I placed the copy of the Washington Post over my head as a
makeshift umbrella as I dashed across the small gap between the
waiting area and my favourite Chinese stall, answering the
scrawny, beckoning finger of the ancient Chinaman who served the
Customers. My hair was plastered to my face, the cold droplets of
rainwater running beneath the collar of my trenchcoat, soaking
into my skin. I couldn't truly fathom my reasoning for leaving
the comparative warmth of my apartment on this cold night. I had
the makings of a meal in the small refrigerator. I had
entertainment coming through the cable... and I had my memories.
Memories of a time when I believed in myself, when I was certain
what I was doing was right.
The old man dragged me from my thoughts with a series of sharp
words which roughly translated as 'I haven't got all night' but
I had. I pointed at what I wanted, holding up two fingers to
illustrate the quantity rather than try to shout above the noise
of the city. I grimaced when he would only let me have the one
but it had been worth a try. More and more seemed to be rationed
these days. Eventually I had a hot meal placed in front of me.
King Po Chicken and special fried rice. Same as I had last
night... and the night before that. I flicked open the paper and
began to digest both the words and the food.
I saw him first out of the corner of my eye, a sad, pathetic
sight. Cardinale was gunning for a place in the Blade Runner
squad, bucking for the position I had recently vacated. His dark,
Hispanic features contorted into the parody of a smile as he drew
deeply on the cheroot in his hand, his eyes almost fevered,
glittering with contempt as he sat down by my side. I had to
admit I did look a poor sight, with my dirty trenchcoat, muddied
boots, hair plastered to my face and the evidence of two days
worth of beard stubble. All this hunched up over a cheap Chinese
meal. I tried to ignore him but the little shit wouldn't take the
hint... and then he dropped the bombshell. Blevins wanted to see
me. The audible sigh was out before I could prevent it but then,
there was no one here to care. I picked up my carton of food and
followed him out into the rain to where he had a Police Hovercar
waiting.
I gazed out of the front screen as the car swept its way across
the darkly forbidding city, my eyes attracted to the sudden
flares of heated gas from some of the many industrial plants.
Only the Police were allowed to hover this high, giving them a
panoramic view of the desolation that was once a proud monument
to Democracy. The White House looked grey, tainted by years of
pollution and corruption. Gradually we floated down, spiralling
slowly towards the landing bay on top of the Police Headquarters.
I followed Cardinale through the maze of corridors that made up
this grimy building, ignoring the decay that was in evidence.
Blevins' office was no different, plaster, bubbled with age, hung
from one corner of the ceiling. Out of the cold rain the room
seemed too hot, almost stifling and I deftly flicked the buttons
to let my coat fall open. Blevins sat behind the desk, his cold,
pale blue eyes smiled almost psychotically as he wiped a rivulet
of sweat from his forehead.
"Six skinjobs are loose in the city. Two days ago one tried to
break into the Tyrell Corporation's main complex. Got fried in
the security net. Another infiltrated the company but was flushed
out during a routine scan. He escaped but not before injuring one
of my best men."
I looked around the office, pretending boredom and indifference.
In past centuries Blevins would have been the kind of racist pig
who called non-whites niggers. He was an anachronism; a survivor
of a bygone age. I could imagine him back in the 1950's as some
superior-acting Sheriff in one of the Deep South states.
"What's this got to do with me."
"I need my best man on the job... I need your profiling
skills..."
"You forget. I quit."
"I need you, Mulder. I need your expertise." Blevins changed
tack, an evil glint lighting up his eyes. "Of course, if you're
not a Blade Runner then you're Little People...."
The thinly disguised threat hung between us. I was under no
illusion what Blevins meant by 'Little People'. He could make my
life very difficult if he chose.
Half an hour later I was back in the Police Flyer, seated beside
Cardinale, heading towards the Tyrell Corporation and the head of
that 'prestigious' group... CBG Spender. In my head I reviewed
what I had leant about the Nexus-6 androids still at large. All
but one had been identified; two males, two females. The leader
of the group was Skinner; a soldier built to fight mankind's
battles. He was intelligent, resourceful and well acquainted with
all the skills needed for modern warfare. The second male was a
labourer, Leon. My eidetic memory replayed the surveillance film
of Leon taking out my fellow Blade Runner during the routine
scan. Not a pretty sight. The first of the female androids was
Fowley; a bitch to the nth degree. Built as part of an offworld
assassination squad, she was beauty and the beast in one package.
