Dysnomia
A Story in the Round by Members of SFNovelist.com
Edited by Victory Crayne
Copyright 2011
When the New Horizon’s probe journeyed beyond Pluto in 2015, it traveled next to Eris, a dwarf planet about three times farther from the sun than Pluto. Its one known moon, Dysnomia, was initially thought to have a diameter of about 100 to 250 kilometers, but when the probe got as close in as it could get in 2025, the apparent luminosity of the moon was so high the estimates of its diameter were reduced to one kilometer. And it was perfectly round. As the probe approached, it picked up a very weak radio signal from Dysnomia that was later decoded to be five words in Morse code, “Bring three male three female.” A manned visit was compelling.
Ten years later, as the Earth spaceship Invite neared the end of its two year journey and approached to within five thousand kilometers of Dysnomia, the moon suddenly moved closer. It opened up to reveal a huge dark "hole" and before the crew of the spaceship could do anything, Dysnomia completely swallowed the ship.
A smaller robotic relay ship that had followed the Invite reported back to Earth that the moon and ship had disappeared.
The crew felt disoriented for about six seconds in total darkness outside. Then suddenly the hole they had entered in Dysnomia opened up to reveal a scene of amazing beauty. They were in orbit around a planet, with continents and large oceans. They detected thousands of ships either in transit to or from the planet or in orbit around it.
“Holy shit!” exclaimed Robert Chander, NASA astronaut with a Ph.D. in electronics from UCLA and commander of the multinational UN mission.
Before the crew had much time to evaluate their new surroundings, the speaker system onboard blared in an electromechanical voice, “I am Zetta, your master. Make small humans for us.”
Commander Chander let out, “What the frick?” He turned to scan the rest of his crew.
Fu Xi, Chinese astronaut, developer of the Lunar Farside Telescope Array, and pilot of the Invite, glanced at Indrani, his bunk mate for the last three months. She allowed a brief smile to cross her lips. Indrani Patel was the only medical doctor on board, with her M.D. from the University of Mumbai, India, and she painted as a hobby.
Armanda Chander, NASA astronaut with a Ph.D. in linguistics from Harvard, wife of Robert Chander, had been born in Paris, France. Her gaze was focused on the myriad exotic ships visible from her portside window.
Karl Blotvist, mechanical engineer and self-made Swedish billionaire who designed and donated the spaceship at cost to the mission, grinned at Urula. Urula Boot, female Kenyan biochemist from Harvard, pressed her lips and glared at him.
“Karl, are you recording all this?” asked Robert.
"Make small humans for us," repeated the message.
Chander responded with the only thing he could think of at the time. "Stand by."
“Maybe you should inform them that this may take a while,” Patel chided Chander as she and the rest of the crew entered the bridge.
“Can you believe this?” Fu Xi said. “We’re maybe thousands of light years from Earth, maybe the first human beings to get here and they don’t even grant us a courtesy like a ‘hello or welcome’? Just ‘make small humans’?”
Indrani touched Xi’s arm in a way that he understood that he was to be quiet. There was something important that they were overlooking because of the outrageous request for procreation. “What was the first part of that message?” she asked.
“I am Zetta, your master,” came the playback.
“Zetta, your master. Armanda, can you make more sense of that?”
Armanda positioned herself at the computer console. On the screen flashed different interpretations of the word “master”: Lord, overlord, ruler, sovereign, owner, expert, maestro, doyen, wizard…
“Maybe?” she wondered. “Bobby, ask for clarification of Zetta as master.”
Chandra looked at his wife with his “are you sure?” face. She lowered her eyes to say, emphatically, yes. “Zetta, this is the Earth ship Invite on a mission of exploration and peace. Please clarify the meaning of the term ‘master.’”
Minutes passed as only static was heard over the communications speaker. Urula stared out the bridge window at the to and fro of craft, both large and small, indescribable and yet somewhat familiar in design. She let out a scream as one suddenly appeared only meters away. A klaxon sounded, warning of an unauthorized use of the forward hatch.
The six human beings braced themselves to face their uninvited guest. Karl moved in front of Urula in a chivalrous display of self-sacrifice. Robert took Armanda’s hand in his, and Fu and Indrani held each other close.
The inner hatch opened and a very short, very large headed, very fleshy-pink humanoid stood before them. Its dark eyes blinked in response to the bright illumination of the bridge. The green-grey tunic that covered it shimmered and gave the impression that it was made of light. Without fanfare the creature spoke.
“I am Zetta, your master, er, your guide. I believe that word is most appropriate. Is it not the command of your subconscious deity to be fruitful and multiply? Am I mistaken? It is the reason for equal numbers of male and females of your species, although we are surprised at the inequity of your choices.”
Robert Chander‘s reaction was automatic. “Life support systems,” he snapped.
