Escape From Redeem, Rise of an Emperor

Planet Redeem: Class A Prison World

Caleb had not even broken a sweat after dispatching the three men in the pit. He now waited to be seen in the Wardens Office, which was at the very peak of the prison and above the surface.

The planets sun was bright and it took him a second to focus when entering the room. He had not seen natural daylight since he had been brought to the prison colony, and was glad to bask in the rays that lit up the luxurious office. The Warden had filled it with trinkets and other trappings of wealth. The walls of the office were clad in grey velvet and all of the Warden’s furniture was clad in burgundy leather. His desk was also covered in leather. On its top sat a human skull that had the top removed. Caleb could see the skull had been turned into some unusual kind of ashtray, as one of the Wardens cigars sat inside the skulls cranium.

He looked out of the window and into the courtyard where he had first been made to wait outside in the harsh climate of the planet’s surface.

Fortunately his body could handle cold temperatures. But Caleb was not sure how long he could last in the extremes of Redeem. Soon, he hoped he would try to find out.

He heard footsteps approaching the door. The guards in the room with him stood to attention. The door opened and the Warden followed by his entourage entered, some clearly intoxicated after watching the blood sport in the pit. Caleb was not sure how this would play out. They would be cautious with him now, he was certain of that.

The Warden picked up the smouldering cigar and sat opposite him. It was a strange look he gave Caleb, who just stared right back at him evenly and without fear.

‘When they bring you to us 118, they do not always give us any information about your past. The kind of prisoners we house here you see, are normally very dangerous, politically or otherwise.’

He pulled out a file and began reading its contents to himself. The smoke from his cigar began to cast the room in a smoggy haze.

‘It says here you are an experiment gone wrong, and that you are to end your days here, lest you pose a threat to the world order. It also sets out to us that if you pose a threat while you are with us… Well it tells me that I should isolate you and I am not to kill you unless absolutely necessary.’

Caleb considered telling the Warden his life story but as he began to speak he was quickly spoken over. ‘What do I do with you 118? I try not to read the files of those who come here. That sort of information could get even the likes of me retired early. If you catch my meaning’

He stood and flicked ash from his dwindling cigar and whispered a question to Wellin who was always near. The Warden nodded approval at Wellins advice.

‘The question 118 is not if you are Dangerous. No… we already know the answer to that. The question is what to do with you. The men were mightily entertained by your performance in the pit. But it says here in black and white that you must be kept alive. For what purpose I do not know?’

Wellin moved next to Caleb and attached a rod to his power cuffs, that acted like a dogs lead for dangerous prisoners.

‘For now 118 you will go to the sub levels of this facility where you will be more secure. There is more space down there; you will be pleased to know. But contact with us is minimised, so it ensures the safety of you and my guards.’

More space would be nice if Caleb planned to stay for much longer. But the deeper into the prison, the harder it would be to escape.

‘Warden, killing those men brought me no pleasure what’s so ever. I can assure you I am no trouble, and I won’t harm you or any of your men. I have had plenty of opportunities to retaliate already after the beatings I have sustained at your hands.’

The Warden could not help but like this strange prisoner. He extinguished the cigar that was now only a short stub. ‘I do not wish to fight any one; I wish to do my time here in peace.’

’Young man if you do not want to fight, then the sublevels would be perfect for you. There will be no fighting there, that you can guarantee.

Caleb had to think of something to offer the Warden or escape could be much harder, if not impossible in the sub levels of the prison. Before he could come up with something Wellin started pulling him away by the rod attached to the power cuffs.

Caleb stopped him in his tracks. His superior size and strength was no match for Wellin who looked like he was about try and yank him off his feet.

‘Warden I wish to stay in my old cell if I may. I will even fight for you if that is what it takes for the privilege.’

He was sure he could kill or incapacitate every single man in the room, even with the power cuffs on. The Warden never showed any emotions on his cold face. So he was not sure how he would take his offer.

Suddenly one of the guards thrust an electro rod into Caleb’s neck which stunned him to his knees. The pain was bad and he considered making his move now. But the Warden waved the guard away and loomed over his large kneeling form.

’I will consider your offer 118. But do not make the mistake as to who is in charge here. We cannot kill you; that does not mean we cannot make your stay here much worse. Now go and think upon that, and I will think about how you may serve the facility, with your unique talents.

