©2025 SammyC

Reason overcame impossible emotions and Alvin finally surrendered to the reality of our situation. It took a few more lingering kisses and incremental logical arguments on my part before Alvin agreed that there could never be a romantic future for us. In the morning, my little entourage and I would begin our journey back to The Eastern Kingdom, where I would resume my original identity as Prince Rani, the sole male heir to the crown.

Malcolm begged to return with us and, over the objections of Merlyn and Amos, I granted his wish. Perhaps when he discovers my true gender he will want to turn around on his Hobnob and ride away. But, if he chooses to stay, I know he could become a stalwart in the Royal Guard.

Early the next morning, Luna was shepherding us into the elevator to ascend to the dome where our animals were awaiting us, loaded up with our possessions and enough food to last the three days' travel back home, when her communication device emitted a buzzing sound.

“Rani, Alvin wishes to speak to you.” Luna handed the device to me and I saw Alvin’s smiling face across its flat surface.

“Rani, I don’t want that argument last night to be our last memory of each other—”

“Why? You’ll always be welcome in our Kingdom. My parents would love to meet you—”

“That’s not possible, Rani. My mother has an airtight policy about keeping the existence of The City a mythical legend to the people of both kingdoms. Chances are, if you go away now, we’ll never see each other again. Can you stay at least until after Lydia’s trial this morning? I’m sure my mother would like to say farewell to you as well—”

“Of course, I’ll say goodbye to your mother,” I replied.

“And aren’t you the least bit curious about how Lydia’s trial turns out? After all she put you through?”

“Frankly, Alvin, I’d just as soon forget about everything that’s happened in the last week—”

“Even meeting me?” asked Alvin shyly.

“You’ve been a wonderful friend, Alvin. I’ll never forget you. Never.”

“Come to the courthouse. All of you. The trial will be over quickly. She has no defense for what she did at all. Afterwards, I’d like to give you a farewell gift. Just don’t tell my mother about it.”

We were seated in the front row of the gallery in a packed courtroom. There were at least 50 people in a room meant to hold a maximum of two dozen, including the rarely used jury box that held six seats. Lydia’s trial had attracted the elite of The City. Officials from several departments filled the front rows in front and behind us. Doctor Princeton tapped me on the shoulder and winked at me.

Presently, the doors to the courtroom swung open and Lydia was led in, a marshal securely gripping each arm. She was placed in the docket, facing Georgia, who sat behind a tall desk, pounding her gavel onto its wooden block.

“Order, order in the courtroom!” The din of voices died down abruptly. “Court is in session to try the case of The City versus Miranda, AKA Lydia of the Western Kingdom. Will the Prosecutor General please read the charges against the defendant?”

The Prosecutor General, a young man named Randolph, read aloud the list on his device. “The defendant, Miranda, AKA Lydia, is charged with 1 count of violating their permanent banishment from The City, as ordered 16 years and 3 months from the date of this trial, 6 counts of unlawful imprisonment with intent to commit murder, and 1 count of premeditated, attempted murder.”

Georgia turned to Lydia. “How does the defendant plead to these charges?”

“Dispense with this circus of a trial. I admit to being guilty of each and every one of those charges and many more you aren’t even aware of. Yes, I plead guilty!”

“Then the court will now consider sentencing—”

“If your Honor will allow me. May I cut to the chase and make my statement now?”

“You pled guilty, waiving a defense. What would be the purpose of making a statement at this point?”

“I’m sure everyone here in the room would like to know why I’ve done all these criminal acts, as you call them. And I would like to tell you, especially you, dear sister—”

“Keep your speech to a minimum. I will grant you an opportunity to appease your guilt. Please proceed,” Georgia indicated, a stern expression on her face.

Lydia, as we knew her, not her actual given name of Miranda, straightened up in the docket to her full height, her chest thrust forward with undeniable pride.

“You are all beneath my contempt. This is a planet of lost souls where a privileged elite have devolved into monsters of unbridled lust for cruel self-aggrandizement. My sister is a prime example. As are the so-called royal personages of both kingdoms. Even the leaders of outlander tribes fall into this death spiral of autocracy.

“There was a moment in time when The City was in crisis. Our mastery of the alien technology we had lucked upon had stalled. We had reached the limit of our resources. With the knowledge that we could not sustain any growth in population, we decided, in our wisdom, to limit births to once in a generation for the entire community. A lottery was supposed to impartially select the designated parents of the golden child.

“My older sister, Georgia, used her position as newly elected Mayor to game the lottery—”

A wave of muttered denials swept across the gallery. A few voices were loud enough to be distinct, shouting “You lie! Liar!”

“Ask Doctor Princeton. He was the one who confirmed that my sister was barren, incapable of bearing a child. Yet, my sister prevailed upon him to keep that a secret. Perhaps it’s only a coincidence that Georgia named him Head Scientist shortly thereafter.

“My dear sister came to me and proposed that I bear the golden child for her through in-vitro fertilization using her husband’s sperm. I agreed to do it for various reasons, not least of which was that I loved my sister. It was a well-kept secret. I was secreted away for the duration of my pregnancy in the medical center under the ruse that I had contracted some sort of highly contagious virus. After I gave birth to the child my sister named Alvin—”

Alvin shot up from his seat and shouted, “No! That’s not true! It can’t be! Mother! Please tell me it’s not true!”

