Prison Wars: An Inside Account of How the Apocalypse Happened By Martin Sanger. Martin Sänger

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СКАЧАТЬ design of the individual events will be interactive. We are working with groups of video game designers, sports enthusiasts, television producers and the prisoners themselves to make this a test of skill that will be fun to watch.

      “At the end of each contest, we will have on-line polls and discussion groups. We will implement every one of the most popular suggestions at the very next contest. And nothing . . . nothing will be off the table. Weapons, sets, costumes, different rules and gadgets will all be considered. We are proud to say that this will be the first truly interactive mass sport. Our viewers will be in control. Whatever the public wants, up to and including injury and even death, we will manifest.”

      Several people made spontaneous outcries. These sounds were preverbal. They sounded like proto-exclamations and wails.

      Instead of continually asking folks to please quiet down, Quentin just got quiet himself. He put his index finger in front of his lips while calmly smiling and made oceanic shushing sounds. He exemplified the state he wished to see. With patience, a look of extreme bliss, and no sense of anger at the sound, he waited for the audience’s sound to pass.

      It took a few minutes for people to start shushing each other and for the air to be cleared again for him. And I don’t think that anyone missed the fact that he waited until the sound of the cars below and the breathing of those assembled were audible before he continued.

      “In short, Prison Wars will be the revolution in programming that we have all been waiting for. It will provide more financial aid to our society than all the telethons ever run combined. It will radically reform our prison system. It will provide the final leap to the collective interactive nature that television and computers have made possible. And it will take us to the extremes of reality and fantasy our psyches have always sought.

      “It will be the single most important cultural event of our generation. Get ready for Prison Wars. Death is expected. Nothing will ever be the same again.”

      Strangely, this shocking last string of sound bytes created no reaction at all. But still there was a nearly audible sound of thoughts racing. It was very dramatic.

      “I am now open to take questions. Please, for my records, state your name and the name of the news organization for whom you work.” The silence broke into the familiar frenzy of journalists vying to be recognized. Looking like he was having a lot of fun, Quentin pointed at one.

      “Mr. Longus, Peter Flemming, Time magazine.” This man was very professional.

      “Yes.”

      “You must be aware that these contracts will be challenged in court. Do you really expect these battles…”

      “Prison Wars. Please refer to them as Prison Wars. Prison Wars will be referred to as games, not battles.”

      “Yes Mr. Longus. Do you really expect that these Prison Wars games will be aired? Won’t the courts tie them up for years, until the project is dropped?”

      “These contracts are legal. No coercion is being used. If prisoners do not wish to sign-up to participate in the Prison Wars, they don’t have to. The contracts we are using are based on those that other sporting organizations use. They are fairly standard.

      “Besides lawsuits require plaintiffs. The athletes that participate won’t sue. If they don’t want to participate, they won’t. And the State won’t sue as it is co-sponsoring these events.

      “The network airing the program, ESPN, is a cable network. The FCC’s jurisdiction over them is limited as they use no airwaves. Believe me we have had a team of lawyers investigate every possible legal objection to our project and our contracts are unassailable.”

      “Mr. Longus, Mr. Longus.” The crowd again burst into sounding like a classroom where everybody had the answers and needs credit for answering.

      “Yes you.”

      “Thank you Mr. Longus. Paul Salerio, ABC. It seems that this scheme, which frankly, I’m still having trouble believing isn’t just a hoax of some sort, would get high ratings.”

      “I’m banking on it.” Quentin jabbed quickly. All giggled a little press conference giggle with the addition of a nervous edge.

      “It seems that this would create a sort of, race to the bottom scenario where the brutality would get out of hand.”

      “We will not be outdone. Besides which, we have the exclusive access to the States’ prisons. For the meantime, no one has the contracts and no one else could host such events without litigious battles over copyright infringement and the assumption of a lot of liability. We plan to corner this market as long as we can. I don’t see any competition on the horizon.”

      The crowd burst back into the cacophony of a thousand chickens clucking. “Yes, ma’am.”

      “Thanks. Wynonna Lippman, E! Magazine. Who will be announcing these contests? Have you lined anyone up?”

      “This being a new sport, there are no experts. And I hope you understood that we are looking to be a legitimate sport. The rules we decide on will be complex and changing. As such the announcer must be capable of both rousing excitement and explaining details simultaneously.

      “We are currently in negotiations with several nationally known football announcers for both play by play and color commentary. But I’m sorry I cannot give you any names yet. I can only tell you that we aren’t currently interviewing anybody that you haven’t heard of.”

      “Yes ma’am, you.”

      “I am shocked and angered by this…”

      “Your name!”

      “I will not stand on formality…”

      “Okay, shoot.”

      “This is horrible. We’re talking about human lives. You want people to die on television for entertainment??!! This is barbarous. This must be stopped.”

      “Thank you for your honest concern. First of all, no one will be coerced into doing anything. We must consult the prisoners themselves as to what the rules of the contests will be and how they will divide their earnings. Winning teams may have access to privileges such as alcohol, conjugal visits, nice furniture, unlimited television and various other perks. All the prisoner’s premiums will come directly from proceeds of the contests, with no expense to the taxpayer. Next question.”

      “Gregg…”

      “No! No! No! You didn’t answer my question.” The woman who attacked him wasn’t done. “You’re exposing America to horrible barbarous cruelty. It isn’t civilized! This is disgusting.”

      “Excuse me, excuse me, excuse me.” Quentin suddenly looked more serious than I had previously seen him look, “Speaking of civility, you had your turn and it is now over.”

      “I’m not done.”

      “Look miss whatever your name is, these people are criminals. These are people in hardcore lockdown. Most of them are really brutal. If several of them get СКАЧАТЬ