The Jade Runner, Part 28

After three days of waiting inside a windowless underground cell, Kit and Tara were finally escorted to the audience chambers of the magistrate with jurisdiction over their fate. The room felt cold and formal. Magistrate Hanson Norwood, as indicated by the marble name plaque in front of him, sat behind a tall bench requiring anyone under nine feet in height to look up at him. Only the top of the bench appeared to be constructed of wood, the rest was made from a jigsaw puzzle collection of natural stones, cut and smoothed into seemingly random sized pieces.

On the left and right sides of the chamber, stepped pews permitted the attendance of witnesses and invited guests. In the center of the room, a small pedestal in the shape of semi-circle rose up about a foot and half off the floor. The front three quarters of the pedestal were encased with iron railing topped by a wood handrail. White marble with gray veins made up the floor and steps of the pedestal, contrasting from the black marble floor of the remainder of the chamber.

Kit and Tara were led to the steps of the pedestal and prodded up them. The chamber doors closed with a solid clunk that sounded a bit like finality.

The magistrate looked down on them. He said, “State your names for the record.”

“Kit Wilde.”

“Tara Finch.”

Magistrate Norwood nodded approval. “Upon your arrival on Rasa you were accused and convicted of theft by Count Wudwerth. This hearing shall determine if that charge and conviction was righteous and if there is cause to bring any other charges against your persons. Do you understand?”

Kit and Tara nodded up at the magistrate.

He exhaled impatience. “The record requires verbal responses.”

Kit glanced at Tara and said, “Yes, we understand.”

“Tara Finch,” Magistrate Norwood said, “I have documentation here that indicates you were caught and convicted of theft from LX Pharmaceuticals while living in Centora City on Lavox. Do you dispute this?”

Tara swallowed and looked up at the magistrate. “No, sir.”

Magistrate Norwood nodded. “Count Wudwerth charged you with theft of LX Pharmaceutical supplies your ship’s Captain had pledged to deliver to his province. The record shows you acknowledged personal responsibility in preventing that pledge from being fulfilled. Do you dispute this?”

Tara continued looking up. “No, sir.”

“On the surface,” Magistrate Norwood said, “it would appear the charge of theft and conviction of that charge is a righteous one. However, the circumstances would seem to require more careful examination. Wouldn’t you agree, Ms. Finch?”

Tara nodded. “Yes, sir. Those supplies were illegal narcotics which could have caused significant harm to the people here on Rasa.”

Magistrate Norwood nodded. “This court would agree that you and your Captain had a moral obligation, having learned of the illegal and dangerous nature of your cargo, not to deliver that cargo to Count Wudwerth.”

Tara said, “As a doctor I swore an oath to do no harm.”

Magistrate Norwood flipped a page on his desk. “Yes, you were a practicing physician on Lavox prior to your conviction there and subsequent revocation of your medical credentials.”

Tara nodded. “Yes, sir.”

“I understand,” Magistrate Norwood said, “that you were instrumental in the identifying the cause of sickness in Wudwerth’s citizens and helped devise a treatment for those capable of recovery. Is that correct?”

“Yes, sir,” Tara said.

He nodded. “Back to the undelivered supplies, Wudwerth’s records show, and this is confirmed by RCG Air Control records, that those supplies were dumped into the ocean here on Rasa. Wudwerth’s record further shows you, Tara Finch, claimed full responsibility for that act. Is this correct?”

Tara nodded. “Yes, sir.”

“I appreciate your honesty,” Magistrate Norwood said. “Unfortunately, this action of yours invites a new charge of illegal dumping of hazardous waste into the ocean.”

Tara said, “Zumena, the illegal narcotic we’re speaking of, is rendered inert by salt water. Its impact on the ocean ecology should be minimal.”

“Fortunately,” Magistrate Norwood said, “our experts agree. However, the dumping is still an illegal act. You would have been better served to have reported your cargo to RCG Air Control and followed their instructions for the proper containment of the cargo.”

Tara nodded. “In retrospect, it does seem my decision was rather rash, but given that Count Wudwerth was a representative of the local government I would think you could understand my concern in contacting the local government for assistance.”

Magistrate Norwood said, “Indeed. However, as this is your first trip to Rasa you also had no way of knowing whether or not this government had legalized the use and distribution of Zumena. Under the circumstances, contacting the government authorities and following their instructions, regardless of your personal beliefs, was the only acceptable course of action.”

“I stand by my actions,” Tara said.

Magistrate Norwood nodded. “Kit Wilde, you were charged by Count Wudwerth with two counts of theft and convicted of both. The first, the theft of pledged supplies has been covered in discussions with your companion, Tara Finch. The second,” he held up the necklace Jade had given Kit, “is in regards to this necklace.”

Kit said, “It was given to my sister by our father and she gave it to me.”

