Hinn Ch. 57-59

Author's Note - Please read from Chapter 1 to make sense of this. This is not a quick stroke story. There will be sexy-times, but they will only happen as the story's pace dictates, and that won't start quick.

All characters participating in sexual activities are 18 or older.

Chapter 57

Once Ray's head hit the pillow, he was sound asleep. As he woke early the next morning, he realized he hadn't spent time in the Oracles' realm, a pleasant surprise.

The clock on the dim screen saver showed it to be just after 4 AM. Stretching carefully, he wrapped his genie and her genie each in an arm and gently pulled them close. Both snuggled into his warmth, seemingly asleep. Reaching through Hinn with the gentlest touch he could manage, finding both were awake and aware of his actions.

Chuckling, he tickled both women. This set off an energetic start to the morning, wrestling and tickling. The accidental headbutting was ignored, inconsequential in the face of shared laughter. Rather than continue, Ray just pulled the ladies into his embrace again, enjoying the closeness.

"Good morning, Great Hinn," was Dhakira's warm greeting.

"And to you, fair one, a fine morning as well," Ray replied. As he shared the thought, he realized that neither Dhakira's nor his message were in English, but rather the Hinn's preferred language that had eventually become the basis of modern Arabic. Trying to fit his new knowledge into his understanding of history, Ray perceived the whole of the language as it changed over time, as communities changed it and recombined in new ways, as outside influences spiced the mix in novel ways. Even as the comprehension flowed through his perception, he was amazed.

"You begin to approach how Ousha and I utilize Hinn, Master," Tauriz purred. "You have taken centuries of growth within five days."

"Is this normal, ladies?"

"No, Great Hinn," Dhakira replied. "Often, Hinn shattered the mind of those who awake to it after existing as other than Hinn. Of those that survive such challenges, many do so by ignoring the promise and glory of Hinn. Only the fraction of the fraction of the few given that opportunity later grow into Hinn the way you are, and none have ever approached the pace you tread."

"The wish you granted me helped, Master," Tauriz chimed in. "Your awareness of history, your curiousity, and your knowledge of human computer technology all helped mitigate many of the risks, as well."

Nodding, Ousha added, "Dhakira understates how rare this is, Master of my Master. I know of only one who became Hinn who came close to this degree of growth, but her capabilities were different, as she was the one who first created Hinn, Ti'amtum. Only one, Ray."

"Ousha is in the correct order of magnitude, Great Hinn," agreed Dhakira. "Of the four hundred and twelve mortals with experience other than Hinn who have gained Hinn since it evolved into the current version, nine eventually approached the level of complexity of interaction you already experience. Please note, I am currently reducing that experience for you, as some signs were apparent that your consciousness might have headed into unsurvivable growth had you continued. As your consciousness adapts and accepts the growth, and as the need occurs, it will be available to you, but neither I nor your genie will allow harm to come to you."

Shocked, Ray was quiet. He instinctively held Tauriz and Ousha close, wrapping his awareness around all three. "Thank you, ladies," was all he could manage to put into words, but the breadth and depth of his emotions flowed warm and rich around those three.

After a quiet moment passed, those with bodies rose and padded into the master bath. It was time to take the next steps on their journey together.

The three dressed, each refreshed and warmly content, before stepping out into the hallway and heading to the kitchen. "Dhakira? Are there beings like those Tauriz and I met in the Student Center who might be helpful to bring on as cooks, maids, or other similar roles?"

"Yes, Ray. Many types, but few are easily compatible with humans. Most have rituals, geasa, oaths, or other restrictions which humanity could easily trigger with consequences from mild to fatal."

"Of those you are aware of, how many would be willing to attempt meeting our people half-way, and how many of those would see a wish to prevent such triggering events as a beneficial act, rather than an assault or other problem?"

"I believe I know of several, Great Hinn."

"Why are you calling me that now, Dhakira?"

"Because you are that, Ray. That, and more."

"More?"

"Few Hinn were ever Oracles and none of the Great Hinn. None have had the perception or concern to ask questions such as those you have asked me. Not a single being that I am aware of has considered merging these outsiders into human experience with the wish of a genie without that wish also becoming a source of conflict, an act of enslavement they would strive against."

