The Rebellion (Chapter 1)

Leena's Declaration

Brittney couldn’t contain her excitement as Evan maneuvered the hover car through the streets of Zora. “Look how beautiful it is Evan.” She said as she leaned out the window and took in a whiff of the strong smell of the flowers. Evan smiled keeping his eyes on the road so his wife wouldn’t see his amusement. “Can you believe this? Imaginess has never looked this good. Even my serum has nothing on this.” She looked at him and noticed that he was smiling. “You think this is funny don’t you?”
“No not at all.” He said faking a frown but he couldn’t do it for long before he burst into a small fit of laughter. “It’s just that ever since I’ve known you, every single time we come to Zora you marvel at how beautiful it is.”
Brittney looked back out the window again dreamily but calm. “It’s just that for so many years this place was so dull and dry the vegetation so overgrown. When I came along things changed so much but not even my serum was able to make it this beautiful.”
Evan smiled again. He had heard this speech from his wife so many times since he had met her four years ago but he had never tired of the excitement and enthusiasm that came over her every time they visited this place.
Evan reached across and grabbed his wife’s hand rubbing his thumb along the smooth skin. “I’m so glad things have worked out so well here.”
Brittney nodded agreeing “Thanks to Jatar and his experiments Imaginess is perfectly safe. As long as the humans keep their thoughts peaceful during their stay here they keep in control but as soon as a humans brainwaves become hostile toward an Imaginese they come under the Zotac’s control and she can punish them accordingly.”
“How much longer do you think it will be before his new serums done?”
“The one that protects Imaginese from Juptan control? For all we know he could be finished with it. I guess we’ll know when we get to the mansion.”

Leena entered the polar out of breath “Finally you’re here. I thought you would never come.” Brittney ran to great her aged mother, well not her real mother for her mother and father had dyed tragically many years ago, but this woman had taken her into her home when she was thirteen while she began her research for the plant growing serum.
“It’s been a long year but we could never miss the annual 4th of July party, mother.” Leena smiled at her daughter.
“So can I ever expect any little Turner’s to run through the halls of this mansion.”
Brittney’s face darkened and she glanced across the room at Evan. He gave her an encouraging nod and she turned back to her mother. “I went to see the doctor last week. He said he doesn’t think I’ll be able to have children.”
“I’ll have Dr. Utopia take a look at you.” Leena put in stubbornly.
“Mom,” Brittney protested, “He won’t find anything that my doctor didn’t. My doctor knows my history and has studied under one of the best Imaginese doctors in Pookum. He said that the Quaple I got all those years ago damaged my reproductive system. I can’t have children.”
“You can still let him take a look at you.”
“Alright, if it will make you feel better.”
Just then two men one 20 and the other in his early 40’s entered. “Brittney!” said the older man going to give her a hug.
“Father! Wilhelm!” she gave her younger adopted brother a hug as well.
“Well how was the trip?”
“It went smoothly, Dad, it always is you don’t need to worry I’ve been taking this trip for years. I know all the stops.” Her husband Evan came up and put his arms around her now.
“Yeah Mattim don’t worry she knows more about those trips then I do.” Mattim knew this man had his daughter well taken care of.
“So Wilhelm, how ‘bout you? When are you going to find a woman to settle down with?”
“Don’t rush me Brit, I’ll settle down when I meet the right girl. Besides you’re one to talk you didn’t get married until you were nearly thirty.”
“Hey, I had my brother to worry about you know that.”
“How is Joseph doing anyway?” Mattim spoke up.
“He’s doing good. Can’t make up his mind when it comes to girls but he’s pretty successful when it comes to work.”
“Why didn’t he come with you?” Asked Wilhelm, he’d always looked up to Joseph when he had lived on Imaginess but as soon as he had turned twenty he had bolted back to Earth and hadn’t returned.
Brittney couldn’t stand the thought of telling him the truth: That Joseph couldn’t stand Imaginess and had come to blame Leena for the death of the man he had come to call father. A man that Brittney had loved as a father as well.
“Well,” Leena interrupted Brittney’s thoughts “I’m sure you two are tired. Brittney, I set up your old room if the two of you would like to go and get some rest.”
“Thanks mother.” She reached down and grabbed her suit case and Evan did the same then she turned to leave the room.
“Brittney?” Leena stopped her, “As soon as your rested I would like to talk to you in my office on a matter of business.”
Brittney looked at her mother for a moment confused. She couldn’t read the look in her mothers eyes but her mother gave her a reassuring smile and said, “It’s nothing bad just something I’d like to discuss with you when you’re ready.” Brittney nodded and followed her husband out of the room.

