My Name Is Schedule

Not Necessarily Realistic

My worst nightmare had come true.

Well, maybe my worst nightmare was me being captured, but Kyran being captured was a close second.

Who was I kidding? I had no idea what I was doing. I didn't know anything about this place. Kyran was the one who knew things. This was definitely my worst nightmare.

I felt sick to my stomach, and dropped the note to the ground. I could only hear my own rapid heartbeat, and sunk to the floor in utter fear and despair. 

I was really on my own now. It was just like before I met Kyran, when I had to keep my thoughts to myself and wonder if anyone possibly felt the same way. I was alone again, left to fend for myself. It had been really nice--too nice, having Kyran with me. Having someone to understand. Not to mention he had been my friend--possibly more than that. 

I mean, we were married, but you never know.

I picked up the note again and reread it multiple times. Each time I looked at that handwritten note I felt sicker and sicker.
I crumpled it up in my palm and stood up abruptly. Kyran was gone, but Zara was not. Kyran was gone, but the spirit of rebellion still lingered. Kyran was gone, but the reality of our town had still been revealed to our citizens. 

Kyran was gone, but I was not, and I still had the same capability of fixing this hell town as I did before.  I would fix it if it killed me. 

When I told Zara the news, she was sort of numbed in shock. She mumbled something about knowing this would happen, but did not offer any helpful words. I didn't blame her. Kyran was the only family she had left, and I had no idea if he was even alive anymore. The idea made me want to cry, but it was definitely a possibility. "Detained until further notice" did not sound promising. I had no time to offer any comfort to Zara. The schedule was in effect, and time was ticking.

The schedule.

I remembered my last real conversation with Kyran, when we first arrived at the palace. We had talked about how we received the schedule, via a signal. And how signals could be altered.

I was prevented from communicating any of this to Zara--I had to do my job as a citizen, which, according to my schedule, was dusting four entire hallways, but I could not be prevented from brainstorming a plan. And that is exactly what I would do.

Every hallway was ridiculously furnished. Furniture was gilded and shining, and the floors were carpeted in various shades of velvet. It was so ludicrously extravagant. Keep that up, King Schedule, and you might just get some creativity going.

It was very odd, how the king claimed he wanted to keep everything so neat and precise, but how everything he owned was so unique and decorated. It was like a piece of a puzzle that did not fit. I could not make sense of it as I brushed the duster back and forth throughout the hallway. It would have been an excruciatingly dull task, but the lavish hallways were a nice rest from the browns and grays that painted all of Schedule, so the tedious task of dusting four hallways was not so tedious after all. 
I thought about how I could hack into the signal system. There was most likely a command center somewhere in this palace. It needed one, what with the cameras and announcement speakers and such. My first object of business was to find it, and find access to it. 
I stumbled over, tripping on a fold in the king's velvet carpet. I heard a jingle sound from my pocket as I fell, and remembered that Kyran had given me keys. 
Access granted.
Now all I needed was the location, and to figure out how everything worked....that wasn't so bad....was it? Granted, the keys would have to work for the command center room...

I cleared my thoughts and tried to remain optimistic. Not necessarily realistic, but I could think about that later.  I did not have the scrambler, so getting around cameras could pose some difficulty. Maybe Zara had a scrambler.

Once I was in the command center, I might have to deal with anyone who would prevent me from completing my mission...which would be anyone manning the command center.
I was not going to be able to do this alone. 

Then I would somehow decipher the technology used in the command center and send out a message to everyone.
Easy as Schedule.
(That was a commonly used expression that made about as much sense as our government.)

My hallway cleaning was finally completed, and I trudged through the hall with a hundred other citizens on the way back to my room. I was still on edge, expecting at any minute I would be brought to the king and questioned again. I was not sure if I would be able to handle that again.

None of the officials seemed to be searching for me, so I relaxed very slightly. I saw Zara a little bit ahead of me, and I made my way over to her--not too quickly, so not to draw attention, but slightly more quick than I had been walking.

"Hi," I whispered. "I've got a plan."

Zara turned around, not looking as thrilled as I'd imagined. In fact, she did not look thrilled at all. Disappointing. "You what?"

"A plan, Zara," I repeated. "I've got one. It's got a lot of holes and questions, but it's an outline. And that's better than nothing, right?"

"A plan...to help Kyran?"

"Um..." I shook my head. "Not directly, but--"

"Then I'm not interested, Celeste. I have priorities," she said coolly. 

"Hey, wait, you didn't even hear it!" I protested.

"I don't need to."

"Zara, please--"

"SH!" She jerked her head sharply toward an official in close enough proximity.

"Sorry!" I whispered. "But Zara! You can't give up!"

"I'm not giving up, I'm just focusing on something other than rebellion. It didn't help very much, Celeste," she spat bitterly. "It just made it worse. Right now, my brother's captured, maybe dying, maybe dead. I have to figure that out, and if I can help him. Then I can listen to your plan."

"I want Kyran back, too, Zara," I said, "he's definitely a priority. We're going to help him, no question. But you know what he'd want us to do."

Zara raised an eyebrow. "And what's that?"

"Continue with our mission! We've come this far, we can't stop now! Just when people are getting the idea that maybe this isn't the best place after all!" I told her. "This is a one time opportunity, Zara, an open door that won't be opened again! We should honor his wishes and work toward the rebellion. Once we plant that seed, we can focus on rescuing him."

"Why can't we just rescue him first?" Zara asked grudgingly, but I could tell I was getting to her.

"Because we've got to take advantage of the excitement while we still can! It'll die out soon enough. Please, Zara."

Zara chewed her lip.

"You know it's what Kyran would want."

Zara stopped walking for a moment before she lifted her chin slightly. "You know what, Celeste? You're right. Kyran would want that. I'm worried about him, but...." She almost smiled a little bit, a proud smile. "He can take care of himself. He knows how to get out of tricky situations. So you're right. Let's get this damn rebellion started--really, this time."