Symbiota Sapiens 6

Symbiota Sapiens 6

Synopsis: Jeremey finds himself inducted, against his will, into an ancient organization that claims to protect and guide humanity with supernatural powers. But what happens when the price of that power is losing the brother he loves?

Disclaimer: This is science fiction. To my knowledge there is no such organization as the Guardians of Atlantis. Nor is there any such technology as the Esseren, although our scientists are working hard to correct that lack. If anyone knows something to the contrary, I'd be happy to hear about it.

Disclaimer: Contains incestuous and homosexual relationships between consenting adults, references to quasi-vampiric sexual acts, and may eventually include graphical descriptions of sexual acts (between males). If you are offended by this sort of thing, please do not read this.

Disclaimer: The aforementioned sexual relations will not occur for a while. This is a "plot" story rather than a "sex" story. There will be sex because the main character is a healthy, good-looking young man with a healthy (if somewhat confused) libido. And also because part of the plot involves his developing relationship with his younger brother, who happens to also be healthy, georgeous, and blessed with a similarly active (but not quite so confused) libido. All sarcasm aside, sex is part of life so it'll happen in this story.

Now, enjoy the story...

SYMBIOTA SAPIENS

CHAPTER 6

by Dean (email me at PrettyDean82@yahoo.com)

When I returned to bed, Julian immediately wrapped himself around me again, snuggling his face in to press against the side of my neck. I tensed, then relaxed as he sighed and nuzzled me in his sleep. Eighteen or not, he's still a kid. He's really been through a lot over the past twenty-four hours I guess. So let him cuddle.

::He really trusts you.:: His underaged doppelganger whispered in the back of my brain.

:I should hope so.: I shot back grumpily. :I'd do anything for him.:

::No, I don't just mean consciously. You didn't notice before, but his sleep pattern became disturbed when you left the bed a few minutes ago. I think it stayed that way until you let him touch you again. Now he's completely relaxed. He feels safe with you.::

:You can monitor his sleep patterns?:

::Yes. Your enhanced senses are quite powerful. Your brain naturally filters most of it out because it's just too much for you to handle at this point, but I monitor every vibration, every ray of energy, every current. Since our discussion earlier, there's a special subroutine that monitors his vital signs in far more detail than any equipment in one of your hospitals.::

:Wow. So...really? He needs me next to him to sleep well?:

::It may be temporary. The last day has been eventful. He needs stability. Assurance.::

:Yeah.:

I brush his hair back from his forehead and feel that surge of warmth again as he smiles faintly in his sleep. Damn. I'm such a pushover.

:I guess I really don't mind then. He can cuddle as much as he likes, as long as he needs to.:

::You like this.::

:What? No. Well, sort of I guess.:

I wait a minute. I can feel his pulse through his skin, his breath soft on my neck. His body warm and heavy where he's half on top of me. I shift a bit and he lets out a soft noise of protest, hands clutching at me softly. Hell.

:Guess I do like it. Makes me feel...needed. Dammit I'm such a pussy.:

::This is bad?::

:Well...no not really. I guess it's a good thing.:

My face burning, I brush a kiss across his forehead.

"Love you bro."

That ghost of a smile again. I lean back and close my eyes.

:Is there some way I can sleep?:

::Why would you want to do that?::

:I'm used to it. It lets my brain rest.:

::Your brain no longer needs-::

:Okay, it lets my mind rest then. How's that?:

::I don't understand.::

:Can you do it?:

::Of course. Would you like to dream?::

:Maybe next time. For now I just want to not think and not sense anything until morning.:

::You wish to be temporarily dead?::

:No. Just unconscious. Do you mind?:

::Of course not. When do you want to wake?::

:When it's light outside.:

::Sunrise you mean?::

:Yeah:

::Good morning.::

:Huh?:

::The sun is coming up.::

I open my eyes. Sure enough, there's a few rays of sunlight peeking through the shades.

:What the hell?:

::You've been unconscious for four hours, twenty two minutes. Did you want to sleep for longer?::

I feel a twisting in my gut as a look at the clock confirms this.

