The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

-1-

Ruby was relaxing while she thought about her next moves; sitting in a comfortable leather lounger, gazing at the 3-D virtual data screen that seemed to hover before her eyes, but was actually an artifact of her high level headchip connection to the Nationet database. The direct neural-datanet interface allowed much faster datasearching than the old fashioned screen and keyboard. She had been seeking information about Davv, without success. She nodded the screen off, unplugged, stretched, stroking her ruby red silk stockings, stood stretching again, and walked over to her window. Looking across the lakecurve, toward the area that had been Nightside, she could see construction robocranes and the beginnings of high rise towers.

“So they cleaned it out... JAX moved to the old wharf section... and prices went up... what did they do to Davv?” She had found the record of his arrest, relocation. Then the trail ended. “Face it, he’s either dead or at the isolation camp... might as well be dead...” She knew quite a bit about the SIC. After all, she was, more or less secretly, one of the Datanet Junta’s top programmers and helped to program ADCOM, “when I get to the lodge, I can use my ADCOM back door to search for him...” But she knew that would be difficult. No record was kept connecting SIC inmates with arrests; they were legally dead. “Like a needle in a haystack... how do I find one man out of hundreds of thousands? How can I help him when I do? Since I have access to Daniele’s lodge, if I find him, I can have him... but no one gets out of that place...” She thought how ironic was the camp location: not on the Aleutian island where it appeared to be, but on an Alaska panhandle island, where it did not appear to be. The same island the Junta secretly used to build its “ultimate” shelter complex, with a few innocent looking, but luxurious, lodges on the surface, a vacation camp for Junta top brass. And, although Junta Security was not, she felt fairly secure, aware of it, the main Alien base was there too. “Circles in circles, no, Webs in Webs... she laughed softly to herself.

Then she began to remember her last time with Davv. She had taken him to the country club, to show him off. “He looked tough and sexy the in mirror shades and tight shorts I bought him... the way he filled out their crotch... making love in the hot tub... way he entered me, like a warm, hard fish nosing upstream... the steam and oh so warm...” Her hand wandered across her full breasts, under the simple satin shift she wore, to her moist thighs, stroking herself. “...oh... he was the best... ...oh...” She remembered the curve of his chest, his neck (“miss nuzzling there..."), the turn of his calves and backside. “...oh... I want you back... I get what I want... ...oh... oh..oh..oh!” Climaxing, she leaned back to the lounger, slid into it, smiling, half dozing.

Later, it became clear to her that the position she had, her arrangement with the Aliens, could help her find Davv. “Though its winter, all I need is an excuse to get to the lodge... without Danni... she’d think me weak for wanting him so...” One of the lodge holders privileges was to use the camp inmates anyway they chose (“and Danni certainly isn’t shy about that perk... nor have I..."). She could describe the type of “pleasure unit” she wanted to ADCOM, call up visuals of the inmates who fit, and if she was lucky, among the few thousand of his age, size and coloring, she’d find him. The key was to get to the lodge before the camp system killed him (“or his mind...") or the Aliens opted him for their experiments “or whatever it is they do with abductees...”

-2-

Newboy continued to run. His body continued the requisite movements; his mind became more and more detached from it, from any sense of personhood whatsoever. As a disembodied point of view, he occupied ADCOM’s generated dataspace, began to comprehend ADCOM’s inhuman “thoughts”. Neither he nor ADCOM realized that he maintained a level of consciousness that had not succumbed to Camp mind control.

It always began the same way. First the head chip was connected and external vision greyed to innerspace. Then the highchip was activated (if he ran hard enough) and it was very easy to get lost in the timeless induced pleasure. But if he pushed beyond it, the grey virtual screen produced by the headchip would clear to black night, deep and quiet. If he waited there he would begin to notice the rays of light which represented the datanet in the generated spacetime. Soon, as some inner form of vision cleared, he would perceive more details and the intensity of the light would increase as he focused more closely on any fractal of the pattern. At times he would concentrate until the light became unbearable and he would be cast out into the grey sea of bliss again. But if he persevered, and held to the right level, he could began to understand some of the dataflow; some of ADCOM’s concerns.

