Obey and die.

[Xing]

8 years ago

California Minor

While officially property of Planetform corporation, in a terraforming process, California Minor has long since been inhabited, and within the last centuries, the first colonial settlements became village, which in turn became cities. But that was it.
The planet was incredibly boring for an outsider, and cold. In all the good term of the words, it was a backward, backwater planet within Liberty.

Yet, it's population, mostly made up of the canadian ancestrors of the Old Earth, strived on the little planet. Mining operation was a good business around, ensuring the economic viability of the place. Important pocket of deuterium were also found in the ground, enough to produce a self-sufficient amount of H-Fuel for the planet's need (though not enough to exportation).
In this cold, northern planet in a southern system, things were calm. People had jobs, were healthy, strong. They weren't the bored, lazy citizens of Manhattan, sitting all day long in front of a TV screen. California Minor required you to work for your very survival everyday: violent snow storm could simply bury your home under 10 metres of snow if you didn't took attention. This kind of event hapenned at least every few weeks.
Transportation was often restricted, the powerful wind of the storms made the flight of shuttles extremely hard, and the planet only had 2 star ports, often very far away from local cities and villages. Long trips by the land were necesary to bring the supplies...
Yes, despite it becoming more civilised every years, California Minor still had the feel of a colonial planet.

The younger generation, at the age of 16, like Isabelle herself, didn't really strived on the place. Sure, skiing down the various mountains of snow was an entertaining activity few on the other worlds of the Liberty Republic could claim to have access everyday. But, when you've been doing that since childhood, and know of a wonderful world of light, technology, soft climate, exotic foreigners, just a planet away...
Few really wanted to stay on the poorly-populated planet. They have become strangers to their own home, finding it incredibly boring and too cold and harsh to live on the rest of their life, at the dismay of their parents. Sure, the mining operations were very profitable. Most of them would become future owner of a mine, or become a well paid miner, but what was money without fun?
And, the damned planet nearly just had that. Mining.

Oh, and a few other jobs around.
The younger Isabelle Kaitlynn looked with boredom through the viewports of the school shuttle heading her back home, and saw the immense planetary base of L-9. The thing looked like a huge stadium like construction, half burried in the snow. Around, military crafts were moving to their business, while the shadows of a few men in formation could be seen doing exercises outside.
She smiled, a bit perverse. Among the few distractions of the younger female generation of the planet, watching the military boys going around was certainly a popular one. L-9, along with L-4 and L-15, were three planetary bases of the Liberty army on the planet, created especially to train the local militia forces into some of the best land troopers of Liberty. Since everyone on California Minor already lived daily in a harsh environment, no need to say it was a good choice to begin the formation of elite squadrons there.

The shuttle landed finally a few minutes later near a beautiful 2 stories house. It was probably the most beautiful house of the little miing village, and quite understandable: it was the Kaitlynn's mansion, and Elizabeth Kaitlynn, Isabelle' mother, was the CEO of a powerful mining operation on planet, whiler Jhon Kaitlynn, Isabelle's father, was a respected libertonian fleet admiral with his share of combat. A decent income meant a very decent house indeed.
Not so decent the relationship of mother-daughter, though...

And they often passed months alone together, since Jhon Kaitlynn was often away somewhere else in Liberty, commanding his fleet and attending to meetings with the libertonian high command.

Being alone with her mother in the house nearly came to being alone. They barely talked to each other. Elizabeth never showed any form of love to her daughter, other than through a harsh education to keep her in excellent academic grades. As such, Isabelle mostly hated her mother, even though her maturity now told her it was only for her own welfare.
Se dropped her backpack on her bed, upstair, and went to the kitchen, getting something to eat. While doing so, she peeked in the room of Elizabeth, finding her not too surprisingly in front of her computer unit, working on business. If the woman saw her, she didn't made any sign of, and continued diligently her work. Isabelle sighed as she went away.

She could only hope someday, her mother would realise she had a daughter that could love her...
if only she took notice of her presence...!

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