Phoenix Imagining (Phoenix Prime Collection Book 1) Read online

  Legal Stuff

  Copyright © 2017 All Chaos Press, All Rights Reserved.

  Reproduction of any kind is strictly prohibited unless written permission granted by the editor of the anthology and the individual author.

  The stories included in this anthology are works of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  The individual stories are covered under the copyright of the originating writer. The presence of their creative work in the anthology is by permission of each author.

  Deceptive Practices, ©Copyright 2017 Taki Drake, All Rights Reserved

  A HOLE Workday, ©Copyright 2017 B B Kern, All Rights Reserved

  The Slaver’s Tale, ©Copyright 2017 Ryland Thorn, All Rights Reserved

  Mine to Control, ©Copyright 2017 Nicole Zoltack, All Rights Reserved

  Untamed Emotions, ©Copyright 2017 Nicole Zoltack, All Rights Reserved

  Table of Contents

  Phoenix Imagining

  Introduction - Deceptive Practices

  Deceptive Practices

  Introduction - A HOLE Workday

  A Hole Workday

  Introduction - Mine to Control

  Mine to Control

  Introduction - The Slaver’s Tale

  The Slaver's Tale

  Introduction - Untamed Emotions

  Untamed Emotions

  Contributing Authors

  Author - Taki Drake

  Author - B B Kern

  Author - Ryland Thorn

  Author - Nicole Zoltack

  Keep Connected

  Phoenix Imagining

  Welcome to the Phoenix Prime anthology, Phoenix Prime. The stories in this anthology are products of the imaginations of talented authors that have taken inspiration from a variety of sources. Some of them have woven the dark and complex themes of stories like the Hare and Hedgehog into a fabric that explores topics of angst and dark emotions, while others have delved into the pain of emotional turmoil and regret.

  The darkness of the depths of souls in some of the stories is lightened by the redeeming light of several brighter tales that shine with a soft light of optimism and caring.

  Overall, the authors that contributed stories to this anthology have produced engrossing and thoughtful stories for your reading that will take you on broad journeys, in from widely varied viewpoints.

  So be prepared for emotion and action. Take a deep breath and experience powerful storytelling that leaves you gasping and your mind awash with new ideas.

  Time to let your imagination fly.

  Introduction - Deceptive Practices

  The story submitted by this talented Phoenix Prime author examines how arrogance and entitlement can set the stage for the breakdown of a brittle soul, while others can rise from the challenge and soar.

  Deceptive Practices

  by Taki Drake

  Chapter 1 – Dramatic Entrance Required

  The door to the outside slipped noiselessly open, its very absence of sound proclaiming the quality of the construction. Although there was no betraying sound, the well-dressed clerk at the reservations desk glanced up in time to see the forceful and assured entry into the lobby of a tall man dressed in a very expensive suit.

  He carried himself with the unconscious arrogance betrayed by leaders and social elite irrespective of race or planetary citizenship. Trailing an assistant, luggage handlers, and a hovercab driver in his wake like cometary debris, the businessman looked neither to the right or left. Focused like a laser, he headed straight toward the desk.

  The hotel was exquisite, well-appointed and tasteful. The smoothly run machine of their reception kicked in immediately. The woman’s display showed each of their expected guests and basic information about each one. Although the image on her screen was from an earlier time, the man marching toward her like a stalking ape was a clear match for a Master Dell Howard.

  The guest summary included information that stated that he was a corporate raider, highly skilled in negotiations, and intolerant of anything that didn’t fit with his expectations on treatment and attitude. Her eyes lingered for just a second on a series of codes that followed the man’s name. Several of them were highlighted in red, and her intent gaze showed that she was considering the ramifications of those classifications.

  Unseen by the guest who had just reached her desk, the woman placed her hand on an inset touch panel in the desk and pressed her index and ring finger down twice. That duty taking care of, she turned all of her attention toward the guest.

  A smile on her face, the receptionist greeted the man by name, “Welcome to the Mesopotamian, Master Howard. My name is Evelyn, and your room is ready for you.”

  Frowning in irritation, Dell Howard glanced dismissively at the woman and demanded, “I expected to be met by the manager. I certainly am not going to deal with any flunky at this overrated hotel.”

  “As you wish, sir.”

  The woman continued to lay out the keys and access badges that were necessary to stay at a secured hotel in a spaceport town. There were unobtrusive access bands that could be worn around the wrist, and separate access keys to be delivered to any members of the entourage that the guest might require.

  The man’s expression grew thunderous, “Well I’m waiting! Where is the so-called manager?”

  A voice directly beside him made Dell jump in surprise. Angry that he had been startled, his color rose on his face to a deep red. His expression grew more thunderous as he swung his head to stare at the tall and slender man standing two feet from his elbow.

  “Good day, Master Howard. I am the manager of the Mesopotamia, and my name is Dexter. How may I help you?”

