Allison came out of the washroom of her room wearing her Atlantean armor. It was much better for flying in than anything else she could think of. Flexible enough to move with no restriction, tough enough to survive vacuum. Dhark was reading something on a tablet. He’d recovered enough that he didn’t need the hoverchair anymore so was sitting on Allison’s bed. She started folding her T-shirt and leggings. She set them aside. Dhark looked up from the tablet and ogled her.
“Uh, that looks really good on you, you should wear that more.”
Allison swatted his upper arm playfully.
“I thought you only had eyes for Bit.”
He smirked.
“I can appreciate beauty in many forms. And I really like that one.”
Allison blushed.
“As if.”
She pulled her vibro knife out and slid it into a sheath and then pulled out both of her pistols and slid them into holsters her armor formed. He watched her with wide eyes.
“Wow, are we getting attacked soon?”
Allison shook her head.
“Nope, but I feel better with them on. Never know when I’m going to get tractor beamed onto a rogue space station.”
He nodded.
“Yep, weirdest girl I have ever met.”
Allison laughed.
“I have found when it comes to me and travelling to assume something is going to mess up my trip. It is like an involatile law of the universe. Simple patrol, no, no, that’s actually an encounter with a world destroying asteroid. Milk run to the home world to see my Aunt? No that’s a surprise surveillance turned seek and destroy mission. Trip to Silwra for a speech, nah, that’s a rebel attack on an Empress’s ship that thinks because you rescued her, you should marry her snoozefest of a son. Do I need to go on, or can I stop?”
She put her clothes in the secure case and closed it. She picked it up.
“Well, I need to go or my aunt is going to have a fit, I was going to say heart attack but she’s a vampire so her heart doesn’t beat anyway.”
He chuckled.
“You come from a weird world.”
Allison nodded.
“You do not know the half of it.”
He hopped up and walked beside her.
“Are you sure you are okay?”
He nodded.
“Yeah. It just takes a bit to recover. It’s painful.”
Allison nodded. They reached her hanger. She climbed up the ladder and threw the case in the back gently. She saw the crate of nanites. It was just the right size to fit into her one open cargo pod. She checked the manifest and confirmed there were no restrictions on FTL. It was only four hundred kilograms. She popped the bay. She grabbed both straps on the crate. Dhark went to the other side, which put him right in the way of the bay. She looked over the crate.
“What are you doing?”
He looked confused.
“Helping.”
Allison released the straps and waved her hand.
“You’re in the way.”
He stepped aside and she grabbed the straps and used her knee as leverage to flip the crate up and slide it in. She held it up with one hand while strapping it in. Dhark just watched her with his mouth agape.
“What the…”
Allison punched the panel to close the cargo pod and dusted her hands off.
“My armor has strength enhancement and well, I’m just naturally strong. It was only four hundred kilograms, easy lift… okay easy lift when my armor has a full charge and I’m flush with blood.”
She rubbed the back of her neck and looked out at Mary’s Planet.
“I guess that’s me ready to go. Can I hug you?”
He shrugged. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly.
“Your fur is soft, reminds me of Oozie.”
“Oozie?”
“Uh… my nargle, didn’t I tell you about her?”
He shook his head.
“Qual’sa feline-thing.”
She climbed into the cockpit and called out.
“I’ll call you!”
She closed the canopy and waved. He backed away and waved to her. The trip to Ratoa was very quick. Between the two FTL jumps, and the one wormhole jump it took her all of fifteen minutes. She saw the fleet in orbit, but she had been directed to land on the planet.
Allison hadn’t been sure what she was expecting of a post-FTL age empire. It wasn’t this. The capital she was directed to was lush and green. When she landed it was not at a star port but an airport. They even gave her a runway. Bit was capable of normal landing and take offs. All of the System’s Alliance shuttles and starfighters needed wheels so they could be rolled around the carriers. She saw normal jet aircraft as well as craft looked more like old sketches of the space shuttle from Earth she’d seen. She rolled Bit into a hanger. By the time the cargo handlers had arrived she’d already offloaded the crate of nanites. It wasn’t big but it was dense.
She had her arms crossed while she watched the two cargo handlers that were both larger men. Neither of them would even look in her direction. Though they did greet her very politely. A more conventional vehicle than she was used to rolled up to the hanger. A woman in a suit that could have been from twenty-first century Earth got out. She bowed her head to Allison.
“Highness, I have been sent to bring you to the palace. If you’ll tell me where your luggage is I will have the driver carry it to the car.”
Allison tapped her arms. She really did not want to stay here, but by the same token Maria had given her a pass to avoid school and work. The only cost of this pass was staying on Ratoa for a couple of days. She assumed, wrongly, that staying here would also neatly avoid having to see anything about her on their version of an internet. She hadn’t actually made a decision until the woman showed up. Allison climbed up into the fighter and grabbed her secure case. She patted Bit.
