Chapter 1: Plan: Generation
Disclaimer: I do not own any of Orson Scott Card's characters. They belong to him and his amazing work.
A/N:Sorry for the long wait! Here you are! Enjoy.
Well darling all the night
You'll be mine and I know
You'll be mine until you die
You'll be mine
And so
All the night
You'll be mine
You'll be mine
And the stars
Always shine
You'll be mine~
You'll Be Mine- The Beatles
"Hello, I am Colonel Graff. Most of you should know me from Battle School, but that was a long time ago. Today, I am here to talk to you all about Plan: Generation. This program will be headed up by the creator of it, Doctor Hershey. This will be for participants fifteen years and older only.
"You're all probably wondering what this is, and it's just what it sounds like. Reproduction. Yes, kids, it's just what it sounds like." He paused to shake his head with a smirk, "In the next few minutes we will have you divided into groups categorized by age. You will each be handed a description of this program. You will start classes in two days. But, you shall also be assigned a partner! This, this partner shall be your 'Reproducing Partner'- no laughing!" he scolded in a shout as the students that had been snickering silenced, "I want you all right now to head to the doors labeled with your age. Dismissed!"
There was an uproar as soon as the soldiers stood and began to scramble towards the door. Ender Wiggin also stood from his spot at the front. Looking around, everyone was flustered, shocked, and confused. What the hell was this program? Why did they need it?
And not to mention, ew.
Ender shivered and made his way to the door labeled with the number 16. Not many kids were in there yet. Even as commander, Ender was signed up as part of the program since he was a teen. Sitting down at the far left of the third row, he messed with his thumbs. Nervousness settled in his stomach, and he began to grow anxious. He didn't know what to expect with this. No one did.
Looking around again, he saw multiple boys huddled on his side of the chairs, and the girls huddled on the other. There seemed to be an even amount, which was good. Considering circumstances here...
"Good morning!" A voice exclaimed from the front of the room. Everyone turned to see a woman, dressed in a business-looking outfit with a pencil skirt, white blouse, and a tie. Her square rimmed glasses made her eyes look big, and smiled big.
"Hiya!" Some of the kids groaned, she was too cheery for this job, "I'm Miss Renny, but call me Ren if ya like! I'm going to be your Reproduction Leader for the next two years."
Ender held back a gasp, a two year program? The woman nodded and had them pull out their desks. Some instructions popped up and the students began to read.
"Now, you only have two years in the program, since you complete it when you're eighteen. That will be full growth stage, eighteen years old. Right now, you're in the pre-developed stage. But you'll still be assigned a partner so you two can get to know each other over the two years, it makes the relationship all the more better!" Students rolled their eyes and continued reading, "Every pairing will be boy-girl, no questions asked. You shall share a room. And don't get any ideas, we'll know if you try something! Separate beds will be placed, only a wall and door in your way.
"Your partner will be the same age, and has been specially selected according to characteristics in the genes and personalities that match. This will be for reproduction reasons, of course!
"Now, if something is to happen to your partner, death is what I'm talking about, then we will do our best to reassign you to another partner! You may have to wait another year, though, for a new student your age to come in, or we may have you paired up with a leftover from a different age group. Luckily this year, we don't have any of that.
"In two days, classes shall begin! You will be taught the necessities of a relationship, reproduction, and genetics. These classes are important, mind you. So pay attention! Now, if you'll all press the button in the left hand corner of your desk, the name of your partner shall appear, your room number, and class schedules."
Ender frowned and looked down. He sighed as he pressed the red button and the name flashed on his screen.
ADABEL DAKOTA JOHNSON, 16
ROOM: CAPTAIN'S SPARE, HALL 1004
CLASS SCHEDULE: CORE RELATIONSHIPS- TUESDAYS 1400, REPRODUCTION- THURSDAYS 1400, GENETICS- FRIDAYS 0900
Ender let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. Now he glanced up, and saw the partners meeting each other and finding each other. He waited and walked around, asked names, but there was no Adabel. The teacher dismissed the pairs and they went off. Ender stayed behind and watched as the teacher nodded at him and walked towards him, her high heels clicking the cold floor as she did.
"Ah, Commander Wiggin. It's an honor, really! Don't worry, your partner is here. I think Colonel Graff wanted to introduce you two-"
"Indeed I do. Come on, Ender." Graff said from the doorway. Motioning for the boy to follow him, Ender nodded and walked to him briskly.
"So, whaddya think about this?"
Ender shook his head, "Bad idea."
Graff nodded, "Agreed. I told the I.F. from the start it'd be bad." They continued to walk on and turn corners, they walked down the hall and stopped at a room labeled: "Auditory Testing".
