Tales of the Spinward March Book 2: The Red Queen

by David Winnie

  She arrived at the office in short order. In the outer office was an efficient looking woman working at her desk. She looked up and said crossly. “You’re late. I shall contact the Prime Minister and let him know you are in. Well, go on, you have work to do.” She pointed to the doors over her shoulder.

  Her office was immense, at least 50 yards long. Behind the desk was a sheer glass wall, covered with ornate draperies. She couldn’t see what it overlooked. The remaining walls were covered with rich tapestries and shelves of statuary. The desk was simply too large. She tried the chair, which slipped away as she tried to hop up into it. Frustrated, she pushed it against the desk and tried again. She made it in the chair, but then had to kneel on it to spin around and face the desk. She felt like a child looking over the Proctor’s desk.

  Fortunately, there was also a pair of couches. Red couches. Did they just put them in here? She was still unhappily perusing the desk when the woman from the outer office entered and announced, “Crown Princess, your Prime Minister.” He swept into the room, bowing nearly to the floor. When he came up, he stopped. Annika could see he was struggling not to laugh. She supposed she did look silly behind the oversized desk, and blushed furiously for looking so foolish.

  Prime Minister Moritz Stype indicated the couches. “Perhaps this will work better, Crown Princess?” She slid from the chair and scurried around the desk. The couch was not high so she maintained most of her dignity attaining a seat.

  Annika assumed a regal pose and said, “Prime Minister.” He indicated the woman who stood on the threshold. “This is Miss Norris, your personal secretary. She is responsible for your daily schedule and the management of your office. I’m sure she will make arrangements for your desk.”

  “Yes, Crown Princess. Of course, if you had been on time this morning,” Her voice was stern. “We would have made the appropriate alterations to your office prior to the Prime Minister’s arrival. Which you were also late for. I would suggest you pay a bit more attention to your schedule in the future.” With that, she spun on a heel and left the office.

  Moritz Stype shook his head. “She was both your father’s and grandfather’s secretary. She was quite put out when the Regent opted to use his own secretary. Miss Norris has been maintaining this empty office since your father died. I expect she is much happier now that she has some real work to do.”

  Annika reached out and touched the minister’s mind. Instantly, he jumped up and yelled, “Stop! He threw down his pad. “I have been Prime Minister for both your father and the Regent,” he thundered. “I served on the Council with your grandfather! That alone should convince you of my loyalty. But if it is not, then all you need to do is demand my resignation and I will leave immediately.”

  “Please, Prime Minister, stay,” Annika asked in a small voice. “I meant no offense.”

  The old man breathed heavily, but seated himself again. “I am an empath,” he explained. “I can’t broadcast or read like you can. But I can tell when I am being scanned. To scan someone in polite society is the moral equivalent of rape to me.” He recovered his breath and said, “O.K. Now I am ready. Go ahead.”

  Annika was confused, “Sorry?” she asked.

  “Scan me,” he ordered. “Let’s get this curiosity of yours out of the way so we can get to work.” He closed his eyes and sat back. Annika bit her lip. “No, if my father trusted you, then I suppose I should trust you. Thank you, Minister.”

  “Very good,” he said, his tone still curt. “Our first order of business - your schedule for most days. You and I will meet daily; generally, I prefer the morning. For today, we’ll skip most of the business. I understand you want to go see the Regent. Miss Norris has this slotted for after lunch. That’s fine, but most afternoons will be either meetings with various ministers or visitors. Your mornings will consist of briefing sheets and reports. Miss Norris will have them ready when you arrive. I will have read them already, of course, and I will notate my opinions on the border of the reports. You should either accept, ask for more information or reject each in hand.

  “Which reminds me,” he continued, examining her closely. “We need to schedule your upgrade to receive military and advanced grade downloads. We will do that this tomorrow. Our experience has shown that when you come out of the download net, it is preferable to have someone familiar at your side, a partner or close friend, who will help you recover. For both your predecessors, it was your mother. She will do, unless your friend is available. I can have orders issued to have him come in today for the necessary training, if you wish. As a doctor, he is probably your best candidate.”

