The Energon Pub

Suitability Test John H. Evans, May-June 2026

Kombeshis-4 awoke with unusual uneasiness. Her dreams were already evaporating. She clutched at them and recalled that there was running. She was moving in that dream. Her naclone sisters were around her. The group wasn’t in formation. There was jostling. That was a bad sign. She clipped Kombeshis-8’s leg and nearly fell. She righted herself and stumbled on. Kombeshis-10 bumped her with an arm. They all kept running. There was something motivating them, driving them on. It felt serious and unexpected. She didn’t see it but she seemed to feel its presence. Now that she was awake, Kombeshis-4 wondered what it might be. Was it just an anxiety dream or was it somehow related to the real world? She raised her head and looked around. Kombeshis-1 was on her left and Kombeshis-3 was on her right. Everyone but her was still sound asleep. Quietly, Kombeshis-4 rose and stood among her unconscious sisters. She knew how to move carefully without rousing them. The bed was a hard platform with relatively thin padding so there was no disturbance as she stepped between bodies and onto the bedroom floor. She stretched for a minute, reaching up, down, forward, back and sideways. She looked at her sisters again. The nine women hardly moved in their slumber. That in itself was odd. Normally, if one was disturbed then others were also.

“Whatever,” thought Kombeshis-4 with a slight shrug. “I should check what’s happening outside.” This was a standard precaution. There were many possible risks in the world. She went out onto the nearest balcony and gazed across the dorm-town, which was called Idysunn. She was fifteen metres above ground. It was dawn and the bright sunshine was already banishing the slight nocturnal chill. She scanned the area. The streets were deserted. Only a few small animals flew or scurried about. There was a small breeze. No bigger creatures were visible. She smelt no creatures either. Like most people, she had an acute sense of smell and could detect beasts approaching. Reassured that there were no imminent threats, Kombeshis-4 left the bedroom and headed down the corridor to the stairs. Very few other women in the dorm were walking around. Through the other bedroom doors, she could hear quiet voices and the sound of a few women waking up. She descended to ground level, unlocked the tough front door and ventured outside. The air was fresher here. She breathed deeply and started a tour of the neighbourhood. She wanted to make doubly sure that nothing bad was happening.

She walked briskly along the streets, circling the five women’s dorms. All was well. She moved onto the five men’s dorms. The situation was similar. A few men were on the balconies, looking down at her. She was happy to see them. After a quick loop around the buildings, she decided to see her friend Gurench-5. He was in the third block. She let herself in and climbed the stairs to the fourth floor. Men’s dorms were different. There weren’t separate bedrooms. Men preferred to sleep in bigger halls containing multiple groups. Kombeshis-4 entered the hall on the fourth floor and walked through. She liked the sights and scents. Also, it was normal for men to reach out and stroke women as they passed. There was no danger, just men showing their appreciation. Kombeshis-4 enjoyed their many gentle touches. It stopped when she reached Gurench-5. He was in the process of waking up. His brother Gurench-7 nudged him. He looked up and saw Kombeshis-4.

“Hi there, K-4,” he said groggily. “What brought you over here?”

“I had a dream,” said Kombeshis-4. “There was running and panic.” Some of the Gurench brothers groaned. This happened occasionally. Women had bad dreams and came looking for support. Men were obliged to help but they found it irritating. Gurench-5 got up, trying not to disturb his brothers any further. He took her to the balcony. There were a few more strokes along the way. Once on the balcony, she explained her concern.

“I’m telling you, this wasn’t a normal anxiety dream,” she insisted. “There was an extra element, you know, like a scent beyond the nose. I’ve never felt it before. It was stronger than anything prior.”

“Generally, these dreams don’t mean anything,” said Gurench-5. “However, we’re always vigilant. We’ll spot any future problem, don’t worry.”

“What about the skeligrasts?” asked Kombeshis-4. “I’ve never liked them. Too damned big.”

“None in the area, I heard yesterday,” replied Gurench-5. “The worst we might see is a cuoloj, less than two metres long.”

“Any raiders in the area?” asked Kombeshis-4. “Your group forages in different parts. What have you seen?”

“None, I swear!” said Gurench-5. “Everything’s stable. There’s no reason to worry.” He held her gaze and smiled, appearing calm while secretly wondering what had spooked his friend. She still seemed on edge so he reached out and hugged her close. She was quivering slightly but that ended as the warmth of his body sent soothing signals to her brain. He could feel her relax gradually. She savoured his embrace. The soft press of his loins against her lower belly brought a sense of hope and renewed vigour. Eagerly, she anticipated the next mating cycle when she and her sisters would enjoy men fully once more. Now, though, was not the time.

“Well, this is handy!” said a loud voice near them. “Male and female together. Claimed!” Some kind of cold metal claw grabbed the couple and lifted them off the balcony. They were stunned into silence as they were placed in a small compartment with padded seats and a glass dome on top. The claw retracted and the dome descended. They tried to break the glass but it was too strong. They were trapped. What’s more, they were ascending high into the air.

“So, what’s the deal here?” asked the voice. “Are those clothes?” A thin metal rod emerged from the compartment wall and poked them sharply. They batted the rod away.

“No, I don’t think they are,” said the voice. “Looks like my team and I have landed on one of those ‘naked’ planets! We noticed the constant mild temperatures. You folks don’t have to spend half your time draping yourselves in furs and fabrics. What do you do instead?”

“Open this up, whatever it is!” screamed Kombeshis-4, terrified that her dream premonition had been partly correct.

“You’ll pay for kidnapping us!” yelled Gurench-5. “Our people will find you!” There was only the sound of synthetic laughter as the weird compartment rose into the sky.

* * * * *

News spread across Idysunn Town. Within five minutes, hundreds of brothers and sisters were converging on the third male block. Normal routines were suspended. This was unprecedented. No one had been abducted by a flying entity since the Churgavid Mutation, over three thousand years ago. This time, it wasn’t even a mutation but rather some kind of flying machine. The possibility of such a craft existing had been postulated before but considered highly unlikely and wasteful. Why would anyone take the time and trouble to make such a thing when resources were abundant and everyone was living harmoniously? Many people suggested outside groups that might be responsible. However, no one had heard any reports of flying craft beyond toy gliders and slingshots. The Gurench brothers were questioned closely. They had been the main witnesses. Gurench-2, -8 and -9 concurred that the technology involved was completely beyond their knowledge. The shiny craft had moved soundlessly. The means of propulsion was invisible or incomprehensible to them. The speed had ranged from under walking pace to faster than the eye could follow. The Gurenches believed that Gurench-5 and Kombeshis-4 had been killed. Surely, if they had been in a craft moving so fast, they couldn’t have survived. They would’ve succumbed to suffocation, extreme shock, physiological collapse or high-speed impact. Others speculated that, if the makers of the craft were advanced enough, they’d make it possible for people to survive the great speed.

Whatever the case, the community was engulfed in terror and uncertainty. No one knew what awful thing would happen next. Would people be taken away into the sky, one by one? Would they all be destroyed by the wrath of the gods? There was one potential remedy that could be tried immediately: prayer. Their vulnerability suddenly exposed, some people began chanting a variety of prayers: some traditional and well-known, some more modern and some made up on the spot. Not everyone vocalised. Many prayed silently. Those who were more deeply affected cried out loudly. The shrillest was Kombeshis-10, who’d been very close to Kombeshis-4. When she prayed for a minute, she started shouting about ‘not letting them win’. Many heads turned to look at her. She was becoming frantic.

“Sisters!” she yelled. “Brothers too! They mustn’t be allowed to get the better of us! We should continue our normal lives. I know that we’re all hungry right now. We should go out there and GATHER AS USUAL! Are you with me?!” She waited a few seconds for a response. No one made a move to go out and gather. Many stared at her. Others glanced at their neighbours. Some shook their heads. This was not the time to ignore the problem. Kombeshis-10 rushed toward the door. Muorimbi-3 tried to block her but she pushed past. She bounced off Muorimbi-6 and continued. Zengal-4 grabbed her with both arms. Kombeshis-10 couldn’t advance further but struggled to break free. Zengal-9 grabbed hold of her to prevent it. She gripped Kombeshis-10 tightly, clutching her shoulder and squeezing her breast hard. Kombeshis-10 cried out in pain, realising that her panicked flight was over.

