Equilibrium of Terror: Part 2

by Eddie R. Hicks

  She was not okay.

  “Come now, we are to be mates soon, this will be common and less disrupting if you co-operated,” Eeladen said as he got up fully clothed. “Don’t be upset at me, your mother ordered me to do this. You must have my child. Our child.”

  She saw Eeladen walk away and exit from the reflection of her window that peered out into the stratosphere of Paryo. He may have finally left, but she still felt wounded in the aftermath, and trembled at the thought of his last words. She didn’t want to believe him, but knew that with everything that happened thus far. It wouldn’t surprise her, and it wouldn’t surprise her if he was working for the Celestial Order. Why else would he not only take the gem, but hand it off to two shady people?

  Two hours later, and the crimson star shined brightly through the other windows in her chamber. Kroshka remained lying on her body, holding her belly, too depressed to move and scared at the fact that if she doesn’t act soon, she would become pregnant. She needed to find the will to move and speak when her servants arrived to perform their daily duties.

  She got up at last, and mustered enough energy to put on a robe and look at herself in the mirror. Her platinum hair was a mess it was another visual reminder of what happened she didn’t need. She moved away from the mirror quickly and entered the main area of the chambers and awaited the arrival of her servants.

  The doors swung open as she gave them permission to enter, three of them entered, the old man Moalin and along with Adena and Kashiana, two younger women whom were always helpful to Kroshka. They were dressed in their red uniforms and were ready to perform their task— Ready to provide Kroshka their loyalty and total devotion.

  “I require . . .” Kroshka said them, wishing she never had to make the request on her mind, but it was the only way. “I require . . . anti-pregnancy chems, can you fetch one for me please?”

  “At once,” Moalin said. The three took a bow and retreated back into the hallways from where they came from without question.

  Kroshka sat on a couch next to a large window, and began to ponder what her next move would be. She couldn’t bear to confront her mother about this, in fact what she asked the three to do would have to be kept secret. Something she should have informed them before they left.

  Her loyal servants returned later in the day, empty handed, their words laced with bad news. “There is nothing I could find,” Adena said.

  “The other floors report nothing in stock; the entire palace is without any,” Kashiana said.

  The palace was normally stocked with near limitless supplies including anti-pregnancy chems. If it wasn’t then there’d been a lot of illegitimate offspring produced by past emperors, empresses and visiting lords in the centuries that passed. Kroshka frowned, it was no coincidence the supplies ran low. “So, she did plan this,” Kroshka said. “I need your loyalty and devotion to directed to me and me only from this point on,” she said directly to them. “Understood?”

  They bowed in unison toward her. “Yes of course,” Moalin said.

  Kroshka got up from her comfortable rest on her couch, and walked over to the servants who stood next to each other, shoulder to shoulder. Their demeanor was like soldiers, ready and waiting for new orders. “Mother is trying to force me to have Eeladen’s child,” Kroshka said to them. “I will not have it. Drop all your duties and search the markets outside for a vendor offering them.”

  “At once,” Moalin said.

  “And you,” Kroshka said directly to Adena and Kashiana. “Please track Eeladen, watch his every move. Distract him should you see him coming near my chambers. Can you do that?”

  “Yes, is there anything else?” Kashiana asked.

  “My pendant, recover it if you see it. I will do what I can to search for it as well.” They acknowledged her many requests, and once again did not question it. Kroshka returned the gesture to them with a smile and hardy, “Thank you,” afterward.

  Ancient temple, Paryo, Uemaesce system

  Eeladen entered Fahia’s personal study within the confines of the ancient temple below the Imperial Capital. He smiled at the Hashmedai Celestial Order priestess as she turned around in her chair to see who had interrupted her readings of ancient scriptures. Eeladen didn’t need to speak any words in regard to what he got done, he simply removed Kroshka’s gem out from his side pocket and allowed Fahia to marvel at its red glowing wonder.

