An adult stories – Loneliest Man Who Ever Lived Ch. 08 by GaryLMMartin,GaryLMMartin The Loneliest Man Who Ever Lived
by Gary L.M. Martin
[Note: This is a romance story with some erotic scenes. It is not a story with erotic scenes in every chapter. Some chapters have incredible sex scenes, but many others have none.]
The Foundation
It was the following Monday. Harry spent several days getting settled in, having rented an apartment in Boston.
The Foundation operated out of a gleaming 10 story building with mirrored windows in Newton, Massachusetts, just outside of Boston.
The first thing Harry noticed were the uniforms. There were greeters at the entrance who looked like guards. Big, beefy men who wore blue jumpsuits over black shirts, and tall black boots. The blue jumpsuits had a symbol of a white dove on the left breast.
At the security entrance, Harry’s ID was checked, rechecked, and rechecked again. Harry was electronically finger printed and iris scanned, and given a temporary ID card. Harry was given a long non-disclosure agreement and an even longer employment contract to sign. He sat for nearly an hour reading both. Finally, he signed.
The receptionist, a shapely brunette named Miss Camisa, smiled for the first time. “Good. Right on time. Mr. Slattery will see you in four minutes.”
In four minutes? Had this Mr. Slattery estimated how long Harry would take to be processed and timed his arrival to the minute?
Four minutes later, Harry was led down a corridor by two guards in blue jumpsuits. Their black boots clomped against the white floors. Everything was white here–the walls, the ceiling, even the floors.
So, apparently, was Mr. Slattery’s office, a large white room with white floor tile.
So, apparently, was Mr. Slattery, dressed in a white tie, white jacket, and white pants.
Mr. Slattery was a thin man, in his early 60’s, balding, but still with a grey fuzz of hair on top of his head. He did not stand or offer to shake Harry’s hand. Instead, he simply nodded as Harry came in, and his first word was, “Sit.”
Harry saw a single, small white chair. He sat.
Then Slattery seemed to relax. “John Slattery,” he said, extending a hand. “CEO of The Foundation.”
“Nice to meet you,” said Harry formally. Slattery had a firm grip.
“So, you’ve come to work for us,” said Slattery.
“I guess,” said Harry.
“You guess?” said Slattery.
“Considering I have no idea what your company does, or what I’d be doing for your company, that’s the best way I can put it,” said Harry.
Slattery gave him a stern look. Then he broke out into a smile. “Fair enough. Unfortunately, Harry–may I call you Harry?–Harry, until you signed our non-disclosure agreement, we were not at liberty to discuss our work further. We are on the cutting edge of brain science here at The Foundation.” He paused, licking his lips. “We have developed a technology to tap the potential of the human brain. Consider that we only use a fraction of the human brain, a well known fact. That also means we only use a fraction of the brain’s energy. We have found a way to tap into that energy, Harry. Do you know what that means? We can make people less tired. Athletes can play longer without getting mentally tired. Scientists can work longer with less sleep. Ordinary workers can be much more productive.”
He paused to observe Harry’s reaction.
Harry thought about it. “Impressive,” he said grudgingly. “If true.”
“Oh, it’s true,” said Slattery. “You’ll see for yourself before long.”
“Then what do you need me for?” Harry asked.
“The process is… imperfect,” said Slattery. “We could use your help to improve it.”
“Why me?” said Harry. “Strictly speaking, I dropped out of my Ph.D. program in biochemistry.”
“Harry, Harry….” Slattery smiled. “We both know that you know far more than most people with doctorates in biochemistry. Your prime asset is your brain. You are a Fourther. We almost exclusively hire Fourthers for our analytical work. We can see things that others can’t. And according to our information, you may be the highest scoring Fourther on the planet.”
“Me?” Harry asked.
“Remember that test they made you take, in the sixth grade?”
“Yeah,” said Harry.
“You scored higher than anyone who had ever taken the test.”
“I’m a lot smarter than I was in the sixth grade,” said Harry.
“I know, Harry. That’s why we want you here,” said Slattery.
“And that’s why you sent Goldie after me,” said Harry.
“Yes. For those who don’t respond to the usual methods of solicitation, we sometimes employ… less traditional methods of persuasion,” Slattery smiled.
“Well… she was very persuasive on me,” said Harry.
“Goldie is one of our very best recruiters,” said Slattery.
Suddenly, Harry felt embarrassed. How much did Slattery know about what he and Goldie… about what they had done together? Harry bit his lip, and quickly changed the subject. “I notice that the salary in my contract is blank.”
“That’s because we’re not going to pay you, Harry,” said Slattery.
Harry just looked at him.
“You’re a multi-millionaire. You already have more money than you could possibly need. Or want,” said Slattery. “But if it pleases you, just tell us what salary you want. We’ll agree to anything.”
“Anything?”
“Within reason,” Slattery smiled again.
Harry thought about it. “I’ll have to get back to you on that,” he said. He looked at the guards behind him. “Will I have to wear that uniform too?”
Slattery laughed. “Not unless you want to. That’s only for our technical and security personnel.”
“Why so many guards?”
“We have a lot of high tech secrets, Harry. You’d be surprised what industrial spies would do to learn what’s going on here.”
He gestured for Harry to get up. As he stood up, the guards approached. “And the bird?” Harry asked, pointing to the white bird on their blue jumpsuits.
“A symbol of freedom. Freeing the mind’s potential,” said Slattery. “Oh, one more thing, Harry. As a condition of employment, you are expected to have a medical exam with our inhouse physician within the first few days.”
Harry nodded.
Slattery got up and shook Harry’s hand again. “Truly a pleasure. These gentlemen will take you to processing. Please follow them, Harry.”
After Harry left, a side door opened, and Doctor Severin came into the room.
“What do you think?” Slattery asked.
“He could be our best candidate yet,” said Severin. “I can’t wait to examine his brain patterns.”
********
“Lev Bronstein,” said the middle aged, portly man, shaking Harry’s hand vigorously.
Lev Bronstein? Where had Harry heard that name before?
“Here’s your office, right next to mine!” said Lev.
Harry’s office turned out to be a white cubicle, slightly smaller than Lev’s, complete with a desk, chair, and computer terminal.
Lev introduced Harry to other members of their team: Doctor Kaminsky, and Doctor Hunter. Doctor Kaminsky was a neurologist, Doctor Hunter was a physicist, and Lev was “a little bit of everything,” he said, smiling broadly.
“We’ve heard so much about you,” said Lev.
“You have?” said Harry.
“We’ve been expecting you for weeks. Doctor Slattery predicted to the day when you would come in.”
“Did he?” Harry asked.
“John has everything planned out,” said Doctor Hunter.
“He sent Goldie after you. She’s the best,” said Lev. “No one’s ever said no to Goldie.”
“No one has, eh?” Harry asked, getting a sinking feeling in his stomach.
“Not one,” said Lev. “Shall we get down to work, now?”
Before long, Harry was working on a brain interface application. There was so much information to sort through! There was a device, of some kind, which acted on the brain in some way, having some kind of effect. It would take Harry days to figure it all out.
As Harry worked, he was aware that Goldie must be here, somewhere, in the building. She must be aware that Harry was there. Surely she would come over to say hello.
But as lunchtime rolled around, there was no sign of Goldie. Lev and Doctors Kaminsky and Hunter took him out for lunch. And what did these geniuses, all Fourthers like Harry, talk about?
Women.
They were all having affairs with different members of the support staff. Doctor Kaminsky was seeing Lea Thompson, who worked in Processing; Doctor Hunter was pursuing Adriana McKenna, who worked in technical support, and Lev was currently chasing after Judy Camisa, who Harry had met in reception.
“She has big… you knows,” said Lev, gesturing with his hands. The other men laughed. But they immediately noticed that Harry wasn’t laughing.
“What’s wrong, Harry?” Lev asked.
“Aren’t you all married?” Harry asked, looking at their wedding bands.
“Of course we are,” said Lev. “To Normals.” He put an arm around Harry. “Harry, Harry, Harry… we all made the decision when we were younger to settle for less. What else could we do? There was no one of our caliber to mate with. But just because we settled for less doesn’t mean we have to be satisfied with it. We are men of exceptional ability, and as Mr. Slattery always says, exceptional ability requires exceptional rewards.”
“What about you, Harry? Are you seeing anyone?” Doctor Kaminsky asked.
“I… I… no,” said Harry. He paused. “What about Goldie?”
As everyone laughed, Harry regretted asking the question.
“Ah, Harry has his eye on beautiful Goldie!” Lev roared.
“No, ah, it’s just-”
“It’s all right, Harry,” said Lev. “More than a few of us would love to bisect her angle. But Goldie hasn’t had eyes for other men ever since she got together with Greg.”
