Trampship Wars 2

by L. D. Roberts

  “But why? It does not make any sense. Why would a news caster lie like that?” Jolleen asked as she stared up at the woman she had looked up to, admired and trusted for years.

  “Actually she did not say one lie herself, though she was as close as anyone could come while reporting the statements of others she knows are lies, as the truth.” Mark’s mother spoke up shaking her head. “It is all in perception. By making her viewer think things are facts when they are not, she can make her audience accept all kinds of lies as the truth. Mold them into thinking and doing what she wants them to. Vote her corrupt crime boss cousin in while verbally assassinating his innocent clean cut no police record, anti-corruption, opponent. Using months of reported lies and half-truths and vile unending innuendos ’ . Including sick comments and jokes every chance she gets, making the targeted person look stupid, unclean, corrupt, and say things they didn’t. Until every time the opponents name is mentioned, the mass minds of the ship ’ s crew will jump to the derogatory name or bad impression droned into them without even looking for or seeing the truth. Even if it hit them over the head.” Taking a breath. “The shame is she was caught lying on the air last week but the council reinstated her license to anchor the news while the co urt ruled the video of them setting the poison canisters that killed everyone and showed them murdering the two boys , was fabricated since it was not from a ship’s approved recorder . I still don’t believe it.”

  Mark’s mother took a drink wetting her lips. “News cast politics has been a staple of mass manipulation practice for thousands of years . T t hat is why no true democracy has ever lasted more than a few generations without some kind of impartial court for disciplining mass disinformation providers.” Taking a deep breath. “Our problem now is that u sually tramp ships usually split into new ships long before a dedicated corrupt criminal organization can grow big and powerful enough to threaten the majority of the crew. The Queen is many decades past that and with the Cargo Union and the News reporting controlled by the same criminal family. The ship may not survive long enough to split. It would not be the first time a news cast anchor has created a mutiny across the majority of a crew using the mass manipulation techniques I was just telling you about. As well as countries and even whole planets. ”

  “More than one Captain has been recorded as being a news caster or councilman before becoming Captain. Though the ship has always died shortly afterwords from crew wide incompetence, when the masses would find out their cherished News Anchor or Superman Councilman or loud smooth talking Leader of the People , andidate did not know as much as the lies had said they did or that the problems screamed about in the news against the supposedly wealthy , or corrupt, or incompetent Captain that got the person elected were mostly fiction and twisted truths . Especially when the masses found out that the new Captain of the Little People turned their democracies into dictatorships executing most everyone that knew how to run the ship as a threat as well as any decenters. Trashing the very rules and constitution that had enabled them to become the dictato rs rs .”

  “But how can a woman that looks as good as her with such big boobs possibly lie like that?” Tom said leaning against the chair next to Mark without sitting down. His tray growing cold at his parents table. “I thought only ugly people lie to get ahead in the universe. Besides why would she want to help the Greedly’s? I am a distant cousin of them as well and I can’t stand them.”

  Jolleen rolled her eyes as a young woman with a tray of food used her hip to bump Tom ’s hip out of her way. “Mind if I sit to eat?” Protocol called for sharing tables with anyone that needed a seat to eat so Tom moved over patting Marks shoulder giving her room as she sat at the table in the chair next to Mark.

  Smiling as she picked up her fork and looked around at Tom. “My aunt, the news caster, is screwing my uncle the Councilman behind his wife’s back. And my father, is providing the muscle through the Cargo Union he runs like a king or dictator or Mob boss. Take your pick. To make sure no one gets out of line.”

  Mark’s eyes shot wide open as he stared at the woman he had held in his arms in the shower naked trying to save her life only days before.

  Jolleen growled. “Hey, what the hell are you doing here bitch. Your family has tried to kill mark a half dozen times now. You come to finish the job?” Jolleen shoved Tom out of the way as she tried to put herself between Mark and the young woman. Her butt sticking into Marks face until he gently pushed h er back away from the table to look around her butt at the young woman still not believing she was sitting there .

