Ethan: Cyborg of Honor

by T. J. Quinn

  Neela shook her head. “I would be exchanging one cage for another one.”

  “You don’t know that. If Ethan’s not a slaver, he will let you free once he grows tired of you,” the older woman explained. “You would be free then.”

  “Have you ever heard of that happening? The king sold a few women to some of the men in the colonies, and as far as I know, they are still there, as enslaved as we are here,” she pointed out.

  “These people don’t have to follow the colonies rules. They will leave in a few days, and you would be leaving with them. I’m sure you would find it a lot easier to escape them than escaping this place,” Olannie insisted.

  Neela paced the room, thinking about it. “But what would I be escaping to? I would be on a planet I know nothing of.”

  “True, but who knows? You could make a living wherever you got to,”

  “Here, I would be going back home,” she insisted.

  Olannie shook her head. “No, you wouldn’t. The tribes would never take you back, Neela. In fact, they would bring you back here. They won’t defy the king over you, and deep down, you know that.”

  Neela covered her delicate lips with her hand to muffle her cry. She knew it, of course. She had seen it happening when she was a child.

  She wiped the tears out of her eyes. “I would live alone, out in the woods,” she said, but they both knew that was a lie.

  She would never survive alone in the woods. There were too many wild creatures, waiting for easy prey like her. She wouldn’t last more than a couple of days.

  Olannie got up and hugged her. “These men are your best way out. Don’t waste this opportunity,” she whispered in her hear. “Now get some rest, you’ll need it,” she added, as she left the room.

  Ethan woke up as soon as the sun came up in the sky and looked at the woman still sleeping at his side. They had spent the whole night making love, and he was amazed at how quickly she had gotten under his skin. He couldn’t seem to get enough of her.

  Those feelings disturbed him a bit. He had never felt anything like it, and the truth was he had never hoped to feel it either. He had been created to be a soldier and to fight wars. He hadn’t had a normal childhood, he didn’t even know who his biological parents were, so feelings like love had always felt like myths people chose to believe in.

  Of course, he had ended up caring for a few people. He had a few friends he wouldn’t hesitate at dying for, and Samantha had always been like a younger sister to him. There wasn’t much he wouldn’t do for her. But that was as far as he would go regarding feelings.

  Neela, in just a few hours, had awakened feelings in him, he wasn’t sure he wanted to understand or even admit. Starting to think he was still under the spell of the haze of passion, he jumped out of bed and put on his suit. He needed some fresh air.

  Leaving her still sleeping in bed, he left the room and headed out. The guards didn’t stop him nor ask him where he was going, so he walked to the main palace entrance, looking to get out and explore the gardens surrounding the palace.

  He was about to step out when he heard someone calling out his name. It was Vlyse.

  “Citizen Ethan, I see you are a morning person,” he said, with a smile on his face.

  “Yes. I was trained to be so. I was wondering if I could go for a walk in the city.”

  “Of course. What’s more, I’ll join you, if you don’t mind.”

  He did, but that was something he clearly couldn’t admit. “Not at all.”

  “You had a good night, I expect?” Vlyse asked, with a lustful grin on his face that made Ethan wish he could wipe it off with a good punch.

  “Yes, thank you, I did,” he replied, as plain as possible, making sure the man understood he didn’t plan on discussing his night activities with him.

  They left the palace at a steady pace. The more he saw of the city, the more it resembled a medieval community, in its organization. The few streets there drew circles around the palace or connected one street with the other. People walked around, busy with their lives and the few vehicles they encountered hovered over the streets.

  “We encourage our people to walk as much as possible. This planet is rich in many things, but fuel isn’t one of them,” Vlyse explained when he pointed it out.

  “You have enough water, wind, and sunlight to generate energy. Why not use it?” Ethan asked, puzzled.

  “Our people haven’t advanced much in that sort of technology and buying it from other planets is far too expensive,” the other man explained.

