The worn face of Jarmel sis Nep was followed by that of Yives, his wife. A tall man with hazel eyes, he was bowed by the need to provide for a large family. He also sported the same brown hair as his wife and daughters. Unusually for the people of the planet, the two were a love match and were happy together.

Jarmel was the first to speak as he left the bedroom. His “Good morning children,” came quite naturally. Yives also gave her good morning. Both had been awake ever since they had heard the rest of the family moving about in the apartment. If they knew of the spat between Dar and Cami, they gave no indication of it, instead they both walked to the breakfast table. As this was the last day of the weekend off for Jarmel, the breakfast was in the proper formal style.

In this style, the family first took their paces at the table and all bowed to the table then to each other, the mother and father still weary. Dar, Cami noted, bowed with indifference while she and Tremma took pleasure in the ritual. The two younger girls bowed with youthful enthusiasm as did Damma who enjoyed such doings.

The ritual completed, Jamel sat down at one end of the table while Yives was seated at the other end and the children found their proper places. Dar sat to the right of his father while Cami sat to the right of her mother. The rest sat by age, boys on one side and girls on the other.

As she took her seat, again Cami wondered, who first did this, this manner of families taking their seats in this complex and formal manner. They didn’t do this at school, or in other public places, so why do it at home. These thoughts went into the long catalogue of questions that puzzled her and that she wanted answers to. When young, Cami had carefully broached the subject with her mother once, just once. She was told that was how things were done and not to ask again. Later, when she was older Cami had seen in school what happened when a student in her class showed rather more inquisitiveness and much less common sense than was wise. Cami had taken the lesson to heart.

*********

Madam Reter had just finished conducting a review of an ancient but relatively peaceful period of the planet’s history when student Jil ses Anouk asked what, to Camis way of thinking, was a reasonable question.

“This is when we had to start wearing the hats and coats, wasn’t it Madam Reter?” Jil was an ordinary looking girl with shorter than normal black hair. Slightly overweight, she wore the standard school smock, long socks and what are called sensible black shoes. Coming from different areas of Libus Re, Cami and Jil weren’t friends and didn’t know each other except to exchange a nod or two went they passed one another in the school.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Madam, I’ve read over the material and I don’t see anywhere why?” Jil continued. “I’m confused!”

“How can you be confused, child. All you need to know is there!” The teacher snapped.

Jil flushed and stuttered a reply. “I was just wondering …” she started, “Why we all had to ...”

“Have too what? Ask stupid questions?” Madam Reter was clearly getting angry. “Stand up girl!” The class watched in morbid hypnotised fascination as slowly and clearly embarrassed, Jil did as she was told. “Now girl, do you need to know what our leaders’ were thinking back then, so that you can question their motives?”

“No Madam!”

“What about their intelligence?”

“No Madam.” Jil whispered, now frightened with the direction of the questions.

“So why do you need to ask why?”

“I don’t Madam.” Jil was now staring down at the floor.

“What did you say girl? Get your head up!” Jils head snapped up, eyes wide with fear. Camis’ stomach churned for Jil although she barely knew her, but even now at age twelve she knew better than to show any emotion, especially at a time like this. She also knew that no one in the school would talk to Jil now. Any friends she may have had were gone. By raising such questions, even as innocent as they were, the teacher’s reaction had clearly branded her as a possible trouble maker and someone to avoid.

“No, Madam.” Madam Reter glared and Jil swiftly continued. “I mean I don’t need to ask.”

Madam Reter’s sharp eyes scanned the class, “Sit down girl,” she said, less harshly now, “we have wasted enough time.” To Camis relief she turned to another student. “Nanna, read the next passage from where we were up to. Quick now,” Madam Reter urged.

Nanna fumbled at her comm. “The peace of The Ostia Resources held all through the following century …” Her droning voice filled the room. Jil sat quietly, not moving, head down.

*********

Eating quietly, Cami wondered again about Jil. Surely Jil’s indiscretion had not been as bad as the teacher had made it to be, but the effect on Jil had been extreme. While she had come back the next day, the last school day of the week, she was still subdued and silent, not even trying to talk to anyone. When school resumed in two days, Jil was gone and Cami never saw her again.

To Cami, the lesson was clear, don’t ask any questions that the teachers might interpret as questioning the leadership, the teacher or what they taught. The trick was deciding on whether a question that you wanted to ask was going to fit into one of these categories.

