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Iris

By Xan Steel

Depression started setting in for Rubicant, as the time had long since passed for him to wake up from stasis. He had really hoped to see Maria and the others again as he missed them dearly, and wanted to return to them. After the tenth week, Julyna came to visit him after her latest mission had finished.

She could sense something wasn't right with him, because he wasn't his usual chipper self as well as his eyes looked sad. When they return to his room that night she turn to him and asked what was wrong. At first he didn't tell her and began to make a pot of Forest Brew. When he didn't answer her, she went up behind him and wrapped her arms around him. "Rubi, what's wrong? You've been quiet all day. Not to mention the sad look in your eyes." His eyes grew sadder looking before he spoke softly. "The time in which I was supposed to wake up from stasis has passed. I miss my Te'dar and my two friends. I'm not sure why I didn't wake up, but it has me worried." "How long ago?" "Seventy days." She looked at him unsure what to say. "I was supposed to awake for thirty days to make sure the ship was still functioning, and see them again, before going back in stasis." She wasn't sure how to word her question without it possibly causing him some pain. "What reason would they have to keep you in stasis?" He finished pouring a cup for her and himself as they sat at the little table. "There's a number of reasons as to why I'm still here. But to answer your question directly? My brain is growing a part that's never been in my species. Something Sandra, my friend, called a paracortex." "So your species doesn't have a three hemisphere brain normally?" "No, in my peoples history there has never been someone with three hemispheres, it's always been two and this third part is displacing the fluid around my brain." He finished while sipping his drink. She could sense him thinking of darker thoughts as to what could happen to him. "Rubi, I'm sure Maria had her reasons for not waking you up." "Yeah, like the fact I'm already dead, and my consciousness is trapped in this unit." Julyna got upset with him for saying that, much like Maria. "Don't you ever say that again! You're not dead! And if you were you wouldn't be here right now! These constructs can't function without a living consciousness, meaning your body needs to be alive!" The sadness in his eyes left for a moment. "But this isn't a normal construct is it?" "No! But that" She cut herself off as she covered her muzzle with her handpaws. "I figured as much after having met the GrandMaster, as well as figuring he was the one to bring me here, though I still don't know why." She hung her head in shame having kept that information from him. He gently picked up her handpaw. "I'm sure you and Altair had your reasons for keeping that news from me." He said reassuringly. "We didn't know how it would effect you if we had told you. For whatever reason you're extremely important to him." Rubicant began to share his moment with the GrandMaster mentally with Julyna. Finding that he could be saved was a relief, but how worried her. Though it did give her a bit of understanding into his worries. "You're using metabolic stasis?" "Yes, why?" "Well, that type of stasis doesn't completely stop your body from growing it just slows it way down. I think what you wanted was Cryogenic stasis, which would stop all growth." He did a mental face palm for not realizing that, so of course they wouldn't wake him, it would be to both theirs and his advantage not to until they got to Alpha Centauri. He got up and pulled her into a tight hug. As he felt a lot of mental weight lift off of him granted it's something he should have remembered. That night she laid in bed with him until he fell asleep and then left to end her mediation.

Feeling better about not having been woken up from stasis, he went back to planning his days while waiting for either or both Julyna and Altair to visit him. His mornings always had him sitting on the fifteenth floor café reading the news and having breakfast. And everything was the same except he saw a new couple there he never saw before. The only reason they caught his eye was the male, while younger looking than himself, his fur was almost black like his, and the female was solid white, and wore a long flowing robe like dress. She was quite lovely.

Having watched them for the last week every morning, he came to the conclusion that he really didn't like this male. He was brash, rude, uncaring, and really full of himself. The female was quiet, reserved, and didn't really say a whole lot, but he did sense she regretted getting involved with him. Not to mention her mind was on her medical studies and not really on him. Which would upset him when he talked with her and she wasn't paying attention, as it would land her a slap across her muzzle as punishment.

About a week later he watched the two of them stroll along the edge of the café's outside deck. She started to tell him that she need to head back to the medical academy as classes were starting again. This set the male off as he started yelling at her that she belonged to him, and that he wouldn't let her go back. She tried pleading with him that she didn't have a choice because she was going into the Alliance. Which only seemed to upset him more as he grabbed her by the throat and pushed her up against the edge of the railing. Rubicant's nerves went on edge. He could hear him tell her to give it up or be heavily punished. She shook her head no, as he then began to push her over telling her to give it up. Rubicant couldn't believe what he was witnessing. Fifteen stories up and over the Brine. Before he realized what he needed to do, he was on his feet at a full run toward them hoping he would make it in time. He burst through the door just as he heard the male yell 'DIE IN THE BRINE' and pushed her over. In the few split seconds he had, Rubicant in one fluid motion shoved the male out of his way and used a football tackle to break through the wooden railing, and leapt off after her. In three floors he managed to catch her. She was crying out about how she was going to die. He then got under her to break her fall. He saw they weren't far from the shore and figured he'd have time to save her. He yelled. "HOLD YOUR BREATH AND SHUT YOUR EYES!" Just before they hit the Brine.

The pain she felt was excruciating as her fur and clothes began to dissolve almost immediately. He held on to her as she struggled with the pain and swam to shore as quickly as possible. Once there he lifted her out as carefully as he could. Her fur and clothes now completely gone as blisters formed, popped, and bled all over her body. Rubicant was about to yell for help, when someone came up and gently poured fresh water all over her from a first aid bucket. He looked at them to thank them and saw Tarina there. Someone else came over with a first aid blanket and spread it out on the sand. "Here, lay her on this so we can continue rinsing her off." He did so as others came over with buckets and continued to gently rinse her off.

