Chapter 1 

The need to have a long-term prison for women serving life sentences grew paramount.  Homestake Prison, in Lead, South Dakota was designated as a women’s internment facility forty years after the Government pulled funding out of the half completed underground research facility.  The blasting work, creation of the shafts around the facility, related electrical, pumping, ventilation, water, and communication systems had all been completed before the project was abandoned.  The facility provided a core foundation for the underground prison.  It became only a matter of subdividing the large chambers into cells and enclosures before it was ready. 

Homestake was perfect.  It was so deep underground that it took over an hour on a supersonic monorail to reach the Processing Center.  A series of nuclear bombproof seals separated the prison from the Processing Center.  Security at this point was high and no escapee had ever made it that far.  Between getting lost in the underground side chambers to suffocating from lack of oxygen in some of the deeper tunnels, no escapees had ever made it to The Processing Center, the only way into or out of the prison chambers.  No one had ever escaped Homestake and lived to talk about it. 

Once women were sentenced to Homestake, life, as they had known it, changed forever.  Sunshine and stars were visions of the past.  Air and rain, no longer existed.  Artificial light and stale, reconditioned air became the norm.  To seal the separation from all previous life, even the prisoner’s names were taken away.  They were known only as numbers, dehumanized as part of their punishment.  If anyone was caught using a name, severe and swift punishment was used.  No one knew for sure what would happen.  Those few that had violated the rules never returned to regular cells. 

Life as it was once known ceased to exist…

The concrete walls pressed closer while darkness closed in around a single cell.  6319 could hear the drip…drip….drip of water, monotonously falling into the metal sink.  A pale light from outside the cell made shadows on the wall of the few objects inside the confined area.  She could pick up the shuffling noises sounding loud and meaningless as other inmates settled in for the time of rest.  Sometimes, she would hear the whimpering of women from loneliness and despair while darkness became a shield allowing them to let down their barriers.  She could hear the mingling sounds of erotic liaisons as cellmates whispered sexual fantasies to one another under the cover of darkness.  Some were lucky and had cellmates, someone to talk to in this prison from hell.  She was alone. 

During many periods such as this one, sleep eluded 6319.  There was no activity to break the monotony of lying in the dark with nothing but her thoughts.  She tried to envision what it was like outside but her memories began to fade from being isolated from reality. There was no contact with the outside world and little more with other prisoners except in tightly controlled instances.  The air was always cold and a constant chill became the way of life. 

6319 finally closed her eyes and dreamed of water flowing endlessly over the waterfalls high on mountain stream where she used to live.  Her lover rose out of the water the way she had many times in the past.  She remembered watching the droplets of water coursing over her flesh to nestle in her soft curly pubic hair while she laughingly slung her head back and forth. The water sprayed over her body where she was standing dry on the bank, watching.  Before she could undress and join the love of her life, she heard a splash in the water behind her lover.  A man swam strongly until he was able to reach out and pull her naked lover against his own bare body.   

She tore off her shoes aghast as she watched her lover being taken forcefully by the lusty stranger.  She dove into the water, going deep.  Her hand wrapped around a rock when she turned to kicked to the surface.  Breaking the water, she heard her lover scream in pain and agony while he drove his body against hers repeatedly.  She swam with strong strokes to pull her free.  As she drew closer, she watched his hands tighten around her neck until a loud pop was heard.  Her lover’s head lolled to one side, her eyes stared without seeing and her hands flapped uncontrollably while he finished raping her.  She rose out of the water with a scream of disbelief, crashing the rock down upon the back of his head.  As he slumped unconscious below the water, she wrapped her arms around her lover’s lifeless body and carried her to the bank.  For hours she sat and held her, crying and pleading for her life to be returned.  In the end, one more life was gone and she had been arrested for the death of an officer of the law, a ranger.  She had been sentenced to life in prison without parole.  It didn’t matter.  Her life was gone anyway along with her lover.   

Finally, with tears streaking down her face, sleep overtook her body and for a few hours, the nightmare was held at bay one more time.

