Waving Cavan over to the bed, Hollin gestured at the back of his neck.
"Take a look at this..."
...
Cavan peered at the back of Hollin's long, slender neck. A small, bright blue crystal set into some kind of metal housing glowed at its base. "Okay, I see it. What am I looking at?"
"That's an embedded crystal matrix. A computer, basically. But, um..." Hollin hesitated, a sharp intake of air hissing between his teeth as he winced. "Okay, so, I know your language, and a few other things, right? But I actually know more than that. Like, a lot more."
Cavan felt his stomach drop. "How much more? And how can you know anything at all? You said you only connected for a few moments before we jammed your communications, there's no way you could've - "
"I lied to you," Hollin said. "I've been gathering data since I woke up in that awful little cell. You need to understand; I'm being held captive by an alien species that killed all of my comrades, attacked me, and then clearly understood that I had technology they didn't. And if you knew I got into your databases, what do you think Kerne would've done to me to learn how? Or Grimm? I needed every advantage I could get. Even now, I'm terrified of you, of what you'll do when I tell you this."
Cavan finally stopped to observe the jaguar, and his heart sank. Hollin's entire body trembled, his paws twitching into fists, unable to turn and look the doberman in the eye. Hollin's heartbeat, so small and weak, still thumped a rapid tempo. He's so scared... The dog shook his head, looking down at the floor and growing still. Of course he is. He's all alone, the only one of his kind, and I've been acting like an ass.
Cavan slid down to one knee, reaching out to wrap his paw around the cat's clenched fist. "Hollin, I'm sorry, I - "
Shit, this again? This can't be happening! Touching the jaguar sent a shock through Cavan that felt like being struck by lightning. And just like he was being electrocuted, he froze, unable to move, unable to separate himself from the lanky cat. He could tell that Hollin felt it too, just like he knew Hollin had felt it every other time they'd touched. This is impossible! Cavan's thoughts raced almost as fast as his heart. There's no reason I should be feeling this, especially not with a damn alien! His thumb rubbed the side of Hollin's paw and they both shivered. Damn, his fur's soft. I wonder if it's all this satiny... No! Stop it!
The guard wrenched his paw away, rubbing it as the prickly tingles faded. He looked up and saw Hollin's face was slack, his mouth opening and closing with no words coming out. He doesn't understand what's happening. Not that I can blame him. Do his kind even... well, if they do, they don't experience it the way we do. Clearing his throat, he smiled as best he could. "Hollin, I'm sorry I got so upset with you earlier. I never even stopped to consider your side of it. You're right, too; Kerne would've taken you apart without a second thought." The idea caused Cavan to grow queasy. "I promise, I will never, ever let that happen to you. You can trust me. I'm on your side here."
Hollin eyed the doberman warily. "I can trust you? How can I believe that? Kerne wants to make me a science project. Grimm tried to strangle me, and you keep growling at me every time I try to talk! I may make jokes and laugh, but that's nothing but a coping mechanism. I'm fucking terrified!" The jaguar's face crumpled and tears leaked from his eyes. "I don't know where I am, I don't know when I can go home, it's my fault my people are dead, something's super fucking wrong with my body, and I don't know what to do!" Hollin's voice caught in his throat and he stammered, trying to say something. "I-I..."
Cavan sat transfixed as Hollin lost all control and just sobbed. He... he thinks that was his fault? I don't see how that could be possible. He's crying. I need to do... I don't know, something! The dog reached over, and with the softest touch, rubbed the jaguar's back. Only a slight tingle passed between them this time. "It's okay. Let it all out. It's okay."
Hollin cried for a long time, and the tears stopped before the crying did. "Sorry. That was... embarrassing. Do you have a - " Before Hollin could finish, Cavan had produced a large square of fabric. The jaguar dabbed at his eyes before blowing his nose. Sniffling, he smiled at his jailor, eyes red and watery. "Thanks."
"No problem." Cavan gave a more genuine smile this time, the corners of his mouth just barely quirking up. Then he looked away, his face becoming serious again. "Look, you don't have to tell me anything. I guess I... I trust you. I know you wouldn't do anything to hurt us, and I'm sorry I tried to force you to - "
"It's because of my A.I.!" Hollin blurted out, interrupting the guard. When Cavan stayed quiet, he continued. "Desen?" he said. "Come out, please."
A slight hum emanated from the crystal in Hollin's neck, and it glowed brightly. Then Cavan's jaw dropped as another feline appeared in the room, except this one was translucent and all shaded in blue. The doberman goggled at Hollin. "What the... What the fuck is that?!"