The final known Nexus-6 was Dana; a pleasure model. Beautiful red
hair cascading around an ivory complexion. Cerulean blue eyes and
a luscious mouth that just begged to be kissed. I wondered how
this diverse group had come together.
Arriving at the Tyrell headquarters I waited for what seemed like
an eternity in a large, beautifully furnished room. Its opulence
was astounding considering that I had spent most of my life in
the seamier parts of Washington. The walls were dark marble and a
single window stretched across the full forty feet of the room
where an insipid sunrise was doing its best to break through the
ever-present layers of dust and cloud. This high above the ground
the light was almost dazzling compared to what I was used to but
I knew, far below, the never-ending night remained. Eventually I
was met by CBG Spender himself. An imposing man whose rheumy blue
eyes were deceptively quick to notice and judge. I watched him
take in my scruffy appearance, his eyes narrowing as he noticed
the uncombed hair and beard growth. A haze of blue-grey smoke
concealed his features as he questioned me about the Voigt-Kampff
scale. I was getting impatient.
"I don't have time for all these questions..."
The thin, cruel mouth rose slightly in a smile.
"Indulge me, Mr Mulder. I want to see a negative before I give
you a positive to test."
With that he pressed a small control on the desk. I saw a door
open at the far end and heard the quick footsteps echo about the
cavernous room. I wonder now at what an image I must have
presented to this new arrival. My mouth agape, my eyes widened in
lust... the warm sensation swirling from the pit of my stomach,
creeping along my nerve endings, that stirred life into my groin.
He was beautiful. Tall, well-built with broad, muscular shoulders
narrowing to a trim waist and hips. The dark suit a perfect fit,
accentuating every sinew, every muscle... every line of that
beautiful body. As he drew closer I discovered his looks were as
complimentary as his figure. Locks of raven-hair fell across a
tall forehead. His skin was pale and smooth but it was the face
that captivated me. Wide-spaced, startling green eyes that held
mine momentarily. A luscious mouth, full and ripe glistening in
the pale reflected light. I watched entranced as a pink tongue
ran seductively across the cupids bow.
"Ahh... Alexei. Mr Mulder... my nephew, Alexei. I want you to use
your... 'thing' on him."
Alexei raised one perfectly sculptured eyebrow in response to the
surprised raising of both of mine. I saw a small smirk play about
those sensuous lips and felt heat rise into my face. He'd
obviously encountered such a reaction as mine before but I could
tell that he liked what he saw despite my unkempt appearance. I
concealed my embarrassment by turning to the task at hand...
setting up the equipment, laying my notes before me. Eventually I
was ready. I beckoned him to sit across the table from me and
positioned the lens so I could focus on one of those incredible
eyes. The green iris filled the screen but I noticed the pupil
had already dilated. Had I caused that reaction? I frowned. It
was a little too bright so I turned to my 'host' only to see my
needs anticipated. A filter slowly dropped across the window to
cut out the weak light of the new day.
"Can I smoke?"
I glanced up into those stunning eyes and cleared my throat
before attempting to respond.
"It won't affect the test."
I watched as he lit up, those strong fingers gently cradling the
cigarette. Smoke curled up slightly obscuring the magnified image
of that oh-so green iris. The small beam of light shone steadily
on that eye as I began the series of questions, making notes
every once in awhile although that was more for show. One of the
reasons why I was so good at this job was my eidetic memory.
"... You have a little boy and he shows you his butterfly
collection, including the killing jar..."
"I'd take him to the doctor." The voice was firm but with an
undertone of abhorrence. Many more questions followed and I noted
the responses, gearing my next question towards them.
"Your wife comes across a full page colour picture of a nude man"
I paused waiting to see his reaction but saw only the slightest
dilation... barely anything at all yet his angry words and tone
indicated far more emotion.
"Is this a test of whether I'm an android... or a homosexual?"
I continued, searching around my head for the next question. This
was the important one. This would confirm what I was beginning to
suspect.
"Your wife likes the picture. The beautiful man is lying face up
on a tiger skin rug." No reaction... not a flicker. A typical
android response. Alexei was concentrating so intently on the
idea of this nude male that he... it... had not noticed the
dead animal pelt. I carried on just to be certain. "She hangs it
on the wall in your bedroom..."
