Date: Wed, 20 Mar 2013 12:04:14 -0700 (PDT)
From: Eric Foster <efoster447@yahoo.com>
Subject: Starlit part 2

Disclaimer: this story contains sexual material. If you are not 18 or over,
or this is not legal in your country you should not read any further. This
material may offend if you find homosexual acts offensive or homosexual
acts between younger boys offensive. All similarities between this story's
plot line, characters, names, places, or any other item are purely
coincidence. Enjoy

Starlit

He held the key up to the small pad. A beep sounded and the door slid
sideways, opening up to his room. It wasn't very big, with only a bed, a
desk with his computer and documents, and a small open closet built into
the opposite wall.

Mason walked into the room and locked the door behind him as he began to
take off his uniform.

He stripped down to just his boxers and lay down on his bed as he let his
mind wander. He was pretty exhausted since they had been calibrating the
new accelerator and flux device, which was not only a complicated
procedure, but took 14 hours to complete.

He turned around for a moment and looked at the small shelf that sat above
his bed. A few framed photos rested on it. One was of him and his parents
from when he was young, another was of him graduating. The last one, and
his favorite, was a picture of him at 13 with Elliot standing in his
backyard. He held the picture as he thought back to the day.

Elliot had been told that the Kosmicheskiye molnii was nearly finished, and
that he was to be the captain. As a surprise, his father had already
purchased his uniform and gave it to him. He had been so excited that he
put it on immediately, and his father had snapped a picture of him in his
slick looking uniform with Mason beside him.

It was a fond memory, but just seeing Elliot so happy was even better.
Mason reached down and moved his finger lightly over Elliot's face, but
then he felt the ache go through him. Every time he thought about Elliot,
he couldn't help but compare himself to him.

Mason grew up in poverty on a backwater planet. It was only through his
parent's extreme dedication that he was able to escape that life and begin
at the prestigious academy he attended.

Yet, it was only through luck and the kindness of Yuri that he was truly
able to start a new life and escape the poverty he was otherwise doomed to.

Elliot, on the other hand, was born into extravagant wealth and prestige.
His family was one of the most powerful and wealthy in the universe, with
one of the largest shipping, military, and colonization companies ever in
existence. He had the looks of a god and piloting skills that went
unmatched. His name was already well known, not only because of the
Kosmicheskiye molnii, but because he was just that good, and the youngest
pilot in the universe of a class seven ship (the largest class of ships).

The more Mason thought about it, the more he felt like his life was only
successful because of the charity of others. Elliot made it not only
because his family, but because of his natural skills and his aspirations
to be the best. These natural gifts were just another barrier between
himself and Elliot. It wasn't that he was jealous by any means; in fact, he
was very thankful that they were friends.

His mind drifted to the times they would walk in the streets together on
earth, and Mason would notice girls turning their head on occasion to watch
Elliot go by. He was always jealous at first, but then he remembered that
while they could only look at him, he was Elliot's best friend.

Unlike them, he could talk to him about anything, and was closer to him
than they would ever be. But even in this respect, Mason still didn't feel
he could ever be as close as he wanted to.

He knew very well what kind of social implications would arise. Their
gender wasn't the factor, it was their status. Mason knew he just wasn't on
Elliot's level, and despite their being best friends, he always knew that
distance would be there between them.

He set the picture down on his bed and lay back on the pillow as he let out
a sigh. It seemed like a cruel fate, that he was so close, yet so far away
from Elliot. He placed the picture back on its stand and walked over to his
desk to review some of the documents that sat in a pile in the corner.

He began to look over them, but found it hard to concentrate. In his moment
of self doubt, he got up and went over to the full length mirror that was
next to the closet. In an instant, his whole body came into view.

His body was toned, but not built. He had definition on his abdomen, leg
muscles, arms, and everywhere else, but not as much as Elliot had. Overall,
his body had a narrow, but athletic build.

His shoulders though were still narrow. He also didn't have any freckles
anywhere besides his face. His nipples were perfectly sized and
proportioned, but because of his dark olive skin tone they didn't stick out
very much. He had hair on his arms and legs, but it also wasn't very
noticeable due to his dark olive skin tone. Overall he had a very boyish
appearance, despite being 15, and he wondered when he would finally grow
taller, or at least manlier looking.

Mason's appearance was another thing he felt was a barrier between himself
and Elliot. Elliot had the looks of a god, and his presence in a room was
impossible to miss. When he was on duty, his serious demeanor kept everyone
on edge, ready to obey his commands. Yet when he was around Mason, and they
were off duty, though on occasion even when on duty, he was one of the most
relaxed people knew. He was playful and made Mason feel not only like an
equal but also like a valued friend. Granted they were best friends, but he
just made him feel secure like no one else could.

Mason moved back to his bed and lay down for a moment as he started to feel
sleepiness begin to consume him. He let his eyes slowly shut, and soon was
engulfed for what only felt like a few moments.

Suddenly he heard his door open and he quickly rose to see Elliot walking
in, dressed in his full uniform minus the cloak and collar.

"Elliot!" Mason replied, shocked by his sudden entrance.

Elliot reached over to the keypad and hit the lock button. He had a
mischievous smile on his face and a seductive look in his eyes.

"Hey Mason," Elliot said calmly He continued to walk towards the bed as he
took off his gloves and placed them on the desk.

"I don't have any clothes on sir!" Mason said, suddenly switching into a
more formal form of address out of nervousness. Plus, he remembered that he
was only wearing his boxers.

