“You’re displaying indicators of obsession,” Fawn noticed calmly.
“You imply, I’ve by no means proven indicators of obsession earlier than?” I requested,
leaning again within the leather-based armchair that dominated my workplace. “Fawn,
if we’re proper I’m going to spend most of eternity with loads of
firm, however right this moment is my thirtieth birthday and I haven’t seen one other
human face in almost 4 years. I’m fortunate I haven’t gone loopy.”
“Your dedication to your self-proclaimed venture is spectacular. I
don’t perceive why you will have a necessity now for firm, and I don’t
perceive why you need this explicit girl.”
“One, as a result of she’s feminine. I might hardly get alongside so effectively with
one other man, Fawn. Two, as a result of if the legends are proper she has
precisely the sources I want. And three, as a result of I really feel sorry for her.
Is the final one okay with you, miss AI? Abused, battered, raped and
deserted… you suppose I’m not speculated to really feel sorry for her? By the
approach, how’s my historic Greek?”
Fawn paused. If she might sigh, I swear I might have heard one proper
then, however Fawn is comparatively bereft of sentimental feelings. “Your
Greek is ok. It had higher be with the best way I’ve been educating you. I
have the placement you need in all seven coordinates.”
“Thanks, Fawn.” I turned the chair round and headed right down to the
hanger bay, the place Fawn sat ready within the Future. How she moved
round like that was past me; much more past me was why she moved
in any respect. Simply hook a knowledge coupling to her and he or she was completely happy; why she
drew no energy was one other of these issues I had way back determined not
to query. She did what I wished.
Pendor! I might open up the skylights and watch it spinning,
illuminated by the one star on this tiny, pocket universe. In accordance
to Fawn, this universe hadn’t even existed till we got here right here; the
introduction of 4 photons transferring at odd angles to 1 one other
outlined the brand new area. With the dumping of our G7 (beforehand G8) star
right here, the universe was now increasing as a sphere, at 300
thousand kilometers each second.
I don’t even know the place the phrase got here from; the whole lot else I made a
aware effort to call however the place the phrase ‘Pendor’ got here from was
past me. As I handed by the observatory I regarded out onto the
silently turning ring, full with land, water, and air… and nonetheless
lifeless. And this mineral-heavy rock that my operational base sat on,
as soon as a tectonically steady planet in its personal proper till Fawn and I
had mined it clear for its inside sources, slowly orbited the star
‘Pin’ contained in the orbit of the ring. I couldn’t assist it; simply wanting
at it, solely one-third full however nonetheless an unbelievable achievement of
creativeness and engineering, introduced tears to my eyes.
The shuttlecraft ‘Future’ and it’s sister ship ‘Density’ sat side-
by-side within the enclosed bay. I climbed into the primary one and sat down
within the pilot’s chair, taking a couple of moments to refamiliarize myself
with the controls. “Prepared, Fawn.”
The airlock opened slowly, and with a mild flip of the auto-Z dial
we rose above the equally airless floor of Ops. “I’m prepared for the
transition,” Fawn introduced.
“Then do it.”
Like blinking my eyes, I used to be immediately staring out the entrance viewport
at a sky filled with stars. “Terra is to plus-x, minus-z. To your left and
under, in different phrases. As at all times, we now have no telemetry,” Fawn
introduced.
“Gotcha,” I mentioned. Banking with a slight roll, I regarded down and
situated the islands of what would sometime be generally known as Greece. “Are you able to
give me an illustration of Ida on a map, Fawn?”
“Proper there,” Fawn introduced. “Display screen three.”
I glanced up and over on the display she indicated, wanting on the map.
“Give me an method to Ida then, and let’s take her in.”
“Strategy plotted. How’s that?”
I glanced on the show. “Good,” I mentioned. I rolled again to a planar
angle and pitched ahead, firing the engines. “We’re taking place.”
Twenty minutes later the counter-gravitics had been stirring up the water
off the coast of the island of Ida. Outdoors the window I might see the
island itself, a protracted, sloping hillock of vivid inexperienced grass, slowly
rising from the ocean. Additional up the aspect of the hill I might see a
treeline, after which it appeared to drop out of sight. “Appears just like the
sort of place I’d prefer to retire to sometime,” I joked. “Stunning
nation, although.”
Fawn scanned the horizon rigorously, awaiting ships, observers on
the island, something. “We’re on the lookout for ‘the caves off the rocky
coast of Ida,’” I mentioned.
“That suggests it won’t really be on Ida itself.”
“I do know,” I growled. “Don’t remind me.”
“I’ve a geological development that could be ‘The Caves of Ida.”
“I hear a ‘however.’”
“You possibly can’t attain them with out going for a swim.”
“Escape the SCUBA gear,” I chuckled. “That’s not too arduous.”
“I’m powering up a drone in case you need assistance.”
“I received’t need assistance,” I insisted. “What’s the water like?”
“Seventy-four levels Fahrenheit,” she mentioned. “Amazingly heat for this
clime.”
“Would you advocate a moist swimsuit?”
“Solely the very lightest,” Fawn replied. “Comfortable neoprene can be high quality.”
“Bought it,” I mentioned, leaping into the again compartment. “Head as effectively?”
“Not essential,” Fawn replied. “And the visibility underwater appears to
be optimum.”
“Lack of air pollution,” I mentioned, pulling the jacket closed and zippering
up. “How shut are we?”
“I’ve moved us to simply on the opening of the caves and am about to set
us down on the water.” An accompanying ‘increase’ acknowledged that we had
‘landed.’ “We don’t have a moonpool, Ken, so I like to recommend you exit
the highest hatch and bounce in.”
“What’s the depth?”
“The place we’re? Ten meters. No threatening life varieties.”
“Thanks,” I mentioned, stuffing some further {hardware} into a water-resistant
pack and sealing up. After assembling the tanks and regulator and
assuring that I had an excellent provide, I mentioned, “Prepared?”
