by Michael Berg
“Well Mister Bobby, in all my twenty eight years, I don’t think I have ever had such a thrill.”
“My pleasure Miss Candice. Mister Weston, where...”
“Oh yes, yes. Take it to the large shed with the open doors. I have a horse in there and let it roam in and out. It will not bother us.”
After spending five more minutes looking over the car after Bobby had parked, Mister Weston unravelled an old large sail cloth prompting Bobby to help him cover the car. Miss Candice stood aghast smiling widely with a spark set alight in her eyes. She was abuzz as if these moments were revealing something about her life she had been waiting to experience.
“Now Mister Regal, please help me with some wood I have stacked whilst Miss Candice opens the house for us if she will.”
“I most certainly will Mister Weston. I will also prepare us some tea.”
“Grand idea. Mister Regal?”
“Um, yes sure Mister Weston.” Bobby’s thoughts staggered a little then as he felt something stir deep within. He felt as if he had somehow been violated at a cellular level without his consent. It was a strange feeling where at first he put it down to something residual coming from time travel, but then he began to assert more convincing resolutions as to its source. He knew the two women were up to something at the bordello and since his experiences with them in the bed chambers, and their idea of ‘seed’, he had formed conclusions. Now the puzzle was coming together for him as he reasoned this deep cellular feeling. They were doing something about him with him, yet he was not there. He sensed the urgency from this and hoped his afternoon with Miss Candice and Mister Weston would serve him well. He needed their help now – there were no other allies in this time who were at the ready to assist his urgent need to respond to Valeena and Beth and what it was they were endeavouring to create.
“Here we are Mister Regal. If we each take an arm load, I am sure it will serve us for the remainder of this day.”
“Absolutely Mister Weston, I concur.”
“I say Mister Bobby, this is turning out to be a most auspicious occasion,” Miss Candice announced the moment the two men had made way inside. “Mister Weston, I have fetched a pot of water in order we may make some tea.”
“Fine work Miss Candice. As soon as this fire is going, I will attend to some tea, and then Mister Regal, we are at your disposal.”
When tea was set, the fire stoked, and comfortable chairs drawn near for their occupants to warm by the fire, Mister Weston took to delving into finding more about Bobby’s background. Miss Candice sensed his level of intrigue as she too wanted to know more of what this meant for her life, losing all trace of any previous suffering from Jonstown’s more dull moments.
“Well Mister Weston, your question is most pertinent for a satisfied mind from your perspective in regards to allowing yourself to trust me as you so define. In answer to you both, I must again stress your full confidence as this moment will leave more aghast than anything else you have ever encountered.”
“More than your car Mister Bobby?”
“Much more Miss Candice. My vehicle...um, car, and I are both a product of your future. It was never my intention to find myself in this time, but events at the bordello, have no doubt taken course to bring me before you now.”
“You are a time traveller Mister Bobby?”
“More a victim of time travel Miss Candice.”
“Amazing! How on Earth can this occur? I am a lowly man when it comes to inventions Mister Regal. One could call me a tinkerer rather than a master or some engineering genius.”
“Do not discount yourself Mister Weston, for there is surely some genius in us all. And it is with anticipation today I intend to propose something to both you and Miss Candice to see if you can help me.”
“We help you, but surely you have the marvels of the future at your beckoning.”
“Only my car Mister Weston, for this unexpected travel through time, has otherwise rendered me naked.”
“Of the bordello at which I have been staying...”
“You must not return Mister Bobby. I will hear nothing of it. Surely Mister Weston and I can arrange suitable accommodation for your stay here in Johnstown.”
“I am sure we could. You can stay here for there is enough room.”
“Then I graciously accept your offer Mister Weston. It will provide us the means of time by which we can work together on what it is I am to propose.”
“Will you need my help Mister Bobby?”
“Of course Miss Candice. Mister Weston, would it be in order for Miss Candice to stay this night so we can all work? It is a long walk...”
“Miss Candice?”
“I am most thankful Mister Weston. Yes, I will stay the night.”
Chapter 10
Valeena knew Bobby knew, as did Beth. They were skilled in analysing the emotional behaviours of human beings and were able to identify those subtle nuances indicative of thoughts seeking actions. Bobby had presented enough evidence of his knowledge through his insistence and his clever construct of moments Valeena had sensed.
“He will not return to us today Beth. I can sense his disparity with us here.”
“Do you think he knows of empathic sensory abilities Valeena?”
“He may, but very few humans do, otherwise they would have used it against us previously during the war.”
“What of our need for him to enliven this being we are creating?”
“You and I will have to come up with a plan seeing he is not going to be as willing as he has been. We need his last cellular infusion before it will fertilise the being and thus enable us to create copies.”
“And the device?”
“It is ready. We will need to arrange a circumstance where we can take a dig from him of both skin and flesh. It is from there the cell extraction takes place.”
