Worse Than Rot

Chapter one

The Flyer

“Nobody can hear a scream in the vacuum of space, or so they say”, Cherry said flatly looking down at the flyer.

“Good thing we won't be in a vacuum, we will be on the Ananke Station,” Avani retorted, plucking the flyer from her hands. “We have to sign up by Friday. It says the Demeter Initiative will teach us the skills we need.”

“Why wouldn’t they pick farmers or construction builders that already know how? Instead of papering the Bottoms with the hope of crawling out of here.”

“That’s because they need to stay here and keep the earth turning. We get to the Ananke station, start building there, and contribute to the future.” Avani said, flopping down in the dirt and looking at the sky.

A gentle breeze blew across the dried-up river bank, kicking up dust. Tightening the cloth they wore tied around their faces, they watched the clouds float by.

“Maybe we should talk to Mom. I don’t even know if they will let a sixteen-year-old go to the station, you're still a kid.”

“It says must be at least fifteen. I know you didn’t finish school, but sixteen does in fact come after fifteen.” Avani said with a laugh.

“Yeah yeah yeah, I’m sorry I chose to work. You’re welcome, by the way, for the food that got us.” Cherry laughed, nudging her sister with the toe of her dirty boot. “Let's go home before the dust storm gets too bad, you know it messes with your breathing.”

Letting out a sigh, Avani stuffed the flyer into her pocket and followed Cherry across the cracked riverbed, the dirt path winding deeper into The Bottoms. There were still beautiful places with grass, trees, and clean water, but you wouldn’t find that in The Bottoms. The ground was brown and cracked as far as the eye could see with small tents and crudely constructed buildings making up the town. Passing through the market, Cherry stopped at the stall looking over the small root vegetables and chunks of meat.

“What’s on the menu for dinner?” She asked, eyeing the meat wearily.

“Carrots and potatoes are all I have left. A few chunks of meat could make a stew.” The shopkeep shrugged.

“What kind of meat?” Avani asked, eyes round as saucers. She could already taste the stew.

“‘Ugh’, we’ll take it! Stew it is.” Cherry interjected before the shopkeep could answer. Avani didn’t need to know it was roadkill from The Topside. Who knew what it used to be, but it was still red and didn’t smell yet, so sold.

Avani Lifted up the tail of her shirt to make a bowl, the shopkeeper put in a few vegetables and a chunk of meat after wrapping it in some dirty paper. “We’re having stew! How long has it been since we’ve had meat?” she squealed with excitement.

“Maybe the nice dinner will put Mom in a talking mood.” Cherry shrugged, making a beeline for home.

Pulling aside the canvas flap, the girls dipped their heads into the tent.

“Hey, Mom! We’re home!” Avani sang gleefully “ Cherry bought us meat!”

Gasping her Mom whipped her head to look at her.

“You got meat? Do we have the money to afford that?” She said worry and joy fighting a battle over her face.

“It was only a little. I was going to make a stew for dinner.”

“The rain barrel is almost empty, Cherry.” Mom said deflating

“That’s okay. I like pot roast better anyways.” Avani said, trying to keep the mood up.

“I’ll help you.” Mom said, trying to get up off the pallet on the floor. Her leg was stiff and red, a purulent ooze busted from her calf when she bent it. The odor filled the tent. Down in The Bottoms, a small cut from a piece of tin could kill you. Her eyes growing wide she tried to cover the drainage.

“That’s okay Mom, I can handle it. Avani you boil some rainwater and clean her leg again.” Cherry tried to keep the tremble from her voice. They all knew the ending that was waiting for their mom, it was common in The Bottoms. The rot took a lot of people.

The aroma of cooking roast filled the tent, the light sizzle was a symphony of joy. Removing the pot from the heat, Cherry brought it over from the fire. Placing a small hot pad on the crate, they gathered around the pallet.

“Let’s eat!” Mom declared happily.

Cherry ate slowly to give Avani and Mom a chance to get their fill. Seeing her family happy like this made the work in the fields more than worth it.

“So, Mom, on the way home from school I saw a man from The Topside handing out flyers.” Avani glanced at Cherry for support. Cherry stopped chewing looking between the two.