Elliot reached the bed and sat down right next to Mason's chest. He reached
over and ran his bare finger lightly over his right nipple.

"That's good, it will help things proceed a lot faster," Elliot said in one
of the most seductive voices Mason had ever heard.

Mason gasped as Elliot suddenly began to use his other hand to rub over his
crotch through his boxers. He felt the adrenaline fill his veins as the
blood began rushing to his penis, which quickly grew hard. His breathing
became erratic as his muscles tightened with every touch.

Elliot leaned down and started covering Mason's cheeks in kisses as he
continued to tweak his nipple and rub on his crotch.

"Elliot....god...it's...."

"Shhh, just let me satisfy you Mason," Elliot whispered into his ear.

Mason let his head move back as he shut his eyes tight. The feelings that
rushed over him were like no other, driving his body to the point of
insanity. It was like a million angelic orchestras were playing, like
dancing across the sun, like sky diving from space. The feeling was so
intense, it was pure, and it was raw.


It was love.


Mason moved up quickly and placed his hand behind Elliot's head. He pulled
him into a deep kiss as his tongue danced with Elliot's. Mason could taste
him, smell his scent, and feel his skin engulfing him while he continued to
draw nearer to impending orgasm. Mason reached down and pulled his boxers
off in one quick swoop.

"Elliot, do it, please...make me cum," Mason begged breathlessly.

Elliot leaned down and traced Mason's lips with the very tip of his tongue.

"Of course I will, love," Elliot replied.

He took a hold of Mason's penis in an even tighter grip and started
stroking him faster. He rubbed his thumb over his cockhead and was pressing
into his urethra as he continued to stroke him. The feelings had grown even
more intense, and now Mason was grunting as hormones washed over him like a
tidal wave.

"Elliot....oh my god it's..."

"Just do it Mason," Elliot said quietly as he preformed the final strokes.

Mason gasped deeply as the orgasm suddenly hit him. Every muscle tightened,
as ropes of sperm shot from his penis. It flew up further than ever and hit
just beneath his nipple. Then the second hit reached his belly button, and
the rest continued to ooze out onto Elliot's hand and onto Mason's small
patch of pubic hair.

Elliot leaned down and took Mason into an embrace, warming his body. Almost
instantly, Mason began to feel extremely sleepy. His eyes began droop, and
before he knew it, he was knocked out and asleep.

Suddenly, Mason awoke from his slumber and looked around. The first thing
he noticed was that directly next to him in bed was Elliot, completely
naked.


Oh my god, it really did happen...


Mason quickly turned Elliot around and pulled him close, but then he jumped
back in fear. Elliot looked exactly the same, but instead where his face
was supposed to be, there was what looked like a reflecting pond. Elliot,
or the Elliot-like-figure, sat up and seemed to be looking directly at
Mason. He could clearly see his reflection inside of the pool of water that
sat directly on Elliot's face "El...Elliot?" Mason said timidly.

"Just as you see yourself inside me," the Elliot-like-figure seemed to
say. It reached out to touch Mason lightly on the cheek and ran its hand
across him softly.

"I see myself inside of you," the figure continued.

Suddenly there was a bright light, time seemed to flash by, and Mason felt
like he was in a hyper jump but minus the ship. Lights flew by him, and he
saw every memory he ever had of himself with Elliot. He heard a light
almost melodic sound playing as every moment sped by him.

After a few moments, the lights became blue as one most important moments
of his life appeared before him. He saw the kiss, the care in Elliot's
eyes, and the sunset that enraptured his memory.

Mason felt like crying from the joy the memory brought him.


"Soon" he heard a voice say before it all ended in a flash of light.


Mason gasped and sat up in his bed. He looked around to realize that
nothing had happened at all, and it was only a wild dream. Then he felt a
warm wetness in his boxers. He quickly pulled them off and looked down to
see that he had cum in his boxers and could see a small line of semen still
connecting his boxers to his penis. He rubbed a bit over the slick head of
his semi-hard cock and held it up to his eyes.


Wow...that was the most amazing wet dream ever.


But then he remembered the other part of the dream, and began to wonder
what it meant. See myself in Elliot...but he's nothing like me, he's so
much better Mason thought to himself privately.

It seemed even more insane to think Elliot would see himself in Mason. Well
it was only a dream, it's probably nothing.


Mason got up and went to his desk. He started up his computer and quickly
checked the time in relative hours. It showed he had been asleep for the
past 10 hours. He then checked and realized they would be at Arc in two
hours.

"Well, I better start getting ready," Mason said aloud as he shut down his
computer.



Crap which drawer is it in...Elliot thought as he frantically searched his
closet for his aiguillette.

He had finished putting on all his formal wear except his aiguillette,
which was something he couldn't go without.

"There it is!" Elliot stated aloud as he finally found the decoration.

He quickly attached it to his uniform and went to his mirror to check
himself over one last time.

The formal outfit looked very similar to a typical captain's or officer's
uniform. The difference being that the jacket had a golden epaulet worn on
the right shoulder blade. This had an aiguillette with two cords running
down from it, one being golden the other red to signify rank.

His boots were a bit more decorated with a buckle running across the bottom
part of them, while his gloves had some embroidery stitching in red running
along fingers. They also didn't wear their collars; instead, on formal
occasions they dressed only in cloaks. Finally, he wore a black combination
cap that featured the ship's crest (a red lightning bolt), which was also
black and red indicating his rank and status as a captain. Aside from those
details, the uniform was the same as his every day uniform. He decided he
would check himself over one last time and was just beginning to straighten
out anything on his uniform not in line.

