Fantasy The People Makers

Bessie held a community wide meeting after breakfast the next day in Algeria. Once Hommed had finished the morning services and Hot Dog and Hamburger had run through morning calisthenics for anyone who cared to join them, she went in front of the crowd.

"This has been a trying time for all of us," she said. "But we all have to come together. Only together can we be stronger than before."

"Under your leadership?"

Bessie turned to see Captain Taylor. "Beg your pardon?"

Taylor strode onto the stage. "How can we be stronger under your leadership, First One? Under your leadership not a single one of us has broken the 800 barrier. Under your leadership community members have either taken their own lives or been killed by other community members." He turned to the audience. "Is everyone satisfied with the First One's leadership?"

"No!" someone cried.

"Bessie wouldn't approve my partnering unless I fucked her!" said Roger Wyck.

"She made me fuck her too!" said Gerold Cantor.

"She refused to let me partner with anyone out of sheer spite!" said Lauren Greenwad.

Bessie cringed as she felt a wave of hatred from the gathered audience. Her immunity to criticism had been shattered in an instant, and suddenly no one was afraid of airing their grievances.

"I say we need a new First One!" said Taylor.

"You can't!" said Bessie, finding her courage. "First Ones serve for life!"

"Is that true, Frog?" Taylor asked.

Frog paused. "It has been the tradition."

"But is it a rule?"

Frog felt all eyes on him. He paused. "Not exactly."

The audience roared with anger and delight, and Bessie cringed.

Survey Service Captain Michael Taylor was elected First One in a landslide. The following morning, the powderfied body of Bessie Hammickerschlammer was carried through Oregon in a motorized stretcher.

"That didn't take long, did it?" said Dickie Weymouth.

'They had no further use for her," said Roland Miller grimly. "She wasn't a good genetic match with anyone, so once she was no longer First One, they got rid of her." No one spoke up to contradict him.

Michael Taylor was the new First One now. It was he who sat behind the cramped desk in what was formerly Bessie's tiny office. It was he who would bend the ear of Graylor with his recommendations to approve or disapprove pairings.

Taylor promised an enlightened administration. No more would he demand sex in return for approval to partner. He promised to evaluate each pairing based on the best interests of the community.

But a pattern quickly developed where Taylor disapproved of a majority of the partnerings. In fact, he disapproved of most partnerings unless people were paired with men and women on a specially vetted list that Michael Taylor had created. On it were the dregs of society--John Archer, the impulsive gambler; Tom Brewer, the notorious wife beater; Jamal Jones, the former drug addict, Jennifer Daye, the obsessive compulsive lady, Michael Clemens, the lazy man--and Taylor would only approved partnerings with those on the approved list.

Of course, his rulings were only advisory and could be appealed to Graylor. Marion Kelly tried to do just that when she tried to partner with Bruce Kincaid. Taylor didn't think it was a good match, but Marion was stubborn, and wanted to appeal to Graylor, which she did. But Graylor just stared at their gene plates for a long moment and shook his head. "If your own human representative thinks it's a bad pairing, why should I think otherwise?"

But while discontent was slowly rising against Taylor, it hadn't yet reached a boiling point. Taylor came into breakfast in Oregon whistling smugly as he saw Haggis eating alone and sauntered over to his table. "Good morning," he said politely.

Haggis just stared at him as he ate his atomic scrambled eggs.

"Do you like eating alone?" Taylor asked.

"In this place? Always," said Haggis. "You must be so proud."

"I am," said Taylor. "I'm in charge now."

"Not for long, if what I hear is true," said Haggis.

"I don't need very long. In a few months this Experiment will end."

Haggis reclined in his chair. "And how do you know that?"

"I have low friends in high places," Taylor grinned. He scratched his cheek. Haggis noticed he had a heart shaped scar on one hand.

"Or just low friends in general," said Haggis.

"Don't be boorish. We have so much in common," said Taylor.

"Such as?"

