0603
24.05.250
The sheets and pillows smelled like the expensive tobacco that Mr. Byrne smoked every evening after Angel had finished servicing him. And now, even after four hours of restless sleep in the human's bed, Angel could not escape the disgusting smell that surrounded them. His boss might not be smoking this early in the morning, but the smell appeared to follow him everywhere he went like a second shadow. Every time he got a whiff of it, it took everything in him not to throw up the very small meals he had eaten that day. Therefore, it was no surprise when his morning started with a strong feeling of nausea. Also, the soreness he felt throughout his body did not help to improve his start of the day whatsoever. The expensive furs Mr. Byrne used as simple bed covers felt scratchy and heavy on his sensitive pale skin. The space next to him in the very large bed was empty, but from the sound of typing Angel deduced that the human was working at his desk. As usual, the man ignored the presence of the young alien in his bedroom.
He had long ago come to understand that in this man's eyes he had the same value as a piece of furniture. Perhaps the old man might describe him to his clients as a rare beauty. But Angel did not delude himself in thinking that the man thought of him as more than just an exotic pet. The only times the human acknowledged his existence was when he had a need for him or when he was showing off his property to his clients. The latter of the two happened often. Many of his clients called him a showoff when they were sure the old man himself could not overhear them. And when he had finally understood the meaning of the human phrase, Angel had wholeheartedly agreed.
The bedroom around them was living proof of this man's eternal need to know he was the one with all the power. The large wall next to the bed had been replaced by one-way see-through glass. They had a perfect view on the underground city below them. The fact that they were probably located on the highest building in the city was another big give away on the man's pretentious personality. Even when sleeping, working, or just thinking, this human needed to feel above everyone else. The boy had seen his owner numerous times pacing in front of the large window, while looking down at the small town that was always illuminated and full of activity. This secret community had been the result of the old man's lifetime work. Maybe he had installed this window to remind himself now and then that he was the one that had created all of this. He was the one in control of every exchange, every trade, every cargo that came and left through the top decks. No one entered or left this place without him knowing. Angel could not help but think that maybe the old man was not being pretentious, perhaps the human was just being honest and straightforward. In this city, he was the boss and no matter who he met, in whichever conference room it happened, he would always be the one coming out on top. Consequently, Mr. Byrne owned everything in this hell, and that included Angel himself.
The boy kept himself busy by looking out the window and watching the different people walking through the artificially lightened streets. Everything seemed to have a yellowish glow since the only light available originated from old and cheap lamp posts that had been installed on every street corner. These gray and simple concrete buildings had never been touched by natural sunlight. Meters of earth separated the city from the sun. Angel would describe it as living in a small dark bubble. The air was provided by a long and complex ventilation system. At midday, when most of the inhabitants were awake and had lightened up the inside of their houses and the street lamps were set at their maximum brightness, sometimes the top of this huge dome could be visible. Once or twice a day you would hear the resonating sounds of a spaceship landing or taking off from the decks that were located at the top of Mr. Byrne's private residence which itself towered over all the town. The noise would echo throughout the dome and make every person, wall, object tremble slightly. It was as terrifying as it was amazing to witness. Every time Angel heard the phenomenon he had to stop and stare at the top of the main residence tower as each ship appeared to go up through the impressive deck tunnels and leave this dark prison. Well, at least he heard the sound of the engines slowly disappear and assumed that they, unlike him, had got out.
The tower was the heart of this city's working system. The first floors were filled with casinos, auction houses and a small luxurious hotel that were all owned by Mr. Byrne. His residence was located near the middle, encased in windows much like the one angel was staring out of right now. And finally, at the top, the tower became larger and connected to the roof of the cave. That was where the docks were located. In other words, all the spaceships were docked there during their owner's stay. This was also the only possible entrance and exit to the outside world. It sometimes amazed him that right above his head was the door to freedom. Pass those doors, a real sun or many real suns were shining in the sky. Grass or some other kind of vegetation was growing and perhaps the wind was blowing through their leaves. It had been years since Angel had last filled his lungs with fresh natural air, instead of this stale warm one he had to breathe in every day. He barely remembered the last time he had actually been in a forest and heard the sound of small birds in the trees chirping to each other. Now when he walked around outside, the only calls he heard were the sound of arguing and yelling between traders and clients in the middle of the street. Sometimes the cries of a small child slave would join itself to this horrendous background noise. Fortunately, this monstrous symphony could not break through the soundproof walls of Mr. Byrnes personal quarters. Angel contented himself with watching the streets start to wake up for another day slowly and silently.
