"Oh, I'll never be Ace," said Rimmer in defeat, stepping back into Ace's
sleeping quarters alongside the other hologram. "We've tried, we've
failed. I give up."
"All your life you've given up," muttered Ace. He winced; he hadn't meant it to sound so harsh. His injuries were catching up with him, and the power leakage from his light bee had actually increased during the training session in the AR suite. The session hadn't gone well and Ace, the current one, was becoming worried that he might be the last link in the chain if he didn't do something, and fast. Because soon it was going to be too late.
"Look, maybe after some more training..." Rimmer began hopefully.
He shook his head. There was still a way, he knew that, although it wasn't the usual way a new Ace was born. But with insufficient time to train his replacement, it was the only way he could pass on the legacy. It had been done a few times in the past -- with the sheer number of Arnold Rimmers in the multiverse that had taken on the role of Ace, it would have been strange if it hadn't -- but he wasn't sure if his double would agree to it. And he had to agree; it had to be done willingly. Ace wouldn't have been Ace if he'd even considered doing it with an unwilling participant.
"I can't keep up this dog and pony show any longer. It's now or never," said Ace, knowing now what he had to do. "Arnold?"
Rimmer looked up. "Yes?"
"Arnold...I don't have much time left. It's not long enough for me to train you properly, so I'm going to have to do it a little differently than I'd planned. It's not what I'd prefer, I'd rather have you learn and experience these things yourself, during training...but there is a much faster way to pass on the benefit of Ace's knowledge, his essence if you will, before it's too late."
"You mean there's an easier way to do it? I don't have to go through all this extended training?" Rimmer exclaimed. "Why didn't you say so in the first place?"
"Because the destination isn't as important as the journey," Ace replied. "But more importantly, because you may not like the idea of how the essence is passed on."
Rimmer looked perplexed. "I don't understand."
"You will, once I'm done."
"I don't care how you do it...I really do want to be the next Ace. I didn't want to tell Lister, but I do. So please, do whatever you have to do."
"Are you sure, Arnie?" The question was in his eyes as well as his voice.
Rimmer caught the odd look in the gaze of his double, but it only made him more determined to go through with this, no matter the cost. "I'm sure."
"All right. But once we start the transfer, we can't stop. Not until it's done."
Rimmer recognized the hint of warning in the other man's tone, but nodded anyway. "Let's get on with it, then," he said. "What do I have to do?"
Ace smiled. "Kiss me."
Arnold Rimmer's face twisted in disbelief. "What did you just say?"
His doppelganger regarded him evenly. "I said, kiss me."
"What the smeg for?" Rimmer sputtered, taking a step away from the injured hologram.
"You said you wanted to do this the easy way...and now it may be the only way. I don't have much time left, and I need to make sure your training is complete -- no matter how it's completed."
"What, with a kiss?" he said dubiously.
Ace leaned back casually against the wall. "It starts with a kiss, yes. And then it...progresses. To the logical conclusion." He continued to favor Rimmer with that same unyielding, reasonable gaze. "For two holograms, it's a way to share information -- by interfacing and merging our data storage units. That way, you'll have the benefit of my experience, even though you won't have any memories of those experiences yourself."
"Interfacing, you say." He still didn't look convinced, but at the same time he wasn't saying no. "You mean we have to, erm..."
"Do the horizontal mambo? Knock our space boots? Yes."
Rimmer eyed him. "I thought you were strictly butter-side up."
The duplicate smiled winningly at him. "That was the first Ace."
Rimmer thought about it for a few moments. He wanted to be the next Ace, he truly did...but was this really the only way to do it?
Then he looked over at the current Ace -- noble, heroic in spite of his injuries...and loved by all.
That last part decided him.
"All right," he said, still sounding a little unsure of himself.
"Don't worry, Arnie," said Ace, with a gentle smile. "I'll make sure you enjoy yourself as much as I will. More than I will, in fact. I promise."
Rimmer nodded, not trusting himself to say anything. Ace's reputation as a great lover was well known, and he supposed it made sense if that reputation extended to men as well as women. He was shaking, although he wasn't sure if it was from fear or excitement.
Ace could see the trepidation in the other man's eyes. He understood it completely. "Don't worry," he said again, taking his double by the hand. He moved closer, then kissed him. It was a kiss designed to melt the hardest of hearts...
