A Planet in the Middle of Nowhere Book Four

foreword

UPDATE- Some of you may have caught this book on Smashwords, when I published it despite some flaws, for the reasons given below. But now, I have finally managed to edit it better, and I am able to post it looking even snazzier than the previous version. Yay!!!

the foreword from the first version-

The economy went south, and so did mine. I am having much trouble having the opportunity to edit, so I am posting this one with a view to one day to edit it better and replace this edition with the edited version. Sorry about that, but I think I should at least finish the story, even if the book is not quite as polished as I want. (Haha, they never are. After I publish, I always find mistakes which make me groan and wonder how that could have slipped by my usually very observant, detail-oriented eyes that catch most misteaks.

What Already Happened

Mita Morgan sat in her office at the Security Agency Building, feeling satisfied. And why not, after all? When she came to the World of Hope, she barely had enough money to find a cheap room and also have enough left over to waste on food. Those days were history.

She occupied herself helping Hope Leader Xavier Bright prepare for the upcoming war with their motherworld, Earth. She had listed on her schedule an item, to check and see if the top of Hope Hotel made a decent observation point for Ldr. Bright when the time came for the fight. She also needed to inspect a few of the warehouses in the business district, and find which would be the best place to store their secret weapon... or, she should say, secret weapons. It had to be somewhere inside Sparkle City, and a place Earth would not suspect, so that, when they came, the invaders would not attack the warehouse containing the secret weapons first thing upon arrival.

Xaiver Bright chose cheap but effective weapons, and as many as Hope could make with their limited resources, over a few big, expensive items for the upcoming face-off.. He had some big ticket things, of course, but why put so many eggs into one giant basket? If something went wrong with the big item, and you did not have much else to back it up, then you are seriously diminished in options. Besides that, there were only so many big, big war machines one could hide from Earth, before the brains on Earth realized what you had.

The big brains and bean counters on Earth were not all stupid. Somehow they put the pieces together and figured out there was a secret fuel ore processor on Hope, which Earth whole-heartedly disapproved- Earth preferred that the ore mined on Hope could not be used by Hope until it was processed on Earth, so that the World of Hope would have to keep depending on the Earth for its processed power fuel, and then, for that reason, Hope would not be inclined to try anything independent-minded, such as breaking away from Earth's grip. Indeed, Earth deliberately kept the citizens of Hope in a state of always needing, so that Hope would not get any big ideas.

Earth needed the fuel ore of Hope, and it also needed many of the products from the farms outside Sparkle City. Hope Leader Bright knew this, of course, and he resented the way Earth tried to maintain the status quo- in other words, keeping the people of Hope as beggars for alms from the planet Earth.

Well, the war of the worlds would come, and soon, for sure. Earth did not get any fuel ore shipments through the wormhole lately, and soon Earth must send their army in order to take over this small world. Certainly the terrain leaders disbelieved Ldr. Bright's excuse, that the gang of Hopers took over the rocket port and tied everything up, and so the shipments were stuck at the Hope rocket port, ready but unable to lift off. Ldr. Bigges claimed he did not want another Incident -where the illegal church people were in their hide-out, and the subsequent disaster that proved to be a bad public relations move which had occurred when the Security Agents had the hide-out surrounded. Ldr. Bright told Earth he did not want to accidentally kill the dissident citizens this time, those people who wished to kick the Earthers- and their controlling ways- back to Earth where they belonged. So, out of concern for his people's safety, Xavier Bright refused to attack the Hopers.

Regarding the Incident, Mita herself had been the one to figure out where the illegal, lacking-state-approval church had been holed up, and when she told Ldr. Bright (he was only Gov. Bright back then), he had sent his Security Leader Tretl Clyden and the Security Agents off to arrest them and take them into custody (and most likely he intended to make miners out of them). Things went awry, and the whole building in which the illegal church had been hiding had blown to bits.- Hey, what can you do- Obey the law and avoid that kind of danger! Mita thought to herself about the whole Incident thing.

