Tales of the Antipodes-Part 1 by SloGinFiz 3712

I class this story as romantic political science fiction. Some might find that a little challenging, if so, you are welcome to give it a miss. There are some Māori words but the text should explain their meaning.

I have not allowed comments this time. You are welcome to contact me directly.

Tales of the Antipodes-Part 1 The dark seduction of Rhiannon

The natural order has it that the apex predator stands at the top of the food chain; the ultimate being man. The mistake a man can make is that he commands from the very top, but that is not reality. You see, the very bottom, the krill of the Antarctic support the life above them and so on, and so on. The health of the food chain below the apex determines the health at the top. The bottom commands every species above them

What happens if the health of the food chain weakens. This is the opportunity of the virus. Where does the virus stand in the food chain? The virus is invisible to the apex predator yet it can kill the apex predator stone dead. In seconds if necessary. It can drive the apex predator into extinction.

*****

Rhiannon stood at the reception of Wrightlaw and associates, in Wellington, New Zealand. Rhiannon was, despite her age, a relatively junior solicitor and occasional barrister of one year's employment with the old established legal firm.

She was chatting with the receptionist, a young fresh, tidily turned-out young man, Hugo. She was not conscious of the lift doors opening behind her, just the sudden open mouthed gasp Hugo made toward those entering.

Rhiannon turned to see the source of Hugo's apparent surprise. In front of her was a well-dressed imposing group of three men and a woman led by a tall immaculately and well-tailored gentleman. Before her was Edmund Elliot Clarke, instantly recognisable to Hugo as one of the world's wealthiest men and the leader of a powerful corporate oligarchy.

Rhiannon did not recognise the man but what she saw was an imposing presence as he stood before her unsmiling with the confidence of one who knew that all before him were to do his bidding. He was dressed entirely in black, his tailored suit jacket although not necessarily fashionable was styled, buttoned to the neck, his hair was slicked back with flecks of grey but it was his eyes that struck Rhiannon, they were dark and seemed to penetrate her. So dark that she could not detect a colour.

"I caught your accent as you were talking there, you are American?" he spoke in a slow measured baritone.

"Ahh yessir." Rhiannon replied with a slight stammer to his deep resonant voice. Addressing him as sir just naturally came. How else would you address such an apparition?

An almost imperceptible smile crossed his lips.

Rhiannon immediately became breathless under his gaze. She felt her heart pounding. She had, as a lawyer, become used to feeling a little superior, entitled, with people around her but never had someone had this instant effect on her.

Meanwhile Hugo, behind her was gesturing for attention and Clarke turned to him. "Sir, would you like to wait here while I call Mr Wright. Please fill in the details of your group on the screen." Hugo gestured at the small tablet. Clarke ignored him.

For Hugo there had been no need to ask who he was. Neither did he need to call Wright who, hearing the arrival was already entering the foyer. Caskill and Bell, two principal associates following.

Rhiannon turned to Dean Wright. Dean was normally equally confident, groomed and suited but today she had never seen him so obviously nervous. He seemed to be shaking as he reached out to grasp Clarke's hand. The group murmured introductions as Clarke stood back solidly erect, he was apt to constantly assess who he was meeting.

Dean Wright pointed to the conference room in the highly glazed foyer and Hugo activated the automatic door. As they all filed in Hugo then activated the translucent glass which immediately became opaque as the group entered.

Once the door closed, Rhiannon, flushed, turned to Hugo, "Who was that!"

"That's Edmund Clarke of course."

"Really! What's he doing here?"

"Business I suppose," replied Hugo

"I didn't recognize him. He looks different from his pics in the media. Lewis mentioned that he had bought property in Central Otago. He might become one of our clients."

" That would be something." Hugo raised his eyebrows as he spoke.

Rhiannon returned to her modest cubicle only to be disturbed about 20 minutes later by Hugo requesting she go to the conference room.

As she entered through the activated sliding doors everybody was arranged on either side of the large rectangular table with Clarke at the head.

