Ark
Logg
September 8th 2215
We left Earth two months ago. What had once been a
beatuiful blue and green planet was now little more
than a wasteland. Mars Corp still sends ship to strip
what is left of Earth resources, including people.
Twenty years of studying satalite photos and star
charts had found for us a new home. Aurellian IV. An
earth type planet, Aurellia will be our new home. May
God forgive us for abandoning Earth to Mars Corp
scavengers.
Ark Logg
January 27th 2218
We have reached Aurellia, our new home. So like the
old pictures of what Earth had once been. Already we
have made pacts not to make the same mistakes our
ancestors did. Subspace transmissions tell us that
Mars Corp had extended its sway to Venus Station, and
Io.
As for the people on Earth, they survive living almost
like savages on the barren plains, beneath the earth,
and on the oceans. Mars Corp built a facility on Earth
that they use as a base of operations. It sickened us
to learn that they are training those on Earth who
survive to adulthood to be soldiers and killers. Those
who are not trained to be soldiers are sent on broken
down hulks that had once resembled ships to mine the
ore from the asteroids, or to in the mines on Io and
Mars, or on the facilities built to harness the energy
of the gas giants.
We can't help but feel for our fellow humans that are
forced to live in such misery. On those not born on
Earth have any rights or privileges. Which is why our
leader, Jonathan Evermen, created the Ark to take us
away from such misery. A mixture of Earth born, and
space born peoples, we hope to bring our children a
brighter future.
Aurellia IV
December 13th 2230
excerpt from the journal of John Ashton, Guide
....In a way I do not regret what I did. There was no
other way. Kevin was savage, made so by his own pain,
his upbringing on the harsh surface of Earth, and the
training he recieved from Mars Corp. When he crash
landed on Aurellia I and three others were sent to
investigate. I knew at once that Kevin was a sentinel.
Though rare on the Ark, the hardships and dangers our
people faced while building here on Aurellia brought
out the latent abilities in many of our fellow
citizens. A few guides had been found, and yet we are
not exactly sure of what needs to be done to help
them. The guides try, but three sentinels have already
died lost in what had been coined a 'zone-out'.
When Kevin tried to attack and kill my friend I
stepped in. I am not sure what guided me to do what
others have said was a terrible, and others have said
was the only thing to do, perhaps it was instinct
built into the very genetic structure that make one a
guide. I do not know.
I drug Kevin away from friend. One thing we learned
quickly is that sentinels no matter how angry or lost
cannot strike a guide. And yet, the same does not hold
for guides.
I am grateful that my fellow guides do not follow my
example completely. They gain consent from the
sentinels that they wish to bond. Theirs is one of
mutual consent and understanding. Mine was brought
about by force, and the drawing of blood. Other guides
bonded their sentinels by making love, I bonded mine
through rape. Forgive me, and do not follow my example
and dishonor your sentinel and the bond you will have.
Aurellia IV
August 14th 2382
News Broadcast
Fighter ships struck four cargo ships in what is yet
another hostile move by Mars Corp. Today the
Aurellian president, Mark Arturo, has declared war on
Mars Corp refusing another transmission to surrender
and allow Aurellia to become a Mars Corp protectorate.
Our military is being increased, and production of
fighter ships, and battle cruisers are nearly tripled.
Fortuantly, Mars Corp is fighting with outdated
battlecruisers, and with limited resources at their
disposal.
Blair Sandburg shut off the monitor in his room, and
shrugged into his flight vest. Pulling on his gloves,
Blair left his apartment, and headed for the spaceport
to check on the condition of his ship after having
escaped a pirate attack while delivering foodstuffs to
the colony on Aurellia II space station. As a
privateer, Blair had flown all over the system, and
had even made a few trips to Earth, and Io before the
blasted war had begun. He smiled as he remembered that
a few of the trips had not been sanctioned by the
Aurellian government. Whistling, Blair strolled down
the clean streets of Cascade.
Bloodmark
Inside the spaceport, Blair found Charlie, the Mechanic, in his office. Tapping on the frame of the doorway caught Charlie's attention. The short Mechanic looked up from his datapad, and smiled at the sight of Blair. The Mechanic pulled out his chair and walked down the ramp his four foot stature requiring raised platforms.
Charlie wore the tan coveralls that all Mechanics wore, his tool belt slung low over his hips. His dark hair was long and pulled back from his face into a tail tied at the nape of his neck. His face sproted a thick goatee, and his dark eyes reflected that smile and welcome on his face.
"Blair! Good to see ya my boy." Charlie said. Blair smiled back.
"Its good to see you, too, Charlie. How's my baby?" Blair asked.
Charlie shook his head, "You pilots, all you can think about is your ships. And let me tell you something, Blair, You were damn lucky to make it back. Your 'baby' took some pretty good hits. Her electrical system is fried, and her engines were damaged beyond repair. You my friend are looking at a near total overhaul."
Blair slumped into a nearby chair. Mechanics were well respected on Aurellia. They were high placed in society and could command respect. Especially the best, and Charlie despite his stature was defititly the best. If he couldn't fix, then it just couldn't be fixed.
"There goes my vacation." Blair said. "Alright, Charlie. I trust you know best, whatever it takes. I can't earn money if I'm not flying."
Charlie grinned at that, "My best people are on it, it should take no more than seven to ten days as I told you when you first brought her in."
