(Nine)
The song ended and Kimble started it over again. He let it play a few seconds, then shut it off, taking a moment to copy a few of the notes on the guitar. It took a few tries, but he got it. He smiled, pleased with himself. He felt much better now, this distraction the perfect thing to ease his mind. The pain had stayed away and he was himself again. He started the music back up on the computer and shut it off after listening for another minute. He copied some more notes, mimicking them exactly. Satisfied now, he started the song again, playing along perfectly. It was the same as the line dancing, his perfect memory making this look easy. The song was accompanied by voice and when the singer started, Kimble joined in. He was a decent singer as every Courtesan should be, but his voice was still growly and low. He tried to hit a high note and his voice broke. He snorted laughter at that, shaking his head with amusement at himself. He heard Fallen laugh behind him and turned to look at her.
"Hey, kiddo," he greeted with a grin.
"I was wondering when you were going to drag that out," she said entering the room.
He sniffed at her as she approached, his grin growing wider with secret knowledge. He couldn't hide the fact that he knew what had passed between her and Seth as he asked, "Sleep well? Have happy dreams?"
"Actually, yes," she replied, blushing a little.
"Good." He laughed again and played some more. In classic Eddie Van Halen fashion, he took his cigarette and stuck it on the end of one of the guitar strings to keep the smoke from his eyes.
"Did you know what would happen?" Fallen asked.
"Nope. I wuz more concerned 'bout feelin' my face again."
"Why do you antagonize Logan like that? He doesn't seem to like you much."
"Feelin's mutual. You guys're all worried 'bout me? That guy's got a serious case of anal retention, I swear. He needs ta lighten up."
"Maybe he just needs to get laid. I'm sure he could use the release," Fallen suggested.
"While I'm sure he'd be entertainin', he ain't my really my type. Now the Cajun, he's kinda pretty," he teased, looking past Fallen to the hallway.
Fallen was surprised by Kimble's response. That wasn't quite what she'd meant, but Kimble seemed to take it seriously. It was Gambit he'd been teasing, not her. She turned to watch as Gambit and Logan strolled in.
"I appreciate de offer," Remy said with a teasing smile to match Kimble's. "But I like 'em a little more hairy." He hooked a playful arm around Logan's shoulders and planted a sloppy kiss on his cheek.
"An' female last I checked," Logan grumbled good naturedly as he shoved Remy away.
"Really?" Kimble said strangely.
Remy was about to make a comment about the certainty of his sexual orientation when Kimble did an odd thing. He closed his eyes and shuddered, shifting his outward appearance to that of a beautiful blonde haired woman - nude, of course.
Logan coughed in surprise and laughed.
Remy stood still, stunned.
The young lady plucked the cigarette from the guitar and placed the instrument carefully on the floor, leaning it against her knees. She put her hands behind her head and arched her back, spreading her legs open for him. "You want to come over here and sit on my lap?" she purred seductively at him in perfect French. The voice was as beautiful as the woman, soft and silky smooth. "I promise I'll still respect you in the morning."
Gambit strolled over, intrigued by the skin change. He circled the stool, inspecting her as she preened for him, looking to see if this illusion was as real as Kimble's other skin. She really was gorgeous, well within his range of attraction. He grinned helplessly as Kimble tried to seduce him with her eyes and subtle movements of her body. The Siskan was trying very hard and doing very well. Remy could see how someone else might be easily tempted by her, but he'd had too much training to fall for it. Plus his heart belonged to another.
Kimble took a deep drag from the cigarette and made perfect smoke rings from her open mouth, winking at him suggestively. Remy just shook his head with a grin, not doubting for a moment Kimble could perform to his expectations and then some. He was tempted to touch her and keep the game going, but decided against it, not wanting to tease.
"Mon dieu, Lord have mercy!" Gambit praised, clicking his tongue and shaking his head in regret. "Dis is much more like it, oui. But Gambit got commitments elsewhere, mon jolie petite." He hoped his attempt to come off as truly disappointed would be accepted, this was fun and he really had no desire to hurt Kimble's feelings. If he'd been legitimately free, he would have taken Kimble up on it in a heartbeat.
Kimble was surprised by the intensity of his own disappointment at the refusal. Kimble wasn't completely unaware that at least half the reason he liked Remy so much was because he was attracted to the thief and guessed he could be a lot of fun in an intimate situation. Remy was tall and lean, lanky, something Kimble had always found desirable in a man. Gambit liked to fool around and play as he did, something that made him all the more appealing. Kimble wanted to look into those ruby red eyes and feel Remy shiver in ecstacy against him and didn't care what skin he had to be in to do it. He wanted to hear Remy laugh right up close and whisper nonsense in that pretty Cajun accent. Kimble wanted to taste him in his mouth and swallow it down, feeling his love burn him with the heat of those gorgeous red eyes.
It wasn't to be. Kimble squashed his frustration as he had with Fallen's before, cursing himself for even starting this. Henry had told him Gambit had a girl and that he loved her dearly. He should never even had gotten his hopes up.
