The Icarus operative - 12. Twelve

Launchhole U IV

Covenant Year 329

TWENTY FIVE DAYS BEFORE THE ARREST

The man crouched against the wall as he woke up. He didn’t know where he was and he panicked at suddenly knowing he didn’t know who he was or what he was doing there. He didn’t even know where there was. He closed his eyes trying to focus and tried to steady his breathing, before he started hyperventilating. The walls around him were plain gray metal. He looked up and realized the roof was the same material as the side walls and the floor. He was in an alley, and he noticed people coming and going about their business.

‘A Launchhole!’ he thought, ‘I’m in a Launchhole!’

How exactly he knew that, he didn’t know, for he could not remember a single thing. He breathed in deeply as he tried to relax. What to do now? Almost instinctively, he put his hands inside the pockets of his jacket in an attempt to see if there was any clue that might shed some light about who he was and what he was doing in a Launchhole only God knew where. He had luck with his left pocket, where he found a wallet with some covenant credits, a set of keys and an ID Card. He took it and read the name embossed in it. He had hoped it would trigger something in his mind, but it didn’t. The Card was a regular Covenant Citizenship ID, and somehow he knew the picture on it was his own.

In his right pocket he found something else. It was a tiny green crystal flat square. He inspected it closely and somehow he knew it was a memory holo-chip. Something in his brain clicked and he realized he was supposed to insert it in his watch, which he did almost automatically. Not a second later, a holographic image flickered into life.

It was himself.

‘They’re after me. They have been for some time now. If you found this, it means I was caught. I don’t have much time to explain it, but do know we’re aiming for a high cause. They’ll probably erase your memory, but know you will be safe. Look for a trading ship called Persephone. Look for Captain Bristow, she’ll…’

The message got interrupted.

He replayed it to see if there was more in the holo-chip, but there wasn’t. Who was he? Who was he running from and why was he supposed to look for this Captain Bristow? He walked outside the alley and walked about the place, trying to figure out what to do next. There was a hint of a headache coming, but he couldn’t afford to pay any attention to it, especially when he didn’t even know where he was.

He walked for some time until he found himself facing a holo-screen which showed the entire complex. He approached it and almost immediately knew he had to tap it so it would come to life. The screen displayed a holographic representation of the Launchhole.

‘Welcome,’ a cold androgynous computerized voice greeted him, ‘it’s 1100 hours local time. You are represented by the green dot in the map. Please, state your destination.’

As if he’d known all along, he tapped a series of commands and overwrote the security system, letting him see the manifesto of the Launchhole, as well as the ships which were now stationed. That’s how he discovered he was in Launchhole U IV, and that The Persephone was docked in there.

Not three seconds later, an alarm was triggered and the computer spoke again.

‘Unauthorized security access,’ it said, ‘please remain where you are so you can be assisted by Covenant personnel.’

He did not do so. He tapped a series of commands so as to find his way to the Persephone. As he was leaving the holo-terminal, he saw a group of Covenant officers heading his way. He knew he didn’t have time, and he knew he could not afford being caught by them, whatever it was they wanted from him.

As if moved by an unknown force, and discovering abilities he didn’t know he had, he started running and finding his way through the people in the Launchhole. He had to get away from those officers at all costs.

****************

Semyon was coming from a the bookstore, where he'd finally bought a cheap novel, when a group of at least seven Covenant officers passed by, guns out of their holsters and talking to each other via funny looking pea-sized things inside their right ears.

As they passed, he overheard them talking over the crowd.

"Red leader! Red leader! This is green scout! We've lost the target!" said one of them.

"Confirming, green scout,” another man said, “target out of sight."

"Get on with Alpha team, and let them know he might be heading their way," said the one who seemed to be the leader of the squad, "Let's move North!"

Semyon moved aside to get out of their way, and just as he did, he saw the man: tanned white skin, dark hair, probably around thirty standards. For the brief seconds their eyes locked on each other's, Semyon felt the man's anguish as if it were something tangible. He had in his face the look of an animal hiding from a predator, and his hazel eyes seemed to be telling him, Please, don't say I'm here.

