Jack had intentionally limited the freedoms the ex-slaves had to the simple basics. Treating them more like Merchant Marine crewmen assigning them cabins to start with and letting them chose between several jobs they seemed qualified for with the option of changing that in time. Letting them pick simple representatives amongst the groups to represent them for the simple decisions to start with. Arranging for several types of groups to represent each ex-slave in the many different aspects of their lives as a thousand years of studies shows works best to teach them over time how democracies worked and how to pick politicians. Diluting the ex-slaves anguish at the possibility of their only representative not being their choice. With at least 3 different representatives to vote into each office such as comities for cabins, food, jobs, production, services, entertainment, sports and several simple local government ward Chiefs, Commissioners, and such.
Staying away from a single elected person in each office with control over the exslaves usually provided the best training for a budding democracy while those same choices were slowly turned over to the free market. With each office controlling some aspect of the exslaves life having at least 3 persons elected by the different groups they were a part of insures that there is a good possibility that every ex-slave had at least one of the three being one they voted for giving them the feeling that they had won while diluting most of the radicals in budding democracies the ability to cause harm as all three had to agree to act.
In time the slave’s realization that any single election did not matter enough to kill over and giving them the taste that too much government was not good with the dozens of comities intruding into every aspect of their lives at first that gave them the comfortable feeling of the dictatorship that in time would grow to be cumbersome and hated and eventually abolished by the majority. Learning how it was possible for only a few elected politicians in the many committees to influence and force the majority to do stupid things such as wearing only a single color of socks or banning some foods only a few did not care for. Even learning how politicians and radicals could lie to get elected by promising the moon and the sun and deliver only darkness or produce the same meal or movie for weeks until everyone was sick of it but the committee. But that was in the future. Right now the Ex-slaves were just starting to realize that they were not going to die at some god’s whim and that they actually had some control over their lives.
It was entertaining to Jack as he listened to Pan and the others start to get emotional about the election for dozens of comities for little things like cabin assignments and food menus. He was just glad none of them had to vote for something more serious like an overall congressmen or Judge or even a supreme President that would easily and usually did at this stage become a dictator for life.
Covering his face with his hands as he rubbed his temples to keep from laughing at the grade school antics of a budding democracy, Chump suddenly mind talked with his voice seeming to boom into Jacks head causing everyone else to shut up. ‘It does not matter you fools. We are still slaves only by another name.’
Jack’s mind went blank as he forced himself not to think or react as he continued to rub his temple and then his eyes.
Pan turned to Chump as his mind flared. ‘How can you say that? Not one of us has yet to be killed by these humans. They let us live and work as we please making few demands upon any of us and these very comities we are arguing about prove that we are no slaves.’
‘And they pay us wages right?’ Chump smiled. ‘What do we do with these wages? Is there anything here we need or can buy with them that we cannot already make ourselves in our factories. Fact is the factories when not dedicated to the needs of the humans and rebuilding this ship now produce products that no one wants but a few that are friends with the factory comities while ignoring many needs.’
‘Well that is better than before when they produced nothing but what the Gods demanded and most of that we could not use as well. Give us time and we will change the committee members or think of other ways of doing things.’
‘That is the problem. All those committees are worse than the Gods. At least the Gods left us alone when they were not killing us’
‘Give us time Chump. There is much to learn and already people are producing things the factories can’t or the manufacturing committees do not approve of. Besides in another week we hold another election and maybe the committee’s will change again. There are many candidates that want change. Want more freedom from the Committees but I have not heard anyone propose something better. Do you have any idea’s what we can do different?’
‘No but that is not the point. We are still slaves on this ship. I was not asked to come to this ship leaving my family behind on what humans call the Hulk Station. I was not given a choice as to the job I was given here. I am still just as much a slave as before.’
Suddenly the other Dumonts started agreeing with Chump. Most had left their families behind when told to get on the shuttle to go around the bubble to this Battleship and were not happy about it.
Pan tried to get a word in edgewise as Jack looked up at the group staring straight ahead looking catatonic. ‘My apologies Cousins but I should not have ordered you hear when the Captain expressed the need. I should have asked you each first. I am still getting used to this freedom thing.’
‘Your apologies are a human thing and only show that you are a puppet of the human God dictator carrying out his wishes and we are still slaves.’
‘I am not a slave. The human Captain is in charge of this ship and all the other humans as they are in their military and while they must follow orders they are free to do as they please when off duty and were not required to join their military. We are not in their military and can refuse to work for them if we please but while we work for them we must obey the orders of the officers appointed above us that we work for.’
‘Then we can go back to the other ship? To our families?’ Chump asked without speaking.
‘Yes you can. Do you want to go back?’
The Dumonts seemed to be staring at each other as Jack sat back trying to look like he was working but spending more time listening in his head than pretending to work as he stared at the desk top.
There was a strange buzz in Jacks head for a second. Then. ‘Will I be executed for disobeying a God order and going back to the ship and my family?’
