Chapter 10 - The past comes back.
Mearth sat quietly as he listened to his sister explain all the stuff she'd managed to accomplish so far. She filled him in better on the details of her abilities. He was impressed with her mind reading capabilities, he had no idea she could do that. She made him swear that he'd not tell anyone as it would be a good thing to have safety wise on earth. He was more impressed that she could talk to their dad even though he was in the spirit world, and this was proven with things Miranda wouldn't have ever known from prior to her birth. He just got her to answer things only their dad would know. She showed him just how easy it was for her to move things with her mind. He could do it too; just not as effortlessly as she could.
He'd seen the progress with her tracking abilities with the ones she'd dubbed Earkins. She however said that her father told her she still have more things to explore and that even he didn't know the extent of what she was capable of since there were those in the government who tried to suppress what she knew and did with the memory erases when she was little for fear of the Orkian council taking Miranda from them; something Miranda hadn't known before.
"What do you mean?" She asked her father a bit confused at his comment.
"The Orkian government at the time realized their suppression of emotions had failed even though they had stated it was for the good of the race. I was a prime example of this. It's why I was sent away in the first place. Orson hadn't counted on me finding your mom and falling in love with an earthling; trust me it was very easy to do!" She waited for her dad to carry on."Orson was also one who had broken down the barrier himself and tried his best to maintain his composure. I think it's one reason why he didn't report me when he could have easily done so. He did try to keep me in line so I wouldn't destroy the protection he was trying to provide. I never knew till he was arrested."
"What?! Orson was arrested?" Miranda was shocked. She didn't even remember this.
"Yes. He was and it was his trial that proved that emotions weren't something that could be suppressed or wiped out. Your mother and I came to his defense and we got him off and it was due to that win that the emotional barrier was removed. The government council was disbanded and a new council was appointed. Your mother was on that board for several years." Miranda shook her head and had NO idea about any of this so she was stunned at the news.
"I plan on talking to Orwell about this. I hope he has more information." She said out loud.
She wanted answers now that she was older the exploration crew needed her so the chance of the council exploiting her wasn't in the cards so much although she was still being used for her abilities it was more on her terms than on the councils terms. Which made for a good job for a girl who was once deemed less than stellar due to her half breed status in the Orkian community.
"We will make a difference Mearth. We will find those who need to be found, help like mom and dad did. Give those who may not have a better life a chance to do something with their lives." She was pleased with what she was about to embark on and thanked her father for the information.
Mearth nodded and smiled. He was very proud of his sister and the help his father was giving now even though he already knew quite a bit about what had happened he still didn't have all the answers.
He had a few ideas of his own he wanted to work on while on earth. This was a chance for him to broaden his own horizons. "Orwell said we will be in Earth's transmission range tomorrow. I'm wondering if they will remember me."
Mearth was giddy like a child in this aspect. He remembered meeting all the government officials. He remembered all the TV shows that his dad had been offered. The job offers his mother had been handed. Mearth was hoping to take the opportunity to teach people about who his family was and is now. He wanted to be on TV like his mom had been. He wanted to be a journalist to.
"I'm sure the government will Mearth, you're after all on record. I'm sure a lot of people will remember you. I'm not too sure it's a good idea to let too many people know who you are though." Miranda was genuinely concerned about their safety if it got out into the general public. Mearth wasn't small statured fella standing at five foot ten; granted he'd thinned out since his baby days, but he was still a stout young man. If someone got it into their mind that he was a threat; well she hated to think what could happen. She also knew Mearth would have to defend himself and anyone messing even with a half Orkian was asking for trouble considering the telekinetic abilities they possessed; it's just some were stronger than others. Miranda being one of the strongest ones of her new race. She decided she needed to know a few things and told her brother she needed to get some things cleared up.
"Sure sis. I'm going to go watch some of your videos mom and dad did OK, so I'll be in your room."
"Sure. I'll check in shortly." She gave him a hug and headed off to find Orwell.
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She found Orwell and asked for an audience with him and informed him this was in an official capacity seeing as she needed answers to things from past government rulings.
"What's this about Miranda, I thought you were pleased to be aiding this adventure?"
"Sir, with all due respect I need to know what happened when I was a child. WHY I had my memories erased. I already have many answers now and I WILL know who's lying. I just need clarification on why those officials did what they did and why. My parents were terrified of what the former council was capable of doing. I even hear your dad was arrested!"
Orwell was blown away with that statement and showed it with his resounding "WHAT?!"
"You didn't know?" She asked, getting goose bumps from the pending can of worms she might be opening.
Her father's voice was in the back of her mind... "Don't back down Miputer! Please. You need this!"
"No Miranda, I didn't." He paced his own office and then went to his intercom.
"State the name and rank of the crew member you'd like to reach." The ships system said.
