Humanity in the Deep

Kat hated programming, although she could do it. All pilots had to be able to. Even Roger could after a fashion.

She and Camie were both on the captured boat, working under threat of death.

She spoke over the radio the locals gave her. “Ready to send the first test sequence.” A throaty and mechanical voice responded with, “Proceed.”

She keyed her program to start while Camie hit some random buttons like she was told. Her boyfriend had managed to bluff them into thinking she was good with programming.

The sight of the packed auditorium watching a man being tortured was never far from any of their minds.

With the press of a button, the first of a dozen transmissions were sent to the local computers. Getting the entire database would take time, but at least it might keep the six of them alive for a while.

Camie put some headphones on and said, “Sounds good to me, at least as good as their language ever sounds.”

The entirety of knowledge and understanding of the grid would soon be at their fingertips. It would be easy to erase the database entirely. Kat had almost done it several times. Every time she thought about that poor man being tortured, she almost did it. Every time she thought about the good men and women who were killed, she almost did it. A year ago, she probably would have, death sentence or not. It was not like she had long to live anyway.

Roger was what made her stop. When she thought of him, she had hope for the future. Hope she would see him again, hope that he would find a way even if she couldn’t.

---

Kat and Camie made it back to the cell without being hurt.

The others were already there, they also looked unhurt.

When the hatch was closed, Corwin said, “Ensign,” and gesturing to Camie. Jacklyn sighed, looked at her father with an annoyed look, and then moved off to loudly talk to Camie.

Everyone else huddled together to talk quietly.

“What progress have you made, Sergeant?”

“I’m done. It should play out fine, all our knowledge is theirs. The boat is still powered.”

Bruce Sturgeon spoke up. “That won’t last. If anyone here has sense they will be taking out the NEG’s, I doubt they would have any problems using them.”

Corwin asked, “What kind of benefits would that have? Unless they were seriously downplaying what their ships are capable of, they were hardly made with that kind of power in mind.”

Bruce scratched his beard. and said, “If they really are using old style batteries or fission reactors, it could as much as half the ships mass and double the internal space. Beyond that would depend on how hot their drives can reach, maybe triple their nominal maximum delta-V? Little more?”

Not for the first time, Kat said, “We can try and take it back. I think I know the way there.”

“We talked about this. It’s too risky. If we were lucky, we would just end up back here, beaten. We would have to go through more than a mile of passageways, not to mention we don’t even speak the language. We can’t even read the signs on the bulkheads.”

“We have to get them to take us down to the planet. Once there, we might be able to get away.”

It was not much of a hope, but at that point, any hope was better than none.

Isaac spoke up, “What if we had to go down? The nuclear-electric cable filaments are not aligning correctly; I made a mistake on the last batch. What if we couldn’t make them without gravity?”

Corwin asked, “Sergeant? Would they be able to look up that we were bullshitting them?”

Kat, excitedly said, “Nope, the translations aren’t that good. Would at least take a while for them to figure it out.”

Bruce said, “We are going to need something promising to show them, but nottoopromising. I should be able to cook something up.”

---

Kat had just returned to their cell. She had been separated from the others to help with taking out the three nuclear electric generators from the boat. It was looking like Bruce was right. They were going to try and fit them onto their own ships.

Shortly after she got back, Corwin was pushed into the cell. Once he righted himself, she saw that he only had four fingers on his right hand, his pinky stub had a med patch on it.

He said, “I...I did it. We’re going to the planet.”

He turned to Camie and said, “I am so sorry,” with a look of horror on his face.

---

Even with the drugs, being under gravity again was painful. It felt like she had someone on her back. She supposed that they should feel lucky the locals let them take their gravity drugs at all.

In front of her was Bruce and Jacklyn, both walking slumped over and in pain. Behind her was Isaac and Corwin, who was sobbing quietly. Looking up, Kat could see The Palace, where Camie still was.

Isaac and Camie had spent the night holding each other, as if that would stop them from being separated. He had tried to take her place, but their captors just laughed.

Kat thought he would attack them when they were separated, but he just had a defeated look on his face.

