The Rise of Planet Rubicon - Part Two

by Dasrim Hasik

  Those rumors could destroy a marriage better than any infidelity or any other betrayal between the spouses. She just wanted to be free, but that would never happen.

  She wondered what it would be like to live in the rebel city of Schaler and never have to think about politics or her image. She could wake up, run free, come back home and be loved by people that at least had the same goals as she did.

  Anyone caught moving to Schaler or aligning with the rebel forces would find themselves facing a serious trial and possibly even deportation to the prison planet, but Alara knew how to hide her steps. She would never be caught doing actual treason.

  Jack Stonewell, in her mind, didn't have the guts to charge her formally for it. It would not be something that would end fell for him anyway. The entire Council would turn on the king, and possibly even do what they could to elect a new king.

  Her mother's question hung in the air long enough, and Alara heard the older woman sigh. It would not bode well for her plans to let the old fool think she was being insolent too long, so she smoothed out her dress and nodded.

  "Forgive me, Mother, I lost myself for a moment."

  The older woman raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. "I haven't even told your father about this disgrace! He still thinks he's going to be welcoming a son! How could you fail so miserably?"

  Alara shrugged. "I do not know, Mother. I used the box you gave me and did exactly as I was told to do...but he saw through it. I have never seen anyone break an illusion like that."

  "Well, it was clearly a fluke of circumstance. No Reversian man would be able to break it, and those Earth people aren't very bright anyway. "

  Alara let her mother rant and rave for a moment, until the woman gently stroked her cheek.

  "I know you are having a challenging time in your life, but there's no need to believe that you have to give up on our shared agenda. I will see you become the Queen of Reversia in my lifetime. You may stay here, daughter, while we work on a new plan."

  A new plan? Alara mused to herself, picking up a pastry from the receiving tray. Her mother was a stickler for tradition, so even though she had appeared in the middle of the night, there were still refreshments prepared for her. A fine breakfast had started to make her feel brand new, ready for anything.

  Jack Stonewell and Bridget would have to pay for their crimes against her. And who knows? Maybe when she became Queen, she would offer Bridget a position at her home as a servant. After all, she had to admit those pancakes were delicious.

  I will build a world unlike any in existence. I will wear the Crown of All Dreamers and control a nation that cannot resist bowing to my every whim!

  It was a thought that inspired Raest to continue forward. Life had become a never-ending chessboard for him, and it made him feel weary and tired.

  There were so many things that needed to be done, and very little time to honestly get everything done. It would have to be done in a certain way, and there could be no mistakes.

  Even though he didn't fear the boy king, he knew that the people of Reversia would have no qualms asking for a death sentence to be carried out.

  The death bringers were vicious, and they did not show mercy to any prisoner for any reason. If your time was near, your time was near.

  They would not be kind about it. Then again, if you were executed for treason, you had already proven you were no friend of the state, either.

  The state made him sick. Even if Reversia became a golden city full of prosperity again, he would despise the state.

  True freedom did not come from comfort or convenience. It came from being able to live one's life in any way they wanted to live it. Raest didn't feel free at all -- not even in Schaler, where it felt like a million eyes were watching him.

  He knew that they wanted to take over what he had built, and he would not step down for anyone. There were too many things to do, and too many people that were more than willing to do them for him.

  He wanted to make sure that he could watch everything unfold, but there would be issues ahead of him that kept him from really making a move.

  The boy king would not be a boy king forever, so it would be important to squash him before he even had a chance to grow to manhood. A king that was truly a full grown male could be dangerous.

  He knew that all creatures eventually evolve and adapt. Would he really be able to outrun Jack's growth phase? He really did think so. It would be difficult for a man from Earth to beat a Reversian.

  He had grown up his whole life being trained in the mental arts -- what Earthling could compete with that? The servant girl coughed, interrupting his thoughts.

  "High Lord, may I wash your hair now? The shipment of Glenwater oils came in for you. I would be honored if I could tend to your needs and make you feel new again."

  Raest raised his eyebrow at the girl and studied her for a moment. There was no defiance in her voice, and no hint of seduction. It was simply a rather submissive girl trying her best to stay on his good side.

  He couldn't be upset with that. Once upon a time, he had been a boy trying to stay out of the way of a family that had plenty of ambition, but no real connections to speak of.

  He stroked her cheek gently, noticing her flinch. He wouldn't take her, wouldn't pull her into the bath that was big enough for more than just one servant girl and himself.

  That was not on his agenda. He would wait a while before making that type of move. She would come around eventually, anyway. He smiled, trying not to be self-conscious of the scars on his face or chest. He was a warrior now, and damage was part of the job.

  You had to give damage -- heavy damage, if you wanted to get rid of those brainwashed Reversian bastard soldiers -- and you had to be tough enough to receive damage as well.

  It was a good shot, one born from him not paying close enough attention to his enemy. He even had it laced with salt from the deepest Reversian mines so that it would scar up. It was a reminder that he couldn't let his feelings or thoughts wander too much. "Yes, my dear girl. I think I'll take that offer."

