Ophelia Fitzalan<br/>Ticonderoga Assault Ship<br/><br/><br/><br/>“You can’t just send him off like an unwanted puppy, father!” she yelled once again at the unrelenting patriarch of their family, trying to reason with him, begging him to find another solution. She stalked back and forth in front of her intimidating parent. He towered over her 6’2 foot, but she refused to cower.<br/><br/>“You know something has to be done Ophelia” he answered in his typical monotone voice, no emotion whatsoever evident other than annoyance at his youngest daughter’s insistent dissension. This was not an easy choice, but it had to be done.<br/><br/>“We are already overpopulating<i>Lorion </i>and we need to find a solution. This is the only viable one available,” he watched his daugher stomp back and forth, almost wearing a rut in their stone floors with her persistent pacing. “Everyone is sending family on this voyage. The opportunity to start a new colony is an exciting adventure...many are looking forward to relocating, their next home is bound to be a vast improvement.”<br/><br/>“But he’s only 15, da!!!” Ophelia’s desperation causing her to relapse into her childhood form of addressing him.<br/><br/>“I know how old my own son is, daughter!” finally losing his patience with the young woman and shouting back at her. Pulling a long tired breath deep into his lungs, counting to 10 in his head to regain his usual control, he turned to look out the window of their homestead.<br/><br/>He was proud of their home, it was practical and fulfilled their needs. With two levels, all the sleeping rooms where on the top floor while all the common areas were situated on the ground floor. Outside the environment fought their every attempt at taming it. Almost a century ago, when the settlement had first arrived from earth, haggard and exhausted from the endless space journey, they had hoped<i>Lorion </i>was the answer to all their needs. After the first 20 years they had created a comfortable home, but they hadn’t been as successful as they hoped to be.<br/><br/>Growing crops on<i>Lorion </i>was a long and difficult task. And 80 years later they were already feeling the effects of overpopulation. Unless a new technology was found to terfarorm their home, a new law with birth restrictions was going to have to be put into place. For now, they had contacted a Colonization Foundation to send a portion of their settlement to a new planet. Hopefully...a better one.<br/><br/>Turning back towards his 21 year old child, he watched her frantic movements, her long white blond hair cascading down her back, unbraided and untamed. Since the death of the children's mother 10 years ago, she had been both sister and mother to her younger sibling. He had known she would find the boy's departure difficult but had hoped for a modicum of acceptance. Her pale blue eyes met his slate grey ones, matching him in stubbornness and determination but with years of experience, he easily stared her down, refusing to give an inch. He knew that she knew and understood the reasoning behind the relocation, she just didn’t want to lose her baby brother.<br/><br/>Slender shoulders dropped in a huff of breath and defeat, Ophelia suddenly looked the mere 5’5 feet she stood high. “Fine,” she muttered absentmindedly while her thoughts took off in 100 other directions now that the decision was final. “Than I’m going with him…” she stated and meet her father’s eyes once again, finally recognizing the sadness hidden deep within, as he nodded his agreement.<br/><br/>*****************************************************************<br/><br/>“Have you seen these Philly?!?!” her younger brother’s voice as excited now, three months into their journey, as he was the first day they stepped from a large tin can that transported them off Lorian, into an enormous tin can that propelled them through vastness of space. She smiled patiently, hiding the homesickness she was feeling and watching as he showed her yet another game on the glass terminal found in the recreation area.<br/><br/>Ophelia could always find her brother. He would either be here with the other younger boys  playing games, or they were all pigging out in the mess hall. She on the other hand, could barely eat. The constant rotation of the ship was devastating her stomach. Before this torturous trip she had impressed more than one grown man with her ability to match their appetit. At the moment, she was lucky to get through half a ration during meal times.<br/><br/>“Uh huh..” she replied absently to his enthusiastic chatter. He never really noticed if she were paying attention or not, his grey eyes glued to the game while his fingers moved across the play-board faster than she could follow.<br/><br/>Looking around at her fellow travellers, she was a little worried. Being one of the few younger single women making the journey, she realized the problems that might arise in the near future. Most of the colonists were couples with no children, younger men or older retired couples. If it had only been their group from Lorian colonizing this new planet, she would be a lot more worried, but the foundation had explained they were only one of several large groups making this voyage. It was exciting...but it also gave Ophelia nightmares.<br/><br/>*****************************************************************<br/><br/><i>Screeching alarms and lights blinking on and off… <b>FLASH</b><br/>
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Shouting and trying to hold onto her brother Cynric as they were dragged from their tiny room…<b>FLASH</b><br/>
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People trampling each other, the sour stench of fear overpowering everything…<b>FLASH</b><br/>
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Military shouting orders, a large hand bruising her arm painfully…<b>FLASH</b><br/>
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The cries of children screaming in fear as they are locked into small metallic pods…<b>FLASH</b><br/>
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Her own whimpers echoing within the enclosed walls, until she hears and feels liquid filling the chamber…<b>FLASH</b><br/>
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Screaming over and over, her throat raw, the ice cold liquid slowly closing in around her trembling body….<b>FLASH</b><br/>
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Choking and coughing as the thick, foul tasting liquid fills her lungs, they were killing them all!!... <b>FLASH</b></i><br/><br/>Her last panicked thought, an image of her brother, hoping his death was less painful than hers. Everything slowly went dark as her body shut down. Her long platinum strands creating a silky cocoon around her head, all signs of life vanishing from her eyes.<br/><br/>*****************************************************************<br/><br/>In a dark room, filled with a graveyard of stasis pods and human remains, one endures. The shiny metal pod holds a young woman, trapped just as much in her memories as she is within the thick yellow liquid.