Chapter 25

Several quiet months passed as the Empire recovered from the civil war and various reforms and investigations took place. Several High Bureaucrats and Nobles found themselves under arrest for corruption and were swiftly given trials and, on conviction, receiving long sentences as Imperial slaves, along with those who had aided and abetted them. Their rejuve privilege in those cases where it was relevant were also removed and they would age normally until death took them.

Kirim was now at the stage where she was sick and tired of waiting for our daughter to arrive, though still enjoyed our love life, even if a few positions were now off limits for her. We did still regularly see Amantil and Herrick for what I can only describe as brainstorming sessions where they asked advice and sometimes took it, at other times they’d discuss what they were planning on doing to see how we’d react.

“So you named Bonsarr as heir to the throne?” I asked Amantil as we all relaxed at her private residence on a tropical island that didn’t appear on any map of Vreekoos.

“Yes, she’s an honest woman and a sharp politician. She recognised the stability her new position gives to the Empire,” Amantil nodded.

“Went down like a cup of cold sick at the High Court though,” Herrick chuckled, using one of my expressions that he’d picked up.

“Oh yes,” she grinned. “They all felt they should have been the one chosen. The Nobles demanded a Noble be heir as I’m a Noble; the High Bureaucrats felt she hadn’t been in position long enough. They all got riled up with each other when I told them to choose someone and they couldn’t get behind a single candidate. Hence I used my Imperial fiat to go over the deadlocked court and select Bonsarr, giving her the new title Regencia Meritocrat.”

“I’ll have to remember that next time we meet,” I chuckled.

“Won’t be long, she’ll be part of the High Table when you adjudge Cillort and his conspirators.”

“Oh yes,” I sighed.

“Has to be done, my Dave,” Kirim piped up, twisting on her chair.

“I know. I just don’t enjoy sentencing people to death and this lot are definitely heading there,” I replied.

“It’s their last chance to plead for clemency,” Herrick explained. “To explain why they did what they did and be judged by humans, not the AIs.”

“I’m pretty much with the AIs in their judgement,” I groused. “But yes, I do see the point and will do my duty.”

“That’s right,” Amantil grinned as she sipped a large glass of something colourfully alcoholic, though without fruit and an umbrella in it, apparently the Empire had never cottoned on to that idea.

Kirim was not drinking alcohol, naturally, though was enjoying being out in the sunshine and by a beach, though was looking uncomfortable occasionally as she kept rubbing her back and shifting position. Herrick and I were drinking something close to beer, though it wasn’t quite.

“How are the reforms coming?” I asked in general, as either Manny or Herrick were capable of answering.

“Coming along slowly,” Amantil replied. “I’m running them through the Low and Common Courts which opens them to a lot more scrutiny, but does enable more workable laws.”

“Why not the High Courts?” Kirim asked.

“Because they’d shred them, block them and obfuscate for years,” Herrick replied for her.

“But they’d obey a law set by a lower court?” I asked.

“They have to, a law is a law and if it’s a bad enough breach, I get to audit them. The High Court is only supposed to deal with constitutional change, not criminal law. It’s main purpose is oversight of Nobles, Bureaucrats and the various Corporates at the highest levels.”

“Ah, that’s why they’re all stirred up about you naming an heir?”

“Yes, though they can’t seem to grasp that most decisions slip through their grasp by their inability to gain consensus over any subject,” Amantil admitted.

“I’m sure some of them do,” I said with a wry smile.

“Not so you’d notice.”

“Did it work under your father?” I asked, tackling a delicate subject.

“Yes...” she answered eventually. “He was far more hands on and kept herd on them constantly.”

“Could it be his activities with them that earned him enemies?”

“Possibly,” Herrick shrugged. “It was well before my time and Manny was very young.”

“Just wondering if the purpose of the plot wasn’t to kill all your family off and install a new Emperor, Manny, but to leave you alive under a Regency and controlled from behind the scenes.”

“They did try to install a Regent, but were blocked by the High Table. Apparently I was adjudged capable by the AIs and the High Table accepted that ruling.”

“Do you know who and who, if necessary, controlled them?”

“It was Orliantomina Honack, though as far as I’m aware she’s not controlled by anyone, nor did she particularly want the Regency. Also the investigations showed she was not part of the conspiracy. Yes, I have considered it, that it was a plot by some in the High Court, to take over the reins of power, in the background,” Amantil replied quietly.

“A Regent would need advisors,” Kirim broke in. “Who selects them? As they’d control you until you reached the stage where the High Court deemed you ready? Assuming they ever did.”

