I want to describe the town…The thought comes to mind of a new person riding in a bus to a new town. Andrea is the new person riding in the bus. The bus is driving North from a small town named Lake Adams. This is the first time Andrea has ridden into the city.
Kingboro is a good sized city, Andrea thought as the bus passed over the invisible city limit line. Skyscapers towered over the four-lane expressway that took the bus downtown. It was 2:00 in the afternoon, the sunlight bowed behind the steel and glass when the bus passed.
“Are you excited,” her mother asked her before she left home this morning.
“Of course I’m excited,” Andrea replied but she was extremely concerned or doubtful…maybe both.
Kingboro Research and Development called her a mire three days ago. They asked for an interview and she agreed. They then proceeded to ask her a pocketful of questions like:
“How did you like your last job?”
“Did you get along with your boss?”
“Would you say that you a loyal to a fault?”
“Can we count on you to show up for work no matter what happens?”
“Yes, yes, yes and yes,” she had said.
“Do you agree that science is the root of all evil?”
This question was a bit off but she answered with a firm “No”. Then added, “Science is what holds our civilization togather. Nothing evil has yet come from science.”
“Good, I need to transfer you to our Human Resources Director”
After a short Billy Joel tune the receiver was picked up and a woman answered the phone.
“This is Rebecca St. John. Is this Andrea Tomlinson?” She began, “Is this your real name? No aliases or police record.”
“No,” Andrea replied, “I’ve barely been out of my mothers house except for school and work.”
“Good,” Rebecca said.
This all felt so rushed. Rebecca spoke quickly. The previous interview took less the 15 minutes. Why were they in such a hurry.
“When can you start?” Rebecca replied.
Andrea was struck dumb for several seconds then replied that she would need at least a week to tell her current employer and then find a place to live in the city.
“How about you started on Wednesday?” It was as if the woman had not even heard her.
“You need to hang up the phone right now,” she told herself but, due to some malfunction in her brain she agreed to start on Wednesday.
When Andrea told her mother she practically leapt from her favorite overstuffed chair and embraced Andrea.
“Do you know that Kingboro Research and Development is the single largest employer in the county?”
“Yes, I know that mom,” Andrea said.
“Do you know they pay their employees twice the amount everyone else pays for the same work?”
“Yes, mom,” Andrea said becoming gloomy.
“Then why are you so glum?” Her mother asked.
“Something doesn’t feel right,” Andrea said. A large thump brought her back to the present.
The bus had cleared the center of town and it was moving slowly toward a large fenced compound. Upon the fence a sign was secured and it said:
Kingsboro Pentitentary
Established Jun 1958
Intake in the rear
The prison loomed 500 feet from the road. The large brick walls of the main complex went up nearly 6 stories. The windows were barred and very small. To the left of the building was an outdoor recreaction area that had four basketball hoops and a curved fence for baseball. 20 or 30 men stood outside, some playing basketball and others just standing around talking to each other.
“I’d hate to be in there,” she thought.
The prison passed and the bus approached a couple houses sitting just outside the prison grounds. Andrea wondered curiously about the residents of the houses. Living so close to prison grounds…didn’t they worry about break outs or riots.
“Must not,” she concluded.
The bus passed several more houses then began to slide into a left turning lane. A large single-story complex sat 2 to 3000 yards from the expressway. The bus slowed then turned onto a small street in front of the complex..
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