From The Ashes

[Moberg]

Many more days passed. Two of the new children who recently joined the workforce were too exhausted to continue and collapsed on the floor. They were at the end of their strength. Some of the new adults got up from their places and rushed to the children, who were beaten by the guards, urged to continue working. The ones of us that worked here for a few weeks knew that it was futile to resist. Your only chance of survival was to continue. The lifeless bodies of the two children and helping adults were soon after carried away.
It breaks people. You can not feel time passing anymore. The only way to know anything about the outside world is when the guards are drunk and talk to each other in a loud manner. Kanzler Rheinhardt apparently stepped down from his powerful seat due to medical reasons. "Implying anyone would believe that.", one of the Bundschuh said. He sees their reasoning: The old Kanzler certainly would've stayed until he did his last breath. "I assume political reasons behind this.", Michael said. In his former position, he had a fairly good amount of experience with the leaderships of the military and the Kanzler, so he has an idea what he is talking about.
Covered in sweat from his last shift, Michael returns to the cell that belongs to him. He shared it with a smelling bald-head, probably a drunk thief. Many of those get caught by Junkers or pirates and then sold to slavers. He deigns to look at Michael, giving him a nod and then falling back asleep. A broken man, his will for resistance broken. The thief has been here for over a year. 'How long will it take until I'm like this, too?', Michael silently thought to himself.
How many days have actually passed? He can't tell.


During the next shift, everybody was surprised by the lack of guards. With less of those around, the tension eased up a little. Work was a little more relaxing, but everybody still wondered where the guards were.
Presumably a few hours passed, when two guards returned to our section of the factory. They were obviously pretty nervous, so Michael strategically moved himself closer to them and tried to listen to the heated conversation they were having.
"The rebels .. taken .. front section."
Michael couldn't understand every word they said, but what he heard sparked interest in him - and a glimmer of hope. He moved back towards his usual spot in the production of tools and whispered the news to the others. They looked back and forth between the guards and themselves. Maybe this was their chance to get out, after all. When there were most guards dealing with the front section, a rebellion in here can help everyone.
In their minds, they quickly drafted a plan how they will start a conflict and get rid of the two guards, then trying to escape the ship. The actual plan was a lot more complex than this draft, and they all agreed to let it happen in half an hour, when the guards were exhausted, bored, and not paying attention - it would be shortly before the lunch break. They all were in the same boat, and he urged his comrades to spread the plan amongst everyone else.

Soon they will be free..