“K-10, you’re distraught,” said Zengal-9 urgently. “You’re not thinking straight. Remember your discipline! The Naclone Corps must have discipline, or else we rot!”

“Discipline!” said dozens of others, almost in unison.

“We can get through this, one way or another,” said Kombeshis-3, stepping forward. “Have faith, beloved sister. Be calm and trust in the divine powers that be.” She kissed her left forefingers and put the kiss on Kombeshis-10’s forehead - using those same forefingers - in a traditional gesture of solidarity. Thirteen other people stroked Kombeshis-10’s body with their hands, to reinforce the gesture. Kombeshis-10 felt the firm support of the entire group and was able to relax. Zengal-4 and -9 released her. The other Kombeshis came forward and did what they could to soothe her. As the situation calmed, Canudo-1 addressed the crowd.

“Brothers and sisters, today we are surely confronted with the divine,” he began. “How else could our people be taken so quickly into the sky? Therefore, we must trust in the divine to assist us, to guide us in our time of need. I propose group meditation, right now, to seek the help of the gods.” There was a general murmur of agreement. Extraordinary problems required at least a temporary abandonment of routine and an attempt to seek extraordinary resolution. The people milled around in the large dormitory and arranged themselves into family lines. The Muorimbis lined up facing the Zengals. The Kombeshis lined up facing the Gurenches. Every family formed ranks similarly, standing shoulder to shoulder. This was the age-old method. Everyone felt stronger, bolder and ready for anything. Many glanced at each other and smiled. They were hungry, admittedly, but they put that aside. They had crucial spiritual work to do. They stood for several minutes, allowing their minds to become still. The room warmed up significantly with the body heat of hundreds crowded together. It was no distraction. The people often went foraging in hot weather, so they were accustomed to high temperatures. They reached out as best they could to the gods they knew, who’d been there eternally.

The people imagined themselves to be roaming the land, as they did almost every day. They remembered all the plants and animals, the highlands and lowlands, the marshes and dry plains. These were where gods could be touched, in an esoteric manner. The proof was in the way that they made people feel serene, safe and suffused with divine essence. They imagined that they were holding the living things gently, or resting on the ground, or swimming in the water. The world hummed around them. Wings beat and buzzed. Legs rubbed and rasped against bodies. Currents babbled around the rocks and roots. Winds whispered around trees and skin. People seemed to merge with nature. Their spirits expanded and united. They felt more, larger: connected to higher powers. They were heard. The communion was strong. Bigger than they realised. Extending across the land. Across the continent. Every level of the ecosystem. Across the seas. Finally, around the entire world. There was a response. Not in words but rather in a sensation, a nebulous notion at the back of their minds. Action would be met with reaction. It would be subtle, hard to grasp, yet … it would not fail. The people had their answer. The issue would be resolved in time. They need not worry.

They awoke slowly from their reverie. They all felt considerably better: less fretful and more confident. They shook themselves and flexed, preparing themselves for the day’s activities. They were in an unusual situation right now. It was rare for so many brothers and sisters to be crammed into a single dormitory hall. They looked at each other and felt tremendous love and attraction. Over half were moved enough to embrace a counterpart from the family opposite. There was a swell of romance in the air but everyone knew that the time wasn’t right. Nevertheless, everyone could sense that a mating cycle would have to be arranged soon. Bodies throbbed with passion but it was checked by family discipline, the great social force that governed civilisation and prevented ecological catastrophe. If the population expanded too soon, there would be famine and conflict. Reluctantly, the brothers and sisters disengaged from each other, reformed their family groups and filed out of the dormitory in an orderly fashion. As always, it was time for them to prepare and then go out to find food. There was no need for stores or deliveries. The land provided and the people were glad to be active, seeking out enough sustenance in places that were sometimes well hidden.

Almost every family had ten members, either brothers or sisters but never both. The only exceptions today were the Gurenches and the Kombeshis. It was decided that each of these two families needed a substitute. They were provided with a male and female from the ‘Untenned Pool’, a group of people that lived nearby. Those people had once had families of ten but, for various reasons, had lost some or all siblings. This made them more vulnerable to environmental dangers like large predators, accidents and failure to find enough food. The families cared for them as much as they could but not all the time. There had to be a balance between the needs of families and of the untenned. The remaining members of the Pool went out to forage together. Their discipline and cooperation were weaker but they had more people than a family so that compensated. Once more, all the town’s dormitories emptied and everyone fanned out several kilometres to find food. Prayers for the deliverance of Kombeshis-4 and Gurench-5 continued.

* * * * *

“I have to walk,” said Gurench-5 as he paced back and forth in his cell. “I must walk. It’s in my blood.”

“Please stop!” said Kombeshis-4. “Help me talk to this robot thing. Sometimes it responds.” She put her left hand in his path. He brushed it aside and kept pacing up and down. Despondently, she turned back to the robot.

“We need room to move,” she said. “If we don’t walk naturally, we’ll soon die.” The robot looked at her. It wasn’t clear if it understood. It triggered the food dispenser remotely. A pellet of artificial food dropped onto the cell floor. Kombeshis-4 glanced at it and then back at the robot.

“No, not food!” she said crossly. “Walky-walky, get it?” She used her fingers to mime walking on two legs. The robot did nothing more for a minute. Kombeshis-4 felt a mixture of disappointment and desperation. She’d already seen that this place, this steel prison or fortress, was huge. Surely there was some way for prisoners to have an exercise area! In the distance, she heard faint sounds like distant shouting and screaming. Perhaps the need for movement wasn’t top priority right now. Maybe something bad was about to happen. In any case, they were powerless. With nothing better to do, she joined Gurench-5 in his pacing. Although the floor was hard and cold, the act of locomotion improved her mood. They smiled at each other and then held hands. He slowed down a little for her benefit. Two minutes later, the front wall started changing on its own. A person-sized patch formed, which then opened up and became a passageway. This was a narrow, enclosed corridor of unknown length with a height of three metres and width of two metres. It was made of steel and had dim light inside.

“Did you see that?!” asked Gurench-5. “The magic metal just flexed, opened and reformed. We might be able to push through…” He went over and pushed the wall of the new corridor but it had resolidified.

“So, we still can’t escape but I think that they listened to us!” said Kombeshis-4. “See what I mean? They might actually care about us!”

“Alright, time for a workout!” said Gurench-5, feeling a flicker of hope. “There’s a long ladder here.” Just around the corner from the cell, the pair climbed up about four storeys on a basic ladder that had formed moments before. They wondered how such malleable material could exist but it was unlikely that they could solve the mystery. At the top of the ladder, the corridor continued horizontally. It stretched into the distance. They walked through at a brisk pace, staying alert for hazards and noteworthy items. After about ten minutes, there was a sharp right turn.

“This is good, I suppose,” commented Kombeshis-4. “Needs a view, though.” Gurench-5 agreed. Five minutes later, there was another ladder that was about six storeys high. They climbed it and then continued along a further corridor. They’d eaten their food pellets, which had had no taste whatsoever but had given them enough energy for the day.

“I’m not hearing that shouting anymore,” said Gurench-5. “Whatever it was, it sounded familiar.”

“Who knows what it was,” said Kombeshis-4. “This is a place of the gods. Anything might happen.” As if on cue, she saw movement on the right. It was a large shadow moving past a small window ahead. They ran to the window and looked out. Below was a much bigger corridor. Their own corridor was built onto the ceiling of the bigger corridor! They saw a massive thing walking away from them. It was some sort of colossal robot. It might even be a god. As they stared, a huge face blocked their view. It had bright, luminous, red eyes and it appeared slightly irritated. It saw them. Terrified, they stepped back from the window. Quickly, this second giant brought up a hand and pointed to his right. He was indicating that the two mortals should keep walking. They couldn’t refuse, of course. They nodded in acknowledgment and then ran on. They were beside themselves with fear. Two minutes later, they reached a left turn that led to a dead-end corridor. All they could do was reach the end and see if there was a way through. Fortunately, the blank wall opened automatically and they walked into a larger chamber with brighter lighting. They looked around. They saw dozens of people from their world. Their hopes rose but then they saw details on the others that were troubling. These people were from different regions. They belonged to different clans. They were rivals who could be dangerous. Normally, family discipline prevented arguments and conflicts between clans. Here, in prison, the families were absent. Discipline might break down. There could be fighting.

