Gizzy stepped into the interrogation cell with Jack following her and holding a briefcase.
“We’re gonna have some fun, Demitri.”
“Oh thank the gods, I was BORED in here alone. I do love a good 3 way. What’s in the box, wine, candles, chocolate covered strawberries?” he smiled. “Is your shoulder better then, I take it?”
“Oh you’re about to take it, count Chocula, but we’re gonna have the fun, not you.” She said, opening the case and taking out a large syringe.
“Oh, don’t be so shocked if we all have a good time.”
“Truth serum. Works on humans, works on Delmarians, works on whatever Nicole is technically considered. I figure you’re 6 foot 6, 190, so about… Jack, what do you think, A Delmarian dose should be just absolutely overkill without being lethal?”
“Oh he’s a tough nut, he can handle the big-boy dose. Give him the whole syringe.” Jack sighed. “And if he dies, he’ll just resurrect or… not.”
“I could break these restraints and take that needle.”
“Try it, and it might go up your ass. Now hold still.” She said puncturing his forearm and roughly shoving the whole tube empty.
“Well that’s rather unpleasant actually.” He said looking confused that he admitted it. “Interesting. Fast acting little cocktail you have there."
“We’ll start easy. What does the tusk do?”
“How do I know? It’s a tusk from an alien your fate monocle decided was relevant.”
“What would you do with a tusk?”
“Wine goblet, perhaps, belt buckles, a nice pipe. Nothing of universe significance.”
“The sex hypnosis, how does it work?” she asked.
“I wasn’t… Lyyying, it’s not hypnosis, and I’m just charming and attractive even if augmented by unnatural aura. There’s no control settings or dials, I am just alluring and I waken people’s desires.
“What’s your most embarrassing fear?”
“Oh you must be kidding me.” He scoffed.
“Answer it.”
“Being stranded on an ocean world, unable to swim or drown. I do not like the water. I do not fear water, but being trapped eternally under it choking for air gives me chills.”
“How do we diffuse the bomb?”
“There is no bomb, I was lying. You were going to leave me alone on that frozen world, so I bluffed. What do you expect me to do?”
“What do you want from us?” she asked.
“Acceptance, a bed, the respect of an elder and, if possible, some damn sinful fun once in a while. You’re a ship of misfit killers and vampires, and you people never even have a good drunken blood fueled orgy? How disappointing.”
“Are you planning to kill us?”
“No, but I have…” he growled, trying to fight the serum. “I have several manners of retaliation planned if necessary to save myself. Don’t act like you wouldn’t do the same. I am surviving and attempting to do it enjoyably, very little of what I have said was even a lie. I told mostly truths without your serum, but you trust nothing.”
“What specifically have you lied about. List them all.” She snarled, getting closer. He gnashed his fangs trying to stay silent and his back tightened as he locked eyes.
“That I am a living artifact. That a bullet to the head and ejection into space would stop me, I was pretending not to care so you wouldn’t be as tempted. And when I said I have no interest in your wife, Jack. I have no plans to move on her, but if she came to me, I would bed her without hesitation. I just didn’t think that helped in the path to making you trust me. She is rather devilishly divine.” He said still struggling.
“Yeah, that makes me trust him more.”
“I’m more interested in you not being a living artifact. Explain that in detail.”
“It’s personal.” He said while technically not lying.
“More detail. Why do you glow like one of you’re not one of the god forged artifact we need to find?”
"Because the artifact is inside me. I told you I was blessed and cures by the oldest gods with these powers, and I was not lying. But I am not the source, the source is a DAMNIT!! DAMN YOU ALL!! Silver amulet, surgically grafted to my heart.”
“So what if we removed it, would you die?”
“My powers would cease and I would be human, so yes, I would die, either from the removal or decades later as an old mortal. I don’t want it removed.”
“You like being immortal, powerful.”
