Fantasy Starship Gods

​

The God Taylor and the Goddess Alexis​

Taylor felt distinctly ill at ease as he terminated the connection with Khalid. Despite Khalid's assurances, he got the distinct sense that Khalid was doing more than just suppressing the worst aspects of the Book of Sparticus. The only question was whether Khalid was doing more harm than good. And if he was doing more harm than good, what could he, Taylor, do about it?

It was a question for another time. He had problems enough here in Arcadia. He had to select a new High Tollah, following the untimely demise of High Tollah Aristedes. He had started interviewing some of the lower Tollahs, but so far none struck him as particularly enlightened. They all paid lip service to whatever he demanded, but clearly showed no enthusiasm for ending child Ra*e, the mistreatment of women, and infanticide. Right now Taylor had to focus all his efforts on just protecting the citizens of Arcadia... from themselves.

Crewman Adam Jefferson was on patrol.

He felt a great weight of responsibility. Following the catastrophe which had nearly destroyed the Asgard, he and Lieutenant Taylor, now Captain Taylor, were all that was left of the crew. That mean that he, Adam Jefferson, was Taylor's entire crew.

It put a lot of pressure on him. He hadn't gone to the Academy, as an officer would have. As a trainee on only his second flight, he didn't even know ship systems as well as an ordinary crewmember. But he was all Captain Taylor had.

The Captain told him that he wanted Jefferson to be his eyes and ears on Arcadia. He wanted him to go around, keep his eyes open, talk to the people, and make sure they were not falling back on their old ways.

During his first few patrols, Jefferson wore his spacesuit (without his helmet), so he would be instantly recognizable as one of the Gods. The stares he received didn't make him feel comfortable. It wasn't a role he relished.

But he had a job to do. People were friendly, for the most part, and when they weren't bowing or kneeling, a few even came up to talk to him, which was nice, but also awkward, because they treated him like a God.

But after months on the ship, he enjoyed being out in sunlight in gentle weather and hearing the birds chirp around him and seeing brilliant green trees.

As he walked on a dirt road, he passed a woman who was pulling a cart which was too big for her. When he got close, she immediately dropped the cart and got down on her knees, and melons came streaming out of the cart.

Jefferson stopped and started picking up melons and putting them back in the cart. The woman stared at him speechlessly for a moment before joining him.

"Lord, you needn't be bothered by such things," she said.

Jefferson looked at her. She was a young, very attractive brunette, a few years younger than himself. But even being so young, she had large breasts, almost as large as the melons in his hands.

In his hands.

Jefferson tried to shrug off the thought and said, "Oh, it's my pleasure to help." And then she smiled at him and made it all worth it.

Her name was Genecia, and she helped her parents maintain their poor family farm on the edge of town. She was in the process of taking these melons to market. Her family was so poor that they couldn't afford horses or even oxen to pull the cart.

And so, despite her protests, Jefferson helped pull the cart with her.

"This is not something for a God to be doing," she protested. But even naive Jefferson could see in her eyes how pleased she was.

"The Gods are meant to use their powers to help others," said Jefferson, smiling at her.

"Why doesn't Lord Jefferson simply use his powers to lift the cart to market?" she asked.

"My powers don't work that way," said Jefferson.

"What are your powers, Lord?"

"My powers are... uh... taking inventory."

Genecia looked puzzled.

"I make sure everything is where it's supposed to be."

"An awesome responsibility, Lord."

"It surely is," said Jefferson. He shivered when he saw the smile she gave him.

Helping Genecia carry her melons to market was the best time Jefferson had since he had arrived on the planet. He kind of regretted when they arrived at the merchant's stall since he had no further reason to remain with her.

"Will I see you again, Lord?" she asked.

"I'm a God," said Jefferson. "I guess I'm everywhere."

And she smiled gloriously at him.

"What the FUCK?"

