With a pop pop of spice and bang bang of salt, I jazzed up my boney broth with some star seed thingies and let it boil for dinner while we’re at school. After that was done, I wrapped our lunches in a fancy-schmancy silky cloth.
Hopefully, our house doesn’t burn down while we’re gone.
Despite my orange puffy winter jacket, the frigid air did not stop neighborly greeting my entire body. As I stare at the door, shivering from head to toe, I could not help but be jealous being next to the man, who did not seem affected by the cold at all.
Papa hums behind me, dressed in his typical dark green suit and tie with a blue scarf and mittens that I made him for his last birthday.
“Ufufu. Lucky! Lucky! Lucky Scu harf. Hehe.” Papa says clasping his hands, smiling ear to ear.
I try to hide my smile behind my scarf. Even though it wasn’t much, the fact it made my Papa so happy warms me up inside.
Despite that happiness, I was still standing at the entrance, or exit, feeling anxious that today would be the first time that I left my home, ever.
To be honest, I was terrified.
Every day I would watch people moving orderly through my window until they disappear from the streets. After mentally preparing myself for the last month for this moment, I thought I’d be ready, but now that I’m here, I can’t even move.
It felt like my dream where I was stuck; desperately trying to do something.
How pathetic am I? A fourteen-year-old girl who can’t even leave the house.
How sad can I be?
My own thoughts fester in my head until Papa calls out.
“Hey Ophi. One step at a time, okay?”
That’s right, I won’t make a friend standing here feeling bad about myself. I have to do this even if it is scary.
I just have to.
“R-r-right.”
“First.”
Just like I practiced.
“O-open the d-d-door.”
“Right.”
I try extending my arms, but the doorknob moves further away, making me panic until Papa grabs my hand, snapping me out of my funk and puts it on the doorknob.
“I’ll always be here to help. Okay?”
“O-ok-k-kay.”
“You’re doing great. Next step.”
I twist the knob open slowly, revealing a burst of wind slapping my face and a crowd in the streets below pack full of onlookers. My first instinct was to hide behind Papa, avoiding their judgmental eyes.
“It’s fine. Take your time.” he says, gently patting my head before covering my ears. “Just listen to me.”
Everything goes silent and when I look at Papa, he says something with a scary expression that made the onlookers keep moving and even though I couldn’t hear it; I see his seething red anger illuminating. After finishing whatever Papa said, he let go of my ears and helped me down the steps.
Then we wait.
And wait.
After about twenty minutes of waiting, I finally realized that the sidewalk was empty. I didn’t know why it was empty, but I thought ‘if it got us there faster couldn’t we use it.’
“Hey Papa?”
“Yes, sweet, adorable, one of a kind Ophi.”
Ignoring the barrage of compliments, I continue asking my question.
“Why do they not take the sidewalk over there? It’s empty.”
“I know, right? Well, these overgrown lab rats produced some mad idea that ‘uniformity is the key to their success’ and force themselves to only travel on the roads. Anyone who goes over there gets into big big biiig trouble. I think it’s good in theory. However, the execution is just a miserable attempt at control.” He asserts so loudly that even the lanes out of view turn their heads, hiding mine behind him again.
“Oh.” I said, hiding behind him again.
Even with no one around, I couldn’t help but feel helpless, filled to the brim with anxiety.
Then I saw the barrier illuminate brightly, like a thousand dancing streetlights in the sky above me. Papa always said it looked like an Aurora Borealis, and I guess if it does, then it was beautiful too.
It was a sight that I’d seen every day from the windowsill, but to experience, through my eyes, unfiltered is just something else. A welcoming distraction from the grey detached buildings that span for miles in every direction.
The streets were packed with workers and researchers grinding away to make the city better, but they were so fixated on success that they didn’t even glance at the gorgeous sky above. Their eyes glued to their I.S.D screens, Informing Self of Daughter device, but I’m not sure what it actually means, and ears covered by as each person kept to themselves.
Maybe they don’t look because it reminded them of why they were working.
