Taking his coffee with him, Maki followed the soldier sent to collect him and deliver him to CO Flit’s office. Knocking politely, the man didn’t wait for an answer before opening and heading in before Maki. Had they been on J10 then Maki would have waited outside no matter how curious he was about what was going on in the room. Sitting in the office across Flit was Ranchel, neither the pampered prick or CO Flit seemed particularly happy, with Maki sympathising with the woman who no doubt had a headache thanks to Ranchel. Flit nodding at the man who’d brought Maki to her

“Private Saada, you may leave now”

Saada clearly didn’t want to, glaring at Maki he bumped him with his shoulder as he strode past, then closed the door with more force than was polite. Saluting the CO around his coffee, Flit sighed at him and Maki knew he deserved it

“Sit”

So Maki sat. Flit taking several long moments before also sitting and pulling out a datapad

“Sato, I would like you to sign these forms. Our most excellent visitor, Ranchel, will be prolonging his stay in the Desolate Belt. I’m aware you’re aware of what transpired yesterday thanks to Ranchel, however, we cannot allow everything to be leaked at this time. We are still investigating the incident and will be for the foreseeable future. Once you have signed we will proceed with briefing you”

If there was a polite way to ask not be briefed further than Maki would have argued it directly, instead he attempted a side approach 

“Is this a NDA for what happened? I don’t particularly need to know anything, ma’am. I want to return to J10 and have no interest”

“It’s a NDA, as well as permission for your statement to be used in evidence should this matter be tried in court”

“Then that’s all I need to sign”

Ranchel and Flit shared a look that the alpha didn’t like, before Flit slid the datapad over to him. Placing his coffee down, Maki scanned over the document as it was as Flit had said, then signed the bottom with his thumb print so his bio-signature was attached

“I think it’s best I have no further involvement, ma’am”

“Normally I would agree, however, there’s still information to be gathered such as the route intended once the prisoner left the planet. I have spoken to your CO Quan. He strongly opposes any kind of collusion with J10 base members, however, he has agreed that if evidence should be brought to light you personally will be in charge of handling it and corresponding with us in that regard”

That sounded like Quan when it came to pushing actual work off. He probably couldn’t be happier to shove it to the new guy

“Ma’am, no offence, but I’m not sure what the whole problem is. I don’t know this prisoner. I don’t know his history or reputation. I don’t know why they’d want to break him out. Isn’t it better that someone who understands better than I do this?”

Flit showed no signs of what she was thinking

“We think you might understand more than you know. You would have heard for the Desolate Belt Wars that took place here 300 years prior? The original wars between the Empire, Coalition, Consortium of Advancement, and the General Alliance of Free Enterprise. This came before the original Earth One project when it was felt the pinnacle had been reached”

Everyone knew the last bit. Humanity across the stars had reached a point where despite being alive, they couldn’t really class it as living as everything had melted into being so machine based that human forms seemed to worthless

“A bit. It’s more my husband’s area”

“During that time there was great economic stability out here. The Coalition and Empire lines weren’t as rigid, and the Consortium of Advancement had access to much of the Coalition. Human experiments were legally permitted and quite well documented by all media sources. It was on the back of cracking open the genome to advance life to 160 years that many of these projects happened. Now, as you can imagine, the benefits were shared with all parties… but what good was a longer life when no one had any drive? Eventually people grew stagnant again. Industry dried up. When it came time the Consortium was split and the Desolate Belt started devolving back to the old ways before the boom. Still, a few families managed to keep things running and over the next two centuries they clung to what they could before moving to the inner belts. Earth and Earth II revived humanity”

Maki felt ready to go back to sleep. Flit had none of Tatsumi’s zest to make the basic history interesting, his silence misread as an invitation to keep boring him

“Terra was then terraformed. Initially only select families were permitted. Those with good lines and deep pockets. Such as the Hadre family who’d made their money as caravan traders”

There was a name Maki never thought he’d be hearing talked about on the Desolate Belt, let alone from the lips of a CO. Donny was impressive, but fucking hell 

“Yes, that Hadre family. Prisoner 0010 has the unique position of being practically the first man to request imprisonment for the remainder of his life. To your friend he would be approximately his seventh great grandfather. Now, your husband’s mother’s fam-…”

Maki quickly cut her off. As curious as he was, Tatsumi had more right than he did to know and knowing something that big wouldn’t be right to keep from his husband 

“She doesn’t speak of her family or Tatsumi’s paternal line and we don’t speak of it. I ask you skip any information about them, please. Also, I know Donny. He’s a really good person. Maybe not everything is as it should be, but he’s not about to be involved in this and I don’t want to do anything that betrays his family seeing all he’s done for me and my husband”

Ranchel was finally done holding his tongue

“The Hadre family has 47 children in Donny’s age demographic. Only two remain on the Belt. They haven’t shown any involvement. We want to know if Donny suggested anything to your husband?”

