Mongo and the Princess thread

[CaptainWacky]

So it's all together and not separate story for the day posts...

She looked around her room. She had everything she could ever want, or so her father would say. She looked at Mongo as if he was just another object in the room. She looked at him with resentment, with some disgust too. He didn't say anything.

"Say something!" the princess commanded.

"As you wish, my lady," said Mongo. "What do you wish me to say?"

"Oh shut up!" she said.

"As you command," he said, nodding.

"AAARGH!" she said. "I can't stand this prison anymore!"

"Prison, my lady?" asked Mongo.

"Did I give you permission to speak?" she snapped, but was starting to feel guilty about the way she was talking to Mongo. It wasn't his fault. On the other hand, she was angry. "It's a prison," she said, more kindly but still seething. "A gilded cage they would have called it back on the old Earth."

"But your protection is the most important thing, my lady," he said, sincerely. "And there are worse prisons. I've spent time in some."

"What were you in jail for?" she asked, thinking that maybe now she was upset he might give her a proper answer.

"Your father instructed me not to tell you," he said with a smile.

"Yes, of course," she said and walked over to the window. She looked down on the grounds below, on the people in her father's court going about their business, ordinary people, free people. "The princess in the tower. Such a fucking cliche."

"My lad, language!" said Mongo, feigning shock.

"You've heard me say worse," she said. "I can be a brat sometimes, can't I?"

"It is expected of a princess, my lady," he said. She laughed a little.

"I just wish...I could have a boyfriend, at least," she said.

"Your are arranged to marry Prince Egnor of Thrombone..."

"He's a twat," she said.

"Well, quite," he said. "But it is necessary, as I know you understand."

"Just like it's necessary I stay indoors all the time? When was the last assassination attempt on me anyway?"

"Tuesday," he said, matter of factly.

"What!?"

"Yes, Tuesday. You were sleeping. I ripped his arm from its socket. We cleaned before you woke."

"Oh," she said, falling backwards onto her bed. "Then I suppose it's only right that I'm here."

"Indeed, my lady," said Mongo.

"Here...alone...in this big bed...well, not alone. There's you. But you're over there and I'm here, in bed...alone..."

"And I'll be staying over here, my lady," said Mongo, stoicly.

"Yes," she said, sighing. "I'm sure you will."

 

[CaptainWacky]

The princess woke to the same feeling of emptiness she felt every morning. It took her a long time before she could even roll over onto her side. For a while, what could have been hours, she just lay on her back staring at the ceiling. She wasn't even thinking about her situation, she was long past that. She was just staring. Eventually she rolled and looked at Mongo.

"Good morning, my lady," he said.

"I've been awake for hours," she said.

"Fifty minutes," said Mongo.

"Oh," she said. "It's hard to tell."

"Not for me, my lady," he said.

"Of course not," she said.

"What do you plan to do today, my lady?" he said.

"There is nothing to do," she said, with marked finality.

"Never true, my lady," said Mongo.

"Don't you ever get bored?" she asked, almost snapping at him again.

"No," he said. "I have a vivid imagination."

"Well good for you!" she said. "I'm bored and I hate life. Is that what you want to hear?"

"I never like hearing that, my lady, but I know it's the truth..."

"And don't tell me how I'm better off than other people, okay? I KNOW."

"I was not going to tell you that, my lady," said Mongo. She rolled back onto her back. "Is it something you think about, my lady? Do you feel guitly for your life of relative priveldge?"

"Why should I? One can't help the life they are born into," she said.

"No, my lady, but you are a good person," said Mongo.

"I'm not a person at all! I'm nothing...nothing but this. Nothing but a girl in her bedroom, the same four walls day after day, the same view...will things ever change?"

"I do not know, my lady," said Mongo, truthfully.

"Well, you wouldn't, you're not even human!" she said.

"That is true," he said and she felt guilt again.

"I didn't mean that's a bad thing...just that you may not understand the human politics on this planet...or maybe you do...you probably do."

"I believe I understand them fairly well," he said.

"Want to have sex?" she said out of nowhere and it was so jarring that Mongo almost showed a visible sign of reaction.

"My lady, it is not permitted for our species to fornicate," he pointed out.

