Chapter Nine: Megan

Chapter Nine: Megan

Father God,

It’s been thirty years since Kasumi and I married, and it’s still my favorite memory. In a world where we keep seeing incredible things, it stands out above them all.

But Father, today I must ask you why. A question that I promised never to ask you again, because I knew I’d find the answers over the natural course of time. My brother is the impatient one in the family, and I promised to lead by example.

But Father… Why? Why can’t Kasumi and I have kids?

We’re both in incredible shape. Certainly it should be good enough for this. I know that many people are holding off on children for a time. There are new people in the world every day. I rejoice as I’m sure you do at the numbers of people coming back and making their dedication to you. But you have not forbidden us to have a new generation of children who will never know life as it was in OS. And that begs the question, why have Kasumi and I been unsuccessful? We’ve tried for three years.

I’m in no rush. Time is on our side, and will be forever. But father, is there a reason? A reason why Alec and his wife have had two, and others have none. It’s not because we didn't think to ask, because I know Kasumi has been praying about it for months.

~~/*\~~

Hugh went over to visit his brother. The gray had faded, and his skin had turned smooth. Nick had returned to school and gained a few degrees. A distinction that was less impressive as many people went back to increase their education. As the knowledge in various fields increased, a lot of the textbooks were becoming outdated, but there was no reason he couldn't go back for a refresher course.

“I’m sitting in on a lecture in California.” Nick said without looking away from the display. “There’s a guy named Sagan, who wants to build a Space Telescope that would go to the far side of Alpha Centauri and send pictures back.”

“That’d take a century or two just to get one image.” Hugh observed.

“Aren’t you the one always saying it’s a long term kind of world now?”

“Me and many others.” Hugh allowed. “Why a telescope?”

“He wants to know if the stars and galaxies are still moving.” Nick explained. “Something they didn’t teach us in the old days was the the galaxy is constantly spinning and moving in relation to the rest of the universe. The judges say that we're not to focus on spaceflight yet, but we're allowed to think about it at least. They say that in five billion years, our Milky Way Galaxy and the Andromeda Galaxy will collide. But they say the sun will burn itself out in 4.6 billion years, so I guess it won’t matter.”

“These are the things you think about with eternity ahead?” Hugh was actually amused. “You’re already stressing about what will happen in five billion years?”

“Well, it raises the question. Are the galaxies still moving? After the Big Bang, the stars were moving apart. It was part of the Teaching Package when I was brought back: Lesson One: The Universe had a beginning.” Nick gestured at the literature stacked haphazardly on the table. “If the cosmos moved any faster, then over the 13 billion years that followed, the stars would fly apart, out of control. Any slower and they would have collapsed back in on themselves and the universe would be destroyed by now. But that rate of expansion kept going...”

“And you’re wondering where we’ll be in those days.”

“God says we live forever, that’s great. But does that mean he’s going to freeze the whole universe? When the Bible says ‘time indefinite’ is that just a metaphor for a really, really, really, REALLY long time?”

“Interesting question.”

“This lecture I’m listening to?” Nick tapped his screen. “There are guys who worked for NASA during the Apollo missions. They’re finally seeing a world where they don’t have to argue politics or budgets, and where people will live long enough to make it between stars... they’re champing at the bit to get back into space.” Nick was getting very passionate. “But the Judges say ‘no’.”

“They say that now, but nobody believes that’s going to be a permanent rule. We both know that the focus now is on earth; we covered that. Eternity is a very long time. There aren’t a trillion, trillion stars in the sky just so that we can see a fraction of them at night. Those guys you’re listening to can spend the next thousand years perfecting plans and updating their understanding of things, so that if and when the universe ever is open to us-”

Nick held up his hands. “I agree. We’re not there anyway. Rachel and I have been going around and around on this, and she was right when we first met: Technology isn’t where we need it to be. We need it to be unobtrusive, intuitive, and something that will last as long as we will. Otherwise, it’s just things piling up in our landfill. The original creators of all modern technology never foresaw a world where things weren’t disposable in some way. We have to start from the very beginning.”

“Sounds like a new philosophy as much as new engineering.” Hugh observed. “If you live forever, what tools do you keep?”

“I spoke to a guy who taught anthropology in OS. He talked about primitive man and early tools like sharpened rocks. He’s rewriting a lot of his philosophy too.” Nick commented. “He said something interesting though: A ballpoint pen could be refilled with new ink after it ran dry. But how many of us bothered to hold on to the same pen for longer than ten minutes?” He held up his device. “By the end of OS, I’m told that pens and paper were all but irrelevant to people in the Western World. Who knows what people will use in five hundred years?”

“I agree, it’s an important matter that needs to be given a great deal of thought and contemplation; and you are a lucky man to be part of the conversation.” Hugh told his brother. “The work you and Rachel do after these conversations could vastly affect the way human beings do things for centuries to come. But for now, can we talk about me instead?”

Nick switched off his screen. “What do you need?”

“I was wondering if your friends over the Brains Trust might be able to put some numbers together.”

“On what subject?”

“Population.”

“Interesting.” Nick grinned. “I was actually looking into that when I was putting my proposal for Space Travel Research together.”

