"Can't remember?"
We wandered for hours, came across a snake person who remarked, "Nothing works," while looking accusingly at me. I didn't bother to meet the challenge of why I didn't give him unlimited access.
Granger just smiled fondly. "His patience didn't go away with the snake body. He didn't ever have any."
Back out of the ship he remarked, "It has a functional feel to it; multi-redundant systems, reproduces and repairs itself. What more could one ask for?"
"A crew."
"Well, let's have lunch and get on with this crew part. If anyone can blend with your proposed body Tel is the one. We go with him, unless you see some problem."
"It's all a problem. Tel won't add to it. Hello Mary. Welcome back."
We hugged and I held her arm while we walked to her dining room. She showed no deficiencies.
We, Granger, Tel, Melin and Torken, are going to be in Tgthr's ship for a week, or so. Can you dip into your field rations and cover that?"
"Sure. Go on in and I'll make up packs."
Tel joined us and drew Granger off to one side, then fell into a strange tongue; while he argued for an immediate overthrow of us and stealing the A K ship. I knew he had more sense than that so I let him have his joke. Melin and Torken came in and ate. He and Granger didn't know what to make of each other, so they didn't talk.
Two hours later with everyone done, I said, "Time."
My team picked up their rations and marched out. "Mary, if we don't make it, relay our results to each HQ. Then go on with the plan in my stead. I've spoken with Torme, and he and his world are on board."
"That's a hurdle gone, a big one. I'll read in your memoirs how you did it."
"You'll get the first copy. Later."
I piloted the Wagon myself, with Granger in the right seat and Tel hanging over my head. Both of them could have done as well as me after an hour. I sent a message that we were coming. "You're welcome," came back. I still couldn't trust him.
Once in Tgthr's ante-chamber with him on the screen, I asked, "Why didn't you ever try to grow another body?"
"One person can't, with what I have here."
"Two people could, me and you."
"Don't joke. You don't trust me."
"I'll make you a deal, Tgthr. You help me make an ANNU KI body for my snake friend here, and you and I will make the second one for you. You'll have to wear select special jewelry, but you'll be free to move about your ship."
"Don't have enough gold, even if you brought what you did last time."
"Not going to use gold, rather crystals."
"Subject mental and physical activity won't be as fast."
"It will be faster. I know."
"Let me look."
I let him look. He puzzled and puzzled. Then he went into a screaming fit the translator couldn't handle. We waited. I hoped he wouldn't blow a circuit, or something. I started to intervene, but he calmed himself and said, "Deal."
I turned to the team and said, "Melin, you and Torken know the drill. Tel you better have someone to take over as operator because you'll be going into the mix in twenty four hours."
Tel snorted, "He's ready. He'll take over this body when I leave. No fear."
"Your free to do what you think profitable, Granger. You know enough not to interfere, no matter what happens."
"I do. I'll just observe."
"We're ready Tgthr."
"You know the way to the lab. Meet you there."
We started by both of us doing a thorough exam of Tel's snake body. Tgthr said he knew the model, limited mentality foot soldiers, and this one met the norm. Then we started mixing chemicals for the ANNU KI body, a male. I kept a seamless feed going to both Mary and Lil who were copying every move Tgthr and I went through in the plateau ship's lab. Worst came to worst Melin would have enough food for a lot of feedings. Tel had an independent operator out of body already 'standing' by. I put all of my skill into the process. Especially making sure Togulth understood the crystals part. We grew them in the lab on a corner shelf. I hurried them along a bit, but they would have grown on their own without me.
Four days later, to the hour, the spinner stopped and released its hold on the occupant.
Granger, observing, said, "Don't play silly ass, Tel, walk over here to the exam table."
He had been monitoring mentally, off to one side in my mind. He knew also that the experiment had succeeded. The simultaneous experiment on the plateau had gone well too.
