Author: 🇨🇦 Helena Trooperman © 2026 all rights reserved
Destination Phobos, Tech Array [AOU,03,02]
Accompaniment to Age of Unity Series
(Included in © No AI scraping and no permission to copy)

DESTINATION PHOBOS

FIX-ION Blogged Chapter by Chapter

The story continues…

chapter 3

CONVENTIONAL

The children waited in twos ahead of her, each with their boarding pass on their NETcell, but the flight attendant held out a hand for Mirin’s documentation first. When all three of her documents had been scanned the flight attendant pressed her lips into a line and seemed apprehensive. “These are all your children?” she asked. “Six, including the little one?”

“Yes,” Mirin said.

“Are you aware of the latest change to flight regulations for families?”

“I saw nothing on your feed earlier.”

“It came into effect at noon today. You’ll need to leave your eldest behind when you travel to another country. Collect her when you return.”

“What?” All the children’s eyes fell on Ellen. Her face drained of colour. “But I have documents that prove it’s a secondment and we’ll all return.”

“I’m sorry. Can you contact someone to collect her and sign parentus gratis? Or we can give you a receipt for her and arrange for the Family Support Team to take care of her until your return. They bill you for her keep.”

Ellen pulled at Mirin’s elbow. She resembles Rick so much.

“Once I’m of age, I’ll come visit.”

They’d have the right to marry her off. The exact thing I’m trying to avoid. Mirin’s heart raced. “No, we stick together no matter what.”

“Can you stand to one side, please. Thank you. And you all have a nice day now. Next passenger.”

Mirin corralled her children to one side and her thumbs flew across her NETcell’s screen, the lounge too noisy for voice messaging. New law came in; must leave one kid behind. No can do. Pick us up? She hit send.

A uniformed security man approached. “This way.”

Still in parking lot. I’ll come find you, the reply read. Mirin looked into Ellen’s green eyes. “Zani’s picking us up.”

The children struggled to keep step with the airport security man that led them back through the airport. Mirin lost count how many times she checked the kids in case one got left behind.

The uniformed security guy knocked on a side door.

“Yup?” a man’s voice called.

That voice. No, it can’t be.

Meet us in room forty-two, departures level, she typed. Agent Carson’s here. Mirin hit send.

The security man waved them in before him and barred their retreat.

“Take a seat please,” Agent Carson said. “Agent Peterson’s escorting your med-tech friend here. It’s like she’s your partner in crime or something.”

“Doctor Zani to you,” Burton said. Mirin glared at the eight-year-old.

“She’s my friend. Our friend,” Mirin said. The kids nodded in agreement. Carson’s snide chuckle gave her chills. “Zani drove us here, that’s all.”

The question of the ongoing investigation hung between them. I won’t give him the satisfaction of asking.

He held out his hand. “I hear you’ve got yourself a secondment to the Allies of England. Letter of offer please?”

“The work permit’s in my passport, will that do?” He studied it. “And it acknowledges all the children are coming with me.” She held out her hand for her passport’s return.

“Looks good, but a new law prevents all the children leaving. It’s just a matter of detaining your eldest. Either you sign her into our care, or she can stay here with a guardian.” He placed her passport into her open hand. She secured it in her bag.

“Ellen’s only thirteen. I’m not going; I’ll work from home.”

Agent Carson kept his focus on her as a knock came at the door. “Come in.”

Zani entered. Agent Peterson was behind her.

“Can we go now, Mommy?” Micky asked.

Mirin nodded. “I hope so. I need to sort out where we’re staying tonight.”

Agent Carson sat back regarding her and Zani. “Of course.” He pulled out a card from his inside suit pocket and handed it to Mirin. “Mrs. Chasey, you’re subject to an ongoing investigation. You can’t leave the area until we’re done, is that clear?”

Momentarily free; still trapped; come on firmament, give me a third way. “Okay.” Mirin squeezed Micky’s hand and headed for the door. Outside the room she checked all the kids were close and without another word, Zani accompanied them to where she had parked her car.

Next

Now it’s your turn. What do you think will happen next? Drop your answer into the comments below. Chapter 4 will be available in seven days.