BLUE PLANET

THE QUEEN ISHTAR

"Venera, wake up."

Venera opened her eyes in surprise. Then sat down on his bed, and turned to look at Vla who was still asleep. He was sure that a voice was calling him. I don't know whose voice and from where.

Venera looked out the window. The atmosphere is still dark, although it looks a yellowish tinge that appears in the western sky. It's early morning.

"Don't make a sound, Venera. You should go in silence."

The mysterious voice came back, which came from inside his head. And Venera instantly realized that it was the voice of Queen Ishtar.

He tried to answer without a sound. "Ehh. well Your Majesty...,"

Venera was doubtful whether Queen Ishtar could hear the answer, because just now she had only thought of that answer sentence in her brain.

"I'll open the door for you. There is no need to prepare anything" Queen Ishtar ordered.

"Okay, Your Majesty," Venera said again. The queen heard it.

Then he got off his bed in a cautious motion while staring at Vla's back who was still sleeping soundly. I want to hug my friend again. But it was impossible to do without waking him up.

Venera stood in the middle of the room, and waited.

A luminescent light appeared in front of Venera. A streak of white light gradually opened and widened, forming a large hole that revealed a golden-walled room on the opposite side.

Venera threw a glance once more at Vla who was still fast asleep, then with a tightness in her chest she said the word 'goodbye, Vla' without a sound.

Then Venera stepped foot slowly into the hole.

And he arrived back at the court of Queen Ishtar. Vast golden-coloured empty walls surrounded him. I don't know which part of the palace this yanh entered.

"Welcome back, Venera." Queen Ishtar welcomed him.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Venera said as she bowed her body slightly nervously. Although he had the freedom to look at the queen's face, he still felt he had to be polite, and did not immediately look directly at Queen Ishtar's face.

"Let's follow me" Queen Ishar said, taking her first step.

"Okay, Your Majesty," replied Venera who directly followed Queen Ishtar from behind.

They again stepped through the palace halls that looked the same. The walls and floor looked empty.

Venera's heart was pounding at the thought of when it was the right time for him to convey his rejection.

Actually Venera was curious about Queen Ishtar's palace. He wants to know where it is, how wide the building is, and how it looks when viewed from the outside. He had come here twice and always went straight into the palace, without being able to see the outside.

Queen Ishtar brought Venera into a large white-walled room, what Venera recognized as the room where Queen Ishtar and King Ares made the spheres of cell nuclei he had seen yesterday on the pictorial glass plate.

He saw a long metal chair and a large glass ball in the middle, and two large tubes lying on the floor in front of the metal chair. But the two tubes are currently empty.

"This is my lab, Venera. Where I do it all" Queen Ishtar explained.

Venera saw on the side closest to the metal chair there was a kind of large metal cabinet attached to the wall. Then on one side of the room, which is located farthest from the entrance, there are rows and rows of large glass tubes at his height. The tubes were full of deep yellow water. Venera squinted her eyes trying to see more clearly.

"What are those tubes, Your Majesty?" show Venera curious.

Queen Ishtar took a quick glance at the direction Venera pointed at and replied, "Ah. That is my masterpiece. Sit here, Venera," the queen replied quickly, as if she did not like Venera asking about it, and prevented her from asking further questions.

Venera complied and sat on a metal chair appointed by the queen.

"Well, right now, I'm going to start putting in the full data about the Blue Planet on you" the queen said as she opened one of the small gaps in the large cupboard, and pulled something out of it. A kind of round headgear of metal with long ropes embedded on the outside.

Venera felt this was the time.

He had to be brave, because he had all decided.

With a deep breath. And he quickly stood up from his chair.

"I'm sorry, Your Honor. I can't go to the Blue Planet!" venera said loudly but with a trembling voice. He stood up straight but without looking at the queen's face.

Queen Ishtar's hand froze in the air, shocked by Venera's words.

Then slowly he put the strange object back into the closet. Then stand straight in front of Venera without speaking. However Venera could feel Queen Ishtar's piercing gaze piercing towards him.

"Please, Your Majesty!" venera said and fell prostrate at the feet of Queen Ishtar.

“You, refuse the task I gave you, Venera?” queen Ishtar's voice boomed loudly throughout the large, cold room.

“I ... I am willing to be punished for my sassness, Your Majesty!” the voice of Venera shrieked high full of fear.

“Standing you, Venera!” the Order of Queen Ishtar.

Venera stood up with both feet trembling, without daring to stare at the Queen's face.  His body feels frozen.

“You, willing to accept punishment from me?” ask Queen Ishtar.

“B... willing, Your Highness!” venera replied with a voice that was getting vibrating.

“Why?” ask the queen.

“Because... because I refused the order, Your Majesty," replied Venera. His body was trembling uncontrollably.

“And why did you refuse my order?” ask Queen Ishtar again sharply.

“I... i..” Venera lost her mind for a moment and started stuttering.

“Jawab soon!” the Queen of Ishtar.

Venera took a deep breath to gather her strength and replied.

“S... i.. do not like to see life on the Blue Planet like. I... I think. I will not be able to carry out the task of being a leader when venusian and other martians cannot feel the same happiness as I feel with Marxists, Your Majesty.”.

Queen Ishtar was speechless at Venera's reply.

A moment of silence hung in the air.

The torturous silence.

“You don't want to gain eternal power and pride like I told you?” ask the Queen at last.

“I don't want it, Your Grace. Because I would rather not see the chaos of love affairs on the Blue Planet later." replied Venera. “And I.. willingly accept the punishment for it, Your Majesty."

Queen Ishtar was silent for a moment.

“What punishment have you been talking about since, Venera?” ask Queen Ishtar then.

“Punishment... eem.. punishment...” Venera stuttered, “eh... mm... The Board of Trustees always says, if we defy His Majesty's orders, whatever it is, we will be punished. With very heavy.”

”Yes, yes,” sahut the queen, “The Board of Trustees is indeed in charge of maintaining order and order on the planet. I can't blame them for making harsh rules that give the impression that I'm a terrible grumpy creature.”

“Bu... It is not so, Your Majesty.” replied Venera nervously.

“And I can understand how difficult it is to manage all of you in that amount if not by scaring you,” continued the Queen.

“Eh... mm... I...” Venera's getting nervous.

“Then, do you think, after myself that makes your brain working system so perfect so that you can think and study about everything carefully and thoughtfully, then when you use it to choose and decide, I will instead get angry and punish you?” ask Queen Ishtar sharply.

“I... I guess..” Venera doesn't know what to say.

“Didn't it occur to you, that even if there was something I had to scold and punish, it was myself, who had made you think this smart?” ask the queen again.

“I... I can't think so, Your Honor," Venera said.

A moment the room was back.

 

And suddenly Queen Ishtar laughed.  

A loud laughter rattled that shook the room.