Inivisible Enemy
By Kathy BrabenCanda & Ravi walked slowly to the Baby Bank. They had been passed as suitable to be parents and today they would have a babe in arms within the hour. Canda had elected not to go through with a pregnancy even with accelerated gestation available, she didn't need a period of disfigurement followed by the indignity of birth in order to feel bonded to the cause. She saw it as perverse that a woman might need to suffer in order to love her offspring, like falling in love with your torturer. They both inhaled the cold air deeply to steady their nerves, each trying to appear calm for the other and feeling it absurd that they should feel so apprehensive. Ravi looked about him. All was white and silvery, the filigree on the trees was breath taking and the winter animals enchanting. It had been an excellent idea to reintroduce winters, in order to "enhance customer experience" - a little controlled hardship livened the spirit according to company policy. The Baby Bank was a pleasant peeled log construction, nestling in a small grove of Visitrees which served to enhance the rustic atmosphere while at the same time concealing the customer conveyance. The number of real trees had to be monitored to maintain the correct lack of equilibrium in atmospheric gases. 'Smoke' curled repetitively out of the chimney giving a 19th century cottagey feel which irritated Canda. She had spent vacations on Earth and preferred the genuine imperfection and beauty of the real thing, a purely psychological problem she would be the first to admit. She pulled her public-person-suit closely about her - open display of gender in public was a civil offence. ^^ Imperial Field Operative confirming contact. AUTHORISE: > Guardians for glory ACCEPTED MESSAGE ROUTES STABLE. LINK IS SECURE. > May glory be yours AND YOURS. Inside the building a nurse was finishing its last scan before release of the baby. A screen showed an animated sequence for the four week old human who peered up at it from the crib responding to the set sequence of stimulation with an ever changing range of expressions. A nurse's aide collected the crib and began to wheel it slowly down towards the dimly lit waiting area. As he walked, he placed a patch on the child's arm inducing a mild hypnotic state, then applied a device over the carotid artery causing it to darken slightly. When he peeled the pad away, the infant immediately refocussed its gaze and began to cry, frowning and moving its head slowly from side to side, a pinprick of red visible on its neck. "Shush, Cutseypie. All will be well." He patted the child once on the cheek then left the crib in the appointed place and slipped out, quietly anonymous, through a side exit. Those who ran the Baby Bank recognised that their customers were more at ease in the presence of their own kind and so the receptionist, of all the staff, was fully human. He watched Canda and Ravi approaching on his viewer, took their identification from the database and retrieved the complimentary personalised robe embroidered with 'TinyPerson Colton' from the pilebeside the desk. "Here come your mummies, I wonder what they'll call you. Don't look so troubled, it gets better from here." The entry field made an almost imperceptible hiss as Canda and Ravi stepped through. Some buildings made this look like a door to round off the architectural effect but this one had an illusion as if one was looking in on a rustic Earthstyle living room with open fire. Earthstyle was still popular but Domevogue had started to be embraced by the public. "Welcome to The Pioneer Baby Bank, Companions Colton. At last, after months of preparation, you are to become parents to ...?" The receptionist waited for the name. "Ah yes, you'll want to see him first, lots of people have to see the babe in person first for inspiration." With hearts pounding, they were approached by the crib and saw ... Troy. Canda and Ravi looked at each other with tears welling, "He's beautiful." they whispered. Ravi gave in a Travel Voucher in order to call a car. Everyone was allocated tickets for the use of mechanical transport since domes limited the number of vehicles. Each person could spend their tickets as they wished, a two person conveyance costing more than one for multiple passengers. Today was a special day, Troy would get a private ride home. ^^ Progress report AUTHORISE: > Guardians for glory ACCEPTED > Project has been initialised, prototype circuit is operational and has checked out OK. Synaptic link also OK, beginning synapse development. > May glory be yours AND YOURS. Canda held Troy close; he was trembling and looked flushed, it must all be a big shock to him, much was changing inside after all. She watched the sun go behind one of the frames of the dome which held the gargantuan plates