Curse of the Legion

by Marshall S. Thomas

  "She's so informal," Priestess complained. "Cake! This isn't a Legion mess hall. You're too easy on her, Thinker."

  "I'm sorry, ma'am," LiLo said. She looked a little…hurt.

  "Lighten up, Priestess," I said softly. "She's been doing a good job, hasn't she?"

  "I suppose so," Priestess said, taking a sip of dox. "It's just…oh, nothing." I knew the problem. Priestess was jealous of any female within my range. That was the problem. But she sure didn't need to be jealous of LiLo.

  "I'll do better, ma'am," LiLo promised.

  "You're doing fine, LiLo. Watch over the kids, will you?"

  "Yes ma'am." She served the cakes and then joined the kids. They loved her, and she loved them—she'd play with them all day if we let her.

  I stood by the balustrade sipping dox. What a view! We were surrounded by the forest, a tangled, leafy canopy of green and black speckled with brilliant scarlet and golden flowers. Cave Rock Lake glittered in the sun off to the south, a sheet of silvery metal. The Mountains of Lost Dreams rose along the western horizon, jagged lines of violet ridges topped by snowy peaks. The air was clean and cool. The sky was darkening—more rain was on the way.

  "Have some cake, Westo," Millie said. To her, I was Westo, still and forever. I didn't mind, and even Priestess was used to it by now. "You love it here, don't you?" Millie asked me.

  "Is it that obvious? Yes, I sure do."

  "We both love it here," Priestess said, looking up from her dox. "It's a Legion world—it's perfect. And it grows on you. It's peaceful—and quiet."

  "It reminds me a little of Rima," Millie said. "It was quiet there, too…until Westo showed up." She smiled sadly. Rima 2 was Millie's own lost world. It was gone now, snuffed out by history and by the past.

  A burst of laughter from Lester and Andrea. LiLo was playing horsey, on her knees, and the kids were climbing onto her back. I felt good about LiLo. She was just delightful—a sweet little girl with skinny limbs, a lightly freckled face, a little snub nose, green eyes, brownish hair set in two little pigtails, and an impish smile. She was all arms and legs, clad in faded shorts and a sleeveless top. She cleaned the house, took care of the kids, did the cooking, served table, got the dishes and laundry done, worked in the garden, and did everything else that needed doing. She never complained, never got tired, never asked for a day off, and didn't need a salary.

  ###

  "LiLo, come over here, please," I said. Priestess and I were still at the table, working on the remains of the dox and the cakes. Millie had gone downstairs with Andrea. Lester was fooling with a holo starship.

  "Yes sir?" LiLo asked. I never liked the 'yes sir' stuff, but Priestess insisted.

  "Are you happy here, LiLo?" I asked.

  "Oh yes sir!" Her eyes widened in alarm. "I'm very happy."

  "Do you like your duties? Are there any problems?"

  "No sir! No problems!" She seemed very concerned. "Have I done something wrong, sir?"

  "Nothing wrong, LiLo," I replied, smiling. "Madame and I think you're a good worker. We're pleased with your performance. We're thinking of purchasing you—permanently."

  "Oh! Yes sir!" She seemed stunned.

  "It's a big decision for us, LiLo. Renting is affordable and reversible. If it doesn't work out, you go back to the dealer. But purchasing is expensive and permanent."

  "Yes sir!"

  "You know why we're thinking of this? Because we like you. Isn't that right, Priestess?"

  "That's right, LiLo," Priestess assured her. "We do like you. You're so good with the kids. And you're so nice. I know I may seem strict sometimes, but we both like you—a lot. That's the truth."

  "In the old days you wouldn't even be consulted, LiLo. But times are changing. We want your wholehearted agreement, before we do this. If for any reason you don't want permanent employment here, let us know, now, and we won't do it. What do you say?"

  "Sir! I'm very happy here! I'd love to stay—permanently. I love the children. I—I love the family. I—I hope you will accept me."

  "Well that's great." I gave her a big smile. "Welcome to the family."

  ###

  "I hope we're doing the right thing," Priestess said. The sky was darkening. It would rain soon. LiLo had gone downstairs with Lester.

