“This…” The old high priest held up the red fruit in his hand. “We shall call this a… Apple.”

“Apple.” The men and women surrounding him repeated. The word was foreign to their native tongue, as were all of the words the High Priest used to describe the gifts of the Keepers. The people dutifully spoke the word, doing their best to pronounce it in exactly the same manner.

“Fruit.” Again the people repeated the word.

“Eat.” All surrounding him gasped as the high priest bit into this thing called an apple.

“Are you okay?” Asked Alaric standing near, “How do you feel?”

“I feel just fine and these …apples… are wonderful! Try them!” commanded the high priest.
Gleefully the people encircled the trees, boosting each other up, all sharing the joy of …eat… the …fruit.”

**
Kyla crossed her legs femininely. One large black boot kicking idly as she and Sienna watched the specks on the view screen. Crossing her arms over her chest, she shifted a bit in the chair.

She looked to her wife.

Sienna had tears flowing down her cheeks, she being so very happy to see the specks enjoying the apples she had provided.

“They are so very happy…” she whispered so soft Kyla barely heard it.

Kyla decided against making one of her usual caustic remarks. This wasn’t the time or the place. Instead she sat quiet, allowing Sienna to enjoy the moment and the joy she’d given the teeny things.

Her wife looked worn. Getting a household of this vast a size ready for an Imperial visit was a tremendous task and there was still much work to do.

Certainly the estate had to be spotless, each room ready for the demands that would be placed upon it. There was also a tremendous amount of thought about in which bedroom the Governors would be placed and where they would sit at diplomatic functions. The idea being to head off any gaffe, such as seating people who disliked each other close, or choosing the best rooms to suit the size of various ego’s so none felt slighted.

The Empress, of course would have the use of the entire East Wing of the estate. Those apartments were originally designed for use by the Master of the house and his family. Both Sienna and Kyla had thought them too large and grandiose, preferring the smaller suite of rooms in the West Wing.

As the Solstice was near, the public rooms on the first and second floors where being decorated, by Mini’s and Halflings alike. The bedrooms in which the Governors and their wives would sleep would also receive a bit of decoration as well.

Kyla slowly stood, inwardly hating that she had to end Sienna’s moment. Straitening her tunic, she extended a hand.

Sienna immediately turned off the view screen and stood to take her wife’s hand in her own.
“It’s bad isn’t it?”

Kyla said nothing in reply as the two walked toward the grand staircase which would lead up to their private apartments. Servants of all sizes halting their work out of respect as they passed.

**
Amarice and the other members of her crew spread out in line abreast. Dropping down to their hands and knees they worked forward slowly under the direct supervision of Giedia who wanted every inch of the grand dining table to be polished.

“Don’t know why we gotta polish this wood, grumped Kaisippe, just gonna put a table cloth over it.”

“Shh…” Amarice urged. “Giedia hears all.”

The flat wooden plain of the table top stretched on seemingly forever. It had 68 leaves and was 175 feet long, that is, if you were the size of a colossi. (Might as well be miles if you were Mini sized.) This was just the top, the whole of the table needed polishing from legs on up to include chairs whose seats were clad in rich imperial red silk.

As the Viceroy said, Amarice reflected, if you had to do something, it was best to get it over with as soon as possible. With that in mind, the Mini focused on the task at hand. Actually, Amarice and the others felt great pride in assuring all within this grand home was perfect, as everything within it was a direct reflection upon the Viceroy.

Besides there were far worse jobs…

Thousands of Mini’s had been hard at work, with the help of the Halflings, they unpacked the 4,000 piece grand service and all of its 8,000 components. For three weeks, now they’d been polishing that massive service, right down to the last marrow scoop and olive spoon. To include 1,200 glasses, 2,000 pieces of silver, 4,800 china pieces of every type imaginable. Add to this the 200 napkins, Amarice especially liked watching the napkins being folded, the Minis creating beautiful works of art, to be placed on every plate.

“Attention all…” Every Mini and Halfing halted their work at the sound of Mynia’s voice.

“The Viceroy wishes it known that our Empress shall arrive in three days hence.”

As Mynia departed from the State Dining Room, murmurs began swirling.

“Heaven forfend!” Exclaimed Kaissipe. “Her Imperial Majesty is going to visit!”

To the degree that Kaissipe was frightened. Amarice was excited, hoping she might catch a glimpse of the great Empress!

All in the room doubled their efforts!
**
Kyla sat in one of the plush high backed chairs as Sienna did the same. Both facing the marble fireplace.

Sienna was on edge, as Kyla had made sure to close then lock every door leading up to their apartments, she even ordered the security system to do a sweep to insure they were both completely alone. The only thing the sweep would miss were the specks, they being too small to be picked up in the scan. The Empire feeling they were too inconsequential to be seen as any threat.

“Well?” Sienna asked in exasperation when the silence went on a moment too long.

“What I say now, must never be spoken of outside this room.”

“Kyla, you are scaring me.”

“With reason.”

“I received confirmation from the Empress that Empire has made contact with an intelligent species.”

