Prisoner

by Bryant, S. J.

Afternoon sunlight filtered over the courtyard, painting the cement orange, as Nova rested her head in her hands, wishing she'd managed to come up with a better plan than getting thrown into prison. Maybe Aart had been right after all.

  "Hello partner," said Wood. "How are you finding your third day?"

  "Not much better than my first," Nova said without looking up.

  "Ah, so you've heard about tonight's plan?"

  "Yes." Her frown deepened.

  "Don't worry about it too much," Wood said. "These things erupt every few months. They usually blow over after a big brawl."

  "I'd rather not be in the brawl at all. There's nothing wrong with the mods."

  "Shh!" Wood hissed and looked around. "Believe what you want, but don't let anyone else hear you say that, especially not tonight. Kirt would kill you just for the fun of it."

  Nova grunted; she'd like to see him try.

  "And you won't be able to back down. Not unless you want to be banned from the food. Chickens get thrown straight to the Outers. Unless you feel like spending the rest of your life eating human flesh, I'd suggest you get used to the idea."

  Nova waved her hand. She didn't want to think about the night ahead. It promised to be brutal.

  Prisoners filled the courtyard, some with their heads bent together in deep conversation, and others standing alone, glaring at the ground. Most of them she didn't recognize.

  She took a deep breath and straightened her back. If she still wanted her plan to work she had to have as much information as she could scrounge, better to start sooner rather than later. "Are there just cells in the buildings?" She nodded at the brick towers.

  Wood shrugged. "Mostly. No one really knows what's in Carter's quarters. They're in that central building. Most of the rest are single cells, occupied by the fine folks you see around you. It's quite a privilege to have a lockable door."

  "Wouldn't they all lock from the outside?" Nova said.

  Wood grinned. "Ah, so you are a bright spark. The prisoners switched the locks as soon as the guards stopped over-looking the place. Now as I was saying, they're all cell blocks except for the third floor in the right hand building; that's our medical wing."

  Nova's eyebrow rose. "Med wing?"

  Wood grinned. "Yep. We're lucky enough to have our very own doctor here on Ankar. Not a Medbot either, a real live doctor. He patches us up in exchange for a place here in the Inners."

  "I guess anyone can be a criminal…"

  Wood nodded but he gazed into the distance. "Yeah… although of all the people I've met in this hell hole I think he might actually be innocent. He's a nice guy anyway. Everyone calls him Doc."

  "Which one is he?" Nova said, looking around.

  Wood scanned the tables. "Not here. Can't say I'm surprised though; he won't be fighting. You'll recognize him when you see him though. He's tall, and somehow seems like he doesn't belong here. He's usually with a weird little fellow, Mouse, I think his name is."

  Nova frowned. "I saw them earlier. He seemed… clean. Too clean to be here anyway. It felt like they were staring at me."

  Wood nodded. "That's them. Doc likes to check out newbies; especially if they're about to be in a fight."

  Nova shook her head and turned her attention back to the prisoners. "Who are they?"

  She tilted her head to a group of people a few tables away. They stood with their heads together, only looking up to glare at the rest of the prisoners.

  "Ah, you've got an eye for trouble," Wood said. "That's Kravkof and his crew. He's the tall one with tattoos on his face. He's got an eye on Carter's position; I don't care how much he denies it. They've survived so far because they're good in a fight, but if Carter sees them as a threat, he'll get rid of them."

  "Good in a fight?"

  Wood nodded. "I'm sure you'll get more than enough of a chance to see them in action tonight. But keep an eye on that blond one, Fi. If I could use a knife half as well as her I'd be happy. And the guy standing next to her used to be an acrobat or something; he can do things with his body that I can't even imagine."

  Nova nodded and made a mental note to keep an eye on them. If they got rid of Carter, then her whole plan was ruined.

  "Who's that?" she said, nodding to a thin man with grey skin.

  He nibbled on the ends of his fingers, eyes darting around the compound.

  "That's Scrim," Wood said with a shudder. "He's a nut case. Don't go near him if you know what's good for you. He's lost his marbles from being in here. He doesn't make any sense and he actually enjoys eating people. He's allowed in here cuz he's a good fighter but he eats just as many people as any of the rats living in the Outers."

