America's Galactic Foreign Legion - Book 1: Feeling Lucky (15 page)

“
Perhaps I got the name
wrong,” said #14, conversationally. “I’ve been studying everything
American. You will be surprised to know that we now get American TV
here on Arthropoda. What does T. Roosevelt mean?”

“
The T. Roosevelt was named
after a United States president from hundreds of years ago,”
answered Lieutenant Norris, trying to remember his history. “The
one who said talk softly but carry a big stick. But the ship is so
old it has been converted to a simple troop transport and space
weapons platform.”

“
Oh? My mistake,” said #14,
as they walked along with their escort of security
police.

“
It’s not in the Tenth
Fleet, either,” Lieutenant Norris said, laughing.

“
Are you sure?” asked
#14.

“
Quite. The last time I
checked, the Tenth Fleet was floating off the coast of Libya
fighting the insurgency in Tripoli,” answered Lieutenant
Norris.

“
I’m sorry I seemed
unfriendly at first,” said #14. “I am interested in your culture. I
am fascinated by the images on your American TV. I just don’t want
your troops here. What is Star Wars #29?”

“
Star Wars #29 was the best
selling and most popular VR – virtual reality – game in the galaxy
a couple years ago,” said Lieutenant Norris. “You are interested in
human role-playing games?”

“
Yes, most certainly,” lied
#14. “And who is Darth Vader?”

“
Darth Vader is the evil
dude in the Star Wars game. He leads the Dark Side and the Evil
Empire,” added Lieutenant, giving #14 a closer look. “Kind of
reminds me of you with that black helmet and storm trooper gear you
wear. Only thing missing is the black cape. You own a black
cape?”

“
Real males do not wear
capes,” #14 snapped. “Have you ever had sex with goats?”

“
What? Now see here,” said
Lieutenant Norris. They stopped walking. “Am I being released or
not?”

“
Of course you are being
released.” said #14. “If I offended you, it is perhaps a problem
with the computer translation gear. What are
Volkswagens?”

“
A cheap car used for ground
transportation in crowded cities. Originally developed by a
old-European German company that coined the name. Mainly they’re
used as cabs,” explained Lieutenant Norris.

“
Nuclear submarines travel
under water, don’t they?” asked #14.

“
Of course,” said Lieutenant
Norris. “They can stay under a whole year if they have
to.”

“
I’ve heard enough,”
announced #14, turning to #85 of the security police escort. “Take
this human pestilence back to his cell. He is to stay there until I
say otherwise.”

* * * * *

When #14 reached Capital Square, he walked
past the Legion checkpoints and barricades, up the Imperial Palace
steps, and into the public reception area. I was sitting at a desk
blocking entry to the Emperor’s private residence. Lieutenant Lopez
and a squad of legionnaires lounged around the reception area,
too.

“
What are you doing here,
Czerinski?” asked #14. “I thought you were put on a shuttle going
up to the super dreadnaught T. Roosevelt.”

“
Leave got cancelled,” I
replied. I was not happy. “I guess that’s the price of being
popular. What are you doing here without Lieutenant Norris? He
should have been here hours ago.”

“
I’m personally taking care
of it,” answered #14. “His release was slowed down by red tape. You
know how it is with bureaucracy sometimes.”

“
Whatever. You better kick
someone in the ass, or I will,” I warned.

“
Don’t worry,” #14 assured.
“I intend to kick ass soon. But first things first. I need to see
the Emperor, in private.”

“
Sorry, not without an
appointment. And certainly not in private,” I added.

“
Since when does a high
ranking officer of the Intelligentsia & State Security need
permission from the human pestilence to see our own
Emperor?”

“
Since you lost the war,” I
answered. “So, don’t go away mad. Just go away.”

“
If I were you, I would be
more concerned about the crowds gathering just beyond your
barricades,” warned #14, “instead of meddling in affairs of state
that are beyond you.”

