ERC Interlude

Sirius slammed his hands on the bridge table and howled at the sky that wasn’t there. It was wooden, bolted into the floor. He didn’t believe in plastic. None of them did. “WE! ARE GATHERED! IN CEREMONY!”

The other members of the bridge crew slammed their hands and shouted as one. “CEREMONY!”

He spoke with a monsoon thunder in his voice. “WE! HAVE BEEN TASKED! BY THE EMPEROR- ALBIN- PRAISE!”

They shouted- “ALBIN!”

Sirius screamed- “PRAISE!”

They echoed- “ALBIN!”

The veins began to burst on his forehead, as he clenched his fist in a white-knuckled grip and hissed at the top of his lungs- “PRAISE! ALBIN! THE EMPEROR! HIS MAJESTY ON THE THRONE!”

The bridge crew bellowed- “BY HIS WILL!”

Sirius clapped his hands, roaring in response- “HIS WILL BE DONE! WE! HAVE BEEN TASKED! TO CLEANSE THE POLLUTION OF THE FARFALLEN CHASM! TO BRING A PERMANENT END TO THE SICKNESS OF URBAN CIVILIZATION!”

“THE GLUTTONOUS HOUSE USTONG HAS RUINED! RAVAGED! RIDICULED! THE BEAUTY OF OUR NATURAL UNIVERSE FOR TOO LONG! THEY MUST BE SLAIN! THEIR LORD’S HEAD! MUST BE MOUNTED! ON A STAAAKE!”

“BROTHERS OF THE EMPEROR’S RESOURCES COMMITTEE! BY OUR EFFORTS, HALF A HUNDRED MILLION POLLUTERS HAVE DIED! IT WILL BE GENERATIONS BEFORE THEIR GREEDY MOUTHS CAN ONCE MORE ROB THE BIRTHRIGHT OF MANKIND!

“MY FRIENDS! MY FAMILY! WE HAVE DONE SO WELL…”

Sirius briefly did a line of stimulant powder to soothe his nerves. It was all-natural, and the natural was good.

“THE MASSED! FLEETS! OF USTONG! ARE COMING FOR US! I’VE SEEN IT- THEIR HEAT SIGNATURES -ON THE TRACKING SENSORS! IT IS UNMISTAKABLE, MORE THAN WE EVER DARED HOPE FOR!”

He grinned at the sense of camaraderie, he could feel it all around them. From the handwoven mat at his feet to the sustainable charcoal smoke lingering in the air.

“SOON, WE WILL DIE! IT WILL BE SWIFT AND SUDDEN! FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, IT WILL BE GOOD! FOR THE POLLUTERS, IT WILL BE AN INESCAPABLE DELAY! BY OUR SACRIFICE, THE THRONE WILL REIGN!”

The admiral leaned back, meditating on the heart pounding in his chest. He closed his eyes, and for a moment, felt that the voice erupting from his lungs was not his own, but part of something so much greater.

“HAIL TO HIS MAJESTY ALBIN!"

"HAIL TO THE WILDS OF THE EMPIRE!”

His tongue joined the chorus, as the bridge echoed with the sound.

“HAIL!”

“HAIL!”

“HAIL!”