WARNING:

This is a story of friendship, commitment, love and trust. It is not a sex story. However, this story deals with love between male teenagers. If you are offended by stories involving love between males, please do not read this story. There may be some sex scenes in this story; however, sex is not the main theme. If you are under age 18 or 21 or it is illegal to read this story where you live, don't read it. Reproducing this story for distribution without the owner's permission is a violation of that copyright.

Author's Message:Hey Peeps!

Okay here is chapter 2. I will try to get some more chapters posted before I go back to school for winter term.

LAF,

Sam (sam_lakes@yahoo.com)

QuestStar

by Sam Lakes

Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Zaron knew that his insistence upon undressing or dressing in private caused Trender to be upset. There had been others who had been upset with him for not allowing them to see his unclothed body, but Doctor Zaronovski had specifically drilled into him that he must never let anyone see his body. He knew it was because of the pendant.

He looked in the mirror at the pendant resting on his chest. A simple but stunning four pointed star carved out of a brilliant, now colorless, Xenarian crystal, suspended within a golden circular pendant. The chain necklace attached to the pendant blended with his flesh so that it was nearly invisible. His body wasn’t ugly or anything like that, in fact he’d recently noticed his body was beginning to look toned - like Trender’s. He stood in front of the mirror for a few moments flexing his now lightly muscled body. <Maybe one day I’ll look as good as Trender> he thought, then sighed, <Trender’s not cute like you - he’s beautiful>

It was hard for him to get the image of Trender’s half naked body out of his mind. Just thinking about Trender made his face hot, and in the mirror he saw his face change color. Concentrating on getting dressed, and trying to force all thoughts of Trender from his mind, he noticed that his facial color had returned to normal.

Looking in the mirror again, he smiled. <I like the way you look in the Andromedes uniform better, but you look (giggle) cute.>

There was a knock at the door.

Zaron opened the door to find Cadet Messenger Simmons.

“Sir, the Commodore requests your presence for dinner,” spoke the messenger.

“Shall I follow you?” asked Zaron.

“Yes, sir. Please.”

“Commodore?” said Zaron as he stepped into the Commodore’s empty stateroom.

“I’ll be with you in a moment, Nephew,” replied the Commodore from an adjoining room, “Have a seat on the couch, if you like.”

Zaron had a seat. Looking around the room, it seemed huge compared to his and Dr. Zaronovski’s quarters on board the Andromedes. He surmised that the Commodore must have completed his work, as the top of his desk seemed to be neat and tidy.

A few minutes later, the Commodore entered the room, and Zaron stood up to greet him.

“Sit, my boy. We need to talk,” said the Commodore, with a pleasant smile. “First of all, are you getting settled in ok?”

“Yes sir, my stuff is put away and the bed made,” replied Zaron.

“You’ve met your roommate, I suppose. Are you getting along all right?”

Zaron nodded.

“He’s a nice lad and good looking, don’t you think?”

The image of Trender’s half naked body surfaced from wherever Zaron had put it. He could feel his face heating up and he couldn’t speak.

The Commodore laughed, “I take it you agree.”

“Uncle! You’re making me feel...“ Zaron couldn’t find the words to explain how he felt. He wished the Doctor was here. It was always easy to talk to the Doctor. The Doctor would always help him find the right words to express himself. Here he was on a star-ship ten times the size of the Andromedes, and probably a hundred times the number of people, yet he felt so alone.
The Commodore continued to chuckle until he realized that Zaron's eyes were filling with tears and about to spill over. The boy blinked and a few tears rolled slowly down his cheek. Zaron wiped them away, turning his face away from the Commodore.

“I’m sorry,” said the Commodore softly, “I embarrassed you, didn’t I?”

Zaron sat quietly, with his head turned away from the Commodore, for a few moments.

The commodore gently placed his hand on Zaron’s shoulder. “What’s the matter, Zaron?”

“I don’t know what that word means.”

“What word?”

“Embarrassed,” replied Zaron softly.

“Oh, well, it means when someone says or does something that causes you to perhaps feel shy, or causes your face to flush and feel hot.”

“Oh, then yes, you embarrassed me,” said Zaron, still not looking at the Commodore. “He embarrasses me too.”

“Who?”

“Trender!” said Zaron, “When he calls me cute.” Zaron’s face flushed. Turning his face towards the Commodore and pointing to his face he said, “You see, it’s getting worse. I just think about him and my face gets all hot. There must be something really wrong with me. I must have caught some terrible disease or malady since I arrived.”

The Commodore, suppressing his laughter, said, “Well, from what I hear from Commander Nucomb, Trender seems to have developed the same malady.”

“Oh, my stars! I’ve infected him! You must put me into quarantine so I don’t infect anyone else!”
The Commodore burst out in uncontrollable laughter.

Zaron jumped up from the couch looking at the Commodore laughing, and not understanding. “Commodore, this is nothing to laugh at! If only by spending such a short time with Trender and he’s caught my malady! Oh, my stars! What if I’ve infected others! Oh, My stars, I think I have, I believe Morrison’s face flushed slightly when we were talking. Commodore, please listen to me, I must be quarantined!”