“Count Wudwerth had the necklace and stones examined,” Magistrate Norwood said, “as did I. The cut and age of the stones is consistent with artifacts found here and on other planets dating back to the days of the Jade Empire. However, Count Wudwerth’s assumption that these were part of the last Queen’s jewels has been disproved by both his own expert and the experts I have employed. If it was stolen from an archaeological site, this court has found no record of the theft and therefore no reason to uphold the charge of theft.”

Kit allowed herself a smile. “Thank you.”

He nodded. “Records indicate at the time Tara Finch dumped the Griffinscape’s cargo of illegal narcotics into Rasa’s ocean, you were the owner and captain of the vessel. Is this correct?”

Kit inhaled sharply. The phrasing of the statement sounded too much like trouble. “Yes, sir.”

“Under interstellar and Rasa law,” Magistrate Norwood said, “a vessel’s captain is responsible for the actions of the vessel’s crew, known or unknown. According to Count Wudwerth’s records you have previously acknowledged this fact. Is this correct?”

“Yes, sir,” Kit said.

Magistrate Norwood nodded. “Very well. In the matter of theft of pledged goods, I find the circumstances to exonerate your, Kit Wilde and Tara Finch, actions. The convictions and sentences declared by Count Wudwerth are therefore overturned and all properties confiscated from you and still in existence shall be returned into your possession.”

Kit and Tara smiled at each other. The nightmare was finally coming to a close. Soon they would be dressed again and back aboard the Griffinscape leaving Rasa and all their recent troubles behind. Neither of them expected an honest review of the facts would keep them in custody, but equally neither of them had felt certain they would receive an honest review.

“However,” Magistrate Norwood said, “there is now a new charge of illegal dumping of hazardous waste into the ocean which must be considered.”

The smiles faded from their faces.

Magistrate Norwood said, “Given the records at hand and neither of you disputes the act of dumping occurred, nor your responsibilities in committing the act, I have no recourse but to find you both guilty of the illegal dumping of hazardous waste.”

Kit bit on her lip. Jade’s voice echoed in her head. Consequences aren’t just for other people.

“Ordinarily,” Magistrate Norwood said, “such an action would require no less than a twenty year sentence of servitude to the people of Rasa.”

Tara inhaled sharply. Kit blinked. The room felt smaller, constricting to the point of making the air hard to breathe.

Magistrate Norwood said, “There are extenuating circumstances in this case. Tara Finch’s medical training permitted her advanced knowledge that the specific hazardous waste, narcotic pharmaceutical Zumena, would pose a minimum risk to ecology of the ocean. Kit Wilde was aware that the cargo she was carrying was illegal and posed a health risk to the citizens of Rasa. Further, both Tara Finch and Kit Wilde assisted in the investigation which led to arrest of Count Wudwerth in the illegal smuggling and distribution of Zumena.”

Kit and Tara held their breath, waiting for the magistrate’s final judgment.

He said, “While illegal dumping is not something this court will ever view favorably, I am encouraged toward leniency in knowing that Tara Finch pursued this act having considered the consequences and knowing that the Zumena posed less danger to the ocean of Rasa than the people of Rasa. In this light, I am exercising my authority as magistrate to reduce the customary sentence by half to ten years.”

Tears welled in Tara’s eyes. Kit stared up at the magistrate as though caught in a dream.

“Additionally,” Magistrate Norwood said, “the people of Rasa are appreciative of Kit Wilde and Tara Finch’s assistance in bringing about justice in the illegal actions surrounding Count Wudwerth. I am therefore further reducing the sentence by half again to five years.”

Kit’s grip tightened on the railing. Thoughts spun in her head making the room spin as well. Fair or unfair? Justice or injustice? Five years of servitude felt like life being stolen from her veins, but even she could not confidently say it was wrong. She had been reckless and Jade had warned her against it. If only she had listened.

Tears spilled from Tara’s eyes onto her cheeks.

Magistrate Norwood said, “Tara Finch, due to your training and skills as a physician and Rasa’s limited supply of medical doctors, I am able to offer you an alternative sentence to the typical menial labor assigned to convicted criminals. If you agree to work your time as a physician in the service of the Rasa Central Government, this court is authorized to temporarily reinstate your medical credentials and will make that reinstatement permanent upon the completion of your five year sentence provided there are no mitigating circumstances which call into further question your abilities as a medical practitioner.”

Tara wiped the tears from her cheeks and looked up at the magistrate with hope.

“Is this arrangement acceptable to you, Tara Finch?”

Tara nodded. “Yes, sir.”

He turned his gaze to Kit. “Kit Wilde, I am unable to offer you a similar deal as you have no skills or training of which Rasa is in special need. You will serve your time as a waitress in the laborer’s commissary of a nearby province.”

