It certainly was not what Morgan expected when they boarded the freighter. Looking at the lumbering giant from outside was impressive and it looked very spacious but when they got inside the ship, it turned out to be very cramped, little spaces and no where to rest and wait out the trip. When Morgan mentioned that, Jennifer laughed, “Its not made to hold any crew. Its robotic, Kuat shipyards designed this as a cost saving measure. NO crew means no crew comforts are needed. They didn’t figure in stowaways when they designed this. Why do you think I forced all of the rations of food in the tiny pod when we transferred to this? “

He shuddered at the memory of the extremely tight fit of traveling from their craft to freighter with the huge case of food, tons of water and even a portable toilet. He didn’t know why at the time but he found out. There was nothing on this ship except for the big computer, Ion fuel for the engines, and an enormous compartment for the cargo. Which they weren’t allowed in. Morgan explained if they touched the cargo, it would alert the navy and send out a signal for warships to show up because of a pirate attack. They had to stay in a stuffed maintenance compartment till they docked at the home world a week later. So there was nothing to do but wait.

After several hours of traveling, Jennifer had enough, she asked, “What horrible things?”

Morgan was about asleep when he was woke by Jennifer’s soothing voice. He blinked having no idea what she was talking about. “What things, I do not understand what the topic is.”

“You said in Germania, there were rumors and whispers of horrible things that had happened during a big war,“ Jennifer stated. “What horrible things? “

“Oh Jennifer darling. I would have preferred to avoid this all together. “

“I am sorry but if I must go back, I think it would serve me to know all that I can. Please explain everything.”

He sighed, “You are probably right. These events are eighty years in our past. A crazy man ascended to power over a defeated Germany in 1934 in our years. He gathered up all power and became the supreme voice in Germany. He declared the beginning of the Third Reich, He called it the thousand year Reich. They went to war in Europe and had many victories over the weaker states. Then they started conquering the bigger states like France and Poland. Then they went to war against the British Empire and the Soviet Union. He hated a people called the Jews. I am Jewish and one of his claims to powers were having all of the answers to the Jewish Question. Officially, the word is that the Jews were deported to the conquered lands in Poland. That started happening in 1942 after a conference among the high officials in Germany. That story came out in 1945 after the British Empire surrendered to Germany and he started building the world capital and renamed Europe, Germania. But, there are whispers that they were not relocated. That the official story is a lie and instead of relocation to the east, the Jews were rounded up, shipped to extermination camps in the east and millions were killed. The rumors were it was a extermination program intended to wipe out all of the Jews. Men, Women and even children. No one Jewish was spared. That story cannot be verified and no one questions the official story. People that do ask questions disappear into the clutches of the SS. Even in the United Papal States, congress passed a law forbidding anything published questioning the official Jewish relocation program of 1942. Those that do are arrested and tried as criminals or extradited to Germania. There are whispers that the extermination program is still going on in the east parts of conquered soviet Russia. “

She listened carefully and looked very disturbed. “It seems like madmen and madwomen control the everywhere. There are stories here too about a people called the Orions. They’re a strange mystical sect of religious fanatics. They seem largely peaceful but for some reason our empress had declared a war against them. They’re rounded up and the story is they’re relocated to parts in the galactic rim. But there are rumors that they were exterminated. With the fact that our military has increased 3000 percent since the empress took power and horrible weapons like the Doomgiver were built, I would say that the rumors are probably correct. “

He was asking the questions now, “What are the orions?”

“Their part of a age old religion. People like them once controlled the republic. They made up a council that advised the Senate and kept peace in the galaxy. They made generals of the army and were largely peacekeepers and advisers. Our empress was part of their order until she turned against them. Once she had power, she purged the Orions from power. Killed them all very quickly. Her official story was they attempted to overthrow the government. Its probably true but not for the reasons she stated. She said they wanted all the power to themselves but they probably tried to force her out because they realized she was becoming a dangerous tyrant. But they moved way too late and she was way too powerful for them to deal with anyway. That story retold by the empress about her victory over the senate and the attempted assassination plot when she was entering a theater ran by one of her rivals and a many senators were also involved in the plot. That happened in what your calendar would be March. The empress’s response was to declare all orions to be enemies of the republic and she dissolved the entire senate. That was that, all liberty died after that. The are a few left Orions left and they have restructured themselves and organized a resistance to the Empresses regime. That gave her an excuse for an even tighter grip and a declaration of Galactic Marshal Law. It has been estimated that she has killed trillions of people by now. It has been a holocaust on a truly galactic scale.“

Morgan was told that the freighter ships were slow, no were hyperdrives installed on the lumbering freighter to keep costs down. They traveled as a fast subhyper speed. Instead of hours, it would take a week to get to the home planet. They made do how ever. They passed the time by talking to eachother, they taught eachother a few games they played in their cultures. It got interesting when Jennifer explained about her situation and it took a while for Morgan to understand. But he took it in stride. Jennifer still haven’t gotten comfortable with her female body and many things were completely new including new hygiene requirements. It was a lot easer as a guy to keep herself clean. This body gave her a new outlook on what a woman has to endure to stay healthy. Her chest was the worst. Her breasts were made so big, they hurt her back if she stood to long. They must weight ten lbs. They kept pulling her down. Morgan kept looking at her chest. She now finely understood why women get so annoyed as men talking to their chests. She never understood before but she did now. She thought ashamed, she was guilty of that when she was Jason. She promised himself if she got the chance to be a guy again that she would never talk to a woman’s chest again.

