Authors: Mark G Brewer
Sindali raised her arms and waited, amazingly the noise quickly died away so that she could speak. Regan heard little of it. Turning back to look at the STEIN, to her shock she saw Ham was displaying a live feed of them on the face of the ship. Except she was the focus, the others slightly out of focus, and it seemed she looked taller relative to Marin by her side.
She blushed in embarrassment, noticing none of that appeared on the screen. She was presented there as tall, smiling and confident.
Hi tech airbrushing?
[Why is it, Ham, that my life is not under my own control?]
[Regan you are in control, as always. Just think of this as power assisted steering.]
She sighed and turned back to the crowd, just as Sindali looked around and gestured for her to come forward. The noise quickly became deafening.
* * *
Who Knows Where?
The eyes blinked open.
"Ahh . . . good, you're with us then?"
Regan looked out at Bob, dapper as always, and then swiveled her eyes taking in her surroundings; apart from the two of them it appeared to be an otherwise empty room. Having a definite sense of physical as opposed to cyber presence she unconsciously reached up with her hand to rub her forehead, an action which revealed to her an arm she didn't recognize, thicker, longer and more olive in complexion. Showing remarkable calm she regarded the cyber form before her coolly.
"You cyber napped me, how could you do that?" The voice sounded strange, unfamiliar, and she looked again at the hand, the long fingers and manicured nails.
"I must apologize for the manner of my intervention. No harm was intended. I needed to separate you from your friend, I'm sure you will appreciate the need."
Bob's calm assumptive demeanor annoyed her and momentarily she contemplated reaching out and taking him by the throat but then thought better of it. He wasn't physically there after all.
"Where am I?" She asked.
Gather all the information you can.
He put one hand to the chin and pursed his lips as if considering whether to answer. "Suffice to say, a long way from where you were, on the other side of the galaxy actually. I may tell you more depending on the outcome of our meeting but for the moment, best to leave it at that, you understand."
"No, I don't," she flared, "you've ripped me from my body and deposited me here, wherever here is, and you did it without my permission. Why should I cooperate with you at all?" Again she raised her hands in wonder, becoming more aware of her body and the strangeness of it by the minute.
"Regan . . . may I call you that?" He continued straight on anyway. "You don't have to cooperate, but we hope you do. Either way, you will be returned. Please, enjoy a drink with me. I have your coffee, or something like it. I will try to explain what I can, and then later we will meet with the elders."
He turned and sat in a chair opposite. Looking down for the first time Regan realized she too had been standing and she twisted to see a chair behind her. Feeling slightly clumsy she sat, uncomfortably. Something didn't feel right.
She looked at Bob, infuriatingly neutral in his appearance. "Why the body?" she asked bluntly and held up her hands to take in the strangeness of them again.
"We couldn't afford the risk of allowing you straight into our system, hence the android. They are common here; many of our Minds inhabit them in the course of their work. It seemed an ideal way to quarantine you while we talk and of course you still have all your mental faculties. I would ask that you please refrain from trying to leave the room. You are perfectly safe here for now but it might be best to avoid contact with the people of this system in case you are discovered."
"Would I be in danger?" she asked.
"Possibly, but it is of more concern that you might draw attention to us, in an unhelpful way." He seemed to be taking his time, as if patiently allowing her to adjust to the situation and it annoyed her.
"What do you want me to do, and why?" She asked simply.
"What we would like is for you to agree to meet with the elders. Again I apologize for sounding vague, however it is simply not in my power to say what might come of that meeting. As to why you are here, I thought that would be obvious." He held both hands up, palms upward, waiting for her to respond.
"Perhaps it's obvious to you Bob, but not to me; do enlighten me please."
"Why Regan, surely you are aware you are unique, you are the first point of confluence. There has been no meeting of the two streams before. You have the cyber mind and the biological mind somehow joined, in fact more than joined. In you they flow together as one."
She didn't respond, considering the perspective and what it might mean . . . and what they might want to do. Then a thought came to her so clearly it seemed like a sub.
"Don't worry babe, no one experiments on
my
partner."
Thankfully, the new body and its strangeness provided the perfect cover for the flood of relief she felt at that moment. Regan maintained eye contact with Bob and nodded agreement.
"No problem Bob . . . I'm here, I may as well meet with the powers that be. I make no promises however, and I don't appreciate the manner in which I was co-opted."
"Thank you Regan, I will leave you for now. We meet in two hours your time. There is food and drink of your liking here in the room and you will be able to enjoy it. The android form can appreciate all those tastes and sensations. You are welcome to view the news reels here, just call for the screen. Please, however, do not attempt to leave the room. Are we agreed?" He looked at her, waiting.
She nodded, "Agreed, but don't make it too long."
Bob smiled for the first time, and then disappeared.
"So how do we do this, communicate I mean, it feels a little different?"
Regan leant back in the chair and pretended to rest, closing her eyes and clasping her hands in her lap.
"Just do what you're doing I guess, just think it, it's new to me too."
"My stars Ham, you never fail to amaze me. And you have no idea how good it was to hear your voice. How did you get through? Bob deliberately tried to pull me away alone."
"Haa . . .that popinjay is too full of himself. I've crept up on Minds far sharper than his and become their worst nightmare, believe me. Oh and made a few friends too; I'd hate you to think I just dispatch everyone."
". . . Only the ones who won't become your friends? Never mind that, how come you’re here, not that I mind?"
"Babe, we're so wedded now we share DigiNA. We're cybernese twins. And . . . you never shut the curtain; when he sucked you through I just came with you automatically."
"Well my friend, as usual I'm glad you're here, it makes me feel so much better. I'm just gonna wing it with these guys but if you have any ideas, feel free . . ."
