Bamarren years (English Version)

Lost pieces of the mosaik:

When Charlotte looked at herself in the mirror, she immediately noticed that she was clearly different from her conspecifics: Her ridges were much less pronounced, her hair was a little shorter and sandy-colored. Then there were the deep ridges on her nose and the fine freckles.

Charlotte didn't like going out of the house. Not only was she stared at in public, and then she had to listen comments like: "Your father hadn't had himself under control and betrayed her wife." "Sark!" (Which in Kardasi means something like: Alien, outsider). For this reason, Charlotte preferred to stay in the house. At home, however, she was fully accepted by her father and half-brother Alon. They ignore their deep ridges on the nose and their far too weakly pronounced neck, they put their focus much more on their Cardassian physiology and the rest was simply ignored. Despite the radical circumstances, she loved Cardassia Prime more than anything.

"A new school?" asked Charlotte. "I'm getting private lessons from Lady Raslak. Why do I have to leave my home?" Carat, her father leaned down a little to stand at eye level: "This is not just any school, this is a very upscale institute that only particularly selected citizens of Cardassia are allowed to attend. Like your brother, you are not happy to go to the same school with Alon? "

Charlotte looked away and looked out the window. "I just don't know what I could learn in Bamarren which I could already cover it with private lessons""Charlotte, you learn there more than any other average Cardassian ..."But he got no further, because he was interrupted by his daughter: "Father, why should I go to this school? You know that for a very specific reason we decided to take private lessons. I don't want to get bullied anymore""There is a new pilot project at this institute," continued her father. "Instead of the nine years of training, you only have to complete three of them"

And now the time had come, a few days later the half-Cardassian sat in a shuttle and traveled to the institute. Before leaving, she was only told that she did not need to pack a lot of belongings, because at the institute she would get what she needed.The institute was located in the Mekar wilderness, far from civilization. The climate there was hot, dry and dusty and at some times of the day it turned out to be a challenge to lead a reasonably comfortable life there.But Charlotte was expecting the next three years to be anything but relaxed. Institutes on Cardassia Prime were looking for benefits, not convenience. The environmental conditions and curriculum were selected accordingly.The building exuded a steely hardness from the outside. The institute was large, dark gray, and had a huge wall with a gate.That could pass as a prison! She thought to herself and swallowed.

This hardness was also maintained inside. The entire corridors were kept in the same gray as the exterior facade. Charlotte and the other newcomers didn't have time to look around. Because immediately they were received by the first prefect, who gave a short monologue on "the spirit of the school" and compared the new ones with lost pieces of the mosaic of the Cardassian society. Then he gave a short talk about the special project.

Usually only thoroughbred and specially selected Cardassians were allowed to enjoy this type of education. But this year should also make it possible for those who have previously fallen through. Either the physical fitness was not right or the bone density was too low or it simply failed because of the genetics or financial resources. The implementation process was pretty quick. The students were assigned numbers and the appropriate group. Charlotte was seven and was in the Keisha group so her name was no longer Charlotte Ghemor, it was Keisha Seven. The real names and wearing of personal clothing were strictly forbidden. All that remained was the new "name", the orientation chip and the new uniform (swamp green and black).

Charlotte and her nine other roommates moved to their new quarters, which were just as sparsely furnished: ten narrow beds and each student was assigned an additional private compartment. Some of her new roommates, however, were a bit more exotic. Most of them looked like normal Cardassians at first sight. But two other girls were just like her: They were a hybrid of Cardassians, Bajorans, and one of them was even human. She was really, really relieved to learn that she wasn't the only one who's a mixed breed.

Dinner was coming up soon and Charlotte was able to talk to the other two hybrids and get to know them a little. The other girl, who was also a mix of Bajoran and Cardassian, her designation Eight Keisha, turned out to be unsympathetic and not exactly talkative. Nine (half human and half Cardassian), on the other hand, was very eloquent and both got into a conversation very quickly. She almost told her life story. Nine grew up on the Cardassian border but over time she decided to move to her father in Cardassia Prime. Like Charlotte, she had difficulty finding her way in Cardassian society. She was amazed that she wasn't the only mixed breed.

After dinner, the group moved back to their quarters to study the rules and the schedule that will come into effect the next day. Then in the late evening the lights went out and it was night's sleep. Charlotte was still a little awake in her bed and had trouble falling asleep. From one day to the next she no longer lived in what she knew at home, now this was her new home. After half an eternity, she too found sleep and her eyes closed.