simgaroop | The Broke Legacy: Gen 4.3

Previous update: Gen 4.2.

Just as it happened when Rose Mary was born, I was thrilled to have a warm, cute, baby boy in my arms.

Timmy was just... so adorable!
The following couple of weeks after his birth, I spent a lot of time playing and cuddling my son.

Of course, reality soon kicked in.
As adorable as he was during the day, Timmy loved to wake me up at night.
Come on! What kind of kid needs a bottle at 3 A.M.?

Yeah, the sight I usually found when I reached his crib wasn't exactly pleasant.
I don't know about you, but the last thing I want to do at the early hours of the morning is to change a stinky diaper!

After those endless nights, it was a blessing when I was allowed to return to my job!

"Gotta practice for the Super Crack Bros. Tournament, sweetie! Please take good care of Timmy!

But Puck was also busy with his job as a Family Attorney.
So, my parents were the ones in charge of the kids.
And let me tell you, it wasn't easy at all for them!

Helena seemed like a sweet, adorable little girl on the outside.

But she was really a small demon on the inside!

She just... never shut up!

She was a pain to potty train too!

Despite his almost infinite patience, Dad was a bit exasperated with her.
And he loved her as if she were his granddaughter!

Now that I think about it, he lost his patience around the time he began to spend hours in the computer.
Of course we knew what he was doing all that time.
He was writing his memories, and I was almost 100% sure what he was writing about the most...

_______________________________

A GREEN POINT OF VIEW
Memories by Cosmo Broke

The Graslaxian Mother ship was unlike anything I had ever seen.
The moment I took my first step inside it, I realized that nothing I had ever imagined about outer space compared to the reality of it.

It's been so long since that day...but I still remember it clearly.
When I close my eyes and think about the Graslaxian Mother ship, I almost feel like a fourteen-year-old boy again.

The ship was filled with surprises. Every crook and corner was a new discovery.

My "father", Pollination Technician 56, showed me around the ship.
"This is a highly-advanced scientific station, 4367. Besides pollinating alien recipients for our race, we experiment with new ways to harvest crops in the outer space.
Our planet is dying... and if we can't find new ways to survive in other galaxies, our race will become extinct. During the years you'll spend inside this ship, you'll study and learn everything about our culture. You'll also be in charge of minor experiments and to keep the ship clean. If you prove to be a good Graslaxian, a new, more honorable future will open for you."

"You are free to move around the space-ship. You are also free to explore the different experiments, as long as you talk with a Pollination Technician first. But there are five zones that you are strictly forbidden to access. The first four are behind these doors. Those are our offices and pollination rooms. No one but the alien species and the P.T. are allowed inside the room during the pollination process."

"There are four Pollination Technician in charge of this ship. The first one is me, P.T. 56. I'm the captain of this ship and we are in charge of pollinating the human males from the Blue Planet. My right-hand is P.T. 14, she's in charge of the floral experiments and she'll be your immediate supervisor for your assigned chores."

"Over there is P.T. 35. He's in charge of the navigation instruments. You are also forbidden to ever touch his machines... otherwise we might end lost in the middle of a black hole."

"Finally, that one is P.T. 101. You might be interested to know that she's actually a half-blood like yourself, 4367. Despite being raised as a human, 101 proved to be loyal to the Graslaxian cause and joined our crew when she finished what humans call "College". She doesn't have perfect genes like the rest of us P.T.'s, but she's a direct descendant of one of the greatest P.T.'s of all time, and we wanted to keep his blood and legacy strong.
You should consider her a role model, 4367. Your genes are as bad... or perhaps even worse than hers, but you seem to possess an incredible sensitivity and intelligence. Who knows? Perhaps you could become a P.T. in the future..."

"Any questions?"
"Yeah... who's that one over there?"
"Oh! She's 88. She's still a cadet and she's in the middle of her training to become a P.T. She was recommended by the Graslaxian Council because of her perfect genes and strong alien blood. She's currently testing one of our new inventions, the human mind-reader."

"Anything else you want to ask, 4367?"
"Yes... what is behind that white door?"

"Behind that door there is a TOP SECRET project. While you are allowed (even encouraged) to participate and explore the different experiments around this ship, you are TOTALLY FORBIDDEN to enter that area. Failure to follow my instructions might end with dishonor and your definite expulsion from this ship, understood?""
"Yes, sir."
"Good. Now go take a seat, 4367. We are leaving in 49000 nanoseconds."

