Journey to Year 1,000,000,000 Ch. 05

"I will try," said Senderock, with a resigned tone in his voice. A blue light appeared over the body of Doctor McCrae.

"Captain Taylor, I apologize for the... excessive enthusiasm of my colleague during this last test," said Arnack.

"Apology not accepted," said Taylor.

Suddenly, Doctor McCrae gasped, choked, and took a breath.

"Doctor McCrae, are you all right?" said Babangida.

It took McCrae a long moment and several more gasps to answer. "No, of course not, you fool!"

Everyone could see that Doctor McCrae had taken the worst beating of them all. Bill Carey and Captain Taylor had some cuts and bruises, and Jennifer had a sore neck, but McCrae's face and neck were purple with bruises.

"I think I busted a rib or two." McCrae rubbed his chest.

"You're lucky," said Taylor.

"Lucky?" said McCrae.

"You were... dead," said Taylor.

"Dead?" said McCrae.

"Doctor McCrae, I'm so sorry... I... I thought you were a racist," said Babangida.

McCrae said nothing, just glaring at him.

There was a flash, and they were returned to their own cells.

"Fascinating," said Senderock again. "When it comes to matters of aggression, you have little more Xetan than the Lowers on the planet surface. In this area, we have evolved far beyond you."

"Of course you're more evolved," said Taylor. "You don't fight each other. You just make other people fight. That's much more civilized."

Senderock responded with a dry chuckle.

Taylor looked over at Bill in his cell. "Bill, are you all right? Did I hurt you?"

"No, sir, I'm fine. Sir... I'm so sorry...."

"No need to apologize," said Taylor. "We're all under duress here."

Bill looked at Taylor with newfound respect. This was more than he had expected of his Captain.

"I think I do need to apologize, sir," said Carey. "These aliens magnified our aggressive instincts. But they had to come from somewhere, they had to have something to work with. I resented that you took command away from Commander Gorsky. I resented that I was demoted to second officer. But... whatever my previous thoughts, I'm beginning to see that the Survey Service was right. You're at least as tough as the old man. Maybe tougher."

"Thank you, Bill," said Taylor, and they exchanged glances for a moment.

Meanwhile, Suki was worried about Jennifer Hale. "Jennifer, are you all right? I'm sorry I had to hit you," said Suki.

"No need to apologize," said Jennifer. "You kept your cool, and were able to restrain me. I'm grateful," she said, rubbing her neck.

"Grateful? Well, I'm not grateful!" This came from crewman Rudy Garrett, who was sporting a black eye and a scratched cheek. "You got us into this mess, Lieutenant! If you hadn't let them break you, the crew would never have been captured-"

"Hey, you're out of line, mister!" said Bill Carey. "The Lieutenant was tortured. How long would you have stood up under torture, Mr. Garrett? Not as long as her, I would expect."

Jennifer gave Carey an appreciative but weak smile. She did blame herself for what had happened. But she had done it all to save Taylor. To save him again.

********

"If you don't mind my saying so, you are very easy to talk to, for a Lower."

Victor smiled at Teldoc. "And you are very easy to talk to, for an evolved lifeform."

Victor's plan had worked. Almoxin and Terratin had been astonished by the elaborate information that Teldoc claimed to have extracted from Victor, which in reality had come from the Devonshire's database.

Almoxin looked over the information. "You got all this from the human... and he didn't resist?"

"Not at all," said Teldoc.

"How did you break him so easily?" Terratin asked.

"We just... talked," said Teldoc.

"Talked?" Terratin said.

"I tried a new interrogation technique," said Teldoc.

"And what was that?" Almoxin asked.

"Kindness," said Teldoc.

Almoxin frowned. "Kindness has never worked before. Where did you get the idea to try kindness?"

"I... I just thought of it, myself," said Teldoc.

Almoxin's frown deepened. "Your methods are unorthodox, Teldoc. Still... one cannot deny the results." She reviewed more of the data.

"So... may I continue to train him?"

Almoxin looked at Terratin. Their big eyes met for a long moment. Then Terratin's eyebrows lifted, and so did Almoxin's. "Very well. I suppose it could make an interesting side experiment. Perhaps a notable footnote to the overall effort."

"Thank you, Keeper," said Teldoc.

"But," Almoxin looked at Teldoc. "We must see signs of further progress. If you have not turned this... Victor Bergman into an obedient slave in a suitable time, he will be returned to the main experiment."

