Snapshots

[Tyra Crawford]

== For Mayfair's subplot ==

[Robin Mayfair]

== Twenty-two years ago ==

Adigeon Prime (neutral world)

"Come in, come in." The tall Edosian motioned the family into his office warmly, pointing with his middle arm towards a couch along the wall. The office itself showed the doctor's passion for botany, and was filled with pots with plants from at least a half dozen worlds. "I am Doctor Kizol. Welcome to Keyrion City. I trust your trip was pleasant?"

The human family, three in all, entered a little hesitantly. Karlos Mayfair rubbed his stubbly chin. A colony rancher by trade, he was unfamiliar (and uncomfortable) with the trappings of the wider galaxy. The grizzled human, his skin having a natural deep tan and already showing the effects of years of sun exposure, returned the smile... his less warm. He didn't want to seem desperate, but the strange alien in front of him might be his daughter's last hope. 

Sonja Mayfair followed her husband, pushing a large traditional wheeled stroller. A smaller woman with a round face and blonde hair, she looked more nervous than her husband. The girl inside the stroller was no baby but a slightly overweight blond girl of at least four. Sonja looked around warily and parked the stroller, reaching down with a cloth to wipe a stream of drool from the girl's mouth. The child giggled and looked at the alien doctor with uncomprehending eyes. She took a seat next to her husband and daughter as Dr. Kizol took a seat in front of them, one specially designed for his three-legged anatomy. 

"Thank you for seeing us, Doctor. If you can't help us I don't think there's anyone in the galaxy who can."

The Edosian nodded. "Of course. I've looked over the medical records you sent. I daresay the Federation would not be happy knowing that you've shared them with us. They don't approve of what we do here, to say the least." He drummed his three-fingered hand on the chair's armrest. "I've been working in this field for forty years and this is the first case of Turean’s Syndrome I've ever run across, even more surprisingly in a human. It's more common on Denobula, but they figured out a treatment for it a century ago so we never see any children with it. Based on the genetic profiles of yourself and Mrs. Mayfair you sent I've found strands of Denobulan DNA in your genetic code, likely from about three centuries ago. Distant ancestors."

Karlos nodded. The Federation scientists who'd examined Robin had found the same thing. Alien-human mixing was extremely uncommon on Iota Tau, and there weren't good records of who the Denobulan ancestor might have been since it was before the family had moved to the barren colony world. It was just a trace... but it was killing his daughter. 

The doctor continued. "And what would cure a Denobulan child would kill little Robin. Mr. Mayfair, I believe we can help you."

The rancher and his wife couldn't help but show relief, but it was tempered with wariness. "The Federation doctors said there was no cure. At least, one that was legal and available. They just couldn't perform a resequencing of that magnitude, and I got the impression that the problem was that that they wouldn't." There was a cold anger in the man's southern-accented voice. 

Kizol's mouth curled into a slight frown. He had a rather low opinion of the Federation's ban on genetic engineering. It was one reason he practiced here on a neutral world where such matters weren't illegal. 

"Partially, sir. The DNA that they required wasn't available legally in the Federation, and even if they had access to it they wouldn't use it, not even to save your daughter's life. It's Augment DNA."

Karlos Mayfair looked at him. He was a rancher, but he was a bit of a history buff and was fully aware of the Eugenics War on Earth. "What are you saying, Doctor? That to save her life..."

"Robin would have to become an Augment, yes. Based on the files we're looking at replacement of about two thirds of her DNA, and a careful editing of what remains to expunge every last trace of the defective code. It's one of the most extreme cases I've ever worked on. Some Federation citizens come here to have their children's DNA enhanced, but this goes well beyond what's typical." He paused, worried that the Mayfairs were going to storm out of his office... but neither adult moved. The girl in the stroller babbled, her words only partially understandable. 

He continued. "Despite what history teaches, Augments aren't psychopathic monsters. In virtually every case they were raised with monstrous beliefs in their own supremacy, denied even basic parental love, and twisted into something terrible. It's a perfect example of nature vs nurture, in my not-so-humble opinion."

The Edosian tapped a control on his armrest and genetic profile appeared in holographic form on the coffee table in front of the family. DNA strands began to be snipped out and replaced in the girl's genetic code. "Please understand, this is a complicated and lengthy procedure. Should you agree Robin will be spending the next year here on Adigeon Prime. We have to get it all, and we have to make sure the replacement genetic code is stable. Even for our facility this is a bit of uncharted territory and there may be complications."

Sonja spoke up for the first time. "So you're saying to expect side effects. Like what?"

Doctor Kizol smiled at the woman. Despite her reluctance to speak she was clearly very perceptive. 

"We don't know. Please don't misunderstand, we do know what we're doing. Robin isn't going to grow a third arm or anything." His joke drew only slight smiles from the Mayfairs, except for Robin who suddenly laughed loudly... despite having no understanding of the conversation. "But there may be minor changes, likely cosmetic. I can tell you based on experience her appearance will change. Remember, well over two thirds of her won't be related to you anymore."

"My daughter is dying, doctor. She might have another decade left, but it won't be a pleasant one. She's already lost so much." Karlos was choking up a little, and concentrated for a moment to keep his voice neutral. "She was so bright and talkative when she was younger. Her memory is shot, her bones are brittle, and she's having more and more seizures. She's lost a lot of her language. If that means we're desperate, well, we are, and I'm not ashamed to say so." 