Chapter 2 

The buzzer sounded loudly, echoing off the concrete walls.  A loud program voice called for the prisoners to line up to be counted in their cells.  It could have been the middle of the night or mid day, no one would ever know, because watches were not allowed below processing.  Shuffling feet echoed throughout the center chamber from movement within the cells.  The prisoners lined up in front of the beams holding them inside their cells while the roving camera scanned each cell and counted each prisoner within.  It stopped three cells from 6319 and hesitated longer than usual before a stark voice rang through the chamber. 

“Step apart!  Side by side, next to the front.”  

Within seconds, the camera continued its sweep around the area before returning to its slot high in the corner where it proceeded to monitor in big brother fashion. 

As the carts rolled out of the chamber, another machine pushed all the soiled scrubs toward the center where a chute opened in the floor and the linen dropped out of site.  Finally, a cavity opened and a long slab rose from the floor with compressed food cubes lined up by cell number.  For the next few minutes cell after cell was opened and the occupants silently walked out, picked up the portable food and returned to their cells.  Prisoners received only enough food to survive, no less, no more.  They were not allowed to talk during these activities and those that did quickly learned what administrative lock up was. 

“6319…proceed to the cage.” The automated monotone rang out. 

6319 shuffled to the right until she came to an open cage six feet long by twelve feet wide.  Once inside she backed into another molded form and the restraints were removed.  She knew she had time to complete three series of exercise before her time was up.  She lifted weights and did push-ups until she was exhausted.  The repetition over the many months that she had been in lockup had tightened the muscles in her biceps and legs.  Despite the lack of variety in food, her body was tightly honed.   

The light in the cage flashed brightly.  6319 stood and moved back into position to be cuffed for her return to her cell.  She never passed another human in the time she was out of her cell.  She heard the gate on the cell next to her open as both prisoners followed the same routine for exercise that she had just done.  Those with cellmates were lucky to have someone to help with the exercise routines.  After returning to her cell, 6319 did just as she had done since arrival.  She did absolutely nothing, as nothing but a bed and commode furnished the cell.  There was no form of entertainment, no reading or writing material and no contact with anyone unless the prisoner had a cellmate.  

Life was bleak.  It was simply a holding pen until death and death was the only way out. 

Chapter 3  

The monorail streaked into the processing center and slammed to a stop.  The parties inside bucked back and forth while the train came to its stop.  Two heavily guarded prisoners were led off the train.  They were chained together.  Both wore black hoods fastened tightly over their heads to keep them from learning the area in case of a planned escape. 

Indoctrination would last at least eight hours.  Each woman would have to be implanted with devices that would stop their female cycles.  There was no room in the underground chambers to have female issues rising up on a monthly basis.  The prison was a sterile environment and its prisoners would be sterile vessels living inside it. 

The tall Nordic blonde was unchained from her traveling companion and pushed into a tiny chamber.  As she stumbled into the room, her head covering was torn from her head leaving her blinded by the pale light in the room. 

“Take off your clothes and pass them through the hole,” an unknown female voice instructed. 

“Wait just a damn minute….” She began but was suddenly knocked to her knees by a lightening bolt of electricity.   

“No talking.  Now take off your clothes and pass them out.”  The woman stepped back through the door as quickly as she had entered. 

The blonde-haired woman stood on wobbly legs and quickly stripped, shoving all her clothing through the hole.  She felt more vulnerable than she ever had in her life standing in a dark room as naked as the day she was born.  Her body ached from the electrical charge and her back burned where the taser tagged her earlier.  She stood in the empty room, not knowing what to expect.   

Suddenly, the lights blared overhead and heat shot through the room intent on sanitizing her body.  The heat seared her skin, forming a red sheen over her torso and limbs.  She twisted and turned in pain while it continued relentlessly.  Her cries went unheard or ignored and the result was the same, no one came to her aid.  Finally, it stopped as suddenly as it began and the room plunged back into blackness.  She sank to the floor in pain and relief.   

It seemed that hours passed before she heard from anyone again.   The door opened and a shadowy figure stood in the doorway with the light behind them so that it was impossible to see who it was.

