by Tony Corden
There was silence for maybe thirty-seconds when Leah felt a response on her fingertip. “My name is Lucien Wallace. I manage the mine on behalf of the Duchy. How can we be sure you really are the new Duchess?”
Leah could make out that the man talking was one of those standing back inside the mine. “I have the letter of appointment from her Majesty.”
“L: Come down and show me.”
“Mr Wallace, regardless of my bonafides, I am certain that your use of such a tone is not warranted. I strongly suggest you modify the substance of your future remarks, else I be tempted to teach you the error of your ways upon the field of honour. Now, I am loathe to continue straining my voice in constant repetition of my wishes. Have your officers lower their weapons that I might descend and discuss the issues that you have raised with the Duchy concerning prisoners.”
“L: As you say. Men, lower your weapons.”
There was silence, and then Leah felt the man take a single step out of the mine entrance. He said, “Your Grace, now then, let us discuss this with more cordiality.”
None of the weapons had been lowered, so Leah called out, “Your men seem to have little regard for your word, Mr Wallace for none have obeyed your directions. I trust this lack of discipline is not a sample of what I can expect within the mine itself. If it is then I do fear that regardless of the goodwill I hold toward all my employees, that there will be a change in leadership.”
The man stepped back and said, “L: It seems then that we are at an impasse. Your only recourse is to return to the manor and give appropriate warning of your intention to visit. I assure you that with even a few hours warning, I will have the time to review your bonafides and ensure the mine is prepared for your scrutiny. To succumb to a show of force without such due diligence would reflect poorly on me as the mine manager and that of our security forces.”
Leah asked Three to lower her voice then said, “Sparrow, Captain, if you are ready then I suggest it is time to take possession of the mine. I will deal with the soldiers in the far building if you would be so good as to apply your attention to those within the mine itself. Kyle, I believe there are those inside the mine who are in the same situation that you were once in. As you can, I want you to make sure they cannot be redirected elsewhere.”
“C☇: If you wait for thirty-seconds, the Wasp can give covering fire.”
“An excellent suggestion, Captain.”
Leah could sense the Wasp returning, Three said, “3: The sound of the Wasp has drowned out a reply from Mister Wallace.”
Leah nodded, then as the Wasp approached the stockade, she palmed two pistols, stood and fired eight shots from each toward the far side of the stockade. Still standing, she fired twice into the entrance just as the Wasp opened fire. Captain Carter must have had some way to communicate with the Wasp as those seated on the nearest side fired into the building beneath her even as the guns in the tail fired into the mine entrance. As Sparrow, Kyle and the Captain ran along the roof toward the mine entrance Leah changed magazines in both weapons before dropping into the stockade from the roof after the Wasp had passed by.
By the time Sparrow and those with her had reached the end of their building, the Wasp had stopped firing and had settled down into the centre of the stockade. As the marines unloaded, they moved ahead of Leah, who was walking calmly toward the entrance. The images on her body showed that all those in the buildings were dead or would be soon, and all those in the entrance except Lucien Wallace were also dead. Lucien was only alive because Leah’s two bullets had shot out his knees, bringing him to the ground even as the Wasp’s bullets killed those behind him.
By the time Leah arrived in the mine entrance, Kyle had disappeared, and Captain Carter was organising his marines. Leah looked down at Lucien and said, “So, Mr Wallace, after further consideration, I wonder what is it that you so desired to keep from my attention. I am convinced it is not the additional prisoners you have purchased from the late Lord Emmerson. If that was so, I suggest you would not have been so forward in informing Mr Wildes of your distress at their non-arrival. Perhaps, while a surgeon is sent for, you might find comfort from your wounds in making a confession? I hear it is considered good for the soul.”
While the words came without inflection to her fingertip, Leah could sense the pain on his face as he replied. “W: I will not. I fear you will discover the situation soon enough and no confession would lessen the severity of my fate, nor will it lighten the consequences upon you or upon Aeropile.”
Before Leah could respond, Captain Carter interrupted, “C☇: Your Grace, half those killed here are Scardosian.”
Leah focussed on the imprint of the dead around her then said, “Captain, please help me focus my attention on the pertinent details that have led to this conclusion. I’m sure it is evident, but my mind is struggling to identify the appropriate clues.”
“C☇: If you concentrate on their faces, you will see that some have tattoos. All those from Scardosia have such markings. These tattoos mark their social status and accomplishments.”
Now that it had been pointed out, Leah’s mind seemed to highlight the tattoos even though nothing had changed in the sensations she was receiving. “Thank you, Captain, now that I am made aware it seems my subconscious mind has filtered through the sensations and highlighted those you speak of. So, Mr Wallace, it seems you have been involved in treason. As you have pointed out, there is only one penalty for such a crime. It may not be avoided, else the charge be transferred to those who seek to mitigate the severity of such a crime. Out of interest, was your betrayal based on some affiliation with their philosophy and government or was it for more mercenary reasons?”
