2199 Extinction
Natatilis

With a ding, the elevator doors open, and we step out into a city so busy, that the Talfarian capital, Nix, seems like a small village. Floor forty-three is a business section. A hundred different scents flood my nose. Some of them smell good, like the faint smell of sausage. Some of the smells are horrific; like an animal that has been rolling in something that died, last week. Everywhere I see movement.

A variety of different alien species going about their daily lives, unaware that this all happened, already. Just another day for them. Some of the alien species I recognize, like the Nelkans, the Salvarians, and the Salmazin. There are plenty of species I don’t recognize, and some I have seen, but never learned their names. I see a ton of different stalls set up, all around, selling so many things.

The shopkeepers shout out to passersby trying to entice them into buying, their wares. A crying child can be heard, and the sound of a mother trying to calm that child. All of these different noises combine to make a deafening roar.

I cover my ears and look over at Amancia. “How can you stand all of this noise?!” I shout.

“No need to shout, I can hear you just fine,” Amancia says. “You’ll get used to the noise. It will take some time, but eventually, you will learn to tune it all out except what you want to hear. I couldn’t stand all of the noise when I first moved here, either. But after a time, it wasn’t so bad, and now, I enjoy it, I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. Just close your eyes, and imagine a quiet place, then one by one imagine each of the extra noises being turned off.”

I strain to hear her explanation. I close my eyes and imagine I’m back home, in my room, alone. I shut out all the noise around me and take a few deep breaths. I can do this. Pretend all of this noise isn’t happening. And for a moment it works, all of the noise disappears, and I am left in peace, hearing nothing but the sound of my own breathing. Then someone bumps into me, and the illusion shatters. The noise rushes back in and I open my eyes. Ugh! This is going to take some time and practice.

“Sorry!” a young Copaie yells as he giggles and runs off with his friends.

A young Copaie giggling and playing with his friends. That is so amazing. He isn’t trying to prove anything. He is just able to be himself. And he is playing with other races, not just Copaie. Such a beautiful thing to see. Of course, there isn’t a Talfarian in that little group, but it’s still a step up from everything I have been through.

“Astra?” Amlican asks, putting a hand on my shoulder.

“Yeah?” I ask, watching the group of kids disappear into the crowd.

“What are you thinking?” he asks, placing his other hand on my chin and gently turning my face towards him.

I search his eyes. What am I thinking? So many things, most of which you will never understand. How difficult it is to be raised on a planet where my race is so hated. How difficult it is to be that race, no matter where I am at. Wishing we could one day have children of our own and that they could be as happy as those children. How much I love you and don’t want to lose you, again. How sorry I am that I got you killed in a different timeline.

“I am thinking about how hungry I am and I’m wondering where the food is,” I say, forcing a laugh.

He stares at me in silence. Does he know that I am lying? I stare back at him, willing him to believe what I said.

“Come on, guys,” Amancia says, walking between us and breaking the tension. “Some of the best food you have ever eaten is served at this small restaurant, over here. It’s run by this little old Jemson woman. She may be small in height, but her food is big on flavor.”

I stare at him a moment longer, before breaking eye contact and following behind her. We walk past a booth selling all kinds of creatures. A loud screaming noise fills my ears and I turn to see a black, long-bodied creature with six legs, and four red eyes, with its mouth wide open: it’s a Slaphner. A creature originally found on Talfar. Once it was discovered how great they were at tracking, they were captured and sold across the universe.

In a cage on the floor, I see a large silvery looking four-legged creature. It’s covered in silvery spots that are darker than the rest of its fur.That is a Loftin! Is that Princess? I remember mom talking about rescuing her from an animal dealer. That has to be her! I take a step in her direction, with the intent of freeing her, when I remember mom saying, “Rescuing Princess seemed to bond us together. I helped her and she helped me, that day.” Instead, I just squat down and look her in the eyes.

“Come on. Up you get.” Amlican says, grabbing ahold of my elbow. “I’m starving and you are delaying the inevitable. You know how cranky I get when I’m hungry.”

“You aren’t cranky when you are hungry,” I say laughing as he pulls me to my feet.

“You’re right. So, who is the cranky one when they are hungry? Oh, yes, it’s you.” he says laughing as well.

“I can’t help it if I get a little hangry.”

“Hangry?”

“Hungry and cranky at the same time. I picked it up from one of the many ambassador children that have come through the castle.”

​ ​We follow Amancia into the restaurant, in front of us. It’s a beautiful place, big floral arrangements, in a variety of sizes and colors, decorate the walls and the tops of each booth. The large room is filled with booths and tables. Some of the tables are empty and some are filled with varied races enjoying their meals.

Along the back wall, is a line of counters, and grills manned by different aliens. On this side of the counters, is a lengthy line of different races holding plates. You seem to have to stand in line for the food, tell them what you want, and the workers put it on the plate for you. ​We stop at the front and Amancia pays for our food. We then follow her through the line. Amancia is first, then me, and Amlican is last. I am amazed at all the diverse kinds of food available.

