My Kingdom Come book 1: The Saints We See

664 standard years after the signing of the Alliance treaty

Mikhail remained kneeling, uncertain what he was supposed to do. He was terrified. Did this man have the ability to erase his memories? He couldn’t tell if Jonat was still in the room or not. He couldn’t sense any emotions from the man. He sniffed delicately. Jonat’s scent was too strong in the room for Mikhail to tell if he had left.

It was quiet for a long few minutes, then footsteps walked around Mikhail. “What’s your name?” Jonat asked.

Mikhail hesitated. “I…Che- master says I don’t have a name.”

“Well, you had a name, right?”

Mikhail swallowed and nodded.

“What was your name?”

“Mikhail Galorson.”

“Alright, well I’m going to call you Mikhail. I’m not calling you ‘boy’. Stand up.”

Mikhail stood up.

A stack of clothes came into Mikhail’s view. “Put these on.”

Mikhail started to look up, but then quickly jerked his head back down. He took the clothes. “Thank you, sir.”

Jonat chuckled softly. “Get dressed. I’ll be right back.” His footsteps receded and the door shut quietly.

Mikhail let out a soft breath. He dropped the blanket and quickly pulled the clothes on. They were a bit too big for him, but it was much better than being naked.

He looked around the room. It was a study. There was a comfortable reading chair with a footstool by a fireplace. Shelves lined the rest of the walls except the wall right next to the door. There was a long leather couch against that wall. Every shelf in the room was filled with books. The sight of so many books in one place took Mikhail’s breath away. He walked over to one of the shelves and began reading titles. They sounded like fiction. He moved to another shelf and looked at the titles on that shelf. They were biographies. There were even a few that Mikhail had had in his small collection.

A knock sounded on the door. Mikhail turned around quickly, wondering if he was doing something he shouldn’t. “Yes?”

The door cracked open. “Are you dressed?”

“Yes, sir.”

The door opened. Jonat smiled at Mikhail. “You really don’t know anything about being a slave, do you?”

Mikhail quickly jerked his eyes down to the floor. “I’m sorry, sir.”

Jonat laughed. “Don’t worry about all that for tonight, okay? Just be yourself.”

Mikhail swallowed and looked back up at Jonat. “Thank you, sir.’’

Jonat gave him a little nod. “Come with me.” He turned and began walking away.

Mikhail jogged to catch up with him.

Jonat glanced at him. “Are you hungry?”

Mikhail shook his head. “No, I ate already. Thank you.”

“Chentzo fed you?”

“No. The Jurverian.”

“Hm. So he did really just pick you up from them, huh?”

“Yes.”

Jonat began walking down the stairs. He looked over at Mikhail. “You have something you want to ask me?”

Mikhail looked down at his feet and swallowed again. “Can you read my mind?”

“Yes.”

Mikhail’s chest tightened. “Are you going to take my memories away?”

They had reached the bottom of the stairs. Jonat paused. He nudged Mikhail’s chin up. “Look at me, Mikhail.”

Mikhail fearfully raised his eyes to Jonat’s face.

“Did Chentzo give you the whole, ‘you have no rights’ speech?”

Mikhail nodded.

“I have my own set of rules for dealing with sentients. Chentzo might have the legal right to strip you of your memories, but unless I think that’s in your best interests, it isn’t going to happen.”

Mikhail clenched his jaw.

“Not very comforting, hm?”

Mikhail shook his head.

Jonat smiled at him. “I like you. You’re very straight forward.” He let go of Mikhail’s chin and began walking again. “Stripping a sentient’s mind is against my moral code, Mikhail. I won’t do that to you. And I won’t do anything to you tonight. Tonight is just about me getting to know you.” He entered a dining room. The table was set for two. Serving bowls of steaming food were on the table.

“Normally, slaves are not allowed to sit and eat with free men, but as I’ve said, in this house I make my own rules.” He sat at the head of the table and gestured to the chair next to his with the other place setting in front of it. “Sit. If you find you’re hungry after all, help yourself to the food.”

