"Yes. All but you—and you'll soon be under the beam too."

That means Lois too, Reese thought. What an idiot I was to go away and leave her here alone!

And then he realized it was lucky he had done so. If he had stayed here, he'd probably be a zombie like all the rest. At least this way he was a free agent and it was still possible to defeat Tersen—for the time being.

Something flashed brightly in Tersen's hand. A thin metallic bracelet—of the same metal as the band around the scientist's forehead.

"This is for you," Tersen said. "Since I can't readjust the generator without losing control of all the others I've prepared a special trinket for you. Let me slip it on you, Reese."

Tersen reached for Reese's wrist. Reese twisted his body away.

"Don't be coy," Tersen said, smiling bleakly. He slapped Reese and seized his wrist. Despite Reese's desperate writhing Tersen managed to force the bracelet over the man's wrist and clamp it shut.

"There," Tersen said. "Now the whole village is under control."

Reese was puzzled. He felt no different; evidently something had gone wrong. But he did not intend to let Tersen know that.

"We'll march on Colony Seven tonight," Tersen mused aloud. "Everything's ready to begin the conquest."

He stepped behind Reese and undid his bonds. Reese rose to his feet stiffly, hoping he made a convincing zombie. He crossed the room toward the door.

"Join the others," Tersen ordered.

"Yes, Dr. Tersen," Reese said in sepulchral tones.

Outside, he glanced around and saw several colonists some distance away. He walked toward them, careful to maintain the stiff walk in case Tersen were watching.

Something had gone wrong with Tersen's bracelet because Reese definitely was under no control. It was a lucky break; it allowed him some extra time to discover what power Tersen held over the enslaved colonists. And he could find Lois.

The bracelet on his wrist gave no clue. It was just a thin band of metal without ornament. Presumably Tersen had expected to exert some kind of thought-control through it.

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