"2570-47" - читать интересную книгу автора (Jerome Bigge - Warlady 8 - The Queen Of Time)THE QUEEN OF TIME 2570 A.D.! A TALE OF ADVENTURE IN THE SECOND DARK AGE By Jerome B. Bigge Chapter Forty Seven There in the bedroom of the Simmons home I reached down to undo Carol's uniform as she laid there on the bed. The dead wom- an's eyes suddenly opening again, and with a look of utter fury on her dead face, her hands suddenly clasped me about the throat! "God Damn You, Lorraine, For The Bitch You Are!" she snarled at me! Her strength horrifying greater than my own as I felt her hands closing tighter about my throat, choking me as I now fought helplessly to free myself from this awful nightmarish horror! "Lorraine!, Wake Up, Lorraine!" I suddenly heard a voice crying, Carol's fury filled face burning up into mine as I fought against those awful choking hands that now encircled my throat!!! Then suddenly I was aware that it was Jon's face looking at me, not Carol's, and that all of this had been just a nightmare now! "You were crying out, Lorraine," Jon said to me, holding me, my body wet with sweat, the terror still vivid in my mind here!! I recalled what Maris had said about her nightmares with Darl Jord, and I wondered if Carol's ghost had come to haunt me here!! This was my second nightmare I'd had about Carol, and I feared I might be soon seeking the assistance of the Priestesses should it continue much longer too. While I knew from my Twentieth Century training that there was a good reason for these "nightmares" of mine, it did not do anything to help me get rid of them either... "I violated Carol's last wishes at Tais' orders," I replied, getting out of bed, my damp body cold, throwing a robe about my- self as I stood there, the stars bright outside the bedroom win- dows, a less than half full old Moon shining down upon the scene. I opened a bottle of wine, and took a long deep drink of it as I stood there with Jon watching. My nerves still shaken from this. "Perhaps you should see Tais then," Jon suggested to me. I supposed that would be wise, as Tais could certainly use elec- tronic hypnosis on me to rid me of these "guilt feelings" I had. "Give Amethysta a chance to `run' things for a few days," I smiled back. With Black Lady Shalimar was just a few hours away. I'd had no more "trouble" with Tara's agents, and while Sue Cross was due to have my daughter quite soon now, I'd already made the necessary arrangements for everything here and there was really no more that I could do at this time until she actually did give birth. She was a woman with strong maternal drives, and little Eric did like her a lot, although I was careful to see that Eric did not confuse her with myself. In any case I could safely leave Trella for a few days without having to worry about it now. See to my own needs, talk to Tais, perhaps take a trip to Mars... "I rather suspected that you might be soon paying us a vis- it," Tais smiled as she took my hands in her own. I supposed it was possible that she knew what the effect of what I had done to Carol might give me guilt feelings later on about the affair too. Rationally I doubt that Carol would have objected, as she knew as I did how important it was to safeguard the future from any harm. "No doubt you already know about the `problems' I'm having," I said as Jon stood there at my side. I felt like saying that she was "responsible" for my having the nightmares that I'd had!! A few of the Priestesses staring at us curiously, while others in turn tended to their duties, the sun as usual shining brightly. Shalimar is a beautiful place, like some city in a fairy tale. I might note that the Priestesses themselves are "fairy like" too. "Perhaps it would have `better' had I sent you back to this era and then did what had to be done without your knowledge," the First Priestess answered. "And I can assure you that your palace isn't `haunted' by the `ghost' of Mrs. Simmons here either..." I had to smile at this, as Tais was obviously reading my thoughts!! "You could have `explained' to them earlier that they would not be allowed to be seen in their uniforms," I retorted to Tais. As they had been in our own time only a few months before their deaths in 2033, I saw no reason why Tais couldn't have done so... "Perhaps it would have saved `trouble'," Tais admitted then. "You're not `infallible' are you?" I smiled back in reply. "Never claimed that I was," the First Priestess answered. "I've got Aurora working on our `problem'," Tais said as we had dinner with her later on after I'd had my "treatment" by means of electronic hypnosis to remove my "guilt" feelings about Carol Simmons and what