by Kyle Larson
The Jovians controlled the prices of most materials moving through the Nine Kingdoms, as they kept massive stockpiles of gold, steel, silver, and diamonds mined from the depths of each moon. They also kept a stockpile of clean water they harvested from the ice worlds around Jupiter. At any given time, they could withhold or release these commodities, stirring economic trouble for the rest of the Nine Kingdoms, and dictating the price of each commodity. For worlds like Mercury – and especially Earth – this wasn’t a huge problem, as they were rich in resources of their own. Though for planets like Mars, Uranus, and Pluto – who depended on reasonably priced shipments of these commodities to sustain their economies – this was a constant problem. The Jovians continued to toy with the struggling planets, the prices fluctuated often, and there was no sort of stability.
Queen Evet had addressed the crises by releasing Mercury’s own strategic reserves of the same commodities Jupiter continued to toy with. This strengthened Mercury’s alliances with Mars, Uranus, and Pluto, but put a strain on the important one her family had maintained with Jupiter since the foundation of the Nine Kingdoms. This also caused Queen Evet a great deal of frustration towards Earth, because they had the ability to offer the same sort of aid to the planets in need, but did nothing, putting the burden solely on Mercury.
Young Prince Kelvin Sellwood entered the queen’s private dining room. She smiled for a moment at the notion of royal vanity that must have compelled Kelvin’s handlers to dress him in the Earth Navy uniform as if he were some sort of brave soldier. Evet knew exactly what Kelvin was. He walked in with his chin raised high and a stoic look on his face, but all she saw was a scared child. Evet knew this well, as she had been the same nervous monarch, walking into the same empty dining rooms to every king and queen in the Nine Kingdoms when she was Kelvin’s age. They hadn’t shown her any ease and she was not about to do the same for Kelvin. If he were to prove himself as a worthy king, Evet knew she wouldn’t be doing him or the people of Earth any favors by trying to make the Traditions of Service easy.
Traditionally, royalty of the Nine Kingdoms were to sit at a table with enough chairs to accompany every member of every royal family in the Nine Kingdoms. These tables were in every palace of the Nine Kingdoms and could seat hundreds. They were circular, wide, and covered entire ballrooms just so their was always the courtesy of welcoming each royal to whatever formal meal was about to be served. Historians often noted there hadn’t been a dinner where every seat was full in over a century.
Queen Evet demonstrated her authority by ignoring this tradition and presenting a table that was big enough only for the two of them, rather than a monstrosity that would only underscore the distance that separated their two worlds. Evet did not want to make the dinner easy for Kelvin, but she did not want to make it impossible to create an understanding between them. The room was empty, except for the two of them.
“Welcome, your majesty Lord Kelvin,” Queen Evet said. She stood from her chair and motioned for Kelvin to continue his walk toward a chair opposite her.
“Thank you for your continued hospitality, your majesty Queen Evet,” Kelvin said, while a forced smile creased his face.
Kelvin approached the small table in the middle of one of the more grand ballrooms he’d ever seen. Painted on each of the thousands of tiles on the floor and walls was a scene from human history. Kelvin scanned them as he walked slowly, the hard sole of his boots echoed off the ballroom walls with each step.
“The Artisans of Mercury painted these as a gift to my great, great grandmother when she claimed the throne,” Evet said, having noticed Kelvin’s gaze met the floor. “I’ve not been to Earth since I was a child. Do you have anything like these in the Royal Tower?”
Kelvin shook his head and lifted his gaze to focus on the queen. He remembered his lessons of etiquette from Holloway. Though he was irritated with Queen Evet, he did not want to break protocol or show any disrespect, and when royalty addressed you, your undivided attention was supposed to be fixed on them.
“The Artisans of Mercury aren’t what they once were, I’ll admit that. Once they started to head off world for the Commune of Neptune’s art sanctuaries….well, I’m sure your family knows trying to entice an artist to forsake that opportunity is quite impossible. They school here, learn their craft, and then go join the commune. There’s really little we can do, but I can’t say I blame them,” Evet said.
