Soon after the daily work shift ended at 4 PM, the slaves were given a break. As usual, they formed a line to check if every slave was present and hadn't escaped.
When it was Sam's turn, the observing rhinoceros paused in front of him and smirked slightly.
"Well, well, you're actually here on time today. Have you finally settled down?" — the Rhinoceros commented sarcastically, stepping closer to the boy and scrutinizing him.
Sam, in turn, stood with a stone face, inwardly cursing the rhinoceros. He had known him for a very long time, practically since birth. He was first sent to work at the age of six, when he tried his first escape, testing the capabilities of his shackles. This rhinoceros had always observed him and treated Sam more harshly compared to other slaves.
Simply put, Sam was a thorn in the Rhinoceros's side. Observers were former slaves who had been mostly obedient and hindered the escape attempts of other slaves. For a born slave, it was the only way up, to become a supervisor.
But for Sam, it wasn't the way up. In this new world, there was an opportunity to travel through space, explore it, and become someone more successful than a supervisor of slaves on a remote Class "D" planet.
Sam had never heard of other classes of planets, but he had heard about space.
Very rarely, higher-ups would visit the planet, and observers like the Rhinoceros would bow at their feet. These higher-ups were the owners of the slave camps and managed their sale and supply.
Fortunately or unfortunately, due to his behavior, Sam had not been sold. He was too disobedient, too aggressive. Because of this, his future was set — endless dismantling of ancient metal hulls left from the ancient wars of the Precursors.
"Of course, I'm here. How could I miss the chance to see your face?" — Sam replied with the same sarcasm, earning a punch to the gut from the rhinoceros.
The pain was severe, but Sam was used to it. For 16 years, he had endured such daily assaults from his supervisor.
'Soon it will all be over, and I'll see how you explain my escape, you bastard.'
If a slave managed to escape — which was theoretically impossible due to the collars — a replacement was needed. And who could be a better replacement than the supervisor who failed to keep track of a slave? So Sam knew that his escape would cause trouble for the Rhinoceros, whom he cursed in his dreams.
The Rhinoceros just grunted and moved on, checking if every slave was present. After 10 minutes, the check was over, but for some reason, the order to disperse had not been given yet. This was rare, but if it happened, it was a sign for Sam that he should escape.
"So... The numbers I'm about to call out need to step forward." — The Rhinoceros began, positioning himself so all the slaves could see him.
"Number 34, number 5, number 72, number 44, number 28."
Sam, of course, stepped forward, looking at the other beings who came out with him. Number 34 was a tall, thin humanoid with four ears resembling dog ears. His skin was green with black spots. He also had four arms, two on top and two on the bottom. Sam didn't know the name of this race, but he often saw them. They were physically strong and resilient but quite unintelligent. The humanoid's face was quite human-like, the only difference being his long eyes that stretched from his forehead to his ears.
At number 5, to his surprise, he found another human, another one in this slave camp. He knew her. She was a girl two years older than him, with short hair, unlike the other bald slaves, which meant she was in good standing with the slavers. Sam, of course, had a bald head. She was taller than Sam and less thin. Her specialty was that she was a rare genius in engineering, which was highly valued among slaves, and not only among them but also among the slavers. Few knew how to repair various devices, including the shackles.
Sam noted her especially because with her help, he might be able to get rid of the shackles on his neck and hands. If he needed to make her do it, he would.
Number 72 was, of course, Sam himself, who didn't stand out much, although he was particularly thin and short. All this was because he had escaped too many times, and as punishment, he was given minimal food, though it seemed there couldn't be less to feed a slave. As a result, he got his ration every day and a half, making him always feel weak.
Number 44 was the same octopus who had tried to escape but didn't know the function of the shackles. He looked normal, although his skin had turned almost completely pale white. This might have indicated his health.
And the last, number 28, was something resembling the aliens humanity had depicted in his world. Unlike them, he had no mouth, and there were something like gills on the sides of his neck. His skin was turquoise, and instead of ears, he had two strange fins.
'How can he survive on such a dry land?'
Sam already knew the name of this race — they were Amphibians. This race primarily lived on oceanic planets and could not tolerate heat. That's why Sam was so surprised. But Sam also had a rough idea of the answer, though he wasn't sure. Perhaps it was due to the stimulators in the shackles that members of this race could survive in such arid conditions.
As soon as everyone had assembled, and Sam stopped looking around, the Rhinoceros instructed all others to disperse. Soon he also ordered those who had stepped forward to come to him.
"So, you have a special mission assigned by the higher-ups. A subterranean complex has been found nearby. It's unknown whether it belongs to the Ancients or something else. Your task is to scout this complex. Two more supervisors will accompany you." — The Rhinoceros said, watching the slaves' reactions closely. Everyone just stood and listened, but in some eyes, a sinister glint appeared.
It was a glimmer of hope. And Sam was one of those whose eyes lit up with that very hope. Right after these thoughts, the Rhinoceros continued.
"Don't think you'll manage to escape or anything like that. I wouldn't count on it if I were you. Especially you, 72." The Rhinoceros said, pointing a finger at the skinny, pale figure of the boy.
Sam just spread his arms and smiled.
"What are you talking about, Mr. Supervisor? Me... Ever wanted to escape? Not at all!"
Suddenly, Sam heard a laugh beside him. He quickly spotted the source and realized it was the girl.
The Rhinoceros looked sternly at both her and him, then smiled.
"Well, of course. No one doubts you. We'll see who will have the last laugh, pup."
Soon the Rhinoceros delivered a tirade about what would happen to those who tried to escape and how they would need to listen to the two supervisors who would accompany them.
But Sam just let it all wash over him, looking into the distance, watching the approaching sandstorm.
'If this underground complex has weapons, my chances of escape increase several times.'
A wide smile played on his face, and when he was addressed, he simply nodded, not really listening to what was said.
The only problem for him was the two supervisors who would be armed. He didn't even question what kind of weapons they would have. He assumed that they wouldn't be given any serious weapons to a former slave, and obviously, a deadly weapon was not an option. Killing slaves would be a death sentence for supervisors since they would themselves take their places.
When the Rhinoceros finished speaking, everyone silently nodded to him and noticed the two arriving supervisors. One of them was an octopus like 44, and the other resembled a monkey from Sam's past life.
"Well then, I'm leaving you now." — The Rhinoceros said and headed toward the two arriving supervisors. On their belts, Sam noticed two telescopic batons.
This made him smirk once more.
The Rhinoceros discussed something with the two supervisors and even pointed at Sam. Soon they finished discussing, and the Rhinoceros left, while the two unknowns approached.
The monkey spoke first.
"I'll be brief. I'll go first, followed by number 5, then 34, in the middle is 72. Behind him will be 24, and securing 28 with my partner at the very rear. Is everything clear?!"
The monkey said, threateningly examining each reaction. Everyone could only nod; their objections were clearly not welcome.
Thus, a sort of caravan was formed, and they set out. No one knew how this journey would turn out for them, but several slaves already knew what they would do during it.
Not only did Sam see this journey as a ticket to freedom. The human girl walking right behind the beastman was trying to hold back the smile that was creeping onto her face.