Morgan went exploring the ship they were in. Jennifer knew what was around but this was the second starship Morgan had been in, and this one was a lot bigger than the tiny spycraft they were in before. But Morgan was astounded that the ship could be so huge yet have so little space to move around. He went to the cargo hold and not surprisingly, there were huge staked metal crates stacked high. They were all on some metal pallets and somehow secured down on the metal floor.

Jennifer made sure that Morgan didn’t disturb the cargo. They went toward the back and he studied the enormous engines and the massive fuel pods feeding the engines. He studied the hot pipes. Jennifer told him he had to be careful not to touch them and being there he could feel the power roaring though the room. Even though the detonation was outside the craft propelling them forward close to three times the speed of light, the volatile fuel made the entire room vibrate. Morgan was taken down into the bowls of the ship to see the generator. That wasn’t much to see, it was a massive cold metal ball with pips feeding out. Jennifer said, “That is what feeds every ship its power. Hypermater only exists in hyperspace but when its taken into this dimension, it provides nearly unlimited power. Of course, its extremely dangerous too and that’s why its contained in that ball. But if it were escape the controls, it would vaporize this ship before we knew there was a problem. This entire ship is a robotic being. “
Morgan thought that though and he asked, “You mean this entire ship is a robot? We are inside a robot?”

Jennifer nodded.

“Is this thing self aware?”

Jennifer shook her head, “No. They want to keep costs down. They didn’t program an over advanced program in this. It just obeys orders from its corporate command and the Imperial Navy. That’s all it can do. Its dumb, Luckily. Before We could board, I had to input a order to allow us to enter and pressurize the room we would be staying in or we would suffocate. It normally has no air. NO need, no crew. Then I ordered it to forget we were there and to erase all records of us and our ever being here. It will do that right before it docks. We don’t want it to forget too soon and depressurize with us here. Or we would die. “

Morgan looked more afraid at that. Jennifer said hotly, “Would you have preferred we find a imperial battle cruiser to board that’s fully crewed with commanders, officers, enlisted men and women and possibly several hundred troopers to maintain control. “

Morgan saw the point and they went back to their tiny room and slept.

“Morgan, wake up. We are docking. Wake up,” Jennifer leaned over and shook the old man awake.

Morgan looked up, his mind still foggy from sleep. He saw Jennifer leaning over him shaking him awake. Her long golden blonde hair and her chest shaking as she shook him. It was beautiful and he rose and said gruffly, still sleepy, “I am awake. “

He was shocked more awake by a loud bang. The ship shuttered as if something was clamping onto the ship. He heard more clanks and bangs.

“A docking tube is being attached. Soldiers will enter very soon and search though the ships, for stowaways. Like us. Be very quite and lets go under. I know a perfect place to hide but it will only work if they aren’t very thorough. If they are, we will be locked into an imperial prison. Don’t say a word and be praying that this works. “

They ran down until they were next to the generator. Then, they opened up a section of metal plates covering the floor and ducked inside. Then laid flat and put the metal plate back in place. They stayed still on the bare metal garters holding the ship together.

Then they started hearing shouts and heavy thumps. They were the unmistakable footsteps of soldiers. The two stayed as still as possible as they listened to the heavy stood steps of the soldiers marching thought the ship searching. They rushed though, opened every door and looked though every room. Three soldiers finely made it to them and they watched and listened as they marched in, looking around for people that shouldn’t be there. The fearsome black armored soldiers holding mean looking blaster rifles walked right over them and spoke though some distortion voice box installed on their armored helmets. They didn’t find anything and one, he assumed was a officer, “The ship looks clear. Lets move out and tell the crew to begin unloading. “

Jennifer and Morgan took a deep breath of relief as the soldiers headed out. They slid the floor tile off and stepped out after the soldiers left.

“Now that they are done with their mandatory inspection, It should be easy enough to pass as part of the unloading crew. After we have unloaded a pallet, it should be easy enough then to get a rid down to the surface. Perhaps we can pass as tourists. Want to look at the Pyramidal Palace or the Republic Senate Building or the Capital. Any of those should be very interesting but lets get out of here first.

Getting out was easer than Morgan thought. They simply walked out. There wasn’t anyone watching the ship when they exited the docking tube. Jennifer gave them both fake identification cards and they made it easily to a transport and it took them down to the surface. They passed customs and then they were free to move about anywhere they wished.

