Chapter 15

“Cure David, I have some audience questions for you, if you’d care to answer them?” Teelae began after the break.

“So long as you realise I won’t answer questions about specific patients, yes, certainly,” I replied.

“Agreed. First question. You received a medal for your exploits on Actilonia, but, would you say you were a hero?”

“Most definitely not. I spent a great deal of time in the endgame running away from an enraged armed psychotic,” I chuckled. “Hardly the stuff of heroes.”

“That would be the ex-Governor’s son, Shink?”

“Yes. The virus he had, though burning him up from the inside out, also enhanced his strength and ability to ignore pain. He decided that, as I had refused to cure him until after I’d cured his victims, I had to die.”

There was a short tridee clip of the chase on Actilonia, including shots of Shink crashing straight through walls.

“Running away from that seems eminently sensible,” Teelae commented with a laugh at the end of the clip.

“I thought so too, as did the others with me,” I replied with a grin.

“Second question. You were not born an Imperial subject, so, where are you from?”

“I was born on a planet my people call Earth; it’s roughly five hundred light years from the Imperial border on the next spiral arm over. It’s monitored by the Empire to ensure nothing sneaks up on them, but that monitoring also looks for evidence of Cures.”

“Are you glad the Empire took you?”

“Yes. Here I found a life, a purpose and most importantly a wife, whom I love.” I nodded.

“You’re married?”

“Yes. To Kirim. She’s carrying our first child.”

“This sounds very different from the accusations of multiple affairs the media allude that you had or are having.”

“Yes. I’ve served Writs upon them for that. There’s no room in my heart for any other but my Kirim.”

“So the accusation that, as an unlimited breeder, you have multiple love children is also untrue?”

“Definitely! They’d have to get past Kirim first and so far no one has dared to try,” I laughed.

“Dared?”

“She’s an Investigator in the Guardians.”

“Ah. Third question. The media have accused you of murdering two men and crippling another in the lower levels, how do you explain that?”

“They entered into the medical centre where I was working, assaulted the Healer and pointed a gun at the receptionist. There was no way I was going to permit them to harm my work colleagues.”

“So it was self-defence?”

“Proactive self-defence, yes. The Guardians investigated and I was cleared of all charges, something the media failed to mention ... again.”

“What is your involvement in the lower levels?”

“I work in a medical facility as a janitor.”

“A janitor?” she asked surprised.

“Only other job I’m qualified for. I don’t have the benefit of an Imperial education.”

“But according to the Imperial Audit stats you are rich enough never to work again.”

“Where’s the fun in that? Yes, I’m well paid as a Cure, but this way I can give something back to those in the lower levels who have nothing but the charity of others. They can’t afford medical treatment the way those who work in the median and upper levels can. Nor do they have the facilities either.”

“What of your gang involvement?”

“I’m strictly hands off for them. Anyone to do with the medical centre is.”

“So you don’t deal with gang members?”

“Of course I do. They’re people like anyone else and can get hurt as well as catch diseases like anyone else.”

“A lot of our viewers think nothing good can come of gangs,” Teelae commented.

“They should ask the Empress her opinion of Governor Mint of Actilonia, a former gang leader made good.”

“Good point,” she acknowledged. “One of the questions I’ve been asked to put to you is, are you Empress Amantil’s secret lover?”

“No, I don’t believe she’s interested in me in that way and I’m certainly not.”

“Yet you do know her and have met her?”

“Yes, she officiated at my bonding ceremony and I consider her a friend, as well as my ultimate boss.”

“She officiated?”

“Yes, she keeps a close eye on all her Cures.”

“How about that folks? Our Empress is truly a woman for the people.” As Teelae spoke to her audience she viewed the figures which told her that this interview was pulling bigger figures than the Grav-Ball final.

“She’s nice, utterly single minded in looking after the Empire. But, as a person, you don’t meet many nicer,” I added.

“So ... if throwing you to the wolves would benefit the Empire, she’d do it?”

“Without a second thought; though that would be a decision where she could find no workable alternatives.”

“So, she could put you in danger?”

“She did with Actilonia; but we knew all the details and went anyway.”

“So, you’re loyal to the Empire?”

“Very. It gave me a new life and a woman I love. I might be lucky in that regard, but I’m also grateful for what it has done for me.”

