BOOK ONE - CHAPTER EIGHT
 

There is one place where Reverend Mothers dare not see - the fundamental female vulnerability to the dangers of Abomination prevents it. The Kwisatz Haderach will have access to this place, but no male has ever survived ingesting the awareness spectrum narcotic that unlocks the access to ancestors' memories. When our breeding program generates the male who can tolerate the mind expansion drug, the current plan provides no guarantee he will be able to find the balance to avert descending into Abomination. We will need to choose exponents of desirable genetic lines not only for their physical characteristics per se, but also consider the presence of potential benign primaries in their ancestry - preferably several different mentally powerful individuals capable of spearheading a qualitative, multi-planular Extremis Progressiva.
-Reverend Mother Superior Saldosa Wend, adressing the Council of Proctors. From the Bene Gesserit Archives-
 

She found Teg several miles from the no-ship, in a small, well-hidden outpost he had been using for about a month. In a cave overlooking a valley he had fashioned a sparsely equipped base for his many recon missions in the area.

"How did you find me here?" he cried when Sheeana entered the cave. His composure suggested maturity, intelligence and skill his young body and vocal cords - undergoing radical changes on the threshold of physical manhood - were not yet able to adequately reflect. Still, despite the fact the control he had over this body had not yet reached optimum efficiency, she realised the immense physical speed he was capable of since his original body survived a session with an Honoured Matre T-Probe made him a supremely dangerous opponent.

I can't let him see I fear him. "Simple tracking", Sheeana said, attempting to sound casual. "You're growing careless, Bashar."

Faster than Sheeana's eyes could follow, he circled around her and placed a poisoned knife against her throat. Sheeana could feel his arm trembling. He is terrified! What has he seen that could frighten him so?

"I am not the enemy, Bashar." Sheeana sensed Teg's muscles relaxing slightly upon hearing this confession. He probably believes me. She understood that, emotionally, he was rather fragile right now, but still her pride could not let her resist punishing his lack of discipline. She sensed him lowering his guard, and immediately grabbed his knife arm with both hands, flinging the - at least physically - young boy, who was slightly smaller and lighter than she, over her shoulder and against the rock wall of the cave. She pinned him down to the floor, positioning the knife in such a way that any movement - even at the immense speed he was capable of - would cause him serious injuries.

"I can kill you know, if I want to. You do realise that?"

He nodded.

"I won't. Is that proof enough for you?"

"Yes," he whispered.

The paranoid behaviour he displayed did not come as a surprise to Sheeana. When she asked Garimi where she could find Teg earlier, the Proctor was unable to tell her much. Sheeana could sense the animosity towards her beneath Garimi's carefully controlled composure, but could also see her denial of having knowledge about Teg's whereabouts was genuine. The Bashar had effectively cut the ties with everyone, even the highest representative of the order he had dedicated his life to serving. He must have felt compelled to do so by something that had happened to him, or something that he had discovered on this mysterious planet.

Sheeana had known from the start that confronting Teg would be dangerous, but the plan required that the meeting would take place, and would develop in a very specific manner. She did not doubt she could get what she wanted considering the state the Bashar was currently in, but it would not be easy.

She remembered Duncan's warnings. "Teg has grown increasingly paranoid in the last few months," he had said. "It is quite obvious he doesn't fully trust Garimi and her group anymore, and I'm certain someone of his capabilities will have noticed our hidden agenda by now."

Sheeana nodded. "He stays away longer every time."

"Exactly. Despite his deep commitment to the Sisterhood, something has caused him to grow suspicious of everyone here. Find out what he knows - or thinks he knows. Use extreme caution when approaching him - an important part of our plan depends on your success, so we can't have you getting yourself killed right now. Also, remember his deep aversion against imprinting."

That will be the most difficult part of the plan, Sheeana thought. But even the maturity of his mind might not be able to withstand the primal urges contained within his young body. He is just the right age!

