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  Reign of Four

  I

  Jake Bible

  A PERMUTED PRESS BOOK

  Published at Smashwords

  ISBN (eBook): 978-1-68261-021-3

  REIGN OF FOUR: I

  © 2015 by Jake Bible

  All Rights Reserved

  Cover art by Dean Samed, Conzpiracy Digital Arts

  This book is a work of fiction. People, places, events, and situations are the product of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or historical events, is purely coincidental.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author and publisher.

  Permuted Press

  109 International Drive, Suite 300

  Franklin, TN 37067

  http://permutedpress.com

  Contents

  Act I—A Young Master Rises

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Act II—A Rebellion Halted

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Act III—A New Life, A Sudden Death

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  About the Author

  Act I—A Young Master Rises

  “While it is the current trend to think back on the early days of our civilization as barbaric and primitive, considering the propulsion drive hadn’t even been rediscovered yet, I cannot stress enough that we wouldn’t be the Unified Stations if we did not have the groundwork laid out for us by such luminary monarchs as Alexis I and Alexis III of Station Aelon.

  Without them the concept of passenger freedom would still be a punchline to the jokes told by stewards and stewardesses in parlors and banquet halls.”

  —Dr. D. Reven, Eighty-Third Archivist of The Way

  “For Evil is not hidden, but staring us in the face. To hide from it is to shame oneself and our Dear Parent Helios. We must look straight at Evil and declare to ourselves, and the System, that only Helios can sway us. And when swayed, it is for Good alone.”

  —Book of the System 9:14, The Ledger

  “Family. That is who we can and must trust. But what defines family? Blood? Lineage? Close quarters? Are we not all family on a station? Perhaps trust comes first, then family sorts itself out.”

  —Journals of Alexis III, Mistress of Station Aelon and its primes

  Chapter One

  Turquoise.

  That is all the Minor of Aelon Station, Alexis Teirmont, could see as he stared up at the sky above him. His eyes were dazzled by the cloudless sky that only appeared above The Way Prime, while the rest of the planet was covered in Vape clouds so thick that barely anything besides breen crops could grow.

  Helios.

  A planet ripped apart by the Cataclysm, sending its inhabitants fleeing to orbiting stations, artificial planets in of themselves, so many millennia before.

  A planet that leaked Vape—a gas that fueled everything from the shuttles that launched from The Way Prime to the very rotational drives that kept the stations spinning with artificial gravity.

  The planet had once been covered by a pristine ocean with one central continent, but after the Cataclysm became a world of boiling, poisonous seas and fractured land masses known as the primes.

  Helios.

  A star. The Star.

  Helios.

  A solar system. The System.

  Helios.

  A god. The God.

  Everything Alexis had learned through his young life on Station Aelon, and occasionally down on Aelon Prime, whirled through his head as he stared at that impossible turquoise. That color held him, spoke to him, taunted him. It was a color he had fought for, but in the end realized it was too much and had to give in, just as the other stations gave in when The Way finally triumphed and ordered a truce.

  A truce he would have to sign despite his feelings about corruption of The Way’s High Guardian and gatekeepers. Those men and women may have controlled the only way on and off the planet, and used that control, along with the power of Helios, to maintain a religious hold on the stations, but they could not use it to control the essence and spirit of each individual.

  Alexis had fought for that spirit; fought with men around him, men he led, men that looked to him as their minor, the heir to the crown of Station Aelon; fought and watched those men die by the hundreds and hundreds as The Way’s Burdened mowed them down with superiorly fueled vehicles and weapons.

  In the end, it was The Way’s mastery of Vape that decided the outcome of the war, not their mastery of the people they purported to represent spiritually in this life and the next.

  Alexis flinched as he felt his fingernails dig into his palms, the fire and anger still so fresh.

  “Your highness?” a voice spoke softly behind him. “I apologize for interrupting.”

  Alexis turned and beheld the diminutive figure of Gatekeeper Clegg and smiled. He shoved all thoughts of aggression away and looked on a man who had known him almost all his life.

  “Clegg,” Alexis greeted the holy man of The Way. “What a treat. I wasn’t expecting you to be here on the surface.”

  Clegg, a man twenty years Alexis’s elder, smiled softly and nodded to the young minor and heir. He drew back the dark grey hood of the obligatory robe all gatekeepers of The Way wore and stood tall, which still put him a good foot shorter than Alexis’s nearly seven foot height.

  “Greetings, your highness,” Clegg said. “It has been a long time since I have set foot down on The Way Prime. I must admit I enjoy the station life much more. The gravity on the planet can feel so oppressive.”

  “Yet it builds one’s strength, don’t you think?” Alexis grinned, puffing out his chest. “Once I return to the artificial gravity of the station I’ll feel like a god. My muscles won’t know what to do with the slightly lesser weight of space.”

  “Yes,” Clegg nodded. “I see your point. Although it borders on blasphemy.”

  The gatekeeper looked into Alexis’s eyes for a long few seconds, making the minor a tad uncomfortable. It was not polite to stare at an heir to a station’s mastership. Nor was it prudent to stare at a Teirmont, many of which had been known throughout history for their volatile tempers.

