00090

It disappointed him, but it didn't surprise him, when his faked video, snuck in with the Governor's report to Earth, only gave Gov. Xavier Bright a nuisance. Tretl Clyden knew his former boss could lie his way out of most things, but he had hoped to create more doubt, at least, in the minds of the Laders back on Earth. If the little he gleaned from the grapevine here in the mines had any reliability, that seemed to be about all he had accomplished. Well, he may have slightly increased tensions between Earth and Hope, and maybe that accounted for Earth issuing the travel warning, to squeeze the Governor tighter. Clyden couldn't know for sure. He wasn't even certain the rumors he heard were dependable. Anyway, he still had his plans, plans to escape, first of all...

So, Clyden the miner continued his fake miner's enthusiasm, and tried to be patient while biding his time, looking for an opportunity to finally meet quietly with No. 317 to discuss breaking out of this place...

At last his big chance came. Some poor miner slob, No. 79, an old hand at digging, suddenly vanished in a flash that knocked down the rest of the work team, including Clyden. When they all stood again, No. 114 spoke the sentiment all the other dopes had in their hearts. "How lucky can a guy get- blowing up in the line of duty!"

No. 360, aka Clyden, observed, "He must have hit some pure fuel. Perhaps we should send for one of the experts who dig out pure fuel for us all the time." To himself, Clyden remarked, Sheesh! That happened quite sudden-like! I need to be more careful when I am swinging away like a devoted Gov. Xavier zombie. That could've been me!

The Team Leader summoned one of the two experts. Clyden was glad to see a robot guard escorting George McCleer, No. 317, to the site of the accident, and not 248. This worked better for Clyden. He and the other miners stood far back, at the entrane to the shaft, while No. 317 did his thing, carefully, carefully digging out the pure fuel stones that could blow him up at any moment. By now, George had learned to ignore the stress of the job. Tretl Clyden looked for any sign of anxiousness from him as he worked, but, if he did mind the job, he sure didn't show it.

When No. 317/George finished digging out all the pure fuel nuggets, and the team resumed their digging in that shaft, the robot guard said it would take No. 317 back to his own team now. Tretl Clyden observed that George said nothing all this time, as though he had resigned himself to his life at the mines. Or, maybe, he quietly still tried to figure out if there were any way he could again attempt getting out of the mines. Well, Clyden might be able to help him there.

Clyden told the Team Leader, "I want to go along also with the robot escort, to make sure No. 317 doesn't try to give the escort the slip. You know how this bad 317 has a reputation for always trying to escape his wonderful chance to finally be a productive member of society. I may be new here, but I heard enough already about this trouble-maker to know he should be watched all the time!"

The Team Leader chuckled. "I hear ya, No. 360. But what about your quota, then? We already lost time, having to wait for 317 to finish his job, and now we must work extra hard, to make up for what No. 79 would have done, had he not been vaporized."

"I know, and when I come back, I intend to give it my 200 percent! I will even stay more hours, if I am allowed, to get the needed amount of ore dug out for the Governor, but I think it is wise if the robot has backup while taking No. 317 back to his own team. I just don't want this bad miner to try anything funny! And I don't want him to give our beloved Governor anything to worry about, either!”

Clyden silently noted George rolling his eyes up to the ceiling, unimpressed with what he believed to be Clyden's "devotion".

The Team Leader considered, and decided to go along with the idea. "You may have a point, No. 360. Okay, fine, go with the robot guard, but hurry back."

"Oh, you can count on that. If you think our work team's gonna come in under quota today because of me, you're crazy!"

"This way," the robot told George, holding its blaster on the troublesome miner.

Clyden walked alongside of the robot, keeping his pickaxe ready supposedly in case No. 317 gave any trouble. Tretl Clyden, too, grunted out commands to George, merely repeating the guard's own orders as it said them, as if he were backing up everything the robot said.