At that moment a strange sensation overcame Sheeana - Odrade-within attempting to reassert her influence as the primary of Sheeana's Other Memory. Her effort failed to result in a clear message to her host, her attempts thwarted by another presence - a powerful influence not originating from Sheeana's Other Memory.

Resist her influence, Sheeana, it said. Other Memory is not a blessing - it's a curse. Submitting to the unleashing of these other personas in the Spice Agony opens one up to mind control by malignant personas. Let me show you the truth about the Bene Gesserit.

In her mind, Sheeana saw a young Reverend Mother, the Spice Agony a recent memory to her, being executed by a Bene Gesserit Proctor, and an acolyte, no more than ten years old, befalling a similar fate. These scenarios repeated themselves hundreds, thousands, even millions of times in an ever-increasing rate of succession - countless individuals killed in fear of Abomination.

These were your sisters, Sheeana, the internal voice continued. The acquisition of Other Memory is a highly dangerous procedure, and the success rate is low - it has always been so. In the millennia prior to the emergence of the Kwisatz Haderach, as many as three out of every five new Reverend Mothers were put to death - even more after Paul Atreides proved to the Sisterhood the potential threat even the successful ones presented.

And consider the definition of "Abomination" these killers used to justify their acts: being driven insane by dominance of malignant primaries in Other Memory was not the only cause for a death sentence; finding a benign primary who somehow decided to disagree with the current policies of the Sisterhood was also enough in many cases. This is still going on today, and the socalled Second Scattering has proven to be a very useful facade for such executions.

I ... I didn't know ..., Sheeana stammered.

Of course you didn't. The ones responsible for this went to great lengths to keep this knowledge confined to a very select group of people.

Educating someone is a very dangerous enterprise - the Sisterhood realises this, of course, but not to the extent that they should. When you're a teacher, which apparently is the role the Bene Gesserit have sought out for themselves, it is in many instances necessary to impose some of your own views on your student. Imprinting more or less coherent thought structures on one's mind is a very important part of the formation of that mind, but there's a fundamental insincerity involved in the practice of presenting him with opinion disguised as truth - this is indoctrination.

Ideally, each and every person should be able to decide for himself what he wants to believe, since no one has the resources to tell him with confidence that what he believes is the absolute truth. The problem is that in order to get someone to a point where he is capable of making his own decisions, he needs to have been taught, which can only be done while adhering to a certain worldview. Disclosing one system of knowledge obscures all the other ways of looking at the world, so getting someone to a point where he can form an opinion effectively reduces his chances of formulating an opinion truly his own to nil.

Educators lie and are immeasurably arrogant, and education is riddled with life-threatening risks - for the method the Sisterhood has chosen to educate mankind this is especially true. Your primary knows, that Odrade - not only does she realise the dangers of teaching, but she also knows the extent of the Sisterhood's cruelty in performing this function. You do realise that if she by any chance would regain access to your active mind, she will deny these facts in every conceivable manner. Do not trust her - she teaches, therefore she lies.

A small measure of independence reasserted itself in Sheeana. Can't the same be said of you?

Clever!, the presence answered. But you misunderstand, and in doing so, you prove you have the capabilities needed to learn my lesson. I merely revealed a most probable truth, and now it is up to you to decide what you want to do with the knowledge I gave you. I do not teach - I make it possible for you to uncover your own truths.

My own truths?, Sheeana asked, but no answer came. She returned to actuality, and noticed only a moment had passed while she traveled inside her mind - the young Bashar was still lying on the ground, pressed down by her weight, held down by the knife in her hand.

"What is it that you're afraid of?", Sheeana asked him. She removed the knife from his throat and moved back, her hands seductively stroking his chest and arms. "Come on, you can tell me."

Teg realised divulging what he suspected about the planet could be dangerous, but Sheeana somehow managed to put his fears and suspicions to rest. What is it about her that makes her appear so non-threatening right now? This is a potential Mother Superior, and there's nothing more dangerous than one of those - immense skill and knowledge combined with the ambition to prevail at all cost of someone who senses vast political power just beyond her reach. Still, my instincts tell me to trust her unconditionally. Can I?