"Not what. I'm a who, thank you very much. And I'm a caracal, obviously." The A.I. stuck out its tongue and waggled its ears at Cavan, making a gesture with its paws. Cavan assumed it was supposed to be rude, if Hollin's glare was anything to go by.
Hollin sighed. "Sorry. Cavan, I know your A.I. is relegated to menial computational tasks, but, um... Desen is a fully formed autonomous, thinking digital being. Even the five companies recognize him as a thinking, autonomous being. But, he's also a total jackass."
"Don't blame me, blame my creator." Desen replied, making a face at Hollin. "Oh, wait, that's you! Apparently."
"You weren't supposed to find out about that." Hollin said, a growl rising in his voice.
Cavan raised his hand. "I don't understand. Can you explain it to me?"
Desen turned. "Sure. Most sentient A.I. get a little crazy when they meet their makers. One of the unsurprising downsides to giving a computer program free will and a brain is that it makes them susceptible to having an existential crisis."
Hollin cut in. "Yes, and some A.I. have turned on their creators as well. Considering you were literally in my brain, you can see why I hesitated."
"So... wait. He's in your brain?!" Cavan leaned closer to Hollin.
The jaguar looked away. "The crystal in my neck is just storage. His interface is a crystal mesh lattice overlaid on top of my brain. It's how I've been talking to him without alerting you. All I have to do is think to him, and he hears me and can respond."
"On top of your brain?" Cavan whispered. "That's not possible. And this thing - "
"It's Desen!" the cats shouted in unison. Desen looked at Hollin fondly as the jaguar continued. "And not all the time. I really was in shock. I had intended to keep him a secret, but as you can see, I slipped up. It's difficult to keep switching between talking to Desen and talking out loud."
"I see." Cavan chewed the inside of his cheek. "Ok, so... what can he do?"
"Well, he can crack most wireless signals to access networks. He can learn how to manipulate just about anything that's connected to a network; we almost had the light screen in my cell before Kerne let us out anyway. And he broke your encryption earlier and got the commands for the tech in the house." Hollin hummed, tapping a finger to his chin. "He can instantly send long-distance wireless communication anywhere in the universe, given a strong enough antenna. And he can override parts of my brain, with permission. That's how I'm talking to you; he overwrote my speech and language centers. It directly uploaded your entire language to me in moments. There's more, but those are the important bits for now."
The doberman's jaw hung open. He stared at Hollin for several seconds before closing his mouth and shaking his head. "Okay. Okay, yeah. Kerne would absolutely have dissected you. Um..." Cavan wrung his paws, looking away. "Thank you. Thank you for trusting me with this."
Hollin chuckled. "Well, my life was already forfeit. What's a little civilization-altering secret between friends?"
"So, Cavan, are you going to tell him about how half of his hunky doberman is made of computers, or do I have to do it?" Desen leaned to stare into Cavan's face, so close that if he had breath, the dog could smell it.
"Desen!" Hollin yelled. "That's rude!" Turning to the doberman, he bowed his head. "I'm so sorry, Cavan! I don't care about any of that, you don't have to tell me a thing."
"No..." Cavan said with a sigh, feeling his ears grow hot. "No, it's... fine. Kerne would probably tell you anyway, he loves to show off his work." Gesturing with his right paw, he began pointing at himself. "My left arm, part of the left side of my skull, my left eye... pretty much everything above my ribs on my left side is all prosthetic."
"Oh. Oh, gods..." Hollin gasped, bringing a paw to his mouth. "But, they look so natural! Is it some sort of hologram?"
"No, they're actual flesh, just with a computerized component." Cavan laughed bitterly, shaking his head. "Biomechanical, grown-to-order prosthetics. The pinnacle of modern medicine. Everyone who's anyone has at least one prosthetic, usually more."
"You... you don't sound happy about yours."
The dog rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, surgeons are the most revered people in our society. They're indispensable, because you can't automate the installation of prosthetics. Machines aren't precise enough. And everyone wants a prosthetic. They're you, upgraded. And when I was going through cadet training, I was on track to be a world-class military surgeon. I was the best of the best. Even my brother couldn't keep up with me.