“W: I’ve no more love for the commissars than for our nobility. With what they’ve paid me my family won’t starve, and my children will have an opportunity to do more than just work in a mine.”
“It is indeed a strange turn of affairs then that I might be the agent of your downfall. Like you, I believe each individual ought to have opportunity to achieve their potential, regardless of the station of their birth. I even understand that at times there is a need to change a system that such equity might be afforded to all in society. Still, if I might be bold, I have found Aeropile to reward those who work hard. They may not achieve the wealth or receive the acclaim that others do because of their birth or title, and yet it is possible to change your situation should you so wish.
“Equity, and its companion, equality, are often misunderstood when applied to society or to its individuals, or so it seems to me. Many, I would suggest, desire that they are to be achieved at the expense of or because of the actions of others. I see them better utilised as they express the attitude and opportunity given to those who seek after such things. They are to be worked for, not merely parcelled out as a gift. They are to be the foundation of our interactions and not simply a consequence of them.”
“W: I care not what you think. Regardless of what happens to me, I think you’re too late to change what’s happening.”
“Perhaps. Even so, I shall continue toward that end. Now, as I have the power of high justice within my Duchy for crimes done within it and having heard your confession of treason against both the Duchy and Aeropile, I do find you, Mr Lucien Wallace, guilty of said treason. With all my heart, I desire that no more of my people are involved in your treason for there is only one penalty for such a crime—death.”
Without giving any time for a reaction of any sort, Leah shot him through the heart. She hung her head momentarily, then said, “Let’s move deeper into the mine. I want to discover if there are other Scardosians, and I need to review the prisoners.”
Sparrow and Captain Carter led the way with the marines formed up to either side of Leah. Two hundred paces along the tunnel it opened up into a large artificially formed cavern. The tracks led through the centre of the cavern, but on either side, there were layers of cells carved into the rock. Each was filled with prisoners. Kyle was standing in fron
t of a dozen rows of guards standing in formation and at attention. As Leah approached, he said, “K: Your Grace, when the Wasp was sighted, the word was given to prepare the mine in case of attack. The prisoners were brought from the mine face and tunnels. All have been accounted for. When I appeared with word of your arrival, several dozen guards and a score of others fled deeper into the tunnels. Those guards who remain appear loyal to the Duchy and have made a declaration of such to me.”
Even though Leah couldn’t see them, as such, she let her gaze move over the rows of guards before asking, “Which of those who remain is most senior?”
54
December 29, 2073
PNEUMATICA - AEROPILE
A guard in the front row stepped forward and said, “I am, your Grace. My name is Aaron Darke, and I am one of the shift leaders.”
“Mr Darke, I am encouraged that you and these other guards have shown loyalty to the mines and to Mount Noir. Mr Wallace and those with him have been found guilty of treason and executed. That you remain, added to your seniority, places you temporarily in the position of mine manager. Over the next few days, that position may change as I take stock of that which her Majesty has placed into my care.
“However, before I can make such a determination, I do find myself somewhat constrained by two competing quests. I desire to deal with those who have fled deeper into the mine, and I need to determine the state of the prisoners under my care. For the first, I would ask if you have any idea in what direction the scoundrels did flee?”
“A: I suspect, my Lady, that they have fled along the newest of our tunnels. It runs straight, and I suspect it has an opening on the other side of the mountain. None of those who remain has had permission to enter that tunnel despite the prisoners working on it for several years.”
Turning, so she faced Captain Carter, she said, “Captain, perhaps you and your marines might have two of the guards show you the new tunnel. Please find out where it goes and then recover those who have fled if you have the opportunity. While I would like at least one alive that they might be questioned, it is not essential.”
“C☇: If it pleases your Grace, I will so direct my team. I believe I will remain here, for despite the assurances of these guards I feel leaving you with only two bodyguards would show some negligence on my part.”
Leah gave a slight nod of her head, then said, “As you will, Captain Carter.”
As Captain Carter issued orders to his team, Leah turned back to Aaron and said, “Mr Darke, how many prisoners are in the mine?”
“A: There are four-thousand-two-hundred-and-seventeen, your Grace. Some three-thousand-five-hundred work as miners, and of the rest, perhaps one-half work the rail system to bring the coal and iron where it can be processed. The rest are mainly children and work at breaking the coal into smaller pieces before leaving the mine.”
“Children, Mr Darke? What do you mean by children?”
“A: Most are waifs and orphans who infect the streets of Aeropile, stealing from its citizens. The first time they are caught, they receive five hits of the cane, the second earns them a sentence to be placed in a workhouse within the capital for a year. A third offence is seen as confirmation of their base nature, and they are sent to one of the mines.”
“How many children have you at the moment?”
Aaron looked to one of the other guards who said, “We have one-hundred-and thirty-six children at the moment, your Grace.”