  Something in his tone had Ethan thinking their lack of advances was on purpose. He had once read a communist manifest where the leaders were encouraged to keep their people in the dark as much as possible. An ignorant people were unlikely to think for themselves and rebel against the laws imposed by the rulers.

  He guessed the Dreshanians followed similar premises as well.

  “None of the colonies on the planet have installed that kind of technology?” he asked, curious.

  “I wouldn’t know. Other than following a few rules, each colony is basically independent, and they are free to do as they please inside the walls of their colony,” Vlyse explained.

  “I would like to know those rules if it’s alright. My client will want to know them before he sits down with you to negotiate,” he asked, in a polite tone.

  “Of course, I will send you a copy of them as soon as we get back.”

  “Is this the only colony your people have on the planet?” he asked, intrigued.

  “No, of course not. Controlling the whole planet just from here would be impossible. We have a few others, scattered around, some just military outposts, others small cities like this one,” he explained. “One of the things that are prohibited for the colonies is to have their own army. The only military force on the planet is ours, and as I’m sure you understand, we intend to keep it that way.”

  “What about the natives? Don’t they have weapons?” Ethan asked, knowing the man wasn’t going to like the question, but too curious to hold it back.

  And he didn’t. It was quite obvious, judging by the frown on his forehead. “Yes, they have, but their weapons are too rudimentary to be a match for our own. They live their lives, and we live ours, and as long as they follow the rules, that won’t change.”

  There was so much coldness in the man’s tone Ethan didn’t doubt they would annihilate the tribes if they dared to stand up against them.

  By then, Ethan was sure the Dreshanians were carefully choosing those they allowed into their colonies, to make sure they wouldn’t ally themselves with the Atheans.

  They returned to the palace, and Ethan found his men gathered in the main room, ready to enjoy the morning meal.

  Chapter Nine

  “Were you out in the city?” Conrad asked him when he approached his friend.

  “Yes, I was. There isn’t much to see, I’m afraid,” he replied, in a low tone.

  “I’m guessing we won’t be able to explore on our own,” Conrad concluded with a slight frown.

  “That’s very unlikely,” Ethan agreed.

  “Did you receive a visit last night?” Conrad asked his expression a bit darker than a minute ago.

  “Yes. I did. One very hard to refuse,” he admitted.

  “These bastards enslave the natives,” there was a lot of barely contained rage in his friend’s tone.

  “I know, but there isn’t much we can do. We’re outnumbered, and I doubt we would get any support from any of the colonies on the planet. I even doubt the natives would help us. The Dreshanians have them well controlled.”

  “I’m not so sure of that.”

  “We’ll have to find a way to get to the bottom of this,” Ethan agreed.

  The morning meal was announced, and they gathered around the table.

  After they ate, Vlyse suggested to take them to the nearest colonies. They would be gone for a few days, but that would allow them to visit some of the most productive colonies on
the continent.

  Eager to get the information he wanted, Ethan agreed.

  “Since we’ll be gone for a few days, I thought you might enjoy taking some companions for the long nights,” Vlyse suggested with a slick grin on his face.

  Ethan decided he hated the man more than ever, but since he couldn’t attack him blatantly and out of the blue, he pasted on his best smile before he answered. “There’s no need to bother.”

  “Oh, it’s a pleasure. The women have been taken to the vessel as we speak. I’m sure they will make the journey a lot more pleasant,” Vlyse dismissed his protests.

  Ethan could see by the looks on his men’s expression they weren’t happy, but like him, they knew this wasn’t the time or place to protest about the way the Dreshanians treated their slaves.

  They were taken to the vessel, one a lot simpler and slower than the ones Ethan owned and a few minutes later they were on their way to the first colony. The women were nowhere to be seen, so Ethan guessed they were kept in a different room. He couldn’t help wondering if Neela was amongst them.

