Specimen 959, p.55
Specimen 959, page 55
“You don’t understand, Sergeant,” said Tindas. “There is every reason.”
“What do you mean?”
“Once we have restored Darrien’s memories to him, we would like to help you in a similar manner.”
Rantara looked at him and shook her head.
“I don’t need any help, Tindas; my memories weren’t taken.”
“We know, Sergeant. What I propose is something altogether different. We would like to extract certain memories from you in order to bring you peace and freedom from the torment they have caused you.”
Rantara could only stare at Tindas and she felt the sting of betrayal as she realized what he meant.
“I’m sure Torbal gave you all the information you needed about that, but it’s none of your business, Professor.”
“It is your decision, of course, but you may want to reconsider when you hear what we have in mind.”
Rantara said nothing, but Norris understood and spoke for her.
“Torbal told them about the Sisterhood.”
“Yes,” Rantara said with a lighter inflection in her voice. “The Inspector was very clever indeed.”
Norris turned to face Tindas.
“If you’re talking about Creel, I’d leave it alone.”
“Darrien,” Qural interrupted, “We have a way to remove that problem, permanently. If she will allow it, we can extract those memories and archive them.”
“Why? What possible good could come of that?” he said. “Let’s leave her out of this.”
“We will do as she wishes, of course. But she has not heard what we propose. Let us tell you, then we will act, or not act, as she sees fit.”
Norris turned to Rantara.
“You want me to stop this?”
She looked first at Qural, then at Tindas.
“You can find those memories and copy them?”
“Yes,” Kol answered. “Just as we took the brief sample from Darrien a moment ago.”
“What then?” Rantara asked. “What would you do with them?”
Tindas walked to where Rantara stood.
“At the appropriate time, we would provide them to a group of officials in the Security Directorate.”
Rantara stared for a moment. At last, she smiled. Norris saw it and said, “Do you know what he’s talking about?”
“He’s talking about freedom, Darrien.”
“Exactly,” Tindas said softly, “When made known to the Directorate, the truth of what Mozam Creel tried to do to her will remove forever the weapon Colonel Tremmek has held over her for so long. He cannot use the threat of exposure when the very authorities he would seek out know the truth. She would be, finally, free of that grip.”
“You can do this?” she asked.
“Of course, Sergeant, and we will gladly do so if you allow it.”
Rantara turned to Haleth.
“I want to see Darrien’s memory sample first. The ones you just copied from him; I want to watch them.”
It took only seconds, but the images began to race through Rantara’s mind, one upon the other. There, in vivid colors, she saw the restaurant on Tevem. How splendid they all looked, she thought with a smile. She saw herself, waiting for Banen as he bought tickets for the aerial ballet. After a moment, other senses came alive. First, there was sound; the clinking of silverware on delicate plates of food, and then the symphony of voices as conversations became mingled into one continuous, muffled roar. She smiled and Norris moved close.
“Can you see it?”
“Yes,” she whispered. “We’re having dinner in Tevem. I can smell the food! I can see myself.”
Haleth leaned from the control panel.
“In a moment, you will experience other tactile inputs, Sergeant. The feel of Darrien’s clothing, the temperature of the air, even the taste of his food; all those sensory inputs were secured by his memory.”
Rantara nodded.
“Hesset and Theriani are so beautiful, all dressed up and...”
“What are you seeing now?” asked Norris.
“You spent a lot of time looking in my direction, I see. Wait – Darrien, you were looking right at my...”
“Okay! Thank you, Onallin, let’s move on,” he interrupted, unable to mask his embarrassment. Hesset smiled and stood closer as Rantara described the restaurant scene. In moments, it was done. Haleth keyed the release sequences into the Transceptor and Rantara stood still, opening her eyes with a wide smile. It was the first time most of them had seen genuine happiness showing through the otherwise stern mask she maintained. The experience was as pleasant to them as it was for her.
Qural went to Rantara.
“You see, Sergeant? The Transceptor is harmless; it cannot hurt Darrien.”
Norris waited as Rantara stepped from the pedestal.
“Okay, Ambassador, I think she’s convinced now. What’s our next step?”
Qural looked on as Haleth shut down the Transceptor.
“It is time to rest. A memory transfer of this magnitude will be a lengthy process and you must be physically prepared.”
“This is going to hurt, isn’t it?” Norris said.
“No, no; it will not cause you any pain. I refer only to your endurance. We are going to restore over a year’s memory; it will take a considerable amount of time.”
“Are we talking hours, or will it be longer?”
“Haleth can gauge it more precisely, Darrien, but the process could easily consume days.”
Norris nodded as Qural spoke softly into a thin communicator she wore like a bracelet. A moment later, Rentha appeared as Qural turned to the others.
“If you would please follow her, Rentha will show you all to your rooms. After you have had a chance to rest and refresh yourselves, I believe she has arranged for an early dinner in the garden.”
As they filed out, Qural held Norris.
