Chrysalis Corporation

by T. A. Venedicktov

  “I think you two should pick out some food from the kitchen and enjoy it in my room. If that is fine with you, ma’am,” Damion suggested.

  Damion obviously didn’t want the Cores to sit around with strangers gawking at them and have to deal with their disapproval.

  “That is a wonderful idea,” she exclaimed, tugging Damion forward toward the table again.

  “As you order,” Requiem replied softly. It was true that he didn’t want to be there, didn’t want to deal with Juni’s prejudiced parents. But he also didn’t want to leave his Fighter, and a look over at 108 told him that he agreed.

  “I will take them to the kitchen and walk them back,” Juni said in the tone more of a reprimanded child than an Alpha Fighter.

  Requiem sent a look back at Damion, but Damion didn’t catch it. After that, he directed his gaze back to the ground and let Juni lead him and 108 out of the dining room.

  Damion

  ONCE JUNI and the Cores had gone, Daulee started talking to try and cover up the awkward moment. Damion let her steer the conversation since the woman seemed to be enthralled with the sound of her own voice. He pulled out her chair and offered her a seat. He hoped to, at the very least, come off as polite.

  Judas entered the dining room as Damion took his seat across from Daulee.

  “Damion.” The patriarch of the household sat down at the head of the table, putting Damion on his right and Daulee on his left. “Tell me about growing up on Mars.”

  Damion worried he had taken Juni’s seat and contemplated how to move without being rude. “I doubt there is much I can tell you which you would find interesting, sir.”

  “I’ll let you know when I’m not interested. Now, your family are miners, correct?” Judas turned to a servant and asked for drinks to be served.

  “Yes.” Damion had a suspicion Juni’s father knew more about his background than Juni did. “As far as we know, our family has always been on Mars. Mom, for some reason, couldn’t trace one member back to Earth.”

  “Few people can.” Judas folded his hands on top of the table. “Have you heard the stories about how we began to branch out from Earth? During our expansion there were a number of groups who opposed the dangers and science behind our colonization of each planet. Some of those radicals even attacked the Earth’s remaining genealogy center.”

  “Radicals generally have good points but are quieted by the side with the bigger guns.” Damion interjected.

  “I do not see what point they were attempting to make by destroying centuries of genealogy records.” Judas’s voice was pitched low, ready for another rebuttal.

  Daulee jumped into the conversation. “Do you have brothers or sisters?”

  “Yes. A brother and a sister.”

  Her smile was vibrant and filled with a familiar warmth. “Your mother must be truly happy.”

  Damion shook his head and leaned back, allowing a suddenly appearing servant to fill the wineglass in front of him. “Yes. It’s hard work, but Mom always seems to try and brighten our spirits and keep us out of trouble.”

  “Your father told you to enlist.”

  “No.” Damion corrected Judas’s assumption. “He did not want me to go, neither did Mom. It was the right choice for me and my family.”

  Juni’s father picked up his glass and began swirling the red liquid around. “You are one of those who sends home nearly half of his pay.”

  “Yes, sir.” Damion picked up his glass, but he forwent the swirling before drinking the wine. He was sure the beverage cost at least half of his monthly earnings. Hell, the room he was given was bigger than his whole home on Mars, and the vid took up an entire wall. And Damion wasn’t even counting the bathroom and another smaller room that was used for visiting servants.

  “That is very generous of you.” Daulee had not moved a muscle to drink the wine.

  “I don’t have kids, or a wife, or anything to spend money on while I’m in the Corp.” Damion shrugged and wondered where Juni had gone.

  “Do you not worry about needing money once you leave the Alphas?” Judas’s tone was amused.

  “No. I’ll probably die in service before I get to spend everything I get to save. Alpha pilots have a ten-year shelf life at the best.” He should have picked his words with far more tact as he regretted them the moment he saw Juni’s mother’s painted eyes grow wide.

  “Good thing, then, that we’re the best!” Juni interrupted the words that were about to tumble out of Daulee’s open mouth. “We have the Corporation’s best Zodiac ships, and we have Cores to help us not blow up.”