"Your are a miracle worker, Charlie. Unfortunatly I can't spend those days sitting on my ass. I'm going to go talk to Simona nd see if he has any jobs for me. I'll see you tonight at Rim Runner's?" Blair asked. Rim Runner's was a bar that catered to pilots, Mechanics and off duty soldiers.
"Of course." Charlie answered.
At that moment one of Chalrie's assistants ran up to the office, "Boss come quick! There's a space battle going on!" The man practically squealed in fright.
Charlie and Blair looked at each other then raced out the door of the hangar. There were other people in the streets looking up at the sky where a dazzling light display was taking place.
"What happened?" Blair asked a nearby Military police officer.
"Heard a couple of Talons jumped into our space. We sent a couple of ships to deal with em. Those Talons are deadly and are giving our fighters a rough time of it." The soldier answered.
"Talons? Why in hell would a couple of Talons jump into our space without a battleship as support." Blair asked.
The soldier shrugged, "No one knows. If there are any survivors I'm sure that's the first question they'll ask."
Blair turned his attention back to the space battle. He noticed that the ships had entered the atmosphere to continue the battle. Talons were Mars Corp two-man fighter ships that were shaped like their name. A squadron of Talons was called a Panther, and the Talons were fast, manuverable, and well armed. They also had jump capability, and could be used in atmospheres as well as the depths of space.
From the ground it was hard to tell which ships were which. They were just tiny silvery specks in the sky. Their weapons were bright red and green flashes as they were fired.
Everyone gasped when one of the ships flared, then began to fall toward the ground. They watched its descent, and noticed how it fell into the jungle outside of Cascade. The other ships continued to fight until three ships exploded into fiery balls of red light. The remaining ships began their descent to the military spaceport not far from the civilian one. Blair noticed the surviving ships were all Aurellian vessels.
When the fighters landed, Blair took his gaze from them and looked out toward the jungle where the other unidentified ship had crashed. *Where there survivors?* Blair wondered, *And was it one of our ships or one of theirs?"
Captain James Ellison coughed and wiped tear filled eyes as he made his way through the smoking ruins of the Talon fighter. His pupils dialated to their full width, the dark interior of the cockpit was suddenly as bright as day, and Jim saw the unconscious co-pilot slumped over the control panel. Unsnapping buckles from the harness, Jim grabbed the co-pilot and carried him from the wreckage. "Easy, Rafe, I got you." Jim said to the co-pilot who was beggining to regain consciousness with a muffled moan.
Once far enough from the wreckage, Jim dug into his torn flightsuit and brought out a remote device. He pushed the red button on its mettalic surface and the Talon blew up in a fiery explosion wiping out any traces of the pilots.
Carrying Lt. Rafe in a fireman's carry, Jim made his way through the arid jungle away from crash site knowing that the Aurellians would be sending a search party in search of survivors.
Jim used all his experience on the barren wasteland that had once been Earth to hide his trail through the jungle, though it was hard. The jungle was a new experience for the Captain, but he knew enough not to break foliage, or snap twigs in his headlong rush though the dense jungle.
Two hours later, Jim was covered in sweat, and panting from exertion. The dead weight of his companion was weighing upon his shoulders, and Jim was beggining to feel light headed.
Suddenly his eyes focused on a dark opening in the mound of earth. He stumbled and made his way finding a den dug deep into the earth. On his knees, Jim drug the unconsious lieutenant into the den which was deep enough to hide them, and big enough to hold them both. Once inside the den, Jim removed the canteen at his belt and drank the water greedily, then finding the salt tablets in his belt pouch, Jim took a couple of them, drank some more water, then settle down in the coolness of the den to sleep.
Rafe's movements woke him from his sleep. Jim opened his eyes and looked over at the lieutenant. "Rafe, you awake?" Jim asked.
"Yeah, I..." His voiced croaked, and Jim unstoppeered a canteen and held the rim to Rafe's lips. Rafe drank the water gratefully. "Where are we?"
"Aurellia. In the jungles anway. Do you remember crashing?" Jim asked.
"Yeah. Those fighters got in a lucky hit." Rafe said. "What's going to happen, now?"
"Now, I make my way into the city and contact someone from our little list. We'll need papers and passports to catch a ship to Io. From there we can make our way back to Mars."
"How will you get into the city?" Rafe asked.
"I'll go in after dark. Don't worry about it. I leave you with full canteens and your rations and three quarters of mine."
"Do you have any money?" Rafe asked.
"30 lightstones. Should be plenty. And lightstones won't automatically make me Earther." As Jim talked, he took out the first aid kit that was hooked to Rafe's belt. He used the bone setter to set Rafe's leg, and a hypo of boneknitter to begin the process that would eventually heal Rafe's leg.
"Be careful, Captain. Guys I've talked to said that Aurellians torture officers for information." Rafe said.
"I will. Besides I'm an Earther. What information could I have." Jim smiled, and patted Rafe's shoulder.
Jim and Rafe ate some of their rations and drank what was left in the canteens. Jim left their hideout to find a source of fresh water. He followed his nose through the foliage and found a small spring. Refilling the canteens, Jim then made his way back ot the den.
When night fell, Jim took a quarter of his rations and one of six canteens with him leaving Rafe the first aid kit, five filled canteens, salt tablets, rations that would last six days, and his flight suit and identity tags.
Wearing the black undershirt and black cargo pants tucked into his boots, armed with a knife, and his blaster on a holster slung low on his hips, Jim made his way through the jungle with only the light of the twin moons to find his way toward the nearest Aurellian city.
