The Empire's Corps: Book 07 - Reality Check Read online

  “I have been told to assume that you know absolutely nothing about Meridian,” Yates said, when that had sunk in. “This strikes me as a very reasonable statement, given the general quality of information available on Earth about the outermost worlds. We shall start, therefore, with a video presentation prepared by the Meridian Development Consortium, which began settling the planet ninety years ago.”

  He picked up a remote and pushed a switch, then moved over to sit next to Barry. The lights dimmed, then the screen activated, displaying a logo that looked like a planet surrounded by a golden ring. Words, too small for Darrin to read, appeared beneath the logo and hung there for a long moment, before fading away into the darkness.

  “Welcome to Meridian,” a soft female voice said. “Where a new world is waiting for you.”

  The screen glowed with light, showing a montage of images; the planet from orbit, shuttles landing at the spaceport, small homes built out of wood, giant boats making their way up the river into the hinterlands ... Darrin found himself fascinated by the people, particularly the young women. They all looked bright, enthusiastic and healthy, very different from the pallid women he knew on Earth. Several of them rode large four-legged animals; horses, if he recalled correctly. He’d never seen any of them on Earth.

  “Meridian,” the voice said, as the images started to repeat themselves. “A place to live, a place to spread out, a place to grow, a place to ...”

  Darrin found himself tuning the woman out as she kept talking, extolling Meridian and his virtues in glowing terms. If there was anything bad about the colony world, she didn't say anything about it. Instead, she talked about how new settlers would have first pick of the land, guaranteed loans from the development consortium and free access to indentured labour. There were special discounts for families, particularly ones who intended to have more children; in short, Meridian was a pretty good place to live. Darrin wasn't sure that he believed a word of it.

  The presentation came to an end and Yates turned it off. “Any questions?”

  “Yeah,” Darrin said, before he could stop himself. “How much of that is true?”

  Yates might have smiled. It was hard to tell under the beard. “I would say that it is true, but incomplete,” he said, after a moment. “The images they showed you are those farms and settlements that were developed over the past ninety years, the ones that were the most successful. It will take years of work, even with the assistance of indentured labour, to produce a properly functioning farm. But many settlers have succeeded.”

  He stood and walked to the front of the room. “Meridian is not Earth. You know, I believe, most of the dangers on Earth’s surface. Meridian, however, has other dangers. Like every other settled world, the ecosystem throws up its own set of surprises as it reacts to the terraforming packages. There are poisonous plants, dangerous animals and other nasty problems for the settlers to encounter. You have to be prepared to encounter them too.”

  Darrin shivered. Dangerous animals? He’d heard the rumours about creatures that had escaped from the Arena and were hiding out in the Undercity, but he’d never actually seen anything larger than a cockroach. He had seen images, of course, in the holographic zoo, yet apparently that wasn't quite the same.

  And dangerous plants?

  Kailee leaned forward. “Are you saying that the settlers ... actually grow their own crops? In the wild?”

  “Of course,” Yates said. “There are no algae farms on the colony worlds, just crops and animals they raise themselves for the table.”

  Darrin concealed a smile at Kailee’s expression. They’d been told, ever since they were old enough to understand, that algae-farms and vat-grown foodstuffs were far healthier than anything grown naturally. Indeed, they’d been told it so often that most people had a phobia about eating naturally-produced food and drinking unprocessed water. Darrin himself wasn't so sure – it struck him that nothing could taste worse than school food – but it hardly mattered. Fitz was hardly going to waste money on expensive food from odd-world when he could spend it on alcohol instead.

  “The first problem, however, is the starship you will take to the colonies,” Yates said. “Normally, you would be placed in a stasis tube and the journey would seem to take no time at all. Unfortunately, there is a new requirement for those tubes, which means that you will be expected to spend the journey awake and aware. You may well enjoy it.”

  Barry snorted, rudely. “What’s there to do on the ship?”

