Am I My Blondie's Keeper?
The impressive white sedan was slowly pulling along the narrow and filthy streets of Ceres under the blank light of the night lamps in the annoying autumn drizzle, clearly being terribly out of place there. Katze was slowly turning the wheel, postponing as long as he possibly could the forthcoming unavoidable visit, trying to buy Riki some time. He had always treated Riki as a juniour brother –the one he had tragically lost in childhood- because Riki so very much resembled Taki and it was not all the same to him what would happen to Riki. When half an hour ago he was having a regular smoke casually leaned against the car in Midas and saw Iason descending the stairs of his HQ- pulling the white gloves on, his lips being pressed firmly together into a thin dash- Katze knew that meant Iason had made an important decision. Being Iason's driver and a former Furniture had taught Katze reading some body language of this Blondie- the habit that came in handy in some cases, mostly to know when to keep a safe distance.
Tonight was Riki's final night out for his Master decided one year of freedom was more than enough. For both of them.
Finally, Katze pulled over by the entrance to the building Riki had a flat in. That was a five-storied building, it had three to four flats in a landing, and was one of the newest buildings in Ceres. Riki must have found his way back in the black market that he could afford to live in such an expensive place- expensive to the mongrel contingent, of course, for an Elite such a sum would be peanuts. Also, that meant general improvement in Ceres economics for more and more of the slum huts were torn down and high buildings came into existence in the place of the old slums. Katze remembered a new joke that was passing around the bars and pubs with great success- that from atop of such a building one could look directly into Jupiter's bedroom.
Iason reached out for the door handle. Then, Katze charged.
"Would you like to hear my advice?"- the red-haired asked.
"No,"- was calm Iason's reply. Katze gave out a short suppressed sigh: some Blondies never learn. They make their mistakes not to learn from them but to repeat them from time to time. So typical of them. And then they say that pets are the ones acting arrogant and stubborn. Go figure.
Yet, Iason still remained inside.
"What is it?"- asked the Blondie.
"Don't play "Master and Pet,"- said Katze over a new cigarette between his lips he was now trying to lit-"it stopped working ages ago. Just tell him how much you missed him. Just tell him how the freaking hell you missed him. Tell him about those sleepless nights, empty bottles, spanked pets, Raoul's split lip…"
"Shut the fuck up,"- said Iason the same calmly and stepped out of the car. He looked up to the sky. The twin moons were shining the same beautifully and detached as always. Iason gave a short sigh and entered the building. He new the forthcoming battle was going to be tough.
Riki was far from being glad to see Iason. He placed his hands akimbo and unfriendly stared at Blondie narrowing his eyes, planting himself in the middle of the room and in this way having the sofa as a barrier in between. Riki now resembled to a cat with arched back and messed up fur in defence pose in front of an enemy. It seemed, he was even sparkling.
"How did you come in?"- Riki snapped.
"I have a key."
"I don't remember giving you one."
Iason didn't bother to give any explanation how he managed to obtain a key to Riki's flat. He just kept looking at his pet silently.
"Can't a man have some sort of privacy on this fucked up planet? Why did you come? You haven't showed your face in any of all those months and now what right do you think you have to appear here just like that!"- Riki exploded.
"My love to you gives me that right."
"Fuck off, prick."
"Watch your mouth, pet,"- Iason's eyes dangerously flashed. He was trying hard to treat Riki as his equal – just like Riki wanted to be treated, as far as Iason could remember- and to win something positive on his behalf by doing that but the same disobedience Riki would always give to him made Iason with that one sentence return at the top of the society leaving his beloved one at the very bottom of it. It was not what Iason wanted to. It was what he was used to. And it was what Iason thought was right.
"Here we go again,"- said Riki crossing his arms on the chest. –"Well, go rape me now and let's be done with it. Go to some of yours important meetings and conferences, leaving me sprawled on the bed just like that, just like a living addition to your bed that you made of me. Do like you always do. And I don't want to see your face ever again."
"I've realized my mistake and came to apologize and make up. Why are you hurting me?"
"Hurting you? Hello! Wake up! I am the one who's being hurt to the left and to the right and I'll be bound if you are not having your way of sick thrill about that! You took away everything I had- my friends, my freedom, my pride, even my body. You could fuck it, chain it, or give it for public humiliation and you did it all! You treated me like some freaking fuck doll and now you are saying that I'm hurting you!"
