No one must know the truth, Timon thought.
The deed was done. Demetrius Santos, heir to the Crystal Metropolis throne, breathed his last...
****
45 B.E.
Nero was never the same after Demetrius’ death. It happened suddenly and gruesomely. He had no more heirs except for one, but he knew that bringing Alejandro back to Crystal Metropolis would be a mistake.
Although he was married, he was alone. Luciana was usually gone, but he never thought about waiting for her. He was in his own world, but he was still seen by his court as the great ruler that saved the ATM. Everyone still respected him, but they knew Nero would never be the same dynamic ruler from past times again.
Most of the time, Nero slipped into nostalgic moments. He could remember the history he learned before coming to Crystal Metropolis, around the time when they were going through the Warlord Era, the era of his father.
Around that time, there was no such thing as Crystal Metropolis. The planet was insignificant, a waste of space. Pisanio Santos made it noteworthy. It was a war-torn, bloody road, but the result was the growth of a dynasty with a new and stable home capital that started with him and continued with Nero. Nero only hoped that the next king that ruled was of Santos blood.
One night, as he and Luciana slept, Luciana woke up suddenly. Nero was worried and went to her. He put his arms around her shoulders.
“Something wrong?” he asked.
“I had a dream,” Luciana said.
“About?”
“You, my king. I dreamed that you were dead.”
“Dead? How?”
“Peacefully. No one touched you. The gods took your body into space and you were worshipped. Even the stars bowed before you.”
“That bothered you?"
Luciana turned to him. “I’m surprised that you’re not worried.”
Nero responded confidently. “I've never worried about death before. I won’t start now.”
“Nero, I’m sorry about Demetrius. That was why I had the dream. That was why I was worried.”
Nero was silent. He went to the bed and squeezed the sheets. Luciana grinned. She knew that this would rally him up.
“I know that you care about blood succession,” Luciana said. “Well, Timon’s your son. I know he could continue the dynasty without damage. I can vouch for him.”
Nero lied back on the bed. He talked no more that night. Luciana was sure that her words came through.
Sure enough, he was startled by Luciana’s dream. It did not start right away, but it grew since he went back to the court to deal with his daily work. She was right. Timon was his son. Since Alejandro could not have it due to competence, Timon was the next best thing. It could be his way of redeeming himself of not being a good father to him.
So days after Luciana told him about the dream, he started writing his will. He stayed in his room for the entire time, writing everything he wanted to tell the court. Afterwards, he went on his knees, closed his eyes, and put his hands together. In his native ATM language, he looked up to the ceiling of his room and spoke his words.
“Gods of the ATM. I talk to you as your most humble servant, Nero Horrando Santos. I talk to you about the end. I come to you to praise your holy name. Whatever awaits me in the stars let my home forever be safe for my family to rule. Help the new ruler watch over my children as I make my new journey to you. As I had ruled my people, I hope to be ruled by you forever…”
****
Footsteps were louder than usual in Timon’s palace. Sometimes, they came from outside or from soldiers that marched the streets every night, watching out for intruders. He thought that he was going to leave Crystal Metropolis, but saw no sense in going. His wife was dead and his sons were young adults. There was nothing else that he wanted to do but to walk in shadow for the rest of his life.
One night, he heard the footsteps again as he slept. This time, however, they were getting louder and louder until they were right on his bedroom door. He got up and opened the door. Standing before him were Democrat Guards.
“Your mother wants to see you,” one of them said.
Dressed in a housecoat, Timon headed for the Santos Palace. There before him was his mother Luciana and some of the strators and lators were staring at him with the most concentrated eyes.
He thought he was in trouble. What if they found out about Demetrius?
His mother came to him as all put their heads down.
“King Nero’s dead,” she whispered to him. “He died in his sleep.”
Timon took some time to sink it in. Then, another one of the court along with a strator named Belarius, came to him and showed something from his hand.
It was a ring. Even in the night, it shinned bright like a star. In fact, stars were engraved all over it to represent Crystal Metropolis as a bright star.
“The Starstriker ring,” Belarius said. “Passed on from generation to generation. As one dies, another lives.”
With that, he took Timon’s hand and placed in on his index finger. Then, Belarius kissed it with compassion.
"Hail King Santos,” he said.
Then, more came and kissed the ring as well, all saying “Hail King Santos!"
Timon grunted. He did not want anything to do with Crystal Metropolis and presently, he was in possession of one of the most precious pieces of jewelry in the universe, the Starstriker ring, and everyone claiming him as their ruler.
Whether he liked it or not, it was etched in the hearts and minds of the court.
