Dóchas

By Cainneach McEinri

 

Description: In the story Dóchas, Sarah, her friends, the aliens and the crew members they recruited begin restoring the ship after over a century in hibernation near Mars. During this time they come to the aid of friends on Earth, while not revealing their presence. A settlement is established on Mars enabling them to build the additional ships they will need to relocate to another solar system. 

 

Published: 2023-10-24 (updated 2023-11-25) 

Size: ≈ 311,000 words 

 

 

 

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Dóchas

‘Hope’

 

 

Sarah’s Saga III

 

By Cainneach McEinri

 

Copyright© 2014, 2023

 

Dóchas is a Celtic word that means hope.

 

This is a work of fiction.  All the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental.  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission to make copies of any part of the work should be submitted to the author.

 

Cover photo derived from photo  127386577 | Mars Planet © Simonas Šileika | Dreamstime.com used with permission. 

 

Please be advised that this story was created for mature audiences for their entertainment thus many of the sexual interactions between consenting individuals are graphically described.  The sexual interaction occurs between women as well as between men and women.  Some characters have a polygamy style relationship.

 

Editing and comments were provided by Just_passin_through and several others.  They are very much appreciated. 

 

Note:  When the conversation is a telepathic exchange, it is indicated by italics font. 

 

 

 

Sarah’s Saga Series

Mistaken Identity

Comrie

Dóchas

 

 

 

- Chapter 1 -

Note:  When the conversation is a telepathic exchange, it is indicated by italics font. 

Erin and Joyce of Sarah's Clan were anxiously watching the flight of four Star Fighters approached Dóchas hangar bay 1 port.  Behind the approaching Star Fighters, they could see a partial view of Mars.  A nearby monitor showed the Star Fighters’ approach along with their optimal approach path.

In one of the Star Fighters, Sarah watched the display as she guided her ship into the hangar then settle on the cradle.  As soon as it was on the cradle, the crew connected the auxiliary power cables then initiated the parking routine.  Once parked, the crew opened the top then lifted her capsule out before opening it letting the cushioning fluid drain into a collection pit.  Next they disconnected her helmet from the capsule.  Sarah removed her helmet then bent over and coughed several times to expel the cushioning fluid from her lungs.  After taking a deep breath she slipped out of the skin tight coveralls and took the towel from the crewman.

Erin and Joyce joined her as they watched Sally's capsule being removed from her Star Fighter.  Joyce said, “How did it go?”

“Fantastic,” replied Sarah.  “This is an amazing craft to fly.  I think I only missed one target on first run.  Let's see how I am scored.  If this was my primary job I think there are some things I would like to do differently.”

Flight operations control (FOC) AI said, “Sarah, today completes your training flights for the Star Fighters.  The combination of your flight simulator and excursions in a Star Fighter qualifies you to as a pilot, thus you will be on the reserve list.  However, if this was your primary assignment you would need considerably more flight experience before participating in a combat mission.”

“Thank you.  How did everyone do?”

“Very well.  We would gladly have all of you in Star Fighters, but we think your clan is more valuable to us by being on Dóchas's bridge.  As to scores, so far all of you are in the top 10% at this skill level.  Well done!”

Sally, Terry and Rusty had joined them during the dialog with the FOC-AI.  Rusty said, “Let's go shower.  I understand why we have the cushioning fluid but if feels yukky when you get out.”

“Joyce, Erin,” said Rusty, “when are you going to qualify?”

“We've completed the flight simulator portion,” responded Joyce.  “We held back as has Tara, Alison, Claudette and us until you all had completed it.  Siobhan's and Maureen's Clans have partially completed the flight simulator.”

“Good.  So what did you all think of the intercepts and the firing range?”

Sally said, “I thought those were pretty straightforward.  I think I would have preferred to see more potentially distracting events as we did each one.”

Joyce added, “I think those are at the next level.  The astrogation in the next level is more difficult which is why I wanted to take it.”

“After the others get back, let's sit down to review how MacFarland and O'Toole are doing on the lodge investigation,” said Sarah.

FOC-AI said, “The other flight will be back in about an hour.”

“Thanks,” replied the group as they headed for the hangar exit.  On reaching the exit Joyce looked back and said, “They are neat looking space ships but certainly have a lethal appearance.  I hate to admit it, but when I first saw them it took me a bit to understand why they have stubby airfoils.”

“You are not alone,” said Terry with a grin.

“Actually besides being beneficial in an atmosphere, they provide more space to locate weapons,” noted Rusty.

---

When Madeline and her friends walked into the conference hotel Madeline exclaimed, “Ursula, I didn't know you all were coming to this conference.”

On hearing the sound of Madeline's voice Ursula and her friends turned toward it.  There was pandemonium as the two groups greeted each other.  After Cliona and Eavan hugged and said hello to each other, they watched their friends enthusiastically greeting each other.  They were soon drawn into the mayhem, but they never stopped monitoring the lobby.

When Jan hugged Eavan she whispered, “Don't you ever stop watching and relax?  You are just like Cliona.”

“We can't, we have some precious friends to look out for,” she whispered back as she gave Jan a kiss on the cheek.

“Well we are glad to have you around.”

“Thank you,” replied Eavan as she moved to greet another.

It had been some fifteen months since Sarah's Clan had rescued them from the slaver's freighter.  During their brief stay on Dóchas, these two groups had become very close friends.  After recovering from their ordeal, Madeline's and Ursula's groups along with thirty-two others chose to return to Earth society.  Once they had decided to return, Sally of Sarah's Clan and several others had encouraged them to return in small groups.  By doing that it was felt that they could look out for each other.  To further enhance their safety, all the groups had been offered the services of a bot.  The Intelligence and Security departments had helped them create new ids, and back stories to support there new ids.  Once they had these, all of them had quickly found positions that utilized their education, and were in an area where they wanted to live.

“I am surprised you didn't mention the conference the last time we talked,” said Jan to Múirne.

“Well, we may not have known.  Ursula and I proposed that we attend, but the company decided to send all of us.  We were really surprised when they told us we could all go.  We had thought about suggesting it but didn't think it would be acceptable.”

“That is sort of the way it worked for us.”

“This could be awkward since our employers compete in a few areas.  However, we don't work in those areas so it will be easy to avoid and besides who wants to talk business all the time.

“Yea, even so we should probably avoid situations where it is just our two groups participating in any discussion sessions.”

“Yes.”

They continued to chat as they checked-in.  Before leaving for their rooms they made plans to meet for dinner after registering for the conference.

During the conference they had many opportunities to discuss solutions to programming issues and ways to improve user interface.  Each group met with technical people from their company's customers and spent some time discussing their needs and issues.  As the week progressed they were pleased with the technical information they’d picked up.  On their own, they weren't sure they could have easily found some of it.

As the end of the week approached, the women realized how much they missed being together.  Since returning to Earth, they had frequently talked.  The idea of getting together for a long weekend had come up several times but for one reason or another, they kept getting put off.  In hindsight they all wondered why they had put it off.  So since, they all had time off available, they decided to extend their stay a day.  The week being around each other also stoked their desire to see each other more frequently.  One possibility was to move closer to each other.  One fly in the ointment was that there was a considerable distance between their current locations.  Another complication was that their employers competed in some markets.

On their last day, at breakfast, Madeline looked around then said, “We've all noted how much we miss being together.  With a little effort, we could schedule more time off together.  Going to Comrie, is one possibility but I think we want more than that.  We could see if the offer Sarah’s Clan made us a year ago is still valid.”  Seeing the expressions and sensing their desire, Madeline said softly, “Cliona can you find out whether the Comrie offer is still available?”

“Sure.”

Jan changed the topic and they continued to chat while waiting for Cliona's response.  It was several minutes before she softly said, “It would be good if we went for a walk, so I can decide how to answer your question.”  Her phrasing caused worried looks from everyone.

“Don't worry,” said a voice that seemed vaguely familiar.  “Go with her, as she doesn't feel this is a good place to talk.” 

They looked at one another with surprised looks on their faces then smiled.  It was Zoe's voice they heard.

Madeline said, “Let's go change, so we can hike up to the overlook.  It is not far and we can be back before lunch.  That will give us enough time to have lunch and pack before we have to leave for the airport.  Let's meet by the tennis courts in say, 10 minutes?”  Everyone nodded and went toward their rooms.

After gathering at the tennis court, they started toward the hiking trail.  They had only gone a short distance when they crossed paths with two young men.  Recognizing them from the conference, they stopped to chat.  Both men were a little shy at first, but then began to open up a bit more as they talked.  After a while, Múirne recognized them from college.  Referring to her previous name, she asked if they knew a person by that name.

“Yes, she was a lot of fun to be with,” they said with some yearning in their voice.  “She was a couple of years behind us.  When we were back on campus after graduating, we looked for her but could never find her.”

