The Russian captain opened the door to the tube like room. There were two people inside with great contrast to them. One was shorter, pale and in a suit. The other was tall, dark and in black pants and a shirt.
"Captain Marko Ramius?" The shorter one asked.
The captain nodded.
"Greetings sir, can we be of some assistance? I'm Jack Ryan by the way." The pale man grinned. The taller on had his arms crossed and was just staring around.
The captain nodded again. "We seem to have a reactor failure and need to get our men out of here."
"This a rescue sub, it'll take fifteen at a time."
Ramius did a quick calculation in his head. Seven trips but the last would not be made. "And they will be taken to your ship, Commander?" At least he thought that was the insignia rank on the uniform.
"Yes sir they will." This, Jack, person answered quickly.
The captain turned to the doctor of the ship. This was the moment his set his and the other officers like him to their fate. "Doctor Petrov, escort the first fifteen. Keep them together and don't leave any of them alone with an American."
Petrov nodded. He knew the captain was going to blow the ship to pieces. "Yes sir." He whispered quietly. "You will receive the honor of Lenin for this." The captain nodded gravely as the first fifteen boarded.
The two Americans leaned easily against the wall, tense as they were. The two groups watched each other in silence. The little Mystic came and went. At the sixth trip they left only several officers and two more Americans dropped down into the Red October.
"We'll need a ninety minute recharge between now and the next trip." The driver of the mini sub yelled down to the new Americans.
"Got it Bucky." The older man with a stern face yelled back. He looked to be in the uniform of a captain. "Captain Ramius. Bart Mancusso, captain of the USS Dallas." The two captains shook hands. The black skinned young looking man stood off to the side eyeing the two Americans who came down first.
"Commander Ryan, Captain Macusso, myself and my officers present you with the ballistic missile submarine the Red October." Ramius stated blatantly.
"And we gladly except it Captain." Ryan said cheerfully. "I can't believe it you pulled it all off."
Ramius translated for his men who laughed somberly. They looked sadly at the floor and the group wandered back to the main control room.
"What happens now?" Ramius turned about.
Jack was still grinning. The American was clearly unaware of the left over crew's status. "Now we wait. We have an old missile ship to blow sky high to make it look like yours was destroyed. I assume you told your crew you were going to scuttle this ship?"
"Of course." Ramius scoffed. "What then?"
"Then we pilot this ship to a safe harbor with our escorts the Dallas and the Pogy." Jack thought for a second. "I think that the US has plans for you as well."
Ramius nodded his head but silently he and the crew were thinking about how they would never get to see America. They would die very quickly after the Americans exploded their old ship. They would have to or their doctor and feeder would know they were alive. They had discussed it before, in order for the ship to make it to America and maybe put an end to the almost war they had to snap off the weak bonds between themselves and their feeder.
The black man had join Valintin at the sonar board. The man had his hand out flat. When he made a fist they would pull the plug for their own death.
"Anytime now."
Jack and Jeptha leaned against the wall. The other captain looked around at the instruments. Ramius nodded to his eight other crew members. They nodded back, still in agreement.
"Here she comes." The dark sonar man said excitedly.
The Russians focused on their flock fellow's hand. It closed in slow motion. The boat was rocked by the explosion. The Russian flock yanked its bond away from their feeder. They reeled back as the freed cords snapped like a tensed cable. The bond lashed wildly trying to find a source. Ramius and the other members who were standing fell to the floor. Their vision blurred. The supply of energy was gone. They had planned this, Ramius, Vasili, Yuir, Artur, Valintin, Victor, Kamarov, Ivan, Vlado, planned to die. The light swirled, the flock sank from sudden exhaustion. Then it was over. White. Ramius opened his eyes to see the Red October's inside still.
"What the hell?" Captain Macusso cried out.
The bond was being fed by someone much more powerful and nearby. The Russians looked at each other astonished to be alive. But who was hosting them?
