by Robert James
“Physically, I don’t feel odd in any way, just mentally blank” I told them, then stood up and looked down at Miko “You said you knew my name” I reminded him “So tell me what you know of who I am” I was using my obvious authority, but in the nicest way.
“You are the Third Patriarch of the Supreme Family, Excellency” He answered stiffly.
“The Supreme Family of the New World?” I led with a question.
“Of course your Excellency!” Again his response was formal and almost automatic.
“Is the New World the entire world or just a part of it?” I asked Miko. That stumped him.
“There is only the New World, your Excellency. Sir” Babs courageously helped him out.
“And of course the uninhabited wilds, but, like, no one lives there, your Excellency Sir” The pretty, good-time girl added.
“Is this what you’d expect me to be wearing?” I asked Miko.
“Your robes look to my eyes as those of the Supreme Family” Miko answered, then he apologised “I thought you were drunk and delusionary, when Babs first brought you in”.
“And you say none of us has visited the pleasure zone before?” I queried Miko.
“Not to my awareness Excellency” He answered “Though we do hear persistent rumours that some of our lovelier ladies are privileged to be invited, for short visits, with some of the younger members of the Family” He replied, increasing my awareness.
“So how far away is my home Miko?” I asked him smiling.
“Almost a day’s brisk walk Excellency” He laughed politely “But of course, only an hour, at most, in your T.T.V” He added, as though I would understand the term, but I didn’t.
“What are they?” I asked him.
“Trans Terrain Vehicles, Excellency” He answered “The Supreme Family’s transportation. One of them must have brought you to Centropolis” Miko assured me “There is no other way I know of for you to get here Excellency” He added confidently.
“Could I not have walked Miko?” I asked innocently. He was astonished at the suggestion.
“That you actually walk and talk with us right now is an honour bestowed on very few of our world Excellency” Miko grew serious
“I am fearful that some wrong doing is afoot, that you should find yourself unprotected in our midst” He was genuinely concerned.
“Why would I need protection Miko?” I asked “Is the Supreme Family unpopular?”.
“Oh no Sir! That’s not so at all” Babs piped up “We all love the Supreme Family, but there are always people who are jealous of your superiority, your Excellency Sir” She was quickly adapting to the very unusual circumstances in which we found ourselves.
“Does the Supreme Family govern the New World?” I asked.
“Oh no, your Excellency” Miko corrected me quickly “Every State has its own local administration, Excellency” Miko explained
“The Supreme Family’s Patriarchs merely council and advise the State administrations on how to best work in harmony with each other” He continued “You still remember nothing Excellency?”
“No, nothing” I answered “Do you know how to contact the Supreme House?” I asked.
“I could not even attempt to do that Excellency” Miko replied grinning “But Centropolis Administration could. If you told them to” He replied.
“And can you put me in touch with someone in Centropolis Administration?” I asked.
“That’s easy Excellency, just one phone call and it is done” He responded, beginning to enjoy his role in this highly improbable episode.
“Would you please make that call” I asked him and sat back down in the boudoir’s chair. Miko went over to the huge double bed and picked up a space age looking hand piece. He spoke into it, first to someone he knew, and then to someone important, both conversations were short! He had just had time to walk back over to us, after the second conversation ended, when the phone buzzed urgently. Miko went back and picked it up. He said nothing, just listened. After a minute or so, he hung up without a word.
“They’ll have the Centroplis’ T.T.V. here in a few minutes your Excellency” He called over.
“Thank you, now can you come over here quickly? I’ve got some more questions for you Miko” I urged him. He came and sat down.
“How many T.T.V. s does the State have?” I asked him quickly
“Just one in each city your Excellency” He replied.
“How many do we in the Supreme Family have?” I asked him.
“Some say four, some say six” He answered uncertainly.
“How do we keep order Miko?” That drew a blank; he shot Babs a questioning glance.
“There’s never no disorder around here your Excellency Sir” Babs proudly proclaimed.
“You both said I needed protection remember?” I reminded them..
Miko smiled, as understanding dawned
“The Supreme House guards, your Excellency” He answered.
“They also get the job of taking care of the weirdos and misfits. But there’s few enough of them these days” The cafe owner added. He too was proud of their society.
“One last kick start question O.K?” They both nodded, briefly equals in the presence of someone superior “Where does the Supreme Family’s wealth come from?” I asked them. This time, both looked to the other for help.
“The Supreme Family, your Excellency Sir” Babs began “Well, they don’t have wealth like us” The girl seemed lost for words. “You and those of your family own the New World and everything and everyone in it” Miko completed the girl’s explanation. This time, I was the one who was speechless. The car had arrived.
