Loneliest Man Who Ever Lived Ch. 23

[Note: This is a romance story with some erotic scenes. It is not a story with erotic scenes in every chapter. Some chapters have incredible sex scenes, but many others have none.]

The Denouement

"Welcome back, Mr. Crater."

Harry's eyes slowly came into focus. He jumped slightly, as he found himself staring into the sinister face of Doctor Severin.

"He's coming to," said Severin.

"Good," said a second voice, and Doctor Slattery came into view. "Hello, Harry."

"Hello, Doctor Slattery," said Harry.

"I'm sorry we had to sedate you. But we didn't want you causing trouble during your long... trip here."

"Here?" said Harry.

"To our headquarters," said Slattery.

"You wouldn't mind telling me where that is, would you?"

"Of course not! We are all friends now," said Slattery. "We're just outside of Newton, Massachusetts."

"Right next to...."

"Right next to the former facility that you so unkindly brought to the attention of the authorities, Harry. We didn't think the FBI would be smart enough to search right under their own noses for us. We were right, Harry," said Slattery.

Harry looked around. He was cuffed, somehow... into a chair.

The Chair.

"That's right, Harry. Your journey was always going to end here," said Slattery. "Have you figured out what's been happening, in that brilliant mind of yours?"

No right answers, she had said....

"Claire," said Harry. "You programmed her to fall in love with me. You wanted me to make a genius child with her. You sent her out to seduce me."

"Correct, Harry."

So Goldie had been telling the truth! At least, about that.

"But... you're interested in cloning, not eugenics."

"A little joint project with another group you may be familiar with, Harry, The Society."

Goldie had been telling the truth about that too.

"I saw you tried to clone me. And Goldie too. Didn't work out for you?"

"You discovered the bodies at the Archive. Most regrettable," said Slattery. "Harry, you have to look at the big picture. Society has been driven into the ground by Normals. Advances in technology are made by Fourthers, and the World Government uses the increased productivity from our best minds to stave off global collapse, because of how poorly they run things. The world shouldn't be run like that, Harry."

"So you're building an army, with people like Reginald Washington."

"Yes, Harry. We have perfected a method of accelerated cloning. We have recruited many of the world's top athletes, and soldiers, and we now have the ability to imprint personalities on them. The Chair has always been our little toy, Harry, only a small piece of a larger puzzle."

"But why would you want clones of Goldie and I? We're not exactly ideal soldiers."

"No, you're not, Harry. But our New Order will need more than just soldiers. We'll need properly motivated scientists to make new advances."

"And Goldie?"

"We will always have a need for someone of her talents as well," said Slattery. He smiled as Harry shifted uncomfortably in the Chair.

"Why did you kill our clones?"

"They were failed experiments, Harry. We found that imprinting personalities works reasonably well on soldiers or guards. For people requiring more... sophisticated mentalities, it doesn't work well at all."

Harry suddenly began to put it all together. "Those children we saw. Those were clones of us, weren't they?"

Slattery nodded. "You, and other bright minds. We accelerated their growth to the age of four, and implanted some generic personalities, just so they wouldn't go mad. We plan to let them mature naturally. It may take a little longer, but we'll eventually get geniuses of your caliber, Harry."

"It all sounds so wonderful," said Harry sarcastically. "So why am I here?"

"You are here, Harry, because you have proven that you are no good at following orders. You were supposed to stay in Nanqu and get Claire pregnant. You were not supposed to come back to America to cause more trouble for us. We realized at that point, that other measures were needed, and decided to bring you in."

"Why didn't you have Claire bring me in?"

"Because... she wasn't programmed to," said Slattery. "She was only programmed to love you, and to get impregnated by you. We find that the narrower the directive, the more successful the program. So we had Goldie bring you in instead."

"What did you do to Goldie? Did you make her... forget about me?"

Slattery laughed. "Even after she betrayed you, you still show concern for her! Very commendable, Harry! No, we didn't erase her affections for you. We simply added some other imperatives to her programming. We kept her feelings for you intact, because I had a feeling they would come in handy, and I can see I was right. I think she's going to help us with the final stages of your conversion."

"What are you going to do to me?" Harry asked. He looked up at the emitter above him, which was pointed at his head.

"Not very much. Not very much at all," Slattery assured him. "We're going to expose you to a broader perspective, Harry, that's all. When we're done here, you'll want to help The Foundation. You'll help us develop our technology, and you'll happily impregnate Claire, or anyone else who comes to mind. You'll be a happy member of the team, Harry, totally fulfilled and emotionally secure. You'll be so much better off, really."

"It sounds wonderful," said Harry dryly.

"It is wonderful," said Slattery. He turned to go. "Goodbye, Harry."

"Wait!"

Slattery turned around.

"Answer me one last thing," Harry said, straining to see him around the side of the chair.

