The Human Bearer

The Human Bearer

32.

Walking down the hallways of Tu'lek, Riordan felt overwhelmed by how at peace everything and everyone seemed to be. Was the impending attack not coming, after all? Was it wise to keep all those people in the dark like that? Maybe Marn thought that a full-scale panic wouldn't help anyone. There was a chance, of course, that all the Xenos had been warned but what about the others?

A cute bearer passed by him and nodded in acknowledgment. Riordan did a double take and looked around to see if there was someone else doll-face was greeting. But he was the only guy there.

"Have a nice day, Riordan Lei."

"Yeah, you too."

He turned his head and stared after that strange guy. And then, another pretty Earthian bearer came from the opposite direction, followed by his bot, and addressed him the same.

"May your day be filled with happiness, Riordan Lei."

"Yeah, yours too."

What the hell was going on? These guys wouldn't give him the time of the day, under any other circumstances. A third and a fourth crossed paths with him and did exactly the same.

"Kyle," he whispered, "what do you think all this is about?"

This bot wheeled peacefully by his side and not behind him, as the other bots. Riordan thought whether other bots were envious of Kyle and the different treatment he got from his master. Nah, he was just being weird. Still, the fact that everyone on board of Tu'lek was so keen on being his friend all of a sudden definitely weirded him out.

"It might be the positive influence of Cario Hamen, Master Rio."

"Really? What did that guy say to these guys?"

"He praised your bravery in times of need in front of the other nursing bearers. The others must have learned about it from that group."

"My bravery. Yeah." Riordan nodded and grinned. "That Cario is like the student body president or some shit, right?"

"He is held in high esteem among the other bearers," Kyle confirmed.

His bot was so cool because he didn't need an explanation at every word. That allowed him to speak freely without policing his language. "Do you know where Cario Hamen is right now? Can we go visit him?"

"I will contact his bot right away." It only took Kyle a moment to come back with an answer. "Yes, he is eager to see you. Master Cario says that he was just thinking of you."

"Cool, let's go. Do you know where his quarters are?"

"Of course, Master Rio."

Riordan searched his brain as a flicker of an idea crossed his mind. "How much of the ship do you have mapped out in your database, Kyle?"

"What's the more specific question?"

Damn, he had one smart bot. "You know, when I followed Lewis's husbands through those pipes or whatever they were to get in time to save Kanto's ass, that was like super useful. Do you have knowledge of stuff like that?"

"Partially. But I do know of at least three routes that are out of the main hallways."

"Good. In case Gamni attacks and we're caught in a tight spot, I'm counting on your knowledge to get us out." Riordan pondered for a bit. "The prison cells downstairs where Florent is kept, is there another way to get there than by that elevator?"

"Only from the outside."

His bot's reply gave him a little chill. "What do you mean?"

"In case the ship needs to eliminate all the prisoners, there are hatches at the end of each cell that can be opened--"

"So that they can space those poor fuckers," Riordan completed Kyle's words without waiting for his bot's delivery of what sounded just like the harsh logic of these aliens. As much as he loved Xana with all his heart and soul, he needed to remind himself that they were also ruthless conquerors of the universe, and not some cuddly oversized plushy toys. "Let me guess. These hatches can also be accessed from the outside."

"Yes," Kyle confirmed right away. "Are you thinking that this is the way Gamni Gafilos will try to gain access inside the ship?"

"Yeah. I mean, it's so obvious... Shit," Riordan groaned. "There has to be a reason why Florent is left like such a sitting duck, right? This is all that Marn's thinking. That guy, I can't believe him."

"I do not quite follow your logic here, Master Rio."

"Marn is using Florent as bait. He wants to get Gamni to attack. Fuck."

Could he go down there and warn Florent? But what good would that do? He couldn't get the guy away from his prison cell because of that damn killing device that kept him trapped in there. The way he saw things, he was in dire need of a solution.

***

Cario moved to welcome him as soon as he was inside, with Kyle on his heels. The quarters Cario Hamen shared with his master weren't much different than the ones he had with Xana, with the only exception that it held an aquarium-like structure attached to one of the walls. When Riordan looked closely, he saw that little Dario was inside, frolicking happily in the water. He seemed to be quite amused by his own shenanigans, as he twirled and rolled in his aquarium, chasing his own tail.

"That's like his crib?" Riordan asked.

"They love water. Also, when they're this young, it is necessary for them, as their lungs are not perfectly adapted to breathing air the way we do. Of course, they are at an advantage since they grow up capable of breathing underwater."

"Necessary?" Riordan asked. He remembered now what Xana had told him about how Drato Menor had needed to grab his newborn son and take him to a special nursery, the only reasons why Cario had been left behind so hurriedly right after delivery.

"Yes. From the moment they are born, they need water the same way we need air."

Riordan felt uneasy. "What happens if one is born under less than ideal conditions? What if there's no water close by?"

