The Mandate of Heaven Read Online Free PDF Page B

number one priority and their appetite for it grew with no bounds.  People, ships and even planets simply became playthings for them; a deadly engagement between two mega-corporations involving several dozen warships wasn’t likely to even rouse the owner from his, or her, slumber.
    They became the High-Lords of the Imperium, answerable to nobody, beholden to nothing.  With excessive genetic manipulation over the years, they had extended their lifespan considerably, immune to almost all diseases. For most people they became Gods, and yet even Gods can sometimes stumble and fall.
    *****
    “Michael!”
    I looked up towards the origin of the call, as my name was shouted from the other side of the river.  River was probably an over-exaggeration as it was really nothing more than a fast flowing stream, running parallel to the path that I had been following.  It was a well-trod, dirt path and for good reason.  Having trekked this route, twice per day for the past ten years, I assumed that I had mostly formed it.  “Have you heard the news?” the voice carried on regardless, unaware of my own internal musings.
    I recognised the red face and puffing cheeks of my childhood friend.  Even from a young age Nicholas, or Nick as he preferred to be called, had been overweight and age had not been kind to him—that and the cream-puff cakes that he was overly fond of.  With bright blue eyes, a golden mane of hair and a fondness for garish coloured clothing, he had always been popular with the ladies.  The two of us couldn’t have been more different; as compared to the shorter, stockier man, I stood a foot taller, with black hair, brown eyes and darker skin tones.  Probably from all the sun that I received trekking the several kilometres each day from my father’s home to the Capital. In reality it was nothing more than a small town, where I worked in the one and only spaceport.
    “What news?” I shouted back with a frown.  I’d spent most of the day buried inside a small planetary shuttle, trying to track down the intermittent power loss to the engine. After ten hours of trying without success, I was hungry, tired and already in a foul mood.
    “You mean that you really haven’t heard?” Nick exclaimed in delight, as it was extremely rare for him to know something that I didn’t.
    “I’m hungry.  I’m tired.  I still have a long trek home.  So why don’t you just cut to the chase and tell me, okay?” I replied, rubbing my forehead tiredly.  Trying hard to supress the irritation in my voice, but failing miserably.
    “It’s your fault that you have to walk so far every day.  I’ve been telling you for years now that you should buy an apartment in town.  I don’t understand why you won’t.”
    I only just supressed the urge to roll my eyes, as it was a common disagreement between the two of us and one that we had a couple of times a week.  Secretly, I thought that the only reason that Nick kept badgering me about it, was that he had few friends and wanted somebody to accompany him out with the local girls, when they all congregated in the evening, after the few factories and offices had shut.  “You know why.  I won’t leave my father there, alone.”
    “I’m sure that he can survive by himself,” Nick shrugged.  “Anyway from what you tell me he isn’t much company anyway, either engrossed in some book or another, or busy writing away in his journal.  By the way, why doesn’t he use a data-recorder, like the rest of us?”
    “Probably because he would have no way to charge it.  We’re not connected to the town’s energy distribution grid, remember?”
    “I don’t see why not.  According to my father, yours is as rich as Croesus.”
    “Croesus?” I echoed with a smirk.
    Nick had the decency to blush before muttering, “Okay, so maybe I read a little of that book that you lent me, although I didn’t understand much.  Was it really written about some fella that lived on another