The first thing Sapek and Tasia noticed about the Imperial City of Mullura was the smell.
The city stank of pollution and worse. Smog, a substance long vanished from the skies of industrial cities on other worlds, filled the air with a murky brown haze. Neither of them felt comfortable about trying the water until Sapek had tested it and found it acceptable. At least, to the point of not containing sewage or heavy metals.
And the city was crowded! The slave population had tripled the size of the city to above ten million. The Imperial City's infrastructure could handle four million at best. The slaves, seen in yellow, could be seen anywhere, their silver restraint collars gleaming in the sunlight of Mullura's blue central star.
"How can people live like this?" Tasia asked. They were on their way to meet with a third-level government functionary regarding the conquest of the Nausicaans. Public transporters were unheard of in the Mulluran Empire, and mass transit was an unconfirmed rumor. So they walked, and learned more about the world to which they had been sent. Their offices were five kilometers from the group of buildings they collectively called the Authority Complex.
"I don't think they're really in a position to complain," Sapek said as he pointed out the Order Police patrol coming their way. Quickly they quieted down, a stark contrast to the din and clamor of the city.
"Papers, please," one of the Order Police asked them tersely. He was a man of short- to medium height with a non-descript appearance. The type of person one would quickly forget were it not for his decidedly arrogant air.
They handed him the PADDs containing their passports. The operative looked them over with an air of skepticism.
"Foreign aliens are not allowed out on the streets except on official business," he snapped.
"We are on official diplomatic business," Sapek said. "Hindering us could constitute a breach of diplomatic protocol and likely have unfortunate consequences."
The operative scrutinized their papers further. "They do have the appearance of diplomatic papers, but I must be certain. One moment, please." He stepped away and had a heated conversation with someone on a public comm screen. Then he returned.
"You may continue," he said officiously as he handed the PADDs back. "But you should be careful. Not all of us are as understanding."
"I am sure that the valiant and just Order Police will not allow any petty crime to occur in this city," Sapek replied, just as officiously. "After all, the consequences of failure are rather steep."
The operative blanched as he scurried away. Probably trying to find the rock he crawled out from under, Tasia thought.
As they arrived at the Authority Complex, Tasia noticed a young boy, a Nausicaan, in with the slave's jersey and collar sweeping the sidewalk ahead of them. She was reminded of old pictures of the Untouchables in India on Earth. Happily, India had progressed beyond that point long ago. Some people have a little bit of work to do, she thought as she made it a point to interview the boy when they finished their task.
The meeting went smoothly--as smoothly, in fact, as any meeting with a Mulluran government official could go. There was only five minutes' worth of shouting this time! And this just to present the Federation's official position on the Nausicaan annexation (which, Tasia noted, they were able to do with a straight face). But the functionary did generate a safe-passage document for them so they could get to their offices. Sapek made a mental note to procure a vehicle by some means.
Tasia spotted the boy again and went to him.
"So you're not allowed to talk to me?" she asked curiously. ~Sapek, I want to do something for him. Is there anything we can do?~
~I'll investigate this further,~ he thought back. "They told me if I talk to strangers they'll blow off my head with the collar!"
Tasianna shook her head. "The collar doesn't work that way . . ." She could see fear go into the boy's eyes and sense. "That's all right. Don't worry. Nothing will happen." ~Can we take the boy somehow?~
~Slave theft is a civil tort on Mullura. We could be sued and imprisoned,~ Sapek replied as he produced his tricorder. "This, young man, is a special Federation device that neutralizes transmission waves. You may speak here freely," he told the boy. It was only a partial lie--the tricorder coud indeed do such a thing, but there was no need to.
"My name's Podor," he said. "But that's only my child name. I don't get my adult name for another six years."
"Are your parents nearby?" Tasia asked curiously, almost afraid ask.
Podor looked down. "I don't know where they are. I haven't seen them in a long time."
Tasianna's heart went out to him. "Who owns you?" she asked. ~Do you think we could purchase him?~
"I'm owned by the city," Podor said, showing Tasia a tag attached to his jersey. The tag listed an office and a comm code.
~I don't think the Diplomatic Corps would approve of such a transaction,~ Sapek said. ~We cannot oppose slavery and be seen in the act of buying slaves.~
~Right now I am not so sure I give a damn about that! That poor boy doesn't need to be in this position!~ She replied heatedly.
"So you sweep this street every day?" she asked Podor.
At that moment a very well-dressed Mulluran woman walked up to the boy, not even noticing Sapek's and Tasia's presence. "You are to be attending to your duties! Or should I take the switch to you myself?" she snapped. She disappeared before either Sapek or Tasia could respond (although both were quite willing to). The boy looked around and, seeing the coast was clear, said, "No, sometimes it's a different street but it's always in this complex."
"Then you'll see us again," Tasia replied, becoming concerned for the boy at the woman's response. "I promise you . . . You now have friends in this place." Gently she caressed his face.
"Hey, no touching the slaves!" someone yelled. Sapek and Tasia made their way away from the Authority complex. Tasia felt the boy's tears on her hands.
