The Penal Colony
The Commandant woke up to the news of the Officer's death. The machine which he, the Officer, held so dear had perished in the ordeal. The last iota of the previous Commandant had finally evaporated. The Colony could now turn a new leaf. Due process could now take centre stage. There would be Justice. The Soldier reported that the Explorer had fled the scene after putting the Officer in the Apparatus. The Condemned Man attested to the Soldier's claim. They had chased after him up to the port and had narrowly missed him. The Explorer had ferried away after putting a man through a horrible and unfulfilling death. The Explorer had murdered a man whose only fault was that he had done his job diligently. What could the Officer have done? What he did in his life was no fault of his. The Colony had a tradition and the Officer had kept it going. And, for that the Explorer had ordered, in a language, they were not familiar with, probably French, the Officer to lie down on the be...