00108




Gov. Xavier Bright sat in his inner office at his desk. He routed his personal screen through to the larger office screen and watched the blank plate expectantly.

At last, a picture flashed onto the screen, a scene displaying a large cavern. Benches encircled a gaping hole in the center of the cavern- a twelve-foot deep pit, the Gladiator Pit. Electric lamps hung from the cavern ceiling, with particular emphasis above the fifteen foot by fifteen foot hole, illuminating its rock walls and all the stones strewn across its rough bottom. The live drone camera panned the view, and it showed up on the Governor's large wall screen. This pit was where lots of exciting action was to take place in a few short minutes. Everything in the spectators' section pointed to the pit. The cavern's roof and floor sloped down toward the pit, and each spectator seat had a bird's eyeview of the square ring down in the pit below. The pit became the primary focus of the cameras, both stationary and the roving drone. All the cameras were there for the amusement of Gov. Bright.


Greyish green miners with varying shades of red tint hurried into the crude stadium, the first arrivals naturally grabbing the benches closest to the upcoming action. A couple of Diggers looked at the cameras, a little curious, but then, not wanting to miss any of the promised battle, kept their attention on the pit, waiting as expectantly as Gov. Bright for the fight.


Warden Ung's voice came over the screen's  broadcast. "How is your reception, Gov. Bright?"

"Just fine, Warden Ung. I must say, I am very pleased to be able to watch this gladiator match live. I had thought I would have to settle for a recording. Is the fact that it is a live feed the reason it took so long for you to set up the match after the day I gave you the go-ahead?"

"Partly, Sir. I assumed you might like to see it live; who wouldn't want to? Wiring up a system for live quality broadcasting posed a few problems for us, but that's only part of the reason for why it took so long to arrange this fight, Sir."

"I see. And what else, then?"

"Well, Gov. Bright, you have your goal of how much ore you want mined and processed each month- but you've increased how much we should process this month. In fact, the amount is so much more than we usually do, that the processor has been running night and day these past two weeks straight, without a break at all, Sir. But I know that your most loyal miners, those whom we count on to run the processor and to keep mum over the operation, well, I know they would love to see a good match, especially since there hasn't been one here for a long time. And this one promises to be so exciting, with Sec. Ldr. Clyden, I mean, No. 360, who wants to fight for your honor, against those two most ungrateful miners, Nos. 248 and 317. Your trusted miners, who were working so hard at the processor, deserved the chance to see the fight, I thought. So, I waited until after we finally were able to reach- and exceed, I might add- your set quota for fuel ore processing, and then I set up this event, so everybody who wanted to and deserved to see it, could enjoy it. I waited to accommodate them, Sir, the loyal miners. I hope you do not mind the slight delay."

"No, Warden Ung. I concur with your decision. However, my free time shall be severely limited in these next few days and weeks. Will I have to wait much longer for the spectacle to begin?"

"No, sir. We are fetching 248 and 317 from their cages."

"Good. I only wish I had some popcorn."


Meanwhile, at the mining mountain, inside the mines, in his cage, No. 248 finished his measly dinner after another hard day of work. At least he did not get called for any special duty, such as digging out the pure fuel stones. But no sooner than he had finished eating, a gush of guards (both human and robot) streamed into the Incarceration Hall.

Some of the guards went directly to George's/No. 317's cage, and the rest of them came to 248's.

The posted on-duty guard, whose duty was to keep his eyes at all times on 248 and 317, making sure there were no escape attempts, brightened as the troop of guards came inside. "Ah, are you all here to fetch them? Is the match going to finally take place?"

One of the arrivals got a key for the cages holding the two miners. "Yes the match is. I hope you made your bets by now." He took the key over to the cage which housed 248 and unlocked the door. "Okay, No. 248, time for the gladiator games!"

248 remained sitting. "Oh, is it? If it's all the same to you, I'd rather sit this one out."

"Well, it's not, so, let's go." He sent a robot into the cage, to try and drag out 248 by his feet.

248 swatted the robot aside. The miner then stood. "Okay, I'll go. But I don't like it. And I'm not fighting."

248 figured his pal George/317 would feel the same way. He watched him, George in his own cage, as the guards came over to 317.

Huh? 248 couldn't believe or understand George's reaction. How disappointing, to see his friend so enthused over something like the gladiator games, that he was shadow boxing in his cage, in eager anticipation! Warming up for the fight! He though he knew George, and that George was better than that!

George eagerly hopped out of the cage. "Okay, I'm ready! If this No. 360 wants a fight so badly, I shall give him one!"

"Now, that's more like it!" cheered another guard. He had seen a few of the gladiator matches before, and he relished the idea of seeing another one. He turned to the reluctant 248 and tried to encourage him. "See, you should be like your friend here. And don't be scared. It's two of you against one single miner. How much trouble can that be?"

248 sighed. "I'm not afraid. However, I have no reason to fight this miner who insists on challenging me."

"Ha, well, he sure thinks he has reason to fight you, anyway, so you better psyche yourself up for a decent rumble. Besides, I put some money on your team."


