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Alden took a deep breath and closed his eyes, forcing away the feeling of loneliness. He could keep himself occupied until Kairos got back, right? He steeled himself. Of course he could. First things first. He told himself, heading for his bedroom. If he needed anything, he was to call the servants, so it was probably best to locate his computer so that he could do that if necessary. The badger stepped into his room, taking it all in fully after only the brief glimpse earlier. It was a large space, with elegant luxurious high-quality furniture, and a soft plush bluish-grey carpet. There was a bed, dresser, wardrobes built into one wall, some empty shelves and even a Runt-sized desk with a high-backed leather chair. On the far wall, large glass doors led out onto a small balcony. Out of curiosity, he checked the wardrobes and dresser and found them filled, varieties of every possible kind of clothing he could need, all in his size. It all seemed expensive and stylish. He mused about how Lord Kairos apparently wanted to spoil his pet and ensure he looked good. On a whim, he decided to change, then and there. He was still wearing the overalls he’d been given at the clinic. Perhaps it was time to better look the part of a pet… After some consideration, Alden selected something casual. Some expertly tailored black trousers and a loose white shirt with some simple gold trim around the cuffs and collar. He looked himself over and thought he looked good. He caught himself hoping that Kairos thought likewise when he returned. It struck him how quickly he had come to want the tiger’s approval. He hadn’t known him very long but already felt close to him. He really was accepting this new life pretty quickly. Once he was done dressing, he turned his attention to the pile of gifts on the bed. He did wonder if he should wait for Kairos to return before opening them, but quickly discarded that idea. The computer he was looking for was among them, after all. So Alden sat down on the bed and started opening the packages, a little eager to see what his new owner had bought for him. There was a number of items of jewellery, rings and wristbands and a few necklaces and sets of ear cuffs. All were either gold or silver, with exquisite craftsmanship, etched with intricate patterns and inset with various gemstones here and there. The badger simply stared at it all. He couldn’t be certain of course, but he didn’t feel like he had ever owned or worn jewellery before. He set it all aside for now. A few of the other gifts were books. Actual paper books like these were rare these days, as most simply downloaded and read stuff from the net feeds. And these books appeared to be antique. They must have been quite expensive and he found himself handling them carefully as he examined them. They were all fiction, and apparently from just after the Liberation War. More history knowledge slipped back into his head. After the War, with anthro-kind enjoying their new freedom, there had been a cultural surge of new art, literature and music, as so many rushed to express themselves in ways they had never been permitted to under human control, to indulge in the creation of something new, something that was uniquely theirs. As Alden looked at the books he had been given, he recognised the titles and names, all of them considered to be classics, among the very best that had come from that period, although he couldn’t know if he’d actually read any of them before. There were a few adventure novels, some political thrillers and one that was an epic romance. He vaguely wondered if there was some significance to the selection, and he made a mental note to ask Kairos about it later. There were two small boxes left. He grabbed the nearest one and opened it to find the palm computer he’d been searching for. It was an advanced model and Runt-sized, fitting easily and comfortably into his hand. Giving it a quick try, he activated its holo-display and Alden discovered it had already been set up for him, allowing him access to the penthouse’s systems, as well as various city-wide data-feeds. The badger was relieved to find it was pre-loaded with com-link connections to the penthouse’s staff and servants, like chefs, cleaners, repair technicians and even an on-call physician. It would be simple and easy to contact someone if he needed help. Setting aside the computer, Alden focused on the last box, which was small and flat. He flipped it open and stopped, taking a moment to stare at the contents. It was a collar for him. He wasn’t sure why it caught him off guard. He knew it was traditional for owned pets to be given a collar. But Kairos hasn’t mentioned anything about it. Because he was obviously waiting until I opened my