What IF time could be stopped? What IF immortality was for sale? What IF your space ship was captured and you travelers became pets of a more advanced civilization on an alien planet? What IF an alien race tried to save earth from itself? Would the people of earth cooperate? In these science fiction stories Roger Lee Vernon touches on romance, adventure, suspense, politics, women's liberation, and many possible futures.

IF

In the world of "IF" all futures are possibleBy Roger Lee Vernon

iUniverse, Inc.

Copyright © 2011 Roger Lee Vernon
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4620-5381-0

Contents

Humans as Pets What IF people were pets of a more advanced species?........................................1The Wooing of Henry Edmunds What IF women's lib caused a reversal of sexual dominance?.....................8Everywhere man What IF you multi-replicated?...............................................................14SPACE WAR Or Humpty Dumpty What IF first contact was a space war?..........................................21The Malthusian Murders What IF immortality was for sale?...................................................53The Prodigy What IF you remembered everything?.............................................................77THE TIME TABLETS TALE What IF time could be stopped?.......................................................87The Great Encounter What IF aliens tried to save the earth from itself?....................................116What IF you were crazy? The Madness Within.................................................................222

Chapter One

Humans as Pets

What IF people were pets of a more advanced species?

The Masters were going to try to mate me again! This male human approaching me was taller and looked to be pleasant enough. He seemed to be full-grown, muscular, and had a lot of facial and chest hair. Not only that, but he knew how to talk in my language!

"Hello," he began, smiling shyly. Of course we pets were both naked except for the security collars. Since he was naked it was obvious he was excited at seeing me, but the last candidate had exhibited the same difficulty of control.

"You're very pretty," he added which was unnecessary under the circumstances. Perhaps when humans were free, when people were clothed, the men's passions were not so easily seen. But we were on a warm planet; we did not really need covering.

"Thank you," I replied, standing immobile in the center of the great room. I hoped my nudity did excite him. My grandmother would have been able to explain all this but she was long dead.

"The gods brought me to you," he continued, trying to make conversation no doubt.

"The Masters are not gods, but living creatures as we are," I responded. I was hopeful he was not too stupid.

"I have never seen the gods age or die," he divulged. "I have not seen many humans, but I have seen them age and saw one die." He scratched his head, looking up to where my Master lay in his floating recliner gleaning us from his perch. My Master's six long tentacles were spread out and at rest now.

"The Masters live much longer than we do," I explained. "Their children grow larger; so they must also age." It seemed to be a simple deduction,

"That is true about the child-gods. You may be right," he agreed but I felt by his tone he was not convinced.

"My grandmother told me many things before I was adopted as a pet in this household," I confided. "We were captured from a human passenger starship when I was just a child. We were traveling together to meet my parents on another planet. My grandmother did not think we ever would be rescued because we were taken a great distance at many times light speed. She said the Masters preyed upon humans, but they were kind. I was very young and scarcely remember the capture of our ship." I thought back to my fat, patient grandmother with a sigh.

Today I had been sure the Masters were going to breed me because suddenly I had been receiving so much additional attention. My Mistress' forward tentacles had braided my long blond hair at intervals before, but now it was a longer procedure.

When I was allowed indoors I often watched my Master's language antenna vibrate. The antenna would give a twitch of amusement as I rolled around on the soft rug to dry myself after washing in the bathing pool.

Often after I emerged from the bathing pool I would be anointed with the cleansing oil from my long legs up to my full face. But this time, after I left the pool, my whole body was coated with perfume. It was an aphrodisiac, I decided, for I felt a strong glowing feeling. My grandmother told me this would happen when I was grown and that I should expect the event.

This was the warm season, really blinding hot from the double suns, and I was kept outdoors most of the time. Outside, I usually just stayed on my pillows in the shade of the roof overhang. Today after the bathing pool I had been allowed to come indoors to the great room where I lay on the rug, feeling the pleasing tickle of the fibers on my skin as I rolled. Then I was anointed with the aphrodisiac perfume. I could feel the induced passion and struggled to control it.

Then one of the child Masters picked me up. He held me frighteningly high in but one of his sturdy tentacles. The suction cups, which could administer such pain, were gentle now. The young Masters had been warned not to hurt me long ago. The young Master's antenna twitched in pleasure at my helplessness.

All my life since the crèche in this household I had lived with these Masters and I still could not communicate with them. Our senses did not match. They uttered no sounds. They could not hear. They could see, but not as I did. They could smell things accurately, telling even how long the smell had been there and from which direction it had come. But most importantly they sensed by waves every object around them.

Of course I had learned the meaning of some of their antenna movements, perhaps two dozen. I knew the name they had given me and I came when beckoned. I knew the tricks I was supposed to perform for their pleasure, to show how clever I was. Performing these tricks caused the Masters to show satisfaction and I was often rewarded with food treats and playthings.

So I would respond to the commands of the Master's antenna movements and "Stand," "Sit," "Lie down," "Roll Over," "Jump," or "Get." This last meant I was to run after a ball that had been flung and throw it back. Those things I knew. I knew "Beg," which meant I was to stand with my hands elevated toward the high table until one of the Masters realized I was there and then catch the food thrown. This was degrading, but better than a continuous diet of the same processed food that I was fed in my bowl on the floor.

Now my life was about to take a new turn, for I knew nothing of the mating process or the aftermath. The last candidate for my affection had spoken a strange tongue and was neither clean nor pleasing to me. I ran from him even though the Masters coaxed me to go to him.

"Tell me about your grandmother," the visitor, the male human man now requested.

"You tell me about yourself first," I demanded. I was hungry for knowledge and desirous of control.

"I was born to the crèche," he related. "My mother taught me the language I know, and we were together when I was a child. But she too had been born here. After we were separated, I scarcely saw anyone for a time." He paused. "That was long ago," he continued. "I was adopted by a family of the immortal gods. Tell me more of what you know."

I shrugged. "It is obvious you are a second generation pet, bred and raised in captivity. My grandmother stayed with me till she died. She taught me much. We humans have a great civilization somewhere, a place called Earth, and we have colonies among the stars....