Writing > Misbegotten (new addition)

Chapter 35

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Daen:
Chapter 35

Bez made a move to approach him as soon as he left the building, but Simon gave him a tiny shake of the head to warn him off. Even with Bez's support, he still didn't have a chance of overturning this new Constitution, so there was no reason to out his friend. Besides, he might need Bez later on.

What was he going to do? What could he do, under the circumstances? Simon ignored the crowd as he went for his bike. Some were asking him questions, but he just kept his head low and tried to focus on the matter at hand. Once he was underway, things got easier.

Part of him wanted to turn around right there. He could go back to the crowd, and publicly denounce the hypocrisy of their President and Chief Justice. And Senator, for that matter. He'd thought Argent was his friend! He could tell the crowd, in no uncertain terms, what he felt of a government that would accept the help of brave soldiers like Diana in wartime, and then cast them aside when the war was over! Or worse, in this case, lock them up and threaten to harm them!

Some people would listen, he was sure. His phone was already blowing up with messages of support and solidarity. Most commonly from the pilots who had trained with and fought alongside her. Women weren't allowed to have phones themselves, but he thought it was likely a lot of other women, having heard of Diana's actions, were convincing their husbands or fiancés or boyfriends to speak up on her behalf.

Any rash action on his part could get Diana killed, though!

Adam probably wouldn't want to do something so drastic, but John would. If Simon started stirring the pot at all, their honorable Chief Justice might just decide to throw her in the stew! Slowly, Simon discarded option after option available to him until only one was left. He had to see Diana. He had to hear from her, personally, what she wanted out of this. They were married, after all. He might be the head of the family according to the Faith, but recent events had taught him that she'd been right to ignore those teachings. The founders of the Faith hadn't wanted to maintain the sanctity of the family, or to avoid the degeneracy that had befallen old America, and neither did John, in the modern day. Like them, he just wanted control. So did Adam, even if he was a little cleverer at hiding it.

He braked to a stop, and then put out a foot to stop from falling over on his bike. Fishing out his phone, he put in a call. It rang for a good twenty seconds before someone picked up. That wasn't surprising, really. Simon supposed he should feel fortunate he answered at all.

"I didn't expect to hear from you so soon," Argent said from the other end. "Are you all right? Is the crowd giving you any trouble?"

"I need to speak with Diana, in person," Simon didn't waste any time. He wasn't exactly thrilled with his 'friend' right now. "Can you make that happen?"

"It's possible," Argent answered slowly. "It depends on what you want to say to her. I was glad to hear you didn't go on any tirades once you left. Your words could be important to her fate, but hers are much, much more so."

Simon felt his lip curl into a noiseless snarl. "You want me to convince her to confess? To admit guilt, and accept whatever punishment is coming her way?"

"That would definitely help," Argent responded, and there was no trace of shame or guilt in his voice. "If she makes a recorded confession and acceptance of guilt, the President can broadcast it to the people, and we'll all feel a lot less pressure to punish her harshly. We can't just let her go without any consequences of course, but we can lessen the blow."

Simon tried very hard to keep from screaming all of his hate and rage into the phone. After biting his cheek so hard it started to bleed, he forced a smile, both for anyone who might be watching, and so it would sound in his voice. "I can't just make that decision for her, Argent. It has to be her choice. If she's willing—”

"It's never been her choice, Simon!" Argent cut him off angrily. "It was always yours! You're the head of the family. She is your responsibility, and she has been from the moment you said 'I do.' If you care at all about her fate, you will convince her to make that recording. It's your duty as her husband to look out for her, and that means explaining to her exactly what will happen if she keeps ignoring tradition and law like this!"

Simon couldn't even blame him. Argent didn't have a firebrand in his life like Diana. He was acting as he'd been raised to, and following the beliefs they'd all been taught. Simon might have opened up an educational world for Diana, but she'd taught him just as much about the failings of the Faith.

Still, it seemed like he was getting what he wanted out of this call. "So I can see her?" He prompted Argent after a moment. He didn't want to push too hard, or seem too eager.

Argent let out a sigh. "I'll make the arrangements. You'll have to be blindfolded on the way there and back, just so you know. The President has ordered special security on this one."

