Cloud Cent Chronicles: Part 3 Chapter 4

Break In

    “Okay, now for phase two of the plan. Now that we have a mod to help us survive the prison, we just need to get in.” Shadow said.

    “And how do you propose we do that?” Sun questioned.

    “Easy. We just have to get arrested.”

    “What?”

    “Well that’s the easiest way into the prison. If It's anything like the last time I got arrested, then they’ll restrain us with hard light and take us directly to the prison. Once we’re inside, they take all of our stuff and lead us to our cell. Of course, we’re not gonna let it get that far. When they go to take our belongings off of us, I’ll use the Spider-silk mod to escape. A strong blast from the mod should be able to break it.”

    “Alright, I guess that makes sense. Ugh, God help us.”

    “Again with that reference…” Shadow mumbled.

    “What’d you say?”

    “Hm? Oh, nothing. Anyway, the mod’s charged up and the plan’s made. You ready to go?” 

    “Yeah,” Sun said, “guess I am.”

…

    The Sergeant’s headquarters is located right next to the prison. This is for the sake of convenience. There aren't any trials. If someone’s arrested, they’re going straight to prison. There are some cases where a person is found out to be innocent after being sent to prison. If that’s the case, then the government will release them, but never apologize. They maintain the position that it is better to be wrong about an arrest than risk a guilty man being set free onto the streets of the city.

    In front of the station, Shadow removes his amouranth chip and replaces it with the Spider-silk chip while Sun removes his uniform.

    “No turning back now.” Shadow said.

    “Let’s just go.” The pair walked into the headquarters, hand raised. 

    “Hey officers,” Shadow shouted, “we surrender! I can’t keep living a lie like this.” Shadow did his best to fake tears while Sun rolled his eyes.

    “This is Shadow, the mod block killer. I am Sun, a member of the rebel force. We’d like to turn ourselves in.” Everyone on the floor immediately rose from their seats and readied their blasters. Footsteps could be heard pounding down the stairs.

    “On the ground, now!” Every Sergeant seemed to yell. Shadow and Sun complied. Hard light cuffs were placed around their wrists. The two were picked up off of the ground and were put in a holding cell on the third floor of the building. The amouranth mod, subway map mod, and Sun’s uniform were taken away, but they didn’t know about the external modifier, nor the usb, which Shadow had hidden away inside the modifier’s compartment that normally stored mods.

    “You know all things considered, this isn’t too bad.” Shadow said. “You didn’t see the cell I was in last time. Huge upgrade from that.”

    “I’m glad that you can joke around right now, while we’re sitting in a cell.” Sun said.

    “It’s part of the plan.”

“A plan that I’m still not particularly pleased with.”

“It’s the only way to rescue the rebellion.” Shadow argued.

“It’s pointless. Even if we do rescue them, we’ll all just be caught again eventually. We should have just released the articles. We should have just told the world about you.”

“From the start I’ve said that I don’t really care about all of this. What I do care about is Yun. I’m not doing any of this without her.”

“Yeah, I got that. Hence why we’re sitting in a holding cell.”

“Well we won’t be in the cell for long. Soon we’ll be in the supermax prison!”

“Heh. Yeah, I suppose that’s true.”

…

    The two were left in the cell for a few hours until a general came for them.

    “Hey Sun look, it’s you.” Shadow said.

    “Ha ha.” Sun faked a laugh. The general in front of them had the number 071306. The man was massive, easily weighing at least two Suns.

    “How did you ever pass for this guy?”

    “Sergeants don’t care about who you are. They care about the number.”

    071306 didn’t say anything. He looked at the two of them, sending Sun in particular an extra hard glare, then opened the cell door. The general grabbed them both by the wrists, one hand for each of them. Shadow and Sun didn’t struggle. They were escorted to Albeda.

    The prison was surprisingly small. Albeda didn’t hold many criminals, but the ones it did hold were the worst of the worst. They were the ones the government considered a danger to their way of life. There was no physical gate surrounding the prison. Rather, there was an invisible shield that shocked anyone on entrance. The only way through it was to have a certain level of Sergeant mod. With that mod, you and whoever you are with can go through.

    Past this invisible wall was the prison. It was a strange shade of blue. Research the government did suggested that this color blended in the best. This way the prison did not bother the residents of the inner area. Shadow and Sun were led in through the only entrance to the prison: a small door that can only be opened with the same chip that allows passage through the wall. From there, they should have been led to check in, in which their clothes would be replaced with prison uniforms in the form of amouranth chips which also contain a pseudocognative rec board. Before that happened, Shadow and Sun would execute the plan. 

    “This is where you two part ways.” The general told them.

    “What do you mean?” Shadow asked. “What are you talking about?”

    “You’ve lucked out, Shadow. This one,”  the general glared at Sun, “is going to prison. You get the honor of speaking with the leader. Lucky you.” Shadow and Sun looked at each other, panic in their eyes.

    No! This isn’t part of the plan! What do I do? The general started leading Shadow off, leaving Sun with a group of guards. There’s no way I can fight off the general as well as the other Sergeants while Sun is still cuffed. The plan has to change. Shadow managed to remove the external modifier, dropping it to the ground. Please get it Sun.