Chapter 8: Registration
Tom
All the orderly lines of Zen were divided into separate queues upon entering the registration depot. Tom was able to make out the words above the door using the information he'd gleaned from the human version of Records. They were registering at the County Clerk Office where it seemed many types of registration were available.
Queue directors helpfully shuffled the Zen from one path to another in order to try to keep an even number of registrants before each human worker; Scientist Serena was moved to the queue beside Tom and John before either of them had an opportunity to protest. Tom knew he would have tried to insist they remain together.
Tom didn't want to admit he knew John would have felt otherwise regarding the Scientist.
Surprisingly, the pair in front of them were human.
"What are we doing for you gentleman today?"
Tom listened to the cheerful worker greet the pair
Chapter 9: NewsworthyJohnQuestions continued to be fired at them with the speed of stun bolts and they had the same effect on Tom who was trying -unsuccessfully- to tuck his taller, leaner body behind John. It was instinct alone which had him wrapping an arm around Tom's waist to pull him into his body; Tom responded beautifully as he ducked enough to tuck his face into the crook nestled between John's neck and shoulder.Why did he have to be shorter in this form of all forms?"We are unable to respond without permission of our expedition council."The answer was not entirely truthful as no Zen was forbidden from speaking as they pleased. The human recordkeepers seemed to understand and accept it all the same which was relief enough for John.Feeling Tom trembling against him was rousing his protective instincts."Hey! You guys were right behind us!"John glanced over to see
Chapter 10: On Hunters and GatherersTomEvery step through the throng of reporters felt harder than the one before it. Tom was painfully aware of how exposed his face was as he felt blinded every time a flash went off in front of him. They were out in a sunny area. Why would these people even need additional lights for their records?Nothing about the questions being posed made sense.Who would benefit from knowing how long he and John had been in a relationship? What use would humans have of their designated employments? Why would any human want to know who had 'proposed' marriage as an option for them?Questions spun around in his head until he felt dizzy, grateful for John's sturdy form keeping him upright until they reached the automobile their new human companions claimed for their own."Do you mind riding in the back? I get carsick in the backseat."'What is 'carsick'?' Tom though
Chapter 11: GatheringJohnBrian and Ryan linked hands as soon as they were clear of their vehicle; John followed their example to entwine his fingers with Tom's and instantly felt better about being so far from Guardian."How many in your party?"Ryan indicated John and Tom were with them and responded, "Four. We're celebrating our wedding day! We're all newlyweds!""Thank you for choosing us to celebrate this day with you! We are very happy to serve you here!"The woman was the smallest female John had ever seen among humans. She had features which he'd been told were Asian and she moved with the kind of grace he associated with his Tom. All the other customers seemed to look at them as they made their way through the main floor of the establishment to be seated before a cooking station."Please be seated. Our chef will be with you soon."They sat two a side at the station
Chapter 12: HuntersTom"Please calm down, sir. We will seat you on this side. Far away. You see? Very far away.""I don't want to be in the same buildingas those things!"Tom leaned closer to John as the man continued to yell at the small hostess who'd been so kind to them on their arrival. Why was he so angry? Was he so very afraid of Zen? How did he know?John moved his hand in slow circles on Tom's back and he found himself breathing slower, calming even more when the man stormed out with his companions."Don't worry about him," Ryan encouraged, "We used to get complaints when we held hands in public. People choose how they react to anyone different. That guy? Total bigot. He's probably terrified you're going to turn him into a frog or eat him."Brian nodded his agreement while Ryan rolled his eyes expansively; Tom found he was smiling once more.Wer
Chapter 13: The CouncilJohn"Which of you would like to answer to our council first?"John stepped in front of Tom as he realized the Council Guard had vocalized his request to be certain Tom understood the gravity of the situation.Zen rarely acknowledged the weaknesses of any bloodline; Records were revered enough for hints at their weak mind voices to be considered beyond crass."I will speak to them. I made the choice during our registration."Neither of them needed to be able to read the Council Guard's mind voice to know he was bringing them before the council in regards to their 'marriage.'Tom nearly vibrated with anxiety beside him. John took his hand in the fashion the humans had displayed and felt his anxiety lessen almost immediately. Zen tradition to keep themselves physically separate meant they received a few stares, but John was willing to risk any disapproval to help Tom.Why hadn't he con
