OMEGA Exile (20 page)

Mo looked at Joni. "The fact that he stands out will help him to blend in as well. Spies don’t like to be noticed, and
he
will definitely be noticed. So, Mr. Huber, here is your credit store. You have 213 credits to your name. I would suggest getting a dumpy apartment two blocks from the warehouse in the Heretic Place rental community. Believe me, it sounds even better than it is. It would be where someone looking for a job at the warehouse might stay. They rent by the half day also, so you might even split an apartment with someone on the other shift.

"When you leave this office, go down this hallway until it ends, turn left, and work your way through the storage area. Tell the guard that Mo said to let you out into the alleyway. Once you are out that door, you are on your own. I will enter your information into the job site, so all you have to do is walk in the door there tomorrow morning. If you don’t get hired, just come back to this office. Otherwise, I will meet you in three days at the Cardo Lounge. It’s six blocks west of the warehouse. Be there when your shift ends and sit at the bar."

As I stepped up to the door to leave, I turned back to the desk and nodded goodbye. "Mo, Jetta."

I couldn't help but laugh at her new name as I left the office to a half-scowling Joni. I made my way to the exit door, and the guard let me out into the alley as planned. I was now on the streets of the Adicus capital city, Chursey. It was everywhere that I had never wanted to be.

Like most of the Alpha sector the people of Chursey were overwhelmingly Igari. Wearing my flowery shirt, I was the object of many a chuckle, but they were all careful to not anger the big Grunta that was passing them by. The walk over to the warehouse district was eighteen blocks. I enjoyed the walk even though my springy step brought even more curious looks.

Heretic Place rentals wasn’t much more than a shantytown. Cheap plastic one-room "villas," as they were called, held a stand-up shower, a small commode built for an Igari, a sink, and a hot plate for cooking. There was no refrigeration unit, and the bed was a half-meter short of my needs. The unit had four walls, a door, and a metal roof with no insulation.

Nights on Adicus were cool, but I was a Grunta, so I didn’t much care. We weren’t cold blooded, but my thick skin insulated me from extreme cold and heat. Cool nights would not be a problem. Besides, I was an out-of-work Grunta with only a few hundred credits to his name. The Heretic Place rentals would be exactly where I would stay if my life was my current situation.

The landlord gave me a key and told me I would have to work out my sharing arrangement with the Igari worker who worked the night shift. Adicus ran on twenty-two-hour days, and shifts ran eleven hours on, eleven hours off, every day. If I got the job, I would be expected in before the other worker left. Unless we bumped into each other at work, we would never see each other. Again, I didn't much care, as I was not looking for immediate friends.

I walked the distance to the Cardo Lounge and ordered up a frozen drink. When the eight credits were deducted from my credit store, I cringed. I looked around at the sad faces of those who toiled all day only to drag themselves to the watering hole for a few hours of cheer before heading home to do it all over again tomorrow.

The following morning, I was up and out of the shared rental before the Igari returned from his night shift. I walked into the front of the warehouse and into the office area. The Igari that worked the personnel office was called out to meet me for an interview. His initial shock and intimidation were soon overridden by my easy demeanor and my apparent eagerness to work. When the warehouse supervisor came out, he was all smiles at the sight of the big Grunta standing before him.

I was given a badge and encouraged to start work immediately. I did. When the shift ended, the other loaders asked if I wanted to go out for a drink. As I held my credit store up to the pay module, I nodded in agreement. We met at a bar just around the corner from the warehouse, and my new coworkers were all too eager to show off their new monster of a box loader. Two hours after the evening began, the other workers began to stumble out, heading for their respective hovels. I walked back to my rental and plopped down in the short bed.

The following morning, I had no issue with getting up and heading for work. I stopped at the local market and loaded up on foods that would bolster my energy. The workday flew by, and I was again invited out for a drink by the crew. After the first couple of rounds of drinks, they began to loosen up.

I said, "So, Dotta, what is through those red doors that we are told to stay away from? Do they have live animals back there or something?"

Dotta laughed. "Live animals? No, we are just told not to discuss it. I keep waiting for the security forces to bust in there and find a thousand liters of bleurgh or something. I don’t want to be around if that happens."

Kanki laughed. "They are probably lacing the water with it to make us work harder. I heard they are going to be asking for double shifts."

Lodexa added, "My cousin says it’s weapons for a rebellion."

