by M. D. Cooper
“It is,” Sera replied. “From what I understand, our tardiness has nearly lost us our audience with the empress, but that if we hurry we’ll make it in time.”
“Yes, that is the case,” Petra confirmed. “I’ve secured a shuttle that can take us down to one of the Imperial Palace’s private ports.”
“Excellent,” Sera granted. “Then we’d best be on our way.”
Valerie waved for the High Guard to fall in, and Berger bristled.
“Your guards cannot come to the palace, Madam President. It is not done.”
“Nonsense,” Sera scoffed. “Foreign heads of state are granted their own security, are they not?”
“It’s OK,” Petra put a hand on Berger’s shoulder. “I received dispensation from Diana. It is permitted. Check the palace’s visitor slate.”
Berger closed his eyes for a moment, and then relaxed. “Oh, thank goodness. You’re right, Petra. These five guards are permitted, as are your two attendants. I’m sorry I caused confusion.”
“Don’t worry,” Sera said with a winning smile as she reached out and patted his shoulder. “I took no offense.”
Petra gestured down the observation deck to the exit, where the soldiers had made an opening for the group to leave. Their looks were professionally impassive, though a few did take a long look at Sera.
Tanis was surprised that Sera could speak so casually about Elena. She knew that they had been meeting of late—not long conversations, but once a week or so, Sera would spend half an hour with her ex lover.
Though Tanis knew of the meetings, she hadn’t listened in. Sera or Bob would tell her if there was anything to be concerned about. Spending so much time with Elena didn’t strike Tanis as very healthy, but she wasn’t about to tell her friend how to live her life. They had enough stresses as it was.
Sera and Petra made small talk with Berger on the way to the shuttle, which wasn’t far. The shuttle was also small—only able to seat twelve—but was well appointed. It received immediate clearance and was in space within minutes, dropping down to the surface of Alexandria.
The planet and capital city bore the same name. The reason for that was simple; other than the oceans, the city covered the entire planet.
She imagined that its population would be lower than that of the Cho, or even Mars 1 back in the 42nd century. Even so, it was her first time seeing a planet-spanning city, and it was a sight to behold.
“You can see the Imperial Complex just off that peninsula.” Petra leaned over Tanis and pointed out the shuttle’s window. “The palace is the structure with the towers reaching into space.”
Tanis almost laughed aloud.
They spoke aloud of trivialities, of the city, the palace, the Hall of Champions—which Petra revealed was gruesomely made of ground up bones—and the upcoming Celebration of the Seven Suns, which occurred once every fifty seven years.
However, privately, Petra inquired about their delay.
<’Airthists’. Is that what we’re calling them?> Petra asked.
Sera gave a mental shrug.
Petra said.
Tanis spoke for the first time.
Petra began to respond.
Sera proceeded to relate the events that led up to the battle at New Canaan: the attack on Ascella, the suspiciousness of her father, Peter Tomlinson, and his attempt to strong-arm Tanis to gain her technology, and Elena’s betrayal and ultimate assassination of the president.
At that point, Petra interrupted.
Sera admitted with deep sadness in her mental tone.
Sera told Petra what they had learned from Finaeus—how Airtha had once been her mother, but came back from the core of the galaxy a changed woman—in every way imaginable.
Petra’s brows pinched together.
Petra sputtered aloud, and Berger asked what was wrong.
“Nothing, nothing, just got something caught in my throat. Could you pass me a bottle of water?”
“Of course,” Berger replied before resuming his tale of a recent negotiation with some small satellite nation that he had overseen.
Sera gave a long mental sigh that turned into a growl.
Tanis watched Petra
’s expression closely and saw compassion in the woman’s eyes. That much was good, at least. She wasn’t certain she trusted Petra, but a display of empathy certainly helped.
Petra shook her head and stared out the shuttle’s window.
Tanis nodded and realized that Berger was speaking about the involved protocols and processes for meeting with the empress.
Petra chuckled over their private connection.
Sera nodded.
Tanis placed a hand on Sera’s arm.
Petra shook her head.
Tanis frowned. Silstrand was not a concession she was willing to make. One thing was for certain; if Smithers was still an employee of S&H, he was going to get an earful for losing control of the tech in the first place.
A minute later, the shuttle touched down. Valerie and the High Guard exited first, followed by Flaherty and the others. Tanis had to admit that she felt much better having Flaherty with them, though he spoke so rarely that it was easy to forget he was there—which was probably his intention.
The shuttle platform was nestled within a grove of tall trees that blocked the immediate view of the palace, except for the towers stretching up into space. Tanis stared up at them for a moment, and estimated that a tenth of the planet could probably see those towers.
“They look amazing at night, when they’re lit up,” Berger said. “When they do holoshows around them, it’s even more spectacular.”
