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The Gray Phantom
The following is a story I wrote awhile ago, but didn't like too much. I did a little bit of rewriting, but its too similar to my stroy about the Gaians and Deidre fighting Morgan. Still, I post it, hoping that someone may enjoy it.
Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang walked through the door. At first Drake thought he was imagining things, but he wasn’t. Yang himself had come to see him! He almost leapt to his feet, not out of respect but out of shock.
“I trust you have been treated well?” Yang questioned in that serene voice of his. The doors behind closed in a muted hiss.
Drake folded his arms in a gesture of defiance. Actually he had been treated well since his capture. The Hive Special Police had not beaten or tortured him. He was merely apprehended, processed and put in this cell. He had even been well fed. The cell wasn’t even a bad cell as Hive standards went. Yes, it was small, but it held a comfortable bed, on which Drake sat, a chair, and a lavatory. And now Yang himself was there!
“Gregor Oloff, Mining technician second class.” Drake said with mock sincerity. He didn’t know how much Yang knew, but there was no need to blow his cover right now.
“You are Frederic Drake, former drone maintenance worker from Proletarian Knot,” Yang corrected him as he moved the chair within a meter of Drake and sat down, “Also known as the Gray Phantom. Your falsified identity papers and computer records entries were immaculate, however you failed to fully evade the molecular scan.” Yang’s tone was still one of calm serenity. “A pity. Obviously much care was taken in disguising your DNA signature.”
So Yang did know! Drake thought. He remained calm though....he knew the day may come when he was caught. Drake had volunteered for this assignment with both eyes open. The Free Drone movement was making headway through many Hive bases. Foreman Domai did not want to risk a conventional war with the Hive yet, so he authorized Drake and two others to infiltrate Hive territory and organize resistance cels. Drake had successfully sabotaged several of Yang’s projects in this base, Drone Mound. He had even infiltrated the bases communication system, replacing the national propaganda messages with Free Drone messages and democratric slogans on every vid screen!....and he had done so several times. The damage was considerable. Drones rioted almost daily, spurred on by the movement. The Special Police seemed unable to capture him, hence the name “Gray Phantom.”
“I won’t tell you anything.” Drake said defiantly. “I expect that you’ll torture and kill me but you’ll learn nothing.”
Yang’s lips moved almost imperceptibly. Only the most observant person would know that it was a smile. Yang liked this man! He disagreed with his snetiments and idealogy completely but he admired his spirit and courage. No one had ever personally faced him with such bravado before.
“You speak of torture?” Yang’s voice never rose, he spoke with the utmost calm, hands comfortably placed on his thighs. “I have no intention of torturing or even killing you. That would accomplish nothing. You have displayed considerable skills at subterfuge, espionage and sabotage. I realize that you do not know the identities of any others involved in your movement at this base. You are not a fool and only a fool would willingly know that information with the chances of being caught. But be assured, if you did have the information, we would have dragged it out of you.
“I simply wanted to meet you. I wanted to see what kind of men Domai has working for him. I am not disappointed. Though misguided, you have have superlative ability. I shall have to employ stricter standards for my Probe teams. In the mean time you will help me quell the uprisings in this base.”
“Are you mad?” Drake spat, “Why would I help you? For that matter, whats to stop me from killing you right now, Chairman?” Drake inspected Yang carefully with his eyes. He had come into this cell, unarmed and with no guards. Physically, Yang must be 30 years than he. Drake was a strong, thirtyish young man. Though Yang looked to be the picture of health, Drake was certain he could break his neck easily.
“You will not kill me....but if you did, what would it accomplish? That would not destroy the Hive. I may have created it, but I am only one part of it. And no one is irreplacable.”
“So what makes you think I’m going to help you, Yang? The only thing you can do now is keep me locked up or kill me.” Drake tried to pierce the veil behind Yang’s implacable face. “I suppose you could torture me if you changed your mind about that....still, the only thing it will gain you is a little sadistic pleasure.”
“Ah, the propaganda of the Free Drones.” Yang almost laughed. “No doubt Domai has told his followers that I enjoy harming others and that I make soup out of babies. My misinformed friend, no one in the Hive is tortured or punished out of malice. When such crude methods are used it is only to teach the individual the error of their ways and to enforce the rule of law. Laws must be followed to preserve order. They are broken when individuals value personal gain and comfort over the common good of the species.”
“You really believe that!?” Drake was incredulous, “ You think that your rigid caste system and exploitation of the workers is for the good of humanity?”
“I believe it because it is the truth. You will speak the truth as the new foreman of construction in this base.”
Drake laughed out loud. “You’re offering me a job?! You think I’d work for you...you think you can bribe away my loyalties?”
