The Genesis Sequence Books 6-10

by Mackenzie Morris

  Ben then turned his attention to the other fourteen boys. At first glance, they appeared to be perfectly identical, but the longer Ben studied them, the more different they became from one another. Each one had slight differences. A scar along their nose or a burn on their cheeks, a speckling of freckles across their forehead or fleck of gold in their iris. Then there were the behaviors. Some of them were shy, some extremely curious, some creative, and others were content to count and stack things. Ben had caught at least one of them softly singing himself to sleep. "Who was the one singing last night? I heard you. You are very talented."

  One of the boys in the back timidly raised his hand and blinked his eyes quickly.

  "Then I will name you after one of my husband's favorite musicians. Luciano."

  The boy placed his hand over his mouth and nodded his head.

  "Good. I'm glad you like it. Who was stacking the bottles of cologne and pretending they were buildings? Yes, I noticed."

  "That was me." The boy crawled over and scratched his head. "I like building things."

  "Wonderful. That's great, really. I'll name you after a famous architect. Frank Lloyd. Frank Lloyd Trainor. That sounds good, doesn't it? Now, who was-" Ben felt the vibration against his thigh, so he gently pushed the boys off of him and retrieved his communicator. "Hold on, boys. We will continue this after I take this call. In the meantime, try to think of names that you think will fit your brothers, okay?"

  "Okay, Daddy!"

  Ben stretched as he skipped across the plastic cups, soda bottles, and clumps of feathers from the night before. He took one last look at the boys who had started to wrestle on the bed before he stepped into the hallway and answered the call. "This is Ben."

  "Ben, this is Violet Ghost."

  "One moment." He shut the door then moved down the quiet hallway until he found a supply closet and hid inside. "Okay. Now I can talk."

  "Mission complete."

  "You . . . you did it?" Ben asked. "Like, you actually did it?"

  "Yes. Tirlmayn is dead."

  "I can't believe it. You killed the warlord of Azimandia. Where are you now?"

  "On a stolen ship, en route to AX-97's smallest moon, Torbaylt."

  "Why?"

  "Because I am calling for a diplomatic meeting. You and me, the leader of the Red Sand Rebels and the new Warlord of Azimandia. No weapons, no guards, no tricks. AX-97 is in a neutral zone, so we won't have to worry about any interference from troops of either side."

  "You know as well as I do that everyone on this ship will be watching."

  "As long as they stay on that ship and do not try to get between our conversation, they can watch all they want."

  Ben rubbed his tired eyes. "There's still a bounty on your head."

  "I'm aware. Are you planning to violate the no weapons condition of our meeting?"

  "No . . . it's just . . . no one has forgotten about what you did to Rav."

  "I wouldn't expect them to. Meet me on Torbaylt in fourteen hours. I will send you the exact coordinates in a few minutes. Do I have your word that you will not use this as an ambush to apprehend or assassinate me? Doing so would only bring the full force of Azimandia against AX-97. I am certain you don't want your home planet to be disintegrated."

  He gasped. "Don't. Please don't. There are still people alive on there. Most of the outlying cities and the rural areas were left untouched by the Olonictic hive warriors. They're innocent people."

  "But they will be accused of assassinating me and violating a temporarily cease-fire if anyone harms me in their airspace. Do you understand the grave consequences if anyone on that ship tries anything?"

  "I understand."

  "Perfect. I will see you soon, Prince Benjamin."

  * * *

  Ben jumped down from the airlock of the ship to land on the cracked green surface of Torbaylt. The fine dust puffed up around the boots of his black spacesuit. He held up his arm to check the radiation levels and the amount of oxygen left in the slender tank on his back. Everything was at acceptable levels. Through the visor of his helmet, Ben watched the distant stars burning across the black emptiness of space in all directions from the curved surface of the small moon.

  From the other side of a shallow crater, a man in a similar space suit waved at him.

  The two of them walked closer, at the same pace, to end up in the middle of the crater that was only a few inches lower than the area around them.