"You look fine Elliot."

"What! Oh, hey Mason," Elliot replied He looked over to see Mason standing
in the entry way to his closet. He was wearing his formal wear, which
looked exactly the same as Elliot's. The only difference was that his was
all white with a silver and light green cord and silver epaulet. He also
wore a white beret since only the captains wore the combination cap. He had
always looked amazing in his formal wear, and it took every ounce of
Elliot's will to not attack him with his lips.

"So how long have you been standing there?" Elliot asked curiously.

"Long enough to see you being OCD about your uniform like always," Mason
said with a snicker.

He walked into the closet with Elliot and stood next to him. He only came
up to just below his chin.

"Well this is an important event. Dad wants to get funding to expand the
colonies in sector NKW."

"Why there?"

"They found huge titanium deposits in the sector."

"I'm guessing that's why he wants me to get that new hyper jump ready?"

"Probably, it'd take way too long to be economical otherwise," Elliot
commented.

The two sat in front of the mirror for a moment simply looking each other
over, neither knowing what the other was doing. Elliot looked and saw that
his aiguillette was tangled a little. Just as he was about to adjust it,
Mason reached out and brushed his hand aside.

"Here I've got it," Mason said.

He quickly untangled the aiguillette and started checking Elliot over to
make sure everything else was in line. Elliot enjoyed the attention from
Mason, and welcomed his touch and the adjustments he made to his
uniform. Mason finally stood back and looked him over one last time,
nodding, satisfied with his work.

"You look great," Mason said with a smile.

"Thanks, but here, your beret needs to be moved," Elliot said as he
motioned Mason over to him.

Mason stood in front of Elliot as Elliot corrected his beret. He also
adjusted a few other things on Mason's uniform and, when he was finally
satisfied, he wrapped his right hand around him and pulled him back into an
embrace. Mason didn't move, but instead responded by leaning further into
Elliot's embrace.

"Elliot," Mason whispered quietly "Hmm?"

"I'm really nervous."

"And why's that?" Elliot asked calmly "These are some really rich and
powerful people. I'm just...well dude, I'm from Neisk, anyone can see that,
so it's pretty obvious that I'm not exactly 'high class' material."

Elliot pulled Mason in just a bit tighter and took his right hand and began
to run it softly through Mason's hair. He could feel Mason relaxing in his
arms.

"I honestly don't think they care. You've already made huge strides for the
company, and you will definitely help once you have the new hyper drive
down. All they care about in the end is what can help the company the most,
and you are definitely an important asset," Elliot said, trying his best to
reassure Mason.

Mason suddenly tensed just a bit. Elliot sensed this and immediately asked
him what was wrong.

"Well...am I just another asset? I mean do you think that's how they are
going to see me?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, yea maybe I've done some important work for the company, but its
people who make up the company, and people judge."

"Mason..."

"And let's be honest, you're use to this. You know what to do, but I don't
know the upscale lifestyle like you do. The only reason I have any grasp of
it is because of you, Elliot," Mason said as he turned around to face
Elliot.

"Mason," Elliot interjected, cutting off Mason's rant.

"I promise you, you will do just fine, and besides I'll be there to help
you out however you need," Elliot said reassuringly.

A small smile appeared on Mason's face, and again he seemed to relax just a
bit.

"Thanks Elliot."



Elliot and Mason stood in the ship bay and could clearly see the planet
beneath through the force field that both kept in the oxygen and prevented
unauthorized ships from entering the bay. There were other smaller ships in
the bay, including a small fighter fleet. Their ship was silver, long and
narrow, with wings that were triangular but curved back so the tips went
beyond the end of the ship's body. It was a small two engine executive ship
designed for travel on a planet, or from the ship down to a planet's
surface and vice versa.

"Captain Rykov, I've engaged the ship's stationary position above Arc, you
may now proceed to the station."

With that Mason and Elliot boarded the ship. The inside was luxurious, with
the seats and paneling made of very fine woods and leathers. It was clearly
designed to impress, and it certainly did the job.

The two heard the engines start up and felt the ship begin to levitate
above the bay floor. It then moved forward and left the safety of the force
field as it began its departure to the station. They looked out the windows
and watched as the Kosmicheskiye molnii's exterior zipped pass them.

The ship began to speed up and soon they were racing towards the station,
which took them a few minutes to reach. The ship went into a temporary
holding pattern as they waited for a dock to open up.

The space station's official name was Arc Horizon, being that it orbited
Arc, and the developers thought it would be clever to use horizon in the
name since it was technically always seeing Arc's horizon. The station was
very large and cylindrical with a vast glass dome at the very top that
served as the formal dining hall where the reception was being held at. The
bottom part of the station served for hotel spaces, some docking bays, and
a mall. It catered to the rich and powerful since nothing there was cheap,
and Arc was notoriously known for being one of the most expensive places to
even set foot on. Elliot knew the place well, yet it was only the first
time Mason had even been in orbit around the planet.

"Captain Rykov and Officer Siekstill, we will be arriving in 3 minutes to
Arc Horizon. I've alerted Mr. Rykov to our arrival and the dock number,"
the captain said over the speaker.

"So is there really a giant waterfall in it?" Mason asked wide eyed "Well,
it's not really giant, but it does go down a few stories in the mall,"
Elliot replied nonchalantly "Wow...I've never actually be somewhere this
nice."

"Really? I thought your uncle on earth was rich?"

"Yea, but he never took me anywhere nice. He was kind of a cheapskate,"
Mason replied, a bit downtrodden.