For a reason he couldn't put his finger on, Semyon remained silent until the Covenant officers had cleared the hall. He walked away, trying to forget the man and his silent plea, but his thoughts kept going back to him.

He looked at his watch and noticed he still had a good twenty minutes before his rendezvous with Merrilyn, so he decided the best thing was to sit somewhere and have something to drink. A nice looking cafe he'd seen by the bookstore seemed the right choice so he headed back in that direction. If he was correct, he had to walk back through the same hall and make a left. But just as he turned left, he felt a hand jerking him towards a dark aisle and another hand clasping around his mouth.

"Don't scream, please, don't scream!" the man said.

His eyes showed the same fear they'd shown when they'd seen each other before, and so did his voice.

Semyon nodded, letting the man know he was not planning on screaming. The man removed his hand from Semyon's mouth, somehow knowing he could trust him. He was panting, and he also seemed disoriented.

"I need you to help me. Please?"

Semyon nodded again.

"Will you?" the man asked, as if he couldn't believe his eyes, "will you really help me?"

"I will." Semyon said, not very sure why he had decided to do so; after all, he’d never seen the man before. There was something in the stranger’s eyes, however, that made Semyon feel like he was a good person in real trouble. Truth was, he didn’t really know why he had done it, but he could not back out now.

****************

Barry moved trying not to wake up Swift Vince, who was still peacefully sleeping.

‘He looks so handsome!’ he thought, a huge smile drawn on his face as he observed the little man, his toned chest moving steadily up and down as he breathed.

Barry placed his hand on Swift’s chest and felt his heartbeat. Swift opened his eyes slowly and looked at the Megobari.

“Hi, there!” he said still sleepy.

“Hi, handsome,” Barry replied and kissed the young man on the lips, “slept well?”

“Better than ever!”

“I bet you did!” Barry said playfully.

Swift extended his arm, inviting Barry to cuddle next to him. The Megobari smiled and then placed his head over the man’s chest.

“How about you, Barry? Did you sleep well?”

“I did.”

“Hope I wasn’t a disappointment last night.”

“What?” Barry asked, “You’re kidding, right?”

Swift remained silent.

“Swift, you were wonderful!”

Swift smiled shyly as Barry uttered the words.

“I mean it. You were tender, passionate, caring … it’s been some time since I had a man like you.”

Barry kissed him again and this time it wasn’t a peck, it was a deep, passionate kiss. Swift felt the intoxicating scent emanating from the red head.

“If you keep kissing me like that, I won’t be able to go,” Swift said.

“Is there anything you have to go back to right now?”

“Not particularly.”

“So, am I boring you?”

“What? No!”

“Then I have your express permission to kiss you like this,” Barry said and resumed the kissing.

“Your skin is so soft,” Swift said.

“Yours is softer … and yummier!” Barry said going down to kiss Swift’s chest, “Do you moisturize?”

“Uhuh.”

Swift shivered as he felt Barry’s tongue all over his chest and torso. He was amazed at the Megobari’s prowess as a lover. All of a sudden, he regretted not having allowed himself to enjoy intimacy with someone before.

Sally was right, he’d been coming to The Mirage for a long time and he couldn’t believe he’d never before sought the services of one of Sally’s boys. And he was glad Sally had chosen Barry for him. He was kind, tender and a sexual god.

“Barry?” he asked.

“Yes, Swift?” Barry asked interrupting the foreplay and looking up into Swift’s eyes.

“Are you always like this?”

“Like this? How do you mean?”

“Like, like this … with your other clients.”

Barry suddenly stopped the kissing and sat down and looked at Swift with an unreadable gesture.

“Why do you ask?”

“I don’t know, I guess ….”

“Swift, don’t do this to yourself.”

“What do you mean?”

“You are a wonderful man. You’re fun, handsome and a very good lover. What difference does it make what I am like with any other customer?”

“I don’t know, I ….”

“You’re probably wondering if I’m pretending. No, Swift, I’m not. Being a Megobari is much more than selling your body. What I do, is a way of life I deeply enjoy.”

“Barry, I’m sorry if ….”

