Read Online Justice by S.J. Bryant - Free Book Online Page A

Aart.” Nova shrugged as she sliced through the
vines. Each Quadrant contained a small group of planets, all of
which were managed by a small group of Confederacy leaders, and a
horde of administration staff and soldiers. The Quadrants were
similar to the countries of old-Earth.
    “ That’s what I thought at first too, but then I took a trip
in.”
    “ You went to the Inner Galaxies?” Nova said. It was very rare
for someone from the Outer Galaxies to be allowed past the strict
border control of the inner region.
    “ Yeah, I’ve got this one client. She quite likes me if you
know what I mean. Wanted me to accompany her in during a
Confederacy meeting. Anyway, I got to spend some time with my ear
to the ground, and things are weird.”
    “ Weird how?” Nova asked. She panted and rested against a
nearby trunk, as sweat dribbled down her forehead. Her mind raced
with what Jack had said, what could be so bad that he couldn’t talk
about it in public?
    “ There are stories of cannibalism,” Jack whispered.
    “ What?” Nova slipped against the tree, spinning to face
him.
    Two faceless
suits stared at each other, surrounded by trees and leaves. Her
heart kicked into overdrive and a chill swept up her spine.
    “ Yep. Word is, some of the higher ups in Quadrant Two enjoy
feasting on certain meat. It’s all supposed to be very hush hush
but you hear about it. Criminals going missing, never making it to
the black holes they were supposed to be dropped into. Packages of
unlabelled meat arriving.”
    “ How does that even happen?” Nova asked, aghast.
    There were
some cannibalistic planets scattered in the Outer Galaxies, but
they were barbaric civilisations with their occupants running
around in loincloths. Cannibalism was not something she associated
with the gold-trimmed superstructures of the Inner Galaxies.
    “ I don’t know, but I’m almost certain it’s true. These weren’t
stories from some drunk at the back of a bar. I heard the same
thing from multiple people and they were all scared, Nova; really
scared.”
    “ But surely if people knew what was going on? All the Inner
Galaxies would revolt against Quadrant Two and those few would be
killed.”
    “ You don’t understand. These are the very top of their
Quadrant. Their word is practically law in their districts. Anyone
who has been heard even mentioning it has gone missing the next
day. It’s like a deadly bubble of silence.”
    “ The one time when the Confederacy should be taking control! I
suppose it’s a little bit of a relief that they’re only eating
people that were sentenced to death anyway,” Nova said in a soft
voice as she tried to reconcile the image she had of the refined
Confederacy with a room full of blood-thirsty cannibals.
    “ But that’s just it. They’ve got plans,” Jack said.
    They stood
still, looking at each other through their reflective helmets. It
was impossible to go on cutting through the forest when it seemed
that everything Nova knew about the Confederacy was crashing down
around her.
    “ They’re part of some kind of cult,” Jack said, “and they keep
recruiting members. I heard stories of people whose best friend
would suddenly stop talking to them and start associating with the
high society of the Quadrant, including going to these mysterious
feasts. I don’t know how they’re brainwashing people, but it’s
working.”
    “ How many do you think they’ve got so far?” Nova
asked.
    “ It’s almost impossible to say. That’s why you can’t talk
about it in public because anyone could be a spy, listening in. I
would say at least three hundred.”
    “ What are they going to do with all those people?” Nova asked.
“Just keep eating people and bringing more to their
cause?”
    “ That’s just it,” said Jack. “They’ve apparently got bigger
plans. They want to expand. The way I heard it, it’s almost like
they want to invade the Outer Galaxies and take everyone hostage,
as a kind of feeding