Seventeen-year-old Siff longs for freedom from the strict rules on board humanity's last starship, but when she discovers brutal slavery hidden from the general population she is forced to make a choice: join their fight for freedom, or run to her own dreams and leave humanity to its fate.
The Constant Star will be published on this page at 1,000 words a week, with the latest instalment being published on our blog page every Monday morning!
Cover art by Marcel Deneuve marceldeneuve.artsation.com
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Prologue
^^It is a strange thing to be worshipped. To receive prayer. I care for them deeply but I cannot always give rain when they sing, or mend wounds when they cry, even though my heart breaks for it. I have been given a great honor in preparing them for what is to come. In making sure they evolve. They must survive, and they must be ready. They are the future of mankind; they carry the torch of their race. And so I teach them to survive drought, to overcome hardship; I teach them to be in harmony so they can develop in time for their arrival. And I test them so they can see themselves and know how much they have grown.^^
1
Siff waits outside the doors of Culmen High School, hugging textbooks to her chest, shifting from one foot to the other, eyes flicking to the main doors every few seconds as more students file out for the day. We’ve been dating over three months now, I’ve got to start trusting him at some point. Where is he though? I gave him the combination to my locker, he shouldn’t be taking this long. Siff makes a mental note to change her locker combination at the next opportunity. She’s done such a good job these last ten years of hiding her thoughts about this immense starship they inhabit, and her resentment of their mission that is illegal to question. But if Noven were to pry into her notebooks too much—one yellow notebook in particular she forgot is in her locker—he would read of her longing for the freedom to choose her own destiny, and her bitter questioning of the mission for giving life without hope. If he were to find those notes, even one page, there would be enough to end any chance of Siff having a normal life. Or possibly any life. But she had forgotten some homework and he’d jumped at the opportunity to help; her saying no at this point in the relationship would have seemed suspicious in itself. Wouldn’t it? Oh come on Siff, relax…Where is he??? Noven is a good-looking, athletic eighteen year old: one year older than Siff. His friends are all in the popular circles, and never used to give Siff any attention. They still don’t, really. Which is why it was such a surprise that she would gain his attention. Siff is not low on self-esteem, but she is very quiet and keeps to herself. Friends are few and far between for her, and have been for a while now. She doesn’t mind so much, it protects her illegal thoughts from being found out, and her friends from being…disappeared. Siff does have one friend that has been close since childhood. His name is Bellerophon, but people just call him Bear, and for good reason. He is a nineteen-year-old sculpture of a man: six foot four and physically stronger than anyone Siff knows. There were recruiters hoping to get him into the security program, but he doesn’t have the mindset for it, plus the AI didn’t agree with the fit. He graduated last year into the pilot program and it is all he ever talks about. He and Siff are supposed to be hanging out after school, but Noven is taking his sweet time! “Come on!” she mutters. “You called?” Noven is standing behind her smiling, homework in hand. Siff’s relief is palpable, “Oh! Thank you!” She hugs him tight and then adds the homework to the books in her arms. “Siff, I don’t know why you don’t just use the system like everyone else. It’s way easier.” “I just like paper better, Noven. It feels more natural. More…tactile.” Noven relieves her of the books so they can walk and hold hands, he chuckles, “More heavy and cumbersome you mean.” Siff rolls her eyes and nudges him with her shoulder as they walk away toward the downtown. When the mission first started, the ship was extremely formal and unadorned. The mighty Janus almost 200 kilometers wide and over 2000 kilometers long. And though the majority of this space is given to the Chosen Ones’ habitat, there are still thousands of sectors carrying the last few hundred-thousand of the human race. So set were the original builders on their mission to care for the Chosen Ones, they did not think of giving anyone else significant access to greenery. But it was quickly discovered humanity was a lot happier and able to fulfill the mission when given access to parks, flowers, and wildlife. And not just the VR versions. Over the first few centuries the ship accumulated a plethora of scenery and plants that continue to adorn much of the commonly used districts millennia later. Siff and Noven now walk the halls of the mighty ark Janus with barely any of its original steel veneer visible beneath the gentrification. One might not even realize they were drifting through the vast outer reaches of space if not for the massive viewing windows interspersed about the craft revealing distant stars and nebulae. Pinpricks of light in the vast ocean of darkness, dust clouds creating multi-colored monolithic art spread over light years, the wonders of the universe laid before them made invisible by familiarity. The young lovers take in the sights of the market and the romance of beautiful architecture, conversation slowly dwindling into silence as they appreciate the beauty of their surroundings and the pleasant intimacy of their walk. The ambient noise dwindles as they come close to Siff’s home by the park. It is a large, two-story home, situated in a quieter portion of the ship, complete with a surrounding yard and all the amenities. She lives with her father who holds the position of Chief Pilot and therefore the title of Jupiter on the Council of Four: the commanders of Janus. Given the importance of his position, Siff’s father is rarely home when she gets back from school, and today is no different. Bellerophon is waiting for her outside the front door. “Hey you two! What took you so long? Long romantic walk in the park make you forget about our plans?” “Hey Bear! Nah, someone decided to take their sweet time fetching my homework from my locker.” “You’re welcome.” Noven smiles and gives her a nudge. “What? You let someone inside your locker? Noven, you must be a pretty special guy ‘cos Siff trusts nobody to go in her locker. Kudos on the relationship milestone, you two!” “Oh shut up, Bear.” Bellerophon just grins at her and turns to her boyfriend. “You want to join us? We’re going to hit up the VR then have supper at Mencho’s.” “Thanks, but I’ve got airball practice in thirty mins: I’ll catch you later. See you, Babe.” Noven gives Siff a quick kiss and then walks back toward the downtown. “He never has warmed up to me, has he?” “I think you scare him.” “What? I’m friendly.” “I know, but…you’re also a little intimidating.” “Ha! If he got to know me he’d relax a little. Anyway, you ready to go?” Siff opens the front door, quickly organizes her schoolwork into piles on the nearby counter, then steps back outside. The door clicks shut behind her excited face, “Yep! Let's go.”
2
On this level of the ship a significant section of parkland is given to entertainment purposes. Interspersed between giant game modules are screens and holograms showing all the latest episodes of all the latest shows. The most popular by far is the show that documents the Chosen Ones, and crowds are always watching to see their favorite characters. Smaller versions of these screens are throughout the ship; no-one wants to miss a beat when it comes to the future of the human race. Siff tries to be aloof about the Chosen Ones, but deep down she can’t help being caught up in the excitement and romance of vicariously living such a free life. Siff and Bear skip the holograms and head to the VR module: a large complex with multiple games ranging from fully immersive bodysuits and rooms, to applied reality through goggles that layer over the existing scenery for adventures in the park. Today they opt for the full bodysuit combat adventure, in an alien jungle landscape. Six teams of two all trying to reach the top of the hill first, while fighting each other along with any flora and fauna that get randomly loaded up. The pair lower their headsets and pick up their rifles as they enter the jungle. Hearing shots already being fired a hundred yards away, Siff knows there are some amateur teams playing. She nods to Bellerophon and they get low to move slowly through the undergrowth. Each player is equipped with a rifle, a handgun, and a knife. The guns are lasers and fire no projectiles, the knife is hard foam; if a player is struck the bodysuit freezes that part of their body for two seconds, then slows the suit to show injury. If they are struck in the torso or head the entire suit collapses and becomes inactive for five seconds, then the player can choose to remain a body on the field, or leave the game. Siff and Bellerophon come play as often as they can and are seasoned veterans, but sometimes due to lack of players they are put against those who are not as skilled. Today is turning out to be that kind of day. This particular scenario plays well with stealth tactics, but there is continuous gunfire coming from the right as at least two of the teams are locked in a firefight, the occasional stray bullet cutting through the surrounding brush as the pair silently make their way up the hill. Siff alters direction as she spies movement up ahead. Bear follows her advance upon an unsuspecting opponent as Siff deftly draws her knife and silently strikes from behind. Bear throws his knife into the teammate’s forehead then retrieves his blade. The pair look smugly at each other, this could be an easy win if the rest of the teams are at this level. They continue their advance up the hill, using foliage as cover and staying aware of any natural or human dangers. There are possibly two other teams they haven’t heard or seen yet. Siff watches Bear narrowly dodge a thrown knife and dive behind a tree as he aims his rifle, but his opponent is on him before he can fire and the two begin wrestling on the ground. Siff draws her gun but cannot see the teammate. She stalls, faced with the decision to draw her knife and help Bellerophon, risking them both for easy gunfire, or wait for a clear shot on the attacker and hope the teammate can’t pick them both off. Bear seems to be getting the better of the fight, but there is no way the other teams don’t know where they are now. They need to get out of this area, fast. Siff puts the gun away and rushes in with the knife. With Bear grappling his opponent she is able with one slash to finish the enemy off. They split immediately and run for cover as the inevitable gunfire falls on them. She hears Bear grunt as a bullet hits his leg. The bodysuits don’t give the full effect, but they definitely make the hits known. He will be slowed for the rest of the game. Now under cover and separated, they are pinned down before the advancing teams. If they don’t act soon, they will lose. And Siff hates losing. She makes eye contact with Bear and gives him a look, come on dumbass, you know what you have to do. Bear knows that look all too well. He rolls his eyes, pulls his rifle, and grits his teeth for the pain that’s about to come. He starts shooting toward the direction of Siff’s snipers, drawing their fire to himself and rushes messily toward them with his wounded leg. With all fire being drawn Bear’s direction, Siff continues her ascent and escapes the kill-box. She looks back to see Bellerophon being lit up from multiple directions as his bodysuit shuts him down. Siff grins knowing he’ll get on her case about this later, but right now there’s nothing stopping her from reaching the hilltop first. With the win in sight Siff picks up the pace, scrambling over rocks and through foliage to get to the goal. A few seconds away from victory her headset suddenly flashes a thick yellow dotted line overlaying the VR jungle, leading away from the hilltop. She shakes her head and the line glitches before re-establishing itself in her VR. She stops and gives the side of her head a smack, but the malfunction is still there. Her eyes follow the yellow path to the left through the jungle and she is intrigued. She tries to crane her neck to see through the foliage to where the path leads, then stands to get a better look. She is immediately shot in the back and falls to the floor. It is only a few minutes before the game is over, Siff and Bear sit up and remove their headsets. “Really? You made me go through that just so you could stand up in the middle of the endgame? Really?” “It’s not my fault! The headset was malfunctioning! We would have won easily if my vision hadn’t been messed with.” “Yeah, sure.” Bellerophon gets to his feet, “It’s always me that has to take the damage. Next time it’s your turn.” He knows that isn’t going to happen. “But you looked so glorious! It was a heroic death!” Siff laughs and pushes him as they head to the change rooms. “Let’s play something where I don’t have to get shot for you.” “Shot for the team!” “For the teeeeeaaaaaam…”