Jack smiled pleased in the corner. The bonds had taken no problem. The newer bonds were feeding just as steadily as Jeptha's. He could sense the reeling confusion throughout their midst. Jeptha step forward and raised the spiny crest alone the top of his head. The scaled frilled appeared on the sides of his jaw, lowering. He grinned exposing his fangs. His wings pushed his shirt up in the back stretching it taunt across his abdominal muscles.
The two Americans that came on board second jerked back. So did the submariners. Their own crests rose and they dropped their eyes from the more powerful flock fellow. Ramius challenged the new one with his eyes. His old crest rattled and he had to hold tight to his wings to keep them from ripping his shirt. The American surprised him by pulling up his frill and tilting his head in a plea for truce. The captain cocked his own head in accordance. He didn't want to fight here.
Jonesy, the American sonar man watched wide eyes. "To repeat the captain, what the hell was that?"
Jack shoved off the wall. "That was the ultimate sacrifice made by a flock. They need to be bonded to a person called a feeder. The feeder has a direct link to them. Our new Russian friends had to break theirs to let us have the ship. They were prepared to die."
"Were, being the word in there that is questionable." Ramius stood. His crew followed suit. They were a bit dizzy from the rush of power from their new host.
"No question. You weren't expecting America to deliver you to death were you?" Jack smiled. "I can hold two times this many so I am therefore acceptable until you are transferred or we complete the bond."
The Russians shivered oddly at the word transferred. Jack made a note of that.
"Why?" Ramius asked. He approached Jeptha warily. The other man watched him much the same.
"Why what?" Jack asked. "Why did we save you? Why me?"
"Why didn't I know about this?" Captain Mancusso muttered to Jonesy.
Ramius glanced at the captain then looked at him. "All of the above."
Jack laughed. There was a little trill through the bond that gave the flock a pause. "Well Mancusso didn't know because he didn't need to. I was chosen because Jeptha and I, although powerful, are expendable. And I saved you because I wanted to and you needed me to."
Ramius and Jeptha stood face to face. They were about even in height. Both flock fellows tipped their heads in opposite directions and leaned in as if to chew on the opposite's neck. The sniffed and held that position then withdrew slowly. The both looked more settled and the other Russians and Jack sighed in relief.
"Great. We're all flocky. Now we need to get going. Are our escorts here yet?"
Jonesy jerked his gaze away from the strange happenings of the boat. "Yes sir they are."
"Captain?" Jack tipped his head to Ramius.
"Stations everyone. Vasili cover fire control." Ramius started directing people almost immediately. "Vlado come drive this thing." The Americans dispersed to a station except for Jack. The man sat down and crisscrossed his legs. He was about to yell at the American but then he felt the bond suddenly thunder with energy. His mind sharpened and he felt more agile than he had ever felt in his life. Ramius had to reappraise this feeder. Their feeder.
"Full right rudder."
"Right full rudder, yes sir."
The voyage was a grueling three days to the first check point. They barely had enough crew men to work the whole vessel. The combined Americans and Russians attempted to rotate in and out with the stations so everyone could sleep.
"Jack you're off now. You know that?" Yuir commented absentmindedly.
The American nodded with his eyes closed.
There was the problem. The feeder wouldn't sleep. As long as there was a flock member on the bridge, which was all the time, he was awake and feeding energy.
"He won't sleep." Jeptha had come up behind Ramius out of nowhere.
The captain scowled. "Noted."
"Is there any chocolate on this tin can?"
Now he was not following the conversation anymore. "What?"
"Chocolate." The dark man said again. "Cocoa, sugar, milk. All mixed together."
"Jack?" Ramius thought it might connect.
Jeptha nodded. "Chocoholic. Loves the stuff."
"I am not sure." He scrunched his forehead trying to recall the stores list. It hadn't really mattered as he and the rest of the flock didn't need anything but their feeder.
"What's wrong?" Jack called looking over his shoulder, feeling the intensity of the thoughts.
"Nothing." Jeptha stalked off.
Ramius put the main under Mancusso and passed Jeptha, leading him down to the gallery. They opened cupboards and scoured the pantry. They didn't find anything that even resembled chocolate.
"Oh well." Jeptha sighed. "Was worth a try."
"Can he survive in these conditions?" Ramius asked.
