Ten
The Council meeting was held behind closed doors, all the Blondies in attendance as they ran through the finer points of the Exclusivity Clause of the New Pet Laws, each section being read, Gideon, Orphe, Raoul and the others debating on all the changes, Iason's stand-in and best friend being a total perfectionist aiming to make everything right. While Iason was silent throughout the proceedings, merely an attentive ear listening, happy somehow that in the end, it will still be about Riki.
"The Exclusivity clause was created to exclude one, therefore it should only specifically declare that the rules therein would only apply to Pet Z-107M. Dash E. He must be in the writing," Raoul stated, on a gallant tirade befitting a knight.
It was an ancient discussion, like the rhetoric and arguments when Ceres was excluded from being part of the society that stands absolute to this day. Nothing much has changed in a year, Iason sighed to himself, everything finally becoming the same old thing, albeit he was relieved that the rules by which the Pet, his Riki, was to act as an Exclusive were promptly created despite much anarchy amongst them:
[ IX-A. ]
The Exclusivity clause applies only to Pet Z-107M-E a.k.a Riki (see section 2: Jupiter List, Riki) and shall NOT include any or all other pets be they Academy-bred or otherwise
[ IX-B. ]
The Exclusive shall remain housed within Eos Tower Two or where his Master resides, and is forbidden from living separately or leaving without prior consent
[ IX-C. ]
The Exclusive is given full rights but must subject himself to the all rules pertaining to his Master's House and must in no way go against these said regulations
[ IX-D. ]
The Exclusive must wear his Pet Ring at all times
[ IX-E. ]
The body of the Exclusive shall be, all technical and System purposes included, for the sole use and pleasure of Neu-Jupiter (see section 1: Jupiter List, Iason Mink)
[ IX-F. ]
Any unauthorized contact with the said body by individuals (e.g. "beings", "creatures", "humans", etc.) other than the one stated in section 1 of the Jupiter List, shall be prohibited and will merit Capital Punishment especially when pursued with the intent of harm or malice
[ IX-G. ]
Any unlawful contact by the Pet merits FULL disciplinary action which shall hence be carried out by his Master under supervision of the Council
There were other rules, guidelines, restrictions as the list seemingly went on forever, and debates which included things like separate citizen chips for the Exclusive and Neu-Jupiter, boundaries or the lack of it, security, how Riki must be escorted at all times when his Master was not around, etc., etc., were tackled in earnest, although not everyone agreed with everything, raising the subject of whether or not this would affect the very fabric of their customs. Besides, there was the public ideal. How would this change alter the lives of those in their domain?
"The godhood has shifted," emphasized Raoul, taking the final word on the subject presented. "As we had thought to please Jupiter, so we must with his heir. The opinions of the populace are of no significance and is not significant, however, the System and its bearers are."
Point taken. The argument was closed.
Then intrigue inclined the discussion on the matter of pet soirees and the like gatherings, of which Iason promptly set his foot down. He will not have Riki's real purpose as a 'vessel' for the System be undermined by these affairs, and as the Master grants full discernment unto his Pet whether to decline any and all of them as part of his full rights under subsection IX-C; if he ever does attend, he will not be allowed to participate so as to not violate subsection IX-E. These were immediately added to the list of sub-rulings.
Raoul wanted to reserve one subsection of the newly-formulated amendments open for his scientific evaluations regarding both Neu-Jupiter's and his Exclusive's interaction with the System under section IX-E, quote: all technical and System purposes included…unquote.
"There might be more to this than what we know and close monitoring should be exercised" he said, and they knew for certain he was right so they granted the motion without delay.
"To simplify then," Gideon sat back in his seat when at last, they had exhausted every possible angle and scenario on the subject, a smile on his face that told everyone how the Charismatic Noble was amused. "The Pet of Tanagura's Neu-Jupiter shall be henceforth such, his Exclusive. That is the common fact."
He then looked at Iason who maintained his superior air, a cool facet chiselled with the hardness of ice. "Can you handle him this way though? We're basically granting him all freedom unheard of in pets."
It was a fact they were entirely afraid of, no matter how much they intend to give it to get their head back.
Iason just smiled and in all confidence assured his fellow Blondies, "When have I ever not?" He will make this work. For Riki's sake…he will once more walk on fire and burn if he must.
It was Orphe who raised the final vote, all documentations compiled and sealed into the databases as Aisha seconded, now a law meriting execution, "Let's put the issue to rest then?"
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"All in favour?"
The hall echoed with a resounding "Aye."
--
Panic.
That was the first reaction he had when he woke up in a room he neither recognized as his nor Iason's. The moment he opened his Obsidian eyes, the moment his mind would allow him focus and thought, he was immediately in search of any familiarity with the area but could find nothing, just that feeling of not belonging here, that the current situation was all wrong on so many levels.