  “No, not order,” Annika replied thoughtfully. “I will ask him this evening.” The minister raised a brow, but said nothing and went about acquainting Annika with the duties of her Empire. Hours passed while she learned; the Prime Minister was patient, calm, and she felt comfortable.

  For lunch, he escorted her to a grotto. A long, still reflecting pond of glowing blue waters illuminated the dark cavern. A single round table with a white cloth sat near the shoreline.

  “This is the Garden of the Blue Waters. Your father enjoyed it here,” he told her. “As Crown Prince, he and I spent many of our lunches in this garden. I had resigned as Prime Minister after your grandfather passed. I was working as the Minister of Internal Affairs. Your father convinced me to return to the Prime Ministry.”

  He fell silent, remembering.

  The food arrived, monk fish. “Fish is good brain food,” quipped the minister. “You of all people should eat plenty of fish.”

  Miss Norris had been busy while they were gone. The heavy desk had disappeared and in its place, a smaller, more delicate white desk with a golden filigree. The red cushioned chair fitted her perfectly. Annika smiled, fingering the old-fashioned desk lamp and soft red leather pad centered on the desk. There was a stack of papers in an enameled box, an empty box next to it. “I will leave you to your duties,” said the Prime Minister. “If you need anything, don’t be afraid to ask. Majesty.” He bowed and was gone.

  She set to work. The first report was “Effects of Standard Terraform Techniques on LaGrange Asteroids in the Perce’s System.” It proved to be mostly dry, technical material. She initialed it and went on to the next. It wasn’t any better. Through the afternoon, she read and initialed report after report. She grew thirsty and crossed the huge room to peek out and ask Miss Norris about some tea. Miss Norris escorted the Crown Princess back in the office to show her how to call her in the outer office. “Anything else, Miss?’ she asked, sniffing.

  Oh, Gods below, I don’t even want to ask. Perhaps I should just explore. But urgency overtook her reluctance. “Um, yes? The washroom?”

  When Annika was finished, she came through the concealed door behind her desk to find a steamy pot of tea on the credenza. And more paperwork. Sighing, she went back to work.

  At precisely four, Miss Norris entered and announced that Annika was done for the day. “There is a hovercar waiting to take you to the hospital to see your uncle,” she announced. “It will return you to the palace when you are finished. Dohlman has scheduled your supper for six. There will be time after supper for you to work on some of the reports you didn’t finish today. I would suggest you go to bed early; you have a taxing day scheduled for tomorrow.”

  Major Campion and her detail were waiting outside the office. They hurried off to the hospital, where a crowd had gathered outside. As she moved from the hovercar to the building, the crowd gave her a polite smattering of applause. Annika stopped and waved, Campion grabbed her arm and hustled her inside. “Best not to be too much in the open right now,” he told her.

  Guards were everywhere. She was taken to the Regent’s room high in the hospital tower. Her mother was there, holding her husband’s hand. Another woman was also in the room, wearing a plain brown suit and a vacant look on her face. Annika had an immediate headache.

  “Daughter! I see you’re becoming acquainted with our banshee, Grenna,�
� her mother cooed. “I suppose your Proctors never told you about them. Poor dears, they’re not very bright. But they have a wonderful talent, I’m sure you can feel right now. They transmit directed telepathic white noise, rendering you and any of your telepathic friends quite blind, as it were. It keeps you from meddling in people’s heads.”

  It was certainly effective. There was a constant buzz in her ears and pain centered in the middle of her head. “It hurts, Mother,” Annika complained. “Would you ask her to stop, please? I promise not to scan your husband.”

  Her mother shrieked with laughter, “Stop? If it were possible, I would have Grenna cause you even more pain. Stop, indeed.” She kissed the Regent on his forehead and strode from the room.

  Her uncle glared at her. His lower body was concealed by a tent, tubes and wires running beneath it.

  “So, Little Red, how was your first day of work?” he rasped.

  She gritted her teeth, “I have a name, Uncle. I expect you to use it.”

