"Well... For your information, this would be the 27th attempt." My partner said with a roll of his eyes and I could see that he had lost interest. He had stopped trying after a first few failed attempts but that didn't stop him from helping me. Maybe it is his mode of entertainment.
"And this will be the last. I know it." It had to be. The plan was foolproof.
"I believe you said something along those lines the last 25 times as well." His tone had a hint of humour as he made a face, the perks of having a fellow prisoner. I decided to ignore him for the moment.
I have been stuck in this jail cell for the past several years. How many, I've lost count. That's what happens when you are enclosed in a metal cubicle for the majority of your life.
Why was I in here, you may ask. It's simply because I stole a loaf of bread to feed my rumbling tummy. And that was something that could get you years in prison while you could get away with murder with a few warnings. You can't expect anything else in a world where there isn't enough to feed half its population.
It started with the drought that materialized a few decades ago. Then came the tornado, the earthquake and what not. Nature was slowly paying back for what we humans had done to her over the past few centuries. And she was paying back with interest. People were devastated. Authorities had little role to play. Matters got so out of control that the world was in a constant state of melancholy where everywhere there was nothing but parched land. The prices for food and water skyrocketed. People seemed to forget that there was a time when gold used to be costlier.
"When they catch you, don't tell them I helped you. It damages my reputation." My partner's gruff voice broke my reverie.
"What makes you think they will catch me?" I asked and saw him shrugging his shoulders.
"I don't know. Maybe the experience from the last 26 times. I suggest you start planning for the 28th escape plan. You know, not to waste time." He was always the optimist among the two of us. Note the sarcasm.
I call him 'partner' because I don't know his name despite being in the same prison cell for ages. Here, we are all given numbers and with time you won't even be able to remember your own name let alone other's. I'm Q5140 and he is S1143. And we were given a single piece of bread (not even a loaf!!) for the both of us. We had to adjust with that the entire day.
I propped myself against the high window. The view on the other side was breathtaking. That is, if you consider pitch black breathtaking. But the mere thought that there will be something on the other side gives a sense of hope, a feeling many of us have lost over the decades.
My escape plan was playing on a loop in my mind and I grew more confident with each passing second.
"Tell me what your plan is." My partner asked, trying to mask his curiosity and I decided to spare the poor soul from his misery. I sat facing him and urged him to come closer.
"So here is the plan." I started, my voice dropping a few octaves. "I've noticed that the guards outside the cell change every three hours. And during those changes, we get almost 5 minutes off the grid before the new guard stations. During that time, I'll want you to punch in this code while I dress up in this." I said picking up an officer's uniform from under my bunk and handing him the piece of flat stone where I had engraved the lock code (papers cost a fortune, duh!). I could see questions swirling in his eyes but he decided to keep quiet, encouraging me to continue.
"And since it's going to be dark outside, the guards (hopefully) won't notice me in the uniform and once I get out from this wing, I'm pretty sure I can fool the rest of my way out." I concluded with a grin.
"But how did you get hold of the code and the uniform?" He asked, perplexed
"That's for me to know and you to find out. Try using your imagination sometimes." I said, patting his head and he shoved my arm. I could see that he wasn't satisfied with my answer. Who cares, he can't ask me to lay down all my tricks on the table. That is, if you consider accidental eavesdropping and stealing, tricks.
The clock on the wall showed 2 minutes to midnight and I could feel my body tingling with excitement as I woke my partner up. He rubbed his eyes to adjust them to the dim light and was startled to find my face a breath away from his.
"It's time." I whispered and in an instant he was wide awake. He scrambled on to his feet and as the guards left their shift, he started his magic on the lock while I dressed. It's a shame that I'll miss him and this place.
I believe luck was in my favour today. I got through the building without any hindrance. They will have noticed my absence by now which meant I had less than 10 minutes to make myself invisible. This is by far the farthest I've reached during a jailbreak.
The officers on the watch played little attention as I slipped by as they were devouring the food, which they received from the authorities, splitting it between the 5 of them.
I discarded the uniform the moment I stepped out and took a deep breath filling my lungs with the sweet scent of freedom. To be honest, freedom smelled more or less like rotten eggs but I couldn't care less.
As I started moving in the direction my feet took me, I heard a clutter in the dark and chose to take a look. I inched closer, the air around me turning strenuous to stand but what I saw halted me in my tracks.
Children were fighting over something. Most probably food, since that was the only thing worth fighting for. On closer inspection I noticed that it was a limp human arm that caused the brawl. One of them lifted their head from chewing on the debris and looked straight at me. The eyes that should have been filled with innocence, joy and hope now held nothing. And as those hollow eyes bore into mine, my breath hitched in my throat and I forgot what it was to blink.
A world that destroyed everything in its wake for an utopian future was paying its price. And a very hefty one at that. I could hear the sirens wailing, their sound getting closer by each moment. I discerned that every single one of us was stuck in a cell, some just didn't have metal walls surrounding them and in that moment those metal walls appeared far more safer than the entire world.