Copyright 2024 – Daemon D. Hart
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The Human Bearer
There were so many things on his mind he didn't even know which thread to pick and pull until it made sense. First of all, there was Xana's confession of love. Riordan felt a pang in his chest each time he replayed it in his head. Xana's eyes had been so clear, so full of love. How could he still be poisoned and in need of treatment? Marn and Xeus were guarding over him like loyal hounds, but that also meant that they had forbidden everyone, Riordan included, from coming into the room. Well, Ferix was the only one admitted but because he was the doctor and his presence was needed.
He wanted to learn of so many things, all at the same time. Now, there were not two, but four lizard guards at the door, changed every six hours by other four. Apparently, Xeus had enough trust in those to watch over his grandson. Could that mean that Xeus's relationship with the lizard queen of Fatiah IV hadn't been just some good ol' `wham bam thank you ma'am'?
All signs indicated that the inhabitants of that planet had been deemed trustworthy, seeing how they made the whole guard body on Tu'lek. And not only. Riordan recalled the lizard guard on Galatea, the one that had died first when he and Lewis's husbands had launched their attack. Did their loyalties lie on just one side of the barricade? Riordan wished there was at least some guarantee to rest his mind upon.
There was one, he thought and smiled. Xana loved him. Not only that he loved him, he knew he loved him. That was a big thing for these snakemen, even though the rest of them would probably shake in disgust at the thought. Well, not all of them; the younger crowd seemed down with it, like Lakni and his crew.
The other guarantee was the love he felt as he cradled baby Xeus in his arms. Was it even the right word to use to describe Junior? He was hardly a baby, at least he didn't look that much like one. He was heavy and his tail had grown long and strong already. Maybe, in Xeno terms, he was a toddler already. And soon, on his way to school, as dear grandpa had threatened before.
His moves were restricted, too. Since there was no way of telling where and who the third traitor was, Riordan needed to play it safe, as safe as possible. That if the traitor existed and wasn't something Kyle thought he had noticed while eavesdropping. Nonetheless, Riordan preferred to count on his bot pal's hunches, when it came down to it.
Marn had probed his mind endlessly; Riordan had fiercely guarded the secret of Kyle's spilling the beans. However, he doubted that he had managed to keep that away from His Royal Chancellor. There was no way His Excellency would give up on discovering how Riordan had known of the possible attempt on Xana's life.
He spent most of the time indoors. The faithful lizard guards brought him all the meals so he had no need to get out. For Junior's sake, he didn't seek reasons to go wandering about the hallways, either. Who knew where danger would strike next? Although, all this inactivity was starting to get a bit on his nerves. He had no means to entertain himself, other than play with Junior, who was a competitive playmate but preferred to sleep a lot while his vocabulary remained rather small. It made Riordan wonder how it was possible for Xenolites to begin school so early since they couldn't even talk.
Unless they first learned to communicate telepathically like their parents. They had no diplomatic need for using speech, not while so young, but it saddened Riordan a little because he felt as if a connection he yearned for with his Xenolite wasn't there.
Now, who said that he couldn't teach Junior a few words? Seeing how the Xenolite barely communicated with him via his mind – unlike Cario's young, who seemed to have perfected the telepathic vocabulary necessary to become demanding of his parent – he would just get Junior to talk to him the normal way.
The Earthian way, Riordan corrected himself. And Junior was quite adept at letting him know of his needs and desires via body language. He was an affectionate baby, always wanting to wrap his hands around his mommy's neck, always cuddling, always playing. Sometimes scratching and biting, too, but he did those out of too much enthusiasm.
"Hey, Junior," Riordan said, "how about you tell mommy something? Let's try the word... daddy."
Junior stared into his eyes and scrunched up his nose.
"Daddy," Riordan said slowly. Junior already called him a version of that, his `da-da' quite powerful and to the point, each time he needed to express himself. However, he wanted the child to learn a way to call Xana so that when they were all reunited, Junior would surprise his daddy with his knowledge of such words.
Junior craned his neck and gave him a long look.
Was there a better way than repeating each word over and over until the kid got it? Riordan wondered. Too bad Kyle wasn't there. He would be a useful encyclopedia of parenting advice. And a friend.
Don't be sad, dada.
Riordan blinked and stared at Junior. "So, you know words!" he exclaimed.
You are always very loud.
"Sorry, sorry, I'll speak more quietly," Riordan said, softening his voice. He had no idea when Junior had become so proficient in using telepathy, and it looked like he was well adjusted to it. Even more, he spoke in full sentences!
You are not like grandsire.
"Grandsire? Is this how you call your granddaddy?" Riordan shook his head in mirth.
You have more limbs than you need. Why?
"They're called legs, these limbs I have from the waist down," Riordan explained. "That's because I am Earthian, not Xeno like your grandfather and father." And you, he wanted to add but kept it to himself.
Why?
Was Junior already at the age of asking an interminable string of why's? Riordan had little knowledge of babies and toddlers and kids of any species, humans included. But he did have a vague idea that all of them went through a phase when they wanted to swallow the entire knowledge of the world by simply asking `why'.
