Larva: Part 1

 

Rufus Jones awoke from the darkness with a shriek that he stifled as soon as he realized that he was still alive and seemingly unhurt.  He didn’t bother to wonder at being alive, for he knew that a bug had taken him.  Bug’s only took live captives to implant them and turn them into Manants to be used as fodder in the war between the bugs and the human race.  He whimpered at the horror of what he knew was to come and wondered if there was anyway to kill himself before IT could happen to him. 

He suddenly heard a breathy, panicked and very masculine sounding scream off to his left and inadvertently looked in the direction of the screamer.  A male soldier (as he had guessed) was frantically struggling in the ardent embrace of a type of bug that Rufus had never seen before (and since he was a war correspondent he had seen a lot of the different kinds of army bugs) so he assumed that this new bug had to be the bug that did the implanting which turned a human soldier into a manant slave-soldier.  He shivered in horror and hastily scuttled away because he didn’t want to see what was happening, he didn’t want to witness the implant procedure.  Another victim shrieked off to his right and helplessly he looked again, frightened and yet horribly fascinated by the idea of witnessing his own eminent fate.  This coupling was farther along he realized with almost clinical detachment, the big soldier was already pretty much naked, all he had left of his uniform was his boots and a few scraps of fabric hanging around his waist and shoulders, his spine had already been fused to the symbiote that was implanting him, and the nape of his skull had been pierced (or what the Core snidely termed as mind-fucked), black carapaces were growing out of the spinal symbiote and fusing to his shoulders and hips, eventually the carapaces would cover his head and all of his body and act as a rather effective armor against many projectile weapons. 

Rufus then noticed the black appendage that the Core had termed the cocktail that was attached to the base of the symbiote’s spine and he flinched in horror and jerked his eyes away, that was the actual brain of the thing and was the mind control fucker that all soldier’s in the core feared more than anything.  But the victim screamed again in a raspy desperate shriek that made Rufus to look once more and witness the utter horror of being male and being raped.  That appendage was brutally pummeling the victim’s hind end, beating at his anus until the muscle ring let go under such viscous force and then the cocktail drilled itself deep inside the soldier’s ass.  The soldier let out a long wail that sang of his total defeat and despair, for it was all over now, with the cocktail implanted the tendrils it put out would merge into the spine of the victim and with that all that he had been, all that he could have been was lost.

“It’s okay.” Stated a voice from behind Rufus that startled the frightened reporter into a very embarrassing shriek.  Rufus spun around on his knees and found he was facing a very naked human youth of about 16 or 17 years of age.  The boy was tall and slender with fair skin made all the paler by the black appendages surrounding his hips and shoulders and almost touching around his waist.  The boy was also completely hairless except for his eyebrows and the long eyelashes that framed a pair of large expressive brown eyes.  “It’s okay, he’ll stop screaming soon….” The youth’s expression tightened briefly as he glanced toward the newly created manant, “The bugs like to drag that part out a bit, but…it is over now.  Mostly.”

Still others were beginning to scream within the transformation chamber, as more of the captured soldiers were being prepared and implanted, or in the case of a female soldier—who was unluckily near to Rufus—dispatched summarily.  Inadvertently witnessing the female’s murder Rufus gasped and cried, “Why?  Why did they kill her?”  Even as he asked, another female soldier had been discovered, and even though she fought desperately it took only one spiny appendage blade thrust (from another of the first bugs he had seen earlier) into the base of her skull to shut her up.

The boy looked sadly at the dead female as she collapsed to the ground already forgotten by the worker as it moved to another victim.  “Women have a brain chemistry which makes them resistant to being successfully transformed into manants.  Because of it the bugs just kill them rather than waste time with them.”  He sadly explained.

Rufus, having someone to talk too, was beginning to think rationally and looked at the boy suspiciously, “I thought that once you’re made into a manant that you aren’t human anymore…I mean, you still look pretty normal to me.”

The youth sighed with equal sadness and murmured, “I’m not a manant.  My brain chemistry makes me resistant to transformation too.”

Still suspicious Rufus stated, “But you’re plugged-in…erm I mean implanted.” 

“Yes.” The youth murmured in agreement as he turned around, showing his back to the curious reporter.  The boy’s slender back was fused like a Manants, but this symbiote seemed much more delicate for tho the black line of it undulated a bit across the back (and as he had seen was evident around the front as well) but no where near to the same extent as a normal manant’s did.  The symbiote here clearly ended at the base of the skull and showed no evidence of ever having extended to cover the boy’s head even though the boy was bald. 

The youth took a step then he paused and looked back, “Come with me,” He instructed, waving his hand in the come-hither gesture.

Still suspicious and with soldiers fighting and shrieking all around him Rufus hesitantly rose to his feet.  “Wh-why?  Where are you taking—um—where are we going?”

Those soft brown eyes lifted to meet his, and the boy said simply, “They did not bring you here for implanting, they brought you here to be a reporter.”

Shock and surprise warred for expression on Rufus’s hound-dog face, “What?” He gasped.

The youth turned away again and took a few steps away from him, and Rufus helplessly noticed that the youth had a very sweet sway to his stride and he shook his head in confusion.  He was not attracted to boys, but—there was something about this boy that was very attractive.  Again the youth turned, his expression a little impatient now, “Please?  Come with me.”  Rufus noticed that his eyes also appeared a little frightened.

“What will happen if I don’t?”  He wondered aloud.

The youth grew even paler and suddenly Rufus noticed that he had gained a worker bug’s attention.  Rufus shied back, now terribly aware of the consequences if he didn’t cooperate with the boy.  The boy ran forward, intercepting the worker and holding up his hands as if that would stop the ugly brute, surprisingly the worker did stop even though it chattered at him.  The boy shivered in response and sent an aggrieved look at Rufus, but then he nodded and with a defeated slumping of his shoulders turned to Rufus.  “Please, if you don’t come with me now you will be implanted.”

Wanting to save his virgin ass Rufus only too readily agreed and followed the youth from the chamber of horrors.  The boy walked silently beside him with his head down and his expression forlorn.  Rufus was to busy looking around and gasping at the bug and manant traffic that passed in the corridor to notice at first the youth’s misery.  When he did finally notice the sparkle of tears on the youth’s smooth cheeks he asked him what was wrong.

The boy scrubbed at his tears and sent him yet another angry look, only the expression crumpled into misery again as the youth whispered, “They are going to punish me.”

“Wha—why?”  Rufus yelped, then realization set it, “Oh…because I questioned you?”

The boy sniffled and nodded, “Yes.”

“Um…uh…sorry.”  What could you say to that?  He was a reporter, he questioned all sorts of things and blindly following this youth had raised all his alarm warnings.  He decided to change the subject.  “Uh—I—uh don’t understand what you are?  You’re plugged-in like a manant, yet you say you’re not a manant?  So what are you?”

The youth dried his wet cheeks and listlessly murmured, “I’m a crèche…a breeder.”

That reply made Rufus’ ears burn and tingle.  “What?”

Those brown eyes fused with his, “If they can’t make you into a manant and you’re not a woman, than they make you a breeder.”  The boy suddenly muffled a sob with his fist and cried, “I’d rather be a manant, and I’d rather not know what is happening or care about it.  But I feel everything, I remember everything…it’s horrible. It’s…” He frantically shook his head as if chastising himself and then took in a deep breath to calm down.

Rufus paused as the youth stopped and faced him.  He waited, wonderingly, for the youth to get to the point, and it didn’t take long.  “You have your Cam right?  If you don’t I’m sure that I can find one for you.  The bugs would bring everything back from the battlefield if they could.”

Rufus patted his side bag, which he knew contained his equipment.  “Right here.”

The boy nodded, “That’s good, we should get started.”

Rufus withdrew the headgear Cam and slipped it over his head.  He popped the microphone into position and folded the eyepiece over his right eye.  He switched on the recorder that still remained in the bag and nodded, “Ready…now what am I supposed to be recording.”

The youth closed his eyes and sucked in a slow deliberate breath, then as he released it he murmured forlornly, “The demoralization of the human captives.”

“Ah…how ‘bout…no?” Rufus said half-jokingly, half-seriously.

The boy just quirked a brow in askance, but it reminded Rufus of exactly what he could expect if he didn’t cooperate.  “Okaaaay.  Let’s do it then.”

The boy looked up and down the corridor, he glanced back at Rufus after a moment and then he said, “We have to wait.”

“Why?  I’m all pumped to record this shit,” Rufus growled.

The youth sighed unhappily, “Because we have to wait for your guide.  They don’t trust me to properly show you the things they’ll want to show you.”

Rufus was about to ask how come, but then he thought of a different question.  “You can communicate with them?  All of them?”

The youth shrugged, “I haven’t seen all of them, but…yeah, pretty much.  When they…implanted me they did something to my brain, even though I didn’t lose myself I found that I could understand them, even the ones that don’t chitter-chatter, but send thoughts to the brain.  It was…strange…at first.”

Yeah, I’ll bet, Rufus thought, staring at the once again quiet youth.  He was such an attractive boy and so young, much too young to be in this place.  Why was he here?  That question had more than the obvious answer, like the fact he had been taken as a captive…but how?  He was surely too young to be a soldier, had the bugs taken him from a civilian holding? 

Suddenly one of the bugs separated from the rest of the pack and if the youth’s fretful tensing was any indication Rufus knew that this bug had to be their guide.  This bug was about man height, but it was no manant.  It stood upright on two pair of stick-thin hind legs and carried its remaining pair of limbs curled up toward its upper body segment.  This bug was divided into three segments, the tail segment that was the largest segment, the chest that was the smallest and the head.  The bug was an unrelieved black color all over and had a single pair of large refractive black eyes on the top of it triangular shaped head, the point of its head comprised of its mandible or mouth, which chittered and clacked noisily upon reaching them.

He watched the boy as he listened to the bug’s jarring chatter, and knew by the tentative nods and how the boy tightened in on himself that he indeed understood what the bug had to say.  Sullenly the boy looked back at Rufus and he regretfully rasped, “It is as I feared.  The session will start in the manant chamber.  I-I’m sorry.”

Rufus paled, “We have to go back…there?”

The boy nodded, and repeated, “I’m sorry.”   A moment later though he was wincing and yelping as the bug gripped him by his arm and turned him back the way he had just come.  “Ouch!  Ouch…you don’t have to hurt me!”  The youth cried, half running to keep up with the bug’s quick pace, “I am obeying you!”

Rufus was left behind for a startled moment, until he noticed that without the strange youth he was suddenly not invisible anymore.  Cooperate or become one of them, he remembered sullenly even as he sprinted to catch up.

Rufus was only a second behind them as the bug pulled the painfully protesting youth back into the original chamber again.  Once inside the bug let go, or the youth pulled hard enough to free himself, for he suddenly stumbled a few feet before regaining his balance.  The youth sent the bug an ugly look while rubbing his aching arm.  Rufus sidled up to the youth and asked slyly.  “Aren’t you afraid that they’ll get mad at you for looking at them like that?”

The youth scowled, still rubbing his arm.  “It didn’t have to hurt me!  I know what I’m supposed to do.  It wasn’t necessary to hurt me…but…they don’t care about that.  They don’t care about the same things we do, they have no love, no emotion except maybe malice, and what you’ll see today will confirm that.  They…really are nothing but monsters.”  He finally released his sore arm and added scornfully, “Besides I’m too valuable to them as a breeder to do any lasting damage to me.”

“Ah…I see.” Rufus glanced around the strangely quiet chamber and realized in the short time he had been away, that all the present captives had been processed so to speak.  As he scanned the chamber (all the while the film was recording) he paused on the lifeless bodies on not two but five females.  They had been discarded like so much waste material.  Ten males in various states of dress huddled on their knees, a few of them were still aware enough to grunt and moan but many more were being encased by the bug carapaces now which meant they had been successfully implanted.  It was still, a pretty sickening picture to witness despite the numbing silence.  “Uh…now what?”

