by Robert James
“No idea what about?” I queried, sitting on the bed and admiring her increasingly revealed beautiful body. Susan stopped, she seemed to hesitate then looked at me strangely and replied.
“Well, it was about me actually, silly really, after all, we’ll be gone soon won’t we?” She pointed out.
“Well, that depends” I replied with no further explanation. Susan stood looking at me in anticipation, until she was satisfied I was not going to explain any more, then she took off the last of her clothes and got into bed. As soon as I removed my clothes and joined Susan, she immediately rolled her body close into mine.
“Hmm it’s good to have you back Robert” She murmured, as her hands roamed my body.
“Are you sure about that Susan?” I asked her gently and she froze.
“Why do you ask me that?” She asked softly “Is there something wrong?” Her voice was small and I could feel her trembling. I pulled away and sat up, Susan did the same.
“Only a few days ago, you were willing to kill yourself if I so desired” My voice was hard but not cold. Susan paled.
“Yes, that is true” Susan replied simply, her eyes fixed on mine.
“If that is my desire now, are you still willing to kill yourself in front of me, just so I can watch?” I asked. Susan stared at me intently, trying to see where I was going with this.
“Is this a theoretical question?” She asked “Or are you actually telling me to kill myself?”.
“Would you? Will you, or not?” I pressed without passion.
“Am I not worth more to you alive than dead?” She questioned, her voice becoming angry and beginning to rise.
“Am I your Lord and Master, whose will must be obeyed on pain of death?” I asked her, giving no clue as to what I was up to..
“You can kill me for disobedience at your will. I can’t stop you” Susan spoke evenly, clearly not sure if these were to be her last words “But for me to take my own life, just to please you, would be so wrong that I cannot do it” She looked into my eyes “Robert, I am more than happy to dedicate my life to pleasing and helping you in whatever way you wish. But not my death” She told me.
“Wouldn’t you rather dedicate your life to a real man? Have his children?” I questioned. Susan looked as though I’d slapped her “Why do you say such things to me when you know that cannot be for me” She was nearly in tears “Have you forgotten that I am barren and barred from marriage?” Susan reminded me tearfully.
“Have you forgotten that God or no God, I do have some pretty divine powers of my own” I replied, allowing a tiny smile to begin.
Susan got off the bed and stood beside me, looking down at me. “I’m confused Robert, what are you saying?” She asked, sensing I had something up my sleeve.
“I’m saying that you are obviously attracted to Jim Carpenter and he is to you” I replied “He too believes he is impotent, which he’s not anymore” I added, then paused for some dramatic effect, before announcing “Nor are you my dear Susan” Susan was totally blank “As of noon tomorrow” I told her “You will be as fertile as a pubescent teenager” Then I added “And Jim needs a real woman by his side, to deal with what lies ahead. It’s what you really want isn’t it?” I asked the disbelieving woman and she nodded.
Once the disbelief had passed and the realization had set in, Susan’s tears of joy and gratitude were profuse.
“But why noon tomorrow Robert?” She asked, still sobbing, even though she smiled happily.
“Because that’s when we all leave you behind” I replied “But, until then, your all mine” I grinned, as I eased her back into our bed.
“Your wish is my command Lord Robert” She purred, as she proceeded to fulfil every one of them.
Chapter Seven
I stood between the Captain and his pilot, as our T.T.V. lifted gently off the crisp earth of Martin’s mountain top camp. Potter and Blake stood beside Martin and several other tribal leaders, all now very much willing to work together. Demonstrating the spectacularly destructive technology of our T.T.V., as a reverse tactic of the ‘imminent mass attack’ story we’d told the whites at Carabindy, worked well. Martin and all his people saw for themselves the impossibility of defending themselves against such a weapon, in less than a generation. And, by then, who knows what war machines the whites might have developed? There was to be no war in this part of the planet, and the prosperity inherent in peaceful co-existence would soon unite and bind all its inhabitants into a multi-cultured single Nation.
One with its own Gods and customs, and no need for foreign Gods or domination. Susan was the only one who knew the truth in Carabindy and would act on my command, though I had no idea what that would be, or when it would come. Having given her the life she had wanted, but had believed was impossible for her, I was very confident of her loyalty. She would tell no-one until it was time, of that I was completely sure, as I watched the navigator plotting our course for Sentoria. It was a notorious port city/state on the South coast of the Northern continent. One that everyone in the New World had heard of.
“I’ve been there twice” The Captain told me “And both times I reckon we were lucky to get out alive!” He added, chuckling at the memory “The place was founded by pirates a few hundred years ago, way things are there, they probably still run the place” He laughed. With a final trip around the massive crater home of thousands of Martin’s wildly cheering people, we lifted into the clear blue sky and headed North East for this city of sin..
