Heliotropic 3: To the Light

by Mardi Ballou

  After Val swept his tongue over the puncture wounds on Paul’s neck, Paul, relieved to be able to stop thinking for a while, fell into a doze in his lover’s arms.

  * * *

  By the last day of their interminable flight to Apoll’ex, Val was about to go out of his mind. If this was the reality of space travel, the ’bots were welcome to it, thank you very much. Once he landed on Apoll’ex, as far as he was concerned, nothing would ever induce him to leave terra firma again. Of course, his determination to avoid future interstellar travel hinged on their being accepted on Apoll’ex. Despite Paul and Soleil’s reassurances, Val and Trey maintained some skepticism about what they’d encounter.

  In an effort to relieve the tedium and to try to soften the coming culture shock, Paul and Soleil provided informal nightly Intro to Apoll’ex lessons.

  Trey, who was looking very content with himself and with life in general, asked, “Apoll’ex is an all-male planet. So, uh, what do you guys do to produce new generations of Apollans?”

  “Good question,” Soleil remarked, showing his approval by running his hand high up Trey’s leg. No wonder Trey looked so pleased. From what Val could see, the two men were really into each other. They faced the same potential problems as Val and Paul on Apoll’ex, with its tradition of no exclusive couples.

  “How would you explain it?” Soleil, hand still fixed on Trey’s leg, asked Paul.

  Paul mopped a hand across his forehead and grinned. “Not my area of expertise, Trey. I can’t explain all the technological aspects of the generation process.”

  “Just a simple outline will do for now.”

  Val studied Paul as he formulated his response. “Okay. Basically, we produce new Apollans through a combination of what you’d call cloning, DNA programming and the use of gestation machines to house the new beings until they’re ready to survive on their own.”

  “That is simplifying a lot,” Soleil remarked.

  Paul shrugged. “Unless someone’s looking for nitty-gritty details, I think that’s enough technical background for now. Our population engineers carefully regulate and monitor all procedures and equipment for generation. One of them could give you a more detailed explanation if you want one.”

  “Maybe later. Other question. Are women not allowed on Apoll’ex?” Trey raised an eyebrow.

  Soleil fielded that one. “Apollo made a covenant with men, and men only, to worship the sun with the prescribed rituals. So it has been for millennia. Our planet is a paradise because we follow the rituals of our tradition. Women would not be able to perform them. So, though women are welcome as visitors for vacations or for special projects, they cannot reside on Apoll’ex. But our twin planet, Athena, is a female version of Apoll’ex. It’s quite beautiful and prosperous but a lot less famous in the universe. Men can visit there, but cannot be permanent residents.”

  “Fascinating. Paul, Soleil, I know you don’t have any vampires on Apoll’ex,” Val began.

  “Not yet,” they both said simultaneously, then looked at each other and laughed.

  “The four of us will be the first,” Paul added.

  Now Val and Trey looked at each other. From their base on Earth, vampires had occasionally voyaged to other planets. For obvious reasons, they’d never come to Apoll’ex. But, according to the Vampire Annals, vampires had been stopped -- often violently -- from settling on any other planets. How could they imagine they’d be welcome on Apoll’ex? Hell, even on their home planet of Earth, they’d been consigned to their own sector, far from all other beings. The increasingly widespread use of bottled blood and synthetic products had done little to rehabilitate the popular negative images most other beings had about vampires. The crimes of vampires like Ideg Retkove only reinforced their unsavory reputations. “Paul, you weren’t particularly fond of vampires when I first met you.”

  “Given the reality of being close to death at Ideg Retkove’s hands, can you blame me?”

  Val shook his head. “But your opinion was based on more than that.”

  Paul pursed his lips. “I studied a bit about vampires for an independent project at university. What I learned wasn’t complimentary. Now, of course, I know how superficial everything I had access to back then was. We can correct such previous misinformation once we get there.”

  Val suspected Paul was glossing over a lot of potential difficulties with his characteristic optimism. “That’s assuming they don’t just take us into custody and toss us into prison the minute we land.”