Babs thought it best she stay behind when Miko escorted me back down the stairs to the now patron-less but crowded café. The bulk of those squashed into Miko’s wore badges saying State Security Officer, the eight out-of-uniform officials were obviously important. At least, it was clear they thought so. A stout, suited, semi bald gentleman, the group’s leader, stepped forward, completely ignoring Miko, but smiling ingratiatingly up at me. “I’m Governor Ryan your Excellency” He oozed “Please allow me the honour of welcoming you to our great city” He declared with abject servility. I gave him back a tight, cold smile.
“Proprietor Miko and his staff have already done that extremely well Governor” I replied pointedly.
The security troop struggled to keep straight faces, while a couple of the Governor’s group allowed themselves a chuckle.
“I’ll see that he is rightly acclaimed for his efforts, your Excellency” The Governor had become even more deferential. I held Miko’s eyes for a long moment, before allowing myself to be very respectfully led to the T.T.V. outside. Looking like one of those super stretched limousines, except without wheels, the T.T.V was some kind of hovercraft, though lit up and running, it made no sound whatsoever. There was an enormous crowd outside, all fell into a hush as soon as I exited Miko’s café. The clear area to the vehicle was almost twice as wide as the ultra long T.T.V. and lined by a half dozen security guards on both sides. The Governor, two other men and an elegantly beautiful woman waited for me.
The four of them joined me when I got into the really luxuriously appointed vehicle. The rest, along with Miko, waved goodbye, as we moved smoothly and soundlessly away from Miko’s café and out of the crowded plaza. We travelled smoothly down a wide road, lined with multi-storeyed buildings on both sides. It was free from any other vehicles at all, there were just occasional groups of pedestrians and they didn’t seem to be in a hurry. My fellow passengers watched me silently. Perhaps they were not to speak unless spoken to.
“No doubt you’re wondering how I got into your little den of inequity without a T.T.V.” I suggested to them.
“It is not for your loyal subjects to question such things your Excellency” Came Governor Ryan humble reply.
“Oh come now Governor” I became all magnanimous “Perhaps it is not for you to ask, but surely, as you are only human, you w
ould have to wonder?” I asked, smiling at them all.
“Your Excellency is right of course” The Governor acknowledged “It may yet be some time before we humans can be rid of our irreverent curiosity” He added apologetically. His apology for even being curious about such an inexplicable and, apparently rare occurrence, told me volumes about the situation here. I didn’t think I was going to like this ‘Supreme Family’ of mine.
“How do you think I managed it?” I asked all four of them, the woman was the only one to meet my eyes.
“Well” She replied hesitantly “We thought you may have used your superior energy to dematerialise and rematerialise where you chose” She added, then dropped her eyes.
“So you did have some discussions on the subject?” I said to her smiling, then looking at the Governor, who, along with his two colleagues, gave the woman a killing look.
“I’m not at all offended Governor” I assured him. Then I turned back to her and asked pointedly “If I did dematerialized then rematerialized here, why would I need a T.T.V. to get back there?”
The woman looked back up defiantly, trying to hide annoyance.
“Then how would any theory work if…”.She began
“Miss Proust” Governor Ryan cut the lady off sharply “Really!”. Then Governor Ryan turned to face me.
“I do apologize your Excellency” He almost grovelled “We are, as you yourself have said, only human”.
“As I have also said Governor Ryan, it does not offend me” I responded, adding “In fact, I am amused by the lady’s hypothesis” I played my obvious role to the hilt. We were now in what was clearly suburbia, small to medium sized houses, with occasional blocks of apartments, we had still passed no traffic and now there were no pedestrians either, it seemed very dimly lit and totally still.
“Will you be taking me all the way Governor?” I asked the rather pompous leader.
“We would be greatly honoured to do so, should you wish Excellency” He replied “However, our instructions were to take you to North Gardens, where your T.T.V. and the House Guard will meet us” He added, looking at me hopefully.
“That sounds fine to me, proceed to North Garden” I said, enjoying the put down on this pompous old social climber. I looked at the woman “Perhaps Miss Proust can further elucidate on her theory somewhere private, while we wait Governor” I suggested.
“Of course, your Excellency” Governor Ryan’s little fantasy was crushed “As you wish so shall it be your Excellency” He replied dutifully. I was watching the woman as I said that, and though her head and eyes were kept down, she couldn’t keep a tiny, pussycat curl of a smile from flitting across her mouth. A few minutes later we left the now darkened strip we’d been on and turned into a very softly and effectively lit landscaped property.
The house was more a mansion, complete with a circular driveway through a circular pillared porch. The doors were opened by white suited young men and the entrance way was that of an exclusive hide-a-way hotel. As we were escorted in, Miss Proust gravitated to my side, but never once looked up at me. We left the Governor and his two colleagues standing outside the elevator doors, as we were taken just one floor up. The door swished open to reveal an expansive and superbly furnished apartment. Miss Proust stepped out and led the way. The elevator doors closed, leaving us alone.
