Chapter 1
“So, tell me about your job,” Aarko said casually, feigning interest. In truth, Aarko did not actually have any real interest in the science of bio-engineering. The simple fact was that he had become quite enamored with Mouren as of late. Her long, black hair and deep blue eyes combined to form an intoxicating cocktail that Aarko had found impossible to resist from the first moment he had caught a glimpse of Mouren as she passed by him in one of the hallways of Bio-Lab. It was on that first sighting that Aarko had instantly decided he would do whatever was necessary to win the affection of such a stunning woman. Aarko knew the best way to attract Mouren would be to show some interest in the things that were important to her. Discussing the details of Mouren’s career seemed to be the most obvious choice.
“Oh, I love my work,” Mouren replied, taking a bite of her meal.
“And what exactly is it that you do,” Aarko inquired.
“I am a technician in the implant lab,” Mouren replied.
“Really,” Aarko said, continuing to play his role. “So, what does that involve, exactly?”
“Well,” Mouren replied, “I am directly involved in the process of downloading some of the information that is entered into the neural implants of the B.E.S. units.”
“So, you actually make up some of their memories,” Aarko asked, not realizing that he had in fact, suddenly become interested in the bio-engineering process.
“I create some of the files and programs that are downloaded, yes.”
“Doesn’t that bother you a little?”
“What do you mean,” Mouren asked curiously.
“Well,” Aarko began, and then paused briefly to consider his next choice of words. “I mean, basically, you’re taking a living being and molding them into the perfect little slave.”
“That’s how some people choose to see it,” Mouren said bluntly, “the protestors who do not fully understand the process. We are creating life forms perfectly suited to the needs of those who purchase their services. They are installed with the skills and personality traits specifically requested by the purchasers. We don’t take already existing people and steal away their freedoms, like our ancestors did. The B.E.S. units are designed to be content with their lives.”
“I suppose you’re right,” Aarko said. “Still, sometimes I’m not sure I agree with the whole process.”
“And yet, you seem to have no problem delivering the units to their destinations,” Mouren pointed out. “Doesn’t that ever bother you?”
“Sometimes,” Aarko replied. “That’s why I don’t stick around long enough to see them activated. I drop the Bessies off, then, I leave as soon as I get a signature from the customer.”
“Do you have to call them that,” Mouren asked with disgust.
“All of the delivery pilots call them that,” Aarko replied. “It’s just a slang term we use. It’s just easier than always referring to them as B.E.S. units. Bessie just rolls off the tongue better.”
“Right,” Mouren said in an offhand manner, rolling her eyes. “So, are you telling me that you’ve never even spoken to a B.E.S. unit before?”
“Nope,” Aarko replied. “I’ve never even actually met one after it’s activation before.”
“Not that you’re aware of anyway,” Mouren said with a smirk.
“What do you mean,” Aarko asked.
“I mean, you could have met one and not even realized that it was a B.E.S. unit,” Mouren replied.
“That’s not possible,” Aarko scoffed. “Is it?”
“Sure,” Mouren laughed, “why not? A B.E.S. unit can be programmed to function just like any member of society. It could definitely be possible.”
“I had no idea,” Aarko admitted. “I guess I just always assumed that they were created as servants only. I never thought about them serving any other purpose. Do the Bessies have any idea? I mean, do they know what they are?”
‘Oh no,” Mouren replied earnestly. “We take every measure to ensure that they do not find out. We work with the customers to create a viable back story for each unit created. Programs are installed in their neural implants to suppress any questions or thoughts that might lead to any possible discovery of the truth. We also make sure that our customers are fully aware that giving the units any knowledge of their origins could cause disastrous results.”
“What kind of disastrous results,” Aarko asked, raising a curious eyebrow. “Well,” Mouren sighed, “we don’t actually know. It has been theorized that such a revelation could cause any number of mental disorders, possibly even a complete mental breakdown. It has been determined that the risks are too great to even experiment with. That’s why the Planetary Council included mandates against revealing their origins when they created the B.E.S. bill. The laws in the bill are strictly enforced. Anyone who breaks any of the B.E.S. laws is punished severely.”
“I never knew any of this,” Aarko said with astonishment. “It’s very interesting. And here I thought this would be a simple little lunch date.”
