Silent Rebellion

The bionic light source illuminated the corridors of the starship, casting a cold, metallic glow. Several men in uniform stood at the door of the rest cabin, peering inside. The half-open cabin door was shrouded in darkness, with faint sounds of breathing coming from within. They turned and walked down the corridor, chatting casually.

"How many people are needed at the slave farm this time?"

One of them activated the electronic screen on his wrist and replied, "A total of three thousand are required, and our ship's quota is one hundred and five."

The other nodded and added, "Alright. Also, select another fifty attractive ones to send to the War Comfort Department. They just placed an order."

The crew member studying the electronic screen suddenly stopped, frowning in confusion. He tapped on the screen twice.

"What's wrong?" someone asked.

He pointed to a light spot on the screen hesitantly. "Here, there's a bracelet showing no vital signs."

Another shrugged nonchalantly. "It's probably just faulty. These bracelets have been recycled multiple times. Usually, you just need to reset it with the administrator password."

The crew member entered the password, but it didn't work.

He muttered curses under his breath, scratching his head in irritation. "Looks like I'll have to restart it from the hardware."

Laughter erupted among his companions. "Let him deal with it. Let's go grab a drink and have some fun. Hahaha!"

The crew member gave them a rude gesture and, grumbling about the malfunctioning bracelet extending his shift, reluctantly headed into the dimly lit cargo hold.

The cargo hold was cramped and stifling. Even though the residents of Garbage Star had made a basic effort to clean themselves, the stench from decades of neglect was overpowering. The crew member held his breath and navigated through the narrow beds.

When he reached the area where the wristband display should be, he looked down at the bed illuminated by the blue light of the electronic screen. 

His eyes widened in shock. The narrow bed was empty; the white sheets were smooth and unwrinkled, and there was no sign of anyone lying there. On the pillow, only the metal bracelet lay upright, flashing a dim light in the darkness.

A hoarse, low voice drifted from behind him, softly brushing his ears like a lover's whisper or a ghost's eerie call: "Are you looking for me?"

The crew member's heart raced in terror. Before he could turn around, he felt cold hands grip his neck, pinching his carotid artery with brutal precision. 

Just before losing consciousness, he glimpsed the attacker's face: a gaunt, malnourished child with pronounced cheekbones and hollow, sinister eyes that gleamed in the darkness, revealing a malevolent smile.

The cabin fell silent once more.

Ge Xiu watched as the crew member, who was twice his size, slumped onto the empty bed. His eyes sparkled with suppressed excitement in the dim light.

He flexed his stiff wrist, then bent down and began to search the man's body with practiced efficiency. He found an identity card, a brain chip, three doses of anesthetic, two doses of adrenaline, half a pack of tobacco substitutes, and a piece of candy.

Ge Xiu examined the small candy cube in his hand. Wrapped in aluminum foil, it had "Uniform Distribution of Materials" printed on it. He unwrapped the candy and tentatively sniffed it.

Sweet.

Ge Xiu licked the surface of the candy cautiously, his eyes lighting up slightly. He eagerly stuffed the entire candy into his mouth. The taste of industrial saccharin was strong and overwhelming, quickly capturing his senses.

He smiled contentedly, tucking the crew member's feet into the bunk, then jumped onto the bed. His thin legs dangled above the ground, swaying as he sat.

Ge Xiu studied the intellectual brain he had taken from the crew member while savoring the melting candy. The light blue glow of the electronic screen cast a faint illumination on his face.

After a few minutes, Ge Xiu finished reviewing the documents and raised his head. He tilted it thoughtfully for a moment before jumping off the bed, slipping to Xiaoyi's bed, and administering the adrenaline from his pocket with a quick injection.

Xiaoyi's body jolted as he gasped for air, but Ge Xiu quickly covered his mouth and eyes.

"Shhh."

Xiaoyi, recognizing Ge Xiu despite the darkness, nodded slightly to indicate he would remain silent.

Once Ge Xiu released him, Xiaoyi whispered, "Little Qi, how are you..."

Before he could finish, Ge Xiu threw the light brain with the screen towards him. The blue-lit screen was aimed directly at Xiaoyi's face.

Xiaoyi's eyes widened in shock as he read the contents. His limited literacy allowed him to recognize symbols and basic text, enough to understand the grim reality.

As he read, his fear grew, and he began to tremble uncontrollably. The so-called Alliance Humanitarian Decree was revealed to be a lie. Abandoned planets became garbage dumps after their resources were exhausted, and the Alliance, unwilling to forgo labor resources, used the cheapest labor possible while saving on riot suppression costs. Abducted laborers were sold off as slaves to various power families.

To some extent, the Alliance wasn't lying about post-retirement support—but only if one survived long enough to retire.

Xiaoyi's mind raced with confusion and dread. He wanted to apologize for his earlier accusations and was overwhelmed with questions, fears of the future, and the despair of shattered dreams.

Ge Xiu gently wiped the tears from Xiaoyi's eyes with his cold fingers. His voice was soft, almost a breath.

"Don't worry. You'll be fine. I have a plan to get us all out safely."

Xiaoyi, though comforted by the gesture, asked nervously, "What are you going to do?"

In the dim light, Ge Xiu's eyes glinted with a mix of calm and excitement. His voice, steady yet tinged with barely contained fervor, revealed the shocking plan:

"Steal the ship."

In the cockpit, the crew members were engaged in loud, vulgar conversation, celebrating their successful haul. The autopilot mode was engaged, and the ship cruised through the dark, tranquil expanse of space, with celestial bodies passing by.

The crew was excited, and even high-grade alcohol was brought out as a reward. Amid the festivities, the non-commissioned officer glanced at the closed hatch and frowned in irritation.

"Why isn't Leach back yet? How long does it take to fix a control bracelet?"

Another crew member, glass in hand, joked crudely, "Maybe he found something else to amuse himself with."

To them, the inhabitants of the marginal galaxies were mere commodities, to be traded or disposed of as they saw fit.

The non-commissioned officer, scowling, muttered, "I've told him repeatedly—damaged goods come out of his share."

He continued cursing until the cockpit was suddenly illuminated by flashing red warning lights and the shrill sound of alarms.

"Alarm, fuel tank leak! Alarm, fuel tank leak!"

The non-commissioned officer quickly accessed the damage report and cursed again. "Damn it, it's the same issue Leach patched before. He was too lazy to fix it properly!"

He ordered the crew to fix the leak and sent someone to find Leach in the cargo hold.

Three crew members went to repair the leak, one went to the cargo hold, and only four remained in the cockpit. The leak, though minor, needed addressing.

As the repair crew worked, they found the hatch locked from the inside. They saw a thin boy in cargo clothes disappearing down the corridor.

Panic set in as they hurried to alert the non-commissioned officer. Meanwhile, the cockpit crew, overwhelmed by high-concentration anesthetic gas, fell unconscious.

The crew member who had ventured out of the cargo hold found himself unexpectedly awake and confused. Before he could react, Ge Xiu struck him from behind, rendering him unconscious.

Ge Xiu, standing over the fallen crew member, grinned with pure delight. He tossed a screwdriver in the air and caught it with a playful whistle.

"Have a good dream."

Xiaoyi peeked cautiously from the corridor, confirming that it was safe before stepping out.

"Um... is he really unconscious?"

Ge Xiu skipped over to the fallen crew member, raised his eyebrows, and flashed a mischievous smile.

"Like a dead dog."