The Human Bearer Ch. 16

The Human Bearer

16.

All around him, the house groaned under the pressure. Before, he had thought the claustrophobia effect was the worst to endure, but now, he was changing his mind.

The streets were flooded; he could tell as much. Kyle had activated a whole protection system, and all the windows were now covered by compact roller blinds or whatever those things were, isolating them inside as if they were trapped in a metallic cocoon.

"How much do you reckon this thing will hold?" Riordan asked, as waves of nausea washed over him. He held his belly, willing to transmit nothing but happy thoughts to the Xenolite inside him. "I don't want to sound like an asshole, but is there nothing you can do to get us out of here? Staying here, doing nothing, is not something I'm willing to do."

"You are safe for now, Master Rio."

"Thanks for that. You really saved my ass there. However, I don't feel like drowning today. There's water all around, right?"

"Yes. I will contact Master Xana and ask which of the protocols he recommends as follows."

Riordan waited but not idly. He caught his temples in his hands and tried to focus on getting Xana, too. There was a faint answer, finally, while Kyle just flickered in what seemed like a helpless fashion.

Xana, where are you?

Are you well, Riordan?

Yes, we're basically trapped in the house, Kyle and I. What the fuck is going on?

He was hearing Xana talking in his mind, but faintly, like a whisper.

I instructed your bot on how to ensure your survival.

Xana, what the fuck? Just tell me what's going on. And why the hell do I hear you that badly?

I have rather more difficult problems to tend to right now, Riordan.

Xana's telepathic voice was stern and harsh. Of course, Riordan thought, but not without feeling pissed off. I told you there was some shit brewing. Well, fuck you. There's a war or some revolution or something, right?

Your Earthian term would be a coup. A tentative. Nothing else. Follow the instructions I sent to your bot. I will see you soon.

Now that was a promise. Riordan looked at Kyle. "Well, what are we going to do?"

"We will go to a safe place. Please, follow me, Master Rio."

Like there was any choice.

***

Riordan was used to the weird contraptions they used as so-called cars in that world, but being inside a small submarine was on a totally different level. Through the glass, he could see outside, and his heart grew small. There were bodies floating above, and he could watch it all, because the ceiling of that thing was just as transparent as the sides. "They drowned," he whispered.

Kyle was at the controls, taking the submarine through the streets, seemingly with a clear destination in mind. "Please don't look, Master Rio."

"Easy for you to say." Riordan felt his eyes filling with tears. When had he cared about others? But that could've been him if Kyle hadn't pulled him back in the nick of time. Could he have saved himself? That wave rushing down the street had looked like a fucking tsunami. "They're Earthians, most of them, I'm sure. Not one Xeno in sight."

"Not only Earthians," Kyle replied calmly. "Anyone without the ability to breathe under water--"

"That's not the point," Riordan interrupted the bot. "Sorry," he said and wiped his tears with the back of his hands. "It's not you. It's this fucking place."

He sat on the floor, legs crossed and caught his head in his hands. What the fuck was going on? Was Xana that reckless not to consider a threat to their government or whatever it was that they used as an organized form to run their planet? "Why?" he whispered.

"We are getting close, Master Rio."

He got to his feet and looked out again. There was nothing visible as far as his eyes could see. They were in some kind of desert or something. Then, their submarine stopped and began descending toward the bottom of that sea of nothingness.

A trap opened in the middle of the command room, the only room the submarine had besides the place where the engines must have been. Riordan watched curiously and forced himself to walk near. Xana hadn't known about the coup until it was too late. Could he trust that he was heading for a safe space? He was in no position to think that. That was one luxury he couldn't afford, his free thinking, or free will, or whatever. Had it been only him, he would've have taken his chances by telling Kyle to take them as far as possible and then find a way to escape Xeno. But there was someone growing inside him that required only the safest bets and nothing less.

"Please descend, Master Rio. I will follow you closely."

"Don't let me out of your sight, and I mean it, Kyle. Right now, I think you're the only guy who cares properly about me."

"Master Xana cares, as well. He believes he will see you soon."

"Good." Riordan set his jaw hard. "Because I'm in the mood to punch him in the fucking face for not listening to me when he had a chance to--" To save all those people, he wanted to say but kept it to himself. Immediate survival was all that mattered. It used to be something he was good at.

