Servo 28:2
Servo 28:2
Rain poured down and thunder boomed as the three of us rode in a bot taxi to the detention center. Dad stayed behind at the hotel, fearing his ancient visage might draw unwanted attention. Once Otto was liberated; we’d return to the room and commence planning to find Dad a suitable body in which he wouldn’t be such a noticeable target. We traveled through the city toward the north; our final destination was on Fairmount Avenue. The New Philadelphia Detention Center stood on the grounds of what was once the old Eastern State Penitentiary. It was a huge, creepy place still surrounded by a high wall that remained from the original structure. Whenever we had to pass by it, I always felt the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. The imposing walls rose like an impenetrable medieval castle. I swore I never wanted to step foot in that place. The bot taxi stopped near the main entrance. I looked out the window and didn’t see anyone. Had they not released Otto? Rain continued to bucket down, the street starting to flood. I stepped from the cab, motioning to Suz and Rory to stay put. There was no reason for more than one of us to get soaked. I crept toward the dark stone entrance. A black and yellow cast iron sign caught my eye. It was one of those tourist markers that somehow survived the Great Separation. I glanced to see the original prison had been built in 1822 and was closed in 1971. Now almost ninety years later, it was once again a prison—although called a “detention center” to make it sound nicer. Above me, two hideous gargoyles sat perched on each edge, glaring cold eyes of death and dismay. One was reaching down at me; its front legs shackled and dangling heavy chains. My skin crawled. This was not a place for me. The sky lit up, a bolt of lightning arcing across the sky immediately followed by a boom of thunder which shook my insides to the core. I could not be more spooked than I was. Rain poured harder forcing me to seek shelter under the portico. My body was enveloped in darkness as I moved under the entranceway. I shivered. The rain was not cold, nor was the temperature, but I was. Ahead of me stood a massive iron gate that looked to be a thousand years old. Flakes of brown rust curled from its bars, a silent story of a lifetime of keeping criminals. If it could speak, I wonder what it would tell me? Reaching up with a shaky hand, I touched the iron giant. The gate creaked loudly and swung open with surprising ease. I was now entering the bowels of hell. Perhaps fifty feet away was what I judged to be the “official” main entrance. It was more modern looking and had black painted solid steel doors. It was no less imposing than what I’d just traveled through. My breath came short and I began to panic. Just as I was preparing to flee from the invisible grasp this monstrous reformatory had on me, one of the black doors opened and Otto stepped out. “Jonah?” he said.I no longer had the power of speech, so I simply nodded. He smiled and hurried to me. I hastened a quick retreat through the gaping jaws of the iron gate and to freedom. The pouring rain helped bring me to my senses as I dashed to the cab and opened the door. Otto dove in, beating me. I was right behind, slamming the door and gesturing to the bot in the driver’s seat. “Go!” Rory said, seeing that I’d lost my voice. “Back to the hotel.”The hulking fortress of stone faded into the distance as we put distance between it and us. I would be forever grateful to never lay eyes on that place again. “How did you do it?” Otto asked, wiping rain from his face.“Jonah hacked into the prison network,” Rory replied. “What happened?” Suz said. “You went out one day and didn’t come back.”“I was in a store and someone said they saw me steal something—which I didn’t. They called the authorities and a battle bot came and took me away.”“Not a police officer?” I finally got my words back. “The bot took you?”“Yes. I was sent right to that horrible place. No one gave me a trial, and I wasn’t allowed to call or speak to anyone.”“That’s very bad. We need to complete Dad’s plan and get out of here.”Otto regarded me curiously. “Dad?”“We got the bot to work. All the memory sticks I had were loaded and somehow it became Dad—even sounds mostly like him.”“Really?”“You’ll meet him shortly.” “I can’t wait.”
Rain poured down and thunder boomed as the three of us rode in a bot taxi to the detention center. Dad stayed behind at the hotel, fearing his ancient visage might draw unwanted attention. Once Otto was liberated; we’d return to the room and commence planning to find Dad a suitable body in which he wouldn’t be such a noticeable target. We traveled through the city toward the north; our final destination was on Fairmount Avenue. The New Philadelphia Detention Center stood on the grounds of what was once the old Eastern State Penitentiary. It was a huge, creepy place still surrounded by a high wall that remained from the original structure. Whenever we had to pass by it, I always felt the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. The imposing walls rose like an impenetrable medieval castle. I swore I never wanted to step foot in that place. The bot taxi stopped near the main entrance. I looked out the window and didn’t see anyone. Had they not released Otto? Rain continued to bucket down, the street starting to flood. I stepped from the cab, motioning to Suz and Rory to stay put. There was no reason for more than one of us to get soaked. I crept toward the dark stone entrance. A black and yellow cast iron sign caught my eye. It was one of those tourist markers that somehow survived the Great Separation. I glanced to see the original prison had been built in 1822 and was closed in 1971. Now almost ninety years later, it was once again a prison—although called a “detention center” to make it sound nicer. Above me, two hideous gargoyles sat perched on each edge, glaring cold eyes of death and dismay. One was reaching down at me; its front legs shackled and dangling heavy chains. My skin crawled. This was not a place for me. The sky lit up, a bolt of lightning arcing across the sky immediately followed by a boom of thunder which shook my insides to the core. I could not be more spooked than I was. Rain poured harder forcing me to seek shelter under the portico. My body was enveloped in darkness as I moved under the entranceway. I shivered. The rain was not cold, nor was the temperature, but I was. Ahead of me stood a massive iron gate that looked to be a thousand years old. Flakes of brown rust curled from its bars, a silent story of a lifetime of keeping criminals. If it could speak, I wonder what it would tell me? Reaching up with a shaky hand, I touched the iron giant. The gate creaked loudly and swung open with surprising ease. I was now entering the bowels of hell. Perhaps fifty feet away was what I judged to be the “official” main entrance. It was more modern looking and had black painted solid steel doors. It was no less imposing than what I’d just traveled through. My breath came short and I began to panic. Just as I was preparing to flee from the invisible grasp this monstrous reformatory had on me, one of the black doors opened and Otto stepped out. “Jonah?” he said.I no longer had the power of speech, so I simply nodded. He smiled and hurried to me. I hastened a quick retreat through the gaping jaws of the iron gate and to freedom. The pouring rain helped bring me to my senses as I dashed to the cab and opened the door. Otto dove in, beating me. I was right behind, slamming the door and gesturing to the bot in the driver’s seat. “Go!” Rory said, seeing that I’d lost my voice. “Back to the hotel.”The hulking fortress of stone faded into the distance as we put distance between it and us. I would be forever grateful to never lay eyes on that place again. “How did you do it?” Otto asked, wiping rain from his face.“Jonah hacked into the prison network,” Rory replied. “What happened?” Suz said. “You went out one day and didn’t come back.”“I was in a store and someone said they saw me steal something—which I didn’t. They called the authorities and a battle bot came and took me away.”“Not a police officer?” I finally got my words back. “The bot took you?”“Yes. I was sent right to that horrible place. No one gave me a trial, and I wasn’t allowed to call or speak to anyone.”“That’s very bad. We need to complete Dad’s plan and get out of here.”Otto regarded me curiously. “Dad?”“We got the bot to work. All the memory sticks I had were loaded and somehow it became Dad—even sounds mostly like him.”“Really?”“You’ll meet him shortly.” “I can’t wait.”
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