In desperation, Kimble shifted his attention to Logan. Maybe there was an off chance that he would accept. If so, it might help smooth out the differences between them.
Logan only scowled at him, no longer amused.
Kimble shook his head and morphed back into his pilot skin. "Jeez. Even with a boat full of unattended men, I cain't git laid. What a crime," he complained bitterly. He crushed out his cigarette and lit another, frustrated.
"There's always Valentin," Logan offered with a sneer.
Kimble's eyes turned flinty. "Already been hit t'day. Didn' likes it much," he said icily. He saw Fallen flinch as she remembered Valentin's cruel fists and he felt bad. "Sorry, baby doll. I didn' mean nuthin' by that."
"I know you didn't," she said softly.
"Speakin' of which," Logan said, "How're you speakin' French all of a sudden now?"
Kimble shrugged casually, his eyes down. "The same way Fallen gots her music. Cain't speaks it all that much, just what me an' Seth found in some movies."
Logan grunted. "Uh, huh. Yer a regular secret machine, I can see that, bub. You look pretty good fer a guy who had his lights punched, too. You fix that the same way ya changed into a girl?"
"Nope. Fallen took care'a me," Kimble replied without offering details. He picked up the guitar again and played a little without real enthusiasm, what little he had was now gone. He was irritated now and didn't try to hide it.
"How did you change into a girl?" Fallen asked softly.
Kimble kept his eyes down, feeling defensive. He didn't see what the big deal was. "Seth got the skin fer me."
Fallen cocked her head, puzzled by the idea of this. "Why?"
Kimble's eyes flashed up at her in defensive irritation as he explained. "Cuz maybe I don' wants the same thing all the time, baby doll."
Fallen laughed uneasily. Kimble never failed to surprise her. She knew he was flirtatious with everyone, including men, but had no idea that he was flirting for real. She supposed she should have guessed that he might have varied tastes, being a pleasure program designed for any user. She was just so used to thinking of him as being male. "How did you change the skin?"
"I gots the user codes, too. Ya know that."
"Well, that was convenient," Logan commented.
"Not really," Fallen cut in. "He always had them. The files he has now are the same ones he's always had when he was in the system."
"Can he look like anyone?"
Kimble was annoyed Logan hadn't addressed him personally, it was like he wasn't even there. He was feeling the strain of this situation and hated how he had to offer excuses for what he thought of as normal. He felt on the spot and cornered. "Nope. Just the skins I got," he answered for her. "Don' worry, furball. I ain't plannin' on lookin' like you anatime soon. Too fuckin' ugly."
"Kimble!" Fallen snapped. These two were going to be a handful.
He just put his head down and listened to Logan grumble.
"You got a mouth on you, son."
Kimble couldn't help but shiver as he recalled the same line come from Valentin.
Logan continued his rant. "You been nuthin' but trouble since I first laid eyes on ya. You got a taste of what that trouble's gonna get ya if ya keep up with your shit. I got plenty more of that for ya, pup, if ya want it, don't you worry." He turned to Fallen. "It's high time ta start thinkin' about what yer gonna do with him, darlin'. I mean, just what do ya think he is?" he asked as if Kimble wasn't still sitting there. "Is he a pet, a toy or what? You say he's just like a little kid. Fine then. What do ya do when yer little three year old hits another kid, huh? Ya smack him in the ass. You keep expectin' this one ta act like he's a real adult when he ain't. If he's gonna stay out he's gonna hafta learn about the rules, just like the rest of us. Rule number one...No fightin'. Period. I'm all done screwin' around with that shit. I been teachin' Vally, I'll be teachin' yer boy, too. It stops now. School is officially in session an' yer boy's been warned. One more fight an' I'm gonna lock his sorry ass up in a fuckin' box, you can count on it."
Kimble said nothing during Logan's little speech, but he had already begun to tremble with hurt and rage.
Fallen wanted to argue in Kimble's defense, but she knew better. Her arguments were weak and she knew it. She looked into Kimble's hurt and angry eyes. "He's right, Kim. I won't relieve you from Second, you don't deserve it, but I want you stay down here in the lower level until the repairs are done."
Kimble put his head down and swallowed his rage. It went down hard. "Aye, Fallen."
"Do this for me, please," she whispered in Siskan. "You have to stay out of trouble!"
"What do ya think I been doin', huh? I ain't the one been screwin' around. Fuck you!" he snapped back in the same language and got up. He hadn't meant to be mean, but he was tired and hurt by the suggestion he would be caged. He put the guitar on the bed, no longer interested in playing. All he wanted to do now was get drunk. He snatched the jar of cigarettes and the bottle of whiskey from the floor and started to walk away towards the Engine Room.
Gambit reached out to him. "Espe're. Wait. Don' be walkin' away mad, mon ami." He didn't need to understand Siskan to know what Kimble had said.
