“I am not a dictator,” Uther said simply. “I listen to the people.”
Vivian shook her head slightly.
“I do. Yesterday I had an audience with five new provinces to listen to their concerns. Does a dictator do that?”
She shook her head again. “I suppose not.”
The overhead doors to the hangar were entirely open now.
“Ready for launch.” Even Merlin seemed more cheerful than he had been in the past month or so. He told Uther there was nothing left to find out about Nimueh and had cheered up immensely.
“Then it’s time to go out and see what the people of Camelot have done,” Uther beamed. “Stand by for the maiden launch of the greatest ship in the solar system: The Prydwyn!”
With a little rocking motion, the Prydwyn left the ground, the thrusters turning to balance the ship as it did a vertical takeoff. Smoothly rising up, the ship cleared the hangar safely and the crew cheered unashamedly. The sleek, silver, bullet-shaped Prydwyn rose over castle Pendragon and across the fields.
“Now let’s take her up,” Uther said.
“Engaged next level,” Ector commanded.
With a little rumbling and some loud adjustment, the Prydwyn rose up at an angle, higher and higher until they had reached twelve thousand feet.
“Straight and true now,” Ector said with a giddy smile.
They were now soaring above Camelot’s lush world and purple mountains. Colorful birds and strange mammals with wings raced away from them as the shiny intruder made its way across the sky.
***
Igrain watched the ship sail out and away from her. Uther had kept his word. Camelot had launched itself into near perfect civilization in a matter of a month. With only a week left, Uther over-excitedly anticipated seeing what he had created for his people. She was less tentative about it now that she had seen the D.R.U.I.Ds in action. They were relatively the same, she thought. They did not seem brain-dead as she had expected. But she didn’t know what went on inside their heads and realized she could be blinded to the truth inside.
Merlin looked and acted more light-hearted and she took that as a good sign. She had also lapsed peacefully into the role Uther had put her in. She had not picked up a gun or so much as a tablet in months. As her belly grew larger, she took delight in wondering what her next child would be like.
This made her think of Morgause and Lot. She hadn’t seen them in ages and missed her young daughter. Morgause was not as old as she appeared. All children had received an advancement drug before they left the synthetic planet and were all put to sleep. They had all then received an age progression regression. She and Uther were hundreds of years old now. But they hadn’t been able to live their lives.
Missing Morgause hurt painfully now. She went to her side of the bedroom and opened up a video call to Lothian. A moment later, a woman’s voice asked, “I do not have security clearance to transmit a communication from Camelot, I am sorry.”
“Wait, please!” Igrain said. “I’m Morgause’s mother. She’ll want to speak to me.”
“Name?”
“Igrain. Tell her it’s Igrain calling.”
Clutching her stomach, she waited. Why would a communication from Camelot need to be secure? There was no longer any war and no one on Camelot had done Morgause or Lot any harm as far as she knew.
“Mother?” Morgause’s face appeared on the small screen on the wall like a portrait.
“Morgause!” Igrain cried, pressing her hands to the screen. “Where have you been? I’ve been so worried.”
“I have been too. Where are you?” her daughter’s eyes glistened and were pressed so close to the camera, Igrain could see the tears clinging to her lashes.
“In Castle Pendragon, of course. I married Uther.”
“I see,” Morgause’s eyes traveled down to her belly. “When did that happen?”
Igrain smiled. “Don’t worry, this is Galois’s baby. Your brother or sister. I had one more night with him before…”
Morgause frowned severely. She had the look in her eyes like she was calculating the mass of the universe. “Will you come to Lothian, Mother?”
Igrain laughed a little. “I cannot now, but I’d love to come and visit. I miss your charming moon. It was so divine.”
“No,” Morgause shook her head. “I mean come and stay. Something is not right on Camelot. Lot and I, we went looking for father that day he was reported dead.”
“I wish they had found his body.” She cast her eyes down and rubbed her growing belly.
“I did,” Morgause said in a hard monotone, the dam that had been holding her words back, breaking. “Buried under Vortigern’s castle. Lot was there too; you can ask him.”
“What?” She glared up at her daughter. “What are you saying exactly? Did Galois go back after the war was over?”
“No, there was a bug in your home system. Lot found it. Someone was using father’s passwords while he was away. We wanted to look into it more, but our signals are blocked from Camelot. We cannot contact you or use any of your satellites that you’ve launched recently. Lothian is cut off and that can only be for one reason.”
“What?”
Morgause laughed darkly. “Are you that slow already, Mother? You were once so sharp and witty. Someone killed my father and is trying to make sure we don’t find out who. And to make sure you cannot. Don’t you see who it must be then?”
Igrain shook her head but tears appeared in her eyes. “No, I don’t know who you mean.” She reached to shut off the communication.
“Wait, please!” Morgause begged. “Look.” She stepped back and turned sideways. “We match. I’m due in another six months or so. Same as you.” She smiled hopefully. “I’m going to call him Gawain after Lot’s grandfather. He says it will bring
