Spliced: Part 1, Chapter 5a

[flighty_dreams]

TITLE: Spliced, Part 1, Chapter 5a
AUTHOR: flighty_dreams
WARNINGS: NC-17, most definitely. slavefic. scifi setting. M/m.
WORD COUNT: 1,731
SUMMARY:  Part 1. A businessman finds exactly what he wants at a slave market. Or does he?
NOTES:  All right, Chapter 5 will be in 3 parts. This is the first one, obviously. Hope you all like it!
@Lothy: Chapter 5 is all stuff I added later.

Chapter Five

 

Muldane had an interesting array of friends, Min decided. As the weeks passed he encountered many of his master’s acquaintances. He wasn’t exactly introduced to them, but overhearing conversations gave him plenty of information. There were some people Muldane had obviously befriended through business dealings, and others he’d met from playing netterball, one of the Kartan’s biggest hobbies.

Matt knew many people, and he often socialized during his days off. Sometimes he brought Min with him when he went out, and other times he left him at home. Some outings were more interesting than others, but Min liked it when his master took him to the netterball park. He’d never played the game himself, but it was fun to watch his master play it. Netterball was a Monlean obsession; it was rarely seen on other planets.

One Monlean man in particular stood out from the rest of Muldane’s friends. At first Min thought Simmon Hollis was one of Matt’s netterball friends, since they often played together. Then he learned the man was also Muldane’s attorney. Min supposed that if you were a major force in the business world it was wise to have an attorney at hand, but of course he’d never experienced the same need himself.

It was obvious that Hollis was Muldane’s closest friend, because he spent more time with the man than any of his other friends. Matt often visited his home, and Hollis was a frequent sight in Muldane’s house as well. Despite their different backgrounds and personalities, the two men had a lot in common; it was easy for Min to see why they got along. They shared similar hobbies, knew the same people, and Hollis even had a bedslave of his own.

The two men regularly had intellectual debates, and Min wished he could join in, eager to add his own comments. He yearned to expose his own intelligence and insight, but he always restrained himself, knowing he would meet with shock and rejection, and most likely punishment as well. Free men didn’t want clever bedslaves, much less ones capable of reading. So while their masters were busy talking, Min often looked to Hollis’ slave, searching for a distraction.

Nuit was the most composed slave Min had ever seen. He kept everything hidden, showing little reaction or emotion. Min had thought he was good at hiding himself, but Nuit shamed him at it. The first few times he saw the other slave, he studied Nuit intently, seeking to learn more about him. He wondered whether bad experiences had made him this way, or whether it had been part of his training. Nuit wasn’t Andorian, but he was also a clone. There were other breeds of clone slaves out there, and Nuit was from sturdier stock than the typically delicate-looking Andorian bedslaves. But some trick of genetics—or more likely an experimental geneticist—had made him breathtaking.

Unlike Min, whose skin was pale and creamy, Nuit had darkly tanned skin that lived up to his name. Easily his most striking feature was his silver hair, which glistened like moonlight against his caramel skin. His face was boyish but pretty, with dark eyes and a slightly upturned nose, and his full lips were usually straight and still.

At first Min wondered whether his calm serenity hid a lack of understanding about what was going on around him, but the more he scrutinized him, the more sure he became that Nuit was fairly intuitive. The clone was aware of everything around him; he just chose not to react to it. Min wondered how long the other clone had been alive, but figured he had to be at least a few years old. The young ones were always easy to recognize.

One afternoon about three weeks after he first saw Hollis and Nuit, the two of them were over at Muldane’s house. All four of them were in the den, with Nuit and Min sitting quietly in a corner while the free men sat on the sofa talking.

Min eyed their drinks, wishing one of them would finish with it. He wanted an excuse to get up from his kneeling position, because his legs had stiffened. The thin synth-cott material of his pants wasn’t enough protection against the polished wooden floor. At one time he could’ve kneeled for hours without complaint, but those days had passed and he’d grown soft, which he didn’t regret.

He fidgeted, his usual control slipping. He was so bored, and he knew this mood would probably get him in trouble, but he couldn’t quite help himself. Usually he could distract himself by reading while his master was away, but during the past few days Muldane had dragged him around everywhere to sit in corners like this, and never giving him time to himself.

“That virtual theater finally opened its doors to the public,” Hollis informed his friend just then.

