Empire of a Thousand Universes Ch. 04

It was all hyperbole of course. The idea that the Empire could encompass a thousand universes was optimistic at best. The whole concept started when a physicist in the seminal days of exploring the multiverse, by the name of Isaac Stein, postulated that our universe was in direct contact with a thousand universes.

His basic theory was correct, and then some, but it was also flawed in the fact that either we couldn't attempt to explore or had no reason to explore many of those universes.

For starters, a good chunk of those universes didn't follow the same rules of physics that our universe followed. The atoms of a person entering that universe would simply collapse onto themselves leaving a pile of goop for a millisecond and then disintegrate. Of course, his ship would also be a pile of goop, disintegrating shortly thereafter.

Then there were universes that had no matter, no stars, no planets, no nothing, just an endless void. Yet, in the end, hundreds of universes did exist in close proximity to our universe, they followed the same physics, had matter, had stars and galaxies, and more importantly, planets that could sustain humans.

The best of those worlds were little more than rocky planets that we could terra form, without liquid water but with the capability for it. A planet which already had life on it, or even the possibility of nurturing life in its distant future, were protected. The reason being that if some civilization had colonized Earth just before the first single cells of life emerged in our primordial ooze, we certainly wouldn't be around today.

Some would ask, what about visiting systems in our own universe? The simple answer to that is Kinetic energy. The more men learned about the universe, the more they understood its limitations. Faster than light travel, whether it be Warp Drives, Jump Drives, etc, were all impossible. In fact, the fastest ships could only travel at .333 C or one-third the speed of light.

Faster than that was problematic since the human body did strange things at those speeds, as did all mass. Life couldn't be sustained at higher speeds, and the kinetic energy requirements were astronomical.

So traveling to other universes were the only option, and experimentation on doing so started at the end of the twenty-first century, with the first ship proceeding into a wormhole early in the twenty-second century.

So when man finally reached out to the stars, it wasn't necessarily the stars that he had looked to over his primordial campfire.

The Imperial Palace

Xho Shi walked the darkened halls of the Imperial Palace without restrictions. Sensors in the doors and walls communicated with her implants identifying her as a person of status and giving her liberty to enter even the most reserved sections, ones that were once allowed only to the Emperor and his immediate staff.

The color of the silken silver robes covering her tight bodysuit wasn't just arbitrary. They denoted her social rank, and the length and style of her hair (long and free) announced that she was, or more correctly, was an Imperial concubine. She also wore silk ribbons in her hair, red and maroon, which were the family colors of the Xho clan.

She was thin with straight black hair, and she was also tall, which was atypical of her heredity. Most of the Imperial concubines were tall and thin, a testament to the tastes of the now deceased Emperor. Along with her height, she had certain enhancements procured at an early age to please this Emperor. They were prerequisites easily bought and paid for by a family as rich and powerful as the Xho.

It wasn't considered unusual for a woman from such a prestigious family to become an Imperial concubine. The fact was that all of the Imperial concubines were from prestigious families anxious to win Imperial favor, and also to procure an heir which would show favor to the young girl's family.

On her home planet she was considered inordinately attractive, but so too were all of the other tall, thin attractive concubines that once vied for the attentions of the now deceased Emperor, and who were now on there way back to whatever system they had once come from. That was all except the concubines who had given the Emperor a child, and that list was brief, consisting of just two names, one of which was Xho Shi of the Xho clan.

Xho Shi thought it ironic that just recently she had been considered persona non grata in the Imperial palace. So much so that she had been exiled from Earth, the Imperial seat, and had spent the last three plus years back on her home planet, intentionally distanced from her young son.

Now that the Emperor had died, and her son was destined to be Emperor, she would become, if she played her cards right, Empress Regent. The Emperor presumptive, Xho Shi's son, was still only eighteen, still considered a minor, and couldn't be crowned at Emperor until he reached his Majority at the age of twenty-one.

The problem was that she still had plenty of enemies in the Palace, the dead Emperor's wife being the most evident and the most powerful. It would take some intrigue, and greasing of the right wheels, but she was determined, and prepared to do anything required.

Thanks to the interference of the Empress Dowager, and though she had been in the Palace a few days, Xho Shi had yet to be alone with her son, only seeing him on formal occasions. She was now on her way to take the first step as she headed down the hallway in the direction of the Aeolian Guards standing in front of her son's apartment.

As she neared the Aeolian Guards, the Emperor's red uniformed protectors, she knew that this would be her first test. For they were more than mere body guards. They were reputed to yield prodigious influence, not only in the running of the Palace but also in installing onto the Imperial throne whom so ever they preferred.

If she could win them over to her side, she would be one step further in her goal. Xho Shi approached the guards cautiously while trying to portray an air of outward confidence.

At the time of her exile, she had been deemed by the Queen to have an undue influence over her son.

"What undue influence?" She had protested at the time. "I'm just trying to protect my son from the snakes and rats that occupy this Palace."

It had been an unfortunate outburst, one she regretted afterward. By doing so she had displayed the same overly protective nature that the Queen had accused her of having. She had learned an important lesson.

