StK:Cleon - Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Generally, when society thought of lions, a few words are always quick to emerge. Strong, majestic, powerful, 'king of the jungle' (though that phrase was entirely inaccurate), maybe even pride came to light. Pride in the sense of a group of lions, a family, one cohesive unit. One would expect the welcoming of such a creature into the world a miracle of nature. The bringing of a new generation of authoritative hunters to the world was supposed to be something of wonderment and awe. And, for the most part, it was. Everyone was excited and rushing around in a fevered pace to welcome the new life and get things back on track and headed in the right direction. A new species, a new generation, a new beginning.

It was beautiful, until they dropped him, that is.

Landing with a wet slap against the tile as his virgin limbs slipped through one of his attending Technician's butterfingers made everyone around them freeze and look to him. Searing eyes bore down on the mousy worker who visibly shrunk back to avoid them. The Carrier, who was only identified by his model number at this point, groaned as his nerves were abruptly awoken by a dull ache. The Technician was quick to try and pick him up again and 9x8b was fumbled onto an icy metal exam table. The Carrier was then assaulted by someone pulling his eye open and shoving what felt like a hot metal rod into his cornea. He was blinded for a moment before the light faded and was pulled away.

"Take him for testing. Make sure you didn't break anything," a low gravelly voice said, the face to which was giving the clumsy Technician a poignant glare.

9x8b felt himself being lifted again and set on a much softer surface, a gurney, and being wheeled away. He opened his eyes to see the ceiling and a series of lights zoom past his vision. He suddenly had the uncontrollable urge to cough as his lungs tightened involuntarily. He did so, expelling a few mouthfuls of gestational liquid from himself onto the gurney's padding and himself. So glamorous. His body felt so very heavy as he tried to roll onto his side. It took so much unreasonable effort, that he simply gave up halfway through and lay on his back, watching the world move past him. The coughing didn't cease though and warm hands pushed his shoulders up, sitting him upright so everything he was getting rid of had a place to go. By the time they reached the next exam room, he had coated the front of himself and a good portion of the gurney in a thin slime.

He was given a blanket to wrap up in as the shivers started. His entire body was cold and trembling. He folded his limbs around himself and stared at the gurney, the ache from being dropped having replaced itself with the unbearable twitching of his muscles. He was left alone for almost an hour. His quaking slowed from a constant to just a few tremors every now and again while his hair dried and lay against his face in lifeless tendrils. He thought a lot. He was aware of what he was, though he doubted he could explain it to anyone that didn't already know. He was aware of his Totem, and the desire to obtain his Charge. The details surrounding all of this were a bit fuzzy, but he was sure his family could help clear some of it up. He smiled to himself. Yes, his family. He wondered when they would come see him. Surely they had to know he was awake.

A Technician came in, and the Carrier's optimism bubbled as he smiled. He would be going to his home soon, hopefully. To his family, to the comfort, and out of the place he was now which wasn't nearly as appealing. The Technician focused on his tablet for several minutes, poking the device with his stylus and scrolling through the information. 9x8b sat still, his smile fading when the man didn't say anything, copper eyes focused on his task. The man pushed a piece of silvery gray hair out of his face when he was finished, looking to the Carrier with a scrutinizing gaze.

"Model number?" came the short demand.

"9x8b," he replied, his vocal chords cracking a bit with the effort.

"Totem?"

"Pathera Leo."

"Good," the Technician said, taking a note on his tablet. He stepped to the gurney and clicked a pen light and checked his eyes again. He held his finger in front of 9x8b's face for him to follow without moving his head, snapping his fingers next to either ear to see them twitch and react and did a brief visual check of all of his teeth.

"When do I get to see my family?" 9x8b asked anxiously after another hour of boring simple tests.

"You don't have one," the Technician said bluntly. The Carrier's optimism was immediately crushed. He suddenly wanted to crawl back into his gestational chamber for another twenty years. "You're going to be transported to your facility which is in Dome 813, and there you will be more thoroughly tested. After everything checks out, you will the start on your studies. Only after all of that, will your project really begin. You can select a Charge as soon as tomorrow though. You will probably have to wait several years before you can leave to retrieve them, so it shouldn't change your timeline much."

