Jupiter holds Siff’s arm in a vice-grip as he leads her through the streets. There is a sense of panic in the general population as security forces pour out of their deployment pods and head toward hitherto unthought-of doors, disappearing into mysterious hallways. Siff wonders how many people know about the lower levels. She wonders if even all the security forces know what’s down there. That would be a major mind-job, getting called out to an emergency to find you’re a member of an oppressive regime. Maybe they’ll rebel against their programming. ‘Brainers’. Sheesh. Who would have thought? I hope the truth gets out before Macy’s people can be stopped. I know the people up here will stand up to tyrannical leadership if they only see what’s going on.

A transport pulls up and her father almost throws her into the back seat before jumping in next to her. The military driver turns them around and speeds them through the confusion. Siff has a feeling where they are heading, but asks anyway, “Where are we-“

“The Bridge. Conference room. Emergency meeting.”

She’s never been to the Bridge before, but she knows it’s where her father pretty much lives. A sense of emerging anxiousness starts to build in her gut. She knows she’s in trouble, but she also knows that what she did was the right thing to do. Whatever happens next, she can live with herself. Especially since Macy promised to get her into the Chosen Ones’ environment. How long do you think it will take her to get me out of this mess and into that freedom? Wherever they put me now, Macy can get me out.

The transport speeds its way to the Pilots’ main building where they are met by armed guards who escort them through a foyer and into an elevator. They travel up for several minutes before the elevator reaches its limit and they exit. The guards escort them down a hallway where they pass through a security checkpoint and are taken by a different unit to another elevator. The seven of them stand in silence for another couple of minutes before the doors open and another hallway lays before them. The group walk past several doors toward a large main door that Siff can only assume would open to the bridge. They stop just short of this and open a door to the right. Siff and her father step in while the guards wait outside.

Inside the room waits the three other heads-of-state, sitting around a conference table. Saturn, Siff’s mother; Pluto, the caretaker of the Chosen Ones; and Mars, the man who saved her life twice without her even being aware. None of them look to be in any kind of gracious mood.

Jupiter takes her to a chair and sits next to her, “Fellow heads-of-state, we have an emergency. I have reason to believe there has been a security breach and encrypted information has been given to the Lower Levels in the form of a data chip. Somehow contact was made to my daughter and she was used as a mule to access, steal, and deliver this contraband. While a fitting punishment is more than required, our immediate concern is the retrieval of this data and the illimination of all knowledge of it. Siff. What did they steal?”

All eyes look in shock to Siff, who is feeling defiantly afraid. She is angry with how she has been lied to all these years, and how the most pressing injustice is being blatantly ignored.

“Why do you treat them that way? What gives you the right?”

“Shut up, girl. You know nothing about what is right, or what is necessary.” Siff’s mother is outraged, “We should have cast you out the first time you showed your colors, but softer hearts prevailed.” She looks over to Jupiter, “Now look at the fruit of your kindness!”

“That’s enough.” Mars interjects, “This is a security issue and as such I shall be heading up the investigation. We have troops on the ground and intelligence officers undercover, but we need to know who has the data chip and what is on it. Siff. Look at me. I’ve done everything in my power to protect you thus far, but still you have been manipulated by your ideals. What’s on the chip, and who did you give it to?”

“How could you treat them like that?! I saw with my own eyes how your troops abuse the people down there. I experienced it myself! Your own troops are brainwashed by the technology you give them to wear! They are violent and evil! Do you know this? Your ‘Brainers’? You sit here and feign nobility, but you aren’t noble! You hide slaves in the basement and pretend we live in paradise!”

“Everything you have is because we have built it for you. Without those on the lower levels your standard of living would not be nearly so high. You have enjoyed the benefits of their work your whole life-“

“But I didn’t know they were down there! If we can’t live like this without treating them like that, then we shouldn’t live like this!”

“That’s very noble, child. But think about the repercussions of that ideal. If we have no-one to maintain the unhealthy and dangerous particulars of their work, then it will not just cost us our comfortable lifestyles, it will cause Janus to fall into disrepair. It will cause the mission to fail.”

“Then maybe it should fail! If we can’t survive without abusing our own kind, maybe we don’t deserve to survive.”

“Exactly, Siff. Exactly.” Pluto, the Caretaker, smiles and leans forward, “We don’t deserve to survive. But the Chosen Ones do. Everything we do is for them, not for us. We recognized the limits of our humanity long ago and know full well the judgement we deserve. But the Chosen Ones deserve to live. They truly have a future. And if we stop the mission now, all will be lost for the greatest hope of all. The Lower Levels’ misery is an unfortunate necessity for hope to be realized.

“You are right. We don’t deserve to survive. And we won’t. But we must survive just a little bit longer so that those who do deserve hope can have it. It is important you tell us the data you gave to the Lower Levels. We need to know for the hope of the Chosen Ones. It is necessary.”

“I don’t trust any of you. You are all liars. I hate you all.”

“Very well, we don’t have time to negotiate further.”

“Mars, no.”

“I’ve had enough Baldr. I told you I wouldn’t protect her again. Guards, take her to interrogation.”

It is in this moment the projection in the center console lights up and a silhouetted face appears. The room pauses to see what is going on. “Hello gods and goddesses, this is your slave speaking. Take a look outside: every projector and screen on Janus is currently playing a pre-recorded message informing your people of our existence, and of your treatment of us. I have access to every door on the ship and with just a thought can set my people free upon you. They are angry but I will keep them here with me for the moment.”

“Who are you and what do you want?” Jupiter shows no sign of fear.

“I want to negotiate a better life for my people. I have demands that need to be met. The first of which is to release Siff to us. The second is to stand your forces down. Once you have done this I shall give you further instructions. As for who I am, the people down here have long called me Diana, and that is how I shall be known by you.”

The image flickers and disappears, the heads-of-state look outside and see every screen and projector with images of the lower levels and a narrative voice speaking over them “…we have been here the whole time, hidden from you and abused by those who…”

“My forces are reporting they are unable to access the lower levels. The ones down there are encountering heavy resistance and are severely outnumbered.” He looks over at Siff, “Are you even beginning to grasp what you have done? People are already dying because of you.”

“I didn’t want violence, I-“

“What the hell did you think was going to happen, Siff?!”

“We need to let her go, or we’re going to lose control of the populace.” Saturn’s clenched fists betray her anger, “We need to get our tech back under control. Mars, can you do that?”

“We’re working on it right now. And I agree, get her out of here. Take her to the elevators, I’m sure they’ll work for her.”

As Siff is marched out of the room she hears Mars continue, “Saturn, we need you to work on damage control…”

Chapter 14: Emergency Meeting

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Chapter 14: Emergency Meeting

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