“She was a very good friend of mine, probably closer than a twin sister.”  Her comment drew knowing looks from her friends.  “So, what have you two been doing?”

“Well, we started a software programming business while in school and it did very well.  Several months ago, we sold it to a larger company for a nice chunk of change.  Since we were scheduled to come to this conference, we decided to come anyway.  This conference was great, in part because we didn't have any pressing business issues.  The discussions gave us a few ideas for developing new software.  Some of the stuff our old competitors were telling potential customers was a hoot.”

“We enjoyed the conference as well, especially since all of us were able to spend some time together.”

“Oh, I'm sorry, this is Tom and I'm John.  It's been a long time since we did anything but work.  Besides, it’s been so long since college you probably don't remember my name.”

“I'm Jan, and I'll let my friends introduce themselves.”

After the introductions, the conversation kind of died.  The ladies really wanted to start their hike, but didn't want to walk off and leave them.  Tom and John wanted to spend more time with the women but were reluctant to propose an activity.

Seeing the situation, Cliona said to Madeline, “Why don't you invite them to join us?” 

Both Ursula and Madeline gave the bots questioning looks.  Eavan said, “We can give you the information in a slightly different context and still convey the answer to your question.  Answering specific questions may be a problem but we don't think so.  These gentlemen could be  possible partners, as they have a lot of potential.” 

“Tom and John, would you like to join us?” asked Múirne.  “We are going for a hike up to the overlook.  We will be back before lunch, as we all have afternoon flights.”

“We wouldn't want to interfere.”

“You won't,” said Ursula.  With that, she grabbed Tom's hand and pulled him along with her as she started down the path.  Jan had taken John's hand, as well.  The group walked for about a mile until they came to a scenic overlook above a fast-flowing stream.  The view was beautiful, with the quiet roar of the water rushing through the rapids added a peaceful rhythmic sound.

“We haven't been here before,” exclaimed Tom and John.  “This is just fantastic.”

“Let's sit here and enjoy the atmosphere,” said Madeline.

“There are two people watching us from that clearing to our right,” said Eavan to Madeline and Ursula.  “We don't sense any threat.  As long we speak softly and don't face them, they won't be able to hear us.  We are taking other precautions.” 

“John and Tom,” said Madeline after nodding to Eavan, “the reason we came up here is to discuss our future.”  They both started to excuse themselves.  “We don't want you to leave, and from what we have sensed in this short time, we would welcome any suggestions you might have.”  Both looked relieved, but also puzzled.

“Some time ago, we shared an experience, since then we've gone somewhat separate ways,” said Jan.  “It was a terrific surprise when we all showed up here this week.  Our limited time together this week has shown us how much we want to be closer.  This morning at breakfast we had an idea about how to do that, but wanted to talk about it in a more private location.”

“Well,” said John, “this location is likely more private, but there are two people watching us.  The distance is such that they probably can't hear, unless you face them.”

None of the women moved to look as Múirne said, “You knew?”

“Yes,” replied John.  “We thought you were some kind of celebrities and they were your security detail.  Although we weren't impressed with their skill as we've seen them monitoring your activities during the conference.”

“Celebrities?  Not us,” responded Madeline.  When the laughter died down she added, “I think all of us fit the category of code monkeys, nerds or technical writers, with a little yarn telling or marketing thrown-in.”

“Then it is really puzzling why anyone would be monitoring you all,” said Tom then quickly added, “...for reasons other than your beauty.”  They all laughed in response to his quick recovery.

“We’ve noticed,” responded Ursula.  “My suspicion is that it is security driven, but I don't know for certain.  The companies we work for are quite obsessed with security.  The reason we came up here is to discuss an opportunity we were offered some time ago.  The offer was assistance in starting a business focusing on software development and hardware design along with security elements.  While we were gathering to come out here to talk, we sent a query asking if the offer was still on the table.”

Ursula nodded to Eavan who responded softly with, “It is definitely open.  There are now two locations where it could be located.  One is in the mid-Atlantic Ocean, where you've been before.  The other is near the equator in the Eastern Pacific, west of Mexico.  Both are equal in remoteness, suitability and beauty.  If need be, the one you visited could be available today, but they suggest waiting two to four weeks so you can tidy up loose ends.  The one in the Pacific will take longer but is likely a better long term choice.”

“How could you operate from a remote island?” asked Tom.

“All of us could work from virtually any location,” said Jan.  “We just need access to high speed electronic communication.  The only time we would need to leave is for occasional trips to meet with customers to discuss their needs.  There are possibly as many as thirty others that would want to join us once they know of our plans.”

“If we fully utilize a website and professional networks,” said Múirne, “they can serve as a draw to bring us new business and more staff.”

Tom and John looked at each other, then said, “Are you interested in partners?”

“Sure, if our sponsors agree,” said Jan.  “Did you have someone in mind?”  She grinned, watching them try to decide how to respond.

“Yes.  We would be interested.  We would like to know more details about what you plan to offer, but that doesn't affect our desire to join this adventure.”  As John was talking, Cliona nodded to Madeline and Ursula.

“Welcome aboard,” said Madeline as she held out her hand to Tom.  When their hands met, she pulled him toward her and gave him a hug, along with a kiss.  Ursula had wrapped her arms around John to give him the same.  The others quickly followed their lead giving both a hug and a kiss.

“Wow,” said both Tom and John.

“Now, we need to talk about the details on how to accomplish this,” said Jan.

They decided to begin submitting their resignations at least a week after they returned, but spread them over several days.  Each would give two weeks' notice, with the intention of being relocated in three weeks time.  The answer to any questions was that they were going to work for a new start up.

“Tom and John,” said Cliona, “our sponsors would like you to meet with a representative to discuss the proposed business in more detail.  While they welcome your willingness to join, they feel you should know more of the background.  Knowing that information would assist you in deciding how deeply you want to be involved.  If it is active involvement then you could either move to the site or work with us remotely through a high speed data link.”

“Off hand moving there is likely the best choice,” responded both immediately.

Tom added, “Since we sold the business, we really don’t have any ties to the area where we are living.”

“Okay,” said Cliona.  “If it is convenient, they would like to have a representative visit you tomorrow.  Right now it appears your visitors will be Maureen, Brandan, Siobhan and Conan, which comes to four visitors.”

“You're different,” said Tom, “not good or bad, just different.”  The expression on the women's faces confirmed his observation.  “As to visiting us tomorrow, that will work quite well.”

Cliona and Eavan smiled.  Cliona said, “Yes, we are.  It would be better if our sponsor explained that when they meet with you.  I hope that is acceptable.”

They studied the faces of all the women for a few moments, then said, “Yes, that is quite acceptable.  In fact, we will be going home earlier than we had planned.”  Their excitement was apparent by their expressions.

“We need to start back,” said Eavan.

“Okay,” said Ursula, as everyone began to get up.  “My senses have become a bit edgy as we approach leaving.  Perhaps we should not say any more about our plans.”

Everyone nodded their head in agreement.  They had a great time walking back to the hotel, just chatting and enjoying being together again.

As they arrived at the hotel, Jan said, “This morning has really been great.  Why don't we go change and finish our packing then meet for lunch?”  Everyone nodded after a moment.

“Your transportation will be here at 1:30,” said Eavan.  “All of you appear to be having such a good time, so we arranged some special transportation for you.”

With that, everyone started for their rooms to get ready, leaving Tom and John with puzzled expressions.  They were truly enamored with the group of women.  In fact, it was the most comfortable they had ever felt in that large a group of women, especially brilliant women.

Both jumped when Cliona suggested, “Why don't you meet us in the restaurant?  We have a reservation and we should be there in 30 minutes or so.”

“Great.  I think we will go freshen up and finish packing as well.  So we will meet you there.”

As Tom and John walked off to their rooms John said, “You know, I am glad you talked me into coming to this conference and then to spend some time here afterwards.”

“Yes, I agree.  I have a good memory for people, and there were several in that group who looked like women I knew.  Their names, though, didn't fit with the faces I remembered.  Oh, well I sure enjoyed this morning with them.”

“We should invite them to our place.”

“Good idea.  We need to make sure to share our contact information.”

When Tom entered his room, he could tell right away that someone had been in the room, other than maid service.  After he carefully looked around, he realized that nothing had been taken and that his laptop was untouched.  Just then, the room phone rang.  As he put the phone to his ear a gravelly voice said, “Stay away from my sluts or you will pay dearly.”  The phone went dead before he could utter a response.  His cell phone rang; when he looked at caller id he saw it was John.

“Yes.”

“Did you just get a strange call?”

“Yes.  The caller sounded like he was making threats regarding the women we just met.”

“That was my impression,” said John.

“Well, I think it is time to leave,” said Tom.  “I think I can freshen up and be packed in time to meet them in the restaurant.”

“I agree.”

“See you in twenty.”