Meanwhile, Earth, wanting their ore shipments and not getting them, could easily read the signs of what lay ahead. And signs there were, if one cared to look.

Ldr. Bright had started the Citizens Defense Group, which took all able-bodied young men and woman and volunteered them into the CDG organization, allegedly so that there would be a civilian force which could hunt wild animals and outlaws outside the city, to protect the city from harmful creatures. Earth, however, suspected Xavier Bright had other aims for training such a large army- to one day use the force in an effort to repel the Earth Army when it finally came.

As tensions between the World of Hope and the planet Earth worsened, Ldr. Bright wisely delayed the Earth Leaders from making a decision to send their army- If he had not, probably already the Earth Army should be there, fighting them and trying to take over Hope. An early arrival of the Earth military would not be good, because there were still things to do in order for Hope to be ready for when Earth actually did send its forces. But Ldr. Bright had slowed down their decision to start a war, by holding Osmo Martin hostage, and vowing to kill him if Earth sent any soldiers.

Osmo Martin was a youth who was only just recently out of school and come to Hope, just like Mita. In fact, they had been classmates, and when she had been in school, she always believed one day she would be Mrs. Osmo Martin. Osmo had never noticed her, however, back in those days in school on Earth. Heh, butt he sure noticed Ldr. Bright's niece, Sheila here on Hope. At least, he had, until he became Ldr. Bright's prisoner. The great Osmo Martin, now a hostage- Ha! What a joke he turned out to be! How she had wasted those years in school, hoping... Well, who cares- all water under the bridge at this point.

Sheila Bright did not like when her uncle made Osmo a hostage, but because she loved her uncle and appreciated how he had taken care of her when her mother died, she remained loyal to Ldr. Bright, and did not rescue Osmo.

Osmo Martin's father, Gunther Martin, was the founder of Martinology back on Earth. Gunther Martin was very influential with the Steering Committee for Policy for the World of Hope, and even more than that, he exerted much influence upon the Council of Earth Leaders. He would do all he could to keep Earth from sending the army- Mr. Martin would be sure to push Earth to try diplomatic solutions to their differences with Hope, although Xavier Bright had already told them the time for negotiations was long past and they could not maltreat the World of Hope any longer.

Sooner or later, Earth would send the army. Ldr. Bright hoped it would be later, to give Hope more time yet to prepare. Nevertheless, he already pretty much let the big shots on Earth know how things really stood when he took his hostage, because he could no longer force himself to kowtow to Earth any more.

After Security Leader Tretl Clyden's failed coup, Ldr. Bright made Mita Morgan the new Security Leader. She knew Xavier Bright wanted someone who understood him, and would work with him in keeping things running the way he preferred on their world. Mita believed she understood him more than most others, including his own niece. And she also admired the man.

Sec. Ldr. Mita Morgan not only admired him, she wished to help him in any way she could, no matter what. And she also wished to please him. That was why she had worked behind his back with the Warden at the fuel ore mines, in order to set up and send a live vid feed to Ldr. Bright's personal screen, so he could see the gladiator match between the miner Clyden, and the other two trouble-making miners.

It had delighted Ldr. Bright to learn that Clyden, who before had tried to usurp his place, now yelled the loudest amongst the miners during inspiration times meant to rally the miners into a productive frenzy, fiercely declaring his loyalty for Ldr. Bright. Clyden yelled so loud, not because Clyden as Clyden himself actually had any appreciation for his former boss, but because, during the process of transforming a man into a rugged, hard-to-kill, hard working miner, the subject's mind explodes, and the transformation technicians quickly administers the ID Wipe, which keeps the miner's mind from putting itself back together. Then, the miner is brainwashed into loving to work as hard as he can, digging out ore, for Xavier Bright. What a clever way to handle the criminal element. Well, now Clyden- just a number these days- No. 360- shouted the loudest at the morning pep rallies, and he kept demanding to fight those two trouble-makers, and both at the same time, yet, in the gladiator pit.

