“I have ten minutes, I need to be in bed before that timer runs out, and I need to speak with my father before that, tell him it's about the void thing.” I declared to Wilma.
“Is that why you passed out in the car for a few minutes? I thought you were trying to sneak in a power nap before you saw your dad”
I nodded as I quickly walked past Wilma and headed up the stairs and into the main doors. Wilma followed quickly by my side. And whispered to someone as we passed the huge double front doors. The man she had whispered to ran like a hellhound was nipping at his ankles. I continued towards my bedroom, deciding I did not have the time to get distracted by watching him run. The mansion was huge; it had a basement and three floors above the ground floor. My bedroom was on the top floor and I quickly moved over to the grand staircase and ascended to the first floor, turning in the direction of the next staircase up when I spotted my dad quickly walking to catch up with me. Watching it I remember Dad had once said ‘Kenna, one does not ever run, if we are in a rush we walk briskly but never enough to appear as though we are in a rush, for we are calm and collected at all times.’ I smiled at him as I slowed so he could catch up before I ascended to the second floor.
“Kenna, what is the rush and why do we need to talk about your void so quickly, can we adjourn to the tearoom and have some tea over this discussion?”
“Afraid not Daddy, I have less than ten minutes to be laying down before I am forced back into… something, I'm not exactly sure what it is yet, but I will find out after I finish what they are calling boot camp for the galactic alliance navy”
He paused a second on a step before taking two to catch back up with me and started side-eyeing me.
“What?”
“There are whispers of the Galactic Alliance, on this planet. There is no proof they are real, but the rumour is that they are some sort of government out there in space that controls our sector of it. They are known only to noble clan leaders because the system informed us when we became nobles that the royal we serve answers to the galactic alliance government. But we don't have a royal, so we don't know how it affects us yet.”
“Then, once I complete boot camp, I could find out more information on how this all works, and maybe get some benefits for our planet and clan”
“Yes, my dear, that is my hope, but in the meantime what is your plan for our two guests?”
I stopped at the foot of the staircase up to the third floor as I turned to face him, my eye quickly checking the clock that had appeared in the top left corner of my new hud showing I had five more minutes till my deadline.
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“Uh, well I'm guessing Alison was initiated since she got shot, so she will need a clan if she can't start her own. I think that might be something she would enjoy, but I'm not sure.”
“Not our clan?” my dad asked quickly.
“Considering she is a foreigner, that means she would already be in if you wanted her to be, since you are asking me, then it is to see if I will separate the clan from friendship and make the right decision with all the facts instead of an emotional one. So, I put this to you Dad, should she join our clan and be sent to America to expand our territory on a real estate front purchasing up land and building businesses on it? Hell, you could build houses on it and rent them out. Or option two send her home to start her own clan. If it helps, I think she was working on a law degree. I mean, I would use it as a sneaky way to push into America and build up territory.”
My dad slowly nodded as we turned and walked up the last staircase. He didn't speak again until we reached the top of the staircase.
“And what about the one I want to do unspeakable things to for almost taking my baby from me?”
“Marvin” I whispered as I glanced at my dad's face.
“Yes, the hatchet boy.”
“Leave him to rot in that cell with one square of toilet paper to use per day, or maybe some straw.”
“Half rations too? And how about no straw or paper?”
“Sure, also stale bread and dirty water.”
I stopped outside my bedroom door as I let out a sigh, reconsidering it. I glanced at the timer to see I still had four minutes, then looked at my dad and sighed again.
“No, best to give him manual labour to do, keep him busy and useful to the clan until I get back from America with an explanation. We might need to exchange him for something, so it's best that he isn't a skeleton.”
My dad and I looked at each other then we started to laugh. After a few seconds, my dad finally started to nod his head. “Aah, stale bread and dirty water, is this a medieval prison?”
“You would know better than I”
“And I'm not telling, now get in there before you pass out in the hallway.”
I nodded and then opened my bedroom door, stepping through and closing it, leaving Wilma and my dad standing on the other side. I turned to see my old suit with a large lounge room taking up the area in front of me. The very comfy-looking couch sat in front of a huge, hundred-inch screen television. I hurried past all that and headed for the door on the right, entering a rather large wardrobe, moving through it to the ensuite. I quickly stripped and got in the shower, rinsing myself off with the long-needed hot water. Before getting dressed into my jammies and moving on past the bathtub to my bedroom. Jumping into the huge king bed. Dad had once said they didn't make king beds like this anymore. It was big enough to fit several people. I smiled happily as I snuggled into it, pulling the huge quilt up around my neck As I sank into the many pillows.
“I have missed this, it really is heaven!” I almost dozed off before I managed to wrestle my consciousness back to being awake enough to glance at the timer. I was down to seconds.
“Activate secure uplink” I mumbled as my consciousness slipped from my grasp again. I was struggling to hold onto it. The bed was just so comfy and plush. The next thing I knew, I was standing on a field in a skin-tight suit that went from my neck to my toes. I was also surrounded by what had to be a hundred or so, men and women wearing the same thing.
“Listen up you puke stain excuse of a meat bag! I am your recruit division commander, you may call me drill sergeant or sergeant Oostarn and you all will be turned from the stain you are into something I can work with, and that's just day one. Get ready, cadets, you are now in boot camp!