“Worker, please!” Suzanne cried.
“Much better,” Sufa said. “But it doesn’t have to be so loud. It’s not the volume that counts. It’s the intended meaning. Humanoids have to know without equivocation that you want them to appear. Their default mode is not to come, so as to be less bothersome.”
“Did you mean to use the term humanoid?” Suzanne asked.
“Of course,” Sufa said. “Worker clones look very humanlike although they are a fusion of android elements, engineered biomechanical parts, and hominid sections. They are half-machine, half-living organisms who conveniently take care of themselves and even reproduce.”
Suzanne stared at Sufa with an expression that was a combination of dismay and disbelief. Sufa interpreted it as fear.
“Now, don’t worry,” Sufa said. “They are very easy to deal with and are inordinately helpful. In fact, they are truly wonderful creatures as you will undoubtedly discover. Their only minor drawback is that, like their particular hominid forebears, they are unable to speak—but they will understand you perfectly.”
Suzanne continued to stare. Before she could ask another question, one of the doors opposite the cabinets opened and in walked a statuesque woman. Suzanne realized she’d been expecting a grotesque automaton, but the woman before her was hauntingly beautiful with classical features and blond hair, alabaster skin, and dark, penetrating eyes. She was wearing black satin coveralls with long sleeves.
“Here is a fine example of a female worker clone,” Sufa said. “You’ll notice she is wearing a hoop earring. They all wear them for some reason I’ve never understood, although I believe it has something to do with pride or lineage. You’ll also notice that she is rather comely, as are the male versions. But most importantly, you’ll find her amenable to your wishes. Whatever you want, just tell her and she will try to do it, short of injuring herself.”
Suzanne stared into the woman’s eyes; they were like dark pools. Her facial features were as sculptured and attractive as Sufa’s yet they bore no expression.
“Does she have a name?” Suzanne questioned.
“Heavens no,” Sufa said with a chuckle. “That certainly would complicate things. We wouldn’t want to personalize our relationship with workers. That’s part of the reason they have never been engineered to speak.”
“But she will do what I ask?”
“Absolutely,” Sufa said. “Anything at all. She can pick up your clothes, wash them, draw your bath, restock your refrigerator, give you a massage, even change the temperature of the water in your pool. Whatever you want or need.”
“At the moment I think it would be best if she left,” Suzanne said. She shuddered imperceptibly. The idea of someone being half alive and half machine was disquieting.
“Go, please!” Sufa said. The woman turned and left as quietly as she’d appeared. Sufa looked back at Suzanne. “Of course, next time you call for a worker clone it will most likely be a different one. Whoever is available comes.”
Suzanne nodded as if she understood, but she didn’t. “Where do they come from?”
“Underground,” Sufa said.
“Like in caves?” Suzanne asked.
“I suppose,” Sufa said vaguely. “I’ve never been down there nor do I know anyone else who has. But, enough about worker clones! We have to get you over to the dining hall for your meal. Would you like to swim or bathe? It’s entirely up to you, but there isn’t an overabundance of time.”
Suzanne swallowed. Her throat was dry. Given everything she’d been presented with, she found it difficult to make even a simple decision. She looked over at the pool. Its color, now more aquamarine than azure, was as inviting as its gently flickering surface.
“Maybe a swim would be a good idea,” Suzanne said.
“Excellent,” Sufa answered. “There are fresh clothes in the cabinet. And shoes, too, I might add.”
Suzanne nodded.
“I’ll wait for you outside,” Sufa said. “I have a feeling it would be good for you to be alone for a few minutes to catch your breath.”
“I think you are right,” Suzanne said.
CHAPTER TEN
The dining room was situated in a building similar in size and shape to the cottages but without a bed. It was also open to the exterior but faced the dramatic central pavilion rather than the expansive lawns and fern thickets. Its long central table was like the one in the decon area’s living quarters. The deeply cushioned chaises looked the same, too.