  Nova's nose wrinkled.

  Scrim's head whipped up and he stared straight at her. He pulled his hand from his mouth and grinned. His teeth were sharpened into razor points and deep holes ploughed through his flesh where he'd bitten chunks out of his palm and fingers.

  "He's eating himself," Nova whispered.

  Her stomach rolled and bile rose in her throat.

  "He's a maniac," Wood said in disgust. "Don't go near him. In fact, it's best not to even look at him. He likes to creep people out, and if you're really unlucky he might get a taste for you."

  Nova shivered and wrapped her arms over her chest, ripping her gaze away from Scrim. She glared down at the table and clenched her teeth.

  "C'mon," said Wood. "We'll play another round. That'll take your mind off things. Besides, I believe I have to win back my honour."

  Nova gave a half smile. She appreciated Wood trying to help, but she didn't think cards would get her mind away from Scrim's mangled hand. Out of the corner of her eye she watched blood dribble down from his fingers and make ugly stains on his table.

  Wood dealt the cards.

  "He bit Kirt once," Wood said.

  That was enough to get Nova's attention. She raised an eyebrow.

  "Yep. Kirt was sitting with his eyes closed, just enjoying the sun. Scrim snuck up behind him and clamped down on his ear, ripped half the thing off."

  "No!" Nova said.

  "Yep," Wood replied. "Kirt's still missing the top of his left ear. Have a look next time he comes to bother you. Don't make it too obvious though, he's a bit sensitive about it."

  "What happened?" Nova said. She couldn't imagine that Kirt let Scrim live after doing that.

  "Scrim ripped the ear off and danced back. Then he started chewing on it. I saw the whole thing and it made me want to hurl. He just stood there with his eyes all shiny, chewing on a bloody piece of ear. Kirt lost it. I don't blame him, I would have too."

  Wood glanced around the yard to make sure no one was listening.

  "Kirt pulled his knife, yelling at the top of his lungs. He was ready to gut Scrim right there. You should have seen his eyes; mad. Blood was pouring down his face, soaked his shirt right through. The pain must have been massive but it was like he couldn't feel a thing. He ran straight at Scrim with his knife. I'm sure he would have carved him into steak fillets if Amon hadn't intervened."

  "Amon?"

  "Yeah. He yelled out just before Kirt's knife slashed Scrim's throat. Told him to hold back."

  "Why? What does Amon want with Scrim?"

  Wood shrugged. "Amon has a special sympathy for the crazies. Something about a sibling of his… Anyway, Kirt was furious. He started swearing and carrying on. And the whole time Scrim just stood there with a stupid grin on in his face, chewing Kirt's ear."

  Nova's mouth hung open and her cards lay face-up, abandoned on the table.

  "Kirt ended up having to go to the med wing for three days to get his ear stitched up."

  "That's disgusting."

  "Tell me about it," Wood said. "At least you didn't have to watch it."

  Nova nodded and stared at the crude table. The sooner she got off this planet, the better.

  Nova spent the rest of the day in the compound. She sat by herself at a rough cement table and watched the rest of the prisoners. None of
them spoke to her, instead following Kirt's lead and glaring at her every few minutes.

  Tension crackled through the air. The modded group paced the compound and spoke in low voices. Amon and Kirt bent their heads together and gestured around the courtyard. Even a blind person would have sensed trouble brewing.

  Nova ducked her head and tried to ignore it. For better or worse she was all in now. She couldn't decide if it was better to die here in a prison riot, or be killed by the Confederacy. At least here she'd made the choice.

  "Hunter."

  Nova's head snapped up, eyes locking on a woman with three ears. The third sat on the top of her head like a miniature hat while her pupils formed vertical slits, like a lizard.

  Nova kept her face expressionless as she stared back at the modded woman.

  "Have you chosen a side?" the woman said.

  Nova gripped the edge of the table. "Who are you?"

  "You can call me Sigma. So. Modded or un-modded?"

