12: A Risky Experiment

Theo helped carry their luggage into their room. “If you’re worried about spending cash, you’re free to stay with us tonight,”

“Nah,” Al said, tossing notebooks filled with his daily scribblings on the bed. “You and Etta have too much to arrange.”

“The hell with that: we’re too excited. You don’t understand what an opportunity this is. You represent talents we’ve never witnessed in any living thing. We don’t even have any explanations for why they occur. I mean, forecasting the future, telepathy, locating people?”

“I’m curious,” Etta said, “why does everyone call Be a locator instead of navigator? Isn’t that more in keeping with your nautical theme?”

Eli shook his head. “I’m sorry. Your argument makes logical sense, but I can’t picture it. It’s not finding where to go, she locates team members. She’s more of a recruiter, visiting towns searching for additional crew.”

“So why don’t you have a navigator?” Theo asked.

Al scratched his head. “I’m not sure. Either we don’t need one, or haven’t met them yet.”

Etta rubbed her hands together. “Terrific: more abilities to examine!”

Al sat on the edge of his bed as various people carried the remaining bags to the other rooms. “What process in the brain might account for forecasting the future, or locating someone? Do these skills reside in our DNA? If they do, how can so many different, highly specialized new abilities occur simultaneously?”

“That’s why I used the scanner on your sister,” Theo said. “I couldn’t detect any radio signals surrounding her, which is the only imaginable way she might conceivably perform those tasks.”

“Even if it’s genetic, it might take hundreds of generations before a new genetic link produces useful results. There are exceptions, of course. Such as when a string of different genes is tied together, activating at the same time. However, I see no indication that’s involved here. Frankly, I can’t conceive how each of you came by these abilities.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of. They all seem to trace back to our origins. Since we’re all orphans, and our tattoos and alphabetical names were provided when we were too young to remember, it points to a human instigator.”

“But if someone possessed such advanced knowledge, consider how much they could have achieved by now?” Eli said. “Why waste it on a bunch of kids?”

“Yeah, that was my point. There’s little indication anyone’s ever kept track of us.”

“We were intended to find each other,” Betty said from the corner. “That much is logical. It also explains why no one ever moved a significant distance away. There’s something keeping us here where we can be found.”

Etta glanced up, closing her eyes. “You might have something there. Our parents moved away, but we returned to work at our little Podunk college town, despite qualifying for more prestigious universities.”

“This is just conjecture,” Theo said, “but the odds of this being genetic are ... astronomical. A stronger possibility is nanocomputers.”

Al cocked his head. “You mean little robots?”

“More precisely, I’m thinking nanobots,” Theo explained. “Nanocomputers are devices smaller than a single molecule. Nanobots are autonomous, intelligent computers, powered by the flow of blood in the human bloodstream. Obviously no one’s ever seen one before, but it’s been theorized for some time.

“They’d be embedded in cells, utilizing DNA as a storage array like a miniscule hard drive,” he added. “If someone understood how to apply such technology, they could inject it into your blood. It would be too small to identify unless you knew which specific cells were involved. It’s almost impossible to examine every cell in someone’s blood, especially since we still haven’t identified many of them.”

“That’s perfect,” Etta exclaimed. “It merges our two backgrounds, explaining why our expertise is required.”

“Or,” Al suggested, “you’re needed to figure out even more advanced technology, which we’ve each been bio-engineered to utilize.”

“Ha! You’re finally coming around to my starship theory!” Gary quipped, entering the room again.

“It’s not a theory until you propose a testable hypothesis,” Theo pointed out.

“Still, it’s the only idea which makes sense. Some group of human inventors wouldn’t waste their time on the likes of us, when they could easily live like kings with much less effort. The fact it’s all so precise argues familiarity. These ... people weren’t just randomly experimenting. They aren’t monitoring us, because they assume we’ll find each other and eventually locate them.”

“That makes a heck of a lot more sense,” Theo agreed. “But how would aliens isolate a bunch of orphan children and program them so they’d only be productive dozens of years later, at precisely the same time?”

“The only way it’d work is if they are all humanoid, perfect human replicas,” Eli said. “The idea that different species, raised in separate physical environments would develop identically is difficult to accept.”