Leah went very still for a moment as she let her attention focus on the images of those she could feel in the cages. None of the prisoners appeared to have been starved, although all of them wore clothes that were tattered and most appeared dirty. Once she’d satisfied herself that the children weren’t overtly abused, she sighed. She realised that while she didn’t like the idea of children being forced to work in a mine, the punishments were somewhat measured. Without more research on what happened on the streets, or in the workhouse, she needed to be careful not to overreact.
“What to do with the children is a decision for tomorrow. Mr Darke, of the prisoners, how many are from the aether worlds?”
“A: Over half of the adults and perhaps one-quarter of the children.”
Leah actually stepped back in shock at the reference to children. Before she could say anything, she had a message from Gèng. “4: Leah, don’t react just yet. Edison gave me some access to the scenario when I mentioned you’d found what we thought was another example of slavery. The records show two thousand five hundred players in the scenario, not counting those on your team. They entered the mine scenario in twenty-five lots of one hundred, spread over the last five years. All are tagged as adults, the youngest is still sixteen and the oldest seventy-eight. They entered Pneumatica through Jixie. It’s on one of the other continents and is the main entrance for players from China. Regular airships go between the continents. Tens of thousands of players have been making the journey here since the portal to Grah opened.”
Communicating only with her AIs, Leah said, “See if Tesfaye can access any of the records?”
While she waited, Leah said, “Mr Darke, have the players from the aether worlds form up in front of me.”
It took about twenty minutes, but even after seeing only a few of the players, Leah stepped back out of sight. She had the other players on her team join her where none of the people lining up could see them. Leah was almost certain she knew what was happening and realised that opening this can of worms was most likely going to be harder to manage than any of the other times people had been released from the slavery malware.
Even as she stepped back, she sent a message. “Three, add an extra layer of security to this feed and suggest to Sparrow and the others that they do the same. Gèng, contact Yuè Fēi and Chéng Shí. Tell them I have a high priority request to meet with you in the Tower to observe something highly confidential in real-time. I need their advice. If you can’t get Yuè Fēi, then send the message via Yìng Yuè. If Edison hasn’t realised what is happening, then tell him that all the aether-worlders so far are from ethnic groups currently being ‘re-educated’ in certain provinces within China. I’d suggest he step back and see what happens before doing anything; otherwise, his PR on this could be a nightmare.
“I imagine that the identity records he has on these people are almost certainly false. If he wants to do something, see how it was possible to get children through the registration phase without anyone seeing they weren’t yet sixteen. Six, using facial recognition see if you can double-check both ethnicity and family relationships. I suspect whole families have been sent to places like this. Gèng, see if Edison has any idea what the plausible profit from free labour like this would have made the mine. It’ll give some idea on what was paid for these people. See if he can find out who Cassius or the Mine Manager was paying.”
Leah kept up a constant flow of ideas for the first ten minutes, then Three interrupted. “3: Chéng Shí has replied and will be here in the next minute. Yìng Yuè has passed a message to Yuè Fēi and asked if she can assist.”
“Tell her the issue will be highly sensitive and possibly damaging to the People’s Republic of China. If she will agree to keep it confidential, then she is welcome. Gèng, please meet Chéng Shí and fill her in. Do the same with the others if they arrive. I need a plan. If this is state-sponsored, then how do we ensure they aren’t simply sold somewhere else? If either of them knows and trusts someone high enough up who can do something that will help these people, then I’ll need access soon. For all I know, being a miner in a cave is better than any other options they have. If you need to, then see if you can give Akia a nudge. I think the fallout from her being discovered could be less than doing this the wrong way.”
The last few prisoners had just finished lining up before Leah heard anything. She took a deep breath and was about to give Aaron an order to have them counted when Gèng sent a message. “4: Leah, Chéng Shí is ready to share your feed to a limited and diverse group of China’s top
reporters. She’s using a protocol that’s only been used a few times, but it will give her, and the story, both leverage and insurance. Added to the group receiving the feed will be a family friend of Yìng Yuè. The friend is high up in the Chinese Communist Party, but she trusts him. Chéng Shí agrees he is known to be a person of his word.
“Yìng Yuè gave him a summary of what we found, and he said that while they do use virtual worlds to help re-educate dissidents, something like this would not only never be officially sanctioned, but it wouldn’t be permitted under any circumstances. I woke Akia, and she gave me a list of several AI. They specialise in working either in China or in the area of child exploitation. Chéng Shí approached them, and they have agreed to work with Yìng Yuè’s friend. The consensus is that this is the work of a provincial governor.”
“Good, what do they need me to do?”
“4: Speak in Mandarin, so there is absolutely no confusion in the feed. As you’ve done before, you need to tell them they are free, and they can expect to be helped. The help won’t happen immediately, so they need to stay in formation until you release them individually. From information Edison has provided, Akia’s AI contacts think they can identify each person. Still, each person’s close-up will help make sure there are no mistakes. Can any of the other players with you help?”
“I think they would, but I’d rather keep them out of this.”
“4: Let them decide.”
“I trust Sparrow and Kyle, but don’t know enough about this Captain Carter.”
