Galaxy Undone, page 3
"You know him?" Caleb asked.
"Anyone who's been in the belt more than a cycle or two knows him. You already had the full experience, so there isn't much more to tell."
"How'd he get to be gang lead with an attitude like that?"
"Are you kidding? That's exactly what they're looking for. Management doesn't want unity among the work groups.That leads to the potential for an uprising. If you're charismatic and strong, if you're a natural leader, then you're a threat. Which makes you a threat."
Caleb exhaled sharply, releasing some of his anger. "At least now I understand why he gave me crap after I saved his life. If I'm a threat now, just wait."
Mathis laughed heartily. "The Creb Show continues. I love it."
Maggie leaned over Reesa from her seat behind them. She had been silent, too afraid to say anything or even move, since Usef had targeted her. Now, she looked at him with wide eyes, still surprised by how quickly and easily he had dispatched Usef. "Thank you," she whispered.
"You don't need to thank me," Caleb replied. "Like I said, we're in the same workgroup. That means we look out for one another."
"I just told you, that isn't what it means," Mathis countered. "Each group works to fill the daily quota, but outside of that it's every man for himself. Or woman." He smiled at Maggie.
"Maybe in the past. Not anymore."
"You have a lot of confidence for a convict."
"That's because this is nothing compared to what I've already been through, or what's coming in the future."
Mathis' amusement faded. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It's nothing you need to worry about," Caleb answered. "For now, we need to focus on the present. I need to find a young woman named Castra."
"Who's Castra?" Maggie asked, not having heard him mention the name before.
"His daughter," Mathis replied, regaining his grin.
"She's not my daughter," Caleb replied. "She's someone else's daughter. Someone important. I promised I would find her."
"Do you always keep your promises?" Maggie questioned.
"He must," Reesa replied. "To get himself arrested to look for her in the belt."
"I try," Caleb agreed. "I assume Primary Station has a datastore with records for all the inmates?"
"Of course," Mathis said. "But there's no way in hell any of us are getting near a manager's terminal, and even if we do, there's no way in hell it would be unlocked. Especially since the three of us are transferring directly to Substation Three. I'm sure only the Station Manager has access to the network link."
"Is there any chance the gang lead can access inmate records?"
"I smell what you're thinking, Creb. Usef can see records for personnel on the station. He won't have access to the entire datastore."
"But he has access to a terminal?"
"He must. He's responsible for adjusting work schedules. Since he hates you now, we'll probably spend extra hours out on the rocks."
"What?" Maggie gasped.
"He said you didn't need to thank him," Mathis replied. "He didn't do you a favor going against Usef like that."
"I would be smashed against the bulkhead right now if he hadn't," Maggie said. "Or at least have two broken ankles.”
Caleb could still hear the moans and cries of the injured, who wouldn't receive any help until they reached the station. Like everything else surrounding the Combine, their inhuman treatment of the prisoners made him sick.
The transport continued at a constant speed toward the station for another twenty minutes before the G-Forces shifted again, signaling the ship's rotation as it prepared to burn off its velocity. They were approaching Primary Station, but with no viewports or camera feeds, Caleb had no chance to watch the approach. He knew from his research that the station was shaped somewhat like a starfish, with six long arms extending out from a central hub. The hub housed most of the critical life support systems and hundreds of living quarters for both convicts and staff.
The arms each ended in a large, circular platform where work groups spent their days mining captured asteroids for precious metals and minerals. As the primary station could only support so many rocks at one time, they’d built the substations to add capacity and efficiency. Since they were mobile, giving them the ability to pick the most mineral dense asteroids in the belt, to gather the best cut of the meat so to speak, and quickly move on.
"What makes Three-C the most dangerous work group?" Caleb asked, glancing at Mathis.
