Humanity in the Deep

After ten hours on wall duty the day before, Kat was really missing coffee.

Kat had volunteered to help Mary watch a large class of kids. The six-year-old’s were learning how to read and write. Apparently, being able to read and write was rare, and it was one of the reasons the teachers could sell the kids for such a high price.

She still felt odd thinking of selling people, but that was how things worked.

“Settle down,” she said from the back at the kids talking.

They were rambunctious, running around playing games. Except for the language, it would be easy to confuse them for children on the grid. Easy to forget that in a few short years, they would fall down, scream in pain, then wake up like Tyra. Just another petty tyrant wanting power and damning everything and everyone in their way.

So far, more than twenty people came to them and asked to be taken to the Erikson. Even though she got the impression that many of them thought the chance of being rescued was small. After seeing how overworked everyone was, she doubted they could keep at it with twenty fewer people. She gathered that was why they had all come forward in secret.

The fact the Erikson was so tight-lipped about the rescue was not helping things. All they knew was that it was about a month away. They had been asked to scout a location for the Hermes to come down two weeks before the pickup, but no sooner than that.

The door burst open and Sing appeared, looking even more tired than normal.

“I’m sorry, but I have to borrow Kat.”

He motioned, and Kat followed. He was walking so fast he might as well have been running. They were barely clear of the classroom when Sing spoke quickly. “One of our convoys is out of contact. They missed two check-ins. We think we know about where they are, but by the time we do a methodical search they will probably be dead, and our supplies looted.

“Their radio is transmitting but it’s just static. Bruce said in one of his lessons that it’s possible to home in on a signal with a comp. Will you come with us? You could help save a lot of lives.”

“Of course,” she said as she broke in to a run for Bruce’s workshop.

---

They stopped at the intersection. It had no signs but unlike most, both roads were accessible.

“Which way?” Sing yelled. Kat pulled out the map and put their location into the wristcomp.

“North! About ten kilometers! Stop again in eight or so I can get a better reading!”

---

“Second or third story in that building,” she said as they slowly approached a building.

Sing radioed, “I want two from each jeep with me. The rest of you keep an eye out. Be ready to leave quickly if it’s a trap.”

Kat was getting ready to get out when he said, “Stay in the car and keep your hood up. If this turns bad, I’d rather you not be seen.”

She put the wristcomp under her sleeve, took her rifle out, and watched the buildings across the street.

Soon after Sing and the rest entered, gunshots came from inside, along with the sound of something hitting the ground. Very soon after, Sing and another of the guards came out carrying a person between them. There was blood all over the guard and on Sing’s hand.

They rushed to the jeep, and Sing yelled, “Go, go, go!,” All the jeeps took off so fast Kat was thrown into her seat.

With a shock, Kat realized the person they had taken out was missing a hand. He had a something tied tight around his wrist.

Sing said, “What happened to everyone else! Are they alive?”

“Ambush..., all dead...all dead...”

His eyes shot open then and a look of horror filled his face. He grabbed Sing’s shirt and pulled himself up. Then in a loud and clear voice said, “They know.” He looked dead at Kat then sobbed.

He died before they made it back, without saying another word.

---

Kat hadn’t even known the room existed. It was huge and could easily fit the two hundred who were filling it. That was more than two-thirds of all the adults, the rest were on guard or watching the kids.

More than a few were looking at her with anger. She didn’t blame them.

All four of them from the Erikson were in the front row, waiting for the rest of the locals to get there.

News had reached everyone via radio before they had gotten back the day before. She could tell by how they looked at her that they had known.

Sing had discreetly taken them off guard duty and made sure a few of his people were always on hand near them. Whether they were there to protect or to keep track of them, she had no idea, and was afraid to ask.

She heard a loud bang. She turned and realized it was Ardon banging his cane against the floor.

“We’re here because of a problem that threatens all of us. Please seal the doors,” He said very loudly, but without yelling.

The guards closed the large doors.

“As most of you know, Terry’s dying words were that the people who attacked him knew about our guests from the Erikson.

“Guests... is... the wrong word. They are our friends. They may be from the stars, but they are more like us than those within a few kilometers will ever be. Kat is the only reason we were able to find Terry’s group. They have contributed like we all do.” He looked out into the crowd as if daring them to disagree.

“Kat has asked to address us.”

Bruce looked at her with surprise. She hadn’t told anyone what she planned to do. She hoped Roger would survive it.

She stood up and somberly walked forward next to Ardon. “You need to leave. The Hermes has enough room for everyone. But we don’t know if the leader is in the Palace,” she pointed up, “knows yet. If he does, he could send thousands of people here and the Hermes is weeks away, at least. I am prepared to go alone to the other side of the city and get myself captured. It might buy you enough time to get out of here. You all know I will not break easily.” She felt tears fill her eyes as she looked into the eyes of everyone she was forcing from their home. “I’m so sorry I came here. I was so concerned about saving my own skin that I ignored the threat that we were to you all.

“I...”

People began standing and speaking at once. Their jury-rigged translator cut off. Ardon pounded the floor again.

