The Empire's Corps: Book 07 - Reality Check

by Christopher Nuttall

  Only because dad pays off the gangs, Gary thought, bitterly. The gangs that controlled the CityBlock took payments from the residents, in exchange for leaving them alone and even providing protection from unauthorised thieves. No doubt Barry and Moe would go straight into the gangs as soon as they left school, if they weren't gang members already. They were always bragging about their connections, about how they could get anything their fellow students wanted – for a price, of course.

  He pushed the thought aside. The day’s humiliation had been bad enough, but he knew that there was worse to come, unless he managed to dodge Barry and Moe on the way home. Not that he was surprised that Darrin had attacked him; when this classmates were bored, Gary was often their favourite target for mischief. His schoolwork could be deleted at any moment, his few possessions stolen and hidden – if he was lucky. If not ... he remembered, his cheeks flushing with shame, the day he’d had to walk home naked. They’d stolen his clothes, then left him alone.

  Bitterly, he pulled out the reader, cursing the person who had come up with the whole idea of the competition. They didn't care, did they, that the students might have other work to do? Or that there were some students who were so desperate to escape that they were working frantically to earn the highest marks? No, all they cared about was ... what? No matter how much he considered the question, he honestly couldn't think of how they benefited. Unless they actually wanted a group of students to go to the colonies ... but even that made no sense as far as he could tell.

  One more year, he told himself, firmly. As long as he kept his grades up, entry to Imperial University should be a snap. And then he could leave Barry and Moe and all of Rowdy Yates CityBlock behind, for good. Wherever he ended up had to be better than spending the rest of his life in a tiny apartment, hiding from the gangs. One more year and then I can be gone.

  He accessed the datanet, downloaded a copy of the formal instructions, then started to work on his reader. At least he could write, unlike the students who had to dictate their work to the computers, which would then transcribe it into something legible. There wasn't a specific word count, thankfully, but he knew that meant they wanted at least a thousand words. Piece by piece, he put the essay together, reread it for obvious mistakes – although he’d never noticed anyone get marked down for poor spelling or grammar – then tapped the submit button.

  And then he got back to real work.

  ***

  Darrin caught the ball Hamish tossed to him, then passed it to Sadat before Charlie could try to snatch the ball out of his hands. Sadat threw his ball at the hoop and, after a brief heart-stopping moment, scored for the team. The PE teacher blew a whistle, acknowledging the point, then waved cheerfully as Charlie grabbed the ball and threw it back towards the far end of the court. One of his teammates caught it, then lost possession as he was tackled by another player. The ball bounced towards the edge of the court; Darrin gave chase, trying to get his hands on it before the ball could strike the wall. That would have given the other side a free shot.

  He grinned as he snatched up the ball a moment before it could strike the wall and threw it over Charlie’s head, towards Gavin. Gavin fumbled the catch – there was a groan from Darrin’s team – and lost the ball to Yoda, who threw it back towards the other end of the court. There might be no official scorekeeper – for some reason, scoring was officially forbidden in school – but his team were definitely in the lead. Sweat trickled down his back as he followed the rest of the team after the ball. As long as they held the ball in their possession, they were in the lead.

  The PE teacher blew his whistle again, tapping his wrist meaningfully. Darrin shared a disappointed look with the rest of the team, but they filed off the court anyway. Mr. Howarth was the only teacher most of the pupils respected, if only because he skirted the rules on scoring and rewarding the better players as much as possible. Darrin couldn't understand why team captains weren't allowed to make their own decisions – or why they couldn't actually have a declared winner and loser – even though the games were obviously set up to allow just that. But Mr. Howarth bent the rules in their favour and Darrin was grateful for that, sometimes.

  “Have to play outside the school tonight,” Joe muttered, as they lined up outside the protective bars. The boys were sweaty and smelt horrid, but few of them would willingly refuse to watch the girls playing afterwards. “See who actually wins.”

  Darrin nodded. There were no sports centres for young teenagers that allowed them to play properly, but they’d located quite a few abandoned storage compartments that were large enough for a full – and sometime quite violent – game. They had to pay a bribe to the gangs, of course, yet apart from that it was perfect. Hell, the gang members sometimes came to watch – or shout advice from the sidelines. And they did a roaring trade in illegal alcohol, drugs and VR flicks too.

  He allowed his smile to grow wider as the girls began to play. Whoever had designed their outfits was an absolute genius; the girls who wore shorts showed off the shape of their buttocks, while the ones who wore skirts flashed their panties from time to time. The boys catcalled, leered and jeered whenever they saw something interesting, until Mr. Howarth finally told them to get lost. Darrin was the first to leave when the PE teacher started bellowing orders at them; Mr. Howarth might have as little disciplinary power as the rest of the teachers, but he was capable of banning someone from the sports field if he felt like it ... and no one would dare complain. After all, if they got Mr. Howarth sacked, his replacement might well be worse.

