Escape

by Stephen Brandon

  No one moved except the woman with a broken arm. “I need my arm set.”

  “OK, you can go with the first group. As you know, slavery is the norm in this federation. By educating us, the Captain figures he'll profit more when he sells us. A trained slave is more valuable and less likely to be mistreated. Since we weren't the slaves he was looking for, he decided he still had to make back his expenses. He plans to sell us as families for a twenty year contract. At least that gives us the chance to keep our children with us and a chance to be free in twenty years. Not a perfect solution, but the best offer on the table. Honey, grab the kids, we'll be first.”

  The first person the woman saw as she entered the medical office was the alien soldier laid out on the table getting his face stitched up. She hissed, just like a cat, He jumped up and cowered behind the table.

  The doctor looked around and said, “Female you hurt him, and he'll have more than the scars on his face. I believe he will think next time before he grabs any Homo sapiens. I'll fix your arm as soon as I finish with his face.”

  Lieutenant Ki looked at the woman and asked, “May I see your weapons.”

  With a smile she held out her hand. There was still blood and skin under her fingernails.

  “This reminds me of something my father told me. Never get between a bear and her cub. There will be no punishment for the attack.”

  “The child he grabbed was not mine, but I was closest. Any mother would have done the same.”

  Hearing that the soldier on the table mumbled, “I demand she be punished for attacking me!”

  Without even turning Lieutenant Ki stated, “If you prefer charges against her, you will be charged with mistreatment of a cub, injury to a female, causing a riot, and then I'll ask Sergeant Fee if he can come up with additional charges and appropriate punishments. Do you think you still want to prefer charges against this woman.”

  “No Sir.”

  “And there will be no mistreatment of these people. The Captain has an interest in their welfare.”

  “Yes Sir.”

  The doctor then said, “I'm finished with you. I'll inform your sergeant that you are on light duty for five days. Then report back to me for evaluation.”

  “Yes Doctor.” He hesitated then walked sideways around the room keeping as far from the woman as he could, and never taking his eyes off her.

  “Female, what is your designation?” asked the doctor.

  Ted answered, “Doctor, we don't use designation, we use the word name. Her name is Martha. She is married to one of my men, and has children of her own.”

  “I understand,” said the doctor, “Martha would you please seat yourself on the table. This will hurt because I dare not give you any medicine until I have done a cell scan and tested our medicines against your metabolisms.”

  Doc Smith stated, “Doctor, we have a person that is familiar with many chemical compounds, he may be of help determining what medicines you can safely use. All my medical supplies are back on the planet.”

  The Captain growled, “Ki, take Ted with you to get him and find out where the quartermaster is. I want him down here now.”

  Fifteen minutes later Thomas and Doc Smith had identified a possible pain killer.

  The alien doctor set Martha's arm, and put on a cast. “I want to see you in ten days unless you have complications. Then you tell the nearest soldier that you need to see me immediately.”

  The quartermaster brought in the sash for Ted. The Captain held it up and stated, “This symbol designates that you are a contract slave, your value, and your designation. This one is the symbol for the owner, me. This one is your authority as a Sergeant. In this top pouch you will carry your medical chip. I'll have Ki get you a communicator, it will go in the bottom pouch. Here.”

  Ted looked at both sides and saw that they were identical, then put it over his shoulder with the bottom ring hanging by his right hand. “Captain, what goes on this ring and the inside clips?”

  “U mm, the ring is to carry a weapon and the inside clips are to fasten to the uniform or spacesuit. You will not need either, without my permission.”

  “I guess I'd better learn the appropriate symbols quickly.”

  The Captain departed. Ki sat down and started talking to Martha.

  The doctor looked at Ted and said, “Undress and lay on the examination table with your head at this end.” Then he started the cell level scan. Then he placed a helmet on Ted's head and did another brain scan. Punching several buttons on his computer he asked Ted his full name and handed him a yellow block of plastic. “This chip contains your full medical examination and brain scan. I also took the liberty of assigning you as a contract slave to the Captain and this ship. You may get dressed. Ma'am, you're next.

  He handed her a blue plastic square and a bracelet to put it in. Showing her how it went he placed the bracelet on her right wrist and it contracted until it barely touched the skin. She twirled her wrist and watched it spin. “Water and most solvents will not affect them, so there is no need to remove them. Just hold up your wrist to any scanning port and it will read the computer chip. You are now listed as Ted's family unit. Which child is next. Instruct him please. ”

  Ki turned and looked at Ted, “I'll escort you back. Then you will bring each family here. Do I need to have you escorted, or do you know the way?”

  “Lieutenant, a couple of trips until I learn the way would be appreciated.”

  On Ted's first solo trip the guard at the cargo bay hatch asked, “Where is the Lieutenant?”

  “He had other duties to attend to.” Pointing at his sash he commented, “With authority comes responsibility. Now I have to escort every family to the medical section.” As they entered the hatch, Ted could hear the soldier laughing.