"We're the only two people who know for sure that you didn't kill Kathy."

"The Federationistas surely know."

"They do. But they are content to let us play with each other," said Taylor. "You see, Haggis, it doesn't really matter who killed Kathy Fereman. What's more important is perception. Perception is everything here. Given your profession, your real profession, you should realize that. Yes, I know all about you and who you really are. I'm honored to be in the presence of such a great master of invention," he bowed sarcastically.

"Why are you doing this?" Haggis asked.

"That should be obvious," said Taylor. "The human race destroyed the Earth. I'm here to make sure they don't do it again. We don't deserve to survive as a people, Taylor. We are a greedy species which eventually destroys any surrounding we are put in. Consumerism and greed destroyed the Earth and I'm here to make sure we don't do it again."

"You're a Manophobe," said Haggis.

"A crude name, an epithet created by those who don't understand," said Taylor.

"I understand you only too well. Why did you take the name of Taylor?"

"A gallant Survey Service Captain! I found people trust and rely on a famous name. How better to destroy the enemy than to become one of the most admired figures of its ranks?"

"How did you make that false recording of me killing Kathy?"

Taylor gave him a mocking look. "Permit me some secrets, Haggis. And now I will leave you to enjoy your breakfast. As First One, I have many duties to attend to." He gave Haggis a little smile and turned away.

"And that's Michael Taylor talking to Haggis O'Leary," said Susan Shinn. She was talking to the newest addition to their community, a man named Victor Wade who had just been unfrozen yesterday. Victor was an extremely bright electrical engineer who worked for the Survey Service on Port Auburn.

"Haggis O'Leary?" Victor frowned.

"Yes. He's dangerous, stay away from him," said Susan.

"I know that name," said Victor.

"What do you mean? Did you know him on Earth?"

"I'm not sure," said Victor. "My memory is all jumbled. But I have definitely heard that name before. Let me think about it, it will come back to me."

"Simulation established, Haggis."

"Very good, Ship," said Haggis. "Tell me, do any of the people on the Station have criminal records on Earth?"

"Fourteen members of the Station have criminal records that we are aware of, Haggis."

"How many of them are for violent crimes?"

"Two."

"Details?"

"Gavin Ansom was twice convicted of Headophilia with non-consenting adults. Both times he was given suspended sentences as per the Restorative Justice Act."

Marla's jaw dropped open. "Gavin? The World Controller for California?"

"He was no World Controller of anything," said Haggis. "Ship, what was the other violent crime?"

"Three counts of mur*er."

"Who?"

"That information is not available."

"Of course it's not," said Haggis.

"We have a murderer among us?" said Marla.

"But we already knew that, didn't we?" said Haggis.

"Why would the Federationistas recruit a murderer?"

"Why indeed?" Haggis asked. "Ship. Who is the name of this murderer?"

There was a pause. Would Ship answer? "His name was Tenner Flex."

"Tenner Flex? There's no Tenner Flex here, is there?" said Marla.

"I'll bet there is, only he doesn't call himself that," said Haggis. "Ship, is Tenner Flex on the Station?"

"Yes."

"What name does Tenner Flex use on the Station?"

"That information is not available."

"Of course not," said Haggis. He paused, thinking. "Ship, tell me about these attempted murders. Who were the intended victims?"

"Bonner Mastoff, a quantum engineer at the Rhine Institute. Curly Fastov, a particle physicist at the University of Moscow. Robert Delving, an industrialist responsible for building the Superhighway between Washington State and Alaska."

"What was the method of death?"

"Bonner Mastoff and Curly Fastov were poisoned. Robert Delving was strangled to death."

"How was this murderer apprehended?"

"Through the use of DNA evidence. An Inquisitor branch responsible for the investigation of anti-social acts apprehended this individual and he was tried and sentenced to a rehabilitation colony in Pakistan."

"That's where they got him from. A Rehab colony in Pakistan. It must have taken them some doing to get him out of there," said Haggis.

"But why? Why would they bring a killer here?"

