Educating Mork
Part Three
"Prepare Mork for the procedure, Ayada," Rian said.
Ayada pressed the small, medallion-shaped device on Mork's forehead that would in moments strip him of his emotions. She held her hand to his forehead longer than necessary, wanting to touch him any way she could, hoping that Rian wouldn't notice her affectionate, comforting gesture. As she looked at his peaceful, sleeping expression, she wondered what he was thinking. She wanted to tell him she was sorry, that she had no choice, but she couldn't now that she was outside his mind. She knew the pain and turmoil he was experiencing, hearing everything they were about to do to him, but unable to fight back. With his body numb and inactive, he couldn't even respond to her gentle touch. It took all her available strength to contain the anguish and guilt she felt over what she was about to do to him. She despised herself for being weak, for hurting a man she loved and not acting to defend him. She clenched her fists until she thought her fingernails would draw blood, desperately trying to restrain her tears.
"You are about to witness a glorious moment in the scientific progress of Ork," Rian said, aiming a laser-like device at the medallion on Mork's forehead. "In mere moments, the beam that emits from this apparatus will extract all emotions from Mork's mind, making him a changed Orkan, one fit to rejoin society." He began to charge the device, and it whirred to life, lighting up. "You should be proud to be an Orkan on this day, Ayada. You are fortunate to work for someone who is as charitable as I am. Nobody else wanted to help this poor man. They wanted to discard him. I on the other hand saw someone who was redeemable."
The tip of the laser began to glow like a hot ember, glaring at Ayada like a sinister, menacing eye of some vicious beast. They didn't have knives on Ork, since they didn't believe in weapons, but the beam was about to act like a knife, slicing into Mork's brain, making a delicate incision to surgically remove his emotions as if they were a cancerous tumor. She remembered lying next to him in bed, his beautiful smile and dazzling blue eyes radiating with love as he looked at her, caressing her gently. She remembered his infectious laugh and his playful humor, making her come alive with wondrous sensations she didn't know existed within her. She didn't know what it felt like to be touched or loved before she met him. He made her feel unique and special, for once separated from the dull ordinariness of collective Orkan society. For all his good intentions, she knew that Rian's beliefs were mistaken. Mork didn't suffer from an illness. It was the society they belonged to that was sick, wrong, and misguided. He was about to destroy someone with exceptional gifts, gifts that couldn't be quantified on a chart or a graph, qualities that were intangible, expressive, inimitable, and just as valuable as his intelligence or perhaps even more so. She realized that it was futile to try to convince Rian that what he was about to do wasn't benevolent or merciful, but heartless and vile. There was only one way to stop him and save Mork. She knew what had to be done.
"I'm sorry, Mork," she whispered. She kissed her trembling hand and placed it gently on his forehead.
The beam fired from the laser-like device with an explosive force. Ayada obstructed its path to Mork's head with her body, the impact of the blow sending her backward, her lifeless body collapsing on top of him.
Mork huddled in the corner of his hospital room, sobbing. He remembered hearing Ayada's final apology while in stasis, unable to stop her. He wanted her to help him. He never thought she would die as a result. He blamed himself for being incapable of saving her, feeling tremendous guilt over his inaction when there was nothing he could have done, his body paralyzed. When Orson entered, he struggled to contain himself, frantically wiping his eyes to conceal his tears.
"Do not concern yourself," Orson said, noticing his fearful expression. "The other superiors and I understand that you were brought here against your will, so in this situation we decided that your punishment does not apply. I have temporarily deactivated your implant until you recover fully from stasis. When you do, you are to return to Earth, at which time it will be reactivated. Is that understood?"
Mork nodded, staring blankly.
"Rian will be disciplined for attempting to perform an unauthorized procedure on you. You are actually quite fortunate that he was not successful. I have seen him demonstrate his so-called 'procedure' on test subjects. They all ended up in a vegetative state, unable to function or take care of themselves. We had to institutionalize them. Emotions may be undesirable here on Ork, but it does nothing to advance the progress of our society if Defectives are mentally impaired as well. What he devised is little better than an earthling lobotomy, and even they had the sense to end such a barbaric practice many bleams ago."
Mork continued to stare into the distance, resigned. He sighed audibly.