“By the Gods!” Sienna gasped. “We are not alone in the galaxy! People around the Empire will be astounded when they hear this news.”

“They will only hear that planets have been found which are hospitable to being colonized.”

“What, why? This news is too amazing to be kept—“

“You are prophetic my love.” Kyla shook her head with deep sadness. “Remember what you asked me long ago, about the virus we carry?

“Oh gods!” cried Sienna. “We infected them!”

“Yes.” Replied Kyla, watching as Sienna buried her face in her hands.

“It was not done on purpose, it was not believed a virus designed to infect humans nearly two millennia ago would be a threat to an alien race.”

“Are they now? The size of halflings, or even worse specks?” Sienna sobbed.

“Worse…” Kyla turned on the view screen, pulling up the information on her pad, she allowed her cornea to be scanned. Sienna watched as the Rising Phoenix flashed on the screen, stern words of warning beneath about this being classified.

“This footage, taken by our people, is… shocking.”

Sienna exhaled, completely in awe. The screen was filled with beings whose skin was albino, they looked lean and graceful, all in all very humanoid in appearance. “They have wings!” Sienna said in wonder. “They are so… beautiful…”

Then the camera zoomed out… causing Sienna to weep once more. The creatures where being held within a giant hand and were getting smaller… and smaller… till they disappeared from view entirely.

“No!” Sienna stood, her outrage causing her to shake bodily. “Don’t tell me they.”

“Their entire civilization disappeared forever.” Kyla slumped down in her chair. “Within one Earth year, every one of them vanished from view. Our scientists theorize they became so small, that they became part of the fabric of the universe.”

“Atoms… they dissolved into atoms…” Sienna wailed.

“Yes.” Kyla took a long breath. “The planet had two habitable moons, the infection spread to those as well.”

Sienna’s legs went out and she fell back into the chair, burying her face in her hands.

“There is more, you won’t like it, but you must hear it. The virus spread to every bit of flora and fauna, every animal on these planets. They are all gone.”

“…This occurred 1000 earth years ago.” Kyla added softly.

“One thousands earth years ago! How could we reach them?” Barked Sienna. “We were not that advanced then!

“They abducted some astronauts.”

“Their curiosity about us, became their down fall.” Sienna pronounced solemnly. “Then that footage was from.”

“One of the abducted astronauts.”

“Since then, with the advent of rudimentary warp drive long ago the Empire worked to reach their planet, and over the last 200 years we have had much success in reverse engineering their technology, before it all—“

“The ruins of their civilization should be left as a reminder to us of what we ourselves destroyed.

“It is all gone, seems everything they created had a living organic nature to it, over the centuries it eventually shrank into oblivion.”

Sienna looked up at the screen. “It was all so beautiful,” she muttered as the feed ended.

“If this happened so long ago, why is the Empress choosing to show it to you now?”
The color drained from Sienna’s face as understanding dawned. “Oh gods!”

“That’s right, she has ordered me to go to this world, to take colonists. The Empire must expand past our own solar system.”

Sienna couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “I do appreciate the irony of it all, here I am creating a world in a box, and the Empress commands you to create a world on a planet.”

“My love…” Suddenly Kyla was before her on bended knee. “I must go you…”

“Where you go, I go.”

Now tears trailed down Kyla’s cheeks. “How I wish I’d never been promoted to Viceroy. How I wish we could have lived out of the public eye, you teaching, me working at some bank.” Kyla smiled sadly, “a townhouse in the city, little cottage in the countryside, what you always wanted.”

“It was not to be, Viceroy.” After a time Sienna leaned forward. “I know why the Empress chose you.”

“Why?” asked Kyla while moving back to her chair to slump down in it.

“You are a threat to her.”

Kyla snorted, thinking Sienna was making a poor attempt at a joke.

“Laugh if you want, you know as well as I do, that our Empire is a meritocracy. There are no laws which allow her offspring to take the throne. As always the Viceroy’s select the next Empress upon her death.”

“They will not chose me.”

“I disagree,” Sienna smiled, “You are young Kyla, have a distinguished background, and have gained the respect of many in the hierarchy. Think of it, the Empress has promoted many of her family to the rank of Viceroy, attempting to stack the deck. But you still have a chance to be voted in. She knows this…”

Standing Sienna moved behind Kyla draping her hands over her wife’s shoulders. Lowing her head she whispered in her ear. “Our Empress is old, she hasn’t much time left. Should you be out of the way, her plan to have her successor be family will succeed.

“I never wanted to be Viceroy, and I never want to be Empress.” Kyla replied fiercely.

“Some seek greatness others have it thrust upon them, the latter applies to you. Our Empire is old like the Empress, and very decrepit, it needs new blood. I think Empress Kyla has a nice ring to it. Find a way to keep us from going to this world, play your cards right and you will be Empress. You could do much good, not just for us Colossi, but also for the Miniatures and even the Specks.”

Sienna walked round the chair, taking Kyla by the hand, she bid her rise.

“Come to bed…My future Empress…” said Sienna sexily," you need rest before visiting your Miniature people tomorrow. I think you will be most pleased at seeing their accomplishments.”