The Spider Queen

[Memory Fragment Has Been Completed!]

[Daily Limit Reached!]

[Neural Implant…. Disconnecting… Disconnecting…]

Sophie opened her eyes and found herself back in her bedroom staring at the plain white walls and the empty ceiling.

She absentmindedly touched her stomach since the pain that she felt after her ribs were cracked was still clear in her memories.

It all felt so real…

It was as though in that moment she had become her father rather than just a passenger witnessing a memory.

Sophie understood why there was a limit put in place on the device.

One could easily get lost inside the memories and lost their sense of self.

The hybrid girl reached for a glass of water on her dresser table and took small sips. She grabbed a pillow and shifted her body until she felt more comfortable.

Sophie gently touched the neural implant on her forehead and easily pulled it out. She then placed the small metalloid device in her storage bag.

Those memories…

Sophie knew that the Imperial Army was probably not as perfect as the propaganda on the virtual Net had portrayed them to be.

And her father's experience with corruption left a sour taste in her mouth.

The reality was that despite humanity's achievements both technological and biological… there was still a great class divide.

Cultivation talent and resources had only increased the gap between the haves and the have nots.

Sophie let out a heavy sigh and listened to the sounds coming from the living room. Moon was watching his show without a care in the world.

The person who would become the new emperor or empress could potentially influence a great deal of change in society by making things better or worse…

More than likely… they would simply maintain the status quo.

Sophie tossed those thoughts to the back of her mind and got up from the mattress. She checked her communicator and saw a few incoming messages from her father.

Dad: [Did you check out my gifts yet? The vial contains an experimental rare poison that I managed to buy from a trader in the Portian System]

Dad: [As for the neural implant… I have uploaded some of my memories that I think will help you understand what you will face once you graduate from university.]

Dad: [Don't use it too often but I do hope that you can learn from my mistakes and avoid some of the pitfalls that I suffered through once I joined the army.]

Dad: [Also the neural implant was specially designed to only be accessed using your biological signal so anyone else who tries to use it will cause it to self-destruct.]

Sophie messaged back her father and thanked him for the gifts.

She didn't know that the contents in the vial were a rare poison but now her interest was peaked.

Sophie walked over to her bedstand and picked up the vial that she had placed down before using the neural implant.

The liquid inside the glass tube was a pinkish grey colour but under the light it seemed to shift to a much darker hue.

Sophie held the vial in her palm and had to resist the urge to unscrew the top and take a sip of its contents.

It wasn't everyday that she got to try a new toxin…

The hybrid girl stood still with a conflicted expression on her face. Desire and caution danced around inside her mind but eventually caution won out.

Sophie put the vial away in her storage bag and decided to save it for an emergency or at least for some testing in the lab.

"Babe…. I'm home!" a sweet voice came from the entrance. Sophie quickly walked outside her bedroom and saw Cleo standing in the living room with a smile on her face.

"Look what I got for you…" Cleo teased lightly as she brought up her hands and revealed the small cake hidden in her palm.

The princess wore a simple black coat and a pair of running sneakers. Her messy curly hair fell below her shoulders and her piercing green eyes flashed with mischief.

Sophie stared at her girlfriend with a silly smile on her face and hurriedly walked down the stairs to meet her.

She stretched out her arms and held Cleo in a warm embrace that seemed to last forever. Cleo's soft and fragile body made Sophie's heart race.

She wanted nothing more than to cuddle with her girlfriend and spend the afternoon lazily kissing her face.

This sweet moment was interrupted by the loud noises that came from the screen in the living room.

"Jeffery you son of a bitch! How are you still alive?! I watched you die!"

"Crimson bandit… don't you know my name? I'm Punisherman! I'm here to fight evil and restore truth and justice!"

"It's punishing time!"

Moon flapped his wings in excitement as a man dressed in all black with a plain white mask over his face punched another man who wore a red cloak.

Squeak! Squeak!

(Get him Punisherman! Beat him up! Beat him up!)

Moon loudly cheered and his sudden movements knocked some of his snacks off the table and onto the floor.

"Moon… pick those up right now," Sophie fiercely whispered as she powered on her wrist communicator and pressed a button.

The show on the monitor was instantly paused and Moon turned to face his master with a pitiful look in his eyes.

Squeak! Squeak!

(Mommy! I'll clean up later… I promise…)

"No… clean up that mess now or I won't resume your show," Sophie refused to budge and stared at her naughty pet.

Moon grumbled and flew towards the kitchen to grab a few wet towels.

"Couldn't the androids take care of the mess?" Cleo softly whispered in a low voice that Moon could not hear.

"If I allow them to clean up after Moon then he'll probably never be neat again…" Sophie explained with a light sigh.

Cleo giggled at her girlfriend's crestfallen expression and stood on her tiptoes to press a kiss against Sophie's lips.

"Cheer up babe… I have a special surprise for you later…" Cleo seductively teased as she ran a finger down Sophie's chest.

The atmosphere heated up, but Cleo stepped away just as Sophie's hands were about to roam further downwards.

"Speaking of surprises… did you pick up the gift from the postal office?" Cleo suddenly changed topics just as Sophie was about to respond to her teasing.

"Yeah… my dad got me a vial of poison and a neural implant," Sophie spoke casually.

"Neural implant? What for?" Cleo asked in confusion.

Sophie explained what was stored inside the neural implant and Cleo expression turned to one of amazement.

In the royal family the thought of sharing one's memories with another family member was basically unthinkable.

No one would be foolish enough to potentially hand over a weakness to people who would be eager to get rid of a potential competitor to the throne.

Still… Sophie's strong relationship with her father was one that Cleo secretly envied… just a little bit.