  "I don't choose sides," Nova said.

  "Really? Because it looks like you're getting pretty cosy with Amon and his crew."

  Nova shrugged. "Just surviving."

  "Aren't we all," Sigma said. Her strange yellow eyes made Nova's skin crawl.

  "Can I help you?" Nova said.

  "Things are about to get real. It's time to pick a side. I would suggest you join us. Carter and his crew are a bunch of thugs. They'll get rid of you faster than a Lecheon with a blood bag."

  "And I suppose you're the honourable kind of prisoners?" Nova said.

  Sigma smiled, revealing pointed teeth. "You could say that."

  "I told you I'm not picking sides."

  Sigma's face darkened and she leaned far over the table so that her teeth glinted in front of Nova's face. "I don't think you understand. You don't get to sit out. There are no side-lines here. You're either on our side, or you're not."

  Nova stared straight back at her without saying anything.

  "Fine," said Sigma. "You've made your choice. If I were you, I'd make peace with yourself before sunset."

  Nova watched Sigma stroll away. Her stomach felt hollow. Under almost any other circumstances she would have agreed with Sigma; Carter's group were a bunch of thugs, but he was her only ticket away from the Confederacy and so her choice of sides wasn't a choice at all.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Darkness came far too quickly for Nova. As evening drew on, tension in the compound grew. The prisoners paced around the tables and small fights broke out at the fringes. Both groups had stacked tables in front of all the entrances so that no one from the Outers could get in. The last thing either wanted was an overthrow by the masses.

  Nova sat at her table with her knife in hand. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and she twitched with every sudden sound. The guards up in the compound might be watching them, although even that was unlikely, and they certainly wouldn't step in to stop the fight; the violence would go on until someone won.

  She clenched her hand tighter around her knife hilt and waited. Nausea and panic rolled through her stomach, and every muscle tightened. Her shoulders hunched up around her ears as she imagined having to kill the people sitting just a few meters away.

  There was no obvious signal to begin. When the violence broke out it was in a growing wave that consumed the entire compound, drowning everyone inside.

  At the first scream, Nova dived off her table and rolled to the closest wall. She pinned her back against it and raised her knife. Flickering lights revealed dim outlines, but barely enough to make out faces.

  Screams echoed from all directions. Grunts of victory and pain erupted into the cacophony of battle.

  Nova crouched at the fringes, out of sight. She refused to attack first, but she was more than prepared to defend herself. She didn't have to wait long. A man the size of a small horse leapt at her and two big fists swung out of the darkness.

  She ducked, crouching like a coiled spring, and held her knife in front of her face. She drew back, ready to swing, when a third, mechanical, arm thrust out of his stomach.

  Sharp metal glinted in the third hand, slashing through the air towards Nova's stomach.

  She dived to the left and a cool brush of air fluttered over her abdomen as the blade whipped past, inches from her flesh.

  She rolled to her feet, knife in hand and breathing hard. "Nice mod."

  The man barrelled forward, swinging all three of his deadly arms. She ducked under his two fists and sidestepped the knife. Spinning, she stabbed out.

  Her knife plunged into his fleshy stomach, coating her hand in warm blood. She stepped past and crouched, knife raised.

  He swung to face her, eyes glittering in the dim lights. Lunging forward, his left hand closed around her shirt and he hauled her off the ground with a grim chuckle.

  Her heart fluttered as the ground fell away below her and she kicked. Her boots pattered against the man's stomach but he seemed not to notice. With one hand she scrambled at his fist, unable to unknot his fingers, while with the other she slashed at him.

  "Girl like you could do with some mods," he said, smirking.

  Nova drew back and slashed. Her knife skimmed across his wrist, leaving a crimson gash that gaped open.

  He cried out and dropped her, at the same time his mechanical hand jammed forward, knife aimed at her chest. She ducked out of the way and stood, bursting up inside the circle of his arms, just to the side of his robotic limb. Grimacing, she thrust straight up into the man's jaw. Her knife plunged through his head and released a spray of blood over her hands and face.

  The man's cries gargled to a stop in his throat. His eyes rolled and he fell backwards with a heavy thump, pulling a loose table over with him.

