First Journeys Chapter 20

The rest of the journey was quite uneventful; we slept in actual crew quarters, two cadets to a cabin. I shard mine with Two Three. I had almost forgotten about Bennett Waite and my dilemma. Should I report him? Every morning we repeated that oath and pledge not to tolerate intolerance to other sentient beings. On the other hand I never liked tattle tails. The ship so we were told already approached the Arlicherb system and we were assembled in a conference room and the Instructors kept telling us what an honor it was to be addressed by the Admiral of the Fleet and even be on the same ship.

It didn’t take long and McElligott arrived and gave us our final briefing. Basically, the orders were to stay together, act friendly to the natives and answer questions put to us about the Union in a preferably positive way.

Waite muttered something about the stinking natives that should be bombed and forced to do whatever humans demanded them to do.

To him, I said in the sharpest tone I could muster.” I warn you fair and square, the next time you open your mouth or utter any decratory remarks against anyone, I will report you. I made up my mind! My oath is more important!”

“You would not rat out a fellow human! Not even you could be that low!”

“Don’t test me! I will do what I said!”

“You could always die in an accident!” He hissed.

“I am not afraid of you and the first time we have some time off duty I am going to show you exactly what I think about assholes and bigots.”

From the briefing room we had a view port view of our approach and the landing procedures. Arlicherb was a beautiful world with lots of blues and greens and the sprinkling of clouds. It had oceans and large continents.

According to the information we had received, almost 5 billion Yokuta populated the world and hade several big metropolis. Even though it was considered primitive since the Yokuta reached TL3 it was still a highly industrialized modern world and far busier than Nilfeheim. The Nogoll had the locals under strict control and promoted industrial and agricultural growth, while much of the planets resources and products were drained by the Goats, the locals now had a strong economy. Even though they had some sort of Elder Council, unlike on Nilfeheim, here the young were heard and had a voice.

The Shetland touched down at the planets main Space port. Yokuta ships and Nogoll freighters looked like toys compared to the Union Battle ship.

The Admiral himself inspected out uniforms and state of dress and then we followed a delegation of business men, a delegation of Assembly representatives and a detachment of marines.

The first thing I noticed was a strange smell in the air. Pure coughed and said.” The first thing we need to teach them is how to run a cleaner industry.”

At the bottom of the wide ramp was a Yokuta band playing the Union anthem and several officials in colorful uniforms greeting the Admiral first.

Pure curled his chops.” I never thought my first official mission will be so soon and then a diplomatic one of all things! I hoped for something more exciting!”

I grinned back.” Could be worse. We could be in a big pool swimming with the others!”

Ninio behind me trumpeted in my ear.” I am no expert on Academy procedures but I bet the others didn’t have a leisurely day at the pool and they found a way to make them wish they were with us. We had a good night’s rest and we will get a lot of good Yokuta food!”

Fectiv groaned.” If you find it good, I am afraid already!”

--

Interlude: Planet Odin

GalNet Entry: Saturnian

Genetic altered humans. Previously Corporate owned Clone slaves. Now recognized sub species and own race.

After Earth ascended with the help of the Saran and before Earth became Terra and a founding member of the Unites Stars of the Galaxy (Union), there was a time of fast and virtually unchecked scientific and technological advances. Even before the Ascent, Earth scientists made vast progress in Bionetic sciences and Mega Corporations put great sums of money and enormous efforts into Bionetic and genetic research. Virtually every possible life-form both native to Earth and alien with compatible DNA were crossed, linked, tweaked and genetically altered to create new life forms for all kinds of purposes. It started with the Canadian Organ Donor Swine. Hogs and later great apes were altered to grow human compatible organs that could be transplanted. Almost every settler and colonist group that left Earth to migrate to other world received some form of Genetic tailoring to make them better suitable to their new environments. The Mega Corporations also tried to develop the most perfect soldier, worker and slave.