"Ridiculous, racist law!" she said, with passion. It was true that when she had been young she had agreed with the law banning sexual relations between humans and vringons, but she had been a silly girl then who had never even met vringons. Knowing Mongo the way she did she could see how long the law was. "Lots of people break it, you know."

"I'm sure they do, but the law is the law," he said.

"I want to go outside then," she said.

"My lady, at the moment that is impossible, as you know. The enemy has agents even in your father's own court..."

"WELL I WANT TO DO SOMETHING!" she wailed. "Sorry," she added, quickly, angry at herself.

"We could play chess again," he said.

"How about a vringon game?" she asked.

"There are none here," he said.

"But it's said that you play verbal games."

"In our own tongue," he said.

"Well...teach me how to speak your language then!"

He paused to consider this. "Humans do no normally learn our language..."

"It's seen as pointless by most," she said. "But not by me. I want to learn and there's no law against it. So teach me. Please."

"As you wish, my lady," he said, and couldn't stop himself from smiling. It was then that Mongo began to feel worried. He really was growing attracted to the princess.

His mission could be in danger.

 

[CaptainWacky]

"Mongo?" said the Princess.

"Mmm?" asked Mongo, opening his eyes.

"You fell asleep," she said.

"My people do have to sleep, you know," he said, with a smile. Which was something his people did not do, smile, but he'd trained himself to do it at the appropriate moment around humans.

"I know, I know," she said. "It's just that I've never seen you sleep while I've been awake."

"Yes, I try to wait until you are asleep," he said. "But given the current circumstances...still, I apologise."

"No need to apologise!" she snapped. "You should sleep when you want! You should leave me room, have someone take over, go out, see your family..."

"I am your protector, my lady," said Mongo.

"It's been a year!" she said. "A year alone in this tower, speaking to almost no one but each other! I don't know how much longer I can last, Mongo."

"Am I such bad company?" he said. She knew he was joking, of course.

"There is no threat!" she said. "There hasn't even been an assassination attempt in six months."

"Five months, three weeks, but I see your point," said Mongo. "But I do still feel there is a threat." And that threat is me, he thought to himself. Mongo hadn't been sleeping, he'd been enganged in a coversation using the communication device inserted under his eyelids. His masters had grown impatient. They wanted the princess dead, and now. He'd made excuses, there were other guards (in truth he was the only one, but he was also the only source in the castle so they didn't know), her father was often present (also a lie) he would be caught and there mind probe would find out who his masters were (he could escape easily, in truth)...he gave excuse after excuse. But it wasn't enough for them. And they'd made him watch while they tortured his wife. They'd said his children would be next.

"The only threat is that you'll give in to your lust," she said. A joke, but it cut close to the bone. It was true he was attracted to her, strongly, and it was common in his culture for married men to sleep with women other than their wife...but not while she was being held by them. He could never...

"I shall speak to your father," he said, suddenly. "I will ask for answers."

"That's...that's great," she said. He'd never even suggested questioning her father before. "Maybe we can finally get out of here."

"Indeed," said Mongo. Then he stood up. Something was flying at the window...a giant bird.

"Princess, under your bed," said Mongo. She looked out the window.

"What is that?"

"Princess..."

"It can't get in anyway, it's...its beak is metal!"

"PRINCESS!"

She dived under her bad as the window smashed. Mongo lunged for the bird.

 

[CaptainWacky]

He jumped onto the bird. It tried to shake him off with its massive wings. He fought it. He knew it was a shapeshifted and it would soon switch to the form it was most comfortable in, while under distress. All he had to do was cause enough distress. Sure enough it turn into a green-skinned Oggdog alien.

"THE PRINCESS MUST DIE!" it said. Mongo tried to wrestle it to the ground, but the Oggdog was strong. Too strong, stronger than any Oggdogg he'd encountered before. It shoved him back, almost out the washed window. Mongo fought with everything he had. He fought for his mission. He fought for his wife. He fought for the princess.

It wasn't enough. His head was soon out the window. The Oggdogg pushed, determined. He would fall, he would die, the princess would be killed and so would his family. He had failed...

