The Human Bearer

The new home didn't seem that different from the one he had left behind. Xenos had something against furniture, it seemed. A sudden thought of Xana, alone in that vast thing he called home, came unbound. He shook it off. There was no point in dwelling on things that were not meant to be at all.

"I'd say let's unpack, but it's not like there's something for us to unpack anyway," Riordan said brightly, at odds with how he felt inside.

"Anything you need, you will be provided for, master Rio."

"That sounds terribly boring. What should I use to kill time?"

"What do you mean?"

"Forgive me, but I see no 3D television, arcade games, or fitness room."

"I registered all your desires, master Rio. Everything will be accommodated over the following days."

"What? Really? What if I want a Mustang?"

"A horse? Do you know how to ride on one, master Rio?"

"Sorry to disappoint you, Kyle, but I was talking about the car."

Kyle seemed to take a second to process the info. "Master Xana will not approve. It looks like a dangerous contraption," the bot replied.

"So I'm supposed to stay cooped up in here all day long?" Riordan asked, placing his hands on his hips.

"No. You can go shopping, like before."

"No, thank you. That was too rape-y and not shoppy enough for my taste."

"After master Xana's warning, no one will dare to attack you again, master Rio."

"Keep telling yourself that," Riordan said wryly.

"What would serve to do that?"

"It was just sarcasm. I'd rather not go shopping. Too many horny teens around. I'm too old for that shit. What else is possible for me to do?"

"Attend parties," the bot replied promptly.

"Without Xana, oops, master Xana Lei?"

"Master Xana will be there, too."

"Then I'm not going." Riordan frowned and crossed his arms.

"Some occasions will require your presence."

"Fine. But I'd rather not see him," Riordan mumbled.

"You don't mean that, master Rio," the bot replied.

Riordan looked at the bot, cocking his head to one side. "What?" he inquired.

"You don't blink when you're lost in thought, and you're trying to cover your disquietude by saying the opposite of what you are thinking."

"I'll be damned," Riordan murmured. "Are you sure you're not a spy for Xana?"

"A spy? I will have to report every day."

"Of course. Even this kind of conversation?"

"Yes."

"That feels a little creepy. But whatever. When in Rome..."

"Do you want me to conceal some of the conversations you have?"

"Don't ask, if you're going to tell on me anyway," Riordan replied.

"You're my master, too. If you ask for something and it doesn't put master Xana in danger or your own life, I will obey."

"Are you sure? Was this rule embedded in your core?"

"No. It is the result of logical routines I have constructed since master Rio came to serve master Xana."

"If you're pulling my leg..."

"Why would I..."

"Just another expression. At least, I can spend my day teaching you my language. That should be pretty entertaining."

"What should I conceal, master Rio?"

"Ah, that. Well, report to Xana every day. But leave out these conversations we have. He's not interested, anyway."

"He is," the bot replied.

"Not anymore. Look, Kyle, he got into his head that I must die if I don't transform myself in an egg bearer on infinite loop."

"That would be against his genetic makeup," Kyle said.

"How so?"

"For Xenos, bearers are the most precious."

"Yeah, until they send them to serve in brothels."

"That is for pleasure. Humans are addicted to sex."

Riordan groaned. "What are these guys teaching their bots?" he asked in frustration.

"Master Xana would never hurt you, master Rio."

"Well, news flash. He did hurt me."

"Where? Do you need medical attention, master Rio?" the bot began scanning his body.

"Stop it with your tricorder or whatever that is called. He hurt me by saying stupid things, like that he would kill me if I ever left him."

Kyle remained silent.

"What? Don't you have some comeback to this?"

"You didn't ask me a question, master Rio."

"Well, I am asking you this. What do you think of this guy, fucking my brains out, behaving like a 12 year old falling in love for the first time, and then threatening me?"

"I cannot think anything."

"Of course." Riordan sighed.

"I can tell you a fact."

"Well?"

"Master Xana will never terminate you, master Rio."

"How can you say that?"

"He lied."

"What? How do you know?"

"Xenos cannot suffer distress. Lying is part of their complex defense and surviving mechanism."

"You're making my head hurt."

"I wasn't present to your conversation, but I registered the change in the environmental conditions."

"You mean, the temperature drop?"

"Yes."

"But what does it mean? Why did he say something awful like that?"