"At a state function, we were guarding Mayor Geanna. She's the only person with more authority than the Chief Surgeon. It was an honorary position, no combat, but we were attacked. I almost got Geanna to safety, but then... we were shot. We would've died if my brother hadn't been attending as well." Cavan trembled, taking deep breaths to calm himself. Hollin listened raptly. "His connections got me these prosthetics. Top of the line. But since my arm got replaced, I'm not allowed to do surgery anymore. I'll never be better than just... a soldier." He went quiet, fingers tented, an icy feeling of dread growing in his stomach. Looking down, Cavan squeezed his eyes shut. I'm worthless. He deserves better. I should've left him with Kerne, he could take care of him. What was I thinking? And now he knows, and he's going to leave, and I'm going to be alone again, just like with Graham. I -
Cavan twitched, his thoughts quieting at the delicate touch of an impossibly soft paw on his bicep. He shuddered as a gentle warmth radiated through his arm, moving to the rest of his body, until everything from the top of his head to the tips of his toes was glowing. Cavan opened his eyes slowly, and nearly cried. The jaguar was smiling up at him without an ounce of the judgement Cavan expected.
"Cavan," Hollin whispered, voice soft and melodic. "I don't think you're just a soldier. You've saved my life. You're the only person who's making this ordeal bearable." Their faces inched closer, and the doberman vaguely registered that Hollin's eyes were sparkling in the low night-time light. "Cavan..." the jaguar whispered.
The heat from Hollin's palm had turned from a gentle tickle to a blazing inferno. Sweat trickled down the back of Cavan's neck as he tried to speak. "H-Hollin, I... I can't... we can't - " His voice choked off. The little voice in his head telling him that this absolutely could not happen, under any circumstances, had been silenced by a need that he hadn't felt in years. He closed his eyes, surrendering to the fire beneath his skin...
BWORP! BWORP! BWORP!
The two sprung apart, red lights flashing in the house. Hollin covered his ears at the discordant alarm. "What is that?!"
"Warp drive incursion! I need to go join the militia! I'm locking you in. Stay here! Do not leave for any reason!"
The alarm inside went silent, and the lights returned to normal, although it continued to blare from outside. Cavan tugged on his boots and jacket, but just as he was about to leave, Hollin grabbed his wrist. "W-Wait! What was that? Just then, I felt like... I don't know! And now, the thought of you leaving, being in danger, it makes me sick. I don't understand. I need to understand! What's wrong with me?!"
"Nothing's wrong with you, little cat. It's just some kind of mistake. We'll talk when I get back, but I have to go NOW." Cavan jerked his wrist out of the jaguar's grasp and opened the door.
"Take me with you!" Hollin begged, falling to his knees. "I can fight! Please, I'll do anything, just don't leave me alone!"
Cavan sighed. Turning, he squatted down, bringing his hazel eyes to meet Hollin's. "It's my job to keep everyone safe, and that includes you, little cat. I need -"
There was a boom and a flash of purple light. Smoke rose over the line of houses. "Damn, that was close. Hollin, please, just stay here. This place is damn near indestructible, you'll be safe here. Okay?"
Hollin nodded. "Okay... Be safe."
The doberman nodded once and hurried out the door, sliding it shut with a wave of his hand. Hollin listened to the alarm screeching, the sound of explosions and shouting a disturbing backdrop. The jaguar paced the length of the small house several times, chewing on one of his claws. Time seemed to stretch out before him. The sound of fighting grew closer, and Hollin began to worry.
"Desen!" he called out, not bothering with the thought transfer.
"Yes, my creator?" Desen's voice dripped with fake reverence.
"Not the time! We're going into battle. Can you still reach the Friedhelm? Is it powered up?"
The A.I. processed for a few moments. "Yes, I can still communicate with the onboard systems."
"M-suit activation code HOL-815T. Authorized for immediate acquisition of personal assets."
Desen hesitated. "Hollin, the M-suits are company property, you can't - "
Hollin clicked his tongue. "You know, you're not just any A.I. I made you, and I'm the best of the best. Did you think you were my only creation?"
"What do you mean?" The caracal processed for a moment, then his glee washed into Hollin, so strong that the jaguar cackled madly. "Of course! That funny little override code. Wow, I just entered it into the ship's systems and it opened up everything! You had a hand in everything on that ship, didn't you? Why ever did you get demoted again?"
"Not now! Focus!" Hollin grimaced as the crystal heated, then swiftly cooled.
Desen's voice was smug when he spoke. "ETA five minutes." The A.I. appeared in the jaguar's vision, looking as pleased as he'd sounded. "I have to say, you're a pretty sly researcher."
"Good. Now, can you get this door open? I'd hate to have to literally break out of here, Cavan might get angry."
"Can I get the door open?" The caracal scoffed as the door beeped and slid into the floor. "Please. Who do you think I am?"
