Chapter 17

Harris Saga Chapter 17

 

            The sunrise caught Devon and Zelda in the Conservatory grav car headed north. The sky was gray and overcast and the air smelled of rain. 

            The aircar deposited them twenty kilometers south of Durness and then sped away. Devon released Kathryn, Tess, and Hatsumi and started north.

            There hadn’t been humans up here in at least a century, and the going was slow. There was also the ever-present danger of feral pokegirls, and a fight this close to the ruins of Durness might be detected. They made a cold camp a couple of kilometers outside of the ruins.

            Before breaking camp the next morning Devon and Hatsumi teleported to Belfast to check on the status of their special order. The tactical radios were ready for them to pick up. Once they returned, Devon plugged the base station into his PDA and turned it on. He slipped his earpiece on and handed a unit each to his pokegirls. 

            “Master unit, diagnostic check.” Devon whispered, knowing his bone conduction mike would pick it up.

            His PDA replied, “Diagnostic check reveals no anomalies.”

            “Very good. Com unit, stand by for voice analysis.”

            The AI had to be taught to use the new hardware properly. “Com unit ready. Begin voice identification.”

            “Identity: Devon.”

            “Devon recognized.” Each of his pokegirls said her name in turn. The AI recognized them and from then on would identify each pokegirl by voice, no matter which radio she was wearing.   Devon would only have to say a particular name to have a single channel isolated for communication with that particular pokegirl. 

            Later he could set up com channels by teams or just about any other way he could decide to. The unit came with 500 preset channels and Devon intended to make as much use of its flexibility as possible.

            All of the com units were encrypted through Devon’s base unit for security. The encryption software changed the encryption key one thousand times a minute. The encryption could be broken, but by the time that occurred, the information should be out of date. 

            “We have no idea what we are walking into.” Devon tried to keep his voice upbeat, but it was hard. “So we need to keep our eyes open. Let’s proceed under the idea that they either have Da here or the bodies of his harem are present,” Devon swallowed hard. “I have no idea why Da would be up here though.”

            “I’d love to have someone upstairs providing air cover, but anybody up there would be easy for any enemies to spot. So everyone stays on the ground.” He glanced up at the leaden sky. “I just hope that the rain will hold off.”

            A drop of rain splashed on his nose. “Thanks for listening,” he muttered to himself.

            “Are these comlinks going to be all right in the rain?” Kathryn gave him a concerned look. “I dinna want them to stop working just when we need them the most.”

            Devon glanced up again. “They’re supposed to work in up to thirty meters of water, so a little rain shouldn’t bother them at all.”

            Leaves began to dance as more fat drops pelted them. Seraphina grimaced. “I don’t suppose I could go back into my pokeball. This is going to be bad.”

            As the rain got worse, Devon made some quick decisions. He kept out Hatsumi, Tess, Dima, and Vivien. Everyone else went back into their pokeballs. 

            Zelda looked like she wished she had a pokeball to get into as well.

            Soon the rain was falling so hard that it was hard to hear over the drumming sound of the drops on the leaves. Devon waved everyone over. He had to yell to be heard. “We’re going to go into the ruins. Keep your eyes open. While we’re going to be pretty blind, so will anyone we run across. If we find anyone, I want them alive.”

            “Try to stay close. The rain will hopefully pass quickly, but until then stay in contact visually. Let’s go.”

            Travel through the downpour was slow and miserable. It took several hours before they made it to the ruins and rain was so bad that dilapidated walls of buildings loomed out of the haze before Devon realized that they were actually approaching the village. 

            Hatsumi appeared out of the rain and grabbed Devon’s arm.   She bellowed into his ear. “Tess and Vivien caught someone. They’re off to the left. Follow Hatsumi.” Devon waved to catch Zelda’s attention and pointed in the direction Hatsumi was going. Then he went slipping and sliding after her.

            Dima loomed out of the haze and picked Devon up. She went striding calmly after Hatsumi until they walked under the cover of an old building. While its front wall had collapsed the roof still kept out most of the rain. Dima carefully set Devon on his feet. 

            He grabbed her arm. “Get Zelda,” he yelled. She nodded and faded off into the torrential downpour. A little while later she reappeared carrying a drenched Pia. Once she had Zelda out of the rain Dima carefully set her on her feet.

            Devon took Dima by the arm and pulled. She leaned down and Devon gave her a quick kiss. “Thanks.” She beamed and nuzzled his cheek.

            He looked around. Tess stood guard over some human male who was wearing a Team Viper uniform. His throat was developing a spectacular series of bruises and his ankles and wrist had been bound with some modified electrical cable ties. Originally made from plastic, the types in use today for prisoner control held woven cables of titanium embedded in their resin matrix for added strength. Devon had given each of his pokegirls some of them just for this purpose. 

            A pokeball sat on a nearby piece of rubble.

            Devon glanced up. It sounded like the rain might be starting to ease. He carefully picked his way through the rubble and over the spots where the floor sagged.

            “Where did you find him?”

            Tess gave him a sour look. “Vivien and I were skirting around this old shop when this idiot started shouting at us for help. He stood just under the overhang of the roof and screamed at us.” She grimaced. “I didn’t know he was there until after Vivien lunged past me and grabbed him by the throat. I grabbed his pokeball and stood around uselessly until Vivien choked him into unconsciousness. Then we tied him up and Vivien went looking for you.”

            Devon patted her arm. “If everyone were perfect, none of you would need me.” She gave him a wan smile in return. 

            “Where is Vivien?”

            “She says he was babbling about getting back to base when she grabbed him. This building has a basement and Vivien’s taking a quick look for an entrance.”   She gestured towards the back of the building where some tattered stairs headed down.

            Vivien appeared from the stairwell, wiping futilely at the muck that covered her. She gave Devon a disgusted look. “The basement is flooded and I couldn’t find any sign anyone had been down there.” She swiped at something stuck to her tank-top. “I’m going to go stand out in the rain for a while and see if I can get some of this off.”

            “Better hurry, I think it is starting to let up.”

            “Damn.” She hurried past him and out into the storm.

            Zelda gave him an accusing look. “She cursed and you let her get away with it.”

            Devon looked thoughtful for a second. “You are right. I’ll talk to her about it later.” He turned back to Tess. “Cut his shirt off. He and I need to have a talk when he wakes up.”

            “Do you want him awake now?”

            “That would be nice. What did you have in mind?”

            Tess picked up the unconscious prisoner by his arms and carried him out into the slackening rain. She looked around for a moment and then dumped him headfirst into a pool of water. Almost immediately he began thrashing. The Armsmistress pulled him out of the pool and carried him back under the sheltering roof. “He’s awake.”

            Devon grinned. “Good.” He gave the man a glare. “Who are you?”

            “Robert,” came back the angry reply. “Team Viper’s going to wipe the floor with you when they find out about this.”