The youth didn’t even need to say anything; a troop of bugs tramped in delivering another group of bedraggled and frantic captives, and started the scene all over again.  Now the boy spoke, and Rufus turned to bring him into the picture.  “This is the rebirthing chamber…what you—um—us humans probably call the manant chamber.  This is where the bugs create the manants that they use mostly in battle against us.”

The screaming started again, a soldier maybe a year older than Rufus’ guide tried to make a dash for it and was quickly snagged and dragged back while screaming wildly.  Rufus unwillingly focused on that youth, watching with horrified fascination as the worker bug that was holding him down used scissor-like precision to slice through his tough army fatigues as if the uniform was made out of tissue paper.  The boy cried and struggled as the now shredded outfit was peeled off his thin but muscular body, then he squealed when the worker bent its thick head above him.  A long trunk like appendage slid from the mouth area of the bug and began to probe around the youth in a manner that appeared like sniffing.  Rufus looked helplessly to his human guide, “What’s it doing?”

The boy flinched as if startled, and by his tense expression it was obvious that he wasn’t enjoying being here, the memories of this place were probably still to close to the surface.  But after a moment, and a bit of chattering from the bug guide the boy shook himself aware and said, “It’s kind of like smelling him.  I don’t know what it’s looking for but—” again the youth winced as a screaming female met with a very messy end, “Uh…” with his voice quavering in despair the boy continued, “some how they seem able to smell who is manant, breeder …or waste.”

Rufus looked back again, the captive boy was now being restrained facedown on the dirt and the worker straddled his nude length (the boy still had his boots on).  Then as the worker bug hunkered down and Rufus witnessed another appendage descending from the bug’s hind segment he swallowed and asked hoarsely, “Do I have to watch this?”

The guide bug chattered and his human guide replied, “If you don’t want to join him down there.”

“Fuck—fuck—fuck—fuck.” Rufus rasped, feeling his heart beat increase as he trained his eyes on the scene.  He took a moment to scan the room and take in the rest of the torturous festivities before returning to the young soldier.  That descending appendage hovered just above the soldier’s gyrating bottom, the bug slung itself down more in line with the angle of the soldier’s body and then thrust forward.  The young soldier shrieked and scrambled up to his knees even though he was still being pinned down.  He struggled all the fiercer to get free but the bug’s pumping appendage followed his every desperate movement without being dislodged.

Beside Rufus the youth murmured grimly, “And they don’t even do that for pleasure…unless the pleasure is in knowing that doing It to us is like the worst thing to do to a human male.  They don’t have sex like humans do, they don’t…that isn’t even its penis, not really, must of the bugs are drones anyway, so they don’t really have genders like us.  That thing is probably a special limb that was once used for an entirely different purpose but now…well you see what they use it for now…to demoralize.  And in this case that is all it’s doing.  The worker doesn’t implant the host.”

Rufus sent a startled look at the youth, “But I thought that was the…whatever it is.”

The youth shook his head and shivered as he pointed at something across the room, “Those are.”

Rufus trained his eyes on the small spider like shapes that infested the far corner of the room.  From where he stood he couldn’t make out details very easily, he could see that they had stick like bodies perched upon six long spindly legs and that the head of the thing was nearly as long as body and nearly twice as thick.  As the bugs scampered closer and scrambled to impregnate a host (several of the things would all angle for the closest squirming body) he watched in sick wonder to see what happened.  Three of the bugs blackened the young soldier he had watched earlier and as he screamed, trying to shake them loose (nothing was holding him down now) one of the bugs managed to position itself along his spine.  Rufus was confused, for the thing was upside down, that was when he remembered that of course it had to be upside down because it would be the head of the symbiote that would enter the young soldier once it had managed to meld itself externally to his spine.  He gulped as suddenly what seemed like thousands of tiny tendrils floated from the bug’s sticklike body and scattered like a fine cloud onto the boy’s heaving back.  In a flash of bloody mist those tendrils pierced the youth’s body along his spine and in seconds the symbiote was welded to him.  Then while the youth was still screaming the hind of the thing reared up and a dozen larger tendrils floated loose, only to pierce the soldier at the base of his skull.  With shocking suddenness the youth stopped screaming and froze as those tendrils worked themselves into his brain.  It took several moments, with the youth spasming and drooling until the tendrils locked into place with a snap.  Then after taking a moment to remember how to breathe the youth screamed again and fought all the harder to get free.  The rest of the area was echoing the youth in a very similar fashion, but Rufus pretty much ignored them except to briefly scan the scene.

“It’s over—it’s over for them, even if they could run…it’s too late.” The boy whispered shakily at his side, wrapping his arms about his naked chest and shivering.  “I don’t like it here.”

“Yeah…I’m with you there kid.”

The boy flashed him a tiny thankful smile, but it faded rapidly though, for it was hard to find anything to be thankful about here.  Rufus didn’t think the boy was happy to still be living, not if living meant being here.

The bug guide chattered again, the youth blushed and then stammered unhappily.  “It says…it says you have to g-get closer.  You have to record IT happening.”

Rufus felt his own face heating, he didn’t need to ask what IT was, he knew what IT was and he wanted nothing to do with IT, but if he really wanted to avoid IT happening to him…then he had better do as the bugs wanted. “Damn—damn—damn.”  He whispered hoarsely.

Together, he and the boy and the bug ventured closer to the shrieking soldier.  He stopped a few feet away, certain that he was close enough, however the bug’s damnable chattering said otherwise and he moved a bit closer.  The bug chattered again, and this time the youth yelped and then he snapped, “Okay…Okay you don’t have to hit me!  I’ll tell him!”

Rufus asked ruefully, “Still not close enough?”

The boy mournfully shook his head; he was rubbing his arm again.  “Not close enough.”

“God Damnit!” Rufus cursed and sidled unhappily closer to the young soldier.

The soldier, even in the middle of trying the tear the symbiote off his back, noticed Rufus.  He shot desperately startled looks at him, taking in his fully clothed state and in realizing that he was not a bug or a manant, the young soldier lunged toward him, yelling “Help me!  God help me!  Get this thing off me!  God Help me!  Shoot me!  Kill me!  Get it off me!  Please-please-God please!”  The young soldier’s hands that grabbed onto Rufus’ arms with vice like force were shaking with terror and he was crying in fright.  Rufus actually recoiled from him, but even as he recovered he saw it was too late to help him by the shocked widening of the youth’s eyes and the sharp exhalation that became yet again another shriek.  The soldier dropped to his knees.  He screamed and heaved, then twisted around and started yanking at the thing that was reaming him.  “Ahhh!  God!  Kill me!  Kill me pleeeeeaaase!”

Rufus helplessly looked down, and saw along the twisted black line of the soldier’s back exactly what the youth was yanking at.  That black cocktail (head) of the symbiote was thrusting itself inside the young soldier’s body.  Even though the soldier yanked and pulled to try to displace or pull the thing out, it’s muscular thrusts were stronger than the young soldier’s resistance, in more ways than one.  The soldier groaned and yelped with each inch the symbiote achieved, Rufus remembered how big the cocktail had been from the start, almost as long as its stick body, that cocktail was now bent in a muscular loop, and a lot of it was still outside the youth’s body.  The boy tried changing his grip, but it was no good.  Rufus felt sick, surely there was something he could do to help the youth.  He wished not for the first time that he carried a gun, for just one bullet in the back of his skull would end the soldier’s troubles once and for all.

But a timid hand touched his sleeve and he found himself looking into a pair of sorrowful brown eyes.  “You can’t help him.” The boy whispered as tears tracked done his fair cheeks.  “You can’t help any of us… and even if you did manage to do him in… the recording wouldn’t get out….” The boy brought his hand up to his mouth to stifle his sobs and continued hoarsely.  “I want this recording to get out.  I want them to be so mad they blow all bugs to hell…I want…I want this to end.”

“Kid…” Rufus murmured somberly, watching as the boy slid around him and sat down in front of the young soldier. 

Grunting and crying as he was the soldier was still very aware, and of course he saw the naked boy settle before him, and he snarled with loathing as he imaged what the implanted youth intended for him, what was one more piece of cock with that living cocktail shoving brutally up his ass. 

But the boy’s intent was not to shame the soldier, he pulled the young man’s face against his shoulder even as the soldier snarled and swore at him.  He cuddled up against the soldier’s heaving body and even though he was clearly in danger of being hurt (if the angry chattering of the bug guide was any indication) the youth was willing to risk it.  “Stop.” He whispered, reaching around to grasp the soldier’s straining hand.  “Stop fighting it.  It will be over faster…and then…you’ll just forget.”

“Uhg…get away…from me you freak.” The soldier panted, now resisting both the soothing tone of the boy and the reaming force of the symbiote long head.

But the boy persisted.  “Let go.  Stop fighting and let go.  It will be over faster.  You can’t win this way but…but if you show some pride in this…won’t that show them that they can’t win?  Let go.  Let go.”

Rufus saw that the soldier wasn’t ready to let go just yet, but the boy was persuasive and his body was so warm and comforting, that gradually the soldier relaxed into the youth embrace and his grip lessoned on the symbiote though he had not yet released total control to it.  The boy continued to talk, and distract the soldier, soothing him when a particularly forceful thrust reminded him of what was happening.  The soldier whimpered against the youth’s shoulder, “It hurts.”

The boy nodded, stroking the soldier’s sweat soaked hair.  “I know…I’ll hold you until everything stops.  I won’t let go.”

“P-promise?”  The soldier asked anxiously.

The bug guide was chattering noisily, and now several others had been drawn in and were all chattering in unison with the other, but the youth ignored them all as he continued his self appointed task of keeping this one soldier at least calm and comforted while he was being overtaken by his symbiote.  Rufus nervously looked at the circling bugs, they looked extremely agitated if he was reading them right, but they didn’t try to interfere with what the youth was doing.

“I promise.” The youth sighed softly.

The young soldier finally let go and now leaned against the youth, gasping and shuddering with each new inch the symbiote achieved as it raped his ass.  Both arms now hugged around the youth, hanging on to him with desperation with each thrust, and relaxing when the symbiote relaxed.  Between deepening thrusts that had to be nestling the creature deep into the soldier’s bowel, the soldier asked, “Will I forget?”

“Yes…everything.  They’ll control you.  Nothing you do from this point will actually be done BY you.”  The youth assured him gravely.

“I’m g-glad.” The soldier sighed raggedly, shuddering with an extremely deep thrust.  His head lifted off the youth’s shoulder and he turned enough to look.  Rufus followed the soldier’s gaze and saw that the pulsating bug had planted itself completely.  The soldier stared at the black line of the bug that ended at the crease of his buttocks and moaned, “I’m scared.”

The youth turned the soldier’s face back into his shoulder and murmured, “I know.”

“Argh…uhnnn what is…” The soldier cried against the boy’s warm bare skin as Rufus saw the symbiote backing out and then thrusting forward again in one quick burst.  He also noticed abstractedly that the soldier had one burgeoning erection happening from all of this, he glanced away hoping that he could edit that part out of the record, since it seemed cruel to shame the soldier’s memory.  After all, he couldn’t help his response to this attack.

The youth’s own grip on the soldier tightened around him as the black appendage backed out and thrust in again and again, the soldier started to scream again and hunch his hips against the boy’s legs.  “UH…UHG!  Why…why…is it doing th-th-at?”

Tears were streaming down the youth’s face as he raspingly whispered, “It’s seeking a position to implant you.  I know it hurts but it will be over soon.  It will, I promise.”