"Oh… but if I'm by myself, who's going to help me?"

"That is not my concern. The only thing I care about is results," the Technician said. He gathered his tablet and left quickly, calling another team of Technicians to transport him elsewhere. 9x8b hadn't even had the chance to walk, let alone gather much information. He had a vague inkling of what his project was and what he would be doing but everything technical was a blur.

He was lifted off of his sticky gurney and placed on another one that was rolled outside. His blanket was taken from him and a pair of beige shorts and a bland t-shirt was shoved in his arms. He stared at the clothing confusedly as he was lifted into the back of a van. Inside, the Technicians shoved him around as if he were a doll until he was properly forced into the fabric. He was still unbelievably cold. He huddled on the gurney shivering as it started to move, pulling away from the building, the Compound, and headed towards the Dome's gate.

----

"Hello, 9x8b," another Technician said. His voice was warm and soft, if a bit low and throaty. The previous Technician had been rather cold to him but this new one was the opposite. The Carrier could recall a passing conversation between the Technicians in the van about a man named 'Ansem,' and that he was a lunatic. 9x8b was leery of the man in front of him. "Can you stand?" he asked, holding a tablet up and poking at the screen with his stylus.

"I haven't been allowed to," the Carrier admitted.

"Go ahead and try," the Technician urged. The other nodded and scooted himself to the edge of the gurney and swung his legs over. The floor was icy on his virgin feet and he vaguely wondered if everything in his life would feel as if it had been refrigerated. He was tired of shivering already. But, he was standing, and that was a positive. He even took a few steps, getting a feel of his weight and how easily his body tried to accommodate movement. He could feel his muscles relax and his joints shift into what was normal and expected of a standard biped. The Technician took notes of the progress and the Carrier helped himself to strolling around the room. "My name is Ansem, if you didn't already know. You are in my jurisdiction of Domes so if there are any problems I will be handling them. Did Xemnas already examine you?"

"Nothing other than my face and reflexes," 9x8b said as he went to sit on the gurney again. Ansem gave a tired sigh.

"Would've saved me a lot of time if he was a bit more courteous," Ansem grumbled, mostly to himself. "Go ahead and disrobe and lay back on the exam table. The gurney is too high for me to see everything clearly."

The Carrier did as he was told, finagling the button and zipper of his shorts for several minutes until he could make his fingers work them properly. The exam table sent another wave of shivers through his body as he lay on it. Ansem hands weren't exactly all that warm either. The Carrier fought the urge to twitch and roll away from his touch through his entire physical exam. It got even worse when he had to roll onto his stomach and the freezing metal had to touch everything sensitive he had on him. Every inch was checked. Every hair was pushed around and every joint was bent. He was allowed to redress when Ansem was finished.

Nerve testing was next. He was hooked up to the nearest Catalogue terminal and Ansem threw just about every sensation as he could at the Carrier, making him cry out in pain and shiver with pleasure without laying a finger on him. It was during this process that 9x8b really started to understand how different he was from the people he had come in contact with so far. He hadn't been able to catch a glimpse of himself in a mirror yet to see his appearance before then, either. By the time Ansem had finished assaulting him, 9x8b was feeling a little depressed. He wanted to interact with family so badly, because they would understand. They'd understand how inhuman he felt and how much he didn't really want to be a Carrier. The idea that he'd be by himself without that support system to help him through the process was upsetting.

"Alright. Tomorrow we'll test your Link thoroughly as well as get your dental work done. For today though, Tifa will be helping you get adjusted. You will be staying with her and her Charge for a week before we can get you set up in your own room on the male side of the facility. After that, you can start looking for your Charge in the Catalogue as well as start your studies. Sound good?" Ansem asked.

9x8b nodded, feeling less than confident. Ansem frowned a little.

"Are you alright?" he asked. The Carrier shrugged.

"Disappointed, I guess. I sort of expected a family to wake up to."

"Well, it all has to start somewhere, doesn't it? I think the opportunity to start and run the program the way you want to is a pretty good way to make up for what you don't have. But remember, nothing is going to stay the same. From this point forward everything will change a little bit at a time. The sooner you get the preliminary things done and find your Charge, the quicker you can start building your family. You do understand you ultimate goal, yes?"