From what they learned about the planet, it was the local’s home world, where they came from. How that was possible, she had no idea.

The planet’s air was thick with some kind of dirty, yellow fog. It was hard to breathe at first. Everything looked dusty and dirty.

She grew used to it as time wore on, but it made her sad. Before she met Roger, she would have missed it, but looking around, she could see what the planet could be, buildings standing tall, the strange purple plants tall but delicate. Even Earth maintained its environment. The idea that anyone would allow their own atmosphere to get so bad was shocking. It did explain at least part of why all the leaders were in orbit.

They were marched across a large expanse of pavement. After departing the ship, Kat noticed that the guards spent more time looking around them than at them. Either they were very sloppy, or they really were there in part to protect them.

They arrived at a large building that appeared better maintained than most. It was surrounded by guards that wore different uniforms than the men on the asteroid.

The guard handed the keys to a man who came out of the building. He was wearing what looked like low profile purple armor that was stylized heavily. He made a waving motion with his hands and some of the guards walked off to a nearby car. Digging around the box he’d been given, he put on a translator. Leading them through the large building, he said, “This factory is at your disposal. Any materials you need I will see that you get. You have one month to start production of the cable.”

Kat guessed it might be a step forward. But seeing all the guards, the size of the building, and having left Camie behind, she was having a hard time seeing any hope. But at least it was possible; they would have to get past the guards and out of the building, but it could be done.

Next, they were taken to a large room with five beds. Much better than the stone they had before.

“These are your quarters. If you would like any entertainment, please tell my men.” He handed a translator to one of his men.

There was a rack with clothing on it in the corner. It had everything from dresses to what looked like work clothing.

Their shackles were then taken off and the men left the room.

---

Kat woke up after the most restful sleep she had had since being captured. Corwin was rummaging around the clothes rack. Everyone else was still asleep.

Kat approached him. He quietly said, “No bugs in the clothing. So much for that theory.”

“You mind?” she asked, looking down at her torn clothing. She was looking forward to getting something that did not look like it belonged in the trash bin. What few clothes they had been given on the asteroid had felt grimy and had many tears.

He turned his back to her.

She found a long dress made of an ugly gray fabric that she was able to get on. Putting it on made her think of Roger; he loved her in long dresses. She could almost feel his hand on her side as she put it on. Corwin said, “I need you to keep a watch on Isaac, I’m worried.”

“You can turn around now.

“I don’t think he’s going to attack them again,” Kat stated.

“That’s not what I mean. I think he might become a danger to himself or to us. We need to keep an eye on him. The kind of despair he is feeling can be dangerous.”

The doors opened, and Kat smelled bacon and eggs of all things. The rest got up quickly; captivity made them all light sleepers.

The locals waited for the last of them to get dressed, and then lead them out of the room.

The leader, again in his purple armor, was wearing a translator and sitting at the head of the table. To his right and left were subordinates. There were five other places set; the foot of the table and two on each side.

Against the far wall was a raised platform; it was too short to be a counter. Kat couldn’t figure out what it was for.

Corwin took the foot of the table, and Kat took the seat to his right.

They began the meal; they all ate slowly and in silence. Abruptly, the man in purple said, “I am Tyra, and I hope the food is enjoyable. You are here to work, but that does not mean you have to...” He paused and motioning with his hand like he was trying to grab onto the right phrasing, “...be treated poorly.

“We can treat you well,” he said a few words that the translator missed.

Two naked women and one naked man came out. They walked to the platform and began gyrating.

“They are yours now. You may do with them as you wish,” he said, looking at Corwin with a dismissive wave at the three dancers.

Kat saw looks of disgust and pity cross the faces of her group, and she felt almost physically ill. Corwin paused momentarily then with more control than Kat could have managed said, “Thank you.”

“I can provide you with more things, better food, more unincorporated whatever you need. I just need a few things fixed and maybe a few things made.”

Corwin then said, “I’m sure we can help. We will need some of our gear back.”

Tyra smiled menacingly and said, “I am sure that can be arranged.”