The Misbegotten
The Sacristy - Earth Summer 2385

He stood at the far end of the egg-shapedchamber. He peered out over the heads ofthe High Command from his raised position atop the platform reserved only forhim. Although today, he wasn’t alone asprotocol would have it.

Flavia stood beside him at the transparent Diatainiumshield, protecting him from the stomach down. It wasn’t a shield really. It wasmore like a railing masquerading as a barrier. And, it stretched along the entire length of the platform, to eitherside of him, from bottom stair to bottom stair. There was still no denying it would protect him from anything as benignas a bullet to as lethal as a nuke-charged Laze. It just didn’t appear that it could. Someone as old as Estefan could have mistakenit for Plexiglas or dual-sided laminated safety glaze. It was neither. It was Diatainium and nothing manufacturedcould penetrate it.

The ceiling of the chamber was transparent aswell. It vaulted, a continuance of thecurvature of an egg, sliced lengthwise. On the side furthest from Estefan stood the magnificent entrance, a pairof tall, sliding doors. They lead out tothe foyer and the portal to the lift beyond. To either side of these huge, four-foot thick, twenty-five-foot high,doors was a mezzanine. It ran a third ofthe way down either wall, raised above the central floor. From each, one could access the even longerobservation platforms. From there onecould see the whole of Luna Prime – all sixty-seven square kilometers of it.

All the staircases in the chamber lead down into theheart of the gigantic room. From bothends of the mezzanine and the main entrance they spilled into an area filledwith many tables and chairs. They allfaced the High Seat of the Keeper, upon which Estefan and Flavia stood.

He was wearing a double-breasted, three-piecesuit. it was black with tiny silverdarts running vertical through the material. To one as old as Estefan, it could’ve been mistaken for a silken OscarDe La Renta. The cut and tailoring was anear perfect match, even the stitching was identical. The fact the suit was Genius-level silkcomplete with defensive/offensive countermeasures remained secret. There was no degradation to the illusion thatone of the great designers of Estefan’s youth could’ve stitched it himself.

His shirt was white and single-stitched, authenticcotton - exquisite, pristine. His tiewas simple black, narrow, also made of silk. It was an outfit worth more than a million exchange credits. Silk, in the twenty-fourth century, sold formore than 375K per yard.

This wasn’t accounting for his shoes. These were authentic Berluti RapiécésReprisés, dating back to the first quarter of the twenty-first century. They were works of art – black, suppleleather, fitting the natural footline, feeling more like socks than shoes. Back when he had been a child, Berlutifootwear would’ve set him back almost two thousand U.S. dollars. Now… well now, they were priceless.

“Looks like everyone is here,” commented Flavia at hisside. She wore her long, auburn hairpulled back with an auto-cinching elastic band.

The Keeper noted this was a hairstyle she always worewhen she was on high alert. Although,Estefan felt her concern was without merit for the Gathering. The Sacristy was the innermost sanctum of theAegis Synod. Many of the Keeper’s loyalMarines guarded it with ferocity bordered on madness. Not even an all-out strike from space couldtouch him here.

Flavia wasn’t worried about attack from above, as shehad pointed out to him earlier. Any oneof the members of the High Command could be under force or drugged orhead-to-toe Doop’ed to get at Estefan. It was always First Greetings that worried her the most.

She came forward. Her tall form came to lean against the transparent barrier between themand the others below. Once more, she wasclad in her black, bio-spandex uniform. It allowed unlimited movement should the need to move appear paramount.

Unlike days prior, she had opted against wearing heelsthis day. Instead, she ensconced herfeet in lightweight boots. Made of thicknylon they came over her calves with a series of buckles and straps. Estefan knew she had a myriad of weaponssecreted away within the hidden folds and seams of those boots. This despite the knowledge she was a walkingweapon onto herself. Flavia was neverunarmed.

Estefan came up beside her. “See anything out of the ordinary?” he asked,just a touch of sarcasm in his voice.

She turned to look at him. Her lips pursed. Her eyes narrow. “One of these days when you’re not taking meserious, Estefan, when I need you to pay attention, you’re going to gethurt. In that moment of hesitation, youwill tip the balance between me saving your sweet, little ass and gettingyourself killed by some tireless assassin. Then, you’re going to regret all my vigilance, all the work I put intokeeping you safe. You are the biggesttarget in the Sixteen Worlds, my love. Stop being so haughty, ok?”