"You mean the Chief Justice did," Simon corrected him grimly. "I'm fine with security. Just so long as I can speak to her face to face."

The Senator on the other end hesitated, but then outlined other details for this upcoming sojourn. Simon would apparently be picked up tonight at eight pm exactly, and whisked off to wherever they were holding Diana. He was sure the time was no coincidence either. The vote to ratify the Planetary Constitution would be held at seven. No doubt Argent wanted to keep him from interfering, publicly or privately, with that vote.

Simon had already decided to vote yes on the ratification, and to convince Bez to do the same. John would not forget his disrespectful actions in the Oval Office anytime soon, and he would be looking closely for any signs of dissent. A unanimous ratification vote would just be symbolic, as well as completely fraudulent, but it might lessen suspicion a little. Who cast which vote was supposed to be secret, but Simon wasn't taking any chances. He wouldn't put it past John, or Adam, or even Argent, to sneak a look at the voting record anyway. They could simply order Noah to tell them, and he would have to.

So much for a government by the people.

-.-

A few hours later, he was on his way. Simon sat in one of the gunners' seats in the Archangel, being flown to wherever Diana was. His hands were bound, though not particularly tightly. Apparently a blindfold wasn't enough, because his entire head was in a black fabric bag. At least he could still breathe easily. He had to work hard not to hurl, though. Motion sickness was about ten times worse if you couldn't see where you were going. The pain in his ankle didn't help much, either.

The ratification vote had gone exactly as expected: five to zero in favor. The President had exultantly made the announcement, encouraging the entire population to ask Noah for themselves to confirm it. "With such a resounding cry in favor, there can be no doubt that our future is set, and our course secure. We all can live our lives happily in God's blessings now, knowing that the war is over and our futures are secure. Let no man speak out against this new beginning, or sow the seeds of doubt in any minds. This is our time now, my people. The last challenges have been overcome, and the future is ours!"

Those had been the President's words, and more than a few of them had been directed at Simon. Not that he cared anymore, really. He was getting what he wanted, and it was more than they realized.

The reaction to the vote had been predictable as well. Noah had shown Simon footage from the city center, of people celebrating and setting up an afterparty. It was both an end-of-war party and a recognition of their new code of laws and conduct. Still, his phone had continued to blow up with hidden messages of support from many people. They'd been confused at his choice of vote, and were wondering what he was thinking and planning to do. Simon couldn't risk answering any of them. If Adam could monitor his voting record, there was no reason to think he couldn't monitor Simon's phone as well.

Diana, or rather what she represented, was such a huge threat to this new government's power, that they had imprisoned her off-site. Simon knew approximately how fast the NE-2 could move, and they were just starting to slow down now, which meant that they were about... eighty klicks out from Greater Harmony. It was most likely one of the facilities Noah had set up as an evacuation site, now repurposed as a prison.

Simon wasn't sure what to expect here. He'd read about the American prison system, but it was the Faith's version of things. He had no idea how much of it was true or not. Simon's only other knowledge about prisons came from movies like John Light, or other films depicting people who'd become Christians while in jail, and then dealt with life outside the walls.

The very idea of locking someone up for longer than a day seemed barbaric to him. Still, he lived in a society of about five hundred people, and more than half of them were underage. Maybe if he'd been born into a society of millions, he might feel differently. Or at least that's what the Faith version of American history seemed to want him to feel.

The Archangel touched down, and Simon breathed a sigh of relief. At least Jimmy was a steady-handed pilot. Simon heard the gunner's pod open up, and then rough hands grabbed him by his arms and pulled him down out of the seat. He was deposited on the ground, and swayed slightly under his own weight for a change. The breather under his hood was still positioned safely, but he was tempted to pretend it wasn't, just to mess with them. If the husband of their prize prisoner were to die mysteriously of asphyxiation, less than a day after she'd been imprisoned, it certainly would raise questions.

Simon grimaced under the hood. No it wouldn't. The President had already lied about how unanimous the decision had been, and Simon was sure he would lie about this as well. There was no point in dying, if you were going to lose anyway.

