Breakout 1
#1 of Breakout
Breakout
Earth... the national economy of the great nation America falls even further than it did during the great depression. China takes over due to quadrillions owed to them that America could not pay back. All Americans are forced to work to repay debts.
Two hundred years pass by. America is still working on paying off the debts owed to China. The Americans have been working on a way to get away from planet Earth. America started building a space ship capable of hyper space drive in order to find a new habitable planet. Word spreads to China, who decides to end this foolishness once and for all. Nuclear weapons are launched on both sides... nuclear winter falls, the world falls back into the dark ages.
The humans that survive finally emerge from the holes they climbed into five hundred years later. Global debts are forgotten, peace falls upon the earth. Alliances form and tensions rise, war erupts shortly after alliances are formed. This time humanity successfully wipes itself off the face of the earth.
Another one thousand five hundred years pass before others came. They originally tried to bring Earth back to its original glory, they were unsuccessful. The terraformers sold the rights of Earth to the highest bidder, a mining corporation. The Corporation then mined Earth until all of the natural recourses were depleted; the rights were sold once again, this time to the Galactic Military.
This lasted two hundred years before the Great Religious War erupted. An interplanetary missile was launched towards the outpost on Earth. Another thousand years passed, before it was used by the others again. This time the planet Earth is being used as a hide out for crime lords and space pirates and so it remains, the once proud planet used for not so honest purposes.
Ted Necras
I can't believe I am doing this, I thought to myself. If I want this job I literally have to go to the deepest pits of hell. This prison is where all of the scum is locked away. Only maximum security people should be down there. God, why is this paper doing a report on this guy ten years after the massacre. Apparently he killed an entire town, no witnesses, no evidence, not anything to convict anyone, but he confessed to the whole thing, the whole bloody incident.
"Going down to The Pit huh, I don't envy you at all. A bunch of freaks are down there. Hell, even the Hardcore's hate that place," the guard on the elevator said.
"Yeah I have to go and talk to someone for a damn job when no one else is crazy enough to do it," I responded.
"I hope they give you a bonus for all of the trouble. Hell I wouldn't go down there for a million credits. This is your floor, good luck to ya," he said as the doors opened.
I was met by two people of the Hardcore; about eight feet tall, looked like they could get shot like a hundred times and not feel a thing. I showed them my I.D. and they got on either side and started walking me to the interrogation room (well more like torture room but for this it had been turned into such). It wasn't a very bright place, the lights were all red and next to them were blinding lights in case of a break out, although the bars are made of pure adamant so the possibility of these them escaping weighed down by about two tons of ball and chain was near impossible.
"This is it sir. We have him tied down to a chair in there as well as about fifty guns trained on him in case he does manage to break his chains, not that he'll give much of an effort," the one on the left said.
"Yeah he's as low as a dog like him should be," the one on the right said.
They opened the door and the inside it was darker in there than it was out here. I only saw two dim red lights that showed absolutely nothing about the room. I figured there had to be people with night vision goggles on, because it was pitch black in there. I walked in and then found my chair. It was cold and hard (obviously designed for the Hardcore). Then I looked up and the red lights had moved, they were closer to me than they were originally when I sat down.
"Uh, are you the prisoner," I asked looking at the red glowing eyes.
"Yes," it said.
"Not much for talking are you," I asked.
"No point in doing something that gets you punished," it said calmly.
"Uh, do you have a name," I asked.
"Not anymore. Just call me Con," it said calmly yet again.
"You know why I'm here," I asked.
"Yeah, you are here about what happened ten years ago," it said.
"Do you have any regrets," I asked.
"No, because I didn't do it," it responded.
"According to an entire town with evidence of yours all over the place it seems kinda hard to believe you didn't do it," I responded.
"The peace officers planted that evidence there, I would never hurt a being of intelligence," it responded calmly.
"I know they tend to be corrupt but that's just to Lower city people everywhere. Planting evidence is one of those things that's really rare," I responded.
"I was the child of the most powerful crime syndicate known. I was visiting someone important in that town, they were slaughtered already when I arrived and I couldn't leave in time when the Peace officers arrived. They arrested me and planted the evidence everywhere and used a rigged jury and judge."
"Why has none of this every been published then Con?" I asked, not sure of what to believe.
"Enough, just leave you will never understand what happened Mr...," it asked.
"Necras, Ted Necras ," I said as I got to the door and pulled it open.
What he said shook me to the core. I know there is a level of corruption and I understand that, what he said though makes his entire incarceration is based on a lie. Don't know exactly what he thinks I know but he does believe I know something which I don't. I mean I was probably only twelve when that incident happened. Hell, I don't even have access to those papers yet. I hope I never run into him again.
*********
Con
I need to get out of here; this hell hole is eating me alive. I have been trapped here too long, I need freedom. The dark lights are just a ploy for the light it actually hides. Then the guards came in and went to either side of me grabbed my arms and stood me up. The then slowly marched me to my cell.