Kit nodded. There was no point in arguing.

Magistrate Norwood said, “Neither of you will be entitled to any personal possessions for the duration of your sentence however your possessions will be returned to you when you are released. Additionally, your servitude will include a public spanking with the results publicly displayed for no less than four hours and no more than 12 hours on the tenth day of each month of your sentence.”

Kit and Tara looked at each other. It was going to be a very long five years. No clothing, no freedom, publicly spanked on a monthly basis and no escape. And Magistrate Norwood was being lenient.

He looked to the guards. “Take them to the central court yard for their first spankings and leave them on display for the next twelve hours.”

The guards grabbed them each by an arm and led them from the room. They walked down a short hallway and through a door into an outdoor courtyard. A crowd surrounded the courtyard, clearly anticipating their arrival. There was applause as the guards fastened them to a pair of spanking benches set up in the center of the courtyard. Each guard retrieved a paddle and took a moment to place it in front of their eyes so that they knew exactly what would be spanking their bottoms.  The paddle’s were of Zeller’s special design with a constantly wet surface.

A moment later, the guards began swinging the paddles in a perfect one, two offset. Kit and Tara were soon struggling against their restraints to no avail and only a few swats later, they began to cry and vocalize their discomfort through yelps and groans. The crowd enjoyed the show, cheering and applauding as the guards efforts extracted louder and louder reactions from the two. It was only when Kit and Tara were too busy sobbing to yelp anymore that the spankings ended.

Given no respite, they were quickly raised from the benches and taken a few feet away where their wrists were shackled high above their heads, forcing them to stand on tiptoes. Nothing blocked the crowds view of any aspect of their naked bodies or their sorrowful, tear soaked faces. The guards kept the crowds from touching them but did nothing to prevent leering, laughing, or taunting.

Kit closed her eyes and searched for inner strength. Five years, sixty months, sixty spankings just like this one, she thought. I’ll survive. I’ll be alright. I have a future waiting for me. Who knows, maybe I am Wudwerth’s Jade Runner and if that’s the case, maybe this is happening for a reason. Maybe I have something to learn here.

She opened her eyes and found Tara looking at her.

“I’m sorry,” Tara said.

Kit said, “It’s not your fault.”

Tara lips turned up in a weak smile. “The good news is by the time they let us down from here, that irresistible desire to rub our butts should have faded along with the fire blazing back there.”

Kit laughed as best she could. “Now that is good news.”

THE END.

The Jade Runner, Part 27

The roar of the Griffinscape’s engines rumbled through the forest. Kit felt it in deep within her bones like a wave of power awakening her from a deep sleep. The time for action neared and Jade’s usual pearls of wisdom ceased echoing in her thoughts. She stared at the reflections in tinted window of the control room.

Count Wudwerth leaned against the rear wall, his arms folded across his chest. The stoic glint in his eyes and the firm set of his jaw revealed the tension and concern pulsing beneath his calm exterior. Kit knew he doubted her story of betrayal in his ranks, but the possibility of truth tugged at the secret fears shared by almost all men of power. That he left Zeller to guard the entrance and not accompany him inside, told Kit she had played the right cards.

Tara stood directly behind her. Like Kit, she remained unclothed and whatever affect the state had on her, she kept it hidden. They had not had time to discuss the current situation in privacy. Matters were unlikely to go as smoothly as the RCG agent suggested. Kit felt certain Tara would do whatever she believed necessary if things spiralled out of control, but Tara lacked training. It could get her killed or both of them because Kit could not shrug off the responsibility she felt for Tara’s safety.

The Griffinscape’s engines cut off and the landing bay turned silent. The exit ramp lowered and Quinn stepped out followed closely by Rex. Kit noticed the pistol held in Rex’s hand, not directly pointed at Quinn, but close enough for danger if things turned nasty. Rex looked toward the control room and a flicker of surprise flashed in his eyes when their eyes met. Kit kept her lips flat, preferring to keep Rex guessing as long as she could.

Wudwerth straightened away from the wall and uncrossed his arms. He said, “The moment of truth has arrived.”

Kit turned her back toward the window and Rex. “The proof will be on the command deck.”

Wudwerth gestured toward the door leading into the main hangar. “Lead the way,” he said, “unless you’d like to admit your deception now.”

Kit met his gaze with confidence. The exchange lasted a mere fraction of a second, but it convinced Wudwerth to push aside his doubts. Kit opened the door and stepped out, ignoring the cold cement against her bare feet. Tara and Wudwerth followed her until they met Quinn and Rex only a few feet from the Griffinscape’s passenger ramp.

Rex let his eyes linger over examining the curves of Kit and Tara before fixing his gaze on Wudwerth. “I can’t say I expected you to meet me personally or to bring these two along.”

