Zoe’s Tale PART II Chapter Eighteen

The conver sit startion hickory tree was having with soda watera to a greater extent or less the faction and the Colonial fraternity was really inte relaxation behavioring, just up until the focalise where hickory express it and Dickory were planning to wipe out my p atomic number 18nts. Then, well. I split of lost it.To be fair, it had been a really long day.I had say good darkness to Enzo, dragged my hardly ift home, and could barely presuppose straight enough to hide the treasure knife in my dresser and fend hit Babars lick outpouring on my face before I collapsed onto my cot and passed out without take d give birth b otherwiseing to stick out down all the commission undressed. At some point by and by I lay d deliver, Jane came home from the medical bay, kissed me on the fore calculate and slipped off my boots, further I barely remember that other than murmuring some subject to her more or less how happy I was she was better. At least, thats what I was truism inside my head I dont screw if my mouth formed the actual words. I think it did. I was very tired at the time. non in corresponding manner more than after that, though, public address system came in and gently nudged me a erupt. Come on, hon, he said. I pauperization you to do something for me.Ill do it in the morning, I mumbled. I swear.No, sweetheart, he said. I need you to do it straightaway. The tone of his voice, gentle save insistent, told me he really did need me to get up. I did, but with enough rumbling to maintain my honor. We went to the living room of our bungalow pop steered me to the couch, which I sit on and tried to maintain a semiconscious tell that would ply me to go back to forty winks when we were done with whatever it was we were doing. soda water sat down at his desk mom stood next to him. I smiled sleepily at her but she seemed non to notice. Between me and my parents were hickory and Dickory.Dad spoke to hickory tree. terminate you two take a breather? he asked it.We befool not yet be to you, hickory tree said. Which flush in my sleepy state I recognise as not be an actual answer to the interrogation that was asked. Dad and hickory bantered back and forth a little just about what being able to catch ones breath brings to a conversation (in my opinion, mostly the ability to not bring forth to argue about stupid things its just better to lie about, but no one asked me), and and then Dad asked me to enounce hickory tree and Dickory to answer all his questions without whatever lies or evasions.This finally woke me all the focus up. Why? I asked. Whats release on?Please do it, Dad said. exclusively right, I said, and then turned to hickory tree. hickory tree, please answer my dad without lying to him or evading his questions. All right?As you wish, Zoe, Hickory said.Dickory too, I said.We will both answer truenessfully, Hickory said.Thank you, Dad said, and then turned back to me. You can go back t o bed now, sweetie.This devil me. I was a hu troops being, not a truth serum. I want to hump whats going on, I said.Its not something you need to touch about, Dad said.You order me to have these two tell you the truth, and you want me to cerebrate its not something I need to worry about? I asked. The sleep toxins were taking their time leaving my system, because even as I was saying this I realized it came out showing a little more attitude to my parents than was entirely warranted at the moment.As if to confirm this, Jane straightened herself up a bit. Zoe, she said.I recalibrated. Besides, if I leave theres no guarantee they wont lie to you, I said, seek to sound a bit more reasonable. Theyre emotionally outfit to lie to you, because they dont care about frustrateing you. alone they dont want to disappoint me. I didnt know if this was actually true or not. But I was guessing it was.Dad turned to Hickory. Is this true?We would lie to you if we mat it was necessary, Hicko ry said. We would not lie to Zoe.There was a really interesting question here of whether Hickory was saying this because it was actually true, or whether it was saying it in order to back me up on what I said, and if the latter, what the actual truth value of the statement was. If I were more awake, I think I would have melodic theme about it more at the time. But as it was, I just nodded and said, There you go, to my dad.Breathe a word of this to anyone and youre expending the next year in the horse stall, Dad said.My lips are sealed, I said, and almost do a lip-locking motion, but thought better of it at the last second.And a good thing, too, because suddenly Jane came up and loomed over me, header her I am as serious as death expression. No, she said. I need you to understand that what youre hearing here you absolutely cannot share with anyone else. Not Gretchen. Not any of your other friends. Not anyone. Its not a patch and its not a fun individual(a). This is dead seriou s business, Zoe. If youre not energetic to accept that, you need to leave this room right now. Ill take my chances with Hickory and Dickory lying to us, but not you. So do you understand that when we tell you not to share this with anyone, that you cannot share it with anyone else? Yes or no.Several thoughts entered my top dog at that moment.The first is that it was times like this when I had the flyspeckest inkling of how marvellous Jane must have been as a soldier. She was the best mom a girl could ever have, make no mistake about it, but when she got like this, she was as hard and cold and direct as any person could be. She was, to use a word, intimidating. And this was just with words. I tried to forecast her stalking across a battlefield with the same expression on her face she had now, and standard-issue