Raiyev Part 1
#1 of Raiyev
Perhaps the best way to describe it would be to say that it was otherworldly. The raccoon saw the world die around him; buildings crumpled, people were blown away in the blink of an eye, and Raiyev could only feel in a way satisfied that science was the answer to it all. But at the same time he felt almost betrayed, as if science had let him down, stealing away the world like that. After all, science was one of his two passions in life, superceded only by his passion for his fiancée, Brad. Where WAS Brad in all of this pandemonium? He sensed that Brad was already gone, long before any of this had happened, though he didn't know how he knew this--he just sensed it to be true. Now he felt torn, lost...but there was something more... He couldn't put his finger on it, but it was almost as if the whole notion of death due to science had put him in a state where he was feeling every single fathomable emotion at once. Omni-positional emotion. The absolute antithesis of apathy. A fifth dementia of psychology. Downright otherworldly.
He slowly came around, squinting his eyes open into the darkness of his bedroom. A dream. It had been only a dream. The world was still here, and the gentle snoring next to him proved that so was his love. He closed his eyes again and gently pondered his dream. He felt it slowly slipping away from him, as was his otherworldly state of mind. It faded away as consciousness took over stupor. He wanted it to go, but then at the same time he didn't. It was so...odd...the way he had felt during that nightmare. Was it a nightmare? He didn't know. He didn't feel like getting up yet-it was still too early. He drifted back into a slumber right as the phone rang...
****
"Goddammit," Brad grumbled into his pillow. He didn't know it at the time, but that was going to be the catchphrase for the day around his workplace at EarthTech Labs. For now, however, it was five o'clock in the morning--too damn early, as far as he was concerned, for the phone to be ringing. Nevertheless, he grunted, flicking his ringed tail a bit out of annoyance, and reluctantly reached over to his nightstand to pick up the receiver.
"Hello?" he answered groggily.
"Brad? That you?" came the slightly gruff voice on the other end.
"Yes sir, Dr. Patterson," Brad answered, rubbing his eyes. It was Dr. Frank Patterson, a short little fox in his mid 50s who served both as Brad's boss and head of the Geological Department.
"Brad, we need you down here. Something's happening that we can't explain, and we need as many active minds as we can get."
There was obviously excitement in the fox's voice, but Brad couldn't tell whether it was joyful or fearful excitement. "Okay, I'll be there in half an hour. Raiyev won't like it too much-we only have one car, you know."
"I know, I know. He might as well be here, too. This isn't entirely his field, I don't think, but you never know who might turn out useful, ya know?"
Brad grunted and hung up. He didn't much care for some of the bad rap that his fiancée got. Sure, Raiyev was just a touch clumsier than his fellow employees, but he certainly wasn't a "bumbling idiot" as Brad had overheard a husky tell her friend not too long ago. So to hear his boss imply that Raiyev wasn't too "useful" to begin with upset him. As far as Brad was concerned, Raiyev was the most beautiful, loving, kind, benign, and generous warm-hearted fur ever to have graced the planet. And he was pretty much right, as far as those that knew Raiyev were concerned.
Raiyev wasn't the brightest biochemist at EarthTech, but he was still very well known, be it for his physique ideal of any fur in his late 20s, for his occasional knack to trip over his own tail, or simply for the uplifting smile seen on his raccoon muzzle every day. Needless to say, he got much attention from the ladies and some of the guys, but he was already spoken for, and quite happy for it. Brad, also a raccoon in his late 20s, was Raiyev's lover, fiancée, and best friend, and was much larger than Raiyev, with a body nearly completely ripped with muscles. It was almost a wonder that these two veritable playboys weren't busy modeling or taking up any other work that better suited their physiques, but they were quite content living their current lives and delving into the mysteries of science.
Science was their stimulant in life. The concept of progression through knowledge and understanding of the universe around them, of inventing a better life, was too tempting to them to want to pursue anything else. They both had shared this passion since they were children, so when they met each other at The University of California at Berkley, a friendship clicked almost instantly between them, and the rest, as the saying goes, is history. They both graduated with honors, moved into an apartment together, and began their lives soon at EarthTech Labs. Since EarthTech was the largest independent science facility in the nation (meaning that it was not funded by the government), it covered nearly all aspects of science. This meant that the two raccoons could get in the know of nearly everything new in the science world quite easily--something that just made the deal all the sweeter to them.
