Roma Atani got in the hidden elevator that led to a secret chamber within the citadel where the Executrix resided. She had taken this trip twice every week. She was the only living person who was allowed to be in the presence of the Executrix and only she knew all the secrets of House Ordos barring future plans The Executrix had not revealed yet. The price of that knowledge was that she could never leave the citadel let alone Draconis IV. The elevator descended deep underground. Atani could feel the drop in her ears. But she had grown accustomed to this. After one minute the elevator stopped and the glossy elevator doors opened.
The chamber where the Executrix resided was oval shaped and everywhere there were screens showing various locations of the citadel. It was in this chamber that the Executrix made announcements throughout the citadel and where they stood when they communicated through hologram. Atani was responsible for all the needs of the Executrix including technical repairs. Atani slowly approached the center of the room pushing the suspensor wagon carrying the drugs that the Executrix consumed. The Executrix never ate. They stayed alive and kept their minds sharp consuming special drugs that contained various chemicals and mélange.
In the center of the room stood the mysterious entity known as the Executrix, leaders of House Ordos and something more than human. The cyborg creature known as the Speaker sat on a black throne. Attached to its skull were four long tubes. Each of these tubes led to faceless masks worn by beings sitting on floating suspensor chairs. Each of these beings wore long black robes. The Executrix: four mentats sharing a single mind. Their combined minds made it almost impossible to make errors let alone disagreements. Their projections were accurate 99.99% of the time and they went to great lengths to make sure there were no exploitable weaknesses within their schemes.
Only Atani knew how House Ordos and this monstrosity came to be. The tale had been passed down to only one person at a time since the creation of House Ordos. Two thousand years ago a CHOAM businessman demanded the company receive more autonomy and less control from the Emperor and the great and minor Houses but his demands were turned down. He left the company taking all his wealth and traveled to the virtually unwanted planet of Sigma Draconis IV. Using his charisma, he persuaded the tiny population that he was of noble birth and lied that the Emperor had given the planet for him to govern. Using all of his wealth he gave the population off world food and luxuries not known on Draconis IV before his arrival. In return the population would build him a citadel. He then called his newfound 'House' Ordos, claiming that he was descended from the Yuan Dynasty of the ancient Old Terra civilization known as China. A slut from the Bene Gesserit came over and seduced him and conceived a child to find out if his claim was true. It turned out to be a false claim but the sisterhood saw no harm in letting House Ordos rise to power. The pretender prince passed his skills in finance and trade to some inhabitants of Draconis IV. These new merchants and traders of Draconis IV traveled off world to do business and the wealth of House Ordos gradually grew. But that was just the beginning.
Five hundred years ago a rogue Ixian inventor arrived on Draconis IV. He knew that House Ordos were very opportunistic, so he offered to sell his latest invention: technology that could combine the minds of several people into one. This technology went against the golden law of the Orange Catholic Bible: Thou shalt not create a machine in the likeness of man. First a hole would be drilled into an individual's skull, and then wires would be attached to the brain. These wires within a tube led to a hub machine where the individual's mind is combined with minds of other individuals. This technology could combine the minds of every person in a city, but the then Ordos prince did not want this. He wanted power over others, not combine all minds into one. But he could not ignore the opportunities this technology presented. He killed the Ixian inventor and took the blueprints for the invention. Together with two family members and his closest advisor, the prince combined his mind with theirs and the Executrix was born. Since then all offworlders were forbidden to land on Draconis IV unless they were employed by House Ordos. Throughout the generations this was a closely guarded secret shared by less than a handful of people. Whenever one member of the Executrix passed away, they were replaced by the most intelligent and trustworthy members of the Ordos Board of Supervisors.
"Place our sustenance by the wall to the right" the Speaker said not out of necessity but by programmed routine. Atani did as she was told. She then stepped closer and waited for the Executrix to give her permission to speak. "You have data?"
"Yes most esteemed ones. The assistant to our newly appointed director of projects on Arrakis has come requesting a second water harvester" Atani began.
"Yes we have anticipated this. Tell him the Director's request is accepted. Tell him the harvester will arrive in two standard days. Tell us what else Rico has reported" Atani was expecting this. The Ordos could accurately predict the actions of all their employees.
"He has expressed fears that Director Ammon will likely betray us" Atani replied.
"There is a ninety nine point eight percent probability that Ammon will not defect in the immediate future. We have his records. He will not behave rashly as his predecessor did. He values his life. But it is indeed true that he seeks opportunity for betrayal. However, he has not the time to. By the time he attempts to betray our cause, our plan will be set in motion and his betrayal will be irrelevant"
"What of the chances that our plan fails? Do we have a plan within our plan?"
"We are gambling dangerously here. There is a ninety nine point nine percent probability that our plan will succeed. Failure could mean the destruction of House Ordos. Failure is not an option. If our plan succeeds, the profit gains of House Ordos will be higher than it has ever been throughout its history. We have anticipated and prepared for the coming day by amassing wealth and buying and producing weapons for thousands of years. See to it that we succeed. That is all. You are dismissed"
"As you command most esteemed ones" Atani walked back to the elevator smiling. Soon she will be one of the most powerful women in the whole Imperium that had never been Bene Gesserit trained.