“Out of the frying pan, into the fire!” whispered Gurench-5. “Now, we must switch from running to appeasement. Can you do it?” Kombeshis-4 glanced behind them. The door to the corridor had shut itself silently. She took a deep breath, met his gaze and shrugged tensely. Once more, they had no other option. They used the traditional stance of conciliation. Although they were very anxious, they had to appear calm and friendly but also steadfast and resolute. Some of the others looked at them but then resumed looking all around. It was apparent that there were people here from most clans. There were dozens of motives for conflict. All clans had grudges against others. It seemed that everyone had arrived in this chamber quite recently. They were all still assessing each other. Some were trying to have conversations but those would be interrupted by warnings and threats. There was tremendous suspicion here. Some were being accused of collaboration with the robot gods. A few people came to blows but were then held back by friends. Another twelve people entered the room through their own doors in the walls.

“Why have they brought us here, to a larger prison?” asked one man loudly.

“Best not to question them,” said Gurench-5. “They were gracious enough to give us food, water and exercise.”

“You, Easterner!” snarled the man. “Shut your hole. I’ll deal with you soon enough.” That was an open threat to Gurench-5 and Kombeshis-4. Some others were looking at them angrily. Kombeshis-4 saw that some of the Southern women were fifty percent bigger than her. In a fight, they’d beat her to a pulp. This might be the end. She dropped to her knees and prayed.

“Gods, don’t keep us here like this!” she begged. “We’re all out of place. We’re trapped and scared out of our wits. We’re sorry if we offended you somehow. Let us go free so that we can strive to please you once more!” A few others regarded her implorations as a sign of treachery or weakness. They walked over to her menacingly. Before they could reach her, they were seized by robotic tentacles that moved faster than the eye could see. People were being grabbed by the claws on the tentacles and pulled back to the walls. They slammed into the walls, which stunned them for a moment. Then, they started yelling and screaming. The claws held them randomly by necks, wrists, shoulders or ankles. No one could break free. Some were in pain. Some were in awkward positions. A few were being strangled. No one was able to start a fight.

“Subjects of Planet 16, Star System 274498,” said an electronic voice. “We hear your prayers. You will be released shortly. But first, we brought you all together so that you may serve us in a special way. You will provide us with the secrets of your blood. That will immortalise you and glorify us in our quest to elevate the cosmos! Praise be!” This statement brought some relief and clarity but also confusion. Surely the gods already knew the secrets of the blood? There was no time to ponder. All the prisoners were locked to the walls more securely, so that they weren’t injured or killed. Some were inverted and held upside down. They could watch as all their bodies were violated in multiple ways by metal tentacles equipped with specialist attachments. Sometimes it was uncomfortable. Sometimes it was painful. Sometimes it was simply crushing to any sense of decorum or proper behaviour. There were so many screams.

“It’s not the time!”

“We’re not ready!”

“Please, not there! Not here!”

“Why do this? We never hurt you!”

“Is this hell?”

“What ARE you?”

“That’s too big!”

“It’s cutting me inside!”

After thirty-five minutes of agony and utter shame, the prisoners were left hanging, slumped, twitching and emotionally reeling. Almost every hole in their bodies was leaking and/or bleeding. Almost every part of them hurt. Some bowels and most bladders had been evacuated on the floor. A few minutes later, a multitude of tiny creatures appeared and swarmed over the prisoners’ bodies. For the next twenty minutes, they repaired whatever small wounds had been inflicted and then swarmed back to their nests, behind the walls. The repairs themselves were quite painful but mercifully short. Soon, the restraints were released. The prisoners dropped to the floor. A few slipped in the mess below them. They were in shock.

“Congratulations, everyone!” said the electronic voice. “You have all done your duty. We are satisfied. You will be sent home shortly.”

“WHY?!” cried a woman as she clutched her overstretched privates and searched vainly for a pain-free way to sit.

“We understand that you might have wanted to serve us longer, doing harder tasks,” continued the voice. “However, not everyone in this great galaxy is suitable for such roles. You are not to blame. You are products of blind evolution. Your nature makes you the wrong candidates. Nevertheless, you can be sure that you have done all you can today. Rejoice!”

“I wanna drop them!” said a second electronic voice, which sounded rather cruel.

“Quiet!” said the first electronic voice. After that, both voices were heard no more. There was a little vibration in the room. There was movement in the whole structure. The prisoners wondered what the next nightmare would be. They knew nothing until a larger door opened in one wall. They were pushed through the door by the same tentacles that had assaulted them and stolen their bodily fluids. Tumbling out onto dirt, they found themselves in a crop field at night. They looked back at the room. The door had already closed. The room itself was revealed to be a flying craft, many times larger than the one that had abducted Kombeshis-4 and Gurench-5. It was just as fast, though. It accelerated away and was lost behind dark clouds two seconds later.

“Does anyone know where we are?” asked a man. “It smells like the Agrudrik Region.”

“Don’t mock my home!” growled another man, who advanced on the first man.

“L-7, no!” said a woman, who was clearly a friend of the second man. “For pity’s sake, don’t make it any worse for us! We’re back in the world now. Discipline!” The second man was persuaded. He didn’t attack the first man but instead went with his friend to a safer distance, a hundred metres from the group. All the ex-prisoners were extremely angry but their sense of discipline restrained them. They spread out across the field so that they didn’t aggravate each other. Since they were also tired, most of them opted to rest and then sleep. A few wandered further in search of help. They didn’t find any until the next day.

* * * * *

Hours later, dawn broke and the group woke. Kombeshis-4, like most other prisoners in this field, had dug shallow pits in the soil so that she could keep her back straight as she slept. This was all part of standard survival training. Everyone in the world had had a similar practical education. She opened her eyes and looked around. She recognised the leaves of the crops. They were in a field of bejaliga gourd roots. That was lucky! She raised herself to a kneeling position and started digging out the nearest root. It was half a metre underground but her people had evolved to extract food from a wide variety of places. She plunged her arms into the loamy soil and hauled out a double armful. Her core muscles were strong. She dumped the soil by her side and then reached into the hole to grab the root. It came out easily. Her arms, face and chest were smeared liberally with mud but that was normal for a forager. She stood up and brushed most of the dirt from the root. She snapped off the main vine and larger rooting tendrils, leaving only the gourd root. She held it upright and carefully opened the top neck of the bulging gourd. As expected, it was full of a juice that was almost all water with only a weak, cloudy taste. She drank half of it quickly. Her overnight thirst was quenched. After yesterday’s horrors, this was nectar and manna rolled into one! She closed her eyes. It wasn’t just physical refreshment but the start of a spiritual renewal.

After a moment or two, she opened her eyes and saw that others were digging out roots. There were calls and conversations. The ad hoc group was waking up and starting the day opportunistically as usual, except in an unscheduled locale. Many still had pains from their maltreatment but sleep and resilience had helped them heal. Now, nature’s bounty was pushing them further on the path back to normality. Meanwhile, Gurench-5 was awake and rising. Kombeshis-4 handed him the gourd and he drained it. As he did so - slowly because his throat was rough after the probing – Kombeshis-4 examined his body more closely. Like everyone here, he had many new scars. His manhood was limp and small. Kombeshis-4 cupped it gently with one dirty hand. It didn’t respond, which was a bad sign.

“They drained me prematurely,” said Gurench-5. “They took your juices too. That’ll mess up our cycles for sure. We’re all in the same predicament.” She crouched down and stroked his dormant member sadly. There would be problems later, if the cycles didn’t synchronise. Family fertility would be impacted. Still, it was important to remain positive. Here in front of them was a rare group indeed, not normally found outside international events. Several dozen people had been brought together by the robots, seemingly from all parts of the world. As they considered the implications, a small group approached. The wanderers from the night before had met up and returned to the main group. Their search had been fruitless. The main point was that they hadn’t left the group. They’d reconsidered and recognised that the ex-prisoners were stronger together. There was an unspoken consensus that this group should now put aside their differences and work together. Out of instinct, everyone got up and gathered together, roughly in the centre of the field. Many were still drinking from gourds and even chewing on the empty ones.