  “There are no prisons on Apoll’ex.” Soleil’s eyes glowed with what looked almost like anger as he made this pronouncement. Val knew anger was not a natural emotion for Apollans -- any more than jealousy. Of course, Ideg Retkove’s imprisonment of first Paul, then Soleil, sparked reasonable anger in both Apollans. With a cringe, he remembered how Paul had struggled to deal with experiencing jealousy when Trey came into their lives. Such emotions might not have been normal for Apollans, but, once in contact with Earthlings, they evidently developed these feelings -- unfortunately. Yet another corruption he was guilty of tainting his lover with.

  “You mean no prisons such as we have them on Earth?” Trey asked.

  Both Apollans laughed and shook their heads before they looked at each other as if to ask, “Who’s going to answer this?” Paul went ahead. “No prisons at all, Earthlings. They’re not necessary. Can you fathom that?”

  Val couldn’t keep from rolling his eyes. “No. Okay, so I’ll ask the next logical question. How do you deal with criminals on Apoll’ex if you don’t put them in prison? Uh, do you guys skip the preliminaries and just execute the wrongdoers?”

  Paul and Soleil actually shuddered. “Execute Apollans? That’s the sickest thing I’ve ever heard,” Paul muttered. “Well, except for all the things Ideg Retkove said and did.”

  “So what do you do with criminals?” Val was determined to find out.

  “There aren’t any,” Soleil said. “No criminals, so there’s no need to have a system in place to deal with them.”

  Paul vigorously nodded in agreement.

  No criminals? Val couldn’t imagine a world like that. Hell, for a vampire, visualizing a world filled with sunlight had been a huge stretch. Before he’d met Paul, the legendary lovemaking he’d read about had also never seemed quite real. But he could get his mind around everything about Apoll’ex -- except for its being a world with no criminals. That stumped him. “But what if someone like Ideg Retkove sprang up on Apoll’ex?”

  “That couldn’t happen,” Soleil insisted.

  Paul again agreed.

  “Why couldn’t it?” Trey asked.

  Soleil shrugged. “The technicians involved with generation have perfected the process so that criminals aren’t produced.”

  That claim raised Val’s cynicism. “No offense, Soleil, Paul, but that sounds like a cop-out. Unless every being on Apoll’ex is exactly identical, which I know isn’t the case because you two aren’t, how can you know you’ll never have some homegrown criminals? How can you feel secure that your society can continue with no forms of punishment for wrongdoers?”

  “We know it as surely as we know our names,” Paul said. “But we may not be able to explain in ways that will be clear to you.”

  “You’re still thinking of Apoll’ex in the terms of your Earthling experience,” Soleil said. “To understand Apoll’ex, you need to view our world from a completely different perspective. And that’s just about impossible until you’re actually there.”

  “In other words,” Trey picked up, “reserve judgment. Okay, done. But what if Ideg Retkove is doing the same as we are and traveling to Apoll’ex? Somehow, I doubt that exposure to your peaceful ways will do anything to reform him.”

  Both Paul and Soleil looked horror-stricken. “Retkove on Apoll’ex? Talk about a rabid wolf among unsuspecting sheep. He can’t have gone to Apoll’ex.”

  Even as Paul said the words, the possibility of exactly that having happened seized hold of Val. �
�Just as a hypothetical,” he asked, hoping not to freak Paul and Soleil out too much, “what if Ideg Retkove came to Apoll’ex? Surely the powers that be must have some way to deal with him.”

  “You’re assuming Retkove would be out to harm the Apollans.” Trey, though hardly a fan of the criminal’s, didn’t hate him nearly as much as Val.

  “Are you assuming he wouldn’t?” Val was sure the sarcasm in his voice clearly revealed his opinion of Trey’s supposition.

  “Let us hope Retkove never comes to Apoll’ex,” Paul said. “Our authorities would have no way to deal with him.”

  “No way to stop him from cutting a criminal swath through society?”

  Both Paul and Soleil nodded warily.

  Scumshit. A sick feeling took hold in the pit of Val’s stomach. “Retkove’s disappeared,” he pronounced through gritted teeth.

  “Maybe he died in the explosion,” Trey said hopefully.

