The Time Voyager's Obsession

Discernment - II

     To Hana’s surprise, cell block F was silent. A row of twelve containment chambers lined both sides of the hallway, each ominously dark. She stood at the end of the corridor listening for movement, the private’s footsteps reverberating eerily down the long hall. He turned at her hesitance and sighed in exasperation. 

     “I’m only going to tell you this once, alright?” he whispered under his breath, propelling her through the doorway. “You keep your head down in here. Don’t make trouble, and there won’t be trouble, understand? I don’t know what that was back there, but Var is exactly the kind of person you need to avoid. Don’t do or say anything to draw attention to yourself.” 

     He brought his voice even lower, never meeting her eye, “And if I were you, I would rough yourself up a bit more. Hide behind some of that hair maybe. You look too shiny and new. Pretty faces don’t get you anything good in this place.” He halted before reaching the first cell. “Breathe a word of what I’ve said to anyone, and I’ll deny it, understand? Don’t look to me for any help; I’ve done what I can.” Hana nodded to his back as he marched forward with clipped steps, trigger finger poised. 

     Hana followed closely behind the guard, mentally filing away the stranger's name into the recesses of her mind. Her eyes roved each of the cells as they passed. She thought she could see shadows moving within the darkness, overwhelmed by the sensation that she was being watched. 

     As they approached prison cell D14, the private stopped, pulling out a key card, and sliding it into the door lock. An optical scanner opened from within the panel, and the private stepped forward as a red beam passed over his eyes. The lights of the cell flickered on suddenly, revealing the bloody scene within. 

     “What in hell’s starfire?” He cursed, staggering back in surprise. 

     From wall to ceiling, the cell was splattered in the dark red of coagulated blood. A suspect pool of green liquid seeped out from the far corner of the chamber, bits of flesh and entrails strewn across the floor. The private spun Hana around quickly, facing her away from the c*****e. 

     “Can I get an assignment confirmation on cell D14, block F, Camp D?” he hissed into the call box of his transmitter.    

     “Cell assignment cell D14, block F, Camp D: Occupant Hana Dari,” an automated female voice returned. 

     “This is private Benson. Requesting immediate transfer of prisoner Hana Dari, citing the need for biowaste removal in D14,” the man returned, an eyebrow arched as he waited for a reply. 

     “Transfer request denied,” the voice replied after an exaggerated pause. 

     “Then send a Biohazard Removal Unit to D14 immediately. I’m waiting on processing down here,” Benson spat in disgust. 

     “Request granted, BRU has been dispatched for waste removal,” the AI confirmed. 

     Benson looked over his shoulder at the cell, eyeing it from floor to ceiling in disapproval. “Eyes facing forward, Dari,” he commanded, catching Hana’s frightened gaze. 

     She obeyed, waiting in silence for the BRU to arrive. At long last it clattered down block F, a pressurized hose dragging behind it. Hana listened as the robot blasted away all that was left of D14’s prior occupant, the floor drain gurgling loudly. Strong whiffs of bleach and ammonia wafted down the hallway, mixing together with the underlying smell of death. A large fan whirled within the cleaning unit, drying up the sudsy water as it dripped to the floor. Its task concluded, the unit rolled back down the hallway and out of sight, the cell door sealing behind it. 

     “Wrist,” the private demanded unceremoniously. 

     Hana held it out to him. He pushed her barcode up towards a scanner located beneath the cell’s control panel. It registered the electronic tag, her name and ID number flashing across the keypad’s screen. The doors opened once more, a strong blast of cleaning fumes spilling from the chamber.               

     “In you go,” Benson said, pointing to the opening with the muzzle of his gun. Hana entered the cell, coughing from the stringent air. The doors shut at once, and private Benson’s voice echoed over the intercom. 

     “I’m setting the Bioscreen to blackout mode. There’s a uniform in your duffle bag. Put it on. Everything else goes to the incinerator: shoes, jewelry, hair accessories- undergarments too. Your cell is subject to regular searches so don’t try to conceal anything. You have five minutes.”

     The glass pixelated and went suddenly dark, hiding block F from view. 

     Despite the small gesture of privacy, Hana still felt vulnerable. Working quickly, she set her duffle on the metal bunk, pulling out its contents one by one. Her uniform consisted of a plain green shirt with matching cotton pants. A set of grey undergarments lay beneath them, followed by a simple pair of brown slippers. Hana took one piece of clothing off at a time, quickly replacing it with another, her back to the glass. 

     Lastly, she followed the private’s suggestion, unwinding the twists of her long braid to let her curls fall freely down her back. She tousled it with her fingers, the course ringlets snagging with knots. Artificial light streamed into the cell, the privacy panels falling away around her. The private blinked at her, something like pity sparking in his eyes.

