Escape

“Nobody can hear a scream in the vacuum of space, or so they say.” Ophelia said and leaned forward before adding in a low ominous voice, “But when a ship, like ours…” She let the words trail off as she made eye contact with several of the children in front of her.

“…is floating in that vacuum,” she resumed, increasing her pace and volume as she finished. “Then that scream is heard by everyone on board.”

She grabbed to tickle a young girl to her right as she finished her ghost story, causing the girl to squeal in fear as the other children erupted in giggles.

“Tell us another, O.” Cass said.

“Not tonight.” Ophelia shook her head. “The sector leader will be upset if I keep you much longer. As you know, everyone’s contribution is important, and you will not be up to your tasks if you do not get enough rest.”

The children, who had been sitting on floor mats, began to rise.

“Do you think it’s safe?” Reece asked as he gathered his mat to stack it on a pile in the back of the room.

“The Commander has sent drones to assess the conditions and tomorrow she’ll send a few RCs. She would not be sending the RCs if she didn’t think it safe.” Ophelia answered.

“Why do they call them RCs?” Evon asked with a yawn. He was one of the younger group members and Ophelia constantly confused him with Ruan. Like most of the children, they were both Enochi, so they often shared similar features, both in form and personality. Conventional thought was that the Enochi had an advantage over the Hybrids and the Naturals, but Ophelia had never shared that opinion. Enochi were created in a lab, so they were crossbred for only the most desirable traits. But Ophelia, a Natural, had always felt something was lost in the process.

“RC stands for Reconnaissance Crew.” Ophelia said and smiled as he struggled to repeat her words. “It means they are the scouts. They’re the first group that goes out. They let the ship know if it is safe for the others to join.”

“Wow!” Cass exclaimed, joining the conversation. “Is London an RC?”

“Yes, Cass.” Ophelia said. “So are Hector and Chase.”

“Chase is so handsome.” Lola said dreamily, forming a line behind Cass and Evon.

“Ewwww.” Cass said. “He’s a Natural. He can’t even see properly without correctors.”

“Enough Cass, you know that everyone on Escape is equal.” Ophelia scolded. She said the words because they were expected, but she didn’t really believe them. Nobody did. To have true equality, everyone would have to be the same, and even though scientists have been trying to achieve sameness for years, humans still remained somewhat unique.

“The Enochi are no better than the Hybrids or the Naturals.” Evon said in a condescending voice addressing her as if she were inferior, the hypocrisy lost on him.

“Everyone says that, but it’s not true.” Cass countered. “The Enochi have been crossbred for perfection, the others were not. Everyone knows it, so why can’t I say it?”

“It’s breedist, that’s why.” Lola answered. Lola was a Hybrid and as such, she was the result of a naturally fertilized egg that had been removed from her mother before being genetically altered for specific traits. Some in their society found the Hybrids only barely above the Naturals, who were the result of a traditional conception and birth.

Cass rolled her eyes.

“You’re not perfect. You think just because you’re Enochi that…” Lola started to argue before Ophelia cut her off.

“Children!” Ophelia’s stern reprimand silenced the girls. Ophelia was a favorite among the mentors, and the children did not want her disapproval. “Are all the mats back?”

“Yes, Ophelia.” The group answered in unison.

“Excellent, form your line.” Ophelia said before inhaling deeply. While the children hurried to find their positions, Ophelia continued. “All breeds on Escape are equal. How one came to be is not as important as what one offers once they are born. Many of you may not know, but I am a Natural.”

The children gasped at her confession. Some began to murmur, but she silenced them with an arched brow.

“I know there are no Naturals in your class, and they are becoming rare, but my class had five.”

Their eyes widened, but none spoke.

“There were three boys and my sister and me.” Ophelia waited for their shock to wain before continuing. “Yes, I am not only a Natural, but I have a twin. Her name is Opal, and she is a member of the Commander’s crew. As such, her quarters are in the Overlook, so I don’t get to see her often…”

“Is this another story?” Reece asked.

“Yeah, it has to be, otherwise why would you tell us you’re a Natural.” Cass added.

“No, Reece, it’s not a story.” Ophelia said. “I am a Natural and I’m telling you this because I’m proud of it. Conceiving children, the Natural way is ancient, but just because something is old or traditional does not mean it doesn’t have its benefits.”

“The Naturals are so different.” Cass said. “How can that be beneficial?”

“Our differences are what makes us special. Over the years, our people have found the Enochi are very similar in form, manner, and intellect. This can be a benefit because they are intelligent, attractive, healthy…” She ticked these traits off on her fingers as she said them. “But they are very similar to one another, and this similarity often makes them predictable.”

A few children nodded their heads in agreement, but Cass tilted her head to the side skeptically.

Ophelia smiled. “Some say the Enochi are intelligent, but the Hybrids are wise.”

Many of the children looked confused and some crinkled their noses.

