Lillith of Velor
Flare
by
Douglas W. MacBeth
rev. 1.7
Edited
by Sharon Best, who also reminded me of the important things and kept me
honest.
The question of whether one is good or bad is of no
relevance to the universe since both exist in us all. One or both may remain
hidden for a lifetime. Whichever we manifest from within ourselves at any one
moment, what we will always find is truth. A truth perhaps that we are merely the sum of our
experiences, the final product of our adventures.
This is the story of one of those adventures.
The planet Tetra
She
was motionless. Suspended in a way that few had ever dreamed of, she watched
her world pass beneath her. In a place where there was no up nor down, her body
was, for lack of a better way to say it, upside down. Her beautiful face turned
down toward the planet surface that glowed so brilliantly overhead, yet beneath
her.
At
250 miles up in the airless near-vacuum of space, her hair floated like a
blonde nebula behind her. Her lithe, naked body arched as if she were doing a
zero-g pirouette, arms floating gently away from her sides. How she loved to
orbit the planet like this! Traveling at nearly 18,000 miles per hour in a
natural orbital trajectory, she could see the entire planet revolve once every
one hour and forty-eight minutes. Using her telescopic vision and Tachyon
vision, she saw all, knew all. This was her planet and she was its Protector.
Lillith
slowly bent one hand inward at the wrist, only to flick it easily back to where
it had been. The movement started her slowly turning toward the rising sun just
appearing over the horizon. She had seen three sunrises today, this being the
fourth.
Directly
beneath her, the only large continent of Tetra showed its shades of browns and
greens behind a smattering of fluffy white cumulous clouds. This continent took
up most of one hemisphere of the planet. The majestic peaks of the Faldref
range to the north appeared as if they were a huge row of granite thrones, left
behind by some long forgotten race of giants. Spread out in a vast southern
expanse before those mountains, the long flat plains of the desert filled most
of the interior regions of the vast continent below. This was her desert. Her
home.
To
the east and to the west, this continent tapered quickly down to a thin
landmass that circled the globe at
the equator. It had the appearance of a greenish belt drawn tightly around a
belly of deep blue. Nearly 14,000 miles long but only 150 miles wide at its
narrowest part, this singular band of land usually appeared broken into
multiple islands of so-called dry land. They hung around the planet like a
necklace of irregular green pearls. Constantly changing shape as the seasons
progressed, these islands were a cartographerÕs nightmare. A dynamically changing
chain of islands known only as the Latitudes. As unfit for the survival of
Tetrites as anywhere in the universe, the Latitudes were hot, humid, oppressive
in the summertime and nearly completely submerged in the winter. The ground was
so spongy and soft that any creature heavier than a few kilos would be missing
before it had walked a dozen paces. The disappearances were not always from the
passive dangers of the water soaked ground either. There were active predators
here as well. Creatures who struck quickly at any meal that conveniently
presented itself for the taking. One such creature, certainly spawned in
whatever Tetritian hell could be imagined, was the Kilil. A species all to
themselves, they were capable of swallowing Tetrites as large as two or three
meters in one swiftly viscous attack.
No
Tetrite ever walked in the Latitudes. At least, none had lived to speak of it.
If
the Latitudes were hostile, the sharply curving coastlines where they met the
central continent were positively wonderful. Bracketing the north and south
entrance to the Latitudes, these long beaches were of the finest and purest
white sand. They curved handsomely along the edge of the warm azure sea.
Beaches that beckoned a tired Protector to come and swim and bathe her long
athletic body under energizing rays of a yellow sun. Lillith made a mental note
to ask William to join her there tomorrow. From this distance, the whiteness of
the beaches could be clearly seen, even without her superior vision. They gave
the brightly shining planet a distinguished look, like gray hair at the temples
of an aging beauty. Among planets of the same class, these were the clear
identifying marks particular only to Tetra. Marks known to any shipÕs captain
who, one might still say in the void of space, was worth his salt.
The
Latitudes split the planet into two major oceans. The northern ocean was
referred to as the Nortranda, while the southern was the Contranda. To the
North, Lillith could see the vortex of a massive cyclone traveling west to
east. This presented no danger to her beloved Tetrites since none of these
little beings sailed the oceans of this beautiful planet. At least not yet. She
knew those same cyclones would move further south later in the year to outflank
the Faldref and bring the season called the Time of Troubles to the Tetrites on the desert plains. A season that
would come again to flood the dry and dusty desert floor, eroding the landscape
while it killed hundreds of the tiniest inhabitants. She would help them to
prepare as she always did, but there was time enough. Plenty of time.
LillithÕs
observation of her beloved planet continued through one last revolution. There
in the South of the main continent she saw her William and Phil walking swiftly
to investigate some object that had fallen out of the sky the evening before.
Unsure what to expect from the initial reports, she thought it sounded more
like a simple meteorite than anything of consequence. It was mainly PhilÕs
curious urgings that had them now traveling such a long distance on such a hot,
sunny day. There were few clouds in the sky to shade them or to hide them from
her warm gaze. Deep blue eyes that glimmered within a bright smile from the
impossibly cold and airless orbit so high overhead.
Apart
from a few domestic disputes, a great deal of eating and mating, and even more
discussions on an endless variety of subjects, no alien dangers appeared to
threaten the planet today. Moving her chest as if to sigh, the void made her
lungs feel so empty as she expanded them. Lillith decided that she could take a
break to go to one of her most favorite places in the system. Tightly tensing
her rounded glutes, she accelerated rapidly through a wide sweeping arc. She
blew a silent kiss down to her lover as she headed toward the moon of Satee.
The
smallest of the seven moons, Satee was as unique as Thebe, the largest, was
not. Made up almost totally of silicon crystal, eons of heat and pressure had
forced metal oxides and other minerals to combine with the pure silicon to give
the crystals deep, rich colors. Most of the crystals were translucent. Yet, on
the highest peaks, they were as transparent as optical glass. Lillith had
started a collection of the clearest of those crystals. By combining the power
of her grip and the strength of her fingers with nature's magic, she made her
own jewelry. She gave it away as gifts. The grandest gift of all was to see it
all with the Tetritian sun rising over those crystal peaks! The sight of it
always took her breath away! Today, she was in the mood to experience the
beauty of Satee yet again.
Tetra, the southern reaches of the central desert
ÒHow
much farther is it, guys?Ó William found that every time he spoke, he had to
spit out some more of the swirling dust. The heat was just as bad, although his
invulnerability kept him from being too bothered by it.
The
party of three dusty Tetrites leading the way did not turn back to respond as
they spoke briefly.
ÒNo
much. Just beyond the brow of the hill.Ó Their excitement at their discovery
was just too tantalizing to stop now. So many questions had to be answered; so
many discussions resolved. Even Phil was pressing William to continue at a
faster pace.
ÒSir,
perhaps if we all simply rode with you then you could speed along at a more advanced
velocity. The time to arrival could then be minim...Ó
ÒPhil,
IÕm not a taxi. Is there something wrong with your legs?Ó
ÒOh,
no sir! All five are functioning quite well!Ó
ÒThen
use them. ThereÕs no real reason not to.Ó
ÒI
see your point, sir.Ó
At
the top of the ridge, the three guides stopped and stared. As William climbed
quickly behind them, all three pointed; all three spoke at the same time.
ÒThere!Ó
In a
shallow ditch, a rust-colored sphere, about six or seven meters in diameter,
lay half-buried in the sand. Antennae, or what was left of them, projected from
various points around the shell. There were no windows.
ÒLooks
like Sputnik.Ó William took a step to approach the craft.
ÒAh,
the group of 20th century urban Terrans that wore facial hair, flat hats, and
performed rhythms on drums with their hands to poetry!Ó Phil was trying to
impress the others with his growing knowledge of Terran history.
