Jack learns the following rumours this month.
1. The previous warden was arrested because imperial net authorities detected the illegal transmission of the prison arena fights.
2. Big Rolf hasn't been seen since she lost the fight in the arena to Vana Perine. Those in the know believe that the new warden reverted her to the imperial prison system.
3. The same investigators who arrested the warden also found a small thermonuclear device buried somewhere in the cell block level and set to be activated by remote control. Bomb experts were called in and removed the device. Rumour has it that the previous warden planted the device there and planned to blow up the prison after he left if his nefarious activities were discovered.
4. Someone in Gerard Benezeh's CB3 gang found a large bomb hidden in their cell block. The day after he found the bomb, the man died in a mining accident. Now only Gerard knows the location of the bomb. Gerard plans to use the bomb as part of a coordinated escape effort sometime in the near future.
SURGE: "Woah, this sounds pretty wild. I haven't heard of this guy and his gang. Did I just forget? Or is this a new gang?"
JACK: Same gang, Gerard's been in charge of CB3 since we got here, we just haven't interacted with him that much.
5. The new warden put in a large request for improved safety equipment for the mines, but the request was denied.
SURGE: "That's laughable. Well, that means some accidents are more likely to occur." Surge winks, "Not that we need this to aid in our escape but it's a nice coincident to justify the cave-ins."
Scooter learns the following rumours this month.
1. The new warden has ordered a bunch more cameras to install throughout the mining levels. The cameras will probably arrive within the next month or two.
SURGE: "Hmm, if this is indeed true, we need to find that exit before they install the cameras. This also makes the video disrupter more valuable."
JACK: Good thing we're already knee deep in the search.
2. The new warden will be re-evaluating the inmate job lists for those inmates holding down cushy jobs. Her goal is to move more people to the mines to increase production there. Those that make the cut, and are allowed to keep their cushy jobs, will be those most qualified for them. These inmates will also get a monthly stipend.
SURGE: Surge sits quietly with this then adds, "This may actually be a blessing. If I were to lose my job I could join you in mining and not have to get in trouble to be sent to the DZ. I'm sure the warden has it out for anyone in our group. I wouldn't be surprised if she targets me. What's funny is I'm one of the best skilled persons in the shop. But I could easily sabotage my work if I know she's evaluating us. What do you guys think? My useful in the shop is being minimized now."
JACK: "While I agree that we're not sure how to use your position in the shop right now except to continue smuggling out parts, I personally am not one to throw away such a hard-earned asset/position. I guess you're probably right, as much as it goes against my natural instinct to say so.
Vamperina learns the following rumour this month
1. The new warden installed some analytical programs on the mining computers to help determine whether inmates were likely sharing ore between them and to determine output levels for each miner. She ran the program and, as a result, some inmates were downgraded in tools, most notably from the prison gangs. After running the program, she zeroed out the results to give all prisoners a clean slate. She plans to rerun the analysis in a few months to establish baseline mining results for each prisoner and to determine if the turn-in amounts might have been fudged. She is doing this because she wants to make sure that the bonus payout levels are achieved as a result of good mining, and not because prisoners are exchanging ore to make the cutoffs. The results will also be used to determine what tools go to what inmates.
JACK: "Her analytical program obviously had a lot of help from her personal bias against the prior gangs. I refuse to believe that our ore-sharing was that obvious, and given that there were no reward levels it made no sense to persecute us for doing it. As long as we are consistent, but random within that consistency, we should be fine for the next 4 months. I have given up on trying to do everything rationally and make the system work for us, I'm just ready to leave.
JACK: Does everyone want me to simply give up on optimizing our ore output? I don't intend to do alot, just a little up and down here and there to hit some reward levels, and skim the 5% we've talked about. As long as we beat reward levels by more than half a kilo they shouldn't care that much, and if they do, screw em.
SURGE: "They may indeed have a complex program that would catch it. I wouldn't be surprised if they did. This isn't just a prison, this is a mining company. I've no doubt they have some serious computer programs for analyzing ore potential in mines. I would expect them to analyze any other resource, such as a miner as well. In any event, I don't see any value in playing with the turn-ins. Just skim 5% and use that amount to cover for our non-mining activity. Nobody and I can calculate what someone should mine and advise you on the amount to cover for. Does that sound fine Nobody?"
NOBODY: "I concur. The playing around will probably cause problems. Now, that doesn't mean that you can't make small changes, like taking a little from one of us who are way over to help someone squeek into a bonus, but I recommend any of that sort of stuff be analyzed by myself and Surge first. We want to give the warden as little chance as possible to notice us. Let some of the other gangs screw up and drag her attention away. Personally, I see little advantage with having a private cell or room for more than a couple of us. I'm Fleet. Sharing a bunkroom isn't really a hardship. Now, getting dessert for the entire cell block. That's a real goal." |