Chapter 4

“AI, please permit access to Guardian Kirim,” I requested as Kirim watched me from the screen.

“Access denied, Subject 1341.”

Sighing I took my collar off, making Kirim’s eyes bug out slightly.

“AI, permit entry to Guardian Kirim.”

“Granted, David.”

“Sorry, Kirim,” I apologised once the lift door had opened to allow her entry. “I get so used to wearing the damned thing when I’m doing my service that I forget to take it off.”

“I’m shocked you can. They aren’t supposed to come off,” she replied.

“It’s to protect me when going out and about in society, as I really don’t understand you people and there are some areas where I could get into real trouble if I were a subject, not a slave. It’s one of those weird areas where a slave has more protection, so they gave me that to wear when out in public.”

“Yes, property does have more inherent protection from certain groups,” she nodded. “Though not from the Guardians.”

“I noticed,” I replied with a wry shake of my head.

“That’s why I’m here, to apologise for what we did to you,” she stated, head slightly bowed.

“Sit down, Kirim. I also need to apologise to you and I don’t like doing it looming over someone.”

She sat, though opposite from me on the nearest couch to where the lift was hidden.

“I need to apologise to you for sexually abusing you without your direct consent. I would never have done it unless, as in this case, there was an urgent need to do so. My gift ... such as it is, only works through direct sexual intercourse. Yes, I raped you, but it was only to save you from a life of poverty and rejection. Still, I’m truly sorry, Guardian Kirim, and had there been a better way, I and Cass would have opted for that.”

“I ... I forgive you, David. Monitor Herrick explained a few things and my counselling put things into perspective. Yet it does not excuse what I and my comrades did to you, which was utterly despicable and cowardly.”

“You were wronged, Kirim. Do not ever doubt that, no matter how good the intentions were.”

“Herrick said you were a good man, if a bit of a lost soul.”

“He’s the only one in authority I have dealings with ... well, until yesterday with Empress Amantil,” I shrugged. “I respect him, but I don’t think we’re friends.”

“Yes, the Empress... , “ Kirim shuddered slightly. “If I did not realise just how much trouble we were in. That was a stark warning.”

“You weren’t in trouble. The fault was mine,” I replied kindly.

“Oh, we were in trouble all right; assaulting an Imperial slave could have been a death sentence. And, we really should have been smart enough to know the conditioning would not permit you to do anything illegal,” she sighed, pointing at my bracelet.

I pointed to my neck and her mouth became an almost perfect O of shock as she remembered, I wasn’t a slave at all.

“You’re doubly lucky then. That collar was all that saved you from getting stunned the first time we met. We assumed you were property.”

“I am. I belong to the Empress,” I shrugged. “The collar just protects me from the consequences of life on a planet whose rules I do not understand.”

Kirim nodded then stood. “I must go now, David, but rest assured, I no longer blame you for what happened, though I still feel horribly conflicted over it. I’m glad I have your forgiveness over what we did to you, though other than investigator Minat, none remember now.”

“Herrick must have been in a good mood,” I chuckled. “He’s really impressed by both of you as well. More than he is with me and the steep learning curve I’m on.”

Kirim stepped forward and astonishingly gave me a kiss on the cheek. “Goodbye for now, David. I hope we have a chance to meet again soon.”

“I ... I’d like that a lot, Kirim,” I replied as the lift opened silently behind her without a word of summoning on her behalf.

“I must learn how they do that!” I muttered, before turning in.

I was in late the following morning, though Hiqua and Cassire didn’t complain as I’m sure they’d read the log from Ciolis and what had happened the night before. I simply carried on with my cleaning until lunch, or what I considered lunch as this planet’s mores didn’t really go for that sort of thing. Apparently they normally had a big breakfast and carried on through.

I, however, was a creature of habit, and I’d pop out into the market to one of the vendors to grab a drink of what they called Tuch which sort of tasted like tea and some sort of well-cooked pastry roll filled with faux-meat as I knew that there were no livestock on the planet. They made most of their food from tailored yeast and bio-engineered it into something that I couldn’t tell the difference from the real thing.