“It really is pretty, isn’t it…that sounds about right?” Papa mutters to himself; his empty gaze fixated on the barrier.
After that, we stood in silence for minutes in front of our home. I didn’t want to say anything because I could tell he was gathering his thoughts with his colors.
Faded green: Stressing, tired, overwhelmed.
Faded yellow: Fear, self-doubt, worried.
Faded blue: Vulnerable, guilty. Depressed.
Red: Angry. Annoyed. Frustration. Rage.
Each color fades in and out to replace the one before.
“Ophi?” He finally asks.
“Yeah?”
The usual Papa would make a joke about now, but since he didn’t, that meant it was serious.
“What do you think exists on the other side?” He asks and with his voice so low even without my powers I could tell how important it meant to him.
“I-I don’t know Papa. You’ve been out there, so why don’t you tell me?”
“I have, haven’t I.” His sour face remains hypnotized by the barrier, making me feel like I had to say something to him.
“Um.”
I really couldn’t think of anything. Everything I knew was from inside the books my Papa gave me and the stories of the few people he called his friends.
Places with different languages, types of people, and plenty of delicacies everywhere.
Unlike in those stories, Progressia was a frozen place, figuratively and literally, where data meant everything.
Personal data ranging from health and abilities to financial stability is publicly available at the central data bank. Clarity is vital to their city’s growth for the simple reason someone else might solve a puzzle that you can’t.
Last week, Papa told me about a dangerous bug at the I.S.D that stuns people, but a first-year student at my current institute quickly fixed it.. After everyone had their I.S.D updated and proven to be successful, one giant hired him in software engineering at the early age of thirteen. He makes about fifteen hundred points a week from now on.
Papa said he could’ve done a better job, but he didn’t feel like it, so he left it up to the kid because in his words ‘I could not care any less’. This place was somewhere where having talent meant success.
And somewhere I really don’t belong.
I’m not smart or strong or have a very useful power. In terms of Progressia I would rank at the absolute bottom, and I think it’s fitting.
But more importantly, how do I fix Papa’s mood?
“Can it be anything?”
He shrugs nonchalantly.
“Even something impossible?”
He nods once, then returns his gaze back to the barrier.
I remember the books lying in my room that he gave me for my eighth birthday. One of them had a creature that I thought was just impossible. It was so impractical by the little physics I know I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
“Dragons. Dragons exist out there.”
Yes, dragons are something that I could never fully comprehend, but it seems so real. The wings couldn’t support the weight proportionally, unless their span was huge, which would limit the control for a creature of its size and make flight impossible. Moreover, they possess the capability of utilizing stomach-derived abilities to launch elemental attacks, rendering the dragon’s microbiome a hazardous zone for consumption. From every angle I could think of, dragons do not exist, but in those books, they exist, and it stuck in my mind.
See, even I can sound smart sometimes if I try really hard.
“Fu.” Papa grabs his stomach, collapsing to his knees in a laughing fit. “Hahahaha! You really are mine! Dr-dragons, of all things!”
“What’s wrong with dragons?” Stomping my foot flush with embarrassment.
Holding his palm out to me while covering his eyes with the other still laughing. “Nothing. Nothing. I was just expecting something food related, but a dragon. A dragon, of all things. Hahaha!”
I couldn’t believe it. One moment he was down and now he’s laughing so hard that it started attracting the attention of the surrounding crowd. Even though it was embarrassing, I couldn’t help but feel relief that his mood was improving. I check with my eyes just to be sure.
Bright yellow: Thankful, Proud, Optimistic.
Thank goodness.
“If you want a dragon, Papa will get you one for your collection.” He taunts.
“Papa! It’s not a collection!”
“Really? So, I guess you don’t want one?”
“Well…I never said that.”
Still red with embarrassment, I look at my I.S.D.
Seven fifty-five.
“We’re gonna be late Papa! Why won’t this line move?”
“Oh, no…” He says without a hint of enthusiasm. “What are we going to do?”
“Papa! If you’re late, they’ll dock your pay again.”
“Oh, no…the horror…what will I do with all that worthless currency?”