The communes of Neptune were an independent society of artists and intellectuals that had been established on a large parcel of land on the Neptune moon Triton. A wealthy Neptune noble, Neomi Chalet, donated one of her family’s large estates to foster the society for creative and free thinkers. Every year, millions of artists applied to join the commune, while only one-hundred were admitted to study among the artisans.
“They’re beautiful,” Kelvin said as he reached the table and took his seat, followed by Evet.
“I was uncertain if your handlers made you aware we do not serve gene-steaks here on Mercury. I hope you like your vegetables, Lord Kelvin,” Evet said.
Meat, or as humans of that time understood it, was a luxury of Earth. Raising animals to be slaughtered for food was an ancient practice that had been abolished. When Earth’s environmental crisis of the twenty-first century reached it’s worst point, science turned to engineering meat in labs from proteins of nuts, seeds, and beans. It was indistinguishable from real meat, and as the Earth managed to save itself over the next century, more people turned away from any sort of meat and turned to eating plant-based diets for optimal health.
King Erelm served gene-steaks, which were made from the meat substitutes his ancestors dined on. The decadence was an Earth tradition most of the other Nine Kingdoms did not participate in. Mercury was known especially for their extreme outlook on health, with their diet mainly consisting of sea weed greens raised in vertical greenhouses, along with legumes like chickpeas and lentils grown alongside the sea weed. Holloway had prepared Kelvin for this, but it wasn’t much different from the normal diet of potatoes, vegetables, and beans he and most of Earth had been raised on. Gene-steaks were a thing of the past for most of them.
“I do like my vegetables, your majesty,” Kelvin said, as the doors opened behind him and two-servers presented he and the queen with two elaborate plates of food.
“This sea green is from my uncle’s personal garden, along with the chickpeas. I hope you enjoy, Lord Kelvin,” Queen Evet said, meticulously unfolding her napkin and placing it on her lap.
“It looks delicious,” Kelvin said. “My dad’s really the only one who eats gene-steaks anymore. My mom makes a pasta with Mercurian sea weed. It’s one of my favorites.”
Kelvin stopped himself and looked up in embarrassment. He realized he’d just broken protocol by referring to his parents as ‘mom’ and ‘dad’ instead of their titles, as well as sharing a private moment that his mom cooks him dinner. Royalty of the Nine Kingdoms were expected to keep interactions surface and not reveal personal moments of their life outside the public eye. Evet smiled as she caught Kelvin catch himself.
“It’s okay, Kelvin,” Evet said, her use of his first name disarmed him. “It’s just the two of us. No handlers, no parents, no cameras. I know what it’s like to be where you are.”
“I apologize for the disrespect in your court, your majesty,” Kelvin said, putting the armor of etiquette back up.
“For this dinner, I’d prefer you call me Evet, Kelvin. We have important roles to play for our planets and the Nine Kingdoms, and there will be plenty of time for us to bow and be the proper fixtures of our worlds. Tonight, let’s just get to know each other.”
Evet saw a lot of herself in the young man that sat across from her.
“Why are you asking me to find the Pirates of Mercury?” Kelvin asked bluntly as he unfolded his own napkin. The water glass in front of him had condensation along the outer-rim. It nearly slipped out of Kelvin’s hand when he picked it up to take a sip out of nervousness
.
“Because, Kelvin, if it was my sister that’s what I would want,” Evet said, taking a bite of her food and chewing it slowly in silence. “Whether you, the king, the queen, and the rest of the people of Earth know it…this is what you all want. This is your chance to be a hero. Save your sister and rid the Nine Kingdoms of a threat they don’t even know to take seriously.”
Kelvin noticed the shift in Evet’s tone. She seemed more relaxed– almost relieved. At this point, Kelvin hadn’t known if the Pirates of Mercury were real, but he suspected by Queen Evet using the word threat she knew more about them than most people he’d watched Tube interviews with.
“So they’re real?” Kelvin said, taking his first bite of the incredibly salty sea weed salad.
