00082

With his hands cuffed behind him, Tretl Clyden sat on a bench in the back of a Security land transport, bouncing each time the vehicle hit a pothole or a rock in the rough road leading from Sparkle City to the mining mountain. Seated upon another bench, Security Agent Osmo Martin kept him company. A blaster rested on Agent Martin’s lap.

Clyden broke the silence. "Okay, Punk, we're out here in the middle of nowhere. Now you can let me loose to escape, like you did your friend, that Albert Zoeniga fanatic."

Osmo Martin, from years of practice while attending school and being questioned by the authorities over certain matters of mischief, put on a convincing look of innocence. "You think I let him escape?"

Clyden laughed. "Yeah, Punk, you almost convince me otherwise. I guess it just happened, because Zoeniga was such a clever guy. Cut the bloop- and my cuffs, too."

"Why would I free you, Clyden? You tried to wipe out the Governor's mind, for crying out loud!”

The prisoner frowned. "Oh, c'mon, Osmo! You know why. You know he has to be stopped. You read the secret file, after all."

Osmo shook his head. "No file, Clyden. But then, you already know that."

"You lie!" Clyden shouted. "It's impossible!" In spite of his cuffs, he jumped to his feet, ready to fight.

Osmo Martin waved the blaster at him. "You better sit down, if you know what's good for you.”

It seemed the prisoner might not take the advice, until another rock in the road knocked him back down onto the bench. Clyden steamed in silence for a minute or so, sulking. Finally, he grumbled, "So you're gonna let them do this to me, eh? And knowing what you know, having read it all in the file. Humph, you're no better than your corrupt boss!"

"No file, Clyden," Osmo Martin repeated. "No proof."

Clyden tried to figure out if Osmo lied to him or not. "Ha! So you say. If you are on the level about no file, and if you really want to know the truth, then let me show you the secret ore processor, right at the mines, and you will see I am the honest one here, not the Governor."

"Sure, sure," said Osmo Martin. "You know there isn't any time for that. You are going to the transformation room immediately upon arrival. Anyway, you can't fool me. I admit, you almost had me going yesterday. I looked for the file. Now I know you are a liar."

Clyden grunted, quietly thinking over what the Punk had said. "I wonder if the Governor guessed about me having a secret file, and had somebody get to it before you did. Didn't you go to my office as soon as you locked me up?"

"No, I reported to Gov. Bright first, as I am sure you expected me to say. Stop trying to manipulate my mind. Like I believe you over Gov. Bright. Look, I don't really want to see you go to the mines. But you must admit, you brought it on yourself. I mean, what you tried to do- You think you should just get off scott-free? And maybe you're finally getting payback for all your dirty deeds. How many people did you send to the mines, who didn't belong there? Gov. Bright says the records show there aren't any there at the mines who don't belong there, but he also says it's not even possible to know for sure, since you have obfuscated the records so much! I know you. I expect you did kidnap people, like Mr. McCleer, if No. 317 is maybe he, and that your goal was to put Gov. Bright in a bad light. The truth is, if I am to keep my oath as a Security Agent, I must uphold the law and see that you get to the mines."

Clyden muttered, "Punk, you are undoubtedly the biggest jerk I ever met. No wonder I never liked you.”

The transport stopped in front of the bridge over the moat that surrounded the mountain. The narrow bridge led to the mine entrance. The driver remained in his place, while Osmo Martin and Clyden stepped outside. The loud digging music blasted, as usual, from the mine entranceway.

Agent Osmo Martin nudged Tretl Clyden along the bridge. Clyden had to walk carefully across, for Osmo Martin kept the prisoner's hands bound in back of him. If he lost his balance on the way, he had no ability to steady himself on the railing. The Eaters down below called to them.

“Don't worry, if you fall, I'll catch you," Osmo Martin promised. "On the second bounce."

"A jerk AND a jackass," Clyden muttered some more.

