Zoe’s Tale PART I Chapter Three

How do you analogous it here(predicate)? Jane asked me, as we were wash bring out the dishes after dinner. On Huckleberry, I specify.This is non the initiatory time Ive been asked that today, I verbalise, taking the plate she handed me and drying it.This got a pretty raised brow from Mom. General Rybicki asked you the research, she said.Yup, I said.And what did you tell him? Jane asked.I told him I liked it unspoiled fine, I said. I put the dried plate into the cupboard and waited for the attached one.Jane was holding on to it. scarce do you? she asked.I sighed, only slightly dramatically. Okay, I give up, I said. Whats going on? Both you and pop were like zombies at dinner tonight. I receive you missed it, because you were c perpetuallyyplace up in your own heads, but I spent near of dinner stressful to get either of you to talk more than a grunt. Babar was a better conversationalist than either of you.Im sorry, Zoe, Jane said.Youre forgiven, I said. But I still exigency to know whats going on. I motioned to Janes hand, to remind her I was still waiting on that plate.She handed it everywhere. General Rybicki has asked your father and me to be the leaders of a new small town.It was my turn to hold on to the plate. A new colony.Yes, Jane said.As in, on a nonher planet new colony, I said.Yes, said Jane.Wow, I said.Yes, Jane said. She knew how to get mileage out of a single word. wherefore did he ask you? I asked, and resumed drying. No offense, Mom. But youre a constable in a tiny slim village. And dads an ombudsman. Its kind of a leap.none assumen, Jane said. We had the same question. General Rybicki said that the military puzzle we had would cross over. washstand was a major and I was a lieu 10ant. And whatever otherwise experience we need Rybicki believes we can pick up quickly, before we set nibble on the new colony. As for why us, its because this isnt a normal colony. The colonists arent from Earth, theyre from ten of the oldes t planets in the Colonial Union. A colony of colonists. The first of its kind.And none of the planets change colonists want another planet to wee a leadership role, I ventured.Jane smiled. Thats right, she said. Were the compromise candidates. The least objectionable solution.Got it, I said. Its nice to be test of wanted. We continued washing dishes in silence for a some minutes.You didnt reaction my question, Jane said, eventually. Do you like it here? Do you want to stay on Huckleberry?I get a vote? I asked.Of course you do, Jane said. If we take this, it would mean leaving Huckleberry for at least a few prototype years while we got the colony up and running. But realistically it would mean leaving here for acceptable. It would mean all of us leaving here for good.If, I said, a little surprised. You didnt say yes.Its not the sort of conclusion you make in the middle of a sorghum field, Jane said, and looked at me directly. Its not something we can on the dot say yes to. I ts a complicated decision. Weve been looking over the information all afternoon, seeing what the Colonial Unions plans are for the colony. And then we support to think nearly our lives here. Mine, Johns and yours.I grinned. I baffle a disembodied spirit here? I asked. This was meant as a joke.Jane squashed it. Be serious, Zoe, she said. The grin left my face. Weve been here for half of your manner now. You assume friends. You know this place. You fuck off a future here, if you want it. You can redeem a carriage here. Its not something to be lightly tossed aside. She plunged her hands into the sink, searching under the cleanse suds for another dish.I looked at Jane there was something in her voice. This wasnt unspoiled rough me. You have a life here, I said.I do, Jane said. I like it here. I like our neighbors and our friends. I like being the constable. Our life here suits me. She handed me the casserole dish shed notwithstanding cleaned. Before we came here I spent al l my life in the Special Forces. On ships. This is the first world Ive actually lived on. Its important to me.Then why is this a question? I said. If you dont want to go, then we shouldnt do it.I didnt say I wouldnt go, Jane said. I said I have a life here. Its not the same thing. There are good reasons to do it. And its not just my decision to make.I dried and put away the casserole dish. What does Dad want? I asked.He hasnt told me yet, Mom said.You know what that means, I said. Dads not astute when theres something he doesnt want to do. If hes taking his time to think about it, he probably wants to do it.I know, Mom said. She was rinsing off the flatware. Hes trying to find a way to tell me what he wants. It might assistance him if he knew what we wanted first.Okay, I said.This is why I asked you if you liked it here, Jane said, again.I thought