Brittney tapped lightly on the door to her mother’s office. It was nearly an hour later and though Brittney had tried to get some rest her curiosity kept her from sleeping. Finally she had resorted to applying some fresh makeup and went to find her mother.
A gentle call from inside the room bid her open the door and she stepped in smiling at her mother as she entered.
“Ah Brittney have a seat.” Brittney seated herself in one of the soft chairs across from Leena’s desk. “Don’t look so worried, dear. As I said it’s nothing bad.”
“So what is it then?”
Leena came around her desk and sat on the window sill beside Brittney. “As you know me and your father are getting old and we are thinking of retiring.”
“Retiring! You can’t do that the people need you. This is the coolest job in the universe you can’t just retire.”
“I can if you and Evan take over. You don’t have any kids to complicate things.” Leena let her words sink into Brittney for a moment and when they did she jumped up shouting her protests
“WHAT! What about Wilhelm.”
“I’ve already discussed this with him and he agrees that you’re the best one for the job.”
Brittney fell back into her seat. That didn’t sound like Wilhelm at all. All he’d ever talked about as a kid was what he was going to do when he got to rule Imaginess. She leaned forward again as another thought surfaced. “What about the people? You always taught us that the choices you make have to do with what’s best for the people.”
“Of course.”
“Well mom I don’t think the people would approve of a human running this planet. I mean look at the stuff they’ve done to the hotel. I don’t think it’s going to be standing much longer. And why do you think they’re doing that? It’s not because they don’t like you.”
“It’s only some of them.”
“Even so mom I don’t want to take that chance.” With that she stood and stormed out of the room not giving her mother another chance to respond.
Brittney wasn’t quite sure where she was headed but as soon as she arrived she knew why she was there. She glanced down at the pristine waters of the outdoor pool and glanced around for a moment to see if anyone else was about. A servant was washing windows farther down but otherwise no one was about. She moved to the wall and grabbed one of the cleaning nets off the wall and moved back to the water. She slapped the net on the water three times and returned it too its place on the wall.
She then returned to the side of the pool removing her shoes and socks and rolling up her pant legs she stuck her feet in the water kicking them gently. A shadow moved in the water and she smiled, a moment later she jumped to her feet as a spray of water hit her square in the face. She screamed and then broke into a fit of laughter as she lowered herself back to the wet pool deck. “Hello Delphis.” She greeted patting her dolphin friend gently on the nose. She remembered that she had stuck a peppermint in her pocket back on Earth and fished it out of her pocket and unwrapped it. She threw it too him and he caught. He was shocked at its minty taste and dropped it into the water. After a moment he decided that he liked it and dove down after it.
Brittney laughed when he surfaced having swallowed it whole. “I’ve missed you Delphis.” She said rubbing his nose. The dolphin gave a series of clicks and whistles and Brittney nodded she had been surprised when after learning the language of Neptune she was able to understand Delphis. While it was a slightly different dialect she was able to understand it with some work and had now become quite fluent in both speaking and understanding.
“I am upset.” She said in Neptunee.
“What’s wrong?” He chirped
“It’s mother she wants me to rule Imaginess instead of Wilhelm. I just wish I could make her understand Delphis. It’s not that I don’t want the job it’s just that I don’t want to make the people upset. What am I going to do”
“You could always refuse.”
“Yeah I could do that but that would just make her mad.”
“You could dump her in here and let me give her a piece of my mind.” Brittney laughed but then became serious again. “She’s taking the idea to the council today to see what they say”
“Are you worried?”
“No I’m not worried they’ll say no and she’ll except because as she always says ‘it’s the people that matter.’”
“What about Wilhelm?”
“See that’s why what’s got me most confused. It’s always been Wilhelm who was going to do it I was never even a consideration. The people love him too and he’s a Imaginese which helps a lot. But apparently he’s ok with this. I hope this doesn’t become bigger than it needs to be.”
“There you are!” Evan’s voice made her jump and she turned toward him. “I’ve been looking all over for you. What are you doing?”
She turned back to see that Delphis had disappeared his shadow disappearing into a hole on the other side of the pool. “Nothing, just soaking my feet in the water and thinking.”
Evan sat down beside her kicking off his socks and shoes and dipping his feet in the water. “So what did your mother want?”
“Nothing much, it’s just a big misunderstanding that will get sorted out soon enough.”
“Oh really!” Evan looked into her eyes and she turned away, “that’s not what your eyes say.”
Brittney sighed. “Linda and Matthew are retiring.” She said using their Earth names which Evan knew could only mean she was more irritated than she was letting on. “They want us to rule in their place.”
“What! That can’t be right.”
“It is and apparently Wilhelm agrees it’s the right thing to do.”
“Don’t worry Brit, she won’t get away with this, the council will never agree.”