Urula swung back to her displays. “Oxygen 16.2%, which is okay.”
Amanda interrupted with a burst of coughing. Robert’s arm automatically snacked around her shoulder to comfort her.
“Other gases not so inert,” Urula spoke over the noise. “Nitrogen and carbon dioxide levels low. Several trace elements. Effects unknown.”
Karl jabbed at his console and the inner hatch door snapped shut.
Zetta looked behind it. “Why do that? Can’t imprison me. Can easily open it.”
Karl also closed the outer hatch.
“That’s not an aggressive move,” gasped Amanda between retches.
Robert took his cue from his linguistic wife. “We’re not threatening you,” he assured Zetta. “But our air is slightly different from the atmosphere you’ve let in. We need time to acclimatize.”
“If you feel uncomfortable in our air, Zetta, we’ll let you out. But please only open one hatch at a time.” Indrani moved to Amanda. “Slow your breathing,” she instructed. “Move to an air duct and take a deep breath.”
Fu Xi was also following this advice. Karl stood his ground, but was looking distinctly green. But not as green as their visitor.
“I regulate my intake,” Zetta informed them in a superior tone. “I watch you make small ones.”
“Not just yet.” Urula continued explaining of her readouts. “Gravity only 0.73.”
“That’s high for so small a body,” gasped Fu Xi.
“Are you our geologist too?” Sarcasm dripped from Karl’s snide remark.
“I have read some articles in the ship’s data base,” defended the Asian.
“Have energy generators running on cold fusion from planet,” explained Zetta. “Can adjust as necessary. And screen out for transport.”
“That’s anti-gravity!” exclaimed Karl. “And cold fusion. You must show me the drawings.”
“Stop!” Robert suddenly stood and glared at his companions. “Listen to yourselves. This is the first meeting with an alien intelligence, and we’re all bickering and pursuing our own agendas. We need to organize this. I’m the designated commander here. I will do all the talking.”
“And make small humans,” insisted Zetta.
“Not yet. Indeed, not for some time.” Indrani ignored her captain’s inhibiting order. “Our ship’s food includes additives to prevent that happening. The ladies take special pills in their medicines to prohibit accidents. There is no room or facilities in this ship to accommodate ‘small humans,’ not now and not on the return journey.”
Zetta cocked it’s head on one side and appeared to be listening and digesting this intelligence.
“Then all ship’s food must be destroyed at once,” it pronounced. “As well as all medicines. There will be no return journey, so that not a problem.”
Although Robert’s request to end the bickering among the crew had little effect, Zetta’s statement drew immediate silence. Indrani opened her mouth as if to protest but seemed to have lost her voice. Karl simply stared at the creature, backed up to the flight panel, and lost the smile that he’d worn since his excitement about the anti-gravity and cold fusion technology.
Several seconds passed. Zetta blinked its big eyes and restated, “You must make small humans.”
Robert moved to the control panel and keyed the life support systems. “Go to emergency life support,” he yelled as he hit the fire suppression system which immediately removed all oxygen content from the air. “I don’t know if that will affect you, big head, but I sure hope this will.” Robert pushed full thrusters to move them away from the planet. In their artificial gravity, crew members pulled on air masks and grabbed handholds where they could get them. Zetta, seemingly unaffected by the lack of oxygen fell to the cabin wall, his fall cushioned by his fleshy-pink body.
Zetta grabbed the green band he wore on his left wrist, and the Invite stalled.
“Its ship has countered the thrusters, Robert.” Fu Xi regained his footing and reached behind Robert to re-engage the cabin’s oxygen feeds and disable the thrusters. Robert shot him a glance that was open hatred. Meanwhile, outside the bridge window, several of the smaller ships moved rapidly toward them.
“I assure humans. I am only here to guide you to make small humans,” Zetta said as he regained his position in front of the inner hatch. “Food will be destroyed to help you.”
Robert took a step forward, but Amanda grabbed his arm, frowned slightly, and shook her head in a silent no. “Zetta, what you have said frightens us because we need our food. We didn’t mean to hurt you, but we…react sometimes when confronted or startled.”
The other ships now surrounded them, remaining at a safe distance. The alien smoothed its shimmering tunic and started at them with its big eyes as if trying to digest what Amanda had said.
With the forced input of air, the crew removed their air masks. Both Fu Xi and Amanda took deep breaths of the now pure earth-quality air.
Zetta tilted its head to one side and blinked again. “Do not understand. You came here to make small humans. Why would you now be startled and try to leave?”
Karl took a step toward the creature and jabbed a finger toward it. “We came here because we were invited and wanted to meet you. We didn’t come here to become part of your experiment or whatever it is you have planned.”
Urula had never even liked Karl, let alone agreed with him on the entire voyage. But now she stepped next to him, grabbed his hand, and faced Zetta with a defiant look. “Karl’s right. We might be your friends. And we might have come at your invitation. We did not come to do your bidding.”