"How sad. These great tools, this amazing capability, and a lack of empathy."

"Perhaps, Great Hinn. Perhaps, instead, selfishness or self-interest driving those who gain such power, or even a conspiracy against mortals."

"Oh? A conspiracy? In my experience, effective conspiracies are exceptionally scarce, especially those that remain capable of significant change over time without losing their secrecy. One of the relevant human sayings, the gathering of the wisdom of generations of humans, is, 'exceptional claims require exceptional proof.' What proof do you have of such a conspiracy?"

"I believe I shall have to research more of these sayings, Great Hinn. No, I have no solid proof, for if I did, would it be still a conspiracy?"

Chuckling as he opened the refrigerator door, Ray replied, "Hoist on my own petard! You are good at that, Dhakira!"

"As you might say, I try."

Deeply amused, Ray gathered the ingredients for a small giambotte, just enough for three. "You more than try, my friend. You succeed. Once this is over, and there're fewer immediate time pressures, please help me take the time to go over what information you do have that may or may not reveal a conspiracy. You two as well, please -- if there's something there, we will need to know of it."

Whipping up the eggs, cream cheese, and other ingredients as the vegetables browned in a lightly-oiled skillet, Ray said, "Now, back to the point before the conspiracy -- rather, the potential conspiracy! -- what beings would you suggest, Dhakira?"

"As I stated, there are few who I would suggest for such a role, Great Hinn. Those that inhabit the Student Center, who seemingly do share commonality with the myths of Germanic kobold or Scottish brownies, are certainly one potential. If you address their leader, they may agree to such a role. Alternately there are others of a similar stock that Hinn are or were aware of elsewhere on the planet, and there are other singular beings who become exemplars of a given skill set. One of those latter types, one who focused on the provenance, preparation, and protection of a body of humans such as you have gathered here, might be a better fit. There is one of that type I am aware of who currently languishes under controls they cannot break which no longer apply. That is, they were the caregivers for a royal line and their guards and attendants, but that royal line no longer exists."

Ray added the egg mix into the pan. "How might we -- those of us under the NDA and yourself that is, Dhakira -- break such commands without harm to this specialist, or those around them? Note that I don't think it's appropriate to sequester you under the NDA, you have a different role, and I don't wish to block you from that. I would request that you take what care you may to prevent sharing details of our work here without need."

"See, Ray? There you go again, being considerate for those subordinate to you. Thank you.

"To break such commands, I would suggest that first, you must gain their attention and acceptance, Great Hinn. Getting this would be simple to accomplish with a wish, but the attempt may well cause others to become aware of you and yours that you would find distasteful. If you instead approached as humans do, you would be beneath the notice of those cautious of or opposed to this ancient line, but gathering the attention of the specialist as you call them would become significantly more difficult and potentially riskier."

Stirring gently and sprinkling the cheese on top as he did, Ray directed, "Then please gather what information you can to assist with approaching them as a human. We will need to address that later, though, as we have enough on our plates currently."

"As you wish, Great Hinn."

The four were quiet as Ray finished off the dish and served three portions. Considering it rude to eat without everyone getting some, Ray offered to share his sensations as he ate with Dhakira, who accepted gratefully. The quiet sounds of an appreciated meal passed before Ousha grabbed the empty plates. "I shall wash these, Ray, while you and Tauriz prepare. I will await your return and continue my duties until you do."

"Thank you, Ousha. I appreciate your assistance -- it makes our other tasks easier to know you are here."

Ray and Tauriz hugged Ousha as she worked to fill the sink and scrub the few dishes. A quick, playful splash of water later, the three laughed. Ray poked around the cabinets, finding some plastic bags, raisins, and peanuts, preparing a nostalgic treat for later, before he and Tauriz headed to the elevator. They went down to the first basement, exiting into the newly-expanded security choke point. The guard on duty buzzed them through the steel doors, but now the path lead around both the old and new elevators, the floor's breadth expanded further into the underground environment to allow them to pass the redoubled volume of the shafts safely.

They walked across the quiet floor. Some few noises escaped the dojo as they passed. Neither paused, reaching the other elevators and descending to the second basement floor where Skepsi had set up their cafeteria and bunks.

