Jupiter Ascending /Caine Wise

Chapter 9 - DMV

The Sim, Advocate Bob, led Caine and Jupiter through the mindnumbingly massive lines to one desk after another.

Hours later, Caine could swear they were no closer to being done then when they started. Rolling his eyes, he shifts restlessly. Even Jupiter, who has been beyond patient, is showing signs of fatigue and frustration. Looking around he sees a kiosk that serves small meals for all the poor people stuck in bureaucratic purgatory. "Er... your majesty," he says in a low, subdued voice, "if you are feeling hungry we could step over there for a few minutes. You could probably use a break... I'm sure, um, Bob here could wait in line until we return."

Jupiter looks up at Caine, she was used to being on her feet for long hours and didn't always have time to eat in the middle of the day, but she did have to admit that she was starting to feel the strain. She almost replied that it wasn't necessary, but seeing Caine's expression, she thought that he was not accustomed to being still for so long and he looked just as fatigued as she was, maybe even more. "Thanks, that's a good idea. Bob, we'll be back in 15 minutes. Hopefully you'll be closer to the front of the line by then," Jupiter says to Advocate Bob, giving him an encouraging smile. Even Bob, a sim, seemed to be feeling the strain from this bureaucratic merry-go-round. I'm sure he's fried a few circuits today, she thinks to herself as she grabs Caine's arm and follows him to the kiosk.

Caine smiled to himself as Jupiter took his arm. He tried not to think too much about it; it was crowded and she probably didn't want to be separated amidst the large crowds. But it felt nice, he thought as he felt the warmth of her hand on his arm.

"What is it?" she asked, looking at a stick with some iffy meat on it.

"Um, it's a synthetic meat. I think it tastes like a combination of beef and pork," Caine replies, as he watches her reaction.

Jupiter shrugs and says, "Okay, we'll have a couple of those. And something to drink..." turning to Caine, she looks concerned and says quietly, "I don't have any currency... do you?"

"It's alright," Caine says, pulling out a plastic-like card, "the Aegis have provided for your expenses, until you receive your entitlement."

After purchasing their food, they find a bench and sit down next to each other. Munching on her mystery meat, Jupiter looks at Caine for a moment before speaking. "So," she says cautiously, keeping an eye on Caine to gauge his reaction, "Stinger said that you had been sold to the Legion. How old were you when that happened?"

Looking at his food, he considers her question before answering, "I was 4, when I joined the Legion." Caine looked at Jupiter as she registered his words. It wasn't pity on her face, or indifference; she seemed sad for a moment before she nodded.

"I'm sorry, that must have been very difficult," she said.

"It really wasn't so bad. I don't remember a lot from the nursery at the splicers'. Splices aren't born like regular humans are. We're made, test tubes and all that," Caine explains matter-of-factly. "It's far easier to do the splicing in-utero, than on say an adult. You have far more control over the end result. Adults can have the DNA re-coded, but their very limited in what sort of modifications can be done."

"So, you never had a family or anything?" she asks, touching his arm in a way that made his skin burn.

Looking down, he swallows, "No... usually a splicer breeds around a dozen lycantants at once, and they become your pack. If they are bred for the Legion or someone's private guard, they become one solid unit. They're everything to each other, family, teammates... I never had that. " Well, that's mostly true. But being the runt I was just too small to keep up with them, and was soon rejected, Caine adds to himself. Jupiter quietly watches the micro-expressions on his face, and can tell that he is withholding some of his story. "At the Legion, I received training and a purpose. I never really found a pack of my own though. Stinger is as close to family as I have," he says quietly.

"I'm sorry," she says, "I can't even imagine what that must have been like. I know my family isn't perfect and they drive me crazy... but I can't imagine my life without them... I miss them." Jupiter sighs and finishes her drink.

Caine watches as she stretches and stands, ready to return the line. Studying her, he looks for any trace of the Entitled aires, that always got under his skin. But she was so different from any royal he had ever encountered. She stood with her head up and her back straight, confident but not haughty. Where they were often false and deceitful, she was genuine and kind. And after everything she has experienced these past few days, she is clearly no coward. Shaking his head he lets out a breath and guides her back to the line, with her arm linked in his again.

Bob had moved ahead a few feet, Jupiter looked up at Caine and rolled her eyes. Caine smiled down at her. She was probably the only person in the 'verse that I would actually enjoy being stuck in line after line with.

A/N: I've already reached over 500 reads. I'd love to get some feedback from someone. Do you enjoy it so far? I really haven't written in a long time so I know it's not perfect.

I may go back and edit my previous chapters at some point. If I do anything more than fix typos I will put new content in bold, with a note at the top of the chapter about there being new content. That shouldn't happen a lot, but I may add a bit more to the story, at some point.

Thanks for reading.