Garin and the Empire - 3. Chapter 3 What Lies Within Us

Chapter 3

What Lies Within Us

Garin watched Mallory watching him. The hair prickled on the back of his neck. He figured Mallory was probing.

“Don’t’ you want to understand your ability?” Mallory asked.

“It’s not really high on the mission objectives at the moment.” Garin said and smirked.

“Psionics is a valuable trait to have. I’m surprised your Alliance hasn’t recruited you, then again you’re so rare they probably have no one to sense your ability” Mallory said.

“Why don’t’ you tell me what it is you’re after, monk?” Garin asked.

“I want to find out what makes you attracted to other men. If we can identify the mutation then perhaps we can breed it out or eliminate it some other way from the Empire.” Mallory said.

Garin laughed, “I’ve heard a lot of idiotic Waldian theories in my time in the Corps, but this is the most idiotic. Attraction is not genetic, it isn’t environmental, it’s not solely chemical. It is all of those and none of them.” He sighed, “I’ve heard rumors of your eradication program. Some have called it your version of a final solution. Men like me hold a mirror up to reflect inclinations which some hide behind their sanctimonious exteriors. Others simply need a scapegoat. It has been that way for centuries.” He looked at Mallory and thought of all the good men in his squad that had died and but for this fantasy experiment he would’ve joined them, “Do what you will, monk, I’ll never willingly help you.” He said quietly.

Mallory sighed, “Very well Talurian, I tried to warn you. Cooperation can be gained with only marginal loss of accuracy.” Gain watched as Mallory went to a cabinet, withdrew an injector and pressed it against Garin’s arm. He heard the compressed gas escape and knew that a drug was being injected. The machine returned around him and the bright light was switched on. Gain felt the drug take hold and was quickly asleep.

Mallory checked Garin’s life signs and monitored his breathing. He adjusted the machine so that it began supporting his respirations. Mallory was opposed to drug induced cooperation. It felt too much like rape. The big red head in spite of his gruff exterior had an agreeable emotional interior. He’d felt it in his attitude to the one called Romero. Mallory knew that when Garin had been picked up he was the only survivor. He also guessed this Romero was Gain’s lover and that there was grief.

Mallory remembered the sessions with his Novice Master. The man had taken Mallory apart and examined every secret he had; including the one that would normally have condemned him to the vacuum of space. The Master had told him that the act would send him to the vacuum but that the inclination was common enough. His vow of celibacy would seal it away for good. At the end of the novitiate Mallory had succeeded beyond the Master’s expectation but had fallen in love with the older man. When he confessed it, the Master’s expression had assumed a blank stare and he told him to never speak of such things again. So Mallory, in a way, understood lost love he supposed.

He touched the amplifier hub and concentrated on the sleeping form in front of him.

Garin’s memories were swiftly skimmed. The experience wasn’t like reading a book; memories weren’t saved chronologically but through associations. Mallory was interested only in those that had something to do with his sexuality. He found Garin’s first experience with a school friend, he’d been 14. The age Mallory entered the Institute. Mallory had to run through many associations until he felt comfortable with Garin's memory; a memory of a red ball when he was 12 lead to the experience with the classmate. He examined his memories and realized that even though Garin had been the product of a family of deep miners who struggled to wring a life from a barren planet, he’d had a loving family. He found the memory of Garin telling his parents about the school friend and his parents open acceptance. The father telling Garin that he’d also experimented with school friends but had learned he really liked girls. Mallory could find nothing extraordinary about Garin he seemed to have had an average childhood. His memories of his parents were by and large positive. Mallory moved through Garin’s memories and found Romero, he also found the grief.

Garin was lying in the dark in his Corps issued apartment. The weight of Romero’s arm across his chest was comforting. The big guy was passionate. Their love making was always athletic and intense. Garin’s ass was still sore.

Mallory felt arousal at the memories, he should stop, he wanted to stop, but the feelings he felt by proxy were too attractive.

Romero stirred and kissed Garin softly. Garin looked up into the darkness and said, “Can I tell you something, big guy?”

Romero’s sleepy voice whispered, “You know you can tell me anything.” Garin felt the fingers slowly stroke his arm.

“I love you.” Garin said and sighed. “I didn’t want it to happen; we’re in the wrong outfit to be in love.” He turned in Romero’s arms. “I’ve always been able to separate the sex from emotions. I guess it’s because you’re so easy to love.”

Garin felt Romero’s lips against his then they trailed to his ear. “I know Garin, I feel it too.” He sighed.

“I want to make it official, you know pair bond.” Garin had said.

Romero had nuzzled his neck, “After this mission. We’re due leave then.”

“No, big guy; tomorrow, our folks will understand.” Garin said, unsure why he felt the urgency.