During the years between 2099-2110 new artificial creates life-forms, ranging from special bacteria, over new fruits and vegetables to new breeds of draft animals and meat producing animals were patented almost daily and literally millions of Patents were issued to corporations for life forms and new gene combinations. While moral and ethical restrictions hampered them before there was no law or moral boundary that restricted research during that time. It produced many successes but also horrible failures and catastrophes. It lead to the Corporate Bio Wars of 2111 to 2114 that escalated into the Bio-Robotnik™ Miner revolt of Rasmussen Planet in 2115 and to the all out Super Clone Wars of 2116 that lasted until 2121 with the Gen Clone Attack on the Terran Assembly. The Clone Wars ended in 2122 with the declaration that all Genetic altering and experimentation with sentient life forms had to undergo the strictest government controls. Any corporation caught in this was to be destroyed, with everyone of the management to be hanged. It also gave all Gene Clones the right of Freedom and self control and to be fully accepted sub species of the Human race with all rights every sentient being was entitled too.

Schwartz Bio Engineering officially did not participate in the Clone or Corporate Wars, but had to release and free all their Gene Clone Products. Among the most extreme were the Alpha-War Workers™, designed to withstand the most extreme environmental conditions and be able to fight and work under crushing gravitation. In one Commercial the AWW’s were praised as a worker that could even work on Saturn if it had a solid surface and an atmosphere to breathe. The AWW’s got the nickname Saturnians. The average Saturnian stood 320 cm and was almost 150 cm wide, with a tough carbon nano tube laced double skeleton, thick carbon nano mesh skin and super dense muscle structure. The average Saturnian could lift up to 2500 kilos under one standard gee, stay submerged under water for up to 4 hours and work in depths that would crush a normal human. This enormous strength and size had a price and they lost much of their fine motoric abilities and no Saturnian can manipulate objects smaller than 3 cm, without cybernetic or mechanical assistance. Saturnians completely lack body hair and, must have artificially implant eye lashes to prevent small particles enter their eyes. Saturnian Women are considered ugly even among Saturnians and usually cover their appearance with Burka like garments.

The Saturnians settled on a large Planet called Odin due to its high natural gravitation of nine gee. They joined the Union in 2210. While Saturnians are able to reproduce, extensive pre and postnatal cyber technical assistance such as the bone structure weaving has to be done artificially.

Today there are approximately 34 Million Saturnians and most can be found either in the United Stars Marine Corps or in the security field. Saturnian Body guards are among the highest paid, especially if they are graduates of the Saturnian Fight and Security Academy. The entire Culture is focused on security and guard duties and is strongly Germanic and duty oriented. Saturnians enjoy extreme sports such as Ultra Wrestling and Beyond Limits Strongman competitions. The Annual Saturnian Strongmen Festivities are among the most watched sporting events in the Union.

Hans was what you would call a troubled youth. He was even among Saturnians considered stronger than most and he had reached almost 350 cm height. At first he seemed to turn out alright. His family considered themselves of German Terran Descent. This was considered a special social bonus as the Saturnians almost fanatically worshipped old Germanic legends of the Riesen (Giants) and the Teutonic knights. His father was First Paladin of the Granit und Eichen Order, a very old and honored society focusing on fighting and guarding the weaker. Hermann Neugruber had great plans for his son Hans and trained him from early on in all sorts of combat related skills. Hans won the Odin wide Schützen meisterschaft, a planet wide marksman ship competition when he was 14 for the third time. After his 15th birthday he was exposed to the Forbidden past, a secret society inside the Saturnian Society that fanatically worshipped historical events of the Terran national state Germany before the Ascent and what was called Earth’s Second World War. His father upon learning his son’s involvement in this society first tried to reach his son with discussion and education. However Hans was in a serious teenager rebellious phase of development and the verbal attempts of his father did nothing. So his father used physical punishment; after that send his son to a distant uncle far away from the city, but close to the space port. Hans and two of his friends had stowed away on a freighter and managed to leave the planet hidden inside a container, their plan was to go to Falkenhorst a planetary society of Human supremacists, not members of the Union, but their planet was deep in Union space.

In their youthful blue eyed phantasies they saw themselves already as hailed heroes of the Falkenhorst society but then everything went wrong. The freighter captain knew very well what was in the container and sold the entire box to a slave trader, the three Saturnians found themselves in shackles and in the training camp of a Death Fight Company on Sin 4.

