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In Jayce’s dark and ambient blue bedroom, the beginning of Bee Movie plays on his screen. Jayce has wrapped an arm around Viktor’s waist and Viktor is settled into his side. The storm sounds already feel quieter, less imposing, in the cozy space they’ve created here together.
Jayce is holding his tablet against his thighs and is using his free hand to type their notes for the log. Another one of the louder thunder strikes sounds outside, and Jayce releases some comfort into the connection. Cheek pressed against Jayce’s chest, Viktor barely even flinches this time, though his body is still slightly trembling against him.
The bee on the screen is selecting sweaters from his closet.
"Yellow, black. Yellow, black. Yellow, black. Yellow, black. Ooh, black and yellow! Yeah, let's shake it up a little."
Viktor lets out a little laugh. The sound makes Jayce break out in a smile.
VIKTOR: Jayce, the bees put little sweaters on over their stripes, but the sweaters also have little stripes!
JAYCE: Ok, little… sweaters… what are they made out of?
VIKTOR: Hmm, it does not say. Put “Material unknown.”
JAYCE: Right, ok.
JAYCE: Why is the bee concerned about picking a lifelong job? I’ve known I wanted to work with geology my entire life!
VIKTOR: Right, after that abduction dream.
JAYCE: It wasn’t a dream! I woke up HOLDING THE CRYSTAL the wizard gave me. That’s how I knew they had power we could harness.
VIKTOR: Yes, one of the ones that grow abundantly on our planet. I remember. What again was it about him that signified he was a wizard and not an elaborate hallucination?
JAYCE: The mysterious hooded cloak, V. And he had a staff. He teleported us!
VIKTOR: Yes, to your bed. Very convenient. You’re missing the movie Jayce. They just showed the different jobs that bees can have. Did you write that down?
JAYCE: Shit! No. Can you replay it?
VIKTOR: Ok, hand me the remote.
JAYCE: Ok, ok… got them all. I don’t think you’ve ever told me. When did you know you wanted to be a biologist, V?
VIKTOR: Oh, my uh… as long as I can remember.
Viktor's hand absent-mindedly rubs over his leg. Bringing up his issues with his body tends to be a heavy conversation when Jayce is involved. It’s not something he wants to discuss right now, here in the warmth and comfort of his bed.
VIKTOR: Look, Jayce. It seems like the bees that leave the hive have the most sought-after job
JAYCE: Oh, right uh. Writing that down.
JAYCE: It’s kinda like how we get to leave the station to explore other planets.
VIKTOR: Jayce, you’re right. We have the most popular bee job. No wonder the others were always asking to court you. (Viktor grumbles, eyes turned to the side, watching their little robot finish his job and crookedly wheel its way out of the room.)
JAYCE: You got several courting offers too! (And his heart sank every time.)
VIKTOR: I did. Obviously, our work is the most important thing though. I could not imagine having a family when my passion was, eh… elsewhere.
JAYCE: Right, that’s what I always told them too. I guess it’s lucky we were so dedicated. We would have… left that family behind forever during this mission.
VIKTOR: That is true. Oh Jayce, they’re pollinating the flowers.
JAYCE: More pollen, more flowers, more nectar, more honey, got it. It seems like these bees are very similar to the ones on Xax–
VIKTOR: Jayce! The bee is in danger!
JAYCE: You don’t need to shake me, I can see it too.
VIKTOR: Sorry, yes. I was worried for the bee. It does seem similar. A lot of biological things stay constant even across the great vastness of the universe, like pollen and flowers.
VIKTOR: I don’t think this planet seems to appreciate their bees as much as we do, though. The earth seems like a very dangerous place for bees.
JAYCE: Is it the earth, or the humans?
VIKTOR: Well, it seems mostly humans, which makes sense. We have not yet encountered a friendly human on this planet. But also the weather, see how he can’t fly in the rain?
JAYCE: Aww, the bee is scared of the rain too.