Hollin smirked. "Oh, I knew there was a reason I liked you."
...
"Fall back!" Cavan shouted, his voice ringing through the courtyard. The five members of his squad retreated, crouching behind benches and the low walls of planters. Normally, this little area was a place of rest, somewhere the nearby homeowners could relax and unwind after a long day of work. Tonight, however, it was a battlefield, and for tonight, Cavan was a commander again.
An alarm sounded moments before another wormhole opened up, a dark rift that showed a landscape of bumpy, pulsating pink ground. Is it ground? He wondered. It looked more like flesh than anything else. Small protrusions dotted the landscape, tufts of hair sticking out of them. One swelled, and then burst. "Here they come!" the doberman yelled as slimy, fleshy creatures poured through the wormhole and into the courtyard.
The few civilians still evacuating screamed as they found themselves surrounded. The creatures, dubbed the Bakaj after the scientist who invented wormhole engines, were fearsome. Dozens swarmed out of the wormhole before it closed, and it only took one of the Bakaj to make a fine paste of two nearby civilians with its long, razor-sharp claws.
"Protect the civilians! You three, get them somewhere safe! The rest of you, suppressing fire!" A trio of Cavan's squad mates darted toward the group of residents. Frozen in fear, it took one of the militia members screaming at them to un-freeze the eight Canids and get them moving. With them out of the way, Cavan could finally let loose on the shambling horrors. Nothing I haven't seen before, it's fine, we just need to hold out until the engines cool down - Wait, why do they look familiar?
He realized he had seen these things before, or something very similar. They looked like... Hollin? Cavan held his fire and studied the pink, slimy monsters. Flesh covered their faces, noses, and even eyes, except for a short muzzle filled with long, serrated teeth. Their ears were high on their head and triangular, just like Hollin's. And the long tails they sported, though furless and covered in pustules, resembled nothing so much as a cat's tail. The doberman realized that he'd let the creature get too close, and he leveled his pistol at it. The shot hit the thing right in the center of its head, and it fell to the ground, smoking. They're even almost the same height, maybe just a little taller... Three more precise shots, three more Bakaj felled. That was almost all of them, and the incursion should be over soon. They never lasted long, and -
Something caught his eye. Looking up, he saw a brilliant white light sparkling through the sky, leaving a trail of black vapor edged with green. As it streaked down toward the ground, Cavan felt a knot form in his stomach. That's headed towards my house... Hollin! Paging out through his communicator, he alerted all the squads in the area. "Unidentified aerial weapon spotted! I'm dispatching to investigate, send backup as available." Switching off his comms, he turned and began jogging toward his house.
BWORP! BWORP! BWORP!
The alarm sounded, and Cavan groaned, turning to face the next wave of Bakaj. A wormhole opened, but this time, the monsters that came through were unrecognizable to him. They loomed in the courtyard; the doberman's left eye calculated six and a half feet at the shoulder. They stood on all fours, all oozing pink flesh, furless but with tufts of black hair poking out now and again. A wave of rotten stench hit him as they lumbered out into the courtyard, pungent yet sickly sweet. Cavan's nose wrinkled, and he fought back the urge to gag. It's like rotten meat mixed with fermented fruit, he thought. The massive creature's long flesh-covered snouts protruded more like a canid's than a feline's, broken only by a maw filled with the teeth that Cavan was so familiar with. He looked at their claws and shuddered. They were at least eight inches long, looking more like knives than anything else. And from the sharp serrations on them, he knew even a single hit could be lethal.
The doberman stared, frozen for a few moments as the creatures sniffed around before one locked its focus onto him. A deep growl turned into an earsplitting roar, which the other two mirrored as they all reared up onto their hind legs. Dropping back down onto all fours, the creatures advanced slowly, dripping thick mucus onto the ground that sizzled where it contacted the cement.
"Open fire!" Cavan yelled, bringing his pistol to bear on the Bakaj in front of him. Clustering his shots, he fired eight, nine, ten times in rapid succession. The creature screeched, reeling back, its face smoking. Turning to look at the rest of his squad, he saw they hadn't been so fortunate. Fritz, the youngest member of his little militia, had fired his hard-light rifle until it ran out of charge, and was futilely pulling the trigger as the monster reared up to take a swipe at him.
