“Good evening,” the Captain said, his tone formal. “I expect you know why I’m here.”
“Look, Sir,” Thomas began, “I know what I did earlier was wrong, but I didn’t think it was bad enough to warrant a visit from the Captain of the ship. I accept whatever punishment is bestowed upon me. There was no need for you to have to come here. I won’t resist having my title of Governor stripped from me.”
“I’m not here to strip your title,” the Captain replied coolly. “I want to find out what’s wrong.”
“I’m sorry, Sir, I’m not sure what you mean,” Thomas replied with confusion.
The Captain sighed, relaxing his posture as the look of stress reappeared on his face.
“Your transition to the upper floors hasn’t exactly gone how I imagined it would. I want to make sure that you and your family are coping with your new status. When they were questioned, the two gentlemen you scolded earlier admitted they had been making derogatory comments about you and your family prior to the attack. This, coupled with the rest of the stories I’ve heard about your struggle to fit in, leads me to understand why you chose to do what you did. Now usually, I would not bother myself with a matter so trivial. As you can imagine, I have many more important duties to attend to than this. However, it appears my daughter has become rather close to your son, and she has become somewhat invested in what happens to your family,” he paused, wrinkling his nose with disgust. “If I punish you for it, it will displease her greatly. So, please, tell me what you need in order to become happy in your new home.”
“I don’t understand,” Thomas blinked.
“What’s it going to take for you and your family to acclimatise to life on Floor Two?” the Captain re-iterated. “Whatever it is, I can give it to you. Would a bigger apartment do? More credits? Higher status amongst the Governors? Name your price, Thomas, and I shall make it happen.”
“I don’t think it’s that simple,” Thomas replied slowly. “It isn’t material items we need. It’s acceptance. You can’t control what the people here think of us.”
The Captain considered this for a moment, unsure how to respond.
“Perhaps you’re right,” he sighed. “I might be able to do something, though. Maybe I can hold a meeting. Ask the Governors to behave with a bit more courtesy”
“If you really wanted to help, Sir, you could get rid of the system that caused all of this in the first place,” Thomas suggested, emboldened by his escape from punishment.
“Get rid of the system?” the Captain repeated with uncertainty.
“Yes, Sir,” Thomas nodded. “With all due respect, the way things are run on this ship don’t make any sense. There’s enough on board for everyone. Why do some of us have to live in squalor while the rest live in luxury? If you split everything evenly, life could be better for everyone.”
The Captain blinked, struggling to comprehend the concept.
“This is not my ship, Mr. Campbell, it doesn’t belong to me,” he replied. “I was positioned to oversee the journey to Novum, but I do not control the regulations that are set. This has all been pre-determined, and there’s nothing anyone can do to fight against it, despite whatever dreamy ideologies certain secret groups in our midst might have.”
“But, you’re the Captain,” Thomas argued. “How can you not control what happens?”
“Trust me when I tell you I can’t,” the Captain replied. “There’s nothing more to discuss. I only urge you to stop directing your anger in the wrong places. The people that surround you on this floor have no more involvement in what you and your family have suffered than I do. They simply enjoy the life they have been given and feel glad it isn’t them struggling at the bottom. If you had boarded the Mayfly as one of the original elite members, you would be the same. It’s human nature.”
“Well, unless things change, people will continue to be angry,” Thomas shot back, irritated by the Captain’s nonchalance. “The Society of the Enlightened may be discovered and defeated, but there will be more like them. People will only tolerate oppression for so long. Standing up to fight against injustice is human nature, too, Sir.”
The Captain scoffed at the prospect.
“Tell me, how do you expect we would get to Novum if everyone in charge was overthrown? The coordinates of the planet are confidential. There are things about this mission that only myself and a select few others know. The Mayfly wouldn’t last five minutes without us. I suggest you stop wasting your time hoping for something that will never happen and start enjoying the comfortable life that you have so kindly been given.”
The Captain picked up his hat, placing it on his head and making his way over to the door, his shoulders held square and rigid with anger as he turned his back on the entire conversation.
“If you manage to think of anything that will make you more agreeable, then please, let me know” he ordered Thomas, placing his hand on the door handle. “Until then, I expect you to return to work as normal. The gentlemen who were burnt by the coffee have been sent home after a brief trip to the Medic Ward, and have been warned against causing you any more trouble. There’s no place for your discontent on this ship, Thomas, so I suggest you start showing some gratitude for the privileges that you have.”
He opened the door and walked through it, slamming it shut behind him with such force that the walls shook upon his exit. Thomas stood still for a moment, the Captain’s harrowing threat lingering in the air. Fear swelled in his chest, and he felt an immeasurable sadness that the Captain of the ship, who was solely responsible for the rebuilding of their country when they reached Novum, believed material items were all it took to be happy. He could only imagine what kind of world they were headed towards, wondering how different it would be from the one they had left behind.
