What Freedom Means (9)
This was the scene that mostly started the whole thing.
By the time the appraiser left, it was nearing dinner time. Jeff said that he and Wendy were going to treat us with a dinner at a very nice place, but they had something they wanted to tell us first. We all met in the shop after I got the car and bike parked.
"Eddie, I have news regarding the hearing process. The hearing was held yesterday, and the judge sided with us. Your former master received a fine that exceeded the amount remaining on your indenture. May I have your left leg, please?" Tal'ena and I looked at each other, puzzled, but I shifted my position on the stool and held out my left leg for him. Withdrawing a chain with a small key on it, He reached down to my ankle where my Indenture habitually sat. "By the power vested in me by the state, I hereby declare you a freed morph, with all the privileges, rights, and responsibilities that go with it." As he said this, he unlocked the bracelet, removed it from my leg, and relocked it. He then asked me to stand up, and he presented me with the bracelet, and he placed the chain with the key around my neck. I was absolutely flabbergasted. "I... I..." I stammered a bit. Tal'ena came over and hugged me. "I don't know what to say. 'Thank you' does not seem to convey how grateful I am." Jeff had a grin on his face. "There's more, but there is someone else who wants to ask you something." He nodded at Tal'ena, who looked up at me with those beautiful green eyes. She came right out with it, fortunately.
"While you can not and never will be Gregor, I think you would be a good substitute. Will you be my mate?" My answer was just as direct, albeit not as vocal. I picked her up, swung her around in air and hugged her. carefully holding on to her, I sat down in the shop's only non-stool chair: A rather worn and abused office swivel chair from the late 70's. I kissed her and said "Yes." Jeff was quick to add. "Eddie, you do realize that you would be splitting her indenture with her, hence losing your freedom?" I looked up at him and nodded. "Yes. I would trade my freedom in order to love this marvelous creature." This got me another hug, and a playful nibble on the ear. Wendy cleared her throat to get everyone's attention.
"I guess it's my turn. Tal'ena, your indenture as of end of day yesterday was 230 credits. Now that you are mated, you both have or will have an indenture of 115 credits." Tal'ena nodded. I whispered to her, "I have that in my case easily. I'll buy freedom for both of us." Wendy was looking at Jeff, who nodded. "And I in my position as director have the power to forgive a certain amount of credits on a morph's indenture. It's a modest amount not to exceed 150 credits per morph. This I will do for Tal'ena. Eddie, even with the added 115 to your indenture, you will still have some 200 credits owed back to you by your master." Wendy looked at Tal'ena and smiled. "Tal, can I see your left leg, please?" I helped Tal'ena position herself to present her leg to Wendy. I inadvertently got a, uh, revealing view of Wendy as she bent over and unlocked Tal's bracelet. She know that I saw, because she smiled even wider when she caught me staring. "Careful now, you are mated, handsome," she said in a half-joking manner. Jack decided to finish things, and informed us that tomorrow was Naked Day, both to celebrate the 8th anniversary of his freedom, and to celebrate our newly earned freedom. Everyone was invited, and clothing was optional. He also announced that Mike had called and said that he was taking the day crew out for dinner. Jeff said that this was good, because dinner was in about two hours. We all trundled back into the house and got ready.
Dinner was an interesting thing. It was at this nice Italian place in town, which translated to about a 20 minute drive for me being crammed between Wendy and Tal'ena in the back seat of Jeff's state-issued car. Jack was in the front passenger side while Jeff drove, as he knew the place where we were going. We got there, and shortly we were placed in the middle of the restaurant, which garnered a fair amount of attention from both the staff and patrons. Apparently, having morphs as paying customers was a rarity. Jack gathered a fair amount of attention as well. Jeff explained to us that in the human world, Jack was a semi-celebrity for being the only free morph, and the oldest still roaming around. In any case, we were given menus, and shortly after that the waitress came by and took our orders. The restaurant had gotten someone what quiet when we had walked in, but was slowly starting to pick back up.
We got about halfway through the dinner when a gentleman came out and introduced himself as the owner. He said that he was honored that Jack had came here, and asked if everything was fine, which it was. Jack then spoke up and said that his friends were celebrating something, which was why we were here tonight. He winked at us, and we lifted the keys around out necks. This had the net effect of garnering applause from the entire restaurant. I was slightly puzzled by this, but Jack told me to just accept it and that he'd explain when we were back in the car.
The rest of dinner passed uneventfully. On the way back home, Jack explained the curious event at the restaurant.