The group had arrived from their separate lodgings at about the same time, in distinctly different moods about their circumstances. Richard and Michael pointedly refused to acknowledge any misgivings. They were completely exhilarated, like two children let loose in the theme park of their dreams and intent on taking advantage of every available perquisite. Perry was also excited about the possibilities inherent in this new world, but he remained outwardly cooler than the giddy divers. Suzanne was still more confused than excited. She continued to toy with the notion that they were experiencing a kind of collective hallucination according to their own predilections. In contrast to everyone else, Donald was sullen, convinced as he was that the whole construct was an elaborate, purposeful delusion toward some nefarious end.
The conversation centered on the saucer ride and the marvels of their accommodations. Richard and Michael were the most animated, particularly after they learned that Suzanne’s worker clone had been female. Richard hinted at the desires that might be sated by such a pliant creature.
Suzanne was appalled, and let him know in no uncertain terms. “Try to act like you’re from a civilized race!”
The food was similar to the fare they had had in the decon quarters, with the same curious variation in perceived taste although it was presented in elaborate, self-serve courses. It was brought out by two extremely handsome men in black satin, long-sleeved overalls that zipped up the front. Each was wearing a hoop earring.
Suddenly Donald threw his gold fork with some force onto his gold platter. The clatter was surprisingly loud in the marbled room as it reverberated off the stone walls. Richard was caught in midsentence, describing the plunge he took in his pool, with his mouth stuffed with what he insisted was a dollop of hot fudge sundae. Suzanne jumped from fright and dropped her own fork with somewhat less of a clatter, emphasizing to herself how tense she was. Michael choked on what he was experiencing as sweet potato pie.
“How can you people eat under these circumstances!” Donald shouted.
“What circumstances?” Richard asked, his mouth still brimming with food. His eyes darted rapidly around the room, fearful that the place had been invaded.
Donald leaned toward Richard. “What circumstances?” he repeated with accentuated derision while shaking his head in scornful wonderment. “The thing I’ve never been able to understand about saturation divers is whether they have to be stupid in order to be willing to do it, or whether it’s the pressure and inert gas that destroys the handful of brain cells they may have had when they started.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Michael asked, taking immediate offense.
“I’ll tell you what I’m talking about,” Donald snapped. “Look around you! Where the hell are we? What are we doing here? Who are these people dressed up like they’re going to a college toga party?”
For a few minutes there was silence. Everyone avoided Donald’s glare. They had been scrupulously avoiding such questions.
“I know where we are,” Richard said finally. “We’re in Interterra.”
“Oh, jeez,” Donald exclaimed, throwing up his hands in frustration. “We’re in Interterra,” he repeated. “That explains everything. Well, let me tell you, it tells us nothing. It doesn’t tell us where we are or what we’re doing here or who these people are. And they now have us conveniently isolated in separate living quarters.”
“They said they would tell us all we want to know,” Suzanne said. “They asked us to be patient.”
“Patient!” Donald mocked. “I’ll tell you what we’re doing here . . . . We’re prisoners!”
“So what!” Richard said.
Silence reigned again. Michael put down his fork, chastened by Donald’s outburst. Richard resumed enjoying his dessert, brazenly staring Donald down. Suzanne and Perry just watched, as did the mute worker clones.
Richard took another large bite of his dessert. With his mouth still full, he said, “If we’re prisoners, I want to see how these people treat their friends. I mean, just look at this place. It’s fantastic. If you don’t want to eat, Fuller, don’t! Me, I like this stuff, so screw you!”
Donald leaped to his feet with the intention of lunging across the table at Richard. Perry intervened before punches could be thrown.
“All right, you two,” Perry yelled. “Stop baiting each other! Let’s not fight amongst ourselves. Besides, you’re both right. We don’t know squat about the what, where, and why we’re here, yet we’re being treated well. Maybe even too well.”
