ROMULUS (The Innerworld Affairs Series, Book 1) Read online

  "What about your United Nations?"

  "The U. N. actively concerns itself with military aggression of one country against another, but environmental issues have pretty much gotten outsourced to other global organizations or committees, such as the U. N. Environmental Programme which has made great strides in research and analysis, but basically have no power. There was one group created with enforcement in mind, but they couldn't even convince the United States or China to join them."

  It would be easier for Rom to disagree with her if she made no sense but her reasoning was valid, her conclusions irrefutable. A unified effort by all the governments of Outerworld was the only answer and she had worked long and hard to create a plan that might go a long way to get such a unification off the ground. And yet, Rom had no choice but to refuse her request to go back, no matter how important her work was. "Tell me about your family."

  Aster blinked in surprise. She had at least expected a response to her comments so that she could continue the debate. But perhaps he lacked the conviction of his earlier words. Perhaps she was making progress with his rational mind. As if his changing the subject was acceptable, she responded to his question. "Cherry's like a sister to me and she's here. I was an only child but I don't remember my parents. My grandmother raised me and she died last year."

  The arrival of their dessert spared her from explaining a source of embarrassment. Her childhood melted into a haze. She knew she was born in a commune in Oregon and that the teenage boy who had fathered her had taken off for Canada before she was born and never returned as far as anyone could determine. Her grandmother was his mother but he had rejected her and her vast fortune. Aster had no recollection of ever taking a bath or owning a pair of shoes for the first eight years of her life.

  One day, her grandmother took her away. Her mother, far off on a hallucinogenic trip, never objected, then or afterward. Aster was immediately scrubbed to within an inch of her life and forced to wear frilly dresses and polished shoes that hurt her toes. A private tutor badgered her all day long. The only people to talk to in the huge mansion were the servants and they weren't permitted to play with her. The loneliness was worse than the unfamiliar rules and severe discipline. She learned quickly that if she obeyed each command, or better, if she could anticipate the order, she rarely experienced the weight of her grandmother's hand or the sting of her teacher's paddle. So she strove to be perfect enough to please everyone.

  Upon her grandmother's death, she had inherited everything. The real irony was now that Aster would be presumed dead it would all go to the woman her grandmother had hated so much—Aster's mother. If she was alive. And if they could track her down. If not, where would all that money go?

  When she set her fork on her empty plate, Romulus asked quietly, "Was there a man in your life?"

  "I was engaged to be married. He was murdered six months ago." She looked away.

  Warning bells clanged in Rom's brain. No wonder she was as skittish as a newborn colt. During her extended silence, he had clearly felt that she was remembering another tragedy. It didn't bode well for him that he was experiencing such strong empathy with her. Although he knew all the reasons not to spend time with a new arrival, the reasons why he needed to get to know this one were piling up.

  The logical part of his mind demanded he return to his office and leave her and her grief to someone more capable, to run from her convincing arguments that tempted him—a chief administrator—to break a primary law. His emotional side argued that all she needed was tender loving care, something he suddenly felt very capable of offering. He could help her overcome her losses, make her understand his point of view. But it would take time, his mind told him, something he could not afford as a nominee for the governorship. By concentrating on his high hopes for his political future, his logical side won the brief skirmish.

  From the frown on Romulus's face, Aster surmised either her persistence had seriously annoyed him or her gloominess had depressed him as well. She decided to help him escape from her. "It was very kind of you to spend so much time with me but I know I'm keeping you from your work."

  "I'm afraid you're right. I do need to get back to my office. I'll walk you out to the lobby first." This time he kept a good distance between them as they walked.

  When they reached the front entrance, Romulus wished her good luck in her new job and walked away without so much as a parting handshake.

  Faced with a free afternoon, Aster took a stroll down the lilac-edged sidewalk to the library. Romulus's comments about Innerworld's stand on noninterference convinced her to learn a little more about this world, so she settled in at an available vidcom.

  To find the origins of Innerworld, Aster had to go back about twelve thousand years to the planet of Norona. She quickly learned that a fuel shortage had threatened to undermine their entire civilization. For centuries, expeditions had searched the galaxies for a new source of the energy needed to keep their planet from returning to a primitive age, but to no avail.

  When the rare, dust-like substance, volterrin, was discovered inside the planet Earth in unlimited quantities, the people had rejoiced. It was estimated that the amount of Earth's volterrin was sufficient to power Norona indefinitely without affecting the donor planet. The fact that Earth was populated with homo sapiens, like themselves, was an unexpected dividend.

  Fascinated, Aster read on. At the same time the Noronian energy crisis had peaked, a revolt sprang up, mounted by a small group of malcontents who wanted to return to the simpler ways of life, before technology and volterrin. It was decided that since that was their wish, the rebels would be sent to Earth where civilization was extremely primitive and would be scattered among the humans on the surface. Thus, when Noronian spaceships were outfitted to carry several thousand people to colonize the center of the valuable planet, the rebels were on board.