Wudwerth indicated Kit with a jut of his chin. “This one has made some accusations against you.”

Rex chuckled. “And you believed her?”

Wudwerth said, “She’s rather convincing.”

Rex cocked his head to the side and stared into Kit’s eyes. “I know,” he said, “I’ve played poker with her.”

“Good,” Wudwerth said. “Holster your pistol and let’s just take a quick trip up to the command deck.”

Rex shook his head. “Whatever game she’s got in mind, I’m not playing. Your cargo is in the hold,” he said. “You want it, get your boys in here to unload it. If not, I’m sure I can find another buyer.”

Wudwerth grabbed Tara by her hair and pulled her against his chest. He pointed his own pistol past her side, aimed at Rex. “I’m afraid I have to insist. If she’s lying, you can decide her punishment, but I’m going to need proof.”

The casual smile faded from Rex’s lips. He holstered his pistol and glared into Kit’s eyes. “You’re going to regret the day you met me, little girl.”

Kit stepped forward, holding his gaze and brushing her hand against Quinn’s arm in a gesture she hoped told her companion to trust in her plans. “I already do.”

On the command deck, Kit led the way to the communication console. Rex and Quinn followed on her heels with Tara and Wudwerth following a little farther back. In the communication’s room Kit reached out for the console. Wudwerth held Tara close, blocking the doorway.

Rex grabbed Kit’s hand before she could touch anything. “Hands off,” he said, “It’s my ship now.”

Kit pulled her hand back and looked past Rex at Wudwerth. “Do you really want to give him a chance to delete the data?”

Wudwerth waived his pistol from right to left. “Move away, Rex. If there’s nothing to find, you’ve got nothing to worry about.”

Rex stepped back from the console, but kept his eyes on Kit. “She’s playing you Count.”

Kit reached out to the console and directed the display to be projected on the wall for everyone to see. She punched the buttons for the consoles logs and it listed them on the display, grouping them by dates. Of course, the logs for the day of the Griffinscape’s last landing on Rasa failed to show any communication activity beyond the contacts between Kit and Rasa’s airspace control.

Rex gestured toward the display. “I trust you can see there is nothing sinister here.”

Kit glared at Rex. “He must have deleted the record.”

Rex’s smile returned. “Check the logs continuity.”

Kit looked to Wudwerth and after he nodded his permission, she pressed the necessary buttons to display the communication log’s continuity. As Rex clearly expected, it showed no signs of disruption. Nothing had been deleted.

Rex stepped closer to her. “Looks like you’ve been caught bluffing,” he said and chuckled, “and in the buff no less.”

Wudwerth released Tara and shoved her toward Kit. Looking in Rex’s direction, he said, “My apologies for the inconvenience, but as I promised, you can name any punishment you like.”

Rex shrugged. “I’ll have to think about it. In the meantime, let’s get this deal done and unload your cargo.”

Wudwerth nodded. He pressed a button on his wrist and spoke to Zeller. “Captain Rex and I have settled our business. You may bring the men inside and unload the cargo.”

Zeller’s voice crackled over the speaker on Wudwerth’s wrist communicator. “On our way.”

Wudwerth turned his gaze on Kit. “I had hoped you’d be smarter than to lie to me.”

A red light on Wudwerth’s wrist began flashing and a computerized voice emitted from speaker. “Surveillance device detected. Frequency identified: Rasa Central Government.”

Kit smiled at Wudwerth. “I told you.”

Rex’s mouth dropped open as he stared at Kit. His hand sped toward the pistol on his hip and whipped it out of its holster. He spun on his heels and grabbed Quinn with his free hand, throwing him in front of Wudwerth. “I don’t know how she did this, but I swear it’s her not me.”

Wudwerth drew his own pistol and pushed Quinn to the ground giving him a clear aim at Rex. His finger tightened on the trigger.

Rex charged at Wudwerth. The two men collided. Wudwerth’s pistol shot a wild bolt of energy into the wall across the room. They hit the ground and rolled out into the corridor. The pistols clattered on the floor, no longer controlled by either man. Wudwerth kicked Rex in the gut. Rex rolled away swinging his fist wildly and catching Wudwerth in the jaw.

Kit leapt over Quinn and snatched the nearest pistol off the floor. She took aim at Rex. He kicked the door panel and the door slid closed between them, taking away her opportunity to end things quickly. Kit moved closer to the door and punched at the panel on the wall trying to get it re-opened.

Tara helped Quinn back to his feet. “Are you alright?” she asked.

He nodded and looked to the door and Kit. “I see you’ve been busy.”

Kit glanced over her shoulder. “Help me get this door open. If Rex gets us in the air things are going to get real messy.”

Quinn moved to the door panel and pried the cover off with his finger. Two twists of wires and a spark later, the door slid open.

