Chapter 53
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Dustin gritted his teeth. He had been trying to act like he knew what was going on, to mislead these guys into telling him the truth, because he had known they would lie to him from the beginning. This was a bit more than he had expected though.
"What just happened?" asked Sherry, still in shock.
"Did he really just admit to trafficking baby embryos?" asked Trey, shaking his head. "Like, stealing them and selling them to people? How do you even do that?"
"The subject was detained when it became obvious the embryos were being sold to others instead of exclusively to the military, as the contract stated. It must be noted that the discovery was made after a request for pregnant women be provided instead of just embryos. Also, all of the provided embryos were male. None were female." The robot's mechanical voice filled the silence.
"So, he was a con artist, too?" asked Sherry, who was obviously having a hard time believing it all.
Dustin crossed his arms. Granny had said he was a clone, and she didn't make mistakes like that. Could he have been a clone all that time ago? He would have to ask Granny about it.
"Would you guys care to tell me the truth about the station?"
Sherry and Trey looked at each other and Trey nodded. Turning to Dustin, he said, "Walter always made the decisions, because he was put in charge by the council. We never really thought about the possibility of him being a scoundrel."
Sherry sniffed. She must have felt something for Walter, because she was fighting against crying. Dustin could care less. She was weak and would have died a long time ago if he hadn't helped them so much.
"So?" asked Dustin. If they didn't answer him, he would kill them all and head to the station to find out the truth himself, even if it meant doing it the hard way.
"They are breeding Uz'En, but only on the side," said Sherry, staring down at her hands.
Trey glanced at her and sighed. "They use the Uz'En to get the supplies for the station, like fuel and food, water and air. There's a slave network they use to sell them off, but it's all hidden from the main population. Those who are in the know, are controlled very carefully."
Sherry nodded at his words, and without looking up, continued, "They inject those of us, who know, with Uz'En cells to start a change. Only regular injections of the inhibitor keep us pain free. If we don't keep in line, they hold off on giving us the injections, until we plead for mercy."
"So, Walter probably didn't know that injecting him with the Uz'En cells were meant to control him?" guessed Dustin, and they both nodded.
"It was Walter's idea for all the lies. He convinced us that if you knew the truth, you would kill us." Trey looked tired.
"So, you thought killing yourselves with poison was a good idea?" asked Dustin, shaking his head in disbelief.
"We didn't want to go back. If they saw we were full Uz'En, they would have wanted to know how, and we didn't want to see what other tortures they came up with," said Trey.
"Were you cloned?" asked Dustin. He knew they were, but he was testing to see if they tried to lie to him again.
"Most everyone in the station is. They take population control very seriously. The babies are sterilized at birth, to ensure it. Walter really did come from a cryostasis unit. They were cleaning out a storage unit on the lower levels, when they found him, shoved back into a corner. I remember when they introduced us to him. He was very friendly and nice," said Sherry, softly.
"The Uz'En cells they used on you must have come from the same person for Granny to think you were all related," mused Dustin, wondering how many Uz'En were actually in the station.
"I'm not sure," said Trey, glancing at Sherry who shrugged.
"Tell me about this council who controls the station. Do they insist on killing everyone when they reach a certain age?" Dustin remembered thinking it was odd that everyone he saw was mostly the same age. Only a few people had been very old.
"Only if you have a job, are you allowed to progress past age thirty-five. So, most everyone parties their twenties away, and then scramble to get jobs when they hit thirty. If you get a job, you have to protect it, because, if you get fired for any reason, you die before the month is up. No one really talks about it, but it is well known. There's always some accident that happens, either: at some point in your thirty-fifth year, or within a month of losing your job, after thirty-five. Unless you were approved of having a child. Then you have until the child is eighteen to get a job. But very few get that privilege. Of course, this doesn't apply to the council, or their families. They, of course, always get a child, and never have accidents." Trey seemed bitter about this, but Dustin didn't fault him for it.
"Children are to attend classes, starting at the age of six months, where they learn how to talk, walk, potty, eat with utensils, on up to the age of eighteen, where they learn everything they would need for any job on the station. They are given a test at the age of eighteen, to see which jobs they would be best suited for, and if there are any openings, they get the option to immediately take the job. Few do." Sherry seemed sad about this, but Dustin didn't care. He wanted to know about the council.
"The council has five main members, who meet in the very center of the station. They control everything that happens on the entire station from there. The security system lets them watch everything, and everyone." Trey studied him for a moment, then sighed. "What else do you want to know?"
"What alien races come to the station to buy the Uz'En slaves, and how does it work if the vast majority of the population is kept in the dark?" asked Dustin as a plan started to form in his mind.