Tara McCallister had been doing much the same as Jefferson, talking walks in outlying areas, making sure no babies were being killed, no kids were being raped, and so on. When she heard a child's scream from inside a home she rushed in, a hand tight on her blaster, almost certain she'd have to confront a father/rapist.

But that wasn't what she saw. She saw a group of woman, clustered around a young girl. Two of the women held the girl down, who was crying, and totally nude from the waist down while a third dangled something right above her. Just as she got close, Tara saw that it was some kind of scaly worm. The woman dropped it and it landed right on the girl's private parts.

The worm started to burrow under her skin and the girl screamed, and Tara saw the worm form a tight circle under her skin around her most sensitive part, enlarging it.

"What the FUCK have you done?" Tara shouted.

When they saw who she was, they dropped to their knees.

"Answer me!" said Tara, resisting the urge to kick the woman who had done the deed.

"We have protected the girl's virtue, Goddess," said the woman simply.

"They put FUCKING pain worms in their vaginas, and tell the girls they are doing them a favor," said Tara, still enraged, even after her long walk back to the palace. She had interrupted several other petitioners who were waiting to talk to God Taylor and Goddess Alexis, but she didn't care.

"Worms?" said Taylor. He turned and beckoned a finger to a nearby Tollah.

"Bore worms, sire. Completely harmless," the Tollah assured him.

"Completely harmless?" said Tara, her face showing otherwise.

"They only give off a moderate amount of discomfort when touched, during sexual congress," said the Tollah. "Their purpose is to save the child's virtue, until marriage."

Tara looked like she was about to explode.

"Ah yes," said Taylor. "I seem to recall the Good Book mentioning how Sparticus insisted, once girls were welcomed into womanhood, that their virtue be protected until the time of mating had arrived."

"Yes, God Taylor," said the Tollah, pleased to see Taylor not only quoting from the Book of Sparticus, but apparently agreeing with it.

"Well, then everything is in order, then," said Taylor.

Tara looked like she was going to explode at any moment.

"Except one thing," said Taylor, raising a God-like finger.

"What is it, Lord?"

"If I recall the rest of the passage correctly, Sparticus found a girl on the verge of womanhood in Armenius, and ordered her parents to protect her virtue until the day of marriage, and it was her parents' pledge which protected her. Not bore worms. In fact, there is no passage in the Book of Sparticus which actually mentions bore worms, is there?"

"Not... not directly, no," said the Tollah.

"Then how, then, has it come to be that bore worms are put into young girl's private parts?"

The Tollah struggled to give a theological answer. Finally he shrugged his shoulders and said, "It just seemed like a good idea at the time."

"Well, it no longer seems like a good idea now," said Taylor. "If a parent's pledge can protect a child's virtue, and as God I am parents to their parents, and thus also the child, I hereby use my God-like powers to issue a blanket pledge so all children of age will have their virtue protected until marriage. Spread the word around that these bore worms are no longer needed, and if my very sensitive God-like ears hear of them being used again, they will also be employed against those who employ them."

"Y-yes, my Lord. My Lord," the Tollah stammered, taking a few steps back as Taylor dismissed him with the slightest wave of the hand.

"My hero," said Tara, smiling broadly.

"Our hero," said Alexis, wrapping a possessive arm around him.

"We really have to get ourselves a new High Tollah. Someone who will be open to more reasonable ideas," said Taylor.

"I'm working on it," said Alexis. "I've interviewed a few of the Tollahs already."

"Anything promising?" Taylor asked.

"I'm working on it," said Alexis. "I think I may be close to finding one."

"I've heard a lot of good things about you, Najib," said Alexis. She was sitting in a room in the Palace with a young Tollah with dark hair and a closely cropped black beard.

"You have, Goddess? I'm flattered," said Najib.

"Yes. I'm told that you like to help people," she said. "Especially your friends."

"It is a mark of munificence to help one's friends, Goddess," said Najib cautiously.