Jeptha pulled his eyes off the floor. "Yep. He's been attached to me for seven years. We have both seen worse. It's just a comfort thing, the chocolate. Something familiar, you know?"
Ramius nodded. He lightly grazed the bond line in his mind. A little tendril of warmth worked its way to his head. It felt gentle and caring. A light question came with it.
Jeptha gave a sad half smile. "He just never quits. This half-done bond is really taxing him though. Power isn't balanced."
"We didn't ask for this." Ramius grimaced. It sounded like a rather pathetic excuse now.
Jeptha just nodded. He knew the pitifulness of the remark as well as the captain did. Ramius suddenly felt utterly tired and defeated. Nothing was under his control anymore. The American captain had the ship. Jack had his life. His own flock had a co-leader. His thoughts darkened as they re-entered the largest room in the ship.
The grizzled man leaned heavily over the navigation panel. Ramius started as a hand slide to his shoulder. He shuddered as raw energy poured into him straight from his feeder. Briefly the rules about contact between bonded and feeders fluttered through his mind but Jack wove warmth into his thoughts and muscles with his hand.
"You okay?" Jack's voice echoed in his head and ears.
The captain felt like collapsing like a cat and figuring out how to purr but he shoved off the unnecessary contact. "Fine." He growled. No touching the feeder but what if the feeder touches you?
They landed the boat easily. Jack and his flock looked frayed, on edge. The incomplete bond was unstable.
"Come on." Jack twitched. "Let's get home."
Jeptha shed his jacket to let his wings free. The Russians were mind dead and shed their outer layers so their own wings opened. Jack was rather frazzled. There was something wrong, he couldn't get the right amount of power through the bonds and they wouldn't let him contact bond. He wasn't even rational now. They didn't stop even to land on the dock. Jeptha grabbed him and the flock took off, reeling through the air.
"We are headed west." Jeptha yelled.
Jack tried the best he could to send encouragement to all of them but he couldn't even manage that. He eyes burned with the feeling of failure. The Russians were emotionally whipped. They had been trying the best they could to follow all the rules but Jack's hands felt comforting. They had taken to avoiding him but they wanted to be closer.
They flew to exhaustion but still didn't stop. Vlado felt as though he was asleep on his wings. Ivan found himself unable to recall a time when he had flown so far so fast. The sun may have risen or set but no one could see. All were blinded and sleeping in their wakefulness. Jeptha started to plunge.
"Almost." He whispered under his breath. Home.
Jeptha landed heavily and Jack stumbled a bit. The nine others landed just as wearily. Vaguely they could see Jack walking forward and felt like they were following. Ramius rubbed his eyes. It looked as if they were in some kind of canyon and there was a dark opening ahead. Jack and Jeptha strode right in after talking with a blurry figure on one of the taller rocks. Things cleared up when Jack found some strength from the powerful surrounding.
"Jeptha!" A female called out.
"Hey Katie." He said woozily. "In a bit. Unfinished bond. Needs to complete, now."
The flock followed Jack along with the impression that they were being observed. Someone ran up to Jack and put something crinkly in his hand. Power gave a slight surge as Jack chewed down the brown confection. Chocolate was amazing. People and flocks watched them worriedly. They must have looked half dead. The crowd parted before Jack as he stumbled onward.
They could actually see where they were going now with that bit of power. There were people everywhere. Wings out. Wings in. Fangs. Flock. Feeders. The floor was a cold thrumming crystal and the walls glowed with warm yellow light. The flock pressed in tighter to Jack.
The Russians were led by Jack down a hallway with so many plain looking doors. There were fewer people here, and then there was no one at all. The stone glittered under their feet and before their eyes. Jack pulled a key on a string out from under his shirt and stuck it into the lock. Jeptha fluttered his crest hungrily. Jack could feel that the others were half starved as well but they felt like they were starving when he took them on so it would be good if they could bond quickly. Jack shuddered and he suddenly had a bit of foreboding feeling about this.
"This is the room that Jeptha and I stay in a lot." Jack's new flock let their mouths drop in awe. Power flowed into them from where Jack had stored it throughout the room.
