Date: Sat, 9 Mar 2024 22:51:39 +0200
From: Daemon D. Hart <daemondhart2@gmail.com>
Subject: The Human Bearer - 46

Copyright 2024 – Daemon D. Hart

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The Human Bearer

46.

Dressed as he was now in the usual bearer garb, Riordan was well aware of
the eyes on him. Each person on that ship must have a burning question, but
no one looked in the mood to ask him. And he was fine with that. There were
so many things weighing on his mind and talking to strangers didn't feel
like that much of a good choice for wasting his time.

First, he needed to see Xana. Even if his husband wasn't conscious, Riordan
wanted to hold his hand and talk to him. Who knew, maybe by telepathic
means, he could reach him. He hoped that, at least. Xeus was wrong; he
wouldn't be squeamish at the sight of Xana's face, no matter how affected
it had to be by Gamni's poison. His father in law had been courteous enough
to tell him how to reach the place where Xana was kept. Their relationship,
when there wasn't a wandering tail trying to split him apart, was quite
manageable and normal.

Second, he wanted to talk to the young Xenos about the sabotage that had
broken their ship apart before they could reach Galatea. There was foul
play to worry about, and it had to mean that there was someone there, on
Tu'lek, who sided with the enemy. Riordan threw guarded looks around at the
faces of those passing by. The enemy had someone there, living with them,
sleeping with them, eating with them at the same table even. The first
guess was that it had to be a Xeno who didn't like how things were run
around here. But Riordan couldn't take it out of his head the way those
human soldiers had been used on Galatea, under the command of Gamni
Gafilos. Could it be a human? A human bearer? Because there was no other
kind around.

Except for Florent, who wasn't exactly a bearer. However, he was above all
suspicions in Riordan's eyes. The beautiful prisoner had saved his life
while in the hands of the general. He had most probably saved Junior's
life, too, because with Riordan being too weak to push the egg out, who
knew what could have happened to him? Florent was the second person he
wanted to see and soon. Daddy in law seemed quite happy with the chance to
spend more time with the little one, so maybe he could wander around for a
bit.

He stopped in front of the doors leading to the special med bay where Xana
was kept. The light above flickered for a while, and then suddenly turned
into a pinpoint. Riordan flinched as the thing seemed to have gone through
his retina, but it all lasted a second. He stepped inside and walked down a
long hall at the end of which he could see light.

The small square room he walked in first appeared to be empty.

"Keep your arms and legs as far apart from your body as possible," a voice
instructed him.

Riordan did as told. A vapor filled the room from small concealed
spouts. He held his breath until the vapor receded. The last thing he
wanted was to inhale something that could put his Earthian lungs in
danger. Xenos didn't appear particularly careful for what other species
needed to survive, at least on occasion.

"Step into the next room. You will be given a suit."

As if Xana was some sort of biohazard, Riordan thought and obeyed
again. The suit already present there – in another room similar to the
first – seemed very similar to the hazmat equipment he had seen on
Earth, in movies and whatnot. He slipped into it and made sure to zip
up. Hopefully, he was now ready to see his husband.

As soon as the doors opened in front of him again, he realized that his
wish to hold Xana's hand was unrealistic. His husband was submerged in a
huge basin, and he was held upright by various tubes going straight into
his body from all sides. His eyes were closed, and his face was, indeed,
bloated, but revulsion and fear weren't among his reactions. He hurried
towards the tank and put both his hands on the cold glass. Even through the
gloves covering his skin, he could still feel it, that coldness. His entire
body shook with a sob he should have known that it was coming. As much of
an Earthian concept love could be, now it was tearing him up, but he
wouldn't have given it up for the world. What other proof that it was real
could anyone need?

"The famous Riordan Lei." It was the voice uttering the instructions
earlier, and Riordan turned to see a Xeno approaching.