"I can only speculate. Please, reveal the content of the conversation."

"I asked him about my career choices once he finishes his business with me. He got in a funk and told me that he would put egg after egg inside me, so I never leave him. When I said I was against it, he threatened me. What do you make of this?"

"He reacted to the initial threat by launching a counter-attack."

"What initial threat?"

"You leaving, master Rio."

"I said that I will carry the first egg. It's not like I threatened his bloodline or something," Riordan said rather miffed.

"That is most peculiar, master Rio. After the first egg, Xenos let their bearers go. Maybe this conversation was ill timed. Master Xana reacted as if he was denied the right to his offspring."

"It's so fucked up." Riordan groaned. "All I wanted to know was what I was going to do after. Are you trying to tell he just overreacted?"

"It is a possibility."

"So, after landing the first egg, he might not be so clingy?"

"That I do not know," the bot supplied dutifully. "Could it be that master Xana is too young to process what it means to have a bearer?"

"Don't ask me. I'm not from around here if you haven't noticed," Riordan said.

"Ah, sarcasm," the bot replied.

"You catch on quickly," Riordan praised the bot.

"Thank you, master Rio."

"So, usually, Xenos don't get a bearer while they're this young."

"No. Master Xana is quite an exception, due to his outstanding results in politics."

"So he pulled some strings, the idiot," he mumbled.

"The High Chancellor agreed. He is for allowing the minimum age for awarding bearers to go lower than what it is presently."

"But why? The guy already has that punk kid, Xer."

"Yes, and the High Chancellor believes that his son is ready for a bearer. He said it on several occasions and publicly."

"Frankly, the dude is insane. There's no way that punk kid is ready for a family. He thinks with his dick."

The bot made a sudden, screech like sound, and Riordan covered his ears.

"What the fuck, Kyle?"

"I am terribly sorry, master Rio. You said a joke, so I tried to laugh. It looks like I need to work on the sequence more."

"Definitely," Riordan agreed. "Now, tell me, Kyle, do you happen to know why Tasha is kept in that household?"

"He is the High Chancellor's bearer. You already know this, master Rio."

"Yeah, that's what everyone says. But Xer is bent on porking Tasha and he looks fucking entitled about it, too. What if, listen to me closely, Marn wanted a bearer just so he could pair his son with one?"

"I doubt it."

"That's it? You doubt it?"

"There is not enough information to process."

"Well, that's true. In that case, just call it human intuition."

"How does human intuition work?" the bot demanded to know.

"Pretty much like what you said about Xana lying about wanting to kill me and dropping the temperature in the house."

"That was a routine I created based on prior knowledge."

"Ah, well, just push a little further that knowledge you have. Marn Saver has a son in his teens. He doesn't need a bearer. He pushes for teens to have the right to bearers. So he brings one in his home, but refuses to have another egg. At the same time, the dude is obsessed with his bloodline. Maybe he doesn't want to die without seeing his son having an offspring? How old is he, anyway?"

"In corresponding human years, 143 years old."

"Shit, the guy must look like a mummy. How can Tasha stand to fuck that sack of bones?"

"The High Chancellor is physically attractive to most species, including Earthian, and does not resemble a mummy. You are referring to the ancient method of preserving the dead, I assume?"

"Oh, so he's good looking. He looks just like Xana, then?"

"No, the High Chancellor has more of a commanding presence."

"You know what? You must have a picture of the guy somewhere. Show me."

Riordan stared at the Xeno in the formal attire displayed by Kyle. His hair was a shade of grey and his face seemed cut in stone. But the guy was definitely a looker. The kind you don't dare say anything without asking for permission to speak.

"How many years do these guys live?"

"The equivalent in human years would be at least a few hundred years."

"So Marn is in his prime, by the looks of it. How come they only have just one egg?"

"The Xenos are an efficient species. They are very powerful and besides preserving their bloodline, they do not have an interest to increase their numbers uncontrollably. In the event that an offspring passes away before their parent, they consider having another egg. They are also absorbed by politics and the need to expand their influence, which leaves little time to offer each new Xeno the required education and formation."

"So there are no Xenos with more than one kid?"

"Yes, there are. But it is not a common practice."

"And do they use the same bearer?"

"No. No such cases are registered in my memory."

