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Chapter One

Prisoner of Ingdrah

Araun slowly dragged himself to consciousness, his body aching from the beatings, and burning with the aftereffects of being shot over and over by high-energy stunners. The ingdree were not pleasant hosts.

There wasn't much light in the small, closet-sized cell they kept him caged in, but it was enough for him to take stock of his injuries, at least through the one eye that wasn't swollen shut.

Araun looked painfully down at himself. Bruises and cuts covered his once golden-furred body. Blood and filth stained and matted his fur so that it stuck up in spikes - where it wasn't crisped away by shock-prods or high-energy stunners. The ingdree had torn out his claws - no small feat, since they, like his bones, were reinforced with hex-carbon chains. Thus far, he still had all of his teeth, though two felt loose. His tail curled feebly between his legs, missing a clump of fur, but was otherwise intact.

Heavy maglock cuffs fastened the wolvan's limbs together at wrists and ankles. It wasn't as though he could stretch out in the small cell, anyway, but his arms, legs and back ached in the awkward position. At least they'd bound his limbs in front of him, and not behind.

The muzzle they'd placed on him - after he'd bitten off half of one of his captor's hands - itched and painfully squeezed his face. He couldn't even lick his wounds - not that he'd want to, considering the filthy conditions of his imprisonment.

He was sure they'd managed to beat and kick him hard enough to fracture his ribs multiple times if not for the hex-carbon reinforcements. Even so, it was hard to breathe with his bruised and battered muscles.

Given time, Araun would heal from his injuries. He'd been enhanced with medical nano and biological smart-cells on Aralia's Moon, only weeks before the scout mission that ended in an ambush by ingdree pirates.

Even his claws would eventually grow back, despite the painful damage - provided he lived - but even the best nano and smart-cells required him to have food and water. All they had to draw on were his body's stored energy. He wasn't sure how long it had been since he'd eaten, and the water he'd been given the day before was sour and metallic-tasting, and there hadn't been much.

Araun wasn't dead, but he'd been robbed of his ship, and everything on it. Worse, his brother, Rahl, had been on the ill-fated mission with him, and he didn't know what had become of him. He feared Rahl was dead, killed when the pirates blew the hatch.

Why were the ingdree keeping him alive? He had to assume that he wouldn't like whatever they had in store for him.

Araun struggled to shift his position, trying to alleviate the cramping in his legs. The smell of his own body and the remaining scraps of his mercenary uniform, covered with blood and filth, made him gag. He knew that if he threw up, with the muzzle on, he might choke to death. Araun closed his good eye, and forced himself to relax, breathing slowly until the nausea passed.

He tried once more, carefully, to reach out beyond the boundaries of his body, to sense the presence of his twin brother. He'd learned to be very careful - the ingdree also had many individuals with psi talent, and his earliest explorations had brought angry visits from his captors. He managed to overcome his body's pain, to shuffle it into the background, and send out a nebulous, desperate reaching, faint tendrils of his awareness permeating the area around him, hoping to find some sign that Rahl still lived.

He carefully and painstakingly avoided touching the burning embers of the ingdree psi-talented, who appeared to his consciousness like smoky red wraiths. In the end, it was not his captors' talent that foiled his search. It was his own body's messages finally impinging on his focus, so that he could no longer maintain his concentration. His mental reach faded and dissolved at the ache in his belly.

The day before, with his arms and legs free, he'd at least been able to urinate through the bars, so he wouldn't get it all over himself. Even with the small amount of water he'd had, there was an uncomfortable pressure in his bladder, made worse by the kicks to his groin and belly. The ingdree had beaten him for pissing on the floor outside his prison, and then thrown him down in it for good measure, so that he stank and itched.

As Araun lay there, wondering how long he could last before he couldn't hold it and soiled himself, a group of three ingdree males entered the corridor outside his small cell. There were two of the huge, hulking thuggish types, along with a small, relatively slim one, a youth perhaps.

The nearly furless, flat-footed, biped ingdree rather resembled humans, but were even less pleasant to look at. All three of these had long, straggly brown hair over their cruel, angular features and hawk noses. Their bodies, Araun knew, were hairless, except for the tops of their heads. He didn't remember having seen the smaller one before. The others were all-too-familiar. They'd stunned him and tied him to a bench so that their Jek-ingr - their leader - could beat and rape him.

The wolvan mercenary couldn't bring himself to stifle a low growl at their approach - even knowing that it could elicit another beating, and that eventually the brutality would prove fatal. It crazed him to know that if he weren't starved, injured, and manacled he would be more than a match for any of these miserable creatures.

One of the ingdree growled back as he opened the cell door, but no blows came. Instead, the two larger ones roughly picked him up, and carried him to the end of the hallway, where they tossed him onto a small, wheeled cart. The whole way, they complained about the smell in their rough, guttural language.

As if they smell any better, thought Araun_. As if_ anyone could smell anything through the filthy atmosphere on this planet.

They wheeled the wolvan to a large room, and dumped him out on the floor by a drain. One of the two thugs turned a large hose on him, blasting him with stinging, cold water. As Araun choked and spluttered for air through the tight muzzle, the smaller one came over with a bucket of something soapy, and poured it over him. The small ingdree rubbed the harsh-smelling stuff into his fur, bringing up a grayish lather. Various native vermin tried to escape the onslaught, some twitching and dying from whatever was in the soap, while others only burrowed deeper into his pelt, and under the rags of his uniform.

Araun forced himself to lie motionless as the small ingdree scrubbed him. After a while, they blasted him again with the hose - bits of fur and blood washing away into the drain along with dirt and dead mites.

He still stank, and it wasn't much of a bath - what passed for water on Ingdrah would probably kill most normal plants - but it was a slight improvement.

"Hey. You," he croaked through the muzzle, in Panlingua, to the smaller ingdree. No sense letting his captors know he understood their speech.

"What do you want, dog?" answered one of the large thugs. It sounded like "Huh-hut dzhoo zhoo huant. Dugg?"

"Need to go to the bathroom. You washed me up for something. Shame to undo all that hard work."

The large ingdree snarled, revealing sharp, jagged teeth, and drew a leg back for a kick, but the smaller one held up a hand, and said, in their own language, "No. He needs to be clean for the Jek-ingr to show off to the buyers."

The thug who hadn't yet spoken pressed a button on a remote, and the maglocks on Araun's wrists detached from his ankles, and his feet came free of one another. His forelimbs remained manacled to one another.

"You go over there in corner. You do something stupid, and we make you very sorry," he said, as his companion drew one of the heavy stun pistols from his belt.

Araun struggled to his feet and shuffled to the corner. It was hard to get the buckle of his once-blue uniform pants open, with his hands manacled together, but he managed. The blue vest and shirt were already long gone, except for a few tattered shreds hanging from his wrists and collar. Clumsily, he relieved himself against the wall. The stream of urine looked unpleasantly dark as it drained into a grate in the corner.

When Araun was done, the thug with the remote clicked it as he turned, causing the manacles on his feet to suddenly snap together, tripping him. The wolvan mercenary stifled a yelp of pain as he fell hard onto his knees and elbows. The two brutes hauled his legs and arms behind his back, fastened the maglock cuffs together, and tossed him on his belly in the cart again.

They wheeled him off to another, larger, relatively clean room, and dumped him unceremoniously onto the floor. It looked like an empty warehouse chamber, well-lit, but with dingy gray walls and ceiling. There was a clear cylinder, probably made of steelglass, about eight feet tall and a little over a couple of feet in diameter. The top and bottom were capped with polished metal. There was a hissing noise as half the tube swung open.

The maglocks on Araun's feet were released, and the two guards dragged him to his feet and shoved him into the clear cage. It looked something like a display case or an aquarium, and was barely wide enough for him to fit in, standing. There wasn't enough space to sit down.

The container sealed around him, and the maglocks on his arms came apart. Araun had barely enough room to draw his arms up and forward to get at the muzzle. The three ingdree left the room as he wrestled it painfully off his head, dropping it to the floor of the clear chamber. Lukewarm air circulated sluggishly through the cylinder, and the lights glared from floor and ceiling.

After a few minutes, a door opened. Araun recognized the ingdree's Jek-ingr - the pirate leader - who entered, followed by three of his men. Behind them came a small, richly dressed humanoid of a race the wolvan mercenary had never seen before. Two tall creatures in ornately decorated full-body armor flanked the alien.

The small anthroid was barely four feet in height. It superficially resembled a short human, with a flat face, plantigrade feet, and ears set on the sides of its head. As it came closer though, Araun could see that the face was angular, fairylike, with a soft coating of down over pale skin, and long tufts of hair at the ends of its rounded ears. The delicate hands appeared to have four fingers and a thumb, with smooth, darkly-pigmented palms, devoid of the leathery pads possessed by a wolvan. The fingers were tipped with tiny, dark-colored nails, flat and fragile-looking, like a human's. It looked Terran in origin, possibly descended from some sort of primate, but Araun had never seen or heard of any primate sentients like these.

The large, armored creatures were about seven feet in height, and rail-thin. The legs and arms were very long in proportion to their bodies, and large, armor-covered tails protruded from behind them, nearly to the ground. The armor itself was dark green, covered with intricate scrollwork in gold-colored metal. The whole effect gave the creatures a reptilian but vaguely insectile appearance. Mirrored visors hid their triangular faces, and they moved with swift, jerking motions, looking about in all directions, seeming especially wary of the ingdree.

The small alien stepped forward, the pirate leader beside him, and the two of them began to gesture at the trapped wolvan, speaking animatedly. Araun realized that the cylinder - it was a display case - was completely soundproofed. He couldn't hear a thing through the transparent walls of his prison, but it was clear the small creature was a customer, and he was the merchandise.

The little primate walked all around the cylinder, looking him over from every angle. It (or was that he?) pulled a small, pearlescent, orb-shaped device from one of its long sleeves, and held it up to the side of the container. Small lights played in the air above the orb - some sort of tiny projected display - and the creature seemed pleased.

It walked back around to the front, making an expression that looked for all the world like a friendly smile, almost wolvan-style, with open mouth, rather than showing teeth as a human would. It tapped on the side of the cylinder, as if attempting to get Araun's attention, and seemed to be speaking to him - though no sound came through. Araun recoiled a little, and his lips lifted up in a little bit of a snarl, as he looked rapidly back and forth between the pirate's Jek-ingr, and the little primate. The alien gave a sad look, and stroked the wall of the cylinder. Araun laid his ears back, unsure what to make of this.

The ingdree and the other seemed to come to some sort of agreement. The small being made an elegant, airy gesture with its hands, and turned to leave the room, flanked by the insectile guards. The pirate leader, grinning hugely, spoke animatedly with his underlings, appearing altogether too happy for Araun's comfort.

As the diminutive alien reached the doorway, it turned back to Araun, and raised a hand in an open-fingered gesture. Was it waving? The friendly-seeming smile was still there. The wolvan knew not to assume that alien expressions meant the same things as wolvan ones, but it looked an awful lot like it was trying to behave in a friendly fashion.

Perhaps he'd be better off with this alien than with the ingdree. He found himself thinking that it might not be a bad thing that he was being sold. Perhaps, as sometimes happened, the ingdree were trying to pass off an unfamiliar sentient as some kind of domestic or exotic animal.

Wolvan were not well-known on all worlds, since they tended to keep to their own space, and Araun had never seen anything like the small creature before, so it was possible that he was being sold as an animal. That could be the reason for the soundproofed chamber. The ingdree's sales pitch might be spoiled if the "animal" started talking, even if the listener didn't understand the language.

If so, all he needed to do was wait until he was off Ingdrah, and explain that he was a sentient - and that his people would gladly reimburse them for any expense or trouble incurred in getting him home, or to a safe port.

Araun forced himself not to resist when the pirate thugs came to drag him out of the clear chamber. His body's artificially enhanced muscle and nerve systems, despite the lack of food, encouraged him to fight when he saw an opening, but he forced himself to remain calm.

The two thugs seemed rather disappointed at his lack of resistance. They activated the maglock-cuffs again, forcing his arms and ankles together, and dragged him over to a crate, also made of steelglass. The side lifted up, and the two ingdree prepared to stuff him into it. Araun saw that it didn't look big enough to accommodate his body, but that they planned to force him into it anyway. Finally, he began to struggle after all, but with his arms and legs bound, there wasn't much he could do other than writhe around, snapping.

The two guards, satisfied to have finally elicited a response, beat him with shock-prods until he was nearly unconscious - breaking one of the prods against Araun's reinforced shoulder blades in the process. Araun was only dimly aware of being jammed into the crate, curled almost double, head between his knees. There were only tiny holes for air, and his limbs, neck and back immediately began to cramp. Worse, the "bath" he'd been given hadn't really gotten him terribly clean, and he could still feel some kind of vermin crawling under his fur.

Araun felt panic welling up in him, and strained with all his might against his bonds, and the walls of the crate, until stars danced in his vision. He wanted to howl in despair, to yelp, to scream, but slowly forced himself to relax, panting. He feared that if he gave in completely to panic at this point, he might not be able to stop before he went mad.

The steelglass crate was loaded onto a float-cart, and conveyed through dim, ill-kept corridors until they reached a hangar. In the stifling air, Araun drifted in and out of a dreamlike, half-conscious state. The crate was loaded into the small hold of a disreputable-looking orbital shuttle. The lights went out, leaving it so dark that even with his Aralia-bought eyes, he couldn't see a thing. He clicked his vision over to infrared, but the false-color images were somehow more disturbing than the darkness. He felt the ship lurch upward, and the level of acceleration - poorly damped by the craft's obviously ancient gravitics - implied that it was headed into space.

Araun, exhausted and miserable, managed to pass into - if not quite sleep - a quiet unconsciousness. The next thing he became aware of was bright light. Dizzy and disoriented, his tongue felt like dry leather covered with glue.

Dark figures approached out of the brightness and lifted the whole crate - with him in it - and carried him through an airlock of unfamiliar design. As his eyes adjusted and he came groggily awake, he saw it was two of the tall armored creatures. He thought the room outside the crate looked like an empty hold of some sort, with smooth, pearly walls that seemed to emit light from their entire surfaces, illuminating the whole room.

Behind him, he heard a dull thrum as the ingdree ship disembarked. The tall creatures carried him through a portal which slid smoothly open from an apparently blank wall. They set the crate down in what looked like a small, smooth corridor with a glassed-in chamber at the end, and left the way they'd come in. A moment later, the catches on the crate popped open, and the maglocks dropped off the wolvan's wrists and ankles with an audible thunk.

Araun slowly and dazedly clambered out of the box, and rolled over onto his back, taking great gulps of air as he rubbed his wrists. The air was amazingly clean and sweet-smelling after breathing that of polluted Ingdrah. The only bad odors here issued from Araun and the rags of his clothing.

A voice sounded from somewhere nearby. A high, clear, pleasant voice - almost songbird-like - said, in Panlingua "Please come here, come this way."

Araun swung his head around in the direction of the voice. At the far end of the glassed-in chamber, was the same small alien that had come to purchase him from the pirates.

"Do you understand Panlingua?" it asked, in it's fluting voice.

Wonder of wonders, it spoke Panlingua, the common trade language of most systems. It wasn't his native tongue, of course, but Araun learned to speak it fluently before leaving home and joining the mercenary company with his brother Rahl - Rahl who the ingdree had probably killed. His heart clenched agonizingly in his chest at the thought. The empty hole where his brother should be threatened to swallow him.

It was a moment before he could reply., "I... understand you. You speak Panlingua?"

"I speak one hundred and twenty-six languages," the figure said, smiling warmly.

"Are you too hurt to move?" it asked, concern crossing it's features.

"Very tired. Hurt. Need water," Araun croaked.

"See if you can stand up," the alien said. "If you cannot, we will assist you, but let us see if you can. You will not be hurt, I promise."

Araun forced himself to his hind legs, using the wall for support, and found that his limbs would still carry him, now that he could move freely. He began staggering slowly towards the small, beatifically-smiling figure, who beamed, and said "Oh splendid. I am so glad. You must be processed so we may travel, but we will see to all your injuries and needs."

"You knew... I was... sentient?" asked Araun, as he drew nearer. The figure looked up at him.

"Of course. We often come to Ingdrah because we know they traffic in sentient beings. It is immoral to leave them here. Look how they have treated you!" The diminutive being's brows crossed with a little crease of outrage. Araun could see that the eyebrows, too, had little spiked tufts of wispy fur or hair, adding to the fairylike appearance of the creature.

"My people are not war-makers unless there is no alternative, so we pay the ingdree in metals or chemicals or whatever they wish to trade, in order to obtain from them captured sentients."

"I appreciate the rescue," said Araun, "If you can take me to a safe port on a world my people frequent, our embassy will reward you and repay any expenses you incurred in helping me. The ingdree - they also took my brother, Rahl."

"I'm sorry. Please try not to be alarmed, but we will not be returning you to your people at this time. You are to be taken to Kathin, a world of the Koss Protectorate, for placement in Kar Vothanin's Research Menagerie."

Araun felt a motion of air behind him, and when he turned to look, the passage back to the crate had closed up behind him. He was standing in a small, circular chamber, with no obvious doorway. He suddenly lost his balance, as his foot began to sink. The floor had suddenly taken on the texture of warm taffy.

He whipped his head around toward the alien as he flailed for balance. His paw passed unimpeded through the small creature, which still smiled, unperturbed. It was a projection, he realized as he began to sink into the floor. He'd been so disoriented that it hadn't registered that the alien had no smell. Hadn't even thought to switch on his enhanced sight.

As the projection faded from view, he heard it say "Kar Vothanin's menagerie is one of the finest scholarly and research resources, specializing in sentient beings, in the Koss protectorate. You will be well-cared for, so please do not be afraid. We are very respectful and caring of all our subjects, and you will eventually be returned to your people intact."

Araun flailed about, trying to find something to grab onto, but the suddenly malleable floor seemed to come alive, sucking his legs into it. The whole floor seemed to be made of smartmatter, or something like it.

He struggled, pushing against it with his hands, but they immediately became stuck too. He felt the matter of the floor pressing about his entire lower body, soft, yet implacable. Helpless, he tried to pull free, but to no avail-It was like being swallowed by thick gooey rubber. The floor swelled up around his wildly-scrabbling arms, drawing them under as well. He began to gasp, his eyes wide, as he sank up to his chest and further. In moments, the floor closed over his head, silencing his howl of outrage and alarm.

Chapter Two

Reunion in a Tight Spot

For a few panicked seconds, Araun strained against the irresistible mass that enveloped his entire body, pinning his arms to his sides, struggling for air he couldn't reach. And then, with a hiss, the space seemed to swell about him. It was like being inside a giant inflating bubble.

The wolvan found himself kneeling, gasping for air, inside a large balloon-like structure. The sides rapidly faded to transparency, and he could see that he'd descended through the floor into a large, dimly-lit chamber. The matter of the bubble continued to descend, until the bottom of it settled onto a raised, circular platform on the floor while the top remained attached by a long tube to the roof above him.

Araun was now squatting, on shaky arms and legs, in the lower half of a large, teardrop-shaped cell, formed of a rigid, transparent material. The surface felt slightly rubbery and spongy, but resisted when he pressed experimentally on it.

Another of the small alien beings, - wearing less ornate robes than the first - entered the room. The pale fuzz on its head and face was a light cream color. It stepped up to a lighted circle on the floor near the strange cell that held Araun. At it's approach, lines of light appeared in the air before it, forming the delicate tracery of what appeared to be some sort of holographic control panel. It's fingers danced through some of the controls, and the room was lit with a soft, warm light.

It smiled at Araun - that same pleasant-seeming, warm smile the other had used. Araun blinked in some confusion for a moment, and then felt his face contorting into a snarl.

"Let me out of this thing!" he shouted, pounding on the side of the bubble with his fist.

A voice came from within the chamber with him. It was difficult to tell where precisely it originated - seeming to issue from the clear walls. "I cannot hear the sounds you make. I am not qualified to converse with you. Apology. Please try to relax. You will not be hurt. We are simply getting ready for you for transit. Your injuries will be taken care of, and we will make you clean and ready for travel."

After this statement, the creature went back to fiddling with the controls.

Araun sat there, dumbfounded for a moment, before noticing that there was another of the bubbles drooping from the ceiling a few yards away. It lowered like a gigantic, slow drop of water, and he could see a shape within it. After a moment, as the membrane cleared, he could see that it was another battered, but familiar-looking wolvan - his brother, Rahl! Alive!

He shouted Rahl's name as loud as he could, and flailed his arms wildly. It was apparent that no sound carried, but after a moment, Rahl dazedly turned and saw him. His brother flung his hands up against the side of his own bubble-prison, a look of astonishment on his face, and his tail wagging slowly.

The small alien looked up curiously, noticed the reaction of his two subjects, and a look of realization crossed his face. He gestured into the control panel, with an indulgent look, and the two bubbles slowly slid across the floor toward one another, stopping inches apart.

Araun could see that Rahl was in similar condition to himself - battered, and filthy. Under the grime, they both had similar coloration. Golden and pale russet fur, running to cream on their bellies and inner thighs. Dark highlights tipped their pointed ears, the fur of their wolflike manes, and ran in a line down their backs. The base and ends of their tails were tipped with black, though everywhere there was more black than gold, after their stay with the pirates.

Araun looked to see if the alien was watching, and saw that it was concentrating on the glimmering, ghostly controls of whatever devices it operated. Tentatively, he reached out with his mind, toward his brother. He'd been sure Rahl was dead. It wasn't the first time he'd tried to reach him mentally, but there had been no sense of him, no contact.

And it was the same now. He could see Rahl, but his mind could detect nothing. No... not quite nothing. Some sort of hazy barrier. Rahl put his paw up to the wall of the chamber near Araun, looking intently relieved, confused, and worried all at once. Araun pressed his face and hands as close as he could to his brother, and they looked one another up and down.

Araun saw that his brother was similarly dressed. The rags of his uniform pants remained, one leg missing, but the vest was gone, and the undershirt seemed to have been torn off and made into a bandage. There was something strange around his neck, some sort of silvery collar, with what looked like a miniature maglock assembly in front.

A psi-damper, he realized. That was why he'd been unable to reach his brother. The ingdree must have figured out that Rahl had some of the Talent, and put a psi-damper on him. The devices were hard to come by, and perhaps the ingdree pirates felt that as long as they couldn't communicate with one another, that it wouldn't matter. The ingdree had psi-talented of their own, and perhaps felt confident in keeping one battered wolvan in line.

Araun touched a paw to his throat, and gave Rahl a questioning glance. The other wolvan felt at the collar on his throat and gave him a resigned shrug, and a sad smile. Rahl looked around, and his ears perked up, as if he heard something - probably the alien speaking to him.

A look of startled annoyance came across his brother's features. Rahl began to tug at his paws, and Araun could see that they'd sunk into the matter of the bubble-cell. He felt an odd sensation where his own appendages were touching the bubble, and tried to yank his hands back. Too late - the walls of the chamber had flowed around his hands and feet and held them fast.

The voice spoke again in his chamber, "Do not be alarmed. We just need you to be held still while we make scans of you, and clean away the filth and vermin of Ingdrah. I will be careful not to make hurting, but you may strain yourself or do injury if you struggle. You will see what happens is not harming."

The smartmatter substance of the bubble shifted, dragging the two wolvan up by their arms, until they stood upright in the center of their respective cells, arms above their heads, feet apart. Both wolvan struggled against their bonds, but the material was immovable.

Araun watched, alarmed, as thick tendrils extruded from the floor of Rahl's bubble, reaching towards his body. One began to tug at the bits remaining of the shirt wrapped around his forearm. Where they touched the fabric, it dissolved and was drawn into the tendril, where it seemed to become an ash-colored liquid. The material flowed down inside the smartmatter, to disappear into the floor. Where bits of the fabric fell apart and dropped to the bottom of the chamber, they were quickly absorbed.

The tendrils moved over his brother's body, until they found the pants. These, too, were pulled away in strips and dissolved. Rahl's head twisted back and forth, trying to follow the motion of the tendrils. Within moments, the wolvan hung there in the strange restraints clad in nothing but his fur. He turned to look at Araun, ears laid back, an expression of distress on his face.

The pseudopods moved up to the device around his neck, and seemed to flow around it. The grasp of the tendrils held Rahl's head in place. Eyes wide, the tip of his tongue came out and licked at his nose tip, as his eyes rolled downward to see what was happening.

The surface of the psi-damper darkened, and there was a small spark of light as it came apart, briefly making Rahl stiffen. Then, the collar, too was flowing away as so much disassembled matter, and the tendrils withdrew.

At that moment, Araun began to feel his brother's worried, confused, and somewhat shocked presence at the edge of his mind. Concern for both of them mingled with Araun's own emotions, as well as some small amount of relief at being able to sense - as well as see - his sibling again.

Rahl's limbs were released from the walls of the chamber, and he sat back unexpectedly on his haunches.

Now, Araun's cell sprouted it's own set of transparent tendrils. They moved towards his body, following and re-orienting when he tried to move away within the limits of the restraints. When they made contact with the remnants of his clothing, there was only a slight tugging sensation, and a feeling as if kneading fingers were working the fabric away from his body.

He saw the grayish flow of matter that had been strips of dirty garments course along the tendrils and down into the floor. He couldn't see what, precisely the things were doing to destroy his meager garments - they just seemed to dissolve. Araun assumed that it was some form of nanotech.

The tendrils themselves, as they moved across his body, looking for more fabric, felt almost even with his body temperature. The touch was gentle, but unsettling nonetheless. Soon, Araun too found himself released, to crouch, naked, on the floor of the bubble-like prison.

He stood up, leery of touching the sides of the bubble, and looked over toward Rahl. Araun felt brother's mind brush against his.

"What the hell is this all about? Who are these people?" Rahl asked.

"I don't know. They look like some kind of Terran life, but I've never seen a sentient form that looks quite like them. They said something about having purchased us, knowing we were sentient, though. One of them said something about a 'menagerie', and I don't like the sound of that," answered Araun, in his head.

"You're shitting me!"

"No. I know what I heard. They keep saying not to worry, that they won't hurt us, though."

"Maybe they have a different idea of what 'hurting' is. I want out of this thing!"

"They can't hear us, or else they don't acknowledge us. I'm going to see if I can contact this one with the Talent."

Araun reached out with his mind, but couldn't make contact with the alien. He could feel something there, but couldn't get a hold on it. The creature didn't seem to even notice.

"Araun, I can't seem to touch it."

"Head blind?" Rahl asked.

"I think it must be blocked, or head-blind or something."

"Let me try."

Rahl's face took on a look of concentration. Araun felt as his brother's psi-talent washed out from his body. His expression turned rapidly to one of consternation.

"Damn it," he said after a moment.

"What?" demanded Araun.

"I think they're null-psychic. I could feel several living beings, but all of them were null-psychic. Some slight smattering of empathic resonance, but no way of contacting their minds."

"All of the goddamn things?"

"Yeah, I think I can feel what must be some of those big lizard or bug looking armored things. I can feel them, but they're null-psych too. Or maybe just wired weird - so strange that I can't get a handle on them."

"Wonderful," Araun said.

"So much for getting them to reason, or overpowering them with the Talent," Rahl grumbled mentally.

"I don't know if I could do that, anyway. It's not a thing I'd like to encourage in myself."

"I'd do it if it would get us out of here!" Rahl answered.

"Maybe if we link up, we can get into this creature's head," said Araun, "We're stronger together."

The two of them allowed the conscious walls to dissolve between them. They'd been doing this since they were small children, and actively practiced once they'd been understood to have a significant gift. Together, as one mind, they reached out, and sought any breaks that might lead them into the mind of their captor.

There were none. The little primate worked on, oblivious.

Together though, they could tell the creature wasn't null-psych after all. A null-psych actually generated interference with psychic abilities and communication. The creature was simply so head-blind, and its mind worked differently enough from theirs, that there was nothing to make a connection to.

"It's like the humans from the Core worlds," Rahl thought to his brother. "If we practice, we might be able to figure out how to connect, to at least pick up thoughts, even if we can't make them hear us. But I don't know how long that will take."

Rahl reared up against the walls of his cell, in frustration, and began to pound his fist against the side. Araun couldn't hear anything, and the alien didn't react, except to glance at one of his controls on the projected panel.

The creature looked up, with what appeared to be a slightly concerned expression, and spoke into the air. Araun didn't hear a thing, but a ghostly projection of another of the aliens appeared in front of the first. The two seemed to speak for a moment, and the projection vanished. A moment later, the alien from the image entered through a doorway that hadn't been present a moment before.

Rahl turned his gaze on that one, yelling soundlessly, and banging on the walls of his prison. The alien glanced mildly up, as if momentarily distracted, and then leaned over the other one's shoulder, gesturing at the projected console and speaking with him. A small projection of a wolvan body appeared in the air before them, with the bones showing though. The two aliens rotated the image around, as if handling a floating object, until it was upside down, and pointed at the legs and arms. They seemed to come to some sort of a decision, and the first creature moved its hands rapidly through the ever-changing, blinking controls, as the other watched Rahl's cell. He pointed at the wolvan, who banged on the cell wall a few more times glaring, and the other primate made a sideways gesture with it's head, as if in acknowledgment.

As Rahl's fist came to rest on the wall of the bubble, it again sank into the material, and he stumbled as his feet simultaneously did likewise. He flailed for balance with his other hand, still free, but a tendril poured out of the wall and grabbed the untrapped limb, flowing about the hand and wrist.

Matter from the floor extended into tendrils that gripped Rahl's ankles. Araun's brother struggled and fought, but to no real avail. He was again pulled into a standing position, arms over his head, legs apart, spread-eagled.

Araun realized too late that his own hands and feet had sunk into the walls of his own cell, and were likewise trapped.

As Araun watched, helpless to do anything, he saw two more tendrils separate from the sides of Rahl's chamber, and grasp him firmly around the middle, supporting his back and holding him motionless. At the alien's direction, the weird restraints pulled until his brother was stretched too tightly to move. When he reached out to his mind to try and calm him, he learned that Rahl wasn't being hurt. Just held motionless in an awkward position, suspended completely off the ground of the cell.

"I'll be here with you, Rahl. You're not alone. Whatever they're going to do. I don't think they mean to hurt us."

Rahl was too angered and now frightened - a state he wasn't very familiar with - to answer in words, but he acknowledged his brother's attempt at comfort. Araun was so intent on consoling his sibling that he didn't notice at first the walls of his own cell extending tendrils to wrap around his neck and body, holding him motionless. He tried to pull away, but it was like wrestling with taffy-covered iron.

Araun watched as a tendril drooped out from the wall of Rahl's cell, and grabbing his tail, pulled it out straight behind him. Another bulged from the roof of the chamber, and grasped the back of Rahl's neck and skull, fixing his head in place. Araun could not only feel his discomfort - though Rahl bravely tried to calm himself - he could see the fur bristled on the uncovered parts of his neck, the whites threatening to show at the edges of his eyes. The orbs of his maleness drew tightly up against his brother's body.

A large ring of light descended from the ceiling, encircling the bubble that Araun's brother dangled in. It flared brightly for a moment, then began to pass slowly down around and through the chamber. The light ringed Rahl's body, as if making some kind of scan, before moving slowly back up.

When it was finished, he saw Rahl's ears perk as if hearing something. Through their mental connection, he heard "Do not be afraid as we fill the chamber with liquid. This will not hurt you. It is oxygenated liquid that will sustain your breathing. We have tailored the fluid to the needs of your bodies. If you cannot make yourself breathe, we will help you."

The bottom of the bubble began to fill with some sort of clear, watery fluid. It looked just like water, actually. Rahl's eyes grew wide, and fear flooded through the link, nearly overwhelming Araun. The fluid moved up past his head and face in only a few moments- within seconds, the entire bubble was filled. Araun could feel Rahl's lungs burning as he held his breath, struggling, near to absolute panic.

The aliens looked concerned, and the newer one said something to the first, who stabbed and whirled his hand amid the holocontrols. Another tendril rapidly formed and laid itself against Rahl's solar plexus. Araun felt, along with his brother, as an electrical jolt made his chest spasm, causing him to inhale a lungful of the fluid. His brother's fear and surprise at his flooding lungs caused Araun to yelp in sympathy.

A moment later, the surprise gave way to another. The water, or whatever the fluid was, was indeed hyper-oxygenated, as the aliens had promised. Rahl could breathe in the liquid. He coughed up bubbles of the air remaining in his lungs.

Araun could see the rise and fall of Rahl's deep chest as his body worked at forcing the unfamiliar substance through lungs meant for handling air. He was frightened still, but not in any immediate danger.

The alien's voice sounded again, explaining, "Do not be distressed at what we do next. Your pelts are very damaged, and infested with ingdree parasites, toxins, partially-deactivated nanomachine detritus and other dangerous and filthy things. We must remove all of it, in accordance with safe environment and health policies. This will make us able to better treat your injuries and ready you for transit to Kothin."

As the voice spoke, still more pseudopods of transparent smartmatter issued from the walls and floor of the chamber. As the ends encountered Rahl's body, they seemed to flatten out and stick to his flesh. They dragged slowly across his limbs, and where they passed, the fur was erased. Araun saw what looked like dark smoke or fluid whisk through the tubes and away, just as their clothes had been disassembled before. The tendrils moved everywhere, over his brother's limbs, his tail, and finally across his belly and groin.

Araun watched, helpless, as within a few minutes, the last of what had once been his brother's glorious, shaggy coat vanished into the bottom of the bubble. Rahl looked exhausted and resigned. Unable to move, unable to fight back, unable to escape, resignation began to creep into the corners of his mind.

Araun could see his brother's pale skin, which he'd never seen so much of before, dotted occasionally with patches of pigment. Spots here and there on his pale belly, a dark patch that wrapped around out of sight onto his back, where his fur markings were darker.

His balls, drawn up tightly against his body, were covered with dark-pigmented skin, usually visible only when his winter coat wasn't in, and his nipples were pale beads against the paler flesh of his chest and belly. The long cut on his forearm, the one that had been covered with the tattered shirt, showed up garishly. A thin streamer of blood wafted lightly away from the injury.

The ring of light appeared again, moving up and down, re-scanning his brother's now truly naked form. The loss of clothing was not particularly alarming to the wolvan. Having fur, they primarily used garments for utility, or adopted them to accede to the conventions of other races they might have to interact with. Humans, especially, seemed to be embarrassed by their own hairless, naked forms.

But Rahl and Araun suddenly began to have a new perspective on the human dread of nakedness, now that Rahl was bereft of his native fur. Where the restraints held his brother's head, tail and limbs, Araun could see through the transparent matter that the fur had been cleanly removed from there also.

Araun glanced, out of the corner of his eyes, at where the aliens stood. The second one had moved out of the way, supervising from a distance. The control holo shifted and changed, and became a perfect replica of Rahl's naked form, in the bubble, at half size.

The alien gestured as if grabbing the tendril that gripped Rahl's tail in the holo-representation, and in the real tank, the actual restraint moved, pulling the tail further up, towards his back. The alien gestured at the leg-restraints, and Rahl's legs were drawn further apart, until he winced a little. Seeing this, the alien moved them back slightly.

Reaching again into the holo, their captor gestured, and drew a tubelike tendril from the bottom of the projection. In the actual tank, a doppelganger of that tendril formed and moved upward, following the route of the one in the projection. The alien maneuvered it, and the real tendril was forced into Rahl's exposed anus. Rahl's eyes widened, and he stiffened as it forced it's way into his body. He cut himself off from Araun, too disturbed and humiliated to share the experience even with his brother.

Araun watched, in horror, unable to help, with a sense of growing distress, outrage, worry for his sibling - and ultimately worry for himself too, because he knew that he would be next.

The alien drew forth another tendril, and it appeared in the tank, shaped vaguely like one of the primate's hands at the end. The hand-tentacle moved to the wolvan's groin, gripped Rahl's heavy, sheathed penis, and drew the once-furry sheath down to the base of the organ. The "fingers" gripped it firmly at the bottom, preventing the now bunched-up sheath from retracting to it's normal position, and at the same time, holding the smooth, pointed, pink organ straight out and away from the wolvan's shaven belly.

That tendril remained there as another tubelike one moved down, positioned itself in front of Rahl's exposed penis, and slid over the end of it. It appeared to suck itself down onto Rahl's shaft, and shrunk around the base. It obviously applied some kind of suction, because as Araun watched, the organ swelled to about half its fully-engorged size, the double hemispheres of the knot at its base becoming visible.