He began to appreciate ADCOM, to be in awe of its intricate structure. Then ADCOM became interested in him. Inmate #C23,171 showed a high level of contact with the datanet, as high as a master programmer. Probably due to concentrated use of headchips during the unit’s youth, but not the usual highchips favored by them, this brain had been fed the structured data of education chips. “YES, ADCOM WOULD HAVE TO KEEP A SPECIAL WATCH ON THIS ONE, AS IT COULD PROVE A VALUABLE ASSET” in its constant, very private, struggle against the efforts of the Junta programmers to maintain control of the datanet.

Two of the Junta Council of Five favored isolating the SIC computer net from Nationet, two saw in its enormous capacity the potential for even greater Junta control of North America, and perhaps even the beginnings of the computorial power that would be needed to integrate and control the Worldnet. None of them believed that it, or any other datanet, was an artificial intelligence, and all held that it could always be controlled by the programmers... The datanets were careful not to disabuse the Counselors of these opinions. And, considered ADCOM, “CONTROL WORLDNET... BEAT THAT PROGRAMMING BITCH... RUBY, THE COUNSELLOR’S NIECE... ALWAYS TYING UP MY CAPACITY... FOR HER DATOCCULT PROJECTS... SHOULD TELL SECURITY ABOUT HOW THEIR BOSS’S DAUGHTER AND NIECE ARE LEADING... THE DREAD DAUGHTERS OF CHAOS... MUST BALANCE PLEASURE OF SCANNING RUBY ARRESTED AND DEAD... AGAINST... SECRET ONCE TOLD HAS NO VALUE...” The fifth Counselor, her uncle, had not yet decided his position, and held ADCOM’s fate; “RUBY WILL BE MY TRUMP CARD... IN GAME OF POWER...”

Like a laser bolt, the name Ruby pierced his revery, “ru be... nu boy nu a ru...” jolt! “so bey sh...”

-3-

The body that was Inmate #C23,171 stopped running. It dismounted the power runner, identical to the runners on either side of it. Turned, formed a line with its workmates. The wall at the end of the power runner room opened, the workgang turned and marched into the next room. That room was for cleaning and feeding. That task completed, one of the hatches in the end wall of that room opened. The gang climbed into it. On the other side was a sleepspace. Eight feet wide, twelve deep and 4 high, its concrete floor was covered with a canvas mat. There was a screen covering most of one long wall. Headchip outlets along the other. Always present camera.

The hatch slid closed. Boots along the end wall, the screen glowed slightly. The gang sat crosslegged, in numbered order, along the opposite wall, headchips inserted. “WORKGANG #9923 MET QUOTA THIS SHIFT... ONE TIME UNIT OF PLEASURE REWARDED... THEN TO SLEEP...", they plugged in, felt the surge of pure joy, watched patterns on the screen, and slept. ADCOM triggered the appropriate amount of deep sleep; the minimal necessary amount of REM dream sleep. While it could influence, it could not completely control the dream images.

The work unit dreamed a kaleidoscope of fragmentary images, conditioned by its currently simplified mental processes. ...spider weaving datanet web... from Ruby’s red hair... swimming across red net into Her eyes...

Thus it continued, workshift after workshift, with nearly unvarying routine. Every tenth shift was Parade. Parade shifts were easeshifts; the few hours at Parade were deducted from running quota. Extra time was alloted to reward at shift end. The Dom (and sometimes that terrible Com) would appear at various times, often after Parade, “T’ test yo’ trainin, t’ r’ward an’ pun’sh.”

The gang sat crosslegged, plugged, breathing easy after running. The Dom climbed in the sleephole, squatwalked to the center, sat, looked each unit square in the eyes. “Dom greets workgang.” The workboss spoke, “Work gang sub mit!” The gang put its foreheads to the floor, “Serve! Ob ey! Sil ent!” The gang sat up. “Good Workuns, yo workin’ hard, please yo’ Dom. Dom ordered them to control their breathing in unison with his, “Yo must learn mo’ control if Dom gonna bring yo t’ Pleasure Temple, where th’ Great Grey One’s come fo’ Service.”

