Forget the Kurii.

The Priest-Kings understand the truth. Man is his own worst enemy. If anyone destroys the human race, it will be Man. As they will do Earth as well.

Forget the Kurii.

I was once of Earth, alive during the Civil War, battling on the side of the Union. One evening, as I wandered under the starlit sky on patrol, I saw a large, silver disk land nearby. I went to investigate this strange vision.

I witnessed several very strong men carrying six to eight women up a ramp into the large disk. A metal machine that flew through the air like an air balloon.

I tried to stop these men, shooting a couple rounds into the air to scare them. But they simply turned toward me, waiting until I approached them closer. As they did not appear armed, I felt confident in my safety as I held my rifle at the ready. Yet as soon as I reached them, they leapt upon me, quickly disarming me and rendering me unconscious. I never had a chance.

When I awoke, I was no longer on Earth though it would take me some time to realize that and then to finally believe it. I was on a planet called Gor, a planet located on the other side of the Sun. What a fantastic world it proved to be.

Over the years, I trained as a Warrior, learning the art of the gladius, that shortsword once favored by the ancient Romans. My prior swordsmanship, my proficiency with the saber, foil and epee, proved to be valuable experience. In time, I rose high in the ranks of the military of a city called Ko-ro-ba, a blessed and beautiful city. In fact, much of the world possessed great beauty.

In time, I was also recruited into a secret organization, a covert group that sought to protect Gor from its enemies. I began to work for the enigmatic Priest-Kings, powerful beings who strictly controlled technology on Gor. They would not permit me to invent firearms.

Today.

I am currently sitting in the dank hold of a round ship, surrounded by crates, barrels and other cargo. My wrists and ankles are bound and my mouth is gagged. I can do little to resist the urts that try to nibble on my flesh.

I am cold, hungry and sore. And unless I gain my freedom, much of Gor will suffer. I should be more clear. Unless I gain my freedom, much of Gor will die.

The madman responsible for this planned holocaust walks the decks above me.

Let me go back in time a bit, to when I originally became involved in this matter. I had been assigned to investigate an alleged Cosian plot to assassinate Marlenus, Ubar of Ar. Some forbidden weaponry was allegedly being constructed on a tiny island just south of Cos, an island within the territorial waters claimed by that island ubarate.

So, in the guise of a Merchant trader, I sailed off for Cos. While my crew stopped in Cos for some trading, I commandeered a small craft to visit the tiny island and determine the veracity of the allegations.

I discovered that there was a workshop on the island, well guarded. There would be no way to covertly infiltrate the facility with the amount of defenses present. So, I chose to make a more aggressive and direct assault.

Using as much stealth as I could muster, I killed a series of guards at various checkpoints. My actions created a zone of safety that would allow me to enter the facility. Yet someone would discover the dead sentries soon enough.

I had to act fast. Once the missing sentries were located, the other guards would be hunting for me.

I broke into the workshop, gladius at hand. But I was not prepared to face the five guards present just inside the entry door. I fought nonetheless, determined to kill as many as possible before I died.

I killed three of the five before I succumbed to something hard crashing against my head, maybe the hilt of a sword. Everything went black, and I felt certain that I would next awaken in the Cities of Dust.

But that was not to be so. When I did awaken, I was secured quite well to a pole within a laboratory. I was stripped naked and testing my bonds confirmed their strength.

Why had they not killed me? I assumed they wished to interrogate me, to ascertain who else might know of this facility and whether I would be missed if I did not report in. I hoped they did not have the availability of a Tuchuk Torturer.

I had expected to see within this facility much of the yellow of the Builders, the inventors of Gor, wizards with machines and technology. That technology that was not forbidden on Gor. Yet I saw not a single Builder. Instead, there was much green in evidence.

The color of the Physicians.

This was not a workshop. It was a medical laboratory. They were conducting some type of experiments here, and I worried about the subject matter. What diabolical purpose could they have in this well-guarded and isolated place?

As I scanned the faces of the Physicians present, I suddenly recognized one of them. And he grinned as my face reacted to that sudden realization.