Suddenly, the Oggdogg's hold on him loosened. It actually let go. Mongo looked at it, confused, as it turned his back on him.

A knife stuck from its back.

"FOOLISH GIRL," it said. "NO MERE KNIFE CAN STOP ME!"

Mongo grabbed it around the neck and twisted. Or tried to. Its neck was strong.

"YOU CANNNOT STOP ME!" it said. Mongo shoved the Oggdogg forward as he let go, then kicked the point of the knife, driving it even further into the Oggdogg's body. With it stunned, Mongo grabbed and hold of it and, with all the strength he had left, threw the Oggdogg out the open window. It plummeted to its death, too hurt to shapeshift. Mongo looked up at the Princess, who was staring at her own hands.

"I stabbed it," she said, slowly.

"You stabbed it," he said, not quite believing it himself.

And then they were in each other's arms, kissing passionately.

 

[CaptainWacky]

"This is wrong," said Mongo. In so many ways, he thought to himself.

"I love you," said the princess. "I love you so much."

"You...you're confused...you nearly died..."

"No, YOU nearly died," she said. "And it made me realise just how I feel..."

The door to her bedroom flew open. The palace guard stormed in, followed, once they'd confirmed everything was okay, by her father.

"How the HELL did this happen, Mongo?" he asked.

"Shapeshifter," said Mongo, calmly. "Smashed it's way through the window."

"You should have stopped it," the King said.

"There was no way," said Mongo.

"He DID stop it, father," said the princess, irritated.

"He should have stopped it from even getting in!" roared her father, completely unreasonably. There had indeed been no way. "If this shapeshifter was so tough, how did you manage to kill it anyway?"

"Your daughter was a great help," said Mongo. "She stabbed the creature..."

"WHAT!" the king bellowed. "You silly girl! That is no action befitting one such as you! To lower yourself in such a way..."

"It was life or death, dad," she said. "Would you have rather I let it kill Mongo, then me?"

Her father pasued for a moment, as though he was actually considering this. "Of course not!" he said at last. "But there must have been some other way!"

"There wasn't," she said, stubbornly.

"Well...they are unlikely to attack again this soon. Perhaps you would like to visit your mother, just for an hour or so? The palace guard will protect you."

"I'd rather just have Mongo with me," she said.

"I have weeded out the traitors in the guard!" her father snapped. "I executed three men I suspected of betrayal this morning."

"Only suspected!?" she asked, aghast.

"They were just commoners anyway, and weak men at that," he said, dismissvely. "Go now, I wish to talk with Mongo for a time."

She gave Mongo one last look. Mongo tried his best to remain stoic. She left. The King walked over to the smashed window.

"It may not be wise to stand so close..." said Mongo, but the king wasn't listening.

"Sometimes I think Mongo...sometimes I think dark thoughts," said the King.

"Your highness?" Mongo asked, not liking his tone at all.

"That perhaps, God forbid, maybe it would have been better if the princess had died...rather than live like this, of course. This is no life for a young woman."

"She lives like this but it is the only way she can live!" said Mongo, working his hardest to conceal his disgust.

"My enemies use her, as leverage. If she were to die...well, one threat would be gone, at least."

"She is your heir!"

"Mongo...my wife is pregnant. And the mystics say it is a son."

"I see," said Mongo, and he did.

"If there is another attack, perhaps if you were caught off guard...it can happen to anyone...no one would think badly of you."

"I am sworn to protect the princess with my life, your highness."

"An oath you swore to me."

"Your highness...please do no ask me to..."

"I'm not asking you anything," he said, turning round to look at Mongo, waving his cloak as he did. "I am merely presenting a scenario."

"I understand," said Mongo.

"Good. You have served me well. Continue to do so and you will be rewarded," said the King. And he left without another word.

It was all Mongo could do not to snap the king's neck as he walked by.

Suddenly, all the conflict in Mongo was gone. Both his masters now wanted the princess dead.

But now he was one hundred percent determined to never let that happen.

 

[CaptainWacky]

Mongo and the Princess walked slowly across the massive courtyard of her father's castle, with people staring at them all around. She had been surprised that her father had let her leave her room again so soon. Mongo looked more serious and more vigilant than usual. She was not enjoying this rare trip outdoors. In the face of every person they passed all she could see were killers.

