Human After All (19 page)

“Good work,” Mino said as Jaymes turned from the entrance.

Seven Pygmalion activists were scattered around the room. None of them were moving. Jaymes swallowed hard and pushed aside his revulsion. “This way,” he said, moving in Drue’s direction.

Mino was already in the hallway that divided the building. The doors were metal with small grated windows, and the rooms behind them were empty… except for one.

“Hey, Zot!” Mino called out. “If you’re all rested up, let’s go for a hike.”

“Prong me,” Drue said. “What are you doing here?”

“He came with me,” Jaymes said. “Stand away from the door, okay?”

Drue went to the back of the cell and pulled the cot’s mattress over him. Mino took aim at the lock and punched a semi-circle of solid steel out of the door. He landed a kick near the blast hole, and the door swung inward.

“I’m really glad to see you,” Drue said as he hugged Jaymes.

Jaymes hugged him back before letting go. “Once we’re out of here, I’m never letting you go,” he said.

“Just try and lose me,” Drue replied.

Mino handed the Exotic a gun like Jaymes’s.

“Does this work like in the holodrams?” Drue asked as they hurried down the corridor.

“Yes,” Jaymes said. “And don’t point it at me or Mino.”

“So you’re an expert on weapons?” Drue said archly.

“I’m rapidly becoming one. Care to join me?”

“I wouldn’t want to make a habit of it.”

“Could you stop flirting for two secs?” Mino said as they reached the door.

“Wait!” Jaymes stopped. “There are more people out there.”

Mino lifted the big weapon to his shoulder, but Jaymes moved in front of him before he could fire. “Out of the way. This thing will go right through the building, the Pygs, and the building behind them.”

“Why don’t we try talking to them first?”

“This is your party, but don’t forget that they kidnapped your breau to force you to do what they want.”

“I just don’t see any reason any more people should die.”

“Can you hear me?” Arkay’s voice came clearly through the wall.

“We can hear you,” Jaymes answered.

“So it is you. Are my people dead?”

“I’m afraid so.”

“The thermascope is showing three people. Who’s in there with you and the Fox?”

“You’d know me as Minotaur,” Mino answered.

There was a long silence before Arkay spoke again. “I don’t suppose there’s any chance you’ll put down your weapons and talk about reuniting with our cause? I really think that would be the best thing… for everyone. There are a lot of armed Pygmalions out here.” The sound of Arkay swallowing came clearly over the linx. “The man with you… I know he’s listening, but I have to say this. You can
not
trust him. He’s genetically incapable of feeling anything like loyalty, or much of anything else.”

“And how are you any better?” Jaymes asked. “You sent me to kill the President-General without telling me I was carrying the trigger of a bomb.”

A new voice joined the conversation. “Is that true?”

“Shut up,” Arkay said. “You just make sure your squad is ready to go in.”

“Lorez?” Jaymes said loudly.

“Yeah?”

“Who gave you Lochler’s pack tag?”

“Arkay did. He said the doc gave the tag to him with a message from the lobo for you.”

“The tag was the trigger,” Jaymes said. “I have the word of an incendiaries expert.”

“You can’t believe him,” Arkay said. “He’ll say anything to get out alive.”

“His story makes more sense than you doing something so sentimental,” Lorez said. “Tell me the truth. Did you send Jaymes out as a suicide bomber without telling him?”

“You’re a soldier,” Arkay said. “I don’t expect you to understand the intricacies of the campaign, but it would be nice if you kept quiet and followed orders.” The Pygmalion leader paused. “What are you doing? Don’t you dare point your weapon at me. Someone shoot him!”

“Jaymes?” Lorez called out. “Give us a few seconds, and you and your friends can come out.”

“Thank you.” Jaymes turned to give Mino a significant look.

“What?” the murk said.

“Our problem is solved, and we didn’t have to kill anyone else.”

“If you’re waiting for me to say
well done,
then consider it said.”

“What a bite in the tookies,” Drue said under his breath.

“Jaymes!” Lorez called. “You can come out when you’re ready. You’re free to go.”

“I like the sound of that,” Jaymes said.

“T
HANKS
for coming to get me,” Drue said, rubbing the tip of his nose against Jaymes’s.

“I owed you one.”

“It was nice of the Pygs to bring us home.”

Jaymes looked around his apartment and wondered how long it would be his home. “I’m still mad at Mino for slipping off without saying good-bye. I had a few more things to say to him. Not that he’d care how much he hurts people. I doubt anything I could say would stop him from killing again.”

“You’re probably right,” Drue said.

“I’m not sure he’s capable of stopping. Not with his programming.”

Drue sighed. “Do we have to talk about the murk?”

“You sound a little jealous.”

“Do I have something to be jealous about?”

“Actually, you sound more envious than jealous.”

“Well, who wouldn’t want a body like Mino’s? He’s messed up in the head, but his body is massive.”

“I wouldn’t,” Jaymes said, running a finger down the midline of Drue’s wiry torso. “I like my men hard but not too bulky. And without homicidal tendencies.”

“I’m hard,” Drue said, taking Jaymes’s hand and guiding it to his crotch.

“You’re getting there.” Jaymes palmed Drue’s cock through his trousers.

Drue leaned toward Jaymes. His lips were a millimeter from the T-bred’s when celestial chimes rippled the air. “What the frag?”

“That’s the apartment’s commlinx telling me I have a call. Interesting. I think I’ve used it twice in the entire year I’ve lived here.”

“Are you going to answer?”

“What do you say?”

“Yes, answer it and then come into the kitchen.”

“Are you hungry? I thought we were going to—”

“Yes, we’re going to, but that doesn’t mean food can’t be involved.”