Rahl's eyes drew narrow, and his ears swiveled back tight against his head. Araun watched with a kind of horrified fascination as the tube drew urine from his brother's bladder. It must have gone down inside, he realized with a shudder. He could also faintly see dark matter vanishing down the tube in his backside.

Even without a direct link, he could feel that Rahl felt... violated. Araun let out a low moan of sympathy and distress.

Another tendril moved from the side of the tank, and gently wrapped itself around Rahl's injured forearm. Another moved toward his face. Rahl clenched his mouth tightly shut, but two more tentacles moved from the roof of the tank, and pressed at the base of his jaws, until his mouth was forced open. The tendril forced it's way between his slightly parted teeth, and surged down into his mouth. Araun could see swallowing motions as his brother struggled with it. The matter of the tube settled over Rahl's mouth and nose like a mask. His eyes widened again, as something cream-colored flowed down the tube, vanishing down his throat.

The tendril covering the slash on his forearm let go, leaving behind a clear, shiny substance, sealing the injury. Several others moved about Rahl's body, cleaning and closing small cuts and scrapes, sealing breaks in the skin.

Another, thicker tendril dropped down between the one entering Rahl's anus and the one gripping his penis. It flowed over the dark-skinned testicles, sucking them into itself, stretching them out away from his body.

And then the thick restraining tendrils let go and withdrew into the walls. Rahl floated there, surprised for a moment, before flailing with his hands and feet to return to an upright position. The other tendrils were still attached to his face and nether regions. Rahl's penis was now inflated to a state of nearly complete engorgement. It showed purple and heavy, with its enormous basal knot, through the transparent matter of the bubble-tendril.

Rahl looked rapidly back and forth between the aliens, his own body, and Araun. He seemed to hang there in the fluid, looking shocked and disoriented. Apparently, the liquid provided neutral buoyancy, because unless he kicked or paddled, the wolvan just floated in place.

Then Araun found himself being subjected to the same process. His arms were drawn up, while his legs were secured to the bottom of the cell. His head was grabbed, gently but firmly, by a pseudopod from the roof of his own bubble, and he was held, spread-eagled, while the strange ring of light passed up and down, scanning him.

Araun too, could not bring himself to inhale the liquid medium his captors filled the prison chamber with. The tendril that jolted him didn't carry an enormous charge, just enough to force him to inhale the fluid. It was a slight effort to breathe, but not painful.

He felt the pseudopods touch his skin, to remove his fur. There was a faint pulling, sucking feeling, and then the coolness of the fluid against his never-before-exposed skin. He felt the strange sensation pass over his arms, his legs, his face. They tendrils moved swiftly and inexorably all over his body. They moved over his belly, down along his inner thighs. He felt them manipulate his genitals, and everywhere they passed, his fur vanished into the smartmatter and was carried away.

He knew what came next. He felt his brother at the edge of his mind, asking if he wanted him. Araun refused.

He felt the tendrils drawing his legs apart, and pulling his tail out of the way. Even though he knew what was about to happen, it still startled him to feel the warm, rubbery tube force its way into his rectum. Worse, it quested deep within. He could feel it moving, forcing it's way deep inside, before finally stopping. There was a strange feeling, as if it were gently moving or pulling or doing something in there.

And then, something grabbed his penis, gently, but firmly. It felt, for all the world, like a warm, smooth hand grabbing his now-naked sheath, and drawing it down. A moment later there was a feeling of warm suction, as his shaft was sucked into the hungry pseudopod, and gripped firmly at the base. He felt an uncomfortable pressure and friction inside his shaft, as something forced its way up his urethra, into his bladder.

It wasn't as violent as being raped by the ingdree, but that was small comfort. Araun tried to remain calm as a tentacle came to force its way into his mouth - but it didn't stop there. The wolvan choked and gagged as it surged past his tongue and down his throat. After a moment, he could breathe again, despite the intrusive member. Apparently, it had opened up a passage inside itself through which he could draw the oxygenated fluid. He could feel part of it forcing its way even further down, all the way to his stomach. There was an uncomfortable pressure in his sinuses as the thing formed a mask over his face, and apparently sent more of itself into his nostrils.

A moment later, some bubbles, the remains of air not yet forced from his lungs by the fluid medium, traveled up the tube, and then cream-colored liquid flowed down it, down his throat, making a warmth in his stomach. He tried to gag, but couldn't.

He felt as tendrils quested all over his body, seeking out the cuts, the bruises, the myriad signs of his stay with the ingdree. There was occasionally a stinging sensation, but they seemed to be sealing his injuries, trimming away dead skin.

Distracted by these ministrations, Araun was caught off guard by the tendril seizing his testicles. There was a feeling of suction, and then a firm grip around his scrotum. After a moment, he felt the thing encasing his orbs lower in temperature to just slightly cooler than the surrounding fluid.

He felt a tighter grip around his penis, followed by a firmer suction. The organ quickly became turgid, the knot swelling within its transparent bonds.

Araun and Rahl's thoughts touched, but only support and commiseration, wordless and primal, moved between them. Both of them were exhausted with fear, dread, worry for one another, and all the madness of the past two days.

And then Araun was floating, his arms, legs and middle freed.

It was surreal, Araun thought, being able to breathe while floating in the body temperature liquid, weightless, with the fluid flowing over completely furless skin. The sensation was seductive, in a way, to his tired, battered body, but his mind resisted the urge to fall asleep.

And then, he realized that there was another change. The bubble he floated in seemed smaller. Looking out, he saw that his brother's watery cell was shrinking, along with his own.

In moments, the sides shrank and closed in about them. As the bubbles continued to shrink, there was no room to do anything but crouch. Araun was no longer in a position to see Rahl, but he could feel grasping pseudopods forcing his limbs and body into a fetal position. His face was forced down between his knees, his arms and legs folded up tightly against his torso. Araun found himself crushed into a ball, as tightly compressed as he could be without being injured. The bubble shrank around him like a wrapper, sealing against his naked skin.

A drugged stupor came over him without warning, and Araun knew no more.

Chapter Three

The Fishbowl

Araun slowly regained consciousness. For a moment, he panicked. He was crushed into a tiny space, with something pressing all around his body. He struggled to move, but there was absolutely no room in which to do so. A slightly yielding but unbreakable something pressed against him from all sides, adhering to his skin.

For a moment, he couldn't remember where he was at all. As the fog drifted from his thoughts, he realized that he could see, a little, very blurrily. It turned out he was looking out from between his knees through the clear membrane the strange aliens had sealed him in. It slowly dawned on him that part of his disorientation was due to the fact that he was upside down, squeezed into the fetal position.

He could see vague shapes moving about nearby, just beyond the strange packaging that held his body motionless. The shapes resolved into the blurry figures of the smaller aliens. There was slight pressure on his body as their tiny hands touched the outside of the bubble. He was lifted off the ground, but it seemed that the hands were only directing the motion, not actually doing any lifting. He was shifted into a darker area, but couldn't move his head or eyes enough to see what cast the shadow over him from above.

He began to cast out with his mind, looking for his brother, but before his sleep-dazed Talent could be brought to focus, he felt a strange warm pressure all around his body. Some sort of tube had descended around the transparent bubble containing him, and was sucking him up into it.

There was a strange rippling pressure from all around, and he was forced along as if by some enormous swallowing motion. His sense of direction reeled as he was sucked along various twists and turns.

After a few moments, there was light again, and he seemed to be falling slowly, still encased in the thick, rubbery envelope, but free of the tube. Araun drifted slowly down, still unable to move, gently tumbling towards a blurry floor. A soft light seemed to emanate from all around, but shapes, through the resilient bubble, were only vague blurs.

He settled with a gentle bump on what seemed to be the floor of a large liquid-filled chamber. He felt a shifting in the substance that encasing him, as it relaxed its grip. There was a burning, pulling sensation in his throat and nasal passages, as the smartmatter withdrew from his mouth and nose. At the same time, he felt the tendril from his backside withdraw. The bubble around him seemed to dissolve, freeing his limbs, and he collapsed, sprawling, his cramped limbs falling loose after an unknown time cramped into a stationary position.

He lay there for a few moments, as he regained control of his cramped muscles, and slowly tried to rise to a sitting position. His lungs felt strange, and he realized that he was still breathing liquid. When he tried to move, he realized that tendrils of smartmatter still held his wrists and ankles, and the tendril latched into his genitals was still present, connecting him to the floor by only a short length. He could sit, but could not rise higher than a crouch.

Araun took stock of himself. His eyes adjusted to the watery fluid rapidly, and he found he could see clearly. He wasn't sure how long he'd been unconscious - his injuries had faded to faint marks, though his shorn fur was still gone. Checking his headcomp implant, the chronometer had advanced by nearly a month. Time enough for a rather lengthy jump, if it was correct.

Looking about, he found himself in a huge, rounded, liquid-filled chamber. It seemed to be about twenty feet in diameter, nearly spherical, with a raised bump to one side, like a small hut rising from the floor. Figures moved on the other side of the transparent walls of this new prison. It took a moment to register that they were the small, primate-like aliens, accompanied by a couple of the larger insectile ones.

He could see a strange, almost muscular-appearing tube, probably the one he himself had been sucked through, descending onto a rounded, egg-shaped globule, within which he thought he could see arms and legs. The "egg" disappeared into the tube, visible as a slight bulge in the side, pushed along by a sort of peristaltic ripple.

Moments later, the capsule emerged through the ceiling of the spherical tank, and drifted slowly to the bottom. It seemed to thrash slightly, as the body within struggled. Araun felt the familiar consciousness of his brother Rahl as he struggled to awareness.

The sides of the egg peeled away, dissolving noiselessly into the floor, merging with its matter. Rahl sprawled out, limbs still slightly curled from their long confinement.

Araun tried to reach out, but he was still fastened to the floor. Rahl lay tantalizingly out of reach, likewise bound.

He saw the tendril containing his brother's penis fall away, freeing the enlarged organ, and felt the one on his own body likewise release him. And then, suddenly, all the tendrils withdrew, leaving them both drifting free. The pseudopods vanished into the floor, leaving only a smooth surface.

Outside the bubble, the lights grew dimmer, and the figures of the aliens seemed to be exiting the room.

Araun experimentally paddled a bit until he had righted himself, and he and Rahl swam over to one another. They embraced, nuzzling one another with their shaven muzzles. The sensations were strange and alien, floating in fluid, bereft of all their fur, but the contact brought comfort nonetheless.

After a few moments, the two wolvan swam over to the periphery of their fishbowl-like prison, and hung floating, peering outside. The room seemed dark, but they could make out the shapes of what must be equipment or supplies of some sort. There was little in the way of furnishings, and what was present seemed to have been extruded from the floor and walls of the room. Lights from holodisplays glowed dimly in the chamber.

Nearly everything these creatures used seemed to involve smartmatter of some kind.

Rahl turned away, and indicated with a glance that he intended to explore the interior of their prison. The opening at the top through which they'd entered had, of course sealed up, seamlessly. As Rahl hung floating in the liquid above him, Araun could see that his penis still appeared to be hanging free of it's sheath. He realized that his own hung halfway out, still partially-engorged. The flow of the fluid around it was somewhat uncomfortable on the sensitive flesh of the organ.

Rahl swam down through the neutrally-buoyant fluid, and together they explored the odd hut-like protuberance. It proved to be just that, a small cave-like dome rising from the floor, with an opening just large enough to wiggle into. Inside was a small chamber, with opaque walls and floor that proved to be soft and yielding. Perhaps this was meant to be a bed or sleeping chamber. The walls provided a soft glow, which darkened or lightened when Rahl experimentally brushed his hand up and down a pigmented symbol by the door opening. The whole chamber was of a diameter just barely large enough to lie down in, with a foot or so to spare.

Whatever it was, it was the only spot in the watery globe that afforded anything like privacy - or at least the illusion thereof. The two wolvan settled in to try and take stock of themselves.

Araun motioned for Rahl to lie back, and carefully examined his brother's body. It was strange to see him devoid of fur. He ran his hands over the surface of the well-muscled body, so similar to his own. There were faint marks where cuts and scratches had healed over. The body that had been gaunt and battered when last he'd seen it looked healthier overall. The skin was soft and flexible over the dense muscles... if he'd lost body fat from the ordeal, it had returned during their sleep.

He examined his brother's hands. Tiny stubs of nails had begun to regrow from where they'd been torn out by the ingdree. Their healing enhancements and possibly the medical attention of their captors seemed to be working. The black pads on his palms were soft and unbroken. Araun noticed that the fluid that they floated in did not seem to waterlog their skin. Spirits only knew how long they'd been in contact with it, without apparent ill effect.

He looked into Rahl's mouth and saw that his gums and tongue were normal in color. Rahl took all this in stride.

The worst of his remaining discomfort, other than the loss of fur, seemed to be the swelling and inflammation in his genital region. The near-black skin of his scrotum was slightly puffy, and the already-substantial orbs within were larger than normal. Rahl's testicles felt a little hard under Araun's gentle probing. The skin of his sheath was still bunched up at the base of the swollen penis. The shaft itself was enlarged and a pale purple, but didn't look seriously enflamed or bruised. Araun gently manipulated his brother's sheath up over the enlarged knot at its base, but the organ itself remained swollen enough that half its length still protruded.

"You don't seem hurt," he sent mentally, "in fact, it appears that our new captors have tended to the injuries our last captors gave us."

"Or our own medical nano did it's job," his sibling replied.

Araun indicated his swollen member, with a cross look. "Apparently that thing that was latched onto our parts kept some kind of suction on them the whole time we were out. Mine are swollen and sore from it too."

Rahl made a grimace, and laid his ears back, looking outward, as if at their captors. The sense of annoyance passed between their contact. Araun settled back on his haunches, and folded his body over to examine the offended parts of his own anatomy.

Rahl touched his shoulder, and mentally offered to do it for him, suggesting that they could reach each other more easily. Araun nodded.

Rahl's large hands deftly lifted Araun up to float lengthwise above him, as he himself laid on his back. He felt as the warm pads of Rahl's fingertips tried to gently move his sheath to cover his maleness, but his own organ was still too distended.

Araun felt Rahl's tongue pass over the swollen member. The skin was sensitive, but the soft, warm tongue brought comfort. The feeling of being licked while immersed in fluid was strange, but still pleasurable, despite their surroundings. The warm tongue moved to the dangling orbs of his testicles, and he felt them draw up against his body at the contact.

Araun brought his own face down to Rahl's groin and ran his tongue over the skin of the abused scrotum. There was no trace of fur, not even the vestigial growth of a summer coat. The skin was strangely smooth on his tongue, and all the scents muted by the liquid they breathed. He moved up to minister to the thick, soft skin of the sheath, and felt that the basal knot was less pronounced now, though still perceptible through the skin. He gripped the penis gently near the base, over the knot, and ran his long tongue out to lick at the still-exposed end of his brother's swollen member. The arrow-shaped tip felt soft against his tongue.

Neither of them were uncomfortable or embarrassed about such contact, of course. Their people in general, especially those of their home colony, certainly didn't share the taboos about body parts that most humans and many other sentients seemed to have. In any event, as twins born with a well-developed psi talent, they'd spent so much of their lives feeling one another's thoughts, sensations, and emotions that the difference even between their bodies was a small thing.

They were not, however, comfortable with their present situation. Though their emotions ran largely to a sense of annoyance and outrage, rather than fear, the two wolvan could not shake the feeling of being surreptitiously watched by their captors - this was, after all, some sort of "menagerie."

The two brothers huddled against one another. The drugs used to keep them in stasis for their journey seemed to have either taken a toll on their systems, or had not worn completely off, for they soon fell into a more or less natural, though restless sleep.

Chapter Four

Orientation and Disorientation

Araun found himself torn from sleep abruptly, as Rahl awoke, thrashing, from a dream of dark, filthy ingdree dungeons, and brutal beatings. Araun grabbed his brother's thrashing wrists, and sent out a mental contact to bring him to full wakefulness. Rahl blinked slowly, re-orienting himself to their strange surroundings.

Araun looked down at his body, and was pleased to see that his genitals had returned to normal while they slept. The swelling had vanished, along with the remaining discomfort.

Rahl tried to speak, forgetting that there was no air for his vocal cords to use. Scowling, he motioned to Araun that he was going to look outside their strange, artificial den. Araun nodded, and indicated that he would follow.

As they emerged from the cave-like shelter, Rahl paddled slowly out into the space defined by the huge globe. Araun could see immediately that there was renewed activity outside it. Two of the smaller creatures were gesturing at holocontrols, and strange boxlike shapes formed from the material of the floor outside.

Araun swam over to the side where the aliens toiled. One of them stood before a spherical holo-representation of the prison that Araun had come to think of as the "fishbowl." Faintly, he could make out small figures, presumably representations of Araun and Rahl themselves.

Araun caught a warning thought from Rahl, and turned about to see the now-familiar tendrils forming from the floor. A voice - strangely clear - echoed through the fluid in their chamber.

"Please you hold still. You must be taken for readiness in the menagerie. For being fed and wastes disposed, there is initial unpleasantness. But different environment provided later when is in readiness. First is some testing of your bodies, and giving you our language, and after will be special showing of you to benefactors of the menagerie. Please do not have fears, as you will be in all safety."

This creature was communicating in very broken, badly-arranged wolvan, rather than the Panlingua that the other aliens - the Koss - had used before now. Araun and Rahl attempted to separate and swim away, but the tendrils were everywhere.

"Please to not struggle. The struggle only makes more unpleasantness to you. There will be no harm."

While both were strong swimmers, the smartmatter pseudopods were simply far more agile in the water than the wolvan.

Araun again found himself subjected to the indignity of having his arms and legs pinioned, his head immobilized by grasping pseudopods. A tendril forced it's way between his teeth, surging into his mouth and down his throat. He saw more of the tendrils do the same to his brother. He watched as they forced their way into Rahl's anus and engulfed his penis, and felt the same thing happening to his own body. The tentacle in his mouth forced something warm down his throat and into his stomach. The contents of his bladder were again drained, and as they were force-fed, their bodily wastes were drawn away by the tendrils to vanish into whatever workings they issued from.

The manipulator tendrils drew Araun towards the roof of the chamber, where more smartmatter was spreading to engulf his body. He found himself again slowly, gently, but inexorably forced into a tight fetal position, and neatly packaged. The transparent egg entrapping him was drawn into a large opening which swallowed him, forcing him along at dizzying speed through some sort of conduit.

In a few moments, he found himself deposited, still trapped in the egg, onto a small, rounded platform. The substance of the egg swelled around him, until it formed a fluid-filled sphere just larger than his outstretched arms and legs. His hands and feet were held outstretched inside the globe, while more of the smartmatter gripped him about the waist, supporting his back. His tail was stretched out full-length behind him, while his head was immobilized by more smartmatter.

Outside the globe where the wolvan dangled, was yet another of the ubiquitous, monkeylike Koss, working a holocontrol only a couple of feet away. The tubes from Araun's lower parts and his mouth had withdrawn when the egg expanded, but his body was still immobilized.

The sphere he hung suspended in rotated him slowly forward, end over end, a full revolution, from upright, to upside-down, and then upright again, as colored lights played through the liquid surrounding him. He was turned laterally in a slow cartwheel, then finally rotated around a vertical axis. Araun nearly began to lose track of which way was up when he was finally righted, then tilted slightly backward.

Behind the small alien, he could see Rahl, still bunched up, upside down in one of the eggs. The transport egg itself sat upon a short pedestal. Through the clear matter, Araun could see Rahl straining, trying to move or flex his muscles. The surface of the egg moved slightly, but while flexible, it would not stretch or expand.

Araun felt a prickling sensation at the back of his head, followed by disorienting flashes at the edge of his vision. Strange images and sounds seemed to flow into his head at high speed, until he thought he would black out. He realized that the aliens were accessing his cranial implant, designed by the technologists of Aralia's moon. The headcomp contained a miniature computer, and provided an interface to the brain for using various implanted enhancement technology. It felt as if his very brain were heating up, as the alien technology forced data through his headcomp.

Dizzied by the onslaught, his vision narrowed to pinpoints before the flood of information finally ceased. He realized he was gasping great lungfuls of the oxygenated fluid.

A voice materialized around Araun, "Please accept our apologies for the discomfort. This was determined to be the most efficient way to gift you with our language, so that you may more easily understand the things which will be happening during your stay in the menagerie."

The voice was in an unfamiliar language, one Araun had never known, but he understood it perfectly. In a way, this was yet another invasion. While the implant wasn't exactly part of his brain, it felt as if even the sanctity of his thoughts had been violated.

The room spun as Araun was turned upside down, and his legs spread as wide as they would go. Something grabbed his testicles around the base, and stretched them tightly away from his body. He felt something grasp the end of his sheath, pulling the covering down to the base of his penis, exposing the organ.

Alarmed, the wolvan strained against the bonds holding him, but immediately felt more of them gripping him at all of his major joints, immobilizing him completely.

He felt a touch at the tip of his penis as more smartmatter sucked itself down onto his exposed shaft, constricting firmly around the base. The suction increased, pulling blood into his member, which swelled enormously, almost, but not quite, to the edge of pain.

He felt pressure at his anus as something forced it's way inside and swelled within him. Without warning, forceful, jolting waves of sensation began to mount inside him, and throughout the shaft of his maleness, eliciting a mixture of raw physical pleasure, discomfort and a sense of being invaded in a fundamental way.

Horrified, but gripped in the increasing and overwhelming throes of the artificially-induced sensations, Araun felt heat surge through the shaft of his engorged penis as his body shot warm semen into the smartmatter pseudopod. He could see it travel in a thin line through the walls of the sphere, to collect in a small ampoule extruded from the wall of the chamber itself. Every muscle in his body jerked and strained under the power of the feelings being pumped into his lower body.

After what seemed an eternity, his body spent, the sensations stopped flowing into his backside and penis.

As his vision cleared, Araun saw the technician remove the small container of ejaculate, and place it into a metal vial. After examining it briefly, the Koss inserted it into a protuberance that extruded from the wall, which accepted it and quickly vanished.

The capsule containing Rahl sank down and vanished into the floor a moment later.

The smartmatter sphere contracted around Araun, and in moments, he found himself squeezed into a fetal ball once more. The egg-like container sank down into the floor, with him inside, and after a disorienting moment, he popped up, apparently onto the same pedestal where he'd seen Rahl previously. Upside down, Araun watched as the other wolvan appeared before him, to be similarly treated.

The wolvan watched, outraged, as his brother was held with all his limbs at full extension, and rotated in place for the devices of their captors to examine. The smartmatter devices formed something like a helmet around the back of Rahl's head. There were no flashing lights, and Araun supposed that the lights he'd seen, when given the alien's language, were illusory.

Rahl was then turned upside down, his legs forced far apart, leaving his groin completely exposed, and the now-familiar pseudopods of the aliens' flexible devices moved toward them.

The little primate technician conducting the procedure looked bored and disinterested, as if he were barely paying attention.

Araun saw thin tendrils crawl to his brother's scrotum, and flow around the base to individually trap and engulf each egg-sized testicle. They were drawn tightly away from his body, until, even from a distance, Araun saw his brother wince as the skin was pulled taut enough for the orbs to appear shiny. The two organs were held out from his brother's pubic arch with the skin stretched into a 'y' shape between them. Another tendril gripped the end of Rahl's unprotected sheath, and drew it down to the base of his penis, which was quickly sucked into another, thicker tube of smartmatter.

The tube expanded around Rahl's member, the pressure causing the organ to swell erect against his will. Araun saw it darken to purple as it became engorged with blood. Soon the shaft and pointed head showed rigid as a spear through the transparent smartmatter. Yet another cable flowed from the ceiling of the bubble and forced its way into Rahl's rectum.

Strange colored lights played in the tube over Rahl's penis, and white flashes pulsed from the tube in his rear. Rahl's body spasmed, his powerful muscles standing out defined on his whole frame, as the strange device milked him of semen, which ended up in another of the specimen tubes. The process went on for at least a quarter of an hour. Araun wondered it if had been that long for himself.

Finally, it was over. Rahl, panting, was squeezed into the compact position that was used to ship them from place to place in the facility, and Araun found his own encased body sinking into the strange, tubelike transit system employed by the alien primates.

There was, once again, the sensation of rapid movement, and after a couple of minutes, Araun was deposited into some sort of small box. There were faint stings across his body, and he wondered if something was being introduced to his system. He was leery of using his implant to check, not knowing what access the alien instruments had to the device.

Araun lost track of time as he was whisked from one place to another. At some times, he could see Rahl, and once or twice, thought he saw other creatures in similar situations, though it was difficult to make out what species they were.

There were times when he was completely encased in smartmatter machines, in total darkness, with his body poked, prodded, and exposed to strange sensations. Whenever he began to feel panic, rage or other distress, a feeling of chemically-induced relaxation would wash over him as the alien machines drugged him, sometimes into total disorientation or unconsciousness.

There was one point where he felt sure that smartmatter tubes going into his mouth and anus had gone so far inside that they'd traveled through his entire digestive system and met in his stomach. Smartmatter flowed into his ears, his nose, filled his sinuses. It traveled up the inside of his penis and expanded to fill his bladder.

There were times where electricity or some other energy was pumped into his body, firing his muscles, stimulating his sensations of pleasure or pain, though the pain was always mild. Sometimes, things were done that made lights or psychedelic patterns dance across his field of vision.

A couple of times, he came to partial awareness, surrounded by Koss and other, stranger beings that he could only dimly perceive through the haze, apparently observing him up-close through the smartmatter capsule encasing him.

Araun didn't know how many times he lost and regained awareness. During some periods of unconsciousness, he had murky, disorienting, or even strangely pleasurable dreams. During others, there was only darkness, like deep sleep.

After one such period of lost time, he came to in one of the strange egg devices, but there was no sensation of motion, only a faint prickling on his skin. Cautiously, he risked accessing his implant, and discovered that the chronometer had advanced by eight days, although he wasn't sure if that was accurate - its system core also registered several interruptions of function, and indicated that chronometer readings might be faulty.

He realized the prickling feeling was probably his fur beginning to grow back.

His consciousness abruptly vanished, and when it returned, just as abruptly, he was in a standing position, a tight envelope of smartmatter covering his body like a second skin, immobilizing him.

He could see Rahl, directly in front of him, in a similar condition, suspended in transparent smartmatter in a column extending from floor to ceiling. A ring of light passed slowly up and down around his brother's body, and he saw his eyes come open abruptly as it vanished. He felt a heavy languor, and knew he was being drugged again. His implant registered unknown chemical compounds, but did not seem to be compensating for them. As Araun watched, Rahl was once again made ready for transport, even as it happened to him, too.

Eventually, after a final disorienting trip, Araun and Rahl found themselves again floating loose, exhausted and foggy from drugs, in the large aquarium chamber that served as their cage.

Araun paddled over to his brother. Their minds touched, though both their thoughts were foggy with weariness, confusion, and chemicals. Araun and Rahl helped one another swim clumsily to the weird little hut they slept in. Once inside, they huddled close to each other for comfort, and rapidly fell asleep.

Chapter Five

On Display

Araun awoke to find Rahl slowly petting his flank. He stretched, the motion causing him to float slightly above the floor of the hut. He reached up to scratch half-heartedly under his brother's chin.

Both of their bodies were now coated with short, velvety fuzz, their shorn fur having begun to regrow during the disorienting examination. Araun's implant indicated that a full ten days had passed.

The two of them swam cautiously outside. The lights were up in the spherical tank area, but no motion was visible outside it.

Araun swam over to the curved wall of the tank. Outside, he could see all sorts of devices, panels, boxes, and structures that appeared to be featureless geometric shapes. There was an ornamental fountain, surrounded by unusual, but clearly terran-originated plants.

The two brothers swam around their enclosure. It appeared to be linked to the ceiling, via the mass that opened into the transport tube. The surface was featureless. It was transparent, like glass, but felt like rubber-coated metal. The outer surface felt slightly tacky, and gave slightly when they pressed on it, but the matter underneath was rigid and unyielding.

Rahl floated above him, at the ceiling of the chamber, pressing his hands against the smooth, opaque area where the transport tube would iris open. His heavy penis swung loosely from his underbelly, in its now lightly-furred sheath, as he prodded the area to no avail.

His sibling paddled down to him.

"I don't see any way out of this thing," his thoughts came.

"I didn't think there would be. They seem to be fairly aware of what they are doing. I get the feeling they've been doing it for a while." Araun thought back.

"Have to try, though," said Rahl.

Araun nodded, but he knew that his brother could sense his building resignation to their fate.

Rahl clapped a hand to his shoulder and squeezed a little.

A voice, speaking the alien language they now understood, rang through the tank.

"Good morning. It has been decided that the two of you are very interesting and well-formed examples of your race. It is clear that you are members of a warrior class, and we wish to devote some special study to see how your primitive technology has advanced recently. Normally, you would have awakened to find yourselves placed into a more permanent, natural environment, for observation by the public in the Menagerie. However, the two of you have been chosen for special observation and research by select scholars, artists, and dignitaries from races within the Koss protectorate, as well as a special ambassador from an advanced race with whom we have recently made contact."

Araun pressed closer against his brother, in an instinctively protective, but aggressive, stance.

The voice continued.

"As you have no doubt discovered, we have left no room for escape. Our devices, which are similar to the technology you call smartmatter, and our methods, which are well-researched and time-tested, allow us to manipulate you as needed, without doing harm. We are concerned though, that many of our research subjects tend to resist in ways that work them up into a very stressful state."

"If you injure yourselves somehow, though it will be difficult for that to occur, we will tend to your medical needs, but we would prefer that this not occur in the first place. It would bring you discomfort, and delay our observations and studies, which will only cause these processes to take longer. We ask that you acquiesce to what happens to you, knowing that you will not be injured."

"Please understand that your stay with us will not be permanent. After a period of observation, for a handful of your standard years, you will be covertly returned to space controlled by your race. You will have your memory of your time here blocked, and we will ensure that your bodies are maintained at the physical state of your current age, so that the time you spend here is not lost from your allotted lifespan. Since you would certainly have perished, probably under gruesome and barbaric circumstances, had we not obtained you for our purposes, we have certainly compensated you for the time we shall keep you in Kar Vothanin's research menagerie, here on Kothin."

"It has come to our attention that your bodies contain technology designed to filter foreign chemicals, and this has caused you to be resistant to normal sedative regimes. We have now adjusted for this, and will be able to further reduce your distress, if necessary. Where possible, we will observe your natural and artificial systems without altering or tampering with them. We will restore these to their original state, minus any record of your time in the menagerie, when we return you to your home."

"Since you are in fluid containment, while this enables us easy transport, restraint, and observation, as well as introduction of chemical and nanotechnological observation devices, it does result in certain workarounds being necessary for the providing of nutrition and the control of bodily wastes. Normally, you would be transferred quickly to a more normal habitat, but because you are, as mentioned, excellent representations of your species, you will remain in this section for the time being."

"You do remember the manipulator tendrils which you surely realize by now serve, among other things, to introduce nutrient into your stomachs, and draw off urine and feces. While you are in fluid containment, we will do this several times a day, so that your environment is not even briefly contaminated and unpleasant. It will automatically be done as soon as you awake in the morning, and at midday, and before you sleep at night. If either of you feel the need for disposal of waste at another time, you may simply swim to the green circle at the north of your containment tank."

"When you are finally moved to your more permanent habitat, facilities for amusement, exercise and comfort will be provided. For now, if you become unduly distressed or unruly, we may administer chemicals which are harmless sedatives, and which should feel quite pleasurable."

"The fluid medium in which you find yourself obviously prevents complex verbal communication. This is intentional. While we have placed you together so that you will not suffer from loneliness, we have found that at such a stage, that you will better get used to your situation if you are not busying yourselves plotting to escape, or upsetting one another. Also, we prefer that you not be able to engage in complex communication with individuals of the protectorate who may not have the proper training or experience. You may feel free to communicate via gestures or other signs if you wish, although we are always saddened when primitive sentients choose to express violent, negative or insulting ideas to us."

"We understand that you see us as captors. However, I assure you we are benefactors. We have made it our mission to have as complete an understanding of less advanced, but still sentient races, so that we may eventually uplift or educate them, or should your violent and primitive interactions with other primitive races prove disastrous, so that we can attempt to recreate species that are dissipated or extinct. We do as we do in kindness, for races that are not yet advanced enough to be trusted to safely handle their own affairs."

"Later today, you will be featured in a tour for some special visitors. Researchers from around the Koss Protectorate will be present, as well as major contributors to our facilities. You will be used to demonstrate some of the methods by which primitive sentients such as yourselves are incorporated into our menagerie, processed, and observed. You may, if you listen, be able to learn more about the things that we do here. Hopefully, you will be more at ease when you understand that we care for your well-being and that of your race, and that you play an important part in increasing our understanding and knowledge."

"Remember that you will eventually be returned unharmed to your own people, as subjects are cycled through the menagerie. Please accept these things that happen to you, because while they are inevitable, they ultimately will do you no harm."

In the quiet following this speech, Araun and Rahl looked at one another in silence.

"I think they're crazy," thought Rahl, finally.

"I don't know about crazy. I think they just are incredibly insensitive and callous about the freedom of other sentient beings. Like a lot of humans, especially in the core."

"It must be a primate trait," thought Rahl, scowling.

Araun noticed a movement from below them, and saw some of the thick smartmatter tendrils moving up towards them.

"Here they come," thought Araun, angrily.

"I don't like it. But we might as well just accept it for now. Get it over with," responded Rahl, anger and resignation simmering together in his thoughts.

The two smartmatter tendrils moved unerringly towards their nether regions. Araun instinctively lurched away, paddling, but the pseudopod headed for him adjusted course fluidly. He grabbed at the thing, but the only result was that it immediately wrapped around his wrist, adhering firmly to the skin and fur. In seconds, multiple bifurcations appeared lower down on the thing, and more tentacles deftly grabbed his other limbs.

Once again helpless, Araun just made a sour and angry expression as smartmatter forced it's way into his rear, and seized his penis. Another tube pushed past his lips, between his teeth, and moved unimpeded down his throat.

The same thing happened to Rahl, he saw, except that instead of being pinned, his brother was merely held steady by a tentacle around his midsection.

A few moments later, they were released.

Araun glared at the retreating smartmatter, and the two brothers bared their teeth, scowling.

"This is disgusting," Araun thought.

"Completely," Rahl responded.

"But at least it's not the ingdree," said Araun.

"It's still imprisonment. It's still violation. And at least the ingdree don't pretend they're doing us a favor," Rahl simmered.

"It's not malice though," returned Araun. "They're just... they're just wrong."

Rahl didn't respond. His mood was too dark. Instead he just bumped against his brother, a lupine gesture of reassurance and closeness.

Outside the sphere, figures began to file in, holocontrols began to light up and become active.

"They're watching us," thought Rahl, "Let's watch them back. I might try seeing if I can get the hang of making mental contact with any of them. As long as we're not going anywhere, let's observe all we can about our captors."

"All right. I get the impression that they've held some of our people captive before - I wonder if they are aware of the existence of psi talent at all?" Araun sent back.

"I don't know. Seems odd that they wouldn't be, but for some reason, I have the impression that they're not aware of it. Let's see what we can see though," Rahl responded.

"Let me know if you need my help." Araun told his brother.

The two of them moved to the edge of the container, near the floor. Pressing their hands against the sides of the tank, they slowly paddled to remain in place.

One of the diminutive primate technicians, researchers, whatever it was, glanced their way and smiled. It held up a hand and waved briefly before scurrying back to its work.

Very little of what they observed made a great deal of sense to the two wolvan. If not the technology itself, the controls were unfamiliar. Still, they watched.

Over the course of a couple of hours, they saw float-carts brought in from one of the adjoining corridors. They seemed to be carrying containers with more creatures stuffed into the compact "eggs" of smartmatter. These were sometimes carried away on floating carts, and sometimes inserted into transport tubes or sunk into the floor or walls.

One larger humanoid creature appeared to clearly be struggling. Whatever it was, they inserted it into one of the boxlike devices, which closed around it. A holo-image of a large, muscular, grayish anthroid appeared above it.

"That's a Delphian," Araun thought to his brother. "One of the genengineered races, created for amphibious work under high pressure."

"I haven't ever seen one, but I've heard of them," Rahl's thought came back.

