Post Human Ch. 03

"So you are the Fortis boy who wants to play with the smart kids," she observed after a moment of silence. Her tone was condescending to the limit of what was bearable. "I suspect you came here because your character assessment score is beyond bad and you need a commendation to patch it up; correct?"

"Yes," I admitted partly taken aback by how informed she was, partly glad that she had brought up the subject herself.

"And I assume that every other professor around here has already rejected you, otherwise Niklas would not have bet on my help for his little pet project; correct?"

"Yes."

"That means you will really need to impress me, if I am to be your savior. So what are the qualities you think you could bring to the table?" She didn't interrupt her occupation and the way this question was uttered suggested that she didn't care for the answer in the slightest.

Everything about her attitude suggested that this was a complete waste of her time. There was only one response which seemed appropriate for the situation: Walking out of the room immediately. Somehow I managed to overcome that impulse. Swallowing the last of my pride I formulated what I hoped was an appropriate answer.

"I have a deep passion for learning and a broad knowledge base. I fulfill all the intellectual criteria..."

I didn't get any further because Professor Siebal cut me off.

"Yeah, yeah you are a true wunderkind, I get it; great skills, brilliant intellect, a prodigy for humanity, bla bla bla. We have a lot of those here. You will have to do better than that."

"And what spectacular performance do you expect of me?" I asked, struggling to keep my temper.

"You know, unlike most of my colleagues I actually believe that you are as smart as you claim." That statement came as a surprise. "Out of curiosity I looked at your application documents and talked to some other professors who met you. I have studied the Fortis intensively, and it is immediately obvious that you are different. Plus, I know both Niklas and Wilfried. If they both believe you have a chance at making it, there has to be something very extraordinary about you. However, it is not enough to prove that you are as smart as others at this institution. The fact that you are a Fortis is an inconvenience for everyone involved. Even if you make it through the entire program with excellent grades, for most people the cost and trouble of it will outweigh the potential benefit. Your heritage is a handicap which you will not overcome by offering the same as everyone else. You will always have to give more, work harder, go further or provide something no one else can offer. Convince people that you are worth the inconvenience of dealing with you."

It was a blunt speech, but my experiences so far told me that she was right. Being intelligent alone would simply not cut it. It didn't seem fair, but nobody had ever claimed it would be. The question was: What exactly was I supposed to do?

"So what can I offer you, to make up for the inconvenience of giving me a commendation?" I asked. "How can I prove to you that I am worth the trouble?"

For the first time since I had entered the office, professor Siebal showed a faint smile. "I would like to conduct an experiment. It should satisfy my personal curiosity and will also be a test of your dedication and willpower. I am compensated for my trouble and you get a chance to prove your determination. If you pass the test, I will write a commendation. How does that sound?"

"A little too good to be true," I commented, careful not to get my hopes up too much, before I knew all the details. "What kind of experiment are we talking about?"

"One which will dive deeply into the Fortis psychology," she hinted mysteriously. "Do you know of the Fortis tribes of Southern New Paradise?"

"I have read of them," I answered truthfully. They were the largest known tribal Fortis society in the world; a system of many interacting tribes in close proximity, estimated to number a few hundred thousand individuals. "Never been there myself."

"I have", she told me, finally putting her pen aside and directing her entire attention at me. "For an extensive study about Fortis behavior I spent a lot of time in their territory; quite a fascinating experience. For a while I even lived among one of the tribes. I participated in their every-day life, their work, their rituals and even their orgies."

The last part really startled me and at first I thought I had misheard her. The professor observed my reaction with visible amusement.

"As you certainly know, Fortis have a very pragmatic, open-minded attitude towards sexuality. It is part of their culture and an important aspect to study if one wants to understand them."

I was starting to feel a different type of uncomfortable, but Siebal just continued without the slightest sign of shame or modesty.

