by Rachel Burns
“That’s our planet. It’s very small. Around one hundred families.” Daddy pointed ahead of us.
I watched the tiny green planet come closer without blinking. “It’s beautiful,” I declared.
“That it is. This is a small community of peace-loving people who want to be left alone. There is no crime, no pollution, and no war. There never has been and there never will be as long as I get a say in it. This is your home. I’ll keep it safe for you.” Daddy promised.
We flew over large estates with enormous houses. The gardens were perfectly green and had swimming pools in the yards. These houses were nicer than the ones I had seen on TV.
The airship slowed down and gently landed on an airship pad beside a large estate. I got the feeling that Daddy’s estate was larger than the others. His went on for a long time. He had thousands of trees for me to climb. Daddy’s landing had been softer than the landing on the big airship had been. “Will I be able to land the airship as gently as you if I practice?” I asked him in complete awe of his abilities.
“Who knows? You’ll practice, and then we’ll see.” Daddy beamed at me. I was so thankful that he had chosen me. He had almost walked past me without truly seeing me. It stopped my heart for a moment when I thought about that. I belonged to him now.
“Let’s go meet your brothers and sisters. I’m sure that they’re eager to see you.” Daddy got up and reached his hand out to me. I figured that this would be the last time that he would do that now that he had other children to share his attention with.
We walked to the house while several servants got our luggage. Nanny walked briskly along beside Kyle. She didn’t take hold of him by his hand.
We walked through an immaculate garden and into a house that had smooth white stone flooring. There were light gray streaks weaving through the white stone like elegant waves. I had never seen anything like this in all of my life.
“Children, line up!” Daddy called out.
Shouts and whistles went through the house. The children were screaming ‘Daddy’s home.’ They charged down the stairs and hugged daddy before they lined up girl boy, girl boy along the wall. They stood still like soldiers looking straight ahead and not at us.
The last one to arrive was a grown woman. She stepped forward and took hold of Daddy’s hands. “We need to talk later. Only the two of us.” She beamed at him and then went to the head of the line. She was the only girl who stood next to another girl.
The girls all looked the same. Each was blond, had blue or green eyes, and was especially beautiful. I stared at my brothers and sisters. They were much more beautiful than show children were. Would I fit in here?
Daddy was grinning from ear to ear. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see servants bringing in our luggage. Nanny spoke with them, telling them to get a girl’s room ready for me immediately.
Four women walked into the room and stood with Nanny. They were wearing the same uniform as she was.
Daddy walked up and down in front of his children, looking them over like a General would look over his troops.
Daddy laid his hand on Kyle’s shoulder and walked us to the head of the line. “This is my oldest child, Lyanna. She is married to Jack who is an airship captain. You’ll meet him later. Lyanna is the second highest authority in this house. Obey her as you would me.”
I curtsied to her. “Hello, Lyanna.”
“Hello.” She smiled at me kindly. I hoped that she would be like a mother to me.
“Hey,” Kyle said to her.
Daddy cleared his throat. “Greet her properly.”
“How do you do?” he said, asking Daddy more than he asked Lyanna. Kyle should watch more TV. If he had, he would know how to do this, I thought.
“I’m fine. Thank you and you?”
“I’m good.” Kyle looked uncomfortable with this conversation. He wasn’t interested in girls in the slightest.
“My next child is missing because he is at University. Cole decided to become a medical doctor. We are very proud of him.” Daddy turned to the next girl. “This is Jenny. She is the fastest swimmer in the family. She likes all sorts of sports. I’m sure that interests you Kyle. If you need someone to show you tricks or to practice with, Jenny is the person to go to.”
“A girl?” Kyle whispered to Daddy.
“Yes, indeed. She is also practiced in several defensive arts. Don’t get her mad.” Daddy winked at Kyle.
Jenny smiled proudly. She wasn’t offended by what Kyle was saying.
We greeted her and moved onto the next child.
“This is Shane. He wants to study physics and mathematics. Shane is one of the universe’s best students. He placed number five at this year’s test at the university of Galexit.”
Shane blushed red and glanced down at his shoes.
“This is Amy. She excels at organizing. That may not sound important, but when you’re assigned to help her, you’ll understand what I mean by that. She makes all the plans for the house and everyone in it.” He smiled at her. “I seem to have messed up your plans a little,” Daddy said to her.
“I always plan in surprises, Daddy.” She smiled back at him.
Daddy nodded at her and stepped in front of another boy. “This is Douglas. He wants to become an airship captain. Douglas, it will interest you to know that Sophia also has a natural talent for steering.”
He shot up an eyebrow when he heard that. “Is that why you adopted her?” he asked Daddy.
“No, it was a pleasant surprise,” Daddy replied. He stepped in front of the next child. “This is Charlotte. We are still trying to figure out what she excels at, but we won’t give up until we find something.” Daddy touched her cheek and smiled at her. She smiled back at him.
Daddy continued on to the next child. “This is Alex. He likes to work with metal. He is also extremely good with guns and lasers.”
Alex bobbed his head. He was probably only a year older than I was.