“The Pirates of Mercury? Of course they are real, Kelvin. Do you think I’d waste a Tradition of Service request on something that wasn’t out there? They are real and we hear rumors all of the time that your sister is still out there, just lost in the Antioch Belt, trying to find her way out.”
“How come you never launched a rescue operation? How come you never told my father this? He was ready to send the entire navy here to help me?”
“Well, I hope you called him off. That would be a violation,” Evet said, wiping her lips and pulling out her mobile, the touchscreen coming to life. “We launched one-hundred, twenty-seven attempts at a rescue operation to find your sister. You no doubt encountered her transmission while en route, I’m guessing.”
“How did you know that?” Kelvin said, as he abruptly dropped his fork onto the fine porcelain plate.
“Relax, Kelvin. The Antioch Belt is known for trapping transmissions and bouncing them around for years after they’ve been sent,” Queen Evet said, as her mobile projected a large section of the Antioch Belt. “It’s denser in certain parts, with the magnetic core of each rock making it nearly impossible to navigate once you’re inside. You’ll need maps. In your library, it’s a big book. Did you see it? I put it in there for you.”
Kelvin nodded. He hung on her every word, hoping to hear anything and everything she knew about his sister.
“You said there were other transmissions?” Kelvin said. “What did they say?”
“The same thing, they just called for help. Over and over, just help. She didn’t seem like she was in any danger, just wanted someone to get her out of there.”
“How did you know it wasn’t the same transmission?”
“She got older as they went on. Sometimes it was a mix of older and younger. It’s my understanding that we’re the same age, she and I?”
“You are.”
Evet could tell Kelvin was uncomfortable talking about his sister. She zoomed in on the Antioch Belt.
“This is the corridor where the Pirates of Mercury are known to frequent. It’s also where we’ve traced her transmissions too. It might look small on a map, but that’s rough space out there, and it’s big. It will take your ship along time to find her, we only put in her in the vicinity.”
This lead Kelvin to an unsetting thought: The Pirates of Mercury might have his sister. They may have been keeping her prisoner, all of these years.
“Give that book to your commander, Lord Ristep. I’ve transmitted this data to him as well. He’ll be able to get your ship there,” Evet said, lifting her fork and continuing her dinner.
Kelvin’s appetite was not as strong. His stomach was a bundle of nerves and he couldn’t even think about food. If he hadn’t been dining with the queen, he’d have had Riz power up the Monarch and disembark right there. It would be interpreted as rude if he left abruptly. Kelvin decided to pick at his food, while taking the opportunity to ask questions.
“What do you know about the Pirates of Mercury?” Kelvin asked.
“They’re bandits that have been harassing my people for years, but the rest of the Nine Kingdoms wants to make them out to be this mythological fairy tale. They’re just petty thieves, Kelvin, but unfortunately they are dangerous. We’ve sent ships after them that don’t come back. Nothing like the mighty Monarch, though. I’m talking local law enforcement, nothing compared to the star of Earth Navy.”
Evet’s assurances didn’t make Kelvin feel much better.
“What kind of weapons do they have?”
“Electro-cannons, old-world tech. They can blast holes in our ships, but that’s not saying much. Back before, when the wars were fought with real people, and not bot battles or simulations. Back when our ancestors were still barbarians.”
Kelvin didn’t like the term being used to describe his ancestors. He was well aware humanity had a dark history of warfare and violence, but they had evolved, and he didn’t feel he could judge the past because he wasn’t there. For centuries, that was all people knew, but Kelvin had faith in humanity because they had broken through the vicious cycle.
“Let’s talk about Jupiter, Kelvin. Can you tell me what you know about Jupiter?” Evet said, shifting the conversation.
“They have the largest population between the moons and the floating cities. The Jovians lead the Nine Kingdoms in wealth. Their worlds offer enough resources to keep the entire Nine Kingdoms thriving for centuries.”
“Yet,” Evet cut in sharply. She stopped herself and tried to keep her tone civil. “Yet, they share none of their wealth, and keep systems like Mercury at arm’s length, making us beg for anything to trade. We are not as fortunate as the Jovians and the Earthers in our resources. We rely on what we can offer in trade with your food and water.”
