Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2019 14:05:33 -0500
From: Apollo Starbinder <apollostarbinder@gmail.com>
Subject: Olympia: Planet of Men 4

Chapter Four | Insight

"Oof", I blurted out as Derek slammed into me.

I stumbled backwards a bit, but before I could fall he stuck a leg out for
balance and grabbed my hip and shoulder in one quick motion. He pulled me
upright so I could stand up on my own and released me.

"I'm so sorry, I - I wasn't paying attention...", he stammered.

"Heh, obviously.", I laughed nervously.

I was once against conflicted in my emotions. Seeing him brought back
horrible memories, but him being here must mean maybe his life wasn't so
great either. Feeling his naked body slam into mine also caused a stir. If
I hadn't just relieved my sexual urges twice in one day I'd probably have
gotten hard.

He gave me an uneasy smile. I melted a little inside as I tried to override
my defensive response.

"So, where were you off to in such a hurry?", I asked, trying to break the
awkward tension.

"The amphitheater. I wasn't sure how long it'd been since I got the
message.", he admitted while rubbing the back of his head.

"Must've been having a good time.", I teased.

"Heh, yea... I always wanted to go to Disney World..."

I couldn't believe how innocent that sounded. It was not what I was
expecting.

"I ran for the exit of Magic Kingdom a bit before I realized I could just
stop the Sim.", he admitted, obviously embarrassed.

"Ah, i got really caught up in my Sim too. I kept forgetting we were in
space.", I tried to assure him by relating.

"We've got plenty of time though, it wouldn't hurt to get there early.", I
added, with a motion that insisted we get moving.

"Yea, for sure...", he agreed as we started walking towards the staircase
in the center. "... so what'd you do in your Sim?"

"I... uh.. oh, I went to Paris. It was pretty cool."

"Heh, you would. Did you go to the Louvre? I could see you getting lost in
all the art."

I was taken aback by his retort. How did he know I liked art? I didn't
think he paid any attention to me.

"Of course, it was the first thing I did ... well, after getting a
haircut.", I ran my fingers through my hair, partly to make sure it really
was cut. I half-smiled as I did because I caught Derek glancing up at my
new look.

"I noticed, it looks good man."

"Thanks", I strained as I forced myself not to gush at his compliment.

We walked in silence for a bit as we took a left in the center at the
spiral staircase to head down a wide hallway toward the stern of the
ship. The amphitheater was located at the opposite end of the center ring
from the cafeteria. It occupied a massive alcove as well. The hallway we
were walking down opened up at the very top of the seating and you could
work your way down toward the front from there. Derek finally broke the
silence about halfway down the hall.

"So.. what do you think so far?"

"Of.. being on a massive starship full of hot men?
... It's... different... but I kinda like it. Much better than my previous
situation.", I replied, trying not to imply that he was part of the
situation I didn't like. "You?"

"Um... yea, I like it. I would've been a sci-fi geek if my dad allowed
it... I would've been a lot of things...", he trailed off as he finished. I
knew hardly anything about Derek, but that last sentence told me that we
probably had a lot more in common than I expected.

We spent the rest of our brief walk in silence as we approached the massive
doors to the Amphitheater. There were huge marble statues of men on either
side that were posed as though they were putting on an ancient Athenian
drama. They each had polished gold laurel wreaths and were, of course, nude
as they day they were born.

The doors slid open slowly and with the sound you'd expect slabs of heavy
polished stone to make when rubbing against each other.

The amphitheater was mostly empty, there were a little more than a dozen
people seated near the bottom waiting for the captain. A few of them looked
back as the doors made a final booming thud when they came to rest. At the
far side of the theater, behind the stage, was the same massive circular
window that surrounded the public atrium. Instead of brilliant white light,
however, it was pitch darkness in the center. The streaks of light
emanating from the bow of the ship would converge and fade here before
reaching this void. The larger streaks would encircle the void almost
entirely like the corona of the sun during an eclipse before vanishing. I
imagined the theater was put here for a reason. It was a haunting scene,
very dramatic.