To say she was in bad shape was an understatement. She body shook from the pain as though she was having a seizure. He gently held her head so it wouldn't hit the ground, and after a few moments, her shakes calmed down. She stirred gently on the blanket as the others continued to pour fresh water over her body. She spoke mentally to him in a scared tone. "He's coming!" Rubicant turned to face the young male coming over to him. His anger peeking inside him, even though he tried to remain calm. As the male came up to Rubicant, he threw a punch at him, as Rubicant dodged and then grabbed his arm and spun him around while bring the male's arm around to his back. He then lifted him and began to run to one of the boulders in the shallows of the brine and pinned him against it. "WHY!" Rubicant yelled. "Because a she's mine, and not doing what I say, when I say it, is grounds for punishment as I see fit!" The male replied. Rubicant gave a loud deep throated growl of anger and disgust as he pushed the male against the boulder harder. "You ingrate, you have no idea who i am, when I tell my father!" Rubicant cut him off with a raised voice. "I don't give a damn who you are, or who your father is! You have no right to kill a female as punishment for not wanting to follow your every order!" Rubicant wanted to drop him in the brine so he could make him feel the same pain he caused her. Only a familiar voice stopped him.

"Is there a need for me to arrest you as well, Mister Tavar?" He turned to look where to voice came from. To his surprise he saw Detective Ohm standing there. "Detective?!" He said as Ohm nodded. "Wait till my father hears about this!" "Your father already has, and he's not pleased with you to say the least." Ohm interrupted. "Now Mister Tavar why don't you bring him over here and let my officers handle him." He said more as a statement. Rubicant did so and let the two officers take him into custody. "Officers, make sure you give him our 'best' ride to Central." After they were out of ear shot. "I really wanted to drop him in the brine." He said quietly to Ohm. "I know, and I would have loved to watch, but sadly the law prevents such things." "What's going to happen to him?" "Unsure at this point." He turned to look at the female and the medical crew tending to her. "One things for sure, it's not going to be pretty. He just tried to kill Lady Iris. The daughter of the highest military family in the Alliance, as well as being rumored to be the successor to the GrandMaster." Rubicant turned to look at her again in surprise.

"Damn it we can't get the brine out of her lungs and stomach!" One of them yelled. Rubicant thought she must have swallowed it during her thrashing about. He quickly went to her, "Do you have another towel?" They nodded and handed it to him. He sent her a mental image of what he planned to do to save her, as she nodded in response. Rubicant then gently rolled her on her belly and laid the towel over her naked rump to cover it, and then lifted her on her knees, as her head remained on the ground. He stood over her and reached under her belly with a balled up handpaw, and took his other handpaw over it, and give swift, sharp, upwards thrusts into her belly. After the forth one she began to vomit up brine and blood, which caused her to cough violently as more brine and blood came out of her as she began to gasp for breath. He wrapped the towel under her and gently lifted her lower half, higher to get her to cough and vomit more, making sure most of it was out of her, and afterwards he laid her back down on her side.

He gently stroked her cheek as she nuzzled it, and then turned to look at him. Their eyes met, time seemed to stop as he stared into her eyes. There were no whites, or pupils that he could tell. Instead the whole eye was a level of blue he had never seen before, it was almost like they glowed in the sunlight. Her irises didn't have a colored ring like most, instead they were tiny galaxies that would expand in the shade, and contract in the bright light. 'So beautiful' he thought. She look at his black eyes with red diamond shaped irises and felt like she was falling into them. Strong and striking, but gentle and caring at the same time. Such an enigma to her that she wanted to know more. Like a tulõdä to a flame she wanted to be burned for her curiosity. She thought to him, "Thank you for saving me." He smiled gently at her as the medical crew began to take her away for treatment at the nearby center.

Ohm walked up to Rubicant and said, "She is quite a lovely female." Rubicant nodded In agreement. Ohm looked at him as saw he was quite smitten with her. "Come." Ohm said as he slapped his handpaw on his shoulder to get his attention. "Let me buy you a drink." Not thinking he followed Ohm to his transport as he took him to a quiet little pub. After their order came to the table, Ohm spoke softly. "Listen, I won't tell you who you can and can't be with in life, but just be careful with her." As he took a sip of his drink. "What do you mean?" Ohm cocked his head to the side. "You can't tell me that the thought hasn't crossed your mind." Rubicant gave an embarrassed look, because it had crossed his mind, at least with wanting to get to know her. "You've been through a lot these last few cycles you've been with us. I just don't want to see you hurt is all." Ohm said sympathetically. He took a sip of his drink, and realized that Ohm had become a good friend to him. He opened up to Ohm, there at the table. Telling him about his worries with his brain and why his Te'dar didn't wake him. In a lot of ways he was scared. Scared that he was already dead, and that this unit he was attached to was keeping him there. Ohm gave his shoulder a strong reassuring squeeze. "Take your time with people while you're here. You told me once that the GrandMaster has an interest in you. It wouldn't surprise me to find out if he knew a way to bring you to our galaxy, as well as being able to save you." He said finishing his drink and getting up. "Headed back to work so soon?" Rubicant asked. "Nope, home to the mate and my younglings. I'm taking an early day today." He said with a smile. Rubicant finished his drink as Ohm took him back to the hotel.