An exerpt from the Newland prison security cameras

[rustinel]

((Thought I'd put this here to show some more of the smugglers story and background, heheh Zhere was active before she ever came to Newland, or Ka for that matter...))

Recording taken from the security logs in...

Newland City Prison

Mehfis eyes the caged nanotechnician with a mixture of relief and frustration…
“Shame there’s no death penalty for a cheap smuggler…”
Zhere spits,
“When I get out of here you’ll be the one facing a death penalty, you weak sentimental fool!”
Zhere waves her hand around, “This town is full of ‘em…hippies, do gooders…you all make me sick!”
Wishing, not for the first time, that the good townsfolk of Newland City were less inclined to do their civic duty, Zhere gives an evil grin and looks at Mehfis.
“So how’d a defenceless little orphan like you get to this planet?”
Mehfis screams and throws herself at the bars,
“You ****ing *****! You made me an orphan! You and your poor unwitting brother…”
Mehfis trails off and looks deflated.
“Yes, you sure took care of him…he was a sentimental fool too…”
Zhere cackles like a banshee,
“And the look on your face when you thought he was part of my own plans was worth his sacrifice…he was worse than useless…held me back at every stage of my plans…you saved me the trouble of ‘dealing’ with him myself…”
Zhere pauses and looks far away for a moment
Mehfis starts to cry
“I came home to my parents’ house and found you and him…there was blood everywhere…oh the blood…”
Mehfis falters…
Zhere looks unhinged as her peals of evil laughter echo around the prison
“He took my dagger off me…too late – the deed was done, then you burst in, saw us standing over your parents’ pathetic corpses…”
A shiver of pleasure runs through Zhere’s body…
“…priceless! “
Zhere looks scornfully down at the little metaphysicist
“And that little scene you and he played out as he was dying and you stupidly thought I was dead…”
Zhere lets out a moan of pleasure…
“Oh that was just sublime…’I tried to stop her…I love you Mefhis…’ and your tears flowing down to mix with the blood gurgling in his throat…so poignant”
Mehfis glances at the guards
“Its almost a shame the security around here has been improved since the elections…
“I hope you escape…I hope you get off…”
Zhere looks taken aback
“Huh!?”
“I want you were no-one can see…where no-one will see you ever again… “
Mehfis looks almost evil herself for a moment then composes herself and looks at the twisted nanomage…
“In any case, I am applying to have you shipped home. Once you have been interrogated and convicted here you will be transported and charged with the murder of my parents on Odaan IV…”
Mehfis smiles a little,
“You know the penalty for murder on our home planet don’t you Zhere?”
Zhere looks sick.
The judicial system on Odaan IV was her main reason for leaving in the first place. A throwback to the early days of colonisation, murderers and the incurably insane, rather than be a drain on the limited resources of a new colony, had their minds permanently wiped clean and put to work doing menial, unpleasant but essential maintenance in dangerous areas – sewage plants, mining facilities that sort of thing…the men were anyway…
What Zhere particularly dreaded was what became of the females. The very idea of being given a serial number, being lobotomised and sterilised, then sold at auction as a slave to the highest bidder…Everyone knew what happened to those slaves…
Enjoying the look of horror on Zhere’s face and feeling happier than she had for quite some time, Mehfis chuckles and motions for the guards to let her back out into the bright Rubi-kan morning
Mehfis glances back at the evil nanomage and chuckles once more…
“I will see you again on Odaan IV …I doubt you will fetch very much, but don’t worry…my parents estate will more than cover it I’m sure…”

[Anamelle]

((Cool story. The plot even thickened since then Can't wait to see what Zhere does since she's free.))