  The showers were smelly and unpleasant, but he was used to it by now. He stripped off his shorts and shirt, dumped them in the basket to be washed, then stepped under the water and allowed it to wash him clean. As always, it was lukewarm and there was never enough of it for anyone. The one time he’d asked, he’d been told that water was carefully rationed and given a lecture on the importance of conserving resources. It hadn’t been until much later that he’d realised that every drop of water that was flushed into the waste disposal system was recycled, cleansed and fed right back into the distribution network. There wasn't any waste at all.

  He dried himself under a gust of hot air – once again, there wasn't enough air to dry him completely – and stepped out into the changing room, where his clothes were waiting for him. The bracelet he wore opened the locker, allowing him to remove his clothes and dress quickly. It was irritating to have to secure everything, wherever he went, but even the toughest kids were not immune to having their possessions stolen. He glanced in the mirror, decided he looked reasonably clean, and then walked out of the changing room. Kailee wasn't a sporty girl, not like some of the others. She valued her good looks too much to play sports.

  Darrin paused as he walked back through the viewing gallery. A girl was sitting there, crying. She was chubby, chubby enough to make playing games or attracting a boy difficult, if not impossible. And she hadn't seen him ... Darrin hesitate, held in place by an impulse he didn't fully understand. Part of him wanted to go to her, to comfort her ... and the rest of him knew that it was a waste of time. Helping a social outcast was a good way to become a social outcast yourself.

  The girl’s shirt had been torn, he saw, and there was a nasty bruise on her face. She had to have been pushed into the railings, he decided; he’d seen similar injuries on boys, when the struggle for the ball had turned into a shoving contest. He’d been told, time and time again, that girls were no different from boys. When it came to bullying, he’d seen, it was perfectly true. The strong girls picked on the weak girls and everyone in the middle supported the strong, for fear of being made a target themselves.

  And the girl still hadn't see him ...

  Shaking his head, he walked away. There was nothing he could do for her.

  ***

  Alone in the classroom, Kailee sat in her chair, staring down at the images on her reader. The latest models were strutting their stuff on the catwalks, each one wearing a dress that was worth more than
the combined yearly income of everyone on her apartment floor. They all looked completely perfect, their faces free of any blemishes that might mar their careers. Kailee felt envy swelling in her heart, even as she worked out how best to approach the talent scouts. For one reason or another, they were rarely permitted to come to school and recruit openly.

  She made a face as she downloaded yet another page of advice, then listened as her reader read the words to her. Everyone seemed to have different ideas of what to do; one suggested merely sending a photograph and contact details, others suggested full videos and even nude shots. Kailee wasn't sure she wanted to do that. If it was a requirement, she would do it, yet she wasn't comfortable with it at all. And yet she knew that many models were required to wear skimpy clothes ... or no clothes at all.

  Stellar Star had plenty of nude scenes, she knew; she’d watched every flick religiously, searching for the secret behind the actress’s success. The famous starship commander had slept with so many people that it was hard to understand how she had managed to get command of a starship at all, unless it was through the goodwill of the senior officers she'd allowed into her bed. And then there was the famous Stellar Star XXVI: In Enemy Chains, where Stellar Star had fallen into enemy hands and endured a long BDSM session which had ended with the torturer falling in love with her and helping her to escape.

  Maybe I will have to do it, she thought, but I want to put it off as long as possible.

  Mentally, she composed the letter she intended to use to approach the agents. She was young, attractive, willing to do whatever it took to succeed ... surely, they would appreciate someone like her. And there were no shortage of agents; if one refused her, she would just go to the next one and the next, until she found someone willing to take her on.

  She clicked off the images as someone stepped into the classroom. Her plans for the future were hers and hers alone; she knew, all too well, just how easy it would be for one of her classmates to sabotage her dreams. Those who let their dreams become public knowledge made themselves vulnerable. Instead, she flicked the reader to the instructions for the colony essay and turned around. Darrin was standing there, admiring her back.

  Kailee shivered, inwardly. Darrin wasn't one of the truly bad or dangerous boys – although the girls knew that every boy could be dangerous, given the right situation – but she still didn't trust him any further than she could throw the entire school. Maybe he didn't cop a feel when he had a chance, yet that meant nothing. He’d been quick enough to get into bed with Judy when she’d offered – and equally quick to refuse to become her official boyfriend. But then, that would have forced him to protect her.

  “Darrin,” she said, as coolly as she could. A hint of invitation would have him in her face before she knew what was happening. “What can I do for you?”

  Darrin smiled. “I was merely wondering why you were here,” he said, unconvincingly. “Are you all right?”

  Kailee didn't smile. “I'm working,” she lied, turning the reader so he could see the essay instructions. “I need to have this finished before tonight.”

  “Oh?” Darrin asked. “What’s tonight?”

  “Flicks I want to watch,” Kailee said, cursing her own mistake. She wanted to end the conversation as soon as possible, but she’d given him a hook to keep it going. “And my parents won’t be happy if I don’t get good grades.”

  “Sucks to have parents like that,” Darrin said. He gave her a look that was probably meant to be sympathetic. “Do your grades really matter?”

  Kailee shrugged. Her parents, in truth, didn't really care what she did; they’d long since lost interest in their extended family. If she was kicked out of school – which almost never happened - they were unlikely to say anything to her. And besides, good grades weren't important in the acting world. All that mattered, as far as she could tell, were good looks and a determination to work hard to get the best roles.

