Antarctica
This is one of my earlier full-length stories, from when I was 11 - it's embarrassing in its awfulness, but I put it in here as an example of my evolution XD.
Story and characters © 2001
The door slammed.
Commander Alpho Centor looked up, mildly perplexed. The 53-year-old ruler
of the world had been working on some important documents to send to Pluto.
He smiled at his 17-year-old daughter.
"Yes, Betany?"
"I want my part of the world, NOW!" replied Betany Centor, stormily.
"I've told you, it's only another year before you get some of Delta
Omega."
"I'll keep nagging…" warned the girl.
"Alright, alright…I'll give you Antarctica, then."
"Hmmph. I want more," muttered Betany, shaking out her long brown
hair as she stomped out of the room.
The Commander slumped over his desk, head in hands.
She's growing up so quickly, he thought. Each day he saw more of her mother's
determined, stubborn character in her. And now - he supposed it had been
hard, growing up without a mother, but he'd never stopped to think about
it. Now he realized that he really missed her, too. Megaby had been a
great scientist. 16 years ago, when Betany had just turned one, she had
been offered a 20-year post on Alpha Centauri. They exchanged letters
regularly, but it just wasn't the same…
Alpho shook his head and returned to his documents.
Meanwhile, Betany was watching the boys' swimming competition at the local
swimming pool.
"Emily! Jane! It's me!"
"Well?" asked Emily.
"I got Antarctica," grumbled Betany.
"So? What's wrong with that?" remarked Jane.
"What's wrong with it?" Betany exploded. "Everything's wrong with
it! It's boring, cold, half-melted, and there's hardly anyone THERE!"
"Hey, calm down," soothed Emily. "You're lucky he gave you any
at all."
Betany jerked away.
"What kind of friend are you?" She raged out of the sports complex.
Emily looked at Jane. Jane looked at Emily. Each knew the other's thoughts,
as twins often do.
"What's up with Betany?" they remarked at the same time. They thought
for a moment. Then they hooked pinkies.
"Jinx!"
Betany was thinking. She wanted that world. But her father didn't look
like he was going to give in easily.
I might have to take more drastic measures, she thought.
She really didn't want to hurt anyone, but it was hard to think of a peaceful
way…
Away on Alpha Centauri, a tall woman with the same thick, straight brown
hair and brown eyes as Betany looked at the latest snapshot of her daughter,
from Delta Omega. Megaby hadn't seen the girl since she was a baby. Betany
never wrote. She looked at Alpho's latest letter.
…Betany becomes more and more like
you every day…
She wondered how Alpho was going with the world. It was a busy job, ruling
an entire planet. She hoped Betany wasn't bugging her father too much. Even
as a baby, Betany had been very stubborn, kicking and screaming.
A voice came, interrupting her train of thought.
"Megaby! Where are you? We need you to supervise this experiment!"
Megaby Centor thrust down the letter and photograph on her desk, rushing off
to the next experiment.
Alpho had finished his documents. Now he sat, mulling over his thoughts.
Maybe it's time for me to retire, he thought. He knew his daughter,
or at least he thought he did. She wouldn't stop at anything. She'd
keep nagging and nagging and eventually get the whole world. But he couldn't
give in. Sooner or later she'd have to learn that she couldn't always
have her own way, even if she would inherit the world. He began to wonder
if Betany would really make a good leader. She was intelligent and determined,
but she was too stubborn. A good leader had to be able to work with others.
When Betany made up her mind, she was extremely hard to stop. What if
she had to make a choice and chose the wrong one? No one could get her
to change her mind. Maybe he should adopt another child and train him
or her to rule the world.
It's my fault Betany wouldn't make a world leader, thought the Commander.
I didn't spend enough time with her. I spent too much time on my work.
It was too late now. Maybe Betany's friends were a good influence, though.
Betany spent so much time with those twins, Emily and Jane Starrberst.
They're nice girls, he thought idly. Maybe they'll be good for Betany.