Indeed, within moments the cocktail settled in again, having found its position.  The soldier, sensing that the end of his awareness was at hand, relaxed once more and curled up against the boy again and then he raised his head and said shakily, “Tell me your name.”

The youth beamed a watery smile at him and murmured sadly, “My name is Kris.”

“Uh…uh…will I just go to sleep Kris?”

Kris nodded, sniffling back his sobs.  “Yes, it’ll be just like sleeping.”

“Good…I don’t want to be awake.  My…name is Carl Ridgeway, I’m an officer in the Hell-cat 00Q4 squad.”

Kris sobbed softly now.  “I will remember your name Carl.  I’ll remember it.”

Then Carl heaved, and shrieked against the youth’s shoulder.  Kris could have been hurt in the soldier’s final pained contortions but Kris wouldn’t let him go.  Gradually Carl relaxed and slumped again and though Kris continued to sob softly, he finally, once Carl completely relaxed, let him go.  And surprisingly Carl sat up, moving in a strange disjointed manner away from Kris.  It was then that Rufus saw the emptiness in Carl’s dead eyes and the slackness of his face.  Carl was gone.  The symbiote was in control now.

Rufus felt his eyes water and it took a moment before they cleared enough to focus on the still kneeling youth.  The bug guide or at least one of them chattered demandingly and the boy listlessly arose to his feet.  “We must move on…there is more to see.  More they want you to record.”

Ahead of Rufus the boy walked surrounded by his own blue mood.  Rufus hung back a bit, thinking to let the youth have his space, but that meant the bug was trailing him, and that made him nervous.  Finally he moved up to pace the youth, though he continued to respect his need for silence.  When he glanced at the youth he noticed that silent tears still glistened on his tense cheeks. 

After a moment Kris wiped his face and smiled grimly.  “That was stupid wasn’t it?” he asked cryptically.

“Kid?  What…”

The youth hung his head and whispered, “His name was…is…Carl.  I-I’ve never done that before.  That place…it frightens me.  Was it cruel to do that to him?  Maybe I should have let him keep fighting…that would have showed more pride than what I did.”

Rufus stared at the youth for a moment before shaking his head and said softly, “No, you gave him kindness kid, I only wish I could have done something for them all.”

“I told you that it wouldn’t have made a difference.  You have to believe that, if you disobey them they will just throw you into the manant chamber and rebirth you.  You’ll go through what Carl did and-and nothing will ever change.”  Kris vehemently explained while wrapping his trembling arms around his chest.  “Nothing will ever change.”

Rufus decided changing the subject would be prudent and asked, “So what’s up next?”

Kris laughed grimly, “Oh you’ll like this, but fortunately this visit won’t take very long.”

“Erm…I look forward to the next site with eager anticipation.”

Kris actually flashed him a rueful smile, “Just remember to hold that thought when we get there.”

“’Kay.” Rufus breathed, while scanning the corridor they traveled along.  So far he had seen other chambers and more corridors, some that jutted off at strange angles to this one, even some that went straight up or dropped down, other corridors merged with this one as well, and often the corridor branched off or opened into a chamber of more corridors, Rufus knew that without Kris to guide him he would have been thoroughly lost.  However looking at the many bugs (and so many that were different) he sort of doubted that the bugs would have let him be lost for very long in these corridors.

“This place is…ugly.” He decided authoritively, he had originally meant to say huge, but ugly fit better.  It was indeed…just butt ugly.  Unless of course it was Kris’ butt, which was small and pert and really quite cute even if he did have a decorative black spine that continued down between his cheeks and went…well, he decided not to think about that, in fact he jerked his gaze and thoughts away from that area entirely after all he was recording this and what was he doing admiring a pretty boy’s bottom anyway.  “Okay where the hell are we going?”

Kris stopped and waved his hand limply toward another chamber.  “We are here.  This is the manant…kitchen.”

Rufus actually chose to proceed the youth, so he got to see without a first hand description and form his own opinion.  What he saw were are crowd of manants standing pretty much in attention formation.  Most had completely blackened torsos and heads, he could make out little in the way of individual features, for only the facial area around the mouth and chin of each manant was not covered in the carapace.  He looked wonderingly at the still mass, if this was a kitchen, where was the food?  There was some sort of action toward the rear exit of the chamber and he could see several large gooey looking bugs back there in front of the line at the rear. 

Kris sidled up beside him and touched his sleeve and indicated softly, “This is actually the back of the line.  We need to get to the front.”

Other manants had been coming in behind them, moving silently around them and joining the thick line waiting for their turn at the food counter.  Kris stepped ahead and led the way around to the front of the mass.  Here Rufus could better see the big greasy looking bugs that manned (so to speak) the front of the food train.  They were hugely disgusting, looking like little more than giant white grubs, and they were all but featureless except for the mass of pale fleshy waving tentacles which each had that could have been arms, legs or heads for all he could tell.  Rufus felt his stomach clench when he saw what the grubs did and namely what the tentacles were used for.  Each tentacle was a feeding tube that was forcefully jammed down a manant’s throat and pumped vigorously until clear whitish fluid oozed from around the nearly drowning manant’s mouth.  “God.”  It looked like a disgusting parody of cock sucking and he somehow understood that was exactly what it was meant to look like.

“Why?” He demanded, rounding on the only one who could answer him, “If the manants aren’t aware of being human, why do that to them?”

Kris spread his arms open helplessly and insisted, “Because if they were aware it would shame them.  The bugs know that this scene would be disturbing, so they nurtured it and enforced it and now the manants all feed this way.”

The bug guide chattered, and Kris blanched, a moment later he shook his head and rasped, “No.”

Again the bug chattered but this time it followed its demanding tone with an equally threatening posture.

Still Kris shook his head and defied the bug.  “No I won’t!  I don’t feed that way!  I won’t!  I won’t do it!”

Rufus had some idea of what the bug wanted, and in a moment his idea was proven right as the bug snatched at the defiant youth’s arms and thrust him into a mass of the disgusting oozing tentacles.  He lunged forward but the boy yelled, even as he clubbed at the tentacles, “Don’t, they know nothing except to force feed, if you come at them they will grab you and you’ll end up with one of those tubes down your throat.”

“Kid!  How can I help you?” He demanded, hanging back out of reach of those waving tentacles that stretched out toward him as if sensing his nearness.

The youth made no reply as he fought the descending mass of tentacles with remarkable vigilance, but he was quickly smeared with their dripping goop and slipping in their slimy ichor, and grabbing at the thick tubes as often as he batted at them.  His fight was desperately silent as he kept his mouth clamped shut to keep any tube from invading him, but as Rufus watched helplessly he noticed that the tentacles weren’t content to try just for the boy’s mouth they rubbed, stroked and wound themselves all over his slim body as if seeming to derive some pleasure from touching him.   He noticed that they probed between his legs and ‘kissed’ his timidly flaccid cock while looking for an opening, the boy was still firmly ‘plugged-in’ by his symbiote, so there was no opening available there, but suddenly one of the tubes clamped around the tip of the boy’s cock and started pumping the white ooze out, as if it was trying to force fluid into the pee-slit.  That must have hurt for Kris yelped, and even as he tugged the tentacle tube off his penis, another tube took the opportunity Kris provided and stuffed its pulsating length deep into the boy’s throat. Rufus rubbed at his eyes and considered covering the Cam lens, but the bug chattered a malicious warning at him that stayed his hand and kept him watching as Kris heaved in the tentacle grasp.  Indeed with Kris he was literally held down, his arms and legs and even his head and torso were pinned by a multitude of tentacles, and unlike the manants that were obviously force fed in a thunderous stream, nothing poured out of Kris’s struggling mouth except for his own desperate moans.

Rufus saw Kris’ throat working and knew that the boy was swallowing each successive deposit the tube delivered, he also noticed the tears mingling with the gooey smears on Kris’ cheeks and could see how the youth was plainly vibrating with unhappiness.  But he could also see how plainly erotic the whole image of the youth entwined by the tentacles was and he was thinking, I must edit this part out. While Kris helplessly swallowed the tube-food, other tentacles were still leisurely probing and caressing his body, and another tube, or maybe the same one returned to nuzzle and caress his penis.  Rufus could see how Kris arched his body to try and avoid that one amorous tentacle, but it just ignored his mild struggles and latched on again.  Kris shook and heaved in the tentacle embrace but he could not pull free no matter how hard he struggled, finally Kris sent a desperately pleading look at Rufus and then closed his eyes in defeat and submitted to the tentacles.  Rufus looked from the boy, who the tentacles loved, to the manants that those same tentacles were abusing and wondered what was the difference.  Could it be that it was a different bug that had Kris, but no, a manant stepped up and opened his mouth right in front of Kris and one tentacle forcefully jammed itself down his throat and quickly pumped his stomach full of clear ichor until the stuff was pouring out of the manant’s slack mouth.  So it was Kris who was different and the tentacles were quivering with ecstasy at having him in their embrace.

A shadow crossed Rufus and he was startled to realize that the bug guide had stepped up within grabbing distance of the tentacles (which didn’t even try to touch it) and was chattering insistently at…something.  Maybe the tentacles?  But Kris’ pretty eyes flashed open with sudden alarm and he began to struggle again, choking around the tube that still plugged his throat.

Rufus didn’t know what was happening beyond what was already evident, but the bug kept chattering and Kris kept fighting, and then Rufus saw something black slithering in all that slimy white.  The black thing wound itself around the boy’s leg, curling halfway down his thigh and then it flattened itself against his skin.  Rufus stared at the black thing for a few moments trying to figure out what it was; and he blushed when he realized that Kris had been ‘unplugged’.  The tentacles realized it much faster and replugged Kris’ anus in a gush of slurping tubes that had the boy’s lithe body arching in shocked pain even as his cock jumped to instantaneous attention.   The mass of slimy tentacles that were thrusting between the boys legs was amazing, and watching them seethe and pulse as one tube slipped free to be replaced by another made Rufus suddenly aware of the throbbing tightness in his own groin.  He strove to ignore the sensation and silently hated himself for even feeling such a sensation while witnessing Kris being raped. 

It took Kris’ actual sobbing before Rufus realized that the feeding tube was no longer stuffed down the boy’s throat.  Kris was still entangled by the tentacles and moaning weakly with the throbbing rhythm of the massive thing that pulsated between his trapped legs.  That clear whitish ichor coated his legs and pooled the ground beneath him as clearly jets of the stuff were being ejected inside Kris’ bowels.  Rufus watched and recorded as moments slipped by and finally the tentacles started to withdraw and let Kris go.  With his arms and legs freed Kris collapsed weakly to the ground and huddled there shuddering while straggler tentacles continued to cling tenaciously to the his warm and throbbing innards.  Even as first one then another of the tentacles slurped free until only one remained, Kris remained unmoving, hugging himself and rocking a little bit but otherwise not impeding any tentacle exploration, which Rufus witnessed re-occurring.  Kris would jerk and shudder a bit, moaning despondently as a new tentacle would stuff itself up his ass, and Rufus watched in amazement as sometimes more than a foot of thick tube would probe its way deep inside, what was even more alarming and erotic was witnessing a second or third or even a forth tube push its way inside and hearing nothing more than grunts and moans from the boy when clearly they had to be stretching his anus wide open with the mass of them.

The bug chattered and Kris shivered all over, but he did not alter his position.  The bug chattered again and this time Kris listlessly struggled up into a crouching position.  He was wavering though and still dazed if his nearly all pupil eyes were any clue.  Rufus wondered suddenly if that ichor Kris had ingested had a narcotic affect for it seemed pretty clear that Kris was high as a kite.   That damn bug chattered something again and Kris leaned a bit forward on his hands.  Those damn tentacles were still coming, or coming back for more of the boy and Kris didn’t seem to care about the traffic parking at his rear. 