“I’m Bequamid-10,” said one man. “I believe that I know our location. I’ve never been to this field but I know certain things in the area. The mountains on my right are the Mahstite Peaks. The woods behind me are the Rephecd Multigroves. These gourds are grown mostly in my home region. We’re in Perristalcha. I’d estimate that we’re seventy kilometres from my town, Kungwyllia. You may have heard of it.”

“It rings a bell,” said another man. “Should we go there to find transport?”

“No, there’s a closer town called Zmub Fouv,” replied Bequamid-10. “It’s only ten kilometres from here. I propose that we take the south road, which is in front of me at the edge of this field. Can we make it?” The group took a vote. Nearly everyone could walk the distance. A few with worse injuries were unsure. It was decided to walk at half speed and stop regularly. That would allow everyone to reach Zmub Fouv. When everyone was ready, the group formed ranks and marched two abreast across the field. It was a little difficult because of the loose soil but everyone was used to walking on variable terrain. People of similar size and speed marched together. The faster ones at the front pulled ahead but then waited on the road for the slower ones. At first, chatter was sparse. There was still an element of mistrust among strangers from many lands who would normally regard each other as rivals and interlopers. People helped each other across the uneven terrain. Trust began to grow. People worldwide were naturally gregarious. It was essential since the population level was fairly high. They were obliged to find ways to get along. Survival depended on it.

After about five kilometres, a halt was called. Everyone had had a chance to think more about yesterday. They were more inclined to seek solace in each other’s company. They were venting their opinions.

“I’m pretty sure of one thing,” said the woman Demclen-3. “Those robot things were NOT gods. They were demons with great technology.”

“I’d say that they were intruders,” said the man Tishis-9. “Demons would’ve killed us all, never released us.”

“We heard and saw several of them,” said the woman Sivux-8. “Some were giants, others were more our size. There was a clear hierarchy.”

“I want them all dead,” said the man Tobnur-2. “My instincts are crying out for revenge but my intellect knows that it’s hopeless. They abused us all effortlessly, stole our life blood, dumped us and flew away. Who knows how far the effect will go? It’s disrupting our society on a profound level!”

“This is the greatest test of our discipline,” said the woman Skanek-1 earnestly. “We must control ourselves as much as possible. We can’t let our fractured emotions infect community harmony. There would be utter turmoil.”

“You’re right, Skanek-1, but I think that we need more help,” said the man Agbivtius-6. “Surely the government will want to examine us closely. We’ll ask them for specialist support. Hey, who are those people over there?” He pointed to the bushland at the side of the road. A few people could be seen foraging for berries, flowers, leaves and nuts. Two of them glanced at the ex-prisoners for a few seconds and then went back to plucking and eating. The ex-prisoners stared at them hungrily. They wanted that food but dared not harvest any. This was not their territory.

“Let’s move on before there’s trouble,” said the woman Aphielia-2. “We have business in town.” The group drank from gourds that they’d brought with them and then resumed their march. The road was smooth and mostly free of traffic. There were a few of the local untenned hanging around at the side of the road near town. They were waiting for their turn to go foraging. They watched the marching group with surprise and consternation. They whispered to each other. The ex-prisoners were conspicuous in their variety of heights, weights, skin colours, body proportions and ornamentations. Some of the untenned stood and watched while others ran ahead of the marching group, back to town. At the edge of Zmub Fouv town, the gate was closed and the gatekeepers were waiting. Someone had informed them of the group’s approach. The ex-prisoners stopped and were addressed by a gatekeeper, who was keeping discipline but was inwardly quite disturbed. This rabble had to be kept out. Surely, they were tainted by alien plagues!

“COME NO FURTHER!” he commanded. “You must not pollute this town with unknown substances or tendencies. No admittance! A special government task force will arrive shortly. In the meantime, you may forage in the bean field on my left.” He pointed at a small gateway in the fence nearby. The ex-prisoners went through the gateway obediently. They’d expected some form of extraordinary reception. Now, it was imminent. They started stripping vines, opening pods and eating fresh beans. This variety was multicoloured, which was exotic to many. They noticed that the gatekeepers were watching them eat. The gatekeepers were showing signs of agitation, swaying from side to side and fidgeting constantly.

“Don’t you look at me, freaks!” muttered a gatekeeper loudly. This was worrying. The ex-prisoners moved further into the field. Twelve minutes later, the government taskforce arrived in several large trucks. They had enough seating capacity for all the ex-prisoners. The group grabbed a few more ‘rainbow beans’ and then boarded the trucks. They were told that they were to be taken to the regional capital, Quie Wrotliz. They were promised the best medical care followed by a debriefing. The government operatives wore full protective suits. The ex-prisoners presumed that the landing site and south road would be examined and decontaminated as thoroughly as possible, though they never saw that happen. There was minimal conversation on the trucks. Both the operatives and the ex-prisoners were, in fact, terrified of each other.

* * * * *

The journey was scheduled as being just over four hours. For a while, there was relative silence. The operatives and ex-prisoners observed each other. There was nervousness at the start but it soon became clear that everyone was normal. No one was trigger happy. No one was a ‘body snatcher’. Nonverbal signals showed it. The ex-prisoners tried to chat with the operatives but they were under orders not to reveal information to possible enemies. It was paranoid but understandable, given the unprecedented situation. The ex-prisoners continued talking among themselves. They speculated about what would happen next. The operatives interrupted and told them that they faced at least three days of investigations. That was unwelcome news but expected. The government HAD to do their ‘due diligence’, just like families used discipline. However, the ex-prisoners needed activities to fill the time. They weren’t well suited to sitting still for long periods.


After two hundred kilometres of swift progress, the trucks stopped at a service station. The electric vehicles were recharged quickly by removing the spent batteries and slotting in new batteries. The ex-prisoners were allowed out to evacuate themselves in a long ditch next to a nearby field. They were also allowed to exercise in the parking lot, which was mostly empty. They complained that they weren’t allowed to use the proper facilities on the other side of the lot. This was because of the chance of alien contamination. This was also understandable but it rankled. The sense of mistreatment grew. After some soft drinks, everyone re-embarked and the convoy continued. Once again, the trucks accelerated right up to the speed limit. No one wanted this trip to last long. In the sixth truck, a woman called Shemislun-2 was reaching the limit of her patience.

“Hey, Brekle-9!” she called out loudly. “Tell me straight. It’s not going to be three days, is it? It’s going to be much longer. It might never end. You’re going to watch us for the rest of our lives.”

“Is that right?” demanded a man called Slinphakta-3. “You can’t keep things like that from us. You gotta tell us!”

“As far as I’ve been told, she’s correct,” admitted Brekle-9. “We can’t allow the contamination to…”

“That’s a kind of prison,” said Shemislun-2, unfastening her seatbelt. “We’ll be locked away for a long time and then monitored until we die. There’ll probably be other sanctions imposed on us. We can’t stop it but we can make the best of it.” She stepped over to Gurench-5, took off his seatbelt and straddled his lap.

“I’ve had my eye on you all day,” she said to Gurench-5, gazing seductively into his eyes. “I just thought ‘screw it, I might as well find out what he’s like’.”

“Wow!” said Gurench-5, captivated by her boldness and sudden flirtation.

“HEY!” exclaimed Kombeshis-4.

“No such thing as exclusivity in this world,” said Shemislun-2. “Trade you for my man there, Slinphakta-3.”

“She’s right, girl!” said Slinphakta-3. “We all get new partners every season. This time, the season changed early.” He undid his seatbelt and beckoned her over. Her mind raced. She remembered all her previous partners. They were quite diverse. The only difference here was the setting, the lead-up. This time, it was abrupt but everyone learnt to deal with sudden events.

“I don’t think that this is advisable!” said Brekle-9. “If we crash…” His colleague in the next seat stopped him with a shake of her head. There wasn’t a way to impose further sanctions without repercussions.