Commodus was an outlaw, a Physician who had been stripped of his Caste in Ko-ro-ba. He had regularly broken nearly every research protocol that was instituted by the Physicians. He intentionally, without remorse, violated provisions of his Caste Codes. His arrogance knew no bounds.

I had not seen him since he was exiled ten years ago. But he looked the same, including that maniacal glint in his eyes. Someone should have killed him long ago.

Commodus greeted me, laughing at my predicament. He did think though that I would make the perfect witness to his supreme genius.

He then had the laboratory emptied of everyone else. He wanted to speak with me alone and that seemed to indicate that maybe his employees and guards were unaware of the full impact of the research. Maybe I could use that to my advantage.

Once we were alone, Commodus pulled up a bench, placed it a few feet from me and sat down. I waited for him to speak, to hear whatever evil he was plotting. I tested my bonds once again but it was to no avail.

As Commodus spoke, his madness was more than evident. Any shred of sanity he might have once possessed was gone.

Madness was a rare disease on Gor, an aberration of the brain. Gorean society was not conducive to the creation of such maladjusted individuals. The people tended to be healthy and sane.

I doubt anyone will ever know why Commodus turned out as he did.

Commodus began by boasting to me of his medical knowledge, his skills and intuitive grasp of complex processes. He denigrated the Physicians of Ko-ro-ba, labeling them as narrow-minded, intellectually blind and phobic. He then indicated that Cos recognized his genius, his pioneering research, his absolute brilliance.

Ostensibly, his research revolved around improving the Stabilization Serums, making them more effective. He was also supposed to be working on a version that would be effective on animals as well, to extend the lifespan of top breeders and special beasts. Lurius of Jad, that grotesque Ubar of Cos, was financing all of the research.

And the funds were nearly limitless.

Yet Commodus had his own agenda, hidden from his co-workers at this, hidden even from Lurius. I was to be the only person he would confide in, the only person who would understand the depths of the horrors he wished to inflict upon Gor.

His research did deal with the Stabilization Serums but he did not seek to improve them. In fact, he desired to create a counter to the Serums, to design a disease that would reverse the effects of the Serums. A disease that would cause a person to age many years within a very short time span.

One year every five Ehn. Eight years every Ahn.

Most people would die of old age within ten Ahn.

Commodus had been successful in his endeavor. He had the disease he wanted and it was effective in at least 85% of those infected. The disease passed through bodily fluids such as blood, saliva, and semen. The disease would activate within five days of infection. Even those few who were not effected by the disease could act as carriers.

Commodus had twenty carriers, beautiful kajirae that he would use to spread his deadly disease. And the girls were unaware of what weapon their bodies held. The girls would be sold to paga taverns and this would be sure to spread the disease quickly.

Commodus figured that five girls in four major cities would eventually lead to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people. Port Kar, Ar, Schendi, and Turia. And he was sure the disease would continue to spread outside of these cities as well, carried by Merchants and other traders.

Gorean Physicians had eradicated most diseases, except for a few such as Dar-Kosis and the pox. Even aging had been seen as a disease, one that could be cured. The Stabilization Serums were the successful result of their researches.

The Serums effected a genetic change whereby a person aged at an almost imperceptible degree. A person could easily live for hundreds of years without much change. The changes could even be inherited.

Earth would be immensely envious of the Serums if they were aware of them.

Commodus felt that the Physician Castes of the cities he infected would be unable to discover a cure quick enough to prevent a massive death count. He had only disdain for their skills. He did not see them as possibly being able to thwart his mission.

And if absolutely necessary, Commodus could create a new strain to defeat any cures that were discovered. He had absolute confidence in his success in this endeavor.

He too planned to effect further cities once those four had been decimated.

I began to worry, a bit frightened that Commodus might be able to pull this off, to kill thousands upon thousands of innocents.

He had no real reason for his actions, simply that he was capable of this so he felt that he should do it. He felt no remorse. He cared nothing for humanity. He just wanted to show his genius, even at the expense of all those who would die.

He was a disease that needed to be exterminated.

