Spliced: Part 3 - Chapter 8
Sep. 13th, 2008 10:30 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
flighty_dreamsAUTHOR:
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flighty_dreams WARNINGS: NC-17. slavefic. scifi setting. M/m. some het.
DISCLAIMER: They all belong to me! *insert evil cackle here* I'm just sharing them. *hug*
WORD COUNT: 3,609
SUMMARY: Part 3, Chapter 8 - Matt returns.
NOTES: The index to this story available here.
FEEDBACK: Always awesome and amazing.
Chapter Eight
“Hollis, where are you?”
The attorney looked startled, not to mention worried, as he gazed back at Matt on the vid screen. The first thing Matt had done upon arriving on Monlea after days spent traveling back from Festun was call his friend, and he realized he must look at least half as harried and out of sorts as he felt. Self-consciously Matt ran a hand through his brown hair, smoothing it out. No one could ever look good after days of space travel, even without emotional turmoil added on top of it.
“I’m at my club. I just finished a meeting with a client,” Hollis replied, frowning. “Are you okay? Did you find Min?”
Matt ignored the questions; he only wanted to answer them once. “Your ashen club? Perfect. Wait there, I should be there in half an hour.”
That response surprised Hollis so much, Matt rendered the man speechless. Matt never voluntarily offered to go to the Narkede Club; he’d only gone there briefly before, and only after excessive begging or pestering on Hollis’ part. Despite everything that had happened this week, the Kartan couldn’t help grinning. It was nice to be the one catching someone off guard for once, rather than the other way around. Like what Min did to me, he thought, his mood darkening again already.
Eyes narrowing as he no doubt wondered what in ashen hell was going on, Hollis finally said, “And once you arrive you’ll tell me what you’ve done with the real Matt Muldane?”
Matt choked out a laugh. The better question was who the fuck was the real Min. But he’d get to that once they were face to face. “Yes. See you soon.”
Half an hour later, just as he’d predicted, Matt parked his hovercar and walked up the front steps of the Narkede Club. As always, the pretentious atmosphere of the club reminded him all too much of similar establishments on Karta.
When he was younger, he’d belonged to a few of the Kartan ones, and they’d been his favorite places for meeting Taurent. Other club members had seen the two of them there often, but no one else had known exactly what they did when they went off alone together. Privacy was a religion in those clubs, because it was such a scarce commodity in Kartan society. The clubs’ rules respected the privacy and security of its members above all else.
For a few years, he’d had many fond memories of the clubs, until that last time Taurent called him to the Wrentner Club and ended their relationship. Since then, he’d only been able to think of the clubs through a bitter haze, remembering his eager, naïve teenage self, bouncing up the front steps, filled with hope and happiness as he raced to meet Taurent.
Focusing on the man in front of him, Matt gave his name to the stiffly formal doorman, and he was soon escorted to the private room Hollis must’ve hired for his meeting.
Hollis stood up to greet him as he came in, his expression worried. Matt glanced around the room, noting that Hollis was completely alone. Nuit must be back at the house, for which Matt was glad. He did not want Nuit hearing about what Min had done to him.
The room was fairly large, with a conference table for up to eight people at the far end, and a sitting area with a comfortable sofa and lounge chairs in the area closer to the door.
Once they were both seated in two of the plush armchairs, Hollis asked, “What happened? You didn’t want to tell me anything when I called two days ago. I guess you didn’t find Min?”
Matt chuckled harshly. “I saw him.”
His friend’s brows creased. “What?”
Sighing, Matt told him most of the story, leaving out some of the more embarrassing details. He knew some things he’d never be able to live down; Hollis would tease him about them mercilessly for the rest of their lives.
When he finally finished, Matt looked over at Hollis, who was leaning back in his chair, completely bewildered. As he’d recounted events, his friend had asked him questions from time to time about certain things, such as Min’s claim of being only half-Andorian, and being trained as a spy. Hollis had been as shocked as Matt had been, and now they sat together in a heavy silence.
“You’re serious?” his friend asked finally. “Min really did all that?”
“As serious as a dying mother, yes. Though I can understand having trouble believing it,” he told Hollis, looking directly into the man’s dark eyes. “I barely believe it myself, and I experienced him firsthand.”
“He spoke different, walked different, even his personality was different?”
“Yes,” Matt gritted out.
“Lady’s tits, that’s so bizarre.” Hollis rubbed his jaw pensively. “I figured there was more going on in his head than he let on, but this…”
“I know. His attitude was unbelievable, Hollis. Arrogant, acting like he had the right to do anything he wanted. As if he weren’t a clone, much less an Andorian slave.” Fury rose up within Matt at the memory of Min’s behavior.
