The Masses

Act XIX

Man 1: No, I don't care what the captain said, you've got to stop, now.

Man 10: But it's my turn. This is my experiment, not yours.

Man 1: Your experiment is over. It has ruined the whole process.

Man 1 noticed the captain is on his way and gives the captain a pleading look.

Man 10: That isn't my problem. I want my turn.

Man 1: You can have your turn after she's harvested. But you must stop now.

Captain: What's going on, here?

Man 1: He won't stop fucking her.

Captain: Why should he?

Man 1: Well, this woman has been ruined, for one thing. She is no longer capable of being infused with a living soul.

Captain: Then what does it matter?

Man 10: That's what I asked.

Man 1: Well, you remember earlier how I explained the dust was behaving as an amplifier, with minimal feedback to the original soul?

Captain: Yes?

Man 1: Well, this one became a conduit.

Captain: It's supposed to be a conduit.

Man 1: Yeah, but not while they are still living!

Captain: Oh! You mean we're communing with someone from the past right now??

Man 1: Yes!

Man 10: So what?

Man 1: We could be influencing the past!

Man 10: Again, so what?

Man 1: You don't know what problems you might be causing.

Man 10: I do, in fact. I read the entire library on endotempic reactions. There is no way a connection could be made to any past soul, living or dead, at a point in time which would make a difference. Even if, as you claim, I'm causing this soul to see everything from the moment we spotted this island, it will not change the present. It cannot. Too much time has passed between the time of this soul and now.

Captain: How do you know how old the soul is?

Man 10: I don't. I only know that it's a law of physics. We cannot influence the past in any way that would perturb the present. That has been proven over, and over, again.

Man 1: So you know everything there is to know about necrotic dust?

Man 10: You know that I don't. I don't have to. Do you need to know how your machines work before you can say with certainty that dropping them will cause them to hit the ground? No. Because gravity is a law of physics. So is this.

Captain: Still... stop. I have an announcement to make. You can resume when I've finished.

Man 10: (fuming mad, but keeps from showing it). Aye captain..

Captain: At last! It is done. I've completed what I believe to be the final training aid (Holds up 4 golden replicas of his cock).

Man 1: And this will accomplish... what?

Captain: I intend to mount them on the carts with a soft spring loading mechanism (holds up spring loading mechanisms) so that is applies a gentle pressure to their mouths while in the e-garden.

Man 2: Oh! I see. Combined with the connection to the e-garden, that will allow them to more easily sense their own mouths and theoretically gain greater control over them.

Man 1: Um. There is just one problem with that theory.

Captain: Which is?

Man 1: I don't get it.

Man 2: (after a pause) How is that a problem?

Man 1: Well, if the goal was only to get them to open their mouths, we wouldn't even need the e-garden. We could do that all by ourselves. We want them to keep their teeth off of it. I don't see any reason why that would happen naturally.

Man 2: Oh. Yeah.. That's a good point.

Captain: It is a good point, but you're forgetting the message I sent.

Man 1: Ah... Ah! Yes. I see. I thought it was weird to infuse it with any message, let alone that one. Were you... were you... planning on this since then!?

Captain: No. I only got the idea as I was leaving the e-garden last I was there. It was simply a handy convenience that I had already established the message the way that I had.

Man 1: Well. There is still the issue of compatibility. Some soul combinations aren't going to take to this method. And you will have to change the message.

Captain: I've been thinking of that too, actually. I've got a replacement message that should suffice. Also, remember how we had one teach the other through contact outside the e-garden?

Man 1: Ah. Yes... That does seem an elegant solution. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it sounds like you're suggesting that with such thorough training for most, we could easily train the failures that crop up. Much better than carting one around to handle every new harvest by herself.

Captain: My thoughts exactly. So-

Man 2: Say no more, Captain. We'll have them all fitted presently.

They approach a cart with a woman lying on it, waiting her turn to be pushed into the e-garden. They mount the harness to the front of it such that the tip of the cock rests on her lips, pushing with imperceptible gentleness.

Man 1: Well, it all seems to fit. We'll apply a harness to each cart as they cycle through.

Captain: Excellent. If this still does not work, alert me at once. Otherwise... I will retire to the eternity garden for a while.

Man 1: Yes, Captain.