He huffed through his nose, but leaned forward toplant a quick kiss on her forehead. Itwas his wordless method of letting her know he understood.

From below, the hallow resonance of a gavel hitting ablock echoed.

Both of them turned to follow the sound.

Estefan’s face went to stone when he realized everyoneelse was now staring up at him and Flavia despite the racket.

Ramona had risen with the wooden, hammer-shapedinstrument in her hand.

Some had swiveled in their chairs to get a better lookat the intimacy the two had displayed a few second earlier. There’s nothing like having a nosy family, hethought in the flush of full-fledge remorse.

About the Sacristy, the positioning of his guests werein according with rank and import to the Synod itself. This had nothing to do with anythingsocio-economic. They sat split betweentwo tables, each shaped quite different from one another.

The Aegis Synod itself, minus Flavia, was about aboomerang-shaped surface. They too facedinto the chamber beyond. Much like himand his one-time step-sister stood. TheHigh Command itself sat about a much larger, arrow-shaped table further intothe Sacristy. The leading edge of this“arrow” followed along the curve of the Synod’s “boomerang” to perfection. The two other outer tables were vacant, butthat was the expectation. The Synodreserved them for attachés and assistants who, for a meeting such as this, werenot sanctioned to attend. This was acouncil for the highest echelons only.

He let his gaze wonder down to Ramona, who stoodtoward the middle of the Synod’s table, gavel in hand. Her lips she pinched to one side.

It was a goodtime in the Dermal-Cleanser, hethought, giving her a faint nod of his head.

She nodded back and put the gavel down upon its block.

Fanning out from Ramona’s left, closest to furthest,sat Katie, Mena and Tirza. On her right,sat Leda, Sandy and Ruby. The seatFlavia should’ve occupied stood vacant at the far end of this side of thetable.

To a one, like his one-time step-sister, they woreblack, bio-spandex leotards and not much else. Only lightweight, comfortable shoes covered their feet. They all wore their hair pulled back. Their fingers bristled with adornments, theirbelts heavy with light, but lethal weaponry. They seemed of every sort one could imagine.

At the larger, arrow-shaped surface sat fourteenothers - seven to a side. Each of them woreceremonial robes of crimson and leather sandals. The garb was the customary attire worn by theHigh Command when in the presence of the Aegis Synod within the Sacristy.

On the right, and therefore closest to Estefan’sposition upon the Seat, sat Johan Marquez. He was his Director of Research and Exploration. He was the only full-blooded relative he had left alive, for he was hisbrother.

Next to him sat his wife, Jolene Marquez, who servedthe Synod as their Chief Scientist.

On the other side of her sat Jacob Rodriguez,Estefan’s first cousin and Chief of Security.

Beyond was Vincent Cervantes, the Admiral of the AegisFleet and his oldest son begat between Ramona and him.

Next to him sat Susanna Aragon, The Astral-General ofthe Aegis Marines, who was his firstborn from his wife Mena.

The Keeper smiled in spite of the severity of thesituation.

Susanna had inherited some of her mothers’ proprietywhen in public. So, she didn’t smilebroad like the others when his gaze found her. Rather, she inclined her head and kept his stare. She was a formidable woman, though she wasn’ta fraction of an inch taller than her mothers’ five-foot frame.

On Susanna’s far side sat Collin Edwards. Jacob’s long-time friend and represented theSynod as a High Council Delegate to the Combined Corporate Council of theSixteen Worlds of Sol. He was also theCEO of Senergy Bio-Tech, a mid-level conglomerate owned by Estefan and hiswives.

Ashley Aragon was sitting beyond Collin, the youngestof the group at a mere fifty-eight. Shewas Susanna’s daughter, making her Estefan’s granddaughter through Mena. She was a vibrant, upbeat woman. Also, she was the guiding force behindMed-Core Pharmaceuticals – also majority owned by the Synod.

On the other side of the table sat the Synod’s Membersof the Board of the Combined Corporate Council of the Sixteen Worldsthemselves. Sitting closest to theKeeper, from that side, was Estefan’s oldest surviving child. Anthony Cardenas. He was now an incredible two hundredforty-two years old, but that wasn’t all. He was the Chairman of the Board of the Combined Corporate Council ofthe Sixteen Worlds himself and CEO of Draxis Corporation. And this made him one of the most importantmen in the Solar System.