  The woman smiled as she finished chewing her bite of salad. Then. “Hey, don’t lump me in with the rest of my family. I have been trying to get out from under that ass hole’s rule since my mother disappeared when I was 10 years old. My mother and I had been living separated from my dear old dad for years before that. But dear old father would not hear about us living anyplace else but the clan fortress no matter what my mother did. She had filed yet another petition with the ships court going straight to the Captain to allow us a cabin someplace besides that hell hole kingdom when she disappeared. At least I managed to keep the separate cabin though dear old dad had a nanny move in with me that was more of a Jailer than nanny.” Taking another bite as she looked around her at the cold stares.

  Then as she chewed. “Thanks to Dr. Wells help while I was in sickbay this last time, I was able to get myself a cabin as far away from my father and brother as possible when I left Sickbay. It is a wonderful cabin down between holds and I can lock the door to keep both my brother and father out. Hell , they are not even allowed in the dorm since it is for women only.”

  The news Anchor lady on the screen again showed supposedly innocent Perry supposedly right after he had been shot by Mark as he died. Saying that to show the whole tape was too graphic for the ship’s audience. That common decency dictated that they not show anything before the part showing him dying it . Which didn’t make any sense to Mark since Perry dying was the worst part in his eyes while he had seen worse in wrestling video’s on You Vids than Perry beating and attacking him with his pipe which Mark realized was what the news caster did not want to show .

  The woman at Marks table shook her head frowning. “If I had known that daddy had sent Perry the Prick to kill you, I would have warned you Mark but not living in his new kingdom and fortress he is trying to build, I don’t have to listen to his dictates and ranting’s. And yes I know you are not responsible for killing most of my relatives.”

  Taking another bight before continueing continuing as everyone around the table stared at her. “Doctor Wells showed me all the evidence video’s and reports when he realized I was terrified of having to move in with my dad and brother after I got out of the hospital. I asked him if you really were responsible for the murders. I just could not understand how or why a murderer would go out of his way to rescue little old me and the few other kids in all the carnage.” Sighing. “I already knew both dad and Chet were starting to get paranoid about killing you Mark. With Chet bragging about blowing you and your friend off the ramp to dad at breakfast the next morning before you turned up alive again last week . But then Chet has been talking about terrorizing you and your friends as long as I can remember. Your Club house buried in the Junk pile has been a damn stick up his butt for years even though dad kept telling him to drop it and forget about you worms.” She smiled from ear to ear. “He would stand on top of our Mini-Max drinking with his buddies and stare at your little box in your little compound and rant for hours about stealing it from you guys. Forcing your club to become his little slaves. ”

  The woman continued to eat and talk as everyone around the table just stared at her without touching their trays.

  “Mark.” Mickey said in his ears. “ She is telling the t ruth. I have checked into her records and she has filed dozens of times to get out of her father’s compound but has been blocked at every turn which is unusual. It points to a growing list of corrupt officials making what amoun
ts to odd decisions for ridiculous reasons as stated in the rulings. The one her mother finally filed directly through the Captain was dropped when she disappeared.”

  “Ok? That is interesting.” Mark said as he mulled over what else the young woman was saying.

  “No Mark, what is interesting is that she has been arrested many times for trying to run away with her father filing charges of theft to force the Patrol to bring her back. Then dismissing the charges. Also strange is that her mother’s body was just identified by DNA amongst the bagged bodies you and Dian discovered hidden under the water in the tank deck before Chet tried to gas you two .”

  The woman finally ran down as she noticed that no one else was eating. Taking a deep breath and looking down at her plate as she bit her lower lip. She looked up at Mark. “I am sorry to have intruded like this with your family just after you got out of Sickbay after yet another stupid attempt on your…” Glancing down at her plate as she dropped her fork onto the tray. “I just wanted to thank you for saving my…. and the children other lives from that hell hole and tell you I am sorry for what my father and brother…” Tears started to drip down her cheeks as she picked up her tray and turned to leave.

