Chapter 105 He just wanted to take it easy

He went to bed early, slept through the night, then went down to the basement, found the workbench, rummaged in the nano bag for all his collected teeth and added them to the gold chain, making it look even more impressive than before. 

The doorbell rang and he went upstairs. Schmiernovski was standing at the door, Luke pressed the button and she came in.

"Not bad, not bad, how did you manage that, what with the nasty neighborhood? "

" I shot them with a gun and threw the bodies to the sharks."

She looked at him, irritated.

" You're joking, right?" 

" Well, I really got rid of the first ones that way. Then they gave up. Come on."

He led her inside.

" Oh, you've got some of our old systems in there. "

Luke raised an eyebrow.

"They were in there when I bought the house."

" They were top of the line back then, what we built is still competitive with other brands. "

Luke grinned.

" Then let's talk about new ones."

For 5 hours he went through the new headlights with her, showing her the blueprints of the crystal chargers. The ones he had bought, which were pure low-tech and could easily be manufactured using earthly technology. Schmiernovski said goodbye and Luke decided to walk. 

Until he was intercepted by GDFs. Because he was bored, he went with them. He was taken to Megacity Europe, a gigantic tower in the new council building. Once at the top, he was met by an elderly secretary who looked more like a gentleman.

"Oh good, they've found him."

"Yes, but not why."

"I'll explain when you've signed this."

Luke groaned and put his hand on the tablet. He nodded and was led into a conference room. There he saw his grandfather with John and the Ai, with other groups at the other table.

"So?"

Alex looked at him.

"We have no idea what to do here either. "

In the center of the room, a picture of an aging feminist was building up.

"Rabbit! You arrogant asshole! You didn't even read what it says! Ha! We're off to Mars. You're officially president of the council now! HA! Have fun on the fucking planet!" 

"Huh?" he looked at the secretary.

"Well, that's right, sir, you're president of this planet now!"

He handed him the tray where it belonged. Luke grabbed his face. 

"And here I wanted to take it easy." 

He walked over to the chair where the president was sitting and sat down on it.

" So. Grandpa, I want to reactivate the old network. Ai would have to reactivate it."

" We are cooperating."

" So are we." came from other groups. 

" The network is up and running." came from Ai.

" Good. Then find out what the old council did and how broken everything is. "

She paused for a few seconds.

He stroked his fingers over the chair.

"Oha, mecha steel."

"They've used, 17 out of 21 Mars missions to build habitats, built 18 ships and sent them off. Oddly, 15 are still on landing pads." 

"All right, tell them. Tell them to get their asses out and report back to duty. What else?"

" The economy is running, according to the calculations we could be back to the capacity of the north block in at least 2 years. "

" Hhmm, who from the Old Council is still on Earth?"

" No one left after the reduction of the Council members."

He lit a cigarette, rubbed his forehead and thought.

"Luke?" came from Alex.

"Hm?" he looked at him.

"What are you going to do now?" 

" Clean up the mess first. Ai is there a holorecorder?"

She nodded.

" Good, then let's get going."

A camera emerged from the floor and beeped.

"Dear people of earth, greetings. The old council has fleed to Mars, with the opinion that our planet is nothing but shit. I say to you, so what? We'll clean up the garbage they left us and start again! For all those who have long wondered why Mars has always been off limits. Quite simply, it's a death zone where an alien has been testing weapons out of boredom and will be contaminated for a few hundred years. He told me how I know this and showed me videos. We're going to reach for the stars and travel through space."

He took a drag on his cigarette. 

"I ask all factions to send an emissary to the council building, the underground lines should be accessible again. And also a representative from the rural districts. We..."

Lynx appeared out of nowhere and floated hurriedly towards him.

"Luke luke, I..." she paused and looked at the camera. " Oops..."

" More the next day." He waved, the recording stopped and the camera went back to the ground. She looked at Lynx.

"And you?" 

She smiled, switched to steady mode. 

"I want to buy some more chips." 

Two others appeared behind her, older and, by the look of them, Lynx's parents. The father cleared his throat.

" We want more chips." 

"That can be arranged," he looked at the others.

" Oh don't be silly, you've all seen aliens before. "

Alex looked thoughtful.

" Chips?"

" Yes. More advanced ones. The ones John always uses. Only better." 

He looked at John. 

" No idea about the new ones." 

" And I want clothes, I saw the flat-chested one, she was wearing some from here."

" Lynx watch your language and don't call your cousin that," came from his mother. 

Luke sighed and reached for his cell phone.