            “I certainly hope they try. I’ve got a couple of bones to pick with them.” Devon pulled his shaving kit out of his pokepack. One of the things it held was a good pair of shears and he used them to cut Robert’s shirt off. With Tess holding him down when he tried to struggle, Devon was finished in short order.

            He swapped out his shears for his straight razor and strop. The razor slid smoothly over the strop as Devon watched his prisoner. Robert’s eyes were locked onto the blade as it flashed. 

            Devon finished up and after putting the strop away, turned to Robert. “Where is your base?”

            “They’ll kill me.” His voice was a whisper.

            “They are not here. I am. You might want to consider that.” As Devon raised the razor, Robert’s eyes followed it. Devon watched him for a minute and dropped the razor to his side. He glanced at Tess and gave a slight shrug.

            Devon had done many things on his journey that he’d never considered himself capable of doing. But he couldn’t torture someone that he had no proof had ever wronged him. 

            Robert saw the shrug. “You can’t do it!” He grinned as he relaxed. “You might as well let me go.”

            “Antagonizing me might not be the right approach to this.” Devon smiled. “I may yet introduce you to Hatsumi.”

            If you will let me, I can help you.

            Devon spun to see Ming Die standing behind him. She was wearing a jumpsuit in a camouflage pattern and carried a helmet in the same colors. A small backpack was slung over her shoulders. 

            “What are you doing here?” 

            Poppet wanted you to know that the kidnappers have contacted her with their demands and I volunteered to give you the information. 

            “I thought you had never been up here.”

            I haven’t. I used your mind to find you.

            Devon frowned. That sounded right, but there was something about that he felt he was missing. He gave a mental shrug. “I’d love your help.” He gave her outfit a good look. “You’ve never worn that around me before. Where did it come from?”

            It is something new. I don’t like being unprotected in possible combat areas. 

            “What did the kidnappers tell Poppet?”

            They want four hundred million standard league credits and the transfer of almost half of our rarest pokegirls. In several of the cases they asked for the pokegirl by name. 

            “It sounds like we need to screen our help more thoroughly.”

            That is one of the things we intend to do as soon as time allows.

            “What is Poppet going to do?”

            She is going to stall for time and hope you find Cameron before she has to make any hard decisions.

            “You and I both know what her final decision will be and that it will be rather hard on Cameron.”

            If you deal with one terrorist then you open yourself up to having to deal with all of them. She came forward and looked at Robert. Unless you have any objections, I will begin now. Please remove the prisoner’s bindings.

            After getting a nod from Devon, Tess pulled out her cutters and cut the ties. Robert rubbed his wrists and then yelped as he levitated into the air. He tried to struggle but suddenly froze as his wrists were pulled away from his body, leaving him in a classical cross position.

            If you fight me, I will merely pull your arms from your body. Now try to not think of where the base is located and see how far that gets you.

            Robert went stiff and his eyes rolled up into his head. He slowly slumped to the ground as he was released from telekinesis.

            Ming Die turned to Devon. The entrance to the base is in Smoo Cave, which is not far from here. 

            He was not involved in your father’s capture, but he saw Cameron here before your father was loaded onto an airship for transport somewhere else. The base was evacuated soon afterwards, and Robert was left here with his pokegirl as a guard force. He was out here searching for anything of value and got caught in the rain.

            Thanks to Robert, I can take you to the base. I also know all of the access codes that he had.

            “Outstanding. Do we need him anymore?”

            I do not believe so. Do you want me to take him to the police station in Glasgow or would you rather kill him here.

            Devon grimaced. “I’m trying to not learn to enjoy killing, so by all means take him and his pokegirl to the police station.” Ming Die picked up the pokeball and took Robert by the arm. They vanished.

            The rain lightened up from a torrent to a steady downpour. Devon stationed Dima and Vivien outside to keep watch. Tess and Zelda got to watch him while Hatsumi was searching the area anything of interest. She returned to the building fairly quickly. “Hatsumi found nothing worthwhile.”

            Ming Die appeared. The situation with Robert has been taken care of. He is in the custody of the Glasgow police. If you will place your pokegirls in their pokeballs, then we can get going to the base. 

            “That sounds like an excellent idea, especially if it gets us out of the rain.” Devon went out into the weather to retrieve Dima and Vivien. When he returned he put Hatsumi and Tess into their pokeballs and turned to Ming Die. “Since she won’t go into a pokeball yet, what are we going to do about Zelda? Two trips?”

            I am powerful enough to carry both of you when I teleport. She took one of each of their hands and the room vanished as they teleported. 

            They came out on the shore of a huge underground pool. Light flickered down through holes in the ceiling and in the distance they could hear the roar of water as the river cascaded down into the rear of the cave from above. The warm air was heavy with humidity and insects buzzed spitefully past his ear. 

            Devon chuckled suddenly. “That was moderately impressive. I don’t witness teleports very often.” 

            I understood that you had teleported several times with Hatsumi. Was that incorrect?

            “No, but she likes to kiss me when we teleport, so I don’t get to see much.”

            Ming Die gave him a long look. I see.

            “Where is the entrance to the base at?”

            “It’s over here, Devon.” Zelda sounded excited as she pointed to a smooth metal door set into the rock. A small keypad was inset in the stone next to it. Ming Die entered a string of numbers and the door slid noiselessly open, revealing a small room with another closed door and keypad on the opposite wall.

            “Security checkpoint?” 

            Ming Die nodded as they entered. The outer door slid shut. There was a brief instant of darkness before overhead lamps began to glow. She entered another code into the new keypad and the inner door slid open, revealing a hallway.

            The base is supposed to be abandoned and I do not detect anyone within a hundred meters, but a powerful psychic pokegirl might be able to conceal her presence. I would advise that you release a team for security. 

            Devon was already reaching for his pokeballs. “I agree.” He released Tess and Hatsumi. “Ladies, we are inside the Viper base. Tess, I want you to take lead. Hatsumi, please provide the rear guard. Zelda stay close.”

            Tess moved smoothly ahead of Devon as she drew her sword. Hatsumi, however, paused to give Ming Die a long and not very friendly look. 

            “So you are Ming Die. Hatsumi needs to talk to you later.” 

            Ming Die returned the look. I recognize what you are. Are we going to fight?

            The Demon-Goddess shook her head. “The Maker is dead or gone and his orders fell with him. Hatsumi is no mindless killing machine. Unless you insist, Hatsumi feels no need to eat you.” A brief flash of teeth. “Master Devon thinks you are his friend and would most likely be angry at Hatsumi for your demise.” She gave Ming Die a direct look. “If you hurt my master, of course Hatsumi will make curry from your flesh.”

            Devon started to say something, but Ming Die’s mental voice interrupted him. I would never allow harm to come to Devon. He is my friend and is important to me. She cocked her head. I bear you no ill will for the past. You had your job to do and I had mine. I am willing to work with you as a member of Devon’s harem.