“Honack, I suppose,” Amantil shrugged.

“Alone?”

“I doubt it, there’s usually someone you discuss these things with. I have Herrick and now you two, but mostly Herrick.”

“I think I see where you’re going with this,” Herrick nodded. “The power behind the power behind the throne scenario.”

“Yep,” Kirim nodded as well. “Problem is, we don’t know who. It might have changed and we don’t know what their motivations are, other than to control the Empire. Though to what purpose? But, they probably figured they could control you, Manny.”

“Interesting,” Amantil replied, her eyes glittering with repressed anger, though not aimed at us. “The murder of my family released a character trait of constructive paranoia in me. It took just over a decade before I permitted anyone other than an AI to advise me and another decade after that before a dashing young monitor caught my eye and my affections enough to become my lover.”

“Even then, you didn’t talk ‘shop’ for a good long while, my love,” Herrick chuckled.

“True, even now I occasionally get a bit wary of discussing certain subjects with you, despite loving you to bits and trusting you absolutely.”

“I don’t mind and I do understand,” he nodded, reaching out to squeeze her shoulder.

“Good, I wish I did, other than my past haunting me.”

“You’re a lot better than you were,” he chuckled.

“Well, yes,” she smiled. “At least you know who I am now.”

“True, I couldn’t figure out who the lovely young lady was who was assigned by my superiors to me and tagging along with me during my investigations into minor misdemeanours by people against slaves. Particularly as you wore no insignia of rank, but could open security doors as if they weren’t there.”

“The AIs said we were compatible. I was lonely and finally ready to take a chance in reaching out for intimacy, but had all the social skills of a brick. Plus I didn’t want you running a mile if you knew I was the Empress or afraid to actually do anything ... like seducing me.”

“If I recall, it was you who seduced me ... if you count the question ‘would you like to have sex with me?’ seduction.” He grinned as Amantil blushed.

“Ah, the direct approach, I like it,” I laughed.

“Well, I was horny and felt I’d waited long enough to see what all the fuss was about,” Amantil replied, still blushing furiously.

“I nearly said no,” Herrick admitted. “But there was just something about Manny that I couldn’t resist ... plus I was horny too.”

“Erm, bit rude to ask, but just how old are you, Manny?” I asked.

“Just coming up to my forty-third (close to 120 Earth years).”

“Herrick?”

“I’m sixteen (45 Earth years). Manny and I have been a couple now for almost a decade (28 Earth years).”

“I’m glad you found each other,” Kirim smiled. “I kind of felt the same about Dave after I arrested him, slave status or not. Not that anything would have been allowed had I decided to act ... well, if he was actually a slave that is.”

“He would have been freed eventually, slavery isn’t for life in the Empire, it’s just a way to reduce the prison population, or in the case of Dave, protect him from harm should he happen to offend someone higher up in authority. Slaves cannot be held accountable for their actions; complaints have to go to ImpSec to be dealt with, hence you can’t demand compensation or in certain extreme cases ‘satisfaction’ in the form of a duel,” Amantil explained.

“On the other hand, slaves can’t even get an adult book to read, have limited tri-dee access and can be ignored by anyone not a slave,” I chuckled. “Took a while before I got used to actually taking my collar off and discovered the joys of actually being a subject.”

“Gave me a hell of a start when I saw him take his off for the first time. I was under the impression that you couldn’t, not without blowing your head off,” Kirim grinned.

“It’s still useful occasionally,” I added. “Usually when I need to surprise someone ... or occasionally hide.”

“Yes, Vilgra mentioned your trick at the Bureaucracy of Communications,” Herrick replied with a slight smile.

“They seriously annoyed me trying to show that they had power,” I shrugged.

“Yes, then discovered they really didn’t,” Amantil added with a tinkling laugh.

“I can play silly games when required,” I grinned.

“Er Dave...” Kirrim gasped. “I ... er think our daughter is on the way.”

“You sure?” I asked, my heart suddenly pounding.

“Dave, I’m sure.”

“OK. If you’ll excuse us, Manny. Herrick, we have to get back to Medical Resource,” I apologised, getting to my feet and grabbing my coverall.

“Flyer is inbound,” Herrick confirmed as Amantil and I got Kirim to her feet and helped her dress.

“We’ll pop along later,” Amantil added, giving us both hugs as there was a faint boom in the distance as a supersonic flyer approached and slowed.

Five of my hours later I was holding my daughter in my arms as Cass checked Kirim over and repaired the stretch marks and some minor internal damage with her medical wand.