Perry let go of Donald’s arm when he felt the man relax and glanced over at the immobile worker clones, wondering if this mild outburst bothered them. But it didn’t. Their faces were as immobile and blank as they had been throughout the meal.
Donald followed Perry’s line of sight while straightening his tunic. “You see what I mean,” he growled. “They even have jailors keeping tabs on us while we eat.”
“I don’t think that’s the case,” Suzanne said. Then in a louder voice, she added, “Workers, go, please!”
Without any acknowledgment of Suzanne’s command the two worker clones disappeared through one of the three doors leading from the dining lodge.
“So much for the watchful eyes of the attendants,” Suzanne said.
“Ah, that doesn’t mean a thing,” Donald said. His eyes roamed the chamber. “There’s probably hidden mikes and camcorders all over this room.”
“Hey,” Michael said. “Looking at this dish and fork, I’ve been wondering. Is this stuff real gold or what?”
Suzanne picked up her own fork to gauge its weight. “I was thinking about that earlier,” she said. “Surprisingly enough, I believe it is.”
“No shit!” Michael said. He picked up the plate and hefted the two items. “We got a small fortune here.”
“We’re being treated okay for the moment,” Donald said, returning to the main topic.
“You think it is going to change?” Perry asked.
“It could change in a second,” Donald said with a snap of his fingers. “As soon as they’ve gotten whatever it is they want, who knows what will happen. We’re completely vulnerable.”
“It could change, but I don’t think it will,” Suzanne said.
“How can you be so sure?” Donald demanded.
“I can’t be sure,” Suzanne admitted. “But it stands to reason. Look around. These people, whoever they are, are so advanced. They don’t need anything from us. In fact I think we stand to learn extraordinary things from them.”
“I know we’ve been avoiding this issue,” Perry said. “But when you say they are so advanced, are you suggesting that these people are aliens?”
Perry’s question brought on another period of silence. No one knew quite what to think much less say.
“You mean like people from another planet?” Michael said finally.
“I don’t know what I’m suggesting,” Suzanne said. “But we all experienced the astounding ride in the saucer. It must represent some kind of maglev technology that none of us has ever heard of. And we’re supposed to be under the ocean, which I still have trouble accepting. But I have to tell all of you. The Mohorovicic discontinuity definitely exists, and no one ever has been able to explain it.”
Richard waved a dismissive hand. “These people are no aliens. Christ, did you see those girls! Hell, I’ve seen a lot of movies about aliens, and they sure didn’t look like these people.”
“They could be altering their appearance to our liking,” Suzanne said.
“Yeah,” Michael said. “That’s what I thought at first. We’re dreaming they look so good.”
“That’s why I don’t give a goddamn,” Richard said. “It’s what’s in my mind that counts. If I think they’re gorgeous, they’re gorgeous.”
“The real issue is their motives,” Donald said. “It was no accident that brought us here. It’s even more apparent that we were literally sucked down that shaft. They want something from us or we’d already be dead.”
“I think you are right that we were specifically brought here,” Suzanne said. “Sufa admitted several things to me. First, she confirmed that what we’d gone through was a decontamination.”
“But why were we decontaminated?” Perry asked.
“She didn’t say,” Suzanne said. “But she admitted that they have had visitors like us in the past.”
“Now that is interesting,” Donald said. “Did she say what happened to them?”
“No, she didn’t,” Suzanne said.
“Well, you guys can worry yourselves sick,” Richard commented. Then he put his head back and yelled. “Worker clones, come!”
Instantly two humanoids appeared, one male and one female. Richard took one look at the female and glanced at Michael conspiratorially. “Pay dirt!” he whispered with unbridled excitement.
“Richard,” Suzanne called. “I want you to promise that you will not do anything that will embarrass us or put us in jeopardy as a group.”
“What are you, my mother?” he asked. Then he glanced up at the female worker clone and said: “How about some more of that dessert, honey?”
