Chapter 22: Home Sweet Home

The gunship with fighter escorts circled New Paris at Philippa’s request. She was bright and cheerful after her night with Jason and Razza.

“Welcome home Jason, tell the pilot to follow the new heads up display, you will be landing at your new home,” Porquenta said excitedly.

Jason told the pilot the new flight plan as Porquenta had requested.

“I thought where I stayed previously was my home on Porquenta?” Jason asked puzzled.

“I reserve the right to make changes that are appropriate to your status, my Lord!” Porquenta said seriously and then giggled and broke into an uproarious laugh. “Yes, Jason I do enjoy laughing at my own jokes, your pilot will now see an opening.”

“Holy sherazzle!” Razza exclaimed just look at that door opening.

They all looked down.

“I thought I have seen big doors before but I have never seen doors like that on the ground. They must be 10 yards thick and 25 yards wide and at least 50 yards long. They look like they are made out of wood that is thousands of years old. They are surrounded by reinforcements, cannon emplacements and missiles,” said Trackrof excitedly.

The pilot flew them through the doors which started to slide shut behind them.

“It’s gone dark! But don’t worry we are under the control of Porquenta,” said the pilot.

The gunship accompanied by an escort landed. The ramp folded out as the iris opened. There was a faint light only in the area where they had landed so that they could see where they were walking. A shaft of light illuminated the area beyond the door. When they were all out of the shuttle, they heard the outer doors shutting and reverberating in the space that they found themselves and they found themselves in pitch blackness.

“Porquenta loves his drama! Take it from one who enjoys her drama, but I’m forced to do it on a smaller scale,” said Benita Mofo.

They stood in the dark for thirty more seconds and then the lights came on very slowly. Before them stood a palace much larger than the largest hotel complex that Jason had ever seen.

It was a sparkling white copy of the Palace of Versailles complete with its gardens!

“Bravo Porquenta, this is stupendous!” said Philippa clapping her hands together. “It is a wonderful surprise!”

“Porquenta, this is utterly magnificent,” said Jason, “thank you very much, but what will we do with all the rooms?”

They began moving forward towards the building as if they were on a moving walkway.

“Jason, you need room for your wives, your women and opportunities to see and meet your other women and their children. You need to entertain important guests in luxury and impress them with the magnificence of your home.” Porquenta said. “Even when you are Emperor you need several pleasant vacation palaces away from the center of the Empire.”

“I have taken poetic license with the interior, it is far too large to duplicate the original, but it is fitted out in the public areas in the same style. I have made the living areas more comfortable and homelier. It has areas for nurseries, parks and even exclusive shops, food malls, restaurants, and a supermarket to provide the necessities of life, for you and yours and also for guests.

“As you get closer you will see it is very much bigger than you thought, Jason. In the back I have built recreation and sporting facilities and a selection of different gyms, seven different running tracks, a mountain bike track and garden areas to cycle around.” Porquenta added. “You have hundreds of miles of beautiful rides for your road bicycles in caverns and thousands of miles of rides outside. I have investigated the cycling culture of Earth and I believe we are perfectly suited to use the cycle as a major means of transport,” explained Porquenta.

As they got closer Jason could see how high the palace was. He thought it was about fifty stories.

“Jason the building is the equivalent of a hundred and twenty stories, but it has been built to look like the authentic Parisian palace when you fly in. As the future Emperor of at least half of three galaxies and soon parts of the multiverse, this palace is at least a start,” Porquenta added.

“How do you know all this?” Jason asked.

“Queen Lynas Parayekt says it is in all the predictions according to her scholars,” said Porquenta. “She and I speak often and enjoy each other’s company. She is frighteningly intelligent and very amusing.”

