34

I gave the dignitaries a brief tour of Level 20 as the elevator tram passed through the sector, which I had arranged with seats for them to sit and watch the station pass by their windows. Though there was a heavy military presence here, almost sixty percent of Level 20 were farmlands, where crops like potatoes, vegetables, wheat, and barley wouldn’t yield for another two to four months. This was temporary, a way to feed my people between Levels 17 to 22, but as the colony expanded, I’d have to utilize the other decks.

“How many levels does Segerstrom Station have?” President Gabriel Seydoux of France asked, dark mustache almost covering his upper lip, steel eyes peering out of the window, looking over the rolling fields and at the grazing cows. “And where did you get the livestock?”

I forced myself not to look at Prime Minister Walker sitting next to him, tapping on his knees and pretending not to hear our conversation. “Each station varies, but there are 144 levels on Station One, where we are right now. As for the livestock, I made them myself. Cloning mostly,” I lied.

The French president seemed to buy it. We were standing in a space station that did not exist a month ago. In this place, anything is possible. Though I did not doubt that Prime was more than capable of cloning, I just had to wrap my head around it and ponder the ethical implications of such a machine. Think of the possibilities. One day I’m making cows from a single strand of DNA; the next, I’m making humans.

I shuddered when I imagined a second version of me walking around the station.

In reality, Walker and I got a minor deal under the table. After all, New Zealand was the only country willing to talk to me from the beginning, and I might have snuck in a trade for ores like copper and iron and forerunner-made steel (I did not infuse them with nanites). One of the precious resources besides gold and gems on the station was steel, stronger than anything made on Earth. Prime worked his vast knowledge in making it more rigid and durable with higher levels of carbon and chromium while making other metal alloys malleable and ductile.

In exchange, I got eight hundred cows, five hundred chickens, two hundred goats and pigs, a hundred sheep, their feed, and a whole heap of wheat. Transporting them all was easier than I thought, taking less than an hour. I’d have to thank Prime’s drones for that.

However, I was disappointed that Singapore had become too careful around me, dancing around the subject of a mutual partnership. I reckoned China, which had a firm grip on various businesses around the city-state and plenty of Chinese-born (and descendant) citizens, pulled the wool and set back our talks, much to my annoyance.

Jason walked up to me and leaned forward. “Everything’s ready,” he said.

I nodded. “Got the cameras, too?”

“Come on, Tony, of course. I got that in the bag.”

“Just making sure you’re not slacking.”

“As if. I haven’t worked this hard in my entire life.”

“Not even in Yemen?”

“We just shoot guns. This is different. Anyway, I gotta get some champagne you’ve been passing around.”

“Just be careful you don’t get too drunk.”

Jason rolled his eyes. “Yes, Dad.” He sauntered off to a server and grabbed a glass.

Once we entered Level 19, the foreign dignitaries and a hundred of their entourage did not expect the sight before them.

Stretching out for miles were rolling hills seeded by a mix of lunar and Terran soil, where grass now grew, and a variety of temperate shrubs, low vegetation, and saplings had begun to take root. Streams and narrow creeks fed into the only lake that stretched for about a mile; the water coming from the excess condensation that the factories produced, filtered to be drinkable, and from the thick ice crusts that had accumulated on the station’s surface (the side where the sun never shone). About seventy percent of Level 19 housed the square-blocked military complexes, training grounds, troop and cadet quarters, storage & equipment warehouses, and a large airfield where shuttles and reserved star-fighters could land and take off. The Grand Pillar of Level 19 was the Ministry of Defense itself.

Over the distance were the looming holographic mountains. However, I had intentionally created an area at the bottom where the soldiers could climb and explore during their training—a place I planned to become a dense forest where future ground training courses would be.

When the elevator tram arrived on the welcome deck of the Ministry of Defense, I led the others down narrow hallways and up a few flights of stairs until we reached the balcony overlooking the main concrete grounds, where the third, fourth, and fifth cohort of Legion Invictus, fifteen hundred strong, stood in attention and with their weapons glinting in the artificial daylight. They were neatly lined up in their respective units, a cohort comprising five hundred legionnaires.

I noticed Chabert looking up at the sky. “How tall is that?” She asked.

“You can fit the Empire State Building in here with twelve feet leftover from its highest point,” I answered.

“But they’re not real,” she mused.