“Population? Why?”

“Well, right now it’s a question of who decides and who doesn’t. But when that passes, will the rules change after the first thousand years?” Nick reasoned. “Right now, anyone who doesn’t accept Jehovah lives out a single lifetime. But the people who aren’t choosing to accept, or worse; are trying to force things back the way they were… Those people are being removed by time or direct action. Is that going to continue after Sheol is empty and everyone is perfect?”

“Perfection doesn’t guarantee anything.” Hugh reminded him. “There were only three perfect people before A-Day, and two thirds of them made the wrong choice. Why would the rules be different after all this?”

“Right, but those two perfect people were under coercion, and once the Resurrected ones have made their choice, the only new people will be the ones we raise, and they’ll never have to get past anything the Old Days threw at them. So sooner or later the Rejection rates drop dramatically. If we keep making babies and all the graveyards get closed for lack of business…”

“You’re worried about overpopulation.” Hugh guessed.

“We won’t be in such a rush to add generations, but unless it stops completely, then even one kid born every century means that sooner or later we run out of room.”

Hugh scrubbed his face. “I was afraid you’d say something like that.”

“Why? What happened?” Nick was concerned.

~~/*\~~

“Maybe we should get some help.” Kasumi thought aloud a few hours later, when her husband related the conversation to her. “Maybe we should ask someone. See if there’s something wrong.”

Hugh smothered a laugh. “Love, I think we can fairly well assume that there’s nothing physically wrong with either of us.”

“Well, granted, but I’m not talking about asking a doctor. I mean, where would we even find one?”

“Then who?”

Kasumi bit her lip. “The Judge?”

“Carl?” Hugh looked at her. “You’re sure?”

“I don’t think it’s just bad timing.”

Hugh rose to his feet and gave his wife a tight hug. “Okay. I’ll make my way to town in the morning.”

~~/*\~~

The Judge for their area was a brother named Carl Simpson. He held court, of a sort at the Convention Center, where the Congregation Meetings were held in the Auxiliary Rooms. It was little more than a library office space where people would come by. Appointments were hard to schedule, but most everyone made an appointment well in advance, whether they had business or not. Questions were not hard to come by.

(Author’s Note: In Bible times, the judges were posted at the city gates and they administered matters between people, and between communities. They were the local authorities. The early 2016 JW Broadcasts referred to a time when Christ would be in direct command of the earth, when he would appoint ‘princes’, so it made sense that perhaps we would go back to that system; although this is still speculation.)

Outside the office library, there was a screen, filled with questions that people had left written down, in case the answers would be sent on or published for the public.

Am I allowed to talk to angels socially?

Will dinosaurs come back?

Are we allowed back in Babylon now?

Is earth the only world He put people on?

Do our jokes make God laugh?

What did Jesus actually look like?

Why do ‘carnivores’ have sharp teeth if they don’t hunt anymore?

Where was Eden?

Do people have dreams from God now?

Did He make animals to help us?

What do God or the Angels do for fun?

The questions scrolled past on the screen. Hundreds of them. Thousands of them. Hugh didn’t envy the Judge his job. The Resurrection was now in its third century, and there was no sign of it slowing down. As more and more people chose sides, the world was filling up.

“And that’s what brings me to you, Brother Simpson.” Hugh summed up his story. “Kasumi is right, it’s not likely to be a coincidence.”

Simpson nodded. “A number of people have come to me with the same matter.”

Hugh blinked. “So this is a widespread… I don’t want to use the word ‘problem’, but this is happening for a reason?”

“Oh yes.” Simpson assured him, unconcerned.

Hugh licked his lips. “My brother… He hesitated to made his choice for a long time. He was one of those people who had to know everything before he’d make a choice.”

“You can never know everything.”

“I know that. Every day that goes by, I get a reminder of just how much I don’t know.” Hugh said ruefully. “But Nick brought up an interesting point… He was talking about population numbers, and how the death rate has dropped so dramatically, if not completely. He says that if we never lose anyone, and if the stars are closed to us-”

“For now”

“-for now, then even if only one child is born at a time, then sooner or later we’ll run out of room. I mean, overpopulation was a pretty significant problem back in OS, and they actually had death to contend with. It was tragic, but it was population control. Part of me wonders if maybe we just missed our chance. Maybe God will just snap his cosmic fingers and people just won’t have kids any more.”

“Is that what you think?” Simpson asked gamely. “Or what your brother thinks?”

“I think that if God had decided that, then we’d lose the desire too.” Hugh shrugged. “To want something as basic as a family, and to be told we’ll never have it? It seems… cruel.”

“Family is important.” Simpson agreed. “Maybe the most important thing we’re ever given. One of the tragedies of OS, is that so many people lost that chance, through no fault of their own.” He looked at Hugh. “Ask yourself, my brother: What becomes of them?”

“I don’t understand.” Hugh blinked. “Everyone who comes back will be able to find their families.”

“And what of the people who didn’t lose their families because of bad luck or illness? What of the children that weren’t wanted, or the parents that were abusive, or the babies that were never given the chance to live?”

Hugh blinked. “I admit, I’ve wondered; but…” He realized. “Is that why Kasumi and I…?”