separating them from the deadly gases outside. The rays were dispersed into dapples of rainbow colours, giving an eerie appearance to their world. It lasted maybe a minute, and usually went unnoticed as the slight decrease in brightness was automatically compensated for. Later domes had seamless partitions using new materials that did not develop fatal flaws when hit by meteors, but she still felt happier not having all their eggs in one basket; each plate with its own repair system felt safer. Troy's new parent looked down at him, his blonde, almost white wispy hair was caught by the sun and looked like a halo which made Canda chuckle to herself. His face was thin even for a baby, the nose already showing its fineness. The brown eyes that had looked up in consternation at her earlier were covered with thin lids and she could see the tiny veins in the skin as the eyeballs moved underneath in response to the thoughts that he couldn't yet articulate.***** The next year passed quickly, Canda and Ravi becoming accustomed to their dictator despite the thirty-seven hour Parental Guidance Service available on Vision. At any time they could request advice and a three dimensional androgynous figure would, in soothing tones, tell the parents that they were doing an admiral job but perhaps this would be useful to know.... Whilst making the weekly checks against Troy's development schedule Canda noticed their offspring was falling behind on height measurements. She knew she would have to return to the Bank for a reassurance examination, otherwise it would lower their Nurture Rating. Ravi had been on parental leave for the year, so there was no excuse for delay and they found themselves again walking to the Bank, with the crib alongside them, watching other children make snowcustomers. The previous winter had been such a success that employers and psychologists voted it back this year with a request for more snowfall on rest days than work days. The check was conducted without comment apart from a report saying the fall in growth rate could be explained by an investigation of the basal metabolic rate, requiring Troy to be held at the Bank for a night. Canda and Ravi were reassured that Troy would suffer minimal distress as he would be sedated and given dreams of his parents playing with him. They returned home feeling empty but determined to make the most of their free time. They slumped onto the bed hoping to find out if they still knew how to make love without interruption (they couldn't afford a Nightnurse, or the software for it) but their bodies had other ideas and they both fell asleep. In her sleep, Canda heard a chuckle - it was Troy's, he was in her bed nestled in the curve of her body as she lay on her side. She put her arm about him and he held her forefinger as he usually did when secure in her embrace. ^^ Progress Report: AUTHORISE: > Guardians for Glory ACCEPTED > Maiden transfer complete, prepared to engage next stage. > May glory be yours AND YOURS. In their apartment Ravi was looking out of the window having turned off the default picture depicting a tree lined water's edge (the cheaper version which didn't come with sound effects). From his raised position he could see over the rooftops of the detached residences leased by those with better means. Some had fake outer appearances such as glittering star stone or mirror effect while others were just plain blue from the ubiquitous rock of the planet. He mused that one could assume that the wealth of occupants was always just below the level of their outward display. People always wanted to be seen as better than they were on a material basis and would stretch their budget to the maximum they could afford. The snow was everywhere except on the roads and footpaths, producing a scene of blue and white. There was a clump of Visitrees that had broken and were in full summer leaf, they had been like that for days. "My return date is tomorrow remember. Shoot! It'll feel very strange to be back in employment again, earning my daily living like a good citizen." said Ravi returning from his vacant wanderings. Canda didn't answer, she was enjoying remembering the closeness and love she felt in her dream. Then some part of her brain that had been aware managed to bring her to. She sighed, "Oh well, I should've got the hang of this rearing game by now. Shall we go to the Baby Bank then?" A short walk brought them to the grounds of the Bank. Canda stepped aside slightly to let a member of staff go by as they acknowledged her. "Oh, that's the same person we passed last time, they must have a good memory. It must be time for shift changeover." They sat in the waiting-room flicking through Vidicubes that hadn't been up-dated. Ravi was reading about some interplanetary traveller describing his voyages. He