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Cellulose & Steel	By : Not-Taylor Category: Misc Books > FemmeSlash Views: 1028 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't own HDG or its characters and I don't make money from this work.

Chapter List
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“Darling, as we discussed, you ought to tell Evlen’s mistress about what happened earlier. She has a right to know.”
Verda’s interruption, just as her prisoner was preparing to message Evlen, is unwelcome. Ember hadn’t even had a chance to sit down before being diverted from its plan. The affini lightly sits in her chair, watching from the corner of her eyes as she picks up her portable computer and starts scrolling. Evlen’s happiness is much more important than coddling some plant’s sense of superiority.
“But why?” Ember asks.
“Because Evlen is her floret. She never agreed to that sort of interaction with you.”
“Why is that my problem? She should’ve noticed something.”
“Whether she should have noticed is irrelevant. With great power comes great responsibility, and yours now is to be gentle around others’ florets, as I am, and as an affini would be obligated to be.”
“But…”
“If you’d rather not have to think about that, the decision is yours.” Xenodrugs. That’s a threat.
“Fine.”
That conversation ought not to be continued in case Verda concludes that the objections to just how insane that system is are feralism. She might just, and Ember doesn’t have the energy to properly fight her. The philosophy is too familiar. That a man should not be alone with another man’s wife is obvious and deep in Terran convention, since obviously women are weak little things frail of body and mind, unable to resist a man. Yuck. And Verda feels the same way about Evlen. The thought pains Ember. Just because he’s cute and vulnerable doesn’t mean he should be treated as-
In this case, it would seem that the restriction is justified. Perhaps a simple therapy session isn’t enough but undoubtedly… The rule against violating florets makes sense. Ember realizes that the part it objects to is that it comes implicitly with assent for the “owner” to do all of those terrible things with no limitation.
Perhaps limiting the sources of harm to one is beneficial, after all. Since the Affini are xenos, doesn’t that make sense, that they couldn’t come up with a better system? That’s not good enough. As Verda said, if they want to be in charge, they’d better be worthy of that responsibility, and clearly they are not.
The only way affini and Terran can coexist is if the affini is denied control. The only way that equality can be ensured is… Ember doesn’t know. If through biology they can just take humans prisoner by proximity, there’s not much that can be done. It’s hopeless. There’s no Terran future in that situation. Their xeno vines would creep into everything political and social, infiltrating and subverting with ease. That’s nobody’s fault. They can’t even help themselves, unfortunately. Thus Terran primacy is vital to their survival as a culture and every other species’s right to proper treatment.
So how do you stop them from doing what they do without simply killing them? As far as Ember is aware, no such method exists, meaning that affini can’t coexist with anyone else. It glances at Verda. The realization is disheartening. In every other timeline and alternate history, the result of her contact with the Accord is the same. Aside from where the Accord simply exterminates the Affini outright, but that wasn’t going to happen with how profitable they were likely to be. Some other manifestation of human nature may have stood a chance, but not anything remotely similar to the Accord.
That isn’t a good thing to contemplate. It settles itself and tries to focus on its penitence. Cia Endiwai needs to know about the private interactions between two people who aren’t her.
[membership_plan_11]> chat: How is Evlen tonight? I thought it was a little odd that he was tired so suddenly.
[Ruby Trunk]> house_call: He’s doing well and saying that he enjoyed visiting with you. The expression on his face when you came up after we got home was simply adorable. Thanks for checking in!
[membership_plan_11]> chat: He’s really fine? No issues?
[Ruby Trunk]> house_call: Why do you ask, Song?
[membership_plan_11]> chat: It’s Ember, and I ask because of something difficult to explain
[membership_plan_11]> chat: Some data suggests an interaction between Terran biorhythms and almsit physiology that might have negatively impacted him by accident. Did you notice anything?
[Ruby Trunk]> house_call: No, but thank you for the warning, precious.
[membership_plan_11]> chat: I’m glad. It was nice to have you both visit.
That’s a good sign. Evlen not being distraught or permanently a zombie is good. Checking on him directly is the next step. Despite being slightly calmer than before, Ember is unwilling to forgive herself if she’s hurt him.
[membership_plan_11]> chat: How are you doing? I wanted to ask because of what happened earlier, just to make sure you’re doing well.
[Ruby Trunk]> len_pickle: I’m fine, thanks, Ember. Why would you think anything was wrong?
[membership_plan_11]> chat: Do you not remember?
[Ruby Trunk]> len_pickle: Of course I remember. That sort of thing tends to be memorable.
[membership_plan_11]> chat: Are you sure? You weren’t traumatized?
[Ruby Trunk]> len_pickle: I wasn’t. You weren’t anywhere close to bad.