“I know,” Mouren laughed. “I didn’t mean to get all technical on you. But, I must admit that it’s been fun having this discussion with you. Who knew that a delivery pilot could be so intelligent?”
“That’s brutal,” Aarko said, laughing in return.
“Sorry,” Mouren said meekly. “I should know better than to buy into the stereotype. Especially since I’ve been plagued by stereotypes myself.”
“I’m sure,” Aarko smirked. “Most intelligent women are.”
Aarko let out a frustrated sigh as his jacket pocket began to buzz persistently.
“Oh great,” Aarko exclaimed as he pulled the buzzing chronometer out of his pocket, and checked the time it displayed. “My next delivery is almost ready. I’m afraid it’s time to bring our date to an end my dear.”
“Oh, that’s too bad,” Mouren exclaimed with a smile. “I was so enjoying our conversation”
“Yeah, me too,” Aarko sighed. “But, alas, duty calls. Those Bessies aren’t going to deliver themselves. Oh, I apologize; I meant to say those B.E.S. units.”
“Well, perhaps we could continue our debate when you return,” Mouren suggested. “Say, over dinner?”
“That would be wonderful,” Aarko replied, rising from his seat and giving Mouren a chivalrous bow. “I shall contact you when I return then.”
“I look forward to seeing you again,” Mouren said with a pleasant smile as Aarko turned to leave her.
Aarko arrived at the loading bay just as the last of the B.E.S. incupods were being loaded onto his ship. He was surprised to find Dr. Merac overseeing the loading procedure. Dr. Merac was the creator of the process used to create Bio-Engineered Servants. The entire B.E.S. industry was founded on the research Dr. Merac had dedicated his life to. It was due to that simple fact that the investors of Bio-Lab, the orbital station which housed the B.E.S. laboratories and incubation facilities, decided to bestow on Dr. Merac the title of Administrator. Although he was ultimately in charge of every aspect of Bio-Lab, from the research and development to every single business deal, Merac did employ a competent team of operatives to handle each department. Merac rarely involved himself in mundane duties, such as the loading of delivery ships. The fact that Merac was in the loading bay at all made Aarko extremely uncomfortable.
“Dr. Merac,” Aarko said, trying his best not to sound too suspicious. “Highly unusual for you to be down on the loading levels, isn’t it? I hope there isn’t an issue with my cargo.”
“Ah, Aarko,” Merac replied, his thin lips forming an insincere smile. “You’ve arrived just in time. I need to go over your delivery run with you before you head out.”
“That’s highly unusual Doctor,” Aarko pointed out. “Why do I get the feeling that this is more than just a routine delivery?”
“You are correct in your assumption,” Merac replied. “Most of your cargo is standard delivery. Twenty ogres to be delivered to Sybaer, five labor class dwarves to be delivered to Landor, two nanny class elven to be delivered to Erainor. Nothing out of the ordinary. One of the B.E.S. units, however, is scheduled for a special delivery. One orc, harem class, scheduled for delivery to the royal family of Erainor. Now, because the customer is the royal family, and due to the nature of the product being delivered, you can certainly understand why this delivery must be handled discreetly. I trust you to ensure that it is. I know I can count on you, Aarko.”
“Of course Dr. Merac,” Aarko assured. “I will handle it with utmost secrecy.”
Erainor was the homeworld of the race of humanoids known as the elven. As a result of the climate and gravity of Erainor, the elven were significantly thinner than the average human. Their skin tone was much paler than that of an average human as well. The elven had a lighter skeleton, similar to the hollow bones of birds, which were the elven’s evolutionary ancestors. As a result, the elven’s facial structures featured sharp lines, which at times, made them appear somewhat bird-like. The ears of the elven formed into large points at the top of the lobe, providing the species with far better hearing than any human. The hair and eyes of the elven came in a variety of vibrant colors, from bright reds and yellows to deep blues and greens. The elven did not retain any semblance of their ancestor’s wings, unlike the Angille species of the planet Haavaan. The Angille’s, while similarly descended from birds, and who did retain fully functional wings, were not directly related to the elven species.