"Well," Riordan started, "that is quite the question. And the answer is complex."
I don't know what complex is.
Alright, so he wasn't so knowledgeable that he'd put his mommy to shame.
"Your father and others like him chose us, Earthians, to be the ones to carry their eggs and give birth to you and other Xenolites like you," Riordan explained.
Junior was pushing against his chest and staring at his mouth, seemingly enthralled with how words formed and slipped from Riordan's lips.
I want to be like you and have legs.
Riordan winced. Ah, well, now that was a bit that wouldn't make grandpa Xeus too happy.
And be loud like you.
"I believe that can be arranged," Riordan said. He took Junior's right hand and placed it over his chest. "You can do this, honey bunny."
What's a honey bunny?
Riordan sighed, but it was a sound of contentment. "It looks like we have a long way to go, but it's going to be fun, I promise."
Junior's efforts were paying off within days. His voice was unused and unsure, nothing like how articulated – for a child or even a Xenolite his age – he was when he used the means of telepathy to communicate. Riordan found great joy in getting his young one to communicate with him using speech. On occasion, he communicated back to Junior using his thoughts, but his stubborn Xenolite always demanded that they use the loud noise as he called it.
The guards brought him, along with his meals, a bit of news here and there. They were always deferential, and Riordan couldn't help thinking that there was a bond now between them, although not many words were exchanged during their visits.
The news was good, regarding Xana, at least. He was expected to make a full recovery, one of the guards had told him just earlier today. That meant that Junior would meet his daddy soon, and that was enough to fill Riordan with happiness.
The doors opened to allow a guard inside.
"Riordan Lei," the guard said, always using his full name, "you have a visitor. Will you receive him?"
"Who is it?" Riordan asked, although he wouldn't turn anyone away after so many days spent in seclusion, not even a stranger.
"Master Ferix Baserat," the guard announced in the same placid voice.
All the lizard guards called Xenos masters, but none addressed him as such. They weren't bound by the same code as Kyle, it seemed. They were making a clear difference between Xenos and their bearers. That made Riordan wonder again why Xana had chosen to give him a bot that could speak and had hard-coded to call him Master, as well as the other bearers.
"Please, allow him in," he said.
The guard nodded and stepped outside only to make room for the young Xeno. Ferix looked as white as usual, and there were no signs of him having been involved in a battle for his life not so long ago. Not on his face, nor his body, Riordan mused as he inspected the good doc with his eyes.
"What's up?" he asked casually and lifted his chin in agreement.
Ferix gave him an odd look and then stared at the ceiling.
"Dang it, man, don't take everything so literally," he teased his visitor.
"I see. It's an Earthian expression. I haven't cared about examining such intriguing turns of phrase until now."
"You were busying studying to become a doctor," Riordan found an excuse for the guy without being asked to. "How is Xana? What can you tell me?"
He was hungry for information and if Ferix was here, in his quarters, it could only mean that an important change in Xana's health had occurred. That change, however, could be good or bad, in equal measures. Ferix's smooth face gave nothing away, which meant that he would have to be courageous enough to ask the direct question.
"He's not worse, is he?" he asked, this time the words coming all out of his mouth at the same time.
"No. This is not why I'm here. Xana Lei is on his path to recovery. He will soon offer us some groundbreaking news in regards to the evolution of our species."
"Really?" Riordan frowned. He cradled Junior in his arms. The Xenolite loved to nap so close to him and had informed his parent of it to secure his preferred place for dozing off without any complications. It was uncanny how strict even a young one like him could be when it came to his needs and wants. In that respect, Junior was no different from Dario, which meant his evolution was normal for the species, regardless of his incredibly fast physical development.
Ferix studied him with annoyed eyes. "Do I have to repeat what I just said?"
"No, it was just my way to express how astonished I am to learn that Xana is some sort of lab rat to you. Are you performing weird experiments on him?"
"Define weird."
This conversation was hardly going in the right direction. Riordan had to remind himself that this young Xeno was not the kind of guy about town like Xana, Marn, and others. He was a shut-in, who only cared about his profession that, in his case, appeared to be an all-consuming passion.
"He's going to be fine, right?" Riordan asked with a sigh.
"Yes," came the clear answer. "You do not have to worry."
"Wow, it looks like you do have a gentle bedside manner somewhere inside your analytical cold self, doc. Anyway, please tell me why you came since you mentioned that you're not here to talk about Xana."
Ferix appeared to take his time and said nothing for a while. Riordan waited until the good doc was ready to speak.
"I am here," Ferix began, carefully enunciating every word, "to thank you. For saving my life."
It had to be hard for a Xeno, especially one as pigheaded as this young guy, to admit such a thing in front of a being he most likely considered inferior.
"You're welcome, but you know that it was actually Xana who saved us both. Then help arrived and we both got saved."
"The very few human bearers I have met so far would have jump at the opportunity to..." Ferix stopped as he searched for the correct words to say.