The other Igari suddenly went quiet.

Dotta leaned in. "We told you to not say that out loud. If that is what is back there, we may all be involved in it one day. Until that happens, I don’t want to jeopardize my job. If the wrong person overhears you, they will send in security troops and shut the place down."

That was my cue. "Do the people here resent the ruling families as well? There was a lot of unrest in the colony I came from. Everyone says they are responsible for the bad economies and that we would be better off without them."

Dotta replied, "And what do you think personally, Bogg?"

I took a big swig of the cheap swill they called "goocha." "I think they tax too much and line the pockets of their friends with the proceeds. The common man suffers. We suffer."

Dotta reached out and patted my shoulder. "We suffer. That is exactly true. What I fear, though, is that if a rebellion does come, we will all suffer further before things get better."

Lodexa spoke. "Why would you think that?"

Dotta sipped his goocha. "Because with a rebellion you create a power vacuum. The first to fill that vacuum are usually those who are most bold and most cruel. They take what they want when they want it, only at our level that means they are taking directly from us. If a rebellion comes, it needs to be organized. Still, though, many may suffer. Our warehouse, for instance: we move items for import and export. Without the Alliance, goods will not move until new trade relations are created. We will be the first to suffer in a rebellion."

I looked at Dotta. "It sounds like you have put a lot of thought into this."

Dotta nodded. "More than you know. But we must be rid of the ruling families; they are bleeding us dry. Are any of you prepared to take up arms should a rebellion happen?"

The others were silent.

Dotta turned to me. "Bogg, would you come down on the side of the rebellion or the families, or would you just sit on the sidelines like these mooches?"

"Hey," said Kanki. "I never said I wouldn’t join. I probably would, but I know nothing about fighting. What would we be using, anyway? The security forces have blasters."

Dotta sat back and crossed his arms. "And what if the rebels had blasters as well? Would you participate then?"

Lodexa laughed. "If shown how to use one, I would use a blaster. Pew! Pew! Pew!"

The group, excluding Dotta, erupted in laughter.

Lodexa slapped Dotta on the arm. "Oh, come on. There is no rebellion today, only goocha!"

The revelry continued for another half hour before the group broke up to go home. Dotta remained in his chair, with an unhappy look on his face. I stopped at the lounge door and returned to my chair.

"Do you really think we are that close to a rebellion?" I asked.

Dotta replied, "Yes, and those idiots will struggle to survive in its aftermath. They will be given the scraps left over from those who fight and take power. When those scraps run out, they will be left to beg."

I sat forward in my chair. "I do not wish to beg, Dotta. I have a family to feed. If this rebellion happens, I will be cut off from them, and I cannot leave now because I am broke. How would I prepare for this rebellion should it happen? What could I do to secure a position with the rebels?"

Dotta shook his head. "You get right to the point, don’t you, Bogg. I have always heard that Gruntas say what they feel, when they feel it. I had joked that it was because they were big enough to say what they wanted, regardless of how they felt. Now I know it is the other. Tomorrow, after our shift, meet me at the Hagu Street exit. We will talk."

I had backed myself into a corner. On the eve when I was supposed to meet back up with Mo, I would be conversing with a possible rebel. The meeting with Mo would have to wait.

The following day, there was a commotion in the front offices.

As I lifted several boxes onto a pallet, I spoke. "Dotta, what is going on up there?"

Dotta replied, "It’s that same snoopy inspector that has been here several times in the last few months. It looks like he has an assistant now. A Human. No good can come from that."

I lifted another box. "Are they trying to get to what is behind those red doors? Aren’t they security? Can’t they just go back there?"

Dotta shook his head. "The Alliance treaty only gives them inspection powers at the port. They come in, they yell, they scream, but they cannot go beyond that front counter."

I replied, "Do you think they know what’s behind the red doors?"

Dotta offered a half laugh. "They will know soon enough."

I gave Dotta a confused look. He switched focus back to our task at hand. Fifteen pallets of Bakka root, which had been repackaged, was being prepped for shipment off world.

When the shift ended, I met Dotta at the exit door as he had directed. We walked as he talked about the state of affairs on Adicus. It was the same story as on many other planets. The economies were shrinking; people were becoming desperate. And on Adicus, the only jobs to be had were seasonal. In two months, I would be looking for work that could not be found.