“Prisoner!  You are now 7826.  You will no longer use your birth name.  Should you attempt to do so, punishment will be swift and deadly.  You are a number, nothing more, nothing less.  You have been sentenced to life at Homestake and your only way out of here is death. You exist only because we allow you to exist.  Follow the rules, you will live.  Break the rules, your number will be eliminated from our files.” 

“The hell you say…” 7826 began before once more she was zapped with the taser knocking her back against the wall.   

“You are a prisoner of the state.  You have no rights.  You are a cancer removed from society.  Do not speak again unless spoken to.”  She heard the footsteps recede again.  She lay pressed against the cold wall wondering what kind of nightmare had she been transported to. 

7826 had been a commanding officer in a highly trained space combat troop.  Earth was being shaken by civil unrest and world war loomed closer each hour.  She was trained to protect her country with her life.  Her career was stellar until her twin sister had been brutally killed by an officer of the law two years ago.  At the same time, she lost contact with her sister’s partner and could never find any details as to what had happened to her.  Since that time, she had seen her family destroyed around her.  She was used to death but never as swiftly as the death of her parents.  She knew it was related to the investigation into her sister’s death that led to their early morning demise from a monoxide failure in their home air system.  They supposedly died in their sleep but it was impossible, as she had deactivated that air system earlier the previous spring.  

She went on a rampaging tirade, making accusations and confronting law officers.  She spoke with everyone she knew politically and was pushing her case with the newest Presidential candidate, who happened to be her shipmate in cadet training.  Suddenly she found herself locked in jail accused of treason and espionage.  Her court appointed lawyer failed miserably against the opposing counsel that was paid to shut her investigation down.  She came to realize, the law protects and covers up its own, whether it is right or wrong.  She was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison.  Homestake was to become her death warrant just as her family has ceased to exist. 

A blinding array of lights suddenly lit up the chamber.  She struggled to rise from the floor.  She could hear the door open but was unable to see who had entered.  A paper like product was thrown on the floor beside her. 

“Dress and stand.  Now.”  The woman ordered her. 

7826 peered through the bright light and saw the tip of the taser lying across a pair of hands.  Not wanting a repeat performance she reached out and drew in the bundle.  Shaking it out she noticed it was clothing.  Quickly she dressed in thick disposable scrubs while sliding her feet into a pair of soft polyurethane clogs. She leaned back against the wall for support hoping to regain her balance. 

“7826, step forward.”   

She pulled away from the wall and shuffled toward the voice.  The person turned and stepped back through the doorway.  She followed.  

“Step back and lean into the molded form on the wall.”   

She stepped back and found herself being fitted with a collar, handcuffs and leg cuffs.  These were used to transport prisoners.  She struggled but found she was unable to make any moves against the artificial hands that held her firmly while the locks were attached. 

Humiliation, anger, and despair spun rapidly through her mind while she was treated as if she were a rabid animal to be tightly controlled. Why …Why…Why… echoed through her mind, as she stood chained barely able to move. 

The person beside her prodded her in the side.    She turned and finally got a look at her guard.  She was a robust woman wearing typical military issue clothing only it was dark blue, not representative of any of the government armed services.  The only visible armed weapon she had on her was the taser, which from experience 7826 knew that it was turned to a high voltage.  She wanted to ask her about the facility but finally realized speech was forbidden.  She could tell by the guard’s complexion that she had been working underground in artificial light for a long time.  She had a pasty pale complexion that never tanned under the synthetic light. 

The guard reached out and clipped a short, thick chain onto the single link on the front of the collar.  Like a dog she pulled her along behind her as she turned and headed toward a levitation walkway that led down a darkened corridor.  As they neared the fast moving walk, the guard stepped on and yanked 7826 behind her.  She stumbled and nearly fell to her knees before regaining her equilibrium to the point she could ride the walkway without swaying.  The guard began walking forward in the direction of the moving walk.  Their pace picked up as the walls sped past them.   