Through the dark streets of Cascade Jim moved silently from building to building using his memory of a map he had memorized a few years before to make his way to the address of one of the names on his contact list. When he found the house, Jim tapped on it lightly. A light came on, and JIm could hear someone moving aorund as if they
had just gotten out of bed.
When the door opened, Jim looked at the contact whose name was Blair Sandburg.
Blair looked at the man who was at his door at dark thirty in the morning. He didn't recognize the tall handsome man wearing black. "Who are you?" Blair asked.
"Names Jim. A mutual friend told me you could me out." The man answered.
Blair sighed. He had gotten out of the smuggling business, but old business partners still continued to throw his name around. "Look, I'm sorry but I don't do that kind of business anymore. S if your a customer, well your out of luck and if you're a cop...nice try." Blair was about to shut the door, but the man stepped inside.
"Look Chief. I don't have time for this. You are a smuggler. Doesn't matter if you say you're out of the business. I'm not here to hire you to smuggle weapons or aid supplies. I just need to hire your ship to get to Io."
"If your not here for smuggling..." Blair trailed off confused, "You don't need me just take a transport to wherever...wait a minute...Io, why in the world would you want to go to Io." Suddenly Blair's eyes widened, and he quickly glanced out the door and looked both ways down the streets, then shut his door. He turned and looked at the man drawing a blaster which he heated up with a touch of a button. Pointing the muzzle at Jim, Blair placed his back against his door. "You're the pilot aren't you. Of that downed ship. Shit you're a Mars Corp fighter, and my damn name is on some kind of list for Mars Corp. I aein't no damn traitor!"
Jim had raised his hands when Blair pointed the weapon at him, "Sorry to dissillusion you, Chief. But what exactly do you think you were hauling to Earth."
"Medical supplies." Blair whispered. "They told me it was medical supplies. I even scanned them!"
"Sorry, Chief. Maybe a few medical supplies but from what I understand most of your runs was for weapons. And I believe one of your runs you were carrying Stardust."
"Fuck." Blair whispered his hands lowering the blaster slowly in shock. "I took weapons to our enemies."
Jim put his hands down to his sides, and look sympathetically on the young smuggler.
Blair then raised the blaster again and looked straight at Jim, "What do you want."
Jim raised his hands as soon as the blaster muzzle was pointed at him again, "Look kid, all I need his papers and transport off this rock for me and my co-pilot. Then we'll be out of your hair."
"My ships under repairs, it will be a least ten days before I can fly. But papers....I know someone who can forge Identity cards. It will cost a pretty penny, though."
"How much...in lightstones?" Jim asked.
"Ten or fifteen. I might be able to bargain him down to ten since you'll be paying in lightstones." Lightstones were nearly impossible to trace and were used as currency on many different worlds and were worth more than credits or paper money.
"Alright. I'll need to get back to my co-pilot. He was injured. I'll need supplies for him, maybe some way of getting him into Cascade."
"Once we have is Identity card, then we can bring him through the gates. My friend can forge the best, they'll pass a military scan." Blair said.
"Good." Jim said. "Is there anyplace I can hide out till then?" Jim asked.
*Shit, I really am a traitor. But I can't let him be captured, he could reveal me as a smuggler at the very least.*
"You can hide out here. I've got a few places in here that are undetectable by normal scans."
Jim nodded, then suddenly turned his head in the direction of the door, cocking his head to one side like a dog listening for something only he could hear. Blair looked at the man confused, then noticed the suddenly blank look in Jim's blue eyes. Blair gasped in shock.
Holstering his weapon back in the compartment beside the door, Blair went to Jim and grabbed the man's arm, "Hey man, no time for this, wake up." He said.
Jim's eyes refocused and he looked at Blair in confusion. "What happened?"
"You zoned...you're a sentinel!"
"What! I'm not one of your government experiments. I was born on Earth!" Jim growled grabbing Blair and throwing him against the wall.
"Hey calm down." Blair tried to talk the man down. "Look, sentinels aren't experiments. They are as natural as empaths."
"Yeah, right. Spouting that propraganda crap. Look, Chief. I'm just here to get some Identicards, and travel papers, then I'll be out of your long hair for good. But don't try to sell me on how great you people are, because I know better." With that he released Blair.
"Fine, fine, no propaganda. Sheesh." Blair said. "Look I'm going to go to my friends place, and get him started on the identicards."
"Good. Here." Jim reached into one of his pockets on his shirt, and brought out two identicards with the Mars Corp logo on them. They also held the holo pictures of the two pilots. Blair took them and tucked them into a pocket.
"Just stay here, and don't answer the door." Blair said, and left the apartment.
As he walked down the darkened streets, Blair's mind went back to what he had witnessed. A sentinel. An Earth sentinel on Aurellia. That hadn't happened since…Blair tried not to think about it. He had to be sure and have the identicard for Ellison to show him to be an unbonded sentinel. Otherwise, should his senses flare up, the Aurellia police and military would be very suspicious that a sentinel of Ellison's age wasn't registered. He hoped to hell Ellison didn't become violent. When Ellison had thrown him against a wall, Blair had felt the hunger rise within him, and it had taken all his willpower not to throw Ellison on the floor and forceably bond him.
Blair definitely didn't need the added hassle of being bonded to an Earth sentinel. They'd both be thrown into prison.
He found Jack's door, and pushed the electronic doorbell.
Jack's voice came over the speaker. "Its kinda late, Blair. This better be important."
"Oh, believe me Jack, it is."
