Allison had not had a good sleep. It was Sunday morning, and she was basically shuffling into her parent’s house for the family breakfast her mother demanded she attend. Her mother took one look at her daughter and rushed out of the kitchen. She engulfed Allison in a tight momma bear hug. Apiyo released Allison and put her hands on the girl’s cheeks and looked into her tired golden eyes.
“Are you okay? Should we take you to a doctor?”
Allison smiled but her heart wasn’t in it.
“I’m fine mom, just tired. Where is everyone?”
Apiyo put her hands on her hips and went back to the kitchen.
“Your father took them to the Spring into Pancakes breakfast. Apparently, there is some singer that Robin is obsessed with that will be appearing and signing autographs. Zuri was curious and Aryna tagged along to keep everyone in line. Who cares about our family breakfast?”
“Why didn’t you go mom?”
Apiyo gave Allison a look.
“And let you come home to an empty house after what you’ve just been through.”
Allison sighed and hopped on a barstool.
“I’m a soldier mom; It comes with the paycheck.”
Apiyo turned away from the eggs she was frying briefly to look at Allison.
“I heard about that email that Reggie sent you, who raises a child that way? Asking questions like that?”
Allison thought, just her dad now… but she didn’t say it out loud.
“Mom, she’s eight. She doesn’t know better.”
Apiyo moved the half cooked eggs around in the frying pan.
“You knew better by the time you were eight!”
Allison shook her head.
“Mom, could we just not talk about it. I’m kind of over discussing the battle after all the debriefings, stupid press appearances and stupid ‘we’re grateful’ civilian government meet and greets.”
Apiyo put the eggs, some toast and some ham-like meat on a plate. Allison didn’t want to be hungry, but she couldn’t help it. She’d abused her nanites to an extreme extent and they were starving.
“Sure, hon, I am proud of you for winning the science fair, first place. You put a lot of hard work into that project. Kind of ignored everyone around you to get it done… I’m glad it was worth it.”
Allison looked up from her plate.
“It’s just a stupid science fair.”
She shook her head and took another fork full of eggs.
“Just a stupid science fair? It is a full scholarship to a school of your choice?”
Allison looked up at her mother again.
“Mom, I already have two of those, one for the League and one for the SA because of my military service. My net worth, even after spending a quarter of my trust fund, is more than most intergalactic corporations. That’s not even including all the patents I have pending for tech recovered with the Phoenix in both patent offices. After my discoveries last weekend, I have universities on Earth and in the LSR begging me to attend. I don’t need a scholarship. All I did was take it away from someone who probably needed it. I bet they picked me, so the corp wouldn’t have to pay it out.”
Apiyo crossed her arms.
“Allison Wanjala you should be honored to be picked as the winner.”
Allison looked up at her mother and raised her voice.
“It doesn’t matter mom. Nothing I do does. I’m either going to be dead because someone figures out how to kill me once and for all, a stupid Empress of a bunch of immortal assholes or ruling an oppressive femnazi regime that I should have just let the Sal’nash wipe out. Those are my choices, in none of the above do I see, scientist, doctor, lawyer… The minute my real birth parents were made public any concept of my life was over. Now I am living their life.”
Allison wasn’t finished with her rant. After a breath she continued.
“So, mom when the award for that science fair arrives, throw it out, frame it or file it away. I don’t care. The only reason I’m even still going to school is to make you happy. The same reason I did the stupid science fair so that I would cancel out a science test I failed because I was too busy fighting a war to study. So, I would keep my 4.0 grade point average. Of course you’re happy about it. You get to brag about how smart and amazing your daughter is to all your friends. How she is going to get into the best school… I’m going to go help put Bit back together. I’ll be here for supper.”
She threw her fork down she went out to the driveway and squealed out of it on her high performance motorcycle. Without her helmet and with little concern for posted speed limits. Apiyo had just watched and listened to her daughter’s whole rant. She sighed. Allison made it almost all the way to the base when she was pulled over by one of the colony’s security officers. He was a young one. She could have outrun him, but she wasn’t feeling like adding resisting an enforcement officer to riding without a helmet, speeding and possibly reckless driving. He got out of his patrol car and walked up to the bike. He really had no idea who he had pulled over, the bike was registered to a corporation. He spoke.
If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
“Ident chit, please ma’am.”
Allison reached into her bra and pulled out her DNA locked identity card. It was a last resort for those who for whatever reason could not get an ident chit implanted. She pressed her finger against the DNA lock and offered it to him. He gave her an annoyed look.
“Sorry, I’m gay, so that little trick won’t work on me.”
Allison laughed and slid her sunglasses up onto her head.
“How about you tell designers to start adding pockets to women’s clothes and we won’t have to use the boob pocket trick, huh?”
He looked at his scanner. His name tag read Indajit. He was obviously of Indian descent based on that and his brown skin color.
“Wanjala, aren’t you a little white for a name like that?”
Allison hit her kickstand and switched the fusion reactor that powered her bike to sleep mode.
“Instead of gatekeeping my name and heritage how about you just give me the tickets?”
He shook his head.
“What is a seventeen year old girl on a colony world doing driving a corporately owned motorcycle worth three hundred grand? Is this really your id?”