“Foster care is not a new idea. Neither is adoption. And there are so many Lost Boys and Girls still to come. The whole Brotherhood is based around the idea that blood and genetics isn’t what makes a family.” Simpson told him. “Do you believe that, my brother?”

“I do. So does Kasumi.”

“Then return home, because you’ll get your chance to prove it soon enough.”

~~/*\~~

Hugh got home and found Kasumi tuned into one of the Lessons. With the increasing population, not all the Returned were eager to attend meetings, any more than they were in OS. The Brothers had always had a Broadcast set up to speak of experiences, testimonies, and people coming back to life. It was an encouraging program to watch, and it ran non-stop. Hugh wasn’t worried about missing anything important. Some of the lessons made up Symposiums at Conventions. It was all recorded and made part of the public record for whenever anyone wanted to replay it.

“Anything interesting?” He asked Kasumi as he joined her on the couch.

“The Angels stopped an attempted Arson last month.” Kasumi said back, eyes still on the display. “Two fatalities.”

Hugh let out a breath between his teeth. The Angels prevented violence. When someone came back, unaware of the change in the world, they often wanted to act on old instincts. But as time passed, and Returned people learned, they were able to make informed choices. Some of them chose to act violently anyway, even knowing how the world had changed… And the Angels stopped it before any harm could befall anyone.

(Author’s Note: Once again, there’s very little reference to the Judicial System in Paradise. I based this part of the story on a reference from Life - How Did It Get Here? Chapter 19, Paragraph 27 reads as follows:

All those who are resurrected will be educated in God’s righteous standards in a Paradise environment. They will not be hindered by wickedness, suffering or injustice as they were in their past life. If they accept God’s rule and conform to his standards, they will be judged worthy of continued life. So if the thief impaled alongside Jesus is to remain in Paradise, he must change from being a thief to becoming honest. But those who rebel against God’s righteous rule will not be allowed to continue living to mar the peace and joy of others. They will receive an adverse judgment. Thus, every person will have a full and fair opportunity to demonstrate whether he really appreciates life on a Paradise earth where “righteousness is to dwell.”)

Hugh settled in next to his wife. “What was behind the attack? Why would anyone commit arson anymore?”

“Someone is running a project and someone else took offense.” Kasumi gestured at the screen. “The man being interviewed is named Fargo... Something. It was his place that was almost torched.”

On the screen, the interviewer was coming to the point. “How was the Project coming along?”

“Pretty well.” Fargo nodded. “There’s an awful lot of history in the original bible, but it’s very focused on specific events. A lot of the background was lost. As people come back, we’re starting to fill in the blanks, and get a complete biography on some of the figures in our biblical history.”

“For example?”

“Well, for example, there’s very little known about some of the Apostles, beyond their names. It sounds counter-intuitive, but we don’t know so much about what they did. And since they don’t get returned like others, we can’t ask them directly…”

“So you and your team have been working on what exactly?”

“Call it a companion encyclopedia to the First Volume. Biographies on the bible figures, terminology that may not have been clear, personal testimonies from people who were there at important events… Things like that.”

The Interviewer lead him through the story. “That sounds like an incredibly ambitious work.”

“Oh it is, and we don't expect to be finished any time soon, but we’ve got the time, and the people, and I imagine there’ll be plenty of interest. Why not make use of all these things?”

“Indeed. But not everyone was so happy to hear about your work.”

“Well, the first articles in the Companion are already available online. We’re adding them as we go. They’re all verified, as much as is possible, from as many sources as possible. But some of the things that are appearing in the biographies are apparently pretty confronting to some people. I’m not going to name specifics, but someone felt that we were being disrespectful to the original saints, and… well, here I am.”

“What do you think?” The Interviewer asked.

“I think that the people in bible times were imperfect, who made mistakes and got forgiven.” Fargo said honestly. “I think that it’s our history and editing out anything we find distasteful is dangerous. I think that the last two hundred years have all been about proving that even wicked people should have a chance to become righteous people.”

“Not everyone feels that way, apparently.”

“Well, we don’t put up anything that’s a deliberate cause for argument. These people have a right to their privacy as well, so it’s all done with permission. There are always some points that have wildly different testimony, and we do our best to be completely impartial. But not everyone thinks that being factual is the same as being right, and in one of those cases, it had them reaching for a match.”

“What do you think?”

“I think the whole point of those men being named as prophets and teachers was that they were flesh and blood people, and they made mistakes. But God loved them anyway, and he was proud of them.” Fargo sighed. “And with all respect to the people who are coming back… I think that if God had a problem with the project, He could have simply stopped us from working on it. A word was all it would have taken.”

Kasumi muted the screen and turned to her husband. “Okay, I’m going crazy over here. What did Carl say?”

“He said… that we may just get what we asked for.”

~~/*\~~

The Blue Letter came a few weeks later. Except this one wasn’t Blue. It was Green. A special notation that the person coming back was a special case who would need close attention for an extended period.

“I asked Isobel.” Kasumi said quietly. “She tells me that more and more Green Letters are being delivered now. Blue means that someone is coming who needs to be welcomed and have the facts explained to them. Green means that you need to make room in your house, because they’re going to be staying with you for a while. This letter means that a public Dormitory is a bad place for whoever’s coming.”

