by Chris Hechtl
“She is a feisty one, isn't she!” the guy with the bad breath said, sounding amused. “Bitch, you are so going to pay for that,” he snarled, moving in. “Hold her down. We'll break the bitch. She'll …”
Booted feet passed by the hatch outside. He looked up and then over his shoulder to the hatch. When the boots retreated, he turned an ugly look her way.
Mara struggled to get up, but the best she could do was to sit on the seat of her pants and prop herself up with her feet and elbows. In order to move better, she signaled to her boots to morph back to land use.
Her hands dug at the plastic impotently.
“We might have a problem. I think we should get some tape and shut her up.”
“You think too much, Yoli; anyone who hears her screams aren't going to care—not on this ship,” the first brute said with a cackle.
“True. But the doc …”
“I told you, stop worrying about him!” the brute with bad breath snarled, turning back to the first guy.
“What the hell happened to her feet? That's some sort of suit? Or can she change shape?” the third goon said.
“Nah, man, it's the suit,” the second guy said, trying to distract the big brute as he rubbed at his shin. The big guy wiped at his mouth. Saliva and blood dribbled from it.
“Hold her down. We'll teach her some manners. If we have to, we'll get the neural whip.”
“No marks on the merc, man!” the second guy said, now alarmed.
“Don't worry, I know where to hit that won't leave a mark. It'll hurt like hell though,” the first said in an ugly voice as he wiped at his chin again with the back of his hand and sleeve.
“No …,” Mara said, shaking her head as the three men advanced on her. One fell on her legs to pin them down as the others gloated and sat on her. She gasped, struggling to breath as hands invaded her, groping her breasts and genitals roughly through the fabric of her suit.
The trio apparently didn't hear the boots marching in the corridor outside, then stop. The hatch clanged open.
“What the hell? Can't you see we're busy here, damn it?” big brute snarled, looking over his shoulder.
“That is enough. Off of her,” a familiar male voice said. Mara gasped as the heavy weight got off her. She panted, trying to catch her breath.
“You three outside. I'll deal with you later. Nurse, help Subject 227 to her feet,” Doctor Milgram said, voice tight with emotion. “My dear, I do apologize for these ruffians,” he said. He turned as the trio left the compartment, heads down. “Believe me when I say they will get what is coming to them,” he said.
Mara felt instant overwhelming relief. Relief mixed with gratitude at the save. It was every woman's nightmare to be raped. It came all too often in some circles with the people of the sea though, so the threat was something she'd learned to live with. Coming close to experiencing it though …. She felt ready to cry, to burst out in emotion but she focused on her breathing and equilibrium as the nurse helped her up. The woman didn't offer to untie her though, just held her up.
“See that she is properly cared for. Do a full assessment, make certain she has whatever care she needs, then get her back to her people. I am certain they are worried about her now,” the doctor said.
“Just put me back with my people to die,” Mara gasped out, hung over.
“Die? My dear, we need you. I know you don't understand or agree now, but you have a glorious future ahead of you. I'll explain later,” the doctor said hastily as the nurse helped her out.
>=,=@
Once she was gone, the doctor went around the corner to the trio of “miscreants.” “Well played, gentlemen, well played,” he said in approval.
“Just following orders, Doc. I've done this a time or two before,” the leader said. “She kicks like a mule though. I knew a red head who did that too. She was a ball buster,” he said, ribbing the second man.
“I'm sure,” the doctor said dryly. “Well, you three are finished here. You can return to your respective ships. I expect you to steer clear of the water dwellers for the foreseeable future,” he said.
“Yeah, sure, Doc. Why …”?
The third guy got poked in the ribs by the sergeant. “When are you going to learn not to ask stupid questions, Orson?”
“But, Sarge, there are no stupid questions just …”
“Just learn to shut up before you are on KP for another week,” the sergeant snarled.
“Another … when did I … shit,” the third man said, shutting up.
“Better.”
“Sir, the suit, it's dangerous. I recommend you remove it before she uses it on someone else,” Private Yoli stated.
The doctor frowned then nodded. “I'll look into it.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Dismissed gentlemen with my compliments. I'll put a good word in for each of you. Now, do get going or you'll miss your shuttle. And well, for heaven's sake, take a bath,” the doctor said, waving a hand in front of his face.
“Too much?” Yoli asked.
“Far, far too much method acting, gentlemen,” the doctor said, stepping well clear of them as they departed. Once they were around the corner, he nodded to himself as he tugged on the hem of his smock. “That went quite well. Quite well indeed. I do need to write her reactions down and review the video,” he said to himself, searching his pockets as he took off at a trot.
>=,=@
“I am sorry about that, my dear. I unfortunately cannot watch you and your people night and day. I've reiterated my orders to leave you alone, but I'm afraid if they don't see you as useful, then some parties may think you aren't worth protecting and will turn a blind eye to such … problem people.”
Mara rubbed at her throat. The nurse hadn't made any show of hiding her disgust at her damage or her gills. She'd been rough, but she'd given her something for the pain. The topical spray she'd used had reduced Mara to gasping, coughing fits for a while before she stopped trying to use it on her gills.