George/317 wondered just what Clyden's plan of escape was. He looked forward to the match, in order to find out the details. Whatever it was, he sure hoped the plan worked.

The guards chained the two "bad" miners together with an extremely thick, strong chain. As they led the miners from the incarceration center and down the tunnel beyond, the two miners did not have much opportunity to converse. George saw the deep concern and the puzzlement on 248's face because of how George obviously welcomed the upcoming match, and he wished he had had the chance to explain to No. 248 that this was part of Clyden's escape plan. But he and 248 were always being watched, with no time for private discussions anymore.

The guards took them to a lift, which was wide enough that it could contain the whole party. It took them down, down, down. Almost down as far as the level of the secret processor, George guessed. The processor might only be one or two levels lower.

George, in all the time he had been here at the mines, had never been to a gladiator match. He had only heard of them. He tried to figure out just where they were going in the mines as the guards marched them down long tunnels with some twists and turns. He read the tunnel numbers to himself. As far as George could tell, they were heading to the far side of the mining mountain, away from the mine entrance many layers above. It seemed that they were almost in the same location as that secret processor, the one which the Council of Leaders had sent George here to the World of Hope to find out whether it existed. Well, he found out, but now what? What could he do about it?

At last, they reached the gladiator stadium. Quite a large cavern, George noted to himself. The guards led them down an aisle between benches loaded with miners, who screamed bad things at them when they saw the two Diggers enter and pass by. The aisle which the guards took George and 248 down led toward the lower part of the sloping cavern. George could see the deep hole and figured that was to be their ring. The drone camera flitted about, panning the sparring partner.

Someone- a guard? another miners?-somewhere announced over the PA system, momentarily interrupting the miners' perpetual digging music. "Miners and Diggers, attention, please. I now present to you the team of No. 248 and No. 317, two miners who do not love our beloved Gov. Bright, and who do not want to mine fuel ore, and who are always trying to get out of our lovely mines without proper permission. Let's have a big hand for them, miners!"

The miners screamed and cursed them even louder than when they were fist led in here. The guards brought 317 and 248 to the edge of the fight pit and kept the two there even after taking off their chains, making them endure the jeering taunts and the hissing from their fellow miners. More than a few miners managed to find some rocks in the rough-hewn cavern to toss at Nos. 248 and 317. One of the guards had to duck a badly aimed stone, which glanced off his helmet. The stone continued on, whacking the drone. It wobbled in the air.

An older guard smiled. He spoke to the crowd, "Yeah, you're right- They are trash!" With that, he and the rest of the human and robot guards suddenly, unceremoniously, all at once pushed the startled novice gladiators over the side. They fell into the pit with little dignity.

George and 248 thudded and bounced hard on the stones littering the bottom. They grunted from the impact.

George tried to whisper to his companion. "248, listen-" But he was drowned out by the sounds of loud, boisterous cheering above them.

The announcer's voice intoned, "And now, devoted miners, I give you our champion, No. 360, who will teach those ingrates more than a thing or two! By the time he finishes with them, they shall have learned respect and gratitude for our beloved Governor!"


Clyden dashed down the same aisle which George and 248 had been taken along. The spectators rose from their benches and wildly shouted his number. "360! 360!" Clyden paused at the edge of the pit, hamming it up. He strutted and flexed, and the crowd went wilder.

Clyden shouted, "Okay, my fellow-miners, we want to teach those rock-slugs how to honor Gov. Bright! Let's start the show!"

Clyden then leaned over the edge and shouted down to the two miners already in the pit, "Get ready, here I come!" He dove in, landing atop No. 217/George.

The amused announcer laughed, "Whoa, whoa, wait, 360, wait for some weapons to be thrown down there, to make it more interesting!"

But Clyden already had the fight going full swing. In fact, he had landed swinging as he fell onto George. George pushed him off and stood- Clyden socked both of his opponents in their eyes, both opponents at the same time, and then he grabbed their heads and knocked them together.

While they stumbled into each other, dazed, Clyden kicked 248 in the chest, so hard 248 flew into the wall of the pit, the wind knocked out of him. 248 struggled to catch his breath.

Clyden once more socked George, this time in his nose. He put a headlock on the hapless George, who gagged, "What are you doing?! Did you go nuts? I thought we weren't going to really fight each other!!"

Clyden could barely hear George above the applause. He whispered back, "Hey, we gotta make it look good. Do you think they'll toss us in the recovery room if we don't get seriously bruised? And we must get into the recovery room, for my plan to work! Besides, it'll be fun! Don't worry, we'll be okay, as long as we don't actually kill each other in the fight, in which case, of course, then we cannot rejuvenate, once we are dead. Otherwise, though, we will heal pretty quickly- So, just be careful about accidentally killing me!"

George managed to rasp out, "I... think you should... be worried about accidentally  you... killing me!"

Above, the announcer still laughed. "Okay, okay, so No. 360 doesn't like to waste time. But we want a really great match, don't we, so let's toss those weapons I promised down to them!"