The snakeman was conventionally looking, the same blond hair falling in
waves down his shoulders, the same hypnotic green eyes, the same tall
overbearing presence. However, what made Riordan do a double take as the
Xeno approached him was how white his complexion was. It was whiter than
white, he thought stupidly, but there was no better way of putting it. At
first, Riordan thought the snakeman was naked, but his torso, arms and neck
were actually covered by a filmy thin garment of the same white color as
his face. He looked closer, wondering whether the same thing coated the
handsome Xeno's face, but he thought the answer to be no. He appeared to be
young, younger than Xana, and even Lakni and his crew. His body was
somewhat thinner than most Xenos Riordan had seen so far, and his facial
features were delicate.

"And you are?" Riordan asked. Through the suit, his voice came out muffled.

"My name is Ferix Baserat. I am what you on Earth would call a medic."

"Nice to meet you, doc. What can you tell me about Xana?"

The numerous questions flooding his mind stuck in his throat. He wouldn't
ask about Xana's chances of surviving because he worried that he might jinx
it.

"Jinx? What does it mean?"

"I can't believe it. You're all mind readers," Riordan said with a long
sigh.

"Only when one is as unguarded as you are."

"What's that supposed to mean? Never mind. Please, tell me about Xana."

Ferix approached the tank and held a long stylus between his elegant
fingers as he began to point out various things. "The poison entered the
body through here, here, and here," he explained. "The attacker knew very
well what he was doing. It is a miracle that he survived. Xeus Lei
intervened at the right time. Is there a problem?"

The question took Riordan by surprise. He shrugged, not knowing what to
say.

"Leave your emotions aside," Ferix instructed as if he told Riordan to
leave his shoes at the door. "They are quite distracting."

The doc could call the visit over as he saw fit. Riordan clenched his
teeth. But how on earth could he do this since the Xeno could read his mind
so easily?

When Ferix grabbed his hand suddenly, he tried to pull away. The grip was
strong, and he felt his pulse where the alien's fingers dug into his
wrist. However, his discomfort was short-lived. He felt his pulse slowing
down, and a strange relief. His distress from earlier was fading.

"Better?"

He nodded. Whatever Ferix had done to him, it was working.

"I will continue. What happens now," the Xeno explained, turning towards
the tank, "is that I stopped the poison from spreading. Extracting it,
however, is a slow process. Xana Lei must be left unconscious while he
heals. Any shock could reverse the progress I made."

"So I'd better keep from trying to reach him, you know, with my thoughts,"
Riordan concluded for himself.

"You can use it?" Ferix frowned lightly. "Our language?"

"Is this what you call it?" Riordan remembered his earlier conversation
with Xeus. "But why do you use speech if that's the case?"

"We need it as we interact with other species. I've heard of Earthians
capable of communicating the way we do. But I had yet to meet one. Now
you're here."

"You sound excited about it. You don't go out much, do you?"

"No," Ferix replied promptly, not getting the joke. "I live to serve Xeno."

"That planet, is it still... livable?"

"I was talking about our species. Can I examine your head?"

The curious look in the green eyes gave Riordan the willies.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea. And aren't you busy with Xana? I believe
he needs all your attention."

"My job here is mostly waiting." Ferix looked at his patient with dull
eyes. Riordan couldn't help thinking that the Xeno looked even younger than
he had thought previously.

"How old are you?" he asked on impulse.

Ferix seemed taken aback by his question. "I assure you that my expertise
recommends me. I was the first to finish what you would call on Earth a
medical education. For Xenos, it is a much more comprehensible subject that
covers not only our species, but the many others we've encountered
throughout our conquests across the universe." His voice was frosty, and
his eyes were cold.

Riordan shivered. The temperature in the room was dropping, pretty much as
it happened when Xana was in a bad mood. Right now, he would have his
husband throwing a hissy fit, only so that he could see those beautiful
eyes looking at him, angry as they may be but full of life.

"Sorry," he said. "I was only thinking that you looked young. I don't
question your experience whatsoever."

