Bacchus

Angelina caught the interchange and smiled wickedly. "So Anno gave you a real working over?"

Rhonda smiled. "Well, he did his best to satisfy one of us, but it wasn't me. He left me hanging."

"That's terrible!" Angelina said dramatically.

"It definitely was! Especially after I got so incredibly fired up watching Sarah and Rachel have their way with our friend Bron here. Oh, they're sleeping off their exhaustion on the deck."

"Not anymore," Rachel said as she walked in with her groggy sister. They took the last two chairs across from Bron. When she dropped onto the chair heavily, Sarah grabbed the table and threw her head back. She moaned quietly as shivers ran up and down her spine. Angelina and Rhonda burst into giggles, and Rachel looked at her sister a little jealously. Bailley squirmed a little tighter under his arm against his body while Stephie snored softly.

Rachel raised her eyebrows and pointed at the sleeping girl.

"The tail end of multiple shots of potent rum and the leading edge of a mild sedative. She should be out until morning," Angelina explained.

When Sarah came out of her fugue, she looked hungrily across at Bron. "I've experienced nothing like that before. Nothing has ever lasted this long either."

"Easy cowgirl! I believe Bron is hanging up his saddle for the evening," Angelina said.

Rhonda, who'd watched Sarah ride his face, slapped her hands over her mouth to suppress a loud burst of laughter. Her eyes watered, and she shook with the effort. Angelina looked at her friend with a puzzled grin. Sarah just looked wistfully at Bron.

When Rhonda finally had control of herself, she dabbed her eyes with a napkin and looked at Rachel and Sarah. "We should head out because at one tomorrow afternoon, I will be by your place to pick both of you up to head over to my favorite spa, and we can swap stories about Bron while the ladies make us all pretty." Rachel and Sarah were all grins and giggles as they got up with Rhonda and made their way around the tables giving goodbye hugs and kisses. Being at the back, pinned between two ladies, Bron couldn't join in and had to settle with just saying goodbye.

Sasha and Dan came upstairs as the ladies were leaving and said their own farewells. Soon it was just Angelina, Bailley, Bron, and sleeping beauty.

Angelina looked at Stephie. "We should get her into a bed so she can rest comfortably."

Bailley also looked at Stephie but just grinned. "I don't know if she could look any more comfortable than she does now. Bron makes an excellent pillow." She settled in herself and watched Angelina smirk. "Okay, fine, let's get her to bed," she said, rolling her eyes dramatically.

Angelina and Bailley moved the chairs and lifted the table back so Bron could scoop Stephie up in his arms and carry her against his chest. Angelina led them down the hall to the guest bedroom, and she pulled back the sheets. Bron gently placed her on the bed, and Angelina pulled the blanket over her. Stephie wouldn't release Bron's hand, even in her sleep, so he settled down on the floor next to the bed with his arm on top of the sheets where Stephie could hold it.

Angelina kissed his forehead, and so did Bailley. They left the room, shut the door, and went back to the kitchen.

"How are you holding up?" Bailley asked her friend. She knew Angelina was in love with Bron. It was plain to see, but that kiss on his forehead was as physical as she'd seen her get with the big man.

"Me? I'm good!" Angelina said in surprise. That earned her a skeptical look from Bailley.

"Oh! You mean about Bron and me." She smiled. "I love him. He is proving to be more of a man than any of the men, or I should say boys I've ever dated were. You've seen how gentle he is, even though he's so strong. He's gentle, thoughtful, curious, patient, and he's learning, with the help of people I love, how to be a terrific lover. If the stakes weren't so high, I'd be all over him in a second. But for now, I have to be patient and just be his friend."

"Even in the privacy of your own home?" Bailley asked.

"I can't allow myself that level of intimacy yet because if I start, I know I won't be able to hide it," she sighed, then looked at Bailley. "I want you to know that I have no issues with you or any of our group becoming intimate with Bron. I'm especially pleased to see you so relaxed around him."

Bailley smiled shyly. "I don't know why, but I am very comfortable around him. I almost kissed him!"

Angelina burst into a grin. The two women chatted into the early hours of the day.

