Ria's Questionnaire

The screen pops out or a compartment built into the wall. Alexandria (“Ria”) is in her bedroom, the one she shares with Amara (“Amy”) and Octavia (“Tav”). 

The room is large enough that it could have 3 separate child sized beds, with space for curtains to hang from the ceiling giving each sibling her privacy. Instead, three beds have been stacked on top of each other, with the top hanging from the ceiling giving them a lot of free space in the room. 

Ria has the most space, but the least things. A bit of floor cleared for dancing and singing. Her sisters let her do it, as the youngest of the trio and has made it worth it for them, leading many nights of merriment, with Ria leading games or singing and dancing.

Ria clicks on the screen a few times, then starts recording.

”Hi journal! 

Apa said that I should start thinking about who I want to be. Training is starting soon and …”

“… I suppose I get it.

Everyone else who is older knows what they wanna do, and has been training.

Like. I know my family will take care of me. Like we took care of Lee when he had a rough few years… but I want to be able to help more! 

I want to have a job and money so that I can have my own cluster full of life and love and family like we have. I need money for that. And that means I need to learn a job and do my part. 

But I don’t know what that is yet. 

I mean…. I know what I want, sort of …”

“… the thing I really want to do is to work to reunite the ship!”

Ria retreats a bit, taking a breath before resuming her talking. She looks a little flustered.

”I know that is a little naive. That it’s been like this for forever, and that it will take a lot of work. Dad says that some problems with the ship can’t be fixed quickly, that you need to make a little bit of progress every generation.

You plant seed, and make sure it has plenty of sun. Then the next generation  waters it and clears the weeds, and the third generation eats the fruit.

”

Ria says this last with a bit of a stilted tone, as if she is repeating something heard.

” But I don’t think it should be so hard! 

Everyone in my family loves eachother and takes care of eachother! Why can’t the whole ship be like that. 

So. I guess that is what I want to do. But I don’t know how that will lead to me having money, or a life. 

But… I feel like I need to do something special…”

“… Apa risked a lot to make me a part of this family.”

Ria starts to get a little emotional. She take a breath. She breaths in. Her face is calm again.

“They haven’t told me everything. But they used to work with a bunch of scientists. Apa still knows the language, but doesn’t talk about the time. 

But Daddy tells be about it! Apparently Apa left for years. Wanting to work on some science project.”

Ria frowns.

“Daddy gets the same frustrated feeling when he talked about it as he does when he talked to me about the work of generations. He thinks things should be safe and slow.

But Apa came back from that time with me. Apa said they saved me, and that it has to be secret. But doesn’t say anything else.

So… I know that somewhere on the ship, there are probably more kids that need to be rescued. Like I was. So. I don’t want to do the slow work like Daddy does.”

“… which doesn’t mean I don’t get it… Daddy does such a good job taking care of us. So many of the older kids are doing important and good things now! The ship is a lot better because of him. He always has him for me. Which… not to say that Mommy, mama, papa and Apa don’t, but Daddy has the most time since his job is to take care of us and the house. And he is really good at his job.”

Ria stops. This was too much. She was getting off topic. She’ll pause for now.

She presses a button and the screen auto saves and folds back into the wall.

The screensaver is her family, all gathered together, even the older kids.

She was the youngest and they all had plans and what they were going to do.

Amara (Amy) was a year older, but had already decided she was going to be a cultivator, and make a home like theirs somewhere else. She had brown hair and bright green eyes. 

Octavia (Tav) was two years older than Ria, and was going to be a “code monkey” like Mama is. She had her own computer, so she could practice on her own.

Rex (12), Mat(13), Tom(13) and Yiz(14) were all didn’t know exactly what they would do, but they were doing really well in all their trainings, so nobody was worried about them. 

Ziz (15) was certain that she would be a singer, and had taught Ria most of what she knew. But Ria didn’t follow it with the same passion Ziz did.

Yew (16) and Wey(16) were both math and science geniuses, and sure to find a job sitting and thinking hard all day on important projects. Both of them had be born using a custom genome, differing only in their sex, so even if they did feel directionless, at least they knew their future would include each-other.