Nero was dead. Timon Boardwalk Santos was the new Santos king…
TWO: SECOND GENERATION
Five years have passed since Nero’s death. Timon Boardwalk Santos was the new king, making a statement off the bat. If fellow ATMers thought that a new warlord era was coming back in true form, the stroke of the pen plus inner machinations within the family sealed the fate of the old era once and for all.
There were mixed reviews about this choice. For one, no one had ever heard of Timon or about him being Nero’s son. He was just a soldier. Plus, some were waiting for Demetrius to come back from the grave. Timon was no Demetrius. He was no Nero.
But Timon was king, and no one did anything to dispute the matter.
Luciana was proud of her son despite the critics. She kept her title as the Queen Mother. She and her servant Gintina had moved up since Timon became king. They had celebrations for the next few days after Nero’s ashes were sent into space to be with the gods. They were like little schoolgirls in how far they had come, even though they were getting older.
The first order Timon made was making his sons, Dromio and Ichiamo, special lators. This stirred up some problems for the strators. Nero never asked his sons or daughter to take positions within the Crystal Metropolis legislature. Alejandro took on the role of lator out of his own fruition and went through the proper protocols to achieve that position, but that was as close as the family came to the planetary legislature. Timon did it in 46 B.E., and did not back down from his order, skipping the protocols altogether. He wanted to keep a close eye on the strators because of their concerns over him. Making his sons lators put them in a good position to do this.
Strator Belarius was the only supporter of this order, but only because he was doing well in Timon’s reign so far. He was in the running to become Prime Strator, head of the entire Strator Circle. If he played his cards right, he could get the title within another year.
Also, Timon raised taxes, mostly to the marketers of Crystal Metropolis. He was sure that they were loaded with money to increase the treasury. In truth, he wanted to control the markets altogether, but he knew that this was the lifeline to Crystal Metropolis. He treaded carefully with the markets and kept a good eye on them.
Then entered the question of who would become queen. Luciana was the queen regent, but Timon did not want the rumor to spread that his own mother was the power behind his rise the throne. So in 47 B.E., there was a call all over the ATM for
potential concubines and wives for Timon. Soldiers from Crystal Metropolis came back with slaves from all the planets, except for Solaria, still the troublesome planet.
After many choices, of the millions of females that came in, 3,000 were chosen to be a part of Timon’s camp. Timon did get married around that time to a streetwalker named Celia.
As far as all of Crystal Metropolis was concerned, it might as well have never existed. Timon was never a good husband. Since Dina's death, he had become a sex maniac. He would have Symbel Crystalis dinners where it would be just him and his concubines eating dinner and afterwards, wine and sex orgies. Sometimes, he would have them in front of his Celia. She would have problems with his infidelity, but never said a word.
No one could say anything. Dina was the one thing that kept him in check. With Dina gone, nothing could put a leash on his activities.
Not only that, but two more elements in Timon's character reappeared that became a problem for the new emperor: his temper and another component to the mix that from time to time would send his temper sky high.
Around the time before Nero’s death, a drug craze hit Crystal Metropolis involving a drug nicknamed “Jove.” It originated on the planet Troyuvant, where soldiers would take it before they went into battle. After a while, soldiers began using it for other purposes besides fighting.
Namely sex.
According to different witch doctors, it was composed of a drop of blood from each god and that anyone taking it would be endowed with a sort of omnipotence, becoming all powerful in the confinements of their minds. Everything they did and felt would become amplified a thousand fold. Jove was so potent that those using it would be able to feel all life within the universe coarse through their veins. It turned out to be nothing more than a sweet but toxic poison that increased adrenaline flow.
The only problem was that it had a side of effect of causing extreme aggression when the users come down from the high. Somehow, Jove made its way from Troyuvant to Solaria and eventually at the doorstep of Crystal Metropolis, right into the Santos Palace and into the body of King Timon Santos.
He told his mother that he took it for his nerves, but Luciana knew better. She told him time and time again that he needed to stop, but it was no use. Timon kept using it and his temper had gotten worse.
In between Timon taking his drugs, he made plans to finally settle the score with Solaria. He told himself if he ever were in a position of leadership in the army, he would redeem himself by bringing Solaria into the Santos family empire.
The year 50 B.E. was the chance Timon was waiting for.
****
After the death of Nero Santos and during the beginnings of Timon's reign, the rest of the ATM was going through some rearrangements as well. Before Timon's ascension, Nero had already made plans to ensure the Santos clan continued to rule the galaxy. He put several relatives into special positions, mostly as ambassadors or true power positions.
By this time, besides Crystal Metropolis, there were five other planets that either rose to prominence or continue dominance thanks to or in spite of Santos influence: Guapa, Troyuvant, Cyprun, Syra, and Solaria.
In the many events around the different planets, two major events worked their way into the galaxy consciousness: the Troyuvant drug trade and the political landscape changes of Solaria.
