young woman’s obvious gifts,
we can overlook this indiscretion as long as it never occurs
again.”
Sykes stiffened and then nodded. “Of course.
Do you agree to such a thing, Miss Strain?”
Lily looked back and forth between them and
then to the rest of the room. “I’m not in trouble?”
The man opposite her smiled and then
chuckled. “Far from it! You are living proof of the philosophy the
human race must embrace.”
Lily’s brow furrowed as she took in his
words. She studied him, guessing at his age and how he held
himself. “Are you the new president?”
He laughed again. “I knew she would be
delightful! Yes, Lily, I am. May I call you Lily?”
Lily swallowed and nodded. “Um, yes,
sir.”
“That’s excellent. And to think, you were a
farmer’s daughter on what everyone considers a throwaway
world.”
“My father raised vison,” Lily said. He was
still a farmer, she supposed, but details were what made the
difference when things mattered.
“Of course,” President Ondalla said. “Lily,
for the sake of our race we need people like you to show our
citizens that we have a bright future. Do you understand that? Of
course you do; you’re probably smarter than I am!”
Lily smiled while glancing at the others.
She had no clue what he was talking about but the gentle laughter
from around the table made her feel it would be stupid to admit
it.
“That’s perfect. Nothing but the finest for
you, young miss. The finest in education and opportunities from
here on out. I understand your classes are a little slow for you?
Not to worry!”
“Yes,” Sykes said. He was the coordinator of
the station’s reeducation efforts. “You’ll be elevated to classes
with students more at your speed, the sixteen-year classes.”
“Sixteen?” she whispered, stunned. Her test
results placed her in the eighteenth-year bracket, but she couldn’t
imagine being moved up two years, let alone four.
President Ondalla leaned forward and asked,
“I’m sorry, but why a cat?”
Lily blinked. “Excuse me?”
“The incident with Instructor Doleen?”
Lily felt her cheeks heat up again. “Oh, um,
it was just some stories a friend of mine used to share with
me.”
“A cat who walked through walls?”
She nodded.
“How old was this friend?”
Lily picked her head up. “Same as me,
fourteen.”
“Absolutely amazing. Is he here with
us?”
Lily’s throat tightened up. Rather than
squeaking, she shook her head.
Coordinator Sykes cleared his throat. “Mr.
President, we only have one other student from Miss Strain’s
colony. A boy by the name of Krys. He tested above his age bracket
as well, but only by two years.”
“Krys!” Lily gasped.
“A friend?”
Lily blinked back the sudden tears in her
eyes and nodded. She couldn’t speak. Just knowing that he was alive
made the room spin around her.
“Well, for the sake of your education, I’m
afraid you’ve been separated indefinitely. Males and females are
allowed in co-educational learning environments at the age of
sixteen, but that’s quite awhile for your friend. By the time he
reaches it, you’ll probably have moved on.”
She shook her head and whispered, “Krys
should have beat me.”
“Pardon me?”
She stiffened. “My friend, Krys. He would
have outscored me. He’s smarter than I am. He worries a lot,
though.”
The president sighed. “Well, young miss,
that’s interesting. Your performance is exemplary compared to
everyone else’s, including his. A pity. I wonder if other young men
and women from your village might have performed well. So many good
minds lost to the treachery and greed of our past. Yet another
reason we must strive to improve our way of life!”
“Excuse me, sir, but have you heard those
stories? About the cat?”
President Ondalla’s smile faded. “I have.
They offer some very dangerous concepts. Ideas that lead to
betrayal and selfish disregard for our brothers and sisters. For
the sake of all of us, and
we can overlook this indiscretion as long as it never occurs
again.”
Sykes stiffened and then nodded. “Of course.
Do you agree to such a thing, Miss Strain?”
Lily looked back and forth between them and
then to the rest of the room. “I’m not in trouble?”
The man opposite her smiled and then
chuckled. “Far from it! You are living proof of the philosophy the
human race must embrace.”
Lily’s brow furrowed as she took in his
words. She studied him, guessing at his age and how he held
himself. “Are you the new president?”
He laughed again. “I knew she would be
delightful! Yes, Lily, I am. May I call you Lily?”
Lily swallowed and nodded. “Um, yes,
sir.”
“That’s excellent. And to think, you were a
farmer’s daughter on what everyone considers a throwaway
world.”
“My father raised vison,” Lily said. He was
still a farmer, she supposed, but details were what made the
difference when things mattered.
“Of course,” President Ondalla said. “Lily,
for the sake of our race we need people like you to show our
citizens that we have a bright future. Do you understand that? Of
course you do; you’re probably smarter than I am!”
Lily smiled while glancing at the others.
She had no clue what he was talking about but the gentle laughter
from around the table made her feel it would be stupid to admit
it.
“That’s perfect. Nothing but the finest for
you, young miss. The finest in education and opportunities from
here on out. I understand your classes are a little slow for you?
Not to worry!”
“Yes,” Sykes said. He was the coordinator of
the station’s reeducation efforts. “You’ll be elevated to classes
with students more at your speed, the sixteen-year classes.”
“Sixteen?” she whispered, stunned. Her test
results placed her in the eighteenth-year bracket, but she couldn’t
imagine being moved up two years, let alone four.
President Ondalla leaned forward and asked,
“I’m sorry, but why a cat?”
Lily blinked. “Excuse me?”
“The incident with Instructor Doleen?”
Lily felt her cheeks heat up again. “Oh, um,
it was just some stories a friend of mine used to share with
me.”
“A cat who walked through walls?”
She nodded.
“How old was this friend?”
Lily picked her head up. “Same as me,
fourteen.”
“Absolutely amazing. Is he here with
us?”
Lily’s throat tightened up. Rather than
squeaking, she shook her head.
Coordinator Sykes cleared his throat. “Mr.
President, we only have one other student from Miss Strain’s
colony. A boy by the name of Krys. He tested above his age bracket
as well, but only by two years.”
“Krys!” Lily gasped.
“A friend?”
Lily blinked back the sudden tears in her
eyes and nodded. She couldn’t speak. Just knowing that he was alive
made the room spin around her.
“Well, for the sake of your education, I’m
afraid you’ve been separated indefinitely. Males and females are
allowed in co-educational learning environments at the age of
sixteen, but that’s quite awhile for your friend. By the time he
reaches it, you’ll probably have moved on.”
She shook her head and whispered, “Krys
should have beat me.”
“Pardon me?”
She stiffened. “My friend, Krys. He would
have outscored me. He’s smarter than I am. He worries a lot,
though.”
The president sighed. “Well, young miss,
that’s interesting. Your performance is exemplary compared to
everyone else’s, including his. A pity. I wonder if other young men
and women from your village might have performed well. So many good
minds lost to the treachery and greed of our past. Yet another
reason we must strive to improve our way of life!”
“Excuse me, sir, but have you heard those
stories? About the cat?”
President Ondalla’s smile faded. “I have.
They offer some very dangerous concepts. Ideas that lead to
betrayal and selfish disregard for our brothers and sisters. For
the sake of all of us, and
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