His Guilty Secret (LGBT - Sci-Fi - Romance)

Chapter One

"I'm not sure that's going to work after all. Do you want to check it out for yourself?"

"No, I'll take your word for it. It's probably best to leave those rocks alone. The Revel should be looking for us by now, surely? Once communications were cut off, they would have sent someone down to investigate. Even if my wristcom isn't fully functional, it will still show our location. It should just be a matter of sitting tight until they find us." The other man sounded a little as if he was trying to convince himself.

"I'm sure the Captain will be right on it. What's he like, Captain Hayes? I haven't been on the Revel long enough to know yet," asked King. He had been promoted to First Lieutenant a month ago and had transferred to the Revel as part of his promotion the week before.

There was a pause. "He's all right I guess, but he was with Beta team so he must be down here with us somewhere. It'll be Second Lieutenant Bailey in charge until the Captain's located."

King whistled. That wasn't good. He hoped the Captain was safe. He replied, "Bailey seems sound from what I've seen so far. I'm sure he'll be on top of things." There was a short silence. "I suppose we might as well sit down and get comfortable, there doesn't seem to be much else we can do for the moment."

They seated themselves, propping their backs against the wall.

"Do you mind if we keep talking?" asked the other man, his voice sounding hesitant. "To be honest, I'm struggling a bit with this darkness. I never thought I was claustrophobic, but a space ship always has at least some light and there's the view outside if you need it."

"Sure, you can tell me some stories about the ship and the crew." King paused. "I'm not making a pass at you or anything, but would you like me to sit a bit closer?"

"I'm fine," the answer came back too quickly but King did not take offence. His companion was striving for control, trying to keep his fear in check; he didn't need to add to the pressure. "Sorry," the other man apologised. "You're King, is that right?"

"Yeah, that's me. And you are...?"

"Simon."

King couldn't recall anyone of that name but he hadn't met everyone properly yet.

"You're homosexual, an om, aren't you?" continued Simon. "You don't mind people knowing?"

"Yes, I am, and no, it doesn't bother me. The way I figure it, if people get upset, it's their problem, not mine."

Simon kept talking. "Tell me to mind my own business if you like, but have you always been an om?" Then he apologised again. "Sorry if I'm being too personal."

"It's no problem. Ever since I can remember. Have you always been straight?" King asked in return, hoping to raise a smile. He wasn't quite expecting the answer he got.

"Yeah, mostly. There was a period in my teens that I wasn't sure, but it didn't last long. I grew out of it, I guess."

King was silent. He didn't think sexuality was something you "grew out of," but on the other hand, a lot of people experimented in their teens. He changed the subject. "So, what was the last mission you were on before this?"

He listened to Simon telling him about the recent rescue mission on Scotia, to help some explorers who had been stranded on the ice after their equipment malfunctioned. He appeared to have a good grasp of logistics; King supposed he must be one of the more mature crew, possibly even a corporal or sergeant. He didn't like to ask, the darkness had created an illusion of equality which he didn't want to disturb. They were just two men trapped inside a mountain, waiting to be rescued.

Talking of which, he was sure another hour had passed since he came round. He was feeling hungry. He hunted around in his pockets and located a field ration bar which he broke in half and shared with Simon.

"Thanks, have some more water." They both sipped cautiously from the water bag.

A rumble broke the short silence, followed by a deafening crash some distance off, and in seconds they were surrounded by another cloud of dust and loose debris falling from the ceiling.

"Oh my god, do you think we're going to be buried alive in here?" Simon asked in sudden panic, reaching out to grab King by the arm. Then he was apologising again. "Sorry, sorry. Don't worry, I'm okay. The last thing you need is some idiot who's scared of the dark. I can do this."

"Of course you can," King reassured, moving closer so that their bodies were just touching. "Everyone's got something that worries them. If there were reptiles here, I'd be sitting on your lap!" This brought a strained laugh as he had hoped.

"You said you haven't been on the Revel long. What was your last ship like?" asked Simon, obviously seeking distraction.

"I was on the Jerez. It was a great ship when I was on it but they'd been through some bad times before. You probably heard about it?"

"Yes, I heard. Some sort of warped initiation where men were raped. The whole affair was a disgrace—that such a thing could happen on one of our ships in this day and age! One of the ship's Lieutenants and an undercover patrol agent stopped it, didn't they?"

"That's right, Ferris and Peters." King didn't realise how his voice softened when he spoke of Ferris.

"A friend of yours?"

"Unfortunately, yes. I wanted more, but he didn't."

"I'm sorry."

"Well, it was probably for the best. It can really complicate things if you're on the same ship."

There was a short silence.

"I've never actually kissed another man, even when I thought I might be an om," Simon said conversationally, after a long silence.

"No?" replied King, unsure where he was going with this.

"Maybe it's the darkness or maybe I'm still half afraid we're not going to make it out of here, so I'm just going to come right out and ask you. Would you kiss me? This could be my only chance to find out what it's like."