  * * *

  Chapter 4

  The educating machines worked wonders. History of the Federation, social customs, reasons and responsibility of slaves and their owners. Operation of vehicles whether land, atmospheric, or space. Maintenance and building of all types of machinery and machines. Power sources and power utilization. They even found several courses on Transfer gate theory and construction.

  The gambit of subjects overwhelmed everyone except the children.

  Ted and his leadership crew spotted half a dozen glaring weaknesses in their interstellar economy.

  One shipboard evening Ted knocked on the Captains door. “Captain, as you know my men and women have gone through all the educational courses that you allowed. We've found several weaknesses in your economy. We've found immense problems with your manufacturing support structure. We've found inefficiency in your transportation system. We've found gaps in your military that would allow a civilization as primitive as mine to carve out immense sectors before the Federation could mount any active resistance. That's just three areas. There are more. I desire to renegotiate our slavery to a partnership.”

  “Ted, I started monitoring your education request a week after your people started requesting more in-depth education in many areas. All of your people have completed more educational machine time than my most trained officers. I had Ki check to see if the time was repeat time, it wasn't. I had to override several of my ships officers to get them to allow your people in areas where slaves are not normally allowed, like piloting, fighter operation, engineering, weapons, etc.

  “For a bunch of supposed farmers, your people are extremely motivated and educated in many fields that our education machines just reinforced. I've been wondering whether you would come to renegotiate or just to tell me you've taken over my ship. I've been worried, because during that pirate attack last month, your men were much more proficient than my trained security detail. They started with no weapons, not to mention the fact that there were a lot less weapons turned in than dead pirates.

  “Your women have modified my cargo bay in such a way that it would be a nightmare just to try to get anyone out. Someone also built a power reactor
in there. My chief engineer discover that by accident. I think you've already taken over my ship with your people working in so many of the critical sections.

  “If you can show me how to make a profit by allowing you to be partners, you'll be partners.”

  “OK Captain, lets start with mining resources. There are many mining ships listed for sale. With one of those, and using your technology, we could open a few of the abandoned asteroid mining areas, and strip all the useful minerals. At present, most of your mining corporations quit mining when the cost ratio drops below twenty percent using their standard procedures. Are you willing to take the risk of setting us up?”

  The Captain stuck out his hand and said, “Ted, I'll give you a year to show a profit. I want your word that if you don't, you'll bring your people back so I can sell them as slaves.”

  “Captain, you drive a hard bargain. Does that include the cost of the mining ship and purchase of the mining rights in those stellar systems?”

  “Partially, the cost of the ship I'll cover for services rendered. My chief engineer still hasn't figured out how you improved the efficiency of the jump drive by twenty-eight percent while reducing power consumption. The mining rights and permits, you'll need to repay along with the cost of supplies and additional equipment you'll need. I need your word that you will not deal with my competitors.”

  “Captain, that's a given. I don't want to have to fight off your competitors or pirates, however a nice pirate ship would be nice for security.

  “One of my people suggested I suggest to you an unusual load and destination. She thinks the profit would be close to what some of the mining ships in sector 3 are selling for, however she insist on the ship being inspected by some of her people before purchase.”

  “If she can do that Ted, would you ask her if she and her family would stay aboard my ship and help me maximize profit. I'll use the standard rates and formulas, and any extra profit will be applied toward your expenses.”

  “Captain, that sounds fair. I'll have one of my boys rig up a private communications system for us. My crew estimates that you may be able to pickup your first load within six months. Oh and by the way I'll need the coordinates for the system you snatched us from. I need to contact my superiors and explain the situation.”

  “Why?”

  “There should be several thousand there now. I wouldn't try to snatch any of them, because with our disappearance they'll be on guard and armed to the teeth.”

  “That sounds bad, Ted.”

  “We have other enemies that would just as soon kill us.”

  “I don't know what I can do about weapons and attack ships. Have your woman look into it.”

  “She has Captain, that is part of the unusual cargo.”

  The Captain sat at his desk and drew up a new contract. He called Lieutenant Ki in to witness. Ki was dumbfounded as he read the details. “Captain, this is most unusual. I'm not positive that it is completely legal. What if they are leading you into a trap?”

  “Ki, you've been with me for years. Have you ever seen a group as tightly knit and proficient as these Homo sapiens? We discussed them trying to take over my ship several times since last month, and I know you put safeguards in place. I have the feeling that if you check them, you'll find most of them neutralized. I was worried about Ted simply coming to me and telling me that his crew had taken over my ship, he didn't. He's an honorable leader, so I believe he'll honor his word on the contract.”

  ~ ~ ~

  Returning to the escape planet, Ted found eighteen villages. After making radio contact, he took the fighter down to the surface.

  Bill and Pete met him and directed him to fly to a point in the mountains. Entering the cavern entrance he was surprised to see seven Cartel fighters. Pete told him that there were over two thousand in the villages and another three thousand in the cavern citadels on both continents.

