Book of the Guardian 3: The Last Mission Read Online Free PDF
Author: Ben Winston
to go through for the rest of us." He held up his hand to stop John and Chloe from objecting. "I know I'm still enhanced, and technically a Marine, but I'm also the 'youngest' marine on that list by at least five hundred years. Perhaps if I am ever allowed to step down, and I'm still qualified, maybe then I'd accept, but not now. Not while I'm still the King."
"Okay, also, I wanted to talk to you about this whole 'My Lord' crap that everyone is doing now. Mark, is all of that really needed?" John asked.
"Well, the official declaration doesn't specifically say you have to be addressed as 'My Lord'. The person saying has a choice, but you are to be addressed with an honorific. For you they can choose 'My Lord', 'Lord-General', 'Captain-General' or 'Knight-General'," Mark replied. "I would imagine they are simply using the one they feel the most comfortable with using."
John groaned. "You made me a General?"
Mark shook his head. "No, the Senate did. I was fine with leaving you at the rank you were because I know how you feel about it. I even argued with them on your behalf, but they insisted that the leader of the new force should be at the least a General. They actually wanted to go the whole royalty route, you were all to be given holdings, and made Dukes, Barons and the whole gambit. I did get them talked out of it, and this was the compromise reached. Sorry, John, I did what I could for you folks."
John nodded. "Okay, you were right, it is better than becoming a noble. I'm a soldier, not a politician."
"You're a leader, John. One of the best we have," Mark said reasonably. "I had to drop my request to abdicate because the only way I could do it was if I named one of the Temporal Guard as my successor."
"That's ridiculous!" Chloe said. "Why does the King have to be enhanced? Up until recently, they didn't even want us to be free among them."
"Mary has a theory that our enhancements triggered an evolutionary advancement in us, and that's the reason we cannot be decommissioned. The people tend to see us as a form of demi-god because of our abilities, and while that's good for ruling them, it's not so good to have as a next door neighbor," John said.
Mark shook his head. "Your decommissioning produced a lot of data, John. We discovered that your body did change, but it changed only so far as to not be able to function without the assistance of the enhancements. In all other ways, you are still just as human as anyone off the street from a medical stand point."
"I think she was speaking of a meta-physical advancement, Mark. I don't know if I can credit her theory though, because I really don't feel any different now than I did when I was still on Earth, living with my folks on the farm." John replied.
"John, you are only one of two people that remember Earth. Very soon, you will be the only one out of five hundred billion souls that has even set foot on that planet," Mark said quietly. "Parliament named you as my successor a thousand years ago, for that very reason. If I were to step down, you would be called to become King."
"Why didn't you ever tell me, Mark?" John asked.
Mark chuckled and finished his coffee. "I didn't think you really wanted to know, and I was afraid you would talk me into staying here if you did."
John shook his head. "No, I would still try to help you, but don't they realize they can't simply force someone to become King?"
"I do not believe it's that simple, My Lord-General," a young woman entered. "Sire, would you or your guests like more coffee?"
"That would be wonderful, Hanna. Could you see if there is any cream cheese Danish? I'm feeling a bit peckish," Mark asked. "But first, could you please explain what you mean?"
Hanna bowed. "I do not wish to presume knowledge where I have none, but I believe the issue is simple yet complex. Simply put, everyone knows that long serving, enhanced soldiers do not have their own agenda. If you did, then you would not be a Marine, not a living one
"Okay, also, I wanted to talk to you about this whole 'My Lord' crap that everyone is doing now. Mark, is all of that really needed?" John asked.
"Well, the official declaration doesn't specifically say you have to be addressed as 'My Lord'. The person saying has a choice, but you are to be addressed with an honorific. For you they can choose 'My Lord', 'Lord-General', 'Captain-General' or 'Knight-General'," Mark replied. "I would imagine they are simply using the one they feel the most comfortable with using."
John groaned. "You made me a General?"
Mark shook his head. "No, the Senate did. I was fine with leaving you at the rank you were because I know how you feel about it. I even argued with them on your behalf, but they insisted that the leader of the new force should be at the least a General. They actually wanted to go the whole royalty route, you were all to be given holdings, and made Dukes, Barons and the whole gambit. I did get them talked out of it, and this was the compromise reached. Sorry, John, I did what I could for you folks."
John nodded. "Okay, you were right, it is better than becoming a noble. I'm a soldier, not a politician."
"You're a leader, John. One of the best we have," Mark said reasonably. "I had to drop my request to abdicate because the only way I could do it was if I named one of the Temporal Guard as my successor."
"That's ridiculous!" Chloe said. "Why does the King have to be enhanced? Up until recently, they didn't even want us to be free among them."
"Mary has a theory that our enhancements triggered an evolutionary advancement in us, and that's the reason we cannot be decommissioned. The people tend to see us as a form of demi-god because of our abilities, and while that's good for ruling them, it's not so good to have as a next door neighbor," John said.
Mark shook his head. "Your decommissioning produced a lot of data, John. We discovered that your body did change, but it changed only so far as to not be able to function without the assistance of the enhancements. In all other ways, you are still just as human as anyone off the street from a medical stand point."
"I think she was speaking of a meta-physical advancement, Mark. I don't know if I can credit her theory though, because I really don't feel any different now than I did when I was still on Earth, living with my folks on the farm." John replied.
"John, you are only one of two people that remember Earth. Very soon, you will be the only one out of five hundred billion souls that has even set foot on that planet," Mark said quietly. "Parliament named you as my successor a thousand years ago, for that very reason. If I were to step down, you would be called to become King."
"Why didn't you ever tell me, Mark?" John asked.
Mark chuckled and finished his coffee. "I didn't think you really wanted to know, and I was afraid you would talk me into staying here if you did."
John shook his head. "No, I would still try to help you, but don't they realize they can't simply force someone to become King?"
"I do not believe it's that simple, My Lord-General," a young woman entered. "Sire, would you or your guests like more coffee?"
"That would be wonderful, Hanna. Could you see if there is any cream cheese Danish? I'm feeling a bit peckish," Mark asked. "But first, could you please explain what you mean?"
Hanna bowed. "I do not wish to presume knowledge where I have none, but I believe the issue is simple yet complex. Simply put, everyone knows that long serving, enhanced soldiers do not have their own agenda. If you did, then you would not be a Marine, not a living one
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