The Game 71
Edited by Karen Leigh
Sypher knew despair. Physically, she snuggled even closer to One and kissed his shoulder gently. "Love, you have to let him go," she whispered tearfully, "you have to let him make his own choice. You'll cripple everything you love about him if you don't."
Please hear me; please listen...
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"I have requested help to reactivate Wraith," Gross said to Marita and Hobbes.
Sypher winced as Gross' request twinged her neural net. She wanted so badly to ignore it, but knowing the android's instability, she instead sent a message that help would be forthcoming as soon as it could be arranged.
Marita looked at Gross. "Thank you," she said, solemnly and sincerely. "Since we were here earlier... so many were ready to write him off as incapable of being 'cured' -- if he can be," she added quickly. "You -- you know the story?"
Hobbes didn't care, Wraith would be reactivated. He looked at Gross and his face held his thank you. But Hobbes also felt there was something more... something he read in the other man's face, something Marita wasn't seeing.
"But his actions at Innobotics were dastardly. He should be reprogrammed, and should be imprisoned until that is done."
What!? Oh, God, no...that would ruin *any* chance they'd would have of ever getting Wraith on their side...Gross, wait! You can't tell them that...we need them as allies..., but Gross was effectively ignoring Sypher once more.
Damn. Obviously, he hadn't. "Wraith cannot be imprisoned. Not alone. We won't leave him." Marita looked at Hobbes, knowing he would back her up. "He... for his stability. He needs us."
"Is that your answer to everything? Just reprogram. Can't you see he's had that done twice... if you want to be treated so human... than act like one. You can't just reprogram a human being... not that easily. I can help him, We can help him... if you just let us."
"You two arouse my suspicions also. Your sympathy and concern for this creature cause me to think you also are not to be trusted. "
Aw, fuck... 67, we have a situation in the infirmary. Could you please go relieve Gross of his responsibility? Ms. Covarrubias, Mr. Hobbes and their companion are to be treated with the utmost respect and courtesy. They are potential allies. I would very much appreciate it if you would see to their comfort while they are here. Inform them that we are in the midst of...oh, hell, I don't know...use discretion, okay? Tell them enough to let them know that they aren't being ignored, but don't let on how serious the problem is. As for Wraith, he *is* something of a hostile right now, *but* we're hoping that he will become an ally shortly. Act accordingly. Please, go, hurry! We're liable to lose all three of them if somebody doesn't get Gross out of there soon...oh! I almost forgot...have someone track down Mansfield and Pinocchio--see if they can get it under control for now. Tell Mansfield what's going on in here, and go with any way he wants to play it. Let him know we'll be there as soon as we possibly can. Go, go, go!!
Marita bit her lip and felt her shoulders tense in frustration. She forced herself to take several deep breaths before she raised her eyes to Gross's, narrowed and dark. She glared at him for several seconds, before she took several more deep breaths, and regained her composure.
"You would judge us because of our sympathies. Fine. Just fine. May I remind you that Wraith is not a creature, any more than you are. That is, you are both to be treated with the same respect I would show anyone else here."
She looked at Hobbes for moral support and continued. "Since we've arrived here we've been under suspicion. Okay, fine for me. I was Consortium. But I'm not now."
"So if we cared for you... would you be suspicious as well?" Hobbes asked, "For you two are similar are you not?"
She looked at Hobbes. "Hobbes, I don't know very much about. But I trust him. You want to know why? Because he cares about someone I love. I have seen this man risk his life for Wraith, and friends like that are hard to come by. I have not shown suspicion towards you in the past, but I wonder if I should, if this is the way you treat us."
She locked eyes with Gross. "In fact, Hobbes is the only one who's been willing to listen to a damn thing I or Wraith have to say, yet I've trusted you. Hobbes has given you no reason not to trust him recently. I request that you would let us talk to you, so that you may see we mean no harm. But we already did all that, didn't we?" She turned to Hobbes, laying her head against his chest.
Hobbes placed an arm around her, rubbing her back gently as he looked at Gross, "Please."