The Commodore continued laughing, but shaking his head. Finally he managed to say, “That’s not necessary – it’s really not a contagious disease and its cure is simple… ha ha, very simple.”

“A cure! What’s the cure? Is it an injection? Does it hurt? I would hate for it to hurt. I mean if it hurts, Trender might not…” Zaron paused, thinking to himself, <… like me, then he’d want a different roommate, and I would be all alone. Trender makes me feel not alone. I wonder why?>

“Zaron.”

“Huh?”

“It’s a simple cure. You two need to communicate, get to know each other better. Learn to trust each other fully and completely, so that you can freely and easily express yourselves.”

Zaron thought for a while, and the Commodore waited patiently. Whatever Zaron was thinking about, he never voiced. Instead, he shrugged his shoulders and smiled at the Commodore.

“Zaron, I told you we had some records from the Andromedes – well the main one is my brother’s log that is encrypted, but we have no idea of how to decrypt it. Did the Doctor ever say anything to you about how to decrypt it?”

“Yes, I had to help you to remember something.”

They sat silently for a few moments before the Commodore said, “What?”

“Did you remember it?” asked Zaron.

Slightly exasperated, the Commodore said, “I have no idea what I am supposed to remember.”

“Oh, shall I help? I’m pretty sure I can find it, but I’d have to touch you.”

The Commodore gave Zaron his hand.

“Close your eyes, you’ll see the memory better that way. The Doctor gave his memory to me, so I have to find a match in your memories. The cool thing is you and the Doctor were sixteen then, so I can just go to that time period to search. Ready?” asked Zaron.

“Yes.”

A few seconds later - “Ah, here it is,” said Zaron softly.

The memory started playing for the Commodore.

“Jack,” said a sixteen year old Zaron Zaronovski, “I’ve been accepted by the Science Academy!”

“So, you’re going to go?” asked the young Jack Feder.

“Yes, it’s my destiny, Jack. I’ve know it all my life, just as you’ve known you’re going to be a Royal Protector. The shuttle leaves in two hours.”

“I shall miss you, Brother,” said Jack sadly and with tears filling his eyes.

“I know, I shall miss you too, but here,” said Zaron Zaronovski as he handed Jack a small book, “A code book so we can always send messages in private.”

Zaron Queststar released the Commodore’s hand.

“You really loved him, didn’t you?”

“Yes, yes I did. We sent messages back and forth for many years using the code book. We’d always talked about everything, our deepest secrets and our greatest desires. We were brothers, but we were also the best of friends,” replied the Commodore.

Zaron’s stomach growled hungrily.

“Well, I guess that means we need to eat.”

Zaron giggled and vigorously nodded his head.

“Good, then let’s be on our way. We’ll be eating in the Officer’s mess at the Captain’s table. Hopefully, we haven’t been keeping them waiting too long.”

Everyone rose to attention as the Commodore and Zaron entered the room. Zaron was quite surprised, but said nothing.

“As you were gentlemen, please be seated,” said the Commodore as he and Zaron approached the Captain’s table where everyone was still standing.

“Good evening, Captain Elsworth, I’d like to present my nephew, Cadet Zaron Queststar.”

“A pleasure to meet you, Cadet Queststar,” said the Captain in a friendly voice.

“Thank you sir, it is an honor,” replied Zaron.

“On my left is Commander Nucomb, next to him is our ship's medical officer, Lt. Sanderson, on my right next to where the Commodore will be sitting is my First Officer, Commander Taylor.”

Each officer nodded to Zaron, and he returned the nod.

“Please have a seat next to Commander Taylor, and I'm sure there is no need to introduce you to Cadet Nucomb.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Gentlemen, please be seated,” said the Captain.

Zaron made his way to sit opposite Trender. Trender was looking down at his lap.

Trender took a quick glance at Zaron. Zaron blushed, looked down and stared at the empty plate in front of him. The next thing he was aware of was the fact that he was getting very nauseous. Something wasn’t right.

“Meat, sir,” asked the steward.

“No, thank you.”

“It’s very good, sir,” said the steward.

“No, no meat,” stated Zaron; he was feeling even more nauseous. He realized it was the steward that was making him nauseous.

“Fine, sir. Vegetables?”

“No, nothing, get away from me please,” Zaron said, trying to control the situation. Somehow he sensed this man was a danger to him.

“Sir, you must eat something, it would be quite rude to...“

“Zaron, what’s wrong?” asked Trender, suddenly concerned, because Zaron looked like he was in pain.

Without warning, Zaron stood up and as Zaron made a mad dash for the exit the steward felt a force pushing him backwards causing him to drop the platter of food and then Zaron’s chair seemed to fly through the air crashing into the steward and knocking him out.

 

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Well, hope you like the story - feed back is welcomed and encouraged. You can email me sam_lakes@yahoo.com

Sam