"Do you trust me, my lady?" said Mongo, suddenly, without looking at her.

"With my life," she replied, immediately. "You mean more to me than anyone I've ever met."

"If I ask you to do something, will you do it without question, no matter what I ask? Is your trust in me that strong?"

"Yes," she said and she was sure it was.

"The thing I may ask of you..."

"I'll do anything," she said. He nodded, curtly. A peasant woman approached them.

"It is most good to see you up and about, Princess!" the peasant said. "My old mother told me you were sick with the dreaded Hoofcack disease, but that would have meant you'd slept with a Hoofack! I told my old mother you'd never sleep with a filthy alien...no offense intended to your good self, Mongo!"

"Be gone, crone," said Mongo. But he wasn't looking at her. He was looking for the attack which would be coming any minute, the attack the princess's own father had strongly hinted would be happening today.

He saw the man in Groodbag colours emerge from the crowd, brandishing a knife. Mongo was supposed to take a dive. Looking at the supposed Groodbag, Mongo thought to himself that even if he didn't love the princess, even if he had no sense of right or wrong at all, he would not take that dive. It would be hugely embarrassing to lose to one so amatuerish. He was taking so long to reach them that even the peasant woman had seen him and started to run. The princess did not cower, in fact she stood tall. Mongo had to move himself in front of her. He was worried, briefly, about how bold she had grown.

"DIE!" said the would be assassin. "DIE IN THE NAME OF THE GROODBAG!"

"My princess shall not die this day," said Mongo.

"MOVE, SCUM!" said the assassin, lunging at Mongo. But Mongo stood his ground. The Groonbag looked surprised, as though he'd been told there would be no resistance...of course he'd been told. It was hard to find people to risk their lives these days. "MOVE!" he repeated, rather lamely.

In one fluid moton, Mongo pulled his repulser ray from under his jacket and shot the Groonbag in the knees. It fell to the ground, whimpering.

"Well, that was..." started the princess, but then she saw the palace guard heading towards her, their weapons drawn. "It's alright," she said.

"You must come with us, it's not safe!" said a guard, his eyes darting up. The princess followed his eyes and saw her father looking down from a tower, a hard, determined look on his face. When she looked back at the guard it was just in time to see him being punched hard in the face by Mongo. Then all she saw was smoke as Mongo threw a smoke-bomb to the ground, grabbed her arm, and pulled her along with him as fast as they could go. They ended up down same alleyway, but they kept going, ducking in and out of the complicated maze of alleys in this part of the castle town. Eventually they stopped for a moment. She was out of breath, but she wanted answers.

"Mongo, what are you doing?"

"Do you trust me?"

"Yes, but..."

"Then ask me no more questions. It is important that we get out of here and as quickly as possible."

And he grabbed her again before she knew it they were at the castle wall. Mongo was looking around. Then he cried out, in his native tongue, shocking her.

Then a rope dropped down over the wall.

 

[CaptainWacky]

They had just climbed and rope and found themself on the other side of the wall. Mongo wanted to keep going, but the Princess refused to move.

"We have to keep moving, it's not safe," said Mongo.

"My father..."

"Yes, he will be following us."

"MY FATHER IS TRYING TO KILL ME?" The Princess felt embarrassed as she broke down in this way, but it was too much to take. Mongo held her close to him.

"I will protect you," was all Mongo could think to say.

"But why...I know he's always been a cold man, but I thought he loved me," she said.

"The pressures of being king can do strange things to a man," said Mongo.

"Did he go mad? Is that it? He's not himself?"

"Yes, that could be it," said Mongo, though he was certain that was not the case. The lie seemed to help the princess though and they started moving again.

"Where are we going?" she asked. "He'll send people after us, on horses, on those new all terrain vehicles...

"We are meeting a friend," said Mongo. "The person who put that rope over the wall."

"Who?"

"ME," said a booming voice. A massive figure appeared seemingly from thin air, which given its size seemed impossible. The princess stared in disbelief. It was a Vandrom.

