Jack Chalker - Cerberus - A Wolf in the Fold

I saw the judges whispering among themselves until finally the whisper, like a ripple, reached the chief judge. He looked slightly surprised and a bit uncomfortable, but he considered whatever it was, then turned back to me.

“My colleagues seem to go along with you—to a point In such a relationship, which is quite rare on this planet, it has been maintained by some of my learned colleagues that an absolute sentence would punish you, who have been charged with nothing. Furthermore, it appears that no matter how removed our society seems, there are still some romantics among us. Let me ask you—have you ever had a full physical examination?”

I thought a bit. “Yes, your honor. When I was first on the planet, and again the first week of my employment.”

“I see. I note that your form is close to the standard for the civilized worlds, and such are generally sterile. Do you know if you have the capacity to father children?”

“I am told I do, your honor,” I answered. “Although the product of some genetic engineering, this body is of the frontier.”

Again came conversation, again the whispers and the ripples, the nods and gestures. Finally the chief judge announced, “Well, we find an equitable solution here, we believe, one that is in accord with our past history and is in the interest of fairness. It is quite out of the ordinary, but we feel that if it sets a precedent it will be a rare one, considering the circumstances of the case and the example. We therefore place the prisoner in the Child-bearers and Rearers Syndicate, subject to all its codes, rules, articles and provisions, but assign her to you rather than to a specific Guild House, for so long as you choose, with the following provisions.

“One, that you yourself in no way cause the prisoner to violate any of those codes, rules, articles, and provisions. Two, that you perform the duties normally done by insemination at the Guild Houses, or arrange for insemination in case she cannot fulfill her quota. Three, that you assume absolutely all financial burdens, and that the prisoner shall have no credit, no money, and no possessions under law except those which you provide. All joint assets currently in both names or in her name shall be transferred to you alone, and her card shall be invalid for any purchases or other transactions, making her a total dependent. Four, she shall be totally subject to your authority, carrying out any such duties large or small that you permit so long as she follows the guild code, rules, articles, and provisions. Five, should you ever no longer wish her company or services, she must immediately report to and enroll in the nearest Guild House, transferring all authority to the Guild House. Do you understand the terms?”

“Yes, your honor.” I sure did. It was the most degrading and demeaning sentence I’d ever heard in my whole life, one that could only have been pronounced on this dirty planet. It was in fact the worst punishment they could mete out to her, considering her independent spirit. Suddenly she was reduced not merely to the chattel of Akeba House but to outright slavery. Still, I had to agree, it being as good a deal as I thought could be made at this time. But someday, Cerberus, I was going to correct it all. Correct it, and pay them back for this. They might temporarily break her. But that only spurred me on to break their whole goddamned rotten system.

“Sentence on Dylan Zhang Kohl is therefore pronounced and ratified,” the judge was saying. “Prisoner will remain in custody and undergo full sentencing as soon as practicable, preferably within the next few hours. Release is set at ten hundred tomorrow morning, at which time she will be released to your custody, Qvvin Zhang.”

I nodded and sat back down.

“Sanda Tyne,” the judge continued, “you shall be judged and locked into the body now possessed by Dylan Kohl. It is further directed that you undergo a process of psychological conditioning at the Borough of Medlams Public Psychology Section as prescribed by this court, and that you be reduced to the status of mendicant. Any employment you might find is restricted to the most menial of Class II occupations, and permanently fixed in the lowest position at the minimum wage prescribed by law. This sentence is to be carried out expeditiously, and not later than ten hundred tomorrow morning. This court is now adjourned. Prisoners will report to chambers for initial judgment.

The thirteen filed out, and a cop came up and escorted the two women through a door to one side of the judge’s dais. Neither of them looked back in my direction.

I was frankly more concerned with Dylan than with Sanda. As head of Hroyasail I could hire her even if I was limited in what I could pay her or do for her, so she wouldn’t face the fate of others in the mendicant class—a free one-way trip to Momrath. I worried, though, if having her around in that body would bother Dylan.

I waited anxiously in the anteroom of the Municipal Holding at ten hundred. I didn’t have long to wait. I soon saw both of my women, looking very much the same, walk out and head toward me. Both were stopped, asked to sign something, and then given their cards.

Dylan, now in Sanda’s slim sandy haired form, was through first and came up to me. “Hi,” she managed weakly.

“Hi, yourself,” I responded, and kissed her. “Was it bad?”

“Not really. I don’t even remember most of it. No, the bad stuffs to come. I can’t believe the sons of bitches actually gave me to you!”

“It’s not a precedent,” I told her, “and not restricted to women, either. It’s also done for Syndicate bosses, it seems, and Laroo. Some of ’em have private harems, male or female. It’s based on their first principle—you own your mind but the state owns all our bodies.”

“Maybe mostly, but they own a little of my mind, too. I don’t think they missed a trick to humiliate me. I can’t cause myself or anyone else physical harm. The way the psychs adjusted my mind, I’ll almost go into heat, like some animal, to get pregnant right on their schedule. I can’t even leave your side without permission, and if I’m left in the apartment I must stay there. I can’t set foot on a boat, even if it’s docked, permission or no. All that sort of shit.”

“I’m so very sorry. I’ll make it as easy on you as I can,” I soothed.

She managed a wan smile. “I know you will. Look, I told you I took the risk freely. We crapped out this time, that’s all. Look on the bright side: you won’t have to worry any more about my getting killed, and those bastards turned me into an adolescent sex fantasy all for you.”

“I didn’t ask for that.”

“I know.” She turned. “Here’s Sanda.”

Our other woman looked really stricken, filled with guilt, a guilt I knew would surface not only every time she looked at Dylan but also every time she looked in a mirror. She had done her idol in, and that was her true punishment.

Dylan grabbed her and hugged her. “Don’t feel so bad! Don’t feel so guilty! No more babies for you, no more prisoner! And we’re still together!” She turned back to me. “You can find a job for her, can’t you?”

I nodded, feeling relieved that that was out of the way. “Sure.” I looked around. “Let’s get out of this place.”

We walked out into the sunshine and sea breeze, and I hailed a cab to take us back to the dock. When we got out, Dylan looked up at Akeba House, out on the promontory. “There is one requirement they made that I have to observe, permission or no,” she told me. “I have to go up to the House in the next few days and, before an assembly of the women there, tell what happened to me and recant my crimes in front of them. That’ll be the hardest thing.”