We left the alley and followed the street to an intersection. From there we didn’t have to go far and followed our guides and dozens of other beings all dressed in dark blue boiler suits, some with torcher’s hoods, some with jackets and helmets; down a flight of stairs.
The stairs led into an underground tunnel that was dimly lit, by a few light elements. The grimy walls were decorated with posters and slogans of the magistrate. The slogans told people to work as hard as they could for the common benefit of all.
Here in this tunnel, hundreds of beings stood in long rows waiting for something. There was a ledge that divided the tunnel: the other side was recessed and deeper.
Everyone was dressed like us. Many carried tool or lunch boxes. There hung an invisible cloud of sweat, oil and rusty metal smell over it all. It was also quiet, not many talked and those who did kept their voices down.
Someone did complain about Har-Hi’s smell and moved away.
Ninety said with a subdued voice. “Most of them are very tired from a long day of physical labor. They are not slaves and get paid, but very little.”
Har-Hi said. “I don’t understand all this need for slaves and laborers, could not that scrap be processed by robots and Nanite factories? I’ll wager a gang of S-55′s and a few Nanite disassemblers could do the same or more then all the beings here, and they’d do it around the clock too.”
Nefkin made a nodding motion and said. “It is the same question almost every Union slave I ever met asked the first time they arrive at the Smelters. There are not many robots on this world and very few are even used by my people building space ships. No one could ever really explain to me what a Nanite Factory is, but from what I understand, what they do it is far beyond Kartanian capabilities and sounds almost like magic to me
Ninety said. “I once had a human prisoner while I was still a Togar Commander. He told me that the Union uses tiny little robots, so small they can manipulate matter on a molecular level and they use billions of them to break something down into its raw materials. I did not believe him back then.”
I could not help myself and said. “You didn’t believe him, so you ate him. Right?”
He lowered his head. “Yes I did. It appears you know about this condemnable practice of the Togar.”
I could not keep the steely edge out of my voice as I said. “I intercepted a transport ship with thousands of slaves and with human body parts butchered and ready for the Togar meat markets.”
He said. “Captain, forgive me. Back then I was a different being, I have changed a lot since then and I know there are voices among my species who want all Togar to stop eating sentient beings. As a former Commander of Togar space ships. I know how incredibly powerful the Union Fleet is and I know they will one day make us pay for every life we took of theirs. Maybe my eternal exile and slavery is fates way to make me pay for that.”
Har-Hi put his hand on my shoulder. “Captain I am sure he as not eaten a human since
A long segmented vehicle squealed with shrill metallic sounds over a set of metal strips and came to a stop. Sliding doors opened all along its side. Everyone pushed inside and so did our guides we had little choice as we were basically pushed inside as well.
We found a place to sit on, rusty rigid benches bolted in rows to the floor.
The train passed into a dark long tunnel and made lots of noise while doing it. It was somewhat akin to a Trans-planet mover, but it was neither very fast nor very smooth.
***
We had traveled a good hour on that train. The local transport thing stopped frequently and the train cars emptied a few beings at the time.
How the Kartanian knew where we were was a mystery to me, perhaps he had counted the stops or had some other indicator. He said, “We better get up, the next stop is ours.”
We resurfaced a few minutes later.
It was what the Karthanian called the Pulse district, a workers amusement section of the city. Jutika told us that this was for Ithe, and Drak would hardly ever find their way into this section of town. There was heavy police presence at every corner.
Our plan was to go to a local bar at an address Cherubim had transmitted. There we would be contacted by someone who in turn would guide us to the actual NAVINT intelligence contact. Of course I had not told Ninety or the others of that part. I could not trust our allies that much and expose an NAVINT agent. Whoever it was might even continue to be an intelligence contact if Itheamh changed governments.
Officially I wanted to do some general intelligence and check out the space port. At least that part was true as it was an integral part of my plan.
Ninety had come along to secretly meet with an underground cell. He said to me as we stood at the top of the escalator stairs. “Well this is the Pulse district. Seven blocks from here begins the space port district and there you find the offices of several Union based shipping companies.”
They turned to go back down as their destination was in another part of town and he said. “I know you are very formidable and capable individuals, but the Central city Drak soldiers are elite and very brutal in their methods, so be careful.”
I said to them. “You be careful too. You do know how to activate the implant if you run into trouble right?”
They nodded and moments later Har-Hi and I were alone standing next to a concrete city center park with statues of previous magistrates and Drak Heroes immortalized in bombastic status made of even more concrete.
Har-Hi looked up at one particular big statue and said. “They sure like concrete around here. They use it everywhere!”
I also looked up and said.” I guess it is a cheap building material. Don’t tell that to Jutika but I personally find the Ithe look quite comical, and to see them blown up to such size in something that is supposed to be a heroic pose makes them even funnier looking.”
A steely voice accompanied by the clicking heels of boots interrupted us and said. “Magnificent is he not? Magistrate Rotraga.”
I turned and two Drak officers in dark grey coats walked up to us.