Les (21) was training with the local police, and security.

Elk (23) had a job working in administration of greens spaces, and seemed happy.

Lee (25) was a driver and training to be a pilot, and seemed happy with his life now. Ria had worried about him with all the others 

It was her turn now. To become someone .

Ria lay on her bed, curled up, letting the tears fall from her face. The last mission was so scary and....

Tav and Amy sad next to her. Tav held Ria's head, stroking her hair, and humming "The dream of a horizon" the song they shared. When Ria made them all learn it when she was 6, and Ziz was the coolest person in the world to her. When Ria wanted to be a rockstar, and for a solid 10-day had managed to get most of the family to get exited with her and Ziz. 

Ria had learned many songs after that week, but in that week, they had all learned the pop song enough to sing along with Ria when she randomly burst in to song.

It was a shared experience, and a bit of shared knowledge. One of the many shared things that connected the large family. A family that was so often moving in a dozen different directions with every member. Although of course, central was the love that the family shared in how they protected and helped each other grow.

"We love you Ria"

Amy says while holding Ria's hands. Amy is a quiet girl, soft, and prone to do things in her own time. But she is a soft presence at Ria's side in this moment.

"I ... I think I'm going to die.. Command is trying to kill me." Ria murmurs, her tears continuing to stream down her face. Her new senses picked up their feelings. Scared. Worried. Anxious. Because they, like everyone else in her family loved her, and loved each other.

Amy kept rubbing her hand.

Daddy came in. He was frustrated. Old arguments with Apa had resurfaced. They weren't talking right now. But they loved eachother, like all of Ria's parents... They would forgive each other eventually... Even after she died.

Daddy showed none of this on his face. He seemed calm and at peace as ever. Ria met his eyes, and she new that he loved her, and that watching having to do this was breaking something deep inside him

"Here RiRi, I made you some banana bread. Extra blue berries!"

Ria allows Tav to proper her up, and start working on taking down her buns and combing her hair. Daddy moved in to hug her, and Ria wrapped her little arms around him, and felt small and safe.

Daddy comes in.

Tav has managed to calm Ria down by now. Holding her in a tight hug, with her arms around her shoulders, and slowly petting her hair.  She still breaths heavily, but the sobbing has stopped. Amy sits at Ria's other side, holding a box of tissues, and rubbing her back. 

Daddy takes one look.

"Bad dream?"

Ria starts to nod at the same time Tav and Amy say "Yeah" and "Yep".

"Do you need Mr. Blankie?"

Ria nods again. 

Daddy goes to the closet and reaches the top shelf. 

There he finds an extremely old blanket. Several holes in it. If there was once color, it has been worn away to white.

Daddy brings it to Ria and she grabs it immediately, holding it close. 

Ria was brought to this family wrapped up in this blanket. For years she slept in it until Mom noticed that it was getting worn down, and Daddy decided that rationing it would be needed to keep it from being destroyed.

Ria's family hugs her, holding her close as with the help of Mr. Blankie she calms herself down.

Ria wakes again. She doesn't scream. She has been practicing. Every time she wakes up screaming she can feel the wave of worry and fear from her siblings. Pressure that overwhelms her mind a little. 

Instead, she lays still, holding her mouth shut as ears leak out of her eyes. 

A flash of Amy and Tav. Shot, with their head exploding right next to her. Like David was. Feeling their mind suddenly go silent

Ria closes her eyes. She breaths. 4 seconds in. Hold 4 seconds. 4 seconds out. Apa taught her that. They know so much about how to be ready for this. They'll keep her alive.

Keep her safe. 

The smell of melted people. A spray of blood that covers her. 

Breathing. Focus on breathing.

She wants to run away. To hide. 

But she can't if she does, her family will be punished. If she does, there is no hope that... she will be able to fix this. Make the Odysseus better.

Ria forces her eyelids to part with an effort of will. 

It is light out. The house's day/night cycle switching to get everyone up for school and work. 

