Natalie picked up a green cube as she passed the table. Amanda did the same right behind her, the girls moved slowly.

"Natalie?" Amanda asked softly. "Do you think we are going to die?"

"No." she answered, looking sharply at Amanda. "Why would you ask such a thing?"

"I was in the room when our parents were arguing," Amanda said, she had a haunted look on her face. "Your father said, that the team didn't die because of vessel error. He thinks it's something to do with that planet, doesn't he?"

"I don't know, Amanda," Natalie said. "But I can't see my father speculating, he deals in facts. It is a fact those people died, it's also a fact that vessel was checked and pronounced all systems perfect by the portal authorities. It's a fact that the company behind us being selected, are a lying, sneaky, bunch of cowards."

"So you think it's the planet too?" Amanda had stopped, she stood still staring at her.

"I didn't say that, Amanda." Natalie responded. "I think those people died, something is definitely wrong, but without proper evidence, I'm not sure it's wise to blame our new home just yet."

"Natalie, what if your wrong?" Amanda said fearfully.

"I don't think I am, that team was on the planet for a full year, Amanda." She told her. "Put the cube into your wrist unit, it's all there, in their own data. The team died after they left, only a month from Earth. It's a mystery, but it doesn't sound like it was something from the planet."

"I hope your right, Natalie." Amanda said. "I don't want to die."

"Well it's a good thing your not going to then isn't it?" Natalie asked stoutly. "Come on enough with the doom and gloom, let's get back to the pods. These cubes have simulations in them, we will finally get to see, where we are going too."

They both ran the remaining distance to the barracks. Amanda was still a little nervous about her future, but now she wanted to see the place they were going to be sent too.

They parted at Amanda's room, Natalie smiled, Amanda couldn't wait to close the door and enter her pod. Natalie rush to her room, Sam already had the data, he took it from her wrist unit before they even got back to the barracks.

She opened the pod, a few minutes later she was in her space. The trees, fountain and small animals, were still there, however the desk and computer bank was gone. Also there were now three doors, one of the doors was the entrance to Freedom, the other was the entrance to her family room.

"Sam?" She asked. "What's the third door for?"

"That leads to your new world, that sim is first class, they spared no expense making that." He told her. "Go on, try it out, Natalie."

Natalie, knew the doors weren't really needed, she just liked the aesthetic look of it. Natalie opened the door and immediately found herself in a forest. It was beautiful. Massive trees half moss covered, vines climbing up, some in flower, some not. The forest floor was covered in deep springy moss, with ferns and other delicate looking types of bushes, scattered about.

The trees in front of her were thinner, it suggested a clearing just beyond. Natalie moved forward, when she broke out of the trees, she found herself in a huge man made clearing. Sitting in rows, were ugly long barracks, just like the one she was in now. At the beginning stood what was clearly a landing pad with a administration block attached.

The opposite side, away from the air pad, were ten very large barns. So that is what she was going too, Natalie looked back at the trees. She was disappointed, that they had obviously cut down this section of the forest. Couldn't they have found a natural clearing or meadows?

Natalie looked up at the sky, if she'd had any doubts about the planet being alien, they were taken away instantly. Hanging in the sky impossible close was another planet. The sky had a rosey tint to it, further off she could see another smaller planet just rising.

"What are those doing there, Sam?" She asked. "That can't be real, can it?"

"Thats real, Natalie." Sam replied. "Those aren't planet's, they are moons, even though they are bigger then the Earths moon. I have another part of the simulation. That was taken from a high vantage point, do you want to see it?"

"Yes." Natalie said.

The forest and clearing faded away, quickly replaced with a view from a cliff. Down below, she could see the scar in the forest, that marked where the landing site was. It was in the forward section of a long wide valley, that had cliffs on either side. The rosey glow she had seen down below was stronger up here. The distant tree covered slopes, on the other side of the valley, were a maroon colour. Fading out to pale pink, as you looked further up toward the cliffs.

It was breathtaking, the more she looked, the details just seem to jump out at her. This was going to be her home soon, it was hard to believe all this raw natural beauty, all wild, no structured garden paths or clipped bushes. It was going to be available to her and her children, she knew she could learn to love that world.

As the first encounter began to fade a bit, Natalie started to see other things. First was the sun and how dim it was compared to Sol. This was a colder planet, the winters here would be dangerous. All her winter clothes which might have been ok for earth's climate, probably would be only useful in spring and summer on this planet.

"Sam, going by what I am seeing, I will need woolbearing animals or creatures that can be bred for their fur." She said.

"Noted," Sam replied. "There are files on some sort of creature that is natural to the planet. It might be worthwhile farming."

"That cube does it have any training simulation?" Natalie asked.

"It does, but that's for tomorrow." Sam replied. "You have to sleep, Natalie, it's already past the time, you would have normally finished your shift by. You stood looking at that simulation for hours."

"Alright, now that you mention it," she said. "I am feeling tired. Shut it all down, Sam and please shift me into real sleep."

Natalie closed her eyes, drifting off easily to sleep. It seemed she had just closed her eyes, then it was time to wake up again. This was the first time, she woke up feeling just as tired. It was as if she hadn't slept. She opened her eyes, all was quiet her space was dark, why had she woken up?

