Katie teases me relentlessly during our spa date—she could have sworn we were off for sexy times instead of a meaningful discussion. We’ve hired a small staff for the surface building and grounds, allowing the general populace access for a moderate price. The lower baths are still just for Katie and I; and we use them to great effect after one of Katie’s gangsters-turned physical therapist put us through the ringer. Come to think of it, most of the people we saw working the spa today were from that group.
I get to hold her hand through most of our topside treatments and in the baths, we hold each other as she excitedly talks about projects and complains about various hassles of dealing with people. It might be the most she’s shared about her personal thoughts and projects since we’ve been together.
“So tell me more about these tele-control interfaces. I feel like this could alleviate some of Tessa’s burden when she’s being Tessbot.”
“Mm, I did have you and the less communications inclined when I started working on it, but it’s more of a squadron interface as part of a larger identity right now. For example, Alaris has been working on autonomous subroutines for our shuttle fleet and I used her control network as a model. With a modest implant, we could get you hooked up to pilot the shuttles without Tessa having to upload.”
Tech implants, blearg.
“Don’t make that face. Your last major mutation integrated a bunch of tech to save your brain. You could have Tessa install it and transmute any deformation like it never existed.” She’s heard my whining about this a thousand times. With my extensive mutations and ability to make minor shifts in my appearance, the tech would only show if I wanted it to.
“Fiiiiine. I’ll put it in when I finalize my plans to put an aether jack on my other wrist.”
Katie leans in and kisses me, “thanks or succumbing to reason honey. I will also be using the module to alert me when you’re at risk of dying. Before you protest, your experiments are dangerous, and as of right now, you’re half the reason other Milky Way civilizations respect our power. You’re not allowed to die.”
“Neither are you. The other half of the reason is they’re becoming reliant on our mining tech and attractive discounts for industry that you’ve set up.”
“I like it when you appreciate my efforts. Keep going.” Katie purrs into my neck, making it hard to think.
I extol her virtues and contributions to our excellent little planet until she makes me stop thinking altogether.
***
A week later, I find myself on Elysium for the promised talks with the V’tek, with plans to stop in on my corundum factory on Clotho on the way back home.
->>] Hopeful Resolution, Empress Astoria. Welcome to the satellite collective. [<<-
“Anxious encounter, Representative Clor.” I bow slightly in greeting. “I am here with my aide, Commander Waits. I was worried when she relayed a meeting request over aether usage.”
->>] Pleasant tidings, Commander. Regarding the meeting, would you allow a tour within our vessels. [<<-
“Willing acceptance. This must need visuals to understand correctly. Will I need to shield us for high-speed atmospheric travel?”
->>] Gracious offer. It would ease my efforts greatly Empress. [<<-
“Understanding friendship, Representative. Please, lead the way.”
V’tek’clor’s form melds into the ground, leaving a small bump to guide us to a dense thicket of gnarled green and turquoise trees. When he touches the edge, a section of the forest morphs into a sled-like platform and two seats rise out of the top and a glowing bunch of vines writhe out of the bottom and back.
“Naomi, head’s up. When you sit, a pair of vines will restrain you like a seatbelt. It’s really weird at first.” She holds her tablet tight and nods.
->>] Welcome embarkation. Please sit and we will take you to several locations that will assist our later discussion. [<<-
I send thoughts to Clor of step-in boot locks--similar to fancy snowboard bindings—and the sled morphs the chair next to me into appropriate boot receptacles on the floor. Once Naomi is secure, the glowing vines wiggle more fervently and we take off at a respectable speed. I bring up a wing-shaped shield extending from the bottom of the sled around us and we zip off toward the horizon.
We stop a few thousand feet above a discoloration in the tropical region of the moon.
->>] Saddened acknowledgement. There is an aether siphon at the center of the disturbance. This appears to be an encroachment on our agreement. [<<-
“Annoyed implication. I only installed one siphon on this moon, and it was at the lakeside retreat. Be right back.” Angered at the accusation, I blip down to the center of the discoloration and find a device within minutes. I separate the power core from the machine and tear the collection tanks off. I teleport the broken machine onto the satellite collective’s lawn, slap some concussion grenades on the tanks and trigger them several hundred feet off the forest top to re-disperse the aether; and finally transport back to the sled.
