Hello again and thank you for all your kind words! Here is chapter 3, enjoy!
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I'm not going to bother putting in the whole "Don't read if..." thing anymore. If you've gotten this far you're either supposed to be here or you're not going to listen anyway :P
There's been some good guesses so far in the game to discover the partial inspiration for this story. Babylon 5, Stargate, Chronicles of Riddick, and Dune. All of these are great guesses but unfortunately no :) Maybe I'll give a hint next chapter!
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Email: purplejubilee17@gmail.com
Sins of a Futue World: Chapter 3
Perviously...
Jace Marron dealt for the future of his planet and was brought aboard the Luminous Hand, where he spent the evening with his young host, Ryn, drinking too much and learning about each other...
He woke up without realizing he had fallen asleep. Without opening his eyes he groaned at the light that he could already see and feel on the other side of his eyelids. His head pounded and he did not want to move, but he also had to get away from the light coming from the windows. He cracked his eyes open slightly and again saw the city of Abarest sprawled out before him; now alive and bustling in the early dawn.
Ryn still lay on the couch next to him, taking up the vast majority of the sofa with his bare feet pressed against Jace's leg. Jace looked around for a pillow or something to cover his face with but was frustrated to see that the only pillows were far out of his reach.
"Good morning, Ambassador Marron." Calae's voice from somewhere nearly gave him a heart attack. "The time in Varros' capital of Berring is 7:24 AM."
Jace groaned again. "Can you..." He waved his hand at the widow. "Get rid of that?" He asked weakly.
"Of course, Ambassador." The light vanished and Jace breathed a sigh of relief. "Is there any other way I can be of service."
"No." Jace mumbled as he stretched back out as best he could without disturbing Ryn. "Thank you."
Several hours later Jace woke again to find that he was alone. Ryn had disappeared. The viewport was clear now, reverting back to its standard function as a window out into space. Jace sat up and winced at the massive headache. His mouth was dry and he felt unclean. It was one of the worst hangovers he had ever experienced.
Pushing through the pain, Jace stood up and looked around. He realized he had never really gotten a tour of the massive quarters so he had no idea where anything was. It was even bigger than he had initially suspected. There were several rooms with a mezzanine overlooking them and it seemed likely that there were more rooms above. He finally found Ryn who was in one of the smaller rooms practicing something that resembled tai chi or yoga while soft music played in the background. Jace cleared his throat quietly to alert Ryn of his presence.
"Good morning." Ryn said, turning around with a smile. "It is nearly midday though." He was wearing form-fitting athletic wear that was entirely black and made him seem even more slender.
"Yeah, well it was a late night." Jace replied, barely above a whisper.
Ryn gave him a raised eyebrow and a sympathetic frown. "You look terrible." He said with a silent laugh.
"Thanks." Jace said sarcastically, leaning on the doorframe.
"Come with me, I know just the thing." Ryn instructed. The music shut off as they left the room and Ryn took him across the flat to the kitchen area. He set a clear cup on a countertop, hit several buttons, and then a small spout folded up from the countertop and filled the glass with water before folding down once more.
"This will help." Ryn handed the glass to Jace who gratefully accepted it and began to drink.
The water was ice cold which, to Jace's hungover body made it feel like the most relieving thing that could possibly exist. It was not plain water however, Jace noticed. It was infused with some sort of herb or spice that he could not place. It was very pungent and if he had been less desperate for hydration then he might have commented on it.
To his surprise, as soon as he had finished the glass he felt his headache receding. It did not disappear entirely but it was substantially improved.
"Wow." He said clearing his throat. "Where has this stuff been all my life?"
Ryn smiled at his reaction. "It is created with the roots of a plant that grows on the Homeworld. It is a powerful pain reliever and in its more concentrated forms used for other things as well."
"What kind of things?" Jace asked, setting the glass down on the counter.
For the first time Ryn's face reddened a little as he blushed. "Well... it is often considered to be an aphrodisiac."
Jace burst out laughing. "Oh really? What's your end game here?" He said teasingly.
Ryn turned a deeper red. "Diffused into water it does not usually have that effect." He assured, trying to hide his embarrassment.
Still chuckling a little, Jace grinned. "No worries. Is there some place that I could get cleaned up a bit? I feel like I could shower for a week."
"Yes, of course." Ryn said, obviously grateful for the change of topic. "Up the stairs and on the left you will find a washroom. Give your clothing to Calae and she will clean it while you freshen up."
Jace found the bathroom right where Ryn said, although it was much different than he had expected. The shower didn't look like any shower he had ever seen before.
"Do you need assistance, Ambassador?" Calae asked him.
