The gateway to the prison rolled on its track, opening the barred door with the clattering of metal casters. A large foot in simple leather shoes stepped out onto the dusty yard for the first time, kicking up sand into the eyes of the inmate, who then leaned back against the fence so the handcuffs could be removed from his wrists. Silus hadn't been in prison long, but he'd learned the protocols quickly and adhered to them with a precision brought about by years of Legion training.
The sun beat down on Silus, penetrating his skin through the thin blue fabric of the NCRCF prison uniform. The loose fabric made him feel almost naked. The thin cotton covered his body more than than his tunic ever had. It was probably the lack of armament, he felt vulnerable with out his trophies, and he hated it. The former Legionary turned his head and looked up at the sun, squinting for just a second, and then back at the prison guards watching him from beyond the fence.
Boyd, that annoying woman who smoked to much and talked to him like he was a moron, had hired the courier to strike a deal with him under threat of violence. Silus now wondered if letting the courier kill him wouldn't have been a superior fate to NCR imprisonment. It was just a matter of time till a Frumentarii got a knife in him, but that wasn't his biggest concern right now. What worried Silus the most was fitting in amongst the people of the prison. After all some of the inmate's could have grudges against the Legion.
"No one will know who you are," Boyd's voice echoed in his head. "We will file your paper work under a false name. Not even the guards will know who you are. For your safety of course."
He'd hated the pause before 'for your saftey,' as if Boyd didn't believe that Silus's life was in danger the second he was captured. To make matters worse he'd fingered the Frumentarii feeding information to Caesar, a Captain Curtis, from a book of photographs of commanding NCR officers. The deal was supposed to be a week in jail for processing, then Silus had to attend a month long intergration seminar aimed at making better NCR citizens out of the incarcerated, and then he was a free man. Of course he'd bartered for more than freedom, he was done serving blindly in the military, and wanted something of his own before a Legion assassin found him and ended his life. The promise was that Silus would soon have a few Acres of viable farm land in the northern part of California, and he found himself looking forward to it.
Land. That was what Silus had been dreaming about for years. Something left over from his tribal past probably. Something that said you could redeem yourself for all of the lives you've taken, all of the orders you've followed blindly for that megalomaniacal fool, if only you'd dig your fingers into the soil deep enough. If you'd just bring up the dark black earth to your nostrils enough times that you'd learn when dirt needs manure or a change in crops, surely God would forgive you for all of the mistakes you'd made in your lifetime. You'd be part of everything then, another piece of nature, and in bringing life to the ground you'd save what was left of the soul you'd been carrying around for a lifetime.
So with the promise of a small house and a small plot of land to call his own, Silus had betrayed the only family he'd ever really known. Still it wasn't easy, standing here on the dusty edge of the Mojave as the sun beat down on his light blue uniform with the yellow lettering. Anything could be out in the prison yard. Anyone might recognise him at any time and then the whole gig would be up.
"Move away from the fence now feller," a guard behind him croaked. "You aren't gonna be here long, so you might as well go make some friends."
Silus turned and looked at the middle aged guard who was holding his rifle like a security blanket. The cowardly man barking orders from the other side of the wall annoyed Silus. The high cheekbones and strong forehead that defined Silus's face curled a little, a glare coming to his lizard like yellow eyes that would have made his recruits piss their pants. Before he said something stupid Silus remembered himself and turned away from the guard. Both hands in shallow pockets Silus made a note about how he hated the way the cloth felt moving between his legs while he walked. It was a minor complaint, but it was also a welcoming the distraction from his worries.
Moving into the center of the prison yard, Silus recalled that he had been given a bunk number, but was told not to worry about any supplies he'd need till later. Unsure what to do with himself Silus found a seat on a picnic table at the edge of the compound and watched the other prisoners interact. A few men were tossing a bloated Brahmin bladder around in some kind of sports game. To his left several people were at their own tables talking, but what caught Silus's attention was the presence of several female inmates who seemed to huddle in small groups for protection. They looked so free to him, despite their obvious incarceration. They talked and laughed with an ease that betrayed the fact they had never known slavery, and of all the strange things he'd been surrounded with today, this was the one that made him feel the most out of place.
Sighing to himself Silus leaned back, his shoulder length black hair coming loose a little bit, forcing him to tuck the strands back behind his ears. He pressed his hands to his face then and then looked out across the yard again. Saying a little prayer to Mars out of habit, Silus held his breath for a moment and tried to assure himself he could fit into this society somehow. That's when he felt a small tap on his shoulder and turned around.
