********

Fifteen.

Justin played along and pretended to be a good Dominion representative over the next few days.

The initial meeting with their Calcascadian hosts went fairly well, all things considered. The host team that met the flyer when it landed was cordial and welcoming, but they did seem a little taken aback by the unexpected appearance of the three Surrogates amongst the Taylor party. Apparently, such services were unknown in these parts. The looks on the Calcascadians’ faces as they outright stared at the three red robe-clad forms were comical at first. But when the Surrogates’ function was explained to them, the stares became quite judgmental. Luckily, Daphne stepped in and smoothed things over, explaining how happy she was that all three of the Surrogates were breeding and how excited she was to welcome the coming babies. This placated the Calcascadians but caused Hobbs to scowl. Whatever. Justin was tired of the double-dealing and vindictive Dom’l; he couldn’t wait till they parted company for good.

After their arrival, the Taylor group had been ushered off to a large inn where they were made as comfortable as possible in the relatively austere rooms they’d been given. It’s not that the accommodations weren’t adequate, they just weren’t quite as elegant as Justin and Daphne were used to. While he was preparing for this visit, Justin had read over some background information about Calcascadia’s class system that he hadn’t fully understood, but which might explain things a little. They called their system of government a ‘Democracy’ - an unfamiliar and almost incomprehensible term to the Dominion-raised Lord - and apparently they believed some rubbish about all people being treated as equals. Justin supposed that might account for the plain furnishings in their accommodations. Of course, he didn’t mention any of his thoughts on the matter at the time, as he didn’t want to start off the talks with Craig’s prospective trading partners on a wrong foot. Perhaps he’d have time to think through and assimilate these strange concepts later, but for the moment he and his cohorts were too busy trying to plan out their escape.

So far, though, their plans were still quite nebulous. Justin literally had not had more than five minutes to himself since the time they’d landed. The first afternoon and evening were spent meeting all the principles who would be involved in the trade deal, conferencing for a short while to discuss the general terms that had already been discussed between Craig and his counterpart in Calcascadia, and then attending a welcoming dinner. The only positive to this busy schedule was that Hobbs had been kept just as busy and, due to the fact he hadn’t been out of Justin’s sight the entire time, it was fairly certain that he hadn’t had time to report back to Craig. That dinner party had ended quite late, and by the time Justin and Daphne made it back to their chambers, it was far too late to do any exploring.

The subsequent two days had been more of the same. Between meetings and tours of the various facilities, all of which was interspersed with what the Calcascadians thought of as entertainment, there was very little time for Justin to work on their plans. Daphne, on the other hand, had been afforded significantly more leisure time. The wife of one of the principles had taken it upon herself to show Daphne and the three Surrogates around the city of L’angeloes - once she had ensured that the Surrogates were dressed in actual clothes, that is - which meant that the five of them had been doing quite a bit of sightseeing. Daphne reported back that she was quite impressed with the city and the easy-going ways of the Calcascadians; she assured Justin that the people she met seemed quite accepting. Brian backed up this assessment and grudgingly admitted that it might just be possible to find a place for their odd little family amongst these kind-hearted people.

So it was quite providential when the Calcascadian group suggested that Justin’s party take a short side trip to visit a subsidiary fabrication plant which provided some parts used at the main production facilities. Hobbs had voiced his strong opposition to a trip he considered to be a waste of time. Justin, though, immediately recognized the mini-trip as just the opportunity he’d been waiting for and insisted it was a wonderful idea. Because this other plant was located a fair distance away, however, he suggested they make use of the Dominion flyer that was sitting idle on the landing field to zip over to the plant and then back again the following day, minimizing any delay this diversion might cause. Provided the visit to the subsidiary plant went as planned, the Mis’l assured everyone they should be able to sign the final contracts upon his return. Everyone except Hobbs agreed this was a wonderful idea and plans were set in motion.

Just as the travel arrangements were being finalized, the sightseeing contingent arrived on the scene, with Daphne excitedly trotting over to greet her husband as soon as she saw him. “There you are. Haven’t you gentlemen usurped my hubby’s time enough for one day? I’ve barely seen him since we arrived,” the Mis’la joked as she slipped her arm through Justin’s and started to pull him away. “It’s really too bad you couldn’t come with us today, Jus. Sammie took us to see the ocean and we got to play on the sandy part of the shore and swim out to all the underwater buildings. It was so fun.”