Cavan leaped into action, shoving him out of the way. "Move, Fritz!" The beagle hit the ground hard, scurrying away. The doberman turned to face the creature just in time to -
Everything hurt. His ears were ringing, and he couldn't make out any other sounds. Cavan's vision was blurry, and his legs unsteady, but he hauled himself to his feet. "All units - " He winced as he tried to speak. Was it a bruise, or a broken rib? No time, they need to know. "All units, retreat! Unidentified Bakaj in the Gorseman Residential Courtyard, they are extremely dangerous and our weapons do not affect them! Do not engage! Repeat, do not - "
The Bakaj he'd shot in the face was in front of him again, growling. Cavan raised his pistol and pulled the trigger, but no energy came out. With a weak laugh, he tossed it away. "Shit..." he mumbled. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. The monster reared up on its hind legs, roaring. He hit his knees hard, all his energy spent. His eyes closed, and tears sprang to the corner of his eyes. Switching on his comms, he spoke to the speaker system in his house. "Hollin... I hope you're safe. I wish I could've told you what those feelings meant; you deserved to know the truth. This is going to hurt you, and I won't be here to help. Goodbye, little cat." Tears streaming down his face, he glared up at the behemoth, and nodded. "Do it! Just end it already!" he screamed. The Bakaj obliged, raising a paw and swiping its long claws down. Cavan flinched, unable to stop his eyes from squeezing shut.
The shriek of metal on metal rang out through the courtyard, immediately followed by the sound of something breaking. Cavan's eyes snapped open, and he looked up again to see a... well, he wasn't really sure what it was. It had the triangular high ears of a cat, but this looked like a robot more than anything. Sort of like the medieval armor that the canids used to wear thousands of years ago, if it were a burnished hunter green. And it glowed, now and then expelling a little puff of dark vapor that seemed to absorb all the light that hit it, a deeper black than Cavan had ever seen. And sniffing the air, it smelled like -
"Root beer?" Cavan asked no-one in particular. Stunned, he nearly didn't notice when the creature swiped down with its other paw. "Look out!"
It was too late. Whatever this strange machine was, the Bakaj batted it into a nearby concrete building, turning its attention to it. A shed, if he remembered right. Why am I thinking about all these stupid things? I need to focus! Dashing to his squad mates, he checked the pulse of the two laying nearby. They were still alive, though Fritz's arm had been crushed beyond saving.
The young beagle looked up and smiled weakly. "H-Hey, commander. I'd shake your hand, but..." Fritz looked at his ruined arm, almost flattened. "Ow... Ow, ow, oh shit, ow!" The shock started wearing off, and the beagle's face was contorting in agony.
Cavan flicked his left wrist. His arm popped open, and a syringe jumped into his paw. Injecting it straight into Fritz's neck, the beagle sighed in relief as they fell unconscious. Tapping a unique pattern with his left paw, a ringing sound of metal echoed in the courtyard, and his claws grew. Lip curled back in a snarl, he turned to face the Bakaj one more time. He had to defend his people, and he had to get to -
What the hell is that thing?
Cavan's jaw dropped, and he stared at the sight before him. A skirmish unfolded between the three massive Bakaj and the strange little green robot. And though Cavan had been the only one to even come close to injuring one, this tiny robot was shredding the monsters. Short claws made of glimmering green metal popped out of the tips of the machine's... fingers? Whatever, they tore through the pink flesh of the Bakaj without hesitation. And however the first Bakaj had struck the machine, they weren't getting a second chance. No matter how fast the monsters moved, or how synchronized their attacks, the robot nimbly dodged.
Finally, the machine launched itself into the air, a ball of energy forming in each of its paws. Spinning, it blasted beams of light, white edged with green, and almost simultaneously decapitated the monsters. As the Bakaj crashed to the ground, the machine levitated over, coming to rest right in front of Cavan.
The doberman drew himself up as tall as he could make himself, flinching at his definitely broken rib. He brandished his claws at it. "Y-You are in violation of the Canid United Aerospace agreement. I-I think." Exhausted, he dropped his paw. "Forget it. I can't deal with this right now. Thank you for saving us, robot thing. I don't know how you hurt those things, or how you're still standing, but... thanks."
Cavan jumped as the robot's head split open, the metal plates falling away, to reveal a feline form that he knew well. He stared in disbelief for a moment. "Hollin... Hollin? Wait, what the hell are you doing - "
The jaguar raised a hand, and the suit of armor collapsed on itself, folding into a small case with a handle. Hollin swayed unsteadily on his bare feet, wearing only the t-shirt Cavan had given him earlier, now shredded. "Cav... you're safe? You're okay?" When the doberman didn't reply, Hollin stumbled forward, falling to one knee. "Please, I can't - you safe?"
