After the End - Chapter 19
VonReichter walks back into his laboratory and sits down. Now that all the problems requiring his immediate attention have been dealt with, he needs time to ponder more complex issues.
He has just finished the surgery on Data 7, installing the same implant as he used on Cybersix. He's brave enough to a admit that he'd been lucky, successfully capturing the panther after he'd attacked them in the open field like that. It had been a very near thing.
Well, no matter now. He has both of them... Oh, how he's dreamed of this day. He glances over at Cybersix, standing statute-still in the corner. Maybe he'll make her stand in the middle of the compound later, on display like a trophy.
He wonders if Techno 20 fed her already... And therein lay the problem with his electronic implant - Cybersix won't do anything for herself now, not even eat. It made her even higher maintenance than the fixed ideas, and limited in her use to him. But he only intended the implant as a temporary measure anyway, so he could use her against Jose. Sure, several of his other creatures could have killed his treacherous son, but having Cybersix do it was just more fun. And he knows that soon his genius mind will come up with a better way of controlling her. He could, he thinks, even put her body on ice until he finds the perfect solution.
He had learned, very early in his career, that no method of mind control was
entirely reliable. Both electronic and biological implants could be
circumvented. Brainwashing required a great deal of maintenance, and there were some people it just wouldn't work on.
These were the reasons he'd begun creating his own life in the first place - to achieve absolute mind control, one had to get right down to the genetic level. That theory had proven to be correct, in terms of achieving both obedience and super-human strength.
He hears the lab door hiss open and closed softly behind him. Familiar footsteps approach. Ah, and here is one of his greatest successes, the living proof of his theory of mind control. He turns slightly to see Sylvester, who stops and looks back at him silently, expectantly.
"Any news?"
"Everyone is behaving themselves, Master. All of the technos in Merridiana have been told to meet at the mansion this Saturday night as you requested."
"Good." VonReichter stretches languorously in his chair. "Ah, but it's good to be home again, isn't it?"
"Yes Master." Sylvester answers with some feeling. Then he ducks his head and peers questioningly at VonReichter through hooded eyes, somehow managing to look submissive even though he's standing and his master sitting.
VonReichter nods his head ever so slightly. Sylvester sits down by his feet and places his head contentedly on his master's knee. VonReichter reaches down and begins to stroke his hair. Yes, Sylvester is perhaps his greatest achievement as far as obedience is concerned. And it had all came about in such an unexpected way. In fact, once Sylvester's modified embryo was actually inside the tank, VonReichter had wondered what kind of fumes he'd been inhaling when he dreamt this one up.
But it had worked. Successfully combining the brains of an animal and a human... at the time not even the science-fiction writers had contemplated the idea, and yet there he was actually doing it. Sylvester had been one grand experiment, a prototype for the ultimate slave. And now that he's full grown, VonReichter can safely conclude that the experiment was a success. It is time he had more like Sylvester. Yes, time to start a new series. He has more than enough human DNA to begin... Now where can he get a good dog specimen? Ah, of course, the Merridiana pound. One of the technos can bring a dog or two home.
VonReichter looks down at Sylvester, completely relaxed against his knee. Being curious about the mechanics of obedience, he'd carefully observed the behavior of the German Shepherds used in the war. It was ridiculous, the way they'd do anything and everything to please their masters, even to the point of enduring pain or danger themselves. He supposed it had to do with being dumb animals. It wasn't until decades later that he'd remembered the insane behavior of those dogs and thought how such a thing could help him.
There had to be some gene that predisposed a creature to be submissive, loyal, unquestioningly obedient. The problem was that it would take him years to find it, and he didn't want to wait that long. And so the inspiration for Sylvester had come: Replacing the frontal lobe of the human's brain, the emotional center, with that of a dog's. At first he'd been afraid that the logic a human was capable of would "rationalize out" the stupidity of a dog, that so-called "unconditional love" was only a function of the dog's inferior intelligence. But turned out not to be the case. He'd tested Sylvester a few times by abusing him in various ways, and the boy had always come back - not only forgiving but repentant, as if he'd done something wrong - eager to please again.
The experiment was not only a success, VonReichter thinks to himself, but also an astounding achievement. A creature with the ridiculous loyalty and devotion of a dog but possessing human intelligence and the ability to reason. The perfect slave.