Mikhail sat. “Thank you.”

Jonat began filling his plate with food. “You’re a very polite young man.”

Mikhail blinked. “Thank you.”

“Your last name. Where did you get it?”

“My…my father. Galor.”

Jonat cocked his head. “Who’s Galor?”

“He’s the Jurverian that raised me.”

Jonat’s eyebrows went up. He frowned. He took a bite of food, chewed it and swallowed it. “Did the Jurverian tell you to stop using your last name?”

“No.”

“Interesting.” Jonat took another bite of food. “How did you come to be born outside the lab? Did this Galor kidnap your mother?”

“No. She escaped on her own.”

A look of shocked surprise flitted across Jonat’s face. “What was your mother’s name?”

“Brenhala.”

Jonat leaned back in his chair and stared at Mikhail for a long moment. “You’re Brenhala’s child?”

“Yes.”

Jonat stared at Mikhail for another long moment. He let out a sigh. “I met your mother. She was a remarkable young lady.”

Pressure squeezed Mikhail’s chest tight.

“You want to know how she died.”

Mikhail nodded.

Jonat rubbed his face and looked away then he looked back at Mikhail. “She tried to escape again. Chentzo was going to have her impregnated with another child. She refused to be used that way. She made it all the way out of the lab again. Chentzo was furious with his security.” Jonat chuckled softly. He had a faraway look in his eyes.

Mikhail looked down at his lap, swallowed hard and took a few deep breaths.

“She was a remarkable young lady.” Jonat said. “Her death was quick and painless. She had cost Chentzo too much money and she was redundant by then, he’d already replaced her. To him it made more sense to eliminate her.”

Mikhail took a deep breath and looked up at Jonat. “Thank you for telling me.”

“Mhm. Tell me more about Galor. What was he like?”

* * *

Mikhail ate his breakfast slowly. Fresh food was always so much more delicious than canned, but this seemed especially good to Mikhail. He was eating alone this morning. One of Jonat’s servants had knocked on Mihail’s door and told him to come down and eat.

Last night after a long conversation with Mikhail Jonat had summoned one of his servants and told them to put Mikhail in one of his guest rooms. It was a simple but but comfortable room. Mikhail had thought that he wouldn’t be able to sleep. It was always difficult for him to sleep on land, but he had fallen asleep almost as soon as his head touched the pillow.

Mikhail eyed his still half full plate wondering if he could possibly eat one more bite without exploding.

The same servant who had summoned Mikhail for breakfast came into the dining room. “Are you finished eating?” She asked.

Mikhail put his fork down. “Yes, I’m finished.”

“Come with me.” She said.

Mikhail got up and followed her back to Jonat’s study. She knocked softly.

“Come.” Jonat sounded tired.

She opened the door and stood to the side. Mikhail entered the room. Jonat was sitting in the chair by the fireplace. There was a small fire burning in it, it had been burning for a long time judging by the amount of ash.

Jonat pointed to the couch. “Sit.”

Mikhail sat down.

Jonat sat with his elbow resting on the arm of his chair, his head leaned to the side resting against two of his fingers. He just looked at Mikhail for a long time. Jonat looked very tired.

Mikhail waited.

Finally Jonat let out a long sigh. He laid his arm down on the armrest and leaned his head back in his chair. “You’re a remarkable young man, Mikhail. I’ve spent all night going through your mind and…”

Mikhail’s body tensed.

Jonat raised a hand. “I’m sorry. I should have told you, but…” he stopped and clenched his jaw. “I’m sorry.” He laid his hand back on the armrest.

Mikhail’s trembling fingers had laced themselves tightly together in his lap.