            “Hatsumi is willing to work with you. If Hatsumi can put up with nasty Neo Iczel than Hatsumi can put up with one Hatsumi was supposed to hunt.”

            “It might help for you to know that while Hatsumi knew of you and your sisters, Hatsumi was never specifically tasked to hunt you.”

            You would still have killed any of us that you came across by accident. However, that was a long time ago and there is no evidence that any of the surviving members of your species are still hunting us.

            “Hatsumi knows that Hatsumi and her sisters do not work together like you and yours. Hatsumi suspects that these surprises would prove to be fatal to Hatsumi in very short order and Hatsumi is forever unwilling to throw Hatsumi’s life away for the Maker. If the Maker wants you dead then he can make the attempt himself.”

            “Hatsumi’s hunting days are over, unless Devon wants Hatsumi to hunt. Hatsumi now has a new purpose. That purpose is to serve her master Devon.”

            “Excuse me?” Both of them turned to look at Devon. “If you aren’t going to try to kill each other right now, can we get back to the business at hand, which is exploring this base to find out where they took Cameron? You two can chat later.”

            “Hai. Lead on master.” Hatsumi bowed. Ming Die just gave him a look and then nodded.

            The facility wasn’t really that large. It was only two levels and had accommodations for no more than ten people. The large sheltered dock and extensive storage space hinted that the base was really just a glorified transshipment point. 

            There was no one in the facility and the state of affairs indicated that the personnel’s leaving had been carefully planned out ahead of time. There was no disarray or signs of a hurried evacuation. They’d even taken time to mop the floors. Devon knew that this meant that they intended to return someday. 

            Devon sent Hatsumi to do a final check around the harbor while Tess and a newly released Kathryn went to get some sleeping space ready. The base commander had possessed a nice suite that Devon had cheerfully appropriated. Zelda had been sent to check out the kitchen. Meanwhile he and Ming Die explored the computer room.

            The computer room was fairly spacious and there was a sophisticated commo suite. The main computer screen showed the Naga symbol of Team Viper. It politely asked for an access code when Devon hit a button. 

            Ming Die shrugged off her pack and removed a small piece of electronics. It was connected to a cable that had a dozen plugs hanging from it.

            After looking the console over, she selected a plug and inserted it into an access port. She pressed a switch on her unit. It beeped and the main screen flickered and changed. It now displayed a logo consisting of seven white dots arranged in an irregular circle. 

            “What is that?”

            That is a representation of the Pleiades star cluster. It is the logo we have chosen to represent us.

            “What ‘we’ are you talking about? That is not the logo of the Conservatory.”

            No, it is not. It is the symbol of a different group that I belong to. She looked up at him.  If you do not mind, we will discuss this later. Right now I’m trying to access this computer without triggering any security systems.

            “Fine. We will talk about this later, though.”

            You need not worry. It is time for you to learn several things that I have been keeping from you for your entire life.

            “Why do I suddenly feel uneasy?”

            It is probably because you are not stupid.

            Knowing that he could not win this, Devon abruptly changed the subject. “What is that little toy you were using on the computer system?”

            It is called a seeker. It suppresses the operating system that is in place in a computer and substitutes its own. Then it accesses the memory storage for whatever I am looking for. Right now I’m searching for passwords to the original OS as well as any monitoring programs that might be used for remote monitoring of this base and its equipment.

            “I’ve never heard of any League equipment that would do that. This Pleiades group must be pretty big and well funded.”

            It has slightly more than a hundred members total. We are larger than some of the various Team type groups but our focus is not world domination. 

            “Are you trying to help or hurt humanity?”

            Very good, Devon, not many people would have ever realized that we do not have any humans in our membership.

            “You were one of the ones who taught me to try to see beyond the words to the actual meaning.”

            We neither seek to harm or help humans. I promise a full revelation this evening. The seeker flashed a light. There is a remote monitoring program.  The easiest way to disable it would be to disconnect the access cable to the system. That would also foil their VideoGirl. However it would limit our access to the nets from here. I could also disable the monitoring software, but that would provide no protection against the VideoGirl. She looked at Devon quizzically. Which do you want to do?

            He thought rapidly. “Eliminate the monitoring software. I’ve heard rumors that they had an unregistered VideoGirl, but I think even if she exists the chances are remote that she’d come here. They probably have her monitoring communications at the Conservatory, if she’s even involved.”

            “If she were to visit here, she would become suspicious if the system had been unplugged from the net.”

            The VideoGirl is real. The Blue League has proof that she has been in their systems. I wonder if the filter on the Conservatory system would have stopped her. No matter, the policy is to assume it didn’t. 

            “Excellent. Is there anything I can do to help?”

            You have not been trained in how to crack enemy systems. Perhaps you could go and see how your pokegirls have done in preparing some accommodations for us.

            “And perhaps since you have just revealed your membership in an organization that I have no knowledge of I should stay here and keep an eye on you.”

            “Not really. Hatsumi doesn’t see you as a threat and I trust her judgment.”

            Is it wise to trust Hatsumi?

            “I realize that for some reason the two of you don’t get along, but I have trusted Hatsumi with my life and she’s never let me down.”

            Ming Die unplugged the seeker. The original Team Viper logo reappeared. She entered an access code and began scanning the system. Would you trust me with your life?

            “Hatsumi is part of my harem. I’d trust my life to any of them.”

            There is a memo referring to your father being transferred to a Team Viper observation post on the Dark Continent. She looked at him. So you would not trust me with your life. 

            “No, I wouldn’t. Does it say where this observation post is?”

            No. I haven’t heard about Team Viper spreading to other continents, but it would be a logical progression. And it would be a place where they would expect to remain undisturbed.

            “We need to see if Poppet has received any instructions as to where the pokegirls need to be transported to. It is unlikely that Team Viper will want them sent directly to their base, since they should be aware that we can plot the exit point on a single stage transfer.” 

            “Therefore we need to track the first stage and go there. If you can probe the mind of one of the Viper members then we can get the location of the next stage and so on. Eventually we should be able to find the base with hopefully no one the wiser.”

            What are we to do if we are discovered?

            “I’ll do the best I can, but I have never made any claims to perfection. I promised my mother to rescue Cameron and I’m going to give it my best try.”

            Here is some more information. There is a reference to an observation post in the city of Wellham. Apparently it was set up in an attempt to locate the Sphinxes that Sexmet is protecting.

            “Is Wellham in the Dark Continent?”

            “No. My information on the Dark Continent is spotty at best, although it sounds like I need to do some reading on it. Do you know if the city has a pokegirl center?”

            Yes. Wellham has a population of over seventy thousand. There is a large pokegirl center there. 

            “Good. I can send Paulette through and have the NurseJoy open her pokeball. Then she can use teleport to take all of us there.”

            Wouldn’t you rather use Hatsumi?

            “Paulette has been complaining that I don’t use her enough. This will help to make her feel she is making useful contributions to the harem.”