decided the person was irritatingly smug and should try living a normal daily life like everyone else instead of earning money by making the likes of him envious. Finally the report was issued, stating that there had been a rise in metabolic rate which was an acceptable change in the upper band of normal limits. However there had been an increase in cerebral activity and this needed to be monitored at monthly intervals unless an interim home test relayed to them was normal. "Don't be concerned." murmured the receptionist while the illusion of a fatherly human doctor sat with them giving them the news. "This is quite common, probably due to the solar flares last year which is why they want a home check before logging it back here, possibly for nothing. "Despite giving this reassurance the receptionist had seen so much of this recently even before the flares and was wondering why. The time came for the home test. This involved putting a hand sized pad on the child's head and linking up with the Bank via the Vision Communicator. The information on the report would not be sent directly to the parents but would first be analysed by the computer at the Bank, so the highly abnormal, apparently chaotic pattern indicative of severe epilepsy was despatched. At the External Examinations department the data arrived and the reply in layperson's terms sent. It read: "All measurements normal, please continue as per schedule, contacting us if you are advised to by your Parental Guidance System. Continued monitoring will occur at Kindergarten which you are urged to start to consider now." Canda was deeply relieved and could now relax as she watched Troy playing with his favourite toy, a Spotty Lunar Cat. It was obviously a very serious business as he frowned in concentration then spent a moment staring far away before returning to his activity. It was almost impossible to get his attention at these times, he was so preoccupied, and if Canda did so he would become very distressed. This thin little boy who ate so much and was always so busy made Canda feel lonely, it seemed that he had no time for cuddles, but he was too young! She remembered her dream - it had all changed after that, then she chastised herself for being so selfish. Troy looked up at her quickly as she wiped a tear away, his brown eyes showing concern, "Mummy cuddle," he said and continued playing. His mother sat dumbstruck, his first words as if he knew, just like that and correctly enunciated. That evening while Troy was practising with drawing because there was no way they could get him to bed, his parents were watching a drama that their Vision was projecting onto their table. The 'Choices Bird' flew across the area, signalling an advertisement that they would we interested in had been transmitted to their home. Flamingo Choices was the group that ran the central selection point for all adverts. It worked by assessing the suitability of all material for the recipient intended based on records of income, lifestyle and special requests. Ravi said, "yes" to the Vision and the Flamingo flew down, apologised to the frozen players in the drama and pulled down a screen from an imaginary ceiling; gimmicky, but nobody complained enough to stop it. "THINKING ABOUT KINDERGARTEN? THE HOME TESTS YOU HAVE CONDUCTED SHOW THAT YOUR SON IS ADVANCED FOR HIS AGE AND WILL BENEFIT MOST FROM THE LITTLE DOME BUDDY FIRST SCHOOL. DO YOU WANT MORE INFORMATION?" Silence. Ravi slapped his hand on his forehead, "Sheesh! I'm supposed to be glad but the first thing I think of is, expensive. This means we'll not see the outside of this dome except in holiday ads this year. Remind me to cancel them, watching will be too much to bear!" The Flamingo tapped its foot and said, "ahem, would my esteemed customers like more details?" "Go on then!" said Canda and with that the pink apparition raised a quizzical eyebrow as the word recognition system drew a blank on that statement. "Yes!" With that the flamingo bowed, assured them that the details would follow and allowedthe drama to continue. "Oh, let's go to bed," said Canda as she stomped off to pick up Troy. She adjusted his nappy setting to 'no-change' since she would not be toiletting him overnight, and placed him in his cot with as much play equipment as was required to stop him crying. It was as if the little tormentor knew exactly what he wanted, because he just stopped the instant he was satisfied that he had enough to do to make it through the night. His frustrated parents went to sleep. Canda even forgot to tell Ravi about Troy's first words. "Mummy cuddle." Canda felt Troy's warm body as he put his arms round her neck. She held him close, feeling engulfed in love and warmth. Later she woke with a start and felt the bed, she must surely be lying on him by now. He wasn't