Battlefield Earth Page #2

Not yours.

The senator. . .

. . .has a lot of friends.

Would you please tell the senator. . .

. . .if I'd had even an inkling that|that was his daughter--

Watch your tongue.

The senator's exact words to me were,|and I'm quoting:

"If that blasted Terl tries|to talk his way out of it. . .

. . .have him vaporized on the spot. "

But cheer up.|There's one bright side to this.

One day you're going to die,|and when you end up in hell. . .

. . .at least it'll be a step up|from this place.

You haven't left for Psychlo.

Your powers of observation|are simply startling.

Give me three pans to go.

I don't know what|you're so down about.

You still get to be head of security.

Which, from what I can tell,|is a pretty cushy job.

Well, I can assure you. . .

. . .that I was not groomed since birth|to have some cushy job. . .

. . .that even a moron like you|could perform.

While you were still learning|how to spell your name. . .

. . .I was being trained|to conquer galaxies!

To do anything less. . .

. . .is a disgrace|to my entire family line.

That'll be six credits.

Put it on my tab.

You don't have a tab.

I do now.

You're new here,|so I'll explain how it works.

I eat first.

Then my men eat.

If there's anything left,|you can share it with them.

That's how it used to work.

Greener, let's just stay alive.

You're right.

-So I'll fight you.|-No.

Without food,|we don't have strength to escape.

-So now we're escaping?|-I am.

Come if you want.

We fight, it's to the death.

Say your prayers to the gods!

We have enough problems without|killing each other over food.

From now on, we eat at the same time.

Sir.

I was wondering when|you'd look at that.

It came in last week,|and I put it right in your box.

I've wasted my time, haven't l?

If you're going to lie to me, have|the decency to do a credible job. . .

. . .so I don't look like an idiot|for training you.

But I'm not lying. I put the photo|in your box as soon as it came in.

You are pathetic. You wouldn't last|one day at the academy.

-And I saw you.|-What?

You said:

"We use picto-cameras|to spy on other offices.

But under no circumstance|do we spy on our own office. "

That's right. We don't. I do.

Start talking.

The photo's from|last week's recon drone.

It shows a rockslide in the mountains.|It exposed a gold vein.

You were waiting for me to transfer. . .

. . .so you could turn it in|and get credit.

I didn't think you'd mind.

I don't mind. Turn it in. But before|you do, pretend you're not. . .

. . .a complete imbecile. . .

. . .and check the compo gradients.

It's full of uranium. No Psychlo. . .

. . .can get there without his breath gas|exploding. No way to mine the gold.

But what I do mind is that you|betrayed me over a lousy recon photo!

It's worthless! You said so!

But you didn't know it was worthless!

I would never hurt you, sir.

I'm unarmed. You can't shoot me.|It's against regulations, sir.

I can make this up to you, sir.|I promise. I swear.

Please, sir.

You do not have to shoot me, sir.

Shoot you? My most trusted colleague?

Of course not.|We have work to do. Come.

Tomorrow morning, we must warn|the Planetship of the mutiny.

What mutiny?

The one you're going to pretend|is in the works. . .

. . .Iike your life depended on it.|Because it does.

If the worker revolt takes place,|my informants tell me. . .

. . .that the first order of business is|to separate you from your head.

Which is why there will be no revolt.

I am authorizing you to use whatever|means necessary to prevent it.

The best way is to increase profits|and stop cutting the workers' pay.

Production equals profits.

And I've already ordered|as many new workers as possible. . .

. . .to boost production.

But we have to pay the new workers.

Maybe you were absent the day they|taught economics at the academy, Ker.

But nobody works for free.

Man-animals do.

What if we were to train them|how to mine?

Man-animals operating machinery?

Have you blown a head gasket?

I will be the laughingstock|of the universe.

So you should have me|take man-animals. . .

. . .with equipment,|out to a remote area. . .

. . .better that you don't know where,|and try and train them.

Have them do some test mining.

If it doesn't work out,|no one will know.

-Right.|-And if it does work. . .

. . .I will be vaporized.

It is against the law.

Regulations say. . .

. . .a Planetship faced with|a profit-threatening situation. . .

. . .is relieved|of all other ordinances. . .

. . .to pursue, to protect|and to acquire said profits.

There you have it.

We stick to the original plan.

Bring in new workers. . .

. . .and they go on half-pay|as soon as they arrive.

And that is final!

Run! Run!

Okay, now! Pull his breath mask off.

Last time we didn't even stop timing|until its lungs burst.

That's the wager.

No way this man-animal|lasts more than four minutes.

Help me!

I need your air!

The wager's off.|The damn thing cheated.

The Planetship is hiding something.

All we have to do|is find out what it is. . .

. . .then we'll have leverage.

And then we can get the gold.

What do you mean, we? It's my plan.

I'm sending the gold to Psychlo, then|I'm getting off this stinking planet.

Come on, sir.

You gotta let me in on it.

I barely make any lousy credits|in this job.

And I've got five wives|to support, sir.

I don't know if I want|to partner up with an idiot.

How do I even know|you understand the plan?

We train man-animals|who don't need breath gas. . .

. . .to mine the gold for us.

But Home Planet owns this planet.|The gold belongs to them.

That's the beauty of it.

Home Planet doesn't know|the gold exists.

Those corporate crapheads|won't know we stole it.

It's the perfect crime, sir.

Putting aside the serious violations|of teaching mining to inferiors. . .

. . .and insulting corporate superiors,|each one punishable by death.

So it is my duty to report you. . .

. . .though you'll be vaporized, and|I'll have to train a new assistant.

But it's your stinking plan, sir.

So I'm glad I have|a recording of you. . .

. . .Iaying out the plan|and my reprimanding you.

Think of it as part of your education.

Education, huh?

Never engage in a criminal activity|unless you have a patsy to pin it on. . .

. . .in case you ever get found out.

Thank you. That's great.

But why do I have to be the patsy?

So you don't get any bright ideas|to get rid of Terl. . .

. . .and keep the gold for yourself.

But I'd never double-cross you.

I've arranged that if any unfortunate|accident were to befall me. . .

. . .this would go|straight to the Home Office.

Double or nothing|I can blow off one of its limbs.

That one does seem to be unusually|intelligent and resourceful.

But it's also defiant.

We'll need leverage over it.

Leverage? Over a man-animal?

Man is a primitive species. . .

. . .so we'll need something primitive|for leverage. Like food.

What do you think a man-animal|would like to eat?

What would he consider a treat?

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