The completely circular room was bathed in a green blue light. It looked as if it was padded from wall to wall. It sank under their steps like a soft cloud. There were various pillows and stacks of blankets scattered about. Jack walked out of the room through an opening at the far end.
Jeptha walked a different way. "Come on."
The Russians followed. They knew that they would get a shot the seal the bond then they could sate their need for energy. To their surprise Jeptha did not lead them to any sterile doctor's office but into long comforting room with closets. The American stripped off his shirt and looked at his soon to be flock mates.
"Whatcha doin'?" He cocked his head. "Are you going to change?"
Ramius looked at his men. "Into what?"
"I usually just put sweatpants on for feeding. Those should fit you as well." Jeptha handed out the loose grey pants.
"What about shirts?" Ivan asked.
The dark American cocked his head. "What in the world would you need those for?" He walked out of the room in his sweat pants with no top. The Russians hurried to follow suit. They each hoped this game would be over soon, they were so hungry.
They walked back into the room and froze again. Jack was lying on the floor in the light with his eyes closed. The man had a bare chest and light shorts on. His arms were spread wide and his legs were crossed. Jack looked up and smiled. Jeptha walked right over and the rest of the flock jolted in shock as he lay down parallel to Jack's out spread arms with his nose on their feeder's neck. Jack hummed to him reaching up to scratch his head lightly.
"Are you coming?" The feeder asked softly. He felt some kind of shock and hesitation from his flock, but they were hungry, weren't they? "It's ok if you do things a little differently. Just do what feels natural." Jack added a bit of feeder pressure to his words. He wanted the bonds to be filled now. It almost hurt.
Vlado, the very youngest could feel his hunger telling him to act. He wanted his nose at his feeder's hip. He wanted to touch. He wanted to break all the rules that had been drilled into their heads and it was killing his resolve. He wanted to like Jack, bad or not. The American feeder was as nice and as caring as Ramius.
Jack apparently could feel that. "Vlado. Come 'ere kiddo."
Vlado couldn't take the feeder's power. He walked forward unbalanced and fell to his knees a meter from Jack and laid down facing the skin he wanted so badly. Jack reached out and dragged him forward, nearly on top of him so Vlado had his lips to the man. He turned to stone and didn't move a centimeter, energy poured into him. His mouth opened and little huffs came out, Jack pet his bare back lightly.
"Ramius." Jack called. If he couldn't get the group he could pull them slowly.
The larger Russian lurched forward, jerked by the persuasive power in the man's words. He was a bit less hesitant because he was even more ravenous then the others having used the most power. The large Russian collapsed on the other side of Jack's neck. He laid his forehead on the pale skin. Jack gave him a light scratch.
One by one Jack called the sailors by name and they came to their various places resting on his skin. Five on each side, neck, side, hip, thigh, leg. He felt surrounded and it was nice and warm. Jeptha had already buried his teeth into his neck and he was relaxed, waiting for the others to do the same.
Vlado was fighting the urge to bite. He couldn't understand why but he wanted to chomp down on the skin in front of him until he tasted blood. He punished himself; Jack would toss him out the door for biting.
"What are you waiting for?" Jack asked the youngest one.
"What?" Vlado lifted his head slightly.
"What do you think? You feel the need to bite?" Vlado nodded. "Then do it, Jeptha already has."
Said man raised his head to his name. His fangs slid out leaving four round puncture wounds that sealed almost immediately.
Jack looked at him. "You want to finish the bond, why don't you?"
"But we have to get the shots for that." Artur said.
"What shots?" Jack looked around confused.
Ramius huffed. "You know the shots full of red that complete your bond to your feeder."
"They completed your bond with a shot?!" Jack gasped. "You've never bite fed? Or bite bonded."
Vlado whined under his breath. "I want to."
"Have any of you?" Rage was building in Jack's chest. How could the Soviets make them live this way. No contact feeding. No bite feeding or more importantly bonding? That had to be why they were so famished.
"I did once." Valintin admitted shamefully. "With my mother." The other Russians reeled back in disgust. Bonding with one's mother was considered a sin.
