FREEDOM Legends

by Stephen Arseneault

  The clasp clicked into place as a whack from a baton came down upon her left shoulder. Martin sat with an angry scowl, watching his mate punished. Greta lowered her head in submission as she turned back toward the chest.

  Gordia glided in her heels to a closet, where the next part of her outfit was waiting, along with the other two chambermaids. A heavy mesh screen was attached to her waist. It circled her backside and was used to push the fatty, occluded flesh upward and into a shape that was more appealing to the males of her species. A leather girdle then surrounded her waist, again pushing everything up, followed by a six-cup brazier, shoulder pads, and a spiked steel collar. A bizarre sight for any Human, but pleasing and enticing to any male Leuchen.

  When a grand gown was lowered over her from the ceiling, the outfitting was complete. A dozen snaps fastened the gown in just the right places, allowing Gordia to be the bright mound of Leuchen hotness that she was. A jeweled headdress was placed upon her rotund, bald head.

  One of the maids was again whacked with the baton to hurry her out of her master's way. The big Leuchen strode to the doors, which were opened by a valet, exiting into the hallway on her way to see her husband.

  Greta turned to the other maids. "Will she be gone long?"

  Blank stares were returned by both women before they walked to other parts of the room to perform their regular duties. Greta closed the chest, wiped an oily film from the base of the chair, and returned the towel to a hamper.

  Bersa said, "She will be attending a ladies’ retreat for most of the next several days. Shall we divert our attention to the coming mission?"

  Jamus asked, "And what would that be?"

  "Janitorial duties on Master Poch's shuttle. We will be adding crew members so long as openings occur, which should be coming shortly."

  Martin stood. "I will go."

  Bersa smiled and slowly shook her head. "No. You would never pass as a custodian. They are expected to be quiet, discreet, and largely unseen. You would be anything but unseen, Mr. Gecka. I'm afraid this assignment will be going to our new member, Mr. Wazny."

  Jamus tilted his head with an uneasy look. "Is that such a good idea? He's only been with us for a few days."

  Bersa turned to face Jim. "Mr. Wazny, your prior assignments listed custodial work on a freighter before being transported to Haraku from Kronong. I believe you spent time cleaning floors, is that not correct?"

  "I did. Lasted for three months before my family was sold to Master Hallik."

  "Perfect. You will be responsible for cleaning floors on the Erokka. Since you are familiar with the task, that training can be minimized. We will focus our efforts on event recollection and on being in the right place at the right time, but without being noticed."

  "I can do this. I'll contribute in whatever way I can."

  Jamus scowled. "I don't like this, Bersa. He hasn't had time to absorb the lessons you've given the rest of us over the last months. He needs time to mature."

  "This request has already come through, Mr. Turnbull. Our focus should be on readying Mr. Wazny as best we can."

  "I'll go," Jamus said. "I can clean floors."

  Bersa pursed her lips. "I'm afraid the decision has already been made."

  "I thought we were supposed to give input on these missions?"

  "Your input has been received and denied. Now please, let's focus on the task at hand."

  Two days were spent on giving Jim Wazny as many tips and tricks as could reasonably be absorbed. Jamus continued with his protests throughout. Late that afternoon, a shuttle came in to collect the new custodian of the Erokka.

  As the shuttle moved away, the team was given a two-hour break.

  Jamus paced back and forth. Martin sat staring at an image of Gordia's chambers as seen from the camera on Greta's uniform. Bersa sat sipping a tea that was common on her former capital world of Breenlok. Kerena was sitting at a table with Dester Marr.

  "You think we'll ever make it? To freedom I mean," Kerena asked.

  "Who knows how far this... concocted spy network will make it. Look at us. We're barely out from under a drug we've been on our whole lives. It's been eye-opening as to what we can do with so little education, but will we be able to take this all the way? Who knows? One thing is certain, even the masters don't seem all that bright. Hallik excluded."

