The Fortress

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The tall man, wearing his 3 piece tan suit, stood right behind the lectern on the stage. He looked around, and the lights were dimmed. Only his lectern remained lit. A projector screen behind him was turned on and he spoke to his audience:

"The fortress was initially a concept of a military stronghold, especially a strongly fortified town fit for a large garrison, which would prevent people from going in. Throughout history, the concept was also applied to prisons, and ironically, to prevent people from going out. In both instances, fortresses have become extremely hard to break in and out of. They have, for the most part, been synonymous with fear."

The man paused for a moment, filled his glass with some water, took a sip. While he did so, he never took his gaze off his audience. The way he looked at the people sitting in the room reminded me of a hawk, ready to attack its prey. He was used to presenting this speech. He went on:

"Take the Alcatraz prison, for instance. It was located on an island, where you could also find a lighthouse and a military fortification. It was designed to avoid prisoners from escaping. The common theory is the Federal Government closed the prison because someone escaped. However, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Alcatraz was closed because the establishment was too expensive to operate. A new one was built to replace this facility."

He paused, again. He stood tall and silent as the projector showed various photos of the historic prison and its replacement. Some of the photos dated back to when the correctional facility was first opened.

"When an organization creates a new prison, they will use the most up-to-date technology and security available at the time to build their fortress. The goal is obviously to always keep prisoners inside, and avoid any escape attempts. There will also be prisoner control throughout diverse methods, some of which are often questionable. Some of those methods include spending time in the hole, or self-isolation.

"The Bastille prison in Paris is also another notable example of fine work. It was initially built as a fortress to protect the city of Paris from foreign invasions. Later on, it served as a prison used by King Louis XIV. The king would imprison upper-class members of the French society who dared oppose or anger him. Later on, it would be used for religious oppression."

Engravings of the Bastille prison were shown on the screen. One thing our interlocutor failed to mention was how the Bastille was stormed during the French Revolution, and how it was completely razed. Now, only a place bearing its name remained in Paris. The Bastille, simultaneously a symbol of oppression and hope.

The images shifted from the Bastille to another familiar institution. The man took another sip of water, and went about some more:

"The Tower of London, officially known as Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle located in the center of London. Initially founded as part of William the Conqueror's Norman Conquest, it was seen as a symbol of oppression by the then-new ruling class, the Normans. From its creation, up until the mid-1900s, this castle served as a prison. Its power not only resided in the symbol of oppression it emanated. The facility was also used as an armory, a treasury, and other various functions. More recently, it has been used as the storing place of the crown jewels of England."

While I attentively looked at the man, I also took the opportunity to glance at the room. I tried to be as careful as possible not to get caught doing so: Armed guards, about 20 of them, were posted on each side of the stage, as well as at every exit. The room, which was an auditorium about 50 feet wide by 250 feet in length, was crammed with about two hundred of us. Some of us wore black suits, some others wore blue suits, while the remainder, and the majority, of us, wore orange.

There were also many security cameras, yet I did not know if they were able to capture anything in the audience's relative darkness. Judging by the facility I was in, I assumed the surveillance system was able to switch into night vision. I also wondered if the guards' weapons were currently loaded. They were each holding an assault rifle and sported a Glock at their hip. Due to their gray body armor, there was no way of knowing if they were male or female. Not that it mattered. Realizing I missed part of the presentation, I shifted my attention back to our interlocutor.

"… are also used as reeducation centers, mostly work camps designed to break and punish social and political opponents to a government or ideology. Such centers can be seen in China and Russia. Little is known about those, as rare are the ones who make it out alive to talk about them. Escaped convicts will usually try to avoid talking about it, due to a reasonable fear of being sent back. There are worse things than death in life."

The way he said these last phrases were clearly aimed at us. I looked sideways and made eye contact with my neighbor. They were thinking the same as I was. This place was going to be our nightmare. Reeducation my ass…

I barely contained a shiver going down my spine and caught a guard's attention. They seemed to aim their focus on me. Then again, with the face masks they continuously wore, it was impossible to know if it truly was the case or me having a paranoid moment. 

"Finally, prisons can also be referred to as death camps. They are also known as extermination camps. In those prisons, guards will make the prisoners work until they die. The guards are more than guards, they are bullies, tormentors. They will starve their prisoners until they die. They will rape them until they die. They will torture them until they die. They will kill their prisoners until they die.

"Those camps and tormentors only exist because one enables the other. They exist as a system with the sole purpose of enabling genocide. The prisoners who arrived at one of those camps realized this the moment they stepped in. Despite what their tormentors said, escape, and release, was impossible. In the aftermath of the second world war, the whole world witnessed the horrors that took place in those jails. Some of those well-known death camps are Auschwitz, Sobibor, Treblinka."

The crowd started to murmur. They all understood, too late, why they were here. Discontent with the chattering, the man raised his hand. Some of the guards who were standing behind him took a step forward, and menacingly lifted their semi-automatic weapons, aiming at the audience. The crowd instantly went silent.

