2199 Extinction

I scowl a moment longer, enjoying my moment. “Leita.” I say. And then I break into a smile, the joy of my son starting his own family excites me. I open my arms to her. “Daughter. I love you and welcome you to our family.”

She walks into my arms, and then Iknoyn wraps us both into a hug. “I knew it! I told her you would accept. She was a little nervous, but I told her she would be fine.” He says.

“I’m glad she finally asked.” I say, as we break apart. “It was getting harder and harder not to smile everytime I saw the two of you together. Besides, you don’t want to wait to close to the due date like I did. You will end up with a bedside wedding.” I chuckle.

Leita laughs and the two of them begin chatting about various wedding plans.

I nod my head in approval and start to walk off. “Come. Let us talk to Faya and share the good news. The idea of a new generation will thrill her.”

Faya is an older female Copaie, not really sure how old she is, but my guess would be three or four hundred. Her husband died, last year, so it falls on her sons to take care of her. Each month, a different son sends her credits, ensuring that she can keep up the life she is accustomed to. This is the only time I have ever seen males treat women with respect. Of course, not all males will do this.

A few males will cut their mother’s off and sit by while she starves to death; such a terrible thing to do. These tend to be the males who treat their wives terribly; beat them and whatnot. Thankfully, those males are rare. While females are subordinate to males, in public, they are treated with respect at home.

“Your flowers are looking beautiful, today, Mala.” I say as Iknoyn, Leita, and I take a seat at Faya’s table. Mala. I still find it a bit odd that tradition dictates that we do not address our mother-in-law by their name. On Talfar, women are all on equal footing. Here, we must use the term Mala when speaking to our mother in law’s face. She is only called by her name when she is not present.

“Thank-you, Vos. It takes a lot of hard work to keep these beauties alive. The smell they release, every morning, is well worth every drop of sweat.” She moves toward some purple-colored flowers. “These ones here, they are my favorite. They attract a beautiful tiny bird, that I am told only lives on the moon of Baljuma. I have a breeding pair, somewhere around here. Just acquired those sweet birds, last week.” She walks to the table and sits down across from me. “But I get the feeling that you didn’t come here to listen to an old Copaie talk about her flowers and birds.”

“You are preceptive, as always.” I say, reaching out, taking her hand in mine, and kissing it.

“The kiss of respect. Oh, dear. Whatever you came to tell me, it must be something big.” Faya says.

I let out a small laugh and look to Iknoyn who gives me an encouraging nod. “Since you took us in, became Mala to me; and Avita to Ikonyn, and both sets of twins, I thought it only right to give you the news.” I take a deep breath and then say, “Many new babies will bless your arms in the coming years.”

Faya looks to Ikonyn and to Leita and then the biggest smile crosses her lips. “I am so thrilled! A new family! Lots of babies to love and spoil! I can’t wait for the new generation!” She looks back to me before saying, “Now, if only we could convince your mother to marry, again.”

“Mala.” I say, annoyed, dragging her name out. I love her but she has been trying to marry me off for the past three or four years.

“It’s been six years, Vos, dear. It’s time to move on. Find a husband. Have more babies. You’ve only had six. A good Copaie female has no less than…”

“Thirty babies.” I say at the same time as her.

She laughs and then continues. “Well, it’s true. You started young so you have another one hundred and sixty years of childbearing, ahead of you. That’s many, many, more babies. If we get you married off soon, you could have at least one hundred and twenty babies. That’s more than me, I only had ninety-eight. You know, just the other day I met this nice, single, Copaie male. Good looking, strong, and only one hundred years old. He is still so young. He’s been used in many Lendings, so he is a proven breeder. You two would be the perfect match.”

Faya, occasionally, gets on these rants about me remarrying. The only thing I can do is listen, and sometimes, object. “Mala. I don’t want to remarry, I’m still in love with your son. And as you’ve already stated, I still have plenty of childbearing years ahead of me.”

“My son is gone, it’s hard to say but it’s true. You on the other hand are still alive, still have a purpose. And that purpose is for you to have many more children. I need some new babies playing at my knees.” She says.

“I have fallen in love, twice, and both times my heart was broken. I don’t think I have it in me to fall in love, a third time. Besides, there are so many things out there that I want to explore. Now that Iknoyn is grown and going to have his own family, I can do that.” I say.

