, provide an unbiased diagnosis, and the let the chips fall where they may.
“Gene therapy is only a temporary solution. If we don’t deactivate the force fields, all the fractal algorithms and kinetic dynamics in the universe won’t stop the molecular decay.”
“So you’re saying the radiation has corrupted cell integrity. I can’t believe this.” Alzabreah began to pace around the control room. Lights flickered from observation screens. Quan remained silent, hands folded, resting on her bare midriff. Alzabreah fell into a trance, watching the screens, trying to come to grips with a reality she couldn’t fathom.
How can I rule the New Order without force fields? She had witnessed Mavra’s disobedience first hand thanks to the video cams, but the electronic eyes of the island would not be enough to keep order. Mavra had still risked meetings with Thorpleen despite the threat of cams. What would have prevented Mavra and Thorpeen from boarding a mainland ship and leaving? And what about the mainlanders? They might invade the island once news of the drones is revealed. Alzabreah’s internal chatter inspired her to stall for time. “I have to see evidence of this. It’s not that I doubt you Quan, but I have to monitor this deviance. It’s just like these surveillance screens here. I must have been foolish to monitor only their physical actions. We must refocus our efforts and spend as much time looking within the drones; we have to keep their minds in check. Now tell me which drone is having the dreams?”
“It’s Caymond.”
“We must be more proactive, Quan.”
“I would be happy to hear your suggestions, but I don’t see how we can keep a 24 hour watch on the drones.”
“Please explain, doctor.”
“You see, although I regularly monitor drones for abnormalities by observing their brain waves, that might not always prevent an anomaly from escaping our detection. I didn’t come upon the drone’s illness during routine examinations. He came to me last night, very troubled and distressed, fearing he had committed some actions while he thought he was asleep. Imagine his fears, Alzabreah. He couldn’t even classify what a dream was thanks to our programming.”
Quan paused, but Alzabreah offered no sympathy. Hands on her hips, she divided her attention between the surveillance screens and Quan’s story.
“I managed to categorize his experience as a dream. When I tested his brain waves, I found evidence of both alpha and theta waves. Here, see for yourself.”
She handed Alzabreah a palm sized object, a graph flickered on its view screen, denoting a disturbance in Caymond’s brain waves.
Alzabreah stared at the data, hoping the results before her eyes were fabricated.
“As you know, Alzabreah, I test the drone’s brain wave with an audio calibration device on a weekly basis. The green wave you see before you on the graph represents brain stimuli in response to your favorite musical piece.”
“Yes, I’m well aware of the piece. I play it at every gathering.” Alzabreah felt her cheeks flush. It was also the same syncopated piece of music she used to seduce Elzeba. “You said its audio signature consists of an algorithm which will reveal if a drone’s brain has been altered.”
“That’s correct and that’s how I found the discrepancy. When I matched the drone’s brain waves – recorded shortly after his dream experience - with that of a brain scan taken one week prior, I noticed a sharp elevation in alpha waves signifying the drone may not only have experienced dreams, but precognitive thought. Based on what Caymond told me, he foresees a terrible fight breaking out on the island. The thing he fears most is his inability to protect you from harm.”
“Whether their dreams or visions, they are dangerous tools. We have to remove this ability. Can you sequence the exact cells for an epigenetic shutdown?”
“I think I can.”
“If you can’t, we’ll have to terminate him.”
“I didn’t leave the mainland to become a murderer.” Qu
an froze, regretting her candid response.
“You were fully aware of the protocols I set in place long before we left the mainland, Quan. In fact, I recall you were the one who programmed Elzeba for murder?”
“Yes, but only to protect us and the disciples in case of extreme emergency.”
“You know this lends credence to my belief that Doldruss did indeed murder my sister, Quan.” She smiled, ignoring Quan’s agitation. “Maybe the radiation turned on a recessive gene in him, making him capable of murder. If so, I regret the use of the force field, but you must understand the murder of Katyana leaves me no other choice. We must keep the field up to protect our lives, even if it means losing a few drones. Anyway, we can always make more.”
