Death to the Imperium (Imperium Cicernus) (16 page)

Alyce
scowled. In a way, she could see the Zieron’s reasoning. The Imperium was
certainly loaded down with injustice, suffering and bureaucracy. She did not
disagree with his statements about the state of the empire; rather, she did not
accept that change was so unlikely.

“Is
it really that bad?” Glitz said.

“I
fear so. Your grand empire is slowly turning into
Hhesteran Shahsha
. In
the Zieron tongue, this means
Empire of Ashes
.”

Alyce
stared at the wooden table. Ever since she was a little girl, she had dreamed
about the Zierons. She had envisioned their grand return through a wormhole,
ready to bring peace and prosperity to the galaxy. But the Zierons were
different to how she had imagined. They had formed their peaceful empire by
means she considered immoral, and now Rell was prophesying the end of the
Imperium as if he was discussing an unfavourable weather forecast.

“The
problem is,” Rell said, “whatever political regime you implement, you will not
be able to change the fact that the human race is degenerate. Humans share the
characteristics of all emerging intelligent species—self-interest, lust, envy…
There is nothing wrong with these traits when a race is evolving. Quite the
contrary, in fact. Such traits are very beneficial when only the fittest can
survive.” Rell sighed. “But now you have entered an age where you must take
control over your evolution. The selfish traits must be eliminated from your
species if you are to have any chance of lasting peace.”

Alyce
shrugged again. She felt an instinctive disagreement with Rell’s words,
although she could not think of a valid argument to oppose him. She had always
believed sincerely in the inherent goodness of the human race. Sure, there were
bad eggs in every species, but she had always been convinced that the humans
would eventually overcome their problems through reasoning and diplomacy. But
Rell was arguing that such an outcome was impossible, due to the inherent flaws
in the human species. His argument was that humans would have to be genetically
altered in order to find peace.

“I
sense that you find our methods of procuring peace distasteful,” Rell said. “If
it may ease your mind, let me point out that if all humans were like you, Alyce
Wickham, I would not have a fear for the future of the Imperium. You are a pure
individual—an anomaly among a egoistic race. You are an embodiment of all that
is good and virtuous about the humans.” Rell waved a hand; a glass of amber
liquid appeared. He took a sip. “However, all humans are not like you. And that
is why I believe that the Imperium is doomed to fail.”

“But
you said that genetic alteration would save the species,” Glitz said.

Rell
smiled. “I did. But I hardly think that such an action would ever be permitted
by the Grand Senate. Removing humanity’s imperfections would be tantamount to
creating a new race—a perfect race. The old humanity would cease to exist. You
would have to commit self-genocide.”

Glitz
frowned. “Is that what you did?”

“Yes.”

Alyce
shuddered.

“How
long do you reckon the Imperium has left?” Glitz said.

“Your
friend is correct in her statement that the future of the Imperium is firmly in
humanity’s hands. It is not impossible for the destiny of your empire to be
altered, although it would be most difficult. However, providing the Imperium
continues along its current path, I would estimate the Imperium to collapse in
less than one thousand years.”

“One
thousand years!”

“You
may laugh, my friend, but a millennium is no time at all in the grand scheme of
things. We Zierons, due to our improved lifespans, do not often deal in such
insignificant increments as years or decades.”

“OK,
so the Imperium is likely to end in a thousand years. But what about our
current problems? We came to visit your planet for help. The Weerms are
threatening our entire civilisation. If we don’t stop them, our society is
likely to collapse a lot sooner.”

The
Zieron pondered Glitz’s words for a moment. “I believe that the Weerm threat
will be neutralised. Certainly, they have horrific personalities, but the human
history has been one of conquering seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Although
I believe that the Imperium will fall, I am convinced that the humans will
survive.”

“It’s
all right you saying that,” Alyce said, “but—no offence—the assurance of an
alien is hardly enough for us to sleep easily. Is there anything you can do to
help us ward off the threat?”