"I understand, Mr. Mayfair. I just want you to be prepared. Again, any side effects won't be life threatening or crippling. I already have the computers working out the specifics, and right now they estimate a 92.2% chance of success. 100% that we will stop the progress of the Turean’s Syndrome, but we can do more. We can't restore what was lost, but she will make up for it and then go beyond. Far beyond. But your daughter will be, in many ways, a new girl. Different."

He waited for the parents to ask questions, but they were clearly clinging to the life preserver he had thrown them. The doctor continued.

"Robin will be far more intelligent, likely a genius, with perfect memory and the ability to learn at a vastly accelerated rate. She will be amazingly fast, with enhanced hand-eye coordination and reflexes. She will be healthier than you can imagine, possibly to the point of being immune to virtually all diseases. Her senses will incredibly enhanced." He paused. "Those are not side effects. They are part and parcel of the Augment DNA. Be prepared for them."

He smiled. He didn't want to say so to the desperate family, but he was looking forward to this. A chance to really push the limits of his skills and those of his team. The girl was a blank canvas to paint on, and if he didn't tell her parents some of his ideas then that was fine. He'd spent years examining the Augment DNA in their archives and was fascinated by the incredible artistry of it. Its creators had set out to push the human form to its limits, and if they hadn't been so fanatical about creating a new, better human race what could have been achieved? 

And if he felt a little guilty at underselling the potential dangers, then what of it? Despite his words there was considerable debate about the megalomaniacal tendencies of the Eugenics War Augments. It was Kizol's opinion that the problem was their atrocious upbringings. This might be the perfect chance to prove his theories to his colleagues. The Mayfairs were clearly a loving (if old-fashioned) family who cared so deeply for their daughter that they were willing to risk everything. If they could raise an Augment and have her turn out to be a sane and respectable member of society, well, he'd be more than happy to make the other geneticists eat crow. And if not, well, how much harm could one crazed Augment do on a backwards colony world? 

They wanted their daughter cured. He would cure her. 

Karlos and Sonja Mayfair talked briefly among themselves. Both looked at their daughter. She had spent years being poked and prodded by the useless colony doctors and the even more useless Federation doctors. Neither parent could imagine, really, just what 'different' meant in this regard, and being told that one consequence of the treatment would be that the girl would be better at almost everything was hardly a deterrent. But they had no choice, and they knew it.

"Very well, Doctor. We agree. I've already submitted payment information to your staff." 

This wasn't a Federation facility, and Adigeon Prime hospitals didn't do charity. But the family was wealthy and the cost wasn't important. Sonja had sold the mining rights to a dilithium-rich asteroid her father had left her to a Ferengi mining interest. Even with the incredibly unfavorable deal she'd agreed to the payment was more than enough to cover any treatment here, even if it took multiple years. But Karlos would have sold his vast ranch and moved the family back to Earth if necessary. He was glad he didn't have to. It was all he had. Besides family.

"Excellent. I'll have the forms ready for you to sign within the hour. Will you be staying here with Robin? We do have a facility for families."

Karlos held up his hand. "My wife will. I'm going to have to return to the ranch to keep it running, so I'll be returning every month or two to see how the treatment is progressing. Will that be a problem?" 

"Not at all, Mr. Mayfair. I think you're going to be amazed at the changes in your daughter every time you return."

The rancher stood up and offered his hand, completely unconcerned at whether or not Edosians shook hands. The doctor took it with his right hand and gave a warm smile as he shook. Now it was time to get to work, to see if he really could deliver on his promises.... but he really didn't doubt himself.

== To be continued==

[Robin Mayfair]

== One month later ==

"Doc'tr!" the little girl yelled as she rose to her feet, and then immediately fell to her knees with her hands over her ears. "Owwwwwww too loud!" Those words brought on another round of obvious pain.

"Robin, you have to whisper." The Edosian doctor gave a sympathetic look at the girl's mother, sitting on a couch reading. He kneeled down so he could look the child in the eyes and smiled. "Remember. Whisper. You won't have to for long." She looked up at him, tears in her eyes, but she clearly listened to his words.

"'Kay," she said quietly. She wiped the tears away with the sleeve of her gown, then held up a stuffed doll. "Look what I got." It was a old cartoon character from Earth's past, a character he was completely unfamiliar with. "He's Mickey."

Doctor Kizol smiled again. "He's very nice. Can I talk to your mama outside? She'll be right back." The girl nodded and plopped down on her butt, conversation clearly over and intent on playing with her new toy. Sonjia Mayfair rose, put her book down, and followed the doctor out of the darkened and quiet room. As the door slid closed the two of them looked at Robin through the one-way glass.

Out here sound wasn't suppressed. The entire recovery room where the child sat was a small holodeck that the staff of the facility could configure as they wished. Right now it was set up as a combination playroom and sleep room. The toy was holographic but the geneticist had already decided to replicate her a real one. Inside sound was muted and lights were kept dim so as not to overwhelm the child's newly expanding senses. She wasn't used to them and even minor noise and light were terribly painful. Robin's vocal outburst had been dampened to others, but no holodeck could suppress the noise that was transmitted through the bones in her skull.

"We're at 33%, Mrs. Mayfair. We should be able to raise the room settings to 66% by late next week, if she continues to make progress. Hopefully within three weeks she can leave the room without requiring noise cancellation and dark glasses. It's remarkable progress."

"And her hair and eyes, Doctor?"

The child's formerly blonde hair had grown out quite a bit since the procedure had begun. They didn't want to cut it until she grew less tactually sensitive, but it was clearly showing brilliant purple with only the ends still blonde.

"Those are due to the replacement chromosomes from the Augment genetic samples. That particular set was the best match for Robin, but they do show signs of artificial manipulation of hair and eye color. Remember, we didn't create those samples. They're centuries old. Whoever did create them intended for that result. We could attempt to go in and..."