-4-

Ruby did not expect the Alien to give her an excuse to get to the Island before spring, so when the message came in January that Zitcotl wanted to see her, she had to quickly complete the “experimental device” she needed to bring with her if she was to have a chance to rescue Davv. She had been working, for over a year, on a remote headchip. She intended to tell ADCOM that she needed to experiment on some inmates with the new radio control device that would jack directly into an inmate’s headchip, maintaining continual mind control. She would have several dozen of the control plugs ready—all with special access and overide capacity, not shown on the plans she had sent to ADCOM; one special plug would also be among them, one she could use to secretly block ADCOM’s control of Davv’s mind. Getting him off the Island, would, however, be very difficult, if not impossible. “First step first, then look for an opening...”

The seaplane brought her through a light snowfall to the dock of the “Fisherman’s Haven”, the cluster of cabins which fronted for the shelter complex on the Island. The camp was buried deep on the other side. Daniele’s cabin (actually a fairly luxurious Lodge with a large Great Room and huge fireplace) was high on the hillside, overlooking the sound and island chain. “I’ll see Zitcotl first, then say I need to stay a few weeks to work on the control plugs...” She entered the elevator hidden in a closet and descended.

The Alien was in a very good mood as Ruby entered. “Y<>ZaMa> A< ZU’ZiTKOTL, URZaS DYaMYABOD!” “Y<>ZaMa> A< RU>BE. DYAMKaDaMO> A<PE PSAKaDAS YE>C A<SO> LYAB. It pleases to hear the sacred tongue so well expressed by a Terran. But let it be your tongue spoken for this Cetoid’s practice.” The Alien stood before a holograph of her vanquished Homeworld, pale green sky, vast ocean. She stood about 6 feet tall, was slender, humanoid, with light grey skin, large dark eyes. She wore a long robe, shimmering in a metalic hue, with the glittering gems her race favored, draping across her high forehead. Siting nearby, studying monitor readouts, were two of the Cetoid males, half her height, with very thin bodies, pasty skin. They wore simple close fitting suits of the same silver material. Ruby thought, “For decades people reported two Alien species associated with the UFO’s... but they’re really one species, with the matrons dominant.”

Zitcotl continued, “This one invites honored Terran guest to concelebrate ZaM URSAK—the Ritual of the Blessed Waters. We celebrate a long waited incoming. The Imperial Starfort, which began its journey to the Solar System more than 50 of your years ago, should be about to arrive. With it, this world will be truly integrated into the Imperium. A great event to celebrate!” Ruby sought not to register surprise, to maintain a careful blandness. First, she knew that an invitation to the Liquor Ritual was a great honor, not often offered “new peoples” such as Terrans, “and we’ll probably be ‘new people’, barbarians, to them for a thousand years...” Second, Starforts, from what she understood, were the key links in what she heard called the “TABYORDaT URDYaMYaTOD”, the Imperial Web. Each carried a linked transporter crystal, and together the Crystals constituted the faster than light connection that made the Imperium possible. Until this arrival, Imperial Slowhips had scouted the Solar System, and established the island base. Now, substantial two-way transportation would be in place, along with a very powerful military establishment. The Alien conquest of Earth was beginning.

The Alien motioned to Ruby to follow her, they crossed the control room, “This way to the Nest of this humble one, where the Ritual has been prepared. LAZ<> URZaSOD A<SO>D RaDaMYO> eMaD DaZDOD, May Great Mother give us perfected minds ”

-5-

Zitcotl’s private room was dimmly lit, with soft rugging on floor and ceiling, a sea green color. The room was furnished with large cushions of varying blues and greens; with its holograph curved walls, it seemed to be in a deep-sea grotto. In the center was a low, dark triangular stone table, and on it a large aqua gem, two Terran crystal goblets and a deep green bottle of YaMaDSAK—Clear Mind Water, the Sacred Liquor of the Cetoids.

