Human Legion: Marine Cadet Part 23

"What do we say to the others when we get back?" asked Springer.

"That's your call," replied Madge. "After all, it was your dumb idea to get Beta's food back."

"We tell the truth," Springer said through clenched teeth. "We got Beta more food. How we did it is none of their business."

* Chapter 31 *

"There's gotta be a Hardit weakness we can exploit." Arun scanned the slumped forms of the Beta Aux, but he couldn't detect any signs that his pleas were inspiring them. "C'mon, we've all been to the same school. We've been trained to look at a combat scenario and uncover the enemy's weak points."

"Don't you think we've tried," said a tired voice from a figure crumpled against the back wall.

"What's your name, friend?" Arun tried to pitch his words carefully: encouraging and friendly. It wasn't easy. He looked at these wretched almost-cadets. He felt pity for them, but more than that, anger. Fury that these people who were almost like him had been treated so foully, but even more rage that these pathetic specimens had allowed themselves to sink so low so quickly.

"Miller," replied the voice from the back wall. "Adrienne Miller." She sounded as if she had to search her memory for the name. Arun recognized the voice as the girl who had taken their clothes and sneered at their attempt to win back some food. Number 87.

"Well, Adrienne, I don't want to kick a girl when she's down," said Arun, "but there's one big difference between us and you. I fully intend to get out of this. That's tough on you but we all know it's true. I think my hope can spark inspiration, a fresh look at old problems. There's no harm in trying, eh?"

Adrienne simmered with resentment. Until he saw that look, Arun had recognized her voice from before but not her face. All the Aux had the same clothes, cropped hair, grimy faces and look of hopelessness. It was as if their personality had been abraded away, leaving worn stubs where once there had been people. Hortez had a little of his old flair left, and Adrienne had her resentment. Soon even those would be gone.

"How about rivalry?" suggested Madge. "Some Hardits are senior to others. That's got to mean resentment somewhere in the system."

"Never gonna work," said Hortez. "Sure they don't get along like perfect buddies. Sushantat is the number two. She resents Biljah who's in charge and so does no work. Tawfiq is treated like dirt by the others. We think she might be a lower caste. Hen thinks she's too good to be mucking out the humans. She's so deliberately lazy that she actually works hard at her laziness."

"Hold up," said Springer. "You've just given us a host of grievances. Sound like pretty much all the Hardits hate being here."

"That's right," said a new voice from the crowd. "But it won't help you. However big the divide between Hardit clans and individuals, it is nothing compared to the gulf between Hardits and humans. Most of them are arrogant, lazy, and cruel. But they aren't stupid. You'll never be able to play one off against another."

"But this is working," Madge insisted.

"Is it?" asked Adrienne.

"Sure it is." Madge sounded excited. "We're just getting started and already we've got a list. They're lazy. They're cruel"

"And we already know they struggle with the heavy air and don't like going topside," said Arun. He looked into the Aux faces. Most had turned away, already given up on the stupid newcomers. They'd taken the extra bread Springer's group had won from Cliffie, but that hadn't won the right to lead the group. Hortez was trying to look encouraging but wasn't doing a good job.

They were losing them.

"What about s.e.x?" Arun said. That got a look of contempt and disgust, so he added quickly: "I mean between the Hardits. Are there any romances between them? A couple who would seize a chance to canoodle, thus giving us a chance to do something while they weren't looking?"

Hortez answered. "Forget it. Put Hardits together and they rub each other constantly. They don't understand privacy. I mean Sushantat will be talking to us, giving us a good yelling, and Hen or Tawfiq"

"Or both," laughed Adrienne.

"Yeah, maybe both will be sneaking their tails inside Shushantat's overalls for a good fondle. Some of the guys think that's rubbing the team scent over each other, but I'm sure it's more than that."

"They're all females," added another voice from the crowd. "If we live long enough, we'll find out about mating season, but most of the time Hardit females and males avoid each other."

Hortez stood up. "I got something. Well, I think. I dunno..."

"C'mon, man," encouraged Arun. "Spit it out."

"It's like this. Looking after an Aux team is like mucking out the pigs."

"What are pigs?" Springer asked.

"An Earth animal," Hortez replied. "Doesn't matter. Point is, our overseers have sunk to the most demeaning job possible. They hate that. They take every opportunity to humiliate us because we're the only people even lower than them. I guess it's some kind of consolation."

"Brilliant!" Arun packed as much enthusiasm as he could as he slapped Hortez on the back. "Knew you'd come through for the team, man."

"He hasn't said anything useful yet," said Miller. "Besides. It's easy for you. Oh, I'm so clever because I have all these fancy ideas. You'll go back to your nice clean bunk in a week, sleeping on sheets laundered by an Aux slave, a belly filled with Aux-cooked food. How does any of this drent you've been talking actually help me?"

