Two Girls, Different Places

Its been nine days since Nova went missing, that by UNN, that her sister Clara finally declared her dead, no thanks to a traitor within the family who had in fact, secret alliances with the terrorists that led to her family's death.

Ella had no idea how Nova worded the letter, but Edward Peters' face was on screen as well as that of Walter.

By doing so, it basically made their families Persona Non Grata, if they're alive.

For angering Old Families, anyone will disassociate with anyone related to the men on screen. Made as public pariahs or worse, for some money, sell them to the grieving last Terra left who can do with them as she wants for the murder of her family no thanks to their relatives.

'She finally did it.' Nova commented with a hollow look on her face as they stood on a roof of some building in the Gutter as they watched the news.

'Yep. She did it.' Ella tut-tutted. 'She has no choice. The feds knows your identity and they pressured her to tell the world you're dead. Had you been anonymous, she coulda kept you at home safer even if it meant living in a gilded cage...as long as you're not in the academy.'

Nova hung her head glumly at that.

Her identity was known, no thanks to satellites and the location of where it happened. Old Families always take top priority, look where that got her now.

When Terra Skyscraper exploded on her anger, the satellites quickly homed in on her and wants her in their program!

'Well, at least you've now got the Terra Family money under another name with her help so you can help yourself to that money when you're done training. Your plans worked, so at least you're not destitute when you leave my tutelage.'

'Riiiight...'

Because Ella can steal money anytime so she didn't need her money. Her tutelage payment, was a copy of her education she can take through telepathy so in a way, Ella gets education.

In these ten days, she learned how to cook quick ten-minute healthy meals. It seems since discovering her powers, she cooks healthy for herself and her mother as 'healthy cooking is like taking delicious medicine'. By using psychometry, she knows all about ingredients more than scientists even did and how their traits help the human body to heal. Its no gourmet cuisine, but eating these meals is a tastier version of 'an apple a day keeps the doctor away'. Sure there's meat, but they're no Antigan Buffalo she was used to eating.

'It's tasty yes, but chock-high in bad cholesterol that each bite raises your risk to cardiovascular diseases. Look up the effects of LDL Cholesterol on the body on Hypernet as your homework.' Ella warned her. 'So while it's OK to enjoy it. Eat in moderation only, so your body has time to deal with it properly thanks to a healthy diet. Say, twice a week on Monday and Saturdays only, then fruit and vegetables the rest of the week. But for now you're on a detox for longer life, so for at least one year, no Antigan Buffalo for you.'

'Awww...' Nova pouted.

'So for us poor folk, it's Karak. Chicken rarely gets sold in shops here because Fagin and his goons hog it all, but morons have no idea that us so-called-deprived actually have it better.'

In the Gutter, Karak and Chicken are available but where Karak excelled in nutritional value and size, it was inferior in taste to chicken and its eggs are no good for baking purposes as it lacked traits chicken eggs have. Hence its price is low, but it was actually good for muscle growth and development, giving triple the value compared to chicken eggs with NO cholesterol! Hence the girls eat it. Cheap goods yet max value! Who'd say no to that?!

Life outside the city, living in a hollowed out rock where it's a large 'square' within said rock is somewhat cool and comfortable.

She has battery-powered electronics, and her solar generator powers her appliances and computer. Her 'room' is well-insulated so its very cool.

Their schedule was when Mrs. Brooke comes home from a tough day, Ella makes her mother 'dinner' in the morning, before telepathically putting her to sleep, KO-ed, so Ella can go out to teach her cooking.

They also keep watch on the news.

Early February, Clara Terra married Milo Kusinis.

Feb 7, Antiga Prime ceased to exist via Zerg Invasion and Protoss purifying the planet.

'...a year of no steaks?' Nova whimpered, remembering Ella's words in class. 'How about forever?' Nova moaned in dismay at the news like any rich kid would with a 'first-world problem', lamenting the loss of classy steaks than the massive death toll and ruin of a planet as well as a food source. She'll have to educate and train Nova more. Still young. 'Fekking Zerg!'