ÒUh,
no Phil. Those were Beatniks, I said ÔSputnikÕ. It was the first Terran
artificial satellite to orbit the planet. It was just a ball with antennae,
like this but much smaller.Ó
Phil
took the correction in stride. Better to get valid information than to retain
incorrect facts.
ÒOther
species would certainly duplicate the effort, sir.Ó
William
kneeled down next to the sphere. Using his still imperfect Tachyon vision, he
scanned the craft slowly, looking for any sign of...
ÒShit,
Phil! ThereÕs something alive in there!Ó
At
the news, the three guides rapidly moved back to what they felt was a much safer
distance.
ÒPerhaps
we should wait for the Mistress before we continue, sir.Ó
ÒPhil,
sheÕs not available right now and whatever is in here may not be doing so well
in this heat. I donÕt want to just let it die out here like this.Ó
William
scanned the craft once again, noticing that whatever it was, it turned its head
rapidly toward the sound when he tapped on the shell. It was alive, it was
coherent, and if it were a danger to them, it certainly would have done
something by now. No, he thought, we
have to try to help.
Using
his great strength, William slowly rotated the sphere until he noticed a seam.
Fasteners appeared in neat rows around the perimeter. It must be a hatch!
Digging an invulnerable fingernail under the corroded metal, he pried the hatch
back enough to get a fingerhold on it. Pried enough to expand the tortured
metal to pull the hatch open just a bit more - just enough to peek inside.
There,
in the far reaches of the dingy craft, he saw a creature shivering from the
residual cold. It was hiding within the far darkness of the unlit sphere,
hiding also from the devastating fear that surged within itself. Two
panic-stricken eyes remained locked on the small opening as the creature
futility tried to back farther away from that bright opening. To move
someplace, anyplace, away from these strange eyes that peered at it ominously
from the outside.
William
could detect the disagreeable aroma of fresh urine as he waited for his eyes to
become acclimated to the dark. Finally, he could see the creature a bit more
clearly and smiled broadly!
ÒItÕs
a dog!Ó
ÒA
what, sir?Ó
ÒA
dog, Phil! ItÕs another species, one thatÕs often called ManÕs Best Friend!Ó
ÒI
thought the Mistress fulfilled that role, sir?Ó
ÒUm,
different role, Phil. Uh, okay, look. WeÕre spooking him right now, so letÕs
all back away and give him some room. IÕll go ahead and pull the hatch away
slowly. Oh, wait a minute....Ó
William
reached into his fanny pack, retrieving just the thing to make this all a lot
easier.
ÒIs
this an appropriate time for a cookie, sir?Ó
ÒYep!
But not for me. For our little friend here. WeÕre going to make friends!Ó
As
the Tetrites moved back to an even more discrete distance, William pulled the
metal hatch slowly away, trying very hard to keep any disturbing sounds to a
minimum. When the last fastener had given way, he set the curled plate down and
peered in at the creature.
The
poor creature was scared so badly that its entire body shook. Its tail curled
tightly down between its rear legs as it crouched backward out of fear. William
spoke softly, carefully, trying to soothe its tattered nerves. Ever so slowly,
William reached into the capsule with the cookie, trying very hard not to look
as if he was reaching directly at the dog. When the dog looked as if it was about
to panic from the nearness of WilliamÕs hand, he stopped. William placed the
cookie on the surface of what appeared to be some type of electronic
instrumentation. With the cookie in place, he turned his hand palm up and
slowly withdrew it. The eyes of the dog flicked from William to the cookie and
back, unsure what to make of it all. William merely pivoted around out of
sight, stood, and walked up the slope to join the Tetrites.
ÒWhat
plan of action would you now suggest, sir?Ó
ÒI
suggest we wait, Phil. Give the little guy some time.Ó
For
nearly twenty minutes, the group waited for its outworld visitor to come to a
decision. Finally, slowly and hesitantly, a black nose peaked out from the open
hatch. It had cookie crumbs on it, which were suddenly consumed with the flick
of a pink tongue. The nose twitched constantly moving up and down, side to
side, collecting information about this strange place that had suddenly
appeared outside the hatch.
Slowly,
a face appeared, blinking its eyes in the bright light. Turning to look up at
the group watching it, it pulled back inside as if embarrassed, but more than
likely shocked to see unusual creatures nearby.
ÒAre
there different races within the species Dog, sir?Ó
ÒWell,
yes, but we call them breeds. This little guy looks like a mutt. ThatÕs a mix
of a lot of different breeds to where you really canÕt pick one out above any
other.Ó
ÒI
see. How many different breeds can mate at one time to produce a mutt?Ó
ÒNot
all at once, Phil. I meant from generation to generation.Ó
ÒThat
does sound a bit more within the normal methodology, sir.Ó
William
noticed that the nose had once again appeared. Leaning forward, William held
out his hand as he made repeated kissing noises with his mouth. Phil was
mesmerized by this display.
ÒAre
you attempting communication, sir?Ó
ÒNaw.
Just trying to coax it out. Trying to show weÕre friendly.Ó
All
four Tetrites looked at each other, turned toward the capsule, held out one arm
each, and started producing loud smacking noises in a cacophony that startled
William! The nose retreated swiftly.
ÒGuys.
Guys! GUYS!Ó They all stopped and looked up at William.
ÒFellas,
please, just me to start out with. Okay? LetÕs hold the chorus until later. I
think we just scared the shit outta him.Ó
No
sooner had William said that than the dog simply walked out of the capsule
busily sniffing the ground. On it walked, investigating some intensely
interesting scent along the ground, until it reached the limits of the wires
attached to it. The capsule briefly scraped the ground with a hollow metallic
sound as the tug from the dog shifted it in place. Finally settling, the
capsule held the dog from any further excursions. William snapped his fingers
once and the creatureÕs head snapped to attention, ears up, eyes riveted on
William.
William
spoke to the Tetrites discretely out of the side of his mouth. ÒAny of you guys
makes a sound and IÕll be having crab cakes tonight.Ó The Tetrites,
understanding the intended message, remained silent. Although each wondered
what a Ôcrab cakeÕ was.
ÒHello,
boy!Ó A slight wag of the tail.
ÒHello,
boy!Ó Another wag in response.
William
slowly slid down the rise toward the dog. Watching with a bit less nervousness,
but still unsure, the dog thought it saw something familiar in William as he
approached still closer. Finally, held out in offering in front of its nose, an
upturned hand remained steady, unmoving, waiting for the dog to decide what was
to be done next.
A
slight sniff and a quick pullback, followed by another sniff of the fingers and
another quick retreat. Finally, the nose twitched relentlessly over the fingers
as they touched the underside of his nose. Two beings from separate worlds had
just decided to give each other a chance.
ÒHello,
blue boy!Ó William was petting the dog now while discretely checking out how
the wires were attached. A midsize dog on Earth, the dog had deep blue fur
about an inch long. His two front paws had a touch of white fur, but along the
top of its long nose, similar to a Terran collie, the dog had a blaze of deep
red hair. The eyes had the clarity of a Husky, but were a bright gold in color.
He was certainly friendly, leaning into WilliamÕs touch, soaking up each
petting stroke as if it had been in that capsule for an eternity. Having an
appearance like a mix between a shepherd, collie, and half a dozen other
breeds, the dog had found the source of the cookies, pushing its nose under the
flap of the fanny pack.
ÒHey!
Wait a minute!Ó
It
was too late. The animal consumed everything edible stored in the pack, as well
as two or three things that were not.
ÒThe
creature appears to be hungry, sir.Ó
The
sudden sight of Phil so close made the dog pull itÕs head up and back quickly.
Its ears at full alert! Backing up slightly by short steps, the dog finally
made a statement that it did not know what Phil was.
