Nanny For The Alien Prince

Chapter 1

Talok

         The light, like all days, is the same. Bright, slightly filtered as if run through a sieve. Clean and comforting. Much like everything here in Sonis. Predictable, designed to be unwavering in its sameness.

         Antiseptic, I think.

         Quickening my pace, I make a concerted effort to banish these little voices. They are not helpful. I have a job to do after all.

         “We saw an anomaly on the daily report, Lord Talok,” Praxis says, always eager to show the rest of my assembled assistants that he’s on top of things.

         We walk, phalanx-like, towards one of the cloud generating stations on the edge of the grand city of Sonis. Situated high in the clouds of Kiphia, the generators work every minute of every day creating the atmospheric (and predictable) cloud cover that keeps our kingdom hidden from the rest of the planet.

         The clouds scramble communications and instruments further hiding our location. It’s my job to maintain these generators and ensure they keep Sonis safely hidden.

         But why?

         That one’s easy: because it’s always been this way. The sixth kingdom of Kiphia, Sonis has no interest in interacting with anyone else. We trade amongst ourselves, stay within ourselves and live within ourselves. If Kiphiane are known for being aloof from the rest of the galaxy then the people of Sonis are aloof from the rest of Kiphia. 

         But….why?

         It has made Sonis a safe and prosperous place. Lately, however, I see some cracks forming in our perfectly manicured surface. Cracks from centuries of staying isolated.

         I have a job to do, though.

         Finally, my head and heart agree. And Praxis is still prattling.

         “…minor outage in G-7834, lasting no more than 4.3 ti’s, but still, enough to be concerning….”

         We tour the generators regularly, ensuring they never stop their vital task. There are fourteen in all, spaced around the outside hub of the city, all working in tandem. Needless to say, it takes a lot of work to keep everything working as it should.

         My assistants do most of the grunt work. I was once one of them, an eager young thing who geeked out on schematics and technical drawings. To be part of the elite Sonis Climatology Unit (SCU) was always my dream. To run it has been nothing short of my life’s dream.

         The young Kiphians that follow me eagerly, their tablets flashing and their eyes keen to pick up on the slightest anomaly excite me less than in years past. I’m not sure why.

         Nevertheless, I treat them well – much more than my predecessor who ruled with an iron fist. I expect them to work hard but I do not treat them poorly. I believe I have their respect in return.

         Finally, we arrive at G-7834, located on the easternmost border of the city. It’s one of the older units but built well and usually gives us no issues.

         As we approach, I can already tell there is something a little off about it. Each unit is nestled in a caging. Residential dwellings and businesses are, by necessity, kept at quite a distance from each generator so as to assure there is no interference and/or tampering.

         It makes each generator a pretty bleak place to visit – alone and isolated, usually at the end of a long Sonis street.

         G-7834 is functioning but I can already see, from the interface screen, that it is glitchy. Small blips in the continually running meter indicate everything is not optimal.

         We gather at the cage and begin to unlock it so as to access the internal controls. I have my heat gauge ID verification at the ready in order to access the admin dashboard when suddenly, the wall of clouds that billow from the generators back thin and part completely.

         Beyond lies the crystal shield of an atmosphere that keeps Sonis insulated from the outside world. In my life, I’ve only seen through the clear shield a handful of times. Clouds always obscure it.

         Today, it seems, is not a typical day.

         Sun, this time unfiltered and unfettered, spills over us and my eyes travel downward to see a lush, green landscape below, dotted with warm browns of what must be real trees.

         The Treetop Kingdom. I know, from my studies of the planet, that it is the closest to us, but I have never seen anything more than glimpses.

         It is truly a beautiful sight. At the very last second, I hold back the gasp that threatens to escape me.

         What must it be like? Beyond all these clouds?

         Apparently, I am the only one who shares this opinion. My assistant, all young and fresh out of school where the dominance and superiority of Sonis is well established, immediately begin to scoff and scorn the sight before them.

         “How base. Look at those ragged trees,” says one.

         “Imagine having to deal with that,” says another.

         Murmurs of assent and other insults swirl around me. At first, I try not to notice but their words and their ignorance soon gets on my nerves.

         They are scientists! Shouldn’t this fascinate them?

         But then I remember our job here: we are charged with keeping ourselves hidden at all times. The irony is not lost on me.

         Still, it would be something to travel there…

         I have to get a hold of myself and this situation. Now.

         “That’s quite enough. Let’s not let our fear of the unknown distract us. Clearly, there is something off here.”

         Instantly, the whispering stops and my assistants fall back into line. They are more than happy to obscure the city again in its cloudy shroud.

         Immediately, they jostle about me, trying to be the first to identify the issue.

         After logging into the interface, I run a diagnostic. Though minor, there are some unusual readings. G-734 is perhaps not as reliable as I once thought.

         Stepping back, I invite the assistants to take a closer look. Some begin to open the back panels, while others run further tests.

         Within moments, they restore the settings and the small window of clarity in the cloud cover restores itself.

         With a small sigh, I watch the Treetop Kingdom below disappear into the blanket of snowy white.

         I set my face of propriety firmly back into place. But my heart isn’t in it.