Prisoner of Memory

[Brian T. Riley 0]

The darkness was perfect. Not a breath of light could be found within the confines of the room. But sound replaced the more familiar visual cues. A scrape of metal against metal, the low level hum of some kind of power unit, the thumping of heavy footsteps somewhere beyond the walls of his confinement. More subtle, quieter and closer than the dull cacophony of other noises, was the raspy rhythmic breathing of an unknown companion.

 

"You are awake Riley." The voice rolled and elongated the vowels while the "k" ended with a hard click that Brian could easily picture as the snapping together of a mouthful of intimidating teeth.

 

Momentarily blinded as a light snapped on, Brian coughed to clear his dusty throat, "Where am I?"

 

"You are in my care." Brian finally focused on the source of the troubling voice. His companion was huge, nearly eight feet tall and covered with a short fur. He was distinctly feline in appearance except for his hairless, oddly shaped ears, make that ear. The left ear was missing and an ugly scar marked a jagged path down the cheek to his neck.

 

"Nulak," Brian coughed again, "I'd like to say it's a pleasure to see you again, but it's not." He tried to take a deep breath but was restricted by the way he was restrained. His arms were stretched out to either side and latched into chained manacles that hung from the ceiling.

 

"I am in no mood for pleasantries, where is my merchandise, and where is Jofraltur?"

 

Brian lifted his head and settled his feet under him, taking some pressure off of his shoulders and arms. "The job went sour, I couldn't get the item you wanted out in time."

 

Nulak's single ear twitched, "And Jofraltur?"

 

"Dead. Why did you send that amateur with me anyway? His stomping around set off the alar..." With stunning speed Nulak closed the short distance between him and Brian and clamped a huge paw over his face. The claws digging into Brian's temples and cheek as Nulak squeezed drew thin rivulets of blood down his face.

 

"Jofraltur was my first born." Nulak hissed into Brian's ear. "I should kill you now for speaking dishonorably of him."

 

The unbearable pressure on his skull suddenly released as Nulak let go. "But your skills are too valuable to the Syndicate for them to be lost on a matter of honor."

 

Brian sagged in the chains, his head hanging as he tried to absorb the pain of the assault. "Ssorry.."

 

"Save your breath, Riley. You may be of value, but you also must be punished for your failure." Nulak made a wide toothy grin, "The Syndicate gave me some latitude in deciding your punishment. Their only stipulation was that you must be alive at the end."

 

Nulak pulled a long tubular device from his belt and held it up in front of Brian, "Relax Riley, this will take a while." He touched the metallic tip to Brian's shoulder.

 

...........................

 

Brian jumped awake choking back a scream. He sat up on his bunk, his hand to his shoulder where a phantom pain still lingered from the nightmare. Slowly he looked around the bunk room to see if anyone else was awake or aware of his movement. Seeing no other signs of life from his fellow prisoners and hearing only snoring, Brian swung his legs over the side and dropped quietly to the floor.

 

Slipping on his boots and heavy jacket, he walked to the door and stepped outside. Brian paused at the bottom of the steps of the bunk room and looked up through the tall trees at the unfamiliar stars. "So how are you going to get out of this one, Brian?"

 

He heard the shuffling of snow and saw a silhouette step around the corner of the bunk room and into the light given off by the single bare bulb mounted over the door. The guard (Brian privately called this one Arnie due to his absurdly muscular physique) looked warily at Brian, an Axrekravian version of a cigarette hanging from his lips.

 

Brian starred at the guard a moment and then walked over to him. He looked Arnie in the eyes and brazenly reached into the guard's chest pocket and pulled out a cigarette and a lighter. Then upon lighting the cigarette, he returned the lighter to the pocket.

 

Arnie glared at Brian with narrowed eyes as he pulled on the stolen cigarette, savoring the pungent smoke. Brian glanced back at the guard and nodded slightly, "Thanks pal." Then turned and walked back toward the front of the bunk house, satisfied with his small moment of defiance.

 

~End~