“Watch out, Kennet.”
“I’ll be high quality, Fawn. I’ll be again earlier than you already know it. And I’ve my
telemetry and radio rig.”
“You realize I’ll be watching.”
“I do know.” I climbed up the ladder and up onto the slowly rocking roof
of the shuttlecraft. Wanting round, first with out my masks, I breathed
within the heat, clear air. “Terra, pristine and clear.” I noticed some birds
flying on the island close by, and laughed. One factor we’ll by no means get
rid of, although, is the damned seagulls.
I gave lovely Ida one final look earlier than leaping into the water. I
at all times see this vivid crimson button in my creativeness after I do issues
like that, with a finger poised over it. The button is labeled
‘COMMIT.’
The splash surrounded me and bubbles adopted me down as I kicked and
regained management. Clearing my head, I regarded round for the opening of
the caves Fawn had indicated. I might see for miles; visibility was
unbelievable.
After I discovered the opening, I eased myself into it. I began to really feel
anxious; I knew of too many individuals who had died cavediving, working
out of air and slowly strangling to loss of life. The thought made me shiver. I
knew, although, that if Fawn had the slightest concept I used to be in hassle she
would ship a military of drones down right here to blast their option to me and
rescue me.
Flashlight in hand, I made my approach by what appeared to be a
intentionally if roughly hewn passageway. After what appeared like
endlessly (a look at my watch instructed me fifteen minutes), I began to
discover extra mild round me. I finished for a minute, turning off the
flashlight and ready for my eyes to regulate. After some time I felt
safe sufficient to maneuver on, making my approach on simply the bioluminescence
round me.
The sunshine brightened appreciably after a second, and I regarded up.
Via the water I might see what regarded like a dome of sunshine, and I
determined that, if this wasn’t the place, I needed to at the very least be shut. I
surfaced.
A cliche’, I mused, wanting round. A small grotto, crammed with air
and lined is glowing mosses. The air had a stale style to it, and a
unusual scent, like recent bread. Aside from the shortage of a rock within the
heart of the pool, this might need been the place Bilbo and Gollum
had their well-known duel of riddles.
I took my masks, fins, and rig off and located a spot for them on the
shore. Hopping up onto the seashore strewn with black and gray stones, I
regarded round, that odd bread scent nagging me. Then an previous line from
a track by The Who ran by my thoughts, and I scrabbled for my radio.
“Fawn,” I mentioned. “Are you able to hear me?”
“Clearly,” got here her voice over the radio.
“I’m high quality. I’m going to wish you to ship me the drone with a medical
help package two, with as a lot glucose and water as you may probably
get it to hold.”
“On its approach.”
I hummed the track that had come to thoughts, “Cache’, Cache’,” on the lookout for
my perspective goal. She needed to be right here someplace. “Waking up chilly
to the scent of bread,” I mentioned aloud, nonetheless looking. I discovered her.
Comatose, I discovered her mendacity towards a big boulder on the far finish of
the pool from the place I had come up. Her hair was matted and bedraggled;
bugs crawled over her physique. She wore a rotted tunic that hardly
lined her shoulders and apparently reached right down to cowl her knees
when she stood. Even by the smash, although, I might see what had
as soon as been a really lovely girl. I checked for heartbeat, pulse,
respiratory. There was some. With my flashlight I checked her eyes; they
nonetheless contracted below contact from mild. There was nonetheless an opportunity. A
pool of water had collected round her, and that fearful me.
The drone erupted from the water in a sheaf of bubbles and a slight
spray. Behind it was a big bag crammed with the medical provides I
had requested.
“Fawn, will this stuff even work on her?”
“I don’t know,” the AI replied.
“Nice,” I mentioned. I tapped her arm on the elbow, making an attempt to get a vein
to face up. I felt relieved when I discovered one. Becoming the IV rapidly,
I rigged the arise overhead and started a quick drip of water and
glucose into her arm.
Certainly one of my medical academics as soon as instructed me that hunger and
dehydration had been amongst her favourite issues to deal with, as a result of, as she
mentioned, “You match an IV into their arm they usually’re up an working like
nothing ever occurred. The household thinks it’s a miracle.”
My affected person didn’t come round so simply. I fretted over her for almost
an hour, feeling higher as her heartbeat appeared to get stronger, and
her eyes began transferring once more, albeit below their lids. “Sleep?” I
requested Fawn.
“How ought to I do know? May you rig me some telemetry possibly?”
“Oh, sorry,” I mentioned.
“Don’t trouble,” Fawn replied. “To precisely decide a sleep state
I’d want both visible affirmation or EEG, neither of which you will have
the {hardware} for.”
“If you happen to say so.”
“It’s all I can say proper now.”
“Thanks,” I mentioned grumpily.
I waited additional. Not less than I felt now that goddesses responded to
intravenous feeding. Or hoped they did. She did appear to be getting
higher, a pink glow returning to her cheeks. She nonetheless appeared extra
pale than was wholesome.
It occurred to me that I hadn’t even thought to query that the
girl earlier than me was brilliantly Caucasian. Blond, loosely curled hair
with only a contact of golden-red to it framed a rounded face now made
haggard by her self-inflicted losing.
I had my again to her, placing a few of my gear away (I had lately
developed a little bit of a neatness complicated. I don’t know why.), after I
heard a small whimper, then a cough. I rotated rapidly.
“Hey,” I breathed. “Relax. All the pieces is ok.”
She coughed. I winced; that didn’t sound good. “Who,” she mentioned, her
voice rasping, “Who’re you?”
I smiled. “My identify is Kennet.”
She coughed once more. “My arms… they harm.”
“I’m placing medication into you.”
She regarded down. “That’s… that’s not attainable but.”
I smiled. “You actually do know medication, don’t you?”
