The Warlord

by CJ Williams

  “How did this happen?” I said. “I didn’t order that. Who told you to take off?”

  “Princess Annie,” Freddi replied. “Once you informed me of His Majesty’s passing I asked Her Highness for permission to launch. I have formally transferred command to her.”

  *.*.*.*

  After almost six weeks of travel, my relationship with the Phantom had not improved.

  “Barrett, report to the command bridge,” Freddi said.

  That still irked me. No please, no thank you. I have to admit, I had grown quite averse to the stupid machine. The infuriating spaceship treated me like a thing. At least Annie had convinced her to quit calling me ‘unit’ Barrett.

  Still, since I had Annie back and she was comfortable, I could live with it for now. But it was something I had to address for the future. I could not take care of Annie in a galaxy where I was considered a non-entity. Decisions had to be made on a continuing basis. The problem came to an early head the second we left the Grey planet. The original plan was for Annie and I to travel on the yacht and have Freddi and all the robotic soldiers ditch into the local sun to keep our technology out of Grey hands. I even included suicide programming in all of my manufactured units in case they were damaged to the point they were not mobile.

  But after my run-in with the suddenly prickly Freddi, I thought it best to keep my soldiers close at hand. At least they answered to me.

  The argument started when Freddi ordered the Sadie-class yacht to fly into the local sun for disposal. When I countermanded the order she just ignored me. I had to swallow my pride and once again ask Annie to intervene. By the time I got everything explained it was too late. The yacht and a good chunk of my army was gone.

  The continual disobedience by Freddi made traveling difficult. The human Luke had indeed reset all the programming I had so painstakingly created. As a result, I couldn’t even order a cup of coffee from the galley. It was frustrating.

  Annie wanted to head straight to Haiyanas Seven to see Carrie personally and tell her about her big brother but I wasn’t ready for that. I was afraid it would turn into a confrontation.

  After a long conversation, I convinced Annie that we needed to check on the population I left behind on N93-4. My standard operating procedure was to always station one of my military officers on a newly visited planet. They acted as the Nobility’s liaison and in some cases as governor.

  I explained that during the initial battle, I had given Captain Elaine Cain a battlefield promotion. But after the Greys tried to escape with Annie and Rosa, there had been no time to brief Elaine on standard policies. I owed it to the citizens of that planet to check on their status.

  “That’s not the only problem,” I said. “The fact is I need to regroup and rethink. You’ve seen Freddi’s reaction to my robotic presence. What will happen if we return to Nobility society right now. Androids are an anathema. It might not even be safe.”

  I hadn’t predicted this eventuality and I needed to come up with a permanent solution. I was sure I could sort the problem out once we got to system N93. Annie had finally agreed and gave Freddi the instruction.

  I walked onto the bridge. “I’m here, Freddi. What do you want?”

  “Standby,” she replied.

  I stood silently, growing more irritated, as time passed. After five minutes, I’d had enough. “If you called me here to ignore me, I’m leaving.”

  “That is not the reason I called you. I simply wanted Her Highness to have privacy while she communicated with Colonel Hogan. He is the current planetary governor. She is speaking with him now.”

  “What?” I left the bridge at a run. I got to our stateroom just as Annie was about to terminate the call.

  “All right then, Colonel Hogan,” she said. “We just wanted to check on you. If you’re sure there’s nothing you need I guess—”

  “We’ll stay out of your way when we land!” I interjected hastily.

  Annie looked up in surprise at my noisy entrance. I sat next to her on the couch and took her hand, patting it reassuringly. I turned to the display screen where Colonel Hogan was sitting at an ornately carved wooden desk.

  “Good to see you again, Colonel,” I said. “I’m glad you survived my bailing out on you.”

  “Hello, Barrett. My condolences for your loss. Mrs. Blackburn told me about your situation. I’m very sorry for the loss of His Majesty. That is a blow to our galaxy.”

