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No Yoke on my neck
Governor Clemmons shuffled uncomfortably on his feet as he stood mosnst the wreckage and dead bodies. Assistant governor Mohrene stood next to him but seemed to be undisturbed by the sight of carnage around them. A mere ten feet away a aquad of security forces and two prisoners waited silently.
Clemmons cursed this day. It would just be his luck that not only would a drone riot wreck the construction of the bases new recycling plant, but also that Chairman Yang himslef was en route back to The Hive when it occured from business at another base. When the Chairman heard of the riot he diverted his destination to Proletarian Knot and sent orders for the governor and his assitant to wait for his arrival at the site.
Clemmons didn’t relish the idea of facing Yang with this disaster, but he took cold comfort in the fact that the drone workers were responsible for the destruction and that Chairman Yang probably had a punishment in mind for them that he could scarcely imagine. The stupid drones! It had been months in preparation but the new command center was alomst complete when they rioted. The upper levels of Proletarian Knot erupted in a brief but damaging explosion of pure violence. The almost finished Command Center was the first real casualty. It would have to be completely rebuilt. Truly a setback for the Hive, since the ongoing war with the University of Planet had put this base in jeopardy of being captured by the enemy.
Asst Governor Mohrene’s personal communicator chirped. She lifted her right arm and looked at the display on the device, tapped a single small button and turned to Governer Clemmons. “He’s here and he’s almost at the door.” she said. Quickly she ran her slim fingers through her short blonde hair and adjusted her skirt.
Governor Clemmons took a deep breath as Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang entered the threshold of the wrecked command center. Clemmons eyed Yang’s entourage quickly. With him he had a squad of Hive Elite Security Guards, his personal assistant and an empath. Clemmons had only met Yang once, but he always remembered the pure force that the mans presence had. Yang as always looked serene, almost grandfatherly. His short stature held a well kept and muscular body, his dark eyes hid an inner strnegth that few men could comprehend. Before Clemmons could call the room to attention Yang raised his hand and said “At ease, everyone.”
The chairman walked over to Clemmons as his security squad spread out in the room to effectively cover it. The empath and the assistrant walked with Yang but were careful to stay two steps behind him.
“Governor Clemmons, what has transpired here?” Yang asked, calmly.
“Honorable Chairman,” Clemmons began, his voice only slightly trembling. “The drone workers attempted a revolt. The ring leaders of this revolt tried to take control of the command center and a firefight ensued. Hive security brought the situation under control, but as you can see, sir, the Command Center was destroyed.”
“I see.” Yang said. “Assistant Governor Mohrene, have you an explanation as to why the drones rioted?”
“Chairman Yang, I believe the drones rioted because of dogma spread by the insidious Foreman Domai. Here on the frontier, The free drone movement has gained a certain momentum. I humbly submit that it is my fault that the movement has gotten this strong in Proletarian Knot.” Mohrene answered, standing at attention.
“No.” Yang sighed. “It is not your fault. Stand easy, citizen.” Without turning, but instead still facing Clemmons, Yang pointed to the two prisoners. “You two, come here.”
The prisoners shuffled towards Yang with their heads held low. The Hive security men all trained their weapons on them as they moved. When they stood a few feet from Yang they stopped.
“What has transpired here?” Yang queried to them.
“ Drone: Designate Harold Green; number 001312, construction class. Specialty: Interface Connections and communications software, honorable Chairman!” Announced the largest of the two drones. He was a huge bald man, with small blue eyes and thick lips. His demeanor showed respect for Yang, but no fear.
“I did not ask you your name or designation, drone. I asked you what has happened here. Please obey.” Yang said without turning to the drone. After he spoke he then turned to face him. The drone towered over Yang, he was nearly 7 feet tall, but he balked at the intensity of Yang’s gaze.