Hugh braced himself and opened the letter.

Megan Childs. Age 12.

The time and location followed, but Kasumi stopped reading after the first details. “Age twelve.” She repeated.. “Older than I thought she’d be.”

Hugh put an arm around her shoulders. “I’m nervous too.”

“Nervous?” She almost laughed. “I’m terrified, Love. That age is not a good number. There aren’t a lot of reasons why a kid would ‘check out’ at age 12. I know, because I was one of them. And my reason why didn’t give me a green letter. I went through a nightmare that killed me slowly, and it was understood that I’d have a happy reunion, even though I was the only one I knew who had come back at that point. Why did I have a normal Returning, and this kid needs special care?”

Hugh went through the reasons in his head and didn’t like the list. “We’re not doing this because we think we’ll be good at it. We’re the ones that got that letter because the one who wrote them thinks we’re Megan’s best shot at living happily ever after.”

Kasumi took that thought in. “The first thing a mother learns is how to love their child, Hugh. It starts long before the kid is born… I have no idea how this is going to go.”

Hugh hugged her tightly. “What do you know for sure?”

“Not much. Just her name and-”

“Kas.” Hugh said firmly. “What do you know for sure?”

Kasumi let out a shuddering breath. “I know… that we can only do what people can do.”

“What else?”

“I know that in the end, whatever decision this girl makes has only a little bit to do with me, and everything else is up to her.”

“What else?”

“I know… That Jah is aware of my worries, and that He won’t leave me to handle them alone.”

“We came to life in every sense of the term, Kas.” Hugh told her. “All the ways a person can come to life? We did. And whatever was left to fix or make better? All those were taken care of the day I realized I was in love with you. This is going to be harder than everything we’ve done before. But we’re not starting from nothing.”

Kasumi shivered. “You’re right. But what difference will that make to Megan?”

“At first, probably very little. With time? Who knows? We won’t know her story until she tells us.”

Kasumi went to the console. “We still have a day. I want to be ready when the questions start.”

“You’ve given the ‘welcome back’ speech plenty of times.”

“Yeah, but I’ve never had to tell a twelve year old that I don’t know where her real mommy is.”

~~/*\~~

“Nothing. Two days of work, and I found nothing. This kid is a question mark.” Kasumi said nervously for the hundredth time. “I have nothing to tell her about the people she left behind.”

Hugh shushed her. “We’ll figure it out. Remember, we’re not setting her up with her family. We’re welcoming her into ours.”

Kasumi was squeezing her hands into fists so tight she could feel her nails cutting into her palms. “What if she doesn’t like us?”

“Have you forgotten the day I met your father? Loving someone has nothing to do with finding them likable.” He teased.

She swatted him, far too nervous to tease him back or be angry in any way. “It’s been three centuries since I was this worried about something, Hugh. I don’t like it one bit.” She spoke over him a moment later. “And no, I don’t want to pray about it right now, because I’ve been praying all day and she’s supposed to get here any minute. She’s young, and she’ll be scared.”

“If she’s the type to scare easily, we wouldn’t be meeting her here.” Hugh observed dryly. He was nervous too, but he knew his wife well enough that he didn’t let it show. Even after three centuries of protection and Utopian living, fear of the unknown was still something that all humans had to deal with, if not in any real capacity of panic.

The Tribute Park was originally a large cemetery. As more people came back, it had become something of a ceremonial moment to find and remove your own headstone. But very few people actually arrived here. It had been centuries, but a very small part of Hugh wondered if it could be an omen. He kicked the thought away immediately. Omens weren’t real.

Kasumi checked her watch for the tenth time in twenty seconds. “Where is-” She started to say and her breath suddenly hitched. “-she?”

Hugh turned to look. A small redheaded girl was suddenly there, about five feet away. She hadn’t noticed them yet, facing away from them. She sat up, surprised, and checked herself over. She ran a hand over her face, looked closer at her wrists and hands…

“Hi there.” Kasumi called gently.

The girl was up instantly, on her feet, eyes sharp. Kasumi didn’t come any closer, but she held out a hand. “My name is Kasumi, and this is my husband, Hugh.” She introduced them. “We’re going to be looking after you for a while.”

She was poised like a feral cat, and her face was a stone mask. It was a scary thing to see on a twelve year old. But after a moment, her mouth formed into a smile that would have been convincing to anyone who had yet to finish a single lifetime. “Okay then.” She said brightly. “Nice to meet you both. Shall we go?”

~~/*\~~

Megan was polite, reserved and listened carefully the entire way back to the house. The only thing that made her different from any of the other kids her age in the street was her eyes. They never stopped moving. Every time Hugh moved his hands at all, she was making sure where they went. Any time Kasumi reached into her bag, Megan watched until she knew what she was reaching for.

She watched the video carefully and seemed receptive to new ideas, but Hugh wasn’t sure how much of it she was paying attention to. “It’s a lot to take in, and while I don’t know the life you’ve had; I’m fairly certain it’s not anything like a paradise.”