“Bidding.” Zetta repeated. “This is what you call a gambling game. But we not expect you to gamble, only make small humans.”
Zetta touched its wristband again and the ship began a gradual shift toward the planet. “I do understand the concern with a ship too small for small humans. I, er, we all want healthy small humans. You will be escorted to the planet and put into a habitat with the air content you like and the room you need to make the small humans.”
Encircled by a dozen small ships, the Invite descended toward the planet as Zetta continued to stare at them with large eyes.
Urula spoke to the crew as if Zetta was not there. “How about we use one very human quality Zetta obviously does not understand?” Then turning to Zetta, she said, “We are unable to produce small humans under those conditions. They do not meet our emotional needs.”
“I don’t understand emotional needs. You are fully equipped to make small humans. We will provide the habitat you need. You will make small humans for us.”
“It is emotionally impossible for us to make small humans under these conditions. Our emotions control that process.”
“No, not impossible, imperative. We need you to make small humans for us.”
“Guys, this creature has a one track mind, if it is a mind. Follow me.” Urula turned to Zetta who blinked several times in rapid succession. “We are emotional beings. We cannot make small humans unless our emotional requirements are met. Satisfy our emotional needs and we will make small humans for you.”ť
Zetta’s eyes again blinked rapidly. “I do not understand. What are emotions?”
Karl caught Urula’s clever ruse. “Anger, disgust, fear, those are emotions. Our equipment, as you call it, will not work to make small humans when these emotions are operating within us. Those emotions make it impossible.”
Indrani added, “Why do you want small humans? We will need to know that as well.”
“That is not of your concern.” Zetta’s eyes continued blinking even more rapidly.
Robert shook his fist at Zetta. “It certainly is of our concern, you bug-eyed idiot. It’s the main reason for our existence. What’s your excuse for existing, or do you even have one?”
Zetta’s eyes were now blinking continually and rapidly. Without a word, the creature turned and stepped through the inner hatch. The klaxon once more announced the opening of the outer one. The entire crew looked at each other in amazement. Suddenly the ships stopped circling and dropped down toward the planet. At the same time their ship stopped and held its position.
“What do we do now?” Robert asked, looking at Amanda.
Fu Xi answered his question. “Obviously we can’t get away so if our controls work, I’m going to head down for the surface unless someone has a better idea. I think we should go on the offensive rather than stay and be a sitting duck. Here goes nothing.”
After no one objected, their ship accelerated toward the surface as Fu Xi discovered the helm and controls worked.
The trip down was uneventful enough, if that word could be applied to arrival on a planet whose surface suddenly opened to admit their ship, and its odd escorts, into a huge interior space. Zetta paid no apparent attention to viewports or instruments, but watched the humans intently.
For his part, Fu Xi watched Indrani when not dealing with the controls. She was handling all of this very well, and moved to the door, mask in place, with her sampling equipment as soon as they touched down on the lavender-mottled “ground.”
The door opened. After a moment, Indrani nodded to herself, and lifted the mask slowly. “It smells very strange, but should not be toxic.” Then she turned to their “guide.” “Zetta.”
The being’s attention had been general. It turned toward her, swiveling in the wrong places. Fu Xi wished he’d studied anatomy more. From an engineering standpoint, the thing simply looked wrong. “Say,” it said.
She stood in the airlock of the Invite and accepted the invitation. “It is important for us—for our emotions—to know precisely why you want us to…make small humans. We will not be able to help you without this information. Tell us.”
Zetta paused for much of a minute and then gestured toward the hatchway and outside. “We will say. Larger room is outside. Go there.”
Fu Xi secured the controls, while the other crew members closed down their own stations. Chander followed him out, sharing a glance with Armanda through the open hatchway. “How fast could you get us in the air again?” he asked Fu Xi quietly.
Fu Xi had been thinking the same thoughts. “If you’ve left the mains at nominal,” Chander nodded slightly at this, “perhaps three minutes. But where can we go?” As they stepped through the outer hatchway, a purple-gray ceiling stretched into the interminable distance. No break, including the opening they’d just come through, was visible. Low, primitive buildings were in the middle distance ahead.
“Just keeping our options open,” Robert said.
Karl, ahead of them, turned to Fu Xi. “Don’t do anything rash! Look at their technology! This is worth trillions back on the Earth! This Zetta character doesn’t seem to mean any harm, and he’s buying what we tell him. I say we play along for a while and see what we can learn.” The big man could be charming, but Fu Xi could not bring himself to be optimistic.
Ahead of them, Indrani angled to move in front of Zetta, and stopped. The alien did as well, blinking up at her. “Say,” she commanded.