By the time the appraiser left, it was nearing dinner time. Jeff said that he and Wendy were going to treat us with a dinner at a very nice place, but they had something they wanted to tell us first. We all met in the shop after I got the car and bike parked.
"Eddie, I have news regarding the hearing process. The hearing was held yesterday, and the judge sided with us. Your former master received a fine that exceeded the amount remaining on your indenture. May I have your left leg, please?" Tal'ena and I looked at each other, puzzled, but I shifted my position on the stool and held out my left leg for him. Withdrawing a chain with a small key on it, He reached down to my ankle where my Indenture habitually sat. "By the power vested in me by the state, I hereby declare you a freed morph, with all the privileges, rights, and responsibilities that go with it." As he said this, he unlocked the bracelet, removed it from my leg, and relocked it. He then asked me to stand up, and he presented me with the bracelet, and he placed the chain with the key around my neck. I was absolutely flabbergasted. "I... I..." I stammered a bit. Tal'ena came over and hugged me. "I don't know what to say. 'Thank you' does not seem to convey how grateful I am." Jeff had a grin on his face. "There's more, but there is someone else who wants to ask you something." He nodded at Tal'ena, who looked up at me with those beautiful green eyes. She came right out with it, fortunately.
"While you can not and never will be Gregor, I think you would be a good substitute. Will you be my mate?" My answer was just as direct, albeit not as vocal. I picked her up, swung her around in air and hugged her. carefully holding on to her, I sat down in the shop's only non-stool chair: A rather worn and abused office swivel chair from the late 70's. I kissed her and said "Yes." Jeff was quick to add. "Eddie, you do realize that you would be splitting her indenture with her, hence losing your freedom?" I looked up at him and nodded. "Yes. I would trade my freedom in order to love this marvelous creature." This got me another hug, and a playful nibble on the ear. Wendy cleared her throat to get everyone's attention.
"I guess it's my turn. Tal'ena, your indenture as of end of day yesterday was 230 credits. Now that you are mated, you both have or will have an indenture of 115 credits." Tal'ena nodded. I whispered to her, "I have that in my case easily. I'll buy freedom for both of us." Wendy was looking at Jeff, who nodded. "And I in my position as director have the power to forgive a certain amount of credits on a morph's indenture. It's a modest amount not to exceed 150 credits per morph. This I will do for Tal'ena. Eddie, even with the added 115 to your indenture, you will still have some 200 credits owed back to you by your master." Wendy looked at Tal'ena and smiled. "Tal, can I see your left leg, please?" I helped Tal'ena position herself to present her leg to Wendy. I inadvertently got a, uh, revealing view of Wendy as she bent over and unlocked Tal's bracelet. She know that I saw, because she smiled even wider when she caught me staring. "Careful now, you are mated, handsome," she said in a half-joking manner. Jack decided to finish things, and informed us that tomorrow was Naked Day, both to celebrate the 8th anniversary of his freedom, and to celebrate our newly earned freedom. Everyone was invited, and clothing was optional. He also announced that Mike had called and said that he was taking the day crew out for dinner. Jeff said that this was good, because dinner was in about two hours. We all trundled back into the house and got ready.
Dinner was an interesting thing. It was at this nice Italian place in town, which translated to about a 20 minute drive for me being crammed between Wendy and Tal'ena in the back seat of Jeff's state-issued car. Jack was in the front passenger side while Jeff drove, as he knew the place where we were going. We got there, and shortly we were placed in the middle of the restaurant, which garnered a fair amount of attention from both the staff and patrons. Apparently, having morphs as paying customers was a rarity. Jack gathered a fair amount of attention as well. Jeff explained to us that in the human world, Jack was a semi-celebrity for being the only free morph, and the oldest still roaming around. In any case, we were given menus, and shortly after that the waitress came by and took our orders. The restaurant had gotten someone what quiet when we had walked in, but was slowly starting to pick back up.
We got about halfway through the dinner when a gentleman came out and introduced himself as the owner. He said that he was honored that Jack had came here, and asked if everything was fine, which it was. Jack then spoke up and said that his friends were celebrating something, which was why we were here tonight. He winked at us, and we lifted the keys around out necks. This had the net effect of garnering applause from the entire restaurant. I was slightly puzzled by this, but Jack told me to just accept it and that he'd explain when we were back in the car.
The rest of dinner passed uneventfully. On the way back home, Jack explained the curious event at the restaurant.