“Artificial,” I said. “The UV rays are real, mimicking what we’d get on the planet. It helps the plants across the Hub.” I paused, chuckling. “And also Vitamin D for us fleshy folk.”

“And you did all of this in a month?” Walker asked, impressed.

“Yes,” I answered confidently.

They didn’t have to know that the station’s raw materials were depleted by twelve percent to build up the fleet, the palace, and Levels 18, 19, 20, and the civilian sectors of 21 and 22. The numbers might look small, but think of it as the entire GDP output of the United States in the last decade. I didn’t tell them that we were currently working on a loss. The empire probably wouldn’t be able to return their investment for the next forty—maybe fifty—years.

Pablo Carrasco leaned and whispered over to his adviser, and his words slithered out of his mouth like a venomous serpent, but my universal translator snatched them from the air and translated them for me in the blink of an eye. He called me a mouse who found gold and thought himself the king of the world, an insult that would have been lost on me if it weren’t for the remarkable technology at my disposal. Of course, Carrasco had no idea that I could understand him. Jason, standing beside me, struggled to stifle a laugh.

But I was not content to let him get away with his disparaging remarks. No, I turned to face him and spoke in his native tongue (with Prime’s help translating what I wanted to say into Spanish), “A veces el remedio es peor que la enfermedad,” I said, my voice carrying the weight of my displeasure. “Sometimes the remedy is worse than the disease.”

I basically told him to watch what he said around me. Carrasco’s eyes bulged with surprise, and I couldn’t help but chuckle at his discomfort. My little quip had let him know that I was not a mouse to be trifled with but a leader to be respected on my fucking turf. And as if to drive the point home, I gestured to my ear and revealed the source of my linguistic prowess.

“A universal translator I called Babel. You know? After the famous tower from the Bible? All citizens of the empire are equipped with it,” I continued, addressing the others in the room. “An imperial citizen might speak one language; another citizen speaks another. And they both will understand each other.”

The Swiss council members, Councilors Dedrick Senn and Johan Vogel, who looked like twins with short blond hair, blue eyes, and tall stature, exchanged whispers in German; their voices hushed and cautious. They knew that they had to be more careful around me now. But I was one step ahead of them, my senses attuned to the nanites that permeated the air around us.

As I smiled at the councilors standing ten meters away, I couldn’t help but revel in the power that my nanites granted me. I could hear anything they heard and see anything they saw—nothing that escaped my notice, nothing that I couldn’t understand except the headaches.

I hadn’t tried spying on someone yet from three levels over. Prime didn’t suffer from migraines.

“This summit happens to land on an important milestone for my nation,” I told the dignitaries. “We’re a month in. Thirty days of production, training, and outreach, and everyone here could use some good news, given what’s happening on the planet.” I stepped out onto the balcony. “Now, I better address the legion.”

Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

Tom and Uncle Nathan fell into step behind me, flanked by the other dignitaries. The Legion Invictus, resplendent in their armor, saluted in perfect unison, their fists curling and thumping against their chests. All eyes were on me, the weight of their expectations and hopes resting heavily on my shoulders. Jason released a few drones to capture an overhead shot; their propellers’ whirring added to the electric energy in the air.

With a flick of my wrist, I activated the holographic projector in my eyes, and the words of my speech materialized before me. Amplified by the latest technology, my voice boomed across the courtyard, carrying my message to every corner of the complex.

“Soldiers of the Empire!” I began, my voice ringing out with the clarity of a bell. “Today marks a turning point in our budding history when we have overcome our differences and united as one. For too long, we have been divided and weakened by those who would see us fall through greed and blood. But no more! Today, we stand together as one humanity, stronger than ever before!”

The crowd erupted into cheers, echoing off the walls and into the sky. I paused, smiling in their adoration, waiting for the noise to subside before continuing.

“Though we may be young, we already faced many trials and tribulations on our journey, but we have persevered. You have trained and fought with courage, showing the world what it means to be a member of the Legion Invictus. And now, as we stand on the precipice of a new era, we face our greatest challenge yet.”

My voice grew stronger with each passing moment, my passion and conviction igniting a fire in the hearts of my listeners.