“Of course I do, that is why I offered my soul for the amulet. I have nothing left when I die, so never dying is the preferred alternative. I said I regretted what I did with my immortality, squandering it, using it for cheap carnal thrills and admiration and I regret the beastly offspring I have created in ignorance. I do not regret my deal, or the immortality itself. If I could go back and change everything, I would change much and save many, but I would have taken the amulet the same, and used it wisely and with better wisdom.”
“Well, that’s fantastic.” Jack smiled. “because I happen to be a damn skilled surgeon. Let’s get that amulet out of you then.”
“No Jack… he’s not the enemy we thought he was. A pain in the ass like the rest of us, but not a threat. He’s a sad fool who got what he wanted and pissed away the gift, causing himself and others a lot of suffering. He was stupid and young and infected with power, and now he’s old and full of regret and self hatred."
“Oh no, I do not hate myself. I quite like myself actually. I hate the young bastard I once was, I hate the father that beat me and left me to die because my mother was a lowly whore he selected from the town house or repute, and I hate that I created bastards of my own far worse then either of us, but I got my vengeance and my power, and I do not regret selling my soul for it. He died for his sins, as he should have, and I lived to see mine evolve and reproduce. I am far from that stupid power hungry boy, easily tempted and corrupted by the flesh and drink. I control my lust now, not the other way around, and I have become a majestic monster that I love quite dearly and will fight to save and live another day. I am rather ashamed of myself for not hating myself, and yet here we sit, and I shall fight to live and stay in power. To exist, to be free.”
“What is your goal here? With us.” Gizzy sighed. “On this ship with this crew. What do you hope to achieve?”
“Family. Home. To not be alone.”
“Then I’m gonna ask a simple question. Which do you prefer, obeying the rules of the crew and the captain, and myself, or to be cut open and harvested for that amulet?”
“You already know the answer to that, Madam Commander.”
“Jack, leave the room. This interrogation is about to get uncomfortable.”
“Respectfully, Gizzy. I’ve interrogated a few people in my day, and it takes a lot to disturb me.”
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“You won’t like this. Leaving the room was an order, not a suggestion or an option to leave.” She said darkly.
“Well then… you kids have fun.” He said as Gizzy put her hand on his briefcase.
“Leave the case, Jack.” She said as he smirked and left.
“So…torture or surgery…which will you be inflicting?” he said with a sad smile.
“Listen carefully. You’re gonna leave this room alive and intact and if anyone asks, I tortured you for a while to be entirely sure you were telling the truth. And here’s some more serum to ensure that very thing.” She said giving him another dose, his eyes nearly rolling back.
“Then what truth am I about to be hiding?” he asked, looking very awake and alert.
“Mine.” She said as his look changed. “You remind me a lot of myself when I was younger. I can’t explain why or how much of a turn on that is, but you also need to stay away from Vicki. She’s Jack’s wife and I protect Jacks heart like you protect your own silver armored heart. So… who do you really want more… her or me?” she grinned, unbuttoning his shirt. He looked relieved and nervous at the question.
“I said she was quite alluring, not irresistible. I control my desires when I wish, and she is hardly a temptation I am weakened to. Now you on the other hand… have quite the irresistible temptation. Little Victoria is in no peril, nor would my charms make her stop hating me. So why don’t you hate me?”
“She’s young, she’s fiery, she’s also immature and lacks her own control most of the time. She hates you because she fears you. You don’t scare me, and now that I know you’re just a softie at heart with a paranoid set of armor over it, I almost pity you. You were right though… we are about to have some fun. And nobody will believe it if you say you seduced me under truth serum, so… lie gain when it wears off, and I’ll leave a few marks to make it convincing that you hated every minute of this.”
“Oh, do leave a mark or two, we don’t want them doubting.” He snarled, eyes glowing.
...
Gizzy strolled into her quarters, as Dee waited impatiently.
“That took a while.” She said cryptically.
‘Interrogation is an art.” Gizzy sighed.