  “Oh, yes, what was it? Annika? Annika Raudona? Named for your boyfriend’s mother, I understand.”

  “His great, great grandmother,” she corrected.

  If it was possible to be malevolent amid tubes and bandages, Ming si Haun was the man to accomplish it. “Yes, how sweet, showing love and devotion to your little doctor friend.” Then he brightened, his sarcasm dripping. “Tell me, little Red, has he been playing doctor with you?”

  Instantly and without thinking, her assassin’s knife was in her right hand, she moved towards the Regent until there was a shrieking in her head. The knife fell from her hand, clattering to the floor. Annika grabbed the sides of head and fell, screaming noiselessly. She writhed as the Regent watched, smiling.

  “Amazing thing, these banshees,” his words oozed poison. “They’re barely smart enough to keep from soiling themselves, yet when their master is threatened by a telepath, they’re quite adept neutralizing the threat, as you are experiencing right now.” He leaned as far as the wires and his wounds would allow, admiring his handiwork. “Excruciating, is it?” he asked.” You have no idea how much I am enjoying watching you suffer, Little Red. But, I suppose if I were to allow her to kill you, there would be too many questions. Grenna, release her. Next time, Child, I would suggest wearing one of these beauties. Blocks the banshee’s scream.” He tapped the neutralizer.

  The pain eased immediately. Annika gasped and choked as her system recovered, then was sick all over the sparkling tiles. The Regent clucked, “Now I suppose I shall have to call someone to clean this mess. Well, my dear, find your little toy knife and go. I will let you know when I am ready to assume my duties again. Do try and keep up. I know it’s probably a bit much for a child like you to handle. Be gone.” He dismissed her with a wave of his hand.

  Outside the hospital room’s door, Annika’s head still spun, she couldn’t focus, she stumbled and fell. The Regent’s laughter echoed from his room. Campion gasped, grabbed his sidearm and headed for the door.

  “No, no,” gasped the girl. “Just get me out of here. Now.”

  “I have the Crown Princess,” he spoke into a clip microphone at the car. “We’ll proceeds straight to the palace. Have the med team waiting.”

  As soon as she left the hospital, she began to feel better.

  “Major, the med team will be unnecessary,” she said. “Just get me home.”

  Arriving at her suite, she stripped and stepped into the shower. She considered her confrontation with the Regent. Clearly, he meant to keep power, even after she became of age. She had the law on her side, but the law would only go so far as she would be able to enforce it.

  And she had Yuri to consider.

  They dined at a pleasant desert rock garden of Dohlman’s choice. The day was warm, ice-cold fruit juice and water greeted them at their table. They ate in awkward silence. Annika was trying to compose herself; she could tell Yuri was angry.

  Given what she had said the night before and how she had sneaked out this morning, she couldn’t blame him for being angry.

  “Yuri, we need to talk,” she finally got out.

  He set his fork down and folded his hands on the table. “All right,” he said evenly, “Talk.”

  She took a deep breath, “I’m sorry for what I said last night,” she apologized. “I didn’t consider what I said before I said it and more importantly, I didn’t consider you. I can see what I said hurt you. I don’t want to hurt you, Yuri. Now or ever.”

  “Yes, what you said is hurtful,” he agreed. “But do you understand why it is hurtful?”

  Sugar in the tea or enjoy the dawn? The dawn, with its bitter tea… “Please tell me, Yuri, I am listening,” she answered.

  “It’s your damned condescending, superior attitude,” Yuri snarled, “I know you were created to become leader of this Empire. But I’ve gotten to know Annika Raudona. Not the Crown Princess, not the Khan. Just Annika. You know what? I like her. I like her a lot. I want to spend more time with her. Maybe all the time. But you’ve got to quit pushing me away. I won’t let you do that to me. I can’t be there only when you need me. You must be willing to let me be there all the time, or,” his breath caught, “none of the time. I won’t be a part time friend with you, Annika.”