"A Vandrom!?" she said. "But they're filthy!" she spat out with disgust and years of conditioning. The Vandrom did not react.

"He is my friend," said Mongo. "I trust him with my life."

"They use dark magic! They're in league with the volcano demons!"

"Is that the lie of choice at the moment?" said the Vandrom, amused. "Young lass, the only reason we Vandroms are thought of as evil is because your people do not have our skills. They have forgotten magic and abandoned it in the way of technology. There is nothing dark about our magic."

"You can disappear completely under a dark cloak!" she protested.

"Exactly why we need him," said Mongo, smiling. Then, to the princess's amazement, he hugged the Vandrom in a friendly way. She had never seen a Vandrom in real life, only heard the strories of their evil from her retainers...from her father. More lies?

"We must be quick," said the Vandrom. Then a darkness seemed to grow from his hands.

"What..." started the princess. But before she knew it, darkness was all around her.

"We are under his cloak," said Mongo.

"What's the point of being disguised if we can't see anything?" she asked, annoyed.

"I will see for the three of us," said the Vandrom, simply. And they were on the move again.

 

[CaptainWacky]

They were in a cave, somewhere. The princess had no idea where, but they had been walking for what seemed like days. There were others in the cave, one other Vandrom, a couple of vringons and, to the surprise of the princess, four humans. They must be outlaws. She wondered what they'd done to be hiding here, in such a stark place. But then, who was she to judge. She was one of them now. One of the humans, a girl close to her age, looked gravely ill. The other four were tending to her. The princess wanted to ask what was wrong, but she sensed great hostility from the Vringon and especially the two Vandroms.

"I guess I won't be marrying Prince Egnor of Thrombone after all," she said, grimly. Mongo looked distracted.

"A moment, please," he said, and walked off to another chamber, leaving her alone with the outlaws.

"I don't even know your name," she said the Vandrom who had led them there.

"No, you don't," he said, impassively.

"I would like to know it," she said. "So I could call you by it when I thank you."

"My name is Kan," he said. "You have no need to thank me. I did this for Mongo."

"They were going to kill me," she said. "My own father's men."

"I don't much care," said Kan, truthfully. She looked shocked. "Please, you're not stupid. I don't wish you dead, no, but if you had died, why would it concern me? If a Vandrom woman was executed by her parents, would you care?"

"I...well it wouldn't surprise me, your people are known to be violent!"

The other Vandrom in the cave took a few steps forward, looking angry, but Kan stopped him. "Exactly," said Kan. "You know nothing of us. Your people treat us like an inferior race. And you expect me to care if one spoiled human princess lives or dies? I am three times your age, but I'm sure you've known more joy in your short life than I have in my long one!"

"I..I don't know what to say," said the princess, and she didn't. "This is all very new to me...I'm sorry. I've been lied to my whole life, by the people I trust the most. I don't know what to believe anymore." She didn't want to sob.

"You must start thinking for yourself," said Kan.

"Yes...but one thing. Kan, thank you. Even if you don't want my thanks, I still mean it."

"You're welcome," said Kan. "That is the correct thing to say, isn't it?" he added, looking over at the human outlaws, who nodded.


Mongo did not like lying to his masters, the people who held his wife and children. So he decided to tell them the truth. There was nothing else for it. He would have to tell them that the king wanted his daughter dead now, that it was over, that...but perhaps he could make this work for him. He decided to play it by ear. He contacted his masterss using the communication device under his eyelids.

"Mongo!" said the familiar voice, frantic. "I cannot believe it!"

"You have heard then," said Mongo, wanting to know exactly what they had heard.

"Of course! You kidnapped the king's daughter and took her from the castle!"

"Ah, so that's what they're saying," said Mongo. Yes, he could work with this.

"Well it's the truth, isn't it? Our agents saw you leave with her, saw you kill palace guards!" Mongo didn't think he had killed any of the guards, in fact he was sure he hadn't, but it's surprising how fast propaganda can spread.

"I had no choice," said Mongo. "They were about to reassign me. I couldn't kill her there, not without securing my escape. I took the unusual measure of escaping first..."

"They say you brought her out into the woods to rape her, haha! Like you would touch a human girl!"

"The very idea."