“Oh I’m familiar with your artistry, baby. You don’t think I detected that? Everyone on the ship felt that, Vicki probably gave Jack a run for his money when he got back. You slept with him again.”
“Can we keep that discreet? I need that between us.
“Us three, or us two?” she asked, looking hurt.
“Dee, it’s not what you think, judging from the look on your face.”
“What power does he have over you? Is it a vampire thing, is it a dick thing? Do I need a dick mod? You know what, I don’t even care. Do him. Do the sexy vampire dude, get your fix, just come back to me. Because for some stupid reason I love you, and it pisses me off. You’ve influenced me more than anyone on this ship, more than the 20 years worth of rogue internet I’ve skimmed for human experience. We’ve survived impossible odds together, we’ve snorted robot cocaine, I didn’t even know that was a thing until you mentioned it. We’ve seen some shit, we’ve done some shit, You’ve literally built my chassis and it’s so much better than the stock model. I don’t wanna lose you to some stupid human thing like monogamy. I’ve looked up your files on Delmar, sorry, but I get it. You’ve been married like 32 times, you’re older than me, you’ve seen it all and done it all and I’m kinda new and clueless. I just wanna learn with you. So if you need vampire dick to be happy, go have happy vampire dick and then come back to me and we’ll not talk about it, or we can talk about it, or I’ll join in, I don’t even know what to suggest. I’m so not on your level.”
“Dee… I’m working to gain his trust and find out if he’s a threat and know if I need to steal Jacks bullet and kill the guy against captain's orders to protect the crew. The interrogation serum seemed to work but I want him thinking he has some control over me, so I have the element of surprise and he has a reason to be cocky and make his move. It’s called a honeypot move in espionage. I’m screwing him to get into his head because he’s letting his guard down and I’m just pretending to be vulnerable and smitten by his charms.”
“So it’s a spy thing!? The whole time?”
“Yes. I didn’t want you to know because you’d worry and maybe do something stupid trying to help. I’m not hypnotized or under his spell, I’m just good at acting and faking it.”
“So you don’t even like the sex?”
“No, the sex is actually pretty good, I’m not faking that, it’s part of the plan so I’m doing it properly. I have to have sex with him or it doesn’t work, I’m gonna enjoy it and not half-ass it… but right after that I’m back on mission mode and playing up the post-sex emotions. There’s nothing emotional between us. It’s just tactical spy chess… except naked.”
“See, now I wanna be mad, but I can’t because it makes sense and you’re helping the crew and it’s also honestly kinda hot when I’m not worried about being excluded and left alone from it. Okay I get it. Go do your thing, be a spy, save the day, and seduce the hot vampire guy. And then come back to me and provide the nasty details so we can do something fun with that later. You did hear that I said I loved you, right?”
“I heard it.”
“Cuz usually you’d say it back, but I get it, it’s gotta be from the heart… or motorized gear pump. I kinda wish I had held that back a little longer now. But it’s fine. You’ll get there and then it will be more special because you meant it and wasn’t pressured into, god I’m so stupid, why did I blurt that out with zero signals. UGH, I SUCK!” she grunted.
“Dee… Ugh… loveyoutoo.” Gizzy muttered under her breath.
“I KNEW IT!” she jumped, hugging her.
“Don’t make it into a production. Just accept it and don’t expect that all the time. I’m not the type to be mushy about things. This isn’t going to be a rainbow snugglefest, take the wins when you get them with some grace.”
“Good enough. From you that means a lot. Really, it does. I’m just glad we some time alo-” There was a knock on the door.
“Busy!” Dee yelled.
“Perhaps not for this.” said Demitri’s voice. She stomped angrily to the door and opened it to yell at him, noticing him holding a piece of paper with a sketch on it. “I believe I know what the tusk is for.” He smiled with gleaming fangs and his green tinted gold glasses.
...
The group gathered around the mess hall table as he placed down the sketch of a drinking horn, elaborately carved and on a pedestal.
