Siff walks in wonder through the crowds of the upper levels as they stare at the images around them. She recognizes Macy’s voice sharing about the lower levels and their suffering, the images are hard to look at: children starving in the street, parents being beaten by security, sickly and elderly being forced to work to death. Siff is escorted through a security door and to a hallway where several squadrons are waiting to be deployed, if only the elevators would work. She approaches one of the elevators and it does not open. Her escorts step back from her and the doors slide apart. She takes a gulp, steels herself, and steps inside the large room designed to hold security squadrons; she feels tiny and alone in the empty space. As she turns she sees the faces of men and women staring at her before the doors shut and she feels the elevator begin its long trip down.

It is a much different ride than her previous experience. There is no rushing of air past her face, nor abject terror of the risk of being burned alive, nor sliding down cold steel in the dark. But there is still fear. Fear of what she has done. Fear of what she is about to be a part of. Fear of what might happen next. Fear of never seeing her father again, and of being responsible for the deaths of men, women, and children. All she wanted was to have hope, and now she may have brought about the end of hope for all humanity.

This journey takes a few minutes less than her previous one, and when the doors do inevitably open she finds herself in a security hangar with soldiers kneeling at gunpoint, waiting to be deported to the upper levels. One of Macy’s bodyguards is waiting for her and motions for Siff to exit. She steps out and follows him as the Upper Level soldiers she walks by are commanded to stand.

The city Siff walks into is a different place than earlier, with people laughing and celebrating and armed militias wandering the streets. She follows the silent man to a large circular building surrounded by armed guards. They head inside and into another elevator to reach the top level. Once there they walk to an administrative control room where Macy is attached to a control board and talking to several military leaders who sit around her as she works through the uplink, “We need to be firm but not show our hand just yet. If we do this right we can make this work for us in profound ways. Remember the end goal…Siff! You made it! Good to see you! Have a seat, I’ll be right there.”

Siff sits down as Macy dismisses her generals. The room empties and Siff speaks up, “You’re kind of a big deal down here, aren’t you? Bigger than you were letting on.”

Macy smiles, “You are too, Siff. The people saw what you did for that kid. They saw you stand up for him. You helped them believe the Upper Levels could care about us if they only saw what was going on. You helped me convince them to hold back from an all-out attack. To give your people a chance to see and to change. That’s what’s happening now.”

“Except you’re killing people, aren’t you? I never wanted violence. I just wanted injustice to stop.”

“Your noble naiveté never disappoints, Siff. You think for a second the powerful will willingly give up their power? As soon as you sent us the information, what happened?”

“…”

“You were arrested and abducted by your own father. You were interrogated and about to be tortured. They are sold to their power, but you are not. You need to understand that for life to get better down here, your people are going to have to make some sacrifices. Some of the lifestyles they are used to are not going to be feasible without slave-labour. Your leaders are not okay with that, and there are many who will side with them. But thanks to you we know there are those who will be willing to make Janus a true haven of what humanity can accomplish.”

Siff looks down, wrestling with her thoughts. Macy walks over to her, “I don’t want anyone to die, either. But I must fight for my people.”

“Why ‘Diana’?”

“Come on, Siff. You know your mythology. You Upper Levels are obsessed with it.”

“I know, but you hate it. Why take on a god-name?”

“First rule of communication: know who you’re talking to. If you want to send a message, send it in such a way as they will understand what you are saying. Your heads-of-state might not recognize a teenage leader of a rebellion, but they know exactly who Diana is.

“The people here believe in what I stand for. And they also believe in you. Come on, let me show you.”

Macy disconnects herself from the computers and takes Siff by the hand. She leads her through a couple more doors and into a room with an open balcony. The generals are waiting with several armed men and women standing over a bound and kneeling security team. As they approach the balcony Siff recognizes them as the ones who beat her just a few hours before. As they reach the balcony a great shout of praise comes from the crowd below. Macy raises her hands and motions for silence, then grasps a microphone to address the people, “My fellow slaves! My fellow long-suffering servants of the mission! My fellow hidden and abused children! My dear friends! Welcome, to the revolution!” A great cheer rises from the crowd below and fists pump in the air as Macy once again waits for the noise to abate, “Today we have called on the overlords to cease their evil against us, and have shown we have the power to do them great harm. Their forces were no match for us and we have driven them from our homes. Be proud, mighty warriors! The future is yours!”