A few guards and some robots met the two at the opening to the mines. The human guards gaped unbelievingly, to see their former boss in this position! So the story was true, even though they found it hard to accept. The robots, however, showed no amazement. They simply did their duty and helped escort the prisoner down to the lower levels.

Several miners who passed by them in the tunnels gasped to see Clyden bound and taken by guards, no longer the one giving the guards orders, but instead being told which way to go. Most of the miners had known him and had seen him before on duty, and occasionally had even seen Clyden with the Governor himself at the mines! Unsure how to respond to Clyden's presence, they weakly cheered him, a bit confused about the sight.

One of the human guards shushed them. "Don't. He has betrayed the Governor. He even tried to harm him!”

Upon hearing this, the miners suddenly were no longer confused on how they should react to the new prisoner. As one, they let out a collective growl. "Miserable waste! Terrible man! Unproductive member of society!" They crowded toward him menacingly.

Agent Osmo Martin waved his blaster about. "No, miners, no. Leave him be!"

They growled some more but obeyed, backing off. They struggled to keep their rage under control. A few picked up some stones and tossed them at Clyden.

“Oof!"

"Stop that!" commanded Osmo Martin, this time waving his hands over his head, trying to get their attention and some order. "Don't do that because, um, we must give him a chance to, ah, join your ranks, so that you can teach him how to be a better citizen serving the peoples of Earth and the World of Hope. Stop, I say!"

They hissed but complied. One of them suggested, "Someone who would dare try to harm the Governor is not worthy of a second chance!”

Clyden watched the miners in silence, a cocky sneer on his face, obviously disgusted with the miners and their eager enthusiasm for the Governor.

Another guard told the Diggers, "Um, but the wonderful Governor himself has ordered he be given the opportunity to do the right thing from now on with his life. Gov. Bright wants to see that our prisoner gets the chance to do the right thing, in spite of the fact that he does not deserve the chance."

Upon hearing this, that it was Gov. Bright's own decision to give him a second chance, the miners beamed and nodded their heads approvingly, dropping the rocks from their hands and continuing on their ways to do their jobs. "That's our Gov. Bright! He's really quite a good guy!"

"Stupid miners!" Clyden grumbled the words with all the contempt he could muster. "They're even stupider than you, Punk."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Osmo said, "and soon you'll be just as stupid, sorry for you."

"Punk, ya can stop pushing. I'm going. I won't put up a fight. I refuse to give you the satisfaction of putting on a show, so that you can have a good laugh about it with Gov. Xavier."

The current Warden met the group outside the transformation chamber, as Agent Osmo Martin told Clyden, "Good for you. But I'm not staying for the show. I'm going back to the city on the transport."

Clyden called after him, "Okay, go, hurry back to the emperor. He might need you to shine his boots- with your lips! Run, so you can be with him, so he can decide if he likes you, or if he wants to send you down here next!”

Osmo Martin made no answer, he just continued on his way.

A robot opened the hatch to the transformation chamber. The Warden ordered the human guards, "Get this thug in there and up on a table!"

Tretl Clyden kept his word. He put up no fuss. Out of all the victims who had passed through here, he knew best what to expect. And yet, he did not fight back. No show from Clyden, if he could help it. He determined to conduct himself in a dignified way, despite what he knew lay ahead. He recalled seeing many people who were strapped to tables, IV's hanging from their arms to machinery under the tables, swelling rapidly from the dark fluid being pumped into their veins by white-coated technicians behind the plexi-glass. Not one of them took it in a dignified way.

As a victim's body quickly expanded into a huge miner body, the metabolic rate increased to dangerous levels, and the subject screamed and wailed in unbearable pain, until the ordeal made him pass out. Never had any been able to stay awake and sane through the entire transformation. At the point when the new miner-in-making passed out from the pain, a large hypodermic was forced into an arm and it injected the ID Wipe into the still growing body. And, after that, when the transformation was complete, robots took the new miner to the recovery room, and after he awoke, the newnbie went to be reeducated, to learn how to honor and love authority and the Governor, and to learn how to mine fuel ore.

