Test 1:
Daughter
“One C man.�
“Huh?�
“The nourishment clippings. Total comes to one Celestial.�
“Oh… yea… right.� Chin searched his pockets. It took some digging but he found what felt like a Celestial Minai. He pulled it out and looked at it, and noticed it had a mark on it from where a street hov ran over it. His daughter had given it to him. He reminded himself he had to stop thinking of her, but he couldn’t. Not since the government had taken her from him. He tried searching his pockets for more change, but he couldn’t find anything. This was his last coin until next week. He debated not eating, thinking maybe he could keep the coin. He quickly gave up on the thought though and surrendered the sentimental coin and took his clippings.
Life wasn’t the same since The New Celestial had overthrown the government. It had taken them a week to completely change life of anyone who made less than five thousand Celestials a month. It’d taken a week to change the market completely. Yea, before they took over the entire empire was in a recession, but even though they’d restored the market to it’s former glory, Chin still felt like crap. Their first move was to forcefully take all children over the age of two and force them into government controlled schooling. Second was to create over twenty million jobs by constructing more schools. Chin had a job as a construction worker. It was the first time he’d had a job in a year. It was the first time he had money that didn’t go to food in his entire life. It was the first time he could save money and not starve. He still didn’t feel any better; they had taken Sarah, His little girl.
No, he couldn’t afford to feed her before the change of government, but that didn’t give the government any right to take her. He’d have found a way. He’d have found a way even if it meant he starved so she could eat. They had no right, no right at all to take his seven year old daughter.
The walk home was long. He couldn’t stop thinking about that coin. He wished he hadn’t have had to spend it. He wished it wasn’t the only thing he had left of Sarah. He wished he had something left of her. He wished he had bartered to keep the coin. He wished he hadn’t sold her hair brush for food. He wished he had fought more when he was robbed of her mirror. But most of all, most of all; he wished he still had her, he wished he’d done something to get her back; he wished he could see her smile again, just one more time.
He stepped into his empty house. Jenna wouldn’t be home for another hour. She worked an hour or so later than he did, but started much earlier. She worked as a desk clerk at the Government Construction Agency. He sat down in the closest chair and sat there for an hour. He didn’t move much, just sat. Jenna walked in and sat down next to him. She leaned into him without saying anything, he put his arm around his wife and they sat there in their own psychological depression until finally she got up and took his hand and let him to bed, where the slept until they started the exact same day over again, with just a pinch more misery.
After fifteen years, he still thought about the coin. He’d had seven children since Sarah, and he’d had all but Jack taken from him, and the government would be in next month to collect Jack. He’d moved up from construction worker to engineer, he had money to spend on occasion, he never went hungry, and he lived life every day with a little bit of happiness, but he still thought of Sarah. By no means rich or even middle class, he’d still adapted to the strict harsh laws set in place, molded around to fit the grove he was expected to fit, and even had an almost normal life. But he still thought of Sarah.
The government wasn’t that bad, they’d fixed the economy and even sent him a message for all of his children explaining what they were doing now and how successful they were. Aurro was a development scientist; Lisra had become a salvage mechanic; Jannie was his second oldest and was most proud of her, she had become a personal secretary to Karasu Oujo;. Jammie, Jannie’s twin, was still in schooling as far as he was informed; and Mura had left for school only a year ago.
He’d finally accepted the fact the government took his children, but he still couldn’t let go of Sarah. He had never received a letter about her. He still wondered. She was his oldest of course.
Chin was startled from his trip down memory lane when his door alarm sounded. Jenna answered the door. After a few moments she came into the room he was sitting in and put her hands on his shoulders “Chin, it’s for you.�
“Who is it?�
“I don’t know, she just said she was looking for you.�
Chin got up from his chair and walked to the door. “Yes?�
“You’re Chin Masurao?� The woman speaking was a bit talker than him. She looked to be in her twenties, likely early twenties. She had long blonde hair pulled back tightly into a ponytail, and she wore some kind of official looking armor, although Chin didn’t recognize it.
“That’s me.�
“I’m your daughter.�
Chin staggered back. It’d be 15 years, had it really been 15 years? He didn’t even recognize here. Of course he didn’t, the last time he’d seen her she was just a little girl. Was it really her? Could this be some sick joke? Thousands of questions raced through his head, but he could only manage to ask one. “You’re Sarah?�
“Yes sir.�
The thought that this could really be her suddenly concreted into his brain. “I’ve never met any of my children grown up. I thought it was illegal.�
�Normally yes. I’m a bit different.�
“Apparently. I never received a letter when you graduated.� Chin was still in shock, but he held his composure.
“That’s because I haven’t graduated yet. And that’s why I’m here as well, to deliver that very letter. I graduated Yesterday�
“Yesterday? You’re twenty two. Shouldn’t you have graduated years ago?�
“I’m a PHANTOM. The education program is a bit longer.�
“PHANTOM? Is that some military thing?�
“Yes sir. I can’t tell you anything more than that. And you’re letter.� She handed him a folded envelope. It was paper. None of the previous letters had been on paper, they’d all been electronic.
“Goodbye.� She turned and started walking away.
“Wait, Sarah.� She turned around and looked at him, waiting on him to speak. “Will… Will I ever see you again?�
“Not likely.� She walked away and he let her. He closed the door, walked inside, and sat down. He carefully opened up the envelope, and pulled out the paper letter. He was surprised to notice it was hand written, he assumed it was her handwriting.
- Dear Father,
I know we were separated when I was seven and I’m sure you were very upset over that. I’m a grown woman now, and while all I can tell you is that I’m in the military, I want you to know I’m happy.
I have a few memories of you before we were separated, and I want you to know I treasure those few memories however vague they are. During my training I was tasked with following you covertly and learning anything I could about you. From that exercise I have learned what a great man you are. I wish I had the opportunity to spend time with you, and I wish the situation we find ourselves in was different.
I want you to know I have the utmost respect for you. I believe that all of your children are a mark as to what a great person you are, and how much of an impact you have made on this world, and exactly how much you are needed to make this empire run. I have met and spoken to Jannie, and she has received special permission to spend time with you sometime this year. I want you to know that I wish I could be there, and that she will carry messages from me about my tour of duty.
I wish you the best in all of your endeavors of life, and I will do what I can to see you again after my tour of duty. See you in twenty years I hope.
Love,
Lieutenant Sarah Masurao
Sub-Commander of the second PHANTOM deployment
). Anyway, we've put a bit of a plan into motion setting me up as an ex-territory of his, Celestial Seibutsu just formally declared autonomy.
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