The cheers resound again and Macy raises her hand to continue, “But wait, I have something I need you to see.” Macy beckons for the screens to play the video of Siff standing up for the child, “Many of you have already seen this. I brought an Upper Leveler here and showed her our world and our suffering. As you can see, she not only stood up for us, she also took a beating from her own people.” The crowd is silent in respect as they watch the events unfold before them, “But good people, there is more. This girl returned to her people to work for us. Once again she risked her life for us so that we could protect ourselves and rise against our oppressors.” The screen switches to show inside Siff’s home as she copied her father’s data and dropped it down the furnace chute, “It is because of her heroism that we are able to stand as we do today. She was captured by her leaders, but we managed to help her escape. That’s right, good people, our hero is with us right now! Welcome our newest ally, Siff!” There is a great cheer as Macy waves for Siff to come to the balcony. She is hesitant, but Macy’s welcoming expression brings her forward.

Siff looks over to the crowd beneath. Thousands of onlookers showing smiling faces and adoring eyes, clapping and cheering and pumping their fists in the air. A people given hope for a different tomorrow. Siff is sheepish and unsure what to do with herself. She has only ever been the center of attention when she is in trouble, and as much as she wants to appreciate the love being poured on her by a grateful people, she can’t help but feel she is in more trouble now than she has ever been.

Macy lets the cheers continue for a few more moments before raising her microphone again, “Good people of the Lower Levels, Siff is a perfect example to us of how those above us can change if only they see our plight. Because of this, our first objective is not violence against them, but to make ourselves and our suffering known. Many will come to see us and help us, perhaps even convince their leaders to change. Siff is a light to us and a promise. A promise that not all who live on the upper levels are evil.

“But even so, we must be prepared for those who wish us harm. Bring them forward.”

The security detail are brought to the balcony and forced to kneel before the people. Shouts begin to come from the crowd: calls to violence and vengeance as the detail is recognized.

“Good people, what should be done with our enemies? How should we treat those who have so abused us?” Calls for death are mixed with calls for violent revenge and torture. “My people, calm yourselves. These violent criminals deserve everything you call for. Indeed, death would be a mercy for such animals. But we have with us the most recent victim of their crimes. The protector of the weak, and newly formed ally: Siff.” Macy turns to a terrified friend and smiles at her encouragingly, “What say you, Siff? The ones who beat you and crushed you under their boots for no other reason than malice. The ones who have persecuted our people every moment of every day they have been here. What should be done with them?” Macy lifts a gun and points it at one of their heads. Siff instinctively rushes forward to stand between the weapon and its intended victim, “What then, Siff, if not execution? How should we punish them? How would you punish them?”

“…”

“I put their lives in your hands, Siff. What would you have me do?”

“I just…I just want them to change. I don’t want them to die.”

“Then we shall let them live.”

“Can we send them back? Back to the upper levels?”

There are murmurs of discontent among the crowd, “Now, now, good people. Don’t be consumed with hatred like our enemies. Siff is showing us true freedom. The freedom to forgive. We shall send them home. Yes, yes, I hear your grievance. You long for blood and for revenge. Do not fear, we shall send them back with a clear message of our demand for freedom and equality. And if any of them try to crush us again we shall strike back with all of our ferocity and you shall have your blood!” There are cheers again as Macy finishes, “Thank you Siff, for showing us the way.”

Macy leads Siff from the balcony and back out the doors as soldiers move over the captives behind them. Siff’s mind is reeling: what in the…fuck was that?

They walk down a couple of hallways before Macy opens a door to an apartment and ushers Siff inside, “You’ve had a crazy couple of days, Siff. And your bruises are starting to show. This is your place for as long as you want it. There’s a bedroom, a bathroom, a couch, a kitchen, and a med-bed. Get some rest and heal up. Welcome to the new world.”

The door closes and Siff is left alone. She shuffles to the med-bed and receives a scan that heals her cracked ribs and bruises, then she wanders over to the bed and collapses into a deep sleep.