Beyond Sol Bk. 01 Pt. 01

The third guard's stun baton crackled as he switched it on, and I turned just in time to push aside his thrust with my forearm and step into his personal space. My baton sang the song of its people as it delivered its pants-shitting incapacitating effect. He dropped to the floor like a sack of potatoes, and I rounded on the broken nose guard.

"You're fucking dead!" he snarled.

He still wore the black balaclava that every soldier I'd seen wore. But the front of his mask was drenched in blood that was still oozing through the material. I wouldn't be able to use his chest rig or uniform because of all the blood. Lucky for me, I had two spares.

"I'm not dead," I said with a shit-eating grin. "I'm Jason."

Maybe I did use bad humour to calm myself when I was nervous after all.

The guard roared in frustration and charged at me, knife in hand. I guessed their orders were to keep me alive, but I'd injured this man, and he didn't look like he cared about orders right now. He'd probably just report that there was no possible way to incapacitate me. He might get reprimanded, but I'd be dead.

The inside of my cell was tiny, and the bodies of the two unconscious guards limited the floor space to only a metre and a half. I dodge the first two slashes of the broken-nosed guard's knife by pure luck. He was angry, and I guessed he couldn't see well since I'd busted his nose. I remembered when I had a broken nose in high school; it hurt like a bitch, and my eyes watered so bad I couldn't see right for half an hour.

I stepped back and away from his thrust, bringing my baton down hard, but he was quick. The fun end of my weapon grazed his forearm, the thick material of his uniform must have offered enough protection from the stunning effects, and I was rewarded with a punch to the face as the guard rounded on me. I shook the blow off better than I thought I would, chalking it up to adrenaline. When the lone guard's knife came around again, I saw the strange orange glow once more, but this time it was around his left knee. I didn't get a chance to consider what the glow meant. My body just acted.

I stepped forward and kicked his knee hard. I heard the joint pop, and the soldier drop to one knee. The blow only disrupted him for a second before he lunged towards the door. I first thought he was trying to escape the room and started to panic. If cameras in the hallway outside saw any of this, my escape attempt was as good as over. But after a split second of looking, I noticed the pistol.

The guard's firearm had been knocked away in the scuffle, but I hadn't seen where it went. It was currently sitting by the door, right where the guard was scrambling to. My baton came down on the back of his head with a thunderous crack, initially I thought he'd managed to get his hands on the gun and pulled the trigger. I held my breath for a few seconds while I waited for an alarm to start blaring, but I heard nothing. Then I looked down to see my handy work and realised what the gunshot crack was.

My blow had split the guard's skull, and he was now lying in an ever-growing pool of blood.

I'd never seen a dead body before, let alone killed someone. The sight turned my stomach, and I struggled to keep last night's dinner down. This man was someone's son. He could have been a husband and a father for all I knew, and now he was dead, and I was the cause of it. He may have been working for my captors, and he had tried to do me harm, but he was still a living human being, and I'd killed him. I had only meant to incapacitate him—like the others—but I struck him far too hard in the heat of battle. I would have to live with what I'd done; but I would live, and I would be free from this place.

I dragged his body away from the open doorway and pulled the heavy door closed. I made sure to leave a gap so any automated locking system wouldn't kick in and lock me inside the cell with the dead body and two incapacitated guards. I knelt by the unconscious guard, who looked about my height, and began removing his gear, making a pile of it on my bed.

Next, I pulled his boots off and started removing his black uniform. The trousers and shirt fit well, but I noticed his feet were quite large, so his boots would be a little uncomfortable. I figured the other unconscious guard might have a similar foot size to mine. Once the man was in his underwear, I checked his pulse to ensure he was still alive. The man's heartbeat was strong, and I let out a sigh of relief that I hadn't killed him too. I avoided looking at his face—not wanting to remember what any of these men looked like—as I went about dressing. The clothes fit well, but I had to tighten the belt to keep the trousers up. As suspected though, the boots were far too big for me to wear. I checked the other unconscious guard and found his boots were too small; I couldn't fit my foot inside them. I let out a heavy sigh as I checked the size of the dead man's boot.