First, I see fruits and vegetables that I recognize and many that I don’t. I pick out a few that I have never tried and some that I have. Next, we arrive at the meat. I have never seen such a wide variety in all my life. The wonderful smell of meat, on the grill, floods my nose causing my mouth to start watering. I get many different kinds of meats; I’ll eat veggies and fruits, but I love meat. I can’t wait to try them. I pick one bread from the next station, as I’m not a big bread eater. Same for the desserts, just one.

We come to the beverage section, and I see a wide variety of drinks. The drinks seem to come in a rainbow of colors, none of which look familiar to me. I reach for a large glass filled with a bubbly orange liquid, at the same time as Amlican. We laugh and he grabs a different glass of orange liquid. We follow Amancia as she weaves in and out of the crowd, heading for a booth along the far right wall. Amancia takes a seat, on one side. I slide into the booth opposite of her and Amlican sits down, beside me.

“Let me out a minute,” I say, tapping Amlican’s arm.

“Why?” he asks.

“Because I have a thing about washing my hands before I eat.”

“Hm. Good idea.” He says. “Where are the bathrooms, Amancia?” I ask.

“Over that way.” She says pointing, behind us. Once we return, we eat our meal in silence. The meat was just as good as I thought it would be. I wolf it down, barely tasting it.

After we are done eating, Amancia speaks up. “I know an empty apartment. It’s just down the hall from mine. It’s the only one available. It is a two-bedroom, though. Is that okay? Do you mind sharing? I can take you there, now, if you want.”

“Yeah, that sounds good,” I say, yawning. “It’s been a long day and I’m tired.”

“Same,” Amlican says, also yawning.

“I’ll bring you guys some new clothes, in the morning. I’m sure you are tired of wearing those. Besides, you need to blend in.” Amancia says, getting up from the table.

Amlican stands up and I slide out of the booth. But when I stand to my feet, I can immediately feel something is wrong. I feel slightly dizzy, and I have to steady myself by placing a hand on the table. Amancia is walking away, steadily chatting, so I just try to focus on her as I walk. Amlican walks beside me, and he doesn’t look too steady on his feet either.

“What’s going on?” I whisper to Amlican, as I stumble along.

“I’m pretty sure that orange liquid was fermented,” he says, stumbling on the word fermented.

“You mean it was...you mean...alcohol?” I ask, holding onto Amlican’s arm. Maybe between the two of us, we can keep our balance.

“Yeah. Fairly sure it was not. I mean...yes...alcohol.”

The next thing I remember, we are in an apartment, closing the door on Amancia. I drop the key on the floor and head down the hall. Nothing about the apartment makes any sort of impression on me. I open a few doors until I replace a room with a bed. Boy, it sure is hot in here! The last thing I remember is collapsing face-first into the bed before I blackout.

I open my eyes, to replace myself in a dark room, the only light comes from the alarm clock beside the bed. The clock reads 4:52. I hear the sound of heavy breathing, behind me. I roll over, and by the dim light of the alarm clock, I replace myself face to face with Amlican. I can see him laying on his back, beside me. Only his right side is covered by the blanket we share. I stare at him a moment before sitting up and covering him up.

The blanket falls off me and with a shiver I pull it up over my own body, before rolling over. I briefly wonder if I am naked, before passing back out, again. I sit up with a start and look at the alarm, it reads 8:19. I fumble around for the light. I know it’s somewhere on this nightstand. I finally replace it and tap twice to turn it on. I quickly look beside me. I am alone in bed. I look down at myself. Still wearing the same black dress, I put on two days ago, for my mother’s funeral.

Hm. Must have been a dream. A weird dream, but a dream. I sigh in relief and stretch, before climbing out of bed. I pass by the foot of the bed and see my time travel jacket balled up on top of the blankets. Strange. I don’t remember taking it off. I must have gotten hot, taken it off, and slung it towards the end of the bed. I open my bedroom door and stick my head out, looking around. One end of the hall ends in a bathroom and the other end dumps into the living room.

“Amlican?” I call out as I walk on the soft white carpet. The walls are also all painted white, no pictures hang on the wall.

“In here,” Amlican calls from another room. I round the corner and see him sitting on a white couch, sipping something from a glass mug. This must be the living room.

“They sure like their white, here,” I state as I sit down beside him.

“I think they leave it white so the new owners can decorate it however they please,” Amlican says, in between sips.

“I need to ask you a serious question,” I say looking him in the eye.

“Go ahead,” he says, setting his mug on the small table beside the couch. I play with my hair for a moment, suddenly nervous. “Did you... I mean, were you...”

Amlican grabs hold of my hands, “It’s okay. Take a few breaths and try again.”

I take his suggestion, take a deep breath, and try again. “Were you in my room, last night?”

“No. I was so tired; I passed out in the other room and didn’t wake up until a little while ago. Your door was still shut so I came in here and made myself a cup of this black liquid. The container said coffee. I have just been sitting here drinking this when you came out and found me.” he explains.

“Why do you ask? Did something happen?

Did someone get in?”

“No, I just have this feeling that we... you know.... slept together. And it doesn’t help that I don’t remember much of anything after we ate dinner.” I say.

