Anti-R: Yes, the idea of Jamil being a Christian has appeared in another
fanfic as well. It's nice that you like this idea. Thanks for reviewing.
As for the romantic assignments... just wait and see...
Chapter 12
Enrica did not have to wait for a long time before another figure slowly emerged from the darken side of the corridor. He was a middle-aged man with square jaw and bold forehead, a man with red hair and with every hair in place. His mouth was big but the lips were thin and had no colour. His brown eyes were cold enough to send everything in the surrounding to its frozen state. He was followed by 'Aunt Yvonne' and '023' who were then in military uniform. They walked towards her and stopped by her side. Enrica stood up and was introduced to HIM, Colonel Max. In this sardonic tone, he welcomed Enrica to 'the best school in the world' which only 'fit for the créme a la créme of human race'. Enrica, a rather small child with height slightly over 110cm tried to look directly into those pair of eyes 160cm above ground level. Instantly, she felt she was so little that would likely to be scrunched to death by him. Taking a deep breath and summing up all the remaining courage, which little was left, she tried to figure out what to say.
"Where are my parents?"
He looked so amused as if he was playing a three-year old spoilt child.
"So, this is the extraordinary intelligent girl, fully aware of the surrounding environment and at the same time, a sissy yearning for her parents, in my eye I mean." He glanced at the two people in military uniform over his shoulder. He comically shook his head, sighing a bit too heavily with a sarcastic smile on his face. The last bit of courage was drained out from Enrica. She felt like crying, she felt like a toy being played by a naughty but clever big brother. However, when she reviewed what he said, she found him reminding her something. Something ought to be done, she thought, something ought to be said before this officer dismissed her and concluded that she was nothing but a frightened, little child who had lost her mind. It was not that she wanted to appear to be smart; she still remembered what her parents told her to do 'in the public'. But, maybe, just maybe, in a way, she would be rewarded with some more information she already had.
Screwing up the new- found courage, she spoke in a clear voice. "Silly question as it may be, would you please tell me why I was kidnapped and smuggled out of my living place?" She then watched and waited. In a exaggerated way, Colonel Max politely asked, "Then, Miss Tyrell, would you care to tell me why you termed the transporting process 'kidnapped' and 'smuggled'. You know, these are illegal activities and we'll never do these. I'm afraid you've some misunderstandings." His voice stayed still, but his eyebrows slightly rose up. Enrica stared at him, thought hard for a moment to try to produce the best answer. It was a hard job, she had very little experience in engaging in formal conversations. She has, once or twice, listened to the academic discussions between her parents and their friends in some formal parties, however the atmosphere there was very friendly, unlike the situation at that moment. Maybe replying in the same formal tone and as-a-matter- of-fact way would do. She tried,
"The lady behind you pretended to be Aunt Gloria's friend and the other gentleman tried to keep me silent during the drive. Also, I was transported out of my living place without my passport and the airport which we landed was hardly civilian airport."
Under the immerse pressure, her brain was switched back to the more analytical mood and she became increasingly able to notice the small signs given by the three people right beside her and arranging complex facts into sentences. She precisely pointed out the code name used by the 'gentleman', she used 'gentleman' and 'lady' only for the sake of politeness, the strange orderly appearances of the passengers in the small plane, the estimated duration of the flight and also the foreign name she heard before meeting Colonel Max. Summing up all the facts, she mildly suggested that she was not in the city nor the region she lived in and was transported out without many people knowing it, especially her parents. After she finished the explanation, which was the longest monologue she had given at that age, she thought she saw a flick of warmth or satisfaction in those brown eyes and the approving smile in the ever blank face of '023'. The questioning session came to an end, Colonel Max whispered something to 'Aunt Gloria' and she silently and obediently nodded. Then, he gestured '023' to come with him, a minute later, there were only 'Aunt Gloria' and Enrica in the lobby. She reassured that they did not want anything from Edward and Veronica Tyrell, all they want. They only wanted to check whether Enrica was a newtype and whether she was fit for the candidature of a junior military trainee. She explained to her that she was an extraordinary child, needed to be polished. Not trusting the traditional school education, they thought it was best to send her to there for training and guidance. Enrica listened to her speaking and stared at her, more questions were raised in her mind. How about her parents then, she always thought her parents had given her every access of knowledge she wanted to have. She still has not had a handful of knowledge presented before her. What did THEY want her to learn? 'Aunt Gloria' noticed the confusion in the little girl's eye, she patted the girl's hand, pulled her up and got her on her feet. She then gently led her back into her room and let her have a rest before the assessment.
