Peabody and the Host
By Vic James
vicjames2@hotmail.com
Copyright 2012 by Vic James
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You can see a list of my stories under my name at http://www.nifty.org/nifty/frauthors.html
Five
Lan asked, "Are you hungry, beautiful?"
"Yeah, I am."
"What would you like?"
"I don't know. What is in the fridge?"
"Lots of things. Are you a vegetarian?"
"No."
"How about a steak. We brought some fresh from Earth today."
"That sounds good. You will have to show me around the kitchen. I'm not that great a cook."
"You don't cook or work, Peabody. You are the boss, the supervisor."
Oh. Do either of you know how to cook?"
"I memorized three cookbooks," Lan said. "I'll cook all your meals, if that is OK with you."
"Wait a minute! So there are hot studs here who want to fuck me and do all the work for me?"
"Yes, but we also want to give you orgasms," Lin said.
"Wow! I think I died and went to heaven!"
"I hope that means we made you happy. You certainly made us happy!"
"How about a baked potato and broccoli with cheese sauce?"
"That sounds great!"
Lan walked towards the kitchen. Lin got in bed with Peabody.
"May I kiss you?"
"Yes."
They kissed for a while and then Peabody sniffed Lin. "I love the way you smell."
"You smell very good to us, too. We are bonding to you."
Lin stroked the side of Peabody's head. "That feels nice."
Peabody ran a hand over Lin, feeling his muscles. Then he leaned forward and they kissed again.
"I need to use the restroom."
"Come on. I'll show you."
They walked into the bathroom. Peabody though it was incredible. There was a Jacuzzi, a separate bathtub, a shower with two heads, and even a bidet. He wanted a bath, but he didn't have any clean underwear! I guess I have to travel to another planet to get some, he thought to himself and laughed. Then he realized he could always rinse them out in the sink if they didn't go back to Earth today. But then he would have to put dirty clothes on and that didn't appeal to him.
"I need to get clean clothes and some things from my house."
"We can go after dinner if that's OK."
"Sure."
Lin pointed out a door. "You put dirty clothes in here and they will be washed."
Lin walked out of the room. Peabody used the bathroom and then washed his hands. He was amazed by the towel. He walked towards the kitchen and saw Lin sitting at the table. He sat down next to him. Peabody watched Lan pick something up with his fifth hand. He guessed three hands made cooking easier.
"Do you have a job, Peabody?"
"No. I quit a few months ago. I planned to travel, but I could never work up any enthusiasm."
"Well, you've travelled quite a bit today."
Peabody laughed and said, "Absolutely. And I've had a better time than I would have travelling alone. I'm tired of being alone. It's strange to think that on crowded Earth I was all alone, but on Mars, with only seven of us, I'm not."
"Mars is a very friendly place. Everyone loves you here."
"That's a very nice feeling."
Lan put a caesar salad down in front of Peabody. Peabody took a bite while Lan watched.
"It's very good, Lan. Wow! You are talented. You can cook and fly a spaceship."
"And I speak German and Spanish," Lan said to him.
"Well, the cooking I'll be able to appreciate!"
"How do you want your steak?"
"Medium."
Peabody finished his salad and took the dish into the kitchen.
"Hello, beautiful," Lan said to him.
"Hi. Do you need any help?"
"You don't need to do that."
"Can I supervise?"
"Only if you let me kiss you."
Peabody grinned at him and said, "I love Mars!"
Lan leaned down and kissed him.
Afterwards, he said, "I love you, beautiful."
Peabody squeezed his hand and Lan got back to work.
Once he had put the dinner on the table, Lan sat and ate with them. Lan and Lin each had a large steak and they split a baked potato. They each had a little broccoli, too.
"This is very good, Lan. Thank you."
"I will cook all your food for you."
"Thanks, but don't you have things to do?"
Lin said, "There is nothing any of us would rather do than spend time with you. If you don't want us around, please feel free to say so. We don't want to intrude on your privacy, but we don't want you to be lonely, either."
"I'm glad the two of you are here. I just don't want Lan to skip something important to cook for me."