“Alright, S-3!” said Kombeshis-4, accepting the situation. “Normality is suspended. Now we improvise our pleasure!” She walked over and sat on Slinphakta-3’s lap. He smiled broadly as she settled into a comfortable position. She was glad that she’d healed enough. Brekle-9’s eyes widened and he breathed more heavily. No one had expected this!

“Now don’t you worry,” said Slinphakta-3. “I’m gonna put it in but I won’t shoot. We can just soak it for a while.”

“OK!” said Kombeshis-4 with a grin as she lifted herself slightly to accommodate him. She gasped as he filled her. Then, she lay against him and enjoyed his moist, musky warmth. She looked across at Shemislun-2, who was appreciating the feel of Gurench-5.

“You’re welcome!” said Shemislun-2 between kisses, as many other ex-prisoners followed their example throughout the truck.

* * * * *

Noumahib-5 was enjoying this. He and the Gurench brothers were stripping branches and vines from a fallen tree. Some of the brothers were breaking branches into smaller pieces and throwing them into a pile ten metres from the tree. Several minutes passed and the tree was reduced to a large trunk. Some of the bigger branches – which took two men to rip off the trunk – had edible parasites attached (plants, insects and fungi). Those were removed and eaten immediately. When the area was fully cleared of debris, the men gathered to move the trunk. Crouching shoulder to shoulder along one side, they lifted the trunk together and rolled it twenty-three metres away from the branch pile. This exposed many more edible creatures on the ground and the underside of the trunk.

The Kombeshis sisters had just arrived on the scene, having been called over by the brothers. The two families spent the next half hour picking over the trunk and surrounding area. They found several hundred tasty snacks. When it seemed that everything was taken, Noumahib-5 and Gurench-7 re-examined the trunk and found a section of heart wood that was rotten enough to tear out. When they did so, they found dozens more plump insect larvae. Those provided further protein for the group. As they stood and ate, Noumahib-5 reflected on his life up till now. He’d been unlucky early on. One brother had died in an accident. One had been killed by an animal and found half devoured. The other seven had been struck down by a reaver plague shortly after. Noumahib-5 had been the only one to recover from the plague. He and his brothers hadn’t been quick enough to clone themselves naturally, so Noumahib-5 was the sole survivor. He’d been obliged to join the nearest group of untenned. Now, he’d been chosen as the temporary replacement for Gurench-5, who’d been abducted by some kind of divine machine or flying room. Who could’ve predicted that?!

The group was eating quietly when they heard a rare noise: the grunting groan of a lone uckiorg. Instinctively, everyone stood still and stopped chewing. They didn’t want to spook this beast. It was delicious! All twenty brothers and sisters emitted pheromones from special glands in their arms, legs and bodies. These usually had a calming effect on animals. The uckiorg was oblivious to their presence. If they made no sound or movement, that would remain so. The uckiorg wandered steadily into the pheromone cloud, which acted on it quickly. It slowed down and sniffed the air. It had limited vision. It saw the people around it as strange, warm rocks or plants. It had no time to react when Gurench-8 launched himself forward and landed on it, knocking it to the ground. The uckiorg was winded but managed to groan a little. Then it kicked out hard with its back legs. The kick hit only empty air. Two more brothers grabbed the front and back legs. Gurench-3 found some vital blood vessels in the neck. With hard pressure on those vessels, the uckiorg was rendered unconscious. When he was sure of the knockout, Gurench-3 took the head firmly and twisted, breaking the neck and killing the uckiorg.

Without ceremony the group dismembered the uckiorg, like they’d done to the tree earlier. The flesh was distributed evenly and eaten raw. People could digest raw meat well, especially if it was fresh and succulent like this. It was an unexpected bonus. Most days, there were no uckiorgs or similar animals to be found. Noumahib-5 had never eaten uckiorg. He was glad that he had the chance now. He looked over at his friend Draque-4, who’d been chosen as the temporary replacement for Kombeshis-4. She smiled as she bit a small muscle off a leg bone. He looked around at everyone. They all had spatters and splashes of blood on their bodies, from the dripping meat and innards. It was as if they were wearing war paint. Draque-4’s eyes sparkled. She loved having the chance to be part of a family and eat new things.

The quiet family meal was interrupted by a flock of noisy tricolivans, flying over at treetop height. They weren’t normally so raucous. Had they seen the kill? Apparently not, since they flew past. Seconds later, there was the sound of heavy footsteps jogging toward the group. The people recognised it immediately. Most of them backed off and ran for cover. Draque-4 was paralysed by fear, though. A massive, rare predator padded out of the bushes and went straight to the kill site. It was a culiferve, a carnivorous lizard-mammal. It was twenty-five metres long, heavily muscled and fast. It feared little but was affected by the pheromone cloud, like most animals. In less than a minute, it devoured the remains of the uckiorg: skin, bones, gristle and some organs. It swallowed them whole. Its strong stomach would digest everything. After that, it smelt Draque-4 closely. It used its long tongue to lick the blood off her front. The rough tongue scraped her breasts painfully but she endured it. The pheromone cloud kept working. The culiferve lay on its belly to rest as its meal went down. Draque-4 knew what to do next. Producing pheromones at maximum, she overcame her fear and climbed onto the culiferve’s neck, straddling it. This was standard procedure for dealing with large carnivores. She put her hands on the creature’s head and rubbed her pelvis gently on the neck. This was a trick borrowed from nature. The manoeuvre simulated the touch of a mother culiferve, when it was telling its hatchlings that it was time to move along to another area. With a huffing noise, the culiferve rose and walked off at a leisurely pace. Draque-4 continued to grind herself against its neck for another ten seconds and then leapt off. She crept softly back to the group as the culiferve crunched through the bushes and departed. For safety, the group moved away from the culiferve. They walked two kilometres to another part of their home range. They moved quietly to avoid attracting attention. They used cover wherever it was available. As they travelled, they used the time to generate more pheromones in case of need. They reached a fertile clearing in the forest, sat down and ate some of the abundant greenery that grew all around.

“You know, I don’t think that we need much more food,” said Kombeshis-1 as she munched a few leaves. “That uckiorg really filled me up. I reckon that we should go home early. Who’s with me?”

“A few more minutes, please,” said Gurench-1. “I have a slightly bigger stomach.”

“Alright, but we should go home soon,” said Kombeshis-1. “We need a group meditation session. We have two in government custody. We have no idea what’s happening to them. We might be able to contact them spiritually and give support.”

“Draque-4 and Noumahib-5 will be included,” said Gurench-1. “They proved their value today. They may well help us tonight.” Kombeshis-1 nodded in agreement.

“Shame we can’t do it here,” she said. “It’s idyllic but, you know, there’s a culiferve about.” Ten minutes later, the group started for home. The familiar return journey only lasted twenty minutes since everyone knew the way. They joined the throng in the communal showers, lathered each other up and washed away the dust, blood, mud and juices of the day. They had to be scrupulously clean to avoid messing up the dormitory. They didn’t joke around tonight because they were very keen to meditate. Having two relatives taken to the heavens by the gods was unprecedented. They would dearly love to hear the story. Since brothers and sisters were both involved, the meditation would take place between the dorms. A few of the untenned were brought in to stand guard at the outdoor session. The two families sat cross-legged on the central lawn, arranged facing inwards in a big circle that alternated brother-sister-brother-sister. They spent several minutes getting comfortable and then calming their thoughts. They’d done this hundreds of times before. They knew how to achieve the same brain wave patterns at the same time. This was a synchronised daydream.

It started normally, with a great deal of vagueness and fuzziness.

Events, feelings, objects, animals, plants and people blended into a confused soup.

Then, with a practiced move, the group awoke inside the daydream. The environment became lucid.

Being natural clones (naclones), the brothers and sisters had partially merged consciousness. The Gurenches formed one group and the Kombeshis formed another. They usually acted as individuals but they could also think as a collective if necessary, when they had the time and motivation to link their minds. This worked on a spiritual level that the basic-level science on this world couldn’t comprehend. It had been like this since time immemorial, although advancements in technology were beginning to interfere with the process.

Draque-4 and Noumahib-5 had no siblings so they operated solo but ‘orbited’ the family groups. They were still learning about the families, so they watched closely.