“Don’t let anyone go poking around you, please.”
Bit spoke.
“I will ensure they understand the error of their ways.”
Allison pointed at her as she walked away.
“Non-lethal!”
Their driver was also a woman. She was wearing a black suit and according to Allison’s scanner and AR HUD was armed and armored. So was the limo. Allison got in the black limo pulled away and started whisking her off to the palace. The woman who’d greeted her spoke.
“I am Tarva, I am her Royal Highnesses Personal Secretary. I manage her day-to-day schedule and take care of special requests. So, I can coordinate housing, when will your staff be arriving, Highness?”
Allison gave the woman a side-long glance.
“I don’t have staff. Just me and my fighter. I wasn’t supposed to be stopping here. I’m still not sure I’m staying.”
Trava nodded and tapped some information into her tablet. Allison motioned back to the hanger.
“Is there a reason your cargo handlers were avoiding looking at me at all costs?”
Tarva smiled.
“Ah, yes, that would be leering laws, your flight-suit is rather revealing and it is illegal for men to leer, or lust after women in a manner that might make them uncomfortable.”
Allison tapped her seat pondering how weird that was.
“So, I shouldn’t be wearing this out in public?”
Tarva waved her hand.
“No, no, wear whatever you want Highness, we have no restriction on clothing. It is the men’s responsibility to keep their eyes to themselves.”
Allison glanced at her again.
“So, I should not look at men too closely?”
Tarva almost laughed.
“Don’t be ridiculous highness, men exist to serve us. Unlike women they are weak of will, they cannot be trusted to keep their baser urges at bay and must be instructed by laws on proper decorum.”
Allison was all for equality, but this was ridiculous. It was like feminism run wild. Nightmare fuel for any men visiting. She had a good idea why they had not been invited to the League. The League had strict guidelines on freedoms citizens needed to have, all citizens. Going further, the rebellion could be a direct response to these policies towards men. Most of the rebels had been men. The System’s Alliance was less picky. She had to say something. This really upset her sensibilities.
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
“How is that fair? Everyone has natural urges.”
Tarva seemed very confused by Allison’s question.
“Fair? I don’t understand, Highness.”
Allison spread out her fingers.
“Equality. I was raised to believe that everyone should be treated the same. Have the same privileges, the same rights and the same chances to do anything they wanted.”
Tarva scoffed and let loose a small laugh.
“I am apologize, Highness, such a notion is so backwards it sounded absurd. Men equal to women? As if there was such a thing. They are inferior in all ways, they are less intelligent, they are ruled by their hormones, and frankly cannot be trusted to make decisions on their own. It would be like letting a fish tell you what it should eat. Equal.”
She laughed again; She waved her hand in front of her face and became more serious.
“I am so sorry you have had to live in such a society, Highness. Such twisted notions. The chaos that must be present in every moment of your life. I assure you, here, we are much more civilized. You will see during your stay here how smooth things run with men in their place.”
Allison really wanted to go back to Bit and get the hell out of this nightmare. This only increased when she saw a woman punching a man openly on the street and berating him for something. No one bystanders even looked twice as they walked by. She looked at Tarva and pointed.
“She’s going to be arrested for assault, right?”
Tarva looked out and had a compassionate look on her face. She leaned back.
“Poor woman, dealing with a man she has to discipline so publicly.”
Allison blinked.
“Poor woman? She just assaulted that man.”
Tarva was confused.
“Assaulted? No, she disciplined him. You need to take a firm hand with your husbands. I assure you; He deserved it.”
Allison was just staring at the woman still chastising him with her mouth agape.
“So, I could just randomly walk up to some guy and punch him?”
Tarva shook her head.
“Of course not, Highness, you would speak to the woman responsible for him and allow her to discipline him. We have strict laws against assault.”
Allison honestly had no words. Tarva nodded, she continued looking through her list.
“Highness, is your preference for no male interaction at the palace?”
“I don’t care. I’m just here to drop something off.”
Tarva nodded.
“So, we can grant your grandfather permission to see you?”
Allison blinked.
“I’m mad at him but why would he need permission to see me?”
Tarva got that ‘bless your poor confused little soul’ look on her face again.
“Male relatives have no rights to visit their female relatives. Consent is required. As if I want to talk to my father, the brainless oaf. You must be so tired of dealing with men all the time.”
Allison rubbed her face with her hands.
“What about husbands? Can they just go see their wives?”
Tarva put her tablet down.