Chapter 10

When morning arrived, Stephie woke up to find Bron asleep next to the bed. She kissed his forehead, waking him. He took her to her clothes, waited for her to dress, and then walked her to her car. After she drove off, Bron went back to find Angelina. He eventually found her and Bailley asleep on lounge chairs outside on the deck. He went back inside to do his morning workout on the High G simulator. He went through his sets and was pleased that his performance showed he was maintaining his current output levels. That done, he drank his high-energy, high protein meal. Angelina had asked him if he'd prefer real food, but he really didn't taste food, so it seemed a bit of a waste on him. He was fine with what he'd always had.

He walked back out on the deck, and Angelina and Bailley were slowly waking. He smiled at them, took a series of deep breaths, then stepped off the edge of the pool into the deep end. He sunk to the bottom immediately, as his body density wouldn't allow him to float at all. He stood at the bottom of the pool, enjoying the silence and the serenity, when he heard muted shouting. He looked upwards and noticed the pool edge was lined by men in black outfits. They were holding guns, and they were all pointing at him! Not knowing what else to do, he slowly walked up from the deep end, keeping his hands above his head until his head broke the surface. Angelina was shouting at someone who might have been the SWAT team leader, and Bailley was yelling into her cell. The cops around the pool with the guns gestured for him to exit the pool, so he climbed out. There was a lot of yelling, and Bron couldn't understand who he was supposed to be listening to. Angelina tried to get to him, but the officer she had been shouting at grabbed her arm and pushed her down. Bron immediately set course for Angelina and ignored the surrounding cops. Four fell into the pool in full gear, and three others pulled Tasers on Bron. The needles wouldn't penetrate his scales. He almost made it to Angelina when the shock sticks came into play, and Bron felt those. His nerves exploded with pain, and he went down on his knees then onto his face. The shocks continued well after he lost consciousness.

Chapter 11

Bron slowly surfaced from the inky darkness of his mind into the real world. That world was filled with pain. The shock sticks had done their job and then some. He couldn't control the trembling of his limbs as his muscles twitched and cramped as his nerves misfired continuously. He'd also taken a severe beating while he'd been unconscious. His groin felt especially tender as someone had tried to kick their way past his defenses.

The worst of the pain, though, was centered on his eyes. His goggles were gone, and the bright light of the room poured in against his sensitive retinas. Everything was white, and the pain lanced in against his brain until he couldn't think. Pain was his entire world, and it was endless.

He was dimly aware of heavy weights attached to his limbs. He had tried to lift his hands to cover his eyes, but he was attached to the floor, and he couldn't even turn his head away from the white light. It became too much, and his mind receded back into oblivion.

Chapter 12

It had taken three days, but when Pietr and his lawyer finally got past the gauntlet of bureaucratic hurdles the police threw in their way, they were escorted to Bron's cell. He gasped in horror when he saw Bron's condition.

"Where are his goggles!" he yelled at the officer in charge of the cells.

"Prisoners aren't allowed any personal items in the cells," the cop responded with a smirk.

"It's not a personal item! It's a-a medical device! His eyes aren't designed for this level--wait a minute... the lights in his cell are twice as bright as the other cells!"

"He should close his eyes then," was the offhand remark.

Pietr stepped right up in the man's face. "He. Has. NO. EYELIDS!"

"Step back, little man, unless you want to join the freak in there," the cop said with a growl.

Pietr noted the man's badge number and looked back at his lawyer. "I will be pressing criminal and civil charges against this man as well. Note his badge number and lock his assets." The lawyer nodded with a grim look.

When the cop protested, Pietr's face snapped back to pierce him with a fierce glare. "Maybe you've forgotten exactly which one of us in this room really is a little man. Get me the goggles, NOW!"

The man scowled menacingly at Pietr and went into the next room. Pietr heard the cop stomping repeatedly and rolled his eyes. He called out. "Those goggles are made of stronger stuff than you. Don't bother trying to break them." Seconds later, the cop returned, his face red from his efforts. He tossed them across the counter, and Pietr caught them casually and made a show of inspecting them. "See? They've maintained their integrity, which is more than I can say for you. Now, open the cell, dim the lights, and get me the keys for those locks on his chains. Chains! Good god! Who puts people in chains these days?" The truth struck him, and his bile rose. "So he couldn't shield his eyes with his hands," he gasped. "My god, you're monsters!"

