"For the good of the population," everyone in the room replied instantly. My lips stayed motionless.
A flurry of approving nods from the jury followed and I locked eyes with Taylor. Our hands were clasped together so tightly it was cutting off the blood to my fingers. The taste of blood was overpowering everything and I felt like I was about to be sick.
The punishment we’d been served was so much worse than I could have imagined. They were sending us out to fight with killers and cutthroats. We were going to the Lawless Trials. And there was no guarantee that we’d make it back.
The trip back to my cell was a blur. I vaguely remembered them prising my hand from Taylor's grasp and leading him in a different direction and then the world caved in around me.
"Will we be going together?" I whispered to Laurie as she showed me back into the cell.
She glanced up at the camera in the corner of my room before whispering back. "Yes, they send out new convicts once a week. Together." And she was gone.
I was a convict which was fan-fucking-tastic. But at least Taylor and I would be together, we could keep an eye on each other.
There was a glass of milk waiting for me on the table. I strode across the room and drank it in one before collapsing onto the bed.
Tomorrow held a fate I was afraid to face but there was no avoiding it. So sleep could have me.
***
When I woke, there was no new tracksuit but my trials uniform had arrived. It comprised of a black and grey camouflage-print pair of thick, waterproof trousers and a matching coat. There was a dark green tank top to go underneath and a pair of sturdy black walking boots that buckled up tightly around my calves.
I got changed and surveyed myself in the mirror. The uniform I’d seen so regularly on the news looked strange on me. Like a nightmare given life.
I pulled my long hair back and tied it tightly behind my head, taking a steadying breath. I concentrated on my reflection, forcing back the tears which were trying to escape and letting my expression harden. I wasn't going to let this beat me and I sure as hell wasn't going to die in some filthy pit with a group of criminals.
Time to strap on my big girl boots and find out what I’m made of.
The suction release sound of the door opening drew my attention away from the mirror.
Laurie stood in the doorway with three other Wardens lurking in the corridor behind her, their backs to me. She was taller than me and looked formidable like all Wardens did, but there was a softness to her face which relaxed me a little. Somehow having her here made this all seem a little more bearable. Her mouth turned up at the corners naturally as though waiting for an excuse to smile and her blue eyes sparkled with life.
I was glad to have Laurie to escort me. I really needed to see a friendly face even if she didn't have a choice about it.
"Ready to go?" she asked brightly, like we were off for a fun day out instead of facing a firing squad
“If I say no do I get to stay here, maybe go back to my apartment and curl up under a blanket for the next three months while I pretend to serve out my sentence?" I asked, glancing around to see if I'd missed anything. Obviously I hadn't as this cell wasn’t actually mine at all but it felt odd to be leaving it after so long.
"You could give it a go," Laurie teased. I looked from her mischievous grin to the gun at one hip and taser at the other.
"Maybe not," I said, walking from the cell without looking back. The Lawless Trials might be all kinds of terrifying but remaining in that cell alone for much longer could well have meant the end to my sanity. At least this meant seeing other people, talking to them, fighting against them…
It didn't take long for me to realise we were heading to the cable cars as we traversed the city.
"No more helicopters?" I asked curiously. I realised I actually had no idea how the convicts were transported out to the battle zones for the trials.
Laurie glanced at the other Wardens before answering. "No. You’ll be transported by underground vehicle to the Lawless Trials complex," she explained quietly.
“How do they know there aren't contaminants there?" I asked as they escorted me along the Walkways.
“It's a specially selected area which had a very low contamination reading originally and has been made safe for use in the trials. It's protected like the city, though without concrete walls."
"Why don't people just run away from the trials then?" The other Wardens all gave me stern looks. "Not that I'm considering it, but the people who actually have to fight..." I trailed off.
After an uncomfortably long pause, Laurie answered.
"Because the site for the trials is a safe zone but it’s surrounded by an extremely dangerous contamination area. Only an idiot would run."
“Oh." Enough said.