“Papa…”
Papa loves showing his rebellious streak with things that weren’t me or food. He would usually go just to check in on things, though I think once every 8-9 months doesn’t make it any better. After the new law passed last week, Papa theoretically couldn’t just scrape by anymore. Then again, I doubt that’ll affect Papa’s whims.
Actually, I’ve never actually seen him go out and buy things. Papa mostly stayed at home to help me with my farm, but sometimes he had to leave for special trips that lasted for days.
Anyway, what was I talking about?
Right, the new law said that every educator would no longer be paid based on average attendance, but on the total amount. That meant even if you missed or were late for a single day, they would dock your pay accordingly.
“Fine,” He groans and points to his back, “Want a lift?”
“I’m too old for that!”
“You’re never too old for me, my darling.” He playfully says. “Besides, I don’t think it’s a promising idea for you to be by yourself.”
“It’s okay if I’m late,” I retort, handing him our food. “I’ll be okay, just go.”
“Sorry no can do missy.”
“Why?!”
“You want me, a single parent, to leave his precious, adorable, one-of-a-kind daughter in a disgusting city with wretched vermin whilst he travels to a job of which that I care not for? Call me nuts, but I’d rather face your wrath than what may come of my may come of my naivety.”
He’s not budging, is he? Sometimes I feel like he loves me too much, not that I hate it or anything, but it sometimes makes me think I’m…undeserving of it.
“Fine. Then how are we gonna get there?”
He points to his back.
“I’m not doing that!”
“Phoooey.” He pouts.
When he’s like this, he really makes me wonder just how carefree he can really be. From a glance, you knew the people in front of us were working diligently, even when traveling to work. Headphones on urgently talking into their I.S.D blind to Papa and I as we playfully waited for our turn to enter the line.
I really couldn’t be more grateful to him. The nervousness and anxiety I felt earlier was no longer there, as my mind, filled with dreams of dragons and culinary creations, was yet to be made by me.
“We could always take the expressway.” He points to the empty sidewalk.
Knowing Papa, he was definitely dancing on the inside at the thought of trampling their rules. I didn’t even need my sight to feel the glow coming from him.
“I thought you said it was wrong to go that way.”
“You misunderstand, my dear.” he says, waving his finger. “I said these rats were stupid for trying to control it so forcefully. I never said it was wrong for us to take it.”
“So, can we use it?”
“WE can!” He held his chest out smugly. “Akachi’s do as we please.”
“Well…just this once, okay, then we follow rules after.”
“I’ve been waiting so long for you to say that. My tears. I can’t hold them.”
“Papa…”
After drying his crocodile tears, he grabs my hand, and we start down the road.
Are crocodiles even real? I mean, enormous jaws and scaly bodies who can swim in the water just seem ridiculous. But also, kind of impressive looking like a fishy dragon of the sea.
I wonder if they make good pets.
The institute was only about a few minutes away. It shouldn’t be a problem if we use it quickly, right?
Not a minute later, I came to regret my decision as I froze behind Papa with the attention of everyone lazered onto us and when I mean everyone; I meant EVERYONE. They look at us dumbfounded, as if we did something sacrilegious, even pulling out their headphones to discuss amongst themselves.
Shaking like a whisking beater, I did not pay their attention particularly well, hiding on the other side of Papa to avoid their gaze.
“I-i-i-t’s o-k-k-kay. It’s ok-k-kay. Just one step at a t-t-time. Yes, just me and Papa walking down the street. No one was staring deep into my soul, judging my every flaw. Yes, just me and Papa.” I mutter to myself.
Even with Papa soothing me by brushing my head softly didn’t help against the extra attention. I’m not surprised that I’m like this since this is the first time I’ve interacted with people outside of Papa, but even so; to be shaken up to this extent made me understand just how weak I was.
“Just a couple more minutes and we’ll be there, okay? Just hold on for a little longer, sweet pea. I know it’s your first time, so just do your best.”
Somehow, to my surprise, I could respond with a nod.
