The Criminal Streak Read online

  “Travel to that one will be easy,” Royd said. “There are two inhabited planets on the way where the fleet can fuel up and purchase supplies. I believe a colony’s best chance would be on that one.”

  “Does anyone have anything to say on this matter?” The moderator asked the audience.

  The protestor stood. “I am Lizz and I represent the Association for the Ethical Treatment of Prisoners. We believe that they should be given a chance to become contributing members of our society again.”

  “We discussed that at the last meeting,” Leader Five said. “It has been tried before and has failed. Plus the poll taken shows that most of the residents on the megalopolises don’t want the prisoners returned to commit crimes again.”

  “But some of their crimes are minor. A university student stealing food to live gets sent to the Fringe. Then, when he tries to get back in to see his family, he is sentenced to the space prisons. Banishing him to a distant planet is punishment that hardly fits his crime.”

  “I think that we have gotten away from the subject,” the moderator said. “We’re discussing the suitability of a planet for our convicts, not their punishment.”

  “They know nothing about survival.”

  “Since the decision was made to look for a planet, scientists have been devising tools for them,” the moderator said. “They have also drawn plans for shelters, gathered seeds for planting, and chosen the types of animals to send. Plus, there will be farmers and builders and other craftspeople to teach them how to look after themselves.”

  “This is the only solution to our planet’s problems,” Leader Eight said. “The prisons are too full and it is costing us too much money to feed them. I don’t imagine they are very happy in the cramped ships. It is for their own good, as well was ours, that we send them somewhere where they have to take responsibility for themselves.”

  “You are treating them like the animals of this planet that were killed so we could survive.”

  “We are not killing them. We are merely providing them with a place so they can build a new life for themselves.”

  “How long do you plan to send them for?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, is there any hope for them to come back in a year or five years? Are you giving them something to work towards, like the knowledge that if they are good they will be able to return home?”

  The Leaders looked at each other. “We’ve been discussing that,” Leader Nine replied. “And we’ve decided that if they conduct themselves in an admirable fashion and prove to be productive members of the society set up there, than they can apply for to return home after their original sentences are up.”

  “Their sentences? That’s no incentive.”

  “They have to prove themselves again.”

  Gwin shuddered. A long ways out in space there was a serene planet whose destiny was about to be changed. Without warning, anger bubbled up in her. Anger that a few people in this room were so carelessly deciding its future.

  She stood. “I’d like to object to sending the prisoners to that planet.”

  There was a sharp intake of breath from the Pidleonian. She saw the look of astonishment on Royd’s face. She heard the clapping from the Association for the Ethical Treatment of Prisoners group.

  “Who are you?” the Moderator asked.

  “I am Exploratory Officer Gwin. I was with Exploratory Captain Royd on the probe.”

  “And why do you object?”

  Gwin hesitated. She could feel the Pidleonian glaring at her. She saw the anger on Royd’s face. She turned to the puzzled faces at the table. How was she going to convince them with just words?

  “It’s too lovely a place for us to spoil,” Gwin began. “It’s like our planet must have been before we overran it. Forests full of different plants, clear running rivers, animals, large open plains, a sun that you don’t have to be afraid of.” She spread her hands, appealing to them to understand. “It’s just so hard to describe the beauty, the peacefulness, the quiet.”

  “And you think that just because it’s a pretty place, we shouldn’t go there?” Leader Six asked.

  “There’s more to what I’m trying to say than that. It’s an untouched planet. I don’t think any other spaceship has landed there and I don’t think the planet’s evolution has been disturbed. If we go there, it will be. I know our history and we had pretty much destroyed this planet with our unrestrained consumption of land, water, and natural resources even before the asteroid hit us. We shouldn’t ruin another.”

  “So which planet do you recommend?”

  Gwin felt a glimmer of hope. “Either of the other two that could support our species.”

  “And what’s the difference between them and this other planet you seem to be so fond of? Why are you willing to sacrifice one of them?”

  “I think the question is, why is that planet more important than our convicts?” Lizz interrupted. “Why does she want to send the prisoners to a second rate planet where their chance of survival is not as good?”

  “Yes. Why?” her group chanted. “Why? Why? Why?”

  Gwin remained silent. It was no use trying to answer any of the questions until the chanting ended. The moderator banged the tapper. The room grew quiet again. “It appears our time for today is up. We will have to resume this discussion tomorrow.”

  Leader Six stood. “Before anyone goes, I want to make the comment that we are not out to change the natural development of another planet. If Exploratory Officer Gwin thinks that sending our convicts to that planet would be detrimental to its evolution, then I want to hear her reasons.” She looked at Gwin. “I am looking forward to listening to your arguments tomorrow morning.”

  “Thank you,” Gwin said.

  The moderator banged the tapper and the meeting was over. Gwin noticed the Pidleonian gesturing to Royd as she sat down on shaky legs. The excitement of the moment was over and with that came the realization of what she had done. She was not only surprised at her own boldness in speaking up, but also that someone actually wanted to hear her opinions.