"Well, I'll make sure you have a good time here," Elliot said, lightly
patting Mason on the back.

"Are you sure I'll fit in dude?" Mason asked "Mason, you're best friends
with the son of one of the most powerful people in the universe, and that
same man considers you his second son because you and I are so
close. You're going to fit in just fine, just calm down, ok?" Elliot said
with a bright smile.

Mason studied him for a moment and let his words soak in. It was true that
Yuri treated Mason as, and in several cases called him, his second
son. Plus, he had Elliot as a best friend. He decided it wouldn't be a huge
issue after all.

"Ok," Mason replied.

Then the two heard the engines throttle and saw the bay walls appear as the
ship entered one of the Arc horizon's many docking bays. The ship then sank
to the ground slowly and they felt a slight bump as it hit the bay's
deck. The main exit for the craft opened and the two walked out onto the
bay floor.

Standing near the bay door entrance were several men. The one in the front
of the group was Yuri Rykov. He stood at 2 meters high, with a slim
build. He had blonde hair in the style of a buzz cut and dark blue
eyes. His face was more masculine in its features, with a well-defined chin
and a more square face. He also had a jar shaped head.

"Elliot, I'm so glad you made it here safely," Yuri said. He had a fairly
strong accent He walked up to his son and took him into a short embrace as
he patted him on the back a few times and continued his conversation.

"Thank you for inviting me father," Elliot said.

"But of course, you're the pilot of our flagship and my son. AH...Mason
it's great to see you as well son," Yuri said as he walked up and took
Mason into an embrace as well.

"It's great to see you as well Mr. Rykov," Mason replied.

"So Elliot, I'm sure you know the importance of this banquet. And Mason, I
can assume that Elliot told you?"

"Because of the titanium deposits in sector NKW?"

"Well that's part of the reason; the other part is because we just started
a new quarter. So I need to make sure that the investors feel the company
is showing continuous amounts of expansion and turning out a high profit."

"Wait Mr. Rykov, one thing, I thought RJSC didn't do mining?"

"Ahhh yes your correct we don't. But we own all of the space where the
deposits are located. So if they want to mine there, they will have to
purchase mining rights from us. That also means they will have to use our
shipping lanes and our hyper drives and our protection."

"Dad, are you sure they'd be ok signing a contract like that? Can't they
just mine somewhere else?"

"They could, but they won't ever find ore this pure or in an amount this
large," Mr. Rykov said in mischievous tone.

"Is it really that much and that pure?" Mason asked, somewhat in disbelief
that it was so large a deposit.

"I can't tell you exactly yet, but we know for fact that two of the planets
are 90% composed of titanium ore, and we're expecting another eight to show
similar results," Mr. Rykov said with a knowing smile.

"Whoa..." both boys said at the same time, wide eyed.

Suddenly, one of the guards walked up beside Mr. Rykov and whispered
something in his ear.

"Yes, just give me a moment. Ok, well boys I must be off to greet some
other guests. Elliot you know the drill, Mason just take his lead. Oh...I
almost forgot, Mason do you have the files I requested?" Mr. Rykov asked.

Mason handed over a briefcase to Mr. Rykov that had the official 'RJSC'
logo written in white on the side.

"Here you go," Mason said.

"Excellent, thank you Mason. So the official social gathering won't start
for another hour so feel free to check out the mall. Mason, you like the
brand GoldWing right?"

"Yea it's my favorite brand!" Mason said with excitement.

"Well they have an outlet store in the mall, so if you and Elliot want to
you can go grab some clothes or electronics or whatever you feel like
purchasing. Just don't eat anything; we have a large dinner planned for
tonight."

"We won't," the boys said in unison.

Mr. Rykov chuckled a bit at the near perfect unison of their voices. It was
something they did a lot when they were younger, and would occasionally do
even now.

"Ok, well I'm off to greet the other VIP's. Have a great time, and make me
proud," Mr. Rykov said as he walked off to the exit.



"So, what was in the brief case anyway?" Elliot asked.

Elliot and Mason were standing in the elevator alone as it ascended to the
mall above the bay area.

"Just results from recent tests on the new flux device. It basically
provides an estimate on when I can have a working prototype ready for the
new hyper drive."

"He really is putting a lot into those deposits," Elliot said, surprised at
how much his father was betting on this venture.

"Well, if it's as big as he says it is I wouldn't be surprised," Mason
replied.

"Yea that's true," Elliot said just as the elevator doors opened.

The two walked out into the main square of the mall. Mason was immediately
in awe. It was a massive circular room, five stories tall with a giant
chandelier at the top, and, as Elliot had clarified, a waterfall running
from the top floor down to the bottom. There were various stores, most
being high end outlet brands. Elliot, however, had seen it multiple times,
but he waited patiently for Mason to take it all in. He remembered how he
was in awe the first time he saw it.

"So, how about we get you some clothes?" Elliot asked.

"Yea!" Mason replied as he quickly ran past Elliot to the elevator.

The two got in and quickly went to the GoldWing outlet to let Mason browse
through the store.

"So what do you think you want to get?"

"I'm not sure, whatever I can afford, and I don't think that will be much,"
Mason said in disappointment.

"Well, I'll pay for it then," Elliot replied.

"Dude, don't. It's your money, don't waste it on me," Mason said.

Elliot moved closer to Mason and stood directly behind him.

"It wouldn't be a waste, it would be my pleasure," Elliot said quietly as
he put his right hand lightly on Mason's shoulder.