Georgia brought her gavel down and told Alvin to sit back down. “Let her weave her fabric of lies and self-deceptions. She is insane.”

“Insane, you say, dear sister? Ask Doctor Princeton. There are a select few who know the truth. After I gave birth, I was shocked and saddened to realize my sister had decided to erase me from her life. She took my baby away from me and concocted a story about how I had threatened to abduct Alvin and foment an insurrection against the government of The City.

“You hopeless automatons believed every word of her screed against me and applauded when she banished me from The City. She left me out there to die. All so she could enjoy unfettered dominion over all of you. A Mayor’s term is four years. She has now been in office for twenty years with every indication that she’ll only relinquish power when she’s rotting in her grave.”

“Are you finished? Marshals, please escort the prisoner to the holding cell to await her sentencing—”

As the marshals came forward to lead Lydia away, half a dozen men and women rose from the gallery and pointed blasters at the marshals and court officials, including Georgia. The blasters they held in their hands looked remarkably similar to communication devices. One of the men shot a streak of intense red light just a few centimeters above Georgia’s head. At the same time, one of the women tossed a blaster to Lydia, who turned around and aimed it directly between Georgia’s eyes.

“Don’t worry, Georgia, I’m not going to kill you. Others will do that. You’ll see.” She turned to the gallery. “No one is going to burst through those doors to rescue you. I have partisans all through The City, in every department. They took over control the moment this trial started…as I planned. Yes, this was all planned out. For almost 15 years, since I arrived in The Western Kingdom after more than a year wandering in the wilderness, thanks to the kindness of some tribes you would call savages, I have carefully put the pieces of this plan into place, using the continued loyalty of a few members of The City.

“You gave me nothing, not even a Hobnob, when you pushed me out the door. But someone surreptitiously handed me a communicator. With that I was able to cultivate the resistance that will soon end your reign as despot.”

“Due to my ingenious plot, both kingdoms have sent armies to avenge the crimes they believe you have committed against them. You, dear sister. They will want your head. For the abduction and attempted murder of Prince Kelvin. For the abduction and putative murder of Princess Rani. It was never a good idea to foster the illusion that we were a nation of cannibals. Simple minds will believe that just as they believed there was a Dagger of Heaven hurtling toward the planet, sent by the Gods to eradicate us.”

She looked over at Merlyn, a devilish sneer on her lips. Merlyn covered her face and groaned in agony.

“When those armies converge on The City at sundown tonight, I will emerge from the dome, holding Georgia as my prisoner. I will also present Princess Rani and the recovering Prince Kelvin to the combined multitudes. They will acknowledge me as a hero, saving the lives of their precious progeny. I can only imagine the horrible things they will do to you, dear, dear sister.”

“They won’t believe you. We’ll tell them all about your evil duplicity,” I cried.

“Will you? I doubt that. Not after I’ve had all your memories of the last few days erased.”

At that moment, two more men with blasters entered the room. They approached us in the front row of the gallery and aimed their weapons at us.

“Please follow these gentlemen to Doctor Princeton’s laboratories. Some of my friends are there to administer a refreshing whitewash of your memories. Don’t keep them waiting.”

Twenty minutes later, eight of us – Amos, Merlyn, Malcolm, Luna, Eric, Daisy, Edward, and I – were strapped into chairs. Nets of blinking lights were placed on our heads. Merlyn and Daisy were quietly sobbing while Malcolm and Amos remained stoic and silent. I told Eric and Luna that they wouldn’t feel a thing. They would just regain consciousness with a void where their recent memories should still reside.

Our conversation was cut short by the sound of clicking switches and dials being turned. Gradually, a fog descended upon my consciousness as if I were falling asleep. My eyelids became heavy and a sensation of floating in air came over me.

As if someone snapped their fingers, my eyes opened and a strange scene appeared before me. I was sitting in a cushioned chair. Looking down at myself, I was dressed in the royal garments of The Eastern Kingdom. I was every bit the image of a princess.

I looked around me. I was in a large room that reminded me of the pictures of 22nd century homes Merlyn had shown me. I still remember the names of the things she pointed out: the fireplace, the plush sofa with matching end tables, a burgundy rug that covered the center of the room, drapes that framed windows looking out into a star field that seemed to recede to a vanishing point, and walls lined with bookcases filled with actual printed books. I recognized the name Shakespeare on the spines of a group of the books.

The door to the room opened and a tall man with gray hair and a well-groomed beard walked in. He seemed to me to be at least 70 years old but in good health. He was wearing what Merlyn told me was a three-piece suit. On his feet were thin boots made of white canvas. The soles of his boots made a skidding sound before he stepped onto where the rug started.

“Hello, Rani. Welcome to my home. Can I get you something to drink?”

“Who are you? Where am I? And how do you know my name?”

“All interesting questions. First of all, I will tell you who I am.”

Suddenly, a glass of water materialized in my hand.

“It’s distilled water. Try it. It’ll wet your whistle.”

I sipped cautiously at first. When I tasted the water’s refreshing, slightly metallic tang, I realized how thirsty I was and gulped down the rest.

“I am Percival Randall, the man who sent your ancestors to the stars.”

But that was more than 500 years ago. My lips moved but it took me two tries to ask what seemed an important question.

“Am…am I dead?”