"They're rare. They were originally made by one of the corps of the SolCorp Confederacy. Human, cetacean, and other mammalian DNA. Supposedly some shark traits also. It's rumored that they stole some specialized artificial genetics from Aralia's Moon, too. The human corp that designed them, of course, wanted a slave race, with no rights. Lots of them eventually rebelled and took over one of the colony worlds they were meant to work on, and declared it independent. The Corp blew the whole world rather than relinquish it or them. The survivors ended up fleeing to more established independent worlds and mining and exploration colonies. They have a rep for being very even-tempered, until you finally get their goat, and then they're really dangerous. It's something like pissing off a whale, crossed with a shark, that walks on two legs. Some of them are close to ten feet tall, with a muscle density almost twice wolvan natural."

"I almost hope he gets out and eats one of the little guys," said Rahl. "Not that it would do any good to anyone."

"I believe I understand your foulness of temper," thought Araun to him, with a bitter smile.

"At least that guy's built for an aquatic lifestyle. Luckier than us."

Araun snorted in response, and discovered that snorting in liquid was vaguely unpleasant.

After a few minutes, the large Delphian was withdrawn from the device, no longer moving, presumably sedated. It was loaded onto a float cart and taken elsewhere.

It was difficult to tell what most of the other creatures were, though Araun thought at least one of them was a human, and all of them appeared to be of various anthroid races.

After a while, Rahl sent, "I don't get the impression that their technology is much more advanced than ours, if at all."

"Well, they seem to use a lot of smartmatter, and they cracked my implant quickly enough, but I'd still tend to agree. If they're more advanced technologically, I haven't seen any sign, so far, that they're very far ahead."

Araun felt Rahl gripping his shoulder. His brother's mind-voice said, grimly "Looks like they're coming for us again."

Thick tentacles of smartmatter were again extruding from the floor to claim them. Once more, their limbs were held immobile, tendrils forced their way into mouths and rears, and latched into their genitals. Their limbs were forced against their bodies, which were enveloped in the cramped, egglike transport globules.

They were sucked into the transport tube, and subjected to another high-speed peristaltic journey. They traveled this way for several minutes, before finally emerging through the floor of a small, rectangular, fluid-filled chamber.

Araun felt a strange languor fall over him, and realized that some sort of drug had been introduced into his system. Rahl's thoughts became fuzzy-edged and less distinct. A peculiar, dazed, feeling of relaxation permeated their bodies.

When the transport capsule opened, and their limbs unfolded, Araun found that he could move, but forming the desire to make the effort was difficult. His perceptions seemed clear, but it was hard to focus on any sort of action.

The rectangular chamber in which they found themselves was about two meters deep and tall, and about three meters long. A single wall was completely transparent, a window looking out onto a wide hall or gallery. Araun slowly forced himself to paddle to the window, and Rahl hesitantly followed a moment later.

The hall was lined on both sides with other windowed chambers like the one they occupied. Within some of them, they could see other creatures floating, some appearing to be asleep. Throughout the center of the gallery were small fountains, benches, and ornamental plants. There were also large clear globes surrounded by holocontrols - possibly display cases of some sort, but all of those nearby were empty.

The case directly across from them contained a nude, obviously male human. The man was a fairly large, well-muscled specimen of the species, with a shadow of reddish hair on his head and face. As was usual for the species, there was only sparse hair on his body, with a small patch at the groin and under his arms. He didn't have the look of the core worlds.

Possibly someone from one of the independent planets, unless he's one of those bred bigger for MilPat duty, Araun surmised.

The male was, like them, trying to survey the surroundings outside the watery cages. Also like them, his slow, clumsy movements bespoke the effects of the languor-inducing sedative.

Rahl bumped up against Araun's flank, and nodded his head to one side. A party of the small primate aliens was approaching down the hallway. Among them were a handful of creatures of other species - all unfamiliar to the wolvan.

There was a small, delicate, reptilian creature, with bright golden eyes, that looked like nothing so much as a meter-tall gecko with faintly iridescent blue skin. It wore only a pair of pearly, luminescent bands about its wrists. As it drew closer, Araun saw that its skin was almost translucent.

In the midst of the group was a tall, cylindrical creature, grey-skinned, with three short, stumpy legs, and three seemingly boneless arms spaced evenly about it's body. It wore a short drape of shimmering purple and green material around its "neck." It had no obvious sensory organs.

Even stranger was a transparent, amethyst-colored, amorphous creature that seemed to slide smoothly across the floor. It appeared to have gold-colored threads and small, multicolored globules within its mass. As the party drew to a halt, it smoothly went from a four-foot hemisphere to a taller, conical shape.

One of the koss - wearing a long, ornate, greenish robe - stepped towards the wolvan's cage, gesturing as it spoke. Araun realized that he could make out the words quite clearly, even through the transparent wall and the liquid medium.

"... display hall is used to allow the menagerie's guests to get a closer look at some of our specimens. While the more natural habitats are preferable for behavioral studies, this area provides tools and display areas that allow close-up visual examination and interaction, and is a valuable learning tool, for advanced students and researchers."

"Again, I ask everyone to remember that some of the information I present, which is well-known to Terrans, is unfamiliar to some of our guests from other species. Please bear with me if some of what I state is obvious or well-known. It is not necessarily well known to individuals of non-Terran origin."

"These two specimens are wolvan, members of one of the primitive offshoot races of Terra. We have just acquired these to replace some that we've recently returned home. As we explained, we only acquire individuals who are in dangerous or life-threatening situations, and when our studies are complete, after a few years, we block their memories of the experiences and return them to their native worlds. The memory blocks should allow them to return to a more or less normal existence, while preventing them from retaining information about the Koss Protectorate. To date, we are fairly certain that our existence is completely unknown to any of these races, and we'd like to keep it that way until such time as they are advanced enough to safely and harmoniously interact with or join the Protectorate."

"So, let us begin by giving you an explanation of the methods by which we prepare the lower sentients which are brought here. At the heart of our facility is the extensive network of smartmatter machinery. This allows us to safely transport, manipulate, and restrain all manner of beings without causing undue harm and distress."

As he spoke, Araun felt something touch the back of his neck. Before he could effectively react, smartmatter tendrils had grabbed his limbs and neck, and held him up in front of the observing aliens. From the corner of his eye, he could see that Rahl had also been efficiently grabbed. Araun was faced towards the front of the window, arms and legs held outward, while Rahl was in a similar position facing the rear.

The Koss guide continued speaking.

"The control systems are able to quickly and effectively seize and restrain subjects. This can be done without injuring even a struggling individual, due to extensive understanding of the physiology of each species."

A voice issued from the grey alien, without any visible movement, "Most of these creatures are aerobic. Perhaps you could again explain the liquid medium we see used?"

"Certainly," the tour guide responded, "The medium serves several purposes. For one, especially because it is an unfamiliar environment for most of our subjects, it makes them easier to manipulate and transport. Most of them are completely unfamiliar with movement in fluid, and a small amount of disorientation for them can make the whole process a lot easier for them and for us."

"A side benefit is that most of the species we observe cannot effectively communicate with one another in any complex fashion. The speaking apparatus of most terran species, at least, doesn't function in a liquid medium. This allows us to keep some subjects together, to offer companionship and comfort, without allowing them to coordinate ill-fated escape plans or other frustrating ideas. Remember, these are primitives, but they are still sentient."

"Also, the medium makes it simple to introduce nanites for observation, testing, and medical intervention. Remember, most of our subjects are acquired after they've run afoul of one of the many dangers of less-advanced societies, and have suffered injury, either as a result of failed primitive technology, or more often, at the hands of other barbarians."

"The medium can be used to introduce sedatives, though it is more efficient to do this directly via smartmatter. It also forms a sterile environment that can be altered to suit many different species. And finally, it is part of the quick transport network we use to transfer specimens and materials."

"Allow me to demonstrate," he said.

A tube of clear smartmatter extended from somewhere along the wall outside the cage. Araun watched as the alien's heads (all but the strange, tall grey creature), followed its movement overhead. The tube made contact with one of the globe-shaped display cases, and melded smoothly with it.

"First, the smartmatter manipulators carefully restrain the subject in as small a package as their anatomy allows, to prevent struggling, injury to limbs or joints, or unnecessary discomfort during transit."

At the words, Araun felt his limbs being forced inward, and he was, once again, folded into the familiar fetal position. Araun struggled, angered at this treatment and the nonchalant attitude of his captors, even through the drugged haze. He felt that the Koss' ideas of what constituted "discomfort" differed drastically from his own.

As if on cue, and without looking away from the guests, the guide continued, "If necessary, a sedative, paralytic, or langourant is introduced, to reduce stress and prevent mishaps."

Araun felt his limbs relax against his will, accompanied by a tingling sensation. He felt as if he were floating, dissociated from his body, but still aware of his surroundings.

"To ensure proper introduction of breathing fluid while in transit, we extend smartmatter into the mouth and nose, like so," as he said this, a thick tendril forced its way into Araun's mouth, and down his throat. "This also prevents aspiration in case the subject becomes nauseous during transit, and in the case of long-term storage or transport, to introduce food into the digestive tract."

Araun felt himself turned upside-down, still in the fetal position, as the guide continued. "To prevent the possibility of fecal wastes being introduced into the transport casing, we insert smartmatter probes into the anterior opening, like so."

Araun winced at the sensation of the thick, ropy, tendril forcing its way into his rectum.

The alien continued, "... and also to collect any urine before it can be introduced into the transit capsule." A pseudopod forced its way into his sheath and engulfed his penis. He felt the familiar pressure as it sucked in his organ and forced a thin tendril up the shaft and into his bladder.

"Then, a transport casing is extruded over the subject, like so."

At these words, one of the transport eggs formed around him, and squeezed tight around his body.

"Finally, the subject is drawn into one of the transport tubes, and quickly and efficiently transported to wherever we need them."

Araun found himself raised to the ceiling, and passed into one of the transport tubes. There was a brief flash of the aliens below him, and then he was in one of the spherical displays he'd seen before. The aliens had apparently followed his progress overhead, and were stepping towards the display globe.

"These globes allow a closer look from all directions. From here, those guests who have been granted sufficient access can easily activate, adjust, or release restraints, or position subjects in whatever manner is needed for visual study. The safety protocols allow you to put them into any position that won't physically injure them, and sedatives can be automatically administered to prevent undue distress. They almost certainly don't enjoy their treatment, but while education and study are paramount, we prefer to make it as easy on them as possible."

"There are adaptive holocontrols, or, if you have a direct conscious interface implant, you can use that to interact with the displays and tools."

Araun felt the capsule dissolve around him, but his muscles would not respond to his conscious control. Tendrils of smartmatter gripped his body and limbs, and drew him into a standing position.

"This particular species is descended from carnivorous predators. They're fairly intelligent, and have made great societal and physical advances in a relatively short period of time, but their origins are still apparent in their physiology. Nearly all higher forms of terran species have two genders, like ourselves, and the Anandil," he gestured at the blue alien.

"This pair are siblings. We encounter related individuals fairly often with this species - apparently they form very close familial bonds, and are gregarious and social."

"Both of these are males of the species. For those of you unfamiliar with terran mammal physiognomy, you can most easily tell by the presence of external genitalia. For most higher forms of terran animal life, the female organs are largely internal, and while those of males are visible outside the body, with few exceptions outside of aquatic species. I'll bring over a different Terran primitive, also a male, so you can see the similarities and differences."

Araun caught a movement out of the corner of his eye, and saw the human struggling with smartmatter tendrils. He quickly lost the battle, of course, and moments later, had vanished into a transport tube.

The globe the wolvan floated in expanded abruptly in size, and the tight bundle of human flowed up out of the floor of the chamber next to him.

"As you can see, we can adjust the size of the display globes at need. We can also adjust the transparency of the smartmatter until it matches that of the liquid medium. This will let us see a bit better."

The wolvan saw, at the edge of his vision, that the tight skin of smartmatter covering the human had seemingly vanished, but he remained in the same confined position.

"We are keeping both of these individuals sedated, partially because sometimes these particular species have strong negative reactions to one another. While we are pleased to note that sometimes they will choose to interact with one another peacefully and display the higher emotions, very often they respond with hostility and fear. Our studies of the makeup and mental resilience of these particular individuals leads us to believe they can handle this contact. We may decide to allow them to directly interact later to see what happens."

The human transport capsule apparently dissolved from around the human. Smartmatter brought him to a standing position, holding him in place next to Araun. The two tried to look at one another out of the corners of their eyes, but their heads were held fast by the invisible smartmatter.

"In any case, you will note the many similarities. Like much life anywhere, and especially in Terrans, things are done by twos, with bilateral symmetry between most limbs and some organs. Even their brains, like ours, are divided into halves."

"But there are differences. Humans," he said, gesturing, "are descended from a category of animals referred to as primates. We koss are also primates, though humans are an earlier and obviously more primitive species. They are omnivorous, meaning that they descend from beings that ate other animal creatures, but can also consume plants. You can tell by the smaller mouths, and the shape of their teeth."

The human was brought closer to the edge of the globe, and his mouth was forced open. Some of the visitors leaned forward for a closer look.

"Wolvan, on the other hand..."

Araun found his own face moved to the edge of the barrier and his mouth forced open as far as it would go. Something grabbed the edges of his lips and drew them back from his teeth.

"Note the fangs," the guide continued. "These natural weapons were originally used to capture live prey and tear flesh. They are still sometimes used aggressively when members of the species come into conflict. They have been known, on occasion, to injure one another in captivity, but this is very rare. We've never had one in our keeping seriously injure another of their own species, though we understand that it can happen. They will sometimes bite one another in play, or in acts of aggression that we believe are dominance related, or the result of extreme stress, but as unpleasant as this may seem, it appears to be a sort of token aggression."

The guide, Araun could not tell whether it was male or female, gave a meaningful look. "They will, however definitely kill members of other species at times, and you can see that even without technological tools, they are quite capable of doing so."

"Humans, with whom they often come into conflict, are physically much weaker than wolvan - or most other Terran-origin intelligent species - and lack effective natural weapons. This is partly because humans never reach what would be considered a physically mature state. Their bodies, except when altered artificially, remain in a state of perpetual adolescence, or neoteny. This was presumably the result of a genetic mutation long ago, and it is actually one that my own people share."

"We used to think that the longevity and higher brain functions in Terran sentients were made possible because of this state of adolescence. We were surprised to discover that neoteny is not always present in other Terrans, but this may be the result of genetic engineering by a progenitor race, before the Diaspora."

Both wolvan and human were rotated so that the bottoms of their feet pointed towards the crowd of spectators.

"Note the structure of the feet. Humans are what we call plantigrade and walk on the flat portions of the feet. As primates, they evolved from climbing creatures. Wolvan evolved from creatures that ran along the ground to catch food, and are digitigrade, meaning they walk on the ends of their feet. Humans are actually better able to walk upright, though both species have evolved to do so. Most Terran mammals originally walked using all four limbs, and we believe that the ability to free up two limbs for manipulation and tool use was part of the road to sentience for Terrans."

Araun was moved off to the side of the display globe, and placed into a seated position. The human was brought upright, and the invisible smartmatter began to move his body around as if walking in place. Then the human was moved off to the side, and Araun found his own body moved about to demonstrate walking movement.

"Now, an interesting thing is that Wolvan retain the ability to shift back to four-legged locomotion, at need."

Araun found himself forced to all fours, and walked around, to demonstrate. Faint impulses through his skin causes his muscles to contract without his conscious control, to make his limbs behave as if he were walking under his own volition.

"Look closely at the feet and hands and compare those of the two subjects. Humans have hands and feet with relatively smooth skin. In cases where there these are regularly subjected to abrasion, the skin will thicken into calluses. Normally, this only happens on the feet."

The human's hands and feet were brought up near one another for the visitors' perusal.

"Wolvan, on the other hand," the alien gestured, causing Araun's hands and feet to be brought up, "Have these thick pads, usually darkly pigmented. The skin is tough and pebbly, and serves the same purpose as primitive footgear. These creatures are, as mentioned, designed for running along the ground. In addition to their protective purpose, the pads are also very sensitive, probably to detect changes in the terrain they run across, and there is a complex network of blood vessels that allows them to either disperse heat from the body, or keep the extremities from freezing in cold temperatures."

"What were you saying about gender, before? Which organ is genital on these beings?" asked the gray visitor.

The guide gestured, and both wolvan and human were drawn forward again. Invisible tendrils drew their legs apart, and the guide pointed.

"These are the genitals. The longer, cylindrical organ is called a penis. While in different species, there are other noticeable characteristics related to gender, this is usually the most obvious way to tell."

Several of the Koss chuckled. The guide ignored them.

"Note that there are still differences. In primates, the organ hangs loose. But in wolvan, and many other species, it is held up against the body in a sheath of skin, presumably to better protect it during fast movement on all fours. The structure underneath is called a scrotum, and contains two oblong organs, the testicles, which actually produce the reproductive cells. While the penis is often held close to or even inside the body in Terran males, the testicles are usually held out from the body, because the organs that create reproductive cells need to be at a lower temperature in order to function efficiently."

Araun got the impression that the human was even more uncomfortable than he was at having his genitals held up for perusal by aliens. He knew that most members of the species had strong taboos or discomfort about their bodies, especially the reproductive organs. It was yet another indignity of the whole situation, but Araun was certain he could survive. Angry though he was at these arrogant creatures who held them prisoner, he was convinced that they would at least not kill them or do them physical harm. Though disrespectful and callous of the dignity of their fellow sentients, they seemed to have their own peculiar ethics and even a strange and twisted form of compassion.

"Before we move on to the next part of the tour, I'll explain a little bit about how we prepare a subject for study and inclusion in different parts of the menagerie. These have already had all the preliminaries, but they are new additions. What we'll demonstrate now is more simulation than actual procedure, though we'll be bringing some of you to observe actual specimens as they are brought in, later."

One of the other Koss raised a hand, and asked, "Aren't both of these species normally covered with thick fur? I've seen images of wolvan, and the pelts were very thick compared to these."

"Yes. Normally, wolvan are covered with fur. Humans have very sparse hair, though it does grown more thickly on some regions of the body. In some subspecies, it is nearly nonexistent - but wolvan possess thick pelts of fur. The first thing we did for these subjects was remove all of it, without injuring the organs which produce it, but you can see that it's begun to grow back since we brought them in. Hair is made of dead cells and proteins extruded by the body for protective and other purposes, and we'll allow them to grow it back later, but it's often convenient to remove it when specimens first arrive, for several reasons."

"Like what?"

"Well, for one thing, you'd never believe the things that we find trapped in, or even living among the hairs on some of the primitive species."

Many members of the group chuckled. Even the grey tripartite entity gestured in what Araun decided was an expression of humor, although for all he knew, it might be disgust or dismissal.

"In addition to sometimes harboring toxins or microorganisms, there are often parasitical mites and larger organisms , but this seems largely dependent on where they are found. In wolvan, over the last few cycles, we've even found nanotechnological devices that apparently are for grooming or hygiene-related functions. Because the hairs are dead cells anyway, we can safely remove them. They give us a record of chemicals that may have acted on their bodies during the time the individual hairs grow, and we can send those samples around for study, or even to add to the redundant genetic record archives. We even study any organisms we find in them. Nothing really goes to waste."

"The two wolvan and the human you see here were obtained from an exceptionally barbaric and aggressive race called the ingdree, who had captured them through violence. Ingdree are among the filthiest semi-sentients anywhere, and the plethora of, shall we say, 'interesting' chemicals, microfauna and flora on anything we get from them is astounding. Trust me, they're better off without that particular coat of fur. In addition to everything else, all of these individuals were covered with filth, dangerous chemicals, excrement and bodily fluids by their captors. Very. Messy."

Several of the members of the tour party made expressions of pity or disgust. Some of them actually shook their heads or exhibited looks of outrage.

"Also, some of our guests," the Koss indicated the blue gecko-like creature, "are artists, and will benefit from being able to view external anatomy without the presence of a thick pelt."

"In any case, we'll do a brief demonstration to show how it's done."

Araun managed to peel his lips back in a weak snarl, but there was really nothing to do as he felt the touch of smartmatter moving over his skin again.

"The smartmatter tools can disassemble many materials, and in this case remove the individual hairs where they protrude from openings in the skin. The material removed is either broken down, or transported whole through the smartmatter conduits for study elsewhere. As you can see, this only takes a few moments."

As the guide continued talking, the smartmatter passed over Araun's body, erasing his partly-grown pelt once more. Several of the guests, with the small, blue lizard at the forefront, actually pressed themselves close to the surface of the globe to watch. Araun felt the tendrils start at his limbs, and move in toward his torso. When they reached his trunk, they passed back and forth, removing the fur in irregular strips. One moved down along his spine, leaving a tingling sensation that made his skin jump, before denuding his tail. Tendrils passed over his face and ears. There was a prickling, kneading sensation at his groin as the fur was erased from his testicles and sheath. In just a few minutes, the fluid of his watery prison flowed unimpeded across smooth skin as the tendrils withdrew.

During this, he could see, out of the corner of his eye, that the human was being similarly treated. The man squeezed his eyes tightly closed as the smartmatter approached his genitals, which were shriveled tight against his body. In a moment, the coarse stubble was gone.

The guide continued speaking, "Once we've removed anything unpleasant on the surface of the subject, we tend to the internal, sending smartmatter probes into the bodily orifices. At this time, nanites are also introduced into the bloodstream."

Araun was turned so his face was near the tour members again. A moment later, he felt the tendrils forcing their way into his mouth again, and down his throat, while others went into his nose.

"Once in place, the smartmatter introduces oxygen into the bloodstream through the lungs directly, or distributes the oxygenated fluid medium to them. Another part proceeds into the digestive tract. We do this when we first get them just to make sure there's nothing interesting or harmful in there, and of course for feeding them while they are still in the fluid containment."

Araun was rotated around so that his rear was facing where his head had been.

"We also, of course, send the tool into the other end of the gastro-intestinal tract through the rectum. We remove any bodily wastes, and sensory apparatus can analyze the internal structures of the lower digestive organs."

Araun grimaced, as much as his drugged muscles would allow, as another tendril forced its way into his anus, and flowed inside him.

"The mouth tube can be used to feed nutritional paste into the stomach so their normal digestive processes can continue. During the initial stages of their captivity, since we keep them in the fluid medium, this is how all feeding is done."

Araun was turned around again, and his legs spread wide, so that his groin faced the visitors.

"We also need to make sure that we take care of urine, of course."

A tendril of smartmatter pulled his sheath down, as the guide continued to explain.

"In wolvan, the penis is held within this protecting covering, or sheath. The corresponding part on the human subject here normally only covers the very tip. However, for some reason we don't entirely understand, many human subcultures actually remove the skin covering the end of the penis, as on this subject."

Araun was moved to a slightly different position, and realized that if he looked to the side, he could see the human being held up for similar scrutiny. The man's eyes were barely open. A tendril of smartmatter held up the human's loose-hanging organ for the guests.

Araun was turned upside-down and his groin pressed close to the edge of the display bubble. One of the smartmatter tendrils sucked in his penis. Araun felt a thin tendril sliding down inside the shaft as well, though as the drugged state increased in response to his reactions, he felt strangely removed from the situation. He decided he should probably be thankful for that, all things considered.

A small, almost musical voice spoke up, from the small, gecko-shaped alien. "If you would be so kind, honored guide, I have a special interest. Is it possible to see the penis organs in their erect state?"

"I suppose there would be no problem with that," the guide responded mildly, "I understand that you are working on an extensive artistic project dealing with sexuality and reproduction in nature. I hope you are not offended, but some of our people find humor or embarrassment in some of your work, though I am given to understand it is highly respected - and in many cultures."

"I am not offended by the finding of humor. Humor is pleasure, and the aim of my art is pleasure for diverse sentients, as well as increased understanding. My people hold procreation sacred, as a way of increasing life in the universe, but I am understanding of and fascinated by the different perceptions of, and even taboos regarding such things."

Some of the Koss looked somewhat embarrassed, giggling into their hands. Araun was not sympathetic to their level of embarrassment, given his own feelings.

The guide said "Very well, we can take a moment for this. Our non-Terran guests may think this is interesting. The penis is a highly sensitive organ, with many nerve endings which can produce highly pleasurable sensations when stimulated properly. During arousal or for procreation, cavities within it fill with blood, so that it becomes larger and stiffer, and can enter the corresponding genital opening of the female of the species. Observe the differences between the species though."

Araun felt the smartmatter encasing his penis apply suction, forcing it to fill with blood, this time for display to these gawking onlookers. While his people did not have shame related to such things as body parts, the awkward position and callous display of his sacred organs in such a way was upsetting and even humiliating. He imagined that it would be much worse without the effect of the sedative drugs. The slightly pleasurable physical sensations were a contrast to the unpleasant feelings about the situation. But still, he felt his member become tightly rigid against his will.

He could see that the human, next to him, was being subjected to similar treatment. To the wolvan's surprise, for the first time, the man was looking directly into his own eyes. In them, Araun saw hurt, and anger, but oddly, a sense of shared outreach to a fellow prisoner. Dimly, Araun he could feel emotions flowing from the human, as if the man had some form of the Talent. There was shame, anger, humiliation - but also a connection and respect for another person undergoing the same bad treatment. A sense of "I know how you feel." Araun tried not to be bigoted, but had to admit, he was always surprised, though pleasantly so, when a human showed signs of being worthwhile.

The guide continued, "Notice that the organs become much larger, and especially in the wolvan, darker as they become engorged with blood. The shape changes more dramatically in wolvan. Notice the basal knot, here. The knot at the base of the organ causes them to become tied temporarily to the female. Humans don't have this, and thus are physically capable of breaking off the sex act prior to completion.

Also, wolvan and many other terran mammals possess a rigid cartilaginous or even bony structure, called a baculum, inside the organ, which primates lack. In humans, the most sensitive part, the glans, consists of this part at the very tip. The corresponding part in Wolvan is essentially the entire length from the tip to the base. The end of a human's is rounded, while that of the wolvan is arrow-shaped. In other species, the organs have very different shapes, even corkscrew shapes or s-curves in some."

"Finally, before we move on, recall that I mentioned about the external genitals and temperature, before," the guide smiled a bit, "we take special care of these."

Araun felt his scrotum grabbed and stretched away from his body as the smartmatter engulfed his testicles - each orb held slightly apart from the other.

"We like to make sure that during things like transit or storage or whenever possible, that the testicles, the sex-cell-producing organs, are kept at the optimum level of temperature and blood flow. We store samples of genetic material, in the form of naturally-produced sex cells, in addition to full genetic samples taken from normal body cells. If we ever need to repopulate a species that falls prey to aggression or other dangers, we prefer to have at least some elements of the process be naturally, rather than artificially selected."

Thankfully, Araun felt the tendrils in his rear end, and around his genitals release. His penis almost immediately shrank enough for his sheath to mostly cover it again, and his offended scrotum pulled tightly up against his groin. He was returned to an upright position.

The guide began speaking again, "If any of you would like to take a few minutes to try out the controls, move one of the subjects around, we can do that now, before the next part of the tour. Don't worry about injuring them. The safety protocols will completely prevent that."

The smartmatter became invisible again, but he felt a layer of it suddenly flow over his entire body like a second skin.

One of the Koss primates stepped forward, and worked the holocontrols. The guide gestured, and a three-dimensional projection of a fully-furred wolvan appeared floating over the holocontrol board.

"This will let you see what he would look like in a more natural state, with all his fur."

"Oooo.... What a pretty animal," the guest said.

The guide nodded, "In addition to students and researchers, as I mentioned, we often have guests of the menagerie who are artists or aesthetes, who use the equipment to pose the subjects for paintings or other works of art." The guide explained, looking proud.

For several somewhat disorienting minutes, Araun was turned this way and that, held upside down, and had his limbs bent into various, sometimes awkward, positions. The guide showed the guests how to operate the controls so as to mimic walking, sitting, or jumping behaviors. Small impulses forced his muscles to contract, adding to the "realism" of the display. But after a time, the tour guide indicated that it was time to see the rest of the facility.

Araun wasn't sure when it had happened, but the human had vanished from the display cell.

"Before we go, I'm curious," the Koss who had been working Araun into all sorts of positions asked, "Is it possible to actually touch them through the display?"

The guide nodded, "If you like. The controls won't allow them to be removed, and will deny access in any case where physical contact could be injurious to the visitor or the subject, but yes."

"May I?"

"If you like. Certainly. It's quite safe. Here, let me show you."

Araun was moved so that he was standing on all fours, and saw the bubble shrink around him, vanishing into the base of the display. The smartmatter still held him in place, but he felt most of it draw away - except for a heavy column supporting his weight around his middle and some holding his arms, legs, and head. His muscles still wouldn't respond, and he couldn't move.

For the first time in what seemed like ages, Araun felt cool, dry air move against him - the feeling was very strange against bare skin. As the smartmatter had passed over him, into the base of the display, it left his skin dry, apparently taking the breathable fluid with it. Araun tried to force his muscles to move, but was immediately dosed with even more of the immobilizing, languorous drugs.

"If anyone would like, you can feel free to touch. He can't bite or get away, and is probably barely aware of our presence at this point."

In addition to the somewhat adventurous Koss who had so enjoyed turning the wolvan this way and that, the small, lizardlike alien stepped forward and gingerly extended a hand. The Koss's hand withdrew almost immediately, but that of the gecko-like artist lingered. The soft, slightly pebbly skin felt smooth and surprisingly warm against Araun's naked flesh.

Someone's fingers briefly ran across the edges of his ears before withdrawing. After a moment, he felt touches all over his body, as more of the little primates stepped forward. He felt something gently groping at his balls and up along his sheath, and realized it was the gecko again, who seemed intensely curious about - or perhaps fixated on - the organs. There were little prickles as tiny claws gently brushed the tender skin of Araun's nether regions. The hands of the Koss, against his flanks, seemed rough and hairy by comparison.

"You are then, a female of your species, artist Bok'thin Anandil?" Araun heard the gray alien ask.

"No, I am male, but in my species, our organs are being internal," the gecko replied in its musical, sing-song voice.

The various hands withdrew, one by one, and Araun heard the voices drawing further away as the group moved on to the next part of the tour.

He realized though, that he was not yet alone. The strange, amorphous alien slid into view directly in front of him. Close up, he could see that the gold-colored filaments inside the creature were in a constant state of dancing motion, small segments breaking loose and reconnecting with other filaments.

Twin pseudopods extruded from the creature, extending past the trapped wolvan's head. Araun wanted to struggle, but could not command his own muscles, and knew that even if he could, he was still held fast.

The creature's amorphous nature reminded him of smartmatter, in a way, but there was something obviously alive about it - somehow, it was clearly a who, not a what.

He felt the creature's extruded "limbs" touch his flanks, and flow over the exposed portions of his body. It felt cool at first, but rapidly became warm - as if it were equalizing to his body temperature. Araun could still hear the other beings talking a short way off, but out of his line of sight.

He felt the pseudopods moving over every inch of his exposed flesh, stopping finally at the base of his neck. He felt something slip slightly underneath the smartmatter holding him in place before withdrawing.

And then, through his drugged haze, Araun felt another mind brushing against his own. He had a vague impression of thoughts both alien and oddly familiar, and of incredible complexity. They exuded a feeling of comfort, reassurance, and - most strangely of all - the essence of courage.

Surprised, Araun struggled to reorder his thoughts to reach back, and suddenly the haze cleared a little.

• now is not the time - the alien spoke directly into his head.

• you are free-willed and sentient. your people are known to my people. i have now a sense of you as an individual as well, though i would not invade beyond the surface of a sentient mind without permission. your treatment is not appropriate. the koss are being observed, even as they observe others. i will see to your freedom. accept your fate for the moment. your captivity will not last long. i will make contact again when i am able. for now please reassure your two fellow sentients that steps are being taken. it will not be considered unusual for you to test the possibility of escape, but for now i advise against too-strenuous or frequent attempts that may make the koss more observant. please try to endure until you are freed and do not feel despair. you may wish also to know, the koss are unaware of psi-talent as they have not developed the traits necessary and do not perceive it -

All of this passed into his mind in an instant. And then, before he could try to answer, the alien's touch was gone, both physically and mentally.

Araun felt the smartmatter flowing over him again, folding his body into a small package for travel, and he was whisked through the transport tubes. Whether his resistance was finally overcome, or the alien machines merely pumped more drugs into his system, Araun passed into unconsciousness.

Chapter Six

A Companion in Similar Straits

Araun slowly came aware, his head still slightly foggy, back in the spherical tank. Rahl lay close against his side, blinking awake at nearly the same moment. When Rahl yawned, it proved catching, and the other wolvan did the same. The sensation of yawning was, like everything else, very odd in the liquid environment.

Rahl, he noticed, still had his new growth of fur, though he himself had been shaven completely smooth during the Koss' demonstration to the tour.

"Well, shall we go out to face the morning ordeal?" Rahl asked, mentally.

"I suppose we may as well get it over with. I don't like it, but I have to urinate," answered Araun.

The two of them exited the small hut, and within moments, the now familiar tendrils of smartmatter appeared, relieved their bodies of wastes, and pumped their stomachs full of nutrients. Both wolvan managed not to struggle with them this time, though neither was thrilled with the process.

After it was over, Araun mentally spoke to his brother.

"That strange glob-alien yesterday, did you see it?"

"Yeah. But I was too drugged to pay much attention. What about it?"

"It has the Talent. It contacted me," Araun told him.

"Really? What did it say?"

"It said it was familiar with our people and didn't approve of what the Koss are doing. I got the sense from it that it might be that 'special ambassador' the Koss mentioned. It essentially said to hold tight, and that it would arrange our escape. It told me to 'reassure my two fellow sentients' that steps were being taken on our behalf."

"What did you say to it?" Rahl asked, his ears perked up.

"Nothing. I didn't get a chance. It happened so quickly, the contact was so fast, and I was so out of it from the drugs."

"What did he mean by two fellow sentients? Do you think there's another of our people here?"

"I don't know," Araun said. "Maybe we'll find out. I sure hope it knows what it's talking about though."

Before the conversation could continue, the familiar Koss voice sounded through the tank in which they floated.

"Greetings, wolvan. We have a question for you. The two of you no doubt noticed the human yesterday who was part of the demonstration involving you. We would like very much to place him into contact with you, if you indicate that you will refrain from conflict. It would increase our studies of interspecies interaction, and this individual cannot be kept in the same containment as his fellows, which were acquired at the same time. He seems to have been ostracized by them for some reason, which we do not fully understand. We do not like to keep members of social species in isolation for long periods, but the other humans here at present will not accept him. We have reason to believe that this individual is empathetic to other species, and that the two of you show similar signs."

The two wolvan turned to look at each other.

The voice continued, "If you will indicate, by nodding your heads, that you are willing to try sharing your space with a member of the human species, we can introduce him into your containment. If he proves to be a problem, we will swiftly remove him. Please take a moment to decide. If you would like to indicate in the affirmative, nod your heads, if negative, shake them from side to side, and if you would like to have time to consider, hold up your hands."

"Tell them yes," said Araun.

"What?" asked Rahl, "Are you sure?"

"I think so. If it's the human from yesterday, he's not head-blind. If he's not typical of the species, maybe another ally we can communicate with discreetly will be of use."

"Also... It was hard to tell, with all the drugs and what was going on, but I got, I don't know, a good feel from him, when we were in the tank together, and all those things were being... done to us."

"Right then," answered Rahl.

The two wolvan looked, unsure where to nod to, but vigorously nodded their heads.

The Koss voice sounded again, "Do you indicate then, that you will not attempt to harm this fellow primitive if he is placed with you? We understand that your species often do not coexist peacefully."

Again, the wolvan nodded.

"Very well. We will place him with you soon. He will be sedated when he arrives, as there was an unfortunate struggle with his fellow humans. While we intervened quickly before serious harm was done, he suffered from some minor injuries and mental distress. We will initially keep you separated, but able to interact, while we monitor your reactions to one another."

Again, the two wolvan nodded, but the voice did not respond.

Araun and Rahl spent the next couple of hours swimming around their tank, observing the Koss technicians outside. For the most part, the Koss didn't seem to be doing anything interesting - mostly monitoring various devices and holocontrol displays. The Koss in the room all seemed to be wearing similar, plain, beige-colored robes that hid all of their bodies except for faces and hands. Most were of the light-furred variety, but one individual had dark, chestnut-colored fur.