“Well, we’ve got a lot to discuss over the next few days,” Al said. “Including several more discoveries to make before we’ll make any sense of this. For now, you need to return home and prepare your property for a prolonged absence. In the meantime, we’ll continue wrestling with it here.”

“That’s reasonable.” Theo laughed. “We already have enough data to give us migraines. Now we all need to sleep on it and allow the information to percolate, until the right conclusions congeal. Come on, honey. Let’s leave these wonderful people alone.”

“I guess the rest of us will head to our rooms as well,” Delilah said. “Are the two of you ... okay staying together tonight?”

Betty glanced down, unable to meet her eyes. “Actually, could you and Gary stay? I’d like to suggest a little experiment of my own, one I’d rather not discuss with everyone watching.”

“You want to experiment with us? What are you considering?”

“Believe me, it’s not something you’d expect!”

“All right, everyone’s gone,” Delilah said. “What’s this supposed experiment about, and why are we conducting it here?”

Betty flexed her fingers, glancing between the others. “Pardon me, but this is even more difficult than I anticipated.”

“I’ll help,” Delilah said, grinning. “Does this concern you and Al?”

“It does. Our evening together proved my chances of finding someone else are virtually nil as long as I restrict myself to the billions of other humans on the planet.”

“What are you suggesting?” Gary asked, leaning forward.

“While I still have issues about fooling around with my brother, there’s still the possibility I might meet another of our kind. If so, we may be able to pair bond with each other.”

“Good luck with that,” Al said. “Everyone we’ve met thus far has been pair bonded since childhood, just like we seem to be.”

“You never know,” Betty responded, crossing her arms. “There might be an odd number. Someone might even have suffered an ... unfortunate accident years ago.”

Gary cocked his head. “Your solution is to hope for someone’s untimely death?”

Betty glanced down, taking a deep breath and flexing her fingers before continuing. “Del, I need to borrow your boyfriend.”

“Excuse me?”

Betty took another deep breath. “I’m hoping if we make out, it might answer my dilemma as well as revealing more about who we are and the nature of our pair bondings.”

“That’s ridiculous!” Gary shouted, jumping to his feet. “How can you think I’d ever consider that?”

“I agree,” Al said. “This is pretty off the wall.”

Betty blushed, glancing down. When Delilah didn’t respond, she glanced at her again.

“I’m not saying no, but what would this entail?”

“You’re not serious about this, are you?” Gary asked.

“Why not?” Delilah answered. “You’ve got to admit, we’re all drawn to Al. Although I’ll never leave Gary for anyone else, the idea of spending time with your brother is an ... intriguing possibility.”

“Geez!” Al buried his face in his hands.

“So you’re okay with this?” Delilah’s partner asked.

“Within limits. Everything has to be out in the open. I don’t want any forbidden romances blossoming behind closed doors. I want to monitor everything. If anyone gets googly-eyed, all bets are off. I’ll shut the entire thing down. But as long as everyone treats this as a one-time experiment, I’m not against it in principle.”

“Damn, they’re going to do it,” Gary said.

“We need to set our parameters,” Betty said. “I’m looking for our physical attraction. But if we aren’t physically repulsed by each other, we may need to ... progress a bit further.”

“Again, what does progressing entail?”

“We’re discussing swapping partners,” Betty said, laying her cards on the table. “The room has two double beds, so we’re perfectly situated. We can all watch how everyone responds. If anyone gets uncomfortable, we’ll call the entire thing off. I don’t want to threaten anyone’s relationship. I want to learn what we’re facing.”

“We’re discussing having sex with another couple,” Gary reminded her. “I think what you’re suggesting is pretty clear.” He turned to their supposed captain. “What about you? You don’t have any problems with this?”

Al took a moment to consider it before responding. “I’ve got all kinds of issues with it, but if this is what Be needs, then I’ll support her.”

“And what if she decides there’s someone else out there?” Gary pressed. “What then? Will you stand aside as she leaves, making you the odd duck with no one to love?”

“That’s the price of love,” he answered, spreading his hands. “When you care for someone, you expose yourself, but you’d still rather see them happy than both of us living in misery.”