"Certainly. If I can."

"Does Goldie love me? Does she really love me?"

Slattery gave him an odd look. "She was programmed to love you, Harry."

Harry felt a crushing feeling in his chest.

"However... her programming should have started to fray long ago, without proper reinforcement," said Slattery looking thoughtful. "How much is her love for you real, and how much is manufactured? Is that your question, Harry?" He shrugged. "I'm the one who programmed her, Harry, and even I don't know. Does that answer your question?"

"Yes, it does," said Harry.

"See you soon, my friend," said Slattery, putting a hand on his shoulder. He turned to Doctor Severin. "Full duration, but... be gentle with him."

"Of course," said Doctor Severin. He went to the control panel. "Now Harry, this won't hurt much. I'd like you to start taking deep, easy breaths, and count backwards, from ten."

"Fuck you," said Harry.

Doctor Severin gave a small smile, but didn't bother to look up from the controls. Harry heard the machine above him start to hum with power, and a light shone down on him.

Suddenly, part of his mind seemed to freeze. He saw Doctor Severin saying something, and then Harry said something, but Harry couldn't hear what he or Severin were saying. This seemed to go on for a long time. He felt odd sensations in his head, as if electrical currents were moving around.

And then it was over. The light turned off, and Harry was gasping for breath.

"Here," said Doctor Severin, putting a cup by his mouth, and Harry drank. He was so thirsty.

"We did a slightly more intense starting session, to get us off to a good start," said Doctor Severin. "So, Harry, how do you feel about The Foundation?"

How did Harry feel about The Foundation?

The Foundation was awful. He hated it. And yet... maybe The Foundation wasn't so bad. Maybe it was providing a New Order, a new way of doing things which would help society. Wait a minute, what was he thinking?

"I hate it," Harry spat, hoping to see disappointment on Severin's face.

But Severin merely smiled. "But you paused, Harry, I saw you pause."

"You mean... you didn't expect to brainwash me?"

"In one session? Of course not," said Doctor Severin. "But I can see your mind has already opened up to the possibility of it. You see, Harry, what you crudely, and somewhat inaccurately call brainwashing is not as simple as you think. We don't simply sit someone in the chair, press a button, and turn them into unthinking robots," said Severin. "There are so many factors in play. How strong is the mind? How contrary is the imperative we are attempting to implant to its basic nature?"

"So... if you're trying to implant an imperative which is not contrary to the subject's basic nature...."

"We have a much easier time of it, yes. "

Harry immediately thought of Goldie.

"Of course, for someone like you, with a very strong personality, where we are trying to condition you to something you have strongly been opposed to, it will take time," said Doctor Severin. "Not to worry, though. After ten sessions you will be willing to help. After fifteen or twenty sessions you will be eager to."

"Not likely," said Harry.

Doctor Severin smiled. "Tell you what, Harry. I'll ask you that question again, after our last session. Wait and see what you say then." He turned to a man wearing a blue jumpsuit just like him. "Guard."

The guard took Harry to a room with a bed. Harry was locked in.

Harry felt tired. His brain felt exhausted, as if he had just been concentrating for hours.

He wondered what had happened to Goldie, and Claire. He guessed he would be seeing Claire again, once he had been fully programmed. But would he see Goldie?

How would he feel once they had finished working on his mind? Would he be content, as Doctor Slattery had promised? In some ways, it was a hideous possibility, but in other ways, maybe not. Maybe a life free of anguish had its advantages, even if it was a controlled one. But even after his mind was controlled, would he still pine for Goldie? They said they were going to use her to help convert him. If Goldie whispered in his ear, and told him to obey The Foundation, Harry would, he knew. All it would take would be a few treatments in the chair.

The Foundation knew his weaknesses quite well. He would become a willing stud for Claire, and Goldie would make sure it happened. How ironic for all of them!

He wondered if she still had any feelings for him, programmed or otherwise. He wondered-

"Are you going to just lie there and sleep the night away?"

Goldie stood at the door, holding a compression pistol.

********

"Goldie!" said Harry, jumping up to hug her. But she waved the gun menacingly at him.

"Goldie?" he said uncertainly. "What did they do to you?"

"Not much, Harry," said Goldie. "They reprogrammed me, to make sure I'd be loyal to The Foundation, and then sent me out on some missions."

"Missions?"

"Recruitment missions," said Goldie. "They didn't fully trust me, though, even after all that programming. Remember that gold circlet I was wearing around my neck?"

"Yes. I don't see it now."

Goldie bowed slightly. "That's because I'm off probation now. I passed my final exam, bringing you in. But for the past two months, they've been sending me out to recruit other men. If I got the wrong idea, boom!" She grinned.

"And so... what are you doing here, Goldie?"

"Rescuing you, of course, Harry. Isn't that obvious?" She paused. "I called the FBI. They should be here within the hour."