I'd been forced to do too at Tais' orders. "There was a lot of `opposition' to sharing our technology with Mars, but I felt it best considering the situation we now face." "This `death star' of yours?" Jon asked, nodding at me. "Terraforming of Venus would take centuries," she mused. "There is ample `room' on Mars," I pointed out, knowing enough of things to know that life was possible upon its surface. Not all of Mankind would be transported there, but some would... By the use of "Gateways" it would be possible to transport both water and air to that world, make it much more "inhabitable" than it was now. I felt that such "cooperation" was our best bet now! "Aurora demands that the Women be in `total control'," Tais answered. "And you know what that might mean," she added here. Mars was a society of lesbians, a culture far different than our own. While Aurora herself knew what heterosexual intercourse was like, this was not likely to be something most of the Women would ever want to experience judging from what Aurora had said of it!! And the Lorr for the most part too had little liking for Mankind even if they had little "use" for the surface of their own world. "There are no other `usable' planets?" Jon asked her then. "Not in this solar system," the First Priestess replied. "The `range' of the `Gateways' is infinite," I smiled. "The `Guardians' are then a problem," Tais admitted. "There must be worlds without intelligent life," I said. "Millions, but they are also `protected'," Tais replied. "You have considered sending people back in time," I said. "There are a number of `problems' in doing so," she said. "There is `evidence' that you will do so," I said to her. "The American Indian, the horse, certain `ruins'," she said. ***************************************************************** One does not travel between worlds without a certain amount of "adjustment". The atmospheric pressure at the surface of the Earth is about fifteen pounds per square inch. That of the un- derground caverns of Mars is far much less with an atmosphere of pure oxygen. It is thus necessary to go through "decompression" before you can travel between the worlds without grave danger. I am told that anyone who transported themselves from Earth to Mars without decompression would almost "explode" from their own in- ternal pressure much as a fish dragged up from the depths of the ocean dies from the differences in pressure from hundreds of feet down beneath the surface and that of our own environment. On the other hand once you are used to the pound and a half pressures of Mars, then you can travel to the Moon, and even step outside (not in the sunlight) for very short brief periods as Aurora has done. "It is obvious where Darlanis got her looks," Jon said as he greeted Aurora, who does look something like her famous daughter. The true first daughter of Darlanis, An'na of Mars, nodding as I took her hands, the two of us having once shared much together. An insectoid horror, ten feet in length, then extending her whip like antennae to me as I once again merged my mind with Raspa's. Once again I saw as she saw, felt as she felt, and "shared" with that alien mind from another world my deepest feelings and emo- tions. For Raspa and I both have met SHE, the Mistress of All... "Were I not a happily married man..." Jon grinned as he sat across the table from Aurora and a few of her associates, his own words making me smile as I'm sure Aurora had little "interest" in such things, her one and only experience with a man having been rather painful for her and not anything she now wished to repeat. The food and drink of Mars being somewhat different from Earth's. "I do not think you would find one of us `willing'," Aurora answered, his words of course being quite misunderstood here now. Jon muttering something under his breath, glancing at me, the grin that curved my lips no doubt leaving no doubts of it either! "On the other hand I cannot speak for all the Women of Mars now." "This is not a `culture' like our own," I told my husband. "She is a beautiful woman despite `that'," Jon replied. "I feel I have little to worry about here," I smiled. "Guess I should have kept my mouth shut," Jon grinned. "I appreciate the `comment', Mr. Richards," Aurora said. "I think I understand what I did not before," Jon smiled. "An entire `world' of `them'," Jon said as we got undressed. "Who is to `say' who is `right'," I teased my husband back. "How far down under the surface are we?" he asked me then. "A mile or so, I believe," I said, seeing Jon nod back. "I don't think I'd want to live here," he announced then. "No, I think you'd find it not to your