She closes her eyes. She can feel her sisters waking. She can feel the rest of the house waking. Her family. People that care about her. 

Her family dead. Blood all over her clothes. Screaming. Broken fragments of ...

She pushes the nightmares away. She moves her hands up to her eyes. She rubs her eyes in her pillow, clearing the tears from her face. 

She doesn't need her family to comfort her now. 

She rolls out of bed. All 4 bathrooms are already in use. Ria gathers her clothes for the day, then she waits. 

Wey finishes first. Leaving the bathroom still brushing his teeth. He looks at Ria with ... Worry, concern, love

Ria smiles, and gives him a quick hug before going inside. She washes her face, getting the salt and grim from her tears off her face. Then she brushes her teeth. 

She still has the color changing toothpaste that indicates when she has brushed her teeth for long enough. 

She was too old for it years ago, but Mommy liked babying her, and the others with their purchases, and it made her happy, so Ria went along with it. 

She was having to grow up fast anyways. No need to force it.

The feelings were overwhelming.

Ria closes her eyes. Focusing inward. 

"Quinten Quench!" 

There is an applause. Ria focuses on her breathing. 

The feelings are less when she isn't seeing the people making them. But she can still feel little bits. Joy, pride, love. Some worry, coming from nearby.

Ria opens her eyes and looks at the students around her. They watch her nervously. She puts on a smile. Pretending that everything is okay. 

Convincing enough at least that they relax and turn away. The worry shifting back into the usual low level of fear her classmates felt about her. 

Not like I'll have to deal with them again at least.

It feels good to think the smug remark... even though the circumstances causing it are not ones she would choose. 

The school doesn't want her. They are worried about her. Worried about what command wants from her. Worried that she will draw attention to them. 

That she will die and scar the students. Worried that she is... dangerous. Ria had reacted a few too many times to emotions that were felt, but not said, and noticed too many lies.

I'll need to be better about that. People are afraid of augments. I need to find... some way to hide it maybe.

"Samantha Rainbow!" 

The student in front of her walks up on stage. Nervous, scared proud. There is a wash of feelings from an area in the crowd. Ria closes her eyes again and then looks down over her outfit. 

Not as effective as closing her eyes, but still reduces the amount of information she got. 

Her dress is pink. Wavey, with layers, covered in floral patterns of white. Wey had custom made the patterns. Getting custom clothing was expensive, if you didn't have a sister that could learn how to sow well in half an afternoon.

Her shoes are also nice quality, inherited from Tav when her feet were smaller.  Originally white, but dyed pink to match Ria's preferences. 

It feels a little silly now. I look like a child. I'm the reason several people are dead, and I look like ...

It was too much. 

Ria closes her eyes. 

Then someone pushes her.  A little on the shoulder 

She opens her eyes and realizes that there isn't anyone in line in front of here, and the principal is calling out 

"Alexand.....

"....ria Roots!"

Ria suppresses her discomfort and puts on a bright smile as she walks onto the stage. 

There is a wash of noise. And a wave of nervousness. Concern. 

Everyone knows about me. Nobody trusts me. Trusts what I'll bring.

Ria's eyes search the crowd. 

Worry. Distrust. Anger.

Love.

She finds her family with a breath of relief. All her parents, and her siblings.

Except for Elk. Her child was schedule to be born in the next few days, so she was waiting at the hospital for the gestation machines to determine she was finished. 

Ria walks across the stage. 

All of her classmates were born around 12 years ago, with birth days in the next few weeks. It was when this section of cultivators had access to the birthing facilities, so everyone was scheduled for the same couple week span. 

The principal hands her a diploma.

In the next few days everyone in her class would celebrate becoming 12.

4 months ago she thought it would be her. But she wasn't born when they were born. Because she isn't one of them.

Ria smiles and waves, then moves to sit with her classmates. 

She has 7 more months before she is 12. But still, in the next several days, her family would buy her treats, and give her presents. Celebrating becoming 12. 

But she won't be 12. She won't be moving to the next grade with the rest of her classmates.

Because she doesn't belong with them. 

Ria frowns. 
Not yet at least.