Star Corps(153)
New Sumer, Ishtar
1944 hours ALT
Hanson could not believe what she was hearing. The bastards! The unmitigated, grade-A scum-gargling bastards!
“The people of the Terran Commonwealth want the slaves freed and repatriated to Earth,” Norris was telling her. “That is exactly what we are doing. But think about the poor Sagura. They know nothing but slavery…ten thousand years of it, in fact. They’ve been raised thinking of themselves as slaves. The best thing we can do is acclimate them gradually to a new way of life. Letting them work as domestic servants, trained and hired out to certain wealthy clients by PanTerra, seems a most agreeable and decent way of breaking them in, don’t you think? I mean, Jesus, they don’t even understand the concept of money here. They know nothing except doing what they’re told. How do you expect them to live on Earth? How are they even going to survive unless we provide this working shelter—this work assistance program, if you will—for them?”
“You bastards,” Hanson said quietly. “You fucking bastards! You’re going to buy them from the Ahannu, hire them out on Earth, and pocket the profit. That’s slavery, no matter what weasel words you attach to it!”
“Nonsense. PanTerra paid for this expedition and helped put together the international coalition behind it. We are going to assume the costs of shipping all those freed slaves back to Earth and for training and feeding them until they can decide what they want for themselves. And PanTerra is paying me—and you, for that matter, Dr. Hanson—very handsomely indeed to put this deal together. They deserve a return on their investment.”
“You also know that those poor Sag-ura are never going to get free. How are they supposed to be reintegrated into human society when you have them working for new masters eight light-years from their homes? Are these rich clients you talk about going to just let them go? Or are you going to start shipping slaves from Ishtar on a regular schedule?”
“Dr. Hanson, please,” Carleton said. “There’s no need for emotional outbursts. A free market, a free economy, finds its own morality.”
“Morality!” Hanson screamed. “Goddess!” She held up her right arm, pinching the skin. “What fucking color is this?”
“Brown,” Carleton said, puzzled. “Dark brown. You look Latino, or maybe—”
“My ancestors were slaves, you son of a bitch. I was born in North Michigan, but some of my ancestors came from Gambia, Ivory Coast, Brazil, and Haiti! Some of them were slaves, Mr. Carleton, and you expect me not to be emotional?”
“That will be quite enough, Dr. Hanson,” Norris said. He’d produced a small, 8mm handgun and was pointing it at Hanson. “I’m disappointed in you. I thought you were a loyal PanTerran employee.”
“There are some things even a billion newdollars won’t buy.”
“Really?” He shook his head in amusement. “Who’d have thought it? Guard!”
The Marine sentry stepped inside. “Yes, sir?”
“Please put Dr. Hanson under protective arrest. I have reason to believe she is in the pay of radical anti-Ahannu church elements.”
“It’s a lie, Marine!” Hanson cried. “These bastards are trying to—”
“I don’t much care what they’re trying to do, miss,” the Marine said, pointing his laser carbine at her. With his free hand, he reached up and pulled off his helmet.
It was General King.
“You!”
“Of course.”
“Traitor!”
He scowled. “That’s a negative, Doctor,” he said, his voice sharp. “A traitor betrays his national allegiance. I have done nothing of the sort. The Federal Republic, in its infinite wisdom, decided to send me out here because I was acceptable to all Commonwealth political factions. To do that, I had to leave my wife and my children on Earth…people who have not seen me now for ten years and who will not see me for another ten.” He shrugged. “This is my last command, obviously. I have only retirement to look forward to. PanTerra is providing me with my retirement package, that’s all. A nice set of investment portfolios at home. The promise of a well-paying job when I get back. And anti-aging treatments for my wife and kids. The deal was too good to pass up.”
She sagged. “But…they’re going to—”
“As I said, I don’t really care what these gentlemen do. They are not harming the Corps, and they are not threatening the government. If you’ll step back against that wall, please?”
She did so, thoughts whirling. The net. Her only chance was to uplink to the net.