She was motioned by Clarke to stand and not be seated. Once the door was closed, Clarke addressed her.

"You are Rhiannon Bronwyn Jones?"

"Yes, sir."

"American but Welsh extraction, I presume," continued Clarke.

"My father was Welsh born; my mother's family go back to the Mayflower."

He paused and stared at her for a few seconds digesting this. "So, you were an attorney in the states but you are a solicitor... and barrister here." He looked at her quizzically; the look made her heart jump.

"Yes sir, I previously worked at a small law firm in Auckland as a solicitor, but since joining here a year ago I was asked to do some court work."

Wright joined in saying, "She was recommended by my wife. They were in the same church choir together...."

Clarke glared at him and he shut down, electing not to continue.

Clarke returned to Rhiannon, "what church do you belong to?"

"Anglican... St John's."

"Anglican? That's episcopalian?"

"Sort of."

"Were you a lawyer in the States?"

"Yes, I was an attorney in Boston and in Los Angeles. When I came out here, I was sponsored by Aucklaw, a firm in Auckland. I had to undertake extra study, sit exams, get my practicing certificate and went before the bar, and here I am."

"Before the bar? Mmm" Clarke glanced at Wright who elected to nod and not speak after his earlier experience."

Turning back to Rhiannon, "Where did you originally study law?"

"Harvard, JD, Masters I graduate summa cum laude."

With that statement the three principal directors, Wright, Caskill and Bell's jaws dropped in unison.

For the first time Clarke showed some emotion although subtly, he raised his head and set back in his chair.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in academia or a judge somewhere?"

" I gave all that away. The States was in such a political mess I couldn't stand it. I met a kiwi in LA, we had a relationship and I followed him to New Zealand. Somewhere that is stable and benign. I like it here; it is a fun place with less pressure."

"You moved from Boston to LA, why was that?"

"Another relationship gone sour. He was controlling and just dumped me." She coughed, the experience had been emotional and she suddenly became aware that she was being interrogated and the whole group were staring at her.

"So, you went to Harvard. Your family must have been wealthy and supported you."

"No, my family was poor, my mother and father were in a religious cult along with my two brothers. They threw me out and I went to live with my grandmother from my mother's side. She supported me through Harvard."

"And she is."

"Was...She has died, she was a Warren."

"Ah, Boston brahmin." He exhaled seemingly satisfied. "You can go now."

Rhiannon glanced at the principal directors as she left, all three mouths were still open as their eyes followed her out of the room.

Back at her desk she began to feel a little anxious. She thought back over the interrogation. It was not her nature to be as open as she was. At work she had been a very private person. She had felt she was being cross examined as though the tables were being turned for her legal role. Not something she was comfortable with.

She did not know where this was leading, she wondered if she had said too much about herself. She had tried to put her stateside experience behind her; too many painful memories and she was happy with a more modest role in New Zealand.

If that had rattled her then, the next act would take her deeper. The meeting had apparently ended when Wright approached her. "Why didn't you tell us about your background? You could have had a much more senior role here. We certainly did not do our due diligence on this; we thought we were doing you a favour. "He spoke quietly, trying not to advertise the conversation to the whole office.

"I didn't want a senior or more demanding role. We have three little ones and Lewis and I share our home life which is busy and demanding in itself. Already I have been in trouble with the family for the time spent on the work here. My work in the States took over my entire life, and ruined my relationships, so I left all that behind, that's why I am in this country."

"Any way you had better go to the conference room, Clarke wants to speak to you, one on one. Oh, and continue to call him sir, he obviously appreciates that."

Rhiannon's heart was again starting to beat faster again. She felt her chest tightening as she approached the conference room, her face reddening.

This time Clarke was sitting across the table alone. He motioned her to sit across from him.

She sat down, she felt stiff and was not feeling relaxed. She had no idea what was going on and hoped he would explain everything. She would be disappointed.

The examination continued. But he began with an unsettling request.