"Substation Three works in the innermost part of the belt," Mathis replied. "The rocks there are too big to bring back to Primary, and the gravitational interactions can sometimes create chaos. So it's already a more dangerous assignment than One or Two. Work group C handles Level Five HVTs. High-value targets. HVT means they're highly profitable with only minimal extraction. Level Five means there are active impacts ongoing in the area."
"Active impacts?" Maggie said. "You mean the asteroids are colliding with one another?"
"Yup. But don’t worry too much. The dropship’s automated systems are good enough to get the workers to the surface most of the time, but once you're there, it's pretty much up to the stars whether you make it back.”
Caleb sensed the spike in Maggie's fear response. "If the asteroids we mine are that large, the odds of being hit are still pretty small, aren’t they? The debris would have to hit the small area we’re occupying."
"Yeah, tell that—" Mathis clammed up in response to Caleb's narrow glare. "Yeah, pretty small. But still more dangerous than any of the other work groups."
"It'll be okay," Caleb said, looking at Maggie. "Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger."
She nodded, obviously still unconvinced.
The transport continued on a vector toward Primary Station for another few minutes before slowing and rotating again as it approached its docking position. Caleb felt a slight jolt through his seat when the ship connected with the station. Then came a second thump that reverberated through the docking arm, likely one of the substation transports attaching itself to the opposite side.
A tone sounded throughout the hold, followed by an announcement over the PA system: "All personnel are to remain seated."
None of the inmates moved as the guards opened the hatch. Two full squads of additional guards rushed onto the transport, armed not with stun batons, but with plasma rifles. Caleb tensed, at first convinced that Crux had gotten a message to the Combine nobility after all, and the guards were there for him. He relaxed when they spread across the deck instead of singling him out.
Once the guards were in place, medical teams rushed onto the transport, floating gurneys trailing behind them. They collected the hurt and dead as quickly as they could, fighting to get through the overcrowded vessel to render aid. Caleb's heart wrenched at the eight filled body bags that went out with nearly thirty additional injured from his side of the hold.
The collection completed, the medical teams left the ship, replaced almost immediately by Crew Manager Nells. "If you're assigned to Primary, stand up now," he ordered. Most of the prisoners came to their feet, including Reesa. "You will come forward and give me your assignment. I'll point you to your gang lead, who you will form up behind in a single line. When I give the word, and only when I give the word, the gang leads will, as their name implies, lead you to your areas within the station. You'll have one hour free time to eat and get settled before your shift begins."
A collective groan rose from the group in response to the quick turnaround.
"The Recruiters didn’t send here you on vacation," Nells roared. "You're law-breakers, all of you. So quit your whining and serve your time."
"The only law I broke was not knowing something that was impossible for me to know," Maggie said under her breath. "It's so damn unfair."
"It sure is," Mathis agreed. "Not that anyone on that side of the coin gives a damn. There ain't much we can do about it."
"Not yet," Caleb said.
"Let's go, people!" Nells barked. "Any delay reduces your free time."
The inmates staying on Primary started forward, stepping up to Nells, who quickly directed them off the ship. It didn't take long before it was Reesa's turn to go.
"Good luck, Mags," she said, leaning over to hug Maggie.
"You, too," Maggie replied.
"See you around, Lucky," Mathis said to Reesa as she passed him.
"Goodbye, Creb," Reesa said, leaning over and kissing his cheek. "Thank you for looking out for us."
"Anytime," Caleb replied.
She offered them all one more wave before stepping into the line and moving forward with the others. Finally, only a few dozen remained in the hold.
"If you're assigned to Substation One, stand up and come forward," Nells said. A group of ten approached him, quickly dispatched to a waiting transport. The same thing happened to the prisoners assigned to Substation Two. At that point, only Caleb, Mathis, Maggie, and Usef remained on the port side of the hold. "Usef," Nells said, smiling at the gang lead. "It's good to have you back."
"Thank you, sir," Usef replied. "You've still got me for a few more cycles. I appreciate the extra time off, though."