“You don’t believe me?” Ophelia continued. “Who is the best when you play Missing Man?”

“Rafael!” All the children called out except the shy boy near the back of the line.

“Correct,” Ophelia affirmed. “And Rafael is a Hybrid, right?”

They nodded.

“Is Rafael, the most intelligent among you? Maybe not,” Ophelia answered her own question before the children had a chance. “But yet he outsmarts everyone when he hides. That’s because he thinks a little differently than the rest of you. He is different and that difference sometimes gives him an advantage. It’s the same with the RCs. Have you ever noticed that RCs are made up of groups of five to six. That is so we can have a mix of Enochi and Hybrids, maybe even a Natural in there too so that they can analyze a situation from all angles.”

“So, you’re saying the Naturals and Hybrids are better than the Enochi?” Cass frowned.

“No Cass,” Ophelia patted the girl’s head. “I’m saying all have their strengths and weaknesses and all contribute to society. I’m saying it’s those differences that make our society better.”

“Ophelia?” Evon interrupted.

“Yes, Evon.”

“Are we going to go to the lavatory soon?” Evon asked.

The entire class broke into giggles and Ophelia spent the next few seconds getting them back in line before walking them down the long corridor to their dormitory.

Ophelia was just leaving the dormitory when the chimes dinged signaling the change of shifts. She chided herself for getting side-tracked. One of the main advantages to being a mentor was that she could walk freely among the corridors. Unlike most others in their society, her movements were not limited to shift changes. This meant she almost never had to deal with shift change foot traffic.

She sighed as the corridors began to fill. She hated shift change in general, but today especially. Why had she not stayed more focused? Her plan had been to wrap up her story early and return the children so that she would be to the Outer Bay before the chimes. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. She reproached herself as she walked.

After shift change, all citizens were required to return to their dormitories in preparation for evening meal, but if Ophelia was going to see Chase before the mission, she had to do it now. In light of tomorrow’s mission, he would not be at evening meal since he and his crew would be the guests of the Commander at her table. The Commander and her crew ate an hour earlier than the other citizens allowing her to mix and mingle amongst the citizens while they ate.

Ophelia quickened her pace slightly, hoping to get a little further before the crowds thickened. She made it through two corridors before traffic slowed her. For probably the first time in her life, she was grateful for ship law banning speech during shift change. It had been meant to aid in traffic flow, but secretly Ophelia thought it an overreach. Another mandate from the authorities presented as a solution to a growing problem. True, traffic flow at shift change had been a problem. Life aboard Escape was often so regulated that it left little chance for citizens to foster relationships and connect with one another. Everyone was expected to work daily with only one day a week for rest. Rest day, mealtimes, and the hour before bedtime were the only times allowed for personal time with one another. There was also the occasional holiday and ship-wide designated event, like tomorrow’s Descension Day, but Ophelia had long felt it wasn’t enough.

Things had been different when Ophelia was a child. Back then, dormitories hadn’t yet been mandatory, and many citizens had opted for smaller, family-style pods. Anyone could decide what constituted their family as long as everyone agreed to share the pod, the authorities did little to interfere. But in her eighth year, the authorities outlawed the pods, and everyone was reassigned to a dormitory. It had been a difficult time and Ophelia had been grateful that she was a twin since the children’s dorms were separated by age. To compensate, many spent any time they could with loved ones and shift change became a chance to grab a few moments with one another. The resulting traffic jams were deemed a threat to the peace and soon ship laws were passed banning speech during shift change. Logically, Ophelia knew the laws were necessary for the common good, but as she passed a monitor giving a young couple a speech violation citation, she couldn’t help but resent the lack of freedom.

The warning chime sounded, and the corridors were starting to thin again. Ophelia increased her speed. With two more corridors to go, she was optimistic she might make it to Outer Bay after all. Opal had given her a pass to be out after curfew, but it would not cover her being in an unassigned area now. She would just have to chance it. She turned the corner and entered the Starboard corridor. It was a long corridor, but it ended at Outer Bay. Seeing no monitors, Ophelia increased her gait to a slow jog. An older man gave her a knowing smile before he ducked into a maintenance room. The corridor was deserted now, and she groaned as the chimes sounded.

“You’re late.” A voice called out from the darkened doorway she had just passed.

Ophelia froze, her instincts taking over. An arm reached out from where the voice had come and pulled her inside. Ophelia struggled and a hand was quickly clamped over her mouth before she could scream.

“Do you want to get caught?” Chase said in an exasperated whisper as he loosened his grasp.

“Chase?” Ophelia mumbled her fear ebbing.

“Were you expecting someone else?” He asked.

“You nearly scared me to death.” She accused, slapping at his broad chest.

He parried her attacks laughing the entire time.

“It’s not funny! You don’t know what I went through trying to make it here on time…”

“You failed.” He said cutting her off.