The door opened, and Jack was before him in his lift chair. Jack Kelso had been in the military before his legs were damaged beyond repair when a ion generator exploded.
The door closed behind Blair after he stepped into Jack's home. "What can I do for you?"
"Two identicards." With reluctance, Blair handed over the Mars Corp identicards.
Jack's eyes widened at the sight of them. "Blair, what the hell have you gotten into?"
"I can't help it Jack. They have my name on some kind of list they memorize. Apparently those Earth runs weren't medical supplies, but weapons, and drugs."
"You are in deep kid. Alright, I'll make the identicards. How do they plan to pay?"
"Lightsones."
"Lightstone, huh. Then I'll do it for ten lightstones, and they'll be ready day after tomorrow. Better keep `em hid before then." Jack told him as he placed the identicards in a secret compartment on his lift chair.
"I will. He says his buddy hidden out in the jungle. We'll have to get him after you make the identicards. And travel papers. Oh and Jack. The one called Ellison. He's an unbonded sentinel, so make sure the identicard and papers reflect that."
Jack's eyes nearly popped out of his head, "And unbonded Earth sentinel…fuck, Blair this is crazy. You haven't…" Jack knew that Blair was an unbonded registered guide.
"No, but it came close. Jack, please hurry, for my sanity." Blair begged.
"I will Blair. You be careful. I've got some empasuppresents if you want."
"I don't take those, Jack. I don't like being head blind. I'll be careful."
With that Blair left Jack's and headed back to his domicile.
Ellison was waiting for him, pacing the room. "Did anyone try to come in?" Blair asked.
"No." Was Ellison curt reply. "How much?"
"Ten lightstones." Blair answered.
Jim nodded. "When?"
"Day after tomorrow. So quit worrying. You can take the couch." Blair went to a closet and took out an extra blanket, and handed it to the unbonded sentinel. Jim took the blanket wordlessly.
"Get some sleep." Blair told him, then headed through the door that slid open upon his approach that led to his bedroom.
Jim watched him dissapear through the door, then went over to the couch. He thought of Rafe, hidden in the cave. (Hold tight, Rafe. I'll come get you soon.) He thought as he closed his eyes.
The next day, Blair had Jim stay in his apartment while he went to Charlie's to check on the progress of his ship's repairs. That ship might be the ony way Blair was going to get rid of his guest. Charlie was there behind his desk, and wasn't surprised to see Blair. He told Blair that the repairs were underway and that a few parts were still in shipping. Blair nodded at that. He had know idea what to do while he waited for the repairs. He had to make sure the pilt was out of sight. They wouldn't be able to get the other one until the identicards were made. Need to check on that, Blair decided.
Jack wasn't surprised to see him anymore than Charlie had been. Jack was optimistic that he would be able to finish the identicards by nightfall. Which meant a trip into the jungle come morning. Jack again offered some empasuppresents, but Blair refused.
"Blair if you aren't going to use empasuppressants then keep your shields maintained, and don't piss him off. Whatever you do, don't get him worked up. When they are angry the can easily rip through your shields. Once that happens you won't be able to stop yourself." Jack said.
Blair nodded. He had gone through the normal guide training, but all thier training had been about dealing with Aurellian sentinels who were trained from birth to deal with their senses, to shield themselves, and control their emotions. An earth sentinel would have no such training. Once Ellison broke through the shields, then the bonding emotions Ellison leaked would hit Blair like a two ton truck. And the rest would be a forgone conclusion.
Blair left kelso's place and walked down the sidewalk lost in his own thought until he heard the hovercar behind him. Automatically he turned to look and was surprised to see a military hovercar driving by heading toward the base. Blair was even more shocked to see the three men in the back of the hovercar. One of the men looked hurt, and was being guarded by the other two. The fact that the hurt man was wearing a Mars Corp uniform told Blair exactly who was in the hovercar. They have the copilot, Blair thought.
Blair forced himself to walk calmly down the sidewalk to his apartment. The door opened at his palmprint, and he entered his abode. Only then with the door shut did he allow himself to shake. He knew the copilot wouldn't say anything. He knew that the authorities would only question the prisoner, then when they didn't get anything they would just lock him. What scared Blair the most is the reaction from Ellison when he heard.
"What the hell is the matter with you. You sound like you just ran a marathon." Ellison said as he came out of the bathroom area. Blair tried to hide his sudden amusement. Ellison might not believe he was a sentinel, but he didn't seem the bit concerned that he could hear Blair's breathing and probably his heartate as well. But amusement lasted only a second.
"I just saw a military hovercar go by. They had a wounded man in a Mars Corp uniform under guard." Blair said as mentally he tightened his shields.
"Damn. Damn." Jim didn't shout the words, he hissed them beneath his breath. Blair could feel the emotions coming from the man just outside his shield. The anger was there but there was other emotions. Fortunantly the anger was white hot rage that tore through his shields, though he felt them batter at them. Blair was feeling the strain of keeping his shields tight. "Poor kid." Jim said after what seemed hours of cursing.
"Yeah, I am sorry." Blair said. "He won't talk will he?" Blair asked. He felt frozen when twin blue lazers masquerading as eyes pinned him to his door.
"He wouldn't talk at first, but even the strongest man will eventually give under torture. You should know that." Jim said, anger still in his voice.