Mason relaxed a bit and let out a small sigh. He loved hearing Elliot tell
him things like that, and he knew how special it made him feel. He just
wished he could say the same things back, but he knew better.

"Well, if you're sure, but I'll make sure I don't spend too much," Mason
replied.

"Mason, don't worry about the price. I honestly could buy you the whole
store if you wanted."

Mason turned around with a mischievous smile on his face as he tilted his
head upwards so he could lock eyes with Elliot.

"Well if you're broke by the end of this, don't blame me!" Mason said with
a snicker.

"I doubt you could do that at this one store," Elliot replied in a humorous
tone.

Elliot started to walk off and was looking at some of the jackets on a
nearby hanger that he thought would look good on Mason. Most of the
clothing was darker with tribal styled graphic prints. It looked a lot like
skater gear mixed a bit with punk rock.

"Are you really sure about not worrying about the price tag?" Mason asked
from behind Elliot.

"I'm totally sure," Elliot replied as he eyed a particular jacket.

Suddenly a pair of jeans was floating in front of him, held up by a beaming
Mason. He grabbed the tag and pointed to the price. It read as 200 credits.

"Are you completely sure?" Mason said playfully.

"You'd have to buy a few thousand of those before you make me broke,"
Elliot said as he turned around to face Mason.

Mason suddenly went wide-eyed. His face was a mixture of shock and awe.

"Seriously?"

"Well, I'm not exactly sure but somewhere in the tens of thousands."

"Whoa...." Mason replied.

He knew Elliot's family was extremely wealthy, but he didn't know Elliot
was personally that rich. He assumed that he just got all his money from
his dad, but then again he forgot that first rank captains of class seven
ships received a pretty high salary. It made sense, and in all honesty his
family could buy out the whole space station if they wanted to.

"How about you try this on? I think you would look good in it," Elliot said
holding out a jacket.

It was black and made out of leather like material and had epaulets on the
shoulder blades. It had a small silver chain that ran from the right
shoulder blade down to the center of the chest. The buttons were black and
metallic.

Mason went into the changing room and came out with the jacket on over his
white undershirt.

"How do I look?"

Though the jacket clashed with his white bottoms, he looked insanely
hot. His effeminate features coupled with the darker and much more
masculine jacket made Mason look incredible.

The attitude of the jacket and Mason's looks meshed so well, it required
every ounce of Elliot's strength to hold himself back from barraging Mason
with his body right then and there.

"I'm buying you that jacket for sure," Elliot said with a hint of lust in
his voice.

"Does it look that good on me?" Mason asked laughing a bit.

"Yes it does," Elliot replied seriously but with a smile.

Mason's smile softened as he locked eyes with Elliot.

"Well I'm glad you like it so much," Mason said as he walked back into the
changing room.

The rest of the shopping trip consisted of Elliot making suggestions for
jackets, shirts, pants, shoes, and anything else he thought would look good
on Mason. Mason gladly went along, taking in every bit of attention along
the way. He loved how special Elliot made him feel, and he didn't mind the
admiration at all. By the end of the trip they had managed to blow through
a whopping 8,467 credits. Mason had insisted they return some of the items,
but Elliot refused.


Besides, it's my eye candy, Elliot thought as he swiped the card and paid
for the clothing.



Elliot and Mason waited in the elevator as it ascended to the formal dining
hall. There was a reception in a large lounge area before the dinner
began. Elliot leaned against the rail with Mason, but it was clear how
nervous he was.

"Mason, you really need to try and calm down," Elliot said kindly as he
reached out his hand to rub lightly over Mason's shoulder.

"I know, but this is the first time I've met anyone who's upper class
besides you and your dad. I mean, I've heard a few stories back on earth of
how they treat people from Neisk and the other mining colonies..."

"Mason, like I said, you're well connected to my family. That alone will
get you respect from this crowd, but your intelligence and rank at your age
will get you far more than any reputation from my family. I promise you
Mason, you will be fine," Elliot said, trying his best to reassure him.

"Ok, I guess dude," Mason responded, albeit timidly.

The elevator doors finally opened to a grand hall/lounge area. It had very
fine red carpet with marble inlays throughout. The walls were covered in
abstract art and had gold linings on the columns. The ceiling was connected
with the glass dome that went over the rest of the dining hall so it curved
down and over the lounge. The two boys walked out of the elevator and
approached the attendant at the small desk area to check people in.

"Ah Captain Rykov and Officer Siekstill, welcome to the banquet!"

"Thank you," Elliot responded "The dinner will begin in 15 minutes. Feel
free to socialize and enjoy the refreshments we have available."

"We will, thank you very much," Elliot again responded as the two walked
out into the crowd.

They looked around, neither really recognizing anyone, but immediately a
couple approached them. It was an older man, likely in his 50's, with gray
hair and a gray mustache and beard combo. He had on a luxurious looking
suit as well. The women with him had on a sparkling purple dress with a fur
scarf. She had long running silver hair and appeared to be the same age as
the man.

"Ah, you must be Captain Elliot Rykov, am I correct?" the man requested of
Elliot.

"Yes I am sir," Elliot said extending his hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Captain. I am Mr. Gutlev," the man said as he
shook Elliot's hand.

"It's a pleasure," Elliot replied.

"And this is my wife," the man said as he gestured towards the woman who
shook Elliot's hand as well.

"This is Second Officer Mason Siekstill. He is the assistant head of our
hyper jump research,"

Elliot said as Mason shook hands with them both.