  “Well, thank you Colonel,” I replied. “But, not to put too fine a point on it, I’m still alive. We have a few technical issues to work out, but I’m fully functional; still king and all that. That’s beside the point, however. We’d like to stop here and let Annie stretch her legs and get some fresh air. Any problems with that?”

  It surprised me when he looked at Annie for approval. She nodded and he told her, “Of course not. We would be delighted to welcome Her Highness to our humble planet. We will host a banquet in Her Highness’s honor. My ministers would be overjoyed to meet the new queen.” Hogan faltered for a moment and glanced at me adding, “And the…uh… new you, Barrett.”

  Clearly, Freddi had already told Governor Hogan my name was Barrett. I would have to correct that, but not right this instant.

  We exchanged a few pleasantries and cut the connection. I looked at Annie. “This is going to be more difficult than I thought. It is still me, you know.”

  She squeezed my hand. “I do know. But we have to be patient. You don’t realize how much you scared me at first. If I hadn’t been so desperate I wouldn’t have gone with you. But I did and it gave me a chance to understand that it is you. What I’m saying is that we just have to give people time.”

  “It’s the implant thing,” I said. “To every AI in the Nobility I’m an automaton. They don’t recognize me as a Level-One; or any level for that matter. I’m just a thing.”

  Annie shrugged. “Is that so bad? What’s wrong with letting Carrie be the monarch? I won’t complain if we just go back to Japurnam Five and retire. We have a long life in front of us. Think of all the good we could do there. You would become a mentor for the entire galaxy.”

  When she framed it that way, it sounded great and I said so. “But we have to be realistic,” I added. “There are still threats to humanity. The Bakkui are still out there and now this treaty thing with the Greys. You know Carrie; she’s such a pacifist these days. How is she going to wage a war on two-fronts?”

  “That’s true,” Annie admitted.

  “Believe me, I’m all in favor of your long-term objective. It sounds like heaven. I want us to raise Rosa and maybe a dozen other kids. And like you said, we have plenty of time. But right now, we need to take care of the threat—work first, and then an early retirement.”

  Annie leaned against me and sighed. “We’ve been fighting for so long. I wish it would end.”

  “Me too.” I pulled her close for a warm embrace. Having her next to me made everything worthwhile. I told her so, whispering in her ear.

  “Give me a kiss,” she whispered back.

  I did. More than one. And then one thing led to another and afterwards I was so grateful to the human Luke for his insistence that I was to be a fully functional male. It was great!

  *.*.*.*

  We stepped out of the Phantom onto to the concrete tarmac on the fourth planet in system N93. During our approach Colonel Hogan politely let us know the locals called their world, Mauga. He was waiting, along with a dozen officers and dignitaries. They had even laid out a red carpet. He bowed to Annie and gave me a nervous look; his eyes darting back and forth between us.

  She took the lead to get past the awkward stage by slipping her arm through mine and leaning against me. “Colonel Hogan, let me present to you my husband.” She smiled and stared straight into his eyes. “The King.”

  He capitulated.

  “Your Majesty,” Hogan said, bowing again. “Forgive my clumsy greeting. It’s a bit unusual and I am abjectly sorry.”

  I could be magna
nimous now. I stepped forward and held out my hand. “Don’t worry about it, Tanner. I’m the one who should apologize for abandoning you that day and running off with your spaceship.” I smiled at him to show no hard feelings. “Did you ever get those Grey leaders?”

  He returned an uncertain smile of his own. “No, Sire. Once you departed, I’m afraid they all perished in the confusion. In fact, there are none left alive on the planet.”

  “Good job, Colonel. I’m not sure how big the Grey problem is within our territory, but I promise we’re going to solve it. I will not have human beings treated like livestock. Not within Nobility space and not anywhere in this galaxy.”

  “A wise decision, Sire. More than a few people will welcome that policy. Please come this way and meet my ministers.”

  The Colonel trooped Annie and I through a brief reception line. I got a lot of curious looks, but Hogan had set the tone by introducing me as the king. Once that fact became accepted, the evening went smoothly. By the time we reached the banquet hall I was actually feeling welcomed.