He took the plunge and began descending down the ladder under him.

***

They were in a large room of a building that must have been carved underground. There were so many people there, mainly bearers and their tenders, and plenty of them looked spooked as fuck. No one dared to talk, just steal nervous glances around. Riordan wondered what that was until he noticed the large screen at the back of the room. It flicked for a moment, and then he saw a stern man's face appearing on the screen. No, not a man, Riordan corrected himself. A Xeno.

"I am Your Royal Chancellor Marn Saver. I am speaking on the behalf of the law on Xeno. You will not be hurt."

Riordan reached for Kyle's robotic arm and held it tightly. The bot didn't question him.

"An attempt to our way of life is underway. You will remain at the Tu'lek facility until further notice."

The screen flickered and the stern face disappeared.

"What the fuck?" Riordan said out loud. "Is this all?"

"Silence," someone in front called out in a booming voice.

There was a Xeno, followed by lizard guards, a throng of them. Riordan wrapped his arms around Kyle's robotic one.

"You will obey orders," the Xeno added, lifting himself further and further towards the ceiling, using his tail for that. From that height, he towered over everyone. "I am Kanto Vai, your lord and commander for the time being. Obey all orders, and you will survive. Your bots will take you to your rooms. Dismissed."

"What the hell is going on?" Riordan shouted. "Don't keep us in the dark, man." He tried to sound as casual as possible.

Kanto Vai's deep green eyes set on him. His hair was a coppery shade of blond, and he looked big and impressive. He undulated his way over the audience and stopped above Riordan, his eyes boring into his. "Counselor Xana Lei's bearer," he said with something akin to distaste. "I've heard of you. Speak only when spoken to."

"Or else?" Riordan pushed his luck, devil knew why.

"You will be punished."

If he hadn't known any better, he would've thought that there was a small smile right there, on that stern Xeno's face. Fuck, that fucker was giving him the creeps.

***

"So, we're practically in prison while they do who knows what out there," Riordan concluded, mostly for himself, as soon as he was installed, along with Kyle, in a large room with its own bathroom modeled to serve Earthians, as it seemed. As it appeared to be the usual fashion, the place mostly had beds and just a small table. It was just as much a room for fucking as Xana's home had been. Riordan shuddered. Despite the whole thing, he felt getting horny just at the thought of his master impaling his ass. Fuck, he so needed a clear head, and he was a hormonal mess. Not exactly a pleasant place to be, with a revolution or a coupe or whatever underway. "Kyle, what do you think? Is that Marn Saver guy always like this? Not a guy for small talk, is he?"

"His Royal Chancellor has a very straightforward manner of ruling. He communicates his decisions in the most economical fashion."

"Great. And he chose to leave us in the dark. However, if he's such a strong hand and all, how did this happen? I mean, he's been in power for how long?"

"The equivalent of almost a century in Earthian years," Kyle explained.

"Ah, fuck me. The guy must be getting old, though. Things are slipping through his fingers, obviously. His own son takes off who knows where, kidnapping Tasha, and now, we have a bunch of Earthian bearers--" Riordan stopped, as the realization hit him. "Fuck, we're only Earthian bearers here. That's not right. Can't be."

"You are correct, Master Rio."

"What does that mean? Are there other bearers taken to other places? They have more than just Earthian bearers, right?"

"Yes, but in far lesser numbers compared to Earthians," Kyle replied. "Their numbers have declined more and more over the years."

"Ever since Xeno took over Earth," Riordan murmured. There were all kinds of details he was noticing, but, so far, he didn't know what to make of them. "This thing is weirder and weirder."

Kyle seemed on the point of answering with some take of his own, when he turned towards the door. "Commander Kanto Vai, visiting," he announced.

Riordan turned on his heel, surprised by this sudden honor. The door opened, letting in the Xeno, who slithered his way inside without asking for permission.

"Howdy," Riordan said and stretched his mouth in a forced, plastic smile. "How's it hanging?"

Kanto Vai circled himself slowly, making Kyle retreat from his path. "Riordan, is it?"

"You seem to know all about me," Riordan said dryly. "Yeah, that's me. At your service or whatever."

"At my service," Kanto said slowly. "Peculiar choice of words."