John and Tom stepped off the elevator and headed toward the registration desk, just as the women were finishing checking out.  They were both very impressed by the change in the women's appearance.  They were now wearing very nice casual clothes with heels and carrying brief cases.  When Eavan saw them approaching with their suitcases, she walked over to them.

“We thought you were staying longer,” said Eavan, as she studied them.

“We need to get back so we can take care of a business issue,” said John. “You guys all look great.”

The women beamed at the compliment. “Why don't you put your bags with ours, while we eat?” suggested Ursula.

Before they could respond, Cliona and Eavan took their bags, and placed them with theirs. The women waited while Tom and John settled up with the hotel, then walked together to the restaurant.  They were seated in a small private dining room off of the main area.  Lunch was a continuation of the fun they had on the hike.  They discussed current events and several recent scientific announcements.  During this the women found that they shared many common interests with Tom and John.  By the time lunch was over, the two men were wondering if they would be able to keep up with them.

As they walked to the door of the hotel, Tom and John looked around for their bags.  Sensing their puzzlement Jan said, “I think they were moved outside with ours.  Our transportation is probably waiting.”

“We need to arrange transportation to the airport,” said John.

“Not unless you want to, as we were expecting you to ride with us,” said Madeline.  “When Cliona and Eavan saw you with your bags, they adjusted our number to include you.”

“We will be happy to share the cost,” said Tom.

The group stepped outside to find a limo bus waiting with its door open.  Several people were at the back stowing the luggage.  As the group moved closer, several of them shrieked as they started running toward the two women standing near the door of the limo bus.  When they reached them, they gathered them up in a hug.

Tom and John watched their new friends greet the two women.  Both of the women were well over six feet tall, and were wearing heels like the ladies of the group they were with.  Each had long flowing hair, which was complimented by a combination of lovely features they didn't think they had ever seen in one person.  Both men were so awestruck they just stood there, with Ursula and Madeline at their sides.

“Are you two all right?” asked Madeline, as she looked over at their faces and saw the looks of wonder on them.  “You might want to close your mouths.”

“Wow!  Nothing against any of you, but I have never seen anybody so lovely,” said Tom, as John nodded his head in agreement.  “They are a fantastic sight.”  Ursula and Madeline chuckled.

“Very astute wording and we agree with you.  Come on,” said Jan, as they resumed walking toward the limo.  By the time they reached the door, almost everyone else had already entered.

“Zoe, Briana, I'd like you to meet Tom and John,” said Madeline.

Tom and John said, “Hi,” and reached out to shake their hands.  Instead, Zoe and Briana pulled them forward into a hug giving them a quick kiss on the cheek, then switched partners.

“Wow, could we do that again,” cracked John.

“I think your friends may get envious,” said Briana in a soft mellow voice.  “Glad you could join us.”

“This has been a day of interesting events,” said Tom.  “For some reason, I don't think it's over yet.”

Melody and June walked up behind them and June said, “I think we're ready, as soon as everyone is on-board.”

Both Tom and John jumped at the sound of her voice and turned around, only to be greeted by two more visions of loveliness.  Briana and Zoe pulled on their arms, turning them toward the door.  They followed Ursula and Madeline into the limo.  Belinda, Melody and June waited by the door and chatted for a few moments, while Briana went around to the driver's side.  As they stood there, they stretched and moved around, making sure all the bystanders remembered only how good they looked, and very little of their passengers.  By the time they were ready to leave, their nipples were visible tents in their blouses, as they found that showing off was a bit arousing.  Once Briana was in the driver's seat, the rest of them boarded.

As the limo slowly pulled away from the hotel, Zoe, Melody, June and Belinda monitored the activities around them.  Melody sat in the seat near the door, while Cathan and Zoe went to sit in the back.  The group was quiet as Briana eased it out into traffic and headed toward for the airport.

Once on the thoroughfare, Melody stood, turning so she could face the passengers.  “It's good to see all of you again.  Meeting John and Tom is a nice plus.  Since we went to the trouble of providing a limo to the airport, we thought we would just provide the rest of your transportation home.  A business jet is waiting for us at the executive airport.  From there, we will take you to your homes.  Overall, it will be much quicker than the commercial flights you had booked.  Any questions?”

“Why?” asked Tom.

“Primarily because the backers of the new business adventure thought this would be a nice gift to all of you and as nice way to kick it off.  Another reason is that, there are three groups of people who have suddenly become very interested in all of you, but primarily in the women.  One group was the hotel's security staff, because they have had several groups of people disappear after staying there.  Hotel security noticed two groups acting suspiciously during and since the conference.  We should know more about the two groups by the time we reach the airport.  It was one of these two unknown groups that rifled your rooms this morning.”

“Okay, but that still doesn't answer my question.  Wait a minute, how did you know about the rooms?”

“From the security devices the bots left in their rooms.  This morning, their bots shared with us their observations of the last few days.  From that, we felt their security was in jeopardy, and that we should do something about it without creating too much commotion.  So we did, as these women are very special friends.”

“Bots?  As in androids.”  Both Tom and John expressions showed their surprise.

“Yep, that's us,” responded Cliona with Eavan nodding.

“So that is why.”

“Yes.”

“As to the other, we noticed some of it but apparently there is more.  My sense tells me you have more to share.  I wonder if they were the same people who searched our rooms while we were out.”

“Yes, there is a lot we need to share before everything would really make sense to your logical way of analyzing problems.  Rest assured, that the two of you being there did not cause this.  With respect to the comment about your rooms, most likely.

“On the lighter side, ladies, the most exciting thing that has happened at home recently is that Sarah's Clan gave birth a little over a year ago.  Erin, and Tara's babies are just starting to walk.”

“Wow,” said several.

“I was amazed, when they said how many they were expecting.  How are they managing with the, let's see, 40 babies?”  Tom and John's eyes grew, since they could not believe the number they heard.

“Very well.  Everyone is helping, and I have never seen a group of babies easier to care for.”

Right after they turned on to the highway Zoe said, “Police car coming up, with its lights on.”  They watched, as the police car signaled them to pull over.  Briana eased onto the side of the road and waited for the officer to reach her door.

“Good afternoon,” Briana greeted the officer.  “How can I help you?”

“License, please.  We had a report of a vehicle like this running a red light just before there was an accident back near the entrance to this highway.”

“If you mean the one just before the entrance ramp to this highway, it was green as we entered the intersection.  I heard a noise behind us.  I didn't see anything in the mirrors which is not surprising as I was turning onto the entrance ramp when I heard the noise.”

“I know this doesn't make a whole lot of sense, as the accident was behind you.  It was caused by two idiots attempting to beat the red light.  Instead, they ran into the side of semi-trailer hard enough to knock it lose from the tractor, crushing the two cars.”

Just then his radio chirped, “Sargent, cancel the stop request.  The truck driver has stated the light was green and the intersection was clear.  I fact, he didn't see any bus or limo and the witnesses agree.  Give our apologies to the occupants for delaying them.”

“Okay, you heard it.  Sorry for the inconvenience, but honestly, I am glad I got to stop you, as you are the prettiest woman I have ever had the pleasure of stopping.”

“Thank you, Officer.”  Briana waited for him to return to his car before she began rolling.  She turned on her turn signal, as she moved the limo back onto the highway.  About 30 minutes later, they turned off the highway, and were soon entering a small airport.  She drove out on to the ramp and stopped next to a jet with its stairs extended.

Melody and June exited the limo first and went to move the luggage to the aircraft.  When Tom and John stepped out, they looked around, as this was the first time they had been at a small airport.  They quickly saw why Melody and June had exited first and went to assist them with the luggage, along with several others.

They had only worked for a short time before they noticed how much more graceful Melody and June were in heels than their new friends.  With the six of them working together, they soon had the bags stored in the aircraft.  Briana then took the limo out to the parking lot, while they finished boarding.  As he entered the aircraft John saw Briana coming back, along with a tall, red-haired woman in a flight suit.

“Tom,” said John, “I think we must have died and gone to heaven.  Briana is walking out here with another gorgeous woman.  I don't think I have ever seen this many gorgeous women in one place.”  Just then, the two ladies entered the cabin.

“Thanks, John, my name is Maureen.  We will be departing momentarily.  John, Tom, we will take you home first.  Arrangements are being made for a car to meet us when we arrive.  From there, we will take the others home.”

“We are in no rush, so do it the most efficient way,” said Tom.  They watched, as Maureen and Briana entered the flight deck and Zoe closed the cabin door.  A few moments later, they heard the engines spin up, quickly followed by the plane rolling forward.  Everyone was quiet as they looked out the windows, watching the passing scenery as they taxied toward the runway and were soon taking off.