Orcs on the other hand, were direct descendants of the elven. The homeworld of the orcs, a planet named Anpaar, began as a colony world of Erainor. The colonists of Anpaar were originally elven, though the climate of the planet had altered their appearance over the centuries. Orcs still retained the facial features of their elven kin, but their bodies had become bulkier and more muscular. The skin and hair of the orcs became much darker as well, although their eyes retained the vibrant colors of their elven ancestors. As a colony planet of Erainor, Anpaar remained under the rule of the elven king. The orcs had been requesting a release from Erainor’s rule for several years, but the elven were reluctant to relinquish their hold on the colony. As a result, Anpaar was threatening to go to war with their elven oppressors. The fact that the elven royal family had purchased a harem class B.E.S. unit, a servant designed purely for the sexual pleasure of its owner, was cause enough to create a slew of gossip among high class society. If anyone were to learn that the unit was an orc, Anpaar would see that as reason enough to declare war on Erainor. Aarko could not understand the reasons behind the royal family’s odd purchase, but he quickly decided that it was not his responsibility to determine, or even consider, the morale implications of such things.
“Everything is set for your run,” Dr. Merac announced. “You may launch whenever you are ready.”
“All right then,” Aarko said. “No need to waste any more time. I’ll launch immediately.”
“And remember Aarko,” Dr. Merac emphasized, “you must use the utmost discretion.”
“Right,” Aarko barked in annoyance, “I got it. Just let me take off already!”
Aarko woke from his slumber with a yawn. Looking out the viewport of his quarters, Aarko could see that his ship had left the hyperspace tunnel that led to the Sybaerian sector. Aarko got out of bed, dressed, and headed to the cockpit. Taking a seat behind the controls of the ship, Aarko checked the flight plan entered into the navigation computer to confirm that he was in the Sybaerian sector.
“Computer,” Aarko said to no one in particular, “what is our estimated time for arrival at Sybaer?”
“Estimated time of arrival is approximately two hours and seventeen minutes,” the ship’s computer answered back in a voice that mixed female softness with electronic coldness.
“Perfect,” Aarko replied as he activated the communications panel on the ship’s control board. “Time to contact Sybaer then. Attention Sybaer, this is Aarko Dacaan piloting the cargo ship Slave Driver. I have a delivery of Bio-Engineered Servants for you onboard. We will arrive in two hours and seventeen minutes.”
“Affirmative, Aarko Dacaan,” a monotone, robotic voice answered back through the communication channel. “Your delivery is on schedule.”
“Good,” Aarko said. “I will contact you again when I’m ready for landing coordinates.”
“Affirmative, Aarko Dacaan,” the robotic voice responded plainly.
“Nice talking to you again,” Aarko blurted out sarcastically once the communication link had been deactivated. “Two hours. That gives me enough time to grab something to eat. Computer, maintain automatic pilot on our current trajectory. I’m heading for the galley.”
“Understood,” the ship’s computer answered.
The galley on the Slave Driver consisted of a small, square, metallic table surrounded on each side by cushioned benches. On the wall directly opposite the galley entrance was a metal freezer which contained frozen meals for Aarko to eat. The meals, although a far cry from what would be considered ‘gourmet’, were designed to provide the proper nutrients that anyone traveling through space for any long period of time would require to survive. Aarko took a meal out of the freezer, and prepared to heat it in the small oven built into the wall next to the freezer. When the precooked meal was properly heated, Aarko sat down at the small table and began to eat. Before he was halfway through the meal, Aarko’s dinner was interrupted by the loud wailing of an alarm. Aarko jumped to his feet, knocking his meal on the floor of the galley. As Aarko ran to the cockpit, he heard a loud rumble which caused the ship to rock violently.
“What in the Damnation Pits is going on,” Aarko shouted as he entered the cockpit. “Computer, what just happened? Did we hit something?”
“Negative,” the computer replied. “Sensors have detected another vessel on the port side of the ship. The vessel has opened fire with energy cannons.”
“Opened fire,” Aarko echoed. “Give me a damage report.”
“Minimal damage received on the port side,” the computer answered.
“Minimal,” Aarko scoffed. “A warning shot. Why didn’t you alert me that a ship was approaching?”