"Your refusal hurt like hell. Your submission to my touches when you were chained or spanked hurt more than your bites and curses. Your face expression when I was trying to caress your body hurt."
"Don't make a victim of yourself, Iason."
"I came to offer you something. I want you to come back. You can have a room of your own if you like. I just want to return home and find you. I don't want to return to an empty, cold house with scared pets and scarred Furniture. I want to return home to return to you. To see you. To see your smile, to hear your laughter. To feel the warmth. And I'm ready…to be patient."
"Are you ill or something?"- asked Riki surprised.
" I am in my most earnest, serious and sincere mind."
"And why do you think I should want to return to you?"
"Because deep in your heart you have something for me. You may try to deny it but you do love me and enjoy being with me and making love with me. Just your pride prevents you from admitting it."
"That's ridiculous. Guy is the one I love. He is the one I have been thinking about every time you touched me."
"Now you are the one who's being ridiculous,"- said Iason, trying hard not to show how deeply he was hurt with the last sentence information-"he sold you to me, do you know that? But I guess this conversation never took place between the two of you. He would be the last fool on Amoi if he told you that."
"Wh-at?"- gasped Riki.
"He came to me two days after I placed you in Eos. He said he wanted you back. He said he'd do everything possible and impossible to get you back. I must admit at that time it sounded quite a threat. My reputation…. I could keep you, make the fact known to the public and start the taming process just like any other Master would. But the flash news about my mongrel pet could have done harm to my foreign policy and business at that time. So, I bought his silence. It cost me 20 000 a month you stayed with me. With that sum of money, he could afford to put you in a better surrounding."
"Fucking liar. I am the one paying the rent for this flat so get out of my house. Now!"
"I was just curious where is the limit of mongrel meanness."
"It's all your fucking experiments! Meanness! Pain! Submission! You have no real feelings but your freaky curiosity. That's your driving force! You, freaking Elites, think we are some kind of experimental species to play with!"
Now it didn't matter to Iason if Riki was going back by his own good will on the backseat of his car or bound in the boot of it. He placed one hand on the backrest of the sofa ready to jump over the piece of furniture and give Riki a good thrash when the entrance doors were kicked opened with a crack.
"Fuck,"- Riki paled-"it's Guy. He's gonna kill you. Or me. Or both."
But the gunmen in gas masks and khaki uniforms that filled the flat were neither Guy nor any other member of Bison.
When Iason came to himself, he was back in his apartment in Midas. A handsome worried face of Daryl was the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes and his vision cleared. Katze was there, too, nervously pacing back and forward in front of his bed, risking pacing a hole in the carpet, his ever-present cigarette between his lips.
"Are you all right, Master?"- asked Daryl, helping Iason to take a gulp of cold water and brushing the sweat from his Master's forehead. –"The smoke poisoning was serious but the doctors say it's going to be all right. Can I get you something?"
"Riki…"- whispered Iason by heavy, dry and split lips, feeling the sickening taste of sand in his mouth-"where is Riki?"
"There are some gentlemen who wish to see you as soon as you wake up waiting in the hall. They will probably have all the necessary explanations,"- said Daryl, retreating to the depth of the room. Katze soon joined him and they both began talking silently, form time to time taking a look at Iason and uniformed security men that approached Iason's bed.
"I am General O'Hara,"- saluted a tall man with short raven hair and impressive moustache as he introduced himself. –"I am to investigate the attempt to assassinate you, Sir Iason Mink. We have some questions and would be grateful if you could assist us. We understand you suffered a shock but the sooner we can talk it over, the sooner the matter will be taken care off and the responsible will be punished."
"Where is Riki? I want to see Riki."
"I'm afraid things are not what they seemed to be up to now. You don't know an important part of the whole story, the part that had to be hidden and kept secret from you for our plans to succeed in the future. But whether you will have a chance to see Riki the Dark or not is not in my competence."
"Is he hurt? Seriously hurt?"- Iason sat up in the bed-"then I'll get the best doctors for him!"
"Please calm down. Riki the Dark suffered no harm. He took down five of the eight assassins himself by the time we arrived at the place of the accident. Mongrel Riki the Dark wasn't accidentally in the ally you picked him up after the so-called attack on him."
"What do you mean? Why are you talking in riddles? Why "so-called"?"- demanded to know Iason.