  “I was wondering,” Darrin said. “Would you like to come to the party with me this weekend?”

  No, Kailee thought. But would he accept it if she just refused? Some of the boys would, she knew, but others believed that if they asked again and again the girl would eventually give in. And then there were the ones who thought that ‘no’ actually meant ‘yes’ or that being firm with the girl would be enough to make her submit and open her legs. She braced herself as best as she could, hoping that she could hurt him if he tried anything. There would be no help from anyone if he tried to force himself on her right there and then.

  “I’m going to be busy this weekend,” she said, untruthfully. Her only real plans had been to spend more time studying the famous models and actresses and working out how they rose to such dizzying heights. “I won’t have time, I’m sorry.”

  Darrin gave her a toothy grin. “Come on,” he wheedled. “You’ll have a good time.”

  Kailee shook her head, trying to look regretful. She knew from other girls how those parties generally went; there would be some dancing, some alcohol ... and then the boy would start trying to get into their date’s panties. Sometimes the girl welcomed it; sometimes she was too drunk to care – or offer resistance. It wasn't as if anyone else would help her, even if she was trying to fight. The whole idea was laughable.

  “I have to work,” she said, firmly. “Sorry.”

  Darrin smiled at her. “Maybe next week?”

  Kailee gritted her teeth. She wanted to say no directly, but who knew how he would react to that? Would he accept it or attack her? There was no way to know.

  “Ask me nearer the time,” she temporised. “My parents are being quite demanding this year.”

  Darrin looked disappointed, but nodded and walked off. Kailee rolled her eyes at his back; he was walking in a manner deliberately calculated to show off his ass and leg muscles. He looked thoroughly ridiculous, although she knew better than to say it out loud. Being alone, even long enough to indulge her dreaming, was foolish. She picked up the reader, followed him out of the room and headed down to where she knew the other girls were chatting. Even their brainless chatter would be better than a conversational minefield with a boy.

  She caught sight of Joanne’s bruised face as she entered the common room and winced inwardly, keeping her reaction hidden. Joanne shouldn't be playing basketball or anything else, but her parents had insisted that she play with the other girls ... which was nothing more than a hellish experience for the chubby girl. She might look better if she lost some weight, but she wouldn't lose anything through playing games. And someone had torn her shirt.

  Feeling an odd moment of pity, Kailee removed her bag from the locker and produced her spare shirt, tossing it over to Joanne. The chubby girl stared; Kailee tapped her lips hastily, before Joanne could say a word. Helping someone, no matter how badly they needed help, was often taken as a sign of weakness. It wasn't something she could afford.

  Sitting down, she produced her reader and submitted a blank essay. Really, what did it matter if the essay was blank or not? It wasn't as if she was going to a colony world, not when they would have no place for her ...

  And he had her own life to think about, on Earth. Who cared about the colonies, really?

  Chapter Four

  But, most importantly of all, the educational process must teach a child how to think and solve problems. Most skills can be mastered through practice, once the purpose behind them is reasoned out.

  - Professor Leo Caesius. Education and the Decline and Fall of the Galactic Empire.

  Gary stepped into the security gate, cursing the designer under his breath. They were so obsessed with school safety ... and yet they cared nothing for his safety. The child who brought a knife or even a pen to school might face hours of questioning from the teachers, security officers and even the Civil Guard, but they didn't take away fists, did they? He could never defend himself against bare fists, not without a weapon. And weapons were banned, while they did nothing to keep out the attitudes that caused violence.


  There was a buzz as the scanner swept his body. “Place your reader in the drawer,” a toneless voice ordered. Gary sighed and obeyed, passing the reader over for safekeeping. It was better, he supposed, than having it stolen, but it still grated on him. “Place your bracelet against the scanner.”

  There was a click as the bracelet unlocked, falling away from his wrist. Gary dropped it in the basket, then braced himself to run. The other gate opened, allowing him to escape; he ran, passing a handful of other students as he fled towards the stairs leading to the upper levels. If he was lucky, he might just manage to put a space between himself and his tormentors before they made it through the gate. He was rarely grateful for the security precautions, which he knew to be completely ineffective, but they did slow down Barry and Moe. The idiots had a habit of trying to steal from the school.

  But the whole process was just annoying. They were meant to be in school from nine to three, then two more hours of mandatory afterschool care. In reality, they had to arrive at the school early enough to pass through the security gates, then wasted more time in the evening waiting to pass through the in reverse. Pushing the thought aside, he reached the stairs and sprinted up them as fast as he could, then into the long overpass that led to his apartment block. There was hardly anyone else about, not when they knew that the school pupils were coming out of school. They wouldn’t want to be mugged or molested by angry students.

  “Hey, Semen,” a voice called.

  Gary skidded to a halt as Barry stepped out of the shadows, ahead of him. For a moment, his mind refused to process what he was seeing. How the hell had the bastard managed to get ahead of him? It should have been impossible ... maybe he’d just sprinted the long way around. Gary didn't need to look behind him to know that Moe was standing there, just waiting for him to try to run. The two bullies worked as a team.