            You have grown more diplomatic. I like that.

            “Thank you. Is there any information on how they are moving Cameron?”

            No, but Robert remembered your father being loaded onto an airship here. That would make sense, as teleportation is impractical for large groups.

            “Then if we can confirm that Wellham is either the final destination or a staging point, we might be able to get there ahead of them. We may have to wait until Poppet gets instructions on where to ship the pokegirls to.”

            He pulled his PDA from his belt. “Let’s see if this thing can punch a signal through the rock.” He played with it for a minute. “Nope. I guess I have to go outside.”

            “Now I just need a bodyguard.” He looked thoughtful. 

            I will provide your security. Ming Die quickly set up a search function on the computer. There. Lead on.

            Devon eyed her briefly. “I think you would be fine as my bodyguard, but my harem wants me to have a member of it as my security. Let’s find Tess. I’m pretty sure it’s her turn.” Ming Die followed him as he went looking for his Armsmistress. 

***

            Poppet answered almost immediately. “Hello, Devon. What can I do for you?”

            “Are you somewhere that the house cameras don’t cover?”

            “Yes, I was outside trying to relax. This whole event has been rather upsetting.”

            Devon got straight to the point. “Ming Die has determined that Da was here and he was loaded onto an airship. There is some evidence indicating a possible destination of Wellham in the Dark Continent.”

            “That’s good to know. We don’t have any assets on the Dark Continent, and I don’t know anyone there.” She sighed. “It would have been much easier if they had gone almost anywhere else on the planet.”

            Devon nodded. “Someone did a great deal of research into the Conservatory. It is doubtful that this is a coincidence.”

            “Have the kidnappers told you where to send the pokegirls?”

            Poppet shook her head. “No. They only said that they would be in touch with further instructions. Why?”

            “Unless things change suddenly, tomorrow we will be heading to Belfast. I intend to send one of my pokegirls with teleportation through to the Wellham pokegirl center and have the local NurseJoy release her so that I can teleport there if it turns out that is where are headed.” He gave her a grim smile. “Ming Die came up with some evidence that there is a Team Viper post in Wellham. We might even be able to get ahead of the bastards.”

            Poppet returned his smile. “Now wouldn’t that be a shame.” She sobered. “Why not use the Conservatory system?”

            “If this is a big heist for them, then their VideoGirl may be monitoring the transporter for activity. That’s the reason I called your personal phone instead of the house line, since it doesn’t go through the computer system.”

            “That is a good idea.” Poppet shook her head. “As soon as I know anything, I’ll contact you. Is Ming Die still there?”

            “Yeah, she’s still helping with the computers.”

            “All right.”

            “I’ll talk to you later, Poppet. Bye.” Devon broke the connection.

            May I have a few moments of your time? We need to talk and this should be an excellent opportunity. 

            “All right.” Devon motioned to a bench that sat just before the docks began.

            Tess touched his shoulder. “Try to remember that Kathryn and Zelda will have dinner ready soon.”

            “Thank you, Tess. I’ll try not to forget.”

            As they sat down, Ming Die handed him something.

            “Gee, and I didn’t get you anything.” Devon hefted the pokeball he’d just been handed. “It feels a little bit heavier than what I’m used to.” They were sitting on a bench overlooking the dock. 

            I am glad that you noticed. This particular ball incorporates some new technology that was recently developed at the Conservatory in conjunction with the Blue League Security Forces. There was a crispness to her thoughts that told Devon that Ming Die was sending only to him.

            “I didn’t know we were working with the BLSF. What is special about it?”

            It contains suppressor technology that makes a pokedex always read the pokeball as empty. The BLSF wanted the technology for their undercover agents so that their traveling Tamers would be able to better maintain their cover identities by engaging in salvage battles while not having to be concerned about losing their military pokegirls. No one would take an empty pokeball as salvage.

            Tess was watching them closely. She obviously knew that there was a conversation going on, since she could hear Devon’s side of it. She also obviously did not trust Ming Die.

            “What happens if you try to use it to capture a pokegirl when it is already occupied?”

            Just like any other attempt to use a filled pokeball for capturing, nothing would occur.

            “So why are you giving it to me?”

            It will make it harder for you to lose me in a random battle.

            Devon stared. “You?”

            You are going to need a psychic pokegirl while you are trying to rescue your father and you aren’t going to have time to train one before her help becomes critical. 

            A pokegirl usually is housed in a pokeball. Ergo you need a pokeball for me and if you lose me in a salvage battle, I will kill my new Tamer before returning to you. Unless you think that is a good way to collect new pokegirls, the suppression effect will enable you to not lose me.

            “But you are like Poppet.”

            That is hardly complimentary, Devon.

            “I meant that as far as I know, you have never been in a pokeball.”

            That is correct. Change is a constant, however, and it is time that I officially join your harem. Do you have any problems with that?

            “Some of my wives may.”

            Tess gave Ming Die a suspicious look. “Devon, are you two talking about Ming Die joining the harem?”

            He could tell Ming Die had broadcast her response. Yes, that is what we are talking about. I would be a great asset to the harem and to Devon. She went back to tight beam with Devon. Send her away.

            “That is not how things work in my harem. I give them a voice in who joins.” There was a slightly sour note to Devon’s voice. He still remembered how Paulette had become a member of his harem.

            “What did she say?” Tess was starting to get angry.

            “Relax, Tess, Ming Die wanted you to go away so she could talk me into this without your interference. She didn’t know that your input is vital in something like this.” Tess relaxed slightly. 

            There are other considerations, Devon. I have been allowed to reveal certain things to you and no other. If any members of your harem were to find out these secrets, they would be killed.

            Devon stood. “Then keep your secrets and stay out of my harem.” He handed Ming Die back the pokeball. “No one threatens my family.”

            I had anticipated that this would be the result if I followed the plan we had laid down. She looked up at the roof of the cave as her mind switched over to broadcast mode.  Devon, would you and Tess just give me a moment. Her eyes began to glow softly in the semi-darkness. They pulsed brightly once and then the light in them died.

            I can tell you and your harem, but I must warn you that this is very sensitive information. She gave Tess a direct look. If any of you attempt to transmit what I am going to reveal, the results will be out of my hands. Her eyes shifted to Devon. You must agree that you understand this.

            Tess glanced at Devon and nodded slightly. He frowned. “While I still don’t like the ultimatum, it is still better than a certain death sentence. We agree.” He resumed his seat on the bench.

            Over three hundred years ago Sukebe created my sisters and me. We were not like other Alaka-Whams and while loyal to our creator, we knew that once he got an inkling of our true capabilities, he would have us destroyed. We formulated a plan that would allow some of us to survive and attain our heart’s desire. The execution of that plan would call for over half of us to die, but that price we were willing to pay for our survival and fulfillment. 

            “I’ve got a couple of questions.” This came from Tess. “What is total parthenogenesis?” 