  He put a kiss on top of his mother’s head before sitting next to her. “Besides, the Corporation hasn’t had a really tough fight in a long time.”

  “You’ve barely been in the service and already putting yourself in danger!” Daulee’s voice bordered on a screech.

  “Calm down,” Judas snapped at his wife. “He picked this course, and you supported it despite my reservations. That negates any complaints you may have now, wife.”

  Daulee’s mouth snapped shut and her happy smile faded.

  “Gods damn, Dad, tone down the disapproval for ten minutes.” Juni tossed up his hands.

  Damion was regretting coming to Juni’s home. The level of his discomfort was rising by the second.

  “The only thing I approve of, at the moment, is you having enough skill to even warrant selection into the Alphas. Despite the dubious report on how that came about.”

  Damion cut in. “Dubious? The process is simple. A Core is assigned to a Zodiac ship and if that ship has no pilot then the Core chooses a pilot. We had an opening in the Zodiac fleet because a pilot took a position as a sergeant at the Fleet Academy a week before. And Juni is a great pilot.”

  “Yes. I am aware of the Zodiac Cores’ functions as I manage the Lunar Core program. I am more aware of their abilities than either of you. To be entrusted with such a valuable commodity is a great gift. I hope neither of you squander it.”

  Damion doubted Judas Mathis had any idea what Requiem could accomplish. Damion also knew Judas held the same view on Cores as the majority of people. Commodities. Computers. Soulless shells made to serve and nothing more.

  “Dad, shut it. We know what our Cores are worth. We’d only be Betas if it wasn’t for them. And you don’t work with the Cores, Dad, you deal with the program’s accounting. You might manage numbers, but we fly with Cores. We know what we have.” Juni’s hands became fists on top of the table.

  “I hope you do, for your mother’s sake. It would break her heart to lose you because you were too busy showing off rather than doing your duty. After your contracted time expires, I expect you to return home as promised.” Judas waved a hand toward the servants, and they brought food to the table.

  Damion saw the vein in the back of Juni’s hands bulge, a sign of his anger. “All I promised was to consider what I wanted to do.”

  “As your friend said, the life span of most Alphas is ten years. By the time your contract comes up, you’ll be nearly six years in. Reenlisting back into the Alpha squad is a death sentence,” Judas snapped.

  Daulee’s hand shot out and caught Juni’s raising hand before she spoke in a trembling tone. “Let’s enjoy dinner.”

  Damion wondered if his own mother held the same concern and worry over him as Juni’s mother did for his friend. He could tell Daulee wanted the conversation to end, not due to where the argument was heading—to a full-blown verbal war—but because of the talk of Juni’s life being in danger.

  Judas cleared his throat. “Yes. Let us.”

  Damion silently prayed to the goddess Eleos that the food was good and they avoided any more talk of Cores and death.

  Damion was happy when dinner was over. He was even happier that he could get out of the tension-filled apartment. Juni’s parents didn’t seem like bad people, but they were definitely not normal working citizens either. At times Damion hadn’t been sure if he was being complimented or judged.
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br />   Requiem

  “REMEMBER TO lock the door and don’t let anyone in,” Damion told Requiem as he got ready to leave.

  Requiem was sitting on the large bed, but at Damion’s words, he stood up and followed him to the door. “As you order. Enjoy yourself.”

  “Try and watch out for each other.” Damion squeezed Requiem’s shoulders. “And don’t worry. We’ll be back in a few hours.”

  “I will not worry, and we will remain here together so that there are no separate incidents,” Requiem replied, keeping his gaze lowered. “I will inform you if there are any problems.”

  “I hope there won’t be.” Damion ruffled Requiem’s hair.

  Damion stepped outside the room and met Juni at the front door. Even the normally happy Juni looked stressed and ready to drink. They headed out together.

  Requiem slowly closed the door after them, locking it securely by typing in the code Juni had given him. Afterward, he placed his hand over the panel, changing the code to something only he would know. He turned back to the room, his gaze falling on 108, who was standing next to the bathroom door, looking as lost as Requiem felt.