  Ben looked through the visor of the other suit to see the mismatched eyes he knew so well. He swallowed hard and his breathing quickened. He scanned over Vance's suit, looking for any weapons. Would Vance actually try something?

  Vance nodded towards the silver and black ship not fifty feet away. "Your friends, they're watching?"

  "They want to make sure they catch everything on camera in case you violate our cease-fire."

  "Good, good."

  "Why did you want to talk? You could have spoken to me over the communicator. Why was this trip necessary?"

  "It is more secure to speak about certain things in person where there is no interference or unwanted ears listening."

  "Well, go ahead." Ben placed his hands on his hips. "We don't have unlimited oxygen. I have fifteen seven-year-old boys eagerly waiting for me to get back to them. I have a family now. Don't do anything rash that will take me away from them. They need me."

  "Like you said, Prince Benjamin, this is a peaceful diplomatic meeting. Allow me to start by saluting you." Vance stood up straight and placed his fist over his heart. "Dovei, Prince Benjamin of the Red Sand Rebels."

  Ben shifted anxiously on his feet then saluted him. "Hello, Warlord Aveni Azimandia. Or is it Azimandi? I've heard it both ways."

  "Either way. The 'a' at the end denotes pure birth. Since I am both Azimandian and human, I can claim both spellings."

  For an unknown reason, Ben felt much more intimidated by his husband now that he was the leader of the Azimandian Empire. He commanded attention by his mere presence. He even spoke with authority unlike any Ben had seen from him before that point. "Warlord Aveni, has the entire empire embraced you as their new warlord?"

  "Yes. Well, aside from Krisharn and his rebels who believe that a hybrid should not be on the throne. Bloodshed in order to attain power is an ancient tradition among the warbringers. If anything, the majority of my people admire me more now that I have proven myself through killing. We are a people of war and of power. I am no longer the weak hybrid boy they viewed me as. I am a killer, having bathed in the blood of my father, the blood of man who was the strongest warlord in history."

  "Who is now? You?"

  "I am, of course."

  "Are you going to rule Azimandia?" Ben asked.

  "I have no plans to relinquish my claim. This is my birthright, Benjamin. Speaking of ruling, we have an issue that requires immediate attention. Our nations are currently bound through an alliance of marriage. Whether you wish to be or not, we are currently allies. As long as you are my husband, we have an obligatory peace treaty. Any and all hostilities are banned on both sides. As Warlord Aveni of Azimandia, I have supreme authority to annul this marriage with or without your consent."

  Ben opened his mouth to protest, but he bit his tongue.

  "What is it, Prince Benjamin? How do you feel about me annulling our marriage? Speak up like the leader you are."

  "I . . . I don't want that."

  "Why not? Not three days ago, you were trying to kill me. You told me you hated me. I would have thought that meant that you no longer wished to be married to me. Not to mention your suddenly missing wedding ring. Yes, I noticed."

  "Why did you come here? Did you come here just to mock me or flaunt your power? You can do whatever you want with our marriage, but know that I have not and will never give my consent to end it."

  "Why?" Vance asked.

  "Drop it, Vance. I'm tired of playing this game. No more stupid formalities. No saluting, no titles, no diplomacy. I just want to ta
lk to you as Ben and Vance, not Prince Benjamin and Warlord Aveni."

  "So you wish to engage in personal-"

  "Shut up! Listen to me." Ben took Vance's spacesuit in his fists and shook him. "Just listen to me, okay? I know you risked your life to save Rav in that program."

  "Where is he? Is he here?"

  "No one knows. But that's not the point." Ben let him go then turned his back to him. "You never understand what I'm trying to say."

  "Try me."

  "I know you're not evil. I know you had a very rough time and you couldn't control everything. Your warbringer side took over and you did what you thought you had to do. You were in fight or flight mode in order to protect me. I see that now. Everything is fixed. Everything can go back to as close to normal as we've ever had it. At least, that's what I want to say. I want that so badly, but I know it can never be that way. You have hurt too many people to be given immunity, to be forgiven so easily. I owe it to the rebels who look up to me to enact judgment."

