“I plan to restore the house and senate to what they once were,” Min said. “That will be enough of a counterbalance.”
“Maybe,” Rhea said. “But I’d still like Burhawk on board.”
“Why don’t you simply hold onto the control you have?” Burhawk asked. “You seem to be doing a good job.”
“I agree,” Will said.
“It’s not for me,” Rhea said. “I’m not a leader. Or at least, I never wanted to be one. My goal in life isn’t to rule over others. It’s simply to live life on my own terms. I want to return to Earth. To Rust Town. And live out my days in peace. Take this gift. Use it to make sure corruption never leads to the deaths of so many ever again. But know that I’ll be watching…”
Burhawk and Min exchanged a glance.
“She’ll kick our ass if we misbehave,” Burhawk said.
“Yup,” Min agreed.
Rhea focused on Min. “The other option is to return to Ganymede, and aid in the building of our new dome. If that’s what you want, I’ll find someone else to co-rule with Burhawk.”
“No,” Min said. “I can do more for our people here, pulling the strings of Khrusos. But what about you? Don’t you yearn for Ganymede? Don’t you want to return home?”
She smiled wistfully. “Maybe someday I’ll visit Ganymede, when the dome is built. But until then, Earth is my home. I do admit, I’d very much like to see Ganymede restored to what it once was. But that’s not my fight. Maybe it’s yours.”
She held out her hands and beckoned for Burhawk and Min to grab them. When they did, she shared her nano machines between them, giving them fifty percent each, so that Rhea had none. Their bodies quickly appeared stronger, more hale. With those machines, Burhawk and Min had direct control of the mind-machine interface that held Khrusos.
It was hard, giving up that nano technology. She missed them as soon as they left her body. She felt weaker. But it was necessary. She was done fighting. It was time to go home.
She bid the pair farewell, and headed with Will and Horatio toward the spaceport, where their transport was waiting.
Along the way, Will said: “Can’t believe you’re giving up the throne so easily.”
“I never had the throne,” Rhea said.
“Yeah, but you controlled the man who sat on it,” Will said. “Which is the same thing. But now you’re letting someone else rule Earth, Mars, and the upcoming Ganymede colony through him. I don’t understand it. Why not stay in power?”
Rhea smiled patiently. “I’m not power hungry, Will.”
“Well, you should be,” Will said. “Think about it. What we’re looking at are the seeds of the great Terran space empire. We just need someone who can unite all the colonies throughout the solar system. That someone could be you. You already have a massive following on the streaming networks.”
“You heard what I told Min, it’s not for me,” Rhea said. “I’ll be happy to help out where I can, but otherwise, I just want to be left alone. I’ve fought enough for now.”
Will sighed. “All right. But how can you be sure you haven’t replaced one tyrant with two others?”
“Oh, I wasn’t kidding when I told them I’d be checking in on them,” Rhea said. “And if they fail to be the leaders I thought they were, they’ll be hearing from me. They know I don’t tolerate evil dictators.”
“And so you don’t,” Will agreed. “I just hope that Min chick doesn’t start sending assassins again.”
“If she does,” Rhea said. “It will be her last act.”
“Speaking of which, I’m surprised you’d ever give up power to someone who tried to kill you,” Will insisted.
“As am I,” Horatio said.
“If that’s true, then you two still don’t understand me, even after all this time,” she said simply.
They walked in silence through the uncrowded streets. She was able to relax for once, and not worry about what camera or another spotted her face. The airborne drones overhead were just another source of buzzing, rather than potential attackers.
“So,” Horatio said. “You plan to return to Earth and set up shop in Rust Town. What’s next for you after that?”
“For me?” Rhea pursed her lips and glanced at Will. “I think I’ll finally look into getting those genital attachments Will is always talking about.”
“Ah yes, the genital attachments, the final frontier,” Will quipped.
She smiled. “It’s going to be fun.”
“I’m looking forward to introducing you to all the ways genitalia can be put to use,” Will said, raising his eyebrows twice.
She was going to rebuff him, but then an evil thought came to mind. “I’d love that. By the way, didn’t I tell you? I’m getting the male attachments.”
Will’s expression soured. “Figures.”
She echoed his earlier words as she continued: “I’m looking forward to learning all the ways genitalia can be put to use. So many orifices, so little time.”
“Gross,” Will said.
“What, not interested anymore?” she pressed.
“Nope,” Will said.
“You humans.” Horatio waved a dismissive hand at them.
Rhea laughed.
Brinks, Renaldo and Targon were waiting in the terminal of the space port.
“I be so excited about the coming days!” Targon said. “We’ll be having some memorable games of Robot Wars!”
She patted him on the shoulder. “And so we will, my friend.”
“I get all streaming rights, of course?” the merchant pressed.
“You do,” she agreed. “You always do.”
She and the others donned the spacesuit rentals required by the Martian port authority, then loaded into the Molly Dook.
She settled in the cargo bay with her friends, next to Will.
Before launch, she rested her helmet on the shoulder assembly of Will’s spacesuit. He looked at her, seeming surprised, but she only smiled and nestled against him ever closer.
Yes.
Home.
She was very much looking forward to it.
This concludes the Warden tetralogy. Like the series? Try the Mind Refurb saga. Trust me, you'll enjoy these too. Find the saga on Amazon at https://readerlinks.com/l/1054459
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