'I feel the tragedy.' Ella said in dry sarcasm at Nova's reaction before frowning. 'But still...this is maddening that we should get the fekk out of Tarsonis.' she said urgently.

'Eh? How come?'

'When the Sons of Korhal attack a planet, the Zerg follow and then the Protoss fries it to ruins. Its a common pattern theme as of late.' said Ella anxiously. 'Telepathically contact your sister so we can leave this planet without government trouble. Having fake IDs for you made will take too much time. Time we don't have and Antiga Prime is near Tarsonis. A week-long shuttle away.' she said. 'At least I made my mom's and mine long in advance incase of shit like this.'

'Right...'

xxx

'So that's what Nova told you through telepathy?' Milo asked his wife who was shaken as telepathy to a non-psychic leaves the non-psychic recipient 'a little shaky'.

'Yes. I know our parents planned for the kids, but given what Ghosts can do, its already hacked and known that plans are worth shit that we have to be unpredictable against Sons of Korhal now. At least we're sure the kids are alive in Tyrador IX to this day.' Clara told him. 'But for how long, is the question.'

'Looks like a long day of discussion with the families again. Everyone now knows Nova's a psychic...a PI 10 at that and she's on the run with her rescuer.' said Milo. 'I'll change the IFF Codes of our ships tonight after this long chat. by our parents after I triple-check our systems.'

'Right.'

It was a grim discussion as the families studied the patterns of attacks by Sons of Korhal, eventually coming to the same conclusion as the girls.

The girls psychically kept an eye on the Old Families' decisions, while configuring a Neural Resocialization chamber for their own use. Ella removed unwanted programs such as 'obedience to superiors' and 'behavioral control'. She left behind only what they needed. Education needed by marines and medics to be downloaded into their heads, and how to drive Terran Assault Vehicles.

'Alrighty, good to go.' Ella grinned. 'Won't people be in for a surprise when they use this tank after we did.' she cackled. 'Light er' up!'

'OK. Go in now.' said Nova as Ella teleported into the tank and attached the needed parts to her head and psychically-controlled the body restraints. Nova started the program and she was nervous as Ella looked rather electrocuted while inside the culture fluid that heals resoc patients from damages by the process. She whimpered as later, she'll be like that, too. But they need combat skills, OK? The marine rifles in the Deployment Room are too huge for them to use, that they would need Telekinesis to wield them. The weapons they can ACTUALLY wield, are a Ghost's C-10 Rifles. So they stole some via black market to learn about it.

But if there's anything she learned from her mentor, is that no thanks to Gutter Life, Ella prioritizes survival and what increases survival chances. She'll do what's necessary to survive longer and live in comfort while she's at it!

After that, Ella was justifiably disoriented.

'Fekk...that was...a tad strong...' she droned out in a shaky voice as she staggered out upon porting out of the tank, still dripping wet with culture fluid.

'You think?!' Nova sputtered incredulously before looking around warily. 'Anyway, port us outta here! It's morning and people will be here soon! They'll activate the cameras!'

xxx

Nova got her turn in the Resoc that Ella had to reconfigure to teach her how to wield her powers along with what's needed and she wasn't too happy with being 'pan-brained' but at least she has the knowledge of combat knowledge Terrans developed as well as Survival Skills, Cooking dishes that takes up to an hour, and Common Sense she didn't have before...and she kept in touch with her family. After that, they erased the data beyond recovery so the government can't use Ella's dangerous knowledge.

When she was summoned home by Clara on the next time Nova contacted her, Nova took with her her belongings, but not everything else before she got ported to Kusinis Tower by Ella...who in turn packed up and waited for her mother to come home.

'Glad you're home mom.' said Ella. 'Let's take a nice vacation somewhere! she said cheerfully.

'Er, where to dear?' Claire knows they have big money so they can at least afford that.