Caleb played along.

‘Thank you Warden.’

He looked pleased with Caleb’s submission.

‘Good bye 118’

***

The journey to the lower levels had taken ages. The natural caverns were the perfect place to put class one prisoners. The retinue of six guards showed they were not taking any chances with him anymore.

Caleb was eventually led to a large, open cavern that must have been a hundred metres wide. A gliding drone sped towards them from its dark centre. They all stepped onto the whizzing platform and it sped off to an island of rock right in the middle. Its concrete floor had only a bed and two buckets.

Baz was in attendance and his beaming toothless smile had not grown on Caleb one bit. The foul man was wary of Caleb now. But it seemed he was glad to dump him down here. It was not un- heard after all, for a prisoner to kill guard.

‘What is this place? It seems cosy.’

The Guards led Caleb onto the rock island that’s edges were a sheer drop into an abyss of darkness.

‘The lads here like to call this place the basement; we are miles below the surface now. So you should be a bit warmer. Those buckets; one is ya water and the other is ya crapper. Just throw it over the side after. Oh and try not to fall in your worsh… I mean 118.’

‘When do I eat? The fighting has built quite an appetite. Do I still go to the canteen or am I to feast on the rock?’

The other guards all laughed at that.

‘Oh no, you don’t get to go up, unless the Warden allows it. You get ya gruel delivered now. But someone of your station would be used to that I suppose.’

Baz’s wit was rewarded by more laughter from the others, as they stepped back onto the hovering drone.

’Wait… how long am I to remain down here? Wait…

Caleb toyed with the idea of leaping for the hovering platform drone, and to launch an escape now. But it sped off rapidly. He wasn’t sure, if even he could grab it.

Baz shouted out to him

’Don’t worry, I’ll send ya grub to ya soon your worship. Ha haha.

He could hear them all the way to the caverns exit. The drone shutting down on the other side, cast the cavernous prison into silence.

Caleb looked up at the ceiling that hung several lights that made the place look like some kind of hellish nightmare. He had become used to his own company after the many months on Redeem. But this isolation felt complete. He truly was alone down here. At least he would not have to fight for their pleasure any longer.

There was always a solution to a problem though. The masters had drilled that into them, until they were sick of hearing it. But how does a man; even one as extraordinary as he was, escape from this. He sat and began to meditate. It did not take long to touch the mind of Master Tong who responded soon after the psychic connection.

‘Are you all right young Bruce?’

Caleb heard the voice of the old master clearly. It was easier to communicate this way, instead of fully ascending. The effort of touching minds would still tax some of his strength, but talking to Master Tong was worth it. ‘I am alright.’

Caleb confirmed quickly. He then went on to tell him of his ordeal in the pit, and then what the Warden had told him about the importance of keeping him alive and isolated down where he now resided.

‘It seems the ones who sent you here want you to be forgotten. They will come for you one day; your gene code is too valuable to just cast away.’

‘What makes you say that?’ Caleb wondered.

‘I know that young one because I played a hand in your creation. President Black wanted my help, to unlock your full potential before you were even born. I, with him and a Dr called Slade recognised that this ability, as well as your other gifts, could be amplified. It pleases me to see our work was successful.’

Caleb knew he was made in a lab, but had never been told many details about it.

‘What shall I do now? Am I to dwell down here, until they finally come to do some grotesque experiment on me?’

‘No. You must train. Use the isolation to discover your full abilities. Once you have unlocked the great power inside, no prison could hold you.’

‘Even I cannot hope to escape from down here.’

There was a pause, as both men tried to think of a way to improve the situation. At present there appeared to be nothing he could do.

‘Just Practice for now young one. I will contact you as much as my mind can. Oh… I thought you should know that the Mine Hounds have sought to kill your friend in the canteen. Dillon was his name I think.’

‘Is he alright?’

‘I have had a meeting with the leader of the gang, and he has assured me he is safe. But was intrigued as to why I would stick up for you and this Dillon. They have been hostile, even to me since I met with him.’

Caleb appreciated the old Masters help in this. He felt a small bit responsible for any hardship Dillon would suffer as a result of his attempted contact with him.

‘Thank you.’ He said to Tong gratefully.

