Chapter Seventeen

The Empire had been building its bases underground for centuries.  For one thing, if there was a fire or a rebellion they could just flood the base.  But besides that, it meant that more use could be gotten out of the actual land.  With the population as large as it was, there was no surprise that any viable farm land was being used with maximum efficency.  The fact that the nobles owned most of the land and could escape large amounts of taxes by allowing the military to build under the land was just a mutually beneficial relationship.  Not that the nobility ever visited either, the paddies and fortresses of the realm were equally unpleasant to wander about in fancy dresses and suits.

The base to which they had been brought was no different.  Dusty, gray, badly lit, there was a reason he'd worked so hard to get a field position, being on base was depressing.  Jor had lived over one of these all his life, and with the way the last few days had gone he had skipped denial and gone straight to anger.  Justly too, he had a girl waiting for him in a nice tower somewhere and here he was in an overglorified cellar.  Not even a cellar, if the guards already assigned here hadn't been shifting uncomfortably every couple of hours he'd have assumed it was a crypt. 

"Captain, you'll want to know why you're here.  I'm here to introduce you to the men you'll be keeping an eye on the next few months."
"Just make it quick."
"To the point then.  The science teams have been analyzing some of the artifacts from the 'ship' as you call it.  We think we can replicate their propulsion systems.  This could solve a lot of our problems."
"In words for the rest of us you fat twit."  Jor lashed out. 
"Excuse me?"
"My second in command wants you to say it in words, not lingo.  And make it snappy, we were about a day away from seeing our families when we got dragged here.  We'd all like to get to them as soon as possible, and every extra word you use is keeping us apart."
"Our entire civilization is on the verge of a new age of exploration and you're worried about seeing your families?  Sir I was told you were a patriot."
There was a time when he'd have thought the same, two days ago in fact.  He was starting to wonder though.  If this is what being a patriot meant then maybe he'd rather be a traitor happily at home with his sons and his wife. 
"Damn right I am, but I'm also a father.  Get to the point, and be quick about it."
"Alright, alright; we think we can put a man into the space around the world."
"What space?"
"The upper space, the space that's above the world."
"The sky?"
"Higher."
"The suns?"
"Higher."
"What could be higher than the suns?"
"We're trying to figure that out.  But the ony way to do it is to send someone up there."
"How?"
"We're working on that, we think we can shoot a rocket, or raise a sort of magical platform straight up until it gets over the clouds and out past the suns.  If we use a really strong radio, then the person on it can call back down and tell us what's up there."
"Then do it, what do you need us for?"
"We've decided to send convicted felons, since it doesn't matter whether they die or not."
"And you needed security."
"Right, and the emperor isn't ready for the public to know what's happened so he can't let you guys go home and spread the story. So he sent you and solved both problems."
"Alright then, men, go settle into your new quarters.  I'll have a shift schedule ready thistime tomorow.  Relax until then, you've earned it."
 
The question that even Collin, wherever she was if she still was at all, would have known better than to aske had gone unanswered.  Why would the Emperor want to keep this a secret?  And what did he hope to accomplish in this 'upper space'?