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Trouble Converging

It had only been a few brief seconds, but Abel felt like he had been rummaging through his mind for an eternity while Glass stared at him impassively.

Lie detection was all about making people nervous, jumping to abnormal leaps of logic, such as Abel presuming this had something to do with Lashar and showing panic. It was not about getting a yes or no answer right or wrong, it was imagining why the target panicked on certain questions.

The only way to win is to avoid speculation and answer simply:

“No, what happened?”

Glass grunted and grabbed the supports over the armchair, wobbling as he began to slowly raise himself into the air. One of the guards stepped behind him, bracing his wheelchair into place.

“Have you seen that wretched creature we captured?” Glass gasped, wincing as he stretched his left arm out to grab the other hanging support.

“Yes, Meyer showed me the Lacertan.”

With his two arms on two of the supports, Glass hit a release button on the top of the handles and slowly lowered himself onto the leather chair, “We figure the patrol went missing just before we apprehended the lizard. Meyer told me that you got him to admit there was another one of his kind out there?”

Abel nodded.

“What made you think that?”

“Intuition.”

“An irrational answer,” Glass frowned.

“A human answer,” Abel countered. “Where one soldier is, another is likely around. We had to consider that at the very least.”

“This has been a very eventful day...” Glass closed his eyes, “...all of these things coinciding with your arrival? It has begun to make people talk.”

Abel’s skin flushed and he didn’t bother to try and conceal it. It was normal, after all, to get a bit afraid at such an accusation.

“Do you trust me?” Abel asked.

“Of course, but you must understand that others don’t have the connection we do,” Glass smiled. “They don’t see your mother, they only see a stranger.”

Sighing, Glass continued, “I only hope that if the patrol has been routed, that they were given a merciful death. I trust the Lacertans even less than the Regulians.”

“Even after everything the Regulians put you through?”

“The Regulians invaded, killed, enslaved, and raped humanity...” Glass frowned deeply, “...but in doing so, they sowed the seeds for their own destruction. They’re a very clear, direct enemy, only the worst kind of slave would consider them with anything but abject hatred. For what it’s worth, they make a very unifying enemy for humanity.”

“The lizards on the other hand, they’ve compromised several resistance groups, turned them traitor to humanity. They even turned to get into contact with us, we only entertained their communications just to hear what they were trying to offer.”

“What was it?”

“Autonomy, technology, development of the planet with the help of an AI idol,” Glass shook his head. “This is why I fear them more, they’re sneakier and some humans who proclaim themselves not to be slaves willingly swaddle themselves in their lies, much like chains.”

In only I could get Asha and him in the same room, it would be one interesting conversation.

“This is why we need to kill them all,” Glass rasped. “Or at least the ones on Earth and any planet humanity chooses to spread to. Our destiny has been stolen away from us and it is time to reclaim it.”

Glass looked over at the journal that Abel had put back on the bookshelf.

“They must be gotten rid of and never return so that humanity can break the yoke.”

Brolath and Lashar followed from a distance behind Dmitri as he marched slowly towards the entrance of the farm, his steps staggered and exaggerating his weariness. The sentries standing along the perimeter did not react, staring him down like his appearance was nothing out of the ordinary.

“I need you to do me a favor,” Lashar whispered from inside his stealth cloak.

“What?” Brolath whispered back even quieter, feeling quite visible despite having Asha’s spare cloak wrapped around him.

“Arrange a pardon for Dmitri and give him the support he needs to rehabilitate to Regulian society.”

Brolath sniffed, “Might be hard to swing that with my boss after we burn him.”

And knowing Proclath, learning that Dmitri is a handsome, vulnerable young human with no known support network, he would insist on using on adopting him into some form of slavery, either with him or pimped out to some of his connections.

“You raised some decent points earlier. My intent was never to hurt Dmitri, but one day soon, Asha and I will be dead and he will have no one. We can’t take care of him.”

“He is a terrorist, even if he has caused no harm himself. If he were a captive of them, that would be a different story, but as things stand when the Guard are called in, they’ll give him a long hard labor sentence and that’s if he’s lucky.”

“He’s a victim,” Lashar paused. “You can see that, can’t you?”

Brolath paused, “A week ago, I would have disagreed but now...well, that’s doesn’t matter, Regulian law will not see him as such. There is only one thing I could do and...”

Trailing off, Brolath was more than willing to let the conversation die out but Lashar would hear nothing of it.

“What is it?”

“For an operation like this with a great risk of danger, I can call in the Law of Trophies and claim him as my slave as he is a minor fish in the grand scheme of things,” Brolath paused. “I would free him, I would pay off the Emancipation Tax, and then he would be safe but...”