She glared. Chase was the most irritating person she had ever known. Why did everyone find him so charming? He was smug, overbearing, arrogant, and he never took anything seriously. But he was also the most capable person Ophelia had ever known. Besides, she really didn’t have another option.

Ophelia inhaled deeply and silently counted to ten as Chase stared down at her with that all-too-familiar cocky smile on his face. She made it to about six before her own lips spread in a reluctant smile. She shook her head. Chase would never change. He was still the same exasperating boy that had tricked her into drawing a mustache on her own face without her even knowing she had done it. He was the same boy that had somehow managed to dye all her uniforms pink and the same boy that had said, “Oh I feel ya” for a solid week anytime she asked him a question. Earlier today, she had told the children the Enochi were intelligent, and the Hybrids were wise, but someone had changed the subject before she got to the Naturals. If she had, she would have told them the Naturals were clever. They were wily rather than smart and Chase was just that type of Natural.

“You’re so annoying.” She finally said, before adding, “I could get into a lot of trouble, you know.”

“I know.” He agreed and his expression sobered. “You’re right. There isn’t much time. They told us at dinner that there’s been some sort of change to tomorrow’s plan and the captain will be stopping by tonight for a final RC briefing. You have to be gone before then.”

“That’s why I’m here. I need your help.” Ophelia said.

Chase studied her and arched a brow. In all the years he had known her, she had never asked him for anything. Chase had always been easy-going and approachable. He was everyone’s friend. People were always asking him to do this or say that or introduce them to so and so. Not Ophelia, though. She was the most stubborn person he had ever known, and she was fiercely independent. It wasn’t in her nature to ask much of anyone, but especially not him.

“What’s going on?” He asked a hint of concern in his voice. “I’ve known you since we were children, and you would rather die than ask me for help.”

“You’re right,” Ophelia answered. “I probably would, but it’s not for me.”

“Okay?” He said more of a question than a statement.

“Chase, the Commander has ordered that Opal join the RC mission. That’s the change of plan.”

“What!” Chase shouted and Ophelia silenced him. Ophelia tentatively peeked her head around the corner. Thankfully they were still alone.

“Opal can’t come. It’s too dangerous. Besides…” Chase said before catching himself.

“I know.” Ophelia said.

Chase wasn’t sure what she knew, so he did not continue.

“She’s my sister, Chase.” Ophelia rolled her eyes. “She told me. She tells me everything. I am surprised she told you, though.”

“She didn’t," Chase said. “Ravi told me.”

“Oh, I hadn’t realized you two were close friends.”

“We’re not. Not really, but he’s a good guy. It wasn’t my turn, and he knew that I would have to take his spot if he were injured prior to the mission.”

“Ravi faked an injury?” Ophelia asked in surprise.

“It doesn’t matter. When he told me about the baby, I couldn’t let him take the mission. This one’s different. The intel is mixed.”

“What do mean mixed?” Ophelia asked.

“Nothing.” Chase said. “Just there’s no way Opal can go. I know she’s been on missions before, but she can’t. Not this time.”

“The Commander mandated it. Says Opal’s the only one with any experience that can speak Russian.”

“This is our sixth mission, and we haven’t seen any survivors yet. Foreign language skills haven’t been useful yet. She should just tell the Commander about the baby…”

“She can’t.” Ophelia interrupted. “She wants it to be a Natural and she’s afraid the Commander will force her to abort or make it a Hybrid.”

Chase didn’t say anything. He didn’t know the Commander as well as Opal, but he knew her well enough to know Opal’s fears were not unwarranted.

“So, what then?” Chase finally asked. “You know I’ll do everything I can to protect Opal. You don’t even have to ask.”

“I know.” Ophelia said. “But Opal’s not going. She can’t.”

Their eyes met and Chase’s expression changed. Ophelia looked away, but it was too late.

“No!” He whisper-shouted.

“You know my Russian is just as good as hers.” Ophelia reasoned.

“No.” he said again, shaking his head.

“I knew we shouldn’t tell you.” Ophelia said. “I told her but…”

“But she knew I would know.” He finished. “Listen, I know this is a game to you, but you can’t just switch places like you did as children. This mission is dangerous. You’re not even trained.”

Something flashed in his eyes. Was he concerned? For her? For the mission more likely. She shook her head. It didn’t matter. The only thing that mattered was Opal and her baby. Ophelia didn’t have any choice. In the distance, she could hear an echo of footsteps. She looked into Chase’s clear, hazel eyes and she knew he heard them too.

“Sorry, Chase.” She said and was surprised she actually meant it. She could see how much the situation bothered him. He had worked hard perfecting his trade and her presence was going to be a hindrance to everyone in his crew. It was unfair, but what choice did she have? She had to do this for her sister, her twin. She straightened her shoulders and stiffened her back. Then repeated herself more resolutely this time.

“Sorry Chase, but I’m going.”