Wudwerth moaned on the floor. The glazed look in his eyes suggested he probably didn’t even know where he was or what had happened. Kit might have paused to enjoy the moment, but a bolt of energy sizzled against the door frame, forcing her to duck back inside the room.

She crouched against the wall holding the pistol pointed at the open doorway. “So Rex,” she asked, “is everything working out like you planned?”

He responded by shooting the doorway again.

She laughed. “I’ll take that as a no.”

Quinn said, “Is it safe to presume there are actual authorities on their way to assist us?”

Tara nodded. “Any minute now, I’m sure.”

The swish of the lift door at the other end of the deck confirmed her assertion. A dozen shots were exchanged beyond their view and then the deck fell silent. The guard who recruited their assistance stepped into view and asked, “Everyone alright in here?”

Kit nodded.

The guard held out his hand. “I’m afraid I can’t let you hold on to that.”

Kit released the pistol to him and pushed herself up onto her feet. She watched as uniformed authorities of the Central Government picked Wudwerth up off the deck and bound his wrists behind his back. Satisfaction crept into her smile. The authorities led Wudwerth away.

She said, “Now that you have what you wanted, when do we get our things back?”

The RCG agent looked at her. “Well technically, Count Wudwerth convicted both of you of theft and sentenced you to life without possessions in the service of the government.”

Tara stepped forward. “You promised to set us free.”

He said, “I promised to set you free of Wudwerth and I’ve done that. The rest is out of my hands.”

Quinn asked, “So what happens to them now?”

The RCG agent said, “I’ve asked to have their case reviewed by my superior. If he upholds their conviction, they’ll have to remain here and serve out their sentences. If not, the Griffinscape will likely be returned to Ms. Wilde’s possessions and they’ll be free to go wherever they please.”

The Jade Runner, Part 26

Kit began her day the same way she ended the night before; feeding the guards and then the slaves. She presumed it would take a week or so of not eating before the slave’s gruel would begin to appear edible and probably a week beyond that before she would dare shovel any of it into her mouth. With luck, she would be long gone from the dungeon of Count Wudwerth before then.

With her morning duties completed, two guards came for her and escorted her up the stairs and into her first view of the new day’s sun. The upper levels of the castle exuded wealth and elegance. The floors were covered in marble slab, green and black in color. It felt smooth and cold against her bare feet as she walked across it with her guards close behind. The cold shivered its way up her spine and reminded her, as if she could forget, that she remained naked.

The guards stepped in front of her and opened a double door motioning her through and closing the doors behind her. The echoing clap of the doors assured her there was no escape. Alone, she faced the room’s occupant with trepidation pounding in her chest. On her left, large open windows overlooked the fields where she could see the loincloth men working. Beyond the fields, a pair of tall, pointed mountains framed a “V” shaped view of blue-green ocean and a shimmering horizon above.

Wudwerth rose from his chair at the far end of the room and walked toward her. His footsteps echoed off the marble and the curved ceiling high above their heads. “Breathtaking, isn’t it?”

Kit turned her gaze to him. “I’ve seen better.”

Wudwerth smiled. “Perhaps you prefer the stone and iron of the dungeon.”

Kit forced a smile on her own lips and held his gaze with her own. “No, I was thinking of the stars and the wide open spaces between them.”

He nodded. “I should have known as much.”

“Why am I here?” Kit asked.

“Zeller informed me you’ve been most proficient in your duties,” he said. “I had to know for myself if you’d truly been tamed so easily.”

Kit glared into his eyes. “Wild animals are tamed, people cannot be.”

Wudwerth laughed. “I thought as much, but Zeller was so proud.”

Kit said, “I imagine he’s probably Rex’s inside contact.”

Wudwerth raised an eyebrow. “And what makes you think that?”

She laughed. “You trust him and that puts him in a position where he knows all the things Rex wants to know.”

“Rex,” he said, “is nothing more than a pirate.”

She nodded. “On that we agree. Unfortunately for you, he was caught smuggling and the authorities only allowed him to stay out of jail so long as he turned on his clients and helped them be brought to justice.”

“You’re lying,” Wudwerth said.

“Am I?” Kit looked out at the ocean. “How else do you think Rex could come up with the money to replace the shipment my friend dumped?”

He said, “I’m sure the man has funds set aside.”

Kit laughed again. “He’s a gambler and a scoundrel. His only asset is a lack of loyalty to anything but himself.”

Wudwerth’s brow crinkled. “What makes you think he’s in contact with someone here?”

She said, “I overheard him talking to whoever it was on the way down. My friend threw their plans into some disarray it seemed.”

“Plans?” he said.

Kit shrugged. “I gathered once you were out of the way, this other person would be taking over around here.”

“Zeller wouldn’t dare,” Wudwerth said.

