Key to Survival

Chapter 22 Nexus

Shee was out of sorts. She had to pretend that Ikon was Havoc, to conceal Havoc's absence; he was on a secret mission. That meant sharing the royal mistress suite with Ikon, having sex with him, and so on. Shee hated that. It wasn't that Ikon was a robot; she was one herself. It was that he wasn't Havoc. She could associate freely with others, but pretending to love him was a considerable turnoff.

The Red Glamor appeared. "Looking for mom, routine," she said.

"For Gale," Shee murmured, spreading a local aura of privacy. It was one of the Glamor talents she had gained.

This Glamor was Weft, the only one who referred to Gale as "mom."

"Expletive! I slipped. I'm distracted."

"Gale is busy with a mission. Monochrome is on Earth. I'm the mistress of the moment, Weft. May I help?"

Weft considered. "Maybe you can. Don't you hate it?"

Ah. "Bedding a pseudo Havoc? Yes."

"I finally come to terms with loving a robot, and then he has to make out with three other glamorous Glamors."

"Four. He has occasional business with Idyll."

Weft grimaced. "And you know, I don't much like dad getting it on with Red, when she's emulating me. She'll be exaggerating shamelessly, making me seem like a possessive sexpot."

"That is the point, isn't it? To turn him off you?"

"Agreement. But still it gripes me. If anyone is to turn him off me, it should be me personally."

Shee laughed, and Weft joined her, ruefully.

"Idea," Shee said. "Could you emulate me?"

"And be with Ikon? Delight! But you'd have to emulate Red."

"For long enough to conceal the exchange," Shee agreed. "Then I could relax. I'm still figuring out my powers."

"Let's do it."

They hugged, and turned as a couple, and separated—as each other. Shee now resembled the Red Glamor, and Weft resembled Shee. Impersonation was another Glamor art Shee was perfecting.

Ikon entered the room, as Havoc. "Routine public appearance, Shee," he said. Then paused. "Greeting, Red. Were you looking for me?"

"Looking for Gale," Shee said. "But she's not here."

"She will be back within hours," Ikon said. "Meanwhile the routine continues. Ready, Shee?"

"Not quite," Weft said. "I want a tryst first."

He looked pained. "This really isn't necessary at this time, Shee." He wasn't any more eager to be with Shee than she was with him.

Weft whispered in his ear. His eyes widened. He looked at Shee. Shee nodded: it was true that he now held Weft.

His manner changed. "If you will excuse us, Red." He bore Weft toward the bed. Their clothing was coming open or off, baring the essentials as they madly kissed and stroked each other.

"Excused," Shee said belatedly, and departed by foot.

Ennui looked up as Shee entered her office. "Red?"

"Shee," Shee murmured. "Weft swapped out with me."

Ennui smiled. "That is so much better for both of you. And just as well. Idyll wants to see you privately."

"On my way." She conjured herself to Counter Charm.

Idyll was fully formed and expecting her. Near or intermediate future seeing was outside Shee's ability, but she was becoming used to it in other Glamors. "Shee," she said.

"You are a nexus. It is intensifying. We must fathom its relevance within ten days, or suffer grievously."

Shee spread her hands. "I will help if I can. But I have no awareness of this aspect of me."

"Comprehension. Gale and I will join you on a trip to Earth to see Monochrome."

Shee was taken aback. She had never known of the ifrit Glamor leaving her planet physically. "I may be a nexus, but am I worth the diversion of three Glamors?"

"Affirmation. This is huge."

"Then I will cooperate in any manner I can."

"Assume the aspect of a mortal tourist." Idyll was already shifting her own appearance, becoming a black haired young woman in modest apparel.

Shee shifted to assume the likeness of a blond woman, similarly modest.

"We are not being observed," Idyll said. "But we may be watched, once we board the shuttle. Remain in character."

"Concurrence."

They took hands and conjured to the shuttle station near Pyramid City. There a brown haired young woman with a six legged dog joined them. Gale, she thought. And an imprint of Iolo Ifrit. The original's with Havoc. Shee was not yet telepathic, but could receive thought directed at her. I have tickets.

So Gale had completed her mission, but not reported to the royal office. She was keeping her identity private.

"How could you afford tickets?" Idyll asked.

"Deal," Gale said. "They are breaking in two new minstrels to abate space cafard aboard the chronically cruising ships. We will teach them a repertoire of familiar songs and plays."

