| Date & Time: | 04, 0903 |
| Location: | Bancroft Quarters |
| Written By: | Allyson Bancroft Katelynn Bancroft |
| Post Date: | 02/21/2026 |
| Episode: | Ep. 1 – Fool’s Errand |
Katelynn sat on the edge of her bed with a PADD in her hand. The twelve-year-old was reading a book quietly. She was aware of the communications network being active again, but the girl didn’t feel like talking to her friends from the ship her parents had been on board previously. She had a number of friends on the ship, and some friends that had moved to Earth as well.
She was also already close to making at least one friend on the station. Katelynn realized just how easy it was to make friends shortly after she’d met Charlotte three days ago. The twelve-year-old was certain she’d gotten away with going to the promenade rather than staying in the quarters assigned to her family. Then, Katelynn had heard a rumor that eventually a school would be starting up on the station. She simply didn’t know who was going to be teaching.
Allyson entered the quarters to find her daughter sitting on her bed reading a book. The young woman stepped into the room after knocking on the bulkhead, then she sat down on the edge of her daughter’s bed before the girl could respond to her presence. “What are you up to Kate?” She asked.
Katelynn had caught sight of her mother out of the corner of her eye, “Just reading my book,” The girl answered. She looked over the edge of the PADD and adjusted how she was seated on the bed. Pulling her feet up so that her knees were bent. “I heard I won’t be doing online schooling this year?” The girl asked.
Allyson nodded, “That’s right sweetheart,” She answered the twelve-year-old. She slipped a little closer to the preteen. “Space on the promenade is being cleared out for a small classroom. You’ll be able to take classes with the other three girls on the station. I heard you’ve already met one of them, Charlotte.”
Katelynn winced, she had incorrectly assumed she’d gotten away with it. Clearly her mother was far too smart for Kate to get away with anything on the station. “Yeah,” She answered then felt her cheeks turning bright pink. “Sorry Mom, I felt cramped and wanted to stretch my legs. I ran into her on the promenade a few days ago.”
Allyson was thankful that her daughter had admitted to what she’d done, it certainly made things a lot easier. “In the future can you please listen to your Dad and me? We’re trying to keep you safe and sometimes you can’t wander around the station. I know it’s a lot bigger than the Eisenhower was, but still.”
Katelynn nodded her head slowly, “I understand Mom,” She answered. “Am I grounded?”
Allyson shook her head, “I’m not going to ground you, but please consider this as a warning. Don’t do it again okay?”
Katelynn nodded a second time, “I won’t.” She answered then she turned her attention onto the thing her mother had mentioned. There was going to be a school on the station, “I haven’t heard who’s going to be the teacher down there.” She tilted her head and placed the PADD next to her as the screen switched off after saving her progress. “Have you heard anything?”
Allyson rubbed the back of her head, “Well, perhaps I should explain why you’re not getting a punishment. I’m the teacher that’ll be running the class,” She answered her daughter. “There’s not much need for an archaeologist here on the station. Your Dad asked the Captain about me running a school and he was on board with it.”
Katelynn tried her best to smile warmly, and accept what her mother had just told her. But, deep down the child was horrified to hear that. The twelve-year-old’s mind started to spin in circles as she thought about what her mother had just said. It took her a moment to resist the temptation to groan and roll over on the bed. “Okay Mom,” She answered.
==The entity had wandered through much of the station before the conversation between the two mortals had caught its attention. It wasn’t so much as the conversation itself that had caught its attention, but rather who was having the conversation in the first place. The entity recognized the smaller mortal as one of the two from earlier.
Now this female mortal was having a conversation with a near-identical copy of herself. The entity was curious, especially when it heard the term Mom issued by the younger mortal. This was a curious thing for the entity. Was this how these mortals reproduced? This was the source of the smaller mortal certainly. So for now, it remained hidden as it listened to the two of them communicating.==
Allyson tilted her head slightly, “Are you not excited about this?” She asked her daughter. Allyson already knew the answer to the question. Or, at least she assumed she knew the answer to the question from her daughter.
Katelynn was not excited about this, she felt like her mother was just trying to involve herself into Katelynn’s life in extra ways. She tried her best to smile, though it was a rather weak smile at best or at worst. “Yeah Mom, I’m super excited.” She leaned forward and hugged her mother tightly.
Allyson smiled relieved that her daughter was excited for this. Part of Allyson wondered if she was smothering her preteen just a little bit. But, the reaction seemed to be different than expected. Allyson returned the hug then released her grip on the twelve-year-old. “Good,” She answered. “Class starts in two days. It’s better than online I hope,” Allyson said.
Katelynn continued to smile as her brain screamed at her. Katelynn was simply too concerned about hurting her mother’s feelings to be open and honest. She pushed the thoughts out of her brain and mentally thought about how she was going to tell Charlotte. “I can’t wait,” She answered. Katelynn was looking forward to the school part. Just, not the part about her mother teaching it.
==The entity continued to watch and listen, seeing the physical touch between the two was confusing. The entity could sense that the younger mortal was not that loving with the hug, but it couldn’t quite figure out what the purpose of that line of affection really was all about. It had learned a lot in the exchange.
The bigger mortals had romantic feelings for other mortals that were around the same size. Though, the female mortals were slightly smaller. Then the bigger mortals did something to make the smaller mortals. Though, it was at a loss for what exactly that action was. It finally slipped away and through the hull of the station leaving mother and daughter alone.==
“Good,” Allyson answered then she patted her daughter on the shoulder after Allyson had stood up. “I’ll leave you alone so you can continue reading your book.” She leaned down and kissed the twelve-year-old on the top of the head. “I love you.”
“I love you too Mom,” Katelynn responded sweetly before picking up the book. But, the truth of the matter at this point was, she couldn’t concentrate on the book anymore. Instead her focus was almost entirely on the conversation she’d just had. Katelynn stared at the bulkhead next to her bed, her mother would be teaching her. Katelynn swallowed, would she ever escape her mother? Katelynn felt as if the answer to that was no.