“It is wonderful how we can manipulate molecular chains to turn cells back into stem cells.”
“An essential part of this process Beth, for they will provide the basis on which character is to be built and from there personality. Within ten years, the human population should be overcome with the intrusion of our created race.”
“What about afterwards? Do we need to continue this boring war?”
“Of course not silly, it is why we are doing this. The influence of our beings will be so great, humans will evolve from our seeded in this time to be our complacent servants helping us take their gold.”
“There is a lot of gold here for us Valeena.”
“For Vindor Beth, always for Vindor.”
“I know Valeena. What are we to do this afternoon? I am a bit bored without Bobby present.”
“You will soon have more than you can handle, so just relax for some time.”
“I wish he were here so we could spend the day in bed.”
“I too would like it Beth, he was quite good.”
“Lovely. Well, you go and do what you need and I will clean up a bit around here. Call if you want me.”
“I will need you later on so why don’t you prepare this evenings meal and have it on standby. We won’t have much time to cook later and the work will make us hungry.”
“I already am.”
“I know. I am as well, but for now we have more to do as this is a sensitive time for our incubation to succeed.”
Valeena left Beth to return and monitor the final incubation stage before the emergence of the new life form. Her work for the remainder of this day was to involve the final processes to bring the incubated life from its chamber to becoming an independent entity of sorts. With all thus far having proceeded beyond expectations and beyond the simulated results on her home planet, Valeena was confident in achieving the objectives as set out by her superior officer Froend.
It was by no means a life size being in respect to its parenting. The entity floated within the growth medium fluid contained in a spherical vessel attached to numerous conduits, conductors, and a charge unit to provide it wit
h bio-electrical function. It was not a sentient entity until Bobby provided the final cellular imprint to enable self awareness in almost an instant as a quantum leap over the years new born beings normally took to mature.
Valeena adjusted a few controls after an alert sounded. The incubation device then entered the final phase of growth medium transition where the entity began to take on human like form as it moved slowly in its first struggle realising life. Moments later, Valeena adjusted another control mechanism as she injected a peculiar bright blue liquid containing a bioluminescence ingredient for perpetuating protein collusion to manifest of a near human biological entity.
In a rapid sequence of events initiated by the injection of the bioluminescent fluid, the incubated life changed appearance from what could only be described as a mass of biological matter, into a distinct form resembling features of its parental influences. A face took shape, as did the outline of a body – both humans and Vindors shared almost identical features in outward appearance with most differences being internal and out of sight. Legs and arms formed as a definite posture emerged adding to its humanoid characteristics, giving it an identity although it was still far from anything resembling either a human or Vindor child. Still, it was a child in form and when they had added the final cellular matter from Bobby, it would become the template from which many others could be created.
Valeena watched it fascinated as this was the first time she had ever experienced feelings surrounding parenthood. It was certainly not the natural maternal instinct she could have felt through growth and birth of a natural Vindor child. It held something of her, of Beth, and of Bobby, in a combination she definitely had growing feelings for and a desire to protect. She felt some degree of torment simultaneously as its present state alluded mostly to life ghastly and grotesque, barely representing sentience at all.
Natural maternal emotions arise within most mothers when they realise their nurturing traits – Valeena wondered how Beth would feel considering she too was part of this seed for a new Vindor and humanity cross breed. And yet despite these feelings, above all else was Valeena’s Vindor sense of pride where if called upon, she would cast aside all notions of nurture for the sake of Vindor at large, as too would Beth.
Satisfied the process of incubation had entered its final stage in good order, Valeena took some time to consider how she and Beth would retrieve cellular information from Bobby. There was no doubt he knew something of their doings and his visit to town would confirm she and Beth had taken him through a time warp back over eighty years.
His visit to Jonstown would show the perpetual nature of how events were to unfold and their taking of his seed was sure to conjure thoughts where he would understand their intentions to then as Steward of Earth Defences, immediately begin looking for ways to counteracting strategy. How long before he fully realised the potential of their work was still a guess, but Valeena knew Bobby was not one to keep guessing – rather he would look for definitions and solutions based on reconciliations of the facts.
She decided to go out to the shed behind the bordello for some time in solace away from her usual environment. The old shed and its mustiness from years gone by, reminded her of the quaint old places on her home planet Vindor. Times there in the past were not so unlike where she was now, and although it was a constructed timeline, the authenticity around her was evident as it stimulated her senses.
The people of Vindor had only recently achieved a milestone of success as they too had emerged from a relative backward age. The discovery of gravitational waves, time distortions, and the space travel abilities had eventuated in their quest to find gold on Earth, and thus save their own home planet. In Earth times, it had been a mere sixty seven years prior to the commencement of hostilities with humans, when Vindor had found its way beyond light.
Their light was however a darkness as it focused onward on acts of self gratification.