Zetta seemed to understand. “We have decided. Humans are without proper rules. We would help humans, but we are not comfortable on your planet. Humans are. New humans will be of us, and will go to Earth as us to be your…guides.”
“You mean our masters,” Fu Xi said.
The Invite's crew were led in pairs to three identical squat structures with low, open entryways. Inside each building were slab-like constructions which could only loosely be called furniture. Chandler and his wife sat on one of the larger rectangular shapes and spoke quietly.
“How's your fingers?” asked Armanda, turning his hand over in hers.
“A little numb, but they'll be okay,” said Chandler. “But that door really packs a whallop.”
“The door is force-fielded for your protection,” she mused, repeating Zetta's words after Robert had tried to leave the little room and gotten burned in the attempt.
“More likely it's for theirs. Did you see how easily Fu knocked Zetta over?”
“Yes, but that man's temper is going to get us all into trouble.”
The altercation had been over in seconds. Fu Xi, unwilling to be penned like an animal with Dr. Patel, had given Zetta a little push as the alien took his arm. The ungangely creature fell backwards in a heap, displaying the same unsteady behavior as when Chandler had engaged the ship's thrusters earlier.
“It's no wonder why they need us. An alien-human hybrid would make a much more practical ambassador for them on Earth,” said Chandler.
“Are you suggesting we get busy?” said his wife, smiling. “Now that they've scanned our food and medical stores, I don't think Indrani's little bluff about contraceptives is fooling anyone.”
“Armanda, you have an indomitable sense of humor. It's one of the reasons I married you.” Chandler laughed.
“Don't think for a minute that I don't know the real reason you married me, Bobby,” she said and smiled. “Even Zetta comprehends the male sex drive. It's why we've been paired up and locked in these rooms. If they are trying to help us, they have a funny way of showing it.”
“All this could simply be a misunderstanding of cultural norms. Zetta is blunt and rather to the point, but that could just be because we are so alien to each other. You're the communications expert. What do you think?”
“Well, they haven't been outright aggressive and they display a willingness to understand our concerns. But what scares me is their hubris. They think they know what's best for us, whether we like it or not. I'm not sure how they'll react if we turn them down.”
Before they had much time to think the situation over, a door opened and their nemesis Zetta walked in. “I am here to watch you make small humans.”
“Wait a minute, buster!” asserted Robert. “I’m not letting you watch us. What are you, some kind of voyeur?”
“What is voyeur?” asked their alien guide.
Amanda put her hand on Robert’s chest to prevent him from assaulting the alien. “Bobby, wait! I have an idea.” She bent closed, put her hand over his ear and her mouth, and whispered in his ear.”
Robert’s eyes lit up. “Do you think it will work?”
“Let’s see.” She turned to Zetta. “Which definition fits you best as our master? It is important to our emotions that you tell us what we want to hear. Is it overlord, or ruler, or owner, or expert, or maestro, …? Concentrate. You must tell us what our emotions want to hear.”
As Zetta stood staring at her, possibly pondering the answer, she slowly moved her right hand left to right in front of him, back and forth, repeatedly.
“Concentrate,” she said. “Watch my hand. Keep your eyes on my hand…relax…relax.”
The three of them stood silently for almost a minute as Zetta’s eyes traveled sideways, back and forth, concentrating on her hand. She slowed down her hand and the alien stood motionless, staring at her hand.
Quietly, she said, “Okay, mister commander. He’s all yours. Ask what you may,” she whispered to her husband.
“Hmm, what an opportunity. What should I ask?”
She spoke first, directly to Zetta. “Why do you need small humans?”
“I told you,” the alien replied.
“I realize that,” she replied. Slowly and calmly, she added, “But we feel you are not telling us all. Beyond just making hybrid ambassadors, why do you need small humans? Tell us.”
“High Secret. Cannot tell.”
Amanda smiled briefly and winked at her husband, as she moved her hand back and forth again. “You are relaxing your barriers to telling me. You trust me…trust me. What is the High Secret?”
Zetta replied, “We cannot make small ones. Lost the ability during the great radiation from our sun.”
Robert exclaimed, “Ah, ha! That is our bargaining chip!”
Amanda frowned. “And just how are we to play this chip? They’ve isolated us in pairs and expect us to breed. What happens if we do not comply?” She forgot Zetta was listening.
“Compliance is not necessary, but would be better for your emotions,” he droned.
“Explain,” Amanda sweetly commanded.
“If you do not make small humans in the required time, naturally, we will use other methods.”
“You will force us to mate? Or are you suggesting artificial insemination?” The unfamiliar words woke Zetta from his trance.
“Females will produce small humans by other means until they cannot.” Turning to face Robert, he added, “Males will not be needed.”
Robert rose to his feet. Amanda grabbed his arm to prevent him from striking Zetta. The alien blinked twice and for a quick moment appeared to smile. Then he left and the door’s force field reengaged as he disappeared out of the room.
