Power Games

by David Applegate

  “I am not sure.”

  Is he playing dumb? Patya wondered. He said, “Usually magic users know when magic is used on them. None of the suspects has reported feeling any suspect spell activity.”

  Kaede shrugged and said, “No one suspect had access to the information found in the Hub, either they are all guilty or none. Either way, a breach of our computer systems that big should have been detected.”

  “Experts have gone over the Hub and tell me most of the source headers have been removed. We cannot trace the data to any computer.”

  “My experts tell me the data was sent via an electronic drop box, yet my system blocks every drop box, and security cannot find any record of such file transfers in my server’s logs,” Kaede said as he put on the waders.

  “Maybe we force all virtual private networks and anonymous drop boxes to send us all metadata?” Patya asked.

  Kaede turned to Patya and said, “The Charter of Rights and Responsibilities guarantees privacy. Every independent media organisation and Dain will sue you. You know he loves anonymous rumours left on his media company’s system.”

  “Short term, we take the hit, and lift the ban later when we find who and how they are sending data out of the Palace.”

  “In the meantime, the anti-Imperial movement will have a party in your name and go mainstream.”

  Patya glared at Kaede but said nothing.

  Kaede continued to speak. “The Imperial Data Security Agency noticed the Hub used the same encrypted third-party messaging system as the anti-Imperials.”

  “Mass arrests?”

  “No, they are a front. Most dissidents are idiots with no idea they only exist to hide spy rings from us.”

  “Are you saying the Dökkálfar are funding the anti-Imperials not to take us down, but only to hide in?”

  “Yes. The Dökkálfar are operating a syndicate inside the Empire which acts as an intelligence agency for the pirates, smugglers, thieves, and corporate spies, and to keep you from uncovering them they use mass protests, acts of sabotage, and politically motivated violence.”

  “What about the Yakuza?”

  “They use the Dark Web, and they have a digital currency of their own. I am not saying they buy and sell information, but their code of honour forbids anything, including treason, that would get a boss executed. A yakuza lord would rather hand a traitor over to you than profit because you cannot spend gold in hell.”

  “You know religion is illegal?”

  “Only organised religion. The laws allow us to build shrines and teach theories on the supernatural, you live in an age of magic, and faster than light travel, things once considered impossible.”

  “Not the same thing.”

  “You are not obligated to believe in the land of the dead. To us, Yomi is real. Many see the fact we have hyperspace drives as proof the land of light, and darkness are real, and beyond that is the land of the dead.”

  “You tore that asteroid apart, anything you forgot to tell me?”

  Kaede smiled at Patya, “No, parts of the base were hidden by solid holograms, a detail we left out to see if anyone in the pirate bay knew of them, which would make them valuable to the investigation.”

  “I too was hoping the Goblins had some clue who built the base; it appears they all moved in months after it was set up and had been there for years before Andre was put in charge.”

  “I know Galené was seen at her old apartment,” Kaede said as he picked up a pack.

  “She wrote ‘sorry Hiro’ on the mirror and left.”

  “Galené knows about smart tags, and I am sure you sprinkled them on everything,” Kaede said as he put on the pack.

  “We are hunting for them both, but it is like they have eyes in the back of their heads.”

  Kaede took a step towards Patya and said, “I say this, as a friend. Many are talking about you behind your back. Even some of your officers have said the surveillance state has made you weak. You rely on technology, such as smart tags, but they have been in use for so long, that only the dumbest shoplifter doesn’t have the tools needed to turn the tag off. You don’t think Galené would get a bug detector?”

  “We had agents watching her place.”

  “We need to get the android bill passed, in full. I have more than half the vote in the Senate. But I don’t want to make you and Viktor look bad. I would rather hold an inquiry, get all the objections on the record and have a law the broad majority of people can accept. It is important to me the public see we safeguarded their right to work and right to earn an income.”

  “I appreciate that,” Patya responded, heading for the shore of the lake.