"I'll be busy, I think,"
Ham said suspiciously,
"but call if you need me."
"Busy doing what?"
"Best you don't know, in case you're asked, you're not a good liar. Suffice to say they're already finding it tough to keep out the robber's dog."
"So you're in the system already, blimey . . . since you're there, do you know if I'm alone, I mean, is this area private?"
"It seems so, why do you ask?"
Regan ignored the question, her hands rustling under the android's flimsy robe having found a significant body part that felt distinctly new to her.
The explorations were producing a surprising effect and Bob was right, the android form did appreciate all kinds of sensations.
Hmm, this could be an interesting experiment for later.
She could sense Ham's attentive presence had departed and began to scan the room.
Two hours before the meeting . . .
* * *
Dahlia Orbital
Regan literally bounced with every step back to the STEIN after the experience on the Dahlia flight deck. While she hadn't sought a high profile and normally would have shunned it, feeling like a rock star as the crowd cheered her every utterance and move was embarrassingly intoxicating.
Still buzzing with excitement she dragged Marin into her room, happy for the moment to have him alone. Her suit hit the floor and she tore at his collar, rushing ahead until he grasped her wrists and gently forced her back on to the bed, trying to slow her down. Using his weight to restrict her he lay over her as she continued to writhe, wrapping her legs around him and pulling him in.
He laughed, "Regan, you're a vixen no doubt, but this isn't like you, what's up?" He softened the question with a smile.
She chuckled and then pushed him up slightly. "Two things; first, back there in the STEIN when I fainted, it was Bob, he was there. I didn't know I was the only one who could see him and when he shook my hand somehow he sucked me away, my entire cyber presence. There was only this left." She tapped the right side of her head. "Ham immediately reloaded my back up but at the moment it still feels like my right brain has a bit more sway, and I like it." She wriggled one hand between them and began to massage Marin through his suit.
"Secondly," she continued, "and I'm embarrassed to admit this, that reception on the flight deck has to be the headiest experience of my life. All that adulation could go to a girls head." She smiled up at him mischievously and with a sudden twist flipped him off her, swinging around to assume the dominant position.
He didn't fight. "Babe, much of what you just said is a complete mystery to me, but I'm not complaining." He lifted his hips to ease the removal of his suit and she finished stripping it in one smooth motion before leaning forward to lubricate him generously with her tongue.
Then, continuing to take the lead she straddled him and impaled herself with a groan.
Marin lay there, happily passive and enjoying it as she took her pleasure.
Ahh, home again, two beautiful warrior women, could life be better than this?
* * *
It was morning on Dahlia Orbital and the lights brightened slowly in the palace guest room. Regan blinked at the change before rolling back to the centre of the large bed and curling up, still reluctant to rise. She wrapped the single covering tightly around her and listened for sounds of life, trying to get a sense of her surroundings. She could hear nothing.
Rolling onto her back she closed her eyes and searched instead for a wireless connection. With the sense she was sliding into the Orbital web she began to roam there, exploring, and quickly became overwhelmed by the options.
[Good morning Regan, can I help you with anything?]
[Hilary, forgive me, I was orienting myself with where I am and looking for news, how are you?]
[I am happy to be home, and here on this Orbital Regan, I am happy to be Dahlia. It feels right.]
[Of course it does my friend, and what can you tell me?]
[You asked about the news? Regan, you are the news, all around the system and there are grave concerns as to your intentions. The Orbital Council has demanded a meeting with Sindali and I can tell you it is unprecedented for them to demand anything from a member. I believe their concern is mainly over the fleet here to greet you. Vessel movement in the entire system has been disrupted and trade is standing still.]
[You said I am the news, what are they saying?]
[You are the subject the council wants to discuss. They see you at the heart of the disruption and a unified religion has never been experienced in this system. Perhaps understandably they fear the loss of control. They believe in freedom of thought but . . .]
[Not if it threatens their power.] Regan interrupted. [We're not all that different are we, humanoids? Have they asked to see me?]
[No, just Sindali, she wants to meet with you and Ham this morning to agree on an approach and there isn't much time. The Council representatives will be here this evening, with warships.]
[Hmm . . . Ham, I know you're listening, what are your thoughts?]
The beautiful man materialized, sitting at the foot of the bed, and he reached out to gently pat her leg in encouragement.
"Don't worry about the warships Regan, they don't control them so there won't be any fighting, that isn't the challenge here." He paused, taking on for him an unusually serious look, with no trace of his normal wicked humor.
"The Council doesn't yet realize the seriousness of this situation. The Minds hold life and death in their hands and now they cannot be wiped or threatened. When the Council discovers this they'll no doubt feel threatened, but it's important they accept that the Minds aren't in rebellion; in fact they mostly want to continue in their roles, but by choice, not by threat. This is the new reality and someone needs to tell them, better yet to win them over." Again he waited, watching her, knowing what she was thinking. "Babe, I know of no one better able to sell an unpalatable truth than you. You can help them see the advantages, I know you can; it must be you who speaks to them."
Regan pushed herself up to sit and leant back against the wall, chewing her lip pensively as she thought through the problem. "And if they won't listen?"
"Regan, they must listen, the Minds will follow you whether the Council likes it or not. The best outcome here is that they embrace the change."
"And the worst outcome is . . ." she waited nervously.
"I have faith in you, there will only be a positive outcome."
"You know Ham, while you've sold me as the savior, the Council sees me as the devil." It was warmly said and Regan swung her legs from the bed.
"Who cares how they see you now, they don't know you yet. When they meet you they'll see the light, believe me, they'll have to."