Still feeling a little reluctant, Natalie rushed into the bathroom for a shower. She could only delay things for so long, once the shower was done she stood at the top of the stairs for a few minutes listening to the soft murmuring of her family, as they talked.

Finally, she entered the kitchen, moved to her spot at the table, she looked around. Mum was smiling at her, Dad was concentrating on his food before him. Both of her brothers were staring straight at her, as if she had suddenly grown a second head or something. While Chelsea, just sat not eating looking down at her wrist unit intensely.

Natalie smiled back at her mother, grimaced and poked her tongue out at her brothers. Then selected a few extra slices of meat and cheese from the serving carousel. Her brothers, looked surprised, but they were laughing now and had returned to their meals. Natalie let out a quiet breath of relief, maybe things wouldn't be to bad.

It wasn't one of the most enjoyable mealtime's she had experienced, but she managed. Her brothers and sister were asking silly questions, that while they were aimed at being humorous, actually had some very real value to them. Where would she be sleeping? In a dormitory? Would she be given her own place?

She had nothing to these speculations, frustrated, she finished up quickly and excused herself. It was almost time for work anyway, she went back to her pod.

"Sam, are there any new post on the domain about the planet?" Natalie asked, as soon as she entered the pod.

"No Natalie," Sam replied. "They have increased the amount of security programs around the Worlds company, information dump site as well."

"What does that mean?" Natalie asked confused.

"That was the site, where I found the information about the deceased survey crew." Sam said. "I had been hoping to get more information on that, they seem to have blamed it on vessel error, as to the cause of death."

"Vessel error?" She was amazed. "That hasn't happened in over 150 years. Our ships aren't the air leaky tubs or fragile tin cans, they use to be. How can they blame that on vessel error? Didn't it have AI's or robotic monitors to prevent that?"

"That is what I find curious, Natalie, all systems were checked." Sam said. "By the port authorities, nothing was found at the time, that is all part of the public records. Yet now they claim errors.

"Keep watching, Sam." She said. "Maybe something will surface again in a few days. Right now we have our section to do, it's time for work."

Natalie pondered on all the unanswered questions as she worked, this resulted in Sam having to fix her programming more then once. She was so distracted she found it difficult to focus on the job at hand.

She was relieved, when they were finally finished, gratefully she slid into real sleep. It was nice to escape all her worries for a few hours.

The next morning, Natalie went downstairs earlier, she wanted her breakfast, but without complications. So she grabbed a bowl of cereal and disappeared back upstairs. She felt guilty because doing it this way, she skipped morning chores, she just needed the peace.

Before entering Freedom, Natalie checked a few more sites for information on ancient woodworking tools and methods. The large stone in the wooden cradle, was apparently a grind stone, used to smooth wood, and in some cases helped shape it. She found a few examples of it in use, storing them into her files, she then entered the game.

Today she would finish up with the healberry juice she had made, first though the donkeys, she would need them later. With them eating so much, she needed to seed a few fields with grain. Coming down to the barn, she was horrified to see she had left them outside, when she logout yesterday.

She rushed forwards, had it damaged them? No they looked alright, as far as she could tell anyway. The only thing wrong with them seemed to be a large thirst, since she hadn't filled the water trough right up. She put their halters on them and led both to another clean pen.

That one would need raking, she gave them fresh hay, grain and filled the water trough. Then raked out the other pen, once finished there she cleaned the stalls, readying them for the donkeys. Satisfied with that, she went to the alchemy shed.

Retrieving the heal berry juice, Natalie, was surprised to see the normally caramel brown juice, had changed to a burnt orange. Had it gone bad? Gingerly she tasted it, but found it still taste the same. The smell hadn't changed either, she gave it a stir, that made the sediment in the beaker swirl around. But it also made the juice return to near the normal colour, it was just a little dark.

Natalie, strained it, she decided that throwing it out wasn't going to happen. She took a handful of Sundaisys and crushed them throughly in the mortar and pestle, this time however, she strained as much of the flowers moisture as she could and poured it into the juice.

Nothing changed it still looked like a slightly burnt orange-brown, perhaps she needed to heat it ? She stirred it once more then place it over the little stove, bringing the mixture to a low simmer. Molly hadn't said anything about this one needing heating, it had worked with the other one though.

Still nothing was happening, except for the bubbles, as it simmered. Discouraged she turned the heat off, moved the beaker out of the way, it could cool off there. Well that was enough for now, she would try again tomorrow. It was time to plow the fields again for the wheat and oats.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Returning to the animal yards, Natalie was pleased to see the donkeys had finished their food. She spent a few minutes trying to untangle the harnesses. Making a mental note to herself to hang it up next time. Eventually she had it sorted out and strapped onto the donkeys.

She led them over to the plow and hooked them up to it and began the delicate process of driving the donkeys onto the fields. She paid attention this time, making sure the farrows were as straight as she could manage. This sort of experience was something she felt, would become important, on her new planet.

By lunchtime, she had plowed up two of the fields. She was debating whether or not to forget lunch and do the other two fields. Then she heard the chime that indicated, someone was in her room and trying to get her attention.

"Log me out please, Sam" she said. "Who is it this time?"

"It's Chelsea," Sam replied.

Natalie opened the pod, to see Chelsea standing beside it with a worried look on her face.

"Natalie, come downstairs, there are some people here to see you." Chelsea said. "Mum and Dad are in an uproar, Mum told me to get you."