“Trade is something I’d like to reestablish when I’m king. I can’t make that happen until I’m king though. I want Jupiter to share with you fairly, and if they won’t, then Earth will gladly step in and take what you have to trade. It’s the Jovian’s loss.”
Evet smiled and started to feel a little bit bad she’d be sending him off so soon. She could tell Kelvin was good natured and genuine, but was skeptical he would remain that way, especially as he got older. Evet knew exactly what the weight of the crown does to a young person. Kelvin reminded her of herself when she was his age, young and optimistic.
“I hope you stay this way, Lord Kelvin. I think you will make an excellent king, and I know I speak for Mercury as well as many others when I say we are ready for Earth to be a part of the Nine Kingdoms again.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
YOU COULDN’T REALLY differentiate the sun from the rest of the sky on Mercury, Kelvin noted as he walked through the Royal Tower in the early morning hours. The large glass windows were flooded with the strange greenish, blue light of the Mercurian sky. The solar screens created the color, by filtering the harsh radiation from the sun that would have melted the metallic floor Kelvin stood on. The light went through billions of different filters and by the time it came out, it was this odd color.
It was early in the morning and Kelvin could see the rest of his people boarding the Monarch up ahead in the distance. He imagined most of them weren’t too happy with him for the late night announcement they would be departing early for the Antioch Belt. As soon as his dinner with Queen Evet ended, Kelvin called Riz on his phone and ordered that they be prepared to depart first thing in the morning, which was however long it would take to get the defensive systems of the Monarch powered up.
The electro guns and shields on the Monarch had never been used. War, for the most part, was a thing of the past for the Nine Kingdoms. If there were disputes and aggressions intensified, simulated battles using advanced computers, or even bot battles that happened in space, would decide who would win a disagreement. The prospect of sending humans into battle to kill other humans over disagreements concerning wealth or borders seemed ludicrous to the monarchs of the Nine Kingdoms. There had yet to be a conflict since the foundation of the Nine Kingdoms and the peace treaty their ancestors signed over four-hundred years ago that compelled humans to kill other humans.
People still prepared themselves though. Weapons never went away, but they were kept dormant as no one ev
er really believed they would be needed. When the Monarch was built, it was done so to ward off threats like the Pirates of Mercury and other bandits that roamed throughout the solar system. Criminals never went away – and there would always be bad people who wanted to do bad things – but each kingdom built their own version of the Monarch to serve as a protector. The Earth Navy was known to be one of the strongest of the Nine Kingdoms. The Monarch, after the Jupiter Special Fleet, was known to be the most advanced battleship in all the Nine Kingdoms.
Kelvin reminded himself he couldn’t be in better hands than those that would pilot the Monarch through the Antioch Belt.
“Lord Kelvin,” a voice called out to him.
Kelvin turned to see Queen Evet, standing alone, in a jacket with the hood pulled atop her head. She was absent the elaborate, elegant outfit of a queen and looked like a student on her way to the gym. Riz, Holloway, and Amelia stopped in their tracks, realizing who she was as well. Kelvin walked over to her, picking up that she was there only to see him.
“Your majesty,” Kelvin nodded. “Thank you again for dinner last night, and for the book.”
“Can I call you Kelvin?” Queen Evet asked.
“If I can call you Evet,” Kelvin joked.
Riz had the behemoth, leather bound atlas of the Antioch Belt tucked under his arm at his side. He was trying to pretend it was lighter than it was as he kept it close. Riz knew this book was a substantial gift from Queen Evet, as any map of the Antioch Belt represented centuries of exploration and sacrifice of the first Mercrurian settlers.
“I just came to wish you good luck, Kelvin. I know what I asked you to do is not easy, but I don’t doubt you are more than capable. I believe your sister is still out there and that you are going to find her. The Nine Kingdoms depends on people like you. There are things that I wasn’t able to talk to you about last night…that we are going to have to wait to discuss until later,” Evet said.