A taxi-box detected the elevator-doors opening and stopped in front of them. With just his right arm, Teal prompted Jinto to get on. Jinto tried to settle his nerves, but he couldn’t regain his composure.
“The Presidential Residence. Hurry,” Teal murmured tersely to the taxi-box. Afterwards, he crossed his arms, and remained silent.
Jinto wondered what exactly the “deal” entailed. The mood that hung in the air made it exceedingly difficult to probe Teal, but he gathered up all the courage in his small frame and asked: “C’mon, tell me about the deal.”
“It’s confidential. It’s being kept under wraps from the general public until the official announcement.”
“From me, too?” he hazarded to ask, timidly.
The secretary snorted in response. “Capitalizing on your new privileges already, I see!”
“What do you mean...?”
“Switch on the holo. The announcement will be on in no time.” Jinto did as he was told and switched on the taxi-box’s attached holovision. The stereoscopic video played above the manual driving apparatus.
“For now, the Abh fleet hasn’t made any moves,” said the tiny, translucent figure. “Reports have come in that there has been some kind of back-and-forth between President Lin and the invaders. According to information obtained from a certain source, it is said that our surrender to the Empire has been confirmed. Even so, we cannot but continue to hope that those reports are mistaken, and that our leaders will make decisions with honor. In addition, we received notice that there will be a, quote, ‘statement of grave significance’ delivered at the Presidential Residence at precisely 25 o’clock. 90 seconds remain.”
They were a long 90 seconds – a minute and a half he wanted to elapse quickly, but that he also wanted to stretch on forever. Jinto was running out of patience as he anxiously stared at the 3-dimensional video, glancing occasionally at the man beside him.
Teal was as still as a statue. He didn’t give the hologram so much as a peek, instead fixing his line of sight straight ahead.
The taxi-box exited the hybrid-functionality structure and ran through the Liaison Tube suspended in the Exotic Jungle.
Finally, the time came.
The video had already shifted to displaying an empty podium. Then, a handsome-looking spokesman appeared to take the podium. “I will deliver the statement.”
Jinto gulped from the tension, and gazed at the spokesman’s mouth.
“Today, at 23:52, Rock Lin, President of the Government of the Hyde Star System, expressed to Crown Prince and Imperial Fleet Commander Ablïarsec néïc-Lamsar Dusanh, His Highness King of Barce, his intention to cede the Hyde Star System’s autonomy. Starting today, we are a part of the Humankind Empire of Abh.”
Though the holographic projection didn’t display them, Jinto could hear the clamor of the press corps that had been intently watching the spokesman. There was no shock, no anger in that tumult of voices. There was only resignation. He even heard someone mutter an “I knew it.”
Jinto glanced at Teal, thinking: See, it couldn’t be that bad, right?
“There’s more,” said Teal.
“However, the President felt that he’d like for the citizens of the Hyde Star System to be the ones to operate the paths to other systems, and as such suggested a compromise. That is to say, a proposal to install a citizen of this system as our ‘lord.’”
“You mean that’s possible!?” someone gasped.
“There will be time for questions later. Please maintain order,” the spokesman said, parrying with ease. “However, I will make an exception in this case and answer. Given the terms they reached, it was indeed possible. In exchange for the codes necessary to disable our anti-space defense system, our new ruler acceded to conditions more favorable for us.”
“Then who’s this new ‘lord’?”
“I told you, you may ask questions later. The initial idea was to select our lord by means of an election. Unfortunately, however, the positions of imperial nobility aren’t swayed by electoral results. Nobles aren’t generally familiar with the electoral system to begin with!” the spokesman said, attempting a chuckle and botching it.
Even through the airwaves, viewers picked up on the increasingly murderous current in that room.
“Who’s our lord!?” Same question, different voice.
“You did watch Commander Ablïar’s explanation regarding the Empire and Star System, did you not? He may be our ‘lord’ in a technical sense, but he’ll be more akin to the owner of a space trade company. Owners of corporations aren’t chosen through elections; it’s mostly hereditary in practice, so...”
“Who’s our lord!? Dammit, I know, everyone here knows, and you better believe everyone watching knows! We just want to hear you say it, loud and clear! Tell us, what’s the name of our new lord and master?”