"Torture!?" Blair practically shouted. "No one's getting tortured. Why in the hell would you think..." Blair trailed off as he realised where Ellison would get that idea. Damn Mars Corp, Blair thought. He turned to see Jim looking at him with anger. Blair was starting to think that his shields wouldn't hold any longer unless he took a empasuppresant or sedated Ellison.
"Of course they torture them. Maybe being in the military you don't know that, but they do. I've seen the results. I have seen some of the bodies that are returned to us after Aurellia gets done with them." Jim said.
Blair knew for a fact that Aurellia had never returned any prisoners of war unless they died. And the dead bodies were sent back to Mars but unless they died of wounds taken in battle they shouldn't have a mark on them. Rather than continuing the argument Blair sought to change the subject in hopes of stopping if not lowering the amount of anger that was battering at his shields.
"Look I just talked to my contact. He said he sould have the identicards done tonight. Should I call him back and have him destroy your copilots card and not make a new one or what?" Blair asked.
"Yeah, good idea. Better for him there is no evidence when they come for us." Jim said. Blair realised the man thought that the Aureliian guards were torturing the copilot and would get the information on where Ellison was. Blair jsut shook his head. He turned to the vid, and called up Jack and waited for Jack to make the line secure. Once that was done Blair told Jack what was going on. Jack wasn't surprised to learn that Mars Corp was telling the Earth fighters that Aureliia tortured POW's. He told Blair he would detroy the co pilots card and then said he would charge only five lightstones for Ellison's new card. Blair nodded and thanked Jack fo rhis help.
Blair decided to leave the apartment. His shields were thin and couldn't take another battering. He told Ellison to stay out of sight and then left. The anger that had been erroding his shields dissapeared as soon as he got of range. He headed to a bar where pilots both civilian and military liked to hang out. The owner Joel was an ex-military pilot who had flown some smuggling runs in his younger days. Though only other smugglers knew that. The military only suspected it.
Alcohol was a cheap empasupressant. It dulled the edges of his gift but would give him a horrible hangover the next day. Blair felt it just might be worth it. He drank shots and beer, the quickest way to get plastered. Joel was kind enough to call a cab for him to take him home.
Blair stumbled into his apartment later that evening, the door shutting automatically behind him. Ellison stood staring at him, anger in his eyes. Fortunantly Blar couldn't even feel it. "Why the hell are you drunk?" Ellison barked.
"It seemed like a good idea at the time." Blair answered as he stumbled toward his bed.
"I thought the identicard would be ready tonight." Jim said.
""Jack will bring it by in the morning. Now be quiet, my head hurts." Blair shushed him with a finger to his own lips, smiling and giggling the whole time.
Jim gave him a disgusted look, then went to park himself on the couch. Blair fell onto his bed, and was out rather quickly.
The next morning Blair was ready to surrender himself gladly to a firing squad. His head pounded behind his eyes, and his tongue tasted like it was covered in a fur coat. The good thing about it was that Blair's head hurt too much for his empathy to even pick up on someone in a killing rage much less anything else. Tha twouldn't last of course. Once his the numbness and headache went away his empathy would be back. Hopefully his shields would be back in place as well.
He crawled out of bed reluctantly and headed for the shower. He was so groggy he didn't realise the shower was occupied.
"Do you mind." Ellsion said angrily. Blair blinked as he took in the muscular body of the earth sentinel as water flowed down its curves and into its crevices. The sentinel had turned upon his entrance, and Blair got a good look at a washboard stomach, muscular pecs, brown nipples and the lax uncut cock that hung lazily against average sized testicles. There was no hair on his chest, and small amount of light colored hairs on his groin and balls. Blair's body reacted to the sight of the naked sentinel, and Ellison turned away from him giving Blair a view of the tight muscular ass that made Blair's cock stand up and take notice. Blair blushed and stammered an apology and turned to leave. He had to adjust himself in his pants before he could walk straight. He left the bathroom hurridly.
Oh man, Blair groaned to himself as he tried to mentally tell his cock to calm the hell down. It wasn't working. He would have to wait for his turn in the shower and take matters into his own hands.
Not long after that, Ellison left the shower with only a towel wrapped around his waist. The towel wasn't very big and the sentinel had to hold it at the corners to keep it in place so it bared one hip and thigh. Blair's cock got even harder at the sight, and he all but ran into the bathroom. "If you had to go that bad, you could have done it while I was showering," Ellison called. Blair mumbled something, he wasn't sure what. But Ellison left him alone. Blair immediatly started the shower, and undressed. Once naked he jumped in under the spray and immediatly took his own cock in his hand, the fingertips unable to touch each other as he jacked off under the warm spray of water. After he sprayed the wall in front of him with his cum, Blair soaped up and finished his shower.
He made sure to clean the cum from the walls with the shower spray, then stepped out drying himself off with a towel. Naked he walked into his bedroom that was connected to the bathroom, and got dressed. He was in tiem because as soon as he boots were tied, his door chime rang. Jim was watching the door, his hand under his jacket, no doubt to his blaster butt. Blair opened the door, knowing from the computer screen beside it that the visitor was Jack. Jack hovered in the through the doorway, and the door closed behind him. "Here you go, Blair. One new Aurellian identicard." Jack said ahnding the guide an envelope. Jim came forward to take the envelope handign the pouch of lightstones to Jack. Ellison opened the envelope and his Mars Corp identicard fell out along iwth his new Aurellian ID.
"What the hell is this?" Jim asked angrily. "It says I am an unbonded sentinel. Isn't that what you called me that first day. I told you I am no Aurellian lab experiment!"
