War of Hearts 》Bellamy Blake

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'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 the many. We're told the earth needs another hundred years to become survivable again. Four more space-locked generations, and man can go home, back to the ground. The ground, that's the dream. This is reality.'

It was time.

From the moment she woke up that morning, she'd been resigned to her fate. Today was the day of her eighteenth birthday, a milestone in the life of many, a moment to be celebrated. For anyone else, today would have been the day she was given her own quarters, her own food rations and her own position within the hierarchy of the ark. Today should have been exciting.

But today wasn't exciting and today wasn't a day for celebration. For her, it was a day of resignation.

Today was the day she was going to die.

She knew her case had been opened for review in the days leading up to her birthday, and from the small look of pity she received from the guard who delivered her daily rations, she knew that they had reached a final decision.

Condemned. Executed. Floated.

They all meant the same thing. Death.

She had been in solitary for going on three years now. At first they had sent her in to be with everyone else, to socialise her, but quickly they had decided a stronger approach was needed to handle her. They had labelled her impulsive, angry and dangerous.

The door to her cell opened with an audible creak.

'Prisoner two-four-six, please rise.'

Her eyes closed for a second as she fought to contain the emotions bubbling up inside her. With careful movements she stood, raising her chin defiantly at the woman she had known her entire life.

Abby Griffin watched the girl stand before her defiantly, and if it weren't for the circumstances she would have smiled at the rebellion that seemed to run in the girls veins like poison.

'As you know, at eighteen the council come together to review crimes committed by inhabitants of the Ark while underage. As of today you are eighteen and under the guide of the law you are no longer seen as a minor. We have reviewed your case and come to a decision. Please understand that this is not a decision that we make lightly.' Abby reeled off the usual spiel given to those who were reviewed, doing her best to detach herself from the situation. It wasn't working as well as she had hoped. 

The girl in front of her didn't move a muscle as she awaited her fate.

Abby couldn't seem to keep her voice from shaking. 'Given the circumstances of your arrest, we have no choice but to find you guilty of crimes committed while a minor. These crimes are now considered capital crimes and the punishment for that is death. The council has officially sentenced you to death by space exposure. Time of death is predicted to be 9:33am.' 

A shaky breath escaped the girl's lips as Abby confirmed what truthfully she had already known. Her shoulders slumped in uncharacteristic defeat.

Abby's serious composure broke as she sent the guards out to stand in the hall.

She reached towards the girl who stepped away from her hastily, leaning against the cool wall of her cell.

'Brinley, I'm so sorry.'

'Abby, please, don't.'

'None of us want to do this, please understand that.' Abby's voice shook.