" I want you to sit there. Try to relax, I want to look into your eyes for 5 or so minutes."

Rhiannon's immediate thoughts were, 'creepy or what?'

"The reason I am doing this is that I believe I can learn a lot about your nature, your sincerity, your integrity and so on. I want to feel your chemistry. I will want to work with you and I need to know I can rely on you and you will be comfortable working closely with me."

Rhiannon immediately relaxed; she bought the idea.

"Now try to relax totally, it is a sort of mutual mindfulness."

Rhiannon relaxed down. The explanation cleared the air and she now did not feel threatened by Clarke. They locked eyes and she began to breathe deeply. His eyes seemed to lose their intenseness and the stare began to feel benign. He did not shift his stare from her face and he never smiled. She began to feel her heart pounding again, then it happened, the feeling seemed to shift to her groin. 'Shit, he is turning me on,' she thought as she felt the moistening between her legs. This continued until she began to shift. She was beginning to feel embarrassed and he must have seen her reddening.

It was then he cut her off. She was relieved but her life would never be the same.

He recommenced her examination. "So, are you married, do you have kids?"

"Yes, we have three, two girls and a boy. Sam, Isla and Clare."

"Your husband, I assume he is the Kiwi guy who lured you here."

"Er no."

"Were you dumped again?" This man was direct.

"No, by mutual consent really. We never married, not even engaged. I suppose I was a naughty girl and he did not see me as marriageable material. I was like a kid in a candy shop I suppose until I met Lewis."

"And you have lived happily ever after?"

"Yes sir, you could say that."

And his name is Lewis...?"

"Lewis Saunders."

"And what does he do?"

He develops software. Games. We are in partnership."

"Then why are you working?"

"We went through a development phase. We worked from home when the kids were small. Now they are at school, l have more time but I am not so needed for Lewis. We have a staff and I was keen on getting back into law but not in a demanding role. We have a lifestyle property on the edge of town and Lewis and his core staff work from our home."

"Mmm, sounds ideal, how long have you been married to Lewis?"

"10 years."

"How did you get together?"

"We were both working for Axxad. I did a stint as a company solicitor; he was in software development."

"I thought he was in games? Isn't Axxad about AI cloud-based business software?"

"That's where he started? Games were a sideline."

" So, what does your family do for recreation?"

"We are outdoors people. Nerds can get cabin feverish after a while."

"What do you mean?"

"We are not typical nerds. We have a fairly closed group of friends who all thrive on the outdoors. Skiing, tramping, biking you name it. Lewis was on ski patrol a couple of seasons before we married. He helps out with search and rescue occasionally. He is very skilled that way."

"That's probably it for today. I think I have enough. You can go."

Rhiannon was surprised at the dismissal. She was learning that he was not warm, he was abrupt and straight to the point. She got up and left wondering what would happen next.

******

It was two weeks later when Dean came to her cubicle. "Rhiannon, we need you urgently in the conference room. We have a meeting shortly with the Prime Minister and Clarke wants you with us. It seems he has had his people check you out and he is willing to trust you. You will be given a briefing, then we should proceed to the executive wing at Parliament where there will be the PM and two relevant ministers. One will be business innovation and the other infrastructural development.

Rhiannon had hardly time to think before she was ushered into the Conference room. She was conscious of Clarke's eyes on her as she entered and sat down. He came straight to the point. "Warren," he called her by her grandmother's name, "you are to be seconded as my legal liaison. You will be my personal attorney and assistant. I am aware you will know very little about what this is all about. You may know, because it is in the public domain, that I have bought a station property in middle Otago. There, I am building an international hyperscale AI cloud-based data centre.

Why here? The country is stable, and peaceful. It is remote from most global threats and defensible as it sits in the middle of the global water hemisphere. The ground it sits on is the most seismically stable in New Zealand, it is well clear of tsunamis, floods and other natural threats. It will need power and a lot of it. We have arranged with the Government an interim solution but part of the deal is that we are working with our New Zealand partners to build the first fusion power station here. It will also need comms, so as well as a network of ground stations we will be putting into orbit our own independent network of satellites as we will be boosting a South Island space port to launch these from.