  "I see. And what would your brand of judgment be for me? What punishment would you place on my head for the crimes I have committed?"

  "Everyone is calling for . . . for death. An execution."

  "And what are you calling for?" Vance grabbed Ben's shoulder and spun him back around to face him. "I didn't ask about your followers. And I don't want to know what Prince Benjamin wants. I want to know what my husband, Benjamin Trainor, wants. What punishment do I deserve in your eyes?"

  "I . . . haven't thought about it. For starters, I would have you arrested."

  "All right." Vance crossed his arms on the chest of his spacesuit. "What then?"

  "You will be interrogated."

  "And by interrogated, do you mean tortured?"

  "If it came down to that, yes."

  "Then what?" Vance asked.

  "That would depend on how the interrogation went."

  "Ben, I have two weeks before I am due back on Star-World Zero Alpha."

  "I'm not going to run away with you, Vance. I can't. I know what you're suggesting, but I can't go be romantic with you. Maybe . . . maybe it's best if . . ."

  "If what?"

  The gnawing grief in Ben's chest only grew. "If you do end our marriage. Staying married only complicates things. Besides, it's what you want."

  "I never said it's what I want. In fact, I was hoping you wouldn't want me to annul our marriage."

  "What? I thought . . ."

  "And you say I'm the one who never listens to you. I don't want to lose you or stop being your husband. I didn't come here to do that. I came here to apologize. I came here to attempt to make things better. More than anything else, I came here to surrender myself to you." Vance held out his hands. "Did you bring your handcuffs? Go back to your ship and get them. I'll stay right here."

  "Y-you're serious? You're surrendering?"

  "I know it will be a disappointment for your allies on that ship back there that you won't be instantly killing me, but you will have plenty of time to think of a fitting way to do so after I'm on board your ship. If I know Kalimis, you have a brutal torturer in your employ who will spare nothing to do the job right. After you get the information you need out of me, you will need to publicly announce our marriage as ended before you execute me so you can avoid breaking the treaty."

  "This isn't some kind of trick, is it?" Ben asked, taking an instinctual step back.

  "Ben, I am as serious as I was the day I married you. I have wronged Elysia, I have wronged humanity, and I have wronged you. I will pay for my crimes, and I will pay for them at your hands. I didn't come here for a second chance. I only came here to give myself to you."

  "I actually have handcuffs on me. Kalimis told me to be prepared for any eventuality when I came out here." Ben unzipped the pouch on the back of his spacesuit to pull out the thick metal handcuffs. With slightly trembling hands, he placed them around Vance's wrists then cinched them down tightly. "There. They're locked. You're my prisoner now."

  "Yes, I am, mate. Don't go easy on me. Treat me as you would any other prisoner you take on your ship. But first, I need to ask you something. Do you think your allies are watching us on that ship?"

  "Undoubtedly."

  "Well, as long as they're watching, why don't we give them a show?" Vance held out his bound hands. "Benjamin Trainor, may I have this final dance . . . our final dance?"

  Ben blinked, sending two tears streaming down his youthful face. When Vance's secured arms slid down around Ben's helmet and encircled his neck, he was pulled closer until he could only stand there with his face pressed against the warlord's chest. He closed his eyes as they swayed back and forth, held in his husband's arms under gaze of the rebels on the ship behind them and the endless distances of space surrounding them.

  Gathering of Allies

  The Genesis Sequence

  Book Nine

  Chapter 1

  One Week Later

  Benjamin Trainor slid a black face mask on before pulling the hood of his white silk robe over his head. His boots clanked against the metal steps as he descended into the cargo hold of Sandra Noriega's ship. Before going to the back area where the brightly-lit cell was, he stopped in front of the large warbringer with the orange horns who had been standing guard. "Kalimis, is the prisoner prepared for interrogation?"

  "Yes, Prince Benjamin. He's been in solitary confinement with only water and oatmeal for one week, as you commanded. We have only given him three hours of sleep every night. He should be ready. Are you sure you don't want me to do this? It is never pleasant to be forced to hurt the ones you love."