ÒRrrrrOOF!Ó
ÒOh
my! He speaks a language of distinct brevity!Ó
The Tetritian moon of Satee
Lillith
approached the crystal moon from the sunward side. It glimmered with glittering
clarity. Today she would see if she could find any clear green crystals. Those
were always the hardest to find. She planned to make some earrings for her
sister who had handmade the most beautiful Terran earrings for her. The culture
on Tetra did not require jewelry or even clothing, but Lillith had never lost
her Velorian appreciation for all things of beauty. She had a mate who could
display the deepest appreciation when she chose to make herself glamorous for
him. Very deep appreciation indeed!
Using
her heat vision, she poured megawatts of energy into the surface of the moon,
elevating the energy content of the crystal lattice. When she stopped, the
normally generous contours of her chest momentarily reduced from the
expenditure of so much energy. The entire moon glowed brilliantly as the atoms
in the lattice sought to return to their former equilibrium, releasing the
excess energy as light fixed at a frequency appropriate to their structure. She
could now see all of the crystal content of the moon as it was illuminated from
within, each crystal glowing with its own distinctive color.
Her
search took a while, but she finally saw a perfectly clear, brilliantly green
crystal. It was perfect! She hovered over it, reaching out to pluck it from the
surface. He fingertips had just made contact with its smooth, cold surface when
a movement, just to her left, caught her eye.
A
small silver orb, about half a meter in diameter, spun rapidly as it hovered
silently about a meter from her head. She stared at the orb for a brief moment,
as it seemed to study her in return. Suddenly, without warning, an intense
narrow beam of coherent white light shot out of the orb hitting Lillith
directly in the middle of the forehead. Her entire body immediately stiffened
as a look of shock flashed across her. A second beam, this one fanning out to
form a green line laterally across her forehead, scanned quickly down to her
feet before it abruptly shut off. The white beam that had been holding her
quickly widened to consume her entire body. When it too snapped off, Lillith
was gone.
The
orb slowly moved upward in order to clear the moonÕs glowing peaks before
instantly accelerating away toward deep space and out of sight.
The
glowing moon, Satee, slowly dimmed in the cold silence.
The central desert of Tetra
ÒFellas!
You canÕt all stay up here!Ó
William
was getting very upset with the three Tetrites who were clinging to his arms
and shoulders to stay out of the reach of the dog. Phil perched on top of
WilliamÕs head.
ÒShe
insists on putting us in her mouth, sir! It is most distasteful!Ó
ÒI
can imagine, Phil, but this is not the answer!Ó
The
dog was bounding along behind, sniffing every rock, every boulder, lost in her
senses as she listened and sniffed, sniffed and listened. Occasionally, a
specific outcropping qualified for the elevated status of receiving a dose of
pee, delivered with all the grace that a four-legged animal balancing on three
legs could muster. A position unusual for Terran female dogs, yet evidently,
normal for this alien breed. It was obvious to everyone that this dog was
having a wonderful time.
ÒThe
creature has urinated multiple times in the last hour but has not ingested
liquids of any kind. Do these creatures manufacture fluids on their own?Ó Phil,
still riding on top of WilliamÕs head, constantly annoyed William with his
incessant foot tapping whenever he pondered such weighty issues such as this.
ÒLook,
Phil. Forget the dog for a moment, will you? Now weÕre almost home. When we get
there, you guys can think about anything you want to your hearts content! But
right now IÕve got four nervous Tetrites hanging on me, itÕs hot and dusty as
hell out here, IÕm hungry cause that dog ate all my stuff, and every time I
look up I see YOUR ASS! SO WOULD YOU STOP WITH THE DOG ALREADY! IÕM JUST NOT IN THE MOOD! AND WOULD YOU
PLEEEEEASE TURN AROUND!Ó
All
of the Tetrites kept silent as Phil slowly rotated around the top of WilliamÕs
head. He had been watching the dog prance along behind them, but that caused
his entire aft section to cantilever out over WilliamÕs face. The shade was
nice, but the view was terrible. Phil had just reoriented himself to face
forward and leaned down, coming eye to beady eye with William, albeit a set of
upside-down beady eyes.
ÒMy
apologies, sir. My position was an unintended by-product of my observations.Ó
William
could not help but smile at the seriousness of PhilÕs voice.
ÒIt
couldnÕt be helped, Phil. I apologize for getting upset. The situation
is....um....not optimal.Ó William hoped that got through to Phil.
ÒQuite
so, sir, quite so.Ó
ÒYouÕre
not going to get off me now, are you.Ó
ÒWith
that creature just below us, sir? I should think that would be out of the
question! Why just now the creature is....Ó
On
and on Phil explained as he rotated to face backward, gaining a better view of
the dog. A dark shade descended once again over WilliamÕs face.
ÒPHIL!!Ó
Phil
nearly fell off when he jumped from the sudden loud call of his name. But he
understood the reason for it.
ÒSorry!
Sorry, sir!Ó
Phil
quickly rotated once again to face forward.
A few
moments passed in silence before William thought to get everyoneÕs mind off the
heat, the dust, and the remaining distance home.
ÒPhil,
why donÕt you tell us a story? How about one of those Terran stories that you
memorized. One of those stories about Kara by her Scribe.
ÒWonderful
idea, sir. LetÕs see.....ah! ......ahem........
It
was the middle of a dark rainy night in San Francisco bay, the damp stones of
the filthy prison cell on the abandoned island holding no more warmth this
night than they had held hope for the men who had been imprisoned here so long
ago. Inside the cell, two young women were huddled in one corner, sitting in
the cold rain water that slowly spread across the stone floor from the
open........Ó
The
man, the dog, and the Tetrites continued on, listening quietly as Phil retold
the wondrous story of a famous Protector on a distant planet.
FROM ÒA Dark
SuperGirl Arises, Chapter Eleven – Janna's SongÓ, © 1998, SHARON BEST
*******
At
the habitat, William helped each Tetrite relocate on top of a rock that would
be safely out of reach of the dog. There was plenty of time to do this since
the dog busied herself with chasing all the other Tetrites around the area.
William, having placed the last rider in his new location, had finally had
enough of the dogÕs antics.
ÒSIT!Ó
The dog froze in place for a moment, looking intently at William.
ÒSIT,
DAMMIT!Ó
The
dog bounded over to William, wagging her tail pleasantly, but not even thinking
about sitting. William made a theatrical show of pointing downward as he tried
one more time.
ÒSIT
YOUR ASS DOWN!!!Ó The dog sat. William beamed. Phil was speechless.....almost.
ÒMy
goodness, sir! YouÕve established communications with the creature and modified
her behavior!Ó
ÒYep,
Phil!Ó William was quite proud of himself. ÒAll you have to do is say ÔsitÕ to
her and sheÕll mind. ItÕs all in the delivery.Ó
ÒQuite
a simple command structure, sir.Ó
ÒUh,
yeah. Um, Phil, look. IÕm going to go clean up. Keep an eye on things for a while,
will you?Ó
ÒCertainly.Ó
William
started to walk back to the habitat, giving the dog yet another ÒsitÓ command
to reinforce the one still in effect. The dog did not move, watching him from
her seated position all the way to the door.
Inside,
William drew some water for a quick shower. As he cleaned himself in the
cascading water, he could not hear the commotion just outside the window as
Tetrites scattered everywhere amidst almost constant barking. The tan dust
billowed everywhere.
Between
two large rock outcroppings, a large brown Tetrite could suddenly be seen
running frantically along the ground, chanting Òsit, sit, sit, sit, sit, sit,
sitÓ continuously, as a blue dog bounded playfully behind him. A few moments
passed before that same blue dog pranced proudly back the other way holding a
furious brown Tetrite in her mouth.
ÒMy
goodness! Most distasteful! SIR!!!Ó
The habitat, later that afternoon
ÒSir.
I need to discuss this creature with you.Ó Phil, peering down from the safety
of the roof, sounded very perturbed.