The families moved their consciousness away from Idysunn, seeking the psychic ‘signatures’ of their absent brother and sister. They could sense that they were being supported by other families, both in town and elsewhere. They were also being supported by nature spirits, which had inhabited the land since the creation of the world.

All seemed to be going fine until the families encountered unfamiliar spirits. These were alien in nature. It was difficult to assess them. Clearly, they were powerful and intelligent, with their own agenda. However, they weren’t like native spirits. They seemed to be a blended variety. Draque-4 called them ‘over the top’ because they had too much energy and ambition. They weren’t suited to life on this world.

The families could sense that the alien spirits were a major problem. They were blocking the way to Gurench-5, Kombeshis-4 and the group of ex-prisoners. Also, they’d recognised the families’ psychic signatures as being kin to Gurench-5 and Kombeshis-4. They’d put up barriers against them, for unknown reasons. The families needed an alternative plan.

Draque-4 and Noumahib-5 were sent in. It was scary but the alien spirits didn’t block them. Moving carefully, the two untenned people contacted the ex-prisoners. There was an uneasy aura around them. They were reluctant to communicate.

“How are you all?” asked Noumahib-5. “What’s the situation?”

“You’re my substitute, right?” said Gurench-5. “My brothers chose well. Thank you for helping in this … erm … tricky time.”

“You seem hesitant,” said Draque-4. “Are they letting you speak?”

“Not so much,” said Demclen-3. “The situation is … well, hard to fathom.”

“Never seen anything like it!” said Rymberlok-2.

“God war, basically,” said Perlonj-9. “Ruckus in the deep. Beware!”

“Anxious as hell right now!” said Weiala-10. “Don’t know when we’ll go back to normal, if ever!”

“So, if things are going to be bad indefinitely, what will families do?” queried Noumahib-5. “Will they all be untenned like me?”

“We wish that we knew!” said Kombeshis-4. “I hate to say this but perhaps we should prepare for the worst. We abductees have already had a taste of the hardship that might be in store.” She shared memories of her time with the alien robots. Noumahib-5 and Draque-4 experienced some of the pain, loss, helplessness and humiliation. It was unexpected and visceral: restraint, crucifixion, choking, multiple lacerations, rape, beating, injections of unknown substances, theft of tissues and fluids. They were shocked. It took a minute for them to recover their equilibrium afterwards.

“That’s their idea of fun,” said Sellenel-7. “They want more if they can get it.”

“We believe that they’ll try something else soon,” said Gurench-5. “They’re still watching us. They’re being discreet but we recognise the signs of their presence. They’re watching you too. They might have plans for you…” Contact was cut instantaneously, presumably by the alien spirits. It couldn’t be re-established. Draque-4 and Noumahib-5 were forced to retreat. Meanwhile, the two families had been scouting around other groups, trying to find answers but getting nothing definite. Everyone decided to admit defeat tonight and return to the issue later. They needed sleep. They stopped the meditation session, stood up and trooped off to their respective dormitories. They slept but their dreams were troubled by horrible notions of grim fates.

* * * * *

“Lad, please tell us what we’re up against,” begged Canudo-1 at the extraordinary general meeting next morning. “Is it an existential threat?” Noumahib-5 rose and cleared his throat. It was early but he was already sweating. The town had never known a worse crisis. Draque-4 sat by his side and smiled her support bravely.

“Brothers and sisters, last night Draque-4 and I had contact with the aliens,” he addressed the crowd. “We saw that, as suspected, they are indeed a mixture. Some of them are creatures of metal: machines or robots that are alive and much more powerful than us. However, I believe that they’re mortal. Any machine can be destroyed if it’s impacted with enough force. In this case, I fear that nothing short of a great landslide or volcano could kill them.”

“They’re the ones who took our people,” explained Draque-4 smartly. “Very dangerous.”

“Those are the false gods,” continued Noumahib-5. “Some of them can dream travel like us. Better than us, in fact. They’ve developed greater capabilities. They can screen anyone and make them impossible to find. They can operate at great distances, even across the entire sky. They blocked us last night. We hope that it’s temporary.”




“I’m not so sure,” said Emzhiu-6. “I’ve heard that these things are almost demonic in nature. We shouldn’t have any dealings with them. They should be screened from us for as long as possible.”

“Noted but let me add more,” said Noumahib-5. “I felt our gods in action last night. They were in an earth-shaking conflict with the alien gods. I don’t mean that literally, though. The earth didn’t shake but the power of the fight was easily enough to do it.” That was riveting! Many people gasped.

“What’s more,” Noumahib-5 went on. “I sensed a greater god presence behind the others. He wasn’t active at the time but I could tell that he was able to break worlds and conquer the stars.” Everyone was stunned into silence for a few moments.

“Well, if that’s true, what the hell can we do?!” yelled Jumeed-8, her voice cracking with emotion.

“Naclone!” said Jumeed-1, attempting to support her panicky sister. “When trouble comes calling, we multiply to survive.”

“Are you crazy?” said Jumeed-2.

“No crazier than this ludicrous god war!” replied Jumeed-1. “The old ways are the best, I reckon.”

“Ah, I’m not sure if it’s the right time…” interjected Noumahib-5 but he couldn’t be heard anymore over the rising hubbub. People on this world had very strong instincts and one of the strongest was the urge to naclone, that is to clone themselves naturally. Having heard that there was great jeopardy ahead, the naclone urge became irresistible. Some older townsfolk were dismayed that their daily routine would soon be upended but they recognised that this ancient defence would inevitably be used once more. It was decided by mutual agreement: everyone in town would naclone to lessen the impact of any alien action. The process would take several weeks but it was quicker and easier than a mating cycle. In the meantime, romance would have to wait.

“Short speech!” said Draque-4. “It was enough, though. We arrived at a good, old, basic solution.”

“I wasn’t sure but, with hindsight, it’s the way to go,” said Noumahib-5, sitting down next to her. “What else can we do? We’re completely outmatched. We must breed to succeed.”

“Well, I’ll flip my naclone switch soon,” said Draque-4. “But first, I’d like a drink.” She shrugged and walked out of the meeting, which was breaking up noisily. The families were debating next steps and chanting traditional slogans of naclone supremacy. Noumahib-5 listened. The talk was reassuring superficially but it was masking the real threat. He could do nothing more except continue with daily life.

* * * * *

The government was trying its best but it was out of its depth. Kombeshis-4 and Gurench-5 met up outside the Testing Centre dormitory after a leisurely day of experiments and ‘pretend foraging’. It was all quite demeaning and rather tedious. It was, at least, comfortable but perhaps too much so. The ex-prisoners worried that they were going soft in this supportive environment. However, there was no choice about it so they made the most of the situation. After the good times on the journey here, the ex-prisoners were enjoying each other’s company in the evenings. There was much socialising, celebration and casual hooking up. The ex-prisoners were working through their trauma and then creating better memories to counteract it. Each steamy bedroom session was loaded with meaning.

“What the hell are we going to do?” asked Kombeshis-4. “Our families won’t accept us back. We’re forever tainted by alien technology.”

“I don’t know,” said Gurench-5. “I can sense that they still love us but the risk to them is massive. I think that this might be the end for us and our families. You and I will be isolated forever. Our brothers and sisters will become untenned. They’ll have to split up and forge new families.”

“Look, if we were infected with alien micro-machines and then dumped in an unsecured location, don’t you think that the alien stuff would’ve spread?” queried Kombeshis-4. “Imagine local families foraging in the area after we’d gone. They could’ve been exposed. For all we know, the alien stuff is spreading worldwide. We know that the aliens were on a mission to explore and exploit people on many planets.”

“There’s no proof!” Gurench-5 pointed out.

“Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence,” Kombeshis-4 pointed out. “That’s the old saying, right? You know that I’m probably correct. You’ve felt it during meditation.”

“If you’re right, then our whole civilisation is in danger,” said Gurench-5. “It’s depressing. I don’t want to think about it.”

“The aliens want us alive, though,” said Kombeshis-4. “They want to monitor us and maybe use us later. Their micro-machines aren’t lethal. In fact, they might be healing a lot of people as we speak.”

“There’s no confirmation,” said Gurench-5. “We should be preparing ourselves, either for a life sentence or an execution.”

“When did you get so gloomy?” asked Kombeshis-4, disappointed.

