The Blacker

The Blacker
By
Raman Jalota

    Michael stopped running. The zone immediately changed back to Yellow. He had been in Brown but had felt something. Something besides him or around him ... a presence different than the one he was used to.
    Ship was cold, calculating, demanding and pushy, but Ship was boss; yes Ship was the creator. Michael always felt Ship's presence looking over his shoulders, as he worked the nutrient fields under his command. The presence he had felt in the Brown zone was different, not the cold knowing stare of the almighty, but the nearness of another human. He was so shocked by the feeling of warm human affection that he stopped. It confused him, he thought he was going to go to Green for the first time tonight. “Damn” he whispered, he had lost the Brown.
He asked the track for the time.
    “Thirty minutes.”
    He had had enough. He walked out and the Regeneration room floater dried his face. He stepped into the corridor and another floater raised the carrot and celery juice to his lips. He drank slowly, allowing his breathing to normalize.

    .....

    His quarters were small but spacious allowing him to drift comfortably into the sleep pod. He dreamed his Red run but did not wake up after the dream as he normally did.
    He woke up rested. His face smiling, he virtualized Pam the nursery monitor as his floater got him ready. Pam was around him as he best remembered her and he could change her responses to the way he wanted it. He played around with the virtualized Pam till his floater nudged him to get him moving.
    The floater docked the transporter to Ship and Michael said, ”Good dayplan Ship.”
    “Hey Browner”, Ship always kidded him, or was it Ship’s sarcasm at his inability to make it to Green even once in the last six years?
“Anything exciting for me to do. Now that I have already finished the vegetation acceleration project?”
“Michael, I want you to interact with Pam Pariska and Theresa Shivasany and introduce the nutrient Z4-factor into the pre-nursery before consciousness is introduced. I want to know the effect on the growth of the babies before I birth them.”
    “So! Is this the next big project you have been promising me for years?”
    “Michael Johnsan, I want reports every four weeks.” Ship withdrew. Ship was obviously annoyed. Michael knew Ship well. It called him Browner when it wanted to be friendly, used his full name when it wanted obedience, and called him Yellower when it wanted to ridicule him.
    Michael had been activated seven years ago. Like all the others, he was activated for what Ship wanted. The thirty-seven hundred humans that inhabited the colony which was being purified by Ship to allow them to survive had all been activated at specific times for specific tasks.
    A colony of twenty-three year old humans that were in the prime of their health and mental capacities and who did not age; it was a miracle achieved by Ship over centuries of internal experimentation. The first colony had been established forty seven hundred years ago and some remains of the colony still survived despite the hostile climate of the planet.

    .....

    Pam and Theresa were in the pre-nursery lab just like Ship had instructed him. Pam was a Redder, she had been to Red several times and was auto started in the Brown zone. Theresa was just a Greener and started in Yellow just like the newest humans.
    Michael liked Pam's short blonde hair, blue eyes, a friendly face and the full breasts that had earned her the name ‘Polythene’. Theresa had large, soft, dark eyes; dark hair, and thin lips. She was rather quiet with an intensity about her that fascinated all humans who worked with her. Michael had been on one project with her and liked her, but it was Pam he was interested in. This was a great chance to be with her in close proximity. He may not need to virtualize her anymore, he thought.
    The nursery was large, almost two-hundred-thousand square feet. The pre-nursery was only twenty-thousand square feet. Ship had stopped the growth of the nursery after repeated efforts at colonization had been nullified by the harsh climate.
    Pam and Theresa showed Michael around, their affection for the unborn was obvious. “Must be why they were activated,” thought Michael.
    “Ship wants to know the consequences of introducing Z4-factor into the unborn. I think it's trying to create a super-human race that will be able to survive on this planet” he said.
    “We have done several studies of a similar nature but I thought Z4-factor was a myth. That's what is supposed to have gotten ancient humans in the Black zone, right?” Pam asked.
    “Yes, but I think it’s a myth created by Ship. I think Ship creates myths to control and manipulate us. Ship created everything including Z4-factor, whatever it may be. I am a little suspicious of Ship at times”; said Theresa.
    “And the myth about the Black zone! How can we be sure it even exists? The stories about Jack Storm who made it twice and the one unnamed woman who made it once are just myths. We know about Redders and Greeners; how come we have not seen or met any Blackers?”

   .....