"…I hadn't really gotten past the family part to think about much else."

"Ah, I see. Understandable. But you're a part of something much greater than just your Carrier family. You need to rebuild your Totem, and that is probably even more satisfying than having other Carriers of your kind to interact with. It doesn't end with your immediate family, don't forget. Though they're important, your main focus should be your Totem."

9x8b heaved a heavy sigh and nodded.

"Good," Ansem said. "It may help if you picked a name soon and gave yourself some color and life to look at once you get the chance."

"Okay," the Carrier deadpanned. He stood again and Ansem lead him out of the lab they had picked and wandered through the winding and nonsensical halls of the facility. 9x8b had been brought to the male side of the facility for testing and he didn't bother to pay attention to the directions they were walking because he didn't see the point. The whole building didn't make any sense. There were bedrooms next to laboratories, next to stasis stations, next to the cafeteria, all in a seemingly random order with dull gray walls and cold white floors. It was an abysmal place so far in his book, and he wasn't looking forward to coming back after his week was up with 'Tifa.'

Outside was better than inside, he decided. There was grass and sunshine and fresh air to breathe, things to do, and people willing to visit, or so he assumed. There weren't a lot of bodies to mingle with inside, seeing as everyone was closed up in their labs, but the activity outside seemed more normal, more social. The wavy glass panels of the dome overhead gave the setting sunlight a bit of an iridescent sheen over the landscape. He watched his feet and focused on the feeling of grass between his toes as he followed Ansem across the field towards the female building. Once inside, he pouted inwardly a bit, having lost the feeling of earth under his feet. Outside was definitely better than inside.

They were greeted in the entryway of the female building by a woman, as expected, but the man that was with her was hardly what 9x8b thought he would see. He was in a wheelchair. The Carrier was thoroughly confused and he looked to Ansem who wasn't paying attention to him. The Technician greeted the female with a warm smile and a hug while he shook hands with the man in the chair. They carried on a brief conversation that consisted of a lot of nodding on Ansem's part. The Technician left afterward, giving him a pat on his shoulder with a promise of seeing him the next day. 9x8b stood in the hallway, shivering a bit. The woman wheeled the man over to him, both of them smiling away.

"Hi, I'm Tifa," she said happily. She patted the man's shoulder. "This is Zack, my Charge."

"Hey," Zack said with a broad smile and a wave. 9x8b waved back, staying quiet. He didn't really know what to make of the pair just yet. Tifa, all smiles, approached him and started fussing with his hair. It was shoulder length, like everyone started out with, but the gestational liquid had dried it into disheveled chunks that she pushed around, trying to make him a bit more presentable.

"I don't expect you to be Mr. Social Butterfly just yet but we should at least get you talking and more comfortable with us. We are going to be living together for the week, yes?" she asked. The male Carrier nodded as she took his arm and started leading him down the hallway. Zack wheeled himself along right at their sides.

"Where are we going?" 9x8b asked quietly.

"So you can talk. Well, first we're going to get you cleaned up. Sound good?" she asked. He nodded again. They walked together quietly, weaving through nonsensical hallways for over twenty minutes. 9x8b couldn't really keep track of where they were going and was surprised Tifa even knew where they were. They eventually ended up in a bedroom. It was very…purple. It was the best way to describe everything. Varying shades and tints of violet adorned nearly every piece of furniture he could see, even the floor had a large lavender rug filling up most of the free space over the tiles. Most of the adornments otherwise were either woven or made of glass. Doilies, vases, tiny trinkets of every variety littered the tops of the armoires and floating shelves they had installed at one point. Zack wheeled himself to the bed and Tifa bent down and helped pick him up from under his armpits and wobble onto the mattress. Zack hissed in pain as he reclined back against the pillows (also purple) and got comfortable. 9x8b was confused but Tifa took his hand and pulled him towards the bathroom.