“I think that it started when I had two heavy metal tubes shoved into my mouth and rectum simultaneously,” replied Gurench-5. “For a few minutes, I couldn’t breathe. I almost choked to death in that alien base in the sky. They don’t really care about us. They’d be happy if we all died, if it were convenient for them. The spread of their micro-machines can only be bad in the long run.”

“I had three tubes shoved into me!” said Kombeshis-4. “Sure, it was a terrible shock but I’m still optimistic. We’re naclones! We’ve survived countless disasters before. We can survive this too.”

“So, you reckon that it’s a battle of the planets,” said Gurench-5. “Theirs versus ours. You think that ours can outsmart theirs.”

“It’s our best chance,” said Kombeshis-4. “If it doesn’t work, we’ll all go to heaven together. Anyway, have faith!” Gurench-5 shrugged and beckoned her over. Neither of them had had enough exercise, so they used each other as weights to do some resistance training. It was pleasant to be close and boost fitness at the same time. They continued until the evening drinks hour, whereupon they retired to the saloon for rest. They both knew that the time for testing was coming to an end. Any day now, they’d be released. The government could do no more with them. They’d be assigned monitors and then sent home, to an uncertain fate.

* * * * *

“Night Watch, this is Bofu-6,” whispered the older woman urgently into her radio. “Invasion alert! At least a thousand people are moving toward the town. They’re being stealthy.”

“A thousand?” exclaimed Jegrop-3, who was at Night Watch base in Idysunn Town. “What do they think this is, the stupid age?”

“Ssh!” hissed Bofu-6. “They’ll hear you! Anyway, do your job and wake everyone. We have a massive problem here!”

“OK!” said Jegrop-3 quietly as she told her colleagues to activate the alarm. The old mechanism grumbled to life and caused sirens and bright lights to come on. In town, some people woke up immediately while others slept a little longer. Members of the Night Watch ran to the dorms and spread word of an invasion. The inhabitants groaned as they were woken abruptly from slumber. How could this be happening? Surely invasions were a thing of the past? The last one was over four thousand years ago. What was causing this breach of all treaties? It could only be one thing: the alien incursion. The possibility of unrest had been discussed earlier. Now, it was a horrible, sudden, midnight reality. Closets were opened and weapons brought out. Brothers and sisters armed themselves with spears, bows and swords. Some were hesitant because this was such a strange, panic-inducing situation. No one wanted to kill other people tonight. They hoped for a peaceful resolution. As townsfolk took up defensive positions, a delegation went out to parlay with the invaders. The Hargruli brothers marched out to the perimeter fence as the invaders gathered on the other side. A few others followed the Hargrulis, including Kombeshis-7 and Gurench-2. The Hargrulis went forward to the fence line where they confronted some sisters who were either leading the invaders or speaking for them. These were the Katvur sisters from the neighbouring town and they looked determined with an undercurrent of fear.

“Sisters, we must talk,” said Hargruli-1. “Your silent, massed advance is wholly unexpected and deeply troubling. What brings you here this night?” Katvur-1 told her main force to retreat a hundred metres, to avoid intimidating the Hargrulis.

“You already know,” said Katvur-1, turning back to face the brothers. “Two of your people were taken by otherworldly creatures and infected with their spores. We’ve decided that we can’t risk having them return here. You have two choices: either your entire town leaves the area or we remove you, permanently. This is a matter of survival.”

“Katvurs, you have our word,” said Hargrulis-1. “None of our people will enter your territory without permission, especially not those two. If they ever return to us, they’ll be confined here for the rest of their lives.”

“That’s not good enough!” said Katvur-1. “The spores will spread. It’s what spores do. This place must be vacated permanently, to grant us a buffer zone. What’s your decision?” Many arrows were pointed at the brothers.

“We need time!” said Hargrulis-1, alarmed. “We can’t move the town straight away. We have arrangements to make. Besides, where will we go? All the lands around are claimed by other towns.”

“That’s not our problem!” said Katvur-1, increasingly furious. “Walk a thousand kilometres and fall into the sea, for all we care! DECIDE!” The brothers were stunned. They’d never seen Katvur-1 this uncompromising.

“Any ideas?” asked Hargrulis-1 of his party.

“I think that it’s up to us,” said Kombeshis-7. “Gurench and I will clarify things.” Gurench-2 and Kombeshis-7 took deep breaths and stepped forward.”

“You know who we are?” said Kombeshis-7, trying to appear bold and intimidating. “We’re Kombeshis-4 and Gurench-5, the contaminated ones. Your advance has come too late. We’re already here, spreading the spores. We can’t stop it. No one can stop it. However, it’s harmless so you needn’t worry. In fact, it’s beneficial. It heals your sicknesses and injuries. Our town has been grateful for it. Now, you have the chance to be grateful too. It could just as easily have killed us all.” It was Katvur-1’s turn to be stunned. She conferred with her sisters. They could see that the Hargulis and their friends were all healthy and amiable. Some of the Katvur sisters came forward and examined Kombeshis-7 and Gurench-2 through the wire. Since brothers and sisters of the same families were virtually identical, the Katvurs couldn’t see through the deception. After a few minutes of discussion and decompression, the Katvurs were calm enough to admit their error.

“Hargulis, please accept our apologies,” said Katvur-1. “We acted in self-defence because the government kept us ignorant of the situation. Now, we see that our advance has been unnecessary but…”

“We might easily have done the same, in your position,” said Hargulis-1 magnanimously. “It would be best if you left our territory but feel free to take enough food for the return journey. Our land is rich. We apologise wholeheartedly for your inconvenience tonight. When we meet again, we hope that it will be as friends once more.”

“I believe that we’ll resume our friendship, assuming that the alien matter is resolved,” said Katvur-1. “Farewell.” They turned and walked away from the fence, telling their forces to return to their own town. The invaders felt somewhat anxious about the alien presence but also relieved that action was unnecessary. They hadn’t wanted to kill or exile their neighbours, if possible.

“Klakking HELL!” whispered Gurench-2 as the mass of invaders trudged away. “That was such a good play!”

“I was motivated by an imminent death threat!” said Kombeshis-7. “Damn, I’m trembling now!” Gurench-2 embraced her to provide comfort. They all watched the invaders march slowly through the brush, following the old, familiar paths.

“I hope that you’re right about the alien spores,” said Gurench-2.

“So do we all!” said Hargulis-1, listening in. “Shall we go back to bed?”

“You go, you and your brothers,” said Kombeshis-7. “I won’t be able to sleep much after that. My heart is racing and I’m spiking adrenaline. Tell the Night Watch to turn off the lights and sirens!” Hargulis-1 nodded and radioed Night Watch. Silence and darkness returned to the town. Just then, Bofu-6 jogged out of the undergrowth, looking worried. She saw the group of negotiators and stopped by them.

“Is it over?” she asked. “They dragged me out of my treehouse and nearly stabbed me!”

“Thank heavens we found a way to stop them!” said Gurench-2. “Let’s go home. We’ll tell you all about it.” He put his arms around Bofu-6 and Kombeshis-7’s shoulders and led them both back into town.

* * * * *

News of the invasion attempt swept quickly around the world. It’d been a momentous event in history. It struck at the heart of global discipline, the foundation of harmonious society. It threatened a return to barbarism and genocide. The world government was utterly embarrassed. They were forced to admit that they had no control over the alien micro-machines. In fact, they weren’t even able to detect those devices. Consequently, it was pointless for them to continue detaining the alien abductees. They pretended that they were already in the process of repatriating them. Now, they arranged the rapid release of the entire group. The ex-prisoners were sent back to their families, using the fastest means available. Their communities complained a little at first but, logically, they could see that there wasn’t a better choice. The micro-machines were loose everywhere. People would have to deal with it, any way they could. Kombeshis-4 and Gurench-5 were welcomed home most warmly. Draque-4 and Noumahib-5 stepped aside gracefully and returned to their quarters with the other untenned. This scene was repeated dozens of times, in all the families that received their abductees back.