The two trouble-makers- They were miners who had tried on several occasions to escape. The ID Wipe, and the subsequent brainwashing, seemed to not work very well on them. A person of strong convictions, it seemed, sometimes did not fall under the spell, and often as a result these defective miners were tossed to the Eaters in the moat that surrounded the whole mining mountain.

As a matter of fact, No. 316, one of the trouble-makers, had almost been tossed to the Eaters, but then at the last minute, when Osmo Martin (at that time a Security Agent, and not a hostage) thought No. 316 looked like George McCleer, Ldr. Bright halted the execution when Osmo called him. Mr. McCleer had been sent to Hope, allegedly to help Xavier Bright find ways to make Hope run more efficiently on the meager resources Earth sent, but actually, Xavier Bright knew, Mr. McCleer came to see if he could find evidence of the secret ore processor. Osmo, of course, knew none of this. He just remembered that Mrs. McCleer had suspected her husband had been made into a miner. She did not believe he had died in a mine cave-in.

Later, when No. 316 had been returned to his cage, Ldr. Bright told Osmo that the matter had been checked out, and No. 316 was just a common criminal, after all, and Mr. McCleer was, indeed, dead under tons of rubble in the mines.

And now Clyden wanted to fight No. 316 and his companion, No. 248, as well, because these two were just not loyal enough for Clyden/No. 360's liking. So a gladiator match had been scheduled. Mita allowed herself a smile, thinking how at this very moment Ldr. Bright was watching and enjoying the ongoing match.

Her cell-comm went off. Xavier Bright had some more plans he wanted to discuss with her. Oh, and by the way, I saw your hand in this surprising twist, that the Warden rigged up a live vid feed for me, so that I could see the match. Am I correct?

Yes, sir, she admitted proudly. It must have been a quick match, sir, if it is already over. I hope it was not too disappointing for you, if it ended so speedily, Ldr. Bright.

Yes, but it is just as well. There are things to do. Thank you for helping make it possible, Sec. Ldr. Morgan, to see it happen live. Clyden went one against two, and so, in the end, one of his opponents wrapped chains about his neck and kept strangling him until it was over. The other miner spectators howled to see their champion fall. I know it is hard to kill a miner, but not impossible, as Clyden found out this day. After that, I cut off the connection, rather than have the Warden come back on and delay me with his long-winded prattle. I am too busy to listen to him.

Understood, sir. If we are to defeat Earth, we must make haste to make all preparations.

Yes, Sec. Ldr. Morgan. Unlike Clyden, who lost his battle, I must come out the winner of my contest, and I shall prove myself to be the better.

With all sincerity, Sec. Ldr. Morgan answered over her cell-comm, Of course, Hope Ldr. Bright. Can it be otherwise, but that the Earth Leaders shall learn they are no match for your mind and will and are inferior to your ways?

What? Mita, I know that the Earth Leaders will lose to any contest of wits and will against me. I was not speaking of a contest with them.

Mita became puzzled. Oh no, sir? Then who did you mean?

A touch impatient, Xavier Bright replied, Think about it, Sec. Ldr. Morgan. You are an intelligent woman. Meanwhile, come back over to my office, I have some new projects for you to help me plan.

Yes, sir. I'm on my way, Ldr. Bright.

Possum

The crowd of miners sat on their benches in hushed silence; a few let out soft sobs for the death of the one who would defend the honor of their benefactor Xavier Bright. Some unashamedly and loudly wept.

No. 248 spit on his opponent's body, lying unmoving on the floor of the gladiator pit. He strutted to the center of the sunken arena, still clutching the chain in victory. The spectators booed him some more, so he swung the chain about to show off, adding to their agitation and aggravation.

Unnoticed by the crowd of miners, frenzied with rage, No. 360- Clyden- stirred where he lay. At first, only his hand twitched. Then, he reached up to his neck and rubbed it. In a flash, he leaped to his feet and caught the chain as 248 swung it about in victory.

Surprised, George/No. 316 shouted out, much too late, Watch out, 248!

248 spun around to see who had snatched his chain out of his hand. Clyden smashed the chain into No. 248's face, over and over. He knocked 248 to the ground.