“Me, too,” Michael said. He clanked his golden fork on his golden dish.
Donald started to rise but Perry restrained him again. “No fighting,” Perry said. “It’s no use.”
Richard smiled provocatively at Donald, relishing the man’s frustration and anger.
A soft chime interrupted the muted background music and echoed about the room. A moment later Arak energetically swept into view. He was attired in the standard fashion with a small addition. Around his neck was a plain blue velvet ribbon that perfectly matched the particular blue hue of his eyes. It was tied in a simple bow.
“Hello, my friends,” he called exuberantly. “I trust that your meal was to your liking.”
“It was great,” Richard answered. “But what is it made out of? I mean, it doesn’t look anything like what it tastes like.”
“It’s mostly planktonic proteins and vegetable carbohydrates,” Arak said. He rubbed his hands enthusiastically. “Now then! What about the celebration I mentioned to you earlier? You have no idea how many people here in Saranta are extremely pleased about your arrival to our city. We’ve had to turn people away. You see, we’re not a city that gets many visitors from your world: certainly not like Atlantis to the east or Barsama to the west. Everyone is anxious to meet you. So that brings us to the pivotal question: are you willing to come over to the pavilion or are you too tired from the decon?”
“Where’s the pavilion?” Michael asked.
“Right there,” Arak said, pointing out the open end of the dining hall. “The celebration is to be held in the pavilion here on the visitors’ palace grounds. It’s very convenient. In fact it’s only a little more than a hundred yards, so we can walk. What do you all say?”
“Count me in,” Richard said. “I never pass up a party.”
“Likewise,” Michael said.
“Splendid!” Arak said. “What about the rest of you?”
There was an awkward silence. Perry eventually cleared his throat. “Arak, to be truthful, we’re a little nervous.”
“I’d use a stronger word,” Donald said. “Frankly, before we do anything, we’d like to have some idea who you people are and why we are here. We know our presence is not an accident. To put it bluntly, we know we were abducted.”
“I empathize with your concerns and your curiosity,” Arak said. He spread his hands palms up in a c
onciliatory gesture. “But, please, for tonight allow my experience to prevail. I’ve dealt with visitors to our world before, not terribly many, it is true, and not in as large a group, but still enough to know what is best. Tomorrow I will answer all your questions.”
“Why wait?” Donald demanded. “Why not tell us now?”
“You don’t realize how stressful the decon procedure was,” Arak said.
“Can you at least tell us how long the procedure lasted?” Suzanne asked.
“A little more than one of your months,” Arak said.
“We were asleep for over a month?” Michael questioned in disbelief.
“Essentially, yes,” Arak said. “And it’s stressful on the brain as well as the body. Tomorrow you will have to deal with more startling information. We’ve learned that it is easier to absorb when our visitors are rested. Even one night makes a big difference. So please, tonight relax, either here together or alone in your lodges or, best of all, with us at our celebration of your arrival.”
Perry searched Arak’s face. The man’s blue eyes held his gaze and exuded a sincerity he could not deny. “Okay,” he said. “At this point I don’t think I can sleep anyway. So, I’ll come, but tomorrow I’m going to hold you to your word.”
“Fair enough,” Arak said. He looked at Suzanne. “And Dr. Newell, what is your pleasure?”
“I’ll come,” Suzanne said.
“Marvelous,” Arak said. “And you, Mr. Fuller? What is your decision?”
“No,” Donald said. “Under the circumstances I would find celebrating rather difficult.”
“Very well,” Arak said, rubbing his hands again in obvious delight. “This is wonderful indeed. I’m glad most of you are willing to come. There would have been a lot of disappointed people if I had returned alone. Mr. Fuller, I understand your feelings and respect them. Please enjoy your rest. The worker clones will do your bidding.”
Donald nodded morosely.
“Now, let’s get on our way,” Arak said to the others. He motioned toward the open end of the dining hall.
“Will there be eats at this party?” Richard asked.