At 12:05 PM, the caravan pulls into Buckingham Palace - Molly is incredible. We arrived at Buckingham Palace to a royal greeting; our entrance included a procession of the Queen’s Guard in their uniforms and a smattering of Press from all around the world. Before 2020, the Queen’s Guards wore huge fur hats, called bearskins, and red coats. They looked stupid. When the world superpowers were attacked, the same day the missiles launched, a small band of specially trained insurgents tried to infiltrate each country’s governments or status symbols: in Country it was this place called the Pentagon, in Paris the band destroyed the Eifel Tower, in Russia it was the Kremlin and in England it was Buckingham Palace.

            The Queen’s Guard did not know how to react when faced with a legitimate threat and every last one of them was shot, making it easy for the insurgents to slip into the palace. Now the Queen’s Guard is among the fiercest warriors in the world and their uniforms portray that; they wear an all-black outfit with a black helmet. They are not just for show anymore and they certainly do not take any crap.

            The Queens Guard checked each of the cars in the procession before we were allowed to step out and only after we were cleared, did we roll the remainder away to the front steps. There was a lot of ’hoorah God save England’ or whatever as the cars slipped past the metal gates but once we were allowed in the gates, I saw them. My vision subconsciously blocked everything out and I Zoomed on their incredibly attractive faces. The old hag is standing in front of her smoking hot granddaughters. I know Vassar is attracted to me because she has been recorded admitting so but I wonder if Marist thinks I am.

            Marist and Vassar are two of the most sought-after women on the entire globe and even though Vassar reeks of genetic engineering, the Sivs seem to like it. Genetic engineering is taboo across the, though every single State secretly partakes. States do not want to admit their association with the Pit but how can egotistical, power-hungry bureaucrats forgo a chance to have offspring that project the most desired qualities on the globe? I can tell you the answer - 0%.

Marist is the younger one and I think she is 20 or 21. She has brown hair that falls to her shoulders and the blue eyes that make you shiver. She is probably 5’ 9" or 5’10" and would look perfect on my shoulder. She is slim but not overly slim to imply that she is malnourished like many of the Sivs. She is the athletic type of fit. The last time I saw her, she was furiously punching me after I “accidentally” caught her grandmother’s hair on fire. (All I wanted was to see if her wig was real or if that too was genetically engineered.) I can still remember her bright blue eyes widen in excitement as she saw what I had done.

            Marist also has the whitest teeth in the world. They surpass mine and that is saying something. There is no way they are the ones she is born with but, at the same time, a part of me thinks that they are. The only thing as I look at her from inside the car, is a small tear in her dress. No one else would notice these small details but I see everything. That is no way to appear before a royal guest.

Vassar, on the other hand, is probably 24 but she acts like she is 99 and on the verge of death. She is charming but has a royal droll about her when she speaks, almost like it is too rehearsed. It is like trying to listen to the Moonlight Sonata without falling asleep. She is also a replica of her grandmother. Vassar is physically attractive but more ordinary looking than her younger sister. She was part of the English track team and instead of being twig-like and fragile, this female looks like she would be able to take me down in an Encounter.

            Although I am more physically attracted to Marist, my last time with Vassar was like being thrown through a meat grinder. I came out of her bedchambers with bite marks, scratches, and pieces of my hair missing. It was one of those nights that a regular person would dream about and I am hoping that I get an encore this time. I certainly deserve a little crazy in my life.

            The absence of a window makes it hard for me to gaze upon the three women inconsequentially and the Queen and her granddaughters size me up from the royal steps. Usually, I like to make my entrance very dramatic because that way, there is no room for negative judgment: SQUAD is usually out of their cars and ready to film, my security team is usually by my doors and Molly has given me her approval to step out. I walk out calmly and smile after I address the Press but this is not what I am inclined to do. Today is going to be a little different because Marist looks too good not to make something special happen.

            I thank the driver for his service and he nods. Without waiting for Molly, who will not throw another temper tantrum in front of royalty, there is nothing to lose. I swing open my door as a smile automatically dawns my face. I look back towards SQUAD who are taking their sweet old time to get their equipment out. They do not even see my step out - their loss. There are people crowded against the fence of Buckingham and the noise that erupts is deafening...that must bother the Queen’s hearing implants. There is also the British Press Core waiting for me off to the opposite side of my crew so at least I have someone taping me.      

            As I turn my back to the audience, to face the Queen and her granddaughters, I crisscross my arms and grab the bottom of my Henley. Marist instantly recognizes what I am about to do and she rolls her eyes in feigned disgust. I like a challenge, don’t you know that? In slow motion, I see Molly emerge from her car and she looks towards me; her eyes instantly get wide because she has seen this move more time than she can count. She already looks more unhappy than I could have imagined. Her eyes turn into slits and she mouths, “Don’t you dare,” but she is too late.

            I grab the bottom of my Henley and start to pull it up my abs, across my chest then up and over my head. My camera crew is actively struggling to get their equipment onto their shoulders because if they miss the royal introduction, they are going to get reamed out by the Keepers. On the other side, the British Press surges forward to get a better shot but my shirt is over my head blocking my face.