  “I am your only friend,” Kaede shouted.

  Patya stopped. He didn’t turn. “I know.”

  “Dain would use the spy scandal to bring you down. You know he wants the crown and will tear you down to get it.”

  Patya didn’t turn; he looked up and said, “It wouldn’t be the first time someone has tried.”

  So, Katerina rejected Dain’s offer. Kaede stopped and said, “I know it is hard to trust me. I am the only one stopping the other Senators from carving up your house.”

  Patya stiffened, he clenched his fists and turned. “Are you threatening my clan’s existence?” Patya growled.

  Kaede didn’t flinch, he looked over his shoulder and said, “You are but a stepping-stone. Dain wants to tear down my house. If he ever gets control of resources and becomes the richest elf, he will use the wealth cap as a weapon to tear down any opposition and to control the Senate.”

  Patya stood firm and asked, “How do I know you are not pressuring me to make sure I vote for your plan?”

  Kaede walked up to Patya and said, “My plan protects your wealth. I am the one selling off excess assets. I am paying all my debts, in full, with resources. Everyone’s wealth will grow, including that of the people.”

  “Under your plan, we are reducing our shareholdings.”

  “We need to expand the wealth base. Each Senator keeps sixty per cent of their parent company, but I want each to sell me ten per cent of it. Increase Alard’s share to five per cent for banking services and give five per cent to Hashimoto Legal services to be your lawyers, that leaves twenty per cent for you to sell to the public.”

  “How does that make you the only one selling off assets?”

  “Net gain. You are selling off shares to fund the expansion of your company and the wealth base.”

  “The Lords want you to abide by the original agreement and sell off assets to keep within the limit.”

  “That will shrink the economy.”

  “How?”

  “We will be at our limit on wealth and unable to build new factories to bring new technology to the market. Any upgrades we do will force sales of more assets. It could be worse; Lords could be planning to sit on the wealth from the asteroids and use it to buy up our assets.”

  “We have no leverage to get them to agree to a flexible agreement that will see the base expand.”

  “Announce that as part of your investigation into the Hub you will have to look at the allegations that classified information came from members of the House of Lords trading Imperial secrets to non-Elves on the dark web.”

  “Why would I do that?” Patya asked. He looked around.

  “For far too long the House of Lords have been using the wealth cap to enrich themselves, by waiting for one of us to go over it and force the sale of assets through the courts to one of them.”

  “It works both ways.”

  “The wealth cap was intended to protect small companies from forced takeovers by the wealthy, not ensure them.”

  “Well, another way we can grow the wealth base is to reduce the number of Lords.”

  “I think that will upset many members of the Senate.”

  “I am sure you and the other Senators want some of your friends protected, I get that, but the government is too big. We need to expand the economy and get more people out of the c
ities. We need more farmers.”

  “How do you propose to do that?” Patya asked.

  “Reform the wealth cap. Senate has thirty, House of Lords thirty, and private citizens holding forty per cent of the land. We do the same with other productive assets as defined by the commerce act. We guarantee land and a starship to each clan on each world.”

  “You are going to force us all to sell?”

  Kaede walked up to Patya and said, “No. We need public support; if they do not think we have their best interests in our hearts and minds, then opposition to us will continue to grow.”

  “I need time to think about it.”

  “I know you are speaking for the others, and,” Kaede said. He paused and looked up at the sky, “Some want you to remove me, by force if need be.”

  Patya stood tall. “Your Grandfather told us your appointment was temporary and to make sure if you threaten the security of the Empire that I was to remove you from office,” Patya stated.

  “You called me a freak. But I can forgive you, and before you ask, it is because I want us to be friends. Real friends.”

  “Like Kenta? Living in fear?”

  “Kenta is using you to put pressure on me.”

  “He told me you had his daughters threaten his life.”

  “I am not in the business of making threats. I make promises.”