“Kid?”

The boy tried to focus, but unable to he sobbed mournfully instead and wept, “I don’t want you to watch…me…please…please don’t watch me.”

Rufus closed his eyes and sucked in a steadying breath before whispering, “The bug won’t let me do otherwise.  I’m sorry I couldn’t help you kid.”

Kris hung his head and panted, “It’s—not—your f-fault.”

“What can I do to help you?”

Again Kris raised his head, “Nothing,” he moaned.

Rufus looked on while he fretted his helplessness to help Kris through this crisis.  The damn bug chattered again and Kris once again shifted position, this time he was one his knees, though still leaning forward slightly to accommodate the tentacle reamers.  Then—and here Rufus’ face grew hot with embarrassment—Kris curled his hand around his still very erect penis and began to strum it.

Rufus had to look away, he was already alarmed by his response to this boy, and witnessing the youth jerking off was likely to make him wet his pants.  But the bug thrust its ugly face right into his and clacked its mandibles in a clear threat which evidently meant he had to watch or else.  He chose ‘or else’ out of sheer stupid stubbornness.  “No…fuck you!  I can’t watch that!”

The bug shrieked at him shrilly and the threat tension increased tenfold.  Rufus continued to be stubborn for another moment or two, but not being the bravest individual he finally gave in when he remembered what would be the result of such a proud show of manly defiance.

Reluctantly Rufus looked back at Kris, he tried to keep his eyes high and trained on the boy’s face, but his expression was so damn erotic that there was little reason to try to ignore what else was going on.  Both Kris’ hands were pulling at his cock and alternately squeezing his taunt ball sacks.  He was gasping excitedly, whether from his own efforts or that of the tentacles that were still visiting his anus Rufus couldn’t begin to guess.  But at last Kris released with a shuddering cry and he fell forward into a shuddering heap.  Kris lay in a huddle, finally out of reach of the tentacles that still tried to stretch toward him.  Rufus stood helplessly above the gasping youth, uncertain of what to do to help him.  Kris slowly stretched out his limbs and rolled over onto his back. 

Kris was obviously in no hurry to move yet, for clearly he was exhausted by his ordeal.  Rufus looked away, reminding himself that the recorder was still running, but he found his eyes wandering back and looking of all places, between Kris’ parted thighs.  Kris was, wet and slick all over his genitals, and down into the shadowy grotto below his pink pucker glistened moistly and it seemed to pulse with his every shuddery breath.  Rufus felt his own scalp prickle as his fingers, seemingly of their own accord, wandered to explore that slippery pulsing mound.  Kris seemed to pay him no mind, but his thighs eased farther apart nonetheless.  He was so slick and wet and hot, that with no effort at all Rufus eased his finger into Kris’ throbbing satiny flesh.  His internal exploration was limited though, as the cocktail suddenly unwound itself from the youth’s thigh…and made its intensions clear, Rufus slid his finger out just in time, but he did not completely give way to the thing.

Kris uttered a breathy moan as the black shaft descended into his throbbing little pucker once more.  Then, for several moments he just lay, recovering his senses and his energy and ignoring everything else.  Rufus remained where he was, refusing to look where his fingers were exploring because it was safer than admitting he was touching that pink ring which was stretched so snugly by that big black cocktail.  Kris didn’t protest his touch so either the youth was ignoring that too, or actually unaware of his light touch.  Rufus almost looked down to see what he was touching, but instead he forced himself to look higher, at the reposed profile of the boy’s face.  Kris’ eyes were closed and the boy appeared to be asleep, but as if the boy was aware of him looking at him, Kris opened his eyes and looked at him, and Rufus knew then that Kris was aware of what he was doing.  Rufus felt his face heating, however Kris just closed his eyes again and shifted his hips so that Rufus’ finger actually stroked his throbbing anus. 

Rufus closed his eyes and breathed in a calming breath and then scanned the space before him, it a featureless stone wall that was nothing more than something to look at, and if he scanned around behind him he would see the rear exit and the feeding line and the manants still coming and going in an endless parade.  His finger pushed, squeezing in against the cocktail.  Kris moaned softly, but what was one finger more when compared to the width and depth of the cocktail?  Rufus marveled at the damp but tight warmth he encountered in his own probing of Kris’ hole, but the cocktail was greedy and didn’t seem to want to share anymore and he could have sworn it suddenly swelled enough to hurt his finger so it was pull out, or suffer.

It took a few additional moments before Kris sat up.  The boy was a mess; streaked with now drying slime that itched all over his body, but by the chattering of the bug guide it was clear his respite was over.

Kris was still a little wobbly when he stood up, and his eyes hadn’t completely returned to normal yet, as there was still way to much pupil overwhelming his brown irises.  The youth hesitated a moment, sending a perplexed glance at the Feeders, but the bug guide continued its incessant chattering so that Kris turned away and led Rufus out into another corridor.

Rufus paced the youth; and several times he almost spoke, only to fall silent instead.  Was he respecting the boy’s own silence, or just too nervous to open the conversation, because he was afraid of what the boy might say?  Rufus didn’t want to know the answer to that question.

It was Kris who broke the silence anyway, saying “I didn’t know the feeders would do that…to me.”  He glanced aside at Rufus and then he added, “…and I don’t want to talk about it.”

Rufus could respect that, he really didn’t want to acknowledge what he had done either, putting his finger up the boy’s ass. 

“Okaaay…now where?” It was too soon to think that the tour was over.

Kris hesitated a moment, and then he murmured, “I’d say Hell, but it’s more scary.  I don’t want to…but the bug insists.”

“Any warning of what to expect?  It—it isn’t another place like the kitchen—is it?”

Kris shook his head, “Oh…no.  Nothing like the kitchen.”

Rufus grunted, “Well, that’s good.  Just what is this place we are going to then?”

Kris scratched at an itchy patch of drying ichor and murmured, “It’s a place where they take some…humans…to die.”

Rufus gapped at this youth in surprise, “You don’t mean like what happens in the manant chamber?  Like how they kill the women soldiers?”

“No…not like that.”

“But…I don’t understand.  The bugs only take humans captive to turn them into manants…or you…so why then would they kill them?”

Kris looked down at his hands and whispered, “Because some of you…some humans have found a way to prevent the implanting.”

“How?” Rufus asked, amazed.

The boy hesitated and then he glanced back at the bug that was following them.  The bug didn’t seem bothered by Rufus’ question so Kris murmured, “I guess I can tell you before you see it.”  He absently picked at a dry chunk of slime on the back of his hand before continuing with the explanation.  “Some soldiers have started to booby trap themselves.  I’ve never seen it but one of the other breeders told me what the soldiers sometimes do now to protect themselves.  He said that some soldiers have taken to sticking grenades up their – uh…asses and when the symbiote goes inside it presses the trigger and well…you know what happens next.”

“That is…unbelievable.” Rufus breathed, feeling his own anus throb at the very idea of sticking a grenade up there.  And yet the idea wasn’t completely fantastic.  “How do the soldiers get it out if they aren’t caught by a bug?  I mean they can’t leave it inside for good.  I mean, God, the first time they had to take a crap they’d blow up.”

Kris shook his head, “I don’t know, that’s what he told me, but it must be true cause that is what we are going to have to witness…they have a booby trapped human that they are going to blow up and they are just waiting for us.”

Rufus had seen a lot of gory things in his tenure as a war correspondent, he had seen human and bug bodies reduced to slimy smears, but the idea of passively watching a human blow up was enough to make him feel extremely sick.  He crouched down and hanging his head between his knees he coached himself to “…breath Rufus…just breath.”

Kris knelt beside him tentatively stroking his back and asking, “are you okay?”

Rufus groused, “No kid, I’m not okay.  This place make’s me sick.”

The boy continued to stroke his back for a few moments and the silence stretched for a time where the most Rufus heard was the sound of his own careful breathing.  But at last Kris—with a very sad voice—spoke again, “I wish it still made me sick…I-I guess I’m getting used to it.”

Rufus raised his head, “How long you been here kid?” he asked.

Kris sighed, “Three breedings—I mean—almost three months.”  His eyes glistened with unshed tears.  “My free days are almost up again…in a few more days I’ll be put back in the saddle.”

Rufus sent the youth a puzzled look, “They saddle?”

Kris nodded, “It’s one of the bugs in the crèche.  I call them saddles.  You’ll see it when we go there.  They are saving that for last.” 

“Anyway,” the youth exclaimed as he rose to his feet, “we better get moving before it gets impatient again.”

Rufus was reluctant and admitted, “I think I’ll puke if they make me watch that.”

Kris gave him a look that made Rufus wonder just how human the boy still was, and then the youth shrugged, and said “then you will probably puke.”

Rufus scowled, following after the boy as he paced ahead.  How can he be so blasé about this? He cares, I know he does, he cried for that kid soldier and held him while he was being drilled…so he still cares, but this experience is dehumanizing him somehow, will he one day completely think himself just one of the bugs?  He’s a very pretty breeding tank that the bugs fuck on command.  I mean look at that ass, it’s the sweetest piece of ass I think I’ve ever seen on a boy…hell on a girl even…and I bet he gives it to any bug that wants it.  He even has trouble separating himself from them when he’s talking.  It is them and us and sometimes he gets confused about who he is and places himself with them. 

But Kris never glanced back or saw Rufus’ perplexed and half angry expression so he never knew that he was disturbing the reporter.  For Kris the idea of having to witness a human blow up was a scary, but he had been forced to see and do so much in the few short months that he had been with the bugs that he knew he would survive this too, what had his feet out pacing Rufus was the knowledge that the death chamber could be accessed through the fungus gardens, and if he went that way the bug guiding them wouldn’t stop him from washing this ichor off.  The idea of being immersed under a jet of cool clean water was so alluring that he was practically dancing with the desire to get this disgusting stuff of his body.  Rufus ended up having to run just to keep up, and briefly at least they both left the bug guide behind. 

Rufus saw Kris dart into another chamber and in following him he found himself transported into a magical place.  Plant life grew here, in strange pastel colors and cool whitish greens and grays.  Fungi, lichens and moss covered every possible inch of the place, softening the rough stone formations.  Funnels of water plashed and chimed down from the high ceiling overhead, and ran in glittering streams between banks of ferns and flowering mosses and towering fungi. And the walls glowed with bands of crystals in the stone, or from the mosses or lichens growing on them, the chamber had a softly enchanting green glow that was simply…soothing to the senses.

He saw Kris jump into one of the shallow pools of water and stop beneath a stream of crystal clear water and begin to briskly rub at his body.  Rufus approached the youth at a slower pace, watching the frankly enticing gyrations of the youth’s slim young body as Kris cleaned that unwanted ichor off his sensitive skin.  At last Kris must have thought he was clean enough for the boy emerged from under the stream and climbed up onto the mossy bank that surrounded the pool, where he promptly flopped onto his back and sighed with obvious contentment.

Rufus was helpless to resist and found he was smiling at that supinely peaceful youth, “Do you feel better?”

Kris stretched leisurely and lazily fanned his pretty brown eyes open, saying with a blithely sensual smile, “Um…that ichor felt just awful on my skin.  I just had to get it off.”

“Yeah, I guess it was itchy huh…”

“Uhm…” Kris agreed, closing his eyes and breathing in deeply, he sighed again and stroking his hands over the soft moss that cushioned his body, he murmured.  “It smells so nice in here.  This is where I come to sleep…and eat.”