The woman who had touched Silus was about five feet tall, with well muscled arms, and dark red hair. She smiled at Silus across a maze of freckles, her eyes narrowed against the harsh over-head sun.
"Hey fish," She said to him, "You're a big one, and I could use some help around here. What me to show you the ropes, Fish?"
The look on Silus's face morphed from anger, to confusion, to disgust. He stood up slowly, his nearly seven feet of height dwarfing the little woman in front of him. The irritation Silus was feeling grew when she just shielded her eyes to look up at him and didn't seem very impressed.
"I can take care of myself," Silus growled.
"See there's a lot you don't know," The woman responded as she sat on the bench next to where Silus was just sitting. Arching his eyebrows in surprise Silus looked at the place as she gestured for him to sit, and remained standing. If this bothered the woman she didn't show it. Instead she stretched her shoulders and looked over at a group of prisoners, one of which nodded and flashed a shank at Silus for a second. Receiving the threat for what it was, Silus took a place on the bench next to the woman out of a desire not to cause trouble on his first day. After all the men in the door with the shank would provide no real challenge for Silus in a fight, but they didn't know that and right now that was to his advantage.
"I think you have all the thugs you could need," Silus complained.
"Those guys aren't my thugs," The redhead continued as she leaned in so she could talk softer. "They are just friends. I'm good at making friends in here. Now, would you like to be my friend, or am I just waisting my time?"
While the woman confronting him insulted every sensibility the Legion had ever instilled in him, something about her cocky manner and self-assurance was a turn on. The confident way she sat there reminded Silus of Boyd, who he would have taken any opportunity to fuck until she was a bloody mess. Even though he could have probably forced himself on Boyd several times during the interrogation process there was something shameful seeming in taking advantage of someone so strong and independent. Most of the women Silus had been with were victims through and through, but these odd independent women of the profligate lands offered him a challenge he found irresistible.
So with little reservation Silus sat down on the bench next to the small woman, and with only a hint of annoyance in his voice said to her, "I'm listening."
The woman smirked as if she was pleased that her cheap intimidation tactics worked.
"You look like you're ex-military," the woman started. "So I think you're going to be exactly what I need. I can teach you all those things you humps had to learn on your own in the barracks. Like did you know you get two squares of soap for the week here? Now if you're a smart mother fucker you learn fast that you can use one to keep you and your clothes fairly clean and trade the other one to less efficient people. Now if you want something worth while you either gotta have people sending you money, otherwise you got soap to work with. Now someone like me, who knows all the ins and outs, I can make it to where you'll end up with all the soap your ass needs. Also I can help you with all the food and material comforts you could possibly dream of."
Silus responded with a short laugh. "If you think I'm going to be swayed by promises of cheap boorish toiletries you've picked the wrong man. I don't need your simpleton creature comforts, as I have spent most of my life with out them."
"Then what is it that you want?" The woman asked, her eyes wide with a coy kind of naivety.
Something about the question bothered Silus.
"I don't know," he admitted after a long pause.
"Well then Fish, maybe I can't help you," The woman said as she stood to leave.
"Wait," Silus pleaded, unsure why he was stopping this loose woman.
"What?" she said, obviously annoyed at him waisting her time further.
"I've spent my whole life serving someone," Silus admitted, "Perhaps it would be good for me to transition into a normal life with a boss... So long as what you have me do won't interfere with my entering the reeducation seminar in a week, I'm willing to cooperate."
"Good thing for you then Fish," The woman said with a wink, "Sounds like we're in the same reeducation class. I'm sure we'll have a wonderful time learning jack shit together."
Silus laughed at her words sarcastically. If the woman took this poorly she didn't show any sign of it. Instead she extended her right hand and spoke only one word, "Aubrey."
"Simon," Silus lied. The name Simon Lamonte was invented for him by the NCR to help cover up who he really was.
"Simon," Aubrey repeated. "Well Simon, give me your bunk number and we'll go check out where they stuck you. If you don't like it I'll pull some strings and get it changed. Better keep up while I walk, cause we've got a lot to teach you in a short period of time."
Nodding, Silus began walking behind the short woman, finding that he had to in fact slow his pace to keep up with her. For a second, as he watched her firm backside in the loose cotton prison uniform, Silus wondered what he'd gotten himself into. She was obviously a criminal and he didn't even know why she was here. Despite his concerns something about the spunky little red headed woman inspired confidence in Silus, and for the first time since he'd been captured by the NCR he felt strangely optimistic.