While Enrica was led back to her own room, Jamil Neate was led to different sections by his supervisor. They were silent on their way. Jamil was busy thinking about the little girl he met a few minutes before, he remembered her swaying feet and her chaotic internal voices. Why was the little girl left there alone, he did not know. Sensing the uncomfortable silence between the two, Lucille quietly and gently said, "It's for her own good. She was still too young to recognize her own potential. I'm sure that she'll be very happy here." Jamil looked at her and thought of his parents, they too, sent him to the Federation for good. He was lucky to be a newtype and was fortunate that his parents discovered his special gift at his early age. He was thankful to all the things happened on him. While they proceeded to the maintenance unit, Lucille began to introduce him to different officers and technicians. They did not show much interest in Jamil, ready to dismissed him as a dark, brown, strongly-built young boy. At the same time, Jamil busied himself in memorizing different corridors and places and, of course, the names and titles of the people he met. If one did not consider his being a newtype is a gift from the Lord, then the true gift from the heaven for him was the extraordinary ability to memorizing things within a very short time. He never failed to remember things, be it a face or a particular and peculiar instruction from the senior members. It was always considered as a blessing before THAT incident and the curse afterwards.
One of the very obvious reasons why the technicians were disinterested in him was not because he was a dark and ordinary-looking boy, but the fact that he was another young 'thing' sent to the place where turmoil was never settled down. The Sixth Space War has been ended for a few years, treaties were signed and in a way, peace was achieved. But all people working in the military units knew that there has not been any kind of true peace for almost thirty years. Not only the people in the colonies asked for independence, some nations on Earth had regional conflicts (slightly less serious than 'war'). The leaders in the Federation were desperate to put an end to all these, however, the conflicts seemed to be endless. The conflicts were entangled with one another. Sometimes, they seemed to be linked with a particular group in the colonies. The Federation has tried to 'ask for the colonial government's help', but the result was not satisfactory. Albeit the communication between the both governments remained civil enough, everyone knew for sure that it was unlikely that there was a chance for the leaders or representatives to sit down and talk together. The most irritating thing to the Federation government was that different seminars and gatherings about independence were held frequently among the colonies. Besides the intelligence also suggested that the colonies recruited some anti-federation activists to plan for terrorism attacks on Earth. The Federation Intelligence Bureau (FIB) has already started the investigation, the agents met some difficulties in gleaning the information because all these activities were nicely shielded up by a man, Zaider. This man united the different colonies to form an alley. Zaider was an aristocrat, a member of a family with strong political influence on Eurasia. His family migrated to the colonies after the 5th space war. Despite he was an 'Earthian', as the colony people called him, he openly declared that he WAS 'one of the sons of the colonies'. With his family background and his exceedingly winning political charisma, he soon threaded his way into the scene of politics. From an unimportant senator of the council to the president of one of the satellites 'Cloud Nine', he has won the support of the civilians of the colonies and also their leaders. It was not before long that the Federation Government knew which kind of game he was playing.
"What? What game is he planning to play?" Jamil asked in shocked. He admitted that in the past years, he had always concentrated on the training programme and never thought much about the world outside. Having heard the analysis given by 2nd Lieutenant Lucille Lulliant, he was a bit taken back by the situtation they were facing.