  Dester pointed around at the station surrounding them. "This place. Humans built it ten thousand years ago. Have you noticed that it looks a lot like the other ships we've been riding around in? You'd think ten thousand years of evolution might have changed a few things by now."

  Bersa joined the conversation. "The rulers are a stodgy lot. They like the status quo. The shipyards, of which there are only a handful, produce the same designs they did when the empire first transitioned from Human dominance. Our people are good at manufacturing copies. Most of the technologies, in fact the vast majority of the tech, are Human designs. Also of note is the fact that other than the Human slave population, the empire's population has not grown in over nine thousand years. Birth quotas have been in effect since that time."

  Dester returned a half scowl. "How many colonized planets in the empire?"

  "Eight hundred and seventy-two. There are four sectors, twelve districts, and forty-eight states. Each state averages eighteen colony planets."

  "And we... Hallik, controls three?"

  "Major parts of three would be a more correct statement."

  Dester crossed his arms. "That sounds a good bit larger a task than saying control a state, a district, and then a sector before controlling the empire. We'll be doing this for the rest of our lives. And at some point someone will wise up to what's going on."

  "As I stated, the rulers of this empire move through life without much effort. Wealth governs most, with the higher ups rarely changing positions. They are content to stay where they are and to wield the power they do, all while maintaining their current position. Those under them dare not push upward without risking reprisal. Frankly speaking, the majority of the empire has changed little since we took over."

  Kerena said, "We only occupy a small portion of this galaxy. There are other planets out there to be colonized. Are we certain there are no other species out there we should be worried about?"

  Bersa smiled. "We are secure. With the wormhole technology, ships were sent to explore every star system within ten thousand light years. No other sentient life was found. In fact, very little other life was found. If you visit each of the colonies you would notice that many of the plants, trees, shrubs, grasses, and even animals and insects, are the same. Most were brought by Humans during their initial expansion."

  Dester leaned forward. "How was it you were able to overthrow us? Doesn't sound like you had the brains for it."

  "We were allowed to be part of the empire's military, mostly patrolling and policing our own worlds. The great Human fleet controlled the entirety of the empire. It is believed that with the lack of enemies, due to us all having a single government, the Human fleet was parked in a single location, a location unknown to us. However, our rulers became wise to the Human complacency and concocted a plan for an overthrow.

  "A raid was conducted on the parked Human fleet, catching them completely off guard. The fleet command was captured, and with it the bulk of the ships. Those ships, now under our control, were used to subdue the remainder of the Human colonies. And it all occurred because a single Human turned on his own people and led our ships to the idle fleet."

  "The Great Betrayer?"

  Bersa nodded. "The Great Betrayer."

  Dester rubbed his forehead. "Wow… that's a lot to take in. We built all this. We ran all this. We lost all this. And for the ten thousand years since, your people have kept it largely how it was, even though there are probably thousands of habitable planets out there in the great beyond."

  "Each of those statements are true. And might I add that if we are successful in elevating Master Hallik to the position of emperor, those thou
sands of habitable planets are still out there to be explored, exploited, and populated. None of that will happen under the current emperor or with the empire's inane rules. Everything is geared toward maintaining what we have."

  "That doesn't make sense. Why not move forward?"

  Bersa offered a slow sigh. "I believe our people lack the intellect, Mr. Marr. They certainly lack any drive for change. The focus of our meager science community is toward keeping what we have running... running."

  "Our home planet, Earth. Whatever happened to it?"

  "Earth remains abandoned. No ships are allowed to travel to it. When your people were taken into slavery from there, the world was left as it was, empty of Humans for ten thousand years. I suspect the natural processes have probably reclaimed most of what had been achieved. I suppose it might be interesting to one day explore."

  "Maybe we could move our headquarters there instead of on this station."

  "I don't believe that to be possible. The Earth system is off limits to all travel. At least that's my understanding. I'm told there are monitors there to report any intrusions."