  Patya chuckled and asked, “Such as?”

  Kaede shrugged and replied, “I protect my friends. If you are not my friend, I am unable to protect you.”

  Patya looked around, Kaede took two steps back. Patya looked at Kaede and asked, “You expect me to be your friend and then threaten my life?”

  In the dark Toshiko watched and waited, Patya made no hostile moves.

  “I want us to be friends. I have so many plans, and together, we will expand the Empire.”

  “I don’t believe you,” Patya said as he looked about, his lips quivered, his eyes darted about the shadows.

  Kaede stepped toward Patya and said, “I find your lack of cooperation infuriating. I am trying to spread my sudden wealth to prevent the Empire from tearing itself apart, fighting over it, and you worry about an internal family dispute?”

  Patya looked around, the shadows moved. Where are my guards? He turned to Kaede and asked, “Did you and your friends beat up, Takahiro?”

  “I know you had agents break into my cloning facility. I am disappointed in you. You know the Nāga cannot win the first or second war, but they hope to wear us down until they can wipe us out.”

  “What has cloning got to do with our survival?”

  “Everything. If we suffer catastrophic civilian losses in a war, we will need the technology to mass-produce clones, to replace lost bloodlines, and to alter the genetics of a living person.”

  “Is that why your laboratory is working on an artificial womb for males?”

  “That is one of many programs for the Blood-Witches population program.”

  “We already have artificial wombs.”

  “Which may not be enough to prevent our extinction, we must have many options.”

  “Are you insane? You’re not just cloning but editing the genetics of living subjects. The Dragon Treaty forbids the creation of new races.”

  “I am not making a new race. I know it is a fine line, but someone with an artificial organ cannot produce offspring with that organ.”

  “I suspect your research has broken the limits on genetic manipulation. You have collected millions of DNA samples, and you’re pushing hard to commercialise genetic editing without adequate testing and long-term studies.”

  “Patya, a war is coming, and we must prepare for the worst. Gene editing is more than changing someone’s gender. The technology can be used to de-age and treat genetic disorders. But if you’re not my friend, others want to be my friend. Abelard, for instance, wants to replace his father.”

  “Dain and others don’t believe anyone will seriously attack us. Why should they? Everyone knows we have a massive nuclear arsenal, and I don’t mean small yield ship base missiles.”

  “The only thing stopping them is the idea that we are hiding a superweapon. The truth is most distressing. Many of our super nuclear warheads have not been replaced in centuries. Most projects are idle and incomplete. Everyone, even you, abuse research funds as a means to pay kickbacks to Lords. If the public knew, I would be the only one not defending charges of gross incompetence and negligence.”

  Patya was furious. His face was red, he clenched both fists, and out of the corner of his eye saw a figure stand. He stood firm and said, “The Grand Slam can tear apart a standard warship.”

  “Remember, my submarine?”

  “Yes.”

  “The pressure shield was Dökkálfar technology. It can dramatically reduce the damage done by a nuclear blast. I have tested the shield against the stellar vortex. It took a great deal of damage before it collapsed.”

  “This is why the other Senators fear you,” Patya grunted, “You built a powerful nuclear bomb, then the shield to defend against it.”

  “The Emperor is Love, The Emperor is life,” Kaede said.

  Patya frowned, he looked around, his forehead wrinkled, he raised an eyebrow and asked, “What?”

  “Say it.”

  “The Emperor is Love, The Emperor is life,” Patya said in a dull tone.

  “I developed tools for the Empire, which I share with my friends, but we need more than technology, we need social programs.”

  “Social programs?”

  “Every government agency shall hang my picture in the main entry with the Imperial Flag. It shall be displayed in every classroom. From First School to Fourth, every student will parade, stand at ease, chant ‘The Emperor is Love, The Emperor is life’. Then stand to attention and salute the Imperial Flag.”

  “Don’t you think that is a little overly dramatic?” Patya asked.

