A Ticket To Redemption

“Military, open up!”

I can hear a servant girl open the front door.

“Young Master, these gentlemen wish to speak to you,” the second servant comes and tells us. Thankfully Rose is blocking her view into my room. Rose glares at me, then leaves with the servant. I feel like I’m going to puke.

Even if I turn the Rebel girl over now, will I be pardoned for what I’ve done?

“Don’t move,” I whisper to the plant worker, then close my bedroom door and step into the main foyer.

“We have orders from the Outer Ring Commander to bring Matthew Steelship in for questioning,” the soldier tells Rose.

“What is this about?” I ask from behind Rose, not ready to face my fate.

“Are you Matthew Steelship?” the solider asks. Rose steps to the side, swinging the door open so the soldiers can get a good look at me. There’s six of them, all sporting Party jackets and trousers just like my uniform. I gulp.

“We have orders from the Commander to bring you in on charges for stealing controlled substances,” the head soldier says. “Place your hands behind your head and-”

“What is the meaning of all this?”

As if it couldn’t get any worse.

Father walks up the grand front steps and greets the soldiers. He’s a head taller than any of them and sporting his usual business coat with an iron-pressed shirt and tie. His pointed shoes click against the marble porch like the ticking of an archaic clock.

“Apologies, Mr. Steelship,” the head soldier says. “But, we have video evidence of your son stealing medications from the local hospital.”

“Stealing medications, huh?” my father repeats, rubbing his lips. Then it happens. He turns and bores into my soul with his crystal blue eyes.

“You want to explain yourself, son?”

“I wasn’t thinking,” I say. “A civilian got hurt, and, I was just trying to help-”

“By not taking the injured civilian to the hospital?” the solider says. “Boy, as a fellow soldier, you have direct orders to-”

“She refused to go,” I say. “She said she couldn’t pay-”

“So you stole medications for a street whore?” the solider says. “How gullible boy, can’t you see she was playing you like a flute?”

“What medications is my son accused of stealing?” Father asks.

“Why, some burn creams and pain paste, Mr. Steelship,” the soldier replies.

“And are those considered mind-altering substances, or are they of any significant monetary worth?” Father continues.

“Why, no, Mr. Steelship, they can only be used to treat topical wounds and burns,” the soldier says.

“Well then,” my father says, removing his antique watch and rolling up his sleeve cuff. “Consider this compensation for what my son has stolen out of his idiotic chivalry.” He extends his palm towards the soldiers. One scans his wrist. The payment is confirmed. The soldier’s eyes widen.

“There is extra there for you six,” my father says. “Surely equivalent to a month’s wages each. Hopefully in exchange, we can forget this ever happened, hmm?”

“Of course, Mr. Steelship, thank you for your generosity,” the head soldier says. “But please, if someone else spreads word and this reaches the inner Rings-”

“I’ll make sure the clinic nurse doesn’t talk,” my father says. The soldier shutters at his piercing glare, nods, and the squad departs from our front porch.

“Why did you bail him out again?”

Rose thumps against the front doorframe, arms crossed, brows vexed.

“If you save him every time he gets in trouble-”

“Or risk this news undermining the family name even further?” Father says. “No, not when I’ve finally regained the trust of the Party Commander.”

“Well, we wouldn’t have to worry about it if you’d just do something about him,” Rose says.

“That’s enough,” father says. Vexed, Rose huffs, turns on her heels, and disappears into the house.

“Father, I-” I begin.

“That’s enough from you too,” Father says. “I… need some time to think about your punishment…”

“Yes, sir,” I say, bowing as low as I can. I watch my father’s shoes click into the house, then march into his office. I hear him slam his office door. When I stand, I look down the hall and see my bedroom door wide open.

Oh no.

Rose.

I stop in the doorway. Rose is standing by the window, watching the curtains blow in the artificial tunnel breeze. Someone opened the windowpane.

“She must have known I was coming for her,” Rose says. “Otherwise she wouldn’t have risked jumping in her state.”

I run to the window. To my relief, there’s nothing in the street below.

“Where did she…”

“Must have survived the fall and took off running,” Rose says. “She won’t make it very far though, not with those burns.”

With that, Rose huffs, turns, and trots up the spiral stairs to her princess chamber. I close my bedroom door and plop onto the foam mattress, covering my face with my hands.

Now what?

I risked treason for what, the fantasy that I’d found the queen of the Rebel vermin? And somehow I was going to befriend her and rat them all out to Father to save my hide from my own stupidity? That’s just it- I can’t get a break! Every time I think I’ve found a way to wash away my history, it’s nothing but a dream and-

Huhhh…… huhhh…..

I’m frozen.

What was that? Is it really…

I gently slide off the bed and roll over on the floor, face to face with the underside of my bed.

And the girl, breathing heavily from her wounds.

Perhaps this time, it is reality…

I reach under the bed. She shutters away from my touch.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” I whisper. The girl lets me gently help her out from under the bed and up onto the mattress.

“We need to get you to an actual doctor,” I say. I know what that means though. The only chance I have is to get Rose on my side. Her title might be ‘assistant nurse’ because she’s a woman, but from what I’ve heard, she knows more than most of the doctors at the hospital. There’s no doubt that if anyone can save this girl’s life, it’s my sister. Problem is, she’s loyal to the Party and wouldn’t waste any time taking all the glory for turning over this Rebel girl.

Oh yeah, and she hates me.

“By the way, what's your name-”

I look over at the girl. Her eyes are closed, her breaths labored. She might even be passed out. I bet the pain paste is wearing off. I grab the tube off the nightstand. We don’t even have enough left for another full application. And when I was rewrapping the bandages, some of the wounds were already beginning to ooze puss. I shouldn’t be surprised. The air is filthy in the Outer Ring. It’s the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. I lay out a blanket on the floor, wad up a jacket to act as a pillow, and curl up on the moldy carpet.

What am I going to do?

I lie awake for hours, rolling from side to side as I roll that question over and over in my head. Around midnight, I sit and stare out the window. The faint breeze makes the silk curtains dance in the moonlight. We’ve lived in the Outer Ring for three years now. Sure, we were gifted the executive manor in the nicest part of the district. All my squadmates tell me I should be thankful I get to live in such a big manor. But they’re all natives to this sewage Ring. Of course they think this is as nice as it gets. I grew up in the Goldwood Ring- I know what clean air smells like, how fresh milk tastes, what fine silk clothes and bedsheets are like. And how I miss those little things so dearly. If I can prove our family’s unwavering loyalty to the Party, then we’d be allowed back in the Goldwood Ring, Father could resume his role as Chief of the Reserve, Rose could win her bid to the medical college, and most importantly, we’d get to see Mother again-

I turn and stare at the girl asleep in my bed. She’s it. She’s my family’s ticket to redemption. If I can use her to get close to the Rebels and find their Cherry Blossom- the one responsible for the horrible deaths of so many Party leaders- my history would be wiped clean and my family’s name restored. That’s it.

I can’t let this girl die. No matter what it costs me.