"As for his assistant, Ayada—it was a tragic accident. Who knows how it happened? She certainly wouldn't have been foolish enough to step in front of the beam deliberately, knowing it would end her life."
Mork looked at Orson, his eyes mournful and bloodshot. "She did it…because she loved me," he whispered. "She…died for me."
"What?"
"Go ahead and report me if you want to, but I'm tired of hiding. We loved each other once, Orson. We loved each other for a long time."
"I will not report you, Mork," Orson said firmly. "However, I wish to understand. Why would Ayada end her life on your behalf? It does not seem rational."
"Love isn't rational, Orson," Mork said. "That's what makes it so beautiful." He smiled through his tears. "You see, on Earth, they consider it the ultimate act of love to sacrifice yourself for another. Ayada understood that. She brought me here to Rian out of a selfish act. She wanted to keep me for herself, and she thought that if my emotions were eliminated, I could live on Ork with her. In the end, what she realized was that if she wanted to prove her love for me, she would have to make the ultimate selfless decision—end her life to spare mine."
"It still seems rather excessive. Those earthlings must be sacrificing themselves for each other all the time, if that is their traditional expression of love."
"They do, Sir, but usually they sacrifice themselves in different ways—some of them small, some of them symbolic. Not everyone is courageous enough to do what Ayada did for me. That's why I love her, and always will."
"What about Mindy? I thought your loved her."
"I do."
"But you also said you loved Ayada. How is it possible to be in love with two females at the same time?"
"It's a different kind of love. Mindy is my current girlfriend, and strangely enough, I never would have met her without meeting and falling in love with Ayada first. In many ways, she helped me grow."
"I'm afraid I still do not understand."
"That's because I'm not explaining it well enough, I guess. Let's just say I love them equally, because I am not stingy with my love. I never forget someone I care for, even if I haven't seen them in years. Ayada didn't forget, either. That's what true love is."
He choked on his tears and buried his face in his crossed arms. Curled tightly in a fetal position, his knees drawn to his chest, his body trembling, he looked small and vulnerable, like a lost child. Orson almost reached out to comfort him, but he restrained himself.
"I understand that you are bereaved over your loss," he said coolly. "I do not know if the other superiors will permit it, but perhaps I can grant you a little more time to grieve for her before returning to Earth."
"No," Mork said, raising his head.
"No? But you told me you cared for Ayada. Do you not wish to stay until you have resolved your feelings toward her?"
"If I stay until that happens, that could be a long time," Mork said, smiling and shaking his head. "You do not understand. That kind of love endures a lifetime. I can't ask you to grant me that much time, nor do I expect you to. I have to get back home, to Mindy. I have to continue my love for her, build a new life with her. It's what Ayada would have wanted. With her dying act, she granted me the freedom to do just that."
Orson remained stony and expressionless, the entire concept of love incomprehensible to him.
"I understand," he said. "Once you are well enough, I will arrange to have you transported back to Earth."
"I can't wait any longer, Sir," Mork said, struggling to stand. His limbs were still weakened from stasis, so he nearly toppled to the floor.
Orson reached out to steady him, forcing him to sit. "You must regain your strength, Mork," he said. "You are in no condition to travel anywhere. I am afraid I cannot afford to risk it."
"But Mindy," Mork said, horrified. "What is she going to do when she learns I've disappeared without an explanation?"
"I will take care of that," Orson said. "You will return to Earth at night, when she is sleeping. I will modify her memory so that she will never notice that you were missing."
"Thanks, Orson," Mork said.
Orson bowed his head. "You know Mork, even though Rian was misguided, I cannot help but think that he may have been correct. Perhaps you would be better off without all of these messy and conflicting emotions. Does it not hurt you to feel the loss of Ayada? To worry about Mindy? It seems to me you would be better off not loving anyone at all. You would spare yourself immense suffering, not to mention complications."
"I know, Sir, but strangely enough, I cannot imagine my life without emotions, even if they aren't always pleasant, even if they are painful. Life to me would be incredibly limiting and isolating if I didn't share it with people I cared about—and that includes you, Sir."
As Mork looked at him with his sincere, kind eyes, Orson felt uncomfortable, as if exposed. He didn't know how to respond.
As if noticing this, Mork smiled gently. "It's all right," he said. "You don't have to say anything. Just get me home."