by Dasrim Hasik
Bridget seemed to take in the surroundings with a quiet respect, but chose not to say anything. He squeezed her shoulder much in the same manner that she always did to him.
"Hey, relax. It's just the standing army, right? They looked happy to see me at the gate, so who knows...maybe they'll hear what we have to say when I sit down and talk with the head honcho."
"Head honcho?"
"You know, the head of the military outfit."
Bridget nodded. "I did not fully catch all of the pop culture references in Earth culture. So much ground to cover."
Jack shrugged and kept walking around, looking ahead at the guide trying to get them both down a narrow hallway that led to another set of double doors. He passed a sea of soldiers that were in the process of carrying around boxes, holding communication devices of all types, including a lot of technology he had never really set his eyes on.
He really wanted to make sure that he could sit down with someone more technical than he was at the moment and figure out everything that Reversia really had to offer. His imagination was running wild, calculating all of the different issues involved with the military. He needed to make sure that he not only took over, but made sure that things were as fair as they could be.
Yet he knew that the military would present its own set of conflicts. It went without saying that they had a lot of power, and if the Council wasn't willing to give up their power, what made him think that the military would feel any different than the Council had? He just had to have a little faith and trust into the world around him. He had a feeling things would pick up, and he could finally start communicating real ideas.
Jack found himself looking at a man that had a long tunic on, topped with a gold belt but a full row of ribbons and pins all over the front of his outfit. He carried a small sword at his side yet did not touch it in response to Jack walking in.
"Ah, my good king. How are you today?" The man's voice held warmth and welcome, yet Jack knew better than to assume that everything was on the up and up. He figured it would be a lot better to tread carefully and make sure that everything was actually going to be set up the way it needed to be.
"May I sit down? This is one of my advisors, Miss Bridget, and we've been hoping to find the right time to speak with you about the future of not only the City of Reversia, but the military force that protects the town as well."
He held out a hand. "Challender Hazee, Commander in Chief, at your service my lord."
Jack shook it firmly and said slowly, "Have we spoken in the past?"
Commander Hazee nodded. "I was informed by my brother the other day that you had returned and planned to take back the city. I was a firm supporter of yours when you ruled the first time, and I know that I would like to be counted as one of your allies."
Bridget sat down in a chair and said, "Let’s sit down and get some details worked out."
The commander eyed Bridget suspiciously. "This must be a new measure of yours, to allow women to speak alongside male leaders."
Jack shrugged. "I do not see why anyone would turn away valuable advice and insight just because it comes from a woman."
The boss of all soldiers just nodded, choosing to swallow his words for now. Jack could sense that the man wanted to say more but he knew he was not speaking to a like mind.
In many ways, the people in Reversia reacted the same way that the people back home reacted to things that were new to them. They feared them, shunned them, and decided to do anything and everything that didn't involve actually incorporating the new changes. The fact that the commander would actually reject sage advice just because of the gender of the person was ridiculous in Jack's eyes.
Is everyone backward here? Or have I simply not seen these issues and they festered into the problems they are today? So many things to do. I don't know if I will be able to actually keep up with so much going on at once.
They began to pull out notebooks and get down to business, leaving Jack feeling just a little more accomplished. This would be only one in a series of discussions, but it was an important one.
After all, he knew that the commander was connected to the Council, and that meant that the changes would be spread around the leadership class like wildfire. Commentary would fly, and he would be able to refine strategy over time. Today is starting to be a good day after all.
Chapter 5: No Way Out
When Alara finished her conference with her mother, she couldn't leave fast enough. Even though she was given time to shower and change into another outfit for the social calls that would need to be done, she still felt dirty. It was like there was no amount of soap in the world that would be able to scour away the disgust that she felt down into her bones.
I'm trapped, yet I cannot escape. I have no mouth, yet I must scream. She had read that fleeting line in a book that Jack had brought with him from Earth. It described her position very well -- even though her parents gave her the world, she felt like she could never truly voice her opinion.
Her mother had dominated the conversation, reminding her that if she could hurry the marriage along, she would be able to really control things. But as long as Bridget was in the picture, she would never really get the type of marriage she wanted.
Jackson Stonewell was just too much of a rebel, she concluded. He would never truly do what she needed him to do on his own. He needed to be put into a much more passive role, given only enough power to soothe his ego. She would handle the day to day issues.
Her mother had insinuated that she was clearly not handling her duties, which had made Alara flush red with embarrassment and anger. Sure, they were sleeping in the same bed, but Jack blew her off and that left her with questions.
Enough of this. You are not a small schoolgirl anymore. You're going to be the Queen, and that means you need to grow up. It doesn't matter what he does or doesn't do. Merely what you do or don't do.
She smiled fondly at the box she had left with out of her family's home. As her fingertips traced the outlines of the box, she realized that the perfect way to push Bridget out of Jack's life was right there waiting for her to exploit. My day just keeps getting better and better.