“Ladies, I have an update on the two groups who were monitoring your activities,” said Melody.  “They were working for your employers.  Based on the information they reported, we wouldn't be surprised if your employment contracts aren't terminated when you return to work on Monday, or shortly thereafter.  We can't find any obvious reason for the extensive surveillance, which makes us wonder about their motivation.

“Rusty is a bit pissed, to put it mildly, when he heard what was going on.  So, he is offering the use of an established but inactive corporate entity, as a starting point for your new venture.  He and several of his spouses are the owners of record.  All the particulars for the corporation will be up on a website by this evening.  The company's name is ‘Galactic Intrusion and Security Services’.  Currently the services offered differ from what you have discussed but those can obviously be changed in the future.  He suggested using that as the name of your new employer, and emphasized that whether or not you continue to use it is up to you.  The services offered could also be changed.  He would like to meet with your group once you have moved to Comrie.  The meeting would include his clan.

Ursula glanced at Madeline then said, “Tell him we accept.”

Tom and John felt like they were living through an ‘Alice in Wonderland’ moment, due to the way things kept happening around them.  They vacillated between being overjoyed and uncertain about this proposed business and related events.  However they never had any doubts about the young women.

“John and Tom,” said Zoe, “we are going to share several things with you, which we hope will ease your uncertainty about the events today.  We ask that you not share the information with anyone outside those here.”  They nodded, looking a bit dazed.  “First, as you noticed, the five of us are different.  You saw it in our feet, plus you have noticed some other differences, but those likely haven't gelled yet.  All of us are over 6 feet 6 inches tall without our heels.  All of us are telepathic.  Your new friends have limited telepathy, while ours is fully active.  We suspect you could be telepathic, as well.  You already noticed that two of the women are different.  Cliona and Eavan are self-aware androids, or bots, as we usually refer to them.  Cliona lives with Madeline's group while Eavan stays with Ursula's group.

“You are probably thinking that, as telepaths, we can read minds, however it isn't quite that simple.  Exchanging thoughts is a better way to view what happens, as that is closer to the way it works.  The ladies you met today currently have limited the use of their telepathy to only defensive needs or threats.  You can imagine what would happen in Earth's society, if it was learned you could sense or exchange thoughts with another person without verbalizing them.  It would only be a question of time until you were someone's lab rat and expendable, if necessary.”

“Interesting,” said Tom, “that fits with the changing suggestions we heard.  So, is telepathy different from intuition?”

“Yes and no.  The answer depends upon both context and strength of the ability.  It would be best to wait to discuss this further, as there are others in our group who could help you find the answers you are seeking.”

A tone sounded in the cabin and Briana said, “We will be landing to drop off Tom and John, in 5 minutes.”

“That was fast.  I think I would like to fly this way all the time,” said Tom.  Madeline squeezed his arm.

Together they watched out the window as the plane descended toward the airport.  The touchdown was smooth as silk, as was the short taxi to the executive terminal.  Once the engines were shut down, the door opened.  Ursula and Madeline got up, to walk out with Tom and John.  Tom and John said goodbye to everyone as they exited the plane.  June and Belinda followed them out to retrieve their bags.  While the bags were being unloaded, a limousine pulled up near the aircraft.  When it stopped, a young woman stepped out and came over to them.

“Hi, you must be John and Tom,” she said.

“Yes.”

“Good, I kind of gathered that since you were with June and Belinda.  I'll put your bags in the car, then we can leave when you are ready.”  She then greeted Zoe, June, Belinda, Madeline and Ursula.

Turning to Madeline and Ursula, Tom said, “Ladies, we don't know what to say, other than today has been a pleasure,” while John nodded in agreement.

“If any of you need anything,” said John, “or have problems with your employers, please contact us immediately.  We are very much looking forward to working with all of you.”  He leaned forward to give Ursula a kiss, and she pulled him tightly to her as she returned it.  Tom and Madeline exchanged a kiss as they hugged.  Once they broke their embraces, they switched partners and embraced again.  The parting made them sad, but also hopeful, due to their plans.

“One last thing,” said Zoe, “your driver will be staying with you for the next several days.”  They started to object, and Zoe held up her hands.  “Additionally, there is a woman waiting for you at your home.  Both of these ladies can, and will, help you in any way you need.  Based on what happened at the conference, we are providing them for your security.  If we have been too presumptuous, we are sorry, but from our perspective recent events seem to dictate these precautions.  The woman waiting at your home has advised us that she found several electronic bugs in the house.”

“What?” exclaimed Tom.  “How did she get into the house as the alarm was set?”

“How, well you will need to ask her.  I do know that no alarms were tripped.  While waiting for you to arrive, she scanned the house for bugs.  Currently she is waiting for your instructions regarding deactivating them.  The two women can handle virtually any security issue by themselves.  However if necessary, they can summon more resources that are just out of this world.”

“I suspect they can.  Thank you for your concern and anticipation of events.”

“As noted earlier, two couples will visit you sometime tomorrow, to give you a bit of background on the sponsors of this project.”  Tom and John gave Zoe a hug and kiss on the cheek before stepping back toward their waiting limo.

“See you soon,” they hollered and waved to the women, as they boarded the aircraft.

The young lady opened the door for them when they reached it.  Once they were inside, she hurried around to get in the limo.  As she drove to the edge of the ramp, Tom said, “Miss, we would like to watch their departure.”

Once off of the ramp, she turned the limo so they had a good view.  By the time, they were parked, the plane was rolling across the ramp.  Tom and John watched as the plane went to the end of the runway.  It paused a moment, then rolled on to the runway beginning its takeoff.  It lifted into the air well before it was halfway down the runway.

A tap on the window startled them.  Tom lowered the window to see what the man wanted.  “Could you tell me what kind of plane that was?  I would sure like to have one like that.”

“Sorry, but we don't have a   clue.  The ride here was very nice, though.”

“Thank you.  I agree, that was one nice aircraft.”  Tom raised the window after the man walked off.

“Miss, I understand you are staying with us for a while.”  She nodded affirmatively.  “What is your name?”

“Oops, my apologies.  It is Danielle.”

“Okay, Danielle, let's go home and see what your partner there has found.”

Even as he finished speaking, the limo headed toward the highway.  Tom and John hardly saw any of their surroundings on the ride, as each was lost in thought.  After a review of today’s events, they were very pleased to have met the women.  Both felt the women were real gems, both in terms of personality and technical knowledge.  They were amazed by how quickly they had fit in with the women.  For them fitting in with a group was an unusual experience, especially a group that was all women.  Some of the events had certainly tweaked their curiosity!

Arriving at their house, they found a young woman waiting for them on the front porch. “Hi, my name is Kate,” she said, by way of introduction.  “Since you are with Danielle, you must be Tom and John.”

“Yes.  I'm Tom.  I’m John.” they each responded, as they shook hands.

“Zoe mentioned that you had found some electronic bugs,” said Tom, looking a bit irritated.

“Yes.  My apologies for checking out the house before you returned.  As to the bugs, some are reasonably new, while others were apparently placed when the house was built.  Every room has at least one.  Your offices, living room and family room have several.  I was waiting to find out how you wanted to handle them.  Sometimes, it is better to leave them in place, and choose the times when something is heard.  In other cases, it is better just to remove them.”

“If John is agreeable, we will go into the living room, then you can tell me about the ones you found in our office, kitchen, bedrooms, and bathrooms but not the living room.  After that, we will talk about some of the things I learned at the conference, regarding intellectual property.”

On entering the house, Tom said, “Danielle, Kate would you join us in the living room, as we need to discuss some things.”

“Sure,” replied Danielle.

Kate said, “Give me a moment to get some refreshments.”

“While Kate was doing that, I'll put your bags in your rooms,” said Danielle.

A short time later, Tom said, “Kate, you indicated you found some electronic eavesdropping devices in the house?”

“Yes,” said Kate, and then went on to describe the type, approximate age and location of each bug, leaving out the ones in the living room.

“That's interesting, as your findings could explain some things we've noticed.  When we had the company, we had a lot of technical discussions here.  During that time, there were quite a few times when two other companies introduced products at the same time, or just before, we did.  In every case, their products were very similar to ours, or were based on ideas we had discussed.  We always attributed this to not being quick enough in bringing them to market.  At the conference, I had a conversation with a couple of intellectual property experts.  At that time, we had no reason to suspect that some of our ideas were stolen, but in light of the bugs you found, perhaps some of them were stolen.  I am sure we discussed many of them here, which is something we can verify from our records.  So, according to the IP guys, if we can tie our records through the surveillance organization to the person holding the patent or copyright, then all of their property becomes ours.”

John added, “You know, it's a good thing we taped all of those discussions, and had them converted to documents.  Some of the secretaries used to really complain about transcribing them.  We still have the tapes in the vault.”

“Good!  Let's hire a PI, so we can find out who bugged our house.  I am really surprised they didn't bug this room, as well.”  Kate, Danielle and John were trying very hard to keep a straight face.  “You know, I think we could probably identify several companies that received the information, by comparing their product designs to what we discussed.  With both end pieces, it should make the job easier for the PI.”