"The general population living near a prison will usually try to ignore such institution that exists so close to them. Part of this reasoning is the fear of the government's oppression being so strong, they are afraid of being arrested for simply talking about it.

"Fast-forward to today's prisons. They are compounds that are virtually unassailable. Yes, with enough will, firepower, and soldiers, one can take over a prison. Except it would make the news. Everyone would hear about it. Prisoners taking over a prison is now an impossible feat in this country. Only in banana republics does this still happen."

Pictures of said banana republics and some of their jails were now showing on the screen behind the men. They all had a very Prison Break look.

For those unaware of this slice of pop culture, Prison Break was originally a show about a guy doing a crime, and willingly getting caught. He wanted to get sent over to the same jail as his brother, who was set up. The end goal was to help him break out, hence the name.

"Now, what if a fortress of this kind was built hidden in plain sight? As a skyscraper? One built in the center of a city, where people passed by every day of their lives and had no idea such establishment existed? Freightliners come and go, load and unload cargo and cattle, with no need to hide. Even commercial trains can stop at such buildings, and no one knows what happens, because it is normal to see such things. Exterior signs can easily promote a random government office, or even empty shell corporations, which hold foreign head offices, registered in tax havens.

"The government does this kind of thing all the time: from CIA offices right in the middle of Manhattan, to various utility buildings hidden as empty "homes", located throughout the country. People know it's there, yet their brains register this as being part of the scenery, something that should be there. And they do not question it."

Ah, yes, CIA offices in Manhattan. 104 West 40th Street at 6th Avenue. Someone else has been reading and watching the Bourne series. I am really starting to like this guy.

"The layout is simple… administrative offices in the upper levels, holding cells, and work area in the underground levels. Because, yes, there is a work area. Prisoners are cheap labor; they are modern-day slaves. And also legally slaves. They have no rights. None. The justice department made sure of this. The courts followed."

I tried to remember as much intel as I could from this presentation. The more I looked at the man, the more I saw he was overconfident in his facility and the system he believed in. He was flaunting it. There was a sense of pride in his discourse, in his posture. 

"Not only do prisoners help expand the network, but they also carry all the tasks until the day is either over or they die doing it. Those tasks can also include preparing military furniture for future campaigns, household items, clothing, for instance.

"Prisoners also serve as a pool of willing volunteers for scientific and medical experiments, in fields that would be extremely hard to recruit such volunteers. We are no longer talking about medication studies. We are talking about life-changing, condition-altering surgeries, and experiments, amongst other things. The term willing is used because humans always have the choice, and in this case, it is either to volunteer or be executed. In the end, there is always a 100% ratio of volunteers."

At this precise moment, more armed guards showed up inside the room. They were also wearing riot gear, with shields and clubs. They formed a line in front of the stage. I counted an extra 20 of them. How many more were left in the facility? They were waiting for a signal.

"Such institution would house opponents to the government, those who speak their mind publicly against it. From free thinkers to rioters, and those wanting to abolish white supremacy. Scientists, people who oppose religion, queer and transgender people, as well as non-Christian religious zealots, are also part of the list. They do not fit the patriarchal standard of society. They do not fit the mold. They are outcasts. And they need to serve a better purpose in life."

Of course, such discourse only made sense because we were in 2031. Twenty years ago this would have never worked. We also have had the same President since 2017. He somehow managed to cling to power and tighten his grip over the whole government. No one opposed him. People voted for him because of who he openly hated. The country had become what it previously fought: a kingdom, a dictatorship.

The man stopped talking for a moment, finished his glass of water, and pursued, with an ear to ear grin, showing off a row of snow-white teeth:

"You see, if you are here today, it is because you dared oppose the government. This is the first day of the rest of your life. I am Director Ernst Palermo and I will be overseeing your stay. Welcome to our facility."

With him finally finishing his speech, he lifted his left arm, and pointed at a door, inviting us all to move to the next area. The guards moved in on us as a closing argument.

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>In 2016, the American Presidential election took place. Out of an ugly campaign, a madman was declared the winner. Four years later, he tricked citizens into believing the election was stolen and he had won. Following the lies he and his acolytes spread, civil war erupted throughout the country.

>Seeing the opportunity, the President abrogated the legislative arm of the country and transformed the Republic into a Kingdom, in an attempt to consolidate his power.

>States in the North-East and on the West Coast seceded from the union, while the others remained loyal to the Office of the Sovereign, despite his obvious corruption.

>War still rages between the American Free States and the Kingdom of America.

>To assert his dominance, the President established a series of secret prisons where his opponents, both civilian and political, were sent for reeducation. No one ever escaped from one of the facilities. Until now.

>The year is 2031.

>Their name is Morgan Green.

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Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Unless otherwise indicated, all the names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents in this story are either the product of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.