there, it must have been a dream. Canda sobbed quietly until she drifted into unconsciousness until dawn. Next day Canda just watched Troy as he went about his daily play, it was quite a routine he had. First he played with his soft, tactile toys, and then almost as if his time was up he would start with games that increased his manual dexterity, language and numerical skills provided by his learning centre. He did not even have to have the buttons pressed for him, so apart from toileting, feeding and dressing she was redundant. Canda felt so rejected she went to the kitchen to do some vigorous food preparation to vent her anger. She placed the powder - the basis of all their food, into a multiprocessor. It could be programmed to produce almost any type of comestible given the correct flavourings. The machinebuzzed and the ingredients for bread were delivered so Canda began. It was good stress relieving work to thump and knead the dough hard in frustration. A moment later she felt Troy's presence and that same warmth as in the dreams. Canda stood very still then froze utterly as she felt him embrace her leg. Looking down she saw nothing, then the sensations faded and a quick dash to the recreation room found him asleep and so stillt hat she touched him to make sure he was still alive; this was unusual she thought, he never took afternoon naps like that stupid Parental Guide said he would. ^^ Progress Report: AUTHORISE: > Guardians for Glory ACCEPTED > Developmental data altered. Allotted time for growth of synaptic complexes passed. Latent neural network expressed and elementary transfers successful to date. Host isolation about to occur, not before time, parental affinity high. Request clearance for mission. PROCEED. > May glory be yours. AND YOURS. When Ravi returned from his first day of employment, Canda told him of the extraordinary event of the day and the dreams. He looked at her trying not to appear too condescending. "Look, I think it's time you got a job again, Troy is going to Kindergarten soon. I know things haven't been like we thought, he's not exactly a bundle of affection, perhaps we need to learn to be proud of him." Canda couldn't believe that she was not being taken seriously. Her rage became too much and she rushed out of the room and flung herself onto the bed and cried from the belly until it ached. After a few minutes she felt Troy come to her and hold her hand, yet he wasn't there; this was too much, "Go away! What is this?!!" she wailed. In another room Troy frowned then looked hurt and started to cry. ^^ Irregular communication: AUTHORISE: > gfg TIRESOME FORMALITY ESSENTIAL FOR OPERATIVES! > Guardians for Glory ACCEPTED. > Apologies PROCEED, TIME LIMITED, HIGHWAY NOT STRONGLY DEFENDED. > Host isolation urgent! Affinity endangering security and success of this trial. AS YOU SEE FIT. MAY GLORY BE OURS. The vision bleeped. Canda asked for details, it was a communication from the Little Dome Buddy First School. "We have been advised by the Baby Bank via your Parental Guidance System that Troy's admission to our school should be premature given the strain caused for you by his abnormally high intelligence. We suggest he start in the next day or two, advise us please. Temporary financial assistance can be granted if you have not budgeted for this early start." "How did they know that? I haven't whinged at the PGS about this. They are right though." Canda did some more thinking that day and wondered if it was just coincidence that Troy's presence came when she was hurt emotionally. "I'm going mad, time to start work, I'm not a born parent obviously." It gave her some pleasure that despite all the rigorous screening processes the authorities had still got it wrong. Shes mirked as she gave Troy another of his numerous snacks. Canda thought that once a high flyer entrapped within the education system, her son would become even more of a stranger. It was the last day before Troy entered kindergarten and she wanted to spend it on Pioneer's mountain, nicknamed 'the pudding' and diminutive by planetary standards. They sat on a rocky outcrop; this day would be theirs, it would be just the two of them. The pudding was central to Pioneer and was undergoing a Spring season to allow the trees and plants to acclimatise to the forthcoming summer and to allow temperature sensitive seeds to germinate. It was surrounded by the agricultural land vital to survival, right up to the edge of the dome in the distance, and beyond that lay the industrial zone. The latter looked like a mosaic due to the numerous circular refining plants for the planet's ore, unprotected in the harsh low pressure atmosphere. All residences were located on the other side of the pudding, and were laid out rather like a pressed flower with each petal forming a