“Lynas is sure you are the one destined to be Emperor of all the allies and more. Even this recent little coup of yours is in her Concyclobonical. She watched you kill the latest Cockroach general and then become a giant Cockroach many times. She says it is better than any story she could have imagined. She says your telepathic power is impressive and your mind very creative. She says your view of hell is her great favorite. She enjoyed your images of people working in mines and being whipped. She thanks you for sending the summary prepared for her by your AI. She said she saw the images clearly as you saw them and she could appreciate what it was like in the tunnel and how you felt traveling through the rock. Her mathematicians calculated you were sixty feet high as the Cockroach.

“Lynas tells me she loves living in an era when mythology comes to life. She and her admirals and generals also greatly appreciated your method of ending the war. She is visiting Merpakt and is very impressed with Shreb, the capital. She is waiting on tenterhooks to hear how you are going to kill the Cockroach conspirators.

“Now let me return from my wanderings and tell you more about the palace. You have facilities here to run all your holdings. Your great-grandfather intends to spend much of his time here. He has become even more involved in weapons creation. We get on very well. We see weapons development in the same way and he has very creative ideas. He is so proud of you he could burst!

“I do not want to keep you. Your family and friends have all arrived and are firmly ensconced in their rooms or enjoying some of the entertainments. Your Earth family will arrive tonight. You are almost there, you do not need to disembark, the walkway will take you to your rooms. Your brains have all the instructions about the facilities and how to use them and if you simply ask, the walkway will take you to your destination or if you choose to walk, it will provide a heads up display for you to use to navigate.

“Enjoy your stay at this resort I hope you stay with us again soon. If you have any complaints about the service please ask to speak to the manager! We would appreciate it if you would rate the facility on departure.” Porquenta said and laughed uproariously as he accurately reproduced a memory from Jason’s mind. “Your bicycles are in the back.”

“We are now settled and it is too early to eat. Let’s rustle up the others and take a tour,” said Philippa.

Moments later they were joined by several of the group members.

Jason asked for the interior tour. The walkway took them directly towards a wall at running speed.

“Something has gone wrong, the system has gone berserk,” said Adrianna sounding panicked.

“Ye of little faith,” said Porquenta before they flashed through a portal and found themselves on the ground floor moving through an elegant hallway that extended into the distance. There were paintings every few yards in old French and Dutch styles. Jason looked closely at one of them.

“Stop!” He said. “Go back to the beginning please!”

They reversed.

“Come and look at this. Here is a portrait of you Razza with your group at the University. It is done in one of the old styles from my planet. This one is of Chuck my grandson in a different style. The next is my daughter’s family and this one here is my son and his family.

“Porquenta you are a genius. This is so well done!” Jason said admiringly.

He heard Porquenta chuckling.

Jason moved on to a double sized portrait of Philippa, standing in an elegant dress holding a small child, with a child two or three years of age standing in front of her shyly holding her hand. You could not see the faces of the children. The next portrait was of Jason, Philippa, Brecht Chatzke and Philippa’s sisters with five children sitting in front of them of various ages. Three of them were close to Philippa, and her sisters had a hand on one each. Next, was a very large portrait with Jason flanked by Philippa and Razza, with Julia, Andrea and Linda, Celia Ford, Felicia McDonald, Phoebe Harris, Janet Malone, Marie the chef, Perdita, Sheila and Claudette. Many children were seated or playing in front of them.

“How can I be such a self-indulgent jealous bitch, when they are all so happy and I have such a central position in your life?” Philippa asked absentmindedly holding onto Jason’s arm. Jason nodded as sagely as he could.

Trackrof walked ahead. She smiled at a portrait of Jason, Razza, her parents, grandparents and a small grub as yet faceless in front of them. You could almost see their antennae waving.

Jason joined her, then Razza came up behind Jason to look at the portrait. He heard her catch her breath.

“This is so wonderful Jason, this is the best surprise anyone can imagine!” she said. “Porquenta this is fantastic!” Razza said enthusiastically.

There were portraits with the Orcs, with the Warriors of the Apocalypse and a magnificent very large portrait with the Queen, Lynas Parayekt the tyrannosaurus rex Queen and her advisors.