  Nova wrenched her knife free and ducked into the nearest shadow. She crouched low and watched until he stopped twitching. Her heart hammered and she panted as she turned to face the battle, wiping her bloodied hands on her shirt.

  People scrambled across the tables and already bodies littered the ground. Standing on a table in the centre of the battle was the woman Wood had pointed out earlier, Fi. Knives danced in her hands. She seemed barely to move and an attacker would fall dead at her feet. Spinning and thrusting she wove an intricate dance, choreographed to the sounds of death.

  A blur passed in front of Fi. Nova narrowed her eyes and caught sight of Fi's companion, Han, Wood had called him. He streamed through the fighting faster than Nova would have thought possible. He darted between the tables, leapt over fallen bodies and flipped through the air over a knot of fighting people.

  Nova's mouth dropped. Han looked more like a machine than a human.

  "I told you, he's amazing," Wood said as he stumbled past, exchanging blows with a man twice his size.

  Nova stood to help when a shadow like a mountain barrelled out of the melee. He stood at least three times as wide as a normal man and his shoulders loomed like boulders. Nova recognised him, he'd been standing with Kravkof and Fi earlier. He grabbed hold of the man fighting Wood and tossed him aside like a piece of kindling.

  The man flew through the air and hit a nearby wall, crumpling to the ground.

  "Thanks Red," Wood said, wiping sweat from his brow.

  Red didn't reply as he turned and dived back into the fighting.

  Wood turned, nodded to Nova, and followed after Red.

  Nova stared after them, mouth hanging open. Wood had been right; Kravkof's crew did have some tricks.

  Something rustled to Nova's left and she spun.

  Sigma's pale face and grinning mouth filled her vision. "Hey, Hunter," she said, thrusting her knife into Nova's stomach.

  Nova's eyes widened. She stumbled backwards and fell, wrapping her hands around the wound. She stared up at the sky; stars twinkled. Warm blood seeped between her fingers and dribbled down her sides.

  Sigma chuckled from somewhere above. "Be careful, Hunter. That'll kill you slow."

  Footsteps faded away.

 
Tendrils of pain shot out of Nova's stomach, encircling her waist and racing into her limbs. Every beat of her heart brought a new wave of agony that crashed over her and adrenalin pushed her heart faster, making the pain unbearable.

  Slick blood coated her palms, making them slippery as she tried to hold her stomach together.

  She winced and bit her lip. Tears came unbidden to her eyes. She blinked them away, struggling to stand, but dark clouds surged up to swallow her and she let her head fall back to the ground.

  A ragged breath stung her throat. She focused on the stars above, so unfamiliar, and tried to count them, to cling to consciousness.

  As she lost control of her senses, the other world closed in. It had been a long time since she'd lost her grip and let the madness take over her mind with shadowed places. It came now. With her body on the brink of death, her mind was free to wander.

  Before her eyes, the scene around her changed. Night turned to day and the fighting was replaced with prisoners eating. Further back in time. Right back to when the prison was still overlooked by human guards. Then back further still, to when the prison was being built and before that to when the small planet was just an empty desert, void of life.

  In her dazed state she lost track of what was real and what was hallucination. There were so many voices surrounding her. They pressed in on all sides. Some voices belonged to people who were long dead, others hadn't been born yet. So many voices begged for her attention.

  She whipped her head back and forth, trying to make sense of the shadowed beings walking all around her.

  She struggled to stand but a blast of pain shot from her stomach. She remembered the knife wound. There was a battle raging, but where was it?

  Nova forced her eyes closed and tried to clear her mind. She took a deep, shaky breath, knowing she had to think logically. She'd been stabbed, was probably bleeding to death at that very instant.

  She breathed deeply, focusing on clean air flowing into her lungs and all the pain and frustration flowing out. She counted to three and opened her eyes.

  Instead of being surrounded by the cement compound and fighting bodies, she lay in a soft bed cushioned in darkness. Bright lights lit the rest of the room. The sounds of battle were gone, replaced with dull murmuring from somewhere to her right.