"Look Ellison, wether or not you are a lab experiemtn isn't the point. You zoned, and I guarantee if you zone again, and someone looks at your card they will be suspicious that it doesn't say anything about you being a sentinel. And then the jig will be up. Better for you that it is one there. And it gives you an excuse to be here. Blair is an unbonded guide. He can say they you are here to see if you guys can make a bond. Then we you leave, they will think the bond didn't take." Jack intervened.
"What the hell is a guide?" Jim asked. There is was still some anger there, but it was tempered.
"An empath." Jack answere.
"Your an empath?" He asked Blair. "Why aren't you working for the military?"
"Not all empaths work for the military. Aurellia doesn't force enlist them like Mars Corp does." Jack answered.
"They might make an exception if they find out what I've done." Blair said trying to be humerous and falling short.
"Or a firing squad." Jack added.
"Oh thanks Jack, I needed to be reminded of that." Blair said sarcastically.
"If they find me just say I forced you to help me." Jim said. Blair was surprised by the sudden charitable statement adn the strange softening expression on Jim's face.
Then shock hit him, he knew an empath. He knew an empath who was forced into the military. It was the only thing that explained it.
"I have got to go." Jack said. "Got more deliveries to make. Blair you sure you don't want any empasuppresants?"
"Jack, I really can't. I uh I am allergic to most of them." Blair confessed. He hadn't told anyone that before. It was in his medical charts but those where private. Not even the guild knew.
"Dammit Blair why didn't you say something. What about Empathol?" Jack asked.
"Its too expensive Jack. And hard to get. I couldn't afford it." Blair said. Empathol was the newest. He had been developed for people like Blair who was allergic or had bad reactions to the other empasuppasents.
"I can get some. It will take a couple of days, but I can get some. It will cost about 200 credits for a week's supply." Jack said. The going price was 500 credits for a weeks supply.
"I can scrape together." Blair said.
"Why does he need these suppresants," Jim asked confused.
"Because anger and strong emotions can errode his shields. Especially if they are from someone who hasn't had the type of emotion training that Aurellians automatically give their kids." Jack answered avoiding the real reason while still staying with the truth.
"Oh," Jim actually looked guilty. "Would five lightstones pay for them?"
"Jim you don't have to..." Blair said but was cut off when Jack answered, "Three lightstones will. I will have them in two days. In the meantime, Blair, keep a bottle of tequila handy."
Jack turned and left the apartment. When the door shut, Jim turned to Blair. "Is that why you got drunk?"
"Yes, alcohol is a pretty cheap empasuppresant that I am not allergic too. It has its drawbacks though." Blair answered.
"So I saw." Jim said.
"Look you don't have to pay for them. Its not that big a deal." Blair said.
"Look it is a big deal. My emotions are hurting you. I had a friend who had the same problem before Mars Corp recruited him. I saw the pain other people's emotions caused him. No need for you to suffer because I get angry. Okay."
"Okay," Blair said. He wondered if this friend would have ended up becoming Jim's guide if Mars Corp hadn't 'recruited' him. We'll never know.
"Now to test out the new card. I have been stuck in this place to long. Is there anyplace we can get some information about Rafe?" Jim asked.
"There's a bar that the military guys like to hang out at. I might be able to talk to a few contacts who would tell me somethings...for a price of course." Blair said.
"Okay then let's go. I still have five lightstones." Jim said.
Blair shook his head, "Better to use Aurellian credits. Less suspicion. I will take care of it." Blair grabbed his jacket and slipped it on as the two of them left the apartment and headed for the bar. Jim was no longer wearing his Mars Corp uniform, and the black pants, and white shirt looked ordinary enough for him to pass as an Aurellian. The headed up the street to Joel's. Inside, Blair looked around hopign to spot a few people.
It wasn't hard to spot the man he was looking for. General Banks stood out wherever he was. Blair headed over to the table where Banks and a few others were sitting. Jim followed in his wake.
"Hey Simon." Blair said.
"Blair! Take a load off." Simon gestured to the empty seats. Blair took one and JIm sat down as well.
"Simon this is Jim. He's a sentinel from New Seattle." Blair introduced Jim.
"Unbonded I take it. Didn' think you would try again after that disaster with what's her name." Simon said. "Good to meet you Jim."
"Likewise." Jim said. Blair decided that Ellison was a damn good actor.
"This is general Simon Banks of Aurellian security." Blair introduced Simon. Blair felt the hatred flowing off of Jim, but saw no trace of the emotion on Ellison's face.
They drank for a bit, not really speaking of anything of importance. Jim only drank and listened why Blair and Simon talked about friends they had in common and stories of other friends antics. Eventually, when Balir's empathic senses told him Simon was more open Blair said in a conversational tone, "I saw the hovercar go by today. I guess that was the pilot of the downed Talon."
"Just the copilot. We found him waundering in the jungle. He was dehydrated and had a fever. He was delirous, but unfortunatly none of the men who found him while he was still conscious understand Earther. They treated him at White Mountain outpost before delivering him to us." Simon took another drink of his beer.
"Has he said anything else?" Blair asked.
"Not a thing. Once he was concious and alert he clamped up tighter than a virgin's asshole." one of the other men said.
"And what would you know about virgins, Kelley." the other man said laughing.
Everyone at the table laughed at the joke. Blair waited, his empathy giving him an advantage.
When the time came, Blair asked, "Think the black suits will beat it out of him." Despite the alcohol the three men went into shock at Blair's question.
