by Shea Oliver
Kadamba began to gather his composure. It felt impossible, but he was trapped. He felt out of control, and his mind was swirling with too many thoughts and emotions. Was this a nightmare? He felt his heart began to race. His breathing began to get shallow and rapid. He looked at Ocampo, hoping to see some compassion. Weren’t adults supposed to help children? She continued to stare coldly at him with nothing but disdain in her eyes. He closed his eyes tightly. Like every teenager, he wanted to be treated like an adult, and now—he was.
Closing his eyes, he forced himself to focus. He realized he hadn’t even really understood the options she had presented. He took a few more deep breaths, telling himself to push the panic aside and not to scream. “What are my choices? I mean, can you please explain my options again?”
“Your first option is a LD trial, that is, a ‘life-or-death trial.’ Given your circumstances, the trial would be tomorrow, and your execution would be carried out within two days. As your representative, I can tell you that you would have no chance at getting returned to your life.
“Your second option is a ten-year assignment with the Exorthium Extraction Company. You would be immediately placed on a mining crew, transferred to the surface of Exorthium, and spend the next ten years working the mines there.
“Your final option is a twenty-five year incarceration with the Morphinia Containment Company. This option would have you placed in a containment facility of their choice for the next twenty-five years, after which, you would be free to return to society.”
The knot began to tighten even further in Kadamba’s stomach. Less than a day ago, the whole universe was his. Now he had to decide among three horrible fates. He could be executed in a few days. He could become a slave on a planet where, under good circumstances, people died from the conditions within seven years. Or, he could go to prison, where he had heard that unspeakable things happen.
“Can I please talk to my mom and dad?” begged Kadamba.
“Mr. Vorhoor, this meeting will be over in eight minutes. If you have not made a selection on your own, the Committee will assign a selection to you. As our company would have to bear the cost, I doubt you would have a LD trail. More than likely, you would be sent to the Exorthium Extraction Company, as they are offering a healthy bonus for each new ‘employee’ we provide for their operations.”
In the flash of a moment, the world can change. A simple act that seems so innocent at first can set off a chain reaction that redefines an entire lifetime. Kadamba felt as if he were falling, spinning uncontrollably through the air, accelerating faster and faster towards the ground. A certain death. The image of it sat in Kadamba’s head. Death. In three days this could all be over. The humiliation of the last few hours could be washed away. Fear would be over. As if he spread his arms while falling, the spinning stopped, and he saw the ground racing towards him. No, he didn’t want to die, but even more than that, he didn’t want to feel what was exploding inside of him, beginning to strangle his very thoughts. From the moment he saw Jundana’s head drop to Alorus’ chest, he felt it taking him over. Guilt. Remorse. Regret. Whatever words rushed through his mind, the feeling was the same, and what he had done could never be undone.
Ocampo Rasmussen snorted as Kadamba told her which option he wanted. She pressed a few buttons, stood up, and walked to the wall, as a door appeared. She looked back over her shoulder, a vicious smile spreading across her face. “You’re going to get what you deserve.”
Chapter 7
Ascension of the Protégé
Celestina Wiroviana’s private shuttle would be leaving Stujorkian City shortly. She had received the message from her pilot that they were en route to the building’s shuttle pad and would be arriving in twenty minutes. She rolled over and looked into Tomar’s eyes.
“I suppose you are leaving soon?” he inquired.
“Only because the universe needs us to save it,” she disclosed, with a coy look in her eyes.
Chuckling, they embraced in another passionate kiss. Their relationship was one of extreme passion and intensity, but also of distance and selfishness. He was now the Chairman of one of the Eleven. He commanded one of the most powerful organizations in the known universe. Only six Corporations were larger, but he knew that would soon change. She was the Chief Executive Minister of the Ministry for Interplanetary Corporate Relations. It was an elected position that arguably was the most powerful government position on the two planets, and more importantly, it regulated those powerful Eleven Corporations.
That their relationship should be a secret was more than an understatement. It was expressly forbidden by the bylaws of the Donovackia Corporation and the rules that governed the Ministry. For a Minister, especially the Chief Executive Minister, to be involved in an intimate relationship with any board member or employee of one of the Eleven, especially a Chairman of one, was simply unethical, and potentially very dangerous. But neither gave a damn. Power breeds arrogance, and often an arrogance that believes that rules only apply to others.
“In any event, my dear Tomar, you have a board meeting in a few hours. I wish I could be there to see their faces. After watching Greylorent blasted into that wall and slumping to the floor yesterday, I can only imagine how compliant and agreeable they will be to any of your ideas and suggestions.”
He continued to study her as she dressed, knowing in a few moments she would slip into the secret elevator that connected his apartments with her official residence in Stujorkian City.
“You look radiant as always, my love,” he declared, as she began to walk towards the door. She returned to the bed and kissed him one last time before she left.
“Behave while I am gone,” she remarked, trying to sound serious.
“Perhaps, I will. Perhaps—I won’t,” he replied.
“Tomar,” she warned seductively, “you never behave, and I promise to punish you the next time we are together.”