Pietr grabbed the ring of keys that came sliding across the counter and entered the cell while his lawyer kept an eye on the cop. He immediately placed the goggles on Bron's eyes and felt the man sigh slightly. Just a little of the tension left his body, which was still practically humming from it.

It took him time to match the keys to the locks, but he finally managed to get all ten of them unlocked and removed from the chains. He set them aside on a pile against the wall. He then gingerly moved the heavy chains from Bron's body. As he lifted each away, he saw the scorch marks and bruises underneath. There was a foul smell, as well.

"Walter, call for an ambulance, quick!" he yelled to his lawyer, who immediately dialed the number.

Pietr looked right in the eyes of the cop. "If he dies, the charge is murder. Any statement you'd care to make in your defense before it's too late?"

"It can't be murder. It's a Genie!" the cop blustered.

"You are obviously too busy studying medieval torture to keep abreast of current events. Bron here was just classified by our highest court in a vote of five to four, in favor, to be a clone since his personality matrix was created from live human minds. As a clone, he doesn't have full citizen rights, but he is guaranteed basic human rights. Rights that have clearly been badly violated. As the one who implemented this barbaric treatment, you will, of course, bear the brunt of the punishment."

The cop was seeing his future become very bleak indeed. He licked his lips nervously, and Pietr could see his mind connecting the dots at record speed. He was obviously reaching the foregone conclusion that those who had issued the orders to implement this torture would step back and let him hang, banking on his maintaining silence. The cop knew how long he'd last in jail, and the convincing was done.

"I want immunity," he blurted.

The lawyer looked at the man as one might at a bug that landed in his food. "What could you have that would be worth that?"

"My personal daily log which recorded the orders I was given to deal with the prisoner in this exact way," he grinned as he felt the deal solidifying.

"A personal log? It's against standard police policy to maintain a personal recording device while on duty, isn't it?" the lawyer asked.

"Sure it is, for just these kinds of events. But it's insurance for us little guys when the brass gives us... controversial orders. Most of the guys carry a dime drive and pin cam. Impossible to detect and instant insurance," he gloated. The lawyer was nodding with approval. The cop felt immediate relief.

"So others were given the order to torture him like this as well?" Pietr asked incredulously.

"Of course! The three cell-block crew all got our orders at the same time from the lieutenant who is a good friend of a certain councilor." At Pietr's blank look, the man rolled his eyes. "Councillor Stanfield? The man was standing right next to the lieutenant, and it was him that told us about his sensitive eyes. His kid got knocked around by the freak at a party after he had a little fun with one of the sluts." He noticed the wide-eyed foolish look had left Pietr's face, and the grim anger was back. He started to get nervous again.

Just then, the paramedics arrived with an extra-wide gurney. There were six big men, needed to carry their extra heavy patient.

Before Pietr moved away from Bron to let the workers in to take over, the big man's lips moved, and Pietr leaned in to listen. He put his hand on Bron's hand gently, then went to stand beside Walter to give the paramedics access to their patient.

"What did he say?" Walter said in a hushed tone.

Pietr was having difficulty controlling his emotions. His jaw worked as the muscles clenched. "He said--he said--he was so sorry to cause me trouble. He also said that he was blind."

Walter rocked back on his heels, and his face closed down. Once he'd recovered, he nodded to Pietr, who returned it.

"So, we have a deal, right? You want this Councillor and the Lieutenant, right?" the cop said quietly so the paramedics wouldn't hear. They were too busy removing the chains and cleaning Bron's wounds to pay attention to the nervous cop.

Three more men in suits entered the cell area and walked up to Walter. He handed them a memory stick from his tablet.

"Officer Terlow, we're from Internal Affairs. Come with us, please," the lead man said to the shocked cop.

"Wait a minute, we had a deal. You need me!" the cop exclaimed.

"Right, he has a pin cam and dime drive on his person for recording his personal log. His co-workers have their own," Walter informed the Internal Affairs team. One of the team ran a device over the cop's belt and found the dime drive. He removed it and pocketed it with a nod to Walter. They dragged the cursing cop away.

"I don't know what to say to Angelina. If we had just bulled our way in, we might have gotten in a day earlier and maybe saved Bron's sight, but those bastards would have gotten away with what they'd done." Pietr had tears in his eyes.

