February The Fifth (The Glothic Tales)

by Derek Haines

  ‘I’m sure the Royal Gregorian Dodecahedron was used during your investiture February.’ Atoth started.

  ‘The throbbing, pulsating bright blue glowing things?’

  ‘Yes February. The Dodecahedron and Orb.’

  ‘It was strange. I know I received something. I was told later that I was supposed to have received the twelve facets, but quite honestly, I just had a sense of knowing about more things to worry about.’

  ‘But you received them. If you held the orb, and the Dodecahedron was activated, they were definitely transmitted.’

  ‘Why are you so sure Atoth?’

  ‘Because the record of transfer is kept here.’

  ‘I don’t understand,’ Feb said.

  ‘The twelve facets of the Royal Gregorian family traits are held here. Just behind that door in fact. The Dodecahedron in the Grand Council of Gloth only receives the information for an investiture if I confirm the transmission from here to the Dodecahedron on Erde, and then from there, transmitted to Gloth.’

  ‘So you approved the transmission for my investiture?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Because you were the rightful successor.’

  ‘So what would you have done if it had not been me. Say my cousin December?’

  ‘I wouldn’t have transmitted.’ Atoth said firmly.

  ‘Um?’ Feb pondered. ‘Does the Dodecahedron or Orb retain this information?’

  ‘No. Not for any longer than is necessary to emit the information to the orb, and the new Potentate.’

  ‘So, if I let my mind wander,’ Feb started. ‘If, for some reason, someone else wanted this information, there would be no way of extracting it from the Dodecahedron or orb.’

  ‘True February. No way at all.’

  ‘So what about an alternative? From my brain?’

  ‘Perhaps. A mind recording is very difficult, but possible. It has been done before.’

  ‘So to take it one step further. Would it have been possible to get the information from my father?’

  ‘More difficult, as the twelve facets would have resided deep in his consciousness.’

  ‘But possible?’

  ‘Yes February,’ Atoth confirmed. At about the same time that April stopped her feminine semaphore and concentrated on Feb’s thinking.

  ‘And to transfer it?’

  ‘That is a much simpler process than retrieving it,’ Atoth said.

  ‘I think October and March may still be alive,’ Feb said, but almost to himself as April and Atoth remained silent.

  Feb broke the silence. ‘Atoth. I think it’s time I knew more about the twelve facets.’

  ‘Yes February. I agree.’

  ‘I’m ready when you are.’

  ‘Very well. The twelve facets of the Royal Gregorian family traits are defined as follows. Benevolence, compassion, courage, discipline, faith, honesty, loyalty, mercy, patience, prudence, tolerance and wisdom. These were the qualities that Gregory insisted were the necessary in a great leader of people. At first they were laboriously taught to heirs, but in later times, the Dodecahedron and Orb sped up the transfer of information and behavioural abilities. Only a twelve year education was necessary.’

  ‘Which I didn’t receive.’ Feb added.

  ‘Correct February. So you weren’t ready or prepared to make immediate use of all the information.’

  ‘Can this be corrected Atoth?’

  ‘That’s why you’re here February.’

  ‘Is it the same reason why September and November came here three hundred years ago?’

  ‘A smaller problem, but yes. To receive a partial transfer of the twelve facets of the Royal Gregorian family traits. At that time there was a dispute over the rightful heir.’

  ‘So I am to receive a full transfer then.’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘And you’re confident it will work?’

  ‘I hope so February. But it will be up to you to prove it. Only you will be able to verify if you are able to become the true and rightful Supreme Potentate of the Twelve Sun Systems of Gloth.’

  ‘And God to some,’ April added.

  After leaving the Ancient Hall by the rear doors, they entered a relatively small blue room. It had a single chair at its centre and a number of mobile tables lining one wall, each supporting what looked like a whole lot of nasty pieces of medical equipment and machines.

  ‘So what happens now?’ Feb asked.

  ‘I need to complete your twelve year education.’

  ‘Here?’

  ‘Yes. I will need to sedate you and connect you to that Pedagogilator there.’

  ‘And?’