“Though they may not know it yet, the world looks to us to lead and show them the right way forward. And we will not disappoint them!” I glanced at the dignitaries standing beside me and regarded the legion again. “We will build a new world of peace and prosperity, where all can thrive and flourish. We will shine a light into the Earth’s darkest corners, banishing the shadows of fear and tyranny. And we will do it together, as one united Empire!”

The soldiers cheered again, their hands raised to their temples in salute. “Long live the empire! Oorah! Oorah!” A few legionnaires shouted, quickly taking a life of their own, rolling through the ranks like a wave. “Long live the empire! Oorah! Oorah!”

It took four drafts and four nights of restless sleep to make my speech concise and to the point. Emotion was what Jason was gunning for. Uncle Nathan wanted discipline and reserve. My father bid I graced it with amicability since he feared it would be broadcasted back to Earth, and some people might take offense. And my speech was aimed right at Howell’s, Zhao’s, and Borodin’s ilk. Even the dignitaries grew uncomfortable, probably regretting standing close to me (and in full view of the cameras for the people back on Earth).

And I say let them.

These people who joined me in space left their nations because they believed it no longer cared for them. About half of the population had fled countries with restricted fundamental human rights and were persecuted for their political beliefs. These were considered the rejects who strived to find opportunities and life in Segerstrom Station. They wanted to prove themselves and aspired for insurmountable discoveries, hoping I would give it to them.

And I hoped I delivered.

But I aimed for one giant prize: San Francisco and the quartz that occupied it. It was a risky move, one that could make or break us. But I was willing to take that chance to push our fledgling Empire to the brink of greatness. If we succeeded, there would be no denying our power and influence. It would be difficult for the United Nations to ignore us.

I stood there, heart swelling with pride and gratitude, as I looked out over the sea of faces below me. For a moment, I felt as if nothing could stop us.

I spent a few seconds waving to the crowd and promising that the legion (and the people) would feast tonight and raise the overall morale of Segerstrom Station.

No rations.

No limits.

Though I knew what Tom would say to me behind closed doors, my troops needed to see combat. Real combat. Not just from the simulations and twelve hours of training every day.

I returned from the balcony.

“A pretty speech.” Chabert pursed her lips. “Although I doubt that is not what you have in store for us.”

I shook my head. “Not quite. They’ve been waiting for an hour since word of your arrival. After all they’d gone through for the past month, they needed the boost. The whole station has a small fiesta. Come, follow me to the grand stage.”

Chabert and Carrasco shared a curious look before they followed me down the hallway, with the Praetorian Knights close behind.

Chabert gently rests her hand on my arm. “May we speak in private?” She turned to Carrasco.

Carrasco chuckled. “I’ll hang back.” He stopped walking to let his entourage catch up to him.

With one nod, Alonso and Smitty quickly formed a barrier between the dignitaries and me. Sarah, Chabert, and Melanie Morris were the only ones nearby, and we continued moving to our destination.

“Are they combat-ready?” Chabert asked.

“More or less. A week more of training, maybe two, and they’re good to go for San Francisco if President Howell accepts my offer of help. I hear the two of you are close. Didn’t you and he go to Yale together? The same year, I heard.”

“I suppose you already know that, Mr. Segerstrom,” Chabert said. “A brief Google search would net hundreds of results confirming it, but I graduated a few years earlier. It doesn’t mean we’re close friends. An acquaintance at best.”

Sarah Sherwood leaned forward. “Prime Minister, you may address the emperor as emperor or your grace,” she said, glancing over to Melanie Morris, who stood frozen for a second as if saying: Brief your girl better about proper protocols.

Chabert bowed her head toward me. “Of course. Apologies, emperor.”

I politely smiled. “Nah, I’m still getting used to my new title.”

“Well, you seem to fit right into your new role like a glove.” She glanced over my cape. “A lovely pair of gloves. Even your little speech in the elevator tram unnerved the Swiss councilors, and they’re rarely rattled.”

“It wasn’t my intention to do so,” I said—another lie. “But I can assure you you’re perfectly safe within these walls. The quartz can’t penetrate the hull, much less within two hundred miles of it, without triggering the defensive turrets, cannons, and missiles.”

“And how nice of you, your grace, that you poached one of Adam’s prized hounds?”

Sarah lowered her head, but I could tell that the quip stung. “Sarah volunteered her services out of her own volition, prime minister,” I said. “She has been a boon to this station’s success over the past few weeks. Her employment with President Howell has been vetted by us and by the virtual intelligence that runs this station. She’s clean.”