The Empress Dowager, who had only born the Emperor one child, a son, Zonig, who died fighting in what was to later be known as the Pugilist Rebellion. Some speculated that after the first years of marriage the Emperor never again had relations with his wife.

That lack of a legitimate heir had made the concubines inordinately essential. The Emperor had to have a son, even if it was a concubine that bore it.

Even before Xho Shi returned from exile, she knew that the disposal of the Empress Dowager was essential. In Xho shi's mind, there could be only one Empress, whether it be Empress Dowager or Empress Regent, and it was imperative that she, Xho Shi, be the last one standing in the upcoming fray.

As she neared the door to her son's apartment she was so deep in her own thoughts that she hadn't noticed that there were not the usual two guards, but instead three, and the extra one standing at the door was the captain of the guards, a good looking man who was known to be of all brawn and no brains.

This deployment struck Xho Shi as an obvious ploy by the Dowager to isolate her from her own son.

"Good morning Lady Xho," the captain of the guard greeted her professionally.

"Good morning, Captain. I hope you are doing well."

"Yes, ma'am. Thank you for asking. Might I have a word with you in private ma'am?"

"In private? What seems to be the problem, Captain."

"If you would, please ma'am." The Captain insisted and then escorted her down the hall to a separate waiting room, one off the main hallway which was reserved for visiting dignitaries.

As they entered, Xho Shi realized that the room was empty.

"Captain?" She said to him stiffly as he closed the door and looked at her.

"I just wanted to tell you that I found something of yours this morning," he said as he handed her something, palming it so as to hide it from view.

She didn't have to look at the article that he placed in her hand to know that it was a diamond earring whose absence she had only noticed that morning.

"Thank you, Captain. Where did you find it?"

"In my quarters." She shot him a look, and then she looked up at the cameras mounted in the ceiling."

"Relax," he said smiling. "I turned off all the monitoring equipment." She nodded at him to acknowledge her foolishness.

"Where?" She asked showing him her closed fist.

"By the bed."

"I should be more careful."

"That's always a good policy. Also, I need to thank you. The package arrived at its designated location."

"The package is from my family, but last night was...different."

"It was nice. I hope I wasn't too rough. It's been a long time."

"I had no complaints." She smiled a knowing smile. "Is that why you came to greet me or was there something else?"

"No, that was it."

"Oh, I thought maybe the Dowager sent you."

"I have, to be honest, she's voiced some concerns, but they've fallen on deaf ears."

"Thank you. I appreciate it."

"Let's just say your plight has not gone unnoticed by the Guard."

"Really."

"Yes. And I think you can gather what my personal feelings are. Now that that's settled, if you want I can announce you to the Emperor?"

"That would be wonderful. I haven't had any time alone with him since my return."

"Then let me not take up any more of your time." He opened the door to the dignitary room, and she walked out into the hall.

The room in the Imperial apartment that Xho Shi entered was the formal greeting area, decorated in dark purples and golds, the Imperial colors, and in velvets and velours that made the place look more like a brothel than the Emperor's apartment

It fit more the tastes of the old Emperor than the new, but then again the old man had only recently passed. Only on further inspection did she recall them, it being twenty years since she first stepped foot in the place, and after she had gotten pregnant, she was never again requested into this inner sanctum.

She had gotten quite far into the apartment unannounced, unnoticed, and unmolested, but as she walked into a back hallway, a bedroom door opened she was greeted by a young effeminate boy with slicked-back hair, and a condescending air about him.

"Oh good morning Lady Xho," he said unsurprised by her entering, and though he spoke to her with familiarity, she was unaware of ever laying eyes on this creature.

"Do I know you?" She said returning the condescension.

"No. But I know you. One cannot work for your son, and not know who Lady Xho is."

"She was flattered by that revelation, though she knew it wasn't intended as flattery.

"And your name is?"

"Elan, ma'am."

"Again, even the word, ma'am, was meant as a barb.

"Elan? Like the French word?"

"Yes," he said surprised by her perception.

"But you are not French?" She noticed a slight accent in his speech, and though he had taken great pains in disguising it, she knew the accent and where it came from.

"Hardly."

"Okay, Elan, where is my son?"

"The Emperor is indisposed..."

She raised a hand to cut him off. "He is not the Emperor. At least not until he reaches his majority, and calling him such is not only incorrect but dangerous. Secondly, I didn't ask you if he was indisposed or not, I asked you where he was."

"He's in the bath," Elan said with some hesitation.

"Lastly, Elan, if my son is underage, then that makes me the Empress Regent. Do you know what that means?"

"I think I have an idea, but I believe that title can only be given by the Senate if I remember the Empire's constitution."

"Just a formality, Elan. Now leave us. I have important matters to discuss with my son."

Elan turned and headed out of the apartment. He tried to do so aggressively, but it only looked farcical. Xho Shi smiled at such a display and then made for the door to her son's room.

This room was brighter in silver and white, and with much lighter fabrics, most of them man-made.

She could hear singing in the adjoining bath, and she stood at the door to hear her son's voice. It was good and clear, one she had only heard in speeches since her return.