taste," I smiled. THE QUEEN OF TIME 2570 A.D.! A TALE OF ADVENTURE IN THE SECOND DARK AGE By Jerome B. Bigge Chapter Forty Seven There in the bedroom of the Simmons home I reached down to undo Carol's uniform as she laid there on the bed. The dead wom- an's eyes suddenly opening again, and with a look of utter fury on her dead face, her hands suddenly clasped me about the throat! "God Damn You, Lorraine, For The Bitch You Are!" she snarled at me! Her strength horrifying greater than my own as I felt her hands closing tighter about my throat, choking me as I now fought helplessly to free myself from this awful nightmarish horror! "Lorraine!, Wake Up, Lorraine!" I suddenly heard a voice crying, Carol's fury filled face burning up into mine as I fought against those awful choking hands that now encircled my throat!!! Then suddenly I was aware that it was Jon's face looking at me, not Carol's, and that all of this had been just a nightmare now! "You were crying out, Lorraine," Jon said to me, holding me, my body wet with sweat, the terror still vivid in my mind here!! I recalled what Maris had said about her nightmares with Darl Jord, and I wondered if Carol's ghost had come to haunt me here!! This was my second nightmare I'd had about Carol, and I feared I might be soon seeking the assistance of the Priestesses should it continue much longer too. While I knew from my Twentieth Century training that there was a good reason for these "nightmares" of mine, it did not do anything to help me get rid of them either... "I violated Carol's last wishes at Tais' orders," I replied, getting out of bed, my damp body cold, throwing a robe about my- self as I stood there, the stars bright outside the bedroom win- dows, a less than half full old Moon shining down upon the scene. I opened a bottle of wine, and took a long deep drink of it as I stood there with Jon watching. My nerves still shaken from this. "Perhaps you should see Tais then," Jon suggested to me. I supposed that would be wise, as Tais could certainly use elec- tronic hypnosis on me to rid me of these "guilt feelings" I had. "Give Amethysta a chance to `run' things for a few days," I smiled back. With Black Lady Shalimar was just a few hours away. I'd had no more "trouble" with Tara's agents, and while Sue Cross was due to have my daughter quite soon now, I'd already made the necessary arrangements for everything here and there was really no more that I could do at this time until she actually did give birth. She was a woman with strong maternal drives, and little Eric did like her a lot, although I was careful to see that Eric did not confuse her with myself. In any case I could safely leave Trella for a few days without having to worry about it now. See to my own needs, talk to Tais, perhaps take a trip to Mars... "I rather suspected that you might be soon paying us a vis- it," Tais smiled as she took my hands in her own. I supposed it was possible that she knew what the effect of what I had done to Carol might give me guilt feelings later on about the affair too. Rationally I doubt that Carol would have objected, as she knew as I did how important it was to safeguard the future from any harm. "No doubt you already know about the `problems' I'm having," I said as Jon stood there at my side. I felt like saying that she was "responsible" for my having the nightmares that I'd had!! A few of the Priestesses staring at us curiously, while others in turn tended to their duties, the sun as usual shining brightly. Shalimar is a beautiful place, like some city in a fairy tale. I might note that the Priestesses themselves are "fairy like" too. "Perhaps it would have `better' had I sent you back to this era and then did what had to be done without your knowledge," the First Priestess answered. "And I can assure you that your palace isn't `haunted' by the `ghost' of Mrs. Simmons here either..." I had to smile at this, as Tais was obviously reading my thoughts!! "You could have `explained' to them earlier that they would not be allowed to be seen in their uniforms," I retorted to Tais. As they had been in our own time only a few months before their deaths in 2033, I saw no reason why Tais couldn't have done so... "Perhaps it would have saved `trouble'," Tais admitted then. "You're not `infallible' are you?" I smiled back in reply. "Never claimed that I was," the First Priestess answered. "I've got Aurora working on our `problem'," Tais said as we had dinner with her later on after I'd had my "treatment" by means of electronic hypnosis to remove my "guilt" feelings about Carol Simmons and what I'd been forced to do too at Tais' orders. "There was a lot of `opposition' to