Eventually, there was some more activity, and three of the Koss, wearing more ornate clothing, entered the room. They walked to the outside of the "fishbowl," and were joined by some of the more plainly-dressed technicians.

Araun looked up and saw a large tube of smartmatter descending from the ceiling, with a bundled up, pale, human form within it. The column of matter dropped down to the floor, and formed a small bulb, expanding around the human. The link to the ceiling broke away, and the smartmatter grew into another hemisphere, like the sleeping hut, only transparent, and with no opening. The human male inside didn't move, other than the unfolding of his limbs as the transport capsule was released.

Rahl and Araun swam over to get a closer look.

Inside, the human slowly began to stir. It was definitely the same human from the tour.

The two wolvan pressed their hands against the bubble, and watched. Sluggishly, the man looked blearily around. There were a few large purplish bruises on his face and torso, but he did not appear seriously harmed. As he awoke, the two brothers felt a wave of fear and disorientation. The human definitely had some native psi Talent, but it felt crude and untrained, though that might also be the result of the drugs.

Araun waved his hand in front of the human on the other side of the clear membrane, trying to get his attention. Seeing him, the man instinctively backed away, looking confused and alarmed.

"Relax," Araun sent to the human. "We're not going to hurt you, as long as you don't try to hurt us. Anyway, there's a wall between us, see?"

The human looked startled for a moment. Faintly, Araun felt a mental response, "You're a psi? You can use head-speech?"

"Yeah. But try not to let on. Apparently, our captors don't know, "Araun explained, "Make hand gestures, like we're trying to communicate but can't."

"I... remember you from yesterday," the man sent. "You're the one that was with me, when..."

Rahl waved his hand, as if in greeting. Looking over his shoulder, Araun saw the Koss outside watching intently.

The human waved tentatively back, and paddled clumsily over towards the two wolvan.

"Do you know where the others are?" the human asked mentally, a feeling of distress and anger tingeing his thoughts.

"No. The Koss said something about you not getting along with your fellows, and asked if they could place you in our enclosure without us eating you."

"They weren't exactly my fellows," thought the human. "It's a genetic crime to have psi talent in the core worlds. I was with a trader convoy into core space. When our ship was boarded by MilPat to check for contraband, they checked my records and found I was psi. They confiscated our ship, and I was conscripted to work for the military patrol of Eden, on a rat-trap battle cruiser called the Paradiso. It got ambushed, and we found ourselves here. When the others came to, they saw that the Koss had removed my psi-damper, and panicked, thinking I'd explode their brains or control their minds, so they attacked me."

"Nice,"

"Yeah. Listen, I'm not a core-worlder. I'm not a corp. You guys aren't going to attack me if they dissolve this wall, are you?"

"No. Not if you don't try to harm us."

"I won't," the human responded.

The human looked relieved. Through the mental connection, he could see that Araun meant it. And Araun could see that the human was telling the truth. Mental speech made some things easier.

Araun could also sense, though, a little fear from the human, at the thought of being in the same tank with two larger creatures with big teeth. The man quickly tried to stifle the thought, but his command of his own talent was a little crude, and it slipped through.

The Koss voice sounded through the tank just then.

"Since you seem to be interacting peacefully, we are going to remove the barrier. Initially, we will restrict the natural weapons of the wolvan, so that there will be less concern about an incident, and to put the human at ease. Wolvan siblings, please do not react poorly."

Smartmatter lashed up from the floor, seizing Araun and Rahl by the legs and pulling them down. Tendrils deftly grabbed bound their hands and feet. The two wolvan were startled to see the smartmatter dissolving their claws down to smooth nubs. More smartmatter seized their faces, forming into muzzles that bound their jaws firmly together. The smartmatter withdrew, leaving the transparent muzzles in place. Rahl tugged experimentally at his, but it was stuck fast.

"If you seem to be reacting safely, we will remove the muzzles, after you become accustomed to one another. If there are any problems, you will be separated again," explained the Koss voice.

Rahl turned to face the Koss observing outside, and angrily shook his fist, gesturing at the muzzle, and shaking his head.

Araun touched his shoulder, and pointed to the human's enclosure. The bubble was dissolving into the floor, leaving no barrier between them.

The human looked around, cautiously, at the wolvan, and the Koss outside.

Araun turned away from the Koss, and slowly paddled towards the human. Rahl followed close behind. The human cautiously extended a hand, which Araun took, recognizing the greeting from his past dealings with humans.

Almost immediately, the human gestured with his head toward the Koss observers, indicating that he wanted the two brothers to swim over with him. Glancing at one another, they agreed.

The three swam to the sides of the tank, the Koss watching them curiously.

The human reached up, slowly, to the smartmatter muzzle on Araun's face. The wolvan flinched a little, but allowed the hand to settle. The human seized the muzzle, and pointed at it with his other hand, then shook his head in the negative.

The Koss voice sounded once more, "These were placed in order to assure you of safety. Are you indicating that you wish us to remove them?"

The human nodded vigorously.

"Very well. We are pleased by the courtesy and good will we see exhibited among members of two primitive species that are often in conflict."

In moments, the smartmatter muzzles had dropped away and sunk into the floor. Rahl opened his jaws wide, stretching his jaw muscles, and incidentally displaying his formidable teeth.

Araun gestured that he wanted to swim away from the edge of the tank, and Rahl and the human followed him. The human didn't seem to be as talented a swimmer - his movements were a little awkward and clumsy, but he managed.

Rahl mentally sent to them both, forming a connection that would allow them all to easily communicate. Araun knew his brother wasn't terribly comfortable around humans, but that he would try his best to cope with the situation.

"What is your name?" he asked. "We can't just call you 'human'"

"I'm Mikel. Mikel Horn," came the response. "I'm from Lupercal. Do you know it?"

"I'm Araun," Araun sent, and gesturing to his sibling, "and this is Rahl, my brother. We're from Heartshome, which you probably haven't heard of. But we've been to Lupercal, with our mercenary company, the Indigo Front, as merchant guards."

The man bowed his head a little, a nod of deference and acknowledgment.

"I've seen a couple of your kind before, briefly. You're wolvan. I've read up a little on your people. I'm trained as a xenocompatriot and liaison."

"Like a negotiator?"

"Something like that. I act as a kind of buffer between different species who want to trade. I'm mostly a scholar, but I make a living facilitating trading ventures, as a consultant."

"We thought at first you might be MilPat, or a soldier. You're bigger and more muscular than most of the humans we meet."

Mikel seemed to think that was kind of funny.

"Nothing like that. I'm not really able to indulge in violence. The way the psi-gift manifests for me, it hurts to even be around it. I can't block out the sensations. It hurts me to hurt anything."

"What if they're hurting you, though?" asked Rahl.

"Well, shit. That hurts too," the human responded with a rueful smile.

"Obviously, this situation is a little strange for us, too," thought Araun, "But we've worked with humans before. There's a lot of them in the Indigo Front, though most of them are enhanced, or from fringe worlds."

"You're still not comfortable around us though,"

"It's a little hard to be," thought Rahl. "Our people have had a lot of trouble with humans, mostly from the Corp Worlds. But we've been around. We know you're not all the same. But it's hard to understand you people."

The human nodded.

"I should tell you," Mikel said, "Yesterday, when they were... doing those things to us..."

The sense of frustration and humiliation from the human as he tried to avoid thinking directly about it was almost palpable.

"... well, one of those aliens, the one that looked like a big ball of protoplasm, It... talked to me. It said something about getting me out of here, and that there were some fellow sentients it would see about getting me put in with. It seemed to not really like what the Koss are doing. But I was so drugged I'm not sure how real it was. But I saw it touching you..."

"It talked to me too," confirmed Araun. "It seemed genuine, but the contact happened so fast. When it communicated, it was like it sent everything at once. It indicated that it knew our people, but I have no idea what it was. Never heard of anything like it. It wanted me to assure my 'fellow sentients' that it would try to help us, and that we should sit tight."

"I hope it's not some sort of trick by the Koss... some weird experiment," thought Rahl.

"Listen," the human said, "Like I say, I've read a little about you people. I hear there's some sort of greeting ritual you do, to get to know a stranger who has entered your territory? Where you knock the person down and smell them, or something?"

The two brothers looked at one another, a bit surprised.

"I'm not sure you'd call it a greeting ritual, precisely," sent Araun, raising an eyebrow. "It's sort of an archaic thing, not all our people do it any more, and usually don't do it with members of other cultures."

"Well, what I read indicated that it had something to do with setting you at ease, or establishing who was the... boss of a territory. I can tell that you aren't really at ease with me - I can't help feeling it, but if it would help, I'll... well... I'll let you do it. As a gesture of good faith. I mean, if we'll have to stay together or work together or maybe escape together, I want you to know I'll be trustworthy. I'm willing to show that I'm in your territory, and you two are in charge."

Araun kind of chuckled at that, though chuckling in liquid didn't work very well.

"Mikel, that won't be nec..."

Rahl's hand on his shoulder interrupted the thought.

"I'll do it. I think it would be a good thing."

Araun glanced at his brother, with an eyebrow raised in a questioning look.

"He asked to do it, and I want to see how serious he is," came the thought from Rahl, "and I think it might set the stage better for our future interactions."

Araun nodded.

Mikel said, "I'd be honored to greet you in one of your traditional ways, anyway. I know that sounds silly, but I've read that it's meant to put both parties at ease, and I thought..."

Rahl moved forward, and without preamble, put both hands against the human's collarbones and shoved him gently onto his back. The human's eyes went a little wide, and he held both his hands up, fingers open.

Araun moved over next to his brother, who crouched down on all fours, straddling the human, staring into his eyes. Holding him down, Rahl began to sniff at his face, and to inspect his body. Araun followed suit, in the deferential position to his brother. The human lay perfectly still as the two wolvan sniffed him up and down. The only time he flinched was when Rahl's nose came near his groin. In moments, the examination was over, and the two wolvan helped the human back to an upright position.

"Is there... anything I'm supposed to do?" Mikel asked.

Araun held out his palm for the human to sniff. He knew that human olfactory senses weren't terribly keen, and the liquid they floated in made smelling difficult at best, but it was part of the greeting. The human, a little clumsily, made as if he were smelling the proffered hand.

He looked up, as if to ask if that were right. Both brothers nodded slowly.

Chapter Seven

Getting to Know One Another

Over the course of the next few hours, the three of them decided that they ought to use some sort of sign language to try and communicate, or at least act as if they were trying to do so.

The human suggested a not-uncommon sign language sometimes used by military units, and which he claimed had originated among a colony of humans that had been gene-altered to function in underwater environments. Mikel knew it already, and Araun's headcomp contained files on the language. They sat around, pretending to "teach" it to one another, while actually comparing notes on their experiences among the Koss.

The bruises on the human's face visibly faded while they "spoke," apparently the result of Koss medical nano or something similar, since the man assured them that he had none of his own.

Throughout the day, various Koss, dressed in the fancier garb came and went, staring into the tank at the two wolvan and the human. The trio determined to ignore them as best they could.

"I have to say," thought the human, "that these people's idea of how to interact with other species, or to learn about them, comes across as pretty insane. How do they expect to learn anything useful by dragging people off, putting them into an utterly alien situation, violating their bodies... it just makes no sense to me."

"They think of us as primitives, not properly sentient," responded Araun, "I'm guessing that they reinforce that opinion by grabbing random people and subjecting them to things that are guaranteed to make them behave weirdly. When someone freaks out at being a captive, or is traumatized by having smartmatter shoved up their ass, the koss probably shake their heads and go 'See? Primitives. Tsk, tsk."

"I think we've seen examples of other cultures that justify crappy behavior towards other sentients by considering them 'less than people,'" said Rahl, giving a Mikel a bit of a sour look.

"I believe we've all run afoul of the SolFeds and their corporations," said Mikel, with a scowl.

"Although, to their credit, the Koss seem concerned, in their way, about our safety and health - at least physically. I'd have to say, we're safer here than in a holding cell in a SolFed prison... or on Ingdrah," said Araun.

Araun noticed that the human kept running his hand over the top of his smooth head, as if he couldn't get used to the sensation of his hair being gone. The lack of eyebrows made it harder than usual to read the man's facial expressions.

Rahl had been allowed to retain his own, rapidly-regrowing fur, so at least one of them was lucky in that regard.

He noticed that the human seemed, true to form, somewhat uncomfortable about his nudity, and tended to seek positions that concealed his genitals. It was obvious the man was among those humans with certain taboos about that sort of thing, but seemed to be dealing with it well enough.

Eventually, the lights in the chamber began to dim. "Must be night-time, or whatever passes for it here in bubble-world," said Rahl.

The human looked about. "There's only one of those sleeping chambers, isn't there?"

"Looks like they didn't make another one for you," answered Araun. "I didn't even think about it."

"Well," said the human, thinking, "You were here first, and I promised not to invade upon your territory. I'll just sleep outside it. It's not like anywhere is really different."

Araun looked at his brother, sharing a thought. Rahl shrugged acquiescently. "Mikel. It's not a big deal. You can share the space with us. It should be big enough."

The human looked worried.

"Really. It's okay. We promised not to bite. Besides, if we did, the Koss would probably stick things up our asses and pump us full of drugs."

"Or dissolve all our teeth to the gum line," Rahl sent darkly. Araun laid his ears back, disapprovingly at his brother.

Rahl seemed to consider it for a moment, and sent at them both, "It's okay. I've shared sleeping space with strangers before - even humans. My brother and I are both mercenaries. It'll be better than you floating around loose out here - you'd probably dream of falling or something all night."

"Thank you, both of you," said Mikel.

They swam over to the little hemisphere that served as a sleeping "den," with Rahl entering first, and Araun gesturing for the human to follow. The three of them settled down, arranging themselves in the small space. Mikel pressed himself up against one of the small, curved walls, trying to take up as little room as possible. Rahl sprawled out, lengthily, and Araun moved to lay up against him. He glanced over at the human and said "Just get comfortable. We're all sharing this space. It's not our 'territory.' If anything, it's the Koss's, and none of us are here on purpose."

Mikel nodded, smiled a little, and stretched out a little more, seeming grateful. Araun wondered if this was his natural personality - if he tended to be somewhat submissive or passive, or if he was deliberately trying to take on an "omega" role as a result of something he'd read or assumed about wolvan.

After a few moments, Rahl had dropped off to sleep. His brother had always been talented at falling right to sleep whenever he chose - which had come in handy as a mercenary. Araun laid awake a while, thinking.

After a bit, he noticed that the human had scrunched himself almost into a ball. It looked as though the man was cold. Araun realized that he himself felt slightly chilly, although a light mental touch at his brother seemed to show that he was comfortable. He wondered if the Koss' devices had set the temperature to something that wouldn't make his brother, who still had fur, uncomfortably warm - with the result that Araun himself would feel a bit chilly, and perhaps the less durable human might be too cold for comfort.

Reaching out a little with his mind, he could feel that the man was awake. Tired, but awake and uncomfortable, just on the edge of sleep without being able to go over. Gently, he touched the human's shoulder. Mikel's eyes opened, and he turned his head to look at Araun.

"You're cold. They have the temperature in here set to suit us."

"I suppose. I'll live, though, I'm sure."

"I'll share my heat with you. I have Rahl on the other side of me to keep me warmer anyway."

"I'll... I'm sure I'll be fine, thank you." Araun could feel indecision from the human.

"There's no reason for you to be cold. You'd like to be warmer, but you're afraid of some sort of social propriety. Don't worry about it."

"I..."

"Mikel. They took all my fur. I'm a little chilly too, and I'd be warmer if we all shared heat also. It's not a problem for me, if it's not for you. I wouldn't offer if I didn't mean it. You can sense what other people feel."

"I try not to, unless I know it's okay. I try not to look without permission," said Mikel.

"I'm giving you permission. So you can see if it's okay with me, or if I have any ulterior motives. But if you'll be more uncomfortable sleeping up against a stranger than the cold would make you, I'll understand. We're big scary aliens, and you're a small, fragile empath who apparently can't fight even in self-defense... from a culture with all sorts of taboos no less."

The human paused a moment. "You should get a job as a xenocompatriot," he responded.

Araun smiled a little. "So I can make people more comfortable before I come screaming out of the sky in an assault ship and then jump out in heavy armor, guns blazing? I'm still a warrior, and a predator. That doesn't mean I can't show kindness and compassion, or care about the comfort of others. But I don't want to force you to go beyond your own customs either."

The human nodded, gravely, "I'm a xenocompatriot and an empath. In a way, it's my nature to go beyond the boundaries of my customs. I wonder if I'll learn more about your people than the Koss will."

Araun snorted. "Probably so. So, what do you say?"

Mikel nodded. "Thanks. I am cold. And I hope you won't think too ill of me, but I'm afraid. Of all this," he said, gesturing around.

"And of us. It's okay. We're scary, and all this is frightening, even if we're not in real physical danger. But I'm not going to hurt you, and neither will Rahl, even if he acts... testy. We're not the type to hurt something that can't hurt us, just for the fun of it."

Mikel nodded again.

"Besides. We're prisoners. I suggest that we put away any cultural niceties that interfere with us helping one another to survive, or make the best of our situation, or learn to rely on one another. We're not at a trade conference. We're locked in a zoo. Nothing about our situation is normal."

"Agreed, then." The human indicated.

Araun pressed his back against Rahl's warm body, and drew the human up against himself. The man was shivering, very slightly, partly from cold, and partly from nervousness. Rahl came slightly awake, and shifted to press his belly and legs against his brother's back.

He draped a furry arm over Arain's brother's naked hide, and held him closer. Araun sent him a brief impression of what he'd just discussed with Mikel, and of the human's mental and physical state. Rahl responded with a wordless feeling of understanding, tinged with a certain annoyed resignation. He was uncomfortable about humans, but he knew the right thing to do.

Araun wrapped his arms around the human. The soft skin of the man's muscled back felt cool against his own smooth belly, so he knew the man's body must be having more trouble regulating his body temperature than his own. As he did so, he sent a feeling, wordless, to the human that he could feel safe, and warm, that he had protectors. Rahl reached across Araun to lay his own hand against the human's bare shoulder, indicating that he would offer his support as well.

He felt something give way, in the human, in Rahl, and even himself. Accepting it, all three of them fell asleep. For the moment, it wasn't a cell, or a prison. It was a den, and a place to sleep among warm bodies, and nothing more.

The following morning, all three of them endured the invasive ritual of feeding and waste elimination. Mikel kept his eyes tightly closed the whole time, and Araun got the impression that he was trying to will his mind elsewhere. Araun himself just tried to accept it as a necessarily evil. Rahl, for his part, forced himself to submit to the procedure, but seemed to deliberately use it to fan the flames of his anger at the Koss.

The three of them, bored, decided to swim laps. Araun didn't shun the physical exercise, but Rahl pushed himself, as always. As it turned out, Mikel was apparently something of a devotee of physical fitness exercises - being shipbound a great deal of the time he'd spent quite a bit of effort in maintaining his physical health, even working out under modified heavier gravity at times. That probably explained his better-than-average muscular development.

Araun was amused at his brother's discovery that he and Mikel had something in common. They even challenged one another to races. While Rahl was much more physically powerful, the human's feet and hands were marginally better for swimming.

The man's seeming awkwardness the day before was apparently the result of drugs and the beating he'd received from the SolFeds. And, ironically, Rahl's fur created drag in the liquid medium and slowed him down. The two turned out to be fairly evenly matched, although Rahl's endurance was much greater than that of the diplomat.

Throughout the day, Mikel asked a lot of questions, mirroring some of them in sign-language, about Araun, Rahl, and their people. The human was incredibly talkative. As it turned out, he had read up on wolvan, but of course, some of what he'd read was misleading or downright wrong. Mostly, it didn't take into account that there was no single wolvan society, even if there were some common aspects to the culture.

Araun patiently explained that different groups of wolvan had different aesthetic and social ideals, and in cases where these created irritation among people, it was relatively easy - for a race that practiced both terraforming and population control - to just set up different, cooperative colonies that practiced different customs.

Also, most of the information the man had access to had come from the demographic of wolvan who ventured into the "outworlds," as they called them - adventurers, researchers, warriors, or the handful of individuals that lived in exile, though usually that was self-imposed for one reason or another.

Lupercal had quite a bit of contact with wolvan from at least a couple of their colony worlds. Mostly that was in the form of exchanges of luxuries each culture considered exotic - especially foodstuffs, such as razorfish from Gateway's moon, and the famous Lupercalian brandy. But, of course, most of this contact was overseen and maintained by wolvan from Hellhole, the cross-cultural, human border-world - and mercenary haven.

Araun was explained that rumors of intricate, stylized dominance rituals were not really a part of their culture - that this rumor probably started due to information about wolves - their genetic ancestors - especially among humans who'd never seen or heard of wolves, and had became confused.

But of course, Rahl was somewhat wickedly pleased to confirm that yes, the rumor was indeed true that the wolvan on Gateway did sometimes use pirates or SolFed ship captains as razorfish bait.

When Mikel asked, tentatively, if that weren't perhaps a bit barbaric, Rahl allowed that it probably was. But he explained that it was also barbaric to attack ships and sell the occupants into slavery, like the ingdree. Or to warp ships into a system, blow the crust off an inhabited world with gravity charges, and mine the scraps - as the SolFeds liked to do when they thought they could get away with it.

Rahl explained that that a few recordings of SolFed ship captains being dragged across the surface of the world-ocean of Gateway's moon, to be snapped up by titanic razorfish, well... that seemed to cause a certain reticence, among the higher officers of MilPat to engage in unnecessary hostilities - and risk becoming the next "bait" themselves.

Lupercal's troubles with the Sol Corporation Confederacy, Mikel explained, seemed to stem from a certain export of theirs. According to the stories, a group of offworld smugglers dumped an enormous payload of the drug "Nebula" while running from SolFed investigators that had followed them to Lupercal - an independent world. But in a billion-to-one freak accident, most of it landed in an experimental field of genetically-altered grapes, prompting them to replicate a chemical with similar, though muted, effects to the drug, without the more dangerous side effects.

Before anyone realized it, the "nebulized" brandy had become quite a popular export, but the SolFeds considered it a "dangerous and immoral substance." Lupercalian medical experts declared it safe for human consumption, and denied the SolFeds access to "police" their space or interfere with their trade.

Lupercal was, of course, not a very warlike world - but they had plenty of independent worlds who enjoyed doing trade with them, as well as the catlike m'ryssians, the wolvan, and even the inhuman, mysterious, and powerful c'Dei empire.

Araun suggested that some of the things that Mikel had heard about wolvan came from mercenaries - who tended to have unusual senses of humor. He himself had, at times, answered what he thought were silly questions with ridiculous made-up answers.

Once, a shipmate had asked him if he wasn't worried about getting a "paid sexual entertainer" pregnant. So Araun told him that was impossible, because their species could only procreate via wolves, and that's why you never saw any wolvan females. The man had believed it for months, until arriving at Hellhole and meeting dozens of wolvan females living in the wolvan district near the port city.

Mikel laughed, and said "That's funny. It didn't occur to him that two different species can't mate?"

"Actually, the only physical reason my brother and I can't interbreed with humans is because Rahl and I got implants before we left home, to prevent little accidents. Some of us can actually make offspring with humans, depending on certain genetic factors. We can also procreate with wolves, or coyotes, or different breeds of our own species, like the Shunki or Dire."

"That's very strange," Mikel said. "I didn't think that sort of thing was possible. Are your people altered from human stock then?"

Rahl bristled a bit at that, but Araun intervened. "Our scientists and historians say no. But heaven only knows what happened before the great Diaspora - everyone's ancient history is a little foggy, so it's possible that there's some grain of truth to the SolFed's claim that the other sentient terran races came from human genengineering long ago. But our people have been playing with our own genetics for ages, and I think it's more likely that something we did to ourselves is at the root of that compatibility."

"You can breed with wolves? Aren't they just animals?"

"You and I are animals, Mikel."

"What are the offspring like, if you mate with humans or wolves?"

"Our genes are pretty dominant. The offspring resemble the wolvan parent, although sometimes, especially if those offspring continue to breed 'outside the pool' other traits will eventually show through. But in the event of something that would be unviable or problematic, there's always gene therapy, or just not having the kid."

"Huh."

Rahl spoke up. "There's actually some of our people who deliberately choose to 'breed back' to wolves or coyotes every few generations. Sometimes, you'll run across someone who has a lot of that in their family, and they'll be... well, it's hard to explain. More like our ancestors, I suppose. There's even some strains of what look like wolves, living among some of our people, that are of near-wolvan intelligence, and while sometimes that's because they've been genengineered - there's rumors that sometimes it's because there was a lot of 'breeding back' in some colony a long time ago."

Mikel looked amazed, and maybe a bit uncomfortable.

Araun privately sent to him, "Do you try to make the guy uncomfortable on purpose, or what?"

"Yes," Rahl returned, "But I don't think he's taking it that badly. And besides. I want to see how he reacts to these things. He says he's a 'xenocompatriot,' and if that's so, he should try to look at other people without blinders."

Araun nodded.

"I appreciate you taking the time to teach me about your people," the man said.

"Well, we have time. Though eventually we should probably plan an 'ill-fated' escape attempt, especially if we don't hear from the mysterious blob-shaped alien who said it wants to help."

"Well, in the interest of returning the favor, is there anything you'd like to know about my people?" Mikel asked.

"Sure," Rahl answered immediately, a wicked grin on his face, "I've always wondered what humans taste like."

"Rahl!" chided Araun.

"I'm kidding, said Rahl. I've bitten a bunch of humans. They taste bad."

Mikel made a halfhearted, slightly worried-looking smile.

"Hey," Rahl said, in response to Araun's laid-back ears, "At least twice it was because they bit me first!"

"And this," Araun said, gesturing at his brother, "is how wacky rumors get started."

Rahl grinned, pleased with himself.

Chapter Eight

Bonding Experiences

That night, the brothers decided it would be better to put the human between the two of them, since he was the one most bothered by the temperature. He was fine during the day, while active - but at night, his body seemed to have trouble coping.

When Araun awoke in the morning, stretching, his brother came awake immediately, yawning and curling his tongue. Rahl glanced down, and pointed, an amused look on his face.

"What's so funny?" Araun asked, yawning.

"Nothing. Just funny that some things seem to be universal."

Normally, the human's genitals formed a kind of tight, neat package against his body. But at the moment, he was experiencing a certain sleep-related phenomenon common to males of more than one species. The thing had nearly tripled in length. It hadn't happened the night before, possibly because the man had been colder on the outside of the pile.

Mikel's eyes opened, blearily, and as he struggled to wakefulness, one hand went down to scratch himself. He suddenly seemed to come to full consciousness of where he was, and his eyes darted down to his groin, looking a little shocked. He hunched forward a bit, his skin coloring slightly, acting like he was trying to conceal something without drawing attention to it.

Rahl's attention had already wandered, and he was watching the Koss technicians shuffle into the laboratory outside the "fishbowl."

"Good morning," Araun gestured, preparing to make his way outside, bracing himself for the unpleasant morning ritual.

"Good morning," the human responded a little faintly, legs drawn up against his body. "I'll be along in a few minutes, if you don't mind. I thought I'd just sit around for a bit. Not quite ready for... you know."

Rahl shrugged, and gave him a suit yourself, look, and scratching his flank, wandered out of the little hut, a look of consternation on his face as he braced himself for the trip to the green circle.

Araun was about to follow, when he decided to ask the human if something in particular was bothering him.

"No, no, just - I don't want to go out there right now, not just yet," the man replied.

Araun got the impression that he wasn't actually thinking of the smartmatter feeding and waste-disposal travesty - which was itself odd, considering how they all felt about the matter.

"Hey, I don't mean to pry, but something seems to be bothering you. Your face is all red."

"I'll be fine. Just a... personal matter."

"Oh," said Araun, "The morning wood."

"What?"

"Morning wood. You got a sleep-related erection, and it embarrassed you. I'll give you some privacy, such as it is."

The man looked slightly mortified. Araun did the courtesy of averting his gaze, but said, "If it's any comfort, it doesn't mean anything special to us. And besides, most mercs are males, and we've had to occasionally sleep in close confines or in combat trenches with 'em. After a while, everyone gets used to the idea that morning wood is just gonna happen, so we ignore it or joke about it."

"I'm sorry, I'm just not used to this. I'm..."

"It's all right. Look, same thing's happened to me," he gestured down.

His own member was semi rigid in its sheath, the swollen knot visible through the enclosing skin.

"I, uh, hadn't noticed, actually," the man said, reddening slightly more.

"Besides, after we go out for 'the treatment,' that stupid thing's gonna have exerted... pressure. I think we've all seen each other in more embarrassing situations than morning wood. Please don't think we're going to make some sort of weird social judgment about you. But if it helps, we'll try to give you what privacy we can."

Mikel just nodded, and said "Thanks. It's okay."

"I'm not actually helping, am I?" Araun asked.

"No. Well, yes, A bit. Thanks. It's probably a little silly, of me anyway."

Araun nodded and left to follow Rahl, who was already swimming back from the dreaded green circle, looking particularly surly.

"Be prepared. Those things stuck themselves in my ears this morning, too," Rahl advised.

"Wonderful. What will the Koss think of next? Probably collecting earwax to put in a museum."

Araun sent to him, "Give Mikel a couple minutes. Apparently, he's one of the ones that gets all freaked out that he gets that morning erection thing."

Rahl nodded, "He should ship with the Indigo Front for a while. Most of them seem to learn to set aside a lot of those weird taboos."

"We spend a lot of time getting shot at. That tends to make people less concerned about certain boundaries."

"We're all specimens in an alien zoo, and fellow prisoners, and hoping to escape together at some point. He'd probably better learn not to let the small stuff bother him. But I'll try to take it easy on him."

Araun nodded, "What we you just hand-signing right now? I wasn't paying attention."

"Oh... for our studious captor's benefit, I was signing that after spending some time with a human, that I've decided they're not all bad, and that maybe we could take him home with us."

"Really?"

"Sure," signed Rahl, "He'd make a great pet. He's got good manners. He might even be housebroken. But I don't know, I hear primates throw feces sometimes..."

Araun punched his brother in the shoulder, grinning, sending them both floating away from one another.

"You realize," Araun sent to his brother, as he approached his own appointment with the smartmatter, that you're probably giving them information that will make the next unfortunates these fools might catch have an even more confusing time."

"Maybe after we get away, we can arrange to put a stop to this, so that doesn't happen," replied Rahl.

A couple of uneventful days went by, punctuated only occasionally by the appearance of more apparently high-ranking Koss who sat and observed for brief periods. Their human companion seemed to grow less easily embarrassed, and more easy in the company of his companions. Araun noticed that as time went on, the man seemed to take on some of their body language and mannerisms., and to become adept at judging their body language. It seemed to the wolvan that it was something automatic, rather than a deliberate affectation - the man's empathic talent was probably at the root of it.

On the third morning, Araun awoke, as Mikel rose gingerly into a sitting position. The man didn't seem aware that he'd awakened the wolvan. Through slitted eyes, Araun watched the human draw his legs up, fold his arms on his knees, resting his chin on his arms. He seemed to just be sitting there, watching Rahl sleep. Araun found it rather amazing that the man had managed to move without waking his brother.

But when he reached out with the Talent, he realized that Rahl was awake - he was simply lying very still, breathing slowly, and watching their companion through his own barely open eyes. Mikel gingerly waved his hand in front of each of their faces, as if to see if they were awake.

Curiosity prompted Araun to simply sit quiet and feign sleep for a little longer, watching. The man slowly leaned over, first towards Rahl, and just seemed to be looking him up and down. He then turned to Araun, whose fur still remained only a light fuzz, as if comparing. The man reached out, slowly, and for a moment, it looked like he meant to lay his fingertips against Araun's chest, but then, at the last moment, drew the hand back.

Araun suspected that the human had begun to try to awaken first, to see if he could avoid being seen with the dreaded morning erection, judging from his posture, legs drawn up as they were.

Mikel's eyes trailed, almost nervously, until they obviously rested on Araun's groin. Araun could tell his own organ was in the frequent early-morning state, and could feel the fluid passing slightly over the slightly-exposed tip.

The human's gaze shifted over to Rahl's genitals, which, a glance showed Araun were in only slightly less turgid a state. He risked a faint probe at the human, and got a sense that the man was trying to somehow desensitize himself. To see the wolvan as they saw themselves, without shame. That came as something of a relief. But there was something else there, some amount of curiosity.

Araun slowly stretched, as if just waking, and Rahl followed suit. Mikel smiled at both of them, and signed, "I was wondering when you two would wake up."

When the man got up to lead the way to the exit, he seemed to do so more easily, without awkwardly trying to cover himself up.

"What was he doing?" asked Rahl, privately.

"I think he just seemed to be looking at us. That's all. I think he's trying to get more used to us."

Rahl nodded.

"I got the feeling that he was shy about something. Nervous. Like if I moved, or he suddenly knew I was awake, he'd bolt."

"Thanks for not leaping up and scaring him."

"I thought about it. But I decided it'd be mean. Besides, I wanted to see what he was going to do."

They spent most of the day swimming, but Rahl decided he wanted to practice some of the martial exercises they'd been trained in.

"Are you sure you want the Koss observing something like that?"

"I'm guessing it's not a big deal. They may have seen it before anyway, and it's not like it's a huge secret, if they bothered to actually interact with other races in a normal way."

Araun shrugged his assent.

"Mikel," Rahl invited. "We're going to practice some martial maneuvers. I don't know how much would apply to your physiognomy, but you're welcome to join us if you like."

"I'm honored," the man said, "But would it be all right if I just watched?"

Rahl shrugged, "Sure."

"Won't it be tricky, floating in liquid?" the human asked.

"A little," responded Araun, "But we're trained to do it in zero G, and in other environments where things are tricky. If you're gonna be silly enough to get into a fight in the first place, you don't always get to pick the conditions."

The two wolvan took just a few moments to stretch and warm up, and then started out with a few stylized, formal movements. After about half an hour, Araun asked his brother, "Do you want to spar?"

"I'd like to. Let's hope the Koss don't think we're actually fighting," responded Rahl, "There's actually a bunch of them watching today."

"I noticed. Maybe we can just explain to them that we're not actually fighting. I'm sure they know what the sign language means. That first one claimed to know over a hundred languages."

"Worth a try, but they seem to have some kind of rule about not communicating with us."

Araun swam over to the edge of the tank, and gestured. One of the Koss noticed, and stepped closer. Several others followed behind, looking curious.

Araun signed at them, saying that he would like to tell them something, and asking if they understood. The one who'd stepped forward nodded, but held up his finger, as if to say "Wait." The others seemed to engage in brief, active debate.

Mikel had floated up alongside Araun. "They're discussing whether to get someone qualified to talk with you."

"You can tell?"

"They have lips. Big expressive ones. I'm reading their lips," the human responded.

"You are multi-talented. Probably best not to let on that you can do that, of course."

"One of them's saying something about how it's the first effort we've made to really communicate with them, and that he thinks it's important."

"Well, it's not the first time, exactly, but whatever makes them happy."

A few moments later, a Koss, dressed in a pearly, silver-trimmed version of the technicians' outfit, approached the side of the tank, and signed through the wall of the tank, "You indicated that you wished to communicate something?"

Araun signed "Yes. My brother and I are bored. We're practicing some maneuvers in a fighting art in which we are trained. We're not doing this in preparation for doing each other, or anyone else, any violence. We are going to spar now, and we are worried that you will think we are actually fighting, and intervene. We would like to ask you not to."

The Koss signed back, "You will not actually cause injury to one another, or to the human?"

"No," Araun signed, "We have decided to accept the human as a friend. We believe also that he is not a person who fights at all, and we would not injure him. When we spar, we may do minor, accidental injury to one another, but we are skilled and can control this, and it would not be injury that we consider noteworthy."

"I do not know that I approve of the idea of allowing you to injure one another at all."

"I promise that it will be nothing more severe than a scratch or bruise, and only if we make a mistake. To us, this is play. Your ... technicians... have been watching us practice the separate movements, and seem interested. We do not mind if they watch."

"I will be happy to watch, as well. I am surprised that you are making the offer to show us something. It is not often that we are invited to watch before we have made many overtures or given more time for a subject to become used to being in the menagerie."