Quietly I grabbed the chain between my hands and bent the chain linking my hands together. I will get out of this place now because I have no choice if I want to prove my innocence. They threw me in my cell and closed the cell door. Fucking Hardcore muscle, thinking everything down here is a piece of crap. I stood back up and reached towards the bars and placed my claws on two bars. "This is it," I thought. I bent the bars out of the way so I could fit my lithe form out of my cell.
"Hey meathead," I whispered to the guard as I got up to him.
"What the...," he said as I hit him in the back of the head and lowered him slowly to the floor.
Luckily for me, there was only one other guard and he was going to get me the hell out of here. I had had enough of this place, the darkness, the stink, and even the soldiers seemed to hate it here. I crept up slowly behind him and then threw his hulking form into the wall. I then grabbed his arm and pulled it parallel with his spine.
"I hate you and you hate me but you are going to get me out of here," I said.
"What makes you think on this planet, or any other planet for the matter, I would do that," he asked.
"Well for one I could kill you right now, for another thing I know you have a family and we wouldn't want anything happening to them now would we," I asked menacingly.
"You wouldn't," he started.
"Oh but if you have forgotten I killed an entire town, three people means nothing to me," I bluffed.
"You monster...," he started.
"Oh, please stop flattering me and get that elevator down here," I said.
"Fine," he reached for his communication unit, "Carl get down here my shift is over and this place is freaking me out again."
As soon as he let go of the com I cracked him over the head. I slowly let him fall to the floor and took his uniform. It barely fit but it would have to do considering the fact that I wasn't about to walk around in a prison jumpsuit. The door opened up and he didn't really look at me and pressed the button to the garage. Finally I was getting out of here, no ore darkness and stale food. Plus I have somewhere to go.
The doors opened up and I knocked the elevator operator out. I then took his keys out of his pocket. I pressed the button to find his vehicle I saw it and hopped in. "God it's been a while," I thought to myself. I still remembered how to drive one of these things, though it had been a little over a decade. I turned the key and I felt air conditioning for the first time in what felt like forever.
*********
Ted
"God, it's been a long day," I said to myself. That murderer in Hell took more out of me than I thought. I got the job, at least I got that. I heard shortly after I left he escaped. I went to a police station and got his background records from the police station apparently he is the youngest son of the biggest crime family in this galaxy. My biggest question is why in the hell didn't they bail him out of jail.
I just want to get home take a shower and take a nap. I need to take my mind off of this whole thing. I turned on the radio, to get out of my head. "...and in other news one of the prisoners in cell containment area 'Hell' escaped today. The prisoner was one Hank Ellworth, the one who was involved in the Everett town massacre. He considered unarmed and extremely dangerous," the reporter said. As I had already found out because they had already got a blockade set up hours after he left. Damn that guy is going to be all over until they get him. Although he probably isn't as dangerous as they think, from what he says.
It was a relatively short trip, not too much traffic. Everyone's probably at home spending as much time as they can with their families. I climbed out of my car, and walked to the elevator. I pressed the number for my floor. As the doors started to close my neighbor Jill, a very attractive squirrel, came around the corner so I stopped the door and let her get on.
"Hey, you hear about that killer," she asked.
"Yeah, I actually talked to him today. I am still a little shaken," I replied.
We talked for fifteen minutes, about other things. Then our elevator got to the floor, I about asked her out then I kicked myself because I had chickened out. I went to my penthouse, I pulled out my key. I then crossed the threshold into my penthouse, I heard someone in my kitchen. I ran into it to see two wine glasses out and a Green Dragon digging around in my refrigerator. He then pulled out a wine bottle.
"What the hell do you think you are doing," I asked.
"Oh, Hey Ted, just felt like celebrating freedom with my best friend," it said.
"Wait, do I know you, who the hell are you," I asked.
"Oh right, sorry I forgot it was dark in there for you. It's me Con, or as I'm spelling it now K-h-a-n," he said.
"Hank just make it easier and turn yourself in," I pleaded.
"No, you have no idea what it's like to be innocent and suffer for ten years for a crime you didn't commit," he started, "I was only out there because I had a girlfriend out there and I wanted to see her. Unfortunately the entire town was massacred when I arrived. I ran to her house and found her body lying on the floor, I tried to revive her, thus covering myself in her blood. When the peace keepers arrived they found me and accused me of murder."
"Still I don't want to be the one to turn you in," I said.
"And I don't want to tell them you helped me escape," Kahn responded.
After he said that I realized I'd never be able to argue with him. So I submitted to his wishes and let him open the bottle of wine. Had a glass, after that I noticed that he was wearing very fine high end clothing. "Where did you get those," I asked. "Oh, these I got them from The Wings, a dragon specialty shop," Kahn replied. I had heard of it before but I had never been in there, since I'm not a dragon. I hear that most of the stuff is custom and costs a lot.
"Well you should start getting packed," Kahn said.
"Wait packed for what? I can't go anywhere I just got a job," I said.
"Well I can't stick around here, I got us two tickets to the Planet of Forgotten Children," he said.
"Khan there is no way you'll get through the blockade. They'll be checking every ship for you, there's no way you can get out of here without being found," I tried to talk some sense into him.
"Please, my family has connections. And they have paid off a few ships to let a ship with call sign 'Joker' to pass through," he responded.
