Omnia, Ubiqua, Simula

CHAPTER 24:

PART A

Rooh Fizel, the new Throne Ambassador called a meeting with the two other Chiefs of their respective Service Division, the Couriers and the Star Sailors, respectively Lah Farai and Lai Ribheg. The meeting was done in one of the Crystal Palace's Conference Room, namely the Lapis Lazuli Room, one of 24 Gem-named Rooms surrounding the Central Complex that contains the literal Thrones of the Palace.

An actual donut-round table is at the center but an opening of that table where a central speaker can enter to speak to all the people sitting in the table.

In this, Rooh Fizel, now playing music with a harp, from his morphed arm sitting on one of the tables. Being an oinoskamb, Rooh is not winged, and his gray-blue body glistens in the light of the pyramid shaped crystals or 'Lewks' stuck on the ceiling or on the sides of this giant room, only his plain red-colored clothes amplify his presence. Seemingly small when Lah Farai and Lah Ribheg, the winged ones approached the smaller Kersian. At almost two meters, one can see why they are assigned as Couriers and Star Sailors, quick, nimble and they can fly.

"How do you find the suggested proposal our group gave you since it affects most if not all of you?"

"Good Morning, Lord Rooh Fizel," and two Kersians bowed slightly to him.

Rooh Fizel realized he hasn't given them the customary greetings of calling Lah Farai as the Chief of Couriers and Lah Ribheg as Chief of Star Sailors.

"Good Morning, my Chiefs!" and he takes bow and stood straight once more, waving his open palm to the seats.

"Thank you," Lah Ribheg responded and he signaled Lah Farai to sit as well.

Once they sat, Lah Farai, once more waved his hand to his forehead and out of it projected his version of the plan, which is merely a series of words, with references to the Canon.

"It is merely a formalized approach to how we, the Star Sailors and Couriers have been performing. Your proposal merely streamlined our usual work as the respective emissaries of the Empire."

"How about the insertion of the Throne Ambassador's work within your system?"

Lah Ribheg answered, "Our work requires that the Legions of Couriers and Star Sailor comb the Empire on a regular and scheduled basis. The Legions of the Throne Ambassadors aren't as numerous as us."

"My cohorts have been recruiting additional Oinoskambs…"

Rooh Fizel's voice was cut-short when the Door of the Lapis Lazuli Room opened. Even from a distance, Leeh Xamai's presence and voice cannot be ignored.

"You know for a fact that we cannot just recruit thousands of Oinoskambs! They each need the Circlets like we all do."

Rooh Fizel felt dumbfounded once the huge official walked toward them. Even if bodily Oinowes are smaller than him, they appear bigger due to their large wings – almost no different from huge bats of ancient Earth, except than they stand rather than suspend on branches. This however is an Oinoghreu, a combination of the horns and hides of bulls, the strength and agility of bears and the speed and ferocity of tigers.

Still unable to answer, Rooh Fizel looked at Lah Ribheg, a Chief who can stand vis-a-vis with Leeh Xamai.

Lah Ribheg stood slowly and greeted the great Kersian creature, "Good Morning, Chief Guardian of the Empire."

Leeh Xamai gave a nod and a 'namaste' sign to all three of them before taking the bigger seat at the end of the table.

"Again," Leeh Xamai grunted, "how many do you plan to add to the Oinoskamb Legions? That would require tens of thousands of Circlets, and Circlets are only personally approved by any one of the Royalties."

"I have offered the idea to the Empress and the Queen, and both have agreed to it. They said it will only require the use of automation," Rooh is visibly shaken as he answered back.

"And who will harvest the Deocibus plants, which I heard won't be blossoming in several years' time?" Xamai replied.

"There are synthetic versions of the Crystals. The Royals only allow the natural ones for their purposes but the synthetic ones are for general use."

"I have no idea that even Leip Crystals are synthesized, it is personally made by the Royals for certain group of us, which is why we all have these 'crowns' around our heads. Wait," He looked intently at Rooh Fizel, "you don't have one?"

"It's embedded in my brain, since we're morphers, circlets won't work on us. They will fall off if we morphed into something else. The Emperor had to mentally control me to morph open my nervous system so he can attach it there. It's inside me, Sir."

"So then how can you do such a thing to thousands of you? The Emperor might live long but not long enough to do that to all of you."

"We might need the presence of the Royalties, sir so we can proceed with the proposal. Its only a proposal, my Imperial Head Guard. It's only a proposal."

"Well then, let's offer these proposals of yours to our King. He's the King of this planet. He'll be the future Emperor of this Empire."

PART B.

Leeh Xamai, Rooh Fizel, Lah Farai and Lah Ribheg all asked permission to have an audience with the Prince.

The four creatures responsible for the motion of the entire Xai Empire, appeared to be disagreeing with each other about a certain proposal from a newly appointed Throne Ambassador. All are now standing like soldiers, aligned and equidistant from each other, and maybe unconsciously arranged themselves based on the scope, influence and status of their position. Facing the Imperial Prince, from his left, is Xamai, Ribheg, Farai and Fizel.