“The vessel’s approach was not detected,” the computer stated.
“How is that possible,” Aarko inquired. “Are your sensors malfunctioning?”
“Negative,” the computer replied. “All sensors are functioning at proper levels.”
“That doesn’t make any sense,” Aarko blurted. “What kind of ship is it?”
“The origin of the vessel is unknown,” the computer replied. “The design is not found in any archive files.”
“A new ship design,” Aarko mused. “I don’t know of any new ship designs hitting the market recently. Is it a Sybaerian ship?”
“Attention, the vessel is hailing,” the computer announced.
“Open a channel,” Aarko ordered.
“Attention Slave driver,” a husky, commanding voice barked over the communication channel. “Bring your engines to a halt and prepare to be boarded. Cooperate, and you will not be harmed.”
“Pirates,” Aarko hissed. “How did they know the name of my ship?”
“Unknown,” The computer stated.
“That was a rhetorical question,” Aarko chided.
“Understood,” the computer stated. If Aarko had not known better, he would have sworn that he detected a hint of sarcasm in the computer’s electronic voice.
“Attention vessel,” Aarko said into the communication panel. “This Aarko Dacaan, pilot of the Slave Driver. May I know your name?”
“No, you may not,” the voice on the other end barked in return. “You may comply with our demands. Bring your engines to a full stop and prepare to be boarded! Failure to comply will result in our taking your cargo by any force necessary!”
Aarko activated the Slave Driver’s sensors to determine the specifications of the pirate’s ship. The sensor readout informed Aarko that the pirate’s ship was almost twice the size of the Slave Driver. The body of the ship was rectangular with blunt corners. Two wing-like protrusions extended from the body, pointed towards the nose of the ship. Two double barreled energy cannons were located on the top of each wing, with one more on the belly of the ship. The hull of the vessel was made of a strong metallic alloy that the sensors could not penetrate.
“We are seriously outgunned,” Aarko groaned. “Our only hope is to try to outrun them. Maybe our smaller size will give us the advantage. Computer, divert all non-essential power to the engines. I need everything you can give me.”
“Affirmative,” the computer responded. “All power has been diverted.”
Aarko drew in a deep breath, pushed the ship’s throttle to maximum. Responding instantly, the Slave Driver lurched, then bolted away from the pirates. As the pirates turned to pursue the Slave Driver, Aarko pulled his ship hard to the right. The Slave Driver shook as it curved around to face the pirate vessel. The pirates opened fire with all their weapons, forcing Aarko to jerk the steering controls of the ship left and right in an attempt to evade the cannon fire. Several blasts of energy grazed the Slave driver as Aarko steered his ship directly under the pirates, making sure to stay clear of the line of fire of the gun on the belly of the pirate ship. The Slave Driver flew out from behind the ship as the pirates attempted to veer around to continue their pursuit. Aarko spotted a field of space debris nearby, and made an instant decision to take cover there. Before Aarko could reach the debris, two single-man fighter ships appeared before him as if they had been formed directly out of the space surrounding them.
The two fighters, which looked as if they were the young offspring of the pirate ship, approached the Slave Driver at full speed. The fighters flanked Aarko’s ship, their energy cannons scorching the Slave Driver’s hull as they passed. Aarko attempted to maneuver away from the fighters, but his ship was not fast enough to avoid their attack. The fighters flew past Aarko’s ship, turned away from each other, then curved around to face the Slave Driver once again. Aarko was thrown from his pilot chair as the ship suffered a sudden, violent jolt.
“What was that,” Aarko shouted, picking himself up off the floor of the cockpit.
“The fighters have fired torpedoes,” the computer replied. “Thrusters have been disabled.”
“We are completely immobilized then,” Aarko stated.
“Affirmative,” the computer responded.
Aarko watched through the cockpit window as the two fighters circled around, and came to a halt directly in front of his ship. A proximity alarm signaled the approach of the larger pirate vessel behind the Slave Drive. Before Aarko could think of a plan to escape the pirates, another impact threw him against the wall of the cockpit. Aarko checked the ship sensors, discovered that the pirates had locked a tow beam onto the Slave Driver. The pirate ship launched four objects out of their hull which flew towards the Slave driver. Upon further sensor inspection, Aarko discovered that the objects appeared to be humanoid shaped, with a torso and four separate limbs. The objects were approximately fourteen feet tall, and made of strong dwarven alloys. The humanoids activated small jets which appeared to be built into their backs, and coasted to the side of the Slave Driver. A minute or two later, Aarko heard an explosion which set off another alarm on the control board of the cockpit.
