CHAPTER 3
The skimmer stopped and the pilot announced they were entering the gates. Alex looked out of the meshed over slits that the skimmer had for passenger windows. All he could see was the skimmer moving through what seemed to be a double gate entrance, the type of entrance you would find in a prison's vehicle entrance. An LMC guard wearing his jumpsuit, sunglasses and cap with the seemingly omnipotent green pyramid logo of the Tournament's owners passed the vision slit, not even looking into the hold.
He heard the outer doors shut as the LMC guard shouted to his counterpart, who has some elevated position- Alex couldn't see were, but it was most likely the door control room- and then the second doors opened and the skimmer made a short trip forward before turning half a circle an setting down.
The doors opened, revealing two more black Liandri guards armed with a generic high-powered weapon each- one had a shotgun, the other a rifle capable of burst fire.
"Come on out" one of the guards said to Kovacs who shuffled on the bench to the end and was helped out by the other guard.
"Welcome to your new home Kovacs" Blake said, getting out of the transport as one of the guards started to unlock Alex's shackles "oh, and don't head butt these guys or their friends on the perimeter will unload twice your body weight in ammunition before you even hit the ground. They also aren't like that guard back in the spaceport.
They were in the middle of a plain, prairie like courtyard which was surrounded by a laser wall, allowing light to pass through it, but not people. As far as he could see, this was the only building for miles around. Above the wall was a walkway with some guards patrolling and others watching the new arrival. The courtyard was bare at best, with only a poor quality running track in it. Looking behind him Kovacs saw a huge stone building, behind him and noticed a grey asphalt path leading from the skimmers resting pad to the building and another, which was built half in the wall on either side. All of the structures looked in a state of disrepair and some courtyard buildings were now piles of rubble
"What is this place, a prison?"
"Close, it's the Dark Phalanx headquarters, prison, training centre and living quarters all rolled into one walled off complex. The building used to be an abandoned prison and then Liandri gave it to our team to use. As you can see, a lot of work needs to be done, but we can't do anything because our team just isn't performing. Come on I'll take you inside. Thanks guys"
"No problem Blake" replied one of the guards as the two team-mates started walking away from the skimmer and along the asphalt path"
Blake gestured back to the guards "Told you, we've got some decent guys here. All have served on the front line for years and have been assigned as our guards as reward for good service, after all, guarding a Tournament team is easy and safe work, well easier and safer than a high security penal colony anyway.
You see you may think that guarding us is more dangerous since we are here to fight and are chosen for our weapons and combat skills, aggression and personalities, but when you are forced to fight on a regular basis every year, you eventually learn to channel your aggression in tournament fights and outside, you want the simple things- to read a book, train, sleep, eat, socialise with your team-mates, recover from injuries, anything but fight. Hell, we have even been known talk to the guards about random things and they will sometimes start the conversation with you. Count your blessings that you've been given this chance to fight for your freedom or even be a celebrity, like Gorge or Malcolm"
"Yeah, it's a REAL bonus having a prolonged death sentence rather than a swift execution! No offence Blake, this is not something people enjoy having to do."
Blake shook his head "no, but you eventually accept it's your fate to be here and start to get into the spirit of things, if you will, or else you'll be dead before you know it. Anyway, on to the grand tour"
The two of them entered the building through the automated doors. It took them into a grand hall, very bare and with cracks and cobwebs on the wall and ceiling, which was a good one hundred feet above Al's head. The only hint of colour in the entire stone coloured chasm was the dark scarlet roll of carpet with small gold lines running along each side which lead to two grand wooden stained doors. There were also two sets of wooden doors on either side of the room. Blake took Alex to the left-hand set of doors, along the cracked marble flooring which Alex just noticed through the layer of dust.
"Doesn't anyone clean this place?"
Blake chuckled "Son, what do you expect when dust is blown in every time the door is opened? Plus no-one comes here anyway and with so little funds available in the team coffers', cleaning a room no-body stays in seems pointless. Anyway, this way"
The double doors led down a corridor lit by strip lighting which ran along the top and bottom of each wall, only breaking on the right hand side occasionally for sets of doors.
"This is our habitation wing" explained Blake "We have the training centre, sick bay, library- yes we have a library, although no-one uses it- and our armoury, through each of the doors on your right. All doors are motion activated. Step close enough and they'll open for you. They can't be locked at all- Liandri's anti-suicide policy, apparently!"
"This must have a pretty nice prison in its day!"
"Ha, you crack me up! These are Liandri conversions, the main hall and the two other large rooms, which you'll see in a moment, are our design."
They walked to the end of the corridor and the door automatically slid open to reveal a round room with a spiralling ramp running around the room. As Alex walked in he saw industrial, blast doors dotted along the ramp. The towering room must have been thirty to forty metres across and went up six revolutions.
"This is were we live"
"Here?"
"Yep, come on I'll show you to your cell. Well, actually, out of the twenty cells we have, only four are taken, and they're the top four, so any other cell you can have and when I say cells, I mean cells. They are small and each has minimal furnishings."