"Where's Rooh Zivel? And Edee?" as he looks at his friend and close personal Guard.

The creature cleared his throat, "Rooh Zivel has been transferred to the Navigators, which falls directly under the Chiefdom of Lah Ribheg. Also, my dear King-who is Edee? Is that Zebedee?"

"Don't call me King, Leeh Xamai. Even if my father is the Emperor, one cannot be king in a planet where he resides."

"But who's really the King of Xavenon after your designation as the Successor and have access to the Memory Staff?" The Head Guardian asked.

"I barely use that thing. It disorients my perception of reality. Let's not go to these specifics, shall we? I learned that you have disagreements on Fizel's proposal and that Farai and Ribheg tend to agree with it and you don't?"

"That's the gist of it, Master. Yes," Xamai nodded in agreement. The three non-Oinoghreus also nodded in unison.

"I've read the proposal. I would recommend that the proposal be approved," then he looked at Xamai, "provided that Throne ambassador's emissaries are any of the three Kersians who already had the circlet. Those that will be taken as Throne Emissaries will then be replaced from their usual position with Deu-enhanced Kersians and select Lexais and Akhmadians. The Lexais and Akhmadians will be supervised by Zebedee."

A look of shock in all four of them looked fascinating to Emmer.

"As to why use some humans is due to their communication and reasoning skills."

All three couldn't ask 'why Zebedee?' although Emmer can hear it from their heads loudly.

"As for Zebedee, he has wisdom of humans and literally older than all of us. He's disciplined and follows direct orders but also gives insights of the probable error of one's decision."

"As you wish, your Wisdom as Prince knows no bounds," Rooh Fizel said and bowed to the Imperial Prince, and that made Leeh Xamai look in the Oinoskamb's direction.

To Xamai, however, there is this imperceptible smile in the lips of the King.

"Don't forget to call Zebedee, he's still busy appreciating our artificial world, outside the Tetrahedral Palace," the Prince reminded all of them.

"We call him in audience with the Emperor."

PART C

The Emperor was joined by the Empress and Theba at the Council Table, in the Black Onyx Throne Room. Milled around them, all standing, were the same group of people with the exception of Lah Farai, who's now represented by Lah Ribheg. So the entire meeting now constitutes the three Kersian groups, the three human groups, the Imperial Prince and his wife, Theba and the Emperor and the Empress.

The Emperor sat while everybody else followed.

"Formalities aside, I found the final form of the proposal from the Prince with some additional recommendations from the Princess too – the inclusion of humans and her special request to include Zebedee, the sole survivor of the ancient human race from Milky Way. Maybe his wisdom will serve us well."

"Once you called me by Mental message from your Kingdom Throne, I consulted the Memory Staff, that contains the Canon plus the Old and Ancient Rulings or the Traditions, the proposal appears to resurrect the concept of touching the masses, a concept that brings the eyes and ears of the Empire closer to the voices of the masses it ruled. We find that appealing and has all the precedents associated with it."

"I therefore accept the proposals of Rooh Fizel and Lah Ribheg with amendments of Leeh Xamai and addenda of the Prince and the Princess. I am to amend as well that all final rules stop by the Prince and the Princess and only the Prince should make consultations to me on certain issues that require the Memory Staff and the Canon."

"This meeting is declared adjourned," and the Emperor placed the Memory Staff to both the Prince's forehead and then his. The entire conference minutes is then recorded somewhere by the Memory Staff. The meeting was so short that all questions of Zebedee needs to be addressed to the King of Xavenon himself.

The Prince and Leeh Xamai eventually came up with guideline for its more detailed enforcement. The entire committee of the Throne Ambassador, The Heads of Star Sailors, The Couriers, the Imperial Guards and the Royalties created the necessary documents and bulletins, making it sure it jives with the Canon and when the Emperor and the Prince agree on the details. The Prince however still generally avoids using the Staff so the it remains under the care of the Emperor.

Eight days later, several space-tunnels were opened and thousands of worm-craft-carriers, loaded with worm-riders were dispatched and the message were broadcasted far and wide through the Office of the Throne Ambassadors assisted by the humans, mostly escorted by the Imperial Guards or the Star Sailors.

PART D

Zebedee, seemingly dumbfounded by the quick turn of events asked the Prince once he found time to talk to him in private.

"First, how do you do things without paper, microphones, megaphones or even online things?"

"We talk through our enhancements, the circlet, for example. No secrets can happen if all of us use it," The Prince clarified.

"But I don't have one myself?"

"You don't need one. You can depend on your ability to reason out fairly," Emmer felt something.

"Does it also mean you don't trust me that well?"

"We do trust you but you need to understand that the Kersians are not humans and they need the circlet in their heads to make them smarter, while us, we use it to enhance our mental ability beyond the humans. Another thing is that the Circlets don't work with humans, Terrestrials like you, Lexais or Akhmadians."

"But why not?"

"Its designed to detect minds greater or less than a human mind. In other words, the device's base mentality are humans."