gifts. Alden realised. To surprise me. Well, that moment wasn’t going to happen now. It was a very nice collar, he had to admit. Sturdy yet soft black leather, with decorative gold edging. He wouldn’t have been surprised if had been custom made just for him. He briefly considered putting it on, but decided against it. He wanted Kairos to be there for that moment. So he carefully closed the box and set it aside. Alden laid back on his bed, thoughtful, considering all that had happened since waking up in the clinic, this new life he found himself living. There remained a fair deal of uncertainty and doubt lurking in the back of his mind over this whole thing, being a pet. He had to remind himself that he had chosen this. There was no remaining doubt that point at least. It was everything else about being a pet. It was a lot to take in and accept. The prospect of having to attend events with Kairos, be paraded around in front of other Apex, that part in particular filled him with dread, being surrounded by tall intimidating Apex gawking at him… Except… Surely many of those Apex would have pets of their own? Maybe he’d be permitted to talk to them? That could be interesting, getting the views of other pets, ones with more experience than him. And of course, Kairos would be there. He’d look after him, make sure he was okay. The tiger seemed rather protective of him already, eager to ensure his happiness. The more he thought of his owner, the more at ease he felt. Kairos was caring and considerate and patient with him. He could see himself having a good life here with him. And he was gorgeous. That helped, Alden had to admit. He caught himself imagining being close and snuggled up with those amazing muscles of his… A rumbling in his stomach interrupted that fantasy. He was hungry. Well, he hadn’t eaten since waking up, he reminded himself. He should probably eat something. It was easy enough to pull up the com-link to Kairos’ chef on his computer, yet he paused for a moment, finger hovering over the button. Did he really want to do this? Bother someone on what was supposed to be their day off? But another grumble from his stomach convinced him to go ahead and he hit the control. A moment later, the image of a gruff looking brown bear Apex appeared on his palm computer’s holo-display. “Yes?” He sounded annoyed. “I… I… I’m very sorry to bother you…” Alden stammered, immediately nervous. “But my Master… Lord Kairos… he said to contact you if I needed something…” “Right.” The bear nodded with an exasperated sigh. “You’re the new pet… Well what do you need?” “Could I…” Alden said. “Could I get something to eat?” “Right.” The bear said, with a withering look. “Anything in particular?” Alden hadn’t thought that far ahead. “I… I don’t know… Something simple would be fine…” “Very well.” The bear’s tone was that of a frustrated adult talking to an annoying cub. “My assistant and I will prepare something ‘simple’ and bring it to you shortly.” Alden was about to thank him, but the bear cut the connection before he had the chance, the image disappearing. He was left staring at the computer, unsure what to make of the conversation and the bear’s attitude. While he waited, the badger wandered through the penthouse, familiarising himself more with the place. He ended up back at the piano, idly poking at the keys, but not really playing anything. He stopped when he head a door open in the distance, ears swivelling in the direction, towards the penthouse’s main entrance. His food must have arrived. He had thought he would have to let the bear in, but he supposed it made sense that Kairos' trusted staff would have access to his home. Alden stood and padded out of the room and headed in the direction of the dining room. He soon heard muffled voices. As he drew close, he started to make out what they were saying. “Would you keep it down, you damn idiot?” He recognised the voice of the bear he had spoken to, who had started thinking of as the chef. “We’d never hear the end of it from Lord Kairos if we frightened his pet…” “Pet…” Another voice said, dismissively. The chef had mentioned an assistant coming with him. “Just what we need, more Runt filth polluting our city. They should outlaw pets and dump the whole lot of them down in the slums where they belong…” “Hush!” The chef hissed, angry but trying to keep his voice low. “You want the pet to hear you talking that way and report it to Lord Kairos? You want to lose yet another job, you bigoted moronic idiot? You have no idea how many strings I had to pull to get you this position!” There was the sound of a slap. “Ow!” The assistant complained. “Just shut up! Stow those damned ridiculous opinions of yours and do your job!” The chef sounded like he was on the verge of snarling. The assistant said nothing