He was about to go to bed and stew in his misery when Justin came barging through the door, his face red with exertion and his brow moist with sweat. Looking incredibly flustered, he walked over to the I-Fridge, pulling a cold drink from its depths and slamming it shut before it could begin interacting with him. Thomas watched as he gulped the entire bottle of water down in a few seconds, wiping his mouth with the back of his sleeve and panting as he made for the solitude of his bedroom.
“Where in the Universe have you been?” Thomas asked him before he had a chance to escape.
“Just out,” Justin answered curtly, not stopping to look back at his father as he walked into his bedroom and shut the door.
“What is happening to my family?” Thomas asked himself out loud, praying that when he went to collect Finley from the Shuttle the following morning, he would find someone who actually resembled his son, rather than the shell of a boy he had become over the past few months.
Before he could turn in for the night, Thomas decided to check on his two daughters, peeking into each of their bedrooms on his way to his own bed. Felicity was fast asleep, curled up under her thick, warm quilt, an expression of utter contentment on her face as she enjoyed whatever sweet dreams her mind was indulging her in. Not wishing to disturb her, Thomas left the room quietly, comforted by the knowledge that at least one of his children was happy with their new life.
He knocked on Jessica's door and peeked his head around, finding her at her desk, sewing together an elaborate dress design she had been working on for the past few days. Her room was filled with mannequins draped in fabrics of every colour and texture, the floor covered with sewing materials strewn at random following the abandonment of several unsuccessful projects. Seeing that she was distracted, he wished her a brief goodnight and left, allowing her to remain absorbed within the comfort of her work.
Entering his own room, Thomas undressed, pulling on the pair of checked, flannel pyjamas his wife, Tina, had brought for Hallowed Eve several years previously. Sliding into bed, he turned the lights off with a click of his fingers, relishing in the quiet solitude that engulfed him the moment darkness fell. Despite his exhaustion, he forced his mind to stay awake, wantin
g to treasure every moment that he was at home. He knew the sooner he fell asleep, the sooner morning would come, forcing him to return to work and continue in his responsibilities as Governor, or else risk upsetting the Captain further.
Rolling over, he stared at the empty space in bed beside him, hoping his wife, Tina, would soon be home. When they had lived on Floor Seven, they had often spent hours talking into the night, discussing their problems and laughing about old memories until all their stress melted away, allowing them to sleep soundly. Often, they had talked about Earth, recounting the blissful days before the Wars, when they had been young and carefree, their heads full of dreams as they looked with hope towards a future they were blissfully unaware would never exist. Since they had moved, however, Tina had spent hardly any time at home, taking on extra shifts in the maid role that she had refused to give up. He had found it hard to understand her decision at first, having always thought the work demeaned her. However, in time he had realised that the job had become a part of her, and that much like the other members of his family, she was clinging desperately onto the last shred of normality she had left in the strange new world they had found themselves in.
Eventually, Thomas lost the battle to stay awake and drifted off, arriving in the dreaded morning after what felt like only a few seconds. He rose, thankful that his promise to collect Finley for the school holiday meant he was able to delay going to his office for a few more hours. He dressed and readied himself with speed, his trepidation towards work replaced by his eagerness to reunite with his youngest son after months of separation.
He walked to the lift and rode to Loading Deck E, joining with the procession of excited families making their way to collect their loved ones. Several robot Guards had been assigned to patrol the platform after the ruckus that had ensued at the start of the school year, and as Thomas approached the Shuttle, he noticed a group of them escorting Finley and his friends towards the safety of the doors. He rushed over, attempting to intervene, as he hastily explained to the unsympathetic bots that he was Finley's father. He was met with a cold response, with one of the Guards ordering him firmly to remain at least three metres away from their party at all times, or else face being arrested.
Thomas followed behind the clan patiently, keeping a safe distance until they had exited the platform, the robots disbanding to allow their charges freedom once their duty had been fulfilled. Thomas embraced Finley warmly the moment he set eyes on him, placing a protective hand on his shoulder. He allowed him to say a quick goodbye to his friends before he pulled him away down the corridor.
"Have you had a good first term?" Thomas asked him as they walked quickly in the direction of the lift.
“It’s been okay,” Finley shrugged. “The same as usual.”
“Have you got much homework for the holidays?” Thomas continued casually, sensing an edge to his son’s voice.
“Some,” he replied. “Mr. Mayhem has set us a whole topic to do on the anatomy of robots. Aside from that, I only have revision to do.”
“Mr. Mayhem?” Thomas repeated, the name sounding strangely familiar.
“That’s not his real name,” Finley explained. “He’s called Mr. Mayheim, but all the students call him ‘Mayhem’ as a joke.”
Thomas stopped dead in his tracks, the words he had overheard in the tunnels the previous day coming back to him in a flash. For a moment, he was uncertain whether he should warn Finley that a mysterious plot was once again being centred around his school, however, a brief look at his son convinced him he had been through enough, and he decided against it, smiling as convincingly as possible as he tried his best to cover for his strange behaviour.
