The Chernobyl Project

The Chernobyl Project Preview
By Dave Bankes
This book is fictional.
Any similarity to persons living, or dead,
is purely, or not so purely,
coincidental.
©Copyright 2010 by Dave Bankes
All rights reserved.
1.Lock Down
2.Here, Sign This
3.Outside The Zone
4.Changing of the Guard
5.By Majority Vote
6.Critical Mass
7.The Clean-Up
1
Lock Down
“All Prisoners return to your cells immediately! We are in lock down status!” the loud speakers boomed throughout the compound.
“Is this another drill?” Jim Barton asked the Guard, as he was locking Jim into his cell.
“I wouldn't be here if it weren't!” Tom Kernan answered, as he turned the key in the lock.
Jim and his cell mate, Clayton Albrecht, had been shipped to the new prison shortly after it was built. The cells were supposed to be self-locking, but some where in the rush to get the prison built, the order for self-locking doors got delayed.
The siren on the compound wailed. Jim wondered if someone had tried to escape or if there was a problem at the Power Plant. A speaker in the wall of his cell cackled, then a voice called out of it, “Stand count!” The light on the camera in the vent grate came on. Jim and Clayton stood up. When the light went out they sat back down.
“Must be an escape!” Jim said, as he fell back on his bunk. It was just about time for chow, it always seemed to be just about chow time when there was an escape attempt, or a fight, or some other lame excuse for being locked up in that tiny 8' x 10' cell they would call home for the rest of their days.
Jim could still hear the Judge's words echo in his mind, “Mr. Barton, it gives me great pleasure to dosociety a favor by sentencing you to life in prison!” Jim shuddered at the thought. But, here he was stuck in a cell with Clayton, and no chance of parole.
About three hours went by since the count, they had watched TV to pass the time, in hopes of getting some clue as to what was going on outside their cell. Two hours had passed since chow would normally have been served. Jim's stomach was starting to protest.