Auxiliary's Revenge

Chapter 1 – Hard Science Master Sthenys watched the Reliant scientists at work. He paced—so far as a non-corporeal being could be said to pace in a material world—and occasionally nodded or emitted a satisfied grunt. The lab was a white, sterile, cold place, but there was an energy in the air, an enthusiasm that didn't show on those gray faces but permeated the room nonetheless. It gave him a good feeling, a sense that the Reliant Mentarchy would soon get the upper hand in the war in a way from which its enemies could never recover. In spite of his good feeling, the action in the lab was dull. The room's layout and equipment were focused on research, not experimentation, so the place was mainly furnished with tables and chairs and monitors. The work was mostly invisible, happening via computer and in the heads of the men and women. It was all very orderly and antiseptic and boring. If Sthenys wanted excitement, he would have to go elsewhere. So he did. He shifted to another room. This room had no research stations. It had no tables or chairs. Instead, it contained two rows of transparent polymer cage-like cylinders separated by a center aisle. The cages were airtight, rugged things designed to withstand any violent actions from the captives. Each had a door and an airlock for transferring food and toiletries. There were hoses and machines atop each one for atmosphere control and other functions. The cages were designed for a single purpose: to conduct medical experiments on unwilling humans. A few of them were empty. Most were not. The occupied cages held naked Agrarians. Sthenys strolled down the aisle, glancing at each Agrarian captive in turn. They had all been there for at least a few days, and all were greasy and unshaven. Some of them pounded on the polymer with their fists, their mouths moving in silent curses. Others had pained looks and seemed to be pleading with him in a vain attempt at obtaining mercy. Aside from the dull thumps of the fists pounding, the cages were effectively soundproof. Which was good, because Sthenys wasn't interested in listening to any sodbuster whining. They were a lesser Breed, tools to be used when needed and to be discarded when not, nothing more. A Reliant scientist stood at the end of the row. She wore a white lab coat over the usual gray tunic of the Mentarchy. She was taking notes on a tablet. She would occasionally glance up at the captive Agrarian woman in the cage just inches away. The Agrarian woman stood with her hands over her groin, apparently still modest in spite of her predicament. The name on her cylinder identified her as twenty-six-year-old Ellen Treadwell. The Reliant didn't seem interested in Ellen much at all. She glanced at her with the detached look of a mechanic examining an engine. Sthenys approached her. “Hello, Jadaya.” Jadaya looked at him. Now there was a spark of interest in her eyes. “Master Sthenys. It's an honor to see you again. Is there something—” “Just observing. I enjoy seeing the results of scientific progress firsthand. Tell me your results so far.” “There are no results as of yet. We've been establishing a baseline. This subject—Ellen Treadwell—will be the first to be tested at this laboratory. The others here will be exposed on a staggered schedule. The subjects come from a variety of worlds and environments. We want to ensure that the Agraricide works on all genetic and epigenetic permutations within the Agrarian Breed. This particular subject is from the planet Newstead. We couldn't send Reliants to procure our subjects, of course, due to the current political situation. But there are always some unscrupulous Agrarians willing to betray their own for money. It's a disgusting trait resulting from their insistence on independent thinking, I suppose. They lack the care and guidance of a single ruling mind, and the result is chaos.” Senzon pretended to be interested in the propaganda. He knew she was just telling him what she thought he wanted to hear, but he had heard every argument for every idea in the galaxy, and it was tiresome. Still, that didn't make Jadaya's opinion less true, and even though he had heard it all a million times before, he still agreed with it, so he made the effort to avoid looking irritated for her sake. The mortals needed affirmation from their betters, after all. “Regardless of the reason for their betrayal,” Jadaya continued, “the pertinent fact is that some Agrarians are willing to sell us what we need, and the Mentarchy has paid handsomely for these subjects. The test is about to begin if you would like to watch.” “Yes, I'll stay for a moment. Please continue with your work.” “Thank you, Master.” Jadaya made a few more notes on her tablet. Finally, she looked at Sthenys. “We will now begin.” She tapped once on her tablet. A white mist sprayed into the cage from a nozzle in the cylinder's roof. Ellen looked up at the nozzle with fear-filled eyes. She turned back to Jadaya and began pounding on the polymer with the palms of her hands. Tears began to stream down her cheeks. “How long for it to take effect?” Sthenys asked. Jadaya slipped her tablet into a coat pocket, turned to him, and clasped her hands behind her back. “Our projections indicate that, on average, the first symptoms should appear within twenty-four hours. Severe symptoms appear within seventy-two hours, and death occurs within five to seven days after initial exposure. There are many variables, of course, such as the age of the subject, prior medical conditions, overall robustness, and so forth. But if our research is accurate, most Agrarians exposed to the virus—perhaps even all of them—should be dead within a week.” Sthenys watched Ellen cry and protest. He allowed himself a grim smile. The Agraricide held great promise, and it was the best potential weapon the Mentarch had yet devised. He would know the results soon enough.