User blog:JesusKong333/The Prisoner's Path: The Prisoner of Western Wayne Correctional

The Prisoner came to. His head was thumping and his vision blurry as he opened his eyes. He could not move. The Prisoner found he was strapped to a cold steel chair, held in place by restraints across his chest, arms, and legs. His sight began to restore itself and the Prisoner took in his surroundings. The walls consisted of large bricks painted a drab grey, lit by fluorescents that hung from the ceiling. In front of the Prisoner was metal table adorned with medical equipment and advanced tech. The Prisoner couldn't tell what half of it was used for, but the number of hooked and bladed instruments drew concern. He realized he was not alone in the room. A man and a woman in lab coats were sitting across the table from the Prisoner and a man wearing a combat armor stood in the corner, his hands gripping his laser rifle. All three had their eyes on the Prisoner.

"Look at that, he survived", said the man in the lab coat. He grinned at the Prisoner. "That wasn't the worst booking procedure now, was it?"

"His vitals have stabilized", said the woman, looking into the monitor in front of her. "Guard. This is one is ready to be admitted into 'gen pop'".

The man with the laser rifle moved from the corner without saying a word as the two doctors stood up and began loosening the Prisoner's restraints. The guard beat his fist on the door, three loud thumps, and the Prisoner heard the door being unlocked from the other side. The door opened and a second guard entered, dressed in the same combat armor as the first. The two guards lifted the Prisoner to his feet and led him through the door, into the adjoining hallway. The hall was the same drab grey as the booking room and had many twists, turns, and intersections. The Prisoner thought of a maze as he followed the two guards. It made his head throb more and he had to stop for a second to catch his balance. When the group would reach a locked security gate in the hallway, one guard would unlock it via keypad while the other kept his eyes trained on the Prisoner. At the third security gate, the Prisoner saw "CELL BLOCK B - GENERAL POPULATION" written on the wall in yellow paint. A security camera watched the gate from the wall across it. The guard unlocked it and the Prisoner was escorted into a large room with rows of occupied jail cells on either side.

The Prisoner looked into the first cell on his left and saw a man with greying shaggy hair drawing stars inside of circles on the walls of his cell. Two-thirds of the walls were covered with stars and circles and circles of stars, but the Prisoner couldn't see what he was using as a medium for his drawings. He decided he'd rather not know.

"FRESH MEAT!!" came a shout from the cell across. The Prisoner turned to look and saw an ugly, bald-headed man locking eyes with him. His face was scarred and half his teeth were rotten out. "Come here buddy boy! We're gonna be real good friends! The Bone-Breaker promises!", then he let out a loud cackle. "Pipe down or I'll come in there and break your jaw", fired back one of the guards as they journeyed down the cell block. "Oh you threaten the Bone-Breaker? Come in and see what happens, guard. HAHAHAHA!!"

As they continued to walk, and as the Bone-Breaker continued to shout, the Prisoner saw a cell occupied by an old man and a young boy. The pair were playing cards and the old man was accusing the boy of cheating. A mole rat scurried under the old man's legs as the old man reached down and fed the mole rat a corner of bread. The cell across from them housed two men: one primping his black hair in front of a mirror and one wearing sunglasses reading an "Unstoppables" comic in bed. Finally they reached the third cell on the right which held a single occupant, a bearded man with reddish-brown hair.

"New roommate, Paul", said a guard as he opened the cell door. The Prisoner shuffled inside, hands on his temples trying to calm the maelstrom in his head. Once inside, the guard closed the door behind the Prisoner, engaging the electronic lock, and made his way back down the cell block.

Paul hopped to his feet and put a hand forward in greeting. "Paul Redding", he said.

"Uh.. Alan. Alan Hale." It hurt to think. He took Pauls' hand and shook it.

"Man, looks like they did a number on you. You must've pissed the Brotherhood off badly to get locked up in here. What did you do?"

"I...", the Prisoner's head starting thumping harder and harder. "I just drifted into town. I got into a fight... Some trader... The Brotherhood?"

