The Constant Star (16)

THE STORY SO FAR

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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