Siff waits outside the doors of Culmen High School, hugging textbooks to her chest, shifting from one foot to the other, eyes flicking to the main doors every few seconds as more students file out for the day. We’ve been dating over three months now, I’ve got to start trusting him at some point. Where is he though? I gave him the combination to my locker, he shouldn’t be taking this long. Siff makes a mental note to change her locker combination at the next opportunity. She’s done such a good job these last ten years of hiding her thoughts about this immense starship they inhabit, and her resentment of their mission that is illegal to question. But if Noven were to pry into her notebooks too much—one yellow notebook in particular she forgot is in her locker—he would read of her longing for the freedom to choose her own destiny, and her bitter questioning of the mission for giving life without hope. If he were to find those notes, even one page, there would be enough to end any chance of Siff having a normal life. Or possibly any life. But she had forgotten some homework and he’d jumped at the opportunity to help; her saying no at this point in the relationship would have seemed suspicious in itself. Wouldn’t it? Oh come on Siff, relax…Where is he???

Noven is a good-looking, athletic eighteen year old: one year older than Siff. His friends are all in the popular circles, and never used to give Siff any attention. They still don’t, really. Which is why it was such a surprise that she would gain his attention. Siff is not low on self-esteem, but she is very quiet and keeps to herself. Friends are few and far between for her, and have been for a while now. She doesn’t mind so much, it protects her illegal thoughts from being found out, and her friends from being…disappeared.

Siff does have one friend that has been close since childhood. His name is Bellerophon, but people just call him Bear, and for good reason. He is a nineteen-year-old sculpture of a man: six foot four and physically stronger than anyone Siff knows. There were recruiters hoping to get him into the security program, but he doesn’t have the mindset for it, plus the AI didn’t agree with the fit. He graduated last year into the pilot program and it is all he ever talks about. He and Siff are supposed to be hanging out after school, but Noven is taking his sweet time!

“Come on!” she mutters.

“You called?” Noven is standing behind her smiling, homework in hand. Siff’s relief is palpable, “Oh! Thank you!” She hugs him tight and then adds the homework to the books in her arms.

“Siff, I don’t know why you don’t just use the system like everyone else. It’s way easier.”

“I just like paper better, Noven. It feels more natural. More…tactile.”

Noven relieves her of the books so they can walk and hold hands, he chuckles, “More heavy and cumbersome you mean.”

Siff rolls her eyes and nudges him with her shoulder as they walk away toward the downtown.

When the mission first started, the ship was extremely formal and unadorned. The mighty Janus almost 200 kilometers wide and over 2000 kilometers long. And though the majority of this space is given to the Chosen Ones’ habitat, there are still thousands of sectors carrying the last few hundred-thousand of the human race. So set were the original builders on their mission to care for the Chosen Ones, they did not think of giving anyone else significant access to greenery. But it was quickly discovered humanity was a lot happier and able to fulfill the mission when given access to parks, flowers, and wildlife. And not just the VR versions. Over the first few centuries the ship accumulated a plethora of scenery and plants that continue to adorn much of the commonly used districts millennia later. Siff and Noven now walk the halls of the mighty ark Janus with barely any of its original steel veneer visible beneath the gentrification. One might not even realize they were drifting through the vast outer reaches of space if not for the massive viewing windows interspersed about the craft revealing distant stars and nebulae. Pinpricks of light in the vast ocean of darkness, dust clouds creating multi-colored monolithic art spread over light years, the wonders of the universe laid before them made invisible by familiarity.

The young lovers take in the sights of the market and the romance of beautiful architecture, conversation slowly dwindling into silence as they appreciate the beauty of their surroundings and the pleasant intimacy of their walk. The ambient noise dwindles as they come close to Siff’s home by the park. It is a large, two-story home, situated in a quieter portion of the ship, complete with a surrounding yard and all the amenities. She lives with her father who holds the position of Chief Pilot and therefore the title of Jupiter on the Council of Four: the commanders of Janus. Given the importance of his position, Siff’s father is rarely home when she gets back from school, and today is no different. Bellerophon is waiting for her outside the front door.

“Hey you two! What took you so long? Long romantic walk in the park make you forget about our plans?”

“Hey Bear! Nah, someone decided to take their sweet time fetching my homework from my locker.”

“You’re welcome.” Noven smiles and gives her a nudge.

“What? You let someone inside your locker? Noven, you must be a pretty special guy ‘cos Siff trusts nobody to go in her locker. Kudos on the relationship milestone, you two!”

“Oh shut up, Bear.” Bellerophon just grins at her and turns to her boyfriend.

“You want to join us? We’re going to hit up the VR then have supper at Mencho’s.”

“Thanks, but I’ve got airball practice in thirty mins: I’ll catch you later. See you, Babe.”

Noven gives Siff a quick kiss and then walks back toward the downtown.

“He never has warmed up to me, has he?”

“I think you scare him.”

“What? I’m friendly.”

“I know, but…you’re also a little intimidating.”

“Ha! If he got to know me he’d relax a little. Anyway, you ready to go?”

Siff opens the front door, quickly organizes her schoolwork into piles on the nearby counter, then steps back outside. The door clicks shut behind her excited face, “Yep! Let's go.”