"Council persons; Eli, Joor, Dilan, and Miele. Captain Xu as well." He said into the intercom.
"Request for audience in upper deck Mazine conference room seven, immediately."
He looked back at Miranda. "Shall we go?" She nodded and followed him. On the way Naruu met with them and Orwell informed her of what was going on. She reacted the same way to the news as Miranda had and Miranda told her to inform her brother where she was going to be and that he may be needed in this matter. Orwell gave her a quick kiss on the forehead and she was off to get Mearth. They would be back soon enough to be added to the pending meeting.
Orwell opened the door to the meeting room and the lights came on. He went to the control panel of the room and started to push buttons. Reach walked into the room and saluted Miranda.
"Naruu said there was going to be a meeting, sergeant. I felt there may be a need for my presences."
"At ease for now Cadet. There may be yet. She said as she watched Orwell try and work with the system the ship had.
"Life would be so much easier if a personal computer was available." he muttered to no one in particular.
"That can be accomplished sir." Reach said "Clone Miranda's machine and make others and improve on the system as we learn more about it."
Orwell looked up, astonishment on his face. "Well I'll be damned, I never even thought of that before!"
Miranda smiled at her cadet and elbowed him in the ribs. "Good show man!" She chuckled.
"Well it wouldn't be too hard to do. Heck you could even get a few off Earth once we get there, and work with what we find. It's not hard to experiment, we do it every day."
Orwell thought, then said. "We'll think of that after this ordeal is over but please keep it in mind. I think it will be handy for future things to come."
Mearth walked into the room and went to his sister. "I heard there's going to be a meeting?"
"Yes" Miranda said directing Mearth to a seat. "We're going to speak to council. There is one here who was still part of the former council when it was still in control while the Emotional laws were in effect. As you know we learned that our god father Orson had been arrested years ago for trying to protect some of the Orkians who'd broken through before the laws changed. What I don't understand is why they kept erasing my memories when I went to earth. Why it was demanded. I need to get to the bottom of this. You were there Mearth. You might remember things I don't.
"OH!, OK so that's why Naruu said I'd be needed. I was worried there for a moment."
"Well don't get too relaxed yet. I have no idea how this is going to turn out." She said as she watched the council and the captain walk into the meeting room.
Miele was an elder, he currently stood about four feet tall now and might weigh a good eighty pounds. He had short cropped hair that was pitch black. His eyes matched his hair. His youthful appearance suggested he would be in his late seventies or eighties. To Miranda he reminded her of someone she just couldn't remember who, that is till her father started to cuss a mile a minute.
"Nimnul! Shazbot! Zazbot! Fokenzitz! Plerm!" He yelled in her head. Miranda cringed.
"WHOA Dad!" She thought loudly. "Calm down! What's got you so worked up?"
"THAT Nimnul!" He spat. The idea that this Orkian was around his baby girl irritated him and he had no physical oomph to kick his ass. Her father made it clear this was the one who caused him a great deal of grief when it came to the concerns Miranda would be asking about. She figured if dad didn't like him, she'd be the one to crack him. He had secrets and she knew it just from her father's reaction.
"What's this about Orwell; we have much to do before we make it to our destinations." He noticed Miranda and glared at her.
"Miele, Be seated please, I will get to what is going on in a moment." Joor, Dilan and Eli all sat down and Captain Xu spoke.
"I'm a bit reserved Orwell on this meeting without information. Care to elaborate on what's going on?" She asked as she sat at the head seat. Orwell walked the length of the great council table making the semi arched fixture seem ominous as he continued with his explanation.
"Madam, with great and utmost respect I have called this meeting of the council as I've learned of some great misdeeds of the former council that have been; let's just say excluded from the general public." He bowed to the Captain out of respect and saluted her. "Na-Nu Na-Nu." as he straightened Miele spoke out and interrupted the proceedings something any council member knew was unacceptable.
"I demand to know just what this so called farfetched excluded information is!" He said with obvious distaste, his glare hardly wavering when he looked in Miranda's direction.
Joor spoke up. "Sir, you're not following protocol. You're an elder, so some respect for our Captain!"
Miele scoffed at the request. The rest of the council was shocked at that response. Orwell felt he should get this started as quickly as he could. He knew Miele was part of the former council, disbanded or not didn't prevent former members from rejoining if they wanted to when the new government was created. Something Miele jumped at back then. So long as a member didn't have a blemish on their record then re-entry was permitted. Most of the former council had been tried for society atrocities and were imprisoned or banished for their past miss handling of the society as a whole. Impeachment was harsh on Ork; banishment however was much worse.
"Madam, I feel that Miele may be able to shed some light on this matter seeing his animosity to this meeting in general. See Miss McConnell..." He pointed to Miranda "She is a tracker; the only one; so far of her kind. Born on Ork, but of the new found race Earkin, she is part human and Orkian."
