Unholy Star, Beyond Faith

Birthday Girl

[on the al Danni, Fortress Class Amaran Starship in transit to an atmospheric cloud in the Winnecke 4 system]

Sen awoke a twelve-year-old. That omnipotent second in which time is delegated from yesterday to today had passed silently in her sleep. Without moving from a cozy position in the luxurious bed that the Amarans had provided her, she forced her eyes open and focused on the pattern that covered the wall, I'm twelve, she thought, but what has really changed? I have the same skin, the same mind, and yet today everything is different.

She pushed herself up from the large, fluffy feather pillow and sat upright, a small spherical hygiene routine hovered up from its position beside the bed and floated beside Sen's head. She stuck her chin up as the automata routine moved to her face and puffed a gentle jet of steam onto her sleepy skin. It ejected a small dry towel that was positioned and dropped onto the girl's face by two small pincer arms. Sen took the warmed cloth and wiped her face vigorously noticing the pleasant, pungent-sweet scent of roses. She dropped the towel to her side and opened her mouth for a squirt of peppermint mouth cleaner from one the small robot arms. The routine then buzzed up above the rejuvenated girl and hovered over her head. Hundreds of tiny micro-fields were deployed to massage her scalp and tend to her long chestnut hair.

Sen rolled out of bed and stood as another larger routine hovered up. It invited her to crouch-sit on it so it could take care of her toilet and provide a change of undergarments.

When done, a third routine was waiting. It held up an Ammaran style robe that would be Sen's costume for the day, as she thought of it. As the robot tied the sash around her waist, the first routine ceased its attention to her head and floated away. Sen reached up to feel what must have been an impressive hair style. Routine three confirmed this by projecting a quarter-sized model of Sen into the air before her. Her hair appeared as a pyramid of small shiny balls each piled on top of the other. Wow, she thought, in awe of the attention that the robots had provided her. This was the third morning on board al Dahni, and she hoped this princess treatment would last forever.

She felt good when her attendant tutor and stellar lord, Xe'ed, entered her living quarters and sexclaimed, "WOW! You look stunning!",  and continued with a bow, "Happy birthday Senniella and welcome to the Ethnaa Aashar."

"Morning Xe'ed. So that's it? I'm one of the twelve now?"

"Yes, that is it." She confirmed standing upright with a grin, "Were you expecting more? A grand ceremony or some such?"

"Na, that's okay. I mean, I'm here to learn right? Not to be a peacock."

"You are indeed a wise and intelligent girl worthy of this noble position. Now, are you hungry?"

Sen nodded vigorously; she had learned that the morning spread of the Ammaran's was the main meal of the day, and the food was like nothing else she had experienced. Her favorite item, she had discovered, was a sweet icy food called ice cream that came from an ancient animal called cow.