Inch looked down – up? – at the giant silver sphere that hung in the sky. He was nearly of age and would soon have to choose his path on one of the moons above … below. Across. Across the void, across the long black river that separated the celestial bodies. He had never really been curious about what life was like on Old Earth's Moon. It was a slave yard and breeding ground - that was all he really needed to know.

Inch was a part of the twenty-seven High Lord families, known as Moieties, the ultimate rulers of New Earth. Well, of most of it at any rate. As his mother liked to say, "If it weren't for the Australians, we'd have the whole planet!"

New Australia had always piqued his interest. While he was growing up, he often found himself hanging out with the NA ambassador's children, and they seemed nice enough. When he was sixteen, they'd al snuck past security, then jetted up to a club on Deimos. Inch had never been to the dark side of Deimos, the side made for more illicit pleasures than the family friendly theme parks of the light side. It was also the first time Inch had ever been drunk; all he could remember was loud music, strobing lights and making out with the ambassador's daughter, Beth Annalie. If he sat and thought long enough, he could almost remember taking a crap on the tire of one of the ambassador's cars, but he often tried to shut that out.

He had been on punishment for a month after they'd been found and dragged back home. There were lectures upon lectures regarding protocol, the media and decorum. His parents may or may not have realized that it had all fallen on deaf ears. It was Inche's defining moment, the time when he knew he wanted to find out what New Australia was all about.

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There wasn't much in the history books. NA had been founded by evil rebels who had tried to take over Panmavors in a bloody revolt in the First Years, rebels comprised of the first colonists, ones who, according to history books, had most likely been infected by a more virulent form of the babystopper virus, one that brought out a person's more violent tendencies. Inch could never find out if this was actually the case or all conjecture. All he knew was that the rebels had either been cured and brought into the High Lords, killed, or exiled to the supposed barren wasteland that was New Australia.

Beth Anne and her sisters had a different perspective, though he'd never gotten a real chance to find out what that perspective was. The pictures they showed him was a lush, verdant continent, and he saw an old picture of their mother as well when he'd scrolled a little too far. He'd laughed at how fat she was, and was subsequently punched by Beth Ann.

"She wasn't fat, she was pregnant!"

Before Inch could ask any more questions, they were rudely interrupted by the security forces that had been hunting them for an hour.

For the next two years, he and Beth Anne were never able to see one another outside of official functions, and even then they weren't allowed to be alone. They kept in touch as best they could through messengers, social media, and even the occasional actual letter, but even that was heavily monitored. When Beth Ann went back home to complete her transition from Karl, she and Inch lost touch entirely. Inch hoped the operation had gone smoothly and tried to send her brownies (which she said were her favorite) to help with the recovery, but he'd never heard back.

Inch had asked his mother about her; she told him Beth Anne was fine. His mother, Renewal, Eighth in line to the Crown of Moiety Xacious, then asked him if he'd decided on his course of study. Was he going to attend Phobos I for science, math and engineering or Phobos II for a more liberal arts based education? There would be no thought of attending any of the New Earth based universities, those were intended for the four lower castes.

Without a moment's hesitation Inch said he would be heading to Phobos II. He was going to study diplomacy.