  “Education and games, mainly,” Yates said. “I suggest that you spend some time reading the ship’s database. Quite apart from useful information on Meridian, it will tell you more about the state of the galaxy than you might find in any database on Earth.”

  He paused, then launched into a long lecture on safety. Darrin found himself struggling to take in all the details; wear a shipsuit at all times, stay in the civilian parts of the ship and don’t touch anything unless they knew what it did. He had no idea how they were meant to keep all those rules straight in their head, unless they were meant to write them all down and memorise them later. Gary, the little swot, had set his reader to record the entire lecture for later replaying. Darrin made a mental note to get a copy off him and listen to it again himself.

  “We will be going over the planet’s history in greater detail on the ship,” Yates said. He produced a set of datachips, dropping one in front of each of them. “However, I expect you to read this before you come back tomorrow. These are copies of the standard ecological assessment, safety reports and several other documents you need to read. In particular, I suggest that you pay close attention to what is edible and what isn't.”

  Gary stuck up a nervous hand. “Are we going to have to pick crops?”

  “Maybe,” Yates said. He gave Gary a toothy grin. “But quite a few settlers have landed on the planet, bitten into a leaf ... and ended up in the hospital, if they were lucky. They watched the wrong videos on Earth and concluded that anything could be eaten, as long as it looked green. And I would prefer not to have to tell your parents that you died because you ate the wrong thing.”

  Kailee’s head jerked up. “This place isn't safe? Don’t the settlers sue?”

  Yates chuckled, unpleasantly. “Sue who?”

  He tapped the datachip on Kailee’s desk. “That chip lists every edible plant on the planet’s surface,” he said. “You can eat one of the ones not listed if you like ... and you might get lucky ... but if you got ill, it would be your own stupid fault. You could sue the consortium, I suppose, if you found a lawyer willing to take your case.”

  “It wouldn’t work,” Gary said. “Would it?”

  Yates shook his head, wordlessly.

  “But why?” Kailee asked. “Why wouldn't it work?”

  “Because you were told, quite clearly, what plants are safe to eat,” Yates said. He reached out, picked up the datachip and held it in front of her eyes. “The consortium has done its best to prepare the settlers – and you – for Meridian, but if you’re stupid enough to ignore what you’re told ... well, it’s your own stupid fault.”

  His voice hardened as he looked around the room, his eyes moving from face to face. “You have been spoiled on Earth,” he explained. “The tasteless slop they feed you is safe, the water they pump into the pipes is processed so thoroughly that there isn't any risk of infection ... and there is always someone to blame if something goes wrong. But on the colonies ... well, if you fuck up, you take the blame yourself. There isn't anyone willing to hold your hand, clean up after you or do anything else that you can do for yourself. I suggest you bear that in mind at all times.”

  “No one to help?” Kailee asked, bleakly. “No one at all.”

  “There are more people in this CityBlock,” Yates said, “than there are on the entire surface of Meridian. The settlers, particularly those living away from the towns, are often miles away from anyone who might be able to help them. They have to learn to rely on themselves, not on the governmen
t and not on their neighbours. Often, neither the government nor their neighbours can help them.”

  Yates stepped backwards, then smiled openly. “This trip is the opportunity of a lifetime,” he concluded. “But you have to bear in mind that you’re not going to a carbon copy of Earth.”

  Darrin swallowed – and saw Gary swallow too. Kailee still seemed stunned, while Barry was merely grinning inanely. It looked as though he hadn't listened to a word Yates had said.

  “As a special treat,” Yates said, “the four of you can go home early and tell your families. I’ll see you again tomorrow.”

  Gary hastened out the room, followed rapidly by Barry. Kailee eyed Darrin for a moment – he wondered if she were going to ask him to escort her home – before she left the classroom and headed down towards the common room. She could wait there for the other girls, Darrin knew; she wouldn't want to walk home with him, even if he hadn't asked her out earlier. He wondered, briefly, what Judy was doing – and if she’d already started looking for another boyfriend. She would need a protector while he was gone.