Even Jinto had caught on, however much he didn’t want to believe it. “It can’t be... he’s lying...” He looked to Teal’s eyes for salvation. And yet, he sat there expressionless, his lips shut. Jinto turned back to the broadcast, to find the spokesman staring up. He’d been driven into a corner.
“Very well. It’s as you’ve all probably surmised. Rock Lin will be making our star system his territory.” The outcry that ensued could only be described as unmitigated rage.
“That was it. That was the deal,” said Teal. “Just so he could rise in status to a noble, he handed our only weapon over to our invaders. I had no idea those Abhs had feared our anti-space defense system so much. Maybe we could have put up a real fight after all.”
“B-But...” Jinto tried his level best to defend his father’s honor. “He tried to get them to let us vote for who’d be lord at first! Which means—”
“I wouldn’t know!” Teal ground his back teeth. “I only caught wind of his ‘idea’ after it was all over. After the defense systems had been disabled, after the Lin family would join the ranks of imperial nobility. I don’t care what terms he initially proposed. That weasel didn’t bother consulting me, his own secretary, beforehand, and he apparently didn’t think he had much use for me, either. He must have thought all I could do was bring his kid someplace safe. And here I thought we were best friends!”
“Ah...” Now an additional reason Teal was so mad was made clear. Teal saw what he did as a personal betrayal as well.
“All of you, calm down!” the spokesman on the holovision shrieked. “If you would just think it through rationally, you would understand that this is our best course of action. President Lin will pay the utmost consideration to all of our government’s demands. In truth, as long as he doesn’t violate the orders of the Empire, he intends to follow the will of the star system’s government – the government of the people. I hope you realize that that wouldn’t be something we could hope of someone born a noble of the Empire. We can expect the maximum level of freedom afforded to any star system under the Empire’s control.”
“Malarkey!”
“How can we take you at your word!?” Some questions could be heard through the jeering outbursts.
“Where is President, ahem, Lord Lin currently?”
“Yeah, where is that lout!?”
“Errr...” The spokesman had reached a state of stammering previously unthinkable given his job performance up until that moment. “In order to iron out the particulars and to formally receive his peerage at the Empire’s capital, he headed to an Abh fleet flagship. He embarked on an Abh landing ship on the French Prairie, and he’s currently aboard.”
“So he scarpered off!”
“Must be why he put off the announcement for so long.”
“Wonder if he’ll be back?”
“Oh he’ll be back, surrounded by imperial guards.”
“No, even if he wanted to return, there’s no way he could. You think the Empire’d make him a noble that easily? Heh, looks like he himself got duped. Serves him right!”
“Everyone, please!” But the spokesman was waging a one-man battle. “Please, you must understand, the President made the decisions he made with the happiness of every citizen in mind, not for personal profit—”
Jinto couldn’t take any more. He switched off the holovision.
“And that’s how it is,” said Teal. “This makes you the next in line for the lordship, you know. Oh my, how crass of me to address you in such a vulgar fashion. You are our ‘Noble Prince,‘ after all. I humbly beseech you, if you would be so magnanimous, forgive me my lapse in manners, Your Excellency.”
Jinto tried to convince himself that it was all in good humor, but there wasn’t a shred of levity on Teal’s face.
“Stop it, Teal...” Jinto struggled to hold in the tears. “Why are you talking to me like that... It’s not fair... “
“I know it’s not.” Teal kept staring straight ahead. “I know I’m treating you horribly. It’s just, I can’t get over it. Son of a... It may not look it, but I’m trying my hardest not to yell. Dammit, damn it all...”
The taxi-box entered Omni I’s Nexus Floor. The elevator for the Presidential Residence would be arriving soon.
“There’s only one thing I want to know...”
“What?” Teal looked his way.
“When you told Lina to run...” Suddenly, he lost the desire to finish asking the question. But there was no getting around it; he had to hear the answer. “...Did you tell her about the deal, too?”
“... No. It was being kept under wraps from the general public.” That moment’s hesitation mercilessly exposed his lie.
“I see...” Jinto could virtually hear the rattling as the world with which he was so intimately familiar — the world he loved — collapsed around him.