Chapter 10 Section ten

August 30, 2206 Benjamin was born three days earlier, prematurely.Although I told Michael repeatedly that the child looked like a normal child, he was relieved to see that the child did not have any physical defects.The production went smoothly, and I didn't expect Simone to help me a lot.For a 6-year-old, Simone is quite mature. Ben's eyes were blue, too, but not as bright as Katie's; his skin was light brown, a little darker than Katie's, but still fairer than me and Simone.Benjamin weighed 3.5 kilograms at birth and was 52 centimeters long. Our lives are still the same.Except for Katie, we all gave up hope that Richard would come back.The winter in Rama is here again, the nights are long and the days are short, and the cycle begins again and again.From time to time Michael and I went up to search for signs of Richard, but all efforts were futile and routine.Richard has been away for a year and four months, and we can't count on anything more.

Michael and I took turns measuring our distance using an orbit calculation program designed by Richard.Richard left us with detailed instructions on how to use it when he left, but it took Michael and I a few weeks to figure out how to use it at first. With more personal time after Ben was born, I reappeared with enthusiasm for, and voraciously read, the two women who dominated my teenage thoughts.Why are Joan and Eleanor so attractive to me?Because they are not only strong in heart and full of self-confidence, but also have achieved brilliant achievements in a world dominated by men. I was lonely as a teenager.Although my material living conditions in Beauvais have always been good, and my father loves me very much, I spent my entire adolescence alone.I worked hard to strengthen myself and to free myself from the shadow of being separated from my father.Joan of Arc and Eleanor are my idols.When I read their legendary stories today, I can still be greatly inspired by them.Both of these great women took control of their own destiny and were not at the mercy of external circumstances.

Every member of the family is in good health.I was busy working, calculating, and could hardly believe that six years had passed since the Newton left Earth. Katie is obsessed with the body examiner.Simone and Michael would sit next to me while I was doing physical tests and she would quickly understand how the entire testing system works and what data is displayed.Michael concluded that Katie was brilliant, like her father.She still misses her father, Richard. Michael, a 64-year-old man, still maintains a toned physique.He keeps busy with the kids and goes out for runs twice a week.The earth calendar is meaningless in Ramari, but we still rely on it.One night Simone asked us what a year, month, and day are, and Michael explained to her the rotation of the earth, the seasons of the year, and the revolution of the earth around the sun.I suddenly remembered the magnificent sunset I saw when I took Geno Viève on a trip in Utah in the western United States that year. I wanted to share that beauty with Simone, but I didn’t know how to express it to someone who had never seen the sun. Tell about the sunset.

As time goes by, the calendar reminds us of our existence.If we ever get to a new planet, maybe there is a real day and night, then we can stop using the Earth's calendar.On Rama, the calendar's holidays, months and our respective birthdays remind us that our roots lie on a beautiful earth far away, beyond the reach of even the best telescopes made by the technologically advanced Rama people. Ben is about to nurse, and his mental development may not be the best, but he can still clearly communicate that he is hungry.Michael and I both thought it best not to tell Simone and Katie about their brother.If so, the whole family may take extra care of Ben and neglect the care of the two girls.Lack of love and care is too bad for children's growth.

March 13, 2207 Katie is four years old today.When I asked her what she wanted for her birthday two weeks ago, she said without hesitation, "I want Daddy back." Katie is a withdrawn girl, but absorbs new things very quickly.She is the most moody of all children.Richard's moods were also volatile.Sometimes he gets so carried away when he experiences something new that he can't control himself; and when he is depressed, he feels terrible, and he can hang his head down for a whole week or more without a smile. Katie inherited Richard's mathematical talent, she can already perform simple addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division operations.Simone studies hard too, but she has a wider interest in things, and Katie is better at maths.

Two years after Richard left, I still haven't been able to replace him in Katie's heart.The point was that Katie and I didn't get along, our personalities made us unsuitable mother and daughter.My love for Richard was threatening to Katie, and there were times when I was tempted to have a good talk with her, but it ended in an argument. I certainly couldn't get Richard back for Katie's birthday.Michael and I spent a lot of time planning her birthday present.Neither of us were very good at electronics, but we managed to make a video game called The Missing of Ramari.Considering that Katie is only four years old, we kept the game simple.Katie played for two hours and tried every means to find her way home from any starting point in Rama.