            Once it is entirely off, I fling it over my shoulder. Behind me, the Palace Gates creak as men and women alike press against the restraint to get a better look. Once the shirt is off, I reach down and undo my shoes. I string them together and let them hang off the opposite shoulder. The Queen is looking at me with absolute disgust; I am trained to see that reaction because in Country if you look at a Spike with disgust, it shows a deviant behavior. The Regulation’s punishment is Execution for this deviancy.

            Vassar licks her lips and Marist’s eyes light up as she burst into laughter. Wow, she looks so much more physically attractive like that. With the shoes and shirt off, I take my first step towards the steps. I hear wails of lust behind me but all I can focus on is how much I want to have sex with Marist. The sunlight is shining from behind her and she has not broken eye contact with me the entire time. My smile turns into a smirk and I take the steps toward the Queen and the granddaughters in stride.

            Taking three seconds to bound up the steps, the Queen is peering up at me before I know it - she is a little old woman but is incredibly intimidating. Typically, she wouldn’t offer her hand to the bastard of an illegal killing program but today she looks as if she wants to assert her dominance. Bring it on Queeny. She places her wrinkly old hand in front of me and looks at me defiantly but I am nothing if not respectful. As the custom, I take her hand in my hand and bring it gently to my lips. See, I have done this enough times to realize what happens next. I was engineered so that any physical Connection is designed to be what Sivs call a ‘one of a kind experience.’

            I bring her hand to my lips and then her face drop as my lips get near. She senses that something is off and tries to pull away from me but, like I said, I am only doing what tradition dictates if that is what she wanted. As I place my lips on her knuckles, her pupils dilate and her head arches slightly as she closes her eyes. It takes five seconds for pry them back open and I see an absolute peace when she looks at me again and this time she smiles. (I bet she has not had one of those in a billion years.) I bow to her and face her granddaughters. SQUAD and the British Press has now joined me up the stairs.

            I turn all my attention to Vassar as she is the eldest. She is still looking at me like I look at a target during an Encounter, it is completely carnal. She extends her hand hoping that she can share the same experience her grandmother just had but for her sake, I do not want to embarrass her on television. I bow slightly in front of her.

“Vassar, it is my pleasure to see you again after so many years. Thank you for having me at your home.”

“Cut the crap” she snaps. “My sister and I are still mad at you for the incident last time. How do you have the audacity to blow torch an old woman’s hair, much less the Queen of England? Do you understand what I am saying? Colman, look at me.”

            She took way too long getting to her point. Like I said, talking to her is like trying to listen to Mozart without falling asleep. After I heard the word “crap” all my attention turned to Marist. She looks amazing. If I did not know better I would assume she was a Spike. Great Britain has made it known that they will never take part in the Pit and will never engineer their citizens but even so, I lose my words in her eyes. They gleam like…like…like my own. There is an overly-aggressive push from Molly behind me which snaps me out of this trance.

            “Marist. Hi.”

            “Is that it?”

            “What do you mean?”

            “You gave my older sister a whole speech and I get ‘Hi.’”

            “Uh, no. I am sorry Princess. I would love to sleep with you. Ah crap that was not it either. Uhhhh…” I hear a snicker from some of the members of SQUAD.

            “Colman. There are so many things you could say. Do you mean to congratulate me on the recent work I am doing to help England’s poor? Or were you going to suggest that you would be honored to help me with that endeavor during your time here? Or were you going to apologize to me for our last meeting? Or were you going to say ‘It is your pleasure to be here, and you are grateful for our hospitality? You have your pick of many things.”

            “Actually,” I say as I recover my charm “I was going to say, before you interrupted me, that you look stunning today and if you have it, I would enjoy to see the Palace Gardens with you during my stay here. I will also be helping you on your endeavors with England’s poor. It is quantifiably good work.”

            Finally, I am back on track. Marist curtsies to me and says, ‘It would be my honor’ and then leaves to go inside. Then my head snaps to the side as a hard strike on my cheek pulls my undivided attention away from her exit. A gasp escapes from everyone around me. I am digging this crazy today even if I do not know how to respond. Vassar slapped me across the face and puffs back into the Palace following in her sister’s wake. I now have a circle of cameramen and women around me, with the respective reporters from the stations.

            None of them know what to say. I could easily Execute this woman. I have killed so many before. I know they had just gotten everything on tape and I am live across the world. My Profile is skyrocketing with this Encounter. The headline, “Jealous Vassar slaps Country’s Alpha” appears on my EYE. I do not know what jealousy really is. I read up on it but it seems highly illogical. You feel possession over someone and do not like it when other people feel any emotion towards that Being? Isn’t every Siv allowed to feel attracted to me?

            Molly takes over and introduces herself to the Queen, who has started apologizing on behalf of her family. I am still standing shirtless and shoeless on the steps of Buckingham Palace with five thousand people screaming my name behind me. I liked the physical pain of being slapped in the face because I was able to take a break from smiling for once but there is something else that just happened. I feel like I am floating outside of my own body. I see myself standing there looking at Marist as she retreats into the palace. I see my body stare in amazement as she does so.

