S1, 04 Freedom (FB) (April 9, 2014)

Corresponding text underneath each picture.

**23rd DECEMBER 2094: PRESENT DAY**

It had been five days since the strange man had visited me in my cell. In those five days, nothing had happened. The man had told me that I would know when the time was right to escape. What he didn’t tell me was how long away that time was. Had I missed it? Was it not going to be for another year or more?

I was starting to wonder if I had in fact missed my chance. But I was patient. Each day that passed, I went about my business as per normal. That is to say, I sat quietly in my cell for most of the day, only being allowed out to the canteen at lunch and dinner time and whenever I needed the toilet.

I had wondered if either of those times were my opportunity to escape. The piece of scrap metal and wire which had mysteriously appeared on my floor after the strange man had left where tucked inside my pillow, keeping them well hidden. I had spent most nights fiddling with them, seeing what I could make out of them and had so far come up with numerous combinations. One day, I hid the pieces on my body and took them to the toilet with me, hoping to use them as a means of escape but I was too well guarded. For someone who was actually innocent of the crimes I’d been convicted of, they sure kept me under close scrutiny!

And so here I was. Still sat in my cell, bored out of my mind, just waiting and wishing that my escape opportunity would come soon.

My wish came true.

Suddenly, at around midday, just before we were all taken to the canteen, the power went out; Just like it had done when the mysterious man had visited me, except this time, there was no bright light and no mysterious man. However, there was a siren and a warning announcement to the security guards to be alert as the power had unlocked all cell doors!

This was it! This was my chance! I grabbed the metal from my pillow and ran to the door. Outside a guard warned me to stay in my cell but just then, he was attacked by a couple of prisoners who had gotten out. I took my chance and opened my cell. While the guard was preoccupied, I ran for it.

As I ran I wondered why the mysterious man had given me the scraps if all the doors had opened? The emergency lighting had come on and was bathing everything in a dim blue wash. Everywhere I ran, prisoners were fighting with guards, everyone trying to break free.

I charged through a door and found myself in a fire escape stairwell. The question now was; up or down?

Voice: “One went this way!”

I heard guard’s voices behind me shouting and had to make my decision quick. Down would eventually lead to the main entrance and there was no way I’d ever get out that way. Up would only lead to the roof where I would be stuck.

As I frantically tried to sort out my dilemma, I heard a door somewhere below slam open and footsteps pounding on the metal stairs, coming my way. A few seconds later, two prisoners charged past me.

Prisoner 1: “Move, damn it! They’re coming!”

I made up my mind and made for the ‘up’ stairs, running after the other men.

We pounded up the stairs until a few floors up the door to that level was flung open and a security guard bust out at us.

Guard: “FREEZE!” he bellowed, aiming his gun at us.

One of the prisoners ahead of me leapt at him, tackling him to the ground and snatching his gun away from him. With a swift movement that made me cringe, he snapped the guard’s neck and left him dead on the ground, allowing us to continue up the stairs, now with a weapon.

On the floor above us, there was another guard, this one already dead, bent over the railings. The other criminal in our group of three snatched up his gun, leaving me the only one without a weapon.

We kept heading up for what seemed like an age, the sounds of our footsteps pounding on the metal stairs, echoing all around, accompanied by the close-by sounds of all-out fighting and the occasional gunshot on every level.

Eventually we reached the top of the stairs and paused momentarily to catch our breath.

Prisoner 1: “Ready?”

Prisoner 2: “Yeah.”

I nodded.

The first guy pushed on the fire escape door bar and it swung open. Daylight blinded us. Having spent so long locked up in the gloom, we’d forgotten what the sun looked like. We shielded our faces until we could see again and when we could, we were shocked at what we found.

Ahead of us on the roof was a security jet. Instantly, I knew that that would be our escape. However, between us and the jet stood numerous guards. They’d clearly only just arrived as the jet’s engines were still humming and the captain of the guards was giving out orders.

But that didn’t last long as after a few seconds somebody spotted us and they charged towards us. My fellow prisoners fired and took down a couple of the guards.

The fight spread out over the rooftop and I dived for cover behind a stack of crates. From my hiding spot I saw at least three more guards die before one of the prisoners was killed.

A guard started heading towards my crates. If I ran now, he’d shoot me easily. No, I had to be clever here. I waited for him to get close and then shoved the crates over onto him. He cried out as he became trapped under the pile and I sprinted towards the jet.

Somebody shot at me but missed and the bullet clanked off of the jet’s hull. I opened the cockpit and leapt in. The jet was facing the fight and moments later I saw the second of my prisoner comrades shot down. So once again, I was alone.

I closed the cockpit and primed the engines. There were clanking sounds everywhere and I realised the guards were shooting at me. I grabbed the weapon controls but paused, thinking back to the conversation I’d had with the mysterious man about killing; the difference between being a murderer and a killer. I’d killed before but only in self-defence and I certainly hadn’t killed the people I’d ended up in prison for killing.

But could I justify killing these guards. They were only doing their job.

On the other hand, they seemed perfectly happy to kill me.

I let them have it.

I fired the machine guns mounted to the underside of the jet and moved down a stream of the guards as the rest took cover. I then released a missile and there was an almighty explosion at the far side of the roof, debris and bodies flying everywhere.

Time to make my escape.

I looked at the controls and realised I didn’t know how to fly the jet! I had never flown before in my entire life! I frantically searched for a lift off button or something, anything that would get me airborne. The only thing I could find was a small key-slot.

Wait! That’s it! I pulled out the scraps of metal and within seconds had a key in my hand. I prayed and slid it into the hole. It fitted! I gave it a twist and the engines roared into life.

    Tank: “YES!” I shouted with relief. All that time I’d been expecting the scraps to form a key for a door!
I looked back up and found the remaining guards recovering. I fired another burst of the machine guns and then lifted off.

Tank: “Woohoo!” I whooped as I punched the jet into forwards and I shot away from the prison. I heard a couple of faint clanks as the guards fired a last few shots at me but then I was free.

**BONUS IMAGES:**

The stairwell. (Sorry for the bad lighting.)

Tank's jail cell.

The rooftop.

As my series is going to be jumping around though time, I will include a date on each episode and add it to the timeline at the end of each episode so that you can follow it.

TIMELINE