All this went through Hans head as he stood in the elevator that would take him once again up to the arena, where he would fight as the Terror Hammer.

He had come to Sin 4 three years ago. Erwin had died in the training camp after he attacked and killed two trainers under the withering fire of Kermac Line Blasters and Siegfried had died only five month later from the poisonous sting of a Wurlag after fighting a whole herd of these poisonous monsters. Hans however became a star; he had won every match and was sold to several companies to ever increasing prices and in a champion ship match actually won his freedom. He was officially an employee of the Donheer Syndicate, one of the most powerful ruling syndicates on Sin 4. While he was technically free and no longer a slave and even enjoyed the perks of a mega star, he was not really free. He could not leave the planet as no one would want to get Duke Donheer angry by providing Hans the means of escape.

His opponent today was also of the top league and not a slave but an employee of a different Death Fight company. It was a Saturday night special and transmitted into the Union, with tremendous viewer ratings, merchandise and advertisement tie-ins. Even though Death Matches where illegal in the Union, watching them and advertising with images and footage was not.

He checked his helmet and his hammer weapon one more time and then the elevator platform started moving and he rose into the large circular arena, today filled with boiling oil and floating box islands. It mattered little to Hans. All he wanted was to escape this planet and atone for his sins with his family or die right here like his best friends had. He had no longer any ambitions to go to Falkenhorst or belong to the Supremacists. He made good friends among the strangest aliens on this crazy world. He wanted to make his father proud and become a good security guard or body guard and show that he could be a good son and hopefully be allowed to become a Citizen as he left before finishing Union School, he was technically not a Union Citizen yet.

Nuclor the Death Dealer, pride of the Rillo Syndicate was his opponent for this highlight and title match. Hans was not sure what race or species he was, as he like Hans had fantasy origins made up by the PR department. Despite that Hans was almost certain Nuclor was not from any of the cultures associated to any of the Big Four. Like Hans, Nuclor had fought his way up and won every grueling and demanding death match. While both warriors represented a great deal of investment and business to the Companies, it was not called Death match for nothing and only one would leave the arena. Nuclor relied on a steel ball on a long chain and with it he was an expert par none. He could make that ball dance in mid air, back and forth, entangle opponent’s legs, crush bones and take out eyes and teeth.

Hans stepped from the Lift platform onto the floating square and it rocked back and forth in the boiling blubbering oil. He could still see the gnarled fried bodies of the pre show fight floating in the dark red clear liquid. The air was hot and putrid from the stench of whatever oil they used. He felt very sorry for his opponent already and wished there was another fate, but now he had to concentrate.

Nuclor was almost four meters tall, his arms reached to the ground from his boxy body with relative short but thick legs. This gave the Nuclor a low center of gravity and a sure footed stand, but it came with a price, Nuclor was not the fastest on his legs and this is why he relied on the steel ball with the long chain to keep his opponents at a distance. So far he had not failed doing so, fighting a large number of skilled opponents.

While Nuclor had fans, he was considered the underdog wanting the championship belt. There was an ear shattering roar of 50,000 voices, fans of the Terror Hammer; nicknamed the Hammer Fanatics and all dressed in blue and yellow. Just like the Helmet of the Terror Hammer and they were chanting his stage name. He could not deny it was this chanting did get him going and he felt uplifted by it and always thought he owed the fans for it.

The announcer introduced Nuclor as a man eating beast from another Dimension and as usual the Terror Hammer was from a far distant Galaxy only survivor of a race of Y’All slayers.

While the Announcer was still speaking Nuclor attacked! This was neither fair nor in the rules, but in a contest where Victory meant life and failure painful death, no one was really much on enforcing the rules. All it would do for Nuclor to increase his reputation as a ruthless, no hold bars monster.

Hans had not one second looked away from his opponent and saw the attack coming. Nuclor quickly went to the edge of his float, about three meters end to end and threw the ball. Hans wanted to grab it, but halfway on its way suddenly spikes appeared. Most likely monofilament, able to even penetrate Hans’s tough Carbon Nano tube laced skin. Hans ducked agile, but one of the spikes did scratch over his back.