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Dustin gritted his teeth. He had been trying to act like he knew what was going on, to mislead these guys into telling him the truth, because he had known they would lie to him from the beginning. This was a bit more than he had expected though.
"What just happened?" asked Sherry, still in shock.
"Did he really just admit to trafficking baby embryos?" asked Trey, shaking his head. "Like, stealing them and selling them to people? How do you even do that?"
"The subject was detained when it became obvious the embryos were being sold to others instead of exclusively to the military, as the contract stated. It must be noted that the discovery was made after a request for pregnant women be provided instead of just embryos. Also, all of the provided embryos were male. None were female." The robot's mechanical voice filled the silence.
"So, he was a con artist, too?" asked Sherry, who was obviously having a hard time believing it all.
Dustin crossed his arms. Granny had said he was a clone, and she didn't make mistakes like that. Could he have been a clone all that time ago? He would have to ask Granny about it.
"Would you guys care to tell me the truth about the station?"
Sherry and Trey looked at each other and Trey nodded. Turning to Dustin, he said, "Walter always made the decisions, because he was put in charge by the council. We never really thought about the possibility of him being a scoundrel."
Sherry sniffed. She must have felt something for Walter, because she was fighting against crying. Dustin could care less. She was weak and would have died a long time ago if he hadn't helped them so much.
"So?" asked Dustin. If they didn't answer him, he would kill them all and head to the station to find out the truth himself, even if it meant doing it the hard way.
"They are breeding Uz'En, but only on the side," said Sherry, staring down at her hands.
Trey glanced at her and sighed. "They use the Uz'En to get the supplies for the station, like fuel and food, water and air. There's a slave network they use to sell them off, but it's all hidden from the main population. Those who are in the know, are controlled very carefully."
Sherry nodded at his words, and without looking up, continued, "They inject those of us, who know, with Uz'En cells to start a change. Only regular injections of the inhibitor keep us pain free. If we don't keep in line, they hold off on giving us the injections, until we plead for mercy."
"So, Walter probably didn't know that injecting him with the Uz'En cells were meant to control him?" guessed Dustin, and they both nodded.
"It was Walter's idea for all the lies. He convinced us that if you knew the truth, you would kill us." Trey looked tired.
"So, you thought killing yourselves with poison was a good idea?" asked Dustin, shaking his head in disbelief.
"We didn't want to go back. If they saw we were full Uz'En, they would have wanted to know how, and we didn't want to see what other tortures they came up with," said Trey.
"Were you cloned?" asked Dustin. He knew they were, but he was testing to see if they tried to lie to him again.
"Most everyone in the station is. They take population control very seriously. The babies are sterilized at birth, to ensure it. Walter really did come from a cryostasis unit. They were cleaning out a storage unit on the lower levels, when they found him, shoved back into a corner. I remember when they introduced us to him. He was very friendly and nice," said Sherry, softly.
"The Uz'En cells they used on you must have come from the same person for Granny to think you were all related," mused Dustin, wondering how many Uz'En were actually in the station.
"I'm not sure," said Trey, glancing at Sherry who shrugged.
"Tell me about this council who controls the station. Do they insist on killing everyone when they reach a certain age?" Dustin remembered thinking it was odd that everyone he saw was mostly the same age. Only a few people had been very old.
"Only if you have a job, are you allowed to progress past age thirty-five. So, most everyone parties their twenties away, and then scramble to get jobs when they hit thirty. If you get a job, you have to protect it, because, if you get fired for any reason, you die before the month is up. No one really talks about it, but it is well known. There's always some accident that happens, either: at some point in your thirty-fifth year, or within a month of losing your job, after thirty-five. Unless you were approved of having a child. Then you have until the child is eighteen to get a job. But very few get that privilege. Of course, this doesn't apply to the council, or their families. They, of course, always get a child, and never have accidents." Trey seemed bitter about this, but Dustin didn't fault him for it.
"Children are to attend classes, starting at the age of six months, where they learn how to talk, walk, potty, eat with utensils, on up to the age of eighteen, where they learn everything they would need for any job on the station. They are given a test at the age of eighteen, to see which jobs they would be best suited for, and if there are any openings, they get the option to immediately take the job. Few do." Sherry seemed sad about this, but Dustin didn't care. He wanted to know about the council.
"The council has five main members, who meet in the very center of the station. They control everything that happens on the entire station from there. The security system lets them watch everything, and everyone." Trey studied him for a moment, then sighed. "What else do you want to know?"