“What about the twins?” she asks.

“They are fine. The boys are in school already, and the girls will start in a few years. They don’t need me anymore. I must admit, falling in love would be grand, but it’s not something that I’m ready for.”

“Who said anything about love? You find a good male to support you, one whose mother had lots of children, and you marry him. Then, once you leave the age of children, you can go off and have your adventures.”

I sigh. Faya is of the generation that believes the Copaie population needs to expand and that each of us is responsible for helping it to grow. She is really on the marriage bandwagon, today. I’ll probably never get out of here until I become agreeable. “Okay, Mala. You win. I will meet this male you have in mind. But I make no promises. If I don’t like him then we are done.”

“Promise me you will give him a chance. He is my oldest brother’s great grandson. His Avita had a respectable eighty-five children, and his mother is already on child number sixty-two. He has been used thirty times in Lendings, and all thirty times, babies were produced. He owns several restaurants in town. Lots of money.” She says, winking at me.

“How old is this male you are trying to marry me off to? It isn’t the one-hundred-year-old, is it?” I ask.

“No. No. That was just an example to soften you up a bit. He is not much older than you, only fifty-five.”

I look over to Iknoyn, wondering why he hasn’t voiced his opinion, yet. “Do you think I should remarry, too?”

“Yes, I do. I’ve never liked the fact that you are alone. It’s not right for a young female to live alone.” He says. “Avita is right, you need to have at least sixty more children. If it doesn’t work out with her kinsmen, I have a friend whose dad is a widower. He is sixty and looking for a good sturdy wife. He only has twenty children but I think that was the fault of his wife.”

I study is face a moment, thinking. So, the Copaie way of thinking as influenced you as well. My own son. If only you had been raised on Talfar, your way of thinking would be completely different.

I hear screaming coming from outside, and we all rush to the kitchen window to try and catch a glimpse of whatever is happening. I see several Copaie, young and old alike, falling down, dead. So, it’s begun. Malum’s reign of terror. Fear floods my veins, momentarily causing me to freeze up. The kind of fear that a mother experiences when she thinks her child is lost or going to die. I know all too well the feeling.

*******************

“Iknoyn! Where are you?! I told you not to wander off!” I shout, annoyed with my son. At nine years old, he is always getting into some kind of mischief or another.

“Calm down, Vos, honey. He’s a boy, I’m sure he’s doing the same thing is father did at his age.” Xuves says.

“I wish I could blame it on his father.” I say, spotting him in a tree near the bank of the river. “His father was actually a good kid, I’m the one that always went off exploring. Be careful, Iknoyn!”

Xuves lets out a hearty laugh. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. The way you chased after me, until I finally gave in and started dating you. So, unlike a female Copaie.”

“What?! Chased you? Please. I just let you know I was available and interested.” I say, pretending to be annoyed.

“You aggressively, let me know you were interested.” He says, leaning in for a kiss.

A loud splash pulls us apart. I scan the tree but no longer see my son. I jump to my feet and quickly check the water. At first, I don’t see anything, but then I spot a head bobbing amongst the rapids. “Ikonyn!” I shout.

An icy cold, numbing feeling grips my heart and travels through my body until I am unable to move. I know I should be trying to do something, but I can’t.I feel as if I have grown roots,

and these roots hold me prisoner. What do I do? What do I do? I have never in my life felt this kind of fear before. Not even the time the Furbos were toying with us, before attacking.

Another loud splash pulls me from my thoughts, Xuves is swimming toward Ikonyn, his powerful arms cutting through the water and propelling him forwards. I watch helplessly from the bank as Ikonyn’s head goes underwater. I’m going to lose him. I’m going to lose my baby boy. The only part of my first love is going to disappear from this world forever! How stupid! Why did I think picnicking by the river was a good idea?!

Xuves arrives a few seconds later and disappears underwater as well. Soon he is pulling a limp Iknoyn back to the bank. He climbs out of the water and deposits the boy onto the shore. He quickly and gently pushes on his stomach, until Iknoyn opens his eyes and starts throwing up water.