"For everyone's safety, until you have proven your integrity, you also should be confined."
"Goddamn you!" Marita couldn't contain herself. "Then what were we doing here before, talking to you people? Beating our heads against walls? If you still don't trust us, I have no idea what it will take."
She whirled on him. "But whatever it takes, I'm willing to do it. Because I see now how important trust is to you people. What - you don't like us because we don't ... don't what? What is it, Gross? Just tell us! We've told you who we are and why we are here. Repeatedly."
Hobbes kept calm, "You want to be human don't you... be recognized as a living being but yet... you would treat us in this fashion? With Trust comes risk... you have to be willing to do that. That is what a human would do."
"I have given instructions that Wraith should be chained before he is reanimated. I will permit you to watch, so that your minds will be at ease about his well-being, but then I must insist that you accompany me to a secure room."
"No," Marita said, clearly. "I'm afraid that cannot happen. Wraith cannot be chained, and neither can Loren. You see..." she looked into Gross's eyes, praying that he saw she spoke the truth.
"You see, Mr. Gross, he has post traumatic stress issues, and any confinement will trigger it." She sighed. "And now, as Wraith... well, you've seen what he can do."
She looked at Wraith. "I understand your desire for ... precautions, honestly I do. But the thing is... it's actually not terribly safe."
She turned her head over her shoulder to look at Gross. "Please... just let us hold him. No chains. Our love is strong enough. He loves Hobbes and myself, and he won't... he was under the control of Dr. Sawyer before."
Tom furrowed his brow at the thought of Wraith being chained. He shook his head, "He's not an animal," he said softly. "She is right, we can keep him calm, he will listen to us. At least let us try before you chain him." But he felt his words were falling on deaf ears.
Drawing his pistol, he pointed it at the pair. "Put your hands behind your heads, and please stay calm. I do not wish to harm you."
Sypher winced at Gross' actions. Where in the hell was 67? She released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding as Unit 67 arrived on the scene and assessed the tense situation...
Marita looked at Gross, holding her palms up to show they were empty, but not putting them on her head. "No, Mr. Gross. Please... you don't trust me, I know. But listen. Please." She heard the pleading in her voice, and rolled her eyes at herself. She did not want Wraith to be chained like an animal... her and Hobbes locked up. She kept her palms up, but stepped closer to Hobbes.
"Tom... I've tried to reason with him, but I don't know if I've convinced him. It may be in our interests to listen, but not..." She raised her voice to include Gross.
"We may have to give Gross trust to get some, but..."
Her eyes flickered towards Gross. "What if we could just sit by him... if you wanted us to gently restrain him, we would, but we couldn't have him chained."
Slowly, she said, "What is it we have done to earn your distrust? We have the same goals - freedom - as you do."
She looked at Gross. "I... I used to be afraid of you," she admitted. "But that was before I understood what a Mac 27 really was... before I'd talked to any."
"Please, I respectfully ask that you talk to us, too... before you would judge us. Find out who we are, and why we have done the things that we have."
Tom did not raise his hands but just looked at Gross with the gun. "Are you that inhuman?" He shook his head, "I won't... I will die first if you force me to leave his side. I made him a promise... I AM his partner... I will not leave his side. You make me break that promise... you have to kill me"
He stood firm as he stared back into green eyes. "So... what is it going to be... Because I love him enough to die for him."
Marita looked between Hobbes and Wraith's still form. "That goes for both of them, from me," she said firmly. "I will not see my friends treated like animals. I'd like to think you might trust me, too."
She knew Hobbes had been right earlier when he'd tried to comfort her, but he didn't know all about her, her past, and the things she'd done that she hated herself for.
Maybe he would hate her, too.
Or maybe, just maybe, he'd understand.
She didn't know when she'd be able to find out, though. The way things were going...
She turned as another Mac walked into the room.
Unit 67 decided to step in at this point. "Ms. Covarrubias, Mr. Hobbes, forgive the confusion. One and David regret that they are not here to greet you themselves, but they are in the middle of a delicate task that they cannot abandon at the present time. They will be here as soon as they can break away, but I have been asked to see to your comfort in the meantime.