  "We can afford it," I said. "And as for LiLo—she's perfect."

  "But what do we do when the kids grow up? LiLo isn't going to grow up, is she?"

  "She's set to maintain her current age," I said, "but that's not a problem. Once the kids start approaching her age, we bring her back to the factory and they'll reset the growth hormones. Biogens can be any age you want. And they're not set in stone. So she can stay a few years ahead of the kids—like an elder sister."

  "Thinker, I'll admit it's very convenient having LiLo around. And I like it. She's kind of like a daughter—and she's so sweet. I'd like her to stay with us permanently. But I feel very—very—uneasy about this."

  "Yeah?"

  "That's right! Now why don't you just tell me what's the difference between this and slavery?"

  "LiLo is not human," I insisted. "She's a biogen—a genetically grown, artificial robot."

  "No she's not! She's not a robot! You know better than that!"

  "All right, she's an artificial human."

  "And what have they just discovered about those 100 percent genuine, fully mature human brain cells that they cultivate, and with which the latest generation of biogens is equipped?"

  "Self-aware," I sighed. "They've become self-aware."

  "Self-aware, sentient artificial humans, that's what they are. And what does the Legion do with slavers?"

  "We kill them, without mercy."

  "Exactly! That's what ConFree is all about, isn't it? Freedom, and the violent eradication of slavery! So what in Deadman's name are we doing with these biogens, Thinker?"

  "We're living in an age of crisis, Priestess, a fault line between the past and the future. The top minds of ConFree are struggling with this issue, and a whole lot of other critical issues, at this very moment. Better minds than us. Biogens were robots, at first—just tools, to be used. You didn't have to be polite to them, or treat them well. You don't have to be polite to your washing machine. But now it's different. It's hard to say they're not human now. It's true, they're programmed, but—well, I agree with you, this biogen business is very troubling to me as well. And I don't think ConFree has any choice. We've got to change the rules, and quickly. We're getting fat and lazy—and too damned dependant on biogens. ConFree wasn't created by people with servants."

  "And we're about to blow a large portion of our life's savings on LiLo? Something that may be illegal in a few years?"

  "We can't see the future, Priestess. We're going to have to treat her as a human, not as a washing machine. A salary—time off—give her a real life—all of that. If we're good to her, she'll remain faithful to us—no matter what happens."

  "Until they execute us for slavery?"

  "Lighten up, Priestess. Please. We both agreed we're very fond of her, and don't want to lose her. She's a doll, isn't she?"

  "Yes. She's like part of the family now."

  "And you're still insisting on this 'yes sir' business, and I'm calling you 'Madame'. It's stupid! That's not us—I feel like a fool. If she's going to really be part of the family we have to change the way we treat her."

  "Yes—I suppose. I suppose you're right."

  A crack of thunder announced the rain. The dark sky opened up, pelting us with heavy drops. We scrambled to get indoors.

  ###

  "The situation in the galaxy has developed very favorably for ConFree—and for humanity—in the last few years," I declared. We were once more in the arena, only this time the vast hall was darkened, and a stunning vista of the Orion Arm sparkled overhead, revealing our own little slice of the galaxy, in all its glory. The stars and clusters were color-coded to show political affiliation and the more important features were labelled, silvery text
glowing in the vac. I was doing the polsit brief. I knew it by heart. I flashed my green laser pointer over to the Outvac.

  "Here's our home—The Crista Cluster is right here, on the edge of the Outvac, among these young stars, and over there is Andrion and Dindabai, on the other side of this mostly empty bubble of vac, blown into the fabric of spacetime by some ancient catastrophe. We're 1,400 light years from Sol, the heart of the Inners. Our own situation is all good. We no longer face the System, the monolithic slave state that occupied the Inners; the Gulf and the Gassies and threatened to occupy us as well. The United System Alliance still exists, but it's greatly reduced in extent and it's now facing so many internal problems that it is no longer a credible threat to ConFree." I darted the laser over to the Gassies.