  “Good luck,” Yates said, as he walked towards the door. Darrin watched him go – and was surprised to note that Yates was walking with a faint limp. Yates stopped at the door and turned around. “Or is there something else you wished to ask me?”

  “No, sir,” Darrin said. There was something about the older man that brought out the respect, respect Darrin rarely showed to anyone else. “But ...”

  He shook his head. His half-formed thoughts were unlikely to be of interest to anyone – and, somehow, he didn't want to disappoint Yates. Instead, he walked down towards the security gates and left the school, then walked towards his apartment block. Fitz would be pleased at the thought of never seeing him again, he was sure. And his mother ...

  Maybe I could stay on the world, he thought. The video had made it look an enticing possibility, very different from the information they'd been given at school. No one would miss me.

  But he knew, deep in his heart, that wasn't a possibility. If the system was prepared to ensure that he went to school and attended his classes, it would never let him go. There was no point in daydreaming of a future that would never be, no point at all.

  Chapter Seven

  And education can provide a way to monitor and qualify a child’s progress. If one must prove competence in a certain field, one can point to a degree handed out after a test or an exam. It saves employers from having to run tests of their own – although, as most employers rapidly learn, experience on paper is not the same as experience in the field.

  - Professor Leo Caesius. Education and the Decline and Fall of the Galactic Empire.

  “So,” Aunt Lillian said, “is that all you're taking?”

  Kailee bit her lip to keep her face from scowling. Her packing would have been done by now if Aunt Lillian hadn't kept sticking her long nose into the room and insisting on inspecting Kailee’s bag. Did she really think that Kailee was going to walk off with the family jewels, such as they were, or did she intend to insist that Kailee leave behind some of her makeup for her younger relatives? Either way, it was just a nuisance, one Kailee would happily have foregone.

  “Yes,” she said, crossly. Yates had provided them with a list of recommended items, starting with clothes and ending with any medical supplies they might need. She’d packed enough to last her for a week or two without washing, she hoped. And then she’d put her handful of truly expensive clothes and cosmetics into the bag too. “That’s everything.”

  Her aunt picked up the bag, opened it up and tipped the contents onto the floor. Kailee swallowed a word that would probably have earned her a slap as her aunt picked though the clothes, then started to pack properly. By the time she’d finished, the clothes all fitted neatly, the cosmetics were wrapped up in plastic and there was some space left at the top, enough room for some additional clothes. Her aunt had actually been helpful.

  “I’d suggest you take Jake’s reader, if he will let you,” Aunt Lillian said. “Load it up with enough videos and textbooks to keep you going, when you're hundreds of light years from Earth.”

  This time, Kailee couldn't keep herself from glaring at her aunt. She’d taken Kailee’s enforced departure in her stride, barely even bothering to conceal her relief at having one less mouth to feed for a few months. Her children had even gloated over having the bedroom to themselves; by the time she got back, she suspected that everything she left behind would have been thoroughly ruined.

  “They promised a reader on the ship,” she said, tightly. She didn't want to ask Uncle Jake for anything, not when he'd been the one to take a peek at her while she was in the shower. “I should be fine.”

  “Make sure you are,” her aunt grated. She hesitated, then reached into her pocket and produced a credit coin. “Press your thumb against the reader.”

  Kailee obeyed. There was a faint bleep as the coin registered her fingerprint, locking itself to her. The tiny screen on the top displayed a balance of seven thousand credits, more money than she'd had in her entire life. She stared at it, then looked up at her aunt. For once, Aunt Lillian’s face had softened into something resembling a smile.

  “You may run into trouble,” she said, softly. “If you do ... that may help you get out of it.”

  “Oh,” Kailee said. She didn't want to ask, but she knew she had to. “Where ... where did you get the money?”

  “Never you mind,” her aunt snapped, returning to her normal form of communication. “If you bring it all back to me, I won't mind at all. But if you need to use it, use it.”

  “I will,” Kailee said, genuinely touched. Her parents had never done anything like it for her, nor had anyone else. “And thank you.”