  Dester leaned back in his chair. "Huh. So we have a galaxy that's largely unexplored and an emperor and ruling families who have no desire to change anything. Maybe we do have a shot at taking this all back."

  "That is the vision of Master Hallik."

  Jamus turned toward the table with Dester and the others. "Looks like Mr. Wazny has made it to the Erokka."

  The display screen split between two views. On the left was the image of Gordia's chambers, coming from Greta. On the right was an image of the interior of a shuttle as it landed on a tarmac next to the Erokka. A ramp lowered and the janitorial slave was escorted toward his new assignment. Before the Waz could make it up the ramp of the Erokka, the delivering shuttle departed for elsewhere.

  The maintenance officer greeted Jim with a slap to his head. "You will do as told, exactly when you are told. If I so much as see a speck on these floors I won't hesitate to purchase someone else. Now get to work. I want this floor spotless!"

  A hard shove sent Jim stumbling forward before he caught his balance. A short walk to a maintenance cabinet had a damp towel, a dry towel, and a bucket all ready to use. The first floor to be tackled would be the entryway onto the Erokka. Jim got immediately to work.

  The remainder of the free time passed with Greta standing at her post at the ready and Jim scrubbing the floors. The team returned to the classroom.

  "What's next?" Jamus asked. "How long will they be there?"

  Bersa replied, "At the moment those assignments are semi-permanent, Mr. Turnbull. Until such time as Poch's wealth is overtaken by Master Hallik, these assignments will remain in place. As to what's next, we are pushing to get openings with the dining staff and with Poch's personal staff. You, Mr. Turnbull, are in line for being a personal slave in Master Poch's chambers. Ms. Bachran will be joining that team as dining staff."

  "How do I get on there?" asked Martin.

  "I'm afraid that will not happen, Mr. Gecka. Given your relationship with Greta, and the fact you are a gargantuan Human, we don't have a place for you to be. For the time being, you will remain here as support for the others."

  Dester crossed his arms. "And me?"

  "The Erokka has an elder Human as a server for the bridge staff. The current server has been in that position for more than thirty years. I've been finding it difficult to make contact in any way with anyone who has contact with him. It seems he doesn't leave the ship or interact with others. Technically speaking, we can't get close enough to him to see that he is replaced."

  An alert flashed on the display.

  Bersa clasped her hands together. "Excellent. Gordia is on her way back. Perhaps we will get our first bits of information from her when she returns to her chambers. I've been told she talks incessantly with her chambermaids about her outings. They don't respond with anything but empty smiles and nods, but she insists on rambling on."

  A commotion could be heard outside the chambers as the big Leuchen made her way in. The valet was pushed to the floor as she walked past him into the room.

  Gordia stopped and pointed at Greta. "You! You embarrassed me!"

  Martin stood.

  "A latch on my right leg casing came unclasped! My leg was locked in place for twenty minutes until a correction could be made. This happened as I was having tea with the four ladies in my following. I... heard... a... snicker!"

  As Greta knelt before her the baton was raised and brought down hard on her back... five hard strokes followed. A look of pain and anguish filled her face with each wallop.

  Martin yelled, "We have to pull her out!"

  Bersa returned a look of deep concern. "We can do nothing but hope her temper regulates. This is most unexpected and most unfortunate."

  Jamus said, "Hope it regulates? What do you mean by that?"

  "I mean Ms. Bachran is in grave danger at the moment. The latch in question is the one she had trouble with. I would speculate it is likely defective. Regardless, our team member is in danger of being replaced at the moment."

  The offended Leuchen yelled, "You will pay for this with your life! Guards! Get in here! Take this piece of Human trash from my sight!"

  Greta slowly stood, standing face to face with her attacker. Gordia stared back in amazement that a slave would be so bold as to look her in the eye.