  Annika’s eyes clouded with tears. Enjoy the dawn, with its bitter tea… “I don’t want you as a part time friend either, Yuri,” she choked. “But I don’t know what to say or what to do. I’m confused, Yuri, because I never want to hurt you. I want only what will make you happy.” She gazed at him and confessed in a small voice, “and I want to be with you all the time, too.”

  Yuri rubbed his eyes. “There must be something in this room,” he said. “My eyes are getting watery. Maybe something in the plants.”

  “Me too,” she said, “Maybe we should just go for a walk?”

  That night, Annika didn’t have to call for Yuri. She went and climbed into his bed and cuddled up against his warm body. He wrapped his arm around her and held her close, nuzzled the back of her head and gave her a kiss on her neck.

  Their dreams were pleasant.

  Chapter 13

  Yuri and Annika left their suite hand in hand. She was fidgeting, nervous. She had been downloaded many times, with major upgrades once a year. Today was to be different. She was to be reformatted, upgraded to a full adult brain, capable of receiving the weekly accounting of the affairs of the Empire. Including secret military reports

  Their journey from the suite to the lab was short. The room was white, sterile. A raised, chrome chair dominated the room; an arm dropped from the ceiling, holding a video screen. A kind-faced nurse in a surgical uniform greeted the couple and led Annika away to the changing room.

  “Good morning, Doctor Russolov. I am pleased to see you again.” The Proctor who had come to Celtius 4 gave Yuri a deep, respectful bow.

  “Good morning, Proctor,” Yuri replied. “I had not expected to see you here.”

  “I am responsible for the education, training and development of Annika Raudona,” he explained. “Now that she has been elevated to Crown Princess, my role evolves. I believe the upgrade to her brain will be successful. File Master Tahn agrees with me. Of more concern to me will be her progress after this exercise.”

  “The download?” Yuri asked.

  The Proctor nodded. “The Crown Princess will be adjusting and learning to use her new programing for the next few weeks. In a perverse circumstance, the attack provided an outstanding opportunity to test what we have come to call the super brain. What I am referring to is afterwards, when the Regent Ming si Hahn neKhan resumes his job. She will not have a specific role at that time to guide her training.”

  Yuri nodded. The last few weeks living with Annika showed him that while she was brilliant, she had large gaps in her ability to communicate and interact with people. She was socially awkward and seemed to miss many of the social cues blaring obvious to most people. Too often, she reacted emotionally, childlike, rather than in the manner o
f an adult.

  “I understand you have a tenured position at Christ the Savior University Hospital in New Moscow, Doctor,” the Proctor stated.

  Yuri nodded. “I have a few days before I have to return,” he explained. “I very much like my job and it is close enough to my family. But I am worried about Annika. What will become of her after the Regent returns to work?”

  The Proctor smiled. “I think I may have a solution to both of our issues, Doctor,” he stated. “I have connections at your University. Would you be willing to take a six-month sabbatical? I can arrange a research grant if you would have Annika stay with you and your family. I think the exposure to family life she would experience on your father’s farm would be beneficial for her. She has decisions to make for herself and I believe living away from the trappings of Imperial power would be beneficial for her. Given the nature of your relationship, I think you would find benefit as well.”

  The Proctor certainly had a compelling argument. Yuri loved his family; he was certain she would receive positive benefits from the family farm.

  And there was the added benefit of spending more time with Annika.

  “I shall give your proposal careful consideration,” Yuri replied.

  A technician beckoned to Yuri. He showed the new electrolyte new mixture. “We’re breaking fresh ground here, Doctor,” he was told, “The patient will call for you as she comes on line. We must administer the fluids correctly as she requests them. She will not be in fully in control of her motor or cognitive functions, so you must exercise control for her.”

  Annika was led into the room. She now wore white, a loose-fitting pair of pants and top. Wires hung from the sleeves and legs of the garments. More wires dangled from her face and skull. She called for Yuri after she had been seated in the room’s dominant chair. While he held her hand, technicians busied themselves connecting her wires to various consoles around the room. Lights, screens with numbers, letters and symbols flared to life. There was a cacophony of noise as well. The only one Yuri could hear, however, was a thrum-thrum-thrum. Annika’s heartbeat.