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together,
when we enter this gate. She gestured to the arch.
Great! Terri s eyes glittered with anticipation. I can t wait to change
sex
again.
I shot another admiring glance at her legs. Personally, I d rather see her
stay
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a female most of the time, since I prefer to be a male. But the sex gate
s are about
freedom of choice. Terri loved switching back and forth from male to female,
as often
as possible.
Soon, but first
Ever since Messler helped me find my way to the Nexus the first time, I had
been astounded anew at the depth and power of Rissa s mind. Of course, as
Russell
she d built an enviable reputation as a genius, the one person beside Messler
who
seemed to understand the sex gates. Russell proved his abilities when he found
his
way to the Nexus the first time he entered a gate.
As soon as we began, I felt the force of Rissa s mental powers. Her t
ouch
was somewhat clumsier than my own, or those of more experienced Seconders, but
that clumsiness was overshadowed by her pure, unadulterated strength.
Although I ve made my living as a writer, it s difficult to describe the
experience of merging my thoughts with those of several other human beings. I
was
no longer one person; I was several people at once, yet without the confusion
you
might imagine. It was as if I was pure consciousness, and floated from mind to
mind.
Each mind acted like a lens, showing me reality in a different way. I lo
oked
through each as I pleased and enjoyed the view. Each mind was unique, ea
ch
intriguing in its own way. Rissa s was a powerful force-field, bringing us
together
under her tent. Terri s mind bubbled and darted here and there, so full of
curiosity
that it kept in constant motion trying to grasp every nuance around it.
Randy s mind
was serious and direct, almost plodding as he drove his thoughts on a st
raight path,
examining each new concept. The others became a mirror that allowed me t
o look
into my own mind and see it as they saw it. I was surprised at the amoun
t of
experience that filled my consciousness the result of my years as a Seconder,
no
doubt and noticed for the first time the way my mind seemed to see ev
erything at a
slightly askew angle.
Rissa kept us together in that state of merged consciousness for what
seemed like hours, although I later realized it was only minutes. Time stopped
as we
searched through the rich bounty of each other s thoughts. As our minds flowed
back and forth washing over each other like a great sea, we began to share
our
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hopes and dreams. In each mind, I found in a rich treasure of knowledge that I
added to my own; at the same time, I could sense the others reveling in things
they
found in my consciousness. Our thought patterns vibrated in unison, inte
rtwining
together, becoming more and more alike. The whole experience was very
pleasant.
If it hadn t been so serious it would have been fun.
As our merger deepened, the satisfaction that flowed from the group mind
became intense. Although we knew we had to separate, we hesitated. It was like
leaving a warm fireside to venture out into the cold and dark a hosti
le world where
we would be alone once more. In the end, Rissa had to give each of us a
little
mental push. A shock ran through me as I disengaged from the other minds, and
opened my eyes to a world viewed only through my eyes again.
I started, and looked around at the others. Randy and Terri seemed a bit
confused, but not alarmed. Rissa smiled at me, a satisfied look on her face,
so I
assumed the experiment had gone well. She confirmed it with a thought, then
stood
up.
Okay, kids, now comes the hard part. Through the gates we go.
With a hi-ho-hi-ho, Terri exclaimed. I grinned, recognizing the
adventurous
spirit I d shared in the group gestalt.
I want us to merge again. Then hang onto my mind as we go through,
Rissa
said. I m going to slow down the change while we re transiting
and I want you to
watch what I do, and help me do it. That s how you re going to lea
rn. Especially you,
Lee. You must share my consciousness completely as I show you how to pre
vent
any more changes to your mind.
I m ready. I gave her a thumbs up.
Me, too, Randy agreed.
And I make three, Terri chimed in, grinning.
Rissa reached for my hand. She squeezed my fingers in a surprisingly str
ong
grip. With her other hand, she reached out for Terri. Randy stepped betw
een Terri
and me and joined hands with both of us. Linked in a tight little circle
, we
approached the sex gate until we were positioned so that we could step into
the
green fog that filled the green arch at the same moment. We took that step
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