CHAPTER 27: Evil Operations

"What do you have to report this time, Black?" growled the mysterious figure in the shadows.

"We've suspended production of the bug, as you ordered," Black replied. "Also, we attempted to transform the slaves into cyborgs, but it didn't work like we thought. All five subjects died as we attempted to connect the mechanical parts to their bodies. We're currently trying to figure out why they died, but for now the cause of death is determined to be loss of blood."

"Forgetful, organic doctors and nurses are able to very efficiently attach artificial limbs to patients in hospitals after amputations," growled the voice of the figure. "Machines do not forget, nor do they have to worry about trifle things like unsteady hands. Machines are superior to those organic beings, yet they are outdone by them time and time again. You find out why the subjects died and you correct the problem. We cannot continue to lose subjects. You know how great a risk we run of being discovered if we continue to take too many slaves."

"Yes Master," Black said. "Also, some of the slaves have gotten a little sluggish as of late. Do you wish us to execute one for the rest to see?"

"No, not this time. This time, I want a selection. Cremate any that are unfit to work. I don't care if you kill them first, but get it done."

"Yes, Master."

"Also, I want new slaves taken if you are forced to cremate more than five. Now get going."

"Yes, Master." Black stood up and backed out of the room, bowing. Once he was outside, he turned and started toward an elevator down the hall. As he reached the elevator, it opened.

"What were the instructions, Black?" asked Blank, standing inside.

"We are to find out the problem with the cyborg conversion, for one thing," Black replied. "As for the sluggish slaves, we have been instructed to initiate a selection. We are to cremate any who are unfit to work. Whether or not we kill them first doesn't matter as long as we get it done. If we cremate more than five, new slaves are to be taken."

"Alright," Blank said. "You want me to oversee the selection?"

"Yes, and I'll return and oversee the autopsies on the five dead subjects," Black said. Black's stop came just a few seconds later, then Blank continued on down, into the underground. He emerged from the elevator just off the room where he had met Shadow days before. He continued through a few more rooms, where ten of his subordinates were watching over the slaves. There were at least 100 people of various species working in the room behind the glass. A large freight elevator was located in one side of that room, through which more people were bringing more raw materials. On various monitors in one wall of the observation room, at least 1000 more people were working inside of dimly-lit mines, mining various ores. Some were working on gold, some were working on quartz, some were working trolleys. Inside the large room adjacent to the observation room, people were performing all manner of tasks, such as smelting. On one side of the room, the busiest side, at least twenty people were shooting air into iron and turning it into steel.

"How are we supposed to deal with the lazier slaves, sir?" asked one of the subordinates, a security unit smaller than Blank. It was modeled the same, only it was a dull gray color, as were the rest.

"Selection time, boys," Blank said. "We're cremating the weak ones this time. Dead or alive doesn't matter. I'm overseeing."

"Yes sir!" all ten robots cried in unison, standing at attention and saluting. A second later, they were all leaving the room, single file. A few more seconds passed, and they emerged inside the large processing plant. Inside the observation room, Blank pressed a button, and bells sounded throughout the processing plant and mines. The slaves inside the mines all dropped their tools and marched into the processing plant, many of them deathly afraid of what they'd find there, since they all knew it was too early for the day to be over. They all began to emerge from the freight elevator in large groups, until they were all inside the processing plant. All this took a few minutes, but the security units were patient. All the slaves stood at attention, all of them in specific groups. Men on one side of the room, women on the other. Blue people in this group, red ones in that one. Children stood at the back of the plant, several of them crying. Their parents, however, didn't make a move to comfort them for fear of the punishment they would receive. The security units began to call roll, each slave responding when the number tattooed on their upper left arm was called. When the roll had been called, one of the units stepped forward.

"Unscheduled selection, people!" he called out. Several people in each block gasped in unison, and a few of them began to silently shed tears, for they just knew they would be selected- for death. The security unit began to call out each block by gender and color(like blue males or pink females). As each block was called, the people in that block were forced to strip down to their birthday suits and march past the security units for a thorough inspection. The units were looking at muscle mass, motor functions, health, injuries, etc. When each slave was waved past, they returned to their block and put their clothing back on. When the inspection was done, the slaves were ordered to return to work, and the security units returned to the observation room, except for one.

"Tell me the numbers you stored in your databank, and I'll have them disposed of," Blank said in a neutral tone.

"I think we have something going around, sir," the unit that seemed to be in charge said. "Thirty slaves were diagnosed as ill. I've sent a message to the medical team with the symptoms. We should receive a diagnosis in a few minutes. We had seventeen males infected, ten females, and three children."

"I will have the twenty-seven adults dealt with," Blank said. "Send the children to the medical team and have them cared for until they are in good health." The head unit nodded and began to list the numbers it had taken down. When Blank had them stored in his short-term databank, he left the room and headed to the lounge where he had met Shadow. He looked down at his hands and shook his head.

"I have the blood of so many people on my hands," he said out loud. "Why does Master force us to do all this? Why take slaves instead of using robots to do it all? So many things I do not understand..."

"It is not your purpose to understand, Blank," said a voice behind Blank's chair. Blank recognized the voice as that of his master, and accordingly jumped up, knelt down and bowed his head.

"Forgive me Master," he said. "I did not mean to question your actions and motives."

"I will overlook it this time, but do not let me find out you questioned me again. It is not your purpose to know these things, it is simply your purpose to do as I say. I created you, and I have the power to destroy you if I so desire."

"Yes, Master."

"How was the selection?"

"Thirty are ill, Master. Seventeen male, ten female, three children. I have ordered the children to the medical wing, and I shall have the adults dealt with shortly."

"Good."

"Master, I crave to know, and I beg you tell me, why kill off adults who are still of working age, and are simply afflicted with some minor illness?"

"It is simple logic, Blank. The medical wing is minimally guarded, as the invalids are too weak to try anything. However, what if a healthy slave managed to fool security units into sending him- or her-self to the medical wing? Would he or she not stand a good chance of escape from there? What if he or she escaped from us and told the world that we exist? Children, however, are not smart or credible enough for this. Even if one managed to escape, who would believe that we had over 1100 people enslaved down here?"

"I understand, Master."

"Go down to the field corps and order more slaves taken, then go deal with the selected slaves."

"Yes Master." Blank backed out of the room, closing the door on the way out. Out in the hall, he turned and made for another section of the underground compound.

"And if you or anyone ever questions or opposes me again, you shall all feel the wrath of Skull."

There we have it. Just a quick glimpse at what our evil bastard(Skull) does with slaves, and the treatment they get on a day-to-day basis. According to what I read, that whole selection thing was similar to something that happened at the death camps during the Holocaust. Sucks, don't it? And, as I previously noted, our villain now has a (spoken)name: Skull. Maybe I'll kill your curiosity and give a description one of these chapters. Anywho, rate it when you're done reading it, plz.