The boardroom was empty. Just me at the head of the table, dad to my left and Ophelia across the table with a big smile on her face.
"I'm guessing you have zero clue why you're here, huh?" I ask her and her feet kick happily.
"No, ma'am. Just happy to be here!" She says with a giant smile.
"So we tend to water our plants here, keep them nice and safe with plenty of sunlight so they can flourish, grow and flower." I say sweetly and she is on top of the world.
"Strange analogy, Mrs. Callie. But I get what you're saying!" She chirps happily.
"You don't, Ms. Jamie."
Her movements freze solid and her smile vanishes.
"Sorry, I mean Ophelia." I say with the same sweetness with a hint of malice.
"Ma'am?" She says nervously.
I tap the table with a metal finger and a holodisplay pops up.
//PROJECT PERIHELION//
Her skin runs pale and jaw hits the floor with eyes so wide open she could see forever.
"I appreciate you deciding to leave the UEEN to join us. But we got some fucking ground rules here."
She shakes like a leaf in the wind.
"Your 'first shot' squaring dead center on a target was impressive. And really that's when I asked Ravi and Stone to dig around records to find your file. Highly-trained in firearms, never killed somebody because you never saw the reason. Yet you blew that goon away with zero hesitation and perfect accuracy. Why kill now?"
Dad stands up and she still doesn't move.
"I knew I recognized your face. I didn't see you at Cascom for the debriefing with Marlin but golly gee-whiz I didn't know about Ivar's thirteenth kid but I had seen your face around somewhere."
Still nothing as dad walks over and takes her hand, and her arm is limp.
"Callie." He says and I nod with another tap of metal on metal.
The video pops up once more and my stomach turns as I see Ivar's wretched face. He goes on about the programming for the four children directly under his wing and how they are now free of the training as of now, she hits the floor in convulsions and foaming at the mouth.
"Callie?" Jorg says with concern. "CALLIE!"
The convulsions stop and she gurgles in her spit.
"Vitals are good, she's decompressing but stable, papa. Give her a minute."
"H-help..." she whimpers helplessly.
"From here on you are Ophelia, and you're one of us. I was freed from Ivar's shit too so don't think you're alone here." I say with what I can only describe as a heartless love.
"T-thank you m-m-ma'am." She whines as she gets up off the floor.
"Jorg will be training you, your bird dad is long-gone and the other three kids you trained with died LONG ago. Welcome to Motherly Interstellar!"
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