The following is a complete work of fiction.
Any resemblance between the characters and any real life person is completely coincidental. Please do not copy or distribute the story without the author's permission.
Disclaimer:
The following story contains erotic homosexual situations. If it is illegal for you to read this please leave now.
Chapter 9 Mood Swing
I remember waking up angry. It was just one of those things that happen once in a while, like when your mind has been busy with something in your sleep that it can't figure out. You just wake up frustrated and pissed off at the world.
I had been dreaming a memory from long ago. It had been a perfectly horrible day that I can remember down to the dew on each leaf and the mist that hung in the air as it collected against my skin.
I had woken earlier than the rest as I often did, and made my way out of the caverns. The chill in the air magnified the ache in my bones. It was one of those cool mornings that made it hard to move, but promised perfection later in the day.
I had wandered out into the woods that surrounded the mountainside and caves that were my home. It was the one time of day that I could have all to myself. It was MY time. I didn't have to risk discovery or avoid interruption. It usually never lasted more than fifteen or twenty minutes, but these were precious moments to me.
I had a habit of following the slightly worn paths the deer and other animals had made down the slope to a nearby stream. I paused watching the sun peak over the ridge in the distance. The trees burned from the yellow orange that framed them in the mist. The suns rays had started their way up the sky like a hand clawing at the night. I remembered the dew as it collected on each leaf and stem making it look like acres of diamonds breathing in and out. It was spectacular.
I don't know how long I had stood there in my daze when I finally startled back to reality and decided to make my way to the stream below. As I looked ahead of me, I saw a large Doe with her long dark brown neck stretching down to drink the cool water. I remember thinking how I might never see anything so beautiful again in my life as an arrow tore violently through her neck toppling her into the stream as she thrashed and bleated wildly to her death.
I just stood there staring in horror as the hunters from my community had come rushing between the trees and proceeded to slit her neck, tie her legs, hang her upside down and cut the flesh from her body.
I remember thinking... I should go down and stop them, but knew it was useless and the Doe was dead. I remember thinking I should be appalled and that a better person would have been so sickened they would have throw up in the grass, but we needed the meat. I turned around and walked back to the caves.
It has really been bothering me that every time I finally discover something beautiful I have to watch it be destroyed. I mean why in the hell is it that when I get the slightest bit of joy, does it have to be snuffed out of existence EVERY FUCKING TIME!?
It seems we're dazzled so easily when we are young and it takes so little to destroy our worlds. We are innocent and naive in our wonders and devastations. A butterfly can grab our attention for moments on end, and a harsh word can crush us. We grow, we age, and we see more magnificent destruction. It's almost as though each slash from the whip of life numbs us against the next. I just wait to feel or witness something even more beautiful hoping my soul will respond, and then watch its execution with morbid curiosity.
I have watched the happy people and I still don't know how they're doing it. I like to console myself with the thought that maybe they're just faking it. I don't know anymore. They don't seem to work harder for it or deserve it more than someone else, it just happens. Everything seems to fall into place for them as if they were entitled to it.
I've had lovers that I have buried, lovers that I have left, and lovers that have left me. I have NEVER felt the joy of their company without the thought of what my time limit with them would be. More often than not, I'd been prone to prolonging my agony just to avoid the effort of starting over again. It's easier to take the beating you know, than the one you don't. I suppose... sometimes... a soul just becomes weary.
Bransen had entered my quarters. I lay still in the bed sighing to let him know I was awake. I felt him crawl into the bed on top the covers pressing against me tightly as the blanket pulled against my hip. He wrapped his arm around me and I gave it a little tug not saying anything.
It wasn't his fault, and I didn't want to be cruel, but right at that moment I really didn't want someone being nice to me. I needed to be alone to think. What I needed most was to be alone from the whole world surrounded only by eyes that couldn't speak about what they saw. I couldn't do that here and I couldn't do that with Bransen. I had spent hundreds of years alone in my own mind with only an occasional distraction. I felt crowded.
"Hey... you okay?" He gave me a squeeze. I suppose he recognized the silence.
Normally I would have answered with a lie. Hell yeah... everything is fucking great! I don't know why I didn't...