Kimble smacked his hand away with the bottle before Remy could touch him. He growled that mean low rumble he had used with Logan through teeth clenched tight with fury. "You had yer chance. You best be keepin' yer hands to yerself, pretty!"
Remy backed up a bit, rubbing his stinging hand. He wasn't angry by Kimble's actions, only frustrated that he couldn't fix this. Clearly it was Logan Kimble was really pissed at, but he knew his own rejection of Kimble's offer for play had hurt the pilot's feelings, too. Again, Remy was amazed at the range of Kimble's emotions. He felt too much and was obviously having a hard time controlling his sensitivity out here. He needed help or he was going to fall even deeper into trouble. Remy wanted to say something to calm Kimble, but figured it would just be a waste of time. Kimble's outraged posture and growl were so creepy combined with his all too real hostility towards everyone. It was clear he was in no mood to listen.
Kimble stalked off to the Engine Room and slammed the door shut. Almost immediately, loud, heavy metal music came on in there. Logan couldn't help but wince. The only thing he hated worse than stupid dance music was that heavy metal crap. Bang your head, indeed. It appealed to his bestial and aggressive nature, but folks just played it too damn loud for his sensitive ears. The walls in the Engine Room were double thick because of the machinery, but he could hear every note. It must be deafening in there.
"That boy's losin it, Fallen. He's got Zander all trapped up inside a him and he's losin' the battle ta keep him down," Logan complained as soon as Kimble was gone.
Fallen just brushed him off with a derisive snort. "Don't be stupid. He's not Zander. I don't know why you insist on thinking that."
" 'Cause I've seen inside a him, darlin'. Seen it when he passed right through me. Yer boy's telepathic or somethin'. He's all full of black rage an' hate. He's gonna kill somebody."
"You see what you want to see. You see whatever you need to, to justify the way you treat him."
"That ain't true. Have you even asked him about it?"
"No, I haven't, but he's no killer. He's just burning out. He needs to go back in the system or something, I don't know. Maybe he just needs to jerk off. I can't talk to him when he's like this. He'll calm down in a couple of hours or so."
Gambit was confused by Fallen's unexpected sexual comment. Why would a computer program care if it got off or not? He couldn't imagine a hologram jerking itself off, it just didn't seem right somehow. Besides that, he thought she had just taken Kimble for a tumble. If it wasn't him, than who was it?
In answer to his unspoken question, Seth popped up on the screen. "Good morrow, people," he said. He was positively beaming, deliriously happy, and it showed.
Gambit chuckled to himself and shook his head. This was one strange place.
"Good morrow, Seth," Fallen returned. Her smile was just as bright. "Wasayachay natooroo. Tay kunda Siska esk."
"Wasayachay natooroo. Siska tay kunda."
Logan squinted up at Seth. This was just too bizarre for words. Did Seth and Kimble find some way to switch? "You look like the cat who caught his mouse. Got somethin' ya wanna confess?" he questioned Seth with a playful grin.
"Kimble found a way for us to be together," Fallen replied.
"How's that?"
"My power. When he was injured, he took a big draw to repair himself. When he did that, we had a kind of telepathic link -"
"Telepathic," Logan interrupted, repeating her word to show her he had been right about Kimble.
"Yes. He took me into the system. I don't know how and I can't explain it." She shook her head. "It's fucked up, I know, but it happened. He took me to a strange black room and Seth was there."
"Did Kimble get to watch?" Logan asked, his eyes merry.
"No. He was sleeping. Recovering from his injuries. When he woke up, the link was broken and I woke up back outside."
"So Kimble is telepathic now?" Remy asked, confused. It was hard to keep track of what was going on with Kimble's new abilities. He still didn't quite believe it.
Fallen shook her head and tried to explain, "Not exactly. I think it's only with the ship. He took me inside the computer. If I had to guess, he was using his internal modem to do it, not some funky mutant power. He was talking to Lucky, that's all. I couldn't read his thoughts or anything."
"I did. When he walked through me the last time," Logan said, his eyes growing colder. "He's got Zander inside a him an' he wants ta kill Valentin. I saw Zander's face, or what Kimble thinks it is. All I saw was a shattered mirror, but Kimble knew who it was so I knew who it was."
"That's impossible," Fallen snorted.
"We've been learnin' lately that a lot of impossible things been happenin' around here, darlin'. Sooner you face up to the truth, the safer we'll be. You got some place we can lock Kimble up? Someplace he can't phase out of?"
"I forbid it! He hasn't hurt anyone, I won't punish him for something he hasn't done!"
"We have to play the memory files," Seth said quietly. His earlier happiness was gone. Now he just looked scared. "I think it all has to do with them. They may not even be his files. Maybe somebody put the wrong ones in when he was damaged and he can't handle what he sees."
"How do we play the files?"
"I don't know. Kimble has total control over them. I can't get to them at all."
"Can you talk to him about it?"
"I can try," Seth offered and the screen blinked out. He had gone to the Engine Room.