Cami was wondering about this when a jolt in her side brought her attention back to the family breakfast. Giving a glance at Koral, she frowned slightly before realising that her mother was looking at her rather quizzically.

“You are very quiet, Cami,” Yives said, “something on your mind?”

At Dars laugh, Cami threw him her usual glare as she decided to reveal part of what she was thinking about.

“Last year we had that girl, Jil, the one who got into trouble when she asked a teacher a question. She was gone by the next week and I was just wondering what happened to her.” Cami finished with a shrug.

“Was she a friend of yours?” Yives inquired gently.

“What questions did she ask?” Dar sat straighter.

Cami decided to answer her mother first.

“No mother, I hardly knew her, she lived near the catchment area I think.” That was an area with a large number of apartment blocks and a strong patrol presence.

“I see.” Her mother said thoughtfully. The rest of the family was listening attentively now. “It must have made an impression on you.”

“Not really mother.” Cami gave a rare smile. “I think that serving the Madam and her guest the chilled water brought it back for me somehow.”

“So why was she in trouble?” Dar interjected. Cami knew that Dar had recently left school and was working as a cleaner in commercial buildings. She also realised that the hard work and low pay, combined with not being able to get a recommendation to get advanced training of any sort, had built a sense of grievance in him. He often asked smart questions so she knew that he was intelligent, but she also realised that his aggressive attitude annoyed others as well as her, and that as it often did, made him angrier.

Cami hesitated, as much as she enjoyed baiting Dar, she didn’t want to start something that could end up disrupting the family. She decided to compromise and tell just a little more of the story, not the whole story. That way she hoped to keep Dar from going off on one of his rants which would end up upsetting her parents.

“Well, she asked a question about why we wear what we do and Madam Reter got mad at her in front of everyone. Jil came to school the next day, but after the two days off, we never saw her again.”

“She went to another school?” Jarmel asked with a frown. Dar was also frowning.

“She must have Da,” Camis slim left shoulder rose and fell in a shrug, “as I said no one as far as I know saw her again.” Her father gave a non-committal grunt as Cami finished. “We were all afraid to ask, at least I was.”

“You were afraid?” Dar’s question was framed in tones of disbelief.

“Well, the teacher came down on Jil pretty hard and none of the rest of us wanted to be treated the same way.”

Koral and Kinna nodded in agreement. “I bet no one talked to her afterwards either.” Koral put in.

“That’s it, that’s the way they control us.” Dars hand smacked down on the table hard enough to shake the dishes causing even Damma to stare at him.

“What is?’ Kinna asked, puzzled.

“Fear, fear of being different, fear of being singled out!” Dar sat back and shook his head. “It is so simple, I never saw it.”

Jarmel gave his son a sideways look. “Care to explain yourself, Dar?”

“Yes da,” Clearly Dar was happy to be the center of attention for a change. “Fear of being different, of standing out as I said, but most of all, of losing status.” Cami watched her brother as he talked, the way he was animated and happy that everyone was listening to him. Impressed, she listened as she ate and at the same time, watched the rest of the family. Tremma appeared to be impressed while Koral and Kinna were less so. Damma just went back to working at his breakfast while her mother appeared to be unimpressed. Her father listened intently however and seemed interested.

“I don’t understand.” Kinna said a puzzled look on her face. “Everyone knows that status is important.”

“It is only important because someone, hundreds or thousands of years ago said that it was and everyone went along with him.”

“Him?” Cami showed her skepticism. Koral giggled, a display of emotion that had their mother frowning at her.

“Yes a man, Cami.” Dar smiled, “Unless you think that a woman is responsible?” The smile grew broader, “I am quite ready to shift the blame.”

As Cami stiffened and opened her mouth to respond to Dars challenge, their father stepped into the breach.

“Well Dar, I don’t think that it matters who thought of the idea but I also don’t see why it matters or what could be done about it.” Jamel frowned in thought. “The only way we could change now is by a huge popular movement and I don’t see that happening.” He looked sideways at his oldest son, “do you?” Jamel didn’t mention that any such movement would be accompanied by a lake of blood.

“I don’t know Da, I haven’t talked about this with anyone.” He looked down at the table. “I guess that I am afraid too.” He finished, raising his head and glancing at his oldest sister, Cami giving a tentative smile back. Tremma nodded in silent agreement while the younger two girls were now looking rather bored at all this political talk.

