Chapter 3: A New Ally?

Kai didn't tarry long at Dr. Erland's office,. There hadn't been any new developments regarding letumosis, not that he actually expected any. Now he was force to put aside the distract of his fleeting hopes and face a new, very real situation.

The Grand Doge is coming here? Kai thought to himself, perplexed. Why? Why now? At closest interval, travel to Earth from the Confederacy capital on Juno was three months travel at least. Normally such a long trek would have been announced well in advance of its departure. Which could mean this was a mission of some desperation and secrecy.

Kai racked his brain for a plausible reason, since he was waiting in the palace reception with nothing else to do. Kai remembered that the belt asteroid colonies were first settled some two hundred and fifty years ago by mining corporations. Due to their sheer distance from Earth, the colonies had to be self-sufficient from the start, leading a fiercely independent breed of people.

In the aftermath of the Fourth World War, several larger colonies seized the opportunity to gain their independence from the reorganized Earthen nations. Unable to respond effectively to the brewing revolutions, every Earthen nation 'officially' passed the baton of authority to the separate colonies in effort to save face. The asteroid colonies were gracious enough to not flaunt their victory over the radio channels, much.

The rise of the Belt Confederacy had been something of a surprise to most, though in hindsight Kai easily could see the logic behind its formation in face of changing times. With Earth's complete recovery from the last global war and Luna extending its influence, the residents in the Asteroid Belt felt their independence threatened. As Kai understood it, a few former colonies did fall back under Earthen and even Luna control by means of political, economic, and military pressure.

While that was enough to get the remaining asteroid states talking about an alliance, however among such a willful people whose chief concern was the preservation of their own power, it would have remained talk. Only the political brilliance of a charismatic Belter, Don Vastion Netherone, prove able enough to cobble together a confederation of the former colonies beginning thirty years ago.

Exactly how he had done this and maintained the alliance over the years against the natural resistance of the colonists and the influence of both Earth and Luna had been largely a mystery to most. However Kai, as crown prince, was privy to many classified reports that suggested the Grand Doge made use of several teams of very elite agents to secure his power in an undeclared war.

However he had maintained his power, Kai had a feeling that he was about to get to know him very well. After all, one doesn't transverse over an AU of space just to say hi. No, this new guest was going stay for a while. As if dealing with the Lunar queen through her thaumaturge wasn't bad enough during his father's sickness, now he would probably have to handle another demanding space sovereign, this time in person!

"Your Highness." Torin called to Kai as he sat in his chair, lost in thought. Kai jerked to attention and turned to Torin. "The Grand Doge has arrived."

"Send him in then, Torin." Kai sounded off before he could lose his nerve. Torin motioned for the doors of the audience chamber to open. As the large double doors swung aside, Kai got his first look at the Belter retinue.

They were dressed head to toe in thick garment like suits, gloves, and masks. The grey and brown garments were rather plain, unadorned with insignia other than patches on the shoulder marking them as crown republic escorts. They rather reminded Kai of the radiation shielding overcoats placed over the form the fitting pressure suits of military space pilots. They were probably wearing the pressure suits too.

Their masks were no more adorned than the suits, but far more intriguing as they were made from polished chrome, shiny and functional, complete with rebreathers. The only adornment he could see were the ruby sensor orbs in place of eyes and an almost imperceptible visual vocalizer. The prince was sure he could see his reflection if he got close enough.

The masks and garments, Kai understood, were more than simply clothing. Coming from an environment where a sudden loss of atmosphere was not unheard of in the recent past, all belter attire was pressurized. It also made it difficult to tell if they were man or woman, thought he was fairly confident that the shortest one in the back was female.

Kai stole the occasional glance at their feet. He had heard that all belters had prehensile feet, a genetic modification from a time before the reliable use of artificial gravity. It was said that they could use their feet almost as well as their hands and made monkeys out of anyone else in zero-gravity sports. The shoes the escort wore seemed normal enough so Kai let his curiosity go.

Then walked in he who could only have been the Grand Doge. His suit was black and blue, embroidered with white, geometric designs, yet still maintained the impression that it could protect its occupant from a vacuum, and black walking stick capped with metal, probably iridium. Like the rest, what was most striking about the Grand Doge's attire was his mask. Not smooth chrome as the escorts, but iridium of Belter elected royalty, with a human face form and quite stylized with twisting patterns.

Kai had never known what to make of iridium as the choice for royal masks. A rare as precious metal on Earth, but far more common in asteroids, iridium wasn't so difficult to obtain for Belters. Rarely did royal belters associate with anyone outside the Belt and so independent were the people that Kai would have thought it logical that the material from which their masks were made would be something rare among their kind. However, they had chosen something rare on Earth, but associated with asteroids. Could they, despite their outward distain, have an inferiority complex?

Kai sized up the Grand Doge, not an easy task when he could see your face and you couldn't see his. Medium height, probably medium build underneath all that suit, all in all very unremarkable on the outside. However, Kai knew that this man was anything but unremarkable, if only mysterious. His youth was well recorded, but even the top intelligence could only declare summary of his career with sketchy details.

The asteroid colonies were notorious for fighting amongst themselves after they gained their independence from Earth over a hundred years ago. Unifying them and keeping them that way was an incredible feat first achieved by the Grand Doge but the fact that he had maintained these last thirty years without any apparent problems was a far greater achievement. It took great diplomatic and social skill on order of the best statesman in history.