The view was awesome. There were the most amazing structures Morgan had ever seen. The buildings rose miles high above the surface. The enormous palace was visible for miles. It was a enormous solid black pyramid that rose miles into the sky. There was a massive light that shown at the very tip sending a brilliant column of light straight up into the sky. Jennifer said, “Her personal palace is impressive. Her palace five kilometers in height and around twenty square kilometers in area on the ground. Her personal palace is the biggest structure in the entire galaxy. “

“Dear Hashem!” he said gasping. It was clearly enormous.

He was able to relax and look around once they were on the ground and pass customs. He still felt the oppressive weight of control of the clearly present military troops keeping a watchful eye on everyone. They were passing a massive concrete statue of the Empress. People were walking around it. He gazed up at the frightening looking woman. Even in a statue, Morgan thought, the woman still radiated pure malevolence and evil.

Jennifer said, “Lets take a tour bus to the Imperial Palace.” The two stood near the bus stop after she bought a ticket. A black suited formal looking woman took their ticket and they sat down. The woman wore the official black uniform of a Imperial Intelligence Officer. Her party purple party emblem made no mistake that this woman was a member of the ruling party. She was one of the empress’s followers. She gazed coldly at them all and started her standard speech. “In the name of the Empress, I greet you all to the Home world of the Galaxy. My name is Lieutenant Cleopatra. “

As the bus drove down the street, she told the passengers about various sites. The bus stopped in front of the utterly massive main front door. They all exited and she stepped out.

“The empresses begun contraction of the grand Imperial Palace thirty years ago, shortly after proclaiming the Empire. It took two years to construct. It stands six kilometers above the surface and its base covers twenty square miles of land. It’s contracted using quantum steel and its outer surface is made of transparent steel. It’s toped with a brilliant hydrogen bulb. Its atomic hydrogen fusion reaction won’t ever fade out. It will brighten the clouds for eternity. “

The woman lead them thought the front door into the main lobby of the palace. She head a voice thought speakers and a halo projector of the empresses upper torso, “I greet you citizens to my palace. It is my sincere wish that you enjoy your tour. The imperial museum if on your right and you can perches souvenirs in my shop. “

Morgan went to the museum. He saw a disk, “the empress dissolves the senate. “ It started playing. He saw a holo film. It looked like some congressional building. It was enormous. There must have been tens of thousands there. The empress stood at the top speaking down to them as if she was in complete control. Her voice boomed above them all. “do to the continuing insurrection among the orions, and the attempted assassination and injuries done to me by rouge senators, This counsel is dissolved. Any senator found to be complicit in the insurrection will be arrested and imprisoned without trial. The orions will be hunted down and terminated. TO insure innocent citizens safety in this dark time of insurrection and civil war, I am forced to declare a state of marshal law over the entire galaxy! The republic will be reorganized into an Empire. The Empire for the people of the Galaxy!”

He saw the senators gasp as troops flooded the building and take dozens away. Jennifer came behind her, “That was a dark time. Lets go, we need to find the general. She is a leader of the Praetorian Guards. “

She lead Morgan out and they went thought massive decorated corroders, the hall was arched twenty feet high. They turned and went though a smaller hallway. They approached a locked passageway. She punched a code and it opened. She entered and Morgan followed.

They were running down the empty halls until they heard a loud shout, “Halt, stop where are you are now! Show your hands, both of you!”

They both turned. It was a very familiar voice, Jennifer thought. She turned and saw the woman pointing a blaster pistol right at both of them. She smiled, “Ankhesenamun! It is really you?”

She shouted harshly, “Show your hands, who are you and how do you know my name?”

Jennifer approached slowly, “It is me, Jason. Your aunt did this to me. It is really me, please you got to believe me,” She pleaded.

“How is that possible. Prove it to me?” she kept the gun aimed at Jennifer.

“We met four years ago, January 16, 4520 galactic cycle. We were set to be married march 15th. Please trust me, Ankhesenamun. I love you so much.”

Ankhesenamun lowered the gun and started smiling back. “Its really you. It is It is. Oh Jason I love you too. I hate my aunt for doing this. Now, I have something for you.”

“What, my love?”

Ankhesenamun approached Jennifer and then slapped her across the face hard. “You idiot. What are you doing here, are you a total moron?”

“Oww why did you do that, “ Jennifer asked.”

“I love you, that’s why. I heard what you did. Now you are a traitor to the empire. So where do you go, right into the empresses palace. Do you want arrested and executed?”

“No of course not but I had no choice.”

“Sure you did. We always have choices. Why did you come here you idiot?”

“I needed to see commander Janas I need her assistance for a mission.”

Ankhesenamun was amazed, “So a accused traitor goes right into the imperial palace to see a leading commander of the empresses Praetorian guards. You idiot. “

“She wont betray me. I know this woman. You must trust me.”

“I don’t because You are acting like a idiot. You are lucky I am here. As soon as you became a traitor, there were flags put in the system so if your code was entered, it would call the troops. I noticed it when you entered yours at the door. If I weren’t here, you would be in a cell now. You sit tight, I will get Janas for you. And then we need to talk, Jennifer. I am part of the resistance against the Empresses rule.”

Ankhesenamun gave Jennifer a long kiss and left.