:I feel no sense of passed time, or even of having been unconscious at all.:

::Perhaps next time I should provide dreams?::

:Maybe.: I say doubtfully.

I look down. Julian is still snuggled up and I realize I've wrapped my arms around him as well.

"Julian."

"Mmm."

"Wake up bro."

I rub his back a bit. Hell, his skin is a riot of sensations as my palm glides up his spine. I can feel every pore, every one of the soft little baby hairs. Textured silk. I notice I've got a hardon again. Great.

:Um...I seem to be hard.:

::Your body is significantly improved in all aspects.::

:I noticed.:

::This displeases you?::

:Not really. Unfortunately, having the libido of a fourteen year old can cause some uncomfortable moments.: Like suppressing a vague urge to rut against my brothers hip. Hell.

::I'm not detecting any discomfort as a result of this.:: I swear Little Julian's voice is smirking. ::There is even a small amount of pleasurable sensation coming from that area at this moment.::

:Yeah. Well...it's more of a psychological kind of discomfort, seeing as I'm nearly naked with my brother in bed at the moment. Can you relieve the condition?:

::Of course.::

I heave a sigh of relief as the pressure in my groin relaxes, the hardness melting away.

"Julian, cmon kid wake up."

"Too early." He mumbles into my neck.

I give his shoulder a squeeze and try to squirm out from under him.

"Stoppit Jer." He whines, squirming right back. I freeze as he presses against me.

::He has the same condition.::

Julian squirms closer, instinctively rubbing it against my thigh.

:No kidding!: I fume. Well, I tried being gentle. I lean into his face.

"Hey. Julian! Wake up, NOW!"

He grunts, opens his eyes. Realizes what he's doing and blushes, avoiding my eyes as he pulls himself away from me. I grin maliciously.

"Happy to see me this morning?"

He jumps out of the bed, clearly unnerved. Well that makes two of us. I chuckle as he runs to the bathroom, keeping his back in my direction to hide his erection from me. Oh hell, I sprint after him and barely keep him from slamming the bathroom door.

"Hey! It's my turn to shower! Take care of your business out here, bathroom's mine!"

"Fuck you."

I force the door open and meet his bright red face, still not looking me in the eye. He's covering his tented front with one hand, trying to pull the door shut with the other. I smirk at him.

"Hey, dude. We shared a room for how long? Don't be stupid. Nothing to be embarrassed about. I had one when I woke up too. Go take care of your business in the bed, we're leaving here anyways. I'm taking a shower. So get."

He nods, still avoiding my face, ducks past me and disappears around the corner. Jeez. Bashful anybody? I slip out of my boxers and step into the shower. I cry out in shock as the warm water hits my skin, my enhanced nerve endings are overloading my brain with sensation.

:Too much!!! Too MUCH!!:

The sensations suddenly dampen and I'm feeling the normal pleasant warmth of a normal, everyday shower.

::Are you okay?::

:I'm fine.:

::You'll get used to it.::

:Yeah. What the hell?: I'm hard again. Great, this is going to be a problem.

::Your body is-::

:Significantly improved, you mentioned it. Why the hell does a Guardian need to have a super-charged sex drive? I guess they didn't have to take a vow of chastity did they?:

::Oh no. Quite the opposite in fact.::

:Huh?:

::Guardians were quite sought after for that, and not primarily because of their aesthetic beauty.:: :Um...:

::Guardians carry the Esseren in their body, remember? Various classes of nanobots are present in all bodily fluids.::

:And bodily fluids would also include...:

::Exactly. The exchange of fluids had a very positive effect for the mortal recipient, increased longevity, healing. Also, the offspring of such unions were exceptional, because the nanobots optimized the early development of the embryo at a genetic level.::

:Oh. So Guardians weren't just soldiers, but basically breeding studs.:

::If you want to put it that way. Though, it was strictly voluntary.::

:Of course, if all the men are stuck in hormone-crazed-teenager mode all their life, I'm guessing they didn't complain much.:

::True. And incidentally, this particular setting isn't customizable from the default, I'm afraid.::

:Got to ensure the survival of the species, I suppose. But you were able to help me earlier.:

::Of course. Physical reactions can be cancelled if they pose a problem in a situation.::

:Lovely. Well can you help me out now?:

::I can. I would suggest you take your own advice to your brother, however.::

:I beg your pardon? Are you telling me what I think you're telling me?: Young Julian replied with a voice of infinite patience.