The door closed and she went about digging in a nearby cabinet for a couple towels. 9x8b went to the mirror and looked at himself for the first time. He raked his fingers through his tangled hair and pulled it back from his face. Perfect unblemished skin, serious eyes, a slim nose, pouty lips, and soft cheek bones was not what he was expecting, but he couldn't complain. Tifa giggled a bit and patted his shoulder.

"You're pretty," she said. He scowled.

"Thanks?"

"You're welcome." She clicked on the shower and held her hand under the spray, gauging the temperature. "Come on then," she encouraged when it was just right. She started undressing, tossing the clothing aside without a care before stepping into the shower. He hesitated, a bit unsure of himself. He didn't really register her nudity or even pay attention to her being the opposite gender, but he wasn't really sure what she was expecting of him. When he didn't move right away she stuck her head out from behind the curtain. "Come on," she said. She waited until he started pulling his clothing off before going back to where she was.

She stepped out of the spray for him and he shuffled under. Almost immediately his legs turned to jelly as violent shivers shook his body. She caught him and lowered him to the tiled floor, helping him sit upright. He hugged his legs to his chest and she turned the water temperature up. The shivering was almost painful and every nerve in his body was tingling. His teeth chattered and clacked together so much his jaw started to hurt. He was scared, unable to understand what his problem was but Tifa just knelt next to him and rubbed his back.

"W-w-wha—" he stuttered, unable to finish.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked. He nodded shakily. "Nothing. Your skin is adjusting to life outside the gestation tank. Tap water is not the same as what you've been growing in for the last…twenty years or so, just taking a rough guess, I don't actually know how old you are. Your body needs to stop trying to absorb nutrients from wherever it can get it from. This is a good way to help the process along."

"I d-d-on't—"

"Understand, I know. It's okay. You will eventually. It should stop in a little bit," she said. She scooted around behind him and sat back against the wall with her legs open. She gently pulled him back until he reclined against her, resting against her chest. She pet his hair gently, calmingly, allowing the shivers to run their course. He squeezed his eyes closed and after almost a half hour, they slowed, until it was back to the way it was before, just a few tremors here and there every few minutes. He was able to stand again. She handed him a bar of soap and some shampoo and conditioner and left him to it. She waited outside the shower for him and helped him dry.

"All clean?" Zack asked cheerfully when they went back into the bedroom proper. 9x8b nodded and stood off to the side as Tifa ran a brush through her damp hair, going to sit on the bed. The awkward silence lasted for a few minutes and he wondered if it would've been this strange had he had a family to wake up to. Nothing around him made him think of comfort. Nothing smelled like him or his Totem. It was…sterile. Empty. It smelled like Zack and Tifa but they weren't exactly his family so he couldn't fall into the comfortable familiarity. It was cold, and reminded him of just how alone he was.

"What's wrong?" Tifa asked, taking in the other Carrier's downtrodden expression. 9x8b shook his head.

"Nothing. Just thinking."

"You sure?" she pressed, looking concerned. He didn't want to lie, he didn't want to feel that depressed, but he didn't think she could comfort him much either. He thought quickly for something else to say.

"Just… curious," he lied.

"Oh?"

"About… Zack?" he asked, even he didn't know where this was going. The pair in the bed exchanged a look. Zack looked back to him and pointed to the wheelchair.

"This? It's temporary. I just got home from the hospital a couple days ago. I had a liver transplant. It was awesome. They let me see the new one before the surgery. It was blue, completely synthetic, and they had an entire closet of them. I was fascinated," he said, chuckling a bit. Tifa smiled. None of that information made any sense to 9x8b. He didn't know what a liver was, what a transplant was, or what synthetic meant. Really, he only had the concept of 'blue' but that didn't tell him anything.

"Oh," he deadpanned. Tifa giggled, knowing exactly what he was thinking and how much he didn't understand.

"Well, now that you're clean, what did you want to do? Or maybe a better question would be how do you feel?" she asked. 9x8b thought about it, and had to really focus to come up with a term.

"Tired," he proclaimed. Tifa nodded and patted the space in the bed in between her and Zack.

