Rescued and Rejuved (private)

[JodyJames]

Thomas awoke slowly. The room was bright and huge. He sat up slowly and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. He couldn’t clear his head. Where was he? And why was the bed so high off the ground that his feet wouldn’t reach the floor. He slipped off the bed and his legs collapsed under him. He slowly pulled himself back up, and looked at himself. He was naked, but that wasn’t unusual, he’d spent a lot of his life naked alone on the ship. What was different was his legs were short -- very short.

Then he remembered. They’d done it. They’d rejuved him. He was no longer 15. They said he’d be 6 and he looked like it. He remembered that was his age when his parents died, or he remembered being told that. He didn’t really remember them too well, but the Ship’s Auxiliary Mind, SAM, the Artificial Intelligence on the ship had told him about his parents. They’d been killed on the bridge when a meteor had hit the FTL drive. Tom and SAM had been left stranded light years from any planet with no FTL drive or FTL radio. SAM had of course sent distress signals by regular radio, but they took years to reach anyone – a bit more than nine years.

SAM could still run the impulse engines, but that could only take them around the uninhabited solar system Tom’s parents had been exploring. They could extract oxygen and pre-biotic materials from the atmosphere of a moon of the large gas giant. SAM could replicate what he needed. The gas giant also provided hydrogen for the nuclear reactor. Yes Tom had everything he needed to live — everything except parents or any other people for him to interact with. Given that shortcoming, it wasn’t surprising that Tom grew up to be self-centered with no empathy for others. There weren’t any others except SAM, and SAM didn’t act like a person really. His, or its, feelings couldn’t be hurt.

When Tom'd finally been rescued, this was a problem. He just didn't know how to interact with others. And it wasn't just a matter of annoying them. When he was hungry he simply picked up food and ate it. If one of the other foster children was using something, he might take that as well, and he was by far the oldest in the group -- oldest physically in any case.

And there was another problem. His immune system was messed up. He had never been sick, because he had never encountered anything that could infect him or even give him an allergic reaction. Now he was constantly having allergic reactions or getting sick from things most people could shrug off.

Finally, just a few weeks after his rescue, in his own best interests the authorities decided he'd been rejuved back to age 6. And here he was. But it wasn't a medical rejuve. Given his antisocial behavior it had been decided to rejuve him as to soft-time penny/medical status.

He tried the room’s door, it was stuck. He pulled harder, but his now-small frame couldn't budge it. Actually it was locked, but he had little experience with locks so it didn't occur to him. He looked around the room. There was a one piece jump suit in light blue. It had velcro down the front just like the shirts he'd worn on the ship. He didn't understand what the velcro fasteners in the back were for, but then there were lots of things he'd never understood.

With a lot of work he slipped the suit on and sat on the bed. He called out SAM, but of course the ship computer didn't answer here. It had been weeks since it had answered him. Then he heard the door open.

[cyrusdamodred]

Hanna Loyd had been a very lonely woman the last few years. She married a man from a different planet and because of that left most of her family and friends behind. Love made this seem to be a fair decision but Fate wanted to turn it into something far different.

After a few months of marriage, the man she married died of an unknown Virus that had entered his body during one of their space journeys. No doctor could help and most ended up just extending his suffering until it was too late. Hanna thought a lot about returning to her family in the time that followed but couldn't bring herself to return and look into their eyes after she had left them so easily.

It was a fortunate circumstance that she heared about the Institution to rejuve people out of various reasons and after reading a few articles she found the idea quite tempting to take a try at one of those childs that had been given a second chance in Life. Her husband had left her enough wellfare so she had nothing to worry about if she'd used it carefully, even a small House still was there after the costs for the doctors and the funeral. Enough to care for a small family...enough to stop this feeling of loneliness inside of her.

After some persuasion and checks on her past she finally got approved for taking care of one child with the most fortunate message that there already was a boy in need of a new home. Now Hanna stood in front of the big complex, clenching her fingers around the contract and entered breathing deeply. She wore a long, even black skirt with a stitching resembling a flower on her right tight combined with a white, leger blousse worn under a Jacket fitting to the skirt. Her eyes were a bright blue and her face was framed by long blond hair with natual curls.