Papa held me tight as I buried my head into his chest. I felt so ashamed that I had to go like this, but I need to hold on to him. If I let him go, then I would fall through the ground and disappear into the abyss. So, I held on as tight as I could until suddenly Papa stopped and a bright red energy around him.
“Excuse me. You two are trespassing on restricted territory. Confirm your identities for punishment, then move off of the restricted section.”
It was a girl’s voice standing in front of us, and a bossy one too.
“Ophi, did you hear something?”
“Umm.”
“Must’ve been nothing then.”
Papa walks past her, which meant that I did too.
“That’s far enough. As a member of the Arbitrator, I will not allow you to take another step forward.” The voice appears again, and I could tell that it is a young monotone girl.
I glance at the girl’s voice and see her standing a few feet away from us. She has long, straight, black hair that sparkles down her back, and cold silver eyes that match her uniform. I thought her eyes were a little weird at first, having a red pupil and all, but then remembered that most people also had silver eyes. As she stands, her left hand is out front to block us and the right pointing to her chest bearing a weird hard to see symbol, but it looks like an eye.
Papa, now brimming with the brightest red energy I’ve ever seen from him, chuckled to himself. This, to my knowledge, meant bad things were about to happen to this girl, so I probably need to stop him before he does anything too cruel. To be honest, it was a little scary to see him so enraged, but I can usually calm him down.
“So, you choose to stand in my way? That’s fine by me. No perfect even!” His voice was rough without a single hint of gentleness, almost like a grater slicing at the girl.
“I will not allow any disturbances of peace,” she stops because of a message on her I.S.D mid-sentence and when she finished reading it her demeanor changes, “I apologize for my transgression so proceed as you were, Beast.”
Papa calms down, returning to his warmer colors with a disappointed look on his face and continues walking.
“If I may,” she interrupted us again, “Shall I escort you to your destination? We are traveling to the same location, or am I mistaken?”
“Was it him?” Papa asks his aura filling with a gaseous blackish red which stood for him wanting, ehem, unaliving someone.
Progressians really put him in a bad mood. I’ll make him half a barrel of tiramisu when we get home so that Papa feels better.
“I am not at liberty to say.”
“Fine.” Papa brushes with his hand like you do to a pet. “Do what you want, but don’t disturb us again.”
“Very well.”
I thought it was weird that Papa changes so drastically, but if it meant no fighting, I am okay with it.
She teleports a couple of feet ahead of us, leading us while on still being on the street…
When I looked down at my I.S.D. it gave me an idea. I sneakily take a scan of her as we walk. A data sheet appears on my device, and I read it.
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Subject
Name: Sophia Kayla
Family: Classified
Sex: Female
Age: Fourteen
Occupation: Temporary Transportation Assistant/Student/Arbiter Disciplinary Officer
Ability: Spatial manipulation, Omnidirectional Vision, Heat Detection
Skills:
Combat rank: A+ Perception rank: A+ Pattern recognition: Rank A+ Dexterity: S Ambidextrous rank: S Versatility rank: S Botanist Degree: Elite Education Status: Complete
Relationships: Classified
Current Wealth: 3,685,400 pts
Current Mental status: stable
P.A Rank: Two
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Sophia Kayla? So that’s her name. Oh, so she could teleport. That’s why she showed up out of nowhere.
She’s pretty strong too. Like really strong. All of her stats were A rank or higher, which means it’s good I think, and her abilities seem beyond extraordinary. The fact she was second rank really shows how incomparable I am from her.
How can we be the same age, yet she can do all this?
Also, how is she so super rich!?
Is she like Progressia’s super princess?!
I let out a sigh, feeling even smaller than usual, if that is even possible. I already knew about Papa’s greatness, but now this girl was as cool as he was and the same age as me, too.
How could I ever even match up to that? I really am just a no-good failure, aren’t I?
“Are you okay, Ophi?”
“Y-yes Papa. I’m fine.”
“You’re fine just the way you are. Don’t let anyone make you think any different."
“O-okay…”
For the rest of the trip, the three of us stay in silent with only the beating of my chest to rely on to save me from this endless day ahead.