“Good idea.  Kate would you turn on the news?”  Tom waved his hand at Kate, to get her to muffle the bugs.  They all laughed, as they imagined what would happen in the next several days, when the tapes were reviewed.

In the meantime, they decided to partly muffle the living room microphones, and to make sure there was plenty of background noise when they had something important to discuss.  But the office and bedrooms were going to be locked down, so they were a black hole, from the standpoint of eavesdropping.

“Kate, what else do we need to know about?”

“I've placed intrusion detectors around the perimeter and at each access point.  These will not give us false warnings.  We would prefer to have our rooms near yours, so I have tentatively moved in to the room next to Tom's.  Danielle has the room next to John's.  We will probably switch off on the rooms.”

“You two are bots, right?”  Both looked surprised, but nodded affirmatively.  “If I offended you, my sincere apologies.”

“None taken,” said both.  “Zoe told us you would figure it out.”

“Smart lady.  Now, I should warn you that I am really straightforward, and say what is on my mind, occasionally before I think it through.  The better I know someone, the more I’m liable to do that.  John tends to be a bit more cautious.”

“That is fine, and thanks for the warning.  Should I warn the women?” asked Kate, with a smile.  He looked at her a long time, and then nodded yes.

“Let's get something to eat and call it a day,” said John.  “I am bushed.”

---

Just after the jet lifted off after dropping Tom and John off, Zoe said, “Ladies, due to the people monitoring you at the conference Rusty thinks the limits you placed on your telepathic ability should be removed.  This will allow you to fully share your thoughts with each other.  I'd also like to show you how project thoughts to another person, and how to have a clear view of the intent of those around you.  Having these abilities available should improve your security and your ability to protect yourselves.”

As they made their way to the next stop, the crew members assisted the women in restoring their telepathy.  First they change was to remove the constraints, enabling them to easily share with each other.  Next they focused on enabling the other telepathic tools then practiced using those they had enabled.  The group was surprised that they managed to finish before the next stop.

Sensing their surprise Maureen said, “I held up our arrival so you could finish.”

“Wow, this is neat,” said several. 

“In hindsight, I wish we had kept the sharing aspect when we came back,” said Ursula.  “I also understand why we didn't.” 

“Be careful to limit your connections,” said Zoe, “we don't know how wide-spread telepathy is on Earth.  Both Sarah and Rusty were active telepaths before they joined the group on the space ship.  So be careful, very careful, when you make a connection to someone outside of those you know from Comrie.  However, while activating your telepathy adds some significant risks we think the level of safety it will provide to you, is worth it.  If you are using it, and someone starts watching you, or looking around like they are seeking someone, then slowly close off your abilities.” 

“I think, I speak for all of us,” said Ursula.  “We will only use it if necessary.  We do look forward to using these abilities between ourselves and those we know from the Enclave.  I know I am looking forward to being back there, where we can use it more routinely.”

“Everyone is looking forward to seeing all of you again.”

“Touchdown in five minutes for Ursula’s group,” said Briana.

Each group's bot later informed Star that all the women arrived home safely, and that the drones were reporting no unusual activity around their homes.

---

At Comrie, when Sarah's Clan arrived for lunch, Nancy rushed over to them.  “Guess what I found in my e-mail today?”  Without waiting for a response, Nancy continued, “Adam will be coming home on leave in about two weeks!  It will be so good to see him again.”

“Great!!” shouted Joyce, drawing everyone's attention.  “I am really looking forward to seeing him again too.”  She was so excited at the thought of seeing her brother again she was bouncing.

“What 'home' is he coming to?” asked Sarah, with a soft voice.

“Oh, my,” respoonded Nancy, “I forgot.  He'll be coming back to the estate, and we don't live there any longer.  He doesn't know that Joyce, or any of you, are alive either.  What are we going to do?”

“Nancy, we need to think it through and talk about how we are going to handle it,” said Sally.  “First, send him an e-mail, telling him that you aren't living at the estate any longer, and that you are staying with friends.  We can have some of the crew meet his flight at the Grand View airport.  From the business airport, we can fly him to Comrie.  All of you can have your reunion there.”

“Quick thinking, Sally,” responded Nancy, “as soon as we eat, I will send him an e-mail.”

“Have you told anybody else yet?”

“Only our clan.  They seemed to know as soon as I read the e-mail.  Bob said something about me glowing.”

“We can understand that,” said Sarah's Clan, with big smiles.  “You realize that Adam will be in for quite a few shocks when he arrives here.  Do you know when he is arriving?  Did he say how long his leave is?”

“He isn't sure of the exact date but would know in a few days.  In thinking about it, I think it was in about three weeks.”

“Mom, right after lunch, our two clans should sit down and talk about how to let Adam know about all the changes?”

“Good idea.  He did say that, after they finish the next round of training, he thought his unit would be deployed.”

---

On the afternoon after Tom and John returned from the conference, Siobhan, Conan, Maureen and Brandan walked up their driveway toward the house.  Danielle and Kate were at the front door waiting for them when they reached the front porch.

“Looks like someone is glad to see us,” said Maureen.

“Yes, we are.  We really like Tom and John, but we miss everyone.”

“Well, Sarah's Clan, and us, are quite proud of what you are doing here.”  They each hugged and kissed, before going inside.

“You know, you were photographed coming up the drive.”

“Oh, yes, that's why we chose these dresses and hats with large brims.  At this time of day, they will have a hard time identifying us from the photos.”

Just then, John and Tom came into the room.  John said, “You were the pilot who flew the jet the other day.”

“Yes, and with me are Siobhan, Conan and Brandan.”  Siobhan gave them a hug while the guys shook hands.  Once Maureen completed the introductions she also gave each of them a hug.

“We've been asked to share some information with you about the backers of Galactic Intrusion and Security Services.  We know you are aware that all of this is confidential, because, if word got out prematurely, there could be a significant financial loss to some parties.”

“How much?”

“Possibly over 100 million, but definitely over 50 million.”

“Wow, that's about what we made on the sale of our company.”

“Galactic Intrusion and Security Services gets its name because of the way it was set up to operate.  It can operate from three locations on Earth.  There is also one on the Moon and another is on Mars.  The facility on Mars is just being built.  Currently the Moon location is only for secure document storage.”

“This sounds like it is a functioning business,” said Tom, “and we were under the impression it wasn't operating at this time.”

“GISS, as Sarah's Clan conceived it, started operations some time ago with the opening of a website.  Although current operations are limited and confidential, it is closely aligned with another operation, which is owned by some good friends of theirs.  Their friends operation provides only some of the services that were planned for GISS.  Both companies use common resources where beneficial.  This is primarily so GISS has access their friends' companies' facilities on Earth.”

“The money you mentioned,” said John, “doesn't seem to fit with an operation that size.”

“You're basing your estimates on costs you are familiar with, but, in our case, it is as easy to move items to the moon or to Mars.  In many cases, our services would be delivered by high speed electronic communication that is more secure than the military's most secret encryption.”

Maureen nodded to Kate.  Kate then placed four slender poles in each corner of the room, before she stepped out of the room, and returned with refreshments.  John and Tom sat with puzzled looks on their faces.

“Our conversations are now secure,” said Kate.

“Kate has just set up a device which makes the area within the poles an electronic hole with respect to sound.  Those monitoring the microphones will not hear our conversations but will hear background sounds.  In fact, if they had a camera in here they wouldn't see us, either.”

“Interesting.  So your comments were fictitious?”

“To an extent.  The four of us grew up on Earth, and graduated from college a little more than two years ago.  As we were nearing graduation, we were offered an opportunity to work on a space ship.  To soften the blow to our job-seeking efforts, a resort vacation was included.  We would now like to show you the presentation made to us, and follow this with several others.  These will tell you about the company's backers and their history.”

“Okay.  So the only thing you left out earlier is the space ship, and everything else has substance?”

“Yes.  You should also know that we accepted positions as crew members on the space ship.  Do you want us to continue?”

“Very definitely,” said both Tom and John.

Tom continued, “I have the feeling we have just entered a science fiction novel.”

“Conceptually,” responded Maureen.

Siobhan, Conan, Maureen and Brandan went through the initial presentation, where they were invited to consider being space ship crew members.  They then showed the presentations made by Amy's and Sarah's Clans, giving the background of their situation and the space ship.  The next one showed the changes they had accomplished since then.  The last presentation was about the differences between Earth-born bipeds and those on the space ship, including the differences in social structure.

“An amazing set of presentations,” said John.  “Sarah's and Amy's Clans members are very unique in their characteristics.  It is now hard to believe Sarah's Clan was ever from Earth.  But, as minor participants in the business Madeline's and Ursula's friends wanted to set up, why did you feel you needed to show us these presentations, and to tell us about this race and society?”

