Chapter 4: At an Ebio Complex
“Ray!” an insistent voice called as someone shook him awake. He struggled up through his sleep induced near coma, to see several company goons around his bunk. Seeing them he went for the knife he kept under his pillow. If he was going to go down, he was going to take as many of them as he could. He wondered which one of the clones in his group dropped a dime on him.
“It’s okay Ray,” Tammy his longtime partner said softly, “you’re not in trouble. The facility boss wants to see you.”
“Then why the goons,” He said sitting up on his bunk.
“Ray,” one of the goons said, “It was either us or Murphy.”
“Oh,” The bioman replied. He and Murphy went back a ways. Right back to the time Ray had stopped a severe beating of a young developmental by attacking Murphy and putting the goon in the hospital for a couple of days. Ray had suffered several broken ribs, and a broken jaw. Murphy had been trying to get even with him for years. “Okay let’s go,” He pulled on a poncho and followed them out. No one took his knife from him. They got into the company car sitting just outside of his barracks. In it was the facility manager.
“I’ll make this short and sweet,” The company officer started, “At noon today, all of the company employees who are here on Trojack will be leaving. All of the employees who have ever harmed a clone on this facility have been placed in lock up.”
Ray was silent. The thing he had been working his whole life for was happening. Though he didn’t want it this way. Having studied history, and seen what happened when slaves had been freed in other societies, he knew his people had to free themselves. Any slave freed by their master never became their own master; but were still under the thumb of their master.
“Ray,” the facility manager spoke into the silence, “you wanted to violently over throw us, and pay for your freedom in a blood price not to be forgotten. Freedom is always paid in this fashion no one is ever freed, they earn their freedom, by a paying a blood price. However the blood price doesn’t necessarily mean stacking bodies like cord wood. It can mean making the hard decision that may mean some folks get killed not by force of arms, but miss management, and lack of resources.” Ray grunted, “We don’t want to die at the hands of our creation, and we don’t want to spend our days on Dungeon, so we are leaving with all of our families, but only that, we’re leaving everything else behind, and I have just this morning, changed the access codes to the company financial records and such so that only you can access them.”
“I see,” Ray replied deep in thought, his mind roiling with the words that the facility manager spoke. Ray looked to the man, thinking the facility manager hadn’t been a bad manager. When the company goons got out of control, or when one of the company employees harmed a clone, or did something illegal, he made an effort to render what justice he could. One time he had assembled all of the clones, and personally executed a containment officer in front of the assembled clones. She had been abusing young developmentals, including killing them. He even had Murphy locked up for six months when he had beaten a clone senseless.
“In this file are the known records of every atrocity committed on this facility and how I dealt with them during my tenure.” The man said, “The worse of the lot I have always tried to transfer or punished the more serious offenders. The ones that I couldn’t do anything about are in the lock up. If I was you I would take this data,” he handed Ray a small chip, “Appoint some of your most trusted and professional associates from the security unit, and get them to Earth. Do it fast! Containment and Alignment has been busted up all over the empire. They are running for their lives. If you wait to act on this they may be able to organize to attack some of the outpost sites, and retake the company back.”
“Where are you going,” Ray asked as the car approached a landing craft that was idling.
“Ray,” The man said, “I trust you. You never went out of your way to harm me, or the people who weren’t harming your people, but I want my family to be safe, and what you don’t known, can’t be told to anyone. Most of us will be going to the frontier.
“Ray,” The man got out of the car, “Remember staying free, is often harder than getting free. Good luck and as you take you and your people into the galaxy remain neutral and make friends with everyone who won’t try to control you or use you. As soon as Home is established I would certainly try to establish diplomatic relations with them. They could be a strong ally! Good luck!”
Hours later a young clone came into the office she was well armed, and wore a red slash across her torso. She was one of Trojack’s new security service people. She presented him with a manifest. He read it and signed it. Murphy and his cohorts were on their way to the empire. A charge sheet was going with each prisoner. To ensure that the prisoners and the charges got to the empire, they were going in several lifts. Two couriers having the full charge list going to different imperial worlds on different routes. He signed it wanting to get this potential trouble off world. He knew he should kill them all; but if he did he would be just as bad as Murphy and company.
“Ray,” another clone came in. For years he had been the facility port captain. He controlled all the ships and landing craft from Trojack.
“Yeah Tony,” He replied.
“I want your permission to do something.” the elderly clone said. Ray nodded for him to go on, “I have ten heavy lift transports sitting in orbit. I have a crew for two of them and want to use them.”
“Do you have cargo for them,” the man asked.
“No sir,” the clone said, “They are empty, but they are about a million ton lifters. I am thinking that Trena could use them.”
“Do it,” Ray said, “You offer it gratis; I want you to make as many runs as they need you for. I’ll be sending Trudy with you. You’ll be the fleet commander.”
“Aye sir,” the man said and left. Ray punched a button on his console, and said “Trudy pack your bags, you are going to Trena as ambassador to Trena from the Free World of Trojack. You’ll have the paper to back it up. Get with Tony he’ll be the fleet captain. I want you to open a consulate on Trena and later Home to get some sort of trade agreement with Home. We’ll need the revenue, and Home could be a great friend to us over time.”
“What about the Empire and the Realm? They could be also.” Trudy replied taking it all in. She was used to Ray’s sudden edicts, and decisions. Most if not all seemed to work out.
“I’ll get to them.” Ray said, “Think Linda would make a good secretary of state?”
“She knows diplomacy and I think has a good relationship with several of the nearby worlds we do business with. The manager was always using her to negotiate things from our neighbors.” Trudy replied, “We should send ambassadors to as many of our neighbors as possible. We need to make sure we get some breathing room as we ramp up our government. Thankfully we didn’t export clones!”
“Okay Trudy,” Ray said, “Your papers are ready. Good luck.”
Every Last Mother's Child Page 182
