Fantasy Journey to Year 1,000,000,000

"Do not fear," said Tammad. "It will not harm you."

"Why... why would they make a place like this?" Taylor asked. "What is the purpose?"

Tammad shrugged. "If I were a member of the United, I could probably tell you. Shall we proceed?"

They started walking. Ensign Torrence had replaced Lieutenant Babangida as head of security, and he lead the team today. They had also brought along one of Elizabeth's scientists, Bruce Anderson, a physical materials specialist, to study the unusual nature of this asteroid. Anderson, a thin, balding scientist, was chatting up a storm with Mushi, who had taken a liking to him.

Taylor remembered that Mushi had been friendly with Raleigh and Babangida, who both had been killed by the isotope. But she had also been friendly with others, including Doctor McCrae and even himself, and nothing had happened to them. It was probably coincidence.​

After they had covered about a dozen miles, Taylor saw that his men were getting weary. He felt it himself. His legs were sore. He decided to call a halt for a few hours so they could rest and get some sleep. They pitched tents and set up a perimeter patrol.

So far they hadn't encountered a single member of the United. But if it was as Tammad said, perhaps they would all be clustered at the far end of the rod.

As they were finishing dinner, Taylor overheard Doctor Bruce Anderson talking to Tammad. "Hundreds of dimensions? Really?"

"Actually, thousands of them. But we can only perceive hundreds," said Tammad. "We have travelled to some of them. They are quite amazing."

"When you say other dimensions, do you mean parallel universes?" Anderson asked.

"No," said Tammad. "I mean different planes of existence."

"Different planes of existence," Anderson breathed. "What does that mean? What is that like? What... what... oh... oh... OHHHH!" He got up and clutched his head. His body started to smoke and shimmer. Before their very eyes, his body started to liquefy. In seconds, he was simply a pool of fluid on the ground.

Jennifer looked at the body in horror. "Not again!" she cried.

"It was the isotope," said Tammad sadly. "I am so sorry for your loss."

"That's it?" said Jennifer. "You're sorry?"

"There's nothing that can be done," said Tammad.

"You can't detect these things?" Jennifer asked.

"We can," said Tammad. "But as I have already explained to Captain Taylor, the isotopes travel at high velocity. The one that briefly went through Doctor Anderson is already some miles away from us."

Jennifer looked at Taylor, who looked back at her. He walked forward and embraced him. She hugged him back.

"You still gave him too much."

"Infection through dermal contact is very unreliable. The failure rate is 84%."

"Internal infusions are much more reliable. The failure rate there is only 54%."

"With a very small sample size. Unproven."

"Our next infusion should be internal."

"Internal requires the active cooperation of the subject."

[A newcomer enters the telepathic conversation]

"Are you ready to give the Captain the isotope?"

"Yes. But I question the wisdom of it."

"Have you developed feelings for the Captain?"

"You know full well that none of us have any feelings of any kind."

"I am not so sure about you. You absorbed a microinfusion of modified DNA from Ensign Margaery Comsat of the USS Exeter. For a time, you showed signs of compassion."

"That was short lived. The change was not durable."

"Then why do you wish to spare Captain Taylor?"

"He would make a more suitable Encourager. He is very brave and determined. We could learn that by example."

"We could experience that even better if we absorbed his modified DNA."

"He is very valuable and should not be wasted."

"Agreed. Can you give him an internal dose of the isotope?"

"I believe so."

"Then do it. Give him a low dose. Seven percent below norm."

"Seven percent below norm? There is a significant chance that will not activate the transformation."

"He is too valuable. I would rather have the transformation fail than be left with a puddle of human chemicals."

"It shall be done."

Taylor wasn't having an easy time falling asleep. He had lost three men. They had all died in front of his eyes, horrible deaths where their bodies literally melted into liquid. This isotope was taking more of a toll on his crew than the United were. He was still tossing and turning when he heard a rustling and saw the outlines of someone entering his tent.

"Who... who is it?" he said.

"It's just me," said a familiar voice.

"Oh. Audrey," said Taylor.

Captain Audrey Spaulding of the Exeter sat down next to Taylor. "I thought you might need some company. It's never easy losing one of your men."

In the dim light he couldn't really see her face. But the outlines of her hair and trademark bun were clear. If her voice hadn't been a bit deeper, Taylor could have sworn that he was talking to Elizabeth.

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

He felt more than saw a hand start to brush over his arm. "But there's more to it than just that, isn't it?" said Spaulding.