“Underwater buildings?” Justin asked, confused.

“Yes. The city used to extend out several klicks further to the west, but due to rising sea levels, several of the buildings that were once on the shore are now underwater or at least partially submerged and have been abandoned. I find it a little eerie, myself,” Sammie, the woman who’d been acting as tour guide, explained. “The sea creatures, though, seem to love the structures so it's a great place to swim if you like to look at the ocean life.”

“Hmm. That sounds interesting,” Justin agreed. “Too bad I missed out.” Then he turned to look at the three Surrogates who’d been standing quietly nearby and noted that they were all looking relaxed and sun-kissed. “It seems like you all had a fun outing. I’m glad you enjoyed yourselves even if I did have to stay here and work.”

Brian gave a little snort and shook his head, causing Daphne to laugh. “Unfortunately, I don’t think Brian enjoyed himself as much as the rest of us.” Daphne dropped Justin’s arm and went over to wrap her arms around the tall male affectionately. “Poor Brian got chased out of the water by a big grey fish that stood up on its tail in the water and laughed at him.” They all snickered while Brian scowled. “And then, because he wouldn’t come back in the water with the rest of us, he fell asleep in the sun and got burned.”

Justin frowned at that news, displeased that his Brian had been hurt, although it couldn’t be too bad considering that the man was still standing. Later, when they were in private, he'd have to admonish Daphne to take better care of the Surrogates. But for now, there were too many other things they needed to discuss, and too many important plans to be finalized. Justin was glad for the opportunity to bow out of further work for the afternoon on the pretext of seeing to the care of the supposedly injured Surrogate. He promptly made his excuses to the Calcascadians before herding his family off to their rooms.

As soon as they were behind a locked door, he gathered them together and whispered his news. “It’s time. Tomorrow’s the day,” he announced and then explained about the side trip. “We’ll never get a better opportunity to sneak away.”

“Even so, it’s not going to be easy,” Troi argued. “How are we going to get away? I mean, there’s always at least one security guard watching the three of us and Daphne, let alone the pack that follows you around, Mis’l. How do we get rid of them? And where do we go if we do lose them? Do we know what’s around this plant you’re visiting?”

“Troi’s right,” Brian agreed. “We need to plan this out better. We can’t just hope for a chance moment when nobody’s looking. If we really are going to do this, we need to make sure we do it right. Otherwise, we’ll all end up dead.”

“You’re both right,” Daphne stated, taking charge of the meeting. “That’s why I’ve been thinking . . .”

********

“There. Does that feel better?” Justin asked as he finished rubbing the last of the lotion into the fiery red skin of Brian’s back. “You really did get burned today. I’m sorry it hurts so badly.”

“Damned fish,” Brian mumbled, his voice muffled by the pillows he was resting on.

Justin chuckled but thought it wise not to comment further on the laughing fish who’d chased his man out of the ocean. “If you’re not in too much pain, you should flip over and let me put some lotion on your front as well. Even your chest got a little burned.”

Brian complied, only wincing a bit when his red shoulders rubbed against the sheets as he turned over. Justin promptly poured more lotion into his palm, rubbed his hands together and started smoothing the cooling substance over the slightly less burned planes of the Surrogate’s chest and abs. In the process, Justin’s hands slid over Brian’s lower abdomen, and he noted the beginnings of a swelling there. The mere fact that Brian’s pregnancy was starting to show, filled Justin with a burst of pride. He couldn’t wait to finally meet the little life growing inside there; his son or daughter.

Justin placed his palm over the little bump. “Can you feel the baby moving yet?” he asked.

“No. It’s a bit early for that. Maybe in the next month or so, though,” Brian assured him.

Justin bent down to leave a kiss atop the bump. While he was down there, he also deposited a few kisses to the the nearby cock that had been half-hard since he’d begun his lotion application. Brian rumbled a hum of appreciation. Justin sat up again, looking down on the beautiful man lying in his bed and trying to recall what his life had been like before Brian. It was difficult; Brian seemed to fill his whole world these days. What he could remember of that earlier time seemed dull, empty and colorless. So much had changed in such a short time. And more change was just on the horizon. Change that might not be as pleasant.

“I want to make love to you, Brian. Please. Let me make love to you,” Justin whispered, unsure if he was begging or promising.

Brian’s eyes opened wider, as if he was surprised by this request, but he smiled indulgently up at Justin. “You don’t have to ask, Mis’l. You never have before.”