  ‘It transfers information from both here and the Cavern of Clavius under Rom that will complete your necessary preparatory education.’

  ‘How long?’

  ‘Fifty-two hours normally. It can vary an hour or two.’

  ‘And that will be it?’

  ‘Almost February. We’ll then need to re-install the twelve facets of the Royal Gregorian family traits from the Dodecahedron. But this doesn’t take long.’

  ‘The one on Gloth?’

  ‘No. The main Dodecahedron is still under Rom. It will come from there.’

  ‘And then?’

  ‘Then February, you will need to prove that you’re indeed the rightful heir, and can truly become February the Fifth, the Supreme Potentate of the Twelve Sun Systems of Gloth.’

  Feb sat silently with April looking at him, sensing his self doubt. Atoth waited for February’s permission to proceed.

  ‘Do I need to know anything more before we proceed Atoth?’

  ‘No. Anything else can wait.’

  ‘And, how will I feel or react afterwards?’

  ‘I can’t say. Only you’ll know if you have the tools to rule.’

  There was a longer silence.

  ‘I’m ready Atoth.’

  It’s Time

  April was worried. Atoth wired Feb up, and he looked more like a condemned man than an about to be complete multi-solar system empiric benefactorial ruler. Wires and connections to almost every inch of his body. Laying near prostrate now on the chair that had been reclined. Oscillators, modulators, aspirators, coagulators, regulators, ventilators, respirators and all types of meters, all beeping and pulsating, going about what they normally do. Frightening people. Atoth made some minor adjustments and asked Feb if he was comfortable. Feb nodded, accompanied by an expectant but not totally convincing smile. April didn’t smile. Nor did Atoth as he readied the apparatus, while Feb readied himself for a fifty hour or more re-education.

  ‘Ready February?’ Atoth asked in a quieter voice than normal.

  ‘Yes Atoth. Ready,’ Feb answered.

  ‘See you in a day or two then,’ Atoth said as he flicked a very small blue switch on what looked like one of the more important machines. With his flick, Feb’s eyes rolled and closed and his whole body went limp.

  ‘He’ll be fine, won’t he Atoth?’ April asked.

  ‘I hope so,’ was Atoth’s less than comforting response.

  ‘You hope?’

  ‘Well, it’s so rare I have to do this. And this much implanting always carries some risk.’

  ‘And…?’

  ‘I’ll be careful April.’

  ‘He looks so helpless.’

  ‘Gloth needs February the Fifth April. It has to be this way.’

  ‘Does it?’

  ‘Yes April. It does. You know that as well as anyone.’

  ‘Yes, yes. But he’s my baby brother. He was never meant for this.’

  ‘So you have doubts?’

  ‘You don’t know Feb. He’s, well …..,’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Well, Feb has had his problems. Problems growing up and ….. ‘

  ‘April. No matter what your doubts are, February has a Gregorian responsibility now.’

  ‘And do you think your machines can make him what he’s not?’

 
‘No April. Not at all. Only help him with what he needs. Answers to questions he’s never even asked himself. Information for him to use in his own way. Remember, he did get you here. Not bad in my books.’

  ‘I’m sorry Atoth. Really. I know I need to be stronger.’

  ‘For Gloth?’

  ‘No. For my brother.’

  ‘Come on April. There’s nothing we can do here now.’

  A little over fifty hours is a long time. For most people, time would drag, but for String, Snurd and Adiddle a new found passion for Three-Handed Canasta helped pass the hours. For April and Atoth, coyly avoiding admitting that either felt an attraction for the other helped their hours pass. Albeit that April smiled incessantly and Atoth tried to keep his jaw firm for extended periods of time. Anyone watching them would’ve known immediately what was going to happen. They hadn’t seemed to have come to the same conclusive conclusion yet.

  Every couple of hours, Atoth checked Feb’s condition. A few minor adjustments. A few measurements. A few reassuring smiles for April. A few more smiles with no connection to Feb at all which were returned by a few eyelash flutters. A few more days, and the smiles and fluttering would be replaced by soft embraces, but they didn’t know that yet. The hopeful creation of a capable Supreme Potentate blocked their way.