The last true leader of the desert planetary nation, tribal elder Cassio Lysander, had been dead since 31 B.E., but the answer to his true successor on the desert had always been unanswered. Adding to the fact, the Lysander family still considered themselves the power behind Solaria policy. Solaria was to the Lysanders what Crystal Metropolis was to the Santos: the center of the universe.
However, the Lysanders saw themselves with more competition since Cassio maintain peace. Three other groups were also fighting for control of the planet: two other families, the Gadiagas and the Suntoris, and a new religious movement that emerged called the Second Renaissance.
This hotbed of political chaos gave Timon the ammunition to head for the Solaria stratosphere for glory. He went with some of his legions to Guapa to train and get ready for another crack on Solaria...
****
Back in Crystal Metropolis, political sparks flew.
Strator Belarius, a loyalist to Timon, was asked by Luciana Santos to monitor Timon’s affairs until he came back. It was going to be harder than he thought.
The strators wasted no time going into talks about overthrowing Timon while he was away, unable to defend himself and his family.
One of those strators in this mix was the thirty-third of sixty strators, Ventilicus. Ventilicus served Nero ever since the Santos Ride. His discontent and sheer hatred of Timon and Luciana came from the drastic changes made in the Strator Circle; mainly appointing his sons Dromio and Ichiamo as special lators. Once Timon appointed them, Ventilicus was demoted. He went from having one of the highest and most prominent positions in the Circle to basically being Dromio and Ichiamo’s assistant.
From that moment, Ventilicus conspired to get rid of Timon and his mother.
On several different occasions, he had the opportunity to make his move, but none ever seemed ideal until he met a Democrat Guard soldier named Bastiannius Priam, and planned the perfect overthrow.
Ventilicus met Bastiannius at a small restaurant in the seediest part of town, a perfect spot since no one knew who either of them was and no one would bother to venture in the area.
“How will it be done?” asked Priam.
“We’ll use terrorist methods,” Ventilicus answered. "Crystal Metropolis will be hit so hard and there would be so much disarray that they won’t see us coming. Then, in secret, we close in.”
“On who?” Bastiannius asked.
“First, we take out the sons,” Ventilicus said. “Then we bring the queen to her knees.”
“What about Strator Belarius?”
“Leave him to me. I know what to say to him.”
The plan was set. Bastiannius had shaky feelings about this particular action, but he knew only one place where actions like that could take place. He left Ventilicus' company to prepare for the signal...
****
The seventh of the ten-month period of 50 B.E., was the busiest time in Crystal Metropolis’ Bull Market Triangle in the city area outside of the palace. While other citizens went through the usual ten months before hitting the new year, the seventh month started the Bull Marketers’ new fiscal year. It was the best time for them because that was where the best business transactions, the best backroom deals, and the best mergers occurred. Whether it was good or bad depended on how the Bull Market swung.
The Bull Marketers were their own royalty. Unlike the Crystal Metropolis court, who decided to handle business behind closed doors, the Bull Marketers spread their activities to other ATM planets. They never made too much money in the capital because they knew that “Santos’ eyes” were everywhere on the planet. Everywhere else was open game.
Dromio and Ichiamo Santos would do business when they were not unleashing justice. They had made a killing in the market and going for more deals, more money, and more lessons to be learned. For this particular day, they decided not to keep their guards up. Usually, the only thing Bull Marketers would argue about was if a good product or the entire market went sour.
Bastiannius Priam and his squad of Democrat Guards took their positions among the crowd. He knew that they only had one chance and they had to make it count. One of the men went into the alleyway. Two other men went into the crowded streets. Little boys went into the cafes in the area as preachers voiced about the gossip of Crystal Metropolis.
Bastiannius took out a trigger from his pocket and pushed the button. An explosion from a nearby café sent nearby citizens in Bull Market Plaza into a state of pandemonium. No one knew where it came from exactly, but several patrons died from being trampled over or from flying debris.
Seconds later, another explosion went off. There was so much commoti
on going on that no one even noticed the guns being fired. Some of the preachers tried to find some kind of way out, calming the people down, but their voices fell on deaf ears. They were getting run over by the same people they tried to calm down.
Dromio and Ichiamo scurried, trying to figure out what was going on, Bastiannius found them both together. He was going to use a gun to finish them off but his men were around. With a wave of his hand, Bastiannius gave the order and his soldiers began attacking the boys.
Without hesitation, the years of training their father instilled began to instinctively take over. One soldier ran up to Dromio and tried to stab him from behind. Dromio grabbed the soldier by the arm and bent his arm back into his elbow. Before the soldier could scream in agony, Dromio kicked him in the throat and crushed his trachea.
INIQUITOUS DOMINION: The Galactic Classic Page 4