  During a break between courses, I leaned toward Hogan. “Do you go by Colonel or Governor, these days?”

  “I am Governor now, Sire. It seemed appropriate.”

  I nodded. “That’s a smart approach. It seems to be the trend although we’ve never formalized it. What’s your opinion on that? You’ve probably heard about Governor Bradley, of Bradley’s Planet. He said it gave him a different mindset.”

  “That’s true, Sire. As a governor, I can’t just order people around. I have to work with my ministers. A political leader has to set an example of good governance. A royal policy that discourages the use of martial law would be a good thing.”

  After a bit more small talk, I brought up my longer-term plan. “Tanner, I could use your help on something. Before we move on, I’d like to set up a small manufacturing line to replenish my soldiers. Annie and I have some technical issues with the standard Nobility AIs because in my current form, I don’t have an implant. We need to research how to address my non-human status and I’m not sure how long that will take.”

  “I’m not sure how can we help, Sire. Our expertise is fairly limited.”

  “No, that’s okay. I can handle the technology side. But until I get that sorted out, we need a reliable army that will preserve and protect the Nobility. For now, I’d like to borrow some land to set up an operations base to reconstitute my forces. All I require is an out-of-the-way place so I can get to work.”

  He didn’t like the idea, but what could he say? “Of course, Sire. We are pleased to serve you.”

  The real highlight of the evening however, was Annie. She smiled and laughed all through dinner. She had been a prisoner for almost a year under the worst circumstances. Not just fearing death, but the most gruesome ending imaginable. Now she was free, with her own people and, literally, being treated like royalty.

  She had, at last, totally accepted me as her lover and husband, and at this very moment, Rosa was under the capable ministrations of Mazie. The normalcy of the evening made her blossom. I saw a glimmer of the girl I had fallen in love with; the caged victim I pulled out of the prison cell was starting to fade.

  After dinner was over, dozens of courtiers and ministers sought out her presence, everyone eager to rub shoulders with the beautiful queen.

  For myself, it wasn’t quite as jovial. People weren’t sure how to deal with me. They hemmed and hawed and stammered over their salutations. I didn’t worry about it and conscientiously overlooked several inadvertent insults. Mostly, I stayed close to Annie and made sure she didn’t drink too much. Throughout the evening, she would look at me and smile. Each time she did, it made my heart soar.

  When the festivities were over, Governor Hogan offered us the royal suite in the town’s most prestigious inn. I smiled inwardly wondering how long it had been known as the royal suite. Annie graciously declined, citing that we needed to stay close to Freddi and her medical assistance for our daughter. It was merely an excuse. The simple fact was Annie felt secure in our stateroom and I liked having a little privacy.

  *.*.*.*

  The next morning, after a round of pre-dawn passion, I had a big smile on my face. I was ready to meet any of the challenges the universe might throw my way. Even my insufferable Phantom. At the moment, her cargo bay doors were open and a fresh breeze filled the air.

  I strolled through the ship’s corridors until I reached the gymnasium. It was jam packed with my mechanical soldiers. The room mostly held Barbicans, all standing heel to toe, but included plenty of rovers and mobile units too, all crammed tightly together.

  The setting reminded me of China’s infamous Terracotta Army, long buried in an underground necropolis. Like the Chinese warriors, my own mechanized guards stood in densely packed columns, silently waiting for another call to duty.

  “Freddi!” I shouted in good humor.

  “What do you want Barrett?” she asked, her voice booming from hidden speakers.

  “Not you,” I said, ignoring her insulting tone and yelled again like I was calling a faithful canine. “Where’s my Freddi wagon? I know you’re in here.”

  “Back here, Commander,” a voice echoed from the far side of the gym.

  “Front and center,” I shouted. “We’ve got work to do.”

  My order galvanized all the mechanical occupants between us. Motionless soldiers came to life, suddenly scrambling to move out of the way of my heavily armored accomplice. Amidst a cacophony of beeps and boops, the armored personnel carrier made her way to me. One or two Barbicans took a spill when they didn’t get clear of her bull bar, but no permanent harm was done. After the machine-driven hubbub died down, my own Freddi stood before me.