"Question," Shee asked. "They did not hear those as children?"

"They are aliens the Glamor Warp recruited."

Oh.

"And?" Idyll asked for the benefit of anyone overhearing.

Gale affected slight embarrassment. "And we will, uh, lend our favors as necessary."

"You signed us up as whores?" Idyll demanded.

"No fault comfort companions," Gale said defensively. "Tickets are hard to come by."

"I understand the men do get lonely after months in space," Shee said, forcing a flush as if not at all comfortable with the situation. Idyll just shook her head, not completely mollified.

They boarded the shuttle in due course, along with other tourists, playing the roles of three anonymous women.

There was a fair tourist trade, as Earthers visited Charm and Charmers visited Earth. There was a war on, but appearances were maintained so that the populace was not unduly alarmed.

The shuttle docked at the ship, which was a huge Earth naval vessel, one of the type that cruised the vicinity. They boarded via the merged airlocks, in the line of tourists.

Idyll looked at her ticket. "I don't see our cabins listed," she said.

Gale looked abashed. "We have none. We must share with the men."

Idyll glared at her. "Indignation!"

Shee joined the act. "Had I known, I would not have been so ready to agree to this tour."

"Apology," Gale said, with a somewhat hangdog look. "When you spoke of abating space cafard, you really weren't fooling," Idyll said. "Only you didn't say that we are the entertainment."

"Mortification."

"Oh, let her be," Shee said. "She did what she had to do. It isn't as we haven't traveled no fault before." Idyll shrugged. "I suppose we might even have a little fun ourselves. Promise not to tell anyone back home."

"We promise," Gale and Shee said together.

No one would have known them for three Glamors. That was the point of such dialogue.

The ship's Mistress intercepted them. She was of course a lovely woman, reminiscent of Marionette by no coincidence. All the Mistresses had similar qualities and training. This one was the real governor of this ship, though Shee knew she never gave orders as such. "This way, please, ladies." If she knew their identities, she gave no sign. "I will see to your dog." Iolo obediently joined the Mistress.

Soon they were introduced to the two alien minstrels. One was a young man in costume name Ium, the other a young woman in a revealing dress, name la. There was a certain peripheral flashing of lights. "Greeting, ladies," the man's translation unit said. "Echo," the woman's unit said.

Something was odd. Shee suspected illusion, but there was none. Then she got it. "You're pictures!"

"Agreement," the male's translator said. "Here are our real forms."

The human figures faded, and there were two masses of writing tentacles. "Ammonoids," the female's translator said. "Like your Earth squid, but with shells."

It turned out that the Ammonoids had long pointed shells extending back into a chamber filled with brine, their natural habitat; only their open front portions were visible. They had amazing control of the colors of their skins; they could make pictures crossing the tentacles, that remained in place even when the tentacles moved, as though the images were being projected from some other source. When they projected their human images, their real bodies were masked, and tended to disappear.

They were eager to learn the songs. The three women knew them all, and sang them. The Ammonoids picked them right up and sang them back. It was via the translators, but soon that aspect seemed to fade too, and it was as if they were talking directly. They were certainly apt entertainers.

"Curiosity," Shee said at one point. "You, la, appear to be human, a pretty girl, when you try. Suppose some man in the audiences, maybe one who has been drinking an alcoholic beverage, tries to get fresh?"

"I would wrap my tentacles around his limbs and hold him firmly until he ceased," la said. "I have no flesh that a human man could copulate with."

That seemed to cover it. Shee was sure the Ammonoids would put on some great shows for the crew. It might be complicated setting up their brine chambers, but not as complicated as having berserkers result from space cafard.

In the evening shift the three tourists were assigned cabins to share according to a roster determined by the Mistress. Shee found herself naked with a husky young Earther who eagerly clasped her, penetrated her, and spurted into her before gasping "Thank you, ma'am." Evidently he knew nothing of the arts of love.

They don't, Idyll's thought came. Idyll could reach her regardless of her lack of telepathy, perhaps because she was not exactly a living creature herself. But they mean well and they're not bad people. See what you can do with him.

So she wasn't through with him. She talked gently with him, evoking his life history, including the girl left behind who had then married another man, giving him no reason to return to civilian life. But he missed having an understanding companion. She listened, kissed him, mounted him, and brought him off in a slow second climax. "Oh, ma'am!" he said appreciatively. "Oh ma'am, oh ma'am! I never had it like that before!"