ÒWhatÕs
the problem, Phil?Ó
ÒWell,
sir, I attempted, once again, to establish interspecies communication with the
creature in order to come to some sort of understanding.Ó
ÒAnd
what happened?Ó
ÒIt
licked my eye, sir.Ó
William
was trying very hard not to break up.
ÒWhat?Ó
ÒIt
chose to lick my eye just as the negotiations began. Most distasteful.Ó
ÒWell,
look at it this way, Phil. When the dog licks you it means she really likes
you.Ó
Armed
with this new information, Phil turned around and saw the dog lying on its
side. She had raised one of her hind legs and was in the process of vigorously
licking her crotch. Phil tapped his foot thoughtfully before turning back to
William.
ÒThe
creatureÕs self-esteem appears to be quite substantial.Ó
Unknown place, approximately the same moment
Lillith
suddenly became aware that she was somewhere. For the longest time she did not
have the slightest notion of being anywhere. She had been completely without
any sense of existence. Now she could feel the cold smoothness of the solid
floor beneath her. The floor was black and as smooth as porcelain. All around
her was nothing but dark shadow. Shadows so dark that her world did not exist
in them. A bright, barren, white overhead light illuminated her only, but she
could not quite make out the source. Becoming fully alert, she stood quickly,
leaping to her feet with the grace and speed of the most talented gymnast. It
was then that she noticed that she was clothed.
She
was wearing what could best be described as a Terran one-piece swimsuit, made
of nearly transparent black material; the transparency apparently due to the
sheerness of the tightly woven fabric. A fabric so elastic that it clung to her
curves as tightly as a second skin, almost as if someone had painted it on her!
Dished deeply in the front, the material hugged her breasts just enough to form
a wonderful cleavage. In the back,
it bared her strong shoulders and back all the way down to her shapely butt.
The suit was hardly clothing. Its main purpose seemed only to accentuate the
curves and muscles of her long shapely body. Not used to wearing any clothes at
all, Lillith didnÕt think that it looked all that bad on her. Not bad at all!
Still, why would anyone want to dress her like this?
Shrugging
to send a wave of rippling curves across her back and shoulders, she decided
that the clothing, as well as the mystery behind it, would have to wait for the
moment. She did not even know where she was and that was the first thing. The
most important thing.
She
looked all around her once before her questions started, her soft voice calling
out into the darkness of her empty world.
ÒWho
are you? Where is this place?Ó
Her
voice reverberated from hard walls that seemed to be very distant, the echo
telling her that wherever she was, it was very large and very empty. She spun
quickly around once when she thought she heard something buzz momentarily in
the echoes behind her. There was nothing there. Squinting her eyes slightly as
she concentrated on projecting her Tachyon vision, she scanned the darkness. No
forms appeared. It was as if the universe simple ended in the shadows.
It
was then that her hearing picked up two distant reverberant clicks to her
right. She immediately snapped her head in that direction and scanned at
maximum intensity, the power from her eyes sufficient to see through worlds!
Yet she saw nothing.
ÒWho
ARE YOU!Ó
Even
before the echoes of her voice faded, she found that she was fighting against
her growing fear. Her fear turning to anger in the way of a Protector, she
barely managed to keep her temper in check. She had the distinct feeling of an
animal in a cage as she struggled to calm herself, deciding to try to talk her
way out. To think her way out.
She
walked a few paces toward the unseen distant wall, only to find that the light
followed her. Walking faster, running now, she dashed through the darkness,
searching for the distant wall that had echoed her voice. Yet she found no
walls, nor any change in the shadows. The world around her merely moved with
her as if she was in the midst of a void of timeless and endless darkness.
ÒI
donÕt want to hurt you. Now if you just let me out, I wonÕt have to use force.Ó
There was no response. ÒI am a Velorian. I'm very strong, but I don't want to hurt
you. Do you understand?Ó
Still
nothing. ÒAlright,Ó she murmured, Òenough. Time to go.Ó
She
flexed her glutes as she swung her arms upward to fly. She would simply burst
through the roof and find her way home. She flexed her calves strongly enough
to thrust her nearly a thousand yards into the air! The powerful muscles of her
behind flexing to sustain her flight, she fully expected to soar from this cone
of darkness and back into the light. Yet nothing happened!
A
slight hop, but no flight! Now, for the first time since she had arrived here,
she felt a hard surge of the fear of helplessness roll through her. She fought
it back. Then a thought came to her. If I canÕt fly, what else canÕt I do?
And how did they do this to me?
A
brilliant white coherent beam lanced out of the darkness as that thought was
still on her mind, striking her in the forehead. Now in an oxygen/nitrogen
atmosphere, the sound of the beam was a deafening hum. She was immediately
locked at attention as every muscle in her body flexed as hard as tempered
steel. At that precise moment, a second green beam fanned out in a horizontal
line, passing down over the length of her body once. When it reached her feet,
both beams shut off with a loud snap,
her suddenly relaxing muscles turning her legs to rubber so rapidly that she
fell face-first onto the cold floor. She was still conscious, but only by the
slightest of margins.
It
took her a second to catch her breath as she swore at nobody in particular.
ÒPistu. PISTU!Ó The Velorian word for shit echoed in the cold darkness as she rose to her feet once again. Behind
her! A door opened noisily!
The
light through the door flooded into the chamber. Someone was coming in, but
they were not letting her out! The figure looked like a tall humanoid, likely a
male. The door closed rapidly behind him.
When
he came into the light that surrounded her, she could see that he was a large
muscular Geheim male, not much older than her, maybe 20. Lillith was struck
with how attractive he was and smiled a flirtatious grin at him. In fact, he
was just the image of the fantasy male she used to imagine before she knew
William. Tall, slender, and very, very muscular. His sandy hair had a slight reddish tint, just enough to
make his green eyes glow. Hmmmmm,
thought Lillith, too bad IÕm meeting him now! She unconsciously turned slightly to the side to show
him her best angle, suddenly finding it hard not to flirt at least a little
bit.
Naked
from the waist up and barefoot, he carried no weapons, but was looking at her coolly.
His eyes were ice cold, looking at hers as a snake might stare, unblinking. He
finally looked away from her eyes only long enough to scan her body, almost as
if he was deliberately sizing her up.
His
voice was deep and menacing when he finally spoke.
ÒThey
told me if I kill you, I will be released.Ó
Lillith
immediately lost her seductive grin took a tentative step back, suddenly losing
all interest in her flirtatious posing.
ÒI do
not want to hurt you, Geheimite. Who told you that.Ó She had barely gotten
those words out of her mouth when he charged her.
He
grabbed her brutally around the neck, slamming her to the floor with enough
power to have pulverized every bone in a Terran's body. Releasing her, he
quickly grabbed her ankles. In one violent move, he flung her up over his head
smashing her face down onto the floor. Cracks splintered the hard floor in all
directions from the force of the impact as the crashing sound of shattering
rock reverberated along hidden walls. Again he flung her up through the air
only to smash her face down onto the floor. Again the floor was shattered by
the sheer force of her steely body.
Lillith
was completely off balance, her reflexes way behind her attacker. Not only was
she shocked by the sudden ferocious attack, but she was nearly knocked
senseless by the incredible body slams that she had just endured! She was
seeing stars and felt real pain! Her! Feeling PAIN! This was impossible. She
was invulnerable!
Pushing
herself up off the floor with her arms, she barely had time to take a single
breath before the man jerked her upward and backward, exposing her throat to
his blows. He quickly spun her around and began punching and kicking her all
over her body! As if by instinct, Lillith tried to fight back, amazed that her
punches did not seem to faze him! Even her most powerful kicks only flung the
maleÕs head to the side momentarily. He returned each of her blows with several
so devastating that she felt like a rag doll flying around in a hurricane!
Lillith was suddenly facing the shock of being defeated in a simple fistfight!
There
was worse to come!
