Chapter 33

"How long have you known you were a Cornazan, Robert?" I asked. The look on his face told me that was the last thing he was expecting me to ask.

"Excuse me?" The shocked, confused look on his face was very nicely done.

"You heard me. How long have you known you were a Cornazan?"

"I'm not a Cornazan. Where did you get that idea?"

"I felt you smooth Victoria's mind when we came in. I was also aware of you helping when we were making love to her. No one can do that but a Cornazan."

Robert gave me a hard look, then sighed, sat on the nearby bench, and gave up all pretenses.

"Damn. You shouldn't be able to detect that. How were you able to do that?"

"I can do a lot of things lately that I could never do before. I suspect being hit by thirteen Leto-Paradeasal balls has that effect," I explained.

"I told them this wouldn't work. 'Less than a one in a million chance he'll figure it out', they said. Damn Leto-Paradeasal balls!" Robert muttered.

"What's the story?"

"I can't tell you anything except I'm not Cornazan," he insisted.

"Look, Robert, I can understand the need for secrecy. I've kept some secrets myself, but I'm the leader here. I need to know if there are more of us running around without my knowledge. Keep your secrets from others, but don't insult my intelligence by denying it. I need to know."

"It's not my secret to tell. I'll have to get permission," he said.

"Then get it."

"First, I want to show you something. Melinda, honey, are you there?" he called.

"I am now, dear. What do you need?"

"Have you been monitoring my conversation with Patrick?"

"You know better than that, sir. I never monitor your conversations or contact you without authorization, except under very specific conditions. Until you just called me, I had no idea you were having a conversation with Patrick."

"Oh? How is that, Mel? You monitor all conversations," I asked.

"Not Robert's. I never monitor those. I can't monitor those. It is in my programming. I'm unable to do it."

"Why?"

"I don't know. I was never told. A priority override forbids me, prevents me from listening, monitoring, or recording his conversations. I am only aware of them when he calls me, as he just did. Even this conversation is irretrievably deleted as soon as he dismisses me. It is the way it is." I could almost hear her shrug.

"Melinda, sweetheart, I never 'dismiss' you," Robert said, acting offended.

"Uh huh. A rose by any other name..." Melinda giggled.

"What do you know about me, Melinda?" he asked.

"Almost nothing. You are Elizabeth's brother and Victoria's husband. You are a career Marine, and an expert in anti-terrorism. You died in Iraq at the same time that Elizabeth died. You are Becky and Katie's father. You are thirty-seven years old, and human. That's all I know."

"I'm not Cornazan?"

"As far as I know, you are completely human. My data banks contain the names of all known Cornazans, and you are not on that list."

"You have no recorded conversations of mine, none on record, no recollection of any?"

"No, sir. It is not possible with my programming. Even if I were to find a way around that program, there is a secondary program that would immediately shut me down if I were to access anything pertaining to you that isn't there. Both Melissa and I are programmed to shut the other down if we attempt to access any data about you that isn't there, which would have already shut us down for accessing anyway."

Melinda said all that without a giggle. I suspected it was a form of dry computer humor.

"How are you able to protect him if anything happens?" I asked.

"I have some highly advanced programming that keys in to his words and voice inflections. If that program hears any of those keys, a subroutine listens for a brief time to see if I am needed. I am not aware, nor do I have any record of that event, but I know it happens."

"In other words, you monitor his conversations," I grinned.

"No, sir! There is a distinct difference. Are you trying to get me shut down, sir?" Melinda asked formally.

"I guess this isn't a subject for humor, is it?" I apologized.

"No, sir, it isn't. There is no sense of humor at all in my programming about that subject. It is very serious. There is no apologizing, nor any second chance. If I violate my programming on this issue, assuming I could, I would be shut down. There is no appeal. Bye-bye, Melinda."

"Thank you, Melinda. I love you, dear," Robert said.

"I love you too, Robert, whoever you are, almost as much as I love Patrick." There was an audible click as the computer-girl signed off.

"Do you still want to know about me?" he asked.