He stood in front of Miele and stared the elder down. "I believe you have information she wants, and we tend to get it." Miele rolled his eyes in disgust, something Mearth caught almost immediately. He whispered to his sister.
"He's in trouble and he does that? Why is he rolling his eyes?" Mearth's disbelief was obvious with his questions so Miranda decided to make light of the elders stupidity.
"Hopefully looking for his brains." She said with a smirk. Mearth tried; unsuccessfully; to muffle his giggle, the sound only irritated Miele who glared harder than before.
Joor; a mild mannered youthful Orkian who was built like a tank and as dark as the night; softly spoke. "Orwell can you please explain to me what is going on and forget that Miele is in the room, it's obvious there's something going on we're not aware of and I for one would like to see this come to light."
"Yes sir." Orwell moved to the front part of the table by Miranda. "This young lady is a victim of memory tampering by the former council when she was a child. A council Miele was a apart of." Orwell moved towards Joor as he continued to speak.
"I learned that even my own father was arrested because of his own emotional break through and protection he was providing to those who had already broken the barriers before the laws were lifted." He turned and pointed back to Miranda
"Mork; Miranda's father; helped with aiding those who were of the mixed race to come forth. He and his wife Mindy helped countless children and young adults come to Ork to have a better life than they would have being abandoned on Earth due to the laws or the council preventing them from learning of their true identities."
He turned back and looked at Miele "This council member returned to office knowing he had to keep this information concealed. I think my sergeant is entitled to know what happened when she had her memories tampered with and why."
Dilan, a youthful looking elder who was the eldest of them all spoke. "Duties of an elder are for record keeping. Is there any records of what happened?"
Miranda spoke up when this was asked. "Yes sir there is." She only spoke because her father told her there was records. Ones that Miele thought he'd erased but Mork had been wise to record two copies; the first had been hidden on earth but transferred over time. Miranda had it and she hadn't even known. Miele had no idea there was a record at all till she said there was and he bust out with "THAT'S A LIE!" as he jumped to his feet.
It was Eli the youngest of the four who spoke this time. "SIT down Miele! NOW!" Eli, looked to be about forty Orkian years old. One of the youngest elders of the Ork council. "Where; my child; are these records you claim exist?" She was concerned that the claims couldn't be backed so had to ask. Either way an investigation would be done but proof went a long way.
Miranda heard her father speak very quickly. She raised her hands to the council members to get them to wait while she tried to focus on her father's ramblings. She took a breath and yelled in her head "SLOW DOWN DAD!"
He stopped. "In your trunk!" He said. "We named the disk 'Happy days' so no one would guess what was on it. This has every visit we made to earth and your interactions with everyone we tried to help! It has Miele's threats as well. This is my total recall records that he erased from you and me both."
Miranda sat back up, Mearth looked at her.. "Isba?" he asked very concerned, he was worried she'd pass out again. "Necce, necce." She replied smiling at her brother. She spoke very low to him. "Go to our room, bring back my computer. Bring some of the blank disks that dad left and please bring the disk marked 'Happy Days' hurry. I will get my answers and council will learn just what Miele is hiding." Mearth nodded glad to be of some help. He got up and excused himself. Miranda looked at the council.
"I beg your pardons, I need to have my computer brought to me so I can show you want proof I have. In the mean time I would like to ask Miele why he threatened my father and with what?"
He refused to co-operate with Miranda. "You know, the whole council will see soon enough."
She was assaulted with his next thoughts; one she hadn't even been trying to get.
'You have nothing on me half breed, you and your kind should have been eradicated long ago; along with your moronic father. He was a disgrace to the Orkian race! I only wish I had of been able to rid more of you!'
The council was more than convinced that Miele had something to hide and intolerance towards others wasn't acceptable form of an elder.
Miranda decided to continue eavesdropping on Miele's thoughts and was slammed with more hate and venom than she ever expected. It hurt her head. Thoughts of hidden deaths, of beating her father, and of killing her flowed past her like angry bees, buzzing and stinging her brain.
'I'll kill you; you shalamoota. I will make sure you never return to Ork and spread your diseased vermin race. I should have killed your father when I had the chance!' Miranda's eyebrows raised in shock. Her father spoke to her amongst the hate that filtered through her head.
"It's OK Miputer, I'm here with you. Don't worry he can't hurt anyone now."Mork's spirit filtered the thoughts as well and realized and stated as much that he now knew who had tried in the first place to get him killed along with everyone else. Miranda watched everyone as she did this and waited to see if Miele was going to respond at all to her comments. He didn't.
Mearth showed with her computer and the requested items. She took it when he got to the table and copied the disk immediately into her computer. She then started to burn more disks. Miele had no idea what she was doing. When she was done she stood and showed the disks. One was still in the computer which she turned around. Her mind connection still on Miele. She didn't want to be caught unaware.