“He was talking about the Ananke Station. S.R.P is looking for volunteers to go to the station to start farming and building the city. It says you get free travel in trade for work.” Cherry added, holding her breath.

“We think it’s a good opportunity for us to get out of The Bottoms.”

“Well,” Mom started, pursing her lips.” I think it's a great opportunity for the two of you girls. I am in no shape to travel, but I can always go to The Topside with my parents when you leave. After a little TLC, I can join you on Ananke Station if S.R.P does a round two.” Their mom was a rare bird in the Bottoms. She came from a wealthy top-side family. When her parents found out Colin, their dad, was from The Bottoms they told her ‘it’s us or him.’ So, moving into the bottoms, she never looked back. Colin was the love of her life until her kids were born. Then she really learned the meaning of love. Knowing her parents would never accept her back, she breathed a silent prayer to be strong until the girls left. “May I see the flyer?”

Avani pulled the flyer out of her pocket and tried to smooth down the creases.

Space Repopulation Program invites any person over fifteen to join the efforts today! As resources run low the efforts to get the Ananke Station ready for the populace have doubled. Sign up today at City hall. Applicants have until June 1st, 3055 to volunteer. Space is limited! Don’t delay! Make a difference and serve your country!

Scanning over the letter a couple of times, Mom placed it gently on the table. “I think it’s a wonderful idea. I will be so proud to tell people my babies are up there creating the future of mankind.”

“Geez, Mom, you’re so sappy,” Avani said, a grin wide on her small face.

“So, we venture to The Topside tomorrow,” Cherry said giddily at the prospect of clean air, water, and the food she would have. Using a scrap of fabric, she cleaned out the pot as well as she could. Washing the pot would wait for rain, as would baths. Rain was scarce in the summer, which could take weeks.

The three of them lay on the pallet trying to sleep. Each one played out their futures in their heads. Soon, the sunlight peeked through the tent flap, it was finally time to stop pretending.

Cherry and Avani jumped up and got dressed in a flash. They rushed out of the tent, hope singing in their blood. Racing up the hill they made it to City Hall before it even opened. The line waiting was already quite large, with about 300 dirty faces, all from The Bottoms.

“I guess people from The Topside are not in a hurry to get off this dying rock, huh?” Avani asked

“What if we slept too late and the shuttle is full?” Cherry asked nervously.

“I heard they were taking thousands of people. They said the Station was mighty large and the fields were larger than any we’ve seen.” A man in front of them said before turning back around to wait his turn.

After what seemed like hours the doors opened up and, slowly, the line began to move forward. People went in, however, no one came back out. Finally, it was their turn to step into the building. Following the flow to the right, the two girls went into the booth and took a seat.

“Name.” The small, plump, bald man asked, not looking up from his computer

“Uh, I’m Cherry Pickett and this is Avani Pickett.” Gesturing between the two of them.

“IDs please.” He said still not looking up.

They placed their badges on the table. The man picked them up and walked off to a smaller machine that lit up and made buzzing noises.

“Maybe, looking at people is a Bottom's thing,” Avani said with a snort and elbowed her sister in the ribs.

Cherry sat up straighter. “I’m sure he’s just tired from all the processing he has done today,” she whispered.

“Thank you.” The man said, sitting back down and finally looking at them to hand back the IDs. “Sign here and Kevin will take you to the bus yard to wait with the other people.” He said dryly, gesturing to the man standing behind them.

“Wait, we’re getting ready to leave now? We didn't bring anything.” She said, taken aback by the rush.

“The flyer said we had to double our efforts. I mean the people eating dirt sandwiches now, what will they be eating when the resources dry up more?” He said with a nasty tone in his voice

“I’m sure a fat man like you will never know that answer,” Avani said standing up straighter.

Kevin barked out laughter before leading the girls down a hallway and out the back of the building.

“We didn’t say goodbye to Mom, or pack any extra clothes,” Cherry whispered to her sister.

“I wouldn’t worry about that. We have the shuttle stocked with everything you will need. Nice new clothes and toothbrushes and anything else you could think of.” Kevin said robotically.