Mrs. Mayfair cut him off. "No. That's not important. Her eyes are beautiful. They're like gemstones. And I'm not concerned about her hair. She can always dye it. I was just curious."

The Edosian nodded. "I wanted to stop by and bring you the latest test results personally. She still has another 14 sessions to go through, but at this point we can officially declare that her Turean’s Syndrome has been eliminated."

Tears appeared in Sonjia's eyes but she didn't say anything. She merely looked at the doctor with gratitude.

"Her DNA won't further degenerate and we're making progress on repairing the damage. So far her body is adapting to the changes well."

"I'm teaching her to read, Doctor."

"Really? Remarkable. She's only been out of sedation for two weeks. How much progress have you made?"

"Pre-Kindergarten level. The alphabet and phonics. She's already starting to figure out unfamiliar words. I was a schoolteacher before I married Karlos, and I've never seen anything like it. Her language skills have already recovered to the level she was at before the condition took hold. I think I'm going to need access to materials."

The Edosian laughed. "Done. We have plenty available, a full library of print and electronic books. Once she adjusts to her senses we can transfer you to a room with holotables and anything else you need in order to facilitate her education. It's good that you're starting now. Her mind is growing at an incredible rate. It needs to be nourished."

== To be continued ==

[Robin Mayfair]

== Another month later ==

"Again, Robin." The elderly human woman's voice was neutral, conveying neither approval nor disapproval. She merely kept the stern look on on her face.

The five-year-old girl carefully picked up the fork in front of her, her moves deliberate. She was forcing herself to move at a casual pace and with care as she had been taught. She stabbed one of the pieces of chicken on her plate and put it into her mouth, then put the fork back on the plate before returning her hands to her lap.

Doctor Conaway gave the child a slight smile. "Very good." Robin beamed at the approval. It wasn't just that, though. As the treatments had continued her speed had begin to increase precipitously. Her first attempt to use a fork had resulted in a nasty wound in her mouth. The doctor was here to provide therapy to the girl, reteaching skills that had been lost but also teaching her to adapt to her rapidly changing physiology. Robin was also learning not just to walk again but also not to throw herself forward as quickly as she could. It was a delicate balance.

Conaway had decades of experience. Whether the Federation wanted to admit it or not there were quite a few parents who were eager for the advantages that genetic engineering provided. Such things were by no means common, but nor were they extraordinarily rare either. It was just as much her job to teach children to blend in as it was to help them adapt to their new enhancements. Moving too fast, showing off enhanced skills or suddenly genius-level intellect could reveal what had been done, and the consequences would be dire. Little Robin probably wouldn't have to deal with any of that, though. From what her mother had said the isolated colony world had little in the way of a Federation presence. Simply put, no one there cared. She might be treated as different, probably would be, but no one would look to arrest her parents or ban the child from pursuing a career as was done on supposedly-enlightened Earth.

"You may finish the rest, Robin. Carefully." The little girl said "Yes'm" around a mouthful of food that she swallowed a moment later. And then all protocol went out the window as the door slid open and Karlos Mayfair stepped into the room.

Robin was out of her seat in a flash. "Papa!" Doctor Conaway winced as the purple-haired girl slammed into her father at blinding speed, almost bouncing off him and taking a tumble before his fatherly reflexes kicked in and he grabbed her arms. The rancher pulled his daughter into a hug. "Robin! How are you doing, child?"

"Really good, Papa! I can eat without poking myself!"

That drew a rare laugh from her father. "Well, that's good." He picked the girl up, holding her with one arm so she sat on his arm, her arms around his shoulder and neck. Robin was still small for her age, likely a combination of her mother's small size and the years of damage her condition had done. He looked his daughter in the face and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "I don't want to interrupt Robin's therapy, Doctor..."

The elderly woman shook her head. "It's fine, Mr. Mayfair. We were almost done anyway. Robin is making excellent progress. I believe your wife is in a meeting with Doctor Kizol, if you want to join them.

Karlos nodded. "Of course. I have some questions."

The rancher was escorted to the Chief Geneticist's office, still holding the girl. She hadn't released her hold and had babbled the whole way about what she was learning. As he entered the office he set his daughter down. "Robin, can you play with the toys over there while I talk with the doctor and your Mama?" He indicated a shelf in the corner full of books and various toys. He put the child on the floor, showing extraordinary care as if she was still breakable.

"'Kay, Papa." She plopped herself down on the colorful carpet and examined the collection, looking for something interesting. Karlos took a seat next to his wife and took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Doctor Kizol was just filling me in, Karlos. So far the treatments are proceeding fine. Nine more resequencing treatments left. Robin's adapted to her increased senses, and the therapists all report significant progress."

Doctor Kizol nodded. "Yes sir. And your daughter has already finished the most radical of the resequencings. The rest will increasingly be 'fine tuning,' as it were. We're making sure her body is accepting the changes and that they're stable. We'll be finished in three months, and then it's just a matter of observation for the remainder of the year."

Karlos Mayfair had a concerned look. "Doctor... her face. She looks different." He could still see the resemblance to himself and his wife, but it was like a fading photograph. Robin still had the same skin tone as the Mayfairs, the same button nose as Sonjia, but her facial structure had changed, and not just because she'd lost weight. 

"I did say that would happen, sir. Remember, she's far less related to you biologically than she was a few months ago. To be blunt, a lot of your daughter had to be replaced. I'm sorry, but there's no other way to put it."