I taxed my will-based teleportation by sending that several ton machine a hundred miles. The shift in my aether stores to help my recovery has me breathing heavy and I’m not sure why.
“Reluctant policing. I dismantled the machine and returned the aether to the forest. I sent a portion of the machine so you can study the device and discern its origin more accurately. Do you need assistance in disabling the others?”
->>] Embarrassed apologies. We should not have jumped to conclusions, though it seemed the most likely scenario. We have the ability to deconstruct the remaining siphons.[<<-
“Tiring exchange. I would agree with you but we talked about this specifically when you moved in, and you were made aware that we allowed mining operations in the system at the same time. It seems more likely to me that frugal mining operations were trying to scavenge fuel components from an underpopulated moon. I’ll have my Consul of Finance remind all commerce entities in Hades that inhabited moons are not authorized for scavenging or resource collection of aether.”
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We proceed back to our shuttle in silence. V’tek’clor was not pleased that we left a machine in their grove and I could only admit that it was not the intended destination instead of actually apologizing. Damned things aren’t even the same type that I installed at the Lake retreat. I would have to remember that the collective may make knee-jerk reactions like this in the future, and that annoys me further.
I’ll talk with Katie about putting a network around the gas giant to help us monitor the situation, but I should ask Naomi first.
“What kind of commerce and or development are we looking at for Asphodel?”
My aide pulls up some screens to show me. “As you can see, interest in Asphodel is relatively low for industry and until the V’tek are more interesting trade partners, I don’t see that improving. There is a petition to get government assistance in some orbital mining infrastructure, which could gain ground in the house of governors as mining and export taxes are Hades’ biggest money makers.”
“Then where the hell is all of our industry? We manufacture Tech and Ships on and around Astoria, and gems and mana on Atropos and Clotho. Where’s the rest of it?”
Naomi laughs at me. “They followed your lead Ma’am. Astoria and Moiriax are your trade hubs and most of the large-scale industry is easier to transport from moon gravity. Astoria doesn’t have any home-based mining operations, but the deals we have with the three Corporations working in your systems are adequate for supplying our ship-building operations.”
“Ugh, I have more questions, but I can read a report on the rest of it. Can you get me skill-grouped breakdown of artisan trade? Wait, a martial, trade, other breakdown of the Empire would be better.”
“I think I know what you’re getting at. The people, not the money. Otherwise you’d ask your wife.”
“This is why I’m happy you signed on. Schedule note, do you still have time to go to Moiriax?” It would feel disingenuous to tell her I appreciate the work, but not respect her time.
“I scheduled six more hours until we return to Aelea to talk with local leaders about Founder’s day next week.”
I groan at the festivities coming my way. Somebody in my Navy came up with the idea and citizens thought I’d ordered the damned thing. Katie assures me we can afford it and it’s a good way to prop up the economy and showcase businesses.
“If I ever find out who started this thing, I’m gonna strap them to an asteroid and toss them at my stars.” I sigh and shake my head. “Nothing for it though, lets get to Atropos and check on my projects.
“Tessa, can you send a cargo shuttle to meet us there? Armored and coded capsule if available.”
“Penny, by policy, that type of capsule requires a pilot and I am otherwise disposed aboard Alaris.”
“Alright, offer the standard off-duty contract, then offer to qualified civilians if none take in the next hour.”
“Why do you insist on a pilot for those pods?”
“We hard-coded some extra interlocks with those pods to prevent hacking from a higher-tier tech user. The load I want to pick up is the first industrial run of my corundum factory. Pre-process, maybe a million AE worth. Post processing, maybe three months work, easy billion.”
“How is that not robbery!?” Naomi is flustered and a bit angry at me.
