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This section covers some problems with some Councillors.
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Who Can Be Trusted?
Saturday 08/05/94 10:30 am
Kerstin said. "Tun Wong, George and I have conveyed the suggestion
to the Councillors here that they are a bit tired and should delay
their departure until this evening. Charlie is discreetly talking
to the Councillors. He is telling them that they can continue
to use their cabins for the day. He has already planted in their
minds the idea to request the service. I sense that your plans
are for the good of Spacers and Earth and you need time to carry
them out. The rest of our crew will arrive at our cabin within
half an hour. Ivan will deal with visitors so that Leonov can
join us. Now Marita would like to talk to you both."
Marita said. "Annie and Tun Wong, Undepoldus and I have been
listening as you voiced your worries. George has told you that
you have less to worry about than you thought. Undepoldus has
already made contingency plans for all of us except the councillors.
When we share later on we can exchange the knowledge that we have
between us. Undepoldus agrees with the plan to keep the Councillors
here for the day. Any urgent vidcom calls will be linked through
to you Tun Wong. Charlie and I will handle any routine calls.
See you later."
Tun Wong said. "Charlie has just told me that all the Councillors
think that they over indulged last night. They need rest to recover.
Sarah, Eva and Jennifer have helped to make them feel sleepier."
George said. "It looks like our combined defences are working
already. Come to our cabin in around five minutes. If anyone sees
you on your way, you know what to make them think."
Saturday 08/05/2094 11:00 am
Jennifer, Sarah and Eva were already in the cabin when George
and Kerstin arrived.
Jennifer said. "George, I must tell you that I have been
eavesdropping on your conversation at breakfast. I don't know
if you intended to give me the power to share your mind but I
can do so as easily as I can think. I have told Sarah and Eva
what I know and they will maintain a screen around this cabin
that makes people ignore it. Charlie says that Undepoldus will
not make another test flight until next week. Oh, by the way,
I can read Charlie as well as I can read you. What a wonderful
way to share!"
George said. "Jennifer, I know that you knew that I would
not mind before you told me. You know that it is almost pointless
for me to talk to you about anything. I warn you, don't look too
hard while I am sharing with Annie, you might get dragged in."
Jennifer did not reply but George felt a delicious wave of phantom
comfort from her.
Tun Wong said as he arrived. "I detect that your defences
are organised already. Brilliant work! I also detect that Jennifer
has amazing power. When I tried to peep I ended up peeping at
myself and she laughed in my mind. Then she showed me herself
and embarrassed me - me! She knows that she will be a Spacer
in my department very soon and she is delighted. Stop it Jennifer,
wait until I am with Kerstin!"
Kerstin laughed. She said. "Keep it up Jennifer, make Tun
Wong impatient."
Jennifer laughed. She said. "Be careful Kerstin, I know your
secrets too. Marita has told me all about you. She can't wait
for you to get started. It is lovely to know how you feel when
you are sharing. I know what fun it is to be a voyeuse now. Don't
worry, I know that I will have to shut you out while I look out
for intruders. I know what is at stake and I do not want to interfere.
I will give you four private silence for a while."
George marvelled at Jennifer's power. He was with Tun Wong, Kerstin
and Annie all at once. Then Marita and Undepoldus joined them.
The normal excitement of sharing had been replaced by comforting
stream of companionship. Their thoughts and knowledge intermingled
like separate streams running into a pool. George sensed Marita
and Jennifer communicating independently. The others were aware
too.
Marita conveyed: "I am advising Jennifer." All
knew she could take part in several conversations at once like
Undepoldus himself.
Then the six experienced a seventh mind among them. It was not
taking part. It was an object to study. Jennifer had begun to
present the Councillors' minds for examination. George sensed
Tun Wong's disappointments and exultations as he discovered that
his suspicions had been unwarranted or confirmed.
Jennifer conveyed to George. "I have borrowed your sense
of the Asimovian directive and implanted it strongly in the minds
of all the Council members. Any nasty ideas they may have in future
will be overwhelmed by a frantic desire to share. Is that OK?"
Tun Wong: "Why do you ask, you beautiful cabbage?"
Jennifer: "I could have just as easily given them a frantic
desire to masturbate instead."
The communal laugh between the six almost broke their concentration
on the topics in mind.
As they relaxed their mental links Jennifer conveyed: "Now
your work is over it is time to play. Get sharing - properly this
time!"
Then they sensed Marita conveying "Stop it Jennifer, Undepoldus
can't stand it! No more phantom comfort, please!"
Kerstin: "Marita has now got her own back. Jennifer can
drive her and Undepoldus mad with phantom comfort. She loves it
but he can't stand too much of it."
Tun Wong: "I'm glad Jennifer is on our side, we would
be lost if she was against us."
Jennifer: "How do you know I am on your side Tun Wong?
I think that you ought to change sides."
