Her silver hair, and grey irises gave away her lack of heritage. Alyssa was only a year old, but as an android, her appearance was that as a late adolescent woman on the cusp of adulthood. Her creator had ordered her to come to the Albatross Branch Orphanage here in Crater City. Like its namesake, the city had been built inside a 25 kilometer wide crater.
The Watcher's books claimed that a single woman created it when she lost her temper, he had called her Tabitha. Watcher Kiel even drew a picture of the red-haired woman on the page that ended her story.
Alyssa had read the story because of her current objective: to meet a young girl wh was the first person in 520 years to be born with Tabitha's trait; her blazing red hair. She was to keep this young girl from being used in the games of politics.
From her sources, the young android had learned that Tabitha's story had been one passed through myth, what made her story special was only the fact that it had been recorded by a Watcher.
The green door of the branch office appeared to be in great condition, and stood in an odd contrast being attached to a building appearing to have not been well taken care of. Children stood in the round cobblestone plaza in front of the orphanage, watching a few of the older children hook the Albatross Division flag to the rope of the flagpole. As they stood awaiting the appropriate time to raise it, Alyssa began to use the time to scan the children's faces. She quickly found her target; the young girl stood with her shoulder' sin line with the flagpole, and the corner of a repair shop resting on the edge of the plaza, a wooden reed-whistle hung in her mouth as she watched the edge of the crater's wall where the bluish white sun would shortly appear.
After a few seconds he first flairs of the sun cast a light through the city, and the clear tone of bamboo and ebony vibrating resounded through the plaza where 450 orphans stood. As soon as the pleasing low tone began the flag raced to the top of the pole, signaling the start of a new day in the crater.
The whistle then played a prompt melody that seemed to energize the area as the shops in the plaza opened their doors, their managers having watched the scene as though it were something rarely seen, instead of the routine it was. The youngest of the children were then shuffled through the green door. Alyssa watched as her target filed through the door about a quarter of the way through the pack, which was obviously organized by age.
Using the orphanages to train future soldiers had become commonplace over the past three centuries. The popular view was that the children would become the dregs of society if they weren't properly trained. Even the Watcher's Chronicles claimed this used to be the case.
Where normally one would not be allowed to join the military ranks until their 16th birthday, children raised in these branch divisions would be allowed in at their 10th birthday. But could only take part in research and development jobs until they were of legal age. They would forego the basic training of normal recruits, as they had been raised within the machine.
The eldest looking boy stood by the door, holding it open for all. Alyssa followd the last of the children in, the boy slamming the door closed as soon as she was safely across the threshold. A mature woman's voice rang through the building, she was obviously not using the intercom mounted in the ceiling throughout the building.
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"Sergeant Carter! What have you been told about slamming my door? Add 20 laps before your allowed lunch today!" Despite handing out the punishment, the timbre of her voice betrayed to everyone, children included, that she had been pleased about something.
Alyssa stood by the door without making a sound. She was an android, and as such was not allowed to move further into the building, or speak until someone allowed it. She didn't wait long when the woman came out of her office, the sight of Alyssa in her ghost grey and black uniform shocked her for only a second. The woman approached her, giving her a prompt, yet attentive look over.
"Who is your creator, Young One?" The woman asked, while using the respectful title to refer to androids who hadn't been introduced.
"My creator was Boyd Ribbons, fourth Sage of the Winds." Alyssa spoke the pass phrase to the woman who obviously understood what it was for. Alyssa had been expected.
"Ah! Your here because of the Nadin, follow me to my office, there aren't any little ears in there." The woman reentered the door she had just exited, having been given permission, Alyssa followed her into the room where a tea set sat on a well maintained knee high table. The he ebony whistle her target used earlier rested next to the teapot. The woman directed the android to sit across from her at the breakfast nook just past the table.
As she sat Alyssa confirmed her reason for being there. "Yes ma'am, I am here because of Tabitha's Legacy."
"I haven't heard that phrase since the girl was left on my doorstep. You androids never cease to amaze me. We haven't told her about any of that, and our lecturers have been prohibited from reading that story since she arrived, we wanted her to grow as normal as possible without letting her know about it, and the way these children are, we didn't want her to start looking into who her parents were just yet. We feel this wouldn't be good for her."
Alyssa thought about it for a few seconds and came to the same conclusion as the organic sitting across from her. "Understood, ma'am."
"Okay, I have two rules for you, Young one, and as long as you adhere to them, you may consider this your home, just as the children here do. First, the obvious one: discussion of, hinting of, or telling of Tabitha's Legacy is prohibited around the division's members until further notice. This includes me." Alyssa nodded in agreement; "second: until you are vetted, and I say otherwise, physical contact of any kind is prohibited between you and the one we are discussing. The only exception is in the case of immediate threat to her life." Alyssa understood the precaution and agreed as well. "Any questions, Young One?"
"Yes, what is the child's name? Because of the risk of my capture up to this point I was instructed to inquire about it upon arrival."
"The six year old we are discussing was named by her mother: Raina, but most of the children just call her by a name a maid once called her: Amazon."
"This one's name is Alyssa. As per orders I am to become her property. As per galactic treaty 340.94 upon transfer to a new owner I am required to take their surname. Does the child not have one?"
"Welcome to Albatross' Phoenix Division Alyssa Sierra."