Jack looked around to their shock with horror. "You were prohibited from bonding with your mother!?"
He was beyond furious now. Did they know that the mothering bond built all the bond pathways that they needed to have. The feeder was enraged. What the hell were the Russians thinking treating living people this way? Anger flooded the bonds and all his flock could feel was the man's wrath. They recoiled as much as they could. It was like rejection to cause your feeder so much irritation. They wanted to run. Even Jeptha pulled away a bit. Vlado felt guilty, like the whole mess fell to him, he had started it. Now he was going to be thrown away. He let out a sob of anguish at the thought. After Ramius took him in to his flock he thought maybe he didn't have to be by himself. He was wrong. A hand reached out to the boy interrupting his thoughts. Jack's anger melted and he realized he was scaring his flock. He pulled up all the reassurance and love he could find sending wave after wave of overwhelming care. Vlado cried softly. This was just too much change, up and down in one day. How was he supposed to respond to the sudden emotion thrown in with hunger? The flock pulled in closer to Jack for the comfort. They all felt the same way. Too much, too fast and there was nothing they could do about it.
"I'm sorry for scaring you." Jack comforted them all gently, touching each one understandingly. "I didn't mean to. I was not angry with any one of you. I love you all very much."
Ramius felt a tear run down his own face. He hid behind Jack's neck and scrunched up his eyes to stop it. His own mate had never told him that he was loved. Who was he to change everything like this? He lied, he had to be lying. Except for the fact that he wasn't. Except for the fact that he could feel that Jack did truly love them.
"We are not going to send you back to Russia or anywhere more than ten feet from us for a while. We are going to show you how we bond in America but first can you explain to me bonding in Russia?"
"The ten rules of bonded and their feeders." Ramius started in a quivering voice. They had all been trained to answer this question automatically. The new additions answered together in a monotone voice. It was painful to listen to from Jack and Jeptha's perspective.
"One: You will be bonded to one person and one person only who is to be chosen by the Motherland and shared with fifteen to twenty others."
Jack scowled at the number. Most feeders could do five or eight. He himself was exceptionally powerful and could do up to twenty. So they kept their feeders exhausted and their flocks half dead, great planning.
"Two: Bonding to any other such as parents, lovers, or friends is a sin against your country and results in immediate death penalty."
"Three: Any and all unnecessary physical contact between flock and feeder is strictly prohibited.
"Four: All feelings of connection to one's feeder or flock are a sign of calamity to come and are to be reported immediately.
"Five: All feelings between members of the flock are to be considered the same."
"Six: Successful flock members will be appointed a breeding partner for future generations and are required to release any and all children to the state for better care."
"Seven: All flock members are to report to their feeder before they do anything."
"Eight: All flocks are considered to be property of the people and any attempts damage or destroy this property will be taken as a direct threat to the motherland."
"Nine: Flocks and feeders will yield to commands of the state."
"Ten: Any suspicious activity with a flock or with a feeder is to be reported immediately."
Jack and Jeptha looked at each other in horror. They starved them, kept them from have friends or family. These creatures were built off of their relationships so the Russians kept them from building any emotion. Keep them all weak.
"Bonding through injection of blood to the bonded?" Jack puzzled over this in his head.
The Russians watched as Jack puzzled this over, absentmindedly stroking Yuir's hip. Actually it was the perfect way to keep a flock in a country that didn't have enough feeders to go around. They didn't know anything better. Jack eyed his flock. God damn, it he would help them or die trying. If he needed to recreate a mothering bond for them he would.
"Alright." He said gently. "We'll go through this later. For now… take a breath." His flock followed his instructions. "Forget what you learned. Think about what you want."
Ramius imagined he could taste the power under Jack's skin, thrumming through, and waiting for him. He wanted to bite, hard. His crest rose and fell with the surges of attraction. Jack watched unseen to the Russian. He pooled the strength coming up for the bond in his neck creating a hot swirl of temptation. Ramius shuddered at the sudden heat of Jack's skin. The American tipped his head exposing his neck more. The large man couldn't wait any longer. His fangs came out of their own accord and buried into his feeder's flesh. The bond snapped taunt, filled with impatient power. Ramius sucked and swallowed a mouthful of Jack's blood. It was like a starving man at Thanksgiving dinner. One more swallow was all it took to fill him completely. His mind hazed and he lay there zoned out but fangs in.