“Isn’t she engaged?” Doctor Hunter asked.
“I heard that,” said Doctor Kaminsky. “What do you know, Harry?”
“I… I don’t know anything,” said Harry, feeling flustered.
The rest of the day passed slowly. Harry kept looking around to see if Goldie was going to show up. She didn’t.
********
“Engaged!” Harry roared.
“You don’t know that for a fact,” said Carl. Harry had established a remote connection to Carl, back at his computer in Battery Park City.
“She never once came to visit me. Not once!”
“You have her comm code. Why don’t you call her?”
“No, oh no,” said Harry, shaking his head vigorously. “We’re finished. We’re done.”
“You knew this all along,” said Carl. “You knew she was only seducing you to get you to work for The Foundation.”
“Yeah, I knew it, but….” Somehow, Harry had hoped it wasn’t true. “She didn’t even come by to say hello.”
“So, what are you going to do?” Carl asked. “Go back to New York?”
“I need to think,” said Harry thickly.
He had rented an apartment near Boston Common, and purposely so. He needed a place to walk. He needed a place to think.
It was evening now, and the park lamps were lit. He saw men and women walking from home from work. Some of the Boston women were quite pretty. Harry saw one in particular, with dirty blonde hair, wearing a beige coat. Harry’s pace quickened. He intercepted her, looked at her face, and saw–
It was a complete stranger. Of course.
She stared at him, as if there was something odd about his expression. Harry hastily turned away.
He started walking aimlessly. He saw an attractive dark haired woman wearing tight pants and elegant high heels. He started to fantasize about her. She was walking with him, arm and arm. She was laughing with him. She was his woman. She looked lovingly in his eyes….
No, he couldn’t do it. Not here. Not in this strange place.
This wasn’t even a proper park. There was no place to drown himself. There was a small lake, but Harry wasn’t at all confident that he could kill himself in it. And he would have to wade into it to get to the deep part. No, that wouldn’t do at all.
Better to go back to New York.
********
“What did you decide?” Carl asked, when Harry returned.
Harry, footweary, collapsed into a chair. “I’ll give it another day or two. I just want to see her, one more time. For closure.”
“You may not see her at all.”
“Then we’ll just go home.”
********
The next day, Lev Bronstein took Harry to meet Doctor Severin. Doctor Severin was about the same age as Doctor Slattery. He had long, thinning hair combed forward. His face was bony, skeletal, and his eyes were dark and shiny. He was dressed in the black jumpsuit with the white dove on his breast that the other technicians wore, but somehow it seemed especially sinister on him.
“Harry, it’s so nice to finally meet you,” said Doctor Severin, shaking his hand. Severin held Harry’s hand just a moment too long, as he stared into Harry’s eyes. He searched for a moment, looking for something, before he released him. “I have heard so many wonderful things about your brain, Harry.”
“You have?” Harry said.
“Yes,” said Severin. “With your scores, it appears you have one of the most highly advanced brains on the planet. I’d love to analyze it.”
“I’m sure you would,” said Harry, feeling a bit apprehensive.
“Would you consent to a few minor experiments–purely in the interest of science? The results would be amazing, I am sure,” said Severin.
“No… not right now,” said Harry.
“A pity,” said Severin.
“I brought Harry here to see the Chair,” said Lev.
“Of course. The Chair.” Severin continued to look at Harry intently. Then he slowly nodded.
He took Harry and Lev Bronstein to another room. There was a technician in a blue jumpsuit operating a control panel. And in front of him was a large black man sitting in a chair. An apparatus came down from the ceiling, like the barrel of a laser rifle, except it had glowing round sections all along it.
“Ah, yes, the Washington experiment,” said Severin.
Harry looked at the large black man in the chair. His eyes were wide, and he moaned, and his body contorted. “You’re hurting him!”
“I assure you, he is in no discomfort whatsoever,” said Severin.
The black man continued to moan. Harry had to resist the urge to step in and shut off the equipment. But he had to assume that Doctor Severin knew what he was doing.
As the man continued to moan, Doctor Severin’s gaze turned from the man to Harry. He watched Harry closely. It was almost as if Harry had become part of the experiment, a different experiment, one to see if Harry would be obedient to authority, if he would permit this to continue. Harry remembered a famous experiment where people were asked to inflict pain on others. The recipients were actors who pretended to be in pain, and the subjects of the experiment was those inflicting the pain. The purpose of the experiment was to find out if people, under pressure from others, would inflict pain on others.
And now here was Harry, not inflicting pain on someone else, but standing there passively while pain appeared to be inflicted on someone else.
He met Doctor Severin’s eyes. Severin looked at him for a ten count, and then he nodded. “Stop!” he commanded.
The machine powered down.
“Good, good,” said Severin, looking at Harry. Then he turned to the man in the chair. “And how are you feeling today, Mr. Washington?”
The man was awash with sweat. “I… I…”
“Stand up slowly, Reginald.”
The large black man stood up. He was very tall. “I… I feel full of energy, doc! Like I could play five games of hoops without getting tired.”
“Very good, Reginald,” said Severin. “Follow our technician into the testing room. I’m sure the results will be most illuminating.” A technician in a blue jump suit escorted Washington to another room.
“Fatigue, Mr. Crater,” said Severin. “Part of it is physical, but part is in the mind. Our device will be a boon for everyone who wants an extra boost of energy.”
“Impressive. Are there any side effects?”
“None at all. Except a feeling of tremendous well being,” said Severin. “Would you like to try it?”
“No, thanks,” said Harry.
“Perhaps Harry would like to try the other Chair,” said Lev Bronstein.
“Of course. Come with me, Harry.”
They followed Severin down a white corridor. They left the technical section and went into a common area, a lounge of some sort. And in this lounge was a similar chair, with a device pointing down at the ceiling from it.
“Perhaps you’d like to try the Relaxation Chair, Harry,” said Doctor Severin.
“Relaxation Chair?” Harry asked.
“A byproduct of our initial research. We discovered a process which relaxes the mind. It wipes fatigue away. A smaller version of our research chair. We call it the Relaxation Chair.”
“It’s great. We all use it,” said Lev. He sat down in the chair. It automatically activated.
“Is there no one at the controls?” Harry asked, indicating the control panel.
“The relaxation chair is automatically set to a two minute cycle. Watch.”
The machine came on with a powerful hum. Lev sat back and reclined. A small smile appeared on his face as a light shined on it. The machine hummed as something was done to him. His eyes glazed over. He seemed to be staring out into space.
Promptly two minutes later, the process ended. Lev blinked and reoriented himself.
“How do you feel?” Doctor Severin asked.
“Wonderful,” said Lev.
“You appeared to blank out there,” said Harry.
“The subject is unaware of the passage of time during the process,” said Doctor Severin. “A necessary side effect of the procedure.”
“Try it, Harry,” said Lev.
“Yes, try it,” said Doctor Severin.
Harry saw both of them staring insistently at him. “Maybe later. I’d like to study it, first.”
“Harry wants to understand everything first,” said Lev. He put an arm around Harry. “I was like that too, when I first came here. I’m the guy who wants to know the chemical composition of a pill before I swallow it. I understand, Harry. But sooner or later, you’ll try the chair. You’ll just want to.”
“I’m sure,” said Harry, feeling uncomfortable with Lev’s arm around him. He felt Doctor Severin’s big eyes on him.
“We should be getting back to work,” said Lev.
“Of course,” said Severin. “Oh, Harry, one more thing. Have you had your medical examination yet?”
“Not yet,” said Harry. Someone from medical had called him yesterday, but he had delayed them.
“Best get it out of the way,” said Severin. “Most employees have it done in the first week.”
“I will. Thanks,” said Harry, giving a false smile.
*********
He saw her later that morning. At first, it was out of the corner of his eye. A blonde woman, talking to a coworker.
He only saw her from behind. She had the same dirty blonde hair. She was wearing a pink blouse and a matching skirt. She was talking to a handsome dark haired man.
“Of course, Oliver. I’d love to have lunch with you.” She tittered.
That was Goldie’s titter.
Harry slowly walked around her. She noticed him out of the corner of her eye. Awareness washed over her face in slow motion. Even as she talked to Oliver, her eyes widened, and she stared more directly at Harry, and her mouth dropped open.
“Harry!” she said.
Harry extended a hand, unsure what to do, but Goldie was having none of that. She grabbed him in a bear hug. “I missed you so,” she murmured. Then she pulled back.
“Oliver, I’ll see you later, ok? Ok. I have something I have to do first,” she said, staring meaningfully at Harry.
As soon as Oliver was out of sight, she dragged Harry down the hallway.
“How have you been, Harry?” she asked.