Jaymes smiled as he kissed Drue’s fingers. “You’ve reached the Prince,” he said, silencing the chiming.

“This is the Attorney Exec’s office. Please hold for hold for the Attorney Exec.”

Drue stopped halfway to the kitchen area.

“This is Ulrikka Fronzay. Am I speaking with Jaymes Randle, Persona Tag Prince?”

“This is he.”

“I have good news for you.”

“I’d be glad to hear it.”

“The Pygmalion Movement has admitted their part in the death of Deputy President Ampery and turned over one of their leaders. You’ve been cleared of any wrongdoing.”

“Thank you. That was quick.”

“In addition, your Gentren contract has been paid in full. I’ve expedited the process, so you can expect to receive notification from the Citizenship Council very soon.”

“I—I don’t know what to say.”

“Don’t thank me. You did our government a great service.”

“Thank you,” Jaymes said.

“If you find yourself in need of a job, call me.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“I’m sorry to have disturbed you at home. Please enjoy the rest of your evening. Good-bye.”

“Good-bye.”

Jaymes turned to look at Drue. Drue grinned and launched himself at Jaymes. Both men landed on the couch in a tangle, hugging and laughing.

“I’ve been working for this my whole life,” Jaymes said, kissing Drue lightly. “But it wouldn’t mean anything if you weren’t here with me.”

“I’m really happy for you.” Drue returned the kiss.

“You know the first thing we’re going to do?”

“Yeah.” Drue rubbed his hard-on against Jaymes’s crotch.

“No, not that,” Jaymes said. “Well, yes, that, but then we’re going to buy your contract out.”

“I don’t have that much Capital.”

“I do.”

“I can’t let you—”

Jaymes stopped Drue’s words with a kiss. “You will let me,” he said. “Because I can’t marry you if you aren’t a Citizen.”

Drue’s eyes were very bright as he kissed Jaymes. “We have that mind link thing, so you know what I’m feeling now, right?”

Jaymes nodded. “I love you too,” he said.

“I
S
THAT
the fragging commlinx?” Drue groaned as Jaymes reached over him.

“I’ve got it. Go back to sleep.”

Drue snuggled into the cumulus pile of pillows and closed his eyes.

Jaymes swiped his thumb across the room’s commlinx card. “Hello?”

“Are you enjoying your stay in the Pasha Suite?”

Jaymes recognized the voice and cold dread froze his heart. “Mino!” he said as he sat up, and Drue opened his eyes again.

“Turn on your holocast screen.”

“What?”

“You heard me. Turn it on. By the way, how do you like married life?”

“It’s our one year anniversary, and we’re both still alive.”

“So it’s a success. You have a nice life, now, you hear?”

“Mino, wait!” Jaymes said, but the linx was dead. Pointing it at the wall opposite the big bed, he pressed one of the top corners. A holoscreen floated out of the wall and brightened. A simcaster’s image coalesced, and her words became audible. “Listen,” Jaymes told Drue.

“This morning, the Bioware civil rights bill, commonly known as Valens’s Law was approved by the World Economic Combine Council. Those tagged as Bioware will now enjoy the same rights as Citizens and will in fact
be
Citizens. This great change has not come without great struggle, and there are those especially in the Bioware industry who will oppose the new laws. But for today, celebrations are going on all over the city.”

Jaymes flicked the screen off. “How about that?” he said.

“Couldn’t they have passed the law before we paid all that money for my contract?”

“You’re worth every cent.”

“What’s a cent?”

“No idea. It’s just an old saying.” Jaymes wiped tears from his eyes.

“What’s wrong? Aren’t you happy about the new law?”

“Of course. I just wish Valens was here to celebrate with us, and Parry, and Cade Londean, and everyone who died to make this happen.”

Drue hugged Jaymes tightly. “I think they’d think the sacrifice was worth it.” After a few moments, he made a clumsy attempt to change the subject. “How’s the murk?”

Jaymes lifted his head from Drue’s shoulder. “He didn’t say, but the fact that he’s still alive makes me oddly happy.”

“Speaking of happy, now that I’m awake, do you want to ravish me again, or do you need to get back to sleep?”

“I’m not doing any work tomorrow. I promised, and I’m going to keep my promise.”

“I don’t mind your work. It’s glamorous. You get to wear nice suits and go to stellar parties, and the best part is that you take me with you.”

“I do more than attend parties.”

Drue snorted. “You’re a wonderful ambassador, love, but you have to admit that a large part of your job takes place at parties. Not that I’m complaining.”

Abruptly the room was lit by a flare of bright red radiance. Jaymes and Drue got out of bed and went naked to the balcony. With their arms around one another, they watched the fireworks and honored all those who had made this victory possible.

C
ONNIE
B
AILEY
is a Luddite who can’t live without her computer. She’s an acrophobic who loves to fly, a fault-finding pessimist who, nonetheless, is always surprised when something bad happens, and an antisocialite who loves her friends like family. She’s held a number of jobs in many disparate arenas to put food on the table, but writing is the occupation that feeds her soul.

Connie lives with her ultralight designer husband at a small grass-strip airfield halfway between Disney World and Busch Gardens. Logic and reality have had little to do with her life, and she likes it that way.

Visit her blog at http://baileymoyes.livejournal.com/.

By
C
ONNIE
B
AILEY

N
OVELS

Kaji Sukoshi and the Shining One

Miles to Go

Moonlight, Tiger and Smoke

Revenant

Something for Nothing

True Blue

N
OVELLAS

The Raw Prawn

Human After All

Published by
D
REAMSPINNER
P
RESS

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com