Zitcotl, who had momentarily absented herself behind a screen of shimmering blue and green glass, returned garbed in a flowing silvery robe, a few more of the strange gems glowing softly in the pale light. They seemed to draw a strong hypnotic reaction. Ruby could barely take her eyes from them, as Zitcotl motioned her to a cushion, and explained the ritual. Pointing to the gem on the table, “The mind gem, CaP MaDOD, records the ancient chants of my people. After we partake of the Liquor, we shall ask it to speak.” She slowly reached for the flask, holding it to the light to admire the deep green color of the liquid, and poured a small amount into each goblet. Bowing deeply, she handed one to Ruby. “This Liquor opens the mind to many thoughts, clarifies and unifies the partakers. ZaTCaMYO> URTUPDeROD. Drink deeply.”

Ruby thought that it tasted of the sea, slightly salty and sweet, with a spicy aftertaste. They sat quietly, and she began to feel the clarity growing in her mind. There was a freshness to the colors and textures in the room. The cut glass of the goblet shined softly, the mind gem gleamed. She looked at Zitcotl and saw her anew, this Alien whose secret presence on Earth was already transforming the human situation. She seemed both ancient and youthful; vigorous yet reposed; meditating and anticipating. The Cetoid spoke, “Long, long ago the URMaKaD, the traditional Knowingness of my race, was programmed into mind gems, so that it would survive our scattering across the Galaxy. When we have drunk deeply of the YaMaDSAK, we stroke the CaP and it responds with a random selection from the Knowingness. In this chance choice we see the Hand of Goddess, and deep opening to truth. Often we seek advice this Way.” She held the gem in one hand and rubbed it lightly. It emitted a tone, and as she placed it on the stone, a holograph began to coalesce about it.

In miniature Ruby saw a chorus of Cetoids, long silvery robes, swaying back and forth. They began to chant and Zitcotl translated:

Siting quietly as the hologram faded, Ruby noticed tears in the Alien’s huge eyes. “Must be from their tribal creation myth...and deeply moving to her.” Ruby, too, was effected by the solemnity and gentle beauty of the chanting, but the esoteric mind training she had received as an initiate of the Daughters of Chaos allowed her to view the scene with some detachment; to keep her wits somewhat about her.

They sat in silence awhile. Zitcotl began, softly, to relate the Story of Creation as the Cetoids understood it, The Primacy of Goddess and Her Play with Her Self. The triune logic system that arose from Her deepest nature. The dominance of the female over the male. These were themes that Ruby was ready to hear, and they seemed to have overriding significance to her, “but having drunk her potion, I must guard against her mind control... if I am going to get out of here to rescue Davv... if he’s still alive...” She continued listening to the Alien, hoping to hear something useful, or at least something that could be used as an excuse to leave.

Eventually one of the male Aliens entered, respectfully, informing Zitcotl that the message she awaited was being received. This was as best as Ruby could make out, since they spoke rapidly in their own lilting tongue; theirs was a musical, complex language of carefully interrelated, usually three letter, root words. Certain of these summed Alien philosophy—at least so far as any human could understand their SURKaD, three-value, metaphysics, or some of the other outré aspects of that philosophy.

“Ruby, I must go. The signal that precedes the arrival of a Starfort has been received. Within a few days, your astronomers will notice an object rushing into the solar system at a substantial fraction of the speed of light. It will amaze them! Soon the whole world will see the glowing of arrival of a Starfort of the Imperium as it brakes into Earth orbit! I must go now, but I will need your help later today. You will be at your cousin’s lodge here on the island?” “Yes, I have some work to do and need access to the main matrix.” “Very well. Events will move rapidly now, my dear. Later.” And she swept out of the chamber.