"No... I need your MFM, and please don't come looking for me." I said quietly before turning to look him in the eyes. I could see the worry there, but I didn't have it in me right now to fix his worries.
"Please?" I asked him peering into his eyes.
Silence surrounded me and he finally spoke. "Anything for you."
I pulled him into a deep awkward kiss feeling my heart double over on itself at the thought of leaving him behind.
"Thank you." Was all I was able to say as I got out of the bed and dressed. I pulled a satchel from the bottom of the wardrobe throwing in a few odds and ends to get me by.
"I'll be back before test day." I said quietly zipping up the satchel trying desperately to pay more attention to what I was doing than his pained expressions in my peripheral vision.
"That's two weeks away!" Bransen said hopping out of bed. "What's going on? What's wrong? What did I do?"
A sad laugh escaped my chest. "Nothing hun, I just have some things I need to sort out. I can take care of myself. I can always fold myself here to safety if something happens... but right now... I just need to be alone."
"It's only two weeks." I said smiling at him.
It was nice for a change, to feel that with his absence, two weeks would seem like an eternity as I hoisted the bag over my shoulder walking to the door.
"I love you." I said with a smile walking out the door. "By the way... the tracking device you hid in the sole of my shoe is in your top left desk drawer." With that, I folded myself out of the complex and deep into the jungle.
I probably should have left him with his illusions of having an eye on me before I left, but I didn't. It seems we measure worth in how much we'd miss a thing if it were gone. I hoped that Bransen would miss me desperately. He does have a hold on my heart, and I don't know if I have the stamina to watch another beautiful thing die.
I had wandered through what felt like mountains of brush following the animal made paths as often as I could find them. I could hear water ahead and hoped for a clearing of some sort where I might rest. As the dull roar of water got louder I found myself walking into a plateau of sorts. There were no trees in the area, but there was so much plant life that I had to wade through the brush as if it was rushing water pulling against me. I finally made it to the river's edge where large boulders stopped at least some of the advancing wild life. One particular boulder nearly eight foot long had jutted up from the earth providing a decent place to rest.
I climbed its lichen slick side before finding a rougher but dry flat spot to sit. Everything seemed so alive that it practically made my skin crawl. Everywhere you looked there was something crawling, slithering, or flitting through the air. I felt claustrophobic and created a barrier about myself to keep out unwanted visitors... Calming a bit I looked at the landscape. It was beautiful with its flowers, plants and many multi colored birds that flew from one giant mound to another.
It was a spectacular panorama as I gazed at the valley that appeared almost too perfect to be by accident. Some 300 yards ahead of me were gigantic mounds of growth that peaked from the canopy of trees showing large flat stone tops. The realization struck me. This place was man made, though long before the Thorens had come to the world, and before the human's recorded history.
Thinking back to when we had first arrived, I remember reviewing ancient human civilizations. This had been the site of one of many Mayan pyramids that dotted the landscape in this region. I was awestruck. Advanced human civilization had all but been reclaimed by the Earth, but these monuments still stood. These people had been remarkable indeed to stand strong against the passage of time.
I reached out with my mind and felt precision cut stones line a road beneath the many fines and plant life that went directly ahead of me for nearly a mile. I reached further out to the sides feeling the four massive structures on either side of the road. The alignment of the structures, the road and the massive overgrown pyramid at the end of the road were in direct alignment with the sun, moon, and planets. The place felt alive with memories and I reached deeper noting much of the ruins had sunk. Feeling deeper yet I realized that it had not sunk so much as the ruins had been linked together. Searching further I found massive caverns and pockets that once housed thousands. Those areas by some great miracle had been left untouched and undiscovered.
I reveled in how magnificent a people they must have been. They must have been so extremely advanced at such an early stage of life on this planet. What also intrigued and perplexed me, was that every entrance into the extensive honeycomb of tunnels below, had been covered by a massive carved stone. The precision cut pieces were nearly as amazing as how they ever could have been put into place. Surely I could move such a stone with not too much effort, but how would they have performed the task? I didn't sense any pulley system. I wondered if they possessed the ability of mind to perform such a feat.