Within minutes, 7826 could see a stronger light shining to the left of the walk.  As they neared the light, the guard stepped off the platform, yanking her hard, jerking her off the platform.  The stop was so sudden; she stumbled and fell to her knees.  She could feel the skin crack and moisture begin to ooze from the cut. 

“Get up, now.”  The guard said, as she pulled hard on the chain, making her feel like her head was separating from her neck. 

The guard pulled her into a pristine white chamber that held a single examination table in the center of the room.  A mechanical arm protruded from the ceiling directly over the table.  Maneuvering her toward the table, the guard jerked the chain until 7826’s thighs were pressed hard against its edges. 

“Climb up and lie face down.”  The guard said as she unhooked the chain and forced her to lie on her stomach with her face cupped in a face shield.  Straps were wrapped around her restrained body, holding her tight on the table.  While she lay there wondering what was happening, the mechanical arm began moving.  It drew steadily downward until its sharp point rested against the nape of her neck.  With a fast penetrating jab, a large bore needle entered her skin.  She could feel pain when an object was forced beneath the surface of her skin.  This was followed rapidly by another stinging pain underneath her left shoulder blade. 

“You have been micro chipped with your identity number.  Do not forget your number for that will be the only way you are identified.”   

“What was the other piercing?” 7826 asked tentatively not knowing if she would be shocked or not. 

“That was your hormone replacement chip to eliminate your menstrual cycle,” she stated gruffly. “Come it is time.”   

The guard reached out and slid her from the tabling making sure her feet were under her before attaching the lead chain again.  This time they walked directly across the corridor and entered another two-person monorail that would carry them into the main chambers of the prison.  Using retinal technology, the guard identified herself to the computer, which started the machine and moved them forward.  As they neared the huge radiation barriers the doors opened and the train passed through.  7826 twisted her head and looked over her shoulder as she watched the doors close on what may have been her last day above ground.

Chapter 4 

The train traveled no more than five minutes when a tremendous thundering noise was heard behind them.  The blast from the sound displacement propelled them even faster forward.  The train raced downward at an even more alarming speed.  The guard screamed when her arm snapped from the force of trying to hold the brake lever down.  The vehicle careened even faster, dropping lower in the tunnel and finally leaving the track that even now was buckling beneath its rails.  With electrifying speed it crashed forward.  7826 was buffeted wildly in her seat.  The guard looked like she had passed out from the pain in her arm.  Her head bobbled uncontrollably against the Plexiglas shield. 

7826 stared ahead of them and saw they were rushing toward a wall that lay directly in their path.  She braced her feet and pressed her shoulders back as well as she could with both hands still restrained behind her back.  The train hit the wall forcefully, causing the front of it to shatter and spew parts to either side of the warped track.  It bounced backward, spun sideways and skittered across rocky chamber to land with a solid slam against the far wall.  Finally, it was deadly quiet in the chamber enabling 7826 could hear rocks tumbling and the residual rolling thunder of the initial blast far off in the distance.  That was the last that she knew for an indeterminate amount of time after the train hit the wall.  She snapped forward in her seat, breaking her seatbelt and slammed her forehead on the shield between herself and the guard.  The blow caused her to black out. 

7826 opened her eyes to a splitting headache and a lap full of Plexiglas shards.  The Plexiglas shield had shattered, leaving the train open.  It was tilted over on its side.  Gingerly 7826 climbed out of the vehicle and made her way around to the other cockpit area.  The guard was lying back against the seat with her eyes closed.  Blood trickled from a two-inch laceration on her forehead. 

“Hey…you.”  7826 said leaning closer to the guard.  The guard didn’t move. 

“Hey ….wake up,” she called louder, tipping forward to nudge her with her shoulder. 

The guard groaned and opened her eyes.  She looked dazed but at least she was alive. 

“What happened?”  She asked tentatively. 

“The tunnel blew up.” 7826 answered. 

“No way.  Something else must have happened.  I can’t believe this.”   

The guard fumbled around with her one good hand until she was able to undo her safety belt.  She reached out and pulled herself from the over turned craft.  7826 watched as the muscles bulged in the guard’s arm.  With her uniform partially torn away it was easy to see the bulk of her biceps.  She was one strong woman. 