“What do you want?”
“Well, if you are willing, we can see about some tests to see if you really can fly a starship as good as they say, if you are up for it. The more subjects who participate the better the data is.”
“And of course the more likely we are to be unmolested,” Mara said, eying him.
He spread his hands apart. “I will do my best.”
“Right,” Mara drawled. “I'll ask for volunteers.”
“The thanks of the empire go with you. I should hope it will keep you busy and give your people new purpose. Something to keep their minds occupied. And if we succeed in this, then the admiral will give me more resources to make your lives easier.”
“Of course he will,” Mara muttered under her breath, gritting her teeth. He looked expectantly at her so she just nodded.
>=,=@
Over the following week, the doctor introduced the water dwellers to behavioral conditioning, starting with basic carrot and stick methods while slowly working up to more invasive and advanced versions of indoctrination. Since each of the subjects were ill, it was easy to segregate them into smaller groups and then run them through the infirmary and lab. Genetic samples were taken, and a better baseline of their physical attributes was logged for future use.
The water dwellers at first hated and feared the lab. But when each exam was finished, they were then placed into a horizontal bath of salt water. The simple kindness broke some of the mental barriers they had thrown up within their minds.
They never noticed the devices that had been left attached to the helmets the Horathian medics insisted they wear. The pirates used sleep teaching, subliminals, and hypnotics to teach each of them about flying a starship while also indoctrinating them to servitude.
It became apparent though that some of the programs had to be carefully edited. Depression was a major mental health issue. That was coupled with suicidal thoughts and problems with self-worth and self-esteem. Doctor Milgram took careful pains to retune
and restructure the program to their needs.
Admiral Von Berk took a special interest in the subjects right off, seeing them as a possible door to salvation of the fleet if it was required. The doctor learned to tolerate his interest, and after a while, actually encourage it.
The admiral seemed to like Subject 227, Mara, because she was the most human of the subhumans despite her blue skin color. But it became obvious through various progress reports that the flag officer didn't like her attitude, her ability to stand up to him when he occasionally deigned to have a meal with her or to interview her.
It was obvious to them all that she was the water dwellers’ leader. Normally they would break a leader, make them compliant, or kill them when they became too defiant as an example to the other slaves to break their will.
Unfortunately, this wasn't a normal situation, and he knew it. She was a prize too valuable to expend. One that had to be pampered and cared for. She was starting to come to grips with that idea, which was a problem in his eyes.
Captain Bordou wanted to break her, but the psychologist didn't want that. “Leave her. In my professional opinion, spirit is important. It is vital in her current situation. Broken, she is more liable to become depressed and suicidal. Once she is suicidal, she would be a danger to the ship as well as herself. We need her unbroken if we are to succeed. As long as she keeps her spirits up, she will endeavor to do the same to her people. That is a net gain for us.”
“Tamed though, Doctor. Bent to what we need to do,” the admiral warned. “And reliable.”
“That goes without saying, sir, but unbroken,” the doctor replied.
“You sound like you are breaking a horse, Doctor,” the captain said with a snort.
Doctor Milgram turned to the ship captain. “Much of the same theories apply. Carrot and stick. Psychological conditioning. Establish a new routine. Bond them to someone who they will see as a protector, a savior. That person will be their handler and can help guide them. Don't use brutality except in threat. Instead find what works for each mind and tailor a program to them. I've used it before in some of our best subjects,” he said with pride.
Captain Bordou raised an eyebrow in inquiry. “Oh?”
“I was an intern when we worked on the Vinatelli project,” Doctor Milgram admitted proudly.
“And that turned out so well, Doctor,” the captain said sourly.
“It turned out remarkably well until he learned the truth. When his blinders were removed, he had several paths he could have gone down. Destruction and ultimately self-destruction were just one. We in the program had high hopes that he might have accepted his new reality. But that was wishful thinking on our part. The manner of his learning turned out to be our own undoing.”
“Back to the water dwellers, Doctor,” the admiral said.
“Of course, sir,” the doctor said with a slight bow. “We are still coming to grips with their psychology so we are treading carefully as we build up individual profiles. We need to keep mistakes to a minimum. Keep them happy or as happy as we can arrange. We do not want them to go catatonic, suicide, or become a danger.”
“Obviously. So drugged?”
“I'm not sure I like the idea of someone on a drug piloting my ship, Doctor,” Captain Bordou growled.
“It is a problem. We are monitoring the medication doses carefully,” the doctor replied.
“And if she or one of the others goes on a bad trip?”
“That is indeed a concern. We are trying to arrange it so they are at the low point during their time on the bridge. They get their dose afterward as a reward.”
“Carrot,” Rick the chief of staff stated.
“Exactly,” the doctor replied with a nod. “We avoid the dangers of them getting too clean and going into withdrawal. It is becoming an established pattern for them. In time though it will take larger and larger doses to keep them fixated, which is a problem.”
“The higher the high the greater the fall, Doctor. Tread slowly and carefully,” the admiral intoned.
