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, tapering
hips and long, muscular legs. Even the way he stood, weight balanced, re
ady for
action, told me that he had spent many years as a man. I wondered if he d
always
been a scientist. Many Seconders started new careers after their change, and
he
had the air of someone who had once held some position of power.
So, Amanda, I said, eyeing the proof of the sex change that jutted out
between his legs. What do I call you now?
Andrew will do, he snapped, swiveling once more to take in the c
omplete
view of our surroundings.
Not Andy?
Andy. He laughed. I m afraid not. I m no Andy.
I had to agree. In his masculine form, his natural authority was even mo
re
evident. Already, I could feel my female hormones kicking in, responding to
the
strong male vibe he emitted. The sand and rock around us looked mighty
uncomfortable, but that didn t stop me from thinking about getting him down on
the
ground and mounting him. If he was only half as good as he no doubt thou
ght he
was &
There s nothing here. Andrew jerked his head at the barren landscape. We
have to try again.
Disappointment tugged at me. He was far more attractive as a male. It suited
his virile nature. When we emerged from the gate again, he d be Amanda once
more. And I would become Lee, my sexual cravings for this man unsatisfied.
For the moment, I told myself.
There was no time to indulge myself. The stasis set up by the gate maste
rs
was overloaded and doomed to fail. We had to find some alternative world
s and
soon. Without a word, I turned and plunged once more between the glowing
arches.
This time we skipped the mental battle and went right to work. I had to admit
Andrew was good. Once again that diamond-bright mind shaped the image of an
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alternate Nexus while I poured energy into its creation. The tremendous forces
around us surged with a creative tempus as we combined our wills to a single
purpose. Green light flared and we stumbled from the gate
Regaining my balance, I looked around and knew our second attempt had
succeeded. We stood on a cliff overlooking a lush green valley. A city o
f shining
towers lay nestled in the curve of the hills on the opposite side of the
valley.
It s bigger than the city in our Nexus, I said, surveying the
alien metropolis.
Twice as big, I estimated.
This place it has an old feel, Amanda said, planting her hands on her hips
and tilting her head to one side as if listening for something.
As much as I wanted to listen, too, I found her stance extremely distracting.
Her nude body glistened in the sunlight of this new world and I feasted
my eyes. She
had a tall, lean beauty of her own, from her small breasts to her slim hips,
to her
long, well-shaped legs. Despite her nakedness, she managed to look
elegant even
regal.
Aware that I was probably radiating sexual desire, I forced myself to look
away and examine the world around me. I suspected it was empty I sensed no
trace of consciousness beyond our two minds. Yet, as Amanda said, a sens
e of a
once powerful presence, now long gone, seemed to hang in the air like the
scent left
behind by a rose as its petals drift to the ground.
A chill raced down my spine at that image. I couldn t say why, but a feeling
of
deep melancholy swept over me, although I m normally an optimistic gu
y. I gazed at
the distant towers and felt an unexpected reluctance to venture between their
silent
walls. From the troubled look on Amanda s face, I knew she was experi
encing the
same premonition of trouble. My pattern sense set off alarm bells in my head,
telling
me I was about to find out something I d rather not know. There are some
secrets
you wish you had never heard, and I knew with deadly certainty that such a
secret
lay in the city at the far end of the valley.
The light blurred around Amanda s body for an instant as she conjured a
toga-like dress and sandals out of the quantum level of reality. As much as I
enjoyed
ogling her naked body, I saw her point. We had a long walk ahead of us.
I furrowed
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my brow in concentration and looked down. I was wearing a t-shirt, jeans
and tennis
shoes. We exchanged a glance and without a word started down the rough path
that
hugged the side of the cliff.
The silence around us only deepened as we approached the city. My scalp
prickled.
Hey, quick question, I said.
What? Amanda s glance darted from building to building, but the only sound
was the wind moaning between the towers.
If this is an alternate world, then the gate masters that built this Nexus
aren t
the same as the ones that built our Nexus, right?
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