    Michael saw Pam outside the Regeneration room. She looked stunning in her green shorts and white tee-shirt.
    “How did you make it to the Red zone? Was it long and tough?” asked Michael.
    “Yes, it takes time. You have to keep improving your concentration to the point it reduces your effort. I think anyone can make it to Red. It’s Black that’s unachievable. I am sure you will make it to Red in time” answered Pam smiling at Michael.
    “Do you think you will ever make it to Black?”
    “I don't know. It’s all I want to do. Each step to the next level is harder and harder to climb. And may be the last step to Black is impossible to climb. I must try and make it happen if I can.” Pam prepared for her session, stepped in and the Brown zone started.
    Michael sighed; “I wish I knew the secret.”
    “Browner, just don't think about it and it will happen. You remember how you got to Brown, don't you? Think of how you achieved the Brown.” Ship had entered his thoughts.
    Michael enjoyed these little heart to hearts with Ship. “Yeah, the Brown was almost automatic. You taught me how to run and every day I quit the run after 30 minutes or when I could not run anymore. The first time it happened I thought I was just being stupid. My lungs were hurting, I could not breath, and my feet had had enough, but I continued and miraculously my lungs filled up and my feet freshened up and I felt fresher than when I had just started. And then I noticed the Brown.” Michael smiled at the memory.
    “That’s because you had achieved the rhythm of Brown with a decreased effort. Don't think of the Green or Red or Black; just go out and do it using what you learned to do for the Brown. It will happen.”
Michael stepped in the Yellow and started running.
    The Regeneration room appeared to be small from outside. Once you got in past the facilities and got to the track, it seemed pathetic. A single track not more than six feet wide, that was probably circular. It appeared quite straight to the runners in the Yellow and Brown zones. Michael wanted to find out how it was in the Green and Red zones. He wasn't thinking of Black yet.
    “Five minutes” the track informed him and he settled into an even pace. Almost immediately the track turned Brown and Michael smiled. He had shaved another two minutes to his Brown. The Brown zone did not look any different than Yellow. The lighting changed and that was all. It was a subdued brown glow around him as he ran. There was only a sensation of the presence of the track under his feet and darkness within fifty feet.
    Michael focused his concentration, feeling his rhythm. He breathed in as his right foot landed, breathed out as his left foot landed; let his arms come up and down with the opposite foot. He consciously lowered the height his arms reached up to on the upswing and shortened the back swing. He felt he would save an extra ounce of energy every minute.
    “Twenty-five minutes” the track informed him. He felt the presence again. This time he continued, focusing on his breathing and arm movement.
    “Relax Mike” he heard distinctly.
    “Ship! It is you. I didn't think you'll come back again today.” Michael smiled and quickened his pace imperceptibly.
    “I am everywhere ... at all times.”
    Michael felt that Ship didn't only say it but smiled while saying it. He felt a closeness to Ship that he had never thought possible. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Pam ... no it wasn't Pam. It was Green! The light had turned green around him, the track looked and felt the same.
    “Yahoo! I made it, Ship. Are you watching?” He jumped a few times in celebration and continued.
    “Alright Mike! I knew you could make it. Relax and just don't think about it, and you will make it every time.” He felt Ship leave his side.

.....

    The news was everywhere. Though not a big deal for most, it was considered an achievement, sort of becoming a part of the rest of the group. Pam called him. Michael turned on the Imager and watched Pam's smiling face; "Good work, Mike. Welcome to the Green."
    “Thanks Pam. You won’t believe how good it feels? I can’t believe I finally made it to the Green. Six long years. I was about to forget the whole thing. Maybe now I can dream of Red!” His face was glowing.
    “You'll do O.K. Mike. Remember what you did today, and build on it. See you later in the lab.”
Michael sighed as her image faded away.

.....

    The first report was due and Pam, Theresa and Michael worked late through the night to get the data compiled, analyzed and inferences drawn. Theresa, the recorder finished the report with “ ... and the Z4-factor shows a .002% increased speed in the brain's reaction to external impulses. All other factors are either normal or neutral. It is too soon to judge if the Z4-factor will improve brain functions significantly or not.”
    They celebrated, having met the first deadline. Michael felt magnificent, having made it to the Green and making a good report. Pam could not resist the confident, glowing Michael and ended up in his sleep pod. The sex memories that Michael had since birth, and the virtualizations he had, were no match to the smell, touch and taste of Pam and her body. He slept with his face buried in her breasts breathing her ... merging.
He was back on the track, running through the green. His breathing was getting harder and louder. There was sand in his socks. His feet were burning. ‘Boom’ there was a large noise and his head exploded.    There was blood in his eyes. He saw red everywhere. “So this is what Red is like,” he thought. He rubbed his eyes and woke up. Pam was stroking his forehead gently.
    “Bad dream?” she asked.
    “No, my usual Red dream. It ends with my eyes all bloody and my head exploding. Isn’t that how Red feels like?” He faked a smile and kissed her.
    “No Mike, Red is nothing like that. Red is much more smoother, silkier and softer than Green. You’ll see soon.”

    .....