and there was soon the rustling of plates and cutlery. Alden decided this was probably a good time to show himself and stepped into the dining room. The bear chef was there, along with his assistant, another brown-furred Apex bear, a little shorter and younger. They both wore similar work clothes, white jackets with black trousers. They were unpacking plates of food from a hovering stasis trolley and setting them out on one end of the table. It was only then that Alden realised that the Apex definition of a ‘simple’ meal probably differed greatly from his own. There looked to be far more food than he had been expecting, and it all smelled wonderful, his nostrils assailed by a variety of delicious scents. “Umm… hello.” Alden announced himself, nervously. Both bears turned to face him, looming over him, and he was acutely aware of them looking him up and down, the younger with a barely concealed sneer. “Greetings, little pet.” The chef nodded, curtly. “I am Renton, personal chef to Lord Kairos. And this is my nephew…” The bear realised what he just said and quickly corrected himself. “… my assistant, Jarris.” Alden was unsure how to act in this situation, so opted to be as respectful as possible. It seemed the best choice. He bowed to them. “Thank you for bringing me food, Sir. I apologise again for bothering you with my request.” While Jarris merely rolled his eyes at this, a slight smile twitched at the corners of Renton’s mouth. “Respectful.” The bear chef nodded his approval. “More so than Lord Kairos’ previous pet…” By the way Alden looked up at that comment, surprised and wide-eyed, the bear noticed he’d made a mistake. “Right.” He grumbled. “We’re not supposed to talk about that with you…” He returned to setting up the table. Alden just stood there, stunned. His Master had a pet before him? Who had it been? What had happened to them? He had so many questions he wanted to ask, but suspected these two would not supply him with any answers. It was something he would have to bring up with Kairos later. He approached the table. Initially he was a little worried that he would have trouble sitting at an Apex sized table, but then saw one of the chairs was a little different. While it was constructed in the same style as all the others, the seat was higher, more suited to allowing a Runt to sit comfortably at the table. Probably made for Kairos’ previous pet, he supposed, as he pulled it out and clambered up onto it, the thought having an edge of bitterness to it. He tried to shake off that feeling, but wasn't entirely successful. Alden focused on the food to distract himself, allowing the wonderful smells to wash over him. There was a bowl of some kind of spiced vegetable soup with some fresh bread, perfectly cooked chicken with roasted vegetables, a selection of potato side dishes, a small tray of various sauces, a large slice of some manner of chocolate cake and then finally a small glass besides a tall bottle of pinkish orange juice that smelled of various fruits blended together. If this is what constituted a simple meal to an Apex, Alden wondered what an Apex feast would be like. “Enough for you, little pet?” Renton said, eyeing him. “Yes, this will be plenty, thank you, Sir.” Alden nodded respectfully. “Damn thing should be eating from a bowl on the floor, like the lowly animal it is…” Jarris muttered under his breath. Renton elbowed the younger bear in the ribs and shot him an angry glare. Alden pretended not to have heard. “We'll just be getting out of your way then, little pet.” Renton shoved Jarris toward the door. “Just leave any dishes. Larissa, Lord Kairos' cleaner, will take care of them when she comes by in the morning.” He grabbed the trolley and left. “Thank you again, Sir!” Alden called after him, but wasn't sure the bear heard him, being too busy angrily chastising Jarris in a low angry voice as they left the penthouse. He put them out of his mind and started eating, feeling pretty ravenous at this point, consuming the soup and bread quickly, and not savouring the amazing taste as much as he probably should have. Still very hungry when he was done, Alden moved on to the chicken, but was sure to take his time to properly enjoy it, because it was extremely good, cooked to perfection. As he ate, the badger thoughtfully mused over what had been said. Not what Jarris had said, that didn't seem to bother him very much. Getting insulted and looked down on by an uppity Apex felt normal for him and he could only assume it was something he had experienced regularly in his now forgotten old life. No, it was the revelation that he wasn't Kairos' first pet that was bothering him, although he couldn't quite figure out why. Kairos' hadn't claimed he was the first, Alden had just assumed. But then the tiger had also made