"Guess what I learned from JANE today?" Jack couldn't wait to share his findings with Bridget. He found that the more they spent time together rebuilding things around the City, the more he really appreciated her.
She was very thorough with her time, choosing to make sure that his questions were answered as carefully as possible, sparing no detail. He knew that she wanted to make sure that he wasn't going to miss out on this or that, and that was pretty important to her.
So she had filled him in on the banks, more on the money system, more on the Cities that formed the regions of Rubicon that were the most inhabited.
He began to see animals emerging onto the deserted plains around them, and that amazed him as well. He had seen brightly colored birds, slow moving turtles, and plenty of interesting fauna in between.
The flora was just as interesting. He saw a few things that reminded him of Earth, and that made him a little sad. He wanted to check on his sister and make sure that she was okay, but he knew that there wasn't anything to check on. She was probably making moony eyes at the football guy that she loved calling her boyfriend, even though it never felt like he gave her the time of day.
He wanted to pretend that his parents missed him, but he had heard them -- they didn't care, and they probably were happier just assuming that they could finally do whatever it is that they were wishing they could have done before having him and his sister.
He felt unwanted, and that was all right. He had a new world to develop, and he would look forward to the many changes that would be rolled out.
Bridget was next to him in the passenger seat, letting the warm breeze blow through her long curly hair. She had explained to him that Reversian women tend to grow their hair very easily, so she often cut it short and then let it grow back over the course of a week.
Time was som
ething that was measured out in hours, minutes, and seconds -- sometimes even less, but that was only in the science realm. Bridget seemed to have a sense of pride talking to him about the way her society's culture developed and expanded, but there was a touch of sadness as well.
"Do you ever think about going back, Jack?"
The question threw him off. "It doesn't matter, Bridget. You said that you can't turn back."
The woman nodded, and then bit her lip. "That's not always true, though. Sometimes the gate opens for a few days and you can at least see the life you left behind. Do you want to see it?"
Jack thought about the question for a long time. If he agreed to look at it, it would mean that he wasn't fully ready to move forward. "I don't know if I should even bother. That life is behind me, so why revisit it all of the time. You all need me here, focused on taking care of things here. I can't say that I'm doing that if I'm constantly thinking about life on Earth. Those people don't think about me. I won't waste sleep worrying over people that can't be bothered to think about me at all."
He continued to drive, admiring the different panels and switches that he could activate. He had taken the time to skim the large owner's manual, liking the fact that it was all stored on a tablet. He had found a section about "Air Mode" and was going to demonstrate to Bridget. "Hey, JANE...let's go up in the air. Gentle speed, gentle altitude, so we can view the City from the air."
The car chirped to acknowledge him, and then transformed into a small yet comfortable airplane, taking them up into the air. "Acknowledged. Will you need to take the controls?"
"No, JANE, please just give us a small tour of the city. Start with the outer ring and simply move up and down the grid of the street system until we reach Memorial Hall and then take us back to Quiet River compound."
Another chirp sounded, and Jack settled back into his seat. He noticed that the aircraft was very roomy, and it gave Bridget a chance to prop up her legs on something.
Even though she was wearing a full jump suit, he noticed how shapely her legs were. It was a small distraction, but he couldn't help it. It was very nice and easy to just be with Bridget. Even though she saw him as the king, she also realized that he needed to have someone in his corner as well. It was a nice compromise that really worked well for all parties involved, and that was definitely a good thing.
He lightly held her hand as they looked down over the City. He noticed that many buildings had seemed to rebuild themselves, the hollowed out look giving way to taller buildings that had newer materials.
Before he could ask the question, Bridget said simply, "The land can tell how committed you are. That was what was missing -- commitment, Jack. You weren't sure where you belonged. You belong here. You are as much a Reversian as you are an Earth citizen. It will be a lot of different changes now that you are making this your home, but we’re all pulling for you. We're all here for you. You don't have to worry or think that your life is going to be over. I mean that. Things are starting to get better already. "
Sometimes, having no way out could be a good thing, he mused to himself. It would be a great day after all. Somewhere else in the region, a gathering was taking shape. The man in the middle of the meeting was completely sure of himself.
He laid out a few photographs carefully, watching the faces of his brethren. He smiled to himself. They were pawns and they knew it, but he was lord over them.
Although he was aware of his masculinity, he knew on this chessboard he would need to stand tall as a king, yet have the fluid grace of the queen piece, sliding in any direction that was needed to catch the enemy off guard.
A few of his brethren had commented on the unsuccessful capture on the water a few days ago. That was short sighted thinking, and he despised it. This was why he was the leader of the rebel forces of Schaler while so many others had failed in the past.