"I wouldn't let her."
A reaction... strong this time. Several questions later I was
totally convinced that this beautiful male was in fact a Nexus-6.
I folded up the equipment and stared deep into those alluring
eyes, trying to understand why I was so deeply disappointed to
learn he was not human.
"I've finished."
I watched as a cute line deepened across the bridge of his nose;
confusion? His mouth opened as the question I was dreading formed
in his brain ready to tumble from those pink lips. Spender saved
me from making the announcement.
"That's all, Alexei."
A dismissal. Clean, simple... and obviously Alexei had learnt to
obey it without question. I watched as the handsome figure walked
back across the floor and close the double doors behind him with
only a single backward glance in my direction.
"Well, Mr Mulder?"
"He's an android... but you knew that already."
"What gave him away?" I ignored the question. "Tell me, Mr
Mulder. How many questions does it normally take? How many cross-
references?"
He had a point. It had taken far more than normal to reach my
conclusion and then it struck me. "He doesn't know. He doesn't
know he's an android."
The creepy smile that curved up the thin, cruel, seamed lips was
answer enough. Spender took another long drag from the cigarette
that seemed a permanent fixture, all the while waiting for me to
reach the logical answer.
"Memories! You've given him memories."
It was later that night. I had returned after checking out
several possible leads, including Leon's bedsit. What I found had
confused me for a moment. Photos. Not just one but several
photos. Why would an android collect photos? I was tired. Dead
tired. I thought I had managed to get out of the Blade Running
game. Thought I had put all the killing behind me and the
realisation that I was expected to hunt down and 'retire' this
group tugged at my soul. 'More Human Than Human' was the Tyrell
Corporation's motto. Was this why I felt so guilty? I poured
myself a drink, swirling the amber liquid around the chunky glass
before downing the contents. I poured another. The sound of the
door bell threw me. No-one had come to my apartment in years...
not since... I pulled away from that thought, not wanting to
dwell on the dead and moved to the door. Checking the entry
camera I was surprised to see the beautiful Alexei. I opened the
door, taking a step back and motioned for him to enter.
He breezed into the room, his movements so fluid, like a panther
stalking his prey. The long sable coat matched the colour of his
hair to perfection, the darkness making his eyes all the more
striking.
"Would you like a drink?"
I indicated to the glass still held in my hand. He frowned, that
cute line across the bridge so appealing that I wanted to caress
it with my fingers... with my tongue.
"You think I'm an android."
I sighed as he came straight to the point of his visit. He'd come
to ask the question I dreaded. The question Spender had not
allowed him to ask. I watched as he dug into the deep pocket of
his coat and brought out a crumpled photo. He held it up so I
could see it.
"Look. That's me as a boy... with my father. I can remember him
picking me up, carrying me on his shoulders... I can..."
"Do you remember when you were six and you woke up one day and
looked out of your window and there was a spider sitting in the
middle of a large silky ball... and when you touched it..."
"Hundreds of little spiders came out.. and they ate the mother
spider."
"Those aren't your memories. They're somebody else's... Spender's
nephew...." I felt terrible watching the innocent young face
crumple in shock and horror and felt the compassion rise. "I'm
sorry. Bad joke. You're not an android. Go home."
I was still standing by the open door. I sighed as he continued
to stare at me in bewilderment. This was so stupid but I felt
something for this young 'man', some emotion at a time when I
thought I had no emotions left inside me. Again I had felt that
stirring, that warm sensation in the pit of my stomach that
radiated outward... downward. He made no move to leave.
"I think we both need a drink."
I moved into the small kitchenette and grabbed another glass from
the shelf, filling it quite generously with the deep amber
liquid. But, as I turned to go back into the lounge I saw the
photo flutter from lifeless fingers and, in one swift motion, he
turned and strode out of the door, closing it behind him. I
sighed again and dropped onto the couch, quickly knocking back
the drink I had prepared for him. The bulge at my crotch was
uncomfortable and I adjusted the material of my pants, all the
time feeling ashamed of the way my body had betrayed me. I leant
back and closed my eyes, not surprised to find an image of Alexei
hiding there but I didn't want to dwell on what I couldn't
have... shouldn't want.
The photos. I remembered Leon's photos and set to work.
