Dying Star Arc
9th May
When it came down to it, I couldn't bring myself to kill the Governor. I just couldn't make myself do it. I've never killed anyone before, how could I? Even if it is to atone for my sin of causing Seine's death, I just couldn't bring myself to do it.
"So what is it that I've done to offend you?"
I don't like that it feels like he's taken complete control over the situation, it almost makes me forget the position that the two of us are in. The situation. That I came here to kill him. But whatever. I don't know what I'm supposed to do anymore, so I'll go along with it for now.
"I heard about it. Your plan to replace the Palestinians with convicts from Earth."
"I see," he nods nonchalantly, "so you were protecting your livelihood?"
The way he speaks so calmly annoys me, "not our livelihoods. Our very lives are at stake."
He blinks, "I guess you could put it that way, but it isn't ever going to come to that."
"What do you mean?"
"It's true that a lot of people here will lose their jobs, but there's no shortage of work back on Luna – it'll work out."
"Huh?"
"What's wrong?"
"I don't understand – what do you mean, they'll be able to find jobs back on… the moon?"
"Yes," he blinks again, like it's a twitch, "anyone who finds themselves out of work due to the arrival of the convicts, will be able to return to Luna, and will be set up with a job that fits their skillset."
"You're not… going to kill them?"
"Of course not. What would be the point of that? That's ridiculous. What do you take me for?"
I stepped back in shock, and lowered the knife. What did I do this for? Does that mean… did Mr Matthews lie to me? Did he set all of this up? But, what's his motivation for doing so? I don't understand.
"Umm… who told you that? That I was planning to kill all of the Palestinians?"
I open my mouth to answer, but I stop myself. What if he's the one that's lying? Perhaps Mr Matthews is telling the truth, and the Governor is the liar here. It's certainly possible. I don't feel a sense of trust towards either of them – I don't know either of them well enough. Mr Matthews, I dislike, and the Governor I can't help but find ethereal with his moonchild's body. It creeps me out.
"Well, it's fine if you don't want to tell me," the Governor continued, "but why you? Why are you the one that came after me, not whoever lied to you about what I planned?"
I can't tell him about that either. I hate talking about that story. It hurts me so much to bring up what I did in the past, the consequences that it had, and all the suffering that it has brought me since. I don't think I can tell him about that. Because I'm still running away from it myself. Running… because I'm a coward. That's why I can't bring myself to tell him about the story. The story of me, Mohammed, and Seine.
"I need you to tell me – I need to convince you first. If your going to kill me for something I didn't even do, don't I deserve to have the chance to defend myself? For that, I need to understand why you're the one who's come to kill me."
As he's speaking, something strikes me. The reason that he's so unsettling to talk to. It isn't just because of his calm demeanour in the face of death, but more his general lack of emotion. It clashes too much with his outside appearance (the pink hair, crimson eyes, and anything but normal clothing. The calm, emotionless tone of his voice, and the vacant look on his face, as he speaks to me, don't seem to fit how he looks on the outside to me. It's strange, I think. Almost like he's trying to compensate for the lack of emotion with a show of flamboyancy. That's how it comes across to me. Even when pleading for his life, he sounds somehow vacant and distant, or just bored and disinterested. It creeps me out. But at the very least, he's right. I guess, if as he says I'm accusing him of something he doesn't plan to do, then he at least has the right to defend himself. I don't quite understand how my story will help him defend himself, but I owe it to him. So, I tell the Governor. The story of me, Mohammed, and Seine.
After I finish, the Governor leans back, an uncharacteristic and rare smile on his face. What could he possibly be thinking? I didn't think it would, but maybe my story helped him after all. I left out large gaps in the story, mostly to omit any involvement on Mr Matthews' part. I don't trust the Governor, so I'm not going to tell him about Mr Matthews involvement in the story. So, it really is just a story about myself, Mohammed, and Seine, that I told the moonchild.
"I see, I understand now. I understand why you did what you did. I understand why you're here. I get why you've done everything so far. But, there's one problem with your story. Seine Montague isn't dead."
Seine Montague served as Governor of Ceres for a year. She was scheduled to return to Luna following the end of this year, but following the destruction of the Persephone her return to the moon was delayed. The Persephone's destruction was caused by an explosion that was an orchestrated plot by extremists among the colony's Palestinian population. After the Proserpina's return to Luna in the year 2045, Seine Montague took up a position as the First Fleetmaster of the newly formed Freehold Space Force, which she has held to present. During recent years, she finalised her work on the Montague Doctrine – a series of papers that form the basis of all Montaguist arguments.
The story that the Governor told me went something like that. It seemed almost too perfect to be real, but it also ringed true. It didn't sound like something that he had made up on the spot.
"How did she spend three years here without anyone realising?"
"I don't know," he replied, "but all of the Palestinians were forced out of the settlement following the Persephone's destruction, right? Is it possible that only the Palestinians were misled, and Governor Montague was kept out of their sight, safe within the settlement?"
I wasn't sure. In theory, it sounded like it would be possible. But surely at some point in the three years that she was still alive here on Ceres (if he's telling the truth) someone would've seen her? Just once in three years. You would think there would be a slip-up like that. It does make sense though. That the reason the Palestinians were asked to leave the settlement following that incident, wasn't just in retaliation, but rather to keep Seine safe. To keep Seine safe… from me. That was something I didn't want to believe.
"I know it won't convince you to trust me, but we can go out to the Persephone's wreck. If anything, that will prove to you that Seine isn't dead. There's nothing there."
That won't really prove that she's not dead. Her body could've been blown away out into space. It is a fact though, that if she did die there, her body is probably still onboard, unless she was right by the engine when it exploded. After all, no body was ever brought back to the settlement.
"If that isn't enough to convince you, I'll consider adding you to the council. That would give you the authority to read the plan to revitalise the settlement for yourself. You're Sayyad bin Osman, right? I was thinking about making you a member of the council in the first place, but I was talked out of it."
"You were thinking about adding me to the council?"
"Yes," he replied, "even before you told me your story, I knew that you were trusted as an advisor and member of Governor Montague's council. Even now, your also well respected among the Palestinian community. You're not the only one either. I also added the ICMU chief to the council. I wanted to give the Palestinians more representation. It only makes sense after all. We are sharing this colony together, so we should work together. It will make us stronger, much stronger, than we were before. I think gaining the trust and support of the Palestinians is in the best interests of everyone. That's how we will save this colony, Sayyad. Working together, towards a better future."
The way he says those lines makes me a little sick, but I find it hard not to believe that he truly means them. That if we work together, this colony can be saved. That it can be stronger than it was before. I still don't trust him, or particularly like him, but I think, at the very least, I'll give the Governor a chance.