I followed 56's instructions and sat down near the main window.
"Take a final glance at your birth place. Perhaps this is the very last time you'll ever see it. Don't worry. You won't miss it."

I tried so hard to smile, despite feeling like if something inside me was dying.

And as I looked at Earth for what I thought it would be the final time, I wondered if I was making a huge mistake.
"I'm sorry Father... I'll miss you..."

_____________________________

Months went by, and it was finally time for Rosie to enter her childhood years.
Everyone was there for her birthday party!

Rosie became a healthy young girl. I was so happy to see her so well!
And we'd have a lot of fun together now!

It was also a joy to see my brother, my sisters and Saturn once again.
We'd all been so busy with our own project, that we had barely called or visited each other for almost a year!

The party was a small, fun celebration.
Following her mother's steps, Rosie proved to be an avid gamer since her early years.

Andrew was exhausted.
Between the complicated divorce trial (despite having Puck's help as his attorney) and taking care of twins, he barely had time to breathe.

I was so glad that my brother had finally settled things up with Autumn.
While she'd keep Sarah's custody, Andrew was allowed to see her every weekend.
Autumn was so angry at that decision. She had tried to prove to the court that my brother and his family were a dangerous influence for little Sarah.
But law is law, and so, Sarah was also at Rosie's party.
The quickly became good friends.

Tamara and Natalia were having a nice time at College.
Tamara was dating Demetrius, Puck's brother, who was studying at LFT as an exchange student.
And Natalia... well... Mom tried to explain me but I just didn't understood what's the deal with Natalia's boyfriend.
He claimed he was an interdimentional traveler who was being forced to wander among the cyberspace as a punishment for his wild college days.
Something told me that either he or Natalia were blowing too many bubbles at LFT.

And Mom and Dad still were as close as ever.
I could only hope that my marriage with Puck would last for as long as theirs.

Not that I had anything to complain against my husband.
Puck was as sweet as always.
And it seems my kids inherited that from him, for Rosie never felt jealous of his little brother.

Quite the opposite! She was thrilled to have him around!

Helena was also sweet... when she wanted.

Mom and Helena were very close, and she was the one who taught Helena all the basic skills she'd need for her childhood years.

I'm ashamed to say that I wasn't a constant figure those years.
I was too busy traveling around the world on videogame tournaments, that I barely had time to spend at home.
Sure, my kids weren't alone, but I guess they needed a mommy, just as I had needed mine when I was their age.

I wasn't at home for Timmy's first birthday.

It was such a shock when I came back home and found out how much he had grown during my absence.
I decided to stop my tournament career now and then. I took a job at a small videogame company as a power leveler and beta tester.
I was going to spend more time with my son and daughters.

And you want to know what was the very first thing I did?

I gave them a much needed haircut!
Perhaps my stylist business was closed, but I still had the skills!

Even with my now constant presence, Mom and Dad still helped around the house.

But they now had time to enjoy their old pastimes.
It was a joy to listen to Dad's guitar again!

Some nights, when Mom and Dad were busy with their jobs and Puck and I needed some time alone, I hired my very old babysitter, Vicky Horowitz, to take care of the kids.
Timmy wasn't really fond of her.

I really can't understand why... she was such a sweet lady, always playing and talking to my son.

"Hey little Twerp! You must obey all my orders or you'll face the consequences!"

Despite that, Timmy was a very sweet toddler...

... Except at morning. Timmy just wasn't a morning person and cried non-stop as soon as he woke up.

And he wouldn't shut up until he had breakfast.

After that, he'd crawl around the house with Helena, looking for someone who'd pay attention to them.
Those kids seriously didn't like to be alone, and sometimes it was a bit aggravating!.

They must have inherited that from Puck's side of the family.

Rose Mary was now a very precocious six year old girl.
She was responsible and quiet, and she often helped around the house.

She was awesome at video gaming!
She even helped me beta test some of the games I was assigned at work.

And she was also very close to her father.

We were all very proud of her.
Dad specially, loved to tuck her in after he returned from his job.
He usually sat down and told her stories about his youth at the Graslaxian Mothership.
One night, I sat down outside Rosie's room, just as I had done as a little girl, and listened as he narrated one of my favorite stories...