So here he was, a wet nose boy prince, not yet twenty with no experience in politics and diplomacy facing a man, at more than three times his ageand said to be the greatest diplomat mankind had seen in a century. It didn't look good for Kai, he could only hope that the Doge's visit would be nothing like Sybil Mira's. Otherwise it would be a war on two fronts.

Torin cleared his throat, signaling to Kai that he was taking too long to greet their visitor. Kai flushed, he hadn't even spoken to the Doge and already he was making himself look like a speechless idiot. Regaining a measure of calm by breathing in and out slowly, he addressed the Grand Doge.

"Grand Doge Vastion Netherone, I offer you welcome to the Eastern Commonwealth in the name of my father, Emperor Rikan." The Grand Doge inclined his head slightly, a nod of respect and acceptance.

"I thank you for your hospitality, Prince Kaito. May my presence be a blessing on your house." The traditional greeting of a belter visitor. The Grand Doge's voice was cool but showed no obvious sign of arrogance like Sybil Mira's.

"You are a long way from the Belt, Grand Doge. May I ask the reason for your visit?" It was a bold move, and Torin's momentary frown indicated that he felt Kai had overstepped his bounds. However Kai was too anxious to waddle through hours of meaningless rhetoric just to come to the point. He wondered if the Doge was frowning like Torin or smiling at Kai's lack of tact.

"Of course you may, Prince Kaito." No sign of irritation, but behind that mask anyone could hide their emotions. "I know my arrival is very much unexpected, but fortune was with me. I was inspecting our border base at Sisyphus when I heard the news about your father's illness and came as soon as I heard. I have to see him." Fortune indeed, Kai thought sarcastically, Sisyphus is the closest Belter base to Earth. What are the odds he was actually inspecting his innermost base while my father is taken ill with letumosis?

"Your concern for my Father's wellbeing is appreciated, however he is not well enough to be seen by anyone. I will pass..." The Grand Doge interrupted.

"I'm afraid you misunderstand Prince Kai. Wishing 'get well' to your father is not why I am here, he and I have business to discuss. Very important business." The Doge's voice took on a more condescending tone and it rubbed Kai the wrong way.

"As I was saying, Grand Doge, my father is too ill to see anyone. Your business, however important, can wait until he recovers, or you can discuss it with me if your need is so great." The Grand Doge stepped forward.

"I offer you no disrespect, Prince." The Doge's voice lowered even more. "But if you believe your father is going to survive this, then you are greatly mistaken. Emperor Rikan's chances of recovery are so astronomically small he is as good as dead. You are too inexperienced for the scheme I have been putting together and I don't trust any of your advisors, not while there is a lunar thaumaturge under your roof. It is to your father I alone will speak."

"Then you won't speak at all!" Kai replied, voice laced with indignation. Who was this man to come in here and say all this. Kai wasn't blind to his father's condition, quite the contrary, he knew his father could be gone in a second. Then there was the slight against Kai's advisors. No disrespect, indeed! Kai trusted his advisors, especially Torin, with his life. Although, on second thought, the Doge had a point with Sybil Mira. Still it was too much. "My father can't say more than three words together or have your forgotten what letumosis does to its victims?"

"No, I am quite aware of it effects, so I came prepared." The Doge pulled out a vial from a belt pouch. Not more than ten centimeters long and two wide, it would fit on a number of injectable needles. In it was a clear, yellowish liquid. Kai stared at it, hope, foolish hope, flared within. A cure?

"This is not a cure," The Grand Doge stated, as if reading Kai's mind. "merely a solution which will reverse most of the symptoms of letumosis for an hour or so. It will allow the emperor to speak well enough for my purpose. However, as his closest surviving relative I require your permission to proceed." Kai hesitated, it wasn't a cure, but if it could relieve his father's suffering by some small degree then he was tempted to use it.

"With respect Grand Doge," Torin interrupted and asked the question Kai was just forming in his mind. "But where did you come by that solution?"

"We have our own outbreaks of letumosis in the Belt," was the reply. "This," he held up the vial, "is the product of our research."

"That is a remarkable achievement," Kai declared, reasserting his presence. "Perhaps if we could exchange research we might better our chances of finding a cure. In any case I will need my father's doctors to verify that your solution does what you say it does." The Doge brought his arms behind his back, concealing the vial.

"I'm afraid that will take too long, your Highness. This is the only sample I have on hand and the entire contents will be required for your father. It will take week to get another sample from Sisyphus and by that time your father could be dead. It must be now, Kai!" The Doge spoke firmly, in a voice that strangely reminded Kai of his father's. The way he used Kai's name... there was something about it.

"Forgive my frankness Prince Kai, believe me when I say that I have nothing but your welfare at heart," The Doge's voice softened. "And since your are taking the risk, if you want I can offer the last five minutes to you." There was a pause, then the Doge made one final entreaty with open arms, vial visible. "I'm asking you to trust me your Highness."

And Kai did. He didn't quite know why, after all he hadn't known this man before they met today. Kai couldn't even see his face, but that reasoning meant nothing, only the strong feeling that this man could offer Kai a lifeline to his father. A father fast fading away, though alive couldn't impart more than half a half a phrase of consoling wisdom. The Doge offered him a chance to reconnect with his father, if only for a few minutes.

Kai turned to Torin expecting the wiser, older man to shake his head in disapproval. Yet when their eyes met, Torin's showed Kai nothing but that same hope.

"Alright," Kai agreed quickly. "I'll let you use the solution and talk to my father, but be sure to finish your business on time. Ready or not I will talk to my father."