Daddy stood up straighter and looked down the line. The children responded by also standing up straighter. Their chins went up and their shoulders back as they waited for him to introduce us.
“As you can see, I brought two children home with me this time. This is your new brother Kyle. His father was Dr. Emmett Moore. Dr. Moore was a leader in the field of engineering. He designed engines for airships. He was also an excellent pilot. We have great hopes for Kyle. Take your place in the line Kyle.” Daddy pointed where he wanted him to go.
Kyle did as he was told. He stood beside Alex. He looked pained. It hurt him to hear about his father.
“This is Sophia, your new sister. She intrigued me and earned her place among us very unconventionally.” He let go of my hand. “Go stand beside Kyle,” he told me.
Daddy sighed happily when I was in the line. I was his youngest and smallest child. That made me feel special. I peeked at Kyle and grinned at him.
“Eyes to the front, Sophia.” Daddy spoke so sharply with me that I almost cried. “I want my older children to welcome our new additions. They should feel at home among us so they can reach their full potential. I want my two newest children to be respectful to their siblings and obey them as well as the other rules in the house.” Daddy glanced down at his personal computer. “We will eat in an hour. I want Kyle and Sophia unpacked and punctually at the table by then. Dismissed.” Daddy turned away from us and went into a room. Lyanna knocked on the door and then went inside to speak with him. She closed the door behind her.
The hall suddenly became very loud. Everyone was talking, mostly about me. They were surprised that I was here, but they had expected Kyle. I didn’t understand what was going on. One look at Kyle told me that he was also surprised.
I was thankful when Amy took me by my hand and brought me up to my room. “How did you get Daddy’s attention?” she asked me as we went up the wide, white, stone staircase.
“I don’t know. It happened so fast. I didn’t know that he wanted to adopt me until he told Kyle an
d me to get into his car.”
“Really? That’s very interesting. What did your parents do?”
“Do?” I repeated, not understanding her.
“To earn a living. What was their job?” she asked. This was something that she really wanted to know.
“I don’t know. They died when I was a baby.”
“This is very intriguing. They must have been very important for Daddy to break his routine. He’s never done this before. He plans every child very carefully.” She opened the door to a room and stepped aside. There were servants in the room, putting away the clothes that Nanny Pearson had picked out for me. My elephant was on the bed.
Amy sat down on my bed and tugged me down so I was sitting beside her. She went through my schedule with me. The day was planned from beginning to end. Apparently, the family took daily walks together. She explained that Daddy used that time to talk to all the children individually if needed. Daddy rarely left. If he did, he would usually take most of his children with him. The only time he didn’t was when he adopted a new child.
When the servants were finished unpacking my things, Amy leaned forward. If you have any questions, something that you would rather not ask Daddy, come to me or to Lyanna. Jenny and Charlotte aren’t good with serious topics. They see the world in black and white, but I can see that you are too smart for that. You steered the airship on the way here?” she asked me.
“With Daddy’s help,” I answered her.
“He’ll have great expectations for you. Don’t disappoint him.” She gave me a tour of the house before we went into the dining room. There, I was placed next to Charlotte. We chatted about my clothes until Daddy arrived. Everyone stood up when he entered the room, and no one sat down until he did.
When the food arrived, everyone began to chatter like we had at the orphanage. Kyle was asking about the universal soccer championship again. The boys happily talked about that. Charlotte and Amy were talking about something too. It sounded as if Amy was scolding Charlotte.
There were bowls of food on the table. I watched the others take second and even third helpings. I ate until that funny feeling in my tummy left. I was full when we left the table.
Daddy announced that there would be a family meeting this evening. I wondered what that would be like. The others didn’t look pleased about that.
We helped clear the table, and Daddy disappeared again.
After our chores were finished, I slipped outside to search for the best climbing tree. The garden was vast. I came across a large green hedge. I walked around it. It formed a rectangle. There was a doorway-like hole in the hedge. I went in and saw a bench. I sat down and took in this wonderful outside room. The ground was laid out in square stones. Directly across from the bench was a stone figure of a woman. She was smiling. She was exactly like the mother that I had always imagined. There were pink roses growing left and right of her. I smiled back at her. I got the feeling that I could talk to her, and that she would listen to me.
“What are you doing in here?” Daddy entered the garden hideaway and frowned at me.
“I wanted to talk to the lady,” I told him.
Daddy’s hands balled into fists. “This is my spot in the garden. Only I am allowed in here. I’m warning you, Sophia. Stay out of here, or you will suffer the consequences.”
Tears pricked my eyes. “I’m sorry, Daddy.” I covered my mouth so I wouldn’t cry in front of him and ran out.
I went as far away from the house as I dared and cried under an apple tree. I didn’t understand why he had been so mad at me.
I bawled until I was worried that I might be late for the family meeting.
Chapter 7
There was a large sofa in the living room. It wrapped around the room with an opening for people to go in and out of the sitting area. I went in and sat down next to Charlotte. She asked me where I had been. I told her about my quest to find the perfect climbing tree and Daddy finding me in his private garden.