The doctor bobbed a nod. “Definitely, sir. My own hide is riding on this success,” he said.
“I'm glad you noticed that,” Captain Bordou growled.
“We need to carefully craft a reality for them. We need to induce trust. That takes time and honesty. We need to win that trust and above all keep it. That is one of the most important lessons we learned from the Vinatelli debacle. Trust once gone turns the dependent on themselves and the user.”
“Honesty? There are some things we can't tell her.”
“Then don't. Don't tell them or any others. We learned how to carefully sculpt and fit blinders to Vinatelli. You have to brief the personnel carefully. But we also need to keep our word. Do not violate it. If you give her your word, don't break it.”
“Even if we don't tell her, Doctor?”
“Eventually the truth may get back to her somehow. Admiral, I know you promised her to leave her people alone and to stop the kinetic strikes if she cooperates. I implore you to be very careful on how you handle that promise.”
“Unfortunately, Doctor, I can't hold that promise completely. We need more of them.”
“Yes, sir. But how likely is it to find more? The others are in the water, correct?”
“The young are on the shores. Eventually we will find more. But with that damn Federation ship stalking about …”
“We don't have time. We should hunt it down, but there may be more coming,” Captain Bordou echoed.
“Eventually, yes,” Rick agreed, “but certainly not right away. I think we have a window. A window of time from when that ship is expected to be here and then report back. Unfortunately, we don't know how long it will be until they are considered overdue. So, we need to work within the window but be prepared to cut our search short in a moment's notice.”
“And therein lies the dilemma. Pushed, it could break them. You know what happened to those who witnessed the executions on the shore,” the doctor said. “I wish the marines had listened to me and separated those we wanted to keep and gotten them out of the area before performing the executions,” he said darkly.
“We were on a time crunch, Doctor,” Rick said. “In a potentially hot zone where combat could erupt at any time. You yourself said you wanted to be on hand to perform the dissections. Well, you couldn't be there and elsewhere with the prisoners we were keeping. Not unless we did at the same time in the same spot.” He shrugged.
“I did get a great deal of samples. The small bodies should prove useful to the scientists back home. The heads will definitely prove useful.”
The captain grimaced. The idea of turning their own people into … freaks bothered her. Not that she was going to say so.
“But the prisoners witnessing the executions of their loved ones has hampered our ability to win trust with them. It is going to take time. Too many who witnessed the executions directly are near catatonic or already dead,” Doctor Milgram replied. He grimaced. He had made many mistakes in his haste. He shouldn't have allowed the marines and his eagerness to fluster him into making such stupid mistakes. The long-term consequences …
“Which is why we need more, Doctor,” the chief of staff reminded him.
“I am just trying to point out that going against your word will have consequences, sir. What I know is,” the doctor stated, “we don't want or need defiance or to break them to the point that they will retaliate.”
“Then it is up to you to keep that from happening,” the captain growled.
“I am doing my duty to warn you. If it does come to a head, she and the others will need an outlet. If there isn't one, then they will turn inward and it will be disastrous. This generation will be trouble to handle. The next … well, we can condition them carefully.”
“Condition … you are sleep teaching them, correct?” Rick asked.
The doctor nodded reluctantly. “I know where this is going, and yes, we are conditioning them to obey but only in the framework we've esta
blished. We do not want to go so far outside their established mental order that it breaks their mind. We need them functional,” the doctor stressed. “Such mental conditioning takes time, sometimes years to achieve. You don't rely on sleep teaching to perform indoctrination. It is a tool, but behavior modification is better done in the field over again, time. And there is no guarantee it will hold indefinitely.”
“Which is why you do periodic updates,” Rick stated.
“Which can cause the break itself if noticed,” the doctor retorted.
“Pity you hadn't conditioned Vinatelli,” Captain Bordou growled sarcastically.
The doctor spread his hands. “I was an intern at the time, ma'am. Conditioning is one of the methods we came up with after learning from the mistakes in that case. But social conditioning works hand in hand with the mental conditioning. Break your word and it will break the mental conditioning. They are so hard to read; we won't know if it does until the subject does something overt to give themselves away.”
“And therefore, you don't know if the conditioning is taking at all,” the captain said. “Since their brain chemistry is so different than ours, why are you attempting at all? Aren't you at risk of doing permanent damage?”
“We are; that is why we are keeping it limited and light. The same for the drug use. For the drug dependence … we also have to be mindful of our extremely limited supply of the pharmaceutical.”
“Poll the ships. Find stashes. Anyone who has any. Wean them off,” Rick stated. The admiral nodded. “If they can't be weaned, it's their problem. They shouldn't be hooked at all. Is there a synthetic analog we can duplicate? What about with the medical establishment here? Should we be looking for a supply here before we depart?”
“Good points,” the doctor said with a nod. He scribbled a note. “Very good points actually. I can give you a list of materials as well as the various names the drugs go under. We can test them. How you go about securing them … I honestly believe our limited time on the surface would be better spent securing them as well as secondary prizes now, sir,” he said, looking imploringly to the admiral.