"Yes," said Alexis, noting the gold fringe on Najib's robes. She had indeed heard how Najib had helped his friends. And been helped by them, in return. "I have also been told that you can be... quite flexible. The old High Tollah, who I'm sure was a good person, was very... fixed in many ways. We need a new High Tollah who can see things in different ways."

"I quite agree," said Najib.

"And yet we need one who is unquestionably loyal to the Gods."

"My first loyalty has always been to the Gods of Sparticus," said Najib.

"Yes, I'm sure," said Alexis. "But I'm looking for a High Tollah who can be especially loyal to one Goddess in particular." She licked her lips. "If I arrange for you to become High Tollah, I may... tell you certain things, from time to time, that I expect to be kept in the strictest of confidences, even from God Taylor."

"I understand."

"I may even ask you to do things, from time to time, that you are not to report to God Taylor. Special tasks, ordered by the Gods themselves."

"And God Taylor is not to know about them? Is he not one of the Gods, like yourself?"

"God Taylor is one of the Gods, or why else would he be called a God? But the Gods have different responsibilities. God Taylor's role is to lead, but not necessarily administer. He leaves that to others. To burden him with details, well, that would almost be blasphemy."

Najib gave her a cunning look. "This one understands."

"I thought you might," said Alexis. "If you obey me, you will receive the richest of spiritual rewards. And perhaps other kinds of rewards as well. If you betray me, however..."

"The Womanless Forest?"

"Where I'll be sending you will make the Womanless Forest look like a picnic," said Alexis, and for a moment her face was as hard as steel.

"I understand."

Alexis stared at him thoughtfully. "Yes, I think you do."

Najib was amazed at the speed at which he became High Tollah. It was the very next day before he stood before the God Taylor in the Throne Room and Alexis was singing his praises.

"He's devout, intelligent, moderate, wise, and forward looking," said Alexis. "You couldn't ask for better."

"That's high praise," said Taylor, looking at Najib as if he were trying to see inside his mind. Probably using his God-like abilities. Najib shifted uncomfortably.

"So... you don't have any problem ending the killing of third children?" Taylor asked.

"No, God Taylor."

"Or with the prohibition on the beating of women every day?"

"No, God Taylor."

"Or with the ending of the execution of people for heresy?'

"No, God Taylor."

"Or the total cessation of the putting of painful worms in little girls' vaginas?"

Najib looked up at him for the first time. "I never understood that one, either."

"You're hired!" Taylor raised his voice. "I now declare Najib the new High Tollah of Arcadia!"

The crowd cheered.

"Congratulations, High Tollah. Don't disappoint me," said Taylor.

"I won't, Lord," he said, casting only the briefest of glances at the Goddess Alexis.

Afterwards, Alexis met with him in the same small room in the Palace.

"Congratulations, High Tollah," she said.

"Thank you, Goddess," said Najib.

"Of course, you know who was ultimately responsible for your ascension, don't you?"

"You were, Goddess."

"But we're not going to tell anyone that, are we?"

"No, Goddess."

"Good." She appraised him with her eyes. "Are you ready for your first special task?"

"Always, Goddess."

"The God Taylor needs a companion."

"A companion?"

"A young girl, perhaps 18 years of age, obviously unwed, preferably blonde. She will be the God's servant, but will service him in all ways. Bring me ten or twelve, and I will choose one with the most suitable attributes."

"Yes, Goddess."

"There is also one special requirement. The God Taylor... can be a bit shy."

"The God... is shy?" said Najib, making it sound like a contradiction.

"In certain matters, yes. He looks upon you mere mortals as his children. He will show reluctance to taking a mere mortal into his bed."

"If he does not want it, then why-"

"He does want it," said Alexis, grabbing his hand. "He just doesn't like to admit it. I need a young girl who is not only willing, but eager. One who will wear down the God Taylor with her affection and devotion."

"Who is eager to be the God's Sacred Pillow?"

Alexis smiled. "Yes."

"I know exactly what you are looking for, Goddess. Your wish is my command," said Najib.