"I don't know yet, Adrienne. But I'm gonna come up with something. I promise."

Adrienne snorted. "What about you, 114?"

"Believe in him, sister," said Springer.

"I know he's annoying," added Madge. "Horden knows I'd leave him here behind with you if I could. He's unreliable, stupid, lazy..." She gave Arun a baleful stare. "Disloyal. Frankly, he's an imbecile whose head is ruled not by his brain but by something a few degrees south of there. But there is one thing I can't take away from him. When it comes to Scendence, he's the best Deception-Planning player I've ever seen. Some say his head is wired up like an organic battle computer. You all know that most scuttleb.u.t.t flying round the base is steaming with drent, but I am certain of one thing. If there's one person who can come up with a plan to improve your lives, it's Arun McEwan. You just need to give him a few facts to work on, and time to think."

Arun grimaced. He'd hoped to get some fresh ideas to feed into his planning brain. But he'd heard frakk all of any use and now even Madge was building him up into a messiah.

If he was going to come up with any bright ideas they'd better arrive soon, or he would be stuck in this stinking hole for the rest of his short life.

* Chapter 32 *

Arun leaned over and tapped Madge on the knee. "Hey, Corporal Majanita! Can I ask a question?" When she didn't immediately respond, he whispered: "Have you got a blade? I don't mean a weapon, just something that can cut."

Madge lifted the brim of her hat to give him the benefit of a foul look. "And I was having such a lovely dream."

"No you weren't. You had one eye open, watching that Adrienne. I don't blame you, either."

"Well, keep it quiet anyway," she whispered. "Springer's snoring away. I can feel her rumble through my back. She's sweet when she's asleep."

Arun tried to lean closer still to Madge without disturbing Hortez whose weight was heavy against Arun's spine. Like most of Team Beta, the newcomers slept back-to-back because with over 50 people in a room 8 meters by 4, there was no s.p.a.ce to lie down. Even the strongest only managed to slump against the walls, using discarded clothing as a layer of insulation against the cold plastic skin of the wall and still wearing their dirty hats.

The initiation for newcomers varied depending on the mood of the Hardit overseers, but always included the order to strip naked, and don the heavy overalls through which they could send punishing shocks into their human workers. To wear any other item of clothing was punishable by death; the Hardits were very clear on that point.

At first Arun a.s.sumed the no-underclothing order was so the effect of the electric shocks wasn't diluted. That may be the case, but after the experiences of his first day, and talking with the Aux, he saw a new pattern of Hardit behavior.

The aliens had no qualms about inflicting pain, mutilation, and death, when it suited them, but they quickly tired of such things. What drove them was not sadism but the desire to lord it over the humans. The lower the Hardits could grind the humans into the dirt, the more superior they felt.

They could have destroyed the discarded human clothing, forcing them to shiver in the cold during their allotted sleep shift. Instead they were allowed to use the moldering and insect-ridden clothing as nesting material. The garments piled against the back wall during the day were now spread out over the floor and piled on top of the slumbering Aux. Forbidden to wear their own clothing, the humans were expected to be grateful for permission to burrow under these reminders of their shattered lives like feral animals.

The Hardit skangats found that very amusing.

By now, Arun had shuffled closer so he could whisper into Madge's ear, Hortez having slumped away to lean against the shoulder of another Aux.

"I know you, Madge," Arun whispered. "You're sneaky. Have you a blade, shiv, sharpened rock? Anything that would cut?"

"Get a grip of yourself, cadet." There was a hard edge to her whisper. "Out of earshot you will address me properly."

"Sorry, corporal."

She glared.

"It's those Hardit vecks, corporal. I can see how this plays out. Every day they'll make me watch you being beaten and humiliated. I can't take that forever. I'll break. I know I will. I'll punch them in their stupid snouts. And then they'll kill me."

Madge thought over his words. "Only if you let them, McEwan," she whispered back. "I know I gave you a hard time when you stood up for me this morning. That was to make you angry. I mean, sure you were dumb to do what you did, but dumb is what you are. I was trying to give you the gift of anger, though Horden knows you don't deserve any gifts after your serial frakk ups. Give in to your rage. Seethe at the injustice all around. Use that energy to fight your instincts and stay alive."

"But do you have a blade? I promise it isn't to use as a combat weapon against the monkey-vecks."

Madge sighed. "You'd better be telling the truth, McEwan." She lowered her voice to the barest whisper. "Springer and I had flexible las-blades sown into our underwear. We've got needle and thread too."

Arun nearly laughed at that but cut himself off just in time. "Good old, Rekka. She always said a well-prepared Marine always goes into battle with needle and thread. Guess she was right. "Now, don't be coy, corporal, it doesn't suit you. When you said underwear, which piece? It's not as if you're actually wearing any."

"First you tell me your plan."

"It involves you making a great sacrifice." Arun looked shamefaced: he'd not fully thought of what his idea meant for Madge. "I'm sorry. Really, but I want you to help me stay alive."