The guard stumbled to her feet and walked toward the tunnel that the train had just traveled.  The underground chamber had collapsed. It was filled with tons of fallen rock. 

“Can you take these cuffs off me?  I have no place to go and I am not violent.”   

The guard looked at her for several minutes.  As she stared at her, she thought over their situation and realized they were in a hell of a mess unless they could get through the main prison to one of the discharge tunnels.  She knew she needed help and could not get out alone in her condition.  Making up her mind, she walked over, removed a small cylinder object from her pocket, punched the keyboard on its side and held it up to the lock on 7826’s neck.  The collar fell away.. 

“Turn around.”   

Repeating the process, both the wrist and anklets fell to the ground with a resounding clank. The guard stood back up and nearly passed out from the pain in her arm.  She leaned back against the overturned train to keep herself from blacking out.   

“Here, let me strap that for you.”

7826 reached toward the guard and tore off most of the bottom of her shirt.  She took the long strip and knotted the ends together until she had a makeshift sling.  Slipping it over the guard’s head, she lifted the injured right arm until it rested snuggly in the makeshift sling.  She used the remaining material to wipe the blood running from her forehead.  The wound looked superficial, leaving her in no immediate danger. 

“It’s fractured, you know.”  She said to the guard. 

“Yes, I’m afraid it is.”   

“Let me gather some of these Plexiglas strips and we’ll make a splint when we can.” 

“Okay, go ahead.” The guard said weakly while she fought against the pain. 

“What do you think happened?” 7826 asked as she gathered materials. 

“The worst tragedy that could happen! I heard this morning on the holograph that war was imminent.  Troops were being called in to protect the government officials.  Underground shelters were being opened and filled.  It may have been too late a start.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“Only one thing can blow the chamber doors and affect us this deep underground… multiple nuclear warheads.” 

“Damn it.  I should have been out there fighting,” 7826 stated. “instead of being caught down here in this shit hole.” 

“Too late.  It is over.”  The guard said in resignation while she tried to ease her pain. 

“It’s never too late.  We just have to figure out an alternate plan.”  7826 stated.

Chapter 5 

6319 rose from her bed again when the strobe of the lights warned her that she was expected to leave her cell for the exercise room.  She sometimes wondered what would happen if she ever refused to do what was expected but never had the drive or desire to test the system.  She simply lived because there was nothing else to do.  Each moment in time was the same as the one before it.  Strict routine became the norm requiring no thinking, just functioning.  She didn’t rebel because once she was sentenced she knew her life was no longer under her control.  She didn’t want to have to think, plan or act while the pain of her loss continued to fester like an unhealed wound.   

The beams turned off and she stepped out of her cell and moved toward the lockdown unit.  As she backed into the mold, she felt the wall begin to shimmy and vibrate.  The floor under her feet began to undulate.  Before she could move, loud blasting roars ripped through the main chamber as the walls of the cells began to implode.  The collapse of the walls behind her back threw her forward knocking her face down on the hard rock floor.  She felt her knee burst open causing wet liquid to pour down her shin.  The left side of her face struck the floor hard, making her head bounce down, then up and finally slammed back to rest against the still rippling floor.   

She could hear screams as the rock cells splintered and shattered with whatever the blast had been.  Within minutes, the worst of the blast had silenced and she could hear lighter tremors and more tumbling rock.  She remained stunned upon the floor.  The floor buckled and heaved until it finally came to a rest.  Her head slammed down as the floor stopped rippling, causing her to black out.   

Some time later 6319 awakened and tried to rise.  She stretched out her hands to push herself back off the ground.  She felt nothing but emptiness.  Lifting her head and looking straight ahead, she saw that she was lying on the edge of a chasm that had opened with the blast.  It was in line with the section that rolled back for the linen and food delivery.  It now ran in a jagged pattern the entire length of the room.  She could see light coming from within its depth but could not make out any features from her angle. 

Realizing how close she had been to losing her life, she eased her head back down upon her arm and simply lay still, not moving at all while she gathered her thoughts together. 