As Jennifer conveyed, Tun Wong felt himself turning female while
Kerstin changed to male. Jennifer continued conveying: "Now
Tun Wong, you are on my side. Keep sharing until I tell you to
stop."
Kerstin felt herself being forced to drive Tun Wong as hard as
she could go. Tun Wong felt himself forced to keep going. Jennifer
would not let him escape into unconsciousness. Kerstin for all
her size and strength could not keep going of her own volition
but she had help. George saw exhaustion starting to show in her
face. Then she fell asleep. In the meantime her body continued
to drive just as hard as before. Jennifer had taken total control
of both bodies.
George conveyed the single word: "Asimov!" To
Jennifer.
She desisted at once, leaving Tun Wong and Kerstin to sleep peacefully.
George felt Jennifer trying to play with him so he concentrated
on sending back the power she transmitted. Jennifer tried to resist
but gave up when she knew she was beaten. George realised that
he had strong enough defences to resist the strongest mind he
had met. Jennifer had only been playing and was clearly a very
strong ally.
Saturday 08/05/2094 12:00 midday
The six were informed that many safe refuges had been bought discreetly
by the Undepoldus Trust. There were three British country houses
with largish estates, deserted villages in Scandinavia, minor
chateaux in France, a mock castle in Austria, a mountain retreat
in Italy and numerous comparable places in other countries. All
of the places were big enough to hold a population of 40 or more
people in relative seclusion. All had independent water supplies
and places for power units. None of them were near major moveways
or air routes. Most had vegetable gardens or places where they
could be established. All were within an area of 20 or more hectares
of virtually empty space. All were super hideaways.
Undepoldus had visited two of the country houses in Britain to see them more closely. He was too big to go inside so he had hired a vidcom operator to tour the houses for him. He had made long tunnels deep under the houses and adjoining land for escape routes, secret stores and water courses. Undepoldus had also bought some warehouses that were rented out. Concealed under the warehouses were vast cellars that presently held small fleets of floaters. The cellars had been used for the temporary storage of land vehicles over 50 years ago. The large ramps that led to the cellars were still in existence but apparently covered in concrete. The concrete was a disguise for movable doors. The floaters could be called to home at a particular spot by one of Anita's communicators. Anita had devised a program for the floater's processors that signalled all floater control centres. Asimovian law would be invoked to force the control centre processors not to register the presence of the floaters.
Undepoldus had also burrowed a tunnel from the Spacers Club to a nearby square. The exit from the tunnel in the square was covered in shrubs.
Undepoldus had provided a wide range of hideouts and escape
routes that could be called upon if serious problems arose.
Leonov suggested that the councillors should be given the idea
that he and Ivan should be replaced so that the crew could be
posted to somewhere safe.
Jane elaborated on the idea. She said. "The council should
send the crew to a secret hideout after Undepoldus has left. The
crew should be told to remain incommunicado for six months. Then
the council would find that the location of the secret hideout
was hidden from them by an Asimovian directive."
George said. "We will want Marita's ex-students to be safe
as well. How can we arrange that they are looked after?"
Jennifer said. "Undepoldus has thought of that. The ex-students
will be invited here to see Undepoldus and Marita just before
he leaves. Boku will come too as their bodyguard. Then we can
all disappear together if we want to."
Kerstin asked. "Do you know if the councillors are aware
that their powers will disappear if they try to contravene Asimovian
directives?"
Jennifer answered. "They do not know anything about the Asimovian
limitations to their powers. I have given them Asimovian control
but I can just as easily remove it."
Tun Wong said. "Thanks to Jennifer I know that four councillors
have ambitions to take over the Spacers League for their own purposes.
With the powers they now have they will think that they can take
over control of the League more easily. The remaining six were
appointed because of their long service. They do not have as much
imagination as the others and would not be able to govern the
League alone in my opinion."
George said. "I think that the safe six should have their
automatic defences strengthened. None of the councillors should
be aware of the Asimovian limitations to their power. I am sure
that the six would be happy to control the four who lose their
power by trying to misuse it. If we are hidden away when the four
attempt to strike, we can help to put things right without too
much effort."
Marita appeared and said. "I think that George is right.
If we give the four enough rope they will hang themselves. We
also have a warning of what might happen so we can make preparations
for the event when it occurs. The most likely time is when Undepoldus
has just left orbit and cannot return. The four would not be likely
to try to take action earlier because they would worry about what
Undepoldus might do."
Tun Wong said. "I think you are right Marita. The first few
hours after Undepoldus leaves orbit will be the most dangerous.
At that time Kerstin could be vulnerable because of the mental
link between your two identities. I think George and Kerstin should
disappear as soon as Undepoldus leaves for the take-off strip.
The rest of us can change our appearances and mix with the crowds.
We will know if anyone is looking for us and we can arrange not
to be noticed."