“Fine, Goldie. How have you been?” he asked, mechanically. The whole situation felt so unreal.
Goldie pulled Harry into a storeroom, saw no one was there, and shut the door. Then she gave him an incredible kiss.
It went on for a long moment. The heat of her lips against his made Harry moan.
She pulled back, her hands on his cheeks. “I missed you, Harry,” she said again.
“I missed you too,” said Harry. “I arrived yesterday-”
“I know! I know, but they had me so buried in work,” said Goldie. “I have to see you.”
“Lunch?”
“I can’t,” said Goldie.
Can’t? He had just seen her with his own eyes agree to have lunch with some guy named Oliver.
“Tonight, after work?” Harry asked.
“I can’t,” she said again, letting her hands roam all over his chest. “I’m flying out to Charlotte. How about Thursday? Thursday night, Harry?”
Harry nodded. It would have to do.
She kissed him so much. “I can’t wait.”
They left the storeroom together, almost bumping into a blonde woman who was walking by.
“Claire!” said Goldie, reddening.
“Goldie,” said the other woman, looking at Goldie’s flustered reaction, then Harry, then the open door behind them. “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your… storeroom friend?”
Goldie blushed mightily. “Harry… Harry… this is my sister, Claire.”
“Harry?” The blonde’s eyebrows went up. “Harry Crater?”
“Yes,” said Harry.
“Well, we’ve certainly heard a lot about you. You’re supposed to be the smartest man on the planet,” said Claire.
“Well, I don’t know about that,” said Harry.
“And modest, too,” said Claire quickly, with a smile.
Harry chanced a quick look at Goldie’s sister. If Goldie was pretty, then Claire was gorgeous. Goldie had pert, womanly breasts; but Claire’s were larger, like a supermodel. She had long, slender legs, and her hair was a bright yellow color. She had gorgeous blue eyes, like her sister. And she was a few inches taller than Goldie.
“Harry, she’s taken,” said Goldie, seeing the play of emotions on Harry’s face.
“Not for lunch I’m not,” said Claire. “Do you have any plans for lunch, Harry?”
“Why…” Harry looked at Goldie. “No. I guess not.”
“Good, I’ll meet you at your workstation in an hour,” said Claire, even as Goldie was staring open-mouthed at Harry. “See you then.”
Harry watched as she walked away, wiggling her ass on her long shapely legs.
“Take a picture, Harry, it will last longer,” said Goldie.
“Goldie-”
Goldie kicked him in the ankles and stomped off.
********
Harry learned more about Goldie’s sister over lunch.
Claire MacPherson was a biomathematician at The Foundation. And what’s more, she was a Fourther.
Goldie had a sister who was a Fourther?
“She didn’t tell you?” Claire said.
Harry was forced to shake his head.
Claire sighed theatrically. “Well, it’s still nice that little Goldie has finally found a friend,” said Claire. They were sitting at an eatery in downtown Cambridge, one of Claire’s “special places”.
“Little Goldie?” Harry asked, still dumbfounded to be having lunch with such a gorgeous woman. Truth be told, Claire was prettier than Goldie. How had he, the ultimate loner, fallen upon such an embarrassment of riches?
“My little sister. I’m three inches taller than she is, in case you hadn’t noticed.”
Harry had noticed. It was all in the legs. Her glorious, long shapely legs which were encased in nude pantyhose.
“She was always a troubled girl,” said Claire, munching on her sandwich.
“Troubled?”
“A restless spirit,” said Claire. “Always getting into trouble. Very wild in her younger years. I think she must have bedded a quarter of the men at Wesleyan.”
Harry dropped his soup spoon. “Why are you telling me this?”
“You want her. It’s written all over you.” She paused, looking at him. “You seem like a nice guy. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Hurt?”
“I love my sister dearly, Harry. Really, I do. But she devours men, Harry. She chews them up and spits them out.”
“What does that mean?”
“She gets bored of men quickly. She tires of other men. It’s just a matter of time before she tires of you. Frankly, I’m amazed she’s stayed with Greg as long as she has,” said Claire.
“Greg?”
“I think they are practically engaged. It would make my parents so happy, Harry. Little Goldie, finally settling down.” She looked at his face. “You didn’t know?”
Harry didn’t know what to say.
“I… I….”
“It’s really for the best, Harry. She’s not your type. You need a stable woman. Do you know I got Goldie her job here?”
“You did?”
“She was floundering in one job after another. Finally I told her to work in recruiting. That’s her skill, Harry, she’s finally found her sweet spot. Do you know what her specialty is, Harry?”
He shook his head.
And she leaned forward and whispered, “Getting men to say yes.”
Claire looked at his face. “She got to you, didn’t she Harry? But you must have known she was just doing a job. I can see your type a mile away. You were lonely, weren’t you? And Goldie took advantage of your loneliness, didn’t she? Did she flatter you, Harry? Did she tell you how attractive you are? Did she do more than that? Be sure that she’s done it with many men, Harry. Take my word for it, she’s not the kind of girl for you.”
Harry felt numb, as if he had been struck with a metal crowbar directly to his head. “What… what kind of girl should I be with, then?”
“Well, of course, a Fourther, Harry,” said Claire. She reached out and touched his hand. “A woman who is really smart, just like you are. But then, if the rumors are true, no one is as smart as you are, are they, Harry? Imagine how smart your offspring would be, if you mated with a fellow Fourther.” Her blue eyes were shining. She leaned closer to his face. Harry looked at her plush red lips. They reminded him of Goldie’s. They moved closer, closer, closer….
And then Claire leaned back, and checked her chrono, and smiled. “Well look at the time! We’d better get back! This has been kind of a long lunch, hasn’t it, Harry?”
********
Harry was in a daze that afternoon. He knew intellectually, of course, that Goldie always had a separate agenda with him. She had never hidden it. But he had nursed a hope that in addition to that, somehow, she also had feelings for him. Claire made it very clear that Goldie didn’t. And then there was Greg….
As he walked down a white corridor of The Foundation, he found himself unexpectedly yanked into a storeroom.
“Hey!” he said, before he saw who it was.
It was Goldie.
“What do you think you’re doing?” she demanded fiercely.
“What do you mean?”
“Going out with her.”
“It was lunch, Goldie. And I asked you, but you were too busy with Oliver.” He saw the accusation sting her. Good.
“That was different,” said Goldie.
“Different how?” Harry asked.
“What I want to do with you can’t be done over lunch,” Goldie purred. “I missed you,” she said. She moved her lips closer to him.
Harry remembered everything Claire had told him. About how manipulative Goldie was. About how many men she went through. About-
Her lips pressed against his, and all thoughts went out of his head. He hungrily grinded his lips against hers. Her lips were warm and moist and juicy. When she pulled back, she had a satisfied look. “Have you forgotten about her, now?”
Harry nodded.
They heard footsteps.
“I have to go,” said Goldie.
“Goldie, just one thing-”
“Yes?”
“Are you getting married? To Greg?”
Goldie gave him an odd look. “What?”
“Are you engaged, to Greg?”
Goldie drew a deep breath. “No!”
“Are you marrying him?”
“No!” said Goldie. Understanding dawned in her eyes. “She told you, that, didn’t she? That little bitch! I’ll-”
At that moment a man wearing a blue jumpsuit entered the supply room.
“I’ll get right on that, Mr. Crater,” said Goldie, smiling as she walked to the door.
********
“I don’t know what to believe, Carl,” said Harry. He was taking his evening walk in Boston Common, and was connected to Carl via his voice comm. “Both Lev and Claire claim that Goldie is engaged to Greg. Goldie denies it.”
“It doesn’t matter,” said Carl.
“Why not?”
“Because she’s not interested in you. She has a boyfriend. She had a job, to bring you in. She brought you in.”
“But she seems so sincere!”
“She’s just being polite. You should be able to tell the difference,” said Carl.
“She’s going to see me two days from now, Thursday, after work.”
“We’ll see,” said Carl.
********
On Wednesday Lev Bronstein called Harry over. “Medical says you haven’t reported for your entrance exam.”
“Yeah, well, I’ve been busy working on that analysis you asked for,” said Harry.
“Make time for it. It’s a job requirement. In fact, why don’t you go now?” said Lev.
Truth be told, Harry didn’t like doctors, and he certainly didn’t like needles and having blood drawn. And as he wasn’t even sure if he would be staying at this job for more than a few days, he wasn’t anxious to have a medical exam.
“Lev, I will get to it,” said Harry firmly.
Lev looked at him, as if he were going to argue the point further, but just nodded. Harry had never seen Lev to be so forceful about anything before.
Goldie was in North Carolina, so Harry didn’t expect to see her, but he did see Claire. She came by his cubicle once a day to flirt with him.