no mention of a previous pet, which he couldn't help but feel was a little odd. Had his room belonged to the old pet? And the clothes? And the gifts? Maybe even the collar wasn't custom made for him as he'd thought and had a previous owner? He was suddenly filled with doubts. The idea that he was just a mere replacement crept over him, a second choice, the pet Kairos' had to settle for rather than being with the pet he really wanted. You're being stupid, he told himself. For one, he didn't know what had happened to this previous pet, how attached Kairos had been to them. And for another thing, it was still his first day here in this role, it was far too early to be feeling so insecure about his position, comparing himself to who might have been here before. Just focus on you, he told himself, focus on being a good pet. That insecurity remained, however, niggling at the back of his mind. He would just have to do his best to ignore it. He finished the chicken, but failed to make much of a dent in the side dishes. And as temptingly delicious as the chocolate cake looked, he was now very full. I'll save it for later, Alden thought, carrying the desert into the kitchen and managing to pull open the giant Apex sized refrigerator. The inside wasn't very full, so there was plenty of room for the cake, but he mentally kicked himself when he saw the various meats and cheeses and vegetables, along with bottles of water and milk. Why hadn't he thought to check here when he got hungry? He thought guiltily. Rather than bother chef Renton? There was plenty here he could have used to fix himself a snack. Probably the novelty of getting to order food from a top class Apex chef had been more appealing. And besides, it was what his Master had told him to do. With a sigh, Alden closed the refrigerator, retrieved his glass and the bottle of fruit juice from the dining room and went to the main living area, where he sat on one of the large couches in the main living area, sinking into the soft cushions and looking out at the impressive view. He sipped more of the exquisite fruit juice and tried to decide what to do now. He really had no idea how long Kairos' would be gone, and even less of an idea how to fill his time until then. Despite his owner telling him this place was his home now, it didn't feel that way yet, it was still too new and strange. He felt wary of doing anything here that Kairos might disapprove of. An idea struck him. Maybe he could try and get an idea of how long the tiger might be gone? He pulled out his palm computer, and used it to access the news feeds, to try and find out how serious the situation was that Kairos had been called away to deal with. He had no access to the Lower Districts net, so had no clue what the Runts living down there were saying, but it was all over the Upper Districts news feeds. A terrorist bombing at a fuel depot. It was apparently a very large explosion, scattering flaming debris over a wide area. Some had even rained down on a nearby residential district, setting several Runt housing blocks on fire. The incident had killed numerous people, both Apex and Runts, with many more injured. There were many terrible images and video clips of the carnage, all of which made Alden wince and recoil in horror. There were also images of Lord Kairos here and there, organising operations, directing personnel, making statements to the reporters about how the perpetrators would be found and punished. And, as Kairos had suspected, the RFA were claiming responsibility, through an anonymous message released on the Lower Districts net. Alden once again felt that tug of familiarity with regards to the RFA, but he ignored it. Looking at what they had done, the damage, the loss of life… If he really did have some connection with that group, he didn’t want to know anything about it. All in all, the whole thing was a real mess and Alden imagined that dealing with it would take Kairos a long time. He should probably not expect the tiger to get home until quite late. He felt a sudden pang of guilt. This terrible thing had happened, his owner was off doing something about it, helping people. And he was here, lazing about in luxury. He wished there was something he could do to help, but there really wasn’t. He was just a pet. His job was just to provide comfort and support for his owner. He suddenly sat up, thoughtful. Maybe that was what he could do. Help the one who was helping others, help his owner relax when he got home. It wasn’t much, but it was something at least. The idea filled him with determination. Alden knew he could do this. Now he just had to figure out how… To Be Continued... |
Raging Tiger/Kuman the Barbarian/Mitchell and Michael/Going Under/Beware the Transformer/That Day/Working Bears/Heart of a Hero/Apex