A guard threw over the side of the pit several metal clubs, a knife with a specially hardened blade to slice miner skin, and a heavy-duty chains- the very one which had been used to bind 248 and 317 while bringing them here.

The miners watched Clyden's frenzied fury and continued to cheer, "360! 360!"

248 steadied himself against the wall, and just as he managed to catch his breath again, the weapons clattered down on him from overhead. 248 looked at the instruments of pain lying at his feet. He reached down and selected the thick, long chain. Seizing it, he ran over to where Clyden kept George in the headlock as the former Security Leader banged George's head repeatedly into the side of the pit.

Clyden's back was to 248 as he laughed at George's yells. "Do ya love the Governor yet??" 360 shouted loudly, and the crowd heard his shouts and stamped their feet with glee.

248 suddenly wrapped the chain around Clyden's neck from behind and pulled hard, so hard he pulled Clyden off of George. "Now, let's see how you like it! Enough of your crazy violence!"

It was Clyden's turn to gag. He twisted about, but as he twisted to catch 248 at his back, 248 stepped around him, keeping to Clyden's back. Clyden gurgled and tried to grab hold of the chain, but 248 did not let go. 248 yanked on it and Clyden flailed about, reaching and grabbing behind himself, only encountering air as 248 kept just out of his reach.

George rubbed his aching head. He gasped, seeing 248 choking, strangling Clyden. "248- what are- errk- errk-" He had a hard time croaking out any words, rubbing his neck, still hurting from the headlock.

248 refused to relent, despite Clyden's wildly swinging arms and his attempts to pull off the chain from around his neck. "No, you keep out of this, 317; I got him now," 248 called to George when George waved his hands wildly about, trying to get his friend's attention. George tried to speak, but only rasps came out his hurting throat. 248 said, "You can take it easy, let me handle him! I have him now, 317! If he is so foolish to insist on fighting both of us at the same time, then let him pay for his foolishness!"

And on the benches above, the miners gaped at what transpired. They stood up on their feet, anxious. The miners booed and hissed at the way the match was going. They chanted, "360! 360!", hoping their encouragement would be enough to revitalize No. 360, hoping to perhaps give his morale a boost, enough so that he could manage to turn the tables on 248.

Instead, 360's struggles grew weaker and weaker.

And 248 kept at it, wrapping another layer of the chain around Clyden's neck! 248 shouted at Clyden as he kept the chain around his neck. "Sorry, I don't like to do this, but I can't let you kill my friend! I will stop you, even if I must kill you!" He shouted it so loudly the miners in the stands could hear him.

Clyden slumped down on his knees, swaying about. And then he at last just sprawled down on the ground. And still, 248 kept the chain wrapped around his neck!

At last, 248 took off the chains from around Clyden's neck. 248 gave him a fierce kick. But Clyden didn't budge. He did not move at all! Was he even breathing??

A hush fell over the crowd. Even the guards (only the human guards, of course- not the robot guards), standing by the edge of the pit, gazed down, silent suddenly, amazed at this turn of events.

George, too, felt a shock overpower him. No! How can this be? What about their escape plans?? Now what will he and No. 248 do?

"248, you- you killed him!" He could finally get out some words, but too late to stop 248.

And in that silent cavern, George's words echoed and echoed again.

And suddenly, the miners all began to shout, "Noo! Nooo! Booo! Booo!" Some jumped up and were ready to leave their benches, as if they planned to go down into the pit themselves, and rip apart these unworthy miners who killed their champion.

The guards took out their blasters. "No, no, get back into your seats!" they commanded, fearing a riot, and with them caught in the middle. At first, it looked like the crazed mob would not listen, until finally, a guard yelled, "Sit back down! You know Gov. Bright does not like chaos! Return to your benches!"

Finally, the miners obeyed, grumbling, some almost crying.


In his comfortable office, Gov. Xavier Bright watched the screen, a bit surprised at this turn of events also. He stared at the screen for a moment, then shrugged his shoulders and turned off the office screen.

"That's how it goes. You win some, you lose some. At least you won't have to dig out ore anymore, Clyden."

Xavier Bright called Sec. Ldr. Morgan. "Since I laid my cards on the table with Earth, and you no longer need to pretend to negotiate with Struber and the Hopers, you may think we are done with him and his gang's services. But you are not correct. In fact, I want you to visit him today, and tell him to keep up what he's doing, to foster a more patriotic attitude in the citizens. We have to prepare for a coming war."

"Yes, Sir, Gov. Bright."

"A Governor governs for somebody else. From now on, it is Leader Bright. I am the Leader of the World of Hope."

"Yes, Leader Bright."

After Hope Ldr. Bright disconnected with Sec. Ldr. Morgan, he reflected a bit more on the gladiator fight he had just watched.

"Hmmph, that's it. A little too quick, too. Well, that's how it goes, Clyden, you bum. I don't know how I managed to put up with you all these years when you had been my Security Leader... Rest in peace... or not... All's well that ends well. Except, I lost some good money on you!"

(c) 2012 drk