“We probably didn't need to, by Earth's standards.  Our society is very open, and seeks to maintain an openness beyond anything we have seen on Earth, where secrets seem to be a way of life.  Comrie, where the business will operate, is also a place we use for recreation.  In our society, we generally don't wear any covering, unless work requires it.  Visitors are free to do as they normally would, or to adopt our approach to dressing.  There is no stigma attached to whichever they do.  Since we are usually naked, you would quickly notice the other physical differences covered in the presentations.  Not being informed would lead to questions, and possibly, problems.  So we think openness is the best choice.”

“Knowing this, doesn't change our view of this project, except to make it much more interesting,” said Tom, and John nodded in agreement.  “Would the four of you care to stay for the rest of the afternoon?”

“Sure.”

“Kate, let's have barbecue for dinner.”

 

 

- Chapter 2 -

Note:  When the conversation is a telepathic exchange, it is indicated by italics font. 

It was a little over two weeks since the conference, when Shannon approached the Command Staff at breakfast on Dóchas.  She said, “Good morning.  Are you all available for a meeting this morning?”

“Sure, what's up?” responded Joyce.

“Simply put, we think Madeline's and Ursula's groups are at risk.”

“What?” was the response from several of the Command Staff.

“Perhaps it would better to say, we are fairly certain the companies they work for are responsible for people disappearing from enough institutional records to make the victims invisible.”

“They've all submitted their resignations, correct?”

“Yes, last week.  Their last day is Friday.”

“Okay.  We can do it right after our morning meeting, which I don’t think will be very long,” said Rusty.  “In the meantime, don't hold back on using our resources.”

“We don't think we are.  The purpose of this morning’s meeting is to get your impression on what we've found and linked together.  If it is as we suspect then how do we want to respond.”

“You should probably bring us up to date on the progress of the lodge investigation as well.”

“We will.”

Later when they entered the Intelligence department Alison said, “Wow, I didn't expect this large of a meeting.”

“Well, we thought Security should be included” replied Muireann.  Those monitoring Tom, John, Madeline's and Ursula's groups at the conference have found a number of links to other incidents where people disappeared.  When we lay it out what we’ve found, I think you will see why we invited Security to this.”

Shannon said, “Our goal is to see if you view of the tea leaves is the same as ours.  The two companies where Madeline's and Ursula's groups work appear to linked to those behind the freighter operation.  There are even stronger links in the information to some of the disappearances we've documented.  If you agree with our conclusions then we need to decide what actions we will take.  Stacey.”

“Thanks Shannon,” responded Stacey.  “It was the comments that Kate and Danielle relayed to us prompted us to look more carefully at the operations of the two companies.  This was prompted by Tom and John’s comments regarding software intellectual property, while the living room bugs were active.

“At the conference, there were two groups monitoring our friends.  As was suspected then and since confirmed, the monitors were hired by their employers.”  With that she and several others explained the links they had found between the various groups.  Stacey closed with, “This is brings us up to yesterday morning.  Danny.”

He said, “With respect to Tom and John's comments regarding intellectual property theft, they definitely have a case.  To make things easier to follow, Madeline's group works for Larry's company while Ursula's works for Dale's.  Both men have hidden financial interests in several different security companies.  It was employees of two of those companies who were monitoring our friends at the conference.

“Shortly after Ursula’s and Madeline’s groups began submitting their resignations, we began placing spiders into both company’s locations.  While the recent information was what tipped scales, we have other data supporting this decision.  Initially we had difficulty communicating with the spiders.  This was solved by placing drones in air ducts on each floor with a C&C drone overhead.  Presuming no one objects we will insert ferrets tonight.  This will require adding another C&C drone at each site.  Muireann will now add the missing piece.”

“Thanks.  We’ve known since our friends went to work there that their primary business was database design and maintenance along with the software to manage the databases.  Unfortunately, we did not look closely at how the customers utilize databases.  Their contracts include maintaining the databases and associated user interface software.  Many of their customers are government entities and institutions.  These contracts constitute the majority of their business.  We know that some people have disappeared from some of the databases they maintain.  Their commercial customers pay about 30% more for the same level of service.  Database maintenance is accomplished by running custom scripts tailored to the customers needs.  Based on what we learned last night, a maintenance routine is run on the database at set intervals, or on demand.

“So realizing we had suspects with privileged access, we went looking for oddities in their maintenance procedures.  Why there?  It seemed like a reasonable path to unobtrusively delete records.  With privileged access it would be easy to slip something in to a maintenance routine.  A review of the maintenance scripts determined that they did everything you would expect.  But there was an odd subroutine called right at the end.  When executed it set a flag on a specified record.  So we searched the documentation for the flag’s purpose without success.  After a lot of searching, we found a comment in the code equating the flag to a corrupt record.  I won't go into the details.  Basically once this flag is set for a record, it is not easily accessible or even visible using standard database tools.  It skips records with the flag set even when doing a normal dump to a CSV file.  However, if you know the name and write a program to do the query it will be found.

“Currently if we have the record number we can tell if the flag is set.  We still need to test several aspects regarding the use of the flag.  What was in that bit before it was set?  What happens when it is removed?  This is going to take time to sort out as we do not want to trip any intrusion sensors.  Once we have a better understanding, we are considering writing a program to query the database for records with this flag set.  We are considering asking some of those who have joined us if we can look for them in the databases.  When found, we would have several choices to make.  One would be to just note the information for the record.  Alternatively, we could remove the corrupt flag, which would restore their record.  This should give us an idea of what response it would trigger if noticed.

“The subroutine for applying the flag uses a list for its input.  We’ve arranged to receive a copy each time the subroutine runs.  How the list is generated is unknown, but it is different each time it runs.  We would like to block setting the flag on a record.  How that is accomplished needs to be well thought out since it is being done on a live database.”

Róise said, “Wouldn't it be simpler for them to just delete the record?”

“Yes.  However, with the way they have it set up if the record was found they could just claim it was a programming error.  Of course that presumes the script and list aren't found as well.  Although called by the maintenance script, it isn't clear where this subroutine and list resides.”

“What are you planning to do?” asked Sally.

“Check more databases to see how widespread the use of this corrupt flag.  If we find any using this flag then, we will set it up so we get a copy of the lists.  We have more pieces to share before we get into those details.  Bobbi.”

“Thanks.  Both Larry and Dale have large homes centered on several acres.  They have live in staff.  The grounds and building are protected by state of the art intrusion sensors.  The level of security seems to be bit extreme considering the homes location and their social status.

“Since our friends submitted their resignations, Larry and Dale have frequently talked on an encrypted private line.  Thanks to the spiders in their offices, we didn't need to tap into the phone line.  Initially we were surprised by the friendly tone of their conversation.  Our surprise was due to them being hostile to each other in public.  They have accused the other of intellectual theft and threatened legal action.

“With respect to our friends, they’ve been invited to a luncheon on Friday with their company’s president.  The two men have something planned for the weekend, which is some how related to the Friday luncheon.  Unfortunately we don't know the details of their plans.”

“One more item,” said Lydia, “before we discuss how to proceed.  Both company's buildings have a very similar layout.”  She went on to describe the buildings and their layout closing with, “One elevator services the parking garage, and first three floors but not the fourth.  The second elevator only has access points for the parking garage, third and fourth floors.  The second elevator requires a keycard for access from parking garage and third floor hall.  The parking garage access is obscure.  On the third floor, access is via a room connecting the third floor hall and the President’s conference room.  It is the hall door that needs the keycard.”

“So based on what you’ve heard and found, you suspect they have something planned for our friends,” said Sarah.

“Pretty much.  Based on what we've heard, it is difficult to rationally draw any other conclusion,” responded Muireann with many heads nodding in agreement.  “Lydia didn't mention the room off the President's conference room that contains several locking cabinets.  We’ve seen their assistants retrieve what looked like DVDs from the room then prepared them for shipment.”

“It is odd that the fourth floor can only be accessed by the elevator.  Surely there must be emergency stairwell or a hidden exit.  What about the plans submitted when the building permit was obtained?”

“Ah, that source was over looked.  We’ll do that today.”

“You haven't said much about the fourth floor so I presume the limited access has made it difficult.”

“It has.  The closest we’ve come is by placing a spider in the air duct however it can only see a portion one room.  The view shows several groupings of cushioned chairs and couches around a small low table.  In the center against an outside wall is a large bed with chair groupings around it.  The windows are all translucent and most have drapes.  It has picked up some sounds that are either talking or what could possibly be moans.”

Jill said, “Can we hear them?”

“Sure.”

After it was played Jill and Janet looked at each other and nodded then Jill said, “Based on those sounds and furniture placement, we would bet on a private brothel or sex club of some sort.”