"Why're we here?" Ender asked as Graff palmed the scanner, the door clicked and the two walked in.
"The reason your partner wasn't at the meeting was because she's in here. Ender, we made sure we paired you up with someone special, like you." Graff said as he palmed another scanner and another door opened.
"What's so special about her?" Ender questioned with a frown. He thought nobody was like him.
Graff chuckled, "Well, she's not a super genius, like you. But she's smart, alright. She's strong, and one of our best fighters. She's showing potential to be a fighter pilot, too. But, Ender," Graff paused, "Adabel Johnson was born with heightened senses."
Ender frowned in thought, "Heightened senses?"
"Yep. Her vision is beyond twenty-twenty, she can hear you from twenty feet away as if you were next to her." Graff paused and palmed another scanner, this time, a window opened in front of them. How can your vision be beyond twenty-twenty? he wondered.
A girl, about Ender's height, stood in a room with two men. A device was in her ear, it looked like a hearing aid. Her dark blonde hair was tied in a bun, and she had blueish-green eyes, they were fixed on the wall ahead of her. She had harsh features, or facial expressions, he couldn't tell. She was strong, for sure. Her skin was somewhat pale from lack of sun, and she sat on a chair as the men asked her to point at different directions.
Ender thought of the other senses, "Sense of smell?" He asked.
"She can probably smell the air coming out of the vent," he pointed to the ceiling in the room behind the window. It had to be at least fifteen feet above her. How could she smell air?
"Touch?"
"She could feel every pore, faded scar, bump, bruise, or flaw on your skin."
"Taste?"
"Well, she says it isn't much different than yours or my sense of taste, just that sometimes she can taste the individual ingredients within the food."
Ender nodded, hands behind his back as he observed her. A few minutes later, she pulled the device out of her ear and handed it to the men, who shook her hand and smiled at her. She picked up her jacket and left the room. Ender and Graff moved away from the window, listening to her footsteps.
"Ender, your children will-"
"I really don't wanna talk about my children right now, Colonel." Ender cut him off quickly and Graff smiled in understanding. A figure in the doorway appeared, the girl messing with her desk in hand. She nearly jumped out of her skin as she almost ran into Graff.
"Colonel Graff, sir! I didn't see you there, sorry!" She exclaimed with a nervous smile. Ender noticed her voice wasn't high pitched like the other girls, but it was a little deeper, stronger. Not like a boy, though. It was just louder.
"No harm done, Johnson." Graff smiled as she nodded. When she saw Ender, and Ender met her gaze, the two froze. Her eyes narrowed and her harsh features (as he had described before) became more noticeable. That wasn't a bad thing, he just noticed it a little more. Actually, it didn't look bad at all on her… A small smile suddenly appeared and she straightened up, trying to gain confidence.
"Commander Wiggin, sir! It's a pleasure! I've studied your maneuvers before, that quick thinking on the buggers, brilliant!" She exclaimed as she shook his hand, Ender smiled. Suddenly, though, he frowned as she held his hand and stroked the knuckle of his thumb.
"What's that scar from?" She asked quietly, Graff smiled and chuckled from behind.
Ender went wide eyed. That scar was so small, it seemed to be gone! It had happened a long time ago, Peter...
"Oh, um, I cut my finger with a spoon."
Graff and Adabel looked up at him with quirked brows, and Ender quickly realized what he'd said. It just, vomited out of his mouth!
"I mean, I cut it with a knife. It was so small, though." He trailed off and looked away, and they broke grasp.
"Johnson, meet your new Reproducing Partner."
Adabel went wide eyed and looked back to Ender, who nodded with the same look of astonishment.
"I missed the meeting?" She asked as Graff nodded, but waved her off.
"It's okay, the guys needed you here anyways, you were allowed to miss."
Adabel nodded and turned to Ender, "So, I guess I'll tell you now that you can call me Dakota, I like my middle name a lot better."
Ender nodded and Graff coughed behind them, "Well, Commander, you should show her your room and the instructions, then. I've got some meetings to attend. Good luck." And with that, Graff left the two and shut the door.
Dakota put her desk away and pulled her hair down from a bun into a low ponytail, "So,"
Ender nodded and smiled, "Yep."
There wasn't a lot they wanted to talk about. I mean, these two were destined to be parents, one day. It was awkward enough.
"I could, send you the instruction guide from my desk," Ender suggested as Dakota nodded.
"That'd be nice." She responded as they pulled out their desks. They found out that already their desk IDs were logged into each other's message board. So Ender sent the guide to her, and she led him out of the room.
They began to walk down the hall, "So, we get the 'Commanders Spare'? What happened to your room?"
Ender shrugged, "I don't really know, maybe it's been locked up for now. Maybe I can persuade them to let us switch back?"