  “Obviously, I just came off the ship, and I need to go to my room. I expect to be shown there. Are you capable of doing that? Or do I have to have somebody interpret it for you?”

  The hotel manager remained calm as if the wave of bullying abuse levied by the hotel’s guest crashed on rocks and left no effect. Without even a minor variation in his welcoming expression, the manager continued, “The bags have been sent to your room already, sir, and I would be happy to show you to your room. If you would be so good is to follow me.”

  “Hmmpf!” Dell was not exactly sure when the bags had disappeared. The luggage handlers had also departed without any payment from him or his assistant. He was a man who liked to be in control. The fact of even such a minor thing as the porters being paid off and dismissed without his knowledge and control bothered him considerably.

  While he had been thinking, the manager had led them over to a luxurious elevator. Once again the doors open smoothly and quietly, and he stepped into the elevator. The manager walked in with him and prepared to hold the door for Dell’s assistant.

  “Don’t wait for that fool! If he’s too stupid to hurry up then he can take the next elevator up,” Dell snarled.

  Dexter responded, “As you wish. I am sure that someone else will assist him if he needs it.”

  Dell waited for the manager to display nervousness or apologize, but the man did not speak. He still had that pleasant look on his face that made Dell want to slap it off of him. Finally, Dell burst into speech, “I hope someone has gone over the conditions of the contract that I signed for the rooms here and at your sister hotel. I expect the agreement to be kept to the letter. Be aware that I will stringently
pursue penalty clauses if you fail to meet those. Do you understand that?”

  The door slid noiselessly open onto the floor of the hotel where Dell's room was located. It was a private floor and, as such, a small hallway led directly to the main double-door entrance to the suite of rooms. Dexter motioned Dell to leave the elevator, paying him the courtesy of letting him go first while saying, “Of course, I am familiar with the guest contract. We at the Mesopotamia take great pride in the quality of our service and attention to detail. I am sure that you will find no fault with our adherence to either the contract or to our responsibilities for hospitality.”

  “I will have you know that I’m close to the richest man in this quadrant. If you displease me in any way, I will have your job. I don’t tolerate laxness in any servant and in this case, you are definitely serving me.”

  Still relaxed in the face of the aggressive speech, Dexter widened his smile slightly, startling the boasting and bullying guest. Dexter just couldn’t help it. As the man was talking, all he could see in his mind was one of the monkeys at the local zoo that would get up on top of the tallest rock and beat his chest to impress all of the others in the enclosure. Even the cadence of the man’s voice came in hammer blows. It probably wasn’t terribly appropriate for him to smile at the guest after that, but he did. However, there was something that needed to be made clear.

  “While I appreciate your choice of the Hotel Mesopotamia as your hotel while you’re on Bredal, we do need to make one clarification. My staff and I are not your servants. We provide a service as part of her business. All of us make every effort to provide legitimate and contracted services for our guests. However, I will not tolerate any abuse of my staff. Any such behavior will invoke a penalty clause against you as stated in the contract that you signed.”

  Dell stopped in shock. He could not remember any other time that someone had spoken to him that way. Raised in an affluent household, no one had ever told him no. How dare this high-class servant not be respectful! Who did he think he was?

  Opening his mouth to treat the man as he deserved, Dell was brought up short by the memory of what the penalty clause established in the guesting contract. His mouth shut without any sound, although behind closed lips his teeth were grinding. This was war! He would see who won this battle of power and wits. Of course, he would bet on himself.

  The hotel manager proceeded to give his guest a quick tour of the suite rooms. They were beautifully appointed and had been set up with the specifications of the guests in mind. Although Dell looked for anything, even one minor thing, that was not in line with what he had requested, he was unable to find anything that had been missed. His frustration and baffled rage increased.

  “Is there anything else that you require at this time, sir?” asked Dexter.

  Unable to think of anything at that moment, torn between a need to crush the hotel manager into oblivion and a real recognition of contractual restrictions, Dell managed to grit out, “No. Now get out of my sight.”

  With a smile still sitting serenely on his face, Dexter gave a short, graceful bow and said, “Very good, sir. If you have any other need for something while you are here, please let us know.”

  The hotel manager then left the room making sure that the door was closed gently behind him. He had an almost overwhelming urge to laugh at the posture and expression of the baffled man that he left in the middle of the room. The last sight he had of his newest guest was of the man standing in the middle of the room with frustrated fury on his face. He reminded Dexter of a movie from a long time ago where one of the old gods had stood in the field and waited to accept the adoration of his worshipers. But no one came to worship. That same expression of non-understanding and anger had been on Dell Howard’s face.

  As the manager approached the elevator, the door opened. Skittering out in a flurry of panicked motions, Dell’s assistant exited the elevator. The man was attempting to carry and manage multiple cases, papers, and other things. Dexter was sure that he wouldn’t be able to get to the suite door without dropping something and was proved right almost immediately.

  The effort of carrying two cases and those papers proved to be too much for the man’s ability to manage. Two of the sheets of paper started to slip toward the ground, and when he made a rapid grab for them, he dropped one of the cases.