“With access like that?” responded Mia with a puzzled expression.

“Sure.  Considering they are involved in making people disappear from the databases, they could take advantage by enslaving some for themselves.  So if they were operating the fourth floor as a private brothel, they could use the access to the women as a perk to reward work performance.  If true, it does raise a lot of other questions.”

“Like how do they get workers for the fourth floor?” responded Lydia.

“Yes, that is one.  A better question is, how would they get our friends to agree,” added Danny.

“Well there is that,” replied Claudette.  “Based on what we know about our friends, I see only one way for it to be easily accomplished.  The easiest would be to include a submissive drug in their luncheon meal probably in their drink.  This would result in them being very receptive to direction.  It is something they wouldn't expect to occur on company property.  Another question is, where did the others go?”

“All good questions,” said Rusty.  “Intelligence department, nice work.  We think you’ve read the tea leaves correctly.  Now we need a strategy to ensure our friends safety.  If possible assist the authorities in finding this abomination.  Our friend’s safety come first.  At some point, Madeline's and Ursula's groups need to know what we've learnt.  Definitely before they go to work on Friday.  Whether they go to work or not, has to be their decision.  Now from our perspective, besides learning what Larry and Dale plan over the weekend, what else do we need to do?  How do we alert the authorities of the database issue?”

The group worked until dinner discussing different options, pausing only to snack.  Several times they were able to find answers to earlier questions that caused them to go back and adjust their plan.  The answers usually raised more questions but it was a worthwhile effort.  By comparing employee records to public records they identified twelve employees at Larry's and eight at Dale's who had apparently vanished.  They found a payment for a traffic citation for a former employee of Larry's company that included a copy of the check.  In checking with the bank, they learned that her accounts were closed by a person using a POA.  The funds were transferred to an account at another bank which was then closed.

When the chime sounded for dinner Rusty said, “Okay.  We've made good progress.  We will have a look at both company's premises on Wednesday night.  Thursday morning we will go over everything then Thursday evening we brief the two groups.”

Bairre of Muireann's Clan said, “I am concerned whether the women will be able to act naturally if they know all of this, and the expected events.”

“A reasonable concern,” replied Erin, “and one I think we all have, however I think they can easily handle it.  Remember they lived through the ordeal on the freighter.  We suspect there is a link between these two men and those behind the freighter, so their motivation will be strong.  Besides this time they will have their links with us to help them.  We need to make sure they aren’t harmed.”

“Well said,” added Sarah.  “They will be the ones to decide the risk.  We will endeavor to insure that risk is minimal.  Now let's make it work.”

---

After lunch on Tuesday, Sarah's and Nancy's Clans gathered to finalize arrangements for Adam's visit.  Briana and Cathan were designated to meet him at the airport.  They would then take him to the nearby business airport, where one of their 'jets' would be waiting.  Alison and Maureen would be the pilots for the trip.

A general sequence of events was worked out for his first two days at Comrie.  Joyce proposed that they be totally open with him, as that's the way they had always been.  She was certain that if they weren’t, he would sense it.  They would let him decide if he needed to limit his telepathic ability when he returned to duty.  Joyce was positive he would, because to do otherwise was an unreasonable risk, besides, it would still be an effective boost to his security.

---

Wednesday after lunch the Command Staff was on Dóchas bridge when Aoife said, “Wouldn't it be a good idea for us to move to Earth orbit?”

“Could be,” replied Rusty.  “What brought this up?”

“Well if we are going to take a dream-walk to the two companies, then wouldn't we use less energy by doing this from Earth orbit?  The distance is a lot less.”

“You have a good point.  We need to make sure those on Mars have sufficient supplies.”

“Engineering has projects that could be affected by moving,” said Claudette.

“Well let's confer with the AIs and department heads,” said Sarah.

Star said, “From my perspective, moving will not cause any issues.  However, based on what is planned for the next several weeks, it would be advisable to remain in Earth orbit for at least a week and preferably three to four weeks.”

“Why?”

“It gives construction crews time to start and complete changes before moving again.  Also, quite a few of the crew are expecting us to move to Earth orbit due to the changing situation with respect to our friends.”

“Okay set it up.  In half an hour or sooner would be fine,” said Sarah.

It was only a few minutes later when Star said, “Everyone is ready.”

When they finished reviewing their status Rusty said, “Thanks to those in propulsion, we will depart in 30 minutes.  We plan on staying in Earth orbit at least twenty-one days.”

Afterward Sarah said, “Star, are the crew always that aware of the ship's status?”

“Nope.  Well that is not quite true.  Some departments are, but it is with a narrow view.  You all share in a way that everyone has a good idea of our direction and potential upcoming issues.”

“We must never assume that is the case,” responded Aoife.

“Yea,” said Alison.  “We know where assume leads, and space isn't a very forgiving place.”  Everyone laughed on hearing her comment.

At the appointed time Sarah said, “Prepare to depart Mars orbit.  Navigation, initiate a plan to insert us into Earth orbit, cloaked with a stationary orbital position directly over Madeline and Ursula's location.”

“Remember our wake and mass may disturb some of Earth's satellites,” said Star.

“If we place ourselves in a higher orbit that shouldn't be a problem,” said Rusty.  “Let's have our surveillance group monitor the satellites, as we don't want any accidents.  Other than that, let them worry about their satellites.”

This was only the second time the ship had moved since the accident and this was the most significant distance.  The Command Staff mind-linked with Ship-control-AI, as the departure commands began to be implemented.  While each had primary responsibility for one console, they also had an inherent awareness of the displays on all the other consoles.  The departmental AIs, working with the crew, implemented the steps necessary to comply with the departure command.  A console in each department gave the crew a view of the operation, so they could see the end result of the actions taken by their departments.

As they watched the displays, they saw their ship accelerate to leave Mars orbit, then follow an arc to bring them onto a path to intercept an orbital window above Earth.  The acceleration was so smooth that no one on the ship felt any movement, though, at the same time, they knew they were moving due to the displays.

With their mind-link and integration into the ship's systems, the Command Staff tweaked the course several times, as the ship moved to its destination.  They arrived in Earth's orbit, almost on target.  Their position was directly over where Madeline's and Ursula's groups lived.

Command Staff said, “Departments, please advise of status.”

Sally replied, “Security console green.”

“Engineering reports all systems performed as expected,” replied Claudette.

“Intelligence reports all systems functioning, no threats noted,” replied Alison.

“Navigation has locked our position in earth orbit,” responded Joyce.

“Star Fighter 1 flight on alert, set for a 2 minute delay to launch,” replied Erin.

“Security reports shields functioning normally, operating in stealth mode,” replied Terry.

“Propulsion units normal.  All parameters on target,” responded Jill and Janet.

“Medical reports everything is fine,” responded Judy.

“Security teams on alert, and in position,” replied Tara

“Communication links to all posts, functioning normally,” replied Aoife and Maeve.

“Surveillance indicates all systems normal,” replied Maureen and Siobhan.

“Secure the ship, and move to Level 5 readiness,” said Rusty.

“Star, how are the AIs doing?”

“We are in very good shape.”

“Intelligence department, you might want to use your instruments to examine the wake we created,” said Sally. 

“We have.  Most of it disappeared quite rapidly, but there are some faint traces.”

The Command Staff mind-linked to quickly review the details of performance while commanding their second ship movement.  Once the review was complete, they felt quite satisfied with the way all the ship's units had functioned.  There were only a few miscues, but those were corrected almost instantly.  As they finished, they heard their friend say, “Well done.” 

“Ship's crew,” said the Command Staff, as they sent a message throughout the ship, “Thank you for a job well done.  We will be in this orbit for at least three weeks perhaps a little longer.”

After dinner the Command Staff went back to the Bridge.  After checking the monitors Sarah said, “Shall we see if we can project our vision so we can check out the buildings where Madeline's and Ursula's groups work.”

They all nodded and stepped to the pillar grasping the ring.  This time, there was no walk, as they moved directly to the platform in the chamber.  Forming a circle on the platform with their arms interlaced and holding hands, their ethereal entity, eSarah emerged.  They projected eSarah so she arrived just outside the building of Madeline's employer.  If there had been anyone around they might have thought they saw a ghost.  After a moment surveying the surroundings, eSarah passed through the front door.  She looked carefully around the offices, as she made her way through the building.

Entering Larry’s office, she immediately noticed four folders with their friends names on them laying on his desk.  Before examining them she looked around the room and discovered several cameras with microphones discretely placed.  Their were several intrusion detectors.  She quickly determined that both devices were based on sensing heat.  Going over to the desk, she opened the top folder reviewed the contents.  Her anger blossomed as she realized the documents would give Larry full control of them via an unlimited power of attorney.  Its scope was obscured by appearing to be an employment contract that was auto renewing and transferable.

