Chapter 1 - Realisation

 

Jim stirred and moved, sitting up on the bunk, with difficulty. He was still groggy, he looked around him. He was in a cage, his wrists were fastened behind his back, he looked down, and his ankles also had shackles on them and there was a weight around his neck, he felt at it and it was a steel collar padlocked in place, with a chain running from it to the bars. Slowly his mind began to work, he realised that he was naked and in a cage type cell. There was a bunk, the one he had just risen from, and a bucket. Wherever he was, the room wasn't stable and was rocking.

Outside the cage there were boxes, wooden crates beyond them he could see a container, twenty foot in length, he guessed at, several feet above him was a steel riveted ceiling as were the walls, the ones he could see.

He remembered going on board a boat with the woman he had picked up, at the bar. He remembered accepting the drink, the hostess at the party had offered him. He also remembered that it was a party for artists to display and sell their work; he also remembered the array of beautiful women all stood around him, but he didn't remember seeing, any men, or come to think of it, any artwork visible, just these beautiful, artistic females who definitely had a bohemian, appearance.

The rocking he could feel, and the structure he could see, made him realise that he was still on board the boat, but it was nothing more than a canal barge in sized boat, and the rocking felt more as if they were at sea. It also perturbed him that the hold he thought he was in, was bigger than the boat he had climbed aboard, his last consideration was; why was he shackled, and being held, in a cage?

Jim, shook his head to clear it, and thought back to the events, of last night, but it went much farther back than that, it went back a good three weeks, when it all started, as he was soon to learn, to his dismay, he knew the truth, but would they believe him, if they didn't he was in for a very bad time at their hands.

It all began when he had been walking home after work. He was employed at a local hotel as a night manager, and as he made his way home in the early morning, he had fallen for no reason, or so he thought at the time.

It had been a beautiful morning. The sun was up and it was clearing away the early spring frost from the grass, he noticed as he walked through the park, on his way home, it was going to be another nice sunny day. It was one of those days when you were glad, to be alive. There was a slight chill in the air, but the sun warmed you, as well. He had nodded and said good morning, to several of the people he usually met when he was going home, and they were on their way, to work.

Just as Mrs Wilkinson, was passing he had fallen; she helped him to his feet, and brushed him down asking him if he were alright.

"Yes, yes, fine, thank you. I must have tripped over my own feet. A busy night," he replied, making light of his fall.

"Such a beautiful day and you are going to bed, shame, you'll miss it," she had said.

"Don't you believe it? I am off for three days. I will rest for a few hours, lazing in the garden, then go to bed, tonight," Jim had replied with a bright smile, "It's you I pity. Having to work inside, whilst I laze, in the sunshine," Jim had added, they had both smiled at each other, and parted.

"Wow! That was a bad landing, that bloody flight controller, is crap. Sorry about that, just wait till I get back? I am going to tell the controller off something rotten. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Alf," a voice said.

"Sorry, who's?" Jim asked, looking around for the owner of the voice, "That fall must have been worse than I thought. I am hearing voices," Jim said confused and shaking his head, to clear it.

"Whoa there, don't do that. I haven't unpacked yet. What a mess it is in here. Don't you ever clean up? My, oh my, what a mess," the voice said.

"I think I had better go to bed. I must have banged my head harder than I thought," Jim thought as he continued home.

"Hey, I am talking to you. Don't you have any manners?" the voice asked angrily.

"Who is that? Where are you?" Jim said, looking around.

"As I said, I am, well you can call me, Alf. Pleased to meet you, it wasn't the best of landings, and that was the controllers fault, which I will tell them about when I return home. Who are you? It is normal to introduce yourself. When I introduce myself, to you, isn't it?" the voice said, slightly agitated.

"I would if I could see you, to introduce myself to you," Jim said, looking around.

"Oh, sorry, yes, of course, you can't see me. I am inside your head," Alf said calmly as if it were quite normal.

"I am going fucking nuts. I am actually talking to myself, and I am creating a conversation. I need a Doctor," Jim said allowed.

"No, I am in your head. There is one hell of a mess, in here. I studied your language so that I could communicate, but I don't understand all the words. That is what I am here to do. I want to get a better understanding of human life forms," the voice said.

"Shit, thank God I was home. I am losing control completely, shitting myself," Jim said, and ran upstairs to clean himself up.

"That's much better. I hope you don't mind, but it was filthy in here. So I threw the rubbish out," Alf said.

"You what, you mean to say that you made me shit myself!" Jim exclaimed in anger.

"Did I do wrong? There was this horrible smell and piles of dirt. So, I threw it out; do you not throw out, your rubbish? We do, we find it unhealthy, to store rubbish," Alf said casually.

"Yes, we do, but in the right place. What if I had just begun work and you made me shit myself, that. Oh my god, I am shitting myself, and now! I am talking to myself, I am, going mad," Jim said.