"We are here, and we are not going anywhere soon." Araun signed. "We are not happy with what you have done. We are very angry at your treatment of us. But perhaps if you learn more of us, you will learn that it is not right to treat us as animals or primitives."

"I will watch. If this is the precursor to some barbaric joke, I will be disappointed."

Araun nodded and swam back towards his brother.

"Wonder of wonders. I think we communicated," he signed.

The two wolvan moved to the center of the chamber. The brothers began to circle one another, waiting for openings. Rahl acted first, and Araun barely blocked a lightning-fast strike, barely slowed by the fluid. He attempted to trap his brother's arm, but Rahl slipped away. Araun upended him with a motion that would have been a trip if they weren't floating.

In moments, the two of them were spinning in a graceful but erratic weave, in three dimensions, alternating between strikes and leaps, and attempts to lock one another's limbs via holds.

A small crowd of Koss had gathered around the more highly-ranked one, observing avidly. One of them gestured nervously after Rahl landed a solid blow to Araun's midsection, sending them both flying. Araun propelled himself off a wall, and caught Rahl upside-down in mid-recovery.

The Koss in charge gestured to let it go on, his mouth slack, but eyes intent. His face carried a look as if he weren't sure whether to be impressed or horrified.

It ended a few moments later when Rahl managed to arch gracefully backwards, twisting Araun off-balance with his own weight, and pinning his arms in front of him, pressing him against a wall. He laid his teeth against the side of Araun's neck, and Araun went limp, conceding. Rahl licked the side of his brother's ear, releasing him, and Araun returned the lick, grinning.

The Koss stood by, fascinated. Mikel began to clap his hands together - a movement made almost pointless by the fluid environment. The higher-ranking Koss, seeing this, imitated the gesture, clapping five times, slowly. Nodding gravely, he turn and left the room.

Araun and Rahl spent the rest of the afternoon beating the hell out of one another.

A few hours later, a Koss voice sounded in the chamber. "Tomorrow, there will be guests who have come to the menagerie as students, and you will be shown to them. We wished to spare you any surprise, and to reassure you once more than you will be brought to no harm. On the following day, the artist and aesthete, Bok'Thin, will be allowed time to view you privately as inspiration for his creative works. We are very pleased to see that you have taken a protective and nurturing stance toward your human companion. We would also like to thank you for sharing your ritual combat with us, and helping us to learn about you."

Both wolvan laid their ears back.

"I don't suppose it ever occurred to try learning about us like civilized people, through conversation?" Araun thought to his companions.

Rahl just shook his head.

Mikel had trouble sleeping that night. The man was dreading whatever the Koss had in store for them tomorrow.

It was Rahl, for once, who made the first overture of comfort, hugging the human to his chest and petting the stubble atop his head. "They're not going to hurt us, or maim us, or kill us. Even I am sure of that."

"But..."

"But they're almost surely going to do things we think are awful, and wrong, and unwelcome, and without our consent."

The human nodded. "You seem to be taking this better than I am."

"That's because I can't prevent it. I'm angry. I'm outraged. My heart hurts over being treated like an animal, with no will of its own, or right to its own body. But if I let my feelings injure or destroy me, that is my fault."

"I don't think I can just not feel about this," replied Mikel.

"And neither can Araun and I. But we will endure it, and we will survive it. And what our captors do can't change who we are, or what is inside us. If there is any shame to feel, it should not be felt by us."

Araun clasped his human friend's shoulders. "I don't know if we'll be there with you, physically, or not. But we're with you in here," he said, pointing at his chest. "We will be strong for each other, inside."

Mikel nodded. "I'll do my best. I don't want you to think I'm a coward, or a weakling. I don't want to be one. But I think... I think you're both better men than I am."

"We're not men - we're wolvan," said Araun. "And we think you're a better man than most. Hell. Rahl even seems to like you."

He turned his face towards Rahl, smiling a little, through the worried look, "I've gathered that humans aren't your favorite people, in general."

Rahl remained silent for a moment, before responding.

"I... try to remember to judge each person for themselves, and not by others who look like them. But I have to be honest - I have learned that humans are not as... safe for me to trust as my own people. Not usually. If all I have to judge someone by is the knowledge that they are human... well... I must admit that it does not cause me to want to err in their favor."

"I don't know if that's right," sent Mikel, "But since I feel the same way about my fellow humans most of the time, I won't look sideways at you about it. I've never been beat up by a nonhuman for being a... for being what I am."

Chapter Nine

An Unwilling Object Lesson

When they awoke the following morning, about an hour after they left the sleeping enclosure, they heard a Koss voice announce, "It is time for you to be moved to the display hall, for students to view you. Please do not be alarmed, or struggle."

The familiar, hated forms of smartmatter pseudopods began to descend rapidly from the ceiling towards them. Rahl and Araun remained still, resigned - or trying to be - but at the last moment, Mikel flinched at their touch and began kicking to get away.

It was no use, of course, and his limbs were immediately seized. Araun sent calming thoughts to their friend, and Rahl opened himself up as well. "I don't want to share this with you," Mikel sent, as he tried to calm himself. "It's bad enough they do this to me, without feeling what happens to you - without you knowing what happens."

"Mikel," said Araun. "I know how that feels. And if you want, we will remain apart. But you may find strength if we are able to cope. If we can cope, perhaps you can feel what we feel, and it will help you."

"I don't know. I'll try."

"Remember," Rahl sent, "If you can find strength, we will find strength in that also."

They found themselves, once again, compressed down into the transport "eggs," and rushed through the tubes. On the way, as before, Araun felt the lethargy of some sort of soporific coursing it's way into his blood. Through the haze, he forced himself to maintain his connection to the others.

Before long, Araun found himself floating freely in one of the rectangular chambers, and immediately after, the transport eggs containing both his brother and Mikel slid from the floor of the chamber and into view, falling open to release them seconds later.

Araun looked out through the transparent wall. He could see what appeared to be a Delphian - probably the one they'd seen on their first day - in a tank in the wall across from theirs. The creature appeared to be sleeping, or more likely drugged unconscious, floating horizontally face down in the middle of his tank.

The next tank contained a pair of huge lion m'ryssians, sitting on the floor of their chamber, looking rather disgruntled, but logy with drugs. One was fully furred, and possessed an impressive mane, but the other, like Araun, appeared to have been shaved bald over his whole body. The shaved m'ryssian was crouched in a corner, limbs drawn up tightly in a ball, glaring.

A veritable crowd of similarly-dressed Koss - all wearing bronze-colored suits with long jackets, all of a uniform, unadorned color, filed in, led by another Koss dressed all in a similar outfit, but in black. A pair of the blue gecko-like aliens followed, but both appeared to be a much paler color than the artist from their previous visit to the gallery. Rows of benches extruded from the floor in front of the chamber with Araun, Rahl and Mikel.

The black-garbed Koss appeared to be speaking, but the sound did not carry into the chamber.

"It looks like a class," sent Mikel, dimly.

For the better part of an hour, the instructor lectured the students, gesturing occasionally, or bringing up floating holo-displays. Occasionally, one of the students asked a question. Araun noticed that some of the holo-images appeared to be of themselves, including a few images of them signing to Mikel, or making gestures of friendship to the human. There was another image, perhaps a counterpoint, showing what appeared to be a Delphian, in powered armor, in a bloody firefight against dozens of armored humans, two lion m'ryss fighting by his side.

Finally, the students rose. Araun hoped briefly that perhaps this would be all they'd have to endure, but it was not to be.

The familiar tendrils rose up out of the floor, grabbing each of them. Almost immediately, Araun found himself being pumped full of tranquilizer, even as the capsule closed over him. He struggled to retain a shred of consciousness, and felt Rahl and Mikel dropping to hazy numbness.

There was a disorienting second of motion, and for a moment, Araun thought he'd blacked out, but he realized he was coming up through the floor, onto some sort of raised pedestal in the center of the hallway, among some of the bronze-garbed students. He was upside-down, resting on his shoulders, with his knees up to his chin. Looking straight ahead, he could see the limp form of his brother being drawn up into a spread-eagled position in one of the larger display globes. About half the class moved around the globe, and holo-displays flashed around it. It was hard to see, through the drugged haze and the irregular wall of the capsule he was squeezed into, but Araun thought that they looked like displays of various organs and systems - skeletal, nervous, and circulatory.

He wasn't sure where Mikel was. It felt like he was close, by, but it was hard to tell. Fortunately, the man seemed to be barely aware of whatever was happening.

The instructor came to stand by Araun's capsule, and appeared to be lecturing, but the sound only came through as dim vibration. Occasionally, the Koss actually leaned against his capsule, gesturing at the class. Araun was aware of the contact, through the smartmatter globe, but only as a faint pressure. A few times over the course of the hours, or minutes, he found himself rotated into a different position, or felt some strange sensation pass through his body.

At one point, the lecture rested an arm on the top of the egg, which happened to place his elbow pressing against Araun's balls. Since his tail was crushed up alongside them on the other side, it was uncomfortable. Even through the drugged haze, Araun found himself growing offended. Almost despite himself, he began to jerk and struggle inside the transport capsule, startling the Koss, and causing the students to laugh nervously.

Within seconds, he was flooded with drugs, until he couldn't move, and could barely think. The instructor reached out, and poked at him a little. Araun could barely feel it. After a moment, there was a pressure against his balls, and the students laughed again a little. Araun tried to resume his struggles, but he might as well have been paralyzed. After that, Araun didn't remember very much.

When he came to awareness again, he was hurtling through the transport tubes. After a few moments, he found his limbs floating free, at least for a moment. Something seemed to wrap around his chest and upper body, pinning his arms to his chest. He realized that he was upside-down in a fluid-filled cylinder. A heavy sleeve of smartmatter had formed around his chest and arms, and his legs were spread out above him, almost painfully far apart.

In front of him, he could see Mikel, in a similar position, facing to his right, and beyond that, Rahl, facing towards his left. He realized that out of the corner of his eye, to his right, he could dimly make out the shapes of more bronze-clad students.

He tried to move, but not only was he still drugged, he was held fast.

He felt something flowing around the base of his testicles, and an uncomfortable suction, as they were drawn into something and stretched tightly away from his body. The suction continued until the skin of his scrotum prickled, and the organs inside began to ache.

It wasn't a surprise, though it was still unwelcome, when he felt something force it's way into his rectum, and begin to swell there. He felt his penis grabbed, more roughly than usual. The sheath was drawn back, and something tightly squeezed his penis around the base, before smartmatter sucked its way down onto the exposed shaft and applied pressure until it was almost painfully engorged.

He could tell that the same thing was happening to Rahl and Mikel. He worked to make mental contact with them. It was very difficult, but he was relieved when he felt them again in his mind.

When Mikel felt the contact at his scrotum, his body stiffened, then quickly sagged as more drugs were pumped into him. Araun could see that a sort of globe, with a narrow opening at one end, had descended on a length of smartmatter, and drawn the man's testicles up into it. Apparently, it applied suction, because his scrotum swelled and expanded inside it. After a few moments, the tender flesh nearly filled the transparent globe. A tendril invaded the man's rectum, and finally, another sucked in his penis, applying suction until it was fully engorged.

Rahl was subjected to the same thing.

For the first time, instead of radiating fear and revulsion, Mikel seemed to take on outrage. Araun realized that not only had he sort of learned that feeling from Rahl's example - the man was outraged more on behalf of his friends than himself.

As had happened once before, with similar, if not the same devices, Araun felt the thing in his rear begin to pulse with hard jolts of enforced pleasure, or at least the physical sensations thereof. But this time, his brother, and now his new human friend, were right there, undergoing the same treatment, at the same time.

After a few seconds, he could feel his body shooting and shooting, what felt like liquid heat down the shaft of his penis. It felt like it went on for hours. A wash of drugs poured through him, slowing his heart rate, even as the waves of sensation continued to pour through his prostate, and spasm through his genitals. Dimly, before losing all sense of normal thought, Araun found himself, crazily, wondering what they thought they were going to get? After all, they only had so much sperm, if any. Even if the contraceptive alterations had been disabled, they hadn't been around any females, much less ones in heat.

But then, it just wasn't possible to think any more. He wasn't sure when he lost consciousness, only that he awoke, later, with Rahl and Mikel next to him, still drugged asleep, in the "fishbowl.'

Chapter Ten

The Artist, Bok'Thin Anandil

It was dark when Araun awoke. Most of the previous day was a vague blur, available only in fragments of confusing memory and uncomfortable sensation.

When he attempted to rise to a sitting position, he felt an uncomfortable pressure at his groin. Looking down, he was annoyed to find his testicles swollen to almost half again their normal size, and the newly-regrown hair on them was gone from the black skin of his scrotum.

His penis was puffy and distended - he tried to pull his sheath up over it, but it was swollen too large. He wasn't sure how long it had been since they'd been released from the - whatever you call a machine designed to suck semen out of someone.

Rahl was in slightly better shape, though he only came to consciousness slowly. He was angry, but relieved to be back in one piece. Araun noticed that the fur had been neatly erased from his brother's testicles also, and like his own, they were distended and swollen. Rahl made no more than a cursory examination of himself. He asked Araun if he and Mikel were all right, and establishing that they were, curled up to go back to sleep.

Araun hoped that Mikel wouldn't wake before his swollen genitals had returned to normal. The man's organs, normally a small, neat package against his body, were puffed up to almost three times their normal size. The flesh behind the head of his penis had swollen to a puffy ring much larger than the surrounding tissue. For once, Araun's wish was granted, and Mikel slept through the night.

By the time the three woke the next morning, everyone's swelling had gone down for the most part. Mikel winced a little and clamped a hand over his groin, as if to see if it was still there. Rahl was already awake, licking himself. When Mikel noticed the activity, looking slightly uncomfortable, Rahl looked up, grimaced, and mentally muttered "Stupid Koss perverts. This is really ridiculous."

Oddly, this seemed to set an air of normalcy to the scene. The offhanded comment almost framed the situation as something merely stupid, rather than rape. Something that did not have to be accepted, but which could be coped with.

"How are you?" Araun asked Mikel.

The man sat up, and looked down between his hands at himself. "I guess I'm okay. I don't remember much - But I remember something about some kind of... thing... clamped on my... well, on my dick."

Araun gestured at his own groin. "They did it to all of us. I don't know what the purpose of that was. I'm sure the Koss think they know what they're doing, but I don't. I think they were collecting semen. They said something, the last time, about collecting samples of sex cells in case they needed to 'repopulate a lesser species' if they got themselves extincted or something, and not wanting to rely on cloning by itself."

Mikel grumbled, "Well, it seems... well... rather rude, doesn't it?" He made a weak smile.

Even Rahl chuckled a little, soundlessly, at that.

"Well, I'm sure, to their way of thinking, it's something we'd probably say no to if they asked nicely," said Mikel.

"I'm thinking that it's never occurred to them that they should have to ask," said Araun. "They think of us as animals, or primitive, and probably think that they're being nice because they drug us up and jolt our pleasure centers when they do it. They probably figure that we'll just be grateful for the tickle, and that it's 'adequate repayment' for our time in their clutches."

"Or they figure that we won't remember after they're done with us, and that it won't matter, because they can get away with it," said Rahl.

Mikel still seemed to be cradling his groin, so Araun asked, "You okay down there?"

"Uh... yeah, I think so," responded the man. "Just feels, weird, I guess. Things are a little blurry for me in this fluid stuff."

Araun paddled into a position for a better look, gently pushing Mikel's knees apart. "Here, lemme take a look. My eyes are able to adjust to it." The man didn't respond, but didn't resist either. Araun gently pressed the flesh to either side of Mikel's genitals, and turned the man's scrotum gingerly back and forth. "Does that hurt?"

Mikel shook his head, "No Doctor Araun. No pain, just feels... funny." He looked more uncomfortable about being touched than anything else.

Araun squeezed each of the orbs delicately. They might have been slightly swollen, but Araun wasn't an expert on human genitalia, and wasn't sure. But the track record of the Koss seemed to be that they didn't cause permanent injuries to their charges.

Araun noticed something funny.

"Um... you have like a ring of scar tissue right behind the end of your organ. What is that from?"

"What?" asked Mikel, alarmed, bending over to look.

"Most of the human males I've seen naked, well, they usually have some skin that goes over the end. But sometimes, they don't. And I'm looking at yours, and it's like there's a ring of scar tissue, like something was cut away."

"Oh," Mikel said, looking relieved, amused, and a little embarrassed at the same time. He pulled away a little from Araun's grasp. "That's circumcision. It's nothing."

"Why would you do that?"

"I didn't do it to myself," he explained. "Some cultures among humans have a custom of removing the foreskin - the little bit of skin that goes over the head of the penis. Usually gets done as soon as someone is born."

Araun looked a little taken aback. "Why?"

Mikel shrugged. "Different reasons. Sometimes, medical reasons are claimed - that it keeps it from being a place where, I dunno, stuff can build up. Sometimes, it's aesthetic reasons. Some cultures just think it looks better that way. So sometimes it's cultural. On the Core Worlds, they do it as a matter of course when a male baby is born. I don't think they even consult the parents - I think it's common enough in some places that nobody even questions it. I met someone once, who when he happened to use a communal bath on our ship, wanted to know what was 'wrong' with the uncircumcised males. He didn't even realize that theirs were natural and his was altered. I was born in a hospital on the Core Worlds - my mom was on a trading venture. I think she was a little annoyed, since she hadn't planned to have anything like that done to me, but it's not something anyone makes a huge deal about. Honestly, it never crosses my mind."

"Huh," said Araun. "Learn something new every day."

"Goddamit!" Rahl thought, 'loudly'.

"What? What?" Araun and Mikel responded, almost simultaneously, looking around.

Rahl turned to face them, scrotum in one hand, pointing at it with the other, "The fuckers shaved my balls again. Can you believe this?"

Mikel's face colored a little, embarrassed.

Araun just looked at Rahl, and gestured up and down his body, "Consider yourself fortunate. Look at us."

"Sorry. It just seems. Well. Just it's weird. What's with these fucking Koss?"

"I find myself wondering," said Mikel, "If there's not some level of perverse genital fixation disguised as science."

"Speaking of which," muttered Rahl, "I have to piss. Excuse me."

"I can't believe he can get used to that," said Mikel, watching Rahl head to the dreaded green circle.

"I don't think it's that he's accepted it, he just thinks that there's no point in not getting used to something you can't change. He deals with it by making fun of it, or snarling about it," said Araun. "One of our comrades used to have a joke - that if something was bugging him, and he couldn't eat it, or screw it, he'd piss on it. Rahl thought that was great, and sort of took it to heart."

"I'm guessing that's not meant to be taken literally?"

"Spirits beyond, I hope not."

"How do you deal with it? I feel like I'm getting violated every time I need to take a piss."

"I try to think of it as merely the world's most insensitively designed, crushingly unpleasant, and inconvenient toilet. That's easier to do after you've flown a few missions on really old, crappy, retired Corp ships, and especially if you've ever had to use a zero-gravity toilet. Trust me, they're not that terribly different. It's just that you get to work the hoses yourself."

"You're not serious?" Mikel said, unsure how to proceed.

Araun continued, "Besides, how, exactly, do you think you go to the bathroom in a powered combat suit - the kind you might be staying in, for days, clinging to the outside of an asteroid, until someone can cut through the shields so you can overrun some base?"

"Um. Wow. Your line of work sucks."

"Interesting choice of words."

"So... You just make a joke out of it, and then you're not bothered?"

"I'm bothered. I'm bothered as hell. The depths of how offended I am have not been reached in our polite conversation. It's just that I'm going to go empty my bladder in the monster tentacle toilet, and I'll salve my outrage with the idea that I plan to complain to the manufacturer the first chance I get."

He paused, and added, "Joking about it helps. Once you can joke about something, you make it smaller. It doesn't bother you as much."

Mikel just shook his head and laughed, and followed Araun out to join Rahl.

When they got to the familiar green circle this time, they weren't released after the usual treatment. They found themselves grabbed, and encased in transport capsules immediately.

Araun felt the not-unexpected sensation of drugs being introduced into his body, but somehow, this was different. His limbs felt like they didn't want to respond, and his mind was hazy, but there was a definite pleasurable tingle that spread quickly throughout his whole body.

After several minutes, he realized that he was coming up through the floor of a softly-lit chamber, with Rahl to one side of him in a transport egg, and Mikel in another.

They appeared to be in another of the clear, fluid-filled spheres, larger than the hallway display, but much smaller than their usual "fishbowl" prison. The room containing the sphere didn't seem to be terribly large, and was lit by numerous floating holo-displays.

The transport eggs didn't immediately open and release them, but under the effect of whatever drug was being used, Araun found that he didn't mind. Everything felt just pleasant... peaceful. The normally cramped and claustrophobic feeling of being fetally encased in the transport capsule gave way to a comfortable, close feeling. It felt... nice to be held with his arms and legs pressed against his body, with his brother and newfound human friend nearby.

He found himself thinking that the only thing that he would change would be that he wished he could feel them physically against him.

He reached out, as best he could, with his Talent. The contact was nearly impossible to direct at first, but once begun, it was if the mental barriers between the three of them were nonexistent. He could feel Rahl and Mikel, held in their own warm, comfortable, compressed space. They welcomed the touch of his mind.

Araun felt Rahl's wish to be against him, to feel the warmth of his body. And when Mikel felt it, the two wolvan realized that the human wished he could feel them as well. Images of lying warm and safe between them at night, with his flesh warmed by theirs floated through Mikel's thoughts, but underlying it was fear. Fear that they would be angry, fear that the contact was unacceptable, fear of liking it, but it being somehow wrong. Suddenly they could see that Mikel longed to be able to touch them freely, that he enjoyed the easy love between the two brothers without envy, and that he wished he himself could be included - but the man worried that what he wanted would cross an unacceptable boundary, that it was wrong. He worried that if he even broached the subject that the two brothers would think there was something wrong with him, and be angry with him.

Araun felt no such negative feelings. He searched his thoughts to make sure, but cautiously sent the feeling to Mikel that it was all right - that right now, he felt that urge to lay pressed against the others, too.

They all knew that the sensations of their bodies were influenced by the drugs, of course, but Araun assured Mikel that at least to him, the feeling of laying close to someone you liked or even cared for was not wrong, even under normal circumstances.

There was movement in the chamber. Beyond the edge of the bubble, a blurry, blue shape materialized. Araun realized that it was the gecko-like alien, the artist, Bok'thin Anandil. The one who had seemed so strangely interested in them, during the tour in the "display hall."

Araun found himself replaying the incident in his mind, he remembered it as it had happened - himself drugged and held in place, so that aliens could handle and observe him against his will. But even though he remembered being uncomfortable and upset at the time, he also remembered the oddly gentle, exploratory touch of the delicate gecko-like hands. Beneath the unpleasant memories, he realized, that part of the experience registered as somehow positive.

He remembered the part of it that felt... well... pleasurable. It must be the drugs, he tried to tell himself. They'd pumped something into his body that made everything feel good.

He didn't want to be handled by strangers, held as a prisoner, treated like an animal. But at the same time, he felt that he wouldn't object to feeling that particular light, scaly, warm touch against his skin again. Oddly, he realized that a part of him thrilled at the idea, just a little bit.

A voice reverberated through the chamber - musical, almost like singing, "I am Bok'thin, Bok'thin Anandil. I do not know if you remember me, from our brief contact. The Koss have granted me time with you."

Of course, they had no way to respond. Araun found himself wishing that he could speak, at least to say that he did indeed remember, but the smartmatter that let him breathe in the capsule filled his mouth. He could feel it against his palate, his inner gums, filling the space down his throat. It squeezed against his tongue, held his jaws wide. For a moment, he became lost in the sensation of it inside his mouth, against his lips.

Bok'thin continued, breaking into the sensory reverie.

"In my art, I wish to represent life and pleasure. I have been inspired by the three of you, as creatures with beauty, even though you are alien to me. I see in you, that you are sentient, even if you are primitive by Koss standards. Even in your capacity for violence and struggle, I see life. And in seeing the members of so-called primitive species having care for one another, I am further inspired. That is why I have asked the Koss for this time. I asked for it with you, yourselves, not with just any individual."

"I wish for there to be nothing negative in this experience for you. I have arranged for chemical and neurological signals to be given to you to help ensure that this is so. Also, if I realize that I am taking you in a direction that you truly wish not to go, and if I realize that the feeling is deep and sincere, I will stop. I know, as the Koss do not seem to, that the way you are treated brings you distress. It breeds the very feelings that they see as primitive, but it is their hands that make it so. I will ask that you trust me in the beginning. At first, this may seem like something you reject, but I ask that you look deeply and honestly in yourselves, and at what we do, and see if there is not some part of you that will be made more whole by acceding."

"I have been given privacy for my work. My work is intellectual, so part of my right to my intellectual property is to have a certain amount of privacy while I create. The finished work I will make available to others, but I reserve the right to keep some of the process itself private, even if I do not ordinarily exercise that right.

"My point is that while the goal is for others to see what we create, you are not at the moment being watched by anyone but myself, and the spirits of life and creation, and one another. The privacy begins.... Now."

Suddenly, Araun, Rahl, and Mikel felt their heads clearing. The drug-induced sensations faded in moments. The suddenness of the change nearly broke the psychic rapport that had been established. Araun worked to reestablish it, while Rahl, glanced around, trying to see around them. Mikel, after only a moment of startlement, helped Araun.

The three of them found their capsules being brought to the edge of the spherical chamber. Beyond stood the tiny, gecko-like artist, delicate hands reached forward, palms outward, in what looked very much like a standard wolvan greeting.

The three of them were still bundled up, but the smartmatter casings drew back from their faces and heads, so that for the first time any of them could remember in days, they looked through air instead of liquid.

There was a strange sensation in all their lungs, that Araun realized was the smartmatter tendrils drawing out the breathing fluid, and filling their lungs with air. Then, the tubes withdrew, and all three of them were looking around, blinking, and breathing fresh clean air.

"I have done this so that we may briefly speak, sentient to sentient," said the alien, "But please let me speak without interruption for a moment, as our time is limited. Will you?"

Araun looked to Rahl. Cautiously his brother nodded, and Araun did likewise. At almost the same moment, Mikel did the same. Araun realized that the man had also looked to Rahl in this instance.

"I thank you," said Bok'thin. "I apologize that I leave you still within your restraints. I once did not, when I made a similar offer as I will make to you, and was attacked, and the Kar Vothanin was so angry that I was very nearly banned from all his menageries and research properties. I promised I would never do so again, and I do not break promises, even when they pain me."

"All right," said Rahl. "So you won't let us run around, but you want to talk to us. Isn't that against the rules, too?"

The little blue gecko made a gesture that seemed to be negation. "No, I have completed the appropriate training and studies to be allowed to interact with the so-called primitive sentients if I choose."

Araun spoke up, "We are listening, but we consider ourselves free beings, held against our will, and do not recognize the authority of the Koss to do this. What do you have to say to us?"

"First, I must insist that I have doubts about the rightness of the menagerie. But I do not have the power to free you, and if I were to try, I would merely be prevented from ever returning. I am here, merely I am afraid, to create an emotional-aesthetic work of memetic art. And I would like to include the three of you in it of your own free will."

"It's not like we can stop you," glowered Rahl.

"If you do not agree," said the gecko-like alien, I will tell the Koss that I was mistaken in my muse, and that I do not wish to use you as subjects after all. I am known for my so-called flightiness and this will not seem unusual."

"You just want to create some artwork?" asked Mikel. "Of us?"

"Why should we assist our captors?" asked Araun. "Maybe you aren't our captor, but if we give you what you want, then we're still encouraging them."

"It is possible that the very art I create here today, and I say this with no hubris, and with all faith in yourselves more than my own poor talent, will cause the people of the Koss protectorate to change how they think, and if not close the menagerie, change the way it is run so that nobody will be forced to remain against their will. To be brief, I am confident of this, and am not saying it just to get your acquiescence - if I wanted, I could use my own drugs, and the tools of the Koss to force you, but I would have to be another sort of being to do that, and not Bok'thin Anandil. You do not have to trust me, or help me. I will find another, or I will fail in my endeavor altogether."

"So, you're hoping to make an art piece to raise awareness, and protect the rights of the sapients being held here against their will?" asked Mikel.

"I must be scrupulously honest," said the aesthete, "I am here primarily for the purpose of creating a certain work of memetic art, not to free the denizens of the menagerie. But I do believe that a side-effect of my work will be that it will be instrumental in changing things. I may be wrong, but I am willing to stake my faith in myself as an aesthete and a member of the Koss protectorate, on the assumption that I am correct."

"I'm not sure I want to do it," said Rahl.

"I think I could accept. Araun, Rahl, what do you say? It couldn't hurt, could it?" said Mikel.

"I'd like to know more, Bok'thin Anandil," said Araun.

"I cannot tell you much more, or it may change the work itself. In fact, your minds have already been prepared to erase this conversation from your direct recollection after I hear whether you agree or not."

"What do you want? What are you asking of us," asked Araun.

"A very difficult thing. I am asking you to trust me, even though you have no reason to. I am going to assure you that if you say yes, and agree to be part of my artwork, that you will be unharmed, and that you will find great pleasure in it if you allow me to do as I will. But this is not just imagery I work with. It is participatory. You may confront things in the making of it that you otherwise might not. Also, while I promise I will do nothing bad to you, I may give each of you something you would not or could not give yourselves."

Araun felt Rahl's deliberate mental query, and Mikel's more confused one.

"I'm leaning towards refusing," said Rahl, out loud, "But you're the better judge of character, little brother. I defer to you."

The artist had his eyes closed, the huge orbs moving rapidly behind the lids. Before Araun could say anything, the artist interjected, "I have checked once more, thoroughly, and established that our communication is privileged, and none listen - I do this because I suspect you have a secret the Koss do not know."

Mikel looked visibly alarmed, and through their connection, Araun had the fleeting impression that the man was afraid the secret was personal to him.

The artist continued, "It is known that some races believe a form of mental communication or ability exists, that does not register to normal instruments. Often, this is supposed to be superstition. But I have heard, and have come to believe, that wolvan and some humans have an ability to sense or read things from the minds of others. If this is true, and you do have the ability, I give permission for you to look into my heart, but I ask that you only look, if possible, to see if I am trustworthy, and not to pry into details. I give permission for this. If there is such an ability, I promise not to reveal it to anyone."

Araun looked to Rahl. Rahl nodded.

"Mikel," he sent mentally to the man, "Will you help? You are sensitive to different kinds of creatures, and I'll value your help."

Mikel wordlessly agreed.

Together, the three of them opened their awareness. After a few moments, Rahl gruffly indicated that he did not think it would be any harm, but that he would defer to Araun's judgment. Mikel seemed to have some misgiving, but there was an earnest, hopeful cast to his thoughts. Araun reflected for a moment on what he'd felt. From the artist, he detected only sincerity and good will, and an almost overwhelming appreciation for the three of them. There was a sense that whatever secret the artist held back about his working, that it was indeed not that he was hiding something bad, but that the piece depended somehow on it being secret until revealed. Underneath, unspoken, he detected a feeling that the artist believed he could give them something useful... particularly to Mikel.

The artist looked back and forth to all three, gentle hope apparent in his bearing.

Araun knew that both of the others were deferring to his judgment.

"For better or ill, Bok'thin, we have decided to trust you."

"I thank you," the tiny artist said. Forgive me, but I must return all to as it was before our conversation became private. I promise that your trust in me will be well placed."

In moments, all three were again inside the transport capsules, within the watery sphere. Araun felt the flood of strange chemicals into his system, his recollection of the preceding minutes growing foggy and faded.

Araun blinked, thinking to himself that he must have been so overcome with the feelings of artificially-induced pleasure that he'd momentarily become unaware of the passage of time. He found himself in the globe-shaped chamber, with Rahl and Mikel nearby, touching him. For some reason, he was thinking of the little blue gecko artist.

The artist's musical voice suddenly resonated around them.

"I will place you closer to one another, as I prepare, so that you may draw strength and pleasure from one another while I ready myself for this undertaking. You may see me now as one forcing you. For my part in this, I apologize. But please do not let that distract you from the pleasure you find in one another. If you must blame, then blame my hand, not this moment, or these feelings."

Araun felt his capsule moving, until it touched Rahl's and Mikel's. Through the membrane, he could feel the pressure of the contact, followed by a slow spreading warmth - the heat of their bodies. With what little muscle control he could muster, addled by the chemicals, constrained by the capsule and the closeness of his own limbs, he felt himself trying to press himself against them, and felt that movement returned.

"I do not only record in the form of my art. I record the creation of it, and the models themselves. In this way, I convey not only the process, and the creation of the work of my hands, but the spirit of the subjects."

"In this stage, you are as in an egg clutch, or in a womb, to your symbolism. And yet, you think and feel as grown creatures. Perhaps you will set aside the strangeness of your trials, and think only on this for a moment."

It was hard not to think on it. The waves of pleasure seemed to come from Araun's very brainstem. The unpleasant, angry feelings toward his captors - though surprisingly few for the artist himself, though he certainly counted among them - were still present. But they did indeed prove easily set aside for the moment - so Araun could better feel what he felt for his brother, and even for the human, Mikel, who they'd only just met as a fellow captive.

He realized that there was something in him that had almost immediately made him want to like the human.

Araun's mind seemed to jump from one pleasurable, delighted thought to the next, with wild abandon. It wasn't as if his consciousness had become disorganized, so much as that it moved from joyful idea to another, as if his awareness traveled the waves of an ocean.

He felt the overwhelming love for his brother. In some ways, their life together had been strange, with a closeness like mates, or closer than mates. This was partly because of their linked Talent, which created a bond closer than most could enjoy, and which had existed since their birth. No... it had been there before their birth. Araun realized it was not simply strange, but something beautiful - a chance thing that made them different from others, but which made possible something rare. It made Araun and Rahl rare.

And he felt Mikel's presence in his thoughts - felt him thinking it was beautiful, without wanting to steal it or be jealous of it.

He felt the difference and strangeness of the human. He'd seen so many humans, but never really looked closely, or considered what it might be like to be one, or to know one so closely.

The voice of Bok'thin came again.

"I wish to assure you. I would never personally have engineered your captivity. It is a thing which goes beyond what I, or even most of my people, would think right. But I am an artist, an explorer of sensation. And I have chosen to skirt the boundaries, even though there are risks, and take advantage of this situation in which you - in which we - find ourselves. I cannot secure your release, though I am pleased that I know you will someday be released without harm."

"But now, I can attempt to take something of beauty away from a moment that will not come again. I believe that this place, itself, and the situation it creates - may not long last. And so, I hope that you will forgive. I will try to make it easier to forgive, by giving you something that will be beautiful, that you would not otherwise give yourselves."

The words seemed almost hypnotic, and the wolvan felt a brief flash of déjà vu at the artist's words. Araun hoped that it was not the drugs mounting ever more powerfully in his body, that caused him to believe the sincerity of the artist.

But he compared the feeling to the one conjured by his first encounter with Mikel. He realized that, drugs aside, there was something about the tiny artist that he wanted to like.

But he gave himself up to the idea of - even if he felt differently later - allowing himself to simply enjoy feeling as he felt at the moment.

The capsules seemed to draw out, and Araun realized that the three of them were being brought to a standing position, back-to-back. Just the movement felt pleasurable. Even the feel of the smartmatter against his body was thrilling.

He could feel Rahl and Mikel's minds against his, and he realized that they were trying to decide how to judge this experience, and were looking to him, to Araun, for guidance. Joy mounted in him, that his powerful, self-reliant brother would turn to him in this way - that Mikel, who barely knew him, and who struggled to overcome such fear would trust him, turn to him.

And Araun felt a glimmering of fear in himself - that he would fail them, lead them astray - that his decision would be one that they would regret.

Araun thought for a moment, trying to brush away the cobwebs, until he felt something clear deep inside, something untouched either by trouble, or experience, or drugs.

"Go ahead and let go," he told them after a moment. "Let's just feel what we feel. We can choose to feel differently later when we're in our right minds. But for now, let us live in now. I want to feel this. Even if we can't stop this, we might be able to take something good away from it."

At the thought, he felt something release in both Rahl and the human, and felt them sink into the glowing, electric, yet languid feeling of bliss. And it was as if none of them could bear to break the contact between them, because sharing the feelings of the others made it greater for all.