Staggering
on her feet, Lillith could not believe what was happening to her! How could a
Geheim male do so much damage to her...unless....her powers! She could not fly;
maybe her strength was gone too! Skietra! She would be powerless against him!
She would....
A
massive punch smashed her back against an unseen wall that almost made her lose
consciousness. She slumped to the floor, blinded by the blood that filled her
eyes. She weakly raised her hand up and tried to hold it up for as long as she
could.
ÒNo......no..more.
Please.....no....more.Ó
She
could not see the male through the stars that filled her eyes, but she soon
heard his answer. It began as a snicker and grew into a laugh! He was laughing
at her! On and on his growing laughter echoed throughout the room! Why was
he laughing? she thought Why?
WHY?!
She
felt his huge hand gripping her throat, sliding her up firmly against the
invisible wall. He lifted her slowly, steadily to her feet. She blinked her
eyes to try to clear them, barely able to see the laughing face of the Geheim
male. She felt his other hand slide down her chest to her belly before she
could feel it push into her. Her eyes were locked on his as he forced his hand
farther and farther into her body, reaching for her heart to squeeze the life
out her. She was going to die here! Die for reasons she did not know, could not
understand! A feeling of complete helplessness took over her as she could only
use the last of her strength to mutter, ÒWh.....why?Ó
Instantly,
an intense white beam impacted her in the forehead. She froze in place, hearing
the excruciatingly loud hum of the beam as a second green line scanned down the
length of her. When the green beam reached her feet, both beams shut off with a
loud SNAP, and Lillith collapsed
unconscious to the floor.
*******
She
had no sense of the passage of time when she awoke. Shaking her head to clear
it, she looked up only to see that the Geheim male was gone. All the damage to
the floor was gone. Her face had been cleaned and felt completely healed.
Everything was as it was before except her clothing seemed a bit tattered. In
fact, there was a large hole centered just below her ribcage. She had not
imagined it all! Skietra! Had she really come that close to death? Someone was
playing a strangely dangerous game!
Behind
her somewhere, two subtle mechanical clicks were heard. Lillith felt another
twinge of fear race through her, but this time she let her anger have its way!
Jumping up, she whipped her hand up in front of her, only the center finger
extended, in the fashion that William had told her Terrans do sometimes.
ÒFORNÕSK!Ó
The
white beam immediately impacted her head, freezing her in this defiant position.
This time, a smaller green line scanned only her hand before both beams shut
off. Lillith staggered back a step or two, forcing herself to remain conscious
before glancing around herself nervously. She tried to begin to speak, forcing
herself to remain calm and try to reason with whoever was doing this.
ÒOkay.
Alright. What do you want me to do? Can I help with anything? Just tell me what
you...Ó
The
door! It sounded so loud that she jumped! Again the light flooded in through
that open door as a large male entered at a leisurely walk. It was HIM!
ÒThey
told me if I kill you, I will be released.Ó
Lillith
backed away. ÒNo. No, please. I canÕt...Ó
His
fist impacted her belly hard enough to lift her off her feet. She crumpled to
the ground just before he kicked out with his foot, flipping her violently onto
her back. Before she could recover, he was standing over her, gripping the
front of her clothing in his left hand. It only took three quick punches with
his right fist before Lillith dangled limply from his iron hold.
She
recovered slowly, seeing the light above her once again. Something was touching
her; touching her body. Looking down at herself, she saw that her clothes were
torn open and the male was fondling her! She had been unconscious and he took
advantage of her! The bastard was fondling her breasts!
She
lashed out with what should have been a skull-breaking blow. Instead, the male
shook it off quickly and backhanded her across the face, stunning her with the
force of it. As she fought against losing consciousness once more, she rubbed
her jaw and then noticed that he was taking off his pants.
ÒNO!
NO!Ó She pushed away, kicked at him, did all she could to get out from under
him! He grabbed her in hands that were so strong that she found that she could
not move! He ripped the crotch out of her clothes just before she felt his
massive cock land between the breasts of her struggling body.
Slowly
he dragged his hard member downward toward her pussy as he kept her locked in
his powerful viselike arms. Her tears and screams only seemed to encourage him
as she tried vainly to fight him off! And now, that laugh! That laugh returned!
He was laughing at her while he raped her! The total devastation and
humiliation that Lillith felt burned deep into her! She never imagined that
this was possible! Not her! Not this! Just as she felt him penetrate, she
collapsed in tears of frustration and cried out ÒTus Skietra! Help me!Ó
The
white beam impacted her forehead, freezing her in place as the green beam
scanned down the length of her body. When they both snapped off, she was
completely unconscious.
She
never heard them turn off.
*******
Lillith
awoke on her stomach; her head turned to the side. Again, she had been cleaned
up, yet her clothing showed every rip and tear. She felt a jolt of panic, sheer
panic, fire through her as she realized once more where she was! She quickly
pulled away from the light, shuffling along the floor by pushing frantically
with her feet. Yet the light followed.
Lillith
was shaking now, scared, unsure, nearly broken. She was a Protector, yet the
things that made her one were taken away, leaving....what? What had she become?
What was to become of her in this place? She did not understand any of this.
Perhaps, she never will understand, she thought. How she wished she were home
with William right now. He would not hurt her. He would take care of her and
protect her and.....wait. Wait, she thought, just.....wait. Protect. She had
grown up with that ideal. Lived it; breathed it; believed in it. And believed
in herself. There was something else. Something else deep within her. Something
that they hadnÕt destroyed yet. Something that they could not take away.
Something that, until now, she too had forgotten about herself!
Rising
unsteadily to her feet, she staggered slightly before catching herself. Taking
a breath, she stood up straighter, forcing herself to painfully stand taller
than she had ever before. Pushing her hair from her face, she looked up into
the light. Her hands set firmly on the hips of her battered body. With a look
of determination on her face, she spoke in the firm voice of her heritage!
ÒI am
LillÕthÕa Velor! The Protector of the Tetrites! Do what you will to me, but I
will not allow....
Without
warning, a green blast came out of the darkness, hitting her squarely in the
chest. Her body felt as if it had burst into flames inside as the green vapor
drew into her. A second, equally powerful blast from another direction slammed
into her again as yet more of the green vapor engulfed her. Immediately she
dropped to the floor as if she had completely lost control of herself. Wave
after wave of arousal filled her so intensely that she could not help but feel
at herself as she writhed and bucked!
ÒTus
Skietra!.....Ungh!Ó
The trembling
fingers of her hand wove quickly down the length of her body, seeking the
suddenly swollen lips of her sex, playing across their fullness as she swept
her long, muscular legs aside. Slipping those slender fingers inside herself,
they spread wide the lips just passed. Allowing yet another sensuous hand to
pass deeper still in the hopes that somewhere inside she would quickly find
release from the inferno that burned out of control within her.
William
would probably simply say that she was incredibly horny! But, no, NO! This was
beyond horny! This was overwhelming, searing arousal! It swept her away
completely with its fierceness! As she spread her legs ever wider apart, she
could see an intense green glow coming from her pussy! She immediately realized
that this must be Orgone! She had never experienced that before, but Kara had
warned her about it! Why would they do this? WHO WAS DOING THIS?
The
door! The door was opening again! Lillith could barely twist herself around
from her position on the floor to see and she could barely care! All she wanted
was to cum, tus Skietra, how she wanted to CUM as she continued her own frantic
sexual manipulation!
A
figure approached to stand over her.
ÒThey
told me if I kill you, I will be released.Ó
ÒNO!
NO! NOT NOW! NOOOOO!!!Ó Lillith screamed as the male picked her up by the hair
and whipped his huge fist into her jaw in a massive roundhouse punch. She
thudded solidly into an unseen wall as the male walked calmly to her.
As he
approached, her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. Looking up at
the advancing male through half closed eyes, every detail about him seared into
her mind as the Orgone had its way.