Clyden fought with all his might not to scream once the process began. He groaned and moaned as the fluids and thick serums were forced into his body. His skin burned and his muscles ached, being stretched too far in such a short time frame. His bones even pained him inside. His joints swelled and throbbed. And what a terrible headache, like a continuous aneurism exploding-

Clyden screamed at the techs, "One day you bonkards will get yours!! You wait and see!"

And then, he, too, as everyone else did in the past, yelled and screamed and begged for mercy, until his mind finally broke into little tiny pieces, and after that, he felt nothing, no pain, he thought nothing, either; he drooled and gibbered and passed from consciousness. The pain drove him out of his mind.

Then the ID Wipe was administered, and the process continued until its predictable end.

Dazed and confused, Clyden awoke later in a room carved in the mountain rock. His full-fledged miner's body rested on a cot. He sat up, blinking.

From among several robots milling about, a green robot came over to him, carrying a new grey miner uniform with the number of 360 in place of a name tag. The robot expounded on how lucky the new miner was in this new life, to be given a second chance to be a useful citizen, to contribute to the good of the people of the World of Hope, to be given a chance to pay back Gov. Bright for his kindness in providing this opportunity to dig out fuel ore for those on Earth and Hope, etc., etc. "And," the robot announced, "you are now known as No. 360."

Clyden beamed. "That's a nice round number. But what can I do? How can I be useful? I don't know how to mine, do I?”

No. 360 expressed his grateful appreciation with many thanks as they took him to the training zone, where No. 25 and some other senior miners awaited him. These veteran miners demonstrated to No. 360 the proper way to use various mining tools.

"Ooh! Oh! Let me try!" 360 begged.

Nos. 25 and 32 watched him swinging a pickaxe with wild abandon, a joy to behold. Proud of his student, No. 25 wiped a tear from his eye.

32 caught that. He half laughed as he asked, "Are you crying?"

"No. Why should I be crying? I just got some dust in my eye, that's all. And, anyway, what if I am? Want to make something out of it?"

32 shook his head vigorously. "No, no, I didn't say there was anything wrong with it. Ah, I think it's good for a miner to cry with happiness, um, sometimes! No problem, brother." 32 had no desire to settle any differences with No. 25 in a gladiator match.

After the quick crash course in mining, No. 360 next attended a pep rally for Gov. Bright, where he joined in with the cheering, and then some miners took 360 on a tour before he started his very first shift.

Fourteen hours later, 360's team stopped for the day.

"What, already?" the new miner asked.

He followed them to an inspiration room, where they ate, cheered the Governor some more, and traded miner stories and technique tricks guaranteed to increase production.”

360 finished his meal and discretely slipped away. He traveled down several passageways and tunnels, seemingly knowing what path he wanted to take, and where he wanted to go. He soon found the seldom used tunnel which he wanted. He stood on a boulder under a low-hanging light and reached up into a small crevice in the ceiling above. "Good, it's still here!"

He yanked out a small bottle, the one he had put there only a few days before.

360/Clyden took out a pill and tossed aside the bottle. The pill resembled the one he had taken just after his failed coup in Gov. Xavier Bright's office. "It's good I had taken that pill which Dr. Kitchen made for me in case my plan failed, or for sure I would be a miner in heart and soul as well as in body. That transformation truly was the worst thing I have ever experienced. My mind did shatter from the awful time of it, but my pill worked. It nullified the ID Wipe, and it returned my mind back to me. How I hated, when I woke up, pretending to love that pig, Gov. Xavier! Well, like it or not, I am stuck with Plan B, since I messed up Plan A. But Gov. Xavier is mistaken if he thinks he has gotten rid of me. He has not heard the last of Tretl Clyden!"

Clyden put the pill in a pocket. "I only hope this pill works as well on George McCleer as my pill had worked on me. Now, the only problem is, how can I get it to him, since he is always being watched? But I will bide my time. I know sooner or later opportunity shall present itself. It is a problem to get him the pill, to be sure, but I am good at solving problems.”

 (c) drk 2012