Chapter 14: NegotiationTom"I made the choice to sign in agreement with John of my own free will. For all Security wishes to spare me any burden of responsibility, the truth remains neither of us thought of our people. We thought only of ourselves. Our choice was selfish, yes, but it was not one designed to harm the Zen people."Zen were a forgiving species. Theirs was not the kind of culture to punish innocent mistakes.Their marriage might be a problem for their people---but they had not entered into it with any thoughts to harm their brethren.Tom had no doubt the council would see their actions as they had been: hasty yet honest.Silence returned to the council hall as they deliberated with their mind voices rather than aloud.Tom would have been worried except he knew the history of their councils. None of their people had ever been sentenced unfairly. Punishments were rare among Zen. Most
Chapter 15: UnifiedJohnHuman bodies were too sensitive.John couldn't catch his breath as he kissed Tom in the lift. His emotions sizzled along his skin, shocking him as much as Tom with their intensity; John couldn't hold back his desperate need to get closer to Tom.'I don't want to stop kissing you.'Tom groaned against his mouth as John captured Tom's posterior in his hand -grateful his human form had large, wide palms to cover as much area as possible- and he squeezed while they continued to move their lips together.Had he ever wanted to kiss someone so badly? Had any kiss ever felt so good? Was there any other species in the universe for whom kissing was such an amazing experience?Humans were the luckiest of species."Don't stop," Tom begged against his lips, kissing him in short bursts, sucking at his lips and tongue, "I don't care if anyone sees."John didn't care if
Chapter 16:TomSticky remnants of their passion were spread between their bodies; Tom couldn't resist the urge to touch them. The fluid felt hot and viscous to the touch. He had the sudden urge to taste it and brought his fingers up to his lips to kiss the tips."Stop! What are you thinking?"Tom was startled as John pulled his hand away from his face."I wasn't."He hadn't been thinking anything."What?""I wasn't thinking. I wanted to know how we taste. It can't be harmful, can it? It's a natural product of this body. I doubt humans poison themselves when they copulate. Besides. I think it smells of the great waters. I loved being a water creature."John looked at him as if he were someone entirely new. There was a wide wonder to his eyes Tom could not remember seeing before. It made his friend look younger, less hardened by a life among the ranks of Security."We taste of
Chapter 24: PactTomHuman bodies were fragile in ways which made Tom nervous, vulnerable to so much more than Zen bodies, yet they were amazing.Tom felt as if he could feel everything John could feel as he held his hardness in his hand. They were made the same in this form. Every time he could squeezed the rigid flesh, John responded a little differently: a sigh, a groan, a buck of his hips or a sharp inhale of breath.Human flesh was responsive and alive."I can feel you. Can you feel me?"John nodded as he moved to kiss Tom's mouth. Their lips were soft against each other in contrast to all the ways their bodies were hard; Tom could have given up breathing if only to kiss John for a few minutes more."I can feel you. I can always feel you."John could, too. He was true Zen in ways Tom wasn't capable of being. His bloodline granted him strong tethers to all the best gifts of
Chapter 23: ReturningJohn"What happened? Did the humans attack? Is he well?"Adam Jones of Communications needed to find his way back to the council. John gave him an inhospitable look as he crouched beside Tom to try to gain his attention.Clark ushered the Communications aide away while John fought to get Tom to focus on him."Tom? We're aboard Guardian. We need to step off the lift. There are others who might need it. You'll be taken back down to the surface if you're still on when it's called."Tom seemed to have retreated to somewhere else inside his mind; John could sense only distress from him when he tried to touch his mind voice.It was the first time John felt helpless in the face of his mate's shortcomings."Tom?"John positioned himself to steady Tom by his arm, supporting his back with his other hand. He attempted to rise from the floor of the lift and was gratified when
Chapter 22: The InterviewTom"You are to come with me."Hearing someone unknown break the silence of the food hall jarred Tom. Startled, he looked up to find a council aide waiting to be acknowledged.He was young though not as young as Scientist Eric. Tom couldn't place him. It was likely he was a lesser son of Communications which would have placed him outside Tom's experience.Communications had limited interactions with Records."Where are we going?" John asked, gathering his utensils as he cleared his space at the table, "I haven't planned our surface visit. We have only decided we'll take my blood brother to represent Security. Has the council had some kind of interaction with the humans?""The humans have been demanding to speak to you since your registration. Our council has done all they can to delay their requests. We've run out of plausible reasons to keep you from making a statement. You e