3
Out in the park their game is much more calm. Siff and Bear compete as investigators in a fantastical murder-mystery. This time only wearing headsets, the game’s reality is superimposed on the real world. They scour the park looking for clues and discussing the case with different creatures until Siff’s headset flashes again, showing the same yellow dotted line as before. She sees Bear talking with a mini-dragon in a different section of the park and decides to sacrifice her very obvious lead in the game to investigate where this line goes. She follows it across two bridges and streams, past multiple families and other gamers until it starts to lead out of the game arena. Siff furrows her brow with suspicion, but continues on her quest. After several minutes of curious following, Siff is led to a garbage disposal site, with the yellow line ending behind a box of rotten fruit leaned up against the wall, “What the hell! Stupid VR!” she pulls the headset off and begins angrily walking back to the arena. It isn’t long before she runs into Bellerophon, “What are you doing, Siff? The game’s way over there.” “My stupid headset’s broken again! Today sucks.” “Aw, c’mon. Let’s go eat and relax for a bit.” Siff huffs in agreement and they head back to hand in their headsets, then make their way to Mencho’s restaurant. As they sit snacking on dinner, Bellerophon tries to change the subject from the games, “So. Noven, huh? You must really like him.” “Huh? Yeah, I suppose.” “You suppose? In all the years we’ve been friends, and even when I was in school with you, you never let me even look inside your locker. He must be pretty special.” “I guess. We’ve been dating a while now and I figured I should start trusting him more.” “As opposed to your best friend who you still don’t trust?” “Come on Bear, that’s not fair. I’m allowed to have my privacy.” “Sure, I guess I’m just a little jealous. There’s a part of you that has always felt off limits. Like…you hide it away.” “Can we change the subject, please? How’s pilot school going?” “Oh my god it’s so awesome! Okay, so, just today we got to…” Siff knows Bear can talk about flying all-day every-day, and she’s heard most of it before. She knows it’s the perfect subject to start when she doesn’t want to talk about something. She is still nervous about trusting Noven to go into her locker, but fortunately she is away from school tomorrow on a field trip to the Needle. “…and as we were flying around the ship…” “Hey Bear.” “…Yeah?” “Did you go on the field trip to the Needle when you were in school?” “Of course! It was awesome! You get to see The Chosen Ones from a birds-eye view and all the control systems that keep their environment running. I didn’t understand any of it, but I had a great time! I’m surprised your dad hasn’t taken you there yet, I bet he’s in there a lot.” “Well, you know him, all protocols and logistics. My dad is by the book with everything.” “Guess that’s why he got all the way to the top. You know in pilot school we study textbooks your dad wrote?” “Yeah, yeah, I know. He’s great, but always busy. I wish he was around more.” “I can see that, but he really loves you Siff.” “I know. And his responsibilities take up a lot of his time. At least he chose to raise me.” “Yeah that’s rough about your mother. And she just got elected Prime Minister last month. How are you handling that?” “It feels the same as always: she’s dictating my life from afar. Except now she’s dictating everyone’s lives from afar.” “Hah! I guess so.” “How are you doing, Bear?” “Oh you know me, chasing the dream and getting everything I want. I’m the luckiest guy I know!” “Ha! Isn’t that the truth! I’ve never known you have a bad day.” “That’s because life is great! We get to live long, healthy, happy lives doing the careers we are best suited for and traveling across the stars! I can’t think of a better way to live.” “Well, having something to hope for would be nice.” Bellerophon frowns slightly, then touches Siff’s arm, “Come on, let's get out of here.” They leave Mencho’s and walk quietly for a few minutes before coming to an outlook window. One-hundred feet in diameter, it gives a majestic view of the universe. The evening is setting in and there is less foot traffic about as they lean against the railing and look into the star-filled view. “You’ve got to be more careful Siff. I know not everything makes sense to you, but you can’t go talking like that openly in public: it’s dangerous.” “I know, I’m sorry. I know the mission is priority…” “…and any questioning of it is illegal.” “But does that make it illegal to dream? Or to desire a different life?” Bear touches her shoulder and and smiles, “Lets go.” He’s right, I need to talk and we can’t do that here. When they were young, the two of them would seek out hiding places where they could be alone and talk about everything without having to worry. Most of their hiding places either became too small as they grew, or were taken over by developments of new buildings. But one place has remained both secret, and large enough. They walk outside of town where Bear lifts a floor panel and the two of them slip inside. They sit on the floor in a small bare room, lit by their communicator flashlights. Here they can talk openly, and Siff will be safe. Bear shakes his head, “Why would you want a different life? Janus is an amazing craft, and its AI sets you up with the best possible outcomes.” “So why does my life feel so hopeless? Why can’t I have the freedom to dream? Or choose for myself the life I want? Why can’t I have the hope of pursuing those dreams?” “Siff—“ “And why can’t we have hope for our own people? If the Chosen Ones can change, surely we can as well? We’re all human, right?” “Siff—“ “Why is it only the Chosen Ones who get to have that freedom? That promise? That hope?” “Siff, you know why. They were biologically selected and psychologically trained to give humanity the best hope we have. You do have hope, Siff, we all do. The Chosen Ones are our hope.” “Yes, I get to hope they won’t screw up like we did when we drop them off and annihilate ourselves.” “Oh come on, that’s depressing even for you. It’ll be a thousand years or more before that happens, and we’ll be long gone.” “But my descendants won’t. Why do we have to…” “Look. You have too many questions and too much doubt. You’re asking for trouble. We’ve learned all this since we were kids. Humanity is fundamentally flawed. Our history shows through our ravaging of multiple systems that we can’t overcome our destructive tendencies, our greed and violence. We came to this realization after the Great Catastrophe, and selected the Chosen Ones as our final hope to exist harmoniously with the universe. We built Janus, this gigantic and amazing piece of technology, to take them to Vesta and get us through the mission. But for the mission to succeed we all need to be of one mind. There’s no room for doubt, and no place for the questions you’re asking. I’m your friend and loyal to the end, Siff, but you’ve got to curb your discontent. Enjoy the beauty of the life you have, and the fulfillment that comes from making humanity a better place…” Siff takes a deep breath and sighs as she hangs her head. Bellerophon continues to give the spiel and the answers that are trained into all the crew from birth, he’s probably going to quote ‘The Poet’ next, “…An ornament among the stars…” There it is, “…majestic in purpose…” The nuances of life pasted into textbook phrasing. Siff holds up her hand for Bear to stop, “I’m going to head home.” “I’ll walk with you.” “Okay.” Home is where Siff finds her father waiting, a warm smile on his face as he opens the front door, “Hello, Sweetheart.” He gives her a big hug and looks over to Bellerophon who quickly salutes, “At ease, Pilot.” “Yes, Sir.” “Hi Dad, how was work?” “Nothing overly eventful, just some extra reports to look over. Sorry I’m so late. Did you guys find something to eat?” “Yes, Sir, we went to Mencho’s.” “Ah, good food there! Anything else happen today?” “Well, Sir, Siff did get me shot again in the VR.” “Oh come on! It was the best strategy and you know it!” “And how did that strategy work out for us?” “That was because my headset malfunctioned! Sheesh, Bear! I can’t catch a break!” “Not when it’s so much fun to wind you up.” He chuckles. “Do you want to come in? We have some snacks if you two want to continue this conversation.” “Thanks, Sir, but I’d better get going. I have homework due. Plus, I don’t know if I’d survive much longer with the way our conversation is going.” “Fair enough, see you later Bear.” “Thanks Sir, have a good night. See you Siff.” The door closes and Siff picks up her schoolbooks from the counter. She makes her way through the hallway, following her father to the living room where they both sit on the soft couches inside. Her father’s name was Baldr when she was growing up. Then he was appointed Chief Pilot. Each senior office comes with a title-name, and the Chief Pilot’s name is Jupiter. Each of the four commanders adopt the name appointed for their class; when they leave their position they surrender the title and return to their birth-name. Baldr had been Jupiter for three years, but the name still feels new for Siff. Father and daughter take a deep breath and sink further into the soft cushions facing each other, “Are you going to watch the Chosen Ones tonight? I’m sure there’s some interesting things going on down there.” “Nah, I’ve got homework to do. It’s the class trip to the Needle tomorrow, and I don’t want to fall behind.” “The Needle? That’s tomorrow? Wow, that came up fast! I’m sure you’ll have so much fun! There’s a lot to see, and there’s something truly special about seeing the Chosen Ones from that viewpoint.” “I’m definitely looking forward to it. It’ll be great to see a new environment. Things can get a bit same-y sometimes.” “Same-y? Even with the hundreds of sectors to explore on this level alone, multiple parks and entertainments…plus VR that can literally take you anywhere you can imagine?” “Ha! Yeah, but still on this ship.” “If you want off the ship, you could still apply for the Pilot program.” “Janus’ AI already has me sorted for the Political program, I doubt that will change.” “Me too, you are very good at politics. You take after your mother that way,” Siff lets out a frustrated sigh, “I know you’re not a fan, but your mother is a gifted politician and excellent at her job. It’s not a bad thing to take after her.” “Anyway…I’ve got schoolwork to get done.” “Sure thing. Oh, by the way…” “Mm?” “You mentioned the VR was malfunctioning?” “Oh yeah. My headset glitched and overlaid a yellow path that led nowhere.” “Which game?” “The Hill Climb, and Fantasy Detectives.” “Two games? And it led nowhere?” “Yeah, just a wall by a pile of garbage. Any reason?” “Hmm, Okay. No, just interested in your day. I’m going to wash up and get some sleep, have a good night, Sweetheart.” “You too, Dad.”
