Page 53 of Right Next Door
No one in living memory had ever seen a vitulli in the flesh. There were no records anywhere known that depicted the vitulli or even described them. The other founding member species of the Coalition also had no records of who the vitulli were as a species. Holotulle, the capital ringworld of the Coalition,could be considered their home, but it wasn’t their original homeworld. That planet was long gone, destroyed with their system’s sun. The ringworld had been built afterwards as their new, artificial, homeworld.
But despite that, no vitulli was ever seen to be living there. Holotulle was comprised entirely of other member species – and maybe a few refugee non-member species. The vitulli themselves were never seen in any of the ringwold’s districts.
The only exception, ever, was the vitulli acting as the High Imperium. And even then, no one ever actually saw them. They were always wearing thick, heavy robes and shrouds that concealed even the potential shape of their body. They spoke using a combot, their real voices never being heard. No one could even say for sure if theyhadvoices.
The High Imperium almost never left Holotulle. And they were only ever seen on it during formal, important events, such as the yearly Coalition gathering. The only recorded times they ever left was when they were going to a new planet that was being formally inducted into the Coalition ranks as full member species. Even then, they only stayed for the length of the ceremony and then they were gone, just as quickly and mysteriously as they arrived.
Kree hadn’t seen the High Imperium since their own induction into the Coalition a couple hundred years ago. They never expected them to step foot – or tentacle or paw or whatever appendage they might have – here ever again.
So, why were they comingnow?
“Is there a problem?” Davard asked, coming around the desk to read the message from over his shoulder, just as quickly distracted from their dating research. This was the kind of important update that demanded their immediate attention.
“There shouldn’t be,” Tsok mumbled, thinking back. Trying to figure out if something had gone wrong in some way. If there was any reason the High Imperium themselves needed to come here.
He could think of nothing. And the message itself wasn’t that helpful either. It was short and to the point-
‘Greetings and good tidings to you, Representative Tsok 365-8896-8966547 of Kree,
I am writing to inform you of my imminent arrival on your planet. There is a task that requires my attention, and I must be on Kree to perform it. I do hope that I can count on you for lodgings and accommodations. I need only a room, you need not worry about providing me anything else. My task is a small, but important one, that won’t take much time to complete. However, I look forward to seeing you for my time there.
My gratitude,
High Imperium’
What task would require the High Imperium themselves to come to Kree? What could they possibly need to do here that couldn’t be done elsewhere?
The High Imperium believed in neutrality. Though the Coalition was made up of many different member species, they were, in fact, members. Like that of a club. The High Imperium didn’t actually have any ruling power on Kree. And that was by design. The purpose of the Coalition wasn’t to bring the member planets under one government, but instead just to make them allies. The Coalition was meant to facilitate trade, travel, understanding, innovation, and defense. The member planets were forbidden from warring with each other, but they would all protect each other if a non-member species were to attack any of them.
In that way, they weren’t their leader at all. But the vitulli were the first species of the Coalition, and the High Imperium always opened, led, and closed the yearly meeting of the member species. In that way, they were absolutely their leader.
And they were cominghere.
“What do we do?” Davard asked, pulling Tsok back to the present.
Tsok didn’t answer immediately, still trying to figure out why this important person, who was rarely ever seen, and even more rarely ever left Holotulle, would suddenly, without warning, come all the way out here.
There was a second part to the message. It was also simple, giving Tsok an ETA and a list of requirements for the place they would be staying at – which really wasn’t much. They weren’t even bringing guards or attendants or anything.
And, honestly, that was even more mysterious. Tsok rarely traveled without Davard, he had his own security detail, he often had servants attending to him wherever he stayed. Davard had people that worked for him as well, and he was just the char’s assistant. For the High Imperium, who was even above the char, to haveno oneelse, was just…odd.
Not for the first time, Tsok asked himself who, or evenwhat, exactly was the High Imperium. It was a common thing for people to ponder, since they were so mysterious. But he had grown up with the High Imperium always being exactly that, so it might have been a fleeting question he’d have occasionally, but it was never something he seriously thought about until just this moment.
It was easy to never question something you had always known. But, though they were mysterious, they were at least predictable in their behavior.
And now they weren’t, and he was unnerved by it.
“Prepare a room for them here in Glass Manor,” Tsok finally said. “Make sure to follow the list of requirements and requests. I entrust their comfort to you.”
“I will see that everything is done personally,” Davard assured him, though his tone was still one of concern and curiosity.
Tsok sat back. “Do you think… it could be about Misty?”
“The charina? The Imperium has never visited any of the other mated humans though.”
That was true. Humans didn’t mate off planet in such high numbers that the Coalition had a surplus – most species had never had a human mate or a hybrid youngling. Tsok didn’t think the number had even hit triple digits yet. If the High Imperium wanted to check in on the humans being mated by the various species, it wouldn’t be too large an undertaking at this point.
But if that was their goal, surely Tsok would have heard about it by now. Even at this moment, he was getting messages from the seniors asking if it was true that the High Imperium was coming their way and if he knew why. It was a big deal for them to leave Holotulle, so if they had ever visited other humans, he would know by now.