cul-de-sac. It was a deliberate plan to reconstruct an environment that would evoke the tribal instinct to form a more bonded community. "Here you are Troy, this is where you live," said Canda to her fidgeting offspring. "I hope you remember this." "Remember!" shouted Troy before returning to examining a piece of biscuit closely before stuffing it into his mouth with a fist. Canda didn't know how to interpret this response and continued to trace the roads to the kindergarten which shone pink in the sunshine, then to the plant where Ravi was earning the money to send their son to the blot down below. A beehive shaped building containing their apartment lay between them, next to the arena, it had been their home for twenty years. In the Pioneer Arena was a leisure complex where the inhabitants of the Dome were encouraged to participate or spectate in a sport. Allegiance to a team was advocated by the governing bodies of Pioneer because ritual warlike behaviour under positive and controlled conditions was proven to reduce suppressed aggression. The result was less disruptive behaviour amongst the population. Canda just sat in quiet reflection most of the time while Troy seemed happy enough lining up small fragments of stone in order of blueness with Spotty Lunar Cat looking on. It was a shame that he appeared oblivious to the panorama, only occasionally looking up at a craft soaring from a subterranean dock outside the dome if it was large enough to eclipse their Star. The passage of space traffic was almost continuous though not an intrusion because the dome acted as a shield against noise. Light wasn't a problem either because the separating dome plates at ground level were photochromic and became opaque at night. The glow of hyperjump fields high in the night sky were visible though and reminded Canda of fireflies back on Earth where she was born. At last the Star began to drop to the bottom row of dome panels meaning that they should begin their descent, as the entrance sign had said, "This park closes at three quarters of the bottom panels." This allowed enough daylight for the slowest to descend before dark, although night trips were allowed with a permit. Schoolday and the little boy stood dressed in an orange overall embossed with 'Little Dome Buddy First School Student' "Goodbye and good luck," said Ravi as he left for work, then turning to Troy, "give em hell, get me my money's worth!" Canda's mouth was dry and her stomach was continually on the move; soon the car would arrive to take them to the kindergarten. Her son seemed unaware of the situation even though she had explained, feeling it pointless at the time. The car was told its destination and soon they stood outside a pink buckydome, and had it been the usual enrolling date they would have beens urrounded by similar couples. It wasn't and Canda felt very lost, although Troy pattered confidently to the door leaving his mother wondering how a toddler could possibly manage to swagger - or was it just her imagination? A smiling tutor greeted them, "Welcome, I'm tutor Ritov, let me show you around." They passed from one room to another, each with at least two children who all looked so big that she held Troy closer as if to protect him. Suddenly this confident, manipulating little human seemed very vulnerable. "Why is there always one small child with a bigger one?" enquired Canda. "Oh, the bigger one isn't a child, it is a Mini-mentor, an android created to provide a nonthreatening challenger and guide." Finally they came to what appeared to be the nucleus, containing screens displaying every child's progress and the equipment that devised the play programmes and Mini-mentors individually tailored for each pupil. "Don't worry Customer Colton if there is anything about which we are concerned, you and your companion will be alerted at the first instance." "Don't worry," piped Troy cheerily. "So! They will go far, well done!" said the representative as if Canda herself was responsible for Troy's obvious advancement. She felt like saying, "why thank you, it was nothing, jus theartache, anguish and total servitude, madam!" 