Defender of Man

Prologue

I never really wanted kids.

I always thought that it would be cruel to bring new life to the arch in times like this. Especially with the oxygen failing. I'm not really supposed to know about that but, the vents have ears I guess you could say.

My name is Leda. My mother named me after a queen of Sparta. A civilization that thrived nearly millions of years ago. My mother was an odd person. She's almost wiry with her small figure and eyes that searched your soul. Kinda like how they are doing now as she's watching me get dragged away. Those eyes just peering into me as if she can see right through me. As if she knows every thought in my mind and can see the panic and dread washing over me in crushing waves. 

The grip on my arms tighten and I don't hesitate to struggle when I hear the familiar buzzing of weapons. "Easy. You don't want to hurt him or us." I grimaced at the sound of the familiar voice. "Council Member Kane, it's a pleasure to see you again." I spoke all too innocently as the guards holding me suddenly stiffened into a more proper form. "Leda. I would say the pleasure is all mine but it seems we are not meeting on good terms." Kane raised one fuzzy eyebrow and I sighed. Kane and I never meet on good terms. He's the only person on the Ark who seems to know my true intelligence. 

"I promise this is not what it looks like." I stated and looked down at my feet. My thick blonde hair fell in front of my face. My mother has told me before that I look like a fairy  with my soft features and high cheek bones. I will say that my large doe eyes do make it easy to manipulate. "Leda. What have you done? You know that you would be floated for this if you were of age. This is a crime of the highest order." I looked up at Kane and met his eyes. "Please you can't kill him. He's innocent. He doesn't understand!" My voice wavered as sudden emotion filled my body. His eyes softened slightly. 

"Leda. Your son will be executed when he comes of age. I'm afraid that is the most we can do in this situation." Kane stated and I wanted to cry out. However, it wasn't my cries that shattered the tense silence that had fallen between me and the council member in the empty hallway that night. No it was the cries of the small bundle cradled in the arms of the third guard that had so rudely awakened my mother as I had climbed into our room from a vent. My mothers eyes left me and darted to the small bundle.

"He's hungry." She simply stated. My mother is in charge of the nursery on the Ark, supervising children and making sure they had all they needed is her job. The Ark, my home, is a space station orbiting around earth. On the Ark everyone has a role to play, so my mothers is to care for children while their parents do their part. I had been attempting to bring him to her when I was caught. "Take her to solitary. The boy will go with his mother until further notice. Her trial will be held tomorrow." Kane ordered and I was roughly pulled along with the guards as they led me to the prison unit. The cries of the baby boy in the guards arm kept me tense as I walked towards my new home. The last place I'll know before I die and possibly the only place the boy will ever see.