The Sky is your Prison and Your Hope: Chapter 1: Prison is Cold

AN: Hey guys! I’m back, with the quickest update I’ve ever made! This is the first real chapter, and it should give you a feel of how long each chapter should be (although the farther I get into every series I write, each chapter gets longer)

111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111

Simon Tam awoke abruptly, feeling cold. It was one of the first times in his life he truly shivered and felt numbness this severe; temperature regulators usually took care of unpleasant things like cold, in his world. He gradually rose from the cement floor, and immediately rubbed his aching head. Simon immediately winced at the pain, and found the sore spot. Blood was matted in his hair, and Simon could tell his hair wasn’t looking too good. His back ached; how long had he been lying on that cement? More importantly, where was he?

Simon looked around at his surroundings, and immediately recognized the place. The cold, musky air; the rusty steel walls; the high-tech laser bars that would kill you in an instant, if you tried to escape; even the floor was familiar. Yes, he was in prison. Even though his last visit was only over night, having gotten bail from his father, the hi-tech Capitol City prison. It was a cold place. High-security everywhere. He had heard tales from other children when he was a little boy about how prisoners were shipped from one edge of the ‘verse to Osiris, so they’d have no chance of escaping. He knew that this wasn’t all that true, but it scared him as a child.

Simon looked around, and noticed a guard with a devious grin on his face. The guard was large, burly, and looked to have very little intellect. There were tattoos up and down his exposed arms, and on his neck. He seemed to like Blue Sun. “You’re awake,” the guard said, “The one that I was told to put on maximum security.” The guard chuckled a hollow chuckle that echoed down the hallway of cells containing criminals who did some of the worst things humanly possible. “Serial Killer five cells down from you. He’s got less priority than you. If, say, everyone was to escape, getting you would be the top of your list.” He chuckled again, this one more malignant than the other. “This means you’re not likely to get out of this one. And all the great prisoners have been sent to the great Punio Malegere. Boy, he has made all of them suffer.”

Simon turned his back to the guard, shivered, and thought. *I can’t help River. That was my goal. I failed* Simon hung his head, and sighed. Suddenly, the guard swung the door open, and shoved Simon out of the cell, so he was now face-to-face with a tall man in an expensive looking suit.

“So you’re Dr. Simon Tam.” The man said, with a devious grin on HIS face.

“I am.”

“The Alliance is very disappointed with what you’ve done.” The tall man said, grinning even larger.

“Well, I’m disappointed with the Alliance, so it all works out, doesn’t it.” Simon snapped. What he had witnessed at the Academy was unforgivable. The way they hurt his mei mei like that… And all the other children there.

“Don’t you see! That girl, River, she’s a great asset to the Alliance. You were denying the Alliance something that it needs. You broke into a high-security Alliance facility. Things like that don’t go unpunished. And if someone does something that horrible, they’re sent to me. I’m Punio Malegere. I’ll be doling out your punishment.”

Simon was grabbed by two guards. Simon tried to break free, but couldn’t, so he decided to save his energy, and stopped fighting.

“See, you were deemed unwell to go to the trial.” Punio said with a malicious smirk, “and therefore, you pleaded guilty. You are now to be sentenced, and taken care of, on MY terms.”

AN: WARNING! IF TORTURE BOTHERS YOU, SKIP THE NEXT PART:

The guards dragged a kicking Simon to a small interrogation room. They stripped off his shirt, and attached him to a machine in the corner. They strapped him to a chair, so he couldn’t escape.

Punio sat across from Simon, and folded his arms on the table separating them. “Now, tell me. What did you learn at that facility.”

“I…. I don’t know. I came for River.”

Punio proceeded to shock Simon. The pain was immense, and flowed throughout Simon’s body. Simon shook with the pain. Finally it was over.

“I’ll ask you again. What did you see.”

Simon sputtered blood in his mouth. “I,… I saw torture. I don’t know. They were hurting them. The other students were hurt.”

Punio took his hand off of the dial that controlled the machine, and smiled. “Very good. Now, what secrets did you learn of the facility.”

“Nothing! I came for River, nothing else.”

The shock was devastating. Simon thought that Punio must have turned up the pain some, because it hurt even more. His ankles and wrists were red and bleeding, from the writhing in the chair.

“LIAR!” Punio shouted, bringing down his fist. “To get to where you were, you MUST know something. Now, what do you know!”

Simon broke down, and after a few shocks that were more painful after the other. Finally, he snapped. “They’re torturing them. Making them weapons. Just please, release River! She’s not ready for this! Please!”

Punio shocked Simon one last time, before unstrapping him. Simon fell to the ground, coughing up the blood that was lodged in his throat.

“You know I can’t do that, Dr.” Punio said in his most patronizing manner, “She’s a great asset to the Alliance. And you are too. It’s terrible, really. One of the greatest doctors on Osiris becomes a fugitive. So, I’ve decided your punishment. You will be banished from all the core worlds. You can NEVER return to them again, unless specifically ordered by your superiors, and given proper identification. You will fly for 10 years on the Alliance cruiser Magellan, which is a patrol ship. You will be their physician, they are in great need. After those ten years, you are on your own. You will still be banished, though. Dong ma?”

Simon used all the energy he could to nod. Then he immediately passed out on the interrogation room floor.