The amazed miner spectators at first only stared, once more experiencing disbelief. Then, as if one, they all began to cheer and hurrah and clap wildly for Clyden.

The announcer exclaimed, It appears No. 360 has fooled No.248! He fooled all of us, as well! He only pretended to be dead! He- he played possum on us all!

Now being the one to be sprawled out on the dirt floor, 248 found a large stone in reach and hurled it into Clyden's gut.

Clyden doubled over and George McCleer seized another of the weapons which the guard had tossed down into the pit before- George grabbed a huge club and slammed it into Clyden's spine. This made Clyden crouch in terrible pain, but yet he still managed to backhand George, knocking him silly.

Shaking off his pain, Clyden, like a bolt of lightning, clutched George and lifted him overhead. He actually threw the other miner at No. 248. 248 and George fell together into a tangled pile. Before they could free themselves, Clyden leaped upon them both, holding a short blade- This blade he must have picked up while he lay there dead.

The miners loved this. Woo-hoo! Go, No. 360, go! The champ!!

And so the gladiator match continued- a mean, bloody, noisy affair, until, finally, reaching a point where all the combatants, worn out and full of wounds, struggled merely to be able to still stand, let alone to battle- They were hardly, able to move. All at once, all three of them just collapsed, exhausted, onto the floor of the fighting pit, wheezing and gasping for air.

The miner spectators waited for more action. But nothing else happened.

Finally, the announcer proclaimed, Well, it looks like this match is over- What a match it was, indeed, miners! It's obvious that our No. 360 is the uncontested winner! He has defeated those who refused to honor our beloved Gov. Bright! Let's show No. 360 our appreciation!

Ear-splitting cheers and rumbling applause shook the gladiator cavern. It continued nonstop for a good five minutes.

Meanwhile, several robot guards arrived, carrying stretchers. The robots lowered themselves into the pit.

The announcer informed the spectators, From here, our fighters shall be moved to the recovery room. As everybody here knows, since they are miners, I assume that after a few hours of rest, they shall be good as new, and ready to go back to work. Thank you, one and all, for attending today's exciting event. Have a good day, and for those of you who will now be going to your work shift, we can safely say that we know No. 360's example shall inspire you to dig, Dig, DIG fuel ore! For the Governor! For Hope!

For Gov. Bright! For Hope! the miners chanted as they exited. No one had yet told them that, from now on, it was Hope Leader Bright.

In the pit, the robots hoisted up the injured miners and effortlessly tossed them above their heads and over the sides of the hole onto the rock floor of the cavern.

Then the robots carefully laid Clyden out on a stretcher. After that, they simply tossed George and No. 248 onto their respective stretchers, and then they used the thick chains in which they had brought the two trouble-makers to again tie them up, hand and foot, so the bound pair of miners could not escape.

The three gladiators groaned and couldn't move a muscle. The robots carried them to the nearby recovery room down the rock hall. In the recovery room, the miners were plopped onto cots. A trio of robots stayed behind, keeping blasters at the ready, to guard the convalescing miners. The miners sunk into oblivion- not even the ever-present beat of the miners' blaring digging music could keep them awake.

And so, they rested, in a dingy, dusty, dark cave-room, for about a half hour.

Then Clyden sat up, his eyes wide open and alert.

One robot guard came over to him. Lie down and rest, No. 360. After a few more hours, the doctor shall come and check you and give you a clean bill of health, so that you can all three resume your work schedules. In the meantime, rest and rejuvenate.

Clyden stood on wobbly legs. I- I can't lie down on the job. My shift starts in a few minutes!

The other two robot guards came over to help their mechanical comrade to force Clyden lie down again. None of the robots waved blasters at him, since No. 360 never presented a threat to any of them.

Clyden clumsily walked toward the door, insisting, The governor's counting on me. I must make my quota!

One of the robots got too close to him, trying to take him with both its arms and guide him back to the cot. It left its blaster wide open and unprotected. No. 360, our orders are to see that you rest- No. 360, what are you doing? Put that down. You know miners are not allowed to touch blasters-

Zap!