"You should be. Being born is a lot of work. You can sleep, though I don't expect it to be very restful. It'll take a bit before your body can adjust to sleeping on a solid surface," she said. He nodded and crawled across the comforter and scooted into place. Tifa tucked him in and gave him an extra pillow. He rolled around in place to get comfortable, and settled in after about an hour of tossing.

----

"Tifa."

"Hmm?"

"…The bed is wet."

"Oh my…" she trailed with a concerned face. Zack let out a long grumbling sigh. "Oh stop it, he can't help it."

"My pants are wet."

"I'm sure they are."

"He's totally facing me, isn't he?"

"Yes."

"Great, right in the line of fire."

"Stop it."

"It's hard for me to rationalize this. He's an adult," the Charge muttered.

"Right, but he was born yesterday. I did it too when I was just matured. It takes some getting used to," Tifa cooed and reached over to pet 9x8b's hair.

"Okay, well, you have to help me change," Zack said and jerkily pushed himself up into a sitting position.

"I'll take care of it," Tifa said and took the other Carrier's shoulder and shook him gently.

"I'm awake," 9x8b sighed. He hadn't gotten more than two hours worth of sleep over the last nine and he was feeling it.

"Alright, go get yourself in the shower and get cleaned up. I'll change the sheets and find you some new clothing," she said calmly. The other Carrier sighed again and tossed the top blankets off himself and scooted out of the bed. The lights were off and he was thankful. His utter embarrassment was plain on his face and he never wanted to feel that way again. Experiencing such a whirlwind of emotions over the course of his first day was stressful. He could hardly focus on anything and was frustrated. Why did life outside his warm tube have to be so difficult? He could only assume it would get worse, especially when he had to start doing actual work.

It was around that time he decided he needed to get started as soon as possible so he could eliminate some of the negativity he was feeling. The embarrassment from wetting the bed was temporary but the heaviness and loneliness that was dragging him down further would clear up when he found his Charge. As he turned on the shower he wondered how long he would have to wait. He almost wanted to ask Tifa where the nearest Catalogue was so he could see his options. But as he stepped into the shower, the violent shivering started again and he had to put a hand on the wall to steady himself. They didn't reduce him to a huddling heap, and lasted only a few minutes, but they were just as annoying. He had been shivering on and off since he left the gestation chamber and was tired of it by this point.

By the time he finished, Tifa had come in and left a clean set of clothing for him to use. He left the bathroom dressed and clean again. The sheets had been changed and Zack was replaced in the bed with clean pants. 9x8b fidgeted a bit at the foot of the bed, almost afraid to get back in and sleep. Tifa fluffed the pillows for him and gave him an expectant look.

"Come on, then," she urged. He hesitated and she gave him a pleading look. "It's alright, really. Everyone does it at some point. I was expecting it."

"You were?" Zack asked, giving her a quizzical glance.

"Yes, that's why there's a plastic bed pad under the fitted sheet," she said. Zack scowled and pressed on the mattress, feeling the slight crunch under him.

"Huh. I thought I was just imagining things," he said thoughtfully.

"I've done this before, Zack. Trust me. He's normal," she said and looked back to 9x8b. He shuffled back into his spot and pulled the covers up to his eyes, shrinking down as much as he could in an embarrassed fit. Tifa smiled and settled back down as well and pulled him towards her. He rolled onto his side for her and she tucked his face under her chin. He cuddled into her collar bones and she hugged him close, curling an arm up to pet his hair soothingly.

"You know, if I didn't know how motherly you get, I would be jealous," Zack teased.

"Good thing you're aware then, yes?" she asked with a giggle.

----

"When did you get up?" Tifa asked sleepily, rubbing her eyes a bit. When she had awoken, 9x8b wasn't in bed. It was later that morning and she was worried he had wandered off somewhere. But then she noticed the light streaming out of the little room where her Catalogue terminal was next to the bathroom. He was sitting in the chair poking away at the crystalline keyboard, having figured out how to hook into his Link and start it up. He looked to her, feeling a bit guilty. He didn't know if he should be doing what he was doing, or if Tifa even wanted him in her chair or not.

"A couple hours ago, I guess," he said quietly and poked at the keys some more. He stumbled through everything not really knowing what he was doing, but it was better than lying in bed and being useless. "How do I find my Charge choices?" he asked, sounding a bit impatient, accentuating his point with more poking.

