Three years ago...
Ocean Bridger (Age 9)
It's been a year since we've first dicussed escaping, and Via was obviously more determined than me to make that happen.
I was sitting in our room; our meaning Via and me. I felt dead listening to her type away on her old-fashioned computer. I keep asking her to update it, but she'd said, and I quote "The best defence is no defence. As in, go back a few centuries of knowledge or so and hope no one's still around to know how to use this thing."
It was true; I once tried to go on it and I couldn't even figure out how to turn it on (You use the little button near the top, the one with the symbol beside it. No, not that one, that one turns on caps. How do you not know what a caps lock is?).
It was better I stay away from her things. Today though, there was a new brand of nuttiness in her typing. Every once in a while, she would stop and write something down, drawing short marks across a piece of paper.
"Via, what are you doing?" I said lazily. In fact, I didn't really expect her to respond.
"Mmm hmm, not now Ocean." She said, her eyes glued to the screen. Her new pair of glasses sat crookedly on her nose, the gold frame tilting slightly to the right.
"Yes now Via. What 'cha workin' on?" I said, shouldering myself onto her chair. She let out a cry of indignation as she fell to the floor, the pencil clutched tightly in her hand. In fact, too tightly. I heard a cry of pain and I looked down to see the lead of the pencil embedded in the center of her palm.
"Ooo," I said, crouching down next to her, the computer forgotten.
"It's nothing. It'll be gone in a few days," She stated as she wriggled her hand, then let it drape over her leg. "On second thought, I think I'm going to be a lefty for a few days."
"So sorry about that, but what were you working on?" I questioned nonchalantly.
"Fine. I'll show you." She led me over to the computer. "I'm copying out the scematics to the school. I can't print it, because the officials will know something's up."
I looked at the drawing on the table. It looked like a long hot-dog, with the facilities in the middle and the dorms on the sides. I saw parts shaded in red, yellow, green, grey… There was even a legend.
"Then why were you typing?" I asked, since it did only look like she was copying a drawing.
She grunted and turned around. Hastly she minimized a window on the screen. "Nothing."
"What was that?"
"Nothing."
I crossed my arms.
"Fine," she said, opening the window, "It was supposed to be a surprise."
It was the Imperial database. All the secrets, the plans, the people, the planets of the galaxy; it was all here. And it was open to a page with my photo on it.
"Is this my page?" I asked, hesitantly taking the offered computer mouse. She nodded toward the screen.
"Read it and find out."
The first thing I saw was my name. I guess it would be stupid to say that I didn't know my full name, but this was ridiculous. Ocean Bridger is all I can remember up to this point. There was at least twenty other names on there, probably of my ancestors. As I scrolled down, I saw more than I ever knew about myself. And it was strange to know that my roommate had known about me before she even met me.
This world was confusing.
I turned to Via. "Thanks, but what was it supposed to be a surprise for?"
She pointed at a small sentence that I hadn't bothered to look at. March 17. My birthday.
It was March 16 today. This was supposed to be a birthday present.
"When's your birthday?" I ask, sitting down on the bed. I was getting tired, and we had a long day of training ahead of us.
She shook her head. "If you knew, you would make a big deal out of it."
"So when is it?"
"Promise you won't make a big deal?"
"I promise."
"I don't believe you."
I crossed my arms. "What can I say to make you believe me?"
She smiled. "You know that dog in the commander's office? Bring it here and I'll tell you." She sat there and stopped moving, looking at me.
"What, now?"
"Yes, now."
And so I snuck into the commander's room when she was sleeping. Beside her was the most beautiful little puppy I've ever seen, with white and golden fur and a little flat snout. I scooped him up in my arms and brought him to our dorm. The little ball of fur looked up at me and licked my hand. It was the cutest thing ever.
"You actually did it?" Via exclaimed as I walked into the room.
"Not so loud, you'll wake Chocolu." I said, cradling the little pup.
She typed something on her computer. "That's a cocker spaniel and poodle hybrid, by the way."
I ran back to the commander's room and put Chocolu back on his doggy bed. He whimpered, and my heart nearly broke letting him go. But he wasn't mine.
I went back to our room and sat on the bed. "So? What's your birthday?"
"You promise you won't make a fuss?" She added one more time.
"Yes. I swear on Choco."
"What?"
"The pup. Choco. Short for Chocolu."
She shook her head, cracking a smile. "Today. My birthday's today."
As I my head fell on the pillow, my brain immediately wanted to sleep, but Via was still up, reading a book. I heard her mumble something, something my brain registered just before I went unconscious.
"I swear on Choco that I will get you that dog, Ocean. I swear on Choco."