Chapter 3 - Zulette on Z'Ltar

Krat was High Emperor, Lord of the Universe, Imperial Leader, Ruler of Z'Ltar, Protector of the Imperium, and a succession of other titles that, if written out, would fill three pages of continuous text. In reality, he was a powerless figurehead, entrapped by squabbling bureaucrats in a rapidly decaying state apparatus. In these turbulent times he was lucky to avoid the significant probability of coup or assassination, but the decaying Imperial government and failing bureaucracy rendered his rule all but irrelevant.

He was at an official state dinner, quite a boring affair, with some Senators and members of the Z'Ltar Domestic Industry Board when he received a neurosum from his Chief Political Advisor, Morphenius Kretlitz. Krat disliked and distrusted Kretlitz, but he shuddered to consider a life without him. He navigated the incredibly complex halls of Imperial power, building and breaking deals with Senators, domestic industrial corporations, I.T.S. representatives, military contractors, and the ever-present Z'Ltarian Priesthood of the High Temple. He maintained the extensive intelligence and security apparatus of the I.S.A., defusing coups and assassination attempts and ever protecting the Emperor. As the supposed Supreme Leader of humanity, Krat was bitter that so many of his powers and responsibilities were delegated to the Chief Advisor, but he understood the grim reality of the alternative.

Krat excused himself from the Senator he was conversing with--about some economic matter that disinterested him--and walked to the Great Hall to receive the Chief Advisor. Just as he sat upon the Transoctium throne, the far door slid open and Kretlitz strode into the room.

"Sire!" he said, "the girl has awoken from stasis." Zulette, the brave survivor of the press gangs, who used her ingenuity and courage to escape the brutal fate imposed by Ortaya Starlines--her face was already on nearly every HoloNetwork on Z'Ltar and the neighboring core worlds. Unbeknownst to the Emperor, Kretlitz had used his considerable connections in the mass media to promote this story. Now the impressment of stimsources was a widely discussed issue, and anger at not only Ortaya Starlines, but its parent corporation Transtellar Capital, and even the Guild as a whole, was at an all-time high.

"Well?" said the Emperor. "What shall we do about this girl, who is she called? Zulette?" The Chief Advisor responded "Yes, your Imperial Majesty. Considering the public reaction, we should immediately respond to the crisis. I propose firstly, that we set up a series of interviews with Zulette on the major holonetworks, and secondly, that you have a personal audience with her, in your capacity as Emperor."

Krat considered this. "Yes, this seems reasonable. I suppose that a personal audience seems in order. But Kretilitz," he added, addressing his Chief Advisor by name rather than title as he was prone to do, "what of this, uh . . . what do they call it?" "Impressment, Sire," interjected Kretlitz. "Ah yes, impressment," said Krat, "the public seems generally incensed by it. But moving against the guild now . . . would that not be a danger to my power in the Empire?"

Kretlitz trembled slightly, as he prepared to propose to the Emperor an action that was central to his plans of Galactic domination. "Well, your Majesty," he said, "the public is incredibly angry at the Trade Guild for its role in the recent . . . events. As such, failing to contain the Guild will be seen not only as a failure to protect Imperial subjects from the press gangs, but also a submission of your authority to such nefarious interests. If you wish to maintain not only your popularity, but also your political power, I believe that a move against the Guild will be essential."

The Emperor considered this for a moment, and asked, "Well, how do you propose responding to the Guild?" Kretlitz responded, "Myself and a number of members of the I.S.A. are developing a comprehensive scheme to contain the Guild's power, which I shall submit to you shortly." The Emperor thanked Kretlitz, dismissed him from the Great Hall and attended to other matters of importance.
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Kretlitz entered the small council chamber, deep in the recesses of the Imperial Palace, where he arranged a meeting between a number of significant political and business figures. Among the twenty attendes was Maroh Talensis, the C.E.O. of A-Io Corporation, one of the largest contractors for the I.T.S. system, Faretz Triton, C.F.O. of A-Io, Olivaw Jix, C.E.O. of Quintech, A-Io's main competitor for I.T.S. contracts, and Xil Ziltso, one of the Senatorial representatives of the Military Industries Board. Completed, as they were, by Kretlitz, whom many considered the true leader of the Imperial government, these 21 men were perhaps the most powerful few among the dozens of quadrillions of Imperial subjects. They were discussing Zulette.

"The stimsource plan is working," said Kretlitz to the group, "and the public is buying the media's relentless propaganda effort against the Guild. We are in a position where a significant move against the Guild's power will be strategically favorable."

"And war?" asked Ziltso. "Your guarantee was that the containment of Guild power would lead to military buildup. If this only benefits the I.T.S., I don't see why the M.I.B. should continue its support."

