Jason Newby was caught unprepared.
       How indeed could he have thought to prepare for this?
       He felt the fire too, as he was thrust aside by the powerful black will of this man, and he gasped and screamed with him. Jesus Christ, but that burns.
       His felt and saw his body get out of the bath, and felt the man's pleasure and lust as his dearest memories of Jenny were rifled. He felt him leave the bathroom and head for the stairs.
       But he wasn't powerless. Faintly, hazily, he could access the man's own memories. He could sense his clumsiness with this different body as it stumbled on the steps, used to a shorter stockier structure.
       Christ, stop.
       This soldier is going to rape my Jenny.
       Jason screamed and backed, like a horse baulking at a gate, and Gaius missed his footing and fell.
       'Jenny', Jason screamed, 'Jenny run.'
       The kitchen door opened. Jenny looked up, a cloth in one hand and the electric mixer in the other. Her eyes widened.
       'Jason. What is it? Why aren't you dressed? Why…?', she noticed his naked arousal.
       Gaius was stronger, and his fighting instinct was better. He was on his feet and leaping down at her.
       'Run, Jenny, run. I'm going to kill you.'
       Jenny screamed as his hands reached her. 'Jason, no.'
       Gaius had other things on his mind than murder. That would come later. He thrust her to the ground and groped for her skirt, ripping it upwards and she screamed again.
       Jason jerked sideways and Gaius rolled, his hands for the moment loosened.
       His roar of pure rage was deeper than Jason's throat had any right to make, and he struggled to regain control. But that sound, so different from anything her gentle husband could make, kick started Jenny's instincts.
       She didn't understand, but she knew this wasn't Jason.
       Dragging her legs free of his weight she ran - out of the garden door and down the steps. But Gaius was stronger than Jason. Lurching like a drunken man as Jason buffeted his will with sideways jerks of his body, Gaius followed.
       At the bottom of the steps she turned.
       'Stop it Jason,' she screamed. In a futile gesture she hurled the small mixer at him. As she did so her thumb caught for a moment and the mixer briefly switched on with a dying buzz. But Gaius saw a cutting blade coming towards him, slicing faster than any he had seen, and he leapt sideways. His feet knocked against the side of the steps. Jason felt Gaius off balance, his superb fighters reflexes over-reacting to the unknown.
       Jason pushed with all his willpower.
       Jason-Gaius fell - over the low wall beside the stone steps - and landed with a crash on the stone flags beneath. Disturbed, one of the four ornamental urns planted with pansies, made a gentle scraping sound, teetered for a moment - and fell.
       Jason-Gaius screamed.
       
