Chapter 4
Victor Hali woke up covered with sand. His visor was the only thing that kept the sand from leeching onto his face and choking him to death.
Amazingly, though, a worm didn't come.
Not one.
Victor carefully started shifting around, trying to dig his way back to the top.
It took him almost an hour to get up.
But this wasn't the Harkonnen base the Atreides had taken over. It was the middle of no-where, with only a few out-croppings in the distance. Quickly he began to run to a rock outcropping.
At least if he died, he would die fighting- against a worm, or Harkonnen, or Ordos.
Soon he reached the rock out-cropping.
But what he saw scared him.
There were steps carved out on the rock. This brought a chill into his heart. He had heard of Fremen, the desert warriors. The ones who spilled and drank-or so it was rumored-the blood of their enemies.
Suddenly something covered his eyes and choked him into unconsciousness. ~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
When he woke up, a face with a beige hood over the head was staring at him.
He had a grizzly black beard, and blue on blue eyes.
Victor felt his heart skip a beat.
These must be the Fremen.
Victor thought quietly to himself.
The Fremen were murmuring amongst themselves.
"Do we spill his water?"
"He could be a Harkonnen spy!"
"No, look, he's Atreides!"
And so the discussions continued, until the hooded man came back.
"We have decided not to spill your water, as you are Atreides." He paused, and drew in a deep breath. "You have 2 choices-join our clan, or try to find your Atreides comrades. Of course, the latter is very dangerous. Once you leave the safety of rock, nothing prevents a worm from swallowing you whole, save the sacred spice blow."
Victor tried to draw in what was happening.
It was basically, join us or be eaten.
He pondered that question for a while.
He remembered that Fremen tribes were called sietches.
"If I join your Sietch, will I ever be able to return to my House?"
"No. Join or leave."
"Can I stay at your Sietch, but not join it?"
"Possible." A pause. "Or not."
The Fremen had left him alone.
Victor faced a heart-breaking choice.
Either betray his House, or die.
He finally came up with an answer.
"I have decided.to stay at your Sietch, but not become a Fremen."
Howls of anger were heard across the room.
"No! It will just be 1 more water-fat pig to feed!"
"Who authorized this?!"
"No! He shall die!"
Then the hooded man said in a deep voice,
"SIIIIIILEEEEENCE!"
Everyone turned and looked at him.
"I have authorized this."
Howls of outrage were heard at this, but he silenced them once again.
Then he looked sternly over to Victor.
"You do realize that, now that you have chosen this path, you will work extra hard, receive less water, and ride Shai-Hulud by yourself?"
Victor didn't even know what a Shai-Hulud was, but lied.
"I understand."
"Then get a still-suit and get to work. Your work instructor will assign you your job."
And with that he turned around and began eating.
Victor Hali woke up covered with sand. His visor was the only thing that kept the sand from leeching onto his face and choking him to death.
Amazingly, though, a worm didn't come.
Not one.
Victor carefully started shifting around, trying to dig his way back to the top.
It took him almost an hour to get up.
But this wasn't the Harkonnen base the Atreides had taken over. It was the middle of no-where, with only a few out-croppings in the distance. Quickly he began to run to a rock outcropping.
At least if he died, he would die fighting- against a worm, or Harkonnen, or Ordos.
Soon he reached the rock out-cropping.
But what he saw scared him.
There were steps carved out on the rock. This brought a chill into his heart. He had heard of Fremen, the desert warriors. The ones who spilled and drank-or so it was rumored-the blood of their enemies.
Suddenly something covered his eyes and choked him into unconsciousness. ~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
When he woke up, a face with a beige hood over the head was staring at him.
He had a grizzly black beard, and blue on blue eyes.
Victor felt his heart skip a beat.
These must be the Fremen.
Victor thought quietly to himself.
The Fremen were murmuring amongst themselves.
"Do we spill his water?"
"He could be a Harkonnen spy!"
"No, look, he's Atreides!"
And so the discussions continued, until the hooded man came back.
"We have decided not to spill your water, as you are Atreides." He paused, and drew in a deep breath. "You have 2 choices-join our clan, or try to find your Atreides comrades. Of course, the latter is very dangerous. Once you leave the safety of rock, nothing prevents a worm from swallowing you whole, save the sacred spice blow."
Victor tried to draw in what was happening.
It was basically, join us or be eaten.
He pondered that question for a while.
He remembered that Fremen tribes were called sietches.
"If I join your Sietch, will I ever be able to return to my House?"
"No. Join or leave."
"Can I stay at your Sietch, but not join it?"
"Possible." A pause. "Or not."
The Fremen had left him alone.
Victor faced a heart-breaking choice.
Either betray his House, or die.
He finally came up with an answer.
"I have decided.to stay at your Sietch, but not become a Fremen."
Howls of anger were heard across the room.
"No! It will just be 1 more water-fat pig to feed!"
"Who authorized this?!"
"No! He shall die!"
Then the hooded man said in a deep voice,
"SIIIIIILEEEEENCE!"
Everyone turned and looked at him.
"I have authorized this."
Howls of outrage were heard at this, but he silenced them once again.
Then he looked sternly over to Victor.
"You do realize that, now that you have chosen this path, you will work extra hard, receive less water, and ride Shai-Hulud by yourself?"
Victor didn't even know what a Shai-Hulud was, but lied.
"I understand."
"Then get a still-suit and get to work. Your work instructor will assign you your job."
And with that he turned around and began eating.