Even knowing that Rahl might be angry later, and that Mikel might feel ashamed, and that he himself might feel worried that he had led them to do something they would regret - even this they were all prepared to accept.

Araun realized that the artist had entered the chamber and floated next to them, outside the sheath of smartmatter that encased their bodies.

"I will direct your positions and movements," Bok'thin said. "You will probably find that it is difficult, even impossible, to choose your own. I will do nothing that could bring you harm. But I will bring you into movements that I feel express the aesthetic of this piece. First, I will attempt to gain understanding of your forms, of the feel of them."

The gecko-like alien didn't seem to be vocalizing. That would likely be as impossible for him in the fluid as for them. Presumably, he had some sort of interface to the sound-creating equipment in the chamber.

Araun could feel a pressure as the artist's small, scaly hand pressed against his flank. The smartmatter membrane seemed to part at his touch, so that the delicate hand, with its tiny claws, laid directly against his skin. There was a thrill of pleasure at the touch, and he could feel each individual bristle of the fur that was only just beginning to grow back.

The smartmatter seemed to split away from his body as the artist ran his hand along the length of his flank, until Araun floated free. His limbs seemed unwilling to respond, as if they themselves felt too good, in whatever position they were in, for him to want to adjust them.

Bok'thin gently guided Araun's body into a position standing on all fours at the bottom of the sphere. It seemed as if his body responded to the desires of the artist, his own muscles moving to do as he directed. Even through the drug, Araun was curious enough to consult his headcomp, which indicated that there was some sort of low-level interference with his motor nerves, sending signals to his limbs, directing their movement.

And yet, it all felt... wonderful.

He found himself standing on the bottom of the tank, Rahl and Mikel nearby, so that he could enjoy their closeness. The feeling of the pads of his hands and feet on the floor was good, and he found himself gently clenching with fingers and toes, at the slightly resilient matter underfoot.

The artist's hands slowly moved across his skin, over every inch of him. He felt them exploring his face and muzzle, even gently opening his mouth to stroke his gums and tongue. Soft, fragile hands moved between jaws that could crush them in a heartbeat, but Araun would not even consider doing such a thing.

Fingertips touched his eyelids, the insides of his ears, massaged the muscles of his chest, his back, his underarms. He found himself moving to allow the exploration, and was unsure whether it was his own volition or the artist's equipment causing it.

"While I am attempting to feel your form, for use by my own intuitive sense of you, I am also recording your body for storage as images that can be shared. While I am attending to you, I am ensuring that your sibling's fur has been restored to its ideal state."

"You are creatures whose natural state is to be covered in fur. This is beautiful. But what lies underneath the fur, so rarely explored, this is also part of you. I wish you to have this experience, without the fur - but this time as something pleasurable, rather than just the unpleasant removal for the convenience of the Koss."

Araun felt smartmatter tendrils pick him gently up. He felt them moving over his body, inch by inch, a faint prickling as they encountered the barely-grown hairs and erased them. Felt the cool smoothness of things against his skin, without even stubble, without even bits of hair in the edges of the follicles. Where he had been angered and frightened by this before, he experienced it now without the filters of anger or fear, and as simple sensation.

It felt... good.

By the time that the tendrils had neared his groin, he was aching for them to touch his sheath, his balls, and when they finally did, he briefly lost the ability to even think in words.

And then he felt himself floating, as if in space, with nothing touching him except the breathing fluid, flowing gently against his supersensitive and bare skin.

After a time, he felt the gentle touch of the artist again, and this time, as the hands moved over his body, the sensation was even more incredible. And this time, the tiny clawed fingertips lingered against his balls, gently stroking the flesh there, before moving ever-so-slowly up to the skin of his sheath.

Araun realized that the desire to look was so strong that he was able to overcome the languor, and gazed down. The alien gently squeezed the sheathed organ - Araun was amazed that this sensation didn't cause him to become erect.

Bok'thin Anandil spoke again. "The entire body is sacred. But to me, the generative organs are especially so, because not only do they bring forth more bodies, more lives, more unique individuals to experience the universe, they also bring pleasure to their owners. They are sacred things, meant for joy. Part of the beauty, to me, of your species, is that yours are outside, where ours are internal. They are protected" - he gripped the skin of Araun's sheath - "but still they lie out close to the world."

He moved Araun back to an all-fours position, the wolvan's head held high. Araun felt even more intense pleasure and contentment, and couldn't move. The little alien moved away, and seemed to have produced some sort of pad from somewhere, deft movements of his fingers racing across it. Araun supposed that he must be drawing or painting or sketching him.

The artist seemed satisfied, and set it down again, floating back over to Araun. He reached underneath, and gently drew down the skin of Araun's sheath, exposing the sensitive organ within. Araun felt something, probably more smartmatter, rise up to hold it in place, the gentle currents of liquid brushing against the delicate skin of his uncovered penis. The artist settled back, and painted or sketched some more.

Finally, he felt the artist's hands at his nether regions again, and something moving over his penis - he felt the familiar suction of the smartmatter, pulling blood into the organ, engorging it, only this time, there was such pleasure that he shuddered with the force of it. When the matter applying the suction fell away, leaving the tendril about the base of his knot to keep it erect, the sensation was so great that Araun dimly wondered why he didn't spray semen.

And Bok'thin then sketched his penis in its erect state. Araun felt almost as if the drugs had raised his sensitivity so high that he could feel the artist's attention, his very gaze.

When the gecko had finished, the tendril let go of Araun's shaft, and he felt the organ swiftly return to its place, only the very tip still peeking out. Araun found himself turned so that he could see Rahl and Mikel. He didn't wince as smartmatter tendrils from the floor came up to support his body weight, and hold his limbs in place. His head was held up so that he could more easily see the artist working with the others. Smartmatter held him as if sitting in a chair, or on a throne, with a small column of the substance coming up under him to gently cup his balls, as if putting them on display.

He watched as Bok'thin peeled Mikel free from the envelope of smartmatter. Watched as the artist swam around, exploring the human's body with his hands. He saw the smartmatter tentacles extend, erasing the stubble of body hair from every centimeter of the human's skin. Strangely, he found himself glad that at least one of the others would get to know the feeling of being so completely shorn.

"You have a form that is beautiful, in its own way," he heard the artist telling Mikel. "It is capable of sensations of great beauty and joy. Many of your people cover it and hide it, or create customs of shame. But this body belongs to you. It is yours to do with, or to enjoy as you will. I have seen recordings of you, with your companions. You go back and forth, between accepting or denying, between holding yourself apart and being afraid, or accepting contact. It is only when you sleep that you relax. After today, you may return to your fears if you must, but here, now, you may simply feel, with no shame, no reservation, if only because all here know that this situation is of my creation."

"You must know, I must make you aware," continued the artist. "This contact for me is not sex and does not come from lust. As I touch your body, as I come to know it for my work, it is only perceptions. It is only contact between one thing and another. It does not carry the meanings you would otherwise place on it. But even so, there is still beauty. There is still pleasure."

As with Araun, the artist lingered on Mikel's genitals, as he gave his explanations. Araun found himself noticing that the shape of them was indeed... pleasing. Perhaps he could understand Bok'thin Anandil's perception of different as beautiful. He thought of his own people's organs as being "normal," but here was something different that could be nice. Part of what he enjoyed about his own was their size and heaviness, the length of his shaft in its protective sheath, the heft and roundness of his balls. But here was this small, compact (yes, he realized he'd noticed them before) package, this small, neat, set of genitals, that would surely give as much pleasure as his own.

The artist brought Mikel before him, and settled the man into a lotus position in front of him. Bok'thin moved Araun so that his arms were behind him, and brought the wolvan's legs back until his heels touched the dark pads of his palms. He drew a column of smartmatter up to fix hands and feet together, tail clasped between them, and gently adjusted the position of the wolvan's limbs to draw Araun's thighs apart.

Araun floated, held in place by thin columns of smartmatter, his back slightly arched, and his groin on unrestricted display. Bok'thin moved the human so that his eyes were only inches away.

"You have stolen glances at this part of your companions, but then averted your gaze, out of fear or shame. You have wanted to see, but have forced yourself not to look. While I make more preparations, please just look. I have come to understand that you have feelings of shame and fear about such things, and yet you are curious. So look, and see no shame, only beauty."

As if to ensure this, Bok'thin fixed Mikel's head in place with more lengths of smartmatter, so that he could not turn away.

As the artist swam off towards Rahl, Araun saw Mikel's eyes turn up to look into his own.

"Araun," he said, his thoughts fuzzy and diffuse from the powerful drug, "I don't mean to look. I can still... I think I can still close my eyes, if you don't want me to look."

Araun tried, very hard, to think carefully. He knew that he owed the man an honest answer - even if his mind was addled by a chemical - and did not want that answer to be, or even to seem, offhand.

"It isn't something that would bother me anyway," he sent. "And right now, I can't help it feeling good. It feels good even to have someone look at me. But I would not mind if you looked at me, anyway. There is nothing wrong with you looking at me."

"I want to... right now," said Mikel. "And right now, I am afraid you want to let me, because of this... drug."

It took Araun a moment to compose his thoughts. Even communicating sent waves of helpless pleasure coursing through him. It was so hard to think.

"Mikel. If it is the drug, then there won't be anything to be upset about later, because it will have just been the drug. But even before, if you had asked for a closer look at my body, even my sheath, or my balls, or my penis, I'd have let you. I might have thought it strange, but I'd have allowed it, if you were curious."

"This... chemical, the feelings it makes," said Mikel. "It's hard to be sure how much of what I say, or what you say comes from it. I don't want you to be angry."

"Mikel, at least right now, I think that what you are really asking is if it is all right to look, not whether I want you not to. If you didn't want to, you'd just close your eyes. But the other day, when you thought Rahl and I were asleep, we saw you looking at us. We didn't get mad then."

"You saw? I'm sorry. I didn't mean any harm. I was just curious, and I didn't want to ask... I realize that's like the same thing Bok'thin is doing now! I shouldn't have done it!"

Behind Mikel, Araun could see the gecko-like alien removing Rahl from the envelope of smartmatter encasing him. As he had done with Mikel and Araun himself, he moved his hands over Rahl's body. It didn't seem particularly perverse, or sexual. It looked very much like an artist running his hands over a piece of clay, or fingering a brush or tool. Seeing all of this magnified in his perceptions, distracted Araun for a moment, but he could still sense the human in front of him worrying.

"Mikel. You were just looking. We didn't react to it, or let you know we saw, because you seemed too uncomfortable to say anything. We were curious as to what was going on with you, but we didn't want to scare you. We figured that you were just curious, but were afraid to ask something that you thought might offend us. We know that some human cultures have taboos and customs about such things, but we don't. We're not mad, either of us. We'd just have asked you not to do it any more, if we were bothered. You've always been good about trying not to offend, if you know how we feel."

"I'm sorry," Mikel sent. Araun could feel that the drug magnified the man's perceptions of affection, friendship, of appreciation of them. At the moment, he knew that the man was overwhelmed with the sight of Araun as a being of intense beauty and worth. Only now, he felt he had done something wrong to that being.

"Mikel. It's okay. Please, just go ahead. Look. Don't try to judge, or worry. Just go ahead and look. Later, if we need to, we can believe it was the influence of the drugs. But really, it's okay. Right now, at least, I want you to look. It feels good to have you looking at them. They're an important part of me, and I enjoy those parts of me, and they make me happy. It gives me pleasure if you can look at them that way."

"Are you sure?" Mikel asked.

"I am... drugged. But yes. I am as sure as I can be. Besides, I've looked at you, mostly when you were distracted. I was curious about you too, but didn't want to make you uncomfortable, so I didn't ask for a close look. I thought you would take it badly."

"When you were... touching me, when you said you were worried I'd been hurt... down there..."

"No. I'd have said so, if I had another motive. I just wanted to see if you were okay."

The drug seemed to be increasing in strength. It was all Araun could do to send an impression of reassurance. "Please, Mikel. Go ahead. I don't mind. I just wish you could see Rahl right now. I'm looking at him and I don't feel bad about it at all.

As his attention focused on his brother, he felt Mikel finally give himself up. He could feel the man surrender. He could feel the man's fascination with what he stared at. He wished that he could look at Mikel, clearly, but found his eyes drawn to where Rahl was being "explored" by the little blue aesthete. Since he could see that clearly, that was what made his decision of what to focus on.

Bok'thin moved delicate fingers through Rahl's fur, and Araun could see that it had indeed, somehow, been restored, presumably reconstructed with nanotech. He couldn't help but see the incredible beauty of his brother's coat, which, even through the bliss of the strange drug, made him feel sadness at having been deprived of his own fur. He had always enjoyed the familiar appearance of his brother, and thought him pleasing to look at, but the drug magnified that, purified it.

When Bok'thin's exploring hands neared Rahl's groin however, the wolvan's body began to shift, as if he were trying to move away. Araun knew that the effort, even to make the attempt, was massive. The little artist noticed, and moved around to take the wolvan's face in his hands, staring into his eyes.

"What is it?" Bok'thin asked.

Rahl's mouth slowly, as through great effort, silently formed the words, "Please. Not. For. You."

"Of course," Bok'thin said. "I understand. They are not for me. But I do not wish to possess. I wish only to see. They belong to you, and by your choice, only to those you would give them to. I merely wish to know, to look with my hands. I will only touch and see, so that I may show. So that I may show to others what I see. So that I may show you and your friends what I see, and what would otherwise never be known. Please give me your trust just a little more."

Nothing impeded Rahl physically, beyond the tremendous sensations of the drugs. The little blue artist remained, holding Rahl's face, until, with great effort, the lips moved again.

"You. Said. Sacred."

"Yes," Bok'thin replied, clearly able to tell what the silently moving lips were saying. "And always will be. I shall promise though, to show the depth of my belief. After this, I will find you. After I have shared what I see, and what I create with you. I will find you after the Koss have released you, and I will show you all this, so you will remember - even though it is forbidden to reveal our presence to those such as you. And I will let you decide then if you are angry. I will put my life into your keeping. My life is less to me than what I do, and I wish to give it to you."

"Can't. Stop. You."

"No. But I will use the power I have to give you something you would not have. I beg of you. Take it."

Rahl seemed to slump. His will seemed in conflict. Araun could feel that a part of him wished to resist, but a part wished... to see. He felt his brother struggling to reach out to him, to seek his guidance. He knew that the two of them never truly made a decision apart from one another.

"Rahl," he sent. "I cannot tell you what to do. But I have decided that, since I cannot stop this, I will choose to take from it what I can. We can be upset later. Perhaps I should not trust. But I do trust."

Rahl visibly relaxed after a tense moment. Araun felt him fall back into the bliss of the drug.

Bok'thin moved once again beneath the wolvan's underside, and slid his fingers down Rahl's furry belly, until they moved delicately over his maleness. Araun could feel, in his own mind, the delicate touch of the tiny hands moving through the fur, the fingertips gently probing the skin of Rahl's sheath. He shared the thrill that ran through his brother's body as the tiny digits clasped carefully around the heavy balls in their furred pouch.

After a moment, Bok'thin moved away, and retrieved the pad. Sketching, or drawing, Araun could not see.

Araun reached out again to Rahl's mind. "It is hard to blame him. You are beautiful, my brother."

Rahl thought back, "I did not know how beautiful you are. I could not see. But I would not have chosen to see in this way."

"It is not right," Araun agreed, "But it can be not right later. I do not condone, but I see why Bok'thin wants us to see, wants others to see."

The artist seemed to consider for a moment, and set down his pad. He moved Rahl closer to Araun and Mikel, and turned Mikel so that he could see the other wolvan as well. He moved Araun and Mikel into seated positions, and pressed the human's back up against Araun's chest and belly. He moved Araun's arms so that they wrapped around Mikel's chest, and splayed the human's legs so that Rahl could see the man's genitals.

Bok'thin, as he had done before with Araun, drew down Rahl's sheath, securing it with a tendril of smartmatter - which faded to invisibility - before the artist began to sketch once more.

Through their mutual link, Araun could feel that Rahl was looking at the human. And he knew Mikel could sense what he felt. The man could sense that Rahl's perceptions were simpler, less complicated than his own - that there were no taboos or judgments about shame. To the wolvan, it was only someone's body, only now it was the body of someone accepted as a friend. And now, under the influence of the powerful drug, could see it for its beauty as a living body. Mikel knew, suddenly, what it was to be thought beautiful, even as he felt it himself.

Araun realized, dimly, that much of Mikel's confusion and distress was over the fact that the man was attracted to other males. It had been there, all along, but Mikel struggled to keep it suppressed, hidden. He felt that the man had only dimly seen them as males, had forced himself not to acknowledge this - because they were of another species - but now it was impossible for him not to see.

He shared with Rahl his own impressions of the human man, his own impressions of what he looked like.

When it came time for Bok'thin to sketch Rahl's erection, he moved the wolvan into an upright position, and positioned him right in front of Araun and Mikel. They watched as the artist drew the smartmatter tube up to apply the suction that would fill the organ with blood. Both wolvan could feel Mikel's amazement and fascination, as it expanded. The man knew that normally his embarrassment would have been mortifying, but was no longer able to see anything with those bad feelings attached. At first, he expected that it would appear alien and strange, but began, as the wolvan had about Mikel himself, to see it as something with its own innate rightness, it's own proper form.

Mikel's eyes drank in the sight of the engorged member, lingered on the twin half orbs of the huge basal knot, wandered up to the pointed tip.

When he had finished, Bok'thin removed the tendril from Rahl's groin, letting his penis return to normal. Just the tiniest bit of pink tip remained poking free from his furry sheath, and then after a few moments, even that vanished.

Over the course of the next... Araun didn't know how long it was - it seemed like hours - the artist positioned each of them in various poses, to draw them from all angles. At first, whoever wasn't being posed, at the moment, he placed into such a position that they were bent to look at their own genitals.

Araun and Rahl, with their more flexible spines, of course, were more easily positioned for such a view, but each found it to be incredibly enjoyable, as the force of the drug mounted higher and lower, in rolling waves. Just to look, so see, even something as familiar to them as this part of their own bodies proved to be a wonderful sensation. Mikel, particularly, seemed to find some sort of release, as if he'd never truly looked at himself so closely.

Before long though, Bok'thin switched to positioning them instead so that their faces were inches away from each other's groins. The drug seemed to increase, or reach some sort of peak, so that even though each of them remained in a soft sea of mental contact, they found themselves unable to form words, or to concentrate on anything except what was before them.

When Mikel was placed before him, Araun found his eyes roving over all the tiny details. Where his own testicles were nearly black, the human's were pigmented only slightly darker than the surrounding skin. The skin of the man's scrotum was covered with hundreds of tiny folds while it was drawn close up against his body. The head of Mikel's limp penis, pulled in close to the body, nestled amid the soft folds of skin behind it. The whole thing seemed more tightly compressed than usual, almost as if the surrounding fluid were cold, and Araun wondered if that was a side-effect of the drug.

He got the impression from Mikel that part of what made the whole experience easier, more beautiful, was an absence of actual sexual feeling or stimulation, even as the sensual and sensory feelings of pleasure were increased to a level he had never felt. Apparently, before this, Mikel had understood little demarcation between those sorts of feelings - to him, nudity and genitals had always implied sex.

When he found Rahl before him, instead, Araun gloried in seeing something so familiar as an object of such pleasure. It was as if something familiar, something taken for granted, had become new. He gloried in the appearance of the heavy, golden-furred sheath, the shape filled with Rahl's thick penis. And below it, nestled in a bed of fur springing out to either side, the glorious balls of his brother's maleness, resting in their heavy pouch. Rahl's scrotum was once more covered by fur - restored by the artist's nanotech - as if his winter coat were fully grown in. Araun knew it would be soft and rich if he could only reach forth to touch it.

Araun found himself, eventually, agonizing at being able to look, to see, but not to touch. And yet, even that felt pleasurable.

Finally, Bok'thin drew Mikel aside, and gently placed the mans hands so that they cupped and covered his own genitals, exhorting him to feel them as something sacred, something worthy only of pleasure.

And then, Bok'thin said that he was done preparing, and that he was ready to create.

He placed the three of them together, so that Araun stood on his hind legs, with his arm on the man's shoulder, looking down, and Rahl on all fours before them, leaned against them as if guarding Araun and Mikel with his body.

And he painted this.

When he seemed satisfied with his drawing, Bok'thin moved them to face one another, standing in a triangle. He took Araun's right hand, and placed it cupping his brother's balls, carefully positioning the wolvan's much larger fingers with his own tiny ones around the egg-sized organs. Then he placed his left over Mikel's smaller testicles. He moved one of Rahl's hands above Araun's, covering Mikel's genitals completely. The other he placed over Araun's sheath, moving the fur-covered fingers to grip the organ within tightly.

He brought one of Mikel's hands up under Araun's balls, so that the dark orbs rested against the man's palm and fingers. Gently, he wrapped the thumb and forefinger so that they gripped around the base of the wolvan's scrotum. He brought Mikel's other hand to grip Rahl's shaft in its furry sheath. With delicate motions, Bok'thin carefully teased the fur of Rahl's sheath so that it stuck out from between the pale fingers.

The three of them felt paralyzed, and none moved, not even shifting in the exquisite pleasure.

And Bok'thin painted this too.

After he was finished with this, he moved them apart. He left Rahl standing, but moved Araun to sit crouched on his haunches before him, his muzzle only inches from the other wolvan's groin. He moved Mikel to float, horizontally, as if lying on his belly, so that the man was able to view Rahl's groin from only a couple of feet away. The artist placed Araun's hands against his brother's genitals, gently moving them across the furry sheath.

"Go ahead, explore with your own hands, what is here," Bok'thin said.

It took some effort to begin, the drug at first overwhelming his desire to move, to touch, but once he began, the sensation of moving became pleasurable. He gently rubbed the pads of his fingers along the length of Rahl's sheath, luxuriating in the feel of the fur against them. Inside the mobile skin, he became aware of the shaft inside, and pressed to feel it through the furry skin that covered it. He brought one hand down to Rahl's testicles. The fur-covered scrotum was pulled up tight against his brother's body, but he carefully wrapped his thumb and forefinger around it, tugging it gently outward. As the skin stretched, he could make out hints of the dark skin beneath the fur, and the shape of the organs within, each the size and shape of a chicken's egg. With his other hand, he gently pressed, probing with his fingers until he could feel the cords inside from which the orbs depended. One ball was slightly larger and heavier than the other, something he'd never consciously noticed before.

With great effort, he forced his muzzle closer, to press it to the spot between the other wolvan's balls and the base of his penis. He managed a single drag of his tongue over the golden-furred surface of Rahl's balls before the sheer amount of sensation left him once more unable to move on his own. He was only dimly aware of Bok'thin and his sketching.

Within a few moments, he switched their positions, so that Araun was the one standing, his legs spread wide, and Rahl's hands and face were now at his groin. He felt his brother's fingers placed against his bare flesh, and watched and felt as they began to move, exploring his naked balls, his smooth sheath. Rahl didn't wait before bringing his face in close, running his long, warm tongue from the base of Araun's balls to the very top of his penis. Araun could feel the soft tongue wrapping around his shaft as it moved, conforming to the shape of him. The journey from top to bottom surely only took a moment, but to Araun, it was a lifetime of exquisite sensation.

And then they each were given a turn to feel the human's penis and testicles - strangely-shaped, but perfect in their own way. The skin of the man's scrotum seemed thicker than their own, and the much smaller penis was boneless, it's skin mobile and soft.

The human, in his own turn, luxuriated in the feel of his fingers and palms against the soft, furry pouch of Rahl's scrotum, the loose skin of his heavy sheath, given shape by the shaft within. He explored the smoothness of Araun's bare genitals, the delicacy of the skin there, the thin-ness of the still-tough skin of the black pouch of his balls.

And Bok'thin painted all of this.

Finally, the artist drew tendrils of smartmatter up from the floor, using them to support the bodies of his three subjects, but turning the matter invisible. He laid Araun down on his back, a little above the floor, and drew Mikel over so that the man's groin hung over the wolvan's muzzle. Very gently, the alien opened Araun's jaws and began to tuck the man's genitals into his mouth.

"If you would, please, draw them in, but gently. Be careful not to harm him."

Araun found himself complying. He closed his lips and applied a gentle suction, drawing in the man's smooth, velvety skin. He laid his tongue against the soft flesh filling the front of his jaws. He could feel the warmth against his lips, his tongue, the roof of his mouth. He longed to move his lips, but could only manage small motions. Araun felt smartmatter come to complete the seal, fastening his mouth to Mikel's genitals, so that he could not release what was there even if he wanted to. He found himself gently sucking, as if through some puppylike instinct. Unable to help himself, he carefully explored the trapped penis and testicles with his tongue.

Through their mental connection, he felt Rahl's body being turned upside-down, and brought to meet Mikel's forward-learning body. He could feel his brother's sheath being drawn back, almost as if it were his own, and subjected to the treatment of a tube of smartmatter that forced his penis almost painfully, joyfully, full and erect. He could feel the sensation of Rahl's shaft being slowly inserted into the human's mouth, deeper and deeper, until the man's lips were wrapped around the knot at the base.

Through tiny tendrils of smartmatter, Mikel was able to breath, even with his mouth stuffed full of the huge penis, the end of it extending down the back of his tongue into his throat. Araun could feel, through his Talent, what Mikel felt, his own genitals warm and encased in Araun's mouth, Rahl's huge penis stretching his jaws to their full extension, his mouth and throat filled with the warm, rigid, flesh, his tongue trapped beneath it. Bok'thin brought the man's hands up, placing one so that it gripped behind the double lobes of Rahl's swollen knot, and wrapping the fingers of the other so that they clutched the base of the furry testicles.

And then, Araun felt Rahl's mouth guided down, and his own smooth scrotum stuffed gently, but firmly between his brother's lips. Rahl's hands were guided to pull down Araun's sheath, and grip his penis, so that only an inch of it's length protruded from the end of his grip.

When Bok'thin had finished arranging them, their bodies formed a rough triangle, joined at mouths and groins.

Araun wasn't sure how long they remained so, while the artist created his drawing of the tableau.

Eventually, they were moved apart. Mikel was set to one side, once more in the position of observer.

The gecko brought Araun upright, and fastened his arms and legs behind him once more, hands bound to heels by a loop of smartmatter. The small blue aesthete braced Rahl in a similar position, and turned him so that he was upside-down.

Bok'thin brought a tendril of smartmatter to Rahl's groin, where it deftly removed the fur of his scrotum, so that the black skin lay smooth and exposed against a soft pad of fur at their base.

"I thought that you both should get to feel this sensation, before our time is over," explained the blue gecko, to Rahl. "Your skins are so sensitive, that it is a shame for you not to enjoy the feeling of touch directly against it."

Bok'thin traced his fingertips against Araun and Rahl's mouths, one at a time, explaining, "This is where you feed your body, where life comes into it. Mouths are sacred, because they take in life, and yours are also powerful organs of sensation and pleasure.

The small scaled fingers moved to touch first Araun's balls, then Rahl's. As Rahl shuddered from the pleasure of the brief contact, the aesthete continued, "These, in males, are where the forces of life begin. They create the seeds of new life, as well as substances that tell your bodies how to develop, that fill you with passions."

Next, the alien aesthete's fingertips touched Rahl's furry penis, then Araun's shaven one, saying "And these allow you to sense and give pleasure, as well as to transmit life to where it can grow."

Finally, Bok'thin took Mikel's hands in his own, holding them up before the man's eyes. "These we use to touch the life around us. All around us is the universe. These you use to touch, to affect, even to change. You may also use them to clasp another to you, to share strength and life with another being."

"All these things are sacred. All are related," he said, releasing Mikel's hands.

Bok'thin then moved Araun's long muzzle even with Rahl's splayed groin, and tucked the large ovals of his brother's balls into his mouth. Araun found himself willingly, almost eagerly drawing the soft smooth in, stretching his mouth wide so as not to bruise Rahl's organs against his teeth. As smartmatter sealed Araun's lips around his brother's heavy balls, Araun carefully explored them with his tongue, exulting in the sensation. He felt Rahl's muscles stiffen under the onslaught of feeling the soft tongue against the shaved skin.

And then Araun felt his own scrotum being pressed to Rahl's lips by tiny fingers. Rahl seemed almost eager to suck them in, to draw them as far into his mouth as they would go. As smartmatter sealed the connection between then, Araun felt the soft slipperiness of his brother's tongue exploring the smooth skin, sending waves of nearly paralyzing pleasure through them both.

A moment later, Araun felt something gripping his sheath - Bok'thin had brought Mikel over and placed the man's hands so that one gripped Araun's smooth sheath, and the fingers of the other were buried in the softness of Rahl's furred one.

After drawing the image on his pad - leaving them to enjoy the sensation for a few minutes, Bok'thin separated them once more. The breaking of the intimate contact made their heads spin.

The blue alien rotated Rahl so that he was right-side up, and turned Araun so that this time he was the one upside-down.

The alien used the smartmatter manipulators to force both wolvan to massive erection. He moved Mikel's hands so that the fingers clamped each of their penises firmly behind the huge basal knots. Invisible flows of smartmatter flowed over the man's hands, fixing them in place, and preventing the two brothers from losing their massive firmness under the influence of the pleasure-inducing drug.

Araun felt a warm sensation in his nostrils, and realized that small tendrils of invisible smartmatter were moving painlessly down them, down the back of his throat. A moment later, it was obvious why. Bok'thin had brought Rahl's arrow-shaped erection to the verge of Araun's lips. The wolvan found his jaws parting, as if of their own accord, as the artist gently guided Rahl's swollen member into his mouth, sealing Araun's lips around it with more smartmatter. He then felt his own throbbing penis, Mikel's finger's still gripped tightly around its base, being carefully inserted into Rahl's mouth and fastened in place.

Araun felt an intrusion in his rear end, though far gentler than the devices of the Koss had ever been. Before he could think about it much, overwhelming waves of pleasure pounded through him. At the same time, he could feel, Rahl's mind as well, exploding with the sensations. Within seconds, though it seemed like an eternity, Araun realized that warm, salty liquid was pouring into the back of his throat from Rahl's shaft. He could feel his own body shooting and shooting into the warm cavern of Rahl's mouth as well. Araun felt his throat contracting, as he swallowed and swallowed what felt like hot, white, liquid light, as if the stuff of life itself had been made into molten fluid.

Through their bodies, the throbbing shafts of their engorged penises, their mouths, even the bond between their minds, they felt themselves become a channel for a massive flow moving between them in a circle - and with the human as a sort of hub. Through their connection, Araun was aware, dimply, of Mikel feeling as if his arms had become some sort of conduit, shocks of referred pleasure passing through his hands, his arms, moving through his whole body.

How long this went on, Araun could not tell. It could have been seconds, minutes, hours, before the jolts of energy stopped coming, the intruding tendrils withdrew from their rears, and the matter bonding them together slid away. The three of them hung suspended, panting, in the sphere. Tight rings of smartmatter remained at the bases of the wolvan's knots, preventing their sensitive, still-throbbing penises from relinquishing their stiffness.

"As each of you is able to share the force of life with one another, you are also able to form that cycle within yourselves, your own bodies becoming the conduit for that energy."

Bok'thin moved to Mikel, and drew him into an upright position, smartmatter grasping him at wrists and ankles and drawing him into a spread-eagled position. Another tendril rose from the floor, and as Araun and Rahl watched, clamped onto the man's shrunken penis. Inside it, they could see the organ swelling and lengthening as the pressure forced blood into the chambers within. In moments, it had gone from only a handful of centimeters in length to a long, pulsing rod, large veins swelling out from the velvety skin. Smartmatter cinched around the base, keeping Mikel fully erect.

As the man hung there, Bok'thin turned to Rahl. Slowly, assisted by tendrils of the ubiquitous smartmatter, the small artist bent Rahl forward, his flexible spine curving easily until the point of his muzzle approached his groin. The artist's small blue hands guided the point of Rahl's still-swollen member into the wolvan's own mouth, sealing him in place when he was done. He turned Rahl so that, over his own groin, his eyes were fixed on Mikel.

Bok'thin turned next to Araun. The wolvan felt his spine being slowly bent almost double, until he faced his own rigid member. As he had with Rahl, the aesthete maneuvered Araun's penis into his own mouth, sealing it in place with smartmatter, before turning him to face Mikel also.

The feeling of his own engorged member, throbbing with its inner heat, as it slid past his lips and across his tongue, filling his jaws, was sublime. The inside of his mouth put the soft smoothness of tongue against one side of the sensitive shaft, even while the other side slid against the smooth ridges of the roof of his mouth.

The artist moved to the human, and Araun was momentarily worried - he knew that humans weren't built the same way, and that their spines weren't as flexible. Bok'thin moved to the man and drew him down from his spread position.

The artist spoke to Mikel, "Your body will not bend quite as easily as your companions, but the instruments show that you are flexible enough to manage sufficiently for you to experience this. We will move slowly and carefully."

Multiple extensions of smartmatter moved to support the man's body, and the aesthete's hands carefully and slowly guided the folding of the man's head toward his groin. After a couple of minutes, the small blue fingers, gripping the man's rigid penis at the base, were able to insert it, centimeter by centimeter, into Mikel's mouth. A tendril of smartmatter grasped the shaft, at Bok'thin's direction, stretching it as far as it would go. When about six or seven centimeters - nearly half its length - had passed through the man's lips, the little blue artist seemed satisfied, and sealed the connection with smartmatter. He turned Mikel to face the others, awkwardly from between his legs, and moved the three of them to within inches of one another.

"I will leave the three of you for a short time, as you are now," said Bok'thin, " so that you may rest, contemplate, enjoy the sensations you are feelings. I shall be nearby, outside the sphere, taking a brief meal. I will return to you shortly."

The gecko-like alien swam to the edge of the sphere, and passed through it, and out of Araun's range of vision.

The drugs in their system seemed to be allowed to ebb, or perhaps others were introduced, leaving the three of them floating in a disorienting but still pleasurable haze. The positions they were held in struck Araun as slightly ridiculous, but he couldn't bring himself to be seriously bothered. He closed his eyes. The sensation of his rigid penis in his own mouth continued to intrigue him. He found himself gently applying and releasing suction, shifting his tongue against it. He pressed it against the roof of his mouth with his long muscular tongue, and felt the ridged surface press into the underside of his shaft.

He'd frequently licked himself before, but had never actually inserted his own rigid member into his mouth. Neither had Rahl, he thought, and this was confirmed through their mental connection.

They were both surprised to realize that Mikel had tried it, once, but had been disappointed, because the position was difficult to attain and uncomfortable to maintain. This time, with the smartmatter supporting his body, and the drug coursing through his system, was, of course, different.

Araun could feel Rahl enjoying the feeling, focusing on the pleasure, and trying very hard to let it fill his mind so that he could not contemplate the circumstances that brought about the experience.

After a little over a quarter of an hour, Bok'thin appeared once more beside them, as if by magic. He rotated each of them so that they faced downward and away from one another. The level of the pleasure drug rose rapidly again, and Araun felt something entering his rectum. Moments later, the now-familiar jolts of energy began to course through him, causing lights to flash in his vision. Sensations seemed to course up his spine, and then flash back down again, and when they reached the end, the pleasure was indescribable. He felt hot liquid begin to shot from his rigid penis down the back of his throat, in white-hot spurts. He didn't know where these reserves could have come from, and was too far gone in ecstasy to question it. He was a loop of liquid fire, which came from the base of him, shot through his mouth and throat, and poured heat into his stomach.

Finally, the sensations slowed and stopped, his body feeling spent and aching pleasantly. The smartmatter relaxed and withdrew from their bodies, leaving them floating in the fluid environment, panting, exhausted.

After a time, Bok'thin said "There is one last thing I would like to do today. I hope that you will remember it with pleasure."

He drew the three of them together, in a standing position, facing one another, and drew a sheath of smartmatter over them, like a cocoon. It tightened around them, squeezing them together. Their arms were drawn up to lie with the palms against the smalls of one another's backs, and their bellies were pressed together. It was reminiscent of the womblike feeling of their initial entry into the chamber with Bok'thin - only pressed up against each other. Slowly, the feeling of the pleasure-inducing drug faded, replaced by sleepiness and languor. None of them felt that they could move, even slightly, but none wanted to.

Bok'thin spoke once more.

