There is a gentle nudging and Siff groggily regains consciousness on her bed. Her father sits next to her, his hand on her shoulder, “Siff, we need to talk.”

She rolls over and rubs her eyes. Sitting up she begins to remember the events of her day and sees her drawing in her father’s hand. Ohhhhhhhhhh skita. Here we go.

“I found this in your jacket this morning.” Siff’s insides knot up so fast she thinks she’s going to pass out. “I took it with me to work for two reasons: first, I didn’t want you to be caught with it. Second, I wanted to think about what to do with it.

“I noticed the writing on the back. I also noticed it is not in your handwriting. Have you been contacted by anyone?”

Siff stares at the ground in silence.

“If you have been contacted by anyone, I need to know, Siff. I need to know what is going on. It is the only way I can protect you.”

Silence.

“Siff. You have no idea how serious this is. This isn’t just a danger to you, it’s a danger to the whole mission. And if this mission is deemed a failure, it is a danger to our entire race.”

“….”

“Siff, you have to talk to me. We need to protect you from evil people who might be manipulating you.”

Flashes of seeing a child beaten and spat on spur her anger. She knows she shouldn’t say anything, but she can’t stop her indignation, “Stop people from manipulating me? That’s a great idea. And while we’re at it, let's stop people from lying to me as well! You knew! You knew, Dad! You knew! And you did nothing! You knew!” Tears are streaming down her face.

“What did I know, sweetheart? What did I know?”

“The lower levels! I’ve seen it! I’ve seen those poor people we keep as slaves! Out of sight. Tortured. Starved. Worked to death! And you knew! You knew! How long have you known? How long have you known and done nothing!?”

“Honey, this is far bigger than them, or me. The mission-“

“The mission is a lie! We pretend to have this holy and righteous purpose, but what about us is worth saving if we treat them like that?! How can you stand the hypocrisy? How can you know that is happening and be proud of your reflection in the mirror?”

“I see my reflection and I am proud.” He stands up and holds the paper out, “I stand for the mission and all it entails. There are things that must be done to protect our purpose, and while those things may be difficult to stomach, they are necessary. And so I will fulfill my duty and protect our way of life. And a part of that is to find who these dissenters are and bring them to justice. I will do so with your help or not. But I can only help you if you help me. Who contacted you? And what did they tell you?” He hands her the paper, “Who told you you are not alone?”

Siff takes her drawing back and storms into the living room. She sees her father’s workscreen sitting on the table and immediately walks toward it. With her father following her he cannot see the drive she pulls out of her pocket, nor see her place it on his workscreen underneath her drawing, “We need to set them free, Dad. They need to experience life as we do. How can you look at such suffering and be okay with it?”

“I am not okay with it, but I understand the necessity. There is a greater purpose to what we do than the lives of a few people. There must be the occasional sacrifice to ensure the future of humanity.”

“That’s easy to say when you’re not the one being sacrificed.”

“You think I don’t sacrifice every day? The work I put in, the decisions I have to make? The way I saved you twice so far from severe repercussions. Do you think I didn’t have to sacrifice to make that happen? There is a greater purpose and not even your idealism is allowed to stand its way.”

“Idealism? I just want people to be treated like human beings!”

“If there is a halt in their production at any time, this entire ship, your entire way of life, could collapse!”

“If we need to treat people that way to survive, then maybe we shouldn’t survive!”

“But humanity can survive! The Chosen Ones are showing us it is possible. And while we are not them, and never could be, we can see the hope for our species.”

Siff hears a buzz under her drawing and reaches for it. She picks up the drive with her paper and makes her way to the furnace chute, “How can you justify that kind of suffering when you have the power to make it better? How long have you known, Dad? How long have you known and done nothing?” She holds the picture up, keeping the drive out of sight behind it, “My dreams of what humanity could be are nothing, and so are your ideals.” And with that she tosses her paper down the chute along with the drive.

Hearing a faint clink, Jupiter’s suspicions are raised, “What did you just do, Siff? What did you just throw down the furnace?”

“I threw my hopes, Dad. And you were wrong, they didn’t just get in contact with me. They showed me. These bruises aren’t just from my beating at school, they’re from the beating I got this morning trying to save a boy from the security forces your Council send down there. How can you know that such things are happening and be okay with them? Not try to change them?”

“Was it just the paper you threw down there? Or was there something else? Tell me, Siff. What did they make you do?”

“They didn’t make me do anything Dad. It was you. It was you and all who came before you. You made me do it. Your cowardice made me do it.”

“What did you do?” Jupiter rushes to his workscreen and flips it on. A warning light shows files have been copied, “Oh my god. You have no idea…” He touches his comm, “Jupiter reporting a security breach. Lower levels have access to encrypted files. Dispatch security immediately.”