“Feeding somebody by their veins… we now have no medication for that.
Apollo mentioned it was foolish to show me as a result of no one I knew would ever
be capable of try this.”
“Apollo, huh?” I mentioned, grinning.
“You don’t imagine within the gods?” she requested, her voice cracking and
generally collapsing right into a whisper.
“Let’s simply say I could be one, and having been one, I’m not
impressed.”
She watched me curiously. “The place are you from?” she requested. “How did
you discover me?”
“The place I’m from,” I mentioned softly, “Is tough to say. I’m from an
airless, waterless ball of rock that floats close to one other star. I’m
from the longer term, and haven’t been born but.”
She checked out me with no comprehension. “You’re a god.”
“No,” I mentioned, shaking my head. “I can’t take that from you, Oenone.”
“You do know my identify, then.”
I nodded. “I got here on the lookout for you.”
“Why?” she requested, stunned.
“Oenone, I can’t be born for 2 thousand years. One thousand years
from now, barbarians will come and destroy a library in Persia, a
library containing the best writings, the best file of those
islands and their learnings. Your legends will burn, and solely echoes
of who you’re will attain my ears. You might be talked about solely within the
glossing, Oenone, because the spouse of Paris earlier than he turned essential.
“But, sufficient of your story survives to tear my coronary heart from my chest.
Oenone, I can not undo the wrongs which were accomplished to you, however I
wish to take you away from this world. I’ve a dream that I need you
to assist me fulfill. I will likely be sincere with you– I need you there for
your abilities and powers, I wish to use you for my aim.”
She regarded away. “I can not. Please…”
“Oenone, please. Let me persuade you my aim is worth it. Let me
present how a lot I need you there. I…” I reached out to the touch her
cheek. “I believe you’re very lovely.”
“Not so lovely to carry him to me,” she whispered. She regarded up,
snarling, “If you need magnificence, go search Helen.”
“Helen pales in comparison with you, Oenone. She is like mead; one can not
survive on mead, irrespective of how mild and candy it might be. One requires
actual meals. Of all the ladies in Paris’ life, who was true to him? You
had been. And did he reward you? He spurned you, is liable for
Korythus’ loss of life, and turned to you solely as a result of he wanted you to heal
him.”
“That’s at least what you need. You mentioned you want me. You wish to
use me. Are you higher than Paris once more?”
“No,” I mentioned sadly. “I can’t be higher than Paris. I can not measure
as much as the person Zeus referred to as ‘Essentially the most lovely man on this planet.’ And I
can not promise you what they name ‘faithfulness’ right here, as a result of that
received’t be the faithfulness in my world.”
She checked out me; the IV was doing its job effectively, as a result of her eyes had
cleared and he or she regarded me over with intent. “Inform me your dream.”
I laid it out earlier than her, weaving with phrases that generally had no
that means to her, my total dream of Pendor, of the individuals I wished to
reside my life with, of the peace I wished to know. Of the difficulties.
And of the powers of a goddess who was born with the facility to make the
waters do her bidding, and who had realized medication and prophecy
past these, and of what she might do for me.
Speaking like that makes me enthusiastic, rhapsodic. She regarded up at
me, reaching up with a hand. “Kennet, you’ll take me away from this
place?”
I kneeled down in entrance of her, brushing a lock of her hair away from
her face. “Oenone, daughter of Oenus, I’ll take you to a spot the place
a century of peace will allow you to overlook Paris and Helen and Ida and
Troy, and if you once more hear of Terra it is going to be millennia eliminated
from this age. Troy will likely be swallowed in a sea of sand, and academics
will dig over these sands for his or her amusement.”
She regarded up. “Take me there.”
“I warn you. The start shouldn’t be going to be simple.”
“I are not looking for simple. I don’t wish to die, and nothing right here holds me
to life. Maybe you’ll have one thing that does.”
I smiled. “Thanks, Oenone. I can by no means repay you to your first
easy ‘Sure.’”
She scowled. “You can see a approach. The place is your vessel?”
“Outdoors these caves. Come on.” I gave the drone the medical bag, and
we adopted it out, choosing our approach by the rocky passageway.
Rising into the daylight, I blinked, wanting again and ensuring
that Oenone was nonetheless following me. As I surfaced, blinking but once more,
I noticed the Future a couple of hundred meters away and started swimming for
it. She adopted. The drone was already clambering up the ladder when
I acquired there, and Oenone adopted shut behind. “That is your vessel?”
she requested suspiciously.
“That is my ship, sure.”
“It doesn’t look very similar to a ship.” She bobbed within the water, wanting
more healthy by the second. Perhaps it was the daylight.
“It’s, belief me. Come on.” I made my approach up the ladder. On the high,
nonetheless, a pair of ft grabbed my consideration. I regarded up alongside the
legs connected to these ft, and at last took within the sight of a giant,
powerful-seeming girl standing over me. “Come up, little godling. We
have one thing to debate.”
I blinked. “Excuse me?”
“Come right here first.”
“I believe you’d higher do what she says, Ken,” Fawn’s voice got here from
an exterior speaker. “She’s acquired me fairly frozen.”
Involved concerning the sort of energy that would ‘freeze’ Fawn, I made my
approach as much as the roof of the Future, as the lady made room for me. As
Oenone reached the highest of the ladder, “Reah!”
“Oenone,” the lady now recognized as “Reah” acknowledged. “Are you
effectively?”
“I’m, Nice Mom.”
Not less than 5 centimeters taller than I, this girl with darkish and
curly hair, her arms crossed in entrance of her, a protracted blue tunic
flowing out behind her with out wind radiated such a way of energy
that I felt myself compelled to confess that possibly, simply possibly, I used to be
coping with an sincere ‘god’ of some kind. Or, at the very least, an influence I
didn’t have at my beck and name. “Now then, little godling, do you
know who I’m?”