Dakota shook her head, "It doesn't really matter, I bet they wouldn't let you anyways."
"Yeah, probably."
But there was no harm asking, right? Ender was beginning to feel awkward, their small talk they'd had so far wasn't interesting, and he wasn't feeling any connection.
Oh well. Things would get better, he hoped.
The two walked down Hall 1004 and walked to the last door on the right, the Commander's Spare.
"My old room was just down the hall at the other end," He pointed back as Dakota palmed the scanner.
"Dakota Johnson, Dakota Johnson." She said as the scanner paused, then beeped red.
"Denied."
"Oh, wait, Adabel Johnson, Adabel Johnson."
"Granted,"
The door slid open and the girl sighed, so this was to be her new "home", er, room. It was like they were married almost! Dakota wasn't getting a good feeling either. Ender sighed to and followed her inside. The lights flipped on and they looked around. Their possessions had been transferred as well. Some were laying on their beds in the back. Ender went down a hallway as Dakota went to her bedroom.
As he looked around, he noticed that there really was only a door and a wall separating them! His bed was nice and comfortable, one of the perks of having the Commander's Spare. He got up and placed his possessions in the drawers next to his bed, and checked a few messages on his table. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard something drop in the room next door. Walking slowly to the doorway, he saw Dakota picking up Battle School and Command School badges. Quickly, he scrambled to help pick them up. As he scanned each one quickly, he saw a lot of the badges were for good performance and agility skills.
Almost as good as Petra, he thought.
Placing a strand of hair behind her ear, she sat down on the bed with a huff. Was she mad? Or sad? Ender couldn't tell, but stood and sat next to her on her bed.
Ender sat next to her, "I know this whole program is weird, sorry."
"Well, don't apologize to me. You didn't create the program. At least we're not eighteen, or sharing a bed."
Ender nodded, "I guess. Mom and dad will be surprised to hear this."
Dakota nodded and pulled some of her possessions to her lap. Her simulation suit, helmet and mic, a few books, and a picture of her and someone from Battle School were still left to be put away.
"Between you and me, I'm glad I got paired with an American." Dakota stated with a laugh.
"Why?" Ender grinned.
"My aunt was a Spaniard, and she was mean."
Ender chuckled, "They can be mean." He knew from personal experience.
They paused, "So, what were you doing in the Auditory Testing room?"
"Well today I was in there testing some new devices for combat. Ways to improve headphones to hear orders better. For when we go to combat," she smiled at him, "And for our commander, in future combat."
Ender blushed and looked away, dammit, Ender! Why am I letting her get to me? I mean, she's pretty, but...
No, he knew the boys would hate him for getting her, and the girls hate her for getting him. By the time they realized it, it was ten minutes until lockdown; just the time of night where you couldn't leave your room. Ender felt like he was back at Battle School. Their door locked and they stood and went their separate ways, Ender to the couch in the front room and Dakota to the showers.
This wasn't fair. He couldn't go where he wanted when he needed to anymore. He had to wait until morning. What if there was something important, that they needed him? They'd call him in, no doubt. Ender settled into the couch and drifted into sleep.
A few minutes later, Dakota was shaking him awake, "I'm going to bed."
He nodded and slowly stood up after her. Changing into some shorts and slipping off his shirt, he walked to his table and checked his messages once more. Climbing into bed, he pulled the covers over him and turned to face the wall. He heard Dakota enter his doorway.
"Goodnight, Commander."
Ender sighed, "You know, you can call me Ender."
She nodded, "Okay."
And she shut the door separating them. This was not good, at all. His partner wasn't opening up well at all, they were getting along just fine, for now. Things were just extremely awkward for right now. I mean, maybe he shouldn't be expecting her to open up this early? But he was commander, so maybe she was nervous. Or maybe she just wasn't that kind of person.
So awkward.
Ender tossed and turned, drifting in and out of sleep. Dreams of Dakota, and Valentine, filled his head. How he missed his dear sister, so much. If only she could come back!
The more he thought about Dakota, though, the more he thought about home and Valentine. She was sparking memories that made him tear up.
Don't cry, Wiggin.
There is no crying as Commander.
Reviews are always appreciated! WE ARE 61 DAYS AWAY FROM ENDER'S GAME OH MY LORD I AM DYING. I AM GOING TO THE MIDNIGHT PREMIERE AH! So, who is ready for the next battle on the I.F. Sentinel website? I AM! DRAGON ARMY REPRESENT! We won first battle BOOYAH. If y'all wanna follow my fan account on Instagram, lemme know! It's an Asa and Kodi Smit-Mcphee fan account! :3
-Mrs. Frodo Baggins
Kendall
Mirabella Millstone of Bywater
