Nanny For The Alien Lord

Chapter 1

Ferryn

         An explosion of green – emerald, kelly, olive, sage – erupts all around me. Instantly, the air is filled with the screeches of animals, punctuated by the crunch of leaves as bugs nosh their way through the lush buffet of leaves and shoots.

         “Too much,” I mutter, hitting the well-worn button. Before I finish blinking, the forest has disappeared, erased in a blip of hologram nothingness.

         “How about this?” I ask no one, setting up a new combination. All around me, vines tangle, swampy grasses bloom. The croak of creatures who make their lives in the murky damp fills my ears.

         “Nope.” I click the button once more.

         Nothing envelopes me. Well, not entirely nothing. But the bland and somewhat desolate grounds of Taykett Estate, my family’s ancestral home.

         Sitting on a dilapidated bench, I have a good view of what used to be a fine stately home. With its broad façade and sloping roof, it was the envy of the elite of the wealthy Kiphians here in the Cloud Kingdom.

         Though far from Sonis, the capital, an invitation to Taykett’s many social events (so I’ve been told) was much sought after and ensured one’s place in high Kiphian society.

         But that was before my time. Before my mother died and my father became a doddering infant in need of constant care. Before my brother took over the family business (such as it was) and the money just kept disappearing.

         Long before I, bored out of my mind, stepped out of the decaying house to play with the ‘ness generator. Here in the Cloud Kingdom, we don’t have any natural habitats. Everything is created by the cloud system that keeps us aloft in the air (above the other kingdoms and the surface of the planet) lives in one hue and texture: soft, gray-white clouds.

         As such, our ness generators have the technology to create any holographic environment we choose. Animals, flora and fungi from all over the planet have been programmed in the device.

         If only I could find one that would alleviate this boredom, I think to myself. But I know there is no technology for that. Not yet at least.

         As the youngest son in a family that now only clings to social standing and fortune, I have very little to actually do. My days are one continuous string of checking to see father is still breathing and…not much else.

         I’ve never learned a trade (the males in my family would never do such a thing), I can’t join the security forces or the elite workers who maintain the cloud apparatuses or even manage this estate.

         I am a glorified gatekeeper to a house that is crumbling before me – too big and unwieldy to repair. Even if we had the money (which we don’t), the house needs constant attention. Once my father’s health went downward, it really accelerated.

         So now I sit – trying to hide its flaws with fake trees and flowers.

         There’s a metaphor there I’m not going to think about.

         The family tried to glorify my job. My older brother, Brel, tried to talk it up that I was the one to keep my father alive. “Tend to his every wish. Make him comfortable.”

         At the time, I believed him. Keeping the patriarch alive seems like a very important task. But when the nurses and aides swooped in, my actual job shrunk to that of being a manager. Just making sure they showed up. That they fed, clothed and washed my father.

         It was quickly apparent they were much more qualified for the job. My father is not an easy man so I was ashamed to even admit I was glad I could hand over those duties.

         The problem is…what do I do now?

         Yes, Ferryn, what exactly is your purpose?

         Right now, it’s simply to hang on. Brel says he has it in hand, that he’s working hard to put our family back on sound financial footing. And, with time, restore Taykett to its former glory.

         My father believes in my loud, confident brother and I know I should too. I want to. He’s been groomed all his life to take over the family affairs and he certainly acts the part.

         I just wish he’d hurry up and do it already. I feel like I have a life to start. Having no idea what that life is only part of the problem.

         The part I really need to solve.

         Letting the ness generator sink into my lap, I look around me. The house is sagging in one corner, the steps are crumbling, and the windows look loose in their casements. Sonis, I know, glitters with the latest technologies. Every corner sparkles and shines. Even the latest news of opening up the kingdom to outsiders has only made the city more advanced, more cutting-edge.

         And here I sit, part of a family hanging on to the traditions of old. With an old house to boot.

         Brel will figure it out. Just hang on.

         At this point, what other choice do I have? At least the air out here feels clean and new. Everything in the house smells of decay and reverie. I had to get outside for a bit. The ness generator seemed as good a distraction as any.

         Suddenly, a roiling boom shatters my day dreaming. It’s not overly loud but I can tell its the sign of something to come. Looking to my left, I see the clouds (always present here) turn an ugly purple-bruise color.

         I know what that means. A storm will be here any minute. Lashing rain, howling winds and ear-splitting thunder. Taykett will sway and leak and groan. It was not made for such things and is even less equipped to handle them now.

         These storms are new to the Kingdom. We could always count on the same steady clouds with dappled light streaming through. All highly controlled and predictable.

         Much like my family’s hey-days.

         Seems like change isn’t necessarily always a good thing.

         Sharp rain tears at my skin and I know I need to get inside to shore up the house as best as I can. There will be leaks for sure.

Running inside, I take one last look at the approaching storm. Scattered, chaotic, irrational. I turn my back to it. One more thing I can’t control.