14. Georgiana

Axl gives me a once over. I’m wearing a long black dress and he’s styled my hair in a braid, not that anyone will be able to see, as I’m wearing a cloak with a hood. “You look good.”

I don’t question him about the cloak. Maybe it’s going to be cold? Maybe it’s just part of the game. “Thanks. Are we going to win this now?”

Axl doesn’t answer me directly. He says that he doesn’t have any more energy to try to explain the truth. After a few seconds he replies, “You will either recognize this for what it is or not. Either way I’ll continue to be here for you.”

Poor Axl, he’s been in this game too long.He doesn’t know what’s real and what’s fantasy. I hope that I can get him out with me and get him some mental help. Other than thinking he’s an alien, he seems like a really nice man.

Axl leads me off the Hio. We are the first to disembark after the crew, who stands to the side and bids us farewell by saying, “Walk in the gods’ light.” The first thing that hits me about Space Port One, besides the colder air, is the tangy fragrance that seems to be overwhelming all my senses. I’ve never smelled anything quite like it. Then the lighting. It’s so dim. I didn’t expect billionaires to go for energy saving lightbulbs when everything else in this game has been so high-tech. Perhaps they ran out of money for the ending. Or they spent it on the costumes. There are a lot of grey people here all dressed in black, wearing silver necklaces, hair charms, earrings, and rings. None of that was cheap.

“This is Space Port One. It’s the busiest port in the Empire. We need to keep a low profile as we walk to the House Zu transport that will take us down to the planet.”

Axl puts a hand on my back and urges me to walk forward. A lot of grey faces stop and stare at me. I can’t help it. I stop and stare back at them. Then a flash of light catches the corner of my eye and I look to my left. There’s a large window and I can see a massive dark blue planet below with lots of little ships passing back and forth. I walk towards the window. I ignore him telling me to come back. I put my hand out and touch the window, but I don’t feel glass, just a tingling. It’s uncomfortable. I pull my hand back. “Is this CGI?” This must be why the lighting is so dim, it’s to highlight this incredible special effect.

“Georgiana, we don’t have time for this. Please don’t look out the window it can be unsettling. All we need to do is walk fifteen meters to the House Zu transport. One foot in front of the other.” When I don’t move he adds, “Don’t you want to win or not?”

That spurs me on and I begin to walk slowly in the direction he’s indicated. I try my best not to look out the large window, but it’s difficult to resist after he’s told me not to. And if I don’t look out the window, all I see are grey faces staring at me. This isn’t real. It’s a game. It’s almost the end.

We stop in front of two grey men who are wearing uniforms that say ‘House Zu’ and then we are escorted away from the staring crowd into a waiting transport. Axl straps me in, which has become his custom, and we descend to the planet below. I can’t help but watch out of fear and curiosity. When I begin to feel nauseous, I close my eyes and think this must be a ride from an amusement park. One of those that just drops. But after a few minutes pass, I worry this is the end of my life because we are still in free fall.

“We’re almost there. You’re doing well,” Axl says.

I don’t acknowledge him. Is this the end of the game? I hope that when I get out of this contraption I’m in Germany somewhere close to the cabin or at least my hotel.

When we land, Axl unstraps me and we step out of the House Zu transport. My heart is beating so fast and I’m holding my breath as I expect to win now. Axl and I have fooled everyone. I expect to be in Germany and see humans, but my hopes are dashed when all I see are more grey faces. No one looks pleased to see us. How is this not the end of the game? What was that dramatic free fall if not the finale?

Axl bows. “The gods have guided our light home.”

Everyone else bows but an older woman. She looks at me with such fierceness I want to get back on the transport.

Axl tries to get her attention by speaking again. “Mother, this is Madame Georgiana. She’s human.”

“I can see that she’s human. Why have you brought your pet here, Axl?”

“Mother, she’s not my pet. Can we please discuss this inside?”

“If she’s not your pet then what’s she doing here? There’s no place for a human in Imperial House Zu.”

