"Your head explodes and we search for another candidate."
After a moment's hesitation, Dester pointed a finger at Bersa. "A sick sense of humor. We could be friends."
"I will gladly confess to an exaggeration in this instance. Your head will not explode, but your heart may stop and many of the neural pathways in your brain may be destroyed, making you useless to this team and our mission. You have every incentive to perform at your best ability, Mr. Marr. Having to seek a replacement would be a setback for the mission, but not insurmountable."
Martin gave a single smirk of approval.
Dester crossed his arms, expressing his usual scowl.
Chapter 4
* * *
The days that followed saw an irritated Dester Marr repeatedly subjected to the mild shocks of the "learning" collar. The elder slave, however, was mastering his tasks. By the final day of training, his machine operation was flawless, as was his event recognition and recall. Dester was ready for the mission at hand. Two hours of free time were given to the team when the day's training was complete.
Daniel sat with Kerena and Jamus in the lounge while Martin and Greta swam in the pool, where the occasional splash of water and giggle were evidence of a budding relationship. Dester sat by himself at a table in the dining area, still refusing to commiserate with the others.
Daniel had a grin on his face. "I was reading about Human history during our class today. If what those archives say is true, we really were free and at one time in control of this galaxy. We come from the planet Earth. And we ruled all explored parts of the galaxy, which was less than 10 percent."
Kerena replied, "I never thought I would be reading. Or see any of what we've seen. I've heard about planets and galaxies, and every time I look at the night sky I imagine traveling to other places, places where I am free. But I would not have thought it to be possible... until now."
"We have a long way to go before that's possible," Jamus said. "All this we're seeing and doing is for Hallik. And I still don't trust him. I don't see us gaining much from any of this other than to make Hallik richer. If he benefits, we may be afforded a few comforts, but I doubt freedom."
"What if he makes it all the way to emperor?" Kerena asked.
Jamus frowned. "I don't really see that as possible. He runs parts of three colonies out of just over eight hundred. Even now his competitors are plotting to take one of those. Haraku is being contested."
"Where did you read that?"
"I didn't. I overheard Hallik discussing it with one of his managers about eight months ago. Remember when we were sent to the port to help load the produce two seasons ago? He was there discussing it with his manager of the western province. And the other day when Bersa was talking of strengthening the colony on Haraku, it was for that very reason. It seems Hallik has been gradually losing power in Betuaon. We're a long, long way from making him emperor."
Daniel said, "Still, isn't it in our best interest to make him richer and more powerful?"
"Maybe." Jamus nodded. "Depends on what his true intentions are. You see how easily Bersa speaks of termination. That's because we're owned. We're property. Until that changes, I don't put a lot of trust in Hallik."
Bersa joined the group. "Tomorrow Mr. Marr will be going to the factory. We'll begin work on young Mr. Pike's mission first thing in the morning. We will have another ten days to see to his training."
Jamus leaned forward. "Bersa, I was wondering about how Mr. Marr's job was to become available. What happens to the old operator? Was he or she purchased or traded?"
"That is not your concern, Mr. Turnbull. Nor mine. The arrangements were made by others. All we need to concern ourselves with is that Mr. Marr is prepared to begin work tomorrow."
"I don't know that I'm comfortable with being kept in the dark when it's us who are putting our lives in jeopardy."
"Yes, well, you will have to be patient with requests. Perhaps once a few missions have been successfully completed, you will see the benefit and not need answers to every question. Perhaps you would also see the benefit of not knowing, because, if captured, information can be extracted. You wouldn't want to be giving away methods or practices that would cause harm to your fellow spies, would you?"
"If I get grabbed and they make me talk, they will know all about us and about this place. What difference will that one bit of information make?"
"What will they know about this place?"
"That it's here... in the mountains."
"What mountains?"
"Whatever mountains are on Caloran."
"And how do you know we are on Caloran?"
"Well... I guess I don't."
"Our short trip here took forty minutes. During that time, in an interstellar capable vessel such as the Greft, we could have traveled to any planet in the empire. Are there other colonists on this planet?"
"Well... I guess I don't know."
"And it's better for everyone else here that you not know. It will be best for each of us if we know and are ready to use self-termination, should the situation arise where it is called for. The fewer of our secrets can be discovered, the less danger for the rest of us and the more successful future operations will be. If we have to change our ways after a failed mission, it only makes our lives more difficult."
The rumble of a ship landing could be heard outside.
Bersa stood. "Excellent. The master has chosen to grace us with his presence before our first mission."
Hallik came through the outer door, accompanied by his usual two guards.
Bersa moved to greet him. "Master Hallik, it is my pleasure and my honor to present to you our trained, winning team."
Hallik smiled. "Let's hope that designation is worthy, Bersa. The job at the manufacturing facility is now in need of a qualified machine operator. From your reports, it would appear Mr. Marr is capable of filling that role. They will be expecting him first thing in the morning. I am here to take him to be delivered to the Lillate production house on Kronong. His gear is ready. His housing is ready. And I expect this operation to take no more than five days."
"So short, sir?"