Jamel grunted. “Good, don’t talk to anyone about this. You never know who is an agent of the Grays!” Dar nodded, he also was aware of the dangers involved and was not, at this time, prepared to risk the families’ status. New to working life, he was still uncertain about his standing with his coworkers.

Satisfied that his oldest son was not about to do anything reckless and so jeopardise the family name, Jamel turned to his oldest daughter. “Cami, I take it that you still want to go to Girls Group with your friends?”

Eagerly, Cami nodded, “Yes da, with Leda and Ava. We will be going to the Middle Club at the Girls Room in the Collective Hall.”

Approval given, Cami left the table and danced off to the girls room to change knowing that her mother probably watched in disapproval at this unwonted display of emotion.

“You are going to wear that again?” Koral asked with an unspoken challenge in her voice as she entered the room after Cami. Cami held the athletic strip against her body. Indeed it was tighter and rather more revealing that the school uniforms they usually wore, but not by much!

“Of course, but only when racing, I will change in the girls changing room.” Cami replied. “It’s like school, we have a whole building to ourselves. No boys allowed! No male coaches either, just like no male teachers!” Koral grunted a reply, not satisfied.

“I don’t think that it’s fair, I should be allowed too!” She finished as Cami removed her smock to change into suitable outdoor clothes. Although the program that the athletic club ran was approved by the school, it was not strictly part of the school curriculum, so the school uniform was not worn. Selecting outdoor clothes that were suitable, but not those kept for special occasions, Cami changed. Those she selected would easily be read and showed her class and status.

Ready, her gym strip, along with a towel, soap and spare clothes in a bag, Cami said her goodbyes and left her parents’ apartment with Tremma accompanied her to the stop where she would catch the transport to the Collective Hall. He or Dar would also meet her when she returned. Another thing to annoy me, Cami thought, I catch transport to school without escort as do Koral and Kinna, so why do I have to be escorted now?

As she boarded the transporter, Tremma called to her. “Be careful Cami!” She smiled and waved.

*********

How convenient Cami thought as the conveyance stopped right outside the Hall. She left the vehicle and entered the motley collection of buildings, immediately heading to the women’s area where she identified herself at the check in and received her pass to the proper changing room. Looking around as she entered Cami realised that neither Leda nor Ava were present. Changing quickly, Cami stored her clothes in the locker provided, securing it with her implanted chip. Nodding to the locker room supervisors Cami left to find her group on the indoor track field. There she also found her friends.

“Hi Leda, hi Ava,” from Cami brought ‘hi’s’ in return. Ava, a slim and compact gymnast also nodded and asked. “All ready, Cami?”

“Whenever you are,” Cami replied. “I am going to work out and get in shape for a good contract!”

“Good to hear that Cami,” one of the junior woman trainers nearby commented, “now let’s see if you can back that up with effort.” The senior trainer looked around. “Into your groups everyone, and let’s begin with trotting in place!” The warm up began.

The particular group that Cami and her friends Leda and Ava had joined consisted of an athletic program designed to enhance the girls’ confidence and assisting them in achieving their goal of getting a good contract placement.

Along with status, contracts are the heart and soul of business and personal life on Ti Lepus. Most workers are secured by a contract with the various level of government, business or personally with members of the high class.

This also especially applied to selected girls who, while young, fourteen is normal, are offered contracts to work in special establishments called salons where they are displayed for effective sale to the wives of high class men and their families. This is very important to them as it can affect their whole future lives. Securing a contract with a high status family of good reputation is something that all girls with lower status aspire to.

*********

Warm up complete, Cami gave her two friends a wave as they moved away, then turned and joined the girls who were doing the same athletic activity that she was. Further stretching and calisthenics were followed by short sprints. Then warm up completed, each girl worked on the individual activity that they were best at. After a period of individual work with coaches, concentrating on weaknesses and strengths, competitions began.

Leda was fast, she was a sprinter and was particularly anxious to improve her starts. Time and time again she got down into her crouch and, on the whistle, lunged out of her stance. On the other hand, Ava, now in the gym, slim and compact was a natural gymnast. On the floor, she twirled and bounced in the defined performance area, showcasing her natural talent.