In Ramari we have a tradition: to meet a special request of each "birthday".Tonight when we asked Katie what she wanted, she winked mischievously and said, "I want to go inside the Aiyun Bird Cave." It was more than we expected. We told her that the diameter of Ai Yun's bird hole was longer than her height, trying to scare her and distract her with this.Katie didn't answer directly but walked to the rope ladder hanging by the nursery to prove to us that she could climb.Michael smiled: "She inherited some of her mother's characteristics." "Please, Mom," Katie said to me in a mature tone, "I don't care about anything else, I just want to see the sentries guarding the box from a few meters away."

Reluctantly, I took Katie to the edge of the Aiyun Bird Cave and asked her to wait for me on it, and I went down to set the rope ladder.A sentry was standing on the first landing, across from me.I paused for a moment, looking at the robot that was always moving in the same pose. "Have you been standing here the whole time? Has there been a shift change? Have you been overhauled?" "Are you ready, Mom?" My daughter called me from above.I climbed up to meet her and she was already coming down the stairs.I caught Katie and blamed her for this.She ignored me and exclaimed excitedly, "See, Mom? I got down by myself!"

I praised her, but thought in my heart that if she accidentally fell into the unfathomable tunnel, I shuddered.We continue down.We went down to the first corridor platform. There are two horizontal passages on the left and right sides of the platform. The box sentinel still maintained the same posture. Katie was so excited that she kept asking: "What's behind the box? Who is it?" Did you do it? What's the use? Did you go to the other side of the cave to see?" To answer her first question, I turned and took a few steps toward the passage behind us.I turned on the flashlight and walked ahead, expecting Katie to follow.After a while, I turned around and was surprised to see that she was still standing where she was, taking a small object from the pocket of her dress and throwing it at the sentinel.

I yelled, but it was too late.The little thing hit the box, and immediately, there was a burst of "bang bang bang" gunshots from the sentinel, and two metal bullets flew past Katie's head, hitting someone less than a meter away from her. the wall. I grabbed Katie in a jerk, very angry.She cried out, her cries were deafening in the silent cave. Suddenly, she stopped crying and asked me, "Did you hear that?" "Hear what?" I said, my heart pounding with nervousness. "Over there." Katie pointed to the dark passage behind the sentinel.I turned on the flashlight and saw nothing.

We stood there dumbfounded with our hands clasped. There was indeed a sound coming from the passage behind the sentinel, but it was too small to make out what it was. "It's an i-bi--," Katie assured, "and I can hear it flapping its wings." Katie cried out at the top of her voice, "I--bi--, I--bi-- —” The sound in the cave died down.We waited there for a quarter of an hour and heard nothing.When I got home Katie told Simone and Michael: "We heard an ivy bird." I didn't want to verify her story or argue with her.Katie was delighted, it was an unusual birthday. March 8, 2208 Yesterday at 2.15pm, Patrick Erin O'Toole - a healthy child in all respects - was born.At this moment, his proud father is smiling and lifting him up. It was already dark.Simone took her brother Ben to bed at nine o'clock as usual.After settling the book, Simone lay down herself.She is so tired.While I was working long hours, she took care of Ben alone, with no one to help her.When Ben cried, she would comfort him well. Katie has already claimed to everyone that Patrick is her little brother.She was logical: if Ben belonged to Simone, then of course Patrick belonged to her.At last she showed interest in the rest of the family. Patrick's birth wasn't what we planned, but Michael and I are very happy.His presence brought joy to the family.From the day Richard left for two years, I couldn't sleep.The thought of spending all the nights of the rest of my life alone makes me miserable.I went into Michael's room in the middle of the night. During this time Michael and I got along very well and felt very relaxed.Since Ben was born, Michael has been busy with babysitting for me.During that time he was a little removed from his religious zeal and was more intimate with the children and me.We both knew Richard wasn't coming back. The feeling with Michael is harmonious; the feeling with Henry is relaxed; the feeling with Richard is passionate.Michael comforted me and made me feel safe and secure.I made compromises and sometimes I prayed because it pleased Michael.Michael also made some concessions. He has been able to tolerate letting his children accept some concepts and values ​​that are different from Catholicism.We all agree that there should be harmony and unity when it comes to educating children. There are six people in our family now.This is the only family living far away from the earth in the vast space.We still don't know where this huge alien spacecraft will eventually be parked.Sometimes it doesn't matter because we have created our own world in Ramari.The world we created is small and limited, but I believe we are happy.