  “No. Loyalty will be critical in the coming war. Which means we need to decrease juvenile crime, the Imperial Cadets at ages fifteen to seventeen will enforce the law. They will have the power to arrest students, refer serious crimes to the courts, and most offenders, only for their first offence, will be punished by their parents.”

  “Dain will turn everyone in the Senate against you,” Patya said. “This is a power grab.”

  “I do not hate Dain, and I find his rants amazing, and he is often the voice of reason. You need to warn him that Abelard asked my help to oust him as head of the clan.”

  “Would you do that to Dain?”

  “No, I like Dain.”

  Patya noticed it was quiet. He looked around and didn’t see anyone. “What happened to my guards?” he nervously asked.

  “They’re safe and unharmed. What sort of friend would I be if I had them killed?”

  Patya slumped. Kaede walked up to Patya and offered a hug. Patya fell to his knees and looked at the ground. Kaede hugged him, Patya put his arms around him. He looked up and saw Toshiko beside Kaede.

  Kaede turned and looked back over his shoulder and said, “Patya, I don’t know why you’re afraid. Toshiko is loyal to me. Are you loyal to me?”

  “Yes,” Patya muttered.

  Kaede still held Patya. He patted Patya on the back and said, “Now take what you have learnt today and put as many Lords as you can in the confessional. No stone unturned. Break as many as you can and get them to quit.”

  Toshiko asked, “Emperor, what about Katerina?”

  Patya went to talk, and Kaede interrupted. “Patya would never harm her. He respects her as a friend and will never invade her privacy. He would never harm you, Katerina or any of your friends.”

  In the dark behind Patya, Toshiko asked, “Is that true?”

  Patya turned and saw Toshiko. She wore black armour, which turned white, with gold trim. Her black faceplate turned clear. She was holding what appeared to be a small railgun. He raised his eyebrows, but also his knees shook, and his eyes bulged. All he could do was nod slowly.<
br />
  Excited Kaede said, “When I am older, I want to go to the Teahouse and give money to young ladies to dance for me. I want to go to the VIP room of the casino to play poker all night and smoke cigars. I want to go deep-sea fishing with a machine gun. I want to get so drunk that I need to have a friend carry me home.” He asked Patya, “Will you be that friend?” Kaede asked.

  Patya put his hand on Kaede’s shoulder, “I prefer deep-sea fishing with a rod and reel, and it has been a long time since I have been to a penis festival.”

  Toshiko nodded, and as she walked away, her armour turned black.

  Kaede looked up and said, “Every year the Hashimoto Teahouse hosts the Kanamara Matsuri. I want to go. It is a celebration of all things phallic, but Grandfather says I am too young.”

  Patya watched Toshiko fade into the dark. He turned to Kaede and said, “I am aware of the festival, and he is right.”

  Kaede looked at Patya and said, “Yes, I am aware you go.”

  Patya nodded. “It has been a long time, but when you are old enough, I shall take you.”

  Kaede nodded, looked up, put his hands on the back of his head and stretched them out as he said, “The Empire is changing, and while most don’t see it, they feel it. Patya, a war is coming. The Ogres snicker at us, many Orcs have an itch, and the Goblins don’t even hide their contempt.”

  “That is true, but those races have not liked us for tens of thousands of years.”

  “Patya, many people are angry, and many of them want blood. Each time they hear about another pirate attack, they get angry at us. They feel we are not protecting them. They want the Navy to hunt down and smash every pirate within a thousand light-years.”

  “We just cannot do that.”

  “Patya, if we do not act, their rage could explode.”

  “It is our job to stop wars, not start them.”

  “I know you want to stop it, but I want you to accept it. War is inevitable. We did not start it. For thousands of years, many want revenge for every petty grievance. Pirates fleets are getting bigger, and the Nāga is funding them. We must prepare for war and accept the fact that millions will die, but we do so to save the lives of billions.”