"Yes. Pilor receives a 2 percent premium on his deliveries. If this operation goes over five days it will have cost me more than I will make with the premium in six months."
"I had no idea the cost was that significant. We will do our best to wrap up this operation before that deadline."
"As I'm expecting you to. Given the cost of this facility, the equipment, and the arrangements that are being made to make each mission possible, I don't expect to break even in this first year. However, if successful, I'll be profiting from the dividends for years to come."
Jamus raised a hand.
Hallik gestured for him to proceed. "Please, Mr. Turnbull, don't hesitate to ask whatever you will of me."
"How is it one team of six people are supposed to influence your profits enough for you to challenge for leadership of Betuaon. That's our goal, isn't it? To run this entire state?"
Hallik walked to the lounge area, where he took a seat in Dester Marr's claimed chair, drawing a scowl. "That is precisely our goal, Mr. Turnbull. Unfortunately, we cannot just race to the appointment that will be coming this fall and expect to even be noticed. Only the top contributors in Betuaon are given that high honor, and I am currently number eight on that list. As is tradition, the top producer will become governor. I project my rise will take at least four years."
"You think four years is enough time for this small group of spies to make a difference?"
Hallik crossed his legs as he sat forward in Dester's chair. His hands were rested on his thigh. His free fingers tapped nervously on the back of his overlapped hand. He was a perfect example of a Brekan, wide flat feet, good for walking on snow, a half-Human-half-fox-like face, black eyes and a black nose, and a stout body covered with plush white fur. "That will all depend on the success of this team. I will evaluate your performance once a handful of missions have
been completed. Should this prove as successful as I believe it will be, more teams will be added, accelerating any current schedules."
"Won't more teams place us at higher risk of being caught?"
"I expect any other team will follow the same security measures as is being done with this team."
"When the evaluation is finished, will we be working out of this same facility? Will others be brought through training at this location?"
"If things go well, you will be moved to a new facility. And yes, these buildings will be used to train new teams. And when those teams reach the proper skill level, after evaluation, they will be moved to the facility where you will hopefully soon reside. If all goes well, I may opt to have as many as twenty Human teams at my disposal here in Betuaon."
"Is there enough work to keep that many teams going in Betuaon?"
"There is. The seven individuals who occupy the top positions on the wealth list all have personal crafts, much like my own. I have a dozen slaves aboard doing all sorts of tasks. I would like to replace every Human crew on the seven personal ships of those ahead of me on the list. Imagine the intelligence I would be privy to."
Jamus sat back with his arms crossed. "Don't have to imagine it. I've overheard you and your managers dozens of times. You were never one to be discreet while slaves were around. You've probably let out hundreds of secrets to me over the last few seasons without even realizing you had done so."
"Which is precisely why I plan on taking over the service staffs of my competitors. The senior statesmen will receive excellent service from my Human crews while I receive information on their actions and plans. When I mentioned taking four years earlier for assuming control of Betuaon, that was my conservative goal. Should things progress as I hope, that goal will be pulled much closer."
Bersa said, "We are ready for tomorrow, Master Hallik. Mr. Marr has excelled at not only precise operation of that machine, but at his powers of observation and recall."
"Yes. Recall... I wanted to speak with you on that. I've made use of my other connections to take possession of a video relay system that Mr. Marr will be wearing for us. You and your team will not have to wait for a debrief when our effort is complete. You will be evaluating the sights and sounds of the production floor live, seeing and hearing exactly what Mr. Marr will be seeing and hearing."
Bersa tilted her head, returning a look of concern. "Use of a video system is rarely risked in this business, Master Hallik. Personnel are frequently scanned as they enter and exit the property. How do you propose we get this gear to Mr. Marr without detection?"
Hallik grinned. "When you mention personnel, I would assume you are referring to management. Humans are only scanned when they first enter the compound where they are being housed. Since housing is connected to the factory, they only need to be scanned when brought into housing the first time. Mr. Marr will be going directly to the factory floor, therefore bypassing that initial scan. The arrangements for this have already been put in place."
"We hadn't planned or trained for a live feed, Master Hallik. Had I known this would be the case, the past ten days would have been done differently."
"Not to worry, Bersa. The feed will be recorded. You can review it as many times as needed. Mr. Marr's training in observation will serve well as a backup plan should we be unable to pull the information we seek from the live feed."
"We? Will you be here with us?"
"I have other business to attend to in the morning, but I do plan to return later in the afternoon. I look forward to receiving a summary of the day's action when I arrive."
Hallik gazed at his crew of Humans with anticipation and pride. Dester Marr was taken out to the ship. The rumble that followed told of their departure.
Jamus stood, scratching the side of his head as he paced back and forth, stopping only when he had formed up his thoughts. "Bersa, were you expecting any of this?"
"The addition of the video feed? No. The taking of Mr. Marr for delivery? Yes. The video will be a bonus. Perhaps we can wrap up this mission in a single day."
"This Pilor character that owns this factory, is he a just owner? How does he treat his slaves?"