Sheeana noticed her subliminal manipulating take effect. Despite his mature mind, he too must succumb to this - effectively universal - rule: hormones will overpower reason every time when tweaked in an appropriate manner. And in his pubescent body, the strength of the libido doesn't have an equal.

"I have surveyed this area quite extensively during the past few months," he answered.

"What did you find?" She gave him another tempting look - almost undetectable, but obviously sufficient. I must be careful now, she thought. His deep-seated aversion against imprinting could manifest itself at any moment.

What is it that she wants?, Teg thought. It is clear she's attempting to influence me - perhaps she's trying to get me to take her side when the current tension between her and Garimi escalates, or perhaps she suspects I have information that could be useful to either side.

Which side deserves my alliance? Garimi represents the Sisterhood in this situation, the organisation I've dedicated almost all of my former life to. Duncan and Sheeana - what do they want? On the surface, the ghola appears to want to starts a new and better life - move forward instead of dwelling on the past like the Bene Gesserit sometimes tend to do. The way in which they attempt to design their future enforces such a mindset in all but the most aware amongst them. Duncan's aversion to most of his many pasts endows him with a different perspective, and it appears to be the most sensible in the current situation.

This choice to some extent depends on the definition of evil one holds - depending on which perspective is chosen, it can be argued that either side incorporates a touch of the demonic.

Teg remembered a discussion between the Rabbi and Garimi on the subject of evil he had witnessed a few weeks after their arrival on this planet.

"Evil needs to exist as a counterbalance against good, to make its existence possible, but we can take comfort from the knowledge that one day the evil in our lives will be eradicated," the Rabbi said.

"Evil is a relative notion - isn't the distribution of good and evil across the totality of possible experiences different for each person?", Garimi countered.

"Perfect knowledge enables one to make the definition of good and evil. There is only one who can claim to be able to do this: the One who planted the Tree, and crafted the seeds it grew from. The ones who ate from it did not get what they sought - digestion is a very crude process - and the snake was a liar; he knew nothing."

"All available evidence points towards a fundamentally inconclusive, unfixed and non-absolute universe, in which different sets of axioms can be utilised to construct a coherent theory in any field one desires, including that of ethics: there are many different systems of values, all valid," Garimi answered, recapturing the Bene Gesserit stance on the issue.

"This is a very convenient philosophy to adhere to for your Sisterhood, isn't it? Is internal consistency the only acceptable criterium? What an arid, poor world of ideas you must live in," the Rabbi taunted.

"That would entail the formation of a balance pros and cons in each situation, either geared towards the greater good or personal gain. In both cases, this will often lead to the shortchanging of a minority, while not taking into account their qualitative value - you of all people should understand this. The Sisterhood's answer is the application of a fundamental tolerance, and a clear understanding of the consequences our actions have as derived from the balancing powers of the allstream itself."

"This tells me you are unclear on what you believe," the Rabbi said. "Subconsciously you want to believe in the unnamed One, but you've been led astray by theories of your own making."

Teg snapped out of his reverie, his question about who to ally with still unanswered, just as Sheeana was undressing. "What the hell are you doing?", he cried in that odd combination of young voice and old words.

"Attempting to please you," she said.

Her behaviour is not consistent with that of an imprinter, he thought. Could she be genuinely interested in me?

Whatever the case may be, it seems obvious Sheeana somehow needs whatever it is she thinks I know - this gives me the leverage I need to make her cause coincide with mine. Perhaps I could toss her a few scraps.

"Certain parts of the area appeared familiar somehow, as if I've seen some of it before."

"How is that possible? You've said yourself none of the star patterns look familiar in any way. We're far from the Old Empire."

It's time to tear down some of that Bene Gesserit arrogance. "You Bene Gesserit are not the only ones who have access to ancient memories," he said. "The emergence of memories in the conscious mind is not just the result of other activities of the mind - certain sensations and experiences particular to the unique constitution of one's mind can unlock long-hidden memories, and uncover previously undisclosed and personal truths."

