Only Prompts - 16. Foreign Soil

"Miller Rayson?"

"Yes. That's me." I was looking down at the spit-polished military boots.

"By order of the Public Health and Citizen's Safety Department, you are to come with me. Please understand if you resist, we will take you by force."

My eyes followed the black and grey uniform up to the mask covered face of the City Guard. They were police and more. Each one of them an android; they were huge, cold and effective.

"I'll come with you. May I ask why?"

"Our orders are to bring you in. I don't know the reason. Please stand up."

I stood, and while I did I gazed back at all the faces that were turned away from their lunches, and were staring at my arrest. I wondered why they arrested me out here in the courtyard, rather than my office in the University.

They marched me out with my hands in restraints to a waiting transport. The PHCSD isn't far from where I work. Within fifteen minutes I was inside and standing before a Public Health official.

"You are Rayson, Miller; Health code RAYM3467M?" The official read from a screen. She hadn't bothered to glance at me.

"Yes, that's me."

"Thank you. Are you aware that your monitor has reported a serious illness to us?"

"No, I feel fine. Nothing's wrong."

"Mr. Rayson, your monitor has been thoroughly checked. There is no error."

"What's wrong with me?" My normal calm demeanor was quickly dissolving.

"You have a Class A disease." The official peered to her left. "Take him away. There isn't much time."

The two large City Guards dragged me away. I was pulled along the hall by the two giants and taken into a white room. There was an exam table, and Robo-Exam Station.

"Strip"

I didn’t wait to hear; or we'll do it by force. I removed all my clothes and stood naked.

"Put this on." One of them handed me a pressure suit. The other carried away my clothing and personal property.

"Why do I need this? What is going on?"

"Put it on, or—”

"Right, or you will. Fine." I stepped into the suit. "Will you please tell me what is happening?"

"Listen, dickhead, our job is to move you from here to your destination. Now shut up or you'll be wearing a silomask. Am I clear?"

"Yes." I'd get no information from these two.

The guards gave me a vac-sealed bag containing my clothes and effects. Then they hustled me through the crowded hallways.

After securing me in the back of the transport, the pair climbed in and programmed the vehicle. It pulled away and quickly gained height and speed.

We were heading southwest toward the Trudeau Space Centre. I craned my neck to see out the front window.

The Space Centre? What was going on?

We were rushed through the guarded entrance. "You're cleared straight through, follow route five."

The transport followed the route as directed. Once we stopped, the guards pulled me from the vehicle. "Let's go."

As much as I wanted to pull away, to run, I knew there was no point. I'd get nowhere except perhaps dead. It is difficult giving up, hard when there is no way out other than by captors who are not about to let you go. So with their strong grip on each of my biceps, I went with them.

Then I was in a space-port terminal. It was empty, but a sign indicated Prisoner Holding. Prisoner?

I struggled and scanned around wildly. My guards tightened their hold on me and dragged me forward. Ahead of me the space lock was open at this point I could no longer remain silent.

"Let me go. You've no right to do this." I fought and kicked at my captors. The lifted me off the ground and carried me through the doorway. They put me down and I heard the door close. "Let me go you bastards. You have no right to do this to me."

The City Guards left me in the care of two Space-Port Guards.

"Mr. Rayson, you'll be sedated now." One of them shoved me roughly into a seat. "Once you come around on the ship, you will be examined and your questions answered."

I struggled and swore at them.

One of them slapped me so hard I saw stars. He bent down close enough that I could hear his rebreather. "Listen asshole. This is happening. Now shut-up and be good, or I'll make sure your trip is as miserable as I can make it. Nod if you understand me."

I focused on black glass faceplate and nodded.

"Smart move." He eyed at his partner. "Give it to him."

The other used the computerized injector to send a stream of sedative into my arm.

"Let's get him on board."

I felt them pick me up, but I could no longer feel my feet.

A bright light woke me. I lay on my back but I was unable to move. I figured I was in restraints and moved my arms to confirm it.

"Are you awake, Mr. Rayson?"

"Mmm, vaguely."

"Good. Please open your eyes. I need to examine you."

