"All right, I'm on my way."

Henry did not like visiting the brig, but he didn't like seeing the Chief looking so uncomfortable.

-> Brig

<- Brig

Henry arrived back, and started considering possible experiments.

"It looks like Mortica may have some mind-affecting powers. She appears to be aware when she's under observation, and to be able to influence people. I'd like to build a Faraday cage, see if whatever she's doing is electromagnetic in nature."

  Vickie   shook her head,we'll get on it  right away  Doc Henry....  be  better   just to drug her  up  and strap her  down...then do tests  while she's   ...restrained...

"That may be necessary at some point."

Henry went off to read everything he could find about Vampics and 'mental powers'...

searching through  the Vampic  Information... almost none  was  pure  fact, much of it was   built on  myths  from  Earth  and the regions around   Deep Space.

 The  door  was  opened   some  20 minutes later.....it is set up.  I have checked it over  with Chris and a tech from the tech Labs... If you want to  Double  check it?

 then she adds,..when you're  ready.. we can have the thing  brought up.

"Oh... um, right."

Henry surfaced and came out of his office.

"You're not happy about having her around, are you? It's just another lifeform to be studied, nothing more. OK, I'll take a look then we can ask to have her brought up here. Make yourself scarce if you prefer. I'm sure you can find something to do elsewhere... or catch up with your reading."

  Vickie  frowned  as they went into the lab,.. you every notice?.. we don't  study Mulls..Angels..Sanri..Occui?   its  always things  that  want to kill us..eat us..or   have  us , have their babies!.. This thing?.. You saw the  way the  SEC troopers  were...  i bet you get them on a ship, or a colony where  folks are  as focused?.. people would be  eating out of  her hand?

   they entered  the  lab and looked at the    set up,we shoudl dose her  with garlic or something , when she coems up.... she  said   with her arms crossed.

"People like the Sanri, the Occui, Mulls and the like are happy to share information about their biology, so I don't need to study them, I can read about them, that's the difference," said Henry.

"We can try garlic if you like. The impression Mortica is giving is that all the old vampire legends of Earth were inspired by visits of Vampic raiding parties, so maybe the traditional protections may work..."

  Vickie   Nods.....I will go up to the  Rec Dec  and get  some... can't hurt..right?

  She left   to  go see...

Henry called the brig and asked if Mortica could be brought up when convenient.

 About the time   Vickie  returned   with a  small Box of Garlic. The brig  had sent   Mortica  up..  two SEC   trooper,  Nagy  and Lippen brought  her in.


 her  arms  were cuffed behind her  back, she stil wore her Vampic leathers..

 Nagy who was the senior   SEC asked,..what  do you want us to  do with   her, Doc.


 Lippen  loked  disgusted to even be   near her, it wasn't  missed that the power was on her pulse  rifle.

"Thank you, Nagy, Lippen. Over here please... You may take the cuffs off, now. Are you able to stay or do you have to get back?"

When everyone settled down, Henry explained.

"It appears that Mortica can sense when the camera in her brig cell is active, although it doesn't have a light coming on or anything like that. So I want to find out how she does it. Is it an electro-magnetic sense, or is she picking up thoughts, or what? The first thing is to ask, of course."

He went in to Mortica.

"How do you know when you are being observed?"

    Lippen  takes the Cuff off, Mortica gives her a Dark  smile.. Lipen  gives her a dark  stare.

  Nagy shakes his  head. This   isn't a good  thing .. we should drop her in the ejection tube...

 Mortica  looks  at   him, a sly smile  grows on her face,..we both know... that's not  what you really want to  do....

 Nagy's eyebrows  furrow  as he grips his    rifle.

 Mortica   turns to  henry, her smile   flashed  a  enticing smile,,, Why  Doctor?...  if you want to learn  about us, why not  simply  Join me?.. you..me..in a shuttle,  we'll link up  with   one of   the Vampiuc ships,  and you'll have all that Information... imagine, what your colleagues will  say, when you send  reams  of Information back to them?