"Mind if I sit with you?", Derek asked as I was taking in the surroundings.

"Huyea, of course!", I stammered a little. I don't know why I didn't think
he'd want to. I also hadn't thought that far ahead.

"Cool"

We walked down the steps and found a spot three rows back. I hesitated as I
took a seat, thinking the gray marble would be cold. I put my hand down
first to test it and just like the tile in the shower they were comfortably
warm.

Once I sat down Derek took the spot next to me. He shifted himself a little
closer to me so that our arms were barely half an inch apart. I could feel
his body heat and immediately thought of my shower earlier this morning. I
tried to distract myself but soon after I realized I could smell him as
well. It was a mixture of the body wash from our showers as well as, I
assume, his natural musk from spending the evening at a theme park.

I took a couple deep breaths to calm myself and tried looking around the
room. Of course, it was full of nude men whose asses I had a perfect view
of from our spot. I felt the rush of blood starting to inflate my cock and
quickly put my hands over myself. Derek was doing the same while looking
straight ahead into the void.

"It's so... eerie, but... beautiful.", he commented.

I was glad he brought my attention to something else. I looked at him, then
toward the massive window.

"Yea... no doubt", I agreed.

"...

I love No Doubt...", he added, and then started singing `Don't Speak'
quietly. I was completely floored by this.

"*You and me... we used to be together... everyday together alw-*"

He stopped when I started giggling uncontrollably. He looked and me and
grinned, feigning shock.

"What!? You got a problem with it?", he demanded.

"No no no, I just- I dunno. I like No Doubt too, but I never got to listen
to `em much."

"How?! That song is always on the radio!", he was genuinely shocked then.

"Uhh, well, my foster siblings and I were forbidden to listen to `unholy
music'. I'm sure my adopted father would have a few choice words to say
about the singer too."

"Oh man, Gwen? I used to pretend I was into her as an excuse for liking
their music. Had a poster of her in my room. It was her brother I really
had the hots for, Eric.", he admitted, getting red in the face.

I chuckled again at his admission. I knew by now that he liked guys since
he was `rescued' as well. I felt giddy from actually hearing him say it out
loud.

By this point a several dozen more guys had made their way in and a few
more were findings seats. Some had made their way in from either side of
the stage via the atrium.

Once the shuffling had settled down it seemed like there were about two
hundred guys in the amphitheater. The row Derek and I had chosen was
getting pretty crowded. In response he shifted himself closer to me so that
our arms were actually touching. His skin felt so soft against mine. I
could feel myself getting flustered and anxious. I tried taking slow deep
breaths so he wouldn't notice. He glanced over and me and smiled. I had no
idea what for, but it was a bit reassuring.

Suddenly a very tall very lean man with a gorgeous dark complexion came
walking down the steps toward the stage. He was wearing golden bracers, a
baby blue cloak draped across one arm, and leather sandals adorned with
golden wings. The wings had an unearthly motion, almost like heavy fabric
underwater. Between his legs was one of the largest flaccid cocks I'd ever
seen. My jaw dropped as I took in his appearance. His entire outfit and
presence screamed authority figure.

He made his way down to the stage and as expected took position front and
center, facing the crowd. The murmuring of the crowd quickly died down in
response.

"Good evening gentlemen!

Welcome to Starship Talaria. I'm your captain, Hermes.", he flashed a
stunningly perfect smile. The outfit was fitting considering his name.

"I'm sure you all have a million questions and I'd like to try and address
some of them.

You all know by now that you've been brought aboard as essentially refugees
because of who you are and the unfortunate situation you found yourselves
in.

One question you all may have is what happens on Earth in your absence. I
take no pleasure in telling you that you've all been replaced with
identical inanimate replicas. Each with varying causes of death so as not
to arouse suspicions."

I looked at Derek, shocked by this revelation. He was looking down at the
floor at that moment.

"I'm deeply sorry for those that might find this unsettling. It's an
unfortunate but necessary precaution.

We will not be openly disclosing the details of your earthly demise, but
the information is stored within our data should you feel the need to find
out.