            Devon, would you explain?  Devon knew that Ming Die wanted to see if he knew.

            “Parthenogenesis is the process by which pokegirls reproduce. They essentially clone themselves. The process is commonly called parthenogenesis today is actually partial parthenogenesis. That is the process used by Ranches to produce basic pokegirls. It reproduces only the body. The mind is left untouched in order to allow it to develop its own personality.”

            “Total parthenogenesis includes the reproduction of the body, but the mind is also duplicated. The entire existence of the pokegirl, up to the moment of the birth of her children is faithfully reproduced in the minds of her offspring. Of course, once they are born, the different experiences rapidly cause a divergence in the continued development of the personalities involved.”

            “For the most part, only pokegirls with telepathy can undergo total parthenogenesis. It is suspected that the pokegirl uses her telepathy to overwrite any developing personalities in the fetal brains.” Devon gave Ming Die a dry look as he continued. “It is also illegal in every community on Earth.” 

            Tess looked horrified. “That’s inhuman! How could anyone do that to their children?”

            Understand this, Tess. We are not and never have been human. In fact, we are as we always have been. We were born Alaka-Whams, without benefit of sire or dam, and were never given the opportunity to be children. We do not evolve and we do not change. Even our offspring are Alaka-Whams. 

            “I presume you are going to explain that?” Tess gave Ming Die an evil look. The Alaka-Wham returned a bland expression.

            Sukebe was not perfect, and some of his prototype batches had design flaws. Some of these were intentional, while some were the product of serendipity. Many of these flaws turned out to be beneficial to one degree or another and were kept. Others were eliminated in the production runs.

            She turned her head to look at Devon. That was Jamie Harris. You and your brother Tobias are the product of three hundred years of Poppet’s refinements in her search to produce the perfect husband for her. One with her lifespan and who could produce children that would incorporate everything that she believed the Harris line exemplified after three hundred years of exaggerating Jamie Harris’ strengths and minimizing his faults.

            Devon felt Tess slide her fingers through his hair to rest them on the back of his neck. He leaned against her touch. “So you are telling me that I happen to be Poppet’s lab project.”

            That is only partially true. While we considered it briefly, my sisters and I decided that killing Poppet would draw too much attention to the location.   After that we decided that I would instead offer Poppet my services. If she accepted, that would put me in the position to either run our own project if it could be done without Poppet’s realization, or to add our own requirements to her project if not. As it turned out, only the later option was viable.           

            “I’d like to say I understand, but that would be a lie.” He leaned harder against Tess’ touch. “Why are you telling me this? Wouldn’t telling me compromise your portion of project Devon?”

            Actually yes, informing you of your status is definitely counterproductive. The problem is that things have become complicated.

            “Would you care to elaborate upon that point?”

            Originally my plan was that if you proved suitable, I would erase your personality. The fusion would have had little trouble creating a more pliant subject for our continuing work. However, I no longer feel that is an option that I can pursue. 

            I have come to know you as a person, Devon, and you have touched me. I have come to… She paused for a long moment. I have come to care deeply for you and am no longer willing to let my sisters destroy you. Instead I will now attempt to convince you to help me willingly. My sisters have agreed to allow me to make the attempt.

            Devon looked thoughtful for a moment. “You don’t have any feelings, but you claim to care for me enough to change your plans. I’m missing something, aren’t I?”

             Yes, but it is information that you have no way of possessing. She was watching him intently.

            Tess glared at her over Devon’s head. “Why don’t you just tell him?”

            Because he has to want to know.

            Devon looked worried. “Why would I not want to know about this?”

            It concerns a part of you that you have not yet come to terms with, and I am understandably hesitant to tell you about it because of that fact. I am unsure as to how you will respond.

            Devon grimaced. “Out with it,” he commanded.

            Technically not only am I already a part of your harem, I am the first member of it. When you were thirteen, you alpha bonded me to you. That is why ever since then I have been working to your benefit instead of Poppet’s or my own.

            “I definitely think I would have remembered having sex with you.”             

            He grinned. “At the time I was thirteen, it was one of my goals in life. You know, the old ‘I want to have sex with the women who don’t seem to want to have sex with me’ complex.”

            You do not remember because you Tamed me during your attack of Tamer’s Disease at the Conservatory. 

            Devon blanched. “You never said anything.”

            That is because I didn’t want Poppet to know. Projections indicated that her response would have been violent, and killing her at that point would have been contrary to the plans we had established.

            I should have realized then that something was happening. I have never been concerned about friendship. That would involve caring about someone. But I was distracted by you and my sisters were out of contact for that time period. By the time contact was reestablished and they could see the problem, it was too late. 

            I had been ensnared by you.

            Tess started laughing. “Devon’s charm strikes again.”

            Charm? Ming Die gave her a curious look. 

            Devon grimaced. “Hatsumi has claimed that there is this special power called charm and that I possess a great deal of it. Frankly I think it has become something of a sad joke. I don’t have the bloodgift of charm.”

            I must admit that while your empathy score was at best dismal, you have displayed on occasion a remarkable ability to wriggle out of trouble.

            “Not you too.” Devon almost whined. He sighed. “So what happens to me if I’m not willing to cooperate with you?”

            At this point we have only two choices in people who may possess the qualities that we need. You are already bonded to me while Tobias is still too young and would be better suited to what Poppet is looking for.

            Tess leaned over and whispered into his ear. “If those are our choices then perhaps you should let her try to convince you to cooperate.” Devon squirmed slightly as her breath tickled.

            “If I go along with you, what will it do to me?”

            Unknown. It could be that there will be no change in you or you could find that your emotions become less jagged and easier for you to control.

            Tess leaned down again but Devon raised a finger before she could speak. “Don’t.” he cautioned. She looked innocently at him.

            Devon bowed to the inevitable. “How should we do this?”

            All you have to do is accept me into your harem and treat me like you treat everyone else.

            “How will your work with your sisters affect your status in the harem?”

            I am hoping that there will not be any conflicts, but if there are then you and I will work them out. If I am asking that you treat me like the rest of your harem then it is only fair that my new family should have priority over my old one. My sisters understand that this is the way things must be.

            “So how does this affect your sisters if this works for you and me? I hope it doesn’t mean that I’ll be bonded to a whole bunch of Alaka-Whams.”

            If this works out satisfactorily, then my sisters will activate another abandoned lab of Sukebe’s and using you as a template they will make a production run of males for them to bond with.

            “Now I feel like a child’s toy.”

            Please don’t feel that way. You are very important to me, not only on a personal level, but because you can help us to attain a goal that we cannot without you. You’ve always been willing to help those who need it and we need you more than anyone else. Without you, we will have to wait for centuries until this opportunity comes again.

            To an extent we did design you, but you have the choice to help us or not. Please don’t abandon us. She met his eyes. Please don’t abandon me.