My hunt for Fowley led me to one of the arty clubhouses that
employed 'exotic' acts. Another dead end. The manager denied
having anyone like her on his books and with yet another drink
under my belt I found my mind drifting back to Alexei. My fingers
itched to caress that firm flesh, to stroke across the strong
back and well-shaped rear. He was perfection. I could visualise
his ivory skin displayed before me as those incredible eyes
beckoned me to take advantage... to take him. I was surprise
when, moments later I found myself watching his sleepy face
answer my call.
"I don't think so, Mr Mulder."
He broke the connection after refusing my invitation to come down
here and join me in this seedy club. Hardly surprising really. It
was not the sort of place you should invite such a beauty. He
deserved better than this... better than I could offer. As it
turned out, I was thankful that he had said 'no' for moments
later I saw her. Her long, dark tresses cascading down across her
shoulders, her muscular yet lithe body covered in sparkling
sequins and little else as she danced sensuously for the drunken,
applauding crowd. I followed her back to her dressing room using
some lame excuse and nearly died of strangulation for my
trouble... only the return of several other dancers saved me from
being found dead with my own tie tight around my throat. The
adrenaline kick of the chase was as good as I remembered, the
hunt was on but I had the edge. I was on my home turf. Watching
her bloodied body crash through the panes of glass in the
department store gave me a strange sense of blood lust fever but,
as the last breaths left her body, the lust and adrenaline left
mine leaving me both bereaved and full of guilt. She was
beautiful... most of the androids were in some way or another. I
suppose there was little point creating an ugly android. Who
would buy it? I wandered off and was not surprised to find
Cardinale at my heels.
"One down, four to go."
"Three. Three to go."
He shook his head, his eyes still dancing with the blood lust of
seeing Fowley retired.
"That tempting piece of android ass at Tyrell has been reported
missing."
He gave me that psychotic grin that he did so well and moved off,
leaving me staring at his retreating back, wondering where Alexei
had gone. I didn't have time to ponder further. Cardinale was not
the only person to see Fowley die. The large fist that grabbed
hold of the fabric of my trenchcoat had inhuman strength. He
dragged me between two parked vehicles and slammed me up against
the cold metal. I felt a jarring as bones moved unnaturally but,
fortunately not beyond their endurance point. I pulled my gun out
but he swiped at it with his large hand and I saw it skitter away
across the crowded street.
"Leon."
"How long do I live?"
I was confused by his question. Was he unaware of his own
inception date? Was he asking me how long he had left? All
androids were built with a four year life span. Long enough to be
of use but short enough that rebellion could never be a problem.
"Four years."
"How long have I left?"
I knew Leon could count the number of months remaining of his
lifespan on the fingers of one hand but I pretended ignorance.
"I don't know."
He smiled malevolently as his fingers began to press into my
eyes, his forearm choking the life out of my body.
"Longer than you."
For a stunned moment I thought the third eye he had 'grown' was a
product of oxygen depravation but then Leon slumped, taking me
down with him. I looked across the street and saw him standing
there in his sable coat with my gun still levelled. I pulled
myself out from underneath Leon's not inconsiderable weight and
slowly, dodging the traffic, made my way to his side. Alexei
didn't protest when I took the gun from his hand and led him back
to my vehicle but his eyes showed his shock. So large, almost
luminous.
The trip back to my apartment was carried out in silence and he
waited on my couch, still in shock, watching me as I rinsed the
blood out of my mouth with a shot of bourbon. Eventually I came
and sat beside him. I closed my eyes, just for a second—or so
it seemed. The wondrous notes sent tendrils through my mind,
enfolding me, caressing my senses and bringing colour and magic
to my dreams. Gradually, I floated back up through the soft haze.
My eyes seem to flutter open as if unwilling to face reality. I
turned to look at him but he was no longer by my side, instead he
had taken a seat at the old, worn piano. The music stopped as I
hauled myself upright, grunting with the exertion of my abused
body. I slowly made my way across the room and sat beside him.
"I heard music..."
He looked sideways at me, his green eyes softening in the
pleasure of the moment, a small smile lifting those sweet lips
and then he turned back, agile fingers stroking the ivory keys.
The haunting melody returned. He stopped.
"I didn't know if I could play... I remember lessons but..."
"You play beautifully."
The gentle, appreciative smile deepened and then faded. His eyes
became first thoughtful and then questioning.