Dotta spoke. "You would have done better to migrate elsewhere, Bogg. Adicus cannot provide for you and your family. I have sometimes thought of leaving myself. Certainly, there must be another colony that has work, that is prosperous, but my searches have found none. Besides, this is my home. I should stay and fight for it. If that means taking up arms, then so be it."

I replied, "So, it is arms in the warehouse. How were they acquired? And what could you possibly do with maybe a few dozen blasters? I can’t imagine anyone being able to get their hands on more than that. The security forces will possibly number in the thousands."

Dotta shook his head as we continued our walk. "The rebellion will not lack for arms. What is needed is manpower, and that manpower needs to be trained. I believe you have a good heart, Bogg. If a rebel group did exist, would you be willing to join their ranks? To fight alongside them should the time for rebellion come? I have heard that the Grunta were once fierce warriors."

I half laughed. "I hope I do not disappoint you, Dotta, but Gruntas were indeed once a fighting species. We were one of the original sixteen species in the War of Wars that took place two thousand years ago. We were even one of the first species to join the AMP. But it was not Grunta men who were the fierce warriors. It was our women. Grunta women can be savages during wartime."

Dotta laughed. "I never knew that. I just assumed it was the Grunta men. Either way, I suspect you would make a far better warrior than most Igari. They are big on talk and small on action. You seem to be the opposite."

I replied, "I like you, Dotta. You say what you feel as well. If I am to be trapped here on Adicus when a rebellion happens, I want to be part of it. This New Alliance has stolen from the people for far too long."

Dotta stopped walking. "What if I were to say that I could take you to a meeting tomorrow night, where much of this is to be discussed? If you are not interested, I must ask that you remain silent about all our discussions. Should it be found out that you were talking with anyone else, there are those who would act with malice."

I looked around. "Who would I talk to? I know you, Kanki, and Lodexa. I do not even talk to or trust my landlord. As I said before, I like you, Dotta. You have treated me with dignity and respect. I should return that favor if given the chance. As to the meeting tomorrow night, count me in. If I go and choose to withdraw afterward, my silence will be forever maintained."

Dotta shook his head. "If you go, there is no backing out. There are too many lives at stake here. It would not be permitted. You are either all in or all out."

I faked being in thought for several seconds. "Count me in. I have no way to leave this planet. If a rebellion comes, and I am on the winning side, Adicus could become my new home. If rebellion comes and I am on the sidelines, I could very well starve to death in the aftermath. Should I join the other side and they win, the economy here would only worsen, and I would be an outcast and traitor to the local people. I think my path is clear."

Dotta smiled. "I think you have made a wise choice, Bogg. You shall join my squad."

I tilted my head. "You have a squad?"

Dotta held out his hand for a shake. "Sergeant Dotta Briggae! The first warrior in my family history going back two thousand years!"

I smiled. "And a sergeant, to boot!"

As we continued to walk and talk, I began to feel guilty about the part I was playing. I was working for the other side, but I genuinely liked Dotta Briggae. Had the circumstances been different, I could easily have accepted him as a close friend. When we parted ways, I made my way to the meeting with Mo. I sat at the bar by myself. Mo sat down on the stool beside me several minutes later. I avoided looking in his direction.

I told Mo of what I had accomplished and what I expected to be the truth about the red doors at the warehouse. I told of the upcoming meeting and that we should definitely wait before taking any action. I hoped to get firm confirmation of the weapons at the warehouse. With that information in my report, we would have the authority to move in and search. If we were successful, another rebellion would be put down before it could begin. My new direction was to contact Mo in the same place after the meeting the following night.

The next morning at work, I found Dotta standing in front of me with a red face. "I confide in you, and you run straight to the security force!"

I gave an apprehensive look. "It wasn’t like that! He approached me and kept asking questions. I didn’t know what else to do. I just denied knowing anything. He kept asking about the red doors and did I see anyone going in or out of there. I told him no, which is the truth. I came here looking for work because the security forces where I was were shaking everyone down for money. I could not afford to feed my family. Now I am stuck here in the middle of this mess, and the security forces are once again trying to bully me. What am I to do? I told him nothing of you."

Dotta backed off from his indignant stance. "I was afraid it would come to this. They are questioning everyone. It is only a matter of time before someone who knows something cracks and spills their guts out of fear. I am sorry that I was angry with you, Bogg. Things are really beginning to heat up. Tonight’s meeting may set things in motion that we cannot stop."