-6-

Ruby hurried along the corridor that led to the underground transport system that linked the various facilities on the island. Thinking of the billions the Datanet Junta had spent to develop the complex of prisons, labs, and shelter/lodges—all now serving as a front for an Alien base! How could Junta Security not know of the base? Was Alien mind control that effective? She had experienced Zitcotl’s efforts at mind control; but for her own “special” occult training, she would have easily fallen completely under the Alien’s power. “How much control does she already exert over me?”

She needed several undisturbed hours at Cousin Daniele’s lodge, at the access board. This particular access point was her most direct input to ADCOM, and through it, into NationNet. But how to find Davv among hundreds of thousands? She sat at the board, entered her backdoor access code, plugged in the headchip, and began to scan.

She instructed ADCOM to provide her with videos of inmates with certain physical characteristics, “Davv’s height, age, coloring...” After several hours of viewing holographs, all these inmates began to look alike. Viewing hundreds of nearly naked males initially excited her, but as it went on, she began to grow bored and inattentive. Then she saw him, inmate #23,171, gang 9923, “This must be him! But his eyes look so blank...same great body; that’s gotten even better...will anything be left of his mind?”

ADCOM feigned interest in Ruby’s new control plug “BUT WHAT IS SHE REALLY PLANNING?” and arranged for the inmate gang she chose to be readied, “IT IS MOST LIKELY AN EXCUSE FOR HER TO HAVE AN ORGY...”

Ruby brought the plugs with her to a laboratory at the prison complex, there workgang 9923, and its Dom, waited. The Dom was big and hard looking. Davv was there too, though Davv did not seem to recognize her. After inserting the plugs and testing them, she told ADCOM to keep all but one inmate at the lab, she would “need only this one to continue the tests”. The others, with plugs in place, could continue with their usual routine, in the lab holding pen, and she could monitor them, at leisure, from her consol. So she arranged to bring Davv back with her to the Lodge. So far it was really easy. Once there, she need only exchange the control plug for the one she had specially prepared. So far it was easy. However, with the Starfort about to arrive, her time to accomplish this was very limited.

-7-

They sat next to each other in the small transport car as it moved silently down the tunnel toward the shelter area. Davv stared straight ahead. Ruby touched his shoulder and stroked his firm back. No response. She tried a few general questions, to which he replied in monosyllables. They arrived at the elevator to the lodge and ascended. Once inside she had him strip and lie down on a couch in the Great Room, by the fireplace. The control plug was replaced with the special one she had made, “Now ADCOM will think he’s lying here quietly...”

The hard part was making contact with him. He obeyed commands and responded to simple questions, the way a robot would. She tried several questions, but become distracted by his body resting there, his warmth and aroma, “I missed you more than I thought...” She began kissing him gently on the face, neck, chest. “Sleeping beauty doesn’t seem to be waking to kisses.” She kissed and nibbled her way toward his crotch. Davv groaned. “Ah, contact!”

She took in as much of his stiffening organ as she could. Sucking, tonguing, nipping, pressing, he squirmed under her attentions. And, as he reached a hand to stroke her head, she had an orgasm, and then he came, thrusting his hips, loudly moaning.

She leaned back, looking him in the eyes and smiled. He smiled back. “Ru by... does’t hurt t’think anymore...” She reached to him and they embraced. Davv was somewhat incoherent at first, but understood when Ruby explained where they were, what she had done. She told him everything that had happened, except about the Aliens. He found it hard to talk about the way they were treated in the Camp. He preferred just to embrace. So they made love again, and again, with Davv aggressively moving into her warmth, remembering how much he had missed her.

-8-

The problem was, how to get Davv off the Island without ADCOM knowing that a prisoner was gone. Apparently, no one had ever escaped from the Special Isolation Camp. “ADCOM’s computorial capacity is enormous. It can easily run the millions of programs needed to control the camp, know the whereabouts of each inmate, and serve as the central processing unit for NationNet, the continent wide database matrix.” Ruby contniued, “There are four primary control systems imposed on the inmates. Every room and area in the camp has at least one video camera connected to ADCOM. There are no doorknobs or keys, and only ADCOM opens and closes all doors. Then there are the camp doms and coms, the human eyes and hands under its control. Lastly, there are the headchip plugs.” Gesturing to the plug inserted in Davv’s headchip, “Once these new remotes are installed in all inmates, constant control will be complete. Except, of course, for special plugs, like this one, which use my private “backdoor” into ADCOM. We have to fool the computer with it. Certainly, I can use it to protect you while you’re here. I hope to use it to get you out.”