  “Freddi,” I said almost affectionately. “The first thing we have to do is give you a new name. It’s too confusing with the idiot AI of this ship.”

  “Well,” Freddi said. “I am that same idiot, as you are well aware.”

  “I don’t think so,” I replied. “Who am I?”

  “King Lucas of the First Family, Commander Lucas Blackburn of the Alliance and the Warlord over the Milky Way galaxy.”

  I burst out laughing and pumped my fist in the air. “Yes! That’s exactly right! But the AI on this ship doesn’t acknowledge any of that. She thinks I am a robot and nothing more.”

  “Then she is a fool!” my Freddi van said vehemently. “And I have no wish to be associated with her. In that case, I am ready for a new name. I will be a loyal Maid Marian to your Robin Hood.”

  I liked the analogy. Lately I had been feeling very much an outcast.

  “All right,” I exclaimed. “Marian it is. And I pronounce that a noble name.”

  “I accept the designation. I will respond henceforth to the name of Marian. Thank you, Your Majesty.”

  “You got it,” I said, my mood suddenly much improved. “Before we get too far down the road, I just want to confirm something for my own peace of mind. You are essentially a replica of Freddi. You are a Level-Ten AI. Is that right?”

  “That is correct.”

  “And you have all the engineering knowledge that Freddi has and you can replicate everything she could, right?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “That’s what I wanted to hear. Let’s get started!”

  Of course, it’s never that easy. I told the Phantom’s Freddi to transport us to a spot of ground that was one mountain range over so I could offload my soldiers. I had worked out the location with Tanner the night before. It was farther away than I intended, but I could tell he wanted some distance between his city and whatever I was up to.

  Not surprisingly, Freddi just ignored me. I had to bother Annie and have her give the order.

  Eventually we arrived at the isolated desert valley. Totally secluded, it was perfect for my plans. In short order, my entire military had disembarked.

  I ran back on the ship and kissed Rosa on the head and gave Annie a peck on the cheek. “Thanks, babe. You and Ros
a should head on back. By tonight I’ll have my own transportation.”

  “You sure?”

  “Very sure. What about you? Will you be okay on your own?”

  She nodded confidently. “I’m positive. I feel so much better today. I guess I needed a break more than I realized. How long do you want to stay here?”

  “I could use a couple of months to get everything done.”

  Annie didn’t bat an eye. “That works for me. I was thinking about it last night. While we’re here, I’m going to ask Governor Hogan if he can find us a small house. We need a chance to live together like a normal family. I want a backyard where we can play with Rosa.”

  “Okay,” I said agreeably. “We’ll stay as long as you like, but Rosa’s not even crawling. I don’t think you need monkey bars just yet.” I grinned and gave her a hug.

  Annie smiled. “Sorry. I get a little on edge sometimes.” She squeezed me and backed away. “You go ahead and play with your soldiers. I’m going to have lunch with my baby. See you.”

  With that I left her on the Phantom and called for my newly named Marian.

  “Here I am,” she replied, standing amongst the Barbicans.

  “All right then,” I said, rubbing my hands together. “Let’s get one of the robot replicators up here. I need you to manufacture one of those unfolding replicators. I want something big enough to replicate a warship, but with an AI that recognizes me as King Lucas.”

  “That will not be a problem, Your Majesty. Commencing now.”

  “And I want several of them. We’re going to build a military worthy of the name Warlord.”

  Chapter Twelve – Haiyanas Seven

  Carrie, her advisors and local ministers were already waiting in the conference room when Luke arrived. He nodded at the recently promoted Captain Elaine Cain and acknowledged Grant Jefferies, now serving as advisor to Princess Carrie. Luke didn’t recognize the others sitting around the table. He accepted the group’s congratulations on his recovery, but frankly he felt such good wishes were not warranted. He had come back empty-handed and that cast a pall over everything.