Nuclor retracted the ball with a fast yank on the chain to drive the hook deep in Hans’s skin. The spike caught and penetrated deep.

He ignored the sharp pain and hoped that the spike was not poisoned, he jumped up as hard as he could and slammed back down on the edge of the wooden float, a splashing tidal wave of boiling oil engulfed his opponent, the forward jump had put enough slack into the chain for Hans to grab the chain and jerked it with force. Nuclor already screaming of pain lost his footing on the now oil slick wooden float of his and fell into the hot oil. Hans kept pulling and smashed his hammer on the head of his opponent, ending all his pain and suffering. The fight was over before the announcer could complete his introduction sermon. The crowd had fallen silent as it always did for a long second when the arena kill occurred. Then they went into a chanting frenzy. His fans elated and the supporters of Nuclor silent. Just as the announcer declared his victory the fastest Boiling Oil Inferno victory; two of Nuclor’s friends, most likely his trainer and manager, both former death match fighters from the looks of it, almost certainly facing a bad fate from the hands of the owner of the opposing franchise jumped into the ring. One was wearing a full battle suit, armed with a force field axe and waded through the hip high oil; he was a four armed Petharian, his crystalline skin impervious to the scaling liquid. The other was a Quadi-Ped wearing a flight belt hovering over the opposite wood platform, wielding a sword of enormous length.

Now this was truly against the rules and would most likely escalate in a bloody syndicate war. However Hans did not expect that anyone would interfere. It would give the spectators an extra bonus, especially since the title match was so short.

Hans had freed the spiked ball from his back. He was certain his wound was deep enough to bleed and judging by the pain he felt, it had torn through a muscle. To be distracted by pain or wounds was a deadly sin in the arena, and facing two experienced opponents who could not back out facing certain death if they lost and perhaps even if they won was quite a challenge even for him.

He still wanted to give his fans a show and stepped back into the middle of the wooden float and closed his eyes, at least that’s how it looked like to the close up cameras, and lowered his arms in a meditative stance, just how he had learned from his child hood martial arts instructors. That Saturnians had two eyelids, to protect them from sand storms and environments that could hurt eyes were a feature only very few outside Odin planet knew about. He could see less clearly but still well enough for this. His opponents were quite surprised by his move and while the Petharian seemed to smell the deception it worked on the Quadi-Ped who flew fast and with raised sword to attack.

The sword came down and would have split Hans’s helmet and skull way past his shoulders, Reinforced skin and bone could deflect a normal blade but not the vibrating mono blade his opponent wielded.

He turned away in the very last micro second grabbed the wrist of the sword holding arm, added to the momentum like a Olympian hammer thrower and with all his inhuman strength flung the Quadi-Ped against the Pertharian who was almost on the floating wooden island. The Pertharian more out of reflex and instinct raised his force field axe and sliced deep into the body of his comrade, and using two of his extra arms to toss the Quadi-Ped aside, who had let go of the flight belt controls, into the boiling oil and kept coming.

The Petharian was good! Very good! Hans’s incredible move had distracted him for less than a heartbeat and he kept his focus on Hans, bringing down the axe and splitting the wooden raft with one stroke, right down the middle and Hans plunged into the scaling, blubbering oil!

His opponent already thinking Hans was done for, did not know that the two centimeters of nano carbon fiber reinforced skin was engineered by Schwartz Bio Tech so long ago, so Saturnians could work on planets and in conditions no normal being could endure. The boiling oil burned in his wound and he could feel the heat all over. He could certainly not endure for long, but he was not in any immediate danger. He was thankful to God that he had closed his eyelids. Hans crouched and exploded out of the boiling liquid right before the Petharian who had raised all four arms in a victory gesture and Hans brought down his hammer with all his weight and strength behind it, he could have felled a Battle robot with that blow and even though Pertharians were among the toughest warriors in the known Universe, it was enough to render the doomed four armed Petharian into a horrible gory mess that collapsed into the liquid.

Hans waded to the other platform to get out as fast as he could.

As he now raised his arms, the audience exploded into ecstatic chanting.

