I opened my eyes slowly as I let out a yawn. My body felt like it had had the best sleep of my entire life. I was still feeling comfy and a bit drowsy, the warm bed slowly trying to tug me back into sleep. However, I could hear the voices of my dad and uncle.

  “Joseph, this is her decision, we can't make it for her.”

  “Oh, don't give me that rubbish you are her father, the head of this cn and that is a medium perk in there. The branch leaders have already started preparing lists on what they want it spent on and are getting angry with you for not calling a cn meeting immediately to have her spend it. Seriously, over seven maids heard you screaming ‘holy shit, she has a medium perk on her status’ you can't hide it now. So, just hand it over to the cn… Haven't you been whining for the st two hundred years about wanting to scrounge together enough small perks so you can spend it on that clean energy system? Power pnt that could literally run all the electricity on the entire pnet? You could buy it right now. Just think about the amount of nd you could buy with that kind of free income”

  “I know, I know, but it's her perk that she earned. We can't just take it from her. Before you start again. Yes, I will compromise, alright. I will encourage her to spend it on something the cn can use, but let's face it, the list of what's avaible to spend that medium perk on is extensive. There are space stations and spaceships and other shit on there, for crying out loud.”

  “Who cares about space stations or spaceships? We can't get up there to use them, and we don't even have a pilot trained to fly up there anyway. Plus, I am pretty sure the noble family in America has been pushing for space travel because they almost have a medium perk of their own. They are eager to get space superiority so they can cim the pnet by war or some such nonsense and become the royal cn. We need something now here on the pnet to earn us more money so we can buy up the nd and become recognised by the system as the royal cn before they get there. That way we will have cimed the royal title first and there will be nothing they can do about it and will have to hand over access to space. William, We need that perk in there to do it.”

  “Enough Joseph! I have already said I won't make the decision for her, it is her medium perk. I will try to convince her to spend it on something that will benefit our cn and elevate It to a higher rank, but it is her decision and that is final!”

  I was wide awake now and slightly annoyed. I quickly got out of bed and went to my ensuite, closing the door and locking it before getting in the shower. Needed to wash and brush my teeth before I dealt with the crazy going on out there. After finishing up with my morning routine I found myself in front of my bedroom door wearing the nearest thing I had to my uniform, but it had no sleeves, which caused me to chuckle.

  “Guess that's a habit now” I muttered to myself as I went to reach for the doorknob, only to stop as I realised my dad and uncle were still arguing on the other side.

  “Joseph, stop it. Do you really think staying out of space will help us? We own nd on Mars and the moon, for crying out loud. Why are you so focused on the ground?”

  I yanked open the door as I gred at the fools arguing over what they wanted. I could see my dad was a little concerned and remorseful, but my uncle looked arrogant, like the decision of what was going to happen to my perk was already decided by him.

  “You need to come with me, child. A meeting has been called. The cns’ branch leaders have decided on what will happen to your perk.”

  “Joseph, don't lie to the girl, I have called no such meeting, and you know it, besides cn w states no one can decide what someone else’s perk is used on.”

  “It's too te. I just received a message, the branch leaders called it themselves. They are demanding the girls' presence and this is no small perk we are talking about, this is the first medium perk that any cn has ever seen. The decision on what it's spent on is no longer up to you, or her. Now come with me, child!”

  I patted my dads shoulder gently as I smiled and indicated for my uncle to lead the way as I slowly followed him. My uncle led me through the mansion until we finally reached a room that would probably once been called a ballroom. Inside, a couple dozen people were standing around talking to each other, but it stopped the moment I stepped into the room, and they all turned to look at me.

  “Ah, finally our medium perk is here to be spent. Good, let's get started.”

  “We should spend it on nd. I did my research, and it is possible to purchase fertile soil for all of Europe, giving us ownership of it and elevating us to at least pnetary count.”

  I could see half A dozen or so of them nodding their heads in agreement, but someone from what I was guessing was an opposing party spoke up before that cim could get much traction.

  “Nay! I say we spend it on a research space station. We could use it to research new technology and medicines Cornering the markets, and we can use the income from that to cim more nd on Mars where we can build the first domed habitat for humans. That will elevate us higher in the sor ranking.”

  My mouth was slowly falling open as I listened to their cims and demands one after another they continued, some even having a second go changing what they wanted.

  I shook my head slowly, getting tired of listening to their bickering and decided to put an end to it

  “Listen up and you will hear! System, I wish to spend my medium perk on an orbital station!” I decred loudly to the entire room for all the fools to hear.

  I could hear them starting to ugh, while a few had already turned back to talk about what they were going to spend the perk on, when a lightning strike smmed into the floor next to me. A man stepped out before he spoke.

  “Request suspended, pending negation with a system administrator!”

  He looked at me then smiled with what to me looked a little like a mocking smile before he continued.

  “Considering how far into the backwaters this pce is, you better be very good at negotiation, but I doubt that will matter. Since I have already denied your cim!”

  “I… you… what?”