The three of them continued their march along the tunnels, up until they reached a shaft in which at the moment no one seemed to be using or working in. Clyden made sure the coast was clear, then, he hefted his pickaxe in his hands and then, like a runaway miner cart, swung it at the robot's head and smashed it clean off before the robot knew what hit it. Its robot body fell to the ground, its robot hands still clutching the blaster.

Stunned, George just stared.

Clyden said, "Help me toss some rocks and boulders on it, so we can say it got clobbered by a cave-in. No, let the blaster alone. Just toss rocks on the blaster as well, to make our story look more authentic. No, leave it, I said. Don't be stupid. Even with the blaster, you won't get very far."

George, bewildered, followed the instructions. "What's this all about? I don't get it-"

"Okay, George, stand clear now." Clyden pushed the other miner aside and then slammed his pickaxe into a nearby support, smashing it and bringing down some more rubble onto the defunct robot.

"You- you called me George. You know my name-"

Clyden smirked. "I know a lot about you. After all, I'm the guy who helped Gov. Xavier put you in here. Now I'm the guy who's gonna help you escape. Or, rather, you will help me get out, and you can come along for the trip."

George shook his head, uncomprehending. "I- I don't remember you doing that to me. Why did you and the Governor put me in here, then, if what you say is true?"

"Do you know who I am, at least?" asked Tretl Clyden. "I know you remember me from when I would come visit here at the mines with the Governor during your stay here."

"Yes, I know you. You were the Security Leader, who tried to harm the Governor, and were made a miner and put in here. Whatever they do to make us into huge miners might have morphed your face, but I still recognize you- But we aren't supposed to talk about who you were, says the guards and the current Warden, because you are not that person anymore. But how can you remember so many things? You remember what happened before you woke as a miner? It seems like all of us miners have forgotten who we were and what we had done before we became miners. We don't even know for sure if we were humans at one time or not."

"Ha, I remember everything about who I am, because I found a way to counteract the effects of the ID Wipe that they give us miners, George.”

George considered the matter. "So, if you know me... unless this is some kind of a trap, a trick to get me to again try to escape, so they have an excuse to toss me to the Eaters once and for all..."

Tretl Clyden shook his head, annoyed. "McCleer, don't be a dope. How can that be, that I’d trick you like that, if I really know who I am? Why would I, since I know who I am and what they did to me- Or, what if I’m fakin’ knowing who I am-Would they really tell me I was, and am, the ex-Security Leader Clyden? Would they tell me just for me to help catch you in some stupid trap? You're a miner, for crying out loud. As if they even need an excuse to toss you into the moat."

"Hmm. I see, I guess... Okay, then perhaps. since you know me, you also know who Nina is? I dream about her sometimes. Can you tell me about her?" George hoped to get some answers to the mystery finally.

"I know who Mrs. McCleer is, and so can you," Clyden promised. However, he neglected to tell George how he had seen the old miners' headquarters- in which she must have undoubtedly been holed up during the raid- blown up, with no trace of her or the other church members left from the blast. No, the former Security Leader kept quiet about that part of what he knew.

Clyden took out the pill he had kept hidden in his pocket for the longest time, the one he had retrieved as soon as he could, on the day he got put in here and awoke as a miner. "You take this, and you will remember everything."

"I have so many questions. You say you put me in here, but yet you think I will trust you," George mused. "Why should I want to help you escape? And why would you even want me to help you, or even trust me to help you? Why me, and not somebody else, considering the fact that now I know you did this to me. Why am I so special?"

"Yeah, you're real special, all right. It's just that there aren't many good choices to pick from," Clyden said. "I guess out of the lot of you miners, you may be my best choice. You at least are smart enough to keep on trying to escape all the time since you've been here, unlike these boobs who want to live the rest of their lives as miners, and then die in this hole in the ground. Most of the others I would have to force to take the pill, in the first place, because they would not even want to remember who they were before they became numbers. And once I did get the pill down their throat, and they got back their memories, and they remembered that I put most of them in here like I did you, then they might be so angry at me, that their anger would override their reason and their ability to think straight. Instead of agreeing to escape with me, they would possibly seek revenge first. I know I would, if the situation were reversed. Besides that, when Earth learns what the Governor did to you, if they hear it from your own mouth, they wont like that. They won't be able to make excuses anymore for allowing Gov. Xavier to stay in his post. They will have to remove him and put him on trial."