His
narrow, hard waist of rippling muscle, the way his hips moved when he walked,
his wide strong muscular shoulders, his huge arms that packed so much wonderful
power into his fists. Look at his eyes! Those piercing eyes! So intense, so
hard! See how he moves! Everything about him was telling her that he was coming
after her! Coming to wield that strong wonderful body against her! The very
thought of combat with such a magnificent creature made her arousal surge
immensely! An arousal that was having immense effects on her powers!
When
the Geheim male ripped her from the floor and held her aloft with one hand, she
tightened her belly until the muscles looked as if they were chiseled on her
stone body. Her breathing was rapid as she gasped against the surging sensual
violence that wracked her! Sneering at him with clenched teeth, she forcibly taunted
the male through the haze of Orgone arousal with a voice laced with the brutal,
white-hot fires of her passion!
ÒCome
on, warrior! Show me your strength!Ó
The
muscles in the arm of the giant male seemed to grow even larger just before his
fist rammed solidly into LillithÕs tight belly. The impact sounded like a
muffled explosion as a fast moving shock wave flashed out from the point of
impact and into the surrounding darkness. The force of the punch was so great
that it lifted Lillith up off the floor! If it were not for the iron grip that
the male had on her long blonde hair, it certainly would have flung her up into
the stratosphere!
She
had felt the full fury of that punch. Her mouth agape, she could feel a rush
cascade through herself at the thought of how powerful this male was! Where
before it filled her with fear, now the thought of it was turning her on! How
magnificent he was! Also in her mind, having an even bigger erotic effect, was
the sudden knowledge that she was potent as well. The thought flashed in her
mind that, as strong and powerful as this beautiful male was, she was even
stronger and even more powerful! That thought began to flourish, taking her
mind into a place where she had dared not go before. But the Orgone, the
terrible Orgone was insisting! Making those forbidden thoughts delectable!
Erotically delicious to taste!
How
she hungered!
Her
fists smashed three rapid punches across the face of the male, snapping his
head to each side.
ÒThat
was no blow! You canÕt defeat me like that! Strike HARDER!Ó
On
the word ÔharderÕ she slammed yet another right cross into his chin. Recovering
quickly from yet another devastating blow from her slender femme fist, he was
incensed as he released her hair! He slammed his left, then his right fist into
her rippling belly so fast that they seemed to arrive simultaneously! Lillith
was jolted backward, crashing once more into the invisible wall. Running her
hand briefly across her glowing red stomach, she once again felt that wonderful
surge of arousal pound her from within! She felt stronger, incredibly powerful!
She found that thought wildly erotic! Her body poured her pheromones into the
room like a shattered dam flows water! The air was thick with her scent, her
wetness coating her inner thighs to her knees as the source of the wetness
glowed green. Her massive breasts swollen ever larger, with a firmness of
steel, pushed her moist, dark protruding nipples to their limits! Those same
breasts heaved rapidly as she gasped and shuddered from the Orgone effects! The
male looked on, coping with his own intense arousal, as Lillith flexed her
entire body to unbelievable proportions! Every muscle of her young body
expanded beyond any size they had ever attained before, shearing the last
remnants of clothing from her body! The combination of the Orgone and the
arousal of experiencing even a little of one of her secret fantasies had the
total effect of magnifying her strength to unimaginable limits! Every part of
her passion showed in her ravishing face as her tight lips twisted apart baring
her bright clenched teeth. Slits of blue glared at the huge male before her! In
that instant, Lillith was the most dangerous creature in the universe and only
one thing kept her in check. Yet the weight of all of the sensations that
bombarded her mind at that moment, and of the beatings, the rape, the
humiliations, and the confusion finally forced that one last thing .....to
.....go .....snap!
With
a guttural yell, Lillith was on the Geheim male instantly! Beating him senseless
with her pummeling fists, her powerful punches flailed his body mercilessly
around the unseen perimeter! His counterpunches and kicks were either batted
away or glanced harmlessly off impervious female muscle! This was no longer a
fight; it was total domination! Lillith found it all INCREDIBLY erotic!!
She
saw, as if in slow motion, his muscular body twist and react to the impacts of
her fists. She felt the solid feel of him as her fists made contact, driving
him relentlessly before her! He had no chance against such power! She could
feel her magnificent strength surging through herself as she pummeled him
repeatedly, at will! His grunts and yelps of pain were like music to her!
Without a thought, she sheared away his pants with one sweep of her arms,
exposing his hardening cock! Before he could react, Lillith grabbed the
flailing member in her iron grip, using it as a convenient method to hold him,
to keep his sensuous body within reach. Oh, how she wanted to keep that body
within easy reach!
The
sensation of such a powerful grip around his cock made the beaten male
momentarily freeze in place as his mouth fell open and head fell back slightly.
Just the pose Lillith had in mind.
He
never saw her punch coming as her steel knuckles smashed into the side of his
exposed chin. Faced with a sea of dazzling stars filling his vision, he
certainly did not see that same fist whip back across his face, driving his
face back the other way. Repeatedly the same hard, clenched fist lashed his
head back and forth! Using a
technique of superiority and domination perfected by Arion Primes,
Lillith was fistwhipping him murderously!
Faster
and faster she did this as she held him strongly by his massive cock! Standing
solidly with her feet wide apart, Lillith put on a display of immense might and
raw power as she devastated a fully combat-capable Geheim male with one hand!
She sped up the punishment until her arm became a blur! Suddenly, she simply
stopped and released him.
His
muscular arms hung limply at his sides as he staggered back from the dangerous
Velorian, his face a mass of blood. The female titan walked menacingly around
him, her powerful body slippery from sweat as she glistened under the stark
light. She looked over this large, potent male that she had just taken apart
with her bare hands, with openly visible lust! How incredibly powerful she now
felt! How unimaginably powerful! Almost taunting him to continue the fight, she
finally stood boldly before him as she let yet another sudden urge take
control.
ÒOn your
knees, you bastard!Ó
Her
immense forearms smashed down on his broad shoulders, knocking him down to his
knees. The sight of him teetering before her was all it finally took!
Lillith
instantly flung her head back as she felt the gorgeous rush of an orgasm take
form within her! She never even noticed him fall sideways, unconscious, to the
floor as her fingers instinctively slipped between her engorged labia
frantically searching, frantically feeling, frantically urging the orgasm to
grow! She staggered back two steps before falling hard onto the floor herself!
Writhing wildly, arching her body violently, muscles expanding and contracting
savagely, a burning tingling itch exploded from inside her. Her hand was a blur as visions of her
domination of the male flashed repeatedly in her head! Breathing so rapidly and
so hard through her clenched teeth, the sound of her passion filled the room! A
passion for an orgasm that embraced her so completely that it tore into the
very depths of her soul! Her scream was almost primal as the guttural sound
echoed in the darkness! The intensity of it all was barely endurable by the
young Velorian! She was having the most massive climax of her existence!
A
brilliant white coherent beam shot out of the darkness, striking her in the
forehead......
*******
Her
eyes fluttered open slowly as she first noticed the coolness of the floor
against her cheek. The polished blackness reflected her image as a moment of
confusion yielded quickly to remembrance of her imprisonment. She rolled over
onto her back and sat up quickly.
The
Geheim male and the Orgone were gone, although she felt a bit sore all over.
The chamber was illuminated completely now. The entire ceiling glowed with a
bright washed-out white light as if an excessive number of florescent lights
glowed behind a white translucent ceiling.
The
room was circular and mainly painted black. There were gray geometric shaped
graphics and two peculiar red stripes painted through the center. These stripes
ran down the wall on one side, across the floor through the center, and up the
wall on the opposite side. Lillith was still on the floor, resting her chin on
her knees, trying to understand it all. She could hear faint music from
somewhere overhead. If she were Terran, she would have recognized the music as
bland Muzak. The song, the Girl from Ipanema, was being played on an inexpensive console organ.