Walter looked at his friend. He knew Pietr was blaming himself for not being at home to have prevented this. "You know you had to be where you were to ensure Bron's status as a clone was ratified by the courts. It was your efforts that swung the final vote. Besides, considering how sensitive his sight was, two or three or five days probably wouldn't make a difference. We got in as fast as possible. We needed Internal Affairs on our side for this one. If we'd tried to bull our way in, they might have decided they were safer with him dead and disposed of. Instead, they got cocky."

The paramedics got Bron onto a backboard and lifted him onto the gurney. They wheeled him out, and Pietr and Walter followed. One of the paramedics asked if Pietr would be traveling with them. He said he'd meet them at the hospital and went with Walter.

At the hospital, the senior doctor took one look at Bron and held up his hands. He said he didn't work on animals, and neither did his staff. Pietr lost his temper. Walter pulled him away, and the two sat in a small conference room. They watched the two paramedics who remained behind cleaning Bron's injuries in the hallway.

Suddenly Pietr sat up straight and snatched out his phone. He started making frantic calls and finally tracked down the person he was hunting for. He quickly explained his situation and sighed with relief. He sat down with a thump. "She's still here. The ship isn't leaving for another month. She's on her way, and she's bringing help."

"Who's coming, and who's the help?" Walter asked.

"Doctor Ryan from the ship we were on for our trip to Bacchus. She treated him. She's bringing her roommate, who was the head nurse on the ship. They both know Bron."

There was a surge of noise in the hallway, and Pietr stepped out of the conference room to see his daughter running up the hall, closely followed by her friends. All of them looked very grim except for his daughter, who was close to tears. He stepped in to catch Angelina and held her against his chest as she struggled to get to Bron.

"He's unconscious. Please, Angelina, listen. He was badly beaten. Every surface is bruised, so you shouldn't touch him for now. Baby, listen to me. They chained him down in a room with extra bright room lights, and they took away his goggles. He--he's blind."

Pietr was crying as hard as his daughter, and they clung to each other for support. Bailley had overheard Pietr's words and passed them along tearfully to her friends.

Bailley saw Walter standing in the doorway, looking sadly at his friend. She went over to speak with him.

"Mr. Beckett, why is Bron still in the hallway. Where is the doctor?" she asked.

"Ms. Shaw, please call me Walter. The Chief Physician is refusing to treat Bron and has forbidden his staff to, as well. I believe his words were that he didn't work on animals," he explained.

Sasha spun on her heel and said something about killing the bastard. Rachel and Sarah grabbed their friend before she got past them.

"But Pietr found a doctor who is on her way," Walter said, trying to calm the ladies.

"Who, Papa?" Angelina asked.

"Doctor Ryan and her head nurse from the ship. She said she'd be here soon," Pietr answered.

"And I'm here," Beth Ryan said as she passed him on her way to see her patient. She spoke briefly to the two paramedics and thanked them for their work on him. They had to leave, having already overstayed.

Pietr and Angelina thanked them on their way out as well. Rhonda walked out with one of them and came back later with a phone number.

Wendy Callahan arrived after parking the car and immediately assisted the doctor.

The Chief Physician arrived in a huff. "Who are you, and what are you doing in my hospital? You can't treat this creature here!"

Walter put his hand on Pietr's shoulder and shook his head. He stepped forward. "Doctor Pinschott, as of yesterday afternoon, the patient was certified by the highest court on Walla to be a clone and was therefore granted basic human rights. Your refusal to treat him based on his lacking these rights is in error, and I ask you again to assist Dr. Ryan here in treating the injured man."

"And I told you I don't work on animals or whatever this is, and neither will my staff," he said, looking down his nose at Walter. "You there! You aren't authorized to work in my hospital. You'll have to leave and take your tart with you."

Wendy turned to face the man. "What did you call me?"

"A tart. You're dressed like a whore, so I call it like- IAAAAiiiiieee!" the man clutched at his crushed scrotum, which just had a visit from Wendy's boot. His eyes rolled back, and he crumpled to the floor. Wendy cast a stern look at the group. "Did anyone see what caused the doctor to lose consciousness?" Everyone shook their head, and Sasha grinned as she'd just discovered her long-lost sister.

"Did you have to wear the steel-toed boots today?" Beth mumbled as she worked over Bron. "Okay, I need to get him into a proper examination room."