08 The Dragon Lensman by David A. Kyle

Author:David A. Kyle [Kyle, David A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2011-08-25T07:45:00.839000+00:00

Chapter 9

The Robotic Mystery

The glory of a true Lens of Arisia is virtually indescribable. Quiescent, it is a jewel of jewels of subtle fires. A million sparkling points of light play across its myriad of surfaces, subdued, with muted colors coming and going like the breathing of some multitudinous, exotic life form. Then, aroused, its latent energy blazes into a radiant disc of astonishing beauty, pulsating, living flames. Mounted in a platinumiridium bracelet and worn on the wrists of the finest men of humankind and its kin, the Lens is the most perfect, the most beautiful of all ornaments--and by far the most prestigious. Every wearer of the Lens--on arm or wing, on fin or tentacle, on chest or brow-was proud to bear the symbol of Civilization and have the instrument by which the psionic power of the mind intensified.

In contrast, the fake Lens of 24of6's chest was painfully obscene.

As the iridescent, polychromatic light shining out the eye sockets of the paraman dimmed to a gentle glow, the fake Lens metamorphosed once more into a pretty simulation, and then dulled into lifelessness.

"I'll be a double-doomed dock-walloper!" Kinnison said. "That's a trick I don't think I like." The fake Lens in itself was no surprise-he had been told of its use as a simple visual recognition when the real Lens wasn't flashing within the eyesockets.

"Very close," Worsel said, with a humorless grin. "Very close."

"I didn't do it alone," 24of6 corrected their thoughts. "Lalla Kallatra did it. That is, I excited the synthetics in the medallion-very recognizable, isn't it?-and then I Lensed Lalla for some interference into its resonance. That's what happens. The same effect that Worsel describes and pictures."

"Similar, but not the same," Worsel reflected. "There's something missing... ."

"Your state of mind at the time," 24of6 interrupted, "that's what's missing. And Lalla can demonstrate something significant about that. If you could call him in ..."

Kinnison nodded and communicated the request. Kallatra obviously had anticipated the call; 24of6 must have told him as much at the time of their contact, for he stepped into the room as if Kinnison's push button had sprung him through the doorway. Both Kinnison and Worsel had their windshields down far enough to monitor anything that might have been going on, so they heard 24of6 bring Kallatra up to that point in their discussion.

"Don't be afraid of Kallatra's sudden presence in your mind, Worsel," 24of6 warned.

Worsel grunted, irritated by the indelicate phrasing, and so was shocked to feel a wave of fear flow over him. Did be also catch a glimpse of his own evil alter-ego grinning at him out of a shadow in his mind? "Remarkable!" said Worsel. "Instantaneous suggestion from you, Kallatra, which I didn't notice!"

"Not really, Worsel-sir," Kallatra said, circumspectly that throwing in the term of respect because Kinnison was there. "The suggestion came from Deuce. I had my mind opened up wide for the el-sike phenomenon and it sort of opened up your own awareness of danger, imprinted with the pattern you yourself had set-that is, a feeling of the enemy threat and a sense of schizophrenia.

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