Fantasy Comfort in the New World

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Charlie
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The day after Chancellor Rowen announced she was diagnosed with a terminal illness father called me to his office. As usual he was buried between various monitors, his worn VR-set wrapped around his head. He looked haggard and stressed. He waved me in as he finished a call and I sank down in the leather chair in front of his desk. A privacy field projected a blurring effect over him to prevent people from reading his lips, as well as distorting his voice.

"Right," he said once he hung up and tried to gather his thoughts. "how are you?"

"I'm fine."

"Good, good. How is your... how are your grades?" I kept my face steady: Father knew exactly what my grades were.

"They're good. I should graduate second or third in my class."

"Good, good." he looked at his desk, as if he had a script in front of him, which honestly wouldn't have surprised me. "How are you... getting along with Lesioah?" I blinked and every muscle in my body tensed.

"We get along fine."

"You... have you- I mean has she-"

"This is by far the worst conversation you and I have ever had, dad." I said and watched him blush.

"Do you understand what yesterday's announcement means?" he asked. I told him of course, but he pushed me.

"Rowen is going to die and you will become chancellor."

"And when I do, I will not be allowed to continue managing the family business. All our traders, our stocks, our construction projects in the colonies it will all have to managed by someone else." I nodded, feeling a little unsure.

"I want that someone else to be someone in the family." He said.

"Yeah, I always figured you'd put Linus in charge."

"Linus is a good kid, he's kind and generous" father began and I kept my mouth shut. "but he's not got the brains for business. Not for the kind of complex operation we run here. You do." I didn't know what to say, so I sat there in silence for a while.

"I do?" I finally said.

"Yes you do, son. I'm very proud with you and... I wish we'd had a lot more time to prepare you for this, but it looks like we don't have that."

"Okay." I couldn't think of anything else.

"But..." father began, looking pained. "To run a business like this, you gotta be tough. You need to show who's boss you need to be confident." He paused.

"'Confident'." I said back.

"Yes, you need to believe in yourself, son."

"Like Linus?"

"He knows what he wants and he knows how to get it." Yeah, he bribes people or he fucks a girl who can't refuse.

"So... what do you think I can do to fix that?"

"Son..." father looked at the desk again, looking frustrated. "you need to learn to be more... assertive. More aggressive. People respect that. They want it. They want someone to lead them. To take charge." He smiled and to my great embarrassment winked at me. "Women respond well to it, too. I was hoping Lesioah would... help to encourage you." I said nothing.

"Well, anyway" father said eventually. "we'll talk about it more, just... think about it. Try to... well, think about what you want and... take it. You're young, you're handsome; rich. You've got it all." He checked the time and told me he had a meeting. He dismissed me and I was glad for an escape.

I spent the rest of the day thinking about what my dad had said. He wanted me to be more like Linus. Linus, of all people.

Linus had reacted to the news yesterday very predictably: He'd gone all-in with preparing to take over father's work. He'd been reading the financial markets, looking into our family's business empire's assets and operations, even set up meetings with some of his business 'friends' from school. He'd bragged about some of his findings and how he was going to revolutionize various aspects of our father's lifework.

And he was wrong on almost every aspect. Our father's business was successful because he'd worked hard to make it practically impervious to market fluctuations. No matter if the economy boomed or busted, our trade ships raced across the stars and our colony assets churned out products that never went out of fashion or were always needed. To handle it, one needed to understand these subtleties and apply a deft touch.

It wasn't hard to see, I thought, in fact to me it seemed obvious. But not to Linus. No, Linus would put us all to ruin, that was obvious. And Jock was worse -- no-one would seriously contemplate putting him in charge.

"Hey there." A familiar voice cooed at me and I turned around to see Les standing behind the sofa I'd fallen into. "You okay? You seemed lost in thought."

"I- I'm okay, thanks. Just... a lot to think about." She smiled and deftly jumped over the back of the couch and planted herself next to me.

"Want to talk about it?" I sighed.

"Well the short version is my father wants me to be more like Linus."

"Hmm."

"Is that all you got? 'Hmm'?" I said, angrier than I felt.

"What would you like me to say?"

"What you think!"

"I think you're a genuinely nice person. A good, decent, moral young man. And your brother is... well, not. And if you were to find someone to emulate it shouldn't be him."

"Maybe Jock?" I said and Les smiled.

"Even worse." she looked at me quizzically. "Is that really what your father said, though? 'Be more like Linus'?"

"Not exactly, he... wants me to be more assertive. More confident. He says I'll need it for-" I hesitated. I didn't think it was... appropriate to share everything with Les, even though I wanted to. "for the future."

"Confidence is good. Do you think you lack confidence?"

"I... yeah I guess I do." Les moved a little closer.

"And what does your father think would help you grow more confident?" I swallowed, her stare suddenly feeling very intense.

"He thinks it would... be good for me to... I guess lose my virginity."

"Do you want to?"

"I mean, yeah. Who doesn't?"

"Lots of people. But never mind -- why haven't you?"

"I've tried."

"The girl from school. She said no?"

"I... yeah. I mean I never actually..." I trailed off.

"Oh." She said, sagely. "I see. You never actually asked?"

"No." I admitted.

"Why not?"

"I didn't dare to."

"Were you gonna ask her to have sex with you?"

"No! No, I mean I was gonna ask her to go out with me."

"Mmm." She leaned back a little. "I would, if you asked me." I could feel my heart pounding in my chest.

"Go out with me?" she grinned.

"Maybe. Not while I'm employed by your father though. No I meant the other thing. She leaned back in and suddenly she was right in front of me; I could feel her breath on my face. "Charlie: I will have sex with you if only you ask. Not tell me, or demand it. You have to ask."

"I don't-"

"Any way you want. Anywhere you want."

"I-"

"Nothing is too much, nothing is too silly. I will not laugh at you, I will not judge you." She leaned back and smiled. "You can have me any way you want."

"You have to, it's your cont-" she interrupted:

"No. I won't do it if you demand it; if you tell me to. Nor will I do it if you ask it assuming I'll say yes. You'll have to ask me sincerely, nicely. You. Have. To. Ask me."

"W-why?"

"Because I said so."

"You're hired to-"

"Then go tell your father the toy he bought for you isn't doing what it's supposed to. Except I thought you found that demeaning; embarrassing. And it won't change anything. If you do that, I'll leave. End the contract. I told you on the first day we met I have the right to say no to anyone or anything I want. I don't want to say no to you, Charlie. I want to say yes. But you have to be sincere, and you have to be honest. And you have to ask." she suddenly stood up. "Anyway, gotta go. Nice talking to you."

I stared at her, my heart beating like an engine as she walked away.

Fuck, I thought to myself. what do I do now?
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