“You know, I was the one who was supposed to be called Goldie,” said Claire.
“Were you?” Harry asked.
“Yes. We were both born blondes,” said Claire, touching her gorgeous hair. “Only years later, Goldie’s fizzled out.”
Harry didn’t think it was very nice to say that Goldie’s dark blonde hair had “fizzled out”, but he just nodded.
“She’s in North Carolina now, Harry. Do you know what she’s doing there?”
“Yes,” said Harry.
“Do you really?” she said, giving a sly smile. She walked away slowly, allowing Harry to admire her swaying hips.
“That Claire is really something,” said Lev, rolling his chair next to Harry. “I’d go after her, if she weren’t taken.”
“Taken?”
“Yeah. She’s seeing Ben, in recruiting. Didn’t you know?”
Harry didn’t. Now he was only more confused than ever.
********
“Harry hasn’t gotten to completion,” said Doctor Severin.
“It’s only been three days,” said Doctor Slattery. “95% of new subjects complete within two weeks.”
“He’s been sniffing around Goldie,” said Severin.
“No, we can’t have that,” said Slattery.
“Should I reprogram her?” Severin asked. “To remove her attraction to him?”
“No,” said Slattery. “We may still need that to get him to completion. Just keep her busy with other work, and reorient her a bit so she’s more properly focused.”
“And Harry Crater?”
“We’ll give him a few more days to self-complete. If he fails, we’ll take measures.”
********
“You wanted to see me, Doctor Severin?”
It was Thursday morning. Goldie had just gotten back from her mission to Chapel Hill. She had recruited a neuroscientist who The Foundation wanted. It took only a day of flirting and persuasion to get him to sign up. She was very much looking forward to seeing Harry tonight.
And then she got word that Doctor Severin wanted to see her. In the relaxation chamber. It didn’t make any sense.
“Yes, Goldie. I hear you were successful in Charlotte.”
“Yep,” said Goldie, with a smile.
“We’re sending you out again this afternoon. Another scientist we need in Chicago.”
“But Doctor Severin… I’ve been doing so much travelling lately… I had hoped to have a few days in the office, at a slower pace.”
“I’m sorry, Goldie, but The Foundation is expanding at a rapid pace, and we need skilled scientists.”
“But Doctor Severin, I’m so tired….”
“That’s why I’ve called you here,” said Doctor Severin. “Ten minutes in the chair and you’ll be full of energy.”
“I don’t know, Doctor Severin. I don’t think that’s necessary.” Ten minutes? The usual duration was two.
“You just said you were tired, didn’t you?”
“Yes, well-”
“Then get in the chair, Goldie.”
Goldie looked up, and saw the two men behind Doctor Severin, both wearing blue jumpsuits. Both blocking the exit. She nodded and sat down in the chair. “Maybe I do need a little pick me up.”
“That’s right, just relax,” said Doctor Severin, moving to the control panel. The instruments started to hum. “You’ll find this very invigorating, I promise….”
********
Harry got the invitation that morning, along with everyone else.
Doctor Slattery was holding a party at his mansion in Brookline this Sunday. All employees were invited.
“Are you going, Harry?” Lev asked.
Harry was conflicted. He had hoped to spend the weekend with Goldie. But he realized he had to attend.
He actually saw Goldie later that day, when she dropped by his cubicle.
“Harry,” she said softly. He turned around and saw her. She looked wonderful. He would have kissed her if Lev hadn’t been sitting two feet away.
“You’re back,” said Harry.
“Yes,” said Goldie.
“I can’t wait to-”
“Harry, can I see you in private, for a moment?”
They went to the supply room. That was fast becoming a regular meeting place for them. But after they kissed, Goldie told him the unpleasant news.
“They’re sending you out, again?”
“My plane leaves in three hours,” said Goldie.
“But we were going to get together tonight!”
“I know,” said Goldie miserably.
He held her in his arms. “When are you coming back?”
“I’m not sure,” she said, choosing each word carefully. “I’m going to try and make it for the party. You’re going, aren’t you?”
Harry nodded dully. “And afterwards?”
“We’ll be together,” she promised. They kissed, and Harry felt a warm glow. As Goldie turned to go, Harry said, “Goldie… when you go to these places…..”
“You have a question, Harry?” she asked.
“What… What do you do there?” Harry asked.
“Is there a more direct question you’d like answered, Harry?” Goldie asked. She stood there, looking boldly into his eyes, with her arms on her hips. She seemed totally unafraid, totally unashamed, which made Harry feel ashamed in turn. He wasn’t quite sure why.
“Do you want to know if I kiss other men, Harry? You want to know if that’s part of my job description?” Goldie ask. “Did Claire tell you that? Did she tell you I was the company whore?”
“Not… in so many words,” said Harry.
Goldie shook her head. “I love her, but we’ve been rivals for years. There was a thing that happened between us, long ago…” She looked into Harry’s eyes. “The answer to the question you’re too afraid to ask, Harry, is no. I don’t kiss other men as part of my job. I flirt. I smile. I cajole, I flatter. But kissing is not part of my job description.” And then she hugged Harry. “And the other thing we did? The last night, in my hotel room? Most definitely not part of my job description.” And she looked at him with such intensity, with such sincerity, that Harry had no choice but to believe her.
********
On Friday, Harry saw three muscular men, in a daze, being led out of the building. He pointed them out to Lev.
“They got the treatment. It can be a bit disorienting, at first.”
“I thought it was supposed to give them more mental energy. They looked confused,” said Harry.
“The treatments do exactly what they are intended to do,” said Lev, in a monotone.
“Then why did those men look so sleepy?”
“The treatments do exactly what they are intended to do,” said Lev, in the exact same tone as he had said it the first time.
“Oh, I see,” said Harry, “Thanks for making that clear to me, Lev.” His eyes narrowed as he watched Lev fall into a conversation with another coworker. Lev’s tone and body language completely returned to normal.
There was a woman who worked in Harry’s cubicle group. Her name was Hannah Murray. Later that day, Doctor Severin appeared in their workgroup, flanked by two large men wearing blue jumpsuits.
“Hannah,” he said softly.
Hannah turned to face him. She tried to hide the fear from her face. “Yes, Doctor Severin?”
“I have an interesting experiment I’d like to get a second opinion on, Hannah.”
Hannah looked at Doctor Severin, and then the two men behind him. “Now, Doctor Severin?”
“Yes, Hannah Now.”
She gulped, and nodded, walking off with him.
When they were gone, Harry turned to Lev. “What was that all about?”
“Sometimes Doctor Severin asks for volunteers from the staff for little experiments.”
“What kind of experiments?” Harry asked.
“Nothing to be concerned about,” said Lev, in a bored tone.
********
When Hannah returned, an hour later, her face was similarly blank. Harry went over to her and said, “Hannah? Are you all right?”
She looked at him blankly. “I am completely fine. Thank you so much for asking, Harry.” And then she sat down and stared woodenly at her computer screen, and returned to work.
********
On Saturday, Harry discovered Castle Island. Not really a castle or an island, it was instead a peninsula of sorts, a spit of land sticking out into Boston Harbor. Parts of it looked even deep enough to drown in, which cheered Harry immensely.
It was all so confusing. He had been told repeatedly by Claire, by Lev, by Carl, that Goldie was not to be trusted. For all he knew she was off fucking another man in New Haven.
And yet, when he was with her… she seemed so sincere, so loving. Harry was supposed to be the smartest man in the world, and yet he couldn’t see inside a woman’s heart. His instincts told him that she was telling the truth. That she had feelings for him. Maybe she even loved him.
But Harry had been wrong before. He remembered Onnika. He remembered Erica. He remembered Alexandra. He remembered all the bitter lessons he had learned.
And then there was The Foundation itself. Harry was certain that there was more to this place than it seemed. The brain cell processes they had him working on had the potential for much more than simply releasing mental energy. He couldn’t quite understand what they were up to, but it was more than just a process to make people more energetic.
And then there was that Relaxation Chair. Harry saw more than one tired coworker sit down into it in the lounge. After two minutes, they got up, totally reinvigorated. It was better than coffee, they said.
And yet, for that two minute period… their eyes were totally glazed. It was like they were hypnotized. They were unaware of everything around them. The machine above them cast a light on their head. What exactly was it doing to their brain?
Lev and some of the others had urged him to try it. Harry refused.
And then there was the subject of his medical exam. They were getting more and more insistent about it. Harry got the sense that he would have to make a decision about that soon. But first he had to see Goldie. And when exactly would he see her? She said she hoped to be at Mr. Slattery’s party. Harry hoped for more than that, that he could see her privately, after the party. Then maybe he could get some of this figured out.
