The Omega Cage by Steve Perry Read Free Book Online

speed. I just barely survived the encounter. That was easy compared to getting out of here." He looked at Scanner. "Give him the numbers."
    Scanner said, "In the sixty-nine years since the prison opened there have been five hundred and twelve attempted escapes from the Omega Cage. Of that number, three hundred and eighty-seven escapees were killed outright; one hundred and two subsequently died from injuries received while attempting escape; and twenty-three were recaptured without fatal wounds. Of the twenty-three prisoners recaptured, seventeen died while undergoing punitive treatment; two committed suicide; and three were killed by a person or persons unknown."
    Maro did some quick mental arithmetic. "That leaves one. What happened to him?"
    "Right here," Sandoz said. "I survived a year in the Pit and four guard-sponsored hitters."
    "What happened to them? The ones who tried to kill you?"
    Sandoz grinned. "What do you think?"
    "So you've decided the risk isn't worth it?"
    The assassin looked at Maro squarely. "I didn't say that. I said it would be hard. I wanted you to know."
    Maro grinned. "Okay, so now I know. I want you to understand that I am going to find a way out. I don't have a plan yet, but I'll get to that. I have some experience in this line of work. There is always a way out. Just because nobody has ever done it before doesn't mean no one can ever do it."
    Raze finished her fingertip exercises and turned to face Maro. "You work it up, Maro, and let me know what you want me to do. I'd rather die out there than live forever in here."
    Maro looked around at the others. Silently, they all nodded.
    He took a deep breath. He had a team. Now all he had to do was come up with a way.

Chapter Six
    After hearing about Maro's sailing through the normally deadly initiation of new prisoners, Stark had a feeling that softening the smuggler up prior to his interrogation by Karnaaj might not be that easy. The usual methods lacked sufficient power, that seemed obvious enough. Ordinary threats seldom bothered full-termers; drugs or induced hypnogogia seemed contraindicated; physical torture without the proper monitoring gear entailed risk. Fear, as always, was the key, but how to invoke it in Maro?
    Stark nodded to the tech running the mindwipe machineries. The woman returned the nod, then went back to tuning the equipment. The room was small, hardly large enough for the chair bolted to the floor in the center. There wasn't need for much room, however, since the audience stood or sat in a separate chamber, along with the electronics used to run the chair.
    Stark stared at the chair. Maro was a disciple of some kind of mind control; he had proved that by defeating the perverted telepath known as the Mindfucker. It seemed logical to assume that Maro would have spent a lot of time working on his thought processes, on exploration of his own psyche. Therefore, it might be that his fears would lie in that area; perhaps keeping his mind sacrosanct was more important than keeping his physical body intact.
    He could not be exposed to mindwipe, of course—not until Karnaaj had had his way with him—but perhaps the threat of it might agitate Maro somewhat. It was worth a try.
    "We're almost ready," the tech said.
    "Good." The warden turned away and touched the compatch on his throat.
    "Bring Maro to the Psychiatric Implimentorium."
    Lepto strolled across the yard, swaggering somewhat as he passed Raze. Raze, in the middle of curling a heavy barbell, paused long enough to spit to one side as Lepto walked by. Her meaning was clear enough; the massive guard colored slightly and shortened his steps into a more military motion.
    Maro watched the guard come and held his face as impassive as he could. To smile might be worth a visit to the dental clinic.
    "The warden wants you," Lepto said.
    Scanner whispered to Maro as Lepto turned away. "You're in for a visit to the Zombie Ward; I just got the word."
    "How?" Maro whispered back.
    Scanner