Chapter 29: The Girl.

[Man with top hat]: Fifty Ovals.

[Woman in rags]: Eighty Ovals.

[Man with top hat]: Sixty Ovals, my final offer.

[Woman in rags]: Fine.

The man in the top hat clapped his hands and two large men came through the door.

[Man with top hat]: Get the girl, make sure to not damage the goods.

The man took a leather pouch out of his coat pocket and tossed it to the woman in rags.

[Man with top hat]: Sixty Ovals, exact. Count it if you want.

The woman quickly poured the contents of the bag on the table and counted them.

Seeing that there was exactly sixty, the woman showed a defeated smile and put the ovals back in the pouch.

The two men came returned with a little girl between them.

[Man with top hat]: Take her to the ship.

The two men led the little girl outside. She obediently follows. The girl turned around just before she left.

[Girl]: Don’t worry mom, I will be okay.

The woman in rags was on the verge of tears. But she could do nothing about it.

[Man with top hat]: What a good kid, don’t worry, she will be bought by someone rich, the rich don’t treat there slaves that bad.

The woman had some of her worries relieved that at the very least her daughter’s life might be a bit better off than it currently is.

The man with the top hat tipped his hat, took his cane and walked out the door.

[Woman in rags]: Stay safe my daughter…

______

The girl was placed in the ship with other slaves. They all had a defeated look on their face. The ship took off as they headed closer toward the center. From the eighth ring, they were heading toward the sixth ring.

The man with the top hat opened the door and walked in with his two henchmen behind him.

[Man with top hat]: Understand now that for now you are between the border of being citizens and property. After someone purchases you and the contract is signed, you will be labeled as property. Don’t worry, most buyers are nice… I do pray that you do not get any of the more “eccentric” of buyers who had “certain” hobbies that are frowned upon by society.

The people in the room shivered as they thought about it.

[Man with top hat]: Now then, all of you line up. It’s time to receive your slave collar.

The slave collar was both a price tag as well as a security measure. It included a GPS tracker in it as well as an EKG to have a detailed health report on the person wearing it. The report will determine a large portion of the price. The other factors affecting the price would be the slave’s personality and skills.

The girl stood in line obediently and received her collar. It was a black piece of leather with machinery imbedded in it. There was a monitor on the side that display her health information.

She sat back down on the wooden bench lining the walls of the room. At the very least they didn’t have to stand the entire trip. Apparently this slave merchant was one of the better ones. Stories of horrible merchants and slave living conditions scared her greatly at first.

______

They soon arrived at the sixth ring and landed at a large stone building. Compare to everything else around it, it was considered fancy. Most of the sixth ring looked like a ghetto style city made of concrete and wood. The streets were narrow with a lot of peddlers displaying their goods on wooden tables and carpets on the floor. It had the feeling of a grand bazaar from ancient times. This place is the City of Bastila, the market of the outer ring. People from all over the outer four rings come to sell their goods and to purchase things they need. Even some people from the inner rings come out looking for hidden treasures as some interesting things could be found. This place was the main place where the money from the rich flow down to the poor.

The stone building was three story tall and was about the size of a super market. It was about the same of a medium sized warehouse.

The slaves exited the ship after it landed and was brought in a line towards the holding cells.

On the way there, they were given necessary things to survive until they were purchased. A uniform, soap and towel, with a tooth brush, tooth paste, and a cup was given to them. The uniform were mostly prison uniform that no longer were used. They were purchased in bulk to be used to cloth the slaves.

The slaves were given some free time, most of them went straight to take a shower since few consider it a luxury compare to their past lives. Cleaned and wearing freshly washed uniforms, they went to the cells. It was a large room with multiple bunk beds for where the slaves slept.

The slaves had a work schedule since having people just laze around instead of doing work was not profitable. Some were taught various trades like tailoring and metal works. This both produces goods the slave merchant can sell as well as improving the price of the slaves. The slaves also gain a skill that they can use to eventually free themselves.

______

After a week working at the place, the girl learned how to cook from the head cook. She help with the meals the slaves eat every day and some even praised her for her cooking.

The girl was happy yet homesick. She hoped that her mother was doing well.

The man with the top hat walked in to the kitchen one day.

[Man with top hat]: # 4921, someone wishes to purchase you. It’s time to go.

The girl’s heart skipped a beat when she heard it. All she could do is obediently follow. On the way to the office, she prayed with all her might someone nice would buy her.

As she entered the office she saw her new master.

[Crule]: You must be Ming, I am here to get you today.

It was a twelve year old boy wearing a black coat.