“That’s true enough.” Megan said agreeably, eyes roving over the whole street. In OS, suburbs would have dozens of houses lined up alongside each other exactly. In this world, you could build wherever you wanted, and houses were frequently half an acre apart. It made for a long walk, though the main road was still unlike anything Megan would have recognized. “How far is it to the city?”

“The ‘city’ is a good bit smaller than it used to be.” Kasumi explained. “The Tower is the center of the community now, and it’s pretty much visible wherever you go around here. If you ever get lost, go there and they’ll either give you a ride home, or contact us. Or you could just ask someone for directions. It’s safe to do that now.”

Megan’s eyes glazed, like she was thinking something she wasn’t saying out loud, but she didn’t let her expression shift at all. They didn’t say anything else until they made it back to the house. She took the whole thing in with one look. The bound tree in the front yard had been sculpted to be a perfect place to sit, while still living. Hugh had grafted some blossoms into the trunk, giving the front yard a sweet smell. The two story house was smaller than it could have been, but had plenty of room for their new family member, and the trees had grown tall enough in the orchard to be visible from the front.

“We’ve set up a room for you upstairs, and of course you’ll be able to decorate it however you like.” Kasumi said cheerfully once they were inside. “But first, how about some lunch?”

“Mind if I check out the yard?” Megan asked lightly. “I haven’t had a backyard in… ever.”

“Sure, sweetie.” Kasumi said brightly. “I’ll make you some hot chocolate.”

“Okay. I’ll be right back.” Megan smiled broadly at her new guardians-

-when Hugh put a hand up. “Actually, if you don’t mind, I’d like you to see your room first. We got some clothes for you when we knew you were coming, and you might want to see if they fit, if you’re going to go wandering around the veggie patch.”

Megan’s hand was on the backdoor doorknob, and she froze there for a second. “Okay. Good idea.” She drew back from the door and went up the staircase.

Kasumi looked at her husband with a raised eyebrow. “What was that?”

Hugh looked back with a knowing look. “Let her out the door she’ll be halfway to the Empire State Station before the chocolate’s warm enough to melt, and we’ll never see her again.”

“What?” Kasumi laughed, not believing it. “Why would she do that?”

“Call it a hunch.”

~~/*\~~

Megan took her whole room in with a single glance, went to the folded clothes on her bed, and grabbed the first things her fingers touched. They were made solid and comfortable, but she barely took them in before she grabbed a backpack that had been provided and crammed them into it. Three seconds and she had slid the window up, and scampered out. She took the drop in an easy leap and rolled when she hit ground level.

The yard had fruit trees in easy reach. She crammed her pockets with as many fruits as she could grab without breaking stride, and kept running… when she collided with something. “Ow.” She pulled back. Hugh had stepped into her path so smoothly she had never seen him coming.

Hugh smiled at her. “Nice try, kid.”

Megan sighed and handed the backpack over to him. “Fine.”

“Just out of curiosity, did you have somewhere to go?”

“Back to the city.” Megan groused, sullen. She wouldn’t be any more specific than that.

Hugh chuckled. “Megan, I don’t know how to tell you this, but… You’ve seen the city. Just the town, the gardens, and the tower.”

Megan looked at him like he was either insane, or lying.

“You’re new, but sooner or later, you’ll have to believe me about that much.” Hugh told her. “Look, why not at least have lunch first? And if you like, when that’s done, I’ll take you to the tower myself, and you can get a look at the whole region from the Observation Deck. You see somewhere you’d rather be than here, I can take you there too.”

Megan said nothing. She just stared at him. Twelve years old, and she was just… dissecting him with her eyes, looking for something without saying a word.

“If you plan to run off and join the circus, the nearest thing is the Trade Caravan, and it comes through in six weeks.” Hugh told her. “But it’ll be dark in four hours, and you can sleep in a bed and eat food. I don’t know where you were before this, but I’m guessing that you eat when you get a chance to.”

Something in her eyes shifted. “Yeah. When you get a chance.”

“So, how about a free meal and some hot chocolate?”

“Nothing’s free.” Megan told him, very certain. “But yeah, I might as well.”

~~/*\~~

Several days passed. Hugh had a trainee to meet, and he left Kasumi and Megan alone together for a day while he ran a future pilot through some lessons. He received a message from Alec while in the air, and they met for lunch.

“How do you like being a father?” Alec asked kindly.

“It’s not anything like we expected.” Hugh admitted. “And not for the usual reasons, either.”

“Kasumi taken her shopping yet?”

“It’s like this kid is out of a Dickens novel.” Hugh admitted. “I don’t know the life she’s had, but Kasumi pointed out that there are only a few reasons why a twelve year old needs a resurrection, and none of them are good. I don’t know what scares me more: The idea that this kid went through something so awful, or the fact that I’m her dad now.”

“Take it from someone who raised a kid of his own and a Returnee. There’s nothing more terrifying than the what-if’s. We live in a world where we don’t have to worry about 99% of the things that we had to worry about back in the day, but you never lose that feeling. How’s she taking to the world?”

“I honestly don’t think she’s noticed. She knows the world has changed, but she still…” Hugh sighed. “I had to go through her bag yesterday. I was missing a chisel from my workshop. I searched for it for two hours before I realized where it must have gone. She had it hidden in her bag. I dread to think what she wanted it for.”