  "All right, let's start here, along the Gassies frontier. Within this massive region of dark molecular clouds, we find Coldmark and Pherdos and a little further towards the Inners we've got Katag. These are the primary worlds of the Pherdan Federation. Coldmark and Pherdos were USICOM worlds, Katag was full System. All three broke away from the System to form the Pherdan Federation when the opportunity arose. As it happens, I've visited all three of these worlds. They're all still slave states—very depressing places. The Pherdans tangled with the Legion not too long ago and lost. I don't think they're anxious for a rematch."

  I paused, involuntarily. Pherdos. It was like a curse. How do I explain Pherdos? Do I even try? "We lost a lot of good troopers there," I added. My voice was a little husky. Get a grip, Thinker!

  "A little further into the Gassies out here are two former System worlds, Uldo and Mongera, both soaked in Legion blood," I continued. "Mongera is currently occupied by the O's. Uldo is where the Legion intervened successfully to stop the O's advance. It is currently under martial law, although we plan to withdraw when the time is right. Mongera is a worry—the closest world held by the O's." A good summary, right? What else could I say? The ghosts of my dead comrades were swirling around me, floating past the lectern. I lost some of my closest friends on Mongera, and Uldo.

  "It sounds like history, doesn't it?" I asked. "Well it's not just history. Many of your instructors served in Mongera and Uldo. We'll never forget it. You'll be fighting in places like that. And some of you may die there. Pay close attention to everything we're teaching you. We want you to survive."

  I took a deep breath. "Moving further along the Gassies frontier we pass Galgos, an unaligned world that has maintained its independence from the Systies and formed a close economic relationship with ConFree. This sector also has Alshana, which was once used as a refuge by privateers. The Legion cleansed it, and it is no longer a threat to its neighbors." Final problem, I thought. Alshana had been our final problem, where Squad Beta graduated ACT right after Planet Hell. And as for Galgos—I had gone to school there, I had met Tara there. Hot memories arose, but I focused on the artificial stars above me.

  "We now leave the Gassies and enter the Gulf," I said. "The System has been driven entirely from the Gulf as its subject peoples threw off their chains or, in many cases, switched chains as new oppressors took over." The recruits were all quiet. They weren't expected or encouraged to ask questions at this point. They were supposed to listen, and learn. Questions would come later. I spotted the lanky trooper with the buzz haircut, and the sultry redheaded girl beside him. They were both paying attention. Good! I didn't even know their names but that was not important at this stage.

  "Now we approach the Gulf Union, just past the frontier and the closest threat in spacetime to ConFree. To one side of the Cali Nebula we find a host of worlds that include Yida and Nimbos. They were once loyal slave states to the System. They're still slave states, but no longer loyal. They retain a quite respectable star fleet, confiscated from the System, and considerable military potential, and have no desire to improve relations with ConFree. However they're certainly no military match for us." Nimbos—nightmares arose when I even thought about it. Nimbos had been my exile, where I had been psyched and trapped and powerless—a slave of the System. And Yida had been where we had found Dragon, in his own hopeless exile. I had been to too many worlds, I thought, and each was a heartache.

  "A little further into this molecular cloud, still in the Gulf, we find Tanami and Sirrah," I continued. "Tanami is a nonaligned religious world that just wants to be left alone. That hasn't happened so far. Sirrah was a USICOM world that declared independence from the System. Even further toward the Inners we find Santos and Asumara. Both were System worlds, both are now in the hands of local tyrants. Asumara has fallen to a religious cult that features cannibalism, human sacrifice, religious fascism and slavery. The way things are going, I'd advise you all to read up on Asumara.

  "Speaking of local tyrants, our last stop in the Gulf is the Pegal Stelcom. The People's Egalitarian Stellar Commune is a vicious totalitarian slave state run by insane political psychopaths. The primary worlds are Angaroth and Kotazh."

  I paused, looking the kids over. "That's it, for the closest threats. The galaxy is in a state of flux. The United System Alliance still exists, but it is a collapsing empire. Empires always collapse. It's an iron law of history. Looking at the Inners, we find Sol, Centauri, Alphard, Luyten, Sirius, Cyrillia, Aldebaran, Vega, Dardos, Capella, Orm and Spartos still in Systie hands—and a whole lot of others. The control is, in some cases, rather shaky. There's a very nasty civil war underway on Cyrillia. A little further in the direction of the Gassies, you can see Ardoth, Calgoran and Monaro are also still under System rule. Monaro is the closest major System world to us—it's in the Gassies.