Now, the families went back to ‘business as usual’ but with an alien twist. There was a global naclone boom. Any family with enough food and resources attempted a naclone cycle. Most did so successfully, within a fortnight. The families usually did this during meditation, tuning brainwaves to kickstart a chemical chain reaction and commence growing clones. It was also possible to begin a naclone simply by willing the body to do so, which could be achieved in seconds, especially by those with more experience. The naclones themselves grew on the backs of the parents, starting just below the shoulder blades and then spreading out. People had special back pouches to accommodate the naclones. This arrangement meant that parents were obliged to sleep on their sides, unless they used modified beds with hollows to contain the naclones. Sitting positions were also restricted, with benches and stools being preferred to chairs. On the positive side, parents didn’t have to restrict their movements so much since their bellies remained unswollen. They could forage nearly as well as before. During a naclone cycle, there was more emphasis on group work and less on things like romance.

The growth of naclones was swift and, therefore, energy intensive. Parents used up much of their stored fat and occasionally some of their muscle tissue too. The most notable feature of naclone gestation was increased appetite, which required extra foraging and the use of alternative food sources. Families visited caves, canyons and cliffs where there were large deposits of buried, fungal jelly. It was excellent nutrition for naclones specifically, so naclone parents and offspring tended to monopolise it. Since the jelly was only harvested periodically, there was time afterward for it to be replenished by the fungi. With spades and plenty of resolve, families dug through soil and rocky debris to uncover the jelly, so that they could gorge on it. At other times, families planted extra crops wherever they could, to provide more food for their naclones later. To increase the harvest, they also stepped up their pest control measures. They caught small predators and released them into cultivated areas. Sometimes, they found parasites and unleashed those on the pests. Furthermore, they used pheromones (their own and animal-sourced) to discourage multiple pest species. Once in a while, they used controlled fires to clear weeds and provide ash fertiliser for new crops. Families themselves became more energetic than usual, consuming more calories and working hard on multiple projects. They were motivated to do more spontaneously, such as hunting prey, deterring large predators and watching out for poachers. Poaching was a common crime during naclone cycles. It was usually small scale but frowned upon because it was undisciplined and disharmonious.

Five months later, the first naclones of the year were born. Nearly all the rest followed within a month. It was a global ‘baby boom’ that was unusually large since it was so synchronised. Normally, a naclone cycle would be staggered across two years. The back pouches ruptured spontaneously. The parents squatted down and allowed the naclones to slither to the ground. Within hours, the naclones had learnt to stand and walk around, albeit shakily. The parents were relieved of their burdens, which had been like heavy rucksacks at the end of the pregnancies. They rested briefly but then started to clean themselves up. Their back pouches first became loose and then detached from their backs within hours of the births. New back pouches were already growing, ready for the next naclone cycle. The parents would have to take care of each other while their backs healed.

* * * * *

It was all ridiculous, really. On the Decepticon Star Ship (DSS) Madernity, the psychic teleport crew performed their duties as usual. Those duties ranged wider than most of the troops knew. The psychics didn’t just facilitate teleportation and communication. They also scouted parts of the galaxy using remote viewing and long-distance telepathy. It was their job to monitor thousands of star systems and seek exploitable resources: energy, minerals, manufactured goods, biological materials, services and entire planetary labour forces. All this was done for the Decepticon cause, which was a seemingly insane rebellion against the former rulers of the Transformer race. It wasn’t clear exactly why the rebellion was necessary. It was unbelievably ruthless, destructive and lethal. Nevertheless, the cause had resonated with some Transformers, who believed that the old order was obsolete and in need of replacement. They’d built up an army and fought relentlessly against their erstwhile friends, the Autobots. They’d also attacked various other species and done great damage. The psychics had become caught in this maelstrom. There was no easy escape. They were obliged to continue their service or else be hunted down and destroyed. Today, one of their tasks was to re-examine Galactic Sector 7G9605H. This included the naclone planet, which the psychics found intriguing.

The Decepticons looked at Planet ‘Naclone’. The planet looked back at them. The Decepticons were physically superior. They could devastate Naclone or even destroy it if necessary. However, Naclone wasn’t entirely defenceless. There were powerful nature spirits in residence. They didn’t have firepower but were formidable in the psychic realm. They had a strong ability to influence ‘hearts and minds’ (or the equivalent). They could easily stop an assault or blunt it, at least. The psychics respected that kind of power. They went in for a closer look. Naturally, they investigated those towns where biological samples had been taken before. They noticed that each town was considerably more crowded than last year. Most people had cloned themselves. The offspring were growing up fast. They were copying their parents and quickly becoming educated up to the minimum level for subsistence living. Considering that they were less than a year old, their progress was prodigious. Many of them contained Decepticon nanobots. The psychics tested their level of control using those nanobots. They wanted to see if they could exploit this glut of clones. The nanobots were in the right positions and were fully connected to the clone bodies. Control ought to be straightforward … but it wasn’t! The psychics were dismayed to find that their grip on the clones was ineffective. How could this be?

“We see you,” said the clone called Kombeshis-14. “You’re having trouble using your little machines.” She smiled broadly as she followed her mother Kombeshis-4 along a rural footpath.

“You’ll always have problems here,” said Kombeshis-14. “Everyone says so. Your machines can’t lock onto us. It’s something to do with spirits.” The psychics scrutinised the local spirits as thoroughly as they could. It wasn’t very successful. The spirits were poorly defined in the conventional sense. They fluctuated a great deal. Sometimes they were highly individual. At other times, they became spread out and intermingled. This was especially true with naclones. The parents and naclone children were bonded spiritually. It was impossible to tell where one spirit ended and another began. Therefore, individuals couldn’t be fully controlled. The spirits couldn’t be captured because they were lobes of a group mind that extended worldwide and beyond. The girl Kombeshis-14 was channelling one of the nature spirits. The psychics knew that this was insurmountable. Wisely, they withdrew. It would be better if they exploited other worlds instead. The bio team still had the samples, though. Perhaps, in future, they could develop a new strain of controllable naclones. However, time was fleeting and the Decepticons had millions of other ongoing projects. The psychics doubted that they’d be able to use the naclone genes in any meaningful way before the war ended. Theirs was a swift, terrible conflict that was too urgent to be bogged down in lengthy genetic tinkering. It would either skirt these awkward territories or crush them utterly. The former was far easier.

The people felt a sudden rush of relief and hope. The aliens had decided to leave the Naclone world alone. They were unlikely to return. The naclones had been spared! There was much rejoicing. Kombeshis-4 was glad that the disaster she feared earlier had been averted. Now, she could devote herself to raising her daughter in peace.





Notes

This story takes place in my story continuity, during the Autobot/Decepticon civil war. The Decepticons are exploring the Milky Way Galaxy, seeking useful resources and potential slaves.

The naclones are based on greenfly, which can clone themselves quite quickly and thus exploit gluts of food. Their lifestyle is based on that of Earth’s hunter gatherers. I was also inspired by my personal struggle with diabetes, which has involved increased exercise and a more natural diet. (So far, I’ve lost 2 stone or 28 pounds.)

Planet Naclone has some modern technology such as precision engineering, radios and motor vehicles. Science and technology have been slower to advance because the people refuse to give up their rural, hunter-gatherer lifestyle. There is some agriculture such as planting and harvesting fields of crops. This isn’t intensive, though. Most food still comes from woodlands, bushlands, wetlands and other places that are still relatively untamed.

Predators like culiferves are similar to the large creatures that roamed Earth during the ancient Permian period, before the dinosaurs. They have biology halfway between mammals and reptiles. People are usually able to deal with these predators using pheromones and constant vigilance. Occasionally, the predators kill and eat people but this is considered ‘acceptable’ since naclones are common and spirits reincarnate often in naclone bodies.

Half of all reproduction in people is done by nacloning but, in times of plague, people switch to sexual reproduction. Mixing genes is better than copying genes when people want to resist plagues. People don’t want so much sex when they’re nacloning themselves but the sexual urge is still strong. After nacloning, it returns in force. The families are physically very fit and healthy. They like to have regular, group sex but use methods of contraception. They’re not ashamed, as long as they don’t disappoint their families in some way.

The populated lands have a tropical or sub-tropical climate. Food is abundant. Clothing is usually unnecessary except in certain circumstances such as cool nights, rough terrain or areas with many thorn bushes.