Clyden whipped about to get the other two robot guards. Zap! Zap!

Clyden chuckled. The warden probably figured I could help the robots keep you two miserable miners in line, so he didn't post any real, human guards. Good, I'd prefer not to blast any of 'em. Even though they kept me stuck here at the mines, I still feel a kinship for them somewhat- They used to work for me, for crying out loud. I'd hate to have to shoot any of 'em, except maybe for that Martin jerk!

George and 248 made no attempt to stir.

Hey, c'mon, guys, get up! ordered Clyden. Nobody'll be here for hours, so you got no reason to pretend to be dead to the world.

Who's pretending? groaned George, trying to rub his sore body parts despite his chained wrists and ankles.

Clyden mightily kicked over the cot upon which George lay, spilling George onto the floor. Knock it off, you loafers! Quit acting like babies! We gotta get moving!

George forced himself up, still in chains, and No. 248 tried to hop off his cot, also in chains. Okay, moaned 248, we're up. Now what?

First, this. It'll sting as you catch it sideways, answered Clyden. He blasted off their chains, taking care not to accidentally cut off any limbs. Hey, No. 248, how'd you know McCleer and I were only pretending to fight?

I didn't actually know, but I decided to chance it. I thought George acted mighty strange, the way he looked forward to this gladiator match so much. He's not usually so violent. But I do know he is usually always trying to escape somehow. So I added it all up. It seemed too crazy to be possible, but what else could explain the change in George except that it was another escape plan? That's why I merely acted like I was trying to choke you. And when you acted like I really was choking you, then I knew I had it right- It's another of George's schemes! But I cannot figure out what the plan is this time, for the life of me.

Clyden nodded enthusiastically. You guessed right, 248. We are indeed making a run for it.

George filled in the gaps of the story for 248. Clyden and I had joined forces awhile back in order to break out of the mines. The gladiator match fits into Clyden's plan somehow, but, to tell you the truth, I can't figure it out either. We wanted to bring you along with us, and we wanted to tell you about it, but we never got a chance to tell you. I know Clyden was once the Security Leader, and I know it is he who put me in this place- and you, too, most likely- But if we're going to have any chance of escaping, we must work with him- even though I know he's a low-down rat!

Yeah, that pretty much is it, agreed Clyden. Now shut your yak and let me try to remember something... He studied one of the walls of the recovery room, then he walked over to its corner adjacent with another wall and stood there a moment. Clyden measured from there along the wall, one foot in front of the other, heel to toe, heel to toe, counting. At last he took up a position directly before a certain spot on that wall, facing it and pulling out the blaster he had snatched from the robot. This should be the right place, although my feet have grown larger since the last time I measured it off.

No. 248 watched. He turned to his miner friend. You seem different, George. It seems like you have more confidence, more sureness about you now. Why is that? And how can No.360 know he is the former Security Leader, since the rest of us, even though we recognize his face, are forbidden to discuss amongst ourselves who he was, and most certainly we did not talk about it with Mr. Clyden.

Clyden started to tap around on the wall, listening to the sound each tap made. He told 248, I took a pill to keep my memory of who I am, and I gave one to George, as well. I planted his pill I had for him in the mines, back when I was yet the Security Leader, as a Plan B, in case my Plan A to take out Gov. Xavier failed. Now shut it, so I can hear the hollow spot-

Clyden blasted a hole in the wall. Behind it they saw a dark passageway, going in both directions up and down. Good! I found it!

No. 248 asked, Um, do you have a pill for me, too?

Nope. But if you wanna know, you're Billy Boob, a fanatical preacher from the illegal house church back in Sparkle City. I put you in here because you caused too many problems, talking always some stuff that Gov. Xavier did that was wrong, like how he wants to tell people how to worship and pray. Of course, you were usually right, but that's besides the point. You made the people question him and his ways. What he prefers, in order to make it easier to run Hope, seems to be blind obedience and following his leadership. Pfah, what a egomaniac!

George could not help but nod his head. Oh, he is, he is.

