Henrich's World Ch. 04

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A month too late, I got a much better offer than the university's. A group of aging tycoons wanted to buy an entire habitable planet or moon to develop as some strange sort of retirement community. "Mr. Henrich, our organization, F.U.N.N.E.R. would like to make you as wealthy as our richest members. For ownership and full rights to a comfortably livable world, Free Use Nudist / Naturist Erotic Retirements will pay up to ten million tera-creds! We'll also provide interstellar freightcruisers to supply our new world and any nearby, transporters and relays for instant travel between all settlements in the star system, and Hypercoms for our new world and any of yours. Please reply to schedule a survey and contract offer soon."

I'd wracked my brain and made a big sacrifice for only four thousand, but they were offering up to ten MILLION! I made a fist and pounded the side of my hand on the table repeatedly. BAM! BAM! BAM! "Fucking DAMMIT!" Once I relaxed a bit, I went over the terms of my deal with the university. For up to six years, I would need to let the scientists explore all the survivable planets and moons in my system. Luckily, there was nothing in the contract against hosting surveyors or explorers from other organizations at the same time. I requested that F.U.N.N.E.R. send a survey team and make me an offer for whichever of my moons or planets they preferred, then set one of my bots to building another dormitory.

As I laid in bed and hugged Nora, I savored the possibility of a deal with F.U.N.N.E.R. It would take years, but most of my problems might be over! I could have a free Hypercom! Even better yet, free interstellar freight would reduce the cost of anything I bought by half and double my income! Best of all, if I wanted, MILLIONS of tera-creds would let me leave and retire to a life of luxury only an eighth of the way through my life!

The pleasant thoughts made it quite easy for me to relax. I was nearly asleep when Nora reached into my underwear and seductively asked, "We've made love five times today, Jonas, but wouldn't seven or eight be even better?"

I gently held my hand to the back of her neck and said, "Good night, Nora." I pressed the power button at the base of her skull, then got a full night's sleep for the first time in a week.

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After I finished in the bathroom the next morning I felt my stomach rumbling and remembered my lovebot was a good cook. I powered her on and before she could ask for yet more sex, I ordered, "Switch to your next lovebot personality."

In a neutral tone of voice she replied, "Activating new personality, 'Daddy's Darling Deedee'. Please wait." I saw her breasts and butt shrinking slowly. She still had her beautiful blue eyes and long blonde hair. Her figure was much less voluptuous but still attractive, with halved-orange-sized breasts and somewhat of an hourglass shape. As I finished getting dressed, she sweetly said, "Good morning, daddy. What would you like me to do?" Her arms and legs had shortened, and she was only the height of my chin.

"I'm hungry. Go make me some breakfast."

"Sure, daddy. I love you." She smiled and stood on tiptoe to kiss my cheek sweetly, then walked to the kitchen nude. Her barely mature looking and extremely cute new body was nice, but confused me a bit. I wasn't quite sure if wanted to hug or screw her more.

As I walked toward the front door I glanced at the calendar on the kitchen display screen. It was Friday, June 13^th, 2804. I didn't believe in religion or superstitious nonsense like bad luck. The catastrophe happening on Friday the 13^th was a heck of a coincidence, though.

I was climbing up to the land crawler's driver seat as the ground began to shake. The seismic vibrations went on and on, growing more and more intense. I knew the biggest danger during a quake was things falling on people, so I jumped off the crawler's ladder and ran away from it. I fell to the dirt after only a dozen steps, then quickly crawled to a wide-open area away from the buildings. I covered my mouth and nose with my shirt sleeve and breathed through it to protect my lungs from the rising dust cloud.

There were four large aftershocks over the next hour or so. Once the air had cleared enough, I saw nearly everything I had built over the last twelve years was gone! The repair shop, machine shed, poultry barn, and my home were all piles of rubble! I decided the chickens and ducks were my most urgent concern. If they died or escaped I'd greatly miss eggs in the morning, and I'd feel bad for them too.

I dug through the machine shed until I found the large net an agbot sometimes used to collect fish, then spent several hours running around chasing birds. By dark I had managed to catch a rooster and three chickens, plus two pairs of ducks. I put them all inside the huge land crawler for the night, then curled up in the back seat of my rover.

I was about to go to sleep and wondered how things could possibly get any worse, when a thunderstorm started.