The boy entered the room, nearly naked except for a towel around his waist. He was a good looking boy, though not exceptionally so. His body, on the other hand, was exceptional.

"Elan?" He asked not seeing who had entered the room. Again, she had hope in her heart, upon hearing the voice ring clear, the speech annunciated.

"No, Tolem, it's me."

"Mm-mm-mother?" There it was, what she had feared. His stutter, he hadn't grown out of it. Her heart sank.

"Yes, Tolem, it's me," she said coming into the room.

"Where-where-where is Elan?"

"I sent him away." She crossed the room until she was only steps from him.

"Why-why-why?"

"Elan is an agent of the Empress Dowager."

"Wha-wha-what? Wha-what are you talking about?"

"Tolem, forget about him. Let me look at you. My gods, you have grown."

The boy just nodded his head and smiled instead of stuttering.

"And so handsome." She was very close to him now looking to see if she was having some effect on him. "You don't mind if I slip off these robes, do you? They're so uncomfortable and formal."

"No-n-n-no."

Without breaking eye contact, she undid the clasp at her collar and gracefully slipped the robes off her body, exposing her inner attire, which was a white satin and lace, corset/bustier, and black leggings that were so tight you could see, if you looked closely, the outline of her camel toe.

"That's better. They are so confining if you know what I mean?" She laid the robes on a nearby upholstered chair, then turned to him and closed the gap between them until she was just inches away.

"Let me look at you some more." She put her hand on his naked chest, and she caught him once or twice sneaking furtive peeks at her cleavage.

She smiled. She had thought so. Ever since she returned, she had felt him staring at her, and then when she met his gaze he would turn away. She realized immediately that she could use this.

"You've been working out," she said running her hand down his chest until it stopped at his stomach. He was more toned than muscular, though it was not a body that one would have naturally, not without exercising.

"Sa-sa-some."

"Well, it shows."

"You-you-you look great your-your-your-self, mother."

"Thank you," she said and then undid two of the hooks and eyes that held her corset, revealing more of her bosom. "This outfit is too tight. I'm afraid though that unlike you, all of my enhancements are medical. Don't judge me. A girl has to look good as she gets older. Don't you think? It's all vanity. It's not like I have any suitors."

"Th-th-th-there must be someone?" She knew he was trying not to look at her, but regardless, he was seeing more and more of her breasts which were being mechanically being pushed up by the corset.

"No, Tolem. Mommy is only here for you," she said as her hand rested on the knot in the towel that kept it from falling. "Let me look at the rest of you," she said, and quickly undid the knot and pulled the towel off of him.

"Ma-ma-mother!" He yelled and reached for the towel, but she had already thrown it onto the bed.

"Oh please. It's not like I haven't seen you before," she said holding onto him. "Who changed your diapers?" She asked, but actually she hadn't. She had women to do that at the time, but why quibble.

As he tried to cover himself, she could see that he had a massive erection. She had been right. She pulled him close and eyed him up and down.

"Such virility. You really have become a man," she said as her hands held him close, and examined his body. One hand went down his leg, and the other held him by his waist.

"Mom," he said as she felt between his legs and cupped his balls. He didn't stutter then, she observed.

"They both fell. That's good. Wouldn't want a hernia," she said as she lightly squeezed his nuts. At that, his demeanor went from startled, to acceptance, to pleasure. That must feel good, she thought. And then her hand reached up and gripped his cock.

"OH Shit!" He muttered, but he didn't pull away or tell her to stop. She began to stroke him.

"That feel good, Tolem?"

"Mmmmm-hmmm."

"Have you had a woman yet, Tolem?"

"Na-na-na-no."

"You like looking at mommy, don't you Tolem?"

"Mmmm-hmmm."

"Would you like to see some more?" She asked stroking him ever so lightly.

Without waiting for an answer, she reached up with the hand that was around his waist and started to undo the rest of the hooks and eyes that held her corset together. Now he could see all of her breast except her nipples. That would come soon enough, she thought.

She started to stroke him faster. "You like that, Tolem, don't you?"

He just closed his eyes and nodded his head.

"You will do anything mommy tells you to do, won't you Tolem? As long as mommy keeps doing this for you."

Again, he just nodded his head.

"You should see what mommy can do with her mouth. You would like that, Tolem, wouldn't you?"

Again, the quick nod of his head.

"Mommy will do that for you next time if you do what mommy wants. Okay?"

"Yesssss, mommy."

"Are you going to come, Tolem?"

"Yesssss, mommy."

She undid a few more hooks on the rest of her corset until her breasts were totally exposed, even the nipples. She then got down on her knees and placed his cock between her tits.

"Come on mommy's tits, Tolem."

He looked down, saw his cock between his mother's wonderful bosom, with her nipples pink and round, gave a grunt, and then shot his load all over them.

"Remember," Xho Shi said as she held his cock between her tits, and it rocketed seamen into her chest, up her neck, and into her face. "Mommy will let you come in her mouth, next time. But we have to be united together."

"Yesssss, mommy."

"Good boy. Now get your mother a towel, would you."