Cario watched him closely. Then, he took his arm and guided him to sit on one of the large beds.

"What's going on, Riordan? Why would you fear such a thing?"

"I was just wondering," Riordan said defensively. He was here to see if Cario knew anything about the attack, not put worries in the other's head.

"I don't believe you." Cario smiled, as if to assure him. "I might not be a superior empath, but I know when someone's lying to me. These aren't the usual jitters before giving birth. You're worried about something that's very clear a danger inside your mind."

"Screw you, man," Riordan mumbled. He stared at the Xenolite, so happy in his water crib. "Yeah, well, I've learned a thing or two lately about some pretty bad shit. Can he hear me?" He pointed at Dario, who appeared completely oblivious to their conversation.

"Like children, up to a certain age, what adults talk about is of no interest to them. But he can hear us. Look." Cario angled his body so that he was facing the aquarium. "Dario." The Xenolite stopped his playing and looked directly at the one who had given him birth. His large beautiful eyes were wide open and alert. He wasn't moving his lips, but Riordan could swear the now-familiar hum of empathic conversations was filling the air.

"He asked me if it's time for him to rest already," Cario confirmed. "Also, in their usual manner, he not-so-kindly reminded me that he knows it is not that time yet."

"Is he basically throwing a tantrum, but only using his mind?" Riordan asked, amused.

"Yes, you can say so. No, it is not that time yet, Dario. You can continue to play."

The Xenolite brought his face close to the glass and smiled brightly. Then, he raised both arms, taking them out of the water. Cario seemed to understand and walked over. The Xenolite quickly grabbed his arm and rolled himself around it. Then, he lifted his face and waited, his eyes close, while Cario kissed his nose and whispered some endearing words to him. Only after that, he seemed satisfied and wiggled free of his parent's hold to go back into the water.

"They will grow up differently from their dads," Riordan said. He couldn't imagine that lizard queen that had birthed Xana to display such signs of affection towards her newborn. But that made them, the human bearers, different, right? That, and the fact that they apparently could influence the DNA of Xenos' offspring. It had to be a big deal. If only he could be inside Marn's head and learn everything. His Royal Chancellor held all the threads in his powerful hand, but he was definitely a miser with sharing his knowledge. Riordan was certain not even Xana, or Kanto, or anyone close to Marn, knew everything.

"Tell me more about the things you've learned," Cario said and turned towards him, his face as serene as always.

"There's going to be an attack on the ship." Riordan let out a breath and then stopped when he noticed his host's completely unmoved facial features. "Wait, why aren't you surprised? Did you know already?"

Cario shook his head. "No, not in detail, but I am far from surprised. As much as we like to think that our masters have succeeded in defeating their opponents, according to my knowledge, their group was not negligible in numbers. That means that some of them are still out there. They're the most resilient species in the known universe."

"Yeah," Riordan admitted. "Anyway, there's this guy, Gamni Gafilos, and he has a big ass warship called Galatea."

"The general," Cario confirmed and nodded slowly.

"Do you know him?"

"I know of him," Cario said. "He was in the middle of a horrible scandal. His bearer lost the egg. There were plenty of voices condemning the human and asking for him to be executed. Voices saying that he killed the unborn Xenolite in cold blood."

Riordan stared at Cario, examining his smooth pretty face, and wondered if he could share even more. "What did you think of that?"

"It seems unlikely to me that he did such a thing on purpose. Just as I know of his master, I also know of Florent Kasido. He received the same education as I did on Earth. We weren't in the same class, but he didn't strike me as the murderous type."

"Would you say he's a good guy?" Riordan prodded further.

"As I told you, I don't know him that well. But the whole thing struck me as unusual. If Florent had been an assassin sent to kill Gamni Gafilos's child, he would have had a better strategy in place to get away after the deed. Instead, he was devastated, and it wasn't because he didn't want his own life to end. I watched the feed at the time. Strikingly enough, the one who had suffered the bigger loss seemed unaffected."

"You mean Gamni?"

"Yes. I know they're not emotional creatures, nor do they offer public displays of anything outside the protocol, but there was this glint in his eyes. He was triumphant. As if his eyes were saying--"

"I told you so. Right?" Riordan asked.

"Yes." Cario nodded and pursed his lips. "The general never made it a secret that he was against human bearers. So, is he coming in his big scary ship?"

How could this guy smile like this under the circumstances? But Cario was only smiling with his lips. His eyes were full of worry, and Riordan was pretty damn sure that his looked just the same.

"Not just him. A whole fleet."

"I see." Cario inhaled and exhaled, probably a tactic to calm his nerves. "Since you are aware of it, I assume that your master knows. And if he knows, His Royal Chancellor knows, as well."

"Yes. But call me paranoid or whatever, this little thought doesn't make me feel that calm. I mean, they knew about that coup on Xeno, too, and Xana tells me that it was too late to prevent that disaster... You know, it's pretty scary that they're so powerful. Compared to us, they're--"

"Gods. I know."

