Fervour Of The Past - Complete Story free porn video

[NOTE: I though it wise to put this story in one place for ease of reading, especially when it's set in the same setting as my upcoming story. This version contains additional editing to grammar/spelling, prose and consistency.] Fervour of the Past by Tegeli PART I: Corset CHAPTER 1 The old tramp freighter wheezed from the relief of completing the long voyage over turbulent seas. I was more than glad to get off. While I splurged my last funds on a private cabin, it had been a cramped fit. The moist air lingered still like sweat. I wouldn't have minded more breeze from the sea. Even though the port town of Heva was close to the polar circle, the summer sun kept me uncomfortably warm under my gown. "Do you need help with that luggage, miss?" I startled out of my thoughts. The man had spoken in posh and unaccented Conglang, but wore upper-class Roluan attire, which was rather dandy relative to his heavy tan. The sharp lines of his face weren't of the local type, and his tall and wiry build lacked in the stockiness I had observed in the native Roluan mariners. "Associate Bemariq?" I asked. My pleasingly feminine voice came without effort. "Yes. You must be miss haz-Merin." I wasn't, but I nodded and handed my suitcase to him. "You are travelling light", he said. "I would have assumed a young woman needed to bring more spare clothes." "Oh, Heva should have some shops. No need to carry overmuch." In truth, the gown I wore was my only one. Men rarely needed many of those. The tonics I had purloined and ingested had been worth the fever, tooth ache and cramps. Nobody had looked at me askance in my feminine dress during the voyage. Beforehand I had been forced to rely on heavy makeup and avoiding well-lighted establishments and more thorough evaluation. I had kept the changes minimal, in order to make return less cumbersome. It helped that my appearance had never lost its boyish frailty, and my build had always been lithe. Now, after the tonic regimen, my jaw was slightly smaller, my nose decidedly daintier and my lips fuller. For my thin body, only the slight widening of my hips had been necessary. Long term waist training now paid off as a sylphlike frame. My second-hand living corset, with its self-tightening embrace, was a delight to wear. Its hydroskeleton supported me like an old friend, and the robust musculature even massaged my back should it detect stiffness. However, at first I hadn't been aware of the substances the beast secreted through my skin. The additional chemical treatment had encouraged the moulding of my torso, it seemed permanently. That was no matter. Without the corset, my waist wasn't narrow enough to look overtly strange on a thin man. Inside my middle was wonderfully slender. Bemariq stopped at a carriage, which was gobbling up fish offal and other organic waste. Its carapace had lost its lustre, and the skin peeking in between the hard surfaces was unsightly blotched. "Your carriage is sickly, associate." "It's just getting old, miss haz-Merin. Roluans don't grow these, so acquiring even this one was a bother." He tickled the carriage between its shiny exterior. The creature chortled and opened an elytron to reveal the compartment inside. The peculiar buildings of Heva had uncovered whalebone-like supporting structures. The houses were uniformly vivid, unlike the clothes of the locals. While Roluans dressed rather snappily, the ubiquitous greys and blacks were dreary. At least some women had some colour in their gowns. "Is the dig far away?" I asked. "No." Bemariq smiled. "We'll be there well before evening." "Strange that a foreigner like you would head the excavation so close to a large city like this." "The Roluans don't care about the remains. At least not enough to pay anyone to dig them up." "Why is that? Weren't they made by their ancestors?" He shook his head. "They do not think so, and neither do I. The idea that the site was built by them, before they 'degenerated' on their own, is frankly preposterous. As you can very well see now that you are here, Roluans don't differ from us in terms of general sophistication." "Yes, you wrote a monograph about the subject. It was rather panned." He chuckled without mirth. "An understatement, if I ever heard one! We almost lost our funding." Bemariq gritted his teeth. "Those dolts, who write about things they have never seen, have little understanding of anything not in their immediate vicinity. Luckily a few of the scholars back home have a little more sense than none. By pulling all strings I could, I managed to keep this enterprise afloat." "So, who do you think built the complex at Karimma site? You didn't mention that in the monograph." His smile retuned. "You read it? Good. And yes, I didn't mention anything of my hypothesis. That was lucky. Even the hard facts were too much for the academia. Miss haz-Merin, how old do you think the Karimma site is?" "I can't claim to know. But I'd guess: about five hundred years, perhaps? A thousand at most." Bemariq shook his head. "We haven't been able to analyse the swampy soil yet, but I'm positive the buildings have stood for at least three thousand years." I gasped. "But that means..." He nodded. "We are breaking new ground on pre-Collapse studies." I kept my expression amazed, even though I had well known about the suspicions that the Karimma site predated the Collapse. That was why I had got myself hired as Bemariq Usinilim's assistant. The wording of the job offer had made quite clear that only youthful female candidates would be considered. Such limitation was convenient for me: I didn't have to fake a diploma, as no woman would get certified in the academies, yet my own education had given me an edge in the interview. The ride was bumpy due to the carriage limping one of its legs, but we reached our destination before I grew bothered by the rough treatment. The Karimma site was in middle of a series of hills, overlooking a river valley. A large rectangular hole had been dug into the soft soil. From there peaked a series of greenish roofs and pillars of a style completely unfamiliar to me. Bemariq smiled. "Impressive, isn't it?" "There's not much to see, but the good state of the remains is surprising." "Yes, it indeed is. Most of the buildings are structurally sound, even after all this time. A clear sign of pre-Collapse technology, don't you think?" Roluans were all burly men with either bland expressions or smiles, which seemed to be amused by jokes that only existed in their own heads. Bemariq addressed them mostly in Jaanish, though a few knew simple but clear Conglang. To the ones, who spoke neither oceanic language, Bemariq spoke in stumbling Roluish, which I didn't understand. The main tents had rooted well. Their bark had grown thick, and the lush foliage domed them fully. "You can have the tent of the late associate zef-Wared." Bemariq pointed at the second largest one. "What happened to him?" "He was beyond old and fell ill last winter." Bemariq dismissed the thought with a wave of his hand. "These things happen." My tent had almost had the time grow into a proper house. The smooth walls were sturdy, and the floor was completely covered by a wood-like surface. The inside was divided into several compartments. The foyer was also an office, but the tent had a separate bedroom and a tiny combined kitchen and storage room. The bathroom was the biggest surprise. Not only had it a sizeable tub, but a shower with warm water. The grime of the sea voyage irritated my skin, so I undressed and washed myself. After drying, I wrapped a towel around my waist and walked to the bedroom. "Miss haz-Merin. I brought you som--" Bemariq stared at me. The tonic regimen had softened the flesh on my chest and widened the areola, but I lacked an actual bosom. Still, a girl would be self- conscious about her chest. I understood to yelp and turn around. Luckily my towel had hid my crotch. "I'm sorry", Bemariq said from behind the door curtain. "I didn't realize you'd be so swift to take a bath. Anyhow, I brought you some work clothes. Do you want to go see the dig, before the sun sets?" After swallowing, I said: "Yes I would, associate Bemariq." The clothes were men's, and oversized for me. Yet my reflection was not a long-haired wimpy boy's, but that of a boyish girl. That should alleviate any untoward ideas, which the seeing of me fresh from the shower, might have elicited. Bemariq waited outside tent. He had changed into an outfit fitting a labourer. I blushed under his gaze. While the workers had removed tons of earth, wide dig site had very little to look at. Yet, the poking roofs promised immediate progress. All of the structures were made from grey material with a blue-green tint that shifted with the eye. It was as hard as stone, but warm to touch, even though nothing indicated that the material was alive. "You can really appreciate the site up from that pillar", Bemariq said. "Oh." Perhaps he could have jumped high enough to climb up, but certainly couldn't. "I can lift you up." "Very well." I turned face the pillar. Firm hands grabbed my waist, and I yelped. Even without my corset, his fingers came noticeably close to touching. Perhaps I had overdone the waist training, but it was hard to imagine a man like Bemariq to have disapproved. Bemariq lifted me up like I had the density of dry wood. My fingers reached the top of the pillar, but even before the tonic regimen, I wouldn't have been strong enough to pull myself up. The man moved his hand down. His fingers sunk deep into my buttocks, as he pushed me up. After I got my elbows on top, Bemariq lifted me from my feet, and I managed to clamber on the pillar. I certainly could see the site now. On the ground the structures had seemed to be in mere disarray, but from high up the asymmetric geometry was visible. "What do you think this place was?" Bemariq asked. "I have no idea. Doesn't seem like a fortress, or a residential area." "We'll figure it out. Let me help you down." When my feet were safely on the soft soil, his hands still lingered on my body. I had long since stopped pretending men --at least the strapping ones with potentially loaded pockets-- didn't excite my inner self. The presence of a strong man, able and willing to casually lift me around, whipped my heart into a frantic beat. Bemariq could do anything he wanted to me, and I wouldn't be able to stop him. And he clearly wanted to do something with me. That was convenient. And so also was the fact that my trousers were baggy, because otherwise the strain against my underwear would have blown my cover. "Would you like to join me at dinner, miss haz-Merin?" the man asked. CHAPTER 2 I pressed every detail about Bemariq's tent into my memory, in case it became prudent to sneak into it. He kept his living quarters in tidy order, and the furniture was sturdy enough to give the impression of a proper home instead of temporary camp accommodations. "You manage to live rather comfortably, despite the circumstances, associate Bemariq." "A man of status must keep up certain quality of life. Speaking of which, how do you find your own quarters, disregarding unfortunate boorish intrusions?" "They are quite fine. I feared, I'd have to live in a small tent with only a river to wash in." Bemariq chuckled. "That would be indecent, and unpleasant for everyone, save for the uncouth men who could chance to ogle at you." I fanned my hand in pretended indignation. "Are you saying you enjoyed the sight of me?" "You are indeed alluring, miss haz-Merin." I smiled. "Well, associate Bemariq. You aren't half bad yourself under all that boorish and uncouth." Now that I had indicated my potential availability, I could move on to playing hard to get. Bemariq maintained both polite interest and gallant avoidance of further crass advances. Unfortunately, due to my situation, his well-meaning compliments were like worms gnawing into my chest. "Is haz-Merin your maiden name?" I pouted. "A daring question. But yes, it is. Is there a lady Usinilim waiting back home?" "No. I've been travelling most of my life since leaving the academy." "Did you have someone in the academy", I blurted. It was audacious to ask, considering academies in the Conglomerate were only for male pupils. Despite myself, my heart beat faster as my face warmed. Bemariq smirked. "The ongoings in those academies must be the subject of many a salacious rumour." "They are." I knew from experience that rumours often downplayed the real events. "Well, I did not partake in anything improper. Nevertheless, I had a dalliance with one of the... girls there. Unfortunately I misjudged the situation to my disappointment. After graduation she disappeared and in short order became a husband and a man of rapidly advancing career." My breath halted. I had pushed him into the question, but he had answered it readily. He might have figured my charade out. I almost didn't care, because if he spoke true, we might not need to stop at mere flirting. I bit my tongue to let the pain help me collect myself. Bemariq falling for me was useful, but any feelings I had for him were a hindrance. I wasn't out to find a lover, but to acquire artefacts worth extravagant sums on the black market. To steal from him. "How about you?" Bemariq asked. "Have you had any affections to women, including perhaps manly ones?" Keeping my narrative as close to reality as possible was beneficial, whenever I had to lie. Now I could tell the truth. I smiled coyly. "From time to time. But not very often." Bemariq stood up politely, when I got up. The dinner was finished, and I needed to hurry back to my tent, before I jeopardized my plans with thoughtless deeds. My breath was hard to keep steady, when my member strained to its silky prison. "Thank you for the meal, associate Bemariq. Tomorrow is a big a day for me, so I must be getting to bed." He walked to me, but I managed to stay put. Bemariq took my hand and kissed it. "Good night, miss haz-Merin." "Good night." The door clutched itself shut after me. Certain type of pressure had built up in my abdomen. Unfortunately, I had never been able to dissipate my arousal through purely mental exercises. Physical release was necessary to have any peace, but I didn't want to soil my only clothes. I undressed, washed myself and lay on the bed. I had to dampen any of the desires involving Bemariq. Most convenient way was concentrating on more straightforward lusts. I took my member in my hand, and imagined a scene involving fetching woman. The tonic regimen had stolen an inch of length from my already modest manhood. Despite being rock hard, it felt delicate even in my dainty hand. That didn't fit the image in my head; of a woman giving me carnal attention. All excitement melted into exhaustion. I could have forced myself to climax, but that wouldn't have satisfied. My rod lost its rigidity. Still, unfulfilled arousal would trouble my sleep. I concentrated to clarify the mental image. Of the soft bosom, of the wide hips, of the thin waist wrapped in strong embrace. Bemariq would easily lift me up. I'd struggle, but he'd just laugh at my pitiful weak attempts at resistance. He'd heave me on his bed and-- I gasped and jerked my hand away from my warm flesh. I was getting carried away by disgraceful fancies. Spending the whole long voyage as a woman must have unhinged parts of my mind. I got up from the bed, and poured myself a glass of distilled honeydew. That wouldn't do the job. I dropped a hint of oneiric powder in glass and drank it. Before I passed out, I managed to clamber back to my bed. CHAPTER 3 I was glad to get to work, in order to ignore the yestereve's dinner. The locals were quick but careful diggers. As the director's assistant, I worked in cataloguing our finds. While the items were considerably old, they had been crudely made from scavenged scrap during the late Collapse times. They had some value, at least academically, but such artefacts were in the interest of neither me or Bemariq. Still, we classified and stored them away for posterity. Study of history would never be done. My job was helped by a few locals, who had picked up experience in amateur archaeology. While they were meticulous and surprisingly knowledgeable, they didn't care about the science we were doing. "Why do you work here, if the past doesn't interest you?" I asked one of them. "The past of my people does interest me", said the plump man with tiny oculars in front of large watery eyes. "Not these remnants of someone else. But to your question: this season, the fishing is bad, but the pay here is good." I didn't argue further. I also was out for good pay. The excavations advanced at steady pace over the following two weeks. In the evenings, I dined with Bemariq, whenever he didn't have business at Heva. He wasn't much of a cook, but compensated the lacking food with interesting enough conversation. At least, I was usually so engrossed with our talk that I didn't remember much of it back in my tent. After a while, my torrid thoughts about him couldn't be ignored. But I didn't have to poison myself asleep every night: the warmth in me dwindled, whenever I took off my clothes. Clearly, my subconscious didn't enjoy they idea of being with Bemariq as the man I was, but as a girl I pretended to be. As if the deception was what excited my inner self. Perhaps that was good: mere fancies were not truly dangerous. The roof of the main structure was steadily revealed by the digging, until the top of a large doorway was revealed. Deep inside it, we could see a sturdy door with strange writing carved into it. Bemariq announced a bonus for the workers, and suddenly everyone was cheering, him the foremost. Even I found myself excited about what would be inside. Certainly artefacts of great value, if everything hadn't rotten and crumpled over the ages. If nothing unforeseen happened, we'd dig out the door before the rainy season. The associate smiled wide, and his elation infected my mind also. This could be the discovery of our generation. I almost forgot the riches I might get my hands on. When Bemariq stepped to hug me, I jumped against him. My groin pushed against his thigh. I recoiled, but he didn't pay attention to my hot blush, but went on to hand out osmium slivers to the hollering workers. Bemariq uncorked a bottle and poured us glasses of the dark liquid. "This is a cause for more thorough celebration, don't you think, miss haz-Merin?" I took a sip. It was proper wine instead of the fermented honeydew we had been drinking. "It's all good and exciting, yet the door looked well-sealed. Are we going to blast through?" "Hopefully not." He took out a half-sphere from his pocket and handed it to me. "What do you think this is?" The object had no obvious mechanisms, but the primordial sturdiness was that of a true pre-Collapse artefact. The text was in unfamiliar letters that evoked a few Collapse times alphabets. The most important part of the writing was the series of markings, which corresponded exactly to the one on top of the discovered door. "Is this... a key?" Bemariq nodded. "Most likely." "Where did you get it?" His smile filled with proud satisfaction. "It's a long tale. This key is a part of an old legend. Several adventures have spent their lives following the clues, but they didn't have the help of modern statistic analysis methods." That was all interesting, but an ancient myth meant there had been something worth sealing away. I smiled. "And now you found it." "With help of poor zef-Wared. Unfortunately he's not here to share this triumph." Bemariq took a long sip. "Oh well. At least I have you to celebrate with. Do you like the wine?" "I haven't drank any since leaving on the voyage here, so I guess it's alright." Bemariq snorted. "Yes, it's terrible." For the rest of the meal, I tried to steer the discussion into what would be inside the ancient structure. Bemariq either didn't know or evaded the question skilfully. When I stood up, he politely did the same. "You don't want any dessert?" he asked. "No thanks." I patted my belly, which was squeezed by the corset. In its constriction, being able to eat even the main meal was difficult enough. "Good night, associate Bemariq." He nodded and kissed my hand. I turned to the door. "Wait a moment." Before I managed to turn, strong hands gripped my arms below the shoulders. My legs went weak, as the silly fancies of earlier poured into my mind. His breath warmed my neck. "There is certain subject, I want to discuss." "Wh-what's that?" "I think I know, what you are." A thief? A swindler? I hadn't stolen anything from him, yet. Nevertheless, I found myself hoping for the more scandalous reveal. Or at least a part of my body, straining against my underwear, hoped for that distinct outcome. He turned me around easily. Even if I had resisted, there would have been little I could have done. Bemariq's smile was confident and without malice. It was unlikely then that he had received a message from homeland about my false identity. I didn't notice his other hand dropping, until it brushed my tight next to my groin. I yelped. He didn't recoil or show any disgust. "How did you figure it out?" My voice was a whimper, of a distress that was not fear. His smile became warm, but there was fire in his gaze. "I merely suspected. Most modestly-equipped girls these days get their bosom grown." Damn. I should have done that. But breasts were supposedly rather inconvenient to get rid off. A hand snaked behind me, and pressed into my butt cheek. Bemariq drew me against him. A veritable baton in his trousers pressed into me. His head leaned down. I closed my eyes and let him push our lips together. After he withdrew out of the kiss, he gave my posterior a strong squeeze. "Did you start doing this in the academy?" he asked. "Yes..." A destitute boy with no family in a prestigious school needed money, but had few means to acquire it. "Where you someone's lover, or for hire?" "It wasn't like that!" I had been good enough, mostly as a pickpocket, that I didn't actually have to provide anything my appearance promised. "If you are asking if I'm untouched, I haven't had sex." "With anyone, or just men?" My face warmed. I just hadn't made the effort to acquire women's company. "Nobody." I cleared my throat. "Are you going to fire me now?" "Why would I?" "The job offer was clearly intended for women." He smirked. "And you are not a girl?" "I... I mean... Obviously--" Bemariq pressed a finger on my lips. "You can be, if you want to." I pouted. "What does that mean? Is dressing like this enough?" "No. It's the matter of attitude." His hand moved to my throat. Though his touch was gentle, it promised strength, which could quickly choke the life out of me. Toes curled in my shoes. "How so?" I whispered. "Nuance. There are men who like to dress as women, and those who desire to be girls." The callused hand brushed against my cheek. I graved to lean on it, but instead I put on my best negotiating voice. "And the latter presumably could remain employed by you?" He grinned. "Just so." I bit my lip. Such distinction wasn't what I had expected to be making. Regardless of the truth, the choice was easy. I needed to remain as his assistant. And in any case, my troubling imagination depicted me as a girl with him, and not as a man. "Would you really treat me as a girl?" He answered with a kiss. I wrapped my arms around him and didn't let go until he gasped for breath. "Aren't you eager." The man placed his hand on my rump and pushed me into his bedroom. I let him guide me to sit on the bed with him. "How did you manage to make yourself so pretty?" he whispered. I tried to control my stupid smile. "I st--" Obviously I couldn't admit that I had abstracted anything. "I bought a collection of unused tonics from a pawnshop." Bemariq frowned. "That was unsafe." He didn't know the extend of it. His expression implied that he cared about my safety, at least a little. That sent a shudder through me. I needed to get something out of the current situation, and protective men were often blind to their wards. I leaned forward to kiss him. Two fingers stopped my lips. "This little vixen is getting a bit too willing." I frowned, yet the pause gave my mind a chance to restart from the swamp of lust. Any intimacy would have to be to my benefit. "Oh, it's me who's eager." I made a pursed smirk. "Who's the one who keeps inviting me for dinner, while spending most of the day showcasing his admittedly impressive upper body through bare-shirted manual labour?" I stood up. "This has been fun, but you have reminded me that a 'maiden' should remain decorous." Bemariq's mouth twisted but swiftly regained its smile. "Alright. Good night, miss haz-Merin." My face was as if inflamed and my thoughts a swirl, when I scurried back to my tent. I breathed in ragged bursts, and my hands fidgeted, while I tried to reason myself into calmness. My hand wandered to my groin, and recoiled from how good the overpriced silk felt on it. I got out of my clothes and went to the shower. Cold water would have fixed worst of the symptoms, but only warm was available from the tent's inner reservoirs. I had to clear my mind the only way available. My hand engulfed my diminished member. I gave it the tightest squeeze I could, to see how manhandling of it would feel. I didn't dare to truly torment myself, so there was no proper agony. That might have cleared my mind. With Bemariq, my rod wouldn't serve much purpose. Like any girl, I had my mouth to service him. That might be mildly exciting for me. Him using my other entrance would be closer to the real thing. I took some of the soap from my hair into my palm, and pressed a finger against my pucker. For a moment, I reconsidered. After all, such unnatural activities had many ways to become disagreeable. Nevertheless, I had to test an intrusion into my butt. If it was unpleasant, I'd knew to avoid it. I was nothing but rational. The first experience was indeed discouraging. The sphincter resisted even one finger, and what had been inside the man's trousers was at least four times the girth. Yet the stretching sensation made my lower nerves twitch in deranged excitement. The finger sunk all the way in. An colleague, who had actually entertained men, had hinted about a 'button' inside her butt. Anatomic texts seemed to agree, though I had my doubts. After a short search, I thought I had found it in myself. It was like pressing my crotch from the wrong direction. My heart thumped into a frantic beat, as I wondered, what would happen if something bigger, firmer, stronger pushed against me. I eased my grip in the front, and tried to stimulate myself from the inside. The pressure wasn't quite as strong as I would have liked. My finger couldn't reach far enough. Yet I couldn't wait to figure it out. I needed my release. A few tight pulls, and the tension released. The deep climax was more thorough than any I had experienced. As the heat faded, I was painfully aware of myself again. Here I was, in the shower, with a finger up my bum. Masturbating while imagining myself as a girl. It didn't make any sense. Having things inside one's rear had no reason to feel good. It didn't serve any biological purpose. Something must have been awry in me. I pulled my finger out and washed it with soap. Even after thorough cleaning, I could feel semen on my thigh. At least the sticky stuff wasn't inside me. I shuddered and walked out of the shower. From now on, I'd only pretend to be a girl for the job. Afterwards, I'd use my ill-gotten funds get tonic treatments to become the most masculine man I could be. I certainly wouldn't allow Bemariq to get his way with me. Enjoying that would be permanently a part of my psyche, something no amount of soap would wash away. I huddled in my bed, and tried to sleep. CHAPTER 4 The workers had been invigorated by the bonus and the promise of more, so the excavation made good progress. Perhaps I wouldn't have to stay at Rolu over the winter. I dreaded the next dinner, but I didn't have the slightest excuse for refusing. For one, I had nothing to eat in my tent. I had no reason to fear Bemariq, but I was afraid I'd lose control. The day before, I almost had given in. The malfunction of my body didn't take long to become apparent in the tightness of my underwear. It would have been so much easier, if Bemariq had been forceful. Then it wouldn't have been my fault, but I could have enjoyed it all the same. I grimaced from the shamefulness of my lascivious fancies. "Is something wrong with the food?" Bemariq asked. "N-no. Not at all." "Good. I forgot to mention this last evening. I'm raising your pay. You'll get another osmium sliver from now on." That doubled my salary. "Wh-what? Why?" "Don't you think you deserve it? I do. Truth be told, I expected only a pretty face, if even that. But you have shown competence and expertise, almost to the point of replacing zef-Wared fully. That is admirable, considering he must have had four times your age in field experience." "I... Thank you. But what was the first sliver for?" "Slight secretarial duties and being my entertainment. An unescorted young woman far from home." He smirked. "An easy target to for a man to take advantage of." Until a few days ago, I hadn't had enough money for the voyage home. I had been completely at the mercy of Bemariq. Perhaps it would have been wise to run out of the door right then. I didn't. "Why haven't you 'taken advantage' of me already?" I asked. "Truth be told, when I saw you, I changed my mind." He chuckled and took a moment to continue his meal. "You were more to my liking than I had expected, and so I wondered about the possibility of starting a family with you. You see, I'll be here possibly for quite some years, but getting a proper Conglomish maid to come here is more than a bit difficult." I drank the bitter juice deep. "And then it turned out I was... what I am." "Do you think it's an obstacle?" "But family--" "We could rent a womb to create a chimera of ourselves." Bemariq laughed and shook his head. "I'm not propositioning to you. I'm merely stating that I find you quite fetching." That was why he was paying me so much. But it wouldn't be prostitution. Gentlemen had to keep their mistresses, after all. Two slivers a day plus the other benefits was more than my career back home had paid. More than any reasonable career I had even thought of. My vague sense of dignity, of which I had cared little of till now, had never been worth much. And I could always keep my options open, in case thievery became a profitable enterprise. And even if my reason claimed I shouldn't want it, my body disagreed. "Three slivers." Bemariq choked. "What?" "Three slivers a day, in addition to my other expenses. You wouldn't want your girl to remain destitute? I want to feel secure with my finances in this faraway land." "A man could buy a dozen local girls a week for that sum." "Go ahead then. They presumably are very experienced and even hand out sailor's pox for free. I can't match that." "Very well. But you will have to live in my tent from now on. So I can keep an eye on my... investment. I also expect you to perform all duties a mistress would." My mind made frantic algebra. If I stayed until winter, I'd end up with more than even a rare artefact --still small enough for me to smuggle-- would pay in the black market. And Bemariq might pay for my return voyage. On the other hand, if I stayed for longer, I might be set for life. My innocence wasn't nearly worth that. The only dubious aspect was how bad the deal was for him. He must have really liked me. "I accept, associate Bemariq." He nodded. "I will keep your extra pay in reserve for the next three weeks, in order to see that you take your new duties seriously." I pouted. "I guess that's fair." "Fail to please me for that time, and I will withhold it all." I squeezed my fists under the table. That wasn't quite as fair, but made sense from his point of view. "I want this contract written down." He smiled. "I'd prefer that too." A document with my fake name had nothing but symbolic value, but it alleviated my fears. Bemariq had shown himself to be an honest man. Trustworthy. Proper husband material. Of course, he was also a predator, who wanted to lure young women away from the protection of civilized society, but that was neither here or there. My maidenly reputation was not at stake. Still, signing the contract made me shiver. It was almost like an arranged marriage. It handed the rights to my body to him. If he wanted to, he could force me down and have his way with me until I screamed for mercy. Of course, I could renege my part whenever, but then I'd lose my pay. Bemariq grabbed my waist and drew me into a kiss, which I eagerly answered. Arms like thick branches crushed me. Hungry hands sunk into my soft flesh. He pushed me off him. "Wait here." He soon returned with a tiny bottle. "A tonic?" "Indeed. For cleaning your intestines." "You mean..." "Yes. The treatment will make it all more convenient. The effect is not permanent, but lasts for only a few weeks." He held the bottle in front my eyes. "Do you want to drink it, girl?" More accurately, did I want him to use my butt, repeatedly and with minimal warning. I took the bottle and poured its contents into my mouth. The sticky liquid tasted vile and squirmed on the way down my throat. "We'll have to wait for it to work itself, until tomorrow", he said. "But there is a thing, which you will do today." Bemariq led me to the bedroom. After kissing me again, his hand guided me to sit on the bed next to him. His other arm pressed me against him, while the hand of the other traced my chin until a finger sunk between my lips. I opened my jaw, wrapped my lips around the finger and sucked, with as innocent expression as I could muster. The man chuckled. "Aren't you a piece of work. Are you sure, you haven't done this before?" "Nmuh uh", I mumbled. "Open my trousers, girl." I obeyed and touched the ready manhood. It was huge in my grasp. I peeked over his hand. My eyes flew wide. Bemariq must have found a brand of penis enhancement tonic, which did more than take the sucker's money. I pulled my mouth free and breathed in between my teeth. Bemariq smiled. "Do you like it? Maybe you'd prefer it to the finger." This was the threshold. If I pleasured a man, out of my free will, there'd be no going back to being just an opportunist, doing anything to get by. Men could love men, but I was dressed as a girl, with enhancement to make me look like one. A man wouldn't be in my situation, let alone be excited about it. A shudder moved through my body, when I wrapped my hand around his girth. It would never fit in me, yet Bemariq would surely force it in, as was his contractual right. I leaned down and opened my mouth. After a moment of hesitation, I took the bulbous head between my lips. It didn't taste awful. I squeezed the base and moved my tongue around its head, which elicited an approving grunt from Bemariq. While I could only fit small part of the cock in my mouth, it was clearly enough to work on him. By sucking and blowing I searched for actions that made Bemariq pet my head with higher intensity. Soon enough, the rod throbbed and poured its slime into my mouth. I retched, mostly from surprise. Yet, I fought against the reflex and managed to dispose of the semen by swallowing it. Bemariq gave my head a gentle brush. "That was great", he said. "Now, run along, girl. Return to your tent for your last night there." The next day, my gut wrenched, and not just from the stress of anticipation. I was terribly ill, until nothing but clear odourless liquid poured out of me. Though strange, the alteration much too exciting. My insides had been made ready for a man's intrusion. When I managed to haul myself to the dig site, the workers were already packing up. "Why are we stopping for today?" I asked. "Tomorrow is the Roluan whale festival", Bemariq said. "None them will bother coming to work, and they appreciate being allowed to leave early today." "We'll drink, until we drop, miss", the Roluan passing us by said with a wide grin. "Tomorrow we regret our sins." When we were alone, Bemariq turned to me. "There's also one thing I want to do with you before evening." "And that is?" "To go shopping. I think it's time for my mistress to have a wardrobe." I returned light-headed from the amount Bemariq had splurged on me. Of course, it was all to his selfish gratification. The three dresses he had chosen for me would be delivered after they had been adjusted for my frame. I also received a bunch of overly girly underwear and nightclothes, and makeup to replace my dwindling supplies. Most notable item was perhaps the 'chest enhancer'. Most women only rented those creatures, but Bemariq had bought mine. He would certainly expect me to wear it. Having breasts, even small ones, would make being merely a man dressed as a girl somewhat implausible. Two of the new dresses had cleavage, and I found myself excited about the prospect of showing off soft flesh even when fully dressed. We had dined at Heva, so when we arrived back to Bemariq's tent, we could move on to the dessert. He handed me one of the nightwear and a ribbon. "Tie that around yourself." His glance downwards told that the ribbon wasn't for my neck. Blushing furiously, I retreated to the storeroom. After undressing, I peeled off my corset, carefully so I wouldn't hurt it. The ribbon was of a pleasant rose colour. I tied it in as pretty bow as I could around my wand. The symbolism of it puzzled me. Nothing so cutely packaged could be manly. In a sense it was a present now, and those were off-limits to everyone except their new owners. Bemariq would decide, if it deserved his attention. The nightwear was billowy, but translucent, so it didn't hide my body. My face was hot, when I returned to Bemariq. "Ho--" I swallowed. "How do I look?" All of me was on display. My thin arms, my crushed waist. He could see my fleshy thighs, which extended from my sizeable butt and girly hips. I should have been ashamed of how ready my diminutive member was, yet the vulnerability only thrilled me. "Come here." Bemariq had me sit on his lap. Though he wasn't that much taller than me, I was small in his broad-shouldered embrace. He kissed my neck and buried his fingers into my thigh. "I'm fortunate to have you", he whispered. "How..." I panted. "How so?" "It's an honour to make a pretty thing like you into a woman, permanently." A shiver went through me. "Permanently?" "After you squirm and moan like a girl from a cock in you, no amount of pretending will take that away." I could have protested. A man would have called the deal off. I merely allowed my breath to pick up its pace. He fondled my body, which had been made so fragile by the unwise intake of tonics. But its receptiveness to his touch was all my fault alone. This wasn't about the money any more. I needed him to force me to accept my desires, which I didn't dare to admit aloud. Afterwards I'd always be a girl, preferably his, and I would be able to enjoy all that femininity entailed. I wouldn't have to worry about getting back to being a man. My chest would expand into soft breasts. Perhaps he'd have me ingest tonics until my rod was even more dysfunctional, but so much cuter. I turned to kiss Bemariq, but he lifted me up to stand with him. He fumbled open his trousers and kicked them off his feet. The large member pressed against my nightwear. He stepped away me, and I heard the wet sound of a lube bottle. His other arm took a tight hold of my waist, while the other hand lifted the hem of my