Lucille frowned a little and grimly answered, "One obvious intention of his is something to do with the newtypes." She paused, her face darkened with disgust. She shook her head and continued, "He claimed that all people living in the space are 'newtypes'. It may be true that the people there have more flexible joints and slower heart beat rate, but if this type of classification is approved, then a lot of people can be classified as 'newtypes'."
"Like the people living in the high altitudes with higher concentration of haemoglobin in their blood." Jamil replied throughtfully.
Lucille nodded. "He is currently encouraging scientific research on the psychological and physiological differences between people on Earth and those living on colonies. We suspect this move is a part of his political playing, a part of cutting any links between Earth and the colonies indeed." She added.
Jamil thought for a while, it was the first time he had heard about the analysis of the present situation. It was an aspect he had never touched and certainly would not have the chance if he was not promoted to a higher grade. It took him some time to realize how to react. "How about the real newtypes in the colonies?" he asked, uncertain of the answer.
"There is a campaign to find out the newtype among common people. The people there are enthusiastic about the whole campaign. They think it is an honour...of course the people on Earth think it is an honour too...to find out or be a newtype himself. However, there is a difference...we're selected out to protect people and prevent the civilians in the colonies to be deceived. Those sorted out in the colonies are falsely claimed to be an evolutionary advance, they have been wrongly used for striving the so- called 'independence'." Lucille ended her long statement with a sigh and she let the silence fell between them.
They then came to the maintenance unit. The technicians there were shouting to each other, busy preparing for the 'rounds', as they called the routine patroling work. She guided him to a freshly-polished mobile suit and said, "So now, you know your responsibility. I hope you will prove yourself to be one of the defenders of our ideals." He gazed at her, her blonde hair was tied up neatly behind her. Her crystal-clear blue eyes sparkled with her devotion to both the Federation and her ideals. Strong and determined as she was, yet her face was soft and gently. Her voice rang like chimes in a breeze. It was her gentle heart that gave her the energy needed in years of tough training. That picture has etched in Jamil's mind forever and molded him to be the person he was.
Chapter 12
Enrica did not have to wait for a long time before another figure slowly emerged from the darken side of the corridor. He was a middle-aged man with square jaw and bold forehead, a man with red hair and with every hair in place. His mouth was big but the lips were thin and had no colour. His brown eyes were cold enough to send everything in the surrounding to its frozen state. He was followed by 'Aunt Yvonne' and '023' who were then in military uniform. They walked towards her and stopped by her side. Enrica stood up and was introduced to HIM, Colonel Max. In this sardonic tone, he welcomed Enrica to 'the best school in the world' which only 'fit for the créme a la créme of human race'. Enrica, a rather small child with height slightly over 110cm tried to look directly into those pair of eyes 160cm above ground level. Instantly, she felt she was so little that would likely to be scrunched to death by him. Taking a deep breath and summing up all the remaining courage, which little was left, she tried to figure out what to say.
"Where are my parents?"
He looked so amused as if he was playing a three-year old spoilt child.
"So, this is the extraordinary intelligent girl, fully aware of the surrounding environment and at the same time, a sissy yearning for her parents, in my eye I mean." He glanced at the two people in military uniform over his shoulder. He comically shook his head, sighing a bit too heavily with a sarcastic smile on his face. The last bit of courage was drained out from Enrica. She felt like crying, she felt like a toy being played by a naughty but clever big brother. However, when she reviewed what he said, she found him reminding her something. Something ought to be done, she thought, something ought to be said before this officer dismissed her and concluded that she was nothing but a frightened, little child who had lost her mind. It was not that she wanted to appear to be smart; she still remembered what her parents told her to do 'in the public'. But, maybe, just maybe, in a way, she would be rewarded with some more information she already had.