Hanna had to ask some people to actually find the right place but when she did one of the responsible scientists guided her toward the boys room. "Be careful...he just got rejuved recently and might have to deal with a lot of thoughts on that. Besides he lived alone on a spaceship for most of his young life and never learned proper behaviour around other people. In the end, it will need a lot of caring and understanding to guide him on the right way." the man told her but she already knew all of that from the screens she saw. "I'll do my best to take care of the boy. I think he really needs this chance and I'll try to be patient." Hanna said with all self confidence she could bring up.

Then they opened the door and Hannas face begun to shine looking for whoever was inside there in anticipation.

[JodyJames]

Tom turned quickly to the door as Hanna and a doctor entered. He been told to expect something. Why was he having such a hard time remembering? Tom stared at the woman with a stare that anyone would have taken to be quite impolite, in fact downright rude. After a pause, Tom said “Who are you?” Tom was surprised at the pitch of his voice. It had been different on the planet than the ship because the air was much more rarefied. But it was now much higher than even that. He tried to guess how old she was converting the human standard years to the local number. He was surprised that he couldn't do the math in his head,
The doctor spoke to him, "This is your new mother. Her name is ...."

Tom interrupted, "That's not my mother. My mother is ... was Prof. Margaret Schwartz, Professor of Exogeology at .."

While Tom spoke on, Hanna started to say something until the doctor put a hand on her arm. He also gave him a look that any child would have instantly recognized as a reprimand for his interrupting. Tom was oblivious. The doctor shook his head, "You see one of the problems. He’s completely self-centered." He took out his medical scanner and began to scan the six-year old. "Well a final check indicates the rejuve looks to have taken fine." he told her.

In the midst of the scan, Tom walked away from the doctor and over to mirror and began to touch and look at his new face and body

The doctor used this opportunity to talk to Hanna. "The rejuve worked fine. He's now biologically aged about 6 standard human years. We wanted him young enough for his immune system to get a fresh restart, but we settled for six in case there was an error in the process, and we had to rejuve him again. That would have made him 3, and we try not to go below that age as there can be substantial memory loss.

The doctor handed Hanna a small flat-backed hairbrush. There was a prescription attached to it that read, "Use two or three times a day for a week to ten days and otherwise as needed." He said, "These instructions are the legal requirement for a penny rejuve. That is not Tom’s case. He ... well he has no official status. He’s something between a soft-time penny and a medical rejuve due to his anti-social tendencies but extenuating circumstances. I would however advise you medically that you do employ this or something suitable liberally as you deem necessary. We feel that he needs that kind of shock to begin his readjustment. Actually given reports from the orphanage, I'm quite sure you're going to find many reasons you'll need it. He has little understanding of social limits or in fact of his own behavior that is dangerous to himself or others. Planet life is much more dangerous than ship-board life with an AI to look over you and no one else around to hit you with a car when you’re not paying attention. You’ll also see that mentally he vacillates from age 6 to 15. That is his actual and new ages. The brain grows along with the body in ways we don’t really understand completely. But a rejuve undoes much of that maturity while leaving the memories of what it was once capable of. Well he’s all checked out and you’re free to take him with you. Good luck.” The doctor also handed Hanna a printout describing Tom's background and how he came to be here. "This should help you. Do you have any questions for me?"

Tom had stopped looking in the mirror and had picked up the doctor's medical scanner. He was busy pushing buttons and the thing was beeping back at him. Tom did not understand any of the messages or numbers it showed.

[cyrusdamodred]

Hanna wasn't that old, maybe a little older than thirty due to the unfortunate circumstances that led her here. hearing the voice of the young boy for the first time she knew it would be a lot of work to finally get hrough to him and the little quarrel with the doctor about her not being his mother only proved her right.