For the duration of maybe a heartbeat or two I forgot how to articulate and steer the stilt eyes of my mask, but then I managed to activate the correct logarithm with a blink of my real eyes. To a human mind it was very confusing to have two independent moveable eyes that sat at the same spot where a human had ears, so we decided during our mask making session with Shea and Cateria to make the stalk eyes mock eyes only and have our real eyes behind a patch of one way transparent bio-skin. The stalk eyes moved more or less on a random move program until we needed to interact with other Ithe and we switched the eyes to interaction mode. This was the best Shea and SHIP could come up with in such a short notice and it was as convincing and awesome as everything they made, but we had to switch manually between programs.
I answered. “Oh yes, this magistrate was always my favorite hero too, especially how he holds that saber.”
One of the officers came closer. “Is there something wrong with your eyes, Ithe cretin ?"
The other said. “You both are very tall; you are not trying to sneak into the inner district posing as Drak, right?”
Har-Hi said. “Of course not, Officer.”
The one talking to me said. “What do you think was Rotraga’s greatest achievement?”
I asked. “Can two citizens not take an evening stroll and admire the statues of our heroes without being questioned about the deeds of Magistrate Rotraga who was among the greatest. He made sure there is law and order and we workers have work.”
The officer who had talked to Har-Hi said. “Your ID cards!”
The other snickered. “Pray that we find nothing wrong with your ID Cards, there are still seats available on the next flights to the Smelter Moons.”
Shea had hacked into the local computer system and our Nanite factory aboard the Tigershark had no problem to copy the old ID card of Commander Jutika and manufacture new ones that would match the data Shea had fed into the local security
data net. So we handed them our ID cards. One of them pulled a blocky device from a belt holder and scanned our ID cards.
They both saluted and handed the cards back. “Sorry we didn’t know you were of the secret police.”
I barked at them. “What good would it be to have a secret police if everyone knew who’s in it?”
We simply turned and left them where they were.
Har-Hi said to me as we passed under the legs of a statue. “I wish we could stick those two jack-boots on one of those flights.”
I said to him. “We are planning to free the slaves, not add more.”
He grunted something I didn’t understand, but I was sure it was a colorful insult directed at the two Drak officers, and then he looked up and down the street and said. “Now where is this bar we are supposed to go too? I see dozens of bars and they all look equally uninviting to me.”
I glanced at my PDD by pushing the sleeve of my boiler suit back and said. “Do you see a Thirsty Torch? If our map data is correct we should be about 20 meters from it.”
Finally we noticed a busted light sign where only the letters ‘Thi’ and ‘rch’ still worked.
We went in. The bar was packed but we managed to find a table. Har-Hi and I ordered something that looked like beer and when the unsavory looking waiter left, Har-Hi leaned forward. “Now what, how are we supposed to make contact and how would they know who we are?”
I said “Patience my friend, patience is an important trait in this clandestine spy business, besides we have already been contacted.”
He hissed. “It was you who ran around doing all these spy things while we thought you got killed or worse. I am just a simple Dai Pirate who happens to be a Union Officer.”
I said. “Nobody asked me if I even wanted to be abducted and run around and learn the spy business.”
He pretended to sip at the beer and said. “I didn’t mean it that way and you know it. It is this place that gives me the creeps. So how did we get contacted, I saw nothing”.
“Look at your beer coaster.”
He looked at the glass and said. “I still see nothing, just some doodles and beer brand advertisement.”
“You don’t think that doodle there looks very much like a Union fleet chevron.”
“Yes now that you mention it, but it seems to be on every beer coaster, I think it is just a doodle and not a very good one. Besides how would the contact know we are the ones? We look like everyone else here.”
He is giving out the coasters to everyone, but only a Union contact would know that this is an unfinished Union Chevron doodle. I just completed it, dumped my drink under the table and ordered another beer.”
The waiter, a smudgy looking Ithe placed a new beer before me and took the glass along with the coaster.
He came back a few moments later and put a smaller glass with a clear liquid that smelled real strong before me and said. “Sorry for spilling your beer, here is a Rothir throat burner on the house.”
I said. “You better get me another Rothir throat burner; you know how ugly my domestic home partner is.”
He said. “Is she as ugly as her sister Tenea?”
“No Tenea looks like a Visualizer star compared to her.”
“Meet me in twenty minutes outside and keep a low profile.”
He left.
Har-Hi said. “You do have a knack for this. I read the same instructions Cherubim send to us and there was no mention of Rothir throat burner or a Sister Tenea, or was there?”
“It was a variation of contact scenario seventeen. The booze name changes according to local conditions and the sister’s name is changed daily with the Day code transmission, but the rest is a predetermined NAVINT contact procedure.”
He sniffed at the Throat burner and said. “As I said you received specialized Intel training we did not.”
He was right of course, while the others enjoyed their first break, I was conditioned at Pauli Station and received Blue-Blue-Red clearance before my second year really started, not to mention my time with Mother Superior. Just then a fight started at a neighboring table. An Oghr and a very strong looking Ithe male started exchanging blows and kicks. The situation escalated to other tables fast.
It was all fine for us until an Oghr insulted Har-Hi and sloshed the content of a beer mug all over my friends face, calling him a coward and other names.
