Day 276
Today was a day for birthdays.
First up was Sean.
My Sean was now a young adult. His newest trait was Athletic and his Lifetime Wish was to be a High Tech Collector.
Next up was Shannon.
My lovely teen's newest trait was: Slob.
And then her twin Seamus.
His newest trait was: Social Butterfly.
I knew I couldn't hide my pregnancy any longer. After we enjoyed our cake, I needed to talk to Sean.
I tried to delicately approach the subject, but Sean got right to the point. He had overheard everything, but he was certain that he distracted the twins enough to prevent them from hearing or seeing what took place that night in Dragon Valley.
"Mom, you did what you had to do. And in the end it's all biology. You'll be a single mother regardless."
I couldn't argue with that logic. "Sean, about you and Pru..."
"I care about her a lot, Mom. But I'm an adult now and she's still a teen. Nothing romantic will happen until she's an adult too. We'll just be good friends until then. I am looking forward to her next birthday though!"
"I'm betting she's looking forward to her next birthday as well!" I was proud of my son for not letting his hormones rule his brain.
With the birthday celebrations behind us, we started our day. Sean would be going out in the wastelands with Pru to work on his hoverboard skills. I planned to start painting. If I ever wanted to be free to walk on the topside, I needed to work on my identity and career. And painting in the future wasn't the same as painting in the past, so I needed to practice often. The twins and Rory had homeschool and free time after to enjoy their new birthday gifts.
The Duthalorian children did not join us for dinner. Jerry said they were all under the weather. I was worried they we exposed them to diseases by traveling from the past, but Jerry assured me that they had minor illnesses frequently and would be okay a couple of days. Sean and Pru were home around sunset. We had a relaxed evening: eating when we were hungry and relaxing.
Day 277
Labor pains woke me up in the early hours. The labor was hard but swift.
I gave birth to a daughter that I named Morwenna. She had the traits: Friendly and Couch Potato.
I was relieved to see she had her father's hair coloring. I was worried that Pru would shave her bald at birth had it been otherwise. I had a bit of a lie down and recovery before I joined the family for breakfast.
Sean relayed information that Pru had shared the day before on their outing. Each Oasis Landing adult was required to take a class in Space Training Class. There was concern that the Duthalorians could disrupt the Earth's gravity and all humans might need to survive in a weightless environment. Among other skills, we would learn the Moon Bounce Walk. The entire thing sounded preposterous, but who was I to argue with citizen requirements. Shannon eagerly volunteered to babysit her new sister. I was a bit uneasy about leaving Morwenna for so long, but trusted Shannon to care for her.
Riding a hoverboard was a lot more fun than I had anticipated.
Dismounting, not so much.
We took the monorail from the wasteland stop to the downtown station. I was impressed by Oasis Landing's public transportation and the view it afforded.
The class was surprisingly informative. I couldn't help by shake the funny feeling that there was more to it than met the eye. After the class Pru offered to show us around downtown a bit.
As the sun started setting, we headed for home.
Shannon was seeing to it that her brothers ate their dinner and insisted that Morwenna was fine and I should take the time to eat as well. I was a lucky mom to have such help.
Day 278
Today was Morwenna's birthday, but we had another birthday to celebrate first.
Pru was now a beautiful young adult. Then it was time for Morwenna's birthday cake.
She may have her father's hair color, but she had my eye color.
I had just settled Morwenna down to play,
and then it happened, alarms started blaring.
"They are here," Jerry tersely stated before heading toward the ladder. "Stay down here and stay quiet." I rushed to quiet Morwenna as she had started wailing.
And then silence and darkness. The lights, holograms and radio were off. We quietly went about our day, listening tensely for sounds from above.
I think everyone stopped breathing when Morwenna decided to pitch a fit.
I hurried to soothe her.
They day passed by slowly and the Duthalorian children were awake. They were bewildered and frightened.
The food synthesizer was off limits, so it was bread and jam for dinner.
Dobie slipped off to eat alone in the dark in the "outdoor" playroom.
Seamus followed him to keep him company.
Sean did his best to distract all the younger ones by telling them stories of dragons and heroes.
I tucked Morwenna into her crib, saying a little prayer that she'd sleep through the night quietly.