“No! Don’t be sorry, Swift! And let me explain. I studied for four years to become a Megobari. It is a long and hard major, but it is a wonderful career. I was trained as a lover, as a masseur, as a companion. I am versed in seven different Covenant tongues and some other non-covenant ones. I’ve learnt the customs and traditions of most Covenant worlds.”

He stood up from the bed, naked as he was, facing Swift.

“What you see now, is but one tool that along with everything else I studied complements my line of work. I chose my clients, they don’t choose me.”

“But Sally ….”

“Sally is my patron and she understands my way of life. I could’ve chosen to say no when she asked me to entertain you the other night.”

“So why didn’t you?”

“Because I liked you.”

“What’s there to like about me?”

Barry looked at Swift with an angry face and did not reply. Swift looked down as he changed the subject. “So how does she run her business?”

“I’m the only Megobari in her establishment.”

“The others …?”

“They’re rentboys. And the best friends I could’ve asked for. I’m teaching them things, languages, techniques ….”

“Why a Megobari?”

“Why I chose this career?”

Swift nodded.

“Swift, you have no idea the places I’ve seen, the people I’ve met. You can’t imagine the satisfaction that grows within me at helping people reach out to themselves, what it is to help men recognize the best traits in themselves. I don’t have to pretend because I chose whom to be with. What you and I did, is something I utterly enjoyed. You are an amazing man, regardless of what you think of yourself.”

“I guess I … um ….”

“Shut up and kiss me, will you?” Barry said.

He didn’t have to say it twice.

****************

“So,” Captain Auriel Bristow said looking incredulously at the handsome man who’d come along with Semyon, “what you want me to believe is that you have no recollection of who you are or what you’re doing here … but somehow you know you were supposed to reach me.”

“It’s not that I somehow know it, I told you I have this chip with a message from myself to myself ….”

“Right!” She said with a clear hint of sarcasm, “And the only thing you remember is that your name’s … what again?”

“Espinosa,” the man responded, “And I don’t remember it, it’s embossed on the ID ….”

“Right,” she said, “the ID you somehow had in your possession when you ‘woke up’ not knowing who you were.”

Captain Bristow moved around the man, who was sitting almost in front of her desk, as if sizing him, but said nothing. Espinosa stood from his place as if to reach for her, but Bristow’s hand, faster than the eye, drew her laser gun and held it towards the man.

“Careful, Espinosa,” she warned him, “I’m tougher than I might seem at a first glance.”

“Whoa! Whoa!” he exclaimed hands up, and sat down almost instantly.

Bristow’s gun went back in the holster as fast as it had come out.

“Look, Captain,” Espinosa said, “everything I had on me was this ID which identifies me as Espinosa and this holo-chip which led me to you … I don’t know what else to say so I can convince you I’m being honest with you…”

The Captain walked towards her desk and, once there, she tapped the ICD. “O’Malley.”

“O’Malley, here, Capn’,” Phillip’s voice sounded from the other end of the device.

“O’Malley, please report to my office, and have Doctor Melaree join me here as well.”

“Aye, Capn’. O’Malley out.”

She sat down in front of Espinosa, making sure her hands were free to move in case she needed her weapons once again. She wanted to believe the man, but there was nothing she could do until she was totally sure.

“Listen,” she said, “I would really like to believe you, really. But you understand a woman of my age has not made it this far in trading by trusting people. Covenant Rule is a tough bitch.”

She was suddenly interrupted by Phillip O’Malley, who appeared and stood by the door.

“Cap’n?” he said looking from the captain to the man and to the captain again.

Auriel Bristow stood from her seat and nodded, acknowledging Phillip’s presence.

“Mister O’Malley,” she said, “would you be so kind as to escort Mister Espinosa here to the brig, please?

“My pleasure.” was all he said.

Phillip O’Malley moved towards Espinosa, and patted him on the back, thus signaling him to stand up.

“I ain’t gonna need no cuffs, right?” he asked.

“Captain, please!” Espinosa said.

Auriel turned her back on the man and spoke. “I don’t intend to be mean, Mister Espinosa. Believe me when I tell you I’m already working on a way to prove what you say. In the meantime, however, you will have to remain in custody. I hope you’ll understand that.”