Bruce, Isaac, and Jacklyn were aghast. Surprisingly, Isaac walked forward and turned to address everyone. “When we escaped, I was a coward and I was useless. She is neither.” He pointed far away and grew more animated and louder. He had already turned up the volume on his speaker all the way from the sound of it.

“I saw Kat rush an armed man with nothing but the clothes on her back. She led us here. She is the reason I am alive. She is the bravest person I have ever known.” He paused. “She feels responsible for deaths that were not her fault. If you say yes, she will do this, without hesitation. She will never see her husband again. She will die here, alone, trying to atone for something that is not her fault. We don’t know for sure who knows, it could just be an unincorporated gang. We might have enough time. The Hermes is coming, and we can all leave together.”

Kat stayed in front, feeling conflicted. It took a while for Ardon to silence everyone.

“Your offer is kind and brave. It is more than I would ask anyone to do. However, we are past the point where it would be useful. As you might say, the cat is out of the bag. They would never trust you enough to not raid us. We knew this risk when we invited you into our home. We are not like the others. From what you say of your people, they are the same. Your highest laws forbid killing for personal gain do they not?”

He turned to the crowd and said, “We do not kill our own,” projecting his voice to everyone.

He motioned for Sing to step forward and spoke, “From the type of wounds and where the caravan was attacked, we do not think it was a really large or organized group. Whoever did it used a good amount of force, but it was sloppy. It was most likely a gang or one of the other businesses. If that is the case, we have a grace period. Depending on exactly who it was, they will attempt to either raid us or find a way to sell the information.

“I believe we could repel all but a concerned attack from one of the largest factions in the city. If we are leaving in a month, we could sell the children now. That would give us the money to buy more weapons while freeing up personnel for defense and getting ready to leave.”

There was some shouting and some talk in the crowd that the translator could not pick up.

Ardon said, “Could you really do that on the Erikson? Can you fix the children? Make it so they never grow up?”

Kat looked at the other three. Neurology was not exactly her strong suit.

Jacklyn stood up and said, “We have a process called synaptic remapping. It changes the neural map of a person’s brain. Changes how they think, arguably changing who they are. Itmightbe possible to use it to help a child who just became an adult, but it’s risky and ethically dubious at best. I...don’t know if it would work, I don’t know much about it.” She looked like she was wilting.

Bruce took over. “The G-forces and, acceleration, we will experience upon takeoff will be huge. I don’t know what kind of maneuvers the Hermes will have to do, but if they are severe, they will hurt or even kill young children.

“With modern drugs, a human adult can take five times the acceleration of this planet for a long time, or fifteen for a short time. A child can take much less. Someone near puberty could be fine but anyone younger than ten or so could, and likely would, be killed.”

Sing said, “The Hermes is going to be under fire as soon as she leaves. The only advantage she will have is speed. They will have to take advantage of that.”

He sighed, “And unfortunately, the problems don’t stop there. We would need some way to move them to the pickup all at once. We will have to buy several more cars and squeeze in tight just to take us. I doubt we could get enough cars for more than a thousand children, and trying to move them all at once in secret...

“I don’t think it can be done.”

Ardon stepped forward, “They were never ours, not really. We only had them for a few years, then they’re gone. What is good and loving about them goes away and never comes back. From the day we take them in, we know we will have to give them up.

“We must remember the good years we gave them.”

---

Kat lowered the binoculars and liked what she saw.

Well, it would work. She would have liked a straight road clear of debris.

What they found was mostly straight, with nothing they couldn’t drive around if they had to. It was better than any other section she had seen.

“Looks like he finally had some luck; the road looks fine. How about the building?”

The local, Graf, grunted. He did that a lot. Kat got the impression that he never rotated in to look after the kids for a reason.

Their job was to find a good place, not easy, given the Hermes would have to come in fast and use the sonics to slow down. She really wished she could be in the cockpit for that.

“Good enough,” he gestured to one of the half-collapsed buildings.

“Take down part of that wall; it won’t cause any problems. Park a dozen cars inside. The building across the way can fit the rest.

“Assuming your people are really coming.”

“They are.”

He grunted again.

They went back to the car, which was hidden under an urban camo tarp.

---

Kat hadn’t even known the room existed. It was huge and could easily fit the two hundred who were filling it. That was more than two-thirds of all the adults, the rest were on guard or watching the kids.

More than a few were looking at her with anger. She didn’t blame them.

All four of them from the Erikson were in the front row, waiting for the rest of the locals to get there.

News had reached everyone via radio before they had gotten back the day before. She could tell by how they looked at her that they had known.

Sing had discreetly taken them off guard duty and made sure a few of his people were always on hand near them. Whether they were there to protect or to keep track of them, she had no idea, and was afraid to ask.

She heard a loud bang. She turned and realized it was Ardon banging his cane against the floor.

“We’re here because of a problem that threatens all of us. Please seal the doors,” He said very loudly, but without yelling.

The guards closed the large doors.

“As most of you know, Terry’s dying words were that the people who attacked him knew about our guests from the Erikson.