"Blair Sandburg! Youknow damn well we don't torture prisoners. You've sat in on interrogations before, dammit. I swear that mother of yours left her prejudices branded on your ass." Simon was angry and the anger beat against his shields. He also felt Jim's shock that felt like a hammer blow to his already weakened shields.
"You're right, Simon. I'm sorry. I guess my mother did leave me with more of her prejudices than I thought." Blair made sure his voice was heavy with an apologetic tone. He was sorry to have said it, but at least it had worked.
"Aw, Naomi was okay, she just well you know.' Simon was starting to feel bad for dissing Blair's mother and his ex-girlfriend.
Blair grinned, "Yeah I know. Down with the pigs and all that." The others laughed which was Blair's intentions.
The drank and laughed some more, forgetting the outburst as only men will. When Blair was ure everything was right again he ventured some more, "So if he was the copilot, did the pilot die in the crash?"
"No, no body recovered from it. He's out in the jungle somewhere unless he was eaten by something. Or she." Simon said as an afterthought. "We've got patrols out looking for the pilot. If he's alive I hope we find him first before some hungry animal does."
"If the copilot is Earther, that means the pilot almost has to be as well." Blair said.
"Yeah, poor brainwashed bastards. He'll fight us right up until the end. Just like earth will. Its a damn shame." The general became meloncholy after that, and Blair stopped with the questioning. They had gotten enough information anyway. They drank for a while more, then Blair pleaded fatigue. He had to nearly drag Jim away from the table. The earth sentinel was still in a state of shock, though hiding behind a fake drunken stupor.
Blair's shields felt battered, but they were holding. The sentinel's shock wasn't enough to put a dent in his shields, and the alcohol helped dim his empathic abilites, though he hadn't drank nearly as much as he had the other night.
Once inside the apartment, Blair led Jim over to the couch. Once the sentinel was seated, Blair sat down on the coffee table in front of him. "Hey man, I am sorry. You needed to know. At least now you don't have to worry about being tortured if your captured. And your copilot is alright. That's good news right."
Then Blair felt the slow rising of unrelenting anger, and knew he had made a mistake, a very big one. The sentinel rose, and growled, "They lied to us. Those bastards, those fucking bastards lied to us. We are brainwashed fools, we believe every word they say to us!" And the anger within rose in crescendos, as wave upon wave battered against Blair's shields, eroding them like the tide eroded a beach. The alcohol wasn't enough, Blair could feel the anger, hurt and betrayal coming from the sentinel. Anger beign the most devastating, but the others no less so. Blair tried to keep his shields up, tried to rebuild them as each layer fell before the anger. He couldn't keep up. Jim stalked and paced, growling and snarling in Earther. Blair didn't understand a word of it, but he felt it.
Blair fell to his knees as the shields dropped completely for the first time in his life. Jim noticed and stopped ranting as he walked over to the fallen empath. He knelt down grabbing Blair's arms gently, "Oh shit, I am sorry Blair. Are you alright, I forgot..." He didn't say anything else as his nose picked up the nearly overpowering scent of Blair's bonding pheremones. The shields were down, and Blair could feel the small almost non existant emotion that was neither lust nor love, but somewhere in that category. Other empaths called it the bonding emotion. Others called it a need. Sentinel wanted to be bonded, they needed it or they died. An empath wanting to bond lowers his shields completely and allows the bonding emotion to take control.
Once that happens the guide releases a pheremone that a sentinel reacted to. And Jim was reacting, he was pliant, giving up control to the guide. He didn't protest when he was pushed back onto the couch and Blair's mouth latched onto his. He was lost in instinct, his conscious mind having been pushed back by primitive urges and feelings. Blair was nearly as far gone as the sentinel. Unlike Jim, Blair could still think rationally, if only a little. Not enough to control his actions but enough to regret them as they took place. Enough to regret being the second Aurellian to forcefully bond an Earth sentinel through rape.
Jim gave no fight and no verbal protest as Blair undid Jim's pants and pushed them down to the top of his boots effectively trapping Jim's legs. Jim's jacket and shirt were pulled back trapping his arms while Blair's teeth and tongue explored Jim's mouth, neck and chest leaving behind marks and bruises. Jim only cried out in pleasure even when Blair's teeth scored Jim's left nipple leaving a trail of blood down Jim's hairless chest. Blair's hands found Jim's cock, which in a strange contrast was still soft despite the pleasure of bonding. The part of Blair's mind that still worked knew this to be usual for a bond. The bond was more mind to mind then body to body despite the use of sex to cement it. Blair's instictive mind didn't care. It continued to order his mouth to go lower
to take the lax penis into his mouth and suck and bite it and lick it. Jim threw back his head, his eyes rolling from the pleasure that his primitive mind felt in immense proportions. Blair's mouth went even lower, sucking Jim's balls into his mouth one by one, putting steady pressure on them, while his hands gripped Jim's thighs in a brusing grip. The bonding link that had flared up between them grew, like a leech attached to an artery. It grew in size and strength until Blair couldn't hold off any longer. With strength born of need, Blair picked up Jim over his shoulder and carried the sentinel bound in his own clothes into Blair's bedroom. He casually tossed the primitive controlled sentinel onto his bed, then attackes his own clothes.