Yang leaned forward ever so slightly....a movement so small it could scarecly be noticed. “I know you will go on the public vid and renounce your alleigance to Domai. I know you will pledge loyalty to the Hive and our cause. Your followers will either expose themselves when you do so, by acting recklessly and out of anger, or they will choose to believe your words and all will return to normal. If I had you killed, or even imprisoned for life you would be a matyr for these lost souls...but I will make you a figurehead.”
“Keep dreaming.” Drake began to lie down on his bed. He was finished talking to Yang. Clearly the chairman was insane from his view.
Yang raised his right hand and with his left pushed a button on his wristband commlink. The doors to the cell opened and three men walked in. One was some kind of med tech, a doctor perhaps. He was pushing a gurney that had some kind of elaborate headset attached to it. The others were Hive Special police, but their insignia also included a badge from the Hive’s secret empathic probe unit.
“We have had great success with our preliminary Mind/Machine interface experiments...” Yang said. “Using a combination of drugs, implanted control chips and empathic therapy we have been able to completely rewrite a persons personality. They say what we want and do what we want and they don’t question. The process is painless and takes little time....you can be on the vid by tomorrow morning.”
“BASTARD!” Drake screamed as he leapt from the bed and at Yang. With only a meter to cover he intended to kill Yang then and now. He might die, but at least he’d take Yang with him.
He hit the floor with a meaty thud, toppling the chair over. Only Yang wasn’t in it. At first he thought that Yang must have been a holographic projection, but then he felt a strong grasp at his collar. Yang had moved out of his way so quickly, Drake didn’t even see him move. And now the Chairman lifted him to his feet with one arm while the special policemen bound his hands. “At least I know the rumors were true...Yang is in extraordinary physical condition!” Drake thought forlornly as he was strapped to the gurney.
Drake resigned himself to his fate, with courage. He knew he couldn’t stop was about to happen, he just hoped the other drones wouldn’t be fooled by it. He also made an effort not to speak, curse or yell as they the doctor pulled rhe gurney into the hall. He wasn’t going to give Yang the satifaction.
Yang stood in the center of the cell and called one of the empath probe men to him.
“Captain, I want his reprogramming to be done with the utmost care,” Yang ordered, “do not destroy his sense of courage and conviction when his loyalties are changed.”
“Honorable Chairman, that will give the prisoner a 53% chance of breaking the programming. I do not mean to question you, I simply state the facts.” The man bowed. It was often dangerous to question Yang’s orders.
“I realize that, Captain.” Yang began to walk out of the room. “It is simply a gesture of respect for his bravery. Carry my instructions out.”
Yang silently walked down the hall, deep in thought. Domai’s agents were misguided and dangerous, but they had the strength of their beliefs....at last, Yang thought, a foe worthy of fighting.
Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang walked through the door. At first Drake thought he was imagining things, but he wasn’t. Yang himself had come to see him! He almost leapt to his feet, not out of respect but out of shock.
“I trust you have been treated well?” Yang questioned in that serene voice of his. The doors behind closed in a muted hiss.
Drake folded his arms in a gesture of defiance. Actually he had been treated well since his capture. The Hive Special Police had not beaten or tortured him. He was merely apprehended, processed and put in this cell. He had even been well fed. The cell wasn’t even a bad cell as Hive standards went. Yes, it was small, but it held a comfortable bed, on which Drake sat, a chair, and a lavatory. And now Yang himself was there!
“Gregor Oloff, Mining technician second class.” Drake said with mock sincerity. He didn’t know how much Yang knew, but there was no need to blow his cover right now.
“You are Frederic Drake, former drone maintenance worker from Proletarian Knot,” Yang corrected him as he moved the chair within a meter of Drake and sat down, “Also known as the Gray Phantom. Your falsified identity papers and computer records entries were immaculate, however you failed to fully evade the molecular scan.” Yang’s tone was still one of calm serenity. “A pity. Obviously much care was taken in disguising your DNA signature.”
So Yang did know! Drake thought. He remained calm though....he knew the day may come when he was caught. Drake had volunteered for this assignment with both eyes open. The Free Drone movement was making headway through many Hive bases. Foreman Domai did not want to risk a conventional war with the Hive yet, so he authorized Drake and two others to infiltrate Hive territory and organize resistance cels. Drake had successfully sabotaged several of Yang’s projects in this base, Drone Mound. He had even infiltrated the bases communication system, replacing the national propaganda messages with Free Drone messages and democratric slogans on every vid screen!....and he had done so several times. The damage was considerable. Drones rioted almost daily, spurred on by the movement. The Special Police seemed unable to capture him, hence the name “Gray Phantom.”
“I won’t tell you anything.” Drake said defiantly. “I expect that you’ll torture and kill me but you’ll learn nothing.”
Yang’s lips moved almost imperceptibly. Only the most observant person would know that it was a smile. Yang liked this man! He disagreed with his snetiments and idealogy completely but he admired his spirit and courage. No one had ever personally faced him with such bravado before.