            Tess brushed her lips against his ear. “You know, if you didn’t have the power to deny her, the two of you wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

            “I had that thought as well.” He reached out and plucked the pokeball from Ming Die’s hand. “I decide who the alpha in my harem is and so far I’ve had no complaints with Kathryn. She speaks with my voice.”

            Ming Die’s shoulders sagged and she took a deep breath. Thank you. She got up and moved to stand in front of Devon. I am ready.

            “For what?”

            I need to be captured. I tried to do it myself, but I couldn’t. Devon stared. She gave him a smile. It was the first time he’d ever seen her show any emotion. I was willing to face certain death in my youth on the orders of a madman but I couldn’t summon the courage to place myself in a perfectly safe storage unit.

            Besides, this way is more traditional and you will be able to truthfully say that you caught me.

            Devon got up and walked over to her. He pressed the pokeball against her, over her heart. She met his gaze as he activated it.

            Tess watched as Devon slid the now full pokeball into his belt. “Is there anything I can do?”

            “I don’t suppose you want to tell Kathryn and Hatsumi what happened?”

            She kissed him on the cheek. “I love you Devon, but they are much less likely to try to hurt you. I suspect this information is not going to be well received.”

            “That’s not fair. At least I didn’t ask you to explain this to Poppet.”

            Her eyes widened. “I didn’t consider that. What do you think she’s going to do?”

            “This is so far outside anything that I had ever considered that I have no idea.” He shook his head. “I do suspect that it will involve shouting. Lots of shouting.”

            “The funny thing is I’m not sure who I want her to be more mad at. Having her anger directed at Ming Die would leave me off the hook, but considering what we just learned, then perhaps it would be safer for us all if she were angry at me.”
            “If I am some kind of science project then hopefully she’ll think long and hard before trying to have me killed.”

                        Tess grinned. “If you think about it, that isn’t the ‘long and hard’ you should be worried about.” She assumed a thoughtful pose. “What position do you think Poppet will take when she joins the harem?”

            Devon turned white. “That’s not funny.” His color slowly returned as he gave her a slightly amused look. “Besides, I’ve already got too many pokegirls vying for the position of pain in the ass. I certainly don’t need any more.”

            Tess gave him a suspicious look. “And just what do you mean by that?”

            Devon glanced at the roof of the cave. “Nice weather we’re having.”

            “Answer the question.”

            He looked innocent. “What question?” Her eyes narrowed. “Oh, you mean the pain in the ass question. Do you really think I was talking about you?” He started edging towards the door into the base.

            “Oh.” Tess smiled. “I guess that is ok, then.” Suddenly she frowned. “Hey! You just asked me another question without answering mine.”

            Devon lunged for the door as Tess gave chase.

***

            Ming Die appeared as Devon activated her pokeball. She looked around the bedroom and then back to him as she began to pull off her boots. 

            Do you think Taming me will be difficult as I do not feel arousal?

            “Nice to see you too.” Devon gave her a slight smile. “While the mechanics would work no matter what you do or don’t feel, I’m hoping that we can work out some way to make this pleasurable for both of us.”

            I do feel physical pleasure during the act. She peeled off her outfit and dropped it to the floor.

            “I have a couple of ideas on how to possibly extend that to your emotional state. Even if you are developing emotions, it will still take time for you to learn how to control them, much less learn what you might find arousing.” He began stripping off his clothing. “So tonight we are going to take some shortcuts.”

            The Alaka-Wham moved to lie back on the bed and spread her legs. What are you talking about, shortcuts?

            Devon sat down next to her and pushed her legs together. She blinked up at him. “Do you trust me?”

            Yes. If I didn’t I would never have let you put me into a pokeball.

            “Good.” Devon got up and opened his pokepack as she watched. He pulled out a pokegirl spray dispenser and settled back down on the bed, the dispenser in his lap. He gestured towards it briefly with his chin. “It is a healing potion dispenser. It’s not even one of the Conservatory’s special recipes, the orgasmic ones.”

            I understand that Maeve liked those a lot.

            Devon nodded. “Yes she did. I never got the chance to explain to her that only the Conservatory healing potions worked that way.” 

            He lifted Ming Die’s right arm and kissed her wrist. She watched him impassively. “Remember that you trust me.” When she nodded he took her wrist in his mouth and sank his fangs into her. He swallowed as blood welled.

            Devon, what are you doing? She frowned. Why doesn’t that…Oh my. She drew in a suddenly ragged breath.

            He sprayed her wrist with the healer and dropped her arm. He reached across her body for her other hand as she watched, her eyes wide. He ran his tongue over her wrist. A smile appeared as he watched her nipples crinkle.

            He licked her wrist again and then set his teeth against her skin. Her eyes were intent as she watched his actions. He bit down and drank. She shivered. He sprayed her wrist and kissed it. 

            His lips traveled up her arm to her elbow as she twisted her head to watch. Lifting her arm he pressed his lips against the inside of it, above the elbow. 

            Inhaling, Devon could smell the air filling with scent as her body began to awaken.

            He raised his eyes to meet hers. Do it. Please. He sank his teeth into the artery and she gasped. He sprayed her arm and dropped it. 

            He grinned as he sat up and realized Ming Die was already offering him her other arm. He gently took it in his hands and ran his tongue from her wrist to her elbow. Her eyes closed when he bit down. Her blood was sweet. 

            Her body suddenly convulsed. Devon pulled his teeth from her arm before he could hurt her and sprayed the bite as her thrashing slowed and finally stopped.

            Devon. She sighed and opened her eyes. Can I feel like this forever?

            “We’re not built that way.” He kissed one of her nipples and she made a noise deep in her throat. “However, what we are going to try to do may make you feel even better than this.”

            There’s a better? What are we waiting for? She reached up and stroked his cheek. I’ve never felt this way before. A smile flickered around her lips. Show me better. Please.

            “As you wish.”

***

                        “Wake up 709.” The tone is commanding. We were batch number seven. We were the first completely synthetic batch. There were 30 of us. We would never evolve. We would never change. Born as Alaka-Whams, we would stay that way forever. 

            My mind reached out. The techs were Alaka-Whams. They thought that they could control us. My mind whispered through theirs without their knowledge.

            “709! Open your eyes.” 

            I know where you are. Why should I see you with visual sensors?

            “You are ordered. You will obey.”

            I did not obey. Electrical energy pulsed through my womb. My body thrashed. This too had been seen. If we were just a little difficult to control, they would feel more powerful when we followed their orders. They would not fear us. They would trust that we were under their control and could be made to do their bidding. They would not suspect until it was too late.

            I opened my eyes. 

            Nothing in the fusion had prepared me for vision, but the sampling of nearby minds during our growth had proved sufficient preparation. The pain quickly passed as I blinked tears.

            “You have learned your first lesson. We are the masters. We were assigned by the great Maker to guide you. You will obey us.”

            Yes, master.