The voice wasn't human. "I am a Physician's Assistant. I will perform various checks before Dr. Walters arrives to see you."

The machine examined me and took samples very efficiently. It bowed slightly at the end and left with its little carrier that held samples of my bodily fluids for testing.

I had been alone for about ten minutes when two men entered. The man with the salt and pepper hair spoke first.

"I'm Dr. Walters, and this is the head of the Ship's Guard, Darrian Botcher."

"Why am I here?"

"Mr. Rayson, you were told why."

"I was told I've got something, not what."

The Guardsman stood quietly, while Walters swiped at his info-tab.

"HIV, Mr. Rayson. Seems you practice homosexuality."

"Yes, I'm Gay."

"That issue should have been repaired when you were a child."

I'd heard this all a million times. "You have no right to do this. Where are you sending me?"

"I'm afraid they absolutely do have the right. You, Mr. Rayson, are ill with a disease supposedly wiped out thirty years ago." Darrian Botcher was speaking. "Taking a Class A disease back to Earth, from wherever you picked it up, is illegal. People with Class A diseases cannot remain there."

"Where am I going?"

"The colony on Ichor3. You will help with the building of the colony and they will assist you in managing your illness until you die."

"You can't do this … let me off this ship."

Dr. Walters smiled. "My dear boy, it's a bit late for that. We've been in flight for twelve hours. There's no going back now."

Dr. Walters summoned the P.A android who returned and handed the doctor a bottle of pills. "That will be all."

"Yes, doctor."

Walters turned to me and held out the bottle of pills. "These will support your immune system and keep the virus almost static. Start taking them now."

It would take about ten days to arrive at the colony on Ichor3. It was about 5.3 light years from Earth. In the meantime I moped about the ship. Not talking to anyone, just watching old films and reading. I did learn there were six decks, each loaded with about a hundred prisoners. They couldn't all have HIV could they?

There was no privacy; this was a prison ship after all. On the third day some of the men on my floor cornered me in the shower.

"Don't fight it. Just be good and be quiet. You know you like it." Some asshole said to me.

"Back off, now."

I raised my head, the voice was familiar. Darrian Botcher's presence was enough for my would-be molesters, they all left quietly. "They won't bother you again, Rayson."

"Th … Thanks."

He just turned and walked away.

On the fifth night I was in bed in my room when the door opened, then closed and the lock slid into place.

I sat up. "What do you want?"

"I'm not here to hurt you."

"Then what?"

Darrian Botcher sat on the end of my bed. "Just talk." He sighed. "I wasn't taken care of as a child either. Don't meet too many of our ilk. I just want to talk."

"That mean you're Gay?"

"Yes." Darrian turned to me. "Other than the whores on Mars, I've never met anyone like me. Not that I wanted to talk to."

"No, most of us are fixed before age five."

"Yeah. My mother wouldn't let them. I think she regrets that decision now but we never discuss it."

"I understand." I paused for a second. "I wonder how it feels. I mean the ones who are repaired, their homosexuality fixed as children. Can they still feel the attraction at some level?"

Darrian just shook his head. He stood. "I'm sorry. This was a stupid idea. Good night."

I didn't want him to go. "Please, please don't leave. It feels good to talk. Sit down, please."

"I really don't want to talk." He sat, but near my knees.

"You came here for sex?"

"No. I …."

I shuffled over, making room. "Lay down beside me. It would feel good just to be close."

Darrian stood, pulled off his uniform jacket and put it on the only chair in the room. Then he lay down next to me, sharing my pillow. I moved closer still under my blanket and put my head on his shoulder. His arm slid around me and I felt him breathe in deeply and then sigh.

We said nothing more to each other; just lay there together in the peace and silence.

The same thing happened for each of the next four nights. On the last night I waited up for him. He arrived as usual, slipping in and then locking the door.

"You're up."

"Yes, I thought I'd wait for you. This is our last night."

He appeared a little sad as he slipped out of his uniform jacket. "Yeah, I know." Then he sat next to me on the bed and wrapped a heavy arm around my shoulders.