Tel stood away from the spinner. He moved slowly at first, but gained confidence within a dozen steps. His eyes and the membrane in his forehead focused on me. He tried to talk. Granger gave him the nourishment cocktail we'd prepared. He put some in his mouth, and remembered how to swallow.
His first words were, "Couldn't you have put some kick in this."
Torken approached and held his hand upward, saying, "Welcome Giant. We are going to kill many enemies."
Tel grasped his hand and they became manly. Both desisted before any damage occurred. God, why men always want to be king of the mountain, I'll never know.
Tel lay on the indicated table. "My privates will shrivel from this cold before I have a chance to use them."
I approached, "Exam tables are designed cold. That way we're sure you're alive."
I did all of the tests I could think of. Tgthr hovered by me. He nodded approval. One body grown and ten thousand thousands to go. There must be a quicker way. Evidently I'd not shielded my thoughts enough as Tgthr said, "There is."
"Give."
"The rejuvenation chambers also act as cloning devices. No ANNU KI would use them, though they would work on us too. But no ANNU KI would trust another self to not kill him. Prepare to receive. There. We use them when we run out of fighter pilots. Works well for that purpose. My chambers are damaged beyond repair. The ones on the other ship should function."
Someone, not me, had the foresight to bring along a robe for Tel which almost covered his knees. What the hell were we going to do for uniforms? Togulth rummaged through a corner locker. I marveled at how many pusher/puller beams had to function in sequence to make that possible. He found a packet which he threw to Tel. "Have a uniform on me. I have more somewhere."
Granger broke the packet open. I heard a hiss of entering air, long term thinking at its best.
I said, "You next, Tgthr."
"I'll almost miss my bondage."
"Well, leave some part of you in the computer."
"I could. I will. Let's get on with it."
"Granger, take Tel up to the plateau. Just hit auto pilot return. Send the Wagon back. Mary and Lil are in charge."
"Aren't they always?"
He and Tel left, Tel moving slowly. He would have to get acclimated to the large body. It had much more strength, more potential than the snake one.
Tgthr's body came out of the spinner four days later. I guided him over to the exam table. Torken gave him a drink. His mind swirled in anticipation of doing what he'd been accustomed to, in a body. He lay down for his exam.
I held his shoulder and said, "I'm going to give you a gift of a fine braided necklace. You mustn't ever take it off. Understand?"
"Free, and not free. I'll honor my deal."
"I think you will. We must have a conversation about how your race came to be sometime. Now I'm going to start on a female body."
"Must you? You won't like female ANNU KI. They don't follow orders well."
I about laughed out loud. "I suppose you don't want a female to share with?"
"Oh, by the Gods, no, defiantly not, but I'll help you make one. As I regain direct mental control of the machines through my membrane it will be easier. Watch in my mind how that develops so you can pass along the knowledge."
As we watched her grow, Togulth schooled me in the frequency interfaces which enabled one mind to operate his class of ship. My link up still flowed to the plateau where it passed on to the end users.
In a guarded moment while
the others rested I sent messages to the Essence data bank detailing my advancements.
PAULA, SEND A MOTHER SHIP TO ME EACH WEEK.
ACKNOWLEDGED.
On the plateau I mentally supervised the operation of the cloning in the rejuvenation chambers. There were twenty one such, one master chamber, in which the body to be copied went, and twenty subordinate chambers. The complex had its own power supply. The whole process used light to accomplish its purpose. Time needed, twenty four hours, for ANNU KI bodies, twelve for snake bodies.
Three days layer Shelia sat on the exam table. The operator, from Granger's world, had been one to loose her life at the latest settlement site.
We'd conversed. She had long term training in microbiology. That's why I'd chosen her. She understood minutely what went into her body. That I knew from her questions.
Tgthr and I pronounced her fit. Then he said, "I would like a bit of privacy to think. Perhaps I can incorporate the crystal system in my snake experiments."
"I understand. You need only call mentally if you need my input."
"Thank you."