  Requiem indicated a seat, silently telling 108 that they should sit down. He then proceeded to turn the vid screen to a technical programming station, where they could try and lose their minds in new information.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Requiem

  IT WAS past 3:00 a.m. when Damion came back with a heavily inebriated Juni.

  “You are too damn loud,” Requiem heard Damion warn as they neared the guest room door. “And I’ve had to practically carry you through the streets to your parents’ house, you laughing idiot!” Damion did not want Fighter Juni’s parents to hear their son so drunk.

  Requiem quickly rose from his chair and went to the door. 108 was asleep on the sofa and had been for a while, leaving Requiem to make sure no one disturbed them. There had been someone outside the door at one point, causing a few nerve-racking minutes for Requiem as the person knocked a few times, sighed, and then left. But that had been all.

  After he keyed in the pass code, the door slid open to admit the Fighters. 108 awoke the moment the door opened and Juni’s drunken voice filled the room.

  “I don’t know why those girls were so damn prissy!” Juni looked at the two Cores and waved. “Hi!”

  108 quickly and easily took Juni from Damion as if he had to do this type of maneuvering often. As soon as he had Juni balanced correctly, he started down the hall toward the inebriated Fighter’s room. All without saying a word.

  “I have to start picking better, or at least smarter, company to keep.” Damion sat down in the nearest chair and began to take off his shoes, asking Requiem, “How was your night?”

  Requiem stayed within the doorway, watching 108 and Juni walk away, his gaze trailing Juni’s hand as the Fighter slid it down 108’s back and grabbed his ass. 108 looked at Requiem for a long moment, nodding at him to say it was all right, before they disappeared into the bedroom. Requiem let the door slide closed, keying the lock.

  “Uneventful,” he finally replied, walking over to Damion and kneeling down to help him take off his shoes. He tried to ignore the smells that surrounded Damion: scents of alcohol, sim tobacco, and a fragrant perfume. “Yours?”

  “It started out fun.” Damion rubbed his eyes, not even objecting to Requiem’s help. “Then the girls became crazy, and Juni drank more, and in the end we got lost.”

  “Crazy? Lost?” Requiem asked in a monotone, pulling off Damion’s socks and putting them neatly inside the boots before tucking them under the chair. He stood and began to pull Damion’s shirt off, getting him ready for bed. “So you did not have a relaxing experience?”

  “Nah, it was fine until I had to carry Juni back.” Damion let out a rusty chuckle. “Made me feel sixteen for a few hours.”

  “I am thankful, then, that you had a pleasant time.” Requiem folded the shirt neatly and put it in the laundry chute. He crossed the room and retrieved a glass of water, handing it to Damion. “You needed the relaxation.”

  “Let me guess—you were bored.” Damion had a smile on his face that didn’t go away. “It was fun seeing Juni get smacked.”

  “I was acceptable,” Requiem replied and then tilted his head, confused at Damion’s obvious good mood. “Why was Fighter Juni struck?”

  “Because he tried to make a pass at a lady who was with someone already.” Damion laughed. “Twice! I was more afraid of the boyfriend showing up.” Damion drank some water and then took a deep breath. “Definitely high-scale bars here.”

  “I see. For a Fighter who was once praised for his observational skills, perhaps he should stay in a Zodiac and not on the ground.” Requiem stood to the side of Damion’s chair in case there was anything else he needed to do. “Will you be going out again?”

  “Tonight? Hell no.” Damion shook his head. “Right now I think sleep is the best thing for me to do. Also, Juni was on his second set of shots for the night and in our second bar. After that I was burnt out.”

  “I did not mean this evening.” Requiem took the empty glass from Damion’s hand and set it to the side so that he could pull Damion to his feet. Damion might not be as drunk as Juni, but he was still somewhat inebriated. “So the alcohol impeded Fighter Juni’s observational skills?”

  “Alcohol impedes a lot of shit and then makes you feel like you’re ten times bigger and stronger than you actually are.” Damion walked over to the bed slowly. “As for going out again, I’m not sure. I think Juni had planned on giving us the five-star tour tomorrow.”