“Like
building us a weapon,” Glitz added hopefully. He knew from even a slight
encounter with the Zieron civilisation that they had technology so advanced
that it would be considered miraculous in their own galaxy.

“I
am afraid that we no longer create weapons. We have guaranteed our dominion
through impenetrable defence systems, and through the non-violent suppression
of neighbouring races. We no longer have any need for guns or bombs. Weapons
could only introduce an destabilising factor in our society; therefore, they
are forbidden by the Zieron Code.”

“But
you wouldn’t be building guns for yourself,” Glitz replied.

Rell
shook his head. “It is out of the question. I am sorry.”

“Then
what’s the point of you?” Alyce blurted out angrily. “My family has been trying
to locate your people for generations, in the hope that you could guide our
race out of the darkness. But you’re not even willing to help us!” She paused.

“I
did not say exactly that.” Rell paused, pressing his forefinger to his lips
thoughtfully. “In fact, there is a weapon in existence that might well be
effective against your enemy. The weapon in question is located onboard your ship,
the
Middlemarch
.”

Alyce’s
heart began to pound. “What?”

“When
I scanned your memories, I couldn’t help noticing an odd detail.” He turned to
Glitz. “When you collected that medical equipment from the planet Hansea, it
had been due to be recalled by the East Galaxy Company, which had delivered it
in the first place. You assumed that the Cellzers must have had some sort of
fault. But, if you recall, the Cellzers revealed themselves to be in perfect
working order.”

“Yeah,
so?”

“Who
owns the East Galaxy Company?”

“Ozytan.
Ah…” Glitz was starting to see where Rell was coming from. “So—so you think
Ozytan recalled the Cellzers because he realised that they might be effective
as weapons against the Weerms?”

“I
cannot say anything for certain, but it seems likely.”

“I’ve
still got one two of the Cellzers on the ship. If we can take them back to the
Navy, they can analyse them, find out if they could be used as offensive weapons.”
It was a long shot, but Rell’s reasoning was sound. Why else would the East
Galaxy Company have wanted to recall the Cellzers? It had seemed odd at the
time that an armed guard was protecting the equipment, but he hadn’t really
thought about it.

“So
that’s it?” Alyce said savagely. “We cross into your galaxy, untold billions of
parsecs across the Universe, for some speculation about a piece of medical
equipment?”

The
old man smiled. “Here you are the aliens.”

Alyce
frowned. “Why are you being so unhelpful? I mean, you gave us the phase drive,
so why not—”

“You
seem to be under some misapprehension,” Rell said. “The Zierons did not give
the humans any such thing.”

“You…
you didn’t?”

Rell
shook his head. “No. We passed into your galaxy on a purely investigative
mission. We did not give you technology of any kind. Wherever you obtained
phase drive technology—well, it was not from the Zierons.”

Alyce
felt tears welling up in her eyes. Glitz put an arm around her. He was slightly
puzzled by Alyce’s sadness and anger, until he considered that she had dreamed
about meeting the Zierons since she was a little girl. He still remembered the
day when he was seven years old, when he had first discovered that the Gift
Goblin wasn’t real. He had sneaked down in the middle of the night, and
discovered his mother leaving wrapped presents under the Chime Tree. He had
cried all night, despite feeling vaguely ashamed about being so upset. Alyce
had discovered that, while the Zierons
did
truly exist, that they did
not match up with her fantastical expectations. In fact, they held strictly to
a set of beliefs that she found abhorrent, and viewed the humans under a deeply
misanthropic lens. It was like a child learning that the Gift Goblin was
actually an evil creature that stole children’s presents.

“There
must be something else you can do,” Glitz muttered.

“I’m
sorry. But you must understand that every Zieron is strictly bound by the Code.
To disobey would mean death.”

The
three sat in silence for a second; Alyce silently fumed, Glitz thought about
the Zieron’s words, and Rell contemplated the two humans in silence, staring at
them from under bushy eyebrows. A bell tolled dimly outside the room, and Rell
was drawn out of his brown study.