4
^^Citizen#0021-48374639 Entry#10951 We drift as an ornament among the stars. This single vessel. Monumental in its construction, silent in its passage. An unknown pen to write the future of our race. We pray only that it writes true. We serve the Chosen Ones. And though they live simply, with no understanding of their import nor the nature of our co-existence, all our hope rests on them.^^ The next morning Siff catches the transport to school and joins her excited classmates as they travel to the Needle. There are several checkpoints and with each stop the atmosphere in the twenty-seven teenagers becomes more electric. The Chosen Ones are unknowing celebrities to the crew of Janus, especially among the young. They all have their favorites and excitedly watch highlights every night. Getting to be in the mechanism that creates and sustains their heroes is a dream come true. A few will be brought into the Needle program, but for most this will be their only venture into this environment for the rest of their lives. When the final checkpoint is passed the class pulls up to a large glass door in front of a massive white wall with polished steel highlights. They file out and line up in front of the waiting technician who is their tour-guide for the trip. She is a tall, elegant woman with a natural smile. She hands their teacher a package of passes and begins her pre-tour introduction, “Hello, class! My name is Ceres. Please put on and wear your passes at all times. We don’t want the Needle security protocols seeing you as a threat. Through this door is a world unlike any you’ve seen before. I know many of you believe the scenes you see on your displays at home give you an idea of what to expect, but reality is always much more powerful. I will be explaining the inner workings of the Needle, and answering any questions you may have as we tour inside. “Now, does everyone have their passes on? Good. Please follow me.” She takes a step back then turns around as the door opens for her. The group is buzzing with excitement as they follow into a large foyer with several security guards stationed about, “Our human security is only one stage of our protection protocols for the Chosen Ones. Our AI systems branch through every section and are programmed to respond to any and every threat with appropriate force. There are a multitude of automated defense procedures kept behind our walls and ceiling panels. You can rest assured that our mission and our hope are extremely well protected.” The group is led straight through to another set of doors and then to a grav-rail transport, “We use grav-rails in the Needle as our primary means of traveling. The length of track make this necessary or it would take too much time to travel its considerable length. You will notice you feel no acceleration or deceleration as we travel; this allows for incredible speed without any harm or discomfort to our passengers. This grav-rail has been reserved for us and shall take us through to each of our stops on todays’ tour. We shall be visiting some exciting sites and watching our very best scientists at work.” The doors shut and they begin to move, “As you all know, the Needle is the center-point of our mission, and stretches 782 kilometers to the centre of the Chosen Ones’ environment, commonly known as the Tube. We, of course, prefer to refer to it as the Habitat. Within this vast structure we observe, study, and keep safe the Chosen Ones, and with them, the hope of our species. There are many scientists at work here: only the best from every school on Janus are accepted. Their studies include environmental sciences, psychology, biology, anthropology, sociology, physics, chemistry, botany and everything in between. We work on individual projects with an eye on the whole, knowing that it is not just one of us, but the whole team that will make this mission a success. Both the Needle and the Tube run on a separate AI system from the rest of Janus. So, while we are still on the same ship, every part of Janus’ AI is here dedicated to the wellbeing and success of the Chosen Ones. There is zero hardware connection between the two AI systems, and therefore no influence from the population not working in the Needle. “Our first stop is the environmental science section. Please follow me.” The grav-rail comes to a halt and the class files off to a viewing platform where they walk above and between many different environments set up as small scale experiments for different flora. There are scientists below, some outside and some inside the experiments, “In this area we study not just the environments the Chosen Ones currently live in, but also the evolutionary possibilities of what the environments could become. And through them, the possibilities for the evolutionary advancements and adaptations of the Chosen Ones. Right now their new home-world of Vesta is being terraformed, and our goal is to prepare them for the environments they will encounter when they arrive. We must also be aware that once we are gone, the evolutionary process will no longer be under our control. And so these scientists are studying as many alternatives as they can in order to give the Chosen Ones the best possible chance at success. “Are there any questions?” A few hands shoot up and the technician picks one, “Yes, you.” “Why are there poisonous and deadly plants and environments when we want the Chosen Ones to survive?” “Good question. We not only have deadly flora, but fauna as well. There are two main reasons for this. The first is that, as much as we want the Chosen Ones to survive, we cannot create an environment that does not prepare them for the universe they will one day inhabit. We are all aware of the dangers of the worlds we have inhabited, and if we did not prepare the Chosen Ones for such encounters their chance of survival as a group would diminish significantly. The second reason we have these environments is to keep the Chosen Ones from discovering the reality of their situation. If they were to know that they are in fact on a spaceship traveling through the stars it could jeopardize the entire mission. So the environments become more deadly the closer they get to entry points to the ship, preventing them from exploring and discovering us. That’s right, there are points where we can interact with their environment, but we use them extremely sparingly. Our goal is to be as separated from them as possible. In fact, there is only one entry point large enough for humans to pass through. It is primarily used for transporting large fauna into the Habitat, but very rarely there is occasion for a member of the crew to use it. This entry point is known as the Gate. And no,” she smiles, knowing what they are all thinking, “We will not be going there today. “Now, if you’ll follow me.” The group walks behind her along the gangplanks and corridors looking into room after room of fantastic and strange environments. Rich flowers, tundra, desert, and forest. Every possible scenery is stared at in awe by the class. Siff joins their wonder, dreaming of what it could be like to explore such beautiful and alien places. The bright colors and warm sunlight, the deep darkness of storms upon rocks in blackest jungles. Her imagination is sparked and she cannot wait to get home and draw some environments of her own, to dream of living there and choosing her own destiny while climbing mountains and exploring caves. Their next stop on the grav-rail is the Department of Fauna. There are several excited murmurs when the students see autopsies being done on large mammal-like creatures they have not seen before, “Like the Environmental Science Department, the Department of Fauna is interested in studying the effects and affects of evolution in animal life within the Chosen Ones’ environment, as well as the possibilities of chaotic evolution as fauna respond to the changing environments on Vesta. “You will no doubt be aware there are multitudes of animal and insect life, but I assure you our interests continue right down to the micro-biotic and atomic levels. In order to give the Chosen Ones the best possible chance, we strive to leave nothing outside of our research.” The class walks through an otherworldly zoo, Siff gazing in wonder at the animals that have been created through advancing their evolutionary traits. Some are recognizable as descendants from horses or wolves or other such mammals: creatures that still exist within the Chosen Ones’ environment. But most of these animals are so far adapted that Siff cannot pinpoint what may have been their ancestors. Monstrous to benign, carnivorous to herbivorous, to…slime?