"You did?" Harry stared at her. He couldn't be sure she was telling the truth.

"Yep."

"I thought they programmed you to be loyal."

"They did, Harry. The programming didn't work. I fooled them," Goldie said. "I guess I was more receptive to some kinds of programming than others, Harry."

It made sense... sort of. But then, why was she pointing a gun at him?

"Let's go, Harry. We want to be out of here before the FBI arrives. We don't want to be caught in the crossfire, do we?"

Harry slowly walked out of the cell. He still sensed something was wrong, but he wasn't sure what.

"Where is everyone?" Harry said, as they walked down a corridor.

"You've lost track of time, Harry. It's two in the morning," said Goldie.

Two in the morning? How long had he been in the chair?

They came to an intersection in the hallway.

"Left, Harry."

"But isn't the exit to the right?"

"Left, Harry," she said, waving her gun.

This wasn't Goldie. Not his Goldie. What was going on here?

Harry had no choice. He went left.

His feeling of dread only increased when they arrived in the room with the Chair. Goldie moved to the controls. "Get in the Chair, Harry."

"No," said Harry.

She steadied her aim. "There's a more painful way we can do this, and a less painful way. Which do you prefer?"

"You planned this," said Harry slowly. "That's why you brought me in."

"Yes, Harry," said Goldie. "You were always going to end up in the chair. That's been my plan from the start."

"Your plan?" said Harry, sounding confused.

"The Chair, Harry, now."

Harry looked at her eyes. In many ways, she resembled the old Goldie. He tried, faintly, to hope. "If I... if I get in the Chair, will we... will we be together, afterwards?"

Goldie gave him a sad look, and he saw her eyes started to tear up, and right there and then, he saw the old Goldie, his Goldie.

"Yes Harry," she said quietly. "Whatever else, I promise you that. Now... there isn't much time. Get in the Chair."

Harry got in the chair. To be brainwashed, to be programmed, was hardly his first choice. But even as a programmed person... to be with Goldie... he could live with that. So he thought.

The light went on, and so did the powerful hum. Harry felt part of his mind instantly paralyzed. Goldie started to say things, and he repeated them. He felt unusual sensations in his head. This seemed to go on for a while, but not as long, he sensed, as he had in his session with Doctor Severin.

And then the machine was off, and Harry was freed from the paralysis field.

"Harry, how do you feel?" said Goldie, sounding anxious.

Harry blinked. He felt dizzy, but it passed quickly. He stood up uneasily.

"Easy, Harry," she said, steadying him.

Harry said, "What did you do to me?" And as he stared at her eyes, he saw Goldie, his Goldie, exactly as he knew her. Except she looked sad, mournful, almost.

"Just two things. Just two small things," she whispered.

"What things?

"I instructed you to believe that a woman could love you, exactly the way you are. And I also instructed you to believe that I loved you." She stared at him lovingly. "Harry, you were programmed way before I met you. You programmed yourself, to believe that no one could ever love you. It made you sad, Harry. It made life difficult for you, Harry. Unfairly so. All I did was try to... undo your programming."

Suddenly they heard the sounds of shouts, and running feet. Moments later, they heard the crackle of compression rifles.

"They're coming, Harry," said Goldie. "If you like, there may still be time. Give the word, and I'll try to reverse it. All of it. Would you like that, Harry?"

Harry looked at Goldie. Suddenly, his worldview seemed different.

He was a lovable man. There was no reason why women should not love him. He was not typical, by any stretch of the imagination, and certainly not all women in the world would be attracted to him; but at the same time there was no reason for some women, at least, not to find him attractive. He was brilliant, he was kind, he was good looking, he was fun to be with... why shouldn't a woman find him appealing?

Harry remembered how he used to think. He remembered thinking that no woman could ever be attracted to him. Although he remembered thinking this way, he couldn't, for the life of him, remember why he thought that way.

And then he looked at Goldie again. Really, really looked at her.

She loved him. It was so obvious. It was written all over her. All the things she had done for him. All the times they had had together. All the laughs, all the fun, all the loving moments, not just the sex, but the times they had just been together, lovingly, in each other's company. They all had been real. It never could have been otherwise. He was certain of that now.

And now Goldie had again risked everything, to make him realize this. And the only reason why... was because she loved him.

This was real love.

If this wasn't real love, then there was no such thing as love.

They heard footsteps in the corridor, getting closer.

"Last chance, Harry," said Goldie. "You probably won't get this opportunity again. Do you want to be-"

Her voice was abruptly cut off as Harry pressed his lips against hers. Goldie responded passionately, wrapping her arms around him.

The kiss lasted for a long moment, before Harry pulled back, looking at her intently.

"God, how I missed you," said Goldie, her voice quivering.

"Let's go," said Harry.