'Madam' was a great insult in public. The use of 'they' instead of 'he' always grated too, having been used to the convention of defining the sexes in grammar on Earth. "Now, let me introduce you to the other staff," and with that tutor Ritov gestured them into the control room. "Here are tutors Golan and Tellic, we three oversee the well-being of our fifty pupils. This is our technical officer, Customer Vain, who is responsible for the maintenance of all our equipment, They's a hit with the children." Canda could not help thinking she had seen him somewhere before, however the public uniform made it easy to confuse identity, which was further compounded when he smiled and said, "Greetings." He bent down to Troy who held out his hand beaming from ear to ear, obviously pleased to see him. This just slayed Canda because it seemed as though she only ever saw his teeth when prising his mouth open for dental care. Resigned, she hugged a farewell to Troy who was still smiling at Vain. "The car will bring him home at about 27 hours," said Tutor Ritov, "He's not in the slightest distressed is he?" Room 57 was Autodecored in soft colours for now and would change to make the environment conducive to the current learning goal. There would be intervals throughout the day for napping, feeding and comfort play. Troy's intangible companion was 'waiting' while the technician was setting up the day's plan, as the awestruck toddler entered. The mentor, with a feminine facial structure was sitting on the floor and greeted him with a cheery, "Hi Troy, let's play!" The subject of her welcome regarded her impassively for a few seconds, turned away dismissing her then headed to Vain and tugged at his leg clothing. The man glanced down, "Ah, Greetings once more. Now, let's see what we have here. "His large hand took Troy's arm and placed a patch on it while the Mentor was frozen as the psychological profile was amended and it's personality re-set. Vain then spoke to the control room via his personal communicator, " Visual scan temporarily down, other monitoring instruments functioning." At the end of the first day Canda eagerly awaited her child who no doubt would disregard her attempts at closeness. He arrived looking happy, or rather relaxed, and his disconcerted mother could not make sense out of his sudden expression of calmness, it just wasn't normal. "This school must be the best thing for him after all", she thought and went to embrace the boy. "No cuddle yet Mummy," uttered Troy scornfully and tottered to the kitchen, "Unhealthy snack!" he shouted excitedly pointing to the processor. Canda was getting used to her son's apparent lack of speech and then outbursts of clearly spoken words beyond the expected. At least he was normal with respect to preference of gaudily coloured, over-sweet foodstuffs. That night Canda was joined by the presence of a small body and she felt at peace once again. This time there was no concern, just gratitude. Troy left shortly after arriving, filling her with disappointment, so she awoke and went to the nursery where the thin frame of a child's body lay, ashen faced and apparently moribund. Her first reaction was to grab him and shake his body alive, but she didn't. Somehow she knew he was safe and had seen this before when he had come to her in the kitchen. He was definitely special - for some reason he only displayed affection for her in this odd way. The Parental Guidance System would not be told about this. Troy was asleep. He moved easily, not bound by an immature body unaccomplished at walking. Rooftops of the residential zone passed beneath, then the opalescent cylindrical building which was The Centre of Trade located on the border of the industrial area came in sight. He passed through the wall and into the basement as if he knew where he was going which wasn't the case exactly, he was doing what felt right, without thinking. It was a game. Once within a certain room, Troy flew through a sphere of about twice his height that housed an amorphous object. Inside he could sense an area of heightened activity and moved towards it going very fast now. This was fun, he felt very big and was expanding within the pathways guiding him through the array. A junction caught his attention, this was the place. He stopped and became aware of a sensation of rushing, except that he was still. Passing through him were pulses of energy that fluctuated in strength so rapidly that Troy felt dizzy. It was too much, and were it not for his lack of experience, would have felt like being in a rollercoaster simulation and not being able to stop it. Panic started to rise, this game was bad - then it ceased abruptly and he heard a voice that immediately soothed him; it was alright, time to go home now. Next day Troy was waved off to school, on his own and without even Spotty Luna Cat being nearby in case of emergency. Canda felt more at ease these days; she knew that he loved her, this unique boy was demonstrative in a different way and it would be their secret. Now the car had turned the corner it was time to tidy the nursery before work as the bed was usually littered with the products of overnight amusement when he wasn't sleeping. It was odd that there was nothing except a noteboard that had not been erased and it was completely covered in a series of numbers that appeared random. Something was very, very odd. The biscuits wereu ntouched and the bed covering was uncreased as if there had been no movement. If Canda