“Security, I’m guessing.” Alec advised. “She’s not the only one doing that. A lot of the Returnees feel better if they have something they can defend themselves with. Eventually they figure out there’s nothing to defend themselves from and they settle, but-”

“But Megan is twelve years old.” Hugh said again.

“And you’re wondering why she feels the need for ‘security’.”

“I’m wondering how I convince her that she doesn’t have any enemies any more.” Hugh nodded. “We took her to her first meeting the other day. The other kids…. They’re scared of her. The adults keep coming over, and she keeps evading. Seriously, the girl is a natural at it. She can see them coming over and she can casually vanish in the middle of a crowded room. I don’t know where she learned it, but darned if she isn’t a natural spy.”

“Kasumi tells me she’s been sneaking out at night.”

“She’s back by morning, and I don’t know where she goes.” Hugh agreed. “I know she’s been going through our things. She’s sneaky about it, but I can tell that she’s gone through my workshop, my office, Kasumi’s trophy room full of knick-knacks…”

“What do you think she’s looking for?”

Hugh considered the question. “I think she’s looking for proof.” He said finally. “I think she has a very fixed idea of what the world is, and what Kasumi and I are to her, and she’s looking for proof that she’s right. I think she’s trying to figure out whatever the ‘catch’ is. Because she’s admitted that she’s got a pretty comfortable set up with us, but she keeps looking for a reason not to believe it.” He spread his hands in supplication, seeking advice from his old friend. “What happens if she finds something?”

“Wrong question.” Alec shook his head. “The real question is: How long will it take her to realize there’s no ‘catch’ to find?”

~~/*\~~

After a discreet interval, Hugh brought up the subject of school.

“I went, back when I was little.” The twelve year old said without a trace of irony. “I don’t know if I have a school record any more, but I know I missed a few grades…”

“That’s not an issue any more.” Kasumi promised warmly. “I did too, but when I came back, I got to go. I was healthy for the first time, everyone was nice to me, the teachers were patient and the lessons were interesting. Name any school you’ve ever heard of where those things are all true.”

Megan was unreadable. “I can’t.”

Not for the first time, Hugh tried to figure out what she was thinking. “If you don’t want to go, you don’t have to. There’s no law demanding kids go to school by a certain age. Most kids do, but so do a lot of adults. If you wanna wait until you grow up, we won’t force you. But the world is a big, amazing place and you are going to see so many incredible, wonderful things. Your school can teach you what you’re looking at, so why not go?”

The look Megan gave them was readable this time. It was cynical pity. It was the same look Hugh had given Alec once, when they first met. It was a look that said: ‘You poor, pitiable child. Are you really so naive that you believe what you’re saying?’

It chilled Hugh to see the look on a twelve year old girl, but he knew why she had it. “Kid, either you believe us about what it will be like or you don‘t, but if you don’t at least try it, you’ll never know if we’re crazy or not. If you find out we're wrong about this, you never had to believe us again.”

Megan’s icy gaze glinted a bit, and Hugh was learning her expressions enough to know that he’d scored a point. She’d go to school.

~~/*\~~

“You’re better at that than I am.” Kasumi mentioned later on. “I have a feeling she’s going to be her father’s daughter.”

The comment caught Hugh off guard. He knew the girl would be staying with them, but he’d never heard anyone call her ‘his daughter’. “I know how to handle a cynic. I’ve been one, and I was in the Service. Cynicism was a basic survival trait for me.”

“For her too, I think.” Kasumi sighed. “So far the only thing I know about Megan is that she likes to draw.”

“Really?”

“I caught her sketching a bird in one of the orchard trees. She’s pretty good at it too, for her age. But when I saw the drawing she tore it straight up before I could tell her so.” Kasumi commented. “I don't think she has a lot of experience getting compliments.”

“Mm. I worry that we’re over-thinking it.” Hugh sighed. “We keep building up this girl’s issues in our heads, but she hasn’t told us anything yet.”

“Well, I don’t think so. Those jars of pears we spent last week preserving?” Kasumi murmured. “Three of them are missing.”

“Mm.” Hugh wasn’t surprised. “I don’t know if she’s planning to run away again. At least not yet. But take it from someone who knows. The habits that have kept you alive are the hardest ones to break. It was ten years before I was comfortable sitting with my back to the door. Megan survived by keeping food where nobody could take it from her.”

Kasumi let out a helpless sound, and Hugh hugged her tight. “We’ll get there.” He promised her quietly. “She’s young. Time is on our side, for now.”

“You think school is a good idea?”

“She needs some friends her own age. You’d be amazed how quickly kids decide that adults aren’t on their side.” Hugh smirked. “I know Sister Ballantine. She’s a good teacher.”

Kasumi sighed. “I just… She’s going to run away again.”

“Maybe. But you could say that any time.”

~~/*\~~

The School was a bright building with big windows and artworks all over the walls. The playgrounds were large and there were several libraries and when Hugh lead Megan into the school for the first time, there were several groups outside, gathered around trees, or around screens.

“What do you think?” Hugh asked her.