  As the servant girl knelt down to smooth the oils out onto his hair -- oils that smelled of rich soil and bright skies -- he closed his eyes and truly began to feel brand new, indeed.

  Chapter 9: Healing Fresh Wounds

  Bridget got out of the house before everyone and beamed down to the Square. There wasn't a lot of activity, but there was just enough to make her realize that people were getting excited.

  She studied the Reversians that milled around her, dressed in their finest. Some had plenty of finery to show off, while others struggled. She could even tell who was part of what class.

  There were ladies in fine silks that would never be available to a merchant's daughter -- not unless that merchant had deals under the table that were more lucrative than anything he could receive through legal channels.

  She missed her father, and had forgotten to see him. After the hospital construction site, she would at least try to stop in and say hello. The shop was always busy, but at least she could make an effort to try.

  She paused for a minute, thinking about her options. It would be better to actually focus on her family first. She wanted to have the right energy went she went to the new construction site, and being around her family always made her feel great.

  She used her family pin to transport herself right in front of the big store that her family had ran even when she was a child, and then knocked gently at the door.

  A tall woman opened the door quickly and then looked down at her. "Daughter! My busy girl has come home to Mama!"

  Bridget smiles brightly as her mother swept her up into a big hug, and then made a face at her outfit.

  "Oh, you. Why don't you ever spend any money on yourself? You're always in those silly jumpsuits." When Bridget didn't answer right away, her mother laughed.

  "Well, you let Essie fret over you a little, eh? We have some Reversian ah, buffalo I guess. That's what the Earthlings called those hairy beas
ts that the feather people used extensively?"

  "They're called Native Americans, Mama. And yes, buffalo sounds really good. Have you been talking with the Research Center again?"

  "Of course. They're finally learning how to be a bit more merchant like, as it's helping them recapture the funding that they lost during the Great Absence. Of course, buffalo probably isn't what you want, not after being a guest of the king for so long!"

  Essie blushed a little, feeling embarrassed. It was always like that with her mother -- she would insist that it really didn't matter to her what her family had or didn't have, but Essie would still wail that it wasn't nearly enough.

  Now that Bridget had been entrusted with the welfare of the king and his safety, Essie would be even quicker to point out all of the things their family didn't have.

  She was the oldest of three children, and the other two were model kids, taking to their lessons and never asking questions. It was something that used to make Bridget annoyed, but it didn't upset her too much any longer.

  "Where is Papa?"

  "In his workroom. Oh, don't worry about bothering him. He would love to see you too. Please say that you'll at least stay for a muffin or a cookie? I made some fresh pastries!"

  She nodded. "I can stay. I'll go and say hello to Papa, okay?"

  Essie waved her off and Bridget stepped deeper into the shop, going downstairs into al large cellar. There was her father's workroom, his laboratory where he cooked up new designs that his customers would adore.

  Her family sold everything from food to tools and everything in between. Many things were made with direct mental power, which meant that he could charge a good premium for them.

  They could be tuned to power themselves off portable power packs that were made from mined materials, or they could run off direct mental power.

  Her father even sold balls of mental energy that could be used to power the things that he created. For a price, you would have a high quality product that would serve you well.

  She tapped lightly on the doorframe but her father laughed. "I'm here, darling! Come on down!" Her father was even taller than her mother, and very broad. Years of working in workrooms like this had given him a fine layer of muscle.

  He was not a wilting flower by any stretch of the imagination. Nobody could look at him and not determine that he was a man put on the planet Rubicon to work very hard.

  Bridget smiled at her father. Frederick Garwicke was a man that truly loved his children and it was no secret that he had a soft spot for Bridget. "I've missed you, Papa."

  "Bridges, you could have come home, you know. I would never turn you away. You were just gone on Earth so long that I wondered if I was going to have to start mourning a child rather than celebrating them. How have you been?"

  Her father looked down at her and then smiled widely. "Let me guess -- you’re having trouble with the king, but not the type of trouble that you can really talk to anyone about. Why don't you sit right here, eat some pastries with me, and tell me all about it?"

  Bridget smiled. This is why she needed to come home. No matter what the mission called for, she knew that she could stand up the challenge...her family would always be waiting to recharge her spirits. I have to admit that there are wounds to be healed. Only then will I be able to fully move on to bigger and brighter things.

  Jack got to the hospital construction site, and marveled at the number of people there. Bridget was there and she looked great.

  She was dressed in a dark green dress with a silver belt that hugged her figure for dear life. Short boots with a slight heel completed the look.

  He saw a beautiful flower pendant around her neck, and the flower amazed him. It was not one color, constantly changing colors and even its shape wavered a bit.

  The flower looked like something between a rose, tulip, and even an orchid. He wasn't as well versed on biology as he was in chemistry, but he remembered the flowers his sister would look lovingly at.