Marita felt a bit better. This man seemed reasonable - yes, she thought of them as men - and willing to be nice, to talk first and *then* decide whether or not to trust them.
"Thank you, Mr... what is your name? Thank you for speaking to us. I look forward to seeing One again."
[And asking him just what the hell is going on here, but that can wait.]
You are our honored guests here, and you will be treated as such," he shot a meaningful look in Gross' direction. Marita smiled. "And we will treat you as our honored hosts."
"Your companion, our brother, will be seen to as soon as we can possibly arrange for it, but it may take some time. We are woefully understaffed at the moment. My apologies for the inconvenience."
As Gross geared up to protest, Unit 67 sent a tight band to the rather unstable android to try and calm him. /They are potential allies, Gross. They must be treated as such. The measures you would have us take could be considered an act of war. I realize that our half-human brother is a threat to us right now, but his human companions are right. He is not an animal, and we will go a long way towards aligning them with us, rather than against us, if we do not treat him as such. I have been asked to directly oversee these three...*but* I may need your help in the future. You are therefore dismissed for the time being, with the understanding that you are on call if you are needed...understand?/ "Well and good, but we refuse to leave him alone... we promised him we would stay with him, and we don't break our promises. He's hurting, and likely confused, and I'm sure our presence will only help."
She looked at 67, and took Hobbes hand. "From personal experience... even when you're in a coma, you know who's around you. You feel... the energy and feelings and intentions, good or bad, or just indifferent, of those around you."
"If the three of us could just be somewhere... we won't try to interfere with what you do with Wraith, as long as it is nothing that could harm him, and is explained to all three of us in advance. It is true what Hobbes said... we cannot and will not allow him to be reprogrammed, especially against his will, and especially now."
"But we do thank you for not imprisoning us summarily."
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Jess padded down the long hallway, ears and tail drooping. She was exhausted from the events of the last few hours. [Dog tired,] she thought, but couldn't even dredge up a mental laugh for her bad joke.
She was aware that Roy was following her. She padded back to the room she and Johnny hadbeen sharing earlier, and clawed at the door until Roy opened it. From the smell of the room, Johnny hadn't been in it for quite a while. [I can find him later,] she thought. She dragged herself inside, not caring for the moment if Roy followed her or not. All she wanted to do was drag herself up onto the bed. Or at least she did until Roy set a plate of raw steakon the floor under her nose. She looked up at him as he sat down on the bed with his own plate. Both ate in a companionable silence.
Once her plate was empty, she felt the tingling of the Change begin unbidden. Growling in discomfort, she tried to halt it while in front of Roy. But she couldn't. As her legs reformed she stood up, hissing as her tail reabsorbed into her spine. She shivered when she felt the cool air hit her now furless skin, leaving her naked. Her hands covered her face, feeling the nails retract and her muzzle shrink.
Cheeks burning, she stood there, unwilling to turn around. She heard him stand up and walk to the closet and rummage around in it. He then walked to her and without a word, placed a thick terry cloth robe over her shoulders.
Jess quickly pulled it around her, pushing her arms into the sleeves. She wouldn't look at him as she tied the sash around her waist. She just stared straight ahead. "Why are you here, Roy? Why are you being so nice to me, despite the fact that you know what I am? That you know I'm a monster?"
"You are not a monster. You are a beautiful woman with an extraordinary gift. I know it was not your choice. I know it shames and horrifies you. But it is a gift nonetheless. You have taken what was a terrible victimization and turned it into an asset and you are using it to help others. You have such courage and strength of character that others are drawn to you, in spite of your attempts to remain aloof. No one here views you as a monster, with the exception of Wraith who is unstable at best. I find you beautiful whichever skin you wear. You are among friends, some of whom have grown to love you."
She leaned back against him sniffling. [Are you one of those people?] she thought.
"Look, why don't you go take a shower. You'll feel better afterwards."
