chuckled.
Sian gave Chow Yin a look of panic. Chow Yin did not even
glance in his direction.
General Leong spoke in an authoritative voice. “Gentlemen,
we are embarking on a new chapter in the history of Sol System. Today marks the
first day in the rule of the First Empire of Sol. Please do as I instructed.”
With alacrity, the seventy-one remaining inmates rushed to
the crates and picked up an incendiary canister. As they filed out of the
docking area and back to the main compound, Chow Yin looked up at General Leong.
“Tell me she is safe.”
Nodding, the general said, “It wasn’t easy, Sire, but we’ve
secured her for you. You were correct; she was integral in developing the
weaponized Kinemet.”
“Good.”
After a moment’s hesitation, General Leong said, “I have
other news, Emperor. Klaus has been located. He has made himself a hidden base
on Venus. We believe he has made a breakthrough in the process—”
Chow Yin waved an impertinent hand at him. “That will be our
first destination, then. I trust we have enough resources to accomplish our
objective.”
“Yes, Sire. More than enough. General Zhang has given us his
full support, and he controls over a hundred-thousand troops. We also have four
colonels, six members of the state council, and several private sector CEOs who
have chafed under PRC rule. We have people in every level of government. As you
suspected, all seven nations we reached out to have informally offered support
and a willingness to sign fealty to an imperial charter—it seems the USA, Inc.
stranglehold on future technologies is a sore point with them; they’d like
nothing more than to see the giant fall.”
“Excellent,” Chow Yin said.
Once the last inmate to grab an incendiary left the bay, General
Leong signaled his men surrounding the eleven who had been held back. The soldiers
all raised their pulse rifles.
“Quickly now,” the general said to the eleven in a low
voice, “board the ship. Not a word.”
Confused, the men stared at him.
“Would you rather be shot?” the general asked. “Move it!”
The men, glancing at the soldiers nervously, did as they
were told, and hurried aboard the ship. Sian tried to catch Chow Yin’s eye, but
the self-styled Emperor was wheeling his chair to a control center at the main
bay doors of the prison.
As he tapped out a few commands, one of the prisoners, Sang,
was returning to the dock area from his task. The bay doors began to close.
“Hey!” he called out, and broke into a run. A soldier who
had been standing watch over his Emperor raised his pulse rifle, leveled it at
Sang, and fired. The electric whir of the rifle was followed by a meaty thud as
Sang’s dead body fell to the cement floor. A few other prisoners noticed the
closing doors and the body, and within a few moments, they stampeded for the
docking bay.
The soldier only had to fire two more shots to put down the
lead prisoners before the door closed, locking electromagnetically.
Shouldering the rifle strap, the soldier quickly raced
behind Chow Yin’s wheelchair, grasped the handles, and wheeled his Emperor onto
the ship, which immediately lifted off.
Once Chow Yin was on the bridge, General Leong issued a
command to one of the other officers. “Detonate the incendiaries.”
Chow Yin could not observe the dozens of small explosions
within the prison compound, but he knew the fire would quickly spread throughout
the station and gut the colony.
If there was one thing that serial killer Sang was right
about, there would be plenty of bodies for the Chinese investigators to find.
∞
Sitting in his wheelchair on the bridge of the ship six
weeks after breaking out of the penal station, Chow Yin forced himself to keep
his temper in check.
General Leong carefully watched the monitors at his station
and did not turn around to face his Emperor. If he knew how angry Chow Yin was,
he didn’t give any indication.
First, they’d arrived at Lucis Observatory
Sian gave Chow Yin a look of panic. Chow Yin did not even
glance in his direction.
General Leong spoke in an authoritative voice. “Gentlemen,
we are embarking on a new chapter in the history of Sol System. Today marks the
first day in the rule of the First Empire of Sol. Please do as I instructed.”
With alacrity, the seventy-one remaining inmates rushed to
the crates and picked up an incendiary canister. As they filed out of the
docking area and back to the main compound, Chow Yin looked up at General Leong.
“Tell me she is safe.”
Nodding, the general said, “It wasn’t easy, Sire, but we’ve
secured her for you. You were correct; she was integral in developing the
weaponized Kinemet.”
“Good.”
After a moment’s hesitation, General Leong said, “I have
other news, Emperor. Klaus has been located. He has made himself a hidden base
on Venus. We believe he has made a breakthrough in the process—”
Chow Yin waved an impertinent hand at him. “That will be our
first destination, then. I trust we have enough resources to accomplish our
objective.”
“Yes, Sire. More than enough. General Zhang has given us his
full support, and he controls over a hundred-thousand troops. We also have four
colonels, six members of the state council, and several private sector CEOs who
have chafed under PRC rule. We have people in every level of government. As you
suspected, all seven nations we reached out to have informally offered support
and a willingness to sign fealty to an imperial charter—it seems the USA, Inc.
stranglehold on future technologies is a sore point with them; they’d like
nothing more than to see the giant fall.”
“Excellent,” Chow Yin said.
Once the last inmate to grab an incendiary left the bay, General
Leong signaled his men surrounding the eleven who had been held back. The soldiers
all raised their pulse rifles.
“Quickly now,” the general said to the eleven in a low
voice, “board the ship. Not a word.”
Confused, the men stared at him.
“Would you rather be shot?” the general asked. “Move it!”
The men, glancing at the soldiers nervously, did as they
were told, and hurried aboard the ship. Sian tried to catch Chow Yin’s eye, but
the self-styled Emperor was wheeling his chair to a control center at the main
bay doors of the prison.
As he tapped out a few commands, one of the prisoners, Sang,
was returning to the dock area from his task. The bay doors began to close.
“Hey!” he called out, and broke into a run. A soldier who
had been standing watch over his Emperor raised his pulse rifle, leveled it at
Sang, and fired. The electric whir of the rifle was followed by a meaty thud as
Sang’s dead body fell to the cement floor. A few other prisoners noticed the
closing doors and the body, and within a few moments, they stampeded for the
docking bay.
The soldier only had to fire two more shots to put down the
lead prisoners before the door closed, locking electromagnetically.
Shouldering the rifle strap, the soldier quickly raced
behind Chow Yin’s wheelchair, grasped the handles, and wheeled his Emperor onto
the ship, which immediately lifted off.
Once Chow Yin was on the bridge, General Leong issued a
command to one of the other officers. “Detonate the incendiaries.”
Chow Yin could not observe the dozens of small explosions
within the prison compound, but he knew the fire would quickly spread throughout
the station and gut the colony.
If there was one thing that serial killer Sang was right
about, there would be plenty of bodies for the Chinese investigators to find.
∞
Sitting in his wheelchair on the bridge of the ship six
weeks after breaking out of the penal station, Chow Yin forced himself to keep
his temper in check.
General Leong carefully watched the monitors at his station
and did not turn around to face his Emperor. If he knew how angry Chow Yin was,
he didn’t give any indication.
First, they’d arrived at Lucis Observatory
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