  “If my observations of Fighter Juni’s personality are correct, I can assure you that he will attempt to convince you to go out again.” Requiem held on to Damion’s arm to help him, but he was not expecting Damion to flop on the bed facedown, pulling Requiem with him. Letting go of Damion’s arm, Requiem sat up, sighing imperceptibly. “What happened to the women you were with?” he asked, merely to keep Damion awake while he tried to get him into the proper position for sleep so that Damion didn’t wake up with a kink in his neck in the morning.

  “They went on their way.” Damion rolled onto his back slowly and let out another sigh. “Just didn’t work out. Dancing was fun, though. It’s been ages since I danced with anyone.”

  “What did not work out?” Requiem asked, undoing Damion’s belt so that Requiem could take his pants off and leave him in his boxers.

  “First, I refuse to pay for sex even if Juni was all up for the thought, and second, I was worried where we’d take them. I don’t know if they have love hotels like they do on Mars.”

  “Love… hotels? I do not understand.” Requiem put the pants down the laundry chute and then maneuvered Damion around so that his head was on the plush pillows. Requiem tugged on the blankets to free them from under Damion’s heavy body. “Explain, please?”

  “You know, places that you bring someone to have sex for a few hours,” Damion said matter-of-factly as he lifted himself enough to allow Requiem to pull out the blankets. “Never heard of them? Really?”

  “There is much that Cores are not informed of and are encouraged not to learn. Anything pertaining to sex is one of those subjects,” Requiem replied, pulling the blankets over Damion as soon as he got him into place.

  “Don’t worry, I doubt we’ll ever be going to one, and neither of us can afford a Countessa.”

  “Why would we ever go to one? And what is a Countessa?” Requiem slid off the bed, going to his bags of clothing so that he could change into his sleeping clothes.

  “You know… the legalized prostitutes.” Damion closed his eyes, and his voice began to fade. “Hmm, Requiem?”

  “Yes?” Requiem undressed from the clothes Damion had insisted he wear on Lunar, before changing into a pair of sleep pants.

  “Come here for a moment.” Damion reached out to pull him closer.

  Requiem had gotten his pants on when Damion’s large hand wrapped around his elbow and pulled
him back onto the bed. It was a common feeling, Damion pulling him constantly off balance. He sat up, turning so that he was sitting on the bed, facing Damion, the man’s hand still wrapped around his bare arm.

  “It may just be the alcohol, but I don’t think I’m that drunk. And yet I still can’t get you out of my head,” Damion admitted in a slurred voice. “What does that mean?”

  Staring at him, Requiem swallowed in what he could only guess was nervousness. “I… do not know what it means.” But he knew how Damion felt. Requiem could not stop thinking about his Fighter either. Being around Damion was the only time he felt safe, real even. “Perhaps the reason is merely that we are in each other’s presence nearly all the time. So when I am not there, you feel like I should be because I am generally with you. I am sorry if I inadvertently came in between you and your evening.”

  “It’s not just about being together.” Damion pulled Requiem a bit closer. “It’s about the attraction.”

  Damion’s motions effectively pulled Requiem’s arm out from under him, making him fall back so that he was lying next to Damion. “You believe that you think about me often because… you are attracted to me?”

  “I don’t know what I’m feeling other than I want to kiss you again.” Damion slowly leaned closer to Requiem and then hesitated.

  Requiem was too shocked to stop him even if he thought it was a bad idea. He didn’t mind, but the last time Damion had done something like this, Damion had regretted it immediately afterward. He was about to say so, but by then Damion’s soft lips were on his own and Requiem couldn’t say anything at all.

  Requiem kept his eyes open, not knowing if he should close them, as he pressed his lips back against Damion’s. Originally, it was out of curiosity, but once the soft flesh was on his own, a warmth filled his body, making him feel… complete. Wanted. Needed. And that was a large thing that he had been looking for in his life-event, though he hadn’t realized it until that moment.