Turning her head on her arm, she glanced once more around the room from her position on the floor.  All the cells on the side she was looking upon had collapsed with the inmates inside.  The cavities were sealed with crushed rock.  It spilled out into the room, indicating just how much had poured into the cells.  Looking toward the tunnel leading to the monorail that would go back up to the Processing Station, she could see the opening filled with debris.  Dust from the crumbling rock, spewed into the chamber room. Straining to hear, 6319 could only detect her own breath sounds and the sound of rocks settling in place. 

The chamber glowed an eerie pale yellow from the emergency lights that still existed randomly from spots along the remaining walls.  It cast a frightening glare within the chamber.  Finally, she sat up and looked to the opposite side of the room.  The perimeter cells along that side had collapsed too, effectively sealing each prisoner in a rocky grave.  Her eyes slowly circled the room and saw nothing but carnage.  She realized how alone she was.  

Then, she heard it, a soft moan coming from the direction of the exercise cage.  She turned back around and staggered to her feet.  It took moments to get her balance on the slope of the floor.  Her knee was painful.  She looked down and saw that blood had soaked a large portion of the front of her scrub pants.  She reached down and tore off the pant leg above the injured knee.  She took the torn cloth and wrapped it back around the cut, applying pressure to stop the bleeding.  She tucked the wrapped ends tight into the binding.  Moving forward, she slowly made her way to the exercise cage. 

The beams of the cage wall had dissipated apparently during the catastrophe.  Moving closer, 6319 could see two bodies lying on the ground.  One was lying on her back with unseeing eyes staring toward the ceiling.  Her chest was crushed with the four hundred and fifty pound weight bar that was used for exercising by some of the more active prisoners.  She had apparently died from the crushing chest injury.  The other woman lay below her feet, face down.  She was alive and moaning softly. 6319 moved closer to her.  Bending back down on her uninjured knee, she rolled her over onto her back.  The prisoner had a huge lump on her forehead where her head been hit by a rock lying next to her head.  She assumed the upheaval had showered her with rocks too just as it had her. 

The prisoner’s breathing seemed normal but she continued to moan beneath her breath.  6319 reached out and gently shook her shoulder. 

“Hey….hey, come on.  Wake up.” 

She paused to see if the prisoner was aware of her.  Dark hazel eyes slowly opened and looked into her face.  She could see the confusion in that single look between them.  The prisoner tried to sit up but quickly lay back as dizziness flooded over her until she passed out again. 

6319 sat down beside the injured prisoner and waited.  She didn’t know what else to do.  Either she would finally wake up or she would die.  She would sit beside her until she knew what was going to happen to her.  It was quiet, too quiet.  A long time passed without any changes.  She grew sleepy and wanted to lie down.  Still the other prisoner had not reawakened.  It was cool and seemed to be growing colder.  The tremors and rumbles finally dissipated in the gloom of the chamber.   6319 moved closer to the unconscious prisoner.  She knew their warmth together would be better than hers alone.  She rolled her over onto her side and lay down behind her.  Once lying down, she pulled her back against the front of her body and they lay spoon fashion, sharing their body heat.  She could feel the other prisoner’s heart beating along with her chest moving with each breath.  It seemed normal.  She hoped that the woman would wake up soon.  As warmth began to infuse her body, 6319’s eyes closed and she slept..

Chapter 6 

“Plan…hell how can you plan for a disaster this large?” The guard grumbled as she sat down on the ground.   

7826 knelt beside her and lay the items she collected on the ground next to her.  She reached out and gingerly lifted the guard’s broken right arm out of the sling.   

“Can you hold it up?” She asked as she began tearing the sleeve away from the guard’s shirt. 

“Yes, I think so.”  The guard answered using her other arm to support the injured one. 

7826 sat down and began tearing the sleeve into long strips of material.  She would use those to bind the splint to the guard’s fractured arm. 

As she worked, she watched the guard and noted the signs of strain around her eyes and mouth. 

“My name’s Kate,” she spoke softly. 

The guard’s head snapped sharply up.  “No!  You are 7826. 

