Chapter 4:The Aftermath.
<em style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif">“Animals don''t get to speak unless they''re asked questions, or ordered to, you animal! NOW BE SILENT!”-Jade through Allura.
Feeling the force of The System Enforced collar, the former baron goes silent, unable to speak, and begins glaring angrily at Allura.
<em style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif">“Do I need to teach an insolent walrus-man its place?! With a nice beating?!!”
Still enraged but smart enough to connect the dots, the former baron lowers his gaze.
<strong style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif">“<em style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif">That''s better. There are three reasons why a miserable animal like you is still alive.
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Our commandos need intel on the slavery outfit that sold that, as you put it, ''little rabbit bitch'' to you. Every last one of them needs to pay for what they''ve done with their very lives! And we presume you have at least some of that intel to share. After all, you do business with them regularly, yes?
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We were hoping you could free all, and I mean ALL, the slaves here, or barring that, at least transfer them into our custody until they can be freed.
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You know, or should know, the layout of this mine better than anyone. SO! Rather than risk our own operatives, we''re going to have you, yes you, personally, destroy this mine with your own two hands.
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“Isn''t that just wonderful?! You may speak now, but be careful of your tone.”
“And silence! Seriously, that''s what an INT of 5, and a WIS of 3 gets you. Any dumber and you''d have problems speaking in coherent sentences. Even with a magical status screen, you''re just too dumb to realize you''re a moron! Seriously, did you forget that you''re now my slave (POW)? I''m going to order you to do it and The System is going to make you! Now take off that fancy armor and give it to me!”
The nameless humanoid walrus tries to resist the command but fails and glaring with hatred hands over his enchanted armor with the family crest, leaving him wearing nothing but boots and underwear with embarrassing patterns on it.
“Hmm. It''s certainly fancy, but all it has is a strength-boosting enchantment. Otherwise, it''s just ordinary steel.”
Blueprint</u> acquired: STR +5 enchantment.
“Speaking of slavers, what are we going to do about <u>them</u>? Those guys are so horribly broken that they are incapable of doing anything, at all, without orders. To be brutally honest, they''re a liability. I sympathize with their plight, I really do, but even if I was a therapist, I don''t have the time or tools they need!”
“Huh. Hadn''t considered that. Hey, System, what happens to slaves when their master winds up a slave himself?”-Allura
System Message: Query acknowledged. Researching.... Researching complete. Per penal code IV, subsection 3, paragraph 1, under most circumstances, a Master who is taken into slavery through legal means loses all rights to his/her property, including slaves, who are then transferred into the custody of the former master''s new owner and can then decide to free them or not at their leisure. Slaves with the (POW) designation remain in the custody of the country where they were interred unless they are either repatriated to some foreign power and freed as refugees or summarily freed by royal decree. Attempting to free them by other means is not recommended.
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“So we''re stuck with them, and they''re our responsibility. <u>Great.</u> I did see some that had the (DEBT) and (CRIMINAL) tags, but they''re just as broken as the rest. I guess that all we can do for now is to move them to the now vacant barracks and at least make them comfortable until we''re ready to move out.”
“Ugh. Well, that sucks. Change of plans, we''re stopping by the barracks first, and then make sure there are no more ''guards'' around before we loot the place.”-Allura.
<u>Blueprint</u> acquired: Building, stables.
“Huh. I can get <u>blueprints</u> by dismantling buildings? Interesting!”
“Well. That''s concerning. This mine needed new slaves every month? I can understand there are monsters in there and OSHA isn''t exactly a thing here, but bringing in new slaves every month on the month like clock-work? Whatever is going on, it can''t be good and it''s definitely not safe to stay here.”
“Yeah. That''s odd. No matter how dangerous the mine is, I can''t imagine going through people that fast. <u>Especially</u> since it can''t be cheap to hire raiders who know being caught means a particularly brutal and public death. Hey, Walrus-man! You know something about this, don''t you? Tell the truth! That''s an order!”-Allura.
System Notice: Slavery rules violation is in progress. Applying corrective measures as stipulated by national and international laws.
Master!”-Walrus spits the last word with every ounce of spite, sarcasm, and contempt that he can gather.
“Allura! Stop! Don''t go in there!”
“Dynamite. You guys have <u>DYNAMITE?!</u> And what are you doing storing it with common tools, ores, and whatnot in a place right next to the foreman''s office?! <u>Are you certifiably insane?!!”</u>
“I don''t believe this. It''s amazing this office, if not the entire mine, hasn''t been blown into a smoking crater yet! Just from a brief scan, it looks like you''ve got a quarter, if not half, ton of the stuff! Allura, Walrus-man. Look at those crates with liquid pooling under them. I don''t know what they''re called in this world, but in my world, they''re known as dynamite and they''re very, very dangerous to store or handle. The liquid is known as nitroglycerin and is very explosive. It reacts <u>violently</u> to changes in temperature, humidity, vibration, and even movement. How was it even brought here, and just how long has it been sitting there, waiting to blow? The older it is, the more temperamental it gets!”
Allura and the walrus-man go pale white at the declaration.
“There''s no good, easy, or safe way to decontaminate this place.” Jade produces a chain like were used on the slaves in the stables. “Allura, chain that lout outside and then come back. Our only hope is to deconstruct that dynamite, one crate at a time, and hope for the best.”