Zaldizko - Chapter 42 Sol Saviour Telescope Factory

Being Charlese, I was strolling through an aisle of workbenches cluttered with metal and rubber parts spread out across their surfaces.

Iron cogs of all sizes, were being pushed into metal pin-boards by elderly workmen in tanned allover suits that covered their bodies from neck to ankle like one big rice sack. Their heads were kept ambiguous with their uniformed flat caps branded with the Illuminate’s crescent moon motif.

“Is the quota on target?” The question came out of my mouth to an elderly workman with a grey beard, hammering in a set of cogs to a pin-board. His wrinkly hands that was filthy with dirt and grime.

“Aye, Milady,” he timidly answered, bowing his head lower to hide his face.

“Do not disappoint if you want to see your family again.” I harshly reminded the man before carrying on down the aisle and eventually entering into the steel works of the manufacturing line.

The constant banging on steel jarred my eardrums. I readjusted my tie to ease the discomfort I felt from the rush of heat coming out of steaming cauldron and kettledrums with loud hisses. My nose tickled from the stench of iron mixed with sweat and grim.

The group used woman to mould the metal parts as their hands were more suited for detailed work. Their children were quick to move cooled parts to the elderly men of the assembly line.

I stared at the woman and children working, taking note of their tanned overalls and long-sleeved shirts. Their identities were also obscured under their branded flat caps. No one made small talk or moved unnecessarily; they worked silently like machines.

It was satisfying to see. This meant that High King Sirius’s quota was going to meet the projected target as per plan. A minor hiccup occurred before me when one of the manufacturing boys tripped at my feet. He dropped a tray carrying valuable cogs all about the dirty concrete floor. I hoped that some of them weren’t nicked out of shape. Today had been going so well too.

The boy bowed low with apology and scurried about to regather the parts back to the tray. He managed to retrieve all the parts, but he was still in my way.

I gestured for the boy to place the tray on the bench without dropping it. He compiled and made a noise when I pulled out my gun.

“Turn around,” I ordered the boy.

He slowly turned. I shot him in the back with a shrill bullet, making him implode into glitter before all the workers of the manufacturing line.

“Let this serve as a warning. Do not miss your quotas. Definitely, do not make any error in front of me again!” I threatened them, screwing up my nose at the glitter scattered near my gleaming black boots. “Someone, clean up this mess.”

The workers continued with their tasks, acknowledging my orders with obedient nods.

I sighed and left the area, making my way up a set of grilled metal stairs and a viewing platform.

The view from the top showed the outlay of an enormous open warehouse that was split down the middle; onside was the manufacturing process lines, a massive telescope supported on an oversized dolly cart took up the remaining space.

The telescope was a glorious creation of gold, iron and bronze with silver-glass dermaleech material trimming edges and forming a pattern of the Sol constellation on the front lens. Its cylinder body was enormous enough to punch a clean hole through the warehouse’s wall. In place of the lens viewing area was a miniature planetarium machine balanced on shimmering winged platforms, which flanked either side of the body near the declination setting circle. The back end viewing area was a triangular prism, propped up by two mirrored flaps to resemble a large portspell.

The machine whirred and emitted warmth and vibrations, which stirred a tingling sensation along my arms.

“I saw your display of leadership back at the manufacturing line. Always one for lasting impressions, are we not?” said my superior when I assumed a place by his side.

He was watching the labour on the telescope like a hawk with a firm stance to show the full length of his height. His black gloved hands were clasped behind his back so his broad chest was puffed out.

As per other members of the Illuminate Group, he wore the tanned uniform of a high ranking officer. His coloured merit stripes were pinned, pristine, to his right breast pocket of his jacket, which was fastened by a single row of shining brass buttons running the length of his long torso. The official tanned tie and white shirt was visible within the jacket’s spread area. A tanned utility belt held a number of pouches toward the right side of his waist whilst his left side supported a gun holster to his hip. A leather belt crisscrossed his chest and back area to reinforce the weight of the gun to his belt.

He faced me so I could clearly distinguish his features. His head was covered with an officer’s stiff peaked cap, sporting the insignias of a commander. His skin was of the pale kind; clean-shaven and showing no wrinkles or laugh lines for a man his age; nose was the right point and flatness to the bridge. Even his cheekbones were symmetrically aligned. The only attribute that didn’t belong on his perfectly handsome face was the deep silver scar-line, which ran from the bottom of his left eyelid to corner of his lips.