nightwear and intruded between my buttocks. Slowly, a finger slick with lubrication coaxed itself into me. I moaned without caring how wanton it made me sound. That was the first time I was intimately fondled, without a thick armour of clothing around me. I should have been mortified by the manner of it. Yet everything save the girl in me melted away. Bemariq was gifting me the certainty of my place in life. His finger was fully in me. Guided by my yelps, he found my 'button'. However, before I could enjoy it, he pulled his finger out. The manly baton, pressed between my butt cheeks, made the previous finger feel small. It wouldn't fit. Sudden unthinking terror made me lean forward, but one strong arm took both of mine behind my back. Another arm placed a hand on my throat. My veins pulsed against the grip of his fingers. "I won't be too gentle", the man whispered. "But you'll end up liking it, all the same." I let out a whimper as his dick pushed against my pucker. My body tried to squirm away, even though my reason knew there was no escape. I whimpered, as his girth forced itself into my convulsing hole. "Please..." I whined. "What? Do you want something? To renege the agreement, perhaps?" The head of his dick was already in me. The worst of the damage was done, regardless of if I gave up. And my own wand was still uncomfortable hard from the excitement. I gasped. "Please, be gentle..." "It will get better, my honeydew." The intrusion pushed against my button, yet continued further. Much further. The pressure made me sick. And yet, though my sphincter burned, the stretching was faintly enjoyable. If I merely got used of the bad part, I could end up enjoying the good. Still, I whimpered, when he pulled back and thrust again. The following thrust slid in easier. And so did the next one. My rear had been broken in, to be used for a man's pleasure. I couldn't pretend that I didn't enjoy the idea despite the discomfort. Tears filled my eyes. A pitiful wheeze escaped my mouth with every forceful plunge into me. Though the pain didn't stop, soon my moans weren't from agony. I had been like a bitch in heat, teasing the man at my own peril. Now I paid the price, as the recipient of his fiery passion. The hand on my neck squeezed. Not enough to hurt, but enough to make my already dizzy head swim. I was completely under his power, and the girl I had been allowed to become loved it. His thrusts became shorter yet more powerful. Each pushed into my button, gathering more of the odd tension into my groin. The sensation made little sense, yet I revelled in it. I wasn't merely used for pleasure. Even if the intercourse was rough, I enjoyed it too, so it was in fact making love. "Do... Do you love me?" I moaned. Bemariq grunted and eased his grip on my throat. His thrusts remained strong. "Yeah... I love you." The tension in me shattered into a wave of relief. Completely against all reason, my penis twitched. I gazed down to see the little member squirt its load into the girly nightwear. Even though the orgasm hadn't been particularly strong, a wave of happiness filled my hazy brain. He had fucked me until I liked it. A satisfied groan. Bemariq's movements changed. He pulled out, and sticky liquid followed. It poured down from my hole all the way to my useless stones. I had barely the strength to stand, but strong arms kept me on my feet. The man turned me around, and before I could react, he pressed his lips on mine. Bemariq really loved me. I wasn't just a thing to be used, even if the smarting of my butt made it seem so. He pulled me to lay on the bed and hugged me tight. I wouldn't have resisted, even if I had the presence of mind for it. I was his, and the contract was a mere scribbled sheet. I stirred, when Bemariq stood up. He helped me to the bathroom and prepared a warm bath for me. I was still dazed. It had been my first time, and despite nothing but a cute ribbon having touched my penis, I had climaxed. My life of pretending to be a man was over, and I was content. Happy even, though oddly wistful. When I went back to the bedroom, Bemariq had changed the bedsheets, even if they hadn't been overly soiled. He smiled at me. "Are you well?" "Little fuzzy in the head, that's all." I smiled wearily. "You were too rough." "A girl should really feel her first time thoroughly, even after the fact." The way he said 'girl' tingled. The term wasn't just a game or a joke to him. He might have humiliated me but not through that word. After washing himself, Bemariq returned and lay next to me. He pulled me into a gentle embrace, though he made sure to show how much stronger he was of me. I didn't mind being weak, as long as he was there to hold me. CHAPTER 5 The next day proved that something had broken in my overwrought brain. I was much too happy about having been so roughly treated. Now I was free to enjoy my pretty clothes, and to smile at men, who clearly liked the way I looked, at the whale festival. And push against Bemariq, who would kiss me, whenever I wanted. In the evening, I put the breast enhancer on my chest. It clutched tight, and the tendrils itched in my skin almost to the point of hurting. Fortunately it also excreted a numbing agent, so soon only its weight was apparent. When the creature detached a week later, I had small pert tits with rather large and protruding areola. I asked Bemariq about them, and he alleviated my doubts by saying that my new bosom was just the sort a cute girl should have. Bemariq wasn't a beast. Now that I knew my place, he could be gentle and enter me slowly. It helped that my rear had been moulded from the first time. Though I enjoyed climaxing solely like a girl, sometimes I blasted my mind by fondling myself, while he used my butt. The few times, when he wrapped his strong hand around my little rod, I shivered uncontrollably from the sheer vulnerability I was forced to experience. He would coax an orgasm from me and continue on regardless of my insensible pleas. One evening, I managed to gather the courage to tell him about my foolish, almost forgotten, plan. Bemariq laughed and wrapped his arm more firmly around me. "That doesn't matter now, does it? Even if you stole something, it would still be in my possession, as you are mine." "Are you mine?" I would have accepted it, if our relationship was only one way. Nevertheless, love craved for love, and mine was no exception. He kissed me on my forehead. "Yes, honeydew." I let out a squee of joy, which made the man pull me into heated embrace. The first downpour of the rainy season slowed our work down, but when the dig was pumped dry and properly reinforced, we were ready to try opening the large door. We were convinced now that it was some sort of vault. It had no windows, and the walls appeared to be thick enough to resist eschatologic weaponry. Bemariq placed the primordial key on the slot. The heavy doors jerked and folded out of the way. Behind in the antechamber, the lights, which were more ancient than the founding of the Conglomerate, lit to reveal gradual stairs leading deep into the earth. With our hands clasped, I stepped over the threshold with Bemariq. PART II: Husk CHAPTER 6 The orchestra kept repeating the same whimsical tunes, which were neither loud nor interesting enough to disturb the discussion among the guests. Bemariq kept his expression calm, but he squeezed my hand tight, while his eyes darted on the ancient artefacts on display. Both of us had been reluctant to return to the Conglomerate and to leave the excavation at Heva. Be it however distasteful, we needed funding and most of all specialised equipment, which wasn't manufactured in that part of the world. The magnates and other potential wealthy patrons had to be shown that we had made progress. Because it was imperative to amaze them with discoveries, many of the more rare artefacts we had brought hadn't even been studied properly yet. "Please!" Bemariq jerked towards an overtly well-dressed old pair, who were getting their hands awfully close to the husk of an ancient carapace suit. "Do not touch the items on display." The pair chortled, as if from a great jest, and continued on. Bemariq turned to me and took both of my hands. "I'm glad you are here, Sirin." He leaned forward to whisper in my ear: "I can contain this frustration, knowing that there's somewhere to 'unload' it afterwards." I giggled as innocently as I could, even though the mental image stirred my little member to strain against the enclosing petticoat. My tall man was strapping out of his usual exotic garb and in a proper Conglomish outfit. I myself was like a cupcake, surrounded as I was by the frills and the rigid hem of my fuchsine silk gown. He kissed my painted lips and turned, only to walk into a mousy man, who hadn't bothered to blend in by dressing up in fittingly opulent attire. "Miss haz-Merin. Associate Bemariq", the man said. "I am Luwud Duy, a senior journalist from the Dawn Inquest. I'd do the interview now, if that is suitable." Bemariq explained, like he had numerous times that evening, how he and his partner late zef-Wared had applied recent statistical methods to neglected parts of historiography. By consulting both primary sources and local traditional retellings, they can connected an ancient key to the Sadamanala cycle from Dha canon. Afterwards they had demonstrated, how the Sadamanala was based on the same folklore, which was the main basis for the numerous variants of the Jaan testament. Or more precisely the parts about the homeland promised for the nomadic people, which formed the core of the modern Jaan nation. Associate zef-Wared had used the analysis to locate a vault, which me and Bemariq had managed open, much to our elation. Of course, we hadn't found any promised lands inside, but an apparently unused shelter complex. Unfortunately seismic activity over the millennia had destroyed the access ways deep underground. We desperately needed heavy equipment to shift the tons of rock to get any further. "This is all very interesting", Luwud said, even though he had declined to make notes about the technical details. "Let's talk about poor dead zef-Wared. Some said you killed him to claim all the glory from this discovery." Bemariq cleared his throat. "He was my friend, but unfortunately quite old. The officials did an autopsy and reported no foul play." "Yes, the local officials." Luwud wrote a line in his notebook. "Who knows if those foreigners are trustworthy? You might have been able to bribe them. Not that I suspect you of anything, associate Bemariq. Yet others might." Bemariq glared at the journalist. "Do you have any more questions?" "In fact, I do. I'd ask about your fianc?e. How did your love begin in such a hostile environment?" "I don't see, how that is relevant", Bemariq said. I wrapped my arm around Bemariq's and said: "Let me answer. The public enjoys a bit of romance." "That they do", Luwud admitted. I widened my smile. "It was indeed lovely. When I completed my dreadful voyage there, I expected to find a desperate womaniser stuck outside civilisation, ready to take advantage of a vulnerable girl like me. Instead I found a hard... working, passionate and dependable man. As our professional and personal interests aligned, naturally our relationship budded and grew." "How nice. When is the wedding?" "Eventually." Bemariq clasped my hand. "But soon enough." CHAPTER 7 Bemariq threw down his silk scarf. "Events like these remind me, why I avoid returning." I smiled and hugged him. "It went well, didn't it? We got plenty of donations." "Yes, yes." He brushed my hair with one hand, as he unbuttoned his coat with the other. "Though now I owe quite a few more favours to high places. Not a bad position to be, as long as they think I'm useful." The man placed his coat on the back of a chair. "Now, take that gown off. I want to make the other hotel guests envy me for the lung capacity of my fianc?e." I bit my lip. While his strong expression of love was heavenly, I would have preferred to be able to sit down at the formal dinner without fidgeting. Yet I didn't hesitate long. I pressed the back of my gown to release the rigidity of cartilage in the hem. As soon as I removed the gown and peeled off my corset, Bemariq rushed to embrace me. The intensity of his kiss overwhelmed my reason. I tried to wrap my arms around him, but the man heaved me up on his shoulder. I giggled as he carried me to the bedroom. Bemariq threw me to the bed. Silly smile pursed on my lips, as I turned to look at him. I wore only my petticoat, shoes and stockings, thus my pointy little breasts were in the open for his perusal. The man sat on the edge of the bed and took off my shoes. Before I could question him, he grabbed my feet and pressed strong fingers into my soles, which ached from standing all day. I moaned and contorted, as the sore stiffness melted away in painful delight. He stopped and stared at the floor. "Sliver for your thoughts?" I asked. "Actually, when are we going to have our wedding?" I giggled. "Whenever you want." I lifted my hand to marvel at my engagement ring. To an untrained eye it was merely a band of dull steel and flat pieces of blue glass, but in reality it was a priceless, if lifeless, artefact. Presumably Bemariq loved that he could give it to a girl, who knew to appreciate it. Dread built around my heart, when the man didn't speak. My voice trembled, as I asked: "Are you having second thoughts?" Bemariq turned to smile at me. "Of course not. I'm merely pondering about the date. I'd much prefer to set off to Heva, the moment the fundraising and preparations are done." "We can get married at Rolu." "That'd be scandalous." "So is an associate marrying a girl of no status." I grinned. "Even without taking into account other... little... details." Bemariq moved lay next to me and gave me a kiss on the cheek. "That reveal would give the yellow press ample gossip. Maybe enough for them to stop insinuating I killed my friend." "Did you?" He grinned and slid his hand up my neck, until veins under my jaw drummed against his fingers. "I could have done it, easy." His hold was barely painful, yet weight disappeared from my head. My thrill turned into a shiver. I whimpered, more out of instinct rather than genuine distress. Bemariq let go and kissed my neck. "You are so adorable. I bet you'd just allow me to strangle you, while squirming there, as if you were about to climax." "Perhaps." I pursed my lips. "But you wouldn't really hurt me." "Just tell me, if something's too uncomfortable." He pushed me on my side, gather up my skirt and lifted my leg. His finger pushed into my pucker. I had continued to drink the tonics, which kept my insides clean, even if it caused periodical stomach cramps. I wanted to be ready for my man at the moment's notice. After loosening me a little, Bemariq opened his trousers and applied lubrication to his cock. He placed his member between my buttocks. I pushed back just as he thrust. Even with plenty of training, I winced from the sudden stretching, which grew more intense, until Bemariq was up to the hilt in me. I pressed my hands on my mouth in order not to squeal. "For being such an indispensable relief today", Bemariq whispered. "I'll have to reward you." My spine and thighs shuddered, as the hand holding my leg reached down to engulf my penis. Unlike the rod pushing against my insides, my diminutive member was near limp despite its needy spasms. I let out a mewl, which turned into a loud cry. Bemariq had drown back and plunged with enough force to jolt my whole body. He tightened his hold of me and began his thrusts with intense pace. There was little need to fake the half-pained moans, which my man so loved. His long member was like a hammer, and his hand squeezed my penis hard enough to rip it off, if he had wished to. The tension of the day took only a moment to grow into a knot in me. Though my body didn't know whether to relax and enjoy, or struggle against against the beastly assault, the tingling pressure inside me didn't take long to burst. My captive member spurted its load as a signal to what sort of girl I truly was. Yet Bemariq continued on. I squeezed my convulsing pucker to give him more pleasure and to hasten his release. Even though his forceful administrations were close to the best place for me to be, my hole wasn't immune to discomfort. I was about beg him to finish soon, when his movement turned unsteady. A few more slow, strong thrusts, and he pulled out, leaving soreness and the warm glow of trickling seed. I sighed with relief and tender satisfaction. Bemariq forced his arms around me and pulled me into an embrace, which was delightfully close to making it impossible for me to breathe. "I love you, Sirin", he whispered. "You know that, don't you?" "Yes... I love you too." I was in the best place for me. CHAPTER 8 I winced as I spread numbing gel in my abused hole. The tonic treatments made sure nothing in me would break even from industrial pistoning, but they did nothing to remove the lingering soreness. More amazing was, how Bemariq managed to remain unhurt. His dick was the one slamming into a chunk of squirming flesh and bone. Perhaps he merely tolerated pain better than I. The gel worked fast. I put on my provocatively thin morning gown and pranced into the main room, where Bemariq was reading through the morning papers. I gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Listen to this, dear", he said. "'According to sources close to him, associate Bemariq was suspected to be a murderer and a desperate womaniser preying on fresh-off-the-boat girls'." "That's the Dawn Inquest?" I took a seat, sat with a leg curled under me and poured myself a cup of hot herb-drink. "Yes." Bemariq crushed the pamphlet and threw it into the fireplace. "Not a mention of our excavations beyond its existence." "What does that dreadful man have against you?" "Beyond being envious that I have a girl like you..." Bemariq smirked. "I'm not sure. But even if his paper is trash, it has important supporters. Many influential men upstairs think archaeology should be a military matter, with the actual research only existing as a side job, if at all." He let out a sigh. "And then there's the lunatics, who think nobody should 'tamper with the sacred relics'." "Even though most of our technology already is crude progeny of starfarer originals." "Indeed. The sooner we are gone from here, the better." He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "The frustration is building up again. Would you be up to a round--" "Sorry, my dear." I grinned. "You really did a number on my rear yestereve, and I just washed my teeth. However..." I stood up and walked to him. Bemariq pulled his chair away from the table. I mounted his lap, careful not to put any weight on my middle. Two hands cupped my butt. My hand sunk into his trousers. His manhood was hot, as it hardened in my grasp. I kissed him, while I jerked him hard enough to make him flinch. The hotel had a grand dining hall adjacent to our exhibition and an excellent kitchen. As the seven-course dinner wore on, I found my mind wandering to the humble meals at our camp in the distant Rolu. The woman next to me with a fancy title and even fancier gown insisted on talking to me. Luckily I wasn't cultured enough to understand her rather obvious scorn beyond its existence. I merely nodded and grinned like an idiot, and whenever possible reached to squeeze Bemariq's hand. I let out a tiny sigh of victory and relief, when the delicious dessert was finally finished. The host of the whole fundraising, an elderly magnate with the straight back of a career officer, stood up and rang a bell. "My good friends. It is time to move to the exhibition hall for the main lecture on the Karimma site. Our guide will be no other than the esteemed associate Bemariq Usinilim." Bemariq stood up and bowed stiffly. "It is my pleasure to speak to an audience as dign--" Loud crash from the hotel foyer turned heads to the door. Concerned murmurs died, when a hotel employee dashed into the dinner hall and smashed to doors closed behind her. "Men with guns!" she shouted. Screams welled in the foyer along with the crack of pneumatic weapons. The host rang his bell vigorously. "Everyone! Stay calm and start walking towards me." He turned to Bemariq. "They'll be after the exhibition, I presume." Bemariq nodded. "Get these people out. I'll lock myself in the exhibition hall, and hope police is here, before the crooks smash in." I jumped up and tripped on the hem of my gown. Bemariq caught me into a hug. I said: "I'll stay too." Bemariq smiled, took my hand and kissed me on the nose. "Good that I didn't expect you to leave." CHAPTER 9 Behind the two sets of heavy locked doors, cutter-worms of the assailants wailed. Bemariq shut all lights save the ones illuminating the displays and mashed the controls. "Creates a certain atmosphere. Sirin, give me you gun." I nodded, lifted the hem of my skirt and took the tiny one-shot needlegun from its hidden holster. "There you go." Bemariq took the weapon, even if he smirked at it. "Now undress." "What? Why?" "That engagement ring. I'm almost sure it's an identification to a personal carapace like that one." Bemariq nodded to the inert suit, which looked like the husk of a humanoid insect. A mix of thrill and resentment poured through me. "You didn't tell me!" "I wanted it to be a surprise, after I was sure it was functional. I did basic maintenance and refilled its nutrients, but I didn't have the equipment to make sure it'd work. But enough of that. Come on, hurry." Bemariq helped me undress fast and without hurting the clothes. The whine of the cutter-worms had moved closer, to the doors of the exhibition hall. We hid my attire behind a casket in a dark corner. I walked to the suit. "What if it doesn't work? Who knows what it might do?" "It shouldn't hurt you. Most likely it will just cover you and remain immobile." I slowly breathed in and out. "Alright. Just... Try not to get hurt yourself." "Don't worry. I'll concede to all of their demands, up until the police gets here." I frowned and stepped on the feet of the husk. The suit was small, and wouldn't have fit anyone taller than me. Even for me the suit was a tight fit, as I lowered myself into it. "Hopefully this works", Bemariq said. "What works?" "The combat capacity of that su--" The suit gave a loud chirp, before it adjusted itself around me and moved to encase my body. "What 'combat capacity'?" I asked. The suit's inner surface was beyond smooth but cold. The material retained my body warmth, and the husk swiftly became comfortable to lie in. I had become accustomed to tight fits with my corset training, so the suits embrace was surprisingly relaxing. "Fascinating." Bemariq cleared his throat. "It should be an all- environment protective suit. If nothing else, the material will prote--" I screamed. A burning lance pierced the back of my skull. I couldn't move. My throat gurgled, as a mask rose to encase my head. The suit was a rigid prison around me, and I could see only darkness. A cold wave of terror surged up my spine. Bemariq's frantic shouts were muffled. "This seek tongue speak pattern", a disembodied voice spoke into my ear in heavily accented Conglang. "You are mistake. No being knowledge placed looked firm. Again build bring life. Be well not do not guard." My left hand was jerked from the outside, but my arm didn't move. "Language formation finalised", the voice said. "System initialisation under way." I saw into the hall again, though my eyes weren't open to the air. The main door burst open. A dozen men, wearing combat suits under their ragged street clothes, rushed into the room. They were all heavily armed with long-barrelled needlers. All expect Luwud Duy. Bemariq hadn't bothered to lift his hands. "It's you. So, are you lot zealots or robbers?" Luwud motioned the intruders to spread around the room. Gone was his feeble appearance. His posture was straight, and his smile held controlled menace. "Neither. This is false flag terrorism." "Ah." Bemariq nodded. "You'll make it seems these artefacts aren't safe outside military control. New legislation will turn all field research into clumsy army camps, or worse, escalate them into battlefields." "I wouldn't put it in such harsh terms, but yes. You are a smart man. Maybe you'd accept a job offer?" "No thanks." "Shame. Say, where's that girl of yours?" "She evacuated with the others." "Another bummer. I could have used her. As leverage to make you reconsider." Luwud turned to one of his men. "Set the explosives and get two lads to shoot at the walls. Let's pretend we are unhinged a little. Nothing drastic. The real work will be done in the press." "Main systems operational", a voice said in my ear. "Threats detected. Danger estimation: minimal. Suspending auxiliary system initialisation. Movement locks deactivated. Exercise caution." "Well then." Luwud lifted his handgun towards Bemariq. "I do admire you for sticking to your principles. Unfortunately your martyrdom will be reinterpreted to go against your own agenda." I screamed into the mask and clambered up. The suit moved around me, which turned my movements inaccurate and clumsy. I staggered two steps forward, but the suit kept me on my feet. Luwud turned to look at me. "What the... Is that the husk? Who's in there?" I took a stumbling step towards Luwud. He pressed the trigger. The air boomed, as it compressed in the front of the hurled needle. Pain rippled over my abdomen. The suit didn't allow me to bounce from fright. My torso hurt, but not more than from a hard punch. Only visible sign of the needle in my suit was a pale line below my chest. "Incompetent user detected", the voice said. "Emergency combat override." My muscles moved along with the suit, even though I didn't will them to. I dashed towards Luwud, and Bemariq had the sense leap onto the floor. The air cracked with the volley of needle shots. I wailed from the pain, but that didn't stop the suit. My hands grabbed Luwud's wrists and crushed them. Before the man's gun had hit the floor, it was in my hand. Luwud's scream rang in the hall. "Drop your weapons", the suit demanded. "I am not mandated to minimise bodily harm." My body pulsed in agony. Even if the needles had glanced off from the ancient armour, good part of their force had dissipated into my flesh and bones. "Administrating sedatives", the voice said. A wave of dizzy calm wrapped itself around me. Luwud groaned on the ground. "Do... Do as it says." A soldier stepped forward. "But commandant, we have the charg--" "Obey!" Luwud bellowed. "This mission is not worth wasting all of your lives." Bemariq stood up. He kept my tiny needler pointed at Luwud. "Associate Bemariq", Luwud said. "If we are captured here, the tale will grow too big to spin. Heads will drop, both figuratively and literally. Some will want yours and your girl's to be included. Out of spite, if nothing else. Let us go, and this whole incident will be forgotten as a failed attempt at base thievery." Bemariq gritted his teeth. "What guarantee do I have that you won't come after me?" "None. I suggest you leave the jurisdiction as soon as you can. But you have my word that we'll prefer to keep this wrapped up." "Alright." Bemariq glanced at me. "Take your bombs and leave." Luwud grimaced, as Bemariq helped him up by pulling his shattered wrist. "Off we go." Luwud grunted. "No hard feelings. This is all just politics." CHAPTER 10 When the police burst into the exhibition hall, I was standing in the corner, pretending to be as inanimate as a statue. Bemariq explained that he had made the 'malfunctioned old suit' move around, which had freaked the robbers to shoot at it. When the suit hadn't reacted to the hail of needles, the intruders had been scared to flee. "You were lucky, associate Bemariq. Seems like the attackers meant business", the police commissioner said. "These guns were purpose grown for the job with no identifying features. Could be any of the gangs in the area, I'm afraid." "I'm just glad to escape this incident with no lives lost." "They must have read about your work and concluded you might be able to make one of those old personal carapaces functional again." The commissioner chuckled. "If you could, you would have captured the whole lot, I reckon. Oh well. Taking down villains is our job." After the police were gone, Bemariq guided me into the backroom. He pressed below my jaw, and the mask shifted from my face. "Oh, Our High Lady of Reason." I reached to hug Bemariq. But I stopped myself, as I didn't know, if I could control the suit and not hurt the man. Bemariq recoiled. "Are you alright?" "What, how so?" He brushed forehead. "Does this hurt? You have a nasty bruise on your face." "No. I think the suit gave me painkillers." "Odd, but sounds good. I'm beyond glad that you are alright." Bemariq grabbed my head and pressed his lips on mine. The suit chirped. "An imprinted breeding pair detected. Error. Reproductive mismatch. Attempting correction, please standby." "What's that?" I asked. Confusion on Bemariq's face turned into panic. "We need to get that suit off you!" The carapace stiffened around me. I whimpered: "Help." "Error. No required facilities detected for full reproductive reorganisation." Though suit was still holding me in place, I let out a relieved sigh. It gave another cheerful chirp. "Moving on to secondary operations. Narrow pelvic opening observed." I screamed, as a searing lance stabbed into my lower half. Numbness soon followed, but I couldn't stop sobbing. "No-no-no!" Bemariq fiddled my stiff wrist. "This should open it, but carapace won't budge!" "Adjusting..." the suit said. "Despite the current incompatibility, the increase in attraction potential and fertility signalling is deemed advisable." With a loud crack, my legs moved an inch away from each other. There was little pain, yet I could only howl in terror. Out of my mouth poured the repeated mumbling of 'Our High Lady of Reason'. Bemariq placed his hands on my cheeks. The grip was forceful, but it helped me focus on him. "Stay calm", he said. "You'll be fine." The tone of his voice wasn't assured. I tried to twist my mouth into a smile, as the buzz of the fast-working sedatives clouded my mind. "Possibility for increase in attraction potential and fertility signalling detected. Administering..." The skin of my torso prickled as if from being rubbed with toxic leaves. Two needled stabbed into my chest. I whined as the lights went out. The bright lamps irritated my eyes open. A throbbing ache filled my lower half, and my sore chest had unfamiliar weight. I sat up. Despite the support of my suit, my breasts shifted with new mass. The suit was pliable under my touch, and I could ascertain that the lumps on my chest were filled with my own flesh. A shiver of dreadful excitement went through me. Bemariq was sitting in a corned, snoring. We were still in the side room. "Hey, wake up." He startled awake. "Ah... Ah! Sirin! Are you alright?" "Please, come get this suit off me." Bemariq came to me and took my wrist. After some fumbling, my suit let out a sigh. The husk around me cracked open and retracted from front of me. The newly more sizeable breasts dropped out of their cups, though remained remarkably perky. The air was chilly on my hairless skin. As I wasn't too dizzy, Bemariq helped me to stand up. "You seem well." He let out a relieved sigh. "I'm sorry that I dragged you into this." "It was quite horrifying, but the suit didn't mangle me." I placed my hands on my hips and pressed my thighs together. Though the hips weren't noticeably wider, the gap under my crotch was more distinct. "Two inches more, I think. Do you like it?" Bemariq hugged me. "Yes, as long as they are connected to you, your hips are great." His hand slid across my skin to the front and cupped a breast. I yelped from the playful squeeze, which hurt due to the remaining soreness. "Sorry", Bemariq said. "Good thing only the controls had malfunctioned. Who knows what it could have done with medical equipment like this." "Indeed. Rather scary, come to think of it." I detached from Bemariq and fetched my gown. "Now I don't think the vault was supposed to be a mere shelter." "We'll have to find that out." He grinned. "Hopefully this little incident turns into more public interest to our work." I slid into my gown. While my hips fit easily into the loose hem, my bust was crushed. But I never had minded tightness. "And public interest..." I went back to Bemariq and wrapped my arms around his neck. "Leads to more funding." CHAPTER 11 The host of the exhibition had gifted me a gown fitting the wedding of an associate. The silk was nacreous blue and green like the carapace of a beetle. The hem was lined with manufactured fire opals, and piles of gossamer poked out of the sleeves. The soft flesh of my breasts would have been prominently on display, but the brisk wind, which swept over the deck of the ship, forced me to keep the thick mantle on my shoulders. On the pier below me and Bemariq were the magistrate, notary and any friends and associates, who had managed to attend our hasty wedding. A few of my friends were also there, even if some of them thought I was still deep in a convoluted confidence trick. They didn't know I had already cashed out with the main price. I lifted my hand, and Bemariq poked my palm with the single-use implanter for my new identification. I shuddered from the sting and giggled from its implications. Bemariq crushed the implanter and threw it into the sea. The magistrate shouted that our wedding was concluded. For a moment miss haz-Merin had legally existed, only to be subsumed by the new lady Usinilim. Bemariq kissed his wife to the cheers on the pier. The ship announced its imminent departure with a howl, shuddered and began our slow and steady getaway. My ludicrously voluminous skirt filled the hallway, as my husband carried me to to our cabin. While the room was cosy, it was much larger than the one we had on the way to Conglomerate. Bemariq let me down and locked the door. He took my mantle off slowly and let his gaze assure me that he appreciated the new cleavage. "You know, lady Usinilim. It would certainly look cute, if you knelt in front of me in that gown." "Oh, no, associate. This outfit is too precious for that sort of business. Help me out of it." It was shame to be out of the gown, because I wouldn't have much of an excuse to wear it in the modest Rolu. I undressed until I wore only the stockings held up by garters, which sunk deep into my thighs, my ring and the precious ribbon tied around my member. Bemariq had also undressed, revealing the lean hard body of a man, who neither feared hard work nor indulged in overt drink or food. He stepped next to me and placed his fingers on my hips. The hands crept up to my waist. His hold tightened, and the fingers bit into my flesh. Their tips were almost close enough to touch each other. I giggled, when my husband lifted me off the floor. So that he could more easily keep me in the air, I curled up my legs. His strength could make me so small. Bemariq dropped me on the bed. I let my legs collapse under so that I ended up in a seductive coiled pose. With a pull of two pins and shake of my head, my long hair cascaded over my shoulders. It was nice that I had been able to let it grow, after I had found my man. My husband sat on the bed with his back against the wall. He gestured me to him, so I crawled to rest my head on his shoulder. His hand twined its fingers with mine. I tilted my head to look at him in the eyes. Bemariq's face had the frown of having sunk into his thoughts. "The vault might have machinery the carapace suit referred to. Sirin, I was loathe to even mention it, because I don't want to push you to anything." "I understand, what you mean." I placed my head back against his shoulder. We hadn't talked about the reason, why the husk was coming with us, tightly packed in the cargo hold. But the possibility hadn't been something either of us was ready to discard. "Sirin. I do want to start a family with you, even if I'm not sure, what that would entail." "I haven't given it enough thought. Besides, the ancient technology might not work." Bemariq squeezed my hand. "The operation would have to be perfectly safe, before I'd allow you to use it. And don't dare to think I don't love, how you are right now." My smile widened. "Do show me, how much you enjoy, how I am." The man rose to fetch the lube, but I pressed his chest down. "Let's do it 'dry'", I cooed. "I don't mind, if it stings a bit. I want you to hold me up, while I slowly feel every inch of you." Bemariq gave a questioning look, but after I mounted his legs, he wrapped his hands around my waist and smiled. Despite its size, Bemariq's manhood was quickly in readiness. He lifted me up and positioned me for the impalement. The robust muscles of his arms, covered with little else than skin, bulged like living roots. The head of his penis was slick and hot against my unprepared pucker. My husband lowered me a little. Even though my sphincter resisted, the rock-hard member had nowhere else to go. I gasped. "Oh... It's in the right place." "Are you alright?" Bemariq asked, still holding most of my weight up. It was perhaps unfair, that I kept my legs relaxed, for the thrill of the possibility that if the man's strength ever failed, I'd end up hurt. If he hadn't stared into my eyes, he'd seen my answer in the quivering of my little wand. I panted: "Go on." The resistance of my pucker wasn't enough to hold my weight. As Bemariq let more of my weight fall on his rod, it slid deeper into me. I did my best not to allow my moans to sound pained, but even my husband grunted from the tightness of the intrusion. When my buttocks hit the man's hips, I shuddered and let out a sob of relief. Bemariq pulled me against him, and lifted himself to sit more straightly against the wall, so that our faces were right in front of each other. His rod bent inside me, but if it was uncomfortable, he didn't show it. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pushed against him for a kiss. My own prick was compressed between our bodies, and my breasts pressed against his wide chest. Bemariq moved his head away from my kiss and next to my ear. He whispered: "I love you." I smiled, clenched my butt and slowly shifted my hips. With slight movements I kept changing the direction, into which he pushed inside me. Bemariq found a rhythm for his hips, which complimented mine. Sweat made the touch of our skins slippery. The man's breathing turned ragged. He stifled a groan. Warm slime churned around his pole. Though I was far from my own orgasm, being able to give him pleasure was in itself satisfying. I twined my fingers around his neck and leaned back. Bemariq smiled. "That was great." "Does you--" His hand moved to my crotch and took a strong hold of the tiny wand. A whimper left my lips, as he pulled back the hood, which was still painfully tight despite my member having shrunk. My chest, throat and mouth trembled with my breath. The vulnerable head wasn't used to direct touch. Bemariq's hand supported my back, while the other overwhelmed the eager diminutive member. My husband wasn't manhandling a proper penis, but the overly sensitive nub of his girl. A wanton moan rose from my throat. The orgasm waved through the sinews of my thighs and warmed my insides. As my wand squirted into the warm palm, my own hold around the man's neck slipped. I fell backwards, but Bemariq held me. He lowered me down gently, and gave my already soft member a few forceful jerks. Gasping, I stared at the ceiling. After a moment of shared heavy breaths, Bemariq asked: "How about a shower?" As soon as we had cleaned and dressed in practical garb, we headed out of the cabin. Bemariq paid a discreet-appearing maid to change our bedsheets, and we headed to the top deck. We sat on a bench overlooking the shore passing us by. Bemariq wrapped a large cloak around us, and pulled me tightly against him. I was in the best place for me. PART III: Worm CHAPTER 12 "One of the pumps was stabbed", the Roluan foreman said. "The bleeding was bad, but with a little luck, the beast might live." The small administrative tent was getting crowded. After the sabotages to our dig site began, the usually dismissive Roluan government had sent us a group of watchmen. That favour came with the frequent oversight of inspector Ansis from the Heva police. He was a tall willowy man of noticeably non-Roluan appearance. The public attention back home had led to two separate teams of Roluan scholars joining us. They were competent in their fields of geology and archaeotechnology, so we allowed them to help without waiting them to flaunt their government mandate on us. Less luckily, the presence of genuine experts didn't deter amateurs from poking around and offering their 'services', all the while trying to carry off valuables. To little success, as I knew their tricks from personal experience. I had to admit that the old 'I need my equipment back home to analyse this' took guts with the police so handily available. Bemariq's fists were squeezed hard enough to turn his knuckles white. "At leat they didn't steal anything this time." "Associate", Ansis said. "Be assured that our men are doing their best looking into the whereabouts of the stolen equipment." "Most likely they are at the bottom of the river by now." Bemariq pushed air out through his teeth. A vein pulsed on his temple. I took my husband's hand and said: "We should call it for the day. Before the water is pumped out, we can do little more than fret." Bemariq turned to me. Frustration and rage burned in his eyes, but my best insisting-young-wife expression mellowed his anger. "Yes." He sighed. "You are right, Sirin. Let's call it for the day." Our little house was certainly personable. The original tent had sprouted a thick canopy. The two-story extension grown by Roluans had walls of vivid keratin between its rib-like support structure. Connecting the two living systems had been a marvel of local craftsmanship, but in the end we got working water and honeydew piping on both sides of our home. As soon as we got inside, Bemariq collapsed on a chair. Even without the sabotage, herding a large team was talking its toll on my husband. I hurried to get him a galvanising drink, before he decided to try to sleep. He needed to relieve his tension to rest properly. In the last weeks, he had often woken up in the middle of night too agitated to lay down again. I went to change into a cute nightgown. When he had finished the liquid, I returned to kneel in front of him and presented him with a coil of silk rope. Bemariq frowned. "I don't want to hurt you." "You won't." While I was touched by the concern he had shown for me after our wedding, I certainly didn't want him to soften up. I said: "You know we both like your... strong administrations." After the drink, my husband couldn't pretend he was too tired. Bemariq fumbled a while tying my arms behind my back. He worried too much about my comfort, but at least he followed my instructions to bind me in a way, which wasn't easy for me to slip out of. I wiggled against the rope. "There's some slack, husband. If I dislocated my shoulder, this would be trivial to escape." "Don't you do it." My husband tightened the lose knot. My arms stretched pleasantly just to to the brim of discomfort. "I'll spank you, if you hurt yourself just to be cheeky." I smiled to myself. "I'll behave." Bemariq tied a cloth around my eyes, guided me to kneel on the couch. He pressed my upped half to the wide armrest, so my butt was propped up and exposed. Another rope tied my ankles to my arms. I could barely move. Pleasant shivers coursed through me. I too needed respite, from supervising the dig site and most importantly from making sure Bemariq didn't work too much. It was thrilling yet so utterly relaxing to let him take care of our mutual gratification. Bemariq took his time preparing my body. My lightless world was the gentle bite of the ropes and the touch of his fingers fondling and intruding into my yielding flesh. As a panted with desire, I did my best not to sound too insisting, so my man wouldn't hurry. Yet his fire couldn't smoulder forever without roaring into action. His hands took a firm grip my hips, and a lubricated member sunk deep into me. In the stretching was hot discomfort and maddening promise of pleasure. I imagined, how humiliating such penetration would have been, if I didn't love it. My pucker was nowhere near an equal counterpart to his cock. A butt wasn't created to engulf men; only Bemariq had given me that purpose. I'd be sore afterwards, but that was alright. Had I been a mere carnal toy for my Bemariq, I would have accepted my lot to satisfy him. Fortunately I didn't have to settle for such a sorry fate. Even now Bemariq was mine. He always made sure I too ended up satisfied, even when his thrusts were rough and forceful, like presently. I clenched my teeth to keep my moans from sounding too agitated. Bemariq had grown sensitive to overt signs of my discomfort. Sometimes I even suspected that any actual pain of mine doused his inner flames. The knot of my arousal built with agonising tardiness. Though my nub twitched with the need for touch, my orgasm was completely at the mercy of Bemariq. The utter helplessness paradoxically pushed me closer to the brink. A few hard thrusts pushed into the most sensitive spot, and my member squirted its load. Not in a mellow false climax, but a proper inner one, which blanked my thoughts for a blissful blink. My whole body shuddered. How lucky I was to have such a messed up wiring in my brain, to thoroughly enjoy my rear being used by a man. Soon, the mental glow and warm soreness were joined the heated liquid of Bemariq's masculine climax. I panted as if from physical exercise. Bemariq had learned my preferences, and didn't release me immediately. Instead, me merely untied my ankles, so he could join me on the couch. Mighty arms wrapped around me and pulled me against the man's chest: an ocean of calm breath and salty smell. Blinded still, I let out two or three happy sobs, which Bemariq had learned to know weren't the sign of distress. Behind my back, his hands worked to untie the knots. Slowly, so circulation returned without pain. We bathed ourselves, which took quite some time, as I wanted to sit on Bemariq's lap and be hugged in the warm water. Back in the bedroom, I put on a long gossamer gown, which I tied around my waist to emphasise my hips. Bemariq hid his newly stirring erection into loose sleeping trousers. He prepared us dinner, while I cleaned up the results of our love. I was ready first, so I watched on as my husband cooked. He had been quite a catch, even if he was practically exiled from our home country and wasn't anywhere near as affluent as he pretended to be. Bemariq made being myself a delight. "I love you", I whispered. "I love you too", he answered over his shoulder with the warm matter-of- factness, which made my stomach flutter. To him, I wasn't a mere short- term distraction to be discarded the moment the novelty ran out. Bemariq was actually becoming a decent cook from preparing meals for someone else than himself. I enjoyed the glazed heartfruit fillet, even if it was a bit burnt on one side. "How do you like it?" he asked. "It's delicious." I took another scoopful the smashed tubers of the local sour variety. "You are spoiling your wife with these meals." In a proper household without servants, the feminine partner worked the kitchen, but in ours nothing but a disaster would have ensued from that. "Not at all. I wouldn't want my kept woman --let alone wife-- to look emaciated." He smirked. "Besides, your hips looks better with some meat on them, and that's a medical fact." I giggled, but I made a mental note to start watching my weight, before I grew plump in earnest. Not that weight loss was insurmountably difficult with proper tonics, but fasting would be a bother. The need of weight loss in itself would reflect badly on my willpower. In the end, I preferred to be slim for most part, as long as I had soft spots, where my husband could sink his hands into. We spent the evening browsing through the pile of new Conglomish scientific journals, the few which we had managed to get delivered all the way to Rolu. Most of it was incomprehensible to the uninitiated, not to mention mind-numbingly dry, but opinion pieces were always entertaining. The claim that electric vehicles would soon outperform normal carriage beasts was notably funny. "Hey!" I yelped with enough energy to jolt my reading oculars down my nose. "Bemariq dear, you are mentioned here." I quickly read the indignant polemic. "Apparently you married a 'transient trollop', who you consult despite 'her feminine lack of higher --or any-- education', presumably due to 'believing in her purported skills in anthropomancy'." "Let me see that." Bemariq took the journal. His expression turned puzzled. "I have no idea, who this writer is. He does have clout to get to write this rubbish in the 'Ingest'." "Perhaps the quality of the 'Ingest' has dropped?" "That is possible." Bemariq smirked. "For one, I haven't been published in it for years." Our eyes locked. Because we might breach into the main underground complex any day now, I couldn't leave the talk of a certain subject for later. "Bem... You've been on the edge lately, for a good reason. I've also been thinking about what might lie down there. Thinking rather a lot, in fact." Bemariq shifted the journals aside and moved to sit closer to me. "Sirin..." I swallowed. The concept would have been intimidating, even if it hadn't involved unpredictable archaeotechnology. I said: "Bemariq, I do want to have your children. Not just after they are done from a surrogate, but by the full and hard method. I find myself not caring, if the process is guaranteed safe. Nevertheless, I don't want you think you coerced me into it, if something ever happens to me." "You are perfect as you are." Bemariq placed a hand on my flank. My smile widened. "You have guaranteed that I enjoy being myself. But the possibility has been gnawing my mind. Only a little, but I fear it might grow worse." Bemariq gave a crooked smile and nodded. "We'll do our best to make the vault's medical machinery safe and operational. Afterwards you can properly consider, what you want." "Don't get me wrong. I could never hate our life together." I pushed myself against my husband, and he wrapped his arms around me. Our lips connected to a surprisingly intense kiss. His tongue pushed into my mouth, but withdrew before I could bite it. That evening, we read no more. CHAPTER 13 Bemariq was still in the bed, when I woke up. In order to let Bemariq sleep longer, I got up early to prepare us breakfast. My skills were good enough for that. Enticed by the near-burnt bread, groggy Bemariq shuffled into the kitchen. He took a moment to gather himself, before he could say even 'good morning'. "I understand that you avoid placing blame", I said, when Bemariq seemed to have finally awaken. "Lest you raise counter-intuitive rumours. But who do think is trying to harm our operation?" Bemariq sighed and placed his cup on the table. "Someone who has a clear idea of how the dig works. There are scarcely any smaller deeds, which could delay us so much. But the culprit can't be any of the workers, unless they all are in on it." That was also my own conclusion. The local workers were a trustworthy sort, even beyond the obvious financial benefit they'd receive from our success. "Maybe it's inspector Ansis." Bemariq shook his head. "I won't claim that I can fully trust the man, but if the Roluans wanted to drive us out, they could do it without subterfuge." Because I didn't want to throw more baseless accusations, I turned the subject matter towards the increasingly late shipment of our new carriage. The city of Heva was too far to walk from the dig site, but travelling like the more well-to-do locals, by haphazardly balancing on the back of a huge barely controlled beast, was out of the question. It was unbecoming for a lady to ride on top, at least in public. After dressing up properly, I went to poke around the warehouse, in which the digging and pumping machinery was stored. According to inspector Ansis, the weapon to stab the pump had been a thin tool or blade little longer than a hand. As far as I could determine, the description matched the wound in the flank of the pump. The poor machine breathed laboriously, and I imagined a hint of a whine to the mouthless sound. "Lady Usinilim." The head mechanic tipped his funny little hat at me. "A fine morning to you." "Good morning." I nodded at the pump. "Poor beast. Is it in any agony?" "No. Though it has a rather squamous hide and respiratory organs, it's more of a plant than animal, actually." As far as I knew, even trees could experience a range of primal emotions, even if they didn't have means to convey them to humans. But universal sentience wasn't the subject I was curious about at the moment. "How long did the the pump have to wait, before you could come to help it?" I asked. "Hard to say, lady Usinilim. But I was here right before midnight and then again only fours hours later." "Oh. Did you have trouble sleeping?" "Actually, I did sleep well. Remarkably well in fact. My family has always been light sleepers. A positive dominant familial trait; goes back to the pre-Collapse, they say." The head mechanic excused himself to more important duties than entertaining the idle curiosity of the boss's wife. I looked around, but the only way into the warehouse were the heavy locked doors. And the windows, which were big enough allow a human but high up the sheer walls. The warehouse wasn't a proper building, but an inorganic framework with hard leather panels for walls. The smooth vertical sides wouldn't have been easy to climb, even with tools. On my way out, I inspected the locks, but found no traces of tampering. Perhaps Ansis wasn't lying about lack of traces from the culprit. However, nobody but Bemariq and the head mechanic had the key to the warehouse, and the mechanic could have sabotaged the pumps in a way that didn't so blatantly incriminate himself. I took a leisurely stroll around the warehouse. The workers frequently took their breaks in the area, so it was impossible to say which footprints might have belonged to an infiltrator. The warehouse didn't have any places to throw a sturdy grappling hook to, and the wall had no signs of other climbing equipment. Deep in my thoughts, pondering why anyone would have gone through the trouble of breaking in just to merely harm the pump instead of killing it, I bumped into the 'Lauded Researcher' ni Salng, the leader of the Roluan archaeotechnology detachment. Though he was an unquestionable expert in his field and a bit of a dandy with his appearance, he had the gravelly voice and sturdy frame of a seasoned whaler. I had long suspected that his main function was look out if we found any relics with ready military application. He spoke to me in Roluish, which I still didn't understand very well. But I guessed that he asked about my husband. I stumbled through the Roluish words to tell that Bemariq was still at our house. Ni Salng's frown mellowed into a faint smile. He congratulated me for improving my Roluish. Though he did use a rather patronising --not to mention sesquipedalian-- word for a 'girl', which had the approximate meaning of 'lovely young pretty clever, but still a little silly, married coquette'. I rarely had to question my initial conclusion of that Roluish was a strange language. I spend the morning talking to the recently hired labourers and watchmen. Any of them might be involved in the conspiracy against us, but I didn't want to insult their honour by implying they were suspects. Unfortunately acting the foolish damsel would have been a risky method for information gathering among Roluans. Most of them had little trouble accepting that a woman actually did academic work at the dig site. So I pretended to be concerned about the suspicions of the police, which might jeopardise the continued employment of those 'trusted workers'. By the time I couldn't put off my real duties, I had discovered nothing. Roluans made their taciturn politeness a shield, even if they didn't intend to. I would have hated to be a police detective or a confidence artist in Rolu. I lifted my gaze to the high crags, which dominated the view away from the sea. While the attacker likely had come either from the direction of Heva or from within the camp, someone who could climb the walls of the warehouse might have scaled those imposing cliffs. Because the hills were inhabited only by reclusive herders, finding clues there would have been down to sheer dumb luck. I sighed to myself and went to check on the cataloguing efforts. In the main tent structure, I was greeted by the few workers, who had decided to come on their day off. I made sure to make a mental note of their names, so I could to praise them to my husband. The most prominent apparition in the tent was magnatess Sitolytta with her cadre of servants. As the effective Jaan ambassador, she had plenty of reasons to be nosy about our project, but she had kept herself unobtrusive, most of the time. "Lady Usinilim!" the magnatess shouted. She glided to me inside her large and exquisite gown. Her delicate face showed no signs of age, and her luscious smile was friendly. Yet the stare of her huge eyes was ever disconcerting: the pupils were much too lively. I nodded, returned the smile and said in Jaanish: "Magnatess Sitolytta. Good morning." Her laughter trilled. "You still can't pronounce my name! How delightful. Anyhow, I have a gift for you." She nodded to a footman, who handed me a sheer grey shawl filled with intricate osmium embroidery. It must have been expensive. Immediately I felt guilty for disliking her vibrant and lively eyes. "Thank you." I wrapped the wispy shawl around my shoulders. "I... I don't have anything to reciprocate with." "You think it was a bribe?" Sitolytta laughed. "You may repay me by telling, where that handsome husband of yours is." "Ah... Last I saw him, the associate was still in our house." "He wasn't there when I arrived. I guess I'll have to find him. Goodbye, lady Usinilim." The foolish young wife in me wanted to follow the magnatess. She was beautiful, decently charming and recently widowed after all, so not something my husband should be exposed to. I did my best to banish the thoughts of jealousy. If Bemariq cared for flings with loose noblewomen, he wouldn't have married me. Classifying the bony remnants of unknown tools failed to retain my attention. But then again, it was an off-day, so I didn't actually have to work. I went out to search for Bemariq. If he was with Sitolytta, it didn't matter. She was pleasant company. It was silly to expect my husband to avoid all attractive unmarried women. The melodious loud voice of the magnatess guided me to the old auxiliary storage. Bemariq was standing close to Sitolytta. Too close. He had her hand in his. I froze in place. For long moments my husband held the hand of the woman, before he kissed it. That was just courtesy, even if extravagant. But I knew that pleased look in Bemariq's eyes. It wasn't mere politeness. That tender loving gaze should have been reserved for me. I hid behind corner of a tent and tried to control my lungs. Bemariq liked her. More than he should have liked a gaudy shrill odd-looking slut. But she was so classy and assured, with those exotic large eyes, graceful movements and elegant physique of the grandest Jaan pedigree. Bemariq's frustration must have been because of this. He regretted marrying me. Perhaps his nightly forays out weren't just to catch fresh air. The upper district of Heva wasn't so far that Jaan carriage couldn't have crossed the distance in full gallop. My breath got stuck in my throat. "You dumb girl", I muttered to myself. "There's no proof, just the fancies conjured up by your silly heart." I glanced around the corner. Sitolytta was gone. I hurried to Bemariq. "Hello, my dear!" I forced a smile. "Oh, hi." Bemariq gave me an odd look. "Where did you get that mantle?" My mouth hung open like a fly-trap. "Sitolytta gave it to me." "I see. I too just met her." Bemariq chuckled. "She had heard of our troubles, and offered Jaan funding for the necessary replacements." "You refused?" "Yes, of course. Even one master is too much. I couldn't serve two. And besides, the insurance will pay for our damages." I had to show marrying me wasn't a mistake. I bit my lip and cocked my hips. "You know, my husband. I'm a bit bored. We could have some 'fun'." Bemariq shook his head. "The paperwork keeps on piling. This day is as good as any for dealing with that." "Well... I could accompany you." I swallowed. "Under the table, perhaps?" He guffawed. "I wouldn't be able to handle such a distraction. In case you have nothing to do, why don't you go visit Heva? If you don't want to ride both ways, you could stay the night in the spa and take the workers' omnibus in the morning." He was sending me away. Dismissing me. I cleared my throat. "No, I haven't anything to do in town." "Alright. You did say, you needed your hair done, so I assumed--" "You assumed wrong. Anyhow, I'll go for a walk." "Very well. Don't catch a cold." His smile was deviously amiable. "See you at lunch." A stride over the rocky terrain did little to clear my brooding thoughts. It did rouse a hunger, so instead of going through my initial plan of walking until my legs were filed into stumps, I returned home. Bemariq didn't validate my fears with his behaviour. He was just as nice as always. "Are you ill?" he asked. "What? How so?" "You seem a bit languid and taciturn. And you haven't eaten much." Why did he want me to become fat, when the magnatess he liked was so thin? "I'm not hungry, that's all." Bemariq frowned. "You shouldn't traipse around the hills in such a chilly weather." Not only did he want me to eat more than my fill, he'd have me stop physical exertion. I bit my teeth together. Obviously Bemariq was just concerned about my health. I was stoking fire into my own temper, for no other reason than to justify my baseless suspicions. With sigh I reigned in my flaring anger. "You are right", I said. "I might have chilled myself." Bemariq smirked in a warm way. "After the meal, you'll go straight between the blankets, young lady." My husband's mollycoddling did wonders to mellow my foul mood. It was fortunate that I had managed to keep my silliness inside my head. The evening turned into night, and I found myself cosily between sheets with my husband. The shift of the bed woke me. It was too dark to be anything but the middle of night, yet Bemariq was getting up. "Bem?" "I need some fresh air." His voice was hollow, as if he couldn't be bothered to sound kind. "Go back to sleep." I held my tongue, as I watched my husband leave. When I heard the front door open and close, I jumped up and donned my house robe, which I had picked for its night-blue colour. Though the starry lights in the sky offered little illumination, I could see well enough to move without a lamp. Maybe I had chanced to inherit pre-Collapse upgrades to my sight, as I had rarely found any darkness unpierceable. Walking on my toes, I followed Bemariq out. The yellow-green lantern made Bemariq trivially easy to follow. He wasn't just walking about, but heading straight towards the main road to Heva. My heart jerked, when the light revealed a carriage and a shapely silhouette. I moved closer while keeping the shadow of a building behind me. I couldn't understand the words, but the soft murmur was surely Sitolytta's voice. The ground between me and them was too open for me to get any closer without detection. My husband and the woman spoke in low voices. With abruptness, which made me jolt, Bemariq grabbed the magnatess and kissed her. The embrace was frantic, desperate even. Tears clouded my vision, and my jaw trembled. Yet I had to keep quiet. I had too see, what they'd do. Sitolytta drew back from Bemariq. The lantern revealed a wide grin on her shadowed face. She patted Bemariq's cheek and spun back to her carriage. The carriage beast staggered to its feet and galloped into the darkness. Bemariq turned on his heels. Instead of striding towards me and our home, Bemariq walked off towards the dig site. A rising puzzlement drowned my grief. Bemariq's hurried gait wasn't that of a man returning from an illicit night-time fling. In fact, it was too stiff to be normal for any occasion. He might have been wrecked by sudden pout of regret, but that didn't seem likely. Bemariq had never been prone to the sort of impulsiveness characterised by immediate remorse. I followed after him, though I had to jog to keep up with his rapid walk. Bemariq stopped at the equipment storage, unlocked the door and went inside. Eventually, I would have to talk to him. Might as well do it immediately, and figure out, what was so important enough to stumble in the dark of the night for. I placed myself at the door to the storage and waited. Bemariq appeared with a parcel under one arm and axe in other. "Bemariq?" My eyes blew wide open. The parcel was a box of mining volatiles. "Sirin?" The box slipped from his hand. I leaped to the ground and caught the parcel as gently as I could. Blood roared in my ears, which was a relief: I hadn't turned into corroded mush. With excessive care, I got up and took the volatiles back to their reinforced safe. I turned to Bemariq, who had followed me like a dog. He was dazed speechless. "What were you doing?" My voice wavered. "Why did you have that corrosive gas?" Bemariq asked. With a confused expression, he looked at his axe and placed it in the rack. Bemariq wasn't in his right mind. Even if it sounded like a tale from the pages of a chip dreadful, the bitch might have drugged and hypnotised my Bem. "Can you tell me, why you are walking about in the dark of night?" I spoke as calmly as I could. "Can you? You are wearing a house robe, for heaven's sake!" He placed his hand on his neck and let out a gurgle. "I can't... I'm-- My throat hurts." Fighting panic, I kept my voice calm. "Give me the keys." He obeyed me. I guided him out, locked the storage and took him back to our house. Every step he took was less sure, and before we reached our hill, Bemariq had to lean on his wife. His confused questions turned into a slur of nonsense. I struggled to get him out of his boots and into the bed. Bemariq sunk into fitful unconsciousness. He needed a physician. I ran out, found one of watchmen and asked him to take a word to Heva. By the time the physician arrived, sun was up and Bemariq was steadily asleep. "What is wrong with him?" the physician asked. Her oculars gave a rather academic impression. I rubbed my weary eyes. "He was delirious and passed out." The physician nodded and begun her work. The moment she touched Bemariq, he was startled awake. "What's this?" my husband croaked. "Your wife called--" I lifted my hand. "Would you give me a moment with husband? There's hot water for infusions in the kitchen." The physician sighed, but gave me a nod. "Don't take too long." I sat on the bed next Bemariq. "Could you explain?" Bemariq's smirk was pleasant and dizzily lopsided. A lump formed in my throat. "I know..." My mouth twitched. "I know about your cheating." Bemariq frowned and looked up in the ceiling. After a moment he said: "I'm sorry. I admit that I met the magnatess at her townhouse last week. I should have asked you, if you were alright with it, considering her reputation. But I figured presenting myself as vaguely available would facilitate keeping good relationship with a dignitary like her." He looked me in the eyes and smiled. "Though I had to excuse myself in some hurry, after her suggestions threatened to leave mere subtext." My eyes flew open. Bemariq was lying to me. "But you kissed her last night!" I screeched. "No-- What?" Bemariq squinted his eyes and rubbed his throat. "You aren't making an abstract joke." I shook my head. Bemariq wasn't well, and screaming at him did no good. Slowly, I explained, what I had seen. Beyond coughing, Bemariq stared at me dumbstruck. He took my hands and squeezed hard. "I don't remember any of that. It's absolutely not what I would ever do. Sirin, you believe me, right?" "I saw-- I don't know, what I saw." If Bemariq was faithless, he had little reason to make poor lies to cover it. I nodded. "I believe you. I must." Bemariq sighed with relief. "Why would I have married you, if I would care about some licentious dame?" He swallowed with great difficulty. "Sirin, I'm sorry. This is no joking matter. We need to--" He gagged, and his hands shot to his throat. I shouted for the physician. The woman burst to the room, glanced at Bemariq and opened her satchel. With unfaltering hands she loaded an injector and stabbed Bemariq's chest with it. "Muscle relaxant", the physician said. Bemariq wheezed a breath. "My throat..." The physician's frown tempered into a determined gaze. She grabbed Bemariq's neck and rubbed it with both thumbs. I said: "Will he be alrig--" The physician yelped and jerked back. Bemariq let out a horrible groan. His eyes were frantic. I took his hand and murmured nonsense in an attempt to calm him down. "I'm alri-- It hurts", my husband rasped. "Like burning liquor in my throat." "Can't you give him a sedative?" I asked the physician. She nodded, refilled her injector and said to Bemariq: "This will make you sleep, while we figure out, what we can do for you. Is that alright?" Bemariq's answer was a dry wheeze. He twisted his mouth but nodded. "Lady Usinilim", the physician said, after Bemariq had fallen asleep. "Something moved inside your husband's throat. I must insist that you explain all the details you have hitherto omitted." I explained everything I knew to her. "While it befits me not to entertain suspicions about dignitaries such as the Jaan widow", the physician said. "We must work with what we have. It seems possible magnatess Sitolytta has asserted influence over associate Bemariq with a living tool. As far as I know, such devices usually work through chemicals or pain, which leaves the victim susceptible, but not enough to enact complex orders so obliviously. I fear we are dealing with artistry of the distant past. Such an intruder might even be connected to your husband's brainstem." The memory of the carapace suit stabbing me in the back of my neck flared, and I rubbed the spot. "Can't we do anything?" The physician checked that Bemariq was soundly asleep and breathing properly. "The good thing is that the device would be very poor for its purpose, if it killed its target. Autopsy would reveal it, and afterwards blame would be easy enough to place. Not many have access to this sort of technology." "Can it be removed? With surgery perhaps?" "No." She frowned. "Even if the operation was a miraculous success, your husband would be likely crippled." My hands trembled. "The magnatess must have a way to remove it." "That is possible. But I can be no help in acquiring that." "I understand. Could you still do me a favour? Tarry here, for a while. Perhaps make impromptu checks on the health of the workers here. We'll of course pay for your trouble." "Very well, lady Usinilim. I can do that." We had hidden the primordial carapace suit in one of our side rooms. I dashed there and undressed with all haste. The suit yawned open as a reminder of the rather unpleasant first experience. Lacking anything to coerce Sitolytta with, I had no choice put place myself into the husk. The suit's embrace was cramped but far from uncomfortable. If I had gained any weight, the suit immediately adjusted to it. This time, I knew to press the neck piece to stop the helmet from covering my head. Though as thin as few layers of satin --outside the flexible plates protecting torso, legs and elbows--, the carapace suit was strong and quick. I needed that might, but I also needed to surprise the witch, who had enthralled my husband. I put on my gown, gloves and a pair of oversized riding boots. My neck was hidden by a wide choker and the shawl, which Sitolytta herself had given me. I put a small needlegun in an ankle-holster and another into my sleeve, and strode out. "Proximity to main facilities detected", the suit chirped. "End sound feedback", I said and pressed down the spot Bemariq had suspected to be the main override. The suit fell silent. The workers' omnibus hadn't yet left back to Heva. I paid its operator handsomely to be my personal driver for the day. Even in the ancient protective suit, I found the ride unnerving. The omnibus was a rickety wheeled cart pulled by a pair of repurposed local riding beasts. To say the going was bumpy would have been an understatement. Yet despite my perturbation, I reached Heva's high class district intact. During the ride I had forced out tears, and my pocket mirror revealed that I had managed to ruin my makeup. The dark eyeliner bled all over my cheeks. I affected sobs, as I walked to the front door of the magnatess's huge house. Just as I knocked, the door opened. "Is the magnatess here?" I asked the valet. He was a threateningly tall man, who didn't bother hiding his military posture and rudely evaluating gaze. He nodded and took me inside. The decor was stylish and coherent, in spite of the plethora of valuable articles from distant places. If I hadn't been on a more important job, I would have picked up a souvenir or two, even if the footmen leering in the corner would have made pilfering difficult. Sitolytta slid into the room. She saw me, gasped and hurried to me. "Oh, dear. What has happened?" I swallowed. "Another attack on us, magnatess." My mouth twitched. "With acid--" I cried out and hugged Sitolytta. "Bem... He was... horribly burned." The magnatess patted my back. "That is awful!" "Yes..." I sniffed. "The property damage was too. The buildings weren't insured, so now we can't afford both Bemariq's medical attention and repairs. Magnatess, you have been so kind to us, so I'd presume to ask for loan." "No talk about loans! Whatever you need will be my gift to you." Sitolytta pushed me to the stairs, and we climbed to her office. "Could you lock the doors?" I asked. "Financial business makes me beyond embarrassed. Handling money is not something decent Conglomish women partake in. I would die of shame, if someone was to see us." Sitolytta's smile was warm. "Certainly, dear." The lock clacked shut. The moment the magnatess --with her sweet smile-- turned towards me, my arm shot out to wrap a hand over Sitolytta's mouth. "One squeak", I snarled. "And I'll crush your face out of sheer fright." I slid the gun out of my sleeve and removed my hand. "I'll give you a moment to explain yourself." Sitolytta's smile remained. "As you wish. I confess everything: me and Bemariq are passionate and frequent lovers." I ripped my other glove to show my carapace. "You aren't the only one with access to fancy artefacts, magnatess. Now, tell me what you did you my husband, or I'll disassemble you, starting with your pretty overlong fingers. Believe me, your thugs will have their work cut out for them, should they try to stop me." "I always knew you were a crass undignified floozy. Bemariq deserves better." "Hey?" shouted a man's voice behind door. "Is everything alright, magnatess?" "No!" I shouted. "I'm about to rip your mistress's head off, if she doesn't start talking." "Magnatess?" "Keep out", Sitolytta commanded. "This madwoman is dangerous, but I can handle her." She turned to me. "You aren't going to get away with this." "I just want your thing out of my husband's throat." The magnatess laughed. "Let's arrange that then." She went to a cupboard, my tiny needler at the back of her skull, and took out a device, which my experienced glance identified as a pre-Collapse artefact. "This is the basic control device for the thrall-driver worm", she said. "Place it on Bemariq's throat. There's just one button, so you don't have to worry about duplicity." "Should anything happen to my husband, I know where you are", I growled. "Still with these threats!" Sitolytta handed me the device. "Now go." I might been able to get away with killing her, after lengthy scrutiny by the local police. But an associate's wife murdering the acting ambassador of Jaan on Roluan soil would have stirred a storm in the international relations. It was a pointless consideration. My stomach turned from the thought of someone's guts drenching my hands. "Why are you doing this?" I asked. "Well, for one, you are pointing a gun to my face." "No, you stupid--" I caught my tongue. "I mean, why attack us?" "Isn't it obvious?" Sitolytta cocked her head and widened her smirk. "I'm Jaan. If your findings are accurate, you are messing with our promised land." "That 'land' is just the distorted echo of an ancestral tale! The connection is little more than a historical curiosity." Sitolytta sighed through her smile. "Be that as it may, 'Jaan promised land' rings true as justification for great many things." She glanced at my revealed carapace glove. "Besides, who would want the Conglomerate to have access to combat suits like that?" "It's not-- This is fruitless. I'll be leaving now." "Oh, don't let me keep you. Till we meet again." After a moment of hesitation, I dropped the shawl on the floor. "You can have that back." Sitolytta's large footmen were waiting for me on the other side of the door. The carapace suit might have allowed me to push through, but brawls were always risky. Besides, the crunch of Luwud Duy's wrists in my grip still haunted my mind. I walked to the window and opened it. We were in the third floor, but the street below was wet mud. I gulped and jumped out. The suit became rigid around me and shifted my body. My legs hit the ground, but gave in like springs. My whole body rolled forward with the momentum. A dizzying whirl, and I was standing again. Beyond the aching of my legs and being covered in mud, I was fine. I turned to the window and waved. CHAPTER 14 Cold sweat loosened the dried mud on my face. I placed the control device on Bemariq's throat and squeezed the button. My husband retched awake, in a burst of gagging and gasps. Whirling tendrils poked out of his mouth, and a sleek worm of numerous segments pushed out. Rows of tiny legs covered it in three sides, but most peculiar feature were the lumps, which must have been the controls of the device. After the worm outed itself, I caught it in a translucent box. Bemariq coughed droplets of blood. "By heavens..." I offered him a cup with a relaxing drink spiced with mild sedatives. He grimaced, but after I insisted, he forced the liquid down. "My head..." Bemariq whined. "You need to rest." I pushed Bemariq back down to his bed. "Everything's fine." My husband couldn't look straight at me, but he smiled. "Alright." His voice was hoarse and weary. "Thank you, Sirin." The worm was dormant in its box, but I still placed it inside a sturdy locked casket. The control device I kept to myself. Outside, I met the physician. She told me she had inspected