“But that’s just the thing . . . If everything works out, come tomorrow, I won’t be a Mis’l anymore. I won’t be anything. Just plain old Justin Tay . . . Hellation, I probably shouldn’t even use my real name after tomorrow. I’ll have to come up with an alias.” Justin paused a moment, thinking over possible names he might use, but nothing really seemed to come to mind. “What’s your last name?” he finally asked the man patiently watching him.

“Surrogates don’t have surnames, remember?” Brian prompted, reaching up to flick the metal ID tag dangling from his right nipple with a thumb.

“Well, after tomorrow, you won’t be a Surrogate. You’ll be free. Once we’re sure it’s safe, you can even leave if you like. I won’t be able to stop you,” Justin reasoned sadly. “And if things don’t go right . . . Well, this could be our last night together. So I just want . . . I want to do this right.”

“Did anyone ever tell you you’re a huge fucking drama queen?” Brian whispered with a playful little grin as he pushed Justin backwards so he could spread his legs wider and bend his knees invitingly.

“I’m going to assume that’s a good thing,” Justin replied, offering up his own smile in return. “Now stop making fun of me and let me worship that beautiful body of yours.”

“As you wish, Mis’l,” Brian responded, his words tapering off into a delighted moan as Justin began to apply himself to the task at hand.

And worship Brian’s body is exactly what Justin did. With his eyes, his lips, his hands, and most especially with his cock. Despite the urge to simply devour his lover, Justin deliberately slowed everything down, taking his time and making sure to touch every centimeter of Brian’s beautiful, golden skin, to kiss and lick and nibble every shapely curve and bulge of muscle, to relish the intimacy of every connection. Every time either of them would come close to the ultimate release, Justin would pause, carefully judging their pace, intent on making this night last, forever if necessary. When the pent-up flood of emotion finally became too much to hold back, the soon-to-be-no-Mis’l dove in as deeply as he could, thrilling all over again at the intimate embrace of his ever responsive lover, and then froze so as to thoroughly enjoy each pulse of passion as it left his body and was echoed through the trembling form beneath him.

After it was all over and Justin had collapsed across his lover’s broad chest, replete and satisfied, at least for the time being, Brian wrapped his strong arms around the younger man’s body and held him tight. “Thank you, Justin,” Brian murmured, his hot breath tickling at the other man’s ear. “It means a lot that you’re even willing to try and help us Surrogates. That you care. That you’d want to give me a chance to keep this baby . . . I’ve never known anyone like you, Justin. It’s been so long since I trusted anyone. But . . . I want to trust you. I want this to be . . . Real.”

With his head resting on Brian’s shoulder, the words rumbling through the solidity of the Surrogate’s chest and vibrating along the skin of his cheek managed to transmit more signals than just what was spoken. Justin could hear and feel the underlying tension and sense the fear. But he could also feel the yearning behind the faltering statements. He knew it must be close to impossible for someone like Brian to open himself up, and yet Brian really did want to trust him. He needed to trust Justin. And he needed to let himself finally be loved, despite his ingrained lack of trust. It reinforced Justin’s commitment to do whatever it took to save them both, so they could finally be free to live whatever lives they should have had together. It made him want to prove his love for Brian even more.

Which was why their desperate escape plans just had to work.

“Kinney,” Brian breathed out the name, his voice so quiet that Justin felt the vibrations of the word more than he heard the sound. “My name was Brian Kinney.”

********

“I got these bags from Sammie,” Daphne explained as she handed them each a small bag with odd straps. “She said they were called ‘back packs’. See, you put your arms through the straps and then your hands are free.” Daphne demonstrated the ingenious contraptions. “This way, we can carry our belongings without slowing ourselves down too much. I packed as much warm clothing as I could. Each of us also has a water bottle and some emergency food, although it won’t be much, so I hope we can figure out some way to carry more food. And I split up the coin and jewelry equally between all the bags, just in case something happens to one pack.”

“Good idea, Daph,” Justin complimented his wife. “As for the food issue, I already asked that a couple of mini-motors be loaded on the flyer - I suggested that we might want to use them to tour the plant with, since it’s supposedly a large facility. Assuming my directions were followed, we should be able to use those to help us get away and it’ll mean we can carry more, including food.” Justin looked around him at all the rest of their belongings that hadn’t been packed, trying to think if there was anything important he was forgetting, but not seeing anything. “Okay. Everybody remember your parts?” They all nodded nervously. “Then, I guess it’s time. Let’s hope the Luck of the Dominion is with us.”