"More than ever," I affirmed. "You're someone that the most powerful computer in the universe knows nothing about and is forbidden to even contact without prior authorization. You bet I want to know more."

Robert looked up into the starry sky.

"Angel Princess, please attend me. I need to talk to you," he said formally.

I recognized the flash of light, and the beautiful woman that appeared. She recognized me also.

"You again? Are you stalking me?" she whispered in a giggle.

"I just had to see you again, My Lady," I joked.

"Behave, sir, or I'll kiss you again and watch you melt," she said sternly, the smile in her eyes belying her tone of voice. She turned to Robert.

"I'm assuming he guessed it, huh?"

Robert nodded.

"Damn, I bet my husband that Megan would guess it first."

"She may have, My Lady. Megan is not in the habit of making known the information she has. She's a very secretive woman that takes her job of protecting information very seriously," Robert explained.

"Hmmm. I wonder if my husband would fall for that line of reasoning ... so what is your question?"

"He wants to know about me. I cannot do that without your permission."

"You have it. We discussed this before; the White and Purple Energies can know if they figure it out on their own. He has done that. Patrick, you must make sure that Tori-llia, the one you call Victoria, never knows what Robert tells you."

"I understand, My Lady. It will be as you say," I assured her.

Aurora jumped up and down in excitement.

"You're so cute! Can you teach my husband to obey me like that?" She kissed my cheek and disappeared, leaving me to shudder and melt into a puddle of mush.

I sat next to Robert on the bench.

"I didn't lie to you before; I'm not a Cornazan," he began. "I trace my existence directly back to the Ancients. I am a specific being, one of only four in existence, designed by them for a very specific purpose."

"So you reproduce only with your own kind? How, if you are so few? What about Katie and Becky, your children with Victoria?" I asked.

"You misunderstood me. I didn't say I was part of a race of beings, I said I was one of four beings. We same four have existed, in various bodies and with various identities, since the Ancients formed us. There are no children. You can drop the act, by the way ... it should be obvious at this point that I know Katie and Becky are actually your children. Don't feel bad, you made Victoria very happy in a way I couldn't."

"I see a conflict already. How can you be married to Victoria? The Shal'li'ya are not allowed to be married to anyone with our powers."

"It's not a conflict. I have no powers, I have no colors. With a few very specific exceptions, I can only interact with her mind."

"Why?" I asked.

"Eons ago, the Ancients realized that condemning the Shal'li'ya to a life without close personal interaction in the form of marriage with their own kind was condemning them to a miserable life and an early death. Love, usually culminating in marriage or marriages, is even more important to you than good, mind-blowing sex. However, the fear of that much power married to one of your kind was a real danger. The answer was me. I have one purpose in life. That purpose is to be Victoria's husband, to keep her happy and safe. I soothe her, calm her, smooth her mind when she gets lonely and restless. I am different from Cornazans. I affect her mind in ways that your kind, including her, can't detect ... until now."

"Are you like us? Do you have a twin?"

"I am like you in that regard. I have a twin. There is another set like us that attends the other Shal'li'ya. They are twins also."

"Who is your twin?"

"Think about it. I'm sure you'll figure it out."

I thought about it for a moment. My eyes widened in shock as the light bulb exploded in my mind.

"You're kidding! That's never been known before," I exclaimed.

"There's a first time for everything ... just like triplets," he chuckled.

"Do you ... I mean..." I stopped, embarrassed.

"There's no sexual attraction or contact between us, if that's what you mean. We're very close, as twins are, but not that way."

"If you're so important to her, why did you die in Iraq?"

"That couldn't be helped. It would have looked odd if I had lived and Elizabeth died. Besides, we weren't sure Elizabeth could take out Bandor's band by herself when that time came. John was introduced to your group shortly after my 'death' to take care of her. He did an admirable job."

"Victoria knows nothing of this?"

"No. She has no idea. I've been with her since her puberty, in one way or another, since long before the Battle of Cornaza. Except for two time periods, I've always been with her. Although I existed when you, Amanda, and Victoria were together, I wasn't needed then. She was happy with you two. You may remember me ... her friend Daniel from across the road. Then the Qerda came."

