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estinoseSummary: Stephen reconsiders his decision to to go to the Trig.
Leaving the Nest
by Estirose
Stephen sat on his bed, resisting an urge to flop down on it, close his eyes, and never leave.
He knew he wasn't leaving his home planet permanently. It wasn't as if he'd never see this room or his family again. Still, it always *felt* like it would be. He liked it up on the Trig, no question, but Earth was home. The last time he'd left Earth for the Trig was when Jedikiah had come back. Oh, he'd been off Earth since then, but the trip was rather sudden. Both trips were rather sudden.
Neither trip had given him a chance to refuse or even to think. Maybe that was a blessing. Both times he had time to miss home, but he hadn't been given a real choice when he'd departed. Today, he had time to think, to miss his family, his neighbourhood, and normal things that he'd grown up with.
And his friends. Sure, most of them were Tomorrow People, like himself, and everybody went up to the Trig at some point or another. Some, like Carol, Kenny, and Tricia, even stayed there. But he wasn't going to stay. He would come home. Eventually.
If he left in the first place.
He was going to the Trig because Tyso had persuaded him to. Tyso was going back. Both of them had been at the Trig school before it was deemed best for the Tomorrow People to come back. Tyso had wanted to stay, but at the last moment had gotten homesick and returned to Earth with the rest of them.
Tyso liked visiting other worlds. It was part of his heritage to continually wander. Maybe he'd be like the others, and never come home. Stephen couldn't be like that. He needed to come home. To Earth. Stay as much as possible, as John did.
Maybe he should stay. Tyso could manage on his own; always had. They'd see each other again. It would be a terrible disappointment for Tyso, but he'd get over it. Stephen could go later. He could always offer up the excuse that Mike needed training, guidance, and someone to buffer him and John. Mike was, well, moody to say the least, and he didn't get along that well with John, on account of John expecting everyone to follow orders. Mike didn't always. It wasn't fair to leave Elizabeth the only one to restrain the two, although she'd handle it admirably and automatically.
Stephen didn't know why he'd agreed to go. Perhaps it was because he and Tyso were good friends. John and Elizabeth were all right, but they were older. And while he got along with Mike, he didn't want to spend time with the moody teen.
Teen. He was still one, although he was old enough that he didn't have to go to school anymore. That didn't mean that he couldn't go to University or other places to learn, but the knowledge was so backwards compared to what he was used to. At least at the Trig school he'd learn something useful. He'd likely spend some time running around the Federation, trying to figure out what he wanted to do.
That was the crux of the matter. He *didn't* know what he was going to do with his life. Maybe he'd narrow his interests on the Trig. At least he wasn't Earthbound. There were so many things to do in the Galactic Federation that he would have never dreamed of if he'd been born a Sap. He enjoyed the school, anyway. Maybe Carol and Kenny and Tricia were right, to spend their lives away from Earth.
And maybe he'd be back to Earth within a few months. After all, it was still his home. There was no reason for him to stay away. It would be there for him when he was ready to return, when he had some idea of where he was going. And he'd have friends too- Tyso, Carol, Kenny, and maybe even Tricia if she wasn't on a mission somewhere. He should get to know her better.
Maybe John and Mike would learn to get along, with help from Elizabeth. She had a talent for keeping the bunch of them together. As long as she was there, everything would be fine. And everything else would wait while he figured his life out.
This time, he'd be able to figure things out by himself. John, Elizabeth, and Mike would be there to help anyone else who broke out. He didn't need their help. He just needed time to think, to explore.
Time to leave the nest. Time to go.
He jaunted out before he could change his mind.
-End
Leaving the Nest
by Estirose
Stephen sat on his bed, resisting an urge to flop down on it, close his eyes, and never leave.
He knew he wasn't leaving his home planet permanently. It wasn't as if he'd never see this room or his family again. Still, it always *felt* like it would be. He liked it up on the Trig, no question, but Earth was home. The last time he'd left Earth for the Trig was when Jedikiah had come back. Oh, he'd been off Earth since then, but the trip was rather sudden. Both trips were rather sudden.
Neither trip had given him a chance to refuse or even to think. Maybe that was a blessing. Both times he had time to miss home, but he hadn't been given a real choice when he'd departed. Today, he had time to think, to miss his family, his neighbourhood, and normal things that he'd grown up with.
And his friends. Sure, most of them were Tomorrow People, like himself, and everybody went up to the Trig at some point or another. Some, like Carol, Kenny, and Tricia, even stayed there. But he wasn't going to stay. He would come home. Eventually.
If he left in the first place.
He was going to the Trig because Tyso had persuaded him to. Tyso was going back. Both of them had been at the Trig school before it was deemed best for the Tomorrow People to come back. Tyso had wanted to stay, but at the last moment had gotten homesick and returned to Earth with the rest of them.
Tyso liked visiting other worlds. It was part of his heritage to continually wander. Maybe he'd be like the others, and never come home. Stephen couldn't be like that. He needed to come home. To Earth. Stay as much as possible, as John did.
Maybe he should stay. Tyso could manage on his own; always had. They'd see each other again. It would be a terrible disappointment for Tyso, but he'd get over it. Stephen could go later. He could always offer up the excuse that Mike needed training, guidance, and someone to buffer him and John. Mike was, well, moody to say the least, and he didn't get along that well with John, on account of John expecting everyone to follow orders. Mike didn't always. It wasn't fair to leave Elizabeth the only one to restrain the two, although she'd handle it admirably and automatically.
Stephen didn't know why he'd agreed to go. Perhaps it was because he and Tyso were good friends. John and Elizabeth were all right, but they were older. And while he got along with Mike, he didn't want to spend time with the moody teen.
Teen. He was still one, although he was old enough that he didn't have to go to school anymore. That didn't mean that he couldn't go to University or other places to learn, but the knowledge was so backwards compared to what he was used to. At least at the Trig school he'd learn something useful. He'd likely spend some time running around the Federation, trying to figure out what he wanted to do.
That was the crux of the matter. He *didn't* know what he was going to do with his life. Maybe he'd narrow his interests on the Trig. At least he wasn't Earthbound. There were so many things to do in the Galactic Federation that he would have never dreamed of if he'd been born a Sap. He enjoyed the school, anyway. Maybe Carol and Kenny and Tricia were right, to spend their lives away from Earth.
And maybe he'd be back to Earth within a few months. After all, it was still his home. There was no reason for him to stay away. It would be there for him when he was ready to return, when he had some idea of where he was going. And he'd have friends too- Tyso, Carol, Kenny, and maybe even Tricia if she wasn't on a mission somewhere. He should get to know her better.
Maybe John and Mike would learn to get along, with help from Elizabeth. She had a talent for keeping the bunch of them together. As long as she was there, everything would be fine. And everything else would wait while he figured his life out.
This time, he'd be able to figure things out by himself. John, Elizabeth, and Mike would be there to help anyone else who broke out. He didn't need their help. He just needed time to think, to explore.
Time to leave the nest. Time to go.
He jaunted out before he could change his mind.
-End
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