A hover platform descended and took him up before the Five Fight Judges, declaring him the Ultimate Death Champion for the 21st time, and by doing so he surpassed the previous unbroken record of Tabor Tremendous. Making him the most successful Death Fight Champion in history; he could hear the commentators already arguing that this was technically a triple win and should be counted as such. Part of him was disgusted by what he had done, but the jubilations and the effects of his adrenalin induced rush were making him feel elated.

The fat, half Shiss Duke Donheer proved he was quite agile jumped on the floating platform put his arm on Hans shoulder and waved with his other to the crowd. “This is how a Donheer Champion looks like, people. This is how a Donheer Fighter deals with traitors, cowards and cheats! He simply kills them!”

He spoke into a swarm of floating hover cams and raised Hans’s massive right arm. Hans knew this was also a hidden warning and declaration of retaliation to the Rillo Syndicate.

A reporter of Gal Sports floated close and said.” This fight certainly will go down in Death match Sports history. Tell us Champ what motivates you?”

“Eating right, making my Team proud and most of all the legions of Hammer Fanatics. It is my fans first and foremost!”

Only a Union Doctor with access to Saturnian replacement tissue could have fixed his back right, but the team medic, derma patched his wound and if he ever made it back to the Union he would have the normal skin replaced. After he had been doctored up and after a long shower he wanted to go home and find a way to escape from Sin 4. He had a good amount of Credits on the local SII Bank, the only Union Branch bank doing business on Sin 4, the Terror Hammer was about as well known as anyone could be on Sin 4, but no one knew Hans Neugruber. The problem was his stature and size, there weren’t many disguises available and none would really make him blend into the crowd.

But as he emerged from the showers, Duke Donheer accompanied by his ever present Togar Warrior guards intercepted him with a broad smile. “You can’t possibly want to go home. There are big parties in your honor tonight, and you have been invited to a party of Sinister Sports Inc. They made me an offer for you I am contemplating. They want to buy you for 200 Million Credits. No higher sum has ever been offered for a Death Fighter and while I hate to see you go, it would be hard to find new matches for you.”

Hans blinked.” You told me I am free. How can they buy me?”

“This is Sin 4, Terror! You are free as long as it suits me. Now be a good boy and come to the party! Oh and I forgot to tell you, that the doctor not only fixed your back, but implanted a little device filled with Wurgus poison, plenty to kill you. Just in case you decide to be a little more independent I like you to be. Of course you understand that I have to make sure my treasure piece does not get lost.”

Of course he knew how deadly the Wurgus poison even for a Saturnian was. It took all his will power not to attack the man and see if he could twist off the fat man’s head before the poison took effect.” The day will come I am going to make you pay for this!”

“Yes, yes. If I had a credit for every time someone said that, I would not even need to sell you. Do I have to tell you again, or will you come along now?”

Hans gruntingly followed the Syndicate boss and thought what he could do to get out of this predicament.

The party was in Ups, the most northern part of the Upper Continent of Sin 4. The entire continent was more or less one city and Ups was where the rich and Syndicate protected lived. Only the Syndicate bosses themselves lived even more exclusive on their own islands.

He had never heard of an outfit called Sinister Sports and wondered what his fate held in store for him. Hans was very tempted to simply end it. Attack the duke, kill the swine and be done with it. He would have done it if he could be certain he had time enough to kill the man before the poison took effect, but he had seen the effects of Wurlag poison not only on his friend but in the arena many times, it almost instantaneously paralyzed a being and every nerve in the body would wither away, including brain cells and this was a slow and painful death while you were unable to move a single muscle. There was so he heard no known antidote.

The party was big and every delicacy, drug and drink was provided in vast quantities. Even though they had Terran pig roast, his favorite he had no appetite at all. All he did was nurse a big glass of fruit juice.

The host of the party had not spared any costs and there were at least twenty Sojonit Prostitutes and the Mother Superior of the Order was here to make sure the sexual phantasies of the guests were met.

As she was introduced to Hans, the woman in the revealing red outfit and in Hans opinion creepy face mask said to him.” You would not have any special phantasies?”