  “You have something on your mind, Clegg.” Alexis frowned. “Unburden yourself, old friend. You know we can always speak as equals when alone. You helped raise me almost as much as Father did.”

  “Yes, your father was a great parent as well as master of station,” Clegg replied. “He will be forever loved.”

  “I think you exaggerate about his role as master of station,” Alexis laughed. “While it is true he has been a loyal and loving parent, his leadership as Master of Station Aelon has left a lot to be desired.” Alexis spread his arms. “Otherwise I would not be down here signing the Treaty of the Primes. But, again to my father’s credit, he does know how to delegate. It has given some too much power on Station Aelon, but it has also allowed me to learn the duties of master well before I am forced into the role.”

  Gatekeeper Clegg did not respond, but only frowned deeper. He swallowed hard, looked about the sparse quarters The Way had assigned to Minor Alexis, found the water pitcher, and quickly hurried over to pour a glass. Alexis watched him with amusement, well used to the gatekeeper’s penchant for melodrama. The older man gulped at the water as if he hadn’t had a drop in ages and Alexis had to cover a condescending grin with his hand.

  “Speak your mind, Clegg,” Alexis said. “Unless it is to tell me that the High Guardian has negated the truce and Aelon is at war once again. But who will we fight this time? Not The Way, since your burdened handed us our helmets. Station Thraen? Haven�
�t they played us against each other enough? Talks have been solid regarding our lease holdings on their prime, so I do not think it is them. What, gatekeeper? What is the trouble?”

  “Your highness,” Clegg began then stopped as he poured another glass.

  Alexis strode to the holy man and gripped him gently by the wrist.

  “Out with it, Clegg, now,” Alexis said. “I think you have primed the pump enough. And Helios knows that once primed, that pump needs no more encouragement.”

  “True indeed,” Clegg smiled weakly. “I have been known to prattle on once I get going.”

  “Then prattle,” Alexis prodded. “Spill what it is you must say.”

  The gatekeeper motioned for Alexis to sit on one of the few luxuries in the quarters, a high-backed chair, fully upholstered in breen fabric and stuffed with spun breen fiber. It was not adorned with patterns such as the furnishings on Aelon Station, but it did allow Alexis the illusion of the small comforts of home.

  Once seated, Gatekeeper Clegg continued to stall, his eyes roaming the quarters, taking in the plain grey metal walls, the skylight above, the less than simple furnishings. He looked at the dark grey metal chest of clothing the minor had brought down to the planet. It held trousers and thick tunics, undershirts, and socks, several pairs of heavy breen gloves and an assortment of caps. To the side were the minor’s weapons—a long blade, two short blades, and a handheld sling with packets of sharp flechettes stacked next to it.

  Alexis sighed loudly and sat back in his chair, crossing his long, muscular legs that gave him the nickname the entire Station Aelon knew him by—Longshanks. Alexis was not a fan of the name.

  “Clegg,” Alexis barked, his patience gone. “I said out with it and I mean out with it.”

  The gatekeeper turned his attention back to the young royal and sighed.

  “Your father has died, your highness,” Clegg said quickly. “You are being recalled for your coronation as the new Master of Station Aelon. The master is dead, long live the master.”

  Clegg took a knee and lowered his head, showing the shaved X on top of his scalp. Alexis’s eyes focused on the shorn pattern of the X as a million thoughts ran through his head.

  “That’s why you addressed me as ‘your highness,’” Alexis said finally. “I caught the mistake, but didn’t say anything as I know you get your titles mixed up at times. I was just happy you hadn’t said it in front of Father, as you know how he gets so angry at the misuse of titles.”

  Gatekeeper Clegg looked up and furrowed his brow.

  “I am sorry for your loss, your highness,” Clegg said. “It must come as a shocking blow.”

  “It does and it doesn’t,” Alexis said. “How did he pass? No, let me guess. He was crushed by a beam as he insisted on helping one of his construction crews rebuild yet another deck.”

  “He passed in his sleep, your highness,” Clegg replied. “A peaceful way was his end.”

  “Ha,” Alexis laughed. “I know that must have sent his ghost into such a rage!”

  Clegg tried to smile, but couldn’t, his mind not understanding the young minor’s, and suddenly master’s, reaction. Alexis saw the look on the gatekeeper’s face and dropped the smile, his hand reaching out and patting the holy man on the shoulder.

  “Forgive me, Clegg,” Alexis says. “Helios must think I am a monster to react such a way to the news of my father’s passing.”

  “Helios does not judge those that are pure of heart,” Clegg responded. “Judgment is for the wicked and evil of intention.”

  “I thank you for that reminder,” Alexis said. “And as explanation, I knew Father wasn’t going to be long for this system. His servants have been keeping me informed of his failing health for many months now.”

  “They have sent you word? Even down here on the planet?” Clegg asked, surprised by the information. “What else have they told you, your highness?”

  “Nothing of station importance,” Alexis replied. “Those secrets of station are not for my ears. Although, I guess they are now.” Alexis waved his hand. “But never mind about the servants. They only told me of my family’s health, especially my father’s and Eliza’s. I shall be adding another heir to the Teirmont line soon. Or, Eliza shall be, since I have already done my part.”