"So, tomorrow I'd have a meeting with all the groups, the rooms in the Tower are yours to use for your own conferences. "

He dialed Bill's number. 

"Daaarling, och what am I seeing on TV. Och herjemine you and celebrity."

"Thanks, how's your schedule."

"Oh darling, always for you, what do you need."

"Clothes for the one in the picture, I was jealous of the clothes."

"Pah the junk. Oh, am I coming or are you picking me up?"

"I'll send someone to pick you up."

He hung up, looked at the secretary. 

"Please have the fashion czarina Tennington picked up and brought here. And then bring some tables and the food. "

" Of course, just coffee and water anyway, right?" 

He took a drag on the fag.

" Whatever they can rustle up doesn't have to be ultra expensive."

" Understood." The secretary left, as did the people in the group. Alex and the others also said goodbye. So Luke was alone with Lynx and her parents.

"What position do they have now? Lynx didn't say anything specific and what you hear from them now..." came from the father. 

"Because I got on the nerves of some people here on the planet, I was appointed president. Because they think the planet is garbage."

Lynx's mother raised an eyebrow.

"But the planet is pristine, if I remember correctly. We flew ships to the planet that was labeled contaminated."

"Well, those are the ones who know better. "

The secretary came back in, staff brought tables and put food on the table.

"Sir, what should we do with the old Council President's trashed office?" asked a staff member. 

"Are there any documents in there?"

" No sir, just real garbage."

" Clean it out, burn it. Make a video for the media first."

"Aye sir," they left. Luke went to the table and saw what had been brought. He saw cheese, grapes, cookies, fast food, salads, pizza, lemonade.

" Sir, this was what I could organize on the fly."

" That's enough. " 

He took the wine bottle, opened it and smelled it.

"Oh, good brand."

He looked at Lynx.

"Have a sip." 

She sidled up to the table and tasted.

" Here, you have to try this" She showed her parents different things. 

Nad zapped around the room and looked at Lynx's parents with irritation.

" The scanners say that a ship is coming back and is within hailing range. "

" Hhmm ... Okay, let's link up."

He walked up to the chair, saw buttons, pressed one and a holo image popped up showing the face of a female captain looking at him very very surprised. 

"Tach, why did we go back and why did so many stay behind?"

She sighed.

"We were lied to, my ship is full of civilians who were hoping for a new world..." 

Luke munched on a cookie.

"New world they can have here too. Land here and introduce yourselves."

" They're afraid ..." 

" Pfff of what? I'll tell you what they're afraid of on Mars. Death. Tell them they can come back."

"Okay..." she interrupted. 

"According to the scans, the ships that went to Mars had one full of civilians, one full of VIPs and one full of food. "

" So just VIPs and food..." he stubbed out his cigarette and took a beer from the table.

" Luke, aren't you going to do anything?"

" Nah, not until the call for help comes. "

Bill was escorted in by soldiers. 

" Oh darling, I'm telling you. They're celebrating out there. "

Luke pointed at Lynx.

"There's your clientele. "

Bill came closer, eyeing Lynx and then his parents.

"Fabulous, a bit old-fashioned, but fabulous."

Lynx's mother looked at him.

"Thanks, but it's ..."

" Ma'am, Luke brought me fashion catalogs, so no, it's not trendy. This is Kitch, this is what curbside swallows wear, but not ladies" Lynx looked at Luke angrily.

"He's one of the big boys here on the planet. The waiting list goes on for years."

Bill looked at Luke. 

"Darling, please don't exaggerate. " He looked at Lynx.

"What do you need?"

" I need something classy, for everyday and badass ..."

Bill looked at her, went to his suitcases and took out sets, which he handed to her. Lynx took them and looked at them.

"Oh, these really are better." 

Lynx's father cleared his throat.

"If you don't mind ..."

Bill looked at him.

"Of course, I can't have them both walking around like that. "

He rummaged in the suitcases, pulled out more sets, set up coat racks. 

"And what about underwear?"

Lynxmother looked at him.

"New ones would be nice, but ..."

" Oh, don't worry, my clothes have already been tested by Luke. " He pulled out several sets of underwear, gave them to her and shooed the three of them to change. Then he came over to Luke.

"So as payment, I need a new printer, one of those textile printers, so I can do something exotic like this.

"Deal."

Bill beamed. 

The three of them came out changed. Lynx looked very pleased. So did her parents.

"I have to go back to my studio for the rest. You can pick him up tomorrow." 