Cami was a middle distance runner with a speciality in jumping over hurdles and other obstacles placed in the way. The obstacles ranged from those that would fall if touched to those that were solid and needed to be cleared. One, particularly disliked and always placed last, was made of thin branches tied vertically and these would strike the runners’ legs if not cleared properly. It was bad enough for girls but the senior boys’ and adults version had branches that were longer which meant that the boys’ had to jump almost twice as high if they didn’t want their legs to be whipped!

Today Cami had completed the race, nicknamed ‘the jump’, three times. For her age group, from thirteen to fourteen years old, the race consisted of one complete circuit of the track while jumping over several obstacles. Today, each race was a competition against a different group of girls in the same age group with the final race composed of the top finishers of the races. Cami had finished in the top three in her last race, and her times had been better in each race. While not totally satisfied, she still knew that she was much improved since joining the Girls Club and today she had her best finish yet. Her two friends had also shone in their own disciplines. The trio had been very excited in the changing rooms after.

“We watched your last race Cami, we really thought that you were going to win until that long-legged girl passed you on that last turn,” Ava consoled her friend.

“Yes, and then that red shirted girl barely caught you at the finish line.” Leda said. “Well,” She continued, giving her head a toss, “they get more training then you. I heard someone say they are high service class.”

“I know,” Cami said. “That is what the trainer wanted to talk to me about. She said that she could arrange some additional training for me, but I don’t think that Ma and Da could afford it although I was told that there was some kind of funding.” Cami sounded wistful. “I mean, I like running the jump but I am not sure, there is so much at home I have to do.”

“And we three also do the self defense classes as well.” Ava commented. “That takes away training time for you.”

“Yes it does but it’s good to have, I think.” Cami wrinkled her brow in thought. “Some of it anyway.”

Her two friends looked on in sympathy as they changed. Like at their homes, all showering was done in private stalls but they dressed communally in small groups or singly, depending on whether or not there were friends present.

“You really are getting fast, Leda, and I watched you do your routine Ava. I wouldn’t be surprised if you are picked for special training!”

“Oh Cami, don’t say that. It’s bad luck, like, you know.” Ava emphasised the last part. Her friends nodded. They knew who and what she meant. Everyone considered that it was bad luck to talk about the Dark Lord! At Ava’s comment, Cami felt a shiver run down her back as she remembered what her mother had said only yesterday.

With ‘see you tomorrow’s’ the three friends separated and went to their respective transporters and on to their homes.

*********

On the transporter, Cami unobtrusively looked around as she boarded. Everyone on the vehicle seemed to be lost in their own thoughts, including a darkly dressed couple sitting at the back and a man sitting a couple of seats back from her. This man wore a morose expression on his face so deep that Cami wondered if he had lost his contract. As he was wearing a cap rather than a broad brimmed hat, this placed him in the worker class. Then she noticed that the man sitting in the seat across from her had fastened his dull eyes on her. He was wearing the same type of clothes as her father did, showing that he was of the same class yet he didn’t have her father’s demeanour at all. Worse he appeared to be drinking something from a metallic container partially concealed in his right hand. Hoping that he was going to get off at the next stop, Cami turned her head and tried to ignore the man.

He didn’t get off at the next stop or the one after that.

“Hey, little girl, want a drink?”

Cami froze. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw he wasn’t trying to hide the flask anymore, it was openly displayed in his hand.

“Talking to you, little girl, not polite to ignore people when they talk to you.” The man’s florid face indicated his degree of intoxication.

Cami had seen drunks a couple of times before but had never been this close to one. How am I supposed to handle this, Cami worried, I don’t want to bring disgrace to my family. Glancing around she could see looks of disapproval, but no one seemed ready to come to her aid. The look on the face of the man wearing a cap now seemed to be annoyed rather than morose. Everyone else had the blank faces of people avoiding trouble.

“Let’s party little girl.” The man had moved so that his feet were in the aisle, blocking any movement on the transporter. He leaned towards Cami as she cringed back in her seat. Fumes from the noxious brew he had consumed floated towards and around her. She wanted to hit him with her bag but knew that there was nothing in it that was heavy enough to stop him. Her self-defence classes had not prepared her for this.

“Why don’t you sit back” The man with the cap suddenly spoke. His voice was quiet but firm.

“You stay out of this!” The drunk snapped back surprised at the intervention but not at all intimidated.

The man with the cap stood and stepped forward pushing something into one pocket and taking something out of the other at the same time. “I said, sit back and stay quiet.” The man smiled while Cami watched almost in a trance, too frightened by the situation to wonder at the smile. “That way, no one gets hurt.”