“No”

“Can you be certain?”

“Yeah. Even if something was going on, Donny wouldn’t be involved. I’m not saying it because of friendship, but because of the work he does. He looks after all the ex-military he can… and it’s not like building a personal army or anything, he just does it to keep them from falling apart after their careers end. Donny didn’t give anything Tatsumi to bring out here… and I don’t think he would have. Can we go back to why his great whatever is locked up?”

“Because of his experiments. He self tested a lot of his own research. He’d already removed his own tongue and attempted a lobotomy upon himself as well as facial disfigurement. We worry that with the Hadre money a new facility has been built to analyse and continue his work. Even his corpse would be incredibly valuable. He’s one of the oldest examples of genetics research that’s still viable as a functional living sample 200 years old”

As Maki leaned back in shock, he got it. Why he was being told

“Our coming here was coincidental. Tatsumi and I knew nothing about this”

Ranchel continued to be the one asking the questions 

“You were originally supposed to be following a piloting track, then suddenly changed course in the middle of last year and accepted the fast track offered. You move from Terra where known Hadre family is right before this prison break attempt with both you and your husband having personal ties to the Hadre family. As well as suddenly marrying your husband out of the blue in a civil service without announcement or submitting paperwork ahead of time. Your record simply adjusted to married from within the Naval Office”

Maki could see why they were suspicious and why coincidental actions looked so damn bad. Flit prompting

“Sato, we’re listening if you want to confess. An early confession will make all of this easier on you and your husband”

Every word since he’d walked in had been a guiding trap towards confessing. Maki shook his head

“I have nothing to confess. My husband and I had no clue about any of it”

Ranchel’s eye twitched, his alpha coming out as Ranchel growled

“Explain yourself then. Why did you change career so suddenly?”

“For my husband. We want to have a family”

“You can pilot and have a family. What made you accept a post out here!?”

Fuck. Fucking. Fuck… Flit tilted her head

“Sato, it’s best you speak”

“Fine… not that it’s your business. My husband watched his team die in front of him. His best friends. They all died and he’s still hurting. When I joined my friend and I wanted to be the coolest pilots ever… then came life. My sister needed physical therapy and surgery… and… and my husband needs surgery…”

Ranchel decided to run the opposite way from what Maki was explaining

“And that’s why you accepted helping them!?”

So Maki ignored him

“… his eyes were damaged and he could no longer keep coaching the mech team at Rage Fire as it was accelerating the damage. With the time he has before he goes blind I need to save what I can for that surgery. I need to be with him. He’s going blind and he’s so goddamn scared that once it happens it’ll be forever. I couldn’t leave and die in battle. I couldn’t leave him to be alone and blind. He never really wishes for anything for himself… but he wants to have a baby and I want a family with him. Last year he had a bad miscarriage and it devastated him. My friend helped me fill my leave form in and listed death in the family which couldn’t be confirmed as it was a miscarriage. The Admiral took pity on us. We were both wrecked. He wanted this so bad and he worked hard to recover from the trauma of the incident that killed his friends. That’s why we were suddenly married so that I could be with him for a few days. I hate paperwork. I don’t think I should be a leader. But I need a stable job and money to look after the man I love… and he’d be so mad at me if I said everything this simply to him because all he does is believe in me and love me. I told him I wanted the money for my sister and our future family, and I took a post here because it was the only fast track option to get more money. You could have confirmed with a call and check of his medical history what happened and why we suddenly got married, instead of trying to trap me when I didn’t know anything”

Flit raised her hand before Ranchel could start again

“If we do trust you with this, will you be able to keep your personal ties aside?”

“If anything comes up to do with the Hadre? Yeah. I mean… I get it, but if this guy is so bad he wants himself in jail then that’s enough of a sign things shouldn’t go further, isn’t it? I don’t owe Donny’s family anything and he doesn’t make up his whole family… I can’t and I won’t turn against Donny. Great great whatever’s and cousins are different. We really had no clue… and if we had known, or if Tatsumi knew, he’d tell me. He would have told me not to come here at all. Anyway, nothing might happen on J10 at all. You’re more likely to have something happen here with how everyone is acting”

Flit nodded

“I’ve noticed the tension this morning”

“I got called out because I said that it wasn’t rebel activity. It seems like almost all the soldiers blame them. Did the guy survive?”