His was the onlybusiness entity capable of producing Null-Tech. It was, by default, the richest company to have ever existed within themarketplaces of humankind. Draxis Corp.made the biggest and richest companies of Estefan’s youth look like simplecorner stores in some obscure village at the verge of a forgotten land. In simple terms, Draxis Corp was amonster. It employed more than a billionworkers in a single, self-sufficient plant in orbit on the dark-side of themoon. It was the heart of the Synod’sbusiness apparatus.

Beyond Anthony were the remaining Board Members of theCombined Corporate Council representative of the Aegis Synod.

Ellen Fernandez was next closest to the Keeper’sSeat. She was the CEO of DeepCoreMining, a company specializing in Diatainium extraction. Its home base was in Tenoti-City, the formerCapitol of Mexico. She was the secondchild of Estefan and Sandy, and had just celebrated her one hundredfifty-eighth birthday a few months back.

The tall and refined Jacqueline Marquez sat beyondEllen. She was Johan and Jolene’syoungest daughter, the last they would ever have in fact. Her complicated birth had left Estefan’ssister-in-law barren. She was threeyears passed a century and has already risen fast through the ranks. She was the CEO of ExTech. This was the Synod’s primary Neuro-Nanoswarmmanufacturer. Its' home was in Genevatown, the megalopolis that nowcovered all the lands once known as Switzerland.

Jacob Rodriguez II followed. He was the Executive In-charge of JacCoMetals. The mining company too waspart-owned by the Synod. But, its'principal owner was Estefan’s cousin Jacob I. Jacob Jr. was the last of Jacob’s children with his wife Melissa. She had died many years in the past. Despite the loss though, Jacob II was aproven manager of his father’s chief assets within the company and was due fora promotion soon.

Kenneth Fernandez, Estefan and Sandy’s grandson, andde facto second youngest of the group, sat next to Jacob II. He was the CEO of the Aegis InternationalGroup and head of the Aegis Synod’s massive efforts in all fields ofconstruction. He oversaw jobsites onover seven hundred different celestial bodies throughout the Solar System.

Despite his age, a mere ninety-seven, he was one ofthe busiest individuals of the group. Hemade his office and home aboard one of the few Space Frigates owned by hisorganization. He needed it to keep atopthe incessant demand of his presence, which on any given day pulled him in fiveor six different directions at once.

The Managing Partner of Chaz Motors was on the otherside of Kenneth. This was the vehicularbranch of the Aegis Synod. They hadnamed it after Katie’s long-dead namesake, but was one hundred percent owned bythe Keeper himself. Michael Aragon was asmall man, a masculine version of his mother Mena. He was the second oldest offspring betweenher and Estefan. Only he was nine yearsyounger than his sister Susanna, who was two hundred and twelve.

The final Board Member and placed furthest away onthis side of the giant conference table was Jill Carnejos. She was only one of the group not related byblood or marriage. Because of this shewas not a member of the Synod itself. Yet her loyalty and unerring support had earned her unprecedented accessto this august Gathering.

She was the First Concubine. This meant she was the first to accept theterms of the Synod for a chance to lay with Estefan, an opportunity she hadn’tsquandered. She was also the ChiefExecutive Officer of Ernando - the colossal, meta-planetary corporationmanufacturer of armaments. Her teamdesigned and sold the latest in technology and firepower to all who couldafford to buy it.

Jill was the only one among them with natural redhair. She wore it to her shoulders,though it would’ve stretched to the middle of her back if it hadn’t had so manycurls. To the Keeper though, it wasn’tthe most endearing quality about her. And many in this room would agree with him. It was her freckles. She bore thousands of them, all over herbody, from the tops of her toes to her scalp, even in the folds of herwomanhood. She was Estefan’s paintedbeauty, tall, regal, exquisite.

“We call this meeting to order,” announced Ramona in aloud voice. “If you all will prepareyourselves for the administration of your oaths, we will begin.”

As one, everyone seated about the arrow-shaped tablestood. They stepped clear of theirchairs, coming to stand a few feet behind them. They removed their sandals, each waving their palms over a small claspat their necks. A sensor unhinged themechanism and their garments fell free. BeforeEstefan and his eight wives now stood fourteen naked Celestes. Some of them were among the most powerfulindividuals in the Sixteen Worlds. But,to a one, they would present themselves to the Keeper as they came from thebirth canals of their mothers.