"It took me a while to get used to it. Much of what is normal for tribe members is very unusual for other people: Their limited regard for consent, the normality of nakedness, the incorporation of sexual activities in the daily routine, their erotic rituals, the fact that they don't care about or even enjoy being watched during the act. All that is very strange and even frightening at first, but can become a very positive experience once you embrace it." Her facial expression suggested that her thoughts were focused on some pleasant memories of the past. "The same is also true for their penises. Did you know that the male reproductive organs of Fortis are significantly larger than those of any other subspecies on average?"

"N- no, I didn't, I mean, I never thought about that..." I stammered.

"Well, it is true; there are extensive studies comparing the proportions of many individuals of different subspecies and they all reach the same conclusion: An average Fortis phallus is huge, by common human standards. It seems appropriate, considering the surplus in body size and mass. But for most other body parts, the increases in size were a targeted effort to make ideal workers and warriors. Larger genitals have no intrinsic merit for these purposes though. So I cannot fully explain the actual cause of this development. Was it just a coincidence, a side effect of the selective breeding or a conscious intention of the Sikatis? Could it have benefited reproduction to make sure they breed as fast as possible? Or did the growth take place after the alien interference because female Fortis tended to choose partners with a large penises and a common lack of cloth made this selection criterion more important? Alas, we lack comprehensive records from the Sikatis era, which might shed some light on this mystery."

Her temporarily absent gaze seemed to focus on me again. "As far as I know it is a global phenomenon. So I assume it is also true for your tribe. Can you confirm that?"

"What do you mean exactly?" I asked, very unsure about how I should react to all this unwanted information.

"Well, I assume you have seen plenty of male genitalia in various states while living in your tribes?"

"Yes..."

"And did you have any opportunity to compare them to members of other subspecies?"

"Not really," I replied truthfully. Sports clubs and school exercises had always been separated by subspecies in Zusammenkunft, so I had no experiences of locker or shower rooms where I might have observed something like that.

"A pity," the professor commented contemplatively. Then after a short pause: "Would you show me yours?"

Now it was getting really uncomfortable. "Are you serious?"

"Of course, why not? It is not considered as anything special among the tribes, so why should it be different here?"

"In my experience other subspecies have a more strict understanding of decency and morale"

Professor Siebal shrugged. "Some do, others don't; I belong to the latter category."

I hesitated for a moment, considering her request.

"No need to be ashamed," she encouraged with a smile. "It is a purely academic request: From one member of the academy to a potential future one."

Whether this last statement was a deliberate effort to coerce me or not, I could not tell, but it worked anyway. If it helped me get into the academy, exposing myself in front of a woman was a small price to pay. Very slowly I reached for my belt, undid the buckle and pulled down my pants. There was another moment of hesitation before the underwear followed. Afterwards I stood naked from the waist down.

Siebal nodded with a satisfied expression, her gaze focused on my groin.

"How large would you say your penis is in comparison to other Fortis of your age?"

"About average, I guess?" I said, maybe more humble than necessary.

The woman nodded again. "That seems roughly in line with the data and observations I know. The size is indeed remarkable, even in a flaccid state." Something about her expression suggested that there was a lot more than scientific interest behind her inspection.

"Thank you for your cooperation, you can put your pants back on," she remarked after a moment. I hastily complied, more and more eager to finally get out of this office.

"Now that we have established your willingness to put yourself in an uncomfortable situation in order to get your commendation, we can return to the subject of the experiment. The background is the following: The Fortis are strongly driven by instincts, emotions and physical needs. They tend to abandon reason and strategic thinking in favor of short-time pleasures. If they want something, they usually think a lot less about the long-term consequences of getting it, than other humans. These are intentional flaws the Sikatis developed in them, to make them easy to control. They didn't need to worry about Fortis organizing themselves or making some elaborate plans, as long as they regularly provided some immediate gratifications in the form of food, sex or drugs, in exchange for compliance. The Fortis were content with their slavery as long as their work caused them less mental effort than disobedience.