"Survival of the fittest," said Haggis. "That's what this has always been about. This is just another test to see if we're worthy to survive."

"Why would this Tenner Flex kill these random people?" Marla asked.

"Not so random. Two are scientists, one an industrialist. They are all builders of some kind. Now who hates builders more than anything?"

"Uh.... followers of the She-Goddess, Aura," said Marla. "They are convinced we are destroying the Earth and have to pay for our sins. But... they are usually not violent."

"Close but not quite," said Haggis. "There is a radical sect of of Aura cultists. Their hatred of mankind is so vicious that they will do anything to protect their precious environment, including mur*er. He's a Manophobe."

"A Manophobe!" Marla gasped. "Here? Among us? Who... you think it's Taylor, don't you?"

"Of course," said Haggis. "Now it's just a matter of proving it."

"To the Federationistas?"

"Of course not. They already know. I mean to everyone else." Haggis frowned and paced rapidly for a few moments. Then he stopped abruptly. "Ship. You are unaware of what this Tenner Flex calls himself on the Station, correct?"

"Correct."

"Because this fact was erased, correct?"

"Correct, Haggis."

"But do you have a holoimage of Tenner Flex?"

"No, Haggis. That information-"

"Is unavailable," said Haggis. He paced some more. "Ship, do you have biometric information on Tenner Flex?"

"Affirmative," said Ship. "Tenner Flex is six foot two inches tall, weighs 210 pounds-"

Haggis turned to Marla. "We've got him!"

"Well, if it isn't Killer! How're you doing, Killer?" said Taylor. He sat at the head of the Men's Table in Bermuda, feeling on top of the world. He had power now. Everyone needed his permission to partner and so sought out his favor.

"Doing quite well, thank you," said Haggis. Marla was right behind him. "I discovered something interesting," he said.

"What? Did you finally figure out your secret profession?" Taylor asked.

"No, I've always known that," said Haggis dryly. He noticed Victor Wade's eyes widen slightly, with the sign of recognition. "I'm talking about the identity of the killer."

Taylor gave a theatrical sigh. "We already know the identity of the killer, Killer. It's you." He looked around and saw the faces in support--Craig Cobin, Gavin Ansom, Dickie Weymouth, Ardis McDuff, and felt secure.

"Ship," said Haggis. "There is a killer aboard the ship. What is his name?"

"His name is Tenner Flex, Haggis."

"Tenner Flex? There's nobody with that name here," said Craig.

But Captain Taylor gave a startled look.

"Ship," said Haggis. "Provide biometric information on Tenner Flex."

"Tenner Flex is six foot two. He weighs two hundred and ten pounds-"

"That's great, Haggis. You've narrowed it down to about thirty men," said Taylor. "Aren't you about six foot two?"

"Just like you," said Haggis. "Ship, what is Tenner Flex's eye color?"

"Hazel, Haggis."

Everyone looked at Taylor, who had hazel eyes. Haggis's were blue.

"This is ridiculous," said Taylor. "Many people have blue eyes."

"Ship, does Tenner Flex have any distinguishing features on his hands?"

"Yes, Haggis. he has an irregular scar on the top side of his left hand."

Taylor's left hand had slunk under the table. Haggis grabbed his wrist and raised it and pushed his hand down onto the tabletop with a thud. "Ship, could the irregular scar be described as heart shaped?"

"Yes, Haggis."

Everyone looked. Everyone saw the scar. The heart shaped scar!

"No doubt obtained in one of your gallant starship battles," said Haggis, releasing his wrist.

Taylor rubbed his sore wrist. "This proves nothing, nothing! We've all seen the holo! We've all seen that you were the one to kill Kathy Fereman!"

"We've all seen what you created, with the help of your Federationista friends," said Haggis.

"Why, Haggis?" said Abner. "Why would they bring a killer here?"

"Another test to see if our race was worthy of survival. To see how we handled chaotic elements in our midst," said Haggis. "He's a manophobe, intent on destroying humanity."