“With your Excellency’s permission” Miss Proust withdrew to the apartment’s luxurious bathroom. I walked over and sat on a white leather lounge in front of a small but elegant table.
The glass topped, marble based coffee table contained a tumbler and two glasses. I poured some and lifted the glass to smell it. A light white wine, just right. I sipped for a while as I weighed up the evolving realities. Then Miss Proust suddenly appeared in the bathroom doorway, and her excellent body was completely naked!
“I await your pleasure Excellency” She purred, then turned and entered the bedroom. I got up and walked over to the beautifully appointed sleeping quarters, stopping in the doorway. Miss Proust half sat, half lay in the middle of the bed, her strikingly attractive face was full of mixed emotions as she finally looked directly at me. My eyes roamed her creamy, curvaceous body, finally reaching back up to her face, now surrounded by dark wavy hair which had been held up in a business-like bun before.
The lady was obviously determined to please, yet her unpractised awkwardness indicated this was not the norm for this girl.
“I know it’s wrong to ask your Excellency” She looked up smiling seductively “But does what his Excellency sees please him?” She asked. I chose to reply without saying a word. My bright red kaftan and equally bright red woollen under-suit ended up draped across a white stool, in front of an elegant white dressing table, beside my knee high boots. Miss Proust, who had absolutely insisted that it was ‘not proper’ for her to tell me her personal name, nor call me by mine, in spite of our very recent intimate circumstances, lay on her side facing me.
With both of us lying there stark naked, unembarrassed and relaxed, I thought a little more research might well be useful. So I decided to try some shock tactics.
“If I ordered you to kill yourself, would you obey?” I asked the beautiful Miss Proust, who paled a little, understandably taken aback by my dramatic question.
“Would you leave me the option to refuse, your Excellency?” She asked, a little fearful.
“Not if I wanted you to die, no” I replied bluntly.
“Then there would be no option Excellency” She said matter-of-factly, adding “Is that your wish?” Miss Proust asked, hiding her fear “To watch me kill myself?” Clearly she would have.
“No, no my dear, just testing” Relief flooded her beautiful face.
“By what right do we, you know, my family and I, reign supreme Miss Proust?” I asked. The woman smiled, as though she had just realized something
“By Divine Right Excellency” Miss Proust answered “It is ordained as is the movement of the stars and the passing of night to day” She replied, like a school girl reciting the right answer.
“And what of those who fail to bear true witness to this divine ordination?” I asked, only now realising that Miss Proust thought all of this was some kind of test.
“To the food chambers with all of them your Excellency” She replied emphatically.
“To eat?” I asked expressionlessly, Miss Proust burst into a pretty laugh, then apologized and answered very respectfully.
“No, your Excellency, to work in the food production chambers” She said rather primly. Well, if she thought this was all some kind of game, I could see good sense in playing along with that idea.
“If you were to be with my child what then?” I asked the extremely beautiful naked woman, trying to keep my focus on learning facts.
“That cannot be your Excellency” She replied spontaneously “It would be impossible”. There was no explanation, or even an indication that she objected in any way to this apparent fact. Dictated, no doubt, by my extremely dictatorial ‘Supreme Family’. Yet Miss Proust, nor the other two I’d met, were nothing like mindless drones at all. By the time we had showered and dressed, the Supreme Family’s transportation had arrived.
The city T.T.V. was gone along with the Governor, his two colleagues and the State Security Guard Detail. In their place was a fantastic, spaceship looking vessel. Black and very lethal looking, this vehicle was clearly more than a means of transportation. Even without the covered guns, the dozen or so Supreme Guards, with their green and gold uniforms, and very heavy armaments, made it very clear that this was, in fact, a craft designed for warfare.
“Would you like to join me Miss Proust?” I asked, at the top of the mansion’s three steps, then lead her down to the craft’s open, gull-wing door. Though she covered it well, the woman’s elation at the prospect was readily apparent.
“Excellency” The senior guard welcomed, after we had reached the T.T.V., walked up the steps and crossed its boarding platform. Then we settled into the body hugging,
perfectly comfortable recliner seats, while the door swished down to seal us in. Unlike the city’s T.T.V., this vehicle did more than just float gently along. It had quite a bit of acceleration and a top speed around the 100 k.p.h. mark or perhaps even more. We left suburbia within minutes and passed through miles of hot houses and low lying factories.
“Food production chambers right?” I asked my companion..
“Yes Excellency, of course” Miss Proust answered, obviously curious, but unable to ask.
“Was there something you wanted to know?” I asked the very attractive woman, then sat back and waited for her reply.
“Your Excellency” Miss Proust began haltingly “Please don’t be offended, or think I mean to criticise your Superior self, it’s just that, Er...” She was lost.
“Miss Proust I asked you to ask me, now please do so” I told her with pretend sternness.