Chapter 8 Escape
Escape
It was strange to be so close to a human.
Jace weighed practically nothing in Khoth’s arms. He was very slender and had delicate but masculine features.
His hair was the color of a Haseon sunrise.
Jace’s lips were full and sensual, indicating a passionate nature, though they were pressed together now in a grimace as he fought back pain.
Jace’s gray eyes were also filled with silent suffering, but a kind of wonder, too, as he gazed up at Khoth’s face as if memorizing his features.
To be so scrutinized was strange as well.
The humans Khoth had met so far had tried to act as if he were no different than them.
But Jace did not hide what looked to be a sense of wonder.
Khoth would have liked to have scrutinized the young male human with as much openness as Jace did him, but it filled Khoth with uneasiness somehow to gaze into eyes the color of storms. He did not know why.
Perhaps it was because humans were so filled with Xi and always seemingly in an unbalanced state that it naturally affected those who weren’t.
As it was, he had to drag his gaze away from Jace’s face.
“Can I… Can I touch your face?” Jace asked.
Khoth frowned. “Why?”
Color rose on the human’s cheeks and his eyes immediately became downcast. “Because I’ve never… ah, seen someone like you. Oh, forget it. It was a stupid idea anyways. Probably rude and against the rule book of dealing with another species.”
“I believe your species has developed some kind of code of conduct with Alliance personnel, but as I have not seen it, I cannot say if you have violated it,” Khoth told him.
Jace looked up at him through dark eyelashes. “But did I offend you by asking?”
“No.”
“Well, that’s good,” Jace answered with a weak smile. “Sorry, it's just you’re so much like I imagined an alien would be and nothing at all. The blue skin is really… interesting. And--and beautiful! I don’t mean interesting in a bad way.”
“So your desire to touch me is for scientific inquiry?” Khoth asked as he adjusted Jace in his arms so he was cradling the human and allowing for Jace to rest his head against Khoth’s shoulder.
“Scientific--uhm, sure?” Jace sounded like he was asking a question. “I’m just curious really. I don’t need to touch you. I just… wanted to. Want to.
“Then you may. But tell me where I should go once we leave this room,” Khoth stated simply.
“Right. Okay. You’re going to want to take a left and head down the hall,” Jace told him as his right hand hesitantly rose and his fingertips lightly down Khoth’s left cheek. “Wow, your skin is so smooth. Why is that? And these beads in your hair, what do they mean? And the tattoo--”
“You have many questions,” Khoth interrupted him.
Jace let out an uncertain laugh. “Yeah, so many. So so many. You’re… you’re amazing.”
Khoth inclined his head. “Thaf’ell are superior to humans.”
Jace blinked. “Oh?”
“In every way. It is understandable that you find me amazing,” he said.
Jace blinked some more. “You’re very… literal. And honest, I guess.”
Khoth considered this. He wasn’t sure if Jace meant that as a compliment or found it in human terms arrogant. “I think it saves time to be honest. Do you not think so as well?”
“I think that honesty can be really good.” Jace’s gaze unfocused for a moment as if he were thinking of something else. “Yeah, definitely good.”
“I would answer your questions, but your condition is not stable,” Khoth stated. “Getting you to Gehenna will resolve this?”
Jace nodded then winced. “Yeah, we shouldn’t waste time on my questions about you. At least, not now anyway. But later. Will you tell me later?”
“If the conditions are right, I will do so,” Khoth answered and carried Jace to the door. “The soldier outside will attempt to impede our progress.”
Jace was so light that he could easily cradle him in one arm and manipulate the door handle at the same time. Earth and Haseon’s gravity were approximately the same. But humans were not as heavy as Thaf’ell and Jace seemed lighter than other humans.
“Don’t worry about the soldier. I’ll deal with him,” Jace said.
“Truly? You hardly look able to deal with your own pain right now,” Khoth pointed out.
Jace had winced with every step he had taken.
Khoth had tried not to jostle the young man, but even the tiniest of movements apparently caused Jace discomfort.
What was wrong with him? Had it something to do with this Gehenna?
Or was it a reaction to the Precursor technology that had destroyed the Khul?
He knew Jace was behind all that somehow.
Jace gave a laugh and then winced again as he brought a hand up to his temple. “Oh, that hurt. No laughing. But yeah, you’re right. I’m a mess. But I am a determined mess. I have to get to Gehenna.”