"Peabody, you are the most important person. That means cooking for you is important," Lan said.
"You ate human food. Do you have your own food?"
"We used up our own years ago. We've been eating human food for many years. We go to Earth at least once a week to pick up food. Mun keeps track of what we need and orders it."
"What do you like?"
"We eat more meat than most humans, but we are omnivores like humans. About eighty percent of our diet is meat. Like humans, we need vegetables to supply some nutrients. On our world we had very few vegetables available," Lin said.
"Only three kinds could handle the cold and the heat," Lan said.
"You could buy other vegetables that were grown indoors, but they were very expensive. They were saved for special events. There are more Earth vegetables we like. So we mostly eat the same things you do, with the exceptions of leafy vegetables and uncooked vegetables. None of us like those. If a vegetable isn't cooked, we don't want it."
Peabody noticed Lan watching him intently. He smiled at him and Lan smiled back.
They finished and Lan left. A minute later he came back with Mun.
"How was dinner, Peabody?" he asked.
"It was great. Thanks."
"You three can go. I'll take care of the dishes."
They got up and Peabody asked "Are we going to New York? My house is nowhere near there."
Lin and Lan looked at each other.
"We could sneak in," Lin said.
"We will make the ship invisible," Lan said.
"Where would you land?"
"Is your yard large enough, Peabody?"
"No. There are trees."
"An empty street, then."
"Is it safe? I don't want anyone endangered."
"It's safe. Don't worry. If a car comes, I will lift the ship until it's gone."
They walked back to the shuttle. Lin and Lan demonstrated how they normally walked to it. They made leaps and jumps which made the distance fly by. Peabody tried it and finally got the hang of it. Or thought he did. He lost his balance, and pushed harder than he should have at a wrong angle. He ended up smashing into a wall. He hit the wall so hard, it stunned him. He fell to the ground.
He took a breath and screamed. There was a sharp pain when he inhaled. He looked up at Lin and Lan. They looked horrified.
Frup! Lin how could you? he asked himself
"I think you fractured one or more ribs. Take shallow breaths," Lin told him.
"We need to get you to the clinic."
Lin reached down to pick Peabody up.
"I'll get him," Lan said. "You get to the clinic, get ready." Lin nodded.
Lan carefully picked Peabody up.
"Did I hurt you?" he asked Peabody.
Peabody gasped "No, breathing...hurts."
Lin and Lan moved quickly. Peabody closed his eyes. He was starting to get nauseous. He breathed through his nose and picked up Lan's scent. That seemed to easy his pain a little. He tried to lean forward but the pain grew intense when he tried to bend. He concentrated on taking shallow breaths and he kept his eyes closed. Lan bent over and rubbed his cheek against Peabody's. That helped a little.
He was placed on a table and looked up at Lin and Lan. Plan rubbed some liquid on his arm and the pain stopped instantly.
"Wow! That stopped the pain like magic, Lin."
"I know, my love. Do you feel dizzy or nauseous?"
Peabody took a breath. "No, not right now."
Lin put on something that looked like a metallic hand on his hand. It extended his fingers. Each metal finger ended in a different shape. He saw one looked like it ended in a ceramic ball. Another had a small light on the end. There was one that looked like it had a small ball of steel wool on the end.
Lin said something to Lan.
"Lan is going to open your shirt. Try to remain still." Lan started unbuttoning his shirt. Once his shirt was open, Lin ran different fingers over the front of his chest and his sides. Peabody could then feel him rub one metal finger over a spot on his side. Then he rubbed a different finger over the same spot. He repeated that on two other spots. Then he ran fingers over his belly.
He said something to Lan again.
"Lan is going to remove your pants so I can check for fractures in your hips."
Lan undid Peabody's pants and pulled them down. Lin ran his fingers over them.
"You have no hip fractures and no damage to your lungs or other organs, Peabody. You had three fractures in your ribs and those are healed. I'm going to have Lan turn you over now."
Lin spoke to Lan and he carefully turned Peabody over. Lin ran his fingers over Peabody's back.