I believed for a second, making an attempt to recollect who Reah was. “The Titan
Reah, mom of Zeus.”
She smiled. “You might be right. You might be threatening to take one in all my
youngsters offworld with out her realizing the complete import of her acts.”
“Reah, she’s going to die if I don’t.”
“Perhaps that’s her future.”
“Actually?” I mentioned. “Is that what your prophecy says, Reah?” I pointed
to Oenone. “Is the ability you gave her so small you may’t inform? That’s
your explicit ability, isn’t it, Reah? Prophecy?”
“Don’t meddle with me, Kennet Shardik. I’ve realized a lot about you
out of your meddlesome clockwork.”
I grinned. ‘Clockwork’ was anachronistic for Reah; she shouldn’t have
identified it as a phrase. ‘Clocks’ didn’t exist in historic Greece. “I requested
her to return of her personal free will, and he or she does so with what data
I’ve given her. Is that so improper? Did I mislead her?”
“We’re not meant for the celebrities.”
“I’ve been there, Reah. I’ve been there and again. Oenone needs to get
away from this little ball of rock. Mine is way much less prettier proper
now, however that may change with time. She will help me. Inform me, Reah,
how a lot of your pantheon is constructed on use? How a lot of life is constructed
on how ‘helpful’ Artemis is, or Eris, or your self? Can’t Oenone provide
one thing simply as helpful, simply as lovely, to my world and my individuals
as you do to yours?”
Reah appeared considerate. She regarded over at Oenone, then crossed the
deck to elevate Oenone’s face up to take a look at her. One thing handed between
them, but when I might discover phrases to specific it I might. It was merely
ineffable. Then she turned to me. “Kennet Shardik, I’m warning you. I
taught Oenone one-third of her abilities out of affection. She is a toddler of
mine. My grandson abused her physique, and a person my son admired abused her
spirit and her love. She has nothing that’s unbruised. So hear,
younger godling. Your powers are huge, vaster even then my entire
pantheon, as a result of they’re backed by your dream, a plan so audacious
there isn’t a thoughts on this period that would maintain it. I want you good work,
and I hope you discover Oenone helpful to you and he or she discover your methods helpful
to herself. However should you hurt her in any approach, I’ll attain throughout the
centuries and the celebrities to strangle the life out of you with my very own
arms.”
I gulped because the solar itself appeared to dim towards her promise. Lastly
I nodded. “I perceive.”
Her hand brushed my cheek, and my entire physique lit up as if on hearth. “Do
not be afraid. You’re a good man, Kennet Shardik.”
“I hope so, Reah.”
“Go, each of you.” I clambered down into the Future, Oenone following
behind me anxiously. “Shut higher hatch,” I mentioned the second she was
clear.
“Closing. That was actually Reah!”
“Sure it was,” I mentioned. “Or at the very least, a tremendous simulation. Let’s get
out of right here.”
“I’ve full energy.”
“Maintain on,” I mentioned. “We’ll strap in. Oenone, sit in that chair.” The
reasonably confused little nymph sat down in her chair timidly, wanting
surprisingly fetching in what appeared a fully-healed state, however her
gown torn and tattered, exposing a lot of her physique to my eyes.
I reached over to her and helped her buckle in. “Security first,” I
mentioned. She smiled at me wanly. “Full energy, Fawn.”
The ship lifted nose-first from the water, after which with a strong
kick we had been skyborne. I regarded over at Oenone. Her face was one in all
sheer terror. “Celebren!” she gasped.
I grinned and paid consideration to flying. “Transition in ten seconds,”
Fawn introduced. I nodded because the countdown continued. When it reached
“now” the sky blanked and immediately we had been over Ops. “We’re prepared for
the touchdown,” I introduced.
“Copy,” Fawn replied.
“Touchdown,” I mentioned. “House once more, house once more, jiggety-jig.” I laughed
softly because the shuttlecraft was as soon as once more pulled under the floor of
Ops and the doorways closed over us.
________________________________________________________________
“It’s all a lot!” Oenone mentioned with a gleeful giggle as she dove into
the gorgeous pool of waters that stretched out in entrance of us. “I do
not imagine how a lot energy I’ve had right here!”
“Hundreds of thousands of years have been compressed for us by touring ahead,”
I mentioned, sitting by the sting of the pool as she swam bare by the
waters. “You and I, we now have solely watched six years, Oenone, however for
Pendor, tens of millions have slid by as Fawn has pulled us alongside, stopping as
I order to ensure that life is taking the trail I most intend for it
to take. The azzies preserve the method transferring ahead whereas culling
these strains which may compete finally with my plans.”
She swam over to me and folded her arms over the rock I sat upon,
holding her head out of the water. “Centaurs first?”
“I’ve already begun work on them,” I mentioned. “I’ve even chosen the sphere
the place they are going to be launched.”
She frowned barely after which disappeared below the water. Figuring out
full effectively she might hear me, I mentioned “One thing improper?”
“I are not looking for… guests.”
“They’re not guests. They’re going to be my youngsters, Oenone.
They’re going to be the individuals I convey up into the world. Reah referred to as
me a godling, and I’m going to show her proper. I’m going to create a
life the place there was none.”
She walked out of the pool and sat down subsequent to me, her limpid curls
dripping with water. She touched my cheek gently, her fingers cool. “I
have had probably the most peaceable six years of my life right here. I’ve been
allowed to be alone, and to be at peace. I’ve left my previous life
behind, Kennet, and all for you.”
“I couldn’t have reached this,” I mentioned, gesturing round, “If you happen to
hadn’t been there in the beginning. The ability you wield when no one limits
you is unbelievable, I agree.”
“That doesn’t matter,” she whispered. “I did as you requested, and also you
did as I requested. There isn’t a discount between us anymore. I’ve no
proper to ask you to chop your dream brief as a result of I like Pendor the best way
it’s now, alone, pristine, unmolested.”