After eSarah's anger had calmed some, she read through the documents again.  Her first thought was, ‘how was he was going to get them to sign the documents’.  Even though they were cleverly worded, she didn't think they would sign them.  None of the women had any family so there wasn't anyone with legal standing to contest such a document.

In the adjacent conference room she discovered more cameras.  Besides the door to Larry’s office, were two other doors.  One was to the storage room which contained several locking cabinets which were unlocked.  She was surprised by that and that there wasn't any sensors in the room.  The file drawers were divided into sections.  Each one held a set of folders.  In each folder was a power of attorney plus photos of a nude woman and a DVD with the woman’s name on it.  The photos showed each woman posing alone and with the others in that section.  Most groups consisted of four women.

One section had the folders for his current assistant and three other women.  This section contained more DVD's than any of the others.  The DVD jackets all contained the same four names, but the dates were spread over several years.

In another cabinet were more DVD's.  There were multiple copies of some.  Each had titles and names on the jackets.  The background of the jacket was a photo showing four women in suggestive costumes.  Quite a few had the name of his current assistant on the package along with other names.  She recognized some of these names from the other groups she found in the other cabinet.

In the last cabinet, she found a selection of drugs and health supplements.  Hanging on the door were dosages for each drug, along with treatment sequences.  eSarah noted all the contents and instructions for further study.

She stepped back into the conference room and looked around the rooms again.  The sight of the folders on Larry's desk triggered the thought that brought the answer to her earlier question.  He was going to drug them so they would sign the documents.  With the videos, he would have visual evidence that they willingly signed the contracts.

“Star, please teleport a bot to this room.  Intelligence a bot will soon be sending you documents from Larry’s office to copy and return.  Initially she will send the drugs and other stuff.  Alert Medical that they are coming and need to be analyzed as soon as possible.  However, they need to be returned before sunrise here.”

“Aye,” was the response from several. 

Just as eSarah finished speaking, Cheri appeared next to her and looked around.

eSarsah said, “Cheri, I am next to you but I guess you can’t see me.” 

“Aye.  Now that you’ve told me I can sort of sense you.  I'll send the documents on the desk first for copying.  Then start on the cabinets.”

“Okay.  After those folders, send the drugs then the folders in each section with the newest first.  Once the folders are sent, then the DVDs.  Even though we are fairly certain the sensors won't detect you, you should stay cloaked.”

“Since I am here, can we bring more spiders and the ferrets in this way?”

“Yes.  Reach out to Intelligence or Star if you need something.  I'm going to check the fourth floor.”

With that eSarah projected herself up to the fourth floor.  The room’s layout was like a lounge of a large apartment.  There was a bar along one wall.  Couches of various sizes sat around the room in clusters with end tables and fairly large coffee tables in each group.  The center piece was a large cushioned platform much like a bed.  Several groups of couches faced the platform.  The arrangement fit with Jill's comment.  There were several doors along two walls, and entrance to a hall.  Looking down the hall she could see several doors on both sides of it and one at the end.  One door directly off the lounge led to a kitchenette and another to a storage area.  As she turned to leave, a reflection caught her eye.  Going over to look more closely at the platform, she found binding points for restraints and frowned.  Looking up she saw several beams with binding points and hoists.

Next eSarah went to check the rooms off the hall.  The first four were empty but tidy and looked to be well maintained.  Just like the platform in the main room, there were rings on the bed frame, at places on the wall and on the ceiling.

In the fifth bedroom a nude woman was sleeping.  eSarah recognized her as Larry's personal assistant.  She appeared to be dreaming by the way she was moving on the bed.  Her face showed multiple expressions during the few moments eSarah watched.  Some of the dreams seemed to be erotic, from the way she moved her hands and the smell of her arousal.  She decided not to risk disturbing her dreams and left.

In the sixth bedroom she found three naked pregnant women laying on beds.  She was shocked by them not having any hands, and lacking most of their legs.  eSarah was almost certain that they had hands and legs in the photos she saw earlier.  By their appearance and that of the room, they were receiving good care and very close to giving birth.  She thought about looking into their minds, but decided not to at this time.  She eased back out of the room.

She looked in the other rooms off the lounge.  The larger one contained devices to torment a person as it had stocks, a horse, a cross, a post, a pillory, several cages and hoists.  On the wall hung many implements that could be used to torment and cause a great deal of agony.  All the other rooms had a bed, a sink, a toilet along with numerous devices to restrain a person.  Again the rooms were very tidy.

Deciding she had seen enough, she started to leave, and as she moved back through the building she realized that these assholes were not above booby-trapping the building.  With that in mind, she made a careful search of the building and it didn't take her long to find several.

“Star, teleport three more bots here.  Make sure we have enough spiders and drones to give us good coverage.  Have the bots alter the destructive devices I found so they malfunction when tripped.  After that they need to look for more.  If we haven’t we should have ferrets access and copy their systems.”

“Aye.  The spiders can assist with finding the destructive devices.  The bots will operate cloaked and will stay until this is fully resolved.  Ferrets have been copying the information on their servers and desktops.”

“Perfect.”

eSarah eased out of the building and went to Ursula's employer.  Her search went quicker, as the layout was very similar to the one at Larry's company.  Even so she was very thorough as she went through the building but in a little different order.  On arriving she had bots and more drones, ferrets and spiders teleported there immediately.  The spiders immediately began searching for destructive devices for the bots to disable.

Bot 11 accompanied her to Dale's office and conference room.  The office layout was nearly identical to Larry's but it was searched with the same diligence.  In the storage room, there were several locking cabinets containing folders, photos and DVDs.  When she opened the cabinets, she thought it looked like there were more groups.  Based on the photos and associated DVD covers, it appeared that Dale had a preference for extreme cruelty.  There was a cabinet containing drugs and other items.  When eSarah departed, Bot11 began sending items to Dóchas to be copied or analyzed.

eSarah went up to fourth floor, where found a layout similar to the one at Larry’s.  This dungeon was larger and had a larger selection of restraining devices than they found at the other company.  Some of the implements were brutal and would be difficult to use without causing injury such as the brazier.  The stains and odor confirmed that they had been used.  In checking the other rooms she only found one bedroom occupied.  In it was two women who appeared to be very tall.  Their hair was so closely cropped that it was almost nonexistent.  Their breasts were very large.  Their nipples were swollen and wet.  The wetness indicated that they were lactating.  Both wore collars, wrist and ankle cuffs, which looked to be permanently fastened.  Their labia were exceptionally large with rings in each lip.  A bar through their clit held the two halves of its hood back.

When she returned to the ship, the Command Staff breathed a sigh of relief as they released the eSarah link.  Even here in the ship, it was taxing to maintain eSarah's presence, and still be aware of everything around her in the remote location while maintaining her composure.

“I hope we didn't miss any destructive devices,” said Alison.  Her spouses all nodded their heads, in agreement.

Star said, “The crew we sent shouldn't have any trouble finding them.”

“Intelligence department, did you see what eSarah found?” they asked.

“Yes.  A number of us are ready to do something now.  No, make that all of us.  We were amazed eSarah was able to maintain her focus.”

“It wasn't easy.  One critical part was remembering that old adage 'revenge is best served cold.'  Also, it helped to keep in mind that our goal is to let the US Attorney's office take care of this cancer.”

“Why would they have so many copies of the same DVD's in the cabinet?”

“Either he is using them for gifts or he is selling them,” said Terry.  “They would be easy to sell over the Internet, or through a mail order house.”

“But it was unlocked.”

“Well he thinks, the building is secure and his area more so.  How are the bots doing?”

“Very well.  Get some rest, we can review the information in the morning.”

“We're ready.  Don't you forget to rest.”

“We're going now,” said Muireann.

---

When Sarah's Clan entered the Intelligence department after breakfast on Thursday, they said, “Good morning.”

“Good morning.”

Danny of Shannon's Clan said, “We thought you might sleep in this morning.”

“Ha...” replied Joyce.  “Just because we are up late, doesn't mean the children sleep in.”

Muireann said, “The information you gathered last night on your dream walk as eSarah is proving to be very helpful.  We are a little concerned about the bot in the storage area off the president's conference room.  Is there really enough room for her to be in there with someone and go undetected?”

“We think so and the bot was certain she could.  Cloaked bots aren't detected by the motion sensors because they are heat based.  That is the reason we thought having bots on each floor made sense.  Did you learn any more about the three pregnant women confined to bed at Larry's company?”

“Not a great deal.  Their POAs were signed several months after Elsa signed hers.  Based on the last names we think two of them Elsa’s are relatives possibly sisters.  This is their third pregnancy.  From their appearance, they are well cared for and haven't put on a lot of weight.  Considering their lack of hands and legs, they seem pretty up beat, or they are today.  They do appear to be fit.  Elsa fed and took care of their needs before going to work.

That was a preview of Dóchas. To read the rest purchase the book.

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