Riordan felt his skin crawling with apprehension. What the fuck was that all about? Why the interest? Maybe, from time to time, he should have kept his mouth shut more.

"I am here to inform you personally," Kanto said suddenly, ignoring that Riordan hadn't said anything, "that if you dare to break even what may appear to be the most trifle of our rules, I will personally see to your punishment."

"Okay, okay, you said that. But what's that supposed to mean? Also, can't you see I'm pregnant?" Riordan rubbed his belly pointedly.

Kanto's eyes moved to his abdomen, and Riordan cursed himself. These Xenos and their obsession with inflated bellies. He didn't like what he saw in that fucker's eyes.

"It means," the snakeman hissed while his mouth stretched into a strange smile, "that I will see that you are properly disciplined. Your gestation will not have to suffer in any way."

"You still didn't answer my question," Riordan said, trying to sound as light and uninterested as he could possibly be.

"The simple fact that you are so interested in learning about the potential punishment you will be subjected to, should you break the rules, tell me that you are already calculating your odds. I've heard how you push limits with your owner, how free your tongue is. I look forward to punishing you."

"I don't think Xana is going to be too happy to hear about your knack for punishing pregnant bearers at a whim," Riordan replied.

"Xana? Is that how you call your master? He lets you get away with a lot. But I believe that each Xeno has the right to educate his bearer as he wants. Should you be mine--"

"Thank fuck I'm not," Riordan said quickly. The way Kanto was hovering so close to him made him a little dizzy. The hormonal storm in his blood wasn't helping, either.

"First rule," Kanto said, looking him dead in the eye. "In my presence, you will refrain from such foul language."

"Okay, great. Anything else?"

"Your insolence is flabbergasting," Kanto commented.

Riordan could feel the snakeman's body heat. He wasn't an unpleasant fucker to look at, but he had one stinky personality for sure. "Okay, so I won't be insolent around you. What else? I'd hate to break any rule just by not knowing it."

"Your movement will be restricted. There is a communal area for eating. Any other needs will be supplied here, or in the common areas. There is one space for entertainment. Keep your interactions with other bearers at a minimum."

"Fuck, this is worse than prison. I can't even start a gang or some shit." Riordan froze when he noticed how Kanto was staring at him. "I see. I shouldn't say words like fuck and shit. Sorry, man, just force of habit."

"Commander or Master Kanto for you, bearer," the snakeman said. He grabbed Riordan's chin and forced his head further back. "I truly don't understand," he mused while searching Riordan's face for something. "You're not even beautiful."

"That's not what Xana says," Riordan said, wanting to give that fucker a little piece of his mind while he still could.

"He is a very peculiar Xeno himself, your master. Getting a dark one like you. I would never put my hands on something as imperfect as you."

"Then maybe you should stop touching me," Riordan said, staring into the deep green eyes.

Kanto only then seemed to realize what he was doing and removed his hand. "A set of clear rules, unbreakable rules, was already sent to your bot. They come into effect now. So, keep that shameless tongue of yours in check. Stay out of trouble, Riordan, or there will be consequences."

Riordan took one deep breath as soon as the fucker was out. "Kyle, that was really weird, don't you think?"

"Master Kanto is very different from Master Xana, but not as weird as when compared to other Xenos in power," Kyle dutifully explained.

Riordan shrugged. "Hey, Kyle, do you want to hear a good one?"

"Always, Master Rio."

"Do you know why this guy is called Kanto?"

"I assume that the name was chosen by his sire," Kyle said.

"Nah." Riordan worked a kink in his neck. That asshole had forced his head back throughout their conversation. "It's because he's a fucking cunt."

***

He woke up startled, confused whether there was day or night. It was hard to keep track, being underground like that. The days were the same, a humdrum of having meals, watching stupid television, taking showers, taking shots to get his daily dose of seth, and so on. The nights, on the other hand, were overwhelmed by nightmares. In most of them, Riordan found himself in that tiny submarine again, moving under that sea of corpses above. Kyle always sensed his distress and tried to comfort him with jokes and whatnot, but as good as the bot was getting at his standup act, Riordan had a hard time stopping the restlessness gathering in the pit of his stomach.