The boy king was not a threat to him. He was insecure, shy, and lacked the confidence necessary to lead a nation. He was sure of this. He knew that the woman with him was looking after her own ambitions, and that meant that he was a king without a queen piece to defend him at all times.
Raest smiled to himself some more. The boy king was years away from truly being ready to lead, but he knew that directly trying to get the new king to favor him would prove unsuccessful. The Silent Sages had no doubt talked about the Schaler forces in a negative tone, painting them as rebels without a cause.
They had plenty of cause. Watching every other class get the spoils while they suffered and had to chafe under Reversian rule was embarrassing. Millions of Marcars had been set aside for specific purposes, yet was spent by lazy minds that only thought about appearances. Substance was far more important than appearance, but you couldn't tell those fools that at all.
Raest did not feel weary, nor suffer from believing that his mission did not have merit. It was a glorious cause, and he would rejoice when they pushed the boy king out of his fragile throne and reclaimed the world that was rightfully theirs. It was only a matter of time.
There was no way out, no turning back. All of Raest's men knew it. Lived it. Breathed it. They had signed on hoping to get a piece of the new power base for themselves, but Raest had other ideas. Once he gained control of the world around him, he would cull the weak and keep only those that were not going to keep him from actually doing what he set out to do in the first place.
It would require all of his concentration in order to play this strategy game, but he had plenty of time. When one had a long life, one had plenty of time. No way out. Ever. Just the way Raest preferred life to be. Soon, boy king. But not soon enough.
Chapter 6: Call of the World
After seeing the City by air, Jack was convinced that he was truly where he needed to be. From the tall buildings that seemed to have infinite space to climb all the way up to the people that seemed to begin milling around the city streets like tiny ants, he felt that he finally had a home.
He finally had things to be proud of. He finally felt like he had a need to truly be where he was, and to do the things that he always wanted to do. If he could reach for anything, what would he reach for? Wealth was never something that was explained to him as a boy, because his parents didn't believe in it.
But he had always thought of the things that he would do if he could get the type of money needed to change lives. He told himself that he would like to actually reach out and be something incredible in the lives of so many people.
He finally got that chance, and he wasn't looking to try to waste it in any way, shape, or form. It was just too important, and people like Bridget confirmed this to him. They believed in him, even when he wasn't so sure that he necessarily believed in himself. Yet someone had to do something to ease the frustrations and pain of the City -- why shouldn't it be him?
For once, his mind wasn't distracting him with the issue of the two women in his new life. He wanted to make sure that the City was taken care of, but it was time to start making use of his kingly powers.
They had landed JANE in a large field, where they envisioned the hospital. He remembered Bridget's hands gleefully running over the pancake replica of the hospital he thought about building.
The stonecraft seemed to spark from his fingertips as he drew in his mind and on the air what he envisioned. For a moment or two, the whole site seemed to go very quiet. Yet there was something in the air waiting for him, and he decided to make sure that he was doing it right.
He confirmed in his head with everything he had that he believed in building some facility to address the needs of the sick. He envisioned people walking in and out of the clinics and the big hospital at the center of it all.
He wanted it badly, and once he closed his eyes and opened them again, the ground began to shake. The foundation was being created before his very eyes, causing Bridget to jump up and down with joy.
"You're building it! You're really building the hospital! That's incredible."
Jack continued to push himself n
early to the limit, slowly constructing more and more until he felt exhausted. The foundation had been poured and set, and he had begun to fill in the frame.
"I feel very tired. Do I really have to do all of the work for all of the new construction?"
Bridget shook her head. "No, not at all. In fact, you're going to need to get the support of the City itself in order to continue development. Once everyone starts dreaming, big things will eventually happen. These mountainous problems of ours? They will be overcome eventually. You have to believe that with everything you have, Jack."
Jack hummed. "So what do I do from here?"
Bridget grinned. "It's time to make the Call of the World, Jack. You need to address your people. Not the Council, not the army, not even the leadership class. You need to speak to everyday people that are hoping that you will truly be our forever king, and a true Dreamer."
Jack felt nervous. Talking to a huge throng of people in person wasn't what he wanted to do. Couldn't he just email everyone?
Bridget smirked at him. "Why not broadcast over the Reversia Communications Link? Everyone carries an RCL friendly device. They can send and receive messages and pick up on city-wide broadcasts. It's like your TV back home, but better. Much better. Call of the World is an event that Dreamers do when something needs to be said in a way that reaches everyone. If you take that step, everyone will hear you and they will know you have truly returned."
Jack nodded to himself, thinking over his options. It was time to stop running and start fighting for the future. The best thing he could honestly do would be to get people to buy into what he was saying. Even if they disagreed, they would start a dialogue that ultimately got people to talk about what they truly wanted to see in the town.
He thought about the type of leadership he would want to see and committed himself to that. He wanted to be a king that listened to the people at every turn, and manifested and implemented things that would benefit them.