“Sir,” Harold Green said, “ The drones assigned to this work crew revolted due to poor conditions. Assistant governor Mohrene is correct; The Free Drone Propaganda encouraged them. Those two men to your left were the ring leaders. They organized a revolt with the intent to take control of this command center and the entire base!” As he said those words, Green pointed to two dead drones on the floor.
“And why do you admit this so freely?” Yang asked.
“To hope to lessen his punishment!” Clemmons spat. He looked angrily at the drone. “You will die slowly in the punishment sphere for this treachery, Green, I promise you that!”
“Clemmons!” Yang said forcefully, without shouting. “I am talking to this drone. YOU will be silent until I ask you to speak. Is that clear?”
Clemmons nodded. His dark skin seemed to grow a little darker perhaps with embarrassment at being chastised in front of the assembled men. Mohrene supressed a little giggle at his humiliation.
“Chairman Yang,” Green continued, “The drones involved were upset by being assigned to half rations and half pay for the next six months. Most of them...most of us...could not afford to feed our families or even eat enough to maintain our health. I had heard that a revolt was planned, but I did not believe it would occur. I did not believe they would try it. That is why I did what I did.”
“What did you do, drone?” Yang questioned.
“I killed them. I killed them with the help of my friend, here, Drone Designate: Ian Walker.”
The other drone stepped forward and stood at attention. “Chairman Yang, when the revolt began I was given an impact rifle from one of the mutineers. Once Drone Designate Harold green and I were armed we fired on the crowd of revolting dornes in the command center, killing them.”
“You betrayed your friends?” said Yang.
“They were not our friends, Sir.” Walker continued. He was a small wiry man but he had a fierce look. The look of a man that would do anything to achieve his goals. Yang liked that. “ The revolting drones were about to kill the last Hive security men in the command center. Drone Designate Harold Green and I acted to save their lives. They serve the Hive as do we. Their lives are part of the whole. We had to kill the revolutionaries to protect the hive.”
Yang sighed. He looked about him and saw the broken furniture, the smashed computer terminals. The Dead bodies. The empath nodded slightly, affirming that the drone spoke the truth.
“Clemmons...this command center was to be operational in four months. But by examining the wreckage here it appears that it was going to be on line within a week. Why is that?”
“Chairman Yang, I knew of the need. The University has made a deal with the Believers and this base is likely a target in their campaign. I diverted the resources needed to complete the Command Center ahead of time, for the sake of the Human Hive!” Clemmons responded.
“For the sake of the Hive?” Yang shuffled on his feet for a moment. “Fool! You must think me mad to believe that! You hoped to curry favor by achieving completion ahead of schedule! This command center would make little difference in the defense of this base right now. If you truly worried about an attack reinforcements from Laborer’s Throng could have been sent here within a few hours!” Yang chewed his lip for a moment, regaining his serene look. “You cut the workers rations and pay to achieve this, and thus sparked this revolution. Strangely enough, at least to you, if you had doubled their rations they would have most likely finished this Command Center ahead of schedule and had no complaints.”
“Sir.” Mohrene spoke up, “Did you not receive the memo of this ration cutting? I thought it was approved by you.”
Yang almost lost contol. He looked at Mohrene and his eyes widened. But then it came to him. “Aaah”, he whispered, “All communications from this base are encoded for the Governors approval. I see now. Clemmons, you stopped that memo. I am correct in that you were acting for personal glory, not the Hive.”
Clemmons shot Mohrene a hateful look. He could almost be heard to growl. “The ***** ratted me out!” he thought. A thought too much, since the Emapth caught the red hot pincer of his feelings and nodded to Yang.
“Clemmons, you imecile.” Yang grated, “These drones are Hive Citizens. If needs be they will die for the Hive. If needs be they will work for no pay or no rations. If needs be. But if it can be avoided, no Hive citizen is to go without food or pay, no families need to starve, no children will go to bed hungry and crying. Because they are part of the whole. Their detahs solve nothing, but only help to hinder our progress.”