Mallory felt the grief; he didn’t understand why it touched him in this way. He withdrew from Garin’s memory and cycled the machine. The drug was wearing off. Mallory signaled the guards and left them to take Garin back to his cell. He touched the amplifier and let the memories download. When he was done he found a summons to an interview with his superior.

Pei reviewed the sessions. She really wasn’t interested in the sexual memories, they were useless. She was however very interested in Garin’s high pos status. A germ of an idea and possibly a way out of the difficulty with the Emperor was developing.

Mallory entered the presence chamber and knelt in front of his superior.

“Long life Lady.” He said.

Pei held out her blue orb and Mallory rested his fingers on it. The connection was immediate, intense and almost painful.

“Tell me about this Talurian.” Mallory heard in his mind.

“He’s stubborn and full of grief, my lady.” He replied.

The intensity increased and Mallory winched, “I couldn’t care less about his stubbornness or the grief from his abomination. The cure for it will be the vacuum, but not before we take advantage of the opportunity that’s been given us.”

Mallory was stunned at her coldness.

“Don’t be surprised you fool, the entire Institute could be at risk. Can he be made to do our bidding?”

“I know not, Lady. I had to drug him to do a full analysis of his memories.” Mallory thought.

“I will exam him myself to gauge his level of ability.” The connection broke.

“See to it. I will exam him within the hour.” She said dismissing Mallory.

Mallory hurried to Garin’s cell and found he was still very groggy. Just as well he supposed. He ordered the guards to return him to the amplifier and adjusted the controls. The door opened and the Lady Pei entered and waved the guards out of the room. Mallory stepped away from the controls and Pei adjusted the amplifier to her frequency.

Garin was aware of a presence, he realized it wasn’t Mallory; he concentrated on the figure at his feet. The elaborate head dress and fine material identified her as someone important. He felt her prying into his memories, images of Romero, and his parents, moving rapidly through his consciousness. By reflex Garin resisted. The drug was still fogging his mind.

Pei felt the Talurian’s struggle, yes he was highly pos. She broke the connection and turned to Mallory. “Come to my apartment when he’s back in his cell.”

Back in her apartment Pei looked at Dr Crane. “Can you implant it here in your laboratory?”

“Yes my Lady. I mean, I have the instruments and the equipment, but this has never been done before.” Dr. Crane said nervously.

“I care not for your professional scruples. I want the amplifier implanted in the Talurian by morning.” She sighed, “If he survives we will send him for conditioning and training.”

Pei lifted her head and felt the one called Mallory outside. “See to it Doctor.” She said and dismissed the anxious man.

Mallory entered the chamber and once again knelt in front of his superior. Pei held out her orb and Mallory hesitated to touch it. He watched as one of her eyebrows, delicately arched upward. He immediately touched the orb and the connection surrounded him.

“You hesitate. Obedience is never optional here, young one. I know your deepest secrets. Your Master filed them along with your ability, during your novitiate.” She laughed at Mallory’s embarrassment, “Why else would you have been chosen for such a sensitive mission.”

Mallory sensed the plan as she showed it to him. “I’m not sure I am strong enough, my Lady. The Talurian is highly positive and….” He let the thought trail away.

“You are attracted to him.” She smiled and nodded, “That is good, and you can use it to our advantage. Make him love you and he will serve you easier.” She registered his distaste, “Yes it is a cruel society we live in, one called Mallory. Only the cruelest will survive.”

Garin was still groggy but managed to eat the food he found waiting for him in his cell. He collapsed on the bunk and for the first time in his career he felt defeated. There would be no way out of this prison except out an airlock and into the vacuum. It would only be a matter of when. Suddenly he realized he would welcome the release. He knew that the one called Mallory had taken what he needed. He knew it would only be a short time before he was sent to his death. He lay in his cell and waited after a time he slept from exhaustion. Dr. Crane’s entrance and administration of another drug didn’t wake him.

In the Laboratory the Dr and his assistants secured Garin to an examination table and sprayed his left chest with a disinfectant. Crane examined the pectoral muscle and with a portable scanner examined the tissue depth. Using an ultrasonic incisor he separated the tissues and dissected a pocket under the pectoral muscle near the 6^th rib. One of his assistants handed him the small cylindrical blue amplifier and he inserted it into the pocket of flesh and implanted the sensory wires into the muscle itself. He reversed the process using a tissue fuser and in a few minutes the incision was nearly invisible. By morning the wound would be sore but almost undetectable.

“Take him back to his cell” Crane said to the assistants then turned to Mallory who had observed the surgery. “In the morning when he wakes up, you’ll need to test the amplifier.” Crane handed the monk a small device. “This will activate it, in theory he will get use to it eventually but it will take time.” He sighed, “If his mind holds up that long.”

Mallory looked at the Dr with an unspoken question. “Imagine being always attached to the amplifier, Mallory. Always able to sense others around you, I imagine it will be very noisy until he gets use to it.”