02.02 - The Slow Thaw
John Smith smiled and then shook off the impulse to skim the surface with polite socializing and dove right in, "How would you both like to make some easy scratch?"
Telly and R/D exchanged the all-too-familiar so far, so good look and turned back to John for more info. Smith, happy with the tacit approval to continue, continued.
"I have been requested to unofficially thaw Gorluun the Third by the SHS (Sindalian Historical Society) for some easy Q and A."
Telly and R/D exchanged a new look; one of confusion backed further by a lack of understanding. Neither having been on Albe for more than a few weeks, and involuntarily at that!
Looking at their perplexing faces, Smith filled in the blanks. "Gorluun the Third is the rightful blood-heir to the Throne of Albe. However, due to a significant lack of fortitude, he abdicated his autonomy over the Sindalian Empire when he capitulated to the Imperium towards the end of the Second Frontier War. In exchange for his compliance, he was kept on a sort of retainer, a People's Pacifist, for the Imperium appointed Archduke Norris Alderon."
Telly piped up, "But, wasn't that several centuries ago?"
R/D answered, "Yes. More than 400 years ago," and then looked questioningly at Smith. Smith continued:
"This puppet administration worked so well, Gorluun III was placed in stasis and ceremoniously thawed once a year to sign decrees and assure the people that all was well. He is still the Great Emperor of Sindal as far as the local sophonts are concerned."
Smith hesitated for a moment, and then added, "well, most of them anyway."
"The SHS helped broker the deal way back when, so they have become the Throne Tenders. Occasionally, they abuse their privileged access to Gorluun, thawing him in order to help them fill in the gaps in their noble pursuit of everything Sindal arcana... The Imperium doesn't approve of thawing Gorluun without a representative from the House of Alderon present, so... they often ask someone else to do it for them. Plausible deniability, and all that."
Smith relaxed back into his hover chair as he let the quick synopsis of the current political climate of Albe sink in. The robot part of R/D blinked and whirred as it processed the information.
Smith decided to sweeten the pot a little bit. "I could pay you each five thousand credits."
"I have been requested to unofficially thaw Gorluun the Third by the SHS (Sindalian Historical Society) for some easy Q and A."
Telly and R/D exchanged a new look; one of confusion backed further by a lack of understanding. Neither having been on Albe for more than a few weeks, and involuntarily at that!
Looking at their perplexing faces, Smith filled in the blanks. "Gorluun the Third is the rightful blood-heir to the Throne of Albe. However, due to a significant lack of fortitude, he abdicated his autonomy over the Sindalian Empire when he capitulated to the Imperium towards the end of the Second Frontier War. In exchange for his compliance, he was kept on a sort of retainer, a People's Pacifist, for the Imperium appointed Archduke Norris Alderon."
Telly piped up, "But, wasn't that several centuries ago?"
R/D answered, "Yes. More than 400 years ago," and then looked questioningly at Smith. Smith continued:
"This puppet administration worked so well, Gorluun III was placed in stasis and ceremoniously thawed once a year to sign decrees and assure the people that all was well. He is still the Great Emperor of Sindal as far as the local sophonts are concerned."
Smith hesitated for a moment, and then added, "well, most of them anyway."
"The SHS helped broker the deal way back when, so they have become the Throne Tenders. Occasionally, they abuse their privileged access to Gorluun, thawing him in order to help them fill in the gaps in their noble pursuit of everything Sindal arcana... The Imperium doesn't approve of thawing Gorluun without a representative from the House of Alderon present, so... they often ask someone else to do it for them. Plausible deniability, and all that."
Smith relaxed back into his hover chair as he let the quick synopsis of the current political climate of Albe sink in. The robot part of R/D blinked and whirred as it processed the information.
Smith decided to sweeten the pot a little bit. "I could pay you each five thousand credits."
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