“You feel uncomfortable enslaving a human now?”

“I would be failing someone who I hurt and even if it was for Dmitri’s best long-term interests, I can’t help but think about the fear he might feel when he hears me claim him.”

“You gotta work with the tools you have, if that’s the only thing you can do then you gotta do it, it’s all about your intentions. Least, as long as you’re not tempted to keep him.”

“I’m not,” Brolath said. There was no deception in his mind. Perhaps he only wanted to do this to show Leon that he had changed, but at the very least, he did not have any desire to dominate and enslave Dmitri.

He did want Leon though, to hold and embrace once more. He wanted to be someone Leon could trust once again.

Perhaps it wasn’t too late.

“I’ll try and talk to him,” Lashar whispered and made a hushing noise.

Dmitry finally saluted one of the guards. He spoke in a language Brolath could not understand, it was not at all like the English that Abel would sometimes speak or the French that Leon tried teaching him once.

Not that I could understand either anyways.

Collapsing onto his knee, Dmitry called out and one of the guards finally approached, helping him to his feet.

The other guard’s eyes darted around the area, looking for some unseen foe.

Does he sense us?

His eyes looked straight at Brolath, as if reading his mind.

Brolath put his paw on the grip of his Disruptor pistol. His mane went up on its ends, everything in his body screamed that they had been uncovered.

Maybe there’s something behind me that he sees…

Brolath didn’t dare turn around and look, lest he make the subtle shimmer of his outline more obvious to the human’s eyes.

But he didn’t have to, the ground started to shake slightly and his ears caught a rumble slowly crawling towards him. Some kind of truck, but Brolath refused to look back and see.

A dirt road was in Brolath’s peripheral vision.

Perhaps…

The human started to squint and took a step forward.

A rusty truck hood rolled into Brolath’s sight and without missing a beat, the Regulian stepped back along the body until he reached the back. A flatbed, covered in a canvas roof, was there and trailing just behind the truck was a jeep with two armed soldiers riding in it.

Swinging up into the bed, the truck’s shocks rocked with the weight of a grown Regulian, and Brolath disappeared behind one of the many crates lining the back.

Shortly after, the truck rocked again and Brolath heard light footsteps creep towards him before someone thumped down on the ground next to Brolath.

“Fancy moves there,” Lashar whispered. “Don’t suppose we could recruit you to our side? Could use a Regulian turncoat for Infiltration Training.”

Brolath snorted, “The Empire could use you too.”

“Oh?”

“Televised execution. We’re big fan of those, loudmouth like you’d put on a good show, I’d bet.”

Lashar chuckled, “Nah, I’m too sexy to die. I’d be the Emperor’s first Lacertan concubine, bet your life on it!”

They both kept quiet as they passed through the front gate and saw the two guards and Dmitri pass behind them.

“They’re still picking a new one.”

“Ahhh, so I’d get a younger and more vigorous master? Fun!” Lashar whispered. “Tell me more about the candidates, I wanna give my slit a scratch!”

“I don’t even remember which one the Regent is sponsoring at this point.”

“No fun!”

Once again they both shut up as the truck began to lean forward. Brolath put his paw up against a crate for support as they began to dip and the light outside the canvas covers began to darken.

Underground now. They were in the enemy’s base and there was no turning back.

Not until the job was done.

Abel swiped through his datapad, eyeballing his collection of patriotic human literature, the only contents that Abel could explain away if one of the guards quietly sitting in Glass’ study caught sight of on his screen. He had no interest in reading them at this time, though surely they were not extreme like Glass’ collection, the subject was one Abel had no interest in reading at this moment.

The guards didn’t say a word and didn’t really seem open to conversation, especially since Glass was in the other room sleeping. It was basically impossible for Abel to sleep like this and after that tense conversation with Glass, he was kind of afraid of getting killed in his sleep.

Every once in awhile, Abel would look over at his phone contacts. A quick connection to the wireless here and Abel could call Regnath or Yin, wish them well one last time…

But that would be the end of him, wouldn’t it? Abel couldn’t even make the excuse that he’s trying to keep them from reporting him missing, showing affection to the aliens would be the surest sign of guilt, guilt for being a species traitor.

He couldn’t even text message them, not without the danger of it being read or the sheer suspicion of him sending an encrypted message that couldn’t be-

Hello, Abel.

The words suddenly popped up on the screen and vanished. Abel blinked, surely he was seeing things. He wasn’t connected to the internet, let alone the Extranet, how could that message have…

We installed a micro-uplink in your datapad to keep tabs on you. It connects directly to one of our satellites, there’s no danger of you getting intercepted by those cretins.