I went through the house sending children to bed and found Dobie shaking as he silently sobbed with fear.
I tried to reassure him and offered to read him a bedtime story.
I returned to the living room to discover my son was not letting any grass grow under his feet.
I didn't mean to intrude, but I had questions that I had not felt free to ask around the children.
"Pru, why aren't there shelters for all of Oasis Landing residents. Why doesn't everyone just hide like we are? Or do the Dutharlorians find them anyway?"
"There are many shelters in Oasis Landing. The larger community buildings have hidden basement rooms. All the houses downtown and in the nicer suburbs have them as well. But the mining district and wasteland have only a few crude community shelters. We don't have a warning system that detects the Duthalorians before they show up. We have alarms that sound at the first sighting, but it's like spotting a tornado. It's there already and if you are in their sights... There aren't any shelters at prison or orphanage. The Duthalorians catch people out in the open and they always stop by the prison and orphanage. That is where they get many of their slaves. I wish there was a better way," Pru sounded frustrated.
"I thought they came only every twenty-five years or so. How long has it been?"
"It's only been nine years, Miss. I don't know why they are here again so soon."
I reluctantly retreated to bed. I turned to ask another question, but thought better of it when I noted the young lovers had already forgotten my presence.
I slept fitfully and awoke with a start at one point. Had I heard something? I crept quietly through the house, listening for any unusual sounds. I spent an hour or so leaning against the ladder, just breathing quietly. And listening.
Day 279 - First Day of Fall
I woke up with a splitting headache from the tension and lack of sleep. I hurried to get Morwenna before she could cry out.
Breakfast was another cold meal of bread and jam.
I was clearing the table when the lights suddenly came on.
Was that a good sign or not? Pru seemed to think so and scrambled up the ladder to talk to Jerry.
Rory was pleased and relaxed immediately while Shannon offered to start potty training her sister.
Pru was back down in record time announcing it was all clear.
Shannon immediately started begging to go topside and learn to ride her hoverboard, "Mom, I'm going stir crazy! I need to get out of here!"
I balked, but Sean assured me that he and Pru would keep the twins company.
But before they could get ready, there was a stranger coming down the ladder.
My heart skipped a beat, but Pru knew who it was and started talking to him immediately.
I didn't follow the conversation because another stranger was coming into our midst.
My breath caught when I saw her face and vacant look in her eyes.
This young girl was scarcely older than my Shannon. Something told me that her time during the invasion had been filled with unspeakable horrors. Jerry came down after her and spoke to me, "Charlotte, could you help Chloe shower and find her a change of clothes? She needs some quiet and rest right now.
My mind screamed that she needed more than that, but I nodded and followed his orders.
"My family is dead," she flatly announced before the tears started streaming down her face. I held her as she shook and cried.
I carefully helped her to clean up and find a soft nightshirt. There wasn't any question that this child had been been violated by those heinous creatures. This could have been my Shannon. I considered and prided myself on generally being a gentle and peaceful person, but now I trembled with a white-hot rage. If those men that harmed her were right in front of me, I could kill them all without mercy or hesitation. I had learned that I was capable of violence when my family had been threatened in Winter Wonderland all those years ago. But this was different. I wanted to wage a war and annihilate an entire planet. It frightened me, thinking that way. Monsters aren't born they are made, I told myself. Just how did the Duthalorians become so hate filled and destructive? And was I on my way to becoming like them?
Once I settled Chloe down to sleep, I went in search for Jerry and found most of the household sitting down in deep discussion.
Jerry invited me to sit with them and I slipped into the seat between Kenzo and Shannon. I learned a fair bit more about the rebel citizens of Oasis Landing. This was a city divided for certain. The police had been selected by the Duthalorians. Most members belonging to the police force would willingly turn on it's own citizens in order to for their families to be exempt from the terror the Duthalorians poured on the others. The police didn't hesitate to cook up charges on someone, usually from the wastelands or mining district, so the prison held enough people as sitting ducks for the next visit.
Most of the other citizens just lived in terror and subjection, but there were rebel groups intent on fighting back. One group concentrated on weaponry, hoping to be able to hold the invaders away one day. Another group focused on seeking Sanctuary. Rumor was, there was a safe place for humans that the Duthalorians didn't know about and some actively sought this out this place. Another group focused on searching for the Well Source of Life. The what?
