Clicks and clangs of steel pickaxes echo's through out the mines. Hundreds of men, women, and children as young as twelve are continuing there Eighteen hour shift. They need to meet a quota of forty thousand tons before they can get there meals and rest. A quiet "hhmmm" can be heard coming from the entrance. It's the supervisor on his hover cart making his rounds.
His name is Diro. Diro is a species called Seals. Tall, slender and full of arragance. Skin is a fleshy golden tan with pointed ears. A real stick in the mud they are. Diro shouts " Almost there ladies and gentlemen we are at thirty eight tons, just two more and you can earn your meal, your rest, and your pride for the stellar Draxium Empire." A big smirk is on his face as glares meet his gaze. he hovers over them in a nice clean pair of vibrant green overalls and a white shiny hard hat. A piece of Iron is thrown at Diro. Before the ore can make contact , it is repealed off by his carts Energy shield. Diro is angry, not that ore was thrown a him, but that it was wasted. He looks down to see who might have thrown it and it is there he sees his "favorite" miner. Rence Collee.
Rence is just standing with his pickaxe glaring at diro. Diro's expression changes from anger to a smirk. Diro presses a button then hovers to rence. "Miner, why have you stopped working? you know bre-"
"Oh, eat a dick Diro! You now damn well we can't keep working like this. We barley have any more ore to squeeze out on thus desolate rock anyways." claimed Rence. A drone soon came flying in with a flashing speed. It stops above Diro and begins to record. Diro just smirks as he has the upper hand like always. " Now Rence, you know as well as i do we all have a quota to make. We cant afford breaks that often as you're slowing down production. If everyone slacked off just as much as use and wasted valuable resources like you, well the empire would fall. we wouldn't want that would we rence?" Diro continues to smirk as he puts on an act for the camera.
"HOW ABOUT YOU GET OFF THAT CART OF YOURS AND LET ME SHO-. AAGGHHH" Rence screams in pain as the drone zaps him with 15 volts mA [milliamperes] Rence drops his pickaxe and falls to the ground with his muscles spasming. "noh uh uuuhhh. You know not to let your anger to get the best of you and threaten someone. The system doesn't like it." explains Diro. Rence gathers his strength to standard picks up his pickaxe. He lunges forward swinging at the drone, but the drone is to fast and zaps him again. An old woman sighs as she keeps on swinging her pickaxe. She seems visibly annoyed by the interaction between Diro and Rence.
Diro speaks again his voice sounding amused. "That's strike two Rence. Come on give me another and then we both know what happens next." Rence looks at the drone seeing the recording his off. He grits his teeth and picks himself back up, he makes his way back to his spot to begin mining once again. Diro chuckles. " That's the spirt Rence, now because you wasted ten minutes of your time, I'm going to have you stay an extra hour with no food." Diro and the drone begins to hover away as he laughs hysterically.
Don't you even open your mouth young man, and i am NOT sharing my scrapes with you." exclaimed the old lady. As the hours tick by the miners begin to get the last two tons knocked out and head to there barracks for food and rest. Rence and ten others stay behind an extra hour to clean off the equipment and take inventory of the dead.
A Karlith male birdfolk flies down using his wings. " I counted eleven dead total today. That makes..hhmm let me think...forty three total dead this week alone now, least i remind every one we still have two days left before we deplete this mine." A grim mood follows the miners as they dare not think how many more will fall. Rence is the first to break the silence " Ahem, Thanks Arro. Alright tools are cleaned and dead is accounted for, now before we go i would like to state we only have fuel left for half a day in the mechs. Diro has already stated we wont be getting a new batch since we're almost done here. I want no more consumption unless absolutely necessary for now safe what we have for the plan, got it?"
"got it." replied the group. Rence looks at his watch and notes an hour has passed and they may return to there barracks. "Alright everyone, our hour is up. Get some sleep, food if you have any stored away and bath, I'm tired of smelling skunks around here. A group of Thylars lizardfolk chime in " Hey where we come from that's a complement." Another human named Eddie buds in. " If that's a complement then I'm definitely not paying your mother a visit when i get out of here." Everyone laughs as the Thylars are offended by Eddie's comment. After a few more insults and banter was traded with the group, they all broke off to go to there respective barracks number and partner. This is the part Rence dreaded the most.
Rence made his was to barracks number one hundred and nine. Before rence could reach out and open the door the old woman before swings the door wide open looking very displeased with rence. Rence speaks nervously. "H-hey grandma.....so how was your day?" Rence chucked nervously hoping to lessen the scolding he has coming.
"Inside. NOW." commands grandma. Rence doesn't bother arguing. he heads for the shower and remains there a few minutes longer than necessary. Grandma shouts from the other side of the door. "BOY! If you think you can hide form this you got another thing coming. I took care of you since you where twelve, if you think i wont come in there and there that ass up, then you better think again! You have FIVE more minutes before i come in after you!" Rence sighs as he knows granny to well. He isn't going to get out of thus one this time. He turns off the shower , dries off and gets dressed. Rence opens the door and sees granny sitting on her bed edge. On the side table is one forth of a sandwich she saved for him. "Sit, and eat this damn food boy," granny commanded. Rence listened and sat on the bed's edge taking the sandwich piece.
"Listen here and listen good. We have two days left together, I kept you alive this long and i don't have any plans on letting you die yet. I'm also no going to take anymore of your damn side of punishments from Diro you hear me!" Granny's tone was sharp. "If you get me zapped one more again rencee.....so help whatever god you pray too or don't, I will tell Diro about your entire operation to escape. Consequences be damned and we both know i've been petty enough to due worse." Rence body grows cold as he wasn't expecting granny to find out about his operaton. Beads of sweat form on his face as his eyes meets granny's. Her glare is ice cold and leaving no sign of deception. Granny speaks again. " What? Are you really that stupid to think you can hide anything form me? Your own grandmother? I don't know if i should be disappointed or offended you think so little of me." She rises and paces around. " So? Going to give me the silent treatment like always? fine, be that way.... Though i am curious, when were you going to tell me? Did you even plan on helping me escape or just leave me to die?" Rence looks down at the floor from guilty. He tries to open his mouth but granny quick speaks again. "DON"T. Say. another word. Get some rest and remember. I will tell diro if you get me zapped again." Granny says coldly to Rence. Rence climbs onto the top bunk and gets under the blanket. Granny turns to her bed and lies down as well turning off the light getting what little sleep they can.