Betany was planning a revenge on her father. She really wanted to rule the world. She knew she was impatient, but she'd been waiting for years. Ever since her first day of primary school, when a friend had said to her, "Your dad is the world ruler, isn't he?" and she had gone home at the end of school and asked him, and was told she'd rule it someday, she'd had dreams. She'd once heard a song about dreams. Never give up, the song had said. Since then, she'd been house captain of her online school in Grade 6, but nothing special.
Betany took out a notebook.
THINGS TO DO:
Nag Dad - get twins to help.
If he doesn't give in-
In her bedroom, Emily Starrberst was thinking about the recent changes
in her friend Betany. She just seemed more agitated lately. She wasn't
the same Betany that Emily had known for eleven years.
A soft knock sounded on the door. Emily's identical twin Jane sneaked in
and closed the door behind her.
"What do you think's happening to her?" asked Emily.
"I dunno. It's just weird. She was fine until a couple of weeks ago.
Then…"
"We'll ask Carla if she can help."
Emily flipped open her personal handheld computer.
"Hello," it said in a mechanical voice. "I
am Carla, your personal computer. I am programmed to help you with everyday
worries and queries."
"Carla," said Jane, "it's about our friend Betany. For a couple
of weeks she's been acting moody and aggressive. Can you help?"
"Any special characteristics?" queried Carla.
"Oh yeah, she's the daughter of the world's ruler. And she's just turned
17, by the way."
Carla made a small whirring sound.
"Problem identified. Betany
is impatient and would like to rule the world in place of her parent."
"Thanks, Carla. Here, take this."
Emily put a disk into the disk drive and Carla retrieved the computer treat
that was stored on disk.
The phone rang.
Commander Alpho picked it up.
"Dad? It's me, Betany."
"Betany? What are you doing? Where are you?"
"I'm just hanging around. Can we have pizza for dinner?"
"OK, but-"
"Thanks, Dad. See you later!"
The phone on the other side slammed down.
An hour later:
"Dad, I need to talk to you."
"Yes, go ahead."
"I've decided that I really need to have the world right now. You know
I've been waiting for about eleven years. I know I'm supposed to be too young
but I can do it, I know I can. And I can do it well, too."
"But, Betany, the thing is, I know you're capable (he mentally excused
himself for lying) but legally you can't do it. I am a world leader, but
I can't
stretch that rule, even for you."
"Dad-"
"Betany, the answer is no, and that's final."
"Fine, then! I'm getting out of here."
"Tell you what. You'll be high up if you help me."
"No. It's too mean."
"Yeah."
"Oh, okay. I get the idea. I'll just find some other people to help."
Betany had hangers-on. They were just after her inheritance. She knew that. But now they would come in handy. They could help her in her plan. She'd need them. She couldn't do it all by herself.
That night Betany organised a secret meeting for all her followers to
outline her plans.
"First we'll split up. Then Wendell will…"
One week later, Betany entered her father's office.
"Yes, what do you want, Betany?"
"I've told you, I want the world."
"You know you can't have it, even if you do want it."
Betany made a secret signal towards the door. Five big men appeared and
picked up the Commander.
"Hey! What's happening to me?"
"Silence him," commanded Betany.
"Gerroff m-"
"You can throw him to Alpha Centauri. He'll be fine there. Just wipe
his memories of me first."
The men saluted. They took the man over to a strange machine covered with
knobs and buttons. Alpho was thrust into a box in the middle of the machine
and the lid was closed. A man hit a button and there was a brief scream.
It was suddenly cut off when a second man pulled a knob.
"Gone!" Betany exclaimed with relish. "Now the world is my oyster!"
She hadn't even needed to use backup.
A teenager named Wendell appeared at the door.
"What will you do now, Commander Betany? Send out a press release?"
"No. That comes later." A cold look appeared in her eyes. "First,
I get rid of all of you!"
On Alpha Centauri, a man woke up.
"What happened?" he mumbled.
Then memories of a daughter named Betany came flooding back to him…