‘Now young Bruce, you must steel yourself, and conduct daily drills as if you were still back at the Academy. You will become the man that we made you to be. Then once you are ready, you will be free.’

‘I will begin at once Master Tong.’ Caleb said back. He would do as he was bid, and find out just how far his limits would go. For the first time since coming to Redeem, he did not despair. For the first time he accepted who he was. He would embrace his destiny he decided.

***

Warp Space

Lord commander Ignatius was in a bad mood. He had been in one, ever since hearing the news of his friend’s demise and his long trip to find that friends son.

‘I have an idea Kam.’

Kam and Tristan had suffered weeks of his moaning and complaining but Kam listened patiently to the cantankerous Commander.

’What is on your mind Sebastian?

The three men sat around a table, and Ignatius devoured a 3D printed meal of Pasta and meatballs, as they debated a plan to find and rescue Caleb.

‘Well, how many guards do you suppose they have on this prison world eh? My guess would be in the high hundreds maybe even a thousand?’

Kam nodded a confirmation and let him continue.

‘So let’s just say, for arguments sake that we are up against a large and formidable force. How do you propose we infiltrate this place with just us three?’

Kam did not have the appetite that the other two had, and pushed his plate to one side.

‘Stealth will be our greatest ally on this mission. Since we do not have a company of Regiment 1 with us, stealth shall be our only option.’

Ignatius had been thinking the idea over for days and he was certain that Kam would be opposed to his usual direct approach.

‘I have around a hundred warriors of the Regiment, carrying out exercises on a planet not far from where we are now. It would be just a short detour from our course, and we could have enough firepower and ships, to just take the boy.’

That was interesting indeed; ten of the regiment could easily take the prison. But one hundred fully armed men with ships, could raise the place to the ground if need be.

There was however problems to the Commanders plan. Risk of discovery was great, if they took the prison by storm. There was no guarantee that Caleb was not killed in an all-out assault. They also had no intelligence on the capabilities of the guards. Tristen looked like he was open to the idea, but he had a similar style to Ignatius that was also head on, and worry about the consequences later.

‘Master, that sounds good to me, that many of the Regiment would be very useful to us after we break out Caleb as well.’ There was no doubting that but Kam still had his concerns.

‘I agree that your men Sebastian would make valuable allies. But we do not know for certain how their loyalties would sway. If we jeopardise this mission recruiting, then we lose the power of surprise. Most people think I was acting alone back on Earth and that I am dead. I think we must use this surprise to our advantage.’

‘And just walk Caleb through the front doors?’ Boomed Ignatius.

‘Yes that’s exactly what we will do.’

Tristen smiled; he knew how cunning Master Kam could be. His mind was sharp and he knew his Masters plan would be multi layered and deceptive. Kam had not completely disregarded Ignatius’s suggestion though, and put up a hand up to stop the big brute from getting animated again.

‘I have a compromise for you my friend.’ Ignatius huffed.

‘My men are loyal Kam, I bet my life on it. We need more numbers dam it. You must see that?’

The sound of the ships humming computers were the only sound as Kam considered his plan.

‘I agree with you, we do need more men. They would, as Tristan said, be a valuable asset when we return back to Earth.’ Kam conceded.

‘But I propose we go to Redeem and break out Caleb quietly. You on the other hand, I think should recruit your men and rendezvous with us once we have Caleb safely with us. Then we, with your men and your ships can go back to Earth, so we may right this wrong.’

Ignatius had to admit, an all-out assault on the prison may cost unnecessary casualties. He would do it Kam’s way; for now.

‘Ok we will do it your way Kam.’ He said begrudgingly

’It’s a good plan Master.

Said Tristan, who felt confident they could actually do this.

‘But if you fail, then I am starting a war, and it will start at Redeem and finish on Earth; agreed!’

‘Fair enough Sebastian. We will drop you off, and regroup at Redeem.’

‘Before you do that, I must relieve your stores of a few beers. The planet the Regiment is on is still weeks away after all. Will you join me young Tristan, in a toast to our endeavour?’

Tristan looked at his Master for approval, the Elite Guard were not supposed to drink alcohol.

Kam answered for them both.

‘Go on then Seb, get three bottles. We could all do with a drink right now.’