That wasn't the word Riordan was looking for, but he didn't have another for it, either. "But they're not infallible. I've seen it with my own eyes. Kanto was about to kick the bucket. Sure, there were other Xenos going for his throat, but still."

"But you were there and saved the day," Cario said with a smile.

"I don't understand how you know about that," Riordan replied and stared quizzically at this new friend of his.

"I have my ways," Cario assured him. The manner his lips quirked in an all-knowing smile was mysterious enough to warrant other questions. "I, too, like to have knowledge of what is going on around me. Maybe I don't have your propensity for taking down doors for it, but I like to believe I know a thing or two."

"Then, for the sake of being correct on all the details, when that shit went down, and Kanto was in danger, I did help but only a little. There were other guys who saved the day, all Xenos."

"Not what I've heard," Cario said promptly. "Rumor has it that you caused quite the change in the high commander, Riordan. Also, that you got under his skin."

Riordan snorted. "Right. Well, there's been a weird situation with him, but I'm not going to talk about it."

"I wouldn't dream of making you confide in me unless you want to." It had to be with that pleasant smile that Cario convinced everyone that he was the right person to share all the secrets one had in his possession.

It made Riordan a bit uncomfortable that this guy was so smart when he had thought all the other bearers, save for Tasha, to be a bunch of sluts with nothing in their heads. The more you learn, right?

"I have something for you," Cario said, interrupting his thoughts. He searched in small chest at the foot on the bed they were sitting on and came back with a vial filled with a transparent liquid. He handed it to Riordan.

"What's this?" It looked like water, but he had learned that Xenos only liked water for skinny-dipping not to drink it.

"It's concentrated sangar," Cario explained. "I know that His Royal Chancellor will make sure that you have everything you need when you give birth, but it's for your peace of mind. Remember that a drop is enough to take you through the worst pains imaginable."

"What happens if I gulp it all by accident?"

Cario threw him a curious look.

"What if I'm forced to take it?" Riordan whispered.

Cario sighed. "You'll go on the trip of your life. It's highly hallucinogenic if taken in too large quantities. Another perk of the human mind. If something is too pleasurable, it tends to blow our minds away."

"Well, that's a relief. I'd hate to kill myself by accident."

Cario touched his elbow briefly. "And no one could kill you with sangar even if they wanted. Also, not that anyone cared to conduct such an experiment, but it might give you Xeno-like powers." The last words floated to him in a conspiratorial whisper. "It's only a rumor. Please don't take it as truth."

Riordan stared at the vial in his hand with new appreciation. It would be pretty badass to be as powerful as those guys. But they wouldn't keep such a thing around, right? Human bearers as strong as their masters... that thing couldn't be right for Xenos. But this Cario guy knew an awful lot about all kinds of things, so it could very well be true.

"Why do you have such a thing?"

That sweet smile was killing him already, but in a fun way. Cario was a guy one liked to know. Like a dealer.

"Let's say I can be quite convincing when I want." The blond head leaned against his until their foreheads touch.

He jolted at first. Cario was trying to talk to him the way Xana did.

Let's say that I didn't drink all the sangar Drato brought for me when I gave birth.

And how did you obtain it in its concentrated form?

My grandfather used to run an illegal moonshine distillery on Earth. Do I need to say more?

Not really, no.

Cario moved away.

"How did you do that?" Riordan asked.

"I have to be very close, but I'm glad it's working. Can you keep it a secret? Even from your master?"

"Sure, but why?"

Cario appeared to contemplate his answer. "They might grow to love us, but in the meantime, I'm wary of not giving my master any reason to think that I'm doing something out of the boundaries of what is expected of me. Unlike you, I'm not brave."

"Braver than you think." He was impressed by the vial in his hand and how Cario had managed to obtain it. "But do you really want to give it to me? You might need it, who knows?"

"No. It's yours." Cario took Riordan's hand and closed it over the vial. "I come from a stranger background than you might think. And I was told... you know, let's make it that a story for another time. Is that fine with you?"

"Yeah, totally." Riordan snuck his precious vial into one of the pockets of his robe. He had a feeling he needed to have it close. He could entrust it to Kyle, but who knew what the future held?

"About Florent Kasido," Cario said. "Since you asked me. Whatever bad things our masters believed him to be capable of, I'm not of the same mind. If he ever did anything to hurt someone, a Xenolite, it wasn't his fault."

Riordan nodded. He was about to blurt out what he knew of the prisoner in the lowest deck of the ship, when Cario turned his head slightly.

"It looks like my little one wants me to tell him a story from Earth before taking his nap."

"Yeah, sure. I've kept you long enough." Riordan felt the vial in his pocket for reassurance.

"It is always a pleasure, Riordan." Cario leaned forward and placed a light kiss on his cheek.

Take care, Riordan.

Oh, he'd do that and more.

tbc