She looked at the silk straps, which were tied to the bed posts, and both of them laughed. This relationship had what both of them craved in so many ways. With each other, they could express their secret desires, not just those that are played out in the bedroom, but also the lust for power that consumed each of them. They were soul mates. It was a cruel fate that had brought them together, when the rules forbade their love. Breaking those rules only fanned the flames of their desire and added intensity to each of their personal ambitions. Eventually, their relationship would be public, but only after they reshaped the universe to their vision.
*****
“My lady, welcome aboard,” said one of her secretaries as she boarded her shuttle. As always, Celestina looked impeccable. She had long ago known that she was destined for great things, so she looked and dressed the part. With the shuttle was abuzz with activity, she headed towards her private office. While she had multiple “official residences,” an “official office” in Stujorkian City, and another on Zoranth, in the beautiful city of Zanthantium, this shuttle and another nearly identical one on Zoranth were her real offices.
The morning was filled with the official business required of her position, and she executed her job with amazing precision. No Chief Executive of the Ministry had ever been so effective, efficient, or as ruthlessly focused and driven. She had gathered power to herself at an astounding rate. Those close to her in the Ministry knew that she was becoming an unstoppable force, but to the public on both Koranth and Zoranth, she was loved and adored. She was heading to the Moran-Kathor Portal, which would transport her to Zoranth. Because her official duties would keep her there for some time, she decided a small detour was needed.
The shuttle, changing course, headed towards Fraterian City, in her home country of Beliasium. She would surprise her uncle at his country residence. Her parents had been killed in an accident when she was very young. Her father’s older brother, Hareold Wiroviana, had taken her in and raised her as his own. He was driven man—a politician to his very core, but he loved her with all his heart.
When Celestina came under his care, he was already rising in the Beliasium Parliament. Her teen years were spent in the Prime Minister’s palace, where he was reelected for multiple terms. She loved every bit of the pomp and circumstance of political life, and he preened as any proud father would when she followed him into politics. In many ways, it had emboldened him, and he accomplished the impossible. He became the first Interplanetary Corporate Relations Minister elected from a country that wasn’t a superpower. Not even one of the Eleven Corporations was based in Beliasium.
As he had done when he was Prime Minister, he retained his position as one of the five elected Ministers and reaped the personal, professional, and financial rewards of such an office. However, his greatest achievement wasn’t his own. It was guiding his niece, Celestina, through a meteoric rise of her own career. She followed in her uncle’s path at a dizzying pace, trumping every achievement and milestone that he had set. Her election to Chief Executive Minister of the Ministry of Interplanetary Corporate Relations validated everything that he had ever done, every sacrifice that he had ever made. He may have been her uncle, but he had created her, and now he would follow his own pupil as if she were the master.
“Uncle!” she cried out as she walked to the small, open pagoda on the edge of a cliff, overlooking the ocean. The old man sat comfortably in a chair, the sea breeze blowing through his thin, white hair. He could not hear her as she approached due to the waves crashing on the rocks below. This was a private place, a place where he went to meditate, which was becoming more and more of the time. He found that he was at a point in his life where he longed for peaceful moments to drink in the beauty of the ocean. He was no fool. He knew his time was short and looked forward to finally resting.
“Uncle Hareold,” she spoke gently as she approached him, so as not to startle him. He turned to her with a surprised, yet joyous look, a smile spreading widely across his entire face.
“My dearest Celestina! What a wonderful and excellent surprise. I had not expected to see you until the next meeting of the Ministry,” he voiced warmly to his niece.
“I don’t have long, Uncle, but I wanted to spend a little time with you before I headed over to Zoranth. There is so much to do, but we’ve accomplished so much. I just wanted to personally thank you.”
“Celestina, you give me too much credit. You set everything up. All I did was meet with them and follow the plan that you laid out. You, my young lady, have architected more in the last two years than any Chief Executive Minister of the Ministry has since the Colonial Wars. You are to be commended,” he delivered with sincerity and pride.
She attempted to interrupt him, but he silenced her with a determined look and a gesture. They were both Minsters and she the Chief Executive, but he was still her uncle, and she would always respect that.
“Only two years ago, the Ministry only dealt with issues concerning the Eleven Corporations. When you took office, you understood the historical significance of the Ministry. You quickly returned it to some of its very esteemed roots. You sent me to the meeting of the three factions of Greater Morlovia. Based on your plan, your insights, and your strategy, we avoided what would have been a devastating civil war. This comes on the heels of your guiding the Ministry to intervene and stop four major territorial disputes, including one that could have plummeted the entire planet of Zoranth into a global conflict.
“My beautiful niece, it is I that should be thanking you. You have made me prouder than I ever dreamed I could be. I wish your parents were here to tell you the same. You are truly a gifted and talented politician, and you are re-crafting the Ministry and our two planets with a vision that has long been neglected.”
She was flattered by the old man’s words. While he was simply another pawn in her game, he was an important one, and she wanted to play him out with the respect he deserved. She again tried to speak, and again, he demanded that she listen.