She took my hand and told me that I didn’t need to cry. “Daddy is very strict, but he wants us to be happy. He’ll explain why he wants us. There is a larger purpose for us. We’re special.”
“Even me?” I asked her.
“I’m guessing especially you. Daddy isn’t impulsive.”
Daddy entered the room and looked directly at me. I wiped the tears away from my eyes so he wouldn’t think that I was weak. I knew that he wouldn’t like that.
“Twelve years ago the war came to an end. Humans all over the universe rejoiced. They believe that the peace we are enjoying at the moment is a given. They believe that the Aliens will stay away from us as they agreed to do in the treaty. The Aliens promised us peace. However, they killed the woman there to negotiate with them. She had been seven months pregnant with a baby girl. Both were killed. The Aliens know no peace. They want us to relax and believe that we are safe while they build up their armies, and we grow lax.
“I have warned the universal government time and time again, but they don’t heed my warnings. They don’t want me to be right, but unfortunately I am. They won’t prepare for war. Their focus is so locked on security on the planets and between them, that they can’t see the bigger picture. The real danger is still out there, waiting for the right moment. Now is not a time for humans to fight among themselves. It’s a time for us to unite and prepare. The Aliens will attack us again, but with more numbers and fiercer weapons. When they come back, we will be ready. They’re smart, so we will have to be smarter. Their airships are fast and durable, so our ships will have to be faster and more durable.” Daddy looked at Kyle when he said that.
“Peace doesn’t exist for Aliens,” Daddy continued. “We will protect what we have built up from their attacks. You are here to be trained, and to be prepared to fight, both bodily and with your minds. We will defeat them because this is about our survival.”
The older boys clapped, and the girls nodded. Kyle and I traded glances. Neither of us wanted to have anything to do with a war.
I finally understood why I was here. I was suddenly in the military. I didn’t have to wait until I turned sixteen.
“The government is warning people not to expand by having children. I believe that they’re wrong. Children are our only chance of survival. One day, I will choose a strong partner for Kyle and Sophia, and they will have lots of children. We need the numbers, but we will need smart perfectly trained individuals more. Your lives will have a purpose. I will guide you in the direction you need to go to survive.”
The others turned and stared at us. I wasn’t sure if we were expected to say anything or not. Kyle was quiet too.
“Kyle, do you want to be better prepared than your parents were. Do you want to be able to save your wife and children if you’re attack by Aliens?”
“Sure I do. I’d show them.” Kyle sat up straighter. He was ready to fight. He had loved his parents so much.
“Good boy.” Daddy praised him. “I will give you the tools you need to fight them with. You have your father’s mind. I know you can take it far.” Daddy turned to look at me. “I don’t know about your past, Sophia, but I’m certain that you don’t want the Aliens to hurt you or anyone you love.”
“Of course not,” I replied immediately. I answered quickly so he wouldn’t ask me to name anyone I loved or had loved in the past, because I didn’t. The people at the orphanage kept their distance. The list of people I loved was short. The list was, in fact, non-existent. I loved the same number of people who loved me: none.
It was clear that Daddy didn’t love me. He had a mission to accomplish. “Good girl. I think we made a couple of good additions to our family,” he announced.
Everyone clapped then.
Daddy started a movie that explained about the war between humans and aliens. Daddy was in it several times.
The older kids quickly got bored, but they tried not to let it show.
I was fascinated by the movie, especially by the Aliens. Aliens were rarely
on TV. Our side had been able to capture one of them. They put them in an extra room so they could study it. There was special air in the room so the alien wouldn’t die. A woman tried to talk to it. The movie said how special she was because she could talk to the Aliens. It was a rare talent.
I made the movement that the Aliens made with my mouth, copying them and trying to feel what it was like to speak their language. The idea of being able to speak with them fascinated me.
After the movie, Daddy sent us to bed. Alex and Charlotte had to stay behind because they had been naughty while Daddy was away. He was going to spank them.
I started to wonder what it was like to be spank. Kyle had cried terribly throughout his spanking. Would I ever get spanked? I was curious and cautious all in one.
Nanny Pearson helped me into bed. “Nanny, why did Daddy adopt me?” I asked her in a whisper.
“You’ll have to ask him that yourself. I’ll send him up when he’s finished dealing with your brother and sister.” She tucked the covers in around me and left my room, turning out the light.
I was alone in a room, in between the sheets of another soft bed. My life had changed so drastically. I understood what was expected from me. What I didn’t understand was what I would get back. What was in this for me personally? It was my job to be as smart as I could possibly be, and to be as strong as I could possibly be. Later, it was my job to marry a man that Daddy picked out for me and have lots of baby warriors, but what did I get out of it.
I figured that I got to live in this enormous house and go swimming and do whatever else Daddy had in store for me. I got to live.
It felt as if hours had passed by when the door to my room opened up, and Daddy came in. He sat down on my bed and stared at me. “I heard that you wanted to ask me something.” He gave me a nice smile.
“Why am I here? I understand why the others are here. Their parents were very strong or smart, and you want that to rub off on them, and then to train them to be even better than their parents, but that doesn’t explain why I’m here.”
