Chapter 6: Adapt or Die
The next day arrived with the blare of a speaker.
"RISE AND SHINE MAGGOTS!"
Cells unlocked in sequence. Nathan stepped out, his jumpsuit hanging loose on his frame.
He pulled up the system screen.
[System Balance: $100,000]
[Stone River: $550]
Nathan’s eyes narrowed at the prison account balance. Wasn’t this fifty dollars yesterday? Did the system do something or...
The shouting from the guards jolted him from the screen. He returned his attention back to the block.
He saw the man from the cell next to him; Theo. White-streaked hair, mustache, tattoo bands on his arms. He looked older than his voice suggested.
Theo caught his gaze and grinned. "Oi, Fish. Sleep well?"
"Like a rock," Nathan lied. In truth, his sleep was cut short by noises from the block.
The guards herded them down a corridor and unto a massive slab of cracked concrete surrounded by high steel bars and razor wire. The yard.
The sky was grey, heavy with clouds. The cool air brushed against Nathan’s face and his jumpsuit did little against the cold.
He scanned the yard. Some inmates clustered in groups, others stayed by themselves.
Armed guards patrolled outside the fence and a small queue was forming near a structure at the far end.
Theo approached and nodded toward the queue. "That’s the plug. Anything you need, he’ll have it."
The queue moved fairly quickly, and Nathan followed Theo toward the front.
The man behind the counter was in his fifties, wearing orange overalls despite having no chains. A sleazy grin stretched across his face.
"What’s up, old bloke," Theo said, tapping the table.
"Who are you calling old, fool?" the man behind the counter snapped back.
As long as your year of birth begins with ’19’, you’re old," Theo countered.
The man at the desk ignored the comment to look at Nathan. "Who’s this? I’ve never seen him before."
"Yeah, this is Nathan," Theo said. "Nathan, meet Lester but he prefers his nickname, Moe."
Moe’s expression soured instantly. He flipped Theo with his middle finger, ignoring his chuckles, before returning his focus to Nathan.
"Ignore this fool. How can I help you?"
Theo turned to Nathan, chuckling. "First things first. You’ve got to try the ice-cream."
"But I –"
"You don’t have money? Don’t worry about it. I got you," Theo interrupted.
Moe brought two waffle cones and handed one to each of them without asking for immediate payment.
Nathan tasted it. The creamy, sugary flavour melted on his tongue.
"It’s really nice," He muttered to himself, before turning to Theo. "But I’m not actually a fan of ice-cream."
"What? Why didn’t you say it earlier?" Theo said, shaking his head.
Nathan shrugged. "I tried to but you cut me off. But no worries, I’ll eat it. It’s good."
Theo relaxed and offered a brief thumbs up.
A thought crossed Nathan’s mind.
’Would the rebate work with cash?’
[Yes. As long as the host spends it, on himself. Spending cash on or giving it to others will not trigger a rebate.]
Nathan turned to Moe.
"I need a decent smartphone, a power bank and about a thousand dollars in cash," Nathan replied, causing Theo’s eyes to widen.
"I thought you were broke?"
Nathan smiled faintly. "I am."
The response earned him a confused stare from his cell neighbour.
Moe nodded, unfazed. "The phones require Wi-Fi access. Theo can help you with the password," Moe raised an eyebrow at Theo to confirm.
Theo recovered from his surprise and nodded. "Yeah, I got him covered."
"So how much in total and how do I pay?" Nathan asked.
"It’ll cost $2000. You can pay with cash or card if you got any smuggled in. But I prefer crypto," Moe replied.
He pulled out a piece of paper and began writing on it. "I’ll give you my Critter handle. Message me for payment details and anything else you need."
He handed Nathan the piece of paper. "Oh also, you have to give the guard a small tax. Fifty or a hundred bucks should do."
Nathan nodded and took the paper. He looked at the handle Moe had written.
| @ISimpForLadyMight. |
"Lady Might? She’s your hero?" Nathan asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Of course. She’s a goddess among us," Moe said with a tone of reverence. He reached under the counter and pulled out a magazine.
The cover featured a striking red-haired woman in a white and gold suit. Moe kissed the cover affectionately.
Nathan gave him a side eye.
Theo shook his head. "She’s a camera hog like the rest of them. Ultraprime’s the real deal."
"Ultraprime doesn’t have boobs and ass, now does he?" Moe shot back defensively.
"Isn’t Ultraprime her cousin?" Nathan asked.
"Yes," Theo responded. "One of the few real heroes left. The rest are just performers acting out roles for the public."
Moe rolled his eyes. "Nothing wrong with heroes wanting to make a bit of money and fame. I bet Ultraprime is broke, probably working as a low-earning reporter on the side just to pay rent."
"Doesn’t matter," Theo said. "Heroism shouldn’t be a popularity contest."
"Eh, I’ll take my ’S-ranked’ Lady Might any day–."
A commotion across the yard cut through his sentence short.
A group of three inmates had surrounded a smaller man. He was on the ground, his hands over his head. The men kicked him, laughing.
Nathan turned to look at the guards. They stood at their posts, unmoving. "Shouldn’t they stop that?"
The beating continued. The man on the ground curled into a ball, his cries muffled by the kicks.
"They will, after they’ve been entertained," Theo muttered.
"Sometimes, they’ve paid to wait," Moe added, dropping the magazine in the counter. "One thing you have to learn is money takes you far in this place. That or good connections."
The guards eventually intervened, breaking up the commotion.
The trio backed off, laughing. The man stayed on the ground, his jumpsuit smeared with dirt, his face already swelling.
Theo turned to Nathan whose eyes were still fixed on the scene. "You asked me how to survive, right?"
Nathan turned to meet his gaze.
"Survival is winning, Nathan. Using whatever you have to your advantage." He gestured to the scene. "Everything else is bollocks."
Nathan didn’t need to respond. Theo’s words were perfectly clear in his mind.
Adapt or Die.
A few minutes later, the whistle blew and the guards escorted them back to their cells.