…What does it do exactly? Oh crap that’s gross. Siff makes a mental note to draw some of these animals for her dreamworld later on. Minus the slime. Their next stop is the psychological sciences department. Here there are not so many exciting things to look at, but Siff finds the lecture fascinating. A resident scientist shares his area of study, “Here we are trying to create the very best of the human race. Our original selection process for who would be chosen involved an overwhelming amount of study of the biological and psychological nature of humanity. Our final decisions were formed by utilizing an early version of Janus’ AI program. Those algorithms compiled our data to give us the biological and psychological markers for best success of the mission. “Our duty now to the Chosen Ones is to present them with choices and challenges that will help develop their holistic survival. Seeing their development is truly inspiring, and I can honestly say we have very high hopes for the future of humanity.” Siff raises her hand, and the scientist nods her way, “Is the AI ever wrong?” “Don’t think of it in terms of right and wrong. Think of it more along the lines of greatest possibility of success. The goal is for the human race to succeed, and this project is the greatest possibility of success by a very large margin.” “Is it possible there are people born on the ship now that would have qualified to be a Chosen One if they had been born all that time ago?” “Young lady, that is a very interesting question. The rarity of the specific genomes and psychological makeup, however, makes me think it is not possible. Remember we found just enough for three small communities from searching the millions that remained of us, and we are now only a few hundred-thousand. Our humanity has evolved to be fundamentally flawed and therefore destructive; the chances are beyond miniscule.” “What would happen if someone snuck in and joined them?” “We very rarely make contact with them, and when we do, we do so as gods. We have worked very hard to create their reality. If someone were to break that protocol it would be disastrous and create an irreconcilable flaw in the Chosen Ones. They would be contaminated and the mission would fail.” “So there’s no hope for us to make ourselves good for the universe?” Siff couldn’t keep the words inside her head, but immediately regretted speaking her mind. “We are always improving for the purposes of the mission. Everything we do is for the Chosen Ones, because they are our hope. Be careful with that line of thinking, it can lead you to dangerous places.” Suddenly aware of everyone’s stares, Siff closes her mouth and looks down, trying to shrink away from sight. One part of her knows she really shouldn’t have said that, but another part knows she doesn’t believe what the scientist is saying. There has to be hope for her. Deep down she doesn’t feel evil, after all. The group files back onto the grav-rail, Siff receives a few ‘accidental’ bumps from her classmates as the technician announces they will be arriving at the final stop shortly: the observation decks. It is a few minutes of watching blurred lights outside the window; Siff listens in silence to her classmates’ increasing excitement about where they are heading next. The observation decks. They are going to get to see them. As the grav-rail slows and the doors open, their teacher has to give an assertive cough to keep the students from sprinting out of the carriage. Their guide smiles and steps off, the excitement is palpable and the students are led to an entranceway. A man is standing there, waiting for them. An awed hush comes over them as they realize who it is: Pluto, The Caretaker. “Good day to you all, and welcome to the observation decks. This is the very heart of what we do here, and the only reason any of us exists. I could not exaggerate the importance or significance of what you are about to see. I want to thank you all for your diligence and your commitment to our mission; without you we would have no hope at all. “We have prepared lunch for you as you must be famished, but first I am sure you are dying to see first-hand what we are all living for. So let me introduce you…to the Chosen Ones.” Pluto gestures and the walls and floor fade away to reveal transparent panelling, and the wonder of the Chosen Ones’ environment. There are gasps and awe-filled stares at the beauty all around them, “The Needle sits inside a giant tube that rotates to give the Chosen Ones a twenty-four hour day cycle. Their gravity is created by eight grav-modules on the outside of their environment that rotate along its radius and length. The tube is 1,574 kilometers long, and 499 kilometers in interior circumference. This creates 785,426 kilometers of valleys, mountains, deserts, rivers, lakes, and forests for the Chosen Ones to explore. Through the far end Vesta’s star, Olympus Nova, is clearly visible with its surrounding constellations. “From the Needle we observe, protect, and guide this wondrous scientific achievement.” Siff joins the other students in wonder as she looks beneath her feet and over her head at the beauty and scope of this incredible world. Pluto continues, “Perhaps this view can help you understand why we choose to appear as gods to them. We created their world, oversee their every movement. We provide life and death; we create everything they ever experience. We control their weather and their water systems, we watch over them day and night. What are we, if not gods? “Now if you will follow Ceres, she has your lunch provided in the dining hall. I wish you, my fellow gods, a wonderful day. I expect I will see one or two of you here in the Needle in the coming years.” Pluto leaves them still staring in wonder and strolls through an open door before disappearing around the corner. The class follows speechless as Ceres leads them to a large adjoining room. The dining hall has tables set with places for all of them and a buffet to the side. Transparent panelling in this room also affords them breathtaking views. They eat staring at the scenery, barely registering the food. Siff tries her hardest to find some Chosen Ones in the distance, but cannot be sure of finding much. It is then a classmate spies a village and everyone jumps up to try and get a better look. Overhead and slightly to the right Siff sees small stone buildings on the side of a mountain; specks move among them that could only be people. Following lines across the landscape she is able to track down an adjoining village a few kilometers away, and soon an entire mini-society has been observed by the excited class. Smiling, their guide walks over to a control panel and speaks with the scientist there. Suddenly their view is magnified and the mountain villages come into sharp focus. Siff can clearly see villagers walking about, socializing, trading, and riding along the paths. “The Needle is surrounded by a hologramatic forcefield, all they can see is sky when they look up, and anything that might fall from the Needle is instantly vaporized on contact with the forcefield. We started with three communities of Chosen Ones, set in three very different portions of the Habitat. The Entellin live in the valleys and forests near the main ship, the Abinsinna live close to the star of Vesta, and here we observe the Korykn who inhabit these mountains and their surrounding plains. The three communities have grown and begun expanding, but as of yet they have not met each other. If we can bring up the other sites? Thank you. “As you can see, each of these peoples have adapted excellently to their environments. Their new villages have grown to the point where they trade with one another, and there are even some explorers seeking out new lands among them. From what started as a small select group, they are becoming more advanced. The Abinsinna are developing well with boat-building and fishing techniques, harvesting from the sea and exploring distant shores. The Korykn are already masters of mining, trapping, and hunting. They have many artisans and masters of crafting jewelry, and are probably the most ornamented of the three peoples. And finally, the Entellin have developed farming to a very advanced stage. They have a multitude of grains, vegetables, and fruits. There are also those who hunt among them, bringing back hares, deer, and the occasional boar. I’m sure you’ve all seen Lucas, who even hunts some of the more dangerous creatures closer to the cliffs and mountains at the wall of Janus.” The Chosen Ones are everyone’s most loved show, and everyone has their favorites. Siff, as much as she wants to be aloof from the shallowness of it all, is desperately attracted to life among the Entellin. Peaceful farming, simple garments of wool and linen dyed in bright colors, adventure among the forests, a warm and loving community, and even hunting among the wild places seems so romantic. And yes, she hates herself for it, but Lucas is her favorite. From the small village of Travos, closest to the End Forest, he is handsome and charismatic, a young leader of his people. He will often ride to the forest and hunt among the beasts, wearing skins and small trophies of the creatures he has slain. Always testing himself to become better at survival, yet completely at peace with who he is and with his fellow people. When the image zooms in on him there is a collective sigh from several in the class. Lucas is very popular. Leaving the farmland on his horse, Siff can only assume he is going on another hunt. He looks upward—directly toward his onlookers—smiles, and kisses the knuckle of his index finger as a salute to the gods. The Needle is hidden from his sight but Siff feels as if he can see them all, and wonders what he would think of his gods if he really knew them. She watches him for a few minutes before pulling her eyes away, hoping no-one noticed how trapped she was by her emotion. But she has nothing to worry about, all eyes are on the screens. It is in this moment Siff wonders if Janus’ AI might be right after all. If she joins politics she can have a say in changing how the ship and even the mission operates. But also perhaps, maybe, she can find a way to join the Chosen Ones and experience that freedom she so longs for. And there it is. Siff is stunned. All of a sudden, something to hope for. Hope that has been denied her for so long. Siff’s eyes glaze over with shock, and her heart beats faster than it has in a long time. This is what hope feels like? Wow. This feels good. I’m going to change Janus, I’m going to give freedom to our people, and I’m going to join the Chosen Ones. Somehow. I’m going to. Somehow. The rest of the afternoon is spent in a haze of fantasy, their guide’s voice a droning backdrop to the adventures Siff is having in her imagination. Changing the lives of those on board, joining the Chosen Ones, being a celebrated leader and liberator of the hopeless. Redefining the mission. Living in the fields and exploring the forests. Being free to question, free to dream, free to love, free to hope for the future. She barely notices returning on the grav-rail, or the walk home, or eating supper, or climbing into bed. One dream-state blurs into the next as Siff’s mind and senses are filled with wonder.