"Pilor is quick to take action. I would say slave turnover under his ownership is moderate to high. You have undoubtedly heard of the sport hunting of Humans. In his younger days, Pilor was supposedly quite good at it. Twice champion of all of Betuaon State. Mistakes by slaves, if uninjured, would likely result in the offending slave being sent to a sport tournament."
Martin let out a low growl.
Jamus nodded. "That type of information is all the motivation we need."
"And if you are curious about the history of Hallik," said Bersa, "I could find no similar actions in his record. That's not to say Humans have not perished by his order or decision. I don't believe there to be any owner of quantity who could make that claim, but as far as I know, he has been just in his dealings with his slaves. He has been on record many a time as saying 'A happy slave is a productive slave.’ Much to the consternation of other owners."
"Yeah, I can see where that wouldn't go over so well."
The following morning, after a quick breakfast, the group gathered in the main classroom. A video feed was coming from Dester Marr's chest as he sat in his Pilor Industries coveralls in the back seat of a hover-taxi. The taxi landed at the Lillate Industries complex.
Dester's handler was a Talion. The Talion, like all species of the empire, excluding Leuchens, were slightly shorter in height than Humans. A thick torso was supported by spindly legs and arms. Large eyes and droopy, hair-covered ears, surrounded a tall, thin skull that sported a hard ridge that ran from the forehead across the top and down to their spine. Their leathery, reddish-brown skin had a light covering of silvery-gray fur. The result was an appearance that was less than intimidating.
The camera jerked as Dester was given a hard shove by his handler. "Get out, you idiot. Take these papers to the Talion at the window. And you better perform as expected. I don't want to have to crush another skull this week."
Dester’s reflection could be seen in the taxi window, wearing his best blank stare. A short walk had the papers delivered to the Talion manning the entry to the facility. The elderly Human was quickly waved through. A subsequent yell followed, after the new slave was found to be standing immobile for several seconds.
The door was opened and a perturbed guard pulled him inside. "This way, moron. Station twenty-two. Ha. Hope you do better than the last two. One lost an arm and the second had his head flattened by the press. Not sure how he did it, but I'd say he deserved it. Paperwork says you're practiced on that machine. Maybe you can last longer than two days."
Several minutes of walking later, another camera jerk followed as the guard shoved Dester toward the machine. "That one. Now get to work. You're already half an hour behind quota."
Dester turned, giving the guard a cross-eyed expression with a buck-toothed smile, his best impression of an idiot. The guard sighed as he turned back toward the entrance.
The newly-hired factory worker first checked the instruction log before powering up the machine. Without pushing the limits of what he could actually do, the machine was soon running at the expected speed. A piece of metal was taken from a kiln with a set of tongs. After being placed in the press, fifteen tons of weight squeezed the hot metal into the desired shape. The piece was removed and placed in a second kiln.
Daniel asked, "What's the part for?"
"The hover taxi gets its lift from a gravity drive," said Bersa. "The thrust it requires to travel forward or to slow comes from a turbine. This line of machines makes blades for those turbines. It will be pressed again, shaped, heated, and pressed a third time before receiving a final shaping. Afterward it is dipped into a florescent liquid and then examined for imperfections."
"What's a turbine?"
Bersa snickered as she brought an image of the hover-taxi to the display. "This section. It provides propulsion. Mos
t in-atmosphere transports use turbines for thrust. Ships such as Master Hallik's use the gravity drive exclusively. Using such a mechanism for standard propulsion is inefficient and therefore costly in fuel. In turn, turbines do not function efficiently in space, so they are used for atmospheric transport. The gravity drive is very efficient in space."
"Is that how you travel between planets? A gravity drive?"
"Only for short hops. The Markux Jump Drive is used to move between the stars. A portal through space-time is opened to another region of space and the ship travels through, arriving at its destination within an instant of departure. Without the Markux Drive, travel between the stars would be almost non-existent."
"So we created that?"
"Humans? Yes. Eons ago. There are those among us... among you... with aptitudes that are able to comprehend such technologies. Master Hallik has been in search of Humans who might test for such brilliance. Our own Dester Marr is one such individual."
Jamus furrowed his brows. "What?"
"Along with you, he is the major reason this team was assembled. You each have your qualities. Martin is strong, as is Greta for a woman. Kerena and Daniel are both young. You, Mr. Turnbull, are determined and careful. And Dester Marr is brilliant."
"Dester Marr is an ass."
"But brilliant. Having factory experience was only one small part of him being assigned this first mission. Do you feel yourself, or anyone else in this room, to be as qualified for this mission? Even if excluding his prior factory work?"
"I think any of us could do this, yes."
Bersa motioned to Daniel. "Bring me the learning collar."
Jamus returned a look of concern. "You planning to put that on me?"
"Are you planning to refuse?"
Several seconds of silence passed as the man who considered himself the group leader contemplated his answer. "No. I guess not."
"Good."
Daniel returned. "Hand me the controller, place the collar on Mr. Turnbull, and have a seat."
A work instruction was flashed on the display for thirty seconds and removed. Bersa asked sixteen questions pertaining to the document. Jamus missed half, receiving shocks for each.
FREEDOM Legends Page 4