“Ah.
The Winter Festival is about to begin.”

“The
Winter Festival?” Glitz repeated.

“It
is a very special time for the inhabitants of this planet. This world is called
Zieros; it is the home world of the Zierons. Environmental conditions on our
planet are decidedly peculiar, in comparison to your world. Each season lasts
for a full year, which on Zieros is composed of three hundred days, each of a
duration of twenty hours. And we only have two seasons—summer and winter.”

“Must
get tedious,” Alyce muttered.

“Not
at all. Each season provides a refreshing contrast from the other. Of course,
seasons are rather less extreme than on many planets within the Imperium. You
have already witnessed our summer. The sun is warm, yet mild, and plant and
animal life can flourish without fear of overheating. Our winter is similarly
gentle. We have lots of snow, but temperatures rarely fall below freezing
temperature. Winter, for many Zierons, is a time of study and meditation,
following the physical labour and energetic activity of the summer months.”

“So
what’s this festival?”

“At
the beginning of every summer and winter, we crown a ceremonial king in a
lavish ceremony. This kingship carries no administrative or governmental
responsibilities. The king is chosen purely as a result of special
accomplishment. It is a fine way to honour outstanding citizens. Today, the
Winter King will be crowned, which will herald the beginning of the season.”

“It
seems rather misogynistic, to me,” Alyce muttered. “What about a Winter Queen?”

“The
Winter King may be either male or female,” Rell said patiently. “In Zieron
society, both sexes are equal in every sense. Further, we do not believe it
necessary to bestow different titles upon each sex, as if we judge any gender
by different standards.”

Alyce
nodded. That was one aspect of Zieron culture that appealed to her. Despite
what anyone said, it seemed that the establishment of the Imperium still viewed
female citizens as inferior. Some people even cited reasons for their belief in
the inferiority of women, such as physical or emotional frailties. Perhaps the
Zierons had addressed such genetic differences when altering the DNA of their
species…

“Do
you wish to observe the festival?”

Alyce
and Glitz glanced at one another, then nodded. No human, as far as they knew,
had ever entered this galaxy. How could they pass up on the opportunity of
learning more about a species that was, by its own claims, enlightened? Even
though Alyce was disturbed by some elements of the Zieron belief system, the
festival sounded intriguing, and she was excited by the idea.

“Excellent,”
Rell said. “Follow me.”

Rell
led them gracefully out of the study, and into a long wood-panelled corridor.
They reached the end, and stepped out into an expansive courtyard. Rell’s house
was huge and grand, cast out of some kind of white stone. His garden was fit
for Emperor Ferdinand himself, complete with a fountain and striking flowers.

“Zierons
believe in rewarding achievement,” Rell said. “We still believe in the
incentivisation of initiative. I received this house after solving a
mathematical theorem that had tormented mathematicians for generations. However,
such rewards are not purely financial. Society rewards pioneering individuals
largely by bestowing honour upon them; you will see an example of this in the
festival.”

They
walked through the garden, crossed a bridge over the river, and Rell beckoned
them over to a large silver box. It looked strangely incongruous sitting
beneath a red-leaved tree, and Rell explained that it was a form of transport.
They were communally-owned, and so could be used by anyone. They generated
their own electricity using nuclear technology, and generated no pollution.
Rell touched the surface, and an invisible door slid open, allowing access. The
interior of the transport pod contained several rows of luxurious seats, and it
was coolly air-conditioned. When they were all seated, Rell gave the computer
instructions, and it began to move with a low whirring sound. Glitz had no idea
what the box looked like from outside, but he imagined the cube to be simply
moving along the street on its flat surface.

