Here's a short story I thought of yesterday while writing a world-building post, from a prompt given out by the world-building community. I didn't have this thought before I read their prompt and started writing out some of those notes. But, I really like the idea.
Nevyn Kiani was standing to attention; he held his composure as well as he held his stance. Without complaint, he would stand in the main hall of their base, with the throne-like seat of power behind him and up a short flight of steps. Mildria Wresand. She was as ruthless as a good Scooshen could be; as course as the desert sands of the wastes, and with a temper as hot as the baking sun. Mildria was a great person to work for, above all else, she was fair, understanding, and patient. Especially with her employees. Nevyn wanted for nothing, and neither did any of the rest of the crew who worked for her. They were all looked after and lived a good life, filled with all the benefits Mildria had. "Generosity is good for morale." She had once said to him, while they were in private council. It was. There was never talk of disloyalty, and anyone who worked for her would gladly carry out anything asked of them. She wasn't afraid of getting her own hands dirty in any matter. "I wouldn't ask anything of you that I wouldn't do." This was another of her common phrases; she would often let prospective recruits know that during their induction.
The business of debt was her field of expertise. Scoosha was Barron, not just of life, but also of money. The people of this world had no real industries of their own. Most of what they needed was brought in from off-world. The public would complain about this fact, as did some of the members of the government. "We have a plethora of resources out in the mountains beyond the wastes!" They would occasionally argue. "Who is going to set up the mining towns? You? Who's going to supply the ships? Find the workers? Who's going to work as armed security to protect them? Who's going to clear the old towns out?" These questions would be spat back, and they would often prompt silence.
There were ships. Hundreds of ships. Wrecks, scrap, and even some that may still be functional. They were all being eaten by the sand and most were home to who knows what. All that metal, components, weaponry, armour. Confederation and Free Space alike. But, it was too dangerous to travel on foot, and nobody had access to the kind of transporters needed to start salvaging them. They had it all and no way of getting it. Nevyn knew in the back of his mind though, that someday soon, some off-worlders will realise this and make an expedition out of it. Build it, scrap it, take it; ruin it. Sneak an industry right under the noses of the Scooshen government. How could they hope to protect themselves from private enterprise? None of the world's politicians could see eye to eye, so how exactly would they defend against it? The doors opened to the side and Mildria walked into the room, passing by Nevyn as she gave him a slow nod. No words, there was no need for those.
"Next!" She shouted after getting settled. At the end of the room were multiple people, they had been tracked down; hunted. For jumping planet, and skipping out.
Two of the guards dragged a man up to the front of the stage. He grumbled, muttered, and drooled from the injuries he sustained in his capture. A broken jaw was lucky, considering what was swimming in his system. Poison.
"P.. Please, I'm sorry." The man got out as he was dropped and landed on his hands and knees before the throne. "I... I can explain.." He let out while praising Mildria. Nevyn could only watch and hold back a laugh at how pathetic the man seemed. They can always explain. He thought, as he continued to stare forward, to the end of the hall.
"Funny, they can always explain, can't they?" Mildria asked. "Yes. Always." Nevyn replied, maintaining his solid stare at the back wall. "Do their actions speak louder than words?" She continued, over the low cries of the man on his hands and knees. "Yes. Always." Nevyn responded. "There is no excuse for skipping out on a payment." She said.
"Please... I was scared... I was good at paying at first... That has to count for something.." Silence followed and the man's words continued to echo lightly throughout the hall.
"Yes, for the first... What was it? Five weeks?" Mildria asked. "It was..." The man replied, afraid to look up. His voice quivered and his hands were trembling. Silence seemed to be a weapon that Mildria had mastered. Every time she spoke after a silence, it made everyone's ears perk up.
"You borrowed twenty-thousand tokens and paid back two and a half thousand. Where's the rest?" She asked. "Gone... they're all gone.." "Well? Where did they go? When you came to me and asked to borrow the money, you had a foolproof plan of action, you would make that money back within two months." "I know... but, there were issues... unforeseen issues... I can still."
"Enough!" Her shout bounced through the building and the hall continued to speak for her. Again, there was a long silence. "I don't want excuses."
"I.. I.." "You... You.. You're a big boy, with big-boy problems. You have poison swimming around your system and soon it'll kill you. So, you better speak, and speak well, or else you won't be getting any of this." Nevyn couldn't help but look around at her as she waved a small syringe at the man on his knees. The antidote was orange, luminous almost, and thick and gloopy. The man cried.
"I don't want to die..." The man said, his voice now, almost a whisper. Nevyn could hear the sound of fabric rustle, most likely she was leaning back for the story. "I got a ship." The man whimpered. "Louder!" "I got a ship! I wanted to start up my own enterprise.. I had connections to do so, I still have those connections.. All I needed was transport, a crew, and some supplies.. The twenty-thousand would have covered it all and it did..." "Yes, and?"
"That's when the problems arose.. The ship was a heap and it broke down.. before I realised what parts it needed I had already spent the money..." Nevyn could hear Mildria sigh. "So you went and bought a ship without inspecting it?" "I... Thought I was getting a good deal.. It was a quick sale, he wanted twelve and when I asked to inspect it, he said he was in a hurry.. That other people were interested.. That I could give him ten.. Right there and then.."
"Where is the ship now?" Mildria asked. "I left it in my yard when I left Scoosha... Scrappers got it, now it's beyond repair..." Nevyn could hear boots stamp to the ground and then footsteps; Mildria came into peripheral view standing over the man, he just continued to plead under his breath.
She dropped the syringe in front of him. That's five hundred now you owe me and you'll need another dose in ten days, or you'll die. So, you better find a way of making your next payment. "Thank you... Thank you, Mildria.." The man said as he fumbled for the syringe. "Get out." He was on his feet a moment later and running to the doors of the hall.
Mildria stood there and watched him leave. "Do you think he'll have his next payment Nevyn?" "Yes. They always do." He replied. "I have something I need to discuss with you. Seems the Scooshen government has found an interest in the tracking chips, they reckon if I was to stop poisoning them, they might be able to sell them to Free Space. They said they plan to rebrand them as a safety measure, they say that people all over Free Space will buy them, for themselves, untrustworthy partners, kids." "You could make a lot of money." Nevyn nodded. "We could make a lot of money. But, I need council, I want to have a think and discussion about changing our operations. I kind of like this job, so that'll go on the list of pros. Working for the government, I don't like that. But, the benefits would be good." She turned and looked at him.
"We have much to consider." He replied as he stared at her. Before watching as she turned for the doors of the hall.
Nevyn started to follow Mildria; this was some big news and he was sure they wouldn't be sleeping tonight.