“Did she now? It’s nice to meet you again, Ms. Sherwood. What was it now? A year since Morocco?”

“I didn’t realize you two had met,” I said.

“Working for the Chief of Staff and the former Secretary of State is bound to cross our paths, right, Ms. Sherwood?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“We all have our history, your grace.”

“And I suppose mine is just starting?” I asked, eyebrow raised.

“Oh, cheer up, will you? You’re forever stamped into the history books for centuries to come. You stand next to Alexander the Great, Winston Churchill, Genghis Khan, Isaac Newton, and Yuri Gagarin. I’m not saying you’ve achieved similar feats as them, but your name certainly will be in the annals of history forever. The first person who has made contact with another sapient species besides humanity and built machines of destructive power.” Chabert looked behind her. “And many envy you.”

“Like Howell?”

“Of course. And Zhao. And Borodin. Howell, most especially. I know he’s a bit of a knob. The American president is young and has been desperate to stamp his mark in history, and he thinks he can do that if he goes on a—pardon my French—dick measuring contest with you.”

“Hm. He should let go of the tape measure then.”

“Before the aliens arrived, his poll numbers were the lowest since W. Bush. When you showed up, he’s enjoyed quite the limelight and had risen higher than Obama’s numbers in all eight years of his presidency. And his garden is pretty lush. More fruits for the picking.”

I paused, thinking. “Do you know something?”

She leaned closer. “I’ve heard the Americans are conducting underwater dives in the Atlantic. An American fleet has been spotted scouring off the Bahamas and as far as the Azores.”

My eyes widened. “The downed quartz ship.”

“And I hear the Chinese were also moving into the region. You know? Doing their own search party. Talks of a joint hunt have been thrown around behind closed doors.”

“That’s not gonna end well.”

“My thoughts exactly. But if the Chinese find it first, I doubt they’d share. Neither do the Americans. And the world lose.”

“And you are not conducting these dives yourselves? An island nation like you, the British Navy is one of the best in the world.”

Chabert rolled her eyes. “You flatter me too much, your grace. Although I’d doubt you’d like it if I’m poking around with alien tech. Especially when I’m extending a diplomatic hand to your empire.”

She expected a reward, I thought. “You’ve given me a lot to think about, prime minister.”

“Don’t think too long. Tick Tock.”

“Why are you telling me this?” I asked.

Chabert smiled coyly and blinked as if she didn’t know what I meant. “I haven’t had the faintest clue what you mean, your grace. I didn’t tell you anything. I’m merely admiring what you have accomplished in such a short time. It’d be a shame if someone ever put a wedge on it.”

I could see it now. If the Americans managed to raise the quartz ship and collect their dangerous technology, it wouldn’t be long before they reverse-engineered their tech. It might take them a while, but I wouldn’t be the only game in town. We still didn’t know much about them, and if they discovered something they were not supposed to, which Prime was the only one equipped to quarantine, it might kill many people.

The dead quartz in the laboratories was under strict quarantine procedures overseen by Prime so that foreign diseases did not contaminate us. Our immune systems were not equipped to fight. Fortunately, imperial soldiers had a dose of nanites to combat affliction. If it ever got out to the general population, I had state-of-the-art medical facilities to assist and stop an outbreak.

The prime minister had given me a lot to think about, but I didn’t want to add potential biohazard risks and reversed-engineered alien techs running loose on the planet. At least with forerunner tech, only my soldiers and I could use it.

And if Howell got his own alien toy, he might be less inclined to accept my aid.

I had to nip this in the bud.

I motioned for the knights to part, letting the other dignitaries come closer to me. I pleasantly regarded Chabert and the other dignitaries, assuring them that I still had a show in hand. Though Chabert had noticed I was uncomfortable by the news she brought. We left the Ministry of Defense and took the cobbled walk path southward. Chabert shielded her eyes and commented how the fake sunlight felt real. For five minutes, that’s all the dignitaries could talk about how these skylights were revolutionary for the farming industry. Farming in space became a hot topic for its potential to limit deforestation across the globe.

“Where are you taking us?” Carrasco asked, jogging over to catch up to Chabert and me.

“The simulation chambers,” I answered, pointing at the enormous dome-shaped structure ahead.

Carrasco paused. “A—what?”