  ‘Will he change Atoth?’

  ‘You’ll be the best one to judge April.’

  ‘But you’ve done this before.’

  ‘Only once.’

  ‘Once!’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘November. Three hundred years ago, remember?’

  ‘That’s right. But it was only a partial transfer.’

  ‘And he was alright after it, wasn’t he?’

  ‘Yes. It went well. I was told he only suffered from mild headaches for the rest of his life.’

  ‘Oh Atoth!’

  ‘Don’t worry April. I’m sure everything will be fine.’

  ‘You’re still not reassuring me.’

  ‘Let’s just wait,’ Atoth said but April’s eyes had suddenly stopped fluttering.

  Fifty-seven hours had passed and Feb still lay unconscious. While the machines connected to him clicked, beeped, pulsated and oscillated, Feb stayed quiet and motionless.

  ‘It should have finished by now, shouldn’t it?’ April asked.

  ‘Yes. But the sensors are indicating a checksum validation, so hopefully it will finish soon,’ Atoth replied.

  ‘So it’s normal?’

  ‘Everything is reading normal,’ Atoth replied just as a small green light started flashing, green. ‘The checksum validation has finished April. It shouldn't be long now.’

  It was only a few minutes before they noticed Feb’s eyes moving under his still closed eyelids. Then a small twitch of his bottom lip. A few more minutes and his eyes started to flicker open and shut. Atoth tended to his machines and disconnected some of the wires connected to Feb’s body while April waited. Biting her lip as her anxiety continued.

  ‘Thirsty…’ was Feb’s first quietly whispered word.

  ‘Yes. I’m sure you are,’ Atoth said calmly as he lifted Feb’s head and held a small plastic cup of water to Feb’s mouth. Feb sipped slowly. ‘Nice to see you again Feb. April’s here too.’ Atoth added and April moved closer.

  ‘Oh Feb. You had me so worried,’ April said quietly.

  ‘I’m … I’m …. ok,’ Feb said, almost pushing the words from his mouth.

  ‘Take it easy Feb. It’ll take a little while for the sedation to dissipate,’ Atoth said calmly.

  ‘Yes. I’m here Feb. Just rest,’ April said as she held Feb’s hand.

  Six hours later, Feb joined everyone for dinner for the first time in nearly three days. Slightly pale, but to all seemed in good heath and spirit as they enjoyed another of Adiddle’s wonderful meals.

  ‘Are you alright Feb?’ April asked for the third time.

  ‘Oh stop worrying April. I’m feeling fine.’

  ‘I wish I could sleep that long,’ String said with a grin.

  ‘Why don’t you just ask Atoth to arrange it for you,’ Feb said and grinned back.

  ‘You seem in remarkably good spirits I must say,’ Snurd added.

  ‘Well you did go overtime just a little Feb,’ Atoth said with a smile.

  ‘Sorry if I kept you all wait …… ,’ Feb started to say, just before he feinted and slid slowly to the floor from his chair.

  Although interrupting dinner, Feb’s decline from the table wasn’t serious. Atoth checked Feb again after he had slept for an hour and he was fine. Just a little too early after over fifty-seven hours of being unconscious to be able to digest a heavy meal of Andetrope eggs in a rich creamy sauce made from Kattratatac bile. A very traditional meal on Terranova Two, as the Andetrope was the only native wild fowl on the planet and its eggs were most sought after due to their size, about the size of a dinner plate, and four bright blue yolks. Similarly, the Kattratatac, an oversized rodent, was also native and had the distinction of not only having the only edible bile in the entire universe, but also the convenience of coughing it up copiously when a little pressure was applied behind both its ears simultaneously. For these reasons, they were both prized pets to have around the house.

  By morning, Feb had made a full recovery and was already discussing how to get back to Gloth with Snurd when April arrived.

  ‘Back to work are we?’ she said as she sat down.

  ‘No time to waste I believe is the expression,’ Snurd said in his usual uniformly flat voice.

  ‘Exactly,’ Feb agreed.

  ‘Well, it’s only been one day,’ April warned.

  ‘One more day for May and June too,’ Feb added.