“Cut the bull crap.  Who in the hell do you think is here with us to hear what you call me?” 

She watched the guard’s shoulders slumped in acknowledgement of that fact.  “You’re right.  You can call me Ray.”  She finally said after several long minutes. 

“OK, Ray.  This is going to hurt.  Brace yourself.”   

Kate took hold of Ray’s arm and gave it one fast jerk, pulling the radius bone of the lower arm back in place.  She quickly picked up the makeshift Plexiglas splints and strapped them to her arm to hold it in alignment.  Taking the cloth strips, she fashioned the splint firmly in place before sliding the arm back into the sling still dangling around Ray’s neck.   

Beads of sweat popped out on Ray’s forehead.  She quickly turned to her left side and vomited from the wave of excruciating pain that radiated up her right arm.  She reached up with her good arm and cradled her broken arm against her body.  She rocked back and forth with pain. 

Kate sat back down and waited.  There was nothing else to be done until Ray was over the worst of the pain.  As they sat in the silence of the destroyed station, Kate began to tell Ray what events had taken place that led to her lockup.  She talked without interruption for over an hour.  Tears slid from her eyes when she talked about the needless death of her sister, the loss of her sister’s partner and the death of her parents.  She talked about the fallacy of the legal system and the bribes that still greased palms in their enlightened time.  Finally, she talked about her love of her career and wanting to be active in supporting her friend, Susan Anthony, when she ran as the first female Presidential candidate.  She finally ran out of words to say and fell silent. 

Ray sat stunned.  She realized how wrong her own career must be if she enforced the lock up of innocent prisoners.  She wondered how many others were sentenced below ground under false pretenses too.  Her world shattered.  All that she believed in came tumbling down.  She felt sick and lost, not finding the words to say anything at all.  Finally, she spoke. 

“I don’t know what to say.  I have always believed in our justice system and now I find out I may be wrong.  I simply don’t know what to say.” 

The chamber was quiet for several more minutes before Ray slowly began talking again. 

“I’m going to have to trust you if we are going to get out of here alive.” 

“Thanks.” 

“This whole mountain is going to explode in seven days.  The system was designed to self-destruct if the outer walls were ever breached.  The clock has started counting.” Ray stated. 

“How do you know?” 

“Remember this little gadget I used to unlock your cuffs?  It does lot more than just standard locking of cuffs.  It is a complete mini computer system for this entire complex so that I can get into any part of the complex.  It has a navigational diagram of the mountain.  It also shows me the condition of the complex and right now, we are on yellow alert, which is impending self-destruction.  The timer started at 168 hours or seven days.  It has already ticked down six hours while we were both out.  We have got to get out of here or we will be buried inside the mountain.” 

“Can we look at the diagram and see where we are and where we need to be?”  Kate asked as she moved closer to Ray.   

“Sure.”   

With a couple of presses to the machine, Ray pointed the end of it against the wall in front of them.  A diagram was projected against the wall.   

“Look on the left side, Kate.  There’s the monorail we took to this level.” 

Kate stood and walked over to the wall.  She began tracing their route along the rail with her finger.  She stopped at the location in which they now sat. 

Staring at the map, Kate began talking.  As she talked, she traced further into the tunnel to their left. 

“It looks like the mountain is a catacomb of tunnels below the main chamber.  Some go upward but others spiral downward.  I don’t see any that open directly to the outer walls of the mountain.”  

Kate continued studying the map.  It began wavering as fatigue began to shroud Ray.  She could not hold her hand up any longer to project the image.  The image clicked off and Kate returned to sit next to Ray. 

“Why don’t we try to get some rest and start fresh in a little bit? I am still feeling a little wobbly on my feet.  It doesn’t have to be long but I was up already over ten hours just going through processing before we ended up here.  Since you have a way to tell time, we can at least keep up with where we are and how much time we have left.” 

“Good plan.  I don’t think I could walk any where right now anyway.”   

Leaning back against the cool wall, Ray closed her eyes.  Kate stretched down where she sat and tried to will her mind from thinking of their dilemma.  It was many long minutes before soft snores could be heard from both women..