********
Doctor Slattery had an expansive estate on the edge of Brookline, just outside of Boston. His house looked as majestic as the Lincoln Memorial, with giant marble pillars in front. It was on 20 acres of prime land. Harry wondered where his wealth had come from. But after all, Doctor Slattery was a Fourther like him; coming into money wasn’t hard for a Fourther. Only finding love was.
Harry immediately went looking for Goldie. There were several hundred people there. He was unaware that The Foundation had so many employees. It was odd seeing everyone in normal clothes. No one wore their blue jumpsuits and tall black boots. But he could tell who the guards and technicians were. The guards were big, muscular men, and the technicians…
“Ah, there you are, Harry,” said Doctor Severin, putting an arm on Harry’s shoulder. “So nice to see you. Are you having a good time?”
“Ah, yes,” said Harry, looking around even as he spoke.
“Are you looking for something?” Doctor Severin asked. “Or someone?”
Harry stiffened. “No, not really. Well actually, Goldie mentioned she might be here.”
“Then be assured she will,” said Severin, staring at him with those dark eyes. “But in the meantime, there are so many other interesting… possibilities here. You know Hannah Murray?” He pointed to Hannah, who was talking to another woman by a snack table.
“A little. She’s in my workgroup,” said Harry.
“Perhaps you could use this time to get to know her better,” said Severin. “She has a most interesting brain. The female brain is most fascinating, isn’t it, Harry?”
“Yes, it is,” said Harry.
“It is programmed for many things. Curiosity, love, affection, anger, discipline. And of course, reproduction. But that programming is most delicate. It’s a fragile balance, Harry, a very fragile balance. There is so much potential in there, just waiting to be tapped. All it requires are the hands of a skilled neuroscientist. I look at these women, and I see blocks of marbles, with the sculptures of what they can become already in them. It’s just a matter of knowing what bits to chip off.”
Harry gave Severin a quick glance. His eyes were shining and he was giving a creepy smile. “I’m sure,” said Harry.
An attractive woman wearing a cocktail outfit came by carrying a tray of drinks.
“Have you met Sanya, Harry?” Doctor Severin asked. “Sanya, this is Harry. Say hello, Sanya.”
“Hello,” said Sanya. Her face was blank.
“Sanya was one of the first to receive our rehabilitation therapy.”
“Rehabilitation therapy?”
“One of the many positive offshoots of our research, Harry,” said Doctor Severin. “We have found that not only does our Procedure release energy into the mind, but that when properly calibrated it can also release positivity. Sanya was one of the first graduates of a prison release pilot program we have with the state of Massachusetts.”
“You were in prison?”
Sanya nodded. “I was a criminal. I was paying my debt to society.”
“And now?” Harry asked.
“I see the bigger picture. My behavior was antisocial. I had no empathy for others. The Procedure helped turn me into a new woman,” she said, in a monotone.
“But are you happy?” Harry asked.
Sanya stared blankly in front of her.
“Sanya, Harry asked you a question,” said Doctor Severin.
Sanya turned to face Harry. “I am happy. I am very happy.” She looked at Severin, who nodded, and she left with her tray of drinks.
“She didn’t sound happy. She sounded… dazed,” said Harry.
“A temporary side effect of the treatment,” said Doctor Severin. “It wears off quickly. Sanya is now a happy and vibrant member of the community.”
“What other applications have you found from the Procedure?”
“We’re discovering new ones every day, Harry,” said Doctor Severin.
“Harry, there you are,” said Claire, coming out of nowhere. She grabbed him by the arm. “Really Doctor Severin, it’s not fair of you to monopolize Harry all for yourself.”
“I most humbly apologize,” said Doctor Severin. But he didn’t look sorry in the least. “I will see you later, Harry.” He turned and went off into the crowd.
“Charming, isn’t he?” said Claire.
“Doctor Severin?”
“One of our most brilliant Fourthers,” said Claire. She intertwined her arm a little more closely with Harry’s. “So how are you doing, Harry?”
“I’m fine,” said Harry. He looked at her. She was wearing a tight white blouse which accentuated her large breasts, and a short skirt. “How are you… and Ben?”
Claire gave him a cunning look. “Who told you about Ben? Wait, don’t tell me. It was Goldie, wasn’t it? Don’t bother to deny it, I know.”
“What is it between you too?”
“She’s always been jealous of me. That I’m a Fourther and she’s not. That I’m a real blonde. That I’m successful in relationships and the working world. She’s always jealous. One time she seduced one of my boyfriends right out from under me.”
“And now you’re trying to get even?” Harry asked, looking into her eyes.
Claire laughed. It was a pleasant sound. “Harry, are you under the illusion that Goldie has feelings for you? Goldie has feelings for no one, except for Goldie.”
“And you, and Ben?”
“That’s the second time you’ve asked about Ben, Harry,” she said, moving closer and staring intimately into his eyes. Her breasts were almost pressing against his chest. Almost.
“And that’s the second time that you haven’t answered my question,” said Harry.
Claire smiled and waved a finger at him. “You’re sharp, Harry! Yes, Ben and I are seeing each other. But it’s casual. Ben is nice, and Ben is fun….”
“But?”
“But Ben is not a high level Fourther. High level Fourthers should be with other Fourthers, Harry. Don’t you agree?”
Her face was so beautiful. Her eyes were clear blue, and her lips were bright red. Harry was trying to think of an answer, when suddenly they heard a gong. “That’s the signal! It’s time for chess!” said Claire.
“We’re all going to play chess?” said Harry.
“Yes,” said Claire excitedly.
She led him by the hand into the backyard. Harry felt a secret thrill being pulled by such a gorgeous woman. Again he had to admit to himself, in all honesty, that Claire was physically more attractive than her sister. And yet Goldie… he felt he had built up such a connection with her… and now she was nowhere to be seen….
There was an enormous chess board in Doctor Slattery’s backyard, as large as the one in Central Park. People started to put on sandwich boards representing different chess pieces.
“Come on, Harry, play,” said Claire. She put on a sandwich board with the symbol of a queen on it.
“All right,” said Harry, reaching for a sandwich board with a rook.
“No Harry, that’s not yours,” said Claire. “See, on the inside? That’s Doctor Kaminsky’s.”
“We have assigned pieces?”
“Ah, here’s your role,” said Claire brightly. She handed Harry a sandwich board.
It was a pawn.
“Put it on, Harry,” said Claire.
Harry, seeing everyone else putting on theirs, reluctantly put his on. His place on the chessboard was right in front of Claire. He was the queen’s pawn. In a way it felt like the time when he and Goldie had played their own chess game in Central Park. That was when they had had their first kiss. And that first kiss had opened the floodgates to everything, starting with their exciting touching session on the lawn for hours afterwards….
“Harry, wake up!” said Claire. She handed him a blue rod.
“What is this?”
“Your stun baton,” said Claire.
Harry looked around and saw they all had them. “You’ve got to be kidding.”
“Doctor Slattery says this is a great team building exercise,” said Claire.
They were being moved around as chess pieces, and when they were eliminated, they were tagged with stun rods. Harry couldn’t believe it. “Why?”
“It shows that we’re willing to work together as a team. More than that, it shows we’re willing to sacrifice for the team, to endure a small discomfort to help our team achieve its goals.”
“You’ve got to be kidding,” said Harry. And then he saw Slattery, sitting on an elevated chair on the opposite side of the chessboard. He looked behind him and saw Doctor Severin, on another elevated chair.
“Pawn to King’s 4,” said Doctor Slattery.
Harry watched the game slowly unfold. When a pawn from his side took a pawn from the other side, he saw one player actually touch the other player with his stun baton. The receiving player collapsed, falling to the ground.
“These things aren’t set to stun,” said Harry, watching as two orderlies carried the player from the field.
“That is the purpose of this exercise, Harry,” said Claire, from behind him. “To make us willing to accept sacrifice.”
Harry told himself that he should take off this sandwich board and leave this crazy place immediately. But he had come here to see Goldie, and Goldie still hadn’t arrived. And if he left early, he might lose his job. And Harry wasn’t ready to quit, just yet.
Harry watched as a knight took a rook. The rook trembled and his eyes rolled into his head as he was touched with the stun baton. Then he collapsed to the ground.
“This is crazy,” he said.
And then Harry heard Doctor Severin’s voice, from behind him, “Pawn’s to Queen’s Four.”
Pawn to Queen’s Four. That was him. They wanted him to move two steps forward.
But that would put him in jeopardy from an opposing pawn, one column over. It was Doctor Kaminsky, holding a stun baton.
“Harry, that’s you!” said Claire. “Move two squares forward!”
“I don’t want to get knocked unconscious,” said Harry.