  He crossed his arms. "I'm not being forced to do this. I volunteered."

  "He's your husband."

  "And? Is that fact supposed to make me take my job, my duty as the prince of this rebellion, any less seriously? I don't care who he is. The blood of innocent people and our allies is on his hands. That is inexcusable."

  "I asked him a few questions as I chained him up, but he refused to talk. He hasn't said a word."

  "Then it's time to get rough. Please stand aside and let me inside the cell, Kalimis."

  Kalimis's studded leather armor creaked against his muscles as he stepped away from the door. "Don't let him trick you. I know how Vance can be. He's cunning and manipulative. He will try to use you to get what he wants. Don't let him."

  "Believe me, I know. I'm strong enough to resist anything he tries to throw my way. I'm ready for this. If I start to lose control, you and everyone else will be able to intervene. I will check in every so often."

  "There are cameras in there."

  "Perfect. Then you truly have nothing to worry about."

  The large alien sighed. "It's not that we don't trust you. We're worried about what someone as dangerous as Vance will be able to do. You have to keep your wits about you and think with the head on your shoulders, Ben."

  Ben glared at him. "Ha ha ha, is that supposed to be funny? I want those cameras off."

  "What? Why?"

  "Because there is the possibility that I will have to use some . . . questionable interrogation techniques to get him to talk. I don't want everyone watching what I might do. He is my husband, after all."

  "Oh, space. You're not saying you-"

  He held up a hand to silence him. "Just stop, Kalimis. I'm the one in charge here. Cameras off."

  "Yes, sir."

  Ben took a deep breath to steady himself before pushing the heavy metal door open and stepping into the white lights of the square concrete cell. The clanking of chains drew his attention immediately to the middle of the room where Vance was strung up by his wrists, his body pulled tight as he balanced on his bare tiptoes. Dressed in only his tattered jeans, the blond man shivered in the cool air. His metal left arm glistened in the fluorescent lights.

  "Hey, mate. Who are you?" Vance asked, watching his every move. "Sawyer? Slayven? You're too skinny to be Kalimis. You're too short to be one of the Biromians. Oh, wait, you're probably some Elys
ian soldier Benjamin paid to come beat me up for a bit, huh? Yeah, that sounds like something he'd do. Well, you can take out all your pent-up anger from the battlefield on me, but I won't talk. I have nothing to say to anyone except my husband. If you're not Benjamin Trainor, then you can tire yourself out turning my body into hamburger meat, but you won't get anywhere. You might as well save your energy and just leave."

  With his voice altered behind the face mask, Ben did not hesitate to speak to him. "You will talk. I have no doubt of that."

  "Oh, really?"

  Ben stepped over to the metal table where various whips, clamps, and sharp instruments were laid out and sorted. Bottles of acid, pepper juice, and antiseptic lined the back edge where towels and extra chains were piled up. Without any hesitation, he picked up a coiled thick leather strap that was sharp like a knife on the edges. He stepped up to Vance as he ran his fingertips along the razor edge.

  Vance looked up at him, squinting his mismatched eyes in an attempt to see through the black face mask. "Whoa, now, mate. Shouldn't we at least get to know each other before you start breaking out the whips?"

  Ben reared his arm back and let the leather strap fly, cutting a six-inch-long stripe across his husband's right shoulder blade. He gritted his teeth as Vance cried out, but he wasted no time in continuing. He swung again and again, hitting in a crisscrossed pattern from his prisoner's neck to his waist. With each slash, the chains jangled and Vance's muscles tensed. After twenty bloody welts were added, Ben took a step back and tossed the leather strap onto the table.

  Vance hung limp from the chains, his breathing ragged from the whipping.

  With his own rage growing, Ben rushed to the table and picked up a thin wooden cane. "I'm just getting started, but let me know what you're going through. Feel free to scream or make as much noise as you need. We are out in space. No one who cares about you will be able to hear. I carved into your back pretty well. How does that feel?"

  Vance spit at him. "Don't ask me stupid questions."

  "Do you want to talk now?" Ben asked.

  "What do you think?"