Hot Box
As if the searing heat of the tropics wasn't punishment enough
for condemned Thembrians acclimated to the frosty chill of
their homeland, Colonel Slammer's hot boxes make isolation
periods for rebellious prisoners positively unbearable. These
solar ovens use the sunshine to send temperatures inside soaring
to a thermometer-popping 200 degrees Fahrenheit (according
to Slammer's brags), putting the occupant on the fast track
to sweating away those extra stubborn pounds.
Main
Office
A fenced hut in the corner of the compound next to the guard
barracks is home and office to Colonel Slammer, the warden
of Bedevilled Island Maximum Security Prison. Viewing his
headship over the prison as an honor, Colonel Slammer has
made the island his domain, even importing a cushy touring
car (built during the Thembrian motor shortage) to carry him
on excursions into the jungle. Inside his office, Slammer
keeps file cabinets filled with documents on each prisoner.
The two guards posted on daylong watch outside the front door
presumably keep inmates out; not that any want to be in,
where reprimanded convicts are put to work pedaling a stationary
bike that powers the ceiling fan over Colonel Slammer's desk.
Mess
Hall
The old adage that says "An army travels on its stomach"
also applies to prisons. The number of mouths to feed, including
Thembrian guards as well as condemned men, explains why base
planners made the mess hall the largest structure in the compound.
Prisoners and soldiers alike share meals under the same roof,
a commonality never experienced back in the social system
of the Thembrian state (but nothing that makes for interesting
table conversation, given the circumstances.)
Like other buildings in camp, the mess hall was made from
materials at hand on the island: wood, bamboo, and rocks.
Seasonal rains have opened gaping holes in the canvas roof
that provides welcome shade to those below.
Long tables and benches sit in rows upon the packed-dirt
floor; up to six prisoners can share one table, three on either
side. Though free to choose their own seats and mingle, most
inmates eat their meals in silence, as do the guards among
them.
All daily meals usually feature steaming hot bowls of gruel,
a staple of Thembrian diets, as the soup du jour. However,
when supplies run low, the prison staff keep the gruel and
leave prisoners only the steam! (And sometimes cold steam,
at that.) Many would consider this cruel and unusual punishment,
but most Thembrian prisoners regret only that they aren't
allowed a second helping.
Rock
Pile
The closest thing to an exercise yard in the Bedevilled Island
camp is the rock pile, a place where Colonel Slammer puts
inmates for an afternoon's diversion. Like the jungle marches
and regular work details, breaking down boulders keeps prisoners
active and engaged in something other than planning a jailbreak
or a revolt.
No one knows where these rocks came from, and no one knows
where they should go, but pulverizing every last one with
a sledgehammer is an exercise in futility. The largest stones,
impervious to harm, will remain in the prison longer than
the prisoners will.
Shooting
Range
When an inmate constantly refuses to obey orders, commits
a number of grievous offenses above his sentenced crimes while
incarcerated, or persistently violates Colonel Slammer's rules
for prison conduct, there can be only one recourse. Summary
execution suits the colonel's ruthless style, as long as there's
ammo to spare and the prisoner is a proven troublemaker. Ever
in keeping with Thembrian thoroughness, the firing squad uses
cannons; after all, it's against the rules for prisoners not
to die at their own execution.
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