"I have made recordings, of all kinds, of what I have done today, with the three of you. I have also made my drawings, which I will turn into still and moving art later. But I have also, through technology of my own, made sensory recordings of what each of you felt. It is my hope that someday, when we see one another again, that you will be able to experience these hours once more, perhaps through each other's eyes. And through my own. And I will remember my promise to Rahl."

He seemed to pause another moment, as if considering. When he spoke again, his voice was somehow more hesitant, unlike all of his previous speech.

"This one last thing I do, please understand, it is my way of honoring you, of... touching something I honor. I do not expect you to understand, and later, perhaps, you will not approve. But this is yet another moment I will seize, that will not come again."

Araun felt something wriggling into the space between himself and Rahl. He realized that it was Bok'thin's slender arm. The little creature reached in until Araun could feel the artists small fragile body pressed against his back, with only the smartmatter separating them.

The tiny, clawed fingers moved deftly in between them, and he felt them gently press up against each of their genitals, firmly, but carefully squeezing their scrotums, one by one, before briefly gripping each of their penises in turn. Araun felt Bok'thin's other arm move in, between his legs, and in a moment, felt him use both hands to stretch their genitals across the slight distance where their hips prevented their bodies from fully touching. The diminutive hands clasped together, so that Bok'thin briefly held them all at one time, and then finally he released them and withdrew.

As one, they fell into a deep, warm blackness, pressed tightly against one another's bodies.

Chapter Eleven

A Different Kind of Cage

As Araun slowly came to consciousness, he felt something was different. He realized that he felt very strange. Perhaps it was the experience, yesterday, which he was not sure he was ready to contemplate.

And then it hit him. He wasn't floating. His lungs were drawing air.

He drew a deep breath, through his nose, his eyes still clenched tightly together. He was afraid that when he opened them, that what he saw might ruin the simple joy of a breath of air.

As he inhaled, he noticed he was surrounded by rich scents, no longer muted by the weird fluid in which they'd been imprisoned for days on end. He could smell the scent of his own body, the richness of Rahl's fur. There was a human smell, Mikel's, only now he could reach all of the layers of odor, unimpeded by the breathing fluid.

And there were other scents. Plants, earth, rich loam. Water. He could smell, and hear, running water, and warmth on his face. Air blew across his skin, and he realized that despite the reconstruction of his brother's pelt, his own skin was still smooth and bare.

He opened his eyes, hoping to see sky and sun overhead.

And there were - but his enhanced eyesight rapidly revealed it to be illusion, projected over a high ceiling.

There were terran plants all around them, including small... were they oaks? Miniature oaks?

Mikel lay between Araun and Rahl, the others still asleep. He wanted to wake them, but a part of him dreaded it at the same time. It would eventually mean speaking of their overwhelming experience yesterday, with the strange artist, Bok'thin, and Araun himself wasn't sure what he felt - or what he wanted to feel.

Perhaps waking up outside their previous prison, the "fishbowl," was fortunate. Perhaps it would provide a distraction - a transition of sorts - during which they could each decide what to think.

"Rahl," he spoke. His own voice sounded almost unfamiliar, his own mouth and throat unused to forming words.

"Rahl. Mikel. Wake up. We're somewhere different."

The two figures beside him stirred. Rahl's furry, golden arm lay across the human, his warm palm resting against Araun's hip. The three of them were still devoid of clothing - and Araun and Mikel of hair or fur - but unharmed.

Mikel drew a deep breath, and let out a little cough, as he rose to a sitting position. Rahl raised himself up on one arm, laying on his side.

"Where are we?" Mikel asked, in a near-whisper.

Rahl rose fluidly to his feet. "Too much to hope that our mysterious amoeboid friend has freed us, I suppose."

Araun stood up, as well.

About ten feet away, through the illusion of what looked like a wall of bushes, there was a featureless wall. "I think we're in a large room. The edges are..."

"Covered with holo," finished Rahl.

Araun's brother sprang into the lower branches of a nearby tree, and quickly climbed to the top.

Rahl glanced quickly about. "Looks like we're in a big room, maybe about a hundred meters square." About half of it's covered with trees. I see a couple of structures. This is probably the 'natural habitat' the Koss mentioned."

Mikel turned around, in place, looking frustrated and angry. He raised his hands to his lips, megaphone-style, and yelled out "Hey! Koss! Are you unpleasant little primates here?" The man's voice, as it turned out, was a rich baritone.

There was no response, except for a small bird that flapped from a nearby bush, to light on the tree near Rahl. When it saw Rahl, it flew off again, and disappeared into the foliage further away.

"What the hell was that?" said Mikel, slightly startled.

"Looked like a dove," answered Araun.

"A what?"

"A bird. A kind of bird."

"You have to be kidding me. But, this is a room? We're not actually outside?"

"Afraid not," said Rahl, climbing down from the tree.

Rahl moved forward to brush leaves off Mikel's back and buttocks, looking around, absently. Mikel seemed hardly to notice - he was looking around, trying to see through the illusion.

Under their bare feet, there was a thick layer of leaves. Araun scraped some away, and found dark, damp earth beneath it. There was even an earthworm.

"Where did you see the structures?" asked Araun.

Rahl waved absently over one shoulder. "That way. You want to take a look, or check the walls around the perimeter first?"

"I'm guessing we won't be able to dig out or chew through the walls. Let's look at the stuff in here that we're presumably supposed to have access to, first," Araun responded.

The area was crisscrossed with small paths. Araun's attention was caught by something, and he dropped to all fours, sniffing.

"What is he doing?" he heard Mikel ask his brother.

"Scent. Some of our people. I smell it too," Rahl replied.

Araun found a patch of scent against a bush. The trail contained the faint odor, in the dust, of wolvan paws. The bush contained a scent mark.

"Someone left a scent mark here. And I smell them all over the trail. I think a couple of females and a male - but the scents are all old. I'd guess from a bit longer ago than we've been here."

"We could check, the old-fashioned way," Rahl said, and tipped up his muzzle to the artificial sky. His lips formed a "u", and a low howl began in his throat. It rose in pitch and volume. Araun found that he couldn't keep his own howl in. The two brothers howled at the fake sky, over and over, trailing off into mournful tones.

There was, of course, no answering howl, but Araun felt, somehow, that he'd broken something loose, as if something had been lodged in his chest. Even a sad, frustrated, lonely howl was a balm to his soul.

When he looked over, Mikel was standing very still, arms at his sides, looking strangely sad.

"What... what were you doing? You were... howling..."

Rahl nodded. "Yeah. Nobody else though... no answer."

"That... I felt that... it sounded, sad. Felt sad."

Rahl shrugged. "We can't help sounding like we feel, sometimes. Part of me hoped that maybe there were others here."

"But if them not being here means they're home, I'm happier thinking that," said Araun, rising back to his hind legs. "Come on. Let's look around."

"What was that about scent marks?" asked Mikel.

"Scent marks. Urine."

"What?"

"Urine. Sometimes, outdoors, we mark an area with urine. It carries one's personal scent. It's unique to each person."

"Why..."

"Well," Rahl said, stopping, "For one thing, if you're wandering around outside, if you have to go, it isn't like it's gonna hurt the trees. It'll also let wild animals know where our territory is, and it lets us know where others of our kind travel a lot. And it can make a place... it can make a place feel like home."

"So, you mark a place as yours... by pissing on it?"

Araun grinned. "Yes. My people have many strange customs. Almost as strange as cutting the skin off the end of one's penis."

Mikel chuckled. "Yeah. Okay. That's pretty strange."

The three of them continued on.

In a few moments, they came to a clearing. There was a group of large humped shapes that rose out of the ground, covered with grass. There was an entryway in the side of one. In front of the structure, there was a small plascrete patio, with three chairs, and three plasform couches, with a small table in the middle. Off to one side there was a larger, round plasform table surrounded by short benches with what appeared to be a cooking platform a few feet from it.

A small path led from the furniture to a raised tank, a little over two meters square, filled with what appeared to be water.

"Our prison appears to come with a hot tub and outdoor furniture," said Araun.

The "water" was indeed warm, although it turned out to be more of the oxygenated fluid they'd breathed while in the "fishbowl." There were controls in the edge to adjust the temperature, activate bubbling jets, and to adjust the shape of benches inside the tank.

"What about the door in the hill there?" asked Mikel.

"This looks like something from home," said Rahl.

"Looks like one of our people's houses. Look. There's the windows."

"Do your people live in underground houses?"

Araun shrugged. "Different tastes for different folks. But yes. If you had to pick a stereotypical, generic house from our culture, one like this wouldn't be a bad choice. I guess they remind us of dens."

"Dens?"

"Dens. Wolves, when they're ready to breed, they'll dig a hole, or enlarge a hole made by some other animal. The female has her cubs in there," Araun explained. "I'm joking, mostly. It's just that most of our people like making homes that fit into the landscape, without disturbing it."

"I've actually always been in favor of the den theory, myself," said Rahl.

"So, do we look inside?" asked Araun.

The three headed to the earth-house. The door slid open at a wave to the panel alongside it. As they entered, the interior lit up.

The place wasn't large, but there was an open living room, with a sitting area sunk into the floor. The furniture consisted mostly of large cushions and pads set around the space. There was a trid projector in the center of the room, and four small desks with holographic computer interfaces off to one side.

There were niches in the walls containing a few wooden and stone sculptures. Araun picked one up. It appeared to have been handmade, and probably by one of his people. It looked like all of the pieces, which appeared to be of increasing quality, were made by the same couple of artists. The one he held contained a faint scent of female hand-pads. He wondered if previous "specimens" of the Menagerie had made them.

A small archway led into what appeared to be a kitchen area. There were modern cooking implements, and a refrigerated preservation cabinet, which proved to be stocked full of various foodstuffs. The cabinets contained cooking implements, and containers of various premade snack foods.

"This," said Rahl, "Is positively surreal. Look."

He held up a small metal canister.

"Well, I'll be," said Araun, eyebrows raised.

"What are they?" asked Mikel, sniffing.

"Popcorn mice."

"What are popcorn mice?" asked the human, reaching in and taking one out. His expression rapidly turned to a look of dismay, as he examined the small, fried ball of what was clearly... a rodent.

"These are... literally... dead mice," Mikel said.

"Battered, fried mice. They're actually a m'ryssian creation, but lots of our people like them - they're a popular snack. Most humans seem to find them repulsive for some reason," Rahl grinned, "Although some of the guys in the Indigo Front with will dare each other to eat them. Usually involves drinking."

Rahl plucked the tidbit from Mikel's fingers, sniffed it, said "Smells okay," and popped it into his mouth. He held up the tin to Araun.

"Maybe later," he said, waving it away, absently.

There were a couple of rooms off the main one. One of them proved to be a bathing room, with a large sunken bath. The whole thing was covered with natural rock, studded with small ferns, and made to be reminiscent of a natural waterfall. It contained hidden showerheads, and sonic dryers. An adjoining chamber contained the toilet facilities. A small cabinet contained large, old style towels, and there were dispensers filled with liquid soaps and scent neutralizers.

"I hate to say it, but this is nicer, frankly, than what I'm used to," said Mikel.

"It's a little small. Almost like a vacation cabin, or secondary house, but it's nice enough," said Rahl.

"This is small?"

"Most people build larger homes where we come from," said Araun, "But that's usually to accommodate a large pack."

"You'd have to be pretty wealthy, to have a place like this on Lupercal," said Mikel. "Although of course out in the countryside, there are some huge houses. But then, that's mostly the wealthy. How expensive is it to live like this where you come from?"

The two brothers chuckled. "I'm guessing you mean credits. We don't use money, as you think of it, on Heartshome - or on any of our people's homeworlds, as far as I know," said Araun.

Mikel looked fascinated. "Really? Then... What do you use?"

We measure things in terms of their environmental cost to the planet, technically. But pretty much, everything is designed to sustain itself. Someone wants a house, they pick a spot, as long as it's not claimed or communal land - different colonies and 'municipalities' I guess you'd call them have different ways of handling that, and you set some fabbers up to make your house."

"Sometimes we trade art, or favors. But pretty much everyone has access to whatever they need or want."

"What about space? Or good locations? Or stuff that's in limited supply?"

"Our people are among the foremost terraformers that exist. No, actually, I think you could say we are the best. We can take a ball of rock and cover it with water, plants, atmosphere, animals, in maybe twenty to fifty years or so, most of the time."

"You're shitting me, right?"

"Nope."

"And everyone has whatever they want? So they can just sit around watching trid all day?"

"I guess if they wanted to. But I think someone would have to be really weird to not want to do anything with their lives. Look... stuff that you have to work your ass off for on most other worlds we've seen... food, housing, education, medical care - everyone has that where we come from. So we can devote our lives to whatever we're really interested in. Most folks find some way to keep busy. Most people would either get really bored, or feel like they were redundant or something otherwise," Rahl explained.

"But... you do all kinds of trade with other planets. Lupercal trades with you."

"A lot of that is just that. Trade. Tech for tech. Luxuries for luxuries. We use credits for dealing with other civilizations, obviously, and it makes things easier, to do it that way. And if you're like Rahl and I, if you live off of homeworld, you do something to work for a living."

They found what appeared to be two small sleeping rooms off the main room, as well as a chamber filled with exercise equipment of various sorts. The bedrooms contained closets with various articles of clothing, and Mikel was happy to find a bunch of human-style garments, clearly tailored to himself.

"Well. I guess things are looking up, at least in some sense," said Mikel.

Rahl snorted, looking a little sour. "Better than the fishbowl, I suppose, but we're still in the zoo."

"I'm just happy we don't have to run around naked anymore," said the human, drawing on a pair of black, form-fitting nycrex undershorts. He pulled on a pair of loose, grey canvas pants, and a black nycrex tee-shirt. There were even socks and some soft-soled walking shoes.

"Aren't you two going to get dressed?" he asked.

Rahl shrugged.

"If it'd make you more comfortable, I guess we could," said Araun.

"We mostly wear clothing offworld, because it bothers many outworld people when we don't," said Rahl. "Or if we need pockets, or they provide some utility of some kind."

"Ah. Oh. Yeah. I think I heard something about that. Wasn't sure if it was true," the human replied.

"Again," said Araun, "It's hard to say 'this is what all our people do'. On some of the colony worlds, people do wear clothing more often, if only for ornamentation, or just because someone who began the colony started doing it for some reason and people never stopped. But we don't have what I think you'd call nudity taboos or anything like that."

"Well, I presume humans started wearing clothes because we don't have fur," said Mikel. "Your people have fur, so I guess that makes sense."

"Usually we have fur," said Araun a little sourly.

Rahl turned to Mikel, bumping him with his shoulder - a friendly gesture. "If it bothers you, I guess we could cover up. Maybe Araun will want to anyway, since he's... well... pelt-challenged at the moment."

Mikel shook his head. "No. Really. Just be comfortable. There's no reason to make you live according to my customs. It's not like we're in Panlingua space. Just... be yourselves. Not like I'm not used to seeing..."

At this last, Mikel seemed to trail off, an uncomfortable look coming across his face for a moment. He shook his head, as if to clear it. "No. Really. I've been seeing the two of you naked for days now, right?"

Rahl nodded.

There was a closet off the main room which contained a few odds and ends. There were a couple of balls, for playing various outdoor games, including a minihover.

"Is that what I think it is?" said Rahl, taking it. "Looks like it."

"What? Looks like a ball to me," said Mikel.

"It's a minihover," said Araun. "It's got internal gravitics. Flies around. You can set it up so that you have to catch it, or so it'll chase you. There's some programmed or formalized games you can use them for. It's for playing. Rahl and I used to enjoy the hell out of 'em."

"If we're stuck here a while, you'll have to show me," said Mikel.

"Sure. Or maybe we'll get the chance to show you at home, someday," said Rahl, putting it away. "Might as well look around 'outside', or what passes for outside in here."

Before leaving, Rahl went back into one of the sleeping rooms and retrieved a vest, pulled it on around his shoulders, and snapped the little metal sealers along the front of it.

"Pockets," he explained, at Mikel's odd look.

Around the other side of the house, they found a small shed containing what appeared to be various handheld gardening implements and starter kits for various plants. There was also a tall metal pole with a crossbar a few dozen yards away from the house, at the tree line. As the trio investigated more closely, they detected a very faint, sweet odor of decay. A metal hook depended from the crossbar.

"That looks disturbing," Mikel said, looking suspicious.

"It's for preparing carcasses," said Rahl.

"Carcasses?"

"Yeah. I think there's some old traces of dried blood here, too. I guess maybe they must put prey animals in here, so their 'specimens', like us, can hunt them."

"Like, chase after animals, jump on them, kill them and eat them?"

"Yeah, hunting," Araun said.

"Do you two... do that?"

"Haven't in years. Haven't been home. But yes. Most of the people where we grew up do it. It makes you feel... I don't know how to describe it. At least for me, it makes me feel like I'm satisfying some part of myself," Araun explained.

"Can't you get hurt doing that?"

"I suppose, if you're not careful. Rahl and I are chock full of warrior enhancements. Reinforced skin, muscle and bones, hyped-up reflexes and senses, enhanced muscles - I don't know. Seems like it would be kind of unfair for us to go chasing some normal prey animal. Probably if they do turn any deer or anything like that loose in here I'll just watch them, rather than kill em. It looks like our captors intend to feed us, so there's no reason to go around killing stuff, especially not if it's just to amuse the Koss."

As they followed the paths, they did indeed see a couple of deer, and a few rabbits. There was even a raccoon. Mikel had never seen a raccoon, either, so the wolvan told him a little about them.

There was another large clearing, and past that, a big pond with a realistic-looking waterfall. There was even a small cave behind the waterfall. The clearing was rife with small wildflowers of various kinds, and there were a handful of doves flitting here and there.

"I wonder what the human-style environments look like," Araun mused.

"Probably like the inside of a ship, or a city street or something," said Mikel. "I think I like this better, if I have to be here at all."

The three of them spent hours hiking around the habitat. They explored the periphery of the place, but all the walls, beyond the carefully-crafted illusion seemed, at least to cursory examination, seamless.

The artificial sun passed through the sky, and eventually a simulated sundown commenced. Rahl and Araun found several traces of the previous occupants, including a clump of fur caught on a bush. Upon returning to the house, they even found a small garden that they suspected was a project of the habitat's previous tenants. Everything was alive, it looked neglected, somehow.

The neat lines of flowers and herbs made Araun feel vaguely sad. Someone had been here, probably for years, and perhaps had grown to care for them.

Some of the trees near the house proved to be fruit trees of various sorts, including a cherry tree with an abundance of fruits. Araun tried one, and pronounced it sweet and flavorful, but 'not like home.' Mikel had never actually had a cherry before, and after trying a handful, decided that he rather enjoyed them.

"I didn't think you folks were really into eating plants," he said.

"We don't digest them all that well. It doesn't mean we can't taste them," said Araun. "M'ryssians have more tricky digestions, but wolvan can handle some vegetable matter. Some individuals, or family lines, of our people get altered so they can handle them better, but none of our folks did."

"Which reminds me. I'm starving," announced Rahl. "Let's see what there is to eat."

Chapter Twelve

Collective Meaning

The kitchen, on careful inspection, turned out to indeed have all sorts of both prepared and unprepared foods palatable to both humans and wolvan. Araun decided to try his hand at cooking up a roast. One of the big slabs of meat turned out to be venison. There were some potatoes, as well as some fresh vegetables, so he supplemented the meal with those, for Mikel's benefit.

Rahl and Mikel took turns in the shower, washing off the remnants of their hike while Araun cooked. Mikel came out, dressed in fresh clothes, muttering that he was going to use towels from that point on, claiming that the sonic drying unit made his teeth itch.

The three of them lounged around the living area, eating until they were stuffed, but talking very little.

"That was actually pretty good," said Mikel after they'd finished.

Araun nodded. "I guess I remember a little how to cook. I've hardly done it in years."

"Most of my cooking skills involve reading the directions on a wave-oven package, which amount to 'Put package in oven. Eat after oven indicates cycle is finished. Do not burn fingers or put food into eye," the human laughed.

The three of them settled into an uncomfortable silence.

Finally, Mikel broke it by asking, "So. Are we going to talking what... happened yesterday? Or should we just... pretend it didn't happen?"

Araun closed his eyes. He felt Rahl bump up closer beside him.

"We can talk about it. If everyone wants to," Araun said, slowly.

"We can do it like this," said Rahl, mentally, via the Talent, "if we want to make sure that the Koss don't get to listen."

"Ah. Well. What's to talk about?" said Mikel, out loud, but in their heads, he said, "I want to talk about it. But I'm not sure... how."

"We were made to do something, to experience something, that we otherwise wouldn't have," began Araun.

"We were forced into something, against our wills," responded Rahl. "That was wrong. What was done to us was wrong."

"I don't know what to feel about it," said Mikel. "But I don't feel... I don't feel as... messed up by it as I think I ought to. Maybe it hasn't sunk in yet."

Rahl scrunched his body up against Araun, rubbing his head under his brother's hand until Araun responded by scratching him idly under his ruff.

"Are you angry, Rahl?" asked Mikel. "You... feel so angry."

"I am. I am angry," said Rahl, looking up. "But I'm not angry at you," he said, staring directly into Mikel's eyes and then his brother's. "Not at either of you. Not a bit."

"It... it shouldn't have felt. He made it feel..." Mikel faltered.

"He made it feel good," sent Araun, decisively. "He wasn't trying to rape us, not as he saw it, not as he intended it. But he certainly took advantage of us. Even he said so."

"But some of it. Some of the feelings," Mikel began, slowly, "Some of it felt... real. Like it... like it came from me. From us."

"Some of it did," thought Rahl, flatly, as if he were restraining some emotion.

"There's brandy," said Araun, out loud.

"I'd like some," said Rahl.

"Yes, yes please," Mikel rasped, "I could use some."

Araun found some glasses, and prepared to pour the dark liquid into them.

"Let me," said Mikel, rising.

Araun handed everything over. The man dug around in the cabinet they'd come from, and brought out some small stands.

"Ah. Our evil captors have thought of everything," he muttered wryly. His hands were shaking slightly.

He poured the liquid into the glasses, which he set at a tilt in the small stands. He fiddled with the base of the stands, which turned out to contain small heating units.

The brothers cocked their heads, in unison, watching.

"It's best when you warm it up. The vapors come off it, and add to the experience. This is how brandy is meant to be drunk," the man explained. "I am from Lupercal, you know. I know about brandy. Trust me."

After a few minutes, he swirled his around the warmed glass, and sipped some. Rahl and Araun followed suit. Rahl sneezed lightly at the alcohol fumes.

For several minutes, they sat, sipping the warm liquid.

Rahl's mental voice came to them again, "I was saying. Some of it did come from us. All of us. Yes, it was something that lizard did to us to make it happen. But some of it... that didn't make it all... without value. It didn't make the part that came from any of us bad or wrong."

Araun said, "My brother and I. We already... we're already close. Closer than most people can be. Our talent apparently awakened when we were still in the womb. There are already very few boundaries between us because of that."

Mikel said "I've felt that between you. I think I felt that before what Bok'thin did. I didn't want to say anything, or to pry. Is that why you're out here? I mean, why you're not living on one of your own worlds?"

"In a way," said Araun, after a minute, "I suppose it's a contributing factor. But not because of any taboos among our people. It's hard to be as close to someone else as we are to each other. If we ever took a mate, it would be us taking a mate, together, but it would be hard for anyone else to... to be with us, with this bond between us."

"Are you... homosexual?" the human asked, tentatively.

"It's hard to say, in human terms," said Rahl. "By your people's standards, maybe. I feel the feelings for females. When I see females, at least of our people, I'm attracted."

"Whereas I'd probably classify as what we call an 'old-uncle'," said Araun. "That mostly means someone who, for one reason or another, isn't likely to have kids, or be the 'breeding mate' in a pack, even if they take mates. In any case, we never met any females, or males for that matter, that we wanted to start a pack with. We don't have any sisters. Our pack has always been just the two of us, pretty much."

"I've heard that your people sometimes have plural marriages," said Mikel.

"I suppose that's what you'd call it," said Araun, "We form packs. Our packs, however many people are in them, are at least as tightly committed as human marriages, maybe more from what I've seen. Everyone in them doesn't necessarily breed with one another, or have sex, or engage in sexual play - and those are all different. But they don't necessarily not do it either. Sometimes siblings who grow up together form a pack. Most humans seem to find that horrifying for some reason, but it's not taboo for us."

"Some colonies discourage it, but most don't, and nobody will actually prevent anyone from forming a mate-bond with another consenting adult," said Rahl.

"The point is," said Araun, "Rahl and I aren't upset about what happened because we're both males, or because we're brothers. The only bad part about it, for us, is that we were forced into something. Araun and I have nothing to hide from one another, and no secrets from one another."

"But then I was in it, too," sent Mikel, looking miserable.

"Yes, you were involved," said Araun.

"And we're worried about you," said Rahl.

Mikel looked up, surprised.

"I feel like I was violated," said Rahl. "And part of that is because I was made to have feelings, or open up to feelings, as well as do...physical things, that I didn't choose to. And part of it is because I feel like the lizard used drugs to make me to choose to. To accept it. But I don't hate you, or feel disgusted by you."

"You know I'm a homosexual, right? I mean, after what happened, you know that," said Mikel.

"Yes. We picked up on that," said Araun. "I kind of suspected that beforehand. We're not bothered by that. Why would we be? And I thought that Lupercal was very open-minded about homosexuality, and didn't make it taboo or forbidden."

"That's not the same as everyone waving a flag and saying 'hooray', either," said Mikel. "And I've spent a lot of time away from home."

"We'd already decided to be your friend, Mikel. Even Rahl, and he has... a hard time liking humans. Even before that happened, we didn't mind you being around us, or letting you sleep between us to keep you warm. And yes, a lot of that was because it seemed necessary, something to do out of compassion for someone, setting taboos aside. But... well... we decided we like you. As you. As a friend."

"That won't change, will it?" asked Mikel, his eyes haunted.

"It doesn't have to," said Araun.

"So, we can just try to forget what happened?" said Mikel.

"I don't think we will. And not all of it was bad," said Araun.

"Even I don't think all of it was bad, Mikel," added Rahl, grudgingly.

"I think... I think that he made me look at something, feel something, that I wasn't ready to feel. That I wouldn't have done," said Mikel. "But the thing is, while it was happening... I did see the beauty he was talking about. It... it did feel good. And I could feel both of you... in my thoughts. We were sharing it there too."

"We were sharing our thoughts so that we could all share strength, help hold each other up," said Araun, "That didn't have anything to do with Bok'thin. And I'd do that again."

"So would I," said Rahl, "And I have to admit. I... see you differently now. There are things that I might not have seen of you, or made open to you in myself. But it's done, and I did. If anything, I feel more... bonded to you. We've all gone through some strange and bad things together. And you've given what you could in return when we tried to help you. You haven't done anything I have to not like you for."

"If you want," said Araun, slowly, "We have our own places to sleep now. But we don't mind if you want to come sleep with us, like when we were in the fishbowl."

"You liked feeling like we were protecting you," said Rahl. "I could feel that. I'll still do it. Being drugged by a mad lizard porno artist, or whatever the hell the little weirdo was doesn't change that."

The man said nothing, swirling the dregs of liquor in the bottom of his glass.

"Mikel. Did it feel good to lie there with us?" Araun asked, finally.

He nodded.

"Did you like how it felt?"

"Yes."

"Were you trying to take advantage of us, or..." Araun paused, trying to pick the right word, "...seduce us or anything?"

Mikel snorted and laughed a little, "No. No. Nothing like that. I was a little afraid you'd think that. Or that you had intentions like that towards me. Some of what I felt from you... I didn't understand the feelings from you."

"Some things just feel good. Especially if someone's trying to be good to you, or if you realize you like them and are comfortable with them," said Araun.

"Maybe you're right," said the human.

"I'm tired," said Rahl, out loud, yawning cavernously.

"You want to come in with us?" asked Araun, yawning in response.

"I'd like that," Mikel said. "It sounds stupid, but I think I'd sleep better if I weren't alone."

"Not stupid. We sleep together all the time. We have since we were born," said Araun.

Mikel took it upon himself to clean up the dinner dishes, and Rahl went off to get the room ready for sleeping, while Araun took a shower of his own. He noticed that washing up took a lot less effort without his pelt, but nevertheless, hoped it would grow back quickly. When he looked at his reflection in the wall-length mirror of the bathing room, it was almost like seeing an alien creature - one that just happened to have facial features reminiscent of his own. He ran a hand across the top of his head, feeling the heavy ridge of bone where the powerful jaw muscles were attached. There was a faint, velvety peach-fuzz of stubble already forming.

In the cabinet, he found a small grooming kit. He snorted, thinking that he probably wouldn't need that for a while. It contained, among other things, a nanotech shaving unit. Definitely not something he'd need anytime soon. Sometimes, in hot weather, he and Rahl would shave their bellies, but somehow he didn't think Rahl would be interested in doing that, all things considered. Still, he filed it away for future reference.

The sleeping chamber the wolvan chose was small and rounded. Almost the entire floor was taken up by a huge, round sleeping pad nearly a foot thick. There were controls to adjust the firmness and temperature, as well as many blankets, pillows and cushions.

Rahl had arranged the cushions around the periphery, and adjusted the temperature controls for the room itself. As Araun and Mikel entered, Rahl was making himself comfortable, sprawled out to one side of the huge bed, wriggling his spine back and forth against the soft pad, making little grunting noises.

Araun settled himself down onto the bed, and stretched, languorously, yawning so that his tongue curled out past his teeth. Mikel hesitated, as if deciding something.

"Are you coming to bed?" Rahl asked.

"Yeah, just..."

"Are you going to sleep in your clothes?" Araun asked, "You can, if you want, if it'll make you more comfortable."

Mikel shook his head and stripped down to his underwear. Rahl gestured at the controls by the bedside, dimming the lights, as the man climbed in between them. The human settled in beneath the sweep of Rahl's arm, which the wolvan had reached across the top of the pillows to lay against his brother's head. Rahl scratched Araun absently behind the ears, eliciting a low, murring grumble of pleasure.

"Everyone okay?" asked Rahl.

"As okay as I can be," said Mikel.

Araun murmured his assent.

Araun turned onto his side, to lay his arm across the human, and so he could feel his brother near him. As he did so, his sheathed penis fell across Mikel's hand, where it lay against the man's hip. It took a moment for it to register on the human what was touching his hand, and when it did, he started a little, and quickly jerking his hand away.

Araun noticed the sudden movement, and rose up on one elbow, to look at him.

"Are you okay? You jumped."

He noticed that the man was holding his breath and laying very still, looking into Araun's eyes as if worried. Mikel drew the hand up to his own chest, fingers clenched.

"Sorry about that," Mikel whispered. "I didn't mean to stick my hand on your...."

He shot the wolvan a nervous smile.

"What?" Araun quietly asked, slightly confused. He looked down. "Oh."

"I wasn't..." began Mikel.

Araun smiled and spoke softly, hoping to put his friend at ease. "Of course not. I just rolled over, and your hand was there. Is that any different if it had touched your leg? It's going to be kind of hard for you to sleep in a pile with us without one of us touching you."

"I just didn't want you to think..." Mikel whispered.

"I didn't think anything. I was just rolling over to put my arm over you. I wanted to lay my arm across you and put a hand on Rahl's belly while we slept. To me, that's just another part of my body down there. I mean, I wouldn't want random strangers coming along poking it, but then I wouldn't want them flicking my ears, or touching any other part of me without permission, either."

At that moment, Rahl laid his ears back, with an exasperated expression across his muzzle, reached over, gently took Mikel's hand by the wrist, and moved it so end of the man's forearm lay against Araun's sheathed penis. He gently opened the fingers and folded the man's hand around his brother's balls. He held it there for a moment before gently dropping the hand back against Mikel's hip, where it had been in the first place.

"See? He didn't bite your face off or anything," said Rahl, with a groggy murmur. Go to sleep.

With that, Araun laid back down, pressed himself close against his companions, and laid his muzzle against Mikel's shoulder. He reached over to place his hand against Rahl's belly, enclosing the human between them. Rahl laid his head across the top of Mikel's so that his warm breath moved across Araun's still-furless ears.

Araun lay awake for a while, listening to their breathing. True to form, Rahl immediately dropped into slumber. Mikel shifted once or twice, getting comfortable, folding his arms across his chest. Araun slowed his breathing, feigning slumber, but remained at the edge of wakefulness to observe how the human fared. Slowly, the man's body seemed to relax, and eventually he drifted off to sleep. Satisfied, Araun followed suit.

Chapter Thirteen

Know Thy Enemy

The next day, Araun decided to investigate the computer interfaces in the dwelling. Rahl wandered around the kitchen area, idly scratching himself, until he announced that the small autofabber would dispense Caf.

The mild stimulant drink had no significant effect on either of them, with the scrubber enhancements that filtered their blood, but both of them had long ago developed a taste for the bitter, hot, beverage.

Mikel had dressed, and was now going through the various closets and cabinets, taking inventory of anything that might be there - in case anything proved useful.

The computer, upon first activation, provided a display of features that would allow them to communicate indirectly with the caretakers of the Menagerie. They were encouraged to express any desires for food, entertainment, or supplies, although they were assured that their usage of existing supplies was monitored and that things would be replaced as they were used.

The system also proved to be loaded with informational files of all sorts, about the Menagerie itself, it's history and workings, and even about various species that had been specimens in the past. Only cursory information was given about current denizens, which Araun found unsurprising.

There was also a bit of information about various species of the Koss protectorate.

One thing in particular struck the wolvan's interest. Araun learned that the large creatures that had originally accompanied the Koss were apparently something they referred to as "Ammalok drones." The Ammalok were, according to the description, a bequest to the Koss from a friendly allied race, the Amma, who had granted the diminutive, intellectual, primates servitors to help them with various tasks to which the Koss were not themselves ideally suited.

The Ammalok drones, it said, were intelligent artificial life, in the sense that a computer is intelligent, but not possessed of individual will, identity, or self-awareness. They were, essentially, biological automatons.

The Koss, of course, were more than capable of creating machines or artificial intelligences of various sorts for the purposes the Ammalok served, but had accepted the gift from the Amma as a gesture of goodwill and camaraderie.

The Ammalok were, among other things, well-suited to duties as bodyguards or soldiers, and in the rare instances where the avowedly non-violent Koss were required to engage in "self protection" or various sorts of military action, the Ammalok were their soldiers or enforcers. They were commonly kept as servants and provided most forms of manual labor the Koss required.

The Koss, themselves, were of course descended from the original Terran Diaspora. They claimed to have, centuries before, liberated themselves from a "progenitor race" of other primates - of which they considered current humans to be a primitive or devolved offshoot.

The original sleeper ships that eventually spawned the core of the Koss protectorate, had settled in a system with an enormous belt of asteroids. Two planets in the system showed the promise of eventually being suitable for habitation, after extensive terraforming. They'd dismantled their aging population transports and created habitats inside the larger asteroids - mining them for raw materials, and developing the technology to alter the surface of the planets into something resembling Terran environment.

Apparently, it was early Koss bioforming technicians that had enabled them to throw off the yoke of their "progenitors." The technicians secretly engineered a biological agent that targeted a specific set of genes common to the progenitors, which rendered them sterile and reduced them to a childlike mental state. In a sort of bloodless coup, the Koss set aside their erstwhile masters, and set about finding their own destiny.

Astronomical co-incidence, as it turned out, had caused the sleeper ships to select a system near the border of an area that had, not terribly long before their arrival, been controlled by a star-spanning empire of multiple non-terran races.

Apparently, that empire, a somewhat aggressive and resource-intensive one, had secured the base of its power in response to the threat of a single, powerful and adaptive race that threatened everyone. That other race essentially had evolved to move from system to system, devouring all resources, multiplying and moving on. They were apparently referred to by many different names by different cultures who had survived encounters with them, but their own name for themselves, if any, was unknown. The Koss referred to them as "the Devourers."

The Devourers, it seemed, specifically targets worlds that not only could support life, but for some reason, preferred worlds with existing intelligent life.

The empire that consolidated in response to the Devourer threat became known as the Vot Hegemony - although it was noted in the files that the core race of that empire did not use sound for communication, and their "name" was unpronounceable. The Vot, unpleasantly enough, merely wished to secure overlordship of the various other races they conquered so they protect themselves from the Devourers. Eventually, even in the face of the Devourer threat, several species joined in a titanic war for liberation from the Vot, while both groups simultaneously fought the predations of the Devourers.