The others visibly shrunk away from Taylor at the mention of the word.

Manophobe!

"This isn't true! He's the one! He's the killer! That's why he never told us what he really did on Earth!" said Taylor.

"I know what he did on Earth," said Victor Wade. "Don't all of you?" He looked around.

"Should we?" said Roland Miller.

Victor broke out into an amazed smile. "He's Haggis O'Leary! Haggis O'Leary!" he looked around at their dumbfounded faces. "Only the best selling holoauthor on the Planet Earth. He won the Grand Nebula Prize three times, for August Down, Valkyrie Rising, and..."

"The Plebian Way," said Haggis.

Donnie Burch's jaw dropped open. "You... you're really a world famous author?"

"Yes," said Haggis.

"Why didn't you just tell us? Why all the mystery?" Roland Miller asked.

Haggis looked at them all with a look of loathing and pure contempt. "If you cultural cretins had no idea who I was, then it wasn't worth my time or effort to explain it to you. Especially you, Roland, the so-called famous author. You most of all should have known who I was-"

"Your name kind of sounds familiar now that you mention it-"

"Don't bother," Haggis said, making a horizontal chop with his hand. He pointed to Victor Wade. "It took this semi-literate person to enlighten all of you, more than a hundred of you here on the Station for whom a holobook is little more than an opportunity to watch a woman dance or fuck in."

Marla grabbed his arm possessively. "Haggis was brought to the Station for his massive creativity. But he's been careful to mate selectively."

"That hasn't helped you get a winning score," said Gavin Ansom.

"That's precisely the point, you idiot," said Haggis. "I'm not submitting to this flying stud farm in space like you are. I play the game as little as I have to. I let geniuses like you participate instead. Perhaps you'll produce a race of worthy headophiles much like yourself."

"What did you call me?" Gavin asked, looking outraged.

"Ship, what was Gavin Ansom convicted of?"

"Three counts of headophilia, Haggis."

Everyone looked even more surprised, if that was possible.

Abner Dune struggled to follow. "But... he's the former World Government Con-"

"No he's not. No more than Ardis is a billionaire or Tenner Flex here is a Survey Service Captain," said Taylor. He looked at the big, bulky form of Donnie Burch. "You, you really are a wrestler, however."

"What a relief to find that out," said Donnie dryly.

"What... what do we do now?" Roland Miller asked. "If Taylor is really this... this... Tenner Flex... what do we do? We... we have to tell someone...."

"They already know. Haven't you been listening?" said Haggis.

"So... what do we do? How do we... deal with him?"

Haggis shrugged his shoulders. "I'm just a writer, not a killer. But I can't wait to see how the next chapter unfolds." And he and Marla walked away, arm in arm.

Tenner Flex walked slowly in the massive Cryo Chamber. The room was massive, with five different levels of catwalks and cryo tubes, one above the other. More than half the tubes were empty now. He walked by the frozen bodies of Commander Sophie Astor, Special Negotiator Tessa Hetford, and his namesake, Survey Service Captain Michael Taylor.

The real Michael Taylor.

He stared at the big man's hairy, impressive chest. Then he looked between his legs. That massive thing had been where many, many men had been before, if the rumors were true. Tenner Flex sighed and waved his arms as he rotated in a circle. There was no use putting off the inevitable.

"Ship. Terminate the life support for the freezer units."

There was a pause. Would it work? Tenner Flex had been told that he had been given limited access to the Computer Core. So far he had never tested its limits. Until now.

"How many units, Captain Taylor?"

"All of them."

There was another pause.

"Acknowledged. Terminating life support for all units."

The hum of power started to wind down. Sounds of alarms blared as the bodies in cryosuspension started to buckle and shudder. Tenner Flex intended to enjoy every minute of this, because his next duty would be to terminate life support on the entire Station, or find a way to destroy the Station another way, perhaps with a bomb that Ship could make for him.

