The Truth of Past and Present

Chapter 8: The truth I didn't want to know

In a matter of minutes, I had snuck into Father's office and bypassed his security feeds. The next moment, I had pulled up any feeds I could on the lower sectors.

My heart lurched at what I saw.

The lower sectors, including the slave levels, were filthy, filled with dirt and dust and unspeakable things. The video feeds showed slave trains, groups of slaves all strung together with electric binder cuffs. Anyone who stepped out of the line was zapped. There was silence over the feeds, but I could see the agony on their faces. 

The slaves wore practically nothing, just enough to cover what was necessary, and even that was hanging off of them in ragged pieces. Their bodies were emaciated, but their muscles were still healthy.

Like Daniel's, I recalled.

As I watched, a slave from the middle of the line wriggled free and began to run. Calmly, the trader at the front of the train pulled out a blaster, aimed, looking almost bored, and fired. 

It was a bulls-eye.

I flinched with horrified shock and kept watching as the drivers pulled out electro-whips and began striking the slaves into a line again. My heart broke as I saw men, women, and children as old as five years being hurt by these cold, cruel men. I couldn't believe that this had been happening literally below my feet my entire life! Then another thought lodged itself in my brain with a sickening thud:

Did Father know about this?

Frantically, I pulled up his communications database, praying that he knew nothing about what was happening on his planet. He couldn't, he just couldn't.

A feed opened up, under restricted access. I knew Father's password, he was a slow typer. 

I typed it in twice as slowly.

The feed came up, revealing a bunch of comms from unidentified sources. The feeds were mostly discussing shipments of something, the amount, and how much each "item" would cost. I read every word, searching for something more specific.

Then I found it.

We had a run-in with some of the Vigilantes this morning. Some of the shipment was taken, but we took some of their people in return. I hope you will pay extra for these men, they have caused us a lot of extra trouble.

My father responded:

Oh, don't worry. When your shipment comes in, I would personally like to look over this new merchandise. They may be of some use to me.

I stared at the screen, not daring to move, not daring to open my mouth for fear of screaming or throwing up. My father knew about the slave traders! What they did to slaves! Not only that, but he supported them and paid extra for "new merchandise", meaning men who had fought against the Galactic Empire.

I felt sick. I was going to throw up, I knew it.

Then I heard footsteps.

Frantically, I turned back to the console. I closed and deleted any previously viewed feeds, signed out, and turned off the console before ducking behind an easy chair in the corner closest to the door, just as it opened. 

My Father stepped into the room, looking tired. He stalked to his desk, sat down, and turned on his console. I peeked over the edge of the chair and watched him pull up his communication screen and open a channel. Someone was waiting for him on the other line.

"Governor, I have a new shipment for you." The man was tall and muscular, with a scowling, damaged face hidden in shadow. I didn't like him.

"Right on time, Malcor, as always." my father replied. "What do I owe you, and how many?"

"What about the usual...10 thousand credits, each."

"And how many?" my father insisted.

"Well, you see, there was a slight problem..." the man simpered. "The Vigilante rebels we took apparently made friends with a young slave, named Daniel Jorsen."

My heart fluttered.

"Yes?" my father growled.

"With the rebels' help, he slipped away from the group once we offloaded, and we have been hunting him down now for weeks."

"So I shall pay you less, then?"

"But we found him in the markets today, cornered by officials. We had sent out an alert that he was missing, of course-"

"And?"

"And he is now being housed in one of the most secure facilities on the planet. I would go in there myself, of course, but you already have access-"

"Absolutely not! I will not have anything publicized about me associating with those...creatures of the lower sectors!"

My stomach clenched at the way he described those people. Creatures?

"I will not pay you, and you will not get a slave to sell, but none of this hurts me as it is. Leave it be! I heard about the slave today in the newscasts, he is to be executed the day after tomorrow for escaping, it being treason and all that."

My heart stopped beating. Daniel was to be executed for escaping! Why was it treason? It took all of my willpower not to hit my father over the head.

"I will come down there tomorrow night. Do not expect me to pay extra fo your...troubles, or you will discover you have more!"

"Sir-"

"I am going to bed, my head hurts." with that, he closed the channel.

My heart pounded so hard, I was afraid my father would hear it. I couldn't believe it. My father was an associate of the slave trade! He basically employed men to sell other men like animals around the universe, and the worst of it was the fact that I had bought his lies.

I had thought he stood for freedom and was the wonderful protector of Medissera! He was my father and ruler, and I felt safe on his planet because I had trusted him, with my life, even.

My heart was crushed between a rock and a hard place, my unsuspecting love for my father and the unrelenting truth of this revelation.

My mind was a hollow echo of what I had heard, bouncing around in my brain until I heard a name that kept repeating itself, over and over, somehow getting louder...

Daniel...Daniel...

He was going to be executed! The day after tomorrow...my birthday! 

I felt myself growing angrier and angrier, and with that anger, I felt a growing determination. Somehow, I was going to stop this. I was going to rescue Daniel, run away, and stop this. I would join the Vigilantes, a rebellion against the EG. With my inside power and their strength in numbers, we would bring down the EG's slave trading regime.

Little did I know that my fight against the slavers was only a scratch on the surface of the true conflict, and that the battle would quickly escalate into a war for the future of humanity.