Quan could see the maniacal glean in Alzabreah’s eyes. She knew the woman could not be reasoned with. She was certain Katyana had died arguing with Alzabreah. She did not believe a recessive gene suddenly turned Doldruss into a murderer. Why had Alzabreah refused to show her the surveillance tapes? She also didn’t believe a cam had malfunctioned as Alzabreah had maintained. Perhaps, a video contained evidence of the true murderer. But there was no way Quan could access the command center without Alzabreah’s permission. The command center had been biologically engineered so Alzabreah would retain exclusive access to all security devices. Control would only be relinquished upon her death, after the system scanned her dead body to confirm there were no vital signs. But would such drastic action become necessary? Would Quan have to kill Alzabreah in order to restore sanity to the island? The very thought flooded her stomach with acid. Alzabreah did not fail to note Quan’s discomfort.
“Can I get you something doctor? You appear to be ill?”
“No. I will go rest. This has been a very disturbing day.”
“Then we’ve come to an agreement then.”
Alzabreah did not have to clarify her statement. Quan knew she was referring to the force field.
“I can recommend some short term solutions in the interim – so we don’t have to dismantle the force field.” Quan felt as if someone else was talking. She had not come to an agreement with Alzabreah. She still believed the radiation from the screen would continue to plague the drones. But she had to protect Caymond in the mean time. She feared Alzabreah might give the order to terminate him.
“I will begin music therapy on Caymond. The electromagnetic signature of the piece should prevent him from slipping into a theta state. And who knows, maybe this is just one isolated incident.” Quan forced a smile. Every scientific bone in her body told her otherwise.
“Please go Quan, get some rest. You can begin the therapy later.”
Alzabreah had kept an eye on the time. In just minutes, Elzeba would rendezvous with Nessa. Her impending demise would play out on a console screen. Alzabreah couldn’t have Quan witnessing the murder so she had urged her colleague to leave the station because of this concern, merely feigning an interest in her discomfort.
Ultimately, Alzabreah hoped the eyes and ears of her island would not become privy to the recent disturbances. They must believe Nessa’s impending death to be an accident, that Thorpleen had murdered Katyana and that Caymond’s recent aberration was an isolated incident. But most importantly, Alazabreah needed to convince herself that everything would be all right. She couldn’t help but worry. What if the voices in her head were a result of the radiation, and what if this explained her sudden attraction to drones? If the force field had caused this, then maybe all Olvidians might be subject to genetic breakdowns. She would be facing a no win scenario. Take down the screen and she would lose control. Keep the screen in place, and she just might lose her mind and the New Order to a genetic breakdown.
-Betrayal-
She worked on his penis, pumping his cock in her right hand while letting her tongue flicker up and down his shaft. Sometimes she let her mouth ride up to the tip of his cone where she would gently lay a soft kiss upon it. He would moan every time she did this, and then Nessa would repeat the ritual extending Elzeba’s desire - literally. She didn’t believe his cock could get any longer but it seemed to. Nessa wanted the bliss to last - she loved the taste of Elzeba in her mouth, the feel of his pulsating organ in her hand – so she teased his cock with her tongue, lightly caressing it, suspending ejaculation to the time was just right. Lying on top of him, Nessa could watch his feet twitch. Elzeba lay underneath her, his face buried in her pussy, licking and sucking her clitoris to her delight, attempting to nudge her along – hoping she might match the rhythm of his tongue which had now encompassed her sweet spot. Although she was wet and ready for entry, she continued to play with Elzeba, alternating the angle of her head, slowly stroking every vulnerable spot with her tongue, anticipating the right moment when she would relinquish control to his manhood, and let him penetrate her. She would give her body to him. She didn’t know Elzeba was planning to take more than just her body.
Elzeba had coupled with Nessa before. This made it harder for him to comprehend Alzabreah’s orders. But Elzeba wasn’t supposed to be capable of analytical thought – he was simply designed to either fuck or kill. Yet, the very idea of terminating Nessa began to disturb him.
Lost in thought, Elzeba remained on his back while Nessa rolled off him. She laughed, pulling upon on his arms, coaxing him to sit up. He stared into her large blue eyes, full of mischief and promise. He could see his reflection in them. They encompassed him like the sky. Her hair was like sunshine, glowing in gold brilliance in response to a clear blue sky. He wondered why Alzabreah wanted to extinguish this light. Now positioned on his lap, Nessa let his cock slip inside of her. She laughed with pleasure, her bright white teeth gleaning. Her huge tits hung before him, swelling with anticipation as they rose up and down. She was nearly hyperventilating from lust. She rocked on his lap gently while he licked one of her nipples. She sighed and threw her head back, her hands digging into his shoulders as his cock slid deeper and deeper inside her.