The entire chamber had taken on the appearance of a clinical waiting room.
Lillith slowly got to her feet, in no hurry to see what would happen next.
The
room was nearly empty. In the center of the room, a white Greek-style pillar
about four feet tall stood alone. On the top of the pillar, a small red
velveteen pillow supported a golden cube about 1 inch long in all dimensions.
Lillith walked cautiously toward this pillar and tentatively touched the gold
cube out of curiosity. It was, she determined, only gold foil. She picked it up
and unwrapped the foil. Inside was a solid, brown-colored mass that smelled
rather agreeable. She licked it as an experiment and found it very sweet
indeed. The brown coating was beginning to melt on her fingers, so she placed
the mass into her mouth to enjoy some more of its sweet taste. When she did,
she discovered the delicious wonderment of a chocolate-covered soft caramel.
Lillith
was searching the pillar for more when she noticed that the orb had suddenly
reappeared to hum next to her head. She turned to it as she chewed her treat,
watching it spin in place. It hovered with only the most subtle of whirring
sounds. She sounded very tired, yet the resentment was there in her voice.
ÒDid
you get everything you wanted?Ó
The
orb merely spun as before.
ÒWas
all of this done for your own benefit?Ó
The
orb seemed to spin a bit faster, but not much.
ÒItÕs
not right doing this to beings.Ó
The
orb slowly moved around to the other side of her.
ÒYou
shouldnÕt just grab us and take us here...Ó
The
orb turned faster as Lillith broke down in tears. Her hand moved quickly to
cover her eyes.
Ò...to
make us see ourselves like that!Ó
In a
flash, the white beam engulfed her and she was gone.
Outside the habitat, the planet Tetra
The
local Tetrites had been holding several meetings. Meetings about the new
creature that had taken up residence at the habitat. It was not that they
disliked the creature, it was just that the creature had shown no inclination
to come to any kind of agreement
about its treatment of the Tetrites. Something surely had to be done.
A
major gathering of all the local Tetrites was now in full swing. William
listened to them speak as the dog strained on a rope nearby. Its constant
barking repeatedly disrupted the meeting, making more than one eloquent speaker
give up in disgust. Yet it was Phil who rose in defense of the creature.
ÒIt
may be that our attempts at communication with the dog did not fail because of
any fault of hers, but rather our own inability to determine a proper mode of
doing so. Perhaps we should consider a Gathering.Ó
ÒImpossible!Ó
yelled another Tetrite, ÒThe creature would not allow it!Ó
ÒIt
only takes one of us to begin! And if we succeed, the benefits would be
substantial!Ó
ÒThat
which one begins, all must complete.Ó, mumbled William to himself. Phil turned
to him at the sound of his voice, cocked his head slightly, and turned back to
the group without response. He had not finished making one final proposal.
ÒI
will try to make a beginning with the creature! Will you complete it with me?Ó
ÒIf
you begin, we must!Ó Shouts rang out through the gathered Tetrites of agreement
to complete the Gathering with
Phil. Satisfied that they now had a plan, Phil trundled over to William.
ÒSir.
I will need your help to begin.Ó
ÒWhatever
you need, Phil. By the way, what exactly is it that weÕre going to do?Ó
ÒA Gathering, sir. Do you recall when we performed it with the
Mistress after she had killed the Arion military gentlemen?Ó
William
thought back to that night years ago when he first saw Lillith. Her guilt at
killing for the first time was somehow dealt with by her friends, the Tetrites,
in a way he had never seen them repeat. He still did not understand what had
happen to her even all these years later.
ÒSure,
I remember, Phil. By the way, what is it that you guys do during a Gathering?Ó
ÒWe
provide needed information.Ó
ÒIs
that what you did for Lillith.Ó
ÒThe
Mistress required information.Ó
ÒWhat
information?Ó
ÒThe
information we supplied.Ó
ÒI
hate when you guys get cryptic like this, Phil! Why wonÕt you simply tell me
what you gave her?Ó
ÒYou
do not require the information, sir.Ó
William
became slightly disgusted with himself for even trying to get anything
meaningful out of this kind of discussion. He had long ago decided to himself
not to even try anymore.
ÒSo,
okay Phil, forget that business. What are you going to do with the dog?Ó
ÒShe
simply requires the proper information. We will supply that information.Ó
ÒJust
like that.Ó
ÒLike
what sir?Ó Phil turned to look behind himself.
ÒSorry,
Phil. ItÕs another Terran expression. Okay, tell me what you need from me.Ó
*******
William
could not believe that he had let Phil talk him into this. His last Terran
steak was now charring on the grill. But not for him, for the dog! The bundle
of blue fur stood nearby, her nose in the air sniffing the steak as if she was
going to draw it all in molecule by molecule. Leaving a good deal of fat on the
meat, William removed the completed delicacy, let it cool, chopped it up into
tiny pieces, and deposited all of it into a large bowl. The dog was on her hind
legs trying to eat it all even before William got it to the ground.
Everyone
stood back, watching the dog devour the meat so quickly that she gave some the
impression that she had been starving for food. Hardly a correct assumption.
ÒI
hope this works. That muttÕs eating better than I am today!Ó
ÒThe
full meal as well as the substantial fat content should induce the require
effect on the creature, sir.Ó
Having
finished the meal, the dog belched loudly. The unusually loud sound startled
many of the Tetrites.
ÒMy
goodness! That effect was unforeseen, sir.Ó
Lazily,
the dog looked out at the gathered crowd of Tetrites around her, tail wagging
in response. Her obvious pleasure shown in her face as her tongue cleaned her
mouth completely before coming to rest out of one side of her now slightly open
mouth. She looked all around her, but everyone just seemed to want to stare at
her. That was no fun! She slowly walked over to what had become her favorite
spot, circled three times, and slumped down to the ground. Her tail curled
forward to just touch the tip of her nose as she settled down to have a good
post-dinner nap.
ÒBungo.Ó
ÒThatÕs
ÔbingoÕ, Phil. Now what?Ó
ÒYour
assistance has produced the required results, sir. We will continue without any
further intercession on your part. Please remain seated, sir.Ó
William
smiled at the familiar phrase as Phil slowly, stealthily approached the
sleeping dog. William covered his mouth to keep from chuckling at the comical
scene of a five-legged Tetrite sneaking up to a slumbering blue dog. It looked
like a cartoon! The cartoon-like quality ended quickly.
Phil
reached the dog, lightly placed one of his legs on the top of the dogÕs head,
and held that position. All around William, the rest of the Tetrites moved
forward, all either placing one leg on the dog or, when there was no more room,
placing their leg on the Tetrite before them. There were thousands of Tetrites
all coming together to form the Gathering. When all of them had come together, a rich amber glow formed around
the dog. Her fur floated gently as she continued to sleep. All the Tetrites
held position, the amber glow growing brighter, deeper, richer. For long
moments this went on, the Tetrites motionless in total silence while the dog
slept soundly through it all.
Finally,
William noticed the amber fade away so slowly that at first he was not sure
whether it was his eyes that were failing or that the Gathering was ending. When it had faded completely, the
Tetrites just silently moved away. Some looked quite exhausted. Phil was the
last to remove his leg from the still slumbering dog as William approached.
ÒWell,
Phil, was it successful?Ó
ÒA Gathering is always successful, sir.Ó
ÒI
see. So the dog knows how to behave?Ó
ÒI
would not force the behavior of any species, sir. We merely provided the needed
information.Ó
ÒWhat
information?Ó
ÒThe
information that the dog requ...Ó
ÒArgh!
Forget it!Ó
ÒSir?Ó
The surface of the Tetritian moon, Satee
From
behind a clear outcropping of blue crystal, a pair of nervous eyes of a
beautiful blonde female face peered out over the top. Her curvaceous body appeared to be a blue distortion through
the transparent imperfections of the crystalline structure. The wide, blue eyes
looked left, then right, then slowly turned upward. Not seeing any orbs
levitating about, she decided to stand.
