Chapter 8

Over the subsequent few weeks, I attempted to find some outlet for my creativity. My first choice would have been to use my genetics training to investigate why the normal reproductive processes seem to have broken down in the population. Failing that, I was intensely curious as to why the crops did not provide seeds for replanting. From my work at Genotech, I knew genetically modified plants should have been just as capable of reproducing as any other.

The only reason that some GM crops did not reproduce was as a deliberate act of design, preventing piracy of the genome, or locking a captive market into a perpetual supply chain. Genotech never played that game, but I knew of several competitors that did, giving the industry a worse reputation than even what the overly critical media heaped upon us.

Drago, the citadel's chief scientist, was a rather distant individual. I'd met him briefly during my two appearances before the High Council. He studied me critically from across the room, doubtless trying to assess my possible value, and how best to employ me.

"We have several of our best people working on those issues," he assured me. "For the past decade, we have strived to repair the chromosomal damage to our genes, without any measure of success.

"The seed issue is a design constraint. We do have seed that reproduces, but we are reluctant to release them outside the citadel. The possible environmental impact of the uncontrolled spread of genetically modified material is extremely difficult to predict."

"I'm sure the villagers could keep it under control," I countered.

"The seeds would inevitably spread on the wind, or be carried by birds. Long term, the effects on the natural ecosystem could be catastrophic. Better that we produce the seeds here, under controlled conditions, and then issue them to each village for replanting."

"I'm a scientist," I replied. "There must be something that I could help with."

"You mentioned your work with stasis technology. Whilst it has been in regular use for many years, very little research has been performed in that area recently. Maybe there is some credence to your assertion that you have fresh ideas to offer in that direction."

We discussed the principles of their technology. Drago showed me to an information terminal, where the finer details were displayed. The terminal consisted of a thick glass plate that produced images at various layers within its structure, giving the picture an almost three-dimensional quality. It responded to a touch on the surface, allowing the operator to zoom and pan, or alternatively shift to another area of interest. I casually searched for the Apple logo, disappointed when it was nowhere to be found.

Drago led me into a large empty room, and informed me that he would arrange for equipment to be setup over the next few days: a small stasis pod, an information terminal, and perhaps even an assistant to perform the more menial chores. I thanked him for his kindness, and he left me playing with the terminal, discovering everything that there was to learn about their technology.

My relationship with Nella settled into a regular pattern. Unable to maintain the pace of earlier, we agreed to regulate our lovemaking to a frequency with which I could cope. When we eventually came together, the encounters were far more memorable as a result.

Sometimes after a couple of days apart, we would take a long bath and then spend the entire afternoon caressing one another, before finally wallowing in the sheer bliss of sexual satisfaction.

Teel was much more demanding, and also the most physical. She would always stay overnight, something that Nella found virtually impossible to arrange. We would experiment with different positions, stretching my endurance to the limit. She urged me to take her time after time, until in the end, all I wanted to do was to fall asleep contentedly beside her.

After my discussion with Drago, I met with Nella for lunch and enthused about my new vocation. She was pleased that I'd found fresh purpose, having observed me become rather lethargic over the preceding weeks.

"Are you available tomorrow night?" she asked.

"I'll have to check my diary," I joked, glancing down at the invisible journal in my hand. "No problem, I think I'm free."

"I was just making sure that you didn't have anything planned with Teel."

"She's coming over tonight, but I should be fully recovered by the following day."

"You make it sound like an ordeal."

"Teel's a lovely girl, but she believes you can never have too much of a good thing. I struggle to keep up with her, physically and emotionally."

"If I was a suspicious person, I'd think that this was one of the reasons she was chosen as a surrogate, and maybe why they are all discouraged from partnering."

"Because of a heightened emotional response?"

"It's just a pet theory of mine."

"I see what you're getting at. You'd think she'd respond this way with anybody."

"I've no way of proving it, one way or the other."

"What does all this achieve?"

"We've obviously been pre-conditioned with a reduced libido. Until I met you, I'd never derived that much satisfaction from sex. It was just something we did as part of the partnering ritual, and then rarely repeated."

"Why would anybody seek to marginalise sex?"

"I don't know. I'm probably reading too much into it."

"Why tomorrow night?"

"Tamar is organising another raiding party, still trying to locate the Trog habitat."

"He thinks they all have a common locus?"

Nella nodded. "If he can find it, he could reduce their numbers dramatically."

"So he'll be away for a while?"

"I want to spend the night with you. I want to rest beside you, feel your body against mine. I want to be able to wake up in the middle of the night, make love, and then fall asleep again in your arms."

"Wow!" I sighed, astounded by the rapid change in her emotional development.

We strolled casually back to my room. "Do you want to come in?"

"I'd like to, but I won't. It sounds like you'll need all your energy for Teel. I can wait until tomorrow night, and then we can see what happens."

I kissed her goodbye, and then watched her disappear with a desperate longing. The two girls were so different in character; it was impossible to choose one over the other. Nella was much more reserved, but sometimes that suited my mood. At other times, Teel's exuberance captivated me with its unrestrained sensuality: the best of both worlds.

Neither seemed overly bothered about the other, content to share my affections in a way that would probably never have occurred in my own time, when women were generally more possessive. Niggling doubts still lingered in my mind, but I figured that as long as I was discreet, nobody would be any the wiser.

Teel appeared early in the evening, just after I'd eaten. She slipped quietly into my room and we embraced. On Nella's advice, we now tried to avoid being seen alone in each other's company, anxious not to attract suspicion.

"I'll be away for a few days after tomorrow night," she informed me. "They're going to implant me."

I still had reservations about the principles of surrogacy, but conceded that if she was happy with the situation, I'd keep my opinions to myself.

"We'd better make the most of our last couple of nights," I replied before suddenly remembering what I'd promised Nella.

Teel threw off her gown and then strode naked into the bath. I slipped into the water, gasping as she captured me, squeezing my cock between her fingers. I kissed her and fondled her breast, rubbing the nipple until it stood proud. I'd learned that her buds were incredible sensitive, and that almost any amount of stimulation would leave her body shaking with eager expectation. I guided her mouth to my cock, relishing the prospect of another night of unbridled debauchery.

The room was cluttered with unfathomable equipment that had not been there the day before. Whatever criticism you could level at the citadel, lack of efficiency was certainly not one of them. Malik, a young man barely out of his teens, identified some of the items, and then indicated how to identify the rest via the information terminal that now nestled against the far wall.

The coffin–sized stasis chamber was a wonder to behold. The stasis generators were hardly bigger than a D-cell battery, and the magnets that once filled an entire floor were no larger than a house brick, their flux generated by an esoteric material that I could hardly have conceived of. Although its uniformity was unparalleled, the stasis field was barely intense enough to achieve its goal. Its strength was orders of magnitude lower than the Genotech prototype.