  Despite his feelings for the way the Dreshanians treated their slaves, he couldn’t help hoping she was. If he had to entertain one of the slaves, he wanted it to be her. He knew he wasn’t making any sense, but there wasn’t much he could do. Not for the moment, anyway.

  It took them a couple of hours to reach the first colony they would be visiting. The place was a lot bigger than the city they had left behind, though it still existed behind tall walls.

  “These people provide us with meat. They raise cattle here and grow most of their food. That’s one of the reasons their colony is so big. There are a few more like this one,” Vlyse explained, while they overflew the colony.

  “How many people do they have here?” Ethan asked.

  “Last time we checked there were almost two thousand. They have been here for over fifteen solar rotations, but they don’t reproduce as fast as other species,” Vlyse replied. “Something related to compatibility.”

  Ethan nodded, more interested in the views of the city than the man’s words.

  After a few minutes, they landed, and a couple of vehicles took them to the palace where they were received by the colony’s leader. Ethan was pleased to see they were visiting the Cetian he had talked to during dinner the other night.

  “Ah, Ethan, welcome to our colony,” the Cetian greeted him.

  “It’s a pleasure being here,” Ethan assured him. The man had been most cooperative at the dinner so he might provide him with more information.

  “What a nice welcoming committee, Dreisax,” Vlyse said, oozing sarcasm as he stood next to Ethan.

  “You know I enjoy receiving possible newcomers, Vlyse. That’s why you always bring them here,” Dreisax replied, with a fake smile on his reptilian face.

  “Of course,” Vlyse nodded. “We brought some company for our guests, I hope you don’t mind,” he added, pointing at the women that were coming out of the vessel.

  They were all wearing the Dreshanian tunics and veils covering their faces. Ethan hadn’t seen any of the Dreshanian women wearing veils before, so it surprised him. It also upset him, since he wasn’t able to see if Neela was amongst them.

  Dreisax wasn’t pleased, and he didn’t do much to hide it, though his words didn’t show his displeasure. “Not at all, this is your home.” He gestured to some of his men, and after exchanging a few quick words with one of them, the men escorted the women into the vehicle that would lead them to the palace.

  “I organized a small tour through the colony for you. I’m aware you’ll only be here today, so I thought we had no time to waste,” Dreisax explained, looking at Ethan.

  “Thank you, that sounds great,” Ethan assured him.

  The man nodded and guided them to a few vehicles parked near the docking bay. Unlike the one that had taken the women to the palace, these vehicles were smaller and had no roof, perfect for a tour around the place.

  Each vehicle fit four people, including the driver, and Dreisax quickly arranged things to be on the first vehicle with Ethan and Conrad.

  Vlyse’s expression was comical. The man was furious, but there wasn’t much he could do without putting up a tantrum over something apparently so meaningless.

  Once on board the vehicles, they started the tour. Dreisax let out a loud laugh. “Our friend Vlyse isn’t very pleased with my little trick, so let’s make the best of it,” he said as the vehicle hovered through the city streets.

  Ethan chuckled, not sure what to think of the man’s words. It could be a trap, set by the king and Vlyse to test their level of loyalty, but for some reason, Ethan didn’t believe that.

  “You weren't pleased to see Vlyse brought the women,” he pointed out.

  “And I’m not. I have no idea what your feelings are about slavery, but we Cetians do not believe in it nor do we accept it,” Dreisax replied, with a cold tone. “Despite our feelings, when we first arrived here, we too received what they call the VIP treatment, and the slaves were sent to our rooms the first night,” he explained in disgust.

  “Do they treat every possible colonizer the same way?” Ethan asked, curious.

  “No, just the ones they consider might actually accept their rules and stay here. They have ways to measure people’s level of desperation, and they usually act upon it.”

  “If you weren’t pleased with their rules, why did you and your people stay here?” Conrad asked, intrigued.

  “We were desperate. We had been invited to leave our home planet for not accepting some new rules, and after a few months looking for a suitable place to stay, we were ready to accept almost anything,” Dreisax confessed, scowling.

