Escape from Altera Ch. 05

I was vaguely aware of someone brushing by Ivan to get to me. "Here, let me help you," said a familiar voice. I tried to open my eyes, but they were caked with blood. I blinked hard, and found Raffen, helping me away.

He half carried me back to the barracks.

"Is it done?" I managed to rasp.

"Yes," said Raffen. He led me into my bunk, where I collapsed.

Some time later I heard my name called. I opened my eyes to see the giant, Sasha. "Idaaho, how are you?"

"Swell," I said, wincing in pain. "When is Lieutenant Kirshenko coming on duty?"

"He is on now," said Sasha.

"Then I must go to him now," I said, struggling to get up. I felt a surge of pain through my left leg. Had I broken it? Gently, I tested it to see if it could support my weight. It could.

"You are too weak," said Sasha.

"No choice," I said. "If we don't do it now, we may not get another chance."

I limped out of my barracks and slowly and painfully made my way to the guard post. Kirshenko stood there, talking with two other guards. But suddenly Corporal Ivan was also there, blocking me. Had he discovered my plan?

"What are you doing here? This area is restricted!" said Ivan. He started to kick me again.

I fell down, crying, "Kirshenko! Lieutenant Kirshenko!" Ivan only kicked me harder.

"Wait!"

The kicking stopped.

Kirshenko looked down at me. "Why do you call my name?"

"I have important information," I gasped.

The guards snickered.

"Really?" said Kirshenko, with a nasty look on his face. "Well, then tell me what this important information is. But I warn you, if it is a sham, we will take you and your information and put you in a cold cell."

The cold cell! "I have, I have information about a traitor." I slowly sat up.

This got their attention.

"What are you saying? Speak quickly!" said Kirshenko.

"There is a traitor here, one who is dedicated to overthrowing the Slurian's Communitarian State," I said.

"Who is this traitor?" Kirshenko asked.

I pointed a finger at Ivan. "It is him."

Ivan immediately lunged to rip me apart with his hands, but I dodged out of the way.

"Halt!" said Kirshenko, drawing his blaster and firing into the air. He looked sternly at Ivan, who had stopped moving.

Kirshenko looked sternly at me. "Do you know what the penalty for making false charges is, Richman?"

"They aren't false," I said. "I can prove it!"

"Really?" said Kirshenko. "Do so now!" He looked skeptical. Obviously he was expecting to take me to the cold cell in a moment, or worse.

"His pocket," I gasped. "There is a note in his pocket, describing his intention to overthrow the Slurian Union."

Kirshenko looked at me oddly. "How would you know what is in his pocket?"

"I saw him write the message and put it there," I said.

Ivan snarled and started to lunge at me, but Kirshenko gave a shout and he stopped in place again.

"What of this, Ushenko?" he said, turning to Ivan.

"This is ridiculous!" said Ivan. "Richman is a convicted spy!"

"It is ridiculous," Kirshenko said. "And if he is lying, he will be severely punished. But first, empty your pockets."

"You are accusing me?" said Ivan.

"Guards!" said Kirshenko. His men pointed their blasters at Urshenko.

"Stand very still, community member," said Kirshenko. He moved forward to put his hands in Ivan's jacket pockets.

"There is nothing there!" said Ivan.

Kirshenko carefully put his hands in.

I took a deep breath. Had Raffen really done it? At that moment I realized my life was in the hands of a petty thief.

Kirshenko searched Ivan's pockets for a moment, and then turned back to me as if to say he had found nothing. He stared at me oddly. They would put me in a cold cell! And Ivan would make sure I didn't live through the night!

But then I noticed Kirshenko's hands.

They held a small scrap of paper.

He read it aloud, slowly, for effect.

"The Slurian Union must be destroyed. It is a false citizen's paradise. I, Ivan Ushenko, must do everything I can to destroy it. I will commit acts of sabotage, espionage, even assassination to achieve my goal."

Ivan turned pale. "That's ridiculous! I can see that's typed print! One of the prisoners must have typed it and stuffed it in my pocket."