"We need our leaders strong," Nells said. "It looks like you have some fresh meat for the grinder." He motioned to Caleb and the others. "There should be a few more on the other side of the hold." He raised his voice. "If you're assigned to Substation Three, stand up and come forward."
Usef joined Nells at the front of the ship as Caleb and the others joined him, leaving him with a group of seven. "This bastard here is going to be trouble," he said, thrusting a meaty finger at Caleb. "I can already tell."
"You know how to deal with trouble, Usef," Nells replied. "I trust you to handle it."
"Oh, I will," Usef laughed. "All right, newbs, transport's this way. Follow me."
He cast one last angry glare at Caleb before turning and marching them off the transport.
Are you having fun yet? Because I am enjoying this so far.
Sure, Ish, Caleb replied. Oodles.
It'll be fun when we kill Usef.
Who said anything about killing Usef?
No one, yet. But I guarantee, he will give you no choice in the end.
Caleb looked at the back of the big man's bald head and wrinkled neck. You're probably right.
CHAPTER 5
While Caleb expected that Substation Three would be small—it had to navigate through the asteroid belt—the cramped confines of the station still took him by surprise. The corridors leading away from the docking arm were narrower by half than those found on Gorgon, with barely enough room for two people to pass each other without touching shoulders. They also weren't as tall as he expected either, forcing him to duck his head down to keep it from scraping the overhead.
Usef guided them along the corridor at a quick pace, turning left at the first intersection and then taking a right after that. A blast door at the end of the corridor opened into the station's primary hub, where the Station Manager had apparently been waiting for them.
She didn't immediately give off the appearance of a manager. Lanky, with loose, wrinkled skin laden with faded tattoos, she had long, once blonde hair that had nearly gone white. Caleb would have thought she was a convict like him if she had been wearing a rocksuit instead of a disheveled uniform.
"Usef, good to have you back," she said, her voice dry and scratchy.
"Thank you, ma'am," he replied, his lack of the rejoinder it's good to be back a stark reminder that even he wasn't there by choice.
Her attention shifted to the newcomers, giving them the once-over before fixing on Caleb. "A pretty sorry lot, except for this one." Her eyes fell on his stamp and she smiled, making eye contact. "A lifer, eh? What did you do?"
"Spat on a recruiter's boots," Caleb replied.
The Station Manager laughed. "You're going to be a pain in the ass, aren't you?"
"He's already a pain in the ass," Usef said. "He doesn't take well to authority."
"We can't afford to have dissension in our ranks. It's life or death out here, and any deviation from standard operating procedure puts the lives of everyone on this station at risk. Do you understand that, Mister…?”
"Creb, ma'am." Caleb answered. "I understand perfectly. Gang Lead Usef and I had a misunderstanding on the transport. That's all."
Usef huffed but didn't counter his statement. The Station Manager broke eye contact to sweep her gaze across the others again. "My name is Station Manager Ezra. That's a mouthful, so you can call me sir, ma'am, boss, chief, or anything else that establishes that I'm in charge of this part of the operation. I've been running the show on Substation Three for twenty-one years. In fact, I'm the longest tenured manager in the Combine. I'm not telling you that to impress you. I'm telling you that because it means I know my job, which means I know your jobs, and how to keep you safe and get you through your cycles alive. You might think I'm some hoity-toit bitch looking to drive you into the rock to meet quotas and get paid. That's partially true. I have a family that needs to eat, too. While you're here, I'm also your mother hen, looking out for you so you can go home to your families at the end of your incarceration. Some other managers might take pleasure in the pain of their gangs. That's not me. The word in Sub Three is survival. You listen to me, you follow Usef, and you'll survive. Any questions?"
No one spoke up.
"Good," Ezra said. "Usef, give them the usual tour. They get fifteen minutes for chow and then I want them at their racks. One hour to rest, and then everyone on the station goes through basic."
Mathis put up his hand.
"What is it?"
