Prisoner 52 Read Online Free PDF Page A

Reclamation."
    "No you were there. But you were small back then, mostly discharges and a few deserters - circumstances depending. And you were organized. Most of us at least had numbers on you then, even if we didn't have that kind of tactical brutality you all is famous for. Not now, man. Now you tell me to spit and I'll spit and I'll be happy to do it." Deurot said and stared down at his plate and Sejanus watched the flex of his jaw as he chewed. "You'd never hear me say this when I first got sent here. But it's enough to make a man move on. It paid to be here - you know, 'here'. Not anymore."
    Sejanus nodded and focused his mind whole upon his food. He tasted little of it, too hot to spend long on his tongue, and in short order he had inhaled the thick stew and burnt his mouth for it. He arrayed the bowl and its dented spoon upon the platform again and keyed for it to lower into the autowasher below. He sat with his hands clenched before him again and dwelt upon far off things that reduced the noise that went on around him into a muted field, drawing up of an occasion to his notice at the mention of words like 'knife' or 'beat' or 'kill'. Then the alarm sounded and the voice of Master Control announced that morning consumption was concluded.
    He stood and added to the sudden bustle of movement that burst out all across the four isolated corners of the mess. He followed the others to the door he had before inquired about to Anders and which led to the magrail ports. He went across the hall floor unaccompanied and unchallenged. He did not stop until meeting the inmates that had piled in a confused knot round the doorway too small to accomodate them all and looked back to see Anders speaking with the old, blind man who had known his name, though he knew in a manner different than the others. Their eyes met then, his and his cellmate's, and so Sejanus turned about to force his way through the prisoners and beyond them through the door.

Day 1
     
    They came out onto a broad walkway and below them trafficked the great swell of humanity that had been assigned their place on the floor below them. In the far distance, beyond the mechanized racks and transportation utilities that waited like dormant and hungry beasts, he saw the thick garage doors along the far wall retract into the gulf of the heights of the shipping bay. The rear of an armored hauler backed into the opening and its doors opened to the deputised workmen there, baring its load of supplies. He felt a hand on his shoulder.
    "This way, Sejanus." Anders said and lead him away to the right with Hulk close behind, Dibsey at his elbow wearing a mild smile.
    He followed and listened to the roar of the winds that echoed up through the garage tunnels beyond the loading bays below, growing the louder with each of the gates that were opened to recieve the new cargo. Some of those he walked with detached from the course and navigated the ladders placed at intervals along the catwalk. He glanced over the railing to find them entering the exo-loaders there below, locked away from the other prisoners behind high fencing. His cellmates went on and to the observation booth ahead on the far wall and to the consoles that were arrayed before it outside on the walk 's continuation.
    Above and above the noise of the storm a series of hatches groaned open and as many immense lifts uprose from the factory floor through like aperatures there and upon them were stationed squadrons of guardsmen and amidst them some of those that had departed down the ladders. He watched them until they filled the open expanses overhead and stemmed the stray snow and ice and pale sunlight that filtered down off into nothing. He studied the heavy gear and environmental masks they wore with the cold world shown to him overhead and could not help but to feel he looked upon the penitent bound for some worse circle of the Hells. Then Anders guided him through the doorway of the booth and out of sight.
    "Our