Chapter 7 

6319 felt the movements in the body pressed against her.  Waking quickly, she pulled back and sat up, stretching her arms over her head.  Her eyes caught the dead woman still lying under the weights.  She stood and walked over to the corpse.  Straddling her body, she bent down and lifted the bar bell enough to rotate it over the woman’s head and away from her body before dropping it hard.  She looked around and spotted a pile of rubble at the end of the chamber.  She grasped the body by the arms and proceeded to drag it toward the pile of stones.  She knew she needed to get it as far away as possible before it began to decompose.  By the time she had moved the body, covered it with stone and return, the other prisoner was awake and sitting up. 

“What happened?” she asked.  “Where’s 3308?” 

“I am not sure what has happened,” 6319 began warily.  “I think some kind of blast tore through the facility.  All the outer chambers collapsed and the main chamber is nearly torn in half.  I’m sorry but only you and I are left alive.” 

“NO!  That can’t be true.  Where is 3308?” She cried out as she staggered to a standing position. 

6319 reached out to grab her arm to keep her from falling again. 

“You’re lying,” she said as she swung her fist at 6319. 

6319 grabbed her arm, twisted it behind her back, pulling her around until she was able to get a choke lock on her body. 

“I..don’t..lie.  She’s…dead.”  6319 stated with a slight pause between each word.  

She felt her prisoner collapse in her arms where she began to cry.  Sobs filled the solitude of the chamber, echoed off the walls and bounced back toward them.  6319 loosened her tight grip around the prisoner’s neck and held her while she cried.  No tears fell but great gut wrenching sounds poured forth.  Finally the crying stopped and she stepped away from 6319. 

“Why didn’t I die with her?  Why?  Oh God… what am I going to do?” 

6319 let her pour out her grief.  She knew the pain that dwelled deep inside when a loved one died unexpectedly.  She watched as she cried.  The prisoner was a small woman, not more than five feet four inches tall.  She had a milky complexion with pale freckles covering her arms and the bridge of her nose.  She knew from earlier that her eyes were a deep hazel color.  Her eyebrows were strawberry blonde.  She wondered if she had red hair as her head was shaved bald the way that all prisoners were once they were brought into the chamber.  She didn’t know how to offer solace for her grief.  She simply waited for the sobs to abate.  Finally, all that was left was a few sniffles every once in a while.  The prisoner still stood with her head down, not moving at all. 

“What is your name,” 6319 asked. 

“2256,” she answered quietly. 

“No, what is your real name?”  She asked again. 

The prisoner turned and looked at her in shock.  She didn’t answer but simply stared for a long period of time before finally speaking. 

“No one has asked me my name in over five years.  They call me Stevie”  She finally answered stumbling over her name.  “Yes….Stevie.” 

Stevie said the name again as though trying it out for the first time.   

“I am Stevie.”  She finally said in a strong voice as she turned toward 6319.  “What is your name?” 

“Allyson, but you can call me Ally.  No one has called me Allyson since I was knee high to a grasshopper.”  Ally replied. 

“Ally….I like that name.”   

It became silent again while both women thought about their names and being able to use them again. 

“What do we do now?”  Stevie asked after several minutes. 

“I don’t know.  I guess we need to see if there is a way out of here.  I don’t know how long these emergency lights will stay lit.  We need to see if we can find some way back to the surface.” 

“A way out?  How?”  Stevie asked as she looked around.   She turned and looked toward the tunnel, the only entry she knew.  As her eyes roved over the pile of stone, she noted that the rocks were beginning to fall into the chamber.  She began trembling with fear that the entire chamber would collapse.  As she watched the rocks falling, she noted a movement along the top.  She screamed in fear. 

Ally rushed toward her, grabbed hold of her, and yelled, “What?  What is it?  Is something wrong with you?” 

Stevie was speechless as she lifted her arm and pointed to the pile of stone across the room. 

Ally looked up and gasped.  She saw a head rising over the rocks. 

“OH MY GOD!”  She stated under her breath, waiting to see what was happening.

Part 2