That familiar obnoxious twinkle appeared in Hollis’ eyes, and his mouth curved upwards. “Of course you’d be spiraling over that. I’m still wondering how he could be so different.” Hollis’ expression turned serious. “If this really is another personality like he said, then who is the real Min? This man you met, or the Andorian we knew before? Or are they both him? Is that even possible?”
Matt had already spent too much time on his journey home thinking about these same questions, finally deciding to let it go. Until Min returned, he couldn’t be sure of anything regarding the slave’s personality. And did it really matter to him in the end? Shrugging, he told Hollis, “No idea. But I’m not letting him go, either way. He’s mine. I’ll sort out the details later.”
Frowning, Hollis replied, “But look at how much of himself he was hiding. How much of what we saw when he was living with you was just an act? He can read, Matt, and he can take care of himself. He’s not the helpless, lost little clone we thought he was. Min has more than proved that point I made to you a while back.”
“What point would that be?” Matt asked, scowling suspiciously.
“That he’s a man, not a child.”
Matt opened his mouth to protest, but snapped it shut again. He’d always thought clones, especially Andorians, were intentionally created a bit simple when compared to natural borns. After all, intelligence wasn’t a highly prized trait in laborers or bedslaves. Even Min, who he acknowledged had above average intelligence for a clone, he’d always assumed incapable of complex critical thinking. So Hollis was right, he couldn’t think of Min as mentally childlike anymore, not after the demonstration he’d given on Festun. But that didn’t change the fact that he was still a clone.
“He’s not a child, but he’s not a man either,” he told his friend.
Hollis’ eyes flashed with irritation. “Stop being such an idiot, Muldane. His plan was fairly elaborate, getting you out there and putting you in that position. It was well thought out and obviously executed precisely. I think he’s shown how clever he really is.”
“I’m not talking about his mental capacity. He’s certainly proven he’s smart,” Matt admitted unhappily, not enjoying that truth. He was still too embarrassed by what the slave had managed to do to him. “I’m saying he’s not like us, he’s still a clone.”
“Here we go again,” Hollis grumbled with exasperation. “Even though he was obviously thoroughly educated, because he was born in a lab instead of a home, that makes him not a person?”
“You’re oversimplifying, but legally, yes,” Matt told him, smiling because he knew Hollis couldn’t deny that part. “Hollis, he was activated, not born. He had no childhood and no family. He was created for a purpose, to be used as a commodity. That makes him property, not a person.”
Hollis glared back at him. “He was created to be a spy, but you said he stopped being one years ago. So what’s his purpose now?”
“Well, he shouldn’t have run away. He had no right to do that.”
“Muldane,” Hollis snarled, his tone razor sharp, “those people were using him to commit crimes for them. Leaving was the right choice.”
Matt scowled back at him. “I agree, what they were doing wasn’t right. But he could’ve reported them to the authorities.”
Hollis crossed his arms in front of his chest. “And what do you think they would’ve done with Min afterwards?” he drawled.
“Matt,” Hollis said softly, leaning towards him, his elbows on his knees, “Imagine yourself in his position. What would you have done?” Matt stared at him doubtfully, and Hollis rolled his eyes and added, “Humor me and just picture it. Think about it.”
“Fine.” What Min’s owners had been doing was wrong, so he couldn’t stay there. Okay, he had to leave.
But what then? Considering that by his own admission he’d left his owners’ lab in chaos, Min could’ve run far enough away and then let himself be caught and sold somewhere else. But if his owners were searching for him, they might track Min down after he was put back in the system and sold. Thinking of how careful Min had been on Festun, Matt decided that the slave wouldn’t have taken the risk of assuming they weren’t looking for him. No, that left hiding, which according to what Min had told him, had been his strategy for a long time. In a way it was similar to what Matt himself had done, running away from Karta and hiding from his father. Until the Andorian genes caught up with Min; that was just one of the many differences between their situations.
“Hiding was probably his best option,” he reluctantly assented to Hollis.
“He was a slave, on his own, with nobody to turn to. There was nothing he could do but run and hide,” Hollis agreed.
“He was a slave?” Matt repeated incredulously. “He was never freed. He still is a slave.”
“Legally, I guess he is. But if he’s really been free for years, doing as he liked, then can you really still call him a slave?”
“He wasn’t doing whatever he pleased when he was here with me. He was a slave.”
Hollis put up his hands. “Okay, I admit this whole back and forth thing he claims to do craters any easy categorizations. I don’t know what to make of it. Is he free or a slave?”