Marita said. "Undepoldus suggested that you should all go
to a holiday centre openly as he leaves for the take off strip.
En route you should activate the Asimovian feature in the floater
processors and go to a different location. As you will not be
expected to know what could happen, it is unlikely that anyone
will check at the holiday centre until some time after you were
due to arrive. Then you will be hidden, safe from anyone who might
want to harm you."
Jennifer said. "I know what you have decided. All knowledge
of Asimovian limitations has been removed from all the Councillors.
None of them will be prevented from trying to contravene Asimovian
directives. They will wake up soon feeling much less tired but
not fresh. They will assume that this is normal after the way
they were treated."
Leonov said. "I will go and join Ivan to have a meal with
them before they go. Jennifer and Charlie, would you please come
with us. As you now have Spacer privileges you are welcome to
use the dining room. I would be obliged if you kept watch from
a nearby table Jennifer. I dare not try to peep because they might
detect me doing so. You can warn me if any of them try to peep
Ivan or myself."
Jennifer said. "That is OK by me Leonov. If any of them try
to peep they will only detect your natural good humour and that
you feel honoured to have them all with you. Otherwise they will
only detect what you are actually saying. I will relay the names
of the peepers to Tun Wong if there are any."
Charlie said. "I will monitor their vidcom calls before and
after the meal. I don't expect that they will try to use anything
so traceable but it might be interesting to find out what they
say."
Saturday 08/05/2094 1:00 pm
Annie said. "I have really enjoyed being with you all, particularly
during the ceremony. Soon I will have to leave you. I have an
appointment in Malmö tonight. There is just time for Tun
Wong and I to have a little share before I go."
Saturday 08/05/2094 3:00 pm
Tun Wong and Annie finally released each other and began to take
an interest in other things than sharing. They showered and dressed.
They said their goodbyes and sent a few wafts of phantom comfort
as they left.
Saturday 08/05/2094 6:00 pm
Kerstin whispered to George. "Jennifer has told Marita that
one of the councillors is carrying a beamer. This is silly, relaying
Marita, Marita will talk to you herself."
Marita said. "Jennifer is keeping a very careful watch. The
councillor with a beamer tried to peep her so she sent her images
of sharing with me as I was last night. She stopped peeping immediately.
She then tried to peep Charlie and got his list of jobs for the
next few days. She has also tried to peep Leonov and Ivan and
found nothing to worry her. She is trying to work out a scheme
with one of the others but her mental control is weak. She cannot
select an individual mind to convey to, and is desperately trying
to think of things to convey that seem innocent yet explain what
she is planning. Jennifer keeps distracting her with her memories
of bliss with me as a female. Jennifer has identified the one
she is trying to convey to. He is now mentally deaf for the next
few hours. The woman is becoming increasingly aroused as she is
frustrated in her attempts to communicate mentally. Jennifer has
now planted the idea that she is still too tired to use mental
contact effectively. Jennifer has now suggested that the beamer
reminds her of a hard male organ that she would love to play with.
She is now mentally in knots torn between the idea of pleasure
and the fear of danger. Jennifer is keeping danger uppermost so
that she will not try anything stupid. The woman now regrets having
the beamer with her and is now trying to think of a way to get
rid of it before she is tempted to try to please herself with
it. Jennifer has now planted the suggestion of a hygiene station.
She is going there. Jennifer is still with her, suggesting that
she drop the beamer in the toilet bowl. She has done so but the
flusher will not clear it. Jennifer has made her think that it
has cleared it. She is returning to the dining room feeling happier.
She is thankful that she had the strength of mind to get rid of
the beamer before she was tempted to play with it. Now she realises
that she is temporarily powerless without mental control or the
beamer. She is resigned to having another attempt later when she
is a little less tired. Charlie has recovered the beamer. He has
rejoined Jennifer. Nobody noticed him going to the hygiene station
or coming back. He has disarmed the beamer by removing its power
unit. The councillors are returning to their cabins to prepare
to leave. The one who had the beamer is making a vidcom call.
Undepoldus is tracing it. The person called is a non-Spacer who
works at the Spacers College. The councillors are now saying goodbye
to Leonov and Ivan. They are getting into floaters. They are leaving.
The one who had the beamer is now regretting that she threw it
away. There isn't any more to tell so I will leave you now."
Kerstin said. "It was silly of me to try to repeat what Marita
was saying to me. Jennifer did an excellent job. If the beamer
had been used there would have been a lot of trouble, even if
nobody was injured. It was a great idea to make the woman think
of the beamer as a toy to play with. That was clever. The woman
never knew she was not in control of her own mind."
George said. "Jennifer is a marvel. She loves and respects
her mental power. She knows how pleased I am with what she has
done."
PAUSE
The next section covers the events
after the Councillors departed.
Viewers familiar with this subject may pass on to the following
section.
Please select PASS or CONTINUE.