"OK, you can get up, Peabody. You're all healed."
Peabody rolled over. He felt fine.
"Wow! Thanks!"
Lan said something and Lin laughed.
"What is it?" Peabody asked.
"Lan said you have a beautiful butt. I agree with him."
Peabody was a little embarrassed, but he laughed.
"Thanks. I'm glad you like it, Lan."
"Are you really, beautiful?"
"Yes."
Peabody pulled up his pants and buttoned his shirt.
"Why did I hit the wall so hard?" he asked Lin.
"Your body still masses the same, even in lower gravity. Your full mass hit the wall. We should never have allowed you to do something dangerous. I am so sorry, Peabody."
"It's fine. I remember reading about that now. It really wasn't that dangerous. Besides, this is a much more effective lesson than merely telling me not to hit a wall. Right?"
"I suppose.
They headed back to the ship. Peabody insisted on taking jumps up the corridor, though he didn't jump nearly as hard and he made sure he had his balance before making the next jump. It was still faster than walking.
They took off and Peabody sat with Lin.
"Are you excited to be going home?" Lin asked him.
"Yes and no."
"What do you mean?"
"Robert and Max are very much still in the house. I've never been able to let go. Max's dishes are still on the floor in the kitchen. Robert's things are exactly where they were when he died. His clothes are still in our closet. His cell phone charger is still on our nightstand. His toothbrush is in the bathroom next to mine. Sometimes it's comforting but lately, it has been overwhelming me."
"I'm sorry you had to suffer. Maybe the move to Mars will help."
"I think it will. No, I'm sure it will."
They had to stop so Peabody could show them where he lived. A display on the ship showed a picture of the planet and Lin showed him how to zoom in on his house. Having the park next to his house made it easier once he had zoomed in on his town. They landed on the street in front of his house.
"Will you go with me?" he asked Lin. After he said that, he realized an alien might be noticed.
But Lin got a coat and hat out of a bin in the back of the ship. He put them on, put a scarf around his neck and put on sunglasses.
Peabody laughed "You look like an alien movie star."
"Not the star of Alien, I hope."
"No, you are even cuter and you don't drool as much."
"I'm not sure that is much of a compliment, but I'll take it, anyway."
It was dark, so they didn't need to worry about Lin's disguise. They went in the house and Peabody gathered up the things he wanted to take. His photos, laptop, ereader, camera, CDs, movies. He tried to think of everything he would need on Mars. Then he realized he wasn't planning to return. He thought about that for a minute. He decided it was best. A clean start was what he needed. He picked up a scarf that had belonged to Robert and put it with his things.
A car approached on the street and Lan lifted the ship. There didn't seem to be much traffic, which was a good thing.
Lin walked around Peabody's house. He saw two photos with a man and a dog. He assumed they were Robert and Max. Part of both photos had been removed. He wondered if Peabody had become angry at someone and removed them from his photos. Peabody saw Lin looking at a photo.
"That's Robert and Max. We took that two years ago on vacation." Lin had a sinking feeling.
"Who else was in the photo?" he asked softly.
"Me."
Lin almost cried. Poor Peabody. Why would he do that? When they lost Aracatel, all his brothers consoled each other. Poor Peabody had been alone, had suffered alone. He hoped they could make him happy. Lin planned to do his best.
"Lin, I want to take everything on the left side of my closet, including my shoes."
"I will get your things."
Peabody picked his some of things up and headed for the front door. Lin carried most of his clothes. When Peabody saw Lin carry almost his entire closet, he was amazed by his strength. They put the things on the ship and went back in the house.
Peabody found a box for his shoes and gave it to Lin. Lin took the shoes and his remaining clothes to the ship.
"What about the things in your dresser?"
"Let me find more boxes."
Peabody remembered he had some banker's boxes in another room. He got them and gave them to Lin.
"Everything in the drawers on the left side of the dresser is mine."
Lin filled the boxes. He smiled as he found a dildo in one of the drawers. He can have the real thing, if he wants it, Lin thought. He packed it up, too and took the boxes to the ship.