  All four of them had survived that explosion in Retkove’s lab -- in fact, they’d come through not only alive but sunlight tolerant. If the same was true for Retkove…

  * * *

  The possibility of Retkove corrupting Apoll’ex with his presence was too horrifying for Paul to contemplate. For the first time since they’d realized they were sunlight tolerant and made the plans to return to Apoll’ex, Paul felt an impediment to his ecstatic hopefulness. Of course on some level Paul had to concede such a visit was completely possible. After all, one of Retkove’s stated goals for developing his serum was opening travel to vampires. Now with sunshine tolerance a distinct possibility for all vampires who could get hold of his serum, suddenly it became all too likely Retkove would find his way to Apoll’ex.

  What if he already had?

  Paul’s heart sank to his toes.

  “We do have to face that possibility. Guys, we have no way of knowing. Retkove might even already be there.” Trey looked grim.

  Now Paul felt a mixture of dread and impatience to arrive home. “What can we do if he’s there?” He choked on the words.

  Val took his hand, and the familiar warmth helped to restore Paul’s sinking spirit.

  “If he’s there, we’ll deal with him,” Val muttered. “Look, he wasn’t able to defeat us on Earth, where he had tons of power and support. On Apoll’ex, he’s got neither.”

  “Just his ruthless ways.” Paul sighed. “Holy Apollo. Unchecked, he could do a lot of damage on Apoll’ex. No one there would have any idea how to deal with him. By the time they could react properly…”

  “We won’t let him destroy anything,” Val said firmly. Sensing the strength of Val’s determination, Paul tried to let go of his concerns.

  “I think we’ve had enough cultural indoctrination for tonight,” Val added. “How about we turn in?”

  The men went to their separate sleeping bunks.

  “You’re really worried, aren’t you?” Val asked when Paul stretched out spoon style behind him. Once free from having to run from Retkove, both men had taken to sleeping in the nude. Paul wedged his dick in Val’s ass crease as a spurt of desire raced through him. He took Val’s ready erection in hand.

  “How can I not be? Retkove on Apoll’ex would be an unparalleled disaster. His presence could spell the end of tolerance among my people.”

  “Hell, Paul, I’m sorry I brought this up tonight. I feel ashamed of my identity, of being from Earth -- the spawning place that produced Retkove.”

  “You and he are not the same. You know I’d never be with Retkove the way I am with you, never do the things with him I do with you.” To illustrate his point, Paul squeezed his lover’s hard dick. Then, just in case Val required an even more blatant reassurance, Paul ran his erection up and down Val’s crease.

  “Ahh.” Paul was gratified to feel Val grow measurably harder in his hand. “At least Retkove was never able to coerce either of us…”

  “Nor will he be, ever!” Paul’s voice grew harsh as he stroked Val’s dick. Paul had his legs entwined around Val’s and was zigzagging his cock around the crease. He alternated talking with nibbling on the back of Val’s neck. Val squirmed pleasurably to increase the contact at both points.

  “I want to get into you,” Paul insisted. He rubbed an aphrodisiac lubricant into the crease, with special attention to the hole. Remembering the self-lube capabilities Apollans have, powers he’d lost when he was transformed and became a vampire, Paul suffered a pang of regret. Would he especially miss those abilities he’d lost once he returned home? Would the loss of these capabilities demean him in the eyes of his peers?

  Was he still really an Apollan -- where his heart was -- or had he now become more of an Earthling?

  Hungry for reassurance as to who he was, he plunged his cock deep into Val’s ass -- rougher than he’d ever been before. Val grunted, and Paul, afraid he’d hurt his lover, pulled back. None of his pain was Val’s fault. There was no point in punishing him.

  “Are you all right?”

  “Yeah.” Val’s voice sounded hoarse. “It’s good, but a little unexpected. I was wondering if you’re okay.”

  Paul took a deep breath. Val knew him so well, he intuited Paul’s turmoil just from the way he was fucking him. Having Val with him like this soothed Paul’s anxiety. Paul widened the scope of his touch, massaging the skin of Val’s inner thighs along with stroking and squeezing his cock and balls. He slowed down the speed of his thrusting.