Whilst humanity experienced its own plight of ego maniacs trying to assume responsibility for an entire race, Vindor had taken this much further. Their leaders and their people had taken to finding solace in self righteousness demonstrated outwardly as their pride of accomplishment, no matter the cost. So far in opposition to humans who had usurped those holding humanity in contempt to live in relative equality across the entire planet, Vindor despite its order, was a world of turmoil driven to war as a world of selfish culture. Faced with the need for gold as a universal metal to stabilise their giant red star, Vindor people had been stirred into fervour by their leaders intent on securing their future.
Memories of her youth and even younger years came to her as the old wood and the damp smell took her to places long ago. Life had seemed much simpler then – all she really needed to do was to uphold her sense of worth to maintain status. Now with her abilities of persuasion called upon by the high command where she was almost forcibly made to undertake this mission of time, this mission of birth, and this mission to breed submissiveness into humanity, she spent considerable time away from her true self. Nevertheless, she was bound to uphold her virtues of service for Vindor, and so this respite from the incubation chamber was short lived. After ten minutes, she returned to the room and the foetal life inside the large glass ball.
“Valeena?”
“Yes Beth, I think I know what you are going to ask.”
“We need to find him soon.”
“I am working on a solution. We might have to risk using our spherical transporter to find him.”
“What if people see us?”
“We cannot allow it. I suggest you stay here when I go. I will be discreet.”
“And what of our work to be done later tonight?”
“There is no change. I will go to Jonstown after we have finished. There is still time between foetal birth and cellular transition to find Bobby.”
“Not much time though.”
“The cover of darkness will help. I will use the scanner. We have his seed and therefore his cellular sequence...if only as data.”
“How close will it be?”
“Whilst still experimental, I think the scanner will take me to within a hundred Earth metres.”
“How will you convince him to return?”
“I am counting on his wanting to return so he can follow up his own inquiry Beth. I am sure I can lure him out and from there he will do most of what we need. Once he has returned, it will only take a few moments to obtain his cells if we play correctly.”
“Can you take them when you first see him?”
“No. The device requires transfer of cells to the foetus within five minutes. Jonstown is much too far away even in the transporter.”
“Dinner is ready whenever we want to eat.”
“Thank you Beth. I think in about an hour would be fine. It is three in the afternoon now. If we commence the final incubation process by five, I should be able to leave here by nine. Leave me now whilst I speak to Vindor.”
“I’ll see you in an hour then.”
Valeena watched Beth leave the room – she was a part of this process for her youthfulness, and for been identified as having the softness of character many humans endeared to, yet she was also naive. Soon enough Beth would experience the full gravity of the situation unfolding around her and Valeena hoped she would have the staying power to see it through for she felt Beth had much more destiny awaiting her yet.
“Froend, it is so good to speak with you again. The incubation is proceeding well and we expect birth to occur this very evening much earlier than planned.”
“I am most eager to experience your results Valeena. Vindor is confident we can alter human history and erase the timeline they used in achieving space faring. Our imperative is to lessen our losses and expenses through breeding humans as a submissive race, and thus we will experience the glory we are entitled to as we exploit their services in retrieving Earth’s gold.”
“I also hold such visions close to my heart Froend. It is with divine grace I am entitled to p
rovide Vindor with such a magnificent opportunity.”
“Indeed it is with grace to see you with such a proviso Valeena. You are entrusted with many outcomes and can expect a glorious attribution upon return to our beautiful home world.”
“I look forward to the time Froend. Earth is such a dirty world.”
“Do you think so Valeena. It is not as polluted as Vindor once was when we burned elements to fuel our lives.”
“It is not the use of fuels I refer to Froend. There is something here making me uneasy. Consider my very cover here at this bordello. These houses are part of humanity’s dirty darker side.”
“Think nothing of it Valeena. Try not to be burdened with such distractions. After all, you are exquisite and therein is all you really need.”
“Thank you Froend, I am at your blessing.”
“Our pleasure Valeena. I will await your report after foetal birth.”
“Of course.”
Valeena ended communications with a swipe of her hand across the vision sphere eliminating Froend’s image and doing likewise with her image for him on their planet. The ball returned to a silvery lustre capturing her reflection for a moment where she noticed herself and immediately began to feel uplifted.
With a renewed sense of almost being at the pinnacle of achievement for her duties to Vindor, Valeena attended the incubator with heightened vigour ensuring all the readouts were nominal for status of the foetus. She then checked them all again before making one slight adjustment for the final procedure prior to birth. The foetus was now given a direct link protein stream providing the energy required to survive the birth process and beyond to cellular transfusion.
It was pertinent for her to keep watch over the device as the protein stream reached full influx, resulting in the foetal seed beginning to move in response as it writhed about as it realised it growing energy levels. Over the following forty five minutes until dinner, Valeena saw it come to life. At first it was only capable of jerky erratic movements in a purely raw response to the change in itself, before gradually accommodating its new actualisation.