::Jeremey, your new hormone settings are going to require certain needs be met at some point. I can dampen the physical reactions from time to time but that is only the actual physical reaction at the time. It will keep coming back with greater frequency until you take care of it.::

:Well.:

I looked down. Just as hard as before. Hell. I put my hand around it and gave it a stroke and a gasp escaped. Guess the computer didn't bother to dampen the enhanced sensations in that part. Well, this shouldn't take too long. I stroked it a few more times, my knees threatening to buckle with each movement.

I leapt into the air as Julian pounded on the door. I froze in place like a guilty teenager as he immediately opened it and walked in.

"What the hell?"

"Dude I gotta pee." There was the initial splash as he started to do just that. Crap.

"Didn't I tell you to-"

"Jer! I did that already, I gotta pee. Why you taking so long anyways?"

:This will have to happen later. Get rid of it.: I demanded, panicked. My body obliged me.

"Kid. I just got in here." I growled.

"It's been thirty minutes!"

::He is correct.::

:How?:

I look down at where my dick lies limp in my hand. Apparently I got carried away and lost track of time somehow.

:I did that for thirty minutes? I guess stamina is one of those things that got 'significantly improved', right?:

::True. Actually you could have kept going until you consciously decided it was time for you to...finish.::

I hastily take my hand away and start cleaning myself. If that part of it felt that good, I didn't even want to think about what it would feel like at the end.

A few minutes later I was out of the shower and came back into the hotel room to change. Julian snapped off the TV and looked up at me, eyes wide as he got a good look at me in daylight.

"Holy shit Jer, you look awesome!"

"Yeah thanks. Seems the Esseren want me to be some kind of super-stud, spread my superior genes throughout the world and all." I say carelessly. His eyes are glued to me.

"Yeah. Dude, I mean it you look like...not even real or something. Your skin!"

"Yeah I know." I say uncomfortably. I slip into my clothes as quickly as possible. Julian is suddenly right in front of me, uncomfortably close. I look up sharply to find him still staring at me as if in a trance. He's shaking like a leaf. I put a hand on his arm and he shudders.

"Julian? You okay?"

::He's affected by your pheremones.::

:What?: I look down and see the telltale lump in his jeans. Hell.

::You were very strongly aroused earlier, but interrupted. The reproductive subroutines interpret this as an opportunity lost and are compensating by putting out powerful pheremones. I'm deactivating this reaction. I'll remind you it's another side-effect of your self-denial, however.::

I avoid Julians attempts to grope at me as I pull up my jeans and grab a shirt, dashing to the door. Outside there's a nice breeze. Julian stumbles after me and comes out of his daze quickly.

"What the...oh hell!" His face burns with shame and he's suddenly nervous, not looking at me for the second time this morning. "Uh, Jer, I'm...dude...I'm sorry I shouldn't have, I don't know what came over me-"

"It was pheremones." I tell him quickly. He looks up at me and continues to babble. Looks like he's about to cry.

"I mean, I wasn't thinking right and I'm really really sorry."

I smack him lightly on the back of the head.

"Bro. I'm putting off sex pheremones. The Esseren thing remember? Not your fault, you were drugged as soon as you got close to me. Don't worry about it, allright?"

"Pheremones." He gives me a weak grin. "Oh."

"Yeah. I turned them off as soon as I figured it out. They're still in there though. Enclosed space and all. Why don't you stay out here a sec while I grab our stuff. We're leaving anyways."

"Okay." He looks tremendously relieved.

"Not that I'm not flattered."

A weak grin.