The rancher frowned. He had been told, but it was one thing to hear words and another to see the results firsthand. How much Robin would be left? Would it be like they had lost their daughter anyway despite everything? He was about to say something to the Edosian when he heard a soft voice behind him.

"Once upon a time, sixty years ago, a little girl lived in the Big Woods of Wisconsin, in a little gray house made of logs."

He turned. His daughter had pulled down a book and was reading out loud. He recognized it.

"The great, dark trees of the Big Woods stood all around the house, and beyond them were other trees and beyond them were more trees. As far as a man could go to the north in a day, or a week, or a whole month, there was nothing but woods. There were no houses. There were no roads. There were no people. There were only trees and the wild animals who had their homes among them."

It was Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder. He'd read it in school himself, and though he wasn't a teacher like his wife had been he knew it was well beyond her age range... and when he'd last seen his daughter she'd forgotten her ABCs. He just stared. 

"Wolves lived in the Big Woods, and bears, and huge wild cats. Muskrats and mink and otter lived by the streams. Foxes had dens in the hills and deer roamed everywhere."

The girl continued, oblivious to her father's staring. Her mother squeezed his hand. "Yes, dear." There were tears in her eyes. The elder Mayfair's objection was cut off.

For his part the Edosian doctor just gave a slight smile. His face otherwise revealed nothing. 

As you humans say, 'You ain't seen nothing yet.'

He still had a lot of work to do, adjusting things and adding his own changes. They were well past the danger stage, and now he could truly work. He had ideas. Adjustments that could be made to truly see what the Augment DNA was capable of, especially with modern Adigeon Prime technology and expertise. Had he had failures in the past? Certainly. But they'd taught him to be careful. 

"I didn't think my daughter was ever going to learn to read, Doctor. Thank you." Karlos Mayfair's voice had a slight break. 

"The credit goes to your wife, sir. We've just worked to undo the damage her condition caused and give her a boost." He was underselling it, but a little bit of humility never hurt. 

== To be continued ==

[Robin Mayfair]

== Three months later ==

The purple-haired little girl giggled as she blew out the candles on the birthday cake, taking two puffs to get them all. The half-dozen staff in the room cheered and Doctor Kizol applauded with two hands while his middle arm spun a noisemaker. "Happy birthday, Robin!" they called more-or-less simultaneously. But today was a double celebration: the child's birthday but also the completion of her resequencing treatments.

Robin's mother began slicing pieces of the vanilla cake for the staff. She'd insisted on baking it herself, something that wasn't easy to do on a world as replicator-dependent as Adigeon Prime. Finding an oven had been an undertaking, but she'd managed to locate a staff member with an old-fashioned streak who still had a home kitchen. As far as Sonjia Mayfair was concerned her daughter was going to have a real cake, not a piece of replicated matter constructed out of who-knew what. And besides, when they finally returned home there would be no replicators. The staff members were handed their pieces on paper plates. A few stuck around to eat, but most had duties to attend to and couldn't stay. 

The Edosian doctor walked over to his patient's mother as the child began inhaling pieces of cake. Both had a laugh about it; they'd already discussed that the girl's metabolism required a lot of calories, and Sonjia was honestly just happy to see Robin eating again. They lived on the largest ranch on Iota Tau. Food would never be an issue.

"Wipe your mouth, Robin," the girl's mother scolded, and her daughter obeyed, removing the accumulation of icing on her face before it reached ridiculous levels. "Good girl. Slow down, all right? There's plenty of cake, and you can have as much as you want." The child nodded.

"I've sent a recommended diet to your PADD, Mrs. Mayfair," the doctor said as he adjusted the foil party hat on his bald head. "Our dieticians have come up with something that will maintain a healthy growth level. Little Robin probably won't ever have to worry about becoming overweight, but her body needs a lot of nutrients as it tries to catch up to where she should be. Did you read the report I sent you yesterday?"

Sonjia nodded. "Yes, doctor. I'm fine with her not having inherited the strength and stamina of an Augment. It wasn't something I expected anyway. Everything that she's gained has been a blessing."

Kizon considered. Apparently the Mayfairs were some of the few humans who retained religious beliefs, and such things were common on their colony world. He didn't judge. "We could have forced the issue but it might have created some unstable pairings. We've seen such things before. It's definitely better to err on the side of caution. Trying to get too ambitious often leads to disaster. Personally I'm more than happy with the results so far."

They were interrupted by something Sonjia Mayfair never expected to hear. A song, coming from her child.

"Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise"

Robin had stopped eating and picked up her PADD, flipping idly through a list of children's shows with icing-sticky fingers. Her voice was perfectly pitched as she continued the song, paying no attention to the adults staring at her. Her mother suppressed a sob. 

"Doctor? She can sing?"

"Yes. You sound surprised at that."

"Musical talent isn't something that runs in our family, neither mine nor my husband's. I mean at all." She swallowed, tears in her eyes. "She has the voice of an angel."

Kizon smiled. "People think Augments are just humans with enhanced intelligence, strength, and reflexes. But their genetic code is enhanced across the board, in countless minor ways. In this case it's likely a side effect from the enhancements to the UGT8 gene that is related to the nervous system. Musical talent often does have a genetic component to it." 

The smile was genuine for the mother and the child, but it was also for him. He felt like an artist who had created a great work. The Augment genetic code that had been used on Robin hadn't had this particular enhancement; the Edosian doctor had added it personally, copied from a different set of genetic material and modified to fit into the genes the girl was receiving. He'd hoped for exactly this result. And he was never going to say anything about it. Let the Mayfairs think it was a happy accident. And besides, he wasn't a monster, experimenting on a hapless child. Let it be his personal gift to her, even if she never knew it. 