And it worked.
"All your life you've given up," muttered Ace. He winced; he hadn't meant it to sound so harsh. His injuries were catching up with him, and the power leakage from his light bee had actually increased during the training session in the AR suite. The session hadn't gone well and Ace, the current one, was becoming worried that he might be the last link in the chain if he didn't do something, and fast. Because soon it was going to be too late.
"Look, maybe after some more training..." Rimmer began hopefully.
He shook his head. There was still a way, he knew that, although it wasn't the usual way a new Ace was born. But with insufficient time to train his replacement, it was the only way he could pass on the legacy. It had been done a few times in the past -- with the sheer number of Arnold Rimmers in the multiverse that had taken on the role of Ace, it would have been strange if it hadn't -- but he wasn't sure if his double would agree to it. And he had to agree; it had to be done willingly. Ace wouldn't have been Ace if he'd even considered doing it with an unwilling participant.
"I can't keep up this dog and pony show any longer. It's now or never," said Ace, knowing now what he had to do. "Arnold?"
Rimmer looked up. "Yes?"
"Arnold...I don't have much time left. It's not long enough for me to train you properly, so I'm going to have to do it a little differently than I'd planned. It's not what I'd prefer, I'd rather have you learn and experience these things yourself, during training...but there is a much faster way to pass on the benefit of Ace's knowledge, his essence if you will, before it's too late."
"You mean there's an easier way to do it? I don't have to go through all this extended training?" Rimmer exclaimed. "Why didn't you say so in the first place?"
"Because the destination isn't as important as the journey," Ace replied. "But more importantly, because you may not like the idea of how the essence is passed on."
Rimmer looked perplexed. "I don't understand."
"You will, once I'm done."
"I don't care how you do it...I really do want to be the next Ace. I didn't want to tell Lister, but I do. So please, do whatever you have to do."
"Are you sure, Arnie?" The question was in his eyes as well as his voice.
Rimmer caught the odd look in the gaze of his double, but it only made him more determined to go through with this, no matter the cost. "I'm sure."
"All right. But once we start the transfer, we can't stop. Not until it's done."
Rimmer recognized the hint of warning in the other man's tone, but nodded anyway. "Let's get on with it, then," he said. "What do I have to do?"
Ace smiled. "Kiss me."
Arnold Rimmer's face twisted in disbelief. "What did you just say?"
His doppelganger regarded him evenly. "I said, kiss me."
"What the smeg for?" Rimmer sputtered, taking a step away from the injured hologram.
"You said you wanted to do this the easy way...and now it may be the only way. I don't have much time left, and I need to make sure your training is complete -- no matter how it's completed."
"What, with a kiss?" he said dubiously.
Ace leaned back casually against the wall. "It starts with a kiss, yes. And then it...progresses. To the logical conclusion." He continued to favor Rimmer with that same unyielding, reasonable gaze. "For two holograms, it's a way to share information -- by interfacing and merging our data storage units. That way, you'll have the benefit of my experience, even though you won't have any memories of those experiences yourself."
"Interfacing, you say." He still didn't look convinced, but at the same time he wasn't saying no. "You mean we have to, erm..."
"Do the horizontal mambo? Knock our space boots? Yes."
Rimmer eyed him. "I thought you were strictly butter-side up."
The duplicate smiled winningly at him. "That was the first Ace."
Rimmer thought about it for a few moments. He wanted to be the next Ace, he truly did...but was this really the only way to do it?
Then he looked over at the current Ace -- noble, heroic in spite of his injuries...and loved by all.
That last part decided him.
"All right," he said, still sounding a little unsure of himself.
"Don't worry, Arnie," said Ace, with a gentle smile. "I'll make sure you enjoy yourself as much as I will. More than I will, in fact. I promise."
Rimmer nodded, not trusting himself to say anything. Ace's reputation as a great lover was well known, and he supposed it made sense if that reputation extended to men as well as women. He was shaking, although he wasn't sure if it was from fear or excitement.
Ace could see the trepidation in the other man's eyes. He understood it completely. "Don't worry," he said again, taking his double by the hand. He moved closer, then kissed him. It was a kiss designed to melt the hardest of hearts...
And it worked.