  “Hey, I like the rough stuff.”

  Val’s words went straight to Paul’s dick and his brain. Rough was exactly what he needed now, after all. With his lover’s approval and encouragement, Paul began to move harder, deeper, faster and definitely rougher. Val really got into it with him, and Paul savored touching and hearing Val’s arousal. How amazing it was, after all the time they’d been together and all the ways they’d fucked each other, for what passed between them to feel new and different.

  When Paul had penetrated Val deeper and harder than ever, Val gasped and came hugely. Moments later, Paul’s climax exploded and he spurted his come as deep within Val as he’d ever been.

  Still in the grips of his arousal and need, Paul bit Val deep and hard and fed on him until he felt gorged. Panting hard, Val returned the favor.

  Spent, intimately entwined, the men fell into a deep sleep.

  * * *

  The broadcast announcement that the transport would land shortly woke Val. Paul was already up, standing at the window and watching the approach. “I can’t believe we’re finally here.” Paul’s voice shook with emotion.

  “Neither can I.” Val’s overriding emotion was relief that they could finally get off the friggin’ transport. Well, that and his happiness and concern for Paul. Now that they were finally here, he hoped coming home lived up to his lover’s expectations.

  They both fed and dressed. Though Val would have happily fucked his way through the Apoll’ex landing, for once Paul seemed too distracted.

  From what Val had learned about landings of space vehicles, he understood theirs went smoothly. He and Paul gathered their belongings and met up with Trey and Soleil to disembark. Soleil seemed even more nervous and excited than Paul. Trey also looked expectant. Val bit back all the doubts and misgivings he had, chalking them up to his being a bad traveler.

  The thirty passengers rushed to the exits as the doors opened. But before anyone set foot on the ramps down to the planet, another broadcast stopped them.

  “Due to an unprecedented situation on the Planet Apoll’ex, visitors are being monitored. Please be prepared for delay as the Apollan Entry Officers examine your papers.”

  “What’s going on?” Paul asked, directing his question to Soleil.

  Soleil shook his head. “No idea, but I don’t like the sound of it. Let’s queue up. Once we get off the transport, I’m sure we’ll know more.”

  The voice continued, “Any vampires among the passengers are requested to remain on the transport until further notice.”

  Shit. Admittedly, Val’s
first thought was he wanted to get off the fuckin’ transport now.

  But then he caught sight of how Paul’s face had crumpled with disappointment, and he suspected his claustrophobia was the least of their problems.

  Chapter Two

  Evidently, their party of four included the only vampires on board. Paul felt his heart start to break as he watched all the other passengers disembark and exclaim their delight at the scenic beauty of Apoll’ex. The port in Apoll’ex’s largest city, Apoll’ville, was one of the least magnificent spots on the planet.

  “Why are they stopping us from getting off the transport?” Trey asked. “They have no right to do that, do they? What could they do if we just ignored the directive and followed everyone else off?”

  When Paul’s eyes met Soleil’s, he saw his own despair mirrored in the other man’s expression. “Though Apollans rarely use force, when pressed they will use lethal force -- even though they would deplore every moment and every consequence,” Paul said.

  “We need to wait here until we can learn what’s behind this directive,” Soleil added. “After all, until we were exposed to Retkove’s serum, it would have been impossible for us as vampires to survive in the sunlight that’s a constant here. Before now, having a vampire visit Apoll’ex would have been the ultimate impossibility.”

  “So what’s changed?” Trey asked. “Our ability to be here is so new, surely the Apollans couldn’t have already developed a policy to exclude us.” Paul could almost see the wheels of Trey’s logical mind spinning, trying to make connections.

  “If I don’t get off this transport soon…” Val’s fists clenched, and Paul could see how tension contorted his face. This was nothing like how Paul had imagined Val’s introduction to his home planet. After surviving the hell on Earth of Retkove’s constant pursuit, Paul had figured their nightmare was over. Now he felt like they’d landed in the worst one of all. To land on Apollan soil and be forbidden to set foot off the transport -- He’d almost rather be back in Retkove’s prison where at least the misery was straightforward.