"Your meeting had been pre-arranged. Riki the Dark has been our agent for many years from now. He was working for Very Important Persons Security Unit, an elite security organization whose workers range from Elites to mongrels, depending on the complexity of the task. Riki the Dark was bought by one of our agents abroad and received training at our camps. He's been assigned as your undercover body guard during his last mission. His task was to protect you at any cost from your assassination we predicted to be planning already then and to constantly inform us about the situation by initiating a contact with our personnel from time to time. His job also included infiltration into your social surroundings and finding out the possible associates. Our people will have some questions to a certain Raoul Am according to the last information Riki the Dark provided us with five days ago."
"Raoul? But he's my friend, I trust him like nobody else! Why would he want my death?"
"That's what we are trying to find out. I suppose the usual motives of money and power apply here, too. He's second-in-command of Amoi, is that right?"
"Well, yes…"
"That explains much."
"You are not an Elite, are you?"- asked Iason, suspiciously. Raven hair…could be a part of disguise, though it was typically associated with mongrels. And that note of superiority to Elites in General's voice…
"No, I'm not. I'm a mongrel,"- stated General in the same manner as a Blondie would say "I'm an Elite".
"You must hate Elites, then."
"I should, in fact. But if I would have allowed myself to be carried away by emotions, I wouldn't have made my career. My personal beliefs are not to be taken in consideration. I'm a professional. But let's return to what you can say about Raoul Am."
"I still can't believe it, that he has something to do with the whole affair."
"Plot,"- corrected him general.
"That is not of primary importance now. I want to know whereabouts of my pet, be he your agent or not. He's mine in any case."
"I hate to disagree with you but if Raoul Am is in some way associated with the attempt to assassinate you now and we can trace him back to the first attempt to take your life away, he shall have to answer for his crimes. No Blondie is above the law. This society is based on law and respect and neither can be rebuilt easily."
Iason just smirked. Who, who, but he himself could tell General more about broken laws than any repeat offender of the planet. Especially when it came to moral laws according to having wild fantastic sex with own pet. Somehow, this General was acting as if the open secret of Iason's love (sex) affair was classified and never rumoured around.
"I want to see Riki,"- said Iason after a short pause.
"I'm afraid that is impossible."
"Don't you know who I am?"
"Like I said, Iason Mink. First Son of Jupiter. First Consule of Planet Amoi. Yes, I have the honour to know who you are."
"Then you must know there is no thing impossible to me."
"Not in this case. I have my orders from above."
"I am the above."
"Not in this case, I'm afraid. I'm receiving my orders from Jupiter. Directly."
"Jupiter Herself said I can't see Riki?"- verified Iason in great surprise. Of course, Iason was familiar with Jupiter's point of view about the whole matter but never previously She interfered with his choice of pets. And, true, never before Iason had fallen in love with any of his belongings –except for that short moment when Katze had taken up his duties in the household but that, too, was something of a romantic feeling only- and had sex with them.
"That is correct."
"That is bullshit. I am the one Jupiter talks to directly."
"You were."
"What is that supposed to mean?"- Iason furrowed his brows. Suddenly, the hierarchical system of Amoian society seemed to be not what he was used to having. Has Jupiter been fooling him all that time? What for, then? He was fulfilling his duties –except, perhaps, with being the paragon of moral behaviour of a Blondie- and there was no need not to trust him or his abilities. As it was clear now, Jupiter had done the hell of a job to keep him surrounded by spies. His private life had no incorrigible effect whatsoever on his work to be prevented from…had it?
"Jupiter will explain you Herself soon. For now, you are under our guard and are not to leave your apartments until further instructions are given,"- General saluted goodbye.
"Am I imprisoned in my own home?"
"That is for your own sake. It won't last long, believe me."
General saluted again and left the room, his escort following him. Iason leaned back on his pillows, tearing apart the laced handkerchief he fingered under the quilt. Katze and Daryl were sympathetically looking at him.
"Unbelievable…"- whispered Iason Mink, Son of Jupiter, First Consule of Planet Amoi, now a prisoner of his own home.
