In effort to preserve our lineage and future generations
families applying for a colony transfer
may take one third of their children
in the move.

Johan looked at the paper that his father had dropped on the table upon his return from work. He had seen this document before at public hearings and at twelve years old he knew exactly what it was for. It was to remind people that if you wanted to leave the colony to return to the mother world you had to leave some if not all your children behind. His friends used to joke about who would go with their parents if they ever chose to leave but Johan had not joked because he knew, he knew that if his parents chose to leave he would have to stay behind because he was an only child.

Hearing his mother's footsteps he placed the paper back down and quickly left the room. Deep inside he knew that his parents had never been content with the life they lived here on KO-35 but he thought that maybe the fact of knowing that they couldn't take their only child with them would keep them together.

Not feeling like going out to play with his friends but also not wanting his parents to know that he was still around he hid his glider and climbed into a closet to listen to the discussion that was sure to follow.

"Erin, it came!" Johan's father exclaimed as he heard his wife's footsteps come through the door.

"Magnus that is wonderful news however I have news as well," Erin replied a little less optimistic.

Johan listened and there was some motion which was followed by his parents embracing and his father exclaiming, "We should leave immediately before we are found out then!"

"But what about Johan?" Erin asked in a hushed voice.

"We have made preparations for him. Your parents have agreed to take him so that he won't go to the children's system. They feel he won't be a hassle seeing as he is already twelve and not too much longer before he is preparing for a job." Magnus replied with a grin, "If we leave now we can leave and still have the family that you have always wanted and no one will be the wiser."

Erin handed a paper over to Magnus, "Then we will not need this?"

Magnus grew quiet, "You registered the pregnancy already?"

"I didn't know our approval had come and the doctor urged me to do so because he feels I should get tested." Erin replied.

"Of course the doctor would recommend that you register your pregnancy. Doctors are among the first to get the approval list." Magnus scowled back at his wife and Johan curled up away from the door waiting for the conversation to be over. "If you had just waited I could have gotten our ride and the only person to bear witness would have been your doctor, but now we have to answer to the entire government."

"I am sorry Magnus Hanson, I know you only planned on having Johan but a family is important to me as it is with all Kerovian's!" Erin gasped as she stormed out of the kitchen to her personal chambers.

Johan knew that they would make up in a few hours and no one would be the wiser but it reminded him of everything in his life.

As soon as his father had left the room he snuck out of the closet grabbed his glider kit and ran to the community center where he was supposed to meet his friends. As he ran he thought about how angry his mother was to have used his last name. Technically he was Johan Hanson however that name was only used at formal events. He only had it because when he had been born his father had not yet been a Kerovian citizen. The one third rule was meant to scare adults into staying on the colony however it didn't faze his father. His father was from the technology center of Miranoi, they didn't value children as much as a Kerovian did. He now doubted his father would have ever consented to become a citizen of KO-35 if it wasn't for the fact that only KO-35 even remotely allowed colony transfers. Magnus had come to KO-35 on a work visa met Aryn married her and changed her name to Erin and met all the requisites to become a citizen of KO-35. Johan gasped and shook his head, he had only ever been a requisite to his father.

One year later

Johan stirred in his bed, he had moved in with his grandparents shortly after officially being told his parents plans. His mother had told him he could stay but he felt awkward remembering how his father had acted around finding out about the pregnancy so he asked to leave so that it would be easier when the time came.

Johan looked up into the kindly eyes of his grandmother, "Your parents are here, they wanted to say their farewells."

Johan stood up and put his overcoat on over his pajamas and went downstairs to where his parents sat at the kitchen table. In his mother's arms was a bundle of blankets.

Magnus reached and hugged his son and Johan allowed the hug to happen even though it felt awkward to be hugged by the one person he had cast aside. "Johan, I know you shun me for the choices I have made but I want you to know that I do love you and leaving you here is what is best for you, you have a strong future ahead of you."

Johan nodded and turned to his mother and hugged her around the bundle in her arms and he pulled the blankets away from the little ones face, "This is Annika, she is your little sister and I wanted you to meet her before we left."

Johan nodded and lightly kissed his sister on the forehead.

Magnus nodded, "We must get going, our ship that will take up to one of Earth's outlying colony worlds is to leave before first light. From that colony we will focus on getting our way into Starfleet's good graces to allow us to conduct our radical science."

Johan whispered farewell to his parents knowing that he didn't want to get in the way of their science. Quickly he made his way back to his room and curled himself up in bed so that he could stare out the window. He remained awake the rest of the night and only shed a tear as the sun showed its first light over the pyramidal shaped mountains that guarded their city.

Once the sun was fully up Johan went down to help his grandmother prepare breakfast and his grandfather sighed upon looking at Johan's sleepless eyes, "I told them they should have come by before you went to bed. I don't know why we ever approved the marriage between your parents."

Johan shook his head, "It was alright, I didn't mind them coming by in fact I wanted to stay awake that way I would know exactly what time they left this morning. I was however surprised when they applied to take my new sister with them and how fast they were approved, it has only been a few months since she was born."

"They didn't have to get approved, they took their one third." Johan was told by his grandfather.

"You mean my mother had twins?" Johan asked shocked as he looked at his grandmother.

His grandmother shook her head, "I am in disbelief that they didn't tell you that."

"I am as well. So where is this other baby?" Johan asked eagerly expecting that the baby had been handed off earlier before he had said goodbye.

"Your other sister is in the children's home where she will remain; your grandmother and I are not young enough to care for an infant full time." Grandfather replied.

Johan looked sadly at the ground, "I will never meet my sister then, I will only ever know them based on one glimpse of one of them when they are a few days old."

"Your other sister will not be a stranger to you, we have made arrangements to make sure of that, though she will be listed as parent-less she will never be eligible for adoption and she will spend holidays with us once she is old enough to understand." Grandmother nodded her head.

"But how will she not be adopted?" Johan asked shocked

"Your uncle has named her." Grandfather harrumphed, "I don't agree with it but it is a way around the rules."

"Johan smiled proudly, "Then in twelve years she will go to the academy?"