When she tried to take her introduction into the own hands she was silenced by the man who led her here and had to listen to what he said. Hearing the man state the boy as purely self centered she tended not really to believe it. There had to be a soft core somewhere and she would only need to find it.

Tending to ignoe the doc for a while she looked at Tom who seemed to want to figure out who he now was. It looked kinda cute how the boy looked in the mirror, touching himself and making faces. It made him even seem to be a normal child.

Seeing that his checkup would need a bit of time Hanna looked for a seat and rested until they would allow her to take the kid with her. When the doctor came back and handed her a...Hairbrush...she at first made a very confused look which she kept on her face after being told this was going to be his 'Medication'. She herself had been raised in a rather strict house herself and knew how this kind of tool would feel and since Tom wasn't responsible for what happened to him she felt a bit awkward about this advice. "You mean...I have to smack him with this two to three times a day...even without a reason? What kind of medicine is that?! Sounds to me you already gave up on him!" Hanna kinda scolded the doc. "Think a moment...It would only give him pain. You wouldn't learn a thing if a stranger suddenly walks up on you and gives you three spanks with a hairbrush! ...and you guys call him self centered." when she was finished Hanna had her hands on her hips still holding the brush and waiting for an explanation that she could understand.

[JodyJames]

"No I'm sorry, you misunderstood me." Spanking him for no reason would be the legal requirement if he were an actual penny. But he is not one. Nor is he really a medical rejuve either. I gave that to you simply because we always give one as the vast majority of our rejuved patients are pennies. What I'm telling you is what the psychiatrists have told me. For Tom's own safety and to a lesser extent the safety of others around him. He has to quickly learn what he can and can't do. For example, have you ever known a 15 year old or even a six year old who didn't know that stepping into a street is dangerous. We learn those things so young it's hard to imagine not knowing them, but there are hundreds if not thousands of things he doesn't understand that can hurt him. Likewise he can hurt others without realizing it. The psychiatrists believe that corporal punishment is about the only tool that will rapidly help him learn all those things and how to behave. If he behaves fine, you needn't use it. I'm just telling you that I ... we don't believe that things will go that way. We will be here to help as needed, but you will be with him and will learn what is needed."

By this time Tom had finished looking at himself and without a word went to the now unlocked door and went out without either adult noticing right away. He began to walk down the corridor trying doors. The third one opened and he went into a room very much like his but empty.

[cyrusdamodred]

"I'm fine with punishment if he disbehaves and it can't be settled otherwise but what you stated at first sounded as if you just pound him around for the sake of it. Don't you think he learns that the first thing that can harm him will be the person doing this? I don't want to look like a bully to him on the very first day we know each other." the explanation had calmed her a little but there was something she still wanted to know. "Don't tell me you actually used that kind of thing on him?!" her eyes stated clearly that she felt mad and by swinging her wrist with the brush she made clear what a wrong answer could mean to the man in front of her.

Then she realized something as it had gotten pretty silent. From all the beeps and clicks nothing more was to hear. Knowing they had left the door open she took a quick look around. "Oh great...he's gone. Keep that answer for later...we first need to find him." she said and went after the boy taking a look around the institution while thinking where he could have ran off.

[JodyJames]

The doctor was about to answer when Hanna pointed out Tom was missing. As she went out the door, he ;\pressed a button on the intercom. "A young male rejuve has gone missing. He must still be in the building. He's six years old, blond hair, and wearing a standard issue post-rejuve outfit. He is not a penny and probably is confused. His name is Tom. If you see him please just respond."

The doctor expected an almost immediate response. Someone would see him in one of the corridors surely. But there was no quick response so he too went looking. He wondered if Tom could he have gotten into the elevator and gone to another floor?

In the other room Tom was still looking around. He saw written signs, but he just couldn't make them out. He could not understand what had happened in his rejuve. Why did he feel so ... so stupid. He saw a panel with buttons and began to push them at random. It was something he'd done on the ship, though SAM had been careful to program in overrides so he couldn't do anything too dangerous.

