At Light's Edge - Chapter 21: Cold Treatment

Twenty-One

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Cold Treatment

Current Svalbard Super Y-MAX Perimeter Temperature: -2 Celsius / 28 Fahrenheit

The burly man in a black correctional staff uniform spoke in one language then another before speaking English with his obviously Russian accent, “Welcome to Super Y-MAX Svalbard International.”

The group of seven shivering teens chained to a receiving unit concrete wall listened carefully as the man explained about the prison. Lester Pinman, however, simply glanced around surveying his new environment.

“Hey, you there,” yelled the C/O, “What is your miserable name, huh?”

“Lester, Lester Pinman,” the hard as nails youth replied, “Why do you want to know?”

“You think you are funny, do you,” the man approached the chained youth prisoner and whispered in Lester’s ear, “well, mister funny man, I got surprise for you later. Maybe I let dogs eat you.”

Three Caucasian Mountain Shepherds barked, growled, and lunged forward repeatedly at the seven youths, forcing their handlers to exert extra strength to restrain them.

The burly man returned to the front and continued, “Here at S-Y-MAX-International we do not have solitary confinement; no we do not. If you cause more trouble than we wish to tolerate we place you in a dorm with other bad boys like yourself. That section of the prison is under my homeland people’s jurisdiction and control, so it ain’t no cherry pickin’ adventure. The dorms make all other youth prisons look like holiday in Spain and that sissy-boy terminology ‘inhuman and degrading’ sound like walk in park. I know you will enjoy the dorms more than being alone in solitary.”

Lester stood unfazed by the officer’s words.

“We have only razor wire fences here. If you choose to try to escape,” the man smiled slyly, “enjoy the meal, or maybe I say you are the meal. We feed the Polar Bears around the prison on regular basis, but not enough as the bears wish to eat. So my big tough boys, you become dinner outside the fence line.”

The recently completed youth prison, a joint effort involving numerous United Nation member countries, housed the world’s most grotesquely dangerous teenage criminals. Located on the archipelago of Svalbard, the surrounding natural environment offered its own escape deterrents, including polar bears and bone chilling freezing temperatures. If a teen was successful with an escape, the prison’s location offered no avenue for successful flight. Swimming away from Svalbard was not an option.

Pacing like a predator the C/O informed the teens, “We have job for some of you in coal mines. Just like old American movies,” he laughed, “you are chained together and have big metal ball attached to your leg. You think I kid you, but you will see.”

Lester briefly gazed around the room and at his six criminal compatriots. He knew this would be the last stop in life for all of them, but he did not care at all.

“Hey, you Lester boy,” the C/O spotted the youth’s curious wandering eye of attention, “You like to look around and see things, huh? Well, now is the time ‘cause where you going into your small cell there ain’t nothing to look around and see in there, big bad boy.”

Rumors abounded concerning the inmate clientele associated with this one-of-a-kind facility and Lester was familiar with them all. However, Lester hoped that his personal safety at this prison would be much better than any other prison in the world. He had no intention of being diced into pieces or even eaten as a snack. Lester was very familiar with the names of many inmates housed within the frigid concrete walls of Super Y-MAX.

“I give you big bad boys a little secret,” the officer continued, “Those parole board pansies who want to see you be better human beings by taking so many course, you know, school course… well, I say it better to read story about somewhere else. That way you take a trip in your thinking mind to another place. Maybe the desert, maybe the mountains, maybe you go to Africa,” he took a deep breath, “maybe you even be cosmonaut and travel to outer space,” he laughed, “but keep your minds busy. I think you not going to be paroled, so why take course that is no good to you? It just my opinion, if you have to take school course and you like… do it then.”

The group of seven inmates’ snake-eyed stares was as a familiar site to Correctional Officer Vladimir Volchesky as the snow and ice horizons of Svalbard. Having worked for the past twelve years inside the walls of the legendary Black Dolphin Prison, he jumped at the opportunity to assist in opening and establishing the new Super-Maximum Security Youth Prison above the Arctic Circle. Widowed two years prior and having no children or family assisted Officer Volchesky in his decision to leave his homeland to live and work in this secluded locale.

“Now boys,” Officer Volchesky continued, “I have wonderful surprise for you… just kidding,” he laughed, “two officers will escort each of you one-by-one to your new accommodations. The officers will be followed by one of our friendly dogs and its handler.”

From an observation booth behind a thick shield of security glass, two inmate construction workers watched with great interest.

“I call your name, you step forward, I joke again,” the C/O smiled. “We unlock your chains from wall and you will walk slowly with officers and dog. You big bad boys hear me?”

No responses came until Lester replied, “Yeserie, boss.”

“You funny boy, huh Lester,” the officer responded as he gave an eye wink to one of the dog handlers. The dog reared up barking and growling inches away from Inmate Pinman’s face. The youth understood the message.

Each youth entered their cell through a pair of double-locking doors. The walls of the cells, constructed of extremely hard concrete, contained no windows. A slab of concrete with a thin mattress was the only bed they would ever know at this facility and the mattress was a removable option, should circumstances arise that necessitated its removal for the safety of the inmate or staff. One thin thermal blanket adorned the slab’s mattress.

The entire prison complex’s heating came from hot water pumping through underground piping fueled by burning coal and circulated by an elaborate pumping system. It was never too warm and never too cold inside the perimeter walls of Super Y-MAX.

Next Chapter: Ice Times