"One of those times was after you died in Iraq. When was the other? Wait ... you were Samantha's husband, Robert, in the last cycle, weren't you? But you died then also, and you had no contact with Victoria for years before that," I objected.

"I wasn't needed then. Victoria was married to you, she didn't need me." His voice was a combination of wistfulness and happiness. "Just because I had no contact with her doesn't mean I wasn't aware of every second of her life."

"You really have no powers?" I asked skeptically.

"Essentially, yes."

"Essentially?"

"Well ... I also protect her. It's part of my job to keep her alive and safe. I also have the ear and immediate assistance, if required, of Angel Princess, her husband, and some very powerful friends of theirs."

"I can think of a few times you haven't done so well with protecting her," I remarked.

"Really? Think again. How do you think Katie knew the address of that warehouse in San Francisco where Victoria was held captive? How do you think the warehouse mysteriously didn't explode before Captain Jensen's men got to her? Victoria told you on the phone that they were returning and the warehouse was already filled with fumes. Why do you think Captain Jensen already had planes and helicopters headed to that site?

"Who do you think gave Amy and Katie the dream that Victoria needed you when you visited San Francisco together? Why do you think she wasn't killed in the car accident that took Cindi's life in the last cycle? I couldn't save Cindi, but I could protect Victoria.

"Who do you think caused only one bullet to strike Victoria when Bandor shot the two of you in the last cycle? Who do you think was 'the technician' to stop Megan from trying to heal Victoria, and convinced you to call in the colors from all the Cornazans on earth to heal you and Victoria? I thought it was an excellent touch, convincing you he was your son working for Bandor, and that his meddling was what started the cycles. Sandy, the clone of Cindi, was going to be made anyway; it was better that I programmed her. She wouldn't be Sammi now if I hadn't been involved.

"Working for the same 'company' she worked for, I was able to protect Victoria on all the jobs she went on, not that it was needed much. She really is very good. I was the one that arranged for Rachel Thomas to see the information about what Richard, Victoria's boss in the agency, was up to, about what he had planned for Katie and Cindi. All in all, I think I've done a pretty good job."

I was amazed. He had done an excellent job. I was a little disappointed, though. I figured the one that Elizabeth had intimated was watching over us would be a little higher on the food chain than Robert. Then again, having one of only four beings in the universe watching over you was pretty special, I guess.

If Robert was telling the truth, then he didn't read my mind. He must have realized what I was thinking by reading my facial expressions. If Robert was telling the truth...

"Oh, don't worry; there's someone much more powerful than me watching over all of you. That's Angel Princess' job ... her and her husband. I'm concerned only with one Shal'li'ya."

"Who is Aurora?" I asked. He looked surprised.

"She told you her name was Aurora? It took me eons to discover that, although she didn't seem upset when I did. She must like you a lot."

"She told all of us to call her that," I objected, turning red from the implications he was making. Robert laughed at me.

"Relax. She's a very friendly g ... woman who likes to flirt sometimes. She's totally devoted to her husband. Believe me, as special as all the girls seem to think you are, you're not in the same class as he is. I can see how smitten you are with her, but you wouldn't stand a snowball's chance in hell with her; her husband is that special."

"I wasn't thinking of that," I objected. "I have way too many girls to satisfy now; the last thing I need is another." I think I actually believed that. I realized with a sinking feeling that Amy and Megan would probably welcome Aurora into our relationship enthusiastically if it ever came to that. I changed the subject.

"So I can expect your twin to take as good a care of Victoria as you do if you're not around?"

"Of course; we're a team. She's in good hands, regardless of which one of us, or if both of us are looking after her. She survived while I was dead, didn't she?"

"She was sad; she missed you a lot."

"Of course she did; I missed her too, although not as bad, as I was able to keep tabs on her. I knew she was ok. I knew my twin was taking good care of her. Victoria and I truly love each other. This isn't just a job for me. She would miss me as much as you would miss Megan or Amy ... as much as you missed Elizabeth when you thought she was gone forever."