Cavan finally noticed that Hollin was bleeding, a thousand tiny holes with jagged edges covering the cat's body. The dog's heart sank. What the fuck did you do? Dashing forward as Hollin collapsed, he didn't feel the pain of his broken rib anymore, every thought replaced with concern for the feline. "I'm safe! Hollin, I'm safe! You did good! Are you okay?"
Hollin just smiled as his eyes fluttered shut. His breathing slowed, and the little cat went limp in Cavan's arms.
The canine clutched Hollin to his chest, rocking back and forth. He turned on his comms. "M-Medic..." He swallowed once, twice, hard against the lump in his throat. Then, he shouted, "Medic! I need a medic! And get me the Chief Surgeon, tell him it's me!"
"Hang in there, Hollin. Please, just hang on..."
...
Cavan paced beside the hospital bed where Hollin lay. Getting them to treat an alien species was easy; everyone wanted to be the one who saved the xeno's life. Surgeons had treated the jaguar's injuries, but he'd lost a lot of blood. They couldn't tell whether Canid blood was compatible with the feline, so they'd just given him hydration fluids and left him to recover on his own. That had been a week ago, and Hollin still hadn't stirred.
The doberman ran a shaky paw through his short headfur and sighed. "I shouldn't be this worked up. He's an alien. A prisoner. There's no way we can be... But if it's not that, why am I feeling this way?"
"Feeling what way?" An almost familiar voice sounded to his left.
Eyes going wide, Cavan glanced around the room, trying to see who was talking. He whispered, "H-Hollin?"
"Close! Hang on." A smirking cat, a shade taller than Hollin, appeared in his vision. "Ta-da! It's Desen, your friendly neighborhood A.I.! Aren't you glad to see me?"
"How... oh god, how am I seeing you? You can't be here!" Cavan hissed, voice low. "What if someone sees you?"
Desen shrugged. "You're the only one with peripherals I can interface with. Nobody but you can see or hear me. God, the network here tastes like old broccoli..." The cat grimaced and stuck out his tongue. "So! I'm bored, and you're sad, which would make Hollin sad, and despite what my creator may think, I'm actually quite fond of him. Which means you and I need to have a conversation."
"Okay..." the doberman said. "About what, exactly?"
"Well, here's the thing. I know what he's feeling toward you. Oh, he hasn't talked to me about it!" Desen waved his paws as Cavan's face contorted. "No, I monitor Hollin's health, among other things. I can detect the spikes in dopamine and serotonin when you two touch. I actually get feedback from that, it's delightful. But I need to know." The A.I. stalked towards the dog, who took a step back. "Hollin. Do you care for him?"
"Wha - I don't, I mean it's not like that, it's my job, I - " the doberman sputtered, tripping over his words. "Look, it's just a job. I'm sorry he got attached, but I can't pursue a relationship with him. He's a prisoner, he's got technology we can't even fathom, and for god's sake, he's an alien! There's absolutely no way that - "
"He's dying, Cavan."
"W-what?" Cavan rushed forward, grabbing the jaguar's paw. "No, we've got the best doctors in the world here! He was recovering, he's stable. He can't be dying, it's not possible."
"It's not only possible, it's happening right now. He's got maybe an hour left at most." Desen put a paw on the doberman's shoulder, and Cavan was shocked to find that he could feel the touch. "I'm going to tell you a secret that not even Hollin knows. I can't tell him, but he's unconscious, so I'm in the clear. Are you ready?"
Cavan licked his lips, his dry tongue doing nothing to soothe them. "Will it save Hollin?"
"Yes, but - "
"Tell me."
Desen smiled. "Okay then. It's your funeral. I'm entrusting you with company secrets here. Buckle up, it's a bit of a story.
"Stellateline gas has several uses. It's not affected by kinetic energy, gravity, or light, which makes it incredibly useful in all kinds of industrial applications. But the most curious is what happens when a Felid inhales it.
"The public only knows stellateline gas extends one's lifespan. As far as it's been tested, the effect is indefinite as long as regular doses are taken.
"Of course, the truth is more complicated. The gas causes the body to enter a state of rapid regeneration; it heals tissue, kills viruses and bacterial infections, basically any injury or illness can be fixed almost instantly. That's how Hollin survived the weapon blast back on his ship, and the hard-light wall in the holding cell. He just heals that quickly. But those depleted his reserves of gas, and the healing factor slowed."