Justin was too anxious to offer more than a weak smile as the others each grabbed their own bag. The Surrogates were all wearing sturdy clothing under their robes, which could thankfully be explained away by the Calcascadians’ discomfort over their usual nudity. He and Daphne were dressed more elaborately, but also in relatively casual, travel-appropriate clothing. But other than that, and their small packs of necessary supplies, there wasn’t anything more that they could bring or prepare in advance. They couldn’t even bring weapons, since a Mis’l wouldn’t carry such a thing as long as he had his security staff with him and the Surrogates would risk serious punishment if they were caught with something like that. No, their only real weapons in this escapade would have to be their wits and their determination. Justin hoped that would be enough.

So, with his bag in one hand and Daphne’s hand in his other, Justin headed out the door of his chambers, his wife by his side and their three lovers following single file behind them. When they reached the lobby, they found the rest of the party already waiting for them. The group consisted of two security guards, a scribe and, unfortunately, Dom’l Hobbs.

“You’re bringing your Surrogates along, Mis’l?” Hobbs blurted out before they even reached the group.

“Why wouldn’t I?” Justin demanded loftily. “The Mis’la and I like to keep an eye on our breeders. We wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to the bearers of our future offspring, what with neither of us here to ensure they are properly taken care of. Do you have a problem with that, Dom’l?”

“Oh, no, Mis’l,” Hobbs rushed to absolve himself. “I just hadn’t thought you’d be so worried about them with this being only a quick overnight trip. I don’t think there will be much for them to do while we’re touring the plant.”

“They can stay with Mis’la Daphne at our lodgings while I’m occupied,” Justin dismissed the concerns as if they were inconsequential before turning his back on Hobbs and heading towards the exit, indicating with his actions that the discussion was over.

“Yes, Mis’l,” Hobbs mumbled, frowning at the parade of Surrogates who padded off in a silent phalanx in their Master's wake.

When they arrived at the flyer field, Justin’s party took their time getting out of the motors and gathering together their stuff. The scribe had already scurried off towards the flyer, his arms filled with a briefcase containing the tools of his trade as well as the rolls of schematics showing the plant’s layout and other details, all of which Justin supposedly had to survey. Hobbs followed the scribe, albeit at a more sedate pace. Justin nodded to Daphne, who lagged further behind, while Brian and Troiyes moved to catch up to the Dom’l.

“Oh, no!” Rose exclaimed a second later, coming to a halt and looking around herself distractedly. “Oh, Mis’la, I’m sorry. Forgive me. I seem to have misplaced the beautiful pin you gave me yesterday after our outing. I know it was there when we got in the motor. It must have come off somewhere.”

“How careless, Rose,” Daphne pretended to be upset with the girl. “That pin was valuable.”

Justin stopped in his tracks, playing his part and saying his lines. “I’m sure she didn’t lose it on purpose, Daphne. It’s probably just back in the motor someplace. Why don’t you go look for it. Quickly though, so we won’t be delayed for too long.” Then Justin turned to speak to the two security guards, crossing his fingers inside the pockets of his jacket and hoping this would work. “Scott, you and Sanchez stay here with the Mis’la and my Surrogate. Make sure they’re okay. I’ll be waiting in the flyer.”

Justin held his breath, hoping this would work. This was arguably the most critical part of their plan. Protocol said that at least one member of the security staff should remain with the Mis’l at all times when he was away from the Estate. But there was no way Justin and the two males could take on both the guards and Hobbs all at the same time. To succeed, they needed to isolate each threat so they could take them down one by one.

Scott scanned the fifty meters or so between where they were standing and the flyer, mentally calculating any potential risks. It seemed Justin was in luck, though, because Scott didn’t argue. The security head merely nodded acquiescence, maintained his position, and let Justin proceed towards the waiting flyer. The Mis’l breathed a sigh of relief; the first hurdle was passed. He tried to look more confident than he felt as he walked towards the next, and probably more dangerous, challenge.

“Welcome aboard again, Mis’l,” the attendant greeted him as he reached the top of the stairs.