There are two opposing views about the intellectual nature of the Fortis: One side is convinced that the Fortis simply lack the intellectual capacity to apply strategic thinking and rational planning, due to an underdeveloped brain. The other argues, that they are not that stupid in principle, but their minds are simply overwhelmed by natural urges and instincts that they have no other option than to make decisions which bring them fast pleasure but are less desirable in the long run. This would mean that they would be capable of more sophisticated thought and learning, if they were not constantly distracted by other, more immediate necessities. The problem would be a lack of concentration rather than physical lack of cognitive resources. Depending on which of these theories is applicable, the methods for improving coexistence between Fortis and other subspecies might strongly differ.

Now what does this have to do with you? As I have already admitted, you are without a doubt an extraordinary specimen. The question is: Are you just smarter than the average Fortis, because of an anomaly in the development of your brain or are you less affected by natural desires than your peers, which allowed your intellect to flourish to an unusual extent?"

Despite all the thought I had put into consideration of my own mind throughout my life, I could not answer that question. Siebal gave me no time to properly think about it either and continued with her explanation:

"I want to test this by putting you in a situation where a certain type of physical need will be strongly amplified and you are required to resist this need in order to achieve a strategic long-term goal. The desires will be of a sexual nature, the goal is admittance to the academy. If you easily manage to resist, by applying rational thought and weighing your options, this will indicate, that you are simply smarter than other Fortis and that urgings are not as crucial a factor. However, if your amplified desires completely overwhelm your rationalization and leave you a victim to lowly instincts, it would support the second theory.

You will receive the further details directly before the start of the experiment, if you are interested. If you disagree with the parameters at that point you are free to leave of course. This is not an official experiment of the academy, but merely a means of satisfying my own curiosity. I also expect to get some personal pleasure out of it, just to be honest. I would suggest that we conduct the experiment in four days, the day after the exam, at 8 PM at my home. You will spend the night there."

"But the application period ends on the day of the exam," I interjected. "I can't provide any more credentials after that."

"Correct, you can't. But I can. Academy staff can provide additional information until the final verdict is reached a few days later. So, are you interested?"

I had to think about it. There were some crucial details missing.

"You don't have to decide now, either you show up or you don't," the professor admitted. "Here is my address." She handed me a piece of paper.

"Now if you would excuse me, I have work to do." With that her focus shifted back to the paper in front of her.

There were still plenty of questions I needed answers to, but at the moment I simply wanted to leave and ponder over what I had heard. Slowly and in deep thought I returned to Niklas' office.

"Good news?" Niklas asked with a hopeful expression when I entered.

"I'm not sure," I answered, realizing that I had no idea what I should tell him.

"So she has made an offer?" Niklas suspected with a knowing smile.

"Of sorts; I am not sure I can make use of it though."

"I assume it is of a nature some people might call... indecent?"

"How do you know that?" I asked.

"I am familiar with Veronika's little experiments. She wasn't last on my list because she was the least likely candidate but because I knew that her conditions might be less agreeable to you."

„So she has done such experiments before?"

„Oh yes, it is a real passion of hers. She has dedicated a lot of research to sexuality. In her opinion it is a very important factor in almost every aspect of human life. Some of her findings really support that view. However, the academy is not always thrilled about her more daring projects. Some colleagues are worried about the institution's reputation if the work she publishes gets too kinky. So she has to do those experiments which cross the borders of academy moral in private. Due to her special status, it is tolerated when she occasionally uses academy resources or involves academy members in her personal projects, as long as it is not presented as official business. Also her enthusiasm for getting personally involved in sexual experiments is something many of her peers frown upon. She enjoys it a bit too much they say. It is her private life though, so there is not much they can do about it."

"Why didn't you tell me before?"

"I was worried that you would disagree out of principle or that you would be too embarrassed to do it, had you known up front. Besides, I was merely guessing that she might see an interesting test subject in you, I couldn't be certain. Sorry if I put you in an uncomfortable position but I thought it better if you found out yourself."

"So you told me to visit her alone, because you expected it to get... indecent? Did you lie about her not liking you?"

"Oh no, that claim was absolutely true; an understatement if anything. There was a certain... incident during a research project for which I was on her team; I would prefer not to go into details. Since then our communication usually has a rather frosty tone to it."

I was curious about that incident, but at the moment there were other things on my mind. "So there is nothing forbidden about what professor Siebal does? There are no academy rules against it. Not even if she gives me a commendation for it?"

