Lifeline

Ombalal had made the tape. The entire colony had heard him explain the reasons, give the order. He wondered what his wife would think of him now.

What would she tell his two girls, his precious children? Ombalal stood in front of the mirror, trying to wipe away the horrified look on his face. His deep black hair seemed to have more silver strands in just the last few hours.

But he couldn’t hide any longer. He was the director of Orbitech 1. He had to show the people he still cared, he still thought of them. He had had to make a horrible, difficult decision … but sometimes even a “papa” was faced with painful choices like this.

A part of him cursed Curtis Brahms for forcing him to act so quickly. Brahms had been persuasive—and he did hold the ultimate authority, according to the Orbitechnologies Corporation. But no matter how much sense the RIF decision might have made, Ombalal hated Brahms for making him select that course of action. Now there could never be any turning back.

Ombalal dressed in his formal uniform with the insignia of Orbitech 1 at his breast. The people would remember all the good things he had done, all the times he had chatted with them, kept his door open for anyone.

They would forgive him.

His throat felt dry. His hands were shaking. But he drew himself up with dignity. He would earn their respect.

In cafeteria complex five, people had already started muttering before Roha Ombalal entered. Orbitech 1 had begun rationing immediately after the War; but this was their first day on further restricted rations. They stared at the small quantities of food as the fear sank in that they would get no more than this for a full day. The server stood behind the line, looking harried and frightened. Beside him stood one of the security men, but he looked just as disgruntled. They had been taking the brunt of the complaints, Ombalal realized. He felt sorry for both of them, but they would all have to deal with hard times from now until … whenever.

At least the people would survive, though—those who had died in the RIF had not made their sacrifice in vain.

When Ombalal stepped into the cafeteria complex, the temperature in the room seemed to drop.

Conversations stopped. Faces turned toward him with expressions molded into bleak despair or vengeful anger. Suddenly Ombalal felt a thread of fear, which he tried to push away. These were his people; he had been among them for years. But he had lost all their names—he couldn’t remember any of them! They seemed completely faceless, strangers to him.

Ombalal looked around. He drew himself up. His voice was soft. He meant it to be consoling, but instead it came out like the words of a frightened rabbit.

“I … I cannot tell you how sorry I am for the decision I have been forced to make. We must all stick together. Things will get better. I pray I never need to order such a thing again.”

It was the wrong thing to say.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw someone move. A plastic beverage container bounced off his shoulder blade.

“Stop!” Everyone stood still for just a moment.

Then a woman stood at the table in front of him and dumped her tray of steaming beef-flavored noodles into his face. Ombalal let out a cry of pain and brushed them away from his eyes. All the while, he wanted to shout, Don’t waste food like this!

A third person threw another beverage container, which struck him on the side of his head. He heard shouts. Where was the security man? Why didn’t he stop them?

But when Ombalal looked up, he saw the man standing with narrowed eyes and his arms crossed in front of his chest.

“Please—” he said, then choked.

Someone hit him on the temple with a serving tray. Ombalal fell to his knees. Astonishment reared up in him so fully that he had no room for fear.

He heard more shouting. Fists began pummeling him. He heard only the voices, felt the pain—he saw no faces. Part of him imagined that they were the faces of those hundred and fifty people he had ejected out the airlock.

In his mind, he watched himself give the order.

This was what it cost him. Ombalal squeezed his eyes shut and tried to keep from whimpering. The fight in him drained away. With a hand over his head to fend off the blows, he cried how sorry he was, over and over.

From behind the counter, the serving man brought out a tray of knives.

Curtis Brahms sat in his own office with the door sealed, allowing absolutely no one to enter. Outside he had stationed two guards, but he didn’t necessarily trust them, either.

He squeezed his eyes shut and saw the bright light of anger inside him. Roha Ombalal was so stupid! How could a man manage to live for so many years and understand so little of human nature? Even after the RIF, he had still considered all the people on Orbitech 1 to be One Big Happy Family. Idiot!