“I have a few unique skills and a few hard to reach skill levels in normal skills. That billion takes nine months and a lot of monitoring to make and more than half of the product goes toward infrastructure and military. Overall, I only sell enough to expand to meet future needs. Only one or two companies in the Milky Way make mana batteries that are even remotely affordable and every producer makes them different with different interfaces, etcetera. The Matrix itself likes my method, and has ordered refits for my batteries on most of the Milky Way Hosts. We are, of course, providing them free of charge to the Matrix Administrators in return for some warp and transport cost easing.”
“Holy Empress, does anyone know how much you give away for the people?”
The face I make would have startled a zombie. “Why the fuck would I want that kind of attention?”
Naomi makes fish faces. Repeatedly. I que in our warp and land us quickly from upper atmo above Atropos.
Naomi doesn’t talk until we land, but when she does, she hits me with a whammy. “I’ve scheduled a meeting with PR. You need to fix this. Your public image isn’t the best, but you do so much for the people and they should know.”
“No way. No publicity.”
“Yes way, and tough shit Empress. I told your Consuls already. Now it’s in their hands.”
“I want to fire you for this. But fuck me if you’ve ever acted against my best interest.”
“Recognize. My husband is a fan of yours by the way. He has Jedi dreams, but is also an Engineer.”
“Oh? How are his Magitech chops? I have a team that helps me integrate my ideas because my wife is tired of my multi-project bullshit. You know what? Bring him by my workshop in Capitol Square and I’ll give him a tryout if he wants it. I’m having problems that no one can seem to help me solve. Construct integration and I’m looking for a Magitech solution. I can make golems, I want a merged solution my people can use without getting magic cancer.”
Naomi stares at me like I handed her a briefcase full of money.
“I have lab time scheduled starting day after tomorrow? Somewhere in those three days. Wait, you manage that schedule, you can figure it out. Caveat, if he helps with my problem, you move into one of the apartments on Mansion grounds. I don’t want to run around looking for him when I Epiphany. Salary and free lodging, blah blah. On call, otherwise manages his own time. Keep tabs on our project, etcetera.”
“Are you seriously just casually giving my husband a job?”
“Naomi, no. I am giving him a tryout, like every other ambitious tech focused Astorian that wants my attention. I just have higher hopes for him because you don’t seem the type to settle for mediocre human companionship. I also want you to move closer regardless.”
“I can’t tell if you’re so busy that everything is casual, or you don’t take anything seriously.” She laughs it off as a joke. I hate this fucking joke. I hear it from everyone.
“Naomi, you’ve been my aide for more than three months, but this hasn’t come up before. Where I would have preferred you ask, you decided to joke about my approach to ruling. Lets give you a lesson.”
“The I was betrayed twice before starting this thing I call an Empire. Once by my Captain in the US Navy, Abandoning me on this lovely planet. The second by people I guided on the Aether path, telling me I owed them and trying to steal from me. The President of the United States tried to strong arm me, and after three years it’s not funny anymore.
“Naomi. I accidentally murdered 73 million people who were dying anyway. I intentionally murdered 600 pirates that fired on me first, and I killed them with tech that could end an entire planet. I have a file of their names, that I read every year. Because intentional or not, I killed them. My citizens. No matter the cause, I ended their existence. Some of them may have even thanked me as they died. But I killed them just the same.
“Despite that, I have the ability to teleport anything at will. Every annoyance, every betrayal, and every inane annoyance of the greedy and the desperate, I could send them all to my stars or the center of my planet with a blink of my will. But I don’t. I resist. I have never summarily executed someone that has not attacked me first, and it’s a herculean effort not to.
“So the next time you think I don’t take this empire or my power seriously, consider my restraint in not solving a good half of my frustrations with banishment by starfire.”
She has nothing to say and neither do I. Well, I have something to say. “Naomi. Take the Indulgence home. The Cargo pilot will take me or I’ll figure it out. I don’t want to see you until your husband’s interview. Andromeda’s favor follow you.” I flick her back to the shuttle to prove a point and sigh into the view of a giant planet.