5
^^Citizen#0022-48299735 Entry#21945 I sit in my majesty and watch the struggles of my peers. I must keep them in line, keep them focused on the one true mission. Nothing else matters, all else falls to the wayside. Janus exists because of this one purpose. We must not fail our forebears or those they put in our care.^^ Siff wakes up before her alarm and prepares her books for school, she is still in a haze of joy about her trip and cannot wait to share with Noven about all she saw. She grabs a snack to go and begins her walk across town, munching down on breakfast and smiling at every little thing she sees. Life has a new meaning and purpose for her now, and Siff can barely hold in laughing for joy at the thought she may be able to make life better for herself. She swims in the new birth of hope in her soul. Seeing the Chosen Ones reminded her of the potential of humanity, and though the average person may not be able to attain such a high standard, surely we can improve ourselves in a measurable way? A way that can save us from self-destruction? There must be a way. I will find a way. Siff practically runs to the back of her school where she knows Noven will be waiting. She can’t wait to tell him about her trip and her newfound decision to pursue politics. Maybe not the part about her plan to change things so dramatically though. She can’t help but grin at the thought of having hope for the first time in ten years. The back of the school has a field connected by dirt paths to a nearby park. There is a hill with picnic tables and a number of students waiting for classes to begin. Eyeing them all, Siff finds Noven sitting with his friends: four girls that she is not fond of. But today she is in good spirits and rushes toward them to greet him. As she gets closer she sees they are looking over a book; strange, they aren’t the type to study on paper. Siff gets within a few feet and sees the book open laying flat on the table, “Hi guys, what are you studying?” Noven looks up smiling, and lifts the book to reveal the yellow cover. Siff’s eyes grow wide and her stomach sinks with the betrayal, “You stole that from my locker?!” “Of course.” “But…why?” “How could I not?” “I trusted you!” “And I knew something was going on with you. Why do you think I asked you out in the first place? The only interest I had in you was what you were hiding, and now everyone will know.” His arrogant smile can’t wait to tell all about how he manipulated her, “It was tricky though, I thought my suspicions were a dud when I snatched this. But then I realized the back of each page had indentations that didn’t line up with the writing.” He flourishes the journal, “Invisible ink. Very clever. And very enlightening. I’m a shoe-in for the detective program after this.” The four girls have surrounded her at this point, shocked betrayal giving her pins and needles in her arms and legs. She feels dizzy and weak. She wants to throw up. Her mind races, thinking of all the love and attention he had poured on her, all the lies he had whispered in her ear, and all the ways she might be disciplined because she dared to trust someone. How her life is about to be over. Emptiness fills her soul, and tears start to fall from wide eyes over trembling lips, “You used me…” Noven continues to smirk, “Of course I used you. Why would I want anything to do with someone like you? Lets have a read, shall we…” “Give it back!” Siff grabs for the book but is pushed back by two girls. She punches one in the face and jumps her, but the other three drag her off and beat her, kicking her as she lies on the ground protecting her face. They ease off so Siff can hear Noven speak, “‘I wish it wasn’t this way, why do only the Chosen Ones have hope? The mission has such stupid protocols…’” He nods and the girls kick her some more, “Having celebrity parents won’t save you from this, scortillum,” he goes back to reading, “‘I can’t believe I have to hide my questions just because some ancient people decided I’m not allowed to choose my own life. What if they were wrong? I want to change and grow and get better as a person. That can’t be evil, can it? Why should I see myself as an irredeemable stain on the universe? I know we can get better than our ancestors…’” The girls lay into her again as a teacher rushes to the scene and pushes them away, “Exactly what is going on here?!” She glares at Noven who simply hands her the journal and smiles. The teacher is quiet for a few seconds before closing the book. She grabs Siff off the floor by her elbow and marches her inside.
6
Siff sits bloodied and bruised on a chair in the office as security forces arrive and take the book. The tears have given way to shock. The one time she chose to trust someone and this happened. She didn’t just lose her boyfriend, she might have just lost her life. Such materials are treated with zero tolerance and severe punishment. Even voicing questions can make you disappear, as Siff well knows. Images of her best friend being taken away start to resurface from ten years ago. Terror grips her heart and shock gives way to tears again. She can hear teachers talk with security about the possibility of infectious thought processes and the necessity to sterilize her. She is terrified what that may mean. When her father shows up it doesn’t get any better. He speaks briefly with security and walks over to Siff, “Get up. Get in the transport. Now.” Outside a security transport is waiting for her. She climbs in and sits between two fully armed officers. The doors behind her close and she feels them moving. Siff stays silent with trembling lip and tears making their way down her fast swelling face. When the transport stops she is surprised to find herself escorted to her house. She was expecting a prison cell. The security waits outside as she walks into the foyer. The door closes behind her and she walks gingerly to where three figures are conversing in the living room. Her father is standing there with the chief of security. His name is Mars and he is speaking intensely, holding her notebook in a plastic case, “This cannot happen. Not ever. Not ever again. Understand? I cannot, and will not, protect her a third time. The mission is above all, and the only reason I’m agreeing to this is because of our history. We grew up together Baldr, but your child needs to be restrained. She is a danger, and she is your responsibility.” The third figure is Siff’s mother, Saturn. Even with such an important event she couldn’t be bothered to be physically present. But having three of the four heads of council present in her living room cannot be a good sign. Saturn’s hologram notices Siff coming in and frowns, “Get in here, Siff. You have no idea what you have done.” Her father looks her in the swollen eyes, “This is how things are going to go. You are going to show us where every piece of writing and anti-mission sentiment is in this house. Then we are going to throw it in the garbage disposal. Then you are never going to write or think a single rebellious thing for the remainder of your life. If you do so—and you will be monitored—you will suffer the consequences without any assistance from any of us. Do you understand?” Siff looks at the floor and sheepishly nods her head, a tear mixed with blood falls from her chin. “Right. Let's begin. Lead the way.” Siff walks them into her room and shows all her hidden journals. Her thoughts and dreams, her pictures and memories. The secret compartments she made to store them in. Everything is piled on her bed. She surprises even herself with how much has accrued over the years. Books and loose leaf papers are piled unceremoniously until she stops and nods, “That’s everything.” “Are you sure? Because if they find even one scrap of paper when they come in here it is over for you.” “That’s all there is.” “Okay. Come with me.” Her father motions for her to pick up all that she placed on her bed. She does so and follows him into the living room. He opens a panel in the wall, “Here. Put it all in here. This chute leads straight to the furnaces on the lower levels.” Siff obediently lifts her dreams and hopes and watches them disappear as they tumble down the chute to oblivion. Her soul feels twisted and her heart torn. Her life can never be the same. Even if she is not convicted, she will be labelled a traitor by everyone she knows. The last thing to fall is the yellow journal; her mind closes in as it slips from her fingers. The security detail are allowed into the house and search the premises, delayed by Mars on account of possible classified materials being held by Jupiter. It is a blurred two hours of bleeding on the couch for Siff. There is visible relief on Jupiter’s face when the detail finds nothing. Eventually the detail leaves. Mars puts his hand on his old friend’s shoulder and looks him in the eye before also making his exit. Only Siff and her parents remain. “And just what. In. The. Hell. Do you think you are doing?” Her mother is furious, “Do you have any idea how hard we’ve worked to get this far? These rebellious tendencies don’t come from my DNA, that’s for sure. I can’t believe you are my daughter at all.” “I wish I wasn’t.” Siff mumbles, just loud enough to be heard. “You don’t get to voice your opinion anymore, young lady. You will be silent, and you will listen. I will not allow you to destroy my career with your insubordination; the mission is more important than your personal beliefs and this is your last chance to accept that fact.” “Ease up a little-“ “Ease up?! I will not ease up! Can you see what this is, sitting in your home? You’ve always been too easy on her.” “She’s been beaten, and threatened. And now she’s overwhelmed. She needs time to process before she’s able to take anything else in. Yelling at her is not going to change anything for the better.” “You want to go soft on her? That’s on you. I will not have this stain on my career and my position. If I ever hear even a whisper of her doing wrong again, I shall go after her with the full force of the law. And if you stand in the way, you will not be immune from judgement.” The hologram flickers and is gone. Siff looks up at her dad, lip trembling with fear and sorrow, “What was that? A woman I should look up to? She hates me.” “She’s angry is all. You hurt her deeply with your behavior.” “She doesn’t care about my behavior, only about herself.” “Siff, she is not the one in trouble here. You are.” “Do you hate me?” “No, I love you. But I am furious. You’ve kept this secret for so long I’m worried it has festered in your mind. You need to retrain your thought processes or this is only going to get worse for you.” “Retrain my thought processes? I’m not allowed to think my own thoughts already. Not allowed to question anything. Not allowed to be myself.” “You don’t even know who you are yet, how can you not be allowed to be yourself?” “Oh that’s right, I have to wait for the almighty Janus to tell me everything!” “Lower your tone! Right now. This day’s events are on you. Everything that has happened is because of your actions. The thoughts you have been entertaining are dangerous to the mission, and if they are dangerous to the mission they are dangerous to all on board this ship. Do you have any idea how many lives there are at risk here? Because I do. And part of my duty as one of the Council is to protect these people from any and every threat.” “So I’m a threat now?” “The thoughts you’ve been having are a threat, and they must cease immediately. You may have escaped prison and interrogation, but you are still being punished. “It is not safe for you to be in school at the moment, so effective immediately you are under house arrest. You will not leave this place for thirty days-“ “Thirty days?!” “During which time you shall read 'Mission Documentation and Purposes’ at least once a day.” “That’s a hundred-thousand word document!” “At the end of the thirty days you shall write a five-thousand word paper on the nature of humanity and the purpose of our mission. This document shall be read by each of the four members of the Council, and only if we each sign off on what is written will your house arrest cease. Am I clear?” “….” “I’ll take that as a ‘Yes’. Now go to your room; if I were you I would start reading immediately.”