"What if I run away... far away. Would you come after me? Hunt me
down?" His voice lowered until it was barely more than a whisper.
"Kill me?"
My eyes misted over as I gazed into his young, innocent, angelic
face. I reached out and stroked my fingers down his cheek to the
corner of his mouth.
"No. I owe you." The smile returned, slowly creeping upwards and
I hated to slap that away with my next words. "But someone
would."
He stood up abruptly and made for the door, pulling on his coat
on the way but I was quicker. I slammed the door shut. I was
angry with him but I didn't know why... and then I did. He made
me feel. He made me want to feel. I reached out tentatively and
brushed his cheek with the back of my hand. The desire blazed in
his eyes, a fire that mirrored my own. I grabbed the back of his
head and drew his mouth towards mine, forcing my tongue into him,
duelling with his for a moment before I pulled away abruptly
until our lips were only just touching.
"Say 'kiss me'."
"Kiss me."
His soft, shaky words sent a thrill through me. He was mine for
the taking. Our lips met in an almost chaste kiss.
"Say 'I want you'."
"I... I want you. Touch me."
I needed no more words. The deep, husky voice sent tremors down
my spine and I took his lips once again, savouring the rich
warmth of bourbon mixed with his own unique taste as I plundered
his mouth, our tongues caressing before I felt that sweet
surrender. I pushed the plush coat from his shoulders, running my
hands across the soft shirt. My fingers found a small nipple and
I teased it slowly until it stood erect, its outline visible
through the thin material. My mouth travelled down the length of
his throat, sucking and biting gently, raising small red marks.
Suddenly I felt his hands upon my shoulders, pushing me back. It
was hard to pull back into myself, hard to prevent myself from
ignoring his unspoken request until I heard his husky voice utter
a single pleading word.
"Please."
I stepped back far enough to see his face clearly but not enough
to break contact with his body. My fear, that he wanted to stop,
faded with one look at his flushed face. He reached out
tentatively, his hand brushing my lips. I captured his fingers
and sucked them one by one while he watched, mesmerised, the tip
of his tongue peeking out to wetten those incredibly soft, pink
lips.
I remember pushing the thin shirt from his body, revealing the
taut, muscular yet almost hairless chest. My hands roaming across
the soft flawless skin, stroking across one dusky pink nipple,
feeling the bud tighten even further. His musician's fingers
danced upon my own torso, playing me like a finely tuned
instrument, plucking at the sparse splattering of chest hair as
my tongue greedily mapped his face and neck. I pulled him into a
stronger embrace, chest to chest, groin to groin, loving the feel
of his silky skin against mine. The evidence of his desire was
hard and hot, trapped between our close-pressed abdomens...
trapped against the evidence of my own desire. He moaned softly
as my teeth grazed his neck, his husky voice sending a lick of
energy surging through me.
Somehow I manoeuvred him to the bed and we fell together, our
landing cushioned by the firm mattress and soft pillows. I rolled
on top of him, placing my elbows either side of his flushed face,
and looked deeply into those sea-green eyes. I knew what I
wanted. The moment seemed to stretch into forever but then I saw
it. The glazed look faded as he read my face like an open book,
to be replaced by a... softening. His breathing slowed, his
eyelids lowered and I knew he was submitting, knew he was mine
for the taking. I kissed him slowly, passionately, my tongue
sliding into his hot mouth, stroking across his perfect teeth
before plunging deeper to glide against his own tongue. I could
feel his hands smooth a path down my back from shoulder blades to
hips where they rested, holding me firmly as my legs slowly
forced his apart until my own were nestled between them. I pulled
back until I was kneeling above him, gazing down upon his
perfection. He smiled at me then and in that moment I knew this
was more than a passing fancy. Somehow he had managed to wrap
himself around me, body and soul.
I prepared him gently, my body trembling with barely constrained
lust as I pushed first one, then another saliva-coated finger
deep into his willing flesh. He arched back, exposing the long
column of his throat as my fingers glided against the delicate
interior, searching for and finding that special place that had
brought so much pleasure to me with past lovers. At his gasp I
knew I had found it and I found myself grinning, pleasure
coursing through me that the creators of this miracle of
technology had copied a man down to the smallest detail. I
withdrew my fingers, my heart beating wildly at the cries of
protest. He wanted this... wanted me. I pulled his hips up the
plane of my thighs and positioned the head of my throbbing
erection against the loosened muscle. I could feel cool sweat
trickling down my face, and watched fascinated as a droplet
spilled onto his burning flesh. Then, then enthralled, pressed
forward... slowly... aware that, no matter what memories of past
experience floated around his head, this may be the first time
his body had been penetrated and I wanted it to be glorious...
for both of us.