  “No!” Mark said a little loud as he reached past Jolleen ’s butt having to push hard against it to get past her, to take the young woman’s her arm and stop her from leaving. “Please stay. I want to apologize for me and my family’s rudeness. We had no idea of what you’ve been through and it is just a little shocking.”

  Jolleen looked down at Jack and tried to pull his hand away from the young woman’s arm.

  Mark’s mother joined in. “Yes please stay. I have long wondered why all your records have all been sealed. I talked with you years ago after you lost your mother until your father got a court order preventing the normal bereavement counseling. I had also talked to your mother for the Captain about her problems with your father just before she disappeared and was starting to pick up several alarming threads that you had started to fill in the blanks of with when all contact with you was cut off by the court. I should have tried harder to get around the road blocks but your father did a damn good job of convincing everyone that you were just fine. Then later when you started running away he said you were just a spoiled teenager acting up. Which at first glance was what it looked like but again I was prevented from following up with you.”

  Shaking her head. “I can see now I should have gone through the Captain and insisted on following up no matter what the court orders said. Looking down. “But then I have to admit I was a little intimidated with your father and something he said about harming my family that I tried to ignore but I see now I didn’t.” Taking a deep breath and letting it out, Mark’s mother smiled sweetly. “Please stay. You are always welcome at our table.”

  Mark elbowed Jolleen and nodded toward the young woman. “Now be nice Jolleen.”

  “Like hell I will.” Jolleen burst out. “You didn’t get a hand stuck up your cunt and beat half to…” Bending over J olleen hit Hitting the table instead of the woman and then Jolleen stood up , glanced at Mark with tears in her eyes. Then staring at the woman she stomped away toward her family sitting a ways across the mess deck dragging Tom with her.

  Mark watched her walk away frowning. At a loss a t s what to think and say. Not happy at all that she had left. Feeling like he had just lost something very valuable.

  Mark’s father smiled over at the woman. “I was always entertained by your antics when your father would drag you and Chet to the many Tradesmen social and business meetings . S s howing you off to everyone. You always seemed to go out of your way to try and embarrass your father while staying as far away from him and Chet as possible. Not to mention the look of hate you always had for both of them.” Chuckling as past mysteries suddenly made sense . “Yes I must apologies for letting our concern for Mark get in the way of our good manners and common sense. Please stay.” Taking a bite of steak he grinned at Mark. “So this is one of the women you saved. I am glad you didn’t let your prejudices stop you from doing the right thing Mark. I am proud of you.”

  Mark took a drink washing down his food and shrugged his shoulders as he watched Jolleen sit down dragging Tom into the seat next to her even though his plate was not there . Then turning around to face his father. “Actually, I didn’t have a clue who she was except that she was still alive.” Turning to her as she wiped away her tears. “Don’t get me wrong. I still would have done the same thing if I had known it was you.” Shaking his head. “If you had been your brother I still would have saved him. But then I would have had him arrested on charges of murdering everyone up there.” Thinking for a second. “Or would it have been involuntary manslaughter. The only ones I saw him actually murder were the two kids in the tank.”

  Looking at her for a few seconds trying to judge if he had gone too far or not. “I hope that does not upset you that I hope your brother and your father both get dropped off of A-holds cargo ramp before we lift.” Mark could not help himself as that last sentence burst out. “After a trial of course.” Mark was starting to realize that there were a few very bad people in the universe .

  Putting her hand on his arm , she smiled at Mark then grimaced. “That is alright. I think my father killed my mother anyway though I hope she did get off the ship someplace like my father told the authorities and is still alive and living happy ever after. But I have listened to him talk about killing everyone else that displeased him or got in his way for too many years to think he is a Saint.” Her pat turned into a hard squeeze as she talked about her mother without letting go. Gently pulling herself toward Mark as she slid slow ly across the swivel seat until her leg touched Mark’s leg.