  “That was quick,” Fahia said as she stepped closer to him.

  “My time with the Princess was not.” Fahia raised an eyebrow toward his comment. “Never mind, I’ll explain later.”

  Eeladen handed the gem to her as she moved further back into her study and pulled a blanket that was concealing the presence of her aether space communicator. “I’ll try to contact Kasidey again.”

  Fahia tinkered with the small Lyonria made device and attempted to connect with their agent. An agent who provided the same response repeatedly, nothing. She made five more attempts as she fidgeted with the gem in her hands, no response. Not good, we’ve gotten so far. Eeladen saw her connect with another order loyal agent, one that did reply to her communications whenever she sent them. Torval’s holographic face appeared as a link was established with him aboard the Abyssal Pelican.

  “I have good news for you,” Fahia said to Torval as she held the gem up high for him to see.

  Torval grimaced. “You didn’t kill her for it, did you?”

  “I don’t know.” She faced Eeladen. “Did you?”

  “The princess is alive . . .” Eeladen said. “Physically.”

  Torval’s hologram carried a worried look the longer he looked at Kroshka’s gem. Like he knew something about it that the rest of them should be aware of. “I’m happy progress has been made,” Torval said, then promptly killed the communication between the two.

  “How do you plan on getting the gem to him in a timely manner?” Eeladen asked Fahia.

  “Space bridge is out of the question, even with a small transport it might be shot down by a Radiance cruiser still loyal to the union,” she said. “And we’ll need a space bridge that’s free for use. The wormhole is the only way, but without Kasidey to generate one.”

  “Noylarlie will have to do it.”

  “I’ll figure something out,” Fahia said as she stepped toward Eeladen grinning. “For now, return to your princess Eeladen and prepare to hand the empire over to the order after the bonding is completed.”

  Eeladen smiled back toward her before he took his leave, exiting the hidden entrance to the temple and returning to the city marketplace above. Eeladen had never felt so satisfied in his life. He was a man that never really experienced the cool soothing touch of a woman’s body, and often wondered if his lack of experience made women keep their distance from him. The sessions he’s had with Empress Y’lin however . . . it built his confidence up, then there was Kroshka last night. Fahia could sense it, he became adept at copulating with women, and the way she had been looking at him proves just that. Forget, Y’lin forget Kroshka, if Eeladen were to take the throne as emperor, he would rather have Fahia at his side as empress and it would work out better for the order at the same time.

  Bond with Kroshka, get rid of Y’lin, become the emperor with Kroshka as the empress. Wait for Kroshka to have my child, then get rid of her, then bond with Fahia. Yes. That will be the plan. The thought of him disrobing Fahia’s prayer robes every night after they become mates made him hard, as a treacherous smirk radiated from his face.

  Eeladen traveled further through the markets as he headed back to the Imperial Palace. He paid no mind to the vendors as the yelled trying to get the attention of people to trade products with them. With the exception of one market stand. There was a servant from the place there, Moalin. He still wore his red uniform. Eeladen stopped briefly as he made eye contact with the servant, an older man. He was purchasing anti-pregnancy chems. Something the empress requested they be thrown away to prevent Kroshka from taking them.

  What does h
e plan on doing with those? Eeladen thought as he continued to make his way back to the palace.

  He always suspected Kroshka was secretly bedding this particular servant. Was it possible she’s in the early stages of bearing his child over mine? If so this complicates things.

  Imperial Palace, Paryo, Uemaesce system

  Eeladen made his return to the palace. He touched the damp sides of his pants; light snowfall built up on them then melted, making them less than appealing when walking through the pristine halls. He entered his sleeping chambers to find new clothing to wear and to take in one of the last glances of it, for he’d soon be moving into a larger one, one he’d share with Kroshka.

  Two female servants were inside, Adena and Kashiana, they were startled at his appearance as he entered. It was a puzzling sight to him, he wasn’t emperor yet nor did he have major power over them. And he didn’t request any room service for the day, they shouldn’t be in there, period.

