Cassiopeia Kane

One

She felt the sun on her face. She sees trees all around her. Scent of flowers on a breeze. It's so beautiful. In this moment, she is not stranded in space. It's been ninety seven years since a nuclear apocalypse killed everyone on Earth leaving the planet simmering in radiation. Fortunately, there were survivors. Twelve nations had operational space stations at the time of the bombs. There is now only the Ark, one station forged from many. They were told that Earth needed another hundred years to become survivable again. Four more space-locked generations and then man will be able to return home. The ground, that's the dream. This is reality.

Cassiopeia stared out of the only small window in her cell. It was one of the only things that had kept her sane since she had been locked up in this cell for over three years. Cassiopeia had brunette straight hair that went down to her shoulders, she was tall for her age and was unusually strong for a thin girl.

"What are you doing Cassy?" Her cell mate, John Murphy, who was her best friend asked her from his bunk. His hair was pulled back by a thick layer of gel like always. Cassy was Cassiopeias pet name because her name was very long.

It has been three years since Cassy was locked up in this dreadful cell because she was caught vandalising Marcus's Kane's, co-chancellor, headquarters. But what they didn't know was that Cassy was his only daughter. Not many people knew about it at first but when somebody leaked that information Cassy had became well know to all of the citizens of the Ark.

Cassiopeia pushed herself off the cold, grey wall. "I hate this stupid cell."

John chuckled at Cassy's statement. "Then you shouldn't have vandalised your own house."

"For the record I didn't have a choice." The girl retorted. The day she was caught her father was going to take a very important decision that affected the whole Ark, Cassy couldn't just sit and watch what the outcome was going to be when her father did take that decision.

"Whatever." Murphy muttered but suddenly the doors to our cell swung open to reveal two guards walking in.

"Prisoners 373 and 374 face the wall." One of the guards ordered John and Andrea.

John swung his legs over the side of his bunk. "What's going on?" He demanded.

"Face the wall." The guard sternly repeated. Cassy looked at Murphy for reassurance, he gave her a nod and they both did as they were told.

"Stick out your right arm." They instructed.

She glanced down to see that the guard was setting down a small metal box. John and Cassy both extended their arms out. One of the guards walked over to Cassy and snapped on a metal bracelet that pinched her skin. She heard Murphy curse under his breath as she pulled her arm back to her chest.

"This way." The guard that put the bracelet on Cassiopeia's arm said as he took ahold of her arm. Cassy looked back to see the other guard struggling to grab John but once the teenagers locked eyes Murphy let the guard escort them.

Cassy glanced up at the guard and hesitantly asked "are you going to tell us what's going on?"

"I won't but your father will." The guard said and then took Cassy in a room leaving Murphy and the other guard alone.

Cassy was embraced in a warm hug from her father Marcus Kane. "I'm so glad that you are okay." He whispered into her ear and then pulled away from the hug. His eyes were glassy so whatever he had to say to Cassy must've been important.

"What is it?" She asked worriedly. As much as she tried to hate her father for locking her up and sentencing her to death when she was going to turn eighteen was practically impossible.