“Nothing will happen to you,” said Claire.
Harry heard a babble of voices around him. They were all yelling at him, urging him to move forward. “You’re holding up the game!” “Get moving!” “Go on, Harry!”
Claire said, “Harry, you have nothing to fear. I’m the Queen, I’ll protect you!”
Harry, seeing opponents all around him, reluctantly nodded. He moved one step forward, and then two.
“You see?” said Claire, from behind him. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”
Harry looked up at Doctor Slattery. They made eye contact. Doctor Slattery gave a small smile, and then he gave Harry a salute.
And then he gave the order for his pawn to take Harry’s square.
Doctor Kaminsky came forward. He smiled broadly, waving his stun baton. “This won’t hurt a bit,” he promised.
“No,” said Harry, shrinking back. But then something, or someone, held him from behind, and then Kaminsky tapped him with the rod. Harry felt an explosion of electrical current in his body, and then in his brain, and all went black.
*********
“Prince charming is waking up,” said a soft voice.
Warm sunlight was streaming on his face. Harry slowly opened his eyes. He was lying down, on the grass, but his head was on a lap. A woman’s lap. He looked up, but the sun was in his eyes. Then she leaned forward and he could see her features.
It was Goldie.
Harry quickly sat up. The chess board was empty. Smaller numbers of people were milling around in the backyard. It seemed like a lot of time had passed.
“What happened?” Harry asked.
“You fell asleep, Harry. You fell asleep, and missed the best part,” said Goldie. “Doctor Slattery beat Doctor Severin in a record 34 moves.”
“34 moves… how long was I out?” Harry asked.
“Just a few minutes.”
It didn’t feel like just a few minutes. He turned to Goldie. “You’re here.”
“I missed you too,” said Goldie, grinning.
“I have so much I want to say to you,” said Harry.
“And I to you,” said Goldie. “But I have to hop on a plane in two and a half hours.”
“A plane? You just got back!”
Goldie nodded. “They’re sending me out again.”
“Goldie, this isn’t fair.”
“I know,” said Goldie. “Here, come with me.”
This time they didn’t go to a storeroom. Instead they went inside a broom closet. Goldie was kissing him passionately even before the door closed. Harry felt the warmth of her body pressed against his. He loved it. But even as she kissed him, his mind rebelled.
“Goldie, when are we going to be able to stop sneaking around storerooms and closets and actually get together for some quality time?”
“I thought this was quality time,” said Goldie, giving him another kiss. She kissed him so firmly that Harry groaned.
“It is,” said Harry, as their lips parted with a slight smacking sound. “But you know what I mean.”
“I do, Harry. I really do. I expect to be back midweek. They have never had me travel this much before. We’ll make it happen. I promise.” She kissed him again, and then, slowly, pulled her body away from his as she made her way to the door….
********
“I can’t figure out what’s going on here,” said Harry. “It’s like Goldie wants me, but she’s always just beyond my reach.”
“Maybe that’s intentional,” said Carl.
“On Goldie’s part?”
“Or The Foundation’s. They’re trying to draw things out, to delay things between you and Goldie.”
“But why?”
“To get something from you. Something they want.”
********
Harry found out what that something was the following day. Lev sat him down in a conference room. “Harry, you’ve been doing good work,” he began.
But… Harry knew something else was coming.
“But you haven’t had your company physical,” said Lev.
“But I feel fine,” said Harry.
“It doesn’t matter, Harry. It’s company rules. You have to get your physical. I’ve been authorized to tell you that if you don’t get it this week, The Foundation will have to let you go.”
Harry was stunned. He was being given a deadline. He simply nodded.
********
When Lev and Harry returned to their desks, Harry noticed that Hannah Murray’s desk had been cleared out.
“Where’s Hannah?” he asked.
“She moved on,” said Lev.
“Where?” Harry asked.
Lev shrugged. “High tech companies have a lot of turnover, Harry.”
Harry stood up and walked around. He noticed a number of new faces in cubicles. Different faces. He used his eidetic memory to remember the faces of those he had seen just a few days ago. The Foundation had rapid turnover. Why were people leaving in such high numbers?
********
That evening Harry had Carl do a trace on Hannah Murray. Carl came up with an address in Back Bay, and a comm number. Harry called her. Her number was disconnected. He went over to her apartment. He found the door open. The apartment was empty.
*********
“What’s going on here, Carl?”
“It seems The Foundation is engaged in more work than merely energizing brains,” said Carl.
“What would that be?”
“I have insufficient data to speculate,” said Carl.
“I should quit,” said Harry suddenly. “This whole place gives me a bad feeling.”
“Then quit.”
“But I’ll never see Goldie again,” said Harry.
“You knew this day would come,” said Carl.
“Yes, but I hoped…”
“Hoped what?”
“To prolong it,” said Harry. He considered. “They have given me until Friday to get my medical exam. If I don’t see Goldie by Friday, I’ll simply quit.”
“And if you do see her?”
“I don’t know,” said Harry.
********
On Wednesday, Doctor Severin came into John Slattery’s office.
“We have a problem,” said Severin. “Harry Crater still hasn’t taken his physical.”
Slattery nodded. “He was so close to completion. Did you see the way he participated in the chess game?”
“Yes. Perfect compliance,” said Severin.
Slattery paused. “What do you suggest?”
“Goldie,” said Severin. “She’s in Kansas City, but this is much more important. We can bring her back to get him to completion.”
Slattery nodded. “See to her conditioning when she returns.”
“I don’t think that will be necessary,” said Severin.
Slattery looked questioningly at Doctor Severin. “A remnant of her original programming?”
“No.” Doctor Severin smiled. “I think she likes him. I think she genuinely likes him.”
Slattery laughed. “Well, the unexpected can happen, I suppose. Make sure Goldie knows what’s expected of her.”
“Yes sir.”
********
On Thursday morning, Harry received a call to report to conference room 3-A. When he got there, it appeared to be empty. But then Goldie, who had been hiding behind the door, closed it abruptly, grabbed him, and gave him a great, big kiss.
“Goldie!”
“Remember me?” she said, kissing him again. Her hot lips eagerly found his. They kissed for a long moment.
“Are you on the way from the airport?”
“Nope,” she said, kissing him again.
“On the way to the airport?”
“Nope again.”
“Then where are you now?”
“Right here with you,” said Goldie. “And I want to see you, tonight.”
“Tonight?” Harry pretended to look thoughtful. “I don’t know, I’ll have to check my schedule.”
“Come have dinner at my place.”
Harry’s body jolted. He remembered the First Rule of Alexandra: whenever a woman invites you over to her apartment for dinner, you are going to have sex. He looked into Goldie’s eyes, and could see the lust, as plain as day.
Harry was going to have sex, for only the fifth time in his entire life.
He couldn’t say no.
********
The rest of the day moved exceedingly slowly. Harry couldn’t concentrate on his work. All he could think about was Goldie. Would they really be intimate tonight? Would they really be together? What did she really feel about him? Harry had expected to see her so many times. Would she pull the rug out from under him again and cancel at the last minute?
Harry looked at the chrono with dread. Each moment that passed was another moment that Goldie could come into his workspace and tell him regretfully, sadly, that she had been ordered to fly off somewhere again.
But by two o’clock it hadn’t happened. Not by three o’clock. By four o’clock, Harry began to feel cautious confidence, and by five o’clock, he was ebullient. It was going to happen.
********
The moment Goldie opened the door of her Back Bay apartment, Harry knew she was ready for sex. She was wearing a low cut dress that showed off her breasts. He could see her luscious legs through her sheer pantyhose. And her smile, her smile as she kissed him, told him everything. She was ready to be fucked.
“Come in, Harry,” she said in a soft tone, softer than he had ever heard her speak before.
She led him to her dining room table. “I hope you like beef stew, Harry. It’s all I know how to make,” said Goldie. She said it in such an erotic voice, it excited Harry as if she were asking for sex with him.
“Stew will be fine,” said Harry. The only thing he really hungered for was right in front of his eyes.
Now that they were finally together, Harry found himself making small talk with Goldie. All the big questions were left unasked. How was his work? Fine. How was her work? Fine. She had persuaded two scientists to join The Foundation. Harry didn’t inquire exactly what she had done to persuade them. He didn’t want anything to ruin this evening.
After dinner Goldie looked at him. That’s all she did, was look at him. But her look told him everything. He stood up even as she was doing the same, and embraced her.
They were kissing, touching, hugging. Harry noticed that his clothes were starting to come off.
“Unzip me, Harry,” he heard a voice in his ear command. He pulled the zipper on the back of her dress. Harry fully remembered the Rule of Erica. He knew that sex ended relationships. But his contact with Goldie was so fleeting, so fragile. He felt like this might be the very last time he ever saw her again. He was going to do it.