"No, you are not. As I said, I am, Alf. That is not my real name, but you, would not be able to pronounce it. That is, what you say isn't it?" Alf asked casually, unmoved by Jim's agitated state.

"Ok, so you are, Alf, and I am Jim, now. Where the fuck, are you? And, how did you get here?" Jim asked.

"I am what you would perhaps call, a Symbiant, perhaps not? We will have a symbiotic relationship. I come from a planet over one hundred light years, from Earth. You do know what a light year is, don't you?" Alf asked, as if mocking Jim.

"Yes, the distance light travels in one year. It is a very big number, seeing as light travels at one thousand, eight hundred and sixty miles, per second," Jim replied, off hand.

"Good, you are correct, roughly. All life forms are made up of two parts, the id and the flesh. The id, is really the person. Who you are, and the flesh, is what you are. Are you with me, so far?" Alf said.

"Yes. That is simple enough, for me to understand. I am not a total idiot," Jim said.

"Good. Now for the complicated part; we split the 'who', from the 'what.' The 'what,' goes into stasis, you do know what stasis is, don't you?" Alf asked testing Jim.

"Yes even that word I know, but can't quite explain it. Isn't it like freezing the body, and holding it in suspension?" Jim asked, in reply.

"Very good, apparently the human race is not as daft as we believed. Once separated," Alf continued.

"Hold it a minute there asshole. What do you mean? Not as daft, as you thought?" Jim asked angrily.

"You do only utilise twenty percent of your brain power. Although I can see that it is all in use, but limited. As I was saying; we separate the two parts and hold the body in stasis and then send the id via, 'Quadra Transindental X Factor travel.' We reach an acceleration speed and velocity that would crush, the body, turn it to jelly, but the id, doesn't have substance, erm, matter. It can travel, at these speeds. To continue to exist to see, hear, talk and feel, the id needs a body, to utilise. Being a female, at the moment, I selected a female form on Earth, to visit," Alf said happily.

"Well you fucked it up well and truly. I; am male," Jim said.

"No, that can't be. We homed in on the female going across, the grass," Alf said.

"You must mean, Mrs Wilkinson. She was the woman who helped me up. When you crash landed, into me," Jim said, the realisation slowly dawning, on him.

"You are not? Oh, that is bad. There will be hell to pay, for that mistake.

We are, 'A' sexual. You need a partner to, recreate, is that the word? We do not; we go through, both stages. I fertilise, my own egg, and that is the phase I have just left, and now having laid the egg. I am free to enjoy, a holiday. I think you call it, before I become male again and fertilise, the next egg. We lay an egg every two Earth years. I hope, I am getting the terms right?" Alf asked.

"Yes we do need a partner, being male. I fertilise her egg. Then, she keeps it inside her until it is ready, and she then gives live birth, to a baby," Jim explained.

"Fascinating; you mean that the female actually carries the growing child, inside her? It must be very uncomfortable for her, carrying all that extra weight around. How does the baby, get out?" Alf asked, shocked by the revelation.

"I-I-well-erm, shall we leave that bit, for now? The most interesting bit is putting it in, copulating, fucking, having intercourse. That is the best bit.

Hang on a minute? What about when I go to the toilet, go for a pee? Can you, see me?" Jim asked, accepting that for now he was lumbered.

"Not just yet, I am creating the links, at the moment. Then I will be able to hear your thoughts and you won't have to speak out loud, and I will be. Oh my God! What the hell is that thing? It's so cloudy in," cough, cough, "You do have a major problem. Let me see?" cough, cough, Alf asked.

"Hey, my carpet," Jim shouted.

"Carpet, carpet; that is a new word. What is it?" Alf asked, unconcerned.

"I am going mad. I just threw my cig on the carpet. Dam, it has burnt it, shit," Jim said picking up the cigarette he had just thrown on the floor and taking a drag from it.

"What the; I have just thrown that away," Alf said adding, "It is disgusting, your oxygen converters are in a terrible mess, all black and full of, grunge."

"Look you. I don't tell you, how to live, you, leave me alone. I will smoke if I want to and you won't dam well, stop me. Typical, bloody females; are all the females in the universe, bitches, or just the ones, I know?" Jim asked, angrily.

"Only when we meet an idiotic male; shall I empty the tank you hold liquid in, or will you?" Alf said, nastily.

"You make me piss myself and I'll, I'll. What the fuck can I do to you? Except blow my brains out. Close your fucking eyes as well, woman. I don't want you watching me taking a piss. Do you have a dick, and a cunt?" Jim asked nastily, trying to get his own back for the invasion.

"A what and a what? What are those things?" Alf asked confused.

"I have a dick, which I stuff up a female's cunt. To make babies," Jim said crudely, trying to upset, Alf.

"I am, 'A' sexual, as I told you. My body produces the egg and then I, fertilise it. If I don't want to be fertilised then I take a. What do you call them things to make, erm?" Alf said.