"Sam?" She called. "What time is it?"

"It's early morning, Natalie." Sam replied. "You are still following the routine you had at home. It might take you a few days, to adjust to not needing a schedule. However now is a good time to join your family, if you wish too."

"They are in there?" Natalie asked eagerly.

"Your parents are and so is Chelsea," Sam said. "It would seem your brothers are sleeping still."

Natalie wasted no more time, she was up and through the door before Sam had finished speaking. Her parents looked up as she came in then it was hugs all round. She told them about the planet, telling them it's name. She was trying to describe the experience of seeing it for the first time when Sam spoke.

"Natalie, you can show them," he told her. "Then they will be able to see it themselves."

"I didn't realise we could do that," Natalie said astonished, then she turned eagerly to her parents and sister. "Do you want to see it for yourselves? You heard Sam, he can show you."

"Yes, I would love to see the place that has you so excited." Her mother was smiling, with a quick check on her father and sister to make sure they all wanted too. Natalie, asked Sam to set a doorway into the simulator of the planet.

She watched as the looks of amusement, changed to ones of awe, as she let them see first the forest, then the ugly scar of humanity. Finally the cliff top view, it still held her captive, even though she had seen it before.

"This is beautiful," her mother whispered. "I was feeling a little uncertain about applying for colonisation, oh I was still going to, Natalie. But this has made my hesitation disappear, I want to live on that world. Thank you for sharing this with us."

Her father was quick to let Natalie know, that he too, was now eager to join as well. Chelsea didn't have to say anything, the dumbfounded look at the scenery and the tears flowing from her eyes said it all. She couldn't talk only nod, as she stared around.

"Sam can you make this available to my family?" Natalie asked. "Maybe the lessons as well?"

"I can leave up the simulation, Natalie, but the lessons are heavily secured." Sam replied. "The best I can do is recommend what sort of simulations they should find, that would be close to what you will be put through."

"That is more then we expected," Dad said. "I like the idea of being prepared for the training before we apply. That will make it easier for us to get a place on the first ship out to your planet."

Natalie was happy, this was going to turn out, she knew it. She was about to say something else, when a huge yawn stopped her.

"Honey, you seem tired," Mum said concerned.

"I'm alright, Mum, just not adjusting to the different routine that quickly," Natalie was appalled when another yawn stopped her again.

"Alright, that's enough, Little Bee," her father said. "Sam, does she have as anything she needs to be up for?"

"No, they are still setting up schedules," Sam said. "They are relying on the simulation cubes, they gave out last night, to keep the teenagers busy for the day."

"Good then off to sleep, Natalie." Dad ordered.

Natalie knew better then to disobey her father when he used that tone of voice, secretly she was relieved. The excitement of showing her parents the simulation, had sapped what little energy she had left. She hugged them goodbye and left the simulation, it wasn't long before she was asleep again.

It was hours later, when Natalie woke again, this time she felt good. Just very hungry, she fixed herself some sandwiches. After eating she used her tiny bathroom for the first time and showered. It took her only twenty minutes to clean her new home.

Getting back into the pod, Natalie entered Freedom, a bit of gaming would be nice. She went directly to the fields. Sam had frozen the game, when she had last been playing. Because of the interruption by the three men, she had just finished two of the fields she recalled. The donkeys would still be attached to the plow, tired dirty and hungry. Just as they had been when she'd had to logout so suddenly.

She found them. Quickly she unharnessed them both, she knew they were just constructs of the game, but she still felt guilty. It felt very wrong to leave an animal in that condition. After seeing to their needs, both donkeys happily eating in their stalls. Natalie went back to the fields, with some grain and began to broadcast the wheat seeds onto the plowed ground.

These two fields would be just for the wheat, tomorrow she would be plowing the other two fields for the oats. Seeding the fields went quickly, now she needed to water it, Natalie went up to the water pump, she started to pump the handle. Watching the water flow down the small channels, she had made to her fields, was soothing.

It took a while, she had to repair a few small sections of her channels, before it was all done. Now that the fields were watered, Natalie looked around, she studied the way the farming area of her Sanctuary was laid out. It had a synergy, from the seedlings beds to the storage shed.

Everything in its order to make things run smoothly, she wasn't silly enough to think she could make her real farm as neat. It did show her, however that she would need to plan carefully, and chose her land just as carefully.

She looked around at everything with new eyes, she loved playing this game because of her Sanctuary. Now she would be doing it for real, she was suddenly very happy, it occurred to her. She had done it. She giggled a bit, she had managed to advance to her own life, away from the direct meddling of unknown people.

Well almost anyway, once she was on that planet, her life would be her own. It wasn't hard work that gave her this chance. It was those same meddling, self important, arrogant fools, she had never seen, who had thrust it onto her. Natalie was laughing loudly now, they had thrown her away, and she was grateful!

"Natalie?" Sam's voice sobered her a bit.

"It's alright, Sam." She said a big smile on her face. "I am happy Sam, for the first time in a long while. This is scary, I'm not sure how it's going to work out, not even sure if I can do everything I have planned. But I'm happy, it's real."