Obviously, I’m meant to fight for my right to be in Axl’s home. I address his mother, “Who are you to tell me where I don’t belong? The gods have blessed us.” I chance the religion card again as it worked well the first time with Commander Fox.

“The gods indeed. What do you know about the gods, human?”

“Enough to know they have blessed me with manners and not you.” I realize after the words leave my mouth that I shouldn’t have said that given the reactions of everyone else including Axl around me. I wait anxiously to see how his mother will respond. I don’t know why I’m surprised they wrote an evil mother in-law into the script.

“Mother,” Axl cuts the other woman off when she begins to speak. “Please let us enter so we may discuss this privately.”

His mother balls her fist, but then nods. Axl leads me in through a large gate taller than two semi-trucks and then up a pathway past little modern houses towards a mansion. Grey faces surround us. Both men and women and children. Everyone seems curious about me but no one is speaking. Some of the children touch my hand to see if I’ve painted my skin.

Once we reach the mansion the doors open for us and Axl walks through the hallways to a large reception room with modern black and grey furniture. His mother and another woman follow. Once the four of us are in the room, the doors automatically close. I seem to be the only one in awe of this house.

“What’s the meaning of this?” Axl’s mother asks, pointing at me like something the cat dragged in.

“Don’t you see, Mother? The rumors are true. Axl married an alien. But if she lived here before, I never saw her.”

“We asked everyone and no one has ever seen a human in House Zu. What in all the galaxies is going on?”

“I saved your son,” I say boldly, shocking everyone.

The younger of the women begins to laugh. “You? A human saved our brother? He’s one of the best officers in the Empire.”

“Yes I did.” I don’t back down.

“She’s not lying. Lia, I couldn’t attend your first day at the High Council because the Empress made a request and I couldn’t deny her. While completing her imperial demand, my ship was destroyed and I became stranded on Earth. I could not risk telling the Alliance Force the truth so I made up a lie that I had returned to retrieve my human wife. I found a human woman willing to share this lie and now here I am. Madame Georgiana has played her part well and now must be rewarded and returned to Earth.”

Axl’s mother says, “You were correct in assuming the Alliance Force could not be trusted. Already there’s gossip that you were married, which is what we had heard...”

“All of this gossip can easily be swept away. We will say that the Alliance Force is mistaken. This woman just happened to be at Space Port One with you and coming to House Zu at the same time,” the younger woman says. “No one would believe Imperial Fleet Reserve Commander Axl of Imperial House Zu would marry so below his station,” Axl’s sister looks me up and down. “And one so… round.”

I expect Axl to say something to defend me. Hasn’t he found me attractive this last week? Or was that all a game as well? Astonishingly, Axl says nothing, but embraces his mother and sister as they surround him.

“Thank the gods it was an error,” his mother says as if she’s just found out her son hasn’t died.

I stand there like a fool while they have a family reunion and rejoice he’s not really married to me. In that instant, I decide I don’t care. I just want the money now. “Is our pretend marriage over?”

Axl looks at me as if he had forgotten I was there. He walks over and takes my hands in his. I try to pull my hands back and after a second he relents and lets me go.

“You have helped me get back to the Empire, that’s what I asked you to do...”

I cut him off. “Good,” I say holding back some of my emotions. How can Axl be so callous? “I wanted to win. Are you going to change clothes now? I want to see the real you.” And maybe then we can both get out of this game and I can get you the help you need.

“What in all the galaxies is she talking about?” Lia asks.

“Madame Georgiana, as I have told you many times, this is all real. You’re across the galaxy on what you call Kepler 186f. This is the real me. I’m not from Earth. I’m a citizen of the Alliance Empire.”

“I don’t call anything ‘Kepler 186f,’” I say and look around to gauge my surroundings again. “I’m in an exceptionally large house that could be European for all intents and purposes. You all could be wearing grey paint and black wigs. I mean you’re all speaking English. This is a game. This has always been an elaborate wealthy man’s game.”

Axl’s mother calls for the doctor and then says, “Axl, have you given this poor human woman brain damage?”