Leena sat at the table surrounded by her advisers they had covered almost everything on her agenda and the agendas of those around her, everything except her big announcement. Now the counsel stared at her as if trying to decide whether or not she was serious but when she repeated the announcement a look of complete seriousness on her face the room erupted with protests
“My command is that my daughter Brit will become the leader of Imaginess when I retire.” The council erupted with protests
Japhin looked at her aghast “I’m sorry Leena but the people will never allow it.” The others in the councel nodded their agreement murmuring among themselves
“I didn’t ask if they would allow it, I’m commanding that Brit become leader after me.”
“But Leena she’s human.”
“Do you think that I don’t know that?”
“Of course you know ma’am.” He said trying to keep calm and respectful before his leader but already he was raging. “It’s just that people may start thinking that you’re becoming a human lover.”
Leena glared at him now “I am not a human lover I just want what’s best for my daughter.”
Anger boiled within Japhin forcing him on his feet as the council exchanged whispers among themselves “And in the process you’re destroying this planet.” Shouted Japhin pointing his finger accusingly at Leena, “you are being selfish.”
The words hit their mark and dug deeply into Leena’s self-esteem. Leena rose to her feet, planted her hands firmly on the table and leaned forward her voice rising “I am not selfish and my daughter will rule.” The council became quiet, dead quiet, all eyes were on her now. She leaned back recovering from her outburst “anyone else have anything to say.” No one dared to say a word “good. Then it’s official my daughter will rule starting the beginning of next year.”
Japhin scowled and dared to speak once again “You’re making a big mistake Ma’am.”
“Thank you Japhin for that advice.” Leena said brushing off his comment and changing the subject, “Now remember you are all invited to my annual 4th of July party. Hope to see you all there. Counsel dismissed.”

“What I can’t believe it, they accepted.” Brittney, Evan, Mattim, Wilhelm and Leena were all sitting in the polar. “I’m going to run the planet.” She turned to Wilhelm “What do you think of this Will.”
Will shrugged “I think it’s the right thing to do. I have to say I was surprised. But mother makes some good points. You have nothing weighing you down Brit.”
“Neither do you.” She said leaning down near where he was sitting and looking into his eyes.
Will was quiet and suddenly Brittney understood. This wasn’t what he wanted at all. He still wanted to rule but he wanted to please his mother even more. Brittney was silenced by this revelation. She straightened herself staring at him
“Well then.” Stated Leena oblivious to what had just occured “It’s all settled then Brittney you better start packing your bags if you’re going to learn anything before the end of the year. I’m going to bed.” With that she left the room followed by her husband.
Brittney put her head in her hands. Evan scooted over to her side and pulled her close to him “You don’t want the job do you?” He asked. Brittney shook her head.
“That’s not it,” she looked up “Something just doesn’t seem right. This job is yours Will it always has been since you were little it’s always been said that you would one day rule. I can’t take it from you and I can tell you still want this.”
Will looked away
“My first act as Zotac will be to give the job to you.”
“You can’t do that.” Shouted Wilhelm
“Why not if I don’t the people will rebel.”
“If your mom doesn’t change her mind soon” Said Evan “they may rebel before that.”