“Hollis, he was never legally freed, and he belongs to me now. He’s a slave, and he’s staying that way.”
“You’re not planning on letting him go as stated in the contract, are you?” Hollis looked at him with narrowed eyes.
“No, but he won’t know that until it’s too late,” Matt answered, smirking with satisfaction.
“Muldane, you made a deal with him-”
“A deal made under duress, with a fugitive slave! I don’t think that’ll hold up in any court,” Matt retorted, cutting off his friend’s protest.
“On Festun it might, which is the only planet that counts, considering that’s where the contract was written and signed,” Hollis pointed out. “We have to find out.”
“Ashen hell,” Matt cursed, noting that he needed to study Festunian contract law thoroughly during the next few weeks. Looking back at the Monlean he added, “And there’s something else to consider. A friend helped him with this. He’ll probably have that same friend check on him after six months, to make sure I release him.”
“Yeah, no doubt they have an arrangement worked out.”
Sighing, Matt ran his hand through his hair and leaned back against the chair. “At least I have plenty of time. I’ll figure out some way to make him stay.”
Hollis gave him a look. “What are you gonna do, keep him chained to you 24/7?”
Matt smiled. “It’s a thought.”
“How about working things out with him? Communicating? That’s a thought,” Hollis told him, his sarcasm thick.
Scowling, Matt replied, “Hollis, you keep assuming he has a choice. I’ll give him one free pass on his original owners, since they were criminals. But he doesn’t have any right to decide to leave me.”
“And yet he left five months ago, didn’t he?”
The dart hit home, and Matt glowered at Hollis. “Because he tricked us, made us underestimate him. Now we know better. He won’t catch me by surprise again; I won’t let him.”
Hollis put his head in his hands for a moment before raising it again. “Lady’s tits, you are the most stubborn man I’ve ever met. Why won’t you try talking to him? Don’t make the same mistake again. Remember how much you regretted not talking to him more before?”
Ire and resentment rose up in Matt. “Yeah, I felt guilty about that, until I found out he’d been running around carefree, heedless of any consequences, while I spent months worrying about him!” Matt stood up and began pacing the room, emotions broiling through him. “That killed whatever regrets I had.”
Hollis got up too. “Muldane, that was wrong of him, but don’t let that anger cloud your judgment. You both made mistakes, but you’re getting a second chance. You can correct what you did wrong before.”
Matt paused by the conference table to glower at his friend. “Him leaving was bad enough, but his behavior on Festun… he’s not getting any sympathy from me for a long time, Hollis, if ever. He will learn that he belongs to me, and he’ll never leave me again unless I actually want him to.”
Hollis threw up his hands in defeat. “I give up. You’re going to do whatever you want, I just wish you’d at least also try talking to Min too. It couldn’t hurt.”
Rolling his eyes, Matt replied, “I am going to talk to him, remember? He’s supposed to call me.”
“Yeah, those vid calls. That’s a good start, but you need to talk to him when he’s here too, Muldane,” Hollis said, a hard edge to his voice.
“You’re making it sound like this should be a real relationship,” Matt grumbled.
The look Hollis gave him was incredulous. “Because it is a real relationship, moron. Especially considering all the new stuff we learned about him.”
“You don’t have intimate relationships with slaves. They have their purpose, and that’s it. You buy a bedslave for sex, you don’t need to sit down and have tea with them and talk about your day.”
Muttering under his breath for a moment, Hollis said more loudly, “He’s a person, with feelings and intelligent thoughts. And he’ll be living with you. You’ll spend a lot of time together. You’ll eat together often. You’ll fuck a lot. You’ll relax together a lot. You’ll sleep together. How many more common factors of a relationship do I need to list?”
Matt opened his mouth to object, but he closed it again, feeling overwhelmed. Was it really that simple? He thought about the interactions he’d witnessed between Hollis and Nuit over the past year or so. There did seem to be mutual affection there, but he’d always found it rather foolish because his Kartan upbringing had taught him that you never opened up to slaves. They were property, they weren’t your friends. It was part of what he liked about owning a bedslave; you got plenty of sex without having to deal with a relationship, and he was the one completely in control, deciding when things ended. Seeking to explain his outlook to his friend he said, “On Karta, we were taught that it’s different with slaves. You can never really have a relationship with them, because they’re slaves. They don’t count like that.”
Sighing, Hollis replied, “I know that’s what they drilled into your head, but you should let it go. This is your life. Decide for yourself what it is you want, and what you want from Min. And talk to him about it.”
“You make it sound like I haven’t let go of anything I learned on Karta,” Matt grumbled.