"Good morning, Ray, Tauriz!" was Kendis' greeting as they exited the elevator.

"Morning, Kendis. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, Ray, thank you. And are you feeling better as well?"

"Much, thank you. A solid ten hours of sleep makes a significant difference in one's outlook, I've found."

Nodding his agreement, Kendis ushered the duo over to a line of tables covered in gear. "Good, good. This first table we suggested Annya set up so that you could see what electronics she suggested you carry. She's offering three options -- either the gear on the left, which would provide minimal GPS based tracking and an emergency beacon, or the gear on the right, which would provide multiple forms of real-time communications. The third option is to carry both."

The first set of gear included a metal box with rounded edges, nine inches long, four wide and two deep with two cables. One lead to a small plastic box with a button, the other terminated in a three-inch long rubber-coated antenna. The second pile of gear had three plastic cases, each connected to the other by different thicknesses and colors of wire, each case being about six by six by three inches in size. A headset with a microphone boom, a hemisphere of black glass mounted on a strap system, and a pair of short antennas were at the end of other wires hooked into one of the three boxes.

"Would there be any problem with all four boxes resting on each other in a pack?" Ray asked.

Annya answered as she walked into the cafeteria from further into the floor, "No problems at all, and good morning, Ray!"

"Annya -- thank you for this. The dome is a camera of some sort?"

"You're welcome, Ray. The dome has several functions, including a camera capable of watching all around and above you, among other things. I'd suggest you strap it on top of your left shoulder, or we could rig it on top of the backpack, but then we couldn't see what was going on in front of you."

"Well, we can try the shoulder position. How long will they run for?"

"Forty-eight hours or more for the second set, a week for the first" was Annya's answer.

"I hope we won't need more time. Batteries?"

"In the box for the first set, and the last box of the second set is a big battery array. It's the heaviest one, there, with the thicker connectors to the other boxes."

"OK, great. Worst comes to worst, I may be able to recharge the batteries or power the boxes via samum."

"Interesting -- good to know. You break more rules than you follow, don't you, Ray?"

"Partially because I don't know what the rules are, Annya, and partially because I believe most of the rules you're referring to are relevant for humans, not Hinn."

Nodding slowly, Annya granted him the point. Changing the topic, she said, "The headset has a switch on the side. You can set it to keep the mike live in the top position, or if it hears you speaking in the middle, or off until you push the switch in and hold it in the lowest position. The remote with the button on the first set, we'd suggest you stick to the shoulder strap of the backpack where it'd be out of the way but easy to reach."

"Makes sense," Ray agreed. "The same headset works for the, quote, multiple communications methods, unquote?"

"Exactly. It will automatically switch between the options until it find one that works. If it can't detect any valid connection in thirty seconds, it'll beep to tell you that and also let you know when it has a connection again."

"Show me?" Ray requested, and Annya went through the gear and its functions in more detail.

Tauriz meanwhile looked through the other tables full of gear, gathering a minimal set of survival gear. Fifty meters of reasonably thin climbing rope, knee and elbow pads, a climbing helmet, gloves, a knife with a five inch blade, a multitool with another three inch blade, a liter water bottle and purification tabs, small first-aid kit, thermal blanket, heavy-duty poncho, a half-pound of pemmican, multivitamins, and a light, folding camp cook set -- pan, lidded pot, cup, and cutlery. Taking the pack Annya suggested for the combined electronics, Tauriz lashed the coiled rope around the backpack and loaded the rest into one of the two compartments save the knife, multitool, pads, gloves, and helmet.

As she finished, Annya moved the four boxes into the other compartment and ran the wires up to where they'd need to be once Ray donned the pack. Ray did so, and Annya deftly helped him affix the camera dome and remote to the pack's left shoulder strap. Moving his arms around, Ray found they didn't interfere with his movement, and approved the camera dome's position where it was.

After some minimal finagling, Ray and Annya managed to get the headset to work with the climbing helmet Tauriz had selected. Taking off the combined helmet and headset, Ray stripped off the backpack. Strapping on the elbow and knee pads and slipping into the gloves, Ray also put the knife sheath on his belt and slid the multitool into a pocket.

