The Constant Star (84)

THE STORY SO FAR

If you would wake you would be filled with joy. If only you would come back to us. My dearest Siff, I love you. I am so sorry for everything.>>

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Entry#13957

If you could only see the world we are making. It is everything you could have dreamed. My dearest daughter, you still breathe for us—you fight for life even now. If only you would wake and see the life you could have. Please come back to us. I love you, Siff. Please come back.>>

Blurred memories of being lifted. Put on a bed. Muffled voices. Lights. Mom in bed across the room. Daytime. I guess. Think. Lights and beeping. Bear sitting next to the bed. He smiles. Mom not there anymore. Night time. Lights out. Blinking. Pain in shoulder. Monitor shows moving line. Beeping. Groan and close eyes. Open eyes. Tired. Really tired. Voices outside room.

“It was close, but she’s pulling through.”

“Oh thank god. Do you know when she’ll wake up?”

“Should be soon.”

“Excellent, we’ll want to prep her.”

“Ma’am, we should let her recover first.”

“We need her to be ready.”

“She will be, but let her rest.”

“Fame doesn’t allow rest, she saved the whole ship. Everyone saw her do it; she’s the inspiration for so many. They’ll want a statement.”

“And the statement is she needs to rest.” There is a pause, then the doctor continues, “I’ll go check on her.”

Eyes opening. Killer headache. Everything’s so bright. Why does everything have to be so bright? Groan. Shadow next to bed moves. It’s Bear, “Hey! You made it!” He is beaming, “How are you feeling?”

“Like shit, thanks. I had a dream about Lucas and an army outside…”

“Yeah, that was real. Sorry. We needed your help to talk to him.”

“Wow, that sucks.”

“Yeah you died again.”

“Shit, really? Can’t a girl stay alive for two minutes?”

Bear laughs as Siff pushes herself up on her left elbow to get a better look around. She is on a med-bed in hospital, a doctor approaches from across the room, “We kept you in the Needle; we couldn’t risk taking you any further than necessary. We might not have been able to bring you back.”

Siff pushes herself up with a grunt and sits on the side of the bed, “Easy Siff, there’s no rush to get up.”

The doctor raises an eyebrow, “That’s not what her mother seems to think. Look here, please.” Siff looks into a contraption the doctor holds that scans her eyes with a blue beam. The doctor examines the readout and grunts a little in surprise, “You heal fast. I’d recommend bedrest for a week and trauma counseling but apparently my medical expertise comes second to politics. You are free to go whenever you feel able. But for your own sake, take it easy. I’ll let her know you’re awake. Good luck.”

The doctor walks back out the room and is swiftly replaced by Siff’s mother running toward her, “Siff! Oh my god, Siff it’s so good to see your beautiful face! I love you! I love you so much! Siff I…” Saturn stands back a few feet, “I just want to say…I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for everything.”

“Is it true? Did you break Dad out of jail?”

“Yes. He forced me to look into Mars and I finally came to my senses. I spent years trying to become something I wanted, but I sacrificed who I wanted to be. I’m so sorry, Siff. I’m sorry. I wish I had been a better mom.”

Siff pauses and looks at her mother, then looks down and hunches her shoulders, “You know…that’s all I ever wanted…I always loved you…I just wanted you to be my mom.” She looks up with curious eyes, “Maybe we can try again?”

“I’d really like that, Siff. Thank you.” Siff opens her arms and Saturn embraces her with tears, “Thank you so much. Things are going to be so very different from now on, I promise.”

“He really saved us, didn’t he? Dad…he…he…”

“He’s gone, honey. I’m so sorry.”

They weep in each others’ arms and pull each other tight.

Saturn separates from the hug to see her daughter’s face, tears and smiles shared between them, “There is not much left of the Council at this time, but we have discussed among the leadership all the things that have taken place over these last weeks. All the things that you have done and brought to light about our mission. The terrible wrongs of our system of government: how we have oppressed and destroyed our own kind, kept ourselves from developing and quashing any truly free thought for fear of destroying our mission. How we have failed ourselves by failing to develop as a species…Siff. Siff. You have inspired all of us to be better. You have shown us the human spirit cannot be contained within such restrictive parameters. We have seen the inevitable future of the mistreatment of our own kind. We have learned that if we do not change, we shall destroy ourselves and the mission shall fail.

“As such, and as head of government, I have initiated a multi-pronged change to our core societal infrastructure—“

“Mom. Mom. You’re in ‘politician mode’. Tell me what’s going on.”

She smiles, “A lot, Siff. A lot is going on. But effective immediately the Lower Levels are no longer slaves. And effective immediately questioning the mission and dreaming of a different future is no longer illegal.” Siff’s face is in shock, “We need to allow the human spirit to be creative and to grow. And we need to find a way to live without destroying ourselves. To do those things we need to be free to dream, and we need to encourage imagination. We need to encourage people like you, Siff.”

“Wha…why? How long was I out? Are you serious? This is incredible!”

“I’m dead serious. We’re making

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