“Come on, dude, let’s move!” said O’Malley as he conducted Espinosa to the brig.

Semyon looked at Espinosa and felt a pang in his stomach. He looked at the Captain and noticed she was not happy about what she’d done. He did understand, though, that precautions were to be observed, for she was right when she said she couldn’t trust the man or his claim to have lost his memory. It was protocol and he understood that. He just wished Espinosa was telling the truth and the Captain would find it soon enough. He did believe Espinosa’s claim, and he hoped the stranger could sooner rather than later prove his innocence.

****************

It was probably nine thirty at night, when Semyon came into the brig holding a tray with food. Phillip O’Malley was the one mounting guard, but that wasn’t really necessary; the room was perfectly secured and The Persephone was not such a big ship.

“Hey, kiddo,” Phillip said patting his strong abdomen, “thanks but I already had dinner.”

“It’s for him,” Semyon said pointing at the locked metal door with a nod of his head.

“Oh, I see. Need assistance?”

“Don’t think so, no,” Semyon replied half-smiling, “I don’t really think he’s gonna try anything on the only person on board this ship who’s shown him some kindness. D’you?”

Phillip grunted. And having done so, he tapped a sequence in the security pad next to the door. A couple of seconds later it slid open, not without a strong metallic screech.

“Make it brief, kid.”

Semyon nodded again and half-smiled as he crossed the threshold to the single cell. Behind him, the door slid closed.

“Hi,” he said as he came into small room holding the tray of food.

Espinosa rose from the thin mattress on which he’d been lying for the past several hours, since his arrival on The Persephone. The smell of the food made his stomach growl almost immediately.

“Hi,” he said shyly.

“Brought ya a snack,” Semyon said, “nothing fancy, y’know? I just thought you might be hungry by now.”

He sat down next to Espinosa and handed him the tray. The man didn’t think twice, took the fork and started eating something that looked like mashed potatoes and a side dish of greens, as he looked from Semyon to the tray and back.

“I’m sorry the captain decided you were to be put in here,” Semyon said as looked down.

“No, that’s okay,” said Espinosa with his mouth stuffed as he munched on the food Semyon had brought, “I think it beats a Covenant dungeon anyway.”

“No,” Semyon said again, “I truly am sorry.”

Espinosa placed the tray aside, and looked Semyon in the eye.

“Listen,” he said, “I’m really thankful you helped me, really. And I’m also thankful that you took the risk of bringing me here under the covenant officer’s noses. And I do understand your captain’s precautions, really. Had I been her, I would’ve probably done the same.”

Semyon sort of smiled, but he felt as if he had disappointed Espinosa, for he had promised to help him back on the station. He didn’t really know why, but this man sitting across from him, with his looks of confusion, had made him immediately trust him; and he didn’t doubt his innocence for a moment.

“Still ….”

Espinosa stretched a bit and took Semyon’s hands in his.

“You saved me from covenant officers. You brought me to your ship and to your captain. You decided to help me when no one in his sane mind would’ve done so. And you just brought me dinner. That’s more than I could have asked for, okay? Really. Don’t feel bad, okay? You have been the kindest of men,” he paused and then said with determination in his voice, “I mean it.”

Semyon was about to say something, when he heard Phillip knocking on the metal door. He shrugged and smiled at Espinosa. “Gotta go now,” he said.

“I know.”

Espinosa stood up, as if moved by an unknown force, and hugged Semyon. The brief second in his embrace, the Nabian felt as if he’d known this man all his life. Espinosa’s smell of man mixed with cologne gave off a scent that made Semyon feel something stir inside his pants, which forced him to break the embrace. He felt a slight blush run through his face and turned towards the door, hoping the light would hide the pink color he was sure now covered his cheeks. He thought it was weird, though, for he usually never blushed around men. This man, however, had such an effect on him. He couldn’t help but wonder what it was.

“Hey,” Espinosa said, returning to his meal, “I haven’t even asked your name yet…”

“It’s Semyon.” he said, and then walked outside the cell.