The Human Bearer
16.
All around him, the house groaned under the pressure. Before, he had thought the claustrophobia effect was the worst to endure, but now, he was changing his mind.
The streets were flooded; he could tell as much. Kyle had activated a whole protection system, and all the windows were now covered by compact roller blinds or whatever those things were, isolating them inside as if they were trapped in a metallic cocoon.
"How much do you reckon this thing will hold?" Riordan asked, as waves of nausea washed over him. He held his belly, willing to transmit nothing but happy thoughts to the Xenolite inside him. "I don't want to sound like an asshole, but is there nothing you can do to get us out of here? Staying here, doing nothing, is not something I'm willing to do."
"You are safe for now, Master Rio."
"Thanks for that. You really saved my ass there. However, I don't feel like drowning today. There's water all around, right?"
"Yes. I will contact Master Xana and ask which of the protocols he recommends as follows."
Riordan waited but not idly. He caught his temples in his hands and tried to focus on getting Xana, too. There was a faint answer, finally, while Kyle just flickered in what seemed like a helpless fashion.
Xana, where are you?
Are you well, Riordan?
Yes, we're basically trapped in the house, Kyle and I. What the fuck is going on?
He was hearing Xana talking in his mind, but faintly, like a whisper.
I instructed your bot on how to ensure your survival.
Xana, what the fuck? Just tell me what's going on. And why the hell do I hear you that badly?
I have rather more difficult problems to tend to right now, Riordan.
Xana's telepathic voice was stern and harsh. Of course, Riordan thought, but not without feeling pissed off. I told you there was some shit brewing. Well, fuck you. There's a war or some revolution or something, right?
Your Earthian term would be a coup. A tentative. Nothing else. Follow the instructions I sent to your bot. I will see you soon.
Now that was a promise. Riordan looked at Kyle. "Well, what are we going to do?"
"We will go to a safe place. Please, follow me, Master Rio."
Like there was any choice.
***
Riordan was used to the weird contraptions they used as so-called cars in that world, but being inside a small submarine was on a totally different level. Through the glass, he could see outside, and his heart grew small. There were bodies floating above, and he could watch it all, because the ceiling of that thing was just as transparent as the sides. "They drowned," he whispered.
Kyle was at the controls, taking the submarine through the streets, seemingly with a clear destination in mind. "Please don't look, Master Rio."
"Easy for you to say." Riordan felt his eyes filling with tears. When had he cared about others? But that could've been him if Kyle hadn't pulled him back in the nick of time. Could he have saved himself? That wave rushing down the street had looked like a fucking tsunami. "They're Earthians, most of them, I'm sure. Not one Xeno in sight."
"Not only Earthians," Kyle replied calmly. "Anyone without the ability to breathe under water--"
"That's not the point," Riordan interrupted the bot. "Sorry," he said and wiped his tears with the back of his hands. "It's not you. It's this fucking place."
He sat on the floor, legs crossed and caught his head in his hands. What the fuck was going on? Was Xana that reckless not to consider a threat to their government or whatever it was that they used as an organized form to run their planet? "Why?" he whispered.
"We are getting close, Master Rio."
He got to his feet and looked out again. There was nothing visible as far as his eyes could see. They were in some kind of desert or something. Then, their submarine stopped and began descending toward the bottom of that sea of nothingness.
A trap opened in the middle of the command room, the only room the submarine had besides the place where the engines must have been. Riordan watched curiously and forced himself to walk near. Xana hadn't known about the coup until it was too late. Could he trust that he was heading for a safe space? He was in no position to think that. That was one luxury he couldn't afford, his free thinking, or free will, or whatever. Had it been only him, he would've have taken his chances by telling Kyle to take them as far as possible and then find a way to escape Xeno. But there was someone growing inside him that required only the safest bets and nothing less.
"Please descend, Master Rio. I will follow you closely."
"Don't let me out of your sight, and I mean it, Kyle. Right now, I think you're the only guy who cares properly about me."
"Master Xana cares, as well. He believes he will see you soon."
"Good." Riordan set his jaw hard. "Because I'm in the mood to punch him in the fucking face for not listening to me when he had a chance to--" To save all those people, he wanted to say but kept it to himself. Immediate survival was all that mattered. It used to be something he was good at.
He took the plunge and began descending down the ladder under him.
***
They were in a large room of a building that must have been carved underground. There were so many people there, mainly bearers and their tenders, and plenty of them looked spooked as fuck. No one dared to talk, just steal nervous glances around. Riordan wondered what that was until he noticed the large screen at the back of the room. It flicked for a moment, and then he saw a stern man's face appearing on the screen. No, not a man, Riordan corrected himself. A Xeno.
"I am Your Royal Chancellor Marn Saver. I am speaking on the behalf of the law on Xeno. You will not be hurt."
Riordan reached for Kyle's robotic arm and held it tightly. The bot didn't question him.
"An attempt to our way of life is underway. You will remain at the Tu'lek facility until further notice."
The screen flickered and the stern face disappeared.