"You did not have a girl who truly cared for you," she said. "You can surely find one, if you look."

"Where?"

"On this ship, perhaps, if you look beneath the surface." Shee spread her awareness, searching, and found women who were similarly lonely yet hesitant. They did exist.

He laughed somewhat bitterly. "They all got handsome men waiting back home."

"Let's see." She spoke into her communicator. "Mistress."

The Mistress appeared, accompanied by Iolo, who seemed to like her. Mistresses were virtually by definition likable. "Problem?"

"Is there a female among the crew of this ship who would like to share the embrace of this man?"

"Several."

"Naw," the man said, disbelieving.

"They are not beauties," the Mistress said. "But they are fit and long for sexual and even romantic appreciation."

"Bring one, please," Shee said. "Perhaps—" she concentrated to evoke the name. "Dulce."

The Mistress glanced at her, surprised. "Yes." She moved away. Iolo followed her.

"You're fobbing me off!" the man said.

"Negation. Try her, and if you are unsatisfied, I will return. The difference is, I am here only for a night. She can be with you the whole tour, if you both wish. She is a better bargain."

"Naw." But his objection was fainter.

The Mistress brought her. "This is Dulce." Then, to the woman: "You know what to do."

"I sure do." Dulce stripped and took Shee's place on the man's bunk. She was a buxom woman, slightly heavyset, with plenty of the kind of flesh men liked. "Come on, you hunk; I've been wanting to do this with you a long time, but you never even looked at me."

"I didn't know—" He didn't finish, because she was kissing him.

"You got a great body," the woman said. "Muscles. I like that."

"I—she took my edge off. Twice. I can't—"

"The hell you can't." She wrapped herself around him, pressing her generous breasts against him as she squeezed his bottom. Sure enough, soon he could.

Shee departed with the Mistress. "Obviously you have had experience," the Mistress remarked.

"He's a good guy. He deserves a woman."

"Indeed. Are you ready for another?"

"Affirmation." And soon she was wrapping herself around another man. There was indeed a certain pleasure here, not really sexual, but in being so thoroughly in control. She was making these lonely men very happy in a very short time. She liked that.

By morning she had done it with five men, and placed three of them with compatible female crew members.

Men, however bold in battle, could be shy or simply stupid about romantic approaches. She had never climaxed herself; for her it had been good practice of her Glamor talents.

The three got together for breakfast. The Mistress approached, with Iolo. "You are not the backwoods lasses you seem," she said. "You have expertise rivaling mine."

"We are anonymous," Gale said.

"Accepted."

"We are Glamors on a private mission. The dog is an ifrit."

"Ah, now it falls into place. Appreciation. You have done my men much good in this time of stress."

"Men need women," Gale said. "They think they need sex, but they need women."

"Affirmation," the Mistress agreed.

The trip lasted three more days. They did a number of additional men good. Between times, they conferred, helping Shee develop her talents. She was just beginning to get telepathy, with Idyll's help; it was a matter of orienting correctly on living minds the way she did physically with the living men. She was improving on clairvoyance. She could handle emulation. But near future paths seeing balked her.

"I don't think it's possible," she said. "I am wired for far future seeing."

"You aren't what you were wired to be," Idyll reminded her. "As a Glamor you leave machine limitations behind, just as living Glamors leave life limitations."

"Hope," Shee said.

In due course the ship orbited Earth, and they collected Iolo and took the shuttle down. A traveling capsule whisked them off to rendezvous with Monochrome. "I still doubt that my quality as a nexus warrants taking Monochrome's time, let alone yours," Shee said.

"Warranted," Idyll replied.

Monochrome met them privately. She too was masked, with none of her monochromatic or Glamor nature showing. Now her hair was pale brown, and her eyes similar. No one would take her for the ruler of the Planet Earth.

"I know a theme park," she said.

They went to the northern portion of the double continent of America, and to the central portion of an attached peninsula. There was a large amusement park, recreated in the approximate image of one existing a thousand years before, with walkways, rides, and spot entertainments. They were now four anonymous women on vacation.

They started simple, boarding a miniature touring train that clattered on its track in a circuit of the complex. All the other entertainments were revealed in the course of that circuit, by no coincidence. But their attention was nominal.

They were focusing on Shee, with Iolo alert to warn them if any other tourists became too interested in their dialogue.