“When did you first go there Captain” I asked, once on our way.
“Thirty years ago Sire, with Lord Peter, I was an ensign then” He grinned, remembering.
“Why did he need to go there?” I queried, genuinely interested.
“To check on the port system he had set up thirty years before” The Captain replied “We all expected that they’d love him” He added, sounding surprised.
“But they didn’t?” I ventured, the Captain shook his head.
“Just shows you doesn’t it?” He asked me earnestly “It’s pretty hard to get things right around these parts, even for the Supreme Family” He added. It was clear that, despite all that had happened; the Captain and his crew were still locked into the deception. They were loyal to me because I was Lord Robert of the Supreme Family. I decided to keep whatever plans I came up with to Zoran and myself, perhaps telling Susan, when and if I needed Carabindy or Alpine Grand to help with whatever I came up with.
At my invitation, the Captain launched into a long and detailed account of his first and second visits, to this scandalous city state which was such a vital link in the New World’s transportation system. It seems the port control and operating system Lord Peter installed had worked better and better, which was great for the people that owned and operated it, but not for the locals. At one point, the Captain paused, lowering his voice conspiratorially
“Those folk were really the true government of Sentoria” He told me “They were really in with Lady Ursula, you know?” Then the Captain continued his narrative in a normal voice “The better it worked, the less personnel the management needed” He told me.
“By the time we arrived, more than half the State’s dock workers were unemployed! So they had turned to crime, extorting money from the Port Authority and local businesses. It was near anarchy”.
“Why didn’t they get help?” I asked, confused at the loss of control
“Because the Port Authority had said they would kill anyone in the Government who breathed a word to the Supreme Family, along with their whole family!” He answered “We had no idea what was going on until we actually landed. Then, all hell broke loose!” He laughed at the memory “It was obvious that the government was effectively under siege” He continued “We picked up the Governor and some of his staff, off the roof of Government house and we were taking small arms fire all the time” The Captain recalled.
“Did you return the fire?” I asked, expecting to hear of a bloodbath.
; “No Lord Robert” The Captain replied “Lord Peter wasn’t there to fight, in fact he was really shocked” He added. “But I do know he was real mad at the Port Authority people though” He grinned “Because we all heard him in there, really ripping into them. Of course, I wasn’t in there myself” He slipped back into that conspiratorial tone “But rumour had it that him and Lady Ursula gave them twelve months to restore order and control, or else the Supreme One would have to step in” The Captain paused to sip his hot drink. Then he looked up at me and added “And as you’d know Lord Robert, they didn’t manage it”.
“No Captain” I replied, keeping my interest out of my voice “If I knew anything about Sentoria back then, I’ve totally forgotten it” I told him almost truthfully.
“Of course Sire, you’ve had so many things to deal with” He returned apologetically.
“So, what was your second visit for?” I asked him casually.
“Oh, well they actually gave ‘em three years Sire” The Captain answered, adding “By then the whole place was collapsing, so Lord Elton and Lord Edmond came over with the whole fleet”.
“They would have been the six superseded models that are used as transports now right?” I offered.
“Yes Lord Robert” The Captain confirmed “And they weren’t nearly as protected as this baby” He added proudly, then continued “I’d made the flight deck by then” He told his now fascinated colleagues and I.
“It was actually my first combat mission” The Captain told us.
“There was an outright war in Sentoria?” I asked, quite surprised.
“Well, not really Lord Robert” The Captain replied, casting his eyes down and shifting a little uncomfortably “More like a massacre I would say, though, I’m sure Lord Elton was right in what he did” The Captain added hastily “When a place gets so overrun by vermin, then you have no choice but to eradicate them” He quoted my bloodthirsty younger brother.
“Surely you didn’t destroy the whole place? Kill everybody?” I asked, not hiding my dismay..
“No, no, not at all Sire” He replied, adding “The only buildings that we destroyed, was the world’s biggest red light district”.
“That was where all the bastards had taken refuge, among the women” He told us, his disgust obvious “After that, we went around picking them off in ones and twos, but not doing any damage to the place” The Captain sounded more comfortable now.
“Did the rebels offer much resistance” I inquired much more calmly than I felt.
“Heck yeah, especially at first” The Captain snorted derisively “But all they had was small arms and a few RPG’s. They just bounced off us, and most of ‘em missed anyway” The Captain laughed suddenly “You know, if they’d have had old Martin’s two stone guns, they could have blown us away back then” He realised “But the only thing that can stop this baby are those lasers that all of you carry” He told me grinning.
The Captain didn’t know that there were now three out of the Supreme One’s control, mine, one with Jarrett, at the retirement home, and one with Zoran. Though I’d wanted to leave one with Susan, to ward off any reprisals that my family might attempt, I felt certain they’d make some effort to rein me in first, before worrying about control of their valuable Aklodyte resources.