"I've already done four cycles. I don't need to run through basic again."
"Have you done four cycles on Substation Three?" Ezra asked. "Nope, you haven't, or I would recognize you. We're a whole different animal out here, 742101."
"My name is Mathis, Boss."
"Noted. Usef, as you will." She pointed at Caleb. "Except him. He comes with me."
"Ma'am?" Usef questioned, obviously confused by her singling Caleb out.
"You have your orders. Get to it."
"Yes, ma'am. You heard her, let's go."
Caleb looked over at Mathis and grinned. "See you later."
Mathis nodded back while Maggie shrugged helplessly and shook her head. They and the other newcomers followed Usef out through the hatch on the other side of the room, leaving him alone with Ezra.
"Come with me," she said, leading Caleb through another door on the left, down a short, dark corridor and into a small office space where she motioned him toward a chair facing her desk. A terminal rested on top of it, along with an empty glass and half-empty bottle of whiskey. There were only two chairs in the room; one behind the desk and one against the wall beside a cabinet containing more bottles of liquor. Hardly inviting. Ezra went to sit in her seat, grabbing up the glass and pouring herself two fingers of whiskey before looking across the desk at Caleb.
"You're not going to offer me any?" he asked, remaining on his feet in front of her.
She laughed as if his question was hilarious. "You have a serious lack of fear in you, Mister Creb. To be honest, it makes me uncomfortable."
"Sorry?" Caleb offered with a smile.
His answer drew an even louder laugh from her before her face turned stone serious, her eyes narrowing. "Fear keeps us alive out here. Without fear, you're a liability. If you're a liability, well then, you're useless."
"Not that I'm not afraid. I just know how to channel that fear constructively, rather than destructively, the way Usef does."
"Maybe you can harness your fear, maybe you can't.” Her expression turned speculative. “What happened between you two on the transport?"
Caleb didn't answer right away, remembering what Mathis had said about management frowning on teamwork. "I didn't like his attitude."
She didn't laugh this time, but he could see the hint of a grin at the corners of her mouth. "He's a mean son of a bitch," she admitted. "That's what makes him a good gang lead. Out on the rocks, you need to look out for yourself foremost. You try to be a hero, you try to help others, you end up compounding the trouble. You know what I mean? If you want to be constructive, you'll do as Usef says without complaint. He's an asshole, but he's cut fatality rates on the rocks by over sixty percent."
"I'm not here to make trouble with him," Caleb said. "I know how to follow orders."
Now Ezra's smile returned. "That's good." She downed the last of her glass and poured herself another. Caleb let his eyes drift from her to her terminal. How hard would it be for him to get access to the computer, if only for a few minutes?
You could knock her out right now.
And if we don't get what we came for, then what? They’ll execute us within the hour.
"What are you still standing there for?" Ezra rasped. "You saw which way Usef went. Better go on and catch up to them if you want to eat."
"Sure, Boss," Caleb replied. He turned and slowly stepped out of the office, noting the strength of the door and its security mechanisms as he exited. Even after the door closed behind him, he remained in the dark hallway for nearly another minute, memorizing the look of the office so he could relay it back to Johan through Vraxis and Penn.
He hurried away when he heard Ezra's chair squeak, returning to the hub and crossing to the door Usef had gone through. He nearly blew right past the group as he traveled down a long corridor, stopping past the door they had entered when he heard Usef's rough voice.
"I’m surprised Ez didn't toss you out of the airlock," Usef said when he entered. "Damn shame." He looked away from Caleb, motioning to rows of equipment along the bulkheads. "We'll be back here later for training on how to use this gear. It's simple enough, even Creb here…” He shot his thumb at Caleb. “...might figure it out. Follow me to the barracks, mess, and head.” He crossed to where Caleb stood, just inside the door, and stopped, facing him. “I’m gonna break you, Creb. And I can’t wait.”
Caleb grinned back. “We’ll see who breaks whom.”