“I do, but I doubt the Sojonit could help me in my case.”

“Why don’t you give it a try and tell me? We are known to fulfill even the most unusual requests?”

Hans was not in the mood to talk to a masked prostitute or pretty much in the mood to talk to anyone. He barley contained his anger and frustration. He was traded like merchandise, forced to kill and fight until they decided to kill him per remote or giving him opponents and challenges in the arena not even he could survive.”

He wanted to walk away but she put her gloved hand on his chest and said in a whispering way.” I can help you Hans. You need to trust me and follow me so we can talk undisturbed.”

Duke Donheer was not far but he just waved and said loud.” Yes Terror, go with the Sojo and have a little fun! You deserved it! It’s all on the house so no worries about the fees.”

He was quite surprised that the Sojo knew his real name and he had not much to lose, so he nodded and followed the woman.

The party happened in a huge and expensive decorated, three level penthouse on top of a sky scraper, complete with in and outdoor pool and roof top park. The Sojonit Sisters had set up a series of pink tents on that roof garden and she took him to one of these flimsy looking tents.

She pulled the flap aside and let him in and after she closed it she said.” Now we can talk openly, these tents are shielded against any known spy and surveillance technique including telepaths.”

“Lady, I am not in the mood to have any intimate conversation or something else with you. I came because I was intrigued how you knew my real name.”

“Even though we have ways to satisfy the appetites of a Saturnian,” with these words she suddenly changes shape! Her form started to flow and expand and in a mere moment she had the physical size and attributes of a female Saturnian. I do this to show you that our reputation is well earned and that we have means and ways beyond the grasp of men. I also can read minds and when I sensed your troubled mind, I looked deeper and this is why I think I can help you. Help you to get home!”

The sudden change actually frightened Hans quite a bit. He knew of no species that could so easily change shape and add so much volume and mass. That she was no hologram or Virtu projection he somehow knew for sure, of course if she was a good telepath she might be able to make him see and believe anything she wanted. He tensed his muscles, just to be ready.” Lady, if you read my mind and you are indeed a Telepath then you know that it is quite impossible for me to leave now.”

“I know about the Wurlag Poison Injector in your back. Right now Duke Donheer could press his button all he wanted, the signal would not reach that device and if you let me help you, then you will leave this tent without it.”

I am still green, Sojo. I know that but even if you can help me. I need to know the price. There is nothing free in this Universe.”

“You are, or you will be a Union Citizen and yes there is a price for you to pay. The Terror Hammer dies when you leave this world and you become a lawful citizen. You cannot return to this sport or even related legal sport. You will be Hans Neugruber again and you must find lawful employment, perhaps with the Union Police, the Fleet or something like that. Large Corporations are out as well. Sinister Sports for example is muscling in on the Death Sport scene and they do it with methods that make the Syndicates look like angels. Sinister Sports is secretly owned by Galakto Entertainment and they are not by accident in the same office building as the SII Bank, if you know what I am getting at!”

Hans knew about Galakto, they owned several Casinos and he had overheard the Duke taking about them as being a dangerous business opponent with incredible resources and no scruples. “But Schwartz Industries is a lawful and good Corporation in the Union and Death Sports are highly illegal in the Union!”

“Hans, SII cares about one thing only and that is profit. Death Sport is huge. Do you know what viewer ratings of 45 percent mean on a market with over a Centillion GalNet subscribers? Neither you nor I can imagine the sums of money involved. None of the Ultra Corps would think twice decimating planets for business like that.” She sat down on a Divan.” Now we are getting away from the current situation. You have not answered me if you are willing to pay that price. I know there is a part of you that enjoys the attention and the arena and I know you could be tempted to do this on your own if you would be free.”

“Lady I would give my right arm to go back to Odin and my family, finish Union school and atone for my sins, not that I could even hope to live long enough to atone for one percent of them.”

“Good, that is what I needed to hear. Getting you off this planet won’t be easy as we have to fool both the Donheer Clan and Sinister Sports, and you are not someone we could easily disguise, but it is not impossible. It also musty happen without anyone knowing of my involvement, but first let me make you a free man and take out that Poison Implant.”