"Ha. You wish."

That's my bro. I duck back into the room and close up the suitcase, snatching my shoes and his laptop case as I walk out. I find a newly composed Julian waiting for me.

"What's on the agenda for today then?"

I hand him his laptop.

"We're relocating. Devon knows we're here. He was here, while you were asleep."

"What!?"

"He just wanted to talk. I didn't wake you. It was all telepathy anyways. Or whatever you call it."

"Telepathy's cool. So what did he want?"

"Wants me to join up. Actually doesn't sound like too bad of a deal. I'm not sure if we can trust him, though. Something about him rubs me wrong."

"Yeah. And those tentacles were just creepy."

"Yeah. Still not sure what those do. No matter what he says, I don't think he uses those things to help people."

"So you're not joining up?"

"WE are not joining up. Not until we know more, at least." I correct him.

"He wants me too?"

"No. But I'm not going anywhere without you. We're in this together bro."

"Thanks." He looks away, but I can see the grin affixing itself on his face. I snake an arm around his neck and give him a rough squeeze, rub my chin on his head in a vague approximation of a noogey. He scowls at me and pulls away but the grin is back almost instantly.

"So. We relocate. Where?"

"Before that, we need some money."

"Yeah. You think that computer you've got in your blood would be any good at hacking?"

::I'll need to learn the language used by your computer networks. Once I know that...::

:Yeah, yeah. Nearly-infinite capabilities. I'm very proud.:

"Hey, I've got a nearly-infinite-capacity supercomputer in my brain. He just needs to learn the language of our pathetic excuse for technology and he's in."

"He?" Julian was eyeing me skeptically. I blushed.

"Uh. The AI. He took the form of you when you were thirteen, actually."

"I'm flattered." He smirked at me. "So lets find an internet cafe then."

It didn't take long before we were seated in a corner inside a more-or-less deserted coffeehouse. Laptop in front of us.

"So what do you need? I can get you a display of the root code for the windows system for starters I guess. Then your AI should be able to figure out some more from that?"

::This should work.::

"Go ahead."

In a few minutes, my eyes were glued to the screen as symbols scrolled upwards.

::A fairly crude, but effective operating system.:: Young-Julian said. ::May I take control of your hands to operate this device?::

:Go ahead.:

My fingers took to the keyboard in a frenzy, entering commands and shortcuts, quickly reprogramming the computer to display important bits of device operations codes and interface languages. The familiar visual operating environment was replaced by a moving sea of constantly changing computer symbols that appeared and disappeared before my conscious mind could consider them. Finally, they disappeared and I was back to looking at the familiar desktop of Windows again.

"That was interesting." Julian commented.

"That was scary." I said, flexing my fingers uncomfortably over the keyboard.

"The AI took over your fingers?"

"Yeah."

"So?"

::I'm ready to access the internet through the wireless network in this building. Your existing transmitter should suffice.::

"He's ready."

:Go ahead. First find all you can about hacking.:

"I'm going to have him learn how to hack first."

"Yeah, there's plenty of how-to on the net." Julian said wisely.

::I've learned a great deal already. I'm still downloading information. The information flows quite slowly through this network.::

"He's more like you than I'd guessed. He's complaining about the bandwidth already." I grinned.

Julian ignored the crack and started putting his laptop away.

"Don't do that. We're connected to their network, at least try to look like you're surfing the net through something besides a supercomputer made up of nanobots in my bloodstream."

"Oh, good idea." Julian re-opened his computer and started to play solitaire.

::I'm finished. I know enough to penetrate any database connected to the internet now.::

:Good. Can you build us some fake identities?:

"Alright I'm going to have him build us some fake identities now."

"Sounds good to me. We're going to need identification though."

"Shit."

:We'll need to get drivers licenses first. And credit cards to go with them. With a lot of credit on them.:

::Drivers licenses should be easy to acquire directly from the appropriate agencies. Credit cards are sent in the mail, however.::

:True. So we should steal credit cards, then get ID to match.:

::Agreed.::

"Okay, we need to steal a few credit cards."

