FREEDOM Legends

by Stephen Arseneault

  "And second place goes to... Tobla... with twenty-eight!" Another tepid applause filled the stands.

  "And today's winner is Shendi! She managed forty-eight Humans saved!" Jeers and boos were followed with laughs.

  "Far short of our grand champion Palmic with sixty-two, but not everyone wants to be that unpopular, do they?"

  The audio was switched to a channel where two Sevada were discussing the local weather.

  Bersa was shaking her head. "This was a bad idea."

  "It's horrific," replied Hallik. "And a daily occurrence. But they have earned the right to know what they are really fighting for. The empire is corrupt. It lacks ethics and morals. The abuse of Humans has gone on for too long."

  Jamus stood. "So why are we sitting here? Why aren't we planning for the next mission?"

  "The coming missions are under review by my teams."

  "Your teams?"

  "Yes. I have a staff of nearly thirty Brekans who not only sympathize with your cause, but also owe me tremendous sums of money, most more credits than they can earn in a lifetime. They reside in another secure location and are my planners. I give them goals and ideas. They formulate the missions and pass them on to Bersa, where you are then trained to conduct them."

  "Why don't you have them here?"

  "I'm making every attempt to keep the pieces of this operation separate and secure. That team knows nothing of this team, even that you are Human. They have no idea you have been cured of your dependence on Shackle. I felt it better they not know."

  "But you just told us of them. Aren't we a liability?"

  "Each of the members of that planning team can survive outside of my care. In fact, they would all be rewarded for turning on me and exposing my wealth accumulation operations. All who sit above me would gladly pay handsomely for that knowledge. These planners have incentive to talk. You have none. Where would you go? Who would you turn to? Your only option other than this is death. And that would likely be a death that was short, but painful."

  Bersa said, "You should be going, Master. They are expecting you at the summit."

  Hallik nodded to Bersa before turning with a subdued grin. "I shall return before the next mission gets underway. Take care."

  The overly round Brekan made his way to a door and then out. The indicator on the wall showed the Greft's departure several minutes later. The group remained in the lounge chairs, still in stunned silence.

  Bersa walked toward the dining area. "We are half an hour early, but I believe an extended eating period to be warranted."

  Jamus scowled. "Humans tend to lose their appetites after a shock."

  "You are slaves. The empire is unjust. Why would this be that much of a shock to you? You know about dissections. You know about the hunts. The debauchery we just witnessed should be no surprise to a people who have been enslaved for ten thousand years. Grow a pair, as you Humans say. Whatever that means."

  Dester snickered. "Now that was funny. And she's right. We either continue on and fight this plague that consumes us, or we lie back and die. I still have some fight left in me."

  Dester began to walk toward the dining tables. "Besides, today is fangule day. I need my fangule."

  Martin slowly shook his head.

  Jamus looked at the others, and then at the dining tables. "You know what? You're right. We can be indignant and outraged and it doesn't change reality. We have to act to change reality."

  The group proceeded to eat, followed by five hours of watching various news feeds or other entertainment channels. By the time the day had come to an end they had a new education on what the empire was like outside the farms and mines. With slaves doing much of the physical work, the aliens had an abundance of free time and the credits to spend on whatever they wanted. The culture had progressed, or digressed, to the point where the demise of Humans was considered their most entertaining endeavor.

  Chapter 14

  * * *

  The following morning, Bersa stood in front of the team. "Our coming target will be Thelm. He is a Talion. His homeworld is the colony of Polous. He is currently fourth in line for the governorship of Betuaon State. He owns two full colonies and parts of five others. Fifteen standard years ago, he was the governor of Betuaon. Twenty years before, he inherited the number four spot in this district, the Talion District.

  "He's a poor manager and has been living off the wealth his father left him. His son is worse than him. His grandson is slated to take over the House of Thelm when the elder Thelm passes. His grandson, very competent, is now running a third of that House. We will be targeting the remaining two-thirds."

  Jamus asked, "Any chance of using the same tactic we just used on Snooka?"

  "None. The servicing of the Thelm shuttle was conducted last month. Our planning team is exploring the possibility of landing another professional crew on the grandfather's shuttle. That will take time."

  "So are we studying Thelm and his holdings until then?"

  "I've been given a new directive for the lot of you. Master Hallik feels there is much to be learned. You will be given the choice of one physical course of study and one intellectual. For physical we have endurance, strength, agility, balance, or self-defense. There are a number of subcategories for each that can be further selected.

  "For intellectual advancement, we have law, business, finance, physics, and technology. Check your displays and vote on what you find appealing for your first, second, and third choices. I'll tally the results and select our directions from the list. Please take an hour to study the lists and subcategories before making your final selections."

  The room was quiet for the entire evaluation. Selections were tallied and two winners emerged.

  "As I expected, you have chosen self-defense as a physical course. I will have to say that I am surprised by the overwhelming choice for intellectual. You selected technology. I was expecting business, seeing as how our almost daily goals revolve around taking over businesses."

  Daniel came rolling into the classroom.

