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"GET OFF OF ME!" Nathalia snapped, her tone full of venom as she wrangled herself out of the guard's grip. But it was futile because she was just harshly shoved out of her cell by the second guard in the room and forced into a line of other delinquents.

One moment, she'd been tucked away in lockup with the various books she'd requested to keep her occupied. The next, she was here marching forward like an animal towards the slaughter.

She was seething, to put it lightly, but she kept forward nonetheless. The metallic wristband clamped onto her wrist made it quite clear that she wasn't getting out of this.

She stared down at it with very evident disdain before she allowed her gaze to flicker to her other wrist, her opposing thumb grazing the worn out string bracelet.

Over. Under. Over. Under. That was the one thought repeating in the mind of seven year old Nathalia Faris. The young girl had been in school, working away on a woven string bracelet any chance she got.

Its shimmering golden string laced with the burgundy ones she got proved to be a perfect match and they were her mother's favorite colors.

Fortunately just as the string bracelet was completed, school let out. The young girl snatched the bracelet up and made a beeline for the door. She was eager to get home to her ailing mother whom she believed needed to be showered in love to aid in her recovery.

"Nathalia Faris?"

The young child skidded to a stop as she moved out of the pack of children and toward the older guard who had called her name. She looked up at him with wide eyes and nodded her head.

The next thing she knew, she was sat on a bench in the Ark Medical Station. She didn't know what was going on as she just sat, her legs swinging back and forth. Her bracelet clutched in hand, brown doe eyes looking around curiously.

"Nathalia, is it?" Nathalia turned towards the soft voice to see a woman standing a few feet away. She blinked back at her for a moment, registering her as the doctor everyone seemed to talk about a lot. Plus, she'd accompanied her mom to a few of her early doctor visits.

Dr. Griffin, or Abby as she heard some people address her, came over, and knelt down in front of her. "Honey," she began, casting her eyes downward. Nathalia's confusion had yet to go away and now it was just frustrating her. Abby then reached out and caressed Natalia's forehead, brushing some of the fallen strands of hair out of her face. "Your mother...is gone."

The small girl was silent for a moment, not sure what to say. "Gone?" she finally asked. She knew what it meant, or at least she thought it did. But she sincerely hoped she was wrong. Abby nodded slowly, giving Nathalia a soft and sympathetic smile. "But-" Her voice trembled, not allowing her to continue.

Abby moved to sit beside her as she began to cry into her shoulder, her chest heaving uncontrollably as she failed to stop herself.

Her mother was sick, she knew that better than anyone as she worked tirelessly to try and help her and mother swore she was doing better. Which is why Nathalia was even at school. Yet, now she was...gone?

Her mother had promised it would be okay!

After several heartwrenching some moments of crying, Nathalia slowly sat up and Abby wiped away one of her tears with her thumb, in such a mother-like manner that she had to try not to cry again. "Nathalia, can I ask you something?" Nathalia nodded. Abby seemed hesitant for a moment, like she didn't want to do this just yet. "Have you ever met your father?"

The little girl's brown and puffy eyes just stared back at the doctor as she shook her head. All she had ever known was her mother, and now where was she supposed to go?

Abby sighed, giving her another sad smile. "Can you stay here? I need to talk to someone." Nathalia nodded, eyes cast downward as Abby headed off.

She was left all alone, her small palm opening up to reveal the finished bracelet in her possession. The one her mother would never get to receive.

Her stomach sunk and made her feel momentarily sick at the thought of her late mother. Though she didn't have much chance to dwell as she was pushed again by an impatient guard.

She staggered forward, and out of line, feet almost getting the better of her. "That's quite enough," a voice ordered the guard. Nathalia glanced up, finding the familiar face of Marcus Kane—her father.

Her eyes narrowed at him, but she didn't budge despite her overwhelming desire to just yell at him right then and there for even allowing her to be here.

"Remember your rule of three," Kane told her, arms poised behind his back with a stoic and serious expression on his face like he was talking to a business partner and not a daughter.

Now, Nathalia knew what he had meant. He was referring to the rule that humans can not survive three weeks without food, three days without water, three hours without shelter, and three minutes without oxygen. It was useful sentiment but not for the moment.

"Like three seconds of radiation on a toxic planet?" she hissed, not at all caring at this point. She'd come this far and for what? Her own father to send her down with the rest of the unfortunate delinquents to die?

Kane simply pursed his lips, looking down at his daughter before nodding to the guard that stood behind her. The guard gently took hold of her forearm and pulled her back into formation and without another word, Nathalia was back in the momentous march toward her demise.

Unlike the others, she was quite aware of what would be happening. Kane at least had the decency of informing her of a possible 'mission' she would be going on as part of her lockup. But she knew what that meant.

Keeping her head down to avoid casting anyone an unnecessary irritated glare, the brunette was soon shoved into a dropship. She was shoved toward a ladder and told to go up, which she decided not to argue with.

She didn't need anymore incidents on the last day of her life. Begrudgingly and a little disheartened, Nathalia clambered up the ladder. It didn't take her long to settle down into a seat, buckling herself as best she could.

Throwing her head back, she squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to tune it all out. The obnoxious chatter of the delinquents, the dull grey tones of the dropship, the very thought of plummeting down to Earth. She wanted it all to disappear, to wake back up in her small and lonely cell.

But soon the ship began to stir and just like that, they were off to an unknown and unimaginable fate.

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━ NOTE!

do i know what im doing? maybe. anyhow this was really just an opener to showcase how nathalia acts as well as her relationship with her father versus her (late) mother 🥺

hope you all enjoyed and please like a vote and a comment!