Zac was checking his email, and nearly fell off his chair in surprise. In the course of deleting spam from his inbox, he came across one from a sender he recognised instantly, although he'd never seen the email address before.
The name was "Sari-Lyka".
After taking a moment to recover from the shock, he click on the message, and it popped up in a new window:
Dear Zac,
It is Sari-Lyka writing to you. I hope this letter finds you well.
I appologise for not writing sooner. Oliver has tried numerous times to get me to write to you: I'm afraid I was a little embarrassed to admit the reason for my lack of communication. I used to thing my English was flawless, until we came to the station last year, and was forced to reassess my abilities due the to lingual shift that had occured in the meantime. Additionally, I had never actually learnt to write English words. I did not deem it as important as most communication on the ship was done verbally or telepathically. Thus I have been working hard to learn new skills and correct the situation.
Zac raised his eyebrows. So that's why she never emailed him before.
I have always been disappointed that we never got to know each other before our wedding day, and moreso that we never got to know each other better afterwards. I feel that it is important that husbands and wives are at least friends with each other.
"Get no arguments from me," Zac said to himself.
I am also certain that you would like to know your son, Tranno-Zirran. He is growing up into a fine boy, and is already displaying his Dathrian Specialty power! I am cure you'll be delighted to know that it is shapeshifting, which will give him the unique privlage of being one of the few Adigien-bloods able to venture on the Surface. At first we thought that his ability to adapt was highly volitile, although the existance of Adige DNA should have been sufficient to anchor him to the Adigian shape. Imagine my delight when I learnt the truth!
My excitement over Tranno-Zirran's abilities only increased just the other day when I found out that he is being put on the short list for Community Service training.
Community Service training?
Just in case you don't know what that is
"Which I don't," Zac commented.
our leaders, diplomats and judges are chosen when they are young. We consider our leaders, diplomats and judges to be servants of the people - a great privlage, responsibility and honour. Our children go through rigorous training to fulfill these roles, and no role is easily earned, nor whimsically bestowed.
I know that some Dathrians can get upset about predetermining a child's life, and I will assure you that there will be no pressure on Tranno-Zirran to earn any of these roles. When he is of age, he may decide at any time to discontinue his training. Additionally, there is no shame on any child who drops out, or does not earn a role. In any case, there are not always openings available, so the likelyhood of not earning the role of leader, diplomat or judge is more likely than not.
Just going to the school is enough to bestow higher social standing, on both individual and family. Some positions are given based on current social standing, some are bought, and some - as in Tranno-Zirran's case - are given based on ability. It will be sometime before I find out whether he has made it into the school, but family and friends agree that his success is "in the bag".
Zac grinned.
Normally ability takes longer to become apparent, so Tranno-Zirran has the additional privlage of being one of the youngest ability-based children on the short-list, if not the youngest.
I sincerely hope that he will have the opportunity to get to know you. Perhaps even visit. I also hope that you will be able to attend the entrance ceremony when his acceptance becomes official.
"I'd like that," Zac said softly.
He continued reading her letter, and for the first time in their marriage, such as it was, felt like he was finally getting to know his wife. She talked about how her father was looking into possibilities for her second husband (a tradition, apparently, for the father to choose his daughters' first two husbands, and the mother to choose her sons' first two wives), and was looking forward to her third marriage. She had someone in mind, whom she loved dearly. Unfortunately, her father felt that he was an unworthy match, so wait she must.
Sari-Lyka chatted about her hobbies and living on the station. Zac got the impression that she was envious of the humans, mutants, Daths and Sem who all got to go down to the planet, while she was stuck in space. And for the first time since the Adigiens arrived, Zac actually regretted not going to the station all that often. He didn't really like his rapid changing into an Adige thing, and he was certain he never would, but for once he actually felt that he could deal with it.
He read her letter through thrice, and then composed a reply.