Cells

Chapter 3

Memories of old news telecasts about rebellion played through my mind. Screeching people throwing themselves at blood test machines with bombs attached. Willing to die to be rid of them. Members of their families wailing in protest and sobbing that they were gone, while they were dragged off to trials to test their involvement with the crime. Most of the time they were proven guilty just for being related to the criminal. Their sentences, one way or another ended in death. Suicide or execution, not much light to either. But the worst telecast I can recall was about three years ago. A man by the name of Shaun Jillian was put to the post of a suicide bomber. Reasons being he had no connection to any family he had left, and he had recently been arrested for participating in a protest that turned into a massacre. He was left with a thirty year sentence or a huge fine of credits. In order to avoid them both, he agreeably joined. The security cameras around this particular blood test machine recorded live feeds for the telecast news network. I remember clutching the hands of my chair as my mom stared with her eyes locked on to the hologram before her. We held our breath as he sprinted up and let his body go limp before hitting the machine. Then complete terror went through his face. He wasn't ready to die yet for some unknown reason. Only seconds before the bomb went off he unstrapped the bombing vest with the device attached and threw it as far away from him as possible. People screamed trying to get out of the way but their efforts were worthless. Shaun Jillian killed seven people instead of one. He was too selfish and weak to end what he had started. The people's family sued Jillian and accused him of murder. The government had the ultimate decision between a life long sentence or execution. Jannel's wife was sweet on this poor boy, who had been tricked into betraying society. After all, what is a few deaths. There are millions of people in Lieha. She had told Jannel. He didn't want her to be upset so he decided on the life sentence for this adorable con. My mother had said simply to the hologram "There is no innocence in this man. What are you doing?"