The
vehicle stopped, and the concealed door slid open, allowing rays of sunlight to
stream inside. Rell stepped out, signalling the others to follow him. They had
arrived in a large open square, which was teeming with people. The sound of a
high bell chimed in the air. The square was surrounded on all sides by rectangular
pools of water; some children were sitting down, dipping their feet in the
water, while the adults stood and talked quietly. The square itself was a large
area of grass, surrounded by a perimeter of paved ground. Glitz was amazed by
how well-behaved the crowd was. No one was cheering, arguing, or talking above
a certain volume.

“I
thought this was supposed to be a celebration,” Glitz muttered, as they joined
the Zierons in the square.

“We
do not believe in losing ourselves in good cheer, neither do we applaud forced
joviality. The coronation of the Winter King is a distinctly dignified
occasion.”

Glitz
and Alyce stared out at the other Zierons, who were constantly arriving in the
grey transport cubes. They looked remarkably like humans, except for their
oddly straight-backed posture, and neutral expressions. Alyce couldn’t help
thinking to herself that a Zieron man wouldn’t make a very good lover… She
began to notice patterns in their dress. Some of the creatures wore nondescript
grey robes, whereas others were attired in buttonless navy suits of the same
design as Rell’s. What did all the variation in clothing mean?

When
Alyce asked this question aloud, Rell explained that the Zierons organised
their society by means of a sort of caste system, whereby all babies had their
career path genetically predetermined from the moment of conception. In human
society, Rell argued, many people were unhappy due to being genetically
unsuitable for their jobs. Millions of receptionists craved a career as an
artist, and millions of engineers secretly harboured dreams of becoming actors.
The problem was, not enough of such jobs were available in human society to
meet the number of people who desired them. Clearly, the most effective
solution was to
create
people who would be perfect for their assigned
jobs. For example, if the Zierons calculated a future need for another
bookkeeper, they would produce someone with a feverish love of order and
system. Genetic traits could be manipulated to such a precise degree that there
were always the right amount of people for any vocation. Again, Alyce felt an
instinctive loathing towards this policy of social engineering, but she could
not seem to come up with a logical argument to oppose it.

As
the time neared for the ceremony to begin, Rell explained that he had to leave;
as Keeper of the Seals, he was required to change into a special robe for the festival.
He vanished in a flash of light. Glitz and Alyce observed the scene with
curiosity; none of the Zierons paid attention to them, or tried to engage in
conversation. They stood on the paved area with the creatures, right at the
edge of the empty green square, waiting for something to happen. About thirty
minutes later, the ceremony began properly. The gathered spectators watched
quietly as a slow procession emerged from a domed hall and began to proceed
across the grass. The members of the procession were all dressed in vivid
robes; Alyce picked out Rell, who was donning a purple and gold cloak. There
had to be around fifty participants in the ceremony itself. The members of the
parade stopped on the grass, and conjured a large stage into existence. Then
many long-winded formalities were carried out, most of which Glitz and Alyce
found to be abstruse, even incomprehensible. The Zieron elected to be crowned
as Winter King was a young woman with blonde hair and blue eyes; from what
Alyce gathered from the proceedings, she had genetically engineered a new fibrous
plant for cloth-making that was easier to grow on the outer worlds of their
empire. Alyce had noticed that all of the more educated castes in Zieron
society—the ones wearing suit-like clothing of various colours—all had blonde
hair and blue eyes. The worker castes all had dull brown or grey hair. This was
yet another aspect of Zieron society which she found troubling.

The
whole affair lasted for almost two hours, during which time both Glitz and Alyce
began to lose patience. Finally, the ceremony was completed, and a garland of
golden flowers was slowly lowered onto the head of the female Winter King. Rell
approached them once his role as Keeper of the Seals was completed, and asked
them what they thought of the ceremony.

“It
was interesting,” Alyce said.

“I
understand it may have seemed slightly tedious to a non-Zieron,” Rell admitted.
“Many of the customs you observed can only really be understood by someone with
a full knowledge of our culture and history. You must be tired. Come, I will
show you to your lodgings.”