Jace was a little unnerved at the omnipresent disembodied voice but definitely needed the help. "Yes. Please. This is quite different from what I'm used to."
"I will help you through it. Remove your garments and put them in the receptacle behind you and I will begin cleaning them."
Jace saw the small opening in the wall that looked not unlike a laundry shoot. Once he had followed instructions, Calae's voice returned. She guided him into the shower and once she had asked for his temperature preferences water began shooting out from almost everywhere. Some of the streams were a soft trickle while others were high pressure jets that made for a more thorough clean than Jace had ever experienced.
The water must have had some sort of a soap mixed in because it lathered slightly as soon as it touched his skin. The cleaning process included a strong mouthwash that left his teeth and gums feeling as thoroughly clean as if he had just been to the dentist. When the water stopped, suddenly he was buffeted by strong currents of warm air from all directions that quickly dried him entirely.
"Will you be requiring shaving or grooming, Ambassador?" Calae asked.
Jace raised an eyebrow imagining what that would entail. "No, thanks." His stubble grew in slowly so he only really needed a shave every few days or so.
His clothing was waiting for him, cleaned, dried, and folded nicely and smelling pleasantly. He dressed and again reflected on how out of place his mechanic's garb was in the middle of such luxury. As he stood from slipping his socks on he looked in the mirror and straightened his damp brown hair.
While staring down his reflection a feeling gripped him that he had been pushing away for some time. Here he was on the flagship of the enemies of Varros. He had been drinking and fraternizing with the one who had caused the deaths of thousands of citizens of Varros only the day before. Ryn's youthful appearance made him seem innocent, but he had no problem ordering his drone operated ships to destroy dozens of Coalition ships, each with a crew of hundreds, many of them simple engineers and mechanics like himself that had done harm to no one. It was not something he could overlook any longer.
He laced up his boots and went to find his host.
Ryn sat at a small table drinking some sort of tea and reading from a hologram tablet. He looked up and smiled when Jace returned but it faded when he saw Jace's expression.
"Thank you for your hospitality." Jace began before Ryn could say anything. "I would like to return to the planet surface now."
Ryn looked hurt. "I see. Is something wrong?"
"There's a lot of things wrong." Jace said coolly. "But I would like a shuttle down to Varros as soon as possible please."
Looking confused, Ryn set down his tablet. "Very well. Won't you at least have lunch?"
Although Jace was quite hungry he shook his head. "I would rather not."
Ryn frowned. "Alright." He said quietly. "I'll have it done." He tapped a few times on his tablet. "Have you made arrangements to meet with the Senate?"
"No." Jace said and then paused. "What do you mean?"
Looking up at him Ryn stopped what he was doing. "The Senate of Varros has requested that we attend their emergency council."
"Were you planning on sharing that information?" Jace was becoming angry.
"They reached out while you were cleaning." Ryn protested. "I was going to tell you just now. I assumed that was why you asked to leave."
"No." Jace raised his voice a little. "I asked to leave because I shouldn't be drinking and having lunch with the kid that conquered Varros and killed thousands that were just defending their homes to do so."
"Oh." Was Ryn's only response. "I understand."
Jace did not understand though. He knew he should have rage boiling over; anger without end at this monster that had killed so many. But he could not find it. He did his best to manufacture it but it felt hollow. As he looked at the dejected expression on Ryn's face and his wide blue eyes that were full of hurt and confusion, all he could feel was pity.
He growled in frustration at himself and smacked a hand down on the table causing Ryn to jump. "Why did you do it?" He demanded. "Why did your stupid religion say all those people had to die? They didn't do anything to you."
The silence in the apartment seemed deafening for a long time. Ryn looked about to speak but then stopped himself. When he finally did his voice was thick with emotion. "We are dying, Jace."
"Archon Embara." Calae's voice suddenly interjected. "I am obligated to warn you that revealing this information to an outsider goes against the teachings of the Light."
"I know, Calae." Ryn said bitterly. "But he has a right to know."
"Dying? What do you mean you're dying?" Jace demanded.
"Did you know that Varros was once a colony of the Light before our banishment?" Ryn asked, seemingly out of the blue. "Vengeance has never been our goal, it simply makes it easier for us to hide our motivations. Our people are wasting away. Our minds collapse under the weight of our psionic gifts. We believe there are ancient artifacts here on Varros and other planets that were in centuries past used to prevent this. We care nothing for expanding our empire. But we will survive. No matter the cost." Ryn's voice cracked as he finished.
Jace ran a hand through his hair trying to process this information. "Why not just say that?" He asked. "Why not just tell us what you needed?"