I looked out the window. A few noisy spiders
taunting the troops. Civilians. No big deal. “I’m just following
orders.”

“
I need the Emperor’s
signature authorizing the Legion to occupy our main planetary air
defense base. The base commander will not stand down unless he gets
written orders from the Emperor himself. This has all been worked
out with your General Kalipetsis. Every second I waste here talking
with you increases the risks of your precious T. Roosevelt being
accidentally blasted out of orbit. Not that I really mind the
prospect of that happening,” said #14, as he brushed by me with his
state security police escort and entered the private residence of
the Emperor. “It would look bad for you.” The door slammed behind
them.

“
Who put a claw up your ass,
you humorless piece of fish bait,” I yelled.

* * * * *

The Emperor’s head butler immediately
confronted #14. “The Emperor has not risen yet, and is still having
his morning tea in bed,” explained the butler when #14 asked for an
audience. “I’m afraid it is quite impossible to see the Emperor
this early in the morning. The Emperor has given standing orders
never to disturb him this early.”

“
Arrest this fool,” #14
ordered, as the hapless butler was carried away. The new head
butler immediately led #14 into the Emperor’s bedroom.

The Emperor, propped up with large pillows,
looked up from his tray of tea cups and accessories, and frowned.
“Just because the human pestilence has occupied our capital does
not mean that all civility has ended,” the Emperor admonished. “Who
do you think you are, barging in here at this hour?”

“
I’m the only officer on the
planet who still commands troops willing to take action,” answered
#14. “All the regular army wants to do is sit on their fat and lazy
asses in the barracks watching American TV and getting wild ideas
about democracy. Only the Intelligentsia & State Security and
some elements of the Air Wing & Space Service are willing to
oppose the human pestilence.”

“
What can we do?” asked the
Emperor. “The humans won the war. They have nukes in orbit. They
have ordered me to abdicate or face a war crimes trial. They have
created a legislature of greedy traitors that plans to elect that
Defense Attorney #2 as Prime Minister.”

“
We did not lose the war.
We
won
the war.
There is no Tenth Fleet. It was a bluff. The human pestilence have
nothing between here and Earth to stop us. We wrecked their only
fleets, and when our fleets are rebuilt, the human pestilence can
easily be crushed,” announced #14. “Get out your notepad. There are
orders that need to be sent out. First, consolidate what is left of
our fleets around Arthropoda and put them on full alert. Announce
there is no Tenth Fleet. Issue Imperial warrants of arrest for all
members of the General Staff, the Cabinet, and the new Legislature.
Dismiss the Director of the Intelligentsia & State Security and
replace him with me. Order the abolishment to the caste system.
Order that from this time on, all jobs, advancement, and social
status will be determined by merit, not caste. Order the army out
of its barracks. The army is to secure Capital Square and patrol
the streets of the capital. Any rioters or looters are to be shot
on sight. Martial law is declared, curfew established, and all
assembly by civilians of four or more is banned.”

“
I do not have to abdicate
after all?” asked the Emperor, as he cheerfully sent out the
electronic messages requested.

#14 watched the Emperor finish sending the
orders. When completed, #14 took a pillow and smothered the life of
the old spider. He turned to his trusted aide, #15. “It is done.
Place the rest of the house servants under arrest and take them
away. We still have a lot of work to do.”

#14 and his security police left. #15 stayed
behind, posting guards and locking doors to make sure the humans
didn’t discover the Emperor had been murdered. Then he paid Captain
Czerinski a visit.

* * * * *

“
Captain Czerinski, you are
such a young man to have been through so much. You have been such a
maker of history. But you do not appear to be any older than your
youngest private.”

“
So? Get out of here,” I
replied. “Shouldn’t you be following your master around with your
nose up his ass?”

“
Your file says you are 53
years old. But you appear to be no older than 18 or 19. How do you
explain that?” asked #15.

“
It’s top secret,” I
answered.