Or at least, it did when they didn't have to wake up and get to work so damned early, Brad though to himself. It pained him somewhat to have to wake his lover up, he realized, so he just stood there for a moment in silence, watching the smaller raccoon's tail flicker slightly as he continued to dream.
Brad reached out a huge, beefy arm and gently caressed Raiyev, bending over to kiss him lightly on the cheek. Raiyev opened his eyes slowly, coming unwillingly out of unconsciousness.
"What time is it, sweetie?" he asked, stretching.
"Too early for us to get up, but we're needed at work," the bigger raccoon replied, frowning. "There's some sort of emergency or something--Patterson wasn't too clear on the phone just now. But I'm needed, which means it's an early start for both of us."
Raiyev made a small noise in his throat that Brad was sure was a whine.
"Yeah, well, once we can afford a second car and perhaps a house of our own, this won't be a problem in the future."
"Hey, it's okay," Raiyev said, sitting up and scratching his chest. "I won't make a fuss if you won't." He winked at Brad, then stood up and kissed him on the cheek. "So do you want to shower first or shall I?"
"Normally I'd suggest we shower together, but we're gonna need our energy, plus I said I'd be there in half an hour, and that was five minutes ago. Geez, that was stupid of me," Brad said to himself in retrospect.
"I'll shower first," Raiyev said, ignoring his lover's last comment. "I'll be in and out in two minutes." And with that, he started for the bathroom. True to his word, Raiyev stepped out of a steamy bathroom a couple minutes later, still toweling off. "Your turn," he said coyly as he passed Brad to put on his work clothes. Brad took just a little longer in the shower, as he had more body to wash, but still made it with enough time to dress, groom, and get to work.
"So what do you think this big emergency is, anyway?" Raiyev asked Brad as he drove their Chevy convertible down the highway. It was summer and humid, and the sun had just barely come up, but the wind whipping by at 75 miles and hour was enough that the two thought driving with the top down was rather nice and comfortable.
"I honestly have no idea. Knowing how excitable Patterson is, though, it'll probably be nothing important. Just something minute with plate tectonics or something. I swear, that guy is such an oddball about plate tectonics. Any tiny seismic reading that shows any hint of abnormality and he gets in such a fluster that you'd think he'd just won the Superbowl."
Raiyev laughed and said, "Well, you have to give the guy some credit, though--he IS quite brilliant in his work."
"Yes, he's won a good handful of awards and recognitions. I'm not saying he's not brilliant, but it just comes back to that fine line, you know?"
"You mean between genius and insanity?"
"Pretty much, yeah." Brad grinned widely, and Raiyev made the turn into the EarthTech Labs parking lot. From behind the a wall of trees, a rather vast parking lot came into view, with a large white building visible a few hundred yards away--the main building. EarthTech Labs was a large plot of land littered with numerous small buildings, open fields, and large scientific equipment, the least of which not being the huge satellite dish that could be seen peeking above from behind the main building. And all surrounded by an overly large barbed wire fence, which ended only at the sides of the main building.
Generally, the parking lot would be nearly empty at this time of the morning, but to Brad's and Raiyev's surprise, it was nearly full, and a few cars were still milling around, looking for a decent parking spot.
"What the hell is going on here?" Raiyev cried out in shock.
"I'm beginning to suspect that Patterson actually has valid reason to be overly excited this time," Brad replied as he took in the sea of cars filling the parking lot.
"Well, we'll find out in a minute, anyway," Raiyev said as he pulled into an open space near the back of the parking lot. Turning off the car and pocketing the keys, he gestured to his fiancée with a grin of excitement as Brad just sat there a moment, lost in thought and wonder. "Well, come on! Let's go!" he said with an excitement like that of a child at an amusement park. "This has gotta be huge, and my curiosity is trying my patience."
"Alright, alright," Brad said, coming back to himself. The two began to trot, hand in hand, the length of the parking lot, getting passed by a few furs who were running more avidly to the main building. "This is gonna be something. I can see that now," Brad said as the two of them leapt up the stone steps to the eastern main entrance, the rising sun on their backs. Wondrously, they stepped in through the glass doors of their workplace to face whatever this new hype was.