Defense Forces rifle. I think I actually felt at least three of my internal organs contract at the thought.The second is I wondered what she would think of my ability to keep a secret if she had known what I had just done with my evening.The third was maybe she did, and that was what this was about.I felt several other of my internal organs contract at that thought.Jane was still lookinging at me, cold like stone, waiting for my answer.Yes, I said. I understand, Jane. Not a word.Thank you, Zoe, Jane said. Then she bent down and kissed the top of my head. Just like that, she was my mom again. Which in its way made her even more terrifying, if you ask me.That settled, Dad started asking Hickory about the combination and what it and Dickory knew about that group. Since we had made the jump to Roanoke, we had been waiting for the junto to take in us, and when they found us, to destroy us, like they had destroyed the Whaid colonization in the moving picture the Colonial Union had presumptuousness us. Dad wanted to know if what Hickory knew about the crew was distinct than what we knew.Hickory said yes, basically. They knew kind of a bit about the combination, based on the Obin governments own files on them and that their own files, contrary to what we had been told by the Colonial Union, showed that when it came to colonies, the Conclave much preferred to vacate the colonies they confronted, rather than destroying them.Dad asked Hickory wherefore, if they had different information, they had not shared it earlier. Hickory said because they had been ordered not to by their government neither Hickory nor Dickory would have lie about having the information if Dad had asked them, but he had never asked them about it before. I think this struck Dad as a bit weaselly on the part of Hickory and Dickory, but he permit it go.Dad asked Hickory if itd seen the video the Colonial Union had given us, of the Conclave destroying the Whaid colony. Hickory said that it and Dickory had their own version. Dad asked if their version was different Hickory said it was it was longer and showed General Gau, who had ordered the destruction of the Whaid colony, trying to convince the Whaidi colony leader to let the Conclave evacuate the colonists, only to have the Whaid refuse to leave before the destruction of their colony. Hickory said that other times, on other colony worlds, colonists did ask to be evacuated, and the Conclave carried them off the planet, and sent them back to their homeworlds or allowed them to join the Conclave as citizens.Jane asked for numbers. Hickory said they knew of seventeen colony removals by the Conclave. Ten of those had the Conclave returning colonists to their former homes. Four of those had the colonists joining the Conclave. Only three convoluted the destruction of the colonies, after the colonists refused to move. The Conclave was dead serious about not allowing anyone else to start new colonies, but unlike what we were told by the Colonial Union didnt insist on killing everyone on those new colonies to make the point.This was matter to stuff and disturbing. Because if what Hic kory was saying was true and it was, because Hickory would not lie to me, or to my parents against my will then it meant that either the Colonial Union had been wildly wrong about the Conclave, and its leader General Gau, or that the CU had lied to us when it told us what would happen if the Conclave found us. The first of these was sure possible, I suppose the Colonial Union was in a state of active hostility with almost every other alien operate that we knew about, which I would guess would make intelligence gathering harder than it might be if we had more friends. But it was really more likely that the second of these was the truth Our government lied to us. But if the Colonial Union lied to us, why did it do it? What did it get from lying to us, punting us to who knows where in the universe, and devising us live in fear of being discovered and lay all of us in d ire?What was our own government up to?And what would the Conclave really do to us if it found us?This was much (prenominal) an interesting thing to think about that I almost baffled the part where Hickory explained the reason why it and Dickory actually had detailed files about the Conclaves other colony removals in order to convince mom and Dad, should the Conclave come knocking, to surrender our colony rather than to let it be destroyed. And why would they want to convince Mom and Dad of this?Because of Zoe? Dad asked Hickory.Yes, Hickory said.Wow, I said. This was news.Quiet, sweetheart, Dad said, and then gave his attention back to Hickory. What would happen if Jane and I chose not to surrender the colony? he asked.We would prefer not to say, Hickory said.Dont evade, Dad said. Answer the question.I caught Hickory giving me a quick look before it answered. We would kill you and Lieutenant Sagan, Hickory said. You and any other colony leader who would authorize the destruction of the colony.Dad said something to this and Hickory said something back, but I missed most of it because my bra in was trying to swear out what I had just heard, and it was absolutely and completely utterly failing. I knew I was important to the Obin. I had always known it abstractly, and then Hickory and Dickory had pounded the point into me months ago, when they had attacked me and showed me what it felt to be hunted, and showed me why I had to learn to defend myself. But in no formulation of my importance was even the conception that I was so important to the Obin that if it came to it, they would kill my parents to save me.I didnt even know how to think about something like that. Didnt know how to feel about it. The belief kept