"You're right," Monochrome said. "She is a nexus, and it is intensifying. But what is her focus?"

"We have perhaps three days to find out," Idyll said. "It is within my ambiance, but beyond my immediate perception. Extremely powerful."

"Let's see whether we can pool our resources," Gale said. "To obtain better definition. I will try to share the enhancement provided by the calculating plants."

They took Shee's two hands, each of them putting two hands on hers. They concentrated.

"It is coming," Idyll said. "Five days hence."

"What is coming?" Shee asked.

"It slipped away," Idyll said, disappointed.

"Let's enjoy the park," Gale said. "Then return for another siege, maybe at a different angle."

"At least we have confirmed our approach to the nexus," Monochrome said. "It is well worth our full attention."

Shee did not comment. She still doubted that she could be all that important, except in some negative way.

They completed the ride and went to the Horror House, where simulated spooks menaced them. It was childishly transparent, but fun on its level.

Then they took a boat on a simulated river. The first portion was idyllically calm. The second portion was the rapids. They clung to the handholds, laughing giddily as they got soaked by spray. It plastered their shirts to their fronts, attracting some covert male glances.

More fun, Gale thought, inhaling.

Then, drying off in a private chamber, they tried again. This time the other three stood on three sides of Shee, wrapping their arms around her body, putting their heads close to hers. This time she felt the aura of their Glamor-hood, intersecting hers.

"Earth!" Monochrome exclaimed. "It impacts Earth!"

Then Shee found the track. "It destroys Earth!" she said, horrified.

They refined it, and at last had it complete: Shee was a nexus because her powers added to theirs enabled them to anticipate the deadliest threat ever to come to the planet.

Earth was doomed.

They wrestled with the revelation while they enjoyed another model touring scenic train excursion, but it was too complicated with the distraction of the ride. "I would like to see more of natural Earth," Shee said.

"Entertainments are fun, but we have them on Charm too. We don't have Earth forests."

The others were quick to agree. When the train came to its next station, in a model countryside, they got off and followed Iolo along a path leading into a model pine forest. The ifrit avidly sniffed the trunks of the great trees, playing his role with enthusiasm.

They found an isolated park bench and sat down for some serious discussion. They linked hands and concentrated again on the intermediate-future vision, guided by Idyll's ability, enhanced by Gale's.

This time Shee oriented most accurately on it. "A ship sent by the machines," she said. "A drone. With I think explosives. Set to impact Earth and detonate. Blowing it apart. Killing all. This must not be."

"Certainly it must not be," Monochrome agreed emphatically.

Shee glanced at her. "Apology. I was thinking of my constituency."

"Not of the death of all folk aboard the planet Earth?"

"That too, of course. But I am the Glamor of Matter. It wants to be whole. Blowing a planet apart makes it un-whole. This can not be tolerated. I must find a way to protect it."

"Our purposes seem to align," Monochrome said somewhat wryly.

Gale was practical. "How do we stop it?"

"Caution," Idyll said. "First we should fathom why the machines sent it."

"Obvious," Gale snapped. "To take out the heart of the human culture, reducing our ability to stop their invasion."

"Not necessarily," Idyll said. "This is not the way they have gone after other cultures. They normally send scouts to explore the region of space, and plant agents on the occupied planets, gathering information. Then they invade and take over the planets, exploiting their resources mercilessly. The machines do not believe in waste. To blow Earth apart unexploited would be a phenomenal waste. Why should they do it? It can't be because they fear Earth's military forces. They can take Earth whenever they choose. They merely are waiting until it is most convenient for them."

Monochrome nodded. "How would Voila react to the arbitrary destruction of Earth?"

Gale smiled without humor. "It would end any chance of her enlistment with the machines. She has friends here, like you and Caveat."

"And the machines surely know that," Monochrome said. "Since they want her more than they fear Earth, why should they destroy Earth before she decides? It doesn't seem to make sense."

"What the machines do always makes sense," Shee said. "On their terms."

"Now I see the point," Gale said. "We need to understand why the machines would do something so counterproductive to their interest. Merely stopping the missile will not suffice; they could send another, or a fleet of them, overwhelming us."

"This was my thought," Idyll agreed. "We need to stop it, but first we need to understand it. It is dangerous to underestimate the machines."

They looked at Shee.

"And I am a machine," she said. "But I do not understand this. Perhaps I have become too humanized."