"Stop vulleying around, McEwan, and tell me what you want me to do."

"It involves taking off your clothes."

The flicker of disgust on Madge's face was swiftly replaced by the shock of understanding when she figured out what Arun was planning. She slid into the s.e.xy pout she'd often worn in happier times when they'd still been novices. "For you, darling, anything," she said. "You clever boy. You'll find what you're looking for in our bras."

Springer had sensed the change of mood and woken. Hortez snored on. None of them offered to help Arun in his task of locating the undergarments in the room packed with sleeping Aux. So he set about his task, trying his best to ignore his two grinning comrades while he whispered apologies to the Aux as he jostled them awake. He rammed his hands underneath them in search of two items amongst the sea of nesting material.

His squadmates would be recording this. Of that he had no doubt. The data flow down their optic nerves would be copied into their auxiliary storage implants. If they ever made it back to hab-disk 6/14 alive, the story of Arun and his nighttime bra hunt would spread wide, and he would be a figure of fun for the rest of his life.

Couldn't the girls see that this was important? Just for once he'd prefer them to be more like robots.

Eventually Springer and Madge tired of their fun and joined the bra hunt. A confused Hortez looked on, slowly coming to his senses.

Perhaps the relative freshness of the newcomers' clothing was a highly prized luxury. Everything else placed next to their skin was greasy and stained. Their pants and shirts were in use as blankets, but the bras were more difficult to locate. They found Madge's stuffed down the front of one Aux's overalls. He said it was just insulation; they said it const.i.tuted wearing forbidden clothing. He gave up the bra without a fight.

Springer's bra was the most difficult to find. In the end it was the look on Adrienne's face that gave her away. By now, most of the Aux were awake and resentful, offering mumbled curses and scowls but not resistance. Adrienne's expression was different. Underneath the annoyance was a defensive look. She had something to hide.

When Madge and Springer searched her, they found she was actually wearing Springer's bra, even though it was so tight it must have been uncomfortable. Adrienne didn't fight back as they stripped her of the garment, but they knew they had made an enemy there, and a dangerous one. The other Aux seemed afraid of Number 87.

Once they'd gathered the underwear, the Blue Squad comrades pushed their way to one of the walls, huddled together and set to work.

Adrienne spied on them. Arun began to wonder whether she was a snitch, spying for the Hardits in return for some pathetic sc.r.a.ps of food or favors.

Hortez and Arun shielded the girls by standing up, arms folded and glaring at Adrienne. She pretended to lose interest but kept throwing sly glances their way.

Arun caught a whiff of burning and then Springer swapped places with Hortez who was an expert with needle and thread.

You never quite knew what would happen next with Springer, which was one reason why she was so popular. One thing was for sure: she didn't have the patience of Hortez.

The next time Adrienne spied on them, Springer gave a cry of rage and barged through the crush of people, aiming straight for her. Adrienne looked away. Then she looked back but Springer was still charging toward her. The Aux woman blanched, getting to her feet just in time for Springer to slam her down onto her b.u.t.t. Springer sat down, straddling Adrienne's lap.

Springer kissed her. She embraced the Aux girl with the same furious energy that had propelled her across the room like a missile. Springer never did things by half, which is why Arun both adored her and was scared of her in equal measure. Her hands roamed down Adrienne's back, squeezing and kneading.

Arun looked on, astonished. Springer's eyes blazed with violet, a light so intense that the glow lit up Adrienne's face. He caught Springer glancing back at him. Her glowing eyes were like a laser range-finder searching for some reaction from him.

Then she was back in Adrienne's face, drawn back by Adrienne herself who had pushed Springer away at first, but was now clutching at her hungrily.

"That's quite a display," said Hortez who had finished his task. He punched Arun on the arm.

"Please, Hortez. Give our Springer some respect. She's not putting on a display for our benefit, and she's not doing that for pleasure. She's making a diversion to distract that snitch."

"Sure, man. It's that too."

Before Arun could think of an answer, Springer gave one of her own. She broke off, shoving Adrienne against the wall. Number 87 looked on helplessly as Springer hawked up a mouthful of spit. But at the last moment, Springer changed her mind and didn't unleash the gobful at the cowering girl.

From someone who a few moments earlier had shown more spirit than any of the other Aux, Adrienne now looked lost and fearful. Then she started to sob.

Springer left the weeping girl alone and rejoined her group.

Arun had no idea what that was all about but Hortez grabbed Springer's arm as she walked past. "You've still got pity in you," he said. "That's good. Don't let them drive it out of you. Don't hate us, not even Adrienne Miller. It's better that you pity us."

"You always did deep-talk nonsense, Hortez," said Springer. "I don't hate you Aux."

"Give it time," said Hortez. "You have plenty left to see."

* Chapter 33 *