Justin glanced back over his shoulder, happy to see that Rosie had enlisted Sanchez’ help searching for the missing brooch while Daph was keeping Scott occupied in conversation. So far, so good. He nodded at the attendant and shouldered past the man into the main cabin. Hobbs and the scribe were busy looking at some papers laid out on a table near the front of the flyer. There was no sign of the two male Surrogates, which was good, since they were supposed to be waiting in the private cabin in the rear. Everything looked ready.

Raising his voice so the words would be clearly audible, Justin yelled down the walkway, “Hobbs, I need to show you something I noticed last night in the latest addendum to the contact.” Justin pretended to look through the briefcase waiting next to his seat as the Dom’l approached. “Hmm. I must have put those papers in my other bag. Go get it for me, Hobbs; I’d like to have this issue resolved before we land and I get distracted by other matters.”

Justin gestured towards the closed cabin where, presumably, all the bags had been stowed. Hobbs unsuspectingly trotted off towards the cabin. Justin waited till the man was almost to the door before getting to his own feet and quickly following. The minute Hobbs opened the door, Justin shoved the Dom’l hard from behind, causing Hobbs to stagger forward and trip over the cord that was stretched across the narrow entryway, held in place by the two Surrogates who’d been waiting for them. Justin stepped inside, pulling the door closed behind him and locking it, while Troiyes tackled a stunned Hobbs and Brian stuffed a wadded up sock into Hobbs’ gaping mouth to stifle any cries. After that it was quick work to wrestle their captive over to the bed and use the cord they’d tripped him with to tie Hobbs securely.

“Make sure you search him well,” Justin directed when they were done. “Make sure he doesn’t have anything on him that will help him get out of those ropes.”

Brian, who’d already started that process, continued to run his hands over Hobbs even as the man struggled. The captive was still screaming at them from behind his gag, even though he could make little sound. But when Brian started to pat at his crotch, Hobbs really went berserk, struggling and grunting and acting like he was being tortured.

“Oh, get over it, you big pussy,” Brian ordered with a snicker. “Nobody’s interested in your tiny vienna sausage-sized prick. But if you keep fighting me like this I might cut it off just to get you to shut the fuck up.”

Justin and Troi laughed as the Surrogate’s threat caused Hobbs to visibly pale. The noise and the struggling stopped immediately. Their good humor died a moment later, however, when Brian’s search suddenly turned up a small communications device hidden in Hobbs’ jacket pocket and a shooter that had been strapped to the Dom’l’s ankle. It was a reminder that what they were doing was deadly serious.

Justin threw the communicator to the floor and stomped on it with the heel of his boot, smashing the thing to pieces. Then took the shooter out of Brian’s hand and started to slip it into his own jacket pocket, but Troiyes stopped him.

“I have a better idea, Boss. Gimme that.” Justin handed the weapon over. Troi looked the shooter over and checked that the safety was on. “With this, we don’t have to risk taking out all your father’s men one at a time. We’ve got more control. We just have to make them think we’ll use it.”

The three of them held a short confab, talking things over. Justin agreed with the idea in general but was against letting either of the Surrogates take on a bigger role. They were already running too big a risk, in Justin’s view. But Brian ended the dispute by pointing out that he and Troi were already probably looking at a death sentence just for assaulting Dom’l Hobbs, so it really wouldn’t make much of a difference that they added to their crimes by using a shooter. Since Justin couldn’t argue that point, he reluctantly agreed to the change in plans. He didn’t like it, though.

Justin pulled Brian close and gave him one last kiss before taking a deep breath and moving back towards the door. “Okay, let's do this, then!”

“Hold up a sec,” Troi spoke up, halting his cohorts while he turned back to Hobbs. “Since we can’t afford to have this one messing things up for us while we’re busy . . .” The Surrogate pointed the shooter at the Dom’l’s head, laughing as the man cringed away, before adroitly flipping the weapon around so that the hard, metal stock was pointing outward, and then using that to deliver a hard blow to the side of the captive’s head, knocking Hobbs out cold. “There. One potential problem taken care of for the time being. Now, lead me to my next victim.”

“You’re kinda scary, you know?” Brian commented dryly as he sauntered past Troi, receiving a cocky smile in exchange.

“Yeah, but you love my ass, so it’s all good, right?” Troi teased as he followed behind his brother Surrogate, at the same time as he was slipping the shooter into the waistband of his trousers so it was hidden by his robe.

“Concentrate guys,” Justin hissed as he brought up the rear, closing the door behind them all.