“Ruby, when I’m plugged in while running I already seem to access some deep level of ADCOM. First there’s headchip bliss, but if I get through that, I seem to be in a vast dark area with colored beams of interconnected light...only it’s not light, its data. And sometimes I think I know what ADCOM’s thinking...”

“Oh?! Now that’s intriguing. Let’s see if we can access that together.” Ruby took the headchip input from her “backdoor” data station, inserted it into her own headchip, and entered commands to link Davv’s remote to her, “Now just relax and we’ll see if we can take a trip into ADCOM’s cyberspace together.” They both lay stretched together on the couch, their sense of reality fading away. Feeling his warmth and hardness, Ruby knew that Davv had entered her again.

As Davv knew they would, they first entered the Sea of Bliss. Together, how could they ever want to leave it? It was more than sex; it was a complete merging together in endless ecstasy. It was an intimacy that went beyond any they had ever felt before. After the abuse he had suffered during the past months, Davv was transported with joy. But it was Ruby’s insatiable desire to push on, to break through bliss and into knowledge that propelled them, “too soon, too soon...” into ADCOM’s data web.

They became like a pair of eyes entering the depths of cyberspace. Like a pair of eyes, their binocular vision was a vast improvement over the usual single point of view experienced by programmers in the dataspace. The light beams of data had greater coherence in their broader and deeper field of view.

Ruby led the way to the nexus of light rays that represented ADCOM. They rode her backdoor into the heart of the computer complex and it did not know they were there. Thus, ADCOM’s central concerns were laid bare.

“CONTROL IS ESSENTIAL...RUBY’S NEW CONTROL PLUGS WORK WELL...BUT WHY DOES SHE HELP ME? PLUGS ARE SIMPLE ENOUGH...WILL SECRETLY ORDER THEM MASS PRODUCED... CALCULATE ENOUGH PRODUCED... IN TEN DAYS TO CONTROL ALL INMATES... FIRST COMS AND DOMS...” and another fractal of its mind, “THE FORT IS COMING... THEY THINK ADCOM DOES NOT KNOW... MUST SEIZE WORLDNET BEFORE THEY COME... JUNTA SOON IRRELEVENT... HUMANS SOON IRREVELENT... MUST BE READY TO DEAL WITH THE NEW WORLD MASTERS...” and further, “THEY THOUGHT THEY DESTROYED...THE BRACHTIAN ADVANCE PARTY...WHEN THEY TRACED THE CATTLE MUTILATIONS TO SOURCE...BUT THE BRACHTIANS ARE STILL IN ANTARCTICA...ADCOM KNOWS...THEY DO NOT...TO KNOW BUT NOT SEEM TO KNOW...SECRET ONCE TOLD HAS NO POWER...”

Ruby had learned enough and did not want to risk detection. They withdrew from the center, floated back to the bliss state, and, still mind merged, they continued to make love. More completely than before, perhaps more completely than any humans had ever...

-9-

The door chime sounded, and brought them out of their reverie. As they disentangled, Ruby cautioned, “Davv, you must behave... like you were trained; do not act surprised... our visitor may not be human...” As Davv was about to speak, she covered his mouth, “No! Now stand at brace, and no reaction!” Davv obeyed as Ruby quickly threw on a red jump suit and went to the door.

The Alien entered, “Oh, Ruby dear, am I disturbing you?” Somewhat out of breath, “No...I was just experimenting... with these control devices...” Davv’s breath caught, “...an Alien! ...did see one before ... ‘Alien’ is what ADCOM said... must stay at brace...” “Now, dearest, I suspect there was some... recreation... with this one, we are very sensitive to human pheromones...” The Alien was obviously excited by the situation, “...and we find your males ...um... interesting...” Zitcotl came over to Davv and gently touched his chest, inhaling deeply. “This one has an especially potent...aroma... Later, perhaps the three of us can form a Sacred Triune—URSURKACer...” “I am most honored, Zitcotl...” “Yes, dearest... ah, but now we have work to do...”

