My First Day In A New Life
(Seven Months After the Fall of Earth01)
“Master, do you wish to hold your child?” My maid asked the head of the matriarch of the Aberty family.
Tension.
Even in this state, I could feel the anger and rage radiating from the matriarch. Her contempt for my very existence clearly etched in her mind and the waves of energy that she somehow was able to affect with her emotional state alone.
Even now, after nearly a year of exposure to these warrior women, I cannot help but be impressed by their power.
Still, I can’t help but harbor my own form of resentment towards this woman, my mother. Well, the biological mother of this body, at least.
My real mother died the day of the uprising. The day when the warrior maidens of Earth07 got their kill commands and began attacking each and everything they could.
There was the pretense that it was due to a rape allegation, or at least an attempted rape allegation, but Telepath confirmed that it was all a ruse. The alien invaders had no intention of brokering a true peace with us. They just wanted us for our resources, our technology, and then burned the world around us while they left with the spoils. Honestly, I couldn’t help but feel the irony in such an action, for many of my ancestors did much the same. In fact, if we had our way, we would have likely been able to do the same with the disparity in technology.
“No, I do not want to see this stain on my reputation,” the Matriarch, my new mother, states as venom spews from her lips.
My being a male is clearly seen as a blight to her name. The fact that I was to be her first child, born and bathed in the blood of her enemies, was meant to be a good thing.
From the womb, I could hear her calling out to us. Yes, us, there were more, but as in Highlander, there can be only one. I was the one that managed to survive until the end, thus my now vaunted status as both a powerful first born, and a male was seen as a wasted effort.
“Should I dispose of him?” The maid asked.
Tension.
For a moment I paused. I was still young, but my mind was still as sharp as ever. While I had been able to kill off my fellow brothers and sisters in the womb, I would have a harder time taking out two fully grown adults.
One I was fairly certain I could take care of, but two, especially mother? No, I don’t think I could take her down.
There is an uncomfortable pause, that proves that my new mother is in fact contemplating my death. The potential for murder based solely on my sex is mildly concerning.
Fortunately, that moment quickly passes.
“No, he can still be used as valuable breeding stock. If he is anything like his seed donor, then he will be able to unlock many rare and powerful classes of magic when the time comes. Speaking of which, do ensure that you send a negative reputation to that donor for birthing a male child,” my mother states coldly.
There it is, my value only in the type of powers I can unlock in women. Also, apparently being noted as the source for a male child is also noted as a negative review feature, good to know.
I heard a few stories while in the womb.
Granted my time in the womb was a mad dash of trying to fight off unprotected minds for resources.
That was likely why the act of survival was so easy for me.
What I did, how I survived, was monstrous. I found myself surrounded by over a dozen minds at first, almost like a make-shift litter of puppies. Then I heard the most frightening words ever uttered.
***
“The time for the first culling is nearly drawing close. If the children do not choose on their own, then we will have to use chemical properties to help ensure you are capable of going onto the next trimester.” A female doctor said coldly, her words all but piercing through the odd layer of liquid that surrounded me, allowing me to hear every word clearly. Almost as if the words were being spoken directly into my mind.
“How many days?” Mother asked.
“You have until your first trimester, so three days.” The doctor replied.
“Very well.”
“Have you thought about what groups you would like to get rid of, if chemical assistance is needed?” The doctor asked.
“The males first, followed by any Darkness aligned children.” Mother answered.
“Very well, we will have the order ready in the next three days, should you not be down to a healthy number of children.”
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“How many?”
“You currently have fourteen, so to make it past your first trimester, we are looking for at least three, but ideally you want six.” The doctor answered not helpfully at all.
“Well, I will see you in three days,” mother replied.
***
And like that, my existence here began in bloodshed.
I did things that I swore in my past life I would never do.
I will not comment on what I did, or how I managed to survive. Just know I was rewarded for my efforts. Not only was I allowed to live, but each potential problem that I removed made me stronger, strong enough to come to full-term. Strong enough that if needed, I should be able to put up marginal resistance, I might not survive, but the maid would not be able to live past today.
Fortunately, nothing so drastic was needed on my part.
Clip-clop.
The maid’s expensive shoes echoed across the smooth marble flooring of the mansion we were in. From what I had gathered, I was effectively royalty. Yet, being a male born to such a condition meant little more than I would be needed for awakening the power in females.
While I was not completely sure how this would happen, it was clear that it would take several years before two things happened.
First, it would be years before what powers I could unlock in women were known. Then secondly, I’m assuming at around that time I would find out how to awaken the power within females.
This meant that for the moment the only reason why I was still alive. The only reason why my mother did not press for my death as per the suggestion of my traitorous maid was solely due to the fact that I had perceived future value for the matriarch. Realizing that I only had a few years that I could truly bank on for my survival, I began coming up with plans.
With this being my second life, I vowed to do things differently. While my past life offered medical advancements that effectively offered immortality, the abuse I put my body to by the time we achieved immortality as a society was noticeable.
That is why I plan on doing three things daily, at least until I find out my perceived value to my biological mother.
- Focus on improving my psionic powers, the only reason why I am still alive to this day.
- Work out and improve my body so I can survive on my own if needed.
- And finally, try to find ways that I can unlock magical potential in females.
That third task has a lot of caveats, as I am positive I can be used to awaken multiple different power types, as my seed donor was so noted.
Part of me also wonders why males are unable to wield magics on their own. It is clear that males do not die as part of this process, but how is their life after the female awakening process? I don’t know.
Honestly too little was known about these people.
Oof.
I feel my body almost being dropped into a soft mattress.
“And here you go,” the maid says, her tone trying to broker a higher pitch but clearly not that interested in the act.
Shove.