Commodus then gagged me, telling me that I would die if I tried to tell anyone else what he had said to me.

My timing had been fortuitous. If I had arrived a few days later, I might have found only an empty laboratory. Commodus was ready to move on, to infect the world. With me as his sole witness.

He summoned back his guards but not his fellow Physicians. He then explained that his research project was completed and that it needed to remain a secret. I was a spy from Ar and that project was threatened. Thus, he ordered the guards to execute the other Physicians, under the authority of Ubar Lurius, to help protect their research.

The guards did not question him. They simply drew their weapons and left the room. I soon after heard a few screams that were suddenly cut short.

Commodus then began to pack up his necessary equipment, having his guards take his slaves to a nearby ship. A Cosian round ship was hidden in a small bay, fitted with a complete crew. Commodus ordered his guards to destroy the facility, to obliterate its presence on the island. As they rushed to comply, and once they were out of sight, Commodus ordered the ship to leave.

Stranding the guards on the island.

And now I sit in the hold of that ship, headed for Port Kar, the first stop for this plague journey, the first Cosian enemy to be targeted.

The ship would not remain long at Port Kar, taking only enough time to sell five kajirae. And I am sure they would not hold off for the best price. They would accept the first reasonable offer from any paga tavern.

What could I do? How could I stop this madman?

What were my options?

The only possible solution would be to sink the ship, to drown everyone on board. The infected slaves could not be permitted to survive. And Commodus needed to die as well.

If I could free myself, maybe I could smash a hole in the hull. Would they expect that?

I never hesitated over the fact that I would die as well. I simply knew that I had but one true choice to end this nightmare. My sacrifice would save untold thousands.

I was a Warrior, ready to die for the defense of my world.

I worked at my leather bonds, the tight leather cutting into my flesh. I rubbed my blood over the leather and then waited for the urts to return. The blood drew them quickly enough and they began to gnaw away.

They chewed at the leather, and my arm as well. I would resist them when they attacked my arm but not the leather. Thus, they chose to attack the leather more often than my arm.

In time, their gnawing weakened my bonds enough so that I could break free. I then undid the binding on my ankles.

I searched the barrels and crates for cloth, to wrap the wounds on my arms, and then some type of tool or weapon to use on the hull. I found a crowbar in one crate and felt that would be adequate.

I then used the crowbar on the floor planks, trying to loosen them, to create an opening for the seawater. It needed to be a substantial hole, something that could not be quickly repaired. Thus, I used the crowbar to release the nails that held several of the beams tight.

It was a slow and laborious task, made more difficult by the trickles of water that did come through the hull. I had to dig at the pitch that helped hold together the wood.

But I eventually was ready to separate a couple of the larger planks, which would quickly flood the hold.

I said a silent prayer to the Priest-Kings and then forced apart a couple large planks. Water immediately came pouring into the hold and I jumped back. I moved to wait under the door to the deck above, waiting for someone to come to investigate once the ship seemed to be sitting lower in the water.

And it did not take long for the sailors of Cos to realize there was a problem. When the first sailor poked his head down the catch, I reached up, grabbed him and pulled him down. He fell into the water as I smashed my fist into his face.

I then grabbed the dagger in his belt and stepped back from the door to above. When the next sailor tentatively peered down, he saw the hold filling with water and me, holding the dagger, knee deep in that water.

The sailor immediately shut the door and I heard it lock from above. I then moved back to the hole of the hull, took a deep breath and dropped down into Thassa. It was now my only means of escape.

I swam under the boat and tried to get some distance from it before surfacing. I hoped that they might not see me. There was much activity aboard the ship, confusion over what to do.

I saw some better-armed men eventually jump down into the hold, probably to kill me and then repair the ship. I also saw the sailors readying a small rowboat, apparently the only one they possessed.

Commodus and eight of the kajirae squeezed onto the small rowboat, a rowboat meant for maybe four people. It sat low in the water and a couple of the slave girls manned the oars.

The ship was also sitting low in the water as its hold continued to fill. I doubted that the sailors could do much to prevent it. What I needed to do now was to stop Commodus.