The temperature appeared to rise, back to normal levels.

"You say the truth," Ferix concluded.

"You're the studious type, aren't you?" Riordan hoped he could spend some
more time in that room only so that he could feel Xana close for a
while. It hurt to see his husband like that, but he welcomed the hurt. It
was a sign of being alive.

"I am the best," Ferix replied, without showing any sign of arrogance. For
him, it was a fact. Riordan didn't contradict him. He only hoped the Xeno
was right in his self-evaluation. "I finished my basic studies 5 years
earlier than everyone else, and then completed my specialization thrice as
fast as my colleagues."

"Prodigy," Riordan said and nodded politely. "Lonely much?" There were
signs of that, but maybe he was overthinking things. These aliens still
remained a mystery to him.

Ferix observed him carefully. "An odd question. To answer your other, less
peculiar question, in Earthian years, I would be 15 years old."

"15?" Riordan stared in shock at the good doc. "How can you be 15?"

"In Earthian years," Ferix cared to clarify again. "I am almost fully
developed in body."

"I can see that," Riordan agreed. Another question was nagging him. "At
what age do you turn into full grownups?"

"Physically, from the age - what you would call that - of 16. The brain,
however, is a different matter. And the mind must control the body. That is
why most Xenos aren't considered adults before finishing their basic
education at least."

"Which ends at 18, right?"

"Yes. Xana here was also a prodigy. Even as grownups, Xenos must attend
long aprentinceships before being accepted in the highest echelon of our
species and be allowed to work for our future. Your master, Riordan Lei, is
not as gifted as me, but he did finish his diplomatic education within a
single year. Normally, it should have taken him 5 to 7 years. I heard that
he had an ulterior reason to be in such a hurry, but I don't know what it
was. Do you know?"

There was no way he was going to tell a 15-year-old why Xana had studied
like a maniac. Talks about bearers and human prostitutes should be left for
a time when the guy would be older. Riordan hoped he was guarding his
thoughts well enough this time around. The way Ferix pursed his lips in
displeasure let him know he did.

"Everyone keeps forgetting I am a medic. Nothing could shock me."

"Maybe there are a few things. Let's talk about something else. How long do
you believe Xana would need to come back among the living?"

"He is among the living."

"You know what I mean."

"I do. Earthians' propensity for saying one thing when they mean another
still baffles me. Why is it so?"

"I have no idea," Riordan replied, shrugging. "It's the way we are."

"Too bad I will not have one of my own," Ferix said, but he didn't appear
in the least regretful.

"Right. Where we're going, there will be no new bearers to be brought into
the fold."

"His Royal Chancellor's plan will work."

"Getting us to Tanez? That might happen, I agree. But what about the next
generations? Oh, don't tell me it's back to hunting lizards for the sake of
multiplying." That would make sense. But where was Tanez located? Could
they reach other planets easily? Riordan found himself worrying about
Junior ever finding a mate. How odd. The baby had just been born, and yet
he was working himself over things like that.

"Getting to Tanez is just the beginning," Ferix said mysteriously.

"The beginning of what?"

"I have to observe Xana's evolution. You need to leave."

Xenos did have all something in common. As soon as the conversation became
interesting, they cut it short. Riordan couldn't help but wonder what Marn
had in mind. He was the puppet master, and everything pointed to that.

Which meant, of course, that in the near future, he had to pay the big
kahuna a visit. All in due time. He thanked Ferix for allowing him to see
Xana and touched the glass while taking a last look at his beautiful Xeno
husband. Xeus was wrong; even in that state, Xana could make his heart skip
a beat.

"I leave him in your caring hands," he said without tearing his eyes away
even as he walked towards the door.

"My capable hands, you mean," Ferix corrected him.

"Yes, of course."

Riordan left the suit in the following room, and as he left, he was again
subjected to the same process of having himself doused in that strange
vapor before the final door opened in front of him.