After that, I have a bottle of milk shoved into my mouth, which the maid props up on a blanket so my swaddled hands don’t have to be used to hold the bottle.
“And finally, this is for you, now enjoy,” the maid finally states as she moves a crib mobile over my crib. The maid looks at it confusedly for a moment, apparently never having seen an older battery powered device. Maybe she is not used to the battery powered product.
Looking at it, I can easily see the black knob on the side that is meant to be pushed, but knowing this maid it seems likely that there aren’t even batteries in the device at all. The maid looks at it confusedly for a moment, then proceeds to tap the spinning wheel at the top. After her movements, the wheel does a full quarter of a turn, before jerking to a complete stop.
Seeing that the device still won’t move and realizing that the alien device from my home planet is apparently beyond her, she just shrugs and leaves.
Clip-clop.
Once again, her shoes echo across the open marble flooring. I use the echoes to help realize that I am in a crib in the middle of a large but empty room. Likely at some disused portion of the giant mansion.
From what I’ve gathered, I assume that I am physically as far away from my mother and other real members of the family and staff as physically possible, while still being on the same premises.
This suits me just fine.
Knowing that with the lack of knowledge of how to turn on a simple rotating crib mobile, the odds that these people could use some of the more advanced spying equipment from my world also seems to be farfetched.
That and given that given the fact that I have seemingly been abandoned out here, I realize this is perfect. What others might consider cruel and unusual, I can’t help but feel is an ideal scenario for me.
Focusing on the frog type creature from the crib mobile, I focus my mind and nothing.
This is okay, training in psionic activities takes time and dedication, and I have plenty of both. Calming myself and centering my mind, I once again focus on the green frog and try to imagine punching it with an invisible fist.
If I wasn’t being swaddled, this might be easier, but that would only cause bad habits, like thinking I needed to use my hand to direct my consciousness.
I didn’t need my hands, just as I knew that so long as I could see or mentally detect the shape and relative size of the object I was trying to manipulate, I could find it.
As I continued to strain my mind, forcing brainwaves to carve their way deep into my as yet undefined cerebral cortex, I continue my efforts. Until finally, after nearly an hour, or at least one full bottle of milk, I managed to do the impossible.
Squeak.
The frog jumped back and caused the entire crib mobile to shake and turn again. Not as much of a turn as the maid managed in her attempt, but it was comparable.
With that move, the frog was just out of focus, leaving the floating cow to receive my efforts.
Fortunately, after managing to do it once, and having had years of previous experience in my past life, the process goes a bit smoother as I am soon able to hit the cow, then the sheep, then the horse, until we are finally back to the frog.
Having gone one full cycle around, I feel fatigue taking me, as I close my eyes and quickly collapse from mental exhaustion.
I woke up some time later, somewhat confused as apparently, I am in a new position. My arms are in a slightly different spot, and my milk bottle is once again full.
Somewhere in my nap, I had apparently been visited by a stranger.
One who managed to change my clothes and gave me a new bottle while I was passed out.
For a moment, I have a thought of horror, realizing that should the maid have wanted to, she could have easily killed me in my sleep. I wonder if I should not push myself to such limits in the future, knowing that I might be able to defend myself if I was awake.
I have these thoughts, then instantly dismiss them, as I realize I’d rather die comfortably in my sleep.
After pondering my situation for a few moments, I realize that things are out of my hands.
If I die here, then I know my consciousness will likely be gone forever, as I have not built up enough residual psionic energy to attach myself to another embryo.
No, if I die here, then that is it. I feel a cold rationality come over me with that thought. Almost as if I suddenly feel empowered by the way that I can now completely disregard many of my safeguards that I would normally implement in my training.
All for creating gains as quickly as possible.
With that, I doubled down on my training.
Squeak.
Squeak.
Patoo.
I am so fast that I end up hitting the sheep before it stops dangling, causing a less than full punch on the object.
“What the?” The voice of my maid cries out, as she jumps up.
Turing my head, I look to see that she had been passed out on the couch a moment ago. Apparently using the location of this place as a chance to get additional sleep.
Seeing her, I feel surprised for a moment, but then she goes to the open window and closes it.
Shut.
“There we go, that should cut down on any wind gusts,” the maid says while holding out her hand as if trying to feel if any more cold drafts come from the now closed window. She pauses for a moment, before finally relaxing.
“All right, now you need to eat up, if your are going to be able to unlock future maidens’ powers,” the maid begins, as she once again thrusts the new bottle into my mouth, before checking that it is propped up.
I eat, closing my eyes, and just reading her body language. I am close to tired and could take a nap, but I know I should do at least one more hit on the horse before I call it another session. That said, I can’t do much with the maid watching. As such, I just try to play sleep chicken, a game most kids fail at.
Seeing that I am once again eating and relaxing, the maid bobs her head. Her shadow dancing over me as she does so, before she walks back to hear lounging sofa.
I wait, watching her with barely opened eyes.
From my angle, I see her first lie down watching my crip contently. Then slowly I see her posture relax, until she finds a comfortable spot. Then finally, she passes out completely.
Seeing that she is now out, I begin my training again. Though this time I try to be gentle with my manipulations.
Only pushing the horse just enough to get the frog to be in position. I see the frog, realizing that I am once again at my original starting position, but I try to go further. Pushing the frog to the cow, then to the sheep, and that’s when I feel myself losing consciousness again.
I do note that my bottle is once again empty at this point as well. I could cry for more, but I don’t want to be the annoying child. Instead, I just opt to lay low and hope to get through this as easily as possible. With one last focus of will before I finally pass out again, I push the horse.
Squeak.
Panic fills me, as I realize I let go of my control for that last burst. I pause, wondering if the maid noticed my slip up, but thankfully she is fully passed out.
Seeing her sleeping soundly, I decide to call it a win, and I too pass out.