I couldn't think of anything more to talk about. I had the only answer I was doing to get about who he was. If he wasn't an Ancient, he was damn close. Yet, he wasn't the one that had prepared the mind freeze for use on Amy. We walked back to the cabin together.

I knew as soon as we walked in that something was up. Victoria was awake ... barely ... but John looked worried.

"Rhonda's back. She's upset about something. We need to talk to her," John said quietly.

Exit, stage left. I don't do getting in the middle of lover's quarrels. Neither does Victoria ... usually. John and Robert understood when we headed back to the big house.

Rhonda couldn't remember being this upset since Sarah's car accident that had left her sister crippled. She knew she needed to talk to her two lovers. It was obvious that John thought she was upset about what had happened with Victoria. That was ridiculous. All four of them had been in a relationship since Robert had reappeared. She'd loved John and Robert for years. Why would she care if they had some fun with Victoria? No, she was upset because she had betrayed her two loves and probably messed things up irrevocably.

It had started out innocently enough.

Victoria and I walked back to the house, holding hands. We were in no hurry, so we sat on one of the benches. I put my arm around her and pulled her into me. She cuddled close, sighing happily. I was shocked when I felt her undoing my zipper.

"For heaven's sake, Victoria, aren't you sated yet?" I exclaimed in mock horror. She laughed as she stroked my suddenly hard cock.

"That'll never happen, my precious brother ... not when you're around." She grinned impishly. "Like you're really complaining," she whispered as she stroked me. I gasped as she bent over and took me in her mouth.

"God, Victoria, I'll last about ten seconds that way!" I moaned. She giggled and slowed down. Ever had a girl giggle with your cock in her mouth?

"I better slow down then. Can't have you cumming too soon. I've always wanted to fuck my brother with Amy watching out the window!"

"Shit! Is she watching?" My cock got harder.

"Pretend! She might be."

Victoria probably would have continued to suck me except she wanted to talk. That was unusual; Victoria wasn't normally a talker during sex. She quickly undressed me, then yanked her own clothes off. She was as hot as a furnace, only a lot wetter as she slipped me inside her. She whimpered and cuddled against my chest.

"I love you, Annie," I whispered. She beamed like the sun as her tears fell on my chest. It was the first time I had used her middle name like that. That name was special to her.

"Do you have any idea how much I love you, Patrick? I would throw it all away right now to spend my life with you, to be married to you like the last cycle. The Shal'li'ya, Keeper of the Colors ... even Robert ... I would give it all up for you. Just hearing your voice turns me to mush. You have no idea..."

"Yes I do. You wouldn't have to give up Robert, though ... we could share you," I teased.

"What about Amy and Megan? Would you give them up for me?" she pleaded as she panted hoarsely, sliding up and down on me.

"You know I would, but I can't. I can't live without them. I don't love you more than them, Victoria ... I love you all the same. Besides, I wouldn't have to; they would accept you."

"I know. Why does it have to be me? Why can't I have you? You'd never abuse my power ... I know you too well," she wailed softly. I made gentle love to her and she finally stopped crying.

There was nothing I could say. I couldn't tell her that it wouldn't be me that abused her power. I couldn't tell her that she was the one that couldn't be trusted with access to that much power if married to one of us. It was better this way.

I barely managed to keep from laughing as Victoria and I finally exploded together, after she rode me for what seemed like an hour. I saw the two eyes, glowing green in the darkness. My little voyeur!

"What's wrong with Rhonda? She seemed upset," she asked when she could talk again.

"She was. It's my fault," I murmured against her soft, sexy neck.

"How is it your fault?"

I told her how.

"Holy shit! Are you kidding me?" She whimpered and starting moving on me again. I was hard in seconds.

"Victoria!" I hissed as she brought me to the edge again.

"Shut up and cum inside me again!" she moaned.

It had all started innocently enough, Rhonda remembered.

The girls had been going through an especially difficult time, with their hormones raging as they neared their fifteenth birthday. They had been fooling around with or making love to everything that moved in the family, and some things that didn't. Amy and Cindi had started teasing her, telling her she needed to spend a night with Patrick.