'A nice world called Agria. So far nobody bothered with it.' she said. 'Perhaps we can get a better life there. I got our papers and everything ready, all we need is get to Osbourne Port and fly away!'

'Oh my...we do have money, right?' Claire asked her daughter who just suddenly proposed a wild idea, as money is very tight.

'I stole five million credits for many days, what do you think?'

Claire choked hard. They can buy a house and lot with that money, and live many years afterwards though they'd still need to work to hide the fact that they have that kinda fortune...and with a suitcase in hand plus a purse with their IDs, travel papers and tickets, they set off for what Ella thinks, is a brighter future.

They left Tarsonis, missing danger...by a hair as days later...Tarsonis fell.

xxx

Agria...

Ella applied for citizenship at the local town hall in Lark's Crossing which was closest to the nearest Starport incase shit happens again.

Citizenship, and documentation needed to have a property and home was taken care of as well as knowledge of jobs and requirements needed.

Thus Ella punted her mother in Vocational Schools to have skills needed in jobs that's more wholesome than handling men.

xxx

Tyrador IX...the Old Families evacuated their heirs and had them head to a least-known world in Baker's Dozen where they sought refuge, after amassing a lot of goods in Tarsonis for themselves, and evacuated their residences with their employees and their families to maintain their loyalty.

Such was Nova's new life now, living with the Kusinis Family with her sister.

Only the family adults knows that Nova is a PI 10 psychic and the only one trained in combat...through a 'heavily-reprogrammed Resoc Tank' and she was currently undergoing physical training in her room. As in training without compromising her femininity, a mistake militaries often make that if female soldiers lived long enough to end their contract, getting married is 'insanely difficult' unless its to a colleague who's known them through thick and thin.

That, and she learns how to assemble and disassemble her C-10 rifle in under a minute till it became muscle memory.

The kids were told that 'Nova is under a special project and must not be disturbed and she cannot talk about her project during mealtimes'.

Nova is also privileged to a 'certain diet' to aid in 'quality, not quantity growth' of her physical training.

Her food on the table is 'very colorful'. Mostly, wholegrain bread, fruits, eggs and vegetable dishes. She doesn't eat meat any more while other children have varieties of meat! Using her psychic abilities as she was taught, she controls her biochemistry to put nutrients to work on her, resulting in her incredible skin, hair and losing weight while growing muscle. That and Nova never wore her stylish outfits but a training outfit and a pair of boots.

'Wow, on a diet much?' Bess commented during lunch. 'Why no meat?'

'Instructions.' said Nova.

'Bess...' Mrs. Kusinis warned her daughter who meeped.

'Jeez, just asking why her food's different...' Bess pouted. That, and Nova's eating it like her life depended on it...

So Clara took her sister aside, being worried about her sister's zeal in her work.

'Nova, you doing OK? You're working a little too hard the other kids are noticing.' Clara spoke to her.

'I have to because if I'm weak I'll get caught and taken away.' said Nova shakily, her fists fisting a handful of her trousers. 'If I'm strong, I can stay home.' she told her in determination. 'I don't want to be a Ghost. I'll remain free or die trying!' she swore. 'I'm mastering Ella's techniques right now so I can wipe out a squad soon...'

'Nova...our parents are making deals soon. We just hope the deals are worth it.'

xxx

Agria...

It wasn't easy pretending to be a normal Terran.

At the expense of being unable to use her powers, she used all her focus to seal herself to PI 1.

Agria became a Dominion-World under Arcturus Mengsk. The use of Agria is obvious. Food.

The Hanson Family still keeps their authority in Agria but if Mengsk wants something, they have to fork it over in exchange for protection. So the defensive forces are in orbit, and thankfully not on the surface. And she and her mother have a large amount of money.

They were able to purchase a cozy home for 50000 credits from the Real Estate Agency, plus labor fees for the construction teams who'd construct it of 60000 credits as it's 500 credits per person per day of work if they want a speedy job. Just enough for them.

Until then, they stayed in a hotel until their house is done, and fully-furnished.