"Okay." She swallowed, still not looking at him. She was tired of being alone. She had also realized her feelings for him ran deeper than she had suspected when she left the compound earlier. But did he share those feelings? "Roy, I'm...I'm not saying anything will happen, but would you stay tonight? I just...don't want to be alone."
He smiled at her, with that happy yet seemingly shy grin that she had seen before, "I was hoping you would ask, but intended to stay until you threw me out. I'll shower after you and we can curl up together and sleep. Coming down from that sustained adrenaline high is making me fuzzy along the edges. I don't think I have ever been that scared. Some of the things we saw could have been out of the horror movies of my childhood - worse than the monster under the bed too. I kept thinking of you going in so bravely, and practically alone, to a place filled with such awfulness. If the human side of what we are facing is so twisted and terrible, my imagination balks at the alien side." His smile twisted.
"Go on, go shower before you fall asleep where you stand. I'll dig out something for us to sleep in.
"Okay." Jess padded off to the bathroom, stopping before she went inside. "Roy? Thanks." Before he could respond, she stepped into the bathroom and shut the door. Quickly she dropped the robe and walked towards the shower. Glancing in the mirror, she caught sight of the scars crisscrossing her chest.
[He's not going to want me,] she thought. [Not when he sees this.] Turning away from the mirror, she started the shower and stepped under the spray of the water. Heat forcing her muscles to relax, she washed quickly, trying to keep her hair dry.
She saw Roy standing by the chest of drawers. He handed her a pair of flannel pajamas. "Here. Why don't you get into bed while I take my shower. We can find some regular clothes tomorrow."
"Thanks." She waited until he was in the bathroom before dropping the robe and pulling on the pajamas. Exhaustion taking its toll, she slipped into bed and shut her eyes. She was half asleep when she felt the other side of the mattress dip. She opened one eye and saw Roy, also in pajamas, lying on the bed next to her. After a moment's hesitation, she scooted over and snuggled against him, breathing deeply. She could smell the soap and shampoo he'd used in the shower, as well as his scent. All the clones smelled similar, but each had his own unique undertones. Roy's she found particularly appealing, although she couldn't say if it was something about his smell, or just the knowledge that it was his. She let out a deep, contented sigh and was asleep almost before he put his arms around her.
Warm, close and nice. Hands softly pulling her from sleep. Pleasant sensations uncoiling in her belly. She felt herself smiling. Lazily she parted her lids, and found herself looking into bright green eyes. Roy pressed closer burying his face in her neck kissing softly. Jess closed her eyes. Lips soft and warm moving over her cheek. Her hands roamed beneath his pajama top, the hard body molded to hers slowly writhing. Lips on lips she gave herself up to the growing heat.
She felt Roy draw back and felt fingers unbuttoning her top, her eyes flew open and she froze.
Roy rose on an elbow to look down into Jess' eyes.
"Why?" came the husky whisper.
Jess trembled and tried to find the words.
He waited. She clutched at the cloth and gestured at her breasts and then just shook her head.
When she didn't speak, Roy slowly began to unbutton the oversized pajama top. He pushed the material to either side of her breasts and looked down at what was making this strong woman tremble.
Scars, inexperienced as he was he recognized knife scars. Old scars white against white. He ran a finger over them. His eyes never left the scars tracing them.
She watched his face in the morning light, her heart hammering in her chest.
He leaned down and traced them with his lips, whispering against her skin. "Not ugly, Jess, just souvenirs of an old nightmare. Let the nightmare go."
She hiccupped deep in her throat.
Roy moved his hips and she felt the hard length of his cock slide up her leg. His hips thrust once more and his eyes lifted to hers.
"You are beautiful and sexy and these could never change that. I care about you Jess."
His hand spread over the scars, fingers splayed.
"This is just a shell that contains the you that I love. Every day it will change, every full moon it changes, as we get older it will age but the spirit and courage it holds, holds my heart and my desire."
With a sob, Jess drew his head down for the kiss that would begin their joining.
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