Coincidence

Chapter 42: the ending

“What are you doing?”

Kyle dropped a data-pad on the desk in front of him, than another one and a third, “reports, reports, reports.” He turned his chair towards Kris and asked, “Are you nervous?”

“Sort of.”

The Blondie got up and wrapped his arms around the smaller male. For once neither malice nor sexual intent accompanied the gesture.

“When did that happen? When have we started to talk?”

A tiny smirk circled the corners of Kyle's lips when he answered, “When you got drunk … “ His voice adapted a sultry pitch, “after our first fuck.”

Kris hammered his fists against the Blondie's chest but buried his face in it the next instant, “Bastard.” He was trembling and blushing at the same time.

“I rather like it when you talk dirty, my adorable little firecracker.” He brushed the Feron's shoulder lightly with a kiss but otherwise didn't act on his impulse to take him to bed right here and there, “Don't you think, you had every right to chose? He didn't come for you.”

“I didn't exactly wait.”

~~~

“Are you amusing yourself?”

“Greatly.” Katze crossed his legs and flirted with the idea of having a drink.

“You realize, you amuse yourself at the expand of a Tanagura elite?”

“No.”

Raoul quirked a brow at the unusual demeanor of the dealer while he held his arms at an uncomfortable angle to allow his furniture to arrange his opulent clothing and buckle his belt.

“We are past this. I amuse myself at the expand of a friend.” With that he decided for a cigarette instead of the expensive liquor in front of him.

“Thank you, Ryo. Go and help Raven now.”

Raoul took seat opposite Katze, suddenly feeling vulnerable upon the realization that his life had a mean tendency to put him in places he didn't like to be.

“The dissidents will approach you because of him.”

The Blondie huffed at the comment. The dissidents were a miracle to him in their childlike efforts to install changes that had no real impact on legal circumstances. Admittedly Zeus had some strong points when it came to warrant his actions but Raoul had difficulties taking the current changes seriously, Blondie, through and through, that he was. As if Katze could read his mind, he stated, “Currently sixteen Elites added information about their marital status to their personal files.”

“Tanagura's laws don't acknowledge family commitments.” In his mind's eye he went over the information on those sixteen Elites. Just the choice in partnership revealed the deeply ingrained genetic imprint labeling them Jupiter's creation all over. What did they expect? They were genetically designed to fulfill certain tasks. Therefore they fit exactly into exact one kind of position. And yet they tried to be something, they weren't. They just kicked the established system of balance and it was his task to readjust it until the applied changes became sustainable from within.

“Liam registered himself under the name of Am and enrolled into Harvard University on Planet Earth.” He handed Raoul a data-pad, “I guess, Liam sends his mails to me to make sure, you read them.” The headline on each individual mail read 'My dear brother'.

“His main subject is art.” That forced indeed a smile from Raoul.

“Really?”

“Expand his banking account on my expenses and send him a message, that I want him to study, not making money on the side.”

“Fondness, Raoul?”

“Brotherly concern.”

“Ho-hum.”

“Raoul?” Two pairs of eyes moved to the young man, approaching from the side wing. Raven was dressed in a tight blue suit with an appliqued waistcoat whose silvery seam expired into an ornament on Raven's collar with clear implication – RA. “We have to go now.”

Raoul got up, the dealer following suit. When he passed Raven, the younger one caught his sleeve and stopped him, “You are Katze.” He sounded insecure about the statement. Katze directed a suspicious glance at Raoul, “I assure you, he is perfectly fine – the memory will come back eventually but it takes time.”

They vacated the tower through Raoul's private parking lot. Katze took it upon himself to drive them to the conference center, which they, given the number of vehicles on the parking ground, reached last.

Raoul had the evening all but orchestrated. In the moment, he entered the ballroom, all eyes were on him before the conférencier had a chance to announce him. The audience was full of high ranking Elite, federal delegates, Lucius delegates and ambassadors from all over the quadrant. The people who mattered to Raoul at this peculiar moment were gathered at the rounded table in the center of attention and they arose at his presence.

Kyle, Adam, Dorian, Ajax, Hazall and all the big fishes who Tanagura could muster. Raoul approached his seat at the head of the table, lifted his glass to officially open the meeting. Here he was again at the foremost position of Amoian society, unfazed by hierarchy, rising to speak “Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my pleasure to introduce you to Lambda 4000.”

Heavy whispering broke the pious silence as the inner circle of the conference table lighted up, revealing the holographic shape of the AI. The whispering increased in volume eventually going sky high when the AI's form became recognizable to the eye and portrayed an almost perfect copy of the tiny male behind Raoul.