“
Letters from your parents I
read while you were in custody said something about a Fountain of
Youth chip. And, your lawyer confirmed to me that you have an
imbedded chip that reverses the aging process. Your lawyer is very
interested in acquiring that technology, and frankly I am also,”
said #15.

“
Whether you are the Emperor
or a grunt legionnaire, everyone dances with the Grim Reaper,” I
said. “You can’t cheat death.”

“
I was dismayed to find
after researching the matter that the technology was recently
declared illegal on Earth.”

“
It is illegal on most of
Earth,” I corrected. “But it’s still available if you are well
connected or from the Kingdom of California.”

“
How did you acquire the
technology?” asked #15.

“
I bought it,” I
answered.

“
Can you arrange for me to
buy a chip and get the procedure done, too?” asked #15. “I’m moving
up in the world and can pay you very well.”

“
Impossible. Maybe someday I
could get a hold of more chips if the truce holds and we’re not at
war. During peace time we might even establish free trade between
Earth and Arthropoda. But not now. And don’t you even think about
cutting off my arm. That won’t work,” I warned. I shivered at the
thought of losing my arm. I still was not used to my new metal
hand.

“
I see. Free trade? An
interesting concept, but not likely,” said #15. “I think we will be
at war again, soon.”

“
You know something I
don’t?” I asked.

“
Yes. My boss just found out
the Tenth Fleet is floating in the Mediterranean Sea, spying on
Libyans.”

“
We have weapon platforms
loaded with nukes in orbit around Arthropoda,” I
threatened.

“
It will not be enough,”
replied #15.

CHAPTER 16

At first it was just a few bored juveniles
throwing rocks. School had been dismissed and juveniles were
loitering everywhere. When there was no police or military
response, a few more store front windows were broken. Crowds
gathered. Several small fires drew even more crowds. A human
armored car drove by, but they did nothing. Looting began as the
crowd surged through the smashed doors and windows in the business
districts. A riot had started.

The neighborhoods of Arthropoda weren’t
happy. The power went out when electrical workers walked off the
job to protest the General Staff’s handling of the war. Prices went
up because everyone was hoarding supplies. Light brown spiders
didn’t like dark brown spiders. Green spiders of the merchant caste
seemed to have all the money and food, and they weren’t sharing.
The caste system, which kept everyone in their place, was
especially hated by the youth. Young spiders found it stifling to
require that a son be a factory worker merely because his father
was a factory worker. There was no hope for betterment based on
merit. And Arthropoda’s entrenched leadership would not even
discuss change.

The neighborhoods, already upset about losing
the war, now saw troops of the human pestilence speeding through
the capital. Humans at Capital Square were holding the Emperor
hostage. There were even rumors the Emperor and his Cabinet had
been eaten and babies were being snatched off the street to satisfy
the humans’ palates. Maybe the Emperor had caused this mess and
needed to be replaced. Maybe not. But humans should not be deciding
that matter under threat of nuclear bombardment from the Tenth
Fleet in space. And the humans certainly should not be deciding who
was to be the next Emperor.

The neighborhoods were taking action, albeit
destructive action. The first stores looted were the liquor stores.
Groceries and electronics stores were looted next. Gun shops seemed
immune to looting, perhaps because of all the dead looters on the
sidewalk outside those shops. Fires began to get larger. Many
crowds drifted towards Capital Square and the administrative heart
of Capital City #1 because that was where the hated humans were
holed up behind street barricades. The Imperial Palace lay at the
exact center of the capital, and all major roads led there. The
neighborhoods knew the humans were trying to set up a new
government, and that really pissed them off.

I looked out the palace window and could see
smoke rising from the distance. Colonel McGee had called on the
radio and ordered a reconnaissance patrol to see what was happening
in the neighborhoods. Also, legionnaires at the barricades were
drawing sniper fire from civilians. It was clear to me what was
happening. My world was turning to shit real fast. I told
Lieutenant Lopez to go take a look for McGee.