"I Thought it Might be the Best Chance I Got For a Long Time"

"I thought it might be a long time before I had any other chance at all," you say.

"Well as you can see, that wasn't a chance. You did nothing but inconvenience us by forcing us to haul you in here. But you were half-right. You're not going to get any chances after this either. Noth is under Imperial control. Even if you could escape this facility, and as you have already seen, you can't, there's nowhere for you to run. If you spend another moment as a free person, it will be a long time from now, and on account of the generosity of your owner. Now, I'm sure you're not happy to hear that..."

You fight back a chuckle, but he seems to sense it.

"I say something funny?"

"No. I'm sorry."

"Your instinct to avoid disrespect is a good one, but when one of your betters asks you a question, you should be honest. I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want an answer. Was something I said funny?"

Is this a trick? Is he testing you to see if you'll make the same mistake again? You try to hedge your bets. See if you can be honest without insulting him. "Not really, sir. It was just an understatement. The part about me not being happy to hear it, I mean."

"I don't doubt it was. You're not the first new **** I've met. For your own good, though, let me give you some advice. Before you let yourself fall into that pit of inconsolable despair new slaves are alway so drawn to, wait a little bit. See if you hate your new life as much as you think you will. Despite what your idiot rulers and Terran ‘benefactors’ have told you, we are not a cruel people. We do not want you so you may suffer, but so you may serve. If you are a good servant, you will be rewarded. You will prosper." He pauses, as if to give you a chance to respond, but you say nothing. "All of the other slaves on your bus have already been processed. Now that you're awake, I'm going to take you out of here to be processed as well. Compliance will be rewarded. Resistance will be punished. Do you understand?"

"I do," you say.

"Good," he says.