Kaldean Chronicles: Kaldean Sunset (Book I) Page 3

  “Does it go far?”

  “No. This tunnel is just an entrance, but the tunnels go on for miles and miles. It spans the entire ship. Some of the boys were saying that it connects to every single room in the palace.”

  “There's no way. They would've built a separate system for certain areas.”

  “Things you're not supposed to get to?” Rafael turned to Antoni but he didn't respond. Of course the state had secrets, and some of them were in the palace, but he wasn't going to talk about them.

  “We're almost there. I can see something.” Antoni pointed to a glimmer of light a little lower than the rest, and they made their way towards it. He hadn't been paying much attention to the walls, but he thought he could make out little patterns etched into the sides. He pointed at them. “What is that?”

  “Graffiti.”

  “What's graffiti?”

  “Stupid shit. Kids will carve their names into things and stupid sayings. It's a way of expressing yourself and saying that you were there.”

  “Huh.” The people had strange customs, things he didn't understand, and he suspected he never would. He was reminded every day just how disconnected he was by the rest of society.

  Almost as if he was reading Antoni's thoughts, Rafael turned to him. “Your father doesn't talk to us. He doesn't do anything for us, and he does not know us. Don't make the same mistake.”

  “I haven't seen any problems. I thought things were going well.” There were whispers, but that's all they were.

  “It isn't. There's violence and uprisings in the outer reaches, invasions that go ignored. There's things out there that want us dead, and nobody is fighting them because your father doesn't keep an eye on the Empire. He doesn't know what's best.”

  “You think I should go out and talk to the people?”

  “How are you going to know how to rule if you don't understand what's going on?”

  That was some pretty sound logic. “I think you're right.”

  “I am,” he was certain. “You hear it every day.”

  “Every day?”

  “You don't know. We've got pirates, anti-tech groups raiding Empire planets, underground human slavery, corruption. It all goes unchecked because the palace won't even travel to a populous system. Your father hasn't even been seen in public for years. It's gotta stop.”

  Antoni had better listen, because if he wanted to be honest, he had heard some of this in closed circles. The servants would whisper in the halls and the academics would debate it quietly, but none of these things were spoken about openly. “I will keep it in mind. I've heard some of this, but not to any great extent.”

  “I'm not political, but this shit's getting ridiculous.”

  The boys entered a domed room, nearly 20 feet tall where tiny passages just like the one they'd left lined the walls. There were more than two dozen of them. Rafael took out a glow pen from a pocket in his cloak and marked an X on the floor. “You ever come here, mark an X on the floor when you leave a tunnel. That's how people find their way.”

  “Got it.”

  Rafael handed him a glow pen, “Where do you want to go?”

  “I wanna see the higher levels.” Antoni didn't go up there much. It was where his father conducted business and he was interested to see what it was like.

  Rafael laughed, “Good choice. I was thinking the Orchid baths myself, but I think we'll try your idea instead. The girls get kind of boring after a while.”

  “Do they have to make them so stupid?”

  “A lot of men like it. I choose the smarter ones personally. It's fun to sit and talk with them.”

  Chapter 5: Coven

  Emperor Victor Leon's massive form was accented by a mean face, one which seemed to stare right through you. At 415 years old, He had seen the galaxy, lived in the purple jungles, and crawled through crystal caves. He could go wherever he wanted, but in his old age the only place he wanted to be was in his palace where he was safe and comfortable.

  It didn't matter what people had to say. He was aware of the issues his Empire was facing, but he took a detached approach, because society had to develop freely. The people must be allowed to live as they wished or else they would rebel against the Empire. If Victor oppressed one group for the harm they caused, even the pirates, that group might rise up and overthrow him. If he were to go the outer reaches and kill off the sentients, they could easily fight against him. Yes, he had enemies, and so did the people, but he could keep them at bay without wiping them out, and in doing so he could avoid disaster.

  He was standing in his closet, staring at the mirror. He threw on his white robe and red cloak then walked into his chambers, where his Orchids were sleeping peacefully. He quietly left them there and walked out into the hall where six Jihadis were waiting to escort him into the meeting hall.

  He walked slowly, taking his time to mull over what was ahead of him. The sisterhood and the Empire had been cooperating for thousands of years, and their relationship had always been cordial, but he didn't trust them. The Sisterhood didn't forget easily. He wanted to be certain that they didn't hold any ancient grudges, but it was impossible to know whether or not they were loyal.

  They had their secrets, and he was never going to find out what they were. The people admired them as much as they admired the Kaldeans, if not more. They never forgot who gave them the power to fold space, and the religious fervor that started with the Blood Jihad spread like wildfire. The people would fight for them, even overthrow the Kaldeans if they commanded it. They'd give their lives for their faith, and did so readily if the occasion called for it. Victor was required to pay homage to the sisters at every turn. They got whatever they wanted, and though they never really asked for much, they displayed their power on a regular basis.

  The system was not without its checks and balances. Victor had the Jihadi and they were loyal. Their fleet could burn the galaxy and had no trouble destroying an entire star system, but the Lorian Sisterhood had the people. They outnumbered the Jihadi, and their guerrilla tactics could be just as effective as an army's sophisticated weaponry. If it came to war, the outcome would be uncertain.