He walked back into the house and asked, "Do you have your prescriptions?" he asked Peabody.
"No, I'll get them." Peabody gathered them up and gave them to Lin.
Lin looked at the prescriptions and asked, "Did you take the acid blocker lansoprazole today?"
"Yes."
"Did you take one yesterday?"
"Yes. I take them everyday."
Peabody looked at Lin. He was staring at the bottle.
"What is it?" Peabody asked him.
"An offspring of Lan's may develop. Normally stomach acid would destroy it, but you would not have had much, if any."
"Is that dangerous?"
"I will be keeping a close watch on your blood levels to make sure it doesn't become dangerous. If his child starts to develop, do you want me to remove it?"
Peabody thought for a minute before saying, "I don't know enough to have an opinion. I suppose, if it doesn't hurt me, it might be a good idea. After all, Mars needs people." He smiled at Lin.
"Is this all of it?" Lin asked.
"Yes, I think so,"
Lin carried the pills and the last of the things to the ship. He waited in the ship, but Peabody didn't come out.
As Peabody walked around the house, his memories of Robert (and Max) came flooding back. He pictured Max on the sofa and Robert cooking. He closed his eyes and he saw them. When Peabody was getting ready to leave, he realized that his last connection to them would be severed. He had their things and his memories of them in the house. It wasn't enough, but it was something. It was all he had of them. There was nothing on Mars to remind him of them, to bring them back in his mind. He closed his eyes again and heard Robert's laughter and Max's play growling. This house kept those memories alive. Could he cut them out of his life, permanently? No! He crumbled to the ground and began sobbing.
Lin walked back into the house. Peabody was curled up on the floor in the living room, crying. Oh, my love! My poor, poor Peabody, he thought.
Lin put his hand on his shoulder.
"I can't go. I need them, Lin!"
He squatted next to Peabody and pulled him up against him. He rubbed his cheek against him.
"Sit down, Peabody." They both sat and then Lin asked, "They would want you to be happy, wouldn't they?"
"Yes."
"Are you happy?"
"No."
"They are at peace, Peabody, and you should be loved by the living. I am certain they would want you to be loved. Let us take over for Robert and Max, since they can't do it anymore. Please come with us, Peabody. I can't bear thinking of you in misery here, all by yourself. Even if you aren't able to be our host, I still care about you and my brothers do, too. If you aren't our host, you can be our ambassador, or something."
Peabody sighed.
"I love you, Peabody."
Peabody looked at Lin. "You don't know me well enough to love me."
"I guess my heart doesn't know that."
Peabody looked at Lin and he believed him. He also knew Lin was right. He was alive, and until he had entered the house, he had been very glad of that.
Peabody wiped his tears with his hand. He looked at the scarf of Robert's. It's just a scarf and it doesn't bring Robert back, no matter how long you hold onto it, he told himself. It's time to say goodbye. He put the scarf down and said, "You're right. Let's go."
As they were walking out the door, Peabody asked "Wait here on the porch for a second. There's one thing I need to do."
Peabody closed the door and stood in the hall with his eyes closed.
"Goodbye, Robert. I love you very much. I hope someday we will be together again, but it won't be as soon as I thought it would. I know you have Max to keep you company. I'm going to help these people. They need me and I think I can be happy with them. Max?" Peabody thought he could hear Max's bark. "I love you, too. Take care of Robert."
He locked the front door and wiped the new tears off his face.
"Are you all right, my love?"
"I told you it would be painful."
"I know. Are you planning to return to the house? If so, I want to come with you."
"I think I have everything I need."
Lin was relieved to hear that.
They walked back out to the space ship parked in front of his house. Peabody smiled thinking about it. There was a no parking sign on the street.
"Wait. I need to say one more goodbye," he told Lin.
He walked around the ship, which was almost invisible, and walked over to his tree. He placed his hand on the trunk. He stroked the trunk a few times.
"Goodbye, old man. I'm off to somewhere better. I care about you. Please don't give up; the squirrels are depending on you." Peabody realized Lin was standing next to him.
"This tree is important to you?"