"Amazing, you're both very young. Officer Siekstill, may I ask you for your
age"

"Yes sir, I'm currently 15 standard earth years," Mason replied.

"That's incredible, and you're the assistant head of hyper jump research?"
Mr. Gutlev asked in shock and curiosity.

"Yes sir. I finished my schooling at 13, so I'm hoping I can become first
rank officer soon and be the head of our hyper jump research and quantum
mechanics department as well," Mason replied brightly.

"Quite impressive. Where did you receive your schooling?" Ms. Gutlev asked.

"Renald Academy, ma'am," Mason replied.

"That's a very prestigious school. My son is currently in his 10th year
there. So where are you from on earth?" Mr. Gutlev asked.

Mason visibly shook a bit, though only Elliot seemed to notice it. He knew
what would happen after he said where he was from.

"Well, I'm not actually from Earth," Mason said a bit quietly.

"Oh, I'm sorry; you must be from Arc, or maybe somewhere else in sector L?"

"Actually I'm from Neisk," Mason said quietly as he faced downwards.

The two looked at him oddly for a moment, and then began to chuckle a
bit. Mason looked visibly upset and was about to say something when
suddenly Mr. Gutlev continued speaking.

"Ha, Officer Siekstill, please. You don't look it at all, so where are you
really from?" Mr. Gutlev said.

"No, I really am from Neisk," Mason replied, slightly annoyed.

Suddenly, their faces changed to a confused and curious look. Just then a
waiter approached their group and offered them some drinks. The metal pan
reflected some of the extra light off the lights above. It shone upon
Mason's face and illuminated his eyes, showing the tell-tale dark blue
green mixture. Ms. Gutlev gasped a bit and Mr. Gutlev let out small 'oh'.

"I see," Mr. Gutlev said in a tone of aversion.

"I'm sorry, but we must be off to talk some other investors, thank you for
your contributions,"

Ms. Gutlev said as the two quickly walked away.

Mason was visibly distressed and remained staring at the ground. He was
clearly shaken and looked like he may be on the verge of tears. Elliot
reached out and took him into a slight embrace.

"Ignore them Mason. The Gutlev family has always been like that. Trust me,
they just don't understand," Elliot said calmly.

"I just don't think it was a good idea for me to come," Mason said
despondently.

Though he was excited initially, Mason began to think about the
implications of his background at a high class gathering. He knew he had
just as prestigious of an education, just as good if not better
connections, and though he didn't personally have as much wealth, Yuri
considered him a second son, so he had access to that. Yet despite all
this, he knew his birth place was always going to be his Achilles heel. Yet
the implications this fact had went so much deeper than that, and it stung
at his core, his passion.



He whom he desired most.



"It's ok. Just answer the questions for me. I'll just look at the ground,"
Mason said solemnly.

"Mason it's not that..."

Suddenly, the loudspeaker rang out and announced that the formal dinner
would be starting so everyone should begin moving to the formal dining
room. The two boys walked into the dining room and attempted to find their
seat. They couldn't find it at any of the tables until Yuri came up to
them.

"Boys your seats are up front. Here, come," Mr. Rykov ordered.

He led them up to the table at the front. It was a long and rectangular
with a podium in the middle section. They saw their seats were numbers 2
and 3 to the left of the podium, with Mr.

Rykov sitting beside them directly to its left.

They sat down and immediately Elliot caught on to Mason's unusual mood. He
was starring at his plate, avoiding making any form of eye contact with the
crowd. Elliot knew exactly why, but he couldn't make any comments about it
at the time. He would try to talk to Mason afterwards, and hope that things
improved.

Suddenly, a ringing sounded as Mr. Rykov hit his wine glass a few times to
get the crowd's attention. He then stood up and started speaking into the
microphone on the podium.

"Good evening everyone, and thank you for making it," Yuri's voice boomed.

Like his son, his presence in a room was hard to miss, and it was made
especially apparent when he began to speak.

"Before we begin our dinner tonight, I would like to propose a toast, to
yet another successful year and a future with bright expectations," Yuri
said.

Yuri then made the toast with the crowd, joined by Mason and Elliot with
their crystal goblets filled with sparkling water. Then a wave of waiters
ascended upon the dining room and presented the parties with their
dinners. Mason and Elliot each had a lobster and steak combo presented to
them, which they immediately began to devour, but of course using all their
manors.

Elliot took a few moments to look to his left, out of the glass dome. He
could see the Kosmicheskiye molnii in an orbital pattern from afar. It was
a few miles away, but because of its size it was pretty clear. He still
found it to be a beautiful ship, even after spending so much time
commanding it and seeing it. Its sleek nose and wings with the dark grey
color, and the way the command bridge window occupied the front part just
made it look amazing. Yet what he loved most was that one window that gave
him a view of space very few others ever got to see. It was something he
wished to share, in particular share with Mason. Suddenly, Elliot was
pulled out of his trance when his father began to speak.

"I hope you are all enjoying the dinner. I wanted to have a basic
discussion regarding some plans the company has for next year. As many of
you know, I invited my son, Elliot, to bring our flagship the Kosmicheskiye
molnii. If you look to your right you will see it in an orbital pattern,"

Yuri said as he gestured towards the left, causing the crowd to look.

"Now on board this ship we conduct our advanced research, in particular
hyper jump research.

I'm very happy my son invited his friend, second officer first rank Mason
Siekstill, along with him. Mason is the assistant manager of all hyper jump
research and is currently helping develop a new hyper jump drive for the
company. This work shares a causal relationship with our large purchases of
space in sector NKW," Yuri explained.