Allison was about to give him more attitude when a rambunctious group of pilots, all of which were part of her prestigious AI fighter squadron stopped in the middle of the road. The driver leaned out and called out to the security officer.
“Hey new guy, giving her a ticket isn’t going to make you too popular around here!”
Allison rolled her eyes.
“I was speeding, he’s just doing his job, move along you’re blocking the highway.”
The driver saluted her.
“Aye, ma’am, whatever you say!”
They laughed and drove off the security officer stopped what he was doing and snapped his fingers.
“Ah, Wanjala, that’s where I heard the name before, if this is your real name are you any relation to the governor of the colony.”
Allison nodded.
“She’s my mom.”
He did a double take.
“Okay whose ID is this really? Because there is no way the governor is your mother. That would make your father the base commander.”
Allison nodded.
“Yeah, he is, I was adopted as a baby you racist asshole. Just give me the tickets, I have someplace to be.”
She couldn’t believe this guy had no idea who she was, it was refreshing while at the same time incredibly frustrating.
“It is Sunday morning, what does a seventeen year old girl need to rush around for? You were going thirty kph over the posted speed limit. That means you were going almost two hundred kilometers per hour without a helmet or proper riding gear, do you know how dangerous that is young lady?”
Allison rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. The guy couldn’t be more than twenty-one and he’s calling her young lady? She muttered.
“It’s not going to be speeding that kills me.”
He looked at her.
“What was that?”
Allison rolled her eyes again.
“I said, I understand officer.”
“I need to call this in, you stay right there, hands where I can see them.
Allison held up her hands and spun around in the circle.
“Yeah, because I have a weapon hidden in this outfit.”
He stood watching her at a safe distance.
“Dispatch, its Officer Indijit, any word on that corporate plate I flagged?”
He sighed and tapped the translator again. Allison leaned on her bike and crossed her arms again.
“So, Officer Indijit, what rock have you been living under for the last year?”
He looked at her.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Allison shrugged.
“I mean if you don’t know who I am then you must have either been in solitary confinement or at the ass end of nowhere. I’m just curious where I can go and be anonymous again?”
He chuckled and shook his head.
“Even if I verify that your ID is valid, and you are authorized to be using that vehicle, I don’t care if your mother was president of the entire System’s Alliance, you would still be getting tickets for speeding and not wearing proper protective equipment. Both of which are demerits on your license. As a newer driver you should be aware you only have half of those of a fully licensed driver. If you must know I was living on New Mumbai in the Ursa Major galaxy.”
Allison laughed.
“You are a long way from home farm boy. Why in the name of the Dark Mother would you choose to move here and put yourself in the middle of a warzone?”
He chuckled, seeming to become a little less serious as the conversation wore on.
“Well, your colony here has undergone a serious amount of growth in the last few months. The signing bonus was huge, and the yearly salary was three times what I would have made on New Mumbai, and it came with an automatic promotion. I could not say no. Now that I am here, I am wondering what they did not tell me because this place is a paradise compared to New Mumbai.”
Allison shrugged.
“They don’t call it Eden for nothing. I’m just going to spoil your suspense here, but when they call you back they are going to confirm that I am Allison Wanjala, they are also going to tell you, once they have managed to navigate my lawyer, that is, that I own the shell corporation that owns this bike and they are going to tell you that unless you want to be posted to the worst colony in the System’s Alliance you should apologize and let me go. So, I’m going to save you that really uncomfortable conversation with your bosses, bosses, bosses, boss, yeah I think that’s enough up the chain, and say, I admit freely that I was speeding and I was riding without proper safety equipment, please return my ID and issue my citations. And I’ll do you one better I’m going to say it with a really friendly smile on my lips because you not knowing who I am has made my month.”
He blinked at her a few times. She had just threatened him but at the same time admitted to her violations. He couldn’t even arrest her for intimidation or resisting an enforcement action. She was starting to enjoy this little interaction probably more than she should but like always with her the enjoyment was short lived she received a comm signal from the Phoenix, which she answered immediately
“What is it?”
The officer looked at Allison. She moved her head and pushed her hair aside to show her own translator. She could see Hathor bouncing up and down excitedly behind R’sslv on her AR HUD. R’sslv was doing the talking.
“Ma’am, I’m sorry to interrupt your leave but it seems the Stellar Cartography team has something to show you as soon as possible. Time is of the essence. Call her now, ect, ect ect.”
Allison pushed off her bike.
“Tell the transporter room to beam me up oh they should grab my motorcycle too it is right here beside me I’m in the middle of nowhere. Also call the Colonial Security Office for Eden prime and tell them to cancel the search for the license plate I’m about to send you no point in them wasting resources on me. Oh, and have them tell Officer Indijit to return my ID immediately. Tell them he is delaying my response to an emergency situation.”
R’sslv nodded.
“Aye ma’am. Stand by for transport.”
Allison swiped the comm window off her AR HUD to end the call. She looked at the officer and held out her hand. He looked at her like she was crazy. Less than thirty seconds later he placed the ID card in her hand. Allison saw the countdown to her being dematerialized appear on her AR HUD. The officer looked at her.
“Who are you?”
Allison laughed.
“Allison Wanjala.”
She waved as both her and her motorcycle dematerialized leaving a very confused security officer in her wake.