       
       Gaius had survived his training at the hands of the Games Master. Then the army had taken him out of the games ring and trained him again with shortsword, shield and knife. He'd seen battle and he'd taken his share in sackings and rape.
       But as consciousness returned he stared in terror at the rig over the bed, at the heavy plaster on his leg, at the ropes lifting it to the iron bar. He didn't understand the glaring lights and the bustle and the people moving round him.
       He screamed and fought to get free.
       But soft hands held him back, many hands, strong hands, women's hands.
       Bull's Penis, he gasped. He jerked his shoulders and bucked, anchored by his stone leg. Shit, the women are going to torture me. Steadily his thrashing form was pulled backwards.
       With a jerk, the other mind awoke in him.
       Always before Gaius had driven the other minds away. Scared them into madness. Killed them so that nothing remained but a weak mewling corner that he could ignore.
       But this other mind wasn't scared. It understood. By Bleeding Mithras it had the impertinence to be interested, studying his writhings dispassionately.
       Gaius, be still.
       The voice spoke in his head.
       Be still now. Stop this silly business. Gaius froze, his heart pounding.
       Gaius, my name is Jason, and you've seen some of my memories, though you may not understand them. I've seen many of yours. Listen soldier. We have to talk.
       Oh you'll talk milksop, said Gaius, the whites of his eyes showing as he tried to find a way out. Something was being forced onto his arms. We'll both talk you may believe me, when they start. He went on struggling.
       Soon there were canvas sleeves on him, and his arms had been wrapped across his chest and tied so that he could get no purchase. A small dark skinned man in a white robe was bending over him holding a long thin needle with a glass handle.
       Not my eyes, Gaius screamed, don't take my eyes.
       'Anyone understand what he's saying?' called the doctor over his shoulder. 'He's clearly terrified. Something about Neck Vissos…?' Gaius came from the alleys and had never spoken the cool Latin of scholars, even if the gentle Indian doctor would have understood it.
       'Jason. Listen to me,' said the doctor. We're not going to hurt you. This is just a small injection to calm you down.'
       'Shut up, Gaius', shouted Jason out loud. 'Be still you Roman coward.' The doctor backed off in alarm. Jason held his body as rigid as he could, and suddenly he felt Gaius's will crumble and he was still.
       The doctor was staring, perplexed, the syringe held high out of harms way.
       'It's all right doctor', said Jason panting. 'I'll keep still, but no injection please. I need to be able to think.'
       'I see, yes. What about these restraints? Can we trust you?'
       'Oh Jesus, please keep the straightjacket on for God's sake. I don't want to run amok.' The lurch of Gaius's fear made him gasp at an inappropriate moment.
       'Hmm, if you wish." The doctor sounded puzzled. 'Do you want to see your wife?'
       'She's all right isn't she? She wasn't hurt?'
       'No, just some bruising, but she's worried about you.'
       'Well tell her I love her, but no, I don't want to see her yet. I've got some things to sort out first.'
       
       
       You told them to keep us tied up. Gaius's voice was sullen.
       Yes well, we'll continue like that until I find us a way out of this. How did all this start Gaius?
       The response came after a long pause.
       It wasn't my fault the little girl died, he muttered. I didn't know she was anyone important anyway. She was pretty and soft and so I took her. When they caught me they tortured me, the bastards. They pulled my fingernails out - you know what that's like? A window in his mind opened for a moment and Jason screamed aloud. The echo of a memory of an ancient pain was enough to make him scream. Gaius rumbled in amusement.
       Jason shook his head, waving the scared nurse away.
       'It's OK nurse, I'm fine.'
       After that Jason hunkered down on his feelings, his belly quivering in anticipation of worse to come. And? He continued as evenly as he could.
       Then - they crucified me. They nailed my wrists to the wood and let me hang there in the courtyard for everyone to laugh at until I died.
       But as I died - I chanted the cold curse on them. Jason felt the black hatred wash through him like a sickness.
       My grandmother was a Celt, a wise woman from the mountain. I spoke the words she gave me. If I couldn't get my crucifiers I'd come back and get their seed - one in every generation.
       There was a pause, until the ugly smear faded to a mere bleakness.
       Then you came to me?
       To you, Gaius laughed sourly. Oh no, not for a pretty while yet.
       The first was a sailor. He was a big man, strong and fair-haired from some northern country. I was so angry that I went berserk with an axe - in the village square right here. Jason had a mad vision of sunlight and dust and blood, splashing and smelling - sickly sweet in his nostrils. His were arms sticky with it and even his hair.
       But - it was over too quick, Gaius sounded regretful. I was knifed that time.
       The next time I was more careful. I lasted three years and I had a wonderful time. Jason saw a succession of women, spread wide and sliced open. Gaius was amused. Don't like it eh? Well I do, and I did then. I like women. I'm going to enjoy having your pretty Jenny, milksop. But then they caught me and they killed me and I had to wait again.
       How many lives altogether?
       I don't know. Many.
       I was purchased into the garrison when the Empire was beginning to withdraw back to Rome. I come back once for every generation of the seed of all who crucified me. Sometimes I get famous. Know Jack the Ripper? He laughed. Whatever they do, they can't keep me down. I just rise up again.
       Jason felt sick.
       And when will you leave me?
       Why, when you die, of course. There ain't any other way.
       