"We'll be leaving now Shelia. Melin, help her get into the uniform. We'll have undergarments for you later, Shelia."
I watched them get her inside the coverall. It seemed like a human had been doubled in size and put together. Togulth assured me her short brown hair would grow, slowly. She could reproduce, using the rejuv chambers as a womb. It filled with a liquid from which the baby absorbed nutrients. He also informed me few infants were born under control of their parents. There being a mass production facility, which handled such affairs.
Up on the plateau everyone wanted to report to me at once.
"Reduce what you want to say to twenty five words. Meanwhile Shelia and I are going for a walk to smell the flowers. I know they're dried now. And for goodness sakes get a tailor who can sew the girl some underwear."
Of course I knew what they wanted to say. I just wanted them to get it straight in their own minds first. I didn't intend to stay around, any longer than necessary. Their reports would help me decide who to leave in charge. Then I would be off, back to ARK IV with my two ANNU KI bodies, which Mary and Lil grew for me in the plateau ANNU KI ship. The battleship would leave me off and continue down time to Paula. No sense sending her words when I could send her results. I could spare the sliver of myself which animated the bodies now. I just had to wait until another player arrived on scene. On second thought perhaps I'd best send the package to Paula right away. Perhaps she had a project brewing. I gave the necessary orders, warned Paula, and sent my 'children' up to the Battleship with Mary. After its mission it would return and take up orbit.
Operational Area Moneslakia
Chapter Nine
Granger
I watched Betty and Shelia go out of sight around the ship. Then I took up my personal perch near the cliff edge where I could survey the forests below. Far down slope Torken's village poked its roofs through the trees. The coming decision that Betty would have me make, didn't give me any joy, whichever way I jumped. That Mary's suspicions concerning the settlement had proven valid further added to my kill list. The settlement ploy had been played out seven times. That resulted in a lot of dead country men and women of mine. We had all of them aboard Mary's ship in essence state. Tel's operators worked with then to help them regain grounding. Mary had found a surplus dome installation designed for a methane Moon and it now kept the latest batch of victims safe. We'd publicized that policy failing, over the surrounding solar systems so maybe publicity would prevent stray Neutron Bombs.
Tel's voice brought me back to here. "May I sit? I didn't want to interrupt."
"No, that's no problem. Grab some grass. Pretty down there."
"Like a park. With this body I could be useful in the logging industry."
We both chortled at that likelihood. I knew Tel tired of war. I also knew he would follow me wherever.
"What we going to do, Granger? We have about a hundred bodies like mine. With Shelia we'll have a hundred females to pick at us. We could find a planet and be at peace, until someone came to kill us."
"That's the point Tel, until someone. We have to be so strong, that when people even think about us, they immediately run for another galaxy. Betty can give that to us.
"She's no one to cross. Without a thought over time we'd never be born. I don't think she'd go back on a deal, but don't even entertain a wisp of any idea of crossing her."
"I know, Tel, I know. But her war is also ours. Her enemy is behind our planets problems too. We could have controlled birth rates and done fine. But it's not allowed. That's too dumb on our part to not be intentional. Think about it."
"I hid from the fact that we were bred like slaves. No one likes to realize that."
We sat for a while in silence, spotting huge birds that searched for lunch. The logged out patches made good 'ground zeros' for them. One would swoop down and catch something, and another would take its place in the chow line.
Behind us Betty said, "Evolution at work. Wonder how long the prey will take to work themselves up to bows and arrows. Hazard a guess?"
I reflected, "Probably never. We were just discussing that point in relation to our home planet. Picking ones self up out of stupidity rarely happens. One must be drawn up by someone's hand on the scruff of ones neck. How much higher are you going to pull us, Betty?"
Tel started to rise, "I should go."
"Sit. The answer is you can jump up from here on your own, if you decide to, you two. Those back there by the ship will follow. What will it be, the stars, or cutting wood down below?"