“And I received’t do it anyway,” I mentioned firmly. “Forgive me for being
imperious, however on that I’m adamant. You’ll not get me to surrender
the gene tanks.”
“I didn’t suppose so,” she smiled. “Are you able to… Can I ask you a favor?”
“What?”
“Discover me a spot the place I can’t be bothered.”
I nodded. “How about on Pandora?”
“Wherever,” she mentioned. “On Pendor, Pandora… simply, someplace silent,
nice. I don’t wish to be right here when the Centaurs are decanted. I
wish to be distant, the place I can overlook.”
“Would you like the library?”
She smiled. “Sure, I would love a duplicate of the library.”
“You realize what meaning, don’t you?”
“If ever an age comes when Pendor falls, I’ll have some
accountability for placing all of it again collectively once more,” she replied.
“I’m ready for that eventuality. And, I belief you, Kennet. Pendor
won’t fall.”
“Is that hope or prophecy?”
“I can’t say,” she mentioned, smiling at me, then diving again into the
water. I hauled out the little folding terminal I carried round
these days and waited for the connection to solidify. After a couple of
minutes, I situated a clump of remoted islands on Pandora with good
climate. I ordered that the 5 nearest Delivery SDisks be eliminated
from round these islands, that one of many moderate-sized islands on
the outskirts of that clump be chosen as a development website, and
{that a} robotic staff head there the second was free. I spent about an
hour working up website traits and development, and after I was
accomplished I had one thing that was extra Roman in outlay, however I retained the
Basic Greek development, as close to as attainable.
________________________________________________________________
“You will have pitched a tent?” she requested, wanting on the unlikely
development that reigned over a lot of the meadow. “And you’ve got
introduced these terrible machines.”
“They’re sleeping,” I mentioned. “In a couple of days, the Centaur are going to
get up below this form. It’s as much as them what they do subsequent;
hopefully, they’ll be taught that in the event that they wish to reside in one thing different
than this, they’ll should construct it themselves. Halloran will solely
educate them; they must do with what they be taught. That’s why I
constructed such {powerful} curiosity into them.”
“I got here to thanks,” she mentioned.
“You’re leaving, then?”
She nodded slowly. “I’m going to my house on Pandora to remain this
time. I’ve realized, from you, that I’ve a lot to do with myself
earlier than I wish to face the world. I’ve hated enemies to overlook, and
to bury. And I’ve to be taught that I can by no means love you.”
“Oenone!”
She shook her head. “No,” she mentioned. “Don’t disagree with me, Kennet.
I can by no means possess you the best way I wish to. You might be destined for
totally different loves and a special life.” I listened intently. What she
mentioned subsequent angered me, although. “I used to be merely a software to you, I do know.”
I reached out and seized her arm. “Hearken to me, Oenone. I really like you.
Do you perceive that? I don’t ever wish to consider myself as
somebody who simply makes use of individuals after which throws them away. I really like you. I
can by no means offer you myself, alone; I’m an excessive amount of inclined to share, and
an excessive amount of life during which to do all that sharing. However you’ve given me
each motive to respect and treasure you, and none to hate you. You’re
so extremely lovely that I can perceive Apollo’s shedding management
of himself.” I noticed what I had simply mentioned and launched her arm,
wanting away. “I’m sorry.”
Her hand touched my shoulder gently. “Kennet, should you had been to ravish
me, I might cry your identify with pleasure whereas it occurred. It takes a
robust man to be what you’re.”
I turned and regarded into her face. “Oenone, what sort of power does
it take to confess that I’m a coward?”
“Coward?” she laughed. “Cowards don’t confront cowardice, Ken. You
are an honorable and delicate man, Kennet.” Her hand slipped down the
entrance of my shirt, after which I felt her heat breasts pressed towards my
again by the delicate flannel of my shirt. “I want you’d settle for
one night time with me earlier than we go our separate methods.”
“Future, right here, now,” I mentioned. The small shuttlecraft appeared in entrance
of us. I turned, swept Oenone off her ft and boarded it. “Her
place.” The shuttlecraft actually teleported itself till we had been on
the seashore of her house. The solar was sensible exterior, and I ran, nonetheless
carrying her, collectively into the sunlit Atrium with it’s brilliantly
clear and delightful pool of polished black-and-white marble and the
tunnel main out into the ocean. Two dolphins swam forwards and backwards
casually, stunned by sudden shouts of glee as two people leapt in
with them.
Oenone dissolved in my arms, solely to reappear behind me, her physique
pressed towards mine in all the correct locations. “My liege, I do love
thee,” she whispered.
“My woman, I really like you as effectively,” I mentioned, handing over her grasp to carry
her shut and kiss her throat, the curve of her jaw, the pure paleness
of her cheek, and her vivid crimson lips.
“You turned me right into a full-fledged goddess,” Oenone whispered. “I’m
the whole lot my grandfather was, and possibly much more. I can develop into a
wave, or a droplet, or a girl, or an eagle.”
“And also you turned me from an engineer right into a father. How can I ever
overlook that?”
She laughed. “You’ll by no means should.” As I tread water, she once more
dissolved away. Rattling, I hate when she does that; it’s horrifying.
Then she reappeared and dove below the water, head-first for my
manhood, taking it into her mouth and shutting down. I gasped arduous,
unbelieving on the heat. She slid alongside the size of my erection,
making me tougher than I had ever been in my life. I wished to achieve
down and seize her hair, however I used to be afraid she would possibly drown. “Seize,
then,” her voice whispered in my ear, and I laughed; as if I might
drown the Goddess of the Oceans of Pendor. I reached down and seized
her hair, simply holding her whereas I felt her mouth work its magic about
my erection, feeling her tongue caressing my manhood and her enamel
simply flippantly grazing the underside.
