Hiscalm, unemotional face grew even calmer as he relaxed all his facial muscles.
“Iam ready to hear your recent Vision.”
Ilifted my left forearm and swiped the E-band screen, sending the holo report tothe first table screen on the right. The holo projection of my torso appearedabove the table, bringing some color to the white surroundings.
Pale oval face, high cheekbones, and long, dark grayhair.
Likeall other Senthiens, my eyes were bright green with the whites lightly green aswell. The only unusual things about my face were my lips. Senthiens normally haddark, almost purplish, thin lips. But mine were soft, red, and full.
Iglanced at Dr. Zamnan from the corner of my eyes and automatically pressed mylips together to make them look thinner.
Themonotonous voice of my report recording echoed slightly in the library roomuntil it was finished, and the projection disappeared.
Dr.Zamnan Second still looked at the empty white holo screen.
Ikept watching him, but he didn’t move. I realized there was something else thatmade Booleans so unusual: they never blink. I felt a slight shiver rising up myback, but my face remained calm.
Dr.Zamnan Second slowly turned his head toward me but didn’t say anything.
“Isthis information helpful?” I asked.
“Atthe moment, I do not have the knowledge to confirm your Vision. Our instituteis free of any problematic issues.”
“Arethere any experiments currently being conducted that relate to the Mind?”
“TheMind is the property of Loreans. It holds no interest for us. Did all yourVisions come to be?”
Iremembered the Vision I had this morning—the dream—and after aslight delay, I said, “All the reported Visions have come to pass. But I havenot reported a large number of Visions as of yet. I am still developing myskills.”
“Yes.Understandable. You are still young,” he said. “Did you communicate this toanyone in the Zlathar Council?”
“TheZlathar Council received this report, as they normally do, but I have notreceived any query from them for a holo communication.”
“Ofcourse,” he said, but his face tightened. “There is no reason to.”
Hestepped toward the exit, indicating that I should follow him. My visit here, Irealized, was coming to an end. As the door slid open, I asked, “Is there aspecific reason you have Humans on your premises?”
Helooked at me suddenly. “Humans?”
“Isaw a group of Humans passing in the corridor while awaiting your arrival.”
“Youare mistaken. We do not have Humans anywhere in our institute. These premisesare clear of all impurity. You did not see Humans.”
“Itwas then certainly a mistake,” I said, my voice as flat as I could make it. Istepped in front of him into the corridor and Dr. Zamnan joined me. He turnedtoward me and spread his lips wide into a typical Boolean smile.
“Thankyou for sharing your Vision with us. I regret that this had to be the firstinaccurate one. I am confident that you will have many more true futureVisions.”
Asa new TA approached, he said, “TA-3279 will accompany you to our portingchamber.”
“Thankyou for receiving me today. It was a pleasure to communicate with you.”
Hebowed slightly in response, and I bowed back. Then he turned around and walkedin the opposite direction. Soon all I could see, looking back at him wearingall white, was a black head with a long, thin braid floating through the whitehallway.
“VisionaireDasnan?”
Iturned toward the TA, who looked exactly like the woman who had fetched me fromthe porting chamber.
“Please,follow me,” she said and started walking back to the chamber.
Iwalked next to her, ignoring her strange sideways glare and making sure my faceremained calm.
Myhead was full of questions. Zamnan wasn’t telling the truth. None of theDescendants had such pigmentation in their skin as the women I had seen. Andthose were not Descendants. They had to be Zema4 inhabitants.
Wearrived at the chamber, and TA-3279 opened the door for me.
“Thankyou for visiting our institute. Please, come back again.”
“Thankyou for your hospitality. May Torquemada Joseph Nadraque watch over you,” Isaid in the traditional way, then walked into the small chamber and turnedaround to face the doors.
TheBoolean smiled a thin, flat smile, and the doors closed.
Istretched my shoulders from their stiff position and looked around. Thischamber was wide enough to allow for the teleportation of five individuals withtheir needed IP space. Although it seemed spacious to port only one person, thischamber was the smallest in its dimensions. Portation chambers came in sizes ofsuch magnitude that they could hold an entire battle cruiser with itsaccompanying fleet.
Thewalls and ceiling, as well as the floor of the chamber, were all covered in semitransparentrosenquartz tiles, each with an intricate pattern of APC chips intertwined in theirstructure.
“Theport number 445-76-498-02 to porting gate 164’55’16 will begin in threepasses,” the female voice of the computer announced.
Ifolded my arms on my chest, preparing myself for the process. It was not asunpleasant as an E-shower, although it did something far more radical. Thefeeling resembled the return of blood flow to an arm that had fallen asleep inan awkward position. But this experience wasn’t limited to just an arm; itaffected the whole body.
Thepleasant rose lighting of the chamber dimmed to give way to the dark purple hueof the transfer itself as the complex energy field coordination and power cyclesof the porting process began.
Chapter 2
“Welcome back to Senthia, Dora Dana Dasnan,”the female AI voice of the porting chamber announced. “It is sixteen hours and twenty-threepasses.”
Ishivered once, shaking off the aftermath of the port. The chamber took on asoft rose hue once more, and the doors slid open. I walked into a largetubelike corridor, brightly lit by rows of ceiling lights, busy with people.
Istopped, thinking of what to do next. Then I turned to the right and with firmsteps walked to the Data Center Hall, passing the open entrances to NatureHall, E-Fitness Hall, and Interactive Coupling Hall.
TheDC Hall was large, three stories of galleries with transparent walls overlookinga central reception area.
Iwalked to the counter, and the woman lifted her gaze to me.
“Goodday at Senthia. How can we help you?”
Partof her job description was to smile, and it never faltered. Her eyes were gray,her hair short and platinum blonde, and although she was sitting, her face
