Beneath Terran Thrones

Chaper 3

She glanced around the table, meeting the eyes of each minister, some of whom were seasoned politicians who had served for decades. The room was silent, the air heavy with expectation.

“Earth faces numerous challenges,” she continued. “Our resources are strained, our people are suffering, and our system of governance is outdated. It’s clear that the old ways of doing things are no longer effective. We need new ideas, new leadership—”

Her gaze lingered on a particularly obstinate minister, who shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “—and a new direction. The future demands innovation, not the same tired faces clinging to power.”

A murmur of unease rippled through the room, but Charlote pressed on. “Corruption, inefficiency, and complacency have plagued our administration for too long. We need transparency, accountability, and integrity if we are to lead our people into a better future.”

She paused, letting her words sink in before continuing. “And that’s why I’ve taken the liberty of conducting a thorough investigation into the actions of our current ministers.” Each of them looked at each other, confused, dumbfounded, could not believe their ears and eyes for that matter. How could it be? Is it even legal to do those sorts of investigations?

Charlote stood up, holding the USB drive aloft. “What I have here is irrefutable evidence of misconduct—bribery, affairs, and various other breaches of trust that have undermined our government.”

A stunned silence fell over the room. The ministers exchanged uneasy glances, some shifting in their seats, while others stared at Charlote with growing alarm.

With a decisive motion, Charlote connected the USB drive to the central console, projecting a series of damning documents and recordings onto the large holographic display in the center of the table. The evidence was indisputable—financial records, incriminating emails, surveillance footage—all detailing the corrupt practices of several high-ranking ministers.

Gasps and whispers erupted around the table as the full extent of the scandal unfolded. Charlote’s gaze remained unyielding; her voice steady as she addressed the room.

“This evidence speaks for itself. The ministers implicated will be removed from their positions and will face immediate investigation and prosecution.”

As she spoke, a team of security personnel entered the room, moving swiftly to detain the ministers involved. The scene was chaotic—accusations and denials filled the air, but there was no escaping the damning truth displayed for all to see.

Charlote watched with a mixture of satisfaction and resolve as the old guard was escorted out; their reign of corruption brought to an abrupt end. She had delivered the blow that her mother had prepared her for, the moment she had been waiting for.

As the dust settled and the room emptied, Charlote took a deep breath, feeling the weight of what she had just accomplished. Mareka stood by her side, a rare hint of approval in his eyes.

“You did it,” he said quietly.

Charlote nodded; her gaze fixed on the now empty seats around the table. “Yes,” she replied, her voice tinged with a mix of triumph and resolve, and a little hint of doubt, she closed her eyes. She often imagined herself living a normal life where her family were nobodies, and they lived a private happy life. Maybe father and mother wouldn’t be so distant buried in their work, and they would all sit around the Christmas tree… She would often imagine… Then she would open the eyes and: “But this is just the beginning. Now the real work starts,” reality would always be there to greet her.

She turned to face the remaining ministers, who looked at her with a mix of fear, a lot of fear in fact. They had now realized what cloth was Charlote made from. Those recordings and evidence half of them fake, a farce, just to set up the ministers for their downfall. And Seymour at the center of it, the mastermind behind it. The ever-loyal hacker and servant to the governess, to her new empire to her new ideology for the universe.

The ministers nodded in agreement, their expressions a blend of apprehension and cautious optimism. Charlote knew that the path ahead would be challenging, but she was ready to lead, to bring about the change that Earth so desperately needed.

With a final, resolute glance at the room, Charlote walked out, Mareka following closely behind. The echoes of her footsteps resonated through the Senate building, a harbinger of the new era she was determined to usher in.

“Obviously, I would want my brother to be the health prime minister, Isabella would accept to be science prime minister. Now that that’s sorted…” she stopped and looked at Mareka. “Prime Minister of defense,” she looked at him from head to toe. “You’ve served my father all these years, my father has never said a bad word. I’ve trusted you so far…” she looked away. “You know my secrets… can I trust you with more of them?” Mareka stared at her for a moment. A second if you will reflect on what he’s about to do. He may have been a loyal servant to the governor but there is no obligation for him to accept what Charlote is proposing. Unless of course, out of love for the United Nations of Earth or for the safety of his family, one or the other. He looked at her straight in the eyes and nodded at her question, in which he does indeed accept the position as Prime Minister for Defense. Charlote moved closer to him.