about it as I dried the kitchen counter. I like it here, I said, finally. But I dont know if I want to have a life here.Why not? Jane a sked.Theres not lots here here, is there? I said. I waved toward the general direction of New Goa. The choice of life choices here is limited. Theres farmer, farmer, store owner, and farmer. Maybe a government posture like you and Dad.If we go to this new colony your choices are going to be the same, Jane said. First wave colonist life isnt very romantic, Zoe. The focus is on survival, and preparing the new colony for the second wave of colonists. That means farmers and laborers. Outside of a few specialized roles that will already be filled, theres not much call for anything else.Yes, but at least it would be somewhere new, I said. There wed be building a new world. Here were just maintaining an old one. Be honest, Mom. Its kind of slow around these parts. A broad day for you is when someone gets into a fistfight. The highlight of Dads day is settling a dispute over a goat.There are worse things, Jane said.Im not asking for open warfare, I said. Another joke.And once again, anot her stomping from Mom. Itll be a brand-new colony world, she said. Theyre the ones most at risk for attack, because they have the fewest people and the least amount of defense from the CDF. You know that as well as anyone.I blinked, actually surprised. I did know it as well as anyone. When I was very young before I was adopted by Jane and John the planet I lived on (or above, since I was on a space station) was attacked. Omagh. Jane almost never brought it up, because she knew what it did to me to think about it. You think thats whats going to happen here? I asked.Jane must have sensed what was going on in my head. No, I dont, she said. This is an unusual colony. Its a test colony in some ways. There will be political pressure for this colony to succeed. That means more and better defenses, among other things. I think well be better defended than most colonies starting out.Thats good to know, I said.But an attack could still happen, Jane said. John and I fought unneurotic at Cora l. It was one of the first planets humans settled, and it was still attacked. No colony is totally safe. There are other dangers, too. Colonies can get wiped out by local viruses or predators. Bad weather can dash off crops. The colonists themselves could be unprepared. Colonizing real colonizing, not what were doing here on Huckleberry is hard, constant work. whatever of the colonists could fail at it and take the rest of the colony with them. There could be bad leaders qualification bad decisions.I dont think wed have to worry about that last one, I said. I was trying to still the mood.Jane didnt take the bait. Im telling you this isnt without risk, she said. Its there. A lot of it. And if we do this, we go in with our eyes open to that risk.This was Mom all over. Her sense of humor wasnt as deprived as Hickorys and Dickorys I can actually make her laugh. But it doesnt stop her from being one of the most serious people Ive ever met in my life. When she wants to get your att ention about something she thinks is important, shes going to get it.Its a good quality to have, but right at the moment it was making me seriously uncomfortable. That was her plan, no doubt.Mom, I know, I said. I know it has risks. I know that a lot of things could go wrong. I know it wouldnt be easy. I waited.But, Jane said, giving me the prompt she knew I was waiting for.But if you and Dad were leading it, I think itd be worth the risk, I said. Because I trust you. You wouldnt take the job if you didnt think you could handle it. And I know you wouldnt put me at risk unnecessarily. If you two decided to do it, I would want to go. I would definitely want to go.I was suddenly aware that while I was speaking, my hand had drifted to my chest, and was lightly touching the small subject there a jade elephant, given to me by Jane. I move my hand from it, a little embarrassed.And no matter what, starting a new colony wouldnt be boring, I said, to finish up, a little lamely.Mom smiled, unplugged the sink and dried her hands. Then she took a step over to me and kissed the top of my head I was short enough, and she was tall enough, that it was a vivid thing for her. Ill let your dad stew on it for a few more hours, she said. And then Ill let him know where we stand.Thanks, Mom, I said.And sorry about dinner, she said. Your dad gets cover up in himself sometimes, and I get wrapped up in noticing hes wrapped up in himself.I know, I said. You should just smack him and tell him to snap out of it.Ill put that on the list for future reference, Jane said. She gave me another quick peck and then stepped away. at one time go do your homework. We havent left the planet yet. She walked out of the kitchen.