[Day 4]:

The past few days have been more frantic than I expected. Most of the prisoners are acclimating well, are respectful of the guards, and seem in high spirits when talking with each other—even prisoner 000004 who has a harder time speaking than the others.

However, prisoner 000003 has not woken up yet. We had to scramble to set up systems and modify her containment to keep her alive. Nutrition is now administered to her body directly, and we’ve attached several wireless devices to her body to monitor her vitals. But with that crisis averted, hopefully it will be smooth sailing from here.

[Day 8]:

We tested the new device today, built to allow prisoner 000004 to expend his energy with full safety. I don’t really understand how it works, but essentially it’s a padded bowl that goes over his hand to conceal the blasts. It was interesting to see the numbers on his arm actively tick down, but it’s still a slow process. We’ll be starting with sessions of one hour a day. It will likely take a few years for him to fully deplete his stockpile at this rate.

[Day 40]:

It has been a little over a month now, and prisoner 000003 still hasn’t woken up. Just how strong is Eleen Drazah’s power? Will she genuinely sleep for the entirety of her sentence? That may be the best for her, because then it would be over in the blink of an eye. I wonder what she’s been dreaming about all this time.

[Day 58]:

Prisoner 000001 requested books to read a few weeks ago, but we are not allowed to give them anything without permission from the CP, and the request is still pending. However, Prisoner 000002 has begun reciting stories for him. Her words are too in detail to be merely from memory. We believe she is using her power to read those that are stored in our quarters. It was discussed whether they should be removed, but we have instead elected to ignore the issue.

[Day 69]:

Prisoner 000004’s rate of energy expulsion has increased dramatically. I don’t know if he’s fed up with the process and wants to get it over with, or if he’s just gotten comfortable with it. Maybe the scientists adjusted the device to withstand more force. I’m unsure.

Though he has also requested that he be switched to a feeding tube. I imagine it was a hard choice to make, but I empathize with him. Of the various confinements of the prisoners, I’d dread his the most. He must have come to the decision that not eating at all would be better than the pre-chewed mush that we feed him.

[Day 99]:

A Central Peace scientist came to draw blood from the prisoners today. However, she gave up after just a few seconds of prisoner 000001 looking at her, claiming that she feared for her life and that we weren’t restraining the prisoners properly. While a fragrant insult, I don’t blame her. The way his eyes burn, like they’re staring at your very soul… We may need to add it to the rulebook for new guards to never look at him in the eyes. And outside of that, all of them are getting harder to look at by the day.

[Day 115]:

Prisoner 000002 was caught in the kitchen today during the shift change, when the cameras go unmonitored for just a few minutes. Somehow, she was able to leave her cell despite its conditions. It seems she has been unsatisfied with their meal preparation and has been making her own alterations.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

While we are willing to take their feedback into consideration, she certainly overstepped her bounds. But it did at least point out glaring issues in our security. She could have escaped at any time she wanted, but fortunately for us, she was still acting in good will of her sentence. Measures have been taken to prevent this again in the future, before her good will runs out.

[Day 161]:

Today was the worst day so far, not that there are many good. While prisoner 000001 was asleep, his body was taken over by Eleen Drazah. We’d heard him mumbling arguments with her a lot more recently, but we never expected her to resort to such drastic actions. She ordered that the guard doing checks open their cell and then shoot himself in the head.

Eleen Drazah then walked prisoner 000001’s body almost all the way to the primary bulkhead before he wrestled control back from her. Prisoner 000001 then returned to his cell on his own without word or complaint. Alterations were then made to ensure that Eleen Drazah is incapable of such a thing again in the future. I did not know the guard well since we worked on opposite shifts, but despite the radical actions we have taken, I hope they can bring him some comfort.

[Day 179]:

Previous alterations to prisoner 000001 have proven insufficient, so further measures have been taken. They are inhumane. But I suppose we do not have the luxury of viewing them as human.

[Day 198]:

This is unrelated to any of the prisoners, but I miss fruit and vegetables so much. Cosmos, I want a salad. I’m considering going fully vegetarian during my next leave. Will my body thank me for it, or will it reject it entirely at this point?

[Day 224]:

As of today, the meter on prisoner 000004’s arm officially reads all zeros. It was much faster than we expected, though it still took several months. He almost seemed sad by the prospect. Maybe it was because it was the only time he had any sort of free movement. We as guards should be happy since it will mean less work for us, and yet, it is almost sad to see the easiest daily duty vanish.

[Day 256]:

The past few weeks, prisoner 000002’s requests for meals have become unreasonable. She has been asking for extremely rare, unheard of, or hard to find dishes, sometimes made from ingredients from plants and animals that have gone extinct or cost more than our salaries. We were preparing an order for a psychiatric evaluation, but then we realized that she had been toying with us for her own amusement. She is now restricted to picking from a limited menu.

[Day 316]:

It has been one year. This has been the longest year of my life, and likely theirs too. All the prisoners have stopped talking entirely, well those who still could—not even whispers to each other when they think we’re not listening. Prisoners 000001 and 000004 have stopped acknowledging our existence and ignore any attempts to communicate with them. At least 000002 will still give us a recognizing glance, or maybe we’re just assuming she is with her condition.

Prisoner 000003 is still asleep. I believe at this point we have to assume she will never wake up, but what will happen at the end of her sentence? Prisoner 000001 can no longer demand that she wake, at least in his current state. Will she have to wait for his sentence to end too, or will she simply die in her sleep?

I’m scheduled for 29 more years until retirement. What originally sounded like a secure and easy job is starting to feel like a prison sentence all its own. Those considered the easy jobs—doing rounds at the cells and feeding the prisoners—have become the most hated and frequently swapped. Not for anything they’ve done, but it crushes your spirit just to be around them. I know what we signed up for, and I know we’re forbidden from breaking our contacts, but maybe… No, I can’t think like that.

Boon Day and New Year’s are just around the corner. I don’t have leave for the days themselves, but right before. Seeing my friends and family again will rejuvenate me, and they can talk me out of these notions, I’m sure.