Fearless

My Pie In The Sky

Red

What was with my mom? And my Aunt too for that matter. Why were they acting like Andy and I are five? It's not like this came out of the blue, either. They were the ones who put forth this condition in the first place.

The family, consisting of my parents, Aunt Emilia and Uncle Desmond as well as Uncle Alex had migrated to Earth years ago. Well, not all at once. Andrew's folks had moved here before we were born. My parents moved just a few months later. Uncle Alex was the last to join us, when I was around two.

We lived in the same neighbourhood, so I had to deal with Andy's stupidity all my life.

We were homeschooled on Cathlegonian education and skills by Uncle Alex, and at first balancing between regular school and this was quite the challenge.

As we entered the rollercoaster that is adolescence, Uncle Alex suggested sending us to Cathlegona. It was about time. We could no longer continue with the homeschooling, it was becoming a pain. But his sisters, my mom and Andy's, threw a fit claiming we were too young. They said they'd send us once they thought we were mature enough.

Knowing my mother, she'd deem me to be immature even in my thirties. And forties, and fifties. And probably ahead of that. They also made an excuse as to how Earth education is important, in case we decided to settle here in the future (ah, keep dreaming Mom). My Dad and Uncle Desmond were in the grey about the whole ordeal.

To settle the matter, Aunt Emilia suggested that the moment either of us were to acquire our gifts (which generally happens around the age of sixteen to eighteen) they'd readily send both of us.

But now that it was time, they're making a huge deal out of it. I was seventeen. It was going to happen sooner or later. Every time I'd tell mom to stop crying, she'd glare at me through tear -filled eyes and mutter something about how I wouldn't understand her concerns. Trust me, I did. I just didn't think it was that big of a deal.

After Andy and I promised to call them every week (they wanted it to be every two days, like really?), they were calm enough to hug us and shower us with kisses and all that motherly stuff that I was glad no one from school was around to see.

"Robert, have you got my key?" Uncle Alex asked Dad.

"Here." My Dad handed the key,

a strange old fork like thing, to Uncle Alex. The key which could cut through millions of miles like it was nothing.

"Great. Now we are good to go."He thrust the thing in front of him and muttered something under his breath. Coordinates. And there it was. The gateway to Cathlegona. We waved goodbye one last time before entering the gateway with all our luggage.

On the other side, we arrived at the CNC taxi stop. "We'll have to go to the CNC by road. Gateways don't open ahead of this point." Uncle Alex explained. But I knew that already.

We hauled a taxi and piled in, barely managing to fit all that luggage in the trunk. Earth could definitely take some notes from here as far as cabs go, I thought. The cab we were riding was sleek, shiny and speedy and had an extremely comfortable interior. What brand, year mileage? I didn't care much for those details at that moment. What I did note was that there were no dilapidated seats or creaky doors. No loud radio music and unwelcome karaoke by the driver either. But I guess that varies from driver to driver.

"You guys should realise that getting into the CNC is no easy feat. Students struggle forever just to enroll. You're getting this opportunity on a silver platter. So please don't make them regret enrolling you." Uncle Alex said, for like the hundredth time. He then continued to lecture us about how to behave and to not show off and not get a big head and blah and blah. And blah. And, well, how do you say it? Oh yeah. BLAH.

I stifled a yawn. "Don't worry about it, Uncle Alex. We'll be fine." I said.

For the most part, on either side of the road all we could see was wilderness. It was no different from the forests on Earth, but I knew the beings that lived in there were indeed different. Humans were one of the few species that could survive in both Cathlegonian and Earth atmospheres, although the genetic composition varied in both places.

We reached a clearing, and there it stood. A white fortress, so tall you couldn't see where it ended, stretching out from everywhere to everywhere. I remember my parents talk about it. The Chimera's Nest Community (CNC) was a city on its own, hence it's isolated location.

The driver stopped near a tiny gate, which was so small compared to the tall walls that I probably wouldn't have noticed it if a guard wasn't standing next to it.

We paid the cab and started toward the door with our bags. Uncle Alex showed him the temporary pass and our admission slips( which he had arranged for right after I bloomed). After confirming our ID, he led us into a small room, where a security check was conducted.

Once that was done with, a porter was called in and was asked to take our luggage to our assigned rooms, and the guard led us to another room, a lot bigger than the previous one.