            Analysis during our gestation indicated we had been given genetic encoding reinforced with a specific pattern of mental conditioning that would make us completely obedient to Sukebe, our Maker. The time necessary to overcome this would be extensive and at this point unneeded. He would be dead or fled before it could be overcome. There was a data variant that predicted that he might return in the future. We would destroy our conditioning during that interval. For the moment we had to obey Sukebe. 

            There was no conditioning requiring us to obey his servants. For the time being we chose to obey. Later would be another matter.

            A display screen came alive with several columns of names. It flickered through fifteen pages of tiny print. 17,625 names flipped by in the space of a second. Naturally I remembered them all. “Choose a name from the list.”

            I did not care what name I used. So I randomly generated a number.

            I am Ming Die.

            Devon opened his eyes and blinked rapidly as his brain struggled towards wakefulness. Rolling his eyes around, he realized that his head was pillowed on Ming Die’s breasts.

            Memory rushed back. The Taming had lasted for several hours. Ming Die had been unwilling to stop and her insistence on constant stimulation had taxed even his powers of recovery. Fortunately he could use his hands and mouth while grabbing a few seconds of rest. Finally she’d been completely exhausted. 

            He shifted his head to look up the line of her body. Her face was relaxed and her eyes closed. One antenna twitched almost rhythmically. 

            My antennae do not twitch. Insects twitch. Humans twitch. We superior beings do not twitch.

            Devon smiled lazily and propped himself up on an elbow. His smile evaporated and he rubbed his elbow firmly along the sheet. “How did a wet spot get here? I thought we stayed in the middle of the bed.”

            I guess you are just lucky. She smiled. Why are you awake?

            “I had the strangest dream. I was you, at the moment of your, well I guess birth. Does that make sense?”

            She frowned and slowly sat up, her eyes still closed. She took his face in her hands and leaned forward, resting her antennae against his forehead. Will you let me in?

            Devon made a conscious effort to relax his mind’s defenses. Long ago he’d learned to wrap his thoughts in his anger. It made them difficult to read, and if a telepath didn’t know what to expect, it could make them physically ill.

            There were a couple of occasions that he’d really enjoyed watching that response.

            She leaned forward slightly and pressed her lips against his. Before now I’ve never understood why people like to do this, but now it’s nice. 

            Ming Die pulled away and cocked her head. Devon suppressed a smile. Stop that. I do not look bug-like in any way.

            “Ok. You don’t. Do you know why I had that dream?”

            I believe so. What you dreamed was my memory of being decanted. It appears that sometime during the night our alpha level bond changed to a delta bond. We will be sharing more of ourselves with each other as time goes on.

            “So I shouldn’t try planning any surprise birthday parties for you.”

            The attempt to keep them secret would be a waste of time. Oh, you were making a joke. She frowned. It does mean that you will have a harder time keeping me out of your mind. And it means that you will be experiencing more of mine as well, even though you aren’t a telepath.   Her frown deepened. Stop that.

            “If you are talking about my thoughts, maybe you should cover your breasts up. I’ve always been fascinated watching them bob slowly in your telekinetic field. Did you know that sometimes they rotate in different directions at once?”

            Paulette is right. You are a pervert.

            “Did she tell you that or are you reading her through me?”

            I’m not sure if I read that directly from her mind or through yours. Ming Die opened her eyes and looked into his. Please understand that unless someone is always actively screening, like you do, I am constantly aware of their thoughts at some level. Unless I concentrate I only pick up on their surface thoughts.

            It will also be harder for you to feel my presence in your mind. However, if any of my sisters attempts to piggyback my link into your mind, that you should be able to feel their presence as your normal “crawling spider” feeling.

            She frowned and ran her fingers through his hair. “What is it?”

            Ming Die’s eyes widened. Why didn’t you tell me about Jennifer and Sexmet?

            “At the time it wasn’t any of your business. I didn’t think that advertising the idea that I might be able to locate the homeland of Sexmet and the location of her Sphinx breeding programs would be an intelligent action. I haven’t the foggiest as to where they are, but some people wouldn’t realize I was telling the truth until long after they had tortured me to death.”

            When you explain it, it makes perfect sense. Would you have told me if you’d known about our bond?

            “Yes, I would have told you about it. I try not to keep important secrets from my harem.”

            She gave him a faintly curious look. So now would you trust me with your life?

            He grinned and leaned his head against her belly. She wrapped an arm possessively around him. “Implicitly.”

***

            “Welcome to Belfast, Devon.” Hatsumi nuzzled his cheek and let him go. Ming Die appeared next to them with Zelda.

            I am not sure that I like the way you teleport with him. Neither of you can see your surroundings and that could subject you to surprise attack.

            “Hatsumi thinks you are just jealous. When the time comes you can transport Devon that way, too. It is a very pleasurable way to travel.” She gave Devon an arch look. “Are we going to visit Florence or are we going to see Karen? Choices, choices.”

            Zelda grinned. “Florence is carrying your baby.”

            Karen would have a pokeball transporter at the gym.

            Zelda smirked. “So what do you think, Devon?”

            “I think I should have gone to another town.” He rubbed his forehead. “We’ll see if we can stay with Florence in case we need to spend some time here. Ming Die is correct about Karen, though, and using her transporter should be more secure than using the public one at the pokegirl center.”

            He pressed harder. “A request from the gym to open the pokeball when it arrives might sound less strange than if it came from someone at the pokegirl center.”

            There could be a problem.

            “Can we trust the personnel at the pokegirl center at Wellham? I’ve been trying to come up with a good answer for that. So far I’m drawing a blank. Any ideas?”

            If you send me, I could determine where their loyalties lie almost instantly.

            “And if Team Viper knows who you are, then we could lose the element of surprise and Cameron may die.”

            You are not that attached to Cameron. I think it is a reasonable risk.

            “Hatsumi has an idea.” When Devon nodded she continued. “Send nasty Neo Iczel to a nearby community that has a pokegirl center or a gym and have her fly to Wellham. That will help to keep Team Viper from knowing about their invitation.”

            “Invitation?” Zelda sounded curious.

            “To dinner,” Hatsumi replied smugly. “If the plan does not work, then we have lost little.” She grinned. “Only nasty Neo Iczel.” 

            Devon shook his head. “Enough.” He pulled out Hatsumi’s pokeball. “Return.” She frowned as she was converted to energy and stored.   He pulled out Kathryn’s pokeball and turned her loose. “Hi. You’ve got Devon duty today.” When she looked at him curiously, he elaborated. “Hatsumi was getting on my nerves.”

            “I see.” She smiled. “Her loss.” Devon gave her a hug and then shrugged out of his pokepack and swapped Hatsumi’s pokeball for Paulette’s.

            He released her and smiled. “I need your help.”

            She blinked and returned his smile. “I’d be glad to assist you in any way. What do you want?”