And to replenish your soul? Rufus wondered, watching the youth as he writhed with obvious delight on the mossy bed.  What a picture, he mused, the kid is so beautiful.  He looked around the chamber; the bug guide still hadn’t made an appearance, so maybe it had decided to leave the kid alone for a few heartbeats, though he wondered if the damn bugs had any sense of kindness at all.  There were bugs in the garden though, little winged things that flitted about the pale flowers looking exactly like butterflies and bees and dragonflies, there was one other bug he noticed as well which filled him with dread and concern, since so far his experiences with bugs hadn’t been really good.  This bug he hadn’t noticed at first because it looked like part of the garden, it was softly green all over and covered in thousands of wispy tendrils that made it looked like a large and mossy green cloud.  He wouldn’t even have seen it except that it moved, and that was done in a languidly slow humping motion.  “Uh kid…there’s a bug.”

Kris opened his eyes and looked to see what had Rufus so alarmed, a moment later the youth closed his eyes and relaxed again, saying, “Oh, that’s a gardener bug.  It won’t hurt you.  It doesn’t hurt anything.”

“Ah,” okay, that was reassuring.  But Kris’ idea of hurting and someone else’s’ (like Rufus’) could be two different things.  Still other than keeping a wary eye on the bug, which seemed to be ignoring them anyway there was nothing that Rufus could do about it.  So accepting that it was harmless and that the guide bug wasn’t coming for them for a while at least and that Kris was content to squirm happily on the moss beneath him, Rufus settled down to wait on Kris’ whim.

After a moment Kris asked, “What…is happening out there?  I mean I talk to some of the other breeders, those that will talk to me…but their answers are no help really.”

Rufus sighed and glanced away from the youth’s intense gaze.  “The bugs are hurting us kid.  Oh, a lot of the Newscasts paint a bright picture by focusing on our wins…but they barely gloss over our defeats…because there have been so many.  The defeats so far are outweighing the wins.  Sometimes—I wonder if the bugs aren’t going to exterminate us.”

Kris suddenly laughed, it sounded like a joyous easy laugh, but under the surface Rufus detected a trace of desperation as the youth chuckled, “That sounds so funny.  The bugs are going to—exterminate us…when it has always been us trying to exterminate them…all and any bug.”  Then he fell silent again before murmuring.  “Of course we never encountered any bugs that could fight back so well.”

Again Rufus grew silent, he glanced around the garden before letting his gaze stray back to Kris.  He found the youth watching him intently, “What?”

Kris sat forward and scooted toward him, laying one tremulous hand on his arm.  “You like me don’t you?”

“Uh…” Rufus was taken aback by the youth’s question, even more so because it made his face heat with embarrassment.  He did like Kris more than he should, he was a terrific looking kid with a slender body and a very nice face…for a boy he was down right pretty.  Trying to work his way out of what he considered a tight spot—especially as flashes of images and other things concerning Kris went through his mind—he did his best to maneuver around the question, “Sure I like you.  You’re an ok kid.”

Kris’ hand remained where it was, and those big brown eyes of his grew all the more intense.  “No.  I mean like me.  You…touched me earlier like you liked me—and… well…” suddenly Kris ducked his head and he whispered hoarsely.  “I’ve been mauled by so many bugs…for three months it’s been—just bugs—and just once I want to be touched be something—someone other than a bug.”

God, Rufus thought, as he straightened under the pressure of Kris’ intense gaze, he’s so… artless.  “Kid….”

Kris leaned into him, pressing his body against him and sobbed, “Please!  Please I need so badly to have someone touch me with kindness.  Not to punish me!  Not to shame or hurt me like the bugs do!  Please…p-please.”

Rufus hesitated, uncertain where to go from there, with the youth pressed against him and he, frozen in the moment.  But the youth was warm and he smelled good, his skin…was incredibly soft…like silk as his fingers closed around the boy’s arms.  For an instant he was caught between pushing the tormented youth away and closing his arms around his young body.  His second impulse prevailed as he enfolded the youth and bent to capture Kris’s mouth in a deep and hungry kiss.  Kris melted against him, that the youth had never been kissed was obvious in Kris’ unpracticed response, but whatever he lacked in experience Kris made up in pure enthusiasm. 

Rufus leaned forward until Kris’ back was pressed against the soft moss again.  He continued to explore the shape of Kris’ lips and the moist heat of his mouth even as his hands strolled over the youths slim sensual body, his fingers marveling at the satiny texture of Kris’ bare skin, the soft firmness of his long slim thighs and the silken texture of his naked pubis.  That Kris shuddered and moaned when Rufus’ fingers boldly encountered his firming penis Rufus could understand, but what Rufus couldn’t understand and was amazed at, was his own willingness to explore this boy’s body and cling to his inviting mouth.  Prior to meeting Kris he had no sexual interest in anyone of his own sex.  But with Kris…it was different somehow.

It was fast, frenetic almost as they were all but consumed by a frenzy of sensation and pleasure that overwhelmed and invigorated them.  Kris found pleasure in a human touch as his body reached an enormous crescendo that had him shuddering and crying and finally, when it was done, laying back on the moss while drowsily exploring his satiated body and smiling with quiet contentment.

Rufus flopped over onto the moss and stared up at the softly glowing ceiling above. He felt good but he had to admit that for once he had given pleasure with out taking much in return, which was unexpectedly generous of him.  He had brought Kris to climax, and it had been so sweet to see that pretty boy squirm with pleasure, but Rufus was winding down from the same experience without even reaching that pinnacle and right now he was filled with such sensations and emotions of which not the least of them was an echoing confusion.  He remembered the tentacle grub bugs in the manant kitchen and how they had been so eager to touch and explore Kris’ body and he wondered if they would be that way with all the breeders?  The bugs had changed Kris to make him into their breeder and more than just a few physical changes had occurred and Rufus wondered if Kris could even still be classed as human.

He glanced sidelong at Kris, noting that the youth seemed to be resting now and he just looked at him.  Yes—Kris was pretty for a boy, but there were plenty of pretty boys and Rufus had never found them sexually desirable.  He had to admit ruefully that he didn’t really travel in the same circles where a lot of the pretty boys could be found, but he didn’t think that would make a big difference.  He had known Kris for a couple of hours at most and he had gone from disinterested to involved in that short time.  He supposed that sexual interest could be aroused that swiftly, but it seemed unlikely to Rufus who though not exactly a Don Juan (with his hound dog face) was not lacking in female companionship.  However, before he could speculate anymore on Kris’ humanity, he heard that distinctive bug chatter again, signaling that the break was over.  At his side Kris sighed with regret and languidly rose to his feet.  Rufus rose much slower while softly cursing the insistent guide bug which had interrupted this period of calm.  He went to swing the video recorder’s eyepiece back into record mode and froze as his fingers contacted the eyepiece still in place.  “MY GOD!” he gasped, horrified to realize that he had been recording while he had been messing around with Kris.  The same ugly dull black bug (or at least Rufus assumed it was the same bug…who could tell them apart?) scuttled to where they were standing and immediately struck Kris with one of its vicious forearms with enough force to knock him down and leave an angry red welt on his smooth cheek too. 

“Hey!” Rufus yelled in the boy’s defense, lunging toward the hateful bug, which wheeled on him with menacing intent. 

Kris rushed between them, warning, “No!  No don’t do anything Rufus!  Please don’t give them a reason to hurt you also!”

So Rufus stood by, twitching with a fervent desire to smash that bug to pieces as it struck Kris again while chattering and chittering with apparent anger at the boy, but why was it angry?  Obviously it had known where Kris was, so was it just punishing Kris for deliberately defying it by coming here?  Or had the first strike been the initial punishment, and these later blows were added after Kris stepped between the bug and Rufus, thereby interrupting it from its next victim?  That being namely Rufus….

Finally the bug seemed satisfied that it had delivered enough punishment to Kris and it ambled back, chittering insistently as it moved away from Kris.  Kris rose somewhat more slowly; he had red welts on his arms and chest to match the one on his face.  Tears sparkled in his eyes, but this time they did not dampen his cheeks as he said with angry bitterness, “Come on, you have to see the rest of the—show.”

Rufus fell in behind the boy; he idly fingered the video recorder and sighed grimly as he realized that he would be editing this recording quite a bit…to remove any reference of his own sexual encounters with Kris from the record…however he would do nothing to edit out the rest of the abuse Kris suffered at the bugs hands…errr…talons and other parts for that would only help to incense and enrage the troops and galvanize them into fighting harder and killing more of the bugs to avenge or revenge Kris and the others who suffered with him.

Kris walked very stiffly in front of him, so that Rufus wondered how badly he was hurting.  Finally he strode along beside the youth and asked carefully, “Are you okay?”

Kris glanced sidelong at him and said (while rubbing a welt on his arm), “I’m…fine.”

Rufus sent a nebulous look at the bug and asked sotto voce, “What the hell was that all about?”

Kris sighed, a touch bitterly, “Nothing more than usual.  I delayed too long, and it came back to remind me of my function.”

Function?  What a fucking cold and impersonal way to describe a being…as a function; it was like saying Kris was a table or a chair.  But he chose not to comment about that, instead he murmured, “How much of that was my fault?”

Kris sent him an impatient look, and insisted softly, “I’ve told you that nothing you can do here will change what happens here.  Trying to protect me will get you nothing but hurt.  I want you to live!  I want you to get out of here so for GOD’S SAKE please don’t give them any reason to change their fucking minds about you!”

Rufus grunted, “It’s hard to watch them hurt you kid and just do nothing…it’s very hard.”  Not to mention, he added silently, damn cowardly seeming.

Kris glanced away, “Maybe…but I wish you would stop trying to help me.” 

Rufus couldn’t make any such promise, so he kept his mouth shut and just glared at bug escorting the way.  Soon enough they left the soft green glow of the garden and entered once more into the gloomy tunnels and caverns that Kris had been calling home for the last three months.  Kris remained very quiet, even withdraw, but Rufus couldn’t really blame the youth, for he wasn’t looking forward to the next attraction either. 

All to soon the bug had escorted them into another chamber; this one was smaller and darker than the others Rufus had seen, with rough black walls which were unrelieved by the usual crystal seams and cave mosses and lichens.  Glancing up Rufus noticed that the ceiling seemed impossibly high and blacker than black, but as he looked he noticed the twinkle of distant light and gasped, “Is this a chimney?  Does this open to the sky?”

Kris glanced up too, “I don’t know, some areas of the caverns do open to the sky…they may have picked this chamber so that the force of any explosion goes up rather than out.  Causing less damage to the rest of the colony.”

Rufus glanced at the boy, and again he wondered at the cool detachedness of Kris’ analysis.  He would have thought that Kris would be excited about open space and the site of stars…instead the youth relates the strategic location of the chamber and how it factored in the welfare of the bugs’ colony…as if he was meant to care about the damn bugs’ safety.  Let them all be blown to hell, he thought maliciously.

A commotion at the opposite end of the chamber drew Rufus’ attention, a pair of soldier bugs stalked into the cavern, dragging a tattered human soldier by his feet.  Rufus knew these new bugs, they were the most common type of bugs witness on the battlefield, they were ugly brutes of black and gold, with armored carapaces, dagger like forearms, and blade sharp mandibles, the winged ones of this type were even worse.  The pair dragged the captive over to the middle of the main wall and hefted him up by his ankles.  Still upside down they held the struggling soldier against the wall as they smeared their own resinous saliva on him and the wall so that when they backed away the man was quite thoroughly fastened to the wall by the sticky stuff. 

Their own guide bug chattered at them, and Kris reluctantly stepped a bit closer into the chamber.  Rufus followed just as grudgingly.  The soldier was quite solidly fastened; even though he struggled the resin was already hardening, he couldn’t even yell since the resin also plugged his mouth shut and as well as one eye and was plastered throughout his hair.  He did notice them though, and his unstuck eye grew wider at the sight of Kris who he dismissed after a moment, probably labeling him as a manant, so then he fastened his eye on Rufus and to Rufus that one desperately wide eye seemed to be pleading for release, escape…anything from him, which Rufus knew he couldn’t give.  With growing dismay Rufus shook his head, he didn’t want to give the soldier any hope of deliverance…at least not any that he could provide.