The tears began as I shouted, "NO! Why now! Just no!" Anything that hadn't been destroyed in the series of quakes was being soaked by the downpour instead.

My lovebot tapped on the window as I was trying to force myself to sleep. I was surprised I'd forgotten about her. I opened the front door slightly and hurriedly said, "Get in quick, Deedee!" She climbed into the front seat and closed the door.

It was just her programming, but she appeared to be genuinely worried. "Are you okay, Daddy?"

Between sobs I replied, "I... I'm not hurt."

"That's the most important thing, Daddy. We still have each other." She reached toward me and patted my arm gently.

Mostly to reassure myself, I said, "Yes, we do, sweetie. We have each other and we can rebuild. We'll be okay." I tried to believe it, as I fell asleep holding her hand.

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Old Calendar Year 2804 - Sagan's Galaxy, Upper Alpha quadrant, Advanced World planet Egalitaria B

Central Region Superior Court

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Most people received the standard longevity treatment at age 25 but the nearly five-century-old Grand Judge Phillipsen was an Immortal, one of the very few people wealthy and important enough for the new Ponce Deleon Treatment. Nobody knew exactly how long it would allow recipients to live, but the leading Medicants theorized a few millennia, possibly three or four thousand years.

The Grand Judge's favorite artwork was an image of ancient comedian and politician Ronald Reagan, which adorned the court entrance. They were actually distant relatives, and the resemblance was uncanny.

He began the hearing with, "The five defendants Rachel Nunez, Erinna Hawkins, Marie Jackson, Teri Lambert, and Lashawna Pike are all charged with supporting or inspiring a rebellion, illegal fun drug possession, illegal fun drug distribution, operating vehicles while intoxicated, and assorted lesser crimes.

They were part of the infamous Drug Parade, driving through the city passing out at least seven types of illegal intoxicants. At the parade's destination, the front steps of the Capitol, they gave speeches about overthrowing our legally elected government and making fun drugs part of social welfare. Apparently they believe people have the same right to smokesticks, dicey, krok, and vodka; as they do to food and housing. The defendants do not dispute any of this.

It has taken me fifteen days to review all the evidence, and the only defense seems to be the theory that people don't need to obey the law if doing so would make them unhappy. Does the prosecution agree this summary is correct?"

"Yes, your honor."

"Defense counsel?"

The Public Defender raised a few points. "Judge, we would like to submit that since med-beds are now able to treat any negative health effects caused by fun drugs, and can reverse intoxication and stop addictions quickly, the consequences of recreational drug use are minimal.

None of the defendants have ever used, possessed, or distributed any banned toxic drugs, only the safer fun ones. We therefore request the court find the defendants innocent, and overturn all laws prohibiting fun drug possession or use."

The judge stated, "Over the last hundred years more than sixty percent of all arrests and criminal prosecutions, and three-quarters of attorney and court income, has been related to drug crimes." He smiled and turned toward the State's Attorney, then asked, "Do you think I should do what he wants, and put millions of judges and lawyers out of business?"

The prosecutor giggled a few moments, then chuckled a while, then eventually burst into a full guffaw. He laughed so hard he actually fell off his chair. Most of the audience laughed along with him. Even the Public Defender had a smile on his face, as he restrained his own laughter.

Several minutes later, once the tsunami of hysteria died down, Grand Judge Phillipsen sternly declared; "I find all five defendants Rachel Nunez, Erinna Hawkins, Marie Jackson, Teri Lambert, and Lashawna Pike guilty on all counts.

I sentence all five to the strongest punishment available for minors between the ages of twenty-five and forty, temporary exile to the New Frontier. Once a proper destination is found, they will depart the Advanced Worlds immediately.

They are hearby prohibited from entering a Developed, Advanced, or Old Frontier world until they reach full majority at the age of sixty. Their suppressors will be reactivated, and they are under full Nest Restriction until they depart."

One of the court staff tapped the Judge's elbow and whispered something in his ear.

He continued, "All the defendants are 22 or 23? That's close enough. My previous declarations stand. Deputies, bring them to the Nest, then find a New Frontier world that will take these miscreants!

Court adjourned!" He banged his gavel on the desktop.

The court secretary tapped his elbow and whispered in his ear again.

He announced, "Wait! Wait up, everybody! Be seated!" He paused a few moments. "There was a recording malfunction. We need to reenact my joke for the nightly news feed."

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