  * * *

  “We can’t let her speak tomorrow,” Zudo whispered angrily to Royd.

  “I made some very good points in the report on why that planet is the best. I don’t think she’ll be able to persuade the assembly to vote for a different one,” Royd replied.

  “We can’t take that chance. Our future prosperity depends on them picking that planet. She has to be stopped.”

  “I’ll talk to her.” Royd followed Gwin out of the room. He grabbed hold of her arm. “What was that about?”

  “I felt I had to say something,” Gwin said, shaking her arm loose.

  “Why? What does it matter? It’s just another planet.”

  Gwin shrugged. “I don’t expect you to agree with me and maybe it is just another planet, but there is life on it whose course we are going to alter.”

  “But we didn’t see any signs of intelligent life.”

  “I saw that being on the edge of the forest as we were leaving. It was standing upright like we do.”

  Royd watched the Pidleonian walk up to them. He saw the anger on his face replaced by a pleasant smile. When Zudo was beside them, he introduced Gwin.

  “Would you like to have a drink with us and discuss this?” Zudo asked. His voice was soft and controlled.

  Gwin’s lip curled as she answered. “No, thank you.”

  “I think we should talk some more,” Royd said. “This is a very important subject.”

  “I don’t have time,” Gwin said. “I’m going to the Hub with a friend tonight.” She walked away.

  “She’s going to the Hub tonight,” Zudo said watching her go out the front door. “I know some people there and I’ll arrange for something to happen.”

  “Something? What do you mean, something?”

  “Something that will shut her up.”

  “You mean, kill her?”

  “I don’t see any other solutio
n.”

  “You can’t do that!” Killing someone had never been part of Royd’s plans.

  “Why can’t I?”

  “Because she’s … because I’ve known her….”

  “Aren’t you the one who wants to get back at the Space Organization for not promoting you?”

  “Yes.”

  “And aren’t you the one who wants to retire early but can’t on what you are making now?”

  “Yes.”

  “And aren’t you the one who approached me with a plan so you could do both?”

  “Yes, but no one was supposed to get killed.”

  “It’s a little late to worry about that now. Besides, are you ready to throw away all our plans and your future because of her?”

  “No, but….”

  “But what?”

  “Isn’t there another way?”

  “What do you suggest then?”

  “Well, she did tell me one time that she would like to holiday on that planet.”

  “That would be taking a big chance.”

  “I know, but I don’t like the idea of killing her.”

  “Okay. I’ll see what my acquaintances can do. But you’re going to owe me for it.”

  * * *

  As she left the room, Gwin began planning her speech, the speech she hoped would convince the Assembly to leave her planet alone. Outside the auditorium the protestors waited. As each leader came out they shouted their slogan at him or her.

  “Reform Rather Than Remove!”

  “Reform Rather Than Remove!”

  When Gwin came out Lizz went up to her. “For a while there, I thought you were on our side, but I see that a planet is more important to you than our convicts.”

  Gwin turned away, but Lizz stepped in front of her. ““Why don’t you want to give the prisoners a fair chance?”

  “I thought you didn’t want them sent anywhere.”

  Lizz shrugged. “We’re not stupid enough to think that the Leaders would consider anything we say. They’d already made up their minds to send them to another planet when they sent you out. We just want them to know that there are still people who have the guts to oppose their decisions.”

  “Well, I admire you for that.”

  “But since you’ve spoken, we have to change our stand.”

  “Why?”

  “Because we have to make sure the prisoners are sent to the best possible planet so they will survive. And that seems to be the one you like.”

  “They’d survive on one of the other two mentioned in the report.”

  “Not as well.”

  “Why do you care?”

  Lizz hesitated. “My sister is on one of the orbiting prisons.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  She shrugged. “Well, she deserves to be there. It’s just that I hate to think of her being sent so far away.”

  “There’s nothing I can do about that.”

  “You can give her and the others the best chance by not showing up tomorrow.”

  “I’m afraid I can’t do that.”

  “I wish you would think it over.”

  Chapter Eight

  Jawn held the stalk cutter in both hands and hacked at the base of the tobacco plant. After the fourth try he managed to cut through and the plant toppled over. He picked it up, shook the dust off and threw it on top of the pile stacked on a large piece of metal. He went to the next plant and did the same. It was harvest day again and everyone worked. He was hot, sweaty, and still determined to leave the Fringe, but the scare of getting lost and his run-in last night with Davi had settled him down a bit.

  Not that he was suddenly happy with his life here. He just realized that he had to learn the intricacies of the Fringe before deciding what he had to do to get out. And until then, as part of the tobacco growers of the Tech Dump, he would eat better than most and be better protected.

  When the pile was high enough, Jawn picked up the thick, cloth rope and dragged the plastic along the worn path. At the spreading area he had to get in the long line up of other cutters with any plastic that could be used as sleds. The line moved slowly forward as the sleds were unloaded ahead of him. When his was empty, he headed back to his assigned plot and resumed cutting.