Screwing up the new- found courage, she spoke in a clear voice. "Silly question as it may be, would you please tell me why I was kidnapped and smuggled out of my living place?" She then watched and waited. In a exaggerated way, Colonel Max politely asked, "Then, Miss Tyrell, would you care to tell me why you termed the transporting process 'kidnapped' and 'smuggled'. You know, these are illegal activities and we'll never do these. I'm afraid you've some misunderstandings." His voice stayed still, but his eyebrows slightly rose up. Enrica stared at him, thought hard for a moment to try to produce the best answer. It was a hard job, she had very little experience in engaging in formal conversations. She has, once or twice, listened to the academic discussions between her parents and their friends in some formal parties, however the atmosphere there was very friendly, unlike the situation at that moment. Maybe replying in the same formal tone and as-a-matter- of-fact way would do. She tried,
"The lady behind you pretended to be Aunt Gloria's friend and the other gentleman tried to keep me silent during the drive. Also, I was transported out of my living place without my passport and the airport which we landed was hardly civilian airport."
Under the immerse pressure, her brain was switched back to the more analytical mood and she became increasingly able to notice the small signs given by the three people right beside her and arranging complex facts into sentences. She precisely pointed out the code name used by the 'gentleman', she used 'gentleman' and 'lady' only for the sake of politeness, the strange orderly appearances of the passengers in the small plane, the estimated duration of the flight and also the foreign name she heard before meeting Colonel Max. Summing up all the facts, she mildly suggested that she was not in the city nor the region she lived in and was transported out without many people knowing it, especially her parents. After she finished the explanation, which was the longest monologue she had given at that age, she thought she saw a flick of warmth or satisfaction in those brown eyes and the approving smile in the ever blank face of '023'. The questioning session came to an end, Colonel Max whispered something to 'Aunt Gloria' and she silently and obediently nodded. Then, he gestured '023' to come with him, a minute later, there were only 'Aunt Gloria' and Enrica in the lobby. She reassured that they did not want anything from Edward and Veronica Tyrell, all they want. They only wanted to check whether Enrica was a newtype and whether she was fit for the candidature of a junior military trainee. She explained to her that she was an extraordinary child, needed to be polished. Not trusting the traditional school education, they thought it was best to send her to there for training and guidance. Enrica listened to her speaking and stared at her, more questions were raised in her mind. How about her parents then, she always thought her parents had given her every access of knowledge she wanted to have. She still has not had a handful of knowledge presented before her. What did THEY want her to learn? 'Aunt Gloria' noticed the confusion in the little girl's eye, she patted the girl's hand, pulled her up and got her on her feet. She then gently led her back into her room and let her have a rest before the assessment.
While Enrica was led back to her own room, Jamil Neate was led to different sections by his supervisor. They were silent on their way. Jamil was busy thinking about the little girl he met a few minutes before, he remembered her swaying feet and her chaotic internal voices. Why was the little girl left there alone, he did not know. Sensing the uncomfortable silence between the two, Lucille quietly and gently said, "It's for her own good. She was still too young to recognize her own potential. I'm sure that she'll be very happy here." Jamil looked at her and thought of his parents, they too, sent him to the Federation for good. He was lucky to be a newtype and was fortunate that his parents discovered his special gift at his early age. He was thankful to all the things happened on him. While they proceeded to the maintenance unit, Lucille began to introduce him to different officers and technicians. They did not show much interest in Jamil, ready to dismissed him as a dark, brown, strongly-built young boy. At the same time, Jamil busied himself in memorizing different corridors and places and, of course, the names and titles of the people he met. If one did not consider his being a newtype is a gift from the Lord, then the true gift from the heaven for him was the extraordinary ability to memorizing things within a very short time. He never failed to remember things, be it a face or a particular and peculiar instruction from the senior members. It was always considered as a blessing before THAT incident and the curse afterwards.