“May the Arch-Empathist begin her inspection,” calledout Katie.

Ramona walked around the “boomerang” and approachedthose on the right side of the “arrow”.

As one, each of the remaining women of the Synod un-holstered,unsheathed or activated her weapon of choice.

Above, upon the raised Seat of the Keeper, Flaviaplaced a protective arm around Estefan’s waist. The pressure she applied was small, but it still forced him back apace. She inserted herself between himand those in front of them the moment there was room to do so. She needed no weapon. She was the weapon. She didn’t tense a solitary muscle.

Ramona approached Johan, Estefan’s brother. Though the bond between him and the Keeperwent back to his birth, Ramona would not change tactics. She would subject him to the same scrutinyshe would’ve applied to any stranger. Itdid not matter if she’d known him for more years than she cared to recall.

In this century, the Synod had learned things the hardway. Any enemy could manipulate the mosttrusted, make them betray. Sometimes thevictim didn’t even know they were the one doing it in the first place. Anyone could infected another with maliciousimplants or duplicate them down to their nucleotides. It was impossible to discern sometimes. Only an Empathist could detect anomalies thatsmall within any given person. That waswhy Ramona’s talent was a critical aspect of maintaining security. She was one of the most powerful Empathiststo have lived. If there was a flawanywhere with anyone of the High Command, she would weed it out in seconds.

She stepped up to Johan, staring into his eyes.

He forced himself to return her gaze, though it wasdifficult for him to do so. Already, hecould feel her mind sending prickling, electrical charges along the expanse ofhis skull.

She was bringing her Mutation to bear. She was going to use it on Johan.

He steeled himself. His fists clenched at either side, his jaw clamped shut, the tendonswithin his neck taut. Though she haddone this to him countless times, every time was new. Every time it was a small violation of theinnermost portions of him, portions he knew she could see, she wasexploiting. He forced himself to smileat her. Sometimes that made thingsbetter. She was less intrusive whenaware he was friendly.

But she ignored his grin, her eyes lost. Her mind was elsewhere, no longer in thephysical world, but in a universe of brain waves and human intent. It all moved at the speed of light.

Her nostrils flared and seemed to fill with him. Her eyes locked upon his own, though shewasn’t “looking” at him per se. Shestepped closer, her fingertips brushing alongside each of his hips.

Jolene stiffened at his side, but didn’t move any morethan that, forcing her gaze away from them. The silence began to deepen and soon only Johan’s throaty breathing wasall they could hear.

Ramona’s hand trailed up Johan’s left side to hisshoulder. Then she traced along hiscollarbones to the other one. She movedalong side of him, her movements more fluid than normal, her own hipsswaying. The lids of her eyes flutteredin the grip of her Mutation.

With little warning, her hand shot out, her indexfinger tracing along his brow. “A new‘Swarm, brother?” she asked, her voice deeper, more rich, than normal.

Johan’s eyes flicked her way. “T-the l-latest from ExTech,” he replied witha shudder. “Jackie had it upgradedbefore Jollie and I left for the Kuiper Belt.” He peered, an involuntary spasm at his daughter.

She stood naked like the rest of them with her back tohim across the conference table, awaiting her inspection.

“It helped with the dis-,” he began.

Ramona cut him off. “I’m sure it did, brother. I’msure it did.” She clutched the sides ofhis shoulders with both hands. “I’m gladit is you who has come to visit us,”she whispered in his ear. Then shereached around him and gave him a quick, but fierce hug. A moment later, she broke all contact withhim, turning upon a heel. “Bring theWhite Robe for my brother,” she commanded.

Ruby brought forth a robe, so brilliant it shone. Moreso, when bathed in the bright lights ofthe Sacristy. Ruby helped Johan get intothe thick garment. She was careful tofold each side, one within the other, tying it with an intricate knot knownonly to the Synod. It signified he hadpassed inspection. “Nice to see youagain, Johan,” she said through a thin smile as they clasped palms in greeting.

He nodded and took his seat, leaving his feetbare. He purposefully peered away fromthose who had yet to pass the Empathists’ screening.

Ramona stepped up to Jolene, repeating the process asshe had with Johan.