"Lord, you shouldn't be doing this," Mendecious pleaded with Jefferson.

Jefferson was helping Genecia repair a fence that kept the goats in. He was knee deep in the muck. Genecia's father, Mendecious, worried that it was a task that was too far beneath him.

"No, it's fine, really," said Jefferson, struggling to lift a wooden beam. It was obvious to all that if he was a God, he certainly didn't have God-like strength.

Mendecious looked helplessly from Jefferson to Genecia.

"It is the will of the Gods, Father. Don't fight it," Genecia said sweetly. She smiled at Jefferson. She had absolutely no idea why a God would want to spend time at her little farm, but she greatly enjoyed his company. Well, maybe she did have some idea... he was very cute. And she liked the way he blushed when she smiled at him.

As they worked on the fence, they talked and got to know each other. Jefferson learned how Genecia grew up as a single child, and was raised like a boy, taught to do farming chores because she had no brothers to help. She had only a minimal education ("the typical four years"), but she had a sweet disposition, and he simply loved the way she smiled at him.

Jefferson explained how as a God he routinely travelled among the lights in the sky, in a winged chariot that could travel at incredible speeds. Expressed like that, it made his life in the Survey Service sound even more impressive than it actually was. He glossed over the details of working in kitchen duty or performing inventory in the cargo hold or loading or unloading bulk packages in preparation for flight.

Captain Taylor didn't have the resources or the time to keep track of his comings and goings, so Jefferson spent a greater and greater portion of each day with Genecia, who started to feel like a real ray of sunshine in his life.

"Good morning, Lord."

Taylor opened his eyes to see a mirage. It was a beautiful blonde haired woman, a teenager, with enormous breasts. She was wearing an outfit which accentuated that fact, showing an enormous portion of her beautiful pouty bosom.

Taylor struggled out of his grogginess to find words. "Who are you?"

"Oh, dear," said Alexis, snuggling up besides him. "I forgot to tell you. This is Drusilla."

"All right," said Taylor. "That answers one question. Time for another: what is Drusilla doing in our bedroom?"

"She's our body servant."

"Body servant?" said Taylor.

"She prepares our clothes, makes our bed, runs errands, takes messages, that sort of thing," said Alexis, trying to make it sound routine.

"Do we need someone for that?" Taylor asked.

"Everyone who is a God should," said Alexis meaningfully.

"All right," said Taylor. Drusilla was just so... beautiful. Distractingly so. "Welcome aboard, Drusilla."

"Thank you, Lord," she said. "Your breakfast awaits." She bowed and left.

"You're going to be all right with this?" Taylor asked.

Alexis smiled and put a hand on his shoulder. "Dear, I'm not the jealous type."

"He troubles you, does he not, Salmoneous?" Najib asked.

His fellow Tollah looked troubled.

"Come now, you can speak freely with me," said Najib.

"You are the God's new High Tollah. Speaking against the God would be blasphemy," said Tollah Salmoneous.

"True. Unless, the God were not really a God," said Najib.

"Why would you accept the position of High Tollah if you didn't believe in his Godhood?"

"Because," Najib whispered, leaning closer, "As High Tollah, I now have special access to the Palace."

That got Salmoneous's attention.

Najib pulled out a dagger in a sheath.

"What is this?"

"The weapon that can kill a God," said Najib.

"A dagger?" Salmoneous snorted.

"A dagger coated with five layers of ambient poison," said Najib. "That's enough to kill three Gods," said Najib. "One little scratch, and he will be dead within five seconds." He saw the possibilities opening up in Salmoneous's eyes. "All we need is a vehicle to deliver it." He passed the dagger over to Salmoneous. After a pause, Salmoneous took it.

"But the Goddess Alexis is not to be touched."

"The Goddess Alexis?"

"Not to be touched."

"I understand," said Salmoneous.

"Good. There is just one other thing. My name must never come into this."

"It shall be done," said Salmoneous. "Thank you, brother."

"No, thank you," said Najib.​