You may also be wondering why we do all of this. That story is too long to
recount at this time, but I can share some information.

The refugee transports began well over a thousand years ago with the
decline of the Ancient Greek civilization. Cultural shifts deemed certain
behaviors as a deviance and it became necessary to create a haven for men
like yourselves. We make this journey every three years and in the interim
we observe Earth in search of new candidates. Hundreds of thousands of men
have been brought to Olympia, and you will be our newest citizens.

In two days we will dock at a space station orbiting Olympia where you will
register to become a part of our civilization. From there you will be
shuttled down to the surface and begin a new life, free from judgement."

My heart jumped at the thought of the freedom to be myself. I wondered if
they had any good art schools. Then assured myself that they had to. This
ship itself was a work of art.

"You will receive more information about integration into your new home
when we arrive at Olympia.

I realize I've left a lot of information out, but as always, you can defer
to Athenus to provide the wisdom you seek.

Please feel free to take full advantage of our amenities. Think of this as
an all expenses paid cruise.

I wish you all a pleasant stay as we continue our journey. I will
occasionally take the time to step away from the bridge and socialize with
you all in our public space. I look forward to meeting you face to face.

Thank you so much, and have a great night!"

Hermes gave a stoic wave as he finished his short speech then took his
leave in the same graceful yet authoritative manner, up the stairs then out
of sight.

The murmuring in the amphitheater picked back up as people started
shuffling to their feet

"Probably could've just done this on an intercom or something.", Derek
quipped as we started leaving our row.

"Yea probably... maybe the captain just wanted it to be more personal.", I
added. He seemed a little tense at this point.

"... or he just wanted to show off his massive dong!", he joked, adding a
half smile and a quick glance at my reaction. His southern accent surfaced
a bit in his excitement.

"Hah! I wasn't gonna say anything, but yea... that was unreal. If he wasn't
so charismatic I would've been too distracted by it to listen!"

We both chuckled at our exchange as we finally made it to the stairs
leading to the exit. The dozens of naked men surrounding us had me
struggling to stifle my arousal. A quick glance down at Derek's groin told
me he probably wasn't as anxious about it. His cock was both thicker and
longer than I had seen it before. I felt tension in my cheeks and realized
I had my jaw clenched. I resolved to relax a little and accept my hormonal
state.

Once we made it to the top everybody spread out a little and I felt as
though I was finally able to breath.

"I don't know how I'm gonna get used to all this nudity. I feel like I'm
constantly fighting a boner.", I admitted to Derek. I wanted to know how he
was handling it all.

"Hahaha, yep. I fought it at first, but then I saw a few guys just rockin'
their wood and figured it was no big deal."

"Oh yea? I can't help feeling a little embarrassed. It's a reflex, I
guess.", I replied shyly while rubbing the top of my head and looking down.

"You hungry? I kinda wanna try the cafe up here. The medical scientist who
gave me a tour, Remnas, told me they actually cook there.", Derek asked.

I honestly wasn't all that hungry but I wasn't about to turn him down.

"Sure! I could eat. I didn't know they did. What's the point though?" I
insisted. "The synthesized food tastes perfect to me."

"Hah, I asked the same thing. He says it's about each meal having character
or something, instead of being identical. He also said it's more of a
social thing, since you've gotta wait."

"Hm, ok, I'm down.", I agreed. I never got many restaurant experiences
growing up. On rare occasions we'd go out with the congregation after
church on Sundays but I never enjoyed them. The cafe in Paris was easily
the most memorable, and it wasn't even real.

By this point we had already made it well past the two massive statues at
the amphitheater entrance. We made our way down the fairly long hallway to
the large city square like center of the ship in relative silence. At one
point I mentioned the duck confit I had in at the Parisian cafe. I got a
little excited when he mentioned that he'd like to try it. We agreed that
I'd have to show him where it was.

We'd eventually made our way across the circle to the cafe and stopped at
the host stand to be seated. I hadn't noticed it before but it was called
Cafe Caduceus. I felt like all the references to the messenger god were
getting out of hand. I thought of how narcissistic the captain must've been
to think so highly of himself.

