Walk forward, into the world

Title: Walk forward, into the world
Author: Ainzfern
Genre: Ai no Kusabi – Post OVA
Code: Iason/Riki
Rating: NC-17
Parts: WIP - 18/?


Crossing the workroom floor with Katze right beside him, Riki pointedly ignore the curious looks that were cast their way as they approached Enif, who was working steadily at his post with his back to them. As they neared him, Riki cleared his throat, catching the ex-Pet’s attention.

Turning, Enif lifted his face to look at them, his eyes flat with immediate suspicion.

“Enif?” Riki couldn’t help staring at how much the man had changed since his cosseted days in Eos. Back when Riki had seen him last, being dragged off by the factory guards, he really hadn’t had much of an opportunity to appraise him but now, standing right in front of him, Riki couldn’t help but draw the obvious comparisons.

He was slightly taller, much broader through the shoulders. His face was still beautiful, that could not be denied, but it had lost its youthful softness, the luminous perfection that a young Pet ought to have. Riki could also see clearly the impact that his life as a virtual slave in the factories of Midas had left upon him. He now bore a heavy scar just above his left eyebrow; and at some point, Riki noted, his nose had obviously been broken. Most likely that had occurred during one Enif’s ‘sessions’ with the Foreman.

Riki drew in a breath to speak again, when Enif beat him to it.

“I know you,” the ex-Pet said in a deep rich voice. A mature man’s voice. “How do I know you?”

“Well,” Riki’s mouth quirked into an odd little smile, “…about four years ago, you tripped me over on the viewing stage at a Pet Party.”

Enif’s eyes widened in sudden dreadful recognition. “Iason Mink’s mongrel,” he murmured.

Riki nodded, strangely feeling no particular offence at Enif’s choice of words. “Yeah. That was me.”

Enif’s expression froze, giving away nothing as he glanced back and forth between Riki and Katze for a long moment. Then, with a deep sigh, his shoulders drooped wearily and a dull look of acceptance crossed his face. “You know something?” Enif stripped off the safety gloves he’d been wearing and shoved them into the pocket of his rather shapeless overalls. “Back then..? I really thought that I was better than you. I really did.”

Riki remained silent as Enif’s eyes moved over him slowly, inspecting the neat cut of his clothing, his expensive shoes, his general good health and cleanliness.

Enif vented a bitter little chuckle as his met Riki’s gaze once more. “Well, it looks like the joke’s on me, huh? Again.” He tilted his head a little, crossing his arms over his chest. “So, I’m guessing that Maxx or Cain sent you down here, right?” His mouth twisted into a tiny sneer as he spoke those two names.

“Cain?” Katze questioned, frowning slightly.

“The Foreman,” Enif clarified, his eyes narrowing. “I mean, this sure feels like another one of his little mind-games. But what I don’t get is why. I’ve been behaving myself pretty good, lately.” His full lips thinned into a grim line. “Cain actually took his belt to me the last time… Honestly, I still hurt too much to have caused any trouble.”

Riki shared a brief look with Katze, his heart actually aching in empathy as he realized that Enif was interpreting their presence as some kind of cruelty, some manner of punishment. Plus, he couldn’t deny that he was also getting worried. Quite frankly, the bleak look in Enif’s eyes was not what he’d been hoping to see. It was evident to him now that while Enif might have been fighting back for some time, his reserves had nearly run out. He was just about beaten.

They needed to get this man out of here… and fast.

“Enif, Maxx and Cain don’t have anything to do with why we’re here.” Riki glanced quickly over his shoulder. “Look, is there somewhere we can talk out of earshot of the rest of these guys?”

Enif nodded, the faintest spark of curiosity entering his eyes. “Well, there’s the citizen’s staff lounge, over there,” he pointed to an open door facing into a small room just some way along the rear wall of the workshop floor, “but we, I mean ex-Pet’s, aren’t supposed to use it.”

“Fuck that,” Katze’s unusually sharp mutter answered Enif’s comment. “It’ll do. Let’s go.”

Nodding, Enif led them into the room, waiting while Riki and Katze seated themselves at one of the tables before cautiously lowering himself into a chair on the opposite side from them. “So…” Enif wet his lips and looked nervously at them. “What are you really wanting from me?”

Smiling slightly, sadly, Riki leant forward and began to talk. Slowly, and making frequent pauses to ensure Enif was keeping up, he explained the whole thing. From the very first idea that he’d had about safe-houses to Chey Neeson’s colonization project. He talked about the opportunity that was being made available, the chance to live a life free of fear and cruelty, to stand as a counted and valued part of a community. To own a future. To be kept by no-one… And he talked about the part that he wanted Enif to play in the whole thing

“…Technically,” Riki concluded, “you’ll be employed by Chey Neeson and you’ll have a statutory citizenship under the federation government so that you can travel regularly to Hepstra without needing to get papers every time, but to keep it simple – at least for now – you’ll actually be drawing your wages from me. Eventually that’ll change. Over the long-term, it will be your job to continue sourcing ex-Pets who are interested in relocating to Hepstra to cover attrition and expansion. I’ll want regular reports, of course, but once I get you settled in and you learn what needs to be done, you’ll be operating solo, calling the shots.” Even as he spoke, Riki was watching Enif’s face, looking for any sign that might indicate how he felt about the offer. “I’ll arrange an apartment for you, close to the Midas space port. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s comfortable and clean. Plus, it’ll be well within your budget.”