"So soon?" Tifa asked.

"Yes. As soon as possible. I need to get started."

"You haven't even studied anything or… eaten anything yet. It's too soon to start looking."

"Says you."

"Yes, and I happen to be forty years older than you so I think I know what I'm talking about," she insisted, getting a bit annoyed. 9x8b glared ahead of himself at the screen of nonsensical gibberish he couldn't really understand. He could read the words just fine, but what they did and their purposes were still unreachable. He let out a frustrated huff.

"Are you an original?" he asked, looking to her with a light glare.

"You mean was I the first of my Totem?"

"Yes."

"No."

"Then you don't know what you're talking about. You don't know what it's like to wake up and have some of the first thoughts you have be about a family that doesn't even exist yet, and won't exist for a long time. Then… you can't sleep and you toss and turn and all you think about is 'I really wish I had someone that at least shared a little bit of my scent so I would feel more secure.' And you do that for hours! No, I did that for hours! I finally couldn't take it anymore and just had to do something to take my mind off of it!" he barked at her. She flinched back a bit and watched 9x8b pull his legs to his chest and stare ahead of himself, his eyes welling up with angry tears. It just wasn't fair. He didn't fully understand what he was feeling but he couldn't help himself. He didn't know if it was normal to get this upset over something that's repairable or if everyone felt like that at some point. Tifa was almost at as much of a loss as he was, having never taken care of an original Carrier before. She mostly just helped her siblings.

"You need to try and control yourself," she said with a small sigh. 9x8b sucked in a breath, tears trickling down his cheeks. He wiped at his face and sniffled loudly. Tifa went to him and rubbed his back. "I know it's hard to deal with emotions you haven't had a chance to understand yet, but you need to try. I understand the frustration, and I may not be able to relate, but I can understand the loneliness too. But it's hardly been two days since you've come here. You really shouldn't be so concerned about getting started right away. You have more than enough time to get adjusted and do everything correctly. Give it some time for your own sake."

"I want to see though…" 9x8b trailed, trying his hardest to pull himself together and wipe away the tears. He sniffled loudly and heaved a shaky sigh. "I want to see my options."

"They may change by tomorrow. They come and go; there is no point in torturing yourself and getting attached to one before you're ready to really decide."

"If they change so often, then it's more important to look at them. What if I miss one that's perfect?"

"Perfect doesn't exist, sweety."

"…Sweety?"

"Yes," she giggled. "You don't have a name and I don't really want to call you by your model number."

"Oh," he said, furrowing his brows a bit in contemplation. The last of his tears were wiped away and stuck his fingers in his mouth to unplug himself from the Catalogue. Tifa startled when she realized what he was doing.

"No don—!" she was cut off as 9x8b unhooked himself. Instantly his heart rate picked up and the organ thudded against his ribcage. His chest tightened painfully and he found he suddenly couldn't breathe very well. He doubled over, clutching his chest, nearly falling out of the chair. Tifa was right there to help, making sure he didn't crumple onto the floor and hurt himself. She rubbed his back again. "You didn't shut the Catalogue down properly before disconnecting. That's not a good thing to do. It'll pass, just give it a minute," she explained. 9x8b let out a pained squeak as the clenching lasted another minute. When it dissipated, he panted a bit to regain his breath, feeling nauseous.

"I don't… I don't feel right…"

"It's painful, I know. It'll be alright."

"…No I—" he choked out before promptly vomiting on the floor in front of him. Tifa startled and scrambled away from him. He didn't have much to expel, and it was mostly liquid but that didn't make it any more desirable. He coughed several times afterward, the bile burning at his throat. Tifa let out a tiny sigh before exiting the room and going to find some cleaning supplies. 9x8b sat by himself, his mind reeling. That wasn't exactly what he was expecting. Tifa came back several moments later with a box, a broom, a dust pan, a mop, and a bucket.

"Go take a shower and lay down. We can handle things in a little bit. I'll take care of this," she said and opened the box and started sprinkling absorbent crystals on the puddle. 9x8b scooted out of the way for her and did as he was told.