The drunk snarled, staggered to his feet and swung clumsily at the man. The attempted blow was easily blocked and the response came too fast for Cami to really see what happened. All of a sudden it seemed to her that the drunk was now laying back in his seat and apparently asleep. Looking around Cami saw that some of the other passengers were nodding in approval, including the darkly dressed man at the back and his female companion.

The transporter had by this time pulled over at its next stop. Two members of the patrol who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere boarded the vehicle, batons in their hands.

“Where’s the trouble-maker?” The first asked somewhat truculently.

Stepping to meet them, the man wearing the cap showed them something in his hand. The two patrol officers looked startled, gave the man a long look but nodded as the man said something too low for anyone to hear and pointed back at Cami, then the drunk. Ignoring Cami, the two patrol officers lifted the drunk none to gently and dragged him to the front of the transporter.

“I know this one.” The younger of the two patrol officers laughed. “The Master Judge won’t be happy to see him again so soon, he’ll get a good vacation this time I bet.”

“And a few stripes as well, hopefully.” The older one responded in a bored tone while the two pulled the drunk of the transporter, passed him over to two other patrol officer who were waiting. Somewhat awake now but still drunk and confused, he was pushed into the back of a waiting patrol van, which left straight away.

One patrol officer spoke to the driver, pulled out his comm unit and fiddled with it for a fraction, then nodded to the man who had helped and left. The door closed and as the man with the cap walked back and sat in the seat facing Cami the transporter pulled back into the road

*********

The man carefully watched Cami, concerned at seeing how shocked and upset she was. Yet, he also noted with interest that there was a hint of defiance in her eyes and in the way she looked up at him although she kept her head bowed. The other passengers on the transporter ignored them in the Ti Lepus way. He decided to speak.

“You can relax now miss,” he used his calm voice, “The patrol will be taking good care to see that he doesn’t cause trouble again.”

Amused, but concealing it, he watched Cami slowly raise her head a little to look at him directly, but didn’t answer. He knew that was the way she had been taught. Young girls did not talk to strange men. He decided to ease her fears a little.

“Your stop is soon, Cami?” The man asked quietly.

*********

Cami froze, how did he know her name? The man’s lips twitched, he could see her sudden fear.

“When you boarded the transporter, it read your name as well as the drunks. I am with the police and used my comm to identify both of you. Don’t worry, you won’t appear in any police report, they already have enough on the man who was bothering you.”

“Oh,” Cami said, “I won’t get into trouble?” Her relief now showing clearly.

“No Cami, you won’t,” The man smiled slightly, “and you don’t even need to tell your parents.”

Surprised by the man’s smile Cami was emboldened to ask his name. “You know my name sir, but I don’t know yours.”

The man’s lips twitched, clearly he was surprised by Camis use of the semi-formal way of asking. “Dark gen Wattar, Cami, that is my name.” he replied.

Looking outside as the transporter pulled over Cami saw that Tremma was waiting at her stop. Standing, she faced the man who had helped her. “Thank you Master Wattar, you have been of much help today.” A small bow accompanied the formal words.

*********

Dark Gen Wattar nodded in reply. “I only did what any man of Ti Lepus would have done, Miss Nep.” Dark watched the young girl leave the transporter. That girl could go far, he thought. I hope that someone picks up on her soon. With a mental shrug he sat back in his seat, she was not his problem. His partner of the day joined him.

“Good thing you are heading back today, Sessi, sir” The junior agent remarked. “I think that you may have blown your cover.” He knew better than to say anything directly about Cami.

“Nothing local that you and the squad here can’t handle. No, the real problems are back in the capital. I am needed there.” Wattar was a senior member of the secret police, commonly called a gray, a reference to their rarely worn dress uniform. Sitting back in his seat, he considered the summons he had received. The call had come from the Chief Minister and he was to report to Councillor Trem de Markus on arrival. Cami sis Nep was all but forgotten.

*********

They both paid no attention to the man wearing a cloak and sitting in the back of the conveyance. The man remained expressionless but nodded slowly. Dark gen Wattar, He thought, I will have work for you. His companion just gave Him a speaking look, she still wondered why they were on this bus in the middle of what she considered was nowhere. The Dark Lord had not told her where they were going or why, the Lady of the circle figured that she would know soon enough.