“There
isn’t any need for us to stay.” Alyce glanced at Glitz. “There’s a war brewing
back home. We should—”

“Nonsense!
You must stay!” The old man’s eyes twinkled. “I promise you, Alyce, that if you
stay the night here you will not regret it. I have a gift for you both, but it
shall not be ready until the morning. Stay, I beseech you.”

Alyce
shrugged reluctantly. “Well, I guess we can stay one night…”

Beaming,
Rell led the two humans out of the square, through the city, and into what
appeared to be a forest. They did not recognise the trees, but they had
similarities with the ancient oaks and redwoods preserved on the planet Chase. As
soon as they entered the forest, it was as if a thick blanket had fallen over
them. The silence of the forest was broken only by the chirping of woodland
birds and the rustling of small mammals. As they followed Rell through the
trees, sunlight streamed through the faraway leaves, bathing them in a gold-emerald
glow. Finally, they reached a small cabin, which was made of hewn logs. It was
set in a small clearing in the forest. Outside, there was a small log pile next
to an axe.

“Here?”
Alyce said.

“It’s
getting late,” Rell replied. “The sleeping hours are nearly upon us.” He
pointed up; the bright sunlight was beginning to dim; the dusk was approaching.
“You will find the cabin perfectly suited to your needs, I trust. Now, I must
leave you. Good night!”

After
that abrupt farewell, Rell disappeared in a flash of light before they could
argue further.

“I
really hate it when he does that,” Glitz muttered.

They
stared at the cabin, and Glitz was the first to enter. It was a small, one-room
affair, but nonetheless cosy. Fading light streamed in through two windows, and
gently-burning candles provided additional illumination. There was a heady
scent in the room; some kind of oil was burning over the flames. His spice
trader’s nose decided that the scent bore a resemblance to vanilla and cloves.
There was one noticeable problem with the cabin.

Alyce
stepped inside, and noticed it immediately. “Only one bed.”

At
the end of the cabin, there was a decorative, gilded bed, with silver knobs. It
was covered in a silken material, and scented rose petals—or something of the
kind—were sprinkled over the surface. In the dim light of the candles, it
seemed very romantic.

Alyce
blushed. “I guess… I guess Rell thought we were a couple.”

Glitz
stood next to Alyce, facing the luxurious bed. “Perhaps… but he did scan our
minds. He should have known that we weren’t together.”

“Maybe
that’s it,” Alyce muttered. “Maybe he saw more into our minds than he let on.
Maybe he…” She tailed off. Feeling unable to complete the sentence, she avoided
Glitz’s eyes shyly.

Feeling
a rush of sensuality, Glitz took hold of Alyce’s hand. He looked directly into
her eyes; the connection was maintained. Slowly, gently, he drew her towards
him and kissed her gently on the mouth. She flushed, and returned the kiss.
With slightly trembling hands, Glitz stroked his hand across the back of her
pink dress, and then unfastened it, letting the dress fall to the ground. She
was wearing no underwear beneath the dress, and he began to caress her breasts
gently. Then he removed his own clothes quickly and silently, and they both
descended to the bed. Glitz had always been somewhat of a rough lover; the women
he had slept with in the past seemed to enjoy such treatment. But somehow, it
wouldn’t have seemed right to treat Alyce in such a way. After almost an hour
of passionate, sweet lovemaking, Alyce and Glitz fell asleep, under the starlight
of unfamiliar constellations.

***

In
the morning, Alyce and Glitz woke to the sound of birds singing. Fresh morning
sunlight was seeping into the cabin. They sat up slowly, quickly realising that
they felt none of the tiredness that usually accompanied mornings. For some
reason—possibly the air was purer on Zieros, or maybe there was a higher level
of negative ions—they awoke feeling perfectly refreshed and happy. Of course,
it helped that they had both enjoyed a night of intense passion. Glitz realised
that Rell must have left a single bed in the cabin on purpose; the man had
recognised that they both had feelings for each other, and decided to give them
a prod in the right direction.