“A hull breach has been detected,” the ship computer warned.
“Where,” Aarko asked frantically.
“The breach is in the cargo hold,” the computer replied. “Emergency containment fields have been activated around the cargo hold”
“I’m on it,” Aarko shouted. Aarko opened a storage locker near the cockpit entranceway, and pulled out an energy rifle and a respirator mask attached to a small tank of oxygen which he strapped to his back. Aarko left the cockpit and headed for the cargo bay.
When he arrived outside the bay, Aarko knelt beside the large entrance door, listening closely to the sounds coming from within. Aarko heard several small explosions followed by the sounds of large objects crashing onto the floor. Aarko used the ship intercom located on the door’s control panel to quietly command the ship computer to drop the containment field surrounding the cargo bay. When the field was deactivated, Aarko opened the door to the cargo bay. Aarko waited beside the entrance until he was certain that the intruders had not noticed the cargo bay door opening. Aarko raised his energy rifle, took a deep breath to calm his nerves, and leaned into the doorway to see inside the cargo bay.
The scene inside the bay was utter chaos. The intruders had apparently placed their own containment field over the hull breach they had caused, preventing the vacuum of space from expelling everything in the cargo bay. Aarko cursed when he at last saw the intruders face to face. As Aarko had seen on the sensor readout, the intruders were indeed fourteen feet tall with humanoid body types. Their appearance, however, was completely mechanical. The metal bodies of the intruders were bulky and midnight blue in color. Their heads were large and oval shaped perched atop a thick neck of cables and metal rods. A single strip of orange light was the only thing that interrupted the smooth, otherwise featureless face. What alarmed Aarko the most was the large energy cannon that each one of the mechanical monsters had attached to their arm.
How am I going to fight those things, Aarko thought as he watched the monsters tear apart his cargo bay. Aarko studied the monsters in an attempt to discern any weakness in the strange robotic bodies. The monsters were systematically searching through the B.E.S. incupods, tossing aside the ones that failed to meet whatever criteria the monsters were utilizing. Each incupod discarded by the monsters crashed to the floor, spilling out the B.E.S. unit inside. Aarko cringed, knowing that the units would not survive.
As the monsters continued their search, one monster stopped and stared towards the cargo bay door. Aarko pulled away from the doorway, hoping that the monster had not seen him. The sound of large, metal footsteps moving towards the door extinguished Aarko’s hopes immediately. Aarko remained still, counting on the fact that the fourteen foot monster would not fit through the seven foot doorway. Aarko felt panic rush through his mind as he weighed his limited options. Distracted with his thoughts, Aarko failed to notice that the footsteps had stopped before the monster had reached the doorway. Before Aarko could formulate a plan of action, the wall behind him exploded.
Aarko slammed into the opposite wall of the corridor as chunks of the destroyed doorway collapsed on top of him. Aarko could feel that several bones in his body had been broken by the impact. Aarko could hear the monster’s footsteps move closer to him as he fought to remain conscious. The monster reached into the pile of debris, grabbed Aarko, lifted him into the air. Aarko struggled to break out of the monster’s grip without success.
“Where is the orc,” The monster demanded, its voice filtered through a speaker that Aarko could not see.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Aarko responded, coughing up blood as he spoke.
“The orc that you were supposed to deliver to the royal family of Erainor,” the monster growled. “Where is she?”
“Sorry pal,” Aarko replied weakly. “No idea what you mean.”
The monster growled out a curse, then slammed Aarko into the wall. Aarko tried to scream from the pain, but his throat had filled with blood. Aarko could feel his ribs snap as the monster slowly increased the pressure used to push Aarko into the wall.
“I will ask you one more time,” the monster snarled. “Where is she?”
Aarko responded by spitting blood at the monster. The monster laughed, and then dropped Aarko onto the pile of debris.