“What of the Media not apologising as they were ordered to and carrying on with what you call lies?”

“I’ll see them in Court. I have the time and I won’t be just going after the ones who said them, but also those who set the policies that allow it.”

“They’ll hate you for that.”

“I know. Look what they did to you by way of revenge. But in this, I’m determined. They’ll either be honest about me, or I will take them personally for every Royal that they’ve got.”

“And with that our show must come to an end,” Teelae announced. “I hope to have you back soon to see how far you’ve got, Cure David.”

“Thank you, Teelae. It was a pleasure.”

“You stirred up a right stinger’s nest, Dave,” Kirim’s soft voice came to me as my eyes opened after a good sleep.

“Nothing dangerous for you?” I yawned.

“No, the media chat shows jumped on your interview to try and tear you a new one, but didn’t like the response of the public who proceeded to tear the presenters a new one instead. They had to call out the Guardians to get some of them escorted home. There were crowds of all levels around the tridee broadcasting buildings, protesting. Oddly enough the morning newsies are much more conciliatory and circumspect,” she grinned.

“No one hurt I hope?”

“Not that I’ve heard of, though I don’t get all the reports like Vilgra will.”

“I’ll see her later; we’ll be in Court to take down that sanctimonious shlecker, media host, Sulano.”

“He’s the one who said you got ahead by fucking Amantil?”

“The very one,” I nodded.

“Take him down good and hard, along with his boss and the researchers!”

“I intend to, my love.”

“Good! No one talks about my friend that way ... unless it’s true,” she giggled.

“It’s not and you know it.”

“But would you?”

“Only if she was dying and then I doubt I’d be allowed to tell you.”

“I wouldn’t mind, particularly if she was into women,” she grinned.

“I really have created a monster,” I laughed, with Kirim cuddling into me and laughing along with me until we started kissing and becoming more aroused.

“Yes!” she hissed as I slid into her tight, wet channel. “Oh I feel so horny these days. Must be the baby doing it!”

“You still feel so damned good, my Lady,” I replied as I moved powerfully within her.

“So do you, my love. So do you ... ohhhh!”

Kirim went from one orgasm straight into another as I rode her, often wondering in humour if I was going to stay on the ride. Her strength from her job training enabled her to counterthrust really hard and arch in ecstasy at times. Eventually though with a gasp and groan of my own I climaxed into her, setting her off again, until, finally, we were just left in a glorious afterglow.

“I love you so much,” she murmured before falling asleep in my arms.

I was startled when I walked into Medical Resource to pick up Vilgra for the Court session, all the staff assembled and gave me a round of applause, making me blush furiously.

“We all saw the tridee programme, David,” Vilgra explained. “You were brilliant and wiped the floor with the lies they’ve been spreading about you.”

“Thank you, people,” I replied to all. “It’s nice to know someone appreciates the truth.”

“Oh, it will out,” Vilgra added with a smile. “Now let’s go take down those who spread those lies.”

The Court was crowded today and I recognised several so called media stars in attendance, all looking very nervous. I suspected their bosses had decided to throw them to the wolves. However, they weren’t really my targets; though I intended to make them pay, pour encourager les autres as the saying goes.

“Cure David! Approach the High Table to present and defend your Writ!” the court AI announced.

I walked to the High Table, facing the alert looking High Bureaucrats. No Empress today though, just her empty chair with a coronet, so I gave the half bow, hand to the chest, honouring the symbolism, as expected.

“Meritocrats, I present a Writ demanding justice and compensation from the media corporates for defamation of character of myself and my wife, Investigator Kirim. I realise this is a petty issue and could be judged in the lower Court, but my character and my honour is paramount to me and, in this, I believe the media corporates have, without shame, blackened my character and others with their mendacious lies and spite fuelled fantasies.”

“Honour is everything, Cure David,” Meritocrat Bonsarr, the High Bureaucrat of Stellar Area eight of the Empire, who, surprisingly, was at the table, replied, getting nods from all the others. “Please present your cases.”

“AI, first reference, Magna Media’s media presenter, Sulano, and his accusation that I was secretly, and I quote, ‘fucking’, end quote, the Empress, hence my receiving the award of the Imperial Star.”

The tridee clip was shown in all its nauseating length by the court AI, causing a few of the High Bureaucrats to actually wince.