At least that's what he told himself. 

"You were only waiting for this moment to arise
You were only waiting for this moment to arise"

== To be continued ==

[Robin Mayfair]

== Six Months Later ==

"Ooh, Mama, what's that?"

Robin had her face pressed up against the large viewport as she stared wide-eyed at the multicolor nebula coming into view. The passenger ship was rotating as it prepared for docking. This was their last stop before Iota Tau, the passenger and refueling station Gennethe 4 Highport. Below the brilliant blue of the mostly water planet turned slowly. A hurricane was churning in the northern hemisphere. She paid little attention to it, her eyes fixed on the brilliant stellar remnant.

"That's the Helix Nebula, dear. Don't you remember it? We can see it from our home."

The purple-haired six-year-old shook her head. "Nope. But it's really pretty. I wanna go there."

Her father approached the two, drinks in each hand. "You can see it any time you want, child. Just look up." Karlos Mayfair had no time or interest in such things. He was a man of the land and disliked space travel. Now that his daughter was cured of her Turean's Syndrome he hoped to never set foot on a spaceship ever again. He paid little attention to the nebula when he was on his home planet, but then few did. It was visible in the sky and could easily be seen with the naked eye, but the sight wasn't nearly as impressive as it was here. On this station it filled fully half the viewport.

"Oh. OK." There was a note of disappointment in her voice. "What's that dot in the center?" The question was aimed at her mother. Sonjia smiled indulgently. Since the completion of Robin's enhancements the girl had been a bundle of questions, asking about everything she saw. She'd learned not to ask her father, who generally provided short and unsatisfying answers.

"A white dwarf. The remains of a really old star."

"Oooh!" Robin said, and took the PADD out her travel bag. "Cm'puter, tell me about white dwarfs." The screen filled with information and the small Augment plopped down on a bench to start reading.

Her mother gave a light chuckle. "Computer, seventh-grade reading level." The article reloaded, adding details and increased explanations.

Robin's reading level was already well beyond her age range, but she still lacked a lot of basic education. Sonjia had filled in as best she could and had tutored her daughter, but the truth was that the child had a lot of ground to make up. She absorbed knowledge like a sponge and could repeat it back almost verbatim. Since the week-long return voyage had begin she had spent much of the voyage staring out of the viewports, bombarding her parents with questions about everything she saw, and each answer set her off on another round of research.

Her mother had been a schoolteacher, but she was feeling a bit overwhelmed. It was like she couldn't teach her daughter fast enough. Before the procedures Robin had had no memory. Things she learned escaped like water pouring out of a broken pipe, and the girl had been increasingly frustrated as her mind slowly degenerated. Now it was just the opposite. She wanted to know everything.

"What's that word, Mama?"

"Parsec, dear. About three and a quarter light years." Sonjia sat down next to her. "When you get back, Robin, you're going to start school. They'll teach you everything to want to know."

The girl paused and looked up at her mother. Her gemstone eyes met Sonjia's. "I can't wait, Mama!"

== To be continued ==

[Robin Mayfair]

== Five years later ==

The front door banged a bit as the 11-year-old closed it too hard. The bang was followed by a thump as she dumped her backpack in the hall next to a side table covered with photographs of the Mayfair sisters. Outside the grav bus made a slight grinding sound as it lifted off again. Robin headed towards the ranch house's large and well-appointed kitchen.

"I'm home," she called out as she entered, voice flat. The girl sat climbed onto a stool at the counter and grabbed a box of chocolate chip cookies, idly pulling out an entire sleeve.

"Hello, dear," her mother responded. Sonjia Mayfair had just finished carving up a roast and getting it ready for the oven. A pan filled with vegetables was sitting on the table waiting for the main course. The kitchen smelled of fresh-baked bread. "How was school?"

Robin responded with a sound that was a half grunt, half "Meh."

"Did you learn anything today?"

The girl paused and brushed her long hair over her shoulder. She hated having long hair. Her mother clearly hadn't picked up on her bad mood. 

"No."

"No?"

"I didn't learn anything, Mama." Despite years of social etiquette training, despite being in a family where children were expected to never complain, Robin couldn't keep the irritation out of her voice. "They're still doing algebra. Basic algebra. And we had a lesson on the NX-01 mission. Seriously. I read President Archer's autobiography three years ago. And T'Pol's. And Carzweil's 'Faith of the Heart' about the entire mission, and that was six volumes. And..."

Her mother fixed her gaze on her daughter. Robin stopped. 

"Mama, it's boring. Every day. I thought high school would be different, but it's just more of the same. I don't see why I can't go to a Federation school." She rubbed her left arm idly and winced. 

"We've been over this." Sonjia put the roast in the pan and washed her hands, getting rid of the blood. This wasn't a replicated meal. The roast came from a cow that had been butchered last week. "You wouldn't be allowed in a Federation school because of your enhancements. They don't treat Augments like people." She paused. "And what's wrong with your arm?"

Robin realized what she had been doing and stopped, but her mother had always been perceptive. "Roll up your shirt sleeve, Robin."

Reluctantly the girl did as she was told, wincing again, and exposed a large and ugly bruise on her upper arm. 

"Who did this to you?"

"Trent. Again." 

"Why?" 

"Because he can, Mama. Because he's bigger than me. They're all bigger than me. I'm 'Grape-Head' to him, and he's repeating ninth-grade for the third time."

Sonjia's voice was steady but still showed her anger. "That family. They're worthless. Your father's going to have words with them."