all of the workers for 'throat rot', with no symptoms found. I thanked her and paid the bill. It wasn't nearly as much as her services would have warranted, but I didn't argue. Roluans tended to dislike haggling even in their own benefit. Inspector Ansis arrived soon after I sent one of the watchmen for him. Bemariq was by then in good enough shape to join us in the table for hot drinks. I squeezed my husband's hand tight, while I explained everything --even the embarrassing details-- to the inspector. However, I did leave out any mention of the carapace suit, and chalked up my performance at Sitolytta's house to gymnastic training. The removal of the worm had dislodged Bemariq's stuck memory, and he could affirm that his hands had worked all the sabotage. "Good work, lady Usinilim." Ansis chuckled. "Though I must admit I'm disappointed that my promising lines of inquiry are so thoroughly smashed. In one swoop, no less." Bemariq frowned. "You won't be able to arrest the magnatess." "That is true. If she was anyone else, the evidence would sustain a decent attempt at a case. But our government wants to 'play fair' with all of our foreign guests. We won't directly get tangled in these affairs. On that note, I suggest we keep these new developments under wraps. It will save me from a handful of headaches. Not only that, but also if no culprit is found, I can justify keeping my watchmen here." "One thing, inspector", I said. "The magnatess spoke of the Jaan 'promised land' as a justification. The Jaan must have plans for Rolu." Ansis nodded. "I can inform my superiors, but then again, there's little I can do. The Jaan are mighty, while we are a small --if orderly and industrious-- nation." "I can't make any assurances on the behalf of the Conglomerate", Bemariq said. "If anything, our country is more covetous than the Jaan Directory. We just happen to be farther away." After the inspector was gone, I sat on Bemariq's lap and kissed him long and thoroughly. "Sirin..." Bemariq said. "My returned memories include other misdeeds than the ones here in the camp. Sitolytta had to kiss me to insert the device... And she did nothing to force me." I swallowed. While I had suspected as much, the revelation stung my heart. Yet, I had been so glad he was alright. I still was. "Can you forgive me?" Bemariq asked. Though my eyes were bleary, I said: "Yes. You got your punishment for wanton behaviour." Another lump appeared to my throat. "But if you feel... If you feel you need a real woman--" "No! No. It was not like that." Bemariq's arms crushed me against him. "She made herself enticing, and I foolishly assumed I was in control. That little peck didn't seem like anything at the moment." He brushed my hair. "You are the only girl for me." I pressed myself against him and breathed slowly, until I calmed down. "Bemariq. I will try to be as reasonable as I can. But you will have to patch this rend in my trust." I lifted my face to smile at him. "The wound is not deep." "Good." Bemariq stood up and lifted me with him. I giggled from the brief moment of weightlessness, and more importantly, from the strength holding me. My husband performed a thorough massage to my backside. What he lacked in skill, he compensated with careful application of force. Though my body crunched under his thumbs, I grew relaxed enough to turn drowsy. I was viscous liquid under his hands. Afterwards, he held me, while I half-napped. "I'm so glad you are alright", I murmured. "I can say the same of you." Bemariq petted my flank. "It's foolish of me, but I'm troubled by the carapace suit. Wearing it was risky. We didn't know, how it would behave this close to its home." "True. It did mention the facility, but I managed to mute it." "Glad to hear the override worked. Still, I'll check on it." His hand moved down to my thigh. "Do you have any requests?" I smiled wide. "As tempting as abusing your guilt would be, we do have a lot work to do." He sighed. "Unfortunately astute. However..." His hand moved to grasp my hair. While the grip didn't hurt, it was strong enough to jerk my head around if needed. I could have moved away and refused what we both wanted, but such pointless revenge melted from my mind. My crooked smile told him to prepare himself, while I turned on my back and propped myself up my shoulders large pillows. Already in his full readiness, Bemariq clambered back to the bed and found a position. Smoothly, he entered me. His thrusts were gentle but possessive, like the hand sinking into my breast. His other hand caressed my throat. If he had been cruel, he could have easily hurt me. I wrapped my hand around his wrist, just to feel his strength, not to resist it. With my eyes, I ate his finely cut body: the ample shoulders, the pragmatic musculature. I could believe that the witch of a magnatess had experienced genuine desire for the associate of Usinilim. But Bemariq was all mine. My satisfaction must have been apparent on my face, as passion lit up in the man's gaze. He leaned down to kiss me. Though Bemariq managed to bend down, the position put uncomfortable weight on me. I let out a protesting moan. "Oh, sorry." Bemariq drew back and positioned his cock back to my butt. He smirked. "Wrap your legs around me." I did so, and he leaned down so I could clasp my hands around his neck. His honed arms lifted me up. The position was awkward, yet being in the air with him still inside made me giddy. Even if his strength had faltered, there was no danger, with the bed below me. I let out a vacuous giggle, as Bemariq did his best to continue his thrusts into me. To his credit, Bemariq managed to satisfy himself before showing much fatigue. He lowered me back to the bed and lay next to me. Our lips found each other, all the while his hand fondled my eager nub. My wand took only moments to spurt its meek sign of my pleasure. "If I could", I whispered. "I'd make you carry me all the time. You know, like some huge parasite." Bemariq chuckled. Arms like spry tree trunks lifted me up, and my husband carried me to the bathroom. While we cleaned ourselves in the shower, warm water filled the bathtub. The tub was cramped, with the two of us sitting face to face. Our legs were interlocked, and our lower halves close. Above the water we were fully a dashing man and a presumably attractive woman. But under the surface, I wasn't all that I felt I was. My thoughts wandered back to the threat and promise, which the carapace suit had made. 'Reproductive reorganisation'. The easy contentment washed away from my heart. I must have frowned, because Bemariq asked: "Are you still upset with me?" "No. I mean, yes. Keep on being penitent." Bemariq rubbed my shin. A finger found a spot still stiff from the third-story fall. "Then what's wrong?" "I don't know. I'm just worried." I smirked to cover up the lie. "Call it 'feminine intuition'." My husband smiled warmly enough to dispel the worst unease. I harnessed whatever intuition I actually had and tried to pierce the mind behind his sharp eyes. Bemariq wouldn't have needed to kiss another woman, if his love for me had burned as bright as mine for him. But love me he did. Before I spoke to my husband about my swirling unclear misgivings, I had to figure out what I wanted to be and what I already was. "We should stop tarrying", I said. "And finally get back to our work." PART IV: Vault CHAPTER 15 After a week of unceasing labour, the water was removed from the vault, and the pumps could rest. The local workers moved on to removing the rock and soil from the newly revealed antechamber. Though the Roluans were just as fond of rumours as any other people I knew, my scuffle with the magnatess Sitolytta had barely registered in the local gossip. Apparently, women dropping out of windows wasn't all that interesting, at least if the women in question were foreign. Sitolytta had made no more open attacks against us. I did suspect that the the idle talk, which involved my husband Bemariq's supposedly loose morals, might have been helped along by her. Such tales were easy to believe of my Bemariq, so I did my best not to mind. At my insisting, Bemariq agreed to sent a word about the Jaan involvement to his patrons at home in the Conglomerate. Still, he refused to explicitly ask for help. According to him, the Conglomerate would use his cry for assistance as an excuse to escalate the whole affair into an international incident. "What I hope is that they sent a stern word to the Jaan Directory", Bemariq said. "And leave it at that." As we prepared to seal the vault for the night, I had to voice my lingering concerns to Bemariq. "Sitolytta didn't try to stop us. Only to slow us down." My mouth quivered. "Otherwise she'd have hurt you more. Now her plans seem to be at rest, but I doubt they are dormant." "I don't like it either." Bemariq wiped sweat off his muddy brow. "Even if her plan is for nothing more malicious than political leverage, so she can acquire choice objects for the Jaan." I placed my dirty palms on my husband's chest. "A few troops of Conglomish myrmidons would keep her in check." "And us also under the boot heel." Bemariq gave me a weary smirk. "Conglomerate military is not something I'd want to impose on the Roluans. Especially after Rolu's generosity of letting us continue our work with minimal supervision." I took his hand and kneaded it with my thumb. The skin was getting rough; he could have used some lotion for the calluses. My husband pushed shut the leathery gate, which we had installed to the vault. We hadn't yet figured out, how to open the ancient stone-like doors from the inside. Bemariq pulled me to him and turned me around to hug me from behind. While one hand held my waist, another roamed to grope my left breast. I stifled my gasp, and whispered: "We aren't alone!" Most of the workers had already left, but shuffling sounds could be heard in the gloom of the late evening. Bemariq kissed my neck. "Surely they know out, what a man does to his wife, and thus can avoid the shock from catching a glimpse of it." Though I was taken aback by his behaviour, I squirmed in place from the rising warmth in me. I closed my eyes and leaned back. A hard rod poked against my posterior. "Oh... We need to go home", I said. "Yes--" Words akin to 'there you are!' in Roluish startled me, but Bemariq didn't let go of me. He merely moved his hands to less scandalous places on my body. The Lauded Researcher ni Salng walked to us and bid us good evening. He spoke to Bemariq, who answered in the local tongue. "Ah, I see. It is impertinent of me to use my own speech in this assemblage", ni Salng said in Conglang significantly more fluent than my Roluish. "Please, pardon my clumsiness in this vernacular." "Of course", Bemariq said. "Not that we have any right to demand this concession. It is your country, after all." Ni Salng furrowed his brows. "That connects to the eventuality at hand. My... confidants have forwarded me unwelcome information. About the Jaan. A few of their combat vessels have been seen not far off the coast. It is possible they will make an unannounced diplomatic visit." Bemariq took my hand. His grip was forceful. "My frie--" Ni Salng snorted. "Let nothing be hidden. Our Ministry of Combat knows this has everything to do with the incidents between you and the Jaan ambassadoress. I am no cretin: I have informed our government about the pretext for conquest this underground depository provides the Jaan." "I understand." Bemariq moved me to his side. "What do you think is going to happen?" "We don't know. Rolu has not the naval power to oppose the Jaan. As long as they don't directly attack Roluan citizens, we will do little but prepare." Ni Salng sighed. "Like you, I wish we could content ourselves with the mere research. Nevertheless, that is not how affairs are in this world." He tipped his hat. "Guard against danger, and good night." After the Lauded Researcher was gone, Bemariq muttered an expletive under his breath. In two days, the Jaan convoy arrived to the Heva bay. Seven ships with gleaming chitin and translucent sails, with enough gas-pneumatic cannons to turn a small mountain into rubble. To their credit, the Roluans managed to carry on calmly as usual. A small welcoming celebration was held, during which a few Roluan warships arrived to contest the control of the bay, though officially they were there 'to greet the vessels of their friend nation'. With their coastal artillery, in an open confrontation the Roluans would have crushed the Jaan convoy. But the few ships were only a tiny portions of Great Jaan Armada, while Roluans had brought everything they could detach from their normal assignments. "Live already! You piece of--" Bemariq let of a groan of frustration. He had barely left the vault since the Jaan arrived to the coast. The access system in the revealed antechamber worked on a strange combination of nerves and lightning ??unbelievably sophisticated electrical machinery??, but Bemariq and ni Salng seemed to have an idea of what they were doing. "The magnatess is currently negotiating a permission for the Jaan to land a 'scientific expedition'", inspector Ansis said. "My people do their best to stall the talks, but our excuses are few." Ni Salng banged the makeshift tool he had cobbled up on the wall. "Roluans don't capitulate easily, but eventually we will have to. Now we must consider sealing this vault." "No." Bemariq poked his heavily gloved hand between the crackling strands inside the access panel. "I won't be cowed." I sighed from relief, when Bemariq pulled his arm out without having been fried. I said: "Besides, the Jaan would just blow the doors open." "That is foreseeable", ni Salng conceded. "Or coerce you to reopen it." "Try it now", Bemariq said to the Lauded Researcher. Ni Salng nodded and activated another machine he had made from scrap. The nerves sputtered, and the dull window next to the door lit alive. Our cheers were cut out by a strained voice from no obvious source. It blared gibberish. "That sounds familiar." I looked at Bemariq. "I think..." He nodded. "The rest of you should leave the dig site. Me and my wife will stay, and do our best to mitigate the havoc of the Jaan. If nothing else, I can make a proper account on what the complex was like before it was robbed clean." "While I loathe to leave you without protection..." Ansis's expression was grim. "I do have explicit orders to remove myself and my men from this area. Nobody wants to give the Jaan an excuse to escalate this into an international crisis." "I have been told to remain", ni Salng said. "As the host and advisor to this... 'expedition'." Bemariq smirked. "While making a list of everything the Jaan take?" Ni Salng returned the smile. Ansis bid us good luck. Soon all the Roluans save the Lauded Researcher were gone. "Presumably..." Ni Salng nodded at me. "Your lady remains to operate this pre-Collapse environmental body outfit, no?" "So, you know about that", Bemariq said. "But yes. I think the suit can interface with this system and translate all this to a less dead language." "Oh." Ni Salng's head bobbed approvingly. "I'm beginning to see the hint of a stratagem." "More like a gambit. I do hope it works", Bemariq said. The carapace suit fit me like a thoroughly worn glove. "Proximity to main facilities detected", the suit declared. Bemariq rubbed the stubble on his chin. "I wonder, how it does that. Ubiquitous nerveless telegraphy perhaps?" I frowned. "Could all that invisible radiation going through me be dangerous?" "No. I doubt the energy output is noticeable compared to background natural phenomena." His smile disappeared. "Sirin. We can't predict, how the suit reacts inside the vault." He pressed the suit's override. "I do hope this does more than douse the voice." His gaze was filled with worry. I leaned forward, and Bemariq took me into a hug. A bang on our front door. Ni Salng shouted: "The visitors are approaching!" The Jaan ship was too big to be fully amphibious, but it could crawl up the shallow river, even if it shuddered and heaved from the exertion. Bemariq kept me against him, as we watched down into the river valley. My carapace suit was hidden under work gown, even though the magnatess would know to expect its presence. The exhausted ship beached itself on the river bank, and Jaan mariners poured to the shore. Sitolytta's personal carriage was easy to spot. It jumped out of the ship and came towards the dig site with a small escort of armoured infantry. I nodded at the inspector's men, who observed us in the distance. "Do you think those watchmen will stop Sitolytta from liquidating us once she's done here?" "That is my hope." Bemariq rubbed my shoulder. "I might not be considered essential to the Conglomerate, but they won't tolerate the insult of openly executing their associates. The magnatess would have to be insane to allow an archaeologic dispute to escalate into a war spanning two oceans." Footmen jumped off the carriage and helped the magnatess out. Her red gown managed to be magnificent despite the practical unsupported style of its skirt and the obvious armour padding in the bodice. Ni Salng greeted Sitolytta in fluent --if heavily accented-- Jaanish. She dismissed the Roluan with an imperious wave of her hand. "Associate Bemariq and lady Usinilim." The smile on the magnatess face was warm and wide. "I'm glad you decided to stay." "We didn't want to leave you without knowledgeable assistance", Bemariq said. "It seems to have been wise, as you have brought no Jaan experts." The magnatess gestured at me and spoke to one of her soldiers: "Check them for weapons and if she's wearing a combat carapace." "Well it's--" I stepped forward with my palms open. "Yes actually, I am wearing one." The Jaan soldiers lifted their guns at me. The suit shifted around me, as if preparing to take control. It must have made assumptions based on my rising heart rate. Bemariq stepped between the soldiers and me. He said: "That environmental protection suit is our only interface to the vault's systems. Considering the inner doors are still locked, you will need her suit to get inside." The pretty mouth of the magnatess turned into a straight line. "Have her take it off then." "It's permanently imprinted on her", Bemariq said. "As an insurance." Sitolytta's upper lip curled to show a hint of snow-white sharp teeth. "You are bluffing." "Can you take that chance?" I said. "I could scoop your corpse out of carapace and have it tested by 'volunteers'." The smile returned to Sitolytta's face. "But that would take too much time. Have it your way, associate Bemariq. There's little reason, why we can't work together." She turned to a soldier. "Keep your needler to her head. If she does anything funny, shoot." The soldier walked to me. He was boyishly young, but carried his bulky chitin armour well on his tall frame. I gave him my best innocent smile, which he answered with a pleased smirk and by shifting his eyes away from me. I let out a small relieved breath. This was clearly a youth susceptible to positive female attention. All soldiers, except the groups watching us, spread around the camp to secure the area. "One more thing", Bemariq said, once we had stepped over the main threshold to the vault. "This is the key to these doors." The magnatess groaned. "Yes--" Ni Salng activated the door controls. The huge slabs of stone shuddered and moved to close. "What pointless trickery this?" the magnatess demanded. "Are you this eager to die?" "These doors cannot be opened from inside." Bemariq smiled. "At least not without proper knowledge and equipment. You will need all three of us to guarantee that you'll ever leave this place." "Ah. You suspect I would kill you out of the view of those Roluan watchers?" Sitolytta chuckled. "Your suspicions wound my pride. Very well. We'll play this your way." The pipes on the floor were crushed between the shutting doors. I kept consternations about my husband's ploy to myself. "Mariner Naratti", the magnatess said to a soldier. "Establish communications to the outside." "How exactly, magnatess?" "I don't know. Use your head; it should be dense enough." The long stairs took us deep into the earth, to the part of antechamber, which had been accessible, when we first entered the vault. The general disrepair and notably poor state of the artefacts had indicated inhabitation during or soon after the Collapse times. Our hope was that the inner complex, previously hidden under rubble and water, would provide more pristine finds. The hem of Sitolytta's pretty gown swept the murky water. She gestured to the ceiling. "Have you figured out, what powers these ghastly lights?" The magnatess was correct to wonder. The primordial lamps were bright enough to hurt the eye. Their longevity was marvellous, but it was explained by their tendency to shut down, when no humans were around. "No", ni Salng said. "They get their power from the lightning coursing through nerves hidden inside the walls, but where all that electricity comes, we can't know." "Peculiar", Sitolytta said. "Perhaps that force could be utilised to power machinery?" "Unlikely", Bemariq said. "The 'lightning' is only strong enough give a sturdy shock to a human." "That is underwhelming", the magnatess said. "Oh well, you can investigate it later at your leisure." Next to the closed antechamber door, the false window was still lit. Odd symbols danced around the glass in vertical lines. "Oh, wonderful", Sitolytta said. "I've always wanted to see a working one of these." She tapped the window. The letters changed, and Sitolytta let out a pleased giggle. "What does it read?" "We didn't have time to decipher it", ni Salng stated. "The writing system doesn't seem to be a relative to any extant variety." "I see. Move aside." Sitolytta stepped in front of the door and spread her arms wide. Her voice dropped low, as the spoke in an old dialect of Jaanish: "Hear my words, our masters! Sons and a daughter of Jaan have arrived to this land, which was promised to our revered ancestors!" One of the soldiers made a hand gesture of veneration, while the rest looked on without visible emotion. After a moment, the magnatess dropped her hands. "I had to try that." She gestured to the door. "Feel free to open it." "Touch the window", Bemariq said to me. "Your suit should connect by itself." I swallowed and stepped to the window. After a glance at Bemariq, I placed a hand on the shifting text. "A new linguistic formation acquired", the strained voice of the walls stated. "No written component available. Commencing with verbal." "Oh, by the cursed heavens", the magnatess whined. "The electric spirit speaks in Congue. Well, that does solve the question of sanctity. This place has none." "What do I do now?" I asked Bemariq. He shrugged. "Tell it to open." I turned back to the window. "Would you open, door?" "Scanning. One complete and one unfinished imprinted breeding pair detected", the spirit declared. "User error. Three excess males in vicinity." "Is this another trick of yours, associate?" the magnatess asked. Bemariq shook his head. "No. But the suit did talk about these... 'breeding pairs' earlier." "Ah. Some sort of population control." The magnatess rubbed her nose. "Alright. Me and lady Usinilim will take two soldiers with us." "That won't work", I said. "The suit already determined me and Bemariq as a pair." "Besides, you will surely need my expertise inside." Bemariq smirked. "Ni Salng's too. He'll be your pair, magnatess." Sitolytta gave the Roluan a long look. "Tempting, but I'd be outnumbered in such a company." She turned to her soldiers. "Marksman Hyssi", she said to the soldier guarding me. "You shall act as my 'pair'. Come here." Hyssi walked to her like a dog to its mistress. The magnatess placed her hand on the chest of the soldier, gave him a smirk and pushed the man away. "Mariner Turra, give me your weapon", she commanded. "Yes, magnatess." The soldier handed Sitolytta his compact needler. The woman's dainty gloved hands held the stubby weapon with practised ease. "Now, the rest of you, step further away", the magnatess commanded. "Perhaps now the door will deign to allow us four inside." I nodded and said to the window: "Open, please." The door folded open to reveal a tiny room, into which the floor water streamed. "You two, go in." Sitolytta pointed her gun to the room. "Keep to the walls." She turned to the soldiers and told them to wait a few hours before signalling to the outside about breaching in. Ni Salng spoke to Bemariq in Roluish, to which my husband gave a nod and a curt answer. "Guard against danger", the Roluan said in Conglang. "And retain amiable fortune." After we walked in, the doors gave a grating whine and clunked shut. The floor trembled, and a jolt went through the whole room. "An elevator?" Sitolytta relaxed the grip on her needler. "No..." The room was moving sideways. I said: "We are going towards the hills." A shiver of thrill coursed up my spine. The complex had to be significantly larger than we had estimated. Sitolytta turned to Hyssi. She said: "Perhaps the spirit is monitoring us." She drew the man closer with a gesture of her finger. "Let's prove we make a great pair." The magnatess wrapped her arms around the soldier and pulled him into a long kiss too strong to be merely passionate. I winced from the sight and pushed against Bemariq's side. He clasped my hand and squeezed tight. Sitolytta pushed the young soldier away and wiped her pursed lips in a sleeve. The machinery under the floor whined and screeched, as the room picked up the pace. "Why are you doing this?" Bemariq asked. "At first you slowed us down with you sabotage, and now you hurry forward without heed. You could have waited to blast the doors, to gather a large group and do things safe and methodologically." Sitolytta smiled full of self-assurance. "The situation has changed. My superiors need all the information I can gather, before the ebbs of oceanic diplomacy catch us and possibly force a retreat. You do understand that we couldn't tolerate that the Conglomish access any ancient but functional weapons facilities." Bemariq stretched his mouth into a straight line. "That is... surprisingly reasonable." She chuckled. "And I wouldn't give up this chance to delve into the untouched past. If your hypothesis is correct, associate Bemariq, this cenotaph connects to the origins of my people." "In all likelihood, not directly", Bemariq said. "I too suspect so." Sitolytta gave a theatrical sigh. "We don't have to be enemies. If we ascertain that we Jaan have nothing for us here, the Directory can leave you to your mud-shifting without losing face." She let the hand holding her needler drop and walked to me and Bemariq. "Could we call a truce? No more silly tricks? Our aims intersect." Anger flared inside me, strong enough to churn my stomach. This woman was sweet perfidy itself. Yet, her stated goals rang true. Besides, she was the one with the guns and the big soldier. "You are correct", I said and hugged Bemariq's arm. "We gain nothing from not cooperating." "Wha--" Bemariq glanced at my smile and cleared his throat. "Yes. I agree with my wife." "Good." Sitolytta strode back to her soldier, who was standing in a corner with a dull smirk on his face. The clanking of the tram had mostly turned into a steady whine. Bemariq stretched his back. "As we are still moving, this tram tunnel seems to be intact." "Perhaps the antechamber corridors hadn't collapsed from seismic activity alone?" I ventured. "Do you mean it might have been deliberately blown up?" Bemariq scratched his jaw. "That rises the question of why." "Oh, more mystery." The magnatess giggled. "Anyhow, do tell me, if you know what is place is. The preoccupation with population does suggest a shelter from eschatologic weaponry." Bemariq nodded. "That's my guess. The rocky hills would worked as a good shield." "I'll ask the spirit", I said. "It might remember." "Do that", the magnatess said. I walked to the shining window and placed my hand on it. "I have a question. What is the purpose of this facility?" "No authorisation recognised", the electric spirit stated. "Redirecting query... Error. Connection to the Nexal Censor not found. The central databanks are unavailable without authorisation." "How do I get authorisation?" I asked. "Contact the Nexal Censor or any human superior officer." I tapped the screen. "Who is the Nexal Censor?" "The Nexal Censor is--" The spirit spewed gibberish at me. "Apparently something that doesn't have direct translation to Conglang", Bemariq said. "If I had to guess, it must be the main fabricated mind. This one did imply the Censor wasn't human." Sitolytta scoffed. "If was it human, it wouldn't still be alive." CHAPTER 16 As the room rumbled on, the sharp scent of lightning filled the air. My husband broke the silence by letting out a dry chuckle. "Roluan scientists will have their hands full with just this tram. There's only three simi--" With a loud thump the room stopped, and the doors folded open. Bemariq took a step forward. "What on..." The warm air was stifling with its moisture. Half-hidden lamps barely illuminated the wide corridor in front us. Pipes and strands of nerve sprawled on the floor and hung from the ceiling. Veins of greenish blue coursed through the grey rock. Instead of being straight and even, the walls were filled with phosphorescent coralline outgrowth and curving ridges. "Wait." Bemariq took a small device from his satchel; a detector of dangerous substances and radiation. Its warning colouration didn't change. "Well, at least we aren't going to die from just breathing here." "Fascinating." The magnatess took a step out of the tram. "Was this area unfinished?" "No." Bemariq kneeled down to poke the walls. "I think this structure has been alive and growing since the Collapse. Incredible! Perhaps, just perhaps, we might find some machinery still in state to reproduce by itself." He stood up and turned to the magnatess. "We need to go back." Sitolytta snorted. "Don--" "This discovery is the next Sidakoa." Bemariq strode to the woman. The soldier turned his gun on Bemariq, but my husband didn't care. "Possibly even a new Radhas sanctuary." "Ridi--" Bemariq continued: "The research here needs to be done right from the start. We can't do any readings without proper equipment. Ni Salng and his team need to take a look at all this, to know the parts that are safe to remove as samples. I need my assistants to help map and catalogue every fold and crevice. Not ruining this is... It's our duty. Not just to our countries, but to all people on this world." Sitolytta twisted her mouth into a deep scowl. "Damned. That does ring true. I don't want my name to be remembered as the second 'Slaughterer of Radhas'. But I expect you to cooperate fully afterwards. No tricks, or I'll blow this place up." Bemariq spread his arms. "Anything to stop this from becoming another looted and lost opportunity." "Good." We followed Sitolytta back to the room. She said: "Lady Usinilim, tell the tram to return." "It's good this tram line still works", I said. "Without it, the walk between here and the camp would be such a bother." I chuckled and put my hand on the window. "Take us back." "No authorisation recognised." "What?" I poked the window, but it didn't react. "Why do I need authorisation now?" "Due to the general safety lock down, movement in and out of the installation is restricted to authorised personnel." "But you let us in!" I yelled. The spirit didn't answer, so I rephrased myself: "Why did you let us in?" "Emergency priorities are in effect due to mission endangering low population of negative seventeen. Potential breeding pairs receive limited automatic authorisation, as per directive--" The spirit let out an ear-piercing screech. I winced and held my ears until the ringing faded. "Oh great", the magnatess said. "Trapped by an ancient initiative to save the human species. Safe to say we already succeeded a hundred generations ago." "This does complicate things", Bemariq said. "At least the rescue will be on the way before long", I said. "Instead of idling here for hours..." Sitolytta said, "We could search around." I glanced into the gloomy corridor. The tram wasn't a place I wanted to be trapped in. "With this suit, I might be able to get this 'authorisation', so we could leave by ourselves." Bemariq nodded. "And the soldiers wouldn't have to cause any destruction to break us out." "Let's go then." Sitolytta gestured with her gun for us to move. The dread from being pointed with a needler drowned into the giddy excitement of walking into corridors, which no human had witnessed in the historical period. Unlike the entrance complex beneath our dig site, this main facility still throbbed with primeval life, even if it had overgrown its purpose. Bemariq's eyes gleamed, as they took in everything. The warmth of the air ceased being uncomfortable, but that might have been thanks to my suit. We had little ways to navigate. Any markings on the walls were gone from aeons of humidity and stony growth. I drew a simple map on an ink slate as we went on, even if we planned to always take right turns in order to avoid getting lost. The doors were fused shut or otherwise inoperable. We wouldn't force them, before making sure we could handle everything on the other side. "What's that?" Sitolytta asked. She pointed to a stone lump on the floor. It had the distinctive three holes and the top teeth of a human skull without a jaw. "A skull", I stated the obvious. "Fused into the living stone." Bemariq sat on his haunches and looked around. "A part of the spine." He pointed to some distance from the skull. "That might a humerus. And that is a rib." "Definitely not a whole corpse." I glanced around and frowned. Human remains made the gloom rather less inviting. "While I'm not surprised by the human remains", Sitolytta said. "Why was the corpse ripped in pieces and spread around?" "These growing structures could have moved the decomposed remains", Bemariq said. The magnatess snorted. "That is an undramatic explanation compared to what I had in mind: desperate cannibalism." I turned my scowl towards Sitolytta. While I had seen plenty of ancient human remains, being trapped deep underground wasn't the place for eerie tales. The magnatess pursed her smile at me. "What's that?" The marksman's voice startled me. Despite his bulk, his silent presence had slipped from my mind. Hyssi pointed down the hallway, where a lump moved among the shadows of the outgrowths. Its surface reflected the faint light in the manner of polished chitin. "Stay back, magnatess", Hyssi declared and moved past us with his needler at the ready. He stopped a few feet away from the strange object. "Seems like some sort of animal. Though, not any I recognise." "Let me see." Bemariq strode forward. I hurried after him. The creature had a smooth segmented shell. It was asymmetric, and its numerous flexible legs were all different sizes. It lacked any recognizable head beyond a bundle of sensory antennae. "Should I kill it?" Hyssi asked. "No!" Bemariq crouched. "It's some sort of tool or machine, gone feral for generations. Fascinating. It must be able to reproduce by itself." "If we figured out its original purpose", I said. "It could be bred back into a useful form." "Exactly." Bemariq stood up, smiled at me and took my hand. I grinned wide. "Even one new functional machine lineage would be a find beyond valuable. To mankind, I mean." "For all we know it might be an elaborate kitchen appliance", Sitolytta said. "An ugly critter, regardless." "I wonder what it eats in here", Hyssi said. Bemariq shrugged. "The by-products of the systems maintaining this structure, would be my guess." I glanced at Sitolytta. "At least they can't have been eating corpses for thousands of years." The magnatess smirked. "Maybe that's why the facility wants breeding humans. For food." "The machines could eat by themselves whatever they would feed to the humans", I said. Sitolytta wasn't discouraged. "Perhaps they prefer the taste of us." "I should take point from this onwards", Hyssi said. "I don't know how they live, but I know feral machinery doesn't need to eat humans to be a threat." The corridor opened into an open space surrounded with terraces, which were overgrown with vines, moss and gnarly stunted trees. The ceiling above was luminous grey, yet not high enough to appear like a clouded sky. Though the mist was thin, it was enough to hide the walls from sight. My wonder at the garden under stone turned into a chill up my spine, when a man-sized shape jerked into view from behind a tree. With a uneven gait the four limbed creature approached us. The crawling beast would have appeared to be person wearing a carapace suit like mine, but its lithe frame was too shrivelled to hold a human inside. "Halt!" Hyssi shouted. The creature stopped to rest on all of its four limbs. Only two fingers of both hands touched the ground. The plates of its carapace were thick and rough, and the feral suit was itself uneven on one side. The helmet drooped as a mere flat pouch from its shoulders. "Is that a suit like yours, lady Usinilim?" Sitolytta asked. "It does look similar." The feral suit shifted its shoulders, presumably trying to get a better view of us with whatever parts worked as its eyes. The magnatess pointed her gun at the creature. "Is it supposed to walk about?" "No. My suit hasn't moved itself without me inside it." Sitolytta let out a sigh. "If it wasn't so sickly looking, I might risk wearing it. To be frank I don't trust this thing." "That is wis--" The feral suit let out a strained babble, akin to syllables from a language even it had forgotten. It stood up, as a crippled man might, and unfurled open. From inside it fell brittle black bones and soft mush reminiscent of brain tissue. Viscous liquid dripped from where the suit had cracked. My stomach turned. Sitolytta lifted her hand to shield her nose with a sleeve, but quickly took a proper grip of her gun again. "That's hardly inviting." Bemariq took a step forward. "If captured it, we could--" "Don't go closer." I moved in front of my husband. He snorted. "I wasn't--" The feral suit shivered, and strode forward with wobbly fluidity. "Shoot it", the magnatess commanded. "No--" The crack of the needler drowned Bemariq's voice. The feral suit flinched from the impact, but didn't slow down. Hyssi stepped in front of the approaching creature. The feral suit twitched in place for a moment, before dodging around the marksman and continuing towards Sitolytta. "Hey!" Hyssi grabbed the floppy shoulder of the feral suit. My eyes barely caught the following movement. The suit twisted around and grappled the soldier in an attempt to engulf him. Fear deformed the marksman's face, as his armour-assisted muscles struggled to keep the wet folds reaching his head. I dashed forward. Before my second step, my suit was moving me. "Threat detected", my suit declared. Its mask spread to cover my face, and I couldn't see. Yet despite my sudden panic, the suit moved around me. "User override deactivated by emergency combat override." In the blind blackness, I collided into something flimsy. My arms moved, gripped and strained, until whatever I was holding gave way and snapped. My leg kicked and stomped, and the high whine filling the air ceased. My vision returned, though it had a layer of unreality: I wasn't looking through windows in the mask but at perfectly lifelike paintings in front of my eyes. Below me was the crushed remains of the feral suit. Age, disease, malnutrition or poor breeding, whatever it was, had