"Would you have listened?" Ryn asked pointedly. "Or would your governors and senators have dithered and debated while hundreds of my people die torturous and slow deaths? What reason have we ever had for trust between our peoples?"
Jace could not refute it but still protested. "There must have been another way. You've killed thousands, if not millions in this crusade!"
"You heard the stories of Glenar?"
Jace had indeed heard the stories. Glenar was the first planet that had fallen to the Harmonious Light. By all accounts the invasion had a higher body count than any subsequent attacks. He nodded in response.
"We came to them in peace before the attack. We requested envoys to talk and allow us access to the ancient temples. They responded by blowing up one of our ships with their planetary defense grid." Ryn's voice faltered as he recounted the events. "The Light's Will was commanded by Archon Yarra Jarae Felan; my ritual brother. We trained and completed the trials together. Our minds were one when weapon was fired." A tear rolled down Ryn's face. "I felt his fear as he died."
Jace had no idea what to say. He opened his mouth but then closed it again. Ryn locked his gaze. His tearful eyes grew icy cold.
"We made them pay." He said with venom in his voice, which had suddenly become lower than normal. Jace could not tell if he was imagining it, but the room seemed to darken. "The murder of an Archon is unpardonable in the eyes of the Light. We smashed their fleet and executed their generals for what they had done. And we were rewarded by finding a piece of what we need, buried in a forgotten temple, centuries before. Even that small piece will save hundreds of my people from a pain that I hope you will never experience."
After a tense moment the dark pall seemed to pass. Jace sighed and sat down at the opposite side of the table. He shook his head but said nothing and the two of them sat in silence for a while.
Ryn spoke first. "I wish things could be different. I'm sure your people thought we had died out long ago on the edge of the galaxy. I'm sure you would prefer it that way. But it was not us that made the first strike. We came looking for what belongs to us. And we must get it back."
Jace nodded. His mind was whirling. If what Ryn said was true then maybe all of this bloodshed had arisen from a conflict needlessly stirred up by politicians and generals. "When is the Senate expecting us?" He finally asked.
"In several hours. I will be attending remotely. I can make sure that your shuttle has a hologram interface since you won't make it to the planet surface in time."
"They're going to be attacking from all sides." Jace said slowly. "And I don't know the first thing about politics." He glanced up at Ryn. "I suppose it might be nice to have some backup."
Ryn half smiled and looked down at the table. "There is a conference room aboard the Luminous Hand that I will be using for this meeting. You are welcome to join me."
"Thank you for telling me all that, by the way." Jace said quietly.
Ryn wiped the last of the tears from his eyes and his smile widened a bit. "Light knows, perhaps the two of us can make a peaceful and thriving future for both of our peoples."
Jace returned his smile and stood up. "You mentioned some lunch?"
"Of course!" Ryn said, standing up as well. "Calae have the kitchen send up a lunch assortment."
"Right away, Archon."
Jace was glad to have had the chance to talk things out and he felt a little bit embarrassed for jumping to conclusions the way he had. He should have guessed that there were two sides to the story. While he still mourned the loss of life, understanding the motivations behind it helped him not to view Ryn as anything other than a leader trying his best. It was also true that the Harmonious Light had called for the ceasefire as soon as they had made it clear that their force was stronger. Jace supposed that if their intentions were evil they would have used their superior strength to send a message.
The lunch assortment that Ryn had ordered turned out to be a massive buffet that arrived through a large lightning-fast version of a dumbwaiter. There were assorted meats and vegetables, some that Jace recognized and some he did not. He found that most of the food was heavily spiced, giving it a pleasantly exotic flavor. Ryn directed him to personal favorites and watched his reactions eagerly, and Jace told stories of his favorite dishes from growing up on Varros, all of which Ryn promised to try.
Jace found once again as he had noticed last night that conversing with Ryn came very easily. Something about the way the boy cocked his head and listened intently every time Jace talked was very endearing. Jace could tell that unlike most people, Ryn absorbed every word that he said.
When they had both eaten their fill the buffet disappeared back to where it had come from. "That was the best meal I've had in months." Jace said honestly. "Although the mess hall on the Lograin is not much competition." He chuckled.
Ryn beamed. "I'm glad you liked it. The Senate does not meet for some time yet, would you care to join me in the spa room?"
"Spa room?" Jace asked, confused.
Nodding, Ryn smiled amiably. "Come with me, I will show you."
Ryn guided him to one of the back rooms of the quarters. It was warmer than the rest and the floor was made of stones. It was decorated with various exotic-looking plants. One side of the room boasted a viewport with a breathtaking view of the Abarest skyline. It was so perfect that Jace had to remind himself that it was not real. Somehow there were even sunbeams streaming through the viewport from the exact right angle. If he had not seen it change he could have been convinced that they were actually there. Directly in front of the stunning view was a large hot tub that bubbled pleasantly.