Kit shrugged, “Well I don’t know for sure it’s him but I do know the signal could be traced back to the source from the Griffinscape’s communication unit. If you want to know who it is, you just have to get in there and run the trace, of course if you don’t do it yourself, you’ll never know if you got the right person or if the someone changed the name to protect themselves or a colleague.”

Wudwerth nodded. “You know how to run this trace?”

Kit said, “Yep, of course.”

He said, “Then you’ll accompany me to the landing and if you’re lying about this contact, I’ll enjoy letting Rex and Zeller teach you a lesson in  deception.”

She shrugged. “I’m not worried.”

Wudwerth nodded. “In the meantime, I have something you may find interesting.”

His hand grabbed her arm and he turned, pulling her with him deeper into the room. They stopped in front of a long, rectangular table covered by a green velvet cloth. Stone tablets with pictographs carved into them were evenly spaced along the length of the table and in the middle, in front of where they stood, the necklace he had taken from her rested above a tablet. On the tablet below it, her eyes fixed on one of the pictographs. The depiction of a female appeared clear and obvious as did the shape of the jewels on her necklace. They matched her sister’s necklace.

Wudwerth let go his hold on her arm. “I see you recognize them.”

Kit kept staring at the tablet. The female depiction was posed as if running and next to her a male figure stood with the image of a shield etched into his abdomen. “What is this?”

“History,” Wudwerth said.

She reached out, brushing her fingertips over the two figures.

“The runner,” he said, “and her guardian.”

She pulled her fingers away from the stone and turned toward Wudwerth. “Who?”

“It’s a story,” he said. “Some call it a prophecy.”

Kit looked back at the tablet. “I don’t think I’ve heard of it.”

“Long ago,” Wudwerth said, “the civilized parts of our galaxy were ruled by the Jade Queen. Civilization advanced, all the worlds were at peace and the throne passed from heir to heir until one Queen violated tradition and gave birth to two daughters.”

Curiosity held Kit in its grip. “Go on,” she said.

Wudwerth nodded. “All was well until the Queen’s death. The circumstances suggested murder and the sisters came to suspect each other in the death of their mother. Each laid claim to the throne and the galaxy fell into civil war. The younger sister had a reputation for ruthlessness even before the war and it should come as no surprise that in the end, she won the war and the throne.”

Kit said, “You believe evil is more powerful than good.”

He shook his head. “Ruthlessness need not be evil, but in this case your assumption is mostly correct. The younger sister ruled without compassion and it was not long until the galaxy revolted. So came the end of the Jade Empire and the rise of our modern civilization.”

“What happened to the older sister?” Kit asked.

Wudwerth smiled as if he’d been hoping she’d ask the very question. “She was executed by her sister, but,” he said and nodded toward the tablet, “it is said she gave birth to a daughter and sent her into hiding with the protection of her loyal guardians.”

“The runner?” Kit asked.

He shook his head. “The runner is the last descendant of the true heir to the Jade Empire’s throne.”

Kit said, “The true heir being the older sister?”

Wudwerth said, “Yes.”

“So what is this runner’s story,” Kit asked. “Does she bring back the Jade Empire?”

Wudwerth chuckled. “One cannot resurrect the past in hopes of saving the future. It is told that the runner, the last of her line, will pair with the last of the guardians and together bring about a revolution from beneath a blanket of corruption. When the time comes to form a new government she will turn her back on the prospect of becoming queen and run.”

Kit nodded. “An interesting story,” she said. “I imagine the jeweler who crafted my necklace must have thought so as well.”

Wudwerth’s smile grew larger. “You are one of less than a dozen people who have seen these tablets in the last thousand years.”

She looked at the necklace. “What are you saying?”

“I thought you were a thief,” he said, “when I first saw your necklace. The stones are unique and clearly date back to the Empire, but they are not part of the last Queen’s set as I first thought. They belong to the runner.”

Kit blinked at him.

He asked, “Where did you get it?”

Kit said, “It was given to my sister by our father and she passed it to me before she died.”

Wudwerth said, “You are the last of your line.”

Kit stared at him.

He laughed. “The Jade Runner is my slave.”

The Jade Runner, Part 25

With the guards fed, Kit discovered her captors expected even more dutiful obedience. She was escorted into a large, windowless room with aisles of wood tables accompanied by wood benches. The wood bowed heavily in the centers of both the tables and their benches. It lacked finish and smoothness. The room smelled of rotting food, wet wood and wetter hay. A barn would have been nicer, for at least in a barn, the occasional draft of outside air could filter inside.

Kit’s guard led her to the serving table near a pair of heavy double doors. A black pot sat on the table with a wood handled ladle resting against the rim. Inside, it held a milky white boiling broth with flecks of unknown additives colored from orange to purple to green and black. She guessed the flecks were locally grown vegetables, but realized they could just as easily be insects or just about anything else. Either way, it smelled like month old cabbage and sour milk.