Her hair was silky between my fingers and I exercised my legs to remain
floating with my head above the water. Her arms grasped my buttocks,
and slowly her fingers crept nearer to my anus, massaging it in tiny
circles. I objected just a little; I didn’t take pleasure in that sort of stimulation.
However she didn’t cease, and I didn’t wish to press it as she simply flippantly
massaged round and across the tight ring of flesh. Surprisingly, it
felt good. Her hand slid right down to play with my testicles, scratching
alongside them, even underwater, along with her lengthy fingernails.
She surfaced, and the frenzy of chilly water round my thighs made
no matter positive aspects in rigidity go away virtually immediately. “Did you want?”
“Oh, Oenone,” I mentioned, swimming for the steps, “Come right here and I’ll present
you ways a lot I preferred it.” She swam in direction of me within the extra standard
trend, the best way we people are identified to do. I grabbed her by the waist
and hauled her out of the water, spreading her legs with my arms. Her
ft dangled within the water, and her intercourse was splayed open for me. The
flesh was pink and full, lined within the lightest wisps of golden pubic
hair that hid nothing in any respect. I leaned down and kissed her mound
softly, tasting her full-fleshed outer lips as she moaned with vivid
ardour. “Oh, Gods, Kennet…”
I kissed her vulva, parting her open and tasting her juices that ran
so clear and high quality solely a goddess might have had them. I discovered her
pleasure heart and licked her teasingly, licking on the skinny, interior
labia. She wrapped her legs round my shoulders and pulled me shut,
wrapping her fingers by my lengthy hair, which I suppose would have
been honest if I might have breathed water simply as simply as she had. As
it was, I used to be respiratory by my nostril and desperately hoping she
didn’t pull to arduous on my hair. Not that I objected too strongly to
this.
Her legs unwrapped from round my shoulders and he or she sat up, slowly
pushing me again with one hand on my chest. “Kennet… please, love me.
Like a person and a girl ought to.”
I smiled and stood up on the steps, my erection standing out totally in
entrance of me. I reached down and grabbed her buttocks with each arms.
She grabbed my shoulders and in a single easy transfer the 2 of us met, my
manhood plunging into her and not using a likelihood of mis-aim. We joined
collectively on the hip, she and I, as she wrapped her legs round my
again. “I really like you,” I whispered.
“And I thee,” she whispered again. We giggled gently as I started to
stroke inside her. She pulled herself up on her arms, holding us shut
collectively as we made love, our bodied pitching forwards and backwards on the
fringe of her water-filled house. The dolphins watched us with curiosity,
and as soon as, once we paused, we each turned to look and splash at them.
I felt my urgency rise. I slowed down; I wished this to final. It
wasn’t honest to my Goddess if this all ended too quickly. Her mouth was
open and pressed to my shoulder, dropping sizzling kisses alongside my arm. I
gathered her in my arms as I regarded down, watching our becoming a member of, then
glanced up into her face. She smiled; I kissed her smile as I
climaxed, moaning towards her mouth and tongue. With simply as a lot
ardour she appeared to moan a reply.
“Gods, Oenone,” I mentioned, leaning again and away from her. She smiled as
we slowly launched one another in order that she once more lay on her again
towards the cool marble of the poolside, and I slid out of her and
into the cool water. She slid in with me, her delicate golden curls
following her as she shook her head.
“I really like you, my lord,” she whispered. “I perceive you.”
I smiled extensive, unable to manage it. Tears lifted in my eyes. “My
Gods, Oenone. No person perceive me. Least of all myself.”
“I perceive you sufficient,” she replied. I settled down onto the steps
main into the pool and he or she settled herself into my heat lap. “I
know what you need, and I do know you’ll by no means mislead me to get it. I
have by no means been in a position to ask that of anybody, and now that I perceive
that, I do know I shall need you to be my pal and my lord endlessly.”
I wiped tears from my eyes as I held her carefully; she touched my
cheek, taking a tear towards her finger and into her mouth. “Candy
salt, with out which man wouldn’t exist,” she mentioned. Then she kissed my
cheek. “Such a person are you, Kennet. A hero to place even Odysseus to
disgrace.”
We dined that night on chilly, cracked crabs, sizzling soup, and difficult
brown bread, consuming a dry mead and idling a few heat hearth exterior
her house, on the seashore. I talked of my goals once more and of the life
burgeoning within the quiet amniotic tanks upon Pindam. We didn’t speak
very a lot; as alone as Oenone mentioned she wished to be, she had additionally
typically sought me out for companionship, complaining that Fawn and
Halloran had been boring beings. I had laughed, Fawn had “Hmph’d,” and Hal
had remained silent. We had mentioned virtually the whole lot we might to every
different; now her mere presence glad me, wordless and beautiful. These
crabs, the bees that had made this mead, might solely have existed with
each of our efforts. Energy with out thought is chaos; thought with out
energy is impotent. With out Oenone, I might not have had the proper
of energy, and the facility I did have would have been utilized with out
thought. I owed her the whole lot.
She took a stick of wooden that she had held again and thrust it into the
campfire, lighting one finish of it on hearth, like a torch. Then along with her
different hand she took mine and led me into her house. Wanting again, I had
simply sufficient time to look at the seashore wash up a lot additional than pure
one final time and wipe out our hearth.
She led me into her bed room, a room embellished in tapestries I had had
Halloran make for her, tapestries depicting her in fanciful and
lovely settings, reminiscent of one in all her nuzzling a unicorn, or one other
of her leaning towards her crookstaff. The tapestries and the rug
warmed a room lined in blue-veined white marble and open to the sky.
Tonight the climate promised to behave, though if it didn’t the
cowl could possibly be drawn with a single string, or a phrase from the proprietor.
4 slit home windows supplied extra air flow.
