Why keep slaves?

[symon_r]

I have done my best to check through the forums to see if this has been discussed elsewhere but can't find any theories as to why the Mallers would be keeping slaves.

To my mind the slaves dont have much value to the Mallers themselves. We don't know of any fields or factories they have to put them to work into; particularly as they are on the move right now.

So, either the Mallers have a need for manual labour at their destination (perhaps to build something) or the slaves have another value to the Mallers. We know that one section of the Mallers is travelling south, could they have a knowledge of the colony (they apparently have a sophisticated radio set-up) and intend to try and trade their way into the colony?

[DogFromDuckhunt]

Sex. Free labor to do all the stuff you don't want to. More people to send out to collect what you might need. Bait. Entertainment. Could just like the role reversal after being locked up.

[symon_r]

Sex. Free labor to do all the stuff you don't want to. More people to send out to collect what you might need. Bait. Entertainment. Could just like the role reversal after being locked up.

Good points but in a world of limited resources I think you'd need more motivation than sex and entertainment. I doubt a slave would be trusted to forage but it would explain the runaways.

[Beaumont]

Yeah those are all great points and I still think the new regime at the colony has some connection to the mallers.

[DogFromDuckhunt]

Good points but in a world of limited resources I think you'd need more motivation than sex and entertainment.

Depends. Knew an accountant who worked in the corrections department and remember her saying something about prisons having stockpiles of food, materials, etc. Could be the Mallers weren't thinking that far ahead considering what they had on hand.

Was either Latch or Durai who said they wanted to send some people to the Tower. Might be they took in more than they could handle and now they're trying to adjust.

I doubt a slave would be trusted to forage but it would explain the runaways.

Don't see why not though. Might not be the best situation and you might take some beatings, but at least they're living.

[Leedo2502]

I'm sure that the Mallers were using them for labor and whatnot. If The Colony is their destination I'm betting we'd see a scene similar to the scene in BAT 21 where the NVA use downed pilots to clear mine... the "hard way"

[Grognaurd]

In Prisons, being part of Gang is important. The Mallers could all be part of the same gang. Maybe they do not trust anyone else and classify them as slaves. Alternatively, they could be Bait for Traps or Misdirections for Zombies.

[The One With the Markings]

You keep slaves so I can devour them.

[Dameon1213]

as much as i dont like to say it but INK is right, all they are is destractions

[Luna Guardian]

I don't agree. While the slaves certainly are the first pound of meat to be thrown to the howling wolves, there are some good uses for them. Foraging for supplies wouldn't be an impossibility. Remember that outside the protection of the Mallers, there's the decidedly undead world wanting to devour all life. Faced with the option of physical and mental abuse and certain gruesome death, a lot of people would prefer to stay under the protective, if abusive, wing of the well armed Mallers.

Also remember, that the Mallers are prisoners. While they may have a lot of useful skills, as proven by Tard, I doubt they know everything. Some of these slaves could be doctors or nurses or other specialists whos skills and knowledge would make them invaluable to any group trying to survive.