“He did. He’s under guard”

“That’s something. My best friend was worried and I didn’t tell him a thing… I don’t know what you’re going to say, but you need to say something fast or you’re going to have people attacking the people camping outside the base. Even if you have to lie, don’t pin it on the rebels. I’ll keep an eye out on J10 and if I do hear something I’ll report it, but I’m not going to go out of my way to find trouble. I want to do my job and be the best husband my husband can ask for”

“And what if your husband is involved?”

“He’d tell me. I’ve honestly learned more about the military and how to react from him than I have anyone else. He got fucked up and fucked over, but he still believes in the military”

“I’d still like for him to be formally questioned if the need arises”

“If it does then I’ll understand, but if it does happen it’ll be because he’d come to me after someone’s gone to him. He’s working as a teacher off base but I’ve asked him to come to base more. He’s already been screened there. Um… we’re also bringing his Goliath out in December. Just so you know”

“It’ll need to be screened upon arrival”

Despite the NDA Maki wouldn’t be hiding things from Tatsumi. Tatsumi would feel some form of obligation to Donny’s family, and was so damn nice that he might wind up being hurt. He’d wait until they were alone then talk to his husband, for now he wanted to check in with Mina and Eve

“Yeah. That’s no worries. When can I have my comms back?”

“Later this afternoon. Yours was the first we checked for suspicious activity. Not many people run back into situations”

“It was because he was still alive. I couldn’t leave him out there when I didn’t know what was happening or why…”

“You did a brave thing to go back. We’ll be planning a release later today, and you’ll need to sign this second document”

“I understand. We’re still leaving on schedule, aren’t we?”

“Yes. That plan hasn’t deviated. We’re continuing to act as if we don’t know anything, and screening for potential informants”

“Good… and I can go now, once everything’s signed? I’m worried about my friend. I can’t tell him how the solider got himself hurt and with on edge I’m worried they’ll take a shot at him. He’ll no doubt stand up for me”

“Until your people leave, you’ll be assisting Ranchel in his daily tasks. Ranchel requested you personally”

Why him? Which people did he piss off in a past life to be stuck playing slave to Ranchel?

“Won’t that be suspicious?”

“Not at all. He would like to visit with Prisoner 0010 under the guise of viewing the prison system and making upgrade recommendations. You’ll be accompanying their group along with CO Yang. If you’re asked you are there to help with negotiations between our Royal Visitor and the rebel leaders you met yesterday, as part of your fast track training. I’ll be sending my personal aide to provide you with support”

“Yeah, but people are still going to notice if I leave with Ranchel. There’s too much tension right now”

“Sato, this is an order. You will be departing at 1100 hours”

“Yes, ma’am”

***

The prison on C3 impressed and scared the shit out of anyone who entered. Each cell was fitted with tamper proof barrier, codes changed by the hour, prisoners all had micro-devices fitted and attempt of escape was met with death. Row upon row of prisoners seemed to reach down to the very bowels of the planet. No outside devices could be brought in and each of them faced a fully body scan before being allowed into the compound, a second once entering the prison, then the same on the way back out. Maki didn’t trust a single person there anymore. To get Prisoner 0010 out would have taken serious coordination and cooperation between dozens of people. If he spilled his secrets to his husband then they might be both shipped off to an institution like this where each day would be spent behind blue glowing bars until they grew crazy, and, or, died. Was that why this was an order? So he’d see what would happen to him if he did talk? If that was the case they were severely overestimating how involved Maki wanted to be. As soon as he got home he’d see Tatsumi and hopefully leave this whole mess behind. His husband would be sleepy, and in pain, but he’d be so goddamn cuddly that Maki wouldn’t be able to stop from doting on him.

“What are you smiling about?”

Stepping back away from Ranchel’s suddenly close face, Maki didn’t want to tell him. Brushing past, he followed their guide down to the lower depths of the prison 

“The idea of sleeping properly tonight”

“And that makes you so happy? You were in such a mood on the drive over”

“And whose fault was that?”

“I have no idea what you’re referring too. You’d better not be thinking of talking to your husband”

“I was thinking about talking to him because I haven’t seen him in nearly two weeks thanks to this shit. When we get back I want to call him”

“If you love him as much as you claim, why do you let him suffer”

“Not everyone is born into money. We believe in hard work and saving. His surgery is none of your business”

“If he were mine I would have had him fixed by now”

“If he were yours he would have left by now”

Ranchel had pestered him on the drive to the prison about Tatsumi’s ill health. The man didn’t seem to understand that normal people didn’t have a spare million in their bank accounts. If he had millions Tatsumi would still reject his offers to help, because his husband wanted him to always put himself first. The fellow alpha glared

“You say the most unacceptable things”

“And you keep me around because you get a kick out of it. I’m thinking you have a strange kink actually like having someone not catering to your very whim”

“If I did, you’d reject me”

“I’d hope you’d had all the children you wanted because you wouldn’t be having if you came after me”

“I’m looking forward to visiting J10 and meeting this husband of yours. How can you love another with no clue of their bloodline?”