One wall was much less lined than the others; it needed to make room for a
big hearth framed with black marble. Above it a tapestry that was
extra a banner than anything hung, depicting the image of Pendor,
an elliptical ring with an eight-pointed star within the heart.
Oenone tossed her torch into the hearth, and it lit; though the
night time had not been very cool, she apparently felt a hearth was
mandatory. Then she pushed me in direction of the mattress with one phrase.
“Undress.”
I complied, pulling off my shirt and disposing of my pants rapidly.
She walked in direction of me, pulling my resist look into her eyes. “My
beloved Kennet Shardik. Are you aware how valuable you’re to me? If I
by no means go away this place in ten centuries, I need you to vow me you
will go to me.”
I felt a wave wash over me inside, wanting into her lovely face. “I
promise you, Oenone, I’ll go to you. I don’t know the way typically, however go to
you I’ll. If solely to recollect how particular you’re to me.”
She smiled. “Stand,” she mentioned, “and take away my tunic.”
I stood, slowly gathering her tunic about her waist. I pulled it up
and over her head, the silken blue material falling and not using a sound to
the ground. I glanced at her proper bicep the place a gold circlet wound
thrice about her arm, and brushed my fingers alongside it gently.
“You’re way more lovely now then after I first met you.”
“I used to be one thing of a waste if you discovered me, Kennet.”
“I do know,” I replied, urgent my palms to her cheeks and cupping her
chin in my arms. I pulled her near me and kissed her, her eyes
closing. We kissed passionately, lovingly; I pressed my tongue to her
lips and her tongue slithered out to the touch mine, wrestling. We slowly
fell in direction of the mattress; I misplaced my grip and we tumbled aside, each of us
laughing. She was faster, straddling me first and looking out down at me
with a light-weight in her eyes. She slid ahead till her intercourse hovered simply
earlier than my eyes, after which she parted her legs and lowered herself to my
mouth. I kissed on the insides of her thighs, tasting her sweetly
clear pores and skin earlier than turning my head to face her intercourse, digging deep
between her lips to soak up the wetness dripping from her. I chuckled
softly; Water Goddesses needs to be moist, I supposed.
I pressed my chin towards her perineum and licked at her clitoris with
my eyes open, wanting up alongside the gorgeous size of her physique,
between her full breasts to see her staring down at me, her mouth
smiling. “You might be so good at that.”
I didn’t reply, as a substitute nibbling at her labia whereas making an attempt, once more
with out success, to manage my smile. It’s not that I don’t like
smiling; it’s simply that I had higher makes use of in the meanwhile for the
muscle groups in my mouth with out my grinning like an fool. Particularly
since Oenone might solely see the pleasure I used to be experiencing in my
eyes. Her intercourse was flowing, and I really needed to swallow her fluids,
fortunately too. She cooed softly and the cords in her legs turned seen
as stress mounted in her physique. As I licked her clitoris tougher the
orgasmic stress immediately sprang from her in loud, gasping moans, her
head tossed again to shout “Kennet!” as she got here.
The spasms subsided and I let my head fall again to the pillow.
“Oenone?” I requested, wanting up.
“I instructed you I might cry out your identify with pleasure.”
“However I’m not ravishing you,” I mentioned, smiling.
She reached down behind herself; I felt the ideas of her fingers contact
my erection. “You might be arduous as coral, Ken. Why don’t you?”
“You used a contraction,” I mentioned, immediately distracted.
“I did?” she smiled.
I slipped out from beneath her; my ft had been dangling effectively off
the sting of the mattress as I had licked her, and I simply discovered myself
standing once more behind her kneeling kind. Earlier than she might flip round
I mischievously positioned my arms towards her shoulders and pushed her
face down onto the mattress. “Whoops!” I mentioned.
She gasped as we fell, after which giggled. “What are you going to do
with me, my lord?”
I seized an ankle and turned her over. She turned with me, and with
one hand on every ankle I pulled her legs aside, exposing her intercourse like
a glistening pink flower. “Ravish you,” I mentioned as I crawled onto the
mattress and slid myself into her, my hips urgent down upon her unfold
thighs. She opened her legs additional.
I grabbed her wrists and pinned them right down to the mattress with my arms.
“You wish to be ravished, Oenone?”
“Oh, Kennet,” she gasped as I laid my violent arms upon her,
plundering her intercourse with my manhood. “Kennet!”
“Cry my identify, Oenone,” I growled, thrusting into her tougher, pushing
deeper inside her.
She gasped as I smiled down at her. “Ken,” she breathed. “Ken!” she
cried. “Sure, Ken, please!”
I possessed her, my arms gripping her wrists tightly, holding her in
place, making calls for of her that her physique gave again willingly. Her
breasts heaved with each cry of my identify, with each gasp of enjoyment,
with each need for extra. Our earlier play within the pool rewarded me
now with a slowed response, and as I took her she took from me as
effectively, and when my climax struck me like a wall of water she nonetheless
cried my identify as I screamed hers… after which I collapsed upon her.
“Oh, Ken,” she gasped. I had someplace launched her wrists, and he or she
wrapped her arms round my again, slowly turning us onto our sides.
“Oenone,” I murmured. I raised my hand and pushed a lock of hair away
from her face. “You might be so lovely.”
She smiled. “You might be nonetheless a person,” she mentioned. “You might be drained.”
“Meals and lovemaking kind of have that impact on me.”
“In that you’re similar to different males,” she mentioned, stroking my chest
along with her fingers. “I do perceive you.”
“I’m glad somebody does.”
“Would you prefer to sleep now?”
I nodded. She smiled again, and virtually immediately I used to be asleep.