Pan took a deep breath as she shook her head. ‘No. The Captain has spent many hours with me trying to make me understand. You and your family will be taken care of until you decide what you want to do. Work for the humans or be amongst those that are eventually sent to a planet that we can call our own as colonists or eventually to return to the Gods. That is your decision to make as you see fit. As I have said before I must apologize for bringing you here without thinking of your wants and needs. I am still having a hard time putting this freedom thing to reality.’
Several of them started mind talking at the same time expressing their desire to return to their families. What surprised Jack was that he was able to understand them all even when they all talked at the same time.
Pan finely quieted them down and said. ‘As you wish. I shall arrange transportation.’
Pan turned to Jack and said out loud. “Captain Jack. If I could talk with you for a minute please.”
Jack looked up and smiled. ‘I will be done with this in a few more minutes but what do you wish to talk about now?’
“Several of my cousins wish to return to the Hulk station and their families Captain.”
Jack was still trying to decide how to handle the situation without talking to himself. Fearing that they would be able to hear him as he stabbed around to delay for a few more seconds as his mind raced. “Ok Pan. Do they have jobs at the hulk station?”
Several of the Dumonts turned to look at each other as Jack felt a wave of fear wash across him at the prospect of being killed because they had no official jobs.
“No Captain, they only wish to be with their fa
milies.”
Jack could not believe how a simple question trying to buy himself time to think had such a huge repercussion. “Very well Pan the next shuttle headed for the Hulkstation is in…” Jack checked the corner of his desk. “Is 23 hours away. They just missed this one. My apologies.” Jack looked back down at his desk and started reading the report again and then stopped looking back up. “Aaa Pan, why were they not told they could bring their families along when they agreed to come help us?”
“Aaa Captain, I did not ask them, but ordered them brought and did not think of their families.”
Jack shook his head sadly. “I am ashamed of you Pan. We had a little talk about what you can do and what you must not do. Your people are not slaves any longer. Now fix it. Offer them the jobs properly and tell them that the ones that wish to take you up on your offer can have their loved ones on the next shuttle headed this why.” Jack checked the corner of his desk again. “Leaving in about 8 hours. Then thank the ones that leave for coming and apologize for their inconvenience and time away from their families. Then figure out some way to compensate them for dragging them here against their will. Then you can ask for volunteers for each job still left open from the Hulk Station.”
A flurry of mind talk was exchanged with most of them finally agreeing to stay with a few job assignment changes making them very happy with several wishing to leave the meeting to arrange new quarters while one could not wait to get started with his new job.
Then Chump burst the bubble as he said in his mind. ‘We are still slaves. You had to ask the new God permission and get instructions.’
‘That is ridicules Chump. What do I have to do to convince you that we are no longer slaves?’
Chump thought about it for a few seconds and then said. “I want to return to my family now not tomorrow. If we are truly free you can arrange for me to go now.’
Jack almost lost his composure as he heard that and Pan started arguing with Chump. Telling him that he was being unreasonable. Taking a deep breath Jack could not believe it when he reached over and started typing on the side of the desk making arrangements to do just that. He knew the reasoning behind the ridiculous request and understood it. It was an illogical stupid request born from desperation and emotions. Emotions that Chump could use to talk the other Dumonts into joining his little band and possibly wondering off on their own troublesome faction, becoming a detriment to the ship.
Jack quickly found out that there was no shuttles available to take the stubborn Dumont home to his family before the shuttle that would be arriving the next day on its regularly scheduled run between ships arrived here and then turned around to return to the Hulk Station. All the other shuttles had already left an hour before transporting much needed food that had been confiscated from Tweed’s ships to the Hulk Station that was in just as bad of shape as the Battleship was food wise. They were already beyond the no return range of the shuttles. By the time the closest one could get turned around and back, the regular shuttle would be docking with the Battleship.
No. Jack needed another way to get to the hulk station. Fact was, he needed a faster way to get between the hulk station and the Battle ship. The 10 hour flights the shuttles took was all too long. But then he did not have a spare Destroyer to put shuttling back and forth between the ship and station. They were either locked down pushing the ship or up between the armored decks with half their guts torn out being rebuilt. But even then the current Destroyer would use up to damn much reaction mass bouncing back and forth between them for simply a few passengers and the average load of cargo. The thousands of tons of food being sent to the Hulk Station was not a normal load and would not be repeated again. Fact was the reaction mass the shuttles were going through was nothing to sneeze at either.
No. What he needed was a cargo carrying Torpedo Bomber that could use the cloud for reaction mass with the speed to do not just one round a day but several rounds a day. Though just equipping the transports with scoops would help the Reaction mass problem.
Jack started tapping the desk again bringing up the schematics of the Spidership’s Torpedo Bombers. The one he had piloted for the attack on the runaway Spider currier ship was fresh in his mind with the Ensign and him exploring most or what turned out to be a roomy cockpit before the Destroyer had picked them up. Not that he had looked that close at the fittings themselves.
It only took Jack a few minutes to find out that the top gun turret at the back of the cockpit was modular and easy to change and even leave off. Greatly increasing the cockpits open cabin area. Several other weapons systems and combat equipment could be taken out as well making plenty of room for a good dozen people to ride in fare comfort. Though he was disappointed that the weapons console would not come out without some major work, he decided that it was probably a good idea to leave the weapons/sensor/countermeasures console in place to run not only the tail gun but leave the pilot able to use the wing cannons that were even harder to take out than the Control console according to the maintenance work sheets. He would have to check with Pan later to see if they had plans for a transport version of the Torpedo Bomber they could build with a much bigger hull and minus the weapons.