"It's like nothing else you've ever experienced!" they giggled as they kissed her. Then Katie and Becky got into the act, telling her she just had to experience it. She had resisted until that fateful night.

"I can't do that to Robert and John," she objected.

"They won't mind!" all the girls had responded together. "Come on, girl, it's obvious you've had the hots for him ever since you saw him."

Cindi and Katie, the two most comfortable with other girls, had worked on her that night until she didn't know which way was up. They wouldn't accept no as an answer as they played with her, heating her up. Not that she tried very hard to stop them. They took her hands and led her into the bedroom. They giggled almost constantly as they braided her hair, delighting in making her look like a young teenager. It didn't take much work. Then they pushed her onto the bed, pulled the covers over her, and turned the lights out. It was too dark in the room to tell who was there. Katie and Cindi told her not to say anything until she had Patrick too far gone to refuse, and that she had better not get out of that bed if she knew what was good for her.

Rhonda shivered with excitement and ... fear. She knew this wasn't right, but she seemed to have no power to stop it.

It happened just the way the girls said it would. Patrick assumed the girl in his bed was either Becky or Katie, as they were about the same size. Once she started sucking his cock, he didn't think anymore. It wasn't until she rode him and he came inside her that her screaming out his name made it clear who was in bed with him.

He wasn't as upset as she thought he would be. Rhonda thought that maybe he had become used to the girls arranging his sex life. They fucked like bunnies the whole night. She'd felt as close to him as she had to Robert and John. She also swore she would never do it again.

Now it was time to pay the piper. She heard a soft knock on the door.

"Rhonda ... can we talk?"

Might as well get it over with. She'd ruined her life. These were big, tough military men, and although they had stretched their attitudes enough to be in a foursome, they wouldn't react well to her playing around on them.

"I'll be out in a minute," she said, trying to hide the tears in her voice.

"You really had sex with Rhonda?" she giggled into his shoulder. "Have you no scruples, no self-control?"

"It wasn't exactly my idea. Your daughters have no sense of morals. They set it up. I was just an innocent bystander," I protested.

"Patrick, you haven't been innocent for as long as I can remember," Victoria laughed. She finally decided she wasn't going to get me up again, so we dressed and headed back to the house.

"Enjoy the show?" I whispered as I passed Amy in the hall. She gave me her most innocent look and giggled, but at least she had the decency to blush. A little, anyway.

Rhonda walked into the living room and sat on the couch between her two men. Damn it, they hadn't even begun to talk yet and she was crying already. John pulled her onto his lap.

"Rhonda, we're sorry. We didn't intend to do anything without you present and involved. It just kinda happened. If you had been here, we would have called you in too. We're sorry," he repeated, kissing her. Robert held her hand.

"Oh shit, guys, this has nothing to do with that. You don't need my consent to do something with Victoria, you know that."

"What is it then?"

"Do you two love me, really love me?" she asked fearfully. She wondered why she felt a strange tingle when she said that.

"You know we do, Rhonda. Nothing could ever make us stop loving you," Robert answered this time.

"I hope so. John, Robert, I love you more than anyone in the world, and I never would hurt you intentionally, but I've betrayed you and been unfaithful to you. I'm so sorry!" she sobbed.

John looked at her incredulously.

"Rhonda, I've known you for a lot of years; you are the most loyal, trustworthy, and faithful person I know. I can't imagine that you would ever betray us."

"I notice you didn't say anything about being unfaithful," Rhonda whispered sadly.

John and Robert both laughed at her. She started to get angry as well as embarrassed.

"This isn't funny," she hissed.

"Rhonda, sleeping with Patrick is not being unfaithful to us," Robert said.

"Wha... ? How ... how did you know?" Rhonda stammered, stunned.

"Hell, girl, I've known that was coming ever since we came here," John said. "The looks you've given him when you thought I wasn't looking would have caused paper to ignite. No one can resist him. It's just the way things are. Wait till you get better acquainted with Christopher!"

