Orbital Control Center- Above Planet Lynne
December 9th, 2176
Corporation Controlled Space
In the Inglasus System, planets are run by The Corporation, a corporate power now holding political power in the region. The entire system is under Corporate control. The Inglasus System is known for technological advancements, entertainment, and military power. But, also, the Inglasus System is also known for its economic prowess and power, becoming one of the most thriving systems in the galaxy.
The Corporation's main space station, Space Station Marx, orbits Lynne. The large space station is the size of an American nuclear powered Aircraft Carrier. Here, on Space Station Marx, no one knows what they do. The Corporation tells people that the main space station is just that, the center of their operations in Inglasus. However, there's more than meets the eye.
A medium sized shuttle slowly approached the space station, heading towards one of the main docking bays. The shuttle and the space station glistened in the sun light as the shuttle continued to approach. On the left side of the shuttle, it had a shield with crossed rifles with the 'Corporation' under the blue insignia. The bay doors slowly opened as the shuttle got closer to land. A blue shield then formed, keeping air inside. The shuttles engines continued to hum as it slowly entered the grey, metal bay. Men in black armor walked into the hangar bay, armed with assault rifles and shotguns for extra security. Alarms whined as the shuttle's doors opened for whoever was inside it. The armored soldiers watched curiously at the shuttle, looking for whoever was in there. Two of them approached the door, then seeing men in white armor pushing a young woman out from the shuttle, her head covered with a sack. The soldiers looked at each other as the white armored trooper stared at them. The white armored soldier shoved the woman to the ground. She grunted heavily in pain. All she had on was a white tank top and a pair of jeans.
"Take to her to the brig." The white armored soldier said. "Now." The two black armored soldiers looked at each other and then back at the soldier in white armor.
"Uh, yes sir." One of the soldiers said as both of them picked her up from the ground, their rifles strapped around their shoulders. The soldiers carried her away from the hangar bay as the rest of the soldiers guarded the hangar, doing their patrols around the bay.
The two soldiers chatted while they carried the woman to her cell.
"Damn, dude." One of the soldiers said. "This is the fourth one this week." The other sighed.
"Man, I fell ya." The other said. "Why can't they just stop making it happen already?"
"Beats me." The other soldier replied, his blue visor covering his eyes. "I mean, why can't we get a break?" The two soldiers then approached the brig, the soldier in the blue visor then placing his on a scanning pad. The pad beeped as a blue light scanned the palm of his hand. The door to the brig was thick and heavily covered in metal armor. Above the door was a sign that said, 'Brig', with the insignia of The Corporation next to it.
"Access accepted." The automatic voice said as the lock to the Brig was deactivated. "Welcome, Jason Braddick."
"Okay, let's go." Braddick said, leading the other soldier with him. Inside was a massive cell block that had almost fifty large, metal, sealed cells in all. After each five cells were two marines, armed with shotguns and clad in riot gear and armor. Their faces shields hid most of their faces as the two guards walked through the dimly lit Brig complex with their new prisoner. One of the lights above flickered as they passed by. The prisoners were quiet and solemn as the guards passed by, some giving blank glances and some gritted their teeth in anger. Some were strong and had tattoos on their arms. Some had long scars on their faces, but were skinny.
The guards took her to one of the last four cells in the back. The door was sealed shut with no one inside. Braddick approached the scan pad to the cell and placed his hand on the pad. The pad scanned his hand with a red light as it beeped in a lower tone.
"Access accepted." The automatic male voice said. "Cell 46 now unlocked." Braddick wrapped his hands around the door handle and slid it open, the barred, metal cell door sliding with a sort of creaking sound. The other soldier then shoved the woman inside and removed the sack from on top of her head. The young woman's face had cuts and dried blood covering some of her lip and cheeks. Her black hair was messy, like she woke up in the morning and did not fix her hair. Braddick took the sack and threw it aside. He stared at the young woman.
"Are you alright, ma'am?" Braddick asked the woman. She nodded yes slowly with a blank, yet scared stare at Braddick. "I'm sorry this had to happen, but it does happen. We'll bring you something later." The two soldiers left and locked the cell door behind them, leaving the woman to sit in the middle of the cold air. The cell was dimly lit and smelled of sweat. The bed had blankets and sheets and a pillow with a cover, but it wasn't soft enough to be considered a nice bed. A digital alarm clock was on the floor as some of its light illuminated the dark area. Above a rusty sink was a cracked mirror. The woman stood up from the floor and stared at herself in the mirror. She turned on the faucet, with cold, fresh, clean water coming out from the faucet. She filled her palms with water as she splashed herself with cold water. She washed the dried blood away from her face and then wiped her face with her white tank top. The dried blood was going down the drain as she then drank some coming out from the faucet. Then, she saw the reflection of a man wearing a fine suit standing in front of the cell door, his hands behind his back.