"There you go." Jack smiled.
A moment later Valintin bit also. He knew the power that came with the bite bond and didn't hesitate to follow the captain's lead. Jeptha fanged the other side of Jack's neck, he was contentedly full but it made the bond thrum happily. The others slowly joined, taking their gulps of energy filled blood and resting. Jack lay back as Vlado finally bit last of all. The bonds were filled and they swarmed warmly around his body.
"Gently, gently goes the lamb. Softly off to sleep." He sang tenderly a rhythm less song of his mind's creation. It probably sounded stupid and ridiculous but it relaxed the flock. His flock pulled themselves closer unconsciously. Jack had ten pairs of fangs balancing the power flow through him. "I love you and Jeptha does too. We will figure this all out tomorrow." The drifted off to sleep in their feeder's voice. Jack closed his eyes and followed soon after.
Vlado jerked awake. He looked around. Animal instincts went off. There was no feeder. Panic! He whipped around knocking Ramius in the head. The captain sat straight up bumping Ivan, who had been curled against his side.
"Jack's gone." Vlado shook out.
Ramius spun on his hip. Valintin was rattled awake. Their combined terror at the abandonment woke up the others.
"What's happening?" Yuir pushed to his knees wide eyed.
A new alarm ran through the bond. It wasn't from them but it fed their fear. It flooded the bonds.
"What is wrong?" Jeptha was tense.
Ramius glared at him, trying to find a way that it was someone's fault. "Jack left."
Jeptha looked about then settled. "Oh yeah."
"What do you mean yeah?" Ramius screeched. "He's gone." He snarled at the other creature.
Feet thundered down the hall and a key was jerked out of a man's shirt. He dropped it and cursed heavily.
Jeptha and Ramius squared off on their hands and knees, snarling. Vlado cried softly. Yuir and Victor curled inward to each other huffing to hold back tears. Ivan lay still as he somehow ended up between the two battling flock members. Ramius snapped his fangs at the newest in the known group.
The door jerked open, freezing the flock. Jack ran in still half-dressed, dropping his key to the floor. A few other feeders and flocks looked in to the room alert, ready to intervene. Jack was immediately pushed Ivan up and grabbed Ramius to him. He put a hand on Vlado.
"What happened?" He panted out of breath.
Jeptha shuddered and tried to smooth his frill but it stuck straight up. "They woke up before you got back and it upset them."
"Oh thank God." Jack let out a breath of relief. "I thought something happened."
Relief flooded the bond and the panic that had surged around soothed out. The flock crawled to him slowly. Everything was so weird right now. Ramius sagged
"Everything's ok?" Someone asked.
"Yeah." Jack ran his hands over everyone.
"Can we meet them now?" A younger person asked.
Jack gave them a pointed look. "Not now. We'll see. Can you all…" He gestured with a wave. The door closed as the foreign flocks left.
Jack laid back down pulling his flock to him. "I'm sorry. I just needed some breakfast. I didn't think you would wake."
The bond link thrummed. The flock felt guilty for scaring Jack. They didn't need to bite so they all crowded around Jack trying not to touch each other until Jeptha wrapped his arm around Ivan and pulled the Russian to his chest. Vlado slumped against Vasili and Jack ran hands over everyone. They moved inward, huddling to Jack.
"Sorry." Vlado whimpered.
"Shh." Jack comforted. He put his mouth on top of the kid's forehead and spoke softly. "You didn't do anything wrong. You were frightened and expressed that the only way you knew how. It's alright."
The warm mass of flock breathed slower and deeper.
"Everyone is really excited to meet you by the way." He smiled. "They want to adopt you all even now. Clayton was explaining that I could recreate a mothering bond for you so you can feed better. It'll all work out." He meant it.
It would all work out, in the end.