Look Both Ways

hey showed us that. It displayed very clearly that there was no chance of rescue. I glanced at the leader of the aggressive barracks. It was a Wymic woman by the name of Arbriana. She was patient, but no nonsense. I knew shed have problems with her faction. I looked away before she noticed. They already accused us of conspiring with the Blacks. We didn need it to happen again.

The Black let us view the map for a few moments longer, before it was packed up, and the projector removed. They then displayed the same thing once a week. Its purpose was obvious. They wished to break us. Not my faction. Arbrianas. It was working. Some had already come to mine. The others held onto their hatred. I guess they didn know anything else.

I had other things to distract me. One of the Black guards asked me a question. I was shocked by it. ”Do you play Drantanara? ”

Of course I played Drantanara. I was a Dranta. We all played. ”Not well. ” I hadn played for at least a year. The Black didn appear concerned. It motioned for me to follow. That was disconcerting but I had no choice.

The Black led me into places we hadn been allowed. There were more Blacks in the corridors and the quadrupeds prowled. They growled at me but made no other challenge. Eventually we stopped before an office. The Black knocked, then entered. I followed.

Another Black was waiting. They seemed different. The Enemy Id fought until then had been bipedal, like most of the Alliance. The quadrupeds had been new at Qaoloe. Most of the bipeds Id seen were similar. This one was bulkier somehow.

I was left alone with the Black. That was surprising. Usually they liked to make sure us prisoners were not given even the illusion of power.

”Sit down. ” The Black gestured. I saw a game of Drantanara set up. It was obvious where I was meant to sit. The Black Commander played? I assumed thats what this one was.

I sat. The Black moved and sat opposite. It took its helmet off. I stared in shock. It was a Dranta. She seemed amused by my surprise.

”Yes, Im a Dranta. ”

I retained enough sense, barely, to avoid calling her a traitor. Obviously, I had questions. I noticed a collar around her neck. Id seen the one going around the Opars neck, it had seemed similar to Pickerings, but I wasn sure, since it was from a distance. This was closer. This was definitely like Pickerings.

”Im what youd call a second gen. ”

I didn understand. It must have showed.

”My parents were civilians on a planet the Alliance lost, ” the Commander explained.

”Im sorry. ” I didn know what else to say. I stared at the collar. Was that the interface for the slaving? I didn know. It didn explain why Pickerings was the same.

She waved away the apology. ”What are you sorry for? I know Im on the right side. ” She sounded confident.

”But… ” The objection was automatic.

”Youve been told everyone on the captured planets is killed or slaved to machines. You know thats not the case. Lives are different but they go on. Still, you were raised in the Alliance, ” she explained. ”I was raised in what you call Black Territory. I chose to enlist in their army. ”

That surprised me. We were told that organics were simply a tool for the machines in the Enemy fleet. The Dranta was implying things were different. My experience was telling me the same. I was confused.

”I was going to suggest a game of Drantanara, but I don think you are in the right frame of mind, ” the Black Commander said.

I wasn . I could barely focus. The idea that those who we thought lost might still be alive hurt. The fact that shed signed up voluntarily was difficult to accept. Id done the same but that was different. Id been expected to. I was born as part of a quota. But others in the Alliance signed up all the time. It was the same as her. Except it wasn . It was hard to think that the Blacks might think themselves justified. It went against a lifetime of thought. I should have realised it but Id always been told they were controlled. That meant they didn really think.

And she had a collar on… wasn that a sign of slavery? Why did she have that collar on? It wasn for microbes. It couldn be. Dranta are kind of boring that way.

”Think on it for a while, and Ill call you back in a few more days. ” She rose and went back to her desk. ”Oh, ” she turned to me, eyes suddenly hard. ”Tell Arbriana that my patience is not infinite. ”

I didn think I could be surprised again. I was proven wrong. The Blacks knew about the barrack factions. They knew who led which one. Arbriana was on borrowed time. I didn know what to say. Did I say Id try and admit to knowing what she represented, or did I say nothing and try to bluff my way through it? The Black Commander smiled gently. She seemed to sense my dilemma.

”Go. ” That was a command.

I rose and stumbled from the office. The other Black met me in the corridor. I don remember the trip back to the barrack. I don remember much of anything. Nothing made sense.

The barrack was glad to see me. Theyd been on the verge of doing something stupid. That made me focus. I told them not to worry. It made some worry more. I had to explain what had happened. I left out the fact that the new Commander was a Dranta. I still wasn sure what I thought of that. I was used to believing there were controlled Humans under the armour. That was familiar. It didn hurt as much. Knowing that I had fought Dranta and other Alliance species hurt. They had signed up with the Enemy. Did they not understand the Bright Ones offered freedom?

Why? In the end, that was the only question that mattered. I realised I had to see the Commander again. I would see the Commander again. I would be more controlled next time. I would find answers. No matter how difficult.

There was something just not right somewhere. I desperately hoped it was a Black lie, a Black conspiracy but there were questions being raised in the certainty of my beliefs. That was an uncomfortable feeling because if the truths about the Black forces were a lie, then what else about the Alliance was a lie?

I didn want those answers. I absolutely had to have those answers.

They say the truth will set you free. It doesn apply when you have two truths that conflict. Then the truth only chains you down and I was held fast.