2199 Extinction
Twenty Years and a Few Months Earlier...

I open my eyes to replace myself back on Natatilis. I get off the floor and look around. I seem to have arrived in some back alley, with no passersby. Thank goodness for that one. I start walking around, trying to get a sense of the hour. Feels odd being here after so many years. But I have a job to do, no time for reminiscing. I pass by a small shop selling thermal suits, a group of various species stand outside, talking. I catch a fragment of conversation as I pass by, enough to realize that the Copaie are already looking for the princess. Which means, we are already looking for the princess.

Fortunately, it sounds as if they have just started the search. I pick up my speed, trying to remember where we found her. I think it was a restaurant? What was the name of that stupid place? I think it started with a G? An L? No, that doesn’t seem right. Maybe it was an F? Fren, something. Something Fren? Frengrens? I think that’s it. I spot the restaurant, several feet ahead. I’m so lost in thought, trying to replace a way to keep the past from repeating, when it happens.

I run into someone. I don’t mean I bumped them as I pass. I mean full out, my body slamming into their body, and both of us hit the ground. I pull myself back to reality and realize that I’ve run into Malum. I should kill him, here and now, that would certainly fix all of my problems. But without just cause, I would most certainly be facing my own execution. And I can’t give my reasoning, because then I would have to reveal the fact that I’ve been time traveling. That revelation, here in the city, would also bring about my own execution.

“Looking for something?” Malum asks, getting up off the floor.

“You, actually.” I say, also picking myself up off the floor. I quickly decide on a course of action. Hopefully I don’t get myself killed.

“What can I do for you?” He asks.

“Do you know where the princess is?” I ask.

He folds his arms across his chest before answering, “Yes, I do. But I am certainly not going to tell you.”

“Look, I have no intentions of harming her. I’m not even asking you to tell me where she is. I am just here to give you a warning. In addition to Soltig hunting for the princess, his daughter and two friends are looking as well. One of these friends, happens to be a Talfarian.”

I see Malum’s eyes, momentarily darken before he is able to wipe his face clean of emotions. “And why should I believe you?”

“Because if you don’t, your princess could end up dead. I have no interest in another bloody civil war. I have no interest in watching my people die all because I didn’t keep the Talfarian princess out of the hands of my own people.” I say.

That is a lie, of course, but I’m hoping it’s convincing enough for Malum to move the princess, elsewhere. Somewhere we can’t replace her.

Somewhere that will alter the chain of events of the last twenty years. I will worry about replaceing her, again, later.

“Hmph.” He grunts, uncrossing his arms. “I’ll keep her safe, but be warned, if I see you near her, I will kill you as well. Never can be too sure of a person’s honesty.”

He’s questioning my honesty? After all the lies he has told? “Right, well, I will go distract my own people, and you get her out of here.” I turn and run off, trying to replace my younger self. I don’t stray too far from the restaurant, knowing that if Malum doesn’t believe me, we will replace the princess, here. Wait. If Malum did believe me, I should be returning to my younger self, soon.

I sit down outside of a nearby bar. It’s loud and the constant crowd outside of it, is the perfect cover to see what happens. I wait for a long while before I realize that I am still here. Either Malum didn’t believe me or something else needs to happen to change the course of events. Of course, he didn’t believe me, I’m the enemy. Why should he? Then again, Malum isn’t one to take chances. So, now what do I do?

I start scanning the crowd, keeping my eyes open for my younger self. I spot someone familiar, slowly working his way through the crowd. It’s been twenty years since I last saw him, but I remember that face, it’s Amlican. I look to the restaurant window, and see Malum and the princess sitting inside, still eating. If I don’t do something, he’s going to replace them, and everything will remain the same. I need to distract him, somehow. But what can I do, in this crowd? And then the answer comes to me. I jump up, and run full speed into him, hitting his arm as I pass by.

“Hey! Watch it!” Amlican shouts. “Sorry guys, some idiot nearly ran into me. I don’t know, maybe they aren’t here. Wait!”

I am too far away to hear the rest of his conversation. I turn back around to see what’s happening. I see Amlican stop and talk to someone. I bob my head around trying to see who. I finally catch sight of his talking partner, between the crowd, it’s Malum. I get a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.

All of a sudden, Amlican falls to his knees, and I am momentarily confused. What the? I see a brief glint of something in Malum’s hand and then it’s gone. Amlican falls to his stomach, and I can see that he is barely breathing. Malum just murdered him, in plain sight! Why is no one stopping to help? Did I just get Amlican killed? I start trying to push through the crowd, but my vision fades to black as Amlican’s chest stills.

“What? Did someone run into you, again?” I ask stifling a laugh, as I walk a lap around the store. Wham! I double over as if someone had punched me in the gut. My stomach starts to churn, making me feel sick. I haven’t felt this way since I was pregnant with Iknoyn. My daughter was an easier pregnancy. Wait. Iknoyn? Daughter? Pregnancy? What in the world? Where did those thoughts come from? I am bombarded with a barrage of images, memories, and I don’t move until they stop coming. I straighten up and take a couple of deep breaths. I place my right hand on my stomach and gently rub it. That’s right. I am pregnant, with twins? No. that wasn’t right, a son.

A smile comes to my face as I remember what a good man Iknoyn will be. Wait a minute, I time traveled, again. So, does that mean, Amlican is dead? I start to wonder about Amlican, as I remember everything right before the blackout.