Kris, still being ignored by the human, but chattered at by the bug, was now with in a few feet of the soldier.  At that close range Kris could have reached out and touched the man, but instead he froze and wrapped his arms protectively about his chest and moaned, “No…I won’t do it.”

Both Rufus and the soldier now stared at Kris.  The bug however hissed and clacked its mandibles in a threatening rattle, to which Kris spun around and shouted at it in defiance, “NO!  I WON’T DO IT!”

The bug ducked its ugly triangular head and charged the boy.  Kris nimbly dodged the first charge, but wasn’t quick enough to avoid a sideways slash of one of its hind legs. Kris went down with a shriek, clutching at his bleeding calf.  Even injured as he was Kris still tried to fight the bug as it came at him again, but it was fully armored and every one of its limbs was a slashing weapon that could cut the boy to the bone with just a single kick, not to mention those tearing mandibles could rip flesh and crush bone with ease.  Rufus was too horrified by the attack on Kris to recall Kris’ warning to not help him, so he grabbed at the bug and using his greater strength heaved it off the screaming boy.  The bug went tumbling with the force of Rufus’ toss, but though it might have had its brains scrambled it was too furious to use any caution as it stormed them again.  Rufus readied to meet the bugs assault head on, but he needn’t have worried, for the bug itself met with an unexpected assault of its own.  The two soldier bugs, which had not yet left the chamber, tore into it.  There was a terrible cacophony of noise which was almost deafening with the shrill screeches that reverberated off the walls and echoed all around as the soldier bugs snapped the guide bugs limbs and cracked its carapace and finally delivered the coup de grace by biting its head off and dropping the dying—yes dying, bugs don’t die right away just because the head has been severed—thing on the ground. 

Rufus stared in shock and horror at what he had witnessed, he quite forgot about Kris who was huddled behind him moaning softly in pain.  The bugs turned toward him, bearing down on him with grim determination and Rufus began to wonder if he had used up all his grace periods.  Two pairs of pitiless red eyes pierced him as they came alongside him, then after a second they both bent toward Kris, and started to chirr and softly chatter at him.  With stunning tenderness the pair examined the boy’s injuries, those same deadly forearms with those blade sharp talons now moved with infinite care, leaving no marks on the boy’s tender skin even though Kris tried to pull away from them too.  The bug attack had been vicious but mercifully brief and other than his slashed leg Kris’ other injuries were comparatively minor though he was bleeding fairly fiercely from a few of the deeper cuts on his arms, which had seen the greatest amount of damage.  Rufus’ shock only expanded when the bugs using the same resinous gob that they had used to fix the soldier to the wall, now sealed the worst of Kris’ injuries, but oh so much more delicately.  Instead of just spitting a gob of goop at an injury one would pinch the wound closed (even as Kris yelped in pain), while the other would smear a bandage of resin over the closed wound, sealing it shut.  They did this with several of the deeper wounds and only when they were absolutely satisfied did they leave Kris alone.

Kris cried for a short time, he must hurt like hell; some of the cuts were still bleeding, but none that the bugs had smeared with resin, even his cut leg had been sealed and it had been the deepest of his injuries.  But finally Kris quieted down and after a moment he sat up.  He lifted his head and looked at Rufus and the first thing he said was, “I told you not to help me.”

Rufus shrugged, “Hey, sorry.  I thought the bug was going to kill you.”

Kris was quiet for a time before he lowered his head and murmured, “Yeah….”

“Sooo… was it?” Rufus inquired.

Kris shivered, which apparently hurt, for he hissed softly and pressed at one of his cuts.  Again he glanced up.  “I don’t know…but…maybe.”

Rufus glanced toward the pile of bug parts, and he shuddered too, that pile was a clear sign that the breeders could be intimidated, frightened and even abused, but outright serious harm was not to be tolerated.  “Sooo…what happens now?” He asked.

“We wait.” Kris replied, trying to stand up.  Rufus lent his arm.  Kris wobbled at his side while testing his weight on his injured leg, “The bugs will send another guide to finish the…tour.” He added wryly as he stepped away from Rufus.

Rufus watched the boy as he cautiously moved about; placing more and more weight on his leg until he was satisfied that it would support him. 

“Doesn’t it hurt?” Rufus wondered aloud.

Kris glanced at him and nodded, “Yes…like hell,” He took another cautious step, “but… the resin kind of numbs the pain,” he noted vaguely.

Rufus watched Kris as the youth turned to look upon the soldier plastered upside down to the wall.  The boy limped closer and Rufus noticed that now the other man was focused exclusively upon Kris, he must have now realized that Kris was more than he appeared…just as Rufus was beginning to suspect.  The bug had wanted Kris to do something to the human…now considering Kris’ value to the bugs he wouldn’t have been required to do anything dangerous—so perhaps the order had been something to demean and embarrass the youth again…the bugs seemed quite willing to exploit Kris that way.

Only the soldier bugs were in attendance, and they seemed quite content to leave Kris to his own resources and not interfere with him, so when Kris finally approached the soldier there was no bug to chatter at him or order him about or try to obstruct him.  Kris stopped at less than an arm’s length away from the human; he was nearly standing on top of him that’s how close he was.  Rufus watched the boy, wondering what Kris was thinking about, standing so close to that self-booby-trapped soldier.   Finally, he learned as Kris reached out a hand and touched the man’s leg, the boy murmured.  “It wanted me to strip him and…play with him…how cruel to do that.  They are so cruel—so very cruel.  But I wouldn’t do it…I couldn’t do it.”

Kris glanced back at him, and Rufus flushed with sudden understanding of the guide bugs intent…he felt his skin prickle as he was able to quite clearly picture Kris playing with the soldier with his sweet mouth and clever fingers.  He felt his face heating even more and finally had to break contact even as Kris was turning his attention once more upon the soldier.  Kris’ pose was contemplative as he stood thoughtfully before the human, thinking about what, Rufus wondered?

And Kris answered; “Yet…I am…curious.  How do you do it?  Is it really true that you stuck a grenade up your ass? How?  And how did you not trigger it?  How would you have removed it if you had been lucky enough to survive to fight another day?  How?”  It was clear that Kris was addressing the soldier, but other than grunt in response the soldier could not reply to Kris’ questions.

Kris knelt down so that he was more at eye level with the human.  His brown eyes were very intense as he looked into the man’s single unmasked eye.  “I want to know what you did.  Would it embarrass you terribly if I were to look?”

Rufus gasped softly at Kris’ question, but the man just closed his eye as if acquiescing to the boy’s request.  Kris remained on his knees and watching the man’s face for a few moments more before nodding as if coming to a decision and rose once again to his feet.  Carefully, nimbly, his fingers unfastened the man’s breeches and pushed them up, following them with his briefs that Kris managed to somehow bunch under a smear of dried resin to keep the clothing from falling back down.  The man was a great big hairy guy; it was hard to tell exactly how tall he was because of his position but the sheer massive girth of the soldier gave the impression that he was stocky rather than tall, but Rufus figured that if he had passed this man on some street somewhere that the soldier probably would have been taller than he was. 

Kris stared for a moment at the man’s flaccid genitals, he didn’t touch the big though flaccid penis as he murmured absently, “It wanted me to suck that…but I’ve…I don’t know that I could…I’ve never done it before.”  Kris glanced again toward Rufus, and tears glistened once more in his placid brown eyes.  “There are so many bugs and they find so many ways to hurt me…but they never think to do that to me…not until today in the kitchen…that was the first time…for me….”

“Kid…” Rufus whispered, aching for the boy in ways he couldn’t understand.  At moments like this, Kris was entirely human…too human.  “You don’t have to do this.”

Kris flinched and he turned back to the soldier, who was once again watching him with concentrated interest.  Rufus approached them now.  Kris lightly touched the inside of the man’s hairy thigh and the contrast of his pale, hairless hand against the man’s dark hairy skin was almost shocking.  “If I learn maybe all soldiers will start doing this and find other ways to make sure they can’t become manants.  You can make sure that everyone learns how to protect themselves from the bugs…can’t you?” He addressed Rufus.

Rufus swallowed, “Yeah…” and watched as the boy’s pale hand moved between the man’s coarse and hairy thighs, seeking the secret to the booby trap.  The man shivered and Rufus inadvertently noticed that the soldier’s cock wasn’t quite as flaccid as it had been just moments before.  He carefully tried not to notice it, as he watched Kris ignore it completely as he continued his quest.

Rufus saw the youth tense, and read the widening expression in the soldier’s eye, and realized that Kris had found the secret he was seeking.  Very slowly Kris withdrew his hand and as he did Rufus saw a piece of heavy string held between his fingers.  The string gradually grew taut as it stretched between the boy’s fingers and its two origin points.  One point coming from deep within the shadowy reaches of the man’s body, while the other end point was found tied around the man’s thigh.  The soldier grunted suddenly and Kris dropped the string while taking a step back.  Understanding dawned on the boy’s angelic face and brightened his pretty eyes.  “Oh…I see now.”  He murmured, his mouth pursed into a bemused moue that was entirely too enchanting.

Rufus was still puzzled though he was beginning to come to the same conclusion that Kris had reached.  However Kris was not done yet, very carefully the boy reclaimed that strand of string…idly brushing against the man’s stiffening cock as he did, Kris didn’t seem to even notice that he’d touched it.  Once again the boy pulled the string until it was taut, and the man flexed and grunted in alarmed warning.  This time Kris did not release the string though as he simply stood and looked enthralled if the distant dreaminess in his eyes was any indication. 

Whisper soft Kris spoke, “Does the string make it so that you can pull it out?  Or,” Kris’ eyes closed and his expression became beatific, “does the string pull the pin?  Is that why you have it tied to your leg?  It’s so clever and yet so simple…the bugs could get around this if they cared too…but you don’t want them to know that…do you?”  Very suddenly Kris knelt down again, though he retained his hold on the string.  Again he was nearly face to face with the soldier.  Rufus squatted down as well though he glanced back at the soldier bugs to make sure they were still disinterested in what was happening here.  They were.  Kris explained for the recorders benefit, “The bugs come in many forms.  Some are like the soldiers and the workers and guide bugs.  Others are like the symbiote bugs and the kitchen bug and the gardener bug…they have specific purposes.  The bugs’ could use a wyrm to get the grenade out if they cared to wait 24 hours to implant another manant.”

“A wyrm?” Rufus wondered so softly.

Kris nodded, “Yes.  But we don’t want the bugs to learn that.”  Kris smiled softly, his eyes practically aglow with mirth.  Very lightly he tugged on the string again, enough to make the human grunt in stress but not enough to actually endanger anything, yet.

Rufus had a very funny feeling though as he watched Kris.  A feeling that grew in the pit of his stomach and worked its way resolutely into his throat.  “Kid…maybe you should come away.”

Kris wasn’t paying attention to him though, in truth the boy’s gaze seemed very far away and yet vaguely excited.  As if Rufus had never spoken at all Kris rose once more to his feet and said softly, “The string indicates that as the symbiote plugs you, the string is pulled taut…until it’s pulled too far and the trigger is sprung.”

Kris looked down, and saw acknowledgment in the soldier’s one eye.  Rufus wasn’t looking at the soldier; he was watching Kris’ face, recognizing that he was seeing an angel come to a decision…and recognizing that he didn’t like it at all.  And yet…didn’t Kris have the right to make such a choice?  The soldier was doomed anyway, and Kris…well wasn’t he doomed too, living the way he did, so if he was given another choice shouldn’t he take it?  Wouldn’t anyone in his position.  But, even though Rufus could understand where Kris was coming from, he still didn’t like it one bit.