  When Illya Santini, the High Priestess of the sisterhood, demanded a meeting that morning. Victor was forced to send out an escort immediately and delay all other business for the day. There was nothing more infuriating than a woman who could command an Emperor at whim.

  Her smug attitude was no comfort. He walked into the room to see the woman sitting at the head of the table. That was his place, and she knew that. She had her hood down to reveal her bald head with her blue chakra jewel sitting the middle of her forehead. She met his eyes when she was supposed to bow her head and stared at the guards, signaling that they were to leave. They waited for his command of course.

  The sisters were dedicated to the academic sciences in all area of life. They studied the mysteries of the universe, and only initiated those that had been fully versed in all of the Sisterhood's databanks. Once they were initiated, the women all had their own specialties that they studied to further the knowledge of the sisterhood.

  Illya was an expert in human behavior.

  She sensed his anxiety, so she drew herself forward and lowered her head a bit in a gesture of humility. “I apologize for intruding like this,” she said. She could command others, trick them and pull them in at whim.

  “It's alright. I do have business to take care of.”

  “Which is why I plan to brief,” she said curtly. She was so strange. He'd seen this woman his entire life in one form or another. Every two hundred years, give or take a decade, power passed from one High Priestess to another, but her name was always Illya and she always took the same appearance. Every time the change occurred, she resumed business as if nothing happened. They were always on familiar terms and she knew just how to deal with him. Most believed that Illya was a clone, taken from older stock, and uploaded with the memories of her predecessor.

  Victor didn't believe it. He'd
never seen a clone take on every subtle nuance and mannerism of their former selves. The sisters found a way to keep a person alive indefinitely. Victor was sure of it. Once he asked Illya about it. She just smiled, clasped her hands together and asked him if he was feeling alright. She never let on, not once. That was her way. If you didn't know her, you never would've known that she was lying to you.

  Illya took a sip of black root infusion and cleared her throat. “How are you today?”

  “Alright.”

  “Anything new?” she questioned, pausing to pressure him to respond.

  “I've been planning a vacation as of late. I think I'm going to take my son to Eden. He's never been to the jungle before.” That was a lie of course.

  “Oh, I love Eden.” She gave off a nostalgic air. “There's a secret beach on the eastern continent. You can only get to it by hover, but it's magnificent. There are black and purple Lilith flowers that grow all over the sand.”

  No doubt they were poison.

  He lay back and sighed. This was taking longer than he wanted it to. She ignored the gesture and took another sip of her infusion and looked out at the stars. “I'm thinking of traveling myself. It's been a long time. I want to see a forest planet, something green. They say the color is the most pleasing to the eyes, you know.”

  “Yes.” He was beginning to lose patience. Victor had a governor's meeting in half an hour.

  “Have you ever been to Eurus?”

  “I hear it's cold and damp.”

  She was purposely taking as long as possible because she knew he had a schedule to keep. The woman did little things like that. It was hard to know whether or not she was doing it for fun or because she had a purpose, “Yes, but the wildlife is quite friendly. They have this aquatic species, they resemble old earth legends of angels, with fins that flow out like wings. I hear they'll swim right up to you.”

  He met her eyes and cleared his throat. She took another drink of her infusion. “You know, I'm thinking of buying a second home there,” he finally said.

  He slammed his fists down on the table. The lights in the room flickered, and Victor was certain that wasn't an accident. She seemed to grow six feet higher. Her eyes widened and looked like they were about to explode. The effect was visually subtle. Its power was in the emotional effect it caused—he was terrified. She shrank back into her tiny form and smiled.

  “You might want to be careful.” Her voice was sweet again. She reached into her robe and pulled out a small rectangular slide of carbon then set it on the table, facing a blank white wall and tapped the top of it. A picture of a massive gray cylinder appeared on the wall and she spoke, “This is a large scale form of the artificial brain Artemis.”

  “Why have you created it?”

  She ignored him. “We've been testing the device in the sanctuary.”

  “The one with the secret location.”

  This time she acknowledged him, met his eyes and responded, “Yes.”

  “The device is capable of remotely controlling large scale operations. We are going to be—

  “You're not asking?”

  “Well, we're in the final stages.”

  “Of a large scale operation that you didn't get permission to perform.”

  “Correct.”

  His face went bright red. The woman did as she pleased, and the Emperor was powerless to stop her.

  “Anyway, we all know that the slaves can't be trusted. Many of the species have found way to override their collars, and it's not uncommon to hear of them murdering their owners. I'm sure I don't have to remind you of the Ballastine Massacre.”

  She didn't. Four thousand school children were slaughtered when a slave's collar stopped working. It was a huge political issue and a nightmare for Victor. He was still handling the backlash. “I like the idea of phasing them out, but I want to examine the device first. I don't know what you are doing, and if you are going to put them on every planet, I need to know.”

  “I can send you a prototype.”

  “I will inspect a random working model.”

  “The device cannot be dismantled once its put in place.”