  Jim said, "We're surrounded by tech, and we don't really know how any of it works."

  Daniel raised a hand. "I can help, and I'd like to learn as well. I'm reading as much as I can, but having some formal instruction on it would help me tremendously."

  Bersa nodded. "Very well, then. I will provide a few of the basics for the next few days. For advanced instruction, I'll speak with Master Hallik about bringing in an expert or two. I believe a professor from one of our engineering schools may be able to help with the technology. And a self-defense expert from the... well, the... hunts. Some of you may find either or both instructors offensive, but I assure you they will do as they are told."

  Jamus scowled. "How is it they will be coming in here and teaching Humans? You can't just release them after that."

  Bersa sighed. "I can only say there will be casualties on both sides of this fight. Does anyone here object to this method of training? It will be the fastest and most efficient way for you to learn."

  "So you'll be killing innocent aliens for this?"

  Dester said, "I'm up for that."

  Martin nodded. "Me too. All five species are responsible for the atrocities we saw on the news feeds yesterday. It's time they started paying for their acceptance of that behavior. They are hardly innocent."

  Kerena gave a single nod. Jim returned a half shrug.

  Tamia scowled. "I'll do them in afterward myself if needed. Sorry, Bersa, but I have no love for your kind."

  Jamus looked back at the Girda standing before them. "I guess the team has spoken."

  Bersa opened a comm to Hallik. "Master, they have agreed upon self-defense as we expected, and technology."

  "Excellent. I'll have instructors for each sent your way. Let the team know we got our first solid bit of useful information from Master Snooka this morning. Their efforts continue to pay handsomely."

  The comm closed as Bersa turned. "You heard the master's response. Again, Jamus and T
amia, you are to be commended for your efforts."

  Three days of classroom basics on technology were shown and discussed. On the fourth day, the tech instructor arrived. After a guarded escort into the classroom, the Talion professor, Gnonan, struggled to believe what he was seeing.

  "What is this? I demand to know what's going on here?"

  A shock stick was thrust into his side, dropping him to the floor, where he convulsed for several seconds. Shortly after, the professor was slowly helped to his feet.

  Bersa leaned in. "I was told you have received that twice before. Are you a slow learner?"

  Gnonan shook his head. "I'm in the top 2 percent of all Talions."

  "Hmm. Interesting, I'm only in the top 3 percent in the empire, and I have yet to be shocked. Should I allow another display of the current associated with a high voltage? Or would you prefer to tell our class about it instead?"

  Gnonan looked around. "Humans? They are incapable of learning advanced technologies. They are too stupid. Shackle prevents anything more than basic understanding. What am I to teach them?"

  "Everything. They are no longer on Shackle."

  "What? This is preposterous!"

  A second application of the shock device had the new instructor flopping on the floor. Several minutes later, he was standing, this time with a scowl, but not a defiant one.

  "What would you have me attempt to teach them?"

  "As I said, everything. But why don't we start with electronics and go from there. This comm bracelet will allow you to control the display wall. You'll find a copy of your engineering library, along with your instruction materials, in our online archive. If you need more, just ask. I will see to it whatever information you need is provided.

  "Begin with basic electronics. They have a good understanding of that material. Push that on to advanced material as you see fit. And keep in mind, if I believe you to be dragging lessons out, my friend with the shocker is more than ready to give you another jolt."

  Gnonan stood silent for several seconds. "I will do my best."

  A solid week of instruction saw the group familiarized with voltage, current, resistance, capacitance, and inductance. They were soon discussing resistors, capacitors, transistors, coils, and a variety of other analog electronic components. A third week of instruction moved on to batteries, motors, actuators, and other standard devices.

  Bersa stood with Gnonan after class was dismissed for an hour of evening free time. "So what do you think of your pupils?"

  "Sadly, I wish I had such enthusiasm in my classes at the university. These Humans have all scored near perfect on my exams. And they seem eager to help one another, something lacking in my student population."

  "Yes. I've been astounded time and again with their ability to learn. They are sponges for almost everything."

  "I know I shouldn't ask, but why was I brought here? What secret project is this that Humans are being taught advanced knowledge?"

  "Did you know all this knowledge… electronics, these devices, their designs… did you know those are all Human designs?"

  "Preposterous!"

  Bersa shook her head. "It's true. Sit. I will give you a true education of the empire."

  The Girda and the Talion discussed their history late into the evening. Gnonan sat with his jaw dropped for most of the tale. Humans had built it all. The imperial species had stolen it and were more than happy to maintain it as it was. A stunned professor was escorted to his room and locked inside. In the morning he was found hanging by his neck from a bed sheet.

  Bersa stood before the class. "I have some unhappy news. Completely my fault. I discussed our history—not this group's history, but the history of the empire—with the professor. I can only imagine he was so disgruntled with the news that he... well... he hanged himself."

  Dester began to chuckle.

  Jamus turned. "You're laughing at that?"

  "I reserve the right to laugh at every one of those morons that decides to off themselves. The more the merrier."