"The Brotherhood of Steel. Our captors. Never heard of 'em? 'Saviors and protectors of the Motor City Wasteland'. That trader must've been someone important, someone working toward the cause. They can't anyone threatening their cause." He spoke the last two words with something between bitterness and disgust.

"Yeah..." replied the Prisoner. "So what did you do to piss them off?"

"I worked at the Brotherhood's steel mill in Detroit. They pay the locals to melt down scrap into new steel for their robots and weapons. But desperate, starving people doing dangerous work is a recipe for disaster. During my time there, I saw a dozen people drop dead from exhaustion. One guy got splashed with molten metal; his screams still haunt my thoughts. The Brotherhood didn't care though. There were always more desperate people willing to take their place. So the other workers began looking to me for answers. I got them organized and we demanded better conditions, like food and water before and during shifts rather than after. Next thing I know, I'm looking at these bars."

"Damn... Can't have anyone threatening their cause..."

"Now you're getting it, Alan. They don't care who you are. If you speak out against them, you either wind up dead or locked in some hole."

"Even children and the elderly?" The Prisoner tilted his head towards the cell he passed with the old man and young boy.

"That's right. The old man is Brooks. He lived in Detroit near the river for decades. When the Brotherhood started gobbling up territory in the city, they called him a squatter and forced him to leave. From what I hear, Brooks was terrified when they tried to carry him from his house and he tried to fight them off with a knife. Now he's here.

"The kid though, don't feel too sorry for him haha. I've known him since he could walk. The boy's a menace, a bad egg, and he runs with a group of orphans in Detroit. Dwayne's his name but everyone calls him 'Dwayne the Pain'. Word is he kept getting caught smashing the Brotherhood's robots for salvage so they threw him in here. Just be careful of him at dinnertime or he'll swindle you out of your dessert. He's gotten me more than once haha."

"Gotcha. And what's the deal with the mole rat?"

"That's Jake. Brooks found him one night while on laundry duty and kept him as a pet. Jake's never been trouble so the guards allow it. I think it's been good for old Brooks to have a friend in here."

Paul pointed his finger out the cell bars to continue the introductions. "The man staring at himself in the mirror is Raymond Green the gangster. He and his brothers used to run things until the Brotherhood showed up. Now the Greens have declared war on the Brotherhood. They've got Raymond here as a hostage in case his brothers try anything. I don't really know much about his cellmate. He barely talks and never takes off those shades. Green calls him 'Mr. Cool'. He has professional killer written all over him.

"And down at the end is Bone-Breaker, but I believe you two have met. I could hear it from here. He's always shouting about something. He's from some raider group to the south. Apparently he has a thing for sledgehammers."

"And what about the obviously insane guy across from Bone-Breaker?"

"Heh, picked up on that, did you? We call him 'Mar-Mar' since that's all he ever says. It's not right he's locked in here. The poor guy needs a doctor, not a jailer."

"Agreed." The Prisoner looked through the bars at the mismatched bunch. Down at the end, Bone-Breaker was still yelling about the things he'd do to the guard if he came into his cell, even though the guard had left the cell block minutes ago. The Prisoner saw gangster Raymond Green's face turned sour in the mirror's reflection.

"Shut the hell up!!" Green shouted at Bone-Breaker. "I'll gut you tonight at dinner if I can't get some peace and quiet!"

This got Bone-Breaker fired up. "Hahaha you want a piece of me too? Your bones cracking will be sweet music to the Bone-Breaker!!!" He cackled loudly, grabbing the cell bars and jumping up and down.

"Everyone knows you're a chump, Boney-Boy. It's because you don't shut up! Take a look at Mr. Cool over here. Do you see him running his mouth every goddamn minute of the day? Do you think he has to prove how fucking tough he is? No, he's Mister Calm-and-Collected-and-Cool. And everyone here knows he could snap your fucking neck blindfolded." Mr. Cool looked up from his comic book and offered a quick smirk.

Bone-Breaker was left speechless momentarily then launched into a blistering rage. He even tried to ripping the bars open. "Green!! You're dead!! I'm gonna smash your skull! I'm gonna-"

"Stars shining bright above you", came an echoing voice, interrupting Bone-Breaker's tirade. A screech preceded it, signaling it was from the prison P.A system.