  “Why?”

  “It contains the power of a sun. Once the device is dismantled, the planet will destroyed, which is why it must be guarded. We have our sisters watching the device now, but I urge you to place Jihadis on duty.”

  “You packed a supernova grade bomb and put it on every fucking planet in the galaxy.” He went to stand up and found himself overcome with a desire to listen. The bitch was doing something. She walked over to him, let her face sit less than a few inches away.

  “No. We put a device on every planet that will do away with the Empire's need for slavery. Thank me.”

  “Thank you,” he need to say it as soon as she commanded him to. He couldn't stop himself.

  “The device will control our agricultural androids, our city maintenance drones, every task that slaves perform now will be accomplished by our androids. Be glad.”

  He smiled and was filled with happiness. “Thank you,” he repeated. He was grateful. This woman was doing something amazing, and he wanted her to know that. Her jewel glimmered in the light when she passed by the projector he stared into it, mesmerized by its beauty. How could he have missed that before? It was magnificent.

  The jewel became his obsession when she sat down. He examined every facet, every curve, entranced by the way the light glimmered off its surface. He wanted to touch it. “What we've done is we've created an infrastructure that will allow for a new economic system. We will obtain everything we need automatically through this system, which will allow us to focus on greater endeavors. We can build cities with these drones, ships, even a palace like this, through the use of our intelligent Artmeis system.”

  “Thank you.”

  She gave him a satisfied smile. “The system can also automate the use of weaponry and planetary defense systems so that there will be no need for large Jihadi forces to be stationed at every planet. This will allow you to focus on the defense of the outer edges.”

  “Do you need codes to the defense systems?”

  “Oh there's no need. We already have all that.”

  She got up silently to walk out. He shook his head and looked around. They'd found a new, amazing way to progress, something to do with the Artemis system. That was good. He was glad they were doing it. He hated the sisters, and always would, but they did amazing things.

  There was a grating sound that came from the air duct above. “Stop,” he didn't recognize the voice.

  “Shh, he's right there. He'll hear us.” That was Antoni.

  A Jihadi guard burst into the hall. “Sir, the prince's guard was found drugged.”

  “Leave,” he commanded.

  “But, sir…”

  “Do as I say,” he said sternly and turned around to look at the guard. “And don't bother me until I say it's okay.”

  “Yes, sir.” The guard turned around to leave.

  As soon as he did, Victor looked up at the gate and called out, “It's OK. Pull the third bar from the right.”

  “Fuck you,” his son whispered to whoever was standing with him. “You're screwed.” he pulled up the bar and the gate, fell down and stretched out to create a rope ladder. Antoni emerged first, smelling like smoke weed and covered in a layer of soot. Then his friend came out, a strange servant's son wearing the latest fashions, a garish mix reflecting adolescent angst and individuality.

  “Please don't kill me,” the boy fell down at his knees and refused to meet Victor's eyes.

  “Up!” He pulled the boy up by the shoulders and stared down at him. “How did you come into contact with my son?”

  The boy remained silent.

  “You've got some serious balls. I'll tell you that much.” Victor turned to Antoni who was trying to seem bigger than he was, “Should I interrogate him?”

  Antoni melted on the spot, and almost started to bawl. “Please. Please don't hurt him. Ple
ase. I'm sorry. I'll stop talking to him. I promise.”

  “Hand me your smoke weed,” he held out his hand to the other boy.

  He reached in his pockets reluctantly and handed the drug to the Emperor who threw it into the incinerator near the entrance. “I don't want you smoking that shit, Antoni. You know where not to go. I'll give you two hours a day to hang with...”

  “Rafael.”

  “But you're not go into restricted areas, including the area above the meeting hall, and I want you to be careful not to get lost. I knew you'd find them eventually. All of the heirs do.” The old man laughed. “Get ready for dinner. Rafael, are your parents here?”

  “Yes, sir,” he responded with a nod.

  “Get them up to the fourth deck in two hours and wear something appropriate, maybe with a bit of color.”

  The two boys exchanged glances.

  “You should have a social life, I guess, but so help me god if I find out you drugged Magnus again, I will have you both interrogated.”

  The boys went to leave, but the Emperor motioned for Antoni to stay behind. He sat down, rather uncomfortably and stared at the table so he wouldn't have to meet his father's eyes. He was quieter than Victor, but he was stronger in a lot of ways, and he didn't have the same rash attitude that Victor had. He might be a better Emperor than his father.

  “Well, what did you think?”

  The boy was unsettled to say the least, “You have no idea.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You don't know what happened at all.”

  “Of course I do. The High Priestess came in and gave a magnificent presentation.”

  “No,” he shook his head, “the second you defied her she did something to you.”

  “What?” he couldn't discount her tricks. There were stories. “Tell me what you saw.”

  “You went limp as soon as you accused her of placing bombs in the Artemis systems. She got in your face and you thanked her.”

  “I just felt so grateful.” He stared at the blank wall. “She did something amazing, you know.”

  “You're doing it again. That's all her. She put bombs in them so that if you destroy them, or even try to dismantle them it'll destroy the system.”