“You are sweet to come here to thank me in person, but I taught you all that I know, and therefore, I know why you are really here. You have sent me two proposals that you intend to present to the Ministry at our next official meeting in two months. These are radical and, to some, almost heretical ideas. You want to reduce the Ministry to three seats and allow the Donovackia Corporation to acquire Stameyerson Corporation and mount a hostile takeover of the Kathor Corporation.”
Her mouth started to become a bit dry, as she tried to search his face for more emotion than he was revealing. If she could not convince him to support her proposals, then they would almost certainly fail. A smile moved across his face.
“Celestina, for generations we have had five Ministers and the Eleven Corporations. It has worked, but it has become stagnant. In your short time as Chief Executive Minster, you have achieved so much. I am not long for this life, but I know that in what time I have left, I will get to see you achieve many more amazing things. From this day forward, you have my unquestionable support for whatever proposal, plan, or idea you put forth.”
She tried to maintain her composure but was simply too overjoyed. She had expected that she would have to debate with the old man about the proposals. They had played these games her whole life. Even if he supported her, he would make her vigorously defend her positions. He watched with a happy soul as he graduated his protégé to the next level. She reached out to wrap her arms around him.
“Now go, tend to the Ministry’s business on Zoranth,” he bid her. “I will see you in two months, at the next meeting.”
They both gazed out into the ocean, but their thoughts stretched down two very different paths. The old man was settled in his thoughts. He saw the endless waves and water as evidence of the cycle of nature. The Ministry had brought peace many centuries ago, and once again, under his niece’s guiding hand, the Ministry had returned to where it had begun. Celestina saw the vast ocean quite differently. It ate away at the shore, eroding and sculpting. It pounded rocks into sand. It made things that were once one thing and ground them into another. She would do the same with the Ministry. She would change it all.
She kissed him on his forehead and headed back to her shuttle.
Chapter 8
A Neighbor in Need
Bjorn spread his schoolbooks on the table, as Dylan finished putting the few dishes in the dishwasher. As usual, they had easily devoured all of the Chinese food, including all the vegetables. Bjorn opened one of his books and slapped his hand on the table.
“Ms. Arthur is the worst teacher of all time!” Bjorn announced as he set his jaw and stared directly at his brother.
“That’s a bit harsh, and frankly just not true,” replied Dylan.
“Seriously, Dylan, you have no idea.”
Dylan, trying not to let his brother get to him, patiently explained, “I had Ms. Arthur before she moved to your school, and she was just fine.”
“Well, something happened. She must have changed. I think she hates me,” responded the younger brother angrily.
Dylan breathed in deeply, knowing that this argument was going nowhere in a hurry when the doorbell chimed. “Stay put, I’ll let him in,” ordered Dylan, as he headed towards the front door.
Dylan, opening the door, struggled to contain the smile. Standing on the porch was an impeccably dressed, slightly older, middle-aged African-American gentleman. As always, he was wearing slacks, a dress shirt, a tweed jacket, and a fedora. One hand was on a wooden cane, with a carved brass knob, but he wasn’t relying on it for any support. He tipped the hat with his other hand, and in a very formal tone announced, “Atticus Freeman, at your service.”
Dylan’s smile widened, and he swept one arm towards the living room, inviting the gentleman into their home. “As always, my good sir, you are welcome here.”
Atticus walked in, removed his hat and jacket, and hung them on the coat tree in the entryway. He leaned his cane against the wall, and turned to Dylan. “How was your day, Dylan?”
“Not too bad. Nothing all that interesting. Just
another day at school,” Dylan answered.
“And I assume by the scent in the air that you had Chinese food for dinner this evening?” asked Mr. Freeman.
“The Wonderful Dragon,” replied the teenager with a smile.
“Best sesame chicken this side of Shanghai,” stated Mr. Freeman, with an almost unquestionable air of authority to the statement.
“Yes, sir, it is,” agreed Dylan, “and we also had happy family. You know, for the vegetables.”
“Mr. Freeman!” piped in Bjorn from the kitchen, “How would you know it’s the best sesame chicken this side of Shanghai? “
Atticus looked at Dylan and smiled. He knew Bjorn was probably feeling a little combative, which meant he had struggled with something at school. More likely than not, it was math, but that was exactly why Atticus was there.
“In Shanghai, hidden in an alley that you should never walk down alone,” began Mr. Freeman, nodding to Dylan and heading into the kitchen, “is a restaurant called ‘The Lonely Goose.’ But I’m not here to discuss my travels with you. We can do that another time.”
When Dylan returned the kitchen, after finishing some homework of his own, Bjorn’s mood was decidedly improved. Atticus was explaining the steps in cross-multiplication with great patience, and Bjorn was grasping the concepts. The back door opened, and Joanna Cairbre, the boys’ mother, walked into the kitchen.
“Hello, Mr. Freeman, I’m so glad to see you,” she remarked with a smile.
“Ms. Cairbre, welcome home,” replied Atticus.