A mist filled Leena’s sleeping brain and voices and pictures flitted through her head. This wasn’t the first time she had dreamed like this she had had dreams often when she was younger but it had been years since she had had one.
A scene flitted though her mind the scene was of her talking to the advisers and telling them that they didn’t have a choice. Then it went black and a familiar voice filled the stillness
“Leena, you must be the best Imaginese you can be. We understand if you make mistakes everyone makes mistakes but know this, if you put yourself before others you will never be able to see us and instead all of your world will fall to pieces around you…fall to pieces around you…around you…around you.” The voices seemed to bounce off the walls of her mind and made it difficult for her to tell where it was coming from. “You will have many choices in your life do your best to choose the right ones…right ones…right ones.” A man stepped out of the shadows then “Do these words sound familiar my daughter.”
“Of course they do they were the warning you gave me the first time I met you. How could I forget?” Leena crossed three sets of arms in front of her not sure what her father was striving at.
“So you haven’t forgotten them I thought for sure you had or maybe you have chosen to ignore them.” Her father sounded angry or maybe just disappointed she wasn’t sure
“No!” she said not bothering to hide her own irritation
“But you have made a most selfish declaration” Gaylin pointed out, “and if you don’t make things right your world may very well turn upside down.”
“I don’t have to take this.” Leena turned her back toward her father and put her hands over her ears as she said, “I’m tired of listening to you. You are a dream your not my real father you’re a figment of my imagination and I don’t think your stupid prophesy is ever going to come true either. I may have listened to you as a kid but I’m done. Brittney will become leader and the people will just have to deal with that fact. Now go away and don’t ever bother me again.”
There was silence behind her and Leena glanced over her shoulder to see if he was even still there. He stood there a look of pain etched deeply in his face. A lump caught in her throat as she realized what she’d said but she was too stubborn to apologize. Finally Gaylin spoke again. “It isn’t my prophesy Leena. It’s Kohath’s.”
Leena swallowed but refused to show that the words were hitting their mark. She gained her composure and threw another biting remark at him. “Well then why doesn’t he come and talk to me himself?”
Gaylin shook his head. “Kohath works in mysterious ways. He never works the way we want him to or think he should.”
Leena scoffed, “Yeah that’s what I thought. Why don’t you go bother someone else’s dreams?”
Her father didn’t respond but just faded into the mist. Then the voice of her mother called out from the darkness that had suddenly enveloped her. “I will miss you my daughter and I’m sorry that I will never get to meet you.”
“Wait what do you mean Mom I didn’t send you away just Dad. I like you Dad’s just so demanding come back. MOM!” She sat down in the middle of the blackness and began to cry then her mind went black and she saw no more.
Leena woke up with a jolt and glanced around the room. Mattim lay beside her undisturbed by her dreaming. She climbed out of bed and grabbed her robe off a chair and moved down the hall until she came to a balcony overhanging a courtyard. The wind had picked up and the morning mist was beginning to settle as the sun began to peek above the horizon. She took in a breath of the morning air. It smelled fresh and beautiful as always but even the air wouldn’t remove the haunting feeling from her mind.
As the sun rose higher in the sky the full impact of what she had done began to weigh on her mind causing her to fall to her knees and cry out to the quiet courtyard. “Kohath, what have I done? Please forgive me.” A gentle breeze brushed her hair and she knew that Kohath had forgiven her but as she glanced up once more at the rising sun she knew that it was too late she would have to pay for her poor decision. Death was in the air.

