“What will they do with the Red's if the people's vote is for removal.” Beryl was not one to mince words. I knew I would get the truth from her. “Just tell me what you think will happen.” I knew the answer, but I wanted to hear her say it.
“The Reds will be vaporized with no frilly white cakes, no fancy parties. They will be reclaimed for their water and mulched for agricultural needs.” Beryl twirled her red-brown hair around her finger. She seemed uncomfortable, but I could tell she was trying to be completely honest.
“There's no way to move them or ask them to go someplace else?” I asked.
“The local government already moved them. This is where those people have been for multiple decades. Now somebody at the unified government thinks our population is using too much water.”
“You work on the water projects and I know you can't say anything specific but tell me how you voted,” Surely, she would be fair and give them a chance to live somewhere else.
“My vote was for removal. If the option passes, I will be one of the voices that condemned those people to die. We can't have unregulated water use. Our grandparents are giving up their lives, so the water they would use over their remaining years will be saved and shared by the community. Their sacrifice won't be shared with the Reds. That is one thing I can't live with,” she explained firmly, crossed her arms, and went into the living room.
This is what I could look forward to, condemning people to death for trying to live outside of society and our service requirements. It was all too much to accept and I lost my appetite. I put my dessert back in the fridge and went to find Jason.
A TRAVELERS FATE
A porter collected my ticket when I boarded the old shuttle. “Hess Lancer, B 200, just down the hall on your right.” The man's booming voice as he read my ticket put a comforting end to a stressful journey. I nodded in appreciation and made my way to my cabin.
The bus I took to the launch platform was ten minutes late. I narrowly missed my boarding window. The adrenaline from running across two concourses was waning, and my head began to pound.
My mother would be inconsolable if I missed my transport. I had to laugh at myself. At thirty-one years old, with all I have lived through in my life, the one thing that can still conjure pure terror in my heart is disappointment in my mother's voice.
The distant chatter of a half-civilized argument grabbed my attention. I poked my head into the hallway to see what was going on.
“I'm sorry, Miss, but no more seats are available. The transport is full.” The Porter was a tall, wide, loud man that had no problem blocking a walkway.
“My name is Nina Craybar. I have a ticket and a confirmation number. Please, Sir, look at your list for my name again.”
“I can look but that won't change the fact that all the available seats are occupied. You can take your ticket to the transit commission for a full refund. You are not listed on the passenger manifest for this trip.”
“Please, is there any way I can just sit here in the hallway? A refund won't help me. I need to travel to the surface.”
“Pardon my intrusion, but I couldn't help overhear your conversation. I have an empty seat in my cabin. My friend canceled this morning. You're welcome to join me.” The young woman arguing with the Porter looked to be about my age and sounded desperate to leave the platform. Her voice was bright and syrupy, melodic even in her anger. After six months at the top of the Tree, I could use some enjoyable noise.
“Thank you. There isn't another decent scheduled for fifteen days.” The Porter rolled his eyes and scanned Nina's ticket into the passenger list.
“I'm Hess, propulsion team, west pod, north station.” I extended my hand to the wispy woman. She accepted it with a shaky but still firm handshake. Clearly, she was out of her comfort zone.
“Nina, biosciences division. You saved my ass. The odds that you would be here with an empty seat that you're willing to share is just beyond computation.”
“This turn of events is considered fate by most standards. Usually, fate lies in wait ready to shit all over my plans. I'm glad to see it can be used as a force for good.” Nina laughed a nervous laugh that I recognized from every woman I ever dated, but I was too tired to try to be the best version of myself.
“I don't understand how some of these transit clerks can keep their jobs. They royally screwed up my last trip down the Tree. I was stuck on board for two extra days due to a maintenance layover, so I feel your pain.”
“Wow, that's totally unacceptable. Did you get your time compensated?” Nina shuffled through the one bag she brought with her and pulled out a small lip balm tube with a green leaf on the label. She unceremoniously swiped it across her full pink lips, dropped it back in her bag, and pulled her long brown hair into a hairband. She reminded me of my sister Beryl, another no-frills yet naturally beautiful girl.
“Yes, my divisional supervisor called and got my trip refunded, but I still missed some family stuff. There is no way to be compensated for missing a life event.”
“I don't have a family. So, I don't have any frame of reference for