I sat close to the stall, which was busy, and simply chatted to the stall owner’s son who was currently off school for back answering the AI teacher hologram and who, like a lot of the lower level young who were failing academically, had his eyes set on enrolling in the Imperial forces. A good few however ended up in debt bondage and were forced to work to pay off their debt either in the entertainment centres or extreme physical work in the mines, where human dexterity could still pay off, or cleaning at the power plant, with the risk of being sent into a radioactive zone. Either way their health suffered if they couldn’t get to an enrolment centre as the Imperial forces were the big kids on the block and took a dim view of people trying to get back their debt slaves.

Solto was a good kid, if somewhat argumentative with authority, though was well aware that arguing with an Imperial Forces instructor was not very smart. The tri-dee movies ensured everyone knew that with their depictions of the hard as nails instructor dealing mercilessly with insubordination to bring the best out of a trainee.

“So what career path in the forces do you want to take?” I asked.

“Have to be ground forces, I haven’t the smarts for fleet,” he shrugged.

“Hope it goes well and you don’t end up in a war,” I replied.

“Almost bound to, David. Empire’s always arguing with someone over territory and expansion.”

“Never gets on the news.”

“You must be watching the wrong news,” he replied with a grin.

“Probably. You know I’m a stranger here and don’t know how things work,” I chuckled.

“Yeah, you’re weird at times but you always talk to me, even when Mamma won’t.”

“Well, you’re my source of info on the Empire, seeing as I can’t find out about anything and you don’t call me dumb for asking,” I laughed.

“Slaves don’t get much info,” he shrugged.

“Yeah, noticed that yesterday when the AI wouldn’t give me a grown-up’s book,” I grinned, making him laugh too.

At this point I noticed a group of men lurking around the medical centre and pointed them out to Solto.

“Street Lion gang,” he replied after a moment’s thought. “This isn’t their territory though and the gangs rarely break cover in the light.”

“Who’s their oppos?”

“Crimson Sons, but they’ll all be sleeping the night off,” he answered nervously as more and more of the Street Lions became obvious.

“Solto, I need a favour.”

“Yep?”

“Go to the medical centre and warn Hiqua, the receptionist. I think they’ll ignore you.”

“No problem, David.”

He was sneaky, I’ll give him that. Rather than just stroll over, he opened a lift behind his Mamma’s stall and appeared from another a minute later in front of the medical centre with his arm in some sort of sling and marched straight in, viewed then ignored by the Street Lions who were scanning any adult males approaching.

“Trouble David?” Mamma Vatu asked, having observed Solto entering the medical centre.

“Hope not, but you know the fun we had a couple of days ago?” I nodded.

“Yeah. Those guys are trying to blend in, but they aren’t from here,” she agreed.

Five minutes later a set of lights on the centre’s building all started flashing red and the Street Lions scattered. That was when I made my move, having spotted one who appeared to be giving orders. He was pulling off his regalia and handing it on to some sort of subordinate. In the distance I could hear the loud speakers of a Guardian squad who were ordering everyone to submit to a location check.

It was clear the guy had some smarts as he moved rapidly away from the direction the Street Lions were heading for to try and get round the blockade. However that just brought him into my reach and I used a couple of swift blows to bring him down silently and used a cloth rag handed over by Mamma Vatu to secure him as the Guardians finally reached the market with a host of minor criminals trying to stay out of their way.

Two went into the medical centre, but another two, who were using some sort of scanner, made a beeline for me.

“You do seem to be popular, David,” came the voice of Kirim from behind the mask.

“Yep, would love to know why too,” I nodded. “Got someone here for you to question,” I pointed out the guy. “He’s gang, but stripped his colours off to avoid attention.”

“Ah, yes, Vazey,” she replied scanning his bracelet. “No official affiliations, but has been seen in areas where these idiots congregate.”