Now, the bot hurried by his side with a glass of water. It had been a tacit understanding between them to have Kyle get him something to drink, just to busy his trembling hands with something and clear his head of those bad dreams. "Hey, Kyle," he asked as he gave back the empty glass, "what exactly do you think that asshole meant by punishment? I mean, if he has to be mindful of my pregnancy, it's not like he could do too much to me, right?"

"I don't think I like where this conversation is going, Master Rio."

Trapped together all day long gave Riordan the possibility to shape Kyle into a free thinker of sorts. Right now, although his programming imposed Kyle not to refuse his master anything unless there was the bigger master above him commanding it, the bot was trying to steer Riordan away from certain decisions with consequences. "Don't worry, Kyle. Stronger men have tried to make me change my mind."

"About what, Master Rio?"

"Eh, you know. A little bit of rule-breaking."

"What do you have in mind?" Kyle dutifully asked.

"That's my homie," Riordan said with satisfaction. "Well, I'm starting to go completely nuts, doing nothing all day long. This big ass place must have a room or something where there's communication going in and out. I know, I know, you're going to tell me that they communicate telepathically, but I've tried Xana ever since we got here, and nothing. Could it be that this place is telepathy proof or something like that?"

"Your theory is a bit of a stretch, Master Rio."

"Yeah, I knew it. However, there are places where we're not allowed to go, and I know that the rest of the sheep don't care, but what could it be inside them that our lord and master doesn't want us to see? Or hear? Who knows?"

"Roaming the place at night is forbidden," Kyle reminded him.

Riordan could feel himself deflating like a punctured tire. "Yeah. They have guards all over the place. Geez, seeing how all powerful they are, you'd think they could afford CCTV. Or do they have such a system and they don't tell us about it?"

"I have no knowledge of such a thing. The presence of guards is, supposedly, enough of a deterrent. However, they do have their patterns for patrolling the place. If we time ourselves right, we could go around the compound."

"That sounds like a great idea." Riordan felt refreshed at the prospect. "Can we go now?"

"Yes. I will guide you every step of the way."

***

They only had a couple of minutes, and the next patrol would appear around the corner soon, but Riordan was finally in front of a door he was not supposed to go through and very much wanted in. Kyle had quickly produced a small lock picking set for him, synthesized from metal scraps, but it looked like the key lock was different from anything he had ever seen in his life.

"Let me try, Master Rio," Kyle suggested.

He stepped back while Kyle managed to wrench the door open a smidge using nothing but force. Right away, Riordan put his eye on the crack, trying to figure out what was inside. It definitely looked like a command room of sorts. But that wasn't what made him jump back in shock.

It was what appeared to be visible through the so-called windshield. A vast dark nothingness, interrupted from time to time, by a flowing meteorite that appeared to be avoided at the last moment.

The sound of approaching steps sprung him into action. "Can you put it back? Hurry," he whispered at Kyle. "Fuck, there's no time. Let's go before we get our asses handed to us."

They slunk along the wall quietly, while Riordan's mind was reeling. What the fuck? Were they in space or something?

***

"What do you think it's going on?"

"Is he going to tell us that this is over?"

"I hope this doesn't make us miss breakfast. I'm starving."

The voices around them were mingling into a sea of meaningless words at some point. Riordan pretended to be calm, but he still felt jittery over the last night discovery. Unless he had stumbled upon some weird simulation room--No, that couldn't be. It all looked so very eerie, and yet so very real to him.

Kanto Vai stepped in front of them. For a while, he pinned one bearer or another with his eyes, while his lips remained set in a deep grim line. "Last night," he started, "one of you sneaked outside his room and roamed the hallways despite my interdiction."

Gasps of disbelief emerged from the audience.

"Ferreting out the culprit is my duty," Kanto continued. "However, if he decides to step up and admit his guilt, I will be merciful."

Riordan felt an unfamiliar dread at those words. This snakeman wasn't Xana, and he had made it quite clear that he couldn't stand the sight of him. In the split of a second, he made up his mind. He threw out one arm, as far as he could reach and stood tall. "That would be me," he said, unnaturally calm.

A collective gasp followed and all the heads in the room turned. But that didn't impress him. The stare he could read in Kanto's eyes, even from across the room, or maybe it was just the way the other held his alien body, as tense as if waiting to strike, that was the only thing that made him waver. It was too late. The cat was out of the bag. All for the better, and it was time to go all in.