Jason saw a portrait of him and his now deceased wife Sarah when the children were young and then a series of portraits as they grew up, married and had children. There were beautiful portraits of his grandchildren with their parents and Jason in the background. There were classic scenes from battles that Jason had fought beginning with the priest who had first tried to poison him, the Pirate encounters, his first encounter with Linda on Mars when she threatened to blow them all up, his first meeting with Porquenta, sitting grinning together with Morgan James in mech-warriors. There was even the scene of Papa Zora shooting him. There were scenes of space wars as he defended the Empire against the Mob. He saw his encounter with the Ghoul, then a huge scene of the fight for the asteroid near Yimza, then drilling for the enemy. He saw his battle in transdim space just before he was stung and sent to Charassa.

The amazing scenes continued through to the present time and even included Jason in his huge Cockroach form brandishing his Warhammer destroying the Cockroach Army and creating the rift. In all the scenes of war his most important people of the time were all clearly visible.

There was a section of Jason fighting in the jungle, his attack on the village where the children were killed, the basis of his post-traumatic stress disorder, important times in his career and life, cycling with his friends, and then his first meeting with Stan, the chefs and farmers, Janet Malone and Phoebe Harris, the first time they were out of uniform and then, the first dinner, with Andrea and Linda.

Jason saw his meetings with ‘The One’, Winston, Morgan James and Peter Kane and several meetings with Porquenta. These important moments extended to the present day and even included the first meeting with Razza’s parents and grandparents. The pictures were outstanding and on first glance could have easily been on the walls of the Louvre. Even the frames looked authentic and very old.

“Porquenta, I thank you from the depths of my heart. You have gone to extraordinary lengths to do all of this. I am quite overwhelmed. Do we have time before dinner to have a little chat?” asked Jason.

“Jason it was a pleasure, I must admit I enjoyed myself enormously doing all of this. Each of these paintings was painted in the style of the master we selected. There is a team of AI artists who are better than most major forgers! They are of course much faster. We will put in the faces of the children as they appear.

“Bid your friends farewell until dinner and I will see you, Philippa and Razza shortly,” replied Porquenta.

The ground transportation device accelerated quickly towards a wall. Jason felt Razza flinch and then they were through a portal and in the company of Porquenta. Drinks and trays of delicious looking tidbits were suspended in space in front of them.

“Welcome back I am delighted to see all of you. Please make yourselves comfortable. When you want another drink, simply imagine it and it will appear in front of you. I love magic. Don’t think of food or the chef will kill me for spoiling your appetite for dinner. Many of the chefs training with Robert consider it the greatest honor to produce food for Versailles. I should say new Versailles but it gets tiring quickly. The city we will simply call Paris and if necessary, we can call it Paris on Porquenta.

“Now on to business, there is much to discuss and little time in which to discuss it. Razza and Philippa, what I’m going to tell you is most secret and is only known to Jason and your grandfather. Your grandfather has given permission for me to tell all of you about what I am to discuss. On Merpakt is the mother of all us planetary AIs. She is an AI, much more powerful than I am, known as Nuswa. She introduced herself to the surprise of your grandfather millions of years ago but has been suffering from loneliness for the last million years and has neglected herself. She is in a worse state than Mars.

“She was well known to your murdered great grandmother, but I will not digress and Ergol or Nuswa will tell you more of the story.

“Your grandfather asked for help to fix up Nuswa and get her back to her previous level of function. Sheila and Claudette assessed Nuswa during the meeting when Cyril was battling his demons.

“While you were looking at the paintings, I received news about Cyril. The spy Cockroaches inserted a new generation crystal to replace his original crystal. It remained dormant until the crystal assessed that there was an appropriate target fulfilling the criteria that was set for maximum impact. Cyril would have killed you Jason, then the Emperor, and continued with the other leaders if he could. He had two weapons and each of them could fire three shots. He did not have the ability to fight the crystal but fight it he did. The crystal augmented his speed, which makes Julia’s actions even more impressive. This is an exceedingly hard to detect technique and supremely dangerous.