His guards marched him across surprisingly even ground—concrete by the feel of it—before escorting him into an airlock. After the outer door sealed shut, one of them removed his hood, and they all took off their breathers. The inner door opened, revealing a wide-open underground space. Simon stepped in with the others, staring around in wonder. It had been a cave once, obviously, but was now something more. He could see bunkbeds lining one wall of the cavern, and an improvised kitchen on another side. It looked like their old home back in Harmony, and the bunks were all small. This had been for the surviving kids!

A few of them, anyway. It wasn't large enough for all of them. Noah had probably dug out five or six of these, and split the kids up with enough caretakers to look after them. It made sense to use naturally occurring caverns. Not only would they be concealed from the air, but they were much easier to make airtight.

One of the guards (it was Jules, from back near the Oval Office), gestured Simon to one side room, which looked like a storage area or closet. He unbound Simon's hands, and then opened the door. Inside was Diana.

She looked a little ragged, but smiled radiantly upon seeing him. She was sitting in a metal chair, and was handcuffed to a metal table in the middle of the cleaned-out storeroom. Across from her was another chair, which had no doubt been used by whoever had been interrogating her for the last day or so. At least she looked well enough. She'd changed clothes and had a shower apparently, since he'd last seen her, which meant she was being kept in somewhat civil conditions. From some of the movies they'd seen together, not everyone in Earth's old prison systems had been treated so well.

Simon started towards her, intending to grab her in a sideways hug, but Jules grabbed him roughly. "No physical contact with the prisoner," he warned darkly, and pointed at the empty chair. "You have five minutes to talk, starting now. If she agrees to Senator Argent's suggestion, I'll bring a phone in here and make the recording myself. After you're gone," he added, apparently just to twist the knife a little.

"Thank you, Jules," Simon said smoothly, as if everyone had behaved politely and courteously so far. Jules scowled, and stepped back to one corner. It was clear he didn't intend to give them any privacy.

Not that it mattered. He could tell that they were being recorded here anyway, and Diana probably knew that as well. Jules had just been ordered to stay here to make sure Simon didn't do anything stupid. "How are you doing?" He asked carefully.

"Been better," she admitted, shrugging as much as her restraints could allow. "I'm starved for news in here. What's going on out there, anyway? Has Cain been completely dismantled? Is Tycho all right? Did they choose to punish Noah in some way, for what he did?"

"Cain's completely inactive," Simon assured her. "I removed his main power source before I was shuttled back to Greater Harmony. Noah wants to study his programming, since he's so much older. He thinks he can learn a thing or two about heuristics from his older brother's experiences. The President isn't allowing it just yet, but I think he will eventually. I doubt either of them will be punished at all, since they’re just machines, but people will be keeping a closer eye on Noah to make sure he doesn't subvert the law anymore. As for Tycho, I don't know for sure. Most likely he'll get a slap on the wrist, since his real pilot aptitude scores were never high enough to qualify for training, and he was convinced by Noah to do what he did."

She shook her head at all that. "At least the fighting's over. No more drones pouring into our territory, shooting up our domes. I take it Greater Harmony's pressurized again?"

Simon nodded. "I was there for nearly a day before I convinced Argent to let me come out to see you. Here's why," he added, and then outlined the nature of Argent's offer. Her eyes darkened at the idea of confessing and submitting to punishment, but he could see she was considering it.

"I can fight this, and maybe, if enough people sign on, we can get them to release you. But I might just make things worse by trying. I couldn't make that decision for you. What do you want me to do?" He leaned forward earnestly.

"I'm not sure, actually," she admitted slowly, pulling her hands apart as far as they could go in the handcuffs. Then she cupped one inside the other, and Simon barely dared to breathe, much less move.

Her face and upper body were visible from Jules' position, but her hands were blocked by Simon. The cameras, if there were any in here, would be in corners to present the best view, and would be unable to see one of her hands under the other. The lower hand began to tap repeatedly. The movement was barely discernable—not even enough to cast a shadow in this improvised interrogation room—but enough for him to see.

"I thought the President was in a tricky situation with me, when they first arrested me," she went on slowly, and he barely heard the words, but pretended to still be looking at her face. "He couldn't just have me executed, without upsetting the people who agreed with me. Thanks for spreading the word about that, by the way," she added.

