At the transport pad, Syp asked Solrio, “I need my identity papers, don’t I? I gave them to you. May I have them back?”
“I put them in here.” She pointed to a small bag that was over her shoulder. “We have clearance to go right to the university from here. “Before we go, I need to tell you a few things. We’re going to meet several Stafriez. I believe that it’s best if you let me do the talking and respond only when a question is directed to you.”
“Alright,” Syp agreed.
“We’ll be walking across the Shipper University campus. It’s best if you walk. Any of your jumping will attract attention. Right now, its best if we avoid that. Do you have any questions for me?”
“No.”
Solrio stated to the security guard behind the transport unit where they were going. He punched the information into a computer. A moment later, Syp and Solrio were at the university across the continent of Trazene. As they walked, she explained what the various buildings were, and talked about the different courses of study that were available. They ascended a long set of stairs and stopped. She studied the directory on the wall, then entered an elevator. Solrio told a young lady at a desk who they were, and the pair was led to a conference room.
Three Stafriez sat at a table and when one tapped it, the table lengthened. “Thank you for meeting with us,” Solrio said quietly.
One of the Stafriez grunted and kept reading the stack of paperwork that lay on the table. A few minutes later, two more Stafriez entered the room. Syp could tell that they were older than the other three. Their white hair lay flat across their heads and was held back by clips. Their shoulders sagged as if they were tired. Each of them sank into a seat and adjusted the height for their long legs.
“Let’s get started,” one spoke. “I am the Honorable Bahansir. I am a judge here in Kop. These are other Stafriez from Trazene. This is Simar the Silent; Jasjeet Bunnag, head of the Tribune of Money; Director of Farming, Glen Timarek; Woot Hasik, Minister of Well-Being; and Chief of Alliances, Awat Gudalj.”
“I am Solrio Nansen, teacher of the Protectorate, presently stationed on the peninsula of Iragos. This is Syp.”
“Syp who? Identify yourself.” Syp looked at Solario.
“Syp is a child. Syp does not have a title.”
“Please stand up, Syp.” Syp rose to its feet. “Jasjeet, please stand up.” The old Stafriez stood. “The child is as tall as one of us. Please be seated.” Bahansir looked at Syp and Solario. “Please tell us why you are here.”
“Syp’s presence on Iragos came to my attention when it requested sanctuary. This child is five Trazene years old. It was raised from birth until now by some Aphyxians. We have come to ask for help identifying Syp’s biological parent and initiating contact with it.”
Woot Hasik spoke, "If it was raised by Aphyxians, it should live with them.”
“Why are we being addressed for such a trivial problem?” Jasjeet Bunnag became belligerent. “You are part of the Protectorate. You take care of it. Place it with another Aphyxian family.”
The Honorable Bahansir snorted. “The Aphyxians don’t understand the ways of the Stafriez. Find the Stafriez parent. Place the child with it.”
“I don’t know how to do that,” Solario replied. “I was hoping for some guidance from you.”
“Have you checked the database of registered Stafriez?”
“No. I’m not authorized to access those records. Only a registered Stafriez is allowed access.”
“Give the child access,” Awat Gudalj responded.
There was a high-pitched trill from Jasjeet Bunnag as it laughed. “Give a child access? I don’t think so!”
Simar the Silent cleared its throat. Everyone’s eyes fixed on it. “Perhaps you would like to explain why you aren’t already living with a Stafriez, Syp. Tell us how you were born into an Aphyxian household.”
“I don’t know,” Syp said uncertainly. “I am the eighth of eight children who were born to Geldou and Haerm Bron. Four of my brothers and I were born at the same time.”
“You are a quintuplet.” Glen Timarek observed.
“Yes. I don’t know how it is possible that I was born into this household. I have no explanation.”
“It would seem someone was messing with genetics,” Woot directed his comment to Solrio. “You know that Stafriez only have one parent.”
“I am aware of that. Our scientist indicated to me that it is a Stafriez.”
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“How could a Stafriez be born into an Aphyxian household?” They looked at one another puzzled.
“We need to determine the genetic match for Syp, so it can live with its Stafriez parent and be taught our ways,” Simar the Silent enunciated each word carefully. “The number of children born each year has dropped dramatically."
The group erupted into chatter. “How can this be? A Stafriez child born of Aphyxians? A mistake must have been made! This is a scam.”
The Honorable Bahansir raised his voice. “Silence!” The others quieted down. “It is my decision that the Stafriez child, Syp, have its blood sampled and analyzed. Solrio Nansen, you will escort the child to the laboratory across the campus in the medical building. After that, someone will look at the results and compare them to the Stafriez database.”
Jasjeet Bunnag slowly rose. “I have a report due to the Tribune tomorrow. It requires my attention.”
“I’m expected at the Technology Farming Seminar in two hours,” Glen Timareck said.
Woot Hasik looked at Bahansir. “I’m one of the keynote speakers at the medical conference. That’s why I’ve been able to attend; I was in the city already.”
“I must return to the academy. There is a graduation of new cadets this afternoon.” Awat Gudalj announced.