He tried to move as little as possible. He did not want to remind Mr. Byrne of his presence in his bed. Normally the man would work a few hours at his desk and then finally yell at him to go meet up with an important client in one of the hotel rooms. Angel did not dare leave the room without his boss's clear order. The man hated not being in control of his workers' every action. Angel wrapped himself more comfortably in the thick covers and watched the human type on his computer. The man's wide frame fit perfectly in his large office chair. From his position, Angel could see the old man's pepper salt hair brush against his bulky shoulder and the top of his chair as he looked up to read a notification that had appeared at the top of the large screen. However as soon as the man swiped open the small notification box, his attitude changed instantly. Angel watched as his stance became stiffer while his large shoulders visibly tensed up. The calmness and relaxed aura the man had been sending just a few minutes had completely disappeared in seconds. Angel could feel the room slowly being filled by the old man's nervousness and worry. He had never seen these types of emotions flowing from the usually calm and intimidating man. As a matter of fact, the only time he encountered this sort of behavior was from the unfortunate clients and traders that had witnessed Mr. Byrne's short temper. But here, the only one fidgeting and nervously tapping his finger against the expensive glass desk was the old man himself.
Angel could feel the man's strong emotions around him. He shivered in fear at the idea that there existed something or someone that could make this powerful man hunch up in his own desk chair. He clenched the covers in fear, his white fists blending with the white fur around them. Frozen in his curled up position in the middle of the bed, he stared as the old man's trembling fingers reached towards the wide screen and pressed on the call back icon. Mr. Byrne quickly straightened himself in his chair and clasped his hands in front of him, Angel knew it was a desperate attempt to show a calm and confident exterior in front of this mysterious person. For a few minutes everything in the bedroom went still as the ringing of the call echoed against the three white walls and the glass window. He felt his heartbeat match the computer's repeated ringing. His teeth were chewing his lower lip. A nervous habit he had acquired when he was a child. After this, he knew he would find teeth marks with some light purple bleeding. The hotel manager used to scold him for it, according to him, these marks would make him unattractive for the clients. Perhaps, that is why unconsciously he never stopped doing it.
The device rang seven times before someone finally picked up the call on the other side. Angel had been so focused on listening to the ringing and watching the back of his boss' head that when it was suddenly replaced by the sound of a loud click, he lightly jumped in surprise. Then the tension in the room became thicker when a deep digitally modified voice finally spoke up.
"Mr. Lorcan Byrne, you should know that we do not like it when our calls are being ignored. Should we interpret this as your way of leaving our deal?"
Behind each word, hid a silent threat. The person's voice could be heard clearly through the computer's speakers. The way they pronounce each syllable slowly in the same tone of voice made him shiver in fear. Angel was surprised to see that the screen had remained blank. It was strange to see Mr. Byrne converse with someone while being intentionally at a disadvantage. This mysterious person knew his boss's name however they seem to choose to keep their identity a secret. As soon as the words were spoken, Mr. Byrne was talking while gesticulating his hands around.
"No, of course not. Yesterday evening, I was in the middle of a universal live conference. It was impossible for me to answer your call in private…"
"Enough!" The voice brutally put a stop to his babbling. Angel was startled by this abrupt interruption. Hearing the ire in the person's tone, Byrne instantly stopped talking and placed his arms and elbow on the desk. This was Angel's first time seeing the confident man being ordered around. It was terrifying.
"We do not need to hear your excuses. What we want is to know if our deal still stands. Whatever your answer is, know that we will continue with our plans." The message could not have been clearer, thought Angel. And it seemed that Mr. Byrne had thought the same thing because he was quick to answer.
"Of course. I will send one of my best pilots with my cargo ship to you tonight. All the weapons and money you have asked for will be in it and you can send back your part of the deal in the same ship. But…" The man hesitated for a few seconds.
"But what… Mr. Byrne?" The voice was slowly showing signs of irritation again.
Angel could swear he heard the old human gulp nervously before continuing to speak.
"What me and my associates don't understand is why you plan on attacking a small GAIA station so close to my city. You must understand that I need to protect my business. Having GAIA come investigate here can become dangerous for my business…" However, they did not let him finish his explanation.
"Mr. Byrne, weren't you the one telling us just a few weeks ago that your base was impenetrable? That no GAIA satellite could ever find it?"
"Well, yes but…"
"Were you lying to us?"
"No of course not…"
"Then I do not see a problem. If your words were true, then GAIA will not suspect a thing. Now if that is all, we will leave you to your business Mr. Byrne."
Both inhabitants of the room stared in shock at the dark screen telling them that the call had ended. Angel could not believe what had just happened. When he noticed that the old man was finally waking up from his staring contest with his computer, he threw himself deeper under the covers. He prayed that the man would not realize that he had not been alone during that very embarrassing conversation. However, he only heard the chair scrape on the floor as the man left his room and the door slamming behind him. When he was sure that the man was not coming back, Angel slowly slipped out from his improvised hiding spot and carefully tiptoed his way towards the still turned on computer screen. Curiosity was the sole reason why he dared to approach the screen and take a closer look at the contact's information. Nothing was written except an interdimensional phone number. Whereas in the first white box, instead of a full name, Mr. Byrne had written in capital letters: CHIMERA