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
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