“Sire, it was clear why you had to visit Carabindy” The Captain said with admiration “In less than a week you changed the face of that whole Nation” He added, with what seemed genuine praise “May I be permitted to enquire why you have come to this hell hole?” He asked, not sure if he’d gone too far.
Just then, Zoran came into the cockpit and provided the Captain and his crew with our concocted answer, which left them stunned.
“Of course, I won’t be able to travel then” I told them “So I’ve decided to get a first hand look at all the trouble spots in our world” I explained to the now totally subjugated crew, adding “So much has become my responsibility already, that I felt I the need for a refresher course. Clearly, there are many things that will have to change” My voice was imperious.
“Far as I know Sire” The navigator offered rather nervously “Sentoria is a model of peace and prosperity these days. I haven’t heard of any piracy for, oh, at least twenty years, ‘cept for the North West of course, but that’s more like two States raiding each other, isn’t it?” He asked. I presumed I would find out in time.
“It does appear so” I replied, pretending to know what he was talking about “But we’ll soon know, as we go there when I’m finished in Sentoria” I said with an authority I didn’t feel.
“We’re going to Arc Island and Port Rualé?” The pilot asked, momentarily forgetting himself “Er, I’m so sorry Lord Robert” He apologised “But I was born on Arc Island and I’ve not been back since being drafted into Supreme House service” He told me.
“I’ll remember that” I told the pilot, who was in his late thirties “Right now I’m going to get some sleep, please wake me an hour before we arrive” I requested and left the cockpit to do just that. A few hours later I was awakened by one of the escorts and soon joined the Captain in the cockpit.
“Wow, look at that” The Captain exclaimed, when we were still several thousand metres over Sentoria. Below us lay a massive high rise city, built around a multi harbour port. There were literally dozens of tankers, freight container ships and bulk carriers down there, along with a spattering of smaller, far less sophisticated freighters. Having been woken as requested, I now stood looking down with the Captain and crew from the cockpit.
“Grown a bit in 30 years has it?” I queried the older officer..
“More than just grown Sire” The Captain replied “It’s changed so much that I wouldn’t recognise it, if not for it’s unique harbour formation” He told me “It’s become a real metropolis” He added.
“Let’s have a look around before we announce our arrival shall we” I suggested to Zoran.
“Good idea Sire” He answered, adding “This was the very first place where a defoliation defence belt was used”. We could see the three kilometre wide barren belt. It effectively cut the whole State off from the mountainous hinterland that stretched beyond it.
“Problem was” Commented the pilot wryly “All the bad guys were already inside” He chuckled, taking us down to just on five hundred metres. As all transport around here was by land or sea, no one was very likely to look skywards and see us hovering silently overhead, and from up there we could see everything. Though I’d not seen Centropolis from the air, this city seemed to be as big and much more modern, especially the downtown ten and twelve story city buildings.
From the fine residences built on the gradually rising slopes, just North of the city, to the rather spectacular beach side mansion we saw below us, this seemed to be a far more affluent city as well. In fact, that was all Susan had been able to tell me about Sentoria. It’s past infamy and its present prosperity. The Captain pointed to the northern slopes
“See all those beautiful houses Sire?” He asked me “That whole mountain side was covered in brothels, drug dens, sleazy hotels and the like” He added “Just look at it now” There was no mistaking his pride in what he considered a worthy act. “Last time I saw that place it was just a pile of smoking rubble” He mused.
“So you torched the place after you killed the inhabitants?” I asked innocently, not expecting the casual and really callous reply.
“No Sire, we just came in and cooked the whole place” He told me, adding “They never knew what hit ‘em”. I forced back memories of the two really good people I had met in Centropolis’ red light district. I turned to Zoran, whose eyes reflected my own horror at what we had just heard.
“Perhaps it’s time to let them know we are here” I suggested.
“I’ll contact the Governor” Zoran agreed and went into the communications room. This seemed like one of those times when a really attention getting arrival might be a good idea. Zoran got through instantly and, by the time we were ready
to land in front of the city’s most impressive building, there were already thousands of people in the streets below, looking up, pointing and chattering excitedly. Zoran returned to the cockpit grinning.
“They have respectfully requested we hold off landing for a few minutes Lord Robert” Zoran reported, looking at me expectantly. Although we were still more than a hundred metres off the ground, I ordered the Captain to open the large, richly decorated main doorway, which he did immediately. With my best red kaftan fluttering in the wind, I walked out and floated fifty metres over the awe-struck crowd. My weightless decent, shadowed by our sleek yet lethal looking craft, had the desired effect on the official greeting party. They themselves had definitely dressed to impress. The Governor had an ermine collared cape with a huge gold Lord Mayor like chain around his neck.