            I never feel anything, in fact, I am not designed to feel anything, but right now I have this weird experience where my heart inflates a little bit. I see it in my chest. What are these drugs doing to me? My vial of blood must have been impure this morning. First I see some random girl running through the countryside at 80 MPH and now I am floating outside my body and am seeing my heart increase in size? Molly pulls my arm and everyone is looking at me like they are expecting me to say something.

            “What?” I say.

            “Did you not hear what the Queen just said to you?” asks Molly.

            “No, I am sorry ma’am,” I say addressing the Queen, “I think I am a bit shaken after your granddaughter hit me.”

            “Mr. Cai, I apologize for my granddaughter’s behavior. That was incredibly rude and no way anyone of our standing should greet any type of guest, no matter how Famous they are. Please accept her apologizes on my behalf. Will there be anyway to cut that part out of the tape? It will cause a publicity nightmare for Vassar.”

            “I am sorry but these cameras are live, as arranged by the Country. There is nothing I can do.” Molly apologizes.

            “Then I must go clean this up myself, please excuse me. Your quarters are in the south wing of the Palace. The staff has been awaiting your arrival for quite a long time as they are huge fans of your performance…as am I. Excuse me.”

            The Queen winks at me as she excuses herself and that alone could function as the whole reason for my trip. Fanto and Rosen are pulling harder on my arms and I let them take me. They both know that they have no control over me but I think their ears are hurting from the screaming. They initiate their Phase I EYEs so the rest of the team knows where I am going and so my location can be tracked in England - that, we have approval for. Molly comes running up to me when once the Palace doors close.

            “Colman. I will not have this one bit. No, sir. I already told you that we are here to visit the Royal family, not to upset the Royal family. So far we are not off to a good start.”

            “Have you even checked my ratings yet?” I ask innocently.

            “No…but…no I haven’t. There is no need to. I know how Sivs react to this sort of thing. They are protective of your Royal family and you just insulted them...I guess.”

            “Molly, do me a favor and check my Ratings and Profile.” I already saw the increase in approval Ratings on my EYE but I need to make sure that Molly knows who is boss.

            Fine, you know what…I have our producer on my EYE right now. See look…wait. How is that possible?”

            “I need you to remember that although you are the best producer out there, I have access to more information than you do. You are a status symbol and travel agent. I know what works. You need to remember that my Profile is seen on a global scale. Although I may have taken a dip in England, Sivs in other States enjoy the fact that a Princess slapped me.” I spit.

            “Let me set something straight for you…” Molly starts.

            I start to manipulate my face so it looks like I am feeling guilt.

*Replicate: Guilt. Eyes. Downturn. Mouth. Small Downward Tilt At Corners. Nostrils. Shrink. Pupils. Dilate. Eyelids. Lower. Corner Eyes. Lower. Lips. Quiver. Forehead. Flatten.

            “Colman, I know what you are doing. It will not work on me today. No sir…”

            I continue.

            “Uh, never mind. You know what I want from this trip. Make sure it happens. If anyone needs me, I am going to be in my room. I need a break. Rosen, Fanto make sure he does not leave your sight.”

            “Yes ma’am,” They say in unison.

            “Colman, you have three hours of free time until we have our first outing for Club Siv. The rules are as follows. Number one: do not leave this building. Number two: do not leave the sight of your security team. Number three: I know you are not going to follow number two so I have already arranged for your camera team to place a tracking device in your forearm. Alex, now.”

            Out of nowhere, one of my SQUAD springs out of the crowd surrounding me and shoves a blinking pod into my arm. I stare. There is no pain when you do not have emotions.

            “Am I supposed to say ‘Ow’?” I ask condescendingly.

            “No, that was for my enjoyment. Let me finish my rules. Number four: the Princesses are off limits! We have already signed waivers with the Royal Family, as they do not want any of their members filmed naked and broadcasted around the world.”

            “I am certain they wouldn’t mind if they experience it firsthand.”

            “I was not done! You already made a mistake sleeping with Vassar last time and we spent almost two million dollars bargaining with the Keepers to take that segment out of your highlight real. It is not going to happen again. Number six.”

            “You skipped number five.”

            “Like I said, number five: if you do not obey numbers one through four then we are pulling you out of this State and are having the jet take you back to Country.”

            “So then what do you want me to do with number three?”

            “What do you mean?” She asks.

            “You said number three is: I know you are not going to follow number two so I have already arranged for your camera team to place a tracking device in your forearm. Does this mean you now want me to remove the tracking chip?”

            “You are hopeless. You know what I mean. Now stick to it.” She says.

            “One last question Molly.”

            “And that is?”

            “Will I be able to bring someone home from the club tonight then if I am not allowed to sleep with the princesses?” I say sarcastically.

            “Was that anywhere in my rules?”

            “No but…”

            “There are no ‘No buts’ then. I hope I made myself clear.”

            “Crystal.”

            "Great. See you in three hours. Burberry is going to be over here to outfit you then.” She says and with that she swishes away down the hall.

            “Are you guys ready to have some fun then, eh, eh?” I add jokingly.

            Rosen and Fanto look at me and then drag me down to my room. Fine, I see how we are going to play this then.