"That'll just make things worse, Mama. The school won't do anything. It's like I'm Trent's personal target. And it's not like the rest are nice to me. I hear what they say behind my back. They whisper, but I still hear it." Tears were forming in the little girl's amethyst eyes. "I hate school." 

Robin's mother went over and gave her daughter a hug. "I know, dear, and I'm sorry. We'd hoped moving you up grades would make things more challenging."

"It didn't. The other kids think I'm some kind of freak."

"You still have to attend school, Robin. It's the law. The sooner you graduate the sooner you can..." She trailed off. What was she supposed to tell her daughter? The sooner you can get a job here? Maybe marry some farm boy and make babies? She hadn't really thought about the future. Did Robin even have a future here on Iota Tau? Her husband simply assumed that she would settle down like everyone else. Maybe take over the ranch someday. What opportunities were there for an Augment on this barren world? But how would she be treated if she left? Would she be allowed to pursue a career? Her enhancements were borderline illegal in the wider Federation. They'd been done to save her life but she was still a second-class citizen at best. 

She stopped. "Nevermind. I'll get the dermal regenerator. And after dinner I'm going to teach you something I learned from my father when I was your age. It's an ancient form of martial arts known in Japan as 'kick them in the nuts and run away.'"

That got a laugh out of the girl. "I like the sound of that." She dumped the sleeve of cookies onto a plate and shoved a couple into her mouth unceremoniously. "I shall be a good student, sensei." 

Sonjia smiled as she went to the first aid cabinet, but it didn't ease her worry much. She simply didn't know what to do, and could feel her daughter's frustration. This world was just too small for her little girl.

== To be continued ==

[Robin Mayfair]

== Four Years Later ==

Robin's eyes were wide as the huge crate appeared on the tarmac. Thirty feet long and twenty wide, it was the largest object on the blacktop field. Her father, sitting next to her in the grav truck, looked less impressed but still relatively happy. His eyes were focused on a PADD that he tapped occasionally to off the cargo. The teenager knew what the box contained, of course... a soil renewer, a old piece of equipment that Karlos Mayfair had purchased second-hand from a terraforming company. Getting it was the highlight of his year, and he'd bored the family endlessly about how it would double the crop yields for the ranch and finally make the western quarter viable for cattle grazing. That didn't impress his daughter, of course. It was the beaming process, the almost magical materialization of a box the size of a small building, that awed her. More crates of various sizes appeared and the elder Mayfair checked off each one as they did.

Finally he took out a communicator, an old one that looked like it dated from the time of James Kirk, and flipped it open. "That's the last of it, Captain. Verifying receipt."

The response came in a rich Spanish accent, a voice that sounded of old-world Spain. "Very good, Mr. Mayfair. My first officer will be down once we've finished beaming down the other cargo. It's been a pleasure doing business with you."

"Ask him if I could get a tour of the ship, Father!" Robin was pleading with her father, as she'd done for weeks now. For the last year she'd begged and begged to go to an off world school, any school. Her parents had flatly refused until they had finally had to forbid her from asking again. The teenaged Augment had settled for at least asking if she could go see the cargo ship. Any excuse to get into space, even briefly. She was obsessed with it.

There was an amused laugh from the communicator, but Karlos Mayfair simply said "Thank you, Captain Cardon" and closed the device.

"FATHER!" There was outrage in the girl's voice, which her father silenced with a look. Robin looked sheepish but clearly didn't want to let the mater drop.

"Captain Cardon has better things to do. Besides, you said you'd go through the manuals for me and install the software update. Tonight."

She pouted. "That won't take long. The Triple Seven won't leave orbit for another three days. They have a lot of cargo to pick up."

"Enough child. It's not a cruise ship or a Starfleet vessel. They're busy. I've made my decision."

Robin knew better than to really argue with her father. They were both stubborn, but she knew the pecking order.

That evening she finished flipping through the manual for the renewer as she sat in bed. An actual old-fashioned paper book, her eyes flicked over the pages absorbing each one in a few seconds. She'd already installed the update, more to get it over with than anything else. The vehicle, looking remarkably like a grav tractor with a flat wide circular platform behind it, sat on the front lawn. Her father's pride an joy, she thought, as she turned the last page and tossed the book on her nightstand.

And I'm daddy's next ranch foreman. 

The thought filled her with a sudden dread. High school graduation was next month and her parents had been busy making plans. Parties? With what friends? Prom? No one had asked her, and she didn't blame them. She was fifteen, for God's sake. And she could have graduated at fourteen if she'd wanted to. But they were so proud. Valedictorian. So what?

My brains came out of a bottle.

She climbed out of bed and padded downstairs, slipping quietly outside onto the front lawn of the sprawling ranch house. The teenager didn't care that she was only wearing a nightshirt, though the cool night air did make her shiver a bit. Her parents were in bed and there was no one to see. The girl stared up at the crystal-clear sky. Her enhanced eyes easily picked out details in the Helix Nebula. It was so beautiful it almost made her weep. How could they all just ignore it? A shooting star crossed the sky. The nebula felt so close that she could reach out and grab it, though it was light years away. 

She closed her eyes and recalled her view of it as a little girl. So massive, so colorful, she could see it almost as if she was back in orbit of Gennethe 4. Her enhanced memory showed her every swirl, every trail of gas. 

This is as close as I'll ever get again.

Robin saw the path laid out for her, the path that her parents and the colony demanded. Going to Iota Tau's miserable college, probably to study business and agricultural engineering. A job on the ranch, and finally ownership when her parents retired. Maybe a marriage, if she could find someone her parents approved of who wouldn't view her as an Augment freak. No small feat, that. Would there even be love there?

