He had been with the Queen in her chambers. She had been ranting about her husband and his worthless offer of peace.
“Does he really think I will let him and the other four traitors flee across the universe to escape justice?” She had not expected an answer and all of the guards had stood their positions without comment. “Why would I agree to let them use the port pad outside of Socar and leave Terra?” She had seethed, “What possible incentive is having Terra for all of Aekaetum if I know they are living their lives out there somewhere? Happy and healthy.” She had gestured wildly around the room. “No! I want them to be brought to justice!”
“My Queen.” A guard had rushed in and bowed low, “We have caught the traitor. We have your husband.”
Marcael had forced himself to show no response. Standing rigid at the Queen’s side, he had watched as two guards dragged the King into the chamber and forced him to his knees in front of his wife.
“Not so high and mighty now are you my love.” She had sneered. “What has become of the great King of Hedal?” She went to leave her throne and Marcael had tried to stop her. This earned him a glacial stare.
“My Queen what if it is not safe?” He had tried to reason with her.
“Not safe?” She scoffed, “Look at him Marcael! He is no threat to me.” She had walked forward to stand in front of the prostrating man. “How I hated every minute of being forced to “love” you.” She had motioned for his guards to pull him up. “Did you know that? Did you know that my father forced me to accept you as a mate? I never loved you and I loathed your touch.” She slapped him as hard as she could, “That is for forcing your disgusting body on me.” She slapped him again. “That is for giving me four worthless sons and making me get rid of two worthless daughters.” She went to move away and the King spoke.
“I loved you Elyon. I would have loved all of our children.” Marcael noted that the King’s voice was weak and raspy, “I am sorry you did not return the sentiment.” Before anyone could stop him, the King had gotten free, grabbed his wife and kissed her. Wrenching herself away, she wiped furiously at her mouth. Marcael noted that the King had an utterly peaceful look on his face.
“How dare you touch me!” The Queen had spun around and stormed to her throne. “Marcael, I have a job for you.” Smiling maliciously, she had turned her mad eyes to him. “Torture him.” She had pointed at the King, who was not struggling against the men holding him. “Now.”
Marcael had walked toward his King pulling the Un’bah from its sheath. He had taken in the King’s pinched lips, pale completion, and sweaty brow.
“Please Marcael.” The King had whispered and Marcael sent his blade into the Kings chest. “Tell Elyon to enjoy my parting gift.” He gasped quietly then went slack against the men holding him up.
“What?” The Queen had screamed. “I said torture him, not kill him.”
Marcael cleaned his weapon on the Kings tunic then turned to the Queen. “It is not safe here. The King just said to enjoy his parting gift.” Then he made his way back to his Queen’s side.
“What parting gift? What does that mean?” She had sneered.
“I believe he was talking about kissing you while in the early stages of what all of Terra is calling Elyon’s madness.” Marcael had dared to name the disease that everyone was dying from but no one named to the Queen.
She had turned three shades of red and ran screaming from the room. Even though he knew it would do no good, Marcael had ordered the removal of the King and the cleanup of the throne room. The next time he spoke with the Queen she had gone into isolation and was sending him to be with her son Knuan. How he had been spared from the illness was anyone’s guess.
“Enough.” Knuan stopped him. “My favorite part is over. I should just have you show me the traitor King dying, but I love how grand and fierce mother looks in those memories.” He sighed and Marcael knew he would be ordered out soon, “Why did she get so close to him? I know you tried to stop her Marcael, I saw that in your memory. Why didn’t she listen?” Knuan’s voice was getting quiet and sleepy so Marcael just walked to the doorway. “You are not dismissed yet. Answer me. Why didn’t she listen to you?”
Marcael knew what the King wanted to hear, “She was fearless and the traitor King was so weak. He had no honor and tricked your poor mother, the Queen, into getting close.”
“Yes. That is true.” Knuan waved his hand, “You are dismissed. I will want to inspect that female when the quarantine is up. Send me a STARR in a few hours, the black haired one with blue-gold eyes I think.” He yawned and Marcael moved out of the doorway. Having to relive the death of the King he had loved as a father always took a toll on him. Hurrying down the corridors, he made his way to the training room. He needed to burn off some energy before he went to check on Brennae. Along the way, he ordered the computer to inform the STARR in three hours that she would be required at the Kings room.
Chapter Eight
Something had woken her up. What had it been?
“Can you hear me?” A soft feminine voice asked and it was close. Brennae knew she was on the Elyon, so who was the female talking to her? Opening her eyes she saw the woman hovering over her, concern etched on her features. “Please do not be alarmed.”
Brennae took in the females ebony hair and striking blue-gold eyes. When she went to look further her mouth dropped open with shock. From what she could see of the woman’s torso, she appeared to be completely naked! Sitting up on the medical bed Brennae asked, “Who are you?”
To her amazement, the woman started laughing a calming, and melodic sound. “I am a STARR.”
Keeping her eyes averted above the shoulders Brennae held out her hand, “I am Brennae. It is nice to meet you Star.”