Brittney slipped out of her room she was unable to sleep after having a disturbing dream. A man had come and told her that she had to get off the planet before the 4th of July. Her mother had failed he said and now she was going to have to pay for her selfishness. The thought disturbed her but it was only a dream that had probably been induced by the stressed feelings she was having over her mother’s decision.
The sun was beginning to rise as Brittney moved through the mansion she passed one of the courtyard doors and heard a gentle moan she stopped in her tracks and moved to the door glancing outside to the balcony. There sat Leena curled into a tight ball and sobbing. Brittney threw open the doors and ran to her mother’s side.
“Mother what’s wrong?”
Leena looked up at her and tried to get a grip. Finally she got a hold of herself and stood to her feet brushing away the tears. “Nothing I’m fine. What are you doing up so early anyway? Not even the servants are here yet.”
“I had a nightmare and couldn’t sleep.”
Leena glanced at her strangely then asked. “What did you dream?”
Brittney hesitated. “I dreamed that a man came and told me to go back to Earth I think he was afraid there was going to be a disaster or something. He was kind of a nut job.”
“What did he look like?”
“He had long brown hair kind of scraggly and wore really old fashioned clothes, his eyes looked kind of sad when he spoke.” Brittney related surprised at how well she was able to remember the man from her dreams.
Leena turned toward Brittney again and she looked nearly panicked. “You must do what he says Brittney. You and your husband must leave at once. I’ve made a mistake that I regretfully can’t fix and now I must pay for it. But you must leave immediately you aren’t safe here. It was a mistake to think that you or any other human belonged here. Your place is on Earth now go.”
Brittney didn’t know what to say so she did the only thing she could ran back to her room her mothers words ringing in her ears. “Evan, we must leave immediately.”

“You wanted to see me Japhin?” A beautiful woman with pure gold hair and the slenderest features of anyone on Imaginess had ever seen stood in the doorway nervously as Japhin turned to great her.
“Yes my dear I did.” Japhin said moving toward her, grabbing both of her hands in his and pulling her into the room. Wella relaxed as he pulled her down beside him feeling safe at his nearness.
“What’s going on?” She asked in her gentle voice placing her hand gently on his arm and sending a shiver up his spine. She was completely unaware of her power over him so clueless as to anything having to do with men. Which made her all the more perfect for him.
Japhin gained control enough to answer her question, “Leena has gone mad she is commanding that her daughter Brittney become ruler after her.”
“But she’s a human.” Wella stated her beautiful eyes widening at the thought.
“Exactly, that’s what I told her but she wouldn’t listen.”
“GRRRR, that makes me so mad.” She growled standing and pacing the room. This was another reason Japhin liked her. She was timid on the surface but deep inside she was greatly opinionated, only he knew how to unlock the beast within her. “Why does she think that she can do things like that?” Wella continued to fume, “I mean letting humans come here for vacations and sightseeing and building Hotels and museums for their amusement is one thing but then making a human ruler of the planet that’s going overboard.”
Japhin smiled “I agree and I personally won’t stand for it.”
“What are you going to do?” she said crossing her arms in front of her.
“Destroy them we can’t let them get away with this. She’s invited me to the Porth of Tuly party or whatever it’s called…”
Wella interrupted him “She never holds Friendship Day parties and she invented that holiday and what about Techno, or albino day all the great Imaginese holidays and she never celebrates them anymore.”
“Exactly that’s why we attack on that day.”
“What if she renounces the declaration?”
“I’m tired of letting her think she can use us. Leena’s time is up. We strike either way. Meanwhile you get close to the boy.”
“What? What boy?” she said sitting down beside him again.
“Wilhelm of course get close to him and find out their weaknesses anything you can find that will help us take them down.”
“I can’t do that.”
“Sure you can, you’re an amazing looking woman all it will take is a couple bats of those eyelashes and one glance into those beautiful eyes and your set.”
Japhin leaned over to kiss her to prove his point and brushed his hand gently down the side of her face and down her arm.
“I’ll try.”
“That’s my girl.” He leaned over to kiss her again and helped her to her feet. She turned to leave but he called out, “Oh and Wella don’t forget your engaged to me.”
Wella turned back and smiled at him. “Of course, Japhin, how could I forget?”