  He walked closer to them, they both appeared to be nervous as he got closer and asked. “What are you doing here?”

  “Uh, the Princess requested we clean up your stay,” Kashiana said.

  “Did she now?”

  “Something about you being . . . unclean milord.”

  “I am a clean person as you can see,” Eeladen said, pointing to his neatly organized chamber.

  “Oh, we never doubted it!” Adena said.

  Eeladen said nothing more as he walked toward his sleeping space. The storage drawers inside provided him with a fresh clean and dry pair of trousers to wear. As he put them on, he heard from around the corner the two servants move about in his chambers, they didn’t leave and it didn’t sound like they had any plans to do so anytime soon.

  He grunted then headed toward the exit. Kroshka sending these two to clean his room was . . . an odd act given what happened the previous night. It was possible Y’lin was right, and that Kroshka finally accepted her fate and asked these servants to do this to be that loving and loyal mate she had to be. And if that was the case, she may accept him willingly in the bedroom going forward. There was only one way for him to tell, and that was to visit her and see how she acts.

  Adena unexpectedly walked up behind Eeladen as he reached over to interact with the door control on the wall. Her hand touched his shoulder at first, then slithered down across his arm in a seductive manner.

  “So strong,” she said as her fingers touched his biceps.

  Kashiana approached him, touching him in a similar manner on his opposite side. “Uh yes, and clean,” she whispered.

  Eeladen smiled. He always heard stories from other guardians and warriors stationed here of lonely servants whose biological needs for lust weren’t being fulfilled. Needs that some of them help take care of from time to time. It never happened to Eeladen however, and if his theory was correct, it was only because he lacked the experience, and they knew it. He bedded the empress and princess, the two most powerful women in the empire, they sensed it, and they wanted him now.

  “But, is he hard?” Adena said to Kashiana.

  “I’ve been for the last few seconds.”

  He heard some subtle giggling from the two behind him, then felt both of their hands wrap around his arms and drag him toward his bed. Life . . . is great, the gods are great. He thought as the two lovely servants pushed him onto the bed and began to undress. I have no regrets about allowing Fahia to temper my mind and see the one truth path.

  They continued the process of stripping away their outfits, the sounds of their attire hitting the floor forced him to rise slightly so that he can lay eyes on their splendid half naked pale bodies. The excitement inside his body, it was amazing, his senses were all heightened. Heightened enough to take notice that Kashiana looked a bit . . . uneasy. Especially as she kneeled to obtain an anti-pregnancy chem in preparation for the fun.

  They shouldn’t have those.

  Nobody should have them, unless they were brought in recently. Like from Moalin he saw in the markets, the same one he took his eyes off.

  “Cunning, I’ll give you two that,” he said as he leapt up from the bed, thankful his clothes were still on. They were distracting him, trying to keep him inside and away from Kroshka. And they blew their cover with the chems.

  Eeladen bolted to the door, pushing them aside, ignoring their pleas for him to return. As he exited into the halls, he shut and locked his chamber doors behind. I’ll let Y’lin deal with them, he thought then ran toward the elevator commanding it to take him to the floor Kroshka’s chamber was located on.

  He arrived at the door to Kroshka’s chamber, and input the door lock override code to the side panel, courtesy of the good empress. The doors swung open and as he suspected, Kroshka was alone with Moalin. The two were standing next to each other, talking, and probably had just finished copulating not long ago.

  Eeladen hissed loudly and entered, his fist sent the older man to the floor before Eeladen hurled him out of the room with his strong guardian hands. The same hands that shut and locked the door as he turned to face a shocked wide eyed princess. Used anti-pregnancy chem tubes were on the floor next to her.

  She wasn’t going to be carrying anyone’s child now, and she would be immune to insemination for the next two hours. Eeladen had no other plans for the day, his pants came off, and he was still hard from Adena and Kashiana’s temptress actions.