“What was…?” Robert asked.
“We have forgotten that while we are studying Zetta, he is studying us. It seems to be a quick learner at human motivations. Nothing like a veiled threat to throw us off.”
***
Karl Blotvist looked around at the sparse furnishings in the room he and Urula Boot had been assigned. “I know some people back in Stockholm that could improve upon our surroundings.”
“And I know some people who still live in mud huts with dirt floors.” Urula was less than happy. Not only was she a prisoner of some alien race, but they also expected her to mate with this intolerable man. She kicked what passed for a chair and it tumbled across the room.
Blotvist sighed. He was just as unhappy, but for other reasons. Standing before the door, he examined every inch of the structure. There was no panel that could be removed in hope of disengaging the force field. In his frustration he punched his fist into the wall.
“Mud huts, you say? Like this?”
Urula turned to see the grinning billionaire holding a large chunk of wall. Pulling hard, he made the hole big enough for the two to exit the room, avoiding the force field altogether. Urula could have kissed him. Karl held out his hand and helped her out of their prison.
“Let’s go find the others.”
The outside was a cacophony of activity. Objects of many unnatural shapes and impossible sizes were rushing about, swerving around each other in an elaborate ballet. More importantly for Karl and Urula, these constructs were so intent on their private tasks that they completely ignored the humans. Except, thank goodness, that they were treated as obstacles and avoided.
After a moment study of this chaotic scene, Karl boldly moved from the shelter of their prison, and safely negotiated to the shade of the next building. He beckoned Urula to join him.
Then suddenly shrank back as the unmistakable figure of Zetta approached. The self-appointed master moved imperialistically to a large domed hut to his left, and entered.
“I wonder which of us is in there?” whispered Urula as she joined him.
***
Zetta suddenly reappeared.
“Analysis of meetings indicates you master of humans,” it said without preamble. “You admit?”
“I am the mission commander,” Chander confirmed.
“Then order your crew to obey.”
“It’s an emotional thing again,” broke in Amanda. “We only obey when we emotionally agree. And you aren’t helping.”
“I not involved.”
“Yes. You lied to us. That affects our emotions. Your so called ‘big secret’ isn’t logical.” Amanda slowly moved her hands. “Tell us the truth now.”
Zetta swayed back from Amanda’s undulating hands and appeared to be groggy.
“That was cover story,” it said.
“What is the real reason that you need small humans?”
Zetta’s voice suddenly lost all emphasis and expression. It droned. “Our economy is based on galarium that we collect from the caves of Hoopa, our sister planet. We crush it as the source of our cold fusion energy and all that it then makes possible. Only humans are sensitive to galarium. Only humans can find it in those dark caves. We sent round space ships to your Earth and they collected large humans. Only large humans came to our ships to be captured.”
“Flying saucers,” murmured Robert, but not loud enough to interrupt the Zetta’s monologue.
“We analyzed the human chromosomes and DNA and manufactured it, then cloned as many humans as we needed. But the galarium in the upper cave systems is nearly exhausted. We will need to go deeper within just a few years.
“We have pictures of the Earth population. Humans come in all sizes. We need small humans to mine galarium in the lower caves which are so much smaller.
“So we need you to make small humans for us so that we can copy that DNA and clone smaller humans.”
“Your race isn’t human,” accused Amanda.
“The sensitive’s that made me and built this civilization call themselves the Torpids. I am structured nearly in their likeness.”
“You’re a robot.”
“Of course. Would you expose an important member of your family to the risk of making first contact with a sentient new race? Which, you have already shown, are unpredictable.”
Karl and Urula watched Zetta enter the structure. “Good place to avoid,” Karl said. “Let’s check out the unit on the right.”
Karl lost no time testing the door from the outside. Instead, he darted to the side of the hut and used his momentum to place a solid kick to the wall and dislodged a chunk of material.
Fu Xi’s face and fist appeared immediately, prepared to confront an attack. A smile quickly replaced the shock on his face. Karl tugged at the wall to enlarge the hole. Karl and Urula slipped inside.
“I’ve been concentrating so hard on how to disable the force-field, I never thought to escape through a wall,” Fu Xi said.
“Neither did Karl,” Urula smiled, “until his anger got the best of him.”
“We think Zetta’s in Robert’s hut. There are construct devices outside, but they don’t seem programmed to notice us. I suggest we use this opportunity to launch an attack, steal any technology we can, or see if we can get the Invite off the ground…or out of the ground or however one gets out of here. We should be able to get to the ship if we keep a low profile.”
“I can get the ship powered and ready within three minutes,” Fu Xi replied. “But that will raise an alarm. Everyone should be onboard before we power-up, and we will need information on how to escape.”
Indrani had been peering through the hole. “You say that Zetta is in the Chandlers’ hut?”
