Almost Human

After two more months at the site, Xanthus asks me, "Are you ready to go?"

"Go," I question. "Do you want to have dinner in town?"

"I've made more than enough money to last me a while and they don't need me here anymore," Xanthus informs me. "So, are you ready to go home with me?"

I smile at him, "Yes, I'm ready to go home with you. Are we going to leave tonight?"

Xanthus shakes his head, "It's an eight to ten hour drive depending on traffic. It's best if we get a good night's sleep and head out first thing in the morning. But we can pack and organize tonight."

"Oh, my car," I remember, "My car is at the company terminal and training center."

"No problem," responds Xanthus, "It's along the way. We'll stop and get it. You'll just follow me in it... Let's get dinner and then we'll start packing."

Vala joins us as we enter the mess tent. And as we go down the line in front of the food service women picking what we want to eat, I notice one of the food service women is missing.

"Where's Shooky," I ask curious, "Is she sick?"

"She had a death in the family," another food service woman shares with me.

"A death, oh no, that's terrible," I respond concerned for Shooky, who's one of the sweetest, kindest gorilla women you could ever meet. "I hope she's going to be okay." I look at Xanthus, "We should send our condolences."

We sit down to eat with our usual associates not expecting the conversation to be too much different than usual.

"Hey," a male associate whispering, "Did you notice Shooky's gone?"

We all nod and I add, "She had a death in the family."

"Do you know who died," ask the male associate.

We all shake our heads. Xanthus adds, "We didn't ask who?"

"It's her brother, Gary," the male associate informs us in a whisper, "the gorilla that raped you, Eli... He committed suicide, hung himself in his cell with his sheets."

I've suddenly lost my appetite, and I have to wonder if it was really suicide. Despite the fact that Gary was a gorilla and wouldn't be easily over powered, not by humans or chimps, it's entirely possible that it was made to look like a suicide and Gary was murdered because they believe I'm human. Fact is that being only half human would get me classified as a chimp. Technically, advanced chimps and advanced gorillas are supposed to have equal rights, but most humans openly discriminate against them. People that I have known my whole life will shun me. And I'm more than a bit horrified. Gary deserved to be punished, but he didn't deserve to die. It was a bad decision, but he was also under a bad influence.

"Are you alright," Xanthus ask me concerned.

I nod, "Yeah, I lost my appetite is all... Poor Gary... how awful for his family... He didn't deserve to die."

"We'll send our condolences," Xanthus says in a consoling tone, "Try to eat. It's important for our trip tomorrow that you eat and are well rested. I don't want you to get faint or queasy on my bike."

"Trip," questions Susan curious, "Where are you going? Into town for the day?"

Xanthus shakes his head, "No, we're out of here. I'm finished. They don't need me for anything else here at this site. My project is complete. So, we're going home."

"Eli, you're going with him," questions Terry sadly.

I nod, "Yep, I'm going with my man."

"We'll miss you, Eli," says Susan sincerely.

"We've got each other's numbers," I respond, "We'll be able to keep in touch."

"What will your parents say when they learn Xanthus is a chimp," ask a male associate who's also a chimp like nearly every man in the mess tent.

"My dad's not a problem," I answer, "My mother on the other hand... That could be scary. She's not going to like it and that's just too damn bad. It's not like she and I are going to become closer anytime soon. But we're not going to announce it. She can figure it out on her own."

"I'll have to stop by and pay you both a visit," says Vala, "Need any help packing?"

"Sure, we could use a hand," invites Xanthus.

"We'll all come give you a hand," volunteers Susan.

"I've got a personal question for you, Eli," Terry informs me.

"Go ahead," I tell her. I have no idea what she's going to ask me. Only Xanthus and Vala know that I was adopted and that I'm half chimp.

Terry ask me, "How's sex with him," indicating Xanthus with a subtle jut of her chin.

"Incredible," I answer. "It's the best sex I've ever had."

So we have help getting things packed and organized after dinner. All that was left for us to do in the morning is let the air out of the air mattress and take down the tent.