"So Xana was really talking out of his ass," Riordan said with a sigh.

"It is not impossible. The medical advancements can foresee any possible complications. Humans, so far, seem to be the most compatible and resilient of the species that have been used for reproduction by Xenos."

"Even so. I don't think I want to be a walking uterus all my life."

"Technically, it is not a uterus you are carrying. The abdomen tissue..."

"Whatever. You know what I mean."

"Yes, master Rio. You are afraid."

"Where did that come from?" Riordan watched the bot suspiciously now.

"I can read your emotions to some degree. But I don't understand the source of your fear."

"Forget about it. Let's just talk about it another time."

"As you say, master Rio," the bot complied.

He needed rest. It was good that Kyle knew exactly when to leave him alone. There were no windows to the room, as there weren't everywhere. So he just chose to stare at the ceiling and empty his head of all thoughts. Too much had happened.

***

"Are you sure I really need to attend this party?" Riordan watched the attire he was supposed to wear with a critical eye.

It was a bit more covering than what he had to wear during that first party he had been to, but still showed clearly what his role was. The pants were so low on his hips that he was thankful for being so carefully waxed in his nether parts. A single band of the same black leather went over his chest and Kyle was insisting on making his hair look like it was still wet. If there was a definition for how he looked, that would have been bitch waiting to get fucked. And, of course, the pierced nipple had to be on display for anyone to see.

For two weeks, he had spent his days and nights without Xana. The regular injections were not painful, but Riordan could not say the same thing about what was going on inside his mind. Talking to Kyle all day long was keeping him occupied and he was filling his waking hours with exercising and letting his mind go blank. There had been no sign from Xana, other than small orders here and there, transmitted via Kyle, like the one to get ready for this party and wear those revealing clothes.

His body had gotten a bit more toned, but he was not fond of eating, so his ribs were showing a little, as did the hip bones that were protruding now, making the pants barely hang in there.

"Master Xana will be happy to see you," Kyle said as his robotic arm was struggling with his hair to make it sleek with some product that was supposed to make him look more fuckable.

"Yeah, right." Riordan snorted.

"Sarcasm is not the right choice under the circumstances, master Rio."

"Don't worry, I'll behave," Riordan murmured.

He had no death wish. Of course he was going to behave.

"It's just a formality anyway." He shrugged. "I'll go there, I'll look pretty, and then head back home."

***

He took his place at one of the empty tables, wondering how he wasn't going to get bored out of his mind. When Tasha sat across from him, he smirked.

"Look what stranger is back in town," he commented.

Tasha grimaced. "I got scolded enough by Marn, thank you very much. He removed my right to make calls, can you believe the guy?"

The redhead was trying to sound carefree, but he was stealing glances in all directions and he was biting his bottom lip.

"What happened to you?" Riordan asked. "It's not like I've known you since forever, but you look like you're about to make a run for the door."

"Am I that obvious?" Tasha fiddled with his drink.

"Yeah, to me, at least," Riordan said.

"Well, I... Ahem," Tasha mumbled something.

"What?" Riordan leaned forward.

"I am... pregnant, if I can say so."

"Fuck me sideways," Riordan murmured. "So Marn finally decided to put his egg inside you?"

Tasha's eyes flicked away. He seemed paler than before, his eyes a bit sunken in his head.

"It's not his," the redhead said quickly and linked his fingers together in desperation.

Riordan stopped midday from putting fingers in his ears.

"You gotta be kidding me," he replied in the same hushed to tone. "It's Xer's, isn't it?"

Tasha looked surprised as their eyes met. "How do you know?"

"Just putting two and two together," Riordan replied.

"You're smarter than me, that's for sure."

"How the hell that happened?" Riordan asked, trying hard to keep his voice down. "Does Marn even know?"

Tasha snorted, but mostly in self defeat. "It would be hard for him not to, since he kept me down so his son could put his egg inside me."

Riordan could feel the earth moving under his feet.

"Yeah," Tasha continued, "here go my stupid dreams that Marn saw someone special in me. He just groomed me so Xer could mount me like a frigging cow," he added, looking down.

Riordan touched the other man's hands. "But how about compatibility? Did you have sex with Xer?"

"Not except for that time, no. And now I'm like a ticking bomb because if my body rejects the egg, well, I guess I will be the one rejected."