When he was naked, his long thick cock bobbing against his belly leaving pre cum smears on his hairy stomach, Blair reached out and turned Jim onto his stomach on the bed and dragged him back until his hips rested agains the end of the bed. Blair used his hand to smear precum over his dick, and spat into his hand a few times to add to the slickness. Without any other preparation, Blair pulled open Jim's butt cheeks revealing the tiny virgin hole that winked at him as if begging for his entrance. Alligning the cut head of his dick against that hole, Blair thrust his hips forward and breached the virgin opening, tearing sensitive tissue in his wake. Once he was fully sheathed, Blair began a punishing thrust as beneath him the sentinel moaned in exctasy, feeling none of the pain from rape.
Blair pounded and pounded into the pliant body beneath him, endorphins racing through his brain, as they raced through Jim's. He could feel the sentinel's pleasure humming through his empathic senses. He could feel the bond strengthen in leaps and bounds. And when he came, he cried out as the bond locked into place, settling into both their minds with a snap that drove the sentinel and guide into unconsciousness. Blair fell over Jim's back still locked into the sentinels body like a dog into a bitch. Eventually the hard cock softened and shrunk until it slipped out of the bleeding hole.
Blair was the first to wake up. His whole mind was back, and as he sat up off of Jim's back and looked down at the dried blood and cum on his softened cock and between Jim's legs, Blair cried. Tears fell down his face as he ritually pushed a finger into the sentinel's well used hole, and removed it covered in fresh blood. He cried as he used the blood to leave his mark Jim's left ass cheek as the John Ashton had done so long ago to his Earth sentinel Kevin. When that part of the ritual was done, Blair stood and wiped the tears from his face. He threw on a robe and went to the vid to call Kelso.
Kelso answered the call rather sleepily until he saw Blair's tear stained face. "Blair tell me you didn't." Kelso asked his voice full of shock.
"I'm sorry. I tried. I didn't think. Jack we need a doctor." Blair said.
"Blair I know a doctor who makes housecalls, no questions asked. But he's a sentinel. And you've bonded him. You need a regular doctor to confirm the bond. The identicard will hold up under scrutiny I promise you. And after I hang up I will tap into the database and put Jim in the sentinel list. Just in case they look."
"Alright Jack." Blair said. He hung up and slumped against the wall. Ellsion would be unconsious for a few more hours.
Blair called the guide guild. He told him that he had bonded and that he needed a doctor to come to the apartment. The on call guide said he would send a doctor, and then asked for Blair's information. Blair gave it along with the information on Jim's identicard. He hoped that this incident didn't smoke them out to the authorities.
Twenty minutes later a doctor showed up. Blair led him into his bedroom. Blair had taken those minutes to removed Jim's clothes and clean him up as best he could. At the moment, Jim lay on his stomach beneath the covers of the bed. The doctor went immediatly to the bed and removed the blankets revealing Jim's nude form. Blair had cleaned up the dried blood, all except the bloodmark on Jim's butt cheek. The doctor did a quick examination confirming the bonding had taken place. He then used a healing lamp to heal the tears inside Jim's rectum and the other wounds on the outside of his body. The doctor then assured Blair that Jim would be fine, and left.
Once the doctor was gone Blair went to the bed and sat down beside the sleeping sentinel. As he cried he stroked his fingers through Jim's short hair while he tried to figure out what to do next. They were bonded, sentinel and guide, adn Blair could not leave Jim and Jim could not leave Blair. What a fucking mess, Blair thought.
Jack Kelso immediatly upon severing the call from Blair got onto the mainframe and hacked into the system. He added Jim Ellison to the sentinel registry, gave the sentinel a history making him an orphan with no family to question, placed him in the orphanage in New Seattle that had burned to the ground years ago. The guide guild would have to dig deep to find out that Jim wasn't an Aurellian sentinel. And they shouldn't have any reason to dig that deep.
After his got off the mainframe, Kelso sat back in his hover chair and thought. Ellison would not be able to leave, and Blair could never go to Earth. Jack knew it would be easier if Ellison just took over the persona Kelso had created. But Kelso knew it would never hold up to Aurellian Military scrutiny. And when the military never found the downed pilot in the jungle then they would search the city. Any strangers or no resients would come under scrutiny no matter who they were. And that scrutiny would find Jim Ellison bonded to Blair Sandburg. Jack Kelso had known Naomi years before. He had helped Blair through the depression that followed her death. He had watched Blair grow up. Blair was his son in all but blood. He would not let Blair face imprisonement or death.
Time to call in a few favors, Jack thought as his opened up his vid and made a call.
The man who came on the vid screen was an older gentleman with graying hair and mustaches. He looked at Jack with amusement in his brown eyes, "Jack to what do I owe the pleasure."
"I need some advice, Eli. And some help. Got a situation needs your expertise." Jack said. Eli frowned. "Jack I am a lawyer, or I was. Don't tell me your in trouble with the law again. I would be surprised if anyone found you out." Eli laughed.
"Not me, Eli. My godson needs help. He's got himself into a situation." Jack continued.
Eli Stoddard frowned, "Blair Sandburg. I know we suspected him of smuggling years ago. Couldn't prove it one way or the other. I haven't heard anything about him going back to it." Eli Stoddard was a member of the Parliment. A group of thirteen men and women who ruled Aurellian. They were elected for life by the citiznes of Aurelia.
"This line isn't secured, Eli. Maybe we should meet and talk." Jack suggested.
"Alright. Meet me in an hour at The Five Clusters." eli said. The Five Clusters was an exclusive restaurant for the very wealthy.
"Alright, see you there." Jack signed off. He hovered back away from his computer and then got ready to meet his friend.