Sandworms of Dune - Brian Herbert [207]
Some of the robots had started showing traits of personalities, unique characters of their own. Duncan suggested that, in time, these could eventually become some of the greatest thinkers and philosophers history had ever known. Sheeana remained unconvinced of this, and vowed that her special trainees here would prove him wrong with their own superior achievements.
Every month fresh candidates came to join the orthodox Bene Gesserit center on Synchrony, while others joined Murbella’s New Sisterhood on Chapterhouse. Surmounting early difficulties, the two orders now worked in harmony with one another. Sheeana and her stricter ways attracted a different sort of acolyte, which she knew would have pleased Garimi. Sheeana tested the applicants harshly and rejected all but the most acceptable. Far away, Murbella’s order had its own attractions. In this new universe, there was plenty of room for both views.
Sheeana’s conventional Bene Gesserit breeding program was in full swing now, and it warmed her heart to see so many pregnant women each day. She counted seven of them outside among the people leaving and entering the headquarters. The sight gave her confidence that her order would expand and continue into humanity’s future.
Later that day, the Tleilaxu Master Scytale contacted Sheeana on the navigation bridge that had become her center of operations. Transmitting from one of his Synchrony laboratories, he actually sounded cheerful now instead of harried. “I finished cataloguing the remaining cells and sifted out all traces of Face Dancer contamination. We must introduce some of those traits into the Bene Gesserit again.”
“After Duncan, we will breed no further Kwisatz Haderachs. It’s not even a matter for discussion.” As far as she was concerned, many things did not need to occur again. . . .
“I merely mean to preserve our knowledge. It’s like finding the seeds of long-forgotten but beautiful plants. We shouldn’t just discard them.”
“Perhaps not, but we must set up strict fail-safe mechanisms.”
Scytale did not seem bothered by the restrictions Sheeana was placing on him. “I honestly feel that the Tleilaxu race will recover their lost knowledge.” Quickly he added, “With changes for the better, of course.”
“For the advancement of humankind,” Sheeana said.
She had never known him to work so hard. Scytale had used the cells in his nullentropy capsule to regrow gholas of the last Tleilaxu Council, and now the little ones followed him everywhere, reminding her of a mother duck trailed by ducklings.
Scytale raised the group in a manner different than was traditional for Tleilaxu males. In separate quarters, he was also raising Tleilaxu females—from newly discovered cells—though they would never be relegated to the horrific, degrading conditions their predecessors had endured. Never again would Tleilaxu females be forced to become axlotl tanks, so there would be no chance of creating another set of ferocious, vengeful enemies like the Honored Matres. In particular, Sheeana and her Sisters would monitor the council members closely, keeping watch to ensure that they did not corrupt the Tleilaxu people as they had before.
There were still axlotl tanks, of course—some women volunteered for personal reasons, while others left instructions for their bodies to be converted in the event of serious accidents. As always, the Bene Gesserits met their own needs.
After she ended the conference with Scytale, the Mother Superior gazed through the broad windows of the navigation bridge. Far away on the horizon, beyond the redefined boundaries of the gleaming city, the ground was churned and torn up, and many of the geometric structures built by Omnius lay toppled and crushed into rubble.
She adjusted one of the windows, increasing its magnification. From this vantage point she could see the new desert