It had actually been Bez, but he was too intent to tell her that. "No problem."

"Anyway, he couldn't just let me go, either. That would encourage me to keep breaking the rules, and might inspire others to do the same. I figured that either way, they would have to deal with me publicly, and deal with the situation I caused. What I didn't realize, was that he didn't have to do either. He can just keep me imprisoned here, wherever here is, over the long haul. Eventually, most people will forget about me and go back to their lives. Public pressure will ease over time, and that will make it easier for him to decide when to actually start punishing me. I'll probably be here, or in some other prison elsewhere, for the rest of my natural life."

The tapping had stopped, and her hands had gone still. The message, short though it was, seemed to be over. "Don't say that!" Simon exclaimed, maybe overacting a bit. "I'll find a way to get you out of here eventually."

"Don't," she answered immediately. "I don't want you getting in trouble too. In fact, I don't want anyone to come after me. I'll stay here for as long as is necessary. I won't make any stupid confession recording, but I won't make any waves either. You can take that message back to your Senator," she added, clearly speaking to Jules. Simon glanced over his shoulder, and Jules was glowering.

"I know you're not used to just standing by and letting things happen," she said, turning her attention back to Simon, "but I'm asking you to try. You and anyone else who may want to speak up. Please."

It wasn't like her to plead, but then he knew what she was really asking. He was afraid, yes, but more of losing her than of what she was asking him to do. "I understand. And I will see you again, I promise. Even if it's just another supervised visit like this one." He rose slowly, and she gave him an encouraging smile.

"I know you will."

Even Jules seemed a little humbled by that exchange, as he escorted Simon out and closed the door behind them. He led the way back to the airlock door, fingering something in his pocket. From the shape of it, it was a phone. He was probably planning on reporting everything he'd heard to Argent, the moment the plane was in the air again.

After Simon had affixed his breather again, Jules bound his hands quickly and efficiently. Then he pulled the same black hood over Simon's head and closed the airlock inner door. As most of the oxygen was pulled from the room, Simon shifted his feet nervously. When the outer door opened and Jules pulled him outside, he stumbled and nearly fell. Jules reacted quickly, catching his arm and holding him upright. "You're fine. I got you."

"Thanks," Simon said with real gratitude, hoping he hadn't been too obvious.

If Jimmy and Jules had seen anything, they weren't speaking up. Jules packed him into the gunner's seat of the Archangel again and sealed the door. Jimmy lifted it off again. "Are you ok down there?" He called from the pilot's chair.

"I'm fine. Let's just get home."

"She'll be fine, you know. The President will get everything sorted out soon—you'll see."

Simon didn't bother contradicting him, but he did smile under his hood. That message she'd sent him had been in their old tap code. Ten numbers, which meant five letters, which meant one word: fight. She wanted him to fight, and wasn't afraid if she was punished because of it. She was braver than Simon could ever be, but at least he could try to be worthy of that trust.

He was reasonably certain that no one had seen her message. If they had, he wouldn't be flying back home now, where he could do any more damage. They would have just locked him up too, and made up some excuse to explain it to everyone. Still, he wasn't willing to just leave her there forever. He had his own plans, in addition to her instructions.

Just hours ago, Simon had been in his bathroom, at home. He had cut into the soft tissue in his ankle with a knife, and removed the old tracking device. It had been deactivated for months now, like the others in any adult. After bandaging himself and washing off the tracker, he'd opened it up and reactivated it. He was careful to reprogram it first, so it wouldn't be detectable by Noah, and therefore by Adam and the others.

Then he'd lodged it into the grooves in the bottom of his shoe, where it would stick even while he walked around. They'd run a metal detector over him before the trip, but hadn't bothered checking the bottom of his shoes. The tracker wasn't active now, but it was programmed to respond to a ping from a radio tower. He could turn it on whenever he wanted to. During the flight out to see Diana, he'd worked it free with his other shoe, and after speaking with her, he'd deposited it on the ground just outside the airlock. When he'd 'tripped' for Jules' benefit. It was still there, hopefully unnoticed amidst the dirt and grime and invisible against the airlock door.

She needed rescuing sooner or later, and now he would be able to find her very easily.

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