Henry smiled back.

"I think not. I'm a bit of a homebody, actually. Just tell me what you know, here and now."

   Mortica   keep  up her smile,..Butr  Doctor?...  You are out here, in The  Black... imagine  the  things you will learn.. things  you will see.


  Vickie  Mumbles ,says the girl who has  to use   SPF 1000  sunblock....

 Lippen giggles.

"Oddly enough, I want to live long enough to publish papers about all the things that I have learned and seen. Maybe even go home and lecture about them. Now, then, do you know how you are able to tell that you are being observed?" Henry demanded.

    ..Well... I do not see how you people cannot  know.... the  Light from  inside the Camera when it is on?.. the whirl of its insides...  It  should drive you mad!


   Then she pouts,  I can't  believe you would not want to explore  us...more...

"But it is a digital camera... how do the insides make a noise?"

Henry sounded a bit confused.

  She smiles,..All Machines make  Noise, Doctor?.. That Little  robot  that follows the LC around, is like an engine   wrapped in  ..nice  warm flesh...its Muffled, but we can hear it... I imagine you could as well, if you  were..'enhanced' by us.

 Lippen flicked the  safety off her Pulse rifle.

 even  without the  click of the safety?.. I can here the pusle cell purring... It comes in handy, in the Black...as you hunt through a colony, or   a Ship...prey thinking they are safe... until   you suprise them.

"Shade isn't a robot... although he does have mechanical parts," said Henry.

"So it is just enhanced senses rather than any kind of spooky mental powers?"

  She Grinned  at Henry..  pointed Canines   showing, as he eyebrows  went up and down,..   it depends  on  what you mean  by 'spooky'..Doctor?... Maybe  you should Volunteer  to study it , form our perspective.. your  eyes  will be opened wider then you could ever Imagine....

 She leans    a bit towards him, Nagy's  side  arm  is ready,  Mortica looked at  him with a  saucy smile. Then said to  Henry in a 'breathy' ..stage-whisper,..Imagibne what you could learn.. with   existance  promised  for  centruires ...... imgaine what your fighter piltos  would be like, with enhnaced reflexes..... what your ground  troops  would be like as they hunted  down thier  enemies....

 Lippen spoke up,..and?.. all it costs is our Soul?

"Is it that simple to turn a human being into a vampic?" Henry asked, rather incredulously.

"Species don't turn into other species quite like that."

  Mortica  Crosser  her legs, Flicks her hair  back as she rests it  on a  fist , of the arm that's rests its elbow on the TAble.

 ..You do not understand The ways  of The  Black, Good Doctor...  Once    the Host is  introduced the to . body changing   gifts we give them... They  tend to revel  in the strength...  and power...Lustful bodies  that can  reproduce  in more then one way.... and siring  new  and stronger offspring.. for those who   are  improved, they may just as easy. build  more  on themselves... to stand  out as   a warrior..or  a scientist ... anything..The Black is full of  prey..humaniod... animal..   Imagine?.. a  Company of  Enhanced humans  , enterign an Avain ship..and destoying  wave after  wave  of them. while   only takeing a few nicks..or  losing a mere handful?


 she smiled  as she warmed to the  conversation.. Nagy  and Lippen  looked concerned.

She was silent for a moment before shaking her head. "Your people are children learning to take their first steps into the Black, Doctor and yet you think you so so much. What is the farthest your people have ventured out beyond your little solar system and bases? You've barely broken into interstellar space so you have no idea what waits for you out there."

She leaned forward slowly. "Beyond what you know is a vast banquet of riches to satisfy appetites both gross and sublime. Don't you wish to live to see them? Yo are old as your people reckon time and there is just so much the Angel fare will sustain you. It would be a loss for a mind such as yours to be lost to a death which can be so simply avoided. Think of the grand adventure that would await you! I can offer you this and would, happily. You would find that we are not as we seem to be or as you have been told."

  Nagy and  Lippen look at  each other  , as the     watch  Mortica.

 Mila   whines a bit....