I had found myself in an unusual position. Once again, I had some free time and little idea what to do with it. Mother wasn't expecting anything of me after catching up on my studies and was making her own preparations to attend the private rooms of a system-leading vitriogeneticist, and even Deianira was attending to other duties. Thus, I had begun scouting for something to occupy my attention.

The library held naught of interest, its many extravagant volumes near-exclusively dense genealogies and family histories dating back to the colonisation of Mars. Neither of which was stimulating enough to properly delve into.

My combat drills gave me something to do for a while as I practised stances, blocks, swings, and feints with the weapons which most fascinated me. The hearty swings of a katzbalger. The flourishing slashes of a kriegsmesser. The direct brutality of the gladius. The experience yielded a soothing meditative feeling. But without a sparring partner it all felt far too static and challengeless, my mind only able to dwell on my steadily increasing ennui. To reflect on standing alone in an empty training hall felt somewhat foolish, like I was just playing out some childish fantasy.

Even the intense sensations of masturbation felt somehow dulled. Though the pleasure was certainly still there, it was a mere rumble of distant thunder compared to the bolt of lightning which coursed through my flesh the last time I had laid with Deianira. We hadn't done anything like that in the few weeks since then, returning to our places as Mistress and servant. Though I supposed once Mother finally passed away, I would assume the mantle of Master of House Harmonia. Yet another degree of authority I had over her. Earned by virtue of what, exactly? My obscene luck to even be alive notwithstanding.

I took to walking around the palace, visiting the outermost rings despite the increased gravitational weight on my back. As utilitarian as the epidermis of our palace station was, the outer rings afforded a few viewpoints out of which the vast beyond of space could be seen.

As I passed by one such portal, I gazed into the beyond and saw what was, at least in part, my birthright. Mars.

Its crimson surface evocative of power itself, Mars was a bright cinnabar orb before me. A beautiful yet baleful planet, it felt to me as if I could reach out and hold it in both hands.

The Great Houses of Mars were the ruling class, certainly. Though ostensibly presenting as a democratic system of corporate interests, each of the Great Houses rarely if ever intervened in the affairs of the others, or even much listened to their petitioners. Mother herself had told me of her scorn for those who still campaigned for a democratic society. After all, even Terra was a proud democracy before it brought its own biosphere to ruin. The Great Houses of Mars turned an uninhabitable ball of resources into a great network of self-contained artificial environments from which cities were built, designed with clarity and intent from the ground up. Without the vision of the Great Houses, the people of Mars would be still drifting in orbital stations. The citizenry were lucky to be ruled by their betters, and were given the chance to make of their common lives what they could within their habplexes on the surface of Mars.

But something about my thoughts stuck with me. Someday I would in part rule this planet that I envisioned myself holding within my hands. How could I know I was doing my world justice?

After all, I was the last true scion of House Harmonia. The weight of generations across an aeon would be borne by my shoulders alone. Were I to falter, to fail, it would mean the end of House Harmonia. Perhaps the end of true order on Mars.

A familiar voice pulled my attention away from my world.

'Good evening Mistress,' Deianira spoke, her latex petticoats ruffling as she curtsied, 'My apologies if I am interrupting. Do you require my services? I have finished attending to other matters of the palace.'

'Oh, Deianira. No, I … I was just thinking. About Mars. About the people.'

'The people, Mistress?'

'Yes,' I nodded, 'Mother has such distaste for them, though she has such pride for our world and our House. It confuses me.'

'How so?'

I rested my hand against the reinforced glass of the viewpoint, tapping my finger against it, 'What is Mars, really? I understand that it's a planet rich with mineral wealth, that it's the source of strength for all the Great Houses. But logically all that strength comes from the people who labour for us, doesn't it?' I folded my hands behind my back, somewhat pensively, 'Something doesn't feel right about this. I want to try and understand things for myself. Do you know what my siblings knew of the people of Mars?'

Deianira could offer no insights, shaking her head apologetically, 'I had little interaction with your siblings as your personal maid, Mistress. Rarely was I ever afforded more than a glance from them. And I have never been to the surface of Mars in person. The only experience I've had among other citizens was … well, my old life back on the moon of Ganymede. Before I was,' she gestured to herself, 'Or rather became this.'

'I see,' I sighed, my gaze turning back to the planet.

'If Mistress would wish to learn about the state of your people, would it be best to learn of recent events on the planet's surface?'

I considered this, though I had doubts, 'Hearing about it all through second hand accounts feels … disingenuous. After all, Mother has stressed to me the importance of our propaganda, to keep a strong front to our enemies and jealous rivals. Among the Great Houses there is infighting, and there is likely nothing Terra wouldn't do to claim ownership of Mars should the Houses fall into disarray. Even if there was truth in these broadcasts I worry that I might accept our own defensive projections as gospel,' I muttered, my path of thoughts leading me finally to a conclusive way forward to slake my curiosity, 'I need to see things first hand, as they are for the common people.'

'Mistress? Are you sure about this?' Deianira cautioned, 'It may be dangerous. As you said, you have enemies you still do not know of. And even should you grace the surface of Mars, people may be too afraid to tell you anything you may not want to hear. To be plain, your own reputation for severity, proceeds even the reputation of House Harmonia's strength.'

I gave a troubled sigh. Even the people of Mars knew how horrible a person I had been? Could I really have been so cruel?

'Perhaps we could go undercover? There must be some way to disguise ourselves on the surface.'

Deianira was slightly taken aback, 'Us?'

'Of course,' I said, 'I don't have anyone else I can trust with this. Besides, you'd know how best to act far better than I would. I've barely had any etiquette classes yet.'

'With respect, Mistress, mingling with the citizens isn't something typically taught in etiquette classes.'

I could only shrug, 'Regardless, you have more experience than I in this. Besides, with Mother taking another of her business trips soon we'll have the perfect opportunity to explore the surface. We'd only need a day to explore one of the habplexes on the surface.'

Deianira put a pensive gloved hand to her lips in thought. Agonising seconds passed before she spoke again.

'If it would please Mistress, I may see about obtaining some methods for us to go potentially unnoticed on one of the surfaces of Mars.'

'Excellent,' I breathed, 'Thank you, Deianira. You know, I'm feeling quite excited about this. I've already got the perfect habplex in mind to inspect.'

'Yes, Mistress? Which one?'

'The largest and last to be built on the surface, designed to grow outwards as the population increases, reintegrating the other habplexes into its mass. Perhaps it could terraform the entire planet in a millennia or two, give or take,' I smiled, a giddy excitement rising within me, 'Babylon Omega.'