MENTAL ESSENCE
PAGE 153
     "You look different than we.  You sound different.  Where is your number?" one of the Commons asked looking at Trent's neck.
     "I do not know.  What is it for?" Trent asked.
     "Your designation," the Commons being stated.
     "Designation?" asked Trent.
     "Your designation.  Who you be.  What you should do.  Where you go," said a different Commons.
     "I see.  Your name is 4345-b-1," said Trent.
     "Yes," 4345-B-1 replied.
     "What is your assignment?" Trent asked.
     "I maintain water grid on upper hills during first half of night," replied 4345-b-1.
     "I do electrical," said another.
     "I think of odd looking beings.  Some are small and some look like us," Trent said.
     "Entertainment.  You think of entertainment.  I like the cannibals.  They really scare me top to feet," said 4345-b-1.
     "Are they the Celder?" asked Trent.
     The Commons fell silent. 
     "He must have hit head really hard," stated one of the Comons.
    "Open your mouth," demanded 4345-b-1 as he pulled out a knife.
    The other Commons also blandished weapons.
    "Ahhhh," said Trent with his mouth open.
    "Not Celder.  You should go to enforcement building to know about you," said 4345-b-1.
    The group of Commons turned and walked away.
    "Well that was enlightening.  I am going to morph a number on my neck like 4345-b-1," Trent thought.
    "They obviously know about the Celder," Pace thought.
    "They are obviously afraid of them as well.   Most of the Commons I have seen are watching displays of the bioengineered creatures," thought Trent.
    "Perhaps those with the larger craniums were not Ulavet.  Ask someone where you could find one," Pace suggested.
    "Hi there, have you seen a Ulavet around here?" Trent asked a Commons.
    "Na.  Not here.  They come from ocean, but not for long time," replied the Commons looking toward the horizon.
    "Excuse me sir, but who are they," Trent said pointing to a couple of enforcers.
    "Laba.  They do the orders of the Ulavet.  Where you from to not know?" asked the Commons.
    "I worked in a chemical factory.  I forget a lot," replied Trent.
    "I guess the Ulavet had the dislike of water engineered into the Celder for a reason," thought Trent.    
    "That correlates with the communications concentration eight thousand miles to the south," OM thought.
    " I do not see anyone using money.  I suppose they use your number to keep track of services used.  There must be a public transportation system that goes that way," Trent thought.
    Five days later Trent was on the Loy continent.
    "I just debarked at a city called Port Bouse.  There are a lot of Laba around," Trent Thought.
   Trent gradually made his way to a heavily fortified area called Foss Niva.
   "I am at a place called Foss Niva.  There are fifty-foot fences with Laba stationed every twenty feet.  There are ground level sensors every foot or so, and there are space capable transports coming and going east to west," thought Trent.
   "That part of the planet is just going out of view.  Some of the transports are coming and going from the largest space port, and the others are going to land ports all over the planet," thought Pace.
   "Thermal scan shows underground pathways on the North side of the fortress.  The shielding around the buildings is strong enough to prevent the probe from scanning the interiors," OM thought.
    "The transports will be too well guarded to stowaway on," thought Trent. 
    "There is an electronics repair and manufacturing facility three miles to the west.  Perhaps there is intel there," OM thought.
    "On my way," thought Trent.
    A few blocks from the fortress Trent seen two more Commons being forced into a transport by several Laba.
    "Hi.  I noticed the Laba taking two.  Why did they take them?" asked Trent.
    "You mean harvested them.  They take them to the Ulavet to be eaten.  What do you think they do with us?" returned the Commons.
    "Are they also called Celder?" asked Trent.
    "No.  The Celder are just their fighters.  Where you from to not know that?" the Commons asked.
    "The Ulavet eat us, and the Celder eat us.  Do the Laba eat us as well?" asked Trent.
    "The Laba eat only plant.  That's why the Ulavet trust them," answered the Commons.
    "Why do you not fight back?" Trent asked.
    "Nowhere to go.  No weapons.  It is our place to be eaten I suppose," the Commons said.
    "I think we should remove the Ulavet the moment we know who their partners in the production of gravatirium are," Pace thought.
    "Agreed.  I will see if I can acquire some intel from a Laba.  If that does not work, I will storm the castle.  To emphasize, I will storm the castle," Trent thought.
    "You never let me have any fun," Pace thought back.
    Trent made sure he caught the eye of a Laba, then ran down an ally. The Laba followed him.
    "Hello!" Trent said while leaning against a building.
    The Laba reached out to grab Trent.
    "I want you to answers a few questions.  If you fail, I will twist your arm off.  Then your head.  Now, how can I get into the Ulavet compound?" Trent said as he crushed a hand full of cement from the sidewalk.
    The Laba watched the powdered cement sift through Trent's fingers.
    "Ummm, why would you want to be dinner for a Celder or Ulavet?" asked the Laba.
    "I do not.  One more time, how do I get into the Ulavet compound?" Trent asked.
    "It is your life.  I could take you in as a dinner, but why you wish to dye in such a terrible way?" the Laba asked.
    "I want to meet the Ulavet, and kill them, and your friends the Celder," Trent said, letting the Laba raise to his feet, but still holding his wrist.
    "You are wrong.  The Celder hold my family at Hidd to insure I do as they say, and there are no more Ulavet," the Laba said.
    "Explain," Trent demanded.