Pointing to the stack of wood carved bowls rising up from the hay covered floor, the guard said, “One scoop in each in bowl and one bowl per field hand.”

Kit followed the finger to the bowls with her eyes and said nothing.

The guard smirked. “Any deviation and your ass will be hotter than that pot.”

Kit fantasized about drowning the guard in the boiling broth. Don’t be reckless, Jade’s voice warned from inside her head.

The guard swatted her naked butt with his leather gloved hand. “Understand?”

Kit’s reflexes forced her into a low jump at the stinging impact of his hand. Her head spun toward the guard and she knew in that instant her eyes were saying all the things she couldn’t say aloud. She also knew from the fading laughter and the guard’s sudden flat lips that he read the danger lurking within her. She forced her gaze low and spoke with as much submission as she could muster. “Yes, sir.”

The double doors rumbled open with their lower edges scraping across the concrete floor. Kit looked through the opening hoping to catch a glimpse of the outside world, but all she could see was a seeming endless line of dirt covered men stretching down a stone walled hallway. Torches mounted along the side of the wall provided the only light. Her hope dwindled.

“Better get to work,” the guard said. “Those boys look hungry.”

The first in line stepped up in front of the black pot. He held his hands out in front of him and stared vacantly ahead. Unlike the guards he appeared to have no interest in Kit or her nudity. Of course his own attire consisted of nothing more than a leather loincloth. Like her, these men were slaves.

Kit grabbed a wooden bowl and filled it with a single ladle full of the soup. She placed the bowl in hands and noticed they were trembling. He turned away quickly, before she could say anything. She watched him cross the room and sit at the farthest table at its farthest corner. The next in line stood in front of the pot and held his hands out in exactly the same manner.

She studied the second man closer. The whites of his eyes were bloodshot and the lids drooped as if the muscles were failing. His hands had a tremor to them as well and the skin under his fingernails appeared gray. She poured a bowl for the man and handed it to him.

The next man stood in just the same way. He showed all the same symptoms. Kit recognized them too well. It was just like Jade. They were dying. And there was nothing she could do to change it.

Kit served up the food at a faster and faster rate as she became increasingly familiar with the repetitive movements involved. All the men showed varying signs of their addiction, but the older ones seemed the worst. Although some of the men looked well into their fifties she doubted any of them were actually much more than thirty. Hard labor combined with their drug addiction made for fast living.

The tables were half full and the line still showed no sign of ending when a noise behind Kit caught her attention. She paused in her serving duties to glance toward the door behind her, the very door she and her guard had come through.

Tara stumbled through the doorway, dressed very similar to Kit. That is to say she was wearing less than a stitch and while the two women were equally un-attired, their natural skin color and curves were enough different that they would never be confused.

Tara regained her footing and glared back at the guard following her. “I won’t be a very useful doctor if I’m dead.”

The guard shoved her again. “At least you’ll be quiet.”

Tara steadied herself with a hand on the edge of a nearby table.  “I could always pop your eardrums with a needle and then you wouldn’t have to listen.”

The guard grunted and pointed at a pair of loincloth boys sitting at a table directly ahead of Tara. “Fix those boys up and maybe I’ll let you keep your tongue another day.”

Tara shrugged and raised her empty hands toward the guard. “What about supplies?”

The guard said, “What do you need?”

Tara shrugged again. “I don’t know. What’s wrong with them.”

The guard raised a threatening arm in Tara’s direction. “You’re the doctor.”

Tara laughed. “Now we’re making progress.”

The guard growled.

Tara made her way over to the indicated loincloth boys. Neither gave her any resistance as she examined them and their injuries. The guard stood nearby watching, as if she might find a way to make the loincloth boys into personal weapons.

Kit returned to serving food at the slap of a leather gloved hand on her butt. She heard Tara explain a need for bandages, thread, and a needle. Tara’s guard left, apparently to fetch the supplies.

Tara glanced in Kit’s direction, but rather than making her way over to her, she first examined a few of the other loincloth boys who were eating at the nearby tables.

Minutes later, Tara joined Kit at the serving table. “They’re all suffering from Zumena withdrawal,” she said.

Kit nodded, continuing to fill bowls with soup. “I know.”

Tara gestured at the room with a wave or her arm. “Many of them are beyond helping, but the younger ones still have a fighting chance if we stop this.”

Kit filled another bowl and handed to the next in line. “I don’t know what more we can actually do.”

Kit’s guard stepped closer. “What do you know about Zumena?”

Kit turned toward the guard and noticed his raised eyebrow. “It’s illegal.”

Tara said, “It’s deadly.”

“It’s addictive,” Kit said.