“Did he tell you anything,” another monster asked, walking up behind Aarko’s assailant.
“He’s not very talkative,” the first monster responded with a laugh. “I think I broke him.”
“You might have been a little rough on him,” the second monster agreed. “It doesn’t look like he can say too much right now.”
“Doesn’t matter,” the first monster said. “She has to be in there somewhere.”
“Then let’s find her and get out of here,” the second monster said.
The monsters walked back into the cargo bay, and continued searching for the orc incupods. After searching through several more pods, they at last found their prize. The monsters took the orc pod, set it down near the hull breach they had created in the cargo bay. Aarko watched helplessly as the monsters then attacked the remaining incupods with their energy cannons. When the last pod was destroyed, the monsters deactivated the containment field covering the hull breach, and left the cargo bay with the orc pod in tow. Aarko felt the rush of air escaping out of the hull breach as he slipped into unconsciousness.
When the monsters had secured their cargo on their ship, the pirates quickly left the area, leaving the two fighters behind. The fighters launched several torpedoes at the Slave Driver, completely destroying the ship’s engines. When they had sufficiently crippled the ship, the fighters flew off after their pirate comrades. The lifeless husk of Aarko’s ship was left to drift aimlessly through space.
The monolithic form of the Sybaerian ship approached the derelict Slave Driver methodically. Sweeping the dead ship with their sensors, the Sybaerians were able to detect faint life signs located on board. The Sybaerians connected several tow lines to the Slave Driver, and dragged the ship into the landing bay of their massive vessel. Once the Slave Driver had been secured in their bay, the Sybaerians sent out a signal to the ship to remotely access its computer system. The Sybaerians immediately discovered that the computer had activated a ship-wide emergency shut down procedure to conserve power, keeping only life support programs and emergency force fields running. After several attempts, the Sybaerians were able to gain access to the ship computer system and wrest control of all ship controls, allowing the Sybaerians to slowly bring all of the Slave Driver’s dead systems back on-line. Once the ship was under their control, the Sybaerians deactivated all security systems and emergency force fields on the ship, and opened the entrance ramp.
Once they had access to the Slave Driver, the Sybaerians sent a boarding party of six humanoids, consisting of a mix of several races and teeming with cybernetic implants, to investigate the damaged vessel. The boarding party entered the ship, scanning every section they entered as they made their way towards what once had been the cargo bay. Once they reached the bay, the Sybaerians began to sort through the chaos surrounding them. Several of the B.E.S. incupods had been ejected from the cargo bay through the breach in the hull of the Slave Driver, forever lost to the emptiness of space. The remaining pods were strewn about the cargo bay floor, each one destroyed beyond repair. The scorch marks that marred that pods and walls of the cargo bay painted a clear picture of the cause of the damage. The Sybaerians scanned each pod for signs of life, but found only frozen corpses instead. The Sybaerians declared the cargo bay and incupods a complete loss, moved on to scan the rest of the ship for signs of life.
Almost immediately, the Sybaerian scanners detected a faint life sign underneath a pile of rubble near the cargo bay. The Sybaerians moved to the pile and began to quickly and cautiously remove the pieces of the cargo bay wall that had formed the pile. Within moments, enough debris had been removed to reveal the broken body of Aarko Dacaan lying underneath. The Sybaerians scanned Aarko’s body to discover that the pilot was still alive, although his life was slipping away rapidly. Two members of the Sybaerian boarding party brought a small machine over to Aarko’s dying body, ripped open Aarko’s shirt, and placed the machine on Aarko’s torso. The oval shaped machine, approximately fourteen inches in length and three inches thick, was separated into several small plates that were designed to allow Aarko’s body to move unencumbered. One of the plates had a small grate built into it alongside four small, red blinking lights at each corner of the grate. When the machine was placed on Aarko’s torso, it came to life with a whirring sound. Six thumb-sized flexible metal tubes extended out of the machine, embedding themselves into Aarko’s body. The machine attempted to stabilize Aarko’s vital signs as it began to repair the internal damage done to Aarko’s body. The Sybaerians brought a hover stretcher into the cargo bay, placed Aarko’s body onto it, and carried Aarko off the Slave Driver and into their massive vessel.