Chapter 37

As processing got started Dr Kim was surprised again when the wolves started receiving their due. She could barely hold her tongue and when I spotted her discomfiture I had to ask.

"If you have a question Dr, don't be shy. I can tell you want to know something."

"I was just wondering why the wolves seem to be getting some of the most nutritious parts?" she asked.

"I guess part of it is my fault. The livers, kidneys, and other organs may be the most nutritious, but they're also the parts most people like least. Some of our folks like them a little, but we've always had plenty for them, and the wolves don't really care.

"At the moment they're going to eat absolutely all they can hold and then go somewhere to lie down and stay out of the way. Everyone here knows to come up and mention it if they want some particular part while it's fresh. People get first choice, but the wolves get the next.

"I guess the organ meat is good for them though. Missy's cubs are already bigger than she is and my guess is it's because they've never gone hungry a day. I'm betting they're the best fed wolves anywhere," I said.

"You're probably right and they seem healthy enough. I'm afraid I might have misjudged you," she said.

"Don't worry about it. I was almost positive you were going to from the first time I saw you. It was probably the only sensible conclusion you could come to. I certainly expected it."

"May I ask how we were so transparent to you?"

"The first clue was you were all military and I know women in the military are not treated as respectfully as society might think. You all probably had more than a few run ins which weren't to your liking with male soldiers.

"Men here weren't any better until I killed a few who thought they had the last word simply because they were male. Men of this time had zero knowledge of firearms and they never considered being outsmarted.

"I knew from the start I'd never lose a fight with any of them. It isn't so much I'm more intelligent, it's because I know more. I know better than to fight them hand-to-hand in a fair fight because there's a chance I might lose, or at least be injured. I just go ahead and shoot the ones who give me trouble."

"But that's murder."

"There's no such thing as murder here and even if there were I'd do it anyway. I'm not merely protecting myself. I'm protecting all of them from things I realize and they have no idea about.

"For instance, it can be as simple as basic economics. More women mean more potential offspring. Of course some men are required, but each birth requires the participation of a woman for nine months. It only takes a few minutes for the man to do his part, and then he's done. One man can also do his part for many women while it is a much more time intensive task for the women involved.

"In short, we can dispense with dyed in the wool trouble makers and get along just fine now. Our arrival with modern weapons made men much less of a scarce commodity. My weapons save more men than they cost though and now an intelligent choice is more likely to be made on who stays and who goes."

"Yes, but it is your intelligent choice," she said.

"Not completely. Any of the armed women can make the choice anytime. You for instance. You could choose to kill nearly any man here and it's likely nothing would come of it unless I decided you had to be punished for your wicked ways."

"I'd never do any such thing," she said.

"Never say never, Doctor. You don't have all the information yet."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you think I arrived here hoping to kill other humans on a whim? We live our lives here and do what has to be done when need presents itself. If you see a man beating a woman don't you think you'll want to do something about it? There probably won't be any police to call unless I happen to be near. You might very well be her last chance to live."

Even Mastercard couldn't have paid enough for the look on her face. It was indeed priceless. I knew it was a shock for her to realize she now had the power of life and death over most people here and I could tell at once she didn't like the idea at all.

For that matter I didn't like it very much myself unless I considered what things would be like if I didn't have it. I had considered it though and I knew it would be unfair of me to try passing it on to some appointed judge and jury.

One of the most irritating things about crime and punishment in the place I'd come from was the long drawn out process it took to decide who'd done the crime and what punishment they needed.

Making the effort to make sure the right person got punished was laudable in one sense, but it took so long it was far from effective. I knew no one wanted to go to prison, but years of statistics had proved it wasn't a deterrent. Some people weren't worth keeping around, even back home. Here and now it was something we simply couldn't afford.