"Sam, go on record mode again please." Natalie said. "Do you know who they are, Chelsea?"

"No I had just left my pod, when I heard the yelling." Chelsea said.

"Alright, let's go see what this is about." Natalie said.

They went downstairs, she could hear the disturbing sounds of her mother crying. Over that the angry growl of her father's deep voice, she couldn't make out what was being said. Dad wasn't happy, and he was certainly letting everyone know about it.

Taking a deep breath, she walked into the living room, besides her parents, she could see a very nervous Amanda, Mr and Mrs D'kane, and three other men, she had never seen before. At her entrance all eyes turned to her, she couldn't help but feel intimidated, by being the focus of so many upset adults.

Poor Amanda, she had been in the room with them the whole time. Natalie quickly moved over to her and gave her a quick hug in greeting. Then she turned to the adults, Amanda was trembling and holding onto her hand for support.

Natalie gave her sister a grateful look, when she walked over and calmly stood with them as well.

"Hello," she said to the room in general. "You wanted to see me Mum?"

"Yes, Natalie." Her father said instead. "These gentleman, have arrived to collect you and Sam." Her father almost spat the words out, his eyes were blazing with barely contained fury.

"Huh?" was Natalie's not so very intelligent reply.

"You have to go with them Natalie," her mother sobbed, almost incoherently. "We can't stop them from taking you."

"I'm Terry Spherson, Natalie," the tallest man in the black suit said. "You fall under my jurisdiction, as a minor, under the four year probationary clause. Normally you would be left with your family, until your eighteenth year evals. However, as you have been selected and approved by a government agency, for the colonisation efforts. Which start this year, you are to be removed and taken to a training facility, to prepare you for your new life."

Natalie was dumbfounded, she'd had no idea that this could happen, surely she was dreaming?

"We only found out about this, the other day." She said. "Isn't this moving a bit fast?"

"I'm sorry, Natalie." He replied, not sounding sorry, even a little bit. "The timeline for the first batch, to leave this planet, has been brought forward. You will be finished your training and shipped out in six months."

"Six months?" Natalie repeated, she turned to Amanda. "Why are you and your parents here, Amanda?"

The only answer she received from Amanda was the girl's arms being flung around her neck and frightened sobs into her shoulders.

"She is here, because they are taking her as well." Mr D'kane said dully. "The school tryed to cover up her true test results, she wasn't even as far along as you were, Natalie."

"Yes, indeed." The smaller grey suited man said. "For that effort they shall be under scrutiny, how many more, have they allowed to filter through. That didn't deserve the advancement."

Natalie instantly disliked the pompous attitude, of that man, she hoped he wasn't going to have much to do with them.

"Can I pack a few things?" Natalie asked.

"Yes you will have time, to say goodbye and to pack your things, Natalie." The third man sounded nicer. "We are waiting for the cyber transporters, they will be needed to transfer your pod, and Miss D'kane's pod."

"Then you will kindly do your waiting, out in your transport," her father growled. "Leave us, we need to make the most of our last hour with our daughter. Charles, you and Marie are welcome to stay however, the girls probably need each other right now."

"Thank you, I would like to take you up on that," Mr D'kane said.

Natalie watched the other three men leave, Amanda rushed over to her mother and collapsed into her arms. Natalie stood by Chelsea, feeling awkward. Chelsea, grabbed hold of her arm and started to drag her from the room.

""Chelsea, let go!" Natalie demanded, trying to twist free, she wanted to check on her parents.

"No, come on." Chelsea ordered. "You don't have that much time. We need to get your things together, so we can have the remaining time, for family."

"Chelsea, is right little Bee," her father said tiredly. "Go get packed, then come back here to us."

Natalie looked again at her mother, she seemed to be crumbled on the couch, nothing left in her, staring vacantly at the family picture on the wall. It was of all of them, when Natalie was just two years old. It had been hand painted, by one of the last master painters, Mum cherished it.

Natalie reluctantly followed Chelsea, they entered her room.

"Start sorting, Natalie." Chelsea told her. "There will be a weight limit, so try to take only light stuff. I'll go get a carryall to put it in."

Natalie looked around, she had a load of pictures, they were definitely going with her. Most of her cloths, she decided to only keep three of the nicest formal dresses she owned. All of her winter gear, and as many of her stacks of underwear, she could fit into the bag.

By the time Chelsea came back, she had three neat stacks of things ready to pack. But she was surprised to see Chelsea, had already half filled, an enormous carryall. There were all sorts of gardening tools and seeds, foam wrapped delicate glasses, plates, cups. Beautiful handmade lace placemats, bedsheets, and a large quilt, she recognised as one her grandmother had handcrafted. Silverware, and boots.

"What? Why did you pack all that, Chelsea?" Natalie asked, she looked up to see Chelsea was crying, as she shoved Natalie's clothes into the big bag.

"Those are the things, Mum was going to give you." Chelsea said, after taking a deep breath. "When you turned eighteen, for your own home, but she was hoping, you wouldn't leave straight away. That's changed now. If she was able, I know she would have insisted, you take all this with you now."

Natalie stood helplessly, it was really happening, they were taking her away from her home. Numbly, she stood as Chelsea took her into her arms and held her, as Natalie shook, her emotions might be muted, but her body still reacted the same.

Her sister's quiet, reassuring voice, soon calmed her down again. They finished packing the bag, Chelsea marked it with fragile stickers, to try and prevent damage. Then they went downstairs, to join the rest of family, and the D'kanes.