[membership_plan_11]> chat: Even by...
[Ruby Trunk]> len_pickle: What are you referring to?
[membership_plan_11]> chat: What you did, and saw.
He doesn’t reply for a few minutes, during which Ember’s memory suddenly hits something it’d been thinking about for most of the day. Despite feeling stupid for not remembering sooner, it tries to focus instead of worrying about that part.
“Verda. I learned that Artemis wanted me as a floret. She put in an application.”
“Did she? That’s very interesting, darling. How did you learn that?” Verda’s careful movements reveal that this subject is sensitive and nothing else.
“Ginger said so. It should’ve been easy since she and…” That still hurts.
“I suppose it should have been. Yet here you are.”
“Do you have any insights as to why I’m here and not there?”
“Some. Ember, this is likely to be very difficult for you to hear. Are you willing to accept that we do things in a way that makes you angry, in order to sit through my explanation?”
“Is there a choice?”
“You could trust me when I say that you’re my floret and mine alone, darling. Perhaps one day you will find that notion appealing,” Verda says, licking her lips in her enthusiasm.
“Fine. Tell me.”
“Do you promise to remain calm?”
“No. I can tell this is going to be bad.”
“Very well.” Verda sighs. “When I recovered you from the wreckage of Song of Destruction, I carefully checked for any domestication paperwork that had been done. As there were no present claims, I was prepared to claim you myself, as was my right due to having saved you.”
“You wouldn’t have had the chance if you didn’t put me in danger.”
“You put yourself in danger with your feralism, Ember. Do you remember how many months you spent running and hiding from us when we only wanted to make your pain go away? And your brain’s condition deteriorated during that time. It was truly unfortunate, yet entirely your doing.”
“You know why I did what I did, Verda.”
“Of course. You needn’t explain again. To continue, I thought nothing of the situation until you happened to appear in the custody of another person. My shock was immense, until I researched her and her first floret, Ginger Pallas chka Artemis Pallas, second bloom.”
“Do you have to call her that?”
“She’s very proud of that title, Ember. I’m certain if you asked Ginger if she’d prefer any other surname, she would reject the offer. Any other,’ she adds pointedly. “My research showed that you and Ginger were involved quite intimately, as pilot and navigator. Sufficient knowledge to understand quite what that meant didn’t come until after our journey to visit Earth. By then, I came to the conclusion anyone would have, that it was insane and negligent for Artemis not to also request the pseudomate of her asset. That’s common practice, as it is for most of those about to become florets. To separate a couple is unnatural and cruel.”
Ember’s tablet beeps, distracting them both for a moment. Evlen must have replied, but the end of this conversation feels important. Verda isn’t even teasing any more.
“That level of incompetence would necessitate even further scrutiny than was drawn by your abduction, but if she had done as I’ve described, that would make her your rightful owner and make me the floret thief.”
That term still makes Ember uncomfortable.
“Obviously I dug beyond the general access records layer into a few secure storages and backups, and found something fascinating.” While Verda most certainly is fascinated by the idea of digging through hard to reach paperwork, her captive audience is not. “Artemis did fill out paperwork in order to domesticate you. She meticulously executed the documentation, one copy sent to each pertinent agency and department,” she says, pausing a little too dramatically. “For the domestication of a floret’s individual of significant emotional attachment.”
A look of profound satisfaction and smugness spreads across Verda’s face. Her confidence is immense, and evidently she expects Ember to have at least a faint idea of what she’s talking about. Did Artemis not send the documents somewhere that wasn’t a department or agency? Obviously not. The problem was that she filled out the form to request a floret’s attachment when Ginger wasn’t a floret yet. What an idiot. Maybe Artemis ought to be a floret.
Wait what?
“That was the wrong form.”
“It was, and an unconscionable error that a first bloom wouldn’t make.”
“Does that mean she has to let Ginger go?”
“It could have meant that, were she yet to be implanted. Now, and as her mistress has had so much time and experience in perfecting Ginger’s care, it won’t happen. They’ll remain together for eighty years at the very least. We don’t actually know how long we can make terrans last, so-”
“So what was the point of saying all of this?”
“That Artemis filled out the wrong form.”
“Oh.” That makes sense. “Didn’t you say you were familiar with me before we met, based on my record of superior piloting skills?”
She remembers that, now that Ember mentions it, and looks very uncomfortable suddenly.
“I… did say that.”
“You must’ve known. So…”
The affini admiral remains perfectly still, as though hiding from a velociraptor’s sense of smell.