Taking her sister’s hand, they joined the crowd of people that were waiting for the bus. “This is the best thing for us, Cherry. You heard that man, all we have here is a dirt roast in our future.” Avani’s big lavender eyes brimming with hope. “Mom will go top side and get medical treatment, she’s going to be okay too. You know, the only reason she stayed was us.”

“You’re right, as usual. I just wish we could have taken her to The Topside and met our grandparents at least once.” Standing in silence, they packed together as more people flooded the terminal.

Cherry had never been on a bus, but this wasn’t what she had imagined. Sitting three to a seat, Avani was practically in her lap. People standing in the aisle lining the center of the bus all the way to the driver's seat. A guard, slightly taller than Kevin, was standing on the steps in front of the door. She had never seen military clothes in real life before, much less a gun.

“Alright guys, when we pull up to the station we’re going to go single file into the loading zone. After we load please stay in the cargo bay. When we give the signal, you will be free to roam around. Housing numbers and rations will be distributed after we dock at the Ananke Station. Each candidate will be assessed and assigned a duty. The training begins in the morning.” He barked, turning back to the door.

The bus pulled up beside the building coming to a stop with a squeal. The driver pushed the door open and the man stepped off, moving to the left as the line filed out.

“Cherry, it’s really happening! We’re going to space! Imagine seeing Earth from space! Knowing mom is down there looking up to us and smiling!” Avani whispered against her ear, bouncing as they walked in line.

The launch building was the biggest they had ever seen. Bumping into people in front of them, they tore their eyes from the impossibly large walls covered with bright paintings and prints of space. They filed into the cargo hold and Avani’s palms began to sweat. Cherry let go of them and wiped her own palm down her dirty shirt.

“Geez, Avani. What’s with the river leaking from your palms?” She asked, face contorted in disgust.

“This is just a lot of people. It must be a few thousand. How much weight can a ship hold? How much oxygen do we have? Oh god! Am I burning through my share being nervous?” she asked, her breathing becoming labored.

“Chill out, dimwit. I’m sure that they have thought about that. They are smart enough to build another Earth, so I’m sure one motor mouth isn’t going to throw off the algorithm.” Cherry declared a matter of factly.

“No, you’re right. I’m just getting nervous.” Laughing stiffly she leaned her back against the wall. A sharp edge of a metal vent cut into her leg. “Shit!” Looking down at her leg she saw blood running from the cut. She locked eyes with Cherry panic and passed between them. That’s how the rot always starts, with a small cut.

“I’ll go ask for something to clean it with. Kevin said the ship would have anything we needed. Well, the first aid kit is a definite need.” Cherry said, slipping between the crowd to the entrance where several armed guards stood chatting. As she approached them, they went silent and stared at her. “My sister cut her leg on a grate. Do you have any antiseptic or bandaids here?”

A few of the men chuckled and repositioned their weapons. The others just looked nervously between them. “Are you serious? You come on a ship with no clue about what’s going to happen to you and then you get bent out of shape over a scratch?”

“Thomas, don’t be a dick. Don’t listen to him. We don’t have medic supplies here, we saved space for food and water to carry to the station.” The shorter guard replied.

“Well, uh, okay then,” Cherry said, backing away with a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. She wondered, for the first time, if this had been a mistake. “They had to send a guy to get the first aid kit, should be back shortly.” She said when she returned to her sister’s side. She was avoiding eye contact as the lie rolled off the tongue easily enough. Her sister being none the wiser now, that was harder.

A huge tv at the front of the cargo hold turned on displaying an older man in an army uniform. “Hello everyone! I am so proud of all the people who showed up to support our future! We wouldn’t make it without the selfless souls that are standing here today! This is only the first cargo ship going to Ananke Station, so if you don’t see some of the people that signed with you, don’t fret! We will be sending up a workforce thirty thousand strong!” The bay erupted in applause. “We are preparing for take-off, so we ask that you stay in the cargo bay until the next message relays from ground control that it's safe to move about the ship. It’s going to be a little bumpy on take-off, but it’s nothing to worry about.” The tv went black again and the cargo hold ignited in chatter. The sound was deafening.

