Ex Nihilo - Abyssal Prophecy

Chapter 6

Gabriel’s room was a landscape that offered him serenity and peace from the hardships of life. To his left was a door to his lounge and bedroom. Across from him sat his desk, positioned in front of one of the few viewports on the ship. From the window, one could take in the absolute nothing that existed beyond the ship.

 Hanging on the wall were the skulls of enemies he had defeated. Most of the skulls were human, but there were the oddly-shaped skulls of a few alien species, as well. He took a moment to drink in his past glories. He could almost feel hot blood on his face and hear the cries of vanquished foes and the cheers of his soldiers.

With a sigh, he marched towards his armour rack. He unfastened the clamps with a loud click. The feel of the weight sliding off his shoulders elicited a groan of release from him. He slid off his boots and placed his feet firmly on the soft fabric of his wool carpet, drinking in the pleasurable feeling.

“Oh, that feels so good,” Gabriel moaned. Stretching his arm, his bones cracked and popped, echoing in the empty room. He could hear a soft, faint noise from his lounge but paid it no mind. Instead, he walked to the viewport to stare out. Beyond was an endless sea of darkness.

Gazing into the abyss, he didn’t hear the door to his lounge slide open or the sound of approaching footsteps. A thin young woman with long blonde hair tiptoed across the room. Well-develop muscles pushed her forward with silent grace. A wide, mischievous grin spread across her delicate face. Her blue eyes glistened with excitement.

“Surprise, Father!” she yelled.

 He pivoted in shock.

 “My precious Angelica, how many times have I told you not to sneak up on me like that?” Gabriel chided.

Her lips formed a pout and she looked down at the ground, playing on his emotions.

“I am sorry, my darling. Ambushes require a warrior’s instincts, and I don’t want to accidentally hurt you because I was surprised.”

Looking up, Angelica smiled. When the time was right, he would meet his end by her hand. The promise of her mother echoed in her head. She had all of the advantages on her side. Only twenty years old, and in prime physical condition, her years of playing the innocent little girl were her allies. He was already entangled in her web.

“Don’t be silly, Father. We both know you could never hurt me.” She giggled.

She reached up and poked him in the nose before he could react.

“Hey, don’t do that!” he exclaimed.

“Some reflexes you have, mighty warrior.” she teased. “Mom asked me to come get you. She said she needs to talk to you.”

Groaning in displeasure, he could only imagine what his wife had to say. Before he could say anything, Angelica took his hand and led him towards the lounge door. He couldn't resist Angelica’s demands, and so followed. Couches made of soft linen dotted the room, which was filled with smoke. Women sat on every one of them. A group of women was working out in the gym in the corner to stay in shape. Some of them were smoking from large hookahs, others were drinking, and still others stood around a bar, being served by another member of the harem. All of the women were slender, with hourglass figures and large breasts. But, most importantly, they were all submissive to Gabriel. One of the women walked up to him and handed him a glass of whiskey on the rocks.

“For you, my captain,” she said in a soft voice.

“Thank you.” He sipped the drink.

Angelica sauntered across the room leading her father. They approached the only woman who looked to be in her late forties. Looking up from a book, the woman smiled on seeing her daughter, and then her smile faded when she saw her husband. Her green eyes narrowed. Standing up, her elegant blonde hair glistened in the light in an intricate braid. She curtsied in respect.

“Captain, you grace us with your presence. I hope your day wasn’t too hard on you,” she stated in a monotone voice.

“My dear Helena, you look busy with your books, as usual. What are you reading today?” He glanced towards the book dangling in her hands to see the title, but he couldn’t make it out.

“Oh, nothing dear. Just some flights of fancy.” Helena leaned in to kiss her husband. She had to fight back the need to gag. All of the women stared with hatred burning in their eyes.

“Well, that was pleasant.” He pulled back. “Angelica said you needed to speak to me?”

“Yes, Captain. One of the servants informed me that you had an emergency meeting of the lords and ladies of the wards.”

            Gabriel rolled his eyes. The last rebellion still echoed in his mind. With a deep sigh, he admitted to himself that it was better to tell Helena to protect all of the women.

“There was a hull rupture in the Lower Wards, but don’t fret. Kain and...” Gabriel choked for a second on the words. “...Mathew were there to help, and we got into a fight after.” He saw her pupils dilate with anger. “Calm yourself, wife. He hit me and I could have had him executed as a traitor on the spot, but I didn’t.”

Helena couldn’t stifle her sigh of relief.

“So, why did you call a meeting?”

“We’re low on oxygen and need supplies. I wanted to do a cull to conserve what’s left of our stockpile. I am not sure who yet, but someone got a hold of our family secret message from the end of the war. They broadcasted it during the meeting just as I had everyone set to do what is necessary. Everyone demanded we continue to the station, and that’s what we’re doing.”

“I thought you said going into any star system would be too dangerous because of raiders?”

Slamming the glass down on a nearby table, Gabriel caused whiskey and ice cubes to fly out and onto the floor. He took a deep breath and looked away from his wife to his bedroom door. Without another word, he trudged towards it. A faint glow scanned him and whisked the door open. Turning back, he motioned to Angelica to follow before disappeared inside.

“Is it time?” Angelica asked.

Helena leaned in close to whisper.

“We must wait until the timing is right. Your father still controls a vast army that even the lords and ladies don’t dare cross. Do as he asks, and do not tip our hand. Everything must be right for our plan to work. What you do is for all of us women, and so it must be done perfectly.” She could see the frustration in her daughter’s eyes when she pulled her head back.

She couldn’t watch her daughter walk into the room and so turned and sat back down. Placing the book on her lap, she ran her fingers over the title Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince. The book had been a gift from Matthews to help her fight back. She had long prepared for this. Despite the horrors of living under Captain Gabriel’s rule, she wouldn’t risk everything without absolute certainty. She glanced at the women and tried not to think about her daughter's sacrifices. Instead, she focused on the fact that for everyone’s sake, there could be no failure in this endeavour.