  The harvest lasted all day and at the end Jawn was exhausted. The manual work and hot sun had drained him. He was barely able to stumble back to the camp with the others. While they had a bite of bread, he headed to his bed. He didn’t have the energy to eat.

  The next day he arose stiff and sore, his mouth dry. He immediately had a long drink of water then pushed the door open.

  “You’re going on Georg’s run tonight,” Oli said, when Jawn got outside.

  “I am?” Jawn was surprised. Every day a different group of five people made a run into Megalopolis One to sell tobacco at the Hub. He’d been told that it would be a while before he would be trusted to help sell a shipment.

  “Lony is sick and Georg said for you to take his place.”

  “But I don’t have any other clothes.”

  “We’ll find some for you.”

  “I don’t know what to do.”

  “Georg will show you. Now go carry water for your tub. And haul some for Georg’s, too.”

  Jawn picked up two pails and headed for the well. Tobacco and drug-selling was a major crime in the megalopolis. He’d seen dealers being arrested many times by the police at the Hub. Alien drug pushers were immediately sent back to their home planet. Those from the Fringe were sent to the orbiting prisons and that was one place he didn’t want to go.

  Jawn got in line behind Tery, Marc, and Ruthi at the well. Tery had his pails full and was waiting for the other two.

  “So, you’re going with us tonight,” Marc said.

  Jawn nodded. “I guess so. What’s it like?”

  “It’s like going home,” Tery said, wistfully.

  Jawn knew that Tery had only been in the Fringe a year. He’d joined the tobacco growers through a friend and had secured a place on a run. Once at the Hub, he phoned his wife who rushed to meet him. Sometimes after selling his supply they had a few moments together and he would give her some money to put away for when he got out.

  “No. I mean what do we do?”

  “Because you’re new you’ll be put with one of us,” Ruthi said. “We each have an assigned place where we sell the tobacco. Most of it goes to regular customers and the rest to someone who wants to have a party or just sample it.”

  “Do we sell pipes, too?”

  “We can’t be bothered,” she said. “The other dealers sell pipes to attract customers. Our product is so superior we don’t need to do anything else.”

  When they had left, Jawn tied the wet cloth rope in a large knot to one of his buckets. He leaned over the wall that had been built around the well and let the bucket down the hole. When it rested on the water he flipped the rope so that the weight of the wet knot tilted the bucket over. Water rushed in and when it was full, he pulled it up. He repeated the process with the next one then carried them back to the camp. Five round tubs had been placed in the sun in front of a building and he dumped his water into one. He then returned to the well. When his and Georg’s tubs were almost full, he stopped. Now he would wait while the morning sun heated the water.

  The camp was quiet, everyone else was in the fields. Jawn went back into their shelter to get out of the sun. Georg was lying on his bunk. He pointed to a pile of clean clothes. “I don’t know if they will fit, but they’re all we’ve got right now.”

  “Why am I going?” Jawn asked.

  “Because Lony is sick,” Georg replied.

  “But why me? Why not someone else?”

  “I decided that you should learn this part of the business, too.”

  “What happens if we get caught? I don’t want to be sent up there.” He pointed skyward.

  “You don’t have to worry about that with us.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “We have some fri
ends on the police force who like our product. A couple of packages a week and some extra cash and they don’t bother us.”

  “But I just want to serve my sentence and get out of here.” He hadn’t confided his plans to Georg.

  “That’s what most people want when they first come here, but we’ve got to live somehow and this is the easiest and best paying way.”

  “What about Davi’s threat? You have to join him by tonight or else it’s goodbye Georg.”

  “He’s been threatening me for months. I’m not worried about him.”

  “What are you going to do with your money?” Jawn asked, curiously. There certainly wasn’t much here to buy.

  “Maybe buy the bar.”

  “Why, then you will have to watch your back all the time and sell it when you leave.”

  “Who says I’m leaving?” Georg asked.

  “Your sentence was for five years like everyone else’s. You’ll be getting out in two years.”

  “But I may not go.”

  “Why not?” Jawn was confused. Didn’t everyone want to get out of here? Didn’t they all count the days until their sentence was up?

  “What would I be going back to? A dead-end job like I had before. At least here I have a chance to own a business, to make money. A lot of people stay here after they could go back.”

  When the sun had warmed the water in the tubs it was time for the baths. Some pulled their tubs into the shade and Jawn followed suit. Jawn picked up the clean clothes and a washcloth. There was little privacy in the camp and no curtains to hide the men and women as they stripped down and stepped into the tubs. In school, Jawn had been a good athlete, but had always been shy about taking his clothes off in front of his fellow students in the showers. To do it in front of Ruthi was almost impossible. However, she didn’t even look at him when she stepped into her tub so he quickly pulled off his clothes and scrambled in.

  Although he had to sit with his legs crossed, it felt good to be in the pleasantly warm water. He leaned forward and swished the water over his shoulders. He dunked his head. He even blew bubbles as he had done as a child. The others took the bathing more seriously, washing quickly then climbing out and dressing.