Humanity was struggling to find it’s place in the universe, and here Silhouette was witnessing the future that the Presider was working to prevent. Who would have ever thought that an alien corporation could have enslaved an entire world and gotten away with it? It was unfathomable, but here it was.
The Burmin had come to Nye because the planet’s depths were rich with rare minerals, and the surface was habitable. If they were to simply exterminate the human population and take over the planet, they would be subject to discipline from other intergalactic powers since mass killing was a big no-no under intergalactic law. Instead the Burmin arrived as a corporation, a business which built a global presence overnight and disregarded all Nye law. The planet’s paltry forces were unable to dissuade the colonization.
Burmin ships filled the skies, preventing any aid or escape, and they built compounds to establish order and control on the ground, forcing all Nylings to become indentured servants to the Burmin corporation. The Burmin quickly established among the human worlds that any attack against the corporation would be seen as an act of war against the entire Burmin race, and the retribution was guaranteed to be devastating. The Intergalactic Senate cared little about planetary labor disputes, and without an official seat in the senate the people of Nye did not have enough power to bring attention to the injustices they faced. No one in all of the Verse was going to help.
With no support, the Nylings were easily subjugated and given meager provisions in exchange for hard labor. Everyone worked the mines with the most obedient workers gifted less arduous service positions. The Burmin had enslaved a human world, and no one was going to do anything about it.
Though there was no genocide, humans did disappear, and as a child Sue nearly did.
Years ago, when she lived with her family on Nye, Sue’s mother Aasha was sick. Despite her illness Aasha was still required to work, and the Burmin offered no medical attention. Through the help of a friend, Sue had learned what medicine her mother needed and she would sneak away at night to steal medication and food. One night she was caught and thrown into a cell where she was neglected and cutoff from her family. Time passed slowly in that cell. She was unable to keep track of the days and weeks as they passed. One day while she was still locked away another Nyling, a servant in the compound, shared word with her that her mother had died.
Sue stopped eating altogether, but was kept alive with forced nutrient injections, and after some time she was carried onto a ship with all of the other prisoners. Someone told her that they were to be sold as slaves to the highest bidder. Before heading further into the galaxy to be put on the galactic black market, the transfer ship made a short stop in human space where the lowlifes of the free human worlds would gather for their own nefarious purposes. The prisoners were placed together in a room for viewing and selection. Sue laid on the floor in apathy, eyes open and staring at the wall.
Luckily for Sue, someone liked her. She was purchased by a dark-skinned woman with a veiled face. After being nursed back to health, she was thrust into vigorous training of her body and mind. The woman promised Sue that her family would one day be free.
* * *
X’s data was remarkable. Silhouette used the information to identify a particularly popular tavern in downtown where Burmin congregated. She needed to find a way into the compound, and following a drunken Burmin home should not prove difficult.
The Rathskeller was a modest business which did not try to call too much attention to itself. The back door was propped open, venting a brightly lit, noisy kitchen. A cook stood outside in the back alley smoking something in one hand and scratching his ass with the other. He snorted loudly and spat out something gross, then flicked his smoke into the
The Burmin had come to Nye because the planet’s depths were rich with rare minerals, and the surface was habitable. If they were to simply exterminate the human population and take over the planet, they would be subject to discipline from other intergalactic powers since mass killing was a big no-no under intergalactic law. Instead the Burmin arrived as a corporation, a business which built a global presence overnight and disregarded all Nye law. The planet’s paltry forces were unable to dissuade the colonization.
Burmin ships filled the skies, preventing any aid or escape, and they built compounds to establish order and control on the ground, forcing all Nylings to become indentured servants to the Burmin corporation. The Burmin quickly established among the human worlds that any attack against the corporation would be seen as an act of war against the entire Burmin race, and the retribution was guaranteed to be devastating. The Intergalactic Senate cared little about planetary labor disputes, and without an official seat in the senate the people of Nye did not have enough power to bring attention to the injustices they faced. No one in all of the Verse was going to help.
With no support, the Nylings were easily subjugated and given meager provisions in exchange for hard labor. Everyone worked the mines with the most obedient workers gifted less arduous service positions. The Burmin had enslaved a human world, and no one was going to do anything about it.
Though there was no genocide, humans did disappear, and as a child Sue nearly did.
Years ago, when she lived with her family on Nye, Sue’s mother Aasha was sick. Despite her illness Aasha was still required to work, and the Burmin offered no medical attention. Through the help of a friend, Sue had learned what medicine her mother needed and she would sneak away at night to steal medication and food. One night she was caught and thrown into a cell where she was neglected and cutoff from her family. Time passed slowly in that cell. She was unable to keep track of the days and weeks as they passed. One day while she was still locked away another Nyling, a servant in the compound, shared word with her that her mother had died.
Sue stopped eating altogether, but was kept alive with forced nutrient injections, and after some time she was carried onto a ship with all of the other prisoners. Someone told her that they were to be sold as slaves to the highest bidder. Before heading further into the galaxy to be put on the galactic black market, the transfer ship made a short stop in human space where the lowlifes of the free human worlds would gather for their own nefarious purposes. The prisoners were placed together in a room for viewing and selection. Sue laid on the floor in apathy, eyes open and staring at the wall.
Luckily for Sue, someone liked her. She was purchased by a dark-skinned woman with a veiled face. After being nursed back to health, she was thrust into vigorous training of her body and mind. The woman promised Sue that her family would one day be free.
* * *
X’s data was remarkable. Silhouette used the information to identify a particularly popular tavern in downtown where Burmin congregated. She needed to find a way into the compound, and following a drunken Burmin home should not prove difficult.
The Rathskeller was a modest business which did not try to call too much attention to itself. The back door was propped open, venting a brightly lit, noisy kitchen. A cook stood outside in the back alley smoking something in one hand and scratching his ass with the other. He snorted loudly and spat out something gross, then flicked his smoke into the
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