The two Surrogates immediately assumed their usual deferential aspect, heads slightly bowed and expressions blank. They paused just outside the private cabin, pretending to wait obediently for their Mis’l. Justin, meanwhile, went to the door of the flyer and yelled to the others to ‘hurry up, already’ - their signal that Rose should find the lost pin. Justin watched as the drama played out, Rose excitedly exclaiming that she’d found it and then the female Surrogate and Daphne skipping off together towards the plane. Justin was glad to see that the girls were quickly outdistancing their security escort, another critical part of the plan. Within minutes they were running up the portable stairway and greeting Justin with kisses as they came through the portal.

“There’s a little change in plans,” he whispered as he accepted the greetings and pretended to admire the ‘found’ piece of jewelry. “Play along.”

He gestured to the girls to move further into the flyer and nodded as Brian moved around behind him. While Brian was pulling the hatch closed - just as Scott and Sanchez had reached the stairway and were looking up at the closing door with confusion - Troi had moved around so he was standing directly behind Daphne. Luckily nobody was looking as Troi left a quick kiss on the woman’s cheek and whispered, “sorry for this, mi amor.” Daphne only smiled and didn’t fight at all when Troi wrapped his arm around her neck, pretending to choke the Mis’la. Brian did the same thing to Justin, adding in a quick goose to Justin’s ass in the process.

“Okay, listen up, peeps,” Troi announced loudly, getting the attention of the few folks in the main cabin of the flyer. “We’re taking over this flight. So, unless you want the pretty little Mis’la’s brains to be splattered all over this flyer, you better listen up!”

The scribe and the the two flyer attendants instantly came to attention.

“Tell the pilot it's time to take off,” Brian ordered.

“But . . . You can’t do this. You’ll be caught,” the plucky little scribe argued, making Justin want to roll his eyes at the silly man’s bravado.

“Not where we’re going,” Troi announced. “Nobody will look for us in the Wastelands.” He then cocked the shooter, which made a lovely, audible clicking noise, before pressing the weapon hard against Daphne’s temple. “I’m done with this fucking Surrogate thing. I’m not going to give up my baby to some stupid fucking elites who think they can buy my compliance with a few crusts of bread and some pretty words. So, let’s cut through the bullshit and get this flight off the ground already. Unless you’re with us and don’t give a shit about some scabby Dominion lords either?”

“Just calm down,” one of flyer attendants cautioned, holding out his hand in a placating motion. “There’s no need for bloodshed. We don’t want anyone to be hurt.”

“Good. Then tell the pilot to take off now!” Troi ordered, making a show of jerking Daphne around as violently as possible. “Or you can say goodbye to your Mis’la.”

Within minutes the flyer began taxiing down the field, even as Justin’s security detail continued to pound ineffectually at the sealed portal door. The rogue Surrogates kept up their act until the flyer’s wheels were off the ground. Then, with the shooter still aimed at Daphne’s head, they ordered the attendants and the scribe into the rear cabin and blocked the door closed using the handle of a broom they’d found in the pantry area. Using the intercom system, they ordered the pilots to head east, straight towards the Wastelands. Then came the hardest part, waiting expectantly till they were far enough away that they knew they’d be relatively safe.

Justin kept watch through the windows trying to gauge their progress despite the handicap of the distortions caused by the flyer’s altitude. When the landscape below them changed from the green of the rolling Cascadian hills to a more barren, brown haze, he was pretty sure they’d crossed into the verges of the Wastelands. Justin gave a nod to Troi, who took the initiative to knock on the door of the cockpit.

“This is good enough. Land the flyer,” Troiyes ordered.

“There’s nowhere to land out here. There’s no field. There’s nothing at all,” was the pilot’s response shouted through the intercom.

“I don’t care. Just land. Or else we’ll start picking off our hostages, one by one, and you guys can explain to the authorities why you let two high-profile Domain Elites die,” Troi bluffed with a wink in Daph’s direction.

“Fuck!” was the pilot’s unhappy response. “Okay. Whatever you say, Buddy. Better hold on though. This is gonna be rough.”

Brian and Troi strapped themselves into seats next to their ‘hostages’ and everyone prepared as best they could for the landing.

