Nyiri knows more of the world than she should, being only twelve years old. She knows that her parents are dead. She knows why. She knows that her sister is counting on her. She knows that she is 'Mother' now.
Beasts are horrible creatures. Beasts killed Nyiri's parents. She hates them. Why should they attack BASE? Why should they kill doctors? Nyiri is a doctor, and she can't imagine enduring a Beast attack. Beasts are all claws and teeth and ugly brown fur, and why did they kill her parents?
She grits her teeth and rocks Mansi back and forth as the girl cries herself into oblivion. She sings a special lullaby, one she just invented. General Coombs has told her that she is to go on a mission in the morning, her first. She will be on a small team of soldiers scouting the mountains for all the best places. Every recon team needs a doctor. He wants to set up remote emcampments for army officials to work out of.
They will find the Beasts.
Nyiri looks at the picture of her parents which hangs on the wall of their habitation module. The wall is shiny silver, like everything on BASE. The frame is shiny silver. Mother and Father's lab-coats are shiny silver.
Nyiri looks at their eyes and their smiles. Her parents are watching over her now. They are not cold silver like the walls of the great wheel of BASE. Father is warm and comfortable. Nyiri feels his arms around her shoulders as he hugs her tight before going to the meeting. Tighter than usual, she thinks, as if he knew he would not hug her again. Mother is nervous; she has been writing in her journal even more than usual, but she won't let Nyiri read the latest entries. She gives Nyiri a quick, distracted kiss on the cheek before following Father down the longest hallway in the world. They turn the corner at the end, heading towards the Security Council's chambers to make a report of some kind. Nyiri doesn't know what it is for. No one will tell her.
Nyiri will go on her mission in the morning. Mansi knows how to work the kitchen cubby in the wall, and she will only be alone for a few days. Chuck will help her if anything happens. Chuck is younger than Nyiri, but smart. Soon, she will be a soldier too.
"Nyiri?"
Nyiri cringes. Mansi is still awake.
"Go to sleep, Mansi."
"What will happen to us now?"
"Don't worry. The army will still let us live here. I work for them and I'm good at my job. You're family, so you can live with me. They'll still feed us both."
"Do you really have to go away tomorrow?"
"Yes. General Coombs is going to let me help find the Beasts that killed Mother and Father."
Mansi is quiet. She turns her head down and buries her face in Nyiri's lap. She pretends not to cry, but Nyiri knows her well enough to see the truth.
"Are they really dead?" Mansi finally mumbles.
"Yes."
"I hate Beasts."
"Me too."
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