----

"Well, it sounds like you're well on your way to greatness," Ansem chuckled as he went to retrieve the dental supplies from the storage closet at the back of the lab. 9x8b's exam was due to start soon but he had wasted a good ten minutes telling Ansem about his first day and his morning. He wasn't feeling any better by the time the Technician arrived and moped about the lab while Ansem got his things together. Eventually, he lay back on the exam table and Ansem got to work. The Technician clicked around in his teeth with various pointy implements the Carrier couldn't even comprehend for about twenty minutes. 9x8b sighed a bit as the time pressed on without any conversation to distract him. All he could think about was his potential Charge candidates. "What's wrong?" Ansem asked.

I'm bored of you already. I need to be doing something else, the Carrier thought to himself. He stayed quiet otherwise, not wanting to confess his eagerness and come off as ignorant again. He already felt strange being around Tifa after everything that had transpired. Ansem gave him a concerned face.

"Not so talkative anymore? Well…that's fine. But if there are any problems, let me know. As for your teeth," he started, poking and scraping against a couple, "they're fine. You need to be extra careful and take care of them, though. They are the most important part of your body, believe it or not. If you harm your teeth, you risk harming the point of access for your Link. That would lead to serious problems. The Link is what makes you a Carrier. Without it, your body's equilibrium would be off balance and you'd destroy yourself from the inside. Scary, yes?"

"Hnng…" 9x8b grumbled around the metal probe in his mouth. Ansem smiled.

"But, take care of yourself and you won't have any problems. You'll live a long time," he assured and sat back, pulling all his instruments away and allowing the Carrier to sit up. 9x8b ran his tongue over his teeth quietly, trying to feel for a difference, but he couldn't find any. His canines were just as long and pointy as they were before and his human teeth were just as blunt. He supposed he would understand later why it was important to have an exam so soon, but he was curious. Ansem took his tools over to the sink and started cleaning them. "We only have one more thing to do before I release you."

"And that is?" the Carrier questioned. Ansem went to a nearby cabinet and retrieved a metal cylinder with buttons on the lid. He opened the container and dug out a small plastic cup with a lid, similar to a film canister, and held it out to the Carrier.

"I need to make sure your reproductive organs are… functional," the Technician said casually, as if it was the most normal thing in the world. The Carrier scowled.

"And how exactly am I supposed to show you that?" he grumbled, taking the cup from him.

"Well… masturbation is generally the way to go about it. But, I can force it from you by using the Catalogue if you're really against it."

Mastur—what? 9x8b thought while he gaped at the Technician confusedly. When Ansem didn't get an answer from him right away he went to the Catalogue and pulled the cord out from behind the screen and as much excess as he could in order to reach the Carrier.

"I'm not about to teach you how to masturbate. It's a hit or miss with a lot of new Carriers that I come across. Some understand and some don't. It's alright, just make sure you catch everything in the cup," he said, holding the cord out to him expectantly. 9x8b took it with a suspicious look before connecting the hookup to his Link. "Good. Just remove your shorts and I'll handle the rest. I won't watch."

The Carrier scooted out of his clothing as he was told and sat on the icy table, still a bit confused. He didn't have much of a grasp of the idea that his exposure was supposed to make him feel embarrassed, especially around a man he hardly knew. The concept of modesty wasn't one that came naturally for most Carriers. But, Ansem did as he said anyway and sat at the Catalogue terminal with his back to him, typing away and bringing up the application they had used the previous day, the one that could stimulate 9x8b's nerves. The Technician spun the dial on the seamless glass keyboard, increasing the slow tingling that traveled down the Carrier's spine and swooped around to his pelvis. The arousal was quick, nearly painful, and surprised him. Ansem didn't stop though and turned the dial more, forcing the Carrier to let out a yelp and grip the table. The rush came at him so quickly he had very little time to remember what he was supposed to be doing.

By the time it was finished, he had had a stunning revelation of what modesty was and how valuable it could be. It felt so wrong to be stimulated like that, almost dirty. He shakily reached for his shorts, glaring at the back of Ansem's head, spitefully happy that he had totally missed the cup.