In the cold of space you find the heat of suns

Warning: The views, standards, mores and morals of the different groups in this story, including those of ‘spacers’, are not those of our world. They are the product of a fictional future history. Many of the behaviours they consider acceptable we do not; some of them are wrong by my definition in that they are damaging to one or more of the individuals involved and/or suggest that one individual has more intrinsic value than another. In this story, ‘spacers’ consider youths of fourteen capable of giving informed consent and they consider a job description that includes providing sexual favours to others, including much older people, to be normal and acceptable.

3. Inadvertently acquired

Sasuke concentrated on moving smoothly and keeping his place in the group. In front of him was Ibiki’s broad back and the upper half of the boy. His hair was dyed blond and he smelt. Sasuke wondered what they would do with him. It was easier than thinking about what had happened.

Behind Kakashi’s eyepatch lurked one of the deadliest weapons ever created by the Uchiha, an implant that gave the user superhuman senses and speed. Sasuke had grown up with such men and while most of them had been killed trying to stop the massacre, the remainder had been assembled to act as his bodyguards and mentors when he was moved to Hiruzen-sama’s household. Sasuke knew that activating the implant demanded a price. Kakashi was beginning to stumble before they reached the spur where the ship was docked. Their return was unscheduled so it took far too long to dismantle the security. Genma was lookout, the metal stick in his mouth jumping erratically. Finally the last seal was broken and they entered. The Captain stomped away in the direction of her cabin. Jiraiya sank down there in the corridor and produced a vial of blue liquid, which he swallowed. Iruka was taking more and more of Kakashi’s weight as they headed toward the crew room until Shikamaru ran after them and ducked under Kakashi’s trailing arm.

Ibiki tried to hand the boy to Genma, who wrinkled his nose in disgust, shook his head and began the task of persuading Jiraiya toward the crew room before the drug fully hit his system. Ibiki swore and moved to place the boy on the ground so that he could finish reinstating the security. Sasuke surprised himself by holding out his arms.

“He’s heavier than he looks.” Ibiki told him as he gently transferred the boy into Sasuke’s arms.

Sasuke braced himself against the bulkhead. He was glad of the warning, otherwise they would have ended up in a heap on the ground. He found himself studying the boy’s face rather than watching Ibiki, even though it was his first chance to see someone securing the ship. The boy was odd. His hair was strange. He had… …whiskers. There were three of them on each side, growing from his cheeks. His mouth was slightly open and Sasuke could see that his canines were long, and very pointed. He only half-heard Ibiki’s exchange with the Captain, then the big man was reclaiming the boy from his arms. Sasuke looked up at him questioningly.

“He can’t help the genes he was born with.” Ibiki stated.

Sasuke trailed after them deep in thought. The boy was a hybrid, although less obviously than the ones Sasuke had seen displayed in freakshows. He wondered what species the genes had come from and whether the boy was a product of some recently failed experiement, or whether he was a descendent of one of the hybrid soldiers of antiquity. It mattered which, he knew that. Few modern hybrids could function well enough to survive. The intercom crackled.

“Is Sasuke busy?” the Captain asked.

Ibiki looked at him. “Yes, he’s helping me with the boy. Iruka is with Kakashi.”

They took him to the infirmary, where Ibiki stripped him, wiped the worst of the grime and placed him in the diagnostic tank. Sasuke realised that he had been wrong, either the boy’s hair was naturally blond or he had nanobots, which did not seem very likely given the cost of nanobots and way the boy’s ribs stuck out. He wondered if his last crew had fed him, or even if he was their cat and not some youngster they had found in an alley. He stared at the body in the tank, listing the ways in which it was not quite human. His hair, even his pubic hair, was almost like fur. His attention was ripped away by Ibiki swearing at the dia-doc which was flashing red and spluttering error messages. The big man stabbbed the intercom. “I need you, Shikamaru. Infirmary. The dia-doc has gone crazy.”

It took Shikamaru forever to recalibrate the dia-doc so that it would accept data from the boy without assuming it was malfunctioning. Sasuke helped as much as he could. He knew that Shikamaru was cleverer than him. It had been a shock at first but Sasuke had discovered that he rather liked it. He liked losing at Go and having to ask Shikamaru explain things again. It made him feel human. Occasionally he would glance at the boy submerged in the green medigel. Each time the boy’s hair seemed lighter.


“The dia-doc is cleaning him up.” Shikamaru explained. “It’s an automatic function, independent of the control unit.” Shikamaru studied the boy through the green gel. “He’s cute, in a weird way. You don’t think he’s a plant do you?”

Sasuke recoiled. The thought had never occurred to him. It would have been the perfect way to get a stranger inside the Silver Leaf. Being a traditional crew they had no choice but to care for a boy acquired in such as way. Making Kakashi use his eye ensured that they would return to the ship rather than proceed to the rented unit.

Skikamaru shugged. “Don’t worry. I always see more than is there. Do you know why they were sent to get you?”

Sasuke made a decision and gave the smallest of nods. Shikamaru nodded in acknowledgement and turned his attention back to the recalcitrant machine.

Finally the dia-doc accepted the boy’s data and began functioning. Apparently he was drugged, estimated time of awakening 500 minutes. There were no other acute problems, although the boy was malnourished. Shikamaru reported in and they were told to set up the monitor and come to the crew room. Kakashi was laying on one of the couches with his head in Iruka’s lap. Iruka was stroking his temples and running the tips of his fingers through Kakashi’s wild grey hair. Sasuke felt compeled to look, although he found such displays of affection painful. To his surprise, Genma ordered him into the galley to help with the meal: Genma rarely prepared food and usually avoided Sasuke. Sasuke steeled himself for what it knew would be the first of many interogations.

“You weren’t surprised by Kakashi’s fighting style,” Genma stated. “That’s a first.”

“I have seen it before,” Sasuke admitted, “not Kakashi but others.”

Genma’s eyebrows shot upwards but he did not pry further. Spacers did not pry. “And the boy?”

Sasuke hesitated. No-one seeing the boy could miss the fact he was a hybrid. Shikamaru and Ibiki had spotted it immediately. “He appears to have some non-human genes. It sent the dia-doc crazy.”

Genma smirked. “You know what they say about hybrids. They lack many human inhibitions. Let’s hope he has enough of a brain to risk letting him loose in the ship. At least then I have something to screw other than Shikamaru.”

Sasuke felt himself shutting down. “I am always available to you Genma-san,” he said politely.

“Sasuke, I would prefer to jerk off. It’s more fun. You are that bad a fuck.”

Sasuke was more relieved than he was insulted. “I understand Genma-san.”

Genma sniggered. “The weirdest thing is that I am beginning to see the funny side of it. A frigid cat. How the fuck does a crew get stuck with a frigid cat? And how in all known space did you manage to get so good at things that it almost makes up for it?”

Sasuke was wondering if Genma was losing it when Iruka appeared in the doorway. “I’ll help Sasuke finish up,” he said gently.

“But Kakashi?” Genma queried.

“Asleep. Go have a drink, Genma. Ibiki has opened a bottle of whisky.”

Sasuke chopped and cleaned while Iruka cooked. Iruka said nothing.

“May I have a sleepdrug for tonight, Iruka-sensei?” Sasuke heard himself asking.

Iruka stopped stirring the soup and looked at him.

“I may have nightmares,” Sasuke admitted, “and it would be unthoughtful to disturb the others after such a stressful day.”

Iruka waited.

Sasuke forced the words out. “I have seen Kakashi’s style of fighting before,” he admitted.

It was enough. Iruka nodded and ruffled his hair.