"Yes. I don't know why. I just took a liking to it. It's been sick. I think it may be getting better. I hope so."
"We can have it watched and cared for, if you wish."
"That would be great. It would make me very happy."
"Don't forget you can come back to visit it."
"I think knowing that he is being looked after is enough."
"I wish I could say goodbye to Chester."
"You can."
"He is asleep, I'm sure."
"Would you like to leave him a note?"
Peabody laughed. Then he said, "Chester is a squirrel. He lives in this park."
"I do not know what a squirrel is."
"It's a little furry animal that lives in trees. Here, I'll show you."
Peabody still had his cell phone with him, so he showed Lin a picture he'd taken of Chester.
They got on board the ship, took off, and headed for New York. When they landed, Lin got off the ship in the building they'd been in earlier.
Lan came back and sat next to Peabody.
"What is this building?"
"It's ours. We had it built for us. Our lawyers offices are here and we can land here. Our business offices are here also."
"Oh."
"Are you OK, Peabody? Your eyes are red."
He took Peabody's hand and held it.
"I said goodbye to my lover."
"You left your lover for us?"
"No. He died about a year ago. But that was our house and I felt he was still there with me."
"How did he die?"
"A car wreck."
"I'm sorry, Peabody. I lost Aracatal, so I know how you feel."
Peabody reached out and stroked his cheek. Lan smiled at him.
"I think you are handsome, Lan."
"You too, Peabody. Very beautiful. We are very, very lucky."
"I think I'm lucky, too. No one on Earth cares whether I live or die, not even me. Mars is different."
"I love you, beautiful."
He took a deep sniff of Lan. "I love the way you smell, Lan." Lan put his arm around him and pulled him close.
Peabody snuggled against him and fell asleep.
Lan sat there contentedly with Peabody in his arms for over two hours. Periodically, he leaned down and took in a deep sniff of his love.
"Peabody?" He opened his eyes and Lin was smiling at him. Lan had his arms around him and he felt safe and...loved.
"You looked so peaceful sleeping. Lan and I are very happy you feel so comfortable around us." He did trust them completely. What Lin had said to him in the house convinced him that they really did care about him.
"The lawyers want you to sign a form saying you are going of your own free will. And all those forms I said you might have reason to fear, well, they're here. It took time, but I convinced them to combine them. Are you sure you want to do this, at least for now?"
"Yes, I do."
"Come with me."
They walked back to a conference room. A lawyer he hadn't seen before and two guards were waiting.
"If you consent to return to Mars, and assist them, sign here." He pointed at a multi-page document. "We would prefer that you read it in its entirety. I lieu of that, I will ask questions and record your responses."
"OK."
"John Peabody, do you agree to travel to Mars and assist the Alaphin?"
"Yes."
"Do you recognize there are inherent risks and accept them? You are not absolving them of responsibility, should you be harmed in any way. They are prepared to compensate you or your estate should you come to any harm."
"Yes, I accept."
"Do you allow the Alaphin's law firms to handle your affairs while you are on Mars?" He thought about that. He supposed he did. He didn't want to worry about paying bills or taking care of his house.
"Yes, I do."
"Is this your bank account number?" He showed him the number on a piece of paper.
"Yes, it is."
"We will be depositing twenty one million twenty five thousand dollars into your account. Ten million each for the offspring that have been implanted into you, another million is for allowing yourself to become impregnated. The twenty five thousand is for listening to their proposal. You may wish to invest the money rather than placing it in your savings account. If so, Lin can tell you how to contact his investment firm or we can supply you with the names and references of other investment firms. You will receive additional salary as well, for every month you remain on Mars.
"You will receive a copy of this document. Please read it as soon and possible and contact us if you have questions or concerns."
"OK." Twenty one million, he thought. At one time, that would have been important to him. Now it was just a number on paper.
He signed two copies. They were each in large binders. The lawyer handed him one. It was heavy. They walked back to the shuttle and boarded it.
"Can we go home, now?" he asked.
They both smiled at him and Lan said "Yes. Home!"
Lan went to the front of the ship and Peabody sat with Lin.