       
       'Jenny, my darling. No - don't kiss me.'
       Jason had felt Gaius stir.
       'First - for God's sake don't let them take this thing off me.' He lifted his tied arms in their canvas sleeves.
       'What's happened to you Jason?' Her eyes were scared and tears were brimming over and splashing silently onto her blouse. She was sitting beside his hospital bed, her hands twining in her lap, longing to touch him.
       'This isn't me, Jenny.'
       'I know, darling - you're not yourself.'
       'No - I mean it isn't me. Or at least, part of it is. It's complicated…' He took a deep breath and as clearly as he could he explained what seemed to have happened. He was interrupted every few sentences by frenzied thrashing and wild profanities from Gaius, which came out in a mixture of gutter Latin and Oxford English depending on whose memory he used. Gaius wasn't coping very well with sharing a body with a strong unafraid educated mind.
       'But he said - until you die.' Her face was pale and she swallowed.
       'Yes. That's what he said. That may be all he knows. It may not be right.'
       'How can you know and not him?'
       He grinned. 'He's just never met a quantum mathematician before. I guess it had to happen sometime.
       'Now Jenny, here's what I want you to do. You'll need to contact Gus Henderson in the States. E-mail him. Tell him I have a job for him.'
       
       
       Jason had just one hand and wrist free, no more. His laptop computer was balanced across his thighs. Leads led away to the power and telephone plugs.
       'I've already logged you into the internet,' said Jenny, 'and Gus is online.'
       'OK, thanks love.' He spoke absently as he quickly called up Messenger.
       Hi Gus, you set? He typed awkwardly with his one hand. In the background Jason could feel Gaius grumbling like a fierce dog chained in a cave and longing to get free.
       I'm here - hi Jason.
       Program all set up? What's my password?
       Liberty - I thought that seemed appropriate.
       Jason grinned wryly. OK, I'm going in now.
       Clumsily he entered the familiar website and clicked the new box labeled 'The Roman', with a stylized picture of a Roman Soldier. Ignoring the 'Game Not Ready' message he typed in the password. Immediately he was into the Arena. He could hear the crowds and see the hot sun on the sand.
       He was ready.
       Come and fight, Gaius, he taunted. Come out here and fight.
       Gaius stirred, puzzled. Jason could feel him gazing at the computer screen, hesitating. That was the moment that the other gladiator leapt in, trident flickering, and Gaius reacted with a twisting turn that nearly threw the laptop off the bed.
       'No Gaius, use the controls,' Jason called out, and he nodded to Jenny to release his other wrist.
       With both hands free it was easier, and slowly, clumsily, Gaius began to play. Jason helped him at first, but soon stepped quietly back as the Roman became absorbed, grunting and muttering as he fought.
       Again Jason nodded to Jenny.
       Gus it's Jenny, typed Jenny reaching across Jason's wrists as Gaius used the tracker pad and cursor keys. He's playing now. Do it.
       For a moment the play seemed to hesitate and blur on the screen. Jason felt a sharp tearing pain. Then the game continued at a faster more fluid pace.
       Cautiously Jason felt around in his mind. It felt tired and battered but clean again. The fierce dog had left the cave and was out there in the Arena doing what it loved best, fighting. All that was left were some scattered memories lying around in Jason's head like dirty straw.
       'Break the connection, Jenny'
       
       
       'The Roman has been hitting top of the internet game polls for seven weeks now.' Gus Henderson stretched luxuriously. 'He's so realistically bloodthirsty. His new warfare scenes against the barbarians are amazing.'
       They were sitting over mugs of coffee in Jenny and Jason's friendly cluttered living room after a generous meal. Gus, owner and founder of MegaZeus Games Inc, was grinning at his long-term friend, mathematical genius and games designer.
       'God. That man can fight. It's great having the real thing.'
       'And he really can't get out?' Jenny still felt anxious at times.
       'Nope. He can't die, so he can't ever get out. That's what our genius here says.'
       'The really nice thing,' Jason grinned expansively, 'is all the lovely royalties we're getting. Gaius is making us rich.'