“Men should be seldom seen and even more seldomly heard. Unfortunately for spouses as we are responsible for them, we have to make ourselves available to their capricious whims. As well as mothers for sons. It is not like they can be expected to think for themselves. That we let them out in public without us escorting them is a freedom they don’t deserve. Bless the Emperess but this men being allowed out without a woman to watch them is far too backward a notion to my sensibilities. I am sure when you are Empress you will correct that mistake, Highness.”
They passed through the palace gates. The lawns were perfectly manicured. The gardens were in full bloom. It was the same everywhere in this city. It was just pretty. None of the buildings had hard edges. Even the people were all attractive. A beautiful façade over a rancid core.
“How does education work? Do boys and girls go to school together?”
Tarva gasped.
“And inflict boys on little girls? Monstrous. What cruel education system would force that on anyone?”
“Do boys go to school?”
Tarva nodded.
“Of course they do. In their own schools where they learn men’s work.”
Allison was afraid to ask, but she’d never been known for her better judgment.
“What is ‘men’s’ work?”
Tarva smiled.
“Well, maintaining the grounds of a home, cooking, cleaning, raising of boys, sewing, warehouse work, you know things their limited mental capacity allows them to do.”
Allison was wondering if Vaedrick would even want to come back. She wouldn’t if she was male. She didn’t want to be here, and this world catered to women. They arrived and the limo driver opened the door for them. Allison followed Tarva inside. It was posh and huge. It was no Qual’sa royal palace. Tarva led Allison to four women.
“Highness, the Empress has loaned you these staff members for the duration of your stay here. From the left, Alara your dressing assistant, Isiee your general assistant, Leara your bathing assistant and finally, your lady in waiting, Ziria.”
Each bowed their heads to Allison as they were introduced. Allison had a lady in waiting during her time at the Qual’sa palace and she took care of all of that. It was ridiculous she had four. Before her time on Qual’sa she would protest, but now she realized how obnoxious dressing for court could be. Or even going to the washroom in said dresses without help. Allison smiled politely and spoke.
“Thank you all, I appreciate any assistance you can provide me, so I do not insult anyone else with my lack of knowledge of court protocols.”
Tarva bowed her head.
“Highness, I leave you in their care. The empress has requested you join her, her consort and her son for dinner.”
Allison bit her lower lip.
“I don’t have anything appropriate to wear that is clean.”
Ziria spoke up.
“Arrangements have been made in the event you visited us. The empress had clothing prepared for an extended stay. If you’ll follow us, we will get you ready for the engagement.”
Allison was shocked that there was a full wardrobe waiting for her. She shouldn’t have been, the Empress had been pushing hard to get her here at all. The four staff did not let her do anything herself. Literally she wasn’t even allowed to use the washcloth herself. The dresses were at least more functional than she was expecting. She silently wished she’d stashed some of her Qual’sa dresses for this occasion. An hour after her arrival she entered the west dining room. Apparently, it was for more intimate dinners where men were allowed.
The empress sat at the head of the table. To her right was Allison’s babu, to her left was her son. The table had been reduced to only four seats, so Allison was seated across from the Empress. Her husband was nowhere to be seen. The empress smiled.
“Duchess, it is so welcoming to see you again. I trust your trip here was uneventful.”
Allison nodded.
“It was fine. Where is your husband? I thought he was joining us.”
The empress seemed confused, then she realized the issue.
“Oh, my consort is here, I apologize I thought he had let you know.”
Allison looked at her grandfather who for the first time in her life could not meet her gaze. The empress smiled.
“My former consort could no longer fulfill my needs; I have let him retire from public life. Your grandfather and I believed it was appropriate we make our arrangement permanent and official. We are having a daughter together.”
Allison’s eyes went wide. She had so many things to say to her grandfather but now was not the right time. Her appetite took a serious hit when she realized that meant her grandfather and the empress had… the thought was almost as bad as her parents which she’d stumbled upon in the act of making love when she was ten. A memory she wished she could forget but would never be able to erase. She didn’t want to annoy anyone at the table, so she just smiled and simply said.
“Congratulations.”
Food arrived and that gave Allison an opportunity to eat her feelings. Or at least keep her mouth full so she didn’t go off on her Babu. That meant she was going to have an aunt who was eighteen years younger than her. It was going to be weird. She didn’t begrudge her Babu finding love. Her nana had been gone for over two years. She was one hundred percent sure that her nana would not approve of Empress Femnazi. The empress looked at Allison.
“Duchess, you’ll be happy to know that we have set up the emergency clinic as requested by the System’s Alliance, so we should be able to start bringing people in for treatment immediately.”
Allison should have bitten her tongue. She thought she’d cured herself of her snide side on Qual’sa but apparently the remnants were still there.
“And if the patients are male?”