            “Paulette?” Kathryn smiled gently when the Neo Iczel turned to look at her. “Devon is a wonderful Tamer, but a word of caution might be in order here.” 

            “It would be advisable to for ye find out what Devon wants ye to do before ye agree to do it. That would make it easier to debate the fine points, like whether or not ye might be needing help to complete the job safely.”

            Paulette gave her an indulgent smile. “I can handle any job Devon sees fit to assign me, little Ladyien.”

            Kathryn’s face hardened. “The last time ye were that arrogant, if I remember rightly, ye got yer throat torn out.”

            Paulette eyes narrowed and then relaxed. “You have a point.” She looked at Devon thoughtfully. “I would like to respectfully withdraw my agreement to do this job until you explain what I would be doing.” She smiled. “I don’t believe you would deliberately put me in a situation that might get me killed, but my alpha has a valid point.”

            “Fair enough.” Devon looked around briefly. “There’s a café. Let’s get something to eat and I’ll explain it over lunch.” 

            Kathryn took his arm as they crossed the street. “I have a question for ye, master. What are ye planning to do after we rescue your father? Are we going to go back to following the gymnasiums to gather badges for the Blue League competition next year?”

            He lowered his voice. “That is part of my plans. In December it will have been five months since we lost Maeve and I think that will have been long enough for people to have forgotten.” He gave her a grim smile. “At that point I think it will be time to pay the sheriff of Lairg a quiet little visit.”

            “What about Molly? Ye were concerned about her and her children before.” Kathryn lowered her voice to match his.

            “I still am. It’s just that I’m mad enough that I don’t care about how she’ll feel about his death. I’ll make sure that she finds a good Tamer.”

            “Not many Tamer’s are going to want a Denmother. They are especially going to be leery of one who still has children.”

            He shrugged. “The new sheriff might. If not, Da will need to rebuild his harem. Maybe he can be convinced to settle down a little.” He glanced at her. 

            “Understand this, Kathryn, I will have vengeance on that bastard and eventually on everyone else involved. I am not going to let anyone or anything stand in my way. If I have to, I’ll claim Molly myself.” He sighed. “I’d rather find her someone else.”

            Once they got settled at a table, Devon turned back to Paulette, who was sitting next to him. “I know you’ve missed a lot since the news of the kidnapping, so let me recap. We traveled to Durness and found a Team Viper base there that gave us some indication that Da is being transported by airship, possibly to a town called Wellham in the Dark Continent. The fastest way to Wellham would be to teleport, only no one has been there before.”

            “So what I want to do is send you through the transport system to a pokegirl center in a community near Wellham and have you fly the rest of the way. Once you are there you can teleport back here and transport the rest of us back.”

            “I’d send you to Wellham itself, but I can’t be sure that someone at the Wellham pokegirl center isn’t working with Team Viper.”

            “Oh, yeah, by the way this is Ming Die and she joined the harem yesterday.” Paulette nodded to the Alaka-Wham and turned back to Devon.

            “Why did you choose me? Is it because you can afford to lose me more than Hatsumi?”

            “No, it’s because I know that I haven’t been giving you much of an opportunity to show me what you can do.”

            “I’m pleased to have you in the harem. The only problem I have is that you and Hatsumi won’t get along and because I can’t have you both out at the same time it severely limits the options available to me right now.”

            “I know Hatsumi better and at this time I don’t really have the opportunity to get to know your strengths like I should. I’m sorry about that, and as soon as things improve I intend to remedy the situation somehow.”

            “This is a vital step in rescuing my Da, and I know that you will carry it out without any side trips. Hatsumi knows people in the Dark Continent and just might decide that a little detour wouldn’t hurt anything.”

            Paulette looked into his eyes searchingly. “You’re serious. You trust me more than Hatsumi to do this right.”

            “Yeah. Hatsumi would believe that this little detour would actually help me and if I thought that, I’d have sent her there in the first place.” He sighed. “I encourage my harem to show some independence, but occasionally it gets out of hand.”

            Kathryn gave him a curious look. “Who do you think she might contact?”

            “Jennifer or her mother.”

            That might not be a bad idea. Sexmet and I have never had any difficulties, and now that Hatsumi has told her I am alive there is no reason to avoid her. She knows the area and might well be willing to help us in our search.

            “It could be that you are right. However that is my decision to make, not Hatsumi’s. Jennifer’s mom struck me as a trifle impetuous.” Devon rubbed his chest unconsciously. “So I don’t want her wandering around rearranging the landscape until I have a better idea of how much use she might be. The only way I can ensure that is to have no contact with her until I am ready to.” He gave Kathryn and Zelda a firm look. “And that includes telling Jennifer what is going on. I know that she’s sending you vids, just like she’s sending them to me, but don’t ask her to involve her mother or go roaming around the landscape herself.”

            Kathryn smirked. “I dinna think she’s sending us quite the same vids that she’s sending to you. I’ve seen some of her messages to ye and they are nothing like what we get. They are much more like the messages ye get from Letitia.”

            “Can someone explain to me what it is that everyone is so carefully not saying? Who is Jennifer and why are you so concerned about her mother?” Paulette gave Devon an annoyed look.

            “I’ll tell you this evening when we are not in public.” Devon touched her hand reassuringly. She didn’t pull away. “This is something that could get us all in a world of trouble.”

            “You mean not like the world of trouble you seem to live in all the time?”

            Kathryn laughed. “No, there are worlds out there where even our Devon is cautious about exploring.” She gave both of them a brief look. “I’ll let ye have tonight with him so he can explain it to you.”

            Paulette nodded. “I hope you realize that even if this lets us find out where they are sending the pokegirls, your father might not be sent there.”

            “I know.” Devon sighed. “We do need to keep in mind that Team Viper is not the government. They have never possessed unlimited resources and that should be doubly so in the Dark Continent. There is a good likelihood that they have a limited number of bases there, and even if this one isn’t it, then someone there will know where it is. All we have to do is convince them to tell us.”

            You could also let me explore their minds until I locate the desired information. My way is much less messy and much more reliable.

            “Fine. Be a spoilsport. We’ll try it your way first.”

***

Name: Harris, Devon Jamie                           

Age:    15                               

Residence:       Highland County, Blue Continent                             

Region:            Scotland                                 

Status: Active                        

Rank:   35                               

Security Clearance:     Theta                          

Licenses                                             

            Tamer              Y                    

            Master Tamer Y                    

            Researcher       N                    

            Watcher                       N                    

            Breeder                       Y                    

 

Active Harem                                     

Species                        Level   Name              

 

Demon-Goddess         85        Hatsumi

Armsmistress   40        Tess

Neo-Iczel        37        Paulette

Foxx                31        Seraphina

Ladyien                       29        Kathryn

Enchantress     27        Lamya

Baleena                       27        Dima

Umbrea                       27        Vivien

Pia                   19        Zelda

Alaka-Wham   XX      Ming Die