Read Online Prophet of ConFree (The Prophet of ConFree) by Marshall S. Thomas - Free Book Online
Authors: Marshall S. Thomas
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instructors will toss you into the right room."
"Yes sir. Thank you sir."
Δ
"Don't stand there like a dummy! Open the door and go in!" the black uniform shouted at me. The little light over the door had just blinked from red to green and my reaction was evidently not fast enough to suit my latest tormentor. I pushed the door open and let it close behind me. I stood at attention before a black-uniformed official sitting behind a desk. I suspected he was an officer, but I was so new I didn't even know how to tell. He looked up at me. He looked quite young, black hair, a little black mustache.
"Rains?"
"Sir yes sir."
"Why did you want to join the Legion?"
"Sir. I wanted to help, sir, to do my duty and defend ConFree."
"Well said. Now tell me why you really joined the Legion." His gaze shifted to his d-screen. I knew he had my whole history there.
"I got in trouble and was facing exile from my home planet. A Legion recruiter suggested that I volunteer. "
"I see. So you volunteered."
"Yes sir."
"A reluctant volunteer."
"No sir! I am not reluctant."
"You had no choice. Right?"
"I did have a choice, sir. I could have chosen exile. But I chose the Legion."
"How can we trust you?"
"I'm here, sir. I'm fascinated by what I've seen so far. I'm going to make a good trooper."
"Oh really."
"Yes sir."
"Tell you what, Rains. We don't want people who don't want to be here. If you want, you can stop this process right now. I'll invalidate your enlistment, we'll put you back on the ship and send you back to Eugarat, and you take your chances with the courts. Exile may not be so bad. At least, nobody will be shooting at you. Just sign at the bottom." He slid a portascreen across his desk to face me. I looked at it, and it looked at me.
"Sir no sir. I don't want to go back to Eugarat."
"Are you certain? This is a one-time offer. Your only chance."
"I don't want it, sir."
"Good. Good. In that case, proceed through that door and continue your processing. And congratulations on your choice, trooper."
Trooper, I thought as I walked out the door. He called me trooper. It felt good.
Δ
"Find your name, take your bin, and proceed outside. Now, bodies. Now!" The bins were the same ones where we had abandoned our clothing earlier. Now they were lined up on a beltway along the corridor, overflowing with clothing packs, hats, new boots, belts, field manuals and miscellaneous equipment. I found mine labeled Rains, Richard, and hauled it outside into a disorganized mob of recruits clad only in shorts and sleeveless tops. It was a clear day but getting warmer. The girls were back with us, and they all looked good in their khaki panties and near transparent khaki tops. No bras, I noticed. They hadn't been scalped, but their hair was considerably shorter. They didn't look happy, but I suppose we didn’t either.
" SILENCE! Form into squads, facing front. Listen for your squad assignments!" There was such a babble of voices from the blackies that it was hard to hear. However, I heard my name from the nearest blackshirt and headed for him. Surprisingly, most of the people in my immediate vicinity were assigned to him, too. Perhaps there was method in their madness.
Three black Legion fighters shot past us close overhead just like a trio of massive darts, and the shock wave almost deafened me. Providence was a noisy place.
"Delta squad, pay attention now! Sound off when I call your name!" Our leader was a muscular Assidic who looked kind of like a human airtank. "Oswego, Kakatarn; Surinto, Jarleman; Rains, Richard…" We sounded off. Arie was not there. Too much to hope for, Richard, I thought. Who were these people? Males, females, I just had confusing glimpses as we lined up in formation behind our bins.
"All present! Good. Follow me at double time and don't drop your bins." He took off at a trot and some of the other squads were breaking away, too. It wasn't easy jogging barefoot while carrying that big heavy damned bin full of
"Yes sir. Thank you sir."
Δ
"Don't stand there like a dummy! Open the door and go in!" the black uniform shouted at me. The little light over the door had just blinked from red to green and my reaction was evidently not fast enough to suit my latest tormentor. I pushed the door open and let it close behind me. I stood at attention before a black-uniformed official sitting behind a desk. I suspected he was an officer, but I was so new I didn't even know how to tell. He looked up at me. He looked quite young, black hair, a little black mustache.
"Rains?"
"Sir yes sir."
"Why did you want to join the Legion?"
"Sir. I wanted to help, sir, to do my duty and defend ConFree."
"Well said. Now tell me why you really joined the Legion." His gaze shifted to his d-screen. I knew he had my whole history there.
"I got in trouble and was facing exile from my home planet. A Legion recruiter suggested that I volunteer. "
"I see. So you volunteered."
"Yes sir."
"A reluctant volunteer."
"No sir! I am not reluctant."
"You had no choice. Right?"
"I did have a choice, sir. I could have chosen exile. But I chose the Legion."
"How can we trust you?"
"I'm here, sir. I'm fascinated by what I've seen so far. I'm going to make a good trooper."
"Oh really."
"Yes sir."
"Tell you what, Rains. We don't want people who don't want to be here. If you want, you can stop this process right now. I'll invalidate your enlistment, we'll put you back on the ship and send you back to Eugarat, and you take your chances with the courts. Exile may not be so bad. At least, nobody will be shooting at you. Just sign at the bottom." He slid a portascreen across his desk to face me. I looked at it, and it looked at me.
"Sir no sir. I don't want to go back to Eugarat."
"Are you certain? This is a one-time offer. Your only chance."
"I don't want it, sir."
"Good. Good. In that case, proceed through that door and continue your processing. And congratulations on your choice, trooper."
Trooper, I thought as I walked out the door. He called me trooper. It felt good.
Δ
"Find your name, take your bin, and proceed outside. Now, bodies. Now!" The bins were the same ones where we had abandoned our clothing earlier. Now they were lined up on a beltway along the corridor, overflowing with clothing packs, hats, new boots, belts, field manuals and miscellaneous equipment. I found mine labeled Rains, Richard, and hauled it outside into a disorganized mob of recruits clad only in shorts and sleeveless tops. It was a clear day but getting warmer. The girls were back with us, and they all looked good in their khaki panties and near transparent khaki tops. No bras, I noticed. They hadn't been scalped, but their hair was considerably shorter. They didn't look happy, but I suppose we didn’t either.
" SILENCE! Form into squads, facing front. Listen for your squad assignments!" There was such a babble of voices from the blackies that it was hard to hear. However, I heard my name from the nearest blackshirt and headed for him. Surprisingly, most of the people in my immediate vicinity were assigned to him, too. Perhaps there was method in their madness.
Three black Legion fighters shot past us close overhead just like a trio of massive darts, and the shock wave almost deafened me. Providence was a noisy place.
"Delta squad, pay attention now! Sound off when I call your name!" Our leader was a muscular Assidic who looked kind of like a human airtank. "Oswego, Kakatarn; Surinto, Jarleman; Rains, Richard…" We sounded off. Arie was not there. Too much to hope for, Richard, I thought. Who were these people? Males, females, I just had confusing glimpses as we lined up in formation behind our bins.
"All present! Good. Follow me at double time and don't drop your bins." He took off at a trot and some of the other squads were breaking away, too. It wasn't easy jogging barefoot while carrying that big heavy damned bin full of
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