"Ms. Marshall?" the man in the suit asked. The young woman turned around to see the man in the fine suit, the woman then approaching the bars. "I'm Marcus Della Marquis, one of the officers here to help manage the station." The young woman stayed silent. Marquis sighed. Marcus Della Marquis had a thick moustache covering his upper lip. His eyes were as blue as the deep ocean waters. He had rugged wrinkles on his face and had a thick, Texan accent.
"Ms. Marshall, I'm sorry we had to take you here like this." Marcus said, sighing. "Sometimes, people don't listen to me when I say that I want people to come here without any injuries. Unfortunately, I'm stuck with a boss who doesn't know the words, 'perfect condition'." The woman still refused to say a word, her green eyes staring at the blue eyes of Marquis.
"Look, I know you don't want to talk to me, Ms. Marshall." Marcus pointed out. "However, I think it's in both of our best interest to talk so that you can understand why you are here in this space station." The woman's head hung low and then looked back up at Marquis.
"Fine." The woman said. "Why, am I here?"
"Well, Ms. Kate Marshall, you're here for something I cannot describe myself." Marquis said. "It's difficult to explain the sole reason why you are here in only a few sentences."
"Can you try?" the woman asked silently.
"Well, let's just say that this may appear to be a game to a lot of people." Marquis replied, crossing his arms. "I didn't agree to this. However, the others did and I was forced to agree by my boss."
"Agree with what?" the woman asked, confused. "And, what did you mean that a lot of people think this is a game?" Marcus then looked down the halls, then seeing two soldiers clad in white armor guarding another man in a finely tailored suit, wearing sunglasses and sporting a neat and slick haircut. The man's face was smooth and young.
"Oh no." Marcus silently said to himself. "Not him again."
"Who's that?" the woman asked. Marcus was infuriated.
"That's the pain in my ass." Marcus answered. "Lieutenant Arthur Luger, commander of the Inglasus branch of The Corporation."
"Former military?" the young woman asked Marcus.
"Former military jack ass to be exact." Marcus said, then approaching the guards and Arthur Luger. He went around the guards and walked beside Luger, the two then stopping in front of Kate's cell.
"Sir, this is a mistake." Marcus said. "This woman does not deserve to participate."
"Whoever I pick is fit to participate is final." Luger said in a deep voice, taking off his shades. He had gold eyes that pierced through anybody's soul. "And, nothing will change my mind."
"But, sir, this woman is young." Marcus told Luger. "And, by the way, why the hell did you order your men to beat her?"
"Let's just say she was resisting arrest." Luger replied.
"But, that gives you no right to give the order to beat a woman." Marcus said in outrage.
"If you have a complaint, send it to Administration." Luger sharply replied. Marcus leaned towards Luger with gritted teeth.
"I will." Marcus then stormed away from Luger, then exiting the Brig. Luger looked down the hall and then back at Kate, fixing his tie.
"Ms. Marshall, I assure you that the pain you experienced will go away soon." Luger said.
"You bastard." Kate said silently. "You shot my friend."
"He tried to intervene." Luger replied. There was then a long silence between them as Luger placed his shades back in front of his eyes.
"Why have you brought me here?" Kate asked, scared, but confused.
"Let's just say we're gonna be playing a game." He told her. "We're going to be playing… a fun game." He smiled and then left, walking down the long, metal hall of the Brig. Kate looked at the mirror as he walked away, seeing that her wounds stopped bleeding. She then leaned on the wall and slid to the ground, her arms crossed across her body. Then, Braddick returned, opening the cell door and then entering it, with a set of new clothes for her. He kneeled down to her and handed her the new clothes.
"Here, I got you these." Braddick said. "It's all I could get out from the others."
"Why are you doing this for me?" Kate asked. "Aren't you supposed to be working for The Corporation?"
"Let's just say that Mr. Marquis is not the only one that does not like the boss." Braddick said, then leaving the cell and closing the cell door, then locking it. Kate sat the cloths down onto her new bed and then looked at her new top. It was plain pink. She slid it on to her, over her white tank top and then looked at her new pants, which were baggy cargos. She slid off the old jeans she wore and slid on the new cargos. She zipped up the zipper and then buttoned it. He then looked in the mirror and then slid her fingers onto her cuts, which slightly stung.
"I can't believe this." Kate said to herself, staring at her reflection.