Either way, mankind must die. The Earth had been destroyed because of man's inherent nature to destroy his environment. Industrialization, homes, transportation, electricity, even farming, all of them were terrible scars on the planet which was meant to be natural. And mankind must never be allowed to destroy another planet like this. Tenner Flex realized he was in a unique position to make sure that the universe would be safe from the ravages of mankind forever.

"Having fun?"

Tenner Flex turned to see Haggis enter the room. "Haggis! You're just in time! I'm writing the final chapter of your book. All the books ever to be written."

"I think you need a better editor," said Haggis. "Ship, restore life function to the cryo tubes."

"I cannot do that, Haggis."

Tenner gave a wide grin. "You can't stop it, Haggis. All you can do is watch them die." He pointed to the gasping body of Sophie Astor. Her enormous nuclear tipped breasts were flopping around as she struggled to live.

Haggis grabbed Tenner by the collar. "Countermand the order!"

"Never!"

SMACK!

"Do it!"

"No!"

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

Tenner Flex's face was a bloody pulp. "Don't you see how beautiful it is? Look, Haggis!"

Haggis saw Michael Taylor's eyes bulging, gasping for breath. He saw Sophie Astor slumped in her tube, already dead. He saw Tessa Hetford take a big gasp for breath and then collapse. One by one, all the bodies stopped moving.

"Beautiful, simply beautiful," said Tenner, smiling through his bloody mask of pain.

"I hope you enjoyed the ending. I wrote it myself," said Haggis.

"What?" said Tenner.

"Ship, has the livefeed to Oregon, Algeria, and Bermuda been continuously transmitting since he came into the room?"

"Affirmative, Haggis."

"Everyone knows now. They know what you are," said Haggis. still grabbing him by the collar."

"So what?" said Tenner. "They'll be the last ones. There won't be any more unfrozen after them."

"You think so? Ship, end simulation."

The air around them shivered and suddenly they were in the reactor room, on the catwalk. The giant yellow stream of energy shot down from the tall ceiling above them into the floor below them. Haggis dragged Tenner Flex to the edge of the catwalk.

"What... what is this?"

"This is called a surprise ending," said Haggis.

"Woo woo woo waaaaaaaaaa!" Tenner cried, as he was thrown over the railing. His screams abruptly faded with a giant flash of light as his body came into contact with the massive energy stream and it vaporized.

Suddenly everyone was Haggis's best friend.

"Way to go, Buddy!" said Craig Cobin.

"Thank you so much!" said Ardis McDuff.

"You're the best!" said Dickie Weymouth.

Marla flowed into his arms and everyone cheered as they kissed. She looked adoringly at him. "I thought authors were quiet, cerebral types."

"We are. But we have deep veins of passion flowing under the surface. How else could we do what we do?" Haggis asked.

"Show me," she said, tugging his hand. "Show me your passion."

"Haggis, we're going to need a new First One," said Marion Kelly.

"If you say so," said Haggis, letting himself be led away. "But it won't be me."

It was little surprise that the choice of who would become the next First One boiled down to Shelly Rendler and Laura Giancomo. They were both the most well organized and each had a substantial base of supporters. Because there were so few people on the Station, each campaigned individually, meeting every voter one by one. Shelly emphasized a need to return to compassion. No longer would sexual blackmail be used to prevent legitimate pairings. Shelly would work with Test Subjects and even help recruit and match men and women to produce the best possible pairings. Her approach sounded very enlightened and sensible.

Laura, by contrast, walked around topless, with her white jumpsuit tied around her waist, showing off her enormous tits. She promised to fuck any man or woman who voted for her. To prove her potency with both sexes she performed kissing demonstrations with her sometimes partner Angelika in Algeria, Oregon, and Bermuda.

When tallies were taken each garnered the support of 50 Test Subjects on a station with 101 subjects. Only one Test Subject was still undecided.

"You know I would make a better First One than her!" said Shelly Rendler, pointing to Laura Giancomo, who was still flashing her enormous tits in the Oregon Lounge.