Julian looked at me, aghast.

"Don't look at me bro. You're the one with lightning-fast reflexes now, right?"

"Um, yeah."

:Can you help me pick pockets without getting caught?:

::Let me find some information on that skill. Okay, I've got enough video footage to see how it's done.::

"Stay here, I won't go far."

I walked outside and activated my enhanced sight until I found a businessman busy talking on the phone, carrying a briefcase in his free hand. In the non-visible bands I detected a wallet in his left back pocket, under his suit jacket.

:Can you do that?:

::I can.::

:Okay, guide me to him, and take control of my hands when you need them.:

I felt myself urged to walk towards him, brushing close and jostling him just a bit. He shot me a glare as he nearly dropped his phone, and did not notice the quick movement of my hand as it lightly flipped up his suit jacket, darted into his pocket and slipped the wallet from its pocket. Two steps later he had forgotten the incident and I was turning back to the internet cafe, prize in hand.

Once in the door my stomach twisted. Julian wasnt there. There was a swirling sensation as the computer suddenly jerked me into a full embrace of the Symbiotic Web.

I rounded on the Julian-shaped avatar.

_

"What the hell? Why'd you do that? I need to find Julian!"

He looked up at me with infuriating calmness.

"I pulled you in here because I'm operating your body. Like we agreed, remember?"

"So. What are you, or what am I, doing?"

"At this moment you are getting ready to run after your brother. We have a bit more time, in here, to talk and figure things out."

The empty space surrounding us was replaced by a translucent model of the internet cafe. I could see myself, poised at the doorway, eyes still in the act of sweeping the room.

There were two exits in back. I could see that the AI had already kicked in with the enhanced senses because the model completed both passageways beyond where I could see. One led to a sandwich shop next door, the other into an employee-only area filled with computer junk, and an exit to the alleyway.

"Which way?"

My body was lunging forward in the first step, in a direction neutral to both corridors.

A blink and the room model turned black and white, and a moment later it was covered with splotches of color.

"Thermal signatures." Young-Julian informed me.

Allowing for the heat generated by the computers in the room, there was still a clear path from where Julian had been sitting moments ago to the door to the employee area. My body was moving very slowly towards that exit now, and as I waited I watched the AI analyze the thermal tracks left on the floor and in the air.

A wireframe foot quickly built out of each footprint, expanding into dozens of legs, bodies in various positions, matched up with the air currents and a few other traces the AI seemed to pick up out of various spectrum. By the time I was halfway to the door I was watching a replay as two figures rushed in, stunned Julian with some electrical device, and dragged his inert body through the door.

As I cleared the doorway more thermal footprints became visible, and the wireframe video continued, on out the door into the alleyway outside. My body was in full-on sprint mode by now. I hit the wooden door with full force and knocked it off it's hinges.

"This looks very well-planned. They moved the second you stepped outside, and we're only about five seconds behind them now." Young-Julian said.

"They've been watching us this whole time."

In the alleyway I just barely saw Julian for a second as a car door closed between us, and a dark sedan streaked away.

"I just finished breaking into several encrypted systems. We have a line into traffic control, surveillance satelites, and several private security companies in the city with closed circuit cameras." The AI said. "We've got an unpassable blanket of coverage for now, they'll have to travel a bit to get where we cant see them."

"Show me. I want to see him."

The model of the alley, where I was slowly chugging my way to the open street, suddenly shrunk and twisted, and I could see the car still accelerating up the street ahead. My perspective moved to the side and above and I was looking through the windshield through a traffic camera. A man in a business suit sat at the wheel, a glazed-over expression on his face. In back, two similarly blank teenagers sandwiched my brother between them. His hair was frazzled from the stun gun, and his eyelids were closed. Still unconscious.

I returned my attention to his captors. Somehow they didn't seem to go together. The business man just looked like...a business man on his way to work. And I could swear those teenagers were run-of-the-mill tourists.

"This may be more complicated than we thought." Young-Julian interrupted my train of thought, and suddenly the picture was blown up and I was looking at the businessman's face.