“I can imagine,” Tanis replied, remembering the shows that she used to go see around the Pavonis Mons Tower on Mars. That tower rose much higher than these, but it was a utilitarian structure that anchored the ring, not a freestanding spire—
That had anchored the ring….
A group of palace guards was waiting at the edge of the landing pad, and they silently fell in around the group as Berger led them through the trees to a broad archway.
“Good thing you managed to get a landing site so close to the audience chamber,” Berger said. “We’ll make it with a few minutes to spare.”
“I know,” Petra said, her disdain for Berger evident in her voice. Tanis had the distinct impression that, were Berger in charge, they wouldn’t have even reached orbit yet. Though the fact that Petra had been assigned such a crucial position by The Hand was more than enough evidence of her skill.
When the palace walls came into view, Tanis was duly impressed by their design. The structure rose from the earth, a solid ribbon of onyx with sapphire highlights within. The pattern appeared to be random, and she imagined that at night the sapphire would glow with an otherworldly effect.
When they passed inside—under the scrutiny of more guards and scanning arches—the interior was the reverse: sapphire with onyx streaks that seemed to shift as they rushed past.
“The official name for this wing is Sovereign’s Repose, but most call it ‘the Black Gate’,” Petra supplied. “I’m partial to ‘the Black Gate’. I think it has more class.”
They hurried another kilometer and a half through the palace, until Petra stopped before a pair of large doors.
“OK, here we are. We should be summoned any moment.”
As she spoke, the doors began to open. The group straightened their clothing and uniforms and followed Petra in.
THE PRESIDENT AND THE EMPRESS
STELLAR DATE: 08.11.8948 (Adjusted Years)
LOCATION: Imperial Palace Audience Chamber
REGION: Alexandria, Bosporus System, Scipio Empire
Empress Diana’s audience chamber felt like a throne room from vids and sims of ancient times. The chamber was easily five hundred meters long, with rows of tall colonnades lining it all the way down to the dais at the far end, which was topped by a massive throne.
And what an outfit it was.
Diana’s body shimmered under a thin layer of ice, which steamed from the heat of the plasma throne, but did not seem to melt or dissipate in any significant way. Ice spikes rose from her knees, jutted from her hips, shoulders, and elbows. Atop her head was more ice, stretching half a meter into the air in a sort of frozen crown.
Her face was exposed and seemed unharmed by both the extreme heat and bitter cold she was surrounded by.
The empress surveyed them serenely as they approached, though she did raise an eyebrow at Flaherty and the High Guard, who had been held back one hundred paces behind Berger and the three women.
A disembodied voice called out as they approached the throne. “The Lady Seraphina Tomlinson, President of the Miriam League; the Lady Petra, Esteemed Ambassador from the Miriam League; and Meuls Berger, Deputy Minister of External Affairs.”
“Thank you, Gerald,” Empress Diana said in a soft voice that carried throughout the room.
“Of course, my Empress.”
Diana rose from her throne and walked gracefully down the dais’s steps. The ice that sheathed her body appeared to flow around her as she moved, neither cracking nor splint
ering—though it had stopped steaming once she left the plasma throne.
“Petra, I am glad you were able to make it. Gerald had informed me that your President’s ship may be late.”
Tanis found it strange that the empress would address Petra first. She was getting the impression that the Hand agent was held in greater esteem than one would expect, given the minor and distant alliance she represented.
“Of course, Empress Diana,” Petra said as she inclined her head. “Have I ever been late before?”
The empress cocked an eyebrow and gave a slight smile. “Well, there was that one time, but we won’t discuss it in front of your president.”
Diana turned to address Sera. “I must admit, I know very little about you—other than what Petra has told me, of course. The Miriam League is very secretive, it seems.”
“You are very kind to entertain our request to speak with you, Empress Diana,” Sera replied. “And yes, we do keep to ourselves. We are also a long way off, on the rim of explored space. Most of our people like living so far out, where they can have privacy.”
“And so far, they seem to have been successful,” Diana said as she turned, cold air flowing off her body, clouds of condensation forming at her feet. She walked up the dais’s steps and sat on the plasma throne once more. “Given the length of time required to travel here, I am most curious. What is it you have come so far to speak to me about?”
“I believe I had mentioned that we need a private audience,” Petra said, glancing at Berger and some of the attendants nearby.
Diana nodded. “You did mention that, but there are protocols, Petra, they must be adhered to.”
Tanis lifted her hand, palm up, and Diana looked at her for the first time. Tanis didn’t speak as the palm of her hand began to glow softly. After a few seconds, a black and blue object took shape. It grew in size and, a moment later, a fist-sized shard of onyx rested in her hand with streaks of sapphire running through.