Grabbing her sister's hand again, the two hugged tightly and held their breath as the engines rumbled to life. It seemed like an eternity was passing and the ship kept going up and up, higher and higher into the sky. A very faint hissing sound spread across the cabin as the oxygen started into the room. From somewhere across the cabin, the echoes of someone vomiting rang out. Curses, followed by a ripple effect, as people jumped away from the retching women.

The Tv lit up bright again, casting a glow over the dirty faces that were waiting in anticipation. “Good evening everyone, we are now two hundred and forty-four miles above the earth’s atmosphere. Now, I must confess, there is not an Ananke Station. There never was.” The crowd erupted in cries and murmurs. “You see, our Earth is dying. It’s overpopulated and resources are running exceedingly low. Several years ago, we made contact with another Species. Like humans, they quest for knowledge. I don’t want you to feel like you have been led astray by our promises. You will make a difference and contribute to the future of our world. We have set up a trade deal, ten thousand humans, for what we call Darwinian Particles. These miracle granules, as you can call them, could even grow grass atop volcanic lava. Your countrymen thank you.” He said seriously brows drawing together in a scowl.

When the Tv clicked off murmurs grew louder than thunder. The men guarding the door stepped out, and airlock doors slid into place locking them inside.

“What do they mean about another species? No Ananke Station?” Avani said. She was as pale as a ghost.

The sisters were getting pushed back into the wall as the masses flooded over to the doors pounding on them, demanding to be let free. The wall on the north end of the room began to lift up displaying a ship seemingly out of a sci-fi novel. The ship wasn’t tall and broad like the ship they had boarded. It was so sleek that the exterior was almost reflective. Screams erupted all around as people began to shove through to the south wall.

Glancing around, Cherry’s eyes landed on the grate by their calves. She knocked her leg into it and it wiggled. Squatting down amidst the commotion, she slowly pulled the grate free. With despair lodging in her chest, she tugged on Avani’s shirt. “There is only enough room in there for one of us. Hurry in before anyone notices. I promised Mom that I would keep you safe, this is no time to argue.” Cherry pleaded in a harsh whisper.

“I can’t leave you! I’ll never make it back without you! You’re always there to save me, it’s too scary alone!” Avani pleaded with fat tears rolling down her face.

“Yes, yes you can. You’re strong, smart, and brave. Plus, you knew fifteen came before sixteen.” She said choking on a sob. “Please, Avani, get in the grate.”

Kneeling down, she crawled into the vent, the darkness growing around her as Cherry wiggled the grate back into place. “I will make my way back to you and Mom, just make sure you’re there waiting for me when I come home.” She stood up and pressed her legs to the grate as the doors slid to the side. Opening up the catwalk to the other ship.

Four abnormally tall creatures walked through the door. Their gray skin looked almost scaly and they appeared to be humanoid in shape with two legs tucked into knee-high black boots. They wore blue tee shirts that were tucked into their gray pants. Letting out a war cry, one middle-aged man rushed one of the creatures. A tail whipped out from behind it, wrapping around the man’s waist and halting his assault. The monster lifted him off the ground bringing him closer. Its overly large sapphire eyes reflected the horror on the man’s paling face. The blue tee shirt appeared to start to move and wiggling up from around the neck two long tentacles came out from beneath its shirt caressing the man's face. The creature’s mouth opened vertically, emitting a series of loud, strange clicks. Its tentacles jutted out and with each going into the man's ears. Blood trickled out around them and the man screamed and thrashed about trying to free himself but a moment later his thrashing stilled and he went limp. The creature released the man, dropping him on the ground, and continued to glide into the room.

Once more, the Tv Clicked on and the monotonous tone rang out. “Make a line and follow the Us’Crid to their ship. Your sacrifice will not be forgotten, this I promise you.” The creatures rounded on the herd of people, ushering them into the ship. A few people scrambled to get away, but the fight did not last long. Cherry didn’t dare to glance back at the grate hiding her sister. Keeping her head down she boarded the ship.

“I guess there are some things worse than the rot,” Cherry said to herself, her spine turning to steel. She would make it back home to Avani and Mom, even if she had to drive the spaceship there herself.