Bamarren years (English Version)

See you again:

At 5:30 in the morning the wake-up call was started and each student had to get up and prepare for class. Some got out of bed quickly, while others struggled at this early hour. Most made their first stop at the bathroom and brushed their teeth before donning their uniforms and rushing to breakfast.

Charlotte and Korinas, on the other hand, decided to take a shower together and shared a shower cubicle for two. The newly-made lovers enjoyed the warm shower. But the two couldn't take too much time either, because they wanted to be on time for breakfast today and strengthen themselves for the day. Although the section didn't have any classes today, there was still one important thing to do: the intermediate exams.

Some showered before brushing their teeth, some after. Charlotte usually brushed her teeth after showering. Korinas, on the other hand, cleaned her in the shower. Then the students in the section put on their uniforms, either chatted with classmates or hurried to breakfast to be able to chat with each other afterwards. Afterwards, breakfast was held in the dining room. There, the respective sections sat down together, strengthened themselves for the day and exchanged views on the content of the lessons. Then things got serious: the intermediate exams were coming up. There it finally showed whether the students had done enough and whether the hard work paid off.


After the long and exhausting intermediate exams, the long-awaited lunch came. After the excruciating exertion, the students were just hungry. Charlotte had just started to eat when suddenly the section head's voice rang out: "Three Keisha!" The blond-haired cleared her throat and rose from her seat. She was puzzled and wondered what was so important that they interrupted her meal. "Your call time is about to begin. Go to the appropriate coordinates" ordered her superior. "Yes, ma'am!" Charlotte immediately obeyed and left the dining room. She remembered immediately: today it wasn't just the intermediate exams that took place. But today the students of the second level were finally allowed to communicate with their parents via the comm channel after a long time. In Bamarren, while it was allowed to keep in touch with family through letters, the students were never allowed to leave the school building to visit their families. Not even during the holidays or when there are no classes. Parents and friends outside of Bamarren were also not allowed to visit students. This was by far the greatest sacrifice made by a family-bound Cardassian.
Charlotte entered a room where there was a medium sized screen. When the call time started, an elderly Cardassian's face immediately appeared in front of her: "Hello Daughter" Her mood changed abruptly: "Let us please save on the formalities. I have to be too obedient to protocols and the code of conduct here in this place" "Are we alone?" asked her counterpart. The blond-haired looked around: "Yes, I'm in a tap-proof chamber. no one can hear us" Her father smiled: "Well, if that's the case... have you settled in here in the meantime?" His daughter rolled her eyes: "I wouldn't necessarily call it settled. You get used to everything, including prisons like this one." "Bamarren Institute is not a prison, nildasi." he explained to her. "What difference does it make?" she asked him. "There are high walls around the building, we have no privacy and we are punished for misconduct here." "It's for your own good, Charlotte. Protect, obey and endure. You were taught that from a young age." She finally looked down: "Protect, obey and endure... But then what is left for me?"

After the conversation, Charlotte stormed out of the room, tears streaming from her eyes. After the reunion, she was just down and just wanted to be alone. She decided to hide by the toilets. The relationship with her father is difficult, since she was treated well by him despite her part Bajoran origins, she had to submit to a strict Cardassian upbringing. She was taught absolute obedience from an early age. She should present herself and show how a Cardassian woman should be. She was rarely asked what she really wanted, she should function and respond, that was the main thing. Charlotte stopped as someone approached and stopped in front of her cabin, Gaia's voice called out, "Who is it?" The half-Cardassian said nothing. Ironically, her adversary was standing in front of her cabin. She just hoped that she would disappear as soon as possible and leave her alone. But Gaia did not let up: "Is that you, Gatea? Of course you are. I could tell from your sobs, it's impossible to ignore. Open the door and let me come to you." When there was no reaction, Gaia's voice suddenly changed: "That bad? That's understandable, if the parents are separated then family life is exhausting." Her voice softened: "But I'd rather have an exhausting family life than none at all... That's why I don't expect a call... Why should it? Nobody is interested in me either... Not even my biological parents... Even they weren't interested in me, after all they abandoned me in the forest shortly after my birth." She walked away and left the shared bathroom with a quiet sob. Charlotte took a deep breath and thought: Charlotte was born on Bajor and spent her first two months there, but then her father took her to Cardassia. When the coast was clear and she had calmed down a bit, Charlotte also left the shared bathroom and decided to retire somewhere else to be able to process everything in peace.

She shifted in her chair jitterily, it had been a long time since Korinas had last seen her mother. A lot had definitely happened in the last few years. Then it was finally time. Her mother's face appeared on the screen: "Korinas!" "Mother!" "How's my girl?" "I'm fine, mother" "How is Corbin?" she asked Korinas. "He's doing excellent. He's still one of the best students," her daughter reported succinctly. "And a heartthrob to boot," her mother said with a beaming smile. "In his letters he always mentions his Charlotte" Korinas had to be really careful not to burst out laughing when she found out that her brother didn't mention the breakup in the letters and that Charlotte was now Korina's girlfriend: "So, so" "How about you?" asked her counterpart finally. "Found a man yet?" "Mother!" "What?" she asked. "I would like to know" Korinas was silent: Should she really say Corbin broke up and Charlotte was now with her? Should she tell the truth or uphold Corbin's lie? Her mother's face suddenly darkened: "Hopefully you've put this youthful sin behind you." "But..." But she couldn't finish because she was interrupted: "No arguments. It's okay to make mistakes. I've made mistakes too. I was about your age when I kissed a classmate of mine. Luckily I got my senses and I met your father." "I...I have a boyfriend," Korinas lied. The mood of her counterpart changed: "I'm glad to hear that. What's the name of the young man?" Korinas went through all the names of male students and finally found one: "Alon"

Alon entered the gardens the whole day he was looking for his younger sister, but she just couldn't be found. He knew her well and knew when he couldn't find her that there was only one place she could be. He fought his way through the thicket and finally found her: Charlotte was sitting huddled on the ground and staring into space. She didn't even turn around when Alon approached her. "How was the conversation with father?" he asked curiously. But his sister blocked: "Don't want to talk about it" He sat down next to her: "That bad?" "I don't want to talk about it" "Guess..." Alon began. "You're mad at him for sending you here" The blond-haired woman was surprised: "How..." "Because I was the last time I spoke to him," he replied. "Why is he doing this to us?" she asked. "Because it's for our good," her brother explained. But Charlotte doesn't want to hear anything more about it, she got up annoyed: "You're still defending him"

Corbin used the time he had left to go through his class. In the meantime he was the only student in the archive, the rest stayed in the corridors or sections. Sometimes he just needed some time to himself to relax from the stresses of everyday life. Life in Bamarren was hard and tiring as were the classes. Korinas approached him: "You still write to our parents that you are with Charlotte?" "Yes, after all it would not be nice if our parents found out the truth," he replied. "And as soon as we are from Bamarren, you have to tell them that you are no longer with her," she stated afterwards. "I don't have to," he says. "I can continue to expand on this and no one will suspect that Charlotte is actually dating you" His younger sister crossed her arms: "Well, I'm curious"