He couldn't find a trace of his master and lover, the discovery of a different D-Type Pet Ring at the base of his penis doing little to help ease his worries. Worries that had made him fail to simply remember how Guy had actually castrated him at Dana Burn, making this scenario now somehow a physical impossibility.
His mind was too occupied to notice the subtle changes in his physique and mentality, that his mind was actually racing through one logical explanation then another, which was honestly an improbability in itself as he was never naturally as intelligent, yet here he was, thought processes as quick as or even quicker to the draw when it came to it, than a top Android of Tanagura...
'Had I been handed to another master?' Riki pondered. 'But then who?'' This was his ultimate concern at the moment however.
Curse the elites' lack of love for images. As vain as they were, everything seemed too minimal in terms of their sentimentality really. There was no effigy about to catch a glimpse of just who the person would be. 'Perhaps another Blondie?' for only they had the humour to use a D-Type (or so he imagined). Riki did not want to find out.
He forced himself unto his feet, and wobbled the first time, but held tenaciously onto his consciousness when he was about to fall, even as he summoned the reserves of the strength he felt, no, knew that he hadn't used in a while. Three unsteady steps later, he'd found himself seeking a means of escape, and immediately.
"Shit. Where am I?"
There was none. Upon closer scrutiny of the surroundings, he was rather stunned to have found that the Pet Bed where he earlier lay was set on a platform circle that was literally suspended in mid-air! And from the corners of it, all he could see was a sheer drop onto the hard floor below.
"Shit. Shit. Shit."
Riki just couldn't believe his luck. How the hell did they get him here? And how the hell would they get him down? What annoying humour this new master must have to actually trap him on a space that was nearly impossible to escape from. In addition to how betrayed he felt, for Iason perhaps was already dead and had left him to this fate.
But he didn't want to be here. He didn't want to resign himself to being bound again although that's yet to be determined. He didn't want to meet the new bane of his existence. He'd rather be away. He'd rather...he'd rather...
"Shit. Not now," Riki cleared his eyes as they misted over with trivial tears.
He'd rather want his old life with Iason back, his brain—no—his heart said, to be caressed, owned and punished even by that cruel Blondie, that Blondie he loved. That would be better.
'Iason...where had you gone?'
A raven head suddenly snapped up.
He'd heard a slight groan and noticed how there were chains connecting the platform he stood upon to the walls below.
Salvation. Or rather, it was a mongrel's ingenuity no less, for only such a radical mind would come up with such a dangerous and near-suicidal solution to his problems. Riki was damned serious, and knowing well that if he achieved this feat, afterwards, he'd have to run again with all his might...
--
They noticed Iason's sudden pause even before the building lights and circuitry flickered, causing everyone to immediately turn towards his direction as the seeming shiver of fluctuations were his doing. The Blondies in particular were immediately concerned.
"Was that you, Iason?" Aisha asked.
Neu-Jupiter fell into silence, quiet at first as if contemplating, before he replied with a sigh, "Riki..." Iason knew he had to leave. Immediately. "He's awake."
It took more than mere strides to keep up with him as the Master all but sped off, stopping not despite being called after by Raoul and his other brethren who were falling far behind, "Maybe we should send-"
Iason instantly waved it off. "There's a faster way."
He half sprinted to the nearest open overhanging where, to his best friend's utter horror and damned annoyance, Iason unfurled his midnight blue wings, a flurry of feathers as beautiful as the back-dropping sky, spreading like petals, before the top Blondie took to the air in one effortless leap.
The other watched him disappear into the darkening surroundings, the Council arriving a split-second late, confused as to where Iason had once more vanished to.
"Raoul-"
The Biochemist was cussing to himself, "We need to have security follow him!" And he scrambled for his pod car to hurry after Neu-Jupiter.
--
He couldn't explain what happened, but after he glided down the chain using the makeshift silk of the canopy as a rope and jumped over the balcony of an adjoining room, he discovered that his agility had taken a rather astonishing leap. Never had he felt so light, only confirmed further when he easily ducked the Droids guarding the floor, diving through several surveillance bots as they scanned the area for intruders and other unusual activities.
"Why's the security so tight?!" Riki wondered, guessing at how ridiculously important this new master of his must be for the place to be so completely crowded with guards and such.
But then it was impossible for him not to get caught. There were just too many of these mindless robots and only one of him that, soon enough, his fears were realized, and a Droid had managed to corner him in one corridor as he was trying to figure his way out through the maze of the place. It scanned his face and determined the one order it was programmed with:
[ Z-107M Riki ]
[ Exclusive: Confirmed ]
[ DETAIN ]
Mindless determination perhaps close to a zombie-like state, only fueled by algorithms and manicured syntaxes in a powerful though lifeless body. Riki had to fight, the mongrel in him awakened as metallic fingers reached to drag him back in, even as other units poured from the rooms to help subdue him, stun at the ready.