Kris retaining his hold on the string lowered himself once more before the human and touching his face with his free hand murmured, “This is what you want?  Isn’t it?  I can free you.  It’s what you want…right?  Freedom?  Its what everyone wants isn’t it?”

Kris waited, seeing something, maybe confirmation in the human’s free eye.  Then, as acceptance brightened Kris’ angelic features and before anyone could stop him, he yanked the string out.

Rufus yelled, seeing the trigger spring free in a little spray of blood, witnessing the soldier wince from that initial pain even as his expression settled into peaceful composure.  Next he sprung forward, and tackled Kris, driving the both of them away from the triggered soldier just seconds…only seconds before the inevitable had to occur.

Would he ever forget the wet and sticky sound of a human body exploding?  No, Rufus thought ruefully, he probably never would forget such a horrific ending, that and the stench that hung in the air afterwards would remain forever in his memory.  Kris lay huddled under him, very quiet and tense, but Rufus could feel him breathing and nearly sense the questions and accusations storming around inside that boy’s troubled mind.  Bugs were chattering, and making far more racket than two lone soldier bugs could have on their own, so the new guide bug had finally arrived—if a little late—onto to the scene.

Rufus pushed up and away from the youth, and Kris remained where he was for a few moments more.  Rufus hesitantly touched the boy’s tense shoulder, and finally the youth reacted; turning on him like a furious cat.  Snarling, “WHY?  Why did you stop me?!”

Rufus could only stare, how could he explain his actions, what could he say to make Kris understand why he couldn’t let him kill himself…when he couldn’t understand it himself?  It seemed horribly cruel to him now—afterwards—to cheat Kris of his one chance….

The soldier bugs, which had been so gentle with Kris, came for him again; this time though they used no punishing force between them they picked up the furious and crying youth and took him from the execution chamber.  Rufus remained for a moment, wondering what to do, when the guide bug came for him and gripping him insistently by his arm, pulled him up to his feet.  Even when Rufus indicated that he would follow the bug did not let him go but pulled him along behind Kris and the soldier bugs.

Ahead of him Kris was still crying despondently, and Rufus was wracked with such guilt for denying the boy his chance to escape this hell.  Through gloomy tunnels of unrelieved stone they trekked with Kris and his pair of soldier bugs in the lead and Rufus following along as best he could at the pace the guide bug had set.  Somehow Rufus felt as if all his own options were up, Kris’ little escape attempt having decided something for the bugs.  But for all that he felt certain his own time was nearly up and that he would never see daylight again, he didn’t recognize this path as leading back to any familiar territory, such as the manant chamber, so he allowed a little swell of hope that it wasn’t all over for him after all.

Finally they arrived.  Kris was lightly dropped to the ground outside a stony archway that glowed with a similar presence as the garden cavern had, though with a brighter less misty green light.  Kris huddled on his knees still sobbing softly as the guide bug drew Rufus up alongside him before abruptly letting him go.  Rufus stood, absently rubbing his arm, while staring into the unwelcoming green glow and wondered what was up.  The bug chattered its orders and Kris very shakily rose to his feet.  He staggered a step or two, before stopping, which forced the bug to chatter at him again.  Rufus was hesitant to say anything but pretty sure that if he didn’t goad Kris into action that the bug would get insistent next.

“So…what next?” He wondered idly, stealing a look at Kris.

Kris tensed, and slowly hugged his arms across his chest, “This is the crèche.” He muttered flatly.

Rufus sighed, ah; Kris was well and truly pissed at him.  Oh well, Rufus supposed that he well and truly deserved Kris’ hostility.  “I see.” He said in response, though he didn’t really.  Because Kris was still being obstinate, Rufus made the decision to move forward on his own, he stepped past Kris and into the eerie green glow that marked the demarcation between base colony and the crèche.  Behind him he heard the bug chattering and though he didn’t look back he sensed that Kris was finally following. 

The Crèche turned out to be—strange—when he first saw it.  He couldn’t really make heads or tails of the things he saw, though he certainly did see—things.  Mostly things hanging from the ceiling, there were several of them and not all of them were exactly the same, which was odd since he assumed that they would all be the same, even though that didn’t make sense since there were more than one kind of bug….  But then, since there was more then one breed of bug maybe this nursery was for each of them.  He knew that each bug was in itself a massive nursery chamber, because he could quite clearly see the huge tubular and translucent bag that pumped developing eggs from one end of the bag to the other…where large round or ovoid eggs were squeezed out to be taken by attending bugs to someplace else.  Rufus watched as one bug carried an egg out through a distant archway and guessed that the nursery for raising the eggs was separate from the crèche chamber.  

The crèche was quite large, though the ceiling seemed low because of the nursery bugs hanging from it.  Those bugs he noted were clinging to the ceiling with multiple limbs, along the length of the egg chamber at least a hundred limbs clung to holds in the ceiling, obviously the lube was a very weighty thing and needed that many limbs to support it.  The head of the bug was a strange spidery thing that seemed to be inverted somehow, it had a very flat abdomen …or maybe back, it was hard to tell, though Rufus assumed that what he saw was the abdomen of the bug since it was hanging down.  At least six limbs held the bugs head section to the ceiling, while six more dangled down in some, while only four dangled in others…as he looked closer he suddenly gasped.  The black spider bug and the nursery bug were not one bug…as he had first assumed, but rather two.  And there was also a third bug with some of the paired bugs, this one hanging in front of the spider bug, though not all paired bugs had a third bug.  Nor did all bugs have something else that Rufus also recognized.  A human, embraced by the spider bug and the nursery bug both and once in a while by the third bug as well.  He stared, not quite able to comprehend what he was seeing.

“What the fuck is going on…?” He asked hoarsely, not turning to look, simply knowing that Kris was close enough to hear him. 

“This is the crèche…and they—we are the breeders.” Kris reply woodenly.

He stared a moment more, still not able to make sense of what he was seeing…it was just too surreal.  “Explain.”

Kris sighed…. “I’m sure they will have a breeder waiting for implantation.  So that you’ll have the privilege of seeing it first hand, but anyway…to explain,” he pointed to the closest pairing.  This one was a grouping of human and two bugs.  The human male was supported through his hips and shoulders and even his head, only his arms and legs hung free, and as the man flexed them occasionally Rufus came to realize that the man was conscious and aware even though most of his face was covered by the support protecting his head.  His distended gut was also being supported by another pair of limbs from the bug clinging to his back, a very specialized pair of limbs that separated into 12 finger-like appendages that fanned out around the man’s heavily distended gut.

“This one is quite far along in the cycle.  A breeding cycle by the way lasts ten days for the breeders, then we get twenty days off before the cycle begins anew.  I’d say that he is in the sixth day…not yet putting out the eggs though his gut shows that he’s heavy with them.  The bug supporting him is the saddle bug and the bug plugged into him is the nursery bug where the eggs continue to grow before they are taken to the nursery for hatching and all the rest.” Kris paused, “I’ve never seen the nursery…the bugs guard it more carefully.”  The youth shrugged after a moment and continued as he walked to another grouping and another male in such an obscene embrace.

“But how…how is he heavy with eggs…I don’t understand.” Rufus confessed, following the youth with some trepidation. 

Kris gestured, this pairing had the third bug and if Rufus looked close enough he could tell that it hung directly under the male (who was somewhat hidden from view by the third bug) and that two areas of the bug were nestled on or in the human.  The lower quarter of the bug had some big fleshy thing seated directly where the man’s genitals would have been, and since Kris was intact Rufus assumed that this man was as well. The other piece of the bug was plugged into the man’s mouth. 

“This a mare.  She is a fertile bug; there are four or five different kinds that I have seen though I think that this one is the one that makes the symbiotes.”

“Well fuck, I don’t get it? If they have queens of there own why do they even use you guys?”

Kris laughed bitterly, “Because they need us to fertilize their eggs…don’t you get why the symbiotes can mesh with us so well?  Because they have human DNA.  We are the bugs’ fathers…at least for some of them.”  Kris shook his head and added a touch angrily.  “And we are their queens too.”

Rufus stared….

Kris flinched and looked away, “Haven’t you guessed?  Without us the bugs would have already lost.  They adapted themselves to accommodate us…and then adapted us to accommodate them.  The bugs are…evolving.”  The boy shivered, “I’m far more afraid of what they are becoming than I am of what they are now.”

Rufus looked at Kris and somehow he knew that Kris was key to the bug’s latest evolution, only he didn’t know how he knew it, he simply believed it to be so…and in his gut he knew he was right. But Kris wasn’t paying attention to him, still bitter about being alive, Kris was mercilessly continuing with the explanation.

“The mare here has put her gen-slit—that’s sorta like her cunt—over his penis to nurse his sperm…every hour or so for three days she will collect his sperm and then she will fertilize one to two eggs and deposit them in the ovarium which she’d have positioned in his stomach…imagine that a part of her body can reach that far into his body.  Oh and if your wondering how he can breathe with her plugging his throat, I don’t know…I just know that we do.  Anyway, after three days she drops away and goes off to do whatever mares do when they aren’t breeding.  Unlike the saddle bug and the nursery bug she does not remain permanently in the crèche.”

Kris stopped suddenly and grinned with utter malice.  “Oh this is good, you get to witness it.”

Rufus frowned at the youth, but followed him anyway as Kris frisked playfully ahead of him.  Anger radiated from the youth like heat in the desert, Kris was a long way from forgiving him for interfering with his much desired death.  Kris led him to what could only be described as bug porn in the worse way.  A human male…maybe half a dozen years older than Kris and with a very well put together body (usually soldiers were in very good form after all) was being embraced by the saddle bug, in this case the bug had let go all but one limb from the ceiling to drop down and position itself at the human’s back.  The bug was in the process of lifting the breeder up off the ground and positioning him in the saddle with the human’s hind end facing the nursery bug.  Rufus watched, feeling his gut clench with dread as something thick and pale and very very wet unrolled from the front of the nursery bug.  The thing unfurled until it hung down toward the ground like a great big oozing elephant trunk, it tapered a bit at the end, but it grew thicker and thicker until it simply became the nursery bug’s nursery tank.  “What is that th—.” He wondered aloud…only to choke off his words a moment later for there was no need to ask.  That thing, all five or six feet of it flexed up again (just like an elephant’s trunk) and began probing around at the rear of the man.

He stood next to Kris, staring up in sick fascination as the dripping fleshy appendage poked about the man’s ass, and he turned to stare at Kris in shock, saying nothing though as the man’s deep groan drew his attention back.  The man’s head was already covered by the support structure that would protect him, so he couldn’t see them, but Rufus could see the man’s mouth open and almost hear a breathily silent squeal emerge as the tube pushed itself inch by dripping inch into the man’s body.  He could see the man flex and arch his back and hear him panting and moaning as that thing slowly but surely fed itself into his ass.  As Rufus stared he saw the man’s abdomen flex and distend and contort and he realized that the thing was actually working itself into the man’s bowels.  He stared at Kris who was watching with silent dismay on his face now, probably thinking that all to soon he’d be in the same position.

“How…is that possible?” Rufus asked in a shuddering and frightened voice.

Kris looked at him, he was no longer furious, just simply miserable, and he whispered.  “The nursery tube has to go deep inside to protect us…the breeders…from the weight of the eggs as they reach their final growth stage within us…or we would be torn apart.  The bugs don’t want to damage us like that ’cause we aren’t that easy to replace.”