"Really?" said Kirshenko. "Then why is your signature also affixed to the bottom?"

"It must be a forgery!" snarled Ivan.

"We shall see," said Kirshenko. "Guards! Disarm the corporal and take him in for interrogation."

Snarling, Ivan reached out for me again, but the guards grabbed him, and hauled him away. "You will pay for this, Richman! When I return, you will wish you were dead, DEAD!"

Two days later I found out Ivan's fate. His signature had been verified and under interrogation (torture), he had admitted to a wide range of crimes. I found myself called to the Commandant's office.

Major Colonel Tromov looked at me quizzically for a moment, as if he didn't know quite what to do with me, and then he said, "I find myself in the odd position of thanking you, Idaaho Tuch." He fell silent.

I waited. I presumed that was the thank you.

"You're quite welcome," I said.

"I still have some unanswered questions," said Tromov. "Such as, why would a convicted League spy help the Slurian Union?"

"Well, surely that should be obvious," I said, so smoothly that Tromov looked startled. "I have been listening to Captain Olov's political lectures. I have become convinced that the Slurian system is just and noble."

"Really?" said Tromov, his eyes narrowing.

"Yes," I said. "After all, doesn't your ideology say that the Imperialist League worlds will soon fall and join your Union?"

"Yes."

"And that the people of the League will accept your ideology?"

"Yes."

"So if it's inevitable, why is it so hard to believe that I have done so?"

"Because you are a convicted spy," said Tromov. He stared at my head as if he were trying to drill holes. He considered for a moment before resuming. "Your words have the superficial ring of truth. But I still sense capitalist deception underneath. I do not know for certain what really transpired here. But henceforth you will be watched more closely."

"I'll try to be a model Slurian citizen, to set an example for the others."

"See that you-" Tromov's eyes narrowed. "See that you do."

I got up to leave. "Just one more thing, sir."

"Yes?"

"Isn't there a reward for turning in traitors?"

Tromov paused. "Yes, there is."

"200 work units, a week off, or the food equivalent, I recall."

"Yes," said Tromov distastefully.

"I'd prefer the extra food, sir."

Tromov wrote a note on his datapad. "Very well," he grimaced.

I turned to go. "Oh, one other thing. What became of Corporal Ushenko?"

"That does not concern you."

********

"He has been given a ten year sentence and assigned to labor camp 39," said Kantiprev.

"Hopefully the prisoners will discover he's a former guard and kill him," I said savagely.

"No doubt his friends will protect him and give him another identification," said Kantiprev. "They were the ones who arranged for him to be sent there."

"Why?" I asked.

"It is a data processing camp near the equator," said Kerensky. "It is reputed to be one of the softer camps."

I sighed.

"What made you think your preposterous plan would even work?" said Kerensky.

"What do you mean?"

"Did you really think the guards would believe that Ivan would write an incriminating note and carry it around with him?"

"Listen," I said. "You guys live in a society where if you tell a suggestive joke you get sent to a labor camp. I didn't invent your paranoia, I just took advantage of it."

"Oh," said Kerensky, considering. "That makes sense, from that perspective."

"I wish we could have done better for Ivan, though," I said. "He doesn't deserve the soft life, even as a prisoner with a ten year term."

"Oh, his life won't be soft, nor will he last ten years," said Kantiprev.

"What do you mean?"

"He's being sent to Camp 99," said Kantiprev.

Kerensky looked stunned.

"What is that?"

"Radioactive ore mining," said Kantiprev.

"I thought you said he was going to the other labor camp-"

"Those were his initial orders, but they got changed by someone in administration," said Kantiprev, with a straight face.

"I see," I said. "How long will he last doing... radioactive ore mining?"

"Perhaps a month."

"A month? But surely they give proper protective equipment-"

Kerensky gave me a haven't-you-learned-better look.

Well, I had gotten justice for Kolya, then.

All I had to do now was figure out a way to escape.