Chapter Four

Omaki's Offer

7:55 PM

Katze and Vincent walked into Depravities. As usual, a large number of mongrels had congregated there, including Riki the Dark, Iason Mink's notorious pet.

"Hey Katze!" Riki shouted and waved at the eunuch. "Wanna shoot some pool with me?"

"Maybe in a few minutes Riki" Katze replied, his eyes scanning the room for Omaki. He spotted him in a different corner from last time. He was currently giving his order to an attendent. His eyes lit up as he noticed Katze and Vincent walking towards him.

"Hey, is that Saint Vincent?!" Riki asked. Vincent scowled at him as he passed but his heart started thumping as they approached the Blondie. Katze's mysterious friend was a Blondie?

"Sit down Vincent" Omaki waved his hand airily. Vincent looked confused. How did this Blondie know his name?

"I'm going to go visit with Riki a bit" Katze stated, knowing Omaki wanted some privacy.

Omaki nodded, his eyes fixed on Vincent.

Katze left and Vincent sat squirming nervously in seat. What did a Blondie want with him?

"Don't be so nervous Vincent. Don't you remember me?"

Vincent looked confused and Omaki prodded "Remember a few months ago you saved the boy from being hit in the street?"

Now Vincent remembered. "OH, yeah!" he exclaimed.

"How can you NOT remember?" Omaki demanded, a little miffed.

Vincent shrugged, brushing a stray lock away from his face. "To be honest, all you Blondies look alike to me".

Omaki felt slightly offended by this but he chose to ignore it.

"I never really got a chance to thank you properly" Omaki began.

"No thanks are necessary" Vincent interrupted. "I wasn't about to watch a kid get killed."

"While it may not be necessary, I still want to make you an offer. An offer than can give you a headstart on becoming a citizen" Omaki replied.

Now Vincent was interested. "Become a citizen you say?"

Omaki nodded. "As you are likely aware, Jupiter has offered mongrels a chance to become citizens. There are several ways but most of them take several years before a mongrel is qualified to become a citizen. However, there is one way that only takes a year."

"Yeah? And what is that?" Vincent was growing a little uneasy, wondering what Omaki was going to suggest.

"The quickest and easiest way to become a citizen is to agree to spend one year as the pet of an Elite", Omaki finished.

Become a pet? Him? Vincent shook his head. "No. No way."

"Now I'm not saying you have to decide now. I will give you some time to think about it. Don't refuse right away." Omaki said quickly.

"But become a pet? I'm already treated like the scum of scum here. If I agreed to become your pet, I might as well not exist anymore." Vincent exclaimed.

Omaki laughed. "Who cares what other mongrels think? Once you are a citizen, you'll no longer have to live in Ceres. And I doubt all mongrels think that way and the ones who do are probably jealous. It would only be for a year and you'd spend that year living in incredible luxury".

Vincent hesitated, considering. Encouraged, Omaki leaned in and said softly,"You wouldn't have to worry about where your next meal comes from. In fact, I will give you the best food in the Quadrant. You would have luxurious baths, beautiful clothes, a warm bed. I always give my pets the best".

Vincent still looked unsure and Omaki pressed "Wouldn't you like to experience the best of life instead of always struggling to survive? As an added bonus, once your year as my pet was up, I would even provide you a generous stipend for the rest of your life. However, I would still expect the same behavior from you as I do for all my pets. I won't lie about that. Though I'm not really all that strict compared to some Blondies."

Vincent was struggling with his feelings. On one hand, the idea of being a pet repulsed him, but the other part of him was very tempted. In truth, life was hard in Ceres, especially since he didn't like the idea of stealing to survive. He also suffered greatly from cold and hunger and he had only been in Midas the day he saved Aki looking for work out of desperation, as work was difficult to find in Ceres.

Omaki looked at him expectantly as Vincent contemplated the offer. Would one year as a pet really be so bad? And at the end of that year, he would be a citizen and he wouldn't have to worry about being cold and hungry ever again, especially if Omaki paid him a stipend.

Feeling a bit like a prostitute for considering selling his freedom for citizenship, he ventured, "Give me a day to think about it. I'll give you my answer tomorrow. Same time, same place?"

Omaki seemed pleased. At least Vincent wasn't outright denying him.

"That will be fine. In the meantime, let me buy you a meal. You are terribly thin."

Vincent nodded, grateful. "By the way, what is your name?"

"Omaki Ghan".