"So, she is dead then? We will, of course, require proof. How did you do it?"

"I snapped her scrwany neck."

"Must have been hard for you, I know you don't like to kill."

"I had a job to do. And she was only human."

"Indeed. Well, as I said, we will require proof..."

"You'll get it. Where can I meet with one of your agents? They'll be looking for me, so it must be somewhere secure."

"I think I know just the place..."

Mongo listened to the details, wondering just how he was going to convince them the princess was dead.

 

[Cassie]

Mongo is cool.

 

[CaptainWacky]

The ill woman appeared to be fading fast. The princess walked over beside her.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" she asked, weakly.

"Your bloated father is the reason she's like this," said one of the male humans.

"Don't...blame her," said the ill girl.

"Don't speak!" said the man. "You must keep your stength."

"I...haven't got long...and this is important..."

"Don't be silly! Ben is out getting medicine for you now. You're going to be fine!" But the Princess could see in his face that he didn't believe it.

"The Princess...with us...there's a chance...overthrow the monarchy..." said the sick girl. One ofthe humans, a young male, looked at the princess, somewhat eagerly.

"Would you do it? Help us overthrow your father? The people would follow you, we know how popular you are!"

An older human female tutted with comtempt. "She's only popular becasue she's a pretty face. And all the outlwars together couldn't take the castle!"

"Yes, but with help from the Krizz..."

"The Krizz!?" said the princess, in horror. "You can't ally yourself with them! They eat babies!"

"Only there own!" said the young man, reasonably.

"We are desperate people," said the man tending to the dying girl. "We'll ally ourselves with whoever it takes to overthrow your evil father."

"He's not that bad!" said the princes. "He...he had a hard job, ruling this land."

"Job?" said the man with anger. "JOB? He's king becaue his grandparents slaughtered the grandparents of Barry The Brave!"

"Barry the Brave wasn't everything the legends said he was!" said the Princess. "There's books in the castle, forbidden books, that tell the true history of our realm!"

"To bed you don't have your precious books!" he snapped. "Maybe they could help save Susan's life...SUSAN!"

She had gone into some kind of trance.

"Oh no," said the Princess. It was then that Mongo walked in.

"How is she?" he asked.

"She's dying," said the old woman, flatly. "She doesn't have long."

"Then her body could be used to fool the..." Mongo started, then stopped himself, realising how inappropriate it was. Luckily none of Susan's friends seemed to hear, but the Princess did.

"Fool who?" she asked. Mongo took her aside.

"There are some things I haven't told you," he said.

"You can tell me anything," she said.

"Not this, not yet..."

"Mongo, please, I love you!"

"I'm married, I have children, they're being held prisoner and the captors want me to kill you," he said, all at once.

"Okay, maybe you should have given me more time before telling me that," she conceded.

 

[Cassie]

lol.. they only eat their own babies, they can't be all that bad.

 

[CaptainWacky]

ARGH, typed "there" instead of "their" ruining the only good line.

 

[Cassie]

You didn't ruin the joke, i didn't even notice.

 

[Cassie]

I mean line.. lol typing with one hand cause the othetr one has ice cream

 

[CaptainWacky]

Mongo paced up and down the cave for a long time, trying to decide how best to explain the situation to the Princess. Eventually he decided to just start at the beginning.

"Our marriage was arranged. It is common in our culture, as I'm sure you have read. My family was, at one time anyway, rich and influential. My wife's family had, only the hother hand, had fallen into disgrace. Politically, they needed the match. The marriage was arranged when we were children. We didn't meet until we were 18. We didn't meet until our wedding day.

My wife did not have much love for any of my family. She felt the same way about us as the commoners feel about your father and perhaps she was right to feel that way. But, in time, we came to form...a frienships. Perhaps we could have even fallen properly in love, without the manipulations of our families. They needed us to have children and my wife fell pregnant very early in the married, before either of us were ready. Add to that my family soon formed a close working relationship with your father's...whereas my wife's family were political idealists, opposed to our race befriending one they called the most evil man in the universe. Yes, even then people said that of your father.

