Title: Eyes of a Child
Author: Jewels
Email: jhantor@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: Gene Roddenberry's Earth: Final Conflict are copyright Tribune Entertainment Company and the show is produced by Roddenberry/Kirshner Productions.

On my ninth birthday, I got to meet a Taelon.

Mama didn't seem very happy about that. She's always saying Be friendly and meet new people, but then she says Don't talk to strangers. Mama and Papa can be very strange sometimes.

Like with the old school. The Teacher like the Taelons. She talked about them all the time, said they were lovely, and pretty and kind and nice. She said they did lots of good things for us. But when I told Papa about it, he got very cross. He went to the headteacher and I heard him as he started shouting about in-doctor-ation. I don't know why he did. The Teacher never talked about Doctors. Then I got moved to the New School. I had new friends and teachers, and none of them talked about the Taelons.

I liked my Old School better.

It was my ninth birthday, and I got a cake with eleven candles on it. Nine for my age, one for good luck and one for growing. The New School had a stupid game where the birthday girl got to stand in front of the class and have her hair pulled on nine times. Not fun. The teacher was always too rough.

Jenn wanted to take me to a new play place for my birthday. I like Jenn. She talks about the Taelons all the time, and even wears a glittery outfit like them. She says she's a volunteer for something. I don't know what it's a volunteer for, but I know I'd like to do it. I'd like to volunteer to work for the Taelons. They're so pretty... and sparkly whenever they're on the screen.

Mama and Papa didn't like the idea. They kept saying the play place was pro-pin... propergan... well, I don't know what they were saying, but they didn't want me to go there.

Jenn took me anyway. I like Jenn.

It was new. Everything smelt funny like it does whenever Mama gets new carpet. But it was blue and silver and sparkly, and there were sounds that sounded just like breeze in leaves, but sounded like words. There were strange glowing lights all over the place. So pretty.

"That your sister, Jenn?" I could hear one of the grown ups, a man, speaking to Jenn behind me while I stared at the lights.

"Yes, Major." Jenn said. She never used that voice with me. For me her voice was soft, and full of laughter. Now her voice had sharp edges and sounded hard. "I was honoured that Zo'or asked me to bring her."

The man made a non-commital sound. "Yes. I suppose you should feel proud that your sister was selected."

"My family always knew she was bright, sir."

Zor? He wasn't here. I would have seen him. But Dan was. Except he's not really called Dan. It's something funny just like it.

And he was looking at me.

I carefully put down the funny shaped blue toy that glowed when bits of it were pressed, and looked up at him. "Hello." I said, grinning at him. He looked nice. His clothing was all sparkly, and he looked a bit like Grandpa did when all his hair went away. Except Dan had bigger ears.

He looked at me for a moment. The teacher did that, when I solved a puzzle on her desk. And when I did better than the other kids on my test. And when I did that very big jigsaw in just one day.

"You like this place?" he asked.

"Nice toys." I said, waving the toy in his direction, pressing the panels as they glowed. It took my attention away for a moment, trying to see what the toy did. After a moment, it lit up brightly, sparkling and shimmering at me. I giggled.

"They see only the surface." I heard the Major man say to Dan. "Only what's here. They don't know why they're here. Taelon education facility." He sounded like Mama after Papa had done something bad with one of the ladies he worked with. Hard voice. Mean.

"I know Liam." Dan said. "But they are not being harmed. And they do not know." He paused. "Would that we all see things with the innocence of the eyes of a child."

On my ninth birthday, I met a Taelon. I knew I was going to like playing with the things they gave me.

-End