Yang stepped towards Harold Green. “This Drone has in a few moments, shown his allegiance more than you have in your entire career. He may have actually been “free” right now. The drones could have overwhelmed all of the security forces here if they gained control of this CC. But this drone, this man, knew where his loyalties belonged.”
Clemmons began to speak, but was interrupted by Yang. “I have failed in my training of you. You do not realize what it means to serve the Hive. Henceforth, Assistant governor Mohrene is now Governor. Drone Designate Harold Green will report to the Hive base tomorrow for formal training as a work shift coordinator and Drone designate Walker will accompany him as chief foreman. I ecpect them both to be assigned to the next construction project at this base.”
“With your permission, sir,” Green interjected, “I wish to work on the reconstruction of this CC before reeducation. I believe we can repair it within two weeks if allowed, sir.”
“Granted.” Yang smiled. “But then you will be reeducated and relocated to another base. You have potential that I will not see wasted on manual labor.”
“Chairman, I apologi...” Clemmons said, but Yang put his hand up, indicating he wanted him to be silent.
“Clemmons, you too will be reeducated. You will report to the Punishment Sphere immediately. You’re new desigantion is Drone: Unskilled Labor third class. Now go.”
With that command, Mohrene nodded to the security men. They released Harold green and Ian Walker and escorted Clemmons out of the room. To his credit, clemmons didn’t fight or protest. He knew that to do so would mean his death or worse. Yang turned to his aide, “We will leave in one hour for the Hive. See to it.”
The aide began typing commands in a datapad. Yang Grasped Mohrene’s hand.
“You are governor of this base, now. Do not fail me. Do not fail the Hive.” Then he turned and left, his entourage following.
Mohrene faced Ian Walker and Harold Green. “Foreman Green...see to it that these bodies are policed up and that work continues here. Your rations are hereby doubled. All drones working on this project are henceforth allowed an extra rest period and an extra ration per week. Make it so!”
Green smiled and nodded to her. “Yes, Ma’am. It will be made so!”
Mohrene sauntered out of the room, laughing to herself. As she walked she stepped on a small scrap of paper. If she had bothered to look she would have seen that it bore a picture of Domai and read “No Yoke around my neck. Free all drones.”
If she had bothered to look.
Clemmons cursed this day. It would just be his luck that not only would a drone riot wreck the construction of the bases new recycling plant, but also that Chairman Yang himslef was en route back to The Hive when it occured from business at another base. When the Chairman heard of the riot he diverted his destination to Proletarian Knot and sent orders for the governor and his assitant to wait for his arrival at the site.
Clemmons didn’t relish the idea of facing Yang with this disaster, but he took cold comfort in the fact that the drone workers were responsible for the destruction and that Chairman Yang probably had a punishment in mind for them that he could scarcely imagine. The stupid drones! It had been months in preparation but the new command center was alomst complete when they rioted. The upper levels of Proletarian Knot erupted in a brief but damaging explosion of pure violence. The almost finished Command Center was the first real casualty. It would have to be completely rebuilt. Truly a setback for the Hive, since the ongoing war with the University of Planet had put this base in jeopardy of being captured by the enemy.
Asst Governor Mohrene’s personal communicator chirped. She lifted her right arm and looked at the display on the device, tapped a single small button and turned to Governer Clemmons. “He’s here and he’s almost at the door.” she said. Quickly she ran her slim fingers through her short blonde hair and adjusted her skirt.
Governor Clemmons took a deep breath as Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang entered the threshold of the wrecked command center. Clemmons eyed Yang’s entourage quickly. With him he had a squad of Hive Elite Security Guards, his personal assistant and an empath. Clemmons had only met Yang once, but he always remembered the pure force that the mans presence had. Yang as always looked serene, almost grandfatherly. His short stature held a well kept and muscular body, his dark eyes hid an inner strnegth that few men could comprehend. Before Clemmons could call the room to attention Yang raised his hand and said “At ease, everyone.”
The chairman walked over to Clemmons as his security squad spread out in the room to effectively cover it. The empath and the assistrant walked with Yang but were careful to stay two steps behind him.