Soon Harry was naked, and aroused, and Goldie was in a black bra and panties. They retired to her bed, and lay side by side. Goldie smiled as she undid the clasp of her bra, and her breasts came spilling out. “Do you like them, Harry?”
“Yes,” said Harry.
“Then touch them, Harry.” Harry started to rub them, but Goldie shook her head. “No, Harry. Touch them with feeling. Like this.” she took his hands, and started to work them gently over her breasts. “Just the finger tips, Harry. Taunt me. Tease me. Feel the sides. Feel all around. Now brush the nipples Harry, but just a bit. Just give me a taste. Ooooh yes, that’s right, Harry. Yes, that’s so right,” she said, arching her head back, and smiling. Just the look of her face, feeling pleasure, was so erotic for him.
They kissed some more. Harry felt incredibly aroused. Then Goldie drew back, and put her hands on her panties. “Are you ready for more, Harry?”
Harry nodded.
Goldie pulled down her panties, to reveal her dark brown bush. It was in vivid contrast to the light brown and blonde hair on her head. “I hope the color doesn’t disappoint you, Harry.”
Harry looked at the narrow pink slit nestled between her thick bush. “I love it,” said Harry thickly.
“Then touch it, Harry. Touch it, to show me you love it.”
Harry hesitantly started to run his fingers over her pubic hair. But then she took his hands and put it over her nether lips. “Touch me here, Harry, like this,.” She manipulated his hand, using it as if it were her own, moving it to one particular spot, rubbing in a circular pattern now, more insistently, more rapidly. “Oooh… oohhh… ooooh… oh yes, Harry.”
At the same time she was using her other hand to play with the tip of his penis, flicking it, petting it, teasing it, rubbing a finger back and forth across his slit. Harry moaned with pleasure.
And then the time came when Goldie spread her legs. “Do you know where to put it, Harry?”
“Yes,” Harry whispered.
“Then do it, Harry. Do it now, before I change my mind.” Her tone was serious, but her eyes were teasing.
Harry lifted and aimed his penis. He gently put it to the entrance of Goldie’s nether lips. Then he gradually inserted himself. He watched with intense fascination as his organ slowly but surely disappeared inside of her.
“Aaaah!” Goldie gasped, arching her back. She grabbed him tightly. “You’re inside me, Harry. All of you. I’ve wanted this for the longest time.”
“I have too,” Harry whispered.
“Now move, Harry. Slowly, very slowly.”
Harry started to move in and out.
“Oh Harry, that feels so good. I always imagined it would feel that way. I feel like we’ve waited long, so long for this, Harry.”
“I do too,” Harry gasped. He couldn’t believe he was poling in and out of Goldie. He looked down for more confirmation. He could see the head of his penis slowly going in and out of her vagina. It was an incredible sight. And then, as his shaft went in again, it disappeared. The whole thing, deep inside her moist nether lips.
She looked into his eyes. “Would you like to do this every day, Harry?”
“Yessss…” he hissed.
“We can, Harry. We can. And we will,” Goldie promised.
He started to speed up, but Goldie told him to slow down. “Slowly, Harry, slowly.”
“But….” Harry felt a buildup inside, a tenseness. He wanted to go faster. He needed to go faster.
“You want to go faster, don’t you?”
“Uh huh,” said Harry, as he continued to thrust slowly inside of her. Each thrust was like a dream come true.
“You need to go faster, don’t you?”
“Uh huh.” Every time her body jolted slightly in response to his downward pressure was incredible.
“Then you have to do something for me,” said Goldie.
“What?” Harry gasped.
“You have to take your medical exam.”
“No,” said Harry.
“Go slower, Harry!” Goldie said sharply. “Slower!” She took control now, grabbing Harry’s hips. Now she controlled the pace. She made Harry move slowly, very slowly, at a pace which tortured him. “You have to have your medical exam, Harry.”
“No,” said Harry again.
“You have to have it, or they’ll fire you,” said Goldie. She pushed inside of her, but just a tiny bit, just an inch, and then she pulled him out again, holding onto his hips, to his enormous frustration.
“I don’t like needles,” said Harry.
“I don’t like needles either. But I love this. Don’t you?” said Goldie. This time she let him go two inches inside of her, before slowly pushing him out again.
“Yes….”
“Then agree, Harry. Agree.” She let him slide three inches into her, and then out. But slowly, very slowly.
“I don’t know.” The pressure on his organ was incredible.
“Agree, Harry,” she said again.
Harry cried out. He had to come. His organ felt like it was going to explode. Reluctantly, he nodded.
Goldie restrained him, letting him only go an inch inside of her. “Say it, Harry. Say it.”
“I’ll do it,” he cried. “I’ll do whatever you want! Just let me end this!”
“All right Harry,” said Goldie. She redeployed her hands from his hips to his ass. “You have earned your reward. Give it to me, Harry. Give it to me really hard.”
Harry started thrusting into Goldie like mad. It felt incredible for both of them. He felt like a machine, a tool of evolution, a living, breathing fertilization device, and before him was the irresistible urge, to fertilize her secret place, all moist and dark and shrouded by her sexy pubic hair. Harry thrusted faster and faster, and said, “Goldie, I’m going to… to….”
“I know! I feel it too, my love… aaaaaah!”
They climaxed together, crying out as one, as Harry ejaculated inside of Goldie’s vagina. He spurted deep inside of her. It felt wonderful. As he came, he looked into her eyes. For a moment, they were one. A single organism, designed for one thing only: reproduction.
Harry reluctantly pulled out after his pulses stopped. He lay by her side, looking at her, wondering what would happen next.
Goldie looked at him and said, “Was that your second time, or your third?”
“My fifth, actually,” said Harry.
“Fifth! I didn’t realize you were such an experienced lover!” she said, kissing him. From anyone else the words would have stung. But from Goldie, it made Harry laugh.
“How was I?” Harry asked. He was afraid to ask. He shouldn’t have asked. He remembered the Rule of-
“You were good. Really good,” said Goldie.
“You were incredible,” said Harry.
“I was?” Goldie smiled.
“The best,” said Harry.
“The best of five women?”
“The best of three,” said Harry.
“A very small sample size,” said Goldie. “But I’ll accept the compliment as it was intended.”
She was so witty! Harry loved her for that. But then a new thought occurred to him.
“Are you… protected?” he asked.
Goldie laughed. “And you only think to ask this now? You know what I love about you, Harry? You may be a super genius, but in some ways you’re a typical male. Yes, my sweet, I am protected. Better protected than any girl you’ve ever been with or ever will.”
Harry frowned as he tried to make sense of that.
“Be assured that even now your genius sperm is swimming deep inside of me, but will never find the mark. You will make no unplanned babies with me, Harry Crater,” she said looking lovingly into his eyes, and, Harry perceived, maybe a little sadness? They kissed again, for some time to come.
Afterwards, as they relaxed, Harry found himself staring at her body. Her breasts were covered in sweat. Her areolas were bright and red, the prominent nipples erect. Her hair was covered in moisture. She looked freshly fucked, and Harry had been the man to do it. He felt masculine and powerful.
And yet… Goldie had been the one to exercise the power. She had gotten him to agree to take the medical exam. As he touched her gently, he realized his plans to resign from The Foundation would have to be put on hold.
********
“This won’t hurt a bit,” said Doctor Chandra, coming to Harry with a needle.
Harry still couldn’t believe he had agreed to do this. He looked away as Doctor Chandra inserted the needle, drawing blood. He winced from the pain.
“There, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” Doctor Chandra asked.
“Is there anything else, Doc?” Harry asked.
“No,” said Chandra. “Nothing except the brainscan.”
Brainscan?
“It will only take a few moments,” said Chandra.
Harry was put on a sliding table. His head was inserted into a machine. Immediately he felt claustrophobic.
“Doc!” he cried.
“Starting the process now,” he heard. The machine started to hum. Harry willed himself to be calm.
He really was claustrophobic. One minute turned into two minutes which turned into five minutes and then somewhat longer. Harry started to shout for the doctor. He received no response. Then he started to wiggle out of the machine.
“Wait, no, no!” he heard.
Suddenly the table slid out. “You’re done, my friend,” said Doctor Chandra.
“That took a lot longer than-” Harry’s voice broke off as he noticed Doctor Severin, who was staring intently at his brainscan on a screen. “What are you doing?”
“You have a most fascinating brain structure, as we suspected,” said Doctor Severin. “The interconnectivity of your neurons-”
“I thought this examination was for medical purposes, not for research,” said Harry.
“It is for both. Both are for the good of mankind,” said Doctor Severin.