“It’s going to get dirty…” she whispered. “It’s going to get ugly,” she warned. “It’s going to be… traumatizing. Of course, all of this comes with a huge raise,” she winked. “What’s say you?”

“I say… Terra Aeternum,” Charlote gave a slight grin.

“Terra Aeternum,” she repeated. “Now… any word from Alex?” They kept walking down the hallway.

“Alex is Alex, he does his things his own way, but there’s no way he f***s this up,” spoke Mareka. “We hear when we hear from him, the instructions to him were clear, radio silence for the whole thing.”

Alpha Prime – Year 2358 – Capital World of Alpha Centauri

“f*****g hell,” they will pay for this. “Ohh… Alex, this mission has you fingerprints written all over it, Alex this mission suits your character! f*****g unbelievable, the amount of manipulation that’s going around it’s just preposterous!” He kept yelling to himself as he walked down the crosswalk, people passing and staring at him just another nutjob talking to himself. And there was a reason for all his frustration. You see this time of year Alpha Prime was hell, at least on this side of the planet. It may have been sunshine and rainbows on Earth, but here was winter, and this was winter like January. No colder month than January.

Alpha Prime’s winter was merciless, biting through layers of clothing and numbing any exposed skin. The cold seeped into his bones, but it was the least of his worries. The snow-covered city, with its towering spires and neon lights cutting through the gloom, seemed a world away from the relatively temperate Earth. But Alex wasn’t here for the scenery.

Turning down a narrow alley, he approached a nondescript building guarded by an imposing door. This was the headquarters of the Renewal Front, a political party whose rise to power would spell trouble for Charlote's plans. He took a deep breath, steeling himself for what was to come. The building loomed ahead, a fortress of secrets that he was about to breach.

“Whew…” he shook at the entrance spraying snow everywhere on the red carpet on the floor. “Ah…” he noticed the reception’s desk and walked towards. The receptionist seemed busy on the computer; she didn’t even notice him. “Ahem…” he cleared his throat, as she finally lifted her head. “I have a meeting with your leaders,” he stared back and smiled.

“A meeting?” She was confused. “But… there’s nothing scheduled,” she looked at the screen.

“Forget about it…” he said and quickly moved towards the office entrance.

“Umm… sir, you can’t!” She chased after him, but it was all for nothing as he pushed the doors with both his hands and raced inside the office.

“Ladies and gentlemen!” He clapped hands as he was entering, the politicians confused, they looked at each other.

“I am sorry, he just barged in!” the receptionist tried to justify herself.

“Ladies and gentlemen, moment of your time please,” said Alex. “Trust me this is important. And if I am being honest, it’s very crucial to your well-being, both physically and psychologically. Just a few minutes is all I am asking for.”

“What is this about?” asked the leader. Alex looked at him, and nodded, smiling at the same time.

“Are you Jeffrey?” he asked. The leader was taken aback, how does he know his name?

“Yes…” he replied.

“Of course he is black…” said Alex under his nose.

“Excuse me!” Jeffrey raised his voice.

“Nothing… never mind,” spoke Alex calmly. “Name’s Alexander Graham, without the Bell of course,” he chuckled. He started pacing around the room. “Now gentlemen word is around the empire you’ve gone and formed yourself a nice union here, a hub, a party.”

“Nothing wrong with that, just grown-up people gathering, hanging around,” justified Jeffrey.

“Yes, yes, of course. But the problem is… These gatherings are more than gatherings, word is they are rallies. And you, Mr. Jeffrey, seem to have half the planet convinced that your way is the true way. The way of the future, the way of harmony where Futraxi and Men live as one.”

“It’s a nice dream.”

“Hmm…” nodded Alex. “Of course, now that the governor is on his deathbed, the vultures start circling, everybody with their own ideas and ideologies, the old governor was wrong I will make things better if I take over. And it’s understandable, but this s**t needs to stop.” Jeffrey looked at the others, fear setting in.

“Who are you to say what we do?” asked one of the members from Jeffrey’s team.

“I’ll be brief. I want to get out of this godforsaken planet. I don’t want to stay anymore; it’s winter and I packed wrong.” He looked around. “I come on behalf of Miss. Charlote, governess to be. Each one of you has family captured and held hostage by our special agents,” he pulled out a phone and showed them the live feed.