“Governor Clemmons, what has transpired here?” Yang asked, calmly.
“Honorable Chairman,” Clemmons began, his voice only slightly trembling. “The drone workers attempted a revolt. The ring leaders of this revolt tried to take control of the command center and a firefight ensued. Hive security brought the situation under control, but as you can see, sir, the Command Center was destroyed.”
“I see.” Yang said. “Assistant Governor Mohrene, have you an explanation as to why the drones rioted?”
“Chairman Yang, I believe the drones rioted because of dogma spread by the insidious Foreman Domai. Here on the frontier, The free drone movement has gained a certain momentum. I humbly submit that it is my fault that the movement has gotten this strong in Proletarian Knot.” Mohrene answered, standing at attention.
“No.” Yang sighed. “It is not your fault. Stand easy, citizen.” Without turning, but instead still facing Clemmons, Yang pointed to the two prisoners. “You two, come here.”
The prisoners shuffled towards Yang with their heads held low. The Hive security men all trained their weapons on them as they moved. When they stood a few feet from Yang they stopped.
“What has transpired here?” Yang queried to them.
“ Drone: Designate Harold Green; number 001312, construction class. Specialty: Interface Connections and communications software, honorable Chairman!” Announced the largest of the two drones. He was a huge bald man, with small blue eyes and thick lips. His demeanor showed respect for Yang, but no fear.
“I did not ask you your name or designation, drone. I asked you what has happened here. Please obey.” Yang said without turning to the drone. After he spoke he then turned to face him. The drone towered over Yang, he was nearly 7 feet tall, but he balked at the intensity of Yang’s gaze.
“Sir,” Harold Green said, “ The drones assigned to this work crew revolted due to poor conditions. Assistant governor Mohrene is correct; The Free Drone Propaganda encouraged them. Those two men to your left were the ring leaders. They organized a revolt with the intent to take control of this command center and the entire base!” As he said those words, Green pointed to two dead drones on the floor.
“And why do you admit this so freely?” Yang asked.
“To hope to lessen his punishment!” Clemmons spat. He looked angrily at the drone. “You will die slowly in the punishment sphere for this treachery, Green, I promise you that!”
“Clemmons!” Yang said forcefully, without shouting. “I am talking to this drone. YOU will be silent until I ask you to speak. Is that clear?”
Clemmons nodded. His dark skin seemed to grow a little darker perhaps with embarrassment at being chastised in front of the assembled men. Mohrene supressed a little giggle at his humiliation.
“Chairman Yang,” Green continued, “The drones involved were upset by being assigned to half rations and half pay for the next six months. Most of them...most of us...could not afford to feed our families or even eat enough to maintain our health. I had heard that a revolt was planned, but I did not believe it would occur. I did not believe they would try it. That is why I did what I did.”
“What did you do, drone?” Yang questioned.
“I killed them. I killed them with the help of my friend, here, Drone Designate: Ian Walker.”
The other drone stepped forward and stood at attention. “Chairman Yang, when the revolt began I was given an impact rifle from one of the mutineers. Once Drone Designate Harold green and I were armed we fired on the crowd of revolting dornes in the command center, killing them.”
“You betrayed your friends?” said Yang.
“They were not our friends, Sir.” Walker continued. He was a small wiry man but he had a fierce look. The look of a man that would do anything to achieve his goals. Yang liked that. “ The revolting drones were about to kill the last Hive security men in the command center. Drone Designate Harold Green and I acted to save their lives. They serve the Hive as do we. Their lives are part of the whole. We had to kill the revolutionaries to protect the hive.”
Yang sighed. He looked about him and saw the broken furniture, the smashed computer terminals. The Dead bodies. The empath nodded slightly, affirming that the drone spoke the truth.
“Clemmons...this command center was to be operational in four months. But by examining the wreckage here it appears that it was going to be on line within a week. Why is that?”