The pilot hadn’t been kidding, either. The landing was horrible. The pilots did their best, aiming for a clearing in the trees, but clipping several in the process. And when they got to the point where the wheels began to make contact with the rocky ground, it was worse. The flyer was buffeted from side to side, jumping and skipping along as the pilots struggled to keep it from crashing into various obstacles. The headlong rush was only halted when the pilots were unable to navigate between the twin impediments of a tall stack of rocks and the bole of an ancient, defoliated tree trunk. The flyer ended up sandwiched between the two, it’s nose coming to an abrupt rest as both wings were sheared completely off. Luckily, the main cabin remained intact and the occupants were shaken up but not injured.

As soon as the plane stopped rocking, Justin was out of his seat, making sure the others were okay and trying to think through how to effectuate their final escape. The rest of his clan seemed unharmed. They were all out of their seats just moments after Justin. Troi headed back to confirm the rear cabin remained secure while Brian headed towards the cockpit. The door to the rear cabin was still jammed shut but Troi could hear movement inside, so it seemed at least one of their captives had survived the crash. The pilots, though, hadn’t been so lucky; both pilots were injured and unconscious, although Brian wasn’t sure whether their injuries were serious or not. He left them be, still strapped in their seats, caring only that there wasn’t anyone left who could stop or follow them. Justin figured he’d count it as a win and not stress over the possible casualties.

“Okay, Daph & Rose, you guys start gathering any supplies you can scavenge, especially food and medical supplies. Boys, you’re with me - we need to figure out how to get into the cargo hold. Let’s go,” Justin ordered with a renewed sense of energy.

Within an hour they’d managed to excavate the two mini-motors out of the cargo hold along with some useful looking tools and more supplies. One of the motors had been slightly damaged in the crash, but luckily Troi said he knew a bit about mechanics and could fix it. The girls had gathered all the available food and water in the flyer and bundled it up. Brian and Justin had managed to fashion two plastic storage bins into sleds that could be pulled behind the motors; if they rode double, the fifth person could be pulled on a sled behind one motor and the other sled could be loaded with all the supplies. They had also disabled the plane’s communication equipment so nobody could call for help even if the pilots woke up or the captives managed to get out of the closed cabin. Now it was just a question of getting as far away from the scene of the crashed flyer as possible, since it was only a matter of time before Tch’fl Craig would send out a search party to find his lost heir.

Justin looked around him, trying to think if he’d overlooked anything. This was it. From here on out, they were on their own. There was no guarantee they would even survive, let alone find some safe haven. But at least they’d be free. He would never again have to pretend to be someone or something he wasn’t just to please an autocratic father. He had his friends and his lover with him, and hopefully they’d soon have several babies as well. And meanwhile everyone was going to be relying on him to take care of them all.

Fuck! What in the Dominion had he been thinking?

Before he had time to panic, though, Troi climbed out from under the motor he’d been working on, dusted off his trousers, and smiled up at Justin. “Okay. All fixed. This baby should run like a dream now,” the man announced, handing over the wrench and pair of wire cutters he’d been using. “I think we're good to go whenever you’re ready, Mis’l.”

“Good job, Troi.” Justin accepted the tools, looking at them contemplatively for a moment. “But it’s time to stop calling me that. I’m not your Mis’l anymore. I’m just plain, old Justin Kinney from here on out. And you three are no longer Surrogates either, so let’s make it official.”

Justin abruptly reached out, pulled up the front of Troi’s shirt and, using the wire cutters he was holding, clipped through the hoop that attached the Surrogate ID tag to Troiyes’ nipple. The small piece of metal came off easily in Justin’s hand. He handed the tag back to its former owner, using his own hand to curl the man’s fingers around the small but significant object. Troi cocked his head to the side, looking almost confused by this momentous change for half a minute, and then deposited the tag in his trouser pocket with a nod of finality.

Justin held out his hand as if just greeting the former Surrogate for the first time. “Justin Kinney. Nice to meet you, Mr. . . .”

“Clark. Troiyes Clark,” the now grinning man answered proudly.

“Me next!” Rosie was there, pushing Troi aside and bouncing into place. Justin quickly clipped her tag off too. “Yay! I always hated that thing. It kept catching on my robe and made my nipple sore,” she declared. “Oh, and by the way, my real name is Rachel O’Donnell. But you guys can all still call me Rosie if you like. I’ve pretty much gotten used to it by now.”

“Whatever you say, Ms. O’Donnell,” Justin handed her back the used tag and leaned in to kiss the exuberant girl on the forehead.

Then Justin looked around for the last of his Surrogate charges, but didn’t see Brian anywhere.