***

His next stop, since he knew where to find them, was Lakni's and the
other's shared quarters. What he hadn't expected to see was Lewis cradling
two Xenolites at his chest at the same time. He was there, installed
comfortably in a large armchair made of soft materials, dressed in a long
robe open in front, and his eyes moved to Riordan the moment he stepped
inside.

"Riordan," he said and his eyes shone with genuine happiness.

They hadn't spoken save for that time when Riordan had saved the guy's
life, but the familiarity of his name in the other's mouth made him feel
like they had been friends since forever.

"Lewis, don't you look nice?" he complimented his host.

Vasko, the Xeno with the odd eyes, was massaging Lewis's feet pedantically
and he smiled at Riordan.

"Where are the others? Lakni?" Riordan asked.

"His Royal Chancellor has been debriefing them every day for hours," Lewis
explained. "They told me the strangest things. That there were humans on
Gamni Gafilos's ship."

Riordan nodded. He took a seat as Lewis invited him. Vasko took the
Xenolites from Lewis's arms, only to replace them with other two. Now that
was hard work, indeed, and he found nothing out of the ordinary, as Vasko
kissed Lewis for a while, most probably providing him with seth as
nourishment.

"Yes. What do you make of that?"

Lewis seemed pensive for a while. He jolted when one of his young ones bit
his chest a bit too hard. But his rough face relaxed in a smile. When he
looked up at Riordan, however, his smile faded.

"When I was on Earth and got recruited by those guys, there were the
wildest talks out in the street. There were a few who believed that, among
Xenos, there must be some who didn't agree with how things were run in
regards to the way Earth was treated."

"Meaning?" Riordan asked, more and more interested in what the ex-soldier
had to say.

"The guys I was with weren't happy that Xeno used Earth as breeding
stock. However, they couldn't go openly against the official decision to
allow that to happen because Xenos had destroyed entire species in the past
due to the same reason."

"Opposition?"

"Open conflict," Lewis corrected him.

"I see." Riordan felt a bad taste in his mouth. "Do you know of anyone
having gotten in touch with some Xeno who disagreed with the powers that
be?"

Lewis shook his head. "No, but I was just a grunt. People didn't exactly
tell me much. I was only expected to follow orders."

"How come you don't do that well with taking orders from us, then?" Vasko
intervened in the conversation. He was holding Lewis by the shoulders in
what looked like a display of possession.

"I wasn't with those guys much, either. And I must be hard-headed," Lewis
said.

"You did well when it counted," Riordan said. "I'm happy I convinced you to
surrender that time instead of dying for a cause that doesn't seem to have
meant much for you. Although, for a long time, I worried that the
punishment was worse than your crime."

Lewis nodded and bounced the Xenolites in his arms lightly. They were
definitely smaller compared to Junior, and they had been born before
him. On the other hand, Lewis had to accommodate six eggs inside him, which
might have caused them to turn up smaller.

"I don't have regrets in the end," Lewis said. "Also, when I remember what
a scare I got put through, I can always pull Vasko's ear."

The Xeno brushed away his hair from one side of the head to offer his
ear. Both Vasko and Lewis laughed at their shared joke.

"Can you please tell Lakni I looked for him? There's something I want to
talk to him about."

"Of course," Lewis said pleasantly. "Where are your quarters these days,
Riordan?"

Right. A logical question. "I'm bunking with daddy-in-law."

"Ah, I see," Lewis said with a smile. "If we were still on Earth, you and
Xana would have made great material for a reality show."

"But we are that, anyway," Riordan commented dryly. "Only there are no
cameras. Just people's eyes on us, everywhere."

Lewis nodded. "I suppose there's not that much entertainment available. I'm
happy to see you well, Riordan. Don't be a stranger."

He didn't intend to be. He said farewell to Vasko and Lewis and considered
where to head out next. Did he have enough time to pay a visit to Florent,
as well? Hopefully, he was conscious and could handle conversation, since
there were so many questions on Riordan's mind.

tbc



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