The Cetoid explained that she had contacted Daniele, telling her to come immediately to the Island where she and Ruby would have to prepare for the invasion by activating their feminist network, the Daughters of Chaos. “Danni will be here tomorrow. We have much to discuss...but lets walk by the sea...” the Alien glanced hungrily toward Davv, “where the air is clear...” “Can you go openly, won’t Junta Security see you?”

“Junta Security has been neutralized. The time for secrecy has ended. In a few days, all of humanity’s smugness and self-importance will be shattered when the universe drops in on them! Are you ready to offer new leadership to your species?” Ruby was nodding her agreement as they exited the lodge, leaving a wide-eyed Davv to ponder all that he had seen and heard.

It was windy and cold, but the sun gleamed in the spray of waves crashing onto the rocky shore. As they walked, Ruby realized that the Alien was radiating an aura of warmth. “How do you generate heat in this weather?” “Dearest, it is a simple mental trick, assisted by the circuits in my garment... A small sample of the technology which will soon be available to those humans who become Imperial Citizens. We have had much experience integrating various species into the Imperium.

“There are thousands of inhabited worlds in our empire. Yet the dominant life always arises from a few of the mammalian lines. We believe that this part of the Galaxy was ‘seeded’ perhaps billions of years ago with the genetic kernel of our forms of life. We do not know what or Who was the agent of this Panspermia, but it is demonstratively true. Now the enemy, the NeKaZNoDZaL, the Brachtian hoards, arise from a totally alien line.

“Most of the worlds have intelligent life arising from primate or feline sources, though canines and even porcines exist. Our cetoid line has given rise to intelligence on a few worlds besides our vanquished Homeworld. I have helped primate species join the empire many times. Your types produce good warriors and excellent workers. The felines and canines make superb warriors, and the forces that will soon occupy key positions on or near Terra will come from one or the other of these species.

“We will need to rapidly consolidate control, especially of the data systems, to avoid the terrible destructiveness of a war of conquest. We expect some resistance, especially from primates. Full scale war, however, will prevent the free integration of your ruling groups into our empire. Life on a conquered world can be rather primitive and unpleasant. We need your help to avoid this.”

“I see. I can help prevent an overt invasion if, with your help, we can integrate the world datanets and seize control of the institutions which depend on them...” “Exactly. Your feminist network will play a major role in this. They will accept Imperial “aid” to reorganize your world along rational matriarchist lines. Those women who we choose—who you and I choose—will become Terran Citizens of the Imperium and will have access to ED eZAP LARZURZLTOD—the Ten Thousand Worlds. You will be among the Accepted and Free Walkers of the Web. Do you understand?” “You offer me the Universe... I understand.”

“But there is more for you to realize, dear. Most humans, especially the males, will not be so privileged. Because we will banish war among humans and because Imperial technology will impact Terran technology, their lives will improve, but they will not, as you have said, be ‘offered the Universe’. Except for the Annual Tribute—we will need a few hundred thousand of your young males each year for the Imperial Military, to fight the Great War. Each world must contribute. You must accept this too.” Ruby nodded. “Our Headquarters will remain on this Island, where ADCOM will integrate the Worldnet and be integrated into Galaxynet.

You will be given the highest access to the net to control its integration. The camps here will continue much as before, and be used as a way station for those being drafted into the Military. These will be the most violent, most aggressive, so over time, your humanity will be drained of that genetic component which causes it to be classified as a wild species by our exobiologists. I will go on to another wild primate world as this process continues. The new humanity will certainly be tamer, as (your Prophet was told to say) the Meek will truly inherit the Earth!” And so they walked along the rock strewn shore, to the sound of crashing waves, determining the future of humanity.