Abel slowly typed a response, not wanting to arouse suspicion from the lounging guards.

Who are you?

Sweat dripped down Abel’s brow as he waited in silence. Finally, an image flashed across the screen of a black Vulpeculan smiling smugly at the camera.

Atay, Abel thought.

I assume you remember me? Atay sent another message. You’ve outdone yourself, the entire office has lost the betting pool on your fate. I really thought Frontus was going to rape you and throw your body in a ditch, what a shame that didn’t happen but...I digress.

Fuck you, Abel wrote back. Fuck you and the Claw.

Impressive set of balls on you, kid.

I killed Frontus, you know that? It felt good.

That was a lie, it felt awful. Though it was a relief that the monster was gone, he would have preferred something quicker.

Very edgy, a picture of Atay filing his claws popped up on Abel’s screen. Perhaps I should just hijack your audio and play the Imperial Anthem on full blast? I bet the rebels you’re chumming around with would love that.

Abel flexed his fist, What do you want me to do? To beg?

A picture of Atay clasping his hands together in mock prayer shocked up, On the contrary, we’ve decided to put a stay on your assassination as long as you play nice.

Assassination? Abel blinked.

Ah yes, Frontus did visit you on my orders, though I gave no orders for him to sodomize you. His murderous lust for you was just a mere bonus.

I thought he was just insane.

No, just terribly insecure in a psycho-sexual way, Atay sent another message shortly after. But that’s all in the past, we want to start our relations over, Abel. We can be friends, you know?

Why the fuck did you try and kill me?

Inter-service rivalry, which has become all the more intense now that the Grand Regent is the damned head of the Guard.

The Regulians love to say how chaotic Earth was before they invaded, Abel gritted his teeth. I want to throw these text messages at my propagandist professor.

Yes, yes, but this is a bit of infighting you can benefit from!

Abel rolled his eyes, Bullshit.

No bullshit. How would you like elections at the Ducal and County level across Earth? Fair and honest elections.

There can be no compromise with the Empire over humanity’s freedom, Abel typed.

Oh, so very noble of you! Viva la Revolution, my comrade! the flag of the VRR flashed on the screen, overlaid with a monochromatic picture of a Vulpeculan wearing a beret with a red star on it staring heroically off into the distance.

Fuck you.

In the real world though, compromises need to be made. An independent Earth is unthinkable, just as an independent Vulpeculae is. However, the Claw will guarantee autonomy and your own little form of democracy, under the heel of our candidate Emperor who will let things slide a bit more.

Why would we trust you?

The slave trade abolished.

Abel froze. There was no way in hell there wasn’t a catch and Atay’s animated picture of chains shattering that he sent over did nothing to reassure him.

Slave TRADE, that is, Atay’s next message showed the catch. Voluntary slavery, real voluntary slavery, will still be allowed as will those born into it.

Wow, what a utopia, Abel rolled his eyes.

I never said it was a utopia, just that it would be better than what the current faction in power offers. Mass conscription is coming next for Earth if the Guard’s Emperor is chosen. The death toll will be unbelievable and I doubt it will even win the war.

One of the guards leered at Abel for a moment, which Abel ignored as best as he could.

And I suppose you think the Claw can win the war? Abel typed.

We will, yes. You have no reason to trust us and I cannot divulge our strategy, you understand, but we do have a plan that will work without fail.

Abel cursed inside his mind and wished he could open up his datapad and remove the uplink without attracting suspicion from the guards. He had no interest in entertaining this spy’s delusional interests.

So, Abel, we’re going to need one thing from you. We need a copy of the bio-weapon that the humans you’re with are developing.

A chill ran down Abel’s spine. He didn’t like the sound of that one bit.

No.

Abel, Abel, Abel… a short video of Atay wagging his finger played. I’m done threatening you and your family. I am not going to even make you promise that you’ll do it, I will expect you to deliver the sample to us regardless though. There will be no yes or no here, you will simply do. Not because you feel obligated to do so, but because you’ll realize there is no other way but to give it to us. Good day.

Atay’s connection suddenly vanished and the messages automatically wiped. The datapad’s background processes exploded as several pieces of cleaning software ran followed by a reboot. Once the datapad was back up and running, it was like Atay had never contacted him to begin with.

Which was just how Abel wanted it to be. He had enough of the Claw’s threats and now Atay wasn’t even putting his family on the line. Why should he obey them? Why should he believe any of their claims in favor of themselves or against the Guard?

Negotiating with any faction of the Empire was useless. Aliens were not the enemy but the Empire and all its institutions certainly were.

That would be one thing that Abel could never moderate himself on.