The Spider Queen

(Alpha Star System- Planet Gaia)

(Peterlor Estate)

"Thank you for coming on such short notice," Duke Peterlor spoke politely as the hooded figure walked towards him.

The humanoid figure was roughly five feet in height and his entire body was covered by a large oversized black coat.

A mysterious green mask covered his facial features and the only thing that one could observe about his appearance were two milky white eyes.

Those eyes shone eerily through holes that were cut out in the mask.

Dr. Reynolds was currently being escorted by the head butler who nodded respectfully as he approached the duke.

"It is my pleasure to help an old client and friend in his time of need," a cold voice spoke.

Dr. Reynolds took a look around the mechanical city but there were no traces of curiosity or awe in his eyes.

Dr. Reynolds's way of speaking was both clear and understandable but one could detect a faint sing-song accent when he said certain words.

Duke Peterlor was accustomed to the eccentric nature of his old psychologist.

Despite his many quirks, Dr. Reynolds was truly the best in the field and his services were highly sought after by many noble families.

It was a testament to both the doctor's great ability and the confidence of his clients that any secrets shared during the sessions would never leave the room.

This guarantee of confidentiality was due to Dr. Reynolds's rather unique racial traits…

"Is there anything that you would like to drink or eat before I take you to meet my daughter?" Duke Peterlor asked curiously.

"No thank you. I have not installed a temporary feeding unit into my body so I will have to decline. Perhaps next time I will bring some extra storage space," Dr. Reynolds replied calmly.

"Very well then," Duke Peterlor smiled and gestured for the doctor to enter the mansion. Dr. Reynolds stepped into the mansion with slow purposeful steps.

He pulled a small notebook and a pen out of his storage ring and began to take notes as Duke Peterlor guided him through the halls.

He was particularly interested in what parts of the mansion that Sophie usually frequented and at what times.

Dr. Reynolds quietly observed the numerous portraits and paintings that lined the walls.

He paused for a brief moment in front of a painting that showed the duke and his daughter standing side by side in a garden.

"So… I was thinking for the first session that I could sit in with my daughter and make sure that it goes smoothly…" the duke suddenly spoke.

"That will not do," Dr. Reynolds shook his head and firmly declined.

"The sensitive nature of my meeting with Miss. Sophie Peterlor should mean that she is afforded the highest level of doctor patient confidentiality."

"I will not stop her from telling you about the contents of our meeting but only after it occurs and she must feel comfortable informing you."

His tone was frank and unhurried.

It was as if he was not talking to a high-ranking duke but rather an ordinary father worried about his daughter's well-being.

"I see…" Duke Peterlor muttered sourly. Dr. Reynolds for better or for worse would always stick to his principles when dealing with patients and their families.

No matter their noble class or rank.

The rest of the journey was done in comfortable silence with the only sounds being their footsteps as they traversed through a labyrinth of corridors and side-passages.

Finally, the duke arrived at a metalloid door with the words 'Holosuite 13' etched into its outer surface.

Duke Peterlor pressed his finger against the scanner and the door swung open to reveal a plain white room covered with grey lines that ran along the floor and walls.

There was a console in the middle of the room that acted as a controller for the hard-light projections.

Dr. Reynolds stepped into the room and made his way to the console where he began to input in a series of codes with familiar well practised motions.

The room shook slightly and a faint electric buzzing noise could be heard coming from the floor as the projectors powered on.

Dr. Reynolds slowly took off his oversized robe and removed the mask from his face.

Now it was clear to see that despite his humanoid physique, the doctor was clearly something alien.

His body was vaguely shaped almost like a scarecrow with long extended limbs that seemed too long.

There were numerous mechanical parts sown and interwoven into his flesh to the extent where it was impossible to tell where the machine ended and where he begun.

The flesh on his body was a pale sickly green colour with yellow scars that ran down the sides of his torso.

But the truly shocking detail that anyone would instantly notice was previously hidden behind the mask.

Dr. Reynolds's head was entirely robotic with wires and circuits replacing hair. The doctor reached into his storage ring and pulled out another mask that was a pale grey colour.

He placed the new mask on the metalloid surface of his face and attached it carefully. This entire process took only a few seconds to complete.

Dr. Reynolds cleared his throat and then turned to address the duke who was standing by the entrance,

"I should have everything ready in about twenty minutes. I will have to kindly ask you to turn off the monitoring systems inside the room during the one-hour session for privacy reasons."

"Please let your daughter know that it is perfectly fine to bring food, snacks, water or anything else that she feels is necessary."

Duke Peterlor nodded in understanding and then closed the door. He could hear faint shuffling and electric hums on the other side.

The duke lingered for a moment and then headed towards Sophie's bedroom. He opened his communicator and sent out a message to the kitchen to prepare some light snacks.

That was nerve-wracking.

Even after spending months with the doctor after his return from the Insectoid Empire and occasionally over the last few years, it was still a bit hard to get used to his appearance.

It didn't help that the other members of his species were apparently extinct which meant that Dr. Reynolds was the only survivor.

His visage was truly unique across the universe.

Duke Peterlor let out a small sigh as he wandered through the mansion lost in a semi dazed state.

Sophie was about to embark on a long journey of healing that could take months or even years depending on how things went.

As a father, the duke knew that all he could do now was to be there for his daughter every step of the way but he just…

Wished that he could do more.

Did he do the right thing by allowing his daughter to become a cultivator? Could he have done something else during that fateful day?

If he had only just monitored the emperor's actions more closely…..

No… thoughts like those would lead nowhere. He knew that more than anyone.

Regret was like a poison and the duke had already drunk far too much from that particular chalice.

A face very similar to Sophie's flashed across his mind as the duke knocked on her bedroom door.

Sometimes the duke could not help but wonder how Thai'lle would react to the way he was raising their daughter.