Star just turned her head sideways and looked at her hand for a moment, and then held hers out the same way. “My designation...you would consider this to be a name, is not ‘Star’...the acronym for my design is STARR. It stands for Sexually Trained Authentic Recreational Robot. You may call me Star though, you make it sound nice.”
Brennae felt her mouth drop open again, and then forced herself to stop gawking. In her defense it hadn’t ever come up around Terraneu that the Elyon had robotic sex bots on it, they were a little more concerned with the mad King on board. Moving her eyes quickly over Star’s body she sighed, of course this was a sexually trained robot. She was beautiful and her body was lithe and perfect. Her skin was without marks or scars and looked flawlessly smooth. Noticing that the STARR had her hand out still Brennae let out a little laugh and took the robots hand.
“This is a greeting.” She said then moved her hand up and down.
Star watched as their hands shook and when Brennae let go the other female smiled, “Star likes this greeting.” Brennae notice her eyes were moving over her dress. “Is that normal female attire where you are from? The covering you are wearing now?”
“Yes. It is just a simple dress.” Brennae looked at what had been one of her favorites. It had definitely seen better days. “There are a few rips in it that weren’t there before and it is pretty dirty. Other than that this is what most females on Terraneu wear.” Brennae gasped in dismay she hadn’t meant to talk about Terraneu to anybody. For all she knew this STAR was just being friendly to get information to use against her people.
“Star is sensing a rise in your endorphins. You are upset.” To Brennae’s further amazement the female climbed up on the medical bed and sat crossed legged in front of her. Her earlier assumption that the female was completely naked was correct. Brennae noticed a patch of black hair between the STARR unit’s legs before she forced her eyes back above the shoulders. None of the women on Terraneu had hair between their legs and it was a surprise to see it on a robotic unit. Feeling herself blush she wondered at her reaction. She had not been raised to be ashamed of nudity. In fact, on Terraneu it was the opposite and she did in fact have a high tolerance for other people’s habits. Maybe her reaction came from the fact that S
tar was a stranger.
“I am not going to tell you anything about Terraneu if that is why you are here.” Brennae crossed her arms and kept her eyes locked on Star’s.
“I am not here to get information out of you for the King.” Star looked around then leaned closer, “Nobody knows I am here. My Lord Marcael would be most unhappy if he knew I was in here. He ordered all units away from the medical area. I am here on the other STARRs behalf.”
“There are more of you on this ship?” Brennae looked at Star and her expression must have been comical because with a suddenness that stunned her Star broke out laughing. Her perfect breasts didn’t wiggle and flop as she laughed, her stomach didn’t dimple and she didn’t sound like a braying donkey. She was perfect, even when laughing.
“There are many other STARR units on board.” Star moved her hair over her shoulder, and said hurriedly, “I need your help.”
“How can I be of any help? There can’t be anything I know that would—”
“I need to know of Terra.” The STARR unit interrupted. “Are any of my kind still there?”
Brennae was stunned for a moment, “How would I know anything about Terra?” She didn’t know how much she could trust the STARR unit and was afraid to say anything that would hurt her community.
Star gave her an exasperated look. “Brennae you really need to trust me.” When she just remained silent, Star sighed then ticked off the reasons she knew Brennae might know about Terra. Star held up a finger, “Number one: The Princes your uncle is searching for were given a port pad to contact Terra, so it would make sense that they used it at some point. I am only guessing to acquire woman?” Another finger went up, “Number two: Your genetics scream Terran, you are without any doubt from that planet. How you got to be on Terraneu doesn’t matter to me. Finding others like the STARR units is all I am concerned with.”
Brennae hesitated then took a leap of faith, “I’m really sorry but I don’t think there is anything like you there. My mother is from Earth or what you called Terra. I vaguely remember her saying something about how they were just getting to basic robotics. Nothing nearly as advanced as you was being created when she left.” Seeing the pained look on the STARR’s face she gave her a sympathetic squeeze on her hand then continued, “I am very doubtful that they could have gotten to your obviously advanced level of technology in the years that she has been away.”
“What kind of technology did they have on Terra?” Star asked.
“I don’t remember my mother talking of Earth that often, they were trying to build their lives around Terraneu. She did mention that they had computers that were connected by electronics. Satellites in orbit controlled many things. Some Artificial Intelligence was being developed, but she didn’t know how far they had gotten with making that work. The people of Earth felt they were advanced, but she wasn’t sure that it was a good thing. Everything was electronic and nobody cared about his or her neighbor anymore. It was everyone looking out for themselves instead of each other.”
Star sighed, “That is what I needed to know. Thank you Brennae.” She looked over her shoulder and turned back, “I know you said you would not talk about your community, this Terraneu...but may I please ask you one thing?”
Brennae got a cautious look and shrugged, “You may ask me but I may not be able to answer.”
“Would the males of this ship be happy in your Terraneu?”
Brennae sat quietly in thought for a moment. Marcael suddenly popped into her thoughts. Would a man like him be truly happy in Terraneu? “I honestly don’t know Star. Terraneu is a match for the Elyon in technology and amenities, and we do strive as a community to make sure everyone has a say. That being said, men like Marcael and the others from the Elyon might have a hard time fitting in.” When Star frowned at that information she hurried to add, “Not that they wouldn’t be welcome with open arms, because they would. It is a matter of personality types and who would compromise...us or them.”