“But…it has to be—God—four inches thick at least!” Rufus gushed in shocked revulsion, staring again at the man being so thoroughly fucked and reacting to the experience by displaying an impressive hard on to boot.  Did it feel good?  Or did the breeders simply get so used to having something that big working inside them that they began to perceive it as some sort of sick pleasure.  “God. — God! —GOD!”

Kris shivered at his side, looking very small and frightened as he whispered, “The mare will come as soon as the birthing channel is fully inserted…see she’s already waiting.”  He made the slightest gesture to indicate a somehow more delicate seeming bug that was indeed waiting in the shadow of the big nursery bugs body.  “For three days she’ll deposit the eggs he fertilizes in his stomach…well in her ovarium which has taken over his stomach for those three days.  Then for the next three days the eggs will grow and develop as they move along through the intestines…which is squeaky clean…part of the process that you got to miss was him being wyrmed first to prepare him for this.  At the end of the sixth day beginning of the seventh day the first egg will appear and then every half hour to hour after for three day the rest of the eggs will follow, on the tenth day the birthing channel will be extracted and he will be allowed to rest again for another 20 day cycle.”

“Kris…?”

The youth stared up at the man in the saddle, tears gleaming in his eyes.  “It hurts,” Kris whispered, “the eggs are big by the time they reach the end of the passage…the end of us I mean.  Like a baby maybe…and it hurts to push them out even though the birth channel is very slick and slippery.  Some breeders can’t do it and die anyway.  Or they can do it but die from exhaustion, or because something gets injured inside even though the birthing channel is supposed to protect us from any serious harm… things do go wrong.”

Kris hung his head then and looked forlornly at the ground.  “That’s it then.” He whispered, “You’ve seen everything they mean for you to see.  You’ve recorded everything they want you to record.  I hope it back fires on them…I hope that they nuke us and every other colony throughout the system…I mean…” Tears slid down the boy’s cheeks now, “I mean I hope we nuke them…”

Again, Rufus realized, that them and us distinction that Kris had trouble with.  The separation that Kris was losing as he became more them and less us.  “I’m sorry.” Rufus murmured achingly, meaning about stopping Kris from suiciding.

Kris beamed through his tears… “It’s okay…maybe I’ll get another chance.”

Another chance to die, how sad to be so young and so precious and to look forward to the chance to die.  But now Rufus understood why Kris would look for that chance…and looking at the bugs that hovered around, watchful though not quite interfering, he had an idea that Kris would have many less opportunities to find that chance. 

Behind them the bug guide chattered and Kris sighed forlornly while nodding.  After a moment the youth murmured.  “Come on, this is done.  They’ll let me accompany you part of the way to the outside.”

As if going to attend a funeral Rufus fell into step with Kris.  The bug guide brought up the rear but made no effort to come between them.  Kris was very quiet for the longest time, and then suddenly he asked.  “Do you have a family?  Are you married?”

Rufus smiled softly, “No, no family.  Not married.”

“Do you…do you have a girlfriend?”

Rufus thought about a few girls that he called more than friends, but hesitated to call them girlfriends. “No…but good friends yes.”

Kris was quiet again for a long time, just walking beside him, being the only point of light in these gloomy tunnels.  Then the youth paused and looked earnestly at Rufus, “When…when you get out could you please find my Grandfather…and tell him…tell him that my father is dead?  I think he’d like to know that so that he can finally bury him.”

Rufus smiled encouragingly, “Yeah, sure kid.  What’s his name?”

“General Abe Solarin.”

Rufus stopped walking for a moment.  Shock was warring with his senses.  General Abe Solarin (unless there was another) was not just General Abe Solarin; he was President-General Abe Solarin, leader of the World Confederate and the Confederated Colonies and probably the only reason the bugs hadn’t destroyed humanity yet.  And Kris…was his grandson?  How did the under-aged (surely Kris was under-aged) grandson of the leader of the world and its colonies join the army and get himself into such a situation as this.  “Kid you’re a soldier?  Right?”

Kris blinked at him in surprise.  “Yeah.  I was taken at Rainbow Peak….  I don’t know…did they name that battle anything?”  Kris started walking again, he added ruefully, “It was stupid really since I joined the army to find my dad, ’cause my Grandfather had pretty much given up hope but I had barely had a day outside of basic training and I got taken.  Well, so much for beginning a sterling military career and following in Grandpa’s footsteps.  But I did find my father.”

Rufus followed, waiting for Kris to tell him the sad details, he didn’t have to wait long.  “They manant’d him…my father.  He didn’t even know me.  I…I looked for him every time the colony and the humans…I mean we…clashed…and finally, one day he just didn’t come back again.  Oh well.” He said resolutely, “I’m sure he’s happy now.”

God, Rufus thought, the kid has only been here for three months, and in that time he’s been raped constantly, found and lost his father and lost him again.  And suffered such torments that another would likely want to die of…

Kris continued to step lightly, saying, “I miss Grandpa…I’d like to see him again.  Of course I miss lots of things…. Good food for instance ‘cause the food here sucks.”  Suddenly Kris laughed out loud, “That was a bad pun wasn’t it…the food does suck…literally.”

Rufus didn’t feel much like smiling, though he was amazed that Kris could still find things to laugh about in this dismal place.  How lonely and scared he must be in this gloomy prison he was beginning to think of as home.

The tunnel opened to a bigger passageway with more and larger traffic passing to and fro and in every shape and color imaginable.  The sight was frightening to behold and all the more so for it was clear that they were meant to traverse its precarious path and travel with that Tide of Insectoid Life.  But they barely began when one of the big tank bugs veered off from its main route and bore down on them.  Kris froze, staring at it while the guide bug began to chatter again, for the first time in what seemed an age.  Rufus noticed that Kris grew infinitely paler and tenser the closer the tank bug came to them.  This bug was uncommon on the battlefield but not completely unknown to Rufus, it was one of the types of bugs best known for its devastating stampedes, tearing jaws and ripping horns…when it wasn’t blasting the enemy with static charges that burst frequently from the upper pair of antler-like horns that graced the crested top of its massive dull gold skullcap.  The lower pair of branch-like horns framed the tanks mouth with their five-foot sweep.  Those horns were known for being used to devastating effect by lashing through the enemy—the human enemy—like a colossal double-edged blade.

“Go.” Kris whispered hoarsely.

Rufus wondered at who or what Kris was talking, Kris turned slightly so that Rufus could see his haunted eyes and tense white face.  And again Kris urged.  “Go…go now.”

“Kid?”

The bug chattered, and Kris flinched then shook his head in uneasy denial.  He leaned into his insistent urge, saying desperately, “GO!  Go now!”

“What the fuck is going on kid?” Rufus demanded.

Kris looked frantically at the tank bug, then back at Rufus…with tears gleaming in his eyes he whispered, “Please…please go now.  Please.”

“Kid…?”

Kris grasped his arms and shouted angrily while he shook him.  “Don’t you remember?  I told you they were going to punish me!  This is how.  PLEASE GO NOW!”

Taken aback Rufus stepped away from the youth.  “But I thought…in the kitchen…” he trailed off lamely.

Kris laughed hysterically.  “No…no…this is my punishment.  Please go.  I don’t want you to see this…please go now.”

Rufus was nearly moved to obey the youth, but before he could actually follow through the guide bug stepped in his path, Kris laughed with humorless mirth and sneered, “Of course.”

Kris then spun to face the hulking tank bug; he squared his shoulders and lifted his head high and snarled, “Fine, you want him to record this too do you?  You want to add this to your fuckin’ DOC-U-MENT-ARY too?  OK…so fuckin’ be it.”

Rufus watched in stunned shock as Kris went toward the tank bug, the thing lowered its head slightly and Kris quite resolutely straddled those dangerous frontal horns.  The bug guide chattered and forced Rufus to move around to the side of Kris which Rufus guessed was a better viewing angle…though Rufus thought that it was all just damn weird.  Kris glanced at him, then with cheeks pinkening with embarrassment he closed his eyes and let his unsupported head hang back.

In puzzlement Rufus tried to figure out exactly what it was that was supposed to happen, of course he guessed it would be something sexual…but he couldn’t see how Kris was positioned in any way to accommodate the tank.   Then he saw it, those huge mandibles spread open and closed with a crunch on both of Kris’ hips, the boy grunted softly, so Rufus figured it was fortunate that Kris’ hips were protected by the carapace armor or else he figured the tank would have just crushed him when its jaws closed.  The interior of the jaw was soft hot and very wet, with fluid drooling slickly down over its own shell and as if transferring by osmosis wetness began to glimmer on Kris’ skin where it was in close relation to the bugs jaws.

Rufus glanced up toward Kris’ face, trying to see if he could read what was going to happen from the boy’s expression, and he wasn’t disappointed, as suddenly Kris’ brow furrowed and his lips parted with a breathy gasp.  The boy flexed and Rufus noticed how Kris’ shoulders rolled forward and tensed as if the boy was holding on for dear life, then Kris flung his head back with a yell and arched his body right up.  Rufus looked down, and no longer needed to guess what was going on.  He didn’t know until that moment that insectoids had tongues…or maybe this was the tank’s true mouth, but at any rate the thick slimy thing was pulsating its way like a jackhammer into the boy’s re-exposed anus…his oh so accommodating plug making way for a new if brief visitor.  Positioned as he was and with his hips held firmly in the tank’s mandibles there was nothing Kris could do to defend himself, he was completely and utterly exposed and that tank’s tongue pounded away at his rectum, pushing in and pulling out in wet slurping thrusts that often missed target entirely to drive a foot or more of its length over his belly, against his own agitated and aroused penis, along his legs and even under his body, but just as frequently that piston thrust found target and pounded its way past Kris’ anus to plow deep into his bowels again and again.  Kris was crying, but not in pain for he was clearly aroused by this, rather it was the shame of it that was so upsetting to the boy, the shame that his rape was being witnessed and that there was nothing he could do to hide the evidence that he was actually enjoying this to some degree. 

Rufus felt a tug at his arm; it was enough of a distraction to drag his attention away from Kris to stare (he felt) stupidly at the bug guide.  The bug chattered at him and tugged him a little ways away from Kris and the tank bug.  Rufus glanced back at Kris, getting one last eyeful of the gorgeous youth surrendering so completely to the tongue-fucking tank bug before he allowed the guide bug to pull him away from the pair.  He followed in a kind of a daze as images of Kris still floated around in his befuddled mind, images he knew that he’d never be able to forget…images that he knew he would need to edit from the recording.

The bug led him into the main corridor, and for a moment Rufus believed in the nearness of his freedom, but then, with the bug still gripping his arm he was pulled off into an branching tunnel, and down into a sloping corridor.  He resisted the pull of the bug, which turned to chatter angrily at him and proceeded to tug all the harder on his arm, proving that it was indeed stronger than he was as it nearly dragged him off his feet to force him to follow….

The trail ended too his horror where it had begun, he was flung back inside the manant chamber, he spun around and shouted, “No!  I’m not supposed to be here!  What was this for?” He wrenched at the recorder strapped to his side, yanking it loose as he shook it at the bug, “Huh?  Was this all just another lie and trick?  You fucking bugs!  You God Damned Fucking bugs!”

The guide snatched the recorder from him and chattered angrily at his defiant attitude.  Rufus didn’t care anymore; it had all been a lie…the only bit of truth that he had to believe in was that Kris had never lied to him, that at least he had to believe!  He attacked the guide knowing that it was better to die fighting than to face what was coming for him.  The bug screeched and chattered, but the result was what Rufus craved, the slashing pain, the burning ache and the frenzy of hot wet blood gushing from severe cuts was the answer that he sought, and the blackness that descended was the answer he needed.  “I’m sorry Kid,” he whispered as with aching slowness he tumbled into blackness, “they lied to you…they lied….”

And so it goes….

 

(Next chapter…Kris’ rescue and his deadly kids)