“Will you tell me who that is?” Khoth asked.
“Y-yeah, let’s just get out of this room first,” Jace said.
Just as he had suspected, the moment that he opened the door, the young soldier that had blocked him earlier immediately stiffened and stepped into their path, trying to block him once again.
Khoth’s eyes narrowed. This soldier might be following orders, but he was getting in the way of the greater good.
The moment though that Khoth thought that, guilt welled up in him.
Failing to follow orders and following the alleged greater good had gotten him nearly exiled.
He should respect this soldier’s devotion to duty, and yet whatever was going on with Jace was, undoubtedly, important.
More important than abiding by rules? He imagined his mother asking him.
But then he imagined Daesah saying, Khoth, you know what is right. Rules and laws try to lead us to that, but sometimes, they have us heading in the opposite direction.
“What’s going on here?” The soldier’s eyes were full of suspicion and his right hand dropped down to the butt of his primitive weapon. “I thought you were just going to speak to each other.”
“Don’t worry,” Jace said. Khoth could almost feel the effort that simply smiling and saying those words cost Jace. Sweat coated Jace’s pale skin. He was clearly in agony. “Commander Khoth here is just taking me for tests.”
Tests? What is he talking about?
The soldier’s forehead furrowed in the same evident confusion that Khoth was feeling. “Tests? But why would an alien--uhm, why would someone other than a nurse or doctor be doing that?”
“Because they’re alien tests. I was exposed to the Khul you see,” Jace stated with an almost guilty smile.
As if his being exposed to the Khul was somehow a moral failing and not an incredibly brave act.
Jace continued on almost merrily, “Yeah, I might be infected and if I am then only alien technology can save me.”
The soldier grew pale and took a half step back. He knew enough about the Khul, evidently, to fear them but did not understand their abilities. If Jace were truly infected, the only thing that could be done for him would have been a quick death and the incineration of his corpse.
“Ah, infected? That doesn’t sound good,” the soldier said, shifting uncomfortably.
“Yeah, it’s not! I hope I’m not infectious. Commander Khoth, do you think I pose a risk of infection?” Jace asked.
“I could not really say,” Khoth answered neutrally to Jace’s lies.
Again, he realized he was aiding and abetting the breaking of rules and orders.
But these were human rules and orders so did it really count?
Perhaps not even his mother or the Council would care about his breaking these.
Humans were, after all, a lesser species whose reasoning was often clouded with their barbaric instincts.
What he had seen Jace do today was far more important to investigate than to honor human laws.
The soldier retreated five more steps and licked his lips nervously. His eyes flickered all over Jace’s pale and sweaty face, taking in the pain the young man clearly was in. It was evident that the soldier feared contracting whatever alien disease that Jace had. Khoth nearly sighed.
“Uhm, well, then you’d best be on your way!” The soldier swallowed hard. “I’ll just ah, stay here and let your father know that you went for uhm, those tests. When he gets back that is. I’ll just… stay here.”
“Thanks, I really appreciate it,” Jace said. He still smiled at the soldier, but he seemed a little grayer than before. Khoth stirred uneasily. Was Jace’s condition deteriorating? “Commander, remember, you are to go down that way. That’s where the, ah, tests are going to be administered.”
Jace pointed down the hallway towards the Osiris digsite. The soldier pressed himself to the wall and edged away from them as Khoth carried Jace past him.
“You lied to that soldier,” Khoth pointed out when they were out of hearing distance.
“And you went along with it,” Jace pointed out back.
Khoth frowned. He had. “That is true. I did have qualms about doing so.”
“Really?” Jace let out a faint laugh. “That surprises me.”
“Why do you doubt me? Which way?” Khoth asked as they had come to a T-intersection.
“To right and then left next chance you get,” Jace told him and pointed North.
“Gehenna’s in that general direction.” Khoth moved swiftly as had been indicated.
Jace continued, “As to your question about thinking you’re not above breaking some rules and telling some lies?
Well, you saw I was awake, but didn’t tell my dad.
You know that Gehenna is more important than anything right now. ”
“I do not know anything about Gehenna. You were going to tell me or will you go back on your word?” Khoth asked.
He had a feeling that they were going to be breaking more rules and telling more lies before they got to this Gehenna. He needed to know what he was risking his honor again for.