She sat cross legged in front of us, closer to the edge than safety would advise. Odd, how Tel and I made ready to grab her if she would topple over, an immortal being that wouldn't detour around a sun.
Tel and I began to recite; "I swear allegiance to the Cause. I will not question whether the Cause is just, or proper. I will carry out any order by those higher then me in the chain of command. So sworn by I, Tel/Granger, on my immortal soul, this day."
Betty didn't know whether to laugh, or cry, or swat both of us behind our ears. Finally she just said, "Allegiance accepted. Let's get to work."
Walking back toward the ship I sent out a mental call, "Attend, attend. Tel and I have decided to do this Betty's way. If anyone disagrees we'll put you off here, on this planet. No takers. So it's done. Choose your leaders. Standard Army SOP, based on five person fire teams etc. Get the roster to me when it's agreed upon."
Operational Area Gorgsden
Chapter Ten
Janus Malcolm Peabody
"Inside the box," I asked. "You want to see what's inside the box?"
She looked askance at me and fluttered her eyes, as only a precocious flirting newly mature maiden can, and answered, "Of course I do. If it's something naughty, I'm going tell Mama, and you'll be in big trouble."
The box referred to, had dimensions of one by three by five of this planet's feet long. Under it were rollers. Many things could be in it, and Berlein wanted to rummage around inside. If she noticed certain things within, I would be in deep trouble with everyone from Mama up to the Planetary Government. The local representative hadn't liked me on sight, me tall, and him short, when I got off the road and asked to be let through his gate. I, J.M.P., formerly of Her Majesty's Honor Guard, and now a forbidden Tech runner, having to claim 'haven' from anyone skewed my outlook for sure. But, being torn asunder in a periodic electrical storm didn't bode well for a successful mission completion.
"Tell you what, Berlien, if I bring you out a pretty red dress, will you not think of my box anymore?"
She looked into my eyes from her perch on the table I sat at and observed, "Maybe. But it would be brainless not to question if perhaps a green dress didn't lie in there also."
I couldn't say anything to refute that comment, so I opened the lid a crack, stuck in my hand, and pulled out a bright red dress. It would fit her like a second skin, commanding
attention to her impressive breasts. Maybe that dilemma would hold her for an hour or so.
She took the dress and ran off upstairs, promising to see me tomorrow. I considered my chances of surviving outside in the storm, none. Despite that fact I almost left. For sure the storm herein could match the one outside.
The noise of Berlien thundering up the stairs to the children's loft, masked the nearness of Mama until she knocked on my doorjamb.
"That 'B' not bothering you, is she? My husband is away so long, and so often, with his traveling smelting machine. If he stayed at home she wouldn't cuzzel up to older men so unashamedly. She rightly should be set for marrying on her next birthday, but she hasn't developed any breasts. The medicine makers say they don't have any cure."
I didn't say eyeglasses on her part would be the cure. Maybe she didn't want to part with her youngest, or maybe the medicine people had an oar in the water, like they used to say in my youth on the Great River.
"No. She's not a bother. Just curious about what's over those far away hills."
"That's so. She asks so many questions. Reminds me of my youth."
A far away look misted her eyes, and she turned her face away from me. I didn't interrupt her moment. She knew the roll of gracious hostess. In practicality, no guarantee of her husbands return existed. If a stranger developed interest and tarried, his purse would be that much lighter when he did, if ever, leave.
"Won't you sit for a while? I still have some of that sweet drink you so graciously provided this morning."
She gathered herself and put on a pleasant face. "I will. Flentene is so nice. It tastes good, cold, or hot. Will you have business to conduct when the storm allows people outside? But really you could use the tunnels that connect all of the buildings. Of course, the wailing almost brings on madness in some folk. Oh, me, I ramble on and on."
"It becomes you," I said, "I'll answer your questions in turn. Could I latch the door? The children are so noisy and interruptive?"
Greener Green III: Let Light Reign Page 7