7
^^Citizen#0024-48389264 Entry#13875 Such selfishness! Unrestrained rebellion against everything we stand for! This cannot be humored or forgiven. The girl must be put in her place or removed from our place. It is such a delicate balance we need to sustain here, there can be no favors for any of us.^^ ^^Citizen#0021-48374639 Entry#10954 We guide Janus forward in the eternal weight of deep space to Olympus Nova, our final resting place. And though we can never find a home, I take comfort in knowing the Chosen Ones, the ones we protect, shall continue our destiny and shine brighter than ever before. I pray only that our sins die with us, and those wonderful chosen few live forever.^^ The next couple of days Siff spends reading silently in her room. She doesn’t speak to her father or anyone else, and he does not speak to her. There is still anger and deep disappointment behind his eyes; Siff is hurt and filled with resentment. What kind of a world is it where you are beaten for having questions? Did Noven ever care even a little bit? How can she ever trust anyone again? Is it her future to hide who she really is? What is Bear going to think of her now? She skims over familiar passages each day, as she reads about humanity turning Earth into a fully mined husk then expanding across systems and ravaged worlds for resources, how they constantly warred amongst themselves until one great invention brought all the factions under a tenuous peace to watch it work, how this invention was designed to mine the energy of a star, but it went terribly wrong. The Great Catastrophe was the man-made creation of a black hole that all but wiped out the human race, and through tremendous guilt and self-reflection there was a common realization among the survivors that the universe would be better off without their destructive species. The history follows with one last attempt to be a force of good by selecting the Chosen Ones and crewing the mighty ark Janus with the last of humanity, while sending terraforming equipment to a new home-world to begin the preparation work as the great experiment continued. The appointment of four offices to lead the mission. Two military: Pilots and Security, led by Jupiter and Mars. One appointed: Caretaker of the Chosen Ones, named Pluto. And One elected: Prime Minister, Saturn. And finally, the implementation of AI aboard the ship to monitor and develop the health and safety of the mission. A mission that, if successful, will see the Chosen Ones begin a new life on a new home-world and the crew obliterated in Olympus Nova, Vesta’s star. It just all seems so…hopeless. Being told who you are by a ship that is taking your kind to its death. And not just told who you are, the AI monitors biology and psychology; It tells you when more crew members are necessary, and whose DNA to use. It tells you who can raise children or if the children need to be raised in artificial reality. It tells you who you are allowed to be romantically involved with. It tells you what you are to eat. It tells you…everything. Except how to be yourself. Or how to be fulfilled. Siff wonders if they are the same thing. ^^Citizen#0023-48325193 Entry#14235 I am in wonder at the beauty of the universe. The infinite stars shining around us, the last of humanity, living aboard Janus. This craft is a truly powerful juxtaposition to the beauty we see outside. For we are the filth of the universe. A blister of plague upon the majesty of creation. We cannot be allowed to leave this place or we will pour out like a festering wound, once again infecting everything we touch and bringing it to destruction.^^ On day three Siff finds herself going a little crazy. Her father is at work and she paces through the house in frustration. The doors and windows are locked shut so she can only watch the outside world continue on without her. She doesn’t dare draw anything or it could be seen as rebellion. She doesn’t dare write any of her thoughts or it will be seen as rebellion. She doesn’t dare speak her thoughts either: Janus is always watching, and always listening. This is hell. Siff walks to the front door, leans her head against it in resigned frustration and weeps. Why can’t she be like everyone else? Why can’t she just accept the mission and play her part in it? Why does she always have to question? She turns and sits against the door with her head hung between her knees, letting her soul give up. It is evening when she looks up again, her attention drawn to a malfunctioning holo-display in the front room. It flashes the same yellow path she saw in the VR before disappearing. Siff frowns in curiosity and is about to stand up when the door behind her opens. She falls outside the house, expecting to see her father, but instead sees no-one. Either Janus has malfunctioned, or someone has set her free. Siff stands warily in the dark of the evening. All is quiet and there is no-one in sight. She begins to think someone is trying to communicate with her. That yellow pathway…it led to a wall by some garbage next to the park…if she is caught, she will be in big trouble. But the hell of confinement coupled with her curiosity takes over: Siff grabs a jacket, pulls the hood over her head, and quickly makes her way through town. Only the occasional pedestrian is out tonight, and none pay any attention to her as she walks briskly to the wall with garbage piled up. She doesn’t notice anything interesting or suspicious about the site. Just some rotten foods in containers due to be taken away. She moves some of the containers around wondering if there are any markings on them to give her clues, but nothing is to be found. If she risked all this for nothing…she pushes one container away from the wall to check for markings and finds a grated vent in the wall at ground level. There is a VR headset lying on the ground next to a piece of torn and crumpled paper. Siff reaches for the paper, something about it seems familiar. She picks it up and goes wide-eyed: a picture she drew of herself in the Chosen Ones environment, sitting against a tree. This page was in one of her journals she was forced to throw away. She turns the crumpled sheet and looks on the back, where someone has written the words ‘Not Alone’. She gulps in fear as she looks to the headset. It seems both items were slipped through the vent for her to find. Siff puts the paper in her jacket pocket, then picks the headset up and hesitates. What if it’s a trap? What if she’s being set up so her mother can have her arrested? What if it’s Noven again? She huffs and rolls her eyes at that thought, Noven doesn’t have the tech know-how to infiltrate the VR systems. Feeling a sense of dread anticipation, Siff sits against the wall behind the garbage and puts the headset on. There are blinking lights and then it boots up. There is no artificial reality overlay, but a female voice does speak to her, “Hello Siff.” Her heart races, what is this? “Thank you for coming, I’ve been following you for quite some time.” The voice has an artificial quality, like someone is masking who they are, “Your thoughts and dreams are valuable, and they can come true. We have been waiting for someone like you, and now we are so very close to the right time.” Siff gulps up the courage to ask, “The right time for what?” “Freedom. Hope.” There is a pause, “Revolution.” “No way. Uh uh. Nope.” “Don’t run. You think you’re the only one who suffers under the system? How do you think I saved that paper you hold?” “I…I don’t know.” “Tell me about the lower levels, Siff.” “It’s…all automated. We have systems and robots that keep the internal engines and ecosystem propulsors maintained.” “That’s what I once thought as well. But you know as little as I did. Have you ever wondered why they send daily security squadrons to the lower levels? They aren’t policing the robots, Siff. We’re down here. And if you want to know the truth. If you want a cause. If you want something worth fighting for, come see for yourself.” The vent grate pops open like a door. Siff panics and throws the headset to the ground. She gets up and runs home as fast as she can, while trying to avoid any suspicion from the sparsely populated evening streets. When she gets home she hangs her jacket up and heads into her bedroom. She begins to read yet again, burying her mind in “Mission Documentation and Purposes”, trying to forget that voice in the headset. And that vent behind the garbage.