"The Pill, we call it 'The Pill' to stop a female from becoming, pregnant, there are other contraceptives," Jim proudly informed, Alf, trying to get one up on him/her.

"Yes, a pill. That is what we call it, as well. Wow, you do have a long waste pipe, don't you? How much of that thing you called your dick, do you put inside, the female?" Alf asked surprised.

"All of it; that is as long as she, can manage to take it all, the full length. Why?" Jim asked proudly.

"It seems very large. She must have a big hole to put it in. Where is it?" Alf asked.

"Just wait till tonight. Then again, I have never done it with an audience before. I don't know if I can do. I am going out now, to get some groceries. Do not, clean anything out. I know when it needs emptying, and where, to empty it. Your streets must be filthy, with piles of shit all over the place. There get out of that one, asshole?" Jim said.

"Oh. You mean the waste I got rid of. No. There is no waste, when we are in stasis. At all other times the body, takes care of it. I don't know exactly how, because I am not linked to my body, at the moment," Alf said. "Wow, what was that? It lit up like a, Sloobian festival, in here. All the neurons were dashing about like mad that was excellent," Alf said.

"What are you on about?" Jim said.

"Just then when you looked at something, a female, I think you called it?" Alf said.

"This," Jim said picking up a picture and holding it up, "This is a picture of my girlfriend. We have been going out for a month, now."

"Why is the person red and white?" Alf asked.

"Red and white, what do you mean? Oh, she is wearing a bikini. Before you ask, we do not go around, naked. This part covers her breasts, and this, her-erm-genitals, her-erm,-her, clitoris," Jim said embarrassed.

"I presume that you put your dick, into one, or other, of those areas, which one?" Alf asked.

"That is personal. Besides I haven't, yet. She isn't like that," Jim said blushing.

"That dimmed the lights in here only half-light, not normal, and not the bright lights, of earlier. Hum, shame, is that what you call it? When I shame, erm, embarrass, erm, upset you," Alf asked.

"Yes and no. You embarrassed me. I care for her, and I am hoping that the relationship will go further," Jim said thoughtfully.

Jim picked up his wallet and coat and left the house going to the shops, he was halfway down the street when he broke wind, as he passed a neighbour.

"Jim, really," she said, in shock.

"Sorry, Mrs Atherton, an accident," Jim said, and then to Alf, "I told you not to empty anything. That goes for wind, as well," Jim said bluntly.

"You don't have to live in here, with the smell," Alf replied, "Wow, even brighter this time. Let me see, yes, a female. Why do you get so excited when a female, passes. She did have big breasts, bigger than your girlfriend. Why don't you have her as a girlfriend? Here let me help you," Alf said.

"How would you like to spend the rest of your miserable life, as a Eunuch?" The woman asked as she slapped Jim's face for him, knocking Jim, off his feet.

"Ouch, Alf, stop it. We don't go around grabbing women's tits," Jim said, rubbing his cheek.

"Alf, who the hell is Alf, I saw you and felt you, grab my tits. There was no-one else here. Do it again and I'll rip your fucking balls off," she said, and kicked, Jim.

"Sorry, Madam, an accident," Jim replied, getting up.

"Why? You liked it. They were soft and yet firm, nice, and they just filled your hand. I enjoyed it, and the way it lit up in here, so did you," Alf said.

"Yes, I do like to fondle a woman's tits, but there is a time and a place for it, not here, in the street. We were lucky. If her partner had been with her, I could have ended up in hospital. Just leave my bits and pieces alone," Jim said, smarting and annoyed.

"Hi, Jim, who slapped you?" the shop assistant asked, laughing at him.

"Some woman, it was an accident, she apologised," Jim replied with a smile.

"Yeah, I bet she did? What did you do, you randy stud, grab her clit?" the shop assistant asked, laughing at him, and teasing him.

"Vanessa, I am shocked at you! Saying things, like that," Jim said, as if shocked.

"We all know you have been on the prowl, for some time. Actually you are quite a catch from what I hear. Quite well-endowed and capable, according to Mandy. I am free this evening, if you are?" She asked coming from behind the counter, and facing Jim.

"Wow," she said, smiling at him, "Not now. You are too eager; shall I come around to your place?"

Jim's hand, had grabbed her groin when she came close up to him and fondled it. Jim, struggled to get his hand away, she was too easy for his liking, but did have a very nice figure.

"Hum, Jim, I am getting all wet. Come on into the storeroom, I am just about to close for lunch," she said, and walked away, from him.

"Alf stop it, I don't fancy her. She has had more dicks up her, than a rabbit. Alf, Alf no," Jim said, as he followed her into the storeroom and pulled her to him, kissing her and fondling her breasts.

"Very nice, I like the feel of those, both of them. I didn't realise they came as a pair," Alf said.

"Jim, steady. Come on let me undress a little, get my knickers off, at least. Or do you intend on forcing your dick, through them?" Vanessa asked, wriggling free from his hands, and removing her knickers.