"No, she is very careful about not crossing lines which could get her in serious trouble. Who she gives a commendation to is purely her decision. It might have repercussion in her relation to other academy members, but as I said, she is pretty much untouchable."

"Do you think I should do it?" I wanted to know from Niklas.

"That, you will have to decide for yourself," he replied. "The way I see it you have been cheated out of your chance to get into the academy, so whether or not it is a decent thing to do, it would at least be justified; especially because you are not breaking any rules. I certainly won't judge you for it. But whether you can justify it for yourself, is up to you."

That was a tough question. Before I had come to Berlin I had been so determined, so confident that I would make it into the academy purely through my own abilities. Now that this plan lay in ruins, the thought of resorting to favors and acts of questionable moral was dreadful to me. Luckily I didn't have to decide right away. I could wait until after the exam before I reached a final verdict. If I failed the exam, the matter would be obsolete anyway. If I managed to get the required score and Siebal's request was the only thing standing between me and my dream, the decision would be much easier; so I hoped.

Subsequently I banished all thoughts of the professor and her questionable experiment from my mind and focused my entire concentration on the exam for the next three days. I prepared as well as I could, yet when the day finally came, I didn't feel ready. That feeling was not to be trusted of course. Even if I had studied for many more months, I probably would have felt unprepared. The pressure was simply too intense for me to retain any semblance of confidence. After all, the result of this exam could have much more extensive consequences than merely deciding about my admission for this year. If I didn't make it in now, the outcome would likely be used in the context of future character assessments, to prove or disprove my aptitude for the academy. Botching it now might obliterate my chances of ever making it.

The level of nervousness which plagued me on the morning of the exam was appropriate for the significance of the occasion. After I had been assured that I have the intelligence and knowledge to succeed for so long, first by Wilfried, then by Niklas, the prospect of failure had more or less vanished from my mind. The focus on passing the character assessment had further caused me to regard passing the exam as a given. Now that I was actually required to take action in order to fulfill the high expectations which had been nurtured in me for so long, my certainty was washed away by a sudden wave of doubt.

The reactions to my arrival at the hall where the exam would take place, did nothing to improve my mental constitution. Everyone among the applicants as well as the academy staff seemed to be looking at me. Among their gazes there was curiosity and surprise, amusement and disbelief, condescension and hostility. The search for an expression of encouragement or approval would have been in vain. The best reaction I could hope for was indifference, given that many here certainly wanted me to fail. They pointed, whispered and laughed while I looked for a place as remote as possible among the many long rows of desks and chairs filling the large room.

The anxiety kept on building up until the beginning of the exam, but once I had received the sheet of paper it was all gone. I faded out the world around me, dismissed both future and past and projected all my attention onto the task at hand. Finally I had been given a challenge which only cared about my skills, not my looks, my heritage or my origin. It reminded me why I had come to the academy in the first place.

The topics were spread broadly across all the main fields the academy was occupied with. Most questions didn't dive too deeply into any of them, but often crossed two or more domains, requiring the ability to make logical connections and use different skill sets in combination. Fortunately this was what I excelled in. The consequence of attending a school for all humans and not being raised within an isolated community for one subspecies was, that my knowledge and abilities were a lot less specialized than for the average person. It was often a disadvantage, but in this case it was a significant benefit. Traditionally, members of each subspecies were educated in a way which strongly favored their abilities. Thus the learning institutions of the Callidus practiced primarily math, natural sciences and engineering, the Eloquens focused on social skills, language, politics and economics, the Durabilis put a lot of emphasis on memorizing facts and learning crafts and the Pulcher preferred creativity and arts. This focused education made each of them very well suited for their usual occupations, but it often proved a serious drawback when a task extended beyond the borders of the familiar subjects. Beating a smart, highly educated Callidus in solving a math problem was an almost impossible feat. However, if the mathematical component was part of a more extensive issue in an economic context which required text comprehension, knowledge of market dynamics and some creative thinking, the skillful humans tended to be quickly overwhelmed.