Looking up at the stone faced Dumonts still arguing with their faces turning red Jack smiled trying to think of a way to interrupt them with the good news without tipping his hand and his ability. Finally shaking his head Jack slapped the desk hard creating a loud crack jerking both Dumonts into silence in his mind as they all looked in surprise at him.
“Ok Guys enough is enough. You two look like you are about to blow a blood vessel in both your necks. What is the argument about?”
Pan looked at Jack in surprise as she touched her neck then looked at the still red Chump as Chump stared back at her.
Turning back to Jack, Pan took a deep breath and said. “We need to send Chump back to the Hulk Station now not tomorrow. We can do nothing less for bringing him hear against his will.” Pan looked at Jack stern faced.
Jack did his best to look and feel surprised. “I told you Pan that the next shuttle does not leave before tomorrow. You know all the other shuttles have left taking supplies to the Hulk Station already.”
“Yes Sir but we need to send him now not tomorrow.”
Jack sat back all ready knowing he would approve it. He just knew it was not a good idea to give in too soon. Then as he thought, wasting time, he remembered the shuffle in jobs that had happened a few minutes before and that Chump had not been included in the swaps. He also remembered that while talking about his family and his new job, Jack had felt Chumps disappointment with being assigned supervising the Farm Decks even though that was what he had been doing for 20 years on the Battleship he had been on. He could not fault Pan. Looking at the Dumont Jack frowned. “Chump, what job would you like to have if you could pick any job on this ship?”
That took him back. Jack was suddenly flooded with multiple emotions emanating from Chump. From bafflement to one big question Mark with pin pricks of expectation. Chump stared at Jack for a good minute as Jack stared back without blinking. Finally he said. I majored in the Flight deck since I was 5. I had to take the farm decks when that was the only opening in the fleet.”
Jack turned to the woman Dumont that had been assigned to the flight deck. “Are you happy with your assignment?”
She looked back at Chump and then at Jack. I too took the flight deck as the only opening instead of dying. I like the job but I also liked my time on the farm decks and growing things when I was young and I took many classes on our farm decks for enjoyment but that is not my expertise.” Looking back at Chump. “If the flight decks will make him happy and I do not have to worry about being executed, I would like to try the farm deck but it has been many years since my training.”
Jack smiled. “Very well. Chump, take a look at the plans I am sending you of a Torpedo Bomber. I have marked what I want stripped out of it to use it as a fast transport between this ship and the Hulk Station. The soon
er you get it stripped the sooner you can go home to your family and even bring them back here to your new job if you still want the Flight Deck. You will also be responsible for training Overseer Tymes in the idiosyncrasies of the Farm deck and I suggest you use her knowledge to learn the finer points of the Flight Deck and even help you strip the Bomber.” Looking around the group of shocked emotions radiating back at him Jack smiled. “With all the changes further conversations with any of you at this time about your sections is a waste. We will now adjourn this meeting and after you have all had enough time to settle in to your new assignments, I will talk again with the ones that decide to remain. Thank you very much for coming and all you have accomplished while you were here. Again my apology to all of you for bringing you here against your wills and wish you a pleasant trip back to the station. I look forward to talking again to you all. Even the ones that decide to leave.” Jack went back to work not hurrying any of them to leave though most did as he seemed to ignore them.
Only Pan remained as most rushed out to their new jobs or make other arrangements. Looking up as they were left alone with Pan staring at him. “I backed you because I realized that it was a power struggle between the old slave mentality and the new freedom that is not quite freedom yet. Part of your job is to anticipate these problems before they become problems. Though I realize that you lack some of the skills needed for handling free thinking unpredictable workers as of yet but I know you have the skill with your empathy to make up for the years of inexperience. Just remember you no longer have the omnipresence of death looming over everyone to back you anymore. You have to use your smarts and feelings to anticipate problems to keep and motivate the crew.”
Pan bowed slightly. “As you wish Captain.”
“And that is another thing. In private you can call me Jack… Oh and I need you to start looking for overseers that are not Dumonts amongst the crew. Not that you and the other Dumonts have not done a fantastic job but there are not that many of you and the workers need to feel that they can accomplish anything and seeing other races as overseers or in positions of leadershipwill go a long way to doing that. Also I would like you to think of letting me commission you into the Navy as an officer so I can keep you around no matter where I am assigned. But I can understand if you would rather remain as a contractor on the Station. Though it is possible that the powers that be will eventually militarize the station, replacing the civilian staff. It is very possible that the powers that be will want us to repair this ship for front line service since it is the only battleship we have that can stand up head to head to even one God Battleship. That is if we can repair its guns and find engines for it. I don’t see that happening for quite a while if ever. I would hope the Hulk Station will stay as a production facility as well as a forward base.”
Battleship Destroyer 2 (Battleship Destoryer) Page 29