  "The System still rules over incalculable resources and billions of people—but the heart has been torn out of the empire. When the Hyades Federation broke away, the System lost Elidos, the Hyades Cluster, and the Pleiades. DemFed—the Democratic People's Federation of Loyalist Worlds—didn't stay loyal very long. They were initially allied with the System but we didn't appreciate their efforts at biological warfare against us and we hit them hard. The Pleiades then broke away and is now the Pleiades Association. They want friendly relations with us. The Hyades Federation now includes the Hyades Cluster and Elidos, but the Biogen Liberation Front has a serious insurgency underway on one Hyades world and it seems to be spreading to the others. You see—they can't even depend on their own biogens any more!

  "Lastly, we have the Dark Cloud Alliance, consisting of Berichros, Picos and other ex-Systie worlds in that sector. There's some signs of actual reforms there—nobody liked the System. As for the Omnis, our most powerful potential adversary, they've halted their advance, and we're not sure what their next move will be. They still hold Mongera, in the Gassies—that's the closest Omni world to us.

  "That's the sitrep for now. The current situation in the galaxy is a very rare opportunity for us. It's up to ConFree to exploit this situation correctly to benefit our people. But you can bet you'll be part of the solution."

  I paused, looking the kids over. They were watching me intently, determined to get it all, to succeed in this dangerous new phase of their lives, to persevere over all obstacles and emerge as soldiers of the Legion and, ultimately, as ConFree citizens.

  "ConFree's command structure is working on new policies that will meet the unique, unprecedented challenges that we now face," I said. "The Supreme Commander will not tolerate failure. Neither will any of your instructors." I let that sink in for a few fracs.

  "Would you like to see the Supreme Commander?" I asked. There was only silence from the recruits, but I touched a control tab and a huge holo popped to life above my head, covering the entire wall. It showed an Outworlder female, quite attractive, chestnut hair, hazel eyes, smiling for the holo, surrounded by three little kids, two girls and a boy, all grinning wildly.

  "That's the Supreme Commander," I said. "We all report to her. It's funny, but she doesn't care a damn about politics. She also knows nothing about history. As a matter of fact, she's just a housewife. You know what she does? She makes dinner
for her children, and kisses them good night. That's what she does. If you look at any chain of command, for the Legion, or ConFree, you'll find her right at the top—in the little box marked 'Citizens of ConFree' — along with every other ConFree national.. She's the Supreme Commander. She is why we fight. And, you know, it's not just her. There are a lot of Supreme Commanders—billions of them, actually." I hit another tab and the holo changed, then changed again, and again. More families, more women and kids, Outworlders, Assidics, Cyrillians—the holos blurred as they flashed on the screen in rapid succession.

  "That's what it's all about," I said. "Women and kids. You work for them, and you're at the very bottom of the chain of command. Don't ever forget it! All right, take ten and be back on time. See the manual—there'll be a graded review this evening."

  Chapter 3

  Eyes to See, and Ears to Hear

  And I thought it was over. Deadman—what a fool. I thought I could go home, live with my family, have a peaceful life. Fool! It will never be over for me. I'm branded for life. What was it Tara said? They cut the cross of the Legion right into my heart. Damned right, Tara. It won't end until we're all dead.

  I'm nobody special. I'm just a soldier of the Legion. Only I did my time in Hell. I thought I had earned my way out. All that combat and still alive—what are the stats on that? I've got an artificial arm and a body covered with scars. I sometimes suspect that my heart is artificial as well. I guess I'm getting old.

  Yes, I'm getting old. You'd never know it to look at me, of course. I'm an immortal—all Legion soldiers are immortals. At a glance, I look like some kid in midschool. But you can tell the difference by the eyes.

  Funny. I remember when I was a new body. The vets used to scare me. All those icy vets. They all had the same, bottomless eyes—you could fall right in, but you didn't want to. Some of them had been shot up so many times, and so much of their body was artificial, there was a question about just how human they were. Yes, they scared me. I had avoided them. But now I guess I'm one of them. The kids look away when I approach.