Promised Land Part I

[Nijil tr'Korjata 0]

The great thing about being a girl of eight years on a space station is the adults do all of the worrying and work. Annisha was no ordinary full-of-worry Rihan girl. For the good part of a year she has been without home or family. The Great Fire extinguished many families from ch’Rian. Just as many were split forever. She was in the latter camp. Add to this for many months no one wanted to take her in added to the heartache. Her situation seemed to be changing.

 

“Nijil! Where are you?” A young Rihan shouted across the restaurant section of the Aegis Midway. The orphanage group went through single file on their way to the arboretum. Annisha found it hard to stay with the rest and find her hero. He had lunch there often when he needed to get away from the shuttle bay or more often main engineering. Away from work he was, sitting at the outskirts of the Rihan restaurant hunched over a bowl of hot soup.

 

Annisha saw him first, bursting from the line of children to meet him. “Nijil! Nijil, I have good news.” She arrived at his side jumping up and down. Neither of them heard the Rihan orphanage headmaster.

 

“What news do you have?” Nijil blew on his soup.

 

“Someone is taking me in! A new mother and father! Lovan and Maivei I think. They are filling out the forms now,” Annisha said excitedly. She hugged his arm. Her hair rested on his hand. The news plus the touch sent him into an inward sorrow. She really needed a family right now. Often she seemed happy, but Nijil has seen that look before. Probably coached to put on a pleasant face. Who would want a sad child?

 

With an equally happy face, “That’s great news Annisha,” hugging her back and kissing the top of her head. “When do you go? Where are you going?” The released each other.

 

“Oh I won’t be going for a while, the adults have to write a lot of things down.” She looked back at the group, they had walked on a ways. She turned to Nijil one last time. “I get to go to a planet, not some stinky space ship!”

 

“What planet is that?” He asked, listening closely.

 

“A’tari IV. I have to go. Bye Ni Ni! Oh, tell your spotted friend!” She ran to meet with the rest, then was gone.

 

“I’ll do that,” he said, knowing she’d not hear. Thoughts of Jylliene had escaped him today up to that point. He’d never heard of that planet before, but perhaps his ‘spotted friend’ did.

 

“A’tari IV...” Nijil thought. He got up, gathered his things and left.