Noril'sk, Russia

Area 9

June 19, 2020 1:13

Mariah had been a prisoner of Area 9 for over three years, and during her captivity she had seen and done horrible things. Everyday was a blur that seemed never ending; a prisoner is not a person. Human beings were given some kind of respect, and could hide behind a mask or title. A prisoner couldn't hide, they were condemned by society; forced to fold and change or disappear. Who cares about the forgotten as long as they are quietly conforming, their existence is tolerated, but never accepted.

Mariah's cell was a square of pure, cold steel. The ceiling was made of metal plates, as were the 20' long walls that trapped her. The only way to enter or exit the cell was by a double bolted steel door that was forever locked. The cell was illuminated by a dimly lit panel in the wall that glowed at all hours of the day and night. In a corner of the cell was a toilette and in another corner was a wooden plank that served as a cot, the rest of the cell was bare.

The look of the cell was primitive compared to the white chrome walls of the complex. She was located in Sector 5, this was the mental ward of Area 9. Mariah had been sent to Sector 5 a year ago, after she had caused an explosion that injured a doctor and a destroyed a processing machine.

Mariah lay on her wooden cot and shivered and she rubbed her neck that was covered by a restraining collar, it was a habit that had developed many years ago. Four years. It had been four years since her life had crashed down around her. She wanted to forget sometimes she wanted to forget that before today four years ago she had some semblance of happiness. Mariah had a family before she was banished to Area 9. No one was searching for her or missing her and it was not because they were dead it was because she deserved it. She had betrayed the very people that had loved her. Her misery was because of her own actions. Why did she run? If she didn't run then she could have died like she was supposed to instead of rotting away in hell. Why?

Mariah had heard the date when the guard who delivered her food had spoken it to his friend. Her food still lay untouched next to her door, she refused to eat. In another hour the guard would come and escort her to testing. She would be forced to fight and they would observe her actions. If she did not fight she would be burned by an electric cattle prodder, her guards had a particular fondness for that form of punishment. She had the scars to prove it.

BANG!!

BANG!!

BANG!!

Mariah stirred from the noise; it was muffled, but detectable through the steel door of her cell. It must have been quite loud for her to be able to hear it from the door. Why don't the guards do something?

Mariah waited for the noise to stop, but it did not. After about twenty minutes Mariah became more and more annoyed with the noise. Her guards would never allow that noise to continue for so long without investigation. The noise came almost in a patern, every second bang was louder that the one before. She began pacing; the noise was getting more and more irritating. What? What could be causing that infernal noise? All of a sudden the noise stopped, and Mariah ran to the door and pressed her ear against the cold metal. Silence.

All of a sudden there was a humming noise coming from outside her cell. It became louder and louder until she was covering her ears with her head trying desperately to stop the deafening noise, that sounded like a space craft about to take off.

BOOM!!!

Mariah hit the wall of her cell and fell to the floor as a wave of energy blasted her back from the door. She gasped for air as she tried to regain the breath that had been knocked out from her. Ouch.

Mariah lay on the ground for several seconds before she stood up and saw stars dancing in front of her eyes. She leaned against the wall until her vision cleared and then began walking toward the door, trying to ignore the sharp pain in her spine.

She was on full alert as she approached the door of her prison. She carefully touched the door and got out of the way just in time, as the heavy, steel door fell loudly onto the ground.

Mariah stared at the door in shock. Was it a trick? It would not be the first time Sevarius had used mental hallucinations on her, and she would not be fooled so easily. She stared at the fallen door for close to a minute before making any motion to move. That door had been a symbol of her captivity, and it had only taken a second for it to fall.

Mariah looked out into the brightly lit hallway. She was greeted by a freezing wind that burned her face. The entrance gate of Sector 5 was gone. It was not broken or blown apart by an explosion, it was gone. Mariah looked at the desolate landscape that lay beyond the entrance gate and was in shock. Was it real or fake?

A/N:

Sorry for the long wait! Lots of stuff to do.

please R&R!

Thanks,

-SP-