“Please, Darrien, wait a moment; I wish to speak with you in private.”
Norris looked at Rantara, but Qural said, “If the Sergeant wishes, she is certainly welcome to remain, but I believe Kol would like to spend a moment with you as well.”
Rantara placed a soft kiss on Norris’ cheek.
“I’ll see you when you’re finished here.”
After a tight embrace, she turned for the doorway. As they made their way up the ramp to Qural’s great room, Banen steered Hesset aside, gesturing toward Rantara where she walked in front of them.
“You were correct,” he whispered. “They have become much more than just friends.”
“They have,” Hesset agreed, “but it presents a more interesting question.”
He could see the worry in her expression.
“Indeed, but it has begun; she shows all the signs very clearly and nothing can stop that now. Do you think his response will not be as she hopes?”
“Not necessarily,” Hesset replied, “but I am concerned that he will be overwhelmed by it. Has he been told of the changes?”
Banen frowned.
“I have not briefed him and I cannot believe she has brought it up after so short a time. As you know, Khorrans regard this as an intensely private matter, particularly their females; it is possible the change has been so sudden, she may be struggling with it by herself. It is also likely she hesitates to speak with him yet, simply from a fear he will react badly.”
Hesset nodded.
“I have never had a conversation with him where this sort of thing is concerned, either; I do not know how humans behave when these moments arrive.
“Nor do I,” Banen agreed. “I am given to understand their rituals are much different. Somehow, I do not think he will object, once he understands what it means and the decision he will be obliged to make. Unless we are completely in error, I believe your instincts were correct to begin with, Hesset; too much has passed between them to affect the process in a negative way.”
“I hope you are right – it will be a sad conclusion otherwise.”
Kol waited until they were alone with Qural.
“I know how this must seem to you, Darrien. When you first came to us, you were much younger; it was a difficult task to win your trust. But after the passage of many years, it is overwhelming to see you again.”
Qural sat nearby and said, “When we programmed your vessel for the Flash Trap’s intercept point – when we were about to return you to your home – you were unconscious. It was difficult for us to watch you go, and we believed it was the last time we would ever see you. You must understand, this has been a profoundly emotional experience for us, too.”
Norris sat next to Qural.
“Knowing how I was back then, I can’t imagine how it must’ve been for you. I wasn’t the most cooperative soul in those days.”
Qural smiled as the memories flooded back.
“You had your moments, Darrien. But you were also a thoughtful young man and...”
Norris saw her eyes blink back the tears. Suddenly, Kol turned to go.
“I must leave you now, Darrien; it is time for Haleth and I to purge, but I will see you after you have dined.”
Kol withdrew into the chamber beyond the room where Haleth waited. Norris turned to Qural.
“Please tell me I didn’t say something stupid just now.”
“Not at all, Darrien; Kol and Haleth absorb compounds from our air that are harmful if allowed to build up. They attach themselves to a machine that circulates the air they breathe, and also their blood supply, through a series of filters.”
Norris winced at the image his mind conjured, and Qural added, “It is not as horrific as it sounds; they are only required to do so every fifty or sixty days. While you and the others are resting, it gives them an opportunity to cleanse their bloodstream thoroughly. They prefer to do this in private.”
“I see,” said Norris. “It just seemed like she had gotten tired of this, and...”
Qural took his hand and said, “She also wanted to leave us so that I might speak with you alone; Kol is a very sensitive creature.”
Norris turned to her, but Qural looked away.
“What is it, Ambassador?” he said.
“Please, Darrien,” she replied.
She looked at him again.
“It is particularly difficult to hear you address me as though we had never met.”
Norris shook his head.
“I’m sorry; I didn’t know it would...”
“Do not apologize,” she replied. “You could not possibly have known. But soon, the memories of your time here will be restored and that is why I want to speak with you now.”
“Fire away.”
She smiled and said, “I haven’t heard anyone say that since you went home the last time.”
“I used that phrase when I stopped by, seventeen years ago?”
“Yes. Of the many fascinating things about you, the way you spoke was particularly delightful to me.”
“You were their linguist – I remember.”
“Yes. I studied languages at university, but I was ill-prepared for the wonderful way humans communicate. We have no equivalent expressions, such as ‘fire away’ in Anashi. It took time, but you had to explain the concepts of slang and something you called ‘colloquialism’.”
Norris laughed at the absurd image of Qural’s doubtless confused expression when a brash young human lieutenant spoke in a language she hadn’t heard before.
“It is strange, and a little painful, telling you things you already knew. I want very much for you to remember; I want you back the way you were.”
Norris smiled, but after a moment, Qural returned to a more serious tone.
“Darrien, the process of restoring your memories will not be as it was for the Sergeant, just now. When we begin, you will not be able to process the images as the Transceptor feeds them to your brain.”
“I don’t understand,” he said. “Isn’t that the point? Getting them back for me to remember?”