Land was visible off in the distance, maybe five pasangs or so. I did not know if we were close to Port Kar or not.

The sailors were constructing some flotation devices as it was evident the ship would likely sink, despite the efforts of the sailors in the hold. The little rowboat headed to shore and I swam underwater towards it, surfacing only for air at times, trying to keep as low a profile as possible.

I wanted to get far enough away from the ship that none of the sailors could reach me before I reached the rowboat. Luckily the girls rowing the boat knew little of rowing and were not strong enough to propel the rowboat too fast. It was easy to maintain a pace in accord with the rowboat.

It was not as easy to stay out of sight though.

Before the rowboat had covered a pasang, one of the slave girls saw me and pointed me out to the others. And then Commodus looked over toward me as well.

As soon as I saw the first kajira point at me, I dove underwater and tried to swim some distance away. But, the girls were watching for me and with eight of them, they were able to catch me when I rose for air. Commodus was not pleased.

The ship was still sinking and none of the sailors had yet left it. Thus, Commodus could not summon any help. If he tried to row back to the ship, I could intercept him.

So I swam toward the rowboat. Commodus had the girls stop rowing, knowing that they would not be able to escape. So he knew there would be a battle.

He grabbed one of the oars and held it like a staff. I am sure he would love to crack the oar over my head. But, the crowded boat did not give him much room to maneuver.

My best hope would be to leap upon one side, tipping the boat and its occupants into Thassa's green sea. Then, with my dagger, the odds would be at least even. Commodus would die and then I could kill the kajirae.

I maneuvered around the rowboat as Commodus moved on the boat, trying to keep me as close as possible. But the girls did get in his way.

On one pass, as I circled the right side of the rowboat, Commodus tripped, crashing into a couple girls. I made my move then, a few strong strokes to the boat, a lunge up out of the water and a fall back down onto the side of the boat. I pulled down on it hard and the momentum tipped the entire craft over.

Naked slave girls filled the water, as did Commodus.

I then sought out Commodus, seeking his green tunic that nearly blended into the sea. He saw me and lunged. We wrestled within the water, I with my dagger and he with only his hands.

He was surprisingly strong for a Physician and he held his own as we fought. The kajirae were trying to climb back into the boat. They were very frightened.

I ignored them as I tried to kill Commodus, to slay this madman who dared try to destroy the world I adored. A madman who would slay the beauty.

A sudden gasp from Commodus signaled that my steel had found its target, embedded deep within his chest. Commodus went slack as his blood spread through the water. He would die soon enough.

I swam to the now upright rowboat, wanting to avoid any sharks that might arrive soon to feed on Commodus. The slaves helped me into the boat, concerned not that I had just killed their owner. They simply assumed that I would be their new owner.

Once on board, I questioned them a bit, learning who might have served in the baths, who came from what island, and more. My intent was to discern the best swimmers of the group.

I then rearranged the girls within the rowboat, the best swimmers closest to me. I then took a good length of rope and had a section tied to the right ankle of each girl. I made sure the knots were very secure.

Finally, I intentionally capsized the rowboat again, tossing the group of slaves back into the briny sea. They panicked but could not really swim with their ankles tied.

I moved down the rope, cutting the throat of each and every one of those unfortunate slaves. They were carriers and could not be permitted to live. None of them escaped my blade.

I then returned to the rowboat and journeyed back toward the ship, to locate any floating sailors. They too had to die in case they were infected.

In the end, I killed everyone that had been aboard that ship. All twenty of the infected slaves had been eliminated. The notes of Commodus, which he had always kept on his person, now sat on the bottom of the sea.

All but one potentially infected individual was dead.

Only I remained.

Suicide is against my codes. But I could not return to the cities and risk infecting anyone. I may not have the disease but I could no take that chance. I would try to row for a distant island, to isolate myself from all.

I might not survive the journey but I had to do my duty and protect Gor.

I had gladly killed Commodus. He had been a threat to all. A man, threatening the existence of his own species.

Forget the Kurii. Man is the true threat