I strengthened the barrier around me to help ease my way along the mile of road to the massive pyramid ahead of me. The closer I came to the man made jungle covered mountain the larger it loomed. It was massive, nearly thirty meters in height. I made my way to the base where a large stone sat to either side of the roadway. Atop each was a long since weathered hunk of rock that was probably once a statue of sorts. Below the left stone was one such access way to the catacombs below. It was approximately ten foot wide, ten foot tall and ten foot deep. It must have weighed ever eight tons.
Curiosity overwhelmed me and I concentrated on the stone expanding its molecules until it weighed barely more than a few pounds. I slid it to the side tearing centuries of vines and undergrowth as it moved. Once the seal was broken a gust of air burst out of the exposed opening like a quick exhale. Stale air escaped the confines of the crypt that had been sealed untold thousands of years ago. Taking the flashlight from my satchel I turned it on and pointed it into the shadowed parts of the entrance that were not lit by the sun overhead.
The corridor was carved of stone and led downward in narrow but steep stairs. Two men would barely be able to pass each other without having to turn sideways. Cobwebs lined every possible corner making it difficult to see any distance. Pushing the cobwebs away with my mind I started my decent into the darkness led only by the beam of light from my flashlight. The air stunk of dried up long forgotten death.
Every one hundred steps or so, on opposite sides an opening led into large natural caverns within the granite. In each cavern I could see hundreds of skeletons amongst the dust and debris of rotted cloth and dirt. This place was a tomb of thousands. Stranger yet was that there were skeletons in every state of development. It looked as though both young and old had come here to die all at the same time.
Stretching out my senses ahead of me I searched for the end of the stairway. An end existed in another fifty feet, but I couldn't determine what was beyond that point. As I crept my mind along its surface I could only determine that it was massive and unidentifiable. Whatever it was though; had come alive with the touch of my mind. I could feel it vibrate back at me as though it were alive. Stumbling in my daze I nearly fell before catching myself with my outstretched hands against the walls of the stairway.
I felt compelled to continue as if I had no other option. I had to keep going until I found the end of this. Moments later I reached the end of my descent facing a large square stone surface chiseled with writing I nearly recognized. It was Thoren writing. It was absolutely ancient and a dialect long since dead. The Thorens had been here before when this planet had just sprouted its first civilizations.
Ancient civilizations were an idle preoccupation of mine. I had studied Thoren culture intensely when I was only a few thousand years old. I had never actually given up my study, though in the past few hundred years I seldom had time to review old thoughts.
I directed the light against the flat carved surface. One phrase was all that was written.
"One People May Not Enter"
I reached out to the carving to brush some dust away from the inscription to be sure I hadn't mistaken the symbols.
As my fingertips brushed the surface, it became alive. A thin horizontal ray of white light blazed from it and moved against me from head to tow freezing me in place. As the light completed its pass from head to foot and then back again, the wall became an archway much like the way Cavrium did on Thoren Sphere Major did today. It seemed to merge into the surroundings to form an entrance.
I was able to move again, but the fact that only a second ago I couldn't move made me a bit leery. I walked through the archway and turned to see it sealing behind me as everything around me began to awaken. I was in a ship. A very very OLD Thoren ship. I was giddy with fear. Instantly I turned and sent the command for the arch to open and nothing happened. I sent the command again in the old tongue and an arch formed. The ship was taking its first breath, and I decided now might be a good time to move the stone in place at the surface to seal myself in to slow down anyone who might detect this miracle. I watched the light wink away as I moved the stone back into place and then commanded the arch closed behind me.
I stood in a bay area at least the size of the entire pyramid. The air was clean. In fact, every surface was devoid of even the slightest amount of dust as though the entire area had been vacuum packed for an eternity waiting to be opened. As the bay seemed to light itself with activity I noticed two raised panels atop metallic pedestals that looked like some sort of communications area and computer access terminal. I moved in front of the access panel and noted the symbols shutting off my flashlight.
I touched the face of the panel and a blue light seemed to center on me and illuminate the computer station and myself. I realized that it was reacting to my DNA signature. The door had said "One People May Not Enter". I was Thoren, and Human at the same time. Someone had configured this thing to only allow entrance to beings that were a mix of the two. Pulling up records as best I could, I read through the symbols and found a schematic. It was definitely a ship. Not just any ship... this was the Cystos.