The following two days were like in hell. Iason kept running in his apartments like a lion in his cage, going madder and madder with every passing minute that he had no news about Riki. He refused to eat and talk to anybody; he allowed no visitors. He had sent Daryl out to the Tanagura streets and Katze in Tanagura computer systems but they came back with empty hands. Riki's pet ring was producing nothing that would help them to detect him, which was the fault with the pet ring system. Seemingly, there existed a particular device to block the outcoming (and, naturally, incoming) signals that Iason knew nothing about; his technical personnel were also unaware of the possible explanation. Katze promised to ask around in the black market but no matter how deep he was digging, nothing came up. Only one thought comforted Iason. It was Daryl's idea, actually. Daryl said that if Riki was really under Jupiter's control, so he must be safe and sound. Otherwise, they would know.
In the morning of the third day, when the waiting became unbearable and physically painful, Iason received a call from Jupiter.
Before entering Jupiter's chamber, Iason had to experience one more unpleasant encounter. In the long narrow corridor, the last step separating Jupiter from Her visitors, Iason passed by two guards dragging Raoul from the chamber. As they came near, Iason noted Raoul was unconscious. He was still wearing his Blondie's garments and had no visible marks of being questioned by force, but the fact that he was being taken unconscious from Jupiter's chamber said it all. If there was something in Raoul's mind Jupiter wanted to know, Jupiter had found Her way there.
When the steel doors slid close behind him, Iason made a few steps forward and paused by the chair, blood suddenly running cold in his veins and heart hammering madly. Perhaps, for the first time in his life Iason Mink was frightened. He felt sick. The chair still had the electronic wires around it that were sliding back inside slowly like snakes. Iason felt one more shiver coming down his spine. Raoul must have spent the most horrible five minutes in his life- it was that much Jupiter's mind scanning required. But Jupiter had had enough time to bring things in order by the time Iason would reach the door. Was that a kind of a subtle warning?
"You came,"- and the hologram sprung up.
"You called,"- answered Iason, bowing.
"Sit down."
"I'd rather not."
"I'm not going to mind scan you, my Son."
"How would I know?"- Iason remained suspicious even though Jupiter used Her rarest and most amiable way of addressing to him.
"Because all your thoughts are clear to me. You are an open book,"- a hologram arm caressed his cheek.
"I want to see Riki,"- nearly begged Iason.
"I'm afraid that is not possible."
"Why?"
"Because I say so."
"That is not enough. Give me a reason."
"He made you weak."
"He made me strong."
"You are my favourite Son but you've gone too far. You won't see Riki the Dark, not now, not ever. I'll provide you with another pet to take care of your sexual needs. I've already ordered the top five pets from the Academy to be delivered to your penthouse. You ca choose one or you can keep all, it doesn't matter."
"I don't have a penthouse."
"Now you do."
"What is it? A bribe?"
"A loving gift for a loving son from a loving mother."
"Loving? Then give me what I want! Give me what I love! Give me Riki!"
The silence fell. The hologram kept hanging there like a shadow of something terrible.
"What have you done to him?"- asked Iason in suddenly coarsen voice.
The silence remained. The hologram kept hanging without a sound.
"What have you done to him!"- screamed Iason.
"He doesn't remember you."
"What? Why?"- Iason furrowed his brows, puzzled.
"He doesn't remember you because his mind had been erased, just like previous times when he would return from his missions. He's now, as we speak, being reprogrammed for another operation."
Iason leaned backwards and deeply inhaled. He felt s if a huge hot ball had hit his head.
"Nowadays it is so easy to correct behaviour of lower species and to inbreed new traits. Riki the Dark was programmed to be fighting with you. That's the usual code for this kind of a mission, when the target has such characteristics as you do, and who would know you better than me? I know you inside out, my Son. So, if Riki the Dark had been programmed as a harem pet, he would have had no skills to do a job of a spy and bodyguard. He had to be aggressive. Also, I needed you to pick exactly him out of many…amusements available."
"Then programme him back! Programme him to love me since you can!"
"I don't want to. I have other plans for him."
"You, you, you! It is always you! And what about me!"
"And what about you?"
"I want my Riki! Jupiter? Do you hear me! Do you want me to beg for him? Okay, I will!"- yelled Iason, terrified-"Jupiter!"
The silence fell again.
"Jupiter! Answer me!"
"Here. I'm afraid I'll have no choice but to remove your memories concerning Riki the Dark. Three years of your life, no, better the entire four. It's for your own sake."