"What is up with that guy? He looks like he's on drugs or something." I exclaimed. The deer-in-the-headlights expression on his face was disturbing, considering he was swerving through traffic in an alarming manner.

"Or asleep."

The perspective switched to another view, this one a more expensive camera viewing the street from the entrance of a bank. Color. From the side. I could only see the top of Julian's head from this angle, but there was a very clear view of one of the teenaged kidnappers faces in the back seat as he looked out the window. He had the same vacant stare as the driver.

"Zoom in on his mouth." I ordered. I was right. He was drooling, slightly.

"It seems the captors are under some sort of influence."

"I'd say. I wish we could look at them with enhanced senses. Are there any immortals in the area?"

"Three on this street. I'm contacting them now."

A blonde woman appeared suddenly in front of me, her eyebrow arched with surprise. A half-second later she was joined by a bearded man with a cane, and then a young boy.

"Excuse me, I'm sorry for interrupting your day, but my brother has just been kidnapped and I'm trying to track them. Could you lend me your senses for a moment?" I begged, in a rush.

"I don't see the harm, I'm busy but I can spare you a second of my time." The woman offered. Immediately the view was updated into a full three-dimensional view of the street. I could see the sedan in the process of cutting around a slower taxi. I knew there was a lot more information in the model than I could interpret visually, now.

"Thank you."

"Any bit of excitement." She shrugged elegantly. "Do let me know how it turns out, dear." There was a quick buzz as she transmitted her contact information on the shadow internet Devon had introduced me to. Then she was gone.

The man outright growled at me.

"I for one am not inclined to waste my time on the foolishness of fledglings. Find your brat on your own, pup." He disappeared.

The boy looked at me shrewdly through blonde bangs.

"I can do more than lend my senses for a second or two. From where I'm standing I'm guessing your brother is the one in back of the LeSabre between two teenagers, businessman at the wheel?"

"Yeah." I said breathlessly.

"I can stop them. But I'll expect a return for my favor."

"I will. Help me. Please."

_

_He disappeared and I was suddenly in my own body again.
_

I watched through my enhanced senses as the same little boy ran into the street, ducking past the wheels of a delivery van and into the path of a swerving SUV, jumping out of the way just in time to meet the hood of a convertible in the third lane. Traffic collided and slid to a shuddering halt as the small body rolled up and over the windshield to land sprawled in the back seat.

During this slow-motion drama, I was sprinting full-force towards the LeSabre, where the teenagers were immediately opening the doors to escape the trapped vehicle. The driver hadn't moved. The captor on the left was pulling Julian towards that door and then I was there, diving through the rear windshield like it was paper, my fist lashing out to shatter the guy's wrist.

A strange calming sensation suddenly washed over me and I realized I was snarling at the kid who was suddenly looking at me in confusion and horror as he held his destroyed arm with his uninjured hand. He was babbling in terror, clearly in shock. The dazed look in his eyes earlier had disappeared.

::Almost as if he doesn't remember anything that just happened.::

I looked closer at him, using my enhanced senses. None of the familiar implants, he's human alright. But...

Following my train of thought, the AI zoomed forward and initiated a brief burst of radiation. My enhanced eyes caught the reflection and found the small implant at the base of his skull. What the hell?

::Now is not the time. Julian is the priority.::

Before I could agree, my body was continuing in the movement that had never really stopped, and had scooped Julian from the backseat and past the blubbering teenager, and I was sprinting towards the nearest alleyway.

::Don't forget my favor.::

The boy. Shit.

:I won't. But I have to run now. Too many questions. Tell me where I can find you.:

There was a buzz of transmission and I knew the AI had stored away the information.

::Don't forget. You owe me.::

:Yes, I do. I'll find you.:

Then we were away from the street and I was in control of my body again, continuing our flight from...whatever the hell that was. I was definitely going to go find that boy. Despite his childish appearance, he certainly seemed to know what he was about. And we needed answers. Even costly ones.

But first, Julian.