“Anyone working at the Palace on Merpakt has had their crystal changed if they had one and I have developed a technique to detect the presence of telepathic conditioning. The crystal changes are being done in the Collective and then they come here for security vetting, then are sent back. Ergol sent a hundred-thousand scientists from Yekt, who are now working here. We have also assessed ten thousand technicians and are training them to work on AIs and they are becoming involved in manufacture here. Some will learn to maintain Nuswa.

“Now back to Nuswa. We had spare processors and memory here and we have many skilled technicians who worked on me and on Mars. However, we only had enough supplies to update one-tenth of Nuswa. That gives you an idea of her size and complexity. We were struggling to build more parts. Philippa, your mother offered to help. The complex nature of the task was taking too much time with my available resources. Had I known how fast she works I would have suggested she did the whole job. I am almost done, but Brecht’s components were shipped two days ago. Sheila, Claudette and the technicians are installing the parts as we speak.

“Brecht was visited by your parents and grandparents. Apparently, they all got on very well. They are beginning to work on several projects together. Brecht is helping with security on Merpakt until the planet is stabilized. The crystal replacement program will continue on the Coven.

“We have struck some significant problems. Nuswa has technology that we do not possess and do not at the present time know how to build. This means that we are doing as much as we can with what we have. Our tasks will be completed and tested in the next two months. We can replace the memory with what we have. I hope Nuswa can find the scientific and technical background information we will need to manufacture adequate replacements for her advanced components.

“Jason, I have news from your family on Earth. The sea base of the people of Dhoom has been located in the deepest part of the ocean in a rift near the continent of South America. An assault is being planned on it.

“The authorities on Earth alerted us to highly unusual behavior in a mental hospital. We informed them of our concerns about the Dhoom. They found the problem as people attempting to gain legitimate entrance into these facilities were disappearing and the guards no longer had contact with their families. Your forces, helped by the Collective raided those facilities after the authorities were repulsed by advanced shields and weapons. What we found was a surprise.

“The beings we found were once the legitimate residents and guards of these facilities, but they have had their consciousness replaced by those of the Octopi. Many of them are from prominent families within the Dhoom Octopi and they were highly disturbed living in these humans with mental illness. The ones in the guards were better off, but they did not appear to consider the experiment as successful. Their Dhoom families had pushed them into it for the sake of honor and to be the first, but many of them are spoiled and indulgent individuals.

“Unfortunately, several of them have managed to blend into the population on Earth. We have informed the Earth authorities of our findings and have even sent them converted video summaries of what we know of the Dhoom, translated into Empire standard. You might be surprised how much Empire standard is being spoken on Earth. There are many TV stations broadcasting solely in Empire standard. The Earth media is full of information about the Dhoom. This crisis has galvanized the world leaders to try and work together. They have formally asked for help to locate the infiltrators. The Warriors, Orcs and Ouma Chatzke responded to the challenge. They will help us do what is necessary.

“Jason, I’ve had the opportunity to work with many people from Earth who are not of Empire origin. Most of them have two slots for crystals and as a people they are very educable and trainable. The fact that they have two slots makes me wonder if they were seeded in the distant past by some of the ancients.

“I have more to tell you but it will have to wait, it is time for dinner and an angry chef could spit in my power supply. Brace yourselves,” Porquenta said and laughed before they appeared outside a room designated ‘Jason’s restaurant’. They walked to the door and entered.

The room could seat a thousand people and was utterly magnificent with chandeliers hanging down from the ornate multi-domed and painted ceilings reminiscent of the art but not architecture of the Sistine Chapel with white carved panels on the walls with yet more art. The tables were of highly polished mahogany with delicately carved feet. The floor was covered by a beautifully patterned blue carpet. The tables were covered with white table cloths with white linen napkins and elegant cutlery. The servers were dressed in white and were well rehearsed for their roles.

Razza was so excited she was clapping, oohing, and ahing. Philippa was smiling broadly and waving to her mother and sisters who were sitting with Razza’s parents and grandparents. Jason saw his seat flashing on his heads-up display. Porquenta had left nothing to chance!