"No,"- whispered Iason, shaking his head-"you can't do that to me, not you. You can't take away from me what's most precious to me. I'm no fucking Raoul!"- Iason clenched his fists.
"You aren't. You are a better creation, my perfect realization. We are so alike."
"Never!"
"Why? You too stripped away everything precious Riki the Dark had just to keep him by your side when you wanted to possess him. You didn't care for his needs, did you? Doesn't it prove we are related?"
"That's a lie! I cared for him!"
"Indeed?"
"Are you doing this to make me feel what Riki felt? To make me feel what a pet feels? All right! You win! It fucking hurts! Now bring my Riki back!"
"You had my answer. Why can't you take it? I don't want to make you lose that part of your memory. It's not what I'm aiming for, it's what you are pushing me for with this kind of behaviour."
"What do you want from me?"- moaned Iason-"tell me and I'll do it. Just bring my Riki back."
"Even if his mind is completely wiped out? Even if he wouldn't know how to hold a spoon? Even if he has absolutely no idea who you are?"
"Yes, yes, hell yes! He's rid of pain now and I'll do everything in my power to make him happy. I don't need a penthouse, Academy pets, anything! Take it all back and give my Riki!"
Iason was sobbing before he realized he was.
"Tears,"- said Jupiter after a pause-"even after all my attempts, there is still so much of a human in you. Raoul Am was found guilty with plotting a takeover and will be treated accordingly. You have nothing to worry about now, my Son."
The room went dark and the doors slid open. Jupiter was gone. Iason wiped his tears away and slowly paced along the corridor back and forward, waiting for his cheeks to dry. When he decided he was (at least looking) all right, he left the chamber. Nobody disturbed him on his way down in elevator and down the staircase of the HQ, the same staircase he had descended the previous time when he was full of hope and anxiety, and now he was descending it with low sunk heart, a completely broken man, his hopes crushed and spirit broken. Katze drove him home without saying a word; he need not to ask anything for when he saw Iason returning alone, without Riki, Katze understood that nothing he could say would be of any comfort. The loss of Riki, his 'little bro'", deeply affected the black market ace and in this aspect he somewhat close to Daryl, who seemed to share the same pain of the loss as Katze did. "That punk" appeared to be widely loved and cared about even thought he could be the worst pain in the neck. At that moment, Katze felt tears gripping his throat. He had lost another brother that day. He was orphanaged again. He could accept the fact of Riki's death but there was no body. He could not accept Riki as a missing person. That was just too monstrous. Katze squeezed the wheel firmer. He was so lost in thought that he didn't notice the red lamp winking about the incoming message from Iason's household. Half an hour later, In Midas apartment, Daryl dashed to welcome his Master.
"Master!"- yelled the Furniture.
"Not now, Daryl,"- said Iason, waving the Furniture off nonchalantly.
"But, Master…"
"Not now, I said,"- and Iason tightly shut the door of his bedroom, leaving the puzzled Furniture on the other side of it. Now he least cared for wine or food Daryl was going to offer. Iason made a few steps forward, his hands working on unbuttoning the upper cloak of his garment, when he froze on the spot.
Riki was standing in front, angry like a devil, hands akimbo, deeply panting.
"Where the hell have you been!"- yelled Riki-"and why the hell I am locked up in this goddamned room and can't even open the balcony doors? I've smoked so much I feel like in a crematorium and can't get a gulp of fresh air. Is that your fucking anti-smoking campaign again?"
"Ri…Riki!"- exclaimed Iason.
"And whom else did you expect, pervert?"
Iason laughed out loud. Riki now could call him worst names and play worst tricks, he would be forgiven everything, absolutely everything!
"Oh, Riki,"- Iason sighed, firmly wrapping his strong arms around the lithe bronze body of his pet and with growing happiness feeling the same good old resistance-"my love. I missed you dearly. I thought I would never see you again. Are you all right, love?"
"Fuck off, prick."
"Kiss me, pet!"- demanded Iason.
"You wanna, pervert. Let me go!"
"Relax, I'm just checking,"- smiled the Blondie.
"Fucking checking what?"
"Never mind,"- whispered Iason, planting his kisses all over Riki's face and hungrily inhaling the scent of his hair and skin.
Jupiter didn't return a programmed harem pet. He returned the same stubborn creature whose love Iason had to earn with patience and hard work. Because, after all, that was so human!
The End
Revised 25 February, 2005