Re: The Trillian Empire
Trillian Star Date: 2400
The hover land craft came to a silent halt outside of Dr. Doug Hunter’s cabin. Dr. Hunter was surprised to see the sleek black craft arrive outside his home considering he had taken great steps to make sure very few knew he lived there. As far as he new, only his brother and sister knew where he was, and he hadn’t spoken to them since the hearings so many years ago. “Who could this be?” he asked himself, looking out the window.
Three large men in black suits and glasses, nearly identical in every respect, stepped out of the vehicle. One of the larger men ran around to the other side, opening the door for the Last occupant. When he saw who it was, Dr. Hunter’s stomach dropped. “Oh god,” he breathed in a whisper. Quickly, Dr. Hunter ran through his home, scattering various scientific papers, research proposals, and scraps of food into any available place that would take it out of sight.
The door chimed, announcing that his visitors were at the door. “Oh God,” Dr. Hunter whispered again, as he struggled to get a jacket on, running towards the door. He stopped momentarily to look at himself in the mirror, licking his hand to help push down some of his disorganized hair. What is SHE doing here, he thought to himself. The door chimed again, twice this time.
Dr. Hunter tried to stay his unsteady hand, closing his eyes as he opened the door. When he opened them, he let out a deflated gasp, “it is you!”
“Hello to you too. Dr. Hunter, I presume,” came the soft reply wrapped in a warm smile from Catharine Augustine Trillian, wife of Augustine Trillian, Empreror of the entire civilized world. Immediately Dr. Hunter fell to his knees, keeping his gaze to the floor.
He knew that he had made enemies in the government, but he never entertained the notion that he had upset anyone at the highest level. He wondered if it would be a quick death. “Are you Dr. Hunter,” asked the Empress again.
“Yea… I mean, er, um,” stammered Dr. Hunter. He looked up, eying the massive bodies of the three men in black.
“The Empress asked you a question mister, now speak-“growled one of the clones.
The Empress held a hand up to silence her minion. “It’s okay Robert, just give the good doctor a moment to compose himself.” She turned towards Dr. Hunter, gently raising him up to stand. She pretended to dust off his shoulders, picking at invisible lint. “There, now that’s better. Dr. Hunter, if I might impose, may we come in?”
Dr. Hunter wasn’t sure why she was asking, technically, he couldn’t say no. No one could. She and her husband were considered gods, and as far as he knew, no one said “no” to a god. “Of.. of course. Please, come in. I humbly beseech you to take from me whatever you desire,” Dr. Hunter stammered, standing aside, casting his gaze down once more as the Empress entered his home.
The three massive men, no doubt her bodyguards, followed her in, instantly looking over Dr. Hunter’s home for would be assailants or traps. The Empress sat on Dr. Hunter’s couch; a sly smile came across her face as she looked at the various knick-knacks that adorned the walls and shelves of his home. “Boys, please wait outside, I wish to speak to the good doctor alone.”
The three men hesitated for a moment, but the Empress only arched one eyebrow, letting them know she meant business. Dr. Hunter watched as they trouped out, each in turn giving him a look that told him he wasn’t long for the world if he tried anything funny. “Don’t mind them Dr. Hunter, they mean well, now come over here, I won’t bite” the Empress said coyly, patting the seat next to her on the couch.
Dr. Hunter obeyed, shuffling over next to the Empress. “Good,” she said as he sat down. The Empress continued, “Now, you are a difficult man to find Dr. Hunter, why is that?”
Dr. Hunter was still confused by the surreal circumstances he now found himself in. Him, talking to the Empress of Trillian, in his own home, and she wanting to know why he was difficult to find! Then it hit him, only his brother and sister knew where he was. “Empress, I must know, did anything… was anything done to my-“
The Empress cut him off, “No, Denise and Richard are both fine Dr. Hunter. Your family will not come to harm, just as you will not come to harm.” Dr. Hunter visibly relaxed, letting out a breath of relief. The Empress smiled, and continued, “Dr. Hunter, I am not sure what you were expecting, but I am wondering why you have taken such great lengths to conceal where you are living.”
Dr. Hunter looked into the Empress eyes, becoming mesmerized by the violet blue tinge. “Well Empress, ever since that fiasco at the Debian research symposium ten years ago, I haven’t exactly been welcomed by my peers. I also find that the news vids leave me alone out here.” Dr. Hunter allowed himself the luxury of relaxing a little bit, as recounted to the Empress how his research into hyper-space tunneling, which flew in the face of all known physics, had been rejected by his peers. Even though he had mathematical proof that proved, at least theoretically, hyper-space tunnels could be constructed to cover vast inter-stellar distances, they had declared him another ‘crack-pot’.
It didn’t help matters when some fringe Groups used his research as the basis for a cult founded on the premise that all Trillians were descendants from some race that used hyper-tunnels to get here. The leader was later found to be embezzling funds, which led to government hearings implicating him as part of the cult. Whatever credibility he had left evaporated after the media circus that ensued, even though he was cleared of any wrongdoing.
“So you see, Empress, I’m just trying to live a quiet life in retirement here.” Dr. Hunter finished. The Empress merely smiled through the entire story, nodding her head in sympathy. Dr. Hunter then stopped, turning towards the Empress, he asked, “but what are you doing here?”
The Empress patted him on the hand, and with a slight grin she replied, “Well Dr. Hunter, I’m here to tell you that you were right.”
“Excuse me Empress, right about what” asked Dr. Hunter, confusion on his face.
“Dr. Hunter, you are correct regarding your theories about hyper-tunnels being capable of long distance interstellar travel.”
Dr. Hunter was instantly floored, “but… but… it’s just a theory. And it’s been rejected by the worlds leading scientists!” he stammered.
“Dr. Hunter, you are right, the worlds leading scientists are wrong. Hyper tunnels are possible, and in fact, they exist now.”
Dr. Hunter’s head was reeling. The Empress of Trillian, in his home, telling him his life’s work was right, that he was correct, and the academic world wrong. Instantly he felt his world turn upside down. “That can’t be, we don’t have the technology, let alone the energy, to even conceive of creating one of these things.”
The Empress voice grew calm, her voice like ice, “Dr. Hunter, what I am about to tell you is a state secret. If you divulge any of this, you will be put to death immediately. Something like this needs to be controlled. Do you understand me?”
“I understand.” Dr. Hunter replied, hoping that he did understand.
“We didn’t build the hyper-tunnels Dr. Hunter, someone, or something else did. We are building a ship to traverse the hyper-tunnel to see if we can find out the answer.” Dr. Hunter’s mouth fell open in shock; his world suddenly grew infinitesimally smaller as realization set in. The Empress finished, “And we would like you to help.”
With that, the world went black, and Dr. Hunter politely passed out.
To be continued….
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