  No one could have foreseen the catastrophe the Noronians had unleashed. During the long years the Innerworlders occupied themselves constructing a world to duplicate their own, the rebels in Outerworld thrived uncontrolled. With their superior mental abilities and knowledge, they allowed Earth's simplistic people to believe they were gods and the budding civilization regressed to barbarism and depravity.

  The mythological gods of Greece and Rome were as human as their lowly subjects, but with their advanced mental abilities, they had no trouble inspiring awe in the Terrans. One of the cruelest Egyptian leaders was an extraterrestrial rebel who was mad with power and considered his subjects mere beasts of burdens. Without restraints, evil grew until it could no longer be reversed.

  Something had to be done and the decision of the ruling Tribunal on Norona was extreme but successful. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and catastrophic floods were purposefully triggered and civilization had to begin again with hand-picked survivors, but without hindrance from the Noronian intruders. Earth's peasants who were saved did not comprehend the truth and so the memories of those gods and their temples lived on through the surviving worshipers.

  Aster devoured the information as fast as it appeared on the screen. The inflexible part of her mind voiced doubts, but proof of the truth of what she had read was that she was here, in Innerworld, and the world she knew was no longer accessible to her.

  She scrolled to the next paragraph and read on. After the "natural" disasters, the Tribunal had dictated that the future of the planet Earth must be carefully monitored so that such corrective measures would never again be necessary and that Norona's stability would be insured. As Outerworld civilization developed, it became essential to place Noronian emissaries in strategic locations on Earth, living quietly, but prepared to intervene subtly if their host planet or its natives appeared to be threatened.

  Alien spies, Aster interpreted with a queasy feeling, until she read a little further. There were only a few events in recent history when emissaries had been used. One was the sabotage of Germany's atomic bomb research during World War II. No one would ever know how close
the Terrans had come to doomsday. Aster shuddered to think of what her world might have been like without Innerworld's selective interference.

  There was so much more she wanted to know but decided on just two more subjects for today. The first was the air filtration Romulus mentioned. When she got back home, and somehow she would, she wanted to take a treasure with her.

  * * *

  Ping. The faint sound caught Romulus's attention and he noted the blue flashing dot on his monitor, notifying him that someone had just accessed a Code II file containing Innerworld's most sensitive information accessible to the public. Code I was strictly confidential, like Operation Palomar, and could only be accessed by a few authorities. Out of curiosity more than concern, he pulled up the visual of the inquirer and the researched information.

  When Aster's studious face appeared, he didn't wait to read the bio running across the bottom of the screen. He stormed out of his office and headed for the library. He had no doubt her questions about the filters went beyond casual interest. She didn't seem to comprehend the meaning of the word no.

  * * *

  For the first time in her life, Aster wished her background had been in science instead of economics. It was going to take more than a quick read to understand the construction of the filters. She would have to learn how to access the library files from her apartment where she could take extensive notes in private.

  Now to find out about Edward's remarks. Since she knew so little about the near-rebellion he had referred to, it seemed to Aster the most expedient route to the information was through the man involved. She activated a keyboard and typed Romulus Locke. As though typing the letters generated the power to conjure up the subject, she heard his voice behind her.

  "Hello. Learn anything interesting?"

  Her fingers quickly switched off the screen. When the ripple stopped at the bottom of her spine, Aster stood and turned to find herself within inches of Romulus's imposing form. She could not back up and he seemed intent on crowding her.

  "How long have you been standing there?" she asked, hoping he could not sense her momentary panic.

  Romulus blocked her escape. "What were you reading?"

  "History." It was suddenly so stuffy she could barely breathe. "Do you have the time?"

  "About 1800 hours. Do you have another appointment?"

  "No. I just wondered. I was so involved with what I was learning, I lost track of time. Let's see, that would be six o'clock, right?"

  "Right. May I give you a lift home then?"

  Aster paused only a moment before accepting his offer. It would be easier to let him take her home than trying to find her way on the shuttle.

  En route, Romulus encouraged her to share what she had learned.

  "As a matter of fact, I covered about twelve thousand years of history. That was plenty for starters."

  "And?"

  "I was fascinated. I always thought there were too many holes and myths in our early history."

  "What did you want to know about me?" He kept his eyes on the road.

  Aster cringed. He had seen his name. Compose yourself, she thought. "I heard you prevented a rebellion but it wasn't mentioned in the history I read. Will you tell me about it?"

  "It wasn't much." Wasn't much? Just the most important event of my life. He had planned to question her about her interest in the filters when he walked up behind her. Then she typed his name on the screen and his stomach had done a somersault.

  "For many years the handful of Outerworlders who got trapped here were easy to deal with. Unfortunately, as their numbers grew, some reacted violently to their circumstances. Terrans were considered too dangerous to be allowed to live among Innerworlders. They were contained in camps, taken care of and... studied.

  "About twenty years ago, one group refused to live out their lives under such controls. They escaped their encampment and took over the central mine and Car-Tem's Administration Building. I was a junior administrator at the time and they held me as one of the hostages. To make a long story short, I convinced their leader and Governor Elissa to meet and work out some compromises. She had the tougher job. She had to convince the Tribunal on Norona that we needed to update the laws concerning Outerworlders."