They walked up the curved ramp way as Blake gave Alex the history of the place from when it was a prison right up to Liandri's purchase and the Dark phalanx residence. They stopped at the cell fifth from the top of the ramp- Blake obviously wanted them all together. It reminded Kovacs of when he was first billeted into the NEG forces and he had been shown his room by his drill instructor and boot camp company commander, although Kovacs couldn't remember his name at this moment. Blake then span the giant rust covered wheel and following an audible clank he pulled the door open. Kovacs stepped through.
Cells- he wasn't joking!
The room was small and rectangular in shape. In front of him was his bed, mounted on some drawers. On it was a standard issue set of military blankets, no doubt bought for cheap in bulk from some surplus store. He leant on the bed to test the springiness, which was to Alex's satisfaction. Overlooking the bed was a small semi-circular window, glazed but with solid metal bars on the outside. It was hinged at the bottom and was currently open, letting in some rather dry but cool air.
"Not much of a view" Kovacs joked as he peered out over the perimeter fence with patrolling guards on it and nothing but plains, but n the distance he could see mountains, still with their peaks white with snow. It was then that it hit him
I am a prisoner, then? Was ringing that egotistical officer's neck and killing his cheating wife worth being restricted like this, forced to fight whenever Liandri called, just to entertain some slack-jawed middle class people who had nothing better to do than want death on someone else?
"Is this to your liking?" Blake said interrupting his thoughts
"Sorry?" apologised Kovacs "I was in my own world"
"Got to be better then this one, eh?" Blake said with a fatherly smile. Even though Kovacs was in his twenties, it still felt like it helped "I asked if this cell was okay, I mean it's not a luxury apartment but it's yours to mould however you want to. Rip it up and just have a flat mattress on the floor if it makes you feel better. I'm telling you though, the others aren't any different!"
"Yeah, it's fine sir"
"Good, because now we've got a team meeting to go to, but I want to show you something on the way; something to think about whilst you're with us"
"Lead on"
The new Phalanx shut his cell door behind him and followed Blake up past the other four rooms and into a room which definitely wasn't like this when it was a prison for everyday criminals, not these select, elite criminals who actually have more freedom than their predecessors.
They were on the back balcony of a huge room. Spiralling staircases led from either end of the balcony, meeting in the middle at a podium before running straight down the middle of the room to the floor. Down the middle of the balconies, stairs and indeed the room itself, which seemed to all be made from high quality masonry, which could do with some improvements, there was a plush red felt carpet. This ran all the way along the vast room- probably the old prison dining hall at one time- up to the double wooden doors at the end.
Stone pillars ran along either side of the carpet reaching up to the ceiling where light shone through in some dust coated skylights, running along the peak of the arched roof
"Impressive huh?" mused Blake "This is our Grand hall. It's here where we keep the trophies we've won over the years. We also hold funeral services for our fallen before burying them in the cemetery and then place their plaque on one of these walls. It's the spiritual home of the Dark Phalanx if you will, and the team's very heart. Most our money was used to keep this place looking as best as we could, but, as you can see, despite our best efforts this place is looking more abandoned and dead every day."
They were now walking down the flight of steps to their right as Blake carried on his philosophical and historical speech. Kovacs was listening intently, up to the point where he saw the Dark Phalanx banner draped at the centre of the podium from balcony. It was a simple design- a blood red piece of cloth with the Black fist of the Dark Phalanx in the centre. In front of the flag, was a small marble rectangular block, the top reaching Alex's waist. On it stood an old golden trophy- three green pillars arranged in a triangle, imitation marble above and below. On the top layer was a small bronze step pyramid with a bronze man in metal armour holding some sort of weapon above his head. The trophy itself was a good two feet tall. Alex leaned in closer, in order to read the inscription on the small plate on the base. It read:
Dark Phalanx
Assault Competition Champions 2292
"That was a long time ago, but I still remember lifting that trophy above my head in front of thousands of fans that were in the arena as if it were yesterday. IT is the last trophy we've won. That's what this post is for. It is exactly in the centre of this room and is used to focus our efforts when we walk here by always displaying the last trophy we've won. Also it would be a nice centre-piece should we ever get permission to throw parties like we used to when we were contenders"
Blake bowed his head slightly and his voice dropped into a saddened tone. Kovacs understood why- Blake had once been a proud soldier, commanding one of the best regiments ever to exist. He is a proud individual and has had it all snatched away from him by Liandri and NEG- friends, colleagues, his unit, even his wife and daughter. Blood began to blood in Alex's veins.
Here I am standing in front of a once proud man, who Liandri have now destroyed. He's no longer the colonel who was a master tactician and who had one of the best combat records in the history of NEG forces! I'm not letting this happen to me! I'm getting out of this as soon as possible! Look out for number one, because there's never a number two to do so!
"Well, we'll have to get this changed won't we boss?"
Blake just nodded "Yes, we will. Come on we've got a meeting to attend and you've got to meet your team mates"
Not team mates colonel, my tickets out of here!