"Oh." George thought about that. "From all you just told me, I can only imagine you must have been a wonderful person before you became a miner." He said it in a sarcastic way.

"Yeah, yeah, so what? And I am still the same lovable person. Now, are you going to take this pill and help me, or what?"

George took the pill in his hand and looked at it. "This isn't a trick to try and get me to take some ID Wipe Enhancers, is it?"

"What? You still think it's a trick? Okay, look, just give it back," snarled Clyden. "I will just find somebody else to work with me. It won't be easy, but I will."

George still considered the pill in his hand. "Not so fast. Does this pill have any side effects?"

Clyden shrugged. "I have no idea. For all I know, it might kill you. But so what- Do you want to be assured of a long life, and spend your long life here, digging out rocks?”

“Not really. But I still don't get it. What difference does it make to you, if I remember or not? You know I am always trying to escape, anyway. I don't need my memory for that. I am just asking. Of course, I do want my memories back."

"The way I see it, it might give you more resolve, once you know who you really are. I think you will remember a lot more about Gov. Xavier, and I think you will be motivated to help me. More motivated to escape than ever before, if that can be possible. With your mind back, Earth can learn from your own testimony what happened to you, and how your old pal the Governor personally saw to it that you were made into a Digger. I figure, with the old George back, I stand a good chance that, despite the fact you will clearly remember what I did to you, that you will be willing to help me- us- get free, anyway, if I know you at all. Which, actually, I don't- I didn't really know you that well before we stuck you in here, but in my line of work- or, in my former line of work, I can usually size up a person, and know if he is going to be trouble or not.”

“After I take this, then what's the plan? How do we escape?"

"Nope." Clyden said, "If I tell you the plan now, what's to stop you from leaving me behind, and instead working with your buddy Billy Boy and getting away with him in my place?"

"Who's Billy Boy? Oh, you must mean 248. Oh, so that's his name..." George found that information interesting. "That's a good idea of yours, actually. Unfortunately, No. 248... Billy Boy- and I are always being guarded, and we can barely get a greeting to each other without the guards threatening us, let alone making escape plans together."

"I know. I used to be the boss of the guards, remember? I heard all about that constant scrutiny and watching over you two. As the former boss, I also know the guard routines and such, which means, even if you would try to backstab me like that- teaming up with your pal and counting me out of the operation- you would be foolish and get nowhere. I know how to get out. 248 doesn't. You can't do it, whether you know the plan or not, without me and what I know about guard schedules. Believe me, I thought this thing through pretty well. See, that is why you guys have never been successful in your escape tries. Not enough planning."

"Maybe." George held the pill up at his mouth.

Tretl Clyden cautioned, "It'll give you one heck of a stomach ache. Worse than what you get from miner's food."

"Ha. I used to swallow pellets of pure fuel. Now that was rough. Here goes." He popped the pill and waited. In a moment, he held his stomach and said, "Yeah, it is pretty bad." Belching, George spit up foam.

“I told you," said Clyden.

George's eyes bulged out. He gasped and froze, then fell over, looking just as dead as the robot under the pile of stones. Clyden nudged George with his foot. "You okay? George, you still alive? McCleer, don't die on me, for crying out loud-!"

At that moment, Clyden heard approaching footsteps and talking voices. Some others were coming this way, and here lay George, right in the open, in the middle of the tunnel, in front of the shaft, possibly dying or dead from a pill Clyden had given him- This was Clyden's best chance of getting out of the mines. Maybe his only chance-

Clyden grabbed his pickaxe, bracing for trouble.”

(c) drk 2012