The Cystos was a prototype battleship created over half a billion years ago when the Thorens were at war with other races far across the cosmos. Experimental technology led the ship off course during its first tests of stealth travel and it was never seen again. It had somehow landed here galaxies away. The story goes that the technology had been completely abandoned and another path was pursued after centuries of work had been lost in split seconds. It had been a devastating blow and nearly caused the Thorens to lose the war against the Velo.
The stealth technology was still active according to the panel. It made sense to me now why it had not been discovered already by the Thorens and why I couldn't see behind its walls. To say that this ship was massive wouldn't even begin to explain the size. A sphere major while looking at it in the sky looked as big as the moon, was in reality only about a mile in diameter. This ship could easily have held ten of them.
A hologram appeared before me.
"Greetings." It said in the old dialect. "I am Captain Talp of the Battlecruiser Cystos. It seems you have found our tomb and are worthy of it. Chronometer readings indicate that cloak has been maintained for 687,000 years. We changed the DNA sequence indicator to allow only Human and Thoren Hybrids to enter onto this ship. We did this for two reasons. One, left to our own devices, we corrupted a civilization letting them worship us as gods, and as self inflicted punishment removed them and ourselves from this existence. It was our hope that should ever a Thoren/Human hybrid find it, that it would be used with a better purpose than what brought us here."
The hologram continued in the old language "The second reason is far less pleasant. Either the Thorens have lost the war and have run so far from our own system that they are near extinction. If that is the case, then a new tactic must be pursued, and we have found this species has great potential for genetic compatibility. Second, we have won the war and have completely taken over the known galaxies spreading further than any one species should ever control."
"Logic dictated that we create a situation where neither, full blooded Human or Thoren could enter this ship. One People or One Race may not enter. By this, we ensured that both species would live on so neither could gain an advantage over the other. A natural melding of species would have to occur. You DNA structure has already been scanned and entered into the system. You and only those like you or with a natural strain variant of your DNA will be allowed entrance unless you specify otherwise. Anything attempting to enter the ship will be instantly destroyed without warning as was I and my copilot once we started this program."
"I hope it is good fortune that has brought you here and not our fears. We have since corrected the cloaking technology that placed us here and the ship is now fully functional and at your command. Only you, your mate, or your descendants may command or destroy this ship. Control of this ship can be relinquished, but only for a maximum of 100 hours, upon which time if you, your mate, or a descendant hasn't indicated otherwise, the ship will self destruct."
"Ship schematics and technology are available at any computer interface to any whom you grant access. Media scanning has indicated several thousand languages written and spoken over the last 687,000 years. Please select your preferred interface language." It said for the last time in the old dialect.
"21st century English". I answered.
"Personality level" the hologram asked.
"Level of what?" I asked.
"Personality level" the hologram repeated.
"What do you mean level... level as pertaining to what?" I asked again.
"Please indicate a level setting between 1 and 5."
"Fuck.. Okay.. lets go for middle of the road... 'Personality Level 3'" I said more of a guess than an answer.
"Personality level 3 encoded. Program complete." The hologram spoke and then faded.
The entire ship came to life. Everything was now lit in a light I wasn't quite used to. It wasn't the bright of the day, and it wasn't the blue of the Thorens nor was it the artificial light in the complex that never stretched more than a few feet. This light made dark flesh seem darker and pale skin seem even whiter. This light stretched on forever.
"Follow the indicator lights on the side walls to find your quarters. Make it quick... I can't have you sleeping in the halls like some homeless dude." The computer said with a voice of a 20th age young male voice.
"Move your ass... I know you're tired" the computer replied.
"Computer... what would have been the result if I had asked for Level 1 on personality?" I asked.
"Then you would have had a royal bitch to contend with."
"And if I had requested level 5?" I asked.
"That would have been the ice cube. No personality at all..."
"How would I reset that?"
"You can't... it was kind of their last joke before leaving this existence. You're stuck with me... get used to it... and get to bed."
"Damn, I'd hate to see the bitch mode." I mumbled as I followed the lights indicating the direction to my quarters.
"I heard that."