“Chairman Yang, I knew of the need. The University has made a deal with the Believers and this base is likely a target in their campaign. I diverted the resources needed to complete the Command Center ahead of time, for the sake of the Human Hive!” Clemmons responded.
“For the sake of the Hive?” Yang shuffled on his feet for a moment. “Fool! You must think me mad to believe that! You hoped to curry favor by achieving completion ahead of schedule! This command center would make little difference in the defense of this base right now. If you truly worried about an attack reinforcements from Laborer’s Throng could have been sent here within a few hours!” Yang chewed his lip for a moment, regaining his serene look. “You cut the workers rations and pay to achieve this, and thus sparked this revolution. Strangely enough, at least to you, if you had doubled their rations they would have most likely finished this Command Center ahead of schedule and had no complaints.”
“Sir.” Mohrene spoke up, “Did you not receive the memo of this ration cutting? I thought it was approved by you.”
Yang almost lost contol. He looked at Mohrene and his eyes widened. But then it came to him. “Aaah”, he whispered, “All communications from this base are encoded for the Governors approval. I see now. Clemmons, you stopped that memo. I am correct in that you were acting for personal glory, not the Hive.”
Clemmons shot Mohrene a hateful look. He could almost be heard to growl. “The ***** ratted me out!” he thought. A thought too much, since the Emapth caught the red hot pincer of his feelings and nodded to Yang.
“Clemmons, you imecile.” Yang grated, “These drones are Hive Citizens. If needs be they will die for the Hive. If needs be they will work for no pay or no rations. If needs be. But if it can be avoided, no Hive citizen is to go without food or pay, no families need to starve, no children will go to bed hungry and crying. Because they are part of the whole. Their detahs solve nothing, but only help to hinder our progress.”
Yang stepped towards Harold Green. “This Drone has in a few moments, shown his allegiance more than you have in your entire career. He may have actually been “free” right now. The drones could have overwhelmed all of the security forces here if they gained control of this CC. But this drone, this man, knew where his loyalties belonged.”
Clemmons began to speak, but was interrupted by Yang. “I have failed in my training of you. You do not realize what it means to serve the Hive. Henceforth, Assistant governor Mohrene is now Governor. Drone Designate Harold Green will report to the Hive base tomorrow for formal training as a work shift coordinator and Drone designate Walker will accompany him as chief foreman. I ecpect them both to be assigned to the next construction project at this base.”
“With your permission, sir,” Green interjected, “I wish to work on the reconstruction of this CC before reeducation. I believe we can repair it within two weeks if allowed, sir.”
“Granted.” Yang smiled. “But then you will be reeducated and relocated to another base. You have potential that I will not see wasted on manual labor.”
“Chairman, I apologi...” Clemmons said, but Yang put his hand up, indicating he wanted him to be silent.
“Clemmons, you too will be reeducated. You will report to the Punishment Sphere immediately. You’re new desigantion is Drone: Unskilled Labor third class. Now go.”
With that command, Mohrene nodded to the security men. They released Harold green and Ian Walker and escorted Clemmons out of the room. To his credit, clemmons didn’t fight or protest. He knew that to do so would mean his death or worse. Yang turned to his aide, “We will leave in one hour for the Hive. See to it.”
The aide began typing commands in a datapad. Yang Grasped Mohrene’s hand.
“You are governor of this base, now. Do not fail me. Do not fail the Hive.” Then he turned and left, his entourage following.
Mohrene faced Ian Walker and Harold Green. “Foreman Green...see to it that these bodies are policed up and that work continues here. Your rations are hereby doubled. All drones working on this project are henceforth allowed an extra rest period and an extra ration per week. Make it so!”
Green smiled and nodded to her. “Yes, Ma’am. It will be made so!”
Mohrene sauntered out of the room, laughing to herself. As she walked she stepped on a small scrap of paper. If she had bothered to look she would have seen that it bore a picture of Domai and read “No Yoke around my neck. Free all drones.”
If she had bothered to look.