left the suit weaker than mine. But not much. The artificial muscle around my body trembled and sent inexplicable signals of weariness through me. Hyssi stood trembling, his face made even more boyish by the lingering terror. "Sirin!" Bemariq rushed to me, but stopped at a two-step distance. "Are you alright?" My fingers fumbled to remove the mask. As it slid off my face, an acrid wet stench burned into my nostrils. It was fortunate that my gown was threadbare, as the new coating of viscera had surely ruined it. I cleaned my gloved hands on the fabric and said: "I'm alright." Bemariq smiled. He took a step to hug me, but decided otherwise after a glance on my soiled overgown. We grinned at each other instead. Sitolytta had watched me with keen interest, but now her large eyes wandered to the fog beyond. "There's more of them", she said. "We need to leave." Six or more shadows moved in the mist, sometimes on two limbs like men, but mostly on more. Bemariq stood still with foolish determination on his face. I clasped his hand, making sure not to crush his bones, and dragged him with me. Sitolytta ran back the way we had come. We followed. After me and Bemariq, the marksman jogged with long strides. The feral apparitions were not far behind. They did not hurry, yet managed to move fast. They spoke to each other --and possibly to us also-- in whines and jabberings. The corridors surged past us. The magnatess glided in the front with a hand holding her skirt up. "Equipment required for full reproductive reorganisation detected", my suit said. "Proceeding..." "Wha--" My legs shifted under me. I braced for a fall, but the suit kept me on my feet. In fluid motions, my suit walked me to a corridor on the right. "Stop!" Hyssi yelled. "Where are you going?" "The suit's taking me!" I shouted. "Come, Hyssi!" the magnatess shouted. "Splitting up is a plan good as any!" I strode with long fast steps, but Bemariq was able to run past me. "Can't you stop?" he asked. I squirmed inside the grip of the carapace suit. "No!" Bemariq dropped behind me, and after few more steps, I couldn't turn my head enough to see him. A low whine was followed by a stony screech. "Bem?" "Here, Sirin." My husband appeared to my side. He took my hand and squeezed it hard enough for me to feel his grip through the glove. He said: "That door should hold them off. I hope the Jaan find their own way to escape." Still he cared about the slut. My jaws clenched, but I caught the surge of petty jealousy. However, my voice was sharp, as I said: "I'm relieved for your sake. Yet I find myself already in a suit!" "Did it say anything about what's going on?" "You didn't hear it speak?" My voice broke into whine: "It said it's continuing with the reproductive alterations." "Oh... By the-- We need to stop it." Bemariq tried to grapple me, but the suit slid easily from his grasp. A door opened at my side, and I was walked into a brightly lit room. The walls were smooth without lumps or growths. The door behind us slid close. I stumbled, when the suit stopped moving me. "Organ printing is still underway", a disembodied voice said. "Please wait in the reception room." Bemariq tried tried the door handle. "Locked. Can you move, Sirin?" "Yes." I rushed to hug him. "Thank the Lady that the machines allowed you here." Bemariq wheezed. He detached from my grip and patted my back. "We need to find a way out. But first, we need to get you out of that suit." He took my wrist, but pressing the controls didn't open my carapace. "Damn." Bemariq sighed. He took a cutter-worm out of his satchel. "Wait. Bem, this might the only healthy suit left." "That is..." His mouth twitched. "No. It's certainly not worth risking your life in whatever procedure the spirit is planning for you." "We might need my suit to escape." I swallowed and tried to sound brave. "Breaking my suit is also a risk." Bemariq looked into the floor. I gestured at the surprisingly clean interior. "This rooms is pristine. Perhaps the machinery here works as intended?" I pressed against Bemariq. My heart's beat filled my chest. "And Bem... Anything could happen as we leave. This might be our only chance to..." Bemariq hugged me. Entwined, we remained silent for several of his deep breaths. "Damn it, Sirin." He drew back and put the cutter-worm away. "This can end with regret either way." I smiled. "That cutter probably wouldn't be enough to break through this suit. Not before it stopped you from harming it, at least." CHAPTER 17 None of the doors in the room opened to us. We sat next to each other on a bench, listening the hums and groans of a facility aeons old. "I wonder, what happened here", I said in low enough voice not to disturb the fickle peace. "This place still lives, even though it has grown so wrong. It isn't at all, what I expected." "It's perfectly possible that this compound served its --perfectly sane and reasonable-- purpose, before being left to fall feral." Bemariq tried to reassuringly squeeze my thigh, but the armour plate barely gave in. "I'd say 'don't be afraid', if it wasn't utterly hypocritical." My smirk widened, which helped to relieve a little of the trepidation. "Proceed to the surgery", said the voice from the walls. A door opened into a clean hallway, from which we entered a small side room. In the middle was table enclosed by a cocoon of large transparent leaves. "Subject", the voice declared. "Remove unnecessary decorative garments." I took off my shoes and gown. I turned, and my eyes locked with Bemariq's. After a long shared gaze, Bemariq wrapped his arms around me and crushed me against him. The disembodied voice whined, but I only listened to my husband's breath. We drew back. His hand clasped mine. For a moment, his expression wavered, but he couldn't find fitting words. I suppressed a shiver and forced a smile. The glassy cocoon of the table opened to welcome me, and I took my place on it. My suit became rigid around me. A thick limb appeared from the table and spread to cover my lower half. I pressed my head down and stared at the lights above, so I couldn't see the fear on Bemariq's face, and so he couldn't see the terror in mine. "An imprinted breeding pair confirmed", the electric spirit declared. "Reproductive mismatch. Continuing with the corrective procedures." The transparent sheets rose to cocoon me. I took a deep breath to brace myself against crying out, no matter what happened. When the stinging lance stabbed into my crotch, I wailed. "Sirin!" Bemariq rushed to the cocoon. "I-I'm fine", I lied, to myself the most. "I'm fine. I'm fine." The feeble reassurance didn't calm Bemariq. His arms shivered against his body. Sedatives pulsing into my veins relieved the pain. They didn't mask the squirming of tendrils, which pushed, ripped and rearranged the flesh inside me. "It's... fine..." I slurred. "I'm fine..." Bemariq placed his hands on the glass-like surface. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pressured you to this." "You dumm--" I gasped, as the numbed nerves of my abdomen flickered in a bewildering array. "Physiological parameters near optimal. Proceeding with implantation. Error: the patient is demonstrating signs of consciousness. Administrat- -?" My head spun, and the ancient lights above me finally went out. I heard myself groan. My belly pulsed with a warm pain, which was tinged with dizzy horror and confused hope. The light in the room was blinding for several blinks. Bemariq lay on the bench next to a wall. I was still stuck on the table. "Bem..." My husband was startled awake. He hurried to me. "I'm here, my honeydew. Are you alright?" "Yes... But I can't move." "Reproductive reorganisation successful", my suit chirped. "Adjusting fertility rate to required parameters. Error: due to low population, required number of offspring per each fertile uterine body exceeds ten thousand. Levelling to highest survivable ovulation rate of... eleven." "What the..?" Bemariq mouthed. "We need to get you out!" Several spikes stabbed my abdomen. Beyond a sting and uncomfortable movement inside me, there was no pain. Because my brain still floated on a bed of sedatives, I had to look in my husband's terrified face to understand, that something nasty was going on. Bemariq tried to pull the glass cocoon down, but his arms weren't strong enough to budge starfarer machinery. He punched the glass without effect and howled from pain. "Procedures done", said a strained and disembodied voice. The suit around me gave a faint click. My sluggish squirming removed the locks on my limbs, and I tried to scurry away from the table. Bemariq caught me before I fell off the edge. He helped me on my feet, but I didn't really stand. Instead, I merely allowed to suit to keep me up; my legs were listless liquid. "I..." My voice was a meek whine. "Bem..." "It's alright." In my dazed state, I almost believed my husband. He lifted me up and carried me to a bench near the door. I fumbled for his hand. Despite the danger of the suit crushing his bones, he twined his fingers around mine. "At least I'm not dead." I forced a smile on my face. "Yes. That is good." Through is attempt at a smile, my husband looked concerned. "We need to figure out what the suit meant with the 'the ovulation rate'. If... Eleven is far beyond unreasonable. Even with starfarer wizardry." "It had to be an error." I frowned. "Right?" "Likely, but we can't know in what part. Once free, we should wait and see how your natural cycle works." "That's... disappointing but reaso--" I shivered. "What if... What if the process malfunctioned..." "We can't kn--" I yelped from a sting to my thigh. "The suit pricked me!" "Administrating coital urge enhancer to encourage instinctive reproductive behaviour." A tingling flame spread across me, sending shudders through my flesh. The carapace suit let out a hiss and cracked open from around me. My burning skin sensed the wet air as terribly cold. Never had I been so hot yet graved to be warmed. My crotch wasn't the heap of mangled flesh my imagination had conjured. Instead, the slit was barely noticeable. My mind went blank. I had been girl for my man. Now I wouldn't be anything else. Bemariq helped me out of the husk and on my feet. His eyes wandered over my naked form. My hand quivered, as I debated about giving my new self an examination. A clench of the inner muscles proved the changes weren't merely skin deep. I didn't notice that strength had left my legs, before Bemariq's hands caught me from falling. I wrapped my arms around him and kissed his neck. The scent of his stale sweat tingled deep in my nose. I didn't need starfarer sensors to interpret the chemical message: this was a male ready and able to fulfil his reproductive purpose. Even if he hadn't been such a prime specimen of human masculinity, I needed him. "Take me", I whispered. "I don't care, if I end up blowing up." Bemariq's smirk flashed, before turning into a deep frown. "Are you well?" With little regard to the artefact, he pushed the husk from the bench and placed me on it. I didn't let go off him. "Of cour--" I closed my eyes and bit my teeth together. All my thoughts were interrupted by images of hard pounding, which I would soon receive. But part of me realised I should have reason somewhere buried in the desire. "Damn... The suit wasn't kidding with the 'sexual urge enhancers'." My limbs trembled. I let out a tiny squeal. Bemariq wrenched himself from my hold, but I could see that a burgeoning tool filled his trousers. He was a virile man; of course the sight of a nubile girl would stoke heat into him. My hand wandered to my groin. The sensation was just as exciting as I had hoped. A desperate moan left my lips, which sent a jolt through the man's handsome frame. "Come on..." I murmured. Bemariq's grimaced and pulled his hands away from me. "Try to relax, Sirin." "You'll have to help me." I tried to sit up, but Bemariq pressed me down. His hand was cold and moist on my heated flesh. Instead of getting on top of me and taking me, as was his right and duty, the man kept me from moving. I squirmed, but he was much stronger than a vulnerable woman like me. I snarled: "You impotent eunu--" "Shut up." Bemariq's tone was sharp but calm. "And think. You are poisoned, but your mind still works. Now, be a good girl and behave, and I'll get you off." I had no choice but to yield to his torturous denial. The brute moved his other hand down my belly. I shivered, when a finger touched the lower lips and slid into the heated wetness between. While his other fingers didn't probe deep, a thumb and the index found the nub. I tried to curse him for doing something so boring as forcibly rubbing my tender spots, but soon I could only groan. His touch was still the same gentle but strong delight, even if my brain flared in confusion from the rearranged flesh. The raising arousal in me tightened into an exasperating node. The relief wasn't far off. I cried out as the knot of nerves unravelled. The glow didn't fade. Bemariq continued his forceful dispensation. I writhed, my limbs shivering, until I wailed from an orgasm no less intense than the first. My mind reeled, as the lights above turned into spinning stars. Bemariq relinquished his grip and sat next to me. "Do you feel better?" His voice wavered, as if from barely contained excitement. "Any closer to sanity?" I caught my breath, focused my vision and smiled at him. "Somewhat. Thank you... For a moment, I thought..." I swallowed. The buzz was still clouding my head, but at least death from catastrophic superfecundation didn't seem like worth a good probing any more. My husband's gentle smile widened. "Don't bother blaming yourself." I sat up, and a sob burst out of my throat. I had acted so dumb. And it wasn't just for that one moment; there was little I was good for. The despair was like a crushing wave. I began crying, and Bemariq embraced me. "What's wrong?" he asked. "I... I don't..." I gulped. "You are too good to me. A silly frippet like me doesn't deserve a proper and gentle man like you." "What the..." Bemariq sat on the bench with me and lifted me to sit on his lap. His arms crushed me against him. "The drugs must have stirred the chemicals in your brain. The effect will soon be over, and you'll feel better." He moved his mouth to my ear and whispered: "I love you." Such proclamation was neither plausible nor something I deserved. But he continued his kind platitudes, and I listened, until I found my calm again. "Oh, have mercy on me, Our Lady", I muttered. "This is embarrassing." Bemariq dried my cheeks with handkerchief. "How so? I've seen people have such outburst even without their blood being saturated with starfarer chemicals." My mouth struggled into a crooked smile. He really was too good for me, but that wasn't grounds for more whining. "The procedure really worked." I wrapped my arms around his neck. "Will you now grow bored of your dully mundane wife?" Though I tried to sound nonchalant, desperation tinged my voice. "What for? I don't think your genitals affect your ability to categorise ancient relics." He gave a brief kiss. "That is the faculty in a woman, which foremost warms my blood." I giggled in response, but my gaze fell. "I'm serious." Bemariq affected being hurt, but couldn't wipe his smirk entirely. "Imagine having to live with someone, who thinks your work is a vapid waste of time. Though you are --at times-- preoccupied with the market value of the artefacts, you nevertheless can appreciate the difference between a proto-Jaan plough and a Kosite-style sickle- dagger." "I know they are both worthless scrap." I laughed, but only for a burst. "Though I have to say, it's peculiar to find both at the same site, not to mention in this remote area of the world. It places serious doubt on at least two current models on the spread of post-Collapse material culture." Bemariq let me down to sit next to me and insisted that I explain myself, even though he must have been well aware of what I meant. I humoured him, but he countered my sensible assertion with arguments, which were intermittently both quaint and radical. Yet his tone was serious enough that I didn't catch on, what he was doing, until I sighed from frustration. "Damn." I chuckled. "One might have assumed the renowned associate of Usinilim didn't harbour such amateurish views." "If you think you know better than me, you should write a monograph on the subject." Bemariq's smile was wide and warm. "Do you feel better yet?" I closed my eyes and breathed in deep. "Yes. The haze is gone. Thanks for distracting me from those gloomy thoughts." I stood up and gave my body another glance. Despite the radical changes, my physical form wasn't foreign. It was fully mine. Though the sedatives had worn off, a vague satisfaction infused my mind. The sensation wasn't hazy or confused. Instead, the fog, which had clouded my life before, had disappeared. I placed my hands under my navel and shivered. Hidden inside me was either a miracle or a misshaped horror. One, which could turn something as wonderful as love into anguish. Before the distress could overtake me, I steeled my resolve by concentrating on the facts. I was alive, we were trapped. If... When we escaped, anything wrong in me could be fixed, or at least mitigated. "Sirin?" Bemariq stood up. I filled my lungs to the brim. "I'm fine. I need to get back into my suit." "No!" Bemariq strode to me and grabbed my arms below the shoulders. "Absolutely not." "Bem." I lowered my voice so it didn't sound so frightened. "We need the suit. Fertilisation wouldn't happen this fast anyhow, so I doubt it can tell whether or not we actually... participated in intercourse. In any case, we must risk it. I must." My husband bared his teeth and sighed. "Yes. You are right. You made it this far. The luck might not run out yet." Bemariq lifted the husk and helped me step inside it. The familiar tightness surrounded me, and against my fear, nothing happened. "Seems the electric spirit is satisfied." I turned and hugged Bemariq. He kissed me, chastely enough not to stoke fire into our souls. The tight fit of the carapace suit was almost like nudity, so I put on the stained gown, but not the superfluous boots. "Let me try something", I said to Bemariq. "Hey, electronic spirit! I am possibly the sole breeding female in this facility. Because my fresh fertilisation, I require full access. Otherwise my survival is not guaranteed." After a moment, the voice said: "Contact the Nexal Censor for access management." "How?" I asked. "I don't know, where to go, and the doors don't open for me." "Granting temporary door access. A guide will be sent to escort you." I smiled at Bemariq, but he looked grim. "I don't like the sound of that 'guide'", he said. "Whatever the thing is, it might not even be alive any longer. Let's search this hospital. Perhaps there's some sort of tool for inspecting human bodies." Bemariq's eyes brightened. "The ancients must have had excellent machines for that. Such a tool could combine a radiation imager and one those glowing windows." The doors opened in front of me. I held Bemariq's hand, so we couldn't be separated by the caprice of the spirit inside the stone. Many of the rooms were barren, with the machinery presumably hidden in the walls. Some had beds or tables like the one I had laid on. We entered a room similar to the others, save the table wasn't unoccupied. On it, the decomposed bones of a person lay in their proper places. I would have ignored the signs of ancient death, except my eyes caught the smaller remains on top of the crumbled hip bone. "Oh the Lady..." My mind spun. There wasn't just one tiny skeleton or even two. My mind sunk into darkness. PART V: Censor CHAPTER 18 "Sirin!" a distant voice shouted. I clung to it, and found myself standing in the rigid legs of my carapace suit. Bemariq's hand pulled me. "Let's leave." "No. I need to see this." Though the bones had decayed, with its wide open hips, the skeleton on the table was obviously a woman's. I counted nine tiny skulls before quitting. "There's no way she could have survived this", I whispered. "What was the point?" "I can't even guess", Bemariq placed his hands on my shoulders. "Whoever she was, she died ages ago." "With this moisture, the bones wouldn't have lasted more than a few decades. A century at most." Bemariq stepped to my side. "Some unseen method of sterilisation might have postponed the decay." "That's true. Also, the air could have been more dry in the past." "It doesn't matter. Let's go." We stepped out of the room, and the door slid to hide the tomb of the nameless woman and her children. I concentrated on the mental image to drain the horror from it. Bemariq had already shown, he'd keep me safe. But he also needed me. I needed to appear strong, even if I didn't quite feel as such. Luckily the carapace suit hid worst of my shivers. "The moisture does matter." I turned to my husband. "Think about it. The tunnel we came from was collapsed for centuries. If this woman lived only a few decades ago, then there's another way in." Bemariq stared at me. "Oh..." His eyes widened. "Yes! That is plausible." "It has to be. I'm starting to think we aren't going to get the Censor - -whatever it is-- to let us out." "And the Jaan aren't going to blast their way in any time soon. The surrounding natural rock can be melted away, but this stuff..." Bemariq knocked on the wall. "It was grown to withstand nightmares, which ended a civilisation." "That was your plan from start. You knew, they couldn't get in, so we could get in here ourselves." Bemariq shook his head. "No. I just went along. How could I have know, what the tram demanded?" He chuckled. "Now I almost wish we had an army looting this place." He took a large bottle out of his satchel. "Are you thirsty? Some honeydew and water should keep us going for a while." My throat was indeed parched, so I quaffed a good portion of the sweet liquid. I realised that my bare skin hadn't been covered in sweat. The suit must have been pragmatic and 'drunk' it. We searched the area, which must have been a hospital of sorts. The furniture and equipment were largely incomprehensible to us. We found more of the odd windows, but their light had died. Try as he might, my husband couldn't operate any of the machines, or even figure out if they truly were machines and not bizarre decorative sculptures. "I'll ask for help." I patted Bemariq's arm, so the concession, of that he was out of his depth, stung less. "Alright." Bemariq put on a brave smile. "Better we get this done quick." "Oh, spirit!" I shouted. "I want to see inside my body without harming myself, for health reasons. You must help me." "Medical imaging is unnecessary at the moment", the voice answered. "I beg to differ", I said. "Maintenance of these facilities must be long overdue, so this man here must personally verify my health. Otherwise my well-being is at unknown risk." The voice gave out a small whirring whine. "Closest combined medical imaging scanner is in the third room to your subjective left." In the room was only what looked like a egg-like sarcophagus and a workstation with dim windows. One by one the glass rectangles lit up to show perplexing groups of shifting abstract images. The colourful lines and shapes might have been representations of data or phantasms conjured by an injured artificial mind. The sarcophagus vomited out a bone-white tongue. "Lay on the bed", the voice commanded. "Do I need to take off my clothes?" I asked. "No. The auxiliary skin hampers certain types of radiation, yet it can boost the required scanner resonance." "So that's what this suit is called", I said and glanced at Bemariq. He nodded. The sarcophagus didn't have any visible instruments, so it seemed relatively safe. I lay down on the bed. The machine whirred and slowly moved me inside. I did my best not to think the narrow tube as my tomb. Nothing happened, save that voice spoke to Bemariq. I couldn't hear the words. "Is it working?" I asked. "Yes", Bemariq shouted. "Stay still, dear." I did my best not to fidget from the thought of invisible rays pouring through my soft squishy flesh. The bed under me jerked, and I slid out. I stood up and went to Bemariq. "Did it work?" I asked. "See for yourself." He pointed one of the glowing windows. I had never studied much anatomy, so understanding the image took me a while. It was my torso, if I had been cut in half like some beast for study. "Is this..." I whispered and pointed to a flattened shape inside my lower abdomen. Everything seemed to be in what must have been their natural places. My insides weren't just a haphazard medical experiment, or the visceral artwork by a machine made mad by aeons passing. Bemariq wrapped an arm around me. "I think so, yes." A surge of raw indecipherable emotion made my lips quiver. I was whole, in a way I couldn't have known before. My husband kissed my forehead. "Let's go." As we stepped back into the main corridor, my head was weightless from the mixture of joy and dread. My mind cleared quickly, with a start. An emaciated creature, taller than a man and half, stood next the door. Its flat head was near faceless, and the spindly limbs were twined roots. In a foolish if charming gesture, Bemariq tried to step between me and the eidolon. I declined to budge. "What are you?" I asked in my best 'talking to a cowering servant' voice, though the words lacked gravitas. The thing didn't vocalise any answer. "This must be our guide", Bemariq said. "It certainly seems capable of taking us to our destination, by force if need be." I made short bow to the creature. "Guide us to an exit, which will let us out of this facility." The giant didn't move beyond the twitching of its corded limbs. Bemariq shrugged. "Worth a try." I sighed. "Yes. Very well. Take us to the Nexal Censor." The eidolon turned and walked away. Its movements were heavy with both fatigue and immense strength. We passed more skeletal remains fused into the walls. The cerulean phosphorescence grew stronger, though the colour only strengthened the shadows in the gloom. In the haze, three humanoid creatures crouched, picking through the debris on the floor. I froze in place, but the feral suits scattered from the path of our guide. I pulled my husband's hand and hurried after the giant. An air current began shifting the fog, and we breached to the bottom of a huge well. A thin sheen of water trickled down the wide slope, which circled around the walls. The remains of what must have been vehicles for climbing the slope decayed on the wet floor. In the chasm between the corkscrew ramp, where water poured like rain, hung listless strands of nerve. Our guide wasn't slowed down by the slippery surface of the ramp. My suit kept me on my feet, but Bemariq struggled to climb the smooth surface. He took support from the wall and from me. I did my best not to smirk. He must have been miserable enough in his soaked clothes, while my 'auxiliary skin' kept me quite comfortable. Higher we climbed, yet massive amounts of rock remained between us and the sky. There might have been an exit topside, but I did not dare to hope for an easy escape. "Bem", I whispered. "What if the Censor traps us, forces us to go along with the purpose of this place?" Bemariq remained silent for a full circle around the well. "We'll figure something out. Come what may, I'm glad I got to see all this, especially with you." "That's sweet." The affected composure in my voice wilted, as I said: "But you aren't at the risk of..." The words stuck in my throat. My husband stopped. "If I had known, I wouldn't have taken you here." I found my smile again. "And I would have insisted to come regardless." CHAPTER 19 At the top, we entered a cavern of rough natural stone. A deep jade canopy of the white-barked trees blocked the roof from view. In the middle of the garden rose a circular building. Its white walls had been stained dark grey by streaming water. A pale light reached us from unseen sources. Our guide strode through drooping branches to stand next to a gateless doorway. "This seems to be it", I said. "We could still try running." Bemariq smirked. "Would your curiosity permit that?" I pursed my lips. "I'm counting yours won't." I lost the control of my expression and grimaced. "I'm scared, Bem." He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me against him. "I'll do anything to keep you safe." "That's awfully absolute." I leaned on him. "And romantic. Like this place, in a way. How is this grass so green and these trees still verdant in this grotto so far from the stars?" "Beats me. I suspect they aren't proper plants at all." I made my hand glide through the soft leaves. "Let's go in, before we lose our nerve." The short tunnel led to a circular room. Rootlike growth coiled over the walls and through the broken stone floor. In the centre was a pool of murky liquid, from which rose a pedestal reminiscent of a blossom. On this throne sat a creature of human shape, but more. The crown of branching horns on its head connected to thin nerves. These strands rose into a hollow of merciless radiance. If its skin, with its nacreous lustre, hadn't been integral to the creature's being, I would have thought it a suit similar to mine. Like in an armour suit, there was only a suggestion of a visible face. The air whispered deep wisdom in my ear in an incomprehensible language. Without eyes the master of the blossom throne saw through me, peeled my brain into strips it could evaluate. It judged me. In its grim barrenness, the chamber was sacred. Only once had I been similarly awed, at the grand temple to Our High Lady of Reason. I was overwhelmed to tears. This was the sanctum of a god, a true remnant of the age we in our ignorance callously called the 'pre-Collapse'. I was fortunate to bask in this presence. I turned to Bemariq to share our worship, but his face was twisted by a pained frown, ugly in its irreverence. But Bemariq couldn't be disgusting. A flash of hesitation tested my resolve. I pressed the sides of my head hard enough to hurt. I had never before considered the bygone age holy, like those crazed zealots, who ravaged dig sites. Even my devotion to Our Lady was far from immaculate. I had never had such fervour to anyone but my husband. The zeal that overwhelmed me wasn't mine. My doubt pulsed into discomfort bordering on agony. A shudder waxed into uncontrollable shivers. "Bemariq..." I whined. My voice startled my husband. He embraced me. "I felt it too. A presence filling the room. It's gone now, though." That wasn't true, but the welling affection for my husband overpowered my dismay. The veneration of the god dissipated into mild vertigo. "What is this?" I whispered. "Trickery of the past, nothing more. A ghost, an echo of a dead glory. This must have been what made the soldiers at Radhas lose their wits." Of course I had read about the 'divine machinery', which created saints and madmen both, but those claims had always had the ring of blasphemy. Bemariq on the other hand was --like most of Conglomish upper class-- fashionably irreligious. According to him, the old faith was nothing but a guideline for rebuilding civilisation, hidden in robust yet artificial mysticism. I wasn't sure I agreed. My thoughts were sacrilegious, and the god could surely read them. My breathing quickened, and Bemariq crushed me tighter against his chest. He trembled, just as I. Perhaps he wasn't as unaffected as he wanted to seem. "Magnificent, isn't He?" asked Sitolytta's voice. I turned my head towards the sound and started from surprise. She was only a few steps away. The graceful body of the magnatess was hidden in the skintight embrace of a carapace suit, which showed little sign of degeneration. She was voluptuous around hips and chest, presumably due to the same adjustments I had been forced through. Though her smile was cocksure, her large eyes had a frantic light. "Where did you get that suit?" Bemariq asked. Sitolytta let out a chuckle. "One might say the suit got me." "Can you control it?" I asked. "You don't have an identification ring, do you?" "So that's why you get to use yours." The magnatess smiled wide. "I am Jaan. The mastery of this suit is my heritage." Bemariq took a step, so he was half in between me and the magnatess. He glanced around. "Where's that soldier?" "Oh, Hyssi is all tuckered out." Sitolytta glanced at me and smirked. "You know, men." The implication made me shudder. For a moment, I forgot, how much I despised the woman. "Oh no." Sitolytta ignored my reaction. She turned to the Censor and spread her arms wide. "Pray tell me, associate of Usinilim. Did you --even in your wildest of dreams-- imagine you could find something like this?" "What do you think all this is?" Bemariq asked. "A god, obviously." Sitolytta spun around fast and smooth. "Or some sort of spirit of higher order. The specifics matter little." Cold prickling surged over my skin. The magnatess was right. We were insects intruding into the presence of beings, which we were too degenerated to comprehend. Bemariq sighed. "Magn--" Sitolytta scoffed. "I know what you are going to say. Don't bother giving that crap about invisible brain-addling waves. Before, I might have entertained such blasphemy, but now-- Huh." Her expression mellowed into confusion. "Try to think rationally." Bemariq walked to the woman, and I hurried after him. The Censor could rise to smite my husband, and I'd have to plead for his life. "I'm only experiencing a mild dizziness", Bemariq said. "Possibly because I'm not inside one of those damned suits." "You might be right." Sitolytta's overactive eyes lingered on me. "Sirin." Bemariq turned away from the magnatess. "Are you feeling better?" His caring smile was mellow, as if the tremendousness of the circumstances didn't impact him. I was too preoccupied with my own confusion to react quick enough. In an elegant twisting motion of bizarre grace, the magnatess tackled my husband and kicked his legs from under him. Bemariq hit the ground. Sitolytta's foot was on my husband's throat. I stopped in my tracks. "Don't move", she demanded. "Or I'll end the torrent of profanity pouring out of his mouth for good." My mouth twisted into a snarl. I would kill her the moment I could, and her god would watch me do it. A pained gasp from my husband's mouth snapped me out of my crimson haze. "Bem, are you hurt?" I asked. "Just a little fall, my honeydew." Bemariq's hands inched towards the woman's leg. The magnatess applied a bit of pressure on Bemariq's throat. He gurgled from agony and fright. "I have little desire to kill you two", Sitolytta said. "Get out of that suit." "Don't!" Bemariq yelled. "You need to get out of here." "Fool!" I snapped and pulled off my gown. "I'm not going to leave you here." I pressed the lump to unlatch my suit. It hissed and cracked open around me. I stepped on the wet floor. The room around us was small and clammy. In the middle of the vile pool, the eyeless creature huddled on the blossom throne, bereft of any signs of power or even life. Sitolytta's eyes lingered on my lower half. She grinned. "Jaan intelligence was wrong about one thing, at least." I sneered, picked up my gown and slipped into it. The magnatess glided to my carapace suit in three weightless steps and kicked the husk into the black water of the pool. Bemariq stood up, and I hurried to my husband. Even if his throat wasn't as much as bruised, I had to fight back tears as I hugged him. "I'm alright." Bemariq patted my back and moved me to his side. In an overly calm voice, he asked: "What are you trying to achieve, magnatess?" The woman sauntered to the edge of the pool. "Your jealousy of the Jaan excellence keeps you in denial in His presence. Yet the Censor does not stir to my pleas. I need your help to awaken Him." "I will need equipment and my team", Bemariq said. "To make sure your... god is not injured or insulted by my inept administrations." "Neither of us will leave this place", Sitolytta said. "You have your assistant right there. Get to work." Bemariq let go of me and walked to the woman. "What do you except me to do with our bare hands and the simplest of tools?" Like a dancer, Sitolytta leapt into the air and spun around with her leg outstretched. Her shin smashed into the side of Bemariq's head. I screamed, but Bemariq merely staggered a step to the side. With uncanny precision, Sitolytta had barely touched my husband's head. Bemariq forced himself back into a straight posture. I clung to him and tried to see, if he was hurt. He brushed me aside and said: "I'm alright." "Good. I need your brain intact", the magnatess stated. "But your wife is less essential. Say, associate, what part of her you think is the least important?" My husband frowned. "I refuse to answer." Sitolytta grinned. "Oh, not even 'her hair'?" Anger in me boiled over my fear and threatened to cloud my reason. I had to control myself. Losing the shreds of my cool would do no good. Outside, the magnatess hadn't been particularly unreasonable. The carapace suit and more importantly the room must have addled her brain. "You don't have to hurt me", I said, doing my best to sound like I tried --and failed-- to appear confident. "We'll cooperate." Bemariq sat on his haunches at the edge of the pool. He kept a hand on the side of his skull. "In any case, we need the Censor's help to leave this place." I took a deep breath. Sitolytta would be able to snap me like a twig, but I had to unbalance her. I sneered and said: "Or are you planning to stay, magnatess?" Sitolytta scoffed. "Cut the wit." "Magnatess, what have you tried to do already?" Bemariq asked. "I have tried raising my voice." The magnatess rolled her eyes. "The walls seem quite featureless beyond the decorative engravings, but I'm sure they are filled with machinery." "Have you tried to get closer and give the Censor a good slap?" I asked. My voice had a hint of waver in it. I couldn't quite ignore the lingering dread in that ancient place. "That works on other equipment." Sitolytta glowered at me. "Your irreverence threatens my ability to keep you as motivation to your husband." I made an aggravatingly cute smile. "Just trying to see, if the Censor is sensitive to verbal disrespect, magnatess." "Please..." Bemariq muttered absent-mindedly. His eyes were locked in the apparition of the blossom throne. He dipped his substance detector into the pool. "Stale water, with tiny traces of non-toxic compounds. I must wonder, if this cavity really was a mere water feature." My husband's usual professional calm --a sure sign of his deepening excitement-- infected me. This truly was a find of a lifetime. His hard work had been rewarded. I said: "The hollow could have held machinery, which has rotten, slunk or been eaten away." I gestured to the rotten remains of root-like growth, which had broken the stone floor. "All this piping probably wasn't for decoration." Bemariq frowned. "That makes it less likely that we can restore the function to this hall, what ever it actually was." "A god does not require mortal machines to live", Sitolytta declared. Her voice brought my mind back to focus. Archaeology had to wait until we were safe. I stepped in between Bemariq and the woman. "Then what do you expect him to do? A miracle? You, magnatess, yourself are better suited for such deeds, considering your exalted heritage and bright piety." Sitolytta's smirk soured into a scowl. "So, you deem your husband useless?" "No. He just needs more help. If you yourself can't get our team here, maybe you could go ask the giant, who guided us?" "That's a good idea", Sitolytta agreed. "Go get it." "Oh, but the