"You have far future paths seeing," Idyll said. "What does it show of Earth?"

Shee looked. "Amazement! Earth exists!"

"Problem," Idyll said. "Earth is destroyed. How can be be destroyed in the intermediate future, yet exist in the far future?"

Shee spread her hands. "I do not know. But it definitely exists, and not as a mock-up or recreation. It is never destroyed."

"Bluff?" Gale asked. "Threatened destruction that will be canceled at the last moment?"

"Negation," Idyll said. "I see a thousand paths, and virtually all of them show Earth destroyed within five days.

We can't ignore this threat; it is real." They paused, mulling it over.

"Maybe we are too close to the problem," Idyll said. "Iolo."

Iolo turned from the brush he had been exploring and ran to join them.

"My intermediate future seeing shows Earth destroyed in five days," Idyll said. "Yet Shee's far future seeing shows it existing undestroyed. How can this be?"

"Same way that Voila beat Mino," Iolo said. "The far future shows the predominant courses, but the prior future can change them to the least likely ones. Earth may be doomed on ninety nine tracks; you move it to the one track where it survives. The far future paths reflect that decision. The near future paths don't."

They exchanged glances. "Thank you, Iolo," Idyll said. "You have clarified the obvious for those of us who were too complicated to see it."

"Welcome," Iolo said, and returned to the brush.

"One question remains," Idyll said. "Given that the machines know that Earth will not be destroyed, why have they sent the missile? Why waste their effort?"

"Why did they send Shee, and Ikon?" Gale asked. "It is part of their campaign. They are pushing us, making us react. Nominally those robots are here to persuade Havoc and Weft to talk Voila into enlisting with them, but also they are showing us their power. We have no machines to match these two. The Earth space ships are but clumsy contraptions in comparison. Even Mino, who was made and sent by the machines, is comparatively primitive. The humanoid robots are positive, but are showing us what a negative machine could do. That missile is another warning."

The others nodded. "We have fended off or nullified the machines' ploys so far," Idyll said. "But I suspect they haven't really been trying. Now they are pushing more strongly, in a measured manner. It is surely part of their standard operating procedure."

"Turning up the heat," Monochrome said. "And we are forced to respond. In the process not only do the machines warn us, they learn more of what we are capable of. We have to think seriously about accepting their offer."

"In a pig's rectum," Gale snapped. "Voila will never accept."

"That depends on the paths," Idyll reminded her. "Voila is frighteningly rational." That, from the ifrit, was itself a frighteningly rational statement. Shee suspected that she, as a crafted robot, was more human in outlook than Voila.

"Now all we have to do is find the way to stop that missile," Gale said, changing the subject.

"This is surely why we have Shee along," Monochrome said. "She understands machines. The drone is a machine."

"I'll try," Shee said. "I will need to touch it. That means intercepting it before it reaches Earth."

"Which is why we have Iolo along," Idyll said. "You and I can carry him to the drone with our ikons, leaving the others to enjoy the amusements of the park."

"We had better develop a schedule," Monochrome said. "Timing is essential when rendezvousing with objects in deep space."

They put their hands together again and explored the paths. "Tonight," Idyll concluded.

"Which means we have several more hours to fritter away here," Gale said. "But I am getting bored with rides and sights."

"Something interesting this way comes," Monochrome said. "In the next ten minutes or so. A passel of men. Foresters."

"Lumbermen," Gale said. "Strong sweaty types."

"Trimming back encroaching branches along the paths," Shee said. "Clearing fallen trees."

They exchanged another glance. "Why not?" Idyll asked. "Those men on the ship were fun in their unrehearsed naked passion. It's a pleasant change of pace."

"My genuine passion is limited to Havoc," Shee said. "We participated on the ship to earn our passage, and because the men truly needed comfort. Why should we waste ourselves on these?"

"We all love and desire Havoc," Monochrome said. "But he is away plumbing Weft, or reasonable facsimile thereof. We might as well keep our reflexes sharp."

"Weft," Gale echoed darkly. "She is my daughter, and I love her, but I wish to expletive she'd get over Havoc."

"She will, as she comes to love Ikon," Monochrome said.

"Will she really love a machine?" Idyll asked. "My vision of those paths is smeared."

"If Havoc can love Shee, Weft can love Ikon," Monochrome said firmly. "Havoc says he does," Shee said. "And each of you."