'To be able to own a house like this is a dream come true...' Claire sniffled in joy. 'And I lived in that crappy sheet metal all my life! I thought things were looking up when I come home to delicious breakfast and dinner before bed and now, finally...I just wish Mrs. Burnett could have had this too.'

'She died when I was ten ma. Old age got her.' said Ella softly, speaking fondly of her former babysitter. 'At least she's going to her next adventure now.' she said as she hoped Mrs. Burnett rode a 1st-class cabin in that 'death train'... 'She'll be happier there.'

'I hope so dear...'

And the Brookes went to Vocational School to learn skills needed in jobs so they can get hired and be properly employed.

Agria is a good place with Farm-to-Table meals. Hence, very fresh.

Factories are also built to keep the Planetary Defense Forces happy. Supplying them with resources, medical supplies, oxygen, food and water. At least it provided jobs...they lived healthy, happy lives. Ella's priority was Claire's full recovery from Tarsonis life. Thus a healthy diet supplemented with vitamin and mineral pills, enabled Claire to recover in three years, that she gained healthy weight, her dull skin gained 'life', and dry, wiry hair became healthy and glossy, with full-recovery from stress. Exercise at home helps to firm up sagging skin.

They were enjoying their time in Vocational School for three years, until one day, in 2504...

It was yet another day, but the Brookes graduated Vocational School so they can apply for a job.

Ella is now 19 years old. A 5'8 with an impressive figure, having been careful with herself all her second life, while her mother who suffered malnourishment, was understandably 5'2, but 36 years old. A very young mother, given the nature of her job.

However?

/Attention all citizens!/ Dr. Ariel Hanson spoke in Television over breakfast. /Due to simultaneous Zerg Attack on ALL worlds, the Dominion has recalled all fleets to focus protection on Core Worlds, leaving us to fend for ourselves!/

Naturally, in every home, that got many families aghast, and horrified.

/Therefore I will call for anyone who will listen to our distress call for our rescue! Pack travel essentials, especially your identification papers, school and employment records, spare clothes and your money, and head to Lark's Crossing so that we can evacuate on our Hercules Dropships! We will handle refugee lodging, fuel, food, medicine and water and funnel them to the ships! Upon arrival, report to the Town Hall for attendance so we can prepare Hercules Dropships to accommodate everyone! Do NOT be absent in the process or you won't get a seat or your portion of rations. Make haste...and godspeed./ she said grimly and cable cut. That means the TV Station will be abandoned soon by employees too to pack up and get ready for evac with their families.

'Well...fekk.' Ella swore. Today was the day they're supposed to line up for work!

'So much for employment...darn the Zerg, and darn Mengsk for abandoning us all! So much for that justice bullcrap he's spouting!' Claire fumed angrily.

'All politicians are like that.' Ella sighed. 'Their words have the same smell and worth as shit. We better pack up. Again. At least we're in Lark's Crossing already. We can stay in our house for the time being after packing up.' she said sadly.

'I guess what we have is just a dream.' Claire told her daughter in a heartbroken voice.

'Well, we really can't tell that...that will depend on how capable our rescuers will be.' said Ella with a sigh. 'Until then, we relax in our own home than live in a stupid tent. Electricity and water will still run in this capital township since this is the evacuation site. We'll be OK at home, but let's still listen to announcements at any rate.'

'Right. I'll report us to the Town Hall.' said Claire, taking her purse where their IDs are. 'You handle packing of our things.'

'Alright mom!'

At doomsday scenarios? Chaos will occur.

Ella stole as many bottles of shampoo, toothpaste and bars of soap she can, and feminine necessities for grooming. Monthlies? That's what her porting is for, and carton boxes to pack their things up and tie them up with rope nice and snug, and plaster their names on the boxes with black paint.

That, and having chocolate don't sound too bad.

Because later, she was glad she nicked some...when Zerg finally entered Agrian Airspace, and attacked...

...and for safety, Ella finally revealed her true nature as a PI 10 Psychic.