"I understand," said Teldoc.

And so Teldoc gained custody over Victor. They spent time every day talking about each others' cultures.

"You say you are schooled for fifteen or twenty years? And yet you learn so little!" said Teldoc.

"It's a gradual process, Teldoc. Remember, you are eight million years ahead of us. From our perspective, human knowledge is only 200,000 years old. We are still in scientific infancy, so to speak," said Victor.

"Yes, I see." Teldoc found talking to Victor very easy. Easier, ironically, than talking to other Ascended. Especially Sithro.

"And this Survey Service... you are travelers?"

"Explorers. The best our people have to offer," said Victor. "There is the military branch, of course. I and my colleagues here are in the scientific branch. We have some of the scientists on our planet."

"We value science too," said Teldoc. "On Chanda, science is everything."

"What do you mean by everything?"

"Just as I have said," said Teldoc. "Everything. Our position in society is determined by our proficiency in science. We have 73 fields of scientific study. Nothing as simple as what you call medicine, physics, or chemistry, of course. Our fields of study explore the true nature of the universe."

"Can you explain one of them?"

Teldoc paused. "It is hard... you do not have the words for it... but one of the fields explores the rightness of life."

"The rightness?"

Teldoc shook his head. "I cannot find the word for it. We explore the biology of life, to find what is right, and what is not."

"We don't view life as right or wrong. It simply is," said Victor.

"It is hard to explain," said Teldoc. "But ultimately that is what these experiments are all about. To find out what was right about the past, so we can determine what is right for the future."

"You mean by planned genetic evolution?"

"Of course," said Teldoc.

"Fascinating," said Victor. "But tell me-"

They were interrupted by the arrival of another Ascended. The newcomer was taller than Teldoc, and had a deeper voice.

"Teldoc! I heard you were training a new slave," said the newcomer.

"Y-yes, Sithro. This is-"

"Names of Lowers do not matter," said Sithro. "What have you trained it to do?"

"I... I am still extracting information."

Sithro looked around. "How? I see no restraints. I see no coercive stimuli."

"I am trying a new approach," said Teldoc.

"And what is that?" Sithro asked.

"Just asking questions."

Sithro gave a big laugh. "No wonder you are always behind those from your own launch group. You always try to do things the hard way! Well, suit yourself. By the way, Celesta was asking for you."

"She was?" Victor noted the interest in Teldoc's face.

"Yes. I told her that you were busy with these... experiments," said Sithro. "Don't worry, I kept her well stimulated in your absence."

"How understanding of you," said Teldoc.

Sithro stared at him with big bug eyes. "Teldoc, would you like to play a quick game of mindpower?"

"No, I don't think so," said Teldoc.

"Come on!" said Sithro.

"No, Sithro. It always gives me a headache."

"How do you expect to reproduce if you won't play mindpower?"

"Perhaps I'll solve Celesta's equation."

Sithro laughed. "That's not very likely." He gave Victor a long stare for a moment. Victor shifted uncomfortably. "Well, I'll leave you to your experiment... or whatever it is you're really doing." He turned and left.

Victor didn't have to see the frown on Teldoc's face or his balled up hand to know that he was unhappy. "What was that all about?" Victor asked.

"It is what I was telling you. Scientific status is everything. You must attain a high enough position in a scientific circle to find a female who will mate with you," said Teldoc.

"That is the only way to attract a mate?" Victor asked.

"No. There is also mindpower." Teldoc waved a hand, and a holographic image appeared. It showed two men, with a floating ball between their heads, and their faces wrapped in concentration. Inside the ball were two floating energies, battling with each other. To the side stood a woman, watching.

"This is mindpower. Two men battle each other in the mindsphere. The one with the stronger mental energies wins."

"Wins what?"

"An encounter with a female," said Teldoc.

Victor smiled. "It reminds me of deer."

"Deer?"

"When deer compete for mates, they press their antlers against each other. The ones with the biggest, strongest antlers win." He saw the confused look on Teldoc's face. "Antlers are kind of like... bones."

"Yes. The ones with the biggest bones win. I understand. Our system is like that, except it is brainpower, not bone size, which attracts the females."

"Yours is truly a unique culture," said Victor.

"Thank you," said Teldoc.

"Do you like this girl? The one called Celesta?"

"Yes," said Teldoc, and at that moment Victor learned that the Ascended were capable of blushing. "But I cannot solve her equation."