  Greta moved closer. Raising a finger. "You have beaten your last slave, you malevolent—"

  Footsteps could be heard coming from the hallway outside. Greta Bachran stepped forward, giving her master a heavy shove, knocking her to the floor. She then stepped forward, snatching the baton from her hand. The personal slave delivered repeated whacks to the Leuchen, who was now terrified and groveling before her. As the guards entered the room, disbelieving what they were witness to, Greta poked her rear tooth, removing a capsule held within.

  After spitting on the cowering master before her, she bit down on the toxic pill.

  Martin yelled, "Noooo!"

  The camera image changed as she dropped to on top of her masterette, showing a view from her body as it lay on its side. The stream of health monitor attributes that accompanied the video broadcast all slowly dropped to zero. Greta Bachran was dead.

  Bersa paced the room. "This is horrific. Our entire program could be compromised."

  As Martin sat back in his chair, grasping his face in both hands as he tried to process what had happened, Jamus gave Bersa an angry glare. "We just lost one of our own and all you care about is the program?"

  Bersa stood silent for several seconds. "I too liked Ms. Bachran. My concern for the program is that it's the reason we are all alive today. If compromised, we are all dead. Our colleague should be honored and celebrated for the sacrifice she just made for the rest of us."

  Jamus turned to check on Kerena. She was in the process of receiving a comforting hug from Dester Marr.

  Chapter 10

  * * *

  "So what do we do now? How do we recover from this?"

  "I will make an attempt to recover the body. The camera is still on her uniform. If discovered, it may lead to Mr. Wazny being captured."

  "Again, your lack of empathy is telling."

  "Mr. Turnbull, I can assure you that my empathy is very much in line with yours! I, however, am a professional. We have a possibly disastrous situation here with regards to far more than our feelings. Our lives are in danger. Please allow me to ensure that our safety and security remains intact. If after this settles you still feel I am callous, you will have ample opportunity to chastise me at that time. Now, at the moment, we need to collect her body before it is taken away for study."

  "We should have had a crew ready for this. Disguised as the authorities that would normally pick up a derelict Human. We could have had a shuttle in and out of there in minutes, leaving no trace of the incident other than the irate third wife of Poch."

  Bersa nodded. "An excellent suggestion for f
uture missions. I will see what I can put together in that regard."

  On the screen, Jim was standing in a room by himself. "I just overheard what happened," he said. "If you can bring a shuttle, I can drag the body outside. I don't think anyone will question my action until after we've gone. I'm giving you fifteen minutes before I make that happen. Otherwise you'll have two bodies to collect."

  Bersa opened a comm to the shuttle pilot. "Return to where the Erokka is parked. Collect our two passengers. Land under the guise that you are with Betuaon State security. Answer no other questions. Make two jumps before bringing them back here to Beta Station."

  The Talion pilot replied, "And if I'm questioned?"

  "The guards on the Erokka have nothing but batons. You will not be attacked or held for questioning. If successful, this will end your debt to Master Hallik. You will have a clean slate and will be free to do as you wish with your life, short of discussing any of this of course."

  "And my request for relocation to the Danton District?"

  "It will be approved. Now hurry, you must be there in... twelve minutes. Sooner if possible."

  The shuttle landed as Jim Wazny was dragging the dead body of Greta Bachran down the ramp of the Erokka.

  The two guards following him were asking why as the Talion pilot let himself be known. "Step back. The dead Human is now in the care of Betuaon security. Return to your duties and do not question this action if you value your lives and positions on that vessel."

  The guards looked at one another, nodded, and turned away.

  The pilot assisted with pulling the lifeless body up the ramp of the shuttle. The ramp was raised, the hatch closed, and the shuttle quickly lifted away. Two jumps later, it was settling in the docking bay of Beta Station. Martin rushed up a lowered ramp.

  Jim walked with Martin as he slowly came down to the deck with his never-to-be bride, followed by the Talion pilot.

  Bersa said, "Take her down to the medical bay for attendance. Cromath, you will come with me. I have your transfer release ready for you. The rest of you are on permanent free time until this settles and a new mission is set."