  Mark looked down at her leg and then at his tray as he s e a t his fork down. “Aaa, I guess this is as good a time as any to tell you.” Looking over at his mother trying to figure out how she would go about doing it. Then taking a deep breath he turned to the woman as she spread her legs to allow his between them and took her hand in both of his. “When Dian and I were trying to hide in the water tank before you brother a nd father killed those two boys and then tried to kill us .” Taking another breath and grimacing. “We found a lot of bodies vacuum packed in plastic bags with weights and stuffed under a shelf in kind of a compartment to keep them from floating to the surface.” Taking another breath. “I am sorry to say that your mother was one of them. According to the report. She was brutally raped and tortured over several days before she was killed.” Jack read from the report Mickey was showing him.

  Mark’s Mother got up and walked around to kneel beside the woman, putting her arms around her as th e young woman she started crying.

  Mark grimaced as he listened to Mickey for a few seconds. “Aaa. The body was well cleaned and sterilized before being bagged and while the Vacuuming emptied out her lungs, the new equipment the English have given us allowed the coroner to get DNA trapped in her microscopic lung sacks from each of her rapists and killers.” Mark bit his lip as he took another breath as the woman looked up into his eyes as hers hardened. “Not only establishing a time line over the last few hours of her life but who raped her and killed her. Well I mean, that is who was in the room when she was raped and killed. It gets complicated but evidentially when a guy is raping a woman he gives off certain chemical markers that the victim then inhales along with his DNA and it seems that your father rapped her since there is traces of her own air born blood in the markers as he beat her, then let a half dozen other men rape her including my Mr. Perry Schlesinger being the last just before she died with your father evidentially bending over her when she died as she breathed her last breath according to the tests.”

  Grimacing for a second as he looked away and then back at her. “Aaa. You don’t want to know how she died. Just let me say that they are sure it took her a aa, hours bad 15 minutes and she was in excruciating pain the whole time” Shaking his head. “If you want more details , than that , you will have to go see Dr. We
lls.” Mark shuddered and no longer hungry, pushed his tray away before turning back to the woman bighting his lip . “Sorry for the bad news.”

  The woman buried her face in Mark’s mothers embrace, crying. Mark watched for a few minutes and then embarrassed and with nothing else to do , went turned back to his meal and started eating even though he was anything but hungry. His father reaching over and squeezing Mark’s shoulder before returning to his meal. The woman’s leg still entwined with his with Mark feeling too sad to pry them completely apart as he turned his chair and faced the tabl e again. Suddenly feeling embarrassed as he realized that the nearby tables had heard every word he had said about her mother’s death.

  A few minutes later not being able to force down another bite he started to get up with his tray. The woman reached out and grabbed Mark’s hand and squeezing. “Please don’t go. I would like to talk with you some more.”

  Mark sat back down. “I am sorry. I should not have told you so much. I should have simply left it at confirming her death. That is all you really needed to know.”

  “No! Thank you for telling me. I needed to know that my father did actually kill her. Fact is I want to eventually know how my mother died but you are right, best I wait for that part. I don’t think I could take those details right now but I am glad to know who and that you killed one of them.”

  “Aaa, actually I didn’t…” Mark started.

  Sliding out of Mark’s mothers embrace she slid over to sit on Mark’s lap and embrace him. Wrapping her arms around and hugging him tight as she started to cry on his shoulder .

  Mark’s mother smiled and patted the woman on the back before she returned to her seat and cold dinner.

  A few minutes seconds later a young man came up and bellowed. “You murdered my Clan and now you try kidnapping my sister.” Grabbing the woman , Chet tried jerking her up away from Mark. “Let my sister go you murderer!”

  The woman reached got up slapping Chet him across the face then as she pushed him Chet away without letting go of Ma rk . “You’re the murderer around here. You’re the one that tried to murder Mark and did murder our Clan. Killed all my relatives, my Aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews and all the babies. Everyone that was ever nice to me you slaughtered including your other step brother and sisters and almost killed me .” Taking a big breath she finally stood up . “All Mark did was try to stop you and did save as many as he could while you were busy making up alibies and lies.”