"Her equation?"

"Another way of earning the right to mate. Females promulgate an equation or theorem which has to be solved or proved. Celesta has given me several equations, but thus far I have been unable to solve them." Teldoc hung his head.

"Several equations?" said Victor. "It sounds like she is interested in you."

"I think so," said Teldoc. "But thus far, Sithro has monopolized her time. He has... solved her equations several times."

"Oh. I see," said Victor.

And he did.

********

The interrogations of the scientists continued. Of the eleven remaining scientists, five were pressured into breaking down easily. All it took was a few jabs of pain stimulus. They cooperated, answering any questions put to them by their interrogators. The other six, lead by Elizabeth, were more resistant. They endured the pain jabs, and refused to answer questions of strategic or military significance.

And then the interrogation ended and the forcefield came down, and they were free to mingle with each other in the center chamber.

Elizabeth worried for Victor. It had been several hours and he still had not returned yet. She had asked Almoxin about him, but had been told that Victor "was no longer her concern." That brought a chill down her spine. Had Victor been killed?

He had said he was going to cooperate, but Elizabeth knew Victor better than that. He had something planned. Probably to try and pump information from Teldoc. She only hoped that Victor was not harmed.

She sensed tension beginning to form among the scientists, among the ones who had cooperated more than the others. She heard Wade Tanner and Barbara Wells arguing.

"What's the point?" Barbara Wells said. "Everything I'm telling them is old news. Eight million years old. What are they going to do with it?"

"They could be planning an invasion," said Wade Tanner.

"An invasion of the past?" Barbara Wells snorted. "Wouldn't changing the timeline wipe themselves out?"

"Yes, if these really are evolved humans," said Wade. "But what if they're not? What if they're aliens from another planet? We shouldn't be cooperating with them."

"You make your choice Wade, and I'll make mine. I'm a scientist, not a soldier," said Wells.

"Technically, as a member of the Survey Service, you're both," said Elizabeth sharply. "And I gave you a direct order, Barbara, not to cooperate with them."

"Maybe you like pain, Elizabeth, but I don't," said Barbara. "You can play the hero. Not me."

Elizabeth looked at Vincent Roman, who looked away.

When Vincent's turn had come, he had cooperated quickly, joining the ranks of the collaborators. He saw the look of disappointment in Elizabeth's eyes. He knew he had let her down. But he wasn't a soldier. All it took was a single pain jab for him to fold. He answered their questions readily, and felt like he had let her down.

********

Tensions between the two camps got worse when their food arrived. Cups of red cubes appeared in front of each of them. But it quickly became apparent that those who cooperated got twice as much food as those who didn't. At first, this merely annoyed those who resisted.

But after several days of this, the resistors started to go hungry. People who cooperated got 12 food cubes, twice a day, which was barely enough to keep hunger in check. Resistors got six.

One day, food cups appeared in front of them. Wade Tanner quickly swallowed down his six cubes. He still felt hungry. He looked over at Vincent Roman, who had twelve, and was just starting on his first one. "Vincent, give me some of your cubes."

"No," said Vincent.

"Give me!" Wade yelled. He grabbed for his cup, and the food cubes went scattering to the floor. Everyone scrambled for them. Scientists started to kick and push each other out of the way for a measly food cube. Above them, on the second story, Elizabeth could see the Ascended looking down on them, watching.

"Stop!" Elizabeth yelled, at the top of her lungs.

Everyone froze.

"Look at you! Just look at you!" said Elizabeth. "On your hands and knees. Pushing and shoving like animals! Are you Survey Service scientists, or are you cattle?"

Her words shamed them, at least some of them.

"They have more food than we do, Elizabeth. It's not fair," said Wade Tanner. But he knew his words sounded whining even to his own ears.

"Life isn't fair, Wade," said Elizabeth.

"But they got more food for collaborating. It's not right," said Wade.

"No, it isn't," said Elizabeth.

"So let us take their excess, and redistribute it," said Wade.

"No, we won't," said Elizabeth.

"Why not?" Wade cried.

"Because it's actually what they want. For us to fight among ourselves," said Elizabeth. "That's the purpose of this entire exercise, I believe. And we're playing right into their hands. I am your team leader, and you will listen to me. The food that every person gets is their own property. They can do with it as they will. If they want to share it, they can. If they want to eat it all, they can do that as well. It's each person's decision. I will have no more fist fights over food, do you hear me?"