“I can see that you are all interested in the perpetuation of the Stafriez race,” Simar the Silent spoke sarcastically. “Here is a youngster, the youngest that I have seen in five years.” Simar turned to the Honorable Bahansir, “I will provide access to the database after the genetic testing is complete. I will examine the records that are available and help Solrio Nansen identify Syp’s parent.”
“We will reconvene tomorrow morning at 10:00,” the Honorable Bahansir stated. “Until then, this pod of Trazene Stafriez stands recessed.” Most of the Stafriez made a hasty exit, afraid that they would be asked to do something. Bahansir said to Solario and Syp, “Follow me.”
“I’ll be there shortly,” Simar said.
Bahansir led the pair down the hall. The large windows of the office they entered looked out over Kop. The room was packed full of books, papers, and collections of artifacts from other planets. Bahansir dug around on his desk and produced an electronic pad. After punching several buttons, he handed it to Solrio. “Here is the authorization for the test. Do you have a place to stay tonight? I could provide one for you.”
“We’ll go to the Trazene Enclave of the Protectors. Thank you, Honorable Bahansir.”
Solario and Syp trekked across the campus to the medical building. An attendant showed them to the laboratory and a technician came in. Solrio gave her the electronic pad and she looked it over. Only a few minutes later, she broke the first needle on Syp’s arm. “May I suggest something?” Syp asked.
“No, unless you’ve had blood taken previously.”
“I have. If you try right here,” Syp pointed to a spot between its fingers, “it will be much easier.”
“There’s not a vein there.”
“There is, trust me. The last time I did this, it took the medical person sixteen tries on various parts of my body before giving up and trying here.”
“It speaks the truth,” Solario said as she watched.
“Thank you,” Syp said when the technician was finished.
Solrio led Syp out of the medical building. “We have a few hours before we’re supposed to meet Simar the Silent. What should we do?” Syp didn’t know what to say. “Let’s go to the Wrentpids Beacon. It’s a lighthouse on the beach. We can go up into the top and see miles of ocean.”
“Ocean? Like a sea?”
“Yes. Have you ever been to a beach? We can walk on the sand and look for clams.” Solrio waved down a taxi transport and told the driver their destination.
“There’s a small storm blowing in,” the driver remarked.
“We’ll only be there for a short time,” Solario said. Syp began to move its legs up and down. “You’re nervous, aren’t you? Haven’t you been to the beach?”
Syp shook its head no. “I don’t like water. I don’t know how to swim.”
“We won’t go in the water,” Solario assured it. “The lighthouse is on the rocks and has a boardwalk leading to it. “The beach is a good place to walk.” At the beach, Solrio pointed out the various kinds of birds and the sea creatures that had washed ashore. Terns flew back and forth fighting over the smorgasbord of food.
Syp picked up an empty clam shell. “May I take this back with me? It will be a reminder of today, and my first trip to the mainland.” Solrio said that Syp could do this. Other beachgoers came toward them. Three children tossed a ball back and forth. The wind would blow the ball out of their hands and into the water. The children laughed and chased it, bringing it back to the sand. After a long walk, Solrio and Syp turned back towards the lighthouse. “I’m ready to go up, are you Syp?”
“Sure!” They counted the steps to the top and walked around the glass-enclosed room. Solrio showed Syp how to use the binoculars that lay around the room.
“There’s a ship!” Syp had never seen one of these before, except during its studies. As the wind began to pick up speed, the waves below grew bigger. They went down the steps to the boardwalk and went along the sand on the other side of the lighthouse. As the waves got bigger, the two decided to leave.
“Help us!” the mother of the three children came running down the beach. “One of my children is in the water. Can you help us?”
“I don't know how to swim," Syp responded.
“No! Please, help him!”
Syp bounded toward the water. It jumped from rock to rock on the promontory the lighthouse was built on. One moment Syp could see the youngster, and the next he was gone. “I’ve got to do something!” it thought wildly. Syp saw a second later that the child was on the top of the water. It leaped, ending up several meters short. Syp felt for the ocean floor and found that it could jump from the bottom, stop breathing for a moment, and go below the waves. Hopping across the ocean floor, with its head tipped back, it grabbed the child. Syp turned around and moved toward the rocky area around the lighthouse. With a mighty leap, Syp exited the water and landed unsteadily on the rocks. Syp tipped the boy onto his stomach and pounded on his back. He choked and spewed up water and vomit.
The boy looked at Syp, “Am I dead?”
“No. Take hold of me. Like this.” Syp put the child’s arms around its neck and wrapped his legs around Syp’s torso. After a moment of calculating, Syp jumped. It went from rock to rock, seeking a way to get back to the beach. It seemed to take forever, but finally, the two of them stood on the sand.
“Nikos!” the mother stood crying. “Nikos, I can’t believe you are alive!” She thanked Syp profusely, and the little boy stood crying.
“I’m so sorry, I’ll never do that again!”
“Can we leave?” Syp asked Solrio.
“We’ve got to get you dry,” she responded. “That was a crazy thing to do, Syp. You’ve told me that you can’t swim. Why did you do it?”
“No one else was doing anything. If I would have waited, that child would be dead.”
Solrio shook her head. “I can’t believe you did that.”