"What alien races come to the station to buy the Uz'En slaves, and how does it work if the vast majority of the population is kept in the dark?" asked Dustin as a plan started to form in his mind.
Dustin gritted his teeth. He had been trying to act like he knew what was going on, to mislead these guys into telling him the truth, because he had known they would lie to him from the beginning. This was a bit more than he had expected though."What just happened?" asked Sherry, still in shock."Did he really just admit to trafficking baby embryos?" asked Trey, shaking his head. "Like, stealing them and selling them to people? How do you even do that?""The subject was detained when it became obvious the embryos were being sold to others instead of exclusively to the military, as the contract stated. It must be noted that the discovery was made after a request for pregnant women be provided instead of just embryos. Also, all of the provided embryos were male. None were female." The robot's mechanical voice filled the silence."So, he was a con artist, too?" asked Sherry, who was obviously having a hard time believing it all.Dustin crossed his arms. Granny had said he was a clone, and she didn't make mistakes like that. Could he have been a clone all that time ago? He would have to ask Granny about it."Would you guys care to tell me the truth about the station?"Sherry and Trey looked at each other and Trey nodded. Turning to Dustin, he said, "Walter always made the decisions, because he was put in charge by the council. We never really thought about the possibility of him being a scoundrel."Sherry sniffed. She must have felt something for Walter, because she was fighting against crying. Dustin could care less. She was weak and would have died a long time ago if he hadn't helped them so much."So?" asked Dustin. If they didn't answer him, he would kill them all and head to the station to find out the truth himself, even if it meant doing it the hard way."They are breeding Uz'En, but only on the side," said Sherry, staring down at her hands.Trey glanced at her and sighed. "They use the Uz'En to get the supplies for the station, like fuel and food, water and air. There's a slave network they use to sell them off, but it's all hidden from the main population. Those who are in the know, are controlled very carefully."Sherry nodded at his words, and without looking up, continued, "They inject those of us, who know, with Uz'En cells to start a change. Only regular injections of the inhibitor keep us pain free. If we don't keep in line, they hold off on giving us the injections, until we plead for mercy.""So, Walter probably didn't know that injecting him with the Uz'En cells were meant to control him?" guessed Dustin, and they both nodded."It was Walter's idea for all the lies. He convinced us that if you knew the truth, you would kill us." Trey looked tired."So, you thought killing yourselves with poison was a good idea?" asked Dustin, shaking his head in disbelief."We didn't want to go back. If they saw we were full Uz'En, they would have wanted to know how, and we didn't want to see what other tortures they came up with," said Trey."Were you cloned?" asked Dustin. He knew they were, but he was testing to see if they tried to lie to him again."Most everyone in the station is. They take population control very seriously. The babies are sterilized at birth, to ensure it. Walter really did come from a cryostasis unit. They were cleaning out a storage unit on the lower levels, when they found him, shoved back into a corner. I remember when they introduced us to him. He was very friendly and nice," said Sherry, softly."The Uz'En cells they used on you must have come from the same person for Granny to think you were all related," mused Dustin, wondering how many Uz'En were actually in the station."I'm not sure," said Trey, glancing at Sherry who shrugged."Tell me about this council who controls the station. Do they insist on killing everyone when they reach a certain age?" Dustin remembered thinking it was odd that everyone he saw was mostly the same age. Only a few people had been very old."Only if you have a job, are you allowed to progress past age thirty-five. So, most everyone parties their twenties away, and then scramble to get jobs when they hit thirty. If you get a job, you have to protect it, because, if you get fired for any reason, you die before the month is up. No one really talks about it, but it is well known. There's always some accident that happens, either: at some point in your thirty-fifth year, or within a month of losing your job, after thirty-five. Unless you were approved of having a child. Then you have until the child is eighteen to get a job. But very few get that privilege. Of course, this doesn't apply to the council, or their families. They, of course, always get a child, and never have accidents." Trey seemed bitter about this, but Dustin didn't fault him for it."Children are to attend classes, starting at the age of six months, where they learn how to talk, walk, potty, eat with utensils, on up to the age of eighteen, where they learn everything they would need for any job on the station. They are given a test at the age of eighteen, to see which jobs they would be best suited for, and if there are any openings, they get the option to immediately take the job. Few do." Sherry seemed sad about this, but Dustin didn't care. He wanted to know about the council."The council has five main members, who meet in the very center of the station. They control everything that happens on the entire station from there. The security system lets them watch everything, and everyone." Trey studied him for a moment, then sighed. "What else do you want to know?""What alien races come to the station to buy the Uz'En slaves, and how does it work if the vast majority of the population is kept in the dark?" asked Dustin as a plan started to form in his mind.
