Chapter 7 – Betrayal

It was inevitable that due to the volatile sentiments working against each other within Prismah that within a month, Seti was tossed out. Spectra's limited sense of charity only went so far, and after being roused from his sleep by a midnight ki-drain, his patience for the little creature had ended. In a fury, he was thrown as-is out Spectra's door to the outside.

Of course Seti attempted entrance through the crack in the basement window. Fate blessed the Incubus with a speck of luck when he found an old, plug-in, space heater. This was immediately carted to the barn along with some ancient-looking dusty blankets. However, Spectra was wise to his ways and his secret entrance to the basement, and upon Seti's return trip from the barn, he endured a particularly vicious beating.

Bruised and bleeding, he stood cold and dumbfounded in the night snow for a moment before slinking to the barn to once again lick his wounds. On top of a pile of old hay in the barn loft, fate blessed him again with a power outlet to plug the dangerous and partially-broken space-heater. Hanging the large blankets as a sort of tent to keep in the heat, he curled up against the glowing wires and whirring fan of the heater.

Actually, after an hour, he was actually hot and sweating from the heat, and had to open his make-shift tent to release some warm air. Finally, achieving an acceptable temperature balance, he brought out his naked baby. Instinctively licking its head, he huddled around the infant while stroking its back.

He knew now that he was safe and warm for the night…but what of tomorrow? It was impossible to cope with thoughts about the future– such thoughts could easily have driven him to insanity. He lived hand to mouth, and since his basic needs were rarely met, he just could not fathom much of the future, or much else besides his, and the baby's immediate needs. Sighing, he knew he'd have to enter Prismah once again. It was below-zero and he'd need ki– there was neither warmth nor ki for tens of miles in this remote area of upstate New York.

Sensing an incredible surge of ki, he was awakened from light sleep– Vortas! Hunger drove him to investigate, and descending the ladder from the loft, witnessed the dark Pomanian attempting to conceal his craft behind the barn with a shield of invisible ki.

Still, Seti was unsure of the stranger's intentions. True, he gave him ki…once… but Seti had learned that these interactions meant nothing to most people. Still, his instincts demanded ki, and he cleared his throat to announce his presence.

Whirling around, Vortas spread his ki-filled hands ready to attack, and Seti instantly crouched to the ground with his head lowered in submission, "What are you doing here, Incubus," Vortas sighed in relief at the harmless creature.

"Spectra threw me out," cold and hungry, Seti desperately sought Vortas' sympathy or approval, thinking only of his immense reservoir of ki, and the end to his pain.

"Humph," and Vortas returned to his work.

Slowly, the Incubus approached, keeping low to the ground. However, he ensured that as he drew near that his approach was visible so as not to startle the powerful Pomanian to strike at him. He stood a few feet from Vortas, patiently watching him work.

Again, Vortas ventured a question, "Is my Coosay still there," and he briefly gestured to Prismah with his eyes.

"Yes," and with intentions to ally himself with Spectra's enemy through the disclosure of information, "He's always in Spectra's apartment, although lately he's been allowed to come out,"

Vortas stopped working with his hands for a moment in thought, "He's not mistreated though, right?"

"No. At least not anymore. I think Spectra has him too scared to try to escape. Everyone thinks you went back to Pomania,"

"I did," and regarding his handiwork, the craft was now completely hidden, "and now I'm back for my Coosay. You're helping me, right? It seems you have your own motivations…," and he clapped Seti on the back with such force that he was almost bowled over.

"…Sure," however now Seti was hesitant. He realized that Vortas' only objective is to free Coosay, But where does that leave me? he thought. However, I'd be better off with some sort of action rather than freezing to death inside the barn, "I just want some ki,"

"Yes of course, Incubus. You want it now or later?"

"I want it now and later,"

Vortas laughed softly reaching out a hand to seal the deal, "You drive a hard bargain.

But it would be my pleasure...,"

Seti grinned, his heart racing in anticipation, All I had to do was ask for it, and I got it! I'm finally getting wise, an hour ago I was freezing cold and desperate for ki, and now I'm getting ki. Just had to ask! Amazing! He threw his arms around Vortas with too much enthusiasm.

"Let's at least go inside my ship where it's warm"

"Sure. Where is it?" Seti giggled while manipulating Vortas' hand into his own.

"Here," and the door opened swinging far over their heads with the ding of a remote-controlled lock, and extending a metal stairway to the ground for entrance.

The inside was utilitarian and compact and all in white, with little more than two captain's chairs spaced several feet apart facing myriad of controls. Vortas lead him to the back of the ship to reveal two bed compartments in the wall, one above the other in the wall like shelves, and a small kitchen with a white fold-down table, sink, a cooking device and a refrigeration appliance. There was no visible bathroom, however what appeared to be a toilet-seat, with a flexible pipe beneath, was hinged to pull down from the wall. The whole interior, cockpit and kitchen included could not have been more than 14 by 14 feet.

"If I help you, could you bring me to Pomania?"