     “Maybe that wasn’t the best idea,” he said solemnly, surveying her. He shook his head, expression hardening. Pressing a button on the control panel, a chute gaped open from the wall behind Hana. “Everything goes in,” he said sternly, pointing to her belongings. 

     Hana picked up the pile and walked to the shaft. She peered down it, a flickering orange light reflecting off of the metallic walls. She cast the last of her worldly possessions down to the flames. 

     When she turned, the private had gone. The lights of the cell dimmed until she was cast into complete darkness. The silence was deafening, each breath echoing raggedly in the empty chamber. They came faster and faster, until Hana found herself huddled on the floor, clutching at her chest for air.  

     “Can’t breath,” she gasped, “I can’t breathe!” Her heart thundered painfully, blood pounding in her ears. Hana coughed until she gagged, her mind growing fuzzy. 

     On the brink of passing out, she forced herself to be still. Hana breathed in through her mouth, sucking down air into her burning lungs. Holding it a moment, she released the breath slowly, repeating the process until her racing heart quieted and the panic attack passed. 

     She rose gingerly to her feet, stretching out a leg to feel out the slope of the floor. With hesitant steps, she made her way forward, hobbling through the darkness until she reached the cold edge of her bunk. Hana felt for her duffle, blind fingers closing around the edge of a wool blanket tucked inside. She pulled it out and wrapped it about her shoulders. 

     Stuffing the duffle beneath her head, Hana curled into herself. Tears brimmed from the corners of her eyes, running down her cheeks in silent streams. She bit her lip to keep from crying out. Suddenly a year seemed an impossibly long time to survive, even if she did have the aid of Filo’s influence. 

      “I ask to be allowed general supervision of Hana’s incarceration, for her own safety, in addition to overseeing her probation upon return to Astra Glacies,” Filo had very nearly begged. Maybe it had only been half a lie.

      At the time, she had seen it as a desperate maneuver to maintain control. By keeping his finger firmly on her tether, Filo could yank her back to him whenever he pleased. Even so, Hana had clearly underestimated the peril awaiting her at Mala Fide, a very real danger lurking within its peeling walls. As she had already witnessed, its violent reputation was well earned. Her interaction with the stranger called Var had only served to solidify that realization, culminating with the brutal scene that awaited her in the cell. 

     If she was being honest with herself, her will was already weakening. If she yielded to Filo’s control, at least she would escape the bloody fate that had befallen D14’s last inmate. A wave of bitterness welled in Hana’s throat at the thought of it. She was already falling victim to Filo’s ploy, playing into Rus’ fear tactics. It had been his plan all along to isolate her, forcing her to depend on his son for help. 

     She shivered, pulling the rough fabric under her chin. How much longer could she fight his cruel manipulation? She had a month to come up with a plan, a month until her first meeting with Filo as overseeing supervisor. He would come looking to comfort Hana in her brokenness, and then they would both find out how much steel ran through her spine. 

     “Rise and shine, sleeping beauty,” a disembodied voice blared out over the intercom. 

     Hana bolted upright on the bunk as the lights of her cell slowly flickered back to life. She blinked painfully at the artificial brightness, her eyes having already grown accustomed to the dark. Squinting through her matted veil of hair, she watched the man suspiciously. He stood scrutinizing her through the glass, hands clasped behind his back, legs spread shoulder width apart. He was outfitted in full military regalia, brass metals gleaming. The heels of his polished dress shoes clicked in time as he stalked the perimeter of her cell. 

     “Prisoner No. 312546, I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure. I’m General Oswell Larson, but you can just call me The Warden. No, no,” he said waving a hand facetiously, “no need stand at attention, you and I are going to be fast friends. First, there are a few things you need to know.”  

     Hana flinched back as the cell to her left suddenly lit, something gray propelling itself against the glass containment wall. Saliva dripped from the serrated teeth of its open jaws, eight pairs of arms raging against the glass. Where there should have been eyes, only pits, warped with scar tissue, remained. Its talons scraped against the barricade, leaving not so much as a scratch. 

     “Holographic Bioscreens,” the Warden explained, tapping on the glass of Hana’s cell, “reinforced with TEGLAV 12, to inhibit telepathy and psychokinesis. These walls know you better than you know yourself, and they adjust to environmental changes, too. In short, what goes in, can’t come out. We keep the cells dark to promote sensory deprivation through reduced stimuli. And if all else fails, I’ve got this,” he held up his wrist, gesturing to the screen embedded within his skin. He slid a finger across it, red bars lighting at his touch. The creature screamed soundlessly, raking at its head in pain. 