  “Yes, your highness, congratulations,” Clegg said and stood. He glanced back at the chest of clothes and stack of weapons. “Will you need assistance with packing?”

  “Assistance?” Alexis said. “Not yet, no. Once the Treaty of Primes is signed and business is concluded then I’ll be ready to depart. Thank you for being the one to tell me, Clegg. I do appreciate that.”

  Alexis stood and clasped the gatekeeper on the shoulders then brought him in for a strong embrace, pressing the older man’s cheek into his chest. He slapped the man’s back twice then pushed him away, nodding at him in gratitude.

  The gatekeeper frowned deeply and his brow furrowed even more until it looked as if the holy man’s face would split in two.

  “I am sorry, your highness, but you do not understand,” Clegg said. “You are to return to Station Aelon today while the planetary rotation is in synch. To delay would mean a full rotation before you could leave the planet. I can assist you with the packing, but we must depart the Way Prime within the hour.”

  Alexis took a step back and watched the old gatekeeper. The minor’s generally easy, affable nature was quickly replaced by a look that those close to the Teirmonts knew all too well.

  “I have to sign the treaty first, Clegg,” Alexis said. “Otherwise so many hundreds of loyal Aelons will have died for nothing. This treaty establishes the first hard and fast rules of trade between the stations, their primes, as well as the planetary regulating nature of The Way beyond spiritual guidance and shuttle launches.”

  “But, your highness, your father has died,” Clegg said. “Surely that is of greater importance than—”

  “If I am to be the new Master of Station Aelon then I cannot let my personal grief overpower my duty,” Alexis said. “I will mourn my father, and prepare for my coronation, as soon as the treaty is signed and I know the future of all Aelish people is secured.”

  A twitch at the corner of Clegg’s left eye caught Alexis’s attention, but he said nothing.

  “Your highness, I must protest—” Clegg began.

  “Protest away, gatekeeper,” Alexis interrupted. “But it will not change my mind. I sign the treaty with the other delegates and then I return to Station Aelon. I know it means another week here on the planet, but that will give me time to return to Aelon Prime and see the homeland before I return to the station and my blood duty. Once I am master, Helios knows when I can return to the planet and Aelon Prime again. The delay before rotational synch couldn’t be more perfect.”

  “Yes...of course, your highness,” Clegg replied, bowing slightly as he backed towards the door. “As you see fit.”

  “Oh, knock it off, Clegg,” Alexis grimaced. “No need to kowtow to me. You’ve seen me standing in a station passageway with my trousers soiled with my own urine after my uncle nearly shot me with a sling. You were even the one to clean me up. And not just on that occasion.”

  The gatekeeper winced as if the memory caused him physical pain.

  “But those days have passed, your highness,” Clegg responded. “Whatever history we have shared is no more. You will be crowned Master of Station Aelon and Gatekeeper Lewis will be the new representative from The Way.” He sighed and reached back, grasping the metal handle of the door. His fingers curled tightly around the pocked and pitted surface of the metal loop. “I will inform the delegation that there will be no delay despite the unfortunate circumstances. The signing will remain on schedule as planned.”

  “Yes, it will,” Alexis nodded. “I will be there at seventeen-hundred with everyone else and will conduct business just like everyone else. Please inform Gatekeeper Lewis of my intentions and to spread the word that I expect the treaty to be signed before any cer
emonies of condolence commence. Can you do that for me, Clegg?”

  “Gladly,” Clegg replied as he pulled the door open and stepped into the passageway. “Until then, your highness.”

  The holy man bowed once more and backed from the quarters, shutting the door in his wake.

  Alexis waited for several minutes before turning his eyes back to the skylight and the sky beyond. He watched the clearness and shook his head back and forth, stunned by its beauty. He knew once he left The Way Prime to travel to Aelon Prime for a last look at the ancestral lands, he would see only Vape clouds and murky oceans. He knew he had to enjoy the wonder above him while he had the chance. His whole world had changed in the blink of an eye.

  As if in answer to that thought, he suddenly had to struggle to blink back tears that filled his eyes. The large, heavy drops could not be stopped and they rolled down his ruddy cheeks to his chin where they hesitated, then fell so many feet to the hammered metal floor of his quarters.

  * * *

  “You’re standing on the hem of my dress,” the girl snapped, her brown eyes glaring daggers up at Alexis. “Move it.”

  “Sorry about that,” Alexis laughed, taking an exaggerated jump to the side. “Being as tall as I am, I sometimes forget to look down at where I’m walking.”

  “Being as old as you are, you’d think you’d have learned by now,” the girl responded.

  “Ha!” Alexis laughed again and knelt by the girl. “I’m only twenty-three, you know. Still young.”

  “I’m eight,” the girl smirked. “And you are going to die way before me, so that makes you old.”

  “Meredith!” a woman screeched as she wove and diplomatically shoved her way through the throng of envoys, representatives, royalty, and nobility representing the six stations of Helios and their planetary primes. “There you are! I have warned you about letting go of my hand while on the planet!”