It was agreed, by my family, not by me, that I would leave my wife and go and work for your father, as a show of good faither. I met your father for the first time six years ago, a whole year before I started working for him. This year was to give me time with the children, my wife had twins, and to find a way to leave my wife without bringing shame on the family. That's right, my family forced me to leave her but it was up to me to do it in such a way that it wouldn't hurt them! As it turned out, however...

I began to fall in love with my wife. I told her everything, of my family's plans, and we agreed to run away together and with the children. We fled to BROOMSTICK 9 in the SEXDUCK system...but that was where the Robot People found us.

I'm not surprised you haven't heard of the Robot People, they were new players in this game of galactic conquest. They had a plan to use me to kill your father. They knew I had vowed to serve him. They kidnapped my family and held them and had me framed for my family's disappearance! That is how I ended up in jail.

What the Robot People knew, however, was that I wouldn't be there for long. Your father believed that I had murdered my wife and children because of my wife's family supporting the Rebellion against him. He used his influence to get me out of jail. I came to work for him. Five long years ago. I haven't seen my wife and children in all that time. I never once took another woman to bed...but I found myself falling in love with you. I have disgraced myself, Princess, for betraying my wife and for lying to you. The only way I can make up for it is to save my wife and children from the Robot People and to protect you from your father and all the other evils of this harsh world.

That is my story."

 

[Cassie]

my computer crashed before I could make a reply, now I can't remember what I was going to say EXCEPT I LIVE THE MONGO AND THE PRINCESS STORY.

 

[CaptainWacky]

Mongo had traveled deep into the forest of Moses to meet the agent of the Robot People. He carried the body of the princess with him. Kan stood by his side, but under the cloak of invisibility. If anything went wrong, he would throw back his cloak and kill the robot person, then attack Mongo. If the Robot Person's optic sensor were transmitting its masters would perhaps think Kan had sabotaged Mongo's mission. It wasn't much of a plan. Hopefully the Princess' body would pass inspection.

Mongo grew impatient as he waited. It was an unpopulated area, but there was wildlife all around. Every little noise startled him. Mongo was usually the most stoic man in any given situation. He was angry at himself for feeling the way he did.

He looked into the pale, beautiful face of the princess. She could almost have been sleeping.

There was no mistaking the displacement in the air which heralded the arrival of the Robot Person by transporter. Mongo felt nothing but contempt for the silver figure which stood in front of him. He wondered how much was organic and how much was machine. He wondered what the Robot Person would look like if he cut him open.

"Hello Mongo," said the Agent. "I see you brought a guest." For a moment Mongo feared that the Robot Person's optic sensors could somehow see Kan, but then he realised it meant the Princess.

"Let's get on with this," said Mongo. "My family?"

"They are okay. You shall see them soon if all is as it appears to be."

Mongo lay the Princess' body on the ground. The robot person looked down at it.

"No heart beat, brain activity cannot be detected..." The Robot Person stroked the Princess' face. It made Mongo feel sick to see that thing touch her. "You have done well," it said, standing up.

"My family, then," said Mongo.

"They are, of course, not with me now."

"WHAT?"

"Mongo, we Robot People are very thorough. I must return to our planet with the Princess' body. Then your family will be returned to you here, in one week. You have our word."

Panic. They couldn't take the Princess. Mongo could sense Kan ready to move. He thought he saw the Robot Person looking suspiciously in Kan's direction too. Could he here? It was all about to go crashing down...

"I wish to keep the body," said Mongo, desperately.

"Oh?" said the Robot Person. "But why? To eat it?"

"No! I wish to place it on a pike and leave it displayed in her father's castle. That old man should see her like this himself."

"Hmm, well, that may be acceptable," said the Robot Person. "Yes, my superiors are listening and they like this plan. It shows a sadistic streak. They like that greatly. Yes, you may do that...but we shall still require a genetic sample."

"Fine," said Mongo, thinking the Robot Person meant but a few cells.

"One of her fingers should do," said the Robot Person. Mongo wanted to object. He tried to think of an alternative...but it was the only way. He knelt down. He looked at her face once more.

Then sliced off her left pinky finger.

He handed it to the Robot Person. "Excellent, thank you," it said. "One week. This same location. See you then." And it was gone, with the same displacement in the air.