guide does only obey people in carapace suits, and you forced me to take off mine." I made a smarmy smile. "You should go. We have nowhere to run." The magnatess's wasn't coherent enough to keep all of the unease from her expression. My suspicions, as of why she had lingered in an empty room doing nothing, seemed to be correct. I took a step closer to the woman. "Sirin?" Bemariq stood up. "What are you--" "Why are you afraid?" I asked Sitolytta. "The god's presence will surely remain outside th--" A yelp of fright escaped my mouth. The magnatess had my wrist in her hand. I clenched my jaw to stop my pain from bursting out as a howl. "Stop!" Bemariq yelled. "Don't hurt her!" "You little insect..." Sitolytta snarled. I spoked between my teeth: "You think that blessed awe will be replaced by justified doubt the moment you le--" I screamed from the agony of my twisting arm. Bemariq took a step to help me, but Sitolytta kicked his legs from under him. The magnatess spoke in a trained low voice of a stateswoman. "You blaspheme like your husband. Thus you'll pay." "Prove me wrong first." I tried to turn my grimace into a smile. "Then your satisfaction would be doubled." Sitolytta twisted my arm more. Not enough to break bone, but enough to make me wail. She let go and strode towards the entrance tunnel. Bemariq made a poor attempt to stand. I knelt to stop his further efforts. "Stay still and relax", I said. He looked at my arm, which I kept pressed against my chest, and said: "Is it bad?" "No." I showed him that I could still smile despite the pain. "I'll wait for the pulsing ache to fade and go fetch my carapace suit from the drink." He returned my smile. "That was foolhardy." "No. Sitolytta wasn't going to hurt me, much. She think I've gone through what she has." Bemariq's jaw dropped. "Oh." A howl, filled with despair, carried from the entrance tunnel. Both I and Bemariq stared into the dark doorway. "Bem, could you get the husk instead?" I helped my husband back to his feet. "I should make sure the magnatess stays away from here." "Are you sure going near her is safe?" he asked. "It's certainly safer than waiting for her to storm back here. Did you notice, where in the water my suit dropped?" "I did." Bemariq pulled off his shirt, even though it was close to as soaked as it could be. The wet coldness of the room did little to douse the fire, which the sight his torso stoked in me. I nodded and hurried to the tunnel. CHAPTER 20 What was left of the menacing she-fiend was a hunched form sitting against a wall. "Do you..." Sitolytta let out a sniff. "Do you enjoy my misery?" "Yes." It was useless to lie, even if a strange sense of womanly kinship tempered my derision. "However, at this moment I'd prefer you in full control of yourself, to any amount of smug satisfaction." The woman took a deep breath and let out a strained chuckle. "How horrible... embarrassing this is. First this suit makes me--" She choked in her words. I crouched next to her. "Let me try take it off." "Useless. It will just cling to me again." "It's a worth a try. The guide seems to scare the feral suits, so let's go to him to remove yours." In a ridiculous gesture of empathy, I let Sitolytta grab my unhurt arm and pull herself standing. The guide was still in its place. I poked through Sitolytta's wrist until I found the deformed control lumps. Her suit sighed and wrapped open. I pulled the magnatess away, as the suit stirred to life. It spoke in a stilted imitation of the Jaan tongue. "Stay put!" I commanded in Jaanish. "Deactivate! Shut down!" The feral suit ignored my words and took an unsteady step towards us. My hand still clasped Sitolytta's, so I pulled her with me as I backed away. Without a sound, the guide reached to the suit and grabbed it. In few moments, the husk was in three squirming pieces. I closed my gaping mouth and bowed to the guide. "Thank you." The undressed Sitolytta was in a bleary-eyed stupor. I pulled her with me back into the tunnel. "Here", I said and pulled off my gown. The indignity of nudity hurt a woman of rank more than it did a scoundrel like me. "Put this on. It'll keep you warm." The garment was wet, so the lie was obvious. Sitolytta gave me a tired smirk and put the gown on. She wrapped her arms around herself in an childish self-hug. The magnatess straightened her posture and cleared her expression. "I must thank you. Even though your actions are purely self-serving." "That they are. I do hope a Jaan magnatess has enough honour to remember gratitude." Sitolytta's shoulders slumped. "Any favours I owe are useful only if I manage to get out of here." "Don't worry. All of us are getting out of here." "Your optimism is unconvincing but welcome." It wasn't optimism, but stubborn denial keeping the terror at bay. Yet I smiled, and headed back to the Censor's chamber. Sitolytta followed to the threshold. She returned my nod with a grim expression. Without her, I traipsed onward. The dizzy sensation hit me like a wall, but I couldn't sense any significant change in my perception. Bemariq was still swimming in the pool. My skin shivered from the wet air. I glanced down on my nude form. It was a shame the circumstances stopped us from exploring my altered form. "Can't find it?" I shouted. My husband lifted his head in the water. "This water... it's too deep for me to stand... and the bottom is filled with roots... but I think my... my foot touched the husk." He disappeared below the inky surface, and I went to the edge of the pool. For the moment I was alone in the dripping silence. Yet thirty centuries looked at me from the walls and the eyeless face of the Censor. It was impossible to know, what attitude the original inhabitants had taken to nudity. In an irrational fit of modesty, I sat on my haunches and curled myself together. Bemariq broke the surface and gasped for air. He floundered, while struggling to keep the husk from sinking again. I reached for the suit and dragged it on the floor. "This water is nicely warm." Bemariq swam to me and took support from the side of the pool, where he had an ample viewpoint to my crouched form. I dropped my hand between my legs to cover myself from his gaze. His eyes gestured at my naked body, and he smirked. "Are you coming for a swim too?" "No. I gave my gown to the magnatess." "Is she alright?" "She's back to her senses, for better or worse." I frowned. "Now get out, so we can leave." "What's the hurry? First, I think I'll check on the Censor." "I thought we were supposed to wait for our team and equipment before studying anything." "That was when the magnatess was about to blow up. Besides, could we even leave without the access granted by the Censor?" While running around wasn't likely to be productive, at leat we would have been away from the Censor's chamber. I could also wear my protective --not to mention warm-- suit. Try as I might, I couldn't convince myself that the Nexal Censor was truly dead. "Alright", I said. "What are you going to try?" "First I'll--" Bemariq shuddered. "A fish brushed my leg." "Come out!" I yelped. "It's just a--" Bemariq smirk was twisted by fright. he disappeared under the surface. I screamed his name. A thick root emerged from the water, with Bemariq in its coils. The man let out gurgling gasps, as he was pressed against the stone floor. The tip of the root slithered to touch Bemariq's forehead. He let out a whine. The root opened into tendrils, which engulfed the man's skull. I tried to pull the root off, but it was as solid as stone. Bemariq fumbled for my hand. "Relax, honeydew." His voice was muffled. "Stay calm. I'm fine." "No, you aren't!" I took his hand in both of mine and swallowed the lump in my throat. It wasn't the time to panic. "What is it doing?" "Well, it's not crush--" Bemariq let out long gasp. His body shuddered. "Bem!" I squeezed his hand. "Say something, please!" "Establishing direct neural interface", Bemariq said in a hollow voice. I let out a despondent whine and grabbed the root, but it didn't move. On its pedestal, the Censor sat motionless. A quick glance revealed my husk was still next to me. The emanating awe --no matter how amplified-- wouldn't be enough to stop me from helping my husband. I turned, but a hand clasped mine. Not in shackle-grip of restrain, but a gentle hold. A plea. "Bem..." I twisted my hand from his blind grasp and placed myself into the insides of the carapace husk. The suit hissed and slowly closed itself around me. Heartbeat filled my chest. The suit must have sensed my agitated state, as without any prompting it fully enclose my head. It wasn't just me in the darkness. Through the impenetrable mask, I saw a cascade of squirming light. Fervent pulsing blood crimson. Sickly yellow-green. Imperious and unquestionable silver of gods. By doubting the divinity of the chamber, I had sinned in my thoughts. Grovelling on the ground might have saved my soul. I was too insignificant to have the right to question the ancients. Without the tools bred from the technology of our betters, I would have been nothing. A confused pitiful morose aimless boy. If I had never entered this hoary abode, I wouldn't have been a full wife for my husband. Bemariq. He needed my help. My vision opened into the room. The light of the Nexal Censor was dimmed, but remained as the scent of rotten roses and the whine of mad flutes. I hadn't planned to drop to my knees, to worship and beg for forgiveness. It was the suit, filling my mind with dizzying glory. "Suit!" I screamed into the mask and pressed the override button. "Obey me! Don't enhance any outside influences. Block them all!" The chamber was still as a tomb, the eyes of the Censor as blind as they seemed. After a moment of catching my breath, I could hear my own mind. Bemariq lay still under the massive root. I grabbed the thick snaky trunk, but even my suit's strength wasn't enough to move it. "Suit", I said. "Let me speak to the Censor." A spike from my forefinger stabbed into the bark-hide of the root. I had hurt the ancient machine, even though I should have revered it. I snarled. Those tendrils of guilt invading my mind weren't mine. "Block everything save speech!" I yelled. "Sirin?" a distorted voice said from behind me. It had familiar cadence. "Bemariq?" "How are you here?" he asked. "Did the roots get you too?" "No, I intruded into yours." "Are you--" A hoary presence shifted between the thoughts of myself and Bemariq. A flash of green exasperation judged me. My mind was pushed away, but I held firm. "Let go off my husband!" I demanded. The pressure faded. A sense of endless ennui replaced it, accompanied by a vision. In the ground and under the seas rotted nerves, which had once seen all and connected the world in joyous harmony. Pride of the past turned into deep lingering distress for the future. "I don't care about your sentiments!" I twisted root in my hands, to little effect. "Let us go!" "Sirin, calm down", Bemariq said. "The Nexal Censor merely wants to talk to me." "About what?" "About fixing this facility", Bemariq's speech was calm but stilted. "Its neural paths have deteriorated too much. A fresh nervous system must take its place. Mine." I fought back the desire to scream. "What would that entail?" Images filled my mind. My husband was connected to the blossom throne. Pipes squirmed into his flesh, and his nerves spread out of his body into the rock around him. His preserved flesh slowly calcified into stone until he was fully part of the facility. Just like those bones in the hallways. "No!" I shouted into the stifling mask. "What about me-- our life together?" "We are insignificant compared to this, Sirin." Bemariq's voice lacked all assuring qualities. "Our world is rotting away. Our blindly derivative technology is a dead end, from which we cannot escape. We need the knowledge of the starfarers, fresh from the source. I must be an interface between the ancient wisdom and our workers. Such is my duty." The mental pathway was filled with languid approval of the words from associate Bemariq of Usinilim. "What good can we do?" I demanded. "This place is broken! We don't know, how to fix anything here!" "We can learn." My suit creaked, as I instinctively tightened my grip of the root. "You are just as addled as the magnatess was!" A bar of molten metal lashed at me from the mind of Bemariq. "Addled? This place is the culmination of my life's work! Not just mine, but zef- Wared's and that of every seeker before us. I won't-- I can't let this opportunity pass me by." "You wouldn't, even if you left!" I did my best to keep my anger out of my voice. "This facility has stood for generations. It won't collapse in the span of a little consideration. Please, Bemariq. Postpone... this, for the sake of us both." The connection was cold and dead long enough to hurt my chest. I swallowed the lump in my throat. "I love you." "Very well." Bemariq's voice was thin. "I might have been overly eager." I directed my words towards the presence, which I assumed was the Censor. "Give us access and let us leave. Bemariq will return, after he has considered the proposition." After a prolonged moment, an amaranth lance of disapproval stabbed at my mind. I brushed the mental discomfort aside. "We need a few days for us to be together--" "Sirin, if the--" "Bem, please." I returned my concentration to the Censor. "We need time, so we can place everything in order. You can't see the outside, but believe me, things are complicated out there. I can't organise the necessary preparations without Bemariq. Surely you can wait a moment longer? It will be just a blink of an eye in the time you have spend here." If the Censor could read my mind, and from it know, how I was merely stalling for time, it didn't indicate so. Instead, a hollow release of tension --almost like a sigh-- filled the connection. Bemariq let out a groan. The root in my hands shifted, and I relinquished my grip. With a splash the appendage disappeared into the pool. I turned to the Censor. "Grant me full access, so I won't be denied." My suit chirped. "Full access authorisation acquired." "Thank you." I bowed towards the shape on the throne, grabbed the bundle of Bemariq's clothes and pulled him up from the ground. Without looking back, I dragged him out of the chamber. The magnatess was leaning on the wall of the tunnel, in a dejected and wet state. She gave my naked husband's body a look-over, but her heart wasn't in the leering. I couldn't find even a shred of jealousy in myself. "Sirin", Bemariq began. I pressed his clothes into him. "Dress up." Bemariq took the bundle with clear hesitation. He nodded at Sitolytta. "I should stay. If I leave, there's no guarantee that the Jaan will allow me to come back." "The magnatess promised us safe conduct", I said. "Are you ready to trust the Jaan?" Bemariq's eyes glinted with anger that wasn't directed at just the magnatess. My fists squeezed together. The Jaan were capricious, but my first priority was to get us both of that place intact. I wasn't going to let my husband sacrifice himself and our life together for a rotten god's broken dream. Sitolytta moved her hair in an odd gesture of disinterest. "I don't want anything to do with this place." "Bem." I removed the mask from my face. "I need you... your help to make the arrangements at the camp." Bemariq frowned. For a frightening flash, I considered forcing him to obey my wishes with the strength of my suit. But before I could act, he let out a tired sigh. "Very well", he said. "Let us go." Along the way, I asked the giant to guide and protect us. "Where's your marksman?" I asked Sitolytta. She shrugged. "At the tram, I should think." "Is he alive?" I glanced at Bemariq, whose eyes were glued to the floor. I reached with my hand toward his, but he didn't take notice. "He was, when I left him", the magnatess said. No feral machinery barred our way to the tram. The marksman Hyssi lay on the floor, all covered by a sickly auxiliary skin. I ripped the half-rotten suit off him and helped him to his feet. For a moment Hyssi gasped in a frantic fit, but he managed to collect most of his calm. The shaking of his hands eased, after Sitolytta picked up the dropped needler and handed it to the soldier. Hyssi straightened his posture but the youth's eyes were bleary. "I apologise, magnatess." Sitolytta patted Hyssi's shoulder. "You did as well as anyone could, marksman." The marksman nodded, but his mouth twitched. The tram obeyed my command and jerked into motion. We were safe. Bemariq's eyes stared into nowhere, and the frown of his lips pricked my heart. I moved closer to him. He lifted his gaze and smiled at me, yet the expression lacked true mirth. If he was glad to be with me, it was overshadowed by doubt. My insides tied themselves into an agonising knot. Even though I had saved Bemariq from an unpredictable sacrifice, he must have seen me as manacles, which dragged him down. In the stony countenance of my husband was the withering of our love. If he decided to stay with me, he would always question, if it had been the right decision. I couldn't expect him to choose me over the world. A sour wish filled my mind; if the Jaan turned out to be duplicitous, they could stop Bemariq without him having to blame me. I recoiled from the thought, but not as much as a dutiful wife should have. The Jaan soldiers were still waiting for us. They stood in wary attention, but didn't comment on our appearance. "Still stuck here, it seems", Sitolytta said. "Yes, magnatess", the officer said. "They did try to blast their way in. To little effect." Bemariq chuckled. "My plan worked." Researcher ni Salng stepped past the soldiers. He asked my husband in Roluish, what had happened. Bemariq dismissed question with a promise to explain everything in detail later. The outer vault doors obeyed my command. Ancient stone groaned to revealed a muddy crater. The doors themselves had no sign of violence beyond charred stains. More Jaan soldiers hurried to us. "Now, magnatess", Bemariq said. "Will you take your leave?" "No." Sitolytta turned to her soldiers. "Aim your guns at the associate." Bemariq sighed between gritted teeth. "You promised!" I took a step towards the magnatess. She wasn't perturbed, but the twitching of the soldiers convinced me not to make any quick movements. I continued: "What about your obligation?" The woman smirked. "My 'obligation' is fulfilled a good way by not killing you both right this instant. Rest of my gratitude manifests itself by not forcing the indignity of undressing in public on you. Go take off that suit and return in plain clothes. Me and your husband will be waiting at the main tent." Jaan soldiers swarmed the campsite, but in my home, I was given privacy. Daring plans crossed my mind, but nothing would have made our situation any better. My selfish insistence had already ruined it all. I put on work clothes and headed to the main tent. Though my legs were heavy, I tried not to show the weight inside me. Sitolytta was at a table, with Bemariq sitting in rigid posture on the other side. A strange mixture of relief, disappointment and anger flashed on his face at the sight of me, before disappearing into a cold stare. "Good. You managed to join us." The magnatess smiled wide at me and turned to an officer. "Put her carapace in a strongbox." "Do you want it taken take to the ship?" the officer asked. "No, I won't steal it. Put in under guard and make sure lady Usinilim can't get to it." Sitolytta dismissed the officer with a gesture and turned towards my husband. "Associate Bemariq. Here is my plan. The vault will be sealed. I will negotiate with Roluan authorities to make sure nobody ever enters there." Bemariq clutched the edge of the table. "You would seal away all th--" Sitolytta lifted her hand. "I very well saw, what was there. Unpredictable terrors from the past. I act in service to humanity." My husband lifted his shaking hands in a gesture of wrathful impotence. With a few breathes, he managed to outwardly calm himself. "Give me the key", Sitolytta commanded. Bemariq scowled. The magnatess smirked. "If you don't feel like complying, I will have her shot." She gestured at me. "Afterwards soldiers will take your key." They would just beat him up, if he resisted. Yet I couldn't urge him to obey; that would have been taking the Jaan's side. My chest hurt from the dismay I had caused to my husband. The pain was made worse by how I hadn't done anything I could truly regret. Bemariq opened his satchel and took out the ancient key device. "This is not over. The Conglomerate will be interest to hear, what's in there." Sitolytta shrugged. "That will be a problem for the future." PART VI: Conglomerate CHAPTER 21 In the full view from our house, the Jaan troops took control over the dig site. Bemariq secluded himself in his study. On his rare forays out, he barely said a word to me and certainly never glanced out from the window. My husband only came out to go post letters, to attend meetings at Heva and for long solitary walks in the hills above. He cooked nothing and never touched anything I prepared. Honeydew and drink were his sustenance. To him I was a ghost stalking the house. But after what I had done, I didn't deserve to demand his attention. Instead, I kept myself out of his way. He never went to the dig site, so I took over running it. Or what was left of our long work together. The fresh workers paid by the Jaan piled earth in the excavation. I did my best to save any artefacts in the ground, or at least write down their original context in the sediment. In mere days the Jaan undid, what had taken us months to achieve. At night, I watched through spyglass the flickering light up in the crags. On his daily expeditions, Bemariq must have been searching for the hypothetical secondary entrance. The hills were a maze of rock and ravines. As such, the search was hopeless to the point that the Jaan didn't bother stopping him. Even during the rare occasion that he was home at night, Bemariq slept on the couch in his study. My nights were cold, no matter how many blankets I piled on myself. Anxiety and guilt frequently struck me dizzy, and I ignored the headaches and pain in my stomach as brought by stress. I didn't consider the coming onset of my menarche, until my lower abdomen twisted in a violent cramp. My new anatomy appeared healthy from the outside, but there was no assurance that the insides weren't horribly dysfunctional. The machines of the past hadn't exactly shown soundness of mind. A human body was itself a delicate machine: even slight errors lead to agony and loss of function. Because of such fear, I found my need for my husband's touch constantly stoked. Yet his resentment would have hurt me more than loneliness. I stood silently behind the door of his study for dozens of heartbeats, before I knocked on the door. "Bem? Are you busy?" No answer. I was about lose my nerve, when Bemariq said: "What do you want, Sirin?" After deep breath, I pushed the door open. "I need to talk to you." Bemariq turned on his chair to stare at me. No emotion showed on his face. Despite his lack of enthusiasm at the sight of me, nothing indicated that he couldn't stand my presence. My legs were weak. I had to take support from the door sill. "I understand that you are furious..." Bemariq closed his eyes and scowled. "I find myself so." "I'm sorry..." The words poured from my mouth. "I should have supported you, as a proper wife does. But instead I exploited your love, just to get you out of that vault. Bem, if you have to, work your anger on me. I deserve and can take it. I might even enjoy it, a little." I swallowed. "Just keep me close, for a while at least." My husband opened his eyes, and his mouth twisted into a grimace. He stood up and walked to me. I flinched from the rapid movement of his arms. After a startling moment I was in a tight embrace. A frustrated sigh --almost a sob-- escaped my Bemariq's throat. I could allow my own snivelling, and tears warmed my cheeks. Bemariq guided me to sit with him on the couch. I leaned against him. My hand clutched his hand hard. His warm lips touched my forehead. "I'm sorry." "It's fin--" My voice cracked. "--fine..." "No. I have acted like brat. I thought I protected you from my ill temper by avoiding you. But that only hurt both us." He brushed my hair. "Back in the chamber, I very well knew, what you were doing. Yet here I am, with you." A strangled sound of joy escaped my throat. I calmed my voice with a sigh and said: "That's sweet." Bemariq brushed my cheek. His skin was rough but its touch was welcome. He said: "So are you." I smiled wide to myself and pressed against him. "What do you plan to do now?" "To wait and see. The Conglomerate will soon make its move. I've sent letters, in hopes of giving our officials enough accurate information, so that their decisions might be even half-rational." "Did you tell them anything about us or me?" "Of course not. Nothing about you is relevant to the research." My heart sunk. "So you plan to go back inside." "Yes, but I thought about the Censor's offer." Bemariq rubbed my wedding ring between his thumb and finger. "There's no hurry to decide either way, is there? The Censor knows, how to wait." "Or someone else could take your place." He moved his hands to my waist and lifted me to sit on his lap. "Enough about me. What did the physician say about you?" "I didn't send for one." My gaze fell. "The thought was... intimidating." Bemariq placed his arms around me. "I should have supported you. Will you forgive me?" "Of course." I shifted in the awkward position and wrapped my arms around his neck. The unkempt stubble was turning into an untidy beard, but it didn't stop me from kissing his cheek. A sharp spasm raked my lower inside. I tried not to show the pain, but my wince was enough for Bemariq to notice. His expression grew worried. "Are you alright?" "Yes, yes." I put on a wide grin. "It's just the womanly cycle." "You need to see a physician." Bemariq pulled the hem of my gown up my leg. "Afterwards everything is assuredly healthy, we can do our own examinations." The continued cramp almost killed my attempt at a cute smile. Bemariq's touch was what I had wanted; little discomfort could be ignored. My skin shivered, as the intruding yet welcome fingers crawled into my drawers. The man's hand brushed up my thigh to the the fresh stubble over my crotch. I shuddered. "The way you squirm is endearing", my husband murmured. His finger rubbed my lower lips. I flinched. No heat was driven into me. Instead, my body was disagreeably tender under his touch. "Bem..." I grunted. "What's wrong?" Bemariq pulled his hand out. His eyes got stuck staring at his fingers. Crimson glistened on them. The man's face twisted from fright. I was too light-headed to notice my own reaction. I was bleeding, either due to a miracle or misfortune. My vision spun. Strong arms lifted me towards the ceiling and carried me through space, which stretched beyond my senses. Bandages helped to control the flux, but not before I caused an odious mess. Sedatives did a bit to tame the knife, which twisted inside my abdomen. Bemariq paced around our bedroom and intermittently entreated me to forgive him. My anaemic countenance hampered my attempts to reassure him. Only an hour after having been sent for, the familiar physician, who had treated Bemariq, arrived. I asked my husband to leave the room. Mostly for his sake: the poor man was working himself into a paroxysm out of his worry and guilt. The physician placed her bag on the bed beside my feet. "I'm not really an expert on 'women's business', as the message said." "But you are a physician and a woman", I said. "And my condition requires discretion." I explained the peculiar circumstances, which had left my menarche to such a late date. "If not for the starfarer vault..." The physician gave me a half-smile. "I would assume you were playing a joke of poor taste on me. You and the associate were married before this 'reproductive rearrangement'." "Yes. That is true." The physician shrugged. "It's not my place to wonder about the personal lives of my patients. Let's get to the matter at hand." After the rather intrusive examination, I was glad that among the Roluans, women could practice medicine. Such a probing shouldn't be done to me by any man save my husband. The physician was kind enough to give a me a quick lesson on certain hidden aspects about hygiene, convenience and pleasure as a woman. They were in retrospect rather obvious, but it would have taken me a while to discover them by myself. She gave me a 'little helper', a precaution to stop the flux in an unobtrusive and healthy manner. I felt foolish for not having sought one already. The fretful Bemariq was allowed back into the room. "Will Sirin be alright?" he asked. "Yes, most likely", the physician said. "Though the... incident was significantly more drastic than common." My husband frowned. "Hopefully it won't repeat in this severity. Is there any treatment?" As my condition was due to starfarer technology, the physician wasn't comfortable prescribing anything beyond hearty food for general health and mild sedatives for the pain. She took her leave, and Bemariq went to cook supper. I was already feeling better, but I didn't mind resting a little longer in the bed. Bemariq's return woke me from a doze. He brought a tray with a steaming bowl to my lap. "You didn't ask me, if I actually was hungry", I said. His expression turned worried. "You aren't?" I smiled wide. "In truth, I'm famished." My husband lay next to me, careful not to upset the bed. I lifted a spoonful towards my mouth, but stopped. "Are you going to stare at me eat?" I asked. His smile widened. "Yes." "You don't find me disgusting? For spilling my humours on your lap?" "No." Bemariq brushed my thigh. "I admit was scared for your sake. But enough of that. I don't want to ruin your appetite." Despite the simplicity of the meal, my husband's cooking was beyond delicious after the break. The abhorrent flow continued for six days and nights more. But with the little precaution, I avoided staining more clothes and bedsheets, and with the right dosage of sedatives I could concentrate on other things than being miserable. Though I was listless and pale, I made sure to put on a brave face for Bemariq. I did my share of chores around the house, and ate my full portions, even if my stomach was a tight unyielding clump. Bemariq's concern for me was endearing, but it worked to enhance my own worry, by making it seem I was dying. On the seventh day, my ordeal ended, and I was filled with relief. I wasn't doomed to such dreadful existence. But the ordeal would return. I hoped the intensity had been due to temporary starfarer adjustments, and I wouldn't have to go through quite the same experience again. The door bell rang with purposeful length. Bemariq stood up from the bed and looked out of the window down to the front door. "Who is it?" I asked. The warmth of his kiss lingered on my cheek. "A whole entourage. Inspector Ansis and ni Salng among them." Bemariq let out an amused sigh full of weariness. "They don't appear to be here to congratulate us." I moved to stand up, but Bemariq gestured me to remain. He said: "I'll go. You need to rest. Besides, you are undressed." Bemariq disappeared downstairs. I got off the bed and wrapped my house robe around myself. On my toes, I sneaked to where I could eavesdrop and sat on the floor. The Roluans barged in. Both Ansis and ni Salng spoke, among three other. Their voices were terse, almost accusatory but polite. The floor between me and them made it hard for me to understand the flowing Roluish. They spoke of a fleet and mentioned the Conglomerate. By his tone, Bemariq shared in the worry, and soon the harshness disappeared from the Roluan voices. Bemariq bid the visitors farewell. The front door clunked close, and Bemariq's steps came upwards. I put on my best innocent smile, as my husband emerged from the stairwell. He smirked. "Did you hear, what they said?" "Something about Conglomerate navy, perhaps?" "Yes. They have sent their own 'diplomatic expedition'. The Roluans suspected that I had invited them. I noted that the Conglomerate ships must have been on their way before the Jaan convoy arrived. It's all beside the point. 'Our boys' have already passed the outer Roluan islands." Bemariq helped me stand. I asked: "What could they be planning?" "Who knows? However, according to the Roluan intelligence report, the convoy lacks the size to truly contest the Heva harbour. Diplomacy seems to be on 'our' table." Bemariq made a tired smile. I bit my lip. The man took the hint and stepped closer. Though he wasn't all that taller than me, his shoulders blocked my path. I shrunk against the wall to enhance the impression of vulnerability. The man spoke in a low voice: "I think we were in middle of something." A hand took a firm grip of my jaw and guided me to a kiss. While I was busy concentrating on his lips, Bemariq opened the belt of my house robe. I let the garment fall off me and wrapped my arms around my husband's neck. He lifted me up and carried me back to the bedroom, where he placed me on the bed. I had little time to admire my husband's body --those distinct lines of muscle covering his tall frame--, before he was undressed and lay beside me. He pulled the blanket on us, thus preserving the already uncovered mysteries. Giggling into my moans, I held my arms around the man, as his hands worked deftly on me. The frustration of the past days had piled up as desire, and Bemariq knew how to relieve it. I was left as quivering pile of satisfied mush. As soon as I caught my breath, I dove below the blanket to return the favour with my lips and tongue. Fingers tucked my hair, but not hard enough to hurt. The warm slimy signal of his masculine satisfaction filled my mouth. I swallowed and sucked him clean. I clambered from the bed, smiled at Bemariq and hurried to the bathroom. After cleaning my mouth, I examined myself in the mirror. How oddly natural my form was, despite bearing little similarity to what I been only a little over a year before. Gone was the scrawny boyish shape. My hips now flared as a signal of the fertility the machines had wanted to force on me. I had an even more squashed waist and breasts of a size at the brink of fashionable heft. The latest change --that in my groin-- was easily the most drastic, despite its rather innocent appearance. Rationally, I should have been distressed, anguishing over my lost identity. No man could have welcomed such a loss of their manhood like I had. 