Kretlitz considered his response. "I have already explained to you, Ziltso, that military action is a necessity. There is no hope of enforcing mercantilist laws and instituting the tariff program without inciting a conflict with Guild worlds. Military budgets will increase at least 25%--that much is a certainity." He shifted his demeanor, and adopted a stance in the center of the room, addressing the whole group.

"As you are aware, we will announce a full enforcement of mercantilist trade policies, namely that a certain proportion of Guild exports be into the I.T.S. system, as well as an expansion on Guild tariffs, particularly intra-hub tariffs, to defend the I.T.S. expansion. The ensuing conflict will generate high revenue for the M.I.B., which will support the plan on that point. The restructuring of Imperial power will not only defend ongoing I.T.S. contractual arrangements in these financially turbulent times, but also promote expansion of the I.T.S., crush Guild competition, and promote the interests of the M.I.B. The only issue I foresee is the Imperial Senate, which will significantly resist these efforts."

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Zulette awoke from the cryopod, not aboard the small Ortaya trade ship as she expected, but instead in some Imperial chamber, surrounded by dozens of reporters and journalists, flashing holosclips and inundating her with questions. She raised her groggy head, after twelve years of shiptime stasis, and peered outside the panoramic window that lined the thousandth floor of the Imperial Constabulary in Eldranus Sector. She realized that she was on Z'Ltar, center of the Empire, the thousand-layered city at the core of Imperial administration. She saw the bottomless abyss of metallic buildings, adorned with crowded holoprojectors and threaded by walkways, VacTrain tubes and hovering drones. She had finished her voyage.

For the next month she travelled around the capital, attending a number of interviews on the HoloNet with celebrities and political figures. The story of the courageous Provincial girl who used her cunning wit to escape the brutality of the press gangs had inspired the populace, and as she described her experience she was met with angry calls against Ortaya Starlines and the Guild for allowing this travesty to happen. She met Senators who promised to crackdown on illegal impressment of stimsources, and even gave speeches before crowds in the Capital about the inhumanity of the Guild, and its violation of Imperial subjects. Aside from the Emperor himself, she was the most famous person on Z'Ltar.

After two months of her "victory tour," she was invited to perform the customary Prayer to Ai'i before the HoloNet, a tradition that many popular celebrities and politicians partook in. The performance of the Prayer generally cemented oneself as a strong adherent of the High Temple's faith, a necessity for maintaining a strong public persona. Zulette had, of course, known this, having watched the Prayer being performed on the HoloNet in the past, and she dreaded the prospect for the two months she had been on the planet. She had, by necessity, performed the Prayer on a weekly basis during her life on K'Telak, but she deviated from the actual custom by allowing herself to experience satisfaction. Performing it before a watchful audience, and in attendance of the Priests themselves, would be a different matter.

375 trillion people were watching the holostream when Zulette entered the sacred chamber and undressed herself. Beside her were two High Priests, who handed her the ceremonial container of the Temple's tools and stepped back behind the prayer mat. She removed a vibrating device from the box and pressed it softly against her inner thigh, slowly moving it towards her core, until it touched her clitoris. She moaned a sigh of pleasure as she felt waves of sensation through her body. She teased herself with the vibrator, bringing herself to the very brink of orgasm, but retreating before she reached satisfaction. Her cheeks flushed, and she started sweating, as the incredible arousal--with no relief--became too much to bear.

According to custom, after applying this device, she reached into the box and removed a moist, tongue shaped thing, which she pressed against her vagina. She felt the tongue slip into her vaginal opening, and play at the edges of her labia, and she felt other tingling sensations of pleasure. She could control the device by squeezing the tip to change to level of pressure, and she carefully adjusted it to prevent herself from reaching orgasm. Her eyes watered as she tried desperately to deny herself in accordance with the High Custom. She wasn't being scanned by computer like she was on the ship, but she was being watched carefully by the High Priests, who could always tell if one had reached orgasm.

She was leaking into the prayer mat, and begging for the time to elapse so she could escape the edging. She accidentally pushed the vibrstor into herself too hard, and began to feel the familiar feeling of orgasm coming on. She immediately withdrew it, but it was too late, she had gone beyond the point of no return. She felt her whole body shaking as the wave of pleasure washed over her. She desperately tried to conceal it, but she knew the Priests could tell. One of them eyed her suspiciously, and exchanged a knowing glance. They knew she had cum, but they wouldn't reveal it--it would destroy her reputation in the eyes of the public.

Once the time elapsed, she left the chamber, but before she could leave, one of the priests--the one who had exchanged the glance--pulled her to the side of the room. As the broadcast finished, he pulled her into a small side-room that adjoined the Temple's chamber.

"I have something to tell you," he said. "The Empire is falling."


