The Legend

2323 A.D. United Moon Federation, Indix District:





"Gra'ma", stuttered Rivi, tugging at the long robe made of polymer derivatives, stringy, grayed and ragged, commonly known as polyrags.

"Yes, my child", sighed Stila, her voice resonating with pain and hopelessness.

It has been three years, since the dreaded day when two orphans clung to her frail body searching for warmth and protection. She could not even grieve for her son and daughter-in-law who were snatched by the cruel hands of death. What choice she had, it was not a time for weakness. Destiny had forced two little orphan souls in her hands. She must be strong.

" I must be strong", muttered Stila under her breath. Rivi was looking up in her creased face with his wide beautiful eyes.

"Just like his mother", she thought.

"Gra'ma , te'me the story of, ...of the Ingi,...Ingir...."

" The Ingener", whispered Stila.

" No Granma, No, not that story again, I am sick and tired of it and I have to check the air ventilation database or the Intellengi will cut our credit again, and then you will have to work in the polyrag hivetory and you will get sick", rumbled Tiah in a single breath.

Though only of eleven, Tiah was already a woman. Difficult circumstances had forced her child mind to take on the responsibilities of her three member family. Her four year old brother looked up to her and Stila found her supporting the income to feed them.

"Please Gra'ma, I like Ingir", pleaded Rivi.

"No, You have to go to bed.It's late", said Tiah with a stern voice.

The bed was a rack protruding out of the wall with two more racks stacked one upon one another with a two feet space between them. It was a small house, called "hive" constructed exactly like the hundred thousands other hives which comprised the Indix district. Out of the 102 districts which formed the United Moon Federation, Indix was one of the largest but one of the poorest. The hives opened in minor air shafts which where a kilometer deep. The district itself was below 2 kilometers from the moon surface. The minor shafts were connected to the central shaft which was surrounded by the Monitor Sector. This sector had the largest hives and housed the computers and control rooms which worked around the clock to maintain the habitability of the district.

"But, Gra'ma...", pleaded Rivi and stared accusingly at her elder sister.

Stila was still looking at the three dimensional map which emanated from the tiny projector. The "dustplay" was a very old invention which projected images by scattering light on the invisible dust always present in air, using it as a screen. The map showed the E-Wide-0001 segment of the space. The segment was designated one, because it showed the most important object in the space, Earth.

" The Promised Land", sighed Stila. Her reverie of thought was broken again by the tugging.

"But, Gra'ma you promised yesterday." said Rivi in a small voice.

Rivi put his little arms around Stila and made a sad face at her sister. Tiah did not hate stories but her ahead of the time maturity made her dislike things which were childish. But, she too melted by the request made by her cute little brother.

"Okay, but only for a while, after that you get to bed", said an exasperated Tiah. Stila smiled at her little grand-daughter who was perhaps more commanding than her. She too snuggled close to Stila with a haughty expression.


"More than three hundred years ago, there lived a hero....".

"How much is three hundred, is it big?", interrupted Rivi.

"Yes sweetheart, its big" said Stila amusingly.

"Okay, Once upon a time... Is that better?"

"Yes", chuckled Rivi.

" So, Once upon a time, on the great lands of Earth, there lived a hero. His name was Ingener...."



The next part is in the post, "The Rising-1"