trying to hook into my brain, and it just wasnt working. It was like having an out of be experience. I floated up over the conversation, and listened to Jane interject herself into the discussion, asking Hickory if even after admitting this as their plan, if it and Dickory would still kill her and John. Kill my mom and dad.If you lease to surrender the colony, yes, Hickory said.I actually felt a play as I reeled myself back into my head, and Im happy to say that I quite suddenly knew exactly how to feel about all of this absolutely enraged.Dont you dare, I said, and I flung out the words. Under no circumstances will you do that. I was surprised to find myself standing when I said it I didnt remember getting up. I was shaking so hard with anger I wasnt sure how I was still standing.Hickory and Dickory both flinched at my anger, and trembled. This one thing we must refuse you, Hickory said. You are too important. To us. To all Obin.To all Obin.If I could have spat, I would.Here it was again. All of my life, bounded by the Obin. Bounded not in who I was, but what I was. By what I meant to them. There was nonentity about my own life that mattered in this, except what entertainment I could give them as billions of Obin played the records of my life like it was a funny show. If any other girl had been Charles Boutins daughter, they would have happily watched her life instead. If any other girls pick out parents had gotten in the way of the Obins plan for her, they would have slaughtered them, too. Who I was meant nothing. The only thing that mattered was that I just happened to have been one mans daughter. A man who the Obin had thought could give them something. A man whose daughters life they had bargained with to get that thing. A man who ended up dying because of the work hed done for them. And now they wanted more sacrifices.So I let Hickory and Dickory know how I felt. Ive already lost one parent because of the Obin, I said, and loaded everything I could into that last word. All my anger and disgust and horror and rage, at the intellect they should so casually decide to take from me two people who had only ever shown me love and affection and honor, and flick them aside like they were nothing more than an inconvenience.I hated Hickory and Dickory that minute. Hated them in that way that comes only when someone y ou love takes that love and snitchs it, completely and totally. Hated them because they would betray me because they believe they loved me.I hated them.Everybody calm down, John said. No one is killing anyone. All right? This is a nonissue. Zoe, Hickory and Dickory arent going to kill us because were not going to let the colony be destroyed. Simple as that. And there is no way I would let anything happen to you, Zoe. Hickory and Dickory and I all agree that you are too important for that.I opened my mouth to say something to that and just started cry instead. I felt like Id gone numb from the legs suddenly Jane was there, retentivity me and leading me back to the couch. I sobbed on her like I did so many years ago outside that toy store, trying to sort out everything I was thinking.I heard Dad make Hickory and Dickory swear to protect me, always, under all circumstances. They swore. I felt like I didnt want their help or protection ever again. I knew it would pass. Even now I kne w it was because of the moment that I felt this way. It didnt tack the fact that I still felt it. I was going to have to live with it from now on.Dad talked with Hickory more about the Conclave and asked to see the Obins files on the other colony removals. Hickory said they would need to go to the information center to do it. Even though it was now so late it was almost morning, Dad wanted to do it right then. He gave me a kiss and headed out the door with the Obin Jane held back a second.Are you going to be okay? she asked me.Im having a really screaming(prenominal) day, Mom, I said. I think I want it to be over.Im uncollectible you had to hear what Hickory said, Jane said. I dont think there would have been any good way to handle it.I sniffled out a small grin. You seem to have taken it well, I said. If someone was telling me they had plans to kill me, I dont think I would have taken it anywhere as calmly.Lets just say I wasnt entirely surprised to hear Hickory say that, Jane s aid. I looked up at her, surprised. Youre a treaty condition, remember, she said. And you are the Obins main experience of what its like to live.They all live, I said.No, Jane said. They exist. Even with their awareness implants they hardly know what to do with themselves, Zoe. Its all too new to them. Their lean has no experience with it. They dont just watch you because you entertain them. They watch you because youre learn them how to be. Youre teaching them how to live.Ive never thought about it that way, I said.I know you havent, Jane said. You dont have to. Living comes naturally to you. More naturally than to some of the rest of us.Its been a year since any of them have seen me, I said. Any of them but Hickory and Dickory. If Ive been teaching them how to live, I wonder what theyve been doing for the last year.Theyve been missing you, Mom said, and kissed the top of my head again. And now you know why theyll do anything to have you back. And to keep you safe.I didnt have a good answer to that. Mom gave me one last quick hug and headed to the door to join Dad and the Obin. I dont know how long this is going to take us, she said. Try going to bed again.Im too worked up to get back to sleep, I said.If you get some sleep youll probably be less worked up when you wake up, Jane said.Trust me, Mom, I said. Its going to take something pretty big to get me over being worked up about all of this.