The smaller woman flinched under the touch of Ramona’smind, but seemed to get control quick enough. Only she slowed, more ragged breathing gave any sign the Empathist wasdoing something to her.

Ramona’s eyes glossed over. She delved into Jolene, an expression offamiliarity spreading across her face. She began to move as she had with the woman’s husband... when she wentas still as a statue. The Empathists’orbs were her own in an instant. Herhand jerked toward the others’ lower abdomen, cupping, searching.

Jolene gasped with shock, trying with every ounce ofwill to remain still, though her hand grabbed Ramona’s wrist.

Still, she was helpless before the Empathist.

Ramona turned her hand, her wrist twirling withinJolene’s limp grip. Her fingers pointeddownward now. Her palm was still upon thebottom of the others’ tummy. Johan’swife tried to stop the larger woman, but the Empathist was too adroit. In a flash of combined movement, Ramona slidaround her, her other arm grabbing Jolene about the shoulders from behind. She pinned Jolene against the front of herbody. Ramona’s fingers squirmed over theother woman’s sex. “What is this,sister?!?” she demanded.

Before anyone could move, or even speak, Flaviavaulted from the Keeper’s Seat. Shelanded without sound upon the “boomerang” table. There should’ve been a resounding thud, butthere wasn’t. When Flavia wished for theabsence of sound, there was absolutely no sound.

The Keeper’s Guardian stood, poised, ready for Joleneto make a move, any move.

The rest of the Synod fanned out, military-quick,weapons charged, rounds chambered.

Above them all, Estefan watched with an angryexpression growing on his face.

Jolene wiggled and writhed in Ramona’s obscene clutch,mewling, defiled in her own mind.

“Why are you changed here, sister? Answer my question or I will enact theprotocol!” ordered the Empathist in earnest.

“I-I-I, w-we we we had ha-… We wanted another-,” she tried, but madelittle sense.

Flavia was about to move toward them when Ramona wentstiff again, but for no more than an instant.

It was enough to stop the Guardian in her tracks.

Ramona spun the smaller woman round to stare into hereyes and then gave her a crushing hug.

The others, those allowed to move, shifted upon theirfeet, exchanging troubled looks.

“Explain this, Ramona,” insisted Flavia. Her voice came out hushed, but there was no mistakingthe threat in her tone.

The Empathist came away from Jolene. “Our brother and sister are trying foranother baby. Jolene has begun cellularreconstruction to make this endeavor a possibility.” She was beaming like a child. She presented the naked Jolene like a producton a Digi-Comm.

There was collective sigh of relief, almost audible throughoutthe chamber.

Estefan shook his head and smiled a heavy smile at hisbrother when their gazes locked. Hedidn’t want to think what would’ve happened if someone had implanted somethingnasty within his long-time sister-in-law. He quivered with dread at the thought.

The rest of the inspection went without incident. The only deviation from the norm was theshort conversation between Ramona and Jacob.

She had motioned in an offhand way toward his manhoodduring the peak of her scrutiny of him.

He had jerked as if she’d touched him. His eyes went hooded and a tiny slice of theold Jacob flashed beneath them.

She had whispered to him that his time of mourning hadlong passed. She had said it was time toput the death of his wife behind him and use the precious Gift the Seed hadgiven him.

“What, a big dick?” he had joked with her.

“No, long life,” she had replied at once. Then she looked down, pursing her lips inconsideration of him. “And, cousin, ifit gets at all big, then make good use of it. The Synod is always in need of more children.”

Seeing she was serious and hadn’t risen to counter hisjibe, he had ducked his head, uncomfortable. “I don’t know. I don’t know,” wasall he could manage to say.

“Think on it, Jake.”

He had said he would and Ramona had moved on…

Now, the High Command sat once more about the“arrow”. All dressed in long, flowingrobes of white and matching slippers of downy material. Their crimson ones and sandals Tidy-bots hadtaken away the moment the inspection was over.

Estefan cleared his throat. He walked from the protection of his seat tothe main level of the Sacristy. He hadnothing to fear of his guests now and felt better walking among them, ratherthan address them cool from above.

“Brother, sister, sons, daughters, grandchildren andcousins, my wives and I greet you. Welcome once again to Luna Prime.”

There were nods around.