  Her aunt leaned forward and gave her a hug. “Think of this whole trip as a story you can tell your grandkids,” she said, dryly. “And enjoy yourself.”

  Kailee shook her head, wearily. Her plans might have been slightly derailed – although Yates had informed her that they would be away for nine months at most, which would still give her time to try to catch an agent’s attention – but she still had no intention of remaining in the CityBlock for the rest of her life. She didn't want to be trapped there indefinitely, just like her aunt and uncle. Or the rest of her classmates, for that matter.

  “I’ll do my best,” she promised. “And thanks again.”

  “Thank me when you get home,” Aunt Lillian said. “I have no idea what that chip is going to be worth on the outer planets.”

  Kailee’s puzzlement must have shown on her face, for her aunt explained.

  “The value of money is going down, even as our income is going up,” she admitted. It made no sense to Kailee, but she knew that her aunt was generally right about everything, no matter how irritating. “I honestly don't know when it will end.”

  ***

  Judy tasted of strawberries and cream, Darrin decided, as he kissed her on the lips. They’d gone out dancing on the final night, then moved to a tiny room that young couples could hire for the hour. Darrin knew that Fitz would be annoyed at how much of his Student Living Allowance he’d spent over the last two days, but for once he didn't care. If he was going to be forced to go to a colony world for nine months, he was going to have some fun first, even if he was saving up trouble for later.

  She kissed him back for a long moment, then broke contact and looked him in the eye. “Are you going to come back?”

  Darrin hesitated. Part of him just wanted to finish undoing her shirt and allow her tantalisingly large breasts to bob free, part of him wanted to try to reassure her. But reassure her about what? He was going to be away for at least six months, six months during which time Judy would be horrendously vulnerable. She was going to look for another protector, he knew. The thought gnawed at him, even as he knew she had no choice. He wasn't going to be around to look after her.

  “I think so,” he said. He reached for her shirt and undid the remaining buttons, then unclipped her bra. H
er breasts caught his attention and held it firmly. “But let’s make the most of this night.”

  Judy shifted, allowing him to push her down and lift up her skirt. She wasn't wearing any panties. Darrin felt his cock stiffen as he mounted her and pushed his way into her. His hands caught her breasts, kneading them against her skin. Judy grunted and clutched at him as he started to move inside her. Moments later, it was all over.

  Afterwards, they cleaned themselves up and dressed quickly. It was funny, Darrin had often wondered, how he loved looking at her before sex, but afterwards he found himself largely indifferent to her. He watched, dispassionately, as she buttoned up her shirt, hiding her breasts once again. It was hard to believe that, five minutes ago, he’d been licking and sucking at those very breasts.

  “Thank you,” Judy said. “Will ... will you walk me home?”

  “Of course,” Darrin said. The gangs might have taken their bribes, but it was late at night and there were plenty of drunkards and druggies wandering the lower levels. “I’ll be glad to take you home.”

  Outside, he could hear music drifting down the corridors as they walked back towards the stairs. A handful of revellers ran past them, singing the words of a bawdy song loudly enough to make Darrin’s ears hurt, and vanished into the distance. Half of them were naked, he saw, their bare buttocks winking at him. Judging by the faint scent in the air, they'd overdosed on Sparkle Dust and would be highly suggestible for the next few hours. He shook his head, wondering at their idiocy. He’d experimented with drugs before – everyone had – but he knew better than to mess with Sparkle Dust. It was too dangerous even for him.

  Judy clung to his arm as they reached the stairs and began to make their way up to the apartment block, trying to remain in the shadows. The precise lines between the different gangs grew blurred down in the lower levels, where thousands of youngsters came to drink, dance and forget that they were trapped in the towering Cityblocks. He heard someone shouting and half-turned, peering into the darkened corridor. Someone bigger and nastier than Barry had shoved someone small into the wall and was busy tearing at their victim’s clothes. Darrin couldn't tell if the victim was male or female.