'Sirin' must have started as more than a false identity created to fool Bemariq. My old name now meant nothing to me. Lady Usinilim was legal fiction, haphazard tonics and the result of abusing capricious ancient technology. Yet I was her. I was lucky to have found my husband. Bemariq had all the manhood I needed. With a coy smile on my face, I returned to him. CHAPTER 22 The sleek silhouettes of fresh Conglomerate battleships appeared in the horizon. The usually nonchalant Roluans were urged to anxious gossip. Bemariq became the target of quick glances and harsh whispers. Even I experienced distrustful ice hidden in the politeness, but nobody could blame the locals. Worst of the tension mellow, when it became apparent that the battleships wouldn't approach Heva. Only a decidedly civilian ship passed the Roluan military vessels and entered the harbour. Still, the Conglomerate was out to impress. Their oceanic liner dwarfed the other vessels at the docks in both size and luxury. With its bony pitch-black hull, it gave the impression of being capable of taking on the Jaan battleships, despite its lack of weaponry. An eerily calm crowd of locals had gathered to the waterfront. I too watched from the window of a seaside restaurant, as a whole army of extravagant notables and their stately servants walked down to the pier. Their demeanour was festive, as if the cream of Conglomerate society had decided to organise a pleasure cruise across the oceans. A few Jaan mariners made an appearance, decorously beyond easy shouting distance. My husband hadn't touched his meal of fermented sea snails. His stern gaze was stuck on the Conglomish arrivals, who mingled with the courteous but lukewarm Roluan reception. "Recognise anyone?" I asked in a teasing tone. Bemariq's frown deepened. "Yes." I rested my elbows on the table. "Doesn't this help your home sickness?" "I feel sick of the Conglomerate without any helping." Bemariq turned his eyes to me. "Are you hoping that I'll work my frustrations on you?" "Perhaps." My husband had been on the edge, after the nerveless telegraph from the Conglomerate convoy told that Bemariq's 'informed counsel' was expected. Such a blunt command meant that someone in the Conglomish delegation had the prestige to boss my husband around. As our little house was unfitting for entertaining exalted guests, we had moved to a suite in the Grand Baleen hotel. The rather sumptuous decor and readily available room service were a nice change of pace, but I had done my best not to show any overt enjoyment. Bemariq might have taken it the wrong way. After settling in, the Conglomish notables arranged a half-official reception at one of the hotel's lounges. I took it as a chance to wear the splendid gown I had worn in our wedding. As I did a pirouette, the nacreous green-blue hem swirled around me. With my corset tight underneath, the wide rigid skirt made my waist look delightfully small. Like the trunk of a young tree, which would snap in the wind, if it wasn't so willowy. Despite my admonitions, Bemariq didn't put on proper Conglomish dress. Instead he had a dark-grey suit in the sober Roluan style. Though the attire was immaculately tailored, he was woefully underdressed among the imprudent display of Conglomish men. While my husband didn't quite look like a servant, he wasn't far off. Though admittedly the tight cut of the jacket highlighted his shoulders and vigorous build. An eminently tall man strode to us. His hair was silver and he lacked all youthful aspect, yet despite his stately gravitas, he appeared barely older than Bemariq. My husband nodded almost deep enough for it to be a bow. "Associate Ayimun." I managed not to visibly start. Ayimun was a highly placed advisor in the government and a captain of industry, and a long term financial supporter of my husband. I had never personally met him, but I couldn't have failed to know his reputation. "Associate Bemariq." Ayimun smiled wide. "You seem surprised to see me." "Well, of course." Bemariq's voice had almost broken into a stutter. "How was your voyage?" "Pleasant enough." Ayimun glanced at me. His eyes lingered at my abdomen. "Your wife is not with a child?" "No." Ayimun's smile didn't falter, but his eyes gained a harsh glint. "You should make haste. It would be a shame to lose yet another esteemed line of associates. Now, excuse me, I can't linger here. Do enjoy the party. The delicacies are almost fresh from the homeland." After the high associate was gone, I pressed against Bemariq and whispered: "What did he mean, 'lose a line of associates'?" Bemariq swirled his hand. "I'm at the moment the last male Usinilim. The next in line, a third cousin of mine, failed to establish any hereditary reins. His mother's infidelity was suspected but never established." I had assumed that like other ancestral corpus of the Conglomerate, Usinilim was a large clan, with plenty of spare male's to take up the title. The continuation of an ancient line --an the easy utilisation of the infrastructure shackled to it-- rested on me bearing children. "What's wrong?" Bemariq asked. "I--" A man in snappy dress uniform strode to us. "Lady Usinilim. Associate Bemariq. I am commandant Duy." "Luwud." Bemariq's voice was cold. "How's your wrists?" I winced, but Duy lifted his hand and smiled wide enough to push his eyes closed. "Oh, fine. The bones have healed, and the pain is but a memory." Bemariq placed his arm around my waist and pulled me to him. "'Commandant', eh? Quite an promotion from a mere senior journalist." Duy's smile didn't falter. "You see, associate, I was undercover. I work for the Elusive Service. At the present, I have been assigned to guard you." "Oh, and presumably, keep an eye on me." "Just so." Duy nodded. "This whole affair is due to the injustices committed on your person. I will remain at the hotel to keep you two safe. Do inform me or my men of your--" Duy glanced at me. "--or your wife's movements." Duy took his furtive leave. For the rest of the short reception, Bemariq and I spent greeting immaculately polite people, who appeared to know my husband well, but whom my husband found more distant than mere strangers. When we had lingered long enough to fulfil the bare minimums of courtesy, Bemariq took my hand and fled the lounge. He remained silent during the groaning elevator ride and the walk to our suite. I closed the door after us. "Would you like a drink?" Bemariq asked. He went straight to the cabinet, where he poured a glass full of fortified wine. "No, thank you." For a moment I wondered, how I would get out of my gown. Bemariq didn't seem inclined to help. I untied my shoes, made the support cartilage of my skirt slacken and went to sit next to Bemariq. He sipped his drink in silence, so I said: "You were surprised to see Ayimun." "Yes." "Why?" Bemariq looked at me with an amused frown on his face. "A man like that, here in the end of the world... What he thinks he'll get out of here must outweigh the losses from not supervising his ventures back home." My husband's voice had a strange frailty. Not the wavery quality of fear, but a distinct vulnerability nevertheless. Instead of poking into the source of those feelings, I said: "Why didn't you tell me you were the last Usinilim?" "It didn't seem relevant." He let out a grim chuckle. "At times I've thought that it'd be a poignant gesture of spite to die without an heir." A jolt went through me. "Was that why you were fine marrying me?" Bemariq took a long sip of his drink and turned his eyes to examine me. "Your point eludes me, Sirin. We could always have had a child through a surrogate." I frowned. Chimeras weren't such an unproblematic solution to childlessness. The scandal alone would have been a wildfire of nasty gossip, not to mention the heightened possibility of developmental irregularities. Of course, none of that would trouble someone, who didn't want progeny. "But you do want children? With me?" Bemariq drank long and full while staring the rain-spattered window. "You must admit that at the moment it would be inconvenient." His words struck me as an unpleasant pang. Odd, as procreation hadn't been high on my priorities in life. The primordial machines must have programmed the instinct into me. I remained quiet, as I fought to suppress the mounting disappointment, before the anxiety turned into grief. My husband turned to look at me. I let my face communicate my feelings, as I found no sensible words. My hand was drawn to my abdomen, inside where a knot twisted. Worry spread into Bemariq's expression. "Did the pain start?" "What pai--" I caught myself. He must have meant my cycle. Through a moment of concentration, I managed to separate the real physical pain from my mental anguish. This was the wrong moment to disgust Bemariq with my feminine physicality. I smiled. "No, it's merely the digestion. Something spoiled in the imported food, perhaps." I patted my husband's thigh. "I need to visit the bathroom. Help me out of this gown." Without visible hurry, I made my way to the bathroom and used the precaution given by my physician. After the sedatives began their work, my sickness was quite tolerable. I allowed myself to relax a little. Perhaps the flux wouldn't be so horrible this time. I returned to the main room. Bemariq had taken off his coat and had a found a book to read, yet his expression remained tense. The reception had upset my husband more than he cared to show. He deserved to relax. Afterwards he'd be able to see my point of view and properly consider his decisions. I sat next to him, and slowly began to unbutton his shirt. With a wry smile on his face, the man allowed me to take the garment off him. I rested my cheek on his bare shoulder. My hand wandered down the defined torso. Below the pliant layer of skin, was thew, which could be both so pleasantly soft and rock-hard. I unclasped the front of his trousers. Bemariq placed his hand on mine. "If you are eager, we could do, what we have already done plenty of times." "No. I don't want to our new first time to be something we have already done." My hand wandered into his trousers to find the hardening member. The man's breath deepened. "We could use contraception", he said. I wrapped my hand around his girth. How odd, that his tool felt more mine than my own had. "It'd be insipid", I said in tones theatrical haughty scorn. "For your sword to be sheathed, when it has entered me freely already." Bemariq's smile disappeared. "We'd risk pregnancy." "Would that be bad?" The man moved my hand aside. "I said it would be inconvenient." "Why? You wouldn't be the o--" "Look, Sirin." Bemariq squeezed my hand, but the gesture was too strong to be reassuring. "Even without your... condition, the situation is precarious. With the Conglomerate here, I will have to make hard decisions." "What do you mean?" He sighed. "I should have told you. The Censor tried to instil a map of the facility into my mind. The mental image is a half-forgotten dream. Nevertheless, I found what must be the secondary entrance." Bemariq turned to stare into my eyes. "It didn't open for me, but I am certain you --or your suit-- have access." My jaw clenched. "You mean, you would take the Censor's offer, before these countries can fight over the facility?" "Yes." Bemariq leaned back. "Neither the Jaan or the Conglomerate are going to back away. They both must lose, before they can start a war." Shivers pulsed up my spine. "You want my help, so you can abandon me?" Bemariq closed his trousers and stood up. "The search for this facility was everything. I was fool, who had committed his life to a mere tale. Against all the sneers, we found it." The triumph was bitter in his voice. "And still I had to slink back home to beg and snivel for more funds, just so I could actually get inside. I could easily do, whatever it takes, if it weren't for you." The air petrified around me, save for the insisted tapping of the rain. I was a burden. My silly small ideas about a family were shackles to Bemariq. If I loved him, I would support his life's work. "I understand", I whispered. "But please don't treat me as an anchor around your neck." Bemariq turned around towards me. On his face, the scowl was defeated by a worried frown. He sat next to me. I let him take my hand. He said: "If I'm right, I will need your help." He needed me, just so he could leave me. Yet his reasons were righteous enough, even if his motivation had the stench of personal glory. I couldn't blame him that the facility was beyond both of our dreams. My anger was doused by absurd joy, and their combined steam rose out of my throat as a deranged giggle. I found myself on my feet. I couldn't look at the man, lest whatever emotion was on his face prompted me to break into a whimper. The suite had no room to hide in. I had to escape and find some peace to make sense of my whirling thoughts. I was too undressed to leave, so I went to my clothes. Outside, the rainy evening was dark, so the dullest spare gown could do. It was easy to slip into, alone. Bemariq was at the door. I avoided looking at his eyes. "Sirin." The name was firm and toneless on his lips. It could have been a command, or a strained plea. I pulled the ring off my finger. "With this you should be able to utilise the carapace suit to your ends." Pride swelled in me for managing to speak without breaking down into a snivelling bitter heap. Bemariq refused my offering, so I tilted my hand and let the ring drop on the floor. Nothing moved in the man's face. "Please, let me pass", I said. The man moved aside. I wrapped a cloak around myself and headed out. My stony determination held, for a while. Before I was out of the lobby, tears gushed from my eyes. CHAPTER 23 The storm over the sea was picking up rage. I stood on the same pier, where I had met Bemariq while deep in thoughts of pure greed. Supposedly, decent swimmers had hard time deliberately drowning themselves. However, once soaked, my clothes would have dragged me into the depths. I didn't want to fill my lungs with brine. I wanted Bemariq, yet returning to him was to lose him. The wet and cold overpowered my self-pity. I went to a nearby establishment and ordered a warm drink with overt enough sweetness to drown at least a part of my glum mood. We couldn't have known, what we would find in the vault. I couldn't be blamed for having fallen for Bemariq. On the other hand, there was little fault in Bemariq's motives. A wife shouldn't ask her husband to give up taking risks. Not when so much --and not merely the man's pride-- was at stake. But I wasn't only selfish. I didn't desire that my husband gave up his life's work, for my sake alone. His life was at stake too. Regardless of his motivations, Bemariq's sacrifice couldn't assure any kind of success. He might just end up dead, or find the facility too far gone to utilise to anyone's benefit. The empires might very well end up in a war regardless of Bemariq's deeds. His willingness to risk it all showed more than anything that Bemariq wasn't heartless. A lump formed in my throat. He would have been wrecked by grief at the suite. Perhaps that was wishful thinking. I couldn't be sure that I deserved his affection any more. I needed to talk to someone to arrange my stormy thoughts. Unfortunately there was only person --save for Bemariq--, who had any frame of reference to my situation. However, her interests seemed to align with mine. The magnatess Sitolytta wanted to keep everyone out of the vault, and I wanted to keep Bemariq from ruining his life inside. Though talking to her would be a betrayal, it was only a small one. My clothes dripped on the expensive chair and rug below. An old knick- knack weighed in my sleeve. It was a reproduction of a Tudjan idol, old enough to have a bit of antique value. I wasn't quite sure, why I had abstracted the thing; a gullible pawnshop might pay at best a dozen slivers for the porcelain woman figurine. The magnatess drank her herbal drink with deliberate slowness. Two of her goons stood behind me, ready to bash my head in. "What exactly do you want?" she asked. "To keep my husband out of the vault." I swallowed. This was treachery, regardless of the way I put it. "But not by forcing him. He's the lynchpin of the Conglomerate claim here. If he rejected it, out of his own will, the Jaan Directory could also leave Rolu alone." Sitolytta tapped her cup. She gestured her footmen to leave the room. "It certainly would make my life easier. Some back home have began to question the wisdom of my strategy here", Sitolytta said. "But on convincing your husband... How would you accomplish this feat?" "I don't know. I assumed a schemer like yourself would have some ideas." The magnatess grinned like some venomous beast. "I might have." She leaned back. Her hand lowered on her abdomen, and her smile disappeared. "I need to speak with you about something else. I seem to be pregnant." I winced, but with her eyes lowered, the woman didn't pay notice. Sitolytta continued in wistful voice: "I've had three children, all now in boarding schools in the mainland." Either she had been very young, when she married, or she was older than she looked. "But this pregnancy feels different. Perhaps it's merely my imagination, grown broody due to the circumstances..." Sitolytta's large eyes rose to stare into mine. "But after stabbing me, my carapace gurgled of 'eggs' and 'numbers'. Do you know anything about that?" I stifled my grimace. "I can't say for sure, but the suit might have forced your ovulation, so that you'd carry multiples." "How many?" The image of the poor woman locked in the vault flashed in my mind. "A dozen or so, possibly." The magnatess started. With visible effort, she collected herself and clutched her cup in both hands. "Well. That's quite too many. Are you similar--" "No." The word was like a skewer, even though it should have been a relief. Sitolytta's unblinking stare didn't falter. "Could it be that those rumours peddled to me as intelligence were right? That you weren't quite fully a woman, when you went into the vault?" I turned my face to look into the dark window. The night was deep black rain. "How does that work?" Sitolytta continued. "How does a man decide to be a woman?" "It's not like that." "Not to mention someone from the Conglomerate..." My heart skipped a beat. I turned to answer Sitolytta's stare. "Bemariq has never hurt me." The magnatess smile warmed. "I must apologise. It's just that the sight of you reminds me of the fear of having my face crushed. Let's continue with actual business at hand." We spoke of tentative plans, but the night was growing into a morning. I was weary to my bones. I left, and found accommodation in a nearby hostel. I woke between the unpleasantly warm bedsheets. Already I missed the manly scent of my husband, his firm arms around me and his search for a pleasurable entrance. I cursed the starfarers and their vault, and thanked them in case they did the work of Our High Lady of Reason. The small of my back hurt from sleeping on the overly soft bed, but I forced myself up and dressed. The chilly wind made me shudder, and the treachery of yestereve twisted by insides. I should have told Bemariq, instead skulking among his enemies. My hope was that the political realities would open his eyes to my point of view. Rain and traffic had turned the roads into mires of mud. As the accommodations had taken the little money I had on me, I was forced to walk to Heva Academy. I looked like a tramp in my muddy worn-down gown, so it took a while to gain access to the premises. I didn't have to wander the extensive grounds for long. After one of the geology students recognised me from the Karimma site, I gained an audience with the Lauded Researcher ni Salng. It turned out that my husband had been reticent about the exact events inside the vault. Ni Salng was eager to pump me for information. I told him everything, except what had happened during the 'forced medical exam'. It was only fair that ni Salng knew everything useful. If the empires from beyond the ocean came to blows, they would fight over Roluan land. "Despite neither Bemariq or me having any say on the issue, I must apologise that the Conglomerate forces are here on our behalf", I said. Ni Salng smiled wide. "I am sure you wouldn't have it this way. Now tell me, lady Usinilim, does your husband truly plan integrating himself to the systems of the facility?" "If he can't figure anything better, he will." "Such a drastic action might lead to great success." The researcher's head bobbed. "Or to senseless loss without benefit. In an uncertain situation like this, I fear the latter should be assumed more probable." Ni Salng sighed. "It is a shame I could not breach deeper into the vault. But it appears Rolu would be wise to openly take side of the Directory in this business. I will talk to my friends in the Ministry of Combat. Lady Usinilim, if you can, delay your husband's plans. The wheels of government turn slow, even in Rolu." Outside the Academy gates, two tall men stood waiting. Their impressive Conglomerate-style livery made them stick out in the throng of modestly dressed servants and pupils. Not that they tried to hide: their eyes were firmly set upon me. Old instincts told me to run. I could have disappeared into the crowd. However, I was no more a wastrel fearing authorities, but a woman of rank burdened by societal expectations. I stood still and let the footmen approach me. One of them bowed. "Good morning. Are you lady Usinilim?" "I am." I straightened my back, but I had to stuff my hands into my sleeves to stop them from fidgeting. "Come with us. A carriage is awaiting for you." My delight of being inside a proper carriage was dampened by the circumstances. Instead of stopping at the Grand Baleen, the carriage continued down into the harbour to the glistening black oceanic liner. The carriage opened an elytron, and a footman made a courteous gesture bidding me to step outside. "Right this way, lady Usinilim." The pier had more than just liveried men. Several wore proper combat uniforms and held needlers. "Where are you taking me?" I asked. Nobody answered. I figured my dignity couldn't withstand any insisting. I followed the footman in silence. The cabin was larger than the suite at the Grand Baleen, a sign of notable opulence on a sea vessel. The decor was equally luxurious: dark grey ivory bookshelves, amaranth velvet draperies, intricate furniture of polished steel. In his silver and blue silk morning suit, associate Ayimun was subdued compared to the reception, but no less impressive. He gave my soiled gown a quick glance and indicated his utter disapproval with slight movement of his neck and nostrils. "Lady Usinilim." His tone was that of a schoolmaster chastising a hoyden: grave but fatherly. I curtsied and said: "Associate Ayimun." "I will leave petty admonitions about your comportment to your husband. What concerns me is this: treason. After leaving the hotel without an escort or even a word to your guards, you were seen visiting the official of a state antagonistic to the Conglomerate. As you did not try hide to your activities, you will be allowed to explain yourself." "Did you talk to my husband?" Ayimun hesitated a moment. "No. Now tell me, what were you doing in the house of the Jaan representative?" "My business is my own." "We both know that is not true." He nodded at my hand. "Where's your wedding ring?" I caught myself, before I rubbed my finger. "What do you want, associate?" Ayimun scoffed. "I hoped life beyond the seas would have toughened associate Bemariq. I see now that is not the case. No proper husband would tolerate your insolence." I opened my mouth, but Ayimun continued to speak in his resonant commanding voice: "What are you but a drifter, who stole a heart beyond her station? You haven't even done the least of your duty by bearing a child." The man's eyes hardened. "Recent rumours, which I would prefer to ignore as they put my friend in a poor light, imply you might not even be able to." Ayimun nodded at the servants behind me. Two pairs of strong arms grabbed me. I struggled but couldn't stop them from ripping the gown off me. The stolen porcelain idol dropped on the floor and shattered into worthless little pieces. Instead of fighting back, I pretended that I retained a shred of dignity. I allowed the brutes to pull of my underclothes, until I was in nothing but corset. Even though my face burned with shame, I kept my eyes in Ayimun's. "I fail to see, what this sorry spectacle accomplishes." My voice wavered at the brink of breaking, but I did not cower. A dull surprise break through Ayimun's expression. He lifted his chin. "Get lady Usinilim clothes suitable to her rank, and burn those rags." He walked past me. "You may use the bathroom to clean yourself." "Thank you, associate", I spoke between my teeth. CHAPTER 24 It was irrational of me to consider myself dirty from a mere gaze. The warm water in the shower helped quell my shivering, though I needed a lot of it. As soon as I recovered most of my composure, I stepped out of the shower and dried myself. On the bed was a bundle of fresh clothes with a faint scent of acidic fruit. The gown was resplendent crimson satin with pearly white decorative embroidery. It was a bit too small for me, but the train made the huge hem reach the floor. Still, I had to tighten my corset to fit inside, and around the shoulders it remained quite cramped. Presumably I wasn't supposed to lift my arms while wearing it. I arranged my still wet hair in an imitation of a loose boudoir coiffure. There was no makeup, so I applied a bit of soot from the incense burner to my eyelids. Ayimun could have made our little encounter much worse for me. I wasn't grateful, merely relieved. The man had a reason to despise me, even outside the mild treason I had committed. In more ways than one, I hadn't been suitable material to become a 'lady'. But poor breeding and unwholesome education wasn't going to stop me from doing my best to be a deserving wife. The door was knocked. A man spoke: "Lady Usinilim? You are expected at the main deck." Servants swarmed the enclosed terrace, which overlooked the restless sea at the aft of the ship. With associate Ayimun sat Bemariq. My husband's shoulders were slumped in a posture of a forlorn pet. My heart jumped inside my chest. "Bem?" Bemariq lifted his gaze. "Sirin!" He jerked forward, but after a glance at Ayimun didn't stand up. "Take a seat, lady Usinilim", Ayimun said. There was no place next to Bemariq, so I was forced leave Ayimun between us. A small object glinted in my husband's fidgeting hands. My ring. I had to turn my eyes away. Staring into Ayimun restrained scowl was easier. "Are you ready to discuss your recent visitations?" Ayimun asked me. I sighed. The mess I had cooked myself into wasn't going to fix itself with more lies. "I admit I visited the acting ambassador of the Jaan", I said. "And the Lauded Researcher ni Salng. Both agreed, that in order to avoid a destructive war, the vault should be deemed inaccessible for the time being by an international accord." "You have no say in that", snapped Ayimun. Bemariq lifted his gaze. "Is this really true, Sirin? After all we have done here, you'd just leave the vault reburied?" "Even if your plan worked out, nothing would happen in an instant. You wouldn't be able to stop the Jaan and the Conglomerate from fighting over the facility." Ayimun snorted. "Associate Bemariq. My friend. Your wife can't be said to be an expert on international power balances. Trust me, when I say, that the Conglomerate is more than capable of answering any provocation from the Directory. They will not stop you from completing your work." "This isn't ideal, but..." Bemariq squeezed my ring inside his fist. "I'm sorry, Sirin. I can't give up. Not now." "Lady Usinilim." Ayimun turned to me. "Based on what your husband has explained to me, we could still use your help. Such service would wash away this unpleasant talk of 'treason'." I shook my head. "No. I'll be a traitor, if I can keep my husband. Bemariq, please. I need you." My husband glanced at me. His mouth quivered, and his eyes darted to stare into the ocean. "Sirin, I..." "She's not essential." Ayimun stood up. "We must leave. The operation will commence presently, and the time frame will be tight." "What operation?" I demanded. "Come now, associate Bemariq. Great deeds await." Ayimun turned to a servant. "Make sure the lady remains comfortable and secure." Bemariq stood up and turned away from me. I bit my tongue to stifle a wail unbecoming of a lady. My head throbbed enough to cloud my vision, as I was led back to the cabin. Bemariq had chosen his work over me. Faulting him for that was immensely selfish of me, yet I couldn't help it. The first impulse in my mind was to jump on the bed and scream into a pillow. It wouldn't do any good, however. In order to let out my worst frustration, I grabbed the seams on my gown's shoulder and ripped them open. I did the same to the other side. My arms could move freely. I picked up a white pelt from a couch and wrapped it around my shoulders as an improvised fur shawl. I missed my auxiliary skin. With it I could have run out. The cabin window was too small to escape, even had I been half my size. The door would be guarded by a man smart enough not to fall for any prisoner ploys. Those only worked in chip dreadfuls, anyhow. To escape, I had to be more than a captive. The only tool I had left was the audacity implicit to my supposed station. I kicked off my heeled shoes and knocked on the door. "I am hungry to the point of fainting. As a state of affairs, this is beyond intolerable." "Food can be delivered to you, lady Usinilim." "That would not do! All this musty fabric stifles the air." "Associate Ayimun was explicit that you should be kept safe." "I am sure that this exalted personage in question did not assume you were unable to handle the security of one feeble woman, without a door between her and you. Now, take me to the restaurant so I may dine in dignity." To my surprise, the lock whirred open. The footman outside bowed and gestured me to follow. I did so, mimicking the deliberate gait of wearing heels. Fortunately the floor was softly carpeted, so the sound didn't give me away. The footman rounded a corner. I ran straight, towards the outer deck. "Hey!" the man yelled. "Stop her!" A servant at the door retained his confused look but reached for me and caught my shoulder. I twisted, and only the fur shawl remained in the man's hand. I reached the deck, but both directions had sailors and liveried men. Experience told me that they wouldn't be likely to entertain the idea that I might have a perfectly legitimate reason to run around without shoes. The grey sea was dizzyingly far below. I climbed the rail and closed my eyes. The impact would only hurt for a moment. I leaned forwards and slipped from the rail. Air roared past me. I straightened my frame just in time to hit the hard water. The precious breath was punched from my lungs. Around me, the sea was a stinging cold blackness. Agony pulsed from my bones. The huge gown trapped my legs. I had moments before it would soak and drag me down. I swam upwards. As I sunk after each of my strokes, the hem expanded. I must have looked like a huge clumsy sea mollusc, but I reached the surface. Gasping for air, I looked for the harbour with my blurred eyes. Somewhere, men shouted, but I couldn't hear the words. The short dive had sapped my strength. I had to float on my back and concentrate on staying above the water. The shallow breaths allowed by my over-tight corsets weren't enough, but my attempts to open my bodice failed. Already my fingers were stiff from cold. The escape wasn't working out quite as smooth as I had hoped. In fact, I was about to drown, the faster the more I struggled. Water splashed outside my vision. "Stay... still", a man said. Bemariq. He hadn't abandoned me. I allowed my rescuer to wrap his arms around my shoulders. With strong kicks of an experienced swimmer, he pulled me to a pier. I clutched a ladder and turned to face inspector Ansis. "Are you alright?" the Roluan asked. For an instant my disappointment overpowered my desire to live. Luckily my hands were too stiff to let go of the ladder. "Yes... Thanks." The few steps up the ladder were almost too much to my remaining strength. Sailors pulled me up, and I collapsed on the pier. I barely managed to fumble my bodice open and press the lump to loosen the corset. Catching my breath took a while. "What are you doing here?" I asked the inspector. He smiled. "I received a report from our mutual friend that a young woman had been kidnapped at the gates of the Academy. Unfortunately the men guarding the Conglomerate ship did not allow me to step onboard for an inspection." "I'm glad that it was you and not my people, who fished me out", I sat and tested my limbs. Though I ached all over, nothing was broken. "I'd be dragged back to the ship." A sailor handed me a thick blanket. "That was quite a stunt, lady. People break bones from that height." I wrapped the blanket around me and forced a confident smile on my face. "I have incidental experience on such escapes. Though not in a gown like this one." Men in Conglomerate uniforms came running down the pier. "I need to seek political asylum in Rolu", I said. Ansis made a whimsical gesture. "The right to seek such asylum is thus granted. You are under our protection, lady Usinilim." After a short exchange of hard words, in which I was too weary to participate, inspector Ansis and his men escorted me from the harbour. I stepped into the wheeled cart of the watch, but I couldn't sigh from relief yet. "I need to get to the hills", I said. "You need medical attention." Ansis tapped the side the cart. The driver in front manipulating the rope steering system, and the beasts in front grunted and groaned into a brisk walk. "There's no time for that." I shivered in my clammy clothes. Unlike a proper carriage, the Roluan cart wasn't warm inside. "The Conglomerate is trying to get back inside the vault through a secondary entrance. I suspect they have attacked the Jaan to steal the equipment they need." "To risk a war with the Directory..." Ansis shook his head. "Official response from the Roluan government will take too long. Could you, lady Usinilim, de-escalate this?" "My ability to do anything useful is slight. I want to keep my husband safe. If he refused the cooperate with the Conglomerate, that might buy time for a diplomatic solution." The inspector rubbed the bridge of his nose. "That's better than nothing. I do detest sending you into danger, mere moments after helping you out of it." The cart stopped at the a station of the city watch. Inspector Ansis hurried inside and came back with a set of oversized men's outfit for me. He told the driver to do as I said and bid me good luck. I changed into the dry clothes, while the cart rumbled out of Heva and towards the ragged heights of the inland hills. CHAPTER 25 The rural locals couldn't have missed the 'scurrying many-legged beasts'. The driver barely had to ask anything, before we picked up the trail of the Conglomerate detachment. As we circled around the outcrops and crevices, the road lost its width and gained jagged rocks to compliment its mud and gravel. Soon the clumsy wheels of the cart couldn't navigate the ever rougher terrain. I got out of the cart. We were on the right track, as evidenced by the distinctive foot prints of a carriage. As I looked up the steepening country, a sigh of exasperation left my lips. I wasn't made for mountaineering. Even if I didn't get lost, it would take hours to reach the top of the crags. At least Ansis had given me good shoes. I told the driver to get back and tell the Roluan authorities, where I was going. If nothing else, they might be able to haul my bones out of what ever gorge I fell into. My breath faltered, and I stopped to look at the rather barren view. Rolu wasn't a lush country: even in the warmest of summers the moors were tinged with brown. Yet there was stark and uncompromising beauty in that windswept land. It would have been shame, if people had to die for the sake of what was hidden below. The foolishness of my attempt made itself clear. My feet ached, and the cold air seeped through my clothes. My plan didn't go further than appearing in the view of Bemariq. If he could not be convinced, it mattered little what I did. A swift movement down the slope caught my eye. A large but agile critter jumped between rocks. It found the path I had used and hopped towards me. The familiar nimble Jaan carriage, followed further down by more cumbersome transports with thick chitin covering. I sat on a stone to wait. Sitolytta's carriage stopped next to me. Clinging to the back were two soldiers in full combat gear. The magnatess peered from the window. "So, you weren't a distraction." "To what?" I clambered onboard. Two more soldiers sat inside, their faces set into frowns that barely contained their excitement. As soon as I was seated next to the magnatess, the carriage leaped into motion. "The dig site was attacked", Sitolytta said. "Your suit was the main asset stolen." "Was anyone hurt?" "Three of the guards got shot, but only one died." The magnatess scowled and squeezed her fists. "Oh, I felt awful to have been fooled by you! But seems you also were tricked." "Only by my own expectations. I was more... bullied with the implied threat of physical force." Sitolytta made a dismissive gesture. "The lot of women, I'm afraid." I glanced at the soldiers riding with us. "That's rather rich coming from you." The magnatess smile became more smug. "I did not claim we have to settle for it. Do you know, why the Conglomerate hurried to these cliffs?" I explained about the secondary entrance, and what I assumed was the Conglomerate's plan. What they were going to do once inside, I didn't want to guess aloud. "My suspicions were close enough." Sitolytta tapped her chin with a long finger. "It was convenient that I found you. Would do me a favour?" "Of what sort?" "Say that you gave your carapace to me as a gift." "Why-- So you can officially claim the Conglomerate 'stole' it instead of legitimately repossessing?" "Exactly. Without some justification, I fear this will end up as an old- fashioned scrap, in which might alone decides right." "Incidentally, I find it hard to trust you with any more favours." Sitolytta chuckled. "Come now, lady Usinilim. At the moment, I'm not your enemy." "Alright. I actually gave the carapace to you, even if I completely forgot about it. There. But the identification ring, that is mine." The carriage reached the lower summits. The ground was too stony for following foot prints any longer. A pained grunt from the carriage told we were in the right direction. The beast swerved behind the cover of large rocks. "A needlershot", a soldier said from the outside of the carriage said. "From too far away to penetrate." "Did you see, where it came?" Sitolytta asked. "I think I saw a helmet among the stones. Up and right from us." "Alright." The magnatess opened a elytron and pointed towards a low ridge. "Make the carriage circle so we come above them and stay out of range. Don't answer those warning shots. Our business is purely legitimate, now that lady Usinilim has joined us." Below was a steep ravine lined by broken sediment. There the Conglomerate group prepared their equipment. A silver-haired and tall shape --Ayimun-- was conferencing with a smaller one, presumably Luwud Duy. A detachment of huge myrmidons, clad in dark grey-purple carapace, stood proudly without any sign of acknowledging that they might soon find themselves surrounded. Even their sharpshooter had come down from his perch. My Bemariq crouched in front of a casket. A young woman in a servant's gown fidgeted beside him. "I don't see any doorway", I said. "Look there." Sitolytta pointed into the distance. "The gravel of that slope has been recently dug, into what looks like a tunnel big enough to crawl into. A landslide must have buried the entrance." "Oh, Bem..." I mouthed. He must have dug through day and night in this bleak environment, like a man possessed. "I need to go down there." Sitolytta gave me an amused look. "Did you suddenly come up with a plan?" "No. I need to hear him say it, that this all is worth the cost." "I'd prefer to keep you away from all starfarer technology, considering that access granted to you." The magnatess drew a whistling breath and sighed. "Perhaps I owe you that much. Go on. But don't make the situation any worse." I choked on the dust cloud, which had been lifted by my clumsy descent down the gravel slope. A myrmidon strode to me, his man-length needler casually aimed at my direction. "Are you going to shoot an unarmed woman?" I asked. The soldier's inhuman mask didn't let me see his face, though I did imagine a casually cruel smirk on it. He gestured with his weapon. "Come along, girl." "Ah..." The pleasant tone from Ayimun was incongruous to his barely veiled sneer. "Lady Usinilim. You ultimately decided to join us." Bemariq turned to me. His eyes flared open. "You shouldn't be here, Sirin." "I have to be here." Though my jaw quivered, I did my best control my voice. "I need to stop you from committing this mistake. Even if you get inside, this isn't the proper way to conduct your research! You just changed one set of looters for another." "Less than ideal circumstances are better than none", Bemariq said. "You said it yourself", I insisted. "That this needed to be done right." "Gag her", Ayimun said. "No!" Bemariq yelled. "If you touch her, you won't have my help." I stepped forward, but a myrmidon shifted to make clear he wouldn't let me closer to my husband. I said: "Bem, the Conglomerate will let you have only your personal glory, if that. What good is fame to a man like you? I didn't fall in love with your renowned name." Bemariq shivered. He took the wrist of the servant woman in his. The ring --my ring-- was in his other hand. Among all the danger, the despair from that gesture drowned my mind. "Bem", I whimpered. "Please, don't..." My husband closed his eyes and sighed. He dropped his arms, looked at me and smiled. "What a fool I've become." He strode to me, and I hurried to him. "Take the ring", Ayimun commanded. A myrmidon stepped between me and Bemariq. My husband lifted the hand holding the ring away. A shrill scream filled the air. The soldier struck Bemariq's chest with the stock of his needler. My husband crumbled, only to receive a sharp jab into his face. Another myrmidon grabbed Bemariq's hand and clawed the ring out. The two men let my husband fall on the stony ground. My vision was blurry, as I pawed and hugged my Bemariq. "Sirin..." he breathed. I was filled with an urge to scream, the need hold his hand, the desire to kiss and make love to him. A hand touched my cheek, and I found enough of my calm to stop sobbing. "I'm fine", Bemariq lied. The skin of his brow was cut and bled over his face. At least his proud nose was still on straight, and his pained grin had all of the teeth. I took his hand and squeezed it hard enough to sink my nails into his palm. He deserved a little pain, and it might have helped clear his head. "Commandant", Ayimun barked. "Get the servant into the suit. We will have to be inside, before the Jaan sow brings forth her whole stud farm." Though the Jaan forces would outnumber them, the group of myrmidons wouldn't have expected too much trouble, even without the overly advantageous positions, which the crags were rife with. Even now, Ayimun wasn't ready to escalate the conflict into an actual war. What he assumed he could find was worth being driven into a hole with only one exit. He must have been after weaponry; something to fire the grand opening shot of an oceanic war with. Based on what I had seen in the vault, Ayimun's errant was not a mere fool's. He had to be stopped. The servant girl had been undressed and was being fit into my carapace. I gave Bemariq a quick kiss, stood and said: "The suit is locked to everyone but me. But I'll help you. In exchange, you must let Bemariq stay here. He's wounded and can't follow us inside. With me, you won't need him." Commandant Duy turned to look at Ayimun. The associate must have understood that I'd betray him at the first chance I got. In order to give me the opportunity, he'd have to think himself smarter than me, which --based on his behaviour towards me-- wasn't far-fetched. "Alright", Ayimun said. "Let's move." I glanced Bemariq, who gave dazed but understanding look. "Stay safe", he whispered. I pursed