Kan threw back his cloak. "You're sure they can't see us from the air?" he said.

"No, scanning is impossible in this area, that's why they chose it for this meeting," said Mongo. "Do you have it?"

"Of course," said Kan, taking a hypospray from his pack and injecting the princess with it. "Ben has proven his worth for the team. Not only did he cure that young woman with the medicine he found, but finding such a rare compound of Kizz origin that can be used to simulate death! The fates are smiling on us.

But Mongo didn't feel like smiling. He watched as the princess came out of her induced coma, so quickly. She struggled to breath at first.

"Did it go well," she said, as Mongo and Kan helped her up. "I feel so...so strong. Amazing."

"It went well," said Kan. Mongo nearly snapped at him.

"Princess, I'm sorry...it was necessary to remove one of your fingers." She had noticed. She looked at her hand for a long moment.

"What's one finger compared to the life of your family?" she asked and hugged Mongo.

 

[CaptainWacky]

The Princess tried her best to stay away from Mongo in the week before his family were due to be returned to him. She didn't want to complicate things. She was also quite interested in finding out about the resistence and if there was any possible way to overthrow her father. She talked with Kan, who had a lot more respect for her after the Robot Person incident, and with the other humans living as outlaws. Other came to the cave too and she was surprised to see that even some lords her father had counted as friends were members of the resistence. Her presence was kept secret from all but those Kan and Mongo trusted the most. She learned, to her regret, that there was little she could do. The resistance was larger, yes, and growing larger and many of the common people would rise up too if they knew she was a part of the resistence...but her father's army was just too strong and of course he had off-world backing...there was nothing they could do. She also learned of the irony that even if her father was overthrown someone worse may step into the power vacuum, perhaps the Robot People.

Mongo at first appreciated the Princess staying away from him, for he knew he should be thinking about his family, and he was, he was happy they were alive, happy they'd finally be free...yet his thoughts kept returning to the Princess. Eventually, he couldn't take it any longer. The day before he was due to meet the Robot People and his family, he went to see her.

"Umm, hello," he said.

"Not calling me 'my lady' anymore, I see," said the Princess, with a smile.

"How have you been? How's your hand?"

"It's fine. Who needs a pinky finger anyway? What are they actually for? Nothing! Your family..."

"Princess please do not speak of them."

She looked hurt. "I didn't mean to...I'm sorry, I should never have kissed you."

"I wanted it too."

They looked at each other. "Well, my wife certainly got complicated in a hurry," said the Princess.

"My wife may not even wish to continue our marriage after so long," said Mongo, almost hopefully.

"She will. You're an amazing man."

"Yes, I suppose I am!" She punched him in the arm, playfully.


The next day, Mongo went to the meeting place with Kan, again under his cloak. The Princess of course stayed back at the cave for this one.

The Robot People arrived on time, as always. And there she was, as healthy as she'd ever been. Older, but still beautiful. His children had grown so much that Mongo barely recognised them, but he knew they were his. He cried.

"Mongo," she said. "It's been so long..."

He walked over to her. He didn't know quite what to do, but before he could figure it out, she kissed him.

"It has been long indeed and much has happened," began Mongo.

"But that doesn't matter! We're together now and finally we can be free. We can leave this godforsaken planet!"

"Where would we go?!" asked Mongo, who hadn't even thought about this and could only see the princess in his mind now, the one he really wanted...

"Why, we'd go and live with the Robot People, of course," said his wife. "The true masters of the universe."

Mongo took a step back. He looked at his wife in disbelief. She just smiled. His children smiled too. The Robot Person behind them smiled itself.

"Your wife came to her senses in captivity," said the Robot Person.

"No, no!" said Mongo. "This cannot be! You were an idealist, you wanted the galaxy to be free, the Robot People would enslave us all!"

"Yes," said his wife. "And that's exactly the way I want it. We were only being held prisoner for a few months, Mongo. After that, we worked with the robot people. When we realised their power. Their strength. Such intoxicating evil...join us. Join us and make the galaxy bleed."

Kan threw back his cloak.

 

[Cassie]

They've been brainwashed!! lol.. now Mongo can kill them.