*****************

I knew the virus was coming but I secretly hoped that without me there, as a constant reminder, Malum wouldn’t try to commit genocide. Guess I was wrong about that one. Silent tears run down my face as I watch young children, start to convulse, fall to the ground, and then stop moving. I pull myself away from the horror outside and turn to the equally horrified people in the house.

“What?” Leita asks.

“Why?” Faya asks.

“Is that?” Ikonyn asks.

What and why are certainly good questions, but with Malum they have no answer. “Masks on!” I bark, snapping into leader mode. I rush to Faya’s cabinet, unceremoniously start pushing foods to the side until I reach the very back and start pulling respirator masks out.

I toss one each to Faya and Leita. Iknoyn doesn’t need one, I gave him a vaccine a while back, once I was sure it was safe. Faya and Leita are in the middle of putting their masks on when the convulsing starts.

“No! No! No!” Iknoyn shouts, racing to his beloved’s side.

I stand there, helplessly staring, knowing there is nothing I can do for either one of them. Only takes moments for the virus to work it’s course, and soon they are on the ground, dead.

“Mother, do something!” Iknoyn shouts, holding Leita in his arms.

“I…I….I…” I stammer.

Suddenly Iknoyn is by my side, grabbing my shoulders and shaking me. “You have to do something!”

The shaking seems to loosen my voice and the words tumble out. “What do you want me to do about it? It’s already too late for them.”

“There are rumors floating around. Rumors that you have one of the last remaining time travel jackets. Rumors that you came back in time to eliminate Malum, and when that failed you hid out here.” He says. And while he stopped shaking me, his hands are still holding onto my shoulders.

“Rumors? Time travel jacket?” I ask, momentarily confused. And then it hits me. The death of my mother, Malum’s plan, Amlican and I trying repeatedly to stop it, Amlican’s death, everything. “Oh, the Time Travel jacket! I haven’t seen or thought about that thing in years. I don’t know where it is or if I even still have it. I’ve moved a few times since you were born.”

“You have to try and find it! Leita was the love of my life. I can’t go on without her.” He mourns, dropping his hands to his side.

“Give me a minute to think. I know I had it when I left the palace. I had it here, when we lived here for the first year of our marriage. I don’t remember seeing it after that. So that means, it should still be in the back of the closet we used to stay in.”

I race through the house, alone, and into the bedroom Xuves and I shared. I fling the bedroom door open and race across the room to the closet door. I fling it open and find the closet heartlessly bear. I sink onto the floor and cry. This is all my fault. If we had found the cure to the virus, sooner, none of this would have happened. No, if I hadn’t lost the jacket, this wouldn’t have happened. I’m sure I left it here. But where did it go?

Maybe Faya found it? I jump to my feet and race out of the bedroom and down the hall to Faya’s room. Where would it have gone? Where would she put it if she found it? I search through her dresser drawers, leaving them open and their contents scattered everywhere. I run to the closet, pushing things aside and still not finding anything.

And that’s when I spot a small box, in the furthest deepest corner of the closet. Only a small corner pokes out from under a small pile of clothes. I pull the box out and open it to find my jacket folded up with a handwritten note laying on top of it. I recognize Faya’s handwriting, immediately.

Vos,

If you are reading this note, that means something terrible has happened and you felt desperate enough to dig through my belongings. I found this jacket, after you and Xuves moved out. I recognized it, immediately, because I am the one who created it, many years ago. Not wanting you to get into any trouble, I hid it away until such a time as you would need it. Do what you have to do to save us all.

Much Love,

Mala

P.S. Don’t feel bad for going through my things.

I grab the jacket, put it on, and shove the note into one of the inner pockets. I double tap the sleeve to pull up the screen. How far back should I go? Wait! The lab! I close the screen back.

An hour later, I find myself in an empty lab. I am officially numb to death. I had to step over or go around so many dead bodies, I had to turn off my emotions. I had to pretend that the bodies weren’t real, or I would have had a breakdown. I don’t know where the good doctor is, but it doesn’t matter. I dig through the refrigeration unit I pull up a vial of the vaccine, I place it and an unopened needle into an inner pocket. Then I double tap on the jacket, pulling up the screen. This time I enter coordinates and I feel the old feeling of fire in my bones, before I black out.