"How on earth did Xer have an egg? He's like what? 18?"

"His daddy took care of putting it into his head that as soon as he reached adulthood, he won't have to wait for mundane things like that. At least, this is what I suspect."

"And does everyone else know?"

"No. And I shouldn't have told you. I'm putting you in danger again."

"What kind of friend would I be? And danger is all around us if you haven't noticed."

"Things don't look up on your part of the universe either?" Tasha looked at him, as he linked hands with Riordan.

"Yeah, kind of. But don't worry. Your situation is much more severe. Isn't it a way to report this bastard?"

"Who should I tell? He's the High Chancellor."

"How can he be so stupid to believe that this would work?"

"He's calm about it. He says research shows I can carry his son's egg without a problem. But it's not his life on the line, now, is it?"

"So why didn't he put you together with his son from the start?"

"For the sake of his experiments, apparently. Now I'm the guinea pig."

"Damn," Riordan whispered.

"You two," someone called for them.

Riordan saw one of the silicone dolls approaching, a hand on his hip.

"The party starts. Get ready," the doll added.

"Take that tone and shove it up your ass," Riordan said gruffly. "We stay here."

"If I let your owners know..." The intruder left the threat hanging in the air.

"What? Do you want a foot in your ass?" Riordan stood up and the other took a step back, frightened.

The doll scurried away. Tasha rose with a sigh.

"We should go. Get ready to witness a bit of an orgy."

"What? With bearers? And you have the egg, what the hell?"

"I suppose they will leave me alone. But you should put on that don't fuck with me face if you want to go through this evening unscathed."

"What the fuck? Weren't we precious and shit?"

"You won't necessarily be fucked. That's something used as a political tool. But expect to get groped a lot. Of course, if your owner allows it. I haven't seen him at all lately. And he's not at the party, either."

It was strange how vulnerable he suddenly felt. Xana had taken his side the last time, but now things were different. Maybe he could fake being sick.

"I think I don't feel too good," he rubbed his belly in an exaggerated gesture.

A bot appeared out of nowhere and started scanning him.

"It doesn't work," Tasha grimaced.

"Fuck," Riordan said through his teeth.

"Stay with me. They now know I have an egg, and, by association, they might think you do, too. At least, there's a chance."

Tasha. Always the optimist. And look where that got him.

***

Any hopes were dashed the moment they were through the door. The large room was a piece of heaven for Xenos. It had luscious vegetation, cascades and plenty of water for the present aliens to frolic around happily. And the human population was probably half whores from brothels because they were deliberately engaged in all sorts of sexual acts with the natives.

The bearers were just more dressed and left alone a little more. A Xeno with long beautiful hair, the color of platinum, eyed him from not so far. His smile was alluring, but it was giving Riordan the shivers. He looked away.

"What the fuck is this? The last time..."

"The last time, your master whisked you away and protected you," Tasha explained. "Let's just find a corner to sit quietly."

It did nothing for his nerves that they were no longer in plain sight, as they sat on a small stone ledge. The Xenos in the room were clearly using their empathic abilities, and, in Riordan's mind, it all sounded like a mashup of whispers, a beehive hum. He watched as one bearer was pushed by a Xeno in front of his friends and made to undress. The human was pushed on his fours and the Xeno who was probably his owner mounted him as the others cheered.

"That fucker, Xana. He didn't tell me about this," he murmured.

"I thought he liked you," Tasha said apologetically.

The redhead was about to say something else when a shadow fell over them.

"Xer, you shouldn't even be at this party," Tasha said sharply.

Riordan felt his teeth clenching as he looked at the intruder. Xer didn't seem, however, the same arrogant bastard from last time.

"I won't let you unsupervised at this kind of party. No matter what father says," he said stubbornly.

"Don't even think about getting close to me," Tasha hissed. "People will talk."

Xer came closer despite the warning. Riordan watched him carefully. The young Xeno seemed stressed out.

"Anyone who sees us together will think father let me in charge of you," Xer said and slithered his way behind them, in the water, only to emerge back and place his head on Tasha's shoulder.

There was warmth and tenderness irradiating from the young Xeno's being. Maybe that was what the prospect of being a parent did to these strange creatures. Xer seemed vulnerable, and protective at the same time as his arms circled Tasha's waist and rested atop his belly in a possessive gesture.