Nineteen years later he knows that Sylvester is the most trustworthy of all his servants. He never has to question the boy's loyalty - his competence, sometimes, but never his motives. And the icing on the cake of the whole thing is that the damn fool actually thinks VonReichter loves him. There's been times with Sylvester he's had difficulty keeping a straight face, it's so humorous. All he has to do is give him the occasional "Good Boy" and a pat on the head, and Sylvester is his, body and soul.
Body and soul... an idea begins to spawn in VonReichter's head. He turns to look at Cybersix, still standing in the corner. The brain of his most willing servant in that body. Now there's an exciting prospect. And he even has a younger, healthier human body ready and waiting for him so he can enjoy her better. Ah, he knew that if he was only patient his day would come!
One of the lights on his console blinks and the head of Type 13 appears on his monitor. "What?" VonReichter snaps, angry at having been interrupted at only the beginning of a very pleasant line of thought.
"That human tried to escape, Master. The Japanese one. We caught him trying to free Data 7."
VonReichter stiffens visibly. "What? He got all the way to the laboratory building?"
"Um, yes, but don't worry. It's under control now. What do you want us to do with him?"
Now that is a good question. The man doesn't have anything VonReichter needs or wants, save for a DNA sample he's already gotten. He could always keep him for any future experiments, of course, but that would mean feeding him in the meantime. "Lock him up again for now. And guard him more closely. I will deal with him soon."
The type nods silently and the screen goes blank.
Now, where was he? Oh yes, putting Sylvester's brain in Cybersix's body. An excellent idea indeed. Now the only question is: Does he make the switch now, or clone them both and do it then? Cybersix may be untrustworthy, even with that implant in the head. But on the other hand, he likes Sylvester in his current body too. Hmmm...
He decides to perform some more extreme tests on Cybersix to ascertain just how safe - and useful - she is in her current state. He'll decide what to do from there. And that Japanese man will make the perfect test. Now, does he do all this before or after he transfers to Lucas' body? Before, he thinks. There is always a period of adjustment after transferring to a new body, and it's best if all crucial matters are taken care of beforehand.
The irony of the fact that he will soon be taking over the body of Cybersix's lover amuses him to no end. Too bad her consciousness is not aware to see it. At first he'd been worried that Lucas' thick fingers would not be dexterous enough for his line of work, but tests done on the big man - while he was under the influence of VonReichter's new wonder drug - had proved otherwise. And the body of a blond jock will be the perfect disguise for his brilliant mind. He's anxious to make the switch; it will be a whole new beginning.
The monitor in front of him flashes to life once again. This time a techno's face appears. "We have that human you wanted, Master."
"Excellent. I will be there momentarily." VonReichter removes his hand from Sylvester's head. "Get up." He gets no response. The slave has fallen asleep. "Sylvester!"
"Huh? Oh, I'm so sorry, Master. I must have dozed off."
"How long has it been since you slept?"
"Three days."
"Go get some rest then." VonReichter tells him. Sleep is cheaper than sustenance.
Sylvester smiles. "Thank you Master." He gets up and starts walking toward the exit, then stops. "I love you, Master."
"You know you're my favorite, Sylvester." VonReichter replies
without turning around.
The human he finds there is a young male, white, scrawny, with short curly blond hair and thick glasses. He cowers sullenly in the techno's grasp.
"What's your name?" VonReichter asks conversationally.
"Kevin. What do you want with me?"
Filling the needle, VonReichter makes no reply. He turns around to face the man. "Hold him still."
The techno has no trouble pinning down one of the man's arms. VonReichter makes the injection, then stands back and waits patiently. In only a moment Kevin slumps against the wall, his eyes turning foggy.
"Leave us." VonReichter says to the techno, who complies. "So tell me, Kevin: You had a vial of sustenance a while ago, is that correct?"
Kevin rouses himself slightly. "Oh, that stuff. Yeah, I got it from Lucas. He told me that woman Cybersix needs to live. Hard to believe, a genetically engineered human. He's madly in love with her, you know, and can you blame him? I mean, I haven't met her yet. Lucas says he's trying to convince her to meet me. But I've seen pictures, and she's gorgeous. I'm jealous. I'm a nerd you know, I get many dates.
Ah, good old sodium pentathol. "You did tests on the sustenance?"
"Yes. It's strange stuff. Not entirely a good idea if you ask me-"
"What did you discover about it?"
"Well, it's weird, but as far as I can tell it's like suped-up ad-"
VonReichter clamps his hand down on the man's mouth, just in case that techno is still within earshot. "That's enough, thank you. I don't need to hear any more." He looks Kevin directly in the eyes. "You work for me now."