"Five minutes to the lumbermen," Gale said. "Are we agreed? There are four of them. Just right."

"Negation," Shee said. "I see no point."

Now the other three considered. "You are too strait-laced," Monochrome said. "You need to unkink."

"Proposal," Gale said mischievously. "A contest. Which of us can bring our man to climax the most times in one hour. No enhancing allowed. Just bodily wiles."

"What is the prize?" Monochrome asked. "Just to make it interesting."

"What else?" Gale asked. "The first to have Havoc when he returns."

"Interest," Idyll said. "For how long."

"One day."

"Done," Monochrome and Idyll said together.

"And the second place woman gets him for the second day," Gale said. "And so on."

"Agreed," Monochrome said.

Then the three looked at Shee.

"You bitches," Shee said. "Of course I have to compete for that."

"We'll start nude," Idyll said. "With our own bodies, only our faces masked. I will present us. We will let them choose partners."

They stripped, stacking their clothing under the park table. Then they lined up, wickedly exposed: four of the most beautiful women in the human/ifrit culture.

Just in time, for the men were coming into sight down the path. Four rough-hewed workers girt with the tools of their trade: small saws, axes, clippers, gloves.

They halted, amazed, as they spied the women. "Am I hallucinating?" one man asked, rubbing his eyes.

"Or did a tree fall on us and we died and went to heaven," another said.

Idyll took a deep breath. So did the others, not to be outdone. "We are four lonely nymphs of the forest," Idyll said. "We appreciate your loyal work to keep it nice, and will reward you for an hour. Then we will disappear, for we are not truly of your realm. Are you amenable?"

The men paused, uncertain whether this was a vision or a joke. Then their leader shrugged. "Sure. What can we lose, even if they're fooling."

"Each of you will strip and choose one of us," Idyll said. "Then you may do with us as you please."

The men looked at each other for reassurance. Then they stripped, setting their tools on top of their clothing. All of them had full erections. The women would have been disappointed if they hadn't.

"You," the leader said to Idyll, licking his lips.

"Take me, handsome." Actually the man was homely, but the point was to charge him up.

He did, and in moments they were on the ground going at it, he thrusting vigorously, she spread wide. Men of this class simply were not known for subtlety. The others took the other women and did likewise.

Shee wound up with the smallest of the men, but he made up for it in passion. His first voluminous orgasm was in seconds, and his second more modest one in minutes, ahead of the others. She teased him into a third performance, but that took fifteen minutes and was less robust, barely two spurts, and she had to invoke her breasts to amend the stimulus. Finally, as the hour neared its end, a fourth, orally induced, a trickle, leaving him blissfully exhausted.

"You're some woman!" he gasped. "I never did four before."

"Nymphs are special," she said, kissing him. She had the lead!

It was a good total. But Monochrome, the most thoroughly experienced, soon tied the score, then evoked a desperate fifth effort from her man in the last minutes, and won. Shee was second.

As the hour finished, they disengaged, thanked the men for their valiant efforts, and disappeared, literally.

Invisible and inaudible, they fetched their clothing and departed, leaving the men bemused and surfeit. They really did seem like evanescent forest nymphs. The men would have a story no one else would believe, especially their wives, fortunately.

"That was fun," Monochrome said as they dressed, alone. "Takes me back to my apprentice days, decades ago."

"You won," Shee said. "But I have to confess that the challenge did make it worthwhile. I had to struggle to get him stiff again, the last two times. I was really cheering for his penis."

"You may have Havoc the first day," Monochrome said. "I think you need him more than I do, at this time."

"Appreciation!" For Shee really was desperate to be with Havoc again. He enjoyed being with any attractive woman, but she had little sexual use for any other man.

"Reminds me of the ancient saying," Gale said tolerantly "A man's wife is his better half. His mistress is his better hole."

They laughed, acknowledging their roles as wife and mistresses, then went for more rides until evening. This companionship was pleasant, and Shee appreciated being included. Sexual jealously hardly existed among Glamors, and of course they all understood about loving Havoc.

When the time came they got together and focused on the drone. It was closer now, and they were more experienced in the joint effort. They got a fix on it, and Shee joined hands with Idyll, who carried Iolo, and they conjured to the missile.

It was brightly lighted by the sunlight. Shee was surprised, then realized that though they had departed Earth at night, that was purely a phenomenon of the rotation of the planet. Out in space the sun's illumination was unfettered.