“Only the things you didn’t agree with in the first place,” Hollis noted, and Matt was startled to realize it was true. Ashes, how had he never noticed that? He sat back down in his chair, and his friend followed him. Matt had thought it was exposure to other cultures that had convinced him otherwise, but he realized now that they were all things he hadn’t been comfortable with from the start, like keeping bedslaves caged up. Seeing that other people didn’t practice such things had made it all too easy to drop them.
“I’ll try to work on that,” he told Hollis finally, surprising his friend. “And I do know what I want from Min.”
“What’s that?” Hollis asked curiously.
“Apologies. Numerous apologies,” he replied, frowning as he sorted through his mixed emotions. “Obedience too of course, but lots of apologies. Preferably after I’ve kicked his ass. It’ll be good stress relief.”
“I can think of another way he could relieve your stress,” Hollis teased.
Laughter bubbled out of him. “Oh there’ll be plenty of that too.”
Hollis frowned suddenly. “He must know you’re going to make his life miserable when he gets back. Why is he still so willing to come back to you?”
More questions Matt had pondered on his way home. “I was wondering that too. He’s Andorian, so he has that need to serve somebody, but he could avoid a lot of punishment by not coming back here. Not that I’m complaining,” he said, before adding more darkly, “and not that I’d allow someone else to own him.”
“Muldane,” Hollis said, a twinge of amusement in his tone, “you didn’t even know where he was all these months. For all you knew five different people had owned him. I don’t think you’re in a position to not allow anything.”
Okay, so he knew it was more than a little ridiculous, but he couldn’t help how possessive he felt. “I know it’s stupid, and even though I’m embarrassed at how the damn clone got the jump on me, I am glad that he’s coming back.” Although he wanted Min back now, not a fucking month from now. His tone growing sharper he added, “And believe me, I’m well aware that he might’ve fucked dozens of people while he’s been gone. Who knows? I certainly don’t. But I’m going to find out,” he said determinedly.
Shaking his head, Hollis inquired, “To what purpose? He won’t say anything you’ll be happy to hear.”
Matt shrugged and shifted the conversation, not wanting another lecture from his annoying friend. “I asked him why it had to be me. He said the sex was too good.” Matt tried not to think about how many sex partners Min might’ve tested out before coming to this decision. But Matt couldn’t help smirking at the fact that however big the number, he won out over all of them.
Hollis’ eyebrows rose. “Are you serious? And you believed that?” Matt nodded without hesitation. “Was it really that good?”
Matt threw back his head and laughed. “Yes. Best lay I ever had, by far.” It was absolutely true.
Grinning, Hollis replied, “No wonder you’ve moping and whining about wanting him back all these months. I know you told me before that the sex was great, but I didn’t realize it was that good.” Pausing, Hollis mulled it over before adding, “Still though, a lot of work went into this plan of his. It seems pretty extreme.”
“Hmm. You think there’s more to it?” Matt asked, recalling the encounter and gauging what Min’s mood had been like. It was hard to evaluate though, considering the Min he’d seen on Festun had been such a stranger.
“Maybe he’s up to something. I haven’t seen this new Min, so I can’t really judge. I’m just suspicious, like all lawyers,” Hollis said, the last bit bringing a wry smile to his face.
“Honestly, from what I saw on Festun, I wouldn’t be surprised.” At this point, there wasn’t much left for the Andorian to surprise him about. “But I’m not going to question him about it, at least not until after I’ve gotten him back. I won’t risk scaring him off.”
“Yeah, wise choice,” Hollis agreed. “When is he supposed to call?”
“In three days.”
“How’re you feeling about that?”
Matt laughed uneasily. “Like it’s coming too quickly, and yet it can’t come soon enough.”
Chuckling, Hollis teased, “Just like a nervous groom on his wedding day.”
Shuddering, the memory of that old fear still poignant, Matt sent him another glare and said, “Fuck no.”
Why was he even still friends with Hollis? Sometimes he really had to wonder. He rolled his eyes at the Monlean and got up and walked over to the liquor cabinet. He needed a drink, and definitely not a Tyrran whisky, he thought, a mental picture of Min holding one on Festun flashing through his mind. He settled for a fine Monlean brandy—not as high quality a brand as Hamlin, but good enough.
It was going to be a very long three days.
Chapter 9A
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no subject
Date: 2008-09-13 04:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-14 12:58 am (UTC)Enjoy your holiday! Hope you're going somewhere fun and/or exciting. :D A two week (or so) holiday, I am jealous! I haven't had two weeks off since before I started my current job. :( Bah, I'd take a full week off, that alone would be nice.