At the moment I have had a house built in Wellington however I am about to have an identical one built on our property in Otago. I will want to jet you down there next week with me to meet the architects and the local property representatives.

Today we are meeting the PM to ensure their support and buy in. We expect local opposition from a variety of groups and we will need the full support of the Government to see this through. In your role as liaison this will be an introduction, but you will not need to participate fully in our negotiations. Just listen and record."

Rhiannon was stunned. The investment would be momentous. She sat through the details of the project and the expected content of the meeting before collecting her electronic notebook and jacket. The fact that Clarke just expected her to be at his service was his typical self-entitlement, but against her better judgement and unlike her normal character she just acquiesced and submitted herself to his direction. Besides, the thought of being part of a deputation to the prime minister excited her and she gave none of it a second thought.

The Government buildings were within walking distance so they took advantage of a cool crisp but bright day to clear their heads in preparation for the meeting. Passing through security they were escorted to a waiting area outside the cabinet room then finally ushered in and greeted by the PM and his two Ministers. When it came to the round of introductions, on reaching Rhiannon, one of the Ministers recognised her.

"I remember you, what? 18 months ago. You are Rhiannon aren't you and, you came with, who?.... ah Lewis Saunders."

"Gosh you have a good memory!" Rhiannon responded.

" Yes, yes, you had developed that disaster support educational software for children and you were looking for our support to have it introduced into schools, which I think went through, did it not?"

"Yes, there was an extensive trial organised."

"Oh good. Are there any good news stories? I am conscious of the impending election."

"There is, I am happy to say. In the floods earlier this year a family reported that their daughter who had been playing the disaster game had in effect saved their lives based on what she learnt."

"Oh, my goodness, just what I need. Can you send me details and links for that."

Rhiannon glanced at Wright who was grinning at her. She looked at Clarke, but he remained impassive.

The meeting went as planned. On the walk back to the office the group appeared jubilant although Clarke remained silent and serious. Wright nudged her, "Rhiannon, it seems every day we meet, you come up with a surprise we should have known about. I wonder what is coming next, is your alter ego batwoman?" He chuckled at his joke. Rhiannon wondered what Clarke would make of the warmth between her and the Minister. Surely, he must be impressed. But there was no comment from him.

******

Wasting no time, she was to be transferred to Clarke's office the following day therefore she spent the rest of that day handing over what work she had.

In the morning, she was welcomed by the receptionist, HR and Clarke's current PA. Mid-morning she was asked to enter his office.

The office was a shock to her. It had minimal furniture. Clarke had a desk, and a chair where he sat with his back to the floor to ceiling windows. There were no other chairs or any furniture. His computer screens were built into the desk and apart from that there were three large artworks on the walls.

Clarke directed Rhiannon to stand in front of the desk, her hands at her sides.

"Every morning, Warren, you are to enter here and stand as you are. You will be here one-hour before everyone else but you will be able to finish at 3pm on a normal day. Travel may be quite frequent but usually it will be to Otago. We will travel by my company jet to Dunedin and from there by helicopter. You will return on the same day. Except for overseas travel we will generally not overnight anywhere in New Zealand. You are to advise Lewis and make appropriate arrangements for your family. Normally there will be reasonable notice in advance.

In terms of our relationship there has to be absolute discretion required in our business dealings and I need to trust you completely and demand absolute loyalty.

Every morning on your arrival you are to enter this room, stand where you are and recite a pledge of loyalty. You should memorize it so that you can recite it without a prompt. It will be thus,

I pledge myself to you

For your protection and your trust

You are my mentor, my master and the director of my life in your company

I lay my faith in your fairness and your care of my well being

I will always look to you for the care of my family and my support for them

I give my whole self to you while am on work duty and I will fully support your needs as you direct

I will not let you down nor you me

Tales of the Antipodes-Part 1

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