A majority of the crowed shared the same confused but curious face.

"You see, there are massive titanium deposits in the region. We estimate
they may be not only the largest, but purest in the known universe," Yuri
said with a smile.

The crowed let out a slight gasp, and chatter could be heard amongst the
room as people began to contemplate how this could affect the company, and
particularly how it could increase its value.

"I recently asked Mason about the progress, and he predicts an operating
prototype for the hyper drive will be ready in only five months," Yuri
continued.

"Thank you for your hard work, Mason, and thank you as well Elliot for
commanding Kosmicheskiye molnii and her crew," Yuri said as he began
clapping.

The rest of the crowd followed suit and clapped. Elliot nodded his head,
and so did Mason, but Elliot could not help but notice how Mason kept his
eye level just below the view of the crowd.

It bothered him that he felt so distraught over the Gutlev's comments.

After the crowd ceased its clapping they continued their meal, with Yuri
standing to make occasional comments on various items, like the annual
increase in the company's stock price, fleet expansion, a few new colonies
that had been established, and some other minor news. Yet during all the
comments, Elliot found it hard to keep his mind off of Mason.

"I'm going to the restroom, I'll be back," Mason said to Elliot as he got
up abruptly.

He walked down from the long table towards the side of the dining room to
get to the doorway.

He was stopped several times by people wanting to congratulate him and
thank him for the work, but he only stayed as long as needed and quickly
moved forward.

Elliot continued to sit and eat his food at a slow pace when his father
leaned over and began to speak to him.

"I noticed that Mason is acting odd, is he ok?" Yuri asked his son in
Russian. He wanted to make sure that if he was accidently overheard, that
his language would provide him privacy.

"I don't know" Elliot responded in Russian as well.

"Did something happen?" Yuri asked again in Russian "Something with the
Gutlevs" Elliot replied.

"What was it?" Yuri asked.

"They asked where he was born, and he told them Neisk. They didn't exactly
react well to that,"

Elliot stated in Russian.

Yuri let out a sigh as he placed his hand on his sons shoulder.

"I don't understand" Yuri stated.

"What father?" Elliot asked.

"If he is good at his job, who cares where he's from?" Yuri finally
lamented, in English.

"I bet," Yuri continued, "and I'm serious about this, that he's probably
more intellectually gifted than the majority of people in this room. And
you know how successful these people are Elliot."

This comment coming from his father shocked Elliot. He knew that his father
never said things like that lightly, and he wasn't the type to sugar coat
stuff to make a person feel better. Yuri truly believed that Mason was more
intellectually talented than some of the most successful people in the
universe, and that alone was a huge compliment.

"Father..." Elliot stated in awe.

"I remember watching him since he first befriended you. Yet I'll never
forget when he was only 11 years old. He had come over to visit you, but
you were at training so I invited him to wait inside until you returned. He
was browsing through our library and I had walked in to ask him if he
wanted a snack while he waited," Yuri said, a smile forming on his face.

"And guess what? I found him reading my book on the application of
gravitational potential to hyper drive technology. I asked him what he
thought, and I swear he said 'they got the example wrong' and he was
right," Yuri said breaking out into a hearty laugh.

"Can you believe that? An 11 year old, finding a math error in a book like
that? I called the publisher, and believe it or not they fixed it under his
recommendation. I always knew Mason was extremely gifted, that's exactly
why I paid for his schooling. As he gets older and matures more, he has the
potential to make huge contributions to his field, if not change it
entirely" Yuri paused and sighed.

"He just needs to realize that himself. Unfortunately, Mason focuses way
too much on what others will think because he was born poor on a backwater
planet. Tell me Elliot, was Tesla born in a prestigious section of some
large city? Was Cherenkov born in a prestigious section of another large
city? Neither was! Tesla was born in the village of Smiljan, and helped
design the AC current electric system. Cherenkov was born in the village of
Novaya Chigla and ended up winning a Nobel Prize in physics. I honestly
believe Mason will become one of the greatest contributors to the field of
hyper drive technology and quantum physics in this era, and I mean this
with full sincerity," Yuri said with a hint of pride.

Elliot simply stared, amazed that his father would speak such words. He had
always known Mason was intelligent, but he never knew of that particular
example. It was no wonder his father had such a strong belief in Masons'
future success.

"By the way, where did he go?" Yuri asked in sudden curiosity.

"He said he had to go to the bathroom."

"That was a while ago," Yuri said with a hint of concern.

Elliot picked up on the cue.

"I'll go and see how he is," Elliot said as he got up from the table.

Yuri gave him a nod. With that, Elliot walked down from the long table to
the side of the dining room and towards the side hall exit. He quickly went
to the men's restroom but he noticed, as he suspected, that Mason wasn't
there. He looked around the hallway a bit but his search came to no avail.


Where could he have gone, Elliot thought as he tried to call Mason.


He dialed the phone and waited anxiously as the phone rang out. Suddenly,
he heard a click that he assumed was Mason picking up.

"Mason..."

"Hey, this is Mason; I'm not able to answer right now but..." Elliot hung
up. He knew Mason had seen his number on the dialer and purposely sent it
to voice mail.


Dude where r u?

Elliot sent the text, but doubted he would get a response. He just wanted
to make sure Mason was ok. He continued to comb the hallways, attempting in
vain to discover where his young companion had disappeared.

Finally, he came to the observational deck. It was a long dark corridor
that allowed guests the ability to see off into space and watch the stars
go by if they wished. The room was empty at the moment since the entire
upper deck had been reserved for the party. Elliot walked in and
immediately could hear the noise of someone crying lightly. The echo of the
sobbing rang out easily since the hall reverberated sound perfectly.

