Before Perfection
by The Great Red Dragon
Chapter 20
I was taken back to Riley's house, in the air that suggested I was a castrated dog (man, you get a few gallons of poison pumped into you, and you're weaker than a snail...). Dr. Hartrum had insisted he inspect me a few more time before I left, and when I did, I was given a smiley-face balloon; I have never felt lower.
Rebecca spent the entire rest of the day nursing me with ice cream and aspirin: I took so much of that stuff, I thought I was gonna be sick again.
…But then again, she only meant well, and really was a sweet little girl, so I managed to keep control of my stomach and simply smiled to her in return.
The response, unsurprisingly, was a hug so tight that I thought I would pass out…but Riley smiled at me from over her shoulder, and I smiled back.
Finally, it was time for the kid to go to bed (after much debate), and Lara was out anyway, so it didn't matter too much anyway.
Riley made sure that Rebecca was asleep before he came back down and we began our conversation. He sat down next to me on the sofa, and switched on the television to avoid any diversion, in case Rebecca was still awake (you'd think he was becoming paranoid).
He leaned in close to me, with the awe and excitement of anybody expectant of something magnificent..
"Can you tell me about it?", he asked eagerly.
"Tell you about what?", I asked; there were many things I could tell him about…
"About the other planets and other species!", he said.
"What's beyond Earth, and what's it like?"
I shrugged dully.
"…I don't know much about anything except Turo", I said honestly.
"I haven't been anywhere, first-hand..."
That didn't set Riley back at all.
"What was it like there?", he asked, still looking extremely excited and awed.
I sighed; kinda exasperated.
Well, at least he didn't badger me about the Elvis-abduction-question (the Zhoncozians nabbed Elvis while he was on the toilet, left a duplicate behind, and now he's being put through eternal animation. He's in no danger though; I've listened to him many times on intergalactic-radio. He's learned Zhoncozian-talk, and claims that he's never been happier).
"Turo's not exactly a planet", I began.
"It's actually one big spaceship."
Riley eyes went wide with wonder.
"A spaceship the size of a planet...", he said dreamily; scenario after scenario undoubtedly coming to his mind.
"Actually, it's the size of a small moon", I corrected.
"I don't have the exact dimensions, though..."
"But-but still-!...th-that's amazing!", Riley stuttered.
"What...what incredible technology! It's fantastic!"
I smiled at him; very pleased at how interested he was in what I said.
"Actually, you humans can actually build one of those yourself...you just don't know it. See, it's all a matter of using nuclear energy for stuff other than war, and…"
I continued to explain the technology superiority to Riley well into the night. Once through that, we discussed alien species, their homeworlds, intergalactic cooperation, laws of the republic, and more than I ever thought I could explain in one night.
I kept as far as I could from my own personal experiences with Jumba; I myself didn't really want to go back there.
Riley seemed ready to stay away from there, too; he kept up his excellent listening-act, and I was happy that my words alone could cause enthusiasm. I felt like an old story-teller in the marketplace of ancient Damascus…I began to pride myself on being a very good speaker.
But before we both realized it, the clock showed 2:30 A.M., and I pretty much shut myself up.
"We both gotta get some sleep", I insisted.
"Plus, I'm recovering; I need rest."
Riley nodded and stood up.
"Can you tell me more tomorrow?", he requested politely.
"Please?"
…How could I say no?
"Sure", I said with a smile.
"Tomorrow; definitely."
Riley grinned appreciatively. He reached down and scooped me into his arms. Amazingly and completely unafraid of me, even after I had explained to him exactly what I was and what I was created for, he squeezed me against his chest and set his head on my shoulder.
"Thanks, buddy."
When he said that, I was reminded how good it felt to be somebody's friend.
I hugged him back and snuggled as close as I could against him. How wonderful it felt…
We went upstairs, and Riley got changed for bed in the bathroom. I took the time to once again admire his posters of the Great Red Dragon…I had become particularly fond of 'The Beast from the Sea', where the Dragon's face was most revealed (I dunno...I just like monsters).
Riley came back into his room; even in his boxers and plain T-shirt, he looked greatly impressive, body-wise (just something I noticed).
He climbed into his bed, and I jumped in after him.
(…on a minor note, I don't know why others may frown upon our bed-sharing, but I really don't see what's wrong with it; when I slept next to Riley, it was warmer, I felt safer, and the bed was comfier than the sofa. Besides, we were buddies. Nothing more than feeling good and warm was ever the case)
I laid down on the in-side of the bed, and Riley on the out-side. He put his arm across me, and closed his eyes.
"'Night", he said to me, and squeezed my shoulder.
"Good night", I said, and laid my head on his shoulder like a happy dog.
Honestly, I couldn't believe how comfortable this was. It was just a nice feeling, to know that we were now who we were. We knew each other, we knew exactly what we were, and that hadn't changed us, or our friendship.
He was a human, I was an artificial genetic Experiment, but that didn't matter – unity, friendship, and love: beyond all that I had ever dreamed of.
I knew at once that we'd always be together…and nothing in the world would ever separate us!
...But perhaps I spoke too soon.
Moments before I could drift off to Dreamland, I heard Riley's voice.
"Auron?"
"...Yeah?"
"Say...I've been meaning to ask you...what was it that made you so sick before?"
I shot up so fast, I thought I had broken Riley's arm. I had been so caught up in my bliss that I had completely forgotten what had brought me into this position, and I realized the ominous: the robed monster was still out there.
I couldn't have expected that my anxiety would go unnoticed. Riley sat up as well, with both annoyance and slight concern on his face.
"What was that for?", he snapped; rubbing his arm where I had accidentally hurt him.
I turned to him slowly. My fear was renewed, and I guess it showed, even in the dark.
"Riley...", I said quietly (it might seem dramatic, but my voice actually shook a bit).
"I...I don't think that I'm the only alien on the planet."
It took some time for me to explain the entire situation to Riley, even though he held back on several questions. I could tell he was confused, though.
Who wouldn't be? Not only were there aliens on the planet, but there were those who were trying to knock off the others!
I was still in a larger dilemma, though. I still didn't have the slightest clue who my assailant was, and why I was his target, anyway.
My theory that I had an assassin on my ass still stood; I wouldn't put it past Jumba, the ol' bastard, to send someone after me.
Ooh, if only I could get my hands on him…
...But what worried me most was the fact that this situation might create danger for Riley and his family...would they get caught in the cross-fire?
If this thing meant violence…how could I guarantee their safety…and my own at the same time?