We were just starting to look at the menu posted outside when the host
approached us and asked if it would be just the two of us. We both nodded
and he lead us into the cafe. He was of course, very attractive. Derek and
I both caught each other checking out his ass as he brought us to our
table. We exchanged devilish grins as we sat down.

"Here are your menus, aaand your server should be here shortly. Enjoy!",
the host recited while divvying out their list of options, then promptly
turned around and left.

Derek and I started looking over our menus when he furrowed his brow in
confusion.

"Why would a cafe have a medical symbol?", he asked.

"Oh.. the caduceus? That's actually a symbol for commerce and trade, no
idea why it gets mixed up."

"Huh.. ok... I guess that makes more sense. Didn't realize it had a name.",
he admitted, still sounding a little unsure.

"Yep, the captain clearly has a theme going here."

Derek looked up from his menu and raised an eyebrow.

"The staff is a symbol for Hermes, the greek god, and the ship's named
after his winged shoes. Seems like the captain is either full of himself,
or is a big fan of his namesake."

".. or he's actually a greek god. I mean... you saw his cock!", he added,
laughing at his own remark.

"Haha, yea... right.", I rolled my eyes and chuckled.

We paused our conversation while looking over the menus. The cafe had a
diverse assortment of entres to choose from. There was a mixture of
Italian, Greek, and French foods with a few other styles from all over
Earth thrown in. As we were browsing our waiter approached.

"Good evening gents, I'm your waiter for the evening. Can I get you boys
something to drink?"

He was gorgeous. Completely blonde all over, and quite tall. I realized in
that moment that I had never seen someone with blonde pubes and instantly
knew I was into it. I struggled to concentrate on his request briefly as
his uncut cock was less than two feet from my face. Thankfully Derek spoke
up and broke the spell.

"Could I get a pale ale? I'm not picky about which."

I hadn't even gone over the drinks portion of the menu. I looked down at it
real quick and realized they had alcoholic options. They all had mostly
unrecognizable names with the exception of their type.

"For you sir?", the waiter turned to me.

"Uh, I guess I'll try whatever he's getting.", I nodded my head toward
Derek.

"Excellent, I'll be right back to take the rest of your order. My name's
Donte if you need anything in the meantime."

With that he took off toward the small bar situated in the back of the
cafe. I went back to perusing my menu but Derek sat his down.

"What are you thinking of getting?", I asked him.

"The Cajun Fish Tacos sound amazing.", he replied.

"Oh man, that does sound good. I had tacos for breakfast.", I admitted with
a grin.

"What about you?", he returned the inquiry.

"I think I'm just gonna get the Mediterranean salad. I had two heavy meals
already today."

"Fair enough, I'm super hungry. Disney's food sucked."

"Haha I bet."

After a bit of an awkward silence Dante returned with our drinks. I had
only tried beer once before and wasn't impressed. It was some cheap brand
that Mike used to drink before he went crazy on religion.

"You boys ready to order?", Dante asked with a cheerful smile.

We both nodded and Derek gestured toward me to imply that I should go
first. We gave Dante our order and he walked off toward the kitchen. Derek
and I both paused to admire his furry ass as he disappeared to the back. We
exchanged devious grins when we realized we had both been entranced by his
peachy mounds.

I took a drink of the ale, expecting it to taste as bad as I
remembered. Fortunately this one wasn't so bad, it actually had a decent
flavor behind the bitterness.

"Mmm..", I half-pretended I liked it.

"... so farm life wasn't all that great?", Derek probed after he took a
sip.

"... uhhh ... you could say that. Why?", I responded, unsure of where this
was going.

"Well, it's like Captain Hermes said, we're here as refugees. I assume, not
just because we're gay."

Another admission of his sexuality that sent a fluttering sensation deep
within me. I never thought he could be one hundred percent gay. He had so
many girlfriends through the years.

"Yea, I guess. My foster parents weren't exactly model Christians. We were
forced to do chores all the time.