said anything to anybody they might take Troy away for inspection and then who knew what? She craved the 'visits' which occurred briefly every night now and did not want to risk losing them. Besides Troy was still healthy and happy. The noteboard was quickly erased. ^^ Progress report AUTHORISE: > Guardians for Glory ACCEPTED > Telepathic data harvest successful, transfer soon. > Host in good condition. COMMUNICATION TO TERMINATE. NETWORK NOT SECURE. MAY GLORY BE OURS. Ravi poked at his meal, he marshalled his carbohydrate into a mountain and fortified it with a barricade of vegetables. A battalion of pieces of protein were advanced but the swamp of flavoured liquid could not be negotiated. Troy made an aerial strike and abducted a morsel from his Father's platter as his own was clean. Canda broke the silence, "Something's troubling you. Your son's got your food problem covered so maybe I can help your mind?" Ravi relented, "Somebody's pre empting our trade moves, we can't see how. It hasn't been a disaster yet but we will have to put in more hours to sort it out, the elders don't like it. We're all implicated." "I don't know what to say but I'm very sorry. Just tell me if there is anything I can do." "Yeah, thank you and yeah." "One good thing though, a message from the school came. Troy has been selected for preparation for the Intelligence Corps and that means starting soon. Oh it's free, Federation funded." finished Canda when she saw her companion's look of financial dispair. ^^ Progress Report AUTHORISE: > Guardians for Glory ACCEPTED > Transfer of data completed. Successful trial, > Ready for military trial. MAY GLORY BE MINE AND YOURS OF COURSE. Troy enjoyed the flying on his night sorties after a cuddle with Mummy, the game wasn't so much fun but he was getting used to the bad bit. He was going somewhere different this time, it was a familiar place too, especially the logs in the walls. He was directed down through the floor into a big empty place with four balls to go into. Which one first? "He'll tell me" thought Troy. The instruction came but his attempt was unsuccessful, something stopped him. He waited for guidance, glancing around the room which was very dimly-lit. It contained nothing except these red spheres with points of scintillation over their surface. ^^ Emergency communication AUTHORISE: gfg CORRECT REPLY IS REQU Target protected, cannot penetrate. Permission to take host prematurely to next level NOW!? PROCEED WITH CAUTION. Troy's mind began to wander but he was sharply brought to heel. "Try again." He attempted to enter a second time and was stunned by pain, not in his body though, this was different, it was like his whole being was assaulted and a dark cloud of death had approached.T hen he was in, but another inner-sphere blocked his way and again he was urged forward with the same result except this time he was inside and could feel the usual activity. Troy was frantic, he couldn't cope, he wanted out, but he was commanded to be still which was calming because he trusted the voice. He knew what he had to do and continued smoothly until his mind was engulfed and he felt as though he was being consumed, he couldn't 'see'. A struggle to expand released him and the voice congratulated and said that there would be more of them, as this was the game for big people. Troy's weakening resolve was sensed and the voice goaded him with cuddles with Mummy; if he fought these things off he could have lots of time with her tomorrow night. This had the desired result and though weary, Troy beat the defences and harvested the data. Once out he looked back at the organic blob as if his invisible 'mind-glare' would hurt it in some way, before mustering the courage to exit the spheres. Thankfully the way out was uneventful. His journey home was exhilarating because he was out and away from the cause of that terrifying claustrophobic sensation. If he could he would have taken in a breath of fresh air, instead he watched the photochromic dome panels next to the space terminal become lighter with the dawn. Canda awoke early, her nightmare had been terrifying; she thought she was going to die, Troy was leading her to the edge of a precipice in a lump of white jelly. Her son was asleep but looked drained; he had dark marks under his eyes and was clammy, a fever was obvious. As she was duty bound to do so she alerted the PGS which advised the usual observation, fluids and absence from school which would be notified automatically. She went back to bed when Ravi left for the trade centre for it was a rest day for her and she was exhausted after a hard night's fear. Troy wasted no time in seeking sanctuary in Canda's mind, he was safe and loved there. ^^ Progress report AUTHORISE:Guardians for gloryACCEPTED. I'M GLAD YOU'VE REGAINED DISCIPLINE. > Limited