  “I shall take my time this time.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Gavin looked intently at the Los Angeles skyline as the clear and blue cloudless skies above hung high. Cars zipped through the streets, spewing their exhaust into the thin layer of smog; people went about their day enjoying the hot summer weather that baked the region as palm trees waved in the winds.

  None of this was real of course; there were so many obvious signs that this was a vision from 2018, Gavin’s last memories of LA. The biggest sign? He was floating in the air looking down at it all. Gavin was on Titan the last time he checked, Saturn’s largest moon, a long way from LA and a solid twenty-two years after the imagery that was unfolding in front of him.

  Gavin appeared inside his LA home, it was still neat and tidy, not like the last time he was in it, where it was turned upside down as an intruder broke in. Oddly enough the intruder took nothing of value, just went on a rampage looking for something, but what? Gavin’s Blu-ray collection of movies had to have been worth thousands of US dollars, they could have made bank selling that on the streets.

  His long dead wife Anna appeared next to him, she was still pregnant with their child as were his last memories of her. She led him upstairs to their room, toward the safe in the corner where she stored the red gem she cherished ever since he met her.

  Then it hit him.

  Given everything he experienced with the gem, and the fact the Celestial Order had a secret lab in LA. The people that broke into his house that day, they must have known about Anna’s gem, they were looking for it but probably couldn’t get into the safe. Anna looked at Gavin directly, she seemed to be happy, happy that he was there as she held the gem in her hands.

  “Gavin,” she said softly to him.

  “This isn’t real,” he said.

  “I’m not real? That’s comforting.”

  “I mean.”

  “I know what you mean, dumb ass!” She laughed then stepped forward to kiss him. The warmness of her body, the softness of her lips. He missed it so much. “You missed that didn’t you? And my voice, bet you missed that too.”

  “I’m sorry I wasn’t there to protect you.”

  “No need to apologize,” Anna said as she held up the gem for the two of them to gaze at. “Did I ever tell you how long this has been in my family for?”

  “Your folks or something gave it to you right?”

  “My grandfather found it in Europe during World War II,” Anna said. “He was tight lipped about how he got it exactly and kept it with him as a souvenir of his service out there. My grandmother took possession of
it when he passed; eventually it found its way to me.” She held his hand, and pushed the gem into it. “Then you.”

  “Major Vaughan, but that’s another story,” Gavin said, then sighed dejectedly. “Damn it, I’m sorry for that too, I should be the one looking after it, now more than ever, it’s clearly more than just jewelry.”

  “It’s way more than that,” Anna said. “My family, didn’t know what was going on with their bodies when they held it. But I did, it talked to me, the longer I had it the more I felt changes to my body and mind.”

  Gavin had remembered having similar experiences during the time he had it. He had been changing and didn’t realize it he just liked how the gem made him keep his cool whenever he had needed it.

  “I’ve had similar things happen,” Gavin said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if the Major and Ella did as well.”

  Anna patted the bump on her belly. “I was able to read his thoughts, our child.”

  “He . . .” Gavin paused as he looked up at the ceiling, trying to hold back the tears filling his eyes. It didn’t work they streamed down his face as he said. “I was going to have a son?”

  “Yes, the thoughts an unborn kid processes, it’s something else,” Anna said. “I didn’t realize it right away, it was sometime after the invasion when those powers started to grow stronger.”

  Anna’s revelation meant only one thing. She was in the process of becoming a low-level human psionic. Anna’s exposure to the gem had to have triggered it, and it would explain exactly why Ella Lynn became one as well seemingly out of nowhere. Ella too held the same gem. Unlike Gavin and Anna however, Ella was in contact with the gem the least between the two. Therefore if the gem gave her powers to Ella, then Gavin too had them as well as Anna, her grandmother and anyone else in her family that was in possession of it. Major Vaughan also possessed the gem at one point.