“Brian?” he called out, getting no response.

A second later, though, they all heard the sound of retching coming from around the back side of the flyer and rushed in a group to see what was up. They found Brian leaning against the flyer's fuselage, bent over as he coughed up what was left of the breakfast they’d eaten back before this crazy morning had started. Justin worriedly rubbed the man’s back until he was done and Daphne passed him a water bottle.

“You okay?” Daphne asked.

“I’ll survive. I think. Have I ever mentioned how much I hate breeding?” Brian asked as he pulled off his Surrogate robe for the last time and used it to wipe his face before tossing it to the ground over the puddle of vomit. “After this baby is born, Justin, remind me never to let you near my ass again.”

“Aw, come on, Mr. Kinney,” Justin chuckled as he stepped up to Brian, lifted the man’s shirt, and used his wire cutters to remove the last ID tag. “I thought you loved babies and wanted to have a whole housefull.”

“The four we’ve got on the way not enough for you?” he asked as he pocketed the old tag and then pretended to walk away in a huff. “Besides, Brian Kinney is a top. Always has been. And I don’t bottom for just anyone.”

“Good thing I’m not just anyone then,” Justin yelled after his man, laughing at the thought of all the fun they’d have arguing about who got to fuck whom in the future.

Then he got serious again, gave a last look around them, and figured it was time. “Okay, troops. I think we’d better get moving. I have no idea how long it’ll take us to find some kind of shelter, but we won’t find it sitting around here. Who wants to drive first?”

Troi took over one of the motors, with Daphne riding behind him and Rosie on their sled. Justin drove the second motor because Brian was still feeling a little nauseated and said he’d probably run them off a cliff if he was put in charge. And, just as the sun was reaching its zenith in the sky overhead, the little convoy of Dominion escapees headed off, aiming the motors towards the west and the hope of a future they couldn’t yet see.

********

It wasn’t until just after sunset two days later that the weary group of stragglers stumbled to a halt, dropping the cords by which they’d been towing their makeshift sleds. The motors had run out of fuel the day before. They’d had to continue on by foot but were still towing the sleds full of their supplies. Luckily, they’d made it out of the worst of the Wastelands over the course of their trek and the terrain was becoming less harsh and rocky and more rolling hills. They were almost out of water, though, so Justin had been trying to force them on until they could find a stream or something.

“I know you’re tired, but we can’t stop here, Brian,” Justin sighed trying to find the strength to keep going himself. “We have to find some kind of shelter at least.”

“How about that?” Brian asked, his voice cracking with fatigue as he pointed to the horizon.

They all looked in the direction Brian had indicated. Justin was as surprised as the rest to see several buildings, a few of which even had lights in the windows. The village was probably less than a mile away. He hadn’t expected to find a habitation this close to the edge of the Wastelands, to be honest, but he was thrilled by the discovery.

“Looks like as good a place as any to start our new life. What do you say, Mr. Kinney? Shall we go introduce ourselves and see if our new neighbors are friendly? Justin asked.

“Whatever you say, Mr. Kinney,” Brian replied, picking up his cord so he could continue on the way with his sled in tow.

“Come on, guys,” Justin waved the rest of his family on. “I have a good feeling about this place.

The former Mis’l watched as Troi began to trudge along in Brian’s wake, with the girls stumbling along behind. They were quite the sight; rag tag and bone tired, their clothing dirty and torn, and all they owned in the world strapped to those two plastic sleds. For a minute or so, he felt completely disoriented. Justin had grown up in the lap of luxury his whole life. It had never even crossed his mind that he’d find himself homeless and bereft of all status, alone in a foreign land where his position in society and lordly manner would afford him nothing. What the hell was he doing?

Then the tallest of the four figures walking away from him paused, turned around and called to him. “Justin? You coming? Or were you planning on making me carry both your baby AND your sorry ass the rest of the way?” Brian cajoled.

And suddenly Justin couldn’t care less about what he’d left behind. He had Brian and the rest of his strange little family. That was all that mattered. You know, he really should have thanked his father before running away. The day Justin had finally given in to Tch’fl Craig’s demands that he take on a Surrogate was the best day of his entire life. And he wouldn’t change anything that had happened since.

“Coming, Dear,” Justin hollered back teasingly and then jogged to catch up with his lover, who welcomed him with a kiss as they took their final steps towards the future together.

********