“Amlican? Where are you? Are you alright?” I ask, worried. Instead of reassuring words, I receive only silence. Where is he? Where is he? Frengrens.

I take off in the direction of the restaurant from my memories. I round a corner and replace myself in a strange jungle. I skid to a halt. What is going on? Tall trees have sprouted up, everywhere. Large, colorful flowers, some bigger than my head, cover the ground. A silver mist covers the ground, and strange noises fill the air. I’m momentarily confused, but then I realize someone must have activated some kind of holographic device.

“Stop! Or I will throw my raptor at you! I have much practice. I won’t miss.” A voice rings out.

I duck and dodge through the holographic jungle, trying to see who the owner of the voice is. It sounds very familiar, like I’ve heard it many times over many years.

“The device needs to be turned off! The jungle is tiresome!” The voice rings out, again. That’s when I catch sight of it’s owner. I was right I do know that voice, it belongs to Soltig.

“I... I don’t know how.” Says a female voice. I recognize that voice as well, it belongs to the Talfarian princess. Mother! I slowly make my way through the confused crowd.

“Three times!” Soltig shouts.

“What?” she asks, confusion filling her voice.

“Push button on side. Three times. Jungle disappear.”

She must push the button as directed, because the jungle disappears. In place of the jungle, I see the mayhem that it caused. Benches overturned, vendor stalls overturned, cages emptied, animals running loose.

“Come on. Move! Out of my way!” I shout at the crowd of people rushing my direction. I watch as mother reaches behind her with one hand, pushes the elevator button; while re-pocketing the H.I.D. with the other hand.

Apparently, Soltig missed this quick movement. “Now, you will come here, princess.” Soltig demands.

“No, thanks, I’m good.” she says.

“Now, princess!” Soltig repeats.

Come on, just a little further. I need to get to her, before Soltig does! I see her take a small step forward and then I hear a loud roar coming from my left. And then, Soltig is three feet away from my mother, on his back, with a Loftin snarling in his face. His raptor is knocked out of his hand, and hits the elevator door, to mother’s right.

Where did that thing, come from? Still pushing my way through the crowd, I watch as the Loftin rakes her nine-inch-long, razor sharp claws, down Soltig’s face; causing him to grunt in pain. I see his arm muscles bulging as he tries to throw her; but it’s no use, she’s too heavy for even him. His hands reach for his side, and I watch him pull a six inch, curved blade, from a sheath at his side. He always keeps a backup blade.

He then precedes to stab and cut at the Loftin, trying to get it off himself. Behind mother, the elevator dings. I see a pair of hands grab her waist, and pull her backwards, onto the elevator. She lets out a yelp of surprise and turns around. I can’t see who it is, but someone punches a button, and the Loftin dives into the elevator, just before the doors shut.

That Loftin had to have been Princess! I remember mother telling me all about meeting her in a strange city. I finally make it through the crowd and stop to check on Soltig. After all, he is my grandfather, and he did help me a lot in the other timeline.

“Are you okay, General, sir?” I ask, offering him a hand up. ​

“Yes. Yes. I am fine, Astra.” He says, swatting away my offer of help. He climbs to his feet. ​

​“Vos, sir.” I say. ​“What?” he asks, trying to stop the flow of blood coming from his face. ​

“Call me Vos. It would be too confusing, otherwise.” I say. ​

“Yeah, sure, Vos.” He says, pulling off his shirt and holding it to his face.

​“Daddy!” Amancia yells, as she runs up to us. “Daddy! What happened?”

“That dang creature! That dang man that brought it to this station!” He says, cursing under his breath. ​

“What creature? What man?” she asks.

​“The creature! The creature! The Loftin!” He shouts annoyed.

​I quickly fill Amancia in on everything I witnessed as I tried to make my way through the fleeing crowd. ​

“I. Want. That. Princess!” Soltig roars, punching a nearby wall, with his free hand.

Two Copaie medics rush to their leader. They are identifiable by the grey uniform with a shoulder patch. The patch has a blue box and a white letter I on it. I watch as one of them pulls out a small rectangular box. He then pops the box open and pulls out a small blue packet, tearing it open with his teeth. The other rushes to their leader and pulls his hand away from his face. The bloody shirt falls to the floor and blood pours from the wound again.

“I need you to tilt your head back. Sir. So that we can pour the Instaclot into your wound.” One of them says.

The General lets out a few more curse words before obeying. The other medic steps forward and pours the shimmering powder into his wound. The effects are instantaneous. When the general tilts his head back to normal, I can no longer see blood pouring down his face, only dried blood remains.

“Sir, you aren’t going to like this, but we need to get you back home.” One of the medics says.

“No!” Soltig shouts. His face pales and he’s silent for a moment before continuing. “No! I must get that princess! It’s the only way to win the negotiation for the planets in the Crescent Galaxy!”

“Sir. Calm down. You have lost a lot of blood. Unless you are ready for your daughter to take over as ruler of the Copaie?”

The General looks over at Amancia, and then me before speaking. “No. I am not ready to pass into the next life.”

“Then come with us. You need more blood. We have spare blood of yours back on Saltu.” The medic says.

“I’ll take care of the princess, Daddy. Don’t worry about a thing.” Amancia says.

The General looks at us one last time, before allowing the medics to lead him away.

“So, now what?” I ask Amancia.

“They have a major head start on us, and I still haven’t succeeded in stopping Malum’s plan.”

“Don’t worry.” Amancia says. “I have a ship and a plan. They won’t be able to hide from us.”