She spoke. "These disks are the copies of the video you will soon see. There are more already saved. She got up from her seat and passed one to Orwell who put his in his coat. She passed one to each elder except for Miele. She looked at him and said softly. "I'm glad you didn't get the chance to kill my father when you had it, and trust me I will return." His eyes widened.
She walked to her computer and turned it on. The video started with Mork on the screen.
"Total Orkian Recall - Recording - "I am saving all of these interactions with council member Miele who's threatened to take my daughter Miranda from my wife and I. We learned our daughter is a tracker and can find those of half nature. Miele despises these members of our culture and considers them sub standard. His prejudices towards a mixed race have caused some emotional upheaval within the Orkian council. They've insisted that Miranda's memories be erased every time we rescue a new halfling. Government officials are worried their failings will get out into the general public and stir up more problems. Miele is the under lying cause of most of the rulings that have been sent against others who were disbanded from the original council. I firmly believe he's the one behind many of the killings of halflings we've tried to rescue in the past."
The video continued while everyone watched on. Miranda was focused on Miele who was enraged and tried to hit her computer trying to destroy it, but she had a block. When his telekinetic wave hit her shield it wavered a light blue. The remaining council had Miranda pause the video and have Miele removed.
"Place him in custody; pending a hearing we will decide his fate!" He was removed and Miranda was able to relax while the others continued on with the video. Miranda learned her parents were forced to allow the mind erases of their daughter in order to protect her from what Miele would do to her if they didn't.
He threatened to take her from them several times when council wasn't around. He showed at their unit several times demanding to check Miranda for any signs of her ability returning. When he learned that it did every time she went to earth he had the new laws enforced stating that there would be restrictions on children traveling outside of Ork. This prevented Mork and Mindy from rescuing anyone else. Miranda was nearly eleven when that happened.
The council had been disbanded not long after and the laws changed. Emotions were reinstated and marriages were allowed to happen again. Miele didn't like the changes but couldn't prevent the wave of change so his best chance was to keep the race pure, but he knew years ago there were hundreds of 'abominations' that had been born of earthling and Orkian. He had gone to earth many times and even back when Mork and Mindy did and waited for Miranda to track someone when she was little. If he could, he'd kill the halfling they had found, only moments after meeting and setting up a new meeting time.
The halflings felt betrayed when he killed them not realizing that Mork and Mindy had nothing to do with their deaths. Mork figured out what was going on and decided to protect his daughter and record everything he could and do a last memory erase when she was almost thirteen. He knew her ability would return he just didn't know when.
Mindy was always scared for her daughter so they kept her close and Mearth was promised to never breathe a word till he needed to. The video stopped. Council was mortified into silence. Mearth held his sister as she cried knowing she was the reason some Earkins were murdered while they still lived on earth. She hadn't known and now that she did she felt pretty bad.
"Don't be upset Miputer; it's not your fault! None of this was ever your fault my princess."
"Oh daddy!" She sobbed "I feel so bad! All those poor kids!" Mearth just hugged her tighter.
"It's OK Sissy. This isn't your fault, Dad would tell you this! Please know it's Miele who's in the wrong. We will fix this."
The council came forward and spoke to Miranda and confirmed there would be an intensive investigation into the information they had received. They insisted that Reach clone Miranda's machine so they too could have one. Mearth was recruited to teach them how to use the machines. He was going to be very busy trying to teach a bunch of elders how to use computers in eleven days.
Miranda requested an audience with security with Miele. She was granted this. She made her way to his cell. When she got there she asked him a few questions he refused to say right out, but it mattered not, she heard him loud and clear. She wrote after she asked a question, letting him see just what she wrote.
"What are you trying to hide besides the deaths of those innocent children Miele."
'Wouldn't you like to know you half breed!' she wrote his thought down.
'Shalamoota!' He slammed his fist into the table 'What sorcery is this?' He watched her write and his eyes got wide each time she repeated in writing what he was thinking.
"I asked you a question, I suggest you have your say now Miele."
"Go to Mercury and burn." He said out loud and spit. 'You will never know of my abomination!' he thought. She wrote... and then stopped in her tracks.
"I KNOW YOUR SECRET!" She yelled in his face and laughed! He spit on her.
His thoughts flying like made. She wiped her face and threw her head back and laughed harder.
"The all mighty has fallen. The one who shouts disgust at the one thing he has. You even tried to rid yourself of your mistake and failed!"
'How does this vermin know!? There's no way she knows!' Miranda left the room. She knew.
Miele's secret, she was convinced was on earth, and she fully intended to find it. She would be the proper savior to her new found race, and be damned if this council members past screw ups were going to be the undoing of something she held in her head.