Enif continued to stare at him in silence.

“Well?” Riki asked him gently, “What do you think?”

“You want to employ me?” Enif replied in an almost distant manner.

“Yes.”

“You want to pay me… to help others like me get the hell away from Amoi?”

“Yes,” Riki peered worriedly at him, concerned by the odd note in his voice and wondering once again whether he perhaps was rash in his judgement.

“No more beatings, Enif,” Katze added softly, his face unusually pale, “No more laboring until you drop, or trying to snatch sleep in the damp basement of this plant. Just fair work for fair wages. Just like any other citizen.”

Enif’s expression did not so much as alter a fraction. His body did not move, nor did his breathing change in any way. But as he sat there staring at Riki, his eyes began to fill and, when he blinked them, two great tears fell and streaked down his impassive face.

“When can I start?” he whispered hoarsely.

Reaching out and clasping his arm, Riki squeezed gently. “Now.”




******


“There’s something that I’ve been meaning to talk to you about, Katze,” Riki said thoughtfully as Katze drove them back towards Eos

“Yeah?” Katze continued to maintain focus on the road as he signaled a turn through the intersection that lead to the Elite residential area. “What’s that?”

Riki looked out the window, gathering his thoughts, wondering just how to put them into words. “It’s just… the thing is, man, you haven’t said a word to me, or to Iason – as far as I know, about how pulling all the ex-Pets out of the factories and fabrication plants is going to affect your business. I mean surely there’s gonna to be some loss of revenue there, having to replace them with fully paid workers instead.”

Katze grunted a little ‘neither here nor there’ sort of sound. “The bulk of the ex-Pets aren’t actually in my factories, Riki, as you know.” Katze smoothly changed lanes in preparation for entering Eos, “I’m going to lose, maybe, one or two hundred unpaid workers across the board, out of a total workforce of thousands. Plus, the goods that the factories siphon off into Ceres black market make them extremely profitable. I can easily absorb the loss. Besides,” Katze flashed a quick grin at him, “You’re compensating me. Fairly generously, I have to say, even if I will have to wait a year to see any of the money.”

Riki huffed a soft chuckle. “You know where I live. It’s not like you’re gonna to get stiffed.”

“I have no doubts.” Katze’s next sideways glance held an undeniable shade of respect. “I never did tell you what a smart move it was you made, there – negotiating with Chey Neeson for a quarter percent of the gross profit margin rather than a fixed contractual finder’s fee. That’s the kind of trailing commission that just keeps on giving.”

Riki grinned at him. “Actually, that was Iason’s idea. And, I had to admit it did make sense. This whole deal is going to be a long term set-up,” Riki shifted in his seat slightly, getting more comfortable, “This initial group of workers is just the start. As the colony establishes itself and begins to expand, there’s gonna be more spaces to fill.”

“So you got Neeson to add an annexure to the contract to hold a certain number of places for your ex-Pets or Ceres residents, then?”

“I did.”

“Smart boy,” Katze murmured approvingly. “Good business.”

“So… it’s just business, Katze?” Looking down at his hands for a moment, Riki sighed, a wave of something close to sorrow washing through his gut, “The fact that I’m paying you off is all you care about?”

Peripherally, he saw Katze frown slightly as the soaring structure of Eos Tower loomed up ahead of them. “Why do you ask?”

“It’s just that, back in the fabrication plant,” Riki shrugged, “You looked, for a moment, like you actually felt bad for the guy. I just wondered, y’know… if maybe there was an altruistic streak in you after all.”

Katze was silent for a long moment as he pulled his car into the parking bay below Eos Tower and cut the engine. “The truth, Riki?” he asked finally, turning to look into Riki’s eyes.

“Sure.”

“I never used to give a shit about ‘em.” Katze lifted one shoulder briefly. “Didn’t even see them most of the time. They weren’t my concern… not even something that I gave a thought to. They were just another commodity.”

Riki blinked, startled by the blunt reply.

“But,” Katze sighed and sat back in the driver’s seat, “You made them visible to me, Riki. Maybe it was because you were a Pet for a time, or maybe it’s because…” Katze heaved a great sigh and shook his head. “Fuck if I know, really. All I know is that you pulled them out into my line of sight somehow, and now… now I can’t just look past them anymore.”

“Well,” Riki murmured as he opened his door, “Let’s just hope you’re not the only one that happens to.”

Climbing out of the car Katze looked solemnly at him from across the bonnet. “Change takes time, Riki. You’ll need to remember that going forward, okay?”

Riki nodded at him. “Oh, I know. And I will.” He grinned suddenly, “As for taking time? Hell, no problem. Time is something I’ve got now.”

TBC…