Free City Without Suns by Wade Andrew Butcher Page A

heard some doctors talking about a Bauvat.  They said you were genetically engineered back on Earth at a place called Bishop Islands.”
    “It is true.  And some of my bones are very flexible.  Why would you come here yourself, directly to me? Why not go through the chain of command?”
    “Everyone is scared of you.  And nobody wants to go to the Commander,” she admitted bluntly.
    There it was.  Just when I think I might be making a young friend, the truth comes out.  Yet, she was not scared of me, and if she was, she was driven to speak with me nonetheless.
    “Leonidas knew about me from the start.  If either of us thought my genes would be useful in space, we would have suggested it long ago,” I argued. 
    “I think your bones would be very useful.  Better resilience to weightlessness over long periods of time.  It would be a good personal accomplishment for me to work on this.  Besides, I wanted to get a sample before it’s too late.”
    “Yes, an unauthorized… wait, what do you mean too late?” I asked wondering if the slip was intentional.
    “Some of the originals are being taken for extermination, right?” Erika asked.  Her light treatment of the subject was bizarre to me.
    “You think I will be put to death?”
    “That’s what I heard.”
    I was not very often scared.  Something about the sharp words coming from a seemingly sincere and innocent messenger gave me a sudden chill.  Her matter-of-fact perception of extermination suggested she thought the targeted persons knew of their fate in advance.  The notion was very revealing, highly unlikely something she would make up.
    “That’s quite a rumor,” I said. 
    The conversation went downhill from there.  Would I extract information from her under threat of punishment?  And seek out each person that had spread the rumor one by one?  No.  The only source of an accurate statement on that subject was Leonidas himself.  And if it did not come from him, then it was only silly conjecture.  I escorted the young lady back to the perimeter.  She did not get her sample.

Chapter 15
     
    March 19, 2830
     
    Isla begged me for a way to get out of the lower levels.  I’m sure I could get her out by any one of a number of means, but there would be nowhere to place her.  She would not be able to fall into a permanent position very easily, at least not without a conspiracy involving others.  I am unsure what level of deceit I am willing to invoke to get her what she needs. 
    I still have loyalty to Leonidas, and to disobey or deliberately go against orders would tear me from my identity as his soldier.  Despite my doubts, it was still important to me, but I wondered if my conviction was a result of childhood brainwashing.  I have reported to him on numerous occasions in the last few weeks, and there is no indication that our relationship has changed.  There is certainly no indication that I would be on the extermination list, but I watch my back closely.  I have been spending a lot of time down here close to Isla, which might be viewed as a shift in allegiance by some.
                  In theory, finding some official role for Eon would be easier since he is young.  He is remarkably smart, but no level of intelligence is enough to budge the policies in the Ward.  I asked, and they are unwilling to accept the burden of training someone who was not there from childhood.  I am resigned to do something to at least let them explore outside the areas of detention below level nine where commoners reside.
    I started my day knowing what I was planning was dishonest, at minimum, and in my heart I knew it was worthy of punishment, which around here does not come in any variety other than severe.  I tried to alter my plan in a way that would make it defendable, but I would not be able to reconcile my actions with all I had been taught.  There was no justification consistent with loyalty to the Commander. 
    I was going to proceed