data harvest due to host vulnerability. Successfully overcame resistance. Considerable drain on resources, now recuperating. NOT YOU I HOPE. MAY GLORY BE REALISED. Some weeks later Troy was fit enough to start his new schooling for the Corps at the kindergarten so at three years old he would undergo a degree of neural alteration in that certain pathways would be reinforced. His parents were reassured that independent thought and action was still, in such subjects possible, the alteration merely allowed faster and more complex tasks to be executed in the area of specialisation. For the few who were not 'compatible' with the treatment there were State funded rehabilitation clinics about which little was known by the general public or indeed where they were located. In their first few years subjects underwent a trial procedure of limited value but which ensured neurotransmitter stability under the new conditions in the future. Every morning Troy would be linked to a module for half an hour, no discomfort was expected but perhaps a slight lack of co-ordination for ten minutes or so afterwards. The Autodecor was programmed to show Troy's favourite scene, an aerial view of The Pudding as he settled down into a chair. Vain activated the equipment and the half hour passed uneventfully and as expected the child who recently had become proficient at bipedal ambulation was back to square one for a short while. ^^ Progress report AUTHORISE: > Who do you think? I'm the only one who can use this highway. Your Marquisness. ACCEPTED. YOU HAVE EXHIBITED A GROSS LACK OF RESPECT, YOU WILL HEAR MORE OF THIS! > Humble apologies. Host condition good. Permission for final telepathic data harvest and concluding viral implant of databanks. GRANTED. MAY GLORY BE FOR THOSE WHO ARE LOYAL! It was a rest day for the whole family for once as Ravi's pressure had lifted after the trade threat had apparently vanished. Answers were still being demanded of the workforce in a threatening tone but the steam had stopped coming out of their elders' ears. Breakfast was a relaxed affair, Troy's attacks on his Father's meal were met with a sharp tap on the hand, even 'accidentally' dropping a knife onto the floor as a diversion did not work, so the less exciting approach of asking for more had to be adopted. "How much do you want?" asked Canda offering some food. Troy didn't answer having not heard her. "Troy!" He looked up in surprise and answered. "Just a lill." Canda and Ravi looked at each other, he was playing up. "Don't be silly, you," said Canda smiling, but feeling concerned then when Troy appeared not to be able to hold his spoon. He began to fumble frantically and looked up at Ravi as if imploring him to explain and help. Then when he opened his mouth to speak nothing came out. Canda rushed to the PGS and indicated an emergency; the response was immediate and soon they were speeding to the medical wing of the Baby Bank. ^^ Emergency communication. AUTHORISE: > Cut the crap. Severe disordering of neural network. Host suffering from disseminated synaptic disruption. Now in medical wing. WE HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO CEASE FUNCTION BEFORE DISCOVERY OF THE IMPLANT. COMMENCE TERMINATION OF HOST AND ULTIMATELY THIS EXPERIMENT. > Regrettably acknowledged. > We are still some way from the capabilities of the alien mind. MAY THERE BE GLORY IN THE FUTURE By the time Troy was lying underneath the scanner he was barely conscious. A human medic approached them a few minutes later - illusions were not used for imparting distressing information. "I am afraid to tell you that your child has a malignant tumour in the brain." Canda relaxed, that wasn't a problem. "However," they continued, "this tumour is of a nature we cannot treat, it is aggressive andg rowing at a visible speed. We cannot intervene quickly enough. I'm sorry." Canda's mind raced, she knew that the only way they had been close was through a decreased level of consciousness. She could not possibly go to sleep but she had to get to Troy quickly. Canda screamed and threw herself to the floor and flailed her arms about in a frenzy. "Quick, dose with a mild neuroleptic, nurse," commanded the medic. The nurse hovered to the hysterical person and darted her with a hypodermic of hair-like fineness. Within seconds Canda was quiet and drifting. Troy knew what he wanted and with what was left of his searching faculties sensed hi smother. He couldn't 'see' or even fly properly. Canda became aware in her altered state, she could hear calls of "Mummy cuddle!" She tried to concentrate towards the pain which became more intense as she did so. Briefly they came into contact and she 'held' Troy as tightly as she could. "Let's go to the mountain Mummy." The intensity waned then Canda was holding nothing.