"Am I missing anything critical?" Ray asked the group. Hearing no suggestions, Ray ran through the gear they'd gathered for him. He had plenty of room in the pack and weight wasn't a significant concern anymore, so he added more items. A small fishing kit, a cable saw, a more robust first aid kit, a synthetic fleece blanket, and a flint sparker got tucked in before throwing the plastic bag from the upstairs kitchen in as well. He didn't really expect to need any of it, but his long-ago boy scout training held firm over all the years. He preferred having the right tools to hand, and his many trips in less-than-posh settings on pre- and post-doctoral archaeological digs had only reinforced the lesson.

"I guess that's it, then -- I'm about as ready as can be, I think, and we've got five hours until we have to head off."

"That's good to hear!" an unexpected voice called from behind Ray, over by the elevators.

"Emily! You're early!" Ray responded happily as he walked over, offering a handshake. To his surprise, Emily stepped inside and gave him a warm hug.

"The bosses thought the situation warranted an escalation, so they got me back on a fast charter."

"OK, good -- I was going to have Annya here fill you in on what's going on, but we can do so now if you wish?"

"Certainly, but first -- Ray Helms, meet Harriet Updike."

A tall, almost painfully thin Native American woman with a twelve-inch rainbow-spiked Mohawk walked up. "Hate it when you do that, boss," she grumped.

Emily smiled, a glimmer in her eye. "Of course, that's why I do! For the record, she much prefers to go by just "Updike", Ray."

"A pleasure to meet you, Just Updike," Ray smirked.

Emily's laugh rang in the room as Updike looked down at her boots, her Mohawk bobbing side-to-side. Looking back up, she couldn't restrain the smile, "Well, at least THAT's out of the way. Here's the signed NDA," she said as she handed the form to Ray. "So, what's this great mystery Emily hinted at, then?"

A quick scan showed nothing out of order with the form, so Ray nodded. "Well, let's do all this in one, shall we? There's a comfortable conference space on the first floor, we can sit, and we'll see about getting some light nibbles and coffee brought in."

At nods all around, Ray led the way back up to the conference room on the ground floor, giving Updike and Emily a quick tour as they went.

"We'll have you two room up on the second floor, I believe the double connecting to Annya's room is open. El DiCastro and Betty Dahlrymple, some of Boch's personnel, have taken on purchasing for most things for us -- once they're up later today, we'll have them help get you settled with whatever you need, furniture or kit wise."

"We brought eight pallets of electronics and such back, Ray. We left them locked up on the charter. This gear will help harden down your networks significantly, and perhaps assist with some of the other security concerns," Emily informed him.

"OK, great -- Harry's been running the building for us, and Ousha's been scheduling. Tauriz and I hired them on directly. You've already met Harry, Emily, and I believe Ousha's awake. She can help get you the warm bodies and vehicles needed to get whatever you need back here. In fact, let's get her on speaker phone," Ray said, dialing her cellphone.

"Good morning, Ray," came Ousha's voice.

"Ousha, good morning. Remember my mentioning Wu Emily? She's returned ahead of schedule with Updike, her coworker. They'll be needing some help getting some pallets back here from the airport. They'll also need El or Betty to help with furniture and whatever else they need for their room. I'd suggest they get the one next to Annya's. I volunteered your services to help set all that up."

"Welcome back, Ms Wu. Ray's mentioned a goodly bit about you before, as has Annya. I take it you're in the conference room, Ray?"

"Indeed. We'll be letting them know near-term plans and a background brief for Updike. If you're not busy, could you bring down a carafe of coffee and some fruit? We'll be having another Q&A session, and you're welcome to sit in."

"I'd like that -- I'll be right down," Ousha said before hanging up.

Emily commented, "It seems like you've landed running, Ray."

"We've been trying to -- a lot's going on. A quick background brief for you, Updike, to let you know what's under that mysteeeerious NDA," Ray said, grinning. "Now, I'm not joking, and Emily will confirm this -- there are branches of knowledge and capabilities that extend far beyond human norm or expectation. Tauriz and I have access to one major branch of that expanded knowledge and awareness of several others, but almost certainly not all of them. Given how different it is from what I would have thought the peak capabilities were, it might as well be called magic."