“Look, it’s not like we haven’t considered this,” Delilah said. “When you’re hopelessly in love, you question what happens if one of us dies. Can the other go on without their partner? Are we each like the lone swan, forever wandering the shore, awaiting a lost mate who’ll never return? Or can we move on, finding someone else in a similar predicament?” She spun in a slow circle, examining each participant. “None of us were born yesterday. We understand people trade partners all the time. This won’t change who we are, but it might answer questions about our very natures.”

“I hate to admit it, but she’s got a point,” Gary admitted. “I’ve asked myself what I’d do if something happened to her time and again. Our relationship is strong. A third party won’t come between us, even someone as close as Be. As she suggested, this is vital information. We need to understand how our minds operate.”

In answer, Delilah beckoned Al with her finger. As he went to her, Gary closed with Betty. They each began kissing, tentatively at first, becoming more aggressive.

“So what do you think?” Delilah asked, pausing long enough to consider everyone’s response.

“It’s ... interesting.” Betty glanced between Gary and his girlfriend. “It’s definitely more appealing than some stranger off the street, but I realize this will never progress beyond tonight. I’m guessing there is some inner-group cross-over, however we define ourselves.”

“She’s right,” Gary said. “There’s something there. Before Del and I got reacquainted, we tried dating others. It fell flat. Neither of us was interested in anyone in the slightest. But I feel something with Be, even if it doesn’t threaten us.”

“I think there’s more to it than that,” Delilah said, licking her lips. “It’s as if Al has energy pulsing under his skin. I can feel it coursing through my fingers as we make out. He’s got to be burning a ton of calories to produce his future vision abilities. It’s positively electrifying.”

“I felt the same thing with Be. I’m sure it’s less intense, but it’s certainly stronger than normal. It’s completely different than making out with some random stranger.”

The conversation halted as each couple resumed kissing. Al took a quick glance at Betty and Gary. She seemed to be enjoying herself. As long as she wasn’t troubled, he wasn’t about to get in her way. Instead, he closed his eyes and enjoyed the sensations overwhelming him.

As they made out, Al would reach out, holding his hand mere centimeters from Delilah’s breast. Yet his hand would hover, only to pull away; resettling along her side or back. Thinking he was afraid to touch her, she moaned to encourage him, but he ignored her signals, preferring to take his time.

Opening her eyes, Delilah took in their respective partners. Gary had Betty’s top off and she was enjoying the attention. When Delilah noticed Al watching too, she whispered in his ear.

“I hate to say it, but they look good together.”

“They do. Be is letting herself go, playing in a way she never could with me. With us, we ended up making love despite her reluctance. Here, she’s allowing herself to play with someone like most young teens. This is good for her, no matter the outcome. It’s encouraging seeing her opening up.”

“It doesn’t bother you that it’s Gary and not you?”

“Honestly, it doesn’t,” he said, biting his lip. “If nothing else, it reinforces all our fears and hopes. If she can be happy with someone else, then so can I. It may not happen for a long time, but given advancing age and accidents, there’s a chance we’ll each find someone eventually. But in either case, Be finding her happiness beats the two of us being miserable together. I’d prefer she discovers herself and finds her own future. I can’t control her forever.”

“Better you than me,” Delilah said. “I’m sure we’ll never be in the position of letting the other person go. It’s got to be tough, but you’re handling it well. Still, rather than being jealous, I’m encouraged Gary is spreading his wings. I’ve always worried about his not getting to sleep around. Believe me, we’ll replay this night for many years to come. It’s sexy watching him take control in a situation like this, especially knowing it’ll never adversely impact the two of us. If he wasn’t like the rest of us, I’d never do this.”

Betty stepped back, dropping to her knees as she unbuttoned and removed Gary’s pants. Instead of continuing to focus on them, Al resumed kissing Delilah, who didn’t object in the least. His hand reached for her breast once again, only to pause, hovering over her nipple. His hand twitched, but he again withdrew it, instead pulling her tighter against him.

Delilah peeked at her partner, watching as Betty made a production of going down on him. She seemed to be truly enjoying herself, as was Gary, breathing heavily and guiding her motions with his hands. While both she and Al watched, as Gary groaned, grabbing Betty’s head as he came in her mouth. She swallowed his entire load, whereas she’d never even put her mouth on Al’s.