Min’s ears perked up. He’d heard of those theaters, but had never been to one. The Monlean one was only the second released so far. The Monlean government had eagerly bid on the contract, hoping it would increase their status among the AP. He knew a lot about the theaters actually, them being a major news item in recent months, and he really wanted to see one, but he figured the chances were pretty low that his master would bring him along.

He shifted restlessly again and leaned back against the wall behind him. Unfortunately his arm brushed against the bookcase next to him. The books on the shelves shook, drawing his master’s attention.

“Min,” Matt scolded, as if he were just a toddler, “settle down.”

His master often spoke to him like that, but the chiding got under his skin more than usual this time. He moved away from the wall, but drew his hands behind his back to conceal the clenching of his fists. And he kept his face blank and his lids lowered, hiding the angry flash of his blue eyes. Usually he would apologize for annoying his master, but in his current mood he couldn’t bring himself to do it. What was wrong with him today? He was usually better than this. Min felt his master’s stern gaze upon him and remained quiet and motionless. After a few moments he sensed the man’s attention drift away.

“You said the Nintaral Theater finally opened?” Matt asked, returning to the conversation.

“Yeah, I read an article about it online this morning,” Hollis told him. “It’s no longer VIP only. Supposedly it has about a hundred viewing rooms, which you can call and reserve now.”

“We should check it out then,” Matt replied, smiling at his friend.

“Someone recommended the underwater scenario to me.”

Muldane rolled his eyes. “One of your snotty club clients?”

Hollis sighed, exasperated. “Yes, one of my ‘snotty club clients’, as you like to call them. How’d you guess?”

“Because you just said ‘someone’, trying to avoid mentioning who it was. Cause you think I wouldn’t take the suggestion if I knew it was from one of them.”

Min smiled in spite of himself, enjoying the exchange. These two really were good friends. Inwardly he noted that the theater being VIP only until now was also tip-off to it being one of those ‘snotty clients’.

They called the theater using the vid screen, and unsurprisingly the rooms were all booked up for the next month, but the theater manager stated that they were open for tours. Then the man suddenly paused, perhaps looking at a calendar? Min couldn’t see the screen from his position in the corner. “Actually, there was just a cancellation. They were scheduled for half an hour from now, if that time works for you both?”

“Wow, that’s lucky. Sure, let’s check it out,” Hollis answered, not waiting for confirmation from his friend.

Min watched Muldane smile tolerantly at Hollis as the attorney continued the transaction, just shaking his head at his companion’s eagerness. The scene discomfited Min, but he couldn’t identify exactly why.

“Just the two of you?” the manager asked.

Min glanced up just as his master’s gaze alighted on him. Their eyes met, and Matt’s lips pursed as he thought it over. Hope rose within Min for a moment, but was quickly squashed.

“Yes,” Matt said, turning back to the screen while Min hid his disappointment behind his blank mask. The free men quickly finished the deal, and then stood up hurriedly.

“I’ll leave Nuit here and pick him up after we get back, if that’s okay,” Hollis told his friend.

Matt nodded. “Sure.” It only made sense, what else was he going to do? Min looked over at Nuit, who didn’t make a sound or a move as the men discussed him.

The snap of his master’s fingers drew the Andorian’s attention back to the man. “Min, behave while I’m gone,” his master ordered sternly.

He gave Muldane his most innocent look, which made the man snort. “Right.” The Kartan paused, and then added firmly, “I mean it. If you sit on the couch again, I promise you won’t be sitting on anything for a week.”

A few days before, the last time his master left him at home, Sadie had caught Min sprawled on the couch. Muldane had not been pleased, particularly since two weeks earlier he’d told Min he was forbidden to use the sofa. It didn’t make sense to Min, considering he was still allowed on the bed. Just more rules to keep him aware of his place, he supposed resentfully.

“Yes, master,” Min replied calmly, the words polite while inwardly he was thinking something very different. But he allowed none of his inner turmoil to show in his face.

Meanwhile Hollis approached them both but turned to Nuit. He smiled affectionately down at the slave, who finally turned his face up to meet his master’s gaze. The corner of Nuit’s lips twitched up a bit, the closest thing to a smile that Min had ever seen him give. Hollis leaned down to kiss his upturned face and cupped the slave’s cheek with his left hand. “I’ll see you later,” he told Nuit, and then released him and stepped away. He spared a quick, amused grin for Min as well before turning around.

