But when they had sought to invade other Modes, the dominant cultures of those had taken action. The humans in most Modes were isolated on their home planet, causing trouble only to the creatures there; only in this Mode had they mastered the elusive secrets of super-science that enabled them to spread out and molest the larger galaxy. The creatures of other Modes had an ancient compact which prevented them from committing genocide in any single Mode. So they isolated this Mode by sterilizing the adjacent Modes and barring any contact from beyond. So it had been for a thousand years.
That explained what he and Provos had seen on the way here. “But then how did this come to be an anchor Mode for our Virtual Mode?”
“We can only conjecture,” Cat said. “The lives of empires are long, but the lives of individual creatures are short. Some creature must have become careless, and not been watching when your Virtual Mode was instituted. In fact, the possession of a Chip by human beings in any Mode constitutes a violation of the proscription. It seems likely that in due course this error will be corrected, and human beings will be confined again, to either their conquered Mode or their individual world in other Modes.”
“Unless Ddwng succeeds in getting his hands on the Chip in my Mode first,” Darius said. “Then he will spread his minions across many Modes in a hurry, making it impossible to isolate them without doing enormous damage to innocent creatures.”
“This I suspect is the strategy,” Cat agreed.
“I see why he wants my Chip.” Darius was careful not to mention that it was only one of many in his Mode, evidently a forgotten horde. “But why is he giving me ten days to make up my mind? Surely time is of the essence.”
“Ddwng is competent, and comes from a lineage of competent emperors. He is surely doing what is most advantageous to his purpose, considering all factors. It may be that the risks of forcing the issue rapidly are worse than those of giving you time, despite the danger of having the error discovered. Perhaps it is unlikely that the error will be noted until the Chip begins to be exploited. But it seems that the Emperor is not willing to risk too much time, as he has set the limit.”
That reminded Darius of the threat against Colene. Evidently Ddwng didn’t know that she was suicidal, so that he was unlikely to get any long servitude from her if she didn’t like it. But the nature of the threat was perplexing. “Why have her ovaries cut out? There are surely more painful tortures that would not disfigure her.”
“She would not be disfigured,” it said. “The surgery would be painless. Torture is done not by mutilation, but by infliction of harmless pain.”
“Harmless pain! How can that be?”
Cat got up and went to another panel. It opened, and from it, it took a small disk. “This is a pain control. It is attuned to you, so that it will not affect you. But it will cause discomfort in any other person, whether human or null, within its range, to whatever degree you choose. This dial sets the level.”
“Harmless pain?” Darius repeated.
“You may demonstrate it on me if you wish. However I must caution you that if you do not wish to render me unconscious, do not turn it to the highest range.”
“Demonstrate it on you? I have no wish to hurt you, and what would it prove? Demonstrate it on me.”
“This is a thing I may not do, for I think you do not understand what you are asking.”
“Set it at the minimum level, and show me how to turn it on. And how to detune it so that it affects me as well as you.”
“This setting will detune it,” Cat said. “This is the minimum level.” It moved the dial. “This activates it.”
Darius touched the detune setting. Then he turned it on.
Abruptly he experienced an ugly feeling. It was as if he were just coming down with a fever: a malaise not yet incapacitating, but a harbinger of worse to come.
He looked at Cat, who seemed unaffected. “You feel it too?”
“Yes. But I am accustomed to it.”
Darius moved the dial. The discomfort increased. His body began to shake, and sweat appeared on his skin. His breathing became irregular. “You feel this?”
“Yes.” The Feline did look a bit uncomfortable, but not nearly as much so as Darius felt.
He nudged it up farther. It felt as if he were walking into a furnace which was heating his bones, causing them to swell. and split. Yet he was only three notches up, on a scale of ten.
He turned it off. “It is effective,” he agreed. “And I do seem to feel no aftereffect. I can see that this would be effective for discipline. But that leaves my question: why do surgery on Colene?”
“That is a prerequisite to demoting her to servant status,” Cat said. “Humans, unlike nulls, are capable of reproduction. On colony planets they still do it naturally; on the more civilized worlds they do it via the birth banks. Once her valuable human eggs are safe, she can be treated in any manner. This is expected to cause you distress.”
“It does,” Darius said. “I don’t want any part of her removed, and I want to be with her myself. But surely there are many human women in this Mode; why take the eggs from Colene?”
“The human genetic pool has been highly refined and modified,” it said. “As you can see by the manner that we nulls have been crafted from the leftover parts of it. No human suffers from genetic maladies; none grow fat or weak or are stupid. All live long lives by primitive standards, and enjoy health throughout. But the genetic pool has become inbred, and the rate of population increase is declining. Fewer eggs are viable. It seems that primitive vigor has been sacrificed along with primitive liabilities. New genetic input is needed, to broaden the base and invigorate the pool. Colene represents an excellent source of that input, being young, intelligent, and healthy. It is unfortunate that the other woman, Provos, is beyond the age of similar harvest.”
Darius was horrified anew. “So they aren’t going to let her escape with her ovaries. But then why should I cooperate? Ddwng’s word means nothing.”
“That is not true. The Emperor’s word is always good. It would be beneath him to make any false statement. There is reason for you to cooperate: if you provide the Chip that enables Ddwng to transcend Modes, he will be able to bring in other women with their genes, and will have no need of Colene’s genes. He will release you both as promised, together with Provos and the horse.”
“The what?”
“Colene has a horse. You were not aware?”
“I was not aware,” Darius said, surprised. “I thought she came alone.”
“No, she preferred to ride, so she brought her horse. He was loaded with supplies for them both.”
Darius did not know what to make of this. Colene had had no horse! How had she gotten one? She wouldn’t have stolen it. However, she was welcome to it, as far as he was concerned. A horse could be a useful animal when properly trained, and evidently this one was.
It was coming clear why Ddwng was giving Darius time to think about his decision. The more he learned, the more futile it seemed to try to oppose the Emperor. He still didn’t like the notion of letting a conqueror loose among the Modes, but he feared increasingly that if he did not cooperate, Colene would suffer immediately, and then increasing pressure would be brought to bear until he capitulated. Darius did not consider himself to be a brave man; if he were put in pain from the pain dial, he would be in serious trouble. Ddwng had surely known that Darius would discover this. There was probably more to learn, which was not good news.
“I think I had better retire,” he said. “I seem to have used up half the night already.”
“True. Do you wish for a sleep ray, or for Pussy’s company?”
“Neither, thanks. Let me just clean up and turn in.”