Like Cinderella's slippers, they fit just right. I pulled them on, along with strapping up the knee and elbow pads followed by the chest rig all the facility guards wore. I checked the pockets of the rig and found an assortment of equipment. I wanted to take an inventory of what the men had but wasn't exactly in a great position to do so. Either of the two unconscious guards could wake up at any second, or someone could walk past the cell, wonder why the door was cracked open, and investigate. Or Marcus; my white-haired interrogator, could start to wonder what was taking so long and send someone down to investigate. I planned to be long gone before that happened.

I checked the other unconscious man's pockets to see if he had anything. I grabbed a spare battery and extra cartridges for the tasers they all carried, along with the spare ammunition. I also unstrapped his sidearm and slid the holstered weapon onto my belt, positioning it at the small of my back. It was a little uncomfortable to draw, but having a backup firearm could come in handy. As I was about to stand, I noticed a piece of paper sticking out of the cargo pocket on the man's trousers. I tugged at it and unfolded what looked like a map. Nothing on the map indicated what it was for, but the message scribbled across the bottom was all I needed.

"Make sure you burn this map once you learn the layout. If the Commander finds it, he'll have both our asses".

I smiled at my good fortune. I was lucky enough to have a new guy come to my cell—a new guy that needed a map to find his way around.

"Thanks, buddy," I clapped the unconscious guard on the shoulder.

Too bad I didn't see a nametag anywhere on his uniform; it would be handy if someone asked who I was.

I pocketed the map and pulled on my gloves, followed by the black balaclava. The uniform wasn't that comfortable, and the gear was a little heavy, but it would keep my identity concealed while I searched for Shara. I collected the remaining ammunition from the other two guards and grabbed the batteries from their radios before leaving the cell, slamming the heavy door behind me with a loud bang that echoed down the hallway. I didn't remember the closing door being so loud before, which meant the cells had some top-notch soundproofing. Without working radios, there would be no way the soldiers could call for help.

"Okay, Shara. What now," I muttered to myself as I looked one way, then the other.

Chapter 4

I glanced up and down the hallway. It was the same matte grey painted concrete of my cell, and I saw no signs of other guards or security cameras. I pulled the map out and studied it for a minute to figure out where I was. The map showed two cellblocks that looked identical. They were on opposite sides of the facility, and I could be in either. Unfortunately, the rest of the building wasn't so symmetrical. I'd have to wander about for a bit to try and figure out where I was. A few map locations were circled and marked in pen: Cellblock A. Cellblock B. Mess. Barracks. Latrine. Medical.

The guard I took the map from had probably marked them, so he knew where he needed to go for shifts, sleep, and to take a shit. Lines drawn in pen connected a few passageways on the map that went from one block to the other, only these looked like shortcuts since it passed through other rooms instead of taking the main corridors. I had no way of knowing if the shortcut would work for me, but it was probably safer than walking down the hallways all by myself. Although I still had no idea what cell block this was.

I began to fold up the map when I saw the now-familiar orange glow on the map, right over Cellblock B. It was the same orange glow I had seen around the guard's stun baton earlier. I didn't know what the glow meant or where it was coming from, but it had helped me last time, so I decided to trust it once more. I thought of the glow as a 'you are here' sign and studied the map for a few seconds to plan how I would get to the other cell block. I couldn't leave without trying to find Shara, and I would definitely need her help if I wanted to get out of this facility alive. I still had no idea exactly where this place was; or how we were going to get out; but I could cross that bridge when I came to it—if I got that far.

Once I had my route memorized, I folded the map and slipped it into my pocket again. It wouldn't look good for me to be walking around by myself while studying a map of the facility. Before heading down the corridor, I looked to my left, then right. I could be wrong, and the glow could be telling me where I needed to go. If I were wrong, I'd be walking in the opposite direction. The worst-case scenario was heading further into the cell block, and I could just turn around.