"Let's throw this out the window when we pass the moon," he said, hefting the binder.
Lin laughed and said "Maybe if you get bored, you will want to read it."
"I will never get that bored. I would watch my fingernails grow first." Lin laughed.
"You have had a busy day. Sleep more if you wish."
He laid down on the seat with his head on Lin's lap. Lin stroked his hair and he went back to sleep.
"Peabody." He woke up in bed. Lan was bent over him. He thought they must have carried him from the ship.
"You carried me all the way?" he asked him.
"Yes, I won the bet!" he laughed.
"Thank you. I want to take a shower before I go to sleep though."
He got out of bed and looked for his clothes. He needed clean underwear.
"Are my clothes still on the ship?"
Lan said, "We put them away for you." He pointed out the dresser. "The things that were on hangers are in the closet next to the bathroom."
Peabody got a pair of briefs and a t-shirt out of the dresser. Then he walked into the bathroom with Lin and Lan. They showed him where everything was. Peabody thought the towels were incredibly soft and plush. They had soaps, body wash, shampoos, and conditioners of all kinds.
Peabody used the restroom and then took a quick shower. It was interesting watching the water fall in the low gravity. It made washing easier, because the soapy water stayed longer on his body than it would have on Earth. There was a very large drain, over a foot in diameter, which probably helped drain the water under lower gravity. When he got out, they showed him the body dryer. Peabody loved it. It was like a hand dryer, but bigger and not as hot, and it dried his whole body. He barely needed a towel.
He put on his underwear and walked out of the bathroom. The bed looked wonderful to him; he was tired. He walked to the bed and got in. It was very comfortable.
As he lay there, he suddenly realized he needed to give up alcohol. It might make it difficult to socialize with the brothers, but his health now mattered.
"Are you going to sleep in your rooms?" he asked Lin and Lan.
"Unless you want us to stay here with you."
Peabody thought about it. He didn't want to be alone, but he didn't want to impose on them.
"You can sleep on the bed, if you want."
Lin and Lan both smiled.
"Are you sure, Peabody? We don't want you to be uncomfortable just to make us comfortable," Lan said.
"I would prefer it. I don't want to sleep alone anymore."
The two brothers got on the bed on each side of him.
Peabody rolled on his side, facing Lin. Lan lay on his side close to Peabody. He pressed his body against Peabody's.
"Is this too close?"
"No. It's nice."
Lan put an arm over Peabody. Peabody took his hand and kissed it.
Oh, beautiful! I love you, too! Lan thought. He nuzzled the back of Peabody's head.
Lin lay on his side and backed up towards Peabody. Peabody saw Lin's fifth hand resting on his neck.
"Lights off," Lin said and the room went completely dark.
Their soft fur and warm bodies felt nice, but Peabody was hot. He was sure they must be, too.
"Can you lower the room temperature?" he asked.
"Absolutely. How much?"
"Try five degrees."
"Lower temperature five f," Lin said aloud. Instantly the room got cooler. Peabody lay between them seeing how it felt.
"Try five more."
"Lower temperature five f." It got cooler again.
Then Peabody said "Lower temperature five f." That would be fifty five degrees. Peabody thought it felt about right.
"Peabody, if you get cold, we will know and we will raise the temperature."
"OK. Thanks, Lan."
Lin got up and brought up a display on the wall behind the bed.
"Peabody, if you press the wall here above the right end of the headboard, it will lower the temperature to fifty five if it is seventy and raise the temperature to seventy if it is fifty five. "
Peabody looked up and said, "OK.
"One other thing: can we get a clock in here?"
"Earth time or Mars time."
"What do you use?"
"Earth. No one cares what time it is on Mars since we live underground."
"I will show you some designs tomorrow and you can pick one."
"Could we get just a little light in here? If I have to get out of bed, who knows what I will run into."
"Light, two percent," Lin said.
"That's nice. Will it keep you two awake?"
"No."
Peabody lay there surrounded by them and breathing their scent. He smiled and fell asleep.
Write and let me know if you would like to read more.