Megan looked. “It’s clean.” She declared finally. “No metal detectors.”

Hugh blinked. “Metal detectors? Did schools have that in your time?”

“To keep weapons out.” A voice agreed. A sister in the doorway inside had overheard them. “Back in OS, school and gang violence was a real problem in some places.” She came over and smiled warmly at Megan. “Thank Mercy that times have changed, huh?” She dropped down into a crouch to meet Megan’s eyes perfectly. “I’m Sister Blanche Ballantine. You must be Megan.”

Megan nodded. Another kid might have shrunk back against a parent, shy. Megan met the stranger head on and stared her down, unflinching.

Ballantine wasn’t intimidated. “You’re going to like it here, Megan. I’m told you’re sharp as a tack and that you notice everything. That’s a rare skill, and one that will serve you well in the future. If you’re willing to listen while I talk, maybe you’ll notice a few things you never knew were there.”

Megan stayed withdrawn. “Maybe.”

Ballantine held out a hand. “If nothing else, it’ll give you a chance to meet some kids your age; make a few friends.”

Megan shrugged, like that didn’t matter to her at all.

“Okay then. Why don’t we go to my office? We’ve got a few minutes before class starts.” Ballantine stood. “Hugh, we can cover our details later. School lets out at four. You want me to drop her off at home-”

“I think Kasumi is planning to pick her up herself. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if she was outside already, counting the minutes.” Hugh let out a bemused chuckle. It was time for him to go. He bent down to look at Megan. “You need me, call me. I’ll come get you.”

Megan nodded.

Hugh made his goodbyes and slipped out. Ballantine came back over to Megan with three books under her arm. A storybook, a notebook full of blank pages, and a thick book, with looked something like a dictionary, with more pictures. “Hugh tells me you can read already, which is more than a lot of our early students can do. So these books are for you. Hugh and Kasumi will have given you bible stories and such; and we’ll go through a lot of that sort of thing here, but, we’ll cover secular things too. You know what secular means?”

“The Padre said that Secular meant…” Megan stopped herself. “Well, I haven’t really believed anything he taught me since I woke up.”

Ballantine chuckled. “Well then, the last thing is to introduce you to the rest of the class.” She bit her lip a moment. “Awkward question, sweetie. Your name was Megan Childs in OS, but now you’re with Hugh and Kasumi Alman. When I introduce you to the class, do you want-”

“Just Megan.” The girl interrupted. “And I never got that. If school is scary and awkward, why start by putting a new kid in front of the whole class right off?”

Ballantine smirked. “I agree. Would you rather just slip into the class and not make a fuss?”

Megan nodded.

“Ohh, we’re going to get along just fine.” Ballantine beamed. “Class in five minutes, let me just make sure we have your desk set up.” She slid the books over to her. “Take a few minutes. Write your name in these. I’ll be right back.”

Megan nodded obediently and pulled out a pen as the teacher left the room. The minute the door closed, Megan was up and moving. She grabbed her backpack without bothering to collect her books and went out the window.

She made it eight feet before she ran into Hugh again. “Seriously?” She sighed.

“I’ll give you an ‘A’ for effort, kid; but you’re not fooling anyone.” Hugh smirked.

Megan rubbed her face. “Look, you may as well just call the cops on me, because-”

“There are no cops. Not any more.”

That got her attention, and she looked up at him. “So, you’re stuck with me then?” She wavered. “Because unless you hand me over to Juvie, you can’t keep me locked up forever.”

“Megan, you haven’t been locked up at all.” Hugh reminded her. “The doors are never locked. Maybe you haven’t noticed, since you keep going out the window, but most doors don’t have locks on them any more. You aren’t a prisoner. Besides, if you want to run away, wouldn't it be better if you at least knew where you were running to? You don’t even believe this is still the same place you lived before. If you’re trying to get back to somewhere…. It’s not there any more.”

Megan watched him. “You think you can win me over by the time I figure stuff out. When you get taken somewhere you don’t wanna be, you can always figure it out on your own, after you get away.”

“Get away from what?” Hugh asked curiously.

“From you.”

“Yeah, but why? That’s the part I’m missing.” Hugh asked sincerely. “What’s so terrible about me and Kasumi?”

Megan said nothing. Her face didn’t change for a long time. “I dunno, but something.”

Hugh nodded like that made sense. “Okay. When you figure out what it is, let me know. If it’s something bad, we’ll figure something out. But until then, I don’t know if you noticed, but you’re the only one that runs anywhere.”

Megan didn’t say it, but she knew this was true. Every adult she’d seen made their way to places at a steady, comfortable walk; in no hurry to get anywhere.

Sister Ballantine stuck her head out the window. “Oh, there you are.” She said brightly, unaware that her latest student had even tried to run. “Something you needed Brother Alman?”

Hugh held up a fresh apple. “Forgot to teach Megan the most important tradition of my time. First day of school, you bring the teacher an apple.”

~~/*\~~

Megan was surprised to see several adults in the class too.