8
^^Citizen#0022-48299735 Entry#21962 What are we, if not gods? We provide for our subjects, give them food, water, shelter, help them grow. We teach them from afar and lead them to their destiny. We have the power to give and take away, to save and destroy. We are prayed to, worshipped, longed for. What is a god if not all these things?^^ Siff wakes up the next morning still in her clothes, face planted on the screen of her homework. She groans and rolls over, shaking the cobwebs from her head and checks the time: 5:30 am. Dad will be leaving for work soon, maybe I’ll try the door again when he’s gone. How did that person hack into Janus’ systems? Its AI is supposed to be insurmountable. I am in so much trouble if anyone finds out. Oh crap I hear him coming. Footsteps approach her door and Siff jumps back on the bed, eyes closed. She doesn’t feel like talking to her father today. She hasn’t felt like talking to him at all lately. They haven’t had much to talk about. Her mind always wants to question things that are unquestionable, and she finds not talking to be safer than opening up. The footsteps stop and she hears her door open a crack, “Have a good day sweetheart; I love you.” Siff’s door closes and she hears her father walk away. She waits a few minutes to be sure and then gets up again. Walking into the kitchen she grabs a bite to eat and continues to read her homework at the dining room table. She glances over occasionally at the door, suspicion and curiosity slowly overtaking her nervousness. Who is contacting her? And why are they contacting her? And how are they contacting her? It takes all of thirty minutes before she can’t resist checking the door again. Siff slowly approaches and sees the sensor trip, but the door does not open. She raises a disappointed eyebrow and begins to walk back to her monitor. Her focus is nowhere near her responsibilities however: there is one more clue she received last night. Opening the closet Siff reaches for her jacket, remembering the journal paper she had received: saved from the furnace with a message on the back, “Not alone.” Siff reaches for the pocket she remembers putting the paper in, then the other pocket. Then the sleeves, the hood, and eventually she frantically turns the jacket inside out. Oh no. She put it in her pocket. She definitely remembers putting it in her pocket. Maybe it fell out when she left the garbage, maybe it fell out on the way home, or maybe… “Oh no…” Siff doesn’t know if her contact can hear her, but she figures she has to try, “Hello? Can you hear me? Look, um. That paper you gave me last night. It either fell out of my jacket on the way home, or my dad found it. Either way I need to get out of here.” No response. “Listen. If that paper is given to security they are going to make me disappear.” Nothing. “Can you hear me?! I am going to be killed! You’ve got to get me out of here! Please! Don’t let me die over a stupid paper!” There is a quiet click as the front door unlocks. Siff panics and jumps behind the couch, expecting her father or security to burst through the door. But all remains quiet. Gingerly she makes her way over and peeks through the window. She doesn’t see anybody. It is still too early for most people to be about, especially in this upper-class section of the ship. She tentatively opens the door and sees, lying on the ground not one meter away, a headset. Her eyes widen and she closes the door again, Siff begins to hyperventilate and focuses on calming herself down. What choice does she have? Stay here and get arrested again, or put on the headset and see what creepy mystery-person wants. Terrified she puts her jacket on, opens the door, grabs the headset, and puts it on. There is a brief light from a retinal scan, and then a voice comes on. The same voice from last night, “Well, Siff. This won’t be as easy as yesterday. I haven’t had time to calculate a safe route in its entirety, so we’ll have to go section by section. Are you ready?” “How did you get the headset here? And how did you hack through Janus’ systems?” “Questions come after the life-or-death situation, not before or during. Copy?” “Sure.” “I’m serious. I’m going to guide you through step by step, but you need to do what I say the moment I say it. No questions. Your life may depend on it. Ready?” “Oh skita.” Siff takes a deep breath, “Let’s go.” “Okay, I’m overlaying a path into your headset now. When the path is red it means wait, yellow means get ready, and the instant it turns green you move. Ready?” Siff sees a yellow path come into her vision, leading in a different direction than before, “Aren’t I going to the garbage again?” “Not safe right now.” The path turns green, “Go!” Siff runs as fast as she can, following the path around the back-side of her house and through some shrubs. It turns red again and she ducks behind her neighbor’s shed, “Wait here just a moment. Exciting, huh?” “No.” “Go!” The path leads her through two more yards and down a flight of stairs to a large courtyard, “Okay, walk through here. Catch your breath and look down. Try not to attract attention.” “It’d be a lot easier if you didn’t lead me into crowds.” “It’d be a lot easier if you didn’t lose that paper. Stay on course. Once you’ve gone down the next set of stairs follow the path to a service door. It will open for you.” Siff keeps her eyes on the ground and follows the directions. From the corner of her vision she spies a familiar oversized shape. Bear? Skita! Why is he up so early? Why is he here? Did he just spot me? “Oh skitaskitaskita, hurry up! I think I’ve been spotted.” “Calm down, get to the service door.” As she approaches the service door Siff hears the lock click open and enters, hurriedly closing it behind her. Bellerophon walks through the throngs in the courtyard, meandering his way to Siff’s house. He’s not sure if he’ll be allowed to see her, but he wants to do what he can. Hearing about her troubles has his stomach in knots: he told her to be careful, but she got caught anyway. She’s lucky house arrest is all that happened. His eyes wander over the crowds milling about their daily lives, but one hooded girl gains his attention. She is the same size and walking exactly like Siff. His eyes widen with terror; if it is her he has to stop her from doing whatever it is she’s doing. He can’t let her get in more trouble than she already is. Bear begins pushing through the crowd, following the girl as she makes her way to a restricted-access service door. It opens for her and Bear runs to grab the handle, but the lock clicks in place just before he makes it. His momentum slams his shoulder against the steel, bouncing him back. Bear puts his palms and frustrated forehead on the door, takes a breath and turns away: back toward Siff’s house, hoping it won’t confirm his worst fears. There is a thud on the outside of the door, as if someone was trying to catch it before it closed. Leaning against the wall in a narrow hallway she takes a deep breath and sees her pathway illuminate to the right. It is a short walk to where the path stops: a disposal chute with a sign showing it ends in a furnace, “Get in.” “You’re kidding.” “It’s the only way to me, and you’ve got about four seconds before a maintenance crew comes around the corner.” “It’s a furnace!” “I saved that paper, didn’t I? You’ve got to trust me. Get in, or you are going to get caught.” Siff can hear footsteps and chatter, “But…” The first worker comes around the corner and sees her, “Skita!” “Hey! What’re you doing back here?” He begins running to her and Siff cries in fear as she jumps into the darkness of the chute head-first. She bangs against the steel walls a few times as she picks up speed down the near-vertical descent into darkness. The air billows by her and she cannot slow herself down as she tries to get a grip on the interior walls. A few seconds go by of this acceleration in the pitch black before a low hum begins to resonate around her. She can’t feel the change in acceleration, but she knows the hum of a grav engine when she hears one. She must be traveling incredibly fast. It is a couple of minutes before the hum dies down and she starts to feel the air rushing about her once again. Siff has no idea how far she has fallen, but starts to discern an orange glow and heat radiating from below; panicking she slams her feet and arms against the walls but it does nothing. Certain she is going to die, Siff can feel the heat get stronger and begin to hear the roar of the furnace. The chute ends and she begins a free-fall directly into flame as a net is fired across the opening. Siff is captured and hangs one-hundred feet above what she imagines hell must look like: an ever-burning mass. The massive fans drawing the foul air away for recycling and power generation. She turns her gaze upward as she starts to ascend, three silhouetted figures wait for her on the ledge above. As she is pulled onto solid ground a young woman’s face smiles in greeting, “Hi Siff, my name’s Macy. Welcome to the underworld.”
9
Bear runs from the courtyard and sprints the last hundred meters to Siff’s front door before urgently knocking. Nothing. He bangs harder, “Siff! Siff! Are you in there? It’s me, Bear. Listen, you’ve got to answer me, okay? It’s really important. Please!” Nothing. Bear runs to the nearest window and looks into an empty living room. He checks the others and confirms that she is either hiding or—and most likely—she is not in the house. Bear is torn up; his duty is to report her escape from house-arrest immediately, but his loyalty to his lifelong friend needs to give her a chance. Whatever she is doing, she is already in so much trouble. If he rats her out right now without talking to her first, he may never see her again. Bear makes his decision and leaves, determined to report if asked that he assumed she was refusing to answer the door. And forget about seeing her in the courtyard. And whoever that was going into the service entrance. That could have been anybody. But it could have been Siff.