Thanks for commenting, and I'll do my best to have some new reading material for you when you get back. ;)
no subject
Date: 2008-09-14 11:15 am (UTC)Another great chapter.
no subject
Date: 2008-09-14 01:04 pm (UTC)Thanks for reading and commenting. :D
no subject
Date: 2008-09-14 05:04 pm (UTC)Love the hints about Matt's background, sounds like he's had his heart broken at some time, or is my memory failing me, Taurent is new isn't he?
Wonderful update, can't wait for Min to come back. Think it may well hit the fan. :D
no subject
Date: 2008-09-15 12:29 pm (UTC)And yes I sympathize with poor Hollis, who keeps trying to show him what's obvious, and Matt only gets it bits at a time. He's making some progress, just verrrry slowly. But a fast turn around wouldn't make much sense for the character. :S
You are completely correct, that was the first mention of Taurent. And you see what I did there. XD I'm slipping in little hints/bits of Matt background as we go. There are reasons for why he's his stupid self, but the story so far has been focused on exploring MIN's background, so we haven't gotten Matt's story yet. One day though.. ;)
I'll just say one thing: daddy issues. XD Not that that wasn't already apparent...
Not sure when the next update will be. I think I'll have to completely rewrite chapter 9, b/c initially I did it from Alex's perspective, but I think it needs to be from Matt's instead. We'll see. And I have to change a bunch of dialogue in it too. :S
Anyways, glad you enjoyed it, and thanks for commenting as always. :D
no subject
Date: 2008-09-15 03:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-16 05:56 am (UTC)I started writing the next chapter (or the rewrite rather). No ETA yet, but I'm working on it at least! We'll see if Matt and Alex cooperate with me. Especially Matt. XD
Anyways, thanks for reading and for the lovely comments!
no subject
Date: 2008-09-15 08:07 pm (UTC)Thanks a lot for the great and exciting update. I enjoyed your new chapter.
no subject
Date: 2008-09-16 06:01 am (UTC)Glad you enjoyed it, and thanks for commenting! :D
no subject
Date: 2008-09-15 11:38 pm (UTC)Well. Looking forward to what's next!
no subject
Date: 2008-09-16 05:40 am (UTC)Well, in Hollis' defense I'll say that we never really get to see into his head, since in Spliced we're limited to only Min, Matt and Kate's POVs. (The only exception is briefly in that one-shot of Hollis and Nuit.)
So since he hasn't been given a voice within the framework of the story (beyond what he says to Matt), I'll say it for him. Hollis does question it and hates all the horrible abuse that can and does regularly happen to slaves, but as far as what he'll debate with Muldane... well, one battle at a time. First get the man to see that clones can be mature adults and not just 'property', then harass his friend to treat them better and not abusively. I think he knows all too well what the response would be if he tried to tell Matt what he should and should not do to his 'property.' XD
Also, there is the Andorian nature to consider, which doesn't exactly mind some kink. Of course the whole issue of consent is rather sticky when you have institutionalized slavery... but Min definitely doesn't mind the "good" type of pain, getting off on it. And Hollis is aware of that too. So perhaps that's why he hasn't been getting on Matt's case about that aspect of their relationship, at least not so far.
The problem also is that under a legal slavery system, it gives Matt the legal right to do such things to Min whenever he wants, and the issue of whether Min is 'in the mood' or choosing to participate doesnt have to be considered in the equation--legally speaking. Of course, the specific laws of each planet regarding the treatment of slaves aren't all the same, depending oftentimes on the degree of conservatism that planet leans towards. Bah, it's really convoluted, I'm not sure if I'm expressing myself clearly enough.
One more thing about consent... Min/Alex making this deal with Matt to come back does entail consent on his part, doesn't it? ;) Which makes this upcoming situation somewhat different from the past one, at least in theory. How it all plays out remains to be seen, of course.
Another thing to consider is that Hollis also grew up on a planet with institutionalized slavery. Yes, it's less strict than Karta, but slavery is still well integrated on Monlea. So his POV is not the same as someone like, let's say me, growing up in the US at the end of the 20th century. Yes, he can consider the abuse of slaves wrong, but he also probably has the unconscious mindset that it's terrible but there's not much that he can do to stop it, because its so widespread (across the AP) and it's all he's ever known. Sad, but all too likely.
Sorry for the overly long reply, but I'd never really examined this in depth before. Thanks for stirring this up! And reading and commenting. :)
no subject
Date: 2009-03-17 11:28 pm (UTC)Once again, I left myself with a cliffhanger, which is GOOD (I try to convince myself) because I need to work on my own writing.