“Well, we assume it’s their hut,” Karl replied and pointed out the structure.
“What about a three pronged attack?”
“Wouldn’t it be better to keep together?” Urula asked.
Indrani shook her head. “These beings may be less apt to harm us if they think they will destroy part of a mating pair. I say go for a quick mop-up to impose as much damage and salvage as much info as possible. Fu Xi, you get to the ship and get her ready to fire on anything in our path to show our intention to kill unless we’re allowed to exit the planet. Karl, you’re the engineer. If you can deactivate one of those constructs we can take it with us and have a look at their technology. Urula, we can use one of the smaller benches to smack a hole in the Chandler’s hut and follow Fu Xi’s lead to ram into and knock Zetta over. Between my medical knowledge and your biochemistry, we might have a chance at knocking Zetta out and taking it hostage or to study.” Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a clear box with a variety of syringes. “I took the liberty of bringing some medicinal supplies with me. Something has to have an effect on the creature.”
“Let’s do it,” Urula replied.
Within seconds Fu Xi sprinted toward the ship. Karl flattened himself against the outer wall to look for a construct to grab and disable. The women sped across to the third unit, taking a small bench for a battering ram.
***
Robert looked at Zetta and said in a loud, steady voice, “Zetta, you are forgetting the emotion of anger. Except for the part about you being a robot, everything else you’ve told us is a lie. None of your explanations are logical. And, to be honest, it’s pissing me off.”
Zetta blinked its big eyes and opened its mouth, just as the side of the hut burst open.
Zetta’s head swiveled toward the crumbling wall. In that instant of confusion, Robert grabbed the fabric cover from a bed-like object and threw it over Zetta. The fabric was much heavier than he expected it to be and knocked Zetta to the ground. Indrani and Urula burst into the hut to find Robert on the floor rolling Zetta up in the heavy fabric with Armanda helping.
Robert shouted, “Find something to tie him up in this blanket, anything. I’ll bet he is in trouble without the use of those big eyes.”ť
Confusion reigned in the hut. Zetta struggled and issued muffled sounds. Assessing the situation quickly, Urula shouted, “Indrani, stab the son-of-a-bitch with some of your medical stuff,” as she stepped over to help Robert with the now violently struggling robot.
Indrani grabbed a syringe from the box in her pocket and pounced on Zetta. “If this doesn’t put him out, nothing will,” she yelled as she tried to find a soft spot for the injection. “Got him,” she said triumphantly as she removed the now empty syringe. “I hope it works.”ť
“Where in hell did you two come from?” Robert asked as the presence of the two finally registered.
“He seems to be struggling less,” Armanda said, looking up at the new arrivals. “How did you get in?” In the confusion she hadn’t noticed the gaping hole in the wall.
“Grab a hold of our victim and let’s get out of here,” Urula urged. “Fu Xi’s getting the ship ready to go. We’re getting out of here ASAP and taking any technology we can lay our hands on with us.”
In less than the minute it took for them to exit the hut, Zetta’s sounds and struggles ceased. Urula ran ahead to warn Fu Xi and get him to lower the entry ramp. The other three struggled to carry Zetta, who was surprisingly heavy. None of the constructs seemed to pay them any attention as they trudged to the ship with their strange cargo.
“What the devil are you carrying?” Fu Xi shouted from the entry ramp. “Where the hell is Karl?”
“Isn’t he here?” Urula questioned as the others dropped Zetta to the floor at the top of the ramp.
“No,” Fu Xi said as he looked toward the damaged huts. “I don’t see him anywhere. Wasn’t he with you?”ť
“The last we saw of him was when Urula and I left to break into the third hut to rescue Armanda and Robert.
“He was looking for some of their technology to disable and steal,” Indrani replied.
“While we’re waiting, what’s wrapped up in that blanket?” Fu Xi asked once more.
Robert unceremoniously unrolled the blanket depositing a limp, pink Zetta with closed eyes onto the floor. “Does that answer your question?”
“Damn. You don’t mess around with the small stuff, do you? Let’s get him into one of the bunks and secure him for the trip. Then I can complete lift off as soon as Karl gets here.”
Suddenly Urula shouted, “There he is. He’s dragging something behind him.”
Karl arrived, panting, with several items in tow. Cables ran from one to the other, and irregular pieces of "mud hut" still clung in spots.
“What’s the idea?” Urula asked.
“This is part of the force field equipment, and apparently the power generation. It was self-contained—no cables going anywhere else—so I decided to take it home.”
Fu Xi spoke over his shoulder. “We’ll have thrust in sixty seconds.”
On the floor, Zetta twitched. Karl dumped his prize in an empty locker toward the back of the cabin, then came back up and regarded the creature for a moment. He bent down and removed Zetta’s control bracelet just as the thing’s eyes opened. A hand moved feebly toward Karl.