sharing our technology with Mars, but I felt it best considering the situation we now face." "This `death star' of yours?" Jon asked, nodding at me. "Terraforming of Venus would take centuries," she mused. "There is ample `room' on Mars," I pointed out, knowing enough of things to know that life was possible upon its surface. Not all of Mankind would be transported there, but some would... By the use of "Gateways" it would be possible to transport both water and air to that world, make it much more "inhabitable" than it was now. I felt that such "cooperation" was our best bet now! "Aurora demands that the Women be in `total control'," Tais answered. "And you know what that might mean," she added here. Mars was a society of lesbians, a culture far different than our own. While Aurora herself knew what heterosexual intercourse was like, this was not likely to be something most of the Women would ever want to experience judging from what Aurora had said of it!! And the Lorr for the most part too had little liking for Mankind even if they had little "use" for the surface of their own world. "There are no other `usable' planets?" Jon asked her then. "Not in this solar system," the First Priestess replied. "The `range' of the `Gateways' is infinite," I smiled. "The `Guardians' are then a problem," Tais admitted. "There must be worlds without intelligent life," I said. "Millions, but they are also `protected'," Tais replied. "You have considered sending people back in time," I said. "There are a number of `problems' in doing so," she said. "There is `evidence' that you will do so," I said to her. "The American Indian, the horse, certain `ruins'," she said. ***************************************************************** One does not travel between worlds without a certain amount of "adjustment". The atmospheric pressure at the surface of the Earth is about fifteen pounds per square inch. That of the un- derground caverns of Mars is far much less with an atmosphere of pure oxygen. It is thus necessary to go through "decompression" before you can travel between the worlds without grave danger. I am told that anyone who transported themselves from Earth to Mars without decompression would almost "explode" from their own in- ternal pressure much as a fish dragged up from the depths of the ocean dies from the differences in pressure from hundreds of feet down beneath the surface and that of our own environment. On the other hand once you are used to the pound and a half pressures of Mars, then you can travel to the Moon, and even step outside (not in the sunlight) for very short brief periods as Aurora has done. "It is obvious where Darlanis got her looks," Jon said as he greeted Aurora, who does look something like her famous daughter. The true first daughter of Darlanis, An'na of Mars, nodding as I took her hands, the two of us having once shared much together. An insectoid horror, ten feet in length, then extending her whip like antennae to me as I once again merged my mind with Raspa's. Once again I saw as she saw, felt as she felt, and "shared" with that alien mind from another world my deepest feelings and emo- tions. For Raspa and I both have met SHE, the Mistress of All... "Were I not a happily married man..." Jon grinned as he sat across the table from Aurora and a few of her associates, his own words making me smile as I'm sure Aurora had little "interest" in such things, her one and only experience with a man having been rather painful for her and not anything she now wished to repeat. The food and drink of Mars being somewhat different from Earth's. "I do not think you would find one of us `willing'," Aurora answered, his words of course being quite misunderstood here now. Jon muttering something under his breath, glancing at me, the grin that curved my lips no doubt leaving no doubts of it either! "On the other hand I cannot speak for all the Women of Mars now." "This is not a `culture' like our own," I told my husband. "She is a beautiful woman despite `that'," Jon replied. "I feel I have little to worry about here," I smiled. "Guess I should have kept my mouth shut," Jon grinned. "I appreciate the `comment', Mr. Richards," Aurora said. "I think I understand what I did not before," Jon smiled. "An entire `world' of `them'," Jon said as we got undressed. "Who is to `say' who is `right'," I teased my husband back. "How far down under the surface are we?" he asked me then. "A mile or so, I believe," I said, seeing Jon nod back. "I don't think I'd want to live here," he announced then. "No, I think you'd find it not to your taste," I smiled. |
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