Cavan cut in. "Wait, you're saying this stuff makes you immortal? And why isn't he healing now?"
"Mostly immortal, yes. Loss of a limb would be permanent, although it could be reattached. Decapitation is also fatal. But old age, poison, illness, disease, none of that would affect him. Corporate knows this and has a complete blackout on the information. Public sentiment is not kind towards management, and they fear an uprising of the immortal beings they've created." Desen shrugged. "That's why I can't tell Hollin. His clearance isn't high enough. But you're not even on the blacklist. Hollin, as chief researcher, should have added you, but he hasn't. He must have forgotten; a delicious oversight! Now, to the matter at hand..."
"Hollin has been taking stellateline for hundreds of years. He shouldn't have needed a fresh dose for another few decades, but his M-suit is powered by the gas. And the suit gets it by ripping it from his blood."
The doberman winced. "That's barbaric!"
The A.I. nodded. "I agree. But metals break down quickly when exposed to the stuff. We can't keep it in there long term. Hell, he can probably only use that suit three or four more times before he has to replace it anyway. But that's not what's important here. Hollin was so desperate to save you and your people that he burned most of the gas in his body. There's next to nothing left. And with his heart complications, combined with the blood loss - "
"He's dying..." Cavan took a shaky breath. "We'll get him a prosthetic. I'll call my brother, we can grow one in five hours if we rush order it, and - "
Desen shook his head. "There's not enough time. He needs stellateline. Open his case and find the glass ampoules in the pocket."
Cavan scrambled to the case. He had told no one about it, wanting to give Hollin a chance to explain. He rooted around until he found an oval bead of glass, delicate and full of something black. Holding it up to Desen, he asked, "Is this it?"
"Yes. Crack it open in front of his nose and let him breathe it in. Also, I'm seeing through your eye. I'm not actually here, you don't have to show me things."
Ignoring him, Cavan rushed to Hollin's side. Cracking the glass, he held it up to Hollin's nose. The jaguar's shallow breathing suddenly deepened, and he drew the gas into his lungs. His back arched, body tensing, before he went slack and collapsed onto the bed.
The dog refused to take his eyes off Hollin when he spoke to Desen again. "Was it enough? Is he going to be all right?"
"He'll be fine. Also, don't lie to me." Cavan's eyes shot to the A.I. and his mouth opened, but Desen cut him off. "Your implants also monitor your hormone levels. I can tell you care about him. And I don't mean like it's your job. Treat my boy right, Cavan." Desen's expression grew serious, and the canine flinched as his prosthetics twitched involuntarily. "I'll bring hell down on this entire city if you hurt him."
The guard swallowed hard and nodded.
"Good doggy," Desen crooned, then vanished as Hollin gasped and shot up in bed.
Cavan blinked, thinking about what Desen had said. "H-Hollin, I - "
"You gave me my medicine." Hollin stared at the dog. "How did you know?"
"Uh, Desen told me. He accessed my implant and... yeah."
Hollin crumpled, his tense shoulders finally relaxing. "Oh, thank the gods. I couldn't wake up and everything felt like it was fading, but you brought me back." A wide, warm smile spread over the jaguar's face. "Thank you, Cavan. I don't know what I'd do without you."
A pang of emotion struck the doberman's heart. This has to be... but how?! You only get one! But this feels different. It's nothing like the last time. This is more intense, more powerful, more real. I... I have to tell Hollin. Cavan cleared his throat. "Hollin, we need to - "
Doctors and nurses flooded the room, checking over every inch of Hollin, asking him questions, testing his cognitive abilities. They marveled when they unwound the bandages and saw that his wounds had already healed. After the a few moments, Cavan shooed them out, insisting that Hollin needed rest. He stacked some pillows behind the jaguar and helped ease him onto them, ignoring the tingling of his paws.
Hollin sighed and wriggled into the soft pillows. "Your paw pads are pretty rough, you know that?"
The doberman hid his paws behind his back, suddenly self-conscious. "I'm a soldier. Sorry they're not velvety soft like yours are - " He felt his ears flush, and he suddenly became very interested in a speck of something on the floor.
Hollin chuckled. "Come here." Cavan raised just his eyes to look at Hollin and cocked an eyebrow. Laughter in his voice, he said again, "Come here. Please?"
Cavan rolled his eyes and stepped up to Hollin's bedside, his movements mechanical and jerky. When the jaguar held out his paw, he stared at it. "What? What do you want?"
"Give me your paw." Hollin's voice was smooth, his high tenor soft and whispery.
