Number 501 (Needs Editing)

They're All Around Me

Running down the long narrow hallway, bumping into random many prisoners that I've never even seen before. But I got to the front entrance of the cafeteria and peeked in from behind a wall. Tables were flipped, food was everywhere, prisoners were standing against the wall while one of the twins monitored them and made sure they didn't go anywhere. The other twin however, he began preaching. 

"Recently, we have a new ruler of the block! He was the one who caused trouble at the meeting the other day and caused so many of our friends to get wounded or worst killed. I'm giving out an offer, since my brother and I aren't allowed to necessarily kill him ourselves, we will pay two thousand digiSECs to the one who brings me his head. Think about all the meals, all the fame, and all the fortune you could acquire. Now go! Bring me him! Now! And by the way, every day I go without him dead, I find one of you and I tear out a tooth." 

The two twins walked my way but I hid behind a part of the wall that stuck out more than the others. I watched them walk right by. I needed to get somewhere fast and quick, somewhere safe. I needed to see Dynam or Reckt, someone! I couldn't go back to my cell, if I did then they would know where I was. I needed to get back into the security center as soon as possible. I kept my head down when walking. I ran through the cafeteria with my head lowered, from there I went to the rec center where there usually was many guards. I stumbled straight up to one and asked where Dynam was. Or Reckt for that matter. He wouldn't give me a perfectly straight answer but when I asked enough, a voice from behind reassured me. It was Dynam. 

"Everything okay? Why aren't you in the cafeteria?" He asked me making sure I wasn't skipping out on the job. I had to skip out though, or else I was dead.

"Dynam, you need to listen to me! I know I am missing my shift but please, pay attention, the twins! They're out to kill me!"

"The Benjamin Bro's?" Dynam asked.

"Yes! They came and told me things would be better without me and then they locked me inside my cell and took the key, they're warning me!" I explained to him but for some reason, he wasn't listening correctly.

"So, you weren't at your station?" He asked again. 

"No! They want to kill me!"

"Relax! Relax! God, these two live off of the services we provide. Without them being rulers of the block, they wouldn't get half the reputation they get around here. If they kill you, they risk dangerous consequences because you are one of us now. They will not kill you, they're too scared to."

"Dynam! Listen to me! They put out a bounty, with my name on it! Two thousand digiSECs."

"Jesus. Come with me! Now!" He grabbed my shoulder and led me though the cafeteria and down the hall to the security center. He was allowed quick access and once we were in, we were safe. The twins weren't even allowed in here. Dynam escorted me to a small room and locked me inside, he explained for me to just stay there and wait. Of course it was probably he safest room I've been in so far so I had no argument there. I sat, and waited.

Hoping that my savior would walk through the door, I knew I hoped wrong when Reckt stumbled on through with one of her assistants. He was pretty short, brown stiff hair combed to the side with gel placed in it, huge glasses sitting upon his tiny face, and wore an ECO SEC management jumpsuit. All assistant, managers, engineers were required to wear them. He stared into my eyes and back forth between Reckt and I recording information, most likely how I acted, what I said, where I looked, my nervous ticks. Why was he in here? Was I in trouble? Why am I thinking this? By now they probably have wired into my thoughts. That's crazy. 

"Your number is 350, correct?" Reckt asked me upon entrance.

"Yes, what does that have to do with anything?" I answered her question with another question.

"Well, usually people like you have amazing backgrounds and amazing stories to tell. They live off of the evil, hatred, horrible things they did and they use it to create a better reputation for themselves. Not you. We don't even know your name. Well, we do, but we're not entitled to that information."

"So what do you want?" 

"Who are you?"

"Names don't matter." I stated, just like 304 told me. 

"They matter more than you think. Listen, I don't want you here, no one does. I'm sure you don't even want yourself here. But maybe, just maybe, you give us your name, we pull up your profile, we see a flaw in the system and you get sent home. How about that?"

"You aren't going to find a flaw."

"So you did commit the crime?" She asked me. The assistant getting ready to write down my answer any moment.

"I don't know what you're trying to do but I am not depending on people like you to get out of places like this anymore. Places like this are all the same. No, this isn't a confession. I never did anything to hurt anyone and yet I was still blamed. A flaw in the system? A flaw in the system? A flaw in the system is what got me here in the first place. I'm not relying on that."

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"They found my girlfriend's body beat to death and practically tortured. When the police showed up, they checked my Criminal Rating and it was still at 0. I had done nothing, yet I was still blamed. My own daughter testified and said it wasn't me. Here I am."

"We've all had losses like you. But I can promise you, if you keep up the behavior, you will see that this prison, is not like any place you've seen before. You don't know the half of it."

"But I do." I told her.

She laughed and pulled a device out of her pocket. A medium sized gray box with a flashing red button in the middle of it. And that's all was on it. 

"Press it." She told me.

"And if I don't?"

"Then you keep your bounty." She basically threatened me.

I slammed my fist down onto the button and it flashed faster and the light from inside it shut off. The assistant in front of me who was recording data, suddenly blacked out and dropped his clipboard, fell to his knees, then collapsed face first to the floor. It was the first time I saw one for real that I knew of. However I already seemed to know about these, they were nothing special anymore.

"You think I don't know about your holograms built with everything a real live human has? I knew about these from the start." Which I was lying, I only just found out about these a day ago.

"I figured you had heard, but this isn't to make a statement. I just want you to know we have eyes on you 24/7. And if something stupid happens like last time, or the time before that, or like you not working your station, we will take you down."

"I'm starting to regret taking this job." I told her as she stared me down.

"Well, you didn't have much of a choice. Now get back to your cell."