My friend tried to stay calm and out of the brawl, but after he had to block a fist aimed at his temple. He got up and of course I had to get up as well to keep his back.
About five or ten minutes later Har-Hi held the dazed Oghr by the throat and forced him to his knees and poured a glass of beer slowly over the greenish skull of his opponent.
I looked around but no one was left standing. Except for the painful groaning of an Ithe worker who hung over a support beam above the tables, it was very quiet.
The frightened bar keeper slowly appeared behind the bar counter and made big eyes. Har Hi pushed the Oghr away, who instantly crawled under the last standing table for cover and he buried his brutish face between his knees as Har-Hi turned once more to look at him.
I approached the shaking bar keeper. He had somewhat humanoid features and I wondered if he was an Oghr-human hybrid of sorts as he had features of both species. He was at least two heads taller than me and yet he was clearly frightened and as I approached he started shaking. I said to him. “Sorry about the damage. I think this got a little out of hand. How much would I owe you for the cleanup?”
He blinked with his reddish eyes and then said in a meek voice that didn’t really fit the tall muscular body. “You didn’t start the fight, I saw it. I don’t want to…”
“I am not going to hurt you; I really want to pay for the damage.”
He straightened out a little and then looked around and said. “I guess 25,000 Huthkarta or 2,000 Union Credits would do the trick.”
I pulled my credit box and said. “All I got is Unions.”
He became all business and friendly and deducted the sum into an ancient looking Union Bank Transferomat. The thing pinged and he now appeared really happy and said in a more jovial tone. “They tear up the place almost every week; it’s the first time someone pays. I get the place cleaned and throw the dead into the Composter and no worries; the Law never comes here.”
I also looked around and said. “I don’t think we killed anyone.”
Har-Hi grunted and motioned me to follow him outside and he pointed at an Oghr worker sticking head first in a hole in the wall and said. “He doesn’t look to fresh and the one you threw over the rafters isn’t moving either. Maybe this isn’t what he meant by keeping a low profile.”
I looked at him and said with a guilty tone in my voice. “Maybe I overreacted a tad, but you should learn to hold back just as well. What you did wasn’t exactly pulling punches either.”
He opened the door for me and said. “We better get out of here before they change their mind and call the local law enforcement after all.
We left through the front door, where we were intercepted by the smudgy looking waiter. “Quick, come and follow me.”
He scurried before us and made such a quick turn in a narrow, dark alley we almost walked past.
He didn’t speak but kept on leading us through a virtual labyrinth of alleys and back yards, until he finally slowed down at the back door of a desolate looking building. He said to me. “Day code?”
I answered. “Classic Red”
He knocked at the door in a particular rhythm. It opened and he urged us to rush in.
Chapter 26: To the Smelter Moons
The door was opened by a greenish skinned being that looked like an Oghr, but was even shorter than the Ithe waiter who had guided us so far.
In my short time traveling the galaxy, I had already seen strange beings and the saying went that beauty lay in the eye of the beholder. I was certain someone in the universe would find this gnarled looking being pretty, but I could not find any othe
r description than ugly. Har-Hi whispered. “She’s a Laurin Oghr, they are even shunned by other Oghr species, and their five star-system is the smallest kingdom and the closest from here if I remember correctly.”
Behind the door was a narrow corridor. The walls were as shabby looking as the doors and adorned with graffiti, cracked plaster and exposed brick work. The place reeked just like the liquid Nefkin had splashed on Har-Hi and Ninety. Light came from weak globe like things hanging on short strings from the ceiling, only two of the eight that used to be there still worked, the rest were missing or smashed. I heard the wailing of an Ithe child somewhere and the sound of alien Tele-entertainment coming from behind a door that had lost much of its original paint. The narrow corridor was even further restricted by a flight of constricted stairs leading upward.
Har-Hi whispered, “Beings actually live like that? The dungeons on our Dai Motherare a more cheerful place than this.”
The Ithe waiter who had heard him said, “This is how the majority of Ithe workers live. The rent here is barely affordable and takes about 50 percent of their meager pay.”
I looked around and said. “I’ve seen worse, even at home.”
Har-Hi said. ”You tell me they have worse places on Nilfeheimthan?”
I turned my head while we ascended the creaking wooden stairs and said to him. “Yes, our own burg used to have tanneries that were much worse than this. I am sure there are still many Burgs and Clan chiefs that treat their Low men just as bad as slaves.
I have also seen the tenant blocks of the Bottom Low on Sin 4.”
Har-Hi stomped up a few stairs behind me and then said. “Maybe when all this is done, we need to visit your Nilfeheim and make sure our own conditions are in order.”
I agreed with him and said, “My Grandfather and my former wife are working on this right now. Things change slowly on Nilfeheim but they are changing.”
“If there is Nilfeheim, I wonder if there are other places on Union side like that?”
The next floor looked just like the one below, our guide went on to tackle the next flight of stairs and I asked.” How many stairs do we need to climb?”
Eric Olafson Series Boxed Set: Books 1 - 6 (The Galactic Chronicles Series) Page 149