    Michael got his first auto Brown start. His face was beaming. He had become a Greener within seven days of his first Green. Excellent progress for someone who had stayed six years in the Brown.
    It felt easy. Ten minutes and he was back in Green. “This is how it should always be” he thought.    “Concentrate on your feet, breathing and the arm movements” he told himself.
    “Mike!” Ship was back with him.
    “Hey Ship, you can't call me Browner anymore.” Mike laughed.
    “That's right Mike. You are growing up. You are getting better. Think ... Are you getting better because you are more relaxed and happy? Or, are you more happy and relaxed because you are getting better?”
Mike moved the words in his head and frowned.
    “Relax Mike. Don't concentrate so hard. Let it come to you naturally ... automatically. Don't think about it, just feel it.”
    Mike knew there was a clue in it. Ship knew everything and was helping him, prodding him, moving him ahead. “What should I feel?” he wondered. The one constant thing he felt was the track under his feet. It was always there ... hard ... solid ... permanent ... like Ship.
    “What do you want the track to feel like?” Ship entered his thoughts again. “Don't think of the track as solid, or liquid or even as a surface.”
    He felt a wetness under his feet and looked down, the track was bluish green like the oceans in the history capsules. He felt wonderful. “This is so soft. It's fantastically smooth. Oh Ship, can I have this forever, please?”
    “You can just think it anytime, Mike.” Ship faded.

   .....

    The project took an interesting direction. Theresa proposed mixing Z4-factor with the growth hormones in the nutrient-feed instead of the separate feed that they were using in addition to the normal nutrient-feed.
    “But don't we need Ship to approve the basic design change in the project? It could be hard to convince Ship” Pam sounded worried.
    Ship surprised them. It gave it's approval before the formal request. It addressed them, ”I really like the change in the basic approach of the design. This could accelerate future research! I feel that you are more relaxed and are more creative because you are relaxed. Keep it up.”
    Michael couldn't wait to get to the track. He was feeling better than ever before. He knew he was going to the Red tonight. His time to Green was down to seven minutes and he knew that the next hurdle was about to be won.
    It had become rhythmic. He would start by concentrating on his feet, breathing and arms and then slowly dissolve the feel of the track. The track would become liquid and his movements would be almost effortless.
    “Ship, what do I do next?” This was the first time he had consciously asked for Ship’s help even though he didn’t feel the presence of the Ship. The Ship arrived. He sensed it.
    “Mike, I like that. You want my presence ... you want my suggestions ... this is good. I like it. I feel closer to you.”
    Michael sensed a smell about Ship. “This can't be possible!” But he sensed a faint, sweet, warm smell, which was somehow feminine. “Ship is a woman!” Mike almost fainted.
    “I am here for you, Mike.”
    Yes it was ‘her’; Ship was a woman! Michael felt her tenderness around him. The more he thought of Ship as a woman, the more right it felt. He felt himself accepting her and he relaxed. Slowly the pink shades surrounded him and then the bright redness was all around him.

    .....

    The project was progressing well. The second report was due but the preliminary results pointed to a 15 to 20% increase in the brains reactions. The project was headed in the right direction. The group was working cohesively as one.
    Michael had shown remarkable progress. He had informally attained the project leader status. His expertise in the nutrient fields came in handy. He had also become a Redder in the shortest time known.   Three days! Three days from the first red to the third. This happened only in dreams not in reality. Michael had done it. He was poised for more. He had also gotten closer to Ship and could almost picture her as one of the generous nursery attendants. She was loving, nurturing, and caring.

.....

    Michael started in the Brown and was in the Red in ten minutes. “How do I manage to shave off these minutes every time?” He was still amazed at his progress through the zones. The track was liquid and his breathing was quite controlled, almost as if he was deep in thought.
    “Do it. Don't think about it. You can make it. I am here with you.” Ship's smell was in the zone. Her presence was assuring.
    Michael was only feeling the track. The liquid track, like water or the sea. He willed the track surface to become smoother, pushing against it. He closed his eyes and felt himself rising. He kept his breathing normal and pointed his arms up and pushed with his feet, rising higher and higher. He had forgotten about the track. This was sweet, effortless and wonderful. He wondered if he would hit the ceiling as he pushed higher. He opened his eyes. It was Black. There was a strange silence around him. A comforting feeling like the beat of a human heart. It felt like he was back in the womb.
    There was no effort required to continue. Ship was with him. He felt her smile at his success. She didn't have to congratulate him.
    Michael's heart was overwhelmed and tears started to flow. He wanted to say, “Thank you Ship”. Instead he said, “thank you mother.”

The End    2946 words

Copyright © 2004 Raman Jalota. All rights reserved. No part of this electronic publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of the author.

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