my lips. "I'll try." After undressing, I took the ring from the quivering girl. The myrmidons kept their needlers at my head, as they helped me into my suit. Should the carapace armour stop the projectile, the impact from such a gun would still turn my brains into mush. Even without their guns, fighting the myrmidons was no option. Though their armour was degenerated compared to mine, the finely bred strength, aided by the brawn of several massive men, would overpower me. The familiar power surrounded my body, but I wasn't willing to admit that I was trapped despite the tightness of the suit. CHAPTER 26 One by one, we crawled into the tunnel between the gravel and rock ceiling. The myrmidons moved swiftly despite their bulk. Luwud twisted a torch-fly and let it buzz into the air to illuminate nothing but rough rock walls. "A dead end", the commandant said. "My husband wouldn't have wasted effort on a pointless excavation", I said. "Open, door." The solid rock cracked open to reveal a dusty corridor. No ancient lamps illuminated the passage, and the walls had the pallor of dead coral, made more ghastly by the green light of the torch-fly. The corridor ended in a door similar to the one, which had lead to the tram far below. There was no shining window, but I said: "Open, please." "Scanning", a muffled faint voice said. "Full access authorisation verified. A bonded breeding uterine body detected without bonded pair. User error. Eight excess males in vicinity." "What does that mean?" Ayimun asked. "That the facility expects you to bring your wives", I said. "I'll override the requirement. Oh spirit, these people are in a breeding pair, with their partners outside, exactly like me." "Acknowledged. Required facilities on stand-by." The door opened. "Step in", I said. "This should take us to the facility proper." The room was cramped with all of us inside. I commanded the elevator. After a screeching protest from the machinery, the room jerked into a swift downward motion. Ayimun placed a hand on my shoulder. "Good work thus far, lady Usinilim. If you directed your obvious intelligence to wholesome pursuits --such as guiding your husband to do his duty-- you would be an asset to your country." "Well, thank you, associate Ayimun." I turned and smiled. "My husband is my first priority." The man placed his hand under my chin. "You have distinct if faint eyeshine. Is your vision hampered? Any trouble seeing details?" "Not really." I did my best not to scowl. "But I prefer to use oculars for reading." Ayimun let go off me. "It's no matter. Such atavism is likely recessive. Bemariq's children won't be ruined by it." Even though a sudden sense of uncleanness made my skin itch, I kept a confused smile on my face. The optician at the academy had peddled the idea that my eyesight was deficient due to my 'resurgent anatomic feature'. I had done my best to ignore it. What did it tell about my distant ancestors, if they had traded perfect vision for the ability to see through twilight? It might not have been a voluntary alteration either. As a fellow pupil had put it, 'the mark of a Collapse times slave populace, surely fit only for work in the mines'. Then again, simple oculars allowed me to read without trouble, while tools for seeing without good light had distinct drawbacks. The elevator stopped and opened into a long corridor, in which the weak blue phosphoresce of the walls failed to dispel the darkness. "What now, associate?" I asked. "Do you want to sightsee, or are you seeking something specific?" "Weapons, lady Usinilim", Ayimun said. "Anything to give us the edge to drive the Jaan off this land. Afterwards your husband can continue his work, though we --you and I-- will have to make sure he does nothing reckless. Like adjoining his nervous system directly with unmaintained machinery." The associate was treating me like a partner. My short compliance had unlikely caused such a change of heart in him. Friendliness from such a man as the high associate was a sign that he held all the cards. Or at least thought so. "Alright, I'll call a guide", I said. "I'm not sure what the creature is, but it'll take us where we need to go." The disembodied voice acknowledged my request, and our group was left standing in the small spot of light. "What of the Roluans, associate?" I asked. "How will they be treated?" "That depends purely on them. Rolu would make a fine addition to the Conglomerate. But as long as our interests are not endangered, we will leave them be." I declined the opportunity to argue about the fluidity of the interests of empires. "Now that I'm helping you..." I made my voice waver. "Will you have the authorities brush aside my... assumed treasonous conduct? The well-being of my husband was my concern. I acted heedlessly, of which I'm gravely sorry." Ayimun's smile cast deep shadows on his face. "I too am sorry that Bemariq was hurt due to this misunderstanding." I smiled. "As for the weapons, I'm not sure there are any here. Yet, this place should have more suits like mine. They would allow a small group of soldiers dominate the local infrastructure. Commandant Duy knows from experience, how the carapace is practically impervious to small arms fire." Unease tinged Duy's grin. "That's a start", Ayimun admitted. "It won't win us the naval confrontation, but that can wait." A familiar shape approached from the lightless hallway. "Our guide comes", I said. The myrmidons shifted restlessly, when they too saw the large inhuman creature. The root-limbed guide made no gesture to acknowledge that it recognised me. "Take us where my associates can be outfitted with healthy suits like mine." I did my best to keep my unease from my voice. If my ploy failed, it was prudent to keep Ayimun's impression of me positive. "If that is at all possible." With deliberateness of a glacier, the guide turned and strode into the corridor. The air grew heavy with moisture and warmth. As we entered corridors with lights, which still struggled against the passage of time, the dark dissipated into hazy gloom. Our guide stopped and stood in front of a door. For a long moment, nothing stirred. I would have assumed that we were supposed to go inside, if the guide's body hadn't blocked the way. The twined arms took hold of door. Stone wailed against stone, as the guide forced the entryway open to reveal a long hall. Though the room was in better state than the corridor, water dripped from the ceiling and the lamps pulsed as with dying breath. Finely powdered white sediment had accumulated on the floor. It shifted with our steps. One wall was lined with upright cocoons, their transparent hatches open. No human remains were visibly present, which was a reassuring sign. "Are those machines for fitting on a suit like mine?" I asked the guide, which still lingered outside the door. It did not answer. "Fortunately, their function can be tested", Ayimun said. "Commandant Duy, strip." Apprehension twisted Duy's face only for a heartbeat. "Very well, associate." Despite his habitual appearance of a middle-aged paper-pusher with a poor posture, Duy had the burly physique of a wrestler. I turned my eyes demurely away, in order to avoid giving the impression of admiring his frame. Duy stepped into the cocoon. The hatch closed. A tendril reached out to hand a ring like mine to the commandant. I felt a bang of disappointment from my wedding ring losing its uniqueness. "Take the ring", I said. "And put it on." The man nodded and obeyed. Strands of silky nerve and layers of green- grey skin pushed out from the machine. They wrapped around the commandant, adjusting to his form. Tiny tendrils carried plates of carapace to their places and worked to attach the parts. The seams locked together. "The machine works wondrously fast", Ayimun said. He turned to me. "Lady Usinilim, do you know, how long a set of myrmidon's carapace takes to grow?" "I'm not familiar with the subject, but I guess a dozen weeks." "About so, and only quarter end up being fit for wearing in actual combat." On the associate's face, the nonchalant sternness had disappeared into controlled excitement. "Imagine, if we could manufacture carriages or even warships with anywhere near this speed and precision." "The Conglomerate would rule all, where waterways reach." "Indeed." The cocoon opened, and Duy stepped out. He tested his limbs and fingers separately, crouched and did a few one-armed push-ups. "Is the suit good, commandant?" Ayimun asked. Luwud Duy stood up. "Yes, better than good. The muscle, or whatever this tissue is, responds faster than my thoughts." Ayimun turned to me. "I'm surprised, lady Usinilim. I assumed you would make an attempt at futile trickery." I pouted a smile. "I'm nothing if predictable, associate. I only want what's best for me and my Bemariq. Service to our country benefits us also, wouldn't you say so?" "Just so. Alright men, let's upgrade your gear." Ayimun unclasped the protective vest on top of his immaculately tailored suit. "Are you going to wear one too, associate?" I asked. "Do you think that I should not?" "Maybe there's some unforeseen errors in the process." I bit my lip. Ayimun smiled the smile of an adult reassuring a silly child. "I appreciate your concern, lady Usinilim. But reasonable risk shouldn't stop anyone made from the hard stuff of a Conglomish man." I had to concentrate in order to keep my eyes away from the myrmidons, as they stepped from their suits. Though they were all notably tall, their bodies were proportional in their abundant brawn. All of them had the wide shoulders of heroic statues, and arms thicker than my thigh. Even the healthy padding of fat couldn't hide the chiselled crevices defining their musculature. Comparatively, the equally tall Ayimun appeared rangy, though that was an illusion. He was in truth thewy if lean; the reasonable build of a man, who took care of his physique. The associate's frame was very much like Bemariq's, in fact. If my plan worked, those eminently manly forms might disappear. I might have felt a pang of guilt, if the new suits didn't make the soldiers even more dangerous. Should Ayimun decide that he didn't need my access any more, I'd be lucky to leave the facility with my life. One after another, the soldiers stepped out and tested their easy new strength to their grinning satisfaction. On their martial frames, the sleek carapaces had the look of true combat suits. If these were what constituted as heavy duty clothes for the ancients, the actual weapons - -of even personal capacity-- must have been terrifying. The associate also appeared pleased. His eyes stopped to stare at me. No sign of the quality of his thoughts was apparent on his face. Ayimun might have been calculating my worth. I retreated behind my best half-confused smile in order not to show my anxiety. A faint smirk spread on Ayimun's face. "On to exploring the facility then, lady Usinilim." My thoughts snapped back to the present. "I'm not familiar with this part of the vault. We should start from near the main entrance. That would be most likely place for security areas with weapon storages." "Sound thinking. Lead on." I stepped outside the room to guide. "Take us, where we first met." CHAPTER 27 A part of me had hoped that I'd never walk those corridors again. Yet the excitement --that intense thrill of discovery shared with my husband-- returned. The place was one of a kind among the surviving remnants from an age, when the sky wasn't the limit. That extraordinary nature was exactly why we couldn't study the facility in peace. Sitolytta had been right to fear, what the Conglomerate might find, as the cadre of soldiers I had helped to outfit proved. I walked beside the guide, so I didn't have to concentrate on keeping fear off my expression. Even if I couldn't be sure, the tunnels became familiar in their vitality. Pipes and nerves filled the corridor like reeds, though any critters had fled from our approach. One of the soldiers yelped. The other men joined with their own surprised noises. The floor clattered, as the myrmidon's dropped their weapons. I pressed against the wall, and let the men pass me. "Explain!" Ayimun demanded, as he strode past me in stiff march. "What is this 'reproductive reorganisation'?" My stomach twisted. Not even the associate should have been forced through that. Nevertheless, the starfarer machines should have been able to reverse, what they had done. I didn't answer, but dropped behind the group and picked up one of the impressive alloy-barrelled needlers. The gun was oversized for me, but its weight was barely noticeable inside my suit. I tried to shoulder the unwieldy if delicate weapon, but my arms weren't quite long enough to hold it comfortably. As if I was a kid playing with tools meant for adults. A memory of practising to shoot with my father returned to my mind. I brushed the recollection away. My suit should have been more than able to handle the recoil, so I lowered the needler to my waist. In any case, the gun wasn't my first or even second backup plan. The men, trapped inside their suits, continued on after the guide. I kept my distance as I followed, so that they couldn't be sure that they hadn't been abandoned to their fate. My reappearance should be a relief despite their anger. The door of the hospital area opened, and the group walked inside. The moment the door closed behind them, a clamour started. Ayimun shouted my name. A debate rose, but it was too frantic to lead to any conclusion. The door was banged. "Violent self-destructive behaviour detected", the voice of the facility said. "Safeguards enacted." The footsteps stopped. Soon enough, the men ceased their frantic talk. I sat on a pile of pipes to wait. After the group was gone from the reception room, I followed inside. Their suits had taken them all into separate rooms and trapped them into cocoons, which had fortunately sedated them all properly. Out of guilt, I did my best to make sure, the machines weren't actively mutilating them. But their bodies were fully hidden, and I couldn't tell what was happening. I picked up their discarded equipment including sidearm and hid them out of the way. The day had been long, and so I helped myself to the field rations. The liquid meal didn't stop my hunger, but it would keep me from passing out. Hopefully Bemariq wouldn't think I was hurt or worse. I could have run to the top and out of the facility, but I had to stay to keep the 'Congs' from trouble. There was no knowing, what they might accomplish in their desperation. After hours of humming boredom, the door opened. A person, who must have been one of the myrmidons, staggered in. The machines hadn't done the bare minimum to enable uterine reproduction. The myrmidon's face was perfectly womanly, if a bit heavy at the jaw. His shoulders were still wide, but appeared less pronounced accompanied by the flared hips, squashed waist and ample chest. The soldier's eyes were filled with tears, and awfully girly sobs rose from his throat. The sight crushed my chest. I couldn't fault his bravery or self-control, considering how I myself had reacted. And for me, the changes had been welcome. "Everything will be alright", I said in motherly tones incongruous to the needler I was holding. "What's your name?" "Qa--" He hesitated. "Qafin." "Alright, Qafin. Those machines should be able to return you back to yourself. But you need my access to change your reproductive designation back to male, or whatever this place calls them." I couldn't be sure that it would work. But the myrmidon's devastated expression made me hope I wasn't lying. Qafin took a deep breath and found his calm. With startling rapidity, he seemed like a soldier again. "What do you want, lady Usinilim?" "Just obey me. I could use your help. The others might not be as collected as you, so your help to convince them to act reasonably would be appreciated. The faster we are done here, the faster the changes can be reversed." The myrmidon glanced down on his frame and took a deep breath. "I understand." Rest of the soldiers filtered into the reception. Most were sobbing, one was stunned to silence. When I told them to remove their carapace suits, all obeyed me. Underneath they were distinctly feminine, if too muscular for conventional womanly beauty. Such a body type had its appeal, though my opinion wasn't exactly representative of the average. A shorter woman, who had the appearance of a younger sister to Luwud Duy, walked into reception. His grin was amused and strides bold. He glanced at the naked women in the room and bowed to me. "You seem calm, considering, commandant", I said. "Oh, I had plenty of time to hyperventilate in my pod, lady Usinilim." Duy tapped his new dainty nose. "'Exactly like me'. I presume your plan is to force us to obey you in order to get the chance to restore ourself." "That is true." Duy chuckled. "I'll take this as the rare opportunity it is. Not many get to experience the other side." The commandant removed his suit without protest. Underneath was a robust but generously feminine body, which appeared to please Duy. A statuesque woman with a short silver hair walked into the reception. Ayimun's form was willowy, and his movements graceful and uncowed. "You..." The associate's scowl was poisonous on his new gorgeous face. "You knew this would happen." "I hoped it would." Ayimun looked at the myrmidons and back to me. He took a step towards me, but Qafin placed a hand on the associate's shoulder. "That gun will crush your bones even through your armour", the myrmidon said. "It's better to stand down, associate." Ayimun sneered. "Did the surgery take your manhood in more ways than one? Better to die--" "You can still get your toy back", I said. "But you need my access." My bluff was inadequate, so I continued: "Or do you trust your own skills in archaeolinguistic analysis to command these primordial systems? Enough to bet your dicks on it?" It turned out that the associate Ayimun wasn't willing to risk his manhood for a fickle chance of glory for the Conglomerate. He got out of his carapace suit. I told them to place their identification rings on their suits, and we headed towards the secondary exit. I asked the guide to accompany me. Its voiceless presence had become surprisingly comforting. The guide wouldn't follow us farther than the elevator. Being packed in a tight space with people, who had a good reason to hate me, made heartbeat fill my chest. Yet they all remained calm and dejected to a pitiful degree. The unmanning had taken its toll. I left the naked group to the safety of dark cave, and crawled out. The small barren valley had turned into a busy campsite. The Roluans had brought a large delegation of officials, who were engaged in frantic talks with Conglomish notables. Jaan, Conglomish and Roluan soldiers eyed each other from the sides and kept the milling throng of curious civilians and journalists away. I told the guard at the tunnel to get some clothes for the group inside. I took a few steps forward, before Bemariq noticed me. We rushed to each other. Only in the tight embrace I remembered the powerful suit I was wearing. I drew back a little, even if Bemariq didn't show pain. He kissed me with deep hunger, as if the restrains of the recent weeks had been dissolved. I returned the kiss eagerly, uncaring of the public spectacle we were making. "Sirin..." he whispered into my ear. I detached from him. "Let's talk later, in more privacy. Now I need to find the representatives of Jaan and Rolu." Magnatess Sitolytta and the three men and a woman from Roluan government listened to my suggestion. They agreed to present it to Ayimun. The associate wore a loose uniform and stared at us with cold eyes. Though he hid from the open view in a carriage, he sat in rigid posture. "So the plan goes thus", Sitolytta began. "The Jaan Directory and the Conglomerate will create an agreement to keep the facility underneath us untouched. It is demonstrably dangerous and unpredictable, as you may agree." Ayimun grunted, in a way which must have been much more petulantly girly than he had intended. Sitolytta continued: "This vault shall remain untouched, until a joint international excavation --without any military presence whatsoever-- can be arranged in a conference, in which all great powers --not just us and you-- participate." "Why would the Conglomerate agree to this?" Ayimun asked. "This plan assures the research will be conducted with full and careful scrutiny", Bemariq said. "As an expert on the subject, I think proper and meticulous research is in the interest of the Conglomerate, as it is in the interest of the whole world." "Besides..." Sitolytta made a pursed smile. "After this tentative plan as been formally agreed, lady Usinilim will help with your current predicament." I said: "Of course, if the initial agreement can't be made swiftly enough, the Conglomerate might decide certain organs of personages present are worth sacrificing, permanently." Ayimun's posture managed to stiffen even more. "These negotiations seem to be prudent and in the interest of all parties." "Very good!" a representative of Rolu said. "We'll make the formal arrangements for the official talks in the coming days." CHAPTER 28 The carriage clambered down the hill. I sat next to Bemariq, with all of our hands clasped. "Are you mad at me?" I asked. "For ruining your chance?" "No." Bemariq kissed my cheek. "Prudence will serve the science itself better. If it was glory I sought, participating in --or even leading-- an international research team will bring plenty of it." "It might take years, possibly decades, for the great powers to agree on anything." "No matter. There's plenty of research to be done elsewhere." His hands held mine tighter. "And it will give us time to start a family. If you still want that." The man's words stoked the carnal furnace, which had been implanted in me. "Oh, Bem..." I sighed and pressed my head on his shoulder. "Do you forgive my folly, again?" he whispered. "I will keep on forgiving you until the day of the fabled Lasaida. However, I hope I won't have to, after this once." Instead of the hotel with its soured memory, the carriage dropped us at our awkward but personable house. Down at the camp, the Jaan had finished their work, but my thoughts were only on Bemariq. I locked the door after us and got out of my carapace. Suddenly my condition returned my mind. I hurried past Bemariq and went to the bathroom, but he followed. "Are you alright?" he asked. "Just wait for me outside, please." "I will. But just so you know: you don't have hide yourself from me." He shut the door. A short examination revealed that my flow hadn't yet ended, even if the discomfort was mostly gone. The need of my husband's touch burned in my mind, but I wanted our new first time to special. Perhaps I was conventional in that way. I washed myself, wrapped a towel around me and returned to Bemariq. He had poured us tiny glasses of certain golden wine, the one which was more heady than a hammer to the cranium. I took the glass and sat next to him on the couch. "Bem, this would be a perfect time for what you called 'in-depth examination'. But I think we need to postpone any probing." "I understand." He rubbed his chin. "Actually, it might suit us fine. Another local whale festival happens to be next week. The one with the fertility traditions and whatnot." "Oh. A night at the beach would indeed be romantic." I bit my lip. "But I don't know if I can last that long." "Don't worry, honeydew." He kissed my nose. "I'll help to scratch the worst itch." As an associate, Bemariq was in terms of official political status only second to Ayimun out of the Conglomish notables at Rolu. My husband had to participate in the proceedings, in which the initial agreement was slowly forged. At first the whole deal was on precarious ground, as the Conglomerate contingent couldn't quite agree, if the changed Ayimun was allowed to represent the state in 'her' condition. In order to show that Ayimun's 'womanhood' wouldn't have to be permanent, I took the other victims of my ploy to have their changes reversed. The vault's systems turned out to be accommodating. After I designated the them as men, the process worked out without much of a hitch. My fear that they would be forced to copulate with me didn't come to pass. The men did come out a bit boyishly pretty, but that nothing a good regimen of tonics wouldn't fix. Not all of the men arrived to be changed back. Luwud Duy send a word that he would wait, 'out of sympathy to the associate'. No explanation came from the myrmidon Qafin, who declined to appear. The local gossip did mention a foreign 'giantess' seeking for a discrete tailor. I took the magnatess to an inspection of the facility, though our actual goal was the medical scanner. She disappeared inside the egg, and the windows turned into visualisation of her insides. Because I couldn't tell, what was going on in the image, I asked the spirit to explain. Sitolytta got out, and I explained her situation. "Four embryos? Not as catastrophic as I feared, but still inconvenient and not entirely without danger." "Will you get rid of them?" I crossed my arms, but it was more of hugging myself. "Perhaps. However, I have this strange fancy that I shouldn't. But they'd be born out of wedlock. I couldn't marry Hyssi. Besides his non- existent status, he's very much still a boy." Sitolytta gave me a weary smirk. "I will have to think about this. Thank you, lady Usinilim." Once a year, a peculiar species of whales came to mate in the deep bays and coves near Heva. The seas around Roluan islands were filled with large fauna, but what made this species notable was the bioluminescent strips on their flanks. Plenty of local folklore was influenced by their night-time dance. Supposedly, the blinking lights would hypnotise the females of all mammals into a heat, while the subliminal sound waves supposedly enhanced fertility, especially in livestock. But also in humans. The sceptical anthropologist in me told that the tales were an excuse for women to take the initiative. Be that as it may, the locals considered the whale-lights to be a worthwhile sight to wait in the windy dark, even without any carnal motives. Our picnic basket sloshed with its rather liquid contents, as we made our way to the rocky part of the beach. Bemariq had picked an area some distance from Heva, which he thought would be the least populated. Crowded or not, the passionate moans carried by the chilly sea-wind weren't from mating whales. The sky was filled with stars, and I did my best not to look around too much, lest my night-piercing eyes invaded anyone's privacy. We picked a good spot with a view to an ink-black bay, lay down and began to sip the invigorating and warming cocktail. The taste was just the type of acerbic vileness, which promised quick results. I was soon warm all over. "Look, Sirin. In the water." A line of yellow-green spots twinkled just under the surface. It was joined by another, which pulsed with daring red and purple. "The hypnosis is working." I said and turned around to lie against Bemariq. "Or it might just be your presence." Bemariq wrapped an arm around me and pulled our thick blanket on both us. I escaped the growing chill by nuzzling against his body. He let out a yawn and rubbed my shoulder. After the last few days of business at Heva, it was no wonder Bemariq was tired. The comfortable weariness infected me. While I had looked forward to our 'first' night, we weren't in any hurry. However, I couldn't allow Bemariq to fall asleep. My hand snaked into his trousers and clasped the warm rod. As if my touch was magic, the soft flesh hardened and bulged against the tight grip. As an echo, parts in me stirred, though to small extend. Bemariq groaned into a stifled yawn. "Don't you dare to pass out", I murmured into his ear. "After dragging me all the way to this windy rock." I threw the blanket off us and immediately regretted losing its warmth. "Let's get our blood coursing. Stand up." I dragged my husband to his feet. He filled his lungs and stretched his frame. "Alright", he said. "Let's watch the whales." He grabbed my hips, pulled me in front of him and kissed the back of my neck. Far down in the water, both of the lines of light coruscated in frantic pulses. While the view was great, the cliff didn't extend as far away from us as I would have liked. "The edge is quite close..." "Don't worry", Bemariq said. "I'll hold you. Pick up your hem." When I lifted my skirt, and the breeze touched my legs, I was glad for the stockings I wore. Bemariq took the hem and piled it over my hips. His pleasantly warm hand groped my eagerly damp groin. "A lady should be more discomposed by the prospect of losing her virginity", Bemariq said. "I don't quite feel untouched." "Worry not", he whispered into my ear. "I'll make it feel like a first time." My body became rigid from the anticipation. I fumbled backwards with my hand, and Bemariq twined his fingers around mine. He opened his trousers and pushed my torso down. After some probing, the head of his rod poked at my lower lips. Though I was familiar with the considerable size of his member, my altered muscles clenched with trepidation. A hand took hold of my hair. I managed to whimper only for a moment, before the man jerked my head and pulled me to him. The thrust impaled me. The initial sting was mild, compared to the ache from the hammer battering into my insides. The entrance to my womb. Strength left my legs. I fell towards the edge. Bemariq yelled. He wrapped his arms around my waist and dragged us backwards. I landed on his hips, and his baton --still inside me-- slammed again into my cervix. The pain radiated through my lower body, squeezing a gasping squeal out of me. I saw more stars than was in the clouded sky. The agonised groans below woke me from my daze. "Bem!" I clambered from top of the man and groped for his head in the darkness. "Are you hurt?" "Not bad..." Bemariq grunted and cleared his throat. "A rock struck my spine. And if I had a phallic bone, it'd be in tiny pieces. Not that you are heavy, dear." He struggled to sit up and asked: "Do you want to get back under the blanket?" "If you promise not to fall asleep." "That incident woke me up good." Bemariq clambered back to the spot and took the blanket. "Come on." I lay next to him. As the soreness faded, my desire returned to the surface. Bemariq pulled me against him. As his hands roamed my skin, his lance found its target again, though this time the entrance was gentle, almost an afterthought to our embrace. Bemariq pushed me on my back and moved on top. I wrapped my arms around his powerful and firm torso. His wide shoulders and red-blooded weight held me down in a delightful trap, in which the man could commit whatever he wished on me. His hard thrust filled me completely, beyond the brink of discomfort. I let out a moan tinged with pain, which only encouraged the brute to continue his forceful administrations. The muscles of his back rippled under my fingers. His breath was heavy, possessive. Against the stars I couldn't make out his face, though I could see the sharp line of that manly jaw. The need to have and keep him for myself alone crushed my reason. I moved my dainty hand hold his thick neck in an imitation of a yoke. My nails bit into the man's skin, and I wrapped my legs over his. Passion overwhelmed Bemariq, and all gentleness left his movements. He was fortunate that his wife found satisfaction in such beastly treatment. Yet he did not treat me as a slab of flesh, good only for sating his lust. He lavished me with kisses. While one hand took support from me and held me down, the wandering fingers of the other showed he loved every part of me. My hair was pulled. My throat was touched with thrilling strength. Fingers sunk into my breast. He brushed my waist to show how he appreciated my hard-won lines. He fondled my thigh to show how exciting he found his wife's soft hairless form. The man used me fully. With each shift of his rod, he approached a climax. His seed would pour into me in an attempt to bind my body to his virile animal needs. The excitement of my nether nerves burst into warmth. I gasped from the steady intensity of it, which lingered as shivers. Bemariq kissed me and shifted his motions. Liquid heat joined his member inside me. The final few thrusts were a seal to our mating. My husband moved to my side, pushed his arm underneath me and pulled me into a tight embrace, as if fearing I'd float away. I did feel giddy and weightless, though I would never have willingly escaped that strong and secure grasp. We caught our breaths to the rhythm of our shared rapid heartbeat. Bemariq lowered me to his side and pulled the blanket back on top of us. The clouds were fading from the starry sky. I rested my head on the man's bicep, while his hand idly groped my breast in an absent-minded affirmation of my femininity. Sticky goo stained my groin. I resisted the urge to touch it. For the first time, its presence in me had a purpose. I shuddered. "Bem", I said. "Don't you think it's a bit odd, how we --humans in general, I mean-- breed our tools, and now in a way that facility breeds us for its own purposes?" My husband chuckled. "I do often feel like a tool." "Perhaps at time for a reason." I pressed into the man. "But what I mean... These desires... to start a family. They might be alien. I mean, how could I have that sort of instinct? When you seemed reluctant, I was genuinely hurt, which is rather baffling." "I'm sorry." Bemariq yawned. "Still, it's perfectly natural for a nubile... woman..." His breathing became heavy. "Bem?" He didn't answer. Less than gently, I slapped his cheek. "You promised not to fall asleep." Bemariq let out a long yawn. "I'm not up for another round, my honeydew." "I'm not either. But I want to talk." He let out an amused sigh. "Alright. About what?" "Why haven't you noted that my eyes shine?" Bemariq remained silent long enough that I almost slapped him again. "I'm not sure", he said. "There never seemed to be reason to. People tend to be sensitive about that sort of thing." Perhaps I was. "You don't mind it?" "Of course not. It actually looks cute, when you stare from a dark room into one with lights on." "But what if your child gets it?" "'It'? There doesn't seem to be anything wrong in the mother." 'Mother'. I took his word for it, and curled up to sleep. CHAPTER 29 - Epilogue "You must think this was a fittingly ironic punishment for me, lady Usinilim." Associate Ayimun was wearing an unarmoured military uniform. Despite his feminine body, he carried the outfit well. Ayimun, commandant Duy and I were accompanied by Roluan and Jaan soldiers. I would have wanted Bemariq, ni Salng and other researcher to get a last chance at surveying the facility, but the negotiations had been strict. Any research of the starfarer facility was forbidden until the proper concord could be formed. "I would never think it as a punishment", I said. "The facility was the only weapon I had. In truth, I'm relieved that the reversal process works so well." "At least something good came from this debacle", Ayimun said. "The agreement will curb Jaan aggression in this side of the oceans." "How about you, commandant?" I asked. "Did you take this was a punishment?" Luwud Duy was wearing not only a gown of pragmatic cut, but some makeup to enhance his shapely face. "Not at all." Duy grinned. "This has been an interesting opportunity. Still, I'm more than glad to move on." The associate and commandant returned from the hospital rooms. Luwud Duy had changed into a dress uniform suitable for his rank, which was incongruous to his smooth young face. Ayimun managed to look his age with his severe countenance, making his boyish features rather ethereal. "Did the procedure work correctly?" I asked. "It did." Ayimun walked past me. "Now, let us leave this place." I took the group to the lift and let them ride up without me. The secondary entrance would be sealed after I left, but I had been given time to assure nothing we had done would jeopardise the long term integrity of the facility. The guide walked with me, silently as always. "You seem more helpful than a mindless automaton", I said. "Are you just happy that you have something to do?" No answer. I hadn't expected any. We climbed the slope to the grotto of the Nexal Censor. Alone, I walked into the tunnel, but I did not go all the way through. "Suit." I placed my hand my belly. The carapace plates had parted a little to accommodate my growing abdomen. "Can you protect us both from whatever is in that room?" "Affirmative." "Do so." Perhaps it was from guilt that I had to inform the Censor. I had robbed from it a partner, or valuable tool at least. I went to the edge of the pool. The slumped form on its throne was as cold and miserable as it had been. That the Censor would notice me wasn't guaranteed. Still, I had to try. "Nexal Censor", I said. "I need to talk to you." The water parted, and a root rose. It moved towards me with exaggerated slowness. I lifted my hand and the tip of the huge appendage touched my palm. A questioning disappointment reached my mind. I explained the situation: the jealousy of empires and the agreement forged with acumen and common purpose. "I hope you don't blame my Bemariq. He did try. But in the end, we had to settle with a mere peace." The stream of emotions turned into a dejected acceptance. A brief terror, the fiery death of civilisations, flashed to my mind and was wiped away by a cold bitter wind. The forlorn despair faded and became coloured with hope. After the cataclysm, which the Nexal Censor had survived through, a 'mere' peace was enough. The Censor could wait. The root sunk back into the murky pool, and I left the chamber to its dead tranquillity. Bemariq was waiting at the secondary entrance with the workers and Roluan officials. "You visited the Censor?" he asked. "Yes. He's not angry with you." Bemariq chuckled with relief and led me to our carriage. The Roluans began to move the huge block of stone, which would bar the entrance until the distant day of an international agreement. "I think I've found a suitable new project for us to participate", Bemariq said. The carriage moved slowly in order not to shook me too much. "Oh?" "There talk of a proper comb-through of the Tudjan undercity. A friend of mine asked me to lead the survey. It would be right under Tudja, so we could live in a proper townhouse..." He gestured at my belly with his eyes. "And hire some help if need be." "Tudja... That sounds interesting. But last I heard, the relic smuggling is pervasive and growing more audacious." "We'd of course get some guards." "Erqas said she could work as civilian bodyguards with her fiance." "Who? Oh, you meant that myrmidon. Who's her fiance?" "Another myrmidon. Apparently, they found their shared love of 'wrestling' and gave up their commissions to be together." Bemariq smirked. "Such a pair would certainly discourage any thieves." The serene moorland passed us by. "Hopefully we can return here", I said. "I've grown fond of this place. On the other hand, I miss the heartbeat of a real city." "I hope you aren't planning on sampling that beat." "Oh, are you going to cloister me?" He grinned. "A few months of rest-cure should curb those impulses unsuitable to a lady. Of course, even if it worked without driving you insane, I'd have to divorce you out of boredom." "Well, in that case, I shall 'sample the heartbeat' with ardour." I let my husband pull me against him. "With you." THE END All rights are waived on this text, CC0.