Jason grinned and waved at the two groups from the University as he passed their table, then moved over to hug his mother in law. Kram stood to hug Jason as did Zanta.

“I like this hugging,” she said to Brecht, who then stood and gave Jason a second very firm hug.

“Yes, mammals have some very odd behaviors but with this body it feels good.” Nera the old Empress said. “I like the idea of clothing, and the idea of something different every day is very appealing. Razza showed me the dresser and selected this dress. I think it is magnificent.” said Nera enthusiastically. “Brecht, my dear you look lovely as do your daughters.”

“Thank you, Nera, I do like the dress. We have many dressers with amazing patterns from the Empire. We are starting to build our own. The one in my room here is in different league and is magnificent and the choice outrageous. The makeup device is a technology I have never seen previously. It is so quick and the effects are amazing. Porquenta has created a triumph, haven’t you, you old scoundrel?” Brecht Chatzke said and laughed.

“Madame you complement then insult me, I am mortified,” said the server in Porquenta’s voice, “but, on further consideration, I must acknowledge your superior wisdom.” The server then moved off to continue his duties. Jason could see Razza was amused as was Philippa who was smiling broadly.

“Jason, don’t you think, a bigger palace, would have been better and perhaps it could have been made a bit more ostentatious?” Ergol teased him. “We do love the art and how everything works is utterly extraordinary. Going to Charassa and then through the gates was also a singular experience. I have not travelled for a million years. I was imprisoned in the palace. I never crossed the galaxy, nor did I fly to another galaxy.” Ergol said wistfully. “Dawood and Kreb have been incarcerated for their whole lives.”

“When are your family arriving, Jason?” Kram asked.

“They get in late tonight. They will go straight to bed but will join us for breakfast.”

Jason looked at Ergol and his family.

“I don’t know how you guys are feeling but I feel rather disoriented. The groups from Uni and I have had such an intense experience first in the Empire then on the Coven worlds. Between the first and second mission we had concentrated training. Now all of a sudden, I no longer feel under pressure and I feel I am missing something!

“I relaxed once we got to Charassa and Julia was safe but coming here is such a blockbuster I feel quite overwhelmed. I feel as if I am living in a dream, but not even in my dreams could I have thought of a place like this and knowing Porquenta I have seen only a little bit of what he has packed in to surprise me,” said Jason chuckling.

“What about your recent experiences surprised you the most?” Brecht asked.

Jason thought for a few moments as he looked at Brecht and the others at the table.

“There were many surprises. I am not sure I can rank them. I was surprised at my ability to travel through the ground and take the others with me. I knew I could do it but I doubted myself. I was surprised when I became a huge Cockroach. The increase in my powers surprised me considerably. Razza’s family, particularly Ergol with whom I have spent the most time has really surprised me,” said Jason thoughtfully.

“Why is that?” Ergol asked smiling.

“I did not expect you and the Coven to be so old. I found your society much different from what I expected. I like you so much and feel we are kindred spirits. I was surprised by the predictions. I was amazed you followed the outlines of the predictions. I can understand your inaction better. I would’ve struggled to live a million years waiting for events to unfold,” said Jason.

“Jason, it was not a million years. We waited one day at time and believed that tomorrow was to be the day something happened. Looking back, it is a million years. When you are close to immortal, time becomes immaterial,” explained Ergol.

“Well enough about me. What did you guys do today?” asked Jason.

“I spent a day with the doctors in Charassa as did the family and they have rejuvenated us all. Feeling so young and invigorated reminded me of my early years. Memories have been coming back. My mother was an extraordinary person, powerful and charismatic. She had an extraordinary mind and prodigious powers. She said she could watch the alternate threads of the future and see the outcomes. She saw the coup coming and discussed with me my choices and the resulting outcomes with different courses of action. All the other courses of action other than what has happened lead to civil war and disaster at the hands of our enemies. She wrote the prophesies assuming I would stick with her recommendations.