“I know there have been hints and rumors and innuendoabout my recent trip to Angel Free Town. I imagine with the dispersal of my Synod and the subsequent announcementof a Gathering your curiosity must be doing back flips by now. I know the etiquette of our family is nowengrained in your very DNA. Thus, I knowthat you know these actions to be of highest irregularity. You all know they are only enacted duringtimes of great uncertainty.

He paused, swallowing, hands behind his back as hewalked. “I know you are all capableenough to deduce something of some magnitude has come to the attention of meand my wives. It would be stupid of meto think otherwise.” There was arumbling in his chest. “I expect noless. I hire only the best of frothingmass that our Combined Race has become. Only the strongest and the brightest win the chance to sit at thesetables. Only the long-time loyal anddedicated remain.

Another pause of consideration followed. “Since many of you have trudged alongside mefor more than years than I care to recall, I will not hide behind secrecy. I cannot just hope the truth of this matterwon’t leak. With a band such as you aleak is an inevitability as unavoidable as the death of a star. Among us, it would serve nothing more than agross waste of time, an act of utter futility. So, I will not try at secrecy this time around.” He stopped to gaze and each one of them. “But… that doesn't I will not have certainsafeguards in place to ensure this knowledge stays among us gathered heretoday.

All but his wives exchanged quizzical looks.

“Reyna?” he said, calling to his Neuro-Nanoswarm.

“Yes, my love,” boomed the voice of his long-deadgirlfriend. The Sacristy was the HomeNode of Estefan’s ‘Swarm. It was thehousing of her fundaments, where the Keeper stored them, backed them up. One could say the entire Sacristy itself wasone gigantic Neuro-Nanoswarm. It was thelargest, most intelligent ever constructed.

“Bring up the Silencing Shield and assemble a Med-botplease,” he asked, polite, as if she was in the chamber with them.

Those of the High Command glanced about, nervousnow. The Shield was rarely engaged, andnot once was there ever the summoning of a Med-bot at a Gathering. Something monumentous was about to revealitself. Each of them could feel it.

Back about the “boomerang”, the Aegis Synod seemedetched in stone. Including Flavia, whohad taken her assigned seat once she’d known the Keeper wasn’t in immediatedanger.

“Do not be alarmed,” he assured them. “I would never subject any of you to measuresas severe as this, if I wasn’t prepared to have my beloved Synod undergo thevery same.” He motioned with hishand. “Ladies, if you would be so kindto show our colleagues what lies behind your left ear. I would appreciate it.”

To a one, his eight wives stood and began to maketheir way about the Sacristy. It was awelcomed distraction to the sudden shimmer growing about them. It extended around both tables and theKeeper’s Seat, stretching from floor to ceiling. Within seconds, it surrounded them on allsides, cutting them off from the rest of Luna Prime.

At the same time, an intricate robotic device began totake form near the bottom of the stairs to the left of Estefan’s vaultedchair. It was as dark as polishedobsidian with an icosahedron-shaped middle. Each one of its twenty facets affixed with either an LCD screen of somesort or various sensors or an appendage. Some were so bizarre it was difficult to divine their medical purpose.

As they mingled amongst one another, Estefan’s wivesbegan to show the tiny incisions behind their ears.

Then the Med-bot thrummed to life and began to floaton its’ Grav-sensors toward the Keeper.

“What you are looking at is a small incision whereinwe slipped an even smaller Nano-chip. The implant goes along a ridge in the skull, encircling the delicatesensory that allows one to hear. Thedevice is something recently developed by one of Jacqueline’s top teams atExTech. It consists of a programmablesend/receive unit, six, three-inch-long copper filaments. At each end are six, very small, Diatainiumshape-charges.” Estefan stopped andmotioned for his wives to return to their respective seats.

“You’ve implanted a Spider-Swarm on their skulls?”entreated Johan’s daughter, astounded by what she had just heard.

“Precisely that, my dear niece,” retorted the Keeperwith a pointed finger in her direction.

“But why, Uncle? They are lethal!” She begged tounderstand.

Estefan wagged the same finger at her. “They are lethal only if the person carryingone goes against the Spider’s programming.”

“What does this ‘spider-thing’ do exactly?” askedVincent, his large frame seemed to hunch with confusion.