At the first push he hissed, muscles clenching against this most
intimate invasion. I took deep breaths, forcing myself to hold
still, resisting the screaming urge to thrust deeper into his
delectable ass. Gradually he relaxed and I could move again until
eventually I was fully sheathed in his tight heat. Slowly we
began to rock together, the tiniest of movements sending the most
incredibly intense sensations through every cell of my body. His
own moans increased in volume and tempo as our movements grew
wilder until I was thrusting hard, pulling out almost to the tip
before plunging back in to the hilt.
Somewhere along the line my brain switched off and I become
nothing more than a bundle of overloading nerve endings
spiralling out of control.
The journey from door, to bed... to this moment in time seems but
a hazy memory to me now as I lie here with him cradled in my
arms. My throat is sore from the screams I cannot remember
making, my legs are still trembling as if I had just run a
marathon... my breathing still coming in ragged gasps. The
stickiness across my belly is testament to his own release and I
have vague memories of watching his face as he came; vague
recollection of the sudden clenching of muscles that toppled me
over the edge. I stroke back a lock of sweat-slickened hair from
his tall forehead and kiss those sweet, sleep-softened lips.
The beeping of the televid calls me back from the edge of sleep
and I tenderly kiss his cheek as I leave the bed.
CBG Spender was dead, his head crushed like an over-ripe
watermelon. Not far from his body lay another man. It didn't take
long to get an ID. While I waited for more information I replayed
the surveillance tape.
Walter Sergei Skinner had gained access to Spender's private
chambers by convincing one of Spender's top designers, a small
man named Frohike, to take him to the powerful head of the Tyrell
Corporation on the pretext of merely wanting information.
Unfortunately, for both Spender and Frohike, the answers Skinner
received were not what he wanted to hear. Spender's delusion of
Godhood, patronising his 'creation', was his undoing.
By announcing Skinner's death sentence, Spender had signed his
own death warrant. Melvin Frohike had been luckier. The blow that
should have killed him had left him unconscious with a fractured
skull. He would live.
It seemed to me that the best place to start searching for the
two missing Nexus-6's would be Frohike's apartment. He lived
alone in an old dilapidated building in the eastern section of
the metropolis rather than in one of the more modern
monstrosities that rose hundreds of storeys high near the centre
of the old Washington DC. I parked my hovercar outside and, on an
impulse, I placed a call to Frohike's televid number.
The features that filled the small screen in my car were
instantly recognisable; the beautiful Dana. Her pert lips were
glossy with a deep red lipcolour, her flawless white-painted skin
a brilliant contrast to those lips and to the flaming locks of
auburn hair that cascaded around her elfin face. Her eyes shone
like sapphires within the blue band of paint striped across her
face from temple to temple. I could tell from her voice that she
was regretting her decision to answer the call, realising that
her curiosity may have left her vulnerable.
My own self-confidence was nearly my undoing. Her small frame was
deceptively strong and agile and she very nearly succeeded where
Fowley and Leon had failed. As I gazed down at her lifeless body,
watching the spread of pseudo-blood from the massive hole in her
tiny abdomen I felt sick. She looked so much like a child. Hell,
she was a child... barely two years old. The sound of the ancient
elevator brought me back to my senses. I could think of only one
other 'person' who would come to this place; Skinner.
The rain poured down upon me, plastering my hair to my head,
drenching my clothes yet I could not move. Instead I sat there in
the cold downpour, my legs sprawled in front of me, the wall at
my back being the only thing keeping me seated upright... and I
stared. I stared at the half-naked figure sitting cross-legged a
few feet in front of me. His head slumped onto his chest, the
rivulets of water cascading down his face.
He had saved my life.
The words he spoke during those last few moments of his own
existence would haunt me forever. It was all gone just as he
said, like 'tears in the rain'. His tears... and mine. I don't
know why he chose to save me, why he reached down and pulled me
to safety as the last of my strength ebbed away. I can only
believe that, in those last minutes, life had become so precious
that he valued even my life.