“She always knew when I was a grub what I was doing and knew what I would do before I did it as I grew up. She is still watching me now, but she is happy what she said would happen came to pass and we were patient. Sadly, she had to sacrifice herself to ensure it all happened.

“The last thing we need to do now is to kill Larnor Bakt-Yek and his henchmen, then take his sanctuary planet and his army in waiting. My people have been working hard to this end. When you return in a week it will be time for the end game. Was there anything else that surprised you young Jason?” Ergol replied.

“I understand everyone here, knows what you showed me?” Jason asked to be certain he would not breach confidences. Ergol smiled and indicated Jason could continue.

“I was most surprised to find there was a mother of all AIs and that it was on a Coven world and it had revealed itself to Ergol. The old fellow, already high in my estimation rose to new heights. I then knew I would have to treat Razza better and be politer than I am usually inclined to be,” Jason said teasingly. “In-laws can be so difficult!” He grinned at Brecht who huffed.

Ergol laughed followed by the others at the table.

“Does anyone know when Cassius is coming?” Philippa asked.

A server close to the table turned then walked to stand close to the table, and said the Emperor Cassius was to arrive with Alana shortly after midnight.

“I wonder what trouble young Chuck has found for himself?” Jason asked rhetorically as he lay in bed beside Philippa and Razza. “That grandson of mine has a developing blackhole for trouble.”

“I guess you will hear at breakfast,” said Philippa sounding very amused.

“What do you know?” Jason asked.

“I can say no more!” Philippa giggled.

The Bunker, 10 Miles Beneath the Surface on Merpakt.

“This waiting is becoming tiresome, please activate our people, Yesteg. I would like to leave this tomb sooner rather than later.” Larnor Bakt-Yek, suggested.

“Overseer, I would advise you to hold off for a few weeks. The situation on the surface is tenuous. We are not simply dealing with loyalists who are poorly armed, we are dealing with the Collective, and multiple allies, including the dreaded Lord Jason Kargo, accursed be his name. They have powerful armies at their disposal and they are conducting interrogations at frightening speed. Our agents have flown from the capitol and are hiding in our bases in the mountains. We lost two-thirds of our people in the first two days. The Collective are well aware of what we were going to do. We no longer have effective forces in any of the cities. Stirring up an insurrection or even a diversion has a reasonable chance of failing if we act now. I would like our people to hide and then probe for weak points. The Collective and their foul allies are not going to maintain troops on Merpakt for long.

“Do we have people on other planets?” Bakt-Yek asked.

“Overseer, the same is happening on all the core planets. No doubt they will move on to the peripheral planets soon. Many of our bases and people have already been lost.

“If our senior people are captured, we are at risk of our plan failing. I understand there are concentrations of troops at every point of potential egress for us. We are in no position to escape. They are already drilling exploratory sensor tunnels. We will alert them to our presence if we attempt to escape to the surface. We will have to deploy all of our decoy escape pods. Soon we are going to have to be careful about how much noise we make in the bunker.” Yesteg Krimpt, the general of intelligence explained.

“What do you think Gremd?” Larnor asked his longest friend and henchman, previous para-overseer of internal affairs.

“I think we are doomed regardless of which way we turn. We have had a great run, but I’m sad to say I am skeptical that any strategy that we use to escape is going to work. I think we stay put for as long as we can. It will give us the best chance to escape.

“The Collective have already destroyed our main base in this area. Shreb is under tight control and they are searching for underground hiding places. The populace is no longer loyal to us, if they ever were. They know we have tunnels below the palace. There are tunnels from millions of year ago. I know they have already found both of the bases near Yemel.

“Both bombs were found in the palace and our assassination attempt failed. The publicity has done us no good. The Emperor showed our agents threatening the young man and saw the agents tell him that they had kidnapped his parents. Extensive footage has been shown of our activities in the Collective over the last sixty thousand years. They showed how we created the Mob and the Tentacles and our infiltration of the Empire of Cassius.