EPISODE CLXXV - SCRATCHING THE NADS OF SOCIETAL BARRIERS
Aside from the occasional thump of head on energy field, PFC Nation's shift crawled by without incident. He was gathering up his things when Private Hillier let himself in.
"Hey Nation", the recently reassigned* commando said setting his kit bag on the duty desk, "what's going on?"
The PFC leaned his head toward the holding cells. "Nothing much. Just our resident idiot testing her boundaries."
"Still?", Hillier asked incredulously. "You'd think she would've fried her brain by now."
"Like she'd notice", Nation observed off handedly. He hoisted his pack onto his shoulder. "Enjoy yourself."
"Thanks", Hillier grumbled as he watched the door slide shut behind the PFC.
He checked his equipment and listened for any activity from the one occupied cell. Hearing nothing, he walked over and let himself into the holding area. He peered into the cell, noting that the light
had been extinguished, and saw the prisoner's huddled form lying on the stainless steel cot, covered by a thin blanket.
He was about to return to his office when he noticed a dark, wet stain on the blanket. Fearing that her self destructive nature had finally gotten the best of her, he called out her name.
"Hey, Lightnin'. Get your ass out of that bed and come over here."
There was no response.
"I said", Hillier repeated, "get over he..." It was then that he noticed part of a banana peel sticking out from beneath the blanket.
"What the hell?", he wondered aloud as he deactivated the shield. He stepped in and briskly pulled back the cover to reveal a semi-rotting pile of food, shaped vaguely like a human. "Damn
it", he muttered as he instinctively scanned the cell for any sign of the prisoner's escape. Noting nothing, he shook his head dismally.
He lifted the bunk and pushed it out of the way, checking the wall behind it for any markings. As he stepped over for a closer examination, a panel on the floor shifted slightly with a metallic click.
He reached down and pushed his fingers into the grooves on either side of the panel and pulled it up from its previous resting place. A shallow crawl space, too small for someone of his size, but adequate
for one of Liz's lay beneath.
He keyed his comm-link. "Detention Unit to Mr. Proteau", he shouted into the mike. "We have a breach and prisoner has fled!"