A voice pulled me back from my introspection; Cardinale.
"You did a man's job, Mulder."
I looked at him, no longer feeling any annoyance with the small
man. In these last few days I had found something within myself.
A reason to go on. A reason to leave it all behind. More
importantly, I had found someone who gave that reason meaning.
"He won't live..."
Fear tightened its grip upon me, wrapping its icy fingers around
my chest and squeezing until I could barely breath. I made my way
back to my apartment and entered, gun in hand.
The interior was still warm but dark. I flicked on the lamp, its
glow casting long shadows about the darkened room. Stealthily I
made my way across to the bed where I could make out the still
shape bundled beneath the covers. With the barrel of my gun I
pulled the cover aside and leant down. The soft expulsion of air
against my cheek brought a sob rising from the depth of my soul.
Alexei moved, luxuriating in the warmth, stretching like a well
contented cat. His eyes opened and the most beautiful smile lit
his features, overwhelming me with the love and lust that was
meant only for me. Those eyes seemed to reach deep into my soul
and I knew why I couldn't stomach the killing any more. 'More
Human Than Human'. Yes. He was more human than human... they
all were. They had been given life, maybe not from a woman's womb
but life nonetheless. No-one had the right to take it away.
I kissed his sweet lips gently and whispered to him.
"We have to go."
The smile fell at the seriousness of my tone. Ten minutes later
we were by the front door. I held him back as I quickly surveyed
the corridor leading to the elevator. As we quickly walked across
the open corridor something caught my eye. I stopped and reached
down. The cheroot was still warm. Cardinale had been there and
had let Alexei live.
He won't live.
Those words re-echoed in my mind. I smiled as I realised an
alternative reason for his statement. Cardinale was letting us
go. He knew Alexei could not remain on Earth, for here he would
be hunted down... and killed. Cardinale knew that any life I made
with Alexei would have to take place offworld leaving my former
position in the Blade Runner squad vacant. Yet still he had made
a small effort to make me consider my options.
He won't live.
It did not matter... four decades, four years or four seconds. I
would take what was given and give both of our lives meaning.
What Cardinale did not know was that Spender had told me Alexei
had no expiration date. The four year life span did not apply yet
Alexei would be prone to the same ageing process as the Human
race. 'More Human Than Human'. In time his manufactured cells
would give out but until then, unlike us mere Humans, he would
remain as beautiful as he is now.
I pulled Alexei into my arms as we waited in the boarding area
for the next offworld flight. Only a Voigt-Kampff would reveal
him as a Nexus... and there was no-one here who cared less. We
were leaving Earth and that was all that mattered. He turned in
my embrace, his arms wrapping themselves around my torso under my
coat. I looked back from where my sight was focussed on the ship
that would take us to freedom and my eyes locked with his. So
much innocence in that gaze, so much vulnerability. In time he
would come to terms with his inception, he would have memories of
his own making... of our making. In time he would lose the fear
that governed him. He would grow stronger, more self-reliant.
We stood up, still holding onto each other as the 'boarding'
announcement echoed through the terminal. I took a deep breath.
He was not the only one feeling vulnerable at this moment. I had
burnt all my bridges behind me. I gave him a tentative smile and
was rewarded with a gentle kiss.
No-one knew how much time either of us would have but I hoped
that we would spend what time remained together and with his hand
held tightly in mine we stepped through the doorway into our
future.
More Human Than Human
by Tarlan
It was raining, always raining. The incessant drops poured from a
sky that had not seen even a sliver of blue in many a year, a
morbid testament to the pollution that had built up over the
centuries. The darkness of the night was only fractionally more
dismal than that of the day. Neon flashed, the light reflecting
off the wet pavement; off the slow moving hovercars; off the
shiny plastic raincoats and umbrellas and high above, the ever-
present blimp sang its song of freedom. The Off-World Colonies...
a chance to begin again... a golden land of opportunity. I
wondered if this same message played across Europe back when the
'New World' of America was discovered. The chatter of humanity as
people bustled along the crowded footpaths; the humming of
engines crawling along the roadway, bumper to bumper; the ringing
of cycle bells zigzagging between both vehicles and pedestrians,
and the constant, never-ending drumming of the rain assailed my
ears but was ignored as a background to the dark, depressing
thoughts that echoed around my brain.