Shrewd grey eyes peered at me with an unreadable expression.

“The people must always be reminded of their purpose and status in life,” I coldly answered his question.

“You end the boy’s life because he was out of his position.” The commander confirmed.

“I ended his life because he was due to expire anyway.”

“Arlingdon-sama. If you are to rise in ranks successfully, you are still required to hold some sympathy toward the lower classes. Otherwise, we may face another civil contention,” he said.

His voice remained level, but his words grated on my nerves. Why should I bother with the lower class? They were nothing but sheep exerting all their efforts just to make some measly daro for food. If they couldn’t bring themselves up the ranks and formulate wealth, they were not worthy of my sympathy.

My thoughts were distracted with history lessons on the civil contention between the two high princes. The whole affair with my father and his brother was a joke. I was glad I was still a child when the ordeal came to a conclusion. Life would have been a nightmare if High Prince Brystagg had succeeded over High King Sirius. Surely, Leinard and his awful brother would appreciate that fact.

“Bothersome,” I muttered under my breath.

The commander smirked. “Well, you’re still young.”

Our conversation moved on to production updates and manufacturing quotas. I was proud of my achievements towards the success of the High King’s Sol Saviour Telescope. My father’s vision for world expansion was admirable.

“Good. Also, what were you able to gather from that Aueralius boy?” he asked.

My heart plummeted to a murky depth. Of course, he would be obliged to ask since he was the one who gave me the order to extract intelligence from Leinard by any means. I was a succubus, so there was only one surefire way I could extract details from a man like my step-brother. We had been sharing bed for a long time, so it wasn’t out of the ordinary to continue to do so. Despite being the son of the enemy, we had a mutual understanding that made us friends. However, we weren’t lovers, having sex with him was hard on me for this reason and the fact he was a beast that drained my chi faster than I could recover it.

Trent, on the other hand, could revert to null any time. If he wasn’t Leinard’s twin, I’d shove a shrill down his tacky throat and bask in his leftover glitter.

“Since he’s been stationed as a servant, he hasn’t been able to make any progress on his orders. All I could gather was that the Evadale Order had tasked him with an askew instruction to ‘play servant’.” The information rolled off my tongue.

I frowned. Commander Hale was also my lover Troy Hale, wouldn’t it bother him that I was sleeping with another man? His order demanded my infidelity. It was disconcerting, especially when I had decided to be devoted to him for the remained of my fleeting life.

The fuming expression on his face made me flinch.

“Commander Hale?” I swallowed a nervous gulp.

He cupped my chin with his large gloved hand and squeezed tight.

“You’ve slept with him many times, yet this is all the information you could gather?!” He hissed with vehemence.

He squeezed tighter so my jaw ached with threats of being crushed. Tears were squeezed out of my eyes.

“He’s re…strict…ed.” I ungracefully spat out.

He released my chin. I assumed a moment to recompose myself.

“I suppose Marlo has been keeping too much watch on the boy. Yes, you’re right, he needs more reason to move freely. Hmm…” He looked to me with an idea forming.

“Become more of his ally. Let him believe you are on his side to rescue his brother. Yes, that will be your redeeming grace.”

I groaned. “I don’t want to sleep with him. Please don’t make me Troy.”

Troy offered a gentle smile. He grabbed my hand and led me off the platform and into a utility room, where he chased out the workman, so we could be alone. He closed the door.

I was yanked toward his chest, where he slowly undid my uniform, kissing a trail of pleasure along my naked skin. He bent me over some crates, so my backside was exposed. I felt air chill my naked buttocks. The chills were soon replaced with warmth from feathery touches and wet kisses teasing my skin. I trembled with an ache to feel him inside me.

“Troy, please.” I begged him.

I moaned aloud as I felt him ram my hole with his member, thrusting in deep, so I was burning with pain and pleasure. My voice let out unseemly noises as he teased and played with my breasts whilst continuing to ram into my pleasure spots.

“Will you do as I say?” he whispered into my ear.

“Yes.” I moaned. “YES!”

He continued to drive into me until we both climaxed. There was no lover’s comedown embrace as I hoped. He quickly pulled out, redressed and moved towards the door.

“Lieutenant Arlingdon-sama. I trust you understand where our relationship lies,” Troy said before opening the door and leaving me behind.

I made sure my appearance was of a pristine officer again before I headed out to carry out my new orders.

“Forgive me Leinard.” I sighed.

I left the warehouse.

I made my way back to Marlo’s mansion to prepare myself for a party.