The dread magnified, focused like a laser. And shattered. Clarity hit the young girl. 

She couldn't. This couldn't be her life. She had no choice. 

She slipped back into the house, went back to her room, took down a suitcase, and began to pack. She'd have one chance. 

== Three days later == 

The tarmac wasn't empty, and she wasn't sure why she'd expected it to be. Even late at night there were still colonists finishing their preparations. A huge shuttle sat surrounded by large crates. It was there for a few items that were too large to fit on the Triple Seven's cargo transporters. She'd done her homework. Her father's soil renewer had been as large as the ship could beam down. 

The teenager slipped between the boxes, moving quietly, looking for one in particular. It was one with her family's logo on it, and a cargo of live horses bound for another colony. There it was. She moved up to it and took hold of the lock, quickly tapping the entry code, and then opened the side access hatch. Eight of the Mayfair's prize herd, a small fraction of the stock her family was famous for, at least on Iota Tau. She climbed in and hauled her large case in after her, before immediately seeing one horse in particular that almost made her turn back. Tinkerbell, the girl's favorite that she'd raised from a foal. Her tiny sister Wendy had been Robin's next horse, and the teen choked up a bit. It was likely she'd never see the adorable little horse again. She knew Tink was being sent off-world, and she hadn't been happy about it, but it hadn't been the first time. She loved Wendy with all her heart.

Tinkerbell gave her a snort of recognition, no doubt expecting a treat, and Robin obliged her with a carrot, one she'd brought for exactly this reason. The purple-haired girl quietly moved into the stall and sat down next to a bucket, careful to avoid a pile of dung that the horse had just deposited. 

Only a few minutes until the mobile pen was loaded. She'd planned the whole thing out to a level of detail that only she could, at least until the ship was underway. After that she'd have to improvise. Twelve and a half minutes to orbit. The difficult part was going to be remaining hidden until she could slip out of the pen. If someone did a scan in that time she'd be discovered.

She wasn't worried. Rynah-class freighters were huge and their crews were small, usually no more than a dozen. Whole sections of the ship saw no activity between stops. The Augment could be as quiet as the proverbial mouse when she wanted to be. Countless places to hide. She was reasonably sure she could avoid the tiny crew. She'd have to sneak food and get water when she could (though she'd brought weeks worth of ration bars), use the facilities when no one was near, and otherwise make sure to not leave any sign there was a stowaway. The teenager was as confident as only a teenager could be.

The pen began moving onto the shuttle. It was time. There was no going back now. 

== To be continued ==

[Robin Mayfair]

== Twelve Days Later ==

"All right, come out. I know you're in there."

Robin nearly smacked her head into the conduit wall as she sat up, jolted out of a fitful sleep. The voice was coming from just beyond the hatch. For a moment she considered bolting down the conduit, but the jig was up and she knew it. Panic was overcome by a dread sense of inevitability. There was nowhere to go, really. She might be able to get away but she'd have to leave her food and clothes behind, and they could just flood the conduits with gas and collect her unconscious body. She reached over and undid the latch before dropping down into the corridor. She was still prepared to run as a last resort.

The man in front of her was tall, with hair going gray pulled back into a ponytail and a short (and well-trimmed) beard and moustache. He had a bearing of old nobility, standing straight, and radiated authority. She could easily imagine him captaining a sea-going ship during Earth's Age of Sail, fighting pirates on the Spanish Main. He wore a simple dark blue jumpsuit with a combadge that showed a lion rampant, and his hand held a tricorder that beeped quietly. Slowly, deliberately, he closed it and put it into a slot on his belt. He said nothing as she stood there. He merely considered her, eyes seemingly looking right through her skin into the core of her being.

Robin stood meekly, torn between terror and despair. Finally her shoulders slumped. "Yes. I'm sorry." tears formed in her eyes and she fought to stay brave, to not let this man see her cry.

"Who are you, niña?" His voice was the one she'd heard on her father's communicator. The Captain of the Triple Seven. Miguel Cardon.

"Robin Mayfair, sir."

"And you think it is permissible to stow away on my ship?"

"No. I'm sorry, sir." She wasn't going to make excuses and now wasn't the time for explanation.

He turned. "Follow me, girl." He headed up the corridor without waiting to see if she would follow, but she did, staying several steps behind him. The worn and used (but clearly well-maintained) ship seemed almost deserted and they passed no one as they came to a turbolift door. Cardon entered it, waiting for her. He sniffed as she stood beside him, and she felt a wave of embarrassment. She hadn't had a chance to clean up in a few days and knew she stank, but she'd almost gotten caught doing so in a cargo bay fresher and didn't want to risk it. Her mouth was dry and she desperately wanted some water.

Still the Captain said nothing. The turbolift door slid open into a well-appointed office. The far wall was a massive viewport that showed open space, the streaks of stars showing that they were still at warp. There was a beautiful old wooden desk with images of sailing ships carved into it and the words "Al mal tiempo, buena cara" along the desktop edge. Shelves contained paper books and mementos of a long and well-lived life, including a large and finely-detailed model of an Intrepid-class starship. Robin's sharp eyes picked out the name. 'USS Horizon,' NCC-80403. He took a seat behind the desk and motioned to a short couch in front. "Sit," she said. An order, and he expected to be obeyed. His eyes bored into her.

"Robin Mayfair. Tell me why I shouldn't turn this ship around and bring you back to your parents, and then charge them for the delay that it will cause."