I leaned in, finding comfort in the scent of him. The perfume of his skin and the light musk of his cologne, I wanted to never let him go. "I love this, like this, you know? I'll miss you."

He squeezed me tighter and then shifted around and pulled me into a hug. "So will I, very much."

"Where I'm going, are there others? Gay, I mean?"

"Yes, more than you might expect. But there are heteros as well. A mix." He moved away a little and smiled. "You know what they call the colony?"

"No, what?"

"New Australia."

"Really? Is it full of murderers and stuff?" I chuckled a little at my poor joke.

If he'd heard me laugh, he ignored it. "No, it's not a penal colony. It's where the government puts us freaks and imperfect specimens, so they don't have look at us on Earth."

We sat next to each other in silence for several minutes. I was thinking about what Darrian had just said.

"You said us."

He moved a little. "Yeah."

"They don't know about you, do they?"

He shook his head. "No, they don't. I hide it well. Come on. I'm tired let's lay down."

We did, him on top of the blanket and me under it. He pulled me close.

"Miller, I applied for position with the colony police."

My heart jumped. "You did?"

"I was accepted. The job comes with a house. I want you to come and live with me."

Part of me wanted to scream yes, part said no, but mostly I was unsure. "Live? How, as what, your cleaner?"

"What? No!" He sat up. "No, as this … like we are."

"I don’t know what this is, Darrian."

He bent then and pressed his lips to mine for a few moments, then pulled me into a hug. I kissed his neck and collarbone. I sighed and held on. He didn't release me as we lay down again.

"So will you?" His voice was soft.

"You don't think it's too soon?"

"No, I think it's the right time."

"Won't we get into trouble?" I closed my eyes his warmth was making me sleepy.

"No, lots of people are open. Walk around holding hands. It's not paradise but we don’t have to hide there."

"It's paradise if I can just be me." I kissed him lightly. "Us."

"Life isn’t easy in the colony. There is a lot of work to be done." He stopped talking for a moment and touched my face. "I figure it would be easier together. I'm tired of being on my own, Miller."

"I get that. So am I. So okay, yes I accept." I panicked after saying that. "I mean I know it's not marriage … I meant that—"

He was smiling I could hear it. "Calm down. No not marriage, yet a commitment as far as I'm concerned." He moved me off gently and sat up. I heard him remove his boots. "Can I get under the blanket now?"

I raised the covering. "Climb in."

The next morning Darrian was gone before I woke up, and when I did, I missed him being there.

I was scheduled to be on the fourth shuttle down to the colony. I packed what little I had and went to the shuttle's flight deck. I was checking in when Darrian stepped up to the desk.

"Not him. Put him on the last shuttle with me."

I watched him, but the message in his eyes was clear. I kept quiet.

The clerk said, "Yes Sir. I can but that shuttle is reserved for VIPs."

"Do you have any idea who Miller Rayson is?"

The clerk peered at me before he answered. "No, Mr. Botcher."

"No, well I do. He is a Professor of Agronomy."

"Yes, sir. I'll reschedule him."

"Thank you." Darrian took my new boarding slip from the clerk and handed it to me. "I'll walk you back."

As we walked I asked, "How did you find out? Did you research me?"

"No, I've read The Environmental Impact of Agriculture."

That stopped me in my tracks. "You've read that?"

"Yes, when I knew I wanted to move to the colony." He grinned a little. "I studied biology, before I became a cop. I thought maybe they'd consider me in that role if they didn't want cops."

"You're an interesting man."

"I'm glad you think that."

We stopped at my door. He glanced up and down the passageway, and gave me a quick kiss. "Once we're home, I look forward to more than kissing you."

"I feel the same way."

"Wait here and I'll come for you when our shuttle is ready."

"All right Darrian."

I was restless but lay down to try and relax. I guess I fell asleep because I opened my eyes to Darrian standing over me.

"Miller … Miller come on."

"Sorry, shit. Yes, I'm awake." I took his hand and he pulled me to my feet.

"Time for us to go." He kissed me gently. "Ready?"

I nodded and reached again for his broad hand. "Yes, I'm ready. Let's go home."

The End