~We have to do something~ she said feeling something within herself rise. ~That boy . . . we can't just leave him to be a slave sweepying the streets, get threatened with beatings, having no love or comfort from anyone!~
~I have an idea,~ Sapek said. ~Let's return to the office and we'll work it out.~ They returned to the office in silence, only having to pass through two checkpoints.
The next day, Tasia shifted into the form of the Mulluran lady she'd seen berating the boy and headed to the Slave Registry. The plan was risky but with the right bluffs could wor.
"I am in need of a young slave, and I have seen one on the street that will suit my purposes. So I am here to buy slave number J557B343," she stated to the man at the desk with a very authoritative voice. The same voice the woman from yesterday used.
"And you are?" the bureaucrat at the counter asked.
"You don't recognize me?!" she replied indignantly. "I can't believe this!" Making as if she were almost ready to leave.
"Ah, of course, Madame Francona! You will be accomodated at once! Shall I have the slave delivered to your residence?"
"No, I shall pick him up on my way," she replied. "I know where he is. Just take care of the account and don't mistake me again!" she added and walked off, making sure to find Podor as quickly as possible.
Tasia--in her guise as Madame Francona--immediately cashed in on her assumed identity to hail ground transport to the Authority Complex. There, sure enough, she found Podor sweeping the sidewalks. Podor cowered away from the imposing presence as she stepped out of the transport.
~Don't be afraid~ she told him telepathically. ~It's Tasia. Just play along.~
"Come walk with me, slave. You are now my property," she commanded authoritatively.
Podor's eyes lit up. They walked away from the ground transport. Suddenly Tasia realized that if she were to pull off this slave, she'd have to continue her charade as a Mulluran woman, although not as Madame Francona, who wielded almost as much power as her husband and was all too likely to show up in the Authority Complex.
At a convenient moment when eyes were not on her, she found a shadowy corner of the complex and shifted her form to another woman she had seen the day before. Someone who still looked pretty respectable. Podor's eyes seemed to be alight with all that he was seeing she could do. ~Follow me carefully and do not stray. Make no move that you are anything other than a slave or we'll be discovered . . . Don't don't worry . . . Everything will be fine . . .~
She knew somehow she would make this right for this boy. She didn't know how, she she had to.
Podor obediently followed five steps behind Tasia, as he'd been instructed at the point of an electronic prod to do. Together they hailed another transport and headed to the Federation legation. Jarrod was in the outer office and recognized Tasia immediately.
"Nice dress," he remarked. "Puce and gold suit you perfectly!"
She shifted to herself, but kept the dress. "Do you think?" she smiled. Immediately she pulled Podor into her arms. "This is Federation territory. For now you're safe."
Podor seemed only slightly less nervous. "The Federation hates my people," he said, asserting what he'd been told all his short life.
Tasia shook her head. "Many changes have happened," she replied. "And even more are going to happen for you . . . All good, I hope." She smiled as she knelt and caressed his face.
"I've contacted Starbase 901. We can get Podor out with the next diplomatic packet provided we can find a container large enough to put him in," Sapek said as he emerged from the inner office. "If we're going to do this, though, we're going to need to build a better network. I'm sure Francona has accountants who are going to wonder where the new slave is."
"Then we'd better get working on this now," Tasia replied. Some worrry was creeping into her. She wanted nothing to go wrong. Memories were come to the surface of her mind, but she was pushing them away. "We have to make sure we get Podor out and that we do it now."
Suddenly she felt Jarrod behind her. "We'll see to it. Perhaps you should find our young guest something to eat and a place to sleep."
Tasia smiled. "I think he could definitely use both. Are you hungry?" she asked softly.
The boy nodded, and Tasia stepped quickly to the replicator. "Porridge, hot," she ordered. As hungry as the boy looked, he'd likely not eaten in a while and couldn't tolerate much more. "Enhance with multivitamin supplement suitable for a juvenile Nausicaan."
The bowl quickly appeared. Tasia handed it to Podor, who ate noisily and greedily. She made it a point to refrain from commenting on his table manners.
Jarrod reappeared. "I've ordered a suitable container," he said. A delivery crew should be here within the hour. I suggest we secure the child in the inner office before then.
"Definitely," Tasia replied.
As Podor finished, she took the bowl and placed it back into the replicator. She also felt the young boy's weeriness.
"Come with me and I'll find a place for you to rest. But you must be as quiet as possible, all right?" she said as she gazed at him.
Podor nodded as Tasia led him back to the inner office. She sat him down on a large sofa, where he fell asleep almost immediately. Sapek nodded. "I've seen reports that they've been working their slaves as long as 16 hours a day with no food or rest."
Anger boiled up inside Tasian, but Sapek's hand on her shoulder steadied her. "I just don't understand these people . . . How do we talk to people like this . . . It's beyond my comprehension . . That they would torture another race just because . . . And a child . . ." There was pain as she spoke as she watched Podor breath.
"We talk only to divert them, my dear," Sapek said confidently. "We plan on doing more than just talking, of course."
She looked at Sapek and smiled gently, hoping that maybe in time she could quiet the ache that had once again started in her heart.