“Oh, no you don’t,” Indrani said. Her syringe worked its magic, and Zetta’s eyes closed again.
The Invite took its leave, lurching into the air. Robert looked through the forward port and up. “We’re off. But we’ve still got a ceiling to deal with.”
Armanda reached a hand toward Karl, still crouched by the flaccid alien construct. “May I see that?” Karl hesitated a moment, then handed her the bracelet.
She looked forward. “If you don’t object, I’m going to try pushing these spots at random. I’m trying to remember what he did as we were heading down.”
Fu Xi wasn’t happy. “Something on that bracelet killed our thrusters before. This would have been a lot better on the ground.”
“Care to go back?” she said.
Urula had been watching out a side port. “We will need to do something. We are being followed.”
“Here goes,” Armanda said, and pressed near a corner of the device. Nothing obvious happened. She began working her way across the top row.
“Hey, it’s opening up!” came from Robert. “Let’s get out of here.”
The Invite hissed forward and up, and in moments was rising through the planet’s surface. “Try that same button again,” Fu Xi suggested—but Armanda beat him to it. The opening rapidly irised closed, almost making it completely shut before being reversed by a command from elsewhere. In the confusion, one of their pursuers veered into another, collided, then the two of them crashed into the edge of the aperture. It stopped, only partly open.
The sky darkened rapidly around the Invite as the last of the thin atmosphere was left behind. Robert turned around to face the rest of the crew. “Well, we’re clear, at least for the moment. But we don’t have any idea where we are, and without that portal in Dysnomia to get back, I think we’ve still got a problem.
“Two problems,” put in Karl. “That locker that I stored the alien components in.”
“What about it?”
“It was a food locker. They’re all empty.”
A thump sounded from inside the locker.
"He's stirring again," said Indrani, reaching for her syringe.
"Just a moment, Dr. Patel," said Chandler, staying her hand. "I don't believe he's much of a threat without his bracelet. Karl, let him out of the locker. I want to speak with him."
The locker opened and Zetta crumpled to the floor. His eyes were blank-disconnected.
"Zetta, do you know where you are?" asked Armanda, trying to elicit a response.
The robot stared past her, oblivious. Occasionally, a limb would twitch involuntarily.
The commander lifted and then released Zetta's arm. It slowly returned to its previous position unperturbed. The crew watched this with puzzled expressions.
"Zetta is a robotic construct like the others on the planet," said the commander. "He's not really alive."
"Well, in that case, I think we've fried its motherboard. Maybe try Control-Alt-Delete?" joked Urula.
"It's not going to be that simple," said Indrani, examining the limp figure. "Zetta appears more biological than machine. It's strange how its physiology is so strikingly like our own. It breathes similar atmosphere, and even succumbs to sedatives. It will take years for us to understand such advanced biomechanical robotics."
"Damn our bad luck!" said Chandler, pounding his fist. "Armanda's hypnosis technique might have coaxed more information out of him."
Indrani looked incredulously from the commander to his wife. "Hypnosis? Wait a minute. Are you telling me you hypnotized a robot?"
Armanda smiled. "Before you busted us out, we had Zetta telling us everything. A race called the Torpids are the real sentients on the planet. They build and control the constructs. Most are simply preprogrammed automatons. In Zetta's case however, a living mind was operating him by remote control. Lucky for us, it was very receptive to hypnotic suggestion. The connection must have been broken when we removed his bracelet; it must have linked them somehow."
"Folks, sorry to interrupt, but I really need a destination. It looks like someone kicked a bee's nest down there." In Fu's port viewscreen hundreds of ships swarmed out of the planet's interior.
The commander took his seat and strapped in. "Karl, see what you can do with that force field device. Fu, retrace our flight path when we arrived. Maybe the Dysnomia portal is still out there."
"Bobby, I want to try something," whispered his wife. Her face looked grim.
"Dearest, just get to your post and strap in. It's going to get rough in a minute."
"Whatever happens, know that I love you." She kissed him, then slipped on Zetta's bracelet. Instantly, her eyes rolled back and she collapsed into Chandler's arms.
"Armanda! No!" Chandler pulled at the bracelet furiously, but it had clamped itself firmly to his wife's thin wrist. Without the time to do more, he reluctantly strapped her into her seat. "Karl, how's that force field coming?"
"Considering this is advanced alien technology, most people would need a fully equipped science lab, a small army of research assistants, and a few years of back engineering. Luckily though, I'm not most people. Gimme a few minutes." Karl winked and Urula groaned.
"Fu, take evasive action, but maintain our course. Don't let them get close enough to board." Chandler put his hand on his wife's. "Stay with me. I'll get us home."
The pursing ships quickly descended on the Invite. Fu Xi spun the ship radically, trying to shake them off, but as more and more closed in, he had less room to maneuver. His hands were shaking with the effort. "I don't think I can keep this up much longer!"
