There is always a need for slaves - someone to do the dirty work, and not get paid. In days past, and in the future, societies will find a way to 'get something for nothing', at the expense, of someone else. Usually, slaves are considered, to be sub-human. That enables the slave owners, to feel justified, in treating them like dogs. For making them sleep outside, in the cold, while the slave-owner sleeps inside, with one of the slave's children. Slavery is always evil. And slave owners are evil people. The people, who turn a 'blind eye' to that evil, enable slavery to continue, and eventually, get 'trapped', and become slaves themselves. So it is, at this time in the future, when the Earth is a part, of a much larger 'Alliance', and the 'Alliance' is a part, of a much larger Darinx Empire. The Darinx Empire is in a 'life, or death struggle', against the evil Verm Empire. Comparatively speaking, the Darinx Empire is 'snow white', and the Verm Empire is 'coal black'. It is 'win or die', for the planets, in the Darinx Empire. As a 'price', for membership, in the Darinx Empire, the Earth must provide a quota of military conscripts. That quota is very high, and would decimate the fabric, of Earth's society. But there is a way, to get more soldiers, without using more, of Earth's citizens. Clones have been produced, for centuries, but clones have to be raised, and educated, and trained. But, there is a 'short cut'. When a human soldier dies, the brain is 'harvested'. That brain is 'augmented', with computerized implants, to increase the intelligence, the speed, and the fighting abilities. Then the brain is 'installed' in a super-sized clone body. There you have it. A super-human soldier, right off the assembly line. Today's slave.