"Shut up and listen", said gangster Green. For the first time since the Prisoner entered the block, Bone-Breaker shut up.

"Night breezes seem to whisper 'I love you'."

It was a woman singing. A tune the Prisoner had heard on the radio before.

"Birds singing in the sycamore trees."

The entire cell block was silent except for the voice coming from the P.A.

"Dream a little dream of me."

"It's beautiful. The voice of an angel", offered Green.

"Say 'Nighty night' and kiss me."

The Prisoner noticed everyone was transfixed to the sound, except for Mar-Mar at the end, still drawing on his walls, and Mr. Cool who was stashing his comic book under his mattress.

"Just hold me tight and tell me you'll miss me."

"What's going on?" said the Prisoner's cellmate Paul.

"While I'm alone and blue as can be."

"How is this happening?"

"Dream a little dream of me."

BOOM!!!

A concussive blast knocked the Prisoner off his feet. The walls and floors shook. The Prisoner was disoriented, his ears ringing and head throbbing. He looked around and saw the overhead fluorescents flickering and going out, while red klaxons came on outside the cell. The sprinkler system in the cell block ceiling had turned on.

"You okay, buddy?", asked Paul, offering his hand to help the Prisoner stand up.

"What the hell was that?", said the Prisoner once he was on his feet.

"Some type of explosion, I guess. Looks like it took out the power to the lights." That's when they both noticed the cell door ajar. The electronic locks had disengaged. Paul slid it open and both men stepped out of the cell.

The first thing the Prisoner saw was Mr. Cool sprinting in the direction of a guard who had entered the block. Mr. Cool tackled him to the ground and wrestled his laser rifle away, shooting him twice in the chest point-blank. He began stripping the body of gear.

"Heads up, new guy", he called as he tossed the guard's sidearm to the Prisoner, a 10 mm pistol. Mr. Cool kept the laser rifle for himself. Two more guards entered. Mr. Cool shot one and the Prisoner instinctively shot the other.

By then the other prisoners had exited their cells, even Bone-Breaker who was busy prying loose a steel bar to use as a makeshift weapon. Everyone except Mar-Mar at the end, now cowering in the corner of his cell. "Leave him", shouted Green when Paul tried to get him up.

The group of prisoners made their way through the security gate at the end of the block, now open as well, and into the labyrinthine hallway. The song was still playing over the P.A. but it was distorted by blaring alarms. The Prisoner thought he could hear distant explosions in the cacophony as well. They ran through the maze's twists and turns. Mr. Cool took point, followed by Bone-Breaker, then Green and the Prisoner. Bringing up the rear was Paul, Dwayne the Pain, Old Brooks, and Jake the mole rat.

They hit a second security gate, this one locked. Mr. Cool bashed in the keypad and began ripping wires loose and rearranging them. The keypad sparked and the door opened. The next section of hallway was lined on both sides with doors. As they traveled down the hall, one of the doors burst open. Arms reached out and grabbed Bone-Breaker. A guard tried to drag him into the room, but Bone-Breaker fought him and the pair spilled into the hallway. The Prisoner drew a bead on the guard and shot him in the head.

Bone-Breaker looked terrified for a moment, then burst into laughter. "Hahahaha! You cannot catch the Bone-Breaker!! See you in Hell, guard! Hahaha!" He gave the dead guard three whacks with his steel bar before continuing down the hall.

The group encountered another locked gate and Mr. Cool set to work on the keypad as he had before. "Shit, behind us!" yelled Green. The Prisoner turned and saw a handful of guards enter the hallway. With them was an Assaultron, now charging at the escaped prisoners. The prisoners began firing, taking out a few guards but having no luck with the Assaultron.

"Check the other doors", suggested Mr. Cool. Everyone tried a different door; the Prisoner's was locked. The Assaultron was almost upon them and Bone-Breaker looked ready to meet it head-on when the boy Dwayne shouted "Over here!"