I passed dozens of cell doors that were identical to the one that had been my home for the last few weeks. I peeked through the small peepholes of the first few, but they were all empty, and I wondered if I was the only prisoner here. After the fifth one was empty, I stopped checking the cells, deciding it didn't matter. I had no idea if there were any other prisoners here, and if there were, I wasn't sure I could trust them to help me escape. They could be just as dangerous as the soldiers set to guard them. I didn't think everyone held here was like me—caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I continued walking for a few minutes, rounding corners and taking what I hoped were correct turns at junctions from what I'd memorized on the map. I saw no other guards patrolling, and I was beginning to worry I'd gotten lost. Just as I was about to turn back and retrace my steps, I heard the faint sounds of conversation from around the bend.

I poked my head around the next corner to see a pair of soldiers in the familiar black uniforms. One leaned against the wall with his arms folded while the other sat at a portable table beside a metal detector. I pulled myself back from the corner before they could see me and retrieved the map from my pocket.

I traced the path from where I thought my cell was—the orange glow was gone now—to where I believed I was currently. The lone corridor, where the two men were, was the only way in and out of the cellblock. They were probably just here to check I.D cards and prisoner transfers. They acted quite casually, and I guessed they hadn't ever had a prisoner escape or trouble this far out of the cellblock. At least not for some time anyway.

I poked my head around the corner to get another look at the two soldiers and hopefully glean some inspiration for a plan. The hallway was long, and there was no cover between their location and mine. They'd see me before I made it a dozen steps, and I'd still be too far away to take them out. I could shoot them, but the noise would most definitely draw the attention of everyone in the building. That was if I could even make the shot.

I was going to have to talk my way past these two.

I took a deep breath to steady my nerves, then stepped around the corner. As I suspected, both guards noticed me before I made it a quarter of the way down the corridor. Neither man said anything, nor did they make a move to stop me. The man leaning against the wall just looked my way, then turned back to his conversation with the other guard. As I got closer to the pair, I started to pick up on their conversation. The standing guard talked about what he did the weekend before, while the seated guard mostly nodded every few sentences. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to stop at the checkpoint or just step through. I decided to act like I knew where I was going and didn't slow my walk. I stepped through the scanner, and the device beeped, but neither man moved to stop or detain me. I nodded to the standing guard since he was closest, and he nodded back. I thought I was in the clear until a voice called out to me.

"Where are the other two? And the prisoner?"

I turned around to see the seated guard facing me. I'd gotten a good sense of the standing guard's voice, so I knew the question wasn't from him. I racked my brain for a quick excuse for why I left the cellblock on my own.

"Prisoner's out cold and won't wake up; they sent me to grab the doc," I said with an exasperated sigh.

"Why didn't you radio for him?" the seated guard asked.

"They didn't want to alarm anyone until we know what's wrong," I replied.

"Smart. The Commander would be down there in a heartbeat if his little pet kicked the bucket," the standing guard said with a chuckle.

"Good call," the seated man said to me. "Just be sure to make a report once the doc is finished and be quick about it. Our shifts end in twenty minutes, and I can't promise whoever is here next will be so lenient."

I gave the two men a grateful nod and turned on my heel. I tried not to run as I retreated down the corridor, worried they'd stop me again. Once the standing soldier's conversation started up once more, I realised I was well and truly in the clear. Speaking to the two men only made me feel worse about the guard's death. Those two seemed like nice guys. But maybe they were only nice to me because they thought I was one of them. After all, they worked for an asshole who kept me locked up here.

Were the Stormtroopers on the Death Star all evil?

I passed a few more groups of soldiers and even some walking by themselves. Each one looked to be walking purposefully with a task to complete, so it didn't look too strange when I picked up my pace. I wanted to get to Cellblock A, get Shara, and get the fuck out of here. Every minute that passed decreased my chances of escape.

I decided to risk the shortcuts since they looked to circumvent a few intersections where I thought more checkpoints might be. The guards were lazy and carefree at the first checkpoint, but the next group might not be.