  He knew that he was here to bring the hospital into existence, but he felt a little nervous. Would people honestly join with him to do so? Would he really be able to convince them that this was a hospital for all people, and not just people that had a political agenda to benefit from?

  He didn't want this becoming something that was closed off to everyone, like so many things in Reversia seemed to be. He knew that if he really wanted change, he would have to do his best to make it happen.

  So he stepped out in the middle of the field, where the concrete foundation was. He stood on top of it proudly and waved to everyone. Bridget watched him from the sidelines, but he waved her over to him before she could protest.

  "Thank you all for coming. I know that this is a huge step in rebuilding the City of Reversia, so I wanted to make sure that it is highlighted as much as possible. I have even set up this moment to be recorded from many angles, as I want the children of Reversia to look back on this proud moment and know that we served their best interests first. A hospital is not going to be easy. It is a place to heal wounds, new and old, and to keep the sick from sliding into further illness. It is a place where we will all come when we need a little more help than most -- and there's nothing to be ashamed of. It is simply the natural rhythm and flow of life. Just as we have a place where people pass on to the next cycle, we must have a place where we welcome the next wave of children, the next wave of life in this world. I am committed to giving babies a safe place to be born, even when the delivery is hard. If you'll stand with me today, I would be honored to see this hospital come into being."

  There was a loud murmur of approval, and many people stepped closer to the hospital's foundation. Jack felt a rise of pressure against him, but it wasn't anything sinister that he could feel. He felt like people were aligning with him on a more serious level, and that was something that made him pretty excited.

  A soft purple glow wrapped around the people, cocooning around all of the citizens regardless of age. Jack began to close his eyes and visualize how the hospital should look. He felt a soft hand reach for him, and he knew without opening his eyes it was Bridget.

  She said softly, "Just go with the flow, Jack. Just go with the flow and don't think about what anyone thinks of you. Focus only on what you want to happen, not all of the things that you don't. That's the way to bring things like this into being."

  There was a level of his self that understood the suggestions, even though on the surface he felt a little confused. He didn't let go of her hand or stop to ask too many questions. Everyone seemed to move in harmony, so he would focus on that.

  As Jack thought of the equipment that would be in the hospital alone with the different floors, the ground began to shake. The walls of the hospital floated into existence, along with the windows and doors.

  It was an eerie view, because it started from the inside of the hospital in a wireframe pattern and then expanded until it was completely solid. Jack was fascinated by the way the purple glow extended to the walls and even the ground as everyone seemed to be focusing right along with him. He wanted to pause and say something to the people, but many citizens in the crowd just continued to smile at him. He figured that if he was going to do something wrong, someone would tell him soon enough.

  Companionship and togetherness were feelings that arched in the air, calling him to a higher purpose. For the time being, he would think about the road ahead. He would consider all paths in front of him and not be afraid of anything that came his way. The people of Reversia deserved nothing less than that.

  Alara was starting to feel a bit restored in her own little world. Her mother had finally stopped lecturing and let her take a long hot bath, which did a lot to restore her spirits. She enjoyed life at her family's home because the bathtub was bigger and there was a serving girl that she could summon for anything that she needed.

  She had a viewing screen in the bathroom because she enjoyed watching entertainment blocks while letting the warm water run down her body. It didn't m
atter if it was just a mere shower or a full out long soak in the tub. Pampering herself was something that she rarely got to do.

  Between leadership class meetings and anything that her parents demanded that she attend, there wasn't always a lot of time to focus on herself. She wondered if merchant class girls got to indulge in their own wants and desire more than she did.

  That might be worth a demotion, but she really did enjoy the fruits of being the Councilman's daughter. There were things that she didn't enjoy, but it wasn't like she lacked for anything.

  There were enough Marcars for her allowance every week, and her parents often gave her more than what she asked for just to make sure she had no reason to complain in public. It just wouldn't do to have such a visible daughter making a scene over money.

  She gave a mental command to the viewing screen and watched it light up. The current news story fascinated her, as the announcers seemed particularly excited. She turned up the viewing screen's range and listened carefully.

  A man in a bright yellow tunic leaned in close to a girl in a matching outfit, their smiles the only thing brighter than their clothing.

  "Joycee, can you believe it? We're getting an all-access hospital. This is one for the history books -- a full access hospital is being built using direct mental energy as a community effort. Would you believe that? No ruler has ever created something like that -- not even the first Jack Stonewell has ever produced such a marvelous thing. Could the second arrival of the king truly usher in the peace that Reversia has been looking for?"

  "I have no doubt in my mind that it can, Petros -- we are enjoying a new world of peace and hope, but at what cost? It looks like the people are willing to answer the call and pay whatever price is asked, but I still worry about what others will think about this long term. We haven't had any open debates on the hospital so sentiment could be across the board. Why don't we go live on the scene with our ground reporting team? Harinda, Clarke? Why don't you two comment on what's really going on down there?"