The entire hall was lit solely by starlight and light reflected off Arc. It
gave the space an almost dream-like feel as the stars illuminated the large
black vista through the tall windows. As Elliot walked further down he
could see a person sitting on one of the benches, curled up into a ball.

He immediately recognized the white uniform and beret.

"Mason," he quietly called out.

Immediately Mason moved his head to lock eyes with Elliot. Even in the
darkness it was clear that his face was covered in sweat and tears and his
hair was mussed up. Elliot began to approach Mason, who stood up and
started wiping off his face.

"Elliot, don't worry I just had..." but before Mason could continue Elliot
had taken him into a tight embrace.

He had one arm wrapped around Mason and the other one lightly pressing his
head into his chest.

Mason shivered a bit but immediately relaxed in Elliot's embrace.

"Why are you crying?" Elliot asked, but he had a feeling he already knew.

"I just...well I know I'm just not able to compare," Mason said in a
crushed tone.

"Mason, they have no right to judge you for being born on Neisk," Elliot
said.

He lightly moved his hand from behind Mason's head and placed it under his
chin. He moved his head back a bit so they were now looking eye to eye.

"Earth, Arc, Neisk, or any other planet, it doesn't matter. In the end it's
your abilities and person that will get you places, and trust me you have
plenty of both," Elliot said reassuringly.

"I'm not sure dude...look at what Gutlev did once he knew where I was
from!"

"Fuck Gutlev! I already said, his family consists of pompous assholes,"
Elliot said in a slightly angry tone, not at Mason, but at Gutlev.

Mason was a bit shocked at Elliot's language, since he rarely swore, mainly
because he usually had his emotions in check.

"Mason, Dad said it himself: 'Mason will become one of the greatest people
in the field of hyper drive technology and quantum mechanics in this era.'
He really believes in you, and that's an achievement on its own, dude. He
rarely says things even remotely close to that. Just trust me, you're going
to do fine," Elliot said with a smile as he patted Mason on the shoulder.

Yet despite these comforting words, Mason's mood didn't seem to have
changed. He still appeared pretty upset, and Elliot now only felt further
confused.

"I'm really happy your dad said that, and it's flattering, but that's not
it," Mason said, in a tone that could only be described as desperate.

"What is it then?"

"I wish I could tell you," Mason replied in a whisper "Why don't you tell
me then?"

"Because I'm not ready for the answer yet, and I don't know if anyone else
is either," Mason finally said, making sure to make eye contact with
Elliot.

Elliot, despite the darkness of their surroundings, could see clearly
Mason. The starlight continued to illuminate the green and dark blue of his
eyes, but within those eyes he found a swirl of emotions that he was
desperately trying to decipher. It was a mix of fear, longing, hope,
desperation, and so many other feelings. Yet one stood out the most, but he
couldn't figure it out.

"I think we need to get back to the dinner," Mason said as he walked past
Elliot and began to head to the exit.

The starlight illuminated his white uniform and gave it a slight glow. The
slick black floor reflected the stars and made it look as if Mason were
walking through space.


As if he were my space angel, but when he cries it rains, Elliot thought.


He quickly walked up to Mason and from behind took him in one last tight
embrace. Mason held onto Elliot's hands. He yet again relaxed in his
embrace and Elliot sensed that Mason was at ease just by being held. He
leaned down until he was able to begin whispering into Mason's ear.

"Well when you're ready to tell me, I'm always going to be here for you,"
Elliot quietly said.

Mason let out a light sigh, as if he was internally debating divulging what
he longed to say.

"Ok, I'll tell you one day," Mason replied.

Elliot was a bit disappointed but he didn't want to push Mason any further,
since he was already emotionally unstable as it was.

"Ok, let's head back for the closing reception," Elliot said as he began to
walk with Mason towards the exit.

He wrapped his hand around his shoulder and began to walk down the corridor
with him as he looked over one last time to see Mason illuminated by the
starlight. The unearthly glow was so perfect on him, it looked so natural.
His olive skin was illuminated by bans of light and his eyes glowed in the
shadow of the stars. He looked up at Elliot and smiled. It was perfect.

"Thanks Elliot," Mason said quietly.

"You're welcome, Mason."


Authors Note: Hey everyone, ok so sorry this part took so long to produce.
Being a freshman in college, time has become very scarce now, and I ran
into a few problems a few weeks ago so I wasn't able to finish the part on
my planned date. Well anyway here it is, so what do you think?  What's up
with Mason? What does it have to do with Elliot (hint)? So any questions,
comments, concerns? Send them my way at EFoster447@yahoo.com I always enjoy
getting mail about my stories, so if you feel this one deserves it, drop me
a line or two, or whatever length you feel is appropriate. Also if you
liked this story please look my others stories 'In Time Series' and
'Restart' in the gay, young friends on nifty.org. I have to thank my editor
Mike Archer for making sure this part was free (mostly) of grammatical
errors, and other mistakes.


Also this is the second to last part. Part three will be the last. I have
had some requests to make it a series, which I'm thinking about doing but
I'm not sure, so I want some more feedback on that one. Do you think it
would be an interesting series you would want to read if I made it into
one?  I'm thinking that if I were to do that I would pick back up on it
once I wrap up my other series 'In time'. Anyway let me know on that one
and I hope you all enjoyed reading this, and will continue to enjoy it as
the last (possibly) part comes out.