One of the very obvious reasons why the technicians were disinterested in him was not because he was a dark and ordinary-looking boy, but the fact that he was another young 'thing' sent to the place where turmoil was never settled down. The Sixth Space War has been ended for a few years, treaties were signed and in a way, peace was achieved. But all people working in the military units knew that there has not been any kind of true peace for almost thirty years. Not only the people in the colonies asked for independence, some nations on Earth had regional conflicts (slightly less serious than 'war'). The leaders in the Federation were desperate to put an end to all these, however, the conflicts seemed to be endless. The conflicts were entangled with one another. Sometimes, they seemed to be linked with a particular group in the colonies. The Federation has tried to 'ask for the colonial government's help', but the result was not satisfactory. Albeit the communication between the both governments remained civil enough, everyone knew for sure that it was unlikely that there was a chance for the leaders or representatives to sit down and talk together. The most irritating thing to the Federation government was that different seminars and gatherings about independence were held frequently among the colonies. Besides the intelligence also suggested that the colonies recruited some anti-federation activists to plan for terrorism attacks on Earth. The Federation Intelligence Bureau (FIB) has already started the investigation, the agents met some difficulties in gleaning the information because all these activities were nicely shielded up by a man, Zaider. This man united the different colonies to form an alley. Zaider was an aristocrat, a member of a family with strong political influence on Eurasia. His family migrated to the colonies after the 5th space war. Despite he was an 'Earthian', as the colony people called him, he openly declared that he WAS 'one of the sons of the colonies'. With his family background and his exceedingly winning political charisma, he soon threaded his way into the scene of politics. From an unimportant senator of the council to the president of one of the satellites 'Cloud Nine', he has won the support of the civilians of the colonies and also their leaders. It was not before long that the Federation Government knew which kind of game he was playing.
"What? What game is he planning to play?" Jamil asked in shocked. He admitted that in the past years, he had always concentrated on the training programme and never thought much about the world outside. Having heard the analysis given by 2nd Lieutenant Lucille Lulliant, he was a bit taken back by the situtation they were facing.
Lucille frowned a little and grimly answered, "One obvious intention of his is something to do with the newtypes." She paused, her face darkened with disgust. She shook her head and continued, "He claimed that all people living in the space are 'newtypes'. It may be true that the people there have more flexible joints and slower heart beat rate, but if this type of classification is approved, then a lot of people can be classified as 'newtypes'."
"Like the people living in the high altitudes with higher concentration of haemoglobin in their blood." Jamil replied throughtfully.
Lucille nodded. "He is currently encouraging scientific research on the psychological and physiological differences between people on Earth and those living on colonies. We suspect this move is a part of his political playing, a part of cutting any links between Earth and the colonies indeed." She added.
Jamil thought for a while, it was the first time he had heard about the analysis of the present situation. It was an aspect he had never touched and certainly would not have the chance if he was not promoted to a higher grade. It took him some time to realize how to react. "How about the real newtypes in the colonies?" he asked, uncertain of the answer.
"There is a campaign to find out the newtype among common people. The people there are enthusiastic about the whole campaign. They think it is an honour...of course the people on Earth think it is an honour too...to find out or be a newtype himself. However, there is a difference...we're selected out to protect people and prevent the civilians in the colonies to be deceived. Those sorted out in the colonies are falsely claimed to be an evolutionary advance, they have been wrongly used for striving the so- called 'independence'." Lucille ended her long statement with a sigh and she let the silence fell between them.
They then came to the maintenance unit. The technicians there were shouting to each other, busy preparing for the 'rounds', as they called the routine patroling work. She guided him to a freshly-polished mobile suit and said, "So now, you know your responsibility. I hope you will prove yourself to be one of the defenders of our ideals." He gazed at her, her blonde hair was tied up neatly behind her. Her crystal-clear blue eyes sparkled with her devotion to both the Federation and her ideals. Strong and determined as she was, yet her face was soft and gently. Her voice rang like chimes in a breeze. It was her gentle heart that gave her the energy needed in years of tough training. That picture has etched in Jamil's mind forever and molded him to be the person he was.