“And why did you go after me at all? That has to be-”
“Pet, remain calm,” Verda says softly. “My reasons for wanting to domesticate you in particular are mine alone, but I will admit that my presence in that particular part of the Milky Way so far into Human Domestication wasn’t an accident.”
“So you knew that Artemis was after me because she was the one that Ginger o’Smerie told where we were. That means that Artemis scheduled or organized the attack-”
“Darling.” For the first time in a while, Verda looks properly flustered. Her interior portion rustles subtly as she thinks how to continue. “Artemis and I were never aboard the same ship subsequent to our departure from Ruby Trunk. I would not have known her personal intentions. That the operative whose asset was on Song failed to submit a domestication request for the romantic partner of said asset was a remarkable failing, but not one that passed onto my awareness at the time. You and Ginger could as easily have been damaging to one another’s mental wellbeing without my knowledge.”
“So you let her take Ginger from me.”
“Had your ship been captured all at once, that would not have happened. As it did, her usefulness to the capture of your ship ended once Ginger was secured. As she had no legal claim on you, that permitted me to claim you for myself, when the moment arrived.”
“Why didn’t she just… do the right paperwork then?”
Ember can’t believe it’s having this conversation, discussing its status as property with its literal owner. That it’s doing so calmly and curiously is even more humiliating, but it has to know the truth of why Ginger was taken from- but she wasn’t. Stars, that’s hard to remember. They’d been together for years, almost half a decade, or maybe a little more than that. One day blended so much into the next that Song never noticed the passage of time, and besides, they didn’t have a proper anniversary to keep track of.
It tries to piece together in its mind what it knows now. First, Ginger was mentally enslaved as a spy for the Compact. Then she transferred onto the ship that she came to know so intimately, eventually infiltrating it emotionally, as well as with a virus that may or may not have caused that connection. Then they’d fought, triggering Ginger to reveal their location, getting herself and that poor girl who worked on the jump drive captured. After that, months longer, running away, until finally, a mistake caught up with Song, trapping her and her crew. In the meantime, Artemis must have seethed over her failure, developing strong emotions toward the ship, which had been revealed in her excessive treatment of her when they finally met. At the same time, Verda was plotting to take Song for herself, and ensured her position on the shuttle that finally boarded her. Something doesn’t sound right, but Song is unsure what that might be…
“That is beyond my knowledge, Ember. Perhaps you might ask her some day, after your implantation. We wouldn’t want her to try to take you for herself again, would we?”
“Maybe that would be better, if I don’t have a choice in how things turn out. If I don’t remember or don’t understand why what Ginger did was wrong, then I’m sure I’d be happier with her than without. I-”
Suddenly, Ember remembers the reason that she can never be with Ginger and Artemis. Then she remembers that it was just a dream, one that can’t hurt her. Calming her heart takes time and is made more difficult by how loud it seems to be right now.
“Darling, while I’m pleased that you’ve accepted the inevitability of your domesticated happiness, that will never happen. As you’ve confirmed with an audience, you’re mine. I have no intention of ever letting you slip from my vines. Such a cute and witty little terran is too precious to set loose on the ship. Besides, how could Artemis ever hope to handle you, even with an implant, when she can’t even handle filling out a simple form?”
Verda bursts into laughter that Ember would easily consider villainous if it were part of a show. No shame is visible in the dictatorial plant’s body, nor any reluctance to simply… declare victory. That’s increasingly suspicious, but there’s nothing to be done about it. In spite of it all, she’s demonstrated that she does care a little, that she’s willing to compromise, make deals, and simply give Ember what she wants in hopes of making her happy. That intersects weirdly with the many ways she’s imposed her will by force, but… She’s a lot better than any other affini for the time being. When they finally get around to installing an alien parasite, however… Ember shudders in dread of that event which looms with increasing vividity. She starts to wonder if Lysander is supposed to teach her the value of servitude, just as the incident with Evlen was meant to teach that one should be happy to simply accept one’s place in the natural order without trying to transcend. Ember will never submit. She likes having vines!
“That was a joke.” Ember doesn’t find it particularly amusing. “Regardless, I answered your question, did I not?”
“You did.” Not helpfully, but she did.
“Good. Now, if you brush your teeth I’ll be happy to continue your language instruction. Would that make you feel better?”
“I have to reply to Evlen first.”
“As a matter of fact, your teeth need to be brushed first. Then you’ll have until bedtime to speak to Evlen.”
“But I don’t want to go to bed with you.”
“We’ve had this discussion. Do you enjoy arguing?”
“...”
“You know that it’s important, Ember. Teeth.”
She does. With a sigh, the pilot goes to brush her teeth with weird xenotoothxenopaste that she has to trust isn’t too full of xenodrugs for her to function properly afterward.
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Cellulose & Steel