Her Babu gave her a look. Allison loved him dearly, so she did feel a pang of guilt. It was overwhelmed by how angry she was at the situation. The empress smiled.
“Oh, there is no concern with any issues in that way. The clinic is staffed by System’s Alliance medical professionals and is completely separate from any interaction with our people. Our women should be free of interaction with your males. We wish to help our friends of the System’s Alliance in these trying times, but we have our limits.”
Allison glanced at her Babu.
“Empress, if I could ask, if you find the men of our people so distasteful, why did you marry my grandfather?”
Her Babu looked like he wanted to set Allison straight but did not. Allison knew she’d hear about this later from her mom, her Babu, her dad, Aunt Maria, possibly Eyre. She didn’t care if the Empress liked her or not, in fact she was hoping her attitude might dissuade her from continuing to pursue a betrothal with Vaedrick.
“Oh, Amani and I just happened. And what a wonder it did, we have this miracle on the way.”
Allison thought: Miracle of BMC science more like it you heinous bitch. She smiled.
“It is wonderful. I can’t wait to meet her. It will be strange calling a baby aunt. I am sure I will get used to it.”
The empress smiled.
“Yes, and with our marriage, that would make me the matriarch of your family here. Isn’t it wonderful? Not only am I your potential mother-in-law, I am your grandmother.”
Allison pitied her ‘aunt’, realizing the child was the empresses’ back up plan. She used the smile she’d learned from Eyre.
“It is so nice to have someone new to go to for life advice. So, I assume since she is your actual daughter, as opposed to just a daughter in law, she will be your heir?”
The empress shook her head.
“No, tradition is that it falls to the wife of my eldest eligible son. Since the attack on our ship and my eldest son’s subsequent and inadequate attempts to defend us, he is sadly not capable of performing the duty’s required of the consort of the empress. So, the honor of being my heir would fall to my daughter-in-law, should it happen that I am no longer able to continue my duties before our daughter is able to perform them.”
Allison finished her wine off.
“I have been seriously considering your proposal. I find now that I have visited Ratoa, I am becoming more inclined to accept. There are a great many things I have seen that aren’t sitting right with me. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if I could usher in an era where men and women were equal? Where men had the same chances as women?”
Her Babu was giving her a shut-up look. Allison wasn’t about to retreat now. She wanted to see how far she could go before the queen gave up on the notion Allison had any intention of replacing her. Since ‘no’ had not worked, she’d decided to make herself the worst option. The empress folded her hands and had her elbows on the table. She looked at her son and Allison’s Babu.
“Leave us.”
Both of the men got up and left. Allison’s Babu gave her one last warning glance. The empress focused her attention on Allison.
“You are a formidable girl, Allison. You are also highly intelligent. You wouldn’t do anything like that because you would know it would end in disaster and cost a lot of lives. What is it going to take for you to agree to my terms? Surely there has never been a bigger dowry in history, twenty worlds. So, what drives you so we can make this happen?”
Allison leaned on her elbows mimicking the Empress.
“Do you have a son who hasn’t been castrated? Because that would be a start. If I get married, I want a partner and not a slave.”
The empress raised an eyebrow.
“So, you simply don’t find him attractive? Use him for what he is meant for. Seed donation and replace him with someone you do find attractive or find six men you find attractive. We do not place limits on how many men a woman can have here.”
Allison blinked for several moments. Had Vaedrick’s mother just told the girl she wanted him to marry to use him for children and shove him in a closet somewhere?
“Do you even love your children?”
The empress waved her hand dismissively.
“My daughter had her good points, but my sons, of course I care if they live or die, but they are useless to me besides Alliances with women, you’ve seen Vaedrick I’ll be lucky if I can get a taxi driver to marry him.”
Allison had no words, but she tried.
“You were distraught about his brother… save him at any costs.”
The empress nodded.
“Yes, because he had good marriage prospects. Now… it would be better if he were dead.”
Allison smiled again. She realized she needed to go before she destroyed any chance of the colonists being allowed to be treated here.
“Empress if you’ll excuse me, it has been a long day, and I would very much appreciate some sleep.”
The empress watched her.
“I have angered you. Yet you retreat. Interesting. Why do you not stand your ground?”
Allison stood up and tried to stop her hands from shaking with outrage at the absolute disdain the Empress showed for her sons.
“Because I refuse to be the reason our colonists cannot receive the treatment they require. If I stay here, I will endanger diplomatic relations.”
The empress nodded.
“You are excused, Duchess, sleep well. Perhaps you will have a clear head in the morning, I understand you are still in shock after the death of your friend. Which would have never happened here. Sleep on the fact as Empress and a member of the board and the ruler of twenty systems you can use that power to affect change in the System’s Alliance.”