  “How did you handle the situation?” Ethan asked, curious.

  “The same way you did, judging by the slaves’ presence here,” he replied, shrugging. “We couldn’t allow the women to pay for our beliefs,” he added, with a heavy sigh. “They have tried to force us to accept some of the slaves in our colony, but we’ve resisted it so far. As far as I know, only a couple of colonies have accepted their generous offer,” he explained, with a heavy sigh.

  “Would it not be easier for you to just go along with their requests?” Conrad asked.

  “I guess, but that would end our privacy. They already have too much control over us. These women are carefully trained to spy on you and inform their supervisor of anything they find on the men they have been serving,” he explained, in a warning tone. “If you’re smart, you won’t believe them. They might be unwilling slaves, but they’re trained to get as much Intel as they can.”

  By then, the vehicles were reaching the fields planted with all kinds of vegetables, most of them, utterly unknown to them. The fields were worked by androids.

  “How come you have androids working for you?” Ethan asked. They hadn’t seen one on Ilea.

  “Unlike our friends the Dreshanians, we use every natural resource we can, and that helps us produce more than enough for our own consumption to the point we’re able to sell the surplus,” Dreisax explained. “Like I told you, all colonies are self-sufficient.”

  “Do you have any contact with the natives?” Conrad asked, looking at the vast fields.

  “No, we don’t. We don’t leave the colony without an armed escort. Some have tried, and have been attacked by them. They are not a friendly race, and I believe they have reasons to be so. They’ve never tried to come into our colony, and that’s something I really appreciate. Though I sympathize with them, I would never allow them to hurt my people.”

  The tour included some of the barns where the Cetians raised their cattle as well as some of their factories. The whole city was amazing, as well as the way they were organized. It would have been perfect if it weren’t for the Dreshanians.

  They went to the palace when the sunset on the horizon. They had made a brief stop to grab a bite in a small restaurant in town, but now they were at the palace.

  “Please, get some rest. You’l
l be notified when the night meal is ready. I’ll be more than pleased if you would join us,” Dreisax suggested.

  Ethan and his men nodded as they followed the android servants guiding them to their rooms.

  A refreshing shower was all Ethan needed, but he couldn’t just ignore the Cetian leader request. He took a quick shower, put on a clean suit and went out to meet his men for dinner.

  He returned to his room a couple of hours later, and he was about to enter the bathroom when a woman came out of the dressing room. He had never seen her, but he was sure she was one of the slaves brought by Vlyse.

  “Greetings, Citizen Ethan, my name is Caisys, and I’m here to serve you,” she said, with a mellifluous tone as she bowed her head.

  With a deep frown, Ethan looked at her, for a moment unsure of what to do.

  “Thank you, Caisys, but I don’t need your assistance tonight,” he rejected her as gently as possible.

  “I’m sure I can be of assistance to you, Citizen Ethan,” she insisted.

  “I’m sure you’re a wonderful assistant, Caisys, but I would rather be assisted by the woman sent to me yesterday. Was she brought on this journey?”

  The expression on the woman’s face was remarkable. One thing was for sure – his words hadn’t made her happy.

  “I have no idea, Citizen Ethan and honestly, I couldn’t care less,” she said with a slight frown.

  The idea of sweet Neela in any of his men’s arms felt like a punch in his guts, and he simply couldn’t accept it. “Let’s find out, shall we?” he said, taking the woman’s arm and dragging her out of the room.

  Chapter Ten

  Neela received the news of the journey with a slight frown. Being at the harem was bad enough, but being taken to the colonies as a sex slave was humiliating. She cursed her fate and wished she had been able to escape the hunters that fateful day.

  Typsea ordered them to gather some tunics and the veils they used outside the harem, and she walked them to the vessel herself. She wouldn’t be coming on the journey since the king didn’t like to have her away from him, but she was sending two of her most trusted guards.