  They pulled up in front of her building and Aster regretted that they had arrived so quickly. She had so much more to ask him. "Would you like to come in for dinner? It's the least I can do for a living legend. I really would like to hear more." Wouldn't Cherry be pleased she had taken the initiative?

  "Great." What happened to his good resolutions of only hours ago to stay away from her? He rationalized that he still had to discuss the matter of her curiosity about the filters.

  Throughout their meal, Aster pumped him for details of his exploits. She couldn't help but notice how his eyes turned greener the more she showed interest in his accomplishments. "I apologize for the snide comments I made about your work, Romulus. You've earned the right to be proud."

  His stomach did another flip. She had called him Romulus and praised his work, all in one breath. In the case of this female, he considered it real progress. Suddenly he knew why he had accepted her dinner invitation. It was his curiosity, not hers, that had to be dealt with.

  Aster watched his green eyes soften to a warm brown as his gaze drifted over her and settled on her mouth. He rose from his dinette chair and came toward her with an expression on his face that seemed to be desire. Had Cherry been right about his being interested in her personally? Her chest constricted with apprehension but, when he reached for her hand and led her to the sofa, she didn't hesitate to sit next to him.

  His head dipped down until his lips brushed ever so gently against hers. He lightly pecked the corners of her mouth. When she closed her eyelids, he kissed her lashes then the tip of her nose.

  A small sigh escaped her, involuntarily encouraging him. His arm slid around her back, pulling her snugly against him, while his other hand removed the ribbon from her hair.

  "I want you very much, Aster. You understand that, don't you?" Rom breathed the words into her ear between kisses that burned her throat and neck.

  Aster squeezed her eyes tightly against the expected assault. His mouth took possession of hers, yet she wasn't at all repulsed. To the contrary, she wanted more. Her fingers snaked their way around his neck to tangle in his hair. An unfamiliar pulsing had begun deep within her and settled between her legs. She arched against him, seeking a satisfaction she was not certain existed for her. Amazingly, she found she could quit thinking and just feel.

  When his tongue outlined her lips, she parted them and his tongue touched hers. She tensed again but his teasing movements tempted her to return the pleasure. He tasted wonderful. How could she have known such bliss existed?

  Abruptly, he pushed her away. In one savage move, he ripped her blouse from her shoulders, leaving shreds hanging from her wrists. He shoved her onto her back and yanked down her bra. The mouth that had been so tender a moment ago, viciously closed over one exposed nipple.

  The scream was inside her head but the sound never escaped. Her entire body had frozen and gone numb the second she heard her blouse tear.

  He finally noticed the change in her. He stopped his attack to look at her face. Her unblinking eyes were filled with terror, not lust, and her skin was more ashen than her hair.

  "Aster? Is something wrong? Didn't I do it properly?" She stared straight ahead, not answering him. When her body started to tremble, he knew he had made some terrible mistake. "Aster! I didn't mean to hurt you. I was trying to please you. I read it in an Outerworld book! It was supposed to be a classic romance. I wanted it to be perfect for you. Do you hear me? Aster!" He took her in his arms and hugged her hard. A minute passed with no response from her. In desperation, he resorted to the only other way he knew how to reach her. He placed his two fingers at her temple.

  What he saw when he touched her mind brought tears to his eyes. How could he have known? The heroine in the book fell mad
ly in love with the pirate who had treated her in the same fashion Rom had imitated. He relayed all of this to her and hoped she could forgive him.

  Touching her mind was like grabbing hold of a lightning bolt. Never had he experienced anything so powerful. He had to use every bit of his will to break the contact, but before he did, he gave her a gentle suggestion to have a good night's sleep with pleasant dreams. Rom held Aster tightly until he felt her tremors stop and heard her soft whimper. She fell asleep with her head next to his heart.

  * * *

  Aster dreamed the old dream again but this time the handsome man had finally kissed her. And, oh dear god, what a kiss it was.

  "Good morning, Aster. It is 0700. Are you awake?"

  "Mmm. Not now, Grandmother," she moaned, irritated by the interruption. What bad timing! Slowly, she became aware that she was on the sofa, not in bed. She'd been covered by a blanket, but beneath that her blouse was torn.

  "Good morning, Aster. It is 0715. Are you awake?"

  "I heard you the first time. Yes, I'm awake."

  "Please remember to respond to your wake-up call if you do not wish me to repeat it."

  Aster wondered how a computer managed to sound insulted. She should be able to grumble at a stupid machine without feeling guilty about that too. She wished she had not insisted on starting her new job this morning, but then she never could have anticipated what happened last night. What a fool she had been. She had actually begun to think Romulus was different, that he could awaken something exciting hidden inside her. Instead, he put it deeper to sleep.

  In the past, she shut out her fears by staying overly busy. Today would be the same. She just wouldn't think about it.

  At the Economics Center her supervisor, a shy, grandfatherly man named Keshu, showed her around then stationed her in the Center's Research Room.