“It is, but the process itself occurs so rapidly, it is impossible to make sense of the compressed images you will see. Haleth believes it would be best to sedate you, prior to the procedure, but Kol is not convinced and she will reserve that decision until later. Also, we have found the transfer process copies emotional responses faithfully; nothing is missed. It can be an overwhelming experience, digesting a flood of scenes, sensory input and the very emotional responses you experienced long ago. As they file into the memory centers of your brain, they will appear as an abstract entertainment vid, running in fast-forward. You will see fleeting images, not a recognizable sequence.”
“What am I supposed to do with that?”
“Do not be concerned. Over time, the images – the memories themselves – will be filtered through to the appropriate recall nodes that govern your memory processes at the root level. They will find their place, according to the proper, chronological patterns that would have put them there, had you retained them all along. The Transceptor knows precisely where the memories came from, and will restore most of them to those places in your brain with astonishing accuracy.”
“Most of them?” Norris frowned.
“Your experiences from the past seventeen years have made new memories; many of them have taken the place of those missing from before. The Transceptor will simply access unused memory centers and map the pathways accordingly; nothing will be missed.”
“You’re saying that time will sort them out in such a way that I can someday access them, like my other memories?”
“Yes, but it will not take long; you will have full recall within hours.”
“Well, that’s good, right? Why would you need to tell me all of this in private?”
“Darrien, some of the memories you will ultimately see are very sensitive, and I wanted to explain them to you before you see them on your own.”
Norris frowned and said, “I don’t like the sound of that. Did I do something horrible?”
“No, not at all,” Qural replied. “It is difficult for me to explain because the memories are very private in nature.”
Norris shook his head silently.
“I don’t follow.”
Qural looked away, and he could see she was struggling to find the words; something in their past was disturbing to her, and he felt a sudden compulsion to know.
“What was it, Qural? What happened? You’re squirming over this. If I did something bad...”
She turned to him and said, “I could not bring this up in front of the Sergeant, Darrien. I know you and she have become quite close, and...”
Norris’ imagination began to whirl.
“Just tell me, Qural.”
After a moment, she looked down.
“When you first arrived, you were a curiosity; a scientific anomaly that everyone in our science community wanted to study. You are the only human anyone here has ever seen. We allowed some of them to visit you, but most were kept away. Over time, the novelty wore off, and we were left alone at last. During that period, Kol’s research was centered on your physiology. For the first several days, she conducted many tests that ultimately fatigued you. She understood, and decided to break for a while so that you could recover.”
“Fatigued me?” Norris asked.
“Yes. Blood and tissue samples for baseline chemistry analysis, but also rigorous activity - how fast you could run, or how much weight you could lift, your endurance parameters – that sort of thing. She measured it all, but after many days, you simply needed rest. I decided to take you to my family’s vacation home in the mountains near the capitol. It is quiet and secluded there - a very pleasant place to regain your strength.”
“Will I remember all these things?”
“Yes, you will, and that is why it is important for us to discuss them now. The memories will be many and varied, but soon you will see the images.
“Images? Good Lord, what did I do?”
“It would be more accurate to ask what we did.”
Norris only blinked.
“Darrien, you and I shared very intimate moments together.”
Norris’ eyebrows went up involuntarily.
“Hold on, are you telling me that you and I were... involved?”
“Not precisely,” she replied. “Not in that way, as you and Onallin are today. It was very passionate, and we spent much of our time together, but we did not become ‘involved,’ as you put it. I was still mated with Tarso, and you were so much younger than I; any romantic ideas we may have had were out of the question.”
“Who is Tarso? I thought your husband’s name is Eli, or something.”
“Ylas. His name is Ylas. Years before, I was mated to another – Tarso was my first husband. It was an arranged marriage – I believe you have an equivalent in human culture?
“Well, we used to. It doesn’t happen like that very often now.”
Qural continued.
“The practice is common among our people; in exchange for the position at the Science Academy he could offer me, the wealth I brought secured his comfortable lifestyle. It was a marriage without love or passion, but we both benefitted from the arrangement in our own ways.”
“Will I remember him?”
“Oh yes, you will. Tarso disliked you from the beginning, unfortunately.”
“He knew about this? About... what we were doing?”
“No, but the knowledge would not have made any difference, not in the way you mean. Most Anashi marriages are triads – three spouses. A third joins a couple, but typically, not until it is time to procreate. We were not yet ready for children, so another had not joined us. Tarso kept company with others while he was at his duties, especially one – a younger girl from the University called Sarrell. She was pleasing to us from a physical perspective, but I did not approve of her as a third. Because of my reservations, Tarso was obliged to divide his time between us, and that kept him often at the University.”
“And that’s when you and I...”
“It was not as you suggest, Darrien – our ways do not restrict us from enjoying the pleasures of another outside a marriage triad.”
“A cozy arrangement,” Norris said, “but I can guarantee you it wouldn’t fly where I’m from.”