"What do you mean?"

"As I mentioned to you earlier, the Expedition has... upgraded me in small ways," said Audrey. "They have given me limited telepathic abilities."

Taylor stiffened, even as she continued to stroke his arm. "Don't be alarmed! I respect your privacy. But the intensity of your thoughts... you've been hurt, Michael, and repeatedly, by a number of women, haven't you?"

Taylor looked at the faceless outline of Audrey Spaulding, and suddenly all his frustrations came boiling out, the things in his mind he hadn't been able to tell Jennifer or anyone else. He found himself telling her about his failed romances with Pamela, and Jennifer, and even Elizabeth and Suki. When he was done, he felt embarrassed, but also good about it. He had kept it all bottled up inside of him for way too long.

"You poor, poor man," said Audrey. She was now stroking his shoulders. "Have you ever tried to figure out why you have such difficulties with women?"

Taylor shook his head.

"Elizabeth I understand. I can sense the conflict within her. She wants to be two very different kinds of people, and can't yet decide which one she really wants to be. That's not on you, Michael," she said, as her hand gently stroked his chest. It felt good.

"But the others... the others were all inevitable," said Audrey.

"What do you mean?" Taylor asked, as he enjoyed the movements of her hand. It was a small thing, a light touch, but in the darkness, where all his other senses were dull, he felt it tenfold, as her fingertips graced his body with lightness and warmth.

"You and Jennifer. She was your first officer. Did you really expect your first officer to have an affair with you?"

"I...."

"You're her Captain. You can't reasonably put her in such a position," said Audrey.

"Maybe...."

"And Suki. Suki was even worse. She was one of your most junior officers. Even you couldn't bring yourself to do that. In both cases, the problem was you, Michael. Not you personally, but the position you occupied. The position of Captain." The fingers continued their sympathetic rubbing.

"And Pam?"

"It was the same thing. You were the Captain of a Survey Service vessel. How could you have a relationship with a woman you could barely have time to see?"

"So what is the answer then?" Taylor asked. "If I can't have relationships with my crew, and I can't have relationships with civilians, who can I have a relationship with?"

"The Survey Service," said Spaulding. "For dedicated officers like us, the Survey Service is our husband, the Survey Service is our wife. I think deep down you always knew that."

He felt her hand now, moving lower, moving to his thighs. Her touch became more insistent, pressing, demanding.

"But for those of us, higher in the chain of command, there is still one alternative," she said. And then Taylor saw her dark outline moving, leaning over, until her lips were above his.

"And what is that?" Taylor whispered.

"Captain to Captain," said Audrey. "There is no rule or regulation against it. Only a Survey Service Captain can understand the problems of another Survey Service Captain." And she pressed her lips against him. Taylor felt the warmth, and the glow, and it was wonderful.

Her dark face looked down on him as she pulled back. "Only a Survey Service Captain can understand the needs and difficulties that another Survey Service Captain experiences." And then she kissed him again, with twice the emotional energy of the first time.

Their lips locked together for a joyous moment, and then she pulled back again. "Only a Survey Service Captain can love you like I can, Michael. I was attracted to you from the moment I met you, you dashing young man. Are you attracted to me?"

"Yes," said Michael thickly. Yes, but.... he wanted to say, but the rest didn't quite come out.

The face hidden in shadow stared at him for a few seconds. Then she reached down and kissed him again. Taylor responded. His heart thumped as he felt her warm embrace. Her breasts were warm against his chest. Her legs were intertwined with his. She pressed her lips against his, rubbing, playing, teasing. It all felt so wonderful.

And then he felt hands, pulling on his shirt. Reaching for his pants.

"No..." said Taylor.

The hands continued to move, continued to pull his clothing.

"No," said Taylor again. He found new strength, and gently pushed her back.

"What is it?" Audrey asked.

He saw the outline of her head and bun, but couldn't see the expression on her face. Taylor shook his head in the darkness of his tent. "No... not here. Not in a field operation. Not surrounded by my crew like this. They will hear."

"We'll be very discreet," said Audrey. She surged forward again, but Taylor held firm, pushing her back again.

"No," said Taylor. "After the mission. Later."

The outline of Audrey's face looked at him for a long moment. Then she nodded, and got up. "Until next time, then," she said, exiting his tent.

"He would not take the isotope."

"He would not? Or you wouldn't give it to him?"

"I tried. You said you wanted it done internally. I am confident I can do it, but I need more time."

[A new telepathic voice enters the discussion]

"I am ready to give Jennifer Hale the isotope."