“Chentzo wants me to modify your mind, but I can’t. You’re not a slave.” Jonat stopped talking and squeezed his hand into a fist. “What I mean is that most lab created slaves grow up getting their minds modified on a regular basis. You didn’t. You’ve grown up experiencing life for yourself, thinking for yourself, deciding on your own beliefs. You’re a fully formed individual. I can’t modify anything without breaking some part of you, unless you…no. Even if you gave me permission I don’t really know what modification would do to you.

“I’m sure that Chentzo wouldn’t mind me breaking your mind, but…” Jonat looked into the fire his hand squeezed into a fist and relaxed over and over. “I wont do that to you.”

“Thank you.” Mikhail said quietly.

Jonat looked at Mikhail again. “I’m not sure you have anything to thank me for.

“If Chentzo can’t sell you, he’ll have no use for you. He will only see you as a drain on his finances. He’ll kill you. If he does sell you-“ Jonat opened his mouth, but his lips trembled and he shut it again. He looked away.

“What?” Mikhail asked. “If he does sell me then, what?”

Jonat looked back at Mikhail. “The only kind of sentient I can see buying you would buy you for the fun of breaking your spirit.”

Mikhail swallowed. “Why would I be an undesirable slave? I’m willing to serve.”

“I know.” Jonat replied. “That’s not the issue. Most Durweh are trained from infancy on how to properly fulfill their duties to their master, by the time they are your age, most of them have already been sold. You have no training at all. Willingness to serve is good, but no master wants to spend a fortune on a slave that they have to take home and train.”

“Why can’t I be trained? I’m willing to learn.”

Jonat sighed. “I know, Mikhail. But years will pass and you’ll get older and… people/sentients like to buy their slaves young.”

“I see.” Mikhail looked down at his hands, then back up at Jonat. “I’ll just have to do the best I can.”

Jonat smiled wanly. “Do you want me to modify some of your memories? Shut them up for you? It might make your life easier.”

“Shut them up? How would you do that?” Mihail asked.

“I would build a thick wall around them in your memory. They would still be there, you just wouldn’t be able to access them.”

“Why would I want that?” Mikhail frowned.

“That painful absence your mother left in your heart, you wouldn’t have to feel that anymore.”

Mikhail shook his head. “No. I don’t want that gone. That pain reminds me how big her love for me is. Her love hasn’t ended, it’s just not in this realm any more. Why would I want to forget her love? It’s what made me who I am.”

Jonat shook his head and sighed. “I’ve been through your mind many times last night. I’ve experienced your memories, heard what you thought, and I still don’t understand some of the choices you make. You’re a remarkable young man.”

Mikhail swallowed. “Thank you, sir.”

“I’m afraid there’s nothing else I can do for you, Mikhail. I’m going to call your master and tell him to come get you.”

* * *

Mikhail was kneeling naked in the center of Jonat’s study again.

“So,” Chentzo was saying. “There’s no hope for him?”

“No.” Jonat countered. “He’s more than willing to serve. He only lacks training. It wouldn’t take much, maybe a year, just to take the rough edges off. He has years of real world experience that most slaves lack, plus a willing mind. This is an advantage.

“Let him spend a month under the tutelage of an experienced slave, say Elixa. Then send him to a finishing school to give him grace and teach him proper etiquette. Maybe have him train under a chef for a few months, and a masseuse for another few months, whatever specialties your clients want. He would be a fully aware, completely willing slave. He could converse with his master and understand what was going on in his master’s life. The boy could fetch you the highest price you’ve ever made on a slave at market.”

“Hmm…” Chentzo said thoughtfully. “I suppose he could appeal to the more discerning crowd, to those who are bored with mindless service. You say he’s willing to serve?”

“Absolutely. He turned himself in to the Jurverian when they came. He never caused them a moment of trouble. He never caused you any trouble either. He just seems insolent because he doesn’t really understand his place.”

“You’re right. Thank you Jonat. I might have thrown away my greatest opportunity yet.”

Chentzo’s excited greed slithered through Mikhail. He shuddered.