VIKTOR: I’m not scared of the rain! It’s not even acid on this planet. It’s just the eh… accompanying electromagnetic activity.
JAYCE: I’m sorry V. Don’t scoot away. Come back. I was being playful.
VIKTOR: It’s not as if I can get very far when you keep strong arming me.
JAYCE: Look, V. The bee found a friendly human.
VIKTOR: I hope we encounter some of those in our universe and not just in the multiverse.
JAYCE: As long as we use our Hextech and your powers, they will just think we are one of them.
VIKTOR: And if they find out… We could end up back in that facility.
JAYCE: Or they could just be scared of us, like the nice human is scared of the bee now.
VIKTOR: Oh! I was told about this. She is scared because the bee can talk to her. Humans cannot typically speak to any other species.
JAYCE: What?! Even ones on their own planet?
VIKTOR: Correct!
JAYCE: So, is this movie not accurate?
VIKTOR: The bee said they have a law not to talk to humans. And in this, the bee is not trained for outside missions, so he made a choice to break the law.
JAYCE: I don’t blame them for not talking to humans after what we’ve seen. This human seems to be taking it well after the initial shock, though.
VIKTOR: She is. She’s making the bee coffee. Hmm, coffee on this planet is brown. It does not look appetizing.
JAYCE: Remember when that human offered to take me out to coffee? You said that was code for abduction. Maybe she is dangerous after all.
VIKTOR: I think this one is, eh… just wanting to get to know the bee.
JAYCE: Is it because he has no pants? That’s even less coverage than my jogging shorts.
VIKTOR: No, I think… the woman likes the bee, Jayce.
JAYCE: So coffee is code for liking someone…
VIKTOR: Sometimes, maybe? It depends on the context. Don’t accept coffee offers from people online, though.
JAYCE: Ok, I’m putting this in my personal notes… as a reminder.
VIKTOR: Right, you do that. I'll be sure to review it later for any errors.
The two of them make solid eye contact for a few seconds before bursting into laughter. Jayce wipes a tear from the corner of his eye, the sound of Viktor's laughter making him feel lighter than air.
JAYCE: Would you go out for coffee with me?
VIKTOR: WHA—
JAYCE: OH, LIKE! CAUSE I’M CURIOUS NOW! HOW DOES IT DIFFER FROM COFFEE ON OUR PLANET? OR UH, I DON’T KNOW. THE BEE IS MAKING IT LOOK TASTY.
VIKTOR: Calm down, Jayce. We can get earth coffee as soon as my brace is finished. I don’t believe I’d make it into town without it.
JAYCE: Ha, alright awesome! I mean yes, right. We should check on the 3D print job after this.
VIKTOR: Hmm sure, you’re staring. Pay attention to the screen. The bee just told his friend about meeting a human.
JAYCE: Yes, sorry! What did he say?
VIKTOR: Apparently it would be more acceptable if she was a spider.
JAYCE: Hmm, Jaybug... what kind of bug is he again?
VIKTOR: Oh, a type of wasp I believe.
JAYCE: And the bee he is mated with is a uh...
VIKTOR: It's, ah… yes, a Viktor.
JAYCE: Ah, -cough- that seems to be a common trend in the multiverse
VIKTOR: I have observed as such, yes.
JAYCE: I wonder if ah… w—
VIKTOR: The bee’s parents are pressuring him to get a job, Jayce. I believe work is intrinsic to their culture at this point. Definitely write that down.
JAYCE: Yeah, he uh, looks like a real slacker in that honey pool. You don’t have to push against my cheek like that. I know where to look to see the TV.
VIKTOR: I’m starting to think you don’t.
JAYCE: We shouldn’t need to get Earth jobs, should we, V?
VIKTOR: Hmm? No, the ship has enough resources to sustain the 2 of us for over 1,000 Earth years. After that point, maybe? If we had the core in the cruiser, that would easily be another 1,000, but it’s gone now.