That wasn't what the teenager had expected. She had hoped that if she was caught she would be put off the ship at the next port, something that would have suited her plans (such as they were) just fine. Her eyes widened.

"Please sir, don't do that!"

"You didn't answer my question, niña ."

"I can't stay there, sir. Not anymore. That colony, I feel like it's crushing everything I am. It's like if I don't get away I'm going to be trapped forever." She met his eyes and realized there was no sympathy in them.

"I didn't ask for your feelings, Miss Mayfair. I asked you why I shouldn't bring you back."

She understood, then. "Umm... I can work, sir. I'm a hard worker. I can earn my passage and my keep. I can clean and cook, and I learn really really fast. I'll do any job you give me."

For the first time there was an expression on his face that wasn't stern. The barest hint of a smile, a slight relaxing of the glare.

"Better. You begin to understand. This is a working vessel, not a passenger ship. But there is more to it than that. You are a minor, a runaway, and a stowaway. I risk my license by taking you aboard. And no, I can't simply put you off the ship at the next port, if you think that. The Federation has laws. I could turn you over to the enforcement authorities on the highport and be done. They would deliver you back. It would certainly be the easiest and cheapest route, but as I said I'm still tempted to turn the ship around."

"No! Please, sir! What I told you was true."

"And? Do you think you're unique? There isn't a teenager alive who hasn't felt that way, from Klingons to Vulcans. Why not wait a few years and then leave Iota Tau?"

"I want to join Starfleet, sir. And I can't do it there, or even really prepare."

For the first time Cardon expressed a bit of surprise. "Starfleet? Really? And you think you've got what it takes? That is a tall order."

Robin sighed, almost curled into herself on the couch, and then decided to go for broke. She had nothing to lose, and she wasn't going to lie to the man on whom she was staking her future. If she was taken back her parents would make sure she never left again... and she suspected that meant when she was an adult as well. They would tie her down with so much responsibility that she would be locked into place as surely as a chain around her ankle.

"Taller than you think, sir. I'm... I'm an Augment."

His face was expressionless again. She'd expected some reaction and got none.

"I see. You do realize that Augments aren't allowed to serve in Starfleet. Or in any professional position in the Federation."

Did the teenager see an expression of disapproval on his face? She wasn't sure. And was it for her and her genetic enhancements or for the rules that said Augments were second-class citizens? Also not sure.

"Yes, sir. I think I can prove that I have a lot to offer."

He shook his head. "So naive. It's not about what you can offer. The law says you can not serve." He waved his hand. "That is a matter for another time. I have pull, and I can get you a license to travel as a cabin girl. It's an old-fashioned law, but the Federation recognizes that not all youth have the benefits of stable families and homes, and it does have a system in place to deal with children who insist on traveling the stars... so long as they aren't left on their own. And I should know."

"You know? How... oh." 

He actually smiled. "Yes, niña. I know. I served as a steward in my youth, before I joined Starfleet. Saw the galaxy before I ever set foot in the Academy. I do understand." He paused. His eyes bored into her again.

"All right, Robin Mayfair. I am going to take a chance on you. Do not disappoint me. You will be employed as a steward. You will cook, you will clean, and you will do any job required. Without complaint. Not even one. When you show that you can do that I may give you other responsibility and teach you other jobs. Our ship's medic has been demanding help, so I may give it to him. And you will study. You will fill that enhanced mind with everything you can learn about the Federation, about science, about space travel." He stopped. The girl's eyes were wide with gratitude. "What?"

"Sir, it's like you're telling me my punishment is to have Christmas every day. That's exactly what I want, what I've always wanted. I want to learn." 

He gave a slight laugh. "Yes, I suppose you do. We'll see if you can handle the rest." He tapped his combadge. "Mark, we have a new crewmember." He caught Robin's look. "Provisional crew member. Please escort Miss Mayfair to the replicator, get the clothing and and provisions she needs. Then set her up in cabin six."

"Yes sir," the voice came back. There was no surprise. Apparently Cardon had already told the crew there was a stowaway. A minute later a large, somewhat portly middle-aged human entered. "Miss, umm, Mayfair? This way."

"And niña? Take a shower. You stink. Report to the kitchen at 0530 tomorrow morning, where you will be making the crew's breakfast. I prefer my eggs over easy, with bacon. And have coffee ready." His tone of voice told her that she was dismissed. The teen left with her new crewmate, a spring in her step. Caron reached over and tapped the power button on his console, keying in a number.

The couple that answered had a look of tired desperation. "Mr. and Mrs. Mayfair? We found Robin. She is safe. Thank you for letting me know she was probably on my ship."

"Oh thank God!" Sonjia Mayfair exclaimed. Her husband gave a grim smile.

"Captain, please make sure she keeps up with her studies and works hard." Karlos Mayfair's expression was a mix of emotions, anger but also resignation on his weathered face. "She was never going to be happy here, and I understand that. She has no idea how she's going going to be treated in the wider Federation, though. She'll either have to hide her enhancements or be treated like a second class citizen. I'm still hoping she'll realize that and come back home where she's loved. But she's as stubborn as I am. I suppose this was inevitable." 

"I promise to guard her and to make sure she is well-educated, sir."

"Thank you so much, Captain," Sonjia said. "You're well within your rights to bring her back. We appreciate what you're doing." 

"Should I tell Robin you are letting her go?"

"No," Karlos said. There was hurt in his voice. "Let her figure it out on her own. I understand why she ran away. I don't approve." 

"Understood, Mr. Mayfair. I'll give you regular reports on how she's doing."

The call ended, Miguel Cardon turned his chair to face the viewport, watching the stars streak by. 

== To be concluded==