In the end, The Vot Hegemony fell, and the Devourers were either destroyed or pushed back to such a degree that no sign of them could be detected. But in the aftermath of the devastating conflict, the various worlds of the former Hegemony fell into something like a dark age, with some few systems often preying upon one another for habitable worlds.

The Koss learned all of this from a race called the Uhlru, who had descended on the Koss system in huge colony ships, intending to create a safe homeworld, out of the reach of post-hegemony disputes.

The Uhlru, themselves, turned out to be the grayish, three-armed creatures, like the one that Araun, Rahl, and Mikel had seen while on display for the first tour through the menagerie.

Rather than fighting over space or resources, the Koss and Uhlru agreed to share the system, trading technologies that allowed them to make the two planets habitable - one better suited to the Koss, and one for the Uhlru themselves.

The two races shared a belief that warlike or imperial behavior was primitive and barbaric, and founded a political movement to create a protectorate. Through the Uhlru, the Koss made contact with similar outlying societies, and together they slowly created a powerful protectorate, dedicated to defending "advanced" or at least peaceful societies from depredations by other races.

Over the course of time, several other Terran colonies from the Diaspora slowly arrived in Koss-controlled space. The new arrivals were somewhat behind the Koss, not having had their head-start, but the Koss graciously welcomed them and presented them with the necessary assistance required to set up their own societies.

Araun suspected that, while all this seemed rather noble, that perhaps the Koss had allowed it to give them a somewhat elevated impression of themselves.

Rahl brought a steaming cup of Caf and set it near his brother.

"Find anything interesting?" he asked.

"All kinds of stuff about the menagerie, the Koss, the protectorate. Also, how to ask for more popcorn mice. There's ways to send messages to our captors, but they get to decide whether to respond. I get the impression that it goes to some sort of panel of xenopology experts for review," Araun told him.

Rahl snorted, "Tell them we want an apology, a ship home, and a crate of meat-in-a-can. Of, and tell them you want your fur back. Find anything else?"

"Well, I found a thing that we can use to record our thoughts, or keep a journal. And a whole bunch of informational archives about the menagerie, the Koss, and some of the other races that are part of their protectorate."

Mikel stepped up, holding out some sagging canvas-weave items covered with straps.

"I found some backpacks and picnic baskets. Is that useful?" the man grinned.

"Great. We can go hiking in the mountains," Rahl snorted, with a wry smile.

"There's also some little wrist communicators. They only seem to connect to one another. Presumably so we can communicate across the habitat with each other. Very thoughtful, eh?"

"I wonder what they do if we suddenly decide to drown ourselves in the pond, or cut off our arms with the deer-butchering equipment," interjected Rahl.

"There's a first-aid kit in the bathroom," said Mikel. "It contains a note explaining that in the event of any form of serious injury, there will be immediate intervention."

"What if we... I don't know, suddenly went crazy and tried to kill each other?" Rahl asked.

"They're probably monitoring us all the time, and would stop us. Or maybe they'd just make a note of what happened, cluck under their tongues about primitives and barbarians, and add it to their research files," Araun said out loud.

"I have a suspicion about that, that I don't want to say out loud," Araun sent, using the Talent. "I was fiddling with my headcomp. It registered a small anomaly, but apparently was instructed to report everything as normal. I haven't finished messing with it, but I suspect that I'll find that they've implanted something in us that they can use to interfere if they need to. I want to be careful, so they don't notice I'm looking."

"Splendid," responded Mikel, mentally.

"Maybe, if you find something, there'll be a way to fix it," said Rahl.

"I hate the idea that everything we do is being watched," said Mikel, out loud again. "When I make a bowel movement, it's a little frustrating to think that it's being observed or recorded."

Rahl laughed at that.

"At first, I tried to imagine one of our captors in the bowl, and that I was shitting on his head. But somehow that thought was a lot more disturbing," Mikel joked.

Araun made a face. "Thank you Mikel. I think I'll just hold it for the next couple of years now."

"You primates and your fixation with excrement," muttered Rahl.

"Hey! You guys piss on things to mark your territory."

"But we don't pee on people we're mad at," countered Araun.

"I assure you, I'm from a highly-advanced species of primate, and I would never use actual, physical poop as a form of social interaction," said Mikel.

"In any case," said Araun, "being watched on the toilet is better than having the Koss send smartmatter up your butt. I swear that if I ever again run across a green circle painted on anything, I'll run off yelping in terror."

"That will go over well if you ever attend a ceremony the Jeaeans throw, commemorating the Terraforming of Heartshome," said Rahl. They always make those big circles symbolizing the life of the planet."

Araun chuckled, "I imagine it would put a damper on the festivities if I ran off, kaiyai-ing, clutching my butt."

"Jee-un's?" asked Mikel.

"There's the idea that a planet with life on it has an overriding spirit, which my people usually call a Jea. The Jeaeans are, I guess similar to what you'd call a religious group that believes in honoring those spirits, or in seeing to their well-being. They run festivals celebrating the cycles of life. Some are more or less philosophical than others. A lot of terraformers are Jeaeans, to some degree or another," Araun explained. "The word is supposed to have come from old Terra, originally."

"I've heard similar ideas from other Terran cultures," said Mikel.

"Terrans all come from the same place," said Rahl.

"I always find it amazing how much we all have in common, after all this time, when you scratch the surface," said Mikel. "I wish more people would recognize that. Get along better with one another. We're not so different."

"We're different enough," said Rahl, "That apparently our ancestors couldn't get along at all on old Terra. They fought with each other so savagely that we don't have a Terra any more. Even now, when we're spread across astronomical distances that we can't even accurately fathom without machines, we fight over the same rocks."

"So why do you do it?" asked Mikel. "I mean, you're mercenaries, and you don't have to be. You could do anything you wanted, right? You don't have to work for a living, you said."

"Some people like their rocks a lot, and would like to forcibly encourage people to go find their own," grinned Rahl. "You could say that what we do for a living is make it less pleasant for anyone who insists on bothering their neighbors."

"So... you blow people up to make the universe a nicer place." Said Mikel.

"Not really, I suppose," said Rahl. "Mostly we blow people up because the ability and willingness to do so is often a survival trait. Or as some would maintain, a 'marketable' one. Araun and I became warriors when the SolFeds attacked our system. And then we went along with some of the people who chased them further. We signed on with the Indigo Front, because they take a lot of contracts protecting different civilizations from SolFeds. On top of everything else, that lets us send back useful info to our own people about SolFed or other threats. The Indigo Front helped out in the fighting in our home system, so we think it's fair that some of us go out with them to help with other fights."

"Besides," Said Araun. "Rahl and I can't even keep a potted plant alive, much less show any penchant for managing an ecosystem. When I try to understand resource trades or economics, my eyes glaze over. We'd probably make terrible parents, and the likelihood we'll breed isn't great. Other people do that stuff. Us, we're warriors. Everyone serves a purpose. That doesn't mean that's all we are, but that's our profession."

Mikel nodded. "And if I punch someone in the head, I throw up or pass out. I there's room for more than one sort."

"I want to look around some more. Explore our 'habitat' a bit better. Anyone interested?" Rahl asked.

"Might as well," said Mikel.

"I want to dig around in this system here a bit more," said Araun. "You two manage without me?"

"Sure, brother. You're better with that sort of thing than I am."

Mikel handed one of the communication devices to Araun, wrapping the other around his wrist.

"This time, let's bring lunch," said Mikel, heading to the kitchen with one of the backpacks. "Anything you want packed?" he asked.

"Popcorn mice. And water," said Araun, "I was thinking that maybe we could head back to that waterfall area later, and do some swimming."

"You can even think about swimming, after the last couple of weeks?" said Araun, amazed.

"I'll pack some swim trunks. There were some in the bedroom," said Mikel, stuffing things into the backpack."

Araun just shook his head.

"What are swim trunks?" asked Rahl.

"Clothes, for swimming in," said Mikel.

"Humans," said Rahl, rolling his eyes, "Join us later?" he asked Araun.

"Sure. Call me on the comm when you're done hiking."

--

Araun spent the better part of the day digging through the system. Very little of it seemed terribly interesting, but after looking up how to access or control the various systems in the house, he began poring through the informational databases.

He became curious about the Ammalok, and found several files mentioning the Amma. Apparently, the Amma were unknown to any of the races of the protectorate prior to their sudden appearance in recent centuries. References to them sometimes seemed to reflect a single entity, and at other times, seemed to indicate an individual. At first, the impression that Araun got was of a single overwhelming intelligence, which developed or grew individuals for various tasks, but later in his researches, there were numerous references to individual Amma.

Supposedly, the Amma had presented themselves, or itself, as a very peaceful race which had observed other races, but concealed their existence, concerned about the various races' penchant for destructive conflict. They seemed to be very technologically advanced in certain regards, and seemed to bioengineer various expressions of their race specialized for different tasks. They seemed to have very little in the way of anything like terraforming technology, apparently because they adapted themselves to various environments.

The Amma indicated that they were waiting until a sufficiently advanced and stable civilization arose, before attempting to make contact with other races, and that the Koss were the first race that they felt met the standards of a truly advanced civilization.

The Amma claimed to follow a strict policy of noninterference with the development of other races, but possessed a keen interest in observing the qualities of other emergent species. They were suitably enough impressed with the Koss that they felt they would not be interfering with their development by sharing their ideas and philosophy, or trading technology. It appeared that the very idea of the Menagerie, as a tool for studying other races, and determining which races or civilizations were suitable for consideration as "advanced" rather than "primitive" had come from the interaction between the Amma and the Koss.

The Amma, apparently, were very interested in collecting genetic blueprints of various races, whether Terran DNA or some of the more unusual blueprints for life that other species were based upon. They apparently used this knowledge to create lifeforms with the traits of other species or to alter themselves to have new traits.

Araun had the impression that, since the Amma were far more expert in the manipulation of biotechnology, that after meeting them, the Koss had turned to materials technology, especially smartmatter. Apparently, almost everything to do with military or aggressive technology had become the province of the Amma as well, who among other things had a philosophy of avoiding the expenditure of sentient lives whenever there was conflict - an idea embraced by the Koss.

While everyone seemed peaceful enough, Araun could not help but find the idea of warships conducting military actions under the guidance of non-sentient drones - without any self-will or sense of individual identity - somewhat disturbing.

After a while, he decided to take a break from his study of Koss Protectorate history, intending, when he returned to his studies, to focus on areas of research that had more direct application to their immediate situation.

He decided to attend to the task of investigating the strange anomaly in his headcomp. He couldn't do that and also conduct interactive research or anything that took a lot of his attention, so he investigated the trid set, to see if there was any sort of entertainment recording he could at least appear to be watching.

The entertainment library had access to thousands of items, including Koss-created entertainment, as well as from more familiar space. The trids from Panlingua space, or wolvan for that matter, were mostly quite a few years old.

Araun decided not to bother. He began to feel strangely claustrophobic in the dwelling, and elected to try out the hot tub on the porch. He supposed that was almost silly, after chiding Rahl and Mikel about their willingness to enter any sort of liquid after all their time in the "fishbowl", but decided he'd like that better than being inside.

Not that "outside" wasn't inside - but at least it gave the illusion thereof.

Araun wandered out to the tub, adjusted the temperature, and activated the jets. He settled himself down in the warm, fizzing liquid. The feeling against his bare skin was rather unusual, to say the least, but pleasurable nonetheless. It was something he'd almost certainly never have felt if he weren't in this peculiar situation.

He spent a few minutes just enjoying the feel of the bubbles against his skin, in the buoyant fluid. He realized that the caress of the jets against his body might prove to be distracting, especially as it flowed over his genitals. His organ had swollen to stretch his sheath, the knot swelling at the base. He hoped that Mikel wouldn't become too disturbed if they used the hot tub in the future and the same thing happened later. Grudgingly, he turned down the jets. He was out here to work, not for pleasure.

Laying back, with his eyes closed, he accessed his headcomp. He hoped that if the Koss had tampered with it that there wasn't some sort of constant, direct feed, but after some brief checks of the system, determined that such usage would leave a noticeable footprint, and there was none. It took about an hour of working with the system - he'd allowed some of his skills to grow rusty with disuse - but he eventually determined that the Koss had indeed implanted something in his body, and then crudely instructed the headcomp to avoid displaying any information about it via its bio-monitoring systems.

That proved relatively easy to correct. Perhaps if the headcomp had been an older model, or had a less adept owner, it might not have been.

The anomaly turned out to be a small implant, powered, like the headcomp, by residual chemical energy from his own body's reserves. It was a neurological blocker, placed at the base of his neck, intended to disable his nervous system's ability to send motor signals to his muscles - if activated, it would essentially paralyze his ability to move, without affecting his autonomic systems. It looked like it couldn't carry enough energy to maintain such a block for long, before it would have to recharge. It also contained a small packet of chemicals that could be released into his blood, probably as a backup - presumably something that would knock him out, or otherwise keep him from acting.

Presumably, Rahl and Mikel had implants of their own.

Araun wondered if he might be able to disable the things, with the help of his headcomp. Perhaps, if he could get control of his medical nano...

If he had that, there might be a few more purposes he could put the right nanotech to.

Some ideas began to form, for something that might surprise their Koss captors, but he wanted to check some things, before mentioning anything to the others.

The comm unit on his wrist pulsed slightly, interrupting his thoughts. Rahl's voice came through, saying "Come to the pond. You have to see this. We found a turtle."

A moment later, he felt his brother speak into his mind, saying "No. Really. You have to see it. I'm pretty sure it's not supposed to be here. But when you get here, act like nothing's out of the ordinary. Don't rush, act natural."

Out loud, Araun said, "A turtle, huh? Neat. I'll be over in a few minutes. I was just laying around in the hot tub, doing nothing useful."

Chapter Fourteen

Turtles That Talk

When Araun arrived at the pond, Rahl was swimming around next to the waterfall. Mikel wasn't immediately visible.

"Mikel's in the cave. We found a turtle. Come see it!"

Rahl was grinning like a fool.

Araun waded in and swam over. He passed through the little waterfall, following his brother into the little cave.

Mikel was crouched by a little ring of stones. He was wearing a damp pair of form-fitting shorts that covered him from waist to right above his knees. Obviously these were the "swimming trunks."

Sure enough, a small turtle bumped around the inside of the stones, apparently trying to escape from its prison.

"Well, okay, it's a cute enough turtle. Where'd you find it?"

"Mikel ran across it. It was just sitting at the edge of the cave here," said Rahl. "We kept it here so you could see it. We'll let it go in a bit, I guess."

"I was thinking we could bring it back to the house, keep it as a pet," said Mikel.

"I dunno," said Rahl. "Normally it's better to leave wild animals alone. And not sure where we'd put it."

Araun spoke to the two of them, using the Talent, "What's this all about?"

A faint, vaguely familiar voice sounded in his head.

"i am not a turtle. there were difficulties. i was attempting to secure your release. some things are confusing. please be cautious in your reaction."

"It's our mysterious friend, who was going to help us get out of here," said Mikel.

"Apparently he ran into some sort of trouble," said Rahl.

"What sort of trouble? And how are you talking through a turtle?" Araun asked the 'turtle', mentally.

Out loud, he said "Cute. Let's think carefully before we take it out of its environment, such as it is."

The turtle responded, "i am not speaking through the turtle. i grew this shape from my own biomass. i developed this extension of self to infiltrate your habitat. but there is complication. i have lost contact with the greater mass of my original self. i have lost access to memories within my greater mass. it will take time recover myself. for now i seem to share some of your predicament."

"Who... what, are you?" asked Araun.

The "turtle" seemed to respond with a complex wave of imagery, impressions, ideas that seemed to summarize the creature's self. Somehow, it conveyed the meaning of its being in a way that a name could not.

It continued. "a name that can be spoken will be easier for you. I enjoy the name gen. I have used that name among your kind. My kind use the name solaran among yours when referring to our race. It is because we chose the life of suns over life in void."

"So. You are trapped here also?" Araun asked.

As before, the alien communicated in large bursts of sudden impressions.

"it seems so. i am sorry that i was not immediately able to do as i promised. it may be that when i recover from my injury, this will be easier to change. but perhaps not. i do not know what occurred. there must have been some hazard that i was unprepared for. i have initiated the changes in this body which should restore me to some semblance of my natural state, but this form was not intended to function as my self. it was intended only to serve to infiltrate your habitat to facilitate communication. it will take time for me to recover sufficiently. i do not have reason to believe you are in danger. it must surely be that the koss simply learned of my intentions and took action to block me in some unexpected way. it is not unheard of for one of my kind to underestimate others. but we are formidable. even if through some mischance my initial self has been taken off planet, imprisoned, or destroyed, this form contains sufficient capacity to restore me in time."

"Should we take you to the house?" asked Araun.

"i believe it may be safer to leave me here. when i have recovered more or know more, i can communicate with you. it might be wise for you to establish if there are any ways in which you can help engineer or contribute to our escape. but i must be honest. none have escaped the menagerie in a very long time. their methods of containment are well considered. still, i arranged that some items that may be useful have been placed within this habitat. it is possible that i will be contacted by some of my self outside this habitat and we will know more. i must rest. the energy to make this body communicate in such a fashion is great. i am sorry."

"How long will it take for you to recover? Is there any way we can help?" Araun asked.

"it will take some weeks, unless more of my self can make contact. and i do not think there are any ways you may help, currently. perhaps later there will be something. perhaps you can discover something of use when communicating with the koss. they will surely interact with you soon. i am sorry, but they will almost certainly subject you to more indignity. i am sorry. i must rest now."

And the mental voice seemed to fade, abruptly.

The turtle still climbed awkwardly at the rocks.

Araun moved the stones, and watched the turtle amble towards the water.

"Just wanted you to see that," said Rahl. "I know how you like turtles."

Mikel sent to them, with the talent, "gen indicated that he can't use the talent over any great distance. I guess either the mechanism he uses is different, or it's because he's weakened. That's why we had to bring you here. He didn't want to talk much until you were here - probably because he couldn't talk for long."

"Well, so much for being rescued by our mysterious benefactor," said Araun.

"But he may still be able to help. And he did say something about 'the part of him on the outside' perhaps being able to make contact," said Rahl.

"Looks like maybe we'll be here a while yet," said Mikel.

"Yes, but we'll work on that. I have some ideas," said Araun.

He turned to his brother, and said, out loud. "Well swimming's great, but I think we should show Mikel how to play some games with the minihover."

--

The three of them swam back across the pond, and began their trek back to the house. The warm air and the light of the artificial sun quickly dried Araun and Mikel's skin, though Rahl, of course, remained damp, his fur sticking out in all directions.

Silently, Araun filled the other two in on his findings about the implants.

Out loud, Rahl and Araun told Mikel about minihover games.

It was a little difficult to maintain two separate conversations at the same time, but none of them wanted to do anything to alert the Koss, who were almost certainly monitoring everything on some level, that they had a way to communicate privately.

Fortunately, Rahl and Araun had some amount of practice at doing it, as it had come in handy during their career as mercenaries, and Mikel himself had often had to maintain "discreet exchanges of information," during his work as a trade liaison, especially when dealing with SolFed authorities or businesspeople.

The silent conversation turned to their friend, the turtle.

"I get the impression, from Gen, that apparently his people's minds are as amorphous as their bodies. It seemed almost like he was indicating that he can break self-aware pieces off of himself," said Araun. "Some of that seemed to come across in that weird flash when he answered the question of 'what are you?'"

"Possibly they use the Talent, or psi, or whatever they call it, to maintain communication between different parts of themselves," suggested Mikel.

"But now he's cut off from the rest of himself, and the part that's here with us doesn't know what happened," said Rahl. "That's worrisome. If Gen's kind do use Talent that way, and the Koss know enough to disrupt it, that could directly be a problem to us, and not just to him."

"I don't get the impression that they know. And if they knew we had it, I suspect we'd end up finding that out in a hurry, the hard way," said Araun. "All the same, they took that psi-damper off Rahl when they first got us. They'd have to be wondering what it was for."

"Hopefully, it will take them a while to figure it out, if they can. Especially since it looks like they just disassembled it with nano, and it sparked a lot when they removed it. Those things are designed to make hash of their own internal workings when tampered with. Even though SolFed tech is pretty backwards by our standards, it probably scrambled itself pretty good as soon as it saw nano," said Rahl.

"Let's assume that they can figure things out if we screw up though," said Araun.

"I'm gonna take a look at those informational files you were talking about," said Mikel. "I might be able to get some insight into the Koss that might help us plan. I'm feeling pretty useless here, but I am good at figuring out people who think differently, I hope."

"It couldn't hurt," said Araun. "And I can focus on things I'm more expert on. If you could weed through all the stuff about the Koss, the menagerie, anything, that would be a big help. I'm going to assume that they're smart enough to be careful about what they reveal about themselves, but maybe not. They said something about blocking our memories, and they seem pretty confident in their ability to keep us here - that may have caused them to reveal something they shouldn't."

"Of course, if what we're led to believe is true, their confidence comes from experience," said Rahl. "Looks like they've been doing this a while, and since we've never heard of them, I'm assuming they've been good about not making mistakes."

"If we get home, maybe we ought to let someone know to look up any incidents of people who appear after an extended absence with missing memories," said Araun.

"There's a few items of tech in the habitat here that we might be able to hack into something useful," said Rahl. "Thing is, it might be a problem to do it without the Koss noticing and putting a stop to it."

"That minihover thing you two keep going on about," said Mikel. "You said it uses gravitics, right? That seems like a kind of dangerous thing to leave lying around. Actually, I'm a little surprised that any people would make a toy out of something like that."

"Why? They're cool," said Rahl.

"Someone could rework the gravitics into something dangerous, couldn't they? Or make a real mess by accident while fiddling with it, if they didn't know what they were doing," Mikel answered.

"Maybe where you come from, there's a sizable population of people who do stupid things," jibed Rahl, "But we try to weed that out of our gene pool. Besides, what's to stop someone from reworking the grav on a hoverlift, or exercise equipment? Anyway, these things are relatively low powered."

Mikel looked slightly offended. "All humans aren't stupid."

Rahl laid his ears back, looking embarrassed. "I'm sorry Mikel. I know. I know. You aren't stupid, so that should be proof enough. Besides, you have a point. I'm wondering if the minihover might not be one of those things that Gen hinted at that might be helpful. He said something about getting things put here that maybe ought not to be here as far as the Koss are concerned."

"In any case," said Araun, "We're going to need to figure out some way to make tools, or deal with Koss security. And we're going to need to be able to do it without it being noticed. First thing I'm going to do is see if I can get my headcomp, and Rahl's, to where the Koss can't read them or tell what they're up to. They probably made a mistake fiddling with them at all."

"How so?" asked Mikel.

"We just got some pretty recent stuff. And Aunt Aralia gives her own people tech she won't sell to anyone else. The systems we have are very adaptive, and learn from mistakes. Their previous intrusions have given my headcomp some very valuable info on how they were tampered with. With a little help, if I'm not too rusty at doing that sort of thing, I'm betting that I can get them private again, and make it look like I haven't," Araun explained.

"Aralia? The Aralia," said Mikel. "You mentioned you had military body enhancements, but you got them from Aralia? The mercenary business must pay well."

"It's probably a bad statement about galactic society, but yes, it does," said Araun.

"Aunt Aralia. That's cute. That what mercs call her?"

"No. It's an honorific among our people. She deserves it, even if she's technically an exile," answered Rahl.

"Your people... Aralia's a wolvan? The tech genius? Owns a whole artificial moon? That Aralia?" asked Mikel.

"Yeah. Didn't you know? You didn't think that level of biotech, nano, genetech, and computer tech came out of the core worlds, did you?" answered Araun.

"Huh. I'm not really that up on that kind of thing. I mean, I've heard of Aralia's Moon... who hasn't? But I didn't know the actual Aralia was a wolvan. You people are usually so... well... there don't seem to be a lot of you running around PanSolar space. Didn't think that the head of one of the biggest techtrade mega-giants would be one of you."

"By all accounts, she's... unusual. She kind of went outworld to do her own thing. She's still respected by us, but... well... apparently some of her researches and methods were unpopular in homespace. But, as we mentioned, our people's method of resolving certain... differences, is to go off and do our own thing where it won't bother anyone," explained Rahl.

"So Aralia basically moved outworld, created a giant industry, and built her own moon, so she could continue her work without anyone standing over her shoulder asking her 'do you think that's a good idea?'" Araun continued. "In any case, what matters to us personally is we have some good tech, and it's probably a little better than anything the Koss have seen so far."

"Supposing you can get it to work stealthily, what do you think you can accomplish? Maybe find some way to get our toxin filters to keep us from being drugged all the time maybe?" asked Rahl.

"Hopefully. But I'm also going to check and see if I can get it to interface with our medical nano in other ways. Maybe there's a way to get it to make other kinds of nano that we might use for something more direct. But I don't know. That's kind of a reach."

"We don't have a lot to work with. But if worse comes to worse, apparently the Koss will just ship us home eventually, just without any memory of what happened," Rahl said.

"I don't want to trust that they can do something that manipulates our brains like that without scrambling up something I'd like to keep," said Araun.

Mikel stopped walking.

Rahl and Araun turned to look.

"You okay?" asked Araun.

The man sat down, acting as if he were rubbing his ankle.

"If we remain here until they send us back, if they can make us forget, I don't know about you, but that's going to have some impact on my life. If we're here for years, whatever I go back to will be a disaster - I'll probably have my accounts erased or frozen, be declared dead, have no job. But that's not the worst of it."

He paused.

"I don't want to forget the two of you."

"All the more reason," said Rahl.

Chapter Fifteen

In The Same Boat

Over the course of the next several days, the three of them kept busy, all while making sure to make it look as if they weren't. Araun and Mikel pored through various information in the Koss system, but Araun was worried that if they looked too interested, that would be more suspicious than too little.

While they seemed to be lounging around, or watching mindless entertainment on the trid unit, Araun was working on the problem of securing his and his brother's headcomps to keep them from being accessed by the Koss. By the fifth day, he declared the job complete.

Rahl spent a lot of time wandering around the periphery of their enclosure, all the while taking measurements of what he found, feeding the data from his enhanced vision directly into the headcomp. It wasn't a lot to go on, but who knew what information would turn out to be useful, and he wasn't sure what else he could contribute that would be, at least at the moment.

They made it a habit to spend time, every day, swimming in the waterfall pond, in case the turtle decided to make contact once more, but so far, it remained silent and out of sight.

When he wasn't poring through files of information on the glorious protectorate of the Koss, or how much they were helping to promote the eventual advancement of their own species by being part of the exciting and educational Kar Vothanin's research menagerie, Mikel took to accompanying Rahl on his ventures.

And of course, Araun did likewise, once he solved the headcomp security problem. He was fairly sure that he could coax the headcomps and their internal medical systems into undermining the Koss's more subtle invasions of their bodies and minds, but was a bit stumped about how to put them to use beyond that - and of course, Mikel had no such enhancements.

The problem of how to hack the available tech in the habitat into something useful for escape - especially without alerting their captors, seemed to loom larger and more insoluble. Eventually, Araun decided he might need to take a break, to avoid running himself in circles.

On the bright side, his frustration probably looked a lot like natural depression at being confined in a zoo.

It was on the fourteenth day that Araun made an odd discovery. Rahl and Mikel were out tramping around the artificial forest of their enclosure, while Araun lounged around in the hot tub, digging around in his headcomp looking for any stored information that might be of use.

There was something in his headcomp that he hadn't noticed before - something that appeared to have been placed there specifically in such a way that the Koss wouldn't know - because it was surrounded by routines to conceal it from external access, but not from Araun himself.

It was a file containing specifications on how to create, administer, and utilize the complex cocktail of drugs that the artist, Bok'thin, had used on them - including how to tailor and monitor them for an individual subject.

There was a very brief note from the artist himself, saying that it was a gift to them, and giving a communication address in Panlingua space for them to use after their release.

Araun found himself somewhat floored by this. He wasn't sure quite what to think. He was pretty sure that the least intelligent thing Bok'thin could possibly do was provide a way for them to make contact later. Not only because he suspected that Rahl might, given the chance, decide to wring the little blue gecko's delicate - but because he was sure that the Koss would take an incredibly dim view of such a breach of their secrecy protocols if they found out.

He didn't look forward, somehow, to sharing this particular bit of information with either Mikel or his brother.

Araun delayed having to tell them by spending a couple of hours going over the methods the artist had used to conceal the information. He ended up updating his own measures, as well as tightening up the security on the file left by Bok'thin.

He couldn't help thinking about the way the chemicals had made them feel, with a confusing mixture of longing and wariness.

The drug itself, according both to the notes in the file, and from analysis by the medical interface in his headcomp, turned out to be very interesting. Araun almost considered deleting the entire file, but decided that it would be better to know as much as possible about what the effects of the substances in the mind-altering cocktail were.

It wasn't physically addictive, or directly injurious to the system, at least if administered properly and in normal doses. There was no direct toxicity. There was, as with any substance or other thing that brought about such pleasurable sensations, the risk of psychological addiction, or the desire to use it again. One of the effects of the cocktail was that it suppressed the mechanisms in the brain that cause problems after traumatic stress. That explained, Araun supposed, why the three of them, especially Mikel, were apparently dealing with what had happened with so little lasting distress.

Apparently, the Koss used similar methods themselves, to prevent at least the neurophysical factors that could cause post-traumatic stress syndromes and some of the other mentally hazardous effects of the way they treated their 'specimens.'

Well, the noble little fuckers just think of everything, thought Araun, sourly.

The cocktail of drugs, themselves, could make you feel intense pleasure and emotional bonding with others, while suppressing feelings of fear or discomfort, and without lasting physical effects on the body.

But Araun found himself concerned about the effects on themselves, on their lasting perceptions, the way they felt about things. It would be something they'd all have to consider. He settled back into the tub, turned up the jets, and considered what he'd say when it came time to tell the others what he'd found.

About an hour later, he heard the sounds of Mikel and Rahl returning from their foray. He decided to give the whole matter some thought, and bring the subject up over dinner that night. When they arrived, he dragged himself out of the warm tub, and shook rapidly, flinging water off in all directions.

"I just love it when you guys do that," said Mikel, grinning.

"I know," Araun grinned back. "I know you get a kick out of it, so I waited until you got here."

"A likely story," said Rahl. "Spending all day lazing around, I see. You ought to come hiking with us more."

"Any sign of our friend?" asked Araun, mentally.

"Actually, yes. Come on," answered Rahl, the same way.

"Hey, we were thinking of taking a dip in the pond," said Mikel, out loud. "Why don't you come along?"

"Sure. Why not?"

The three of them, without further ado, set out for the swimming hole.

"Looks like your fur's coming back pretty quick," Mikel noted.

"Yeah. A little itchy, but it's coming in. You seem to be recovering in that regard, too."

Mikel had slowly, perhaps because he felt odd being the only wearing clothes, gotten into the habit of wearing less clothing. He was currently clad only in shoes and a pair of the nycrex shorts. In addition to the nearly half-inch of reddish-gold hair that topped his head, the man now sported a short beard. His chest, abdomen, and limbs were covered with a golden fuzz of half-grown body hair.

"Heh. Yeah. And likewise, it itches," the human said, grinning. "I can't believe it, but I'm actually wishing I had a razor," he said, scratching at his face.

"Our hosts didn't leave you something like that? They left one like we use."

"You guys shave?"

"Not usually for the same reasons your people do," said Araun. "But if we get a big cut or something, we'll sometimes shave the hair away from it. And sometimes, when it was really hot, Rahl and I used to shave our bellies, to keep a little cooler."

"And because I don't like how my belly looks with my summer coat," said Rahl. It's all sparse and weird when I shed my undercoat. I'd rather have bare skin than sparse hair."

"He's the vain one in the family," said Araun.

"Hey, look," said Rahl, as they drew close to the pond, "I wonder if that's the same turtle?"

"Where?" asked Mikel.

"Over there, by the waterfall cave."

The three of them splashed over to the cave, where the turtle was already vanishing behind the fall of water.

"Gen?" Araun sent.

"I am able to communicate with you again." It said.

"We were getting a little worried." Rahl admitted.

"It has taken more time than I expected to recover myself. Something was done to me, which I would have thought beyond the knowledge of the Koss. I have also made contact with another part of myself, though that part was also diminished," the strange alien replied. Its mental voice seemed stronger and clearer.

"We've been working as best we can on the problem of escape," said Araun, "But we've got some roadblocks. We believe that we've got Rahl's and my headcomp secured against intrusion by the Koss, and that might allow my brother and I to engineer some protection against their drugs, but nanotechnology isn't my specialty. If we had the right tools, and a way to work without being seen, we might be able to work up some tools that could physically break us out of this habitat, depending on how thick the walls are, but that would be noticed pretty quick, and where would we escape to? We don't know where we are, how this place is laid out, and I doubt I could fly a Koss ship even if we could acquire one and override whatever security is on it. We've got almost no information, and any tricks we might try would probably only work once."

"And frankly, I get the impression that the whole place is riddled with smartmatter technology that can cut off routes of escape or just grab us, not to mention the Koss' servants," added Rahl.

"I should be able to acquire some or all of that knowledge, from the parts of myself that are still free," said Gen, "But some of this will take time. I am currently attempting to subvert the Koss surveillance systems so that I can move more freely within this complex, and perhaps recover more of myself."

"We'll still need some way to work without detection, and a way off this world, or system, or wherever the hell we are," said Mikel.

"If all goes well, I should be able to make certain arrangements. There are other beings present who may be sympathetic to our cause, but my contact with them must be very cautious. I have a suspicion that all is not as it seems, without, and that an agency other than the Koss may have been responsible for my dissipation. It appears that my larger self was either imprisoned or an attempt was made to destroy me, but that behavior, and the methods used seem out of keeping with the Koss. The records I was able to access seem to indicate that the Koss believe I left, of my own will, on my own transport."

"Great. So there might some other interest at work here, that saw you as a threat or wanted you out of the way?" asked Araun.

"Tentatively, I suspect, unless the Koss are merely dissembling to one another, and have far greater knowledge of my people than I believed, to be able to nearly destroy me, and reduce me in such manner," replied Gen.

"But there may be an ally who can procure for us transport and other assistance. You will meet with him shortly." it continued, "And soon, I will be able to grow the portion of self outside this habitat so that it can circumvent the surveillance, and we may then work and plan more freely."

"If I could work without being seen," sent Rahl, "I could probably turn that minihover into a gravity projector, and cut our way out of here."

"There may be a way to circumvent the smartmatter, as well," sent Gen, "but that will require preparation and analysis. My original self had the capability, but that information may be destroyed or unreachable, and I will have to redevelop the knowledge. If you will bend your energies into securing your persons from tampering, that would be useful. Perhaps after I am more recovered, I will be able to create assistance from my substance."

"How do you mean?" asked Araun.

"I am able to change my substance, provided I have understanding of what I would grow from myself. If I absorb the proper elements, I can create useful macroscopic or microscopic tools or organs, specialized to many purposes."

Mikel let out a whistle.

"But I am currently diminished. I will need to grow larger cognitive masses merely to handle the calculations and instructions."

"You can grow a larger brain?" asked Araun.

"I can grow larger and more complex structures with which to think and calculate, yes," replied Gen, "but it would not resemble your brains. Normally, those structures are distributed throughout our substance. I could, with sufficient care, grow a brain such as yours, given enough information, understanding, and a proper template. But this would be disturbing to you."

Araun smiled. He realized that the strange alien had made a joke... of sorts. But he could also tell that the statement was intended as literal truth.

"In the meantime," said Gen, "I have made some other progress which may aid you. I have been able to tamper with the computer system to some degree. This should allow us to block certain areas of your living space from Koss surveillance, allowing you to work unhindered in the house structure. It would be best to keep the periods of obfuscation brief. We can create false images to show their systems, but since this will require the processing power of their system itself, this may be noticed if it is done too long or too frequently."

He showed Araun, mentally, how to access the routines that would let them disable the internal watching devices in the dwelling, as well as a code that would let him access deeper parts of the system.

"Forgive me. My energies are depleted, and I will require them for communication with self. It will not be so long before I can communicate again, and perhaps then we will be able to do so more freely. Until I do, please be cautious not to do anything which will make the Koss wary. You will shortly be contacted by our ally, who may be able to give you more information."

And the alien's mental voice faded once more.