“I did not recognize the stars until the ship’s navigation slowed us down. He calls himself the Maestro, but he is known also as the collector and… the German.”
“A collector of what?” asked Nicole.
“Death.” Demitri said coldly. "Fossils, skulls, petrified organs, preserved flesh and tissue if he can get it. The more macabre or rare, the better. A man of science, but an avid artist in the biological. A surgeon of sorts, unlike Jack of course, his patients tend to live after an operation, but not necessarily because they want to. He dabbles in experimentation, much like your abominations in the lower containers, except rather than growing them, he collects non-voluntary volunteers.”
“So he’s just a psychopath, then,” Gizzy corrected.
“Yes, but an artist none the less, and a scientist before all. Skill does not diminish, nor does brilliance negate, with the increase of evil. It only changes the intent of the art. I remember meeting him once at a very unsavory gathering of minds, and he was particularly interested in ivory drinking chalices. I think it not coincidence fate gives us a rare ivory artifact and then slows us down in the system where he resides. I believe either we need to commission one of these drinking chalices or barter the ivory for something of value he has. But his prices are steep so beware. Legend says he took samples from the planet of the dead and made his own son an abomination. Jack, I believe your father was the one who killed him on Amenthis. This may be a card to play or to bury. Only time will tell. But be warned, his home is not for the faint of heart.” Demitri grinned.
“And why exactly do you know such a sadistic person well enough to visit their personal home without invitation?” Jack asked him, his tone paranoid.
“I am an ancient blood sucking curse on the universe, why would he not wish to study me and some day have my taxidermy corpse on his mantle? Just because you have an open invitation to someone’s home, who does not like guests, does not make you his guest. It merely means he intends for you enter the trap alone. Therefore, how does one convert himself from the prey to the guest… by bringing prey of equal or greater value… say, the son of the man who killed his own son, and his vampiric wife as a tribute.”
“So we’re bait, and we need to trust you?” jack scoffed.
“Trust him Jack. He’s been interrogated enough to know he’s not our enemy.” Gizzy said abruptly. "Fate seems to agree, he’s had opportunities to kill us and hasn’t, all his truths were understandable and his lies were to save himself from imprisonment or death. Demitri may be a burden and a bit of an asshole, but he’s an ally in a cause greater than our differences. Gear up. We have a mission. Dee, you’re not going to like this one."
“Why am I going to the scary German death museum?”
“You’re not. You’re just gonna hate why I am.”
...
Gizzy and Demitri sat in her room, selecting outfits.
“You really think he will believe someone such as myself settled down to a marriage?” he scoffed.
“Well, when he sees me in a dress he’ll understand. We’re married, not monogamous, honey.” She grinned.
“Oh, you do the con so well even I wonder if I have fallen for it. I suppose we have a small castle, a handful of human familiars we cycle through before they get stale or disobedient, a lovely vineyard on some small moon with no sunlight or mercy. Perhaps a harem of lovely servants in leather and silver?”
“Someone has thought of this a little too much before we had a plan to fictionalize.” She smiled.
“Well you do kindle accelerated inspiration. Especially in that dress.” He said hovering behind her neck exhaling softly. She turned and lightly held him by the throat, digging her long nails in just slightly.
“And you doubt that he’ll believe you fell for me? That’s barely even a stretch of the details. The secret to good acting… don’t act. Just elaborate on the truth. Bend it a little, blur the lines with colorful metaphor.”
"Perhaps you should remind me why I obey you again… in case we are to die on this mission. Shame to waste the time before merely prepping and planning.” He said as she pushed him to the wall with her foot.
“Oh, you remember. I don’t want you satisfied and focused, I want you distracted and drooling, watching me like a new plaything you can't wait to get back home to… sells the marriage bit. You want a reward, do the fucking mission, get back alive and with something pretty that glows in those glasses.” She said before turning her back and leaving slowly. Demitri sighed powerfully, grinning at his amused frustrations and the game he was failing to win. He loved every minute of it.