“Would you want to be defined by it? To have everything you ever thought you’d achieved actually all set up and simply ready for you to take credit?”

“I do love the way you hate me”

“And I love the way I’m returning to where I should be soon”

“Unless you open your mouth and find your stay here extended”

“Not happening”

Ranchel hummed 

“Maybe I should take you back to the central ring?”

The royal entourage all paled. It was bad enough that Maki spoke to Ranchel the way he did, but for the alpha to suggest bringing someone like him to the central ring was the poorest of jokes to them. Maki wouldn’t go anyway

“Why? What’s so good about it? Is my job there? Is my husband there? Are my family and best friends there? No. There’s nothing there for me or anything I want”

“Most would give up everything”

“To live a pampered sheltered life? Then what was the point of renewing the desire to live in a human body if you never work hard? That’s too boring. There’s satisfaction to be found in working hard and watching that work pay off”

“You know, you complain quite a lot”

Maki realised right there that he’d turned into his husband. “Maybe if you stopped going out…”. “Maybe if you focused more on…”. He was complaining? No, no…

“It’s called nagging and you should feel lucky”

“Why is that?”

“Because the best man I know taught me that nagging isn’t always from a bad place”

“So you like me?”

Ranchel had rocks in his head. Maki shaking his

“I honestly feel like you’ve broken my brain with how out of touch with everything you are. No. I don’t particularly like you and I don’t think I ever will”

“I’m not that out of touch”

“You really are”

“Go on and test me then”

What was so normal no one thought twice? Money? Ranchel always had money

“You go to a cafe to get a large iced coffee. You only have what’s on your comms and when you get there you find you don’t have enough for a large cup. What do you do?”

“I wouldn’t have been caught short”

“We’re pretending you’re a normal person and you have been. What do you do?”

“I can’t simply call and ask for money?”

“You’d be holding up the line and everyone else”

“Once I had the money I could pay for them all and it would be nothing”

People only went crazy like that in the movies. Had Ranchel learned all he knew about commoners from movies? Maki wouldn’t be surprised 

“I told you, you’re a normal person. You know it’s impolite to call. What do you do?”

“I ask the person behind to cover me, then pay them?”

“What if they’re like you and only have enough money for their own drink? Do you ask everyone?”

“Someone would”

“But by then, how many people have you inconvenienced? And how do they know you’re a trustworthy person who will pay up?”

Ranchel frowned heavily

“I’d leave, buy out the place and close it”

“That leaves people out of money, and breaks social connections”

“Then what would you do?”

“Simply change my order. I may not have the money for a large iced coffee, but I may be able to afford a medium size, or another drink”

“That wasn’t an option”

“Why wasn’t it? I said you couldn’t afford the large, not that you couldn’t afford anything. See, other options didn’t occur to you. You didn’t consider the people waiting or that not everything can be solved by throwing more money at it. Your first thought was to call and ask for more money, not to make do with what you have”

“You’re unpleasant”

“I’m average. I’m simply a normal human living outside of the central ring. You’ve been negotiating with the rebel leaders. They’re not asking for a large iced coffee, they’re asking for the help to be even able to buy a small one. They want to work hard and buy that small coffee for themselves, but when there’s no work because this place scares away all the tourists and their paid poorly by true standards, that small coffee will feel like the biggest one in the world with a hand up”

“I already know what they want. You’re nagging”

Having reached the floor that they needed, Maki didn’t bother replying any further. Flit’s personal aide coming forward

“This is where we part. Your Distinguished Visitor will meet with Prisoner 0010 for exactly one hour. During that time we will complete our further tour of the facility. Mister Sato, please continue onward under Commander Flit’s orders”

The only good thing about trapped in a conversation with Ranchel for so long was the ability to avoid the stares of those imprisoned. Maki wasn’t rushing to join Ranchel, but he definitely would have rather not walked around any further

“Understood. We’ll reconvene here in exactly one hour”

Casting his eyes upwards, Maki shuddered internally at the stretching expanse of blue shields. He didn’t know which would feel better in a place like this. To be at the bottom looking up, or to be at the top looking down… The message had been well and truly received that if he talked about what he’d been told this was what his and Tatsumi’s life would be. Still, he’d already decided in his heart that he’d be telling Tatsumi everything, and not even the suffocating future of a prison buried beneath the grounds would stop him.