248, very curious, asked, So, my name is Billy Boob? And you are the one who put me in here?

Well, truthfully, it is Billy Boy. Like I said, Gov. Xavier wanted me to take care of the problems you made, so here you are. Nothing personal, 248, but at the time, I viewed what you and your church pals did as defiance, that you thought you were too good to have to get the state approval for your church services like anyone else. So you see, it really is your own fault.

George smiled at his friend. At least now you know your name... Billy Boy.

I wish I could remember myself being Billy Boy. Now I understand my dreams, though.

Well, at least God remembers for you, said George. And one day, I imagine He will give you back your memory, so that you, too, will remember your memories.

Guys, Clyden interrupted, we don't have all day, ya know. We should get outta here and be long gone before the doc comes to check up on us.

You are right, George answered. He went over the the hole in the wall and stuck his head inside, looking in the dark. This is the exhaust vent for the secret fuel ore processor, isn't it?

Yup. And it's also our escape route. Hey, don't be so dumb- You guys pick up those other blasters that the robots had and bring them along. Sheesh, do I gotta tell ya everything?

Billy Boy put in a hand, testing the temperature of the air inside the vent. What if the processor starts running? Won't the exhaust be very hot, maybe even too hot for miners? When George and I had planned to try to escape through this vent, we made certain the processor was not in use at the time.

Clyden tapped his own sore and aching skull. Hey, I'm the one who figured out Plan B, right? Ya think I didn't account for that? I figured the brass would reward the most loyal miners, who run the processor. For their loyalty the Warden let them be able to see the gladiator match. And it turns out, I was right. Now, if those loyal dupes were there at the gladiator pit, watching us, then there's nobody left to run the processor, so the vent's not in use. For the time being, anyway, but we better shove off, before they fire it back up.

Clyden climbed first into the vertical tunnel. He grinned. Let's go do this- for the governor! he shouted with mock enthusiasm, and then spat in disgust. Notice, there is a ladder on the far side of this hole to grab hold of. We use it and climb upward to the top of the shaft. The ladder is for miners, for when they must go inside this vent to do maintenance on the shaft and clean the deposit build-ups.

Clyden started the long climb.

George followed next, right behind Clyden. Where does this exhaust come out, Clyden? George found the shaft was wide enough for a bulky miner, with adequate room to move about inside it as they climbed.

Billy Boy came last.

We come up at the Eaters. said Clyden. Clyden heard George gulp in fright at that news. The vent comes right out in the middle of the Eaters' moat, on the side of the mining mountain that's opposite the entrance to the mines. The heat and gasses of the processor are masked from Earth's spies by the inky black clouds that surround the Eaters' bodies. The Eaters' bodies generate the clouds, like squids, only the Eaters are a lot more deadly!

Oh, boy, muttered Billy Boy apprehensively. How do you plan for us to get past them? No miner ever has, not that I know of. Not even when a couple of miners were tossed in together at the same time. The Eaters always win."

Well, Billy Boob, we got weapons, our blasters. Those other miners did not have that advantage. The weapons won't do much, of course, unless you get a lucky kill-shot, but the blaster fire will temporarily hold them off, until it makes them so angry that they get wild and attack us anyway. As you can imagine, it won't be easy. And with those dark clouds they give off, it will be hard to aim for their centers, which is the place to hit if we hope to actually kill them- It makes them blow apart into pieces.

The three of them ascended the long, long ladder.

That's it? This is your plan?? How do we get out the pit? worried George.

We fly. Clyden laughed at his own joke, but he was the only one. Okay, okay, relax. As we blast away at them, we run to a grappling line I had hung down from the edge of the moat as part of Plan B. Nobody goes out there that way, inspecting the moat or anything, so, hopefully, the line is still there. Unless the Eaters found it too interesting and tugged it down.

George's limbs ached from the battle, but now they were not his main concern. We must blast through the Eaters and run to get to your rope to climb out?

I can see why this was not Plan A, remarked Billy Boy.

"Yup. That's why I need you, McCleer. We can cover each other's back as we make