Lillith
had again not felt anything until she had awakened to find herself again on the
surface of Satee. Suddenly finding oneself on a crystal moon may disturb some
creatures, but for Lillith it was a dream come true! A tentative giggle
silently left her lips just before her face distorted a moment from a rush of
tears that burst out. Her hand covered her mouth as she turned quickly from one
direction to another, not really believing where she was! On the airless moon,
her sudden laugh could not be heard. But the look on her face was of pure joy!
She spun around in place, her arms extended straight out from her sides in a
brief dance of exhilaration! It was over! It was all over! She was so excited
to be home again that she totally forgot the reason she visited the moon in the
first place! There in the distance, a blue, brown, and green marble glowed
brightly. Her mouth open, she stared at first in disbelief before a single
silent word was formed by her lovely lips.
ÒHome.Ó
Rising
up off the surface of the moon with nothing more than a powerful jump, her
entire lower abdomen suddenly flexed hard, giving her instantaneous
acceleration! She rocketed ahead, reaching the boundary layer of the atmosphere
of the planet in minutes! Down she flew, shedding ionized air and flame! She
made a straight-line dash for the habitat.
*******
Sitting
outside the habitat on top of a huge boulder, William was telling Phil for the
hundredth time that they would not be calling the dog ÔBlueÕ. Suddenly, a
streak of blonde hair and fire came roaring out of the sky, instantaneously
clamping arms and legs tightly around him! The force of her impact flung them
both 1500 feet out into the desert, sliding mostly on WilliamÕs ass as they
skipped like a rock over the surface of a pond. When they stopped in a swirl of
dust, William was receiving a swarm of kisses and licks and nibbles from his
lover come home.
ÒHi,
Lill..mmmph......babe, wha...mmmmpphhÓ
Finally
she stopped, declaring loudly in English just before she buried her face in his
neck.
ÒSkietra!
EetÕs GOOD to bay hoom!Ó
For
the second time today, William did not know what to make of it all. As he
stood, Lillith remained firmly clamped around him. Her arms and legs wrapped
tightly. All he could do was start awkwardly walking back toward the habitat,
holding his affectionate bundle of enthusiasm along the way.
ÒMissed
you too, kitten. Have a good day?Ó
Her
muffled voice let him feel her breath against his neck.
ÒCrahppy
day. DoonÕt tawk.Ó
ÒNo
problem.Ó
When
they got back to the habitat area, Lillith finally let go of William. Seeing
Phil nearby, she returned to speaking her native Velorian as she suddenly
noticed some blue fur walking warily around her.
ÒOh,
a Scalantran puppy!Ó
ÒPuppy?
You mean itÕs not grown?Ó
ÒOh,
no dear! They can get HUGE! This oneÕs just a baby! Where did he come from?Ó
ÒItÕs
a ÔsheÕ and we found her in some sort of research capsule. That was what we saw
go down in the desert the other night.Ó
ÒAh,
that makes sense. The Scalantrans will sell anything. They probably sold off a
litter of puppies to some world doing experiments of some sort. This poor
little girl was probably accidentally set adrift. Poor baby.Ó
ÒSet
adrift? Those bastards!Ó William was furious at the thought of anyone heartless
enough to do that to a living creature.
ÒIÕm
sure that wasnÕt the point of their experiment, darling.Ó
Lillith
leaned down as the dog instinctively came to her. She cradled the dogÕs head in
her hands as she spoke quietly, as if just to herself. ÒBesides, we need to
know the cruelty in ourselves well enough to know how we should judge the
cruelty in others.Ó William leaned down close next to her and put his hand
gently on her shoulder.
ÒWhat
happened to you today, Lillith?Ó The kind-hearted voice of a lover sensing
something wrong. Lillith returned a weak smile.
ÒI
saw a terribly frightening side of the universe today. And a terribly
frightening side of me as well. I hope I never see either one ever again.Ó Her
eyes turned skyward as she paused before continuing. ÒThere are things even a
Protector should fear.Ó Leaning toward him, she kissed William briefly and
smiled. ÒItÕs good to be home with you.Ó
Lillith
turned back to the dog, which was patiently watching them both. Blue eyes met
gold eyes as both sensed that they shared a common experience. They both seemed
to understand that each had survived an experiment, an experience at the hands
of others that proved or disproved some unknown hypothesis. Or maybe proved or
disproved nothing at all. All they both knew was that they went through
something that neither understood, but both were glad to have survived, for
this place and this moment.
Lillith
ran her finger along the red mark on the dogÕs nose as the dogÕs tail wagged
rapidly.
ÒLooks
like a solar flare.Ó William smiled brightly and snapped his fingers.
ÒThatÕs
it!!Ó
Just before sunrise, the next day
William
slept quietly near the edge of the bed. All night long, Lillith had constantly
been trying to hold him close. She was now spooned directly behind him. Her
soft cheek rested against the back of his neck. Her legs were pulled up
directly behind his. Her arm was up under his and over his shoulder as she
cuddled tightly. There was no chance for stretching out on the bed last night
for William.
Outside,
thousands of Tetrites slumbered on their rocks as a few snored insistently. The
horizon was just beginning to glow slightly, an indication of a coming day.
In
the middle of this tranquil scene, a single blue dog sat quietly facing the
orange tinted horizon. Flare watched out over the sea of sleeping Tetrites
never missing a moment when one would shift slightly on a rock or unconsciously
lift a leg to scratch an itch. Turning to return to the habitat, the dog
sniffed the air before walking silently on.
Once
through the door, Flare looked up at Phil, who rested upon his bed of stone
just inside the window. Phil was still sleeping, yet his five feet twitched.
Probably from some dream that even now was playing out in his mind. Flare gave
a tentative wag of recognition.
Flare
continued on, going silently around to the far side of the large pillow-filled
bed. There she came upon William, who like all the rest slept blissfully on.
Sitting down immediately in front of WilliamÕs face, Flare watched every
movement of William. Responding with a wag when he would move so little as a
finger or with a turn of her head when he would mumble in his sleep. Her gaze
never left his face as her eyes focused with intense concentration. A
concentration that was only broken when she noticed the first sign of sunlight
coming through the window. To Flare, there was no more time! The day had come!
We must begin the new day! She pushed her head forward.
The
shock to William of having a cold, wet nose suddenly thrust into his eye was
overwhelming! Immediately awake, yet completely disoriented, William rolled
instantly back away from the assault! The young blonde woman onto whom he had just rolled also woke swiftly.
Her protests muffled by the bulk of her lover's body, she reacted without
knowing what was happening by instantly giving whatever was on top of her a
quick shove. William was launched upward to continue his confused journey
across the bed. Rolling once, he finally fell off the opposite end, coming to
land on the floor with a loud thud!
Sitting
upright in the middle of the bed, her hair tousled all over her face, Lillith
quickly looked around unsuccessfully for William. She could hear his mumbled
curses coming from somewhere below. When she looked at the dog, she saw an
exceptionally happy canine wagging her tail rapidly as if to say ÒGood morning!
IÕm glad youÕre up!Ó
ÒWilliam!
Must you play with the dog so early?Ó
The
muffled curses ended suddenly, replace by a single groan.
*******
Out
beyond the limits of the expanding universe, where infinity is just a moment
and reality is but a passing dream, they have gathered in a place without
dimension for a time that does not pass. They who know well the laminates of
consciousness, traveling between them as if it were all vapor on the wind.
They, who might have been known on Velor and among Supremis wherever they may
call home, but who today are rarely considered.
Within
this assemblage, the talk is of inner strength and of timeless honor and of
undefeatable courage. For the first time, within the same breaths, the name Lillith is spoken ......... and the smiles are warm indeed.
THE END