God he really is crazy! Planning on going through a blockade on his family's promise that they'd kill whoever tries to stop the ship. Plus they probably gave him a lot to even hire a pilot and ship. Not to mention finding one crazy enough to try and get past a full arsenal of weaponry. This guy must have a death wish.
*********
Khan
So, finally at the space port ready to leave this freaking planet. Ted was heading to the ship, I was going to meet Abby in the lounge, so we could discuss a few things in private. I had not met her before but I did read her file. Each pilot has a record on file, I was looking for someone who was reliable, trustworthy, and knew when to keep their mouth shut.
I saw her at the bar standing there she was a short-ish woman, appeared to be some sort of lizard. Wearing a jacket and holding a pack with a couple clipboards and a sketchpad sticking out. As one of my claws clicked on the floor she turned around and I saw she had short hair that was burned on the tips and dyed purple. She had on a pair of cargo shorts with straps and numerous tools, from a basic calculator to a 3D imager. I walked over and stood next to her. I ordered a Junno and tonic. I reached into my pocket and pulled out a small envelope. It contained thirty thousand credits on a card.
"There's half you get us there and back you'll get the rest plus a bonus," I said.
Nodding she pulled out one of the clipboards and handed it to me. "Not many rules on my ship, in fact there are only three, but this is part of my contracts that everyone who gets on my ship signs."
I read the list: Rule One She's Capitan of the ship, Rule Two enter her room and the automated stun system is free to fire, Rule Three try and take any of her creations and she'll track you down. "Ok, all of this sounds reasonable, so long as I am allowed to make sure we on the same heading and you don't try to double cross us," I said signing the contract.
Nodding she said, "you'll have access to the secondary flight console, it receives data at the same time as the primary but is not active for controlling the ship unless the primary is deactivated."
"Well spacer you've got yourself one fine deal. Now enough talk about business how did you come about being a spacer," I asked.
Nodding at my question she opened the door to her ship and said, "We can talk about histories on the ship, but the lounge has a number of bugs, some official some not so much, and a few of them are my own to try and cancel my voice from the other bugs."
Walking into the ship I followed her to the bridge of the ship. I sat in the secondary seat and introduced her to Ted she just nodded and told him to sign the contract on the other clipboard, and told him he would be staying in the Med Bay. From there she turned to the console, activated the ship, and started us toward the blockade.
Pressing half a dozen buttons near simultaneously I saw the outgoing comms activate with something obviously being sent but she wasn't saying anything. As the outgoing stopped sending I heard "Acknowledged Lark, we're letting you through the blockade." Nodding to no one in particular she pressed another button over her head and turned to me.
"I'm sorry; I'll answer your earlier question now. I was an orphan but was adopted when I was 3, I had already learned to read by then and was starting to teach myself math. I finished the primary school system by the time I was 12. I went to advanced schools on and off for the next 4 years."
Laughing she said "I remember my best friend; he was still in primary when I graduated from my advanced schooling. I took a job as a tutor for a year to spend more time with him, not sure why people thought we were dating."
Shrugging she continued "During that year I developed my first prototype engine, I got paid to build it and any other experiments I wanted to run. I was on a bigger ship for a while, I remember that time, it was fun learning about sex. Working for them I earned enough to buy this ship. I prefer to work on my own so this is a good situation for me."
Leveling her eyes with mine she asked "Now why do you want the fastest ship in the galaxy for a simple run like this is what I want to ask but it's up to you if you want to answer." Looking at Ted she said you and your boy toy there.
"Well, first off me and this guy aren't together. Secondly you are dependable, and you keep to yourself. My business in heading to Earth is that I need to hide out for a little bit while I figure out where a few of my old friends are. You've heard of the prison facility around this area right, Hell? Well I am the guy that got out. My family uses Earth as a hideout for their smuggling rink. Now the trial that landed me there ten years ago was set up. I was framed. See what happened on the day of that massacre was I was heading out to see my girlfriend in that exact town. I arrived whole town was dead, went to her house and got blood all over me. And went to prison for a decade," I explained.
Shrugging she walked up the wall while smirking "I was teasing about the boy toy, obviously he's he for some reason other than your company, he has the look of a reporter about him. As for your history I don't particularly care, I just wanted to know what systems to avoid, drug runners and refugees avoid different systems after all." Walking onto the ceiling she glanced at the controls and said "We'll be out of the system in an hour and the sensors are set to alert us to any ships that come within a half-hour's time of us. I'll come back to set the course in 20 minutes, if you want to come back out then to specify any specific areas you want me to avoid feel free." Taking a few steps along the ceiling she stopped and tossed a key at me. "Your room has a code and a key, the code is on that key, follow the blue line on the wall, and the red line takes you to the medi-center." facing forward again she walked up the lift shaft.
"Well trust me there won't be anyone who will mess with us. It's good to know someone who won't rat us out," I said heading to my quarters. We have a few weeks with Abby so I might as well make sure she's ok with us. God it been an eventful day never thought I'd do half of what I did. Earth... it's been so long since I've seen its barren wastes...