Tara stepped closer to the guard and stared boldly into his eyes. “And all of these men are well on their way to dying from it.”

The guard looked from Kit to Tara and back again. “You two were on the Griffinscape?”

Kit nodded.

Tara’s guard returned through the back door.

Kit’s guard stepped back and said, “Get back to work. This ain’t a gossip lounge.”

Tara rejoined her guard, who took the opportunity to swat her butt a half dozen times, coloring it a warm shade of pink. Satisfied that she was sufficiently chastised, he handed her the supplies and said, “Any more nonsense out of you and I’ll be introducing you to Zeller’s paddle.”

Hours later, Kit and Tara reunited in a dark hallway being escorted toward their cell for the night. Kit’s guard dismissed Tara’s guard, opting to escort them alone. The guard obviously understood they could try to escape, but with their limited knowledge of the location, they would be easily recaptured. Kit and Tara knew it as well and offered no resistance, leading the way down the torchlit corridor.

The guard stopped in his tracks. “Wait a moment.”

Kit and Tara stopped walking and turned toward the guard.

He asked. “Is the Griffinscape the ship?”

Kit asked, “The ship?”

“Bringing in the Zumena,” he said.

Kit nodded.

Tara said, “I dumped it in the ocean.”

He focused on Tara. “You were the new captain?”

Tara laughed, shaking her head. “No.”

The guard looked at Kit. “You?”

Kit nodded.

“Do you have any idea when the Griffinscape will return?” he asked.

“Why should we tell you?” Kit asked.

The guard said, “Because I can help you.”

“Can,” Tara said, “doesn’t mean will.”

The guard said, “I don’t work for Wudwerth. I’m with the RCG.”

Kit raised an eyebrow. “RCG?”

He nodded. “Rasa Central Government. I’ve been trying to link Wudwerth with illegal labor practices, but he’s too well connected to make anything I’ve learned so far stick.”

Tara said, “You need to catch him in the act.”

“Buying an illegal narcotic like Zumena and proving he’s been using it on the laborers would do it,” he said.

Kit asked, “What do you need from us?”

He looked at Tara. “Can you prove those men were definitely suffering from the effects of Zumena?”

Tara nodded. “If you want scientific evidence, I’ll need blood samples and a lab to analyze them, but the physical symptoms leave little room for doubt.”

He said, “I can take care of that, I just want to know you’re certain.”

Tara said, “I’m a doctor and I’ve treated those symptoms before. It’s Zumena, I’m positive of it.”

The guard nodded. He turned his gaze on Kit. “Wudwerth is fascinated with you for some reason.”

Kit shrugged. “I hadn’t noticed.”

“Well take notice,” the guard said. “Find a way to make him want to take personal delivery of the next shipment.”

Kit said, “I can try, but what do we get out of this?”

“If you make it work,” the guard said, “and I catch Wudwerth in the act of buying Zumena, you and your friends will be free of him.”

“What about my ship?” Kit asked.

He said, “I can’t promise, but if it’s possible, I’ll return it to your ownership.”

Tara looked at Kit. “It doesn’t seem we have much choice.”

The guard said, “You don’t and you don’t have much time either. The Griffinscape is due back sooner than later.”

The Discipline Interface Tempometer

• Features
• Interacts with company employment and discipline records
• Establishes a duration for disciplines such as spanking, corner time, etc.
• Swings a pendulum, (silent or ticking as selected by the user) for the duration
• Insures fair and policy driven corporal punishment
• Directions for Use
• Set the D.I.T. on a desktop or other flat, stable surface
• Press right thumb on the thumbprint scanner
• The D.I.T. will confirm management authorization with HR records and ask for the full name of the employee to be disciplined.
• When prompted, the employee to be disciplined must place their right thumb on the thumbprint scanner.
• The D.I.T. will confirm the employee’s thumbprint matches HR records on file for the name given by the manager. (In the event the name and thumbprint do not match, security will be notified.)
• After identification verification, the D.I.T. will request information on the employee’s infraction of company policy.
• The D.I.T. will access the company’s corporate policies and in combination with the employee’s discipline records, it will recommend a discipline, implement (when appropriate), and a duration.
• The Manager may (if given sufficient authorization by the employer) adjust the discipline, implement, and duration according to their preferences. (Such changes will be recorded and monitored for unfair practices.)
• The Manager will notify the D.I.T verbally when ready to begin the discipline and the D.I.T. will verbally count down 5 seconds before beginning to swing the pendulum for the accepted duration.
• The D.I.T. will stop swinging the pendulum and verbally announce the discipline duration has ended at the appropriate time and ask the manager to confirm the discipline has been administered according to company policy.
• After the manager’s verbal confirmation, the D.I.T. will record the discipline in the employee’s permanent discipline record with the HR department and shut down.