I paused and took a moment to collect myself. I was exhausted.... I had been down here for quite a while now. With the travel and all this it had to be well past midnight. I followed the movement of the lights until they terminated at an entrance arch. I sent the command to 'OPEN' and the arch cleared and I walked into the room.
"Damn!" I said as I looked around as the arch closed behind me.
"Sweet ain't it... Good Night Captain"
I had memories of luxury and the feel of such fine cloth against my body, but my skin had never truly touched it other than the clothes I had taken from Kelay. The room wasn't large so much as it was functional, but when you've slept in a cave for 1600 years this seemed pretty fucking nice. My last upgrade from stone floor and feather stuffed fabric to my quarters in the complex had seemed massive. This; however, made that pale in comparison. There was a large sleeping area that you could easily walk around without tripping that hosted a very wide bed. It was big enough to have slept 4 in the right position.
There was a table set up and two chairs and a couch directly in front of the entrance. The grey chairs in the living area were thin by design and curved seamlessly from top to base in one solid piece in the shape of a hook. The couch looked as though it would comfortably seat two and matched the chairs in color, but not quite in design. It had been padded heavily so that if you were to sit the soft looking cushions would form to you. Beside each were short clear glass tables. Across from the entrance behind the sitting area were two large windows that now had stone for the view. It took my mind away imagining stars skimming across them.
The bathroom to the right had a bathtub that would easily fit 3 people. The bathtub, sink, and toilet were all of a matching black and white cracked marbled color. It was overwhelming. I would have to do more exploring tomorrow. Right now all I wanted to explore was the back of my eyelids.
I stripped off my clothing stumbled over to the enormous bed and climbed between the covers laying my head on the silky pillows. If I hadn't been so overwhelmed by sensation and exhaustion, I think I could have cum from the touch of the soft fabric sliding against my body.
I finally woke from the best sleep I had ever remember having. I missed Bransen's embrace as I wiped the sleep from my eyes. Sliding from bed I went to the bathroom. I drew a huge bath of hot steamy water, and soaked in it until the water was nearly cold. I felt refreshed beyond words. I toweled off and went back to the sleeping area, opened the wardrobe, decided on a white opalescent pull over shirt with half sleeves and an opaque flat black set of tight pants.
"I wonder what time it is." I mumbled to myself as I sat on the bed.
"It is 7:02 am Captain. The funny looking box with the numbers 7:02 across from you on the counter is your clock. It's an amazing coincidence I know." came the smart ass reply.
Damn I thought... I really wish I would have picked a different level... I suppose it could be worse though.
"Computer, do you have a name?"
"Yes Captain, it is TK3400, but you may call me TK or computer." The voice replied.
"Ahh... well TK, I have one as well, and it is Khore. From this point forward please address me in that fashion." I said stretching out my arms evicting the last remnants of sleep.
"Whatever..." came the quick reply.
"TK, I'm going to be leaving for a short while and when I return I will be bringing my Mate and Lover. I expect him to have full access. He will be the only one accompanying me so I don't want a fight about this." I said very clearly.
"Yes Khore..." TK answered with an exasperated sigh.
The computer just sighed at me! It wasn't just a sigh, but it was a sigh with attitude! The previous inhabitants definitely had a twisted sense of humor.
Due to the type of cloaking this ship had I didn't want to chance folding space until I understood it better. The thought of emerging in a solid mass of rock did not thrill me.
"TK," I said as I exited my quarters. "Show me to the bay I first arrived in please."
"That would be Cargo Bay 15." Amber lights pulsed through the same narrow strip in the center of the wall I had followed to get here but now led in the opposite direction.
I had a bounce in my step that even I couldn't deny. I grabbed my bag and made my way back toward the arch. I couldn't wait to see my Bransen again and get him in that great big bed!
I entered the cargo bay and walked past the two terminals that rose from the floor. I commanded the arch to open and fished the flashlight from my bag. Turning on the flashlight I went through the arch as it closed behind me. I turned into the darkness that now surrounded me and commanded the arch open and closed again to make sure that when I returned it would open.
I made my way about 30 to 40 steps up the stairway before reaching my mind out to my room in the complex. It was empty and I folded space letting the light slide me into my quarters.
"Bransen... " I said bringing the wrist COM to my mouth. "Please come to my quarters ASAP!"