No one answered her, but they all looked down. Her authority had been reestablished.

The next time food materialized, no one grabbed for someone else's food. But they did ask.

"Please, Midge?" said Susan McClure. "I'm hungry."

"I'm hungry too," said Midge Watson, feeling all eyes on her as she rapidly gobbled her food cubes.

"Just one, Midge, please, just one," Susan pleaded.

Midge shook her head.

"All right Susan. I'll give you one," said Barbara Wells. She was hungry too, but she felt guilty, and her heart was breaking for poor Susan.

"Really?" said Susan, rushing over to her. So did the other resistors who had gotten less food. Barbara shrunk back.

"All right," said Barbara. She reached out to hand Susan a food cube. Susan snatched it from her and eagerly put it in her mouth.

"Give me one too, Barbara," said Wade Tanner.

"And one for me," said Bruce Anderson.

"No... no...." said Barbara. But then they were grabbing for her food cup, and it went spilling, and soon they were rolling on the ground, fighting each other for a single food cube, resistors and collaborators alike.

After that, none of the collaborators volunteered to give up a food cube. Never again.

********

"You will find this next test much more pleasant, Captain Taylor," said Arnack's voice.

"I'm so relieved to hear that," said Taylor dryly. "By the way, where is the rest of my crew?"

"They are all here, and well cared for, Captain."

"Being experimented on, you mean."

"Yes, that is exactly what I mean," said Arnack.

"Why are there no scientists with us?"

"They are part of a different kind of experiment, Captain," said Arnack. "But you had best be focused on your own efforts."

"Efforts to do what?"

Suddenly there was a flash of light, and Suki Tanaka appeared in his cell. Taylor looked around, and saw Karen Levenson had been transported to Bill Carey's cell, and Judy Russell had been put into Rudy Garrett's cell...

And it was boy, girl, boy, girl.

Taylor started to get an uneasy feeling what was going to happen next.

Senderock shook his large head. "This is no test. Males are naturally attracted to females. It will take little effort to get them to mate with each other," he said, sounding disgusted.

Taylor and Suki looked into each others' eyes, startled as they discovered what was expected of them.

"It is no such test," said Arnack. "The males will only be moderately stimulated. It is the females, who show greater restraint, who will be stimulated the most."

"We're not going to do it," Taylor yelled. "We're not going to perform for your amusement!"

But even as he said it, he saw Suki staring at him with lust in her eyes.

It didn't take much persuading to make Suki attracted to Taylor. She was already attracted to him, strongly so. All she had to do was to overcome her inhibitions.

Captain's girl... you can be the Captain's girl, Captain's girl... he's so sexy... Taylor is so sexy, so very sexy....

And Suki believed it, because it was true. Ever since he first stepped onto the bridge. she had been attracted to those green eyes and dark haired smiles and broad shoulders and big chest. Suki knew, somehow, that there was something going on, or something that had gone on, between the Captain and Jennifer Hale, and knew that under normal circumstances that she wouldn't have had a chance with him... but circumstances were far from normal here.

Captain's girl, Captain's girl... you can be the Captain's girl again.

The thought would have repelled her under other circumstances, but right now Suki found it powerfully appealing.

Suki took a step towards Taylor.

Taylor took a step back. "Fight it, Suki."

"I don't want to fight it," Suki smiled. She wrapped her arms around him, and drew him close. "Captain... my deeeear Captain...."

Taylor cast a quick glance over at Jennifer's cell. For some reason, Jennifer was the only woman in their group who hadn't been paired off with a man. Taylor was grateful for that, but didn't know the reason why she had been spared. If anything, he should have been the one to be paired off with-

He felt Suki's lips pressing against his.

"No, Suki," he murmured. But he didn't push her away. Taylor felt sexually aroused, there was no denying it. Suki was an attractive woman, with round eyes and large, bulbous Southeast Asian breasts and long, dark, hair. Suddenly he felt a burning need, deep within himself. He needed, sex, badly. His penis throbbed with intense desire. He needed release. Specifically, he needed to release, inside of a woman... and Suki was rubbing against him, there for the taking. More than that, she was eager to be taken.

"Don't you find me attractive, Captain?" she said, with dark eyes.

Taylor did. There was no doubt about that.

"Yes, but-"

"Then let it happen," She said. She kissed him. He felt her warm, soft breasts pressing against him through her shirt. "Just let it happen."