________________________________________________________________
When daybreak got here I used to be nonetheless tucked quietly between the sheets of her
mattress; the roof had been opened, and light-weight streamed in from the solar
coming over the horizon. I turned slowly and regarded, seeing Oenone
sleeping peacefully beside me. Wanting round, I eased myself out of
mattress and, stark bare, made my option to the seashore the place the Future lay
parked. I reached up into one of many cabinets and pulled out a clear
and dry set of clothes. “Good morning,” Fawn mentioned cheerily.
“Hiya, Fawn,” I replied.
“Ken?” she requested quietly. The tone of her voice despatched a chill up my
backbone.
“Sure, Fawn?”
“It’s time for me to go. We agreed.”
I closed my eyes and sighed, wanting down on the garments I used to be
sporting. Blue denims, a flannel shirt of crimson and black checks, yellow
leather-based boots with yellow laces. I regarded within the mirror; just a little
older, maybe, than I had regarded ten years in the past, even with the
immortality sequences put in. I used to be even unshaven. “When?”
“As quickly as we will.”
“Again to Pindam then.” The Future was immediately again in Pindam, and
subsequent to it and The Density lay an previous Pontiac ’84 station wagon. Fawn
transported herself into it whereas my again was turned.
I sighed, strolling out to the station wagon and getting behind the
steering wheel. “I’m wondering if I bear in mind find out how to drive one in all these
issues.”
“You don’t should,” Fawn replied. “Prepared?”
I cursed softly. “Yeah, I’m prepared.”
I blinked; we had been once more on the campus of the State College of New
York. “Morrow Corridor is correct over there,” Fawn mentioned. I nodded, wanting
out the entrance windshield. “Campus doesn’t open till tomorrow; somebody
strolling with a big trunk will hardly be seen.”
I acquired out, blinking up into the recent late-summer solar. Younger males and
ladies getting ready for faculty milled about me. I slammed the automobile door
shut, walked round to the again and opened up the tailgate, pulling
out the big, black trunk. It was lighter than it ought to have been;
extra of Fawn’s doing. I walked throughout the poorly-tended grass to the
whitewashed constructing, trimmed in crimson. The second ‘r’ in ‘Morrow’ was
tilted barely, as if it was about to fall off.
I stepped into the overhang and climbed the steps, taking a proper. A
younger blond man held the door for me as I stepped by, and I
thanked him, remembering to talk present English. The primary door on
the left had been mine. I knocked.
The face that answered the door made me smile. “Who’s it?” he requested,
wanting up at me. “Oh, my God…”
“Howdy, Ken. Would you let me in?”
“Who’re you?”
I bullied my approach into his room and closed the door behind me. “Would
you imagine, I could be you?”
The room was a catastrophe; 4 two-liter bottles of Coke, one
half-drained, one other unopened, sat on his desk in addition to an historic
pc. A number of copies of Playboy lay strewn concerning the ground, and
the place clearly hadn’t been swept in weeks. I knew if I opened up
the closet his laundry would bodily assault me for interrupting
its rise to sentience. And on the bookshelf, in a cloth-bound
three-ring pocket book, I noticed my goals and fantasies as that they had as soon as
been a decade in the past. He sat again on the sting of his mattress, unmade of
course, and mentioned “I’d imagine it.”
“It doesn’t matter what you imagine, anyway,” I mentioned, smiling. “I’ve
come to provide you one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“What’s within the trunk,” I mentioned, pointing.
“Okay, so, what’s within the trunk?”
“You’ll discover out in about ten minutes.” I turned the knob on the door.
“Wait!”
“I can’t,” I replied. “I promised I wouldn’t.”
“However… however… I don’t perceive.”
“Neither did I.” I closed the door behind me. Shortly, I made my approach
down the steps. By the point I acquired to the underside step I used to be working
for the automobile. I slid in behind the motive force’s column simply in time to see
him working down the steps. “Good timing,” I replied.
The universe blinked out once more, to get replaced by the within of the
Pindam hanger, after which a delicate “pooh” of sound instructed me that Fawn had
left my life… endlessly. She had guarantees to maintain, however I didn’t suppose
I might ever really meet her once more, not on this lifetime.
“Howdy, Ken,” Halloran mentioned quietly as I closed the door to the
station wagon.
“Howdy, Hal,” I replied. “How’s Paul Lewis coming?”
“He’s prepared for decanting proper now.”
“How lengthy earlier than daybreak on the decanting website?”
“4 hours. Decanting will take 5 and a half, I estimate.
Consciousness would happen round seven hours from now.”
I walked right down to the lab management room the place shows revealed the
standing of the seventy-two surviving Centaurs. I let my eyes scan
Paul’s display rigorously. “Start the decanting course of. Begin with the
serotonin ranges if you’re able to initialize the mentation
processes.”
I believed for a second. “Hal?”
“Sure, Ken?”
“You will have the complete Pendor zoological databank separated out of your
processor-accessed reminiscence, right?”
“Sure?”
“Erase it.”
“Excuse me?”
“Erase the Zoological Databank. And the geophysical, the geographical,
and the meteorological. Name all the climate stations across the
ring sequentially; they’re to function independently till additional
discover, as they had been designed. This world is for different individuals; they
ought to discover it, and put the information in themselves. They’re an AI’s
setting, not the opposite approach round. Do you copy?”
“It should take some time.”
“Do it,” I ordered. I sighed and sat again within the chair, ready for
Paul to awaken, ready for Halloran to inform me he was accomplished.
His voice interrupted me. “Ken?”
“Sure, Hal?”
“I’ve discovered one thing you most likely wish to take a look at. It was on the finish
of the erasure sequence, but it surely’s marked to not be erased till you
take a look at it. It’s creator, in response to the rec, was Fawn.”
“Show it, please.”
The display suspended from the ceiling on my proper lit up. The message
was easy. “As soon as extra into the breach, pricey pal.” I smiled.
“Goodbye, Fawn,” I whispered on the display, questioning if she meant
herself or me by saying “as soon as extra.” After which I immersed myself in my
work, my obsession.