Uncovering personal truths!, Sheeana repeated mentally.

Teg continued. "I have found certain landmarks here, which triggered - subliminally or not - specific, potentially archetypical images in my mind."

"How did you do this?" This could be a new form of Other Memory, Sheeana realised. One that bypasses the use of the Spice poison, no less.

"I suspect this is an emergent ability that transcends the synthesis of Mentat data organising algorithms and Bene Gesserit memory retrieval techniques. But that's not really the point -" Of course it is, at least to you! But changing subjects like this will keep you off balance. "- I have discovered that the wilderness around us is not as wild as it may seem - it has been carefully maintained. Some of the plants are synthetic."

Teg hesitated. Should I tell her? A small measure of doubt still plagued his mind. He looked at her, her naked form so close to him, so beautiful. After a while he suspended his misgivings. I can trust her, I'm sure of it.

"Not too far from here, I've found giant rock carvings depicting the heads of four powerful warlords. The images these conjured up were consistent with data I assimilated in my youth, from filmbooks in a Bene Gesserit library. I think I know what planet we're on."

Sheeana was shocked and excited at the same time. Amazing! His abilities should be made to serve our cause. "Tell me!"

He pretended not to have heard. "That's not all. About twenty kilometers north of here, there's an underground base, hidden under the rock, cloaked by a no-field. I have found small traces of human - or at least humanlike - activity, and I have seen the base's plasteel hull."

"But you just said the base is underground. How were you able to see the structure's wall? Was the soil that normally covers it removed?"

"I can see cloaked no-ships". The words had already passed his lips before he realised exactly what it was that he had revealed to her.

Excellent!, Sheeana thought, extremely pleased with the fact her manipulations were bearing such succulent fruit, but restraining her body from making this known in any way. She noticed the level of her control was adequate: the expression of shock and shame that had appeared on Teg's face immediately after his revelation had almost completely subsided, and she could see he did not begrudge her the knowledge he had inadvertantly given out.

Sheeana decided it was time to complete the transaction, as she mockingly called it. She helped him enter her, and both quickly reached a powerful orgasm. Sheeana was rather surprised at the fact she quite enjoyed it.

They lay there on the floor of the small cave, still breathing heavily in the afterglow of the intense merger of their bodies. A shudder ran through Sheeana's body - not just a reaction to the physical ecstasy she had just experienced, but also the result of a conglomerate of highly confusing thoughts that arose in her consciousness at that moment.

I let myself get carried away. The Bene Gesserit breeding mistresses conditioned me to avoid getting involved emotionally with my partners - they always advised us to think of them as producers of potentially interesting genetic material rather than actual people - but all that training failed me this time. Could it be that I actually love him?

Sheeana remembered the face of the one person she had truly loved, a long time ago. Alia she was called, named after the Kwisatz Haderach's sister. She was one of the women specifically intended by the Sisterhood to relieve the stress caused by purely functional sexual encounters experienced by breeders.

She hadn't even been that attractive, Sheeana remembered. Physical beauty can grow boring very quickly if the personality is lacking. Alia was fairly plain-looking and perhaps a bit plump, her soft curves contrasting with Sheeana's own wiry frame - which was so common on Rakis - but her capacity for soothing someone else's pain was unparalleled.

In some way, I guess the Sisterhood does understand that sex without love is potentially draining on an emotional level, they just feel any adept should either learn to outgrow such a vulnerability, or they deem it relatively irrelevant.

As the residual excitement of their meeting slowly faded away, Sheeana's thoughts returned to the information she had managed to extract from Teg, and what it might entail. He was holding something back - he had yet to reveal the synthesis of the various clues.

I need to know! She once more started to kiss him, and shortly after she felt him responding under her touch.

"You haven't told me everything yet, have you?", she whispered.

The compulsion to reveal his findings was too great, his resistance to her manipulations too weak. "I think we're on Terra."

>>>