Harry shook his head and frowned. But it was done. There was no undoing it. Getting up, he headed for the door.
********
Harry had never been to the recruiting department. They worked out of cubicles on the fifth floor. As he walked by the cubicles, Harry saw the most beautiful women he had ever seen–blondes, brunettes, and redheads. They were all talking on their comms, speaking in seductive tones.
And then he came to Goldie’s desk. She was staring at something intently on her screen.
“It’s done,” said Harry.
Goldie turned, a smile already on her face, and reached up and hugged Harry. “I know it was a terrible experience for you. But it’s over and I’m glad for you, Harry. Really I am.”
“I’d love to tell you all about it. Dinner, tonight?”
Goldie’s face fell. “I’m sorry, Harry.”
“They’re sending you out again?”
“Salt Lake City. But I should be back Monday. Monday night, for sure.”
Harry bit his lip, and nodded. Monday night, for sure.
********
When Harry dropped by Goldie’s cubicle on Monday afternoon, she wasn’t there. A coworker told him Goldie wouldn’t be back until Wednesday.
********
On Wednesday, Harry saw Goldie in the hallways. They moved to a supply room where they kissed.
“This is beginning to become a habit,” said Harry.
“Heh heh, yes it is,” said Goldie, smiling tenderly.
“Tonight, after work?”
“I… I….”
“You have to fly out again, don’t you?” said Harry.
“Harry, it’s only for two days, we can meet up after work on Friday-”
“Of course,” said Harry.
********
“It’s over,” Harry announced that evening, as he sat in his Boston apartment.
“Are you sure?” Carl asked.
“Yes,” said Harry. “They’re keeping Goldie well away from me. Or maybe Goldie is keeping well away from me. It’s hard to know which.”
“And what about her sister, Claire?”
The first two weeks Harry had been at The Foundation, Claire dropped by nearly every day to chat and say hello to him. For Harry it wasn’t so much what Claire said but how she said it. She gave him half-lidded stares and little smiles; she leaned forward so he could get a good view of her breasts; she touched his hand as they talked, and she walked away slowly, swaying her hips and her ass, in full view of him as she walked.
But after his medical exam, Claire no longer dropped by. When Harry had passed her in a hallway once, she had given him a frigid hello as if he were a stranger. It was almost as Claire had lost interest in Harry now that Goldie was no longer seeing him.
“She’s gone too,” said Harry.
“So what’s changed?” Carl asked.
“They must have what they want,” said Harry.
“And what is that?”
“The medical exam,” said Harry grimly. “The brainscan they took of me. Doctor Severin was practically drooling over it the moment it was completed.”
“How could that be useful to them?”
“I don’t know,” said Harry. “They have a brainscan of a genius. How does that help them? They’re not in the business of building brains.”
“What are they in the business of?”
“I’m not sure,” said Harry. “But I intend to find out.”
********
The next day found Harry wearing the blue jumpsuit, black shirt, and tall black boots of a technician. He hated the uniform but he needed it to get into the technical section. He also needed a special computer chip for identification, which took him only a few minutes to forge.
He entered the technical section, passing other workers in blue jumpsuits. It was a big company. Most people there didn’t know Harry on sight.
Harry passed a number of rooms. He heard screams from one of them.
Harry entered the room, to find a row of computer banks. In front of the banks were technicians, a computer console, and a chair.
The screams were coming from a man in the chair.
“Now Gary, tell us again. Are you married?”
Harry stiffened. He knew that voice.
It was Doctor Severin.
“Yes,” said the voice of the man in the chair. “My wife is Julia, we have been married-” he screamed in pain.
“That’s a lie, Gary. The pain will only intensify if you lie. You are not married to anyone named Julia. You have never been married to anyone named Julia. Isn’t that correct?”
The man moaned.
“Isn’t it, Gary?”
“Yes… yes…”
“And you have no memory of anyone named Julia, do you Gary?”
“No… no memory,” said the man. Then his face seemed to relax. “Aaaaaaah….”
“See how good it feels when you tell the truth, Gary?” Doctor Severin asked.
“Yes… yes.”
“Have you ever been married, Gary?”
The man looked up at Doctor Severin for a long moment. “No… never.”
“Good, Gary, very good.” He turned to a technician. “Make sure he cycles through.”
Doctor Severin started walking to the door. Harry quickly hid behind one of the computer banks. Doctor Severin stopped at the doorway for a moment, as if he were thinking of something. Then he left the room.
Harry waited a moment, and then followed him out.
********
Hacking was one of Harry’s finest skills. But The Foundation’s database had security measure after security measure. Harry had subverted three of them and sighed when he found a fourth.
He was back in his ordinary clothes, sitting at his desk, rapidly typing away, to anyone who was listening. If someone like Lev walked by, Harry could bring up a different screen with a punch of a button.
And then, suddenly, he was in.
Harry was shocked by how much data there was. Terraquads of it. He started searching for top level directories to try and make sense of it. There was much more going on here than simply experiments to make people more energetic. Harry came across information about conditioning peoples’ minds. About planting memories in them. About controlling them. And he also came across a surprising variety of information about genetics. He plugged a data crystal in, and started to rapidly download as much as he could for later study.
“Working hard, Harry?” said Lev, from his cubicle.
“You bet,” said Harry.
“Your mind is always working, my friend,” said Lev. “I can’t wait to see what you come up with.”
“Neither can I,” said Harry. A top level folder marked “Prospects” caught his eye. He came upon a list of names, marked “People of Interest”. He downloaded it. Then he saw subfiles with detailed personnel data. He was in the middle of downloading it, when his screen went blank.
Suddenly, he heard an alarm in the background.
Harry immediately figured out what had happened. He must have missed one of the security measures. Maybe high level information was not supposed to be accessed from his location. Or maybe there were limits on how much can be downloaded before drawing the attention of automated detection systems.
Harry grabbed the data crystal and headed for the door.
“Where are you going, Harry?” Lev asked.
Harry didn’t answer. He kept walking, at a fast pace, until he got to the front entrance. Two guards in blue jumpsuits stood in his way. Each brandished a stun rod. “I’m sorry, sir, no one is to leave. We have a lockdown situation,” said a guard.
“I understand,” said Harry.
Phasers locking on target.
Harry gave one guard a karate chop to the windpipe. He went down instantly. The other guard started to raise his stun rod, but Harry was quicker, punching him in the head. He went down, crying out, as his stun rod went clattering across the ground. Harry picked it up.
He raced to his car. Two guards approached him. “Sir, you can’t”
“Check!” said Harry, stabbing one of them, who went down instantly.
The other guard raised his own stun rod, but Harry tagged him first. “And mate,” he added.
********
Harry went straight to the office of the local FBI. He knew the local police would be too small minded to handle this.
What he hadn’t anticipated was how small minded the FBI would be. The agent he spoke to, a man named Agent Sanduval, looked at Harry like he was mad when he talked of stories of mind control and inhumane experimentation. Harry tried to plug in the data crystal to prove his point, but to his horror found that all the information had been encrypted–yet another of The Foundation’s security measures.
“Listen to me,” said Harry. “I’m telling you that something is going on at this Foundation. They are doing mind control experiments on people. Go and see for yourself. Go and prove me wrong!”
And his tone was so insistent, that something in his voice made Agent Sanduval sigh and nod. “All right, Harry. We’ll go there.”
********
Harry was nervous as they drove to The Foundation. There was only himself, Agent Sanduval, and his partner Agent Kayko. They could be overwhelmed by The Foundation’s guards. They still weren’t taking this seriously.
But when they got there, he was relieved to see two police cars already on the scene. They had taken him seriously enough to request some backup, at least.
But what they found amazed Harry more than all of them.
It was empty.
The entire building was… abandoned.
The furniture was all there; and the lights were on. But the computers were gone. They went into the technical wing.
The experimenting chairs were gone. Even the Relaxation Chair was gone. There were empty consoles where computer cores had been unplugged and pulled out.
“There’s no one here, Harry,” said Sanderson.
“Look around you,” said Harry. “Doesn’t it seem odd to see a completely abandoned office building, with the lights on, air conditioning running, and even… half full cups of coffee left around?” He lifted up one.
Sanderson nodded. He turned to Kayko. “What do you have?”
“It’s registered to a non-profit called The Foundation, with a home office in the Maldives,” said Agent Kayko.
“Any local addresses?”
“No,” said Kayko.
“I’m telling you, something was going on here,” said Harry. “Something terrible.”
********
Harry didn’t know whether they believed him or not. At this point, it no longer mattered. He had tried to call Goldie at the comm number she had given him, but it was disconnected. He went to her apartment with the police, but also found it empty.
The trail, it seemed, had gone cold.