He parried, snatched a Droid by its arm and did not think that he could even budge it, but again had underestimated his own strength it seemed as he effortlessly dashed the thing against its other counterparts, ripping steel joints apart, crunching through metal and alloy, unexpectedly making way for himself.
What was this?
Riki stared in disbelief at the palms of his hands, wondering where all this power had come from, but then started when he heard those unmistakable footsteps long before more units became visible. He just had to get away. This won't be like that time at the Plage when he had been so helplessly caught. Because he believed it would no longer be Iason who would next come through the door to show him pain. He will not get another master!
[ Exclusive: DETAIN ]
"Shit," Riki looked about as he came to a bridge connecting this and another chamber, but either gateway had now been swarmed by Droids. Desperately, the Pet looked for another way out, only saw one and it was near suicidal that for a moment he doubted.
He looked down.
Another balcony below.
But then he was hell-bent on not getting trapped ever again that he just had to take that chance, no matter how futile it all appeared.
"God damn it!" and it could have surprised anybody as with one full bound, he spanned the distance…and survived.
Just when he thought he'd be dead, when he could almost see himself a shattered mass of innards with his brain squashed against the beautiful marble, blood in a lovely macabre pool, Riki landed on his feet like a cat would. This again surprised him.
"What the hell-" but still no time to figure things out. He wasn't in the clear yet. The Droids had come to unmistakably capture him, easily following the route by which he'd descended. Riki figured he just had to keep going, keep running as he had run the day Iason let him go…
Riki sped up, although almost impossibly, as he was getting cornered and cornered into even smaller space. He was running out of floor and options, until finally, he had his back against the glass of a very lengthy window with no way to go.
Sweat.
Riki could feel his longer locks annoyingly stick to his skin, adding to the sense of constriction drumming his ears with his heartbeat. Damn claustrophobia. But somehow it had more to do with the presence of the Droids than with the actual fear itself, and the actual fear of being caught in chains again.
The Pet looked over his shoulder. The lights of Tanagura and the dark of clouds with its promise of rain. Ceres must be beyond that horizon somewhere. A nonsensical thought. But then he doesn't belong there anymore, does he? The same way he believed that he didn't belong here either way…not without Iason, he doesn't belong anywhere.
'You shouldn't have left me...'
The lights dimmed as if to console him as he recognised an all too familiar feeling: grief. Because pain he knew he could handle, but never when he had a broken heart…
To think you would be my last heartache you damned Blondie, Riki smiled bitterly to himself, fingers pressing hard against the glass of the window, determining that what was to happen next was perhaps for the better…it was his only way out now.
Riki ducked. He let the attacking Droid's electrified fist slam and shatter the glass behind him, pulling at that arm, sending them both to plummet the many storeys down, plunging in a sprinkling of glass, each shard, even to the most miniscule, glittering with the menacing lights of the city.
Yes, he chose to drop rather than get caught. He chose death rather than be trapped again in a gilded cage of sorts. He chose this instead of slavery…death would be better, because then maybe Iason would be there beyond the impending darkness.
Riki closed his eyes.
But this wasn't what Jupiter planned now was it?
' …I leave you a part of me… '
Riki's eyes snapped open of their own accord as he saw Iason in the back of his mind, then he turned himself in the air and just…just…spread his wings!
"Wait. What!?"
The Pet could not believe what he was looking at: a pair of black as night wings that instead of disaster, allowed him to take to the air and flee.
Only a second for him to figure out the simple mechanics. Only a second to finally get the hang of these new parts.
Riki figured how something must have definitely happened to him after the explosion as he glided to a stop, watching the Droids chasing after him dash and burn, exploding on the streets below. But what? He had no answers. All he could do now was push away, lest someone saw him, lest someone else paid mind. Already, a crowd had gathered far below.
He had never felt relief as he had felt it now, but then there was the fear again, mounting. He didn't die. Which meant he was still going to be someone else's Pet.
But then where could he go? The new Pet Ring that bit his flesh would guarantee that no matter where he went, even flew to, he'd get traced. Even the barrier protection of Dana Burn seemed like a ludicrous suggestion…
The Pet fisted his hands, letting the cold of the wind lash at him, the cruelty of ice threatening to break him into foolish tears.
Riki didn't even bother to look back from where he had come. With any luck, he'd be back there sooner than he would want. For now, he chose to fly on…just fly on…never mind where he got to after this.