  Bersa sighed. "Unfortunately, that means we have no lesson for today. I had hoped we would make our way through digital circuits, processors, memories, controls—basically the middle tier of the technology that surrounds us."

  Daniel raised a hand. "I could talk about the systems on this ship. I have a good handle on them now—most of them anyway."

  "It seems Mr. Pike is prepared to share his knowledge with us. Please, sir, come to the front. Share with us what you know."

  A comm came in for Bersa.

  Daniel wheeled himself to the front of the room. "Let's start with this chair. Battery, motor, controller, operator…" The youth instructor pointed to himself with a grin.

  The rest of the day was spent on a rolling tour of the station. They began on deck twelve with the power generators and slowly worked their way up. Daniel was nothing but enthusiastic when explaining what a system did or was supposed to do.

  When they had again reached the top deck and the classroom area, Dester asked, "You skipped the science decks, except for medical. Why?"

  "Those are still off limits. We don't know what's in there, and I haven't had time to find out. Everything I just told you today? That's just skimming the surface of what I have to know. That's why I was excited to have an advanced instructor come in. If I'm supposed be running and maintaining this station, I want to know what I'm doing so I don't kill us all."

  The following morning, a new instructor was brought into the classroom. This one taught self-defense to sleggs who were to be released into the myriad of Human hunting games that were playing out on many of the empire's worlds. After initial protests over teaching aware Humans, five shocks from the stick had her ready to begin her lessons. Also a Girda, she was cross with the other Girda in the room, whom she now considered a traitor.

  "You will teach these Humans all you know," said Bersa. "I will be here to evaluate your performance. If I feel it to be sub-standard, you will pay the ultimate price. Remember, you can always be replaced."

  Dester chuckled. "I can't hear that line said to these aliens enough times. I love it."

  The new instructor looked over the small group for most of a minute. "My name is Deffie. When this course is over, you will each have the skills needed to evade both the live hunters and the bots you will find competing in the games. My goal is to teach you how to stay alive for as long as possible. I like to brag that I had the longest surviving slegg, or slave as you know them, in the Ultimate Games in the last three centuries. Antoine Magabo managed to survive for two and a half days. Most sleggs in the larger games, outside of an arena, last no more than an hour or two."

  Dester raised a hand. "I thought this was self-defense?"

  "Part evasion and part defense. Evasion is your most powerful tool. It can keep you alive for days. Defense is used only in your final minutes, typically when an autonomous bot is tracking you down." Deffie paused and smirked to herself. "I once had a slegg who stayed alive and running for six hours against a bot. He had a real knack for blunting the effectiveness of an attack and fleeing. I could have watched him all day—anyway, evasion tactics will be the first topic we discuss."

  As Deffie got into her teaching, she began to forget where she was. Grins and chuckles filled her presentation as she showed the result of one bad slegg decision after another. Martin growled under his breath, and more than once had the urge to rush the instructor to put an end to her smirky behavior.

  "Now, as we watch this one, we see this wide expanse going across this space, probably thirty meters this slegg will have to cross before they reach cover of any sort. Down this way we see a narrow passage at about eight meters. To the right we have a series of columns. A skilled runner might be able to successfully navigate their way through that, while avoiding the stun capsules being launched at them from the bot. By the way, in the arena games, the bots don't carry stun pistols, they stun you directly.

  "Before I go further, this part of the instruction make
s use of simulations. Please select the decision you believe this slegg should make, and take a moment to think about it because I will be asking you to tell why you made that selection. You have two minutes."

  The time passed quickly. Kerena was the first to be selected. "I would go left, toward the narrow passage. It's closer."

  Deffie nodded. "Do you know what lies beyond?"

  "How could I have that information?"

  "You don't. I was just making it a point to think about. How about you?"

  Martin replied, "Straight across at a zigzag."

  "Interesting. Given what I've said about the bots earlier, do you think you could make it across the expanse?"

  "I chose it, so yes."

  "Mr. Wazny?"

  "Narrow passage. Same reason she gave."

  "And Ms. Brown, your choice?"

  "The columns. I'm skinny. And fast."

  "Hmm. That leaves Mr. Turnbull and Mr. Marr. If you were the slegg, what would you do?"

  Jamus replied, "I'd come up there and snap your neck and then switch off the display."

  Deffie's smug look was brought back to the reality of the situation. "I see. And what of the three choices?"

  "Straight across. No zigging. But I would drop and roll if I thought the bot was about to fire."

  Dester nodded. "What he said."

  "Interesting. And all wrong. The bots are slow to arm their weapons. It's a safety precaution so that shots are not taken until the target has been fully acquired. There have been instances in the past where a stray stun pellet ricocheted up into the stands, into the crowd. One spectator was struck in the eye and killed."

  Dester smirked. "I like it."

  "Are you suggesting rush the bot?" asked Jamus.

  "Precisely, rush the bot. If you pass them before they fire, you will drop from their targeting system. They will have to reset their tracking to re-target. They aren't terribly fast, but they are accurate when the target has been acquired."

  Jim asked, "The spectators are live at these hunts?"