  ‘Yes Feb. I understand,’ April conceded.

  ‘We need to get back to Gloth as soon as possible,’ Feb said earnestly.

  ‘But, with no Cosmic Cruiser?’

  ‘Atoth will help, I’m sure.’

  ‘Well even if you can get back, do you think Glothic High Command are just going to let you land and walk back into the palace?’

  ‘Something like that, yes.’

  ‘That’s not a very complex plan Feb.’

  ‘Does it need to be April? If I am truly the Supreme Potentate, I need to be on Gloth, and I need to prove that I am who I am supposed to be. If I now fully possess the twelve facets of the Royal Gregorian family traits, then I must trust them and myself. I can do nothing here.’

  If there was little happening on Terranova Two, there was indeed a great deal happening on Gloth.

  Alsiatious Umblicat and Hadlian Kortek were growing tired of the delays and a lack of will shown by those they had considered reliable, or more to the point, in their pockets. They both waited impatiently for Lefroy Overload. The President of the Grand Council was already ten minutes late and finally arrived fifteen minutes late without apology.

  ‘Good morning. What do you wish to discuss that is so urgent?’ Overload said as he flopped himself wearily into a chair at the meeting table.

  ‘We have been somewhat disappointed in your presidency Overload,’ Umblicat said, cutting to the chase immediately and making a point of impolitely addressing the President of the Grand Council.’

  ‘You do recall our support for you at the last election?’ Kortek added with a hint of sting in his voice.

  ‘Yes. Well this is all rather old news gentlemen. Let’s get to what you want to discuss,’ Overload said, dismissing their opening comments.

  ‘Your resignation,’ Umblicat said without hesitation.

  ‘Yes. I thought your patience was expiring,’ Overload said and looked at them both. ‘And I presume you have a replacement already chosen.’

  ‘We believe we need someone stronger. The last days have seen a failure of command. Either you aren’t in control, or those reporting to you need a firmer hand,’ Kortek reasoned.

  ‘Ahh! I see. So you think I am to blame for your losing the new Supreme Potentate?’

  ‘He’s not
a supreme anything Overload. You know that. He’s a fool,’ Kortek snapped.

  ‘Fool perhaps. But smart enough to slip through your fingers,’ Overload returned. ‘And with him went your last chance to get what you need.’

  ‘Oh? And what is that?’ Umblicat said snidely.

  ‘I’m old but not stupid. You want the twelve facets of the Royal Gregorian family traits. You failed with August the Eightieth, who I now presume is dead, and then hatched this plan to bypass the two eldest sons. In doing so, you thought you could have the Dodecahedron transfer everything into February’s head and you could retrieve it all immediately after.’

  ‘That is preposterou ……,’ Kortek started to object.

  ‘Please. I’m not a fool either. I’ve fulfilled our agreements in the Grand Council, but I will not be party to murder.’

  ‘How dare you insinuate such a ….,’ Umblicat started to say angrily as Lefroy Overload rose to his feet and interrupted him.

  ‘Gentlemen. I’ve issued all the orders that you’ve requested in the last days. I’ve fulfilled my part of our dirty arrangement. It’s clear to me now that my son has been party to your acts of betrayal and….’

  ‘Dagnion has been a loyal …’ Kortek began to say.

  ‘Oh don’t patronise me. My son’s abused his position and he betrayed August …’

  ‘You’re insane and….’ Umblicat interrupted.

  ‘I know about your plans for his nephew December. Don’t insult my intelligence.’

  ‘You’re becoming senile!’ Kortek spat angrily.

  ‘I believe our meeting is concluded. My resignation will not be forthcoming. However, I believe my assassination may well be,’ Overload said calmly as he turned and headed to the door, slamming it behind himself.

  Within an hour of the meeting’s conclusion, General Durrgan Dirrth, Supreme Commander of Glothic High Command received two very different Grand Council orders. While considering his two orders, he sent one of his own to Commander Glutz at the Royal Gregorian Guard.

  ‘Release the two Gregorian sisters and the two pilots. Then immediately place them all under protective custody and transport them secretly to a safe house on Alternus. Confirm.’