Matt glanced at Min warily one more time and then followed Hollis out the door.

Chapter 5B

 

Comments

[spike7451.livejournal.com]

"The two men regularly had intellectual debates, and Min wished he could join in, eager to add his own comments. He yearned to expose his own intelligence and insight, but he always restrained himself, knowing he would meet with shock and rejection, and most likely punishment as well. Free men didn’t want clever bedslaves, much less ones capable of reading."

How frustrated poor Min must be, I know Matt is a product of his upbringing which is why he treats his "pet" like a small child, but it's such a shame he's so predictable in his treatment of Min.
So interested in finding out why Min is so different, and what the "relapse" Min mentions in a previous chapter refers to.

[flighty-dreams.livejournal.com]

Part of the problem is that from the way many clones are trained and raised, they are pretty helpless, and therefore like children. You have to remember that since these are clones activated at full growth (a la the movie the Island) you may be buying a slave that's only a year or two old. With so little life experience, they can't be as emotionally developed as an adult, and therefore do seem childlike. So there are some clones where its not out of the question to treat them like that (although one should still remember they CAN feel), but Min certainly isn't emotionally stunted like that. Too bad Matt doesn't recognize what Min's differences mean, rather than just noticing them and then dismissing them as idiosyncrasies without greater impact.

Sorry to go off on a tangent there, but I've thought about this way too much lol.

Aha! You're the first commenter to specifically mention that 'relapse' line. It'll become clearer later on...

[half-imagined.livejournal.com]

It makes me a little sad that Matt tends to treat Min like a toddler or a dog. You can really see the difference between Matt and Hollis--and I'm definitely liking Hollis as a master more.

Also, Nuit sounds gorgeous and I'm excited to find out what the slaves will get up to while their masters are away...

[flighty-dreams.livejournal.com]

Yeah, he does treat him badly, and it's a shame. There could be so much more there if he gave it a chance. And yes, I'm personally a big fan of Hollis. ;-)

Glad you like Nuit too, as for the rest well you found out already lol. Thanks for commenting! =)

[mirror-mirrin.livejournal.com]

I can't decide how I feel about Matt. On one hand, he is a workaholic with a kind side, on the other hand, he treats Min in a somewhat unkind manner. Maybe most slaves do not have the mental capacity to feel as hurt by their Master's actions as Min? Or perhaps they just hide it better..

Poor Min. Yes, I can see how most people would not want their slaves to be book smart. Wonder about Min's childhood, assuming he had one since you compared this to 'The Island'.

This is really well written! Thank you for taking the time to ensure good grammar and syntax. Looking forward to the thickening of the plot!

[flighty-dreams.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Matt isn't so easy to categorize (and I like him that way).

Maybe most slaves do not have the mental capacity to feel as hurt by their Master's actions as Min? Or perhaps they just hide it better..

I think it's a bit of both, really. You can still feel hurt by cruelty even if you don't fully understand your situation, but being fully aware of the reality you're trapped in can definitely sharpen the pain. And in turn, I think that sharper pain might be more difficult to hide... there's more I could say, but I wouldn't want to spoil anything. ;-)

Yep, better to keep your slaves ignorant and uneducated; less chance of rebellion right?

Thanks for the compliment on the writing. *blushes* I'm actually a little embarrassed of Part 1 at this point, because I originally wrote it 3 years ago now, and my writing style has changed somewhat (for the better I believe). I have this itch to 'fix' Part 1, but I'm waiting until I finish the rest of the story. ;-)

Thanks for the lovely comments! Enjoy.

[mirror-mirrin.livejournal.com]

Oh that makes sense, the less knowledge they have the less they will want, or need to rebel. *Nods*

Well, I have enjoyed Part 1 anyway, but if you decide to rewrite or expand on it, I will definitely be back for a second read!

[fran-fic.livejournal.com]

The two men regularly had intellectual debates, and Min wished he could join in, eager to add his own comments. He yearned to expose his own intelligence and insight, but he always restrained himself, knowing he would meet with shock and rejection, and most likely punishment as well. Free men didn’t want clever bedslaves, much less ones capable of reading.

This is really sad. I'd forgotten have mentally unstimulated (is that a word?) and bored Min must have been back then.

[flighty-dreams.livejournal.com]

Yep, that's a word. And yeah, it really was frustrating for him. Hence some of the later bitterness he ahem, expresses.