Yesterday, 03:15 AM
== 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 ==
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 ==