Steve despises being touched in that hole where he grew up; allowing someone to touch him meant allowing himself to be hurt. And Steve hates pain more than anything in the world. He endured it for a long time simply because he was weak. But one day, he realized he couldn't take it anymore, that he'd rather die than let someone hurt him again. Steve clenches his fists in fights, he has sharp teeth and claws capable of breaking bones and tearing flesh. The fact that he ended up here, in this place, was a fatal mistake. Steve is in the past, but the one who caught him is in the present. A guy from the slums won't tolerate captivity. He'll kill his captor and escape. But first, he needs to figure out how to do it.
Gaspar watches the young man through a one-way mirror. He feels both curious and awkward. Awkward because the one behind the glass is also a human. You can't keep him captive and watch him like an animal. Even if he's different from Gaspar. Those born after the catastrophe inevitably had to mutate to adapt to new conditions. Gaspar never thought he would witness the evolution of humanity with his own eyes. But it happened. Right in front of him is Homo Sobrevivente, or the Surviving Human. And Gaspar is both saddened and joyful. Despite everything, humanity did not go extinct. Even after the war and the nuclear catastrophe.
Steve detects a strange and unfamiliar smell with his sensitive nose. He has never smelled anything like it before. Nevertheless, the scent makes Steve salivate abundantly, and his stomach tightens with hunger. His captor offers him a container with something soft and warm, resembling entrails. Steve doesn't trust him, but he accepts the food because he's hungry. He dips his hand into the container, scoops up a handful of whatever it is, and puts it into his mouth. The captor reaches out to him, but Steve immediately overturns the bowl and pulls back, baring his teeth. Did this stranger think he could easily deceive him? Steve stares him down. In the wild sanity, a strange thought emerges that they are even somewhat alike.
This is the first time Gaspar has decided to take someone from the slums onto the ship.
Since he returned to Earth, he has been studying climate and soil changes, exploring the mutated plant and animal world. Initially, he did all this just to keep from going insane. In his childhood, he read science fiction novels, but he never thought he would become the one who survived the apocalypse. He was always quite ordinary, and even joining NASA did not bring success in life. A long and risky mission to the orbital station was supposed to fix everything. Could he have imagined he would have to spend so much time in space? And he could never have imagined that, upon returning, he would be trying to establish contact with a new type of human.
Steve takes some time to get used to sleeping in this place. It's too warm and quiet. And everything is very bright and smooth. Steve likes smooth surfaces. He can spend hours exploring his cabin by touch. When Steve thinks that all this was created by his captor, he feels both fear and admiration for him. Steve would like to create something too. But he only knows how to break things. Today, for example, he accidentally broke the bowl the stranger brought him food in. It wasn't intentional; Steve was just scared.
"Gaspar," the stranger says, pointing to himself. "And who are you?"
"Steve," he replies after a very long pause.
The stranger bares his teeth, not menacingly, but somehow differently, and then extends his hand to Steve. He sniffs, then looks at the palm. Steve has never seen such light and clean hands on people. He stretches out his rough, calloused palm and touches the stranger's hand with the tip of his finger. The sensation of softness and smoothness takes Steve's breath away. He backs away, frightened by his own reaction, and on the way, knocks over the bowl again.
Steve is perplexed and doesn't know what to do. As far as he can remember, he learned to survive and defend himself. But it seems that this skill is not needed for life in this place. Gaspar realizes that his body is not eternal. He has already managed to deceive time in space. Unlike Steve, he has no resistance to radiation. Therefore, while he's alive, he must pass on his knowledge to someone. The most obvious candidate he sees is Steve. He observed many people from a distance, but it was only in this guy that he saw the necessary desire to learn something new. Gaspar is only saddened by the fact that he can't gain enough trust from Steve. And without it, trying to teach someone is simply impossible. Gaspar tries to be kinder and more affectionate with him, but he obviously knows too little about the new people.
Steve would have lied if he said he didn't like his new life. He no longer has to search for a dry corner to sleep every day, no more fighting with fellow survivors for food. He's even started gaining a bit of weight. Gaspar comes to him every day, feeds him, and tells him about his travels. Much remains unclear to Steve, but he still enjoys listening and watching Gaspar. Sometimes, Gaspar even allows him to touch: hold hands or feel his smooth face. In those moments, Steve experiences a special excitement. Women never attracted him, but, as he thinks, most men feel this way towards them. If he were among his own kind, he might be anxious. But now, he's only concerned about Gaspar's opinion on the matter.
Sometimes, Gaspar feels that Steve has a sexual interest in him. On one hand, it pleases him, as he managed to overcome the barrier of distrust. On the other hand, Gaspar is unsure about the ethics of the situation. Steve is a different kind of person. Gaspar lacks sufficient competence to judge his intelligence, but Steve often behaves immaturely. Does he realize what he's doing when he shows obvious signs of affection towards Gaspar? Gaspar himself has been alone for so long that he's happy to receive any human warmth and affection. But is it honest?
Steve waits all day for Gaspar to appear. He alternates between longing and anger until he finally decides to break out. The thin door of the cabin can't stop him. Steve forcefully jerks it open, surprisingly finding it unlocked. He moves cautiously through the narrow, winding corridors, following the scent of Gaspar until he locates him. Gaspar lies sprawled on the floor, arms outstretched. Steve knows little about the stranger, but he senses that he didn't just lie down to rest. Fear and confusion grip Steve as he turns Gaspar over and cradles him to his chest. His sensitive hearing detects a faint heartbeat. Steve lifts Gaspar onto his arms and carries him to the nearest cabin, laying him on a bunk and covering him with a pile of blankets. Nervously biting his lips, Steve tries to think of ways to help Gaspar. A painful realization sets in that he's helpless. Tears well up in his eyes. Like a child, he begins to howl in helplessness. Suddenly, he understands how desperately he doesn't want to lose Gaspar.
"Steve, what's wrong?" a soft voice nearby asks.
"Gaspar, don't die!" Steve rushes to him and kisses him on the lips. He doesn't know exactly what it means, but he's seen that it expresses a special attachment.
"Okay," Gaspar nods, petting his back. "But for that, you'll have to learn to heal me."
"I'll learn," Steve lays his head on his chest.
He especially likes how Gaspar strokes his hair. He used to hate it when people touched him, but he found a special person whom Steve can allow to do so.