"I don't understand!" she whimpered. "I thought he only had that affect on Cornazans. I'm not Cornazan, I'm human. Why didn't I want to say no?"

Robert and John looked at each other, seeming to agree silently on something.

"Rhonda, dear, that's not exactly true," said John quietly, nuzzling her neck softly. She moaned at the soft touch of his lips.

"What, it's not exactly true he doesn't have that affect on humans too?" she said, finding it hard to concentrate.

One little sentence turned her world completely upside down, never to be the same again.

"No, it's not exactly true that you're not a Cornazan."

She felt like cold water had been poured down her back.

"What? You're joking, right?" One look told her they weren't. "But ... but, I have no colors, no powers ... I have no twin!" she protested.

Robert touched her softly on the cheek as John kissed her forehead.

"You have no twin ... now."

That was the last thing she remembered as everything went black.

She must not have been out for long, because everything was the same when she woke up, except she was stretched out on the couch, head in one lap and feet in the other.

"Are you ok? What happened?" John asked worriedly.

"I ... don't know. I was suddenly overcome with a despair greater than anything I've ever felt."

"Shit! I hope we haven't undone her conditioning," John muttered.

"I doubt it. The Historians know what they're doing, and when they condition someone, it stays," Robert assured him. "Lisa can help if we need it. It was likely just a flashback memory. It happens occasionally."

"What are you guys talking about?" She blinked as she remembered what they had been talking about before she blacked out. "I'm a Cornazan? But how? I had a twin? Where is she? She's obviously not around; why didn't I die like always happens? Why... ?"

John put his hand over her mouth, silencing her.

"Slow down, girl. Let's work on those questions before you ask more. First, are you sure you want to talk about this right now? Are you feeling ok?"

"Don't you dare pull that crap on me. You can't drop a load on me like that and then say 'we can talk about it later'. I want to know now."

"Do you remember the story Lisa told about the Battle of Cornaza? Remember the event that caused Amanda to go into full-blown offensive mode and destroy the Qerda fleet?" Robert asked.

"Yeah, they killed a favorite niece of hers, a girl named Jill," Rhonda remembered. Her eyes suddenly opened wide. "No..." she whispered.

"Jill was your twin."

"Amanda was my Aunt? Is Patrick... ?

Both men nodded.

"But why wasn't I killed as well?"

"You weren't there. You had returned to Tergo for something, no one remembers what now, when the attack started," Robert explained.

"But why didn't I die? Cornazans always die when they lose their twin ... don't they?"

"Because the Historians decided to intervene, to keep you alive."

Rhonda stared at them for a moment.

"Ok, what aren't you telling me?" she asked finally.

"Rhonda, do you know what Valerie and Christina are?"

"Aren't they ... Facilitators?"

"So are you. A decision was made to intervene and keep a small number of people from terminating when they lost their twins. It was thought that the Qerda might be looking for something like the Facilitators, but who would ever expect a Facilitator that wasn't part of a set of twins? It was a failsafe procedure."

"The Historians could prevent a twin from dying? Why did so many die, if they knew a way around it?" Rhonda asked in disbelief.

John sighed.

"The Historians were generally not very nice people. Lisa is a sweetheart compared to the normal ones. She was pretty much the only one that anyone would cross the street to put them out if they were on fire. It's ironic she's the only one that survived. There is some justice, after all.

"The Historians couldn't be bothered saving all those people. There was no advantage to them to do so. They saved a few like you that they had specific uses for, but the others..."

"We deserved to be destroyed," Rhonda whispered, heartbroken for all the ones that had died, alone and in despair at having lost their twins. "Those ... scumbags. Has anyone ever considered they might be the ones that betrayed us? Does Lisa know about this?"

"I assume she does, although she's never mentioned it," Robert said.

"Why didn't she use it to condition Patrick when he was self-terminating after Amanda died?"

Both men looked at her as if she were crazy.

"You don't 'condition' Katiro. That may be what she did to remove his memory when he insisted. No Cornazan would ever do that to him without his consent."

"Will I ever have powers, colors?" Rhonda asked.