Chapter 21: PlanningJohn'Come join us. Your family wants to dine with you before we succumb to duty again.'Tom nodded before going to gather a tray of food for himself. John watched his progress through the hall with a focus he couldn't justify.No one was trying to harm them. They were safe among their own people. More than safe even as Zen would fight to protect Tom as the last son of Records. He was a literal treasure for their kind.John made sure to speak quietly as Tom settled beside him at the table, "Carrie, Clark, Charlie, Conrad, and Carter Kent. They're going to help us with our breeding request. We all agree it is of extreme importance we find a way to pass on your biology to preserve Records."If John also wanted to see a child who resembled Tom, who could blame him? Tom was the epitome of perfection to John. Why wouldn't he love to see his lover's child? There was no greater blessing
Chapter 20: BloodlinesTomScience felt too far away as Tom boarded the lift and scanned himself in to his destination. It felt as if he were waiting hours for the lift to begin moving; Tom couldn't sense any other Zen near when the doors closed or opened. Was everyone on task for the benefit of their people? Were they still going through their individual registrations? How long would it take the Zen to be given clearance from the humans to leave their landing site?Questions tumbled over each other in Tom's head as he was locked away from his brethren. He wished he could hear the sounds of his people. If Records were such an asset to the Zen, why were they the least like their kind?No one was in the hall as the lift opened onto Science.Tom waited long enough for the lift doors to begin to make a questioning sound -was he remaining aboard or did he intend to disembark?- before stepping out. He relied on his regular sense of h
Chapter 19: FamilyJohnSecurity was in chaos regarding the guard schedules for the council. None of the council members were particularly young -their sole female member was twice the age of a Zen who could cease their work days- yet all of them seemed fascinated with the human world.John listened to Clark tell him about the logistical nightmares of having four Councillors off-ship at the same time. All of them had gone to separate destinations at differing departure times with different return times; no one had been able to coordinate any parties to join together.He was beginning to get pain in his skull from hearing about it.Clark could keep the reins for the council. John would continue to handle Security details for the rest of their people. Zen were ordinarily much more courteous.Looking over the list of names Clark had given him, John realized how few members of Security had chosen to leave Zon.
Chapter 18: ScienceTomWaking alone gave Tom a shock. His heart skipped several beats in his chest as he tried to find any indication of where John could have gone.They had spent almost no time alone since waking from stasis. There were many duties which fell on John as a dominant member of Security. With his weak mind voice, Tom had no chance of being able to locate him among their brethren by traditional Zen methods.Tom couldn't hear John---but could he feel him?Empathy was a skill for Zen as much as their mind voice. Some had more abilities with it than others; Tom had learned to use his to his advantage from a very young age as he'd inherited the weak mind voice of his bloodline.No one had ever been able to tell Tom why Records were weak with their mind voice yet flawless with their mind skills. One would think they'd be linked. Why could he forget nothing yet he couldn't so much as se
Chapter 17: BrothersJohnWaking felt similar to steering too close to a solar flare: an unbearable brightness coupled with too much for one's eyes and ears to take in. John wasted several minutes only breathing before he could orient himself enough to release the security lashes holding him in his berth.Only a little dexterity was needed to hold Tom in his space inside the berth before re-engaging the lashes to allow him to continue to rest.John wanted to kiss his lover, but the desire was outweighed with a need to let him rest while he could. Who knew if they were going to be able to get any decent sleep in coming days?Their council wanted them to speak for Zen regarding their 'unnatural union.' The human recordkeepers -reporters, John remembered their human friends calling them- showed no problems intruding on the personal space of others to get their questions answered. John would have taken Tom and run if th
Chapter 16:TomSticky remnants of their passion were spread between their bodies; Tom couldn't resist the urge to touch them. The fluid felt hot and viscous to the touch. He had the sudden urge to taste it and brought his fingers up to his lips to kiss the tips."Stop! What are you thinking?"Tom was startled as John pulled his hand away from his face."I wasn't."He hadn't been thinking anything."What?""I wasn't thinking. I wanted to know how we taste. It can't be harmful, can it? It's a natural product of this body. I doubt humans poison themselves when they copulate. Besides. I think it smells of the great waters. I loved being a water creature."John looked at him as if he were someone entirely new. There was a wide wonder to his eyes Tom could not remember seeing before. It made his friend look younger, less hardened by a life among the ranks of Security."We taste of