I've began to put my plan in motion, though I know it will take months if not years to finally culminate in the desired result. I'm fortunate for my position in the hierarchy of things because it has allowed me to move behind the scenes and help those who aren't nearly lucky.
I've lost too much in this war. My mother was killed while trying to protect me, my father left and I have no known family to call on for guidance or support. All I know is that I have to save as many witches as possible and I have one chance to do it. I just hope that the ones I've taken in and taught will return the favor.
—P
Prue strode down the hall to the infirmary so that the clicking of her heels echoed. She was wearing a black pencil skirt with a white camisole and Phoebe's file was in her hand. Nathaniel had insisted that Prue interview the witch on the events of the day; a new procedure which he had been informed of by his superiors, just in case they were ever investigated.
Nathaniel trusted Prue, prisoner 0104fh, as much as would ever trust someone who possessed magic and she was taking full advantage of that fact. The experiments that were performed on all prisoners from the time they entered the prison until they left –never—were often just cruel and unusual punishment for bad behavior.
The scientists were trying to find the gene that caused some to be born with powers and even isolate how each individual inherited their specific power. Other experiments focused on pushing the use of powers to the max, how some performed under emotional distress, if the use of certain drugs could diminish the body's ability to access powers and more. Being a model prisoner, Prue hadn't been subjected to experiments since she was fourteen.
Prue had been rebellious once, just like Phoebe. She had fought the guards, used her powers to try to escape, and had been beaten for her efforts until one day her methods had cost her more than what she had been willing to sacrifice for her freedom. It had been that last altercation that had cause Prue's turn around as she realized that they would kill her before they let her escape. That was why she had to use this opportunity to sway Phoebe.
Walking into the infirmary, Prue noted prisoner number 0204fh. All she knew was that she was a shy, quiet girl who had been assigned to work as a nurse because of her gentle, unquestioning nature.
"Is she feeling good enough to answer some questions," Prue asked in a soft voice.
Piper looked up, startled to see the "terminator" as some of the prisoners called Prue. It was widely known that she had been taken under Pratt's wing and that she was used to keep other prisoners in line. Piper had promised the sleeping teen that she would keep the guards away but she didn't know how to keep Pratt's super weapon at bay.
"Uh, she just fell asleep," Piper said trying to buy more time. "I can call you when she wakes up though. It's just important that while she recovers from the hypothermia that we don't disrupt that process and sleep helps to keep her heartbeat at a steady rate."
Prue looked at the prisoner whose name she couldn't remember, recognizing that protective quality in her voice and added another name –well, technically number—to her memory.
"No, that's okay. I can wait," Prue said and took a seat directly across from her. "I'm Prue, and you are?"
"Piper; prisoner—"
"0204fh," Prue interrupted putting her folder down on the other girl's desk. "I'm aware of your number, and just about every other witch kept here. That's my job as Pratt's personal assistant. I keep my eyes on everyone and my ears to the ground."
"You help him keep us here," Piper said, her voice small but edged with an uncharacteristic anger you rarely saw in someone so timid. "You keep us trapped in this place with no friends, family, anything!"
"My job is to keep an eye on everything that happens in this facility," Prue said in a strong tone, reminding Piper of their difference in status. "Everyone who comes and goes, when they do it, how they do it."
"We call you the terminator," Piper told her.
"Funny, Pratt calls me the keeper of the gate," Prue said trying to get her point across. Phoebe started groaning and Prue turned her head to look at her. "It seems she's alright enough to be interviewed. Would you like to supervise your patient?"
Piper tilted her head as she gave the older woman a somewhat cynical and suspicious look. "I had better, if only to make sure her health isn't compromised."
Prue entered Pratt's suite and sat at her desk, entering the data into the computer and updating the rest of Pratt's schedule for the rest of the month. She was also responsible for submitting reports to Pratt that summarized the latest findings from the research being conducted in layman's term and write notes on how it related to previous studies and its application to the treatment of the prisoner's.
Little did he know that she was also using the data to compile a list of prisoners, separating it based on number of children in a family, pure bred versus hybrid status, and blood types/ genetic similarities like hereditary medical conditions in hopes of encouraging prisoners to join her side by reconnecting them with relatives. One of the ways that LAMBDA –or the League Against Magical BreeDs Association – had been successful at keeping thousands of witches prisoners was by removing familial ties and therefore power bases who could work together to escape.
Prue had been planning for nearly five years now and everything she had learned was committed to memory and she thanked her lucky stars that she had a photographic memory. She had plotted out the best day of the year to escape as well as the best routes to take them through Hobart Penitentiary. Spells had been created because Prue didn't have access to potion ingredients, but she was hopeful that she might be able to steal supplies from the guards over time.
There was only one thing necessary to put this whole thing in motion. Prue needed to put together at least one group of siblings. Her best bet was to look through the purebreds, she knew, because there was almost complete certainty that all children of a pure bred family would have been imprisoned at the time of their first blood test. That was how magic was being detected. Besides APGAR and Hearing Screenings at birth, most doctors also tested blood to determine blood type and test for genetic anomalies preemptively.
Who to choose? How to connect siblings? Prue's photographic memory started sifting through pure bred prisoners as she recalled their numbers, reading through their personal files, what their powers were, how big of a threat they were determined to be, matches in hereditary medical conditions and blood type. Prue closed her eyes for a moment as she create a new file in her mind that looked like a family tree as she organized the prisoners into different categories.
Rubbing her head, Prue tried to think of a faster way to link siblings together and she gathered her belongings as she left for the night. Mentally, she laughed as a single thought entered her mind. The terminator; if only. That would mean there was someone out there destined to lead them. Right now there were only three. They would need a miracle.