Staff came in and took him and his things away. 

Lynx looked at Luke in irritation.

"He doesn't measure?"

"Yes, he has very good eyesight. " He sipped his beer.

"Good. How much will it cost?" 

"How many chips do you need?"

" About 30k."

Luke nodded. 

" Hhmm that plus the clothes. Oh I know, I'll get a textile printer+plus materials, it doesn't have to be the most modern. "

"But they're not worth much..."

" Ah Lynx can somehow work for me." 

" Deal."

Lynx looked at his father.

"I beg your pardon? I already have something."

Luke's mom came in panting and propped herself up on her knees.

"Wah, shit, why is it so far up?"

His father came in behind her, relaxed.

"I offered to take the elevator." He looked at Luke.

" Hello son."

Sue grinned.

" It was quicker."

" Yes, but at least I was able to sort out Bill's suit for the next round while I was waiting."

Sue straightened up, went to the table, took a glass of wine. Looked at Lynx.

"You must have cheese and crackers with your wine."

She showed him.

"Oh, good cheese." 

Her father tasted it too. 

" Luke, who do you have as an educational..."

" No one yet, why?"

" Put my mom in, then she won't bug me anymore."

" Good." He sipped his beer. 

Sue looked at Lynx's mother.

"I have a question, is it normal for them to bite each other bloody during sex?" Lynx's father went into a coughing fit. His mother looked from Sue to Lynx.

"Well, not really. More like when they're really horny for each other. She gets that from you, darling." 

Her father nodded.

"Wuh long time no feel."

Her mother came over to Luke and sniffed. 

" Hhmm the same smell as Lynx." She pulled a bracelet off her wrist and put it on him.

Luke looked at him, then at her.

"Since there's so little information, what's the bracelet for?"

She smiled as she put one on Lynx as well.

" Well, it's simply because it's very hard to find people who fit in with our offspring."

"Because they're all assholes," grumbled Lynx.

"Lynx pronunciation."

"Mom, we're not on the court."

"Nevertheless. So, where was I? Oh yes. From our clan's point of view, she's your wife now." 

Lynx took a glass of wine.

"At least I don't have to deal with everyone else's come-ons anymore. "

"And, Lynx will stay with you now," came from his father.

"Excuse me? What about the planet I was on?"

"Oh, someone else can do that. I'm sure you'll get something here quickly."

She groaned. 

Sue looked from one to the other.

"And what are they doing here now?"

"Getting chips and clothes. Now it's just a matter of waiting."

Sue looked at Luke.

"Can you make them look human?"

" Sure, why?"

Sue smiled.

" Well, your father and I were going out anyway. So," she looked at Lynx's parents. "What do you think of a relaxed evening?" 

" Hhmm, a different culture wouldn't be bad." 

Luke shook his head. Reached for his cell phone and programmed it for both of them. Pressed the button and they were human. "

"Good, I'd say. We have fun and the kids can work."

The four of them quickly disappeared and Luke sat down on the chair, exhausted.

"Can't imagine."

Lynx filled his plate. Joined Luke.

"Well, I hadn't planned ..."

Luke looked at her.

"Neither did I, not even that."

" Hm." 

The secretary stepped in.

"Sir, the first deputies are coming."

"Okay."

First came the clergy, then the farmers, even his old principal came with her assistant. 

"Everyone take something to eat or drink." 

They did, only the principal came closer.

" I'm here on behalf of the elite..."

Luke looked at her, sipping his beer.

"And what do the elite want?"

" They're scared because they bribed the old council..."

Luke sighed.

" Tell them that they can stay Elite, that something will change, that there will be something new."

"Okay. What about the training?"

"Oh, it's being expanded."

She looked at Lynx, who was busy munching.

"Yes, aliens. If Elite wants to stay Elite, she needs to learn how to use it properly. Lynx is still normal. At least here, anyway. "

Lynx grinned.

"True, but when you're at my parents' court, for example, you have to be careful. At the empress's court, you have to be even more careful. One wrong note and you're dead."

"Don't exaggerate, but yes, they have a very strict code."

"So there will be a guide?"

Luke nodded. 

"There is, I'll send you a copy." 

Lynx looked at Luke.

" What is Luke's status anyway? "

The principal thought for a moment.

" Academically, he belongs to the elite. He worked for many years in a morally questionable way. But well, nobody would have expected him to become president now."

"Hm."

"Why do you ask?"

Lynx grinned.

"I was curious, the file he gave to the Trade Alliance only listed a military career."

"Have some."