CHAPTER ONE

DAY ONE

The expedition was in its second year on a once living planet that

was now a dead lump of rock, circling in space.

The daytime temperature was a constant one hundred-eighteen

degrees with wind gusts of seven klectons. The nighttime temperature

fell to fourteen below zero with winds equal to that of daytime. As

unbearable as it was, with grey skies, frigid winds and parched soil,

the archaeological team was grateful for the opportunity to study the

ancient society. Once awesome in its technology, now gone with

few clues to its demise.

Mayton Rude, the head of the team, was a swarthy man with a

head of beautiful thick, auburn hair. His skin was tan and lined from

two years of excavating, investigating and cataloging the birth and

death of an entire planet. Nuclear winter had long past, but its

testimony of death would be eternal.

Mayton and his team had made an unusual discovery in a

particularly advanced area of civilization. About ten feet beneath

the surface of the planet, in a once inhabited area, a safe or a vault

was unearthed. Inside the safe were tightly pressed fiber units from

plant materials of the region, infused with what seemed to be a

petrified clay substance of unknown origin. Mayton speculated that

it must be highly religious and well prized to have been that well

concealed. As Nathan, the team doctor prepared to run carbon dating

on the fiber units—

Mayton awakened to the sounds of his favorite crystal of ocean

waves with the shrill cry of a distant sea gull. He moaned as he

reluctantly opened his eyes.

“Same dream, dear?” asked his wife, Gretchen.

“Same dream, but each time it goes a little further. Fascinating,

really.”

“You’ve had that same dream for as long as I’ve known you. No

answer yet as to the meaning?”

“No, but the fact that it progresses gives me hope that I’ll solve

the mystery before I grow old and die.”

“Speaking of dying, don’t you have something for me, Mayton?”

“Sometimes I think you’re even more perverted than I am. What

would I have done if I hadn’t found you? Lived the rest of my life

pretending that sex wasn’t important?” he asked as he pulled Gretchen

close.

“Be careful with that thing, you’re going to bruise me,” she gasped

as she sank into his arms.

Mayton and Gretchen started each morning of their married life

the same way. They thrashed quietly and reached orgasms in total

silence. They had long since let go of their guilty feelings regarding

their perversion and agreed that even if theirs really was a sick

relationship like the GOD said, they fulfilled each other totally, so it

was good. Good for them anyway, and that was all that counted.

They slept in each other’s arms until the alarm went off. Every

morning the same: alarm, sex, sleep, alarm. The same ritual, but it

was never boring.

“How many other couples do you think there are like us, Mayton?”

Gretchen asked as she stretched and brushed her long blonde hair

from her eyes. “I mean people who still have carnal knowledge?”

“I don’t really know, but I estimate it’s about two-percent in this

country. But I think it’s a lot less in lesser countries and almost nonexistent

in the still savage countries,” he said seriously.

“Mayton, how would you know a thing like that?” Gretchen

gasped.

“This is Tuesday, right? I hope to have more to tell you on the

subject tonight.”

“I can hardly wait, but I’ll be late tonight. My publisher wants to

meet with me. She has another Ollie Raccoon book assignment for

me. I sure hope it’s not all crap like the last one, Ollie Raccoon

Whips the Sissy Boys. I found it personally embarrassing. Is their

perversion any worse than ours?”

“I don’t believe we are perverted. I believe that substantive sex is

the way that our Creator meant it to be and–”

“You mean that it’s just more GOD propaganda?” she whispered.

“Just like–”

But a shrill bell emanating from their central telecom unit broke

her train of thought. They grabbed for their robes and dashed for

their main room as the screen lit up with the nation’s most holy

symbol, The Flag.

“Mayton, Gretchen,” the melodic voice coaxed, “please join us

as we pledge our lives.”

“I pledge allegiance to the most sacred flag of the Uniform States

of America and my life to the central government which is my

guardian and benefactor, from which all good comes. One nation

moving in unison and united in the promise of obedience and service

for all.”

As the image of the flag faded, an all too familiar voice began.

“Vice-Presider James Turnbull’s, A Moment from History, is a

daily program dedicated to the cultural advancement of our citizens.