JAYCE: I wonder what it would be like. It could be fun. At the very least, informative. The human in this movie is making the florist job sound interesting.
VIKTOR: Too much flora affects my olfactory passages. I would rather do something relaxing indoors.
JAYCE: The bee and the human just went indoors. Some kind of market, like the convenience shop where Doug works, but larger. You could have a human job like that.
VIKTOR: I am NOT working with Doug
JAYCE: Woah, that was a bit… you haven’t even met him yet. Are you upset?
VIKTOR: I am not, but this bee is. Jayce, please note that the bees of this planet think the humans harvesting honey is theft. If we want to make friends with them, we should not do that.
JAYCE: Oh ok, oh wow, the bee is attacking the worker!
VIKTOR: What does he hope to accomplish? He is so small.
JAYCE: Well, this is an injustice. He is trying to help his uh… beeple.
VIKTOR: If he had just gotten a job, he wouldn’t even know about this.
JAYCE: But he wasn't happy.
VIKTOR: How is this better? He wouldn’t be in danger!
JAYCE: That’s just it though. I think the bee society wants to keep its workers in line, keep them from questioning their world around them by keeping them busy, working them until they die and selling it as a dream to make them think they’re happy. Then the ones at the top can keep doing anything they want and no one does anything about it.
VIKTOR: Oh, Jayce, are you…
JAYCE: I’m going to go replicate us some food. I’ll be right back. Take the tablet, keep taking notes.
VIKTOR: Alright…
Jayce hands the tablet over and pulls himself away from the warmth and comfort of his bed and Viktor. He quickly retreats into the hallway, feeling frustration bubbling up in his chest, tightening behind his ribs. Going straight to the food replicator, he begins typing in the code for Viktor's favorite Zaunite stew. It’s something that always relaxes him when he’s upset. Jayce has memorized the code for it after all these years. He doesn’t even need to check the catalogue.
Didn’t realize a movie about bees could get me this upset. Jayce sighs, clenching and unclenching his fists as the whir of the replicator starts up. Viktor almost died, dad DID and protocol would have had us continuing on like nothing happened. We should have left. Hell, Xe wanted to, we were SUPPOSED to, but how could I? I’m not a cog in a machine. I’m not going to follow just any orders.
Follow the book, they tell us, there will be consequences if you don’t. I know how I was raised, though. Dad told me to take care of the crew. He would have done the same, I know it. Mom would be proud.
Fuck, I wish I could see her. Even just hearing her voice… She must be a worried mess.
The replicator beeps, signaling that Viktor’s meal is done. He pulls it out and then starts typing the code for the soup Viktor initially brought him. Groaning, he presses his forehead to the glass, watching the lights and tray spinning as the food slowly begins to materialize.
They're not going to take this lying down. They're going to come for us. It's not a matter of “if” but “when.”
I have to be ready. I have to protect Viktor.
Once the two meals are finished, Jayce returns to his room with the food. The movie is still quietly playing, but Viktor doesn’t acknowledge his arrival.
JAYCE: Viktor?
JAYCE: Oh, he’s asleep… in my bed. I must have been brooding for a while.
JAYCE: Dammit. He’s so cute. (Sits on the edge of the bed and sets the bowls down on the table.)
JAYCE: You know I would do anything for you right? (Brushes some of Viktor’s hair off his forehead.)
JAYCE: I don’t care what the association reports to the council. I don’t care what they do to me or what any of them even think of me anymore. I will always keep you safe.
Jayce bends down and breathes in Viktor's hair and sighs before pulling the covers up higher. Viktor’s content xomega pheromones are so sweet and pleasant, but Jayce knows he shouldn’t linger for too long breathing them in.
JAYCE: There, that should keep you warm enough.
JAYCE: I need to go check on your brace. Have a good nap, my star. (Turns off the movie and leaves the room.)