I was puzzled and inquired, "What is this Well Source of Life?
Jerry explained, "It is now known that planets with life on them have a sacred well that all life stems from. This is the source of all water on the planet. Water is the most essential element for life. We all bear traces of this Living Water. We have a group planning to search for this well. It is likely that the Duthalorians used it to drain our plant's natural waters from it. We hope to find it and restore it, if we can. There are many rumors of where this well is located, but I think we have the photos to prove it."
Jerry took the time to pass around obviously aged photos.
Jerry shared more with a heavy sigh, "These rare photos were taken by a pioneer explorer around the year 1850 just outside of the small town of Ehaughten in the Utah Territory. But no one knows exactly where Ehaughten is today or our relative location to it. Most say this is a Fool's errand, but these are desperate times."
"It looks like a hand," I mused.
Kenzo volunteered, "Many call it the hand of God, Divine One or Creator."
There was little else to be said. We all seemed lost in private contemplation after that. Jerry was going downtown to check on things. Pru and Sean would take Shannon and Seamus out for hoverboard practice. I would stay here with the younger children. Before Kenzo left, we chatted for a bit. He is a brilliant scientist and had high hopes for reclaiming and restoring Earth. I wish I could share in his optimism.
Jerry returned with serious news.
He briefly explained that there were many official roles in Oasis Landing. Even an official baker, official artist and so forth. These were esteemed titles and the chosen citizens lived downtown in selected homes. These were very nice homes and many privileges came with them. During this last invasion the official artist and his family had been caught out in the mountains. They were gone now and when looking for a replacement artist, the city officials spotted my painting that Jerry had taken to the consignment store. I now had a place in society as the certified artist.
"What does this mean, Jerry?" I felt uneasy at this turn of events.
"The good news is, you are a bona fide member of Oasis Landing. You will be respected and treated as upper class. The bad news is, you will be expected to produce a fair number of artistic pieces regularly. There will be jealous people watching you. You will be front and center in Oasis Landing. You can't afford any missteps, Charlotte. Eyes will be on you and your children."
"Can I refuse?"
"No, you cannot. You need to leave and move into your new house this afternoon."
"But, Chloe, the Duthalorian children..."
"Charlotte, Chloe is the first of a number of girls and women we will take in. Bluntly, we could use the extra empty beds anyway. Not that I'd ever ask you to leave, just stating facts here. You can visit as often as possible, very discretely please. But if you fail to move into your new role, it will draw unwanted attention to you and your children."
"I don't have a choice then."
The older kids arrived home and we drew Seam and Pru into our conversation immediately. Sean announced he was in love with Pru and planned to stay with her. Jerry explained that Historians could not marry or have a family. Sean was agreeable to those terms, but he would stay to be her partner and supporter. The refugees and Duthalorian children would be their family.
Jerry reluctantly gave his blessing and permission. Then it was time to grab our few belongings and leave. I hated that Chloe and the Duthalorians were still asleep. Pru promised that they would be well cared for and explanations would be given about our rapid departure.
And then we were on our way.
I had been told our new house was just across the street from the downtown stop and that it would stand out with it's fake greenery and brighter colors. I spotted it from the monorail.
It was an impressive piece of architecture.
The views were amazing. If this place wasn't so polluted, they'd probably nothing short of breathtaking.
There was even a swimming pool and hot tub. Rory wanted to swim immediately, but I told him he'd have to wait. We started settling in and exploring our new luxury home.
There were places outdoors and even inside where I could garden.
I had a full scale kitchen at my disposal again, with every modern convenience at my fingertips. I decided to celebrate by making cinnamon rolls for dinner.
After dinner, I bathed and tucked Morwenna into her crib. Everyone relaxed a bit and I went to investigate my new studio.
I was expected to produce paintings, sculptures and glass blown pieces. I needed to learn this skill quickly and was already worried about producing my quota while tending to my family.
My bedroom had three walls of glass. I should feel pleased and delighted by my new accommodations.
But something worried me. As I drifted off to sleep in my new dream pod, I thought of the word that best described how I felt: vulnerable.
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