_______________________________________

Despite the novelty of everything around me, I quickly got used to life inside the space ship.
Just a few weeks after we took off towards Graslax, we had already settled a daily routine.
For example, 88 was in charge of keeping the main area clean.

She also had long conversations with 101, her superior.

I wish I could say the same about 14, my superior.
But she was always busy working and pollinating the different creatures the ship beamed during our visit to several planets.
I can easily say she's the most active P.T. Did you know, Rosie, that she's Andromeda and Helena's mother?

Anyway, despite my brief interactions with 14, I was always busy.
I spent hours and hours studying all the Graslaxian books 56 lend to me.
It took me a long time to finally understand the Graslaxian language, though.

I was also in charge of the floral experiments.
Because I was raised as a human, I perfectly knew how to take care of the Earth plants...

... but when it came to the Graslaxian species well... let's just say that it's a wild adventure!

56 was happy with my progress.
"You've certainly surpassed my expectative, 4367. I knew that despite your genetic faults, there was a true Graslaxian inside you. I expect high things of you, my spawn. Do not prove me wrong..."

"Uh... of course I won't, fath... I mean Captain..."

"Good. We expect to arrive to Graslax in 12 solar months. If you continue showing these fine results, perhaps I could talk to the Council and let you become a P.T. and join our crew."

For the next months, I continued with my normal chores, but 14 also allowed me to participate in her most important experiments. I'm sure my love for Science really flourished during that time.

I also became good friends with 88. She often tried to ask me questions about my life as a human, but once glare from 56 was enough to made her silent.
It was as if any talk about my previous life was forbidden.
And that made me miss my home even more.

I also noticed that 88 was the only one who went inside the mysterious white door.
I tried to ask her what was inside it, but she refused to answer.
"56 would terminate my training if I told you, 4367. Please, don't ask me every again."

Despite my curiosity, I forgot about the white door for a few months.
But then one day, while the P.T.'s were locked inside their offices, I could clearly hear a strange noise.

It sounded like if someone was crying. It was such a shock to hear that... because Graslaxians never cried.
It was such a... human sound, that I searched around the spaceship for that very small source of home.

I eventually discovered that the noise was coming precisely from behind the white door.
"88, what's going on inside the door?"
"I told you to never ask me again. And don't worry, it's a normal sound. You just hadn't noticed it because of the noise the P.T.'s machines make while they work here."

"That's NOT a normal sound, 88. Someone's crying and in my planet, that means that someone's suffering. We need to help!"
"Forget it! You can't go inside!"
"Oh yeah? Try to stop me!"

Ignoring 88's warnings, I opened the white door and went inside the mysterious room.
And... well... it really was something different.

For a moment, I thought I was dreaming and that I was back at home.
It was just... a human bedroom. A pink one, perhaps like the one Molly would live in now.
How old were my brother and sister now? Two or three years old?
The realization of how much I was missing from my family's life hit me like a ton of bricks.

But what shocked me the most was the sight I found just in front of me.

And that's the very first moment I saw her.
The woman that'd change my life forever...
Bella Goth.

______________________________

I thought I'd get bored out of my mind from spending so much time at home.
But it was quite the opposite! I loved playing with my son!

Even teaching him to walk was a very fun game.

Mom also helped with Helena...

And pretty soon, you could see the two of them taking little steps around the house.

There was no crook or space in the house that wasn't explored by those two!

Soon it was time for Helena's fifth birthday.

Little Mars was there to cheer for his alien cousin, of course.

Helena was a true Summerdream in every sense of the word. She was nice and extraordinary.
She was also like me, though, and loved games.
She was always playing with something!

She played videogames with Mars.

She played with Bonkers.

She tried to catch fireflies at night.

She also loved to help Timmy with his toy cars.

(Good thing, because that toy brought out the worst of his character!)

And she also became fond of my bubble blower and often invited Rosie too!

Puck took a week off from work to spend some time with the kids.
He was the one in charge of teaching Timmy to talk.

Our growing family also needed food, of course.
So we spent a lot of time in the kitchen.

Errr... I was exactly as fond of cooking as my Dad.

Puck's vacation was also an excellent time to re-ignite our romance.
We had both been so busy with our jobs and the kids that barely had time to just... be with each other.

Don't worry. This time we actually used protection!

My job as a power leveler let me try many different games before they came out to the general market.
The kids were thrilled when I brought home this awesome pinball machine.