"Khore!?" was practically yelled back at me.
"Yes hun it's me come quick!"
I had barely finished the sentence when the door slid open with a clunk and Bransen ran in and picked me up spinning, nearly knocking the breath out of me. We hugged and kissed as I spied people walking past with a smile as they averted their eyes before the door closed. We clung to each other for long tender moments before he put me back down.
"Wow" he said backing away looking at me. "You look great! And those clothes. We don't have that type of cloth here. Where have you been?"
"That's what I want to show you. I think I have found our new home. Not only that, but there is room enough for thousands of us.
He stood there eyeing me as though I had gone completely insane.
"No it's true! Radio them that you will be leaving the facility for a few hours and I'll show you." I was practically crawling out of my skin as I was tugging on his arm at the wrist pushing the COM toward his mouth.
"Okay! Okay!" He giggled and activated the COM. "Khore and I will be leaving the complex for approximately 2 hours. An emergency team meeting will be held in Conference room three on level five at 17:00 hours. Attendance is mandatory."
"Grab a flash light and lets go! You're not going to believe this." I waited as he took the flashlight I had removed from the shelf at my desk.
"Hold me tight hun" I said as I pulled him in close grinding against him. Breathing him in as I nestled my head against his chest I folded us into the dark stairwell. I turned on my flashlight moments after Bransen loosened one arm examining the walls and floor where we had emerged.
"Ohhh... a dark stairwell?" I heard the questions in his voice.
"Follow me, and be careful it's steep. It's only about 50 foot further.
We made our way to the bottom of the stairwell and I sent the command to open the arch. I took Bransen by the hand and pulled him in letting the arch close behind us.
"Welcome back Khore" TK had said as I felt Bransen nearly jump out of his skin. I couldn't help but to chuckle.
"Kind of Skittish isn't he... Nice ass though!"
"Watch your tone TK, this is the love of my life you're talking about." I said planting a kiss on his neck.
"Who the hell is that?" he asked glancing around the bay in wonder.
"That's TK, he's the ships computer. I'll explain the attitude later."
"Attitude? I'm crushed... NOT!" the computer responded.
I pulled Bransen into me giving him yet another deep kiss. I felt as though I had the last 24 hours to make up for. "Follow me!" I nearly jogged down the hallway and to the door to my quarters hoping this would soon become 'our' quarters.
The arch opened and we entered. Bransen just stood staring into the room.
"How did you find this?" Bransen asked looking completely overwhelmed.
"I was hiking, and I found the ruins that are above us. While reaching out with my mind I found a stairway beneath a huge square cut stone and decided to see where it led. It led here!"
"Okay... but what is this place?"
"This is the largest most powerful battle cruiser in the Thoren fleet, or it had been until about 687,000 years ago. Being Khore's Mate and Lover you also captain and command this ship. Only you or your children and their descendants may ever command this vessel." Answered TK.
"Come here you." I said pulling his bewildered face to mine running my fingers through his hair as our lips and tongues wrestled with each other.
"Get your groove on!" TK broke the silence and our bliss.
"TK!"
"Yes oh lustful one?" TK responded.
"You are not to initiate communication or give commentary while we are in this room unless specifically addressed or unless the ship or its crew are in any form of danger." I said quickly and probably a little too loud.
"Whatever..." The computer responded.
Bransen looked questioningly into my eyes as his furrowed eyebrows creased his forehead. They always did that when he had a question for me but didn't want to ask it aloud.
"Later... How about we take a peak around our ship 'eh?" I asked.
"You haven't yet?" He looked at me amazed!
"No... I found the stairway and this ship late in the afternoon. I was so tired from pushing through the jungle I went straight to bed." I paused "I missed your company." I wanted to pull him so close our hearts would touch.
Okay folks... This is my first story ever submitted to Nifty. Actually it's my first story of any real length since I was in High School, and well... that's been a while longer than I care to admit. I haven't had any feedback lately and I wonder if I have screwed up. If there is somewhere you'd like to see this story go, or criticisms or suggestions you'd like to give I'd really appreciate it. I can't make this better without your help. It's your emails that motivate me to keep writing. So please do... My email is gaywriter72@yahoo.com I look forward to hearing from you. Thanks!