"Here." Ryn said. "It is quite relaxing and you will feel very refreshed afterwards."
"Oh." Jace shrugged. "I haven't got anything to wear."
"You have underthings, don't you?" Ryn said, amused. "Go on while I get changed."
Without waiting for Jace to respond, Ryn disappeared into the next room that seemed to be a changing closet. Jace looked at the hot tub and then back at the door Ryn had gone into. He did not want to seem rude, especially after practically yelling at Ryn before. And the hot tub did look very inviting and was far more luxurious than any he had ever been in. He shrugged again even though no one was there to see it and began stripping down to his underwear.
He tested the water with a foot and found it to be very comfortable. It was hot but not scalding. He stepped in and sank down to his shoulders, sighing contentedly. A few moments later Ryn emerged from the changing room wearing a small set of swimwear. Jace saw that, despite his slim build, Ryn still had some slight muscle definition. Not as much as Jace, who had been doing manual labor for most of his life, but for Ryn's age it was impressive.
Ryn wasted no time slipping into the water and, as Jace had done, letting out a long sigh. He closed his eyes and drifted to one side. The hot tub was very large but Jace noticed that Ryn still chose a spot somewhat close to where he himself was sitting. Jace suspected that it was in order to have a better view of the city.
Iridescent eyes flicking open, Ryn smiled at Jace. "Nice, isn't it?"
Jace nodded. "It's amazing." He leaned back and stretched himself out as far as he could and still did not come close to touching the other side with his feet.
They talked and laughed and enjoyed the water and good conversation for quite some time. After a while, Jace thought of something. "That thing you did last night, when you fixed my jaw. That's probably quite an experience while in a hot tub like this."
Grinning mischievously at him Ryn moved slightly closer. "True, but there are other things too that are even better."
"What do you mean?" Jace asked, frowning at his conspiratorial tone.
Ryn shrugged innocently. "There are psionic gifts that are more... intense. In a good way of course. What you experienced last night was in fact very mild." He flicked the water idly.
Jace raised an eyebrow. "Well now you've got me curious. It doesn't hurt at all?"
Shaking his head and grinning wider, Ryn drifted over until he was next to Jace. "No, definitely not. Would you like to try?"
Jace shrugged his broad shoulders. "I guess I'll try anything once."
"Alright." Ryn replied. He took his hand out of the water and placed to fingers gently on the back of Jace's neck. "Just try to relax." He instructed.
Jace gasped suddenly as his vision faded to black. Waves of immense pleasure rippled through him. It was as if every nerve in his body was sending its most pleasurable signals to his brain all at once. It was overwhelming. His mouth fell open but he could not produce any sound. It was almost too much for him to handle. It took all his will to raise his arm and grasp Ryn's slender shoulder as a signal that he had had enough. When he made contact, however, things changed.
He could suddenly see again. Except what he saw confused him. He saw himself, sitting in the hot tub with his head rolled back, eyes closed, and mouth hanging open. He could feel both his hand and the shoulder it rested on as if they both belonged to him. Suddenly waves of thoughts crashed into him that he knew were not his own. Powerful and ancient emotions swirled around him. Sadness and rage were kept at bay by joy and love, in a dance so beautiful, mysterious, and foreign that it made him want to cry with joy and despair simultaneously. A sudden image replaced these other thoughts though. A clear desire in a mind that was not his own. The image was the two of them, Jace and Ryn, sitting close in the hot tub. Suddenly the Jace in this thought picked up Ryn and placed him on his lap before kissing him deeply.
At that exact moment it felt for a fraction of a second like the world split apart. He landed heavily back within himself and his eyes shot open. He panted loudly and saw that Ryn had pushed himself far away to the other side of the tub and was breathing hard as well, glaring at Jace like a cornered animal.
"Why did you do that!?" Ryn demanded. He sounded angry but also hurt, as though Jace had done something to upset him deeply.
"I'm sorry!" Jace answered. "I didn't know. I didn't mean to." He struggled to find the right words while still at a loss for what exactly he had just witnessed.
Ryn's face was a bright red and he would not meet Jace's eyes. "It means nothing!" He almost shouted before standing and getting out of the tub. "The Senate will be expecting us soon. The drying room is through here." He instructed before he stomped off into the changing room.
Jace sat alone in the tub for several minutes, catching his breath and then reflecting on what had just happened. When he had touched Ryn he had somehow touched his mind as well, that much was clear. His thoughts kept dragging him back to the last image he had seen, and the strong feelings that had been attached to it.