"Karl, where's my force field?" demanded Chandler. The engineer was buried up to his elbows in wire as he finally fit the alien device into the ship's console. He punched in a sequence of commands and it made a high pitched whine. A greenish hue filled the viewports. As the field expanded, it sent several of the closest ships careening out of control.
"Excellent work!" said the commander.
"Thanks, but I can't control it. The field is expanding at an exponential rate, getting weaker as it grows. It's going to burn out quickly."
The alien ships seemed to know this as well. They moved into a higher orbit and circled like vultures waiting for their dinner to stop moving.
"Commander!" exclaimed Indrani. "I think she's coming out of it."
Chandler unstrapped and joined the medical officer already at his wife's chair. "Armanda, can you hear me? It's me, Robert."
"Bobby? Oh my God, Bobby. The horror...you just don't know. You just don't..." she feinted again, but he shook her awake.
Blinking at him, she slowly came back to herself. Bewildered, he watched her enter a complex sequence on the bracelet. It snapped free from her wrist. She looked up at her husband with tears in her eyes.
"What happened?" he implored.
"Since Zetta was so much like us, I guessed the control bracelet might link me with his Torpid master. I was right—terribly, terribly right. I learned many things before that monster discovered I wasn't Zetta."
"Commander, I have Dysnomia on screen. But there's no opening!" screamed Fu in a panic.
Armanda furiously tapped out another sequence on the bracelet. Dysnomia's smooth surface dilated into the gaping maw of the portal and the Invite plunged inside.
***
"Two years? We were in there for two years?" asked Chandler in surprise.
"I guess time flies when you're having fun," quipped the commander of the Vestige, but the two men in the debriefing room with him weren't smiling. From what they had just told him, it was understandable.
Commander Vymes cleared his throat. "When data from the relay probe was examined, we discovered a wormhole where Dysnomia had been. From its quantum decay rate, we calculated that it would take a year to send you to your destination, and likely another year to send you back. So we knew it would be at least two years before you returned, if you ever did."
"Okay, but what are you doing out here?" asked Karl tersely. After the horror he and Chandler just learned from Armanda, he was getting tired of surprises.
"After the Invite disappeared, the Vestige was commissioned by your company to find out what had happened to its investment. They were also very curious about the wormhole. A year into the trip the wormhole disappeared as expected, but only a few days later it reappeared. It was then that we knew you were returning. We were waiting in orbit around Eris for only a few days, but we were setup to wait much longer."
Chandler nodded. "It's a miracle you were here at all. Thank you for working so quickly to take my crew onboard. My pilot was nearly in shock from the strain, and my wife went through hell to save us."
"Yes, Robert, about your wife. She looked dazed. What was she muttering about children?"
Chandler and Karl glanced at each other, reassuring themselves that what they had learned wasn't just a bad nightmare.
"While Armanda was linked with the Torpid master, she got more than she bargained for. She finally saw past the half-truths Zetta had been telling us."
"You mean about wanting you to make children to mine ore for them?"
"They only meant to use their bodies to mine ore," said Chandler. "They wanted their minds for something else."
"I don't understand."
"Because of solar radiation, the Torpids can no longer reproduce nor can they visit the surface of their planet. They've been stagnating for thousands of years. To survive, they've been cloning themselves, living vicariously through their biomechanical constructs."
"Yes, but what does this have to do with making children?"
"The constructs! The bracelets!" shouted Karl impatiently. "The constructs are cybernetically improved clones of themselves, fully capable of reproduction, but quite mindless until a Torpid takes over. A child born of two such parents would also be mindless. They can't create minds."
Chandler continued, "The bracelets would allow them to copy the newly formed minds of our unborn children to those of construct fetuses. Once the construct child was born, the mind of the human baby would be wiped, and preprogrammed for a future life of servitude. The construct baby would grow up as a Torpid and never know his human origins."
Vymes sat back in his chair, horrified. "What you are saying is that they want to put human souls in Torpid bodies."
"If you're a religious man, than yes, you could look at it that way," said Chandler.
"What's to keep them from coming to Earth to continue their experiment?" asked Vymes.
"They can't, as long as we keep Dysnomia here," said Karl. "Dysnomia works like an interstellar elevator car, with the wormhole acting as the elevator shaft. Unlike an elevator, it can't be called back down the shaft; a rider must operate it from the inside. It's also damn near indestructible, so as long as it's blocking this end of the wormhole they can't send another one through."
Vymes thought for a moment. "Then the message to bring three males and three females might not have been meant for us."
"What do you mean?" asked Chandler.
"If Dysnomia was already here before all this started, then the rider that brought it here must still be in our solar system. That message was probably a directive for them."
The two men looked at each other in astonishment, each thinking the same thing: Oh shit.
THE END