“Guests... is... the wrong word. They are our friends. They may be from the stars, but they are more like us than those within a few kilometers will ever be. Kat is the only reason we were able to find Terry’s group. They have contributed like we all do.” He looked out into the crowd as if daring them to disagree.

“Kat has asked to address us.”

Bruce looked at her with surprise. She hadn’t told anyone what she planned to do. She hoped Roger would survive it.

She stood up and somberly walked forward next to Ardon. “You need to leave. The Hermes has enough room for everyone. But we don’t know if the leader is in the Palace,” she pointed up, “knows yet. If he does, he could send thousands of people here and the Hermes is weeks away, at least. I am prepared to go alone to the other side of the city and get myself captured. It might buy you enough time to get out of here. You all know I will not break easily.” She felt tears fill her eyes as she looked into the eyes of everyone she was forcing from their home. “I’m so sorry I came here. I was so concerned about saving my own skin that I ignored the threat that we were to you all.

“I...”

People began standing and speaking at once. Their jury-rigged translator cut off. Ardon pounded the floor again.

Bruce, Isaac, and Jacklyn were aghast. Surprisingly, Isaac walked forward and turned to address everyone. “When we escaped, I was a coward and I was useless. She is neither.” He pointed far away and grew more animated and louder. He had already turned up the volume on his speaker all the way from the sound of it.

“I saw Kat rush an armed man with nothing but the clothes on her back. She led us here. She is the reason I am alive. She is the bravest person I have ever known.” He paused. “She feels responsible for deaths that were not her fault. If you say yes, she will do this, without hesitation. She will never see her husband again. She will die here, alone, trying to atone for something that is not her fault. We don’t know for sure who knows, it could just be an unincorporated gang. We might have enough time. The Hermes is coming, and we can all leave together.”

Kat stayed in front, feeling conflicted. It took a while for Ardon to silence everyone.

“Your offer is kind and brave. It is more than I would ask anyone to do. However, we are past the point where it would be useful. As you might say, the cat is out of the bag. They would never trust you enough to not raid us. We knew this risk when we invited you into our home. We are not like the others. From what you say of your people, they are the same. Your highest laws forbid killing for personal gain do they not?”

He turned to the crowd and said, “We do not kill our own,” projecting his voice to everyone.

He motioned for Sing to step forward and spoke, “From the type of wounds and where the caravan was attacked, we do not think it was a really large or organized group. Whoever did it used a good amount of force, but it was sloppy. It was most likely a gang or one of the other businesses. If that is the case, we have a grace period. Depending on exactly who it was, they will attempt to either raid us or find a way to sell the information.

“I believe we could repel all but a concerned attack from one of the largest factions in the city. If we are leaving in a month, we could sell the children now. That would give us the money to buy more weapons while freeing up personnel for defense and getting ready to leave.”

There was some shouting and some talk in the crowd that the translator could not pick up.

Ardon said, “Could you really do that on the Erikson? Can you fix the children? Make it so they never grow up?”

Kat looked at the other three. Neurology was not exactly her strong suit.

Jacklyn stood up and said, “We have a process called synaptic remapping. It changes the neural map of a person’s brain. Changes how they think, arguably changing who they are. Itmightbe possible to use it to help a child who just became an adult, but it’s risky and ethically dubious at best. I...don’t know if it would work, I don’t know much about it.” She looked like she was wilting.

Bruce took over. “The G-forces and, acceleration, we will experience upon takeoff will be huge. I don’t know what kind of maneuvers the Hermes will have to do, but if they are severe, they will hurt or even kill young children.

“With modern drugs, a human adult can take five times the acceleration of this planet for a long time, or fifteen for a short time. A child can take much less. Someone near puberty could be fine but anyone younger than ten or so could, and likely would, be killed.”

Sing said, “The Hermes is going to be under fire as soon as she leaves. The only advantage she will have is speed. They will have to take advantage of that.”

He sighed, “And unfortunately, the problems don’t stop there. We would need some way to move them to the pickup all at once. We will have to buy several more cars and squeeze in tight just to take us. I doubt we could get enough cars for more than a thousand children, and trying to move them all at once in secret...

“I don’t think it can be done.”

Ardon stepped forward, “They were never ours, not really. We only had them for a few years, then they’re gone. What is good and loving about them goes away and never comes back. From the day we take them in, we know we will have to give them up.

“We must remember the good years we gave them.”

---

Kat lowered the binoculars and liked what she saw.

Well, it would work. She would have liked a straight road clear of debris.

What they found was mostly straight, with nothing they couldn’t drive around if they had to. It was better than any other section she had seen.

“Looks like he finally had some luck; the road looks fine. How about the building?”

The local, Graf, grunted. He did that a lot. Kat got the impression that he never rotated in to look after the kids for a reason.

Their job was to find a good place, not easy, given the Hermes would have to come in fast and use the sonics to slow down. She really wished she could be in the cockpit for that.

“Good enough,” he gestured to one of the half-collapsed buildings.

“Take down part of that wall; it won’t cause any problems. Park a dozen cars inside. The building across the way can fit the rest.

“Assuming your people are really coming.”

“They are.”

He grunted again.

They went back to the car, which was hidden under an urban camo tarp.