“You speak of torture?” Yang’s voice never rose, he spoke with the utmost calm, hands comfortably placed on his thighs. “I have no intention of torturing or even killing you. That would accomplish nothing. You have displayed considerable skills at subterfuge, espionage and sabotage. I realize that you do not know the identities of any others involved in your movement at this base. You are not a fool and only a fool would willingly know that information with the chances of being caught. But be assured, if you did have the information, we would have dragged it out of you.
“I simply wanted to meet you. I wanted to see what kind of men Domai has working for him. I am not disappointed. Though misguided, you have have superlative ability. I shall have to employ stricter standards for my Probe teams. In the mean time you will help me quell the uprisings in this base.”
“Are you mad?” Drake spat, “Why would I help you? For that matter, whats to stop me from killing you right now, Chairman?” Drake inspected Yang carefully with his eyes. He had come into this cell, unarmed and with no guards. Physically, Yang must be 30 years than he. Drake was a strong, thirtyish young man. Though Yang looked to be the picture of health, Drake was certain he could break his neck easily.
“You will not kill me....but if you did, what would it accomplish? That would not destroy the Hive. I may have created it, but I am only one part of it. And no one is irreplacable.”
“So what makes you think I’m going to help you, Yang? The only thing you can do now is keep me locked up or kill me.” Drake tried to pierce the veil behind Yang’s implacable face. “I suppose you could torture me if you changed your mind about that....still, the only thing it will gain you is a little sadistic pleasure.”
“Ah, the propaganda of the Free Drones.” Yang almost laughed. “No doubt Domai has told his followers that I enjoy harming others and that I make soup out of babies. My misinformed friend, no one in the Hive is tortured or punished out of malice. When such crude methods are used it is only to teach the individual the error of their ways and to enforce the rule of law. Laws must be followed to preserve order. They are broken when individuals value personal gain and comfort over the common good of the species.”
“You really believe that!?” Drake was incredulous, “ You think that your rigid caste system and exploitation of the workers is for the good of humanity?”
“I believe it because it is the truth. You will speak the truth as the new foreman of construction in this base.”
Drake laughed out loud. “You’re offering me a job?! You think I’d work for you...you think you can bribe away my loyalties?”
Yang leaned forward ever so slightly....a movement so small it could scarecly be noticed. “I know you will go on the public vid and renounce your alleigance to Domai. I know you will pledge loyalty to the Hive and our cause. Your followers will either expose themselves when you do so, by acting recklessly and out of anger, or they will choose to believe your words and all will return to normal. If I had you killed, or even imprisoned for life you would be a matyr for these lost souls...but I will make you a figurehead.”
“Keep dreaming.” Drake began to lie down on his bed. He was finished talking to Yang. Clearly the chairman was insane from his view.
Yang raised his right hand and with his left pushed a button on his wristband commlink. The doors to the cell opened and three men walked in. One was some kind of med tech, a doctor perhaps. He was pushing a gurney that had some kind of elaborate headset attached to it. The others were Hive Special police, but their insignia also included a badge from the Hive’s secret empathic probe unit.
“We have had great success with our preliminary Mind/Machine interface experiments...” Yang said. “Using a combination of drugs, implanted control chips and empathic therapy we have been able to completely rewrite a persons personality. They say what we want and do what we want and they don’t question. The process is painless and takes little time....you can be on the vid by tomorrow morning.”
“BASTARD!” Drake screamed as he leapt from the bed and at Yang. With only a meter to cover he intended to kill Yang then and now. He might die, but at least he’d take Yang with him.
He hit the floor with a meaty thud, toppling the chair over. Only Yang wasn’t in it. At first he thought that Yang must have been a holographic projection, but then he felt a strong grasp at his collar. Yang had moved out of his way so quickly, Drake didn’t even see him move. And now the Chairman lifted him to his feet with one arm while the special policemen bound his hands. “At least I know the rumors were true...Yang is in extraordinary physical condition!” Drake thought forlornly as he was strapped to the gurney.
Drake resigned himself to his fate, with courage. He knew he couldn’t stop was about to happen, he just hoped the other drones wouldn’t be fooled by it. He also made an effort not to speak, curse or yell as they the doctor pulled rhe gurney into the hall. He wasn’t going to give Yang the satifaction.
Yang stood in the center of the cell and called one of the empath probe men to him.
“Captain, I want his reprogramming to be done with the utmost care,” Yang ordered, “do not destroy his sense of courage and conviction when his loyalties are changed.”
“Honorable Chairman, that will give the prisoner a 53% chance of breaking the programming. I do not mean to question you, I simply state the facts.” The man bowed. It was often dangerous to question Yang’s orders.
“I realize that, Captain.” Yang began to walk out of the room. “It is simply a gesture of respect for his bravery. Carry my instructions out.”
Yang silently walked down the hall, deep in thought. Domai’s agents were misguided and dangerous, but they had the strength of their beliefs....at last, Yang thought, a foe worthy of fighting.