  The boss commented, “Ted, we were sure you'd been captured by the Cartel. The thing that puzzled us was the fact that your weapons and supplies were abandoned in the village.”

  “Boss, we were captured by a trader that was tracking some escaped slaves. Due to the diversion and delay on his route, he decided to sell us as slaves. We talked him out of it by demonstrating that we'd make him more money as partners than the one time profit as slaves. Their civilization is decadent. By our motivation and re-purposing their technology, I will show him a profit in a few months after paying off the supplies and equipment he loaned us.

  “We have a mining operation set up fifty light years that way.”

  “OK Ted, where's your main ship?”

  “This is it boss, like I said we re-purposed some of their technology and are improving a lot of it. I don't think they've made any progress in the last five hundred years. They've been coasting. If a couple of those ships will fly, I'll tow them to my shipyard and we'll upgrade them. I've got access to weapons that'll take out a Cartel warship. I know you'd like to have an edge if they ever find you.”

  “You're damn right about that Ted!”

  “Now understand, I gave my word to the trader Captain that I would not take over his ship or conquer the Federation. We can infiltrate and make great profits without firing a shot. We will also have several hundred planets to choose from. I don't think they'll notice if the populations of several of them become predominately human. There are three species withing the Federation.”

  “You've got to be kidding me Ted.”

  “Nope, and I think we've discovered the reason for their downward spiral. They use education machines to educate their children, and retrain adults. Without learning to think and figure out problems like we did in school, they only know what the machine teaches them. They don't know how to solve problems, just react to them. Several mothers discovered this after their children used the machines. I stopped their use for anyone that hadn't completed their basic and some advanced education. We're not any smarter than they are, we're just still flexible.”

  “Ted, you know what that means. We will be running circles around them in no time.”

  “Boss, we will not conquer them, I gave my word. We will have to settle for just infiltrating their civilization and using it for our profit. I need your word.”

  Sticking out his hand the boss said, “You got it. Pete get me two pilots and tell them they're going out system.”

  ~ ~ ~

  When the Count Profit jumped into the mining system, the pilot let out a yell and started cycling the jump engines. The two strange fighters that had them bracketed collapsed the jump field, and started towing them toward the second planet. The Captain ordered everyone to arm themselves.

  Martha heard the alert sound, and rushed to the bridge. Taking one look at the fighters she started laughing.

  The Captain demanded to know what was so funny to her.

  She replied to him that they were Homo sapiens fighters. Use your communicator and contact Ted. He'll be happy to hear from you.

  The navigator interrupted the conversation and told the Captain, sir most of the asteroid belt is nothing but dust. My chart indicates another small planet, it's missing. Also none of the construction around the second planet is listed in the computer. I know we're in the right system, it just doesn't look like it.

  “Count Profit, this is Ted, get the Captain.”

  “Ted this is the Captain. What the hell is going on.”

  “Sorry about hijacking your ship, but none of these guys know your ship like we did. Ask Martha what you need as cargo and they'll tow you to the loading point. I'll see you there.”

  Boarding the ship, Ted noticed Ki looked very nervous. “Ki, we come in peace. If any of your men want some rest and relaxation, they can take a shuttle over to the main station.”

  “Ted, don't take any offense, but I'll need to check out your station first.”

  “No offense taken Ki. I need to see the Captain.”

  “I'll have to escort you. We have
several new crew members that aren't familiar with you.”

  “What happened?”

  “Pirates boarded us looking for a quick profit. They didn't get one, but I sorely missed your fighting crew.”

  “No problem Ki, I'll offer the Captain some upgraded weapons, if you have a couple of trustworthy crew members that can learn to operate them.”

  “Are you talking about something like what your fighters use to collapse our jump field.”

  “Not exactly Ki, but I do have one that will suck the atmosphere out of a warship in no time at all. We've only had to use it in one battle back at the planet you found us on. We then moved everyone here. The boss doesn't like war, and our enemies finally found us. None of them lived to tell how we defeated them.”

  “Captain, good to see you again. Lieutenant Ki told me about the problem you had with the pirates. If you please, I can furnish you with some upgraded and new weapons to defend the ship. Either that or I will have a fighter escort you on all your future trading runs. I don't want to loose my business partner.”

  Looking very serious, the Captain said, “Ted from what I've seen so far, it looks like you are working with someone else.”

  “No Captain, we have no other partners. We however bought a planet and are in the process of making it secure for any Homo sapiens that want to move there. Some of my people are not happy living in space.”

  “I see your point. You need a secure base for your people.”

  “It's not just that Captain. The people on that planet were starving. Their ecology was collapsing. We divided the purchase price between the population and paid each family in precious metals. We also offered them free transportation to the planet of their choice within the Federation. After a year, no one wanted to leave. The ecology is rebounding and the pollution level is falling.”