  With a much gentler smile then he had worn previously, Dexter gracefully bent over and picked up the case and held it while the man attempted to get his items in order.

  “I believe this is yours.”

  “Yes, thank you! I know he’s going to be very angry. I just can’t move this stuff any faster. Every time I get a little bit further, something falls down and then I have to try to pick it up again. And I don’t know what he’s going to need so I can prioritize.”

  “Perhaps a larger carrying bin would be more useful. That way you just have to control the one container, rather than track all of the separate pieces.”

  “That would be a great idea, and hopefully I can find one. But he never gives me much time to do anything, and I would have to spend my own money on it.”

  Realizing that he was nattering on to the hotel manager without even an introduction, the harried-looking man stopped for second and took a deep breath. “I am so sorry, sir. I forgot my manners. My name is Mark Jensen, and I am Master Howard’s assistant.”

  “I am very pleased to meet you, Mr. Jensen. My name is Dexter, and I am the hotel manager. I believe that we can assist you with the carry bin.”

  “That would be much appreciated, Dexter. But how much would it cost me?”

  Just then, an unobtrusive door at the end of the short hallway opened up. Exiting out of the door that was clearly marked “Staff Only” came a man carrying a medium-sized box. Without a word, he handed the box to Dexter, turned, and walked back through the doorway. The staff door snicked quietly as it closed.

  Broadening his smile slightly, Dexter placed the box on the small table next to the elevator. “Here you go, Mark. This should be large enough to hold all your bits and pieces and allow you to not waste so much time picking things up over and over again. Please do not worry about the price. It is a minor service from the hotel to you. If you have any requirements or anything that we can help you with, please let us know.”

  Mark’s words tumbled over themselves as he quickly placed his various items in the box. Dexter noticed that the man actually was moving surely and coherently. His actions now were efficient and assured. Looking into the man’s face as he was absorbed in the task at hand, Dexter could see the exhaustion and worry that Mark had hidden before. This is a very frightened man. I wonder what is going on.

  With one last thankful smile from Mark, Dexter summoned the elevator as the administrative assistant headed for the double doors to the suite. Just before the door to the elevator closed, Dexter heard the snarling voice of Dell Howard greeting his assistant, “Where the hell of you been? I don’t pay you to laze around. I expect you to be here whenever I need you and to have what I require from you. We have a lot of work to do, so get your ass in here and let’s get to work.”

  Chapter 2 – Laying a Trapline

  Precisely at 6 PM, the exact time that supper had been requested, an elegant rolling cart delivered the evening meal to Dell Howard’s suite. Dell had deliberately ordered things that would be difficult to prepare and serve. In fact, one of the dishes normally required two days of preparation. He was gleefully anticipating the opportunity to take the snotty hotel manager down a notch or two, so when the meal was delivered, he was waiting to inspect it.

  The delivery and set up of the meal was flawless. There was an effortless glide of perfection to the way that the room service waiter brought the meal in and presented it. The man handled without question Dell’s rudeness when the financial magnate reached past him and yanked the covers off the food. Prepared to expend his pent-up fury on the man when the ordered Romalon Pressed Plover dish was not there, Dell was struck speechless by th
e site of the classic dish.

  How could they possibly have done this? There has to be some deception involved. The thoughts kept running around in the man’s mind, as the frustration of being unable to find fault scattered his thoughts like a shotgun fired in error. Dimly, he heard and saw the waiter present the wine and open it.

  The wine was perfect, the meal was the best he had ever eaten. Dell was furious.

  If he thinks he can escape me this way, I’m just going to have to show him that he can’t win. I will figure something out and make sure that he knows that he’s been in a battle.

  Plotting and picturing the abject capitulation of the snotty hotel manager, Dell finish the bottle of excellent wine. As he drifted off to sleep, the last thought that he had was of the power he would feel when Drexel was cringing at his feet. I will show you.

  <<<>>>

  Morning found Dell in a much better mood. His dreams had been filled with memories of his triumphs, companies taken away from founders, deals that had beggared his competitors. He woke invigorated and feeling powerful. He could even ignore the fact that breakfast was perfectly on time and cooked exactly the way that he had asked. Instead, he fired off rapid instructions to his assistant. Many of them went onto a list of demands that he was to make to the hotel.

  Muttering under his breath, Dell said, “This will show them. I am not someone they should be trifling with.”

  “I’m sorry sir, did you say something?”

  “Even you, as incompetent as you are, should be able to understand me when I’m speaking clearly.”

  Dell smiled to himself as Mark’s posture became more hunched. Standing up, Dell stretched briefly and then casually dumped the entire breakfast table onto the floor. Water, coffee, leftover food. All were tossed across the floor.

  As Mark looked at the mess in horror, Dell laughed and said, “Better clean that mess up, mister. I’m off to my business meeting and won’t need you there. Make sure that you have the room cleaned when I come back.”