Rift Station: Open Worlds
I awaken to three stone walls surrounding me and a dark, rusted door in front. A small slit in the door slides open with a creak and a pair of eyes meet mine through the gap. In response, the slit slams shut and the entire door is swung open. Standing opposite of me is a man short in height. Skinny in frame too, but that seems to be the theme for Outer-Rimmers. His boringly gray prison uniform is neatly pressed except for a single crease across his chest.
"I used to have one of those too," I say, motioning to the stool standing in the doorway.
"Damned facility was built for giants," the man replies. He kicks it out of view. "Name's Shorno. Not Shorny, not Shorn-stuff. Just Shorno."
"You can call me--"
"--Inmate 69," Shorno finishes for me with a chuckle. At least I think it's a chuckle, it sounds more like heaving breathing into an empty cup.
"Really? What are the odds? That's my lucky number," I say.
"Sounds like you were meant to be here then. Come on, I'll show you around. Don't do anything stupid though, or it's both our asses to the chopping block."
"Don't you mean 'necks'?" I ask.
"This is prison. It's always 'asses'."
"I used to have one of those too," I say, motioning to the stool standing in the doorway.
"Damned facility was built for giants," the man replies. He kicks it out of view. "Name's Shorno. Not Shorny, not Shorn-stuff. Just Shorno."
"You can call me--"
"--Inmate 69," Shorno finishes for me with a chuckle. At least I think it's a chuckle, it sounds more like heaving breathing into an empty cup.
"Really? What are the odds? That's my lucky number," I say.
"Sounds like you were meant to be here then. Come on, I'll show you around. Don't do anything stupid though, or it's both our asses to the chopping block."
"Don't you mean 'necks'?" I ask.
"This is prison. It's always 'asses'."