Chapter 7: Vae’Thira
"Vae’Thira! Wake up child, the ceremony draws near"
Thira groaned as he stirred awake, his head felt unbearably hot and a weird stench permeated the air.
Ah, right he was back in Qashka.
Wait...
Why was he back in Qashka?
He stood up, the room swayed and flopped back onto the bed,
"What’s going?"
A Vashki clad in a long gray garment sat by his side.
Ah...It was his mother. The tribal Chieftainess of his clan.
"Mother...I feel weird"
"Yes child, I know, this is so you won’t resist too much"
"What?"
"My child is so blessed. You caught the eye of the Royal Emperor Tuk’Aon" she stroked his head, the ring that sat on her neck glowing warmly, "We the people of Miwa are so proud of you for you shall bear the child of a mighty U’Kan"
Dread consumed him, "no...Mother...no," he fought to stand up but failed miserably, his body gradually growing weaker. The weird stench from earlier was a herbal mixture , one that made a Vashki compliant.
All his life he had run away from this and yet here he was.
His vision swayed, the scenery shifted and he found himself being tucked into lush beddings different from the ones in his
homeland.
"Where...?"
"I see you have finally come to"
Thira froze, he could recognize that voice from a million light years away!
"Tuk..."
"No formalities?"
The emperor chuckled before walking into Thira’s field of vision,
"Here’s the last place I expected to see you, mighty Vae’Thira of the Miwa"
"Why? Why me?"
Thira trembled, the ring on his ankle stuttering as he wailed.
"I will not let you have what your people so desperately want...and I will not have anyone else give it to you as well"
The emperor began to disrobe, the rings that adorned his body glowing and orbiting around his parts,
"Emperor...please, I don’t want to do this"
"Your mother insisted I show her proof of us consummating this marriage," Tuk’Aon waved to the servants at the door, "bring her in"
Vae’Thira watched with pure horror and disbelief as his mother sat comfortably in the seat she had been provided,
"No...w-what is this!" The Vashki shook his head.
What was mother thinking?
"Vae’Thira! What is the meaning of this? Is this what I taught you! Spouting defiance when you’re meant to embrace your calling! Don’t you dare bring shame to us!"
He knew what this was.
It was a memory.
To remind him of why he was where he was now.
"Admiral Bak shot me, such a small temper"
...
SIMULATION HAS BEEN COMPLETED
...
Welcome back Vae’Thira.
...
A cryotube hissed, gas pouring out as the Vashki made his way back to his office,
"Kagu, how long did it take to register my clone’s death and how long did it take for this one to wake up?"
...
Doctor, it took 5 minutes for the first clone to register its death and another minute for this one to wake up!
It’s a 19 minutes gap from the last time! That’s a huge improvement! You’ve done it again, Doctor!
...
A 3d hologram of a Shoujo girl hovered next to him narrating animatedly. Thira made her a few years back based on a culture that belonged to the Japanese people of Earth. He had stumbled upon different cultures of Earth and dug himself quite the rabbit hole.
"Hm, how is my memory recovery rate?"
The hologram clapped her hands and a small chart appeared,
...
Memory recovery rate was registered at 0.9milliseconds! Although there was a stutter at the simulation. This is understandable, trauma can—
"Enough, thank you Kagu...you’re dismissed"
...
Yes Doctor, I’m a wave away!
...
Thira arrived at his lab. The officers from before still stood. One looked confused ahd surprised, the second just nodded at him. Them still standing outside meant...
The Admiral was still here. Seated at his table legs crossed, waiting for him.
"Nice party trick"
"Don’t act surprised, I made this because of you and you allowed it"
"Bring up that fucking offer again, I’ll kill those clones and your original body"
"Such a fiery temper"
The Vashki walked over to the table, fingers tracing the ceramic edges.
"I must remind you Admiral...I am on your side."
Bak hummed, nose scrunched up. "A Vashki’s word is the last thing I would want to count on"
Not letting Thira respond, he marched outside.
...
If I may ask, why the Admiral?
...
Thira made a small yelp of surprise, "Kagu!"
...
Sorry hehe
...
Thira tapped at the plating in his face, if he had a mouth, it would up in a smile.
"The admiral is good looking, strong physique and a brain to die for...though he’ll never be as smart as me"
...
Eh?
He looks like he could kill you without hesitation!
...
"I know...imagine he was channeling that emotion somewhere else"
Kagu shivered and gave her creator a weird side eye
...
You have strange tastes...Doctor.
...
"Oh please, pay mind that I do not do this for the sake of pleasure...pleasure is not something that I would ever experience anyway"
He grabbed a glass pad, scrolling through the profiles of his mechanized soldiers.
"He took away something so precious to me, I will take it back...but for now, I must help the people of Meredith"
..
Surely, we’ve come this far to help create a second Earth.
Doctor?
Do you think the people here miss Earth?
...
"I’m sure they do"
...
Do you miss Qashka, Doctor?
...
"...Qashka is no home to me"