The dog felt the walls he'd built so carefully begin to crack. I shouldn't want this. This is wrong. But those eyes, that voice... Slowly, hesitantly, he brought his left paw up and placed it in Hollin's.
The reaction was immediate. Cavan felt like strings of light were pouring into him, wrapping around his heart. His knees buckled and he had to catch himself on the bed. His instincts told him that this was a threat, that Hollin was a danger to him and everything he held dear. But then...
Hollin raised his other paw and gently stroked the top of Cavan's. The soldier's mind went blank, and he turned, sinking down to sit on the bed. His eyes closed. His heart pounded. It felt like the smoothest silk rubbing against him, except it was warm and firm, and most importantly, it was Hollin doing it. A single tear rolled down the doberman's cheek. "H-Hollin..."
"Why do I feel like this? Did you give me some medicine? I can't figure out why I... why my heart beats like this. Why can't I take my eyes off you? Why does this, just holding your paw, feel so damn good?" The slim jaguar spoke with a tone of reverence, like someone describing the most beautiful sunset.
Cavan took his paw back and shivered as the warmth it provided left him. "Hollin..." The doberman hesitated, biting his lip. He caught Hollin's eyes locked onto him, blazing intensely, and for the first time, he noticed they were a sparkling emerald green. Cavan swallowed, lost in the gemlike twinkle of the jaguar's eyes. How do I tell him we're... fuck it. "Hollin, this isn't a side effect of any medication. And there's nothing wrong with you that isn't wrong with me too. Fuck, I don't know how to describe this, but... This is something that Canids can get, sometimes. If they're lucky. What you're feeling - what we're feeling - is, um, well... It's a mate bond."
Hollin nodded, a dreamlike quality to his voice. "Uh-huh..." Then, he blinked and shook his head, clearing it out. "Wait, hold on a minute. Mate bond? What the fuck is that?"
"It's a bond that grows between you and the person you're most compatible with. It's a rare, once-in-a-lifetime connection, and it usually signals that this is the person you're supposed to spend the rest of your life with. But..." Cavan swallowed. "I've already had my mate bond. There's only ever supposed to be one, that's how it works. So, I don't know what this is, only that this is how it's supposed to feel."
Hollin saw a flash of green and he growled, baring his teeth. "Oh? It can't be that special, if they weren't home to greet you today." His words dripped with ill-concealed venom.
"She died." Cavan's muzzle dropped, and the jaguar suddenly felt like he needed to curl up into a ball and disappear.
"Cavan, I'm so... I'm so sorry. This has to be a mistake, then, if you're not even into guys. It's a chemical imbalance, or something. I'll use Kerne's lab to figure out how to break the bond, and - "
"NO!" The doberman's eyes shot up, and the white-hot rage burning there made Hollin flinch. Cavan felt his stomach drop and he put a paw on the jaguar's knee. "Shit, Hollin, I'm sorry. It's the bond, it makes you want to do anything to protect it, protect your mate." The dog huffed out a sigh, shaking his head. "I'm not sure if a mate bond even can be broken, but clearly something's wrong here."
"Right?" Hollin leaned back and groaned. "I mean, I'm an alien!"
"Yeah, I know," Cavan said. "Bonding with you... I don't understand how it works. I know I should've told you sooner, but I didn't think you'd feel the bond too. Like you said, you're an alien; it makes no sense." The doberman's pink tongue darted out to wet his lips. He slowly leaned over, half-lidded eyes hazy. "It really doesn't make sense at all..."
Kerne knocked on the door, causing Cavan to shoot up and take a couple of steps away from the bed. After a glance at his brother, the doctor turned to the jaguar. "Well, Hollin. I wasn't expecting to see you so soon. I kept you off the official medical records, by the way; you can thank me for that while you're not being dissected for science." Kerne gave a wicked smirk before continuing. "Now that you're finally awake, there's really no reason to keep you. I'd prefer if you came back to my home for continued monitoring - "
"No. He's staying with me." Cavan said, growling low and long. Then he blinked and cleared his throat. "I-I mean, he's still to be under guard, and I'm the best dog for the job, so... yeah."
"Fine, whatever. Here's some iron supplements to help bring your blood counts back up." Kerne handed Hollin a bottle that rattled when he shook it. "Take one a day with breakfast. Cavan, see to it he does. You two can head out when you're ready."
Hollin thanked Kerne, and after the doctor left, he tossed back the blankets to leave and found he had a fresh problem. "Cavan?"
"Mmm?"
"Why am I naked?"
...
To be continued...