     “The cells are soundproof, equipped with Ultrasonic Frequency Emitters. The sound waves target the brain and trigger pain receptors throughout the body. Excruciating, or so I’m told,” he said indifferently, turning away as the prisoner writhed on the floor, gouging deep channels through its own skin. Hana’s hands flew to her lips, her head shaking in horror.

     “There, there, now, these measures aren’t for a pretty little thing like you. These are for the ‘big bads’ sharing breathing air with you down in these cells. You see, Camp D offers a wide variety of the Exeter System’s most notorious criminals,” he drawled casually, in an accent Hana found hard to place, “murderers, rapists, serial killers, and the like. But block F, well, block F is something a little special. Out of the whole prison, there’s one thing that block F doesn’t have. Can you guess what that might be?” he asked indulgingly, as though teaching a lesson to a small child. Hana shook her head, still trembling from shock. 

     “Surveillance!” He said merrily, a malevolent smile twisting his lips. “Not a single surveillance system’s wired on the whole block, a little technical trick we’ve played on our friends over at the Ethics Board,” the smile fading suddenly from his lips. “Ever heard of a feedback loop?” Hana stared at the Warden wide eyed, frozen in her fear. The more he said, the less she wanted to hear, but his lips kept moving, nonetheless. 

     “We rotate the feed from our other wards to cover our-,” he paused a moment, thinking, “activities in this one. It’s important work really, a wide range of biological observations can be made in a place like this. For example, did you know that when you kill a gorgon, her snakes- you know the hair- continue moving for hours later,” he wriggled his fingers about his head with a chuckle. 

     “Funny thing, that, something to do with their cold-blooded nature. Anyway, valuable research is performed here in our little ward, so imagine my surprise when I check roll and see your name run across my screen. We don’t get a lot of ladies in these parts, and when we do, they’re more likely to be gorgon than human. So, explain to me how a human girl from the Eastern Borough, with no prior criminal record, ends up in the most notorious prison of our system, taking up valuable research space in my ward.” His fingers drummed against the glass in irritation. All hint of humor had drained from his cold eyes, and he regarded her like a bug that needed to be squashed. 

     “I wasn’t speaking rhetorically Ms. Dari, I expect an answer,” the Warden said lightly, brushing an invisible bit of lint from his lapel. “It would be disrespectful to ignore me, and if there’s one thing I cannot abide, it is disrespect.”

     “I didn’t do anything,” Hana whispered, swallowing down the lump in her throat. 

     “What’s that, dear?” The Warden leaned in towards her, hand poised behind his ear, “Speak with some authority now, from your chest. ‘I came to be here, Sir’-” he continued, waving his hand for more. Something inside Hana snapped, the icy fear inside of her melting away to repressed anger.  

     “Nothing!” she screamed, tossing away the private’s warning as she sprang to her feet. Hana brushed the hair from her face, daggers in her eyes. “I did nothing, Sir,” she snarled, “I shouldn’t be here at all. I’m innocent! I’ve never committed a single crime! And I’m sick and tired of sitting here listening to your threats-” She was cut off by a pain so intense she couldn’t speak. It spread with lightning speed throughout her body, her legs collapsing out beneath her as she convulsed violently. When it was over, Hana lay motionless on the floor, staring up blandly at the ceiling. She was dimly aware of a steady clapping coming from outside of her cell. 

     “Bravo! Bravo!” the Warden sang out, his blurry countenance coming slowly into focus as he brought his hands together. “My, Ms. Dari, you are just full of surprises!” he barked out a thin laugh. “As much as I appreciate that fiery spirit, let me make something very clear to you: I don’t make threats. Quite the opposite in fact, so let me make you some promises. I promise that if you disrespect me again, I will activate the UF emitters, and after you are incapacitated, you will be beaten bloody. I promise that if you withhold information from me, I will see to it that you get to spend some personal time with one of your fellow inmates here on block F. I promise that if you cross or defy me in any way, I’ll have you r***d and killed. Then I’ll toss your mangled body down into that incinerator, and nobody will ever be the wiser. I would do all of this without a second thought. You see, Ms. Dari, guilty or innocent, it makes no matter here. You’re nothing special; just another prisoner under my jurisdiction. I can, and will, do with you as I see fit. Remember that the next time you think about opening your mouth.” 

     He smiled down at her, collecting his composure. “I think we’re going to get along just fine No.312546.” With an inclination of his head, the Warden turned on his heel, lighting each cell as he passed. Hostile eyes fixed Hana within their sights, as rows of monsters raged against their confines.