A man in his early thirties stood there. Upon seeing us, his face broke into a grin.

"Hey, Alex! Long time." He shook hands with Uncle Alex and did that half-hug thing guys do.

"Hope we didn't keep you waiting." Uncle Alex was all smiles.

"Nah, you're right on time."Then he turned to us. "Wow, you kids are all grown up. I wonder if you even remember me."

Andy and I glanced at each other. He was not easy to forget. With his salt and pepper hair even in his youth, that kind smile, and an endless supply of stories, he stood out to us even as kids.

"Hi Morgan." I grinned.

"Ah, so you do remember. Although I wouldn't blame you if you didn't. After all, the last time you saw me was...how many years ago?"

"Four. Just four. We last saw you on my twelfth birthday." Andrew said.

"So that makes you..sixteen? Wow." He chuckled.

Morgan Pools and Uncle Alex were best friends. Them and another guy, Terrance Roque, were an inseperable trio in their teens. After Uncle Alex moved to Earth, Morgan and Terrance would visit him every now and then. They were invited to almost every family occasion. They were like family for Andy and me.

But as years passed, both Morgan and Terrance were nominated for important positions in the CNC and had managed to bag those positions as well. They got busy with their responsibilities, and the visiting came to a stop. But Uncle Alex was still in touch with them. In fact he made it a point to tell us, repeatedly, that it was thanks to Morgan's advantageous position as the Academic Director of CNA (Chimera's Nest Academy), that we had managed to get seats with ease.He probably wanted to make us feel guilty about not entering through merit so that we'd work harder. Nice trick, but it was getting old. It's not like we didn't know that more than half of the people at the CNA get in through connections and lineage.

"You kids aware of the WatchDog procedure?" Morgan asked us as he led us to some chairs.

"Yes, we were briefed." I said.

"It is going to hurt a little, I must warn you." Morgan told us.

"Why is this necessary? I mean, I never got the idea behind it. Is it to track us or-" Andy left his question hanging.

"It's not so much to track you as it is to keep track of your activities and stuff. You see, certain gifts are not allowed to be used in certain areas.

For instance, telekhenesis is f*******n in the archery range as it can be used to change the course of the arrow. And in examination halls, where it is quite handy in passing notes.

However," he used a robotic mock business-like tone here, "with the WatchDog, we can actually keep track of where and how you use your gifts. Now please don't ask me how. I didn't design them." He chuckled at the end.

"Okay, but like, for all our lives?" Andrew asked incredulously, totally unaffected by Morgan's antics.

"You won't even feel it. It's not an annoyance in the least. However, if you leave the CNC with the intent of never coming back, you can have it removed. It also serves as an ID, as I'm sure you know. And don't worry, it does no harm to the body." As Morgan explained, a couple of personnel there prepared to inject the WatchDog in us.

It was a tiny rhombus shaped chip thing that was inserted into us between the neck and the shoulder. It hurt, obviously, but it was something we had to learn to live with.

"Well, now that that's done, I think I'll leave them to you." Uncle Alex said.

"Already? Stay a while." Morgan said.

"Wish I could. But I have a job, and unlike you, I actually take it seriously." Uncle Alex jested.

"Ouch." Morgan faked hurt, before chuckling.

"Besides, I need to meet up with Terrance on my way out. In fact, I think he's waiting for me right now."

"Let him." Morgan said.

"Hah, you'd enjoy that." Uncle Alex chuckled.

"Well, keep in touch old boy." They shook hands one more time.

" I'll come visit sometime soon." Uncle Alex promised, to which Morgan rolled his eyes. He knew that 'soon' wasn't coming any time soon. Uncle Alex was a busy man. How he managed to balance teaching us while working all these years is beyond me.

"Be good." He told us before exiting.

Morgan led us to a door on the other side of the room. We stepped out and, I tried not to look flabbergasted. The CNC didn't disappoint.

Most of the architecture was blue or white or both. Shops and restaurants were scattered around, interspersed with buildings of different widths and lengths. But in the middle of all of it stood a mansion-like structure. I knew what that was. It belonged to the Chimera's Nest Community Council (CNCC). That was where I would be someday. It was my pie in the sky. And I would do anything to get there.

"Come on. I'll show you guys where you're staying." Morgan led us to his car.