Mike, my foster dad, threw away my CalArts acceptance letter and was gonna
force me to go to a school for theology...", I sulked as I told Derek my
story. "What about you? I honestly always thought you had it made. A hot
popular star athlete with decent grades."

"Hot eh? heh, well, that was just me at school. Honestly I wasn't happy. My
dad forced me to be an athlete. He also beat my mom senseless, especially
if she stood up for me. I hate that I'm not there to protect her..."

Derek looked away, his eyes glossed over. I assumed he was fighting back
tears.

"... I'm sorry ... what made you choose to leave then?"

Derek cleared his throat before continuing.

"... well... the night we were taken I got in a big fight with dad. He'd
gotten drunk and started beating on my mom. He turned on me when I pulled
him off.  ...  He told me I was a disappoint because I turned down a
football scholarship. I don't remember why, but I told him that I'm gay. He
punched me.. hard... and told me to leave. Didn't even let me grab
clothes..."

"Shit...", was my only reaction. I had no idea.

"Yea... it was nuts."

"Where'd you go?"

"I had a tent in the shed, I took it out to the woods behind our house and
stayed there. That's when I had the dream that lead me here. Luckily the
doctor was able to heal my bruises...", he smiled sheepishly as he rubbed
his left cheek bone.

I rubbed my face where Mike had backhanded me the day before.

"Mike hit me pretty hard yesterday... I snapped at him for throwing away my
letter... I honestly thought about killing myself before I ended up
here...", I admitted.

"Yea? Same... I had some nylon rope with me from the shed... I'm guessing
that's what they did with my copy... I hope it's my fuckhead dad that finds
me and not my mom."

I just sat there looking into his eyes. I could finally see all the hurt
behind them. It was hard to hold a grudge against someone whose life was
just as bad as my own.

"... I'm sorry for all the shit we gave you guys in school...", Derek added
after our silent exchange.

I looked away nervously for a second, then back at him. He was giving me
the most sincere look at that moment.

"Don't worry about it, you're not the one that should be apologizing. I
always had a feeling that you weren't into it."

"No, but I didn't stop them... I hated those dudes to be honest..."

"What, really? ... then why hang out with them?"

Just as I asked the question Dante returned with our food.

"Mediterranean Salad for you! And Cajun Fish Tacos for you!", he exclaimed
as he handed out our dishes. "Can I get you gents anything else?"

"No thanks!", we both chimed in.

"Alright! Enjoy!"

Derek and I took a moment to admire our meals before we began to dig in. He
took a bite out of one of his tacos before he continued.

"... I guess mostly to try and hide who I was.. Err.. am. Plus they stuck
to me like glue. Always insisting that I go to their lame-ass parties."

"Haha, I gotcha.", I assured as we continued our meal.

The rest of dinner was pretty uneventful. We only spoke a little bit here
and there as we ate. Derek told me a little about his trip to Disney, he
apparently decided to go during one of their famous `Gay Days'. I had no
idea Disney did such a thing. I then shared some of the less risque details
of my time in Paris. We made plans to try out the Sims together
tomorrow. The thought of that had me excited beyond belief, though I knew
we'd have to start a new instance of Paris if we decided to go to that
cafe.

By the time we were finished my head was swimming. Not only because I had
finished my beer and had two martinis less than two hours ago, but because
of everything I had learned about Derek and the connection we had. In the
back of my mind I was really hoping he'd invite me to his room, but we both
agreed that we were exhausted from such an interesting and long day. After
we left the cafe we made our way up the staircase to our individual
apartments. Apparently he was only two rooms down from mine. Before we
separated he turned to me.

"Hey, thanks for keeping me company tonight."

"No problem, likewise.", I chuckled in response to his gratitude.

To my complete surprise he grabbed my hand and pulled himself toward me. He
leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. I'm not entirely sure what expression
I wore in that moment, but I imagine it was a mixture of shock and joy.

"Goodnight.", Derek grinned as he turned away and walked to his apartment.

"Goodnight", I replied, a little stunned.

I walked to my room, feeling as though I was floating. I just had the best
day of my life.


---

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