Jacob spoke before Jacqueline could, which elicited afrown from her. No one should've knownabout the Spiders except a few teams at ExTech and the Keeper himself. But then, Jacob was Estefan’s Chief ofSecurity, so he had his ways, she assumed. It still did little to make her happy knowing her organization was moreporous than she’d envisioned a few seconds earlier. It was something she would have to remedy soon.

“…Spider-Swarm is a measure of security, a fail-safe,if you will,” Jacob was explaining. “Its' programming monitors its’ hosts behavior along a given set ofparameters. These parameters or rules,whatever you want to call them, are ironclad and can’t be overridden. Only the one holding the Programming Key cando so. You can all assume it will be theKeeper who will be holding this particular one. The rules can be broad if… say someone is holding someone prisoner or narrowif the intention is to hide a specific item of information.

“Now, should the host intend or think or act againstthese parameters, the Spider will kill.”

There were a few sharp intakes of breath.

Jacob continued. “A signal will pass from the Programming Key. This is no more than a microchip installedinto finger sensor, and… well, it will activate the Spider. A tendril of electricity will pass along thecopper filaments. It will set off theDiatainium charges. They will of coursedestroy the skull of the host… and everything in it.”

“Why would you do this to your wives and ask the sameof us?” Jacqueline asked with so much emotion it sounded more like a plea. Her voice was so strained; she garnered awarning look from her father, Johan. Sheglanced from her father to her uncle abject fear beginning to seep into herface.

“Because!” began Estefan more intense than any of themanticipated. “I need to make certain,beyond any doubt, the information I’m about to reveal her today is neverrepeated outside of this room to anyone without the proper clearance. That’s why!”

The silence following was profound. Even the low-level hum of the Med-bot’sGrav-sensors diminished as it came to a stop next to the Keeper.

They were exchanging nervous looks once again. Estefan was under duress, even the youngestamong them could sense it.

“Believe me, this is a necessary precaution. Otherwise, I would never have asked you toendure a Spider-Swarm attached to your skulls. But, I must say this, before we continue. The choice to do this is yours. After all, we are family.

Then he did something amazing and terrifying at thesame time. He trembled. “Yet, I must say this as well.” The air in his chest seemed stuck and for amoment he could not speak. “Those of youwho refuse this procedure will resign from your current post at once. You will relinquish all security clearanceand affiliation with the Aegis Synod… forall time.” Estefan gazed at thefloor. “This includes contact with therest of us, and of course means you will never see any of your children again.

“They belong to the Synod. They are mine.” He trailed off, shaking his head. He was sick with himself for having to saysomething as harsh and final to the people he loved. But he had no choice. Knowledge of the Shadow Spark was tooprecious. Its' containment was vital.

“What? How canyou do this, Estefan? How can youblackmail us like this? How can youthreaten us with our own children!?!” scolded Jolene, vehement, her handinadvertently covering her abdomen. Shewas already protecting the potential fetuses she hoped would be thriving theresoon.

Estefan shared a long, tired stare with his brother,one of the persons amongst these tables he’d known the longest. Only Katie he’d known longer. An unspoken nod passed between them.

“It isnecessary, and, until you’ve submitted to the procedure, that is all I cansay.” He walked around the table tostand before his mortified sister-in-law.

Her eyes bore into him as he approached, but Estefandidn’t look away.

“I am sorry, Jollie.” Before she could answer, he kissed her on the forehead with delicatelips. “It doesn’t change the fact that Ilove you all, but my hand is being forced by circumstances beyond my control…”

She closed her eyes and acknowledged she understood.

Johan came up behind her, griping her shoulders,reassuring her, hoping to make her calm.

Estefan stepped back from them. “So, who will accept the procedure?” He didn’t have to say the other half of thequestion, because it hung above them like a poisonous cloud of gas.

Yet, the air did seem to clear when Jolene steppedforward.

“I will.”

The others followed suit within moments and for thenext hour the Med-bot was quite busy.

When the last of them had their Spider-swarms installed,Estefan asked them all to retake their seats. It was then he told them of the Shadow Spark and their scheming began inearnest.

Deep into the following lunar cycle those of theGathering labored and planned. Decisionsthey made and, in the end, the Aegis Synod and the High Command were of asingle mind. The Shadow Spark they wouldprotect, because only they could manage to do so in the proper manner.

Then, they scattered across the Sixteen Worlds.

There was much left to do.