Today’s subject is, Medical Malpractice. Mr. Turnbull.”

“Medical Malpractice was a sad and dangerous condition of the

ancient medical fraternity. Back before the Reformation, medical

doctors thought themselves superior.

“They were not the hard working servants of mankind they are

today, but pompous, conceited money-grubbing users. They worked

together in gangs under an agreement called, Consultation, which

was archaic-Latin for, share the wealth.

“If a citizen came to one of these arrogant individuals but did not

have a great deal of money to give the doctor, he was sent away

without medical care. Society was sick and ailing and there was no

one to care for it.

“After the Reformation, the GOD in their wisdom made sure that

every American was supplied with lifetime medical care, free of

charge. And the GOD trained caring, qualified medical personnel

that are grateful for the opportunity to care for the citizens of our

great country. Thanks be to our GOD.”

Turnbull’s face disappeared and was replace with the face of

Mayton’s central supervisor, Myron Digby.

“Good morning, Gretchen, Mayton. Please don’t forget that your

input is due on all your patients that suffer from Liberal tendencies.

So far, you are the only doctor in my sector that hasn’t reported in.

Now we both know that’s impossible. Just pay a little closer attention,

or we might think that you’re covering for them for some reason.

But of course, that’s quite ridiculous. You a Liberal? My, I’ve made

a joke. Do have a nice day, Mayton, Gretchen. Out.”

As the screen faded, Mayton and Gretchen both whispered,

“Asshole,” and laughed.

“Just what did you say an asshole was?” asked Gretchen as she

squinted her royal blue eyes.

“I really don’t know. Grandfather Rude said it a lot and it seemed

to please him. He referred to my father as an asshole quite often. He

always swore that some other man beat him to grandmother, because

my father couldn’t possibly be his. But according to my father,

grandfather was a lunatic, which from what I understand if even

worse than a Liberal,” he explained.

“Then he was a pervert also,” she said nodding her head.

“That’s the only way it was commonly done, back then. But they

decided that society was falling apart because of it, so our GOD

helped the populace evolve past sex.”

“Evolve past–what a ludicrous idea. If intelligence quotients were

any lower, people would start flowering,” Gretchen mocked with

her chin held high. “Ollie Raccoon says, ‘Sex makes you smarter.’

What do you think?”

“I’m sure my grandfather would have agreed with you. It’s really

unfortunate that you never met him. I know he would have loved

you.”

“Let’s see, Byron Rude, distinguished Psychometric Surgeon, died

when you were just coming into plurality, didn’t he?” asked Gretchen.

“Yes, and it’s funny but I still miss him. The day before he left,

he told me a lot of strange things and said that he would always be

with me and then he laughed. And it wasn’t long after he died that

my now famous dream started. My mother said that it was probably

some suggestion that the old lunatic gave me. She also said that his

disappearance was a good riddance. That’s when I really started hating

her, I guess. I had always related better to my grandfather than to

them. They were so Central Committee.”

“Who are you going to throw to the committee? Digby won’t

give up until you come up with some names. If you don’t, you’ll be

suspect. Frankly I don’t believe that they just want the names to

research genetic flaws, as our GOD says. There have been too many

people like us who have just disappeared.”

“I’ll have to go through my files. I just don’t know,” frowned

Mayton.

“You think that the central committee had something to do with

your grandfather’s death?”

“That was before the central committee, actually. He and his

partner both died when the transition was taking place. I really don’t

want to talk about the circumstances. You know it gives me a

headache.”

“Don’t talk about it. I was just wondering about a time frame,

that’s all.”

“It was right after the mastoid surgery he performed on me.”

“I don’t think I know what your surgery was for, Mayton.”

“I’m not sure. Grandfather said I needed it, so I agreed. He was

the one person in my life that I trusted completely until I met you, of

course,” he smiled as he pulled her close and kissed her nose.

“Not now, Mayton. We Loyal Preservationists are never late to

work, not even because of sexing. We protect, preserve and produce!”

she announced mockingly.

“I’d better hurry too, my Quizzler will be calling soon,” he said

as he headed for the personal hygiene room to try and beat his shaggy

red hair into submission.