The prisoners rushed through the unlocked door, slamming it shut behind them. Paul and Green quickly pushed a desk in front of the door to barricade it. They were now in some sort of old administrative area. The Prisoner and the others heard the Assaultron fire its laser beam on the other side of the door, which was now glowing red.

"We have to keep moving", said Mr. Cool. The group found a door that led to an adjoining hallway. The hallway looked nearly identical to the first.

Green asked "Where the hell are we going anyway?"

"This way", replied Mr. Cool leading the group.

"Why this way?"

"This is the direction of the first explosion."

"You know the direction of the first explosion?"

"Yeah. It's this way." Mr. Cool smirked. Green didn't bother asking anymore questions.

The prisoners followed the hall until they came across a set of double doors chained shut. Mr. Cool shot the chain with his laser rifle, untangled it from the door handles, and opened one of the doors. The group entered what appeared to be an old, dark gymnasium. Light was eking through the corner of the ceiling, illuminating parts of the dark gym. The Prisoner noticed rows of sandbags along the perimeter of the room.

"We're getting close", said Mr. Cool, looking up the sunlight.

A loud hum came from the darkness. The Prisoner could see something lighting up.

"Enforcement Bot Series 209 now online", spoke a mechanical voice in the darkness. The Prisoner heard it moving, getting closer. It entered a beam of sunlight. A Sentry Bot.

"Get down!" shouted Mr. Cool. The prisoners dived behind the sandbags as the Sentry Bot began firing at them, but Old Brooks was too slow and got caught by the Sentry Bot's minigun. He died before he reached the ground.

"No!" yelled Paul.

Mr. Cool pulled the pin from a grenade he took from the guard in the cell block and threw it over the sandbag wall. The Prisoner saw a pulse of electricity when it went off. The Sentry Bot stopped firing and the Prisoner could hear its servos clicking in a wrong way.

Mr. Cool peaked over the wall. "We have to go now. It's only stunned", he said. "That door there." He pointed across the gym. "That's our way out."

The prisoners ran toward the door. They found it locked. Good, old-fashioned manual locks on a steel door. No keypad. No hacking the door or breaking it down.

"Hey kid, can you fit through this vent?", said Green. He pointed to a small grate near the floor, a few feet from the bolted door. Green gave it a kick and the grate collapsed. "Crawl through to the next room and unlock the door for us."

"Okay", said Dwayne. He got down on his hands and knees and scurried into the vent. Jake the mole rat followed him in.

"Ten caps says he leaves us", joked Paul.

"Shut the hell up, Redding", replied Green.

Time ticked away. The prisoners kept their eyes on the Sentry Bot, which was starting to regain function. "Where the hell is that little rascal?", demanded Green. The Sentry Bot must've heard him because it turned and faced their direction. It began moving toward the prisoners again. They lifted their weapons, ready to fire, when the door opened suddenly.

"Get inside now!" shouted Mr. Cool. The prisoners didn't need to be told twice. Once on the other side of the metal door, it now bolted again, the prisoners saw it. A massive hole in the stonework. One by one, they filed through the gap and out of the prison.

On the outside, Bone-Breaker took off running into the distance. "The Bone-Breaker is free now!! You will all burn in Hell now!! Hahahaha!!" He continued to shout, but the Prisoner could no longer make out the words.

"Damn, I meant to gut him once we got out", said Green. "I must be getting old."

Paul glanced around. "What happened to Mr. Cool?"

Green looked around for him. "Beats me. Who knows with that guy."

Dwayne approached the Prisoner. "Gee mister. That's a nice pistol you've got. Can I have it? I did save your life back there." He looked as innocent as a child could, and even Jake the mole rat was looking at the Prisoner longingly.

"Nice try, kid", replied the Prisoner with a smile.

"Haha. You're all right, kid", said Green. "You can travel with me. Let's get you back to the city." The pair walked off toward the sunrise.

"I guess that just leaves us", said the Prisoner to Paul.

"Looks like it. Hey you should come with me. The area will be crawling with Brotherhood patrols after this and I've got some friends nearby that'll help us hide for a while."

That sounded like an excellent idea to the Prisoner.