“My Lord Marcael is a hard man.” Star sighed and Brennae knew that this sex bot had intimate knowledge of him. She could tell in the way the she said his name. An unfamiliar sensation was suddenly running through her. To her shock, she realized she was jealous. She wanted to jump across the bed and slap that perfect face. She wanted to claw her eyes out and mar her perfect skin. Brennae had never had this reaction before so was unprepared for the depth of her feelings.
“You are upset again.” Star looked confused, “I am analyzing my words for the cause of your distress.”
“No Star it isn’t your fault.” Brennae felt the heat rising in her face.
“Now you are embarrassed.” Star had her head tilted to the side like a sacath trying to figure a situation out. “I have done my analysis and have come to the conclusion that my words about My Lord Marcael are the cause of your discomfort. I do not understand why calling him a ‘hard man’ would upset you.”
Brennae had a feeling she wasn’t going to get out of this conversation with her dignity intact. “It was an unusual reaction I had to the way you said his name. Not what you said it’s—”
“You had an emotional reaction to my words? If I am reading you correctly the feeling you experienced was...jealousy?” Star looked shocked. “Is that correct?”
Brennae felt her face go further up in flames. “You are very beautiful and I don’t even know Marcael to be jealous. It was a stupid reaction, I’m sorry.”
Star examined her and smiled, “You are also very beautiful Brennae. My interactions with My Lord Marcael are not as humans interact with each other. As to not knowing him, if you have this strong reaction of jealousy then perhaps your body already knows as much as it needs to.”
Being raised in Terraneu with everyone open about all things sexual had not prepared her for a life lesson from a sexually trained robot! “Really Star it’s not that I don’t appreciate your advice —” again Star interrupted her.
“That is what I should do for you as my new friend.” Star clapped her hands together, “I should give you advice. I can tell by the color you are turning that talking about sexual topics is distressing. I can therefore assume that you have not had many sexual encounters.”
“Star!” Brennae couldn’t help laughing, “I really don’t need schooling on sex.” Sexual education was something all students on Terraneu had finished by their sixteenth year. The details were all covered in their classes. It was the emotions that they hadn’t been able to go over. Those you had to muddle through on your own. “And I have had plenty of ‘sexual encounters’ as you put it.”
When Star just kept looking at her with a raised eyebrow Brennae confessed, “Okay, maybe not that many encounters. It is difficult for me on Terraneu. I just haven’t met the right man.”
“We are not on Terraneu.” Star insisted, “Can you still say you have not met the right man?”
As if conjured by their conversation the doors to the medical unit opened and in walked Marcael.
Chapter Nine
Marcael had gone to the training facilities and worked out with some of the other males. They were all curious about the female they heard was on the Elyon. He only had a few loyal friends left now that Colle and Mallex were on Terraneu. The six still onboard he had placed in strategic positions in case they had to make their move against Knuan early.
Moving swiftly into medical he stopped short when he saw that Brennae was not alone. There was a STARR unit in the room with her. Scowling hotly at the female STARR he moved to Brennae. “You are awake.” His eyes roamed eagerly over her face, “Are you feeling better?”
She had been red faced when he entered the room, and her face flushed even hotter with him standing next to her. He was instantly concerned that maybe she did have some type of illness. Maybe his excuse to keep her under quarantine was a valid one.
“Yes Marcael, I am fine. My face doesn’t even hurt anymore.” She glared at him, which stopped him from reaching for her cheek to see for himself. “By the way...why
did you drug me?”
He had forgotten about the sleep aid, “Oh, that—”
“Yes, that!” She snapped, “Didn’t you trust me to stay here when you told me it was dangerous to go out? What did you think I was going to do...run around the ship advertising my presence?”
Finding himself on the defensive put him on edge. “I was trying to make sure you got adequate rest, instead of sitting here worried the whole time.” He ran his fingers through his hair, “I am sorry I did not think to ask you before administering the sleep aid.”
For some reason Brennae got red faced again, “No, I’m sorry Marcael. I am just a bit out of sorts.” She laughed a cold sound looking around the room, “That is an understatement!”
Marcael moved closer and was not surprised when the STARR moved off the medical bed. “I am needed at the King’s quarters.” Bowing low to him, she went toward the doorway.
Finally able to reach Brennae without interference he put his fingers against her cheek. “Are you sure you are okay?” He looked deep into her violet eyes, searching for some sign of pain.
“I’m fine Marcael. Thank you.” She closed her eyes and tilted her head to rub more of his warmth into her cheek. “If not for you I don’t know what I would do. I know you are doing what you think is best, since this ship is the environment you are used to, I have to defer to your judgment. I’m sorry I snapped at you.”
“It is okay Brennae. I understand how you must be feeling. It will be hard but I want you to try not to worry. I am going to get you out of his mess.” His eyes moved from her cheek to her lips. Parted softly they beckoned to him. Their pink fullness was suddenly moistened when her tongue darted out. He brushed his finger along her lower lip then dragged his eyes from her mouth to see her eyes widened in surprise.
Marcael: A Terraneu Novel, Book Five Page 5