"Rub it in?" Riordan offered. "Meaning, taking credit when it wasn't due? Grab the chance to pretend they're superior to your species?"
"Something like that," Ferix admitted with a short nod. "Your actions delayed my demise, which was a certain outcome until you emerged from the storage room with the poison vials. I couldn't have used them as I couldn't risk being exposed to the poison, but your fast thinking bought us both time."
"That I'll take. It's how it happened."
Ferix appeared to have even more questions on his mind. "Why do you do this? Why do you intervene for the sake of others?"
"I was in danger, too, remember? I'm not some selfless saint, no matter what you think. I'm looking out for number one." He looked at Junior, sleeping soundly in his arms. "It's true that number one no longer means yours truly, but someone else. I have no regrets." He raised his eyes to stare at Ferix. "I love my son and my husband. It's for them I've done everything. And frankly, my chances were slim for the situation to turn the way it did. We were both lucky Xana woke up the way and when he did."
"You are correct in all you just said," Ferix agreed. "And still. You could have just run out the door and alerted everyone. And in the meantime, I would have been dead."
"I don't think my chances to reach the door and get out of there on my two feet were as good as you say since there was a second attacker in the room with us. Or my brain, unlike Kyle's, is not that good at weighing chances and statistics. My plan was to get you free so that you could use your big brain to send a telepathic stress signal to your homies. Since I'm bad at it and can't do it."
That last bit of information seemed to pique Ferix's interest, because his entire face lit up. "Would you like me to teach you?"
"How to tap into your collective brain network?" Riordan asked, with a smile of his own.
"No," Ferix replied, "but I can teach you how to connect with those you are close to. Even humans can learn it, according to His Royal Chancellor."
"That would be pretty damn handy," Riordan admitted. "I mean, if I had known that, we would all have been better off during the crappy situation we just faced. Yeah, I totally want to do that. Only that... aren't you supposed to watch over Xana all the time?"
"No, not all the time. And he could have no better Xenos watching over him than His Royal Chancellor and General Lei."
"Okay then. But, Ferix, before we start and all, I know that I sound boring, but can you please tell me more about Xana? How is he really? What does he feel? Is he in pain?"
Ferix put one hand up to stop his avalanche of questions. "I will tell you what you must know. He has the poison Gamni Gafilos infected him with still in his body. However, while I am working to remove it from him, I encounter a special type of resistance."
Riordan frowned in thought. "Like when medicine no longer works because the little critters in your blood have developed resistance to it?"
"Xeno bodies are more complex than human bodies," Ferix explained patiently. He seemed even happy to lecture his host on something he knew well. "As a species, we adapt and overcome the threats and challenges we encounter. At this point, Xana's body doesn't fight the poison but it makes it its own. Do you understand this?"
Riordan didn't find this bit particularly settling for his nerves. "Is he going to turn into a ghoul like those strange Xenos that tried to kill us? Not that I'd love him less, but it serves to be prepared."
"The modifications observed so far don't point out at any modifications in physical appearance. You do not have to worry about such consequences."
"So, Xana is adapting to the poison... is that going to make him immune to it?"
Ferix looked at him with newfound appreciation. "Yes."
Riordan smiled, loving every occasion he could use to show these Xenos humans weren't that bad, either. "Just like the human race has done with viruses of all sorts from the dawn of time."
Ferix's eyes grew wide. "Your sort does the same?"
"To some degree. Don't ask me particulars, though. I'm no scientist. But it's common knowledge on Earth that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger."
"That is exactly what happens with Xana," Ferix agreed and nodded eagerly. He then looked at the sleeping Xenolite in Riordan's arms. "Your son was born with mixed DNA. I wonder what wondrous implications that may have."
"You're not getting Junior for your crazy experiments," Riordan said sternly. "I mean, you may observe him but only if you promise that you won't hurt him."
"Far from me to endanger a Xenolite," Ferix said impatiently. "Anyway, it is not a good time for such things."
"You know, I don't think it's only Junior who got born with mixed DNA. I believe it happens with all the babies that come from human bearers."
"It is a matter worth exploring." Ferix remained pensive. "His Royal Chancellor must have thought of it."
That didn't surprise Riordan in the least. Tasha with his red hair. Even him, with his dark hair and skin. Marn was on to something, but apparently, he hadn't thought it important to share with Ferix, who was the doctor of an important ship like Tu'lek.
"I must bid you farewell," Ferix said as he got up to his full Xeno height. "I will visit from time to time to bring you news of Xana's evolution."
"Thank you, doc. It means a lot."
"And I will initiate you into the basics of using our type of communication. It will be a great opportunity for me to observe a human, too."
"Thanks," Riordan drawled. "Best friendships are built on one guy wanting to make the other into some sort of scientific experiment. But I don't mind it. Let's be friends, doc."
He offered his hand and half-expected Ferix not to get it. He did, but only half of it. The young Xeno stretched his arm too and rubbed it along Riordan's for a moment.
Good enough. Teaching and learning could be a two-way street.
tbc
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