The first room I entered was a cafeteria; marked on the map as Mess. All kinds of people occupied the large room, from soldiers in black combat gear, to men and women in white lab coats and men in grease-stained overalls; even half a dozen suits. The room had a casual air about it that contrasted strongly against the stern, serious feeling the corridors and cells had. Did all these people know about the spacecraft and the abducting? Did they just keep it all to themselves? Maybe they did, perhaps they didn't. Evil villain minions didn't always know they worked for the bad guys. Had the man I killed sat with these people? Had he shared lunch and conversations with them too? I shook my head to rid myself of those thoughts. It wouldn't do me any good to start down that road.

Escape first, remorse second.

I scanned the room for the shortcut drawn on the map and spotted a door behind the banquet table set against the wall. A man came out from that door with a metal food tray to replace an empty one. I wasn't sure if the shortcut was accessible while there were people here, but I had to try it. The number of people in the room and how much food filled the table made me believe that the kitchen staff worked around the clock. This facility probably had twenty-four-hour security, and each of those men would need to eat, as well as the dozens of lab coat-wearing men and women that filled out the tables in between the black-clad figures.

I casually made my way across the room and towards the door. No one stopped me or called out. I was the only black-uniformed man in the room with his face covered, so I hoped they all assumed I was on business and not here to chat. Just as I reached out for the door handle, it was flung open, and I only had a split second to jump back before a large, apron-clad man carrying a food tray in his arms barrelled past me.

"If you're gonna use my kitchen for your shortcut, you better make sure you don't get in my way," the large man called over his shoulder.

"Sorry," I said quickly.

"You're the new guy?" the man asked after replacing an empty food tray with the full one.

The tray was filled to the brim with creamy mac-n-cheese that made my mouth water and stomach rumble. I'd missed breakfast, and the food the guards had given me was garbage.

And mac-n-cheese was probably my favourite food of all time.

"Yeah, I'm the new guy," I admitted, tearing my eyes away from the food.

"Come on," the man said with a heavy sigh, nodding towards the kitchen.

I held the door open for him before following inside. The kitchen was larger than expected, and I lost count of how many chefs and kitchen hands were rushing about. It was absolute chaos.

"You had your break yet?" the large man asked over his shoulder.

He was sweating profusely in the scorching kitchen but showed no signs of discomfort. I was boiling under all the layers I wore and wanted nothing more than to remove my balaclava. But I didn't want to give my identity away. I doubt anyone in the kitchen would have seen me, but they might recognize me as not being a guard.

"No," I answered.

"I'll get you a little something to take with you, just don't tell no one," He winked at me.

I stood around as I waited for the big man to gather some things for me. He grabbed a cardboard takeaway box from a nearby shelf and began filling it with plastic containers of food. I couldn't tell what was in each container, but the smell of the food made my mouth water.

"Here ya go. Drop it by your bunk on your way through, and don't get caught with it," he cautioned me. "You get caught, and the shortcut goes away."

"Awesome. Thanks," I said with a smile as I took the box.

I looked around the busy kitchen but couldn't see which way I should go. There was a multitude of doors, and I had no idea which one went where, and I wasn't even entirely sure which one I came in through.

"This place is a bit confusing at first. But you'll get used to it," the big man said with a smile. "Where do you need to go?"

I tried to think of somewhere near the cellblock I was going to that wasn't the cellblock itself. I also had to make sure it was somewhere I was allowed to go. Then I had an idea. I placed the box of food down on a table and pulled the map from my pocket. This man already believed I was new, and I guessed someone had used maps like this one before, so it wouldn't be that big of a deal. I held the map so he could see it, then pointed at the spot labelled; Medical. It was close to cell block A's entrance and would continue with my story of seeing the doctor. Just in case the two guards from earlier came in when their shifts ended.

"Through that door," the big man pointed to a door by two large ovens. "Follow that for a few minutes, and you'll come out right inside the medical waiting room. But if you want to drop your food off, I'd recommend stopping by the fifth door. That leads to the barracks."

"Thanks, you've been a great help," I gave the man a friendly nod.