“Sorry,” Thomas apologised. “I just remembered something important.”
Finley nodded his acceptance, too deep in thought to press the issue. Thomas walked in silence for a moment, toying with the idea of what would be the best course of action.
“Son…” he began slowly. “I need you to promise me something.”
“What is it, Dad?” Finley asked him, a note of panic detectable in his voice.
“Promise me you’ll be careful,” Thomas implored. “At school. Keep your head down. Don’t get involved in anything dangerous.”
“What could be more dangerous than what happened last year?” Finley asked his father, his eyes wide with terror.
“I just have a bad feeling, that’s all. I can’t explain it” Thomas shook his head. “I need to know that you’ll be safe at the Academy.”
“Is there something I should know?” Finley demanded, wringing his hands together with nerves.
“No, there’s nothing to worry about” Thomas comforted him. “Just be on your guard. If there’s one thing my job as Governor has taught me, it’s that no one can be trusted.”
Thomas steered Finley into the lift, checking over his shoulder to ensure their conversation hadn’t been overheard. He wasn’t sure of the severity of what he had discovered in the maintenance tunnels, but he was certain that whoever had been speaking would not be best pleased to know that someone had been eavesdropping. Chills ran down his spine as he contemplated what might happen to him if he was found out. As the lift pulled away, he felt a sense of relief, soothed by the knowledge that he and his son would soon be in the safety of their home, away from the public eye.
Once Thomas and Finley were out of sight, the man who had been walking a few paces behind them stopped suddenly and removed his dark glasses, pulling his Personal Device from his wrist strap as he contacted his leader, eager to share with him the intel he had gained from following the famous boy and his father.
“Hello?” his leader said, picking up the call on its audio function to ensure his face didn’t appear on video.
“They know something,” the man told him, sighing heavily as he confirmed his leader’s suspicions. “The father more than the boy. Perhaps Justin has betrayed us.”
“No, Justin is loyal to the cause” his leader replied dismissively. “I’m certain he’d be willing to die for us if he had to. I don’t believe he would have told his father.”
“What should we do?” the man replied, feeling the weapon he kept concealed in his jacket pocket as he awaited his next set of orders.
“Nothing to harm the Campbells if that’s what you’re thinking,” his leader said sternly. “All we must do now is put our plan into motion, and fast. Having you stationed at the Academy has been hugely beneficial, however, now we must move our mission to the Mayfly. Time is of the essence. We must retrieve that device before more innocent people suffer at our Captain’s hands.”
“Understood,” the man answered, hanging up his Device in one swift motion. “Now,” he said to himself. “Time to find the old man...”
11.
The Impossible Yearning
Elsie admired herself in the mirror, studying her appearance as she turned from side to side, the sequins on her dress catching the light as she moved. She walked across her bedroom floor, enjoying the sound of her heels clacking against the laminate floorboards as she moved. Noticing the time on her Personal Device, she dashed through her apartment, grabbing her handbag from its discarded position on the sofa as she headed towards the door, fretting at the realisation of how late she already was.
Rushing into the hallway, Elsie berated herself for the amount of time she had spent getting ready, having become lost in the pleasure of dressing up to attend the annual Hallowed Eve party, which was to be held in the Celebration Hall. Her mind had become pre-occupied with thoughts of the days before The Split when she had spent many nights holed up in cosy bars the students at College Snowdonia had kept running in the deserted town around them. She had become so engrossed in the process of doing her make-up that Will had got bored, deciding to go ahead without her, his eagerness to see his friends after a few days apart, making his impatience unbearable. As a result, Elsie had found herself travelling to the lobby alone, daydreams of her past clouding her mind as she went.
&nb
sp; Her mind remained pre-occupied until she had reached the Celebration Hall, passing the two robot Guards who were flanking each side of the door without difficulty. The moment she entered the party, she was pulled harshly back into reality, the sound of clinking glasses and soft music pulling her from her reverie. Her eyes searched immediately for Will, who she located standing with his friends in a small huddle, chatting merrily as they sipped orange juice from champagne flutes. Satisfied that he was safe and well, Elsie began seeking her own circle of friends, making a beeline towards Alfie, who was standing surrounded by a group of three men, each one speaking in a loud voice as they vied for the Captain’s attention.
Striding over, Elsie forced the group to part in the middle as she joined in amongst their ranks. Alfie smiled warmly in her direction, his face full of gratitude that she had come to his rescue. The men around him faltered, their conversation fading as they turned their attention to the newest member of their group. There was a certain familiarity about them, and Elsie was sure she had seen one or two of them at previous parties, though she struggled to recall their identities. Noticing the awkward silence, Alfie cleared his throat, standing up straight and fixing his expression into its default mode of an authoritarian glare.
“Allow me to introduce Elsie,” he announced, gesturing in her direction. “Elsie is an old friend of mine from Earth.”
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