Date: Tue, 16 May 2023 13:12:17 -0700 From: Juxepe Albi Subject: The Chronicles of Ahr - Chapter Eleven - How to Hide Father Chapter Eleven How to Hide Father Late that night, Yorr couldn't sleep. His father was now at least a year younger than he was, and much wilder, and less responsible. What would happen when it became known that the formidable Garr was now a thirteen-year-old with a changing voice? Garr needed help--Yorr needed help! Who did he know that was smarter than his father? Sebastian! Yorr was leaving his family quarters, when Joxx appeared in front of the building. "Yorr, we must do something to hide what has happened to our fathers. We must say they have left together." Garr saw them from the window and rushed to meet them. "I must go away, as must Valko. We cannot be seen here in our present forms. I will sign documents explaining our absence; and, perhaps in a few days, the effects will wear off." "We are going to ask Sebastian, Father. He is very smart, as is Rolf. We trust them, Father." "I trust no slave, Yorr! We are in a strange situation, though, and I will at least listen to what he has to say." ` They went to Sebastian's room. "Sebastian, I would have your thoughts on a matter of importance," Garr began. "My thoughts, Commander?" "Yes, you know what I have done. I have made myself so young that no one will recognize my command. I am well aware that it is my own fault; that is not the issue. Rather, what can be done to correct the matter." "Sebastian, I know that you have little reason to help my father, but we are friends, aren't we? You have met others of the elders. Who of them would you want to be your master? I'll tell you-- None of them! "We must take control now, before they learn of Father's return to adolescence. It is not unusual for Father to be out-of-town for days on end--but years? We must say he is working on a project. I don't know what the project would be, but it would have to be something that would make a lot of money. That's the source of my father's reputation as a successful businessman." "No one would think a thing amiss, if I were out-of-town on business. If gold were coming in, then my absence would be even less noticeable." Sebastian looked at them seriously. "Garr, what happens to the boys who are sent to the mines?" "I don't know, I've never been to the mines." "But you are commanding officer, are you not?" "Yes, but what does that have to do with anything. I don't do anything I don't want to do. I delegate the work to others." "Alright, who is in charge of the mines?" "Valko!" "Father is practically a pre-natal fetus, Garr. He can't even talk yet, although he looks as though he might be ten or eleven." "Why did you ask about those sent to the mines?" Garr asked. "Yorr told Leo he would look up his friend; but the friend was sent to the mines a week ago. "I overheard a soldier telling another that the mines were no longer worked by slaves; and, that the slaves were given busy work moving rocks and used as playthings for the guards. If this is true, then perhaps you should reconsider their fate and make them into a money-making enterprise." "Oh, and how would I do that?" Garr asked, fascinated at the mention of money. "It must be costly to keep Human slaves for the rejuvenating process. And just think of the cost of all that equipment, which only works to a less than ten percent advantage. Have we not proven beyond a shadow of doubt that Direct Harvest is vastly superior? "Who would not be willing to pay a fee to have positive instant results, instead of the old way. If there were officers who you feel might be meddlesome, then make sure they get a large enough dose to render them helpless. It would in one way be a kindness, giving them all those years again." Sebastian smiled a schemer's smile. "We would go to the mines and buy the slaves that would be useful," Sebastian instructed. "I don't have to buy them," Garr stated flatly. "I could just demand them!" "You could do that; but then, when you proposed to sell their, shall we say, services to the others, what would you expect as their reaction?" "They would be furious, Father," Yorr insisted. "Buy them. That way they are yours and there is no argument. "You can say that you want them for experimentation--Top Secret experimentation. We wouldn't have any problems with that at all," Yorr assured him. "Meanwhile, what will we do about Valko?" "I have it!" Sebastian looked at Garr. "You will have to pretend Valko is an invalid slave from the mines. You can put him up here, and say Valko is on a trip for you." "Yes, Father, Valko's servants have not seen him." Joxx turned to Garr. "I will pack a travel-case for Father; and we will say he had to leave in the middle of the night. There is no muster until First-day, so none of the other officers will miss him. They don't like him, anyway." "Good," Garr said. "Now, I need another identity." His voice cracked twice. "You can arrive before dawn on the Alastron Shuttle, cousin. No one here has ever met our relatives on Alaster. You can be the first. I will pack two cases, one to leave with father, and one to arrive with you. At the Territorial Prison As they approached the mines, the air became heavy with odors: rust, sulphur, steam, and some even less agreeable than sulphur. Sebastian, Acio, Rolf, Olav, Sean and Leo had been dressed in new uniforms created specifically for the new positions held by the former slaves, now working for Garr's Rejuvenation Service Bureau. Yorr and Joxx wore their cadet uniforms, Garr wore one as well. "Our orders, Captain," Yorr said, handing over the documents to the gate guard. "My father has been called away on business, and I am Acting Commander-in-Chief." It was the truth, but Garr never had intended the occasion to arise to allow Yorr to assume actual power. "We have sold the Humans to Commander-in-Chief Garr for experimentation. I will require a list of them, Captain." "A list, Sir? I don't believe there is a list." "Then how do you know if they are all here?" "Where could they go?" "Are you saying there is no roll call or muster here?" "Your father never asked that we do that, Sir!" "My father shouldn't need to ask you to do that. It should be done frequently during the day. Even in cadet school, the second graders know that!" "Yes, Sir!" "We would see the prisoners now!" Yorr ordered, very evidently furious. "Sir, they are working in the rocks! Sir!" "You will call all, I repeat, all, the prisoners here at once! Now! Immediately!" "Yes, Sir!" At that moment, in the cells, guards were having their ways with the poor unfortunates. The young Captain rushed to the Warden's Office. "Acting Commander-in-Chief Yorr is demanding to see all the inmates immediately, he says they have been sold to Commander Garr for experimental purposes." "Then get them together, ASAP! We don't want any trouble with him. And let them bathe and have fresh loin-cloths before he sees them." There were over two hundred of them, none over twenty. It seemed the older ones were in worse shape than the younger. All there over a month were emaciated and sickly looking--starved and beaten; it was the majority. "Is someone here named Vekk?" "I am Vekk," a tall blond boy, with a black eye and blood on his face, answered. "You will come with us now!" Yorr ordered. "Sir, my friends Geoff and Rudd?" "Identify yourselves!" Two younger boys stood with difficulty. They had been beaten, but were not bloody. "Please Vekk, take us!" a boy called from a cell. "They are from the same settlement on TerraNova," Vekk explained. "We are all from settlements on TerraNova," a younger boy shouted. "And you are all coming with us," Yorr said impatiently. "We were searching for these in particular, but you will all be leaving here with us." There was a round of applause and shouting of approval. "Ha! Do you hear that, they want to leave with you. If they knew where they were going, they wouldn't be so anxious. Ha!" the Warden said. He had just arrived in an effort to stall Yorr, while the prisoners were being made ready. Yorr didn't want to tell him what would be happening to him. "But how did you know my name?" Vekk asked. "I promised Leo that I would find you," Yorr replied, "We are friends." "Friends? But how is that possible? Is he not still a slave?" "Things are changing here, Vekk," the Ahrgon cadet answered. Please consider supporting Nifty with your donation to https://donate.nifty.org/ Funds used to continue these free stories