“I don’t remember much, either. But, no, we didn’t,” he says in a matter-of-fact tone.

“I asked you before, remember? And you told me, no. You said you didn’t want to do anything unless we were married.”

“Yes. I remember saying that.” I say annoyed. “I just... I feel like we did more.”

“I’m not going to lie; I wish you would let me. I love you and would love to be able to prove it. But the truth is I never touched you. You told me, no and I respect your decision. I respect you. Besides, I already told you, I woke up, fully dressed in my bed. Were you naked when you woke up?” he asks.

“No,” I say, feeling embarrassed.

“Well, then, it must have been a dream. If we had done something, I would not have redressed you. Would have been very difficult. You know I am not that strong.” he says. ​

Our discussion is interrupted by a loud knocking on the living room door.

“I wonder who that is?” Amlican says, getting up to answer the door.

I get a distinct feeling that something did indeed happen, last night. The question is what happened and why can’t I remember? ​I am pulled from my thoughts by the sound of Amancia’s voice, at the door. I stand up just as she comes bounding into the living room.

“Hey, Astra! How is your morning going so far?” she is holding a couple of white plastic bags.

​“Fine. I just had a weird night. What’s in the bags?” I ask pointing. ​

“I bought you guys some new clothes. I didn’t see you guys carrying any travel bags and since you are from the future, I figured you didn’t have any money. Of course, you don’t have money, you said so, yesterday.

Anyways, since no one likes to be dirty, here you go. Clean clothes. Brand new, from one of the shops downstairs.” She says, handing me a bag and giving the other to Amlican. “I’m pretty good at guessing size, so they should fit.”

​“Thanks,” I say, digging through the bag.

​“Thanks,” Amlican says, digging through his bag.

​“Go on, get showered and dressed. I also bought you guys some bath stuff. Pretty generic for you, Amlican, nothing fancy. But for you, Astra, I bought my favorite wildflower soap and shampoo. It’s a very pretty smell, the flower grows naturally on Saltu. I have one in my room; I will have to show you sometime. I will wait here for you, then I will show you around some more.”

​I walk back into my room, shutting the door behind me, and locking it for good measure. The whole night thing has me creeped out. I go into the bathroom, locking that door as well. I then climb into the shower and turn the water on as hot as I can stand it. I can’t shake the feeling that something strange is happening here.

Maybe it’s just the annoyance of the blackout combined with Amancia’s chipper attitude. I lather up with the soap and give it a good sniff. Amancia was right, it is a good scent. I wash and condition my hair, turn off the water, step out, and towel off. I dig through the bag, pulling out new undergarments and a short light blue dress. ​I wonder why she bought me a dress? I put on the undergarments and then slip the dress on; it stops midthigh.

Wow! This thing is extremely short! I pull on the ends of the dress, willing it to be longer but give up. It is what it is. In the bag is a hairbrush and a pair of beautiful blue wedge heels. I have never seen Amancia wearing dresses, so it seems an odd fashion choice until I remember what I’ve been wearing, for the past two days. My short black funeral dress. I guess she figured that was my normal fashion choice, but that dress was longer than this one.

I brush out my long black hair and look myself over in the mirror. I look like I’m ready for a party, or a fancy date. I sigh and just decide to leave my hair down. I open the bathroom door and pass by the bed. I stop, grab the time-traveling jacket, and put it on. You never know. ​

“You look good!” Amancia says as soon as I enter the living room. ​

“I feel, slightly, overdressed,” I say, looking over at Amlican. He is dressed in a pair of simple blue pants, something Amancia called jeans, and a white, short-sleeved shirt. His messy brown hair has been washed, combed, and parted to the side.

​“Wow!” Amlican says, unable to take his eyes off me. “I knew you were beautiful, but wow!”

“You look good too,” I say finally tearing my eyes away. “Amancia, is there any particular reason you dressed me up?”

“Well, you were wearing a dress when we met, so I assumed you like to wear that kind of thing,” she answers.

Amlican laughs and then says, “Not Astra. She usually only wears loose-fitting pants and short-sleeved shirts. She was wearing a dress because the occasion called for it. But wow. You can pick her clothes out, anytime. Seriously. Sometimes I forget she is a woman because of her fashion choices.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t like it. There is a reason I wear what I wear. I don’t want men staring at me like you are right now.” I say, putting my hands on my hips.

“And how am I staring at you?”

“Like a predator preparing to pounce.”

“I can’t help staring at you,” Amlican says, shrugging his shoulders.

“Alright, you two. Knock it off. We have lots to do, today. And my understanding is that you are after Malum? Rumor has it that he will be back in six weeks. Whatever you are trying to do, you better get to planning it.” Amancia says.

“First, let’s get me some new clothes. I can’t fight in this outfit. Too tight. And I know I will have to. Malum won’t go down so easily, in fact, I’m looking forward to that.” I say.

“Fine. New clothes first and then a quick tour around the city. Maybe try and replace the best places to maneuver him into a trap.” Amancia says, walking out the door.