“So, for those who are new here today...” Sister Ballantine explained. “The Classes aren’t for kids, they’re for anyone who needs them. Communication between people was taken care of miraculously, but the written word is something that needs to be taught. So now, we teach you all how to read and write in the same language, all across the world. Everyone who reads it can understand it, whether they learned it or not, but from this generation onward, it will be the standard. Kids, I can see you looking at some of your ‘taller’ classmates. I assure you, they’re here for the same reason you are.”

Polite chuckle from the adults, shy grins from the kids.

“You see, for most of human history, education was a rare privilege.” Ballantine continued. “A huge number of the human race has never attended school. They learned things from their parents, usually a family trade or a family business. There was very little opportunity for many people to change careers, or direct their own futures. Even toward the end of OS, many school graduates had terrible literacy and math skills. Partly because of ill health or poor circumstances, but also because of the teaching methods used. One of many things that has changed.”

Megan looked around subtly. One or two of the faces she recognized. They were at the Meetings that Hugh and Kasumi had taken her to.

“Now, some of you have already asked how long you’ll be here, and the answer is: That’s up to you. In OS, education had to be the early priority, so that you had it ready for your adult life. In this world, adult life never stops. You will never stop learning. With that in mind, all that you need to learn are the basic life skills that you will use everywhere. Some of you will know some of it already. A lot of my students learn how to read and write from their parents, years before they get to us. Kids, you’ll notice plenty of adults coming and going, as the workshops and libraries are all open to the public.”

“So… how long do we stay?” Megan asked, uncertain.

“There is a Final Exam.” Ballantine told her. “It’s available to all students, if you’ve been here for a week or many years; you can request it at any time. It’s a quiz to establish your cognitive skills and some general knowledge. Any job you get will train you in how to do that job. Any passion you pursue on your own, you will have plenty of opportunity to learn all about. You’ll learn more about the world as it is from your families and local congregations. What’s left for school teachers is a lot less than there used to be.”

Everyone chuckled.

“So, the schedule is a lot more flexible than schools you may have visited in the old days.” Ballantine told them. “Two mornings a week, we have lessons. Reading, writing, math; basic life skills. The afternoons we spend outside learning about the natural world. Not much point living in Paradise if we spend our days inside, right?”

“What about the other three days?”

“For the adults, specialty courses. We have tutors come in on a schedule to teach you all sorts of things; you can sign up in the hallway. For the kids, three days a week are assigned to apprenticeships. In groups of two and three, you’ll each put some time in at various businesses and industries in the area. Everything from feeding animals to working farms to fixing vehicles to building new homes. You’ll have a chance to do almost everything that adults are doing in the world. You may not enjoy all of it, but by the time you take the Final Exam, you’ll know what you like to do. Or at least, what you don’t like to do.” She smirked at the adults. “Remember, age and injury will never force you to retire. You'll want to make fresh starts in other industries, explore other interests from time to time... Find a job you enjoy; because you'll be doing it a while.”

(Author’s Note: I have no ideas what schooling will be like in the new world. This curriculum is something I made up, because most of the recent research on the matter says that kids today are getting less and less out of their education, despite spending longer in the school system. Most of the experts say that the problem is because teachers are stuck with a fixed lesson plan that basically shows kids how to remember abstract things by rote long enough to pass an exam. In addition, modern schools originally broke for summer months the way they do now, because kids were required for working the harvest season in farming communities, which made up most of civilization until a hundred years ago. I wondered how much a NS school will involve bible study; given how it would affect courses like history, life sciences and local government and law. This is what I came up with.)

“Now, I know that some of you will quickly find a place you’ll want to stay, or you might want to do your Apprentice Hours with someone you’ve worked with before. You can make a deal with them, and we’ll work to make it happen from our end here.” The teacher summed up. “Just remember, the world is full of things you’ve never seen before; and you don’t have to decide right away. Find something you love to do.” She looked around. “So, any questions?”

Megan raised her hand. “Where do we take these books you gave us?”

“Well, you take them wherever you like.” Ballantine said, still smiling. It was clear she didn’t know what the question meant.

Megan tried again. “I mean, when we bring them back, do we give them to you, or the library, or where?”

Ballantine smiled at her. “Miss Megan, those aren’t library books. They are a gift for you to keep.”

Megan blinked. “I… I ain’t never had a book before.”

Ballantine smiled. “Well, now you have three. Welcome to your first day.”

Megan felt embarrassed for some reason, looking around. Everyone was smiling at her. It made her want to cry, but she didn't know why.

~~/*\~~

That night at home, Kasumi peeked in on Megan. The girl was stacking her new books beside her bed, then taking them down and rearranging them, then doing it again. Kasumi knocked gently, and Megan spun to face her. “Sorry.”

“For what?” Kasumi asked lightly. “I suppose we had better get you a bookshelf. I mean a proper one.”

“I only have three books.” Megan shook her head.

“For now.” Kasumi nodded. “But we’ll have to get you a few more. It’s good for a girl your age to have books to read.”

Megan blinked. “I’ve never even had a library card before.” She admitted. “I used to stay at the library and read during the day, but they realized I wasn’t going to school and the cops started showing up whenever I went there…”

“And you haven’t been back since.” Kasumi said sympathetically. “Well, we’ll take care of that soon then. But for now, it’s time for dinner.”

Megan bit her lip. “Can I bring my book?”