Chapter Nine
Jim Henkleman addressed the prisoners surrounded by a small squadron of armed guards.
The guards’ made no secret as to whom they are watching, and what they would do if anyone stepped out of line.
Four of the five prisoners, made an assessment as to the odds of getting out of the laboratory alive.
The only one who came up with an actionable plan was Harry, and the one who made no plan at all, was Al.
Harry decided not to take action because he didn't want to injure anyone and an escape simply did not cross Al's mind.
The other three inmates all concocted half-hearted schemes for escape, and if they were able to do so successfully, they would probably have followed though with the attempt; fortunately the weapons in the hands of the guards were sufficient to dispel such thoughts.
Jim Henkleman was lecturing them on how they had once given society cause for concern, but now was their opportunity to find a sense of purpose and dedicate themselves to something greater – namely the Prison Space project.
As Jim closed his brief, and supposed morale bolstering speech, Dr. Meredith began introducing the basics of the system to the would-be participants.
She pointed to a giant flat-screen monitor, mounted to the wall behind them. As she gestured towards the monitor, Theo flicked on the screen, and tuned into the Prison Space channel.
All five inmates stared in disbelief as the camera performed a perspective scanning tour and each felt as though he was being introduced to a new home through an infomercial.
The screen displayed a work camp with room enough for the five of them, and anywhere between ten and fifteen more to be comfortably productive.
There were tools available for any type of trade development necessary. There was a break room, complete with a pool table, dart board, and a patio, with wooden benches under the shelter of an overhanging roof. A dirt road led around the work camp, forming a loop.
The prisoners then watched as the camera moved toward a lake. The water was clear, and a slight wind moved the branches of the trees, and the reeds of the tall grass. There was a beach, and each grain of sand appeared to be clearly visible on the monitor before them. The lake appeared deep, and the surface of the water, choppy, from the wind.
There was a small dock, where a number of canoes bounced gently against each other; and the sound of waves crashing onto the shore reached the ears of all within the laboratory.
The lake was surrounded by a verdant forest. There were trees of many different heights, and types all collected together in a patchwork woodland. They could not see very far into the woods, but there was understory of shrubs, and a darkened space beyond where the understory was completely shaded out.
The forest looked simultaneously inviting and unstable and some of the prisoners began to feel uneasy at their conflicting feelings, inspired by the darkness beyond the treeline.
Theo had been in charge of programming the tour camera, and had been examining the prisoners in order gauge their reactions. He wanted to make sure he was doing a good job, and their gaping mouths, and fixed stares provided him all the affirmation he needed. Even the guards looked on in disbelief, as they had only heard about the program, and had not yet seen it in action.
The final destination of the camera tour was a single barracks building just up the road from the lake.
Upon entering the barracks, the first thing that the group saw was a large kitchen and dining area.
There was a commercial stove and oven, along with a box cooler. A three basin sink for doing dishes was on the left side of the room, and to the right, a dining area where the inmates could sit and eat their food.
Down the hall were two doorways in opposing positions; the opening to the left contained a bathroom, and the doorway to the right led into a workout space.
The bathroom featured a gigantic walk in shower, with multiple heads, a few toilet stalls, and a standard mirrored sink.
The workout room contained a few benches, and a complete set of free-weights.
At the end of the hall were two rooms. One of which was a study, complete with a massive library. There were books lined up on shelves, from floor to ceiling.
In the center of the study were a string of tables, with chairs. A series of shiny, black typewriters sat on the tables.
The last room in the Barracks was a dormitory; this room was the most simple of all the rooms displayed during the tour.
It was a single expanse of thinly carpeted flooring, shaped like a pentagon. There were five cots, in five corners, each one with its own nightstand and personal storage box. The cots were a durable cotton weave, strung securely to wooden frames placed opposite each other in a clever geometrical arrangement. Sitting on each bed was an identical set of thick, folded, grey, woolen blankets.
On that note the presentation ended.
***
Dr. Meredith had sat through the presentation with complete composure, whilst Jim Henkleman revealed a clear vision of excitement in his eyes.
“Essentially, the digitization process operates very much like a CAT scan.” Tanya began.
“There is a reader, which will send powerful radiation waves into your body. The radiation will be traced, and its diffusion recorded by a sonar imaging system. The results from the imaging system will be cataloged, and transferred to our servers. Once the information has been uploaded to the network, your reassembly will take place. Each cell diffused, will be reconstituted, and your physical being and consciousness will end up … in prison space.”
The last few words Dr. Meredith spoke were simple, and her tone was pleasant.
“You are about to enter what at first glance, appears to be a digital realm, but I assure you this is not the case,” Dr. Meredith stated.
“All of your basic needs will be met, and within the parameters of prison guidelines, you will be fed and comfortably supplied with any sort of materials or tools necessary for you to develop any trade of your choice. You will have to work to provide yourself with these materials, just as you would have to in our world.
You will be rewarded for cooperation, and penalized for misconduct. There will be no privacy. Whether you masturbate in the shower, defecate, or drool in your sleep; there is no relief from the pan-opticon of surveillance,” she concluded.
“Well, if you're going to be watching me in the shower, then I'd better put on an extra good show for you,” said Rob, pausing only to nudge his brother and state.
“Maybe if it’s an especially good jerk-off, she lets us out in 29 years instead of 30?”
A guard approached Rob from behind and decked him in the back of the head with the butt of his rifle and Rob collapsed to the ground.
John immediately knelt down to check his brother was alright while the remaining prisoners viewed Rob's unconscious body with some detachment.
A small amount of blood seeped from a cut on Rob's scalp, and the remaining prisoners sat uncomfortably, not knowing what to do next.
Dr. Meredith simply maintained her cool gaze at Rob's lifeless form and some of the guards began to grow uncomfortable, unclear of the protocol in this situation.
All except for the guard who struck the blow that downed Rob – he simply stared straight ahead like a soldier who has done his duty, and was awaiting further orders.