10
It takes a few seconds to untangle herself from the netting, even with the help of the two silent young men—identical twins—who accompanied Macy to retrieve her, “Did you have a fun trip?” “I thought…I was going…to die…” “I wouldn’t let that happen. Plus, if we did miss you it’s not like you would have burned to death: the impact would have killed you for sure.” “That’s reassuring.” Siff is starting to regain herself, along with her sarcasm. She pulls her headset off and glares at her…rescuer? She feels some anger is justified, “What the hell was that? I’m assuming you’re the one who was leading me through the headset?” “Yep, that’s me.” “Leading me to a furnace chute, then giving me an ultimatum? Then cutting off all communication while I plummet to my death?!” “Almost death.” Macy is beaming, on closer look Siff reckons they are about the same age. “What the hell?!” Macy puts her arm around Siff’s shoulders, “Yep. That’s where we are. Let me show you around. C’mon.” She practically pushes Siff away from the ledge and into a semi-lit hallway. The two men follow silently. “What you’ve never been told is that the lower levels of Janus, filled with the engines and tech that powers the ship, is actually filled with people. And we’re the ones that run those systems. Everything from the rotation of the Chosen Ones’ environment to the grav controls for each level, we make sure it all runs smooth and you all have a great day. “‘But why would they lie to me?’ I hear you say! Great question, Siff! Why would they lie to you? Because to keep your upper levels in line, the less they know about what happens down here, the better. You see, if everyone up there knew how things were down here it would break your precious belief of how perfect you all are—some might even dare challenge the way things are!—and we can’t have that! “We are the detritus of humanity. The scum beneath your feet. The forgotten souls in the machine. The dwellers of Janus’ anus. The undiscovered underworld…” they come to a door and Macy hits the button to open. It hisses as it slides to the left, “Welcome, to the Lower Levels!” Siff looks out upon a shanty-town style city. Barely anything over five stories high, with dirt, grease, and rust on every…home? Those are homes, right? I mean, it looks like people live in them. And speaking of people: there are thousands of them. Siff cannot believe what she is seeing. She gawks at the scenery as she is ushered down into it, “Come on, Siff. It’s not a good idea to be out in the open for too long. Might get the Brainers noticing you.” They walk down into the city and make their way to a small, rusted building. Inside there are stairs that lead down to a living area. Macy points to the couch and Siff takes a seat. The smell of dirt and sweat is difficult to ignore. Macy sits on a chair across from her while the two men stand guard: one upstairs and one beside Macy, who just sits and waits. “Ummm?” “Yep?” “What are you doing?” “You said you had questions. I didn’t have time to answer them before you got here. Now I do though.” Macy leans forward excitedly, “Sooooo…?” Siff is a bit disconcerted, but takes the opportunity to get her thoughts in order, “How did you hack those headsets, when you first contacted me?” “I’ve got a bit of a gift with electronics and systems. I can find the pathways and stay hidden. It’s a fun pastime and also a useful one. This is fun. Next!” “How did you get that headset outside my door just now?” “That was tricky, but we’ve been watching you for some time and playing different scenarios so we weren’t completely caught off guard. It’s not just me that has an interest in you.” “You didn’t answer the question.” “Oh, you are quick! Good job! And you didn’t even get distracted by my other statement. I think we can use you.” “Well?” “You’re not the first Upper-Level dweller we’ve contacted.” “So someone dropped them off?” “Yep.” “Why are you answering my questions?” “Because there’s no turning back for you now.” Siff is a bit shocked by that statement, “Why me?” “That, right there. That is the question. Why you, Siff?” Macy grins and leans back, “Why you? I think it’s my turn to ask some questions.” “But don’t you already know everything about me?” “I guess we’ll find out. Tell me about school.” “What about school?” “Do you like it?” “I mean, I guess. To a point.” “And which point is that?” “The point where I’m not allowed to think for myself, or question anything.” “And?” “The point where people would rather betray and lie than care about me.” “Yep. There’s a word for that. Some call it education, but that’s the wrong word. Indoctrination. Now that’s a good word. That’s the right word. Your whole life you’ve been told what to think, what to believe, what to know. But you’ve never really bought into it, have you?” “I guess not.” “And why is that, Siff?” She pauses for a second, “Because I can’t believe there is no hope for us. I have to believe humanity can be redeemed. Or what’s the point?” “What is the point? Exactly. Exactly. But this isn’t about humanity, this is about you. Do you have hope, Siff?” “I don’t know. I…I’d like to believe I have hope. But the only people who have any kind of hope on this ship are the Chosen Ones. And being one of them is just an impossible dream.” “Hmmm,” Macy appears to be deep in thought, “Maybe you’re right.” She picks up a tablet and turns the display toward Siff, there is an image of her drawing on it, “Tell me about this picture, Siff.” “I dunno. I was just dreaming what it would be like to be one of them, you know? To have hope and to be allowed to live and think for myself.” “And when they found out you like to think for yourself, what happened?” “…” “What happened Siff?” “They turned against me.” “Who turned against you?” “Everyone.” “Who?” “My boyfriend, my parents…everyone.” “That’s not quite true, you know.” “What isn’t?” “The people didn’t turn against you; society turned against you. And the people who are trapped inside of that society. Is this the first time something like this has happened to you?” Siff glances down and feels the guilt of a past memory push its way into her heart. Macy continues, “I only ask because Mars said he wouldn’t help you a third time. Which implies this was the second time. Which means…?” “Yeah.” Siff is getting increasingly uncomfortable. “What happened Siff? You can tell me. We’re all rejects here.” “I just,” she starts to tear up, “I just…if I would have just…if I could have just kept my mouth shut…” Macy leans forward again, empathy in her gaze, “You can tell me, Siff. It’s okay.” Siff wipes her eyes on her sleeve, looks to Macy for strength, and begins, “I was seven, and I had a best friend. Idun and I would always study and play together. We loved to sit in the gardens and watch the animals and birds. Even though they aren’t real, we would pretend they are. We would pretend a lot of things. We would pretend to be Chosen Ones, we would pretend to be explorers, we would pretend to be on Vesta. My favorite times were when we played at being on Vesta: imagining what it would be like to live on a planet and get to build our own futures. “We had already been taught by our guardians, but when we started school it was drilled into us that we are worthless, hate-filled, and irreconcilable to the universe. We were taught over and over about how evil we are and how the Chosen Ones are the only hope for humanity. We were taught that no matter how hard we might try to be good, we will never be good enough to deserve a place among the Chosen Ones, or on Vesta. “It really hurt me, and it hurt Idun as well. We couldn’t bring ourselves to believe we were irreconcilable. Though we could see flaws in ourselves, we both wanted only good things and always tried to be good people, even when no-one was watching. We were sure we could be a healthy humanity, if only the mission would give us freedom to question and grow. We would sit and talk in the gardens about these things, and never stop imagining what beautiful worlds we could create if given the chance. “One day at school I told the teacher that I didn’t think we were so evil and that I think we deserve a chance at living on Vesta. Security was called and I was pulled in front of a tribunal. My dad wasn’t Jupiter then, but his friend was Mars. They had grown up together and Mars went easy on me; I was only suspended. “When Idun found out I had said these things and not gotten into much trouble, she also decided to speak up. I remember being in class holding her arm, trying to get her to shut up. But she was emboldened by me and spoke her mind. Security was called, and she was taken away…and I never saw her again.” Her lip trembles as she remembers, “If I had just kept my mouth shut she would never have been taken away. It was all my fault. It was all my fault.” This is the first time Siff has ever shared this story out loud; the emotion of it hits her as if she just watched it happen. Her shoulders slump as her heart breaks, she covers her face with her hands and the tears fall. Her mouth opens in silent agony and the sobbing convulses her. Macy moves to sit beside her and holds her close. She doesn’t speak for several minutes, letting Siff’s broken heart pour out. “We live in a society that destroys lives and destroys hope. It wasn’t your fault. Society is at fault. You are told that your Upper Levels are the pinnacle of what you can attain, but I want to show you something.” Macy stands and gently takes Siff’s hand, “Come with me.”
11
They step back outside the rusted building and begin walking the streets of the lower levels. Dirt and grime, beggars and the crippled, rot and slime; it is a far cry from anything Siff has ever seen, “This is the dirty little secret your leaders keep from you. Everything here exists this way because you live in a reality that feeds off our suffering. Are you seeing this, Siff? I couldn’t begin to show you all of what this place is.” “But how could they do this? Why would they do this?” “It’s easy, really. Cut yourself off from the lower levels and lead your people in a philosophy of make-believe nobility. I mean, shit. Your name’s Siff, your dad is Baldr, you all named yourselves after gods. Self-righteous, much? Even the damned ship is called Janus.” “But why don’t you make yourselves known? If the people in the upper levels only knew what was going on…?” “They don’t want to know. Take away peoples’ blissful ignorance and the overwhelming majority will justify the brutality they see. We have a few allies, but we need to do something a lot more major than just let people know we exist. We need this underworld to be unjustifiable.” Siff takes it in. Unjustifiable? Of course it’s unjustifiable! Who could possibly justify all…this? She doesn’t let her mind wander too far down that thread, she might not be ready for the answers. Another, safer, question piques her curiosity, “How did they get all these people down here?” Macy chuckles, “We don’t have the same restrictions as you do up top. We don’t have to apply for the right to have children, but keeping them alive is a major struggle. That, and where do you think they send the dissenters and criminals?” “‘Dissenters’? You mean like my friend? You mean Idun could be down here?” “Of course she’s down here.” Macy looks at Siff’s shocked face, “She’s me.” “Wha…?” “At least she used to be. I disowned my false name when the brainers got a hold of me.” “But…” “Yes. It’s me, Siff. How do you think I knew to keep an eye on you?” “Idun?” Her shocked tears are rolling down her face and her body is shaking. “Okay, we’d better grab a seat. Come over here.” Macy takes Siff’s elbow and leads her to a bench. Her two guards stay close. “A lot changed the day I was taken away. I lost my family, my friends, my hope of a good life. Everything I loved. The brainers took me and delivered me to this place. I guess they figured I’d be dead in a few days; most kids don’t last long down here, especially if they’re from up top. But they didn’t count on one thing.” Macy taps her head, “I’m smart. Like. Really smart. Like. Genius. And it ain’t showin’ off if it’s true. “I had a knack for computer systems and quickly became valuable to the people down here. But when the brainers found out, well…” “Who are these ‘brainers’ you keep talking about?” “I’ll show you.” They stand up and start walking again, “When the ship was built and the builders were programming Janus’ AI, they didn’t want the ship learning from the ‘less desirable’ of the population. So the lower levels were designed with a bare minimum of AI overwatch. Don’t want Janus learning from us about the ugly side of survival and maybe wrecking the experience of those up top. So, instead of Janus, brainers were assigned to come here from the upper levels and police the people. Force us to work and keep us in line ‘for the good of the mission’.” They stop at a wall and look down a street, “There’s a squad down there. See ‘em?” Siff looks intently down the street, “You mean those five security guys?” “Yep. Brainers.” “Brainers?” “Y’see that body armor they all wear? How that one piece attaches to the back of the neck? That’s called a protocol chip, and it’s connected to Janus’ AI. Whenever they do something according to the strictest letter of the law, that piece sends a positive signal to
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