"Do I?" said Haggis.

"She's going to be as bad as Bessie. She'll use the job to fulfill her sexual appetites," said Shelly. "I'm going to turn the job into a professional one without cronyism. Surely you can see that."

"I can," said Haggis. he reclined in his chair. "The question is, why should I care?"

"Why should you care?" She blinked rapidly. "We need a capable First One to help us win the Experiment!"

"But I don't believe in the Experiment." Haggis leaned forward provocatively. "I do not believe we are 500 years in the future or in another galaxy. I believe we are being used by aliens for their own purposes."

"I... I understand where you're coming from," said Shelly, biting her lip. She'd say anything to get his vote. "But still... don't you want a voice of sanity in charge?"

"A voice of sanity." Haggis rocked back and forth in his chair for a long moment.

"Even Marla is voting for me, did you know that?"

"I think I did, since you sent her to turn me to your cause." Marla had made much the same argument. She said they were both deceitful bitches, but Shelly was the more reasonable deceitful bitch.

"Tell me, how important is it that you become First One?"

"Oh... very important, Haggis!"

"And what would you do to become First One, Shelly?"

"I... I would do anything!" Her eyes were wide.

"Anything?" said Haggis.

"Yes."

Haggis told her what he had in mind.

Shelly shook her head vigorously. "No. No!"

"You did say anything."

"I won't do it!"

Ten Test Subjects stood in a line in the Bermuda Lounge. Most of them were men, like Benny Johnson and Roland Miller and Theodore Geissel, but two of them were women: Susan Shinn and Clara Manchester. All had their white jumpsuits unzipped to the waist.

And Shelly Rendler was kneeling before the first one, sucking on his cock.

"How's it feel, Benny?" Haggis asked.

Benny gave wide smile. "Feels good, Haggis! Really good!" He paused. "Are you sure it's all right if I pee in her mouth?"

"For the last time, Benny, yes," Haggis assured him.

Benny looked down at Shelly's bobbing mouth. "I hope so 'cause I'm getting ready to pee!"

Haggis and Abner Dune and some of the other Test Subjects watched Shelly service the line of men and women one by one, sucking on penis after penis or in some cases clitorises.

Abner Dune watched Shelly working diligently on Brooks Jackson's penis and said, "Why are you having her do this, Haggis?"

"To provide everyone a delightful visual metaphor, Abner. Do you know what a whore is, Abner?"

"Sure. I guess."

"A whore is someone who provides sexual services for a price." Haggis watched Brooks Jackson climax inside of Shelly's mouth and swallow it all. Then Shelly, with a determined look on her face, moved onto the next subject, Susan Shinn, who smiled down at her in anticipation. "But the term has a wider uses, an even more pejorative one. It means a person who will sacrifice all their principles and values to get what they want. It conveys the meaning of a totally amoral person."

Selly took a deep breath and started licking on Susan's Shinn's clitoris. Susan's eyes rolled up into her head and she groaned with pleasure. After several minutes of licking Susan's body shuddered as she climaxed on Shelly's persistent tongue. "Ooooh!" she cried.

Shelly slowly pulled back. She made a face as she realized her tongue was sore from all that licking. She looked pleadingly at Haggis, but he shook his head minutely. Then she turned to the next person in line and in seconds was sucking on Roland Miller's cock.

"All I'm doing here is showing everyone what our new First One is really all about," said Haggis, looking at the round imprint of Roland's penis on Shelly's cheek. "She's the perfect visual metaphor, every author's delight and fantasy."

Shelly Rendler won the vote for First One, but the results weren't even close; 58 to 42. Her final round of campaigning changed minds even as it drained balls.

"This Experiment will be terminated in 60 days," said J.

"It's not enough time," said F.

"It's been more than enough time," said X.

"It often takes several months to assess the value of a Test Subject. Essentially you're saying that only one more batch can be revived."

"Correct," said X. "So choose wisely."​