Vortas' brows furrowed together, "What? Why would you want to go to Pomania? We're not known to be too accepting of… people like you,"

"Isn't it more likely for a Pomanian to have a lot of ki than for a human?"

"Yes, I suppose you're right," and Vortas quickly added, "But you'd be much better off going back to the Eighth Dimension,"

"I know, but I don't know how to get back. I really grew up here on Earth,"

"Well I don't know how to get there either. Why don't you ask someone,"

"There aren't really many people from the Eighth Dimension here. However, they do seem to be drawn to Prismah. This is definitely a hot spot,"

"I don't know," Vortas had lost interest in Seti's sob stories, "Why don't you wait for one to come by. I'm sure you can figure it out some how…"

"Well it's been ten years, and I haven't figured it out! So can I go with you to Pomania or not?"

The Pomanian paused for a moment at the little outburst, before offering, "I suppose so. But I'm telling you that you're really better off here," during the conversation Vortas had removed his shirt, and leaned back on a wing. He looked to Seti with an expectant look on his face.

The Incubus was still lost in thought and stared toward the cockpit in contemplation.

"C'mon Incubus," Vortas nudged him to reality with a pull to his arm, "Do you want my ki or not?" he sighed as though this were a chore for him, however he actually acutely desired Seti's unique form of intense pleasure, Definitely feels like heaven with him, but the silly Incubus isn't much to look at. He's so skinny, he looks like a drowned rat. His hair's all dusty and is the color of a rat, too. Rat boy. That's what I'll call him. He laughed for a moment aloud.

Climbing into the same bed, small bed compartment, Seti straddled Vortas' lean form. Gazing down at him, he noticed him laying on top of one wing like a pillow bent over his head. He does have two wings, right? Probably somehow folded beneath this one, and Seti pulled gently at the part of the wing bent above his head to search for the hidden, second wing.

Vortas chose to sit up partially by leaning on his elbow, and it was clearly obvious from this posture that he had only one wing. However, just to be sure and out of curiosity, Seti bent forward to get a clear look behind his back, and sure enough, where a wing should have been was only a horrific scar from shoulder to hip, "Ouch, that must have hurt," Seti winced.

Vortas' grin faded, "Yes, that's one of the many reasons I'm visiting Spectra," and sighing as though preparing to relate a story told too many times, "About ten years ago We were fighting on a conveyer belt– it was part of a rock-crushing machine or something along those lines– He pushed me backwards, and my wing got caught in the gears…and that's that. Almost died from blood loss," his mouth twitched at the memory.

"I'm sorry" Seti traced the scar with a fingertip.

"It's alright. Doesn't hurt anymore,"

"I didn't even notice until now,"

"I'm actually thinking of getting a little tattoo of a Enough about that. You do want ki, right?"

"Oh yes!" Seti jumped to attention, hitting his head on the low-slung ceiling of the bedding compartment.

Inside Prismah, Coosay sat silently in Spectra's living room. He stared expressionlessly at the television as it rattled on in a language he couldn't understand. One month at Prismah had taught him very little English, and he was prone to frequent crying spells from pure frustration at communication.

Spectra approached him after returning from the bathroom. Standing directly in front of him, Spectra placed a hand on each of Coosay's shoulders before gently coaxing his head to look up. Coosay smiled weakly, "Spake-tra, no le ventia estran kay vitala,"

Spectra bent to kiss him– a gesture that Coosay has learned to reciprocate or else suffer dire consequences, "You like me. Coosay, you like me. Say you like me."

"Like me," he mimicked, lifting his hands to hold Spectra's.

Suddenly, Spectra threw himself next to him on the couch, causing the furniture to bounce with his weight. His interest in the Pomanian native had increased over the month. "You're so cute. Say it. Say cute. Cute."

"Cute. Spake-tra," he emulated softly and looked to his hands with apparent shyness, unsure of what he was being made to say.

Coosay had quickly discovered that what Spectra wanted, Spectra got. He knew that Spectra considered him almost as a possession– something that could be turned on or off at his will. His contact with the others was limited, especially any contact Indigo, mostly due to Spectra's clear jealousy over him. Any action was construed as flirting, and as a result, Coosay was accused of being coy, and frequently locked in Spectra's apartment. However, lately he was permitted to watch television with the others in the atrium, and occasionally allowed to eat in the kitchen. If Indigo entered the same room, he knew to return to Spectra's apartment. Even so, his exits were so obvious that Indigo had been known to chase him down with questions.

Since Coosay had almost no defensive ki, he was in a constant state of fear of Spectra's volatile and unpredictable nature. He felt trapped at Prismah with no means to return to his homeworld, and had assumed that Vortas had abandoned him, also out of fear of Spectra's power. Coosay mistakenly believed that Spectra had more ki than he actually did, and thought that he could make him disappear with a wave of his hand.

Spectra threw his arms around him in a rush of emotions, "Damn, you're cute,"

Seti, Chap 7 Page 6