“Take me. Take me away!” She yelled for all to hear.
But Alzabreah didn’t need to hear. She was watching the pair copulate before her eyes on a screen in her control room. Monitoring their union was torture for Alzabreah. She didn’t care to admit this to herself. She felt slightly angered and turned on at the same time. She considered Elzeba hers. She nearly shuddered when the pair engaged in a sensuous kiss, their bodies rocking in unison. Her camera angle allowed her to see Elzeba’s face. She zoomed in. Panning the camera angle to the left and right trying to observe his facial expression.
When are you going to do it!
She wanted to scream, not only at Elzeba’s indecisiveness but herself. She had resorted to voyeurism. She never allowed herself to watch every intimate act of the drones and her disciples before. Usually, she focused her thoughts away from the screens, immersing herself in literature, occasionally using to audio playback just to make sure sex never segued into rough sex. Any threat of harm to the disciples was not allowed, even if it was intimated. Violence would not be tolerated. Her own rules echoed back in her head. Hypocrisy. She now plotted a murder.
Alzabreah sat enraptured before the screen, watching Elzeba French kiss Nessa. She wondered how it felt. She never let herself face the drone before during lovemaking. She resented the intimacy. Just get on with it! Elzeba could take Nessa’s life without suspicion at any moment now; she was far too concerned with personal gratification to realize the grave danger she was in. What are you waiting for! She let anger well up in her. It came to a fine boil in the pit of her stomach. She needed the anger to quell her guilt, but most of all she needed to silence the voices. She found it impossible. The voices began speaking, gaining volume….You love him…take him as a partner…ADMIT IT TO YOURSELF ALZABREAH – ADMIT IT TO YOUR FOLLOWERS…
Alzabreah pounded her fist upon the console. No! No! Go Away!
Her eyes had left the screen momentarily. As they did, Elzeba prepared an attack. He had been struggling with a dilemma for several minutes. All the while,
Nessa indulged her senses, letting her tongue dance lightly on Elzeba’s, rocking her pelvis harder and faster, hoping both would cum simultaneously. Distracted, Elzeba let Nessa continue her dominance. She wondered when her strong island boy would take her by force. She fantasized about him throwing her into the sand face first, and then acquiescing to the demands of his manhood, letting him ride her doggy style, fast and hard. Meanwhile, Elzeba contemplated a final conquest – the taking of her life. He didn’t even know what morals were, but a concept nagged at him, forcing him to analyze his orders. If he were to obey Alzabreah’s wishes, he would have to disobey Nessa. Nessa had silently intimated her needs. She wanted an orgasm. Should he bring Nessa to ecstasy before killing her? She was his master too. He waited, finally her high-pitched squeals signaled the beginning of her climax. He would act now.
His hands wrapped themselves about her neck. Too stunned to respond, Nessa could only gasp for more air. She wondered if this was some kind of new love making technique. She had heard about erotic asphyxiation. But Alzabreah would not have programmed Elzeba for this. She abhorred any hint of violence towards women. As Elzeba’s grip tightened, Nessa’s right hand fumbled in sand. Her life force began to weaken, the bright lights in her eyes diminished into a fuzzy haze, her alabaster skin lost its sheen, turning dull red, her mouth contorted into a grimace hiding her pearly white teeth. She struggled to make a noise. “I order…” It was all she could say. Tears began to well in Elzeba’s eyes. “But the high priestess wishes this.” The confession confirmed her fears. This was not a love making technique. This was murder. Her fingers wrapped around something hard, but whatever it was - it was stuck in the sand. She used her left hand to scratch Elzeba’s face. The sudden sting of defiance caused him to lose his vice like grip for a second, long enough for Nessa to dig the stone from the sand. With one sweeping motion she bashed the rock into the side of Elzeba’s skull. Dark green blood immediately poured from the wound. As he lifted his hand to inspect the damage, Nessa pushed the drone backwards. His head came to a rest against a tree trunk. Nessa staggered to her knees and ran for her life as naked as the day she was born.