"Do we want to give Jennifer Hale the isotope?"

"She is full of sensuality and sexual desire. I have felt it. Her DNA would add excellent motivations, once it had been properly modified."

"Will you be able to deliver the dose internally?"

"I think so, when this part of the mission is completed."

"Then do so, with an appropriate delay inserted so you are not suspected."

They resumed their journey a few hours later. Taylor was unsettled by Audrey Spaulding's nocturnal visit. He had been burned by so many women--Pamela, Jennifer, and Elizabeth. He was also suspicious of the Expedition, and Audrey was definitely associated with it. If the Expedition had a secret agenda, could Audrey be as much in the dark about it as he was?

All these doubts had caused him to push her away last night. But Taylor had felt a powerful attraction to her. The idea of making love to a brave, bold Survey Service Captain excited him. And he felt she was right when she said that only Survey Service Captains could understand other Survey Service captains. Sex with Audrey would not merely be sexually exciting; there would also be an exchange of empathy, of understanding.

It was a powerful inducement. If Audrey showed up at his quarters on the Judicator one night, he didn't think he would have the power to resist her.

Meanwhile Taylor couldn't help but notice that Jennifer continued to stay close to Alex Stone. He watched with heavy eyes as they walked and talked with each other. Alex wasn't just flirting with Jennifer; she was flirting with him! The way she smiled, the way she touched his arm when she talked... she wanted it.

The problem with Alex was one and the same. If the Expedition had a secret agenda, if Audrey was compromised, then Alex certainly was as well. But so far, all he had were suspicions. If he tried to warn Jennifer, she would simply attribute it to jealousy.

And she might well be right.

They continued to walk through the bizarre landscape. What kind of alien mind could dream up a surrounding made up of giant orange and white squares, punctuated only by tall vines with glowing white orbs on them? The white orbs he understood, they were the only source of light. But the orange and white squares? He asked Tammad about it.

"I have seen much stranger things in some of the dimensions I have visited," said Tammad.

"You have seen other dimensions?"

"A few," said Tammad. "Our technology is not as advanced as the United, but we have crossed over to a few of the more accessible ones. One time I saw a dimension consisting entirely of bright, wavy lines."

"Bright, wavy lines? What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said. The entire universe, in that dimension, was bright, wavy lines," said Tammad. "Our scientists say that there was more there, much more, but we do not have the ability to screan it like the United do."

"To screan it?"

Tammad frowned. "I am trying to find a word for it in your language. There is no real equivalent. To screan is to... understand things, but to understand in a way using perceptual abilities that you do not possess."

"You mean, like sensing with the mind, like extra sensory perception?"

Tammad made a face. "Perhaps. That is a very broad and generalized characterization of it, but yes, it is the ability to sense the nature of the universe using a physicality you do not possess."

"And you do?"

"We are beginning to," said Tammad. "The United can screan much better than we can. But we can begin to sense the nature of things. What we see as stars, and the planets, and the solar system, and the galaxy... they are not just astronomical bodies. They are more, much more."

"Can you elaborate?" Taylor asked.

"I don't think there is time," said Tammad. He pointed. "Look."

They had nearly reached the other end of the rod. They could see a mass of giant squids, guarding some kind of outpost. Behind them they could see the end of the hollow rod they were inside of, and the stars themselves.

They could already begin to hear the voices in their head.

"Show us your bravery!"

"Show us your determination!"

"Let no opposition halt you!"

The United, it seems, was eager for battle.

There was no real cover here, except the thick, vertical vines. Taylor ordered the men to spread out, and to advance.

The battle commenced. It was just like the last time. Survey Service and Expedition forces fired their weapons, and giant squids blew into pieces. The United fired back at them, and people fell to the ground, unconscious. The United still wanted to take them prisoner, rather than kill them.

They advanced, and all seemed to go well, until Taylor heard Jennifer scream.

He turned around.

Somehow, four of the United had appeared behind them. How they got there when there was no place to hide was a puzzle that Taylor didn't have time to consider. One of them had an arm around Jennifer, and her body was stiff, her eyes wide, as she was dragged away.

"Jennifer!" Taylor cried, as he ran to her. But he had to hit the ground as he was nearly cut down by a blast from a United who attempted to flank him. "Show us your determination!" he heard in his head.

"I'll show you my determination!" Taylor cried. He shot the United, and it burst into pieces, but even as he got up, energy blasts from yet another United kept him from running to Jennifer.
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