One button turned on a computer screen. It was actually a television screen, but Tom thought of them all as computer screens with stored programs to watch. Other buttons turned on or off the lights. And one button was a nurse call. A nurse answered. "Can I help you?"

Tom was a bit surprised by the voice. "Are you the building SAM?" he asked.

"No this is nurse Andrews. Who is this? No one is assigned to that room?"

"I'm T...." just before answering Tom thought maybe he shouldn't say who he was.

But the nurse had a sudden realization based on the doctor's announcement. "Tom, stay right there and don't touch anything else. I'll be right in to get you." She hurried from her station and found the boy alone in the room. She went to the intercom and announced she'd found the missing rejuve and was in room 304 with him. Her first thought was to turn him over her knee and spank him. The doctor had said he wasn't a penny, but even a medical rejuve should know better. On the other hand, the doctor had said they should just respond so that was all she did.

The doctor met Hanna in the hall as they approached the room. "He should be fine." he told the woman who appeared a little worried. "But this is the kind of thing I was talking about. He just doesn't think."

[cyrusdamodred]

Suddenly after Hanna had gone out of the room in search for Tom looking through the corridors and in the opened close by rooms her thought was that she had to find him. Those so called doctors would probably just give him some of their "medicine" and put the poor boy back to his room.

Reaching finally the hall in her Efforts to find Tom the intercom stated that he got found in a room she had missed. "I read the screens, okay?" she said still angry and a little out of breath now too. Hanna felt as if the guy wanted to lecture her now and turned her back on him to go off to the said room. "If I happen to see the one who found him beating the boy up...that woman will get a dose of your Institutes own medicine!" she snarled making her way back up and hoping for Tom to be safe for now.

[JodyJames]

The doctor could see the woman was upset so he just walked along with her. He was just a young doctor after all and not in charge of anything. He'd only been telling her what he'd been told to say. The boy would be her problem -- or not -- as things turned out. He showed her the room and he opened the door for her. Then found Tom sitting on the edge of the bed with the nurse watching.

She said, "He seems much more confused than any rejuve I've ever seen, doctor."

He replied, "This is the boy who was lost for ten years and all alone. He just found about a month back."

"That explains it. When I asked him what he was doing, he just said, finding out how it runs. I didn't let him push any more buttons. I have to get back to my station."

The nurse left and the doctor told Hanna, "We may have gotten off on the wrong foot. Tom is the first case like this. We don't know with any certainly what will be best. I told you the suggestions, but it's up for you to decide. Oh it was also suggested you you call him Tommy as a reminder to him that he's much younger now and not the same person any more."

When the doctor said 'Tommy', the boy who had been ignoring them, looked up. "Tommy? ... Tommy? Mommy said 'Tommy.' She used to ... before... I think. It's hard to remember."

The doctor looked surprised. "That may be a very good sign." he told Hanna. "I haven't seen any kind of reaction like that before. You can talk to him here in this room for a while if you wish. Just please don't let him touch any of the monitoring equipment. Or take him home. Normally I'd say take him to his new home in more comfortable surroundings, but he only really knows the ship he was found in and the orphanage he was in for about a month. I'm not sure what would feel more comfortable for him."

[cyrusdamodred]

"Okay, I guess I start talking to him in here first. We have to get to know each other to build up some trust. I know it might be neccessary to disciplin him but as long as I can help it I'll try to avoid it. Thanks so far." Hanna pulled herself together, being happy that the boy seemed whole she tend to relax and be a bit more reasonable again.

She walked over to Tommy and sat down leaving one seat free between them so he wouldn't feel pushed. "Hello Tommy, are you alright? We were all searching for you. It would be nice if you told an adult you want to go someplace else..." she said in a calm, yet a little exhausted voice from all the running. "I'm Hanna. I would like to be..." she thought carefully about what to say next given his last reaction to the word Mother. "...your new Aunty. How does that sound? I'd really like you to give me the Chance to help you a little here and then. Maybe we can even be friends...what do you say?" she gave this little try all she got even though she didn't know if it would do any good on Tommy.