They hovered next to the drone, not needing air or gravity, because they were Glamors and also independent of such things. Iolo was not comfortable, but did not complain; their ikons lent him strength.

The drone was a huge sphere, the size of a space ship, a featureless expanse of metal. It was hurtling at a velocity that would rip a hole in Earth just from the impact, and generate a horrendous explosion of rock. But that could hardly be the whole of it.

Shee nudged to it, and put her hand on the surface. And was horrified.

Question? Idyll asked in her mind.

Two things. This was a guided missile, but once it left the wormhole and oriented on its target, the controls fused, making it dead. It can't be diverted or halted; it is an inert missile. There is nothing for me to change. So it will strike Earth?

Yes, unless knocked aside by an external force. A ship could fire a missile at it. A small deviance would cause it to miss Earth.

Idyll shook her head. There is no ship in range to do that before it strikes Earth. We have to stop it ourselves.

We can't. It is too massive for us to affect.

Can we detonate it before it strikes?

Negation. There are no explosives in it.

What is the other thing?

Shee disliked saying what she had to say. The core is not ordinary matter. It is contra-terrene. CT. Supported by a strong magnetic net so there is no contact with the shell.

Idyll hesitated. I have no experience with this. What does it mean?

When the drone strikes the planet, the terrene shell will vaporize and expose the core.

When ordinary matter touches contra-terrene matter, the result is mutual annihilation. Total conversion to energy.

That would blow Earth apart!

Affirmation.

We must report.

They conjured themselves back to Earth.

"The news is bad," Monochrome said.

Shee quickly caught them up on the situation.

"No explosives—but the whole thing is the worst kind of explosive," Gale said.

"There is no more powerful detonation," Monochrome agreed.

"So what do we do about it?" Idyll asked.

"Could Earth fire a missile to intercept it?" Shee asked.

"We lack that type of technology here," Monochrome said. "We try to keep Earth peaceful."

"There has to be something!" Gale exclaimed.

"We knew there's something," Idyll said. "Because the far future path shows we do manage to stop it."

Shee concentrated. "There may be something. I think—there is a Glamor talent—that I alone can evoke."

"That will divert a dead missile?" Gale asked.

"No. Not exactly."

"Let us help you work it out," Idyll said.

The others took her hands again, and they all joined their minds together. Slowly the concept clarified.

"Oh, my," Monochrome breathed. "That is different," Gale said. "But if she can do it—" Idyll began.

"I think—with your support—I can," Shee said. "It is a function of matter, my clientele, but too new for me to be sure of yet."

"Just being a Glamor is still new for you," Monochrome said. "It will take years for you to discover your full potentials."

"We don't have years, or even months."

"Which is why we are here to assist."

"And this will require considerable assistance," Idyll said. "You are discovering how to make a wormhole."

"Not to find it, but to create it," Monochrome said. "That is different in ambition as well as detail."

"A wormhole in front of the drone," Gale said.

"So that it plunges in and is transported elsewhere," Idyll said. "Do we have any idea where?"

"No," Shee said. "What I see is that space is riddled with small fractures, cracks, and stress points. Maybe some are collapsed wormholes of bygone eras. If I can wedge into one, expanding it into full existence, of sufficient size—it won't even have to be permanent. Just there long enough."

"Like a tight woman," Monochrome said. "We need to open her up. Make her a better hole for that thrusting drone."

"I could have survived nicely enough without that analogy," Gale said, smiling.

"Fortunately none of us are tight," Idyll said. "At least, not tighter than we want to be."

"We none of us are loose enough for the drone," Monochrome said.

"Idyll could be, if she diffused," Gale said. "Diffusion is dangerous in space," Idyll said.

"We need air or water to support our particles. Otherwise we lose coherence."

"Space is tight," Shee said. "It is fraught with energy, and will require much force to disturb its network. I don't think I have enough."

"But the four of us together may have enough," Monochrome said. "Let's see whether we can do it," Monochrome said. "A test run here, then we can go to space for the real event." They linked hands again and focused. Slowly it came, a kind of picture forming in Shee's mind, clarifying as the others attuned to it. A wormhole, starting as a theoretical pinpoint, becoming real. There was a pop, breaking their concentration. "We did it!" Monochrome said. "That was the sound of air going through a tiny wormhole. We should have known better than to try it in atmosphere."

"Fortunately it collapsed when we lost focus," Gale said. "Just as well; we could have been sucked into it as the air moved to try to fill the vacuum."

"But we have established the capacity," Idyll said. "We can make a bigger one in space."

"In the drone's path," Monochrome said. "And hope it hits."

"Negation," Gale said.

"We can board the drone, and form the wormhole just before it, then let the drone plunge in. That will provide us a stable platform."

"If we don't get sucked in too," Idyll said, shuddering.

"It should collapse when we release our focus," Shee said. "As the pinhole did just now."

"Still, we won't want to be sitting on the drone as it goes through," Monochrome said.

"I think we'll need to float in space," Shee said, slowly fathoming it. "Each maintaining a quadrant. But there is a danger."

"There is a danger," Idyll echoed. "Are we up for it?"

"I am," Monochrome said. "Earth is my planet."

"I am," Gale said. "Earth is our mother planet."

"I am," Idyll said. "We have to balk the machines, and this is one place to do it."

They looked at Shee. "I am," she said. "I am a machine, but my alignment is with the living folk. I am expendable."

"We all are," Monochrome said. "So long as we get the job done."

They rehearsed the formation of wormholes, then got serious. They held their breaths, picked up Iolo with their ikons, and conjured to the drone.

I feel that CT core, Monochrome thought. Awesome.

Organize us, Shee thought to Idyll. I must focus on the wormhole.

Idyll organized them. Soon they stood around the sphere, their heads pointing out from its center. Then each pushed off gently, drifting into space. Iolo was with Idyll, protected by her ambiance. They were all plainly visible to each other in the light of near-solar space.

They linked minds and concentrated, as they had rehearsed. Shee located a potential wormhole and focused on it, feeling like a brute man wedging into a tight woman, thanks to Monochrome's analogy. The hole formed slowly, for this needed to be much more than a pinhole. She felt her Glamor strength dissipating, absorbed by the effort, and knew the others were being similarly drained. But they could not rest; this had to be done now. Each quadrant had to be expanded.

At last, after a few eternally long seconds, the wormhole was there. It was time to feed the drone into it.

Toward the drone, she thought. Now!

They pulled it toward the drone. The hole was relatively small, hardly a handsbreadth across, but her awareness of matter indicated it should be enough. But was it?

The hole touched the surface of the sphere—and suddenly the sphere was plunging into it, like a fat rabbit swallowed by a snake. Their concentration broke as they were flung out by the flexing impact. Then the recoil sucked them in after the drone, to be swallowed in its turbulent wake.

Shee was helpless to resist it. Her last reserve of Glamor power was gone, expended in the enormous effort. She saw the other three being drawn in, to the whirling maw, also helpless. They had saved Earth, but were after all doomed. Because this was not a "tame" wormhole, well charted; it was a "wild" one leading to somewhere unknown, possibly the heart of a star.

Then some vastly stronger force took hold of her. It cushioned her and drew her away from the vortex. What was happening?

Reassurance, the thought came. I am Voila.

Question!

Did you think we would let you perish, doing necessary work? We were watching.

But the others—

I am the strongest Glamor, pairing with the weakest. Warp is with Gale, Weft is with Monochrome, and Flame is with Idyll. You did excellent work, and that talent you have developed will be extremely useful. Now finish your holiday; you need to recover.

Then Shee found herself in the tourist suite with Gale, Monochrome, and Idyll, with Iolo sitting between them.

All were looking up with wonder and surmise. They had saved Earth, and been saved themselves.

They remained severely depleted. Shee knew it would take days to recover her Glamor resources, and it was surely the same for the others. They did need to finish their nominal holiday.

"Let's go stuff ourselves sinfully on cake," Gale suggested. "We saved it from destruction, after all." Eating was a mortal pastime, not requiring Glamor powers.

"And find four more innocently horny men," Monochrome said. "We saved them too." Sex was also mortal, though it could be Glamor enhanced.

"I wonder where that wormhole went?" Idyll said, not opposing the suggestions.

Shee found she had energy to attune to her constituency. Matter would always be her strength. Her mind ranged out, searching for the matter that was a ball of antimatter. And found it.

"Astonishment!" she exclaimed. "Andromeda! The drone is in Andromeda!"

Idyll clapped her hands. "Well, that should give the machines pause for thought, when they receive its signal, a million years hence."

They all laughed. It was good to have something to laugh about.