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Chapter 32
On board Gnarff's freighter final preparations were being made for the colonists to leave for their new homes. Once the cylinders had separated and started to head towards the surface of the moon, Farrin Gnarff's freighter began to pull out of Forgwin5 orbit. Few of the crew bothered to watch as they left the cylinders behind them, preferring their own crew stations or recreation centres to the view of the barren world beneath. Few even showed interest as the ship swung past their watery home world, using its gravity to accelerate them out of the Forgwin system.
Garan Duufrig was in Gnarff's quarters working on his commander's video screen.
"Are the crew very discontented to be leaving so soon?" Gnaarff asked him.
"Well, Excellency," Duufrig began carefully. "Of course they were disappointed not to be enjoying the new colony but I think they all see the need for our continued efforts."
"Hmm," Gnarff grunted sceptically. He knew that the feeling on the lower decks was more likely to be one of irritation at losing their shore leave. "No matter, assuming this link works I think I can provide some simple entertainment as small recompense."
"It should be connected now, Sir," said Duufrig, standing back from the console and pressing a button. The screen flickered into life. "There you are, Excellency, a direct link into the security camera systems of the colony." The screen showed a view across one of Forgwin5c's desolate rocky plains towards the complex of domes that housed the Sol3a women. The dull orange glow of Forgwin's primary star gave the view a look of warmth that it did not, in reality, possess.
"Thank you. That will be all for now. I will review what is on offer and you can tell the crew that material will be piped into their leisure channel from later today."
"I am sure that will be welcome, Sir."
As Duufrig saluted and left the cabin, Gnarff turned his attention to the video controls. A claw picked at the buttons calling up first one view, then another. All appeared peaceful. A camera panned across the main community hall showed a group of some twenty women, all clad in white, lounging on couches. Another shot into one of the smaller rooms set aside for hospitality showed two others clutching to each other, evidently trying to comfort themselves.
Gnarff was pleased to see that the security staff were stepping up to their roles. In one area set aside for them four of the masked women had pressed six of their sisters into their own service. Gnarff twisted the volume control and the sounds of the room came from the speakers surrounding the screen.
"Number three, here," one of the masked women ordered, clicking her fingers at one of the women. "Fetch us drinks." The white clad woman bowed her head, curtsied and left the room.
"You don't think we are being unfair to them?" One of the other guards asked.
"No," the first replied. "They have to be ready fro when our guests come. Helping them learn to behave well now will make it easier for them in the future. You heard what the Counsellor says."
"Yes, I know – 'Service Makes Safe: To Obey Is To Oblige'. Even so, it's hard for them."
"You can't think like that. It's their destiny. They have to serve for the benefit of all of us. We have the worry of keeping them up to the mark – it's us that'll suffer if they don't perform – don't forget."
"You whites have it easy," one of the others sneered at the girl kneeling by her side. "All you have to do is what you are told – no responsibility, no come back for anything apart from your own faults."
"Yes, Ma'am. I mean, no Ma'am." the girl replied, confused
Her tormentor swung a slap at her face, knocking her back on her heels. "Oh shut up or I'll have you gagged. "
In his cabin on the freighter, Gnarff nodded approvingly. It was good to see that discipline was being asserted. Quite apart from that though this sort of viewing would amuse the crew. A click of a button brought up another scene.
In a dimly lit room four women could be seen hanging in shackles from rings set high in the walls of the room that was evidently their prison. Two were "whites", clad in their pioneer founder robes, two were guards, still masked but helpless nevertheless. They had evidently been there for a short time as all four were still writhing and stretching to ease their discomfort. In time, Gnarff knew, the effort would leave them exhausted, they would hang motionless soon enough. The two whites wore mouth-stretching ring gags. From the grunts of complaint coming from the two in purple, Gnarff surmised that they were gagged as well beneath their masks.
Moments later the cell door opened and another masked guard entered. She gestured with a bottle towards the captives. "Any of you girls want some water?" she asked. The shackled women all nodded. "Just so you know, you don't get freed up when this works its way through," the guard called as she gave each girl water from the bottle. "We'll be back to watch you squirm."
Gnarff allowed himself a grunt of satisfaction – it was amazing how quickly one part of this species could be brought to exploit another given the right circumstances.
Another click, another camera. Mayern's cabin came into view. Gnarff wondered if she knew her cabin was subject to surveillance as well. He was pleased to see that her conditioning as the colony's madam was continuing to work well. She was dressed in a low cut gown with a tightly boned bodice and a skirt slit to her hip. Seated on a low couch she was confronting a white. Gnarff recognised the girl as one of the allocations that his navigation officer had sold so adroitly earlier having won her in the now notorious gambling game with Shicnan Warrax. The game had caused immense mirth to the senior officers when they heard of it.
Marni Carris, or Peach as Gnarff remembered her, was standing before Colony Leader Gabrielle Mayern with her arms strapped tightly behind her back.
"I understand," Mayern was saying in measured tones, as she flexed a riding crop between her hands, "that your guards have failed to induce in you the correct levels of respect. I should have thought that your earlier experiences with our Gnarriott friends would have convinced you of the need for compliance. You will learn to give compliance to the guards before I ever let you start thinking about earning your promotion to their ranks."
Gnarff grunted. Working their passage – wasn't that an idea she had taken from him?
"Please Colony Leader," Marni was begging. "Please let me make amends. I intended no slight to my guards."
"Well let's see," Mayern responded, clapping her hands peremptorily. Two guards appeared. Gnarff was intrigued to note that although they were masked and wearing identical uniforms they still contrived to achieve as much of an individual look as was possible. One of the guards had embroidered her mask with an intricate pattern in a golden thread. The other had found a way of dressing her hair in an elaborate style and of decorating her eyelashes so that there could be no mistake whose eyes were staring out over the mask.
Mayern turned to Marni. "Kiss their feet, girl," she ordered. "Remember! To serve and to satisfy are your only ambitions."
Gnarff was pleased. He watched as Marni made to obey. The pioneer founders seemed to be getting the right ideas. The Forgwin5c colony might be worth a visit by the time they got back from this trip. It was a long haul back to the Sol system but there was unfinished business.
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