Quality of Life?

"I didn't even ask her name," the girl at Four said after a long silence.

"Yeah," Ali replied.

"I'm Ariel, Ariel Vinson," she said quietly.

Ali wanted to scream. To curse her for making herself more human. For making it hurt worse when she went. Instead she sighed and wiped the tears from her face.

"Ali. Ali Smith," she said in a voice choked with emotion.

"That's a lovely name. You sound really nice, almost like my girl. She was so wonderful. I wonder if..."

The hot tears burned down Ali's cheeks. She could hear the girl's station groaning and breaking up in the back ground. And she could imagine the small, scared girl, talking about happier things while she waited for death. A death she didn't deserve.

"I...I think I'm going now Ali. Good luck, I'm so...."

Only static followed. Ali took the head set off and bit back on her own tears. The station didn't seem to be in as bad a shape as their's had. She wondered if maybe the guard she was tending had kept them from activating the destruction charges.

"I tried," she whispered.

Ali turned back to her. She had been pretty before they beat her. Even with her face swollen, she had a certain calm beauty.

"Did you stop them from setting the charges?"

"Yes. Killed the commander before he could put in his password, but it doesn't matter. They set the reactor core to overload. I'm sorry, I guess I only bought you a few more minutes of life."

"Why?"

"Why this? It was the plan, the plan from square one. These stations were built shoddy on purpose. When the Authority finally gets in here and asks what happened, they'll be told the stations were designed badly and it just happened. There won't be anyone left to dispute it and in a few years, no one will even remember."

"No, I meant why did you try to stop them? You could have just left with them and lived."

Those dark brown eyes showed a welter of emotion. She then smiled slightly.

"Because it was wrong," she said simply.

A klaxon sounded and Ali moved to the console and clicked it off.

"Five minutes," she said, turning back to the guard.

She nodded and tried to rise, but groaned.

"They broke my back. Can't feel anything below my waist or move my legs."

Ali helped her to a more comfortable position. She was leaning across her body when the guard locked her arms around Ali and hugged her tight